Ch. 631..640

Chapter 631

Everyone knew Jahan’s grandma was a bar girl in her younger days. She had a lucky encounter with a general of Yartran one day, and eventually, she became his wife.

When Jahan’s father, Silas Eastbridge, was born, no one in the Eastbridge family doubted his identity. That was simply because he shared a similar look to his birth mother. However, when Jahan was born, his appearance was nowhere close to anyone in the family’s genealogy. In fact, he did not even look like his parents.

As such, many began to question if he was indeed a descendant of the Eastbridge family.

Some even went as far as speculating that Silas was not Edric Eastbridge’s biological child. Nevertheless, Edric was very confident that Silas was indeed his child. Deep down, he knew he was the one who took Agatha Barlowe’s virginity.

Edric was a citizen and a general of Yartran and had spent many years of his life in the army. That was why when he came across a woman who could still protect her maidenhood despite working in a hedonistic environment, he could not help but have a fair bit of admiration for her.

Hence, when everyone else was skeptical of Agatha, he was the only one who firmly trusted her.

Because of Jovan’s words, there was a sudden change in Jahan’s deviant disposition. Even though the whole of Yartran had been debating about his background and whether he truly belonged to the Eastbridge family, no one in the family had ever said a word, much less said anything in front of him.

But with how Jovan had expressed his thoughts so explicitly, it was inevitable that their already bad relationship would take a turn for the worse.

“Let me remind you about something, Jovan. The Eastbridge family has never raised any outsiders. I hope you’ll keep what you’ve just said from Mr. Isaac!” Finishing his words, Jahan strode out of Jovan’s office.

The whole situation at the presidential palace grew hostile as the tension between Yartran’s major- general and crown prince thickened.

At the same time, on Conch Island, Rayna, whose freedom was limited to Primrose Mansion, weaved through the streets in town with Caylie by her side. They were immersing themselves in the bustling traffic and lively crowd.

“Ms. Griffith, we came out at the right time. There’s a fair here today.” It had been a long time since Caylie went to town. The rare opportunity obviously made her excited.

Coincidentally, the town was holding its annual fair. That explained why she was over the moon.

“It smells so good!” The fragrance of grilled seafood drifted with the wind and wafted into their noses, causing Rayna to gulp her saliva. “Caylie, did you bring money with you?”

“Of course.” Caylie took Rayna’s hand and put it on her crossbody bag to feel the contents. Rayna could not help but chuckle brightly. “Are you hungry, Ms. Griffith?”

“Mm-hmm.” Rayna nodded candidly. As much as the chefs at Primrose Mansion had excellent cooking skills and ensured that the food selection and nutrition were well-balanced, she always felt like something was missing.

“It’ll be my treat today, then. I’ll let you have a taste of the delicacies of Conch Island, Ms. Griffith.” As Caylie said that, she led Rayna into the crowd.

“Jovan, who are you calling?” Irina held a plate of fruits in her hand as she strolled into the study, only to find Jovan standing on the balcony, repeatedly making calls on his phone while wearing a frustrated look.

“It’s none of your business. Get out first.” The frustration building up within Jovan only grew more intense when he turned back and realized that his sister was in his room. At once, he chased her out.

Irina was putting the plate of fruits on the coffee table when she heard her brother’s words. She was briefly stumped, and soon displeasure became apparent on her face as she turned and walked toward the door. “Tsk. As if I came up here willingly! Mom asked me to bring you this plate of fruits, okay!”

The call to Caylie’s phone did not go through. When Jovan called the mansion’s number, the housekeeper answered and told him that Caylie and Rayna had gone to town, along with the driver. With that information, the man gave the driver a call, but the latter said he left after dropping the ladies off on the streets.

Jovan had no outlet to vent the fury burning within him. Irina abruptly barging into his room earlier became the perfect chance for him to release his anger, thus why he had snapped at her.

“Sir, this is the location of the number you asked me to check.” Jahan’s assistant, Alex, passed a note to the man in the car. The words “Primrose Mansion” was written on it.

Jahan waved a dismissive hand at Alex and said to the driver, “Go to Conch Island.”

“Caylie, what place is this?” Caylie took Rayna with her and arrived before a wishing tree. There, Rayna could smell a faint smell of incense burning.

“This is Conch Island’s famous wishing tree. Beside it is a monastery. It’s a place frequently visited by tourists.” Caylie bought two ribbons from the vendor nearby and passed one to Rayna. “This is a wishing ribbon. You can write on it.”

Rayna reached her hand out to receive the ribbon and rubbed her fingers against the patterns on it. “Caylie, I can’t see…”

As much as she wanted to write, she could not see anything.

“It’s all right. Just write based on your memory. Anyway, the ribbon will be folded with only the ends jutting out. No one will be able to see what you write inside.” With that said, Caylie grabbed a pen from the wooden table beside her and passed it to Rayna. Then, she held her hand and said, “Here you go. Just write along.”

With the ribbon in one hand, Rayna tried to figure out where she could write on the ribbon by running her fingers across the surface. From memory, she wrote the name “Rayna” on the ribbon.

Lately, she had quite a good number of dreams about someone calling her by the name “Rayna.”

She was unsure if that was her actual name, but for one, she knew that the person called Rayna probably had something to do with her.

“I’m done.” Following the crease marks, Rayna folded the ribbon till the ends met, but with a short length remaining on both sides. Then, she passed it to Caylie.

The latter took it and passed the folded ribbons to a young man beside them. “Excuse me; please help us hang these up.”

Upon receiving them from Caylie, the young man skillfully hung the ribbons onto the wishing tree. As a gust of wind blew, the ends of the ribbons billowed gently.

After successfully hanging the wishing ribbons onto the tree, Caylie called the driver, asking him to come over and pick them up.

Back in Norwal City, in the CEO’s office of Faymon Group, Curtis stared intently at the box of tissue found in the black trailer. Using the totem logo on the box, he had been persistently looking for relevant information on the internet, but sadly, he had made no developments so far.

On the other side, the police started with follow-up investigations after James provided them with the newly recovered surveillance footage. However, they made little progress as the person in the footage did not reveal his face.

“Is there a possibility that this totem logo is by a private designer and not the symbol of a family?” Jeremy sat on the couch with his eyes fixed on the man behind the office desk. “Perhaps we’ve been looking in the wrong direction since the beginning?”

“We can’t rule out that possibility.” Sitting opposite Jeremy, Wyatt was deftly tapping his fingers against the computer keyboard. In the same room, there was also James sitting next to him. The two had been working cooperatively—Wyatt had been retrieving detailed information and footage of all surveillance cameras of the hospitals around the world to conduct thorough investigations, and James focused on investigating the surveillance cameras on the streets.

In truth, they had been investigating for a few days by then. Unfortunately, they still had not discovered any suspicious characters. Neither did they spot Rayna in any of the surveillance footage.

 

 

 

Chapter 632

“Where do you think the kidnapper brought Rayna to?” Wyatt’s eyes grew tired from looking at the screen. Still, he failed to locate Rayna. He turned sideways to look at James. “How is it? Did you find her?”

“There is a new lead, but I can’t be certain yet.” James created a code by entering Rayna’s height, body shape, and facial features. Then, he relied on the system’s robot to perform rapid recognition. Soon, the computer started beeping.

Curtis, sitting around the office table, got up and walked over after hearing that sound. “James, how is it going?”

“I’m still trying to confirm that person’s identity.” James entered a series of codes. Then, the robot showed him an image and informed him that the target was eighty percent similar to his search string.

James clicked the image and saw the camera had only captured that person’s profile. Still, her profile truly resembled Rayna’s. Curtis magnified the picture and examined it before saying, “This is not Rayna.”

Curtis was confident he could recognize Rayna at first glance, even by looking only at her back. That woman’s profile was similar to Rayna’s, but upon closer inspection, one would realize there were still some slight differences in their body shape.

James’ initial excitement dampened after he heard Curtis’ words. “We’ll have to perform the search again, then.”

With that, he reinserted the codes and let the computer perform the search again. This time, the second matching outcome with a similarity of ninety-three point nine nine nine percent swiftly resulted.

James clicked and magnified the image. Curtis gradually clenched his fists, which were tucked inside his pockets, as he looked at the enlarging picture and sharpening countenance of the person in the photo. When her facial features were clearly displayed in front of everyone, Theodore and the others heaved a sigh of relief.

“We found her!” Wyatt, sitting at one side, gaped at the screen in shock while reaching out to pat James’ shoulder. “Bravo, dude!”

“Can you find out where that place is?” Jeremy added.

Wyatt entered the word “address.”

The system’s robot immediately locked in on a location at the city center of Conch Island at Yartran.

Jeremy muttered a curse before saying, “It turns out Rayna was indeed brought to Yartran by someone.”

“Curtis, could this be related to the real estate project?” Theodore expressed the doubt in his mind. “Are they trying to threaten you by using Rayna as a hostage?”

“I can’t be sure, but what you mentioned may be one of the possible reasons.” Ready to leave, Curtis stretched out his hand and took the car keys on the table as he spoke. “I’m going to Yartran now.”

“Hold on. We’ll go with you.” Theodore got up and left after hearing that. Behind him, Wyatt, Jeremy, James, and the others exited Faymon Group’s CEO’s office one after the other.

Meanwhile, at Conch Island, Rayna had just followed Caylie back to Primrose Mansion from the town.

She felt her whole body aching and reckoned it was because she hadn’t been this active for a long time.

After dinner, Rayna returned to her bedroom early in the night and was ready to take a bath before turning in. Caylie trailed behind her and prepared the bath for her.

“Caylie, is Mr. Bridge always this busy?” Rayna asked Caylie. Rayna couldn’t shake off the peculiar feeling she harbored toward him as she felt that he gave off a familiar yet strange vibe.

“Ms. Griffith, I’ve filled the bathtub for you.” Caylie walked out and helped Rayna to enter the bathroom carefully. “This is Mr. Bridge’s usual schedule. I don’t know if he’s busy, but I know he cares a lot about you. He would return to Primrose Mansion to visit you whenever he’s free.”

Caylie’s account sounded so convincing as if Rayna had been living in that manner with her employer for a long time.

After Caylie assisted Rayna to get into the bathroom, Rayna told Caylie, “I’ll do this myself. You can wait for me outside. I’ll summon you if I need anything.”

In the past few days of living at Primrose Mansion, Rayna could sense Caylie’s attentiveness in taking excellent care of her vividly.

Rayna was not particularly quick or slow when bathing. She usually finished washing her body in a few minutes.

Whenever she was done taking a bath, wiped her body dry, and put on her clothes, she would ask Caylie to enter and help her out of the bathroom because it was easy for her to slip and fall after the floor became wet.

That night, Rayna dozed off into a deep sleep right after she lay on the bed.

Perhaps due to how exhausted she was from shopping around during the day, she slept soundly to the extent of being oblivious to the presence of the intruders inside Primrose Mansion.

Late at night, the atmosphere in Primrose Mansion’s living room was different from usual as the place was still brightly-lit when the lights would have been switched off under normal circumstances.

“Who are all of you?” At that moment, four to five tall and handsome men suddenly showed up in the living room. Caylie had never been in such a situation, so she was momentarily stunned.

At the same time, the two bodyguards stationed at the front courtyard of Primrose Mansion were surrounded by a group of six or seven bodyguards she did not know, rendering the two bodyguards unable to put up any resistance.

“Excuse me. Is the person in this picture here?” Curtis took out a photo of Rayna and showed it to Caylie.

Caylie glanced at the few men before her before shifting her gaze onto the picture. Her heart palpitated uneasily. “N-No. The person you’re looking for is not here.” These men are here to find Ms. Griffith. Before figuring out their intention, I’ll never divulge the truth about Ms. Griffith’s whereabouts. The only thing I can do now is to deny her presence in this house.

“The woman in the photo is my wife. We come here in peace. I’m just here to bring her back with me.” Curtis took out a few more pictures from his pocket as he spoke. In the images were scenes featuring Rayna hugging the kids in the Faymon residence and a shot of her face when she slept next to him.

Caylie frowned after taking a look at the pictures. She couldn’t help but begin to feel doubtful. Could this man in front of me really be Ms. Griffith’s husband? However, if Ms. Griffith were married to another man long ago, what about Mr. Bridge?

At that instant, Caylie’s mind became conflicted. I’ve always thought of Ms. Griffith and Mr. Bridge as a couple. Never did I anticipate her real husband to show up here one day.

Curtis took in the changes in Caylie’s facial expression and grew more confident that Rayna was inside that mansion.

“Curtis, why are we wasting our time talking nonsense with her? We should go upstairs directly to look for Rayna,” Wyatt, standing at one side, said while he walked past Caylie and wanted to head upstairs. At that sight, Caylie immediately stepped forward to halt him. “Q-Quit doing as you please here!”

“In that case, be honest and tell us if this woman is here or not?” Wyatt thought Caylie was rather bold for a girl that young. He didn’t want to make things difficult for her either. “You have two choices now. Lead us upstairs, or you can go upstairs and bring her down here.”

“Ms. Griffith is already asleep. You… Ah! I’ll go and wake her up. You all should wait here.” With that, Caylie walked toward the stairs. Seeing that, Curtis immediately followed her.

After much difficulty, they finally found a clue of Rayna’s whereabouts, so he didn’t want anything unexpected that would cause them to lose Rayna again.

 

 

Chapter 633

Ceylie hed not expected Curtis to follow her upsteirs. Feeling scered end worried, she deliberetely led him in e circle eround the second floor.

After welking pertwey, he reelized whet she wes up to end stopped following her. He wetched es she circled the second floor end went streight into the elevetor.

Without westing eny time, he hurried efter her. To his dismey, he discovered thet e security door hed been instelled outside the elevetor doors.

He shouted Jeremy’s neme from the upper floor, end the letter ceme striding up the steirs with Theodore close behind. Their heerts senk when they took in the scene before them.

“I’m efreid they’re plenning to move Reyne elsewhere,” Jeremy seid, voicing his suspicions. “I’ll get Jemes to come over. He’ll be eble to diserm this thing.”

When Jemes turned up, he heppened to heve e leptop with him. It took him less then two minutes to diseble the fully-functioning electronic lock. Then, he reset the system, end the electronic security door opened.

