Ch. 681..690

Chapter 681

Chapter 681 Visiting Cassidy Again

“I see. How about your body? Are you experiencing any discomfort?” Curtis asked. He was still concerned about Rayna's well- being.

Rayna shook her head. "No."

Apart from feeling a little giddy upon waking up, she was perfectly fine. In fact, she was feeling a lot better compared to the past few days.

"I'll take you to see Cassidy again later in the afternoon," Curtis said as he helped Rayna out of the bathroom.

"All right," Rayna replied softly as she stood there and watched Curtis squeeze some toothpaste onto a toothbrush.

"Let me know when you're done brushing your teeth," he said as he handed her the toothbrush and stepped out of the bathroom.

With a little glutton in the house, he couldn't just leave the breakfast on the table unguarded. He had to keep an eye on the food so that Furry wouldn't steal it.

With the toothbrush in hand, Rayna walked toward the bathroom door and glanced in the dining table's direction. Sure enough, Furry was sneaking its way toward the food, only to run off when Curtis made his way over.

Rayna couldn't help but let out a faint chuckle when she saw that.

"Ms. Cassidy! Ms. Cassidy! Bad news!" Yasmin exclaimed as she came running out of the warehouse.

Cassidy was brushing her hair at her dressing table when Yasmin barged anxiously into her bedroom. "What happened, Yasmin?” Yasmin pointed in the direction of the warehouse as she said hastily, "I-It's the warehouse! It was raining last night, and the rainwater got into the warehouse through a leak in the roof! The herbs inside have all been drenched!"

The look on Cassidy's face changed the moment she heard that. She then dropped her brush and ran toward the warehouse as quickly as her legs could carry her. She was frozen in shock when she got there and saw that the warehouse was slightly flooded.

"Look, Ms. Cassidy!" Yasmin exclaimed while pointing at the ceiling. As Cassidy looked up at the ceiling, she saw a hole that was clearly caused by something heavy falling through it.

"Go check the surveillance camera footage, Yasmin," Cassidy ordered. She then put on a pair of rubber boots and trudged into the warehouse to assess the situation. She clenched her fists when she saw that the bags of herbs were all immersed in water.

After taking a moment to scan the warehouse and take inventory of the herbs inside, she realized one of the herbs called "Groundlunger" was missing. Her eyes were filled with rage as she stood in the empty corner where Groundlunger was originally placed and muttered through gritted teeth, "Fernando Zeller!"

Meanwhile, in a manor in Jazona, a young man dressed in a brown trench coat walked up to a white- haired old man standing next to the pond. "Hello, Uncle."

The white-haired old man turned around and asked, "Did you manage to get it?"

"I've already had someone send it over to the research center," the young man replied honestly.

"All right. You're dismissed," the old man said as he turned around and continued feeding the fish in the pond.

The young man nodded and left without saying anything further.

Soon after the young man's departure, the butler standing next to the old man stepped forward and commented, "Mr. Fernando sure did a great job this time, Old Mr. Zeller."

"Yeah." The old man then glanced at the butler through the corner of his eye and asked, "Have you taken care of the guys we sent afterward?"

"Yes, we've taken care of them last night,” replied the butler.

"Leave no loose ends," the old man reminded him as he threw the rest of the fish food into the pond. The butler then handed him a wet towel that he had prepared beforehand.

The old man took the wet towel over and wiped his hands with it. “Did you manage to find that thing?"

"Our men at the research center have been looking everywhere, but they have yet to find it. Those things come in pairs, so it is most likely searching for the other one," the butler replied while passing the wet towel to a maid standing nearby.

The old man glanced at the butler, who was following closely behind him. "Tell the men at the research center to put more effort into their search. That thing is incredibly useful. Our new products are counting on it. I want you to contact the technicians and see if they can remotely activate the chips planted inside that thing. We might be able to find the other one if we track it down using the chip."

The butler nodded in acknowledgement. "Understood."

Curtis saw that the front door to Cassidy's house was open when he and Rayna arrived.

They paused in surprise when they entered the courtyard and saw the bags of herbs piled up in the middle.

"What happened here?" Curtis asked Yasmin, who was busy laying the herbs out to dry.

Upon noticing that Curtis and Rayna had arrived, Yasmin stood up and called out to Cassidy, who was clearing out the water in the warehouse. "Ms. Cassidy! The guests from yesterday are here again!"

Cassidy stepped out of the warehouse with a broom and a metal dustpan in her hands. After pouring the water into a nearby drain, she looked up at the two and asked, "Who is it—"

Upon realizing that it was Rayna, Cassidy dropped her stuff and ran up to her. “Isabelle!"

Rayna stared at her in confusion. "You recognize me?"

"Of course! I'd always recognize you no matter what!" Cassidy wiped her hands dry with a towel and glanced at Curtis as she continued, "Is he your boyfriend?"

"He's my husband," Rayna replied.

"Oh..." Cassidy then waved a hand in front of Rayna's eyes and asked, "What happened to your eyes?"

"Car accident," Curtis replied on her behalf.

Cassidy stared at him in confusion. "Is there no way to treat her?"

"The doctors suggested that we stick with conservative treatment methods instead of going for surgery," Curtis explained.

Cassidy frowned slightly when she heard that. "Did the doctors not tell you what medication she needs?"

"No. They just told us to consult the traditional medicine practitioner in Shvomhid Mountain. They said we would find all the answers we needed," Curtis explained. What he didn't expect was that the traditional medicine practitioner had passed away long ago.

Just like that, what could've been a perfect plan was ruined completely.

"What brings you two to my place, then?" Cassidy asked.

"This." Curtis held Rayna's hand out and revealed the tiny red dot on her wrist.

While Cassidy didn't think much of the red dot, she instantly recognized the bracelet Rayna was wearing. "That emerald bracelet is from the Burke family!"

"You know what this is?" Rayna asked in surprise.

"Of course! Everyone in my line of work knows the Burke family!" Cassidy then grabbed Rayna's hand and started dragging her into the house. "Come on in! I'll take a look at your eyes!"

Curtis furrowed his brows when he walked past the courtyard and saw the bags of herbs that were soaking wet.

Cassidy led Rayna through the living room and reached the backyard. She then brought her to a little house in the back, unlocked the door with a key, and sat Rayna down on the couch.

The interior of the house had a simplistic design with a white color theme and minimalist furniture.

If anything, it looked more like a modern clinic than a traditional medicine practitioner's clinic.

"I thought you were a traditional medicine practitioner?" Curtis asked with an eyebrow arched as he entered the house.

"Who told you that? Was it Simone? Is that why you two came here today?" Cassidy asked.

"Yeah. You two know each other?” Rayna said.

"We were childhood friends! She promised to study traditional medicine with me but ended up going for modern medicine instead!" Cassidy exclaimed angrily.

 

 

Chapter 682

Chapter 682 Someone Was Researching Serekos

Cassidy whipped out a stethoscope and listened to Rayna's heart and lungs. After giving her a brief examination, she asked, “Right, back to the question at hand. Isabelle, do you really not remember me anymore?"

Rayna glanced in Curtis' direction before awkwardly shaking her head.

Cassidy complained, "Have you no heart? Don't you remember Shvomhid Mountain? Oh, wait... It's Loytas Mountain now, isn't it? Back then, you went up the mountain looking for herbs to treat your mother. Well? Does that ring a bell by any chance?"

She then looked at Rayna expectantly, hoping the latter could remember something.

"I do remember Loytas Mountain, but I don't remember you..." Rayna racked her brain to try and recall who Cassidy was, but to no avail.

"So, you really don't remember me..." Cassidy let out a helpless sigh as she continued, "I will need to draw a bit of your blood for a blood test."

Rayna nodded in acknowledgment and gave her permission to draw her blood.

As she couldn't stand watching the needle pierce her skin, Curtis pressed her face against his chest. He then watched as Cassidy extracted a small amount of Rayna's blood bit by bit.

"All right, it's done. Please continue to apply pressure here to help stop the bleeding," Cassidy instructed while pressing a cotton ball on Rayna's arm. Curtis took over for her and helped maintain a gentle pressure on the cotton ball.

