Chapter 221: I Have a Gift for You

Casey shook her head. “No, I’m just so touched!” She sniffled, then flashed a dazzling smile. “Jesse, I have a gift for you too!” She lifted the bouquet and handed it to him. Suppressing the distaste lurking in his eyes, Jesse accepted it with a smile.

“Wow, this smells amazing—” Before he could finish, a kitten let out a soft “meow” and poked its head out from the flowers. Jesse froze completely. Casey, barely containing her excitement, watched him eagerly. But the next second, Jesse suddenly shouted toward the door, “Security! Where’s security? Get this cat out of here. I never want to see it again!” Casey’s smile instantly stiffened.

This is a gift I had prepared with such care. Why is Jesse reacting like this? Hearing the shout, security guards rushed over. “Mr. Jesse, this cat? I’ll throw it out right away!” The two men reached out toward the tiny kitten, barely a month or two old, as if they meant to crush it. Clutching the bouquet, Casey shrieked and dodged away, “What are you doing? It’s mine!”

She had never imagined that this highly anticipated private fan meeting would end like this. She had planned to keep the kitten herself and merely brought it along this time to surprise her idol. Yet now, that very idol wanted it thrown out… Even if he didn’t like it, was this kind of reaction necessary? Wiping her tears roughly, she spat out bitterly, “I’ll take it away myself. Don’t you dare touch it!”

Jesse, snapping out of his panic, called out hastily, “Wait! That was too rash of me, I—” But Casey was already walking away without looking back, her figure radiating finality.

Filled with regret, Jesse stood there fuming. The guard asked, “Mr. Jesse, should we go after her?” Exhausted, Jesse replied, “No. Let her go.”

To give his fans a little treat, he had organized this private fan meeting. The attendees were chosen by his top fan, “Swift Breeze,” who had selected two long-time fans and one new one per his request. Before Casey arrived, he had met with one of the older fans, and that had gone smoothly. Who could’ve guessed things would go wrong with Casey?

Sinking into the couch, he brooded over his next move. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a single cat hair on his clothes. Suddenly, a wave of fear crashed over him, dragging him into his own dark thoughts. “Mr. Jesse, what’s wrong? Mr. Jesse?” The guards scrambled to attend to him, unaware that the entire scene had been recorded by someone outside.

Casey walked against the wind, tears streaming down her face. Even now, she couldn’t understand how things had turned out this way. The Jesse who seemed so gentle on screen had treated her with such cruelty! Had everything I thought I knew about him been a lie?

Ding dong. Her phone chimed with a notification. Opening it, she saw a message from her friend, “Little Pink.”

Little Pink: Casey, what were you thinking? How could you upset Jesse like that?

Startled, Casey was about to defend herself when another message popped up.

Little Pink: I don’t even know what to say. Just look for yourself. The Internet is tearing you apart.

Hesitantly, Casey clicked the link her friend sent. As expected, it was filled with a barrage of insults.