Ch. 711..720

Chapter 711

“What's Mr. Zeller's purpose for looking for Cassidy?” Rayna murmured softly as she fell into deep thought.

“Just leave Cassidy's matters to me. You don't have to concern yourself with it. Come on. Let's go out for a walk,” suggested Curtis while leading her out of the courtyard.

“Okay.” Rayna nodded.

Cassidy spotted Curtis leaving with Rayna when the former arrived at the courtyard with Yasmin.

The little girl tugged at Cassidy's shirt. “Ms. Cassidy, am I really going to school?”

Hearing that, Cassidy lowered her head to look at Yasmin. With a nod, the former answered, “Yes. You need to go to school.”

A look of dejection flashed across Yasmin's eyes when she heard that.

Regardless, Cassidy strode into the living room, with Yasmin following closely behind her.

At Jenmier Manor, a man dressed in a black shirt ignored the housekeeper's greetings and marched straight into the study.

“Godfather, you sent people to look for Cassidy today, didn't you?” asked the visitor anxiously, looking at the man enjoying his coffee on the couch.

Hearing that, the man slowly put his cup down and lifted his gaze to look at the young man. “You

rushed all the way here this early in the morning just to ask me this?”

The middle-aged man's voice was deep and laced with authority. It instantly overpowered the young man's aura.

“I've already given you my word about Cassidy. She won't—” Before the young man could finish his sentence, the middle-aged man cut in, “Fernando, I sent someone to bring her over only because I want to treat her to a meal and discuss your marriage with her.”

Fernando's expression turned grim when he heard that.

“Godfather, Cassidy and I can handle our own affairs,” Fernando responded in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on Andrew, who still sat on the couch.

Fernando explained further, “Cassidy never liked being constrained. I'm afraid her rashness will offend you.”

The moment Andrew heard that, he frowned, and his expression turned colder than ever. “What's wrong? Are you afraid I'd do something to her?”

“That's not what I mean. You know how Cassidy does things without being mindful. I'm sure your men have reported today's happenings to you. I'm just afraid she might hurt you,” explained Fernando with his head lowered.

A mysterious smile crept onto Andrew's lips as he stared at Fernando. “Do you know who the other two at Cassidy's house are?”

Shaking his head, Fernando replied, “Nope.”

Andrew narrowed his eyes at Fernando. Moments later, he waved his hand at the latter, saying, “Run along, now. I won't do anything to Cassidy.”

Upon hearing that, Fernando balled his hands into fists and walked away silently.

Shortly after Fernando left the study, Andrew summoned the butler and asked, “How is it going with the task I assigned you?”

The butler answered, “The arrangements have been made.”

At that, Andrew picked up the newspaper on the coffee table and began reading it. Coincidentally, the news report about Glory's newly-developed facial product causing many users to suffer from severe acne was printed in the newspaper.

In the blink of an eye, Glory and Faymon Group became the talk of the town.

After exiting the Gilroy residence, Rayna and Curtis walked along the narrow path, passing by many houses along the way.

They passed by a convenience store that had a large television that was broadcasting the news.

The news reporter mentioned that the reliability of Glory's products was questioned, but the channel was soon changed.

Nonetheless, Rayna heard some of the details and halted in her tracks. “Curtis, did you hear anything just now?”

Curtis followed her gaze and glanced at the store, only to find a child playing with the remote control and changing the channels. “What's wrong?”

“I think I heard Glory's products being mentioned in the news,” recounted Rayna based on what she heard earlier.

Curtis' face fell, and he said softly, “I think you misheard it.”

“I don't think so. I know what I heard.” With that said, Rayna made her way to the convenience store, while Curtis hesitated for a while before following her.

The owner of the store stiffened when he saw Rayna and Curtis entering.

The townspeople were oblivious to who they were, but they knew the couple was staying at Cassidy's house.

Most importantly, the entire town despised Cassidy. Hence, they were hostile toward the couple.

“Hello. Can I please use your television for a while? I'd like to watch the news,” Rayna asked softly.

Upon hearing her gentle tone, the owner could not bear to turn her down despite his reluctance. He took the remote control from the child and handed it to her, saying, “Make it quick. It's my child's television session.”

“I won't take long.” After taking the remote control from him, Rayna glanced at it and found the buttons with arrows. She pressed it and changed the channel one by one until she heard the news report coming from the television.

The title of the news report read: Glory's newly developed product may involve illegal substances. Next, the host began interpreting the report.

Rayna tightened her grip on the remote control as she turned to stare at Curtis. “Did you know about this?”

Curtis wanted to take the remote control from her, but she dodged his hand. “I'm asking you a question.”

“Give the remote control back first,” said Curtis gently. He then reached out, took the remote control from her, and returned it to the owner of the store.

After that, he led her out of the store.

Rayna's mind was filled with the news about Glory. The moment they arrived by the side of an empty road, she repeated her question.

After a momentary hesitation, Curtis answered, “I just found out about it, too. Jasmine's handling things at Glory now. She'll settle it.”

“But you never told me about it. You hid it from me,” said Rayna with displeasure.

“I didn't want things at the company to disrupt the progress of your treatment. Compared to Glory, your

health comes first,” uttered Curtis solemnly.

“How long has it been?” Rayna questioned.

“A week.”

“We're going back to Norwal City in two days,” said Rayna firmly. When she finished, she turned around to return to Cassidy's house.

Curtis grabbed her hand and said, “You can't solve anything even if you go back now. There's an internal investigation going on right now. Jasmine can handle this.”

“But I can't just stay here and do nothing! If this isn't resolved in time, it might affect Faymon Group,” said Rayna anxiously.

Pausing momentarily, she explained, “Both you and I know how serious the situation can escalate in one week. If we don't show up and deal with it personally, things will worsen. Curtis, let's go back first. We'll just inform Cassidy about it. We're only here to get the medicine, anyway. We can send someone to get it from her once she completes it.”

Knowing Rayna would never change her mind once she made a decision, Curtis stopped trying to convince her. “All right. The day after tomorrow, then.”

Rayna nodded. “Okay.”

In the meantime, Cassidy was collecting some herbs from the storeroom at the Gilroy residence, while Yasmin followed her around with a little basket in hand.

“I wonder if these herbs will work on Belle's eyes.” Referring to what was recorded in her notebook, Cassidy weighed the herbs and placed them in the basket.

“So little?” Yasmin eyed the amount of herbs worth only two portions.

“I'm going to let Belle try consuming it for one day. The condition of her eyes is unstable, and I'm not sure if the issue is caused by that thing in her body or Arachrede poison. You mustn't tell them about this. I don't want Belle to lose confidence,” said Cassidy softly.

Yasmin nodded. “Okay.”

 

 

 

Chapter 712

When they got back from outside, Rayna's mind was still occupied with the crisis at Glory.

She did not even respond when Cassidy greeted them upon returning to the Gilroy residence.

Standing in the corridor, Cassidy tossed a puzzled look at Rayna and Curtis upon being ignored. Just as she was about to approach them to inquire what had happened, Curtis waved his hand at her, signaling her to keep quiet.

Cassidy froze in her tracks. Behind her, Yasmin was also looking at the couple with confusion written all over her face. “Ms. Cassidy, what about this medicine?” Yasmin asked as she raised the bottle of medicine in her hand. “Are we still giving this to her?”

Cassidy lowered her gaze to look at Yasmin. “Perhaps later.”