"The blood test report will be ready in about thirty minutes from now. You two can go wait in the living room," Cassidy said as she took her latex gloves off.

Rayna and Curtis were on their way out of the house when Yasmin came running over frantically.

"Come to the courtyard, Ms. Cassidy! I found something in the herbs! It's inside the bag of Seregal!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

Rayna turned toward Curtis when she heard the name of the plant. "Seregal? Doesn't that sound kind of similar?"

Curtis nodded. "Yeah, it does." Upon recalling how the serendipity grass had caused the blood parasites in Rayna to get active, he immediately stopped in his tracks.

Rayna shot him a puzzled look and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you stopping all of a sudden?"

Curtis gave her a gentle pat on the head as he glanced at Cassidy, who was still inside the house. "We'll let them head over first."

Seregal sounded quite similar to serendipity grass, so Curtis was worried that it would awaken the blood parasite inside Rayna.

"What is it? What did you see?" Cassidy still had her white coat on when Yasmin dragged her out of the house.

"You'll find out when you see it for yourself!" Yasmin replied and continued dragging her toward the warehouse.

Cassidy felt goosebumps all over when she reached the courtyard and saw the creatures wiggling on the ground.

"How did this happen?" Although Cassidy was disgusted by the sight of the creatures wriggling on the ground before her, she had no choice but to gather the herbs. After all, she had gone through a lot of trouble collecting them from steep cliffs.

She was about to step forward when Yasmin grabbed her arm and exclaimed, “Have you lost your mind? Those things are alive! How are you going to catch them with your bare hands? Don't you know what will happen to your skin?"

Curtis frowned slightly when he made his way over to the courtyard and saw the creatures that came wriggling out of the sack.

"What is it?" Rayna asked as she followed behind him. She was about to stick her head out to have a look when Curtis covered her eyes with his hands. "Don't look," he said.

The creatures were shaped like leeches, but they were much smaller in size.

That was when Curtis recalled how the blood parasites, that were still inside Rayna's body, looked just like those creatures when they wiggled about.

"What are those?" Curtis asked with a solemn look on his face.

Yasmin was so spooked when she met the man's icy-cold gaze that she hid behind Cassidy and replied in a trembling voice, “I-It's Seregal, a type of flower."

Curtis glanced at the wiggling creatures on the ground and asked coldly, "Flower? Are you sure these are flowers? They don't look anything like flowers to me."

"Oh, trust me, they are flowers. Don't worry, Yasmin. Everything is going to be all right,” Cassidy said, patting Yasmin's shoulder to comfort her.

She then shifted her gaze toward Curtis, who was glaring coldly at her, and asked, "Are you familiar with caterpillar fungus?"

Curtis' hand, which was covering Rayna's eyes, loosened slightly when he heard that, but he still kept her face buried in his chest because he didn't want her to see how disgusting the creatures looked.

Curtis narrowed his eyes as he said, "Are you saying that this is the same as caterpillar fungus, Ms. Cassidy? From what I know, caterpillar fungus is a type of fungus that grows on insects. It parasitizes and germinates the living larva of moths before killing and mummifying it. After that, a dark brown stalk- like fruiting body, which is a few centimeters long, emerges from the corpse. Caterpillar fungus does not come back to life afterward, though. These things wiggling about on the ground, however, look very much alive to me."

Cassidy nodded. "Yes, you are precisely right. Seregal is essentially a worm that goes into hibernation during autumn. While in hibernation, a yellow flower, which we call 'Seregal,' will grow around the worm. The worm, known as 'Serekos,' will form a cocoon at the root of the flower. Of course, the cocoon is useless, so we usually remove it and retrieve the Serekos inside."

"You only retrieve the worm? What about the flower, then?" Curtis asked, capturing the main point of her words.

"The flower isn't actually a part of the worm's body. It's just a plant that grows in the areas around the caves where the worms are found. Serekos secrete a huge amount of sticky fluid that turns the nearby flowers yellow," Cassidy explained.

"If that's the case, how do you tell Seregal apart from other flowers?" Curtis pressed on.

"It's something that comes with experience, I suppose," Cassidy replied with a shrug. She then pried Yasmin off her and said, "Go fetch me the medicinal solution from upstairs. It's in a glass bottle."

"Okay!" Yasmin nodded and ran up the stairs.

"Have these things awakened from hibernation?" Curtis asked as he stared at the Serekos in disgust.

"You could say that, but..." Cassidy bent over and took a closer look at the Serekos as she continued, "These Serekos don't look like they've been hibernating at all."

"How can you tell?" Curtis asked.

"The color looks different. Serekos that have been hibernating will appear brown in color. On top of that, I've soaked them in a medicinal solution and left them out to dry under the hot sun, so it shouldn't be possible for them to awaken at all." Cassidy walked down the steps, grabbed a pair of metal forceps, and picked up one of the Serekos as she continued, "Also, do you see the size of these Serekos? They are about two times bigger than ordinary ones. These do not look like Serekos that we typically find in nature."

Curtis tightened his grip on Rayna as he felt a sudden sense of worry and fear. "Are you saying that someone is researching these things?"

"Oh, it's very common for people to research them. Serekos are highly valuable for their medicinal properties. The fluid they secrete makes a great skin-care product if you can detoxify it. These Serekos look like they were born quite recently. I just don't understand how the first one got into my bag of herbs. They chewed up all of my herbs, so I can't sell them anymore!" Cassidy replied with a helpless sigh as she placed the Serekos into a sack one by one and stared at the damaged herbs scattered on the ground.

She was about to stomp on one of the Serekos in frustration when something shiny inside the sack caught her eye.

 

Chapter 683 Serekos Skin Care

Just as Cassidy hunched over to pick it up, a Serekos wriggled over, frightening her into retracting her hand. Then, she used the tongs to pick up the small crystal instead.

"What is this?" Cassidy studied the crystal under the sun for a while, but she still could not figure out what it was.

"That's a chip." The corner of Curtis' lips twitched when he realized she had yet to figure out what it was. "To be specific, that's a chip meant for location tracking."

"Location tracking?" Cassidy mumbled, not quite registering his words. Only when Yasmin pointed at the surveillance cameras in the courtyard did she widen her eyes in understanding.

"Oh d*mn!" Cassidy instantly shuddered and made to throw the crystal away, but Curtis stopped her. "Don't throw it just yet. Hold onto it. We still have use for it."

Cassidy gave him a confused look. "We can still use it? How?"

"There should be some records in this crystal. I can get the research department to recover it for you. If we're lucky, you can even use this to find out every move the other party makes," Curtis solemnly told her.

Cassidy dubiously looked at him. "Are you a researcher?”

"No," he said.

As Cassidy fidgeted with the crystal, she clicked her tongue. "Tsk. If you're not one, why should I believe you?"

"Have trust in my wife even if you don't believe me," Curtis uttered.

Cassidy frowned. "Your wife doesn't even know me anymore."

Rayna, who Curtis was shielding in his arms, stiffened. She then lifted her head and tried to turn around, but Curtis covered her eyes. "Don't look at those things."

"Cassidy, I believe in my husband. If he says they can recover the data, then it must be true," Rayna explained as she continued to stay in Curtis' arms. "Also, about the matter of forgetting you, I honestly don't remember this at all."

The grievances in Cassidy's heart seeped away when she heard that, and she huffed, “All right, all right. I'll believe you."

With that, she walked over to Curtis and handed the crystal to him. "Remember what you've said."

"Of course," Curtis promised before taking Rayna to the backyard, leaving Cassidy and Yasmin to continue picking up the crawling Serekos from the ground.

Once they returned to the backyard, Rayna pulled away the man's hand over her eyes and asked, "Do the Serekos look terrifying?"

"They look like leeches," Curtis answered.

Leeches...

The thought of those soft creatures raised goosebumps on her arms, and she could not help but shudder.

Amused by her reaction, Curtis asked, "Do you still want to take a look at them?"

"Huh? Why would I want to do that?" Rayna responded before taking a step forward. However, the second she took her first step, she heard the sound of something getting squashed. “Curtis, I think I stepped on something."

