Ch. 701..710

chapter 701 Analyzation By Rayna

After talking to James on the phone, Curtis went straight to the bedroom.

Rayna was sitting on the bed inside the bedroom. When she heard the sound of footsteps coming from the corridor, she tightened her grip on the phone.

“Rayna, open the door.” It wasn't until Curtis' voice rang out that she heaved a sigh of relief and placed the phone on the bed. Then, she got out of bed and went to open the bedroom door.

As soon as Curtis walked in and saw the slime on the floor to the left side of the bed, he quickly pulled Rayna toward him and checked her all over. “You didn't touch that thing, did you?”

“No, I didn't.” Rayna shook her head.

Yasmin, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, was not the least bit disturbed by the sound of Curtis talking to Rayna.

Holding Curtis' hand, Rayna saw him glance at the person on the bed and explained, “She's too afraid to sleep alone, so she came to our room.”

“Once Cassidy gets rid of the Serekos in the yard, ask her to take the child back,” Curtis said indifferently. Then, he landed his gaze on the Serekos, which had curled into a ball on the floor. “What's going on here?

“Yasmin burned it with fire. She said using fire will make the Serekos enter dormancy early,” Yasmin explained in a low voice.

Upon hearing that, Curtis let go of Rayna and walked forward. As he bent down and looked at the Serekos that had curled into a ball as hard as a stone, he picked up the branch that Yasmin had used before and gently poked the Serekos. “It's hard.”

“Don't you think it feels very much like a leech?” Rayna walked up to Curtis and said, “When a leech is roasted by fire, it will curl up into a hard mass.”

“Now that you put it that way, I suppose they do have similarities, but only in this particular habit. Look. Their appearances are different. The Serekos doesn't look as ugly as the leech. It at least has a round head. The leech has a pointed head, which makes its head-to-body ratio appear unbalanced.” Curtis put the branch aside as he spoke. Then, he got up and took Rayna's hand before leading her to sit down on the couch at the side.

“I spoke to James on the phone just now.” Curtis proceeded to tell Rayna about the call earlier and also the situation in the yard.

After listening to that, Rayna did not say much but asked, “What's the purpose of Fernando doing this?”

“I don't know. Even Cassidy herself can't figure out why.” Curtis was also puzzled and bewildered by that.

“Do you think there are eggs in the slime secreted by the Serekos outside?” Rayna asked Curtis in a soft voice.

“I think so. James shares my opinion after looking at the photos. It's just that we don't know what kind

of eggs they are,” Curtis explained.

“Do you still remember I told you before that the flowers planted in the yard here are very vibrant in color?” Rayna's eyesight had yet to recover, but she was able to make out the colors of the flowers in the courtyard with exceptional clarity, which was surprising.

“Hmm... I wonder why the Serekos often appear in this courtyard. Moreover, they've never left this courtyard, right?” Rayna meticulously analyzed what Curtis had just told her. She wasn't sure if it was just a hunch, but she somehow felt that there was something wrong with the courtyard, or to be specific, the Gilroy residence.

“Among the wooden brick houses here in Jayfort, a small mansion built separately in the house's courtyard should be a rare occurrence. Did you notice any other mansions that are built separately in someone else's residence for the past two days?” Rayna asked Curtis.

“No. It seems that this is the only mansion here.” Realization dawned upon Curtis after he heard Rayna's question. “Do you have something in mind?”

“It's just my speculation.” Rayna nodded and told Curtis about her assumption. “If Fernando's godfather is really doing research, then is it possible that they know there is something in this courtyard that is capable of making the Serekos transform into something different?”

That was the only possibility. Otherwise, she thought it made no sense for them to sneakily unleash the Serekos into the Gilroy residence twice within two days.

“And how did they release so many Serekos at once? It takes time,” Rayna added, considering Curtis had gone out not long after Cassidy and the rest left, and he was only away for twenty minutes.

It was quite difficult for them to release so many Serekos in twenty minutes without attracting attention.

“This place is located in the countryside. Basically, there are not many people on the streets after midnight,” added Curtis.

“But even if there is no one, there must be a car. Yasmin and I didn't hear any noise that sounded like a car engine the whole time.” Rayna recalled the events before the discovery of the Serekos and was certain that she and Yasmin did not hear anything abnormal.

Now that Rayna put it that way, Curtis also thought things were likely not what Cassidy had perceived. “Maybe the Serekos are already around this house.”

“Well, that's possible. It takes time for the Serekos to crawl all over the yard and also the outer wall. They can't do that in a short time unless they are close in the vicinity.” Rayna sounded assertive. “You should talk to Cassidy later and ask her to look around. Maybe the nest of the Serekos is just around this house. Who knows?”

“You do have a point.” Curtis listened to Rayna's analysis and somehow agreed with her. Still, he couldn't understand how Rayna came up with the idea and asked, “How did this cross your mind?”

“Before you guys came, the Serekos appeared on the window, and that scene looked familiar to me,” Rayna whispered.

Hearing that, Curtis arched an eyebrow. His handsome face showed a hint of curiosity as he asked, “Familiar?”

“Yes, it looked familiar,” Rayna responded gently. “Back when I attended kindergarten, there were many soft, green insects crawling on the walls of the school during summer.”

“Why did such a phenomenon happen?” Curtis was puzzled.

“Our school was built in a forest, which was considered a local unique feature. The school was dilapidated, though. There were only a few teachers, and they were in charge of teaching both kindergarten and elementary school students. I remember we were only offered up to third or fourth grade in elementary school. Students had to go to town to study fifth and sixth grade before entering junior high school.”

“So there were green insects because the school was located in a forest?” Curtis asked.

“It was also because of the crops in the vicinity. Whenever summer arrived, the green insects would infest our school. Some bold boys would catch those green insects to scare the girls,” Rayna said, recollecting her past memories. “Children back then were so pure and innocent. They had no toys to play with, so they had fun catching insects.”

She paused before continuing in a placid tone, “I remember that there used to be a wheat field around the school, and the harvest was plentiful every year. There were also some vegetable fields, and the vegetable leaves were huge! Despite so, they all ended up getting devoured by the green insects, of course.”

“The growth of vegetables and crops are dependent on the land.” Curtis mulled over the connection between the two and said, “But here, the land...”

Rayna pointed out, “It's the garden. There's also a mountain behind here, but I don't understand something. Is Cassidy really unaware that there may be something wrong with the land?”

 

 

Chapter 702 Suspecting The Soil Composition

“The Gilroy family has been a traditional medicine family for generations, so they must have some knowledge of the soil structure and composition. After all, the older generation of people who went up the mountain to collect medicine didn't rely on chance, but on the growing environment of medicinal herbs as the main consideration. Even if they haven't studied it, Cassidy must know something about it from growing up in such a family since childhood. She probably knows what type of soil and conditions are best for growing plants. You mentioned Cassidy said it was made by Fernando right after you came in. If she hadn't mentioned it, we probably wouldn't have thought of it.”

“Are you saying that Cassidy is deliberately steering us in that direction?” Curtis asked solemnly.

“That's highly plausible,” Rayna agreed with a nod.

“Let's put this aside for now and wait until Robin comes back,” Curtis said softly as he pulled Rayna into his arms.

“Mm.” Rayna knew that was the only way. “Is Cassidy downstairs?”

Curtis nodded curtly, his face devoid of expression. “I think she's still dealing with the Serekos.”

“James told me he'll bring someone here. Norwal City is quite far away from here, so I think it'll be noon by the time he arrives.” Rayna joked, “I recall he used to be so passionate about bugs, but it seems like his interests have shifted to something else.”

Curtis glanced at the time on his phone before clicking into the text James sent a while ago. “I think he won't take that long.”

“Why?” Rayna shot him a puzzled look. Before he had a chance to respond, a loud, thunderous rumble reverberated from the street outside, unmistakably belonging to a roaring motorcycle.

“Is someone here?” Yasmin, who was sound asleep, was suddenly jolted awake by the noise. She glanced at Rayna and Curtis on the couch before asking, “Is Ms. Cassidy back?”

“Yes. She's downstairs,” came Rayna's answer.

Curtis released Rayna and slowly rose from the couch. He plodded over to the window and peered outside. Immediately, his attention was drawn to a sleek superbike resting beneath a street lamp.