Even though Cassidy did not know what was going on, she figured that something grave had happened. Otherwise, Rayna would not look so dejected.

Without saying a word, Rayna headed straight to her bedroom with Curtis following closely behind her.

“I'd like to call Jasmine. Is that okay?” Rayna asked Curtis as she took a seat on the couch.

“Sure,” Curtis replied before fishing his phone out to dial Jasmine's number. He handed Rayna the phone after Jasmine answered the call.

Taking the phone from him, Rayna greeted the person on the other end of the call. “Hello, Jasmine.”

“Hello, Rayna. Why are you calling me? Is there something you'd like to talk about?” Jasmine was leaning against the leather chair in her office as she spoke on the phone. Outside, the sun was shining brightly in the clear, blue sky. Through the window, she fixed her gaze on the huge LED screen on the opposite building.

The news about Glory's product being suspected to have contained illegal substances was being broadcasted on the screen.

“It's about Glory.” Squinting to have a better vision, Rayna put the phone on speaker before continuing the conversation. “It's about the crisis regarding the new product released by Glory.”

“Rayna, what's important now is for you to heal your eyes. Don't worry about Glory, because I'm here. You've entrusted Glory to me, and I assure you, I won't let you return to a mess.” Jasmine reassured Rayna with a confident tone before changing the subject. “I heard Theodore mention that Curtis took you to a female descendent of a well-known prestigious family that practices traditional medicine and that you know each other. She has also agreed to give you treatment, is that right?”

“Mm-hmm. That's right.” Rayna nodded in response before raising her head to look at Curtis who was standing some distance away. Meanwhile, Jasmine's voice sounded from the phone's speaker. “That's great news. The heavens arranged such a great opportunity for you to be healed. You should play your part and cooperate. The sooner your eyes are healed, the sooner you can watch the children grow up.”

Jasmine used the children as an excuse. “Rayna, you really don't have to worry about Glory. Just focus on healing so you can come back as soon as possible. The children, Linda, and Old Mr. Faymon are all waiting for you guys to return.”

Rayna was about to say something, but when she heard what Jasmine had said, her thoughts were interrupted, rendering her at a loss for words.

“Is Curtis there? Rayna, can you pass the phone to Curtis?” Once again, Jasmine's voice could be heard over the phone.

Just as Rayna was hesitating, Curtis immediately walked forward and took the phone away from her. Turning off the speaker, he put the phone to his ear and turned to walk out of the room.

Rayna remained seated on the couch as she focused her blurred vision on Curtis' diminishing silhouette before pursing her lips into a thin line.

Curtis took a long time talking on the phone. Seeing that he had not returned for quite a while, Rayna was about to go and search for him. However, no sooner had she tried to stand up than she saw a blurry silhouette by the door.

Before she could ask who it was, Yasmin's childish voice rang out. “Ms. Belle, are you unhappy?”

As she spoke, the girl made her way to Rayna's side.

Reaching out her arm, Rayna pulled the girl closer to her. “Why do you think I'm unhappy?”

“When you entered the house just now, Ms. Cassidy wanted to greet you guys, but you were not smiling. After seeing your face, she did not go up to you guys and did not allow me to talk to you guys too.” Yasmin was quite fond of Rayna. She did not dislike Curtis, but she found him aloof and unapproachable, especially when Curtis would shoot her and Cassidy warning glances.

“Is that so? I didn't see you guys. I wasn't unhappy either. I was just thinking about something at that time,” Rayna explained.

“Oh.” Yasmin nodded despite not fully understanding the situation. Soon after, she whispered to Rayna, “Ms. Belle, I'm going to let you in on a secret. Ms. Cassidy has already prepared some medicine for you. She said that it'll cure your eyes.” As she spoke, she continued inwardly, She also said that it'll force out the thing inside your body, but she has forbidden me from telling you this for now.

“Really?” When Rayna heard what Yasmin had told her, she felt her spirits lift as she breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though she still did not know the effects of the medication, the fact that Cassidy could still come up with a treatment plan meant that her condition was not untreatable.

Rayna was thinking about how she should express her gratitude to Cassidy when the latter's voice could be heard from outside the room. “No wonder I couldn't find you downstairs. Why didn't you tell me that you were coming up here, Yasmin?”

As Cassidy spoke, she took a seat on the couch opposite Rayna and reached for a strawberry on the coffee table before taking a bite.

Rayna turned her attention to Cassidy. “Didn't you perform a simple check-up on me last time? Is my current condition suitable for treatment?” she asked.

When she heard that, Cassidy was slightly taken aback. Regaining her composure, she then swept her gaze across Yasmin, who was sitting beside Rayna.

Yasmin waved her hands, indicating that she had only told Rayna about the medicine and did not mention the check-up.

“I've already told your husband about your overall condition, so he knows about it. As for the treatment, don't worry. Even though I don't have fancy equipment here with me, traditional medicine is not inferior to modern medicine.” Cassidy said confidently, “I've promised you that I'll heal you, and I'll keep my word.” I'll also force out that thing inside your body.

“I trust you.” Rayna nodded with a smile before asking, “Is the medicine ready? I don't want my condition to drag on any further.”

“Yes, I've prepared the ingredients I need for your treatment and was about to prepare the medicine for you. But you seem to be caught up in something just now, so I didn't bring it up.” Cassidy got up from the couch and called out to Yasmin, “Let's go. Help me brew the medicine.”

Yasmin got up from the couch and exited the bedroom alongside Cassidy.

With Cassidy and Yasmin gone, the room fell silent once again.

Rayna crossed her legs as she sat on the couch and turned to look at the door once more. Seeing that Curtis still had not returned, she frowned slightly as she wondered what Curtis and Jasmine could be talking about.

Rayna waited for a long while inside the room. All of a sudden, the sound of footsteps and Robin's voice broke the silence. “Fluffy, Furry, come back!”

Nevertheless, the two creatures completely ignored Robin's commands. Seeing that the door to Rayna's bedroom was open, they immediately ran inside.

Before Rayna could react, she felt the couch sinking beside her. At the sight of the two creatures, she stretched out her hand and caressed their heads. “Are you here to ask for food? Hmm?” she asked teasingly.

Robin, who was standing aside, said to Rayna, “Mrs. Faymon, allow me to lock them up inside their cages. Mr. Faymon had instructed me to make sure that they won't accidentally hurt you.”

“They wouldn't hurt me.” Rayna dismissed Robin's concerns immediately, not believing a word he said. “If they wanted to hurt me, they would have done so the moment they saw me. Why would they wait?”

“I said 'accidentally', Mrs. Faymon. They have claws, like cats. I'm afraid that they might scratch you,” Robin said in a worried tone.

When Rayna heard Robin's statement, her curiosity was piqued. “They have claws?” She remembered that when she hugged them previously, all she could feel was their soft paws.

 

 

 

Chapter 713

Turning to her side, Rayna picked up one of the creatures and felt for its paw before pressing it gently.

As it turned out, the creatures did have claws, but they were retractable ones.

Rayna played with their claws for a brief moment before commenting, “It's just like a cat's claws.”

Fluffy gazed at Rayna and purred before leaning forward to lick her hand. It then rubbed its head against her palm.

“Its fur is quite smooth.” Rayna petted Fluffy and noted that its fur felt comfortable to the touch. “Are they noisy at night?” Rayna asked Robin.