Curtis lowered his head to look at her foot. "Lift your leg. I'll take a look at it."

Rayna closed her eyes and lifted her leg. Instantly, Curtis saw a pile of viscous black liquid on the ground, as well as something falling off Rayna's shoe. When he took a step closer, he realized it was a Serekos.

"What is it?" Rayna asked, balancing herself by putting her hands around Curtis's neck while keeping her leg lifted.

"A Serekos," Curtis replied. As he spoke, he took off the shoe she had stepped on the Serekos with and lifted her into his arms before carrying her back into the house.

In the meantime, after Cassidy kept all the Serekos that had been sprayed with the solution into the bag, she sat on the stone bench in the courtyard and panted. "This is so tiring!"

"Ms. Cassidy, here, some water." Yasmin walked over with the jug.

Cassidy then filled a cup of water before downing it. As she poured another cup for herself, she asked, "Yasmin, say, how did the Serekos end up in my bag?"

Yasmin shook her head.

"I just hope that the weather for the next few days will be good." Cassidy sighed as she looked at the herbs in the yard. Tightening her grip around her cup, she hissed, "D*mn you, Fernando Zeller!"

"Ms. Cassidy, how do you know that it's Nando?" Yasmin gave her a confused look. "Doesn't Nando dote on you the most? Why would he do something like this?"

"Who the h*ll knows?" Cassidy slammed the cup onto the table. "Maybe his godfather's in one of his crazy phases again! Ugh, forget it. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

At that, she poured herself another cup of tea and rested for half an hour in the courtyard before going to the backyard.

Right as she stepped into the backyard, she saw the black pool of goo on the ground. Immediately, she shook from anger. "Who stepped on this?"

The moment Rayna heard Cassidy's angry roar, she nudged Curtis and said, "Find out what's going on with Cassidy."

Curtis drew his brows together and slowly made his way toward the doorway. He then saw Cassidy trying to mop the black stain on the ground, but no matter how much force she used, she could not get rid of the stain.

"Did Isabelle touch this?" Cassidy loudly asked Curtis as she pointed at the single shoe on the ground. "You can't touch this with your bare hands!"

"No," Curtis muttered and looked at the Serekos' body on the ground. A dark look crossed his eyes, and he said, "Is it impossible to get rid of this bug's liquid?"

Cassidy sighed before grabbing a pair of tongs to pick up the squashed Serekos before tossing it to the flowerbed at the side.

Right as she threw it, a blue-winged bird dived down and took the Serekos away.

"What bird is that?" Rayna asked, having seen the bird when she walked over to Curtis' side.

"That's a freckled hawk." Cassidy explained as she took out some kind of medicinal solution to sprinkle on the ground. Immediately, the black stain turned into a pool of watery blood.

Staring at the watery blood, Curtis asked, "So the blood of the Serekos was originally red?"

"Obviously. What color did you think it would be? Green?" Cassidy refuted. "It's black because of a type of pigment in it—LT. It's very hard to get rid of it once it stains somewhere, but LT has skin-care properties. As to what specific properties those are, I have no idea either. I only know that a newspaper covered this in the past."

Cassidy mopped the ground again, and this time, the watery blood was easily cleaned away.

Rayna found the new information interesting. "Cassidy, is it true that the Serekos can be used for skin care?"

"Of course!" Cassidy replied while walking toward the tap to wash the mop. "The PQM in the Serekos can also affect the regrowth of skin cells to a certain extent."

"But you said it was good for skin care just now," Rayna pointed out after mulling over Cassidy's words.

 

Chapter 684 Over Twenty Years

"That's right. PQM can be used for skin regeneration, but only in small surface areas. It can't be used for large surface areas." As Cassidy spoke, she put on her lab coat and gloves before entering the room at the side.

Rayna stared at Cassidy's blurry figure for a while before turning to Curtis. "Did you see the herbs in the front yard just now?”

Herbs?

Curtis lifted his brows as the image of the "herbs" wriggling on the ground resurfaced in his head. "I didn't look at them for long."

"Take a look at them again later." Rayna contemplated it for a while on the couch before continuing, "Maybe I'll be able to get some good herbs from Cassidy for a new skincare product.

Curtis found sense in Rayna's words, but he was not going to let Rayna worry about Glory for now.

Thus, he rejected her by saying, "We'll talk about this again when you get better."

"But we're here right now. I don't know when we'll come here again." Rayna did not want to miss the opportunity. “I want to deal with this at the same time."

"Ask her about it yourself when she comes out later. I don't know what herbs she's drying out in the front yard anyway," Curtis said as he drank from a cup on the coffee table. He noticed that the water seemed sweet.

When Rayna noticed Curtis' stunned expression, she lifted her cup and chuckled. "Didn't you realize that the flowers here bloom better than the ones we usually see?"

At that, Curtis turned to look at the backyard. Even though he could see that the plants were growing brilliantly, he could not tell the difference between them.

Upon hearing nothing from him, Rayna sighed, figuring that he must not know anything about botany.

"If only Jessie and the others were here," she wistfully commented. Jessica was well-versed in plants, after all.

Indeed, Curtis knew little about the plants he did not quite comprehend how plants could be used in skincare products.

"We'll do such things when your eyes recover." After Curtis finished his water, he put the cup back on the coffee table. Then, when he turned back to face Rayna, he froze.

Having not realized anything amiss at all, Rayna pouted. “But I'm worried that we won't be able to do that by then. What do we do then? Let's do this now, okay?"

Frankly, she had the right to make the decision for Glory to come up with a new product. Moreover, working with Cassidy would not be a problem for her if that was what she wanted. However, she did not want Curtis to worry about her, and that was why she was trying to persuade him about the idea.

It was more of a statement than a question to get his opinion.

Nevertheless, when Rayna heard nothing but silence from Curtis, she narrowed her eyes in an attempt to see what expression the man had. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

As she spoke, she lifted her hand to touch her face, but she felt nothing strange about it.

Curtis promptly grabbed her wandering hand and called out for Cassidy. "Cassidy! Cassidy!"

Having heard Curtis' anxious voice, Cassidy immediately came out of the room. When she saw the nervous look on the man's face, her heart leaped to her throat. "What's wrong?"

"Come and take a look at her," Curtis cried out as he held onto Rayna's hand tightly. “Quickly!”

Cassidy strode over and looked in the direction Curtis was looking at. In the next second, Cassidy widened her eyes. She took off her glove and touched Rayna's neck as she asked, "Isabelle, does it hurt?”

Affected by the two other people's anxiety, Rayna tensed up as well. "It doesn't. What are you seeing?"

Cassidy frowned and turned to Curtis. "Come with me."

Then, she said to Rayna, "Don't touch anything."

Hearing that, Rayna lowered her hands and rested them on her kneecaps.

"Look at this first." Cassidy passed a report to Curtis and pointed at some sections.

In a lower voice, she said, "Is there a relationship between Belle's bracelet and this unusual data?”

Cassidy still did not know about the parasite in Rayna's body.

"I was researching in the room earlier, and my research tells me that the bracelet is an item used to suppress the effects of artificially-bred parasites," Cassidy said before handing Curtis a piece of paper. "This is what I just printed out."

Curtis took it, and when he saw the word "parasite” on it, his eyes widened.

"What does this mean?" he asked, pointing at the contents of the paper.

"Exactly what you see," Cassidy calmly answered. She then glimpsed at the oblivious Rayna and went on, "I'm guessing that the person who planted this parasite in Belle knew that she took this in the past."

As she spoke, she flipped the pages of the third document she gave to Curtis. "Whoever that is, they're using Rayna's body as an incubator."

The moment Curtis saw what was on the paper, he turned colorless. "Is there a way to get that thing out of her? Or is there a way we can kill it?"

Cassidy shook her head. "As far as I know, there's no way to do either of that. The only thing we can do is to keep that thing suppressed by making sure it stays asleep and never grows."

"I never thought that the liquid from that grass would still be in her even after so many years," Cassidy continued grimly. "Outsiders know that there are many types of priceless herbs growing on Shvomhid Mountain, but they have no idea there are plenty of things up here that are life-threatening. I really had no idea that the sap from Arachrede could stay inside a human's body for such a long time."

