Chapter 166

Owen suddenly said with a hint of pride, "My daughter's pretty, isn't she?" Julia paused for a while before realizing he was referring to the ragdoll cat in his arms. She couldn't help but find it amusing, especially with the way he sounded so proud and almost smug about it. "Trixie's beautiful," Julia replied, scratching the cat under her chin. Trixie responded with a soft, contented purr. The very sound of her purring seemed to carry a soothing, healing quality. She felt her mood settle, and the urge to make an excuse to leave quietly faded away. Owen chatted casually about how he had come to adopt Trixie. Then, as if in passing, he asked if Julia had ever owned a cat. They shared a few amusing stories about tabby cats, a breed they both seemed to like. Owen eventually asked in his smooth, charming voice, "So, Ms. Summers, how many years has it been since you last had a cat?" "About 12 years," she answered. "Mind sharing why you haven't had one since?" He paused, then