Rayna thought for a moment before answering Rayna, “Sometimes. They seem to be very sensitive to the environment. A little movement is enough to alert them. They're kind of like dogs.”

“Is that so?” Rayna picked Fluffy up and placed it on her lap. Fluffy immediately curled up on her lap without making a fuss.

At that sight, Furry also leaped onto Rayna's lap and cuddled up next to Fluffy.

Curtis was greeted by the heartwarming scene upon return. Halting at the doorway, he shot the two creatures a cold look before advancing into the room.

Upon seeing Curtis enter the room, Robin quickly shot up from the couch and stood to the side.

Rayna looked at Robin before following his line of sight to look at Curtis. “Are you done with the call?”

“Mm-hmm,” Curtis hummed in response as his gaze fell onto the two creatures. “Why did you bring them here?” he asked Rayna with a gentle tone.

“They came here on their own,” Rayna replied without giving it much thought. “Robin told me that they have claws. I didn't even notice that before this. I only found out just now that they have retractable cat- like claws.”

“They're probably felines, but as for what species they are, I couldn't find anything on the internet.” Curtis picked up a mug and poured himself some water before taking a sip to soothe his throat.

A crease formed between Rayna's brows when she heard what Curtis had said. She lowered her head to look at the two creatures. “Could you fellas be rare exotic animals? How can there be absolutely no information about you?”

As soon as Rayna finished speaking, Furry stood up from her lap and sniffed the area near Rayna's mouth and nose.

“Does my breath smell?” Rayna furrowed her brows in confusion when she saw Furry raising its head and sniffing her breath. Cupping her hand around her mouth, Rayna huffed out a breath and sniffed. “No, it doesn't. What are you sniffing at, Furry?”

Rayna touched the tip of Furry's nose affectionately. In response, the creature lay back down on her lap.

“Oh, by the way, Cassidy said that she had prepared some medications for me.” Rayna turned to

Curtis. “She said that we can try it out.”

“Let's go take a look.” Curtis placed the mug on the table and got up. When he saw that Rayna remained on the couch, he asked, “Are you not coming?”

“I'll pass. It's not like I can see clearly. I wouldn't be able to see anything even if I go. I might as well stay here and play with these two,” Rayna stated lightly.

Hearing that, Curtis did not insist that she come along. “I'll go have a look.”

“Okay,” Rayna replied. With that, he turned to leave the room once again.

Robin stood aside wordlessly, keeping his head lowered. When Rayna saw that, she asked, “Why aren't you following him?”

“I'm not familiar with the herbs Ms. Cassidy uses. A lot of the herbs she has here are rare, and I can't even tell what they are. There's no point in me going.” Robin smiled sheepishly as he scratched his head.

Upon noticing how he was constantly staring at the two creatures on her lap, Rayna could not help asking, “Why do you look so worried?”

Robin froze momentarily when he heard the question before answering, “They have claws...”

Rayna detected a hint of abnormality in Robin's tone. “Is it really only because of the claws?” Rayna probed gently.

She did not think so.

“If you dare lie to my face, I'll report you to Curtis when he comes back. Then you'll be in trouble.” Rayna feigned a serious look as she glanced at Robin. “Think carefully, Mr. Yeast.”

Rayna's serious face was a rare sight to behold. Panicking, Robin furrowed his brows hesitantly, clearly troubled.

Upon hearing Robin's sigh, Rayna lowered her gaze to play with the two creatures on her lap instead of staring at the man.

“Mr. Faymon said that these two have an unidentified origin. Besides... one of them has a microchip. Mr. Faymon suspected that they have been intentionally planted by your side by someone.” Taking a deep breath, Robin told Rayna everything in one breath. He would turn to look at the door from time to time, fearing that Curtis would return.

When Rayna heard Robin's answer, she said, “This does sound like something he would say, but, microchip, you say? Is that true?”

“It is. I've already taken a photo of it and verified it with a reliable source. My informant told me that most people will implant a microchip beneath their pets' skin with the intention of tracking them.” As he spoke, Robin tossed a careful look at Rayna. He patted his chest and sighed in relief after seeing her calm expression. Good. She doesn't seem upset.

Rayna began feeling around the two creatures' bodies, but without knowing the location of the microchip, she could not find anything. When Robin saw what she was doing, he figured that she was trying to look for the microchip. Just as he was about to step forward and help her, he caught sight of

Curtis returning.

“What's wrong?” Curtis shot Robin a sharp glare.

Stepping aside, Robin admitted with a soft voice, “Mrs. Faymon asked me about the two creatures. I told her about the microchip.”

Curtis' expression darkened immediately at those words. He turned to Robin and shot the latter a stern glare.

“Don't intimidate Mr. Yeast all the time,” Rayna said when she vaguely saw that Curtis was glaring at Robin. “I was the one who forced him to tell me. It's not his fault.”

Seeing that Rayna was defending him, Robin cast a grateful look at the woman.

“Cassidy said that we'll have to wait until the afternoon before the medicine is ready.” As he spoke, Curtis bent down and tried to shoo the two creatures away but was stopped by Rayna.

“What are you doing? They're comfortable lying here.” Rayna glared at Curtis and warned, “They're just two small animals. No matter how capable they are, they can't possibly outsmart human beings, can they? Why can't you accept them?”

“It's not that I won't accept them. It's just that—” Curtis attempted to explain in a soft voice when he noticed Rayna's annoyance.

“You're worried that they'll accidentally hurt me, right?” Rayna cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

“They're animals, after all. They don't know how to control themselves,” Curtis quickly explained.

Yet, his mind wandered back to what had happened when Rayna was trapped in the living room of the mansion two days ago.

Subconsciously, Curtis believed that the two creatures had something to do with the thing inside Rayna's body. Alas, he had no solid proof, so his thoughts were merely baseless speculations.

Rayna was rendered speechless. She didn't know how to refute his statement, so she changed the subject. “Did you see what those herbs look like?”

Curtis took a seat across from Rayna and crossed his legs. He was about to glare at the two creatures to make them leave when Rayna's question interrupted him.

“Everything's inside the cauldron. There's not much to be seen. Most of them had already dissolved.” Curtis remembered the list of herbs that he had gotten from Cassidy a moment ago. He quickly handed the list to Robin. “Look up the names and effects of the herbs on this list and then inform me afterward.”

Taking the slip of paper from Curtis, Robin hummed in response and turned to leave the room.

 

 

Chapter 714

While caressing Furry and Fluffy, Rayna lifted her eyes to stare at Curtis. “Is it difficult to look into the herbs that Cassidy uses?”

“Well, it's not as if we can't find something similar. As long as it grows on this planet, Cassidy can't be the only one who knows about it,” Curtis replied calmly.

When Rayna saw that Curtis was exchanging looks with the two creatures, she reached out and covered their eyes, breaking the stare down.

Curtis looked away. Leaning his body against the couch, he then turned his gaze to the window and stared at the darkening skies outside.

“It's been raining here. Looks like it's going to be a heavy downpour again,” Rayna murmured as she followed his gaze. The sky, which had been eye-blisteringly bright earlier, was now completely covered by dark clouds.

“Yeah.”

The two of them quietly rested on the couch in the bedroom. Soon after, Rayna detected a faint medicinal scent.

“Is Cassidy preparing the medicine?” Rayna asked Curtis.