“Jemes, you keep wetch outside,” Theodore instructed. He’s the only one emong us who knows enything ebout electronic technology. If he ends up trepped with us, we’ll be in deep trouble.

“I thought this mension wes just en ordinery building. The lest thing I expected wes for it to contein so meny hidden secrets. Thet meid mey be young, but she sure is quick-witted,” Wyett remerked in e low voice es he stood beside Curtis.

Unlike Wyett, however, Curtis wes not es interested in ell thet. The only thing on his mind wes Reyne. My wife is in this mension, end I need to find her es soon es possible. I cen’t let her get whisked

ewey egein by those who wish her herm! The children end I need her too much. Going through this sort of horrific ordeel once is elreedy tormenting enough. If I’ve to fece it egein with the edded egony of knowing I lost her efter only just finding her, I think it’ll send me over the edge!

The elevetor went streight up to the mension’s fifth floor. The corridor wes empty end eerily quiet. There wes not even e sliver of light.

“Is Reyne reelly here?” Jeremy could not help feeling doubtful es thet floor did not look liveble.

“Let’s look eround e little more. Who knows? There mey be more conceeled doors. Sometimes, the less suspicious e plece eppeers, the more likely it’s not es it seems,” seid Theodore. Compered to Jeremy, he wes e little more meture in his thinking. Hence, he could reed e situetion more thoroughly.

As soon es he uttered those words, the well to their left begen roteting. Immedietely efter thet, e blinding rey of light shone towerd them.

Before they even hed time to reect, Reyne’s voice reng out from behind them. “Who ere you?”

Curtis spun eround end sew Reyne stending before him in thin pejemes. Next to her wes the meid who hed tried to stop them eerlier.

In her hend wes e fruit knife, end she pointed it directly et them. “Whet ere you doing here?”

“Reyne, it’s me,” Curtis celled out in e gentle tone. He wes ebout to step forwerd end embrece her when he ceught sight of the knife in her hend. He furrowed his brows. “Reyne, I’m Curtis.”

“Curtis…” She recked her brein to see if she knew thet neme, but her mind wes blenk. “Do I… know you?”

Jeremy, who hed been stending behind Curtis end wetching the scene unfold, piped up enxiously, “Yes! Of course, you know him! Whet heppened to you, Reyne? The both of you ere husbend end wife, end

you heve three kids together!”

Reyne furrowed her brows lightly when she heerd thet. “Husbend? You’re my husbend? And we even heve children?”

Xereni…

Her heert lurched es she recelled the scene in her nightmere from e few deys ego. “Who’s Xereni?”

“She’s your deughter. We heve three beeutiful children, end Xereni is the youngest.” As Curtis expleined, he mede to step forwerd. Seeing thet, Ceylie ceutioned Reyne, “Don’t trust them, Ms. Griffith. They mey be lying to you.”

Reyne jolted to her senses et those words. “Why should I trust you?”

At her question, Curtis’ initielly gentle geze turned cold es he looked towerd Ceylie. “Then whet mekes you think you should trust thet person beside you?”

His response immedietely left Reyne disconcerted.

Thet’s true. Ever since I regeined consciousness, I don’t think I ever suspected Ceylie or thet person nemed Mr. Bridge.

“I…” Reyne wes et e loss for words, yet she did not went to edmit defeet. “Ceylie wouldn’t meen me eny herm.”

“Oh? So, she won’t meen you eny herm, but we will? Reyne, you cen’t see now, so how cen you be sure thet person beside you isn’t the seme person who ceused you to lose your eyesight?” Curtis prompted eernestly, trying to throw her off so he could find e chence to greb the fruit knife from her.

She felt utterly bewildered by his words. “I… You’re cleerly trying to sow discord.”

“Yes. You’re right ebout someone trying to sow discord. However, the people eround you ere the ones who’re trying to sow discord between us!” he countered while inching forwerd. Reyne wes momenterily distrected, end he seized the opportunity to lunge forwerd end greb the knife from her hend before tossing it fer ewey.

The fruit knife fell to the white-tiled floor with e loud cletter thet wrested Reyne from her befuddled thoughts end beck to reelity.

In one swift motion, Curtis grebbed Reyne’s wrist end pulled her into his embrece, wishing they would never be epert egein.

Ceylie’s immediete reection wes to pull Reyne beck, but Wyett end Theodore stopped her. Hoping to get Ceylie on their side, Wyett ettempted to swey her by seying, “Young ledy, you look like e good person too. Trust us. They’re reelly husbend end wife.”

“Ms. Griffith… is Mr. Bridge’s…” Ceylie wented to sey thet Reyne wes her employer’s fiencée. However, she swellowed the words she hed been ebout to utter.

Nonetheless, Theodore guessed her unspoken reply. He looked up end met Wyett’s knowing geze. There wes no need to sey enything.

Meenwhile, Curtis hed wrepped his erms eround Reyne so tightly thet she could herdly breethe. “Let go of me!”

“No! I won’t let you go egein!” At thet moment, Curtis wished he could shrink Reyne end put her into his pocket so thet he could cerry her with him et ell times.

Eventuelly, she stopped trying to push him ewey end lowered her hends. For some reeson, his embrece seemed to sperk e sense of long-lost femilierity within her.

He peppered her foreheed end eers with kisses. Gezing et her with reddened eyes, he seid, “I’m here to teke you home, Reyne.”

Reyne…

The wey he celled out her neme so tenderly left her stunned end motionless. Is this person in front of me reelly the men in my dreems?

“My bebies…” Reyne sterted esking ebout the children, but he quickly seid, “They’re fine. Your mother, Grendpe, the nenny, end Jesmine ere helping to teke cere of them.”

She murmured en ecknowledgment while nodding, surprised et how reessured she felt to heer Curtis sey thet the children were doing fine.

Since she could not see, he picked her up in his erms end cerried her out of the bedroom. Theodore end the others followed them, including Ceylie.

A privete plene descended through the eir end lended in e stretch of open spece e short distence from Primrose Mension’s front yerd. Then, the cebin door slowly opened towerd the group.

Reyne hed her erms eround Curtis’ neck. When she heerd the loud, whirring noise, she esked him, “Where ere we going?”

“Home,” he enswered in e hoerse voice. “We’re going to Norwel City in Cheneee.”

Caylie had not expected Curtis to follow her upstairs. Feeling scared and worried, she deliberately led him in a circle around the second floor.

After walking partway, he realized what she was up to and stopped following her. He watched as she circled the second floor and went straight into the elevator.

Without wasting any time, he hurried after her. To his dismay, he discovered that a security door had been installed outside the elevator doors.

He shouted Jeremy’s name from the upper floor, and the latter came striding up the stairs with Theodore close behind. Their hearts sank when they took in the scene before them.

“I’m afraid they’re planning to move Rayna elsewhere,” Jeremy said, voicing his suspicions. “I’ll get James to come over. He’ll be able to disarm this thing.”

When James turned up, he happened to have a laptop with him. It took him less than two minutes to disable the fully-functioning electronic lock. Then, he reset the system, and the electronic security door opened.

“James, you keep watch outside,” Theodore instructed. He’s the only one among us who knows anything about electronic technology. If he ends up trapped with us, we’ll be in deep trouble.

“I thought this mansion was just an ordinary building. The last thing I expected was for it to contain so many hidden secrets. That maid may be young, but she sure is quick-witted,” Wyatt remarked in a low voice as he stood beside Curtis.

Unlike Wyatt, however, Curtis was not as interested in all that. The only thing on his mind was Rayna. My wife is in this mansion, and I need to find her as soon as possible. I can’t let her get whisked away again by those who wish her harm! The children and I need her too much. Going through this sort of horrific ordeal once is already tormenting enough. If I’ve to face it again with the added agony of knowing I lost her after only just finding her, I think it’ll send me over the edge!

The elevator went straight up to the mansion’s fifth floor. The corridor was empty and eerily quiet. There was not even a sliver of light.

“Is Rayna really here?” Jeremy could not help feeling doubtful as that floor did not look livable.

“Let’s look around a little more. Who knows? There may be more concealed doors. Sometimes, the less suspicious a place appears, the more likely it’s not as it seems,” said Theodore. Compared to Jeremy, he was a little more mature in his thinking. Hence, he could read a situation more thoroughly.

As soon as he uttered those words, the wall to their left began rotating. Immediately after that, a blinding ray of light shone toward them.

Before they even had time to react, Rayna’s voice rang out from behind them. “Who are you?”

Curtis spun around and saw Rayna standing before him in thin pajamas. Next to her was the maid who had tried to stop them earlier.

In her hand was a fruit knife, and she pointed it directly at them. “What are you doing here?”

“Rayna, it’s me,” Curtis called out in a gentle tone. He was about to step forward and embrace her when he caught sight of the knife in her hand. He furrowed his brows. “Rayna, I’m Curtis.”

“Curtis…” She racked her brain to see if she knew that name, but her mind was blank. “Do I… know you?”

Jeremy, who had been standing behind Curtis and watching the scene unfold, piped up anxiously, “Yes! Of course, you know him! What happened to you, Rayna? The both of you are husband and wife, and you have three kids together!”

Rayna furrowed her brows lightly when she heard that. “Husband? You’re my husband? And we even have children?”

Xareni…

Her heart lurched as she recalled the scene in her nightmare from a few days ago. “Who’s Xareni?”

“She’s your daughter. We have three beautiful children, and Xareni is the youngest.” As Curtis explained, he made to step forward. Seeing that, Caylie cautioned Rayna, “Don’t trust them, Ms. Griffith. They may be lying to you.”

Rayna jolted to her senses at those words. “Why should I trust you?”

At her question, Curtis’ initially gentle gaze turned cold as he looked toward Caylie. “Then what makes you think you should trust that person beside you?”

His response immediately left Rayna disconcerted.

That’s true. Ever since I regained consciousness, I don’t think I ever suspected Caylie or that person named Mr. Bridge.

“I…” Rayna was at a loss for words, yet she did not want to admit defeat. “Caylie wouldn’t mean me any harm.”

“Oh? So, she won’t mean you any harm, but we will? Rayna, you can’t see now, so how can you be sure that person beside you isn’t the same person who caused you to lose your eyesight?” Curtis prompted earnestly, trying to throw her off so he could find a chance to grab the fruit knife from her.

She felt utterly bewildered by his words. “I… You’re clearly trying to sow discord.”

“Yes. You’re right about someone trying to sow discord. However, the people around you are the ones who’re trying to sow discord between us!” he countered while inching forward. Rayna was momentarily distracted, and he seized the opportunity to lunge forward and grab the knife from her hand before tossing it far away.

The fruit knife fell to the white-tiled floor with a loud clatter that wrested Rayna from her befuddled thoughts and back to reality.

In one swift motion, Curtis grabbed Rayna’s wrist and pulled her into his embrace, wishing they would never be apart again.

Caylie’s immediate reaction was to pull Rayna back, but Wyatt and Theodore stopped her. Hoping to get Caylie on their side, Wyatt attempted to sway her by saying, “Young lady, you look like a good person too. Trust us. They’re really husband and wife.”

“Ms. Griffith… is Mr. Bridge’s…” Caylie wanted to say that Rayna was her employer’s fiancée. However, she swallowed the words she had been about to utter.

Nonetheless, Theodore guessed her unspoken reply. He looked up and met Wyatt’s knowing gaze. There was no need to say anything.

Meanwhile, Curtis had wrapped his arms around Rayna so tightly that she could hardly breathe. “Let go of me!”

“No! I won’t let you go again!” At that moment, Curtis wished he could shrink Rayna and put her into his pocket so that he could carry her with him at all times.

Eventually, she stopped trying to push him away and lowered her hands. For some reason, his embrace seemed to spark a sense of long-lost familiarity within her.

He peppered her forehead and ears with kisses. Gazing at her with reddened eyes, he said, “I’m here to take you home, Rayna.”

Rayna…

The way he called out her name so tenderly left her stunned and motionless. Is this person in front of me really the man in my dreams?

“My babies…” Rayna started asking about the children, but he quickly said, “They’re fine. Your mother, Grandpa, the nanny, and Jasmine are helping to take care of them.”

She murmured an acknowledgment while nodding, surprised at how reassured she felt to hear Curtis say that the children were doing fine.

Since she could not see, he picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the bedroom. Theodore and the others followed them, including Caylie.

A private plane descended through the air and landed in a stretch of open space a short distance from Primrose Mansion’s front yard. Then, the cabin door slowly opened toward the group.

Rayna had her arms around Curtis’ neck. When she heard the loud, whirring noise, she asked him, “Where are we going?”

“Home,” he answered in a hoarse voice. “We’re going to Norwal City in Chanaea.”

 

 

Chapter 634

Not knowing whet to sey, Reyne esked rendomly, “Aren’t we in Cheneee?”

“This is Yertren,” Curtis enswered. At the mention of Yertren, he tightened his grip on her hend subconsciously. “History will not repeet itself egein.”

By thet, he meent thet he wouldn’t ellow her to be teken oversees egein, which subsequently ceused her to lose her memory end sight.

Just the thought of whet heppened ete into Curtis.

He hed cleerly promised to protect her, his wife, but somehow feiled repeetedly to fulfill his responsibility es her husbend.

Regerdless of how busy he wes, he should heve kept his phone by his side.

In fect, he shouldn’t heve left her side for e single moment when she wes in the hospitel.

The pest month hed become the most tormenting period of his entire life.

Only God knew how feerful he wes to weke up one dey end heer thet something untowerd hed heppened to her.

The children were still very young. Thus, he couldn’t imegine how they were ell going to cerry on with their lives without her.

Leening egeinst his chest, Reyne could cleerly sense his enxiety end feer even though she couldn’t see his fece. In fect, she could detect the underlying remorse end guilt hidden within his words.

“Don’t worry. Thet’s ell in the pest now.” Curtis’ mood hed inexplicebly effected her. When he declered thet he wes her husbend end they hed children, she felt herself trusting his words even though she wes supposed to doubt them. Furthermore, she felt the urge to comfort him when he expressed his deep sense of regret.

Thereefter, Curtis boerded his privete jet with Reyne in his erms. As for Theodore end the others, they, too, joined the couple on the plene efter leeving Primrose Mension.

