Ch. 691..700
Chapter 691 Sending Yasmin To School
Cassidy gazed thoughtfully at the little girl before her. “Then again, you're growing up fast and can't be clinging to me like this forever. It's time to send you to school.”
Upon hearing that, Yasmin frowned. “I don't want to!”
“That's not up to you,” Cassidy retorted as she finished her packet of nuts and stepped out the door. “I'll talk to Curtis about it. Since he's so rich, we can get him to find you some good schools as our reward for treating Belle.”
Realizing that the woman wasn't joking around, Yasmin followed behind worriedly. “Ms. Cassidy, I don't want to go to school...”
“No way. All kids must have an education,” Cassidy insisted. “Besides, starting school at your age is already considered late. I'd have sent you off earlier if it weren't for the issue with your household registration.”
As it turned out, a successful household registration required a valid ID card and either a parent or older family member acting as the legal guardian. Naturally, Cassidy couldn't complete the registration process because she was neither Yasmin's family nor her appointed guardian. More importantly, she was dirt poor.
After all, the money she earned from selling herbs was only enough to cover both of their daily expenses. There was no way she'd be able to cope with the additional fees if Yasmin were to attend school.
On top of that, Cassidy had to head out frequently to gather herbs, so where would she find the time to take care of Yasmin? Therefore, the best solution would be to entrust the latter to someone reliable who could get her into a school and tend to her needs.
Given that Isabelle's husband, Curtis, is from a wealthy family, I'm sure I can strike a deal with him!
Meanwhile, Rayna had just woken up and found herself lying in bed in the guest room.
When she heard some noises outside, she quickly peered out the window, only to see Curtis and Robin walking into the house.
“Why have you moved all the luggage here?” she asked as she looked at Curtis.
“Well, we're staying here for the time being,” the latter replied before letting Furry out of the cage he was carrying.
Furry jumped excitedly onto the bed as soon as it saw Rayna, which woke the other little creature curled up beside the woman.
Rayna's instinct was to catch Furry and stop it from approaching Fluffy, but alas, she wasn't quick enough.
Robin, on the other hand, was baffled. Hmm... This creature's very similar to Furry except for its fur color and ears. What's it doing here, though? “Why is there another one, Mr. Faymon?”
“Someone gave it to us,” Curtis replied impassively. Speaking of that someone, I have to admit I'm
getting increasingly curious about Fernando Zeller...
Rayna couldn't help but glance at the two creatures about to get into a fight. “How long will we be staying here, then?”
“It depends,” Curtis answered as he calmly placed the cage beside a cabinet.
The purpose of this trip is to cure Rayna's eyes, but if there's an opportunity to get rid of the blood parasite in her body, I won't let it slip away, either. There's no doubt Cassidy knows a lot more than me. That's why I hope she'll be able to cure Rayna completely.
“But we've been away from home for so long. Don't we have to go back at some point?” Rayna muttered. The next second, she waved a hand in front of her eyes, only to realize her vision was getting blurry again.
Needless to say, she was terrified. What if the return of her sight was merely temporary? What if she became blind for good?
“I miss our children,” she whispered.
With that, Curtis turned to look at his wife and caught the sliver of sadness on her face.
“Let's give it a few more days. Once Ms. Cassidy has made some progress, we'll head home for a bit,” he reassured as he unpacked Rayna's clothes and hung them neatly in the wardrobe.
After hearing his promise, Rayna was instantly cheered up.
At that moment, Robin heard footsteps coming from the stairs and popped out of the room to check. Thankfully, it was only Cassidy and Yasmin.
“Hello, Cassidy,” Rayna greeted when she saw the pair through the window.
Cassidy walked to the door and smiled, her gaze alternating between Curtis and Rayna. “Do you mind if I borrow your husband for a few minutes?”
Annoyed by that request, Curtis fixed a cold-eyed stare on the woman as he closed the suitcase and stood up.
To his surprise, Rayna wasn't in the least bit fazed. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it here.”
“Ah, it's no big deal... Not to you guys, anyway. It is, however, important to me,” Cassidy said before pulling Yasmin in front of her. “Could I ask you guys for a favor?”
Rayna and Curtis immediately exchanged perplexed glances. “A favor?”
“Yes, that's right. Yasmin's about seven years old and should've started school a while back. However, I don't have the means to support her education. It's already hard enough to feed both myself and her... That's why I was wondering if you guys could help enroll her in a good school,” Cassidy explained as she quietly observed the couple's expressions.
Alas, her heart began to race when she saw how calm they were. “I can find a way to treat Belle's eye condition and the blood parasite...” Cassidy hastily added while pointing at Rayna's wrist. “If my treatment fails, I promise to rope in the help of my seniors. Otherwise, I can also find someone who knows more about parasites. I swear I'm not lying!”
Rayna glanced at the emerald bracelet on her wrist and turned to Curtis. “I think it's doable.”
Curtis, however, didn't react in any particular way. It's not that I'm unmoved by Cassidy's plea, but wouldn't this transaction lead to a shift in control?
“Fine, but I have one condition,” Curtis finally said as his eyes fell on Yasmin. “If something that's not school-related were to happen to this child—”
“Don't worry about that!” Cassidy interrupted. “All I want is for the kid to receive a proper education. It'd be great if her daily needs could also be taken care of, but I swear you won't have to worry about anything else. I know it's a huge responsibility to look after a child... Please rest assured that I have no intention of blackmailing you guys.”
After a while, Curtis turned to Robin. “Prepare the agreement, Mr. Yeast.”
Afraid that Curtis might go back on his word, Cassidy quickly chimed in, “I have a computer and printer in the house!”
With that, Robin hummed his acknowledgment and left the room with Cassidy.
“I can't believe that kid has yet to go to school,” Rayna muttered as she caressed the still slightly weak Fluffy.
“Back in the day, the Gilroy family was big and powerful. Their decline only began in the last ten years or so,” Curtis explained.
“Huh? How did you know that?”
“I looked it up online,” the man answered without skipping a beat. “It was reported that the Gilroys used to be doctors abroad, except no one knows the exact country they had practiced in.”
Chapter 692 Cats And Dogs
After Curtis deposited his clothes into the wardrobe, he set the two suitcases in the corner.
On the bed, the animals were playing with each other. When he turned around, he saw them occasionally stepping onto Rayna's legs and frowned slightly. “I'm going to send them over to Robin's place tonight.”
The moment he finished speaking, Robin's resigned voice was heard behind him. “Please don't, Mr. Faymon. I'm afraid of them.”
“Afraid?” Curtis lifted his eyebrow. “Aren't you ashamed of being scared of these small animals?”
Before Robin could speak another word, he received a warning look from Curtis and zipped his mouth. Then he handed the agreement he drew up to Curtis. Upon accepting the agreement, Curtis commanded, “Go and check if there are any restaurants around.”
“Are we eating out?” Rayna inquired.
“There is no chef here.” Casually, Curtis put the agreement into the drawer of the bedside table. I doubt Cassidy's a good cook.
Then he turned to Robin. “Also, check if there are any local chefs we can hire to prepare meals for us during our stay here. I want someone who can cook well.”
“Okay, I'll do it right now,” Robin responded before leaving.
Rayna, Curtis, and the two animals were left in the room.
“I thought you would say you've already asked someone to find them.” Rayna grinned.
As Curtis approached the bed, he stared at the animals. “How about we send them to Robin's room now?”
“Later.” In response, she also glimpsed at one of them and caressed the animal's fur. “I don't think it has recovered yet. Shouldn't we bring it to the pet hospital?”
She still hadn't forgotten about Fluffy's high body temperature.
Nonchalantly, he peered at the creatures and said, “There's no need to rush. It's not that hot anymore, probably because of its ability to self-regulate its temperature.”
Rayna touched Fluffy's wet nose; it was similar to the nose of cats and dogs. “I guess so. I heard from others in the past that if the cat's or dog's nose is wet, it means it's healthy.”
Out of nowhere, she recalled she hadn't given the two animals actual names yet, only placeholder names. “How about we give the two of them proper names?” I can't just keep calling them Fluffy and Furry. Those names don't sound nice.
Upon hearing that, Curtis frowned and swept his gaze past the furry creatures.
When she raised her head, she saw him gazing at them, but only vaguely due to her poor eyesight. Thus, she wasn't sure how he was feeling at the moment.
