Samuel took a step back, trying to keep his voice steady. “What’s wrong, girl? Did you forget me already?” he joked quietly, though his heart was pounding against his ribs. Behind him, footsteps crunched on the gravel. Sarah stepped out from the shadows, her face tight with sadness. “Samuel… put your hand down,” Sarah whispered, tears slipping down her cheek. “That isn’t Luna. Luna passed away four years ago.” The words felt like a physical blow, leaving Samuel entirely breathless.
Sarah explained that just months after Samuel was fired, the intense stress of the public display caused Luna to go into severe, premature labor. “There were catastrophic complications,” Sarah revealed. “Because Vance had banned you, and your time away, Luna wouldn’t let the veterinary team anywhere near her. She fought as hard as she could, but her heart gave out. Vance covered up the entire tragedy, faking the public records to protect the zoo’s stock value. That’s why I started gathering the evidence to destroy him. This tiger you are looking at right now… is Kira. She is Luna’s orphaned daughter, the baby you never got to raise.”