The rider removed his helmet and placed it on the bike. He took a few moments to make sure the bike was securely locked before coming to the door.

“Is that someone you know?” Rayna questioned.

Curtis' gaze shifted to look at the window. “No, I don't know him.”

There was a slimy trail on the window left by the Serekos. Through the soft light of the outdoor lamp powered by solar energy, he could see something wriggling within the gooey substance.

Curtis had been standing by the window for a long time, showing no signs of moving. Growing curious, Yasmin hopped off the bed, her bare feet padding on the cold floor as she slowly approached him. “What are you looking at? Let me see!”

Hearing that, Curtis stepped aside to give her a better view. He pointed at a corner of the window and asked, “Can you see this?”

Yasmin peered intently at the glass window, squinting as she tried to get a better view of the slimy substance. “I think I see a small worm moving. It looks to be about this long.” She held up her hand to indicate the size of the worm and then added, “It's white.”

As Yasmin could also see it, Curtis finally confirmed that he wasn't imagining things. “Mm,” he agreed with a nod.

Rayna, who was sitting on the couch, frowned at their exchange. Why would there be a worm in the slime?

As she pondered over the question, she asked, “Is it a parasite?”

“A parasite?” Curtis was baffled. He grabbed his phone, turning on the torchlight to shine it on the window. At the same time, a Serekos climbed down the window and slithered across the spot he had shone his light on.

A long and slender worm was crawling out of the Serekos' belly. To be exact, it was squirming out of the Serekos' genital orifice, bringing more slime along with it.

Curtis' expression suddenly grew grim as he remembered that there was another Serekos in the room. He gripped Yasmin's wrist as he asked in a stern tone, “Did anything come out of the Serekos that you burned earlier?”

Yasmin was startled by his sudden action of grasping her wrist. She couldn't help shuddering in fear

before answering cautiously, “I don't know. I wasn't paying attention to that. When the flames touched the Serekos, it curled up and remained that way ever since.”

She slowly turned her gaze toward the side of the bed where the Serekos was at.

“Curtis, don't worry. Whatever worm that might have been in the slime would have been incinerated in the fire,” Rayna explained. “I instructed Yasmin to set fire to the Serekos' slime trail, which led into this room. When you first came in, you should have noticed some black spots along the corridor.”

She immediately understood his concern.

Hearing that, Curtis turned to look at the ground beneath the door. He could see a faint, dark burn mark illuminated by the warm light.

With that, he slowly released his grip on Yasmin's wrist. Looking at her, he noticed her expression of distress and apologized, “I'm sorry for hurting you.”

Yasmin massaged her wrist and pouted unhappily. With her brows furrowed, she harrumphed in annoyance before marching straight to the door and yanking it open to head out without a second thought. She was so upset she didn't even bother to put on her slippers.

Noticing the pair of red slippers by the bed, Curtis retrieved them and said, “I'll bring her slippers to her.”

“Sure!” Rayna nodded as she poured herself a glass of water.

After leaving Curtis and Rayna's bedroom, Yasmin went straight to Cassidy's bedroom.

Curtis was about to make his way to Yasmin's room with the pair of slippers when he suddenly spotted her entering Cassidy's bedroom. A helpless smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he followed after her.

Yasmin didn't care what she stepped on and wanted to hop straight onto the bed. Curtis quickly stopped her. “You walked here barefoot. Are you really sure you want to get into bed after walking around like that? You don't know what you could have stepped on.”

“It's none of your business. It's not like I'm getting into your bed,” Yasmin snapped. “Leave the slippers by the bed.”

She shook him off and was about to climb into bed when Cassidy stopped her. “Yasmin, don't get into bed!”

Yasmin knelt beside the bed and turned to look at Cassidy, who was sweating buckets at the door. “What's wrong? You used to get into bed without washing your feet, too.”

“Look at your feet!” Cassidy chided as she switched on the light before entering her own room.

Cassidy's bedroom was equipped with color-changing lights. The one she switched on was the bright white light, creating a stark contrast to the warm light that glowed in the hallway.

Curtis could barely keep his eyes open from the sudden brightness. He squinted his eyes as he watched Cassidy walk into her bedroom, her face set in a dark expression.

Cassidy reached down to retrieve a tissue from the handle of the couch and walked over to Yasmin to

gently wipe away the slime that was on her feet. “I can't believe you want to get into my bed with slime all over your feet. Have I been too lenient with you lately, Yasmin? Do you not care about keeping yourself clean anymore?”

Yasmin was overwhelmed with fear as she stared at the slime-stained tissue. Her mind instantly flashed back to the moment when she spotted a wriggling worm on the window a while ago. Panic began to set in as she blurted out, “There is a worm in the slime. Will I die?”

Previously, she heard Rayna mention the possibility that the worm might be a parasite. She was immediately filled with apprehension, worrying that the parasite might be able to penetrate her skin and make its way into her body.

“No, you won't die. It's just filthy,” Cassidy responded nonchalantly. She then crumpled the tissue in her hand and tossed it into the trash can.

 

 

Chapter 703 A Competitor

Curtis stayed at the door for some time. He was about to leave when he heard the sound of a motorcycle engine revving outside, followed immediately by a sharp rap on the door.

“Someone is knocking on the door,” Yasmin told Cassidy.

“I heard it.” Cassidy placed the pack of tissue down and spun around to head downstairs. “Why is there so much going on?”

Back in his bedroom, Curtis went to the window immediately to gaze at the road outside.

“Is someone here?” Rayna got up from the couch and walked toward Curtis, reaching out to grasp his arm.

“Yeah.” Curtis wrapped an arm around her waist as he fixed his gaze on the superbike underneath the street lamp.

“Did James send him here?” Rayna guessed the person's identity ahead of Curtis. “I remember James has a friend who loves riding superbikes. That engine roar sounded like a bike.”

Curtis recalled his previous conversation with James and nodded. “I think so.”

Cassidy donned a pair of plastic shoe covers over her shoes before making her way into the courtyard. She unlocked the gate to see a male stranger standing outside. “Who are you?”

“I'm James' friend. My name is Ricardo,” the man introduced himself. He glanced into the courtyard and

asked, “Are Mr. and Mrs. Faymon around?”

“Yes, they are upstairs.” Cassidy stepped aside and gave him a pair of shoe covers. “Put them over your shoes.”

The man took them from her and did as told before entering the courtyard.

As he trailed behind Cassidy, he quietly uttered, “I'm here to collect some samples for research.”

“What samples? What research?” Cassidy whirled around hastily and cast him a wary look.

“It's—” Before the man could explain, he was cut short. “I asked him to come here,” Curtis said as he descended the stairs to stand in the middle of the living room.

Hearing that, Cassidy gave Curtis a look and told the newcomer, “If that's the case, I'll leave you both to it.” She was too exhausted and wanted to head straight to bed.

“Mr. Faymon,” the newcomer greeted Curtis politely.

Curtis scrutinized the man carefully, taking note of his grey hair and his casual attire—a T-shirt and jeans. He seemed almost too young for the situation, making Curtis question his age and wonder if he was of legal age.

“James asked me to come and evaluate the situation for myself. He wanted to get a better look at the thing you sent him a picture of.” The man spoke cautiously as Curtis appeared to be unwilling to disclose any details.

“You must be Vance Zacard, right?” A gentle voice echoed throughout the living room. Curtis turned over his shoulder to see Rayna coming down the stairs. He went over to her and asked, “Why did you come downstairs?”

“I'm fine. I couldn't sleep and decided to join you,” Rayna assured him softly. “I only came down after Cassidy told me the courtyard is clear.”

“Yes, I'm Vance.” The tense young man relaxed when he saw Rayna.

Vance was acquainted with Rayna, having encountered her once while in the company of James.

“I remember that you majored in biology,” Rayna said slowly.

Vance nodded. “Yes. To be specific, biochemistry and cytology.”

“Curtis, bring him upstairs to take a look,” Rayna said as she took Curtis' arm. “Vance's father is a biologist and a professor. I'm sure that James must have asked him to come and lend us his expertise.”

“Okay,” Curtis agreed. He then led Vance upstairs with Rayna.