Arachrede was a type of grass that was highly toxic. Those with unblemished skin would have no issue coming into contact with the grass, but those who were injured would certainly get poisoned with its sap, especially those with cuts.

Cassidy cocked her head to the side and mulled about the time frame. It had been around twenty years since then, and she was surprised that the poison from the Arachrede could stay in Rayna's body for such a long time.

There were only two endings for those who were poisoned by Arachrede. They would either die in less than a year, or their metabolism would get rid of the poison.

Nonetheless, the former was more common.

"Then, is Rayna in a good situation or a bad one now?" Curtis slowly tightened his grip on the papers.

"It's hard to come to a conclusion to that." Cassidy pursed her lips and glanced at Curtis. "I'm the only one in my family who still researches rare species of herbs. My peers have mostly pursued different careers. If my grandpa were still around, perhaps he would have been able to handle Belle's case."

 

Chapter 685 Another Fluffy Animal

At that, Cassidy sighed resignedly. "It would be great if you two came two years earlier when Grandpa was still alive."

"Is there anything we can do to ease Rayna's condition now?" Curtis glanced at Rayna. His expression darkened when he saw the layer of skin sloughed off her neck.

"This is just ecdysis. It's not a big problem. That thing has been hibernating in Belle's body for a prolonged time, causing its toxins to be unable to be discharged naturally. Even if it can release its toxins naturally, Belle's body can't expel them from her system. Hence, the toxins will stay in her body and eventually fuse with her blood."

Curtis immediately probed, "What happens after the fusion?"

"Normally, nothing serious will happen from that since that substance isn't particularly harmful to the human body. However, Belle was poisoned by Arachrede years ago, and there are remains of the toxin in her body. She might lose her life if these two toxins merge." As Cassidy spoke, she took off her white coat and continued, "There's a large patch of ecdysis on Belle's neck. I'm guessing that parasite crawled on her neck before and discharged its toxins there.”

"I've seen it crawling on her neck, but I'm not sure if it did what you said." Curtis said softly, sounding a little choked up.

"For now, Belle's condition will not deteriorate severely as long as she has the emerald bracelet." Cassidy turned around and glanced at Curtis before she walked toward Rayna. Then, she placed her

hand on the emerald bracelet Rayna was wearing. After a while, she murmured, “Fortunately, the parasite is sleeping soundly."

Rayna knew Cassidy was referring to the blood parasite and asked, "Is that good or bad news?"

"Of course, it's good news." With that, Cassidy stretched out her arm and flicked Rayna's forehead lightly. If this thing wakes up, it has to deplete all the nutrients in your body to stay alive. At that time, you'll lose your life!

Cassidy sat on the couch across from Rayna after she poured herself a glass of water. "Isabelle, are you sure you don't know how this parasite entered your system?"

Rayna shook her head after mulling it over. "I don't have any memories of it at all."

After she heard that, Cassidy took a deep breath and glanced resignedly at Curtis, who was opposite her.

"Ms. Cassidy." Yasmin's voice sounded from the courtyard. At that, Cassidy turned her gaze to the courtyard and saw Yasmin walking in with a black bag in her hand.

"Ms. Cassidy, someone left this at the entrance." Yasmin placed the bag beside Cassidy. "There's something inside, and it can move."

Cassidy stared at the bag for a long time and was about to reach out to untie it when a squeaking sound suddenly dissuaded her.

"What the hell! What is that?" Cassidy was not afraid of insects but was terrified of fluffy animals. When she heard the sound, she immediately thought it was a rat and leaped onto the couch's armrest out of fear.

On the other hand, Rayna immediately thought of Furry at the hotel when she heard the sound. “Curtis, is it Furry?”

"Furry?" Cassidy's face scrunched up in disgust. Then, she continued, "Is that thing fluffy?"

On the side, Curtis touched the tip of his nose after hearing that and looked at Rayna with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Right," Rayna answered and proceeded to open the bag. She was instantly greeted by the backend of something fluffy.

"It's not Furry." Rayna was surprised to see a fluffy blue animal. Curtis, who was standing at the side, was puzzled as well.

"Don't touch it. Give it to me." Afraid the animal would hurt Rayna, Curtis took the bag from her. Then, he put his hand inside the bag and took the creature out.

"Wow! It's adorable.” Yasmin couldn't help but want to touch the fuzzy creature in Curtis' arms. In response, it snapped at her.

"How fierce!" Yasmin covered her hand. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and retracted her hand in time. Otherwise, she would have a bleeding wound.

"Show me." Rayna stretched out her arm, wanting to take the animal from Curtis but was rejected by him. "It's not Furry. It bites."

"I know. Just bring it closer to me so that I can see it." Then, Rayna pointed at her thighs. "Or you can put it on my thighs.”

Ignoring her words, Curtis held it tightly, facing Rayna.

Now, Rayna could see it. "It looks identical to Furry, but their ears are different." The animal in front of her had tufts of fur on top of its upright ears, whereas the one back at the hotel didn't have it and had floppy ears.

As she spoke, she moved to touch it but was stopped by Curtis. To their surprise, the fluffy animal licked Rayna's hand and didn't attack her.

Rayna was overjoyed and patted her lap, gesturing for Curtis to place the creature on it.

Curtis put it down carefully, and it stood on Rayna's lap, rubbing its head against her chest. Then, it sat on her lap and stared at her.

Terrified of anything furry, Cassidy distanced herself by walking over to the entrance. She looked toward the living room. “What is that thing?"

"We don't know its breed either." Rayna looked at Curtis and asked, "Did you find anything on the internet?"

Curtis shook his head in response.

"You mentioned a 'Furry' earlier. Are you raising one of those things?" Cassidy asked Rayna.

"We adopted one yesterday," Rayna said playfully, then picked up the blue fuzzball and looked at it carefully. “It's different from Furry. I think I'll call it Fluffy for now."

Right then, Curtis noticed the animal's gender. "It's a male."

"What about Furry?" Rayna looked at Curtis.

"I didn't pay attention," Curtis replied. He stopped being mindful of the animal as it seemed to enjoy sitting on Rayna's lap.

"Yasmin, did you see who left it here?" Cassidy asked, being the only person out of the four afraid of fluffy animals.

"No, I didn't, but I saw a brown car." Yasmin was unperturbed when she said what she recalled. "It might just be a car passing by. It's hard to say if that driver was the one who sent this thing here."

"Let's check the surveillance footage." With that, Cassidy turned to leave.

Wanting to play with Fluffy, Yasmin walked up to Rayna. However, Fluffy avoided her touch but no longer made a posture like it was ready to attack.

"Do you think Fluffy is a pair with Furry?" A thought suddenly flashed in Rayna's mind.

When Curtis heard that, he turned his attention back to Fluffy. "I don't think so." How can they be a pair when they look different and have different colors?

He thought it was too strange and coincidental for a pair of them to come to him and Rayna.

"I'll go check out the surveillance footage." Curtis went in Cassidy's direction after he told Rayna that.

"Unfortunately, I can't see very well now. Otherwise, I'd take a good look at you." As Rayna spoke, she raised her hand to touch Fluffy's back and came across a protruding area.

 

Chapter 686 The Collaboration

Curious, she brushed Fluffy's fur back. "Look at this, Yasmin. What is this?"

Yasmin leaned over and followed Rayna's fingers to have to look. "It looks like a bulge and seems to have been caused by an injury."

Upon hearing that, Rayna stretched out her hand and touched Fluffy's back lightly. There was no response for the first and second touch. However, Fluffy started squeaking loudly on the third touch.

Furious, Fluffy glared at Rayna and Yasmin with its fur puffed out.

"I'm sorry for hurting you." Rayna touched Fluffy's back gently as she spoke.

Fluffy enjoyed Rayna's touch, and its raised fur gradually smoothed down. Then, it leaned against Rayna's lap and made a snuffling sound from time to time.

Rayna found the noise it made familiar and was sure Fluffy was of the same breed as Furry.