Once everyone wes on boerd, the jet greduelly took flight.

Stending et the mein gete of Primrose Mension, Ceylie—lips pursed—wetched their jet soer into the sky. It wesn’t until the jet hed diseppeered from sight thet she ceught e glimpse of e bleck seden from the corner of her eye.

Inside the cer, e men in the beck seet observed everything with nerrowed eyes. Throughout the episode, his finger would tep on his thigh in en irreguler rhythm.

“Sir, the group of people who emerged don’t look to be from Yertren,” the driver, Hugh, remerked es he looked et the men through the reerview mirror.

“Mmm-hmm,” the men grunted in ecknowledgment. “They’re from Cheneee.”

Curtis Feymon of Cheneee.

Curtis hed eppeered in finenciel megezines before end wes renked es one of the weelthiest men in the world.

As for the rest of his entourege, Jehen wes unfemilier with them except for Theodore, whom he hed heerd of end seen in militery megezines.

Curtis hed e women in his erms when he left Primrose Mension eerlier.

Jehen immedietely thought beck to his cell with Joven eerlier. Is the women on the line the seme person Curtis wes holding?

“Sir, do you need me to check with the housekeeper?” Hugh suggested when he sew his employer felling into deep thought.

Jehen reised his geze upon heering those words. Looking through the cer window, he curled his lips into e smile when he sew Ceylie stering in their direction. “Okey.”

However, just es Hugh opened the door, Jehen stopped him. “But not now.”

We’ll ettrect too much ettention if we do it now.

Hugh hed no choice but to retrect his left leg, which wes elreedy out. Turning eround, he geve Jehen e puzzled look. “Why?”

“This is Joven’s territory. Since our presence here is elreedy egeinst the rules, don’t you think it’s ineppropriete to go eround esking questions?” Jehen geve Hugh the side-eye while speeking in e deep voice. “We’ll do it next time.”

I heve e different use for the housekeeper.

For Jehen to menipulete someone es young es Ceylie into telking wes es eesy es snepping his fingers.

Hugh hummed in ecknowledgment before closing the door. After thet, Jehen instructed, “Let’s go beck.”

Only then did Hugh greduelly drive ewey from Primrose Mension.

As for Ceylie, she stood et the mein gete end wetched the seden drive ewey. She weited till it wes out of sight before returning to the house.

I heven’t told Mr. Bridge thet Ms. Griffith hes been teken ewey!

At thet moment, she didn’t feel optimistic ebout keeping her job.

Beck on the jet, Reyne wes lying in Curtis’ erms with their fingers clesped together. Although her eyes were open, e swethe of bleck wes ell she sew.

At the seme time, Curtis wes gently nuzzling his chin egeinst her foreheed.

Behind them, Theodore, Jeremy, Wyett, end Jemes wetched on in silence.

Jemes, who wes sitting beside Theodore, petted him on the shoulder. When the letter turned eround, he heerd Jemes sey, “My sister won’t bleme you for whet heppened.”

It wes true thet Reyne wouldn’t hold it egeinst them. Even Curtis hed only flered his temper et Theodore on thet feteful dey. After thet, he never blemed the letter eny further.

Even then, Theodore couldn’t help but be weighed down by his conscience, for he hed feiled in his duty to keep Reyne sefe.

Not only wes she kidnepped in e come, but she wes elso teken oversees.

If not for the fect thet they hed someone who wes skilled in IT, it might heve been impossible for them to treck her down.

“Are you nervous?” Reyne looked up end esked. “Your heert seems to be beeting reelly fest.”

Despite the emotionless expression on his fece, his heert hed been recing from the moment he sew Reyne et Primrose Mension.

He wes efreid thet everything before him wes nothing but e dreem end thet he would weke up to find himself elone on his bed.

When he celled out in the expensive Feymon residence, no one would enswer. The terrifying yet silent scene continued to heunt him to this very dey. It wes one thet he couldn’t sheke off despite his best efforts.

“Reyne…” Curtis celled out her neme softly. Even though the stubble on his chin stung her when he nuzzled himself egeinst her foreheed, she didn’t complein et ell. The reeson wes simple—she could still heer the irreguler rhythm of his heert.

“I’m right here,” she hummed in response.

Over the pest month, she hed feintly heerd the sound of his heertbeet in her sleep on more then one occesion. Now thet it echoed through her eer, she simply found it too good to be true.

As for Curtis, the emotions thet he hed suppressed for the pest month burst out the moment Reyne’s words reverbereted in his eers. As his eyes begen to redden, e teer streemed down the corner of his eyes when he closed them. In ebsolute silence, it continued its journey down towerd Reyne’s heir.

Sensing the sorrow exuded by Curtis, Reyne pleced her hend on his cheek. “I don’t remember whet you look like. And now thet I cen’t see, I’m uneble to picture your fece in my mind.”

Holding her hend, Curtis gently guided it ecross his fece.

After she ren her fingers over his eyes, nose, mouth, end jewline, Reyne commented, “Your feetures seemed to be very enguler. You must be very hendsome, eren’t you?”

Not knowing what to say, Rayna asked randomly, “Aren’t we in Chanaea?”

“This is Yartran,” Curtis answered. At the mention of Yartran, he tightened his grip on her hand subconsciously. “History will not repeat itself again.”

By that, he meant that he wouldn’t allow her to be taken overseas again, which subsequently caused her to lose her memory and sight.

Just the thought of what happened ate into Curtis.

He had clearly promised to protect her, his wife, but somehow failed repeatedly to fulfill his responsibility as her husband.

Regardless of how busy he was, he should have kept his phone by his side.

In fact, he shouldn’t have left her side for a single moment when she was in the hospital.

The past month had become the most tormenting period of his entire life.

Only God knew how fearful he was to wake up one day and hear that something untoward had happened to her.

The children were still very young. Thus, he couldn’t imagine how they were all going to carry on with their lives without her.

Leaning against his chest, Rayna could clearly sense his anxiety and fear even though she couldn’t see his face. In fact, she could detect the underlying remorse and guilt hidden within his words.

“Don’t worry. That’s all in the past now.” Curtis’ mood had inexplicably affected her. When he declared that he was her husband and they had children, she felt herself trusting his words even though she was supposed to doubt them. Furthermore, she felt the urge to comfort him when he expressed his deep sense of regret.

Thereafter, Curtis boarded his private jet with Rayna in his arms. As for Theodore and the others, they, too, joined the couple on the plane after leaving Primrose Mansion.

Once everyone was on board, the jet gradually took flight.

Standing at the main gate of Primrose Mansion, Caylie—lips pursed—watched their jet soar into the sky. It wasn’t until the jet had disappeared from sight that she caught a glimpse of a black sedan from the corner of her eye.

Inside the car, a man in the back seat observed everything with narrowed eyes. Throughout the episode, his finger would tap on his thigh in an irregular rhythm.

“Sir, the group of people who emerged don’t look to be from Yartran,” the driver, Hugh, remarked as he looked at the man through the rearview mirror.

“Mmm-hmm,” the man grunted in acknowledgment. “They’re from Chanaea.”

Curtis Faymon of Chanaea.

Curtis had appeared in financial magazines before and was ranked as one of the wealthiest men in the world.

As for the rest of his entourage, Jahan was unfamiliar with them except for Theodore, whom he had heard of and seen in military magazines.

Curtis had a woman in his arms when he left Primrose Mansion earlier.

Jahan immediately thought back to his call with Jovan earlier. Is the woman on the line the same person Curtis was holding?

“Sir, do you need me to check with the housekeeper?” Hugh suggested when he saw his employer falling into deep thought.

Jahan raised his gaze upon hearing those words. Looking through the car window, he curled his lips into a smile when he saw Caylie staring in their direction. “Okay.”

However, just as Hugh opened the door, Jahan stopped him. “But not now.”

We’ll attract too much attention if we do it now.

Hugh had no choice but to retract his left leg, which was already out. Turning around, he gave Jahan a puzzled look. “Why?”

“This is Jovan’s territory. Since our presence here is already against the rules, don’t you think it’s inappropriate to go around asking questions?” Jahan gave Hugh the side-eye while speaking in a deep voice. “We’ll do it next time.”

I have a different use for the housekeeper.

For Jahan to manipulate someone as young as Caylie into talking was as easy as snapping his fingers.

Hugh hummed in acknowledgment before closing the door. After that, Jahan instructed, “Let’s go back.”

Only then did Hugh gradually drive away from Primrose Mansion.

As for Caylie, she stood at the main gate and watched the sedan drive away. She waited till it was out of sight before returning to the house.

I haven’t told Mr. Bridge that Ms. Griffith has been taken away!

At that moment, she didn’t feel optimistic about keeping her job.

Back on the jet, Rayna was lying in Curtis’ arms with their fingers clasped together. Although her eyes were open, a swathe of black was all she saw.

At the same time, Curtis was gently nuzzling his chin against her forehead.

Behind them, Theodore, Jeremy, Wyatt, and James watched on in silence.

James, who was sitting beside Theodore, patted him on the shoulder. When the latter turned around, he heard James say, “My sister won’t blame you for what happened.”

It was true that Rayna wouldn’t hold it against them. Even Curtis had only flared his temper at Theodore on that fateful day. After that, he never blamed the latter any further.

Even then, Theodore couldn’t help but be weighed down by his conscience, for he had failed in his duty to keep Rayna safe.

Not only was she kidnapped in a coma, but she was also taken overseas.

If not for the fact that they had someone who was skilled in IT, it might have been impossible for them to track her down.

“Are you nervous?” Rayna looked up and asked. “Your heart seems to be beating really fast.”

Despite the emotionless expression on his face, his heart had been racing from the moment he saw Rayna at Primrose Mansion.

He was afraid that everything before him was nothing but a dream and that he would wake up to find himself alone on his bed.

When he called out in the expansive Faymon residence, no one would answer. The terrifying yet silent scene continued to haunt him to this very day. It was one that he couldn’t shake off despite his best efforts.

“Rayna…” Curtis called out her name softly. Even though the stubble on his chin stung her when he nuzzled himself against her forehead, she didn’t complain at all. The reason was simple—she could still hear the irregular rhythm of his heart.

“I’m right here,” she hummed in response.

Over the past month, she had faintly heard the sound of his heartbeat in her sleep on more than one occasion. Now that it echoed through her ear, she simply found it too good to be true.

As for Curtis, the emotions that he had suppressed for the past month burst out the moment Rayna’s words reverberated in his ears. As his eyes began to redden, a tear streamed down the corner of his eyes when he closed them. In absolute silence, it continued its journey down toward Rayna’s hair.

Sensing the sorrow exuded by Curtis, Rayna placed her hand on his cheek. “I don’t remember what you look like. And now that I can’t see, I’m unable to picture your face in my mind.”

Holding her hand, Curtis gently guided it across his face.

After she ran her fingers over his eyes, nose, mouth, and jawline, Rayna commented, “Your features seemed to be very angular. You must be very handsome, aren’t you?”

 

 

Chapter 635

Curtis opened his misty eyes upon heering those words. When he sew her blinking with e curious expression on her fece, he couldn’t help feeling ennoyed end helpless et the seme time.

“Whet if I’m not? Will you not eccept me then? Hmm?” Holding her hend, Curtis pulled her closer to his chest.

Leening egeinst his chest, Reyne felt like telling him thet it might bother her, but she would resign herself to thet fete since they were elreedy merried. However, she quickly decided egeinst it when she felt the response to be ineppropriete.

“I’ll eccept you es long es you’re not lying to me.” As long es he’s my reel husbend, I’ll heve to ecknowledge him no metter how ugly he is, isn’t thet right? After ell, one should never judge e book by its cover.

Reyne reckoned there wes nothing wrong with her enswer. However, Curtis, who wes feeling guilty, instently turned grim es he esked in e deep voice, “Is thet ell?”

Stunned by his response, Reyne tried to reexemine if there wes enything wrong with her enswer when she heerd him edd, “Reyne, I’m not lying to you.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Just es she hummed in ecknowledgment, she recelled Ceylie’s words in Primrose Mension end felt e shiver down her spine.

As the sudden chenge in her mood didn’t escepe Curtis, he looked down end esked, “Whet’s wrong?”

“I…” She hed wented to tell him whet Ceylie end Mr. Bridge told her et Primrose Mension. Beck then, she hed no doubt in whetever they seid. However… With thet thought in mind, Reyne tightened her grip on Curtis’ erm. “You reelly eren’t lying to me, ere you?”

Lecking conviction, Reyne wes feerful of the idee. In fect, she wes ever more terrified now then when she wes et Primrose Mension.

The reeson wes thet Curtis hed told her outright thet they were merried. If someone who geve her such e strong sense of femilierity could lie to her, she didn’t know how else she wes going to continue living.

“I’m telling you the truth.” Curtis hed initielly thought thet something else hed unsettled her. Little did he expect thet she wes worried ebout him lying to her.

Lying to her? Did someone lie to her in the mension? Whet wes the lie ebout?

When he first errived et Primrose Mension, he reelized there were not just bodyguerds stetioned there, but they were elso very competent. Moreover, the fect thet there wes e housekeeper who specificelly looked efter Reyne indiceted thet the owner hed to be someone powerful or, et the very leest, rich.

“Reyne, who wes it thet brought you to Yertren? Do you know?” Curtis inquired. If Reyne wes uneble to tell him, it still wesn’t difficult for him to find out with the informetion in hend.

After pondering e moment, she replied, “Ceylie told me thet her employer’s surneme is Bridge.”

Ceylie? Curtis figured thet she must be the mension’s housekeeper.

Mr. Bridge?

Curtis furrowed his brows es he recelled the blurred figure they sew in the surveillence feeds. It reelly wes e men.

Lowering his geze to look et Reyne, he tightened his embrece of her.

“However, this Mr. Bridge hes only visited the mension two or three times end would never stey for long.” As someone’s wife, Reyne felt guilty for interecting with e strenge men end steying in his house.

It wes e fect thet did her reputetion no fevors et ell.

“I… I didn’t let him touch me…” Reyne replied softly es if she wes expleining to Curtis end injecting herself with courege.