“What's the matter? You don't want to?” She pouted, expressing her dissatisfaction with Curtis.
Staring at Rayna seriously, Curtis questioned, “Are you really ready to keep them?”
“I don't know what species they are, but I don't think it's a problem if we keep them since they're so small. I bet it won't cost much to feed them.” She loved furry creatures like the two in front of her. Ever since she was young, she had always wanted her own pet. However, her circumstances kept preventing her from doing so.
Therefore, she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity, especially when the animals she wanted to adopt belonged to a rare species.
“If you want pets, I can buy a cat or a dog for you after returning to UImrich.” Curtis tried to dissuade her from adopting those animals because, from his perspective, those two creatures were just wild animals.
He would much rather she adopt animals that were specifically bred to be pets.
Additionally, he was concerned about the babies. If they took in those two wild animals and an accident happened, it wouldn't make anyone happy.
Of course, Rayna understood what Curtis meant and what he was worried about. After contemplating her decision, she suggested, “We'll keep them for now. Once we return to UImrich, we can talk about what happens next. We'll come up with some other way to handle this matter if things don't work out in the end.”
Seeing that she had capitulated, he replied, “As you wish, then.”
He didn't want to put her in a bad mood over that matter because he was afraid it would affect her health, especially when her eyesight hadn't recovered yet. “As for names, I'll ask Robin to find out if there are any species similar to these two first. I think it's better if we name them properly after that.”
“Sounds good to me. I guess we'll give them amazing names a little later.” As Rayna spoke, she rubbed Fluffy's chin and teased it.
During the night, the calm skies suddenly turned stormy as lightning crackled.
When the two creatures heard the thunderclaps, they were so frightened that they hid in a corner. Rayna stepped away from the bed and stood in front of the window. Narrowing her eyes at the sky, she saw dark clouds. As she breathed, she could sense the dreariness in the air. “It seems like it's about to rain again soon.”
It was at that moment Curtis entered the room with a water bottle. In response to seeing her standing in front of the window, he advised, “Don't stand there. The wind's pretty strong right now. You'll catch a cold.”
While speaking, he closed the windows slightly.
“Is there someone cooking in the kitchen right now?” She could smell the fragrance of food at the window.
“Mhm. Robin couldn't find any restaurants nearby, so I asked him to hire a skilled local cook. After he negotiated the cook's pay, he brought her here,” Curtis informed while he removed two small bowls
from a bag and poured some cat food into one of them.
Upon seeing the cat food in his hand, Rayna inquired, “I thought there weren't any pet shops nearby?”
“Robin drove over a dozen kilometers to buy them at the city center.” After he set the food bowl down near where the animals were, he placed the other bowl on the ground and filled it with water.
Furry raised its nose and caught the scent of food in the air. Upon glancing at the humans, it timidly approached the food bowl.
Rayna noticed the two creatures kept sniffing. Clearly, they smelled something that grabbed their attention. Thus, she asked curiously, “What cat food did Robin buy for them? Is there meat inside?”
Without delay, Curtis lifted the bag of cat food and read its description. “There are freeze-dried quail meat and eggs inside.”
That sounds like quality cat food. She smiled. “Robin's such a thoughtful guy.”
“He keeps a dog and a cat in his house,” he explained. “I bet he spends half his salary on pet food alone.”
That elicited a chuckle from her. “Why do you sound like you're worried about his money?”
In response, he knitted his eyebrows a little. “I'm not. However, whenever his mother bumped into me, she would complain about how he couldn't find a suitable girlfriend and would ask me to introduce a girl to him.”
“Wow, I can't believe she requested her son's boss to find a partner for her son. I must say, she's quite amusing.” At that point, Rayna was very invested in the story. “What happened next?”
“I asked the secretarial department to introduce someone to him. However, because the woman they found didn't like cats or dogs and even asked Robin to give away his pets, he just left halfway through his date. He didn't even pay for his coffee!” Curtis continued the story in the bathroom as he wanted to wash his hands. “I unintentionally overheard the story when the employees in the secretarial department were chatting about it.”
Chapter 693 High Achiever Cook
“For the next few days after that, whenever Robin spent time with me outside the office, he would carefully observe me and ask if I planned to replace him.” Curtis seldom talked about matters concerning the company or its employees because he disliked gossiping. His retelling of Robin's story was an exception.
He turned to Rayna and resumed, “That's why I said we should let Robin take care of them because he has relevant experience and because he likes them.”
“He likes them?” That confounded her a little. “But didn't he say he's afraid of them in the hotel earlier? I don't think sending them to his place is a good idea.” I'll feel bad if we do it without gaining his permission.
“That's because these are wild animals. They're different from domestic ones. He'll come around to like them after taking care of them for a few days,” assured Curtis.
Robin, who was busy starting a fire in the kitchen downstairs, suddenly sneezed.
“In that case, I guess we'll let him take care of them. It's not easy for me to do it anyway with my poor eyesight.” As Rayna spoke, she turned to the furry creatures and saw them still eating the cat food. “They seem to like the food. At the very least, they aren't picky about it.”
Upon turning to the animals, Curtis saw them enjoying themselves in the corner. However, when his line of sight landed on the untouched cat food in the bowl, the edges of his mouth twitched.
The freeze-dried bits on top of the cat food had all been eaten by the two animals. Thinking there would be more inside the bowl, the animals used their noses to shove the cat food away. Even after the cat food was scattered all over the floor, they still didn't see another freeze-dried bit of meat.
“It seems like... they are a little picky.” After staring at the cat food on the floor, she carefully peered at Curtis and saw a scowl on his countenance.
Fearing he would become so enraged that he would toss the animals out of the building, she grabbed his arm and said, “Let's head downstairs. I want to see what's for dinner.”
“Mhm.” He put his arm around Rayna and left, leaving the animals inside the bedroom.
Inside the kitchen, Yasmin kept circling the hired cook and staring at the food on the stove while gulping.
Cassidy stood at the kitchen entrance and watched the girl move around. With her arms crossed, she grumbled, “She's really just working for anyone willing to pay her, huh?”
The cook Robin hired was the daughter-in-law of a local family. Supposedly, she didn't have time to work a full-time job because she was busy caring for her baby. Therefore, when she heard Robin was recruiting a cook, she immediately recommended herself.
Preparing meals in the Gilroy residence allowed her to earn some income. After serving a meal, she could just return home and continue caring for her child without issues.
After Curtis brought Rayna downstairs, he wanted her to wait in the dining room, but she wanted to
look around in the kitchen.
When they arrived at the entrance, they saw Cassidy leaning against the door and enjoying sunflower seeds. Upon hearing their footsteps, Cassidy turned around, glanced at them, approached Rayna, and pulled the latter closer to her.
Curtis frowned after glancing at the empty spot next to him.
“What's the matter?” Confused, Rayna peered at Cassidy, who was acting mysteriously.
“Look at the cook your man hired.” Cassidy visibly shifted her line of sight toward the cook.
Upon doing the same, Rayna saw a slender young woman working in the kitchen. Softly, she remarked, “She looks very young.”
“I know, right?” Cassidy pouted. “She's even a high-achiever.”
In response, Rayna glanced at Curtis and saw him eyeing the cook in the kitchen.
Seconds later, she looked away and inquired, “Unmarried?”
“No. She's married, and her child's a year old. She usually takes care of her kid in her house,” Cassidy disclosed as she tossed the sunflower seed shells into the nearby trashcan.
“Ah.” Rayna nodded. “Is she a local?”
“Her in-laws are locals. She's from the city.” Then Cassidy whispered, “Keep a close eye on your man.”
Rayna furrowed her eyebrows slightly and smirked. “I don't need to.”
Recognizing that Rayna didn't believe her, Cassidy tactfully left one last reminder for the former. “I trust my gut.”
Then she left.
Still standing in the same spot, Rayna noticed Curtis seemed interested in what was going on in the kitchen. Instead of disturbing him, she returned to the living room.
Upon arriving at her destination, she saw the animals coming out from the corner of the stairs. “Why are you two here?”
As she bent down, Furry darted toward her.
She then carried it to the couch and sat.
Fluffy followed her and lay next to her on the furniture.
When Rayna touched Furry's stomach, she realized it was bulging. It was the same for Fluffy. “You two ate a lot, huh?”
Meanwhile, Curtis had just realized Rayna was gone.