Vance pulled out his phone in the hallway outside the second-floor sunroom and used the torchlight to get a better look at the window. He noticed the slimy residue left by the Serekos and scrunched up his brow. “Can I open the window?”

“I think so. Be careful,” Curtis reminded him. He then watched as Vance slowly opened the window and carefully extended a long cotton bud to retrieve some slime. The cotton bud was then placed into a

container.

“What does the Serekos look like?” Vance questioned.

“If you wish, I can show it to you.” Cassidy's voice rang out behind them. “It's in the warehouse.”

Sensing the displeasure in her voice, Rayna patted Curtis' shoulder and asked, “Is Cassidy upset?”

Curtis observed Cassidy's expression. “I believe she's just tired.”

Indeed, Cassidy was exhausted. After spending hours trying to clear the Serekos in the middle of the night, she had thought she would finally get to rest. Yet, her plans were dashed when an unknown person suddenly showed up at her house. As the host, she couldn't possibly ignore him.

“Oh, okay,” Vance agreed readily.

Cassidy turned to look at Rayna and Curtis. “Bring Belle back to get some rest. I will take care of the issue concerning the Serekos. By the way, if someone else is coming, please inform me in advance as this is my house.”

With that, she led Vance away.

“Didn't you tell Cassidy that someone will be coming?” Rayna asked.

“I didn't know he'd arrive this soon.” Knowing it was an oversight on his part, Curtis explained, “James didn't tell me he knew someone around here.”

“Mm, you're right. I had no idea he knew someone around here, too.” Rayna bobbed her head in agreement as they made their way back to their bedroom.

Back in Norwal City, Theodore and Jeremy were watching the video sent by Curtis in the group chat as they talked on the phone. “What the heck is this?” Jeremy was confused.

“I don't know. We need to ask Curtis what it is.” Theodore's interest was piqued as he watched the video of the Serekos in his study.

“I think he's asleep at this hour. We'll ask him the next morning. By the way, I think James is on his way to Jayfort with someone. Should we head there too?” Jeremy asked.

“No need. Let's wait and see,” Theodore replied. He then forwarded the video to everyone in the biology research center.

Jeremy got to his feet, holding a cup in his hand. “By the way, a reporter told me that Glory's new product might cause its users to suffer from acne. How are you planning on tackling this problem?” he asked.

“I noticed that Faymon Group and Glory's share prices are dropping these few days. Even Sanders Group has been affected. Did Jasmine mention it to you?” Jeremy wandered over to the window to observe the advertisement on the structure across from him, which was displaying Glory's newest product.

“Yes, but I haven't told Curtis about it,” Theodore revealed with a sigh. “Curtis barely had time to contact me for the past two days, so I assume they must be struggling to resolve Rayna's problem,” he said.

“Oh, by the way, a new enterprise, YL Technologies, has just been founded in Ulmrich,” Jeremy said off-handedly. “I've already done some digging, and it turns out that it's a subsidiary of Zeller Group. The timing of this seems suspiciously coincidental, doesn't it?”

“Technology company? What does it specialize in?” Theodore had been busy in the research center for the past couple of days, so he wasn't as updated as Jeremy.

“Like Glory, it focuses on skincare products,” Jeremy answered as he narrowed his eyes at the LED screen that now displayed another advertisement. “Besides the previous skincare products, is Glory also developing some whitening products?”

“Yes. Rayna has been planning this for some time now, and we are aiming to make a formal announcement to the media at the beginning of next month,” Theodore explained.

“YL Technologies has a whitening product that they will launch next month,” Jeremy told him. He then placed the cup he was holding on the coffee table next to him.

On the other end of the line, Theodore was taken aback. A while later, a grim look crossed his face.

 

Chapter 704 Curtis Grows Suspicious

“Theodore, is this a coincidence or...” Jeremy trailed off, his voice turning low.

“We can't be sure for now. Many companies are involved in making skincare products, after all.” Theodore stood still and pondered the matter before instructing, “Let Curtis know what is going on.”

“Okay!” Jeremy replied with a nod.

After the call ended, Theodore was about to return to the bedroom when Jasmine came over to him. “Why are you up so early?”

Theodore returned to the coffee table to put his phone down. “Curtis sent a text at midnight. I didn't read it in time, so I came here to reply to him.”

“Any progress about Rayna's situation?” Jasmine sat down on the couch and poured herself a glass of water.

“Not for now. However, Curtis discovered something else. Jeremy and I suspect that Rayna's matter might be related to it,” Theodore revealed. After carefully considering the evidence, Theodore concluded that there was more to the story than initially met the eye.

Jasmine said, “We might need to recall most of the product that was just recently launched by Glory.” She sighed out loud. “Rayna isn't here, and I'm afraid to tell her what's going on as it might affect her treatment.”

“Keep this a secret from her for now.” Theodore agreed with her decision. “Curtis and Rayna are in

Jayfort, and their hands are tied. We can solve this problem in a matter of time.”

“I know,” Jasmine replied gently.

She recalled something and added, “By the way, I just received a text from Kristie saying that James is also on his way to Jayfort.”

Theodore gave her a baffled look. “When did he depart?”

“Two hours ago, I think,” Jasmine replied after confirming the time of Kristie's text. “Apparently, Curtis needs his help to research something.”

“Mm.” Theodore nodded. “Curtis sent it to us, too.”

He then showed the video and photo to Jasmine.

Jasmine recoiled as soon as she saw the phone Theodore had handed her. “What on earth is this?” she exclaimed, her nose scrunching up in disgust. She quickly handed it back to Theodore as she had a distaste for soft and squishy things.

“This thing appeared twice in the place where Rayna and Curtis are staying. Curtis said it might also affect the blood parasite within Rayna's body. However, it is merely a suspicion for now,” Theodore explained as he headed to the wine cabinet to pour himself a glass of wine. Before he could do so, Jasmine stopped him. “Do you have a death wish? I can't believe you're drinking this early in the morning!”

Theodore proceeded to pour himself a little wine and turned around to show his glass to Jasmine. “I won't drink much.”

Jasmine frowned slightly but didn't stop him.

Many things had happened recently, so they were all busy, leaving them with little to no time for leisure activities. Therefore, it was understandable that Theodore wanted a drink in order to unwind.

“Don't drink too much,” Jasmine reminded him.

“You should go back to sleep. It's still early,” Theodore told her after glancing at the time.

“Wake me up later. I have a meeting, and I don't want to oversleep,” Jasmine answered. She went over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on tiptoes to give him a tender kiss.

“Okay.” Holding his wineglass in one hand, Theodore wrapped his other hand around her waist and reciprocated her kiss.

Meanwhile, Curtis was leaning against the headboard, his eyes scanning the texts he had received from Theodore and Jeremy. He paused to massage his temple before shifting his gaze to Rayna, who was nestling in his arms.

Placing his phone on the blanket, he started typing a reply: I told James to help me look into a company named Zeller Group. Perhaps Zeller Group is related to the YL Technologies you've mentioned.

Not long after he sent the text, Jeremy's reply arrived: It is a subsidiary of Zeller Group. I dug that

information out last night. However, YL Technologies' CEO is a man called Fernando Zeller.

Curtis: Fernando used to be Cassidy's fiancé, but they seemed to have called their engagement off.

Jeremy: Is that purely a coincidence? Could there be a conspiracy?

Curtis: That might be a possibility, but we don't have evidence. This is just our guess.

Jeremy: Did someone arrange for Cassidy to appear?

Curtis: I don't think so.

Despite disagreeing with Jeremy, he started to grow wary and wondered if Cassidy's appearance was also part of someone's plan.

He suddenly recalled his encounter with Simone and Hamish back at Shvomhid Mountain.

He quickly asked: By the way, anything unusual about Harvey?

This time, it was Theodore who replied: Nothing much. He's busy dealing with some medical experiment to try to dissolve the clot in Rayna's brain.

Theodore asked: How did you find your way to Jayfort, though? Did someone tell you about it?

Curtis: Yes. I met Simone Miles and Hamish Galopin, and Simone introduced me to Cassidy.

Theodore was surprised to read his reply. He asked: How did Simone tell you about Cassidy?