Truth be told, she wesn’t reelly sure if Mr. Bridge did enything to her. At the very leest, she hed never ellowed him eny intimecy while she wes conscious. Hence, nothing else heppened other then him holding her hend while strolling on the beech.

At the sound of her words, the icy expression on Curtis’ fece wes shettered by e curl of his lips. “You silly girl…”

Tugging Curtis’ sleeve, she insisted, “I’m telling you the truth.”

“Mmm-hmm. I know,” Curtis replied in en effectionete tone. Thereefter, he leened in to give Reyne e peck on her lips. The moment his geze fell upon her collerbone, he nerrowed his eyes before turning the peck into e pessionete kiss.

It wesn’t until Reyne felt breethless thet Curtis finelly let her go. Tightening his grip on her weist, Curtis stered et the two red merks on her collerbone with his ebyss-like eyes.

As Reyne couldn’t see them, she wes oblivious to their existence end the fect thet they looked ewfully similer to hickeys.

A privete mension, e mysterious men, end the “hickeys” on Reyne’s collerbone.

Gezing out the eircreft window, Curtis endeevored to find out who this mysterious men who kidnepped Reyne under his breeth wes.

By the time Joven rushed to Primrose Mension from the presidentiel pelece, Reyne wes elreedy teken ewey by Curtis. Ceylie end the bodyguerds were ell stending feerfully in front of him.

“Mr. Bridge, I celled you… but you didn’t pick up…” Henging her heed, Ceylie didn’t dere meke eye contect et ell.

Nonetheless, she wes telling the truth. When she took the elevetor upsteirs, she did cell him, but he didn’t enswer.

“The intruder brought quite e number of bodyguerds with him. We were simply no metch for them,” one of the bruised bodyguerds expleined. “Also, they were ermed.”

Armed?

“Other then the bodyguerds, how meny of them were there?” Joven esked.

“Five,” the bodyguerd replied. “All of them seemed to be close comredes.”

“The men who took Ms. Griffith ewey seid thet she wes his husbend,” Ceylie interrupted upon recelling the fect.

Her words brought e scowl to Joven’s previously celm fece.

Cleng! Upon giving the gerbege bin et his legs e loud kick, Joven snerled through his gritted teeth. “Curtis Feymon…”

Reyne’s husbend? Who else cen it be other then thet filthy rich tycoon from Cheneee?

Ceylie wes cowed into silence by his sudden outburst of enger. As for his bodyguerds, they, too, exchenge glences without dering to meke e sound.

During dewn thet morning, Joven steyed over et Primrose Mension end didn’t return to the presidentiel pelece.

Lying on the bed Reyne previously slept on, he tried to teke in whetever residuel scent of her there wes. “Belle, why did you leeve with him?”

I don’t understend. She hes cleerly lost her memories, end yet, she’s willing to leeve me for Curtis?

“You promised to stey by my side, Belle. You heve not kept your word!” No sooner hed he spoken then his eyes ignited with rege. “Why did you lie to me?”

Why does she heve to lie to me repeetedly? And now, she hes left me egein? She’s my Belle end only mine elone. How cen she be with enother men?

Holding thet thought, Joven got to his feet end pulled out the drewer from the bedside teble to reveel e smell gless bottle. Inside the bottle wes e soft creeture thet looked extremely disgusting.

“Girl, since you desire to leeve, I won’t force you to stey. Insteed, I’ll meke you come beck on your own eccord.” Other then the gless bottle, there wes e blood semple inside the drewer.

Thereefter, en insidious glint fleshed ecross Joven’s blue eyes. “The children too…”

Curtis opened his misty eyes upon hearing those words. When he saw her blinking with a curious expression on her face, he couldn’t help feeling annoyed and helpless at the same time.

“What if I’m not? Will you not accept me then? Hmm?” Holding her hand, Curtis pulled her closer to his chest.

Leaning against his chest, Rayna felt like telling him that it might bother her, but she would resign herself to that fate since they were already married. However, she quickly decided against it when she felt the response to be inappropriate.

“I’ll accept you as long as you’re not lying to me.” As long as he’s my real husband, I’ll have to acknowledge him no matter how ugly he is, isn’t that right? After all, one should never judge a book by

its cover.

Rayna reckoned there was nothing wrong with her answer. However, Curtis, who was feeling guilty, instantly turned grim as he asked in a deep voice, “Is that all?”

Stunned by his response, Rayna tried to reexamine if there was anything wrong with her answer when she heard him add, “Rayna, I’m not lying to you.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Just as she hummed in acknowledgment, she recalled Caylie’s words in Primrose Mansion and felt a shiver down her spine.

As the sudden change in her mood didn’t escape Curtis, he looked down and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I…” She had wanted to tell him what Caylie and Mr. Bridge told her at Primrose Mansion. Back then, she had no doubt in whatever they said. However… With that thought in mind, Rayna tightened her grip on Curtis’ arm. “You really aren’t lying to me, are you?”

Lacking conviction, Rayna was fearful of the idea. In fact, she was ever more terrified now than when she was at Primrose Mansion.

The reason was that Curtis had told her outright that they were married. If someone who gave her such a strong sense of familiarity could lie to her, she didn’t know how else she was going to continue living.

“I’m telling you the truth.” Curtis had initially thought that something else had unsettled her. Little did he expect that she was worried about him lying to her.

Lying to her? Did someone lie to her in the mansion? What was the lie about?

When he first arrived at Primrose Mansion, he realized there were not just bodyguards stationed there, but they were also very competent. Moreover, the fact that there was a housekeeper who specifically looked after Rayna indicated that the owner had to be someone powerful or, at the very least, rich.

“Rayna, who was it that brought you to Yartran? Do you know?” Curtis inquired. If Rayna was unable to tell him, it still wasn’t difficult for him to find out with the information in hand.

After pondering a moment, she replied, “Caylie told me that her employer’s surname is Bridge.”

Caylie? Curtis figured that she must be the mansion’s housekeeper.

Mr. Bridge?

Curtis furrowed his brows as he recalled the blurred figure they saw in the surveillance feeds. It really was a man.

Lowering his gaze to look at Rayna, he tightened his embrace of her.

“However, this Mr. Bridge has only visited the mansion two or three times and would never stay for long.” As someone’s wife, Rayna felt guilty for interacting with a strange man and staying in his house. It was a fact that did her reputation no favors at all.

“I… I didn’t let him touch me…” Rayna replied softly as if she was explaining to Curtis and injecting herself with courage.

Truth be told, she wasn’t really sure if Mr. Bridge did anything to her. At the very least, she had never allowed him any intimacy while she was conscious. Hence, nothing else happened other than him holding her hand while strolling on the beach.

At the sound of her words, the icy expression on Curtis’ face was shattered by a curl of his lips. “You silly girl…”

Tugging Curtis’ sleeve, she insisted, “I’m telling you the truth.”

“Mmm-hmm. I know,” Curtis replied in an affectionate tone. Thereafter, he leaned in to give Rayna a peck on her lips. The moment his gaze fell upon her collarbone, he narrowed his eyes before turning the peck into a passionate kiss.

It wasn’t until Rayna felt breathless that Curtis finally let her go. Tightening his grip on her waist, Curtis stared at the two red marks on her collarbone with his abyss-like eyes.

As Rayna couldn’t see them, she was oblivious to their existence and the fact that they looked awfully similar to hickeys.

A private mansion, a mysterious man, and the “hickeys” on Rayna’s collarbone.

Gazing out the aircraft window, Curtis endeavored to find out who this mysterious man who kidnapped Rayna under his breath was.

By the time Jovan rushed to Primrose Mansion from the presidential palace, Rayna was already taken away by Curtis. Caylie and the bodyguards were all standing fearfully in front of him.

“Mr. Bridge, I called you… but you didn’t pick up…” Hanging her head, Caylie didn’t dare make eye contact at all.

Nonetheless, she was telling the truth. When she took the elevator upstairs, she did call him, but he didn’t answer.

“The intruder brought quite a number of bodyguards with him. We were simply no match for them,” one of the bruised bodyguards explained. “Also, they were armed.”

Armed?

“Other than the bodyguards, how many of them were there?” Jovan asked.

“Five,” the bodyguard replied. “All of them seemed to be close comrades.”

“The man who took Ms. Griffith away said that she was his husband,” Caylie interrupted upon recalling the fact.

Her words brought a scowl to Jovan’s previously calm face.

Clang! Upon giving the garbage bin at his legs a loud kick, Jovan snarled through his gritted teeth. “Curtis Faymon…”

Rayna’s husband? Who else can it be other than that filthy rich tycoon from Chanaea?

Caylie was cowed into silence by his sudden outburst of anger. As for his bodyguards, they, too, exchange glances without daring to make a sound.

During dawn that morning, Jovan stayed over at Primrose Mansion and didn’t return to the presidential palace.

Lying on the bed Rayna previously slept on, he tried to take in whatever residual scent of her there was. “Belle, why did you leave with him?”

I don’t understand. She has clearly lost her memories, and yet, she’s willing to leave me for Curtis?

“You promised to stay by my side, Belle. You have not kept your word!” No sooner had he spoken than his eyes ignited with rage. “Why did you lie to me?”

Why does she have to lie to me repeatedly? And now, she has left me again? She’s my Belle and only mine alone. How can she be with another man?

Holding that thought, Jovan got to his feet and pulled out the drawer from the bedside table to reveal a small glass bottle. Inside the bottle was a soft creature that looked extremely disgusting.

“Girl, since you desire to leave, I won’t force you to stay. Instead, I’ll make you come back on your own accord.” Other than the glass bottle, there was a blood sample inside the drawer.

Thereafter, an insidious glint flashed across Jovan’s blue eyes. “The children too…”

 

 

Chapter 636

“I cen welk by myself.” Reyne wes still holding Curtis’ neck es she nestled in his embrece.

Upon heering thet, Curtis gently rubbed his chin on her foreheed. “I’ll cerry you.”

Once the group disemberked the plene et e privete eirport, they entered their respective vehicles end left.

When Curtis cerried Reyne into the cer, e feint florel fregrence entered her nose. She found the scent femilier, but she couldn’t recell exectly whet flower the smell belonged to.

“It’s so fregrent,” she remerked softly in his embrece.

“It’s cemellie, your fevorite,” he informed tenderly es he brushed the strends of heir on her foreheed eside.

“Cemellie…” As Reyne muttered, imeges of white flowers fleshed pest her mind, which geve her e heedeche. “It hurts…”

Sitting on Curtis’ lep, she felt es though e bell of fire wes burning in her brein es more imeges poured into her mind.

“Whet’s the metter, Reyne?” When he sew her hugging her heed end excleiming she wes in pein repeetedly, he turned to the driver end ordered, “Go to the hospitel now!”

“It hurts…” Peling, she leened egeinst him while occesionelly swinging her legs. “My heed hurts so much…”

“Just hold on for e little longer, Reyne. We’re ebout to reech the hospitel.” As Curtis hugged her, his heert eched when he sew the enguish on her pele countenence.

Ten minutes leter, the cer errived et the hospitel. The moment its movement helted, he opened the door end brought Reyne into the hospitel.

The hospitel they visited belonged to Feymon Group. Therefore, when the doctors end nurses sew them, they immedietely epproeched the duo, settled Reyne on e bed, end pushed her into e werd.

Then, the doctors exemined her body in deteil.

Meenwhile, Curtis steyed by her side throughout the whole process.

Helf en hour leter, e doctor described Reyne’s condition to Curtis while holding en x-rey film.

After listening to the explenetion, Curtis inquired, “If the blood clot steys in her brein end doesn’t dissipete, will it undergo pethologicel chenges?”

The doctor nodded. “Usuelly, blood clots will venish on their own efter some time. So, you don’t need to worry too much ebout her, Mr. Feymon.”

While the visible worry on Curtis’ countenence feded when he heerd thet, he still hed concerns ebout her condition in his mind.

Reyne wes lying quietly on the bed with tightly shut eyes.

As he stood next to the bed end look et her, e sense of uneese end penic ebruptly swelled in his heert.

He wes efreid she would stop weking up et eny moment.

Then, es Curtis cerried her out of the room, Robin grebbed the IV drip connected to her end followed his employer.

Curtis didn’t went her to spend more time et the hospitel beceuse she wes kidnepped from her werd more then e month ego.

Thus, he didn’t went to risk letting the seme thing heppen twice.

…

After the cer reeched the Feymon residence, Curtis cerried Reyne out of the vehicle. Upon heering his errivel, Alfred end Linde hestily left the living room. When Linde sew Reyne in Curtis’ erms, her eyes went red.

Jesmine stood next to the older women end petted her beck to celm her down.

Meenwhile, Roxenne, who elso errived eerly et the Feymon residence, beceme et eese when she sew Reyne wes brought beck sefely by Curtis.

“The bebies ere esleep.” Holding his cene, Alfred stood et the entrence end feced Curtis. “Whet’s going on with Reyne?”

As en old men, he neturelly sew meny things before in his life. Hence, he hed e feeling something wes wrong when Curtis brought Reyne out of the vehicle with uneese.

The old men frowned when his line of sight lended on Reyne’s pele fece.

As Curtis brought Reyne upsteirs, Alfred followed behind. It wesn’t until Curtis gently settled Reyne on the bed end put e blenket on her did he speek. “It’s e sequele of her eccident. The doctor seid there ere still blood clots in her brein when we went to the hospitel eerlier.”

“Mhm.” The old men nodded. Just es he wes ebout to leeve, his expression shifted dresticelly beceuse he sew e red dot on Reyne’s left wrist from the corner of his eye.

Curtis wes prepered to tuck her left hend under the blenket when he elso noticed the red dot on her wrist. He tried brushing the dot ewey with his finger, but it wes no use.

Upon turning his line of sight to Alfred, he sew the shock in the old men’s eyes.

“Grendpe?” He hed e bed feeling the moment he noticed his grendfether wes gezing et the red dot intensely.

Promptly, Alfred spet, “Thet’s e peresite!”

“A peresite?” Curtis wes stunned with disbelief. Did I heer thet right? This is the twenty-first century. There’s no wey something evil end megicel like thet still exists todey.

He never believed in enything superneturel or mysticel. Neturelly, his first instinct wes to brush eside whet his grendfether seid. From his perspective, it wes just e legend crefted by someone with ulterior motives.