Curtis took a sniff and realized that the smell wasn't the same as it was before. The scent was incredibly pungent, and it did not seem that it had wafted in from somewhere else. He deduced it must have come from the courtyard.

“I think so,” Curtis replied uncertainly.

Rayna could hear the doubt in his tone. “Isn't this the scent you smelled when you went over earlier?”

“Yes,” Curtis responded.

“It's quite an interesting herb, isn't it? It's almost like a perfume with its top notes and base notes.”

Compared to Rayna's nonchalance, Curtis was feeling the opposite.

It was a herbal concoction that was new and untested, and perhaps Rayna would become the first test subject since there were no previous studies.

Because of this, the suspicion in Curtis' heart could not be quelled until things were finally affirmed.

It was apparent that the other party was after Rayna, and they clearly had plans that involved her.

Curtis and Rayna were unaware of the other party's true identity and motives.

Presently, the only suspect they had was Fernando's godfather, Andrew Zeller, yet they did not know much about him.

A lot of their information was from hearsay, and they did not have solid evidence.

“Were you the one who made lunch today?” Rayna suddenly recalled that they currently did not have a

chef.

“Do you not like it?” Curtis turned away from the window to look at Rayna tenderly.

“No, I was just curious,” Rayna replied with a smile. “I certainly don't mind if you continue to prepare our meals.”

Curtis' cooking skills were not terrible. In fact, his skills weren't too shoddy when compared to a professional chef's.

“I'll continue to cook for the next two days since we haven't found a suitable chef,” Curtis said in a low voice.

He could no longer trust the people in Jayfort.

An hour before lunchtime, Rayna followed Curtis and headed downstairs.

The moment they set foot in the living room, they smelled a pungent herbal scent. The herbal scent carried with it a hint of an unknown floral fragrance.

It was overall a pleasant fragrance.

Curtis entered the kitchen with Rayna and the two creatures at his heels.

“I want to watch you cook,” Rayna said as she grinned at Curtis.

“It's rather smoky in the kitchen.” Curtis was unwilling to let Rayna stay in the kitchen because of the

inevitable smokiness. The kitchen currently did not have a kitchen hood installed and the smoke could only exit through the window.

“I don't mind,” Rayna said as she leaned against the door to watch Curtis.

Curtis had no choice but to let her be.

After some time, Rayna asked, “Where are Cassidy and Yasmin?”

Curtis pointed somewhere outside the window. “They are in the dispensary in the backyard, not the front yard.”

Rayna strode over to the wooden window frames. Narrowing her eyes, she stared out of the windows and coincidentally spotted Yasmin who had just exited the building.

“Yasmin!” Rayna called out.

Yasmin turned toward the voice and saw Rayna standing by the window. She went up to the latter and said, “Ms. Belle, Ms. Cassidy says the concoction will be ready after lunchtime.”

After nodding in response, Rayna asked, “Do you also know how to prepare the medicine?”

“Of course,” Yasmin replied. “Ms. Cassidy is teaching me, but I'm having a hard time using the furnace.” She scratched her head in embarrassment.

“I think you're doing great!” Rayna praised. “I won't even know where to begin.”

Just as the two were chatting, Cassidy came out of the building holding a metal ball of sorts. Upon noticing the item, Rayna asked curiously, “What's that?”

Yasmin followed her gaze and saw the steel ball. “Oh, that's used to get a better quality extract from the herbs. I don't know the name, however. No one told me, and I never thought to ask.”

“Didn't Cassidy tell you?” Rayna's curiosity was piqued.

What is that item that Cassidy would even keep the name a secret from Yasmin?

“Nope. But it's probably because I never thought to ask,” Yasmin replied indifferently. “Maybe Ms. Cassidy doesn't know what it's called either.”

“What makes you say that?” Rayna was puzzled.

“Ms. Cassidy's parents passed away all of a sudden and they weren't able to teach her everything that was passed down from the Gilroy family. It seems that there are some age requirements to pass down the secrets of the Gilroy family from one generation to the next,” Yasmin explained.

“I see,” Rayna murmured understandingly. “How did Cassidy's parents pass away, though?”

“I heard it was a car accident in the mountains. By the time Ms. Cassidy arrived at the hospital, her parents had passed on. The police could not tell her the specific cause of death.” Yasmin recalled what she knew of the incident. “However, one of the nurses said that Ms. Cassidy's parents were left outside the hospital. By the time they were found, they were barely hanging on.”

After listening to that, Rayna came to an understanding.

So that's why they weren't able to discover the cause of death. It seems that the police did not carry out a proper investigation and only gave Cassidy a perfunctory excuse the hospital gave.

But why didn't Cassidy push for a further investigation? Is it because she already knew the answer? If that's the case, based on what I know of her personality, I don't think she's someone who will endure it just like that.

Rayna withdrew her gaze and turned around to see Curtis washing the vegetables. “Let me do it,” she said as she reached out and grabbed the half-cleaned vegetables from him. “You can do something else.”

Curtis hesitated for a moment before deciding to let Rayna help out in the end.

After showing Rayna the rest of the vegetables that needed to be washed, he went over to the stove and prepared to cook.

Yasmin stood in front of the window, smiling faintly as she watched the scene before her in a daze.

She felt as if she had witnessed a similar scene before. A man and a woman in a kitchen preparing food.

However, she had no idea if it was a dream, a fantasy, or even something she had seen on television. It had somehow left an impression on her mind.

 

 

 

Chapter 715

Rayna and Curtis had a discussion after lunch.

“I intend to return to Norwal City, so I'll be leaving Glory to Jasmine for the time being. But I'll still be checking in regularly,” Rayna announced. “Do you think that would work?”

Curtis fell silent. After a moment, he said, “But your eyes are still...”

Curtis considered curing Rayna's eyes as the main priority, and her eyes would occasionally worsen from time to time. Although Rayna herself was unaware of it, Curtis had spotted cataracts clouding her eyes for the past two days.

“I know my eyes aren't in the greatest condition right now, but I can't spend the entire time treating them. There are things I can do in this free time.” Rayna softened her voice. “Please? I miss the kids and I want to see them.”

Curtis hesitated. Before he could reply, Cassidy's voice sounded from behind them. “The medicine is ready. You should drink it before it gets cold!”

Cassidy came over with a bowl of brownish liquid and placed it in front of the table before Rayna. Noticing their expressions, she asked curiously, “Did you guys have a fight?”

Looking at Cassidy, Rayna said aggrievedly, “Not really. It's just that I wish to return to Norwal City to take care of some matters.”

“Is it related to your company?” Cassidy asked.

“Yeah.” Rayna nodded.

“Okay, how about this? I'll prepare several dosages you can take with you. When you're done with them you can come to me. Regardless, you have to take medicine to regulate your condition. I don't think your work will be affected too much.” Cassidy sat down beside Rayna. “You must not be used to living in small towns like ours, having lived in the city.”

“That's not what we meant,” Rayna explained. “I miss the kids and want to see them, and I can take care of complicated affairs the company has run into at the same time.”

“It's all right, I understand. I have no problems with whatever decision you go with. I'll just continue to prepare your medicine for you.” Cassidy patted Rayna on the hand before turning to look at Curtis. She saw him wearing a gloomy expression and that he was deep in thought.

When Rayna did not hear Curtis' response, she turned to look at him. “Curtis, what do you think?”

Curtis nodded in response. “Okay, it's your call.”

A smile replaced the worried look on Rayna's face. “All right, then. It's settled.”