Yasmin took the opportunity to touch Fluffy as it had its eyes closed. "It's so comfortable and soft."

To that, Rayna made a gesture signaling Yasmin to keep it down in case she startled Fluffy.

At the warehouse, Cassidy sat in front of the computer to check today's surveillance footage.

Behind her stood Curtis, who took a quick look at the screen.

"Why is there nothing?" Cassidy checked the footage twice but could not find anyone coming close to the gate. The bag had appeared at the entrance all of a sudden.

"Someone must have hacked it," Curtis suggested.

On the screen at 11:18 a.m., there was a flash in the camera footage. Clearly, it was hacked at that time, although the screen still showed the scene of the gate.

"Look here. Before 11:18 a.m., there is no bag here. It only appears after that. The surveillance footage flickered before it appeared." As Curtis spoke, he took the mouse from Cassidy, slowed down the playback speed of the footage, and watched it frame by frame.

"Look, there's someone here!" The observant Cassidy noticed a figure appearing at the gate before the surveillance footage flickered.

Immediately, Curtis paused the footage and zoomed in on the figure. "It's too blurry. I can't see clearly."

"Here, can you zoom in on this part?" Cassidy pointed to the wrist of the figure on the screen.

Curtis hummed in agreement. Then, he keyed in something to zoom in on the wrist and found the man was wearing emerald rosary beads on his wrist.

Leaning back in the chair, Cassidy gritted her teeth and squeezed out a name. "Fernando!"

"It's him again. It's him again!" Fuming, Cassidy stood up from her chair and rushed out of the warehouse to go to her room.

Curtis stood in the warehouse and continued to watch the surveillance footage. He turned the time back to before his and Rayna's arrival. At around 5:50 a.m., he saw a white van parked at the gate. No one got out of it, even after a long time. Then, at about 9:10 a.m., the van suddenly left.

Soon after that, he and Rayna arrived.

Curtis took a photo of the van's car plate number and sent it to Theodore, who was in UImrich. He texted: Please help me find out the owner of this car plate.

Meanwhile, in UImrich, Theodore, who had just come out of the bathroom, heard the buzzing sound of his phone. Thus, he walked to the coffee table and reached for his phone.

"Who is it?" Jasmine came out of the bathroom and saw Theodore shirtless, looking at his phone. Then, she thought of the buzzing sound she heard.

"It's Curtis." Then, Theodore replied: Sure. After that, he placed his phone back on the coffee table.

"Is something wrong?" Jasmine walked to the dressing table and sat down. As she applied skincare products on her face, she asked, "Where are he and Rayna now? Did they say?"

"They are in Jayfort now." As Theodore spoke, he put down the towel he used to dry his hair on the couch. "The old traditional medicine practitioner they were looking for at Shvomhid Mountain had passed away a few years prior. Later on, someone told them about another person, so Curtis and Rayna went to search for that person."

“Hopefully, everything will go smoothly for them, and they'll return safely soon." After finishing her skincare routine, Jasmine approached Theodore. "Why don't Jeremy, James, and you make a trip to Jayfort? Maybe you three can help them.”

"We'll see after a few days. If they don't return by then, I'll ask Jeremy and James to go. I'll stay behind, just in case." Theodore stretched out his arm to hug Jasmine and touched her waist as his eyes flashed with distress. "You must be exhausted because of Glory these days."

"No, I'm fine. I'm only temporarily managing Glory's matters," Jasmine comforted Theodore.

"I'm sure you're worn out." Theodore's arms remained wrapped around Jasmine's waist as they walked to the couch to sit down. "With there being a problem with Glory's skincare product, the PR department has been working overnight every day, and you had to be interviewed every day. How can you not be exhausted?"

"I'll take it as training." Jasmine smiled. “In fact, I've gained a lot from this experience with Glory this time.”

Theodore raised his eyebrow after hearing that and asked solemnly, "Why do you say so?"

"Sanders Group mainly works on advertising design and isn't well versed in other fields. Now that I'm temporarily managing Glory, I'm thinking maybe Sanders Group can try to expand into different industries." Jasmine leaned in Theodore's arms and continued, "When Rayna returns, I'll find time to talk to her about a collaboration."

"Are you sure?" Theodore lowered his eyes to look at her. "The beauty industry is very different from the advertising design industry, and the risks involved are much higher."

"Well, there are always risks in investment!" Jasmine raised her eyes to look at Theodore. "Don't let the fear of losing keep you from trying. How do you know you won't succeed if you don't try?"

"All right, let's do it since you've already made up your mind." Theodore planted a kiss on Jasmine's forehead as he spoke. "Let's go on a vacation after Rayna and Curtis return."

"Okay." Jasmine bobbed her head.

They had been very busy with work these days.

Jasmine had to be in charge of Sanders Group and Glory simultaneously and was worn out.

On Theodore's side, things were not any better. He spent all day at the research center, contacting hospitals from all over the world in search of an eye expert in case Curtis and Rayna needed it. At the same time, he had to look for the Burke family, hoping they could remove the parasite from Rayna's body.

Meanwhile, in Jayfort.

"What's going on upstairs?" Rayna heard Cassidy's raging voice from the second floor and asked Yasmin, who was beside her, "Is Cassidy speaking in dialect?"

"Yes, she's speaking in dialect. Ms. Cassidy is on the phone with Nando now, and she's scolding him," Yasmin answered as she sat on the couch to play with Fluffy. Facing Fluffy, she said, "So, it was Nando who sent you here!"

 

 

Chapter 687 Trapped

“Who is Nando? Why is Cassidy scolding him?” Rayna asked Yasmin in bafflement.

Yasmin translated the words while eavesdropping on the conversation upstairs. “Ms. Cassidy chided Andy for secretly leaving a fluffy thing outside the door of her house and asking someone to hack into the surveillance cameras in her home.”

A fluffy thing?

The corner of Rayna's lips twitched uncontrollably when she heard that term being used. Then, she was reminded of Cassidy's reaction when she saw Fluffy earlier. It dawned on her that Cassidy was afraid of such hairy animals.

However, she couldn't understand why a girl would fear fluffy animals that much.

Rayna was in disbelief because Cassidy didn't seem like someone who would be afraid of small, hairy creatures since the latter even dared to capture insects.

Sensing Rayna's doubt about how Cassidy would rebuke someone, Yasmin explained, “Ms. Cassidy is really scolding him. Nando is Ms. Cassidy's fiancé. The two were engaged in an arranged childhood marriage since a very long time ago.”

“Arranged childhood marriage?” Rayna chuckled. “Is that still a trend nowadays?”

“We live in a rural village. This place cannot be compared to Ulmrich, the significant city you came from. Arranged childhood marriage is still being practiced here,” Yasmin uttered resignedly.

“Are you engaged in an arranged childhood marriage then, Yasmin?” Rayna looked at Yasmin curiously.

“I'm not.” A forlorn look spread across Yasmin's face as she spoke. “An arranged childhood marriage can only be established if both parties' parents are still alive. I grew up in an orphanage, so that's not possible for me.”

“Oh, I see. I'm sorry.” Rayna didn't expect her casual question to touch Yasmin's sore point.

“That's all right. I'm used to it. Besides, I'm in a good place now, staying with Ms. Cassidy,” Yasmin chirped with a smile, seemingly unfazed. Still, to Rayna, the young lady was just putting up a tough facade for there was nothing she could do about her misfortune.

Rayna waited for Curtis in the living room, but he didn't return even after a long time. “That's weird. Why isn't he back after being gone for so long?”

As she uttered those words, she got up from the couch while holding Fluffy in her arms. She was about to move toward the doorway when someone abruptly opened the door connecting the front and back yard.

“Is Cassidy Gilroy here?” A burly man stepped into the backyard. Trailing behind him were two men with a similar physical build as him.

Yasmin hurriedly went out to check out the situation after hearing the commotion. When she saw those men, she hastily dragged Rayna further into the house. “Come in. Come inside at once.”

Yasmin forcefully pushed Rayna into the living room. Then, Rayna heard the door closing behind her, followed by Yasmin's reminder. “Don't come out.”