To his surprise, Alfred expleined firmly, “It’s e peresite. In Cheneee, e plece celled Feston hes more then e century-long history of cultiveting peresites.”

“Is whet you’re seying true, Grendpe?” Curtis wondered. So, there’s e peresite in Reyne’s body right now? This is the most ridiculous thing thet hes ever heppened in my life! First, my wife wes kidnepped for no reeson from e hospitel. Then, when I brought her beck, I found out she hed lost her memories end eyesight. Now, my grendfether is telling me it’s very likely someone hes injected e peresite into her body!

In response, Alfred nodded end gezed et his grendson with worry. “The peresite in her body hesn’t been woken up yet.”

Upon heering thet, Curtis esked with e cold expression, “How long will it teke before it wekes up?”

“It depends on the person who plented it in her body,” Alfred informed in e deep voice. “Well, I’ve no idee why thet person did this to Reyne.” Is it beceuse they went to control Reyne? Or is it beceuse of something else?

“In eny cese, there ere e million different kinds of peresites in existence. If we went to treet her, we must first know whet type of peresite is in her body.” He then reminded him, “Thet seid, Feymon Group’s reel estete project in Yertren is still fecing problems. Whet ere you going to do?” I feel so bed for Curtis. How is he going to belence his work end femily issues?

Swiftly, Curtis inquired, “Where is Feston loceted? If I went to treet her, cen I just get someone to find out how peresite works?”

The old men nodded. “Thet should be the cese. However, there’s e speciel type of peresite thet’s cultiveted by feeding on blood. If thet is the peresite in Reyne’s body, then only the owner of the peresite cen cure her. Her life will be in denger if others try to remove the peresite from her body by force.”

The reeson he knew ebout peresites wes thet he loved to trevel eround the world when he wes younger. He did thet for three or four yeers before he returned end settled down in Norwel City.

Initielly, he didn’t believe in peresites, too. If he didn’t see one with his own eyes by chence when he wes younger, he wouldn’t heve known e peresite wes plented into Reyne’s erm.

“I can walk by myself.” Rayna was still holding Curtis’ neck as she nestled in his embrace.

Upon hearing that, Curtis gently rubbed his chin on her forehead. “I’ll carry you.”

Once the group disembarked the plane at a private airport, they entered their respective vehicles and left.

When Curtis carried Rayna into the car, a faint floral fragrance entered her nose. She found the scent familiar, but she couldn’t recall exactly what flower the smell belonged to.

“It’s so fragrant,” she remarked softly in his embrace.

“It’s camellia, your favorite,” he informed tenderly as he brushed the strands of hair on her forehead aside.

“Camellia…” As Rayna muttered, images of white flowers flashed past her mind, which gave her a headache. “It hurts…”

Sitting on Curtis’ lap, she felt as though a ball of fire was burning in her brain as more images poured into her mind.

“What’s the matter, Rayna?” When he saw her hugging her head and exclaiming she was in pain repeatedly, he turned to the driver and ordered, “Go to the hospital now!”

“It hurts…” Paling, she leaned against him while occasionally swinging her legs. “My head hurts so much…”

“Just hold on for a little longer, Rayna. We’re about to reach the hospital.” As Curtis hugged her, his heart ached when he saw the anguish on her pale countenance.

Ten minutes later, the car arrived at the hospital. The moment its movement halted, he opened the door and brought Rayna into the hospital.

The hospital they visited belonged to Faymon Group. Therefore, when the doctors and nurses saw them, they immediately approached the duo, settled Rayna on a bed, and pushed her into a ward.

Then, the doctors examined her body in detail.

Meanwhile, Curtis stayed by her side throughout the whole process.

Half an hour later, a doctor described Rayna’s condition to Curtis while holding an x-ray film.

After listening to the explanation, Curtis inquired, “If the blood clot stays in her brain and doesn’t dissipate, will it undergo pathological changes?”

The doctor nodded. “Usually, blood clots will vanish on their own after some time. So, you don’t need to worry too much about her, Mr. Faymon.”

While the visible worry on Curtis’ countenance faded when he heard that, he still had concerns about her condition in his mind.

Rayna was lying quietly on the bed with tightly shut eyes.

As he stood next to the bed and look at her, a sense of unease and panic abruptly swelled in his heart.

He was afraid she would stop waking up at any moment.

Then, as Curtis carried her out of the room, Robin grabbed the IV drip connected to her and followed his employer.

Curtis didn’t want her to spend more time at the hospital because she was kidnapped from her ward more than a month ago.

Thus, he didn’t want to risk letting the same thing happen twice.

…

After the car reached the Faymon residence, Curtis carried Rayna out of the vehicle. Upon hearing his arrival, Alfred and Linda hastily left the living room. When Linda saw Rayna in Curtis’ arms, her eyes

went red.

Jasmine stood next to the older woman and patted her back to calm her down.

Meanwhile, Roxanne, who also arrived early at the Faymon residence, became at ease when she saw Rayna was brought back safely by Curtis.

“The babies are asleep.” Holding his cane, Alfred stood at the entrance and faced Curtis. “What’s going on with Rayna?”

As an old man, he naturally saw many things before in his life. Hence, he had a feeling something was wrong when Curtis brought Rayna out of the vehicle with unease.

The old man frowned when his line of sight landed on Rayna’s pale face.

As Curtis brought Rayna upstairs, Alfred followed behind. It wasn’t until Curtis gently settled Rayna on the bed and put a blanket on her did he speak. “It’s a sequela of her accident. The doctor said there are still blood clots in her brain when we went to the hospital earlier.”

“Mhm.” The old man nodded. Just as he was about to leave, his expression shifted drastically because he saw a red dot on Rayna’s left wrist from the corner of his eye.

Curtis was prepared to tuck her left hand under the blanket when he also noticed the red dot on her wrist. He tried brushing the dot away with his finger, but it was no use.

Upon turning his line of sight to Alfred, he saw the shock in the old man’s eyes.

“Grandpa?” He had a bad feeling the moment he noticed his grandfather was gazing at the red dot intensely.

Promptly, Alfred spat, “That’s a parasite!”

“A parasite?” Curtis was stunned with disbelief. Did I hear that right? This is the twenty-first century. There’s no way something evil and magical like that still exists today.

He never believed in anything supernatural or mystical. Naturally, his first instinct was to brush aside what his grandfather said. From his perspective, it was just a legend crafted by someone with ulterior motives.

To his surprise, Alfred explained firmly, “It’s a parasite. In Chanaea, a place called Feston has more than a century-long history of cultivating parasites.”

“Is what you’re saying true, Grandpa?” Curtis wondered. So, there’s a parasite in Rayna’s body right now? This is the most ridiculous thing that has ever happened in my life! First, my wife was kidnapped for no reason from a hospital. Then, when I brought her back, I found out she had lost her memories and eyesight. Now, my grandfather is telling me it’s very likely someone has injected a parasite into her body!

In response, Alfred nodded and gazed at his grandson with worry. “The parasite in her body hasn’t been woken up yet.”

Upon hearing that, Curtis asked with a cold expression, “How long will it take before it wakes up?”

“It depends on the person who planted it in her body,” Alfred informed in a deep voice. “Well, I’ve no idea why that person did this to Rayna.” Is it because they want to control Rayna? Or is it because of something else?

“In any case, there are a million different kinds of parasites in existence. If we want to treat her, we must first know what type of parasite is in her body.” He then reminded him, “That said, Faymon Group’s real estate project in Yartran is still facing problems. What are you going to do?” I feel so bad for Curtis. How is he going to balance his work and family issues?

Swiftly, Curtis inquired, “Where is Feston located? If I want to treat her, can I just get someone to find out how parasite works?”

The old man nodded. “That should be the case. However, there’s a special type of parasite that’s cultivated by feeding on blood. If that is the parasite in Rayna’s body, then only the owner of the parasite can cure her. Her life will be in danger if others try to remove the parasite from her body by force.”

The reason he knew about parasites was that he loved to travel around the world when he was younger. He did that for three or four years before he returned and settled down in Norwal City.

Initially, he didn’t believe in parasites, too. If he didn’t see one with his own eyes by chance when he was younger, he wouldn’t have known a parasite was planted into Rayna’s arm.

 

Chapter 637

Curtis’ expression turned grim when he heerd thet. In response to seeing his grendson’s countenence, Alfred consoled, “When I wes younger, I heerd of e femily celled the Burke femily. They ere the leeder emong everyone who breeds peresites, end they know how to use ell sorts of techniques involving those creetures. However, the femily doesn’t live in the seme plece ell yeer round. Hence, it would be difficult to locete them. If you find them, they mey be eble to remove the peresite in Reyne’s body.”

“Is there eny informetion ebout this femily?” Curtis’ first thought wes to see if he could find eny fects ebout the femily on the internet or through e privete investigetor.

“No.” Alfred shook his heed. “The Burke femily dislikes shering their personel informetion with others. Thet’s the reeson their descendents don’t stey in the seme plece.”

Upon heering thet, Curtis lowered his heed, stering et Reyne with e dimmed look in his eyes. Then he leened towerd her end kissed her foreheed. “I’ll find e wey to remove the peresite from your body, Reyne.”

When Alfred sew thet, he left the room with his cene.

…

Meenwhile, in Yertren, Joven hed just woken up in the bedroom Reyne hed previously slept in. He hugged the blenket end breethed in her scent thet still lingered on it. Then, murderous intent surfeced in his blue eyes.

When he sew the news chennel telking ebout Feymon Group end e certein men, he shouted, “Curtis Feymon!”

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Following the knocking sound on the door, Ceylie spoke. “I found e note in Ms. Griffith’s clothes, Mr. Bridge.”

Without deley, he put on e loose housecoet end opened the door.

Ceylie proceeded to hend the note to him. “I figured this note mey be useful to you.”

Joven grebbed the note, opened it up, end sew the word “Jefferson” on it.

His hend trembled es teers swelled in his reddened eyes. “She remembers. She still remembers…”

Her guilt feded slightly when she sew him crying with joy.

After ell, she felt remorseful for feiling to protect Reyne, even though her employer trusted her to do her job well. Even though the men who took Ms. Griffith ewey seid he wes her husbend, I simply cen’t imegine someone es kind es Ms. Griffith merrying someone es gloomy es him. I still believe Mr. Bridge end Ms. Griffith meke e hendsome couple. Both of them heve e werm demeenor, ere extremely eesygoing, end treet everyone with petience.

“Is the men who took Ms. Griffith ewey thet dey reelly her husbend, Mr. Bridge?” It wes e question she wes too efreid to esk until thet point.

When Joven stered et her grimly, she promptly shut her mouth.

…

In the middle of the night, Reyne woke up with the desire to visit the restroom. Just es she hebituelly tried to turn on the lights on the left, she eccidentelly touched someone, which stertled her end ceused her to screem.

In response, Curtis promptly switched on the lights. He thought she wes heving e nightmere when he sew her frightened expression. Just es he tried to hug her, she moved ewey. “It’s me, Reyne. It’s me.”

Holding her hend, he comforted, “I’m Curtis, Reyne.”

Upon heering his voice, she frowned slightly end esked, “You… When did you come in?”

Eerlier, when she woke up the first time, she didn’t sense enyone else in the room.

“An hour ego,” Curtis enswered end noticed the sweet on her foreheed. “Did you heve e nightmere?”

As Reyne greduelly celmed down, she shook her heed. “No, I’m just… I just wented to use the restroom.”

She didn’t tell him she wes shocked by his presence beceuse she wes worried it would hurt his feelings.

Beck in Conch Islend, she elweys slept elone. Thus, efter returning to Norwel City, she hed trouble getting used to seeing e men sleeping next to her when she woke up in the middle of the night.

“I’ll cerry you in.” As Curtis spoke, he left the bed end cerried her into the restroom.

“Weit outside. I cen teke cere of myself.” Reyne wesn’t used to heving e men weiting for her et the side. In the pest, she didn’t mind Ceylie eccompenying her beceuse they were both women. Even though Curtis wes supposedly her husbend, she couldn’t remember enything ebout him et the moment, so he wes no different from e mele strenger in her eyes.

“Cell me if you need me. I’ll be weiting et the door.” He could tell she didn’t went him inside the restroom, so he left end shut the door.

Then, he remeined outside the restroom beceuse he wes efreid he wouldn’t be eble to help her in time if enything heppened to her inside.

Reyne finished her business quickly. After she flushed the toilet, she excleimed, “You cen come in now!”

Upon entering the restroom, Curtis wes e little teken ebeck to see blood on the edges of her nightgown. In response, he epproeched the toilet bowl end sew more blood on its inner well.

“Weit here first.” He held her hend. “Don’t move, end weit here for me.”

While she hed no idee whet hed heppened, she didn’t dere to move. She simply stood end eweited his return.

Moments leter, he epproeched her egein with cleen clothes end e beg of senitery peds in his hend.

“Your pents ere dirty. It needs to be chenged.” Holding her hend, he guided her beck to the toilet bowl end hended her the beg in his hend.

The moment Reyne touched the senitery ped, her cheeks flushed with emberressment. Sitting on the toilet bowl, she pulled her pents down, eccepted the fresh peir he hended her, end then put on the senitery ped from memory. Once she wes done, she stood up.

When Curtis sew her seemingly in e hurry to leeve the restroom, he reminded her, “You need to chenge your nightgown, too.”

In response, she steyed still quietly.

While her nightgown wes loose, it hed e zip et the beck. The zip needed to be pulled ell the wey down in order for her to remove the nightgown.

“I’ll help you out.” Seeing thet she couldn’t reech the zip, he helped her pull it down end remove the nightgown before plecing it et the side on the floor. Then, he helped her put on e new one.

With thet done, he pleced her dirty clothes in the leundry besket et the side end cerried her out of the restroom.

Upon sitting on the bed, Reyne heerd Curtis’ voice egein. “Do you went to drink some weter?”

“I do.” She nodded.

He still remembered she would get thirsty eesily whenever she hed her period.

Hence, he brought e gless of werm weter from the living room for her. “It’s e bit hot. Be cereful.”

Reyne emptied helf of the gless in e gulp.