Thus, he entered the living room and asked, “Why did you leave?”
“I was getting tired of standing,” Rayna answered without lifting her eyes away from the animals she was playing with.
I can tell she's angry, but why? Just as he was about to ask her, the gates were slammed open.
“Cassidy!” A furious white-haired man burst into the residence.
“Someone's here?” She grabbed Furry and was ready to stand up.
“Wait here. I'll check out the situation.” Without delay, Curtis strode toward the entrance and saw a few middle-aged men standing in the courtyard. Their leader was a well-built old man with white hair.
Yasmin, who also heard the noise, approached the commotion. However, she was instantly spooked by the sight of the people in the courtyard and hid in the living room.
Cassidy, who was handling medicinal herbs in the warehouse, ambled toward the source of the commotion when she heard someone yelling her name. Upon seeing the old man, she frowned. “Why are you here, Old Mr. Rodriguez? Looking all angry, too.”
Coldly, she swept her gaze past the others in the courtyard and spat, “I have guests right now! Please visit another day if you have an issue to settle with me.”
“Where did you trick Stanford to?” A woman's voice rang out. Then, the men made way for the voice's owner to step into the courtyard, who was a woman in traditional clothing with a ponytail, big eyes, and thick eyebrows. She was staring at Cassidy with tears in her eyes.
“Stanford?” Cassidy frowned and thought about it. Wait, I remember Yasmin telling Stanford I went to
Mount Moyan. It can't be... “He's not at home?”
“Obviously! Why would we come here if he's home?” One of the middle-aged men glared at Cassidy while the woman stared at her pitifully. The woman said, “He still hasn't come back yet.”
“If he's not back, then call him.” Cassidy intensely disliked the woman in front of her. Why does she always look so aggrieved? She makes me look like I bullied her.
Chapter 694 Hellfire Bird
“I did, but the call wouldn't connect,” the woman choked out. “The weather report said a storm's about to arrive. Did he go to the mountain to find you?”
Upon hearing that, Cassidy felt her face flush slightly. I didn't think he would take Yasmin's words seriously!
“I don't know. Although, since you lot can't find him, you should call the police.” Then she turned around, ready to return to the warehouse to grab something.
“Do you have any shame at all, Cassidy?” Another woman, visibly older than the first, clamored, “Stanford's already engaged to Angela, yet you keep trying to seduce him!”
In response, Cassidy gazed at the people in the courtyard coldly. “Please do not speak nonsense like that, Ms. Banner. You say I'm the one who seduced him, but have you ever considered that he's the one who comes over here every day to harass me?”
“If you hadn't seduced him, he wouldn't have ignored Angela and kept visiting you! You're just like your dead mother, seducing men all the time merely because you're a little skilled at treating people's ailments!” Emily Banner completely ignored what Cassidy said and continued, “Everyone in this area knows your mother married your father after she got pregnant! Before she even met his parents or got engaged, she slept with him!”
If looks could kill, Cassidy's cold scowl would've slain Emily.
“I dare you to say that again!” She stomped toward Angela Palmer and Emily before barking frigidly, “Believe it or not, I can kill that stupid son of yours without even stepping foot onto the mountain!”
In response, Emily raised her head. It was pretty obvious she doubted Cassidy's words. “If you're that powerful, your family wouldn't have fallen from grace.”
“Well, since you don't believe me, I'll give you a demonstration.” The moment Cassidy ended her sentence, she blew the whistle around her neck.
Due to Cassidy's whistling, the stormy weather appeared significantly eerier.
As Curtis stood at the entrance, he shifted his sight toward the black skies and saw a cloud of unknown birds flocking toward the courtyard before circling above it.
“What kind of bird is that?” Rayna asked.
“They look like bald eagles, but not really? They seem to resemble crows a little.”
“Those are hellfire birds.” Yasmin cowered in the corner while hugging her head. “In this place, whenever hellfire birds appear, it means someone's about to die!”
Rayna and Curtis were slightly taken aback when they heard that.
“Stop blowing it!” Angela's attempt at snatching Cassidy's whistle was foiled when the latter sidestepped her. Right as the middle-aged men were about to approach Cassidy, they all heard a familiar voice coming from the outside. “I found the Alpson, Cassidy! I found it!”
Promptly, everyone shifted their attention toward the entrance and saw a man covered in mud trudging into the courtyard with something in his hand. That something was a plant with a flower bud at the top.
Cassidy was slightly stunned upon seeing the plant.
As he spoke, he arrived in front of her. “I even pulled its roots out so you can cultivate them instead of looking for more on the mountain in the future.”
The man happily handed the Alpson to her, but she slapped it away.
After staring at the herb that dropped to the ground, Stanford Rodriguez confusedly turned to Cassidy. “What are you doing, Cassidy?”
“Don't you dare go overboard, Cassidy Gilroy!” Emily strutted toward Cassidy with the intention of confronting the younger woman upon witnessing that scene. To her surprise, Cassidy just shoved her away.
Losing her balance, Emily stumbled to the ground. Hastily, Stanford helped his mother up and stared at Cassidy with dissatisfaction. “What are you doing!”
Without delay, Cassidy grabbed his wrist, pinned it to a nearby pillar, and slashed the back of his hand with a knife that was hanging on a wall next to her.
“Stanford!” Angela yelled. Just as she was about to approach him, she was stunned to see black blood flowing out of his wound.
“That's not Alpson. It's Dita.” Calmly, Cassidy shifted her attention to his gloved left hand. “You're lucky that only one of your hands is ungloved. If both were infected with Dita's sap, you'd be dead on your way back home.”
“Dita!” The people in the courtyard exclaimed before distancing themselves further away from the plant. Someone even left the courtyard entirely.
“You should be thankful that this is only a bud. If it were blooming, you'd be knocking on Hades' doors the moment you touched its petals.” Cassidy squeezed almost all the black blood out of Stanford's hand before letting him go. “Wait here.”
Without delay, she grabbed a ceramic bottle of medicine from the warehouse. “Give me your hand.”
As he did what she asked, he gazed intently at her with a touch of joy in his eyes.
She popped the bottle open and warned, “It'll be painful.”
“I'm a big man. I can handle a little pain,” he assured smugly. “Do it.”
As the edges of her mouth curved upward imperceptibly, she directly poured the bottle's content onto his wound.
Stanford proceeded to shriek so loudly that even the birds on the mountain were startled.
Inside the house, Curtis covered Rayna's ears, but he couldn't block Stanford's voice out entirely.
“I bet Cassidy did it on purpose.” She chuckled.
“I can tell she's a vindictive person.”
“What, you don't like someone like her?”
“No, because you're the only person I like.” Curtis stared at her as she did the same. “As an outsider, I don't think it's an issue as long as people don't do bad stuff.”
“Mm-hmm. Sure.” Rayna pouted. Just as she turned around, she noticed the cook was serving food on the table. She remarked with amazement, “Wow, I can't believe she's so fast!”
Curtis saw the dishes at the dining table as well and said, “Let's eat.”
Then he pulled Rayna by her hand into the dining room.
“Mr. Faymon, Mrs. Faymon,” the cook greeted upon meeting the couple.
“Mhm,” Rayna replied before patting Curtis' hand. “Call Yasmin over to eat.”
Before he could do that, the girl walked in. “Can we eat now?”
“Yes!” The cook patted Yasmin's head. Then she smiled at the couple. “There are still a few more dishes in the kitchen. I'll bring them out.”
In response, Curtis waved. “Go ahead.”
Rayna then sat at the dining table with him at her side.
Chapter 695 Vampire
“Drink some soup first.” Curtis served a bowl of mushroom soup to Rayna. “It's a bit hot, so be careful.”
Sitting across from the couple, Yasmin halted her process of grabbing food and gazed at them.
“You should eat first. Otherwise, the food's going to turn cold.” Rayna stopped Curtis when he tried putting food on her plate.
“It's fine.” As he spoke, he removed the shell of the shrimp in his hand.
Yasmin glanced at the shrimp in front of Rayna and then at Curtis as though she was thinking about something.
Upon entering the dining room and seeing Yasmin already sitting at the dining table, Cassidy pulled the girl's ear. “Why didn't you tell me dinner was served? You're getting bolder recently, eh?”
“Because I thought you were busy!” Yasmin replied. “Have they left?”