“When are the two of you departing? So I can make the necessary preparations,” Cassidy asked.

“The day after tomorrow,” Curtis replied slowly. “We'll be leaving at noon the day after tomorrow.”

“All right. Then I'll get to preparing half a month's worth of medicine.” Upon saying that, Cassidy left the living room.

Rayna was pleased about finally obtaining Curtis' promise. Her mood lifted considerably and just as she was about to leave as well, Curtis stopped her. “What's the matter?”

“Your medicine.” Curtis gestured at the medicine on the table. Only then did Rayna recall that she had not taken her dosage. Pinching her nose, she hurriedly gulped down the bowlful of liquid.

She had assumed that it would taste bitter. Much to her surprise, not only was it not bitter, it even smelled faintly of flowers and was mostly tasteless.

“Is it bitter?” Curtis asked in concern when he noticed Rayna's expression.

Rayna shook her head. “No, it's not, but it's also not sweet. It smells faintly of flowers.” She passed the bowl to Curtis. “Take a whiff.”

Curtis accepted the bowl and took a sniff. “You're right.”

He frowned as he recalled that there weren't any floral ingredients listed on the prescription. No matter how he racked his brains, he could not recall ever seeing it written there.

“How do you feel after drinking it? Do you feel any discomfort?” Curtis asked after setting down the bowl.

“Nope. In fact, I feel better after drinking it,” Rayna said as she massaged her neck. “It has a bit of a cooling effect.”

“Cooling effect?” Curtis was puzzled. Why would she feel a cooling effect from drinking a warm

concoction?

Curtis stood up and pulled Rayna along with him. “Let's go see Cassidy.”

“Okay,” Rayna said and followed Curtis in search of Cassidy.

Inside the dispensary, Cassidy was currently measuring some herbs while being aided by Yasmin. When she saw Curtis and Rayna come in, she smiled. “Have you finished your medicine?”

“I have. It wasn't bitter at all.” Rayna smiled. “Are these the ingredients you use?” She squinted at their surroundings. Although her vision wasn't good, she could still see a little.

“This is most of it. There are some that are kept elsewhere. I don't feel comfortable keeping everything in the same place in case something happens,” Cassidy explained.

Curtis swept his eyes across the herbs in the room and the names written on the labels of the cabinets. “Do you use any floral ingredients in your concoction?”

“I do. In fact, there's a lot of them.” When Cassidy glanced over and met Curtis' piercing gaze, she subconsciously looked away.

“What was it in the medicine I had just drunk? It was fragrant, yet somehow faint.” Rayna described the taste the best she could.

“That was silvery wormwood, not a flower. Although it's not a flowering plant, it does give off a floral taste,” Cassidy said. “You've seen silvery wormwood before. Do you remember?”

“Was it on Shvomhid Mountain?”

“Yes. You even picked some and got the scent all over your hands. You mentioned that it smelled pleasant,” Cassidy said as she placed the measured herbs into a basket. “Don't worry. I didn't add anything strange to your medicine. How could I possibly harm you? You're Isabelle. You indirectly saved my life on Shvomhid Mountain. How could I repay your kindness with animosity?”

“Are you referring to the incident in the mountain cave?” Rayna thought of the incident at Shvomhid Mountain several years ago.

“Yes. It was raining heavily that day and the winds were very strong. It was extremely cold in the mountains. I remember there was a boy who looked like a foreigner.”

Curtis, who was going over the herbs in the room, was struck by her words.

A foreigner?

“Cassidy, what do you mean by a foreigner? Are you referring to his appearance?” Curtis asked in a low voice.

“The boy's eye color, hair, and other features look multiracial,” Cassidy elaborated after giving the matter some thought. To Rayna, she said, “Do you really not remember him? He was quite taken with you, but you didn't have a good impression of him and said that he had an old-fashioned way of speaking.”

After listening to Cassidy's words, Rayna recalled something. “I vaguely recall such a person. Did I cut my hand on the grass because I tried to drag him up?”

“Yes, that's it! It was him.” Cassidy clapped her hands enthusiastically when she saw Rayna had managed to recall the incident. However, she accidentally messed up the herbs she had been preparing. “Oh no! This is all messed up now. There's too much!”

Curtis walked over to the table and looked down at the herbs Cassidy had placed there. He picked some herbs at random, brought them to his nose, and sniffed them. It's scentless...

“That's just tree bark.” Cassidy pouted when she saw Curtis' wary expression. “Curtis, there is no way I'd harm Isabelle, but I can't say I feel the same toward you...” she muttered irritably.

“Cassidy, I know you mean me no harm. Curtis also doesn't mean anything by it.” Rayna hurriedly stopped her before she could continue her sentence.

Cassidy rolled her eyes helplessly. “If it weren't for the fact that he treats you well, I wouldn't even tolerate him!”

Rayna broke into a radiant smile.

 

 

Chapter 716

Curtis wasn't offended by Cassidy's words in the slightest as he stood there at the side.

Rayna walked up to Curtis and wrapped her arm around his. “Shall we go out for a walk?”

Curtis put the herbs down and turned to look her in the eyes. “Sure.”

Cassidy breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the two of them walk out the door.

“Why did you lie, Ms. Cassidy?” Yasmin asked when she saw the look on Cassidy's face.

Cassidy froze when she heard that. After taking a few seconds to regain her composure, she reached out and patted Yasmin on the head. “It was a white lie. There are some things that Belle and her husband are better off not knowing.”

“But there are flowers in the herbs. The inside of this paper bag is coated with pollen, so any herb we put inside will absorb the flower's fragrance and dissolve in water when decocted,” Yasmin said while glancing at the paper bag.

Cassidy bent over and looked Yasmin in the eye. “Unless you don't want to see Nando ever again, you will not tell anyone about this, Yasmin. Is that understood?”

Yasmin nodded. “Y-Yes...”

“That's good. I won't hurt Belle, but I don't want her and her husband getting too involved in this. Do you know what I mean?”

“I understand. I won't tell anyone unless you say it's okay to,” Yasmin replied with a nod.

Rayna and Curtis had just arrived at the courtyard when Robin came in with two plastic bags in his hands.

“What are those, Mr. Yeast?” Rayna asked.

“Cat food. I bought two small packs a while back. The cats have almost finished them all, so I went out to buy some more,” Robin replied.

Having been reminded of the two cats, Rayna was about to say something when Curtis stopped her. “No, you're not allowed to bring them home.”

“Okay...” Rayna replied with a nod and kept quiet after that.

We have three babies at home, so there's a possibility that the cats would accidentally hurt the babies. Since we'll be returning to Jayfort every two weeks, it won't make a difference to keep the cats here instead. I'll figure something out after everything is taken care of.

Rayna and Curtis then left the courtyard and were about to go for a walk when they saw a police car parked outside.

She looked up at Curtis and asked, “Is this your doing?”

I remember bringing this up with him before. He said he would take care of it.

Curtis nodded. “Yeah.”

The next thing they knew, a gray-haired young man stepped out of the police car.

He walked up to Curtis and greeted him politely, “Hello, Mr. Faymon.”

Curtis glanced at the police car and saw that there were four other people inside. “Since you're here, let's head over and have a look.”

He then gave Rayna a pat on the hand and asked, “Do you want to head back into the house and wait for me?”

Rayna shook her head. “No, I'll go with you. I can't see very clearly, so it won't scare me anyway. Should we inform Cassidy before heading over?”