After that, Yasmin said to those men inside the courtyard, “Ms. Cassidy went out today.”

At the same time, Cassidy, who was scolding Nando on the phone upstairs, immediately shut her mouth and kept quiet after hearing that man's voice.

Curtis, who was about to exit the warehouse, tactfully stopped in his tracks when he heard the conversation taking place in the backyard.

“She went out?” That man snorted, evidently unconvinced by Yasmin's words. “The rain has been pouring non-stop in the past few days. Why did she go out? Did she go to gather herbs on the mountain? Is she tired of living?”

Yasmin contemplated briefly before saying, “She really went to the mountain. Alpsons thrive in the mountain after rain, and it is considered an expensive herb in developed cities. They can be dried, made into powder, and sold to pharmacies in the cities. One pound of Alpson powder is worth over ten thousand!”

The man standing in the middle of the backyard grimaced after hearing that. “Did she truly go to the mountain?”

“Yes. I'm telling you the truth,” Yasmin reassured him sincerely.

His stance seemed to waver a little, but he remained doubtful. He looked toward the shut door behind

Yasmin and asked, “Who was the person who entered just now?”

“She's a patient who came here to seek treatment,” Yasmin explained.

However, that man appeared to have lost interest in listening to Yasmin after the latter reaffirmed that Cassidy had gone to the mountain. “Which mountain did she go to?”

“She went to Yama Mountain,” Yasmin mentioned a tall herb mountain far from Jayfort. “Ms. Cassidy said the herbs there are of the highest quality and could fetch the best prices.”

Subsequently, that man turned around and walked out of the courtyard while muttering continuously, “I can't believe she went to the mountain to gather herbs during this stormy weather. Did she hurt her head when Fernando injured her?”

Everyone waited for the sound of the door being slammed shut before making a move. Curtis exited the storage room, and Cassidy crept downstairs. “Is he gone?”

“He's gone.” Yasmin turned around to gaze at Cassidy.

“Go outside and take a look,” Cassidy instructed Yasmin to head to the front yard and reconfirm the man's departure.

Yasmin glanced at her helplessly before advancing toward the main entrance at the front yard. She closed and locked the door after seeing the three men leave the place on their electric scooters.

“They left. Come on out,” Yasmin said to the others in the backyard.

Rayna, who was shut inside the living room, knocked on the door. “Curtis, Curtis. Are you there?”

Curtis strode up to the door and noticed it was locked. He turned around to ask for the key from Cassidy, “Where's the key?”

Cassidy glanced at the locked living room door before looking awkwardly at Curtis. “This door... Who closed it?”

At that moment, Yasmin returned from the front yard. When she saw Curtis and Cassidy standing before the door and noticed Cassidy's troubled expression, she approached them in perplexity. “Ms. Cassidy, what's the matter?”

“Yasmin, did you close this door?” Cassidy gazed at Yasmin in astonishment.

“I don't know. I gave the door a light push after leading Ms. Belle into the house.” Yasmin demonstrated to Cassidy and Curtis as she spoke.

Cassidy's face twitched after she finished watching Yasmin's demonstration. “It's locked!”

Curtis and Yasmin stared at her in bafflement and uttered simultaneously, “Use the key to unlock the door.”

“Um...” Cassidy turned to look at Curtis sheepishly before enunciating, “I don't have the key.”

Curtis' face darkened when he heard that. He stepped forward and attempted to open the door by force. “If you don't have the key, hurry up and look for a locksmith!”

Cassidy wiped the sweat off her forehead while elaborating, “My grandpa's friend customized the key, and only one key was made, so it isn't available elsewhere. I accidentally lost the key a week ago. Therefore, I've been keeping this door unlocked for the past few days...”

As she uttered those words, she instinctively backed away from Curtis, fearing he might strangle her to death.

“Since the key is missing, I suppose I can kick down the door, right?” While seeking Cassidy's permission, he had already lifted his foot and booted the door.

Unfortunately, that kick merely resulted in a loud bang without producing any desirable effect.

Curtis was astounded by the door's surprising sturdiness.

He booted the door again but only yielded the same unfruitful outcome.

“Ms. Cassidy, the window. The window should be open,” Yasmin piped up to remind Cassidy and Curtis as she gradually wrapped her mind around the situation.

Hearing that, he stopped kicking the door and asked anxiously, “Where's the window?”

He didn't see any window around when he was with Rayna earlier. Aside from this door, I don't see a window on the first floor of this mansion.

Cassidy immediately regained her senses. “That's right. The window!” She groped around the wall while moving toward the left.

Following behind her, Curtis couldn't help but frown at the sight of her searching the wall blindly with her hands.

Yasmin walked beside him. Noticing the gloomy look on his face, she subconsciously kept a safe distance from him to avoid suffering the impact of his wrath.

 

Chapter 688 Rising Body Temperature

Rayna and Fluffy were locked in the same room together. While she didn't seem to mind being in an enclosed space, Fluffy was clearly uneasy about it.

It started running around the couch and squeaking loudly.

“Fluffy, do you feel unwell?” Rayna walked over to the couch and stretched her hands out. Fluffy immediately leaped into her arms.

Rayna held Fluffy close and immediately noticed that its body felt hotter than before. Alarmed, she asked, “Why are you so warm? Are you running a fever?”

Her voice was gentle even though she knew Fluffy wouldn't answer her question.

“Curtis? Curtis!” Rayna walked to the door and called out Curtis' name.

“I'm here. What's wrong?” Curtis strode over to the door quickly. “Do you feel unwell?”

“I'm fine, but I'm worried about Fluffy. Its body temperature suddenly increased, so it might be running a fever,” Rayna said worriedly.

“Fever?” Curtis frowned. “Are you hugging it now?”

“Yes,” came Rayna's answer.

“Don't hold it. Put it back on the couch.” Curtis was worried that Fluffy might be a carrier of an infectious

disease. If Rayna was infected, or if the blood parasite in her body was affected, the consequences would be disastrous.

“But it doesn't want to be on the couch alone.” Rayna lowered her head to gaze at Fluffy. It looked ill, so she felt bad for it.

“Listen to me, Rayna. Put Fluffy on the couch,” Curtis insisted. He ignored Rayna's words as his only worry was the possibility that Fluffy's condition could affect her health.

At the same time, he hastily made his way to Cassidy, who was still struggling to locate the window even with Yasmin's assistance. “Is there a window or not?”

“Yes,” Cassidy told him without looking up. “It isn't easy to find, though. I didn't find a need for a window, so I sealed the wall up. Over time, the original markings have faded, making it challenging to find the window.”

As she spoke, she slowly tapped various spots on the wall.

“Why did you design a window inside the wall?” Curtis couldn't understand why they did that in the first place.

No one in their right mind would design a window within a wall for their house.

Curtis regarded the wall and realized it looked different from normal houses. However, he couldn't fathom what seemed different.

He took two steps back, squinting his eyes to get a better look at the wall from a distance. His gaze soon settled on a transparent patch in the corner. Hurrying over to Cassidy, he pointed to the spot above her left shoulder and asked, “Is that it?”

Cassidy glanced in the direction he was pointing and squinted her eyes. Indeed, there was a transparent spot there.

She attempted to stretch her arm up, but her legs were too short for her to reach it.

Curtis stood behind her and raised his arm. He was tall enough to easily reach it. “Do I press it?” he asked.

Without waiting for a reply, he pressed on it firmly.

Thinking the window would reveal itself, he was surprised to see a fence emerging from the wall to surround the mansion.

“Uh-oh,” Cassidy said sheepishly as she cast a glance at the iron fence surrounding the mansion. “It seems to be the wrong button. I'm sorry, Curtis, I should have remembered that Grandpa had the designer install this switch.” She gave him an apologetic look, seeing the stern expression on his face.

Curtis placed a palm to his forehead as he glared at Cassidy. “Any other way to get into the house?”

“Let me think over it,” Cassidy mumbled. She walked into the courtyard as her gaze fell on the roof. “I remember there's a way to enter the house through the roof.”