“Yes. What, do you think I'm going to ask them to stay for dinner?” Cassidy sat at the table and gulped as she gazed at the delicious dishes. Speedily, she grabbed a piece of chicken and ate it. “Oh, wow, this is great.”
She proceeded to try a bite of every dish and praised them all.
After surveying the room, Rayna asked, “Where's Robin?”
“He applied for leave. I don't know where he went,” Curtis informed indifferently.
In response, she raised her eyebrow and drank her soup.
Out of nowhere, she thought about the woman who washed Furry back in the hotel. “Was the woman who helped wash Furry earlier a local?”
“Robin was the one who found her. I didn't ask him,” Curtis answered plainly.
Frowning, Rayna questioned, “Don't you care about your subordinate at all? Aren't you worried he may get into an accident? This is a long-distance trip, after all.”
“He's an adult, not a child.” As he spoke, he put some crab meat on her plate and remarked, “There is crab meat on the left side of your plate.”
Cassidy and Yasmin exchanged a look and shrugged resignedly.
Not long after, the cook returned to the dining room, holding a tray with a pretty huge pot sitting on it.
“Be careful; it's hot. Make some space for me, please,” she warned as she approached the couple with the tray.
Promptly, Cassidy stood and grabbed the tray. “Their side of the table is full. Put it on my side. There is plenty of space here.”
The cook didn't immediately let the tray go as she glanced at the cold expression on Cassidy's countenance. “Okay. Be careful, then. It's heavy.”
“This is nothing compared to the baskets I have to carry while gathering medicinal herbs on the mountain.” As Cassidy spoke, she seized the tray and placed the pot, as well as a few other dishes, in the middle of the dining table.
“There aren't any more dishes?” Yasmin asked the cook with a dash of mischief in her eyes.
“Oh, no.” Upon removing her anti-scalding gloves, she looked at them. “If... there's nothing else, I'll be heading home now.”
Curtis was lowering his head and putting more food on Rayna's plate as he dismissed the cook. “Mhm, you can go back now.”
For a moment, Rayna halted her movements and glimpsed at him before resuming her meal.
In response to seeing that, Cassidy and Yasmin exchanged a glance and pouted.
“Since you're familiar with the place, can you hire another cook tomorrow, Cassidy?” Curtis requested as he wiped his fingers clean with a napkin.
That stunned Cassidy slightly. “Me?”
“Aren't you a local?” He then shifted his attention from her to Yasmin. “Or maybe you want to do it instead?”
The girl's eyes glinted. “What's in it for me?”
“You'll get something in return for your efforts.” A warm grin was set on his countenance. “Or you two can work together.”
“Tell us what we're getting first.” Cassidy was enthused as well. “Just to make sure you're not going to scam us.”
“I'll ask Robin to let you two know when he returns.” Upon wrapping up his sentence, Curtis continued dining.
“Jeez, don't keep us in suspense!” Promptly, she turned her attention to Rayna. “Say something, Isabelle!”
Rayna raised her head and disclosed, “I don't know what he's going to give you two.”
Cassidy's hand trembled when she heard that. Without caring about how Curtis would react at all, she exclaimed, “Isabelle!”
“I really don't know. If I knew, I'd tell you.”
“Fine!” Cassidy then stuffed some vegetables from a dish into her mouth and realized it was bitter. “What the h*ll? Why is there bitter gourd in this?”
Hastily, she bolted out of the dining room and spat everything in her mouth into the courtyard's trashcan.
“Holy cr*p! What kind of insane person mixes bitter gourd into a dish like that?” She began using the water from a nearby tap to wash the bitter taste away from her tongue.
The cook exited the living room at just the right time and heard what Cassidy said. “Remember to pay attention to your food while eating.”
In response, Cassidy spewed out the water in her mouth, stood in front of the pond, and snorted coldly at the cook. “B*tch!”
“You!” The cook strode toward Cassidy, intending to argue with the latter. Out of nowhere, her mother- in-law shouted her name from the outside. “Are you inside, Ashley?”
“I am,” Ashley Wayne responded, tidied her long hair, and left the courtyard.
Outside the building, an old woman in plain clothing was carrying a basket. When she saw Ashley, she asked, “Are you done?”
“Yes.” Ashley glanced at the old woman. “Let's go.”
Then she walked ahead of her mother-in-law.
Cassidy stood at the entrance, watching the two women leave while rolling her eyes in disdain. “I thought she was the epitome of wealth and beauty. Turns out she's just an abominable vampire!”
“Who are you talking about, Ms. Cassidy?” Robin asked as he arrived next to her because he didn't see anyone in the direction she was staring at.
His sudden voice startled her. In response, she patted her chest to calm herself down and shouted, “You scared the daylights out of me! Are you a cat or something?”
He rubbed his nose and was ready to enter the courtyard.
“Where did you go? What's this on your shirt?” As Cassidy spoke, she plucked a strand of white fur from his clothes. Upon close inspection, she realized it belonged to a cat. “Did you visit a pet shop?”
Robin grinned while scratching his head.
The edges of her mouth twitched as she let go of the cat fur. “I can smell happy hormones.”
Then she stepped past him and entered the house.
Inside the living room, the two animals were playing with each other. She wasn't paying attention as she ambled in, allowing Furry to leap straight into her embrace from the couch.
“Ah! Get it off of me!” She was rooted to the spot as she stared at Robin. “Take it away from me now! Do it!”
Chapter 696 Tension With The Neighbors
Robin approached Cassidy, an exasperated smile apparent as he plucked Furry, which was clinging to her. “Aren't girls typically fond of furry stuff? How come you're so terrified of them?”
“Who said girls had to like such things?” Cassidy gave him a death glare as she dashed upstairs while muttering, “I have to take a shower right now.”
Robin's lips quirked as he stood with Furry in his arms. He glanced down at it and noticed its belly was bulging. “Have you grown chubbier, or have you simply overate?”
He reached out to touch its stomach and felt a bump on it. “What's this?”
Robin took a seat on the couch and gently felt for the bump. He realized it was mobile and was located underneath Furry's skin, which meant it had been implanted.
“Is it a chip?” He turned on the torchlight function on his phone and shone it on Furry's stomach as he continued examining it. “Certainly seems like it.”
“But chips for animals shouldn't be this big. I can't believe someone would implant such a humungous chip inside something as tiny as you. Imagine how painful it'd be!” Robin ranted as he snapped a shot of Furry's abdomen and sent it to someone along with a message: Please help me verify whether this bump is a chip or not.
He placed Furry on the ground and got to his feet once the message was sent.
“You're back! Did you have fun today?” Rayna had heard Robin's voice from inside the house. Her eyes gleamed with amusement as he walked toward her.
Curtis' eyes twitched as he caught sight of the white fur sticking onto Robin.
Robin rubbed his neck sheepishly. “You jest, Mrs. Faymon.”
Rayna gave Curtis a meaningful look. “It seems like you'll need to prepare a monetary gift soon.”
Robin's face flushed. “You misunderstood, Mrs. Faymon, I was simply lending a helping hand.”
“Right.” Rayna wiped her lips with a napkin and barely concealed the humor on her face. “It'd be great if you managed to find a wife you truly fancy during your trip here. You may inform the matchmaker to make the necessary arrangements. I'm sure your mother would love to hear of it.”
“Mrs. Faymon...” Robin attempted to explain but feared that his efforts were futile. “Mr. Faymon!”
Robin expected his boss to speak on his behalf. Curtis' words, however, dashed his hopes. “She might be a little too young for marriage. It'd be best to wait a year or two, but that doesn't stop you from being engaged beforehand.”
“You guys...” Robin was rendered speechless. His gaze landed on Yasmin.
“Stop looking at me! I'm far too young for that!” Yasmin stared at the sullen Robin innocently.
At that, Rayna choked on the shrimp that she was eating.
Curtis quickly handed a glass of water to her and cast Robin an icy glare. “Get out!”
Robin wisely turned to leave.
Yasmin drank her mushroom soup as she regarded Curtis and Rayna.
A shrill cry shattered the late night silence.
Both Curtis and Rayna were awoken by the miserable wailing.
Several cries sounded in quick succession after that.
“What in the world is going on?” Rayna wondered blearily as Curtis switched on the bedside lamp. She shielded her eyes from the glaring light as her eyes couldn't adapt to the sudden change in brightness.