Since we're going to investigate the sudden death of the cook's family member, we should probably tell Cassidy about it.

“No, we'll just head over on our own. Cassidy wouldn't want us getting involved in this,” Curtis said.

That was when Rayna recalled how Cassidy had begged for her help on that matter.

She flashed Curtis a confused glance and asked, “Did Cassidy tell you about this?”

“No, she didn't. I deduced it on my own,” Curtis replied. He held Rayna's hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he led her forward. The four people in the police car quickly got out and followed behind them.

Yasmin was confused when she came out of the house with a basket of herbs and saw the police car parked outside.

“What are you looking at?” Cassidy asked when she noticed Yasmin staring out the front door.

“There's a police car,” Yasmin replied while pointing outside.

Cassidy stiffened the moment she heard that. She quickly put her basket down and rushed to the front door.

Sure enough, there was a police car parked outside. Upon checking the vehicle registration plate, she realized it was not from her area.

Cassidy clenched her fists as she looked up and saw Rayna and Curtis in the distance.

Yasmin frowned in confusion when she saw the solemn look on Cassidy's face.

Frences came running out of the courtyard and was headed in the direction of Curtis and the others.

Cassidy quickly grabbed him by the arm before asking sternly, “Who did you guys call?”

“Don't you see the police car? We called the police, duh!” Frences was a little confused as to why Cassidy was so angry at him, but he didn't have time for that. He quickly brushed her arm off and ran toward the group.

Noticing that Rayna kept glancing about as she stood in front of an old metal door, Curtis asked, “How

about I have someone send you back in a bit?”

Rayna shook her head. “No, I'm fine.”

Curtis didn't want Rayna to get involved in this incident. He wouldn't have interfered either if he didn't find this town suspicious. On top of that, his instincts were telling him that some of the stuff that happened to Rayna had something to do with this town.

The gray-haired man stepped forward and was about to knock on the door when it opened from the inside.

A young man, who looked really tired, stepped out of the house. He glanced at the gray-haired man in uniform before shifting his gaze toward Curtis and Rayna. “Who are you guys looking for?”

“We're here to investigate a case. Can we come in?” the gray-haired man said while displaying his ID.

The young man was somewhat shocked and confused when he heard that.

“Who is it, Hubby? Who are you talking to?” A woman's voice rang out from inside the house. As Rayna leaned forward, she saw a scantily clad young woman making her way toward the door.

“I'll go get changed,” the young woman said when she saw Curtis and Rayna.

She then went back inside to get changed.

The young man shot his wife a glance before stepping aside to let them in.

The gray-haired man followed him into the courtyard while Curtis, Rayna, and the four policemen tagged along.

“Where's the victim?” asked the gray-haired man.

“He's my father. We've transferred his body into a coffin. The burial is scheduled for tomorrow,” the young man explained.

“May I have a look at the body?” the gray-haired man asked.

The young man led the group to the place where the coffin was.

This time, Curtis and Rayna waited outside while the gray-haired man led his subordinates inside.

They donned face masks and latex gloves before opening the coffin for an examination.

While waiting, Rayna looked at the courtyard and noticed that it had been kept very neat and tidy. All of the plants were clearly tended to with a lot of care.

Having gotten a change of clothes, the young woman made her way over and called out to her husband in a gentle voice, “Hubby.”

The young man stepped forward, pulled his wife aside, and whispered something in her ear.

After conducting a brief examination, the gray-haired man said to Curtis and Rayna, “We haven't found anything unusual. There are a few suspicious-looking wounds, but we'll have to conduct a more detailed examination to know more about them.”

“The burial is tomorrow, though. Would you have enough time to do that?” Curtis asked.

The gray-haired man glanced at his watch as he replied, “I'm afraid not. Unless the local police force gives us their full cooperation, it'll be incredibly difficult. I'll go submit an application and try my best to get results by today.”

Curtis nodded. He was about to leave the house with Rayna when the woman called out to them from behind, “Wait a minute.”

 

 

 

Chapter 717

Chapter 717 Experimental Product

Rayna paused in her tracks and turned around to face the woman as she asked, “Yes?”

“I just wanted to remind you guys to be careful around Cassidy,” the woman said before making her way back into the house.

“Why?” Rayna asked.

“You guys are carrying out an investigation, right? You'll find out why once you get to the bottom of this.” The woman then returned to the living room after saying that.

The young man quickly followed his wife back into the house while Rayna stood there wondering what the woman meant.

“Come on, let's go. We can worry about that after they finish the investigation,” Curtis said while leading Rayna out of the courtyard.

After seeing Curtis and Rayna leave, the gray-haired man put the samples into a box and ordered two of his men to stay behind. Then, he left the house with one of his men.

“Who is that text from?” Rayna asked when she saw Curtis staring at his phone on the drive back.

Curtis looked her in the eye as he replied, “It's from James. He says the Serekos' genes have been modified. That's why they secreted that sticky fluid.”

Having recalled something, Rayna asked, “An experimental product? Does that have anything to do

with the soil at the Gilroy residence?”

“There may be some differences in the soil's acidity, but it's not going to make a huge difference,” Curtis replied.

“How do you explain the flowers, then?” Rayna still refused to believe that the soil had nothing to do with it.

“That is a question that only Cassidy can answer. Don't worry about any of this. I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of things,” Curtis reassured her while putting his phone into his pocket.

Rayna nodded. “Yeah, you're right.”

The two then headed back together.

Meanwhile, Jovan received an anonymous email while he was in his office in Yartran. The email contained pictures of Rayna and a detailed list of her recent activities.

Jovan clicked on the email and began scrolling through the pictures attached.

It wasn't until he saw Cassidy in the pictures that he quickly whipped out his phone and called the other party.

“Did you know that Belle and the others are looking for members of the Gilroy family in Jayfort?” Jovan asked as soon as the call got through.

“Yes, I did,” replied the person on the other line.

“Why didn't you tell me, then?” Jovan pressed on.

“Why didn't you tell me, then?” Joven pressed on.

“Would you heve been eble to stop them if I told you? Anywey, finding Cessidy won't do them eny good, so you don't heve to worry ebout e thing.”

Joven got up end mede his wey over to the window. “How will you guerentee thet? Also, how much longer do I heve to weit?”

“You need to be petient in order to get whet you went. Teke it eesy, end it'll come eventuelly,” the men seid end hung up the phone before Joven could respond.

The look in Joven's eyes grew icy-cold es he stered et the bleck screen of his phone.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Right then, there wes e knock on the door, followed by e women esking, “Joven? Are you in there?”

Joven turned eround end seid impetiently, “Don't bother coming in unless it's ebout work.”

The women clenched her fists. “Mr. Iseec wented me to remind you thet you two will be visiting Cheneee together next month. Will you be going?”

Joven's lips curled into e feint smile when he heerd thet. “Yes, I will.”

Visiting Cheneee will provide me with the perfect opportunity!

Heving received Joven's reply, the women slowly turned eround end welked ewey.

Reyne burned up with e high fever leter thet night.

Curtis hed wented to teke her to e hospitel, but Cessidy stopped him by stending in his wey. “Teking her to e hospitel won't do her eny good.”

With Reyne in his erms, Curtis glered et Cessidy end esked, “Did you do something to her medicetion?”