Curtis' expression merely turned colder. “Ms. Cassidy, Rayna is still stuck inside. If we head in, can we

get out?”

He was speechless at the idea Cassidy just came up with.

“Oh, you're right.” Cassidy realized he was right. She quickly made her way down the corridor and reached through the iron fence, feeling along the wall. “So we need to find the switch to open the window.”

Inside the house, Fluffy's temperature kept climbing at an alarming rate. Hugging it, Rayna felt as if it were a ball of fire. Eventually, she felt a sharp pain in her wrist.

After placing Fluffy on the couch, Rayna rolled up her sleeve and pushed the emerald bracelet up to see the red spot on her wrist turning dark. She could feel something wriggling beneath the spot, causing a piercing pain as if something was nibbling at her skin.

Rayna's body gave way, and she crumpled onto the couch, clutching her wrist in pain. Her eyes were fixed on the door as she tried to form words, but no sound escaped her mouth.

Gradually, the intense agony expanded across her limb. Rayna gazed at her arm and observed the writhing creature under her skin. It was as clear as day.

Jovan stepped out of Isaac's office at the presidential palace in Yartran and saw Sheena in the hallway, dressed in a smart business suit. He glanced at her briefly before continuing on his way.

He had barely taken two steps when the files in his hands slipped from his hands and clattered to the ground. Feeling weak and helpless, he grasped at the wall for support.

Sheena spun around and saw Jovan leaning against the wall, his face pale and his left wrist tightly clutched against his chest. The commotion that had caught her attention was coming from him.

“What's wrong, Jovan?” Sheena hurried over to him and reached out to hold him. She was surprised to discover that his skin was burning. “A-Are you running a fever?”

Her startled voice caught the attention of the security guards and Isaac, who was working inside his office.

“What happened?” Isaac strode to the door and saw Sheena holding a pale Jovan. He waved his hand to summon a subordinate. “Hurry, send him to the hospital.”

Hearing that, Jovan clutched Sheena's hand and said, “Go get Ghislain. I don't need to go to the hospital.”

“Ghislain?” Sheena gave Jovan a baffled look. She couldn't understand why he would refuse to go to the hospital.

Isaac shot Jovan a dark look before dismissing his subordinates with a wave. He then told his assistant, “Go get Ghislain.”

Hearing that, Sheena turned to Isaac in surprise. “Mr. Eastbridge?”

“Ghislain is skilled in medicine, so having him here is the same as sending Jo to the hospital.” Isaac's voice was solemn. “We can't risk someone creating a big commotion over Jo's hospital visit. Please accompany Jo back so he can rest.”

Sheena nodded and helped Jovan back to his office with the help of Isaac's assistant.

There was a suite inside the office, complete with a bed. Jovan sank into the bed as he watched Sheena pour him a glass of water. His eyes held a mixture of emotions.

“Here, have some water.” Sheena offered him a glass of water.

Jovan took the glass from her. “Thanks.”

Sheena got a chair and sat down next to the bed. “What happened to you?”

She had never witnessed Jovan in such a weak and pale state. Even Isaac, who was usually calm, wore a stern look back then. When Ghislain's name was brought up, Sheena had noticed a threatening gleam in Isaac's eyes.

 

 

Chapter 689 Haste Makes Waste

Everyone in Yartran knew that Isaac was a mild-mannered man.

Nevertheless, Sheena was pretty sure she saw a vicious look in his eyes earlier.

Hearing that, Jovan tightened his grip on the glass before explaining, “I've overworked myself. Perhaps I haven't been getting enough rest recently.”

He took a sip of the water and placed the glass on the bedside cabinet.

Sheena placed her hand on Jovan's forehead, noticing that while his temperature had decreased, it was still above the normal range.

Five minutes later, Remi Veil, Isaac's assistant, came in with Ghislain. “Mr. Jovan.”

“Sheena, you should get back to work.” Jovan glanced at Ghislain and added, “Ghislain will take care of me.”

Sheena turned over her shoulder to glance at Jovan. Standing up, she walked past Ghislain and shot him a pointed look.

Seeing that, Remi left the room behind Sheena.

Outside, Sheena spun around and stared at the shut door, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Have you noticed anything strange about Jovan lately?” she asked Remi.

Remi seemed surprised to hear her question. He flashed a smile and answered, “Perhaps Mr. Jovan didn't get to rest well as he is recently busy with work and welcoming guests. Don't worry, Ms. Powell.”

With that, Remi walked out of Jovan's office, with Sheena following closely behind him.

In the suite, Ghislain rolled up Jovan's sleeve carefully. The sight of a black line on Jovan's left arm caused him to furrow his brows slightly.

Jovan asked carefully, “Does the pain mean...”

Ghislain retrieved a black bottle from his medical kit and extracted a droplet of liquid, spreading it across the black line on Jovan's arm. It disappeared in a flash.

“It might've been agitated.” Ghislain kept the bottle and explained calmly, “There are two of them, so if anything happens to one, the other will respond. This is a normal reaction.”

“When will it end?” A malicious glint appeared in his cerulean blue eyes.

“Haste makes waste,” Ghislain replied calmly. He retrieved another bottle of medication and handed it to Jovan. “You may experience this again in the next few days. This should provide some relief.”

Jovan took the bottle and glanced at it. “How are things going there?”

“Everything is going according to plan,” Ghislain revealed. He pulled something out of his pocket and gave it to Jovan. “This is the listening device.”

Jovan took the listening device and switched it on. After inserting it into his ear, he could immediately hear faint noises coming from it.

“I found it!” Cassidy squatted down and finally found a plank through the iron fence. She gave it a hard push but failed to budge it.

“I'll handle it,” Curtis said as he approached her. He extended his arm through the iron fence and pushed. The fence promptly retracted.

One part of the white wall rotated and revealed the window hidden within.

The window was secured with a biometric eye scanner lock, which Cassidy unlocked with her eye, allowing them to enter the house.

The room they stepped into was the one where Cassidy prepared her reports. It was full of medical equipment.

Curtis strode out of the room and headed to the living room. “Rayna? Rayna! Wake up!”

Rayna lay on the couch, pale and unconscious.

Cassidy came after him. Her eyes widened when she noticed the black line on Rayna's wrist.

“What happened to her?” Curtis asked, for he had also spotted the black line.

“The parasite must've woken up. After waking up from a deep sleep, it will excrete the toxin from its body,” Cassidy explained solemnly.

“How do we get rid of it?” Curtis cradled an unconscious Rayna anxiously. “You know how to do it, right? Say something!”

“I specialize in herbs, not parasites.” Cassidy gave him an exasperated look. “We need to find someone who specializes in parasites to help Belle.”

“The Burke family?” Curtis asked.

“It doesn't have to be them, as it's hard to find the Burke family,” Cassidy said, approaching to check Rayna's pulse and eyes. “The parasite only stirred briefly and hasn't fully awakened yet.”

Cassidy then went to the equipment room to retrieve her acupuncture kit.

“What are you doing?” Curtis inquired.

“Purging the toxin,” Cassidy explained. She retrieved two needles and punctured the end of the black line on Rayna's wrist, then inserted needles into each of her fingers.

“Ow!” Rayna moaned despite her unconscious state.

“Hold her hand. Don't let her move,” Cassidy reminded.

Hearing that, Curtis held Rayna's hands to stop her from moving. “Rayna, hang on. It will be over soon.”

“The ten fingers are connected to the heart, so it is natural for her to feel pain,” Cassidy revealed. She

grabbed Rayna's fingers and squeezed them hard to allow the black blood to flow out of the wounds. She only stopped when the blood was red again.

Curtis saw a puddle of black blood that smelled pungent on the white tiles.

“Why does the blood smell different?” he asked after observing Rayna, who was lying in his arms.

“That is the blood parasite's blood, not Rayna's.” Cassidy took a tube of ointment from her medical kit and spread it over Rayna's fingers. “If that thing stays in her body for too long, it might merge with her blood and affect her nerve system. I don't know what will happen to her once that happens.”

After saying that, Cassidy got up from the couch. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her as she shot Fluffy a thoughtful gaze.