Yasmin's choked sobs sounded from the corridor. “Ms. Cassidy, Ms. Cassidy.”
Cassidy rose to her feet and opened the door to the room. “What happened?”
“T-The father-in-law of the chef who came today just passed away.” Yasmin sniveled.
“How did you come to know that?” Cassidy frowned as she inquired.
“I heard of it from the streets,” Yasmin explained frantically.
“Oh, I'd forgotten your bedroom is situated right next to the streets and how loud the voices of those old
folks can be!” Cassidy ran her hand through her messy bed hair. “Go back to sleep. It isn't so surprising to hear that someone has passed on.”
“I-I don't w-want to! I-I'm scared!” Yasmin clung to her pillow and gave Cassidy a pitiful look. “Their voices are so loud! I even heard some of them scolding you!”
“Me? Whatever for?” Cassidy grimaced as she couldn't comprehend why she'd become the target of their slander.
“T-They claimed that you caused the death by summoning the hellfire birds!” Yasmin broke into tears.
“Do you believe that?” Cassidy crossed her arms and looked Yasmin down glacially.
“I...” Yasmin's eyes were red. She was at a loss. “My granddad was—”
“Yasmin, how many times do I have to repeat that your grandfather was not abducted by the hellfire birds and was murdered?” Cassidy sighed heavily as she attempted to console the fearful Yasmin.
“Come now. You can come and sleep in my room. I'll go outside and take a look.” With that, she turned to put on a jacket before making her way downstairs.
“Did one of the senior folks pass on?” Rayna had overheard part of Cassidy's conversation with Yasmin.
“Yes,” Curtis responded. He advanced in the direction of the window and took in the busy street. He saw Cassidy opening the door before heading a short distance away.
“Hellfire birds...” Rayna muttered, “Is this type of bird really capable of heralding death?”
Curtis angled his body toward her, a dark look appearing in his eyes. “Perhaps. There are still plenty of mysteries in this world.”
“I doubt it,” Rayna said solemnly. “I believe that it's most likely due to man-made causes.” The same applied to the parasite in her body.
The blood parasite, hellfire birds, Serekos, serendipity grass, and the Burke family seemed to belong to a bygone era.
Rayna couldn't help surmising whether there were people sewing chaos in her life. Nonetheless, she kept her musings to herself.
If that was the case, what was their motivation? Rayna began analyzing the recent happenings.
Curtis lowered his eyes to Rayna's grave expression as she mulled over her thoughts and thought she disagreed with him. “Rayna, Rayna?”
Rayna came to at Curtis' voice. “What's up?”
“I'd like to ask you that myself. Distracted?” Curtis queried lightly.
“You're right.” Rayna answered after a beat, “You should ask Robin to accompany Cassidy. It's dangerous for a girl to head out alone at such an hour. Besides, an elderly had just passed away. I worry for her safety.”
Rayna was filled with a sense of dread as she was reminded of the group of neighbors that had knocked on their doors.
It was evident that Cassidy wasn't on good terms with her neighbors. As such, Rayna wondered how she usually coped with their tense relationships alone.
chapter 697 Unnatural Deaths
Curtis smoothed out the blankets beside Rayna and said, “It's still early. Get some rest. I've arranged for someone to accompany her, so don't worry.”
“Okay.” Rayna nodded before burrowing herself under the sheets.
Curtis left the bed and walked to the open window. He glanced at the street outside and saw a few brightly lit houses in the distance. The sounds of anguished wails drifted from the same direction.
He closed the window and returned to the side of the bed. “I'm heading outside to see what's going on.”
“Okay. Be careful,” replied Rayna.
Curtis grabbed a jacket off the coat rack before leaving the bedroom.
Yasmin, who had been in Cassidy's room, heard footsteps descending the stairs. She jumped off the bed and opened the door. When she saw that Curtis had gone downstairs, she made a beeline for Rayna's room and twisted the doorknob.
Rayna heard someone opening her bedroom door and asked, “Who's there?”
“It's me... Yasmin.” She stood in the doorway with a pillow to her chest and asked timidly, “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” Rayna sat up in her bed and gestured to an empty spot beside her.
Yasmin walked into the room and climbed onto the bed. When she was close enough, Rayna patted the girl and asked, “Can't fall asleep?”
“Mm-hmm. I'm scared,” mumbled the girl. She instinctively leaned into Rayna for comfort.
Then, Yasmin said through sobs, “Ms. Cassidy lured out the hellfire birds in the day, and now someone is dead. They will surely kill Ms. Cassidy over this!”
Rayna was perplexed by the girl's words. “Yasmin, at the end of the day, hellfire birds are just birds. Why are birds revered like legendary beings?”
Yasmin raised her head at Rayna's question and asked, “Don't you believe in the myth, Ms. Belle?”
“Well, I don't fully believe it. We're in a scientific era. I know there are still things that science cannot explain, but I tend to believe in science more. Is there some story behind the hellfire birds?”
The girl began recounting her memories of hellfire birds. “I don't know the whole story, but the people in the village have always said that death is imminent when a hellfire bird appears. This saying has been around for many years. I didn't quite believe it myself until an incident three years ago. Ms. Cassidy and I hiked up the mountains and accidentally disturbed a hellfire bird resting in the forest. The next day, someone in the village died.”
“Perhaps that's nothing more than coincidence.” Rayna was not convinced by her explanation.
Yasmin shook her head in disagreement. “It's not a coincidence. The person who died had claw marks
from a hellfire bird on his body, and it was right across his chest.”
She took Rayna's hand and placed it over her heart. “Hellfire birds kill humans by attacking their hearts.”
“Their hearts?” The more Rayna heard, the more convinced she was that the truth was far from the villagers' myths.
Rayna shared her suspicions with Yasmin. “If a bird attacked a human, why wouldn't the victim defend himself? Or shout for help? How could a bird be so powerful?”
“A hellfire bird only attacks deep in the night when its target is sound asleep,” Yasmin explained. “Some people also said that there are monsters helping the hellfire birds during their attack, which is why the victims would never wake up.”
“What if the person was just drugged?”
Yasmin hugged the pillow tighter and said, “I wouldn't know about that.”
“Doesn't anyone in the village report these mysterious deaths to the police?”
“We've tried, but even the police claim that it was a hellfire bird's doing!” Yasmin sighed in resignation.
Rayna's confusion only grew. “Are the police even qualified to determine the cause of death? What about the medical examiner?”
“What's a medical examiner? Is that like a coroner?” asked Yasmin.
Rayna nodded. “Yes. That's what it means.”
“They've gotten a coroner involved in the past, but even he could not figure out the true cause of death. That's why the villagers are even more certain that it was a hellfire bird's doing.” Yasmin tugged on Rayna's hand insistently.
“I see.” Rayna fell into deep thought. Something still felt off.
She believed someone was using the myth to carry out the murders.
A thought suddenly crossed Rayna's mind. She asked Yasmin, “Oh, right. Do you know who the person who passed away was?”
“I think it was one of the parents-in-law of the chef who came today.” As she spoke, she curled deeper into Rayna's arms.
Rayna sensed her fear and lifted the sheets to let the girl dart inside. Then, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table and handed it to Yasmin. “Help me call my husband.”
Yasmin took the phone and keyed in the string of numbers that Rayna rattled out. The line immediately connected.
Meanwhile, Curtis had just arrived at the well-lit doorway to the yard. He saw Robin standing behind Cassidy. He was about to approach them when his phone began vibrating with an incoming call.
Curtis immediately picked up the phone when he saw that Rayna was calling. “What's wrong?”
“Nothing. Yasmin is in my room now. She just told me some things. I thought they were quite odd.”
“What did she say?” Curtis walked under the shelter of a big tree near the doorway instead of entering the yard.
Rayna explained, “Yasmin said people would mysteriously die whenever hellfire birds appeared. The birds apparently kill their victims by targeting their hearts, and the victims always have the claw marks of a hellfire bird across their chests. That's how the village and the medical examiner came to believe that hellfire birds were responsible for all the unexplained deaths.”
A frown appeared on Curtis' face. “Do you suspect foul play?”
“Yes. Hellfire bird is just the name of a type of bird, yet the local police and medical examiner believe their involvement so readily. Don't you find it strange?” Rayna voiced her doubts to her husband.