Curtis responded casually: Nothing much. She just provided me with the address. Theodore's reaction seemed strange, prompting him to inquire: Is there something wrong?

Theodore told him: I was planning to invite Simone Miles to check Rayna's condition. He then went into the bathroom to splash some water on his face before typing: Simone's family is a prestigious family who has been in the medical industry for generations, but she prefers researching parasites.

Curtis recalled that Hamish's first reaction was to summon Simone when he saw the parasite on Rayna's body at the hospital.

Theodore sent another text in their group chat: Since she recommended Cassidy to you, it should be safe to assume that Cassidy is trustable.

Curtis relaxed slightly after reading Theodore's reply.

It was almost dawn when Robin returned from the city center.

The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Cassidy coming out of the warehouse. He handed the drone to her. “Here you go.”

Cassidy took the drone from Robin and noticed that he looked exhausted. “You need to get some rest as you look pretty tired,” she said gently.

Robin bobbed his head and headed upstairs.

Holding the drone, Cassidy stood there in a daze for several seconds before regaining her composure.

In the warehouse, Vance was taking in the Serekos' characteristics. When Cassidy came in, she saw him putting a Serekos into a glass jar. “What are you doing?”

“There is no equipment here, so I'd like to bring it back to the research center to conduct further research on it,” Vance replied honestly.

Cassidy's expression turned grim as she reached out to grab the glass jar from Vance, but before she could grasp it, he quickly stowed it away in his briefcase and snapped the latch shut.

“What are you doing?” Vance asked curiously when he saw Cassidy's outstretched hands.

Cassidy retracted her hands awkwardly. “Nothing. I wanted to ask you to take another one because the one you picked was too small.”

Vance chuckled. “Oh, no need for that. The one I picked has clearer lines on its body and is better suited for research.”

 

 

Chapter 705 I Will Assist Him

Vance picked up his suitcase and was prepared to leave the warehouse while Cassidy stood motionless before the door.

Vance looked at her, puzzled. “Ms. Cassidy?”

After glancing at the suitcase in his hand, she kept mum for a moment before opening her mouth. “Are you going to run a lab test on it?”

“Sort of, but don't worry, I'm not using it to run illegal experiments. I want to study the creature's habits and physical characteristics. That's all,” Vance explained upon noticing the anxious look on Cassidy's face. “I've seen Serekos before, but the ones here seem larger. That's why I'm curious to find out more about them. And the residual slime in the courtyard doesn't seem to come from the bug itself. Ms. Cassidy, you should be familiar with this creature, right?”

Upon hearing that, Cassidy's expression stiffened. She pursed her lips, nodding slightly in response.

Seeing that Cassidy still had no intention of letting him leave, Vance calmly stuck his hand into his pocket and tapped the communication device twice.

At that point, James, who was driving, saw that the application on his phone that was connected to the communication device was activated.

A message popped up on the interface: Cassidy is stopping me from leaving. Send help.

Upon seeing that, James quickly took out another phone from the box, turned it on, and logged onto

WhatsApp.

He texted: Cassidy stopped Vance from leaving.

Meanwhile, Rayna opened her eyes and noticed Curtis was getting ready to leave. “What's wrong?”

“Cassidy stopped Vance from leaving.” Curtis put on his coat. “I'm going there to take a look.”

“Wait. I'll go with you,” Rayna said, lifting the blanket and getting up. “You shouldn't go there alone. Cassidy may be sharp-tongued, but she's not a bad person.”

Curtis walked to the bedside, helped Rayna put on her clothes, and put his arm around her as they went downstairs.

As the two came downstairs, they saw Robin controlling a drone, spraying insecticide on the roof and outer walls.

“Did he stay up all night?” Rayna remembered Robin went to the city in the middle of the night to purchase the drone.

“I think so,” Curtis responded. “I'll assist him after we deal with Cassidy.”

Rayna hummed in acknowledgment.

As Rayna followed Curtis to the warehouse door, she saw Cassidy standing directly in the doorway with the door partially open, essentially blocking the entrance.

“Cassidy,” Rayna said softly.

Upon hearing that, Cassidy turned around to look at Rayna before turning to Curtis. “He's taking the Serekos with him.”

“Is there any problem with that?” Rayna asked before Curtis could speak.

“Nope, but...” Cassidy paused.

“Is something bothering you?” Rayna asked.

“Not exactly, but if you discover something else, can you keep that a secret?” Cassidy said before explaining, “these Serekos larvae came from Fernando's godfather.”

Rayna and Curtis were both stunned upon hearing that.

“But you didn't mention this to us before.” Rayna approached Cassidy and held her hand. “Why didn't you tell us earlier? Is it because you're worried there might be some negative consequences?”

Cassidy nodded in agreement.

“Fernando works for his godfather, and I have never interfered, but I know what they are doing.” Cassidy glanced at Rayna and sighed lightly. She then looked at Curtis. “I know you're not an ordinary person. But I don't want more people dragged into this hot mess.”

Cassidy explained slowly, “Serekos are harmless. They're a kind of traditional medicine that is not

widely known. Belle, I don't know what you're planning to do with it, but... I don't want Fernando to get into trouble.”

Rayna held Cassidy's hand and patted it, comforting her. “My brother will be here in a minute, and he'll study the Serekos with Vance. We're just trying to study and understand them, that's all. After all, you don't want bugs to keep appearing in your home, do you?”

“You are studying the Serekos because of me?” Realization dawned on Cassidy.

“Yes, that's right. We haven't been here very long, yet the Serekos have already made two appearances. In addition, Curtis also observed an unidentified creature growing within them. Doesn't that frighten you? You're fortunate because we're here to help this time, but what if you're not around and Yasmin is alone in the house? And what will you do if more of those bugs appear? You can't just keep spraying insecticides repeatedly, can you? Besides, don't you want to know why the man named Fernando insisted on putting the Serekos near your house?” Rayna tried to make her understand the situation in a gentle voice.

“But...” Cassidy was bereft of words as she had not thought of that question.

Similar incidents had occurred before, but the bugs that had infested her house were not Serekos. She had assumed Fernando was merely playing a prank on her.

“I don't know what's going on between you two, but I believe anyone with a sound mind wouldn't simply release bugs in the house of a girl who lives alone. That doesn't seem right,” Rayna continued, sensing that Cassidy was becoming more receptive to her explanation. “Once we identify the source, we can make plans to deal with any future bug infestations.”

“All right then,” Cassidy responded with a nod after hesitating briefly but still appeared somewhat uneasy. She reminded Rayna, “Remember to update me if you discover anything.”

“I will.” Rayna nodded before pulling her aside.

After stepping out of the warehouse, Vance greeted Rayna and Curtis casually before leaving for the lab.

“Mr. Faymon, I'm almost done spraying the roof and outer walls.” Robin walked into the yard while holding the drone.

Curtis nodded. “Go and rest. I'll give you a day off today.”

Robin's tired face lit up with a smile when Curtis granted him a day off.

“Here, let me take the drone. If the bugs come back, I can handle them myself.” Cassidy felt sorry for Robin as she could tell Robin was exhausted and could use a break.

Robin then handed the remote to Cassidy. After informing Curtis and Rayna, he headed to his bedroom.

“By the way, someone in the chef's family has just passed away, so I guess she won't be coming tonight.” Rayna turned to Curtis.

Curtis reciprocated her gaze before responding in a deep voice, “I'll prepare tonight's dinner.”

“If that's the case, we'll have to go to the market to buy the ingredients,” Cassidy added.

“Sure, it's not like I have anything else to do. Let's kill time,” Rayna said with a chuckle.

“By the way, I didn't see Furry and Flurry when I woke up. Are they in Robin's room?” asked Rayna, turning to Curtis.

“Yeah. There's a cage in his room.” The man sounded indifferent.

“Does Robin know about it?” While the two creatures were in a deep slumber in the middle of the night, Curtis had moved them over to Robin's room without Rayna's knowledge.

“Nope,” the man replied calmly. He lifted his gaze to the bright sky and commented, “The weather's lovely today. I doubt it'll rain. Let's go for a walk then.”

“Are you guys going for a walk? Can I tag along, please?” Rubbing her eyes, Yasmin overheard what Curtis had said when walking toward the front yard.