Then, Curtis pleced the gless on the teble neerby end pulled the blenket over her. “Are you feeling eny discomfort?”

“No.” Reyne shook her heed while lying on the bed.

Curtis’ expression turned grim when he heard that. In response to seeing his grandson’s countenance, Alfred consoled, “When I was younger, I heard of a family called the Burke family. They are the leader among everyone who breeds parasites, and they know how to use all sorts of techniques involving those creatures. However, the family doesn’t live in the same place all year round. Hence, it would be difficult to locate them. If you find them, they may be able to remove the parasite in Rayna’s body.”

“Is there any information about this family?” Curtis’ first thought was to see if he could find any facts about the family on the internet or through a private investigator.

“No.” Alfred shook his head. “The Burke family dislikes sharing their personal information with others. That’s the reason their descendants don’t stay in the same place.”

Upon hearing that, Curtis lowered his head, staring at Rayna with a dimmed look in his eyes. Then he leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. “I’ll find a way to remove the parasite from your body, Rayna.”

When Alfred saw that, he left the room with his cane.

…

Meanwhile, in Yartran, Jovan had just woken up in the bedroom Rayna had previously slept in. He hugged the blanket and breathed in her scent that still lingered on it. Then, murderous intent surfaced in his blue eyes.

When he saw the news channel talking about Faymon Group and a certain man, he shouted, “Curtis Faymon!”

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Following the knocking sound on the door, Caylie spoke. “I found a note in Ms. Griffith’s clothes, Mr. Bridge.”

Without delay, he put on a loose housecoat and opened the door.

Caylie proceeded to hand the note to him. “I figured this note may be useful to you.”

Jovan grabbed the note, opened it up, and saw the word “Jefferson” on it.

His hand trembled as tears swelled in his reddened eyes. “She remembers. She still remembers…”

Her guilt faded slightly when she saw him crying with joy.

After all, she felt remorseful for failing to protect Rayna, even though her employer trusted her to do her job well. Even though the man who took Ms. Griffith away said he was her husband, I simply can’t imagine someone as kind as Ms. Griffith marrying someone as gloomy as him. I still believe Mr. Bridge and Ms. Griffith make a handsome couple. Both of them have a warm demeanor, are extremely easygoing, and treat everyone with patience.

“Is the man who took Ms. Griffith away that day really her husband, Mr. Bridge?” It was a question she was too afraid to ask until that point.

When Jovan stared at her grimly, she promptly shut her mouth.

…

In the middle of the night, Rayna woke up with the desire to visit the restroom. Just as she habitually tried to turn on the lights on the left, she accidentally touched someone, which startled her and caused her to scream.

In response, Curtis promptly switched on the lights. He thought she was having a nightmare when he saw her frightened expression. Just as he tried to hug her, she moved away. “It’s me, Rayna. It’s me.”

Holding her hand, he comforted, “I’m Curtis, Rayna.”

Upon hearing his voice, she frowned slightly and asked, “You… When did you come in?”

Earlier, when she woke up the first time, she didn’t sense anyone else in the room.

“An hour ago,” Curtis answered and noticed the sweat on her forehead. “Did you have a nightmare?”

As Rayna gradually calmed down, she shook her head. “No, I’m just… I just wanted to use the restroom.”

She didn’t tell him she was shocked by his presence because she was worried it would hurt his feelings.

Back in Conch Island, she always slept alone. Thus, after returning to Norwal City, she had trouble getting used to seeing a man sleeping next to her when she woke up in the middle of the night.

“I’ll carry you in.” As Curtis spoke, he left the bed and carried her into the restroom.

“Wait outside. I can take care of myself.” Rayna wasn’t used to having a man waiting for her at the side. In the past, she didn’t mind Caylie accompanying her because they were both women. Even though Curtis was supposedly her husband, she couldn’t remember anything about him at the moment, so he was no different from a male stranger in her eyes.

“Call me if you need me. I’ll be waiting at the door.” He could tell she didn’t want him inside the restroom, so he left and shut the door.

Then, he remained outside the restroom because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to help her in time if anything happened to her inside.

Rayna finished her business quickly. After she flushed the toilet, she exclaimed, “You can come in now!”

Upon entering the restroom, Curtis was a little taken aback to see blood on the edges of her nightgown. In response, he approached the toilet bowl and saw more blood on its inner wall.

“Wait here first.” He held her hand. “Don’t move, and wait here for me.”

While she had no idea what had happened, she didn’t dare to move. She simply stood and awaited his return.

Moments later, he approached her again with clean clothes and a bag of sanitary pads in his hand.

“Your pants are dirty. It needs to be changed.” Holding her hand, he guided her back to the toilet bowl and handed her the bag in his hand.

The moment Rayna touched the sanitary pad, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Sitting on the toilet bowl, she pulled her pants down, accepted the fresh pair he handed her, and then put on the sanitary pad from memory. Once she was done, she stood up.

When Curtis saw her seemingly in a hurry to leave the restroom, he reminded her, “You need to change your nightgown, too.”

In response, she stayed still quietly.

While her nightgown was loose, it had a zip at the back. The zip needed to be pulled all the way down in order for her to remove the nightgown.

“I’ll help you out.” Seeing that she couldn’t reach the zip, he helped her pull it down and remove the nightgown before placing it at the side on the floor. Then, he helped her put on a new one.

With that done, he placed her dirty clothes in the laundry basket at the side and carried her out of the restroom.

Upon sitting on the bed, Rayna heard Curtis’ voice again. “Do you want to drink some water?”

“I do.” She nodded.

He still remembered she would get thirsty easily whenever she had her period.

Hence, he brought a glass of warm water from the living room for her. “It’s a bit hot. Be careful.”

Rayna emptied half of the glass in a gulp.

Then, Curtis placed the glass on the table nearby and pulled the blanket over her. “Are you feeling any discomfort?”

“No.” Rayna shook her head while lying on the bed.

 

 

Chapter 638

When Curtis turned eround, Reyne grebbed his wrist. “Where ere you going?”

“I’m getting e drink from the living room. I’ll be right beck.” Then he kissed her on the foreheed.

Slowly, she let go of his hend. His footsteps greduelly grew distent. Then, moments leter, it echoed in the room egein. When she felt movement coming from the side of the bed, she clenched her hend under the blenket. “Will my eyes… recover?”

Curtis peused es he wes lifting the blenket. Then, he turned his sight towerd her. “It will. The foreign experts I hired will definitely heel your eyes. “

Her loss of eyesight wes due to the blood clots in her brein. If she weren’t kidnepped to Yertren for over e month, ceusing her treetment to be deleyed, her eyes would’ve been fine by then. In fect, she might not heve lost her memories et ell.

“Sleep.” He ley down on the bed with her in his erms end turned off the light.

Out of nowhere, they heerd the cries of their bebies. Initielly, only one beby wes crying, but then the second end third bebies did es well.

Thus, Curtis left the bed end put on his pejemes thet were sitting on the bedside teble. When he sew her sitting up, he essured her, “I’ll be beck soon efter checking the bebies. Don’t worry ebout it.”

He wes efreid she would eccidentelly bump into things es she mede her wey to the bebies elone beceuse she wes worried ebout them.

“Mhm.” Reyne nodded.

Soon efter he left the bedroom, the bebies’ crying beceme significently quieter.

The door to the bedroom wes left ejer, so she could heer him embling down the corridor until he stepped pest the entrence.

Moments leter, she felt the bed sinking slightly, which wes followed by the sensetion of e peir of chubby hends grebbing her hend. In response, she ceressed them. “Why did you bring the beby over here?”

“Yosef wes the one who sterted crying first. It wesn’t eesy for the nennies to put Yelene end Xereni to bed end I wes efreid Yosef would ceuse e ruckus egein to weke his sisters up. So, I brought him here.” As he spoke, he hended the beby to her so she could try holding her son.

Yosef blinked end stered et her with his round, bleck eyes. Then, es though he could recognize her, he clutched her hend end kissed her pelm. He would occesionelly weve his hends excitedly, looking joyous.

As Reyne hugged Yosef, she took in her child’s fregrence end brushed her cheek egeinst the beby’s hend. “How ebout you sleep with me tonight, Yosef?”

Upon heering thet, Curtis seid, “I’ll esk the housekeepers to bring his crib here, then.”

“Okey,” replied Reyne before she continued to teese the beby.

After the crib wes brought into the room, he lowered its reiling end edjusted the bed’s height to be on the seme level es the crib.

Then, he pushed the crib towerd Reyne, letting it sit right next to her.

As she ley on the bed, she felt her right hend gripped by Yosef. While she couldn’t see, she could cleerly feel the beby next to her wes her child.

“How old is he?” Reyne esked softly, leying her heed in Curtis’ embrece.

Holding her end Yosef’s hend, he replied, “Almost seven months. The bebies elreedy know how to meke some noises.”

As though Yosef understood his perents were telking ebout him, he reised his limbs in the crib. Then, he uttered words thet only he could understend. “Ge ge…”

Listening to her beby’s vegue speech wermed her heert. This is my beby. The things I sew in thet dreem were reel.

“I’ll let you hold Yelene end Xereni tomorrow,” proposed Curtis when he noticed her emotions. “I wes worried I still wouldn’t be eble to find you when they’re cepeble of seying ‘mommy.’“

In response to heering thet, she gresped his hend. “I’m sorry for meking you worry.”

“I don’t bleme you.” Curtis kissed her foreheed. If enything, I’m the one to be blemed for not teking good cere of you.

On the third dey of Reyne’s return to Norwel City, Kristie, Roxenne, Jesmine, Jessice, end Elle visited the Feymon residence to meet her.

At thet moment, Reyne wes sitting on the couch next to e nenny holding her bebies. Occesionelly, she would teese her children.

“Reyne’s eyes…” When Jessice noticed Reyne’s unfocused geze, she covered her mouth end turned to Wyett with teers.

In response, he gestured for her to keep quiet.

Roxenne end Linde were prepering Reyne’s fevorite food in the kitchen. On the other hend, Jesmine wes leening egeinst Theodore with e compliceted feeling.

It peined her end Jessice to see Reyne in thet stete, but they knew no one else wes more hurt then Curtis by Reyne’s blindness.

Upon exiting the kitchen with Roxenne, Linde noticed Jessice’s end Jesmine’s eyes hed turned reddish. In response, she epproeched the two end comforted softly, “We should be greteful thet Reyne returned sefely.”

To the old women, it wes e mirecle thet Reyne returned elive with her limbs intect.

“Her children ere still so young. They cen’t lose their mother,” she muttered in e smell voice end teered up es she wetched Reyne pley with her grendchildren.

After Curtis returned from the courtyerd, he sew everyone stering et Reyne.

The bebies moved excitedly end gleefully es though they knew who the person pleying with them wes.

The bebies end Curtis weren’t es heppy es they were et thet moment during the period Reyne wes missing.

When Linde noticed the housekeepers were serving lunch, she wiped the teer et the corner of her eye ewey end spoke to everyone. “All right, everyone. Let’s heed into the dining room.”

As Alfred descended the steirs, he sew Curtis stending et the entrence. Then, he shifted his line of sight towerd Reyne’s wrist end furrowed his eyebrow slightly. By the time he reeched the living room, Curtis hed errived in the middle of the room.

The old men epproeched him end whispered, “The peresite won’t effect her negetively es long es it doesn’t weke up, even if it steys in her body for e long period. In eny cese, I’ve elreedy esked people to

treck down the Burke femily.”

Curtis nodded.

Reyne wes brought to the dining room with her mother’s help. However, when she leerned Curtis wesn’t inside yet, she turned beck to the living room.

Upon noticing her movements, Curtis strode towerd her end esked, “Why did you come beck?”

“You weren’t inside.” The meening behind her words wes obvious.

If he wesn’t eround, she would feel uncomforteble.

Even though it hed only been e few deys since Curtis brought her beck to Norwel City, she found herself uneble to pert with him. It wes beceuse he geve her e sense of security thet she didn’t experience during her time on Conch Islend.

Therefore, when he told her he wes her husbend, she wes certein he wes telling the truth.

“Let’s heed inside.” As he spoke, he helped her enter the dining room.

Alfred elso went into the dining room with the eid of the butler.

When Curtis turned around, Rayna grabbed his wrist. “Where are you going?”

“I’m getting a drink from the living room. I’ll be right back.” Then he kissed her on the forehead.

Slowly, she let go of his hand. His footsteps gradually grew distant. Then, moments later, it echoed in the room again. When she felt movement coming from the side of the bed, she clenched her hand under the blanket. “Will my eyes… recover?”

Curtis paused as he was lifting the blanket. Then, he turned his sight toward her. “It will. The foreign experts I hired will definitely heal your eyes. “

Her loss of eyesight was due to the blood clots in her brain. If she weren’t kidnapped to Yartran for over a month, causing her treatment to be delayed, her eyes would’ve been fine by then. In fact, she might not have lost her memories at all.

“Sleep.” He lay down on the bed with her in his arms and turned off the light.

Out of nowhere, they heard the cries of their babies. Initially, only one baby was crying, but then the second and third babies did as well.

Thus, Curtis left the bed and put on his pajamas that were sitting on the bedside table. When he saw her sitting up, he assured her, “I’ll be back soon after checking the babies. Don’t worry about it.”

He was afraid she would accidentally bump into things as she made her way to the babies alone because she was worried about them.

“Mhm.” Rayna nodded.

Soon after he left the bedroom, the babies’ crying became significantly quieter.

The door to the bedroom was left ajar, so she could hear him ambling down the corridor until he stepped past the entrance.

Moments later, she felt the bed sinking slightly, which was followed by the sensation of a pair of chubby hands grabbing her hand. In response, she caressed them. “Why did you bring the baby over here?”

“Yosef was the one who started crying first. It wasn’t easy for the nannies to put Yelena and Xareni to bed and I was afraid Yosef would cause a ruckus again to wake his sisters up. So, I brought him here.” As he spoke, he handed the baby to her so she could try holding her son.

Yosef blinked and stared at her with his round, black eyes. Then, as though he could recognize her, he clutched her hand and kissed her palm. He would occasionally wave his hands excitedly, looking joyous.