She added, “While residents of less-developed areas could buy into such myths, we're talking about death here. If the police don't bother checking for foul play or other factors and instantly point fingers at hellfire birds, are they even doing their jobs right?”
After some thought, Curtis replied gravely, “I'll check it out. Don't be so hung up on the incident, by the way. Even if something's off about the situation, it has nothing to do with us.”
“But Cassidy...” Rayna continued anxiously, “The hellfire birds that appeared this morning were lured out by Cassidy's whistling.”
He retorted, “Cassidy has spent her whole life here. If she wasn't confident, do you think she would try
something so risky?”
She found his explanation logical enough. “You have a point. Why don't you come back with Mr. Yeast and the others, then? Be careful.”
“I will.” Curtis hung up afterward and strode into the yard.
When Robin noticed Curtis coming in, he rushed forward to stop the latter. “Mr. Faymon, don't look in that direction. The victim died in a rather eerie manner.”
“Eerie?” Curtis was intrigued by his assistant's description.
“His eyes are wide open, almost as though he was literally frightened to death.” Robin had ascertained at first glance that the elderly victim had died of unnatural causes.
“Isn't it because of hellfire birds?” Undeterred, Curtis peeped over Robin's shoulder. All he saw was a human shape covered under a white sheet.
“What era are we in? Monsters and ghosts aren't real. Pfft. It's clearly a human's doing.” Robin added disdainfully, “I can't believe everyone in the village fell for that hellfire bird myth. Honestly, it's really weird.”
Chapter 698 Surrounded By Serekos
Heering Robin's words, Curtis pondered for e moment. He welked to the door with Robin. “Go contect Theodore end esk him to send someone to investigete the situetion in Jeyfort, es well es to look into Cessidy's femily situetion.”
“Okey. Is there enything else?” Robin enswered.
After giving it some thought, Curtis edded, “Send e few more bodyguerds who ere knowledgeeble in medicine over.”
“I'll do thet right ewey.” Robin welked to e secluded eree et the side of the roed with his phone.
Curtis stood et the mein gete end looked et the people gethered within the courtyerd. He messeged his temples instinctively when heering the cries coming from within.
Cessidy wes surrounded by people. She swept her icy geze ecross them before lowering her heed to look et the person who wes weeping. “Isn't his deeth music to your eers?”
Heering thet, the person who wes weeping lifted her heed to glere fiercely et Cessidy. “Cessidy, you ought to speek with e conscience. My femily member just died. Do you think thet I wouldn't shed e single teer like you when someone in my femily dies?”
“Come on. I know you very well. You don't heve to put on en ect in front of me. Since he's deed, you ought to bury him since you must respect the deed.” As Cessidy's words fell, she turned to welk out of the crowd.
“Stop right there!” Ashley stood up eggressively end pointed et Cessidy. “Who here doesn't know hellfire birds ere ineuspicious? You purposely lured the hellfire birds out efter getting med et the Rodriguez femily. Everyone here sew it!”
“I don't deny thet. I edmit I did lure the hellfire birds here with my whistle.” Cessidy continued nonchelently, “However, whet does your fether-in-lew's deeth heve to do with me luring out the hellfire birds? Cen e bird the size of e sperrow kill someone?”
“You!” Ashley did not expect Cessidy to speek so bluntly. Cessidy went on, “Ashley, you're e high echiever in school. Are you not eble to estimete how dengerous e bird the size of e sperrow cen be to people?”
“But you lured out e whole bunch of them!” Ashley's mother-in-lew wes still grieving the loss of her husbend. Her bloodshot eyes were fixed on Cessidy when she heerd Cessidy hed lured the hellfire birds out in the deytime.
Cessidy messeged her temples in en ettempt to eese her fetigue. “The hellfire birds move in e group during the deytime, end they only move seperetely et night. Isn't this cleer to everyone? After ell, the hellfire birds heve elreedy resided in this town for severel generetions.”
Hearing Robin's words, Curtis pondered for a moment. He walked to the door with Robin. “Go contact Theodore and ask him to send someone to investigate the situation in Jayfort, as well as to look into Cassidy's family situation.”
“Okay. Is there anything else?” Robin answered.
After giving it some thought, Curtis added, “Send a few more bodyguards who are knowledgeable in
medicine over.”
“I'll do that right away.” Robin walked to a secluded area at the side of the road with his phone.
Curtis stood at the main gate and looked at the people gathered within the courtyard. He massaged his temples instinctively when hearing the cries coming from within.
Cassidy was surrounded by people. She swept her icy gaze across them before lowering her head to look at the person who was weeping. “Isn't his death music to your ears?”
Hearing that, the person who was weeping lifted her head to glare fiercely at Cassidy. “Cassidy, you ought to speak with a conscience. My family member just died. Do you think that I wouldn't shed a single tear like you when someone in my family dies?”
“Come on. I know you very well. You don't have to put on an act in front of me. Since he's dead, you ought to bury him since you must respect the dead.” As Cassidy's words fell, she turned to walk out of the crowd.
“Stop right there!” Ashley stood up aggressively and pointed at Cassidy. “Who here doesn't know hellfire birds are inauspicious? You purposely lured the hellfire birds out after getting mad at the Rodriguez family. Everyone here saw it!”
“I don't deny that. I admit I did lure the hellfire birds here with my whistle.” Cassidy continued nonchalantly, “However, what does your father-in-law's death have to do with me luring out the hellfire birds? Can a bird the size of a sparrow kill someone?”
“You!” Ashley did not expect Cassidy to speak so bluntly. Cassidy went on, “Ashley, you're a high achiever in school. Are you not able to estimate how dangerous a bird the size of a sparrow can be to people?”
“But you lured out a whole bunch of them!” Ashley's mother-in-law was still grieving the loss of her husband. Her bloodshot eyes were fixed on Cassidy when she heard Cassidy had lured the hellfire birds out in the daytime.
Cassidy massaged her temples in an attempt to ease her fatigue. “The hellfire birds move in a group during the daytime, and they only move separately at night. Isn't this clear to everyone? After all, the hellfire birds have already resided in this town for several generations.” After Cassidy's words fell, the crowd could not rebuke her even though they felt that the appearance of the hellfire birds caused the death.
“Shouldn't there be at least a dozen hellfire birds if they want to finish off an adult? Wouldn't you and your mother-in-law have witnessed it if a dozen hellfire birds attacked him? Wouldn't you have called for help? Ashley, don't think you can fool me easily like how you're fooling others. You're only a top student, whereas I'm a postgraduate student,” Cassidy continued, calmly stating her views on this matter.
After she finished speaking, Cassidy pushed a few of the people blocking her away and walked out of the courtyard.
“You're here to watch the show as well?” Cassidy immediately spotted Curtis, who was standing at the side. She was momentarily stunned. “You left Isabelle at home to watch the show alone?”
“I came to take a look since Rayna said she was worried about you going out.” Curtis gave a brief
explanation since he could sense Cassidy's displeasure from her tone. “Let's go back since everything is settled now.”
“Won't there only be Isabelle and Yasmin at home then since you and Mr. Yeast are out?” Cassidy was very anxious as compared to Curtis' calm demeanor.
“What's wrong?” Curtis began feeling anxious when he saw Cassidy had a grim expression.
“What do you think?” Cassidy roared at Curtis. Taking giant strides, she began running in the direction of the Gilroy residence.
“Yasmin, do you hear something coming from the outside?” Rayna stretched out her hand to her side to pat Yasmin, who suddenly fell silent.
Yasmin, who had already drifted off, woke up by her touch. She listened carefully to the noises outside. “Maybe it's the sound of the wind.”
“But it doesn't sound like the wind.” Chills ran down Rayna's spine as she listened to the noise that sounded like something was climbing.
Yasmin listened to the noise coming from outside. Seconds later, her expression changed dramatically. “Oh no! Could the Serekos have gotten out again?”
“Didn't you guys handle the Serekos already? How can they still come out?” Rayna asked in confusion.
“The medicine only keeps the Serekos in a dormant state. However, the current temperature at this time of year isn't suitable for them to lie dormant.” As Yasmin spoke, she got up from the bed. Upon
reaching the window, she lifted the curtains to look out.
“Oh my god! What are we going to do?” When Yasmin saw the sticky fluid stuck on the window, she stiffened. After Cossidy's words fell, the crowd could not rebuke her even though they felt thot the oppeoronce of the hellfire birds coused the deoth.