“Sure. Let's all go together,” Rayna said, glancing at Yasmin, who was approaching them, before turning to Curtis. “Can you drive since you gave Robin a day off?”

“Sure,” Curtis responded while gently caressing Rayna's hair.

 

 

Chapter 706 Taken Advantage Of At The Marketplace

After breakfast, Rayna and Curtis headed to the marketplace in town with Cassidy.

Once they parked the car outside of the open-air marketplace, Curtis frowned at the crowd.

Just as Rayna was about to get out of the car with Cassidy's help, she heard Curtis say, “Don't come down yet, Rayna.”

One of Rayna's feet was hovering right above the ground, and she wondered if she should retract it. “What's the matter?”

With both hands on the steering wheel, Curtis turned to look at Cassidy, who had already gotten off the car, and asked, “Is there only one marketplace around?”

“Yup,” Cassidy casually replied. When her gaze landed on Curtis' look of disdain, she folded her arms in front of her chest and said, “You don't have to head inside if you think it's dirty. Belle and I will go.”

“No,” Curtis immediately disagreed with Cassidy's suggestion. “Rayna's eyes aren't fully healed yet. I don't feel at ease with you leading her around.”

The man's words enraged Cassidy. “What do you mean by that? Why do you not feel at ease? Are you saying that I'll hurt her?”

At that, Curtis shot Cassidy a cold look.

Cassidy's aggression wilted as soon as she met the man's gaze. “Don't... Don't look at me like that.”

With that, she reached out to tug the hem of Rayna's shirt.

“Cassidy said there's only one marketplace in this town. We shouldn't waste our time, so let's just buy our stuff now since we're here.” As Rayna said that, she set her foot on the ground.

When her white sneakers came into contact with the muddy ground, some mud splashed in response.

Rayna then got out of the front passenger seat. When her maxi dress slid off the seat, it brushed past the car and was soiled.

“Come down too,” Rayna said to the man in the driver's seat once she was out of the car.

Curtis then pulled out the car keys and came down. The second he stepped on the ground, he frowned in displeasure. It felt as if he had stepped right into a swamp.

Nevertheless, he walked over to Rayna and held her hand. Then, he gave Cassidy a look, gesturing for her to lead the way.

Cassidy, who was holding Rayna's hand, pursed her lips and let go of Rayna.

Yasmin followed Cassidy and whispered, “Ms. Cassidy, you find him scary too, right?”

Hearing that, Cassidy lowered her gaze to glance at Yasmin. “I'm not scared of him.” I just don't want to end up offending my god of fortune.

The moment Rayna and Curtis entered the marketplace, they immediately felt the sensation of being

packed like sardines.

Rayna had been to such marketplaces when she was younger, so it was nothing unusual for her. In fact, she felt nostalgic.

Curtis, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable, as he wasn't used to such places.

He could see people sneezing and spitting on the side of the road, which was a common sight in places like these.

“Should've worn a mask out,” was what he muttered to Rayna.

Right then, a middle-aged man with his mouth wide open, looking as if he was going to yawn, walked past Rayna. Promptly, Curtis reached out to cover Rayna's nose and mouth and pulled her closer to him.

“It's fine,” Rayna reassured with a soft chuckle as she held his hand. “Let's just make the shopping trip quick so that we can go back earlier.”

“Okay,” the man agreed.

“Let Cassidy pick the vegetables. She's more familiar with this place, so I'm sure she knows which stall sells fresh vegetables,” Rayna said to Curtis. “You just need to pay for them.”

Most of the stall owners in a marketplace like this were middle-aged people.

Rayna was certain that they would never be able to leave the marketplace by the end of the day if

Curtis was the one to pick the vegetables.

Cassidy was walking in front of Rayna and Curtis. When she turned around and saw that the two were far behind her, she shouted, “Can you be faster? Will we even get to have lunch at this rate?”

Upon hearing that, Curtis threw a glare at Cassidy before saying to Rayna, who had quickened her pace, “Walk slower. It's slippery here. You might fall if you walk too fast.”

Rayna bobbed her head in response, but she did not slow down.

“By the way, did you tell Robin about us heading out?” Rayna belatedly remembered that Robin was left alone in Cassidy's place.

“He's still sleeping, and he won't wake any time soon,” Curtis dismissively replied. When he walked past the stalls, he would rake his gaze across the goods to see if there was anything he was interested in.

Rayna could only shake her head in exasperation at his response.

When they walked past a fishmonger's stall, the stall owner noticed the attractive Curtis. When she realized that the man had his arm wrapped tightly around the woman beside him, she grew curious.

Upon seeing Rayna's cloudy eyes, she curled her lips into a smirk.

“Do come over and take a look. We have fresh fish we just caught today.” The middle-aged woman motioned Rayna and Curtis toward her.

Curtis tried to pull Rayna in his direction, but the back of his hand touched the middle-aged woman's outstretched hand.

“Handsome one, why don't you take a look at our fish? They're very fresh, and the texture is tender!” The middle-aged woman took the opportunity to grab Curtis' hand and tried to convince him to buy her fish.

Curtis quickly shrugged off the woman's hand before giving her an icy look.

“Hey, why are you so feisty?” The middle-aged woman chuckled and curled her lips in disdain when she sensed Curtis' anger.

“You—” Just as Curtis was about to argue with the middle-aged woman, Rayna tugged him and softly said, “Just ignore her, Curtis.”

Curtis lowered his head to glimpse at Rayna before taking out a piece of tissue to wipe his hand. After that, right as he was about to turn around with his arm wrapped around Rayna, he accidentally bumped into a pregnant woman.

The pregnant woman instinctively took a few steps backward in response, but as the floor was slippery, she ended up falling backward instead.

Everyone around the pregnant woman was nervously watching everything unfold, but no one was reaching out to catch her. At that, Curtis shot out his arm to help her, but his reaction was too slow.

Right as the pregnant woman was about to fall to the ground, someone supported her with their back and broke her fall.

It was Cassidy, who was holding the pregnant woman up with her back. Only after the other woman had regained her balance did Cassidy slowly straighten up.

At one point, the middle-aged stall owner had walked over to the pregnant woman to support her. She even began yelling at Curtis, “What's going on with you? Are you blind?”

As she chided Curtis, she gave the pregnant woman a once-over. “My daughter, are you okay? Is the baby okay?”

The pregnant woman had a hand on her stomach as she gripped her mother's hand with her other hand. Her face was colorless from the moment of fright earlier.

“Do you hear how unreasonable you are? You were trying to take advantage of my friend's husband just now! He only bumped into your daughter because he was trying to avoid your touch!” Cassidy retorted, her expression grim. “It's your fault if anything happens to your daughter.”

“What does this have to do with you, you bearer of misfortune?” the middle-aged woman snapped when she realized it was Cassidy.

 

 

Chapter 707 Wary Of Fernando

Upon hearing the argument between Cassidy and the middle-aged stall owner, Rayna stepped forward to pull Cassidy away, but Curtis stopped her and pulled her into his arms instead.

“She's too mean,” Rayna said to Curtis.

“Let's see how Cassidy responds first,” Curtis quietly told her, gesturing for her to stay calm.

Rayna held Curtis' hand and squinted slightly. She was trying to see what things were like between the middle-aged woman and Cassidy, but no matter how much she strained her eyes, she simply could not make things out clearly. It was as if she had a veil before her eyes.

“Who in the world are you calling the bearer of misfortune?” Cassidy's fury was amplified when she heard the nasty nickname.

“Don't you know what I'm talking about?” the middle-aged woman shouted as she jabbed a finger at Cassidy's face. “Everyone in this town knows how your family died!”

Cassidy narrowed her eyes at the middle-aged woman, who was running her mouth, as she reached into her bag. Right as she was about to fish something out of her bag, a deep man's voice rang out above her head.

“Ms. Weintz, you're being rude.” As the man spoke, he grabbed the middle-aged woman's hand tightly. He exerted so much force that the middle-aged woman winced in pain.

Rayna stared at the newcomer's tall figure, baffled, before turning to ask Curtis, “Who's that?”

“I haven't seen him before, but I'm guessing that he's someone Cassidy knows,” Curtis uttered before putting his focus on the other man and Cassidy.

