Hearing what Zachary said, Dorothea stared at Giselle in disbelief. As she noticed the resemblance between Giselle and Tony, she murmured, "Why have I never heard that the Holts have another daughter?"
Giselle chuckled and got straight to the point. "Mrs. Kane Senior, Zich told me about your beloved cat and how it's unwell. May I take a look at it?"
"What's there to look at? It's beyond saving now," Dorothea replied with a gloomy expression.
"Oh, Grandena, just let Ms. Holt take a look! Like I said, she's an expert. What if she really can help?" Zachary urged.
But Dorothea still didn’t trust Giselle. To her, Giselle looked too young and beautiful – nothing like the seasoned veterinarians she’d seen before.
Luckily, Zachary was her dearest grandson. After a few moments of his coaxing, she finally gave in and allowed Giselle to examine the sick cat.
It was a purebred Ragdoll, and it looked absolutely stunning with its sapphire-blue eyes and bushy tail. Standing at full height, it could be as tall as a toddler, but now it lay weakly in bed.
It had vomited nearby, its body frail and breathing shallow. Its gaze was vacant, as if it were clinging to its last breath.
At a glance, Giselle could tell it was a textbook case of feline panleukopenia. Calmly, she opened her medical bag and took out diagnostic equipment. Normally, Dorothea hated anyone touching her precious cat, but watching Giselle's calm and professional manner, her wariness began to fade.
The cat’s condition was so critical that most veterinarians had told Dorothea to give up. In cases like this, pet owners would often choose euthanasia to spare their animals further suffering.
But Giselle had seen countless such cases before. She was so experienced that she didn't even need a blood test. A glance was enough to diagnose and plan a treatment accurately.
"How is it? Can you save it?" Zachary asked anxiously.
"It won't be a problem," Giselle replied confidently as she took some medicine from her bag.
"What? You mean it can still be saved?" Dorothea gasped, shocked yet overjoyed.
Giselle pulled out a disposable syringe and some rubbing alcohol. Finding a vein in a cat could be tricky – they were thin and hard to locate – but she skillfully grabbed the cat by the scruff and easily injected the medicine.
After that, she gave it another dose of medicine by mouth. The entire process looked simple and efficient.
Moments later, Dorothea noticed the difference. Just minutes ago, her beloved pet had lain motionless – now it sat up, gave a loud meow, and its eyes shone brightly.
"This is…" Dorothea gasped, her eyes brimming with tears. She gently petted her cat, hardly believing the miraculous change. Everything felt unreal.
Giselle smiled. "Mrs. Kane Senior, the medicine I administered will only stabilize its condition for now. It needs to stay at my clinic for about a week to fully recover. If you don't mind, I'd like to take it with me right away."
"Of course," Dorothea said, wiping her tears. In that moment, all her doubts vanished. Giselle’s skill was undeniable. Nothing else mattered now except fully curing her cat.
"Grandena, we're having dinner at home tonight, right? Since the cat is feeling better now, why not have Ms. Holt stay for dinner before she leaves?" Zachary suggested.
Dorothea was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, that's right. Please stay for dinner, Ms. Holt. I want to thank you properly."
But Giselle politely declined. "There's no need for that, Mrs. Kane Senior. Right now, the cat’s case is more important. I'll only feel at ease once it's safe in my clinic."
As Dorothea hesitated, unsure what to say, Giselle gently placed the cat into a carrier and discussed the follow-up treatment with her.
"Oh, Don is home?" Dorothea said in surprise. "Didn't he say he wasn't coming back tonight? Since he's here, let's have dinner right away!"
When Giselle heard Donavan had returned, her heart skipped a beat. She glanced toward the window, only to see a tall, handsome figure stride into the room. His presence was so cold and aloof that the entire atmosphere seemed to drop the moment he arrived.