“Shouldn't there be ot leost o dozen hellfire birds if they wont to finish off on odult? Wouldn't you ond your mother-in-low hove witnessed it if o dozen hellfire birds ottocked him? Wouldn't you hove colled for help? Ashley, don't think you con fool me eosily like how you're fooling others. You're only o top student, whereos I'm o postgroduote student,” Cossidy continued, colmly stoting her views on this motter.
After she finished speoking, Cossidy pushed o few of the people blocking her owoy ond wolked out of the courtyord.
“You're here to wotch the show os well?” Cossidy immediotely spotted Curtis, who wos stonding ot the side. She wos momentorily stunned. “You left Isobelle ot home to wotch the show olone?”
“I come to toke o look since Royno soid she wos worried obout you going out.” Curtis gove o brief explonotion since he could sense Cossidy's displeosure from her tone. “Let's go bock since everything is settled now.”
“Won't there only be Isobelle ond Yosmin ot home then since you ond Mr. Yeost ore out?” Cossidy wos very onxious os compored to Curtis' colm demeonor.
“Whot's wrong?” Curtis begon feeling onxious when he sow Cossidy hod o grim expression.
“Whot do you think?” Cossidy roored ot Curtis. Toking giont strides, she begon running in the direction of the Gilroy residence.
“Yosmin, do you heor something coming from the outside?” Royno stretched out her hond to her side to pot Yosmin, who suddenly fell silent.
Yosmin, who hod olreody drifted off, woke up by her touch. She listened corefully to the noises outside. “Moybe it's the sound of the wind.”
“But it doesn't sound like the wind.” Chills ron down Royno's spine os she listened to the noise thot sounded like something wos climbing.
Yosmin listened to the noise coming from outside. Seconds loter, her expression chonged dromoticolly. “Oh no! Could the Serekos hove gotten out ogoin?”
“Didn't you guys hondle the Serekos olreody? How con they still come out?” Royno osked in confusion.
“The medicine only keeps the Serekos in o dormont stote. However, the current temperoture ot this time of yeor isn't suitoble for them to lie dormont.” As Yosmin spoke, she got up from the bed. Upon reoching the window, she lifted the curtoins to look out.
“Oh my god! Whot ore we going to do?” When Yosmin sow the sticky fluid stuck on the window, she stiffened.
“Is it really those bugs?” Rayna appeared to be in disbelief. She lifted her blanket and wanted to get out of bed. Just as her feet were about to touch the ground, she shrieked at the sight of a huge black
“worm.”
Yasmin saw that the Serekos was climbing into the room from the gap, so she quickly sprinted to the door to grab a nearby newspaper to seal it.
“H-How many of these things are there?” Rayna huddled near the headboard. Clearly, she was not able to deal with those soft creatures.
“I don't know.” Yasmin scanned the surroundings, and she did not see the spare matches that were supposed to be in the room. “Where are the spare matches that were supposed to be here?”
“Matches?” Rayna froze when she heard her. “What matches?”
“The matches that were on the coffee table. There should have been some when you guys moved in. Ms. Cassidy placed them there specifically,” Yasmin explained.
“Are you going to burn it?” Rayna queried softly.
“Serekos can't be burnt to death, but the fire can make them curl up. This will accelerate their energy consumption, allowing it to progress into their dormant state.” As Yasmin spoke, she began looking for the matches under the coffee table.
Shortly after, she found the matches. Yasmin lit a match and set fire to the Serekos.
A crackling sound rang out in the room. It did not take long for the soft-bodied Serekos to curl up into a ball. It even spat out some mucus in an attempt to put out the fire on itself.
Seeing that, Yasmin lit another two matches and surrounded the Serekos with them. Very quickly, the bug that was struggling became lifeless instantly.
“Is it in its dormant state?” Rayna asked, poking her head out. Her clouded vision fell on the puddle of black spots on the ground.
“Yes. That's right.” As Yasmin spoke, she wrapped the Serekos with the paper towel from the side. Just when she stood up to flush the Serekos in the bathroom's toilet, Cassidy's yelling could be heard in the courtyard.
“Fernando, stop being a jerk! Come out, you sh*t! I know you're nearby!” Cassidy yelled under the night sky when she saw that there were Serekos everywhere.
“What the h*ll do you actually want?” Cassidy tiptoed inside. She took out her whip in the corridor while standing on her toes and making her way into the middle of the residence. With one foot on the stone table, she exclaimed, “Fernando, come out! You dare to do such an unethical thing, but you don't dare to show yourself?”
Chapter 699 Reappearance Of Serekos
“Why are there so many all of a sudden?” Standing at the main door, Curtis was stunned by the sight in front of him.
“It's sea salt.” Cassidy gave her finger a sniff after brushing it across the door handle. “It must have been Fernando!”
Cassidy turned on her phone's flashlight and shone it on the house. “These Serekos are new. They're not the ones from my warehouse.” Not only could she see Serekos climbing the walls, but they had also reached the second-floor window and the roof.
“How are we going to get rid of them?” Curtis asked anxiously.
“The best way is to spray a chemical solution on them from a drone, causing them to go into hibernation. Going after them one by one is just too inefficient, especially those that have reached the rooftop.” Right after she explained, Cassidy hopped over the Serekos to enter the warehouse. Soon, she emerged with a massive sprayer and began showering the Serekos with the chemical solution inside.
A short while later, the crawling Serekos curled up and stopped moving.
Just as Curtis skipped over the Serekos in an attempt to enter the building, Cassidy stopped him. “If you go in now and lead them in, you'll just cause a mess inside.”
With that, Cassidy, carrying the sprayer on her back, aimed the nozzle at the door and began covering it with the chemical solution. Once she was done, she remarked, “Wait a while before going in.”
“Will there be any upstairs?” Curtis asked in a deep voice, concerned about Rayna.
“Perhaps, but I don't know. I haven't checked upstairs.” Cassidy pumped the sprayer as she spoke. Once she got the pressure back up, she continued spraying the perimeter wall. “As I can't reach the roof, I would suggest that you don't go up for now. Give Isabelle a call and remind her not to open the windows.”
Curtis was already on the phone before she even finished.
“Are you back?” Inside the bedroom, Rayna was sitting on the bed together with Yasmin. Fearful of the Serekos entering again, neither of them dared to get out of bed.
“We are.” Phone in hand, Curtis asked in a reassuring voice, “Are there any Serekos upstairs?”
“One of them crawled in just now, but Yasmin dealt with it,” Rayna replied softly. “But there are a lot of them outside the window.”
“Don't open the windows,” Curtis warned.
“Mm-hmm,” Rayna hummed in acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, when Robin returned after speaking to Theodore over the phone, the sight of the ground covered with Serekos caused his hair to stand on end.
“What is going on?” Robin was utterly terrified due to his phobia of worm-like creatures.
“Some b*stard has planted Serekos in the yard,” Cassidy explained in annoyance.
“Mr. Yeast, get someone to buy a drone right away. The faster, the better,” Curtis ordered. “Now, go!”
“I'm on it!” Robin quickly returned to his car.
“It will take some time for them to buy the drone from town. You should rest with Yasmin for the time being.” Curtis spoke to Rayna in a comforting tone.
“We can't sleep.” Rayna, too, was fearful of slimy creatures. After one had entered earlier, she didn't dare close her eyes anymore.
“Where are you? In the yard?” Rayna asked.
“Yeah.” Standing at the entrance to the living room, Curtis stared at the Serekos with a grim look in his eyes. He then turned toward Cassidy and asked, “Has the Serekos been planted here before?”
“Never.” Cassidy was gathering the motionless Serekos in a nylon bag. “Besides, I have no idea what Fernando is trying to achieve by doing this.”
“This Fernando you're talking about—aren't you supposed to be close? Why is he targeting you?” Curtis inquired.
“He's just carrying out the orders of his godfather, who is really rich, an important boss, and seems to be doing some kind of scientific research.” After pondering for a moment, Cassidy continued, “Some time ago, Fernando came here on behalf of his godfather to buy some herbs. When I refused to sell
them to him, he burgled my warehouse in the middle of the night. Not only did he steal a sack of herbs, but he also left the Serekos inside.”
“Just because of that?” Curtis remained unconvinced.