He saw the other man shielding Cassidy while looking gloomily at the middle-aged woman, Erma Weintz.

Erma shot Cassidy and the man a look of contempt before her eyes flicked toward Curtis' side. The pregnant woman who was standing beside Erma then followed her line of sight to look at Curtis.

The mother-and-daughter duo seemingly discussed something, and the pregnant woman soon blushed in response.

“Let's go.” The other man turned to Cassidy before taking a glimpse at Rayna and Curtis.

Yasmin, who was still beside Cassidy, lifted her head to look at the man. “Nando...”

Fernando lowered his head to look at her before pinching her cheek. “You've grown taller, Yasmin.”

“So that's Fernando Zeller,” Rayna muttered to Curtis. “Cassidy's fiancé.”

Curtis inclined his head and hummed in response.

Unlike Yasmin, who was excited to see Fernando, Cassidy remained indifferent as she walked over to Rayna. “Are you okay?”

Rayna nodded before turning to Curtis.

“We're fine,” Curtis answered.

“Let's continue with our grocery shopping,” Rayna then said, easing the tension between them.

Erma tried to stop them from leaving, but when Fernando shot her a warning look, she took a step back with her daughter out of fear.

In no time, Fernando was leading the way. Cassidy walked beside Rayna, and Yasmin was beside Cassidy. At the same time, Curtis was on Rayna's other side.

“What are you going to buy?” asked Fernando, who suddenly turned over his shoulder. They all noticed that his gaze was on Cassidy.

“Fish, meat, and some vegetables,” Curtis replied.

Hearing that, Fernando turned to look at Curtis.

Realization dawned on Curtis when he met Fernando's deep, abyss-like eyes.

Fernando turned to Cassidy, who then spoke after glancing at him. “The people in the marketplace are afraid of you, so lead the way.”

With that, she hung her head and avoided his gaze.

Rayna and Cassidy linked arms with each other as they ambled down the path. “Why did you say that

the people here are afraid of Fernando?”

“That's because he's one of Mr. Zeller's men. Mr. Zeller's on familiar terms with the civil servants here. You know how people from small towns are afraid of the government,” Cassidy said. “Also, this marketplace will be undergoing change soon. They might be building a new market here, and it won't be an open-air one like this one.”

“Is Mr. Zeller a local here?” Rayna queried.

“No.” Cassidy shook her head. “I don't know where he's from either. Some say he's not from our country, but some say he is. No one knows where his roots lie.”

Rayna drew her brows together and fell into deep thought.

Curtis caught bits and pieces of their conversation, and when he turned to look at Fernando, the look in his eyes darkened.

The way Fernando carried himself was vastly different from the townspeople. It made Curtis begin to doubt the other man's identity.

“Is Fernando a local, then?” Rayna continued inquiring.

“Are you asking about his roots?” Cassidy asked.

“Yes.”

“I don't know. I don't think he even has the answer himself,” Cassidy responded as she landed her gaze

on Fernando's back. “We grew up together in this town, though.”

“You studied together?”

“No. We were together from elementary school up until junior high, but we went our separate ways for three years after that. We were in the same university, but we were in different faculties,” Cassidy explained.

Rayna bobbed her head in acknowledgment.

“I'm going to pick out some vegetables,” Curtis said to Rayna before walking ahead.

Rayna turned to look at Curtis and saw that the man was browsing through the vegetables in a serious manner.

Fernando was beside Curtis.

Rayna could sense that the bustling atmosphere of the market had died down by quite a bit. The stall owners who were constantly hollering to get the customers' attention had quietened down after Fernando's appearance.

It seemed like Cassidy was speaking the truth when she said that the people in the marketplace were wary of Fernando.

In fact, Rayna could even sense the crowd dispersing. The marketplace was no longer as packed as earlier.

As such, they were able to speed up the pace of their grocery shopping. In less than half an hour, they were done purchasing all the ingredients they needed.

Curtis walked beside Rayna with bags in his hands.

“Are they heavy? Why don't you give me some of them?” Rayna said as she reached out for the bags, but Curtis avoided her outstretched hands. “I'll take them. Just walk with Cassidy.”

On their way back, the memory of the incident at the marketplace flashed past Rayna's mind, and somehow, Rayna's heart dipped when she thought about it. It felt as if something bad was going to happen because of it.

“Cassidy, about the passing of the cook's father-in-law, how did you deal with it?” Rayna asked as she squinted at Cassidy, trying to catch a glimpse of Cassidy's expression. The townspeople were superstitious people, and Cassidy's luring of the hellfire birds coincided with someone's death. Rayna did not think that the cook's family was going to let Cassidy off the hook so easily.

“It's not the first time something like this has happened. The townspeople will just avoid me like the plague. At most, they'll talk badly about me behind my back. It's nothing terrible, and it's not as if I'm the murderer. It has nothing to do with me,” muttered Cassidy, seemingly unfazed, before looking out of the car window.

However, Rayna caught the hint of dejection that flickered across Cassidy's eyes.

Yasmin reached out to tug the edge of Rayna's shirt. “They don't dare to do anything to Ms. Cassidy because she's under Nando's protection.”

Rayna froze upon hearing that.

 

 

Chapter 708 Superstitious Townspeople

Cassidy's under Fernando's protection?

Before Rayna could ask Cassidy what Yasmin meant by that, Cassidy sent Yasmin away.

“The girl's speaking nonsense. She doesn't know what's going on,” Cassidy told her. She then held Rayna's hand and said, “Let's go inside the house first.”

Curtis brought their groceries into the kitchen. When he emerged back out, he said to Rayna, “I'm going to get the ingredients ready.”

“Do you need help?” she asked.

“No, I can manage.” With that, the man went back inside the kitchen.

Right as Rayna sat down on the couch, she spotted Yasmin entering the house and passing Cassidy a mysterious black object. “Here you go, Ms. Cassidy.”

Cassidy took it, and Yasmin gleefully sat down beside Rayna.

“What was that?” Rayna queried.

“Oh, it's just a balm for wounds,” Cassidy answered as she walked over to Rayna and opened the small black box.

A refreshing scent wafted into Rayna's nostrils. She took a whiff and said, “I smell jasmine.”

“Yes, there's jasmine in it.” Cassidy handed Rayna the box. “Use this for the scratch wound on the back of Curtis' hand.”

Rayna stiffened when she heard that. “He's hurt?”

“Mhm. The back of his hand was scratched by Ms. Weintz's nails back at the marketplace, but it's a minor wound. It's nothing strange that you didn't see it,” Cassidy explained. She then said to Yasmin, “Come with me.”

As Rayna took the box, she watched Cassidy and Yasmin walk out of the living room.

Then, she went into the kitchen with the box. “Why didn't you tell me that your hand is injured?”

Curtis turned around upon hearing her. He then spared a glimpse on the back of his hand and said, “It's just a scratch.”

“You should apply some balm on it,” Rayna said as she showed him the box. “I can't see that well, so you'll have to do it yourself.”

Curtis dried his hands and took it. When he opened it, the fragrant scent of jasmine filled the room. “What balm is this?”

“Cassidy gave it to me. I'm guessing that they made it,” Rayna told him. As she glanced at the ingredients on the countertop, she asked, “Did Fernando leave after we came out of the marketplace?”

“Yes.” Curtis applied some of the balm on the back of his hand. “James messaged me earlier, telling me that he has reached Jayfort, but he went to meet up with Vance first.”

“I see. Tell him to be careful.” Rayna turned to leave the kitchen once she said that. Curtis shoved the small box back into her hands and said, “Wait in the living room. It's rather smoky in the kitchen.”

When Rayna walked out of the kitchen, Robin, who had just woken up, came downstairs. “Mrs. Faymon.”

Rayna recognized his voice. “You're awake.”

“Mhm. Is Mr. Faymon cooking?” Robin asked when he noticed Curtis in the kitchen.

“Yes,” Rayna replied. She then asked, “Are Fluffy and Furry in your room?”

“They are. They're in the cage. I was afraid that they'd wander everywhere,” Robin said as he walked over to sit down on the couch. When he saw the fruits on the coffee table, he took an apple and bit into it.

Judging from the way he was devouring the apple, Rayna figured he probably woke up because he was famished. A smile appeared on her face.