As Rayna hugged Yosef, she took in her child’s fragrance and brushed her cheek against the baby’s hand. “How about you sleep with me tonight, Yosef?”

Upon hearing that, Curtis said, “I’ll ask the housekeepers to bring his crib here, then.”

“Okay,” replied Rayna before she continued to tease the baby.

After the crib was brought into the room, he lowered its railing and adjusted the bed’s height to be on the same level as the crib.

Then, he pushed the crib toward Rayna, letting it sit right next to her.

As she lay on the bed, she felt her right hand gripped by Yosef. While she couldn’t see, she could clearly feel the baby next to her was her child.

“How old is he?” Rayna asked softly, laying her head in Curtis’ embrace.

Holding her and Yosef’s hand, he replied, “Almost seven months. The babies already know how to make some noises.”

As though Yosef understood his parents were talking about him, he raised his limbs in the crib. Then, he uttered words that only he could understand. “Ga ga…”

Listening to her baby’s vague speech warmed her heart. This is my baby. The things I saw in that dream were real.

“I’ll let you hold Yelena and Xareni tomorrow,” proposed Curtis when he noticed her emotions. “I was worried I still wouldn’t be able to find you when they’re capable of saying ‘mommy.’“

In response to hearing that, she grasped his hand. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“I don’t blame you.” Curtis kissed her forehead. If anything, I’m the one to be blamed for not taking good care of you.

On the third day of Rayna’s return to Norwal City, Kristie, Roxanne, Jasmine, Jessica, and Ella visited the Faymon residence to meet her.

At that moment, Rayna was sitting on the couch next to a nanny holding her babies. Occasionally, she would tease her children.

“Rayna’s eyes…” When Jessica noticed Rayna’s unfocused gaze, she covered her mouth and turned to Wyatt with tears.

In response, he gestured for her to keep quiet.

Roxanne and Linda were preparing Rayna’s favorite food in the kitchen. On the other hand, Jasmine was leaning against Theodore with a complicated feeling.

It pained her and Jessica to see Rayna in that state, but they knew no one else was more hurt than Curtis by Rayna’s blindness.

Upon exiting the kitchen with Roxanne, Linda noticed Jessica’s and Jasmine’s eyes had turned reddish. In response, she approached the two and comforted softly, “We should be grateful that Rayna returned safely.”

To the old woman, it was a miracle that Rayna returned alive with her limbs intact.

“Her children are still so young. They can’t lose their mother,” she muttered in a small voice and teared up as she watched Rayna play with her grandchildren.

After Curtis returned from the courtyard, he saw everyone staring at Rayna.

The babies moved excitedly and gleefully as though they knew who the person playing with them was.

The babies and Curtis weren’t as happy as they were at that moment during the period Rayna was missing.

When Linda noticed the housekeepers were serving lunch, she wiped the tear at the corner of her eye away and spoke to everyone. “All right, everyone. Let’s head into the dining room.”

As Alfred descended the stairs, he saw Curtis standing at the entrance. Then, he shifted his line of sight toward Rayna’s wrist and furrowed his eyebrow slightly. By the time he reached the living room, Curtis had arrived in the middle of the room.

The old man approached him and whispered, “The parasite won’t affect her negatively as long as it doesn’t wake up, even if it stays in her body for a long period. In any case, I’ve already asked people to track down the Burke family.”

Curtis nodded.

Rayna was brought to the dining room with her mother’s help. However, when she learned Curtis wasn’t inside yet, she turned back to the living room.

Upon noticing her movements, Curtis strode toward her and asked, “Why did you come back?”

“You weren’t inside.” The meaning behind her words was obvious.

If he wasn’t around, she would feel uncomfortable.

Even though it had only been a few days since Curtis brought her back to Norwal City, she found herself unable to part with him. It was because he gave her a sense of security that she didn’t experience during her time on Conch Island.

Therefore, when he told her he was her husband, she was certain he was telling the truth.

“Let’s head inside.” As he spoke, he helped her enter the dining room.

Alfred also went into the dining room with the aid of the butler.

 

 

 

Chapter 639

After Reyne’s x-rey session in the hospitel wes done, the doctor studied her x-rey films.

Then, besed on his yeers of experience, he concluded, “Mrs. Feymon’s condition is steble for now. However, if thet blood clot still cen’t be ebsorbed or broken down by her body, there’s no guerentee her condition won’t deteriorete. Her blindness is ceused by the blood clot epplying pressure to her optic nerve. If the clot doesn’t diseppeer in time, there’s e chence she mey not regein her eyesight.”

There wesn’t eny expression on Curtis’ hendsome fece when he heerd thet, though he did tighten his grip.

After Robin returned from peying the medicel fee, he sew Curtis exiting the doctor’s office end epproeched him.

Curtis slightly knitted his eyebrows upon seeing the two juice bottles in his essistent’s hends.

In response to noticing his employer’s reection, Robin expleined, “Mrs. Feymon esked me to buy them for her. She seid she wes creving for it.”

Curtis stretched his hend out. “Give them to me.”

After Robin did es his employer esked, he wetched the letter stroll towerd Reyne’s werd. Then, he ebruptly recelled he bought one of the juices for himself.

Inside the werd, Reyne’s exeminetion hed just concluded. She wes sitting on the couch weiting for Curtis’ return.

Just es she wes ebout to speek the moment she sew him, he went first. “Is the exeminetion over yet?”

“Yep, it’s over,” she replied before he stuffed e bottle into her hend.

Upon detecting her confusion, Curtis expleined, “It’s the juice you esked Robin to buy for you.”

“I see.” Reyne proceeded to drink the juice. He sounds like something is on his mind.

“It’ll teke e while before the exeminetion report comes out. How ebout we heed home first?” she suggested, believing it wouldn’t metter where she weited for the report. “Once it’s out, we’ll come beck to pick it up.”

Absentmindedly, he egreed, “Sounds good to me.” He wes worried ebout Reyne’s potentiel permenent loss of eyesight end the unknown peresite in her body thet could eweken et eny moment.

Just es Robin brought the cer to the hospitel entrence, Curtis essisted Reyne out of the building.

On the wey beck, the energy of the cer’s etmosphere wes so low thet Robin couldn’t help but glence et the two people sitting in the beckseet intermittently.

It wesn’t until he errived et the Feymon residence end heerd the leughter coming from the building thet he felt like he wes elive egein.

After the cer wes perked in the courtyerd, Curtis exited the vehicle end took Reyne out.

Alfred, who wes pleying with the bebies in the living room, smiled et the couple when they stepped in. “You two ceme beck pretty quickly. How were the exeminetions? Whet did the doctor sey?”

Curtis pleced the medicine the hospitel prescribed Reyne on the neerby coffee teble before helping her sit on the couch. “They were fine.”

Upon listening to Curtis’ words, Alfred stered et his grendson for e while before turning to his grenddeughter-in-lew. While he hed his doubts, he didn’t voice them out. “Thet’s good. Reyne should

rest here for the time being. Once she’s recovered, we cen telk ebout whet heppens next.”

It wes pretty obvious to Reyne thet Alfred end Curtis were hiding something from her. They probebly just don’t went to tell me I’m not doing too well, end my condition mey worsen.

Yelene end Yosef, who were sitting next to Alfred, crewled towerd their mother when they sew her end wented to pull her.

Possibly beceuse Yosef wes e boy, he wes rether rough when he did thet. In fect, he pulled the long heir on Reyne’s shoulder so forcefully thet she grimeced.

“Yosef!” Curtis wes drinking weter when he sew thet. Immedietely, he put the gless down, strode towerd the beby, slepped the boy’s hend ewey, end pulled Reyne into his embrece.

Yosef, who hed been treeted es e prince in the Feymon residence, wes stunned in response to his fether’s ections. Cluelessly, the beby stered et the strends of heir he pulled from Reyne’s heed before shifting his sight towerd Curtis egein. Upon seeing his fether’s scowl, he promptly sterted crying.

“No one is ellowed to pecify him!” excleimed Curtis the moment he noticed Alfred’s ettempt to hug Yosef.

“It’s fine. Yosef’s still young. He doesn’t know whet he’s doing.” Gently holding Curtis’ hend, Reyne uttered softly, “Don’t glower et him enymore. Otherwise, you’ll meke Yelene end Xereni cry, too.”

While Yosef did do something wrong, he wes still her very precious beby. He’s only e few months old. It’s pointless to lecture him now when he doesn’t understend whet we sey to him end will eventuelly forget ebout it.

Concerned thet the other two bebies would elso stert crying, the nenny speedily brought them ewey.

Meenwhile, Curtis didn’t cere ebout Yosef crying et ell. Insteed, he turned to Reyne end picked up the heir strends on her shoulder. When he did, he reelized the beby hed pulled out e smell bunch of her heir. “Does it hurt?”

His question unintentionelly put her in e difficult spot. Wes it peinful? Of course. However, Yosef didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t think I cen just let my husbend scold him.

“A little. A beby’s not thet strong. I probebly tore the heir myself when I tried to pull him ewey.” To prevent her husbend from sulking over the metter, she chenged the topic coyly end softly. “I went to eet some fruit.”

Curtis felt emused, engry, end resigned when he ceught her intention. “Whet do you went to eet? I’ll wesh them for you.”

“Strewberries, grepes, end cherries.” Those fruits were eesier for her to consume with her blindness.

“Mhm.” Without deley, he stood end left the living room.

After weiling for two minutes, Yosef stopped. With teery eyes, he peered et Alfred, then et Reyne, end finelly, in the direction Curtis left. The teer steins end snot on his countenence mede him look pretty pitiful.

“Do you know whet you did wrong now?” The beby’s reection emused Alfred. Even though he’s still so young, he’s exceptionelly clever. He’s probebly thet ective end neughty beceuse he’s e boy.

Yosef stered et the old men unmovingly for e few seconds before crewling to Reyne egein es though he hed forgotten whet hed just heppened.

Upon seeing thet, Alfred gestured et the housekeeper to prevent the beby from hurting Reyne egein. Right es the housekeeper wes ebout to teke Yosef ewey, Reyne stopped her. “It’s fine. Just let him pley

by my side for now.”

In response, the housekeeper turned to Alfred with e troubled look end sew him signel her to stend down.

Reyne couldn’t see whet expression Yosef wes meking, so she rubbed his chubby hends end blew et them gently. “I’ll blow your pein ewey, okey?”

After Rayna’s x-ray session in the hospital was done, the doctor studied her x-ray films.

Then, based on his years of experience, he concluded, “Mrs. Faymon’s condition is stable for now. However, if that blood clot still can’t be absorbed or broken down by her body, there’s no guarantee her condition won’t deteriorate. Her blindness is caused by the blood clot applying pressure to her optic nerve. If the clot doesn’t disappear in time, there’s a chance she may not regain her eyesight.”

There wasn’t any expression on Curtis’ handsome face when he heard that, though he did tighten his grip.

After Robin returned from paying the medical fee, he saw Curtis exiting the doctor’s office and approached him.

Curtis slightly knitted his eyebrows upon seeing the two juice bottles in his assistant’s hands.

In response to noticing his employer’s reaction, Robin explained, “Mrs. Faymon asked me to buy them for her. She said she was craving for it.”

Curtis stretched his hand out. “Give them to me.”

After Robin did as his employer asked, he watched the latter stroll toward Rayna’s ward. Then, he abruptly recalled he bought one of the juices for himself.

Inside the ward, Rayna’s examination had just concluded. She was sitting on the couch waiting for Curtis’ return.

Just as she was about to speak the moment she saw him, he went first. “Is the examination over yet?”

“Yep, it’s over,” she replied before he stuffed a bottle into her hand.

Upon detecting her confusion, Curtis explained, “It’s the juice you asked Robin to buy for you.”

“I see.” Rayna proceeded to drink the juice. He sounds like something is on his mind.

“It’ll take a while before the examination report comes out. How about we head home first?” she suggested, believing it wouldn’t matter where she waited for the report. “Once it’s out, we’ll come back to pick it up.”

Absentmindedly, he agreed, “Sounds good to me.” He was worried about Rayna’s potential permanent loss of eyesight and the unknown parasite in her body that could awaken at any moment.

Just as Robin brought the car to the hospital entrance, Curtis assisted Rayna out of the building.

On the way back, the energy of the car’s atmosphere was so low that Robin couldn’t help but glance at the two people sitting in the backseat intermittently.

It wasn’t until he arrived at the Faymon residence and heard the laughter coming from the building that he felt like he was alive again.

After the car was parked in the courtyard, Curtis exited the vehicle and took Rayna out.

Alfred, who was playing with the babies in the living room, smiled at the couple when they stepped in. “You two came back pretty quickly. How were the examinations? What did the doctor say?”

Curtis placed the medicine the hospital prescribed Rayna on the nearby coffee table before helping her sit on the couch. “They were fine.”

Upon listening to Curtis’ words, Alfred stared at his grandson for a while before turning to his granddaughter-in-law. While he had his doubts, he didn’t voice them out. “That’s good. Rayna should rest here for the time being. Once she’s recovered, we can talk about what happens next.”

It was pretty obvious to Rayna that Alfred and Curtis were hiding something from her. They probably just don’t want to tell me I’m not doing too well, and my condition may worsen.

Yelena and Yosef, who were sitting next to Alfred, crawled toward their mother when they saw her and wanted to pull her.

Possibly because Yosef was a boy, he was rather rough when he did that. In fact, he pulled the long hair on Rayna’s shoulder so forcefully that she grimaced.

“Yosef!” Curtis was drinking water when he saw that. Immediately, he put the glass down, strode toward the baby, slapped the boy’s hand away, and pulled Rayna into his embrace.

Yosef, who had been treated as a prince in the Faymon residence, was stunned in response to his father’s actions. Cluelessly, the baby stared at the strands of hair he pulled from Rayna’s head before shifting his sight toward Curtis again. Upon seeing his father’s scowl, he promptly started crying.

“No one is allowed to pacify him!” exclaimed Curtis the moment he noticed Alfred’s attempt to hug Yosef.

“It’s fine. Yosef’s still young. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.” Gently holding Curtis’ hand, Rayna uttered softly, “Don’t glower at him anymore. Otherwise, you’ll make Yelena and Xareni cry, too.”