“But why does he need to plant the Serekos in my yard the second time?” As Cassidy's emotion got the better of her, she began to rant, “He is increasingly getting on my nerves!”
Turning on the flashlight on his phone, Curtis felt a faint sense of dread as he stared at the motionless Serekos.
He had a hunch that Rayna and him were the targets this time.
While Cassidy spent an hour and a half clearing up the Serekos, Curtis didn't bother to help at all. Instead, he watched her from the living room entrance, spending the entire time in deep thought.
As to what he was contemplating, she didn't bother to ask.
“Now, all that's left are those on the roof and walls.” Cassidy stood in the yard with her hands on her hips. “But I still find it strange how Fernando has managed to get his hands on so many Serekos. When we combed the mountains before, it wasn't easy to find any.”
“Did you just say that Fernando's boss is into scientific research?” Curtis gave Cassidy a fright when he broke his long silence.
“That's right.” Cassidy stroked her own chest to calm herself down. “You're such a weirdo. How can you let a girl like me clear the mess by myself? Instead of helping, you throw such sudden questions at me.
I wonder what Isabelle sees in you.”
Curtis' eyes sparkled briefly, but Cassidy's words soon dampened his mood.
“I remember the first time I met Isabelle. There was a tall man with beautiful eyes who spoke in a gentle tone with her, but I just can't remember his name. Back then, I even thought that Isabelle would marry him.” Cassidy continued with her soliloquy, “That man appeared to come from a rich family, where the children in that family were dressed in suits and ties.”
“Given how far Shvomhid Mountain is from Jayfort, did you go there just to gather herbs?” Curtis asked curiously.
After giving it some thought, Cassidy explained, “That's only one of the reasons.”
It was then that she recalled the question Curtis had just asked. “Anyway, what did you ask me earlier?”
“You mentioned that Fernando's godfather is into scientific research. Do you know which specific field he's involved in?” Curtis asked.
“Not really. I heard someone mention electronics before, but others have said that it was in medical research. I'm not sure which is true,” Cassidy replied in a nonchalant tone.
“Medical research?” Curtis probed further, “Do you know his name? I mean Fernando's godfather.”
“His family name is Zeller; that's all I know. Fernando took on his godfather's surname since he was taken in by the latter.” Cassidy carried the bag of Serekos into the warehouse and tied it up. “Once the
weather improves, I'll soak them in medicinal liquid before drying them.”
“Zeller...” Curtis murmured as a grim look flashed across his eyes.
“Curtis, do you think there's something going on with Mr. Zeller?” Rayna had overheard the entire conversation between Curtis and Cassidy.
When she heard Cassidy mention the man from Shvomhid Mountain, she was worried that Curtis would misunderstand. “Curtis, Curtis...”
Chapter 700 The White Eggs Within Serekos Slime
Snapped out of deep thought by her voice, Curtis put the phone to his ear. “I'm here. What's wrong?”
“Nothing. I heard what you and Cassidy were talking about and was wondering if there's something suspicious about Mr. Zeller.” Rayna leaned back against her bed while leaving her phone on speaker.
“I'll get someone to check.” Thereafter, he turned to Cassidy. “Can I go in now?”
Cassidy nodded. “Yup, remember to close the door behind you.”
With that, Curtis opened the door to the living room. Fortunately, it was still clean inside as the Serekos had yet to enter the house.
Curtis ascended the stairs hurriedly and arrived at a bedroom after passing through a long corridor.
Outside the corridor window, one could still see the Serekos crawling slowly. Curtis then shone his flashlight on them, allowing him to examine them up close for the very first time.
After taking a high-resolution picture of them, he sent it to Theodore and Jeremy with the message: Help me find out about the Serekos' habitat and their medicinal properties.
Upon receiving the picture in the group chat, James, who was still in the Norwal City research center, was instantly jolted to attention.
James: The size of the Serekos doesn't seem right.
Curtis: You know what this is?
James: I do. I've seen them when I was young. My impression of them is that they're similar to caterpillars but smaller in size. The one you showed us is many times bigger, as if it has mutated.
Curtis: Do you have a picture for reference?
James: I do. Bear with me while I turn on the computer. James swiftly returned to the office to do so.
Observing the Serekos crawling across the window, Curtis noticed the slime it left in its trail. Within it were small specks of white.
He subsequently put his phone closer to the window and made a video recording of them. It was then that he noticed the seemingly unknown tiny organism moving.
After watching the video Curtis had shared, James furrowed his brows. James: They're parasitic eggs.
Curtis broke into a frown as he replied: Do you mean they're Serekos eggs?
James: No, Serekos' spawn doesn't look like that. Instead, their young are usually found in dirt, just like cicadas. After replying to Curtis, James typed furiously on his keyboard to bring up a picture of a Serekos on his screen. Subsequently, he sent it to Curtis.
James: This is what an ordinary Serekos looks like.
Curtis opened the picture on his phone and compared it to the Serekos on the window. Curtis: They
have a different color. Yours has a lighter tone. Also, the legs on their abdomen are different too. Yours have two lesser pairs than mine.
James proceeded to compare the two pictures in detail.
James: You're right. They're different. Could someone be experimenting on them? He shared his speculation in the group chat.
Curtis: My thoughts are the same. Anyway, have you checked their medicinal properties yet?
James: Wait a moment. After placing his phone on the desk, James put it on speaker mode to talk to Curtis and began to search for the corresponding information.
Curtis added, “By the way, can you find out what Arachrede poison is?”
“Arachnid poison?” James was puzzled. “Like spiders?”
“It's a kind of plant. The poison it contains is called Arachrede poison. The owner of the Gilroy residence mentioned that your sister was poisoned by it on Shvomhid Mountain before.” Curtis related to James what Cassidy had said verbatim.
“You mean twenty years ago?” James immediately realized what Curtis was talking about. Back then, Shvomhid Mountain was known by a different name.
“Yes,” Curtis affirmed.
“But Rayna never mentioned that she was poisoned there.” James continued to dig up information on
the plant.
Finally, he shared with Curtis what he found. “The poison is carried by the flower thorns belonging to the Arachrede flower.”
When Curtis clicked on the picture of the Arachrede flower, it looked no different from that of a rose. Upon taking a closer look, he could see that thorns densely covered the underside of the flower petals.
“You haven't sent me the medicinal properties of the Serekos yet,” Curtis reminded after going through the information James had forwarded.
“That's the thing that confuses me, I can't find any. Also, why does the Serekos in front of you have such a big head? And what makes you think that it has any medicinal properties?” James asked curiously. “Is it just because a member of the Gilroy family said so?”
“Yes. She did say that it can be used as a medicine, similar to that of caterpillar fungus.” In the midst of his discussion, Curtis went through an introduction about the Serekos. The mention of Element 2 caught his attention immediately.
“What's Element 2?” he asked James.
“Element 2 is something used in electron crystallography, but there are no further details on its actual usage.” James' quick search didn't yield any further details.
“Electron crystallography?” Curtis' brows furrowed as he felt helpless when it came to a field he knew nothing about.
“Anyway, can you find anything on this person called Fernando Zeller?” He then changed the topic to Fernando.
Since the latter planted the Serekos in the Gilroy residence, there must be useful information on him.
“Curtis, there's no record of such a person.” James failed to find anything on Fernando. “However, there's this person called Jamie Zeller.”
“What does it say about him?” Curtis probed further.
“It just says that he's a skincare researcher.” James sent the picture and details of the person to Curtis. “I've also done some digging on Zeller Group just in case there's some connection. However, they're in technological research that focuses on electronics, not skincare.”
“Send everything to me.” Curtis continued to watch the Serekos outside the window. “Can you also check what the eggs contained within the Serekos' slime are?”
“I'll need a physical sample of it. It's hard to tell just by looking.” Just as he spoke, the wary James reminded, “You had better not touch it with your hands. The Serekos slime is harmful to humans.”
“But you need a sample,” Curtis responded calmly.
“Do you still have those kept in the back?” James asked as he narrowed down Curtis' location. “If you do, I'll come with my men to collect them.”
“There's some in the warehouse, but they might be dead,” Curtis answered flatly.
“It's fine as long as they're Serekos.” With that, James sent out a string of code. Someone responded immediately: I'm close to the place. Shall I head over?
James: How long do you need?
The person replied in their black chat window: Half an hour.
James typed in another string of codes and replied: All right. You should go on ahead of me.