“By the way, what did you notice when you went to that family with Cassidy at night? Can you tell me about it?” Rayna was still worried about the incident. A voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that something bad was going to happen.

“It was nothing much. It's just that the people here are quite superstitious. That's all I noticed,” Robin muttered as he recalled the moment. “Oh, except one thing.”

“What is it?”

“The cook. Her father-in-law was the one who died, and although she seemed to be bawling, something tells me it was faked. Her eyes weren't red at all. She was just shedding tears,” Robin pointed out as he mulled over his memory. He found the way the cook cried rather peculiar.

“Did anything happen here while we were out?” Rayna asked as she sipped on water.

“Nothing, but that might be because I was sleeping like a log.” Robin finished the apple and cleaned his hands. “Fluffy and Furry seemed startled by something in the middle of my sleep, and they were making noises for a while. I doubt there's anything strange, though.”

Rayna hummed in response as she pieced together the bits of information she had gotten. The more the puzzle pieces fit together, the stranger the town seemed to her.

While Rayna was chatting with Robin, Fernando came in, but Rayna did not notice him right away. It was only when the man's voice rang out did she realize he was there. “Is Cassidy here?”

“She went out with Yasmin, but I don't know where they went,” Rayna replied, squinting at Fernando, but all she could see was a vague silhouette in front of her.

It seemed like her vision had returned to its initial state.

“I bought this for her. Please pass it to her when she's back,” Fernando said as he put a black carton

box on the coffee table.

After that, he left without looking back.

“Who was that?” Robin wondered out loud.

“Cassidy's fiancé, Fernando Zeller.”

When Curtis heard an unfamiliar voice in the living room, he came out of the kitchen and questioned, “Who came?”

“Fernando. He was here to give Cassidy something.” Rayna pointed at the box on the coffee table.

Curtis turned to see a carton box on the coffee table, but before he could say anything, Cassidy returned with Yasmin.

The two of them had a bag in their hands.

Upon noticing the box on the table, Cassidy asked, “Who's this from?”

“It's from Fernando. It's for you,” Rayna informed.

“When did he come?”

“Just. He came right after you left, and you returned right after he left,” Rayna told her. “Are you not going to open it?”

“It's got to be food!” Yasmin seemed exceptionally thrilled. “Nando always brings us yummy stuff. I'm sure it's the same this time.”

At that, she hurried over to the coffee table before turning to look at Cassidy. “Ms. Cassidy, let's open it!”

Unlike Yasmin, who was excited, Cassidy was staring at the purple ribbon on the box with a stony look as she tightened her grip on the bag in her hand.

Rayna could sense an evident change in Cassidy's mood.

Curtis solemnly watched as Cassidy walked over to the table.

Once she put down the bag she was holding onto, she untied the box's ribbon and opened the box. In the next second, she was greeted by the sight of a rose in a pot. There was even a card in the box.

Cassidy opened the card. Upon reading the contents of the card, she picked up the pot of roses and threw it out to the courtyard. “Fernando Zeller, you b*stard!”

Rayna shot to her feet in worry, but Curtis stopped her. “Let her calm herself down first.”

“But she's...” Rayna could not help but feel anxious about the massive change in Cassidy's mood. “What's in the box?”

 

 

Chapter 709 Potted Roses

“A pot of roses,” said Curtis as his gaze fell on Cassidy.

“It's gorgeous, right?” Upon hearing the word “rose,” Rayna instantly thought of the roses in the courtyard.

“Yes. Their petals are bigger than usual,” Curtis added.

When Rayna heard that, she said softly, “Exactly. Steal some of the soil from the courtyard later tonight and get James to run tests on it.”

Understanding finally dawned on Curtis, and he responded, “All right. I'll do it later.”

Meanwhile, Cassidy's sudden emotional breakdown frightened Yasmin so much that she hid behind Robin.

Robin had a perfect view of the courtyard from where he sat. He watched Cassidy stomp on the pot of roses that was shattered in the courtyard while yelling Fernando's name furiously.

Rayna turned to Yasmin and asked softly, “Yasmin, do you know why Cassidy is suddenly acting like this?”

Yasmin pondered for a moment before explaining, “It's because that pot of flowers wasn't grown naturally. Those roses didn't look like that in the first place. When Ms. Cassidy's father was still around, he told us Jayfort's soil had always been rich in nutrients and can produce mutated plants that humans have never seen before. Even those Serekos didn't use to look like that.”

Curtis stood beside Rayna and said softly, “I've talked to James about it before. He says the Serekos we saw was the original size.”

“So that pot of roses had been experimented on?” Curtis' words made Rayna become more certain of her guess.

She suspected the area around the house was an experiment ground.

Otherwise, there was absolutely no explanation for the appearance of all these unusual-looking creatures and plants.

“Curtis, is that thing in my body really a parasite?” They were in the age of science. Hence, Rayna found it hard to believe things as parasites existed.

Curtis lowered his gaze to look at her, not knowing what to say all of a sudden.

“Curtis, could there be a possibility that it's actually—” Before Rayna could finish, Curtis interrupted, “Even Cassidy says it's a parasite, so that means it's a parasite. It's not a scary thing. We just need to find the person who knows how to remove it.”

Rayna sensed the anxiousness in his tone.

Thus, she merely hummed softly in response.

Curtis hugged her and spoke softly. “Just wait a little longer. The food should be ready soon.” Deep

down, however, he began suspecting Cassidy and the people they met along the way, including what they had said.

Experiments?

Late at night, the butler of the Faymon residence made his way to Alfred's room with a phone in hand. “Old Mr. Faymon, it's a call from Mr. Faymon.”

After taking the phone from the butler, Alfred said, “Why are you calling so late at night? Did something happen to Rayna?”

On the other end of the line, Curtis held the phone while standing on the road outside the house. “Grandpa, I need to ask you something.”

“Go on,” Alfred responded with a deep voice.

“Back then, you said the thing in Rayna's body is a parasite. Is it true?” Curtis' tone was flat as he stared coldly at the river on the opposite end.

“Do you suspect something?” Alfred understood the meaning behind Curtis' question. He paused for a moment before adding, “Is it not a parasite?”

“What made you come to that judgment?” asked Curtis without beating around the bush.

Alfred gave it some thought before saying, “I saw it when I was young. Back then, I only heard about it from others and never really analyzed the truth.”

Alfred was a smart person. Naturally, he knew Curtis was calling because the latter had doubts.

“Anything else?” asked Alfred.

“That's all. Please rest early.” With that, Curtis hung up.

As he stood by the road, he brought the unfinished cigarette to his lips and took a deep puff.

Meanwhile, Rayna was alone in the room, listening to music with earbuds on when Cassidy knocked on the door.

Thus, Rayna removed the earbuds and glanced at the door. “What is it?”

Rayna stepped into the room and sat in front of her. “I need to ask you for a favor.”

“Let's hear it,” Rayna responded.

“Did you know Curtis asked someone to report the death of the cook's father-in-law to the police from abroad?” Cassidy asked softly, occasionally glancing at the door.

“Abroad? Wasn't it reported to the local police? Can police from abroad deal with it if it's a homicide case?” Rayna was unsure of such things. Hence, she did not understand what Cassidy was getting at.

“I'm not sure either, but when I was out with Yasmin today, I heard people saying the higher-ups of the local police want to look into this case.” While Cassidy said that, she reached out and grabbed Rayna's hand. “He died because of old age. It's normal. There's nothing special about this. I think it's a bit of an overkill to alert the higher-ups about it.”

Upon hearing that, Rayna said, “Since it's a natural death, then all the more reason for you to not be afraid. Just let the higher-ups investigate it. They can even prove your innocence.”

“I no longer care about that. I'm used to all the name-calling after living here for so long. They're just spouting nonsense, and they don't mean what they say. Can you please stop Curtis from looking into this?” asked Cassidy while pursing her lips.

Retracting her hand from Cassidy's grip, Rayna answered, “I'm afraid I can't do that. I have no say in this. Besides, there's also this hellfire bird thing that sounds magical. I think it's best to get an animal research expert to look into this. It'd be disastrous if this bird goes somewhere else and harms others.”