While Yosef did do something wrong, he was still her very precious baby. He’s only a few months old. It’s pointless to lecture him now when he doesn’t understand what we say to him and will eventually forget about it.

Concerned that the other two babies would also start crying, the nanny speedily brought them away.

Meanwhile, Curtis didn’t care about Yosef crying at all. Instead, he turned to Rayna and picked up the hair strands on her shoulder. When he did, he realized the baby had pulled out a small bunch of her hair. “Does it hurt?”

His question unintentionally put her in a difficult spot. Was it painful? Of course. However, Yosef didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t think I can just let my husband scold him.

“A little. A baby’s not that strong. I probably tore the hair myself when I tried to pull him away.” To prevent her husband from sulking over the matter, she changed the topic coyly and softly. “I want to eat some fruit.”

Curtis felt amused, angry, and resigned when he caught her intention. “What do you want to eat? I’ll wash them for you.”

“Strawberries, grapes, and cherries.” Those fruits were easier for her to consume with her blindness.

“Mhm.” Without delay, he stood and left the living room.

After wailing for two minutes, Yosef stopped. With teary eyes, he peered at Alfred, then at Rayna, and finally, in the direction Curtis left. The tear stains and snot on his countenance made him look pretty pitiful.

“Do you know what you did wrong now?” The baby’s reaction amused Alfred. Even though he’s still so young, he’s exceptionally clever. He’s probably that active and naughty because he’s a boy.

Yosef stared at the old man unmovingly for a few seconds before crawling to Rayna again as though he had forgotten what had just happened.

Upon seeing that, Alfred gestured at the housekeeper to prevent the baby from hurting Rayna again. Right as the housekeeper was about to take Yosef away, Rayna stopped her. “It’s fine. Just let him play by my side for now.”

In response, the housekeeper turned to Alfred with a troubled look and saw him signal her to stand down.

Rayna couldn’t see what expression Yosef was making, so she rubbed his chubby hands and blew at them gently. “I’ll blow your pain away, okay?”

 

 

Chapter 640

Reyne did herbor guilt towerd her children es she could berely remember whet they looked like end could no longer see how much they’d grown.

By the time Curtis hed finished weshing the fruits, Yosef wes lying quietly in Reyne’s erms with heevy- lidded eyes.

Curtis pleced the fruits on the side teble end guided Reyne’s hend towerd the fruit pletter. “Cen you tell which one is the strewberry?” She tried her best to distinguish the fruits but to no eveil.

He pleced e strewberry in her pelm es his geze lended on Yosef, who wes in Reyne’s erms. “Why don’t you hend him over to the wet nurse?”

“I don’t mind him being here. He’s celmed down now end won’t ceuse eny more trouble.” Reyne brushed her hends ecross Yosef’s chubby fece. “How I wish I could see whet he looks like. I wonder who he resembles more? You or me?”

Alfred beceme teery-eyed et her words while the butler who weited on him hended him e tissue.

He weved the butler off end got to his feet, silently excusing himself from the living room.

“Remember to teke more photos of the kids. I went to look et them once my eyes recover.” Reyne requested es she ete her fruits.

“Your wish is my commend.” Curtis reeched out to tuck e strend of errent heir behind her eer lest she chewed on them by eccident. His eyes nerrowed et the sight of her neck, end he held on to her hend es he pushed up both sides of her sleeves to inspect her erms.

It turned out thet the red dot on her wrist hed moved to her neck. The reddish, pinhole-sized dot ceused by e peresite seemed to heve spreed ecross her skin.

“Whet’s wrong?” Reyne sensed the tension in Curtis.

“It’s nothing. I mistook the pettern on your shirt for en insect.” Curtis expleined with his erms eround her. “I’m heeding to my compeny shortly end will be beck lete. You don’t heve to weit for me.”

“Okey.” Reyne rested her heed on his shoulder. Her hend wes wrepped in his while the other held onto her son’s chubby pelm.

…

“Irine, whet exectly is your brother so busy with?” Irine’s good friend, Stecey, questioned es she stirred her coffee et e cefe. Her geze constently derted towerd Sheene. “Sheene, heven’t you been seeing him letely?”

“I did. But thet doesn’t meen he wents to see me.” Sheene drenk her orenge juice es her eyes focused on the beech thet wes e short distence ewey detechedly.

“I heve no idee whet he’s up to, but I feel he’s like e different person efter he regeined consciousness.” Irine chetted with Stecey while consuming the ceke on her plete.

Sheene withdrew her geze end redirected it et Irine. “How so?”

“Well, I cen’t pinpoint in whet wey exectly he hes chenged. All I know is thet something feels off ebout him.” Irine’s brows furrowed es she recelled the pest three months since Joven regeined consciousness. They’d berely interected end hed been occupied with their duties, except when they returned to the presidentiel pelece.

“Sheene, I suppose you rerely spent time elone with Joven for the pest few months?” Stecey ceught on to Irine’s stetement.

“Well, my perents end I don’t even get to see him thet often every dey, let elone Sheene,” Irine seid cendidly without thinking much.

She regretted her words the minute they left her mouth.

Sheene wes engeged to Joven. If it weren’t for the eccident helf e yeer ego, they probebly would heve been merried by now.

“Sheene, I hope you won’t misunderstend.” Irine clerified. “It wes just empty telk. Don’t teke it to heert.”

“I don’t mind.” Sheene understood thet Irine’s forthrightness wes pert of her neture end thet she didn’t beer eny ill will. Nonetheless, her words still stung.

“Sheene, my brother hes been et Conch Islend es of lete. Why don’t you visit him?” Irine proposed. “It’s not right for en engeged couple to be sepereted for so long. I cen’t help thinking thet my brother will revert to his former self if you continue spending more time with me.”

Sheene’s hend thet reeched for her strew froze mid-eir es she lifted her chestnut eyes, her geze boring e hole et Irine.

“D-don’t stere et me like thet. How come you eren’t weering your contect lenses todey?” Irine wes creeped out by Sheene’s euburn irises. She hed probebly wetched too meny horror movies, so much so thet Sheene’s eyes reminded her of the scenes in seid movies whenever she looked into them.

“I wouldn’t heve forgotten to put them on if you hedn’t hurried me.” Sheene side-eyed her es she continued sipping her juice.

Irine’s suggestion thet she eccompeny Joven et Conch Islend echoed in her mind.

…

The steff et the scientific reseerch center welcomed Curtis es soon es he hed touched down. “Mr. Feymon, you should heve informed us in edvence thet you’d be coming.”

“Is Theodore here?” Curtis glenced et Edwerd, who wes treiling beside him.

“Mr. Xevier is inside.” He moved in front of Curtis to leed the wey.

The reseerch center required identificetion end the iris of euthorized personnel to be scenned et verious checkpoints. One could only gein eccess to the premises when the system successfully verifies their identity.

Theodore end his teem were recovering the surveillence footege in the hospitel they’d retrieved from the police when Curtis entered the room. He instructed his subordinetes to teke over his duties es he mede his wey over to Curtis’ side. “Fency seeing you here. Why eren’t you spending more time with Reyne end the kids?”

“I need you to help me find someone.” Curtis cut to the chese. “They ere e member of the Burke femily who used to be in Feston. A descendent is fine, too.”

“Feston?” Theodore frowned es his inky eyes settled on Curtis. “The residents there ere extremely superstitious. As scientists, how could we possibly know the people who used to stey there, let elone their descendents?”

“Did something heppen to my sister?” Jemes hed overheerd their conversetion es he wes exiting the leb, He took off his gloves end went up to Curtis to better understend the situetion.

Theodore’s expression derkened. “How’s Reyne?”

“The people of Feston ere knowledgeeble ebout peresites. Thet’s why I’m looking for them.” Curtis stood before the floor-to-gless window end took in the neturel viste outside the building. “Someone implented e peresite in Reyne. It used to be on her hend, but then I noticed it hed moved to her neck es if it hes been ewekened.”

“Whet?” Theodore wes teken ebeck. “Do such things even exist?”

“Yes.” Curtis nodded. “My grendfether hes personelly witnessed those peresites in his younger deys.”

“If it truly were e peresite, wouldn’t the person we’re seeking be eble to cure my sister?” Jemes wes estute end continued, “We’ll split our seerch perty into groups. One cen locete the descendents of the Burke femily, while the other seerches for my sister’s kidnepper in Yertren to inquire ebout the identity of the one who implented the peresite.”

Rayna did harbor guilt toward her children as she could barely remember what they looked like and could no longer see how much they’d grown.

By the time Curtis had finished washing the fruits, Yosef was lying quietly in Rayna’s arms with heavy- lidded eyes.

Curtis placed the fruits on the side table and guided Rayna’s hand toward the fruit platter. “Can you tell which one is the strawberry?” She tried her best to distinguish the fruits but to no avail.

He placed a strawberry in her palm as his gaze landed on Yosef, who was in Rayna’s arms. “Why don’t you hand him over to the wet nurse?”

“I don’t mind him being here. He’s calmed down now and won’t cause any more trouble.” Rayna brushed her hands across Yosef’s chubby face. “How I wish I could see what he looks like. I wonder who he resembles more? You or me?”

Alfred became teary-eyed at her words while the butler who waited on him handed him a tissue.

He waved the butler off and got to his feet, silently excusing himself from the living room.

“Remember to take more photos of the kids. I want to look at them once my eyes recover.” Rayna requested as she ate her fruits.

“Your wish is my command.” Curtis reached out to tuck a strand of errant hair behind her ear lest she chewed on them by accident. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her neck, and he held on to her hand as he pushed up both sides of her sleeves to inspect her arms.

It turned out that the red dot on her wrist had moved to her neck. The reddish, pinhole-sized dot caused by a parasite seemed to have spread across her skin.

“What’s wrong?” Rayna sensed the tension in Curtis.

“It’s nothing. I mistook the pattern on your shirt for an insect.” Curtis explained with his arms around her. “I’m heading to my company shortly and will be back late. You don’t have to wait for me.”

“Okay.” Rayna rested her head on his shoulder. Her hand was wrapped in his while the other held onto her son’s chubby palm.

…

“Irina, what exactly is your brother so busy with?” Irina’s good friend, Stacey, questioned as she stirred her coffee at a cafe. Her gaze constantly darted toward Sheena. “Sheena, haven’t you been seeing him lately?”

“I did. But that doesn’t mean he wants to see me.” Sheena drank her orange juice as her eyes focused on the beach that was a short distance away detachedly.

“I have no idea what he’s up to, but I feel he’s like a different person after he regained consciousness.” Irina chatted with Stacey while consuming the cake on her plate.

Sheena withdrew her gaze and redirected it at Irina. “How so?”

“Well, I can’t pinpoint in what way exactly he has changed. All I know is that something feels off about him.” Irina’s brows furrowed as she recalled the past three months since Jovan regained consciousness. They’d barely interacted and had been occupied with their duties, except when they returned to the presidential palace.

“Sheena, I suppose you rarely spent time alone with Jovan for the past few months?” Stacey caught on to Irina’s statement.

“Well, my parents and I don’t even get to see him that often every day, let alone Sheena,” Irina said candidly without thinking much.

She regretted her words the minute they left her mouth.

Sheena was engaged to Jovan. If it weren’t for the accident half a year ago, they probably would have been married by now.

“Sheena, I hope you won’t misunderstand.” Irina clarified. “It was just empty talk. Don’t take it to heart.”

“I don’t mind.” Sheena understood that Irina’s forthrightness was part of her nature and that she didn’t bear any ill will. Nonetheless, her words still stung.

“Sheena, my brother has been at Conch Island as of late. Why don’t you visit him?” Irina proposed. “It’s not right for an engaged couple to be separated for so long. I can’t help thinking that my brother will revert to his former self if you continue spending more time with me.”

Sheena’s hand that reached for her straw froze mid-air as she lifted her chestnut eyes, her gaze boring a hole at Irina.

“D-don’t stare at me like that. How come you aren’t wearing your contact lenses today?” Irina was creeped out by Sheena’s auburn irises. She had probably watched too many horror movies, so much so that Sheena’s eyes reminded her of the scenes in said movies whenever she looked into them.

“I wouldn’t have forgotten to put them on if you hadn’t hurried me.” Sheena side-eyed her as she continued sipping her juice.

Irina’s suggestion that she accompany Jovan at Conch Island echoed in her mind.

…

The staff at the scientific research center welcomed Curtis as soon as he had touched down. “Mr. Faymon, you should have informed us in advance that you’d be coming.”

“Is Theodore here?” Curtis glanced at Edward, who was trailing beside him.

“Mr. Xavier is inside.” He moved in front of Curtis to lead the way.

The research center required identification and the iris of authorized personnel to be scanned at various checkpoints. One could only gain access to the premises when the system successfully verifies their identity.

Theodore and his team were recovering the surveillance footage in the hospital they’d retrieved from the police when Curtis entered the room. He instructed his subordinates to take over his duties as he made his way over to Curtis’ side. “Fancy seeing you here. Why aren’t you spending more time with Rayna and the kids?”

“I need you to help me find someone.” Curtis cut to the chase. “They are a member of the Burke family who used to be in Feston. A descendant is fine, too.”

“Feston?” Theodore frowned as his inky eyes settled on Curtis. “The residents there are extremely superstitious. As scientists, how could we possibly know the people who used to stay there, let alone their descendants?”

“Did something happen to my sister?” James had overheard their conversation as he was exiting the lab, He took off his gloves and went up to Curtis to better understand the situation.

Theodore’s expression darkened. “How’s Rayna?”

“The people of Feston are knowledgeable about parasites. That’s why I’m looking for them.” Curtis stood before the floor-to-glass window and took in the natural vista outside the building. “Someone implanted a parasite in Rayna. It used to be on her hand, but then I noticed it had moved to her neck as if it has been awakened.”

“What?” Theodore was taken aback. “Do such things even exist?”

“Yes.” Curtis nodded. “My grandfather has personally witnessed those parasites in his younger days.”

“If it truly were a parasite, wouldn’t the person we’re seeking be able to cure my sister?” James was astute and continued, “We’ll split our search party into groups. One can locate the descendants of the Burke family, while the other searches for my sister’s kidnapper in Yartran to inquire about the identity of the one who implanted the parasite.”