Chapter 15

With all the noise, Shannon hurriedly ran downstairs. As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw a snow-white figure dart to her feet, then nimbly climb up her legs and into her arms. When they witnessed the scene before them, Thomas and the bodyguards, who had been chasing the fox, immediately stopped in their tracks. At the same time, the rest of the Jensens also caught sight of the fox nestled in Shannon's arms. "You didn't bring this fox with you, right?" Linda exclaimed, her face filled with astonishment. "It's a wild animal, and we've got kids running around in the house! What if it bites them?" "Who else could it be? I've already told her last night that pets weren't allowed in the house, yet she completely ignored me!" Scott, who had come downstairs after hearing the commotion, immediately chimed in, further exacerbating the situation. "It belongs to me, and it would never hurt anyone," Shannon reassured them as she cradled Marshmallow in her arms. "Foxes are wild animals with unpredictable instincts. You can't guarantee it won't hurt someone just because you say so." Another young man about the same age as Shannon chimed in from the side. It was Hank Jensen, Alex and Linda's son. It was clear from his cold gaze that he was not very welcoming of Shannon's return. After hearing that, Scott instantly chimed in, "You said it!" Possibly aware of Scott's repeated provocations toward its owner, Marshmallow lifted its head from Shannon's embrace, turned its head, and bared its teeth menacingly at Scott. Scott quickly backed away, pointing at the fox and shouting, "Did you guys see that? You guys saw it, right?" Another childish voice chimed in fearfully, "Mommy! I'm scared! Get it out of here! Get it out of here!" It was Eva Jensen, Alex and Linda's youngest child, who was six and a half years old. She was gripping Linda's leg in fear, taking refuge behind her. When Hector walked in, he was greeted with the scene of Shannon standing at the foot of the stairs, holding the fox in her arms. At that moment, she was surrounded by a group of people, as if in the midst of a witch hunt. With a slight chill in his smile, Hector stepped forward and said, "I've given Shannon permission to keep the fox. If anyone has an issue, you can take it up with me." When they heard that Hector had actually allowed her to keep the fox, all the other Jensens were dumbfounded. At that moment, Cecily stepped forward and said gently, "We're not trying to pick on Shannon, Hector. It's just that the fox appeared out of the blue, and as for Grandma…" Although she trailed off, everyone knew what she meant. After all, Marie had an aversion to furry pets and had never allowed them in the house. With her poor health, no one in the family dared to disobey her. She was currently recuperating at a mountain resort. If she came back and found a fox in the house, wouldn't it infuriate her? Cecily was indirectly reminding Hector that he couldn't always call the shots for Shannon. With a nonchalant glance in Cecily's direction, Hector responded with a faint smile, "I'll speak to Grandma about it." Although he was smiling, his voice was firm and allowed no dissent. After that, he turned his attention to the people trailing behind and instructed them. "Go and construct the pet house on the east side of the garden. And also build a shed there as well." It was only then that everyone realized that Hector had two workers trailing behind him, both carrying wooden crates. It seemed that he had already prepared everything necessary for the fox's living arrangements. Although Shannon had gotten Hector's word the night before, she was still taken aback to discover that he had already prepared Marshmallow's living quarters by the following morning. As she tightened her embrace around it, Shannon abandoned her initial plan of taking Marshmallow back to the place she had previously rented. After all, with someone supporting her, she couldn't possibly back down now. It would be inconsiderate for her to do so. Given Hector's authority, Scott and the others refrained from raising any further objections about Shannon's fox. With no other options, they were simply biding their time until Marie's return, wondering how Hector would continue to shield Shannon then. Shannon was naturally unaware of their thoughts. She went upstairs with Marshmallow, changed her clothes, and then had breakfast. After that, she meticulously groomed Marshmallow, making sure its fur was smooth and shiny. When she was pleased with the results, she picked it up and headed out. After having lost quite some time due to sleeping in, Shannon only managed to leave the house at 10:30 am. She figured Benjamin was probably already at the company by then, but after the incident last night, Shannon still decided to drop by his place and apologize. Much to her surprise, Benjamin was actually at home. At that moment, Benjamin was impeccably dressed in a suit, every detail perfect, as if ready to step out the door for work. Yet, he sat there relaxed, his entire being seemingly bathed in a golden glow, as radiant as always. Shannon quickly regained her composure and then walked forward with Marshmallow cradled in her arms. "It turns out you're still here, Mr. Cooper." As he observed her behavior, Benjamin's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. With an impassive face that betrayed no emotion, he said indifferently, "You mentioned that you would come early in the morning." When she heard that, Shannon was momentarily dumbfounded. With the big shot dressed to the nines at home, could it be that because she said she would come over to apologize, he… actually waited for her at home? Surely that couldn't be the case, right? Benjamin's time was extremely precious, right? Did he really have that much… free time? While Shannon was focused on the act of visiting, she hadn't realized that Benjamin was fixated on her promise of an "early in the morning" visit. One of Benjamin's OCD traits was his insistence on keeping his promises. When Shannon said that she would come early in the morning, he had taken it to heart and had waited for her arrival. What he hadn't expected was that her "early in the morning" would actually be at 10:30 am. "I'm truly sorry for the trouble my fox caused you last night. Here's a protective talisman I made myself. Please take this as a gesture of my sincere apology." With that, Shannon handed over a pouch containing an emerald pendant. She had carved the pendant herself, with auspicious sigils etched on the back to attract luck and blessings. With Benjamin's golden light acting as a shield against malevolent forces, she deemed the most powerful protective talismans redundant and chose this one instead. Given that the emerald pendant was made from high-quality emerald containing spiritual energy, its effects were even more potent. It was also intended to cultivate a favorable relationship with Benjamin, perhaps even granting her the opportunity to bask in his golden light. After accepting the pouch, Benjamin refrained from opening it right away. Instead, he gestured for his butler, Julian Brown, to take it and put it away, as if accepting Shannon's "gesture of apology." When she noticed that, Shannon couldn't help but point out, saying, "A protective talisman is only effective if it's kept on you at all times." As soon as he heard that, Benjamin's action of handing the pouch to Julian faltered briefly. After that, he dismissed Julian with a wave and slipped the pouch into his own suit pocket. It was only then that Shannon's face broke into a contented grin. With the "apology" exchange concluded, Benjamin wasted no time and got up to take his leave. When she noticed his movement, Shannon trailed behind, cradling Marshmallow in her arms. While the two were walking side by side, she stealthily reached out and made a scooping motion in the golden light surrounding him. In the next moment, she managed to seize two golden light particles in her grasp. A look of surprise flitted across Shannon's face. She actually succeeded in snagging some of his golden light! "What are you doing?" Benjamin asked coldly, obviously noticing her furtive movement. Although she was caught in the act, Shannon remained unfazed. She smoothly offered an excuse, saying, "If you're heading out, would you mind giving me a ride? I'm also on my way out." As his gaze swept suspiciously over her face, Benjamin suddenly recalled the protective talisman she had given him. A single talisman actually served as both a gesture of apology and a means of transportation. She was certainly quite resourceful. While his mind was filled with these thoughts, his expression remained impassive, merely offering a curt nod. With his approval, Shannon got into the car with Marshmallow in her embrace. When she noticed Benjamin's gaze fixed on the fox in her arms, with a hint of scrutiny in his deep, profound eyes, she quickly explained, "I've already washed it thoroughly after taking it home last night. It's perfectly clean now." After hearing that, Benjamin remained silent for a moment, then simply asked, "Where are you going?" With a sudden gleam in her eyes, Shannon replied, "I'm going to the Shaw residence." She was planning to earn some extra money.