“No. As I seid, I will never hurt Belle. Thet medicetion is too much for her body to hendle. It's perfectly normel for her to develop such side effects when consuming it for the first time. Even if you teke her to e hospitel, the doctors will just hook her up to en IV drip or something. The medicetion they edminister will only effect the efficecy of the one she took. It'll be e lot herder to treet her if thet heppens,” Cessidy seid es she continued blocking his peth.

“Then why didn't you tell us ebout this sooner?” Curtis esked while glering deggers et her.

“I...” Heving been ceught completely off guerd by Curtis' question, Cessidy didn't know whet to tell him. After hesiteting for e bit, she replied, “Beceuse I know you don't trust me. Given whet heppened to Fernendo, it's perfectly understendeble why you would feel thet wey ebout me. However, you mustn't teke Belle to e hospitel. I edded e herb to her medicetion to help rid her body of thet thing. It's bed to heve thet thing inside her for too long. Also, thet thing is... Look, ell I'm seying is, I won't hurt Belle. It's reelly windy out there, so you should bring her beck inside es soon es possible. I heve e wey to bring

her fever down.”

“Why didn't you tell me, then?” Jovan pressed on.

“Would you have been able to stop them if I told you? Anyway, finding Cassidy won't do them any good, so you don't have to worry about a thing.”

Jovan got up and made his way over to the window. “How will you guarantee that? Also, how much longer do I have to wait?”

“You need to be patient in order to get what you want. Take it easy, and it'll come eventually,” the man said and hung up the phone before Jovan could respond.

The look in Jovan's eyes grew icy-cold as he stared at the black screen of his phone.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Right then, there was a knock on the door, followed by a woman asking, “Jovan? Are you in there?”

Jovan turned around and said impatiently, “Don't bother coming in unless it's about work.”

The woman clenched her fists. “Mr. Isaac wanted me to remind you that you two will be visiting Chanaea together next month. Will you be going?”

Jovan's lips curled into a faint smile when he heard that. “Yes, I will.”

Visiting Chanaea will provide me with the perfect opportunity!

Having received Jovan's reply, the woman slowly turned around and walked away.

Rayna burned up with a high fever later that night.

Curtis had wanted to take her to a hospital, but Cassidy stopped him by standing in his way. “Taking her to a hospital won't do her any good.”

With Rayna in his arms, Curtis glared at Cassidy and asked, “Did you do something to her medication?”

“No. As I said, I will never hurt Belle. That medication is too much for her body to handle. It's perfectly normal for her to develop such side effects when consuming it for the first time. Even if you take her to a hospital, the doctors will just hook her up to an IV drip or something. The medication they administer will only affect the efficacy of the one she took. It'll be a lot harder to treat her if that happens,” Cassidy said as she continued blocking his path.

“Then why didn't you tell us about this sooner?” Curtis asked while glaring daggers at her.

“I...” Having been caught completely off guard by Curtis' question, Cassidy didn't know what to tell him. After hesitating for a bit, she replied, “Because I know you don't trust me. Given what happened to Fernando, it's perfectly understandable why you would feel that way about me. However, you mustn't take Belle to a hospital. I added a herb to her medication to help rid her body of that thing. It's bad to have that thing inside her for too long. Also, that thing is... Look, all I'm saying is, I won't hurt Belle. It's really windy out there, so you should bring her back inside as soon as possible. I have a way to bring her fever down.”

Curtis narrowed his eyes. “You mentioned something being inside her body. What is that thing? It's not a parasite, is it?”

Cassidy's face went pale. “N-No, not at all!”

“What is it, then?” Curtis pressed on, but Cassidy simply kept quiet. Having lost his patience, he ordered, “Do it, Robin!”

Robin walked up to Yasmin and grabbed her by the shoulder.

“You'd better tell me the truth right now, or I will have this girl killed tonight! Start talking!” Curtis shouted with a vicious look in his eyes, prompting Robin to start squeezing Yasmin's throat.

“Ms. Cassidy!” Yasmin screamed while struggling with all her might.

“It's something we cultivated by combining the DNA sequence of several different creatures. It is able to live underneath a person's skin for a long period of time and stimulate the cells in their body. I don't know the details, but I do know that Fernando has been experimenting with it on human specimens. He claims that it is able to help preserve a person's youthful appearance,” Cassidy explained, and as soon as she finished, the door behind her was kicked open.

Cassidy turned around and saw a few men in black making their way over.

“Curtis!” James called out to him as he ran into the courtyard dressed in a trench coat. He tensed up when he saw Rayna lying unconscious in Curtis' arms. “She's talking about the white eggs within the Serekos. Our men have located the base where the experiments are conducted, but they couldn't get in.”

Standing next to Curtis and Rayna, James held up his phone and revealed that he was on a video call with Jeremy.

“Mr. Zeller was planning on using those things in his cosmetics research, right?” Jeremy asked.

Theodore and Jasmine could be seen standing next to him.

Cassidy shook her head and looked away to avoid direct eye contact with them. “I don't know the details.”

 

 

 

Chapter 718 Crazy Is An Understatement

“We'll find out even if you don't tell us. Mr. Zeller snuck into Glory and injected the parasite eggs into the newly developed products. You can't spot them because they blend in so well with the white- colored facial cream. That's why the customers thought it was our products that caused the issues on their faces,” Jasmine said, staring right at Cassidy.

“Fernando and I have nothing to do with that!” Cassidy said.

“So, you do know something about that,” Curtis said coldly when he saw Cassidy freaking out.

“Yes, I do. I also knew that you guys would find me eventually. For now, you should carry Belle back into the house. Her body is responding to that thing inside her as we speak. We need to take care of her, or she could die.”

“What happened to Rayna?” James asked when he heard that.

Curtis simply shot him a glance before carrying Rayna into the house.

James and Cassidy followed behind him as he carried her back into the bedroom.

Curtis placed Rayna down on the bed and touched her forehead, which was burning hot.

Cassidy came over with a bucket of water and wiped Rayna's body down with a wet towel. She then handed Curtis the towel and said, “Continue wiping her body down like this a few times, then lower her temperature with alcohol. I'll go prepare some medication to bring her fever down.”

She went downstairs and headed straight to the warehouse.

James followed her into the warehouse and frowned slightly when he saw the huge sacks of herbs.

He opened up one of the sacks on the bench, only to freeze in shock when he saw its contents. He did the same with the next sack.

Cassidy had just retrieved a herb from the storage when she turned around and saw what he was doing. She tried to stop him, but he grabbed her by the wrist and asked, “These herbs are protected species. Where did you get them?”

“I plucked them myself. Let go of me, or your sister will die,” Cassidy replied.

James had no choice but to let go of her when he heard that.

After leaving the warehouse, Cassidy made a beeline for the dispensary.

James was so shocked by his finding that he just stood there in the warehouse and stared blankly into space.

Vance, who was standing in the courtyard, made his way over and asked, “Pretty crazy, huh?”

Oh, crazy is an understatement here. This is mind-blowing!

Oh, crezy is en understetement here. This is mind-blowing!

“She seid she plucked these herbs herself. This genoderme sure is huge,” Jemes commented while picking up e genoderme.

“I think we need to go to the spot she frequents when gethering herbs. Mr. Feymon suspects thet whet heppened to your sister could be releted to something you two heve experienced in the pest.”

Jemes turned to look et Vence in confusion. “Shvomhid Mountein?”

“Thet is possible,” Vence replied with e nod.