Yasmin was patting Fluffy. She had also heard some of Cassidy's words. “Ms. Cassidy, Nando told me that blood parasites come in pairs, and they influence each other.”

“Yes, they come in pairs,” Cassidy replied as she packed up her needles. Suddenly, a thought struck her as she turned over her shoulder to look at Curtis. “You said Belle was involved in a car accident previously, right?”

“Yes.” Curtis nodded.

“What happened next?” Cassidy urged. “What else happened besides the car accident?”

Curtis answered grimly, “At the hospital, Rayna was kidnapped when she was still in a coma.”

“Where was she taken?” Cassidy questioned.

“Yartran,” Curtis replied truthfully.

“Yartran?” Cassidy glanced at Rayna before bending down to swipe her hair from her shoulders and check her nape. “Yasmin, bring me my torchlight.”

“Which one?” Yasmin asked.

“The ocean blue one,” Cassidy responded. She then unbuttoned Rayna's collar and checked her shoulders carefully.

“Eh? Where is it? Why is it not here?” Cassidy couldn't find any scars on Rayna's body.

“What are you looking for?” Curtis was baffled.

“The spot where the parasite was inserted. There should be a scar,” Cassidy explained. Yasmin soon trotted over with the torchlight. “Here you go, Ms. Cassidy.”

Cassidy took the torchlight from her and switched it on. “Lay Belle down on the couch and unbutton her clothes.”

Curtis laid Rayna on the couch and unbuttoned her shirt as told to reveal her innerwear.

 

 

Chapter 690 The Legend Of The Blood Parasite

Cassidy approached Rayna and used a torchlight to inspect her whole body. In the end, she noticed a small scar on her right wrist and mumbled in disbelief, “It's on her right hand.”

Curtis traced Cassidy's gaze and noticed the small scar on Rayna's right hand as well. A dark glint flickered across Curtis' eyes as he queried, “How did this happen? Why isn't it noticeable under normal circumstances?”

“Because someone concealed it using a special medicine.” Cassidy drew a deep breath and buttoned Rayna's shirt. “Blood parasites come in pairs. This could only mean that the other one is already implanted in another person.”

The image of the man who abducted Rayna popped into Curtis' mind right then.

“What exactly is the purpose of cultivating blood parasites?” For some reason, Curtis couldn't shake off the strong sense of unease in his heart.

“Actually, there is not much to gain from cultivating blood parasites other than the fact that the toxic secreted can be distilled and used as medicine. Then again, there is also the concern of the suitable use of the medicine,” Cassidy explained. She poured herself a glass of water and sat on the couch opposite Curtis. “But, I also remember another legend about this practice.”

She paused for a moment and eyed Curtis carefully. “Could you tell me how you met Belle?”

Curtis fastened the last button on Rayna's shirt before turning to shoot a sharp look at Cassidy. “What do you want to know?”

“Nothing. I'm just asking,” Cassidy replied. Then, she casually took a sip of her coffee as she eyed Curtis curiously.

“It was an accident,” Curtis replied tersely.

Cassidy quirked her brow and said, “It's fine if you don't wish to divulge further. However, are you sure you want to know more about cultivating a blood parasite?”

She turned to gesture at Yasmin and said, “Go and fetch the bowl of nuts in the living room.”

Yasmin hummed in acknowledgment and hurried over to the courtyard.

After Yasmin was gone, Curtis nodded.

Cassidy took a deep breath and scanned the inner courtyard before parting her lips to mutter, “I heard about this legend from my great-grandfather. They say that if two blood parasites are implanted into two different individuals, especially a man and a woman, the cultivator of the blood parasite will dominate over the other and can subjugate the other to fall in love with the cultivator.”

Cassidy's explanation was clear and concise. She cast an inquisitive glance at Curtis and asked, “Do you have anything you'd like to say?”

Curtis lowered his gaze to the woman in his embrace before saying, “So the person who implanted the blood parasite in Rayna is hoping that, one day, Rayna will fall in love with him?”

“According to the legend, yes.” Cassidy nodded and added, “However, it is not something that can be done in a day or two. It only takes effect during the mating period of the blood parasite. The catch is, these blood parasites only go into heat once every few years. I don't know for sure just how many years either, as I've never studied them.

“Then again, my great-grandfather told me this legend is not credible either. A few years ago, a study on these blood parasites has shown that they will emit a substance that excites the nervous system, resulting in the release of hormones in the other person,” Cassidy muttered. After she was done talking, Yasmin returned with the bowl of nuts in her hands in an eager manner.

“Personally, I lean more toward the second explanation. Besides, I suspect that the man who implanted the blood parasite in Belle is aware of the Arachrede toxin present in her body.” Cassidy reached out for the nuts and started to peel them. “Arachrede's toxin will usually stimulate the growth of parasites. It acts like some sort of mutating agent. However, I'm not sure if it is also effective on blood parasites.” Cassidy contemplated for a moment before adding, “Well, these are only my speculations. There is no evidence to validate them right now. What I told you earlier is only a legend.”

Curtis had reservations about Cassidy's words. He held Rayna's thin wrist, and his gaze landed on her emerald bracelet. A glint fleeted across his deep-set eyes.

“I think the condition of Belle's eyes is mostly caused by the blood parasite in her body, not any blood clots.” Cassidy noticed the blood test report on the coffee table and said to Curtis, “By the way, a woman cannot wear this emerald bracelet for a prolonged period. It's detrimental to her health as it's too cooling. However, not wearing it may also be problematic as it makes it harder to keep the blood parasite under control.”

“I'm going to take a look at my herbs,” Cassidy said, getting up from the couch. “You don't need to be

so concerned about Belle's eyes. Feel free to stay here for a few days if you guys have the time. I'll try to condition her body with herbs.”

Curtis lifted his gaze to Cassidy and said, “Thank you.”

After Cassidy left, Yasmin merrily hurried over to the couch beside Curtis and patted Fluffy. “It seems like Fluffy's fever has subsided.”

Curtis reached out to feel Fluffy's temperature. Its fever is indeed gone.

Cassidy's voice echoed from the courtyard. “The fever's really gone?”

Yasmin eyed Cassidy, who had returned with an ice pack, and nodded. “Yes. Fluffy's fur is even a little cool to the touch.”

Cassidy stood by the door and threw the ice pack to an empty couch off to the side. “Here, use it on Fluffy. If it runs a fever again, we don't have a pet hospital nearby here. I know a vet, but he's quite far away. Oh, and the vet's also really old, so I'm not sure if he'd be of much help.”

Curtis passed the ice pack to Yasmin and asked Cassidy, “Is it possible to know why Fluffy had a fever?”

“No,” Cassidy immediately snapped. Her face scrunched in disgust. “I hate furry animals!”

Curtis said nothing in response.

“You're afraid of it!” Yasmin pointed out flatly.

Cassidy glared at Yasmin and said, “Shut up!”

Paying no further heed to Yasmin, Cassidy asked, “How about I go upstairs and prepare a room for you and Belle to stay here tonight?”

“Sure,” Curtis replied.

It was already evening when Robin received Curtis' call. As per Curtis' orders, he moved Furry and the luggage from the hotel to Cassidy's place.

“Hello, I'm Mr. Faymon's assistant.” Yasmin refused to let Robin in. Hence, he could only explain himself to Cassidy through the door.

Cassidy came over and noticed the luggage in Robin's hands. “Yasmin, let him in.”

As Robin carried the luggage into the house, he couldn't help but look around the courtyard full of flowers and plants. Curtis walked out of the inner courtyard when he was about to ask something and said, “Ah, you're here. Bring the luggage over.”

Curtis turned back around to head inside afterward.

Yasmin walked over to Cassidy, her voice soft and curious. “Ms. Cassidy, that man called Mr. Faymon seems to be quite rich.”

Cassidy spat out the nuts in her mouth and lowered her head to look at Yasmin. “Why? Do you want to

find someone rich like him?”

Yasmin's face tinged pink at Cassidy's question.

Thwack!

Cassidy reached out and flicked the girl's forehead, saying, “You're just a child, not even an adult yet. Why are you already thinking about such things?”