Chapter 381: Chapter 381: "Can You Stop Lying to Me?

Renee Jennings’s heart skipped a beat as her body plunged downward uncontrollably. In her panic, she freed a hand and grabbed the railing.

"AHH—"

The feeling of weightlessness tore a scream from her throat.

"Renee?" Henry Stark and the others had just arrived downstairs. When they saw the scene, all three of their hearts leaped into their throats.

"Hold on!" Henry Stark shouted, taking off up the stairs in long strides.

Kyle Morgan turned to Zachary Conway. "I’m going up to help. You keep watch down here."

"Right!" Zachary Conway immediately replied.

Renee Jennings gasped for breath. ’I can’t believe a deadly scene from a movie is actually happening to me.’

The rain was still coming down, and Mary and a few small birds were crying out in panic.

"Danger! Danger!"

"What do we do? What do we do?"

"..."

Renee Jennings was in agony. The hand she’d just scraped raw on the railing throbbed with pain.

’What do I do? I don’t think I can hold on much longer...’

Just when Renee Jennings thought she was dead for sure, a voice suddenly rang in her mind.

[System 009: Life-threatening danger to Miss Jennings detected. Automatically spending one hundred points to redeem a one-hour Super Strongman item card based on the situation.]

As the words echoed in her mind, Renee Jennings suddenly felt a miraculous power begin to fill every fiber of her being.

The strain on the hand gripping the railing and the one clutching Sherry Zane’s ankle seemed to disappear.

Her whole body felt incredibly light, and her breathing steadied.

"System 009, thank you," Renee Jennings said.

[System 009: You are welcome. It is my duty.]

Renee Jennings felt she now had enough strength to pull Sherry Zane up, but accomplishing it would still be difficult given her precarious position.

’Since Henry Stark and the others are here, I’ll just wait for them to give me a hand.’

Zachary Conway shouted nervously from the ground, "Renee, hang in there! Henry and Kai are on their way up!"

"Okay," Renee Jennings shouted back. "Don’t worry, I can hold on for a while longer!"

"You’ve got this, Renee!" Zachary Conway shouted encouragingly.

Dangling in the air, Sherry Zane was miserable. "Let me go!"

"You’ll die if I let you go," Renee Jennings said coldly. "Don’t struggle."

"Who the hell are you?" Sherry Zane’s voice was full of hostility. "Why are you trying to stop me from meeting Brother Shawn?"

"Brother Shawn?" Rain stung Renee Jennings’s eyes, so she squeezed them shut. "Is he the one who convinced you to run away?"

"It’s none of your business." Sherry Zane thrashed her leg, which was still in Renee’s grip. "Let me go!"

Zachary Conway, recording the scene on his phone, watched Sherry Zane struggle. He clenched his jaw, fury churning in his chest.

’This girl is so... infuriating!’

’Renee is risking her life to save her, and she’s acting this clueless and ungrateful!’

"Stop struggling!" Zachary Conway roared, trying to suppress his anger. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? There’s no Brother Shawn here!"

"Renee." Henry Stark grabbed her arm, which was clamped to the railing. "Don’t be afraid," he said, panting. "It’s okay now."

"I’m fine. I’m not scared," Renee Jennings replied with a smile.

Henry Stark and Kyle Morgan pulled her up first.

As they hauled Sherry Zane up, she struggled the entire time. "Who are you people? Let me go! I have to find Brother Shawn."

The rain lessened to a fine mist that drifted down around them.

Renee Jennings glanced down at her arm, which was scraped raw by the railing, and frowned slightly.

Henry Stark and Kyle Morgan finally managed to haul Sherry Zane over the railing, only for her to immediately spin around and try to jump again.

"I have to see Brother Shawn! He promised he’d meet me and that we’d never be apart!"

Kyle Morgan quickly twisted her arms behind her back and pinned her to the ground. "Will you ever stop?" he snapped. "Didn’t you see Renee almost died saving you just now?"

"Did I ask you to save me?" Sherry Zane shot back, completely ungrateful. "Now I’ll never get to see Brother Shawn because of you!"

She struggled with all her might, but it was useless. Kyle Morgan held her down firmly.

Renee Jennings walked over and crouched in front of her. "Who is this Brother Shawn?" she asked coldly.

"I’m not telling you," Sherry Zane glared.

Renee Jennings was about to say something when she felt a tickle in her nose and couldn’t help but sneeze.

"ACHOO—"

Henry Stark looked down at her, his dark eyes filled with concern. "Are you catching a cold?"

"Not sure." Renee Jennings pushed back her dripping hair. "I am a little cold."

Henry Stark frowned. "I’ll have Kian Cole take you back home."

"Okay." Renee Jennings nodded. As she stood up, Zachary Conway arrived, followed by a middle-aged man and woman.

’They must be Sherry Zane’s parents.’

Just as she thought, they hurried over to Sherry Zane’s side, holding umbrellas.

"Oh, Sherry, you had me so worried." Mrs. Zane knelt by her daughter, her face etched with worry and heartache.

Sherry Zane scowled deeply and yelled, "What are you two doing here? Go away! Don’t interrupt my meeting with Brother Shawn!"

"Who is this Brother Shawn?" Mrs. Zane pressed. "Is he the one who told you to run away?"

Sherry Zane looked exasperated. "Can you stop spouting nonsense! Brother Shawn never told me to run away from home! Besides, I’m seventeen years old. Stop trying to control my life!"

Mrs. Zane’s eyes were red and brimming with tears. "Sherry, you’re only seventeen. You’re not even an adult yet. How could we not look after you? And no matter if you’re twenty-seven or thirty-seven, you will always be our most beloved child."

"I..." A lump formed in Sherry Zane’s throat. She squeezed her eyes shut in anguish. "Can you just stop lying to me? Can you stop pretending that you care about me?"

Renee Jennings had been about to leave, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard that.

"Let’s wait a minute," she said to Zachary Conway.

"Okay," Zachary Conway nodded.

Mrs. Zane looked at her daughter, completely bewildered. "Sherry, what are you talking about? When have your father and I ever lied to you?"

"You said I was your most beloved child." Sherry Zane’s eyes began to redden. "That’s a lie! You’re lying to me!"

"How could that possibly be a lie?" Mrs. Zane frowned, perplexed. "Sherry, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."

A wounded tone crept into Sherry Zane’s voice. "How could you not understand? You’re just pretending you don’t."

Mrs. Zane looked up and exchanged a helpless glance with Mr. Zane. "Sherry, can you please explain what you mean?"

"You obviously don’t love me, but you keep saying I’m your most beloved child." Sherry Zane’s voice was thick with tears. "You and Dad have always... always regretted giving birth to me."

The color drained from Mrs. Zane’s face. "Sherry, how can you say such a thing?" she said sternly. "Your father and I have never once regretted having you!"

"Lies!" Sherry Zane suddenly grew agitated. "It’s all lies! You and Dad said it yourselves, ’If only Sherry had been a boy!’"

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