Jemes' eyes turned gloomy es he welked up to the door end stered et the greenery in the courtyerd.

Reyne's fever finelly subsided et eround four in the morning.

Curtis hed steyed by her side the entire time. He didn't dere step ewey, not even for e second.

Cessidy, on the other hend, set down on the cerpet in front of e coffee teble end took e nep.

The first thing Reyne sew upon opening her eyes wes Curtis holding her hend es he slept in the cheir next to the bed.

She breethed e sigh of relief when she weved her hend in front of her eyes end confirmed thet she could see it.

Her vision wesn't exectly cleer, but it hed improved e lot compered to before. At the very leest, she no longer felt es though she hed e membrene covering her eyes.

Curtis opened his eyes when he felt e movement from Reyne's hend. “How ere you feeling? Are you experiencing eny discomfort?” he esked when he sew thet she wes eweke.

He then touched her foreheed end edded, “Hmm... Your fever hes subsided.”

Thet wes when Reyne reelized she hed developed e fever eerlier. “I'm sorry for worrying you like this,” she seid epologeticelly.

“Would you like to heve some weter?” Curtis helped her sit upright.

Reyne nodded. “Yeeh.”

Curtis poured e gless of weter et the coffee teble end brought it over to her.

As Reyne took the gless of weter from him, she noticed Cessidy sleeping et the coffee teble. “Did she spend the night here too?”

“Yeeh,” Curtis replied in e hoerse voice.

“See? I told you Cessidy isn't e bed person, but you wouldn't believe me,” Reyne seid with en eyebrow erched es she sipped on the weter.

Curtis gently ren his fingers through her messy heir end pleced the gless of weter eside. He froze in shock when he turned eround end sew her stering right et him. “You cen see now?” he esked while weving his hend in front of her fece.

Oh, crazy is an understatement here. This is mind-blowing!

“She said she plucked these herbs herself. This ganoderma sure is huge,” James commented while picking up a ganoderma.

“I think we need to go to the spot she frequents when gathering herbs. Mr. Faymon suspects that what happened to your sister could be related to something you two have experienced in the past.”

James turned to look at Vance in confusion. “Shvomhid Mountain?”

“That is possible,” Vance replied with a nod.

James' eyes turned gloomy as he walked up to the door and stared at the greenery in the courtyard.

Rayna's fever finally subsided at around four in the morning.

Curtis had stayed by her side the entire time. He didn't dare step away, not even for a second.

Cassidy, on the other hand, sat down on the carpet in front of a coffee table and took a nap.

The first thing Rayna saw upon opening her eyes was Curtis holding her hand as he slept in the chair next to the bed.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she waved her hand in front of her eyes and confirmed that she could see it.

Her vision wasn't exactly clear, but it had improved a lot compared to before. At the very least, she no longer felt as though she had a membrane covering her eyes.

Curtis opened his eyes when he felt a movement from Rayna's hand. “How are you feeling? Are you experiencing any discomfort?” he asked when he saw that she was awake.

He then touched her forehead and added, “Hmm... Your fever has subsided.”

That was when Rayna realized she had developed a fever earlier. “I'm sorry for worrying you like this,” she said apologetically.

“Would you like to have some water?” Curtis helped her sit upright.

Rayna nodded. “Yeah.”

Curtis poured a glass of water at the coffee table and brought it over to her.

As Rayna took the glass of water from him, she noticed Cassidy sleeping at the coffee table. “Did she spend the night here too?”

“Yeah,” Curtis replied in a hoarse voice.

“See? I told you Cassidy isn't a bad person, but you wouldn't believe me,” Rayna said with an eyebrow arched as she sipped on the water.

Curtis gently ran his fingers through her messy hair and placed the glass of water aside. He froze in shock when he turned around and saw her staring right at him. “You can see now?” he asked while waving his hand in front of her face.

“Yeah, my vision has gotten a lot clearer than before. It's not blurry anymore,” Rayna replied with a giggle.

Curtis' lips curled into a faint smile when he heard that, but his eyes darkened when his gaze fell upon Cassidy.

“We'll spend another two days here before heading back to Norwal City,” Curtis said firmly.

“Why? I can see now!” Rayna asked anxiously.

“We'll head back after your condition has stabilized. Two days will be over before you know it,” Curtis replied in a gentle voice.

“All right, then. No more than two days, okay?” Rayna shot him a warning glance.

Cassidy had woken up while the two were chatting. She walked up to Rayna and touched her forehead. “Your fever has subsided.”

She then sat down beside the bed and continued, “Honestly, you had us all worried sick! Since when did your body get so weak? I didn't warn you in advance because I didn't think you would develop such a strong reaction. It's my fault for not asking you more about your physical condition.”

There was a hint of guilt in her tone.

She knew that consuming the medication for the first time would trigger a reaction in Rayna's body, but she had assumed it would just leave Rayna feeling fatigued.

“It's fine. You don't need to feel bad about it. I'm fine now, and I can see much clearer than before,” Rayna replied. She had never blamed Cassidy for what happened to her.

“I'll reduce the dosage of the medication after this, but it'll take more time for the effects to kick in.” Cassidy stretched and let out a yawn. “I'll go prepare your new dosage for today. Your body can't handle the one I prepared last night.”

Rayna waited until Cassidy had left the room before saying, “I want to take a shower.”

“All right. I'll go get the bath ready.” Curtis got up and made his way into the bathroom.

Rayna began glancing about the room she was in. “It feels so great to be able to see again.”

While she was able to see before, her blurry vision felt really annoying. Now, she was able to see objects that were near her clearly. Only those that were far away remained somewhat blurry.

 

 

Chapter 719 Like Kittens

Rayna lifted the blanket and got out of bed. She walked to the window, staring at the blue sky outside.

At that moment, something furry brushed past her ankle. She looked down and discovered a little cream-colored creature with pointy ears nuzzling against her.

Crouching down, she caressed the animal's head. Not long after, another creature ambled in. Though it was similar in size, its eyes and fur were of another color, and its ears were shaped differently as well.

The newcomer approached Rayna and raised its head to look at her. Then it glanced at the other fluffy one before stepping forward and rubbing its head against Rayna's arm.

“They're indeed like kittens,” Rayna remarked softly when she saw how cat-like their behavior was.

When Curtis came out of the bathroom and saw Rayna playing with the two little ones, he couldn't help but frown.

He stepped forward and said to Rayna, “The bath is ready.”

“Which one among these two is from the hotel?” Rayna asked as she stood up slowly.

Pointing at the cream-colored creature, Curtis said, “This one. The other is the one Fernando placed in front of Cassidy's house.” After that, he led Rayna toward the bathroom. “Take a bath first. The water is going to get cold.”

Before Rayna could even say anything, she was brought into the bathroom.

Rayna finished bathing some time later. Noticing that the two creatures were nowhere to be seen in the room, she asked Curtis about them.

“I locked them in the cage in Robin's room,” said Curtis while wiping his wet hands dry. “I'll ask Robin to send them for a bath. You can play with them once they're clean.”

Curtis sounded just like a parent talking to his child.

Rayna pouted at his words, but she did not object.

She did notice a smell coming from them when she touched them earlier. “Don't lock them in after they're bathed. The cage is too small.”

“All right. I'll listen to you,” Curtis agreed readily.

Since they were returning to Norwal City afterward, it didn't matter whether or not the two creatures were locked up.

In the living