Cassidy frowned when she heard that. She then lifted her gaze and glanced at the door.

When Cassidy said nothing, Rayna said, “Cassidy, I think it's best if you don't get involved in this. By the way, surely I'm not the only one who finds this town weird, right?”

Cassidy cast Rayna a puzzled look. “W-What are you trying to say?”

Instead of giving Cassidy a direct answer, Rayna gave her hints. “You know what I'm saying. The cook's a high achiever. She should know this place well.”

“W-What are you saying?” Cassidy rose from the couch anxiously.

Rayna repeated calmly, “As I said, you know what I'm saying. You've always been an honest person, and most honest people won't allow themselves to be wronged. Yet, you're willing to bear the accusations made by the people of this town. Clearly, you have a reason to do so. The pot of roses

today is the best explanation.” Rayna stopped beating around the bush.

Cassidy swallowed hard as she avoided Rayna's gaze. “Isabelle, you're always so presumptuous.”

With that, she turned around to leave the room.

Seeing that she was leaving, Rayna said, “Cassidy, what you're doing is not helping the person you want to help. In fact, you're making things worse for him.”

Upon hearing that, Cassidy stopped in her tracks.

She slowly turned around and glanced at Rayna in disbelief. “How did you know that?”

“I made a guess, but it's not a baseless one.” Rayna reached out to take the cup of water on the coffee table and took a sip. “You and Fernando are childhood sweethearts. Both of you have feelings for each other and are at a marriageable age. You even have a marriage contract. The fact that you're not holding a wedding yet is already suspicious enough.”

 

 

 

Chapter 710 My Guess Is The Soil

While saying that, Rayna glanced at Cassidy who stood at the door. “Your family's a prestigious family involved in traditional medicine. You've seen all kinds of strange herbs and even unknown ones that can be used as medicine. I'm sure you're aware that the Serekos' form is unusual.”

Cassidy turned around to look at Rayna when she heard that.

Meanwhile, Rayna continued, “The Serekos never left this house. Instead, they remained here. Obviously, there's something that's attracting them. My guess is the soil. The flowers in the courtyard are bigger than usual and brightly colored. This has something to do with the soil, too.” As she spoke, she put down the glass of water. “There are three possibilities as to why Fernando's helping Mr. Zeller with the research. One, he's doing it to help you. Two, he's protecting you. Three, it's a combination of both possibilities.”

“You...” Cassidy slowly clenched her fists that hung by her sides.

Noticing Curtis was approaching the room, Rayna said softly, “I can give you some time. Give me your answer when you've thought about it.”

When she finished her sentence, Curtis' deep voice rang out at the door, “What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing. By the way, are there any updates on Yasmin's school?” Rayna asked.

“The arrangements have been made. It's summer vacation now. I'll get Robert to bring Yasmin to school to complete the admission procedures when school starts in September,” Curtis explained softly

while glancing apathetically at Cassidy from the corner of his eye. He walked past her and entered the room.

When Rayna's gaze fell on Cassidy, the latter said, “Thank you for helping with Yasmin's matters.”

“It's no big deal,” Rayna responded plainly before watching Cassidy leave.

Curtis was arranging the things in the cabinet when he noticed Rayna was still staring at the door. “What did you two talk about just now?”

Sensing the curiosity in his tone, Rayna asked, “Who did you call just now then?”

She was no fool. If he wanted her to give him an answer, he had to be honest with her as well.

Curtis' lips curled into a faint smile; he knew what she was trying to do.

“Let's go back to Norwal City the day after tomorrow. I think I won't be cured of this thing in my body for the time being, not to mention my eyes,” suggested Rayna.

Alas, Curtis disagreed with her. “We can't leave yet. Cassidy said she'd try curing you. If we leave now, she might be gone when we return. All our efforts spent coming here would be wasted.” Curtis shut the cabinet door after taking out a set of pajamas. “Don't worry. Everything's fine at home. Just relax and focus on getting better, okay? I'll get Cassidy to start preparing for the treatment tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Rayna nodded.

The next day, Rayna and Curtis were having their breakfast in the living room when they heard a commotion in the courtyard.

“Someone's here.” Rayna put down her utensils and glanced out of the window.

Immediately, Curtis ordered Robert to check it out.

“Who are you guys?” Robert spotted a few tall men clad in black uniforms the moment he reached the courtyard.

The man standing in front of the group fiddled with a lighter and scrutinized Robert before saying with disdain, “We're here for Cassidy Gilroy. Hand her over. We won't hurt you guys.”

“Let's go out and take a look,” Rayna suggested to Curtis when she heard the conversation in the courtyard.

Curtis' arm was wrapped around Rayna's waist as they walked out of the living room. Immediately, they saw a man dressed in a floral shirt talking to Robert. He said, “Or you can tell us where Cassidy is.”

“Why are you looking for her?” asked Rayna.

The leader of the group shifted his gaze to Rayna. “Our boss wants to invite her over for lunch. It's nothing serious.”

“Your boss?” Rayna mulled it over before asking Curtis softly, “Could it be Mr. Zeller?”

“Maybe. Let's see how this goes,” Curtis responded in a low voice.

“If you don't answer me, I'll get my men to go upstairs and look for her,” said the floral-shirt man while giving his subordinates a look.

Noticing that, Robert and the two bodyguards in the courtyard went forward to stop them. Just then, Cassidy's voice rang out from upstairs. “Did your boss send you here to invite me over or to capture me?”

When Rayna heard Cassidy's words, she walked toward the courtyard and saw the latter leaning against the window at the aisle, looking relaxed and unfazed by the situation.

“If you come with us, then you'll be treated to a meal. But if you don't cooperate, you'll have to suffer,” the floral-shirt man said with a snicker.

“That depends on whether you can get me.” Cassidy flashed the men in the courtyard a smile. She then raised a blue vial into the air, saying, “This thing I have here has corrosive properties. If you dare to force your way in, I'll pour this on you, and you guys will be done for.” Despite how nonchalant she sounded, the crowd in the courtyard began to panic.

“Hmph! Who do you think you're trying to scare?” the leader scoffed in disdain.

“Let's give it a try, then,” said Cassidy. She uncapped the vial and poured a drop on a dragonfly that had just flown past. Instantly, the insect was reduced to a tiny puddle of water.

The men in the courtyard instinctively took a few steps backward after witnessing the scene.

“You win this time, Cassidy,” said the leader of the group. With that, he turned and left with his men.

Curtis held Rayna close to him while his gaze fell on the tiny puddle of water in the distance. He then looked up at Cassidy with an expression as dark as thunder.

Looking deadpan, Cassidy put the vial away and glanced at the couple. “What's wrong? Are you guys scared, too?”

“You might've tricked them once using this trick, but surely it won't work every time, right? It's like magic tricks,” said Rayna as she pulled away from Curtis' embrace.

Cassidy's expression turned cold when she heard that. “You're a smart one. Your man didn't even see through it.” At that, she turned and left.

Curtis inclined his head and stared at Rayna. “What she did just now was just a magic trick?”

“Of course. You'll understand once you see the puddle of water,” remarked Rayna, gesturing for him to go over and take a closer look.

Upon hearing that, Curtis let Rayna go and said, “Stand here. Don't go anywhere.” He then walked over to the puddle of water, only to realize it was sprinkled. That was when Curtis came to an understanding.

“Let's go in,” prompted Rayna softly, knowing Curtis had identified the problem.

Meanwhile, Robert and the two bodyguards exchanged glances, their faces filled with disbelief. Robert even stepped forward to examine the puddle of water as Curtis did, but he could not tell what it was even after looking at it for some time.

“That thing that burned earlier was alcohol. That dragonfly was fake, too. Cassidy also had a mini lighter in her hand. I've seen this kind of trick before. One needs to have a pair of swift and nimble hands to pull it off,” explained Rayna to Curtis.

Curtis was relieved after listening to Rayna's explanation. However, he still felt curious. “How do you know when you can't see clearly?”

“Cassidy and I knew each other since a long time ago, remember? I've forgotten some of it, but not all,” said Rayna as she sat at the dining table.

“Do you think the boss could be Mr. Zeller?” she asked.

Curtis thought for a moment and felt that they could be the same person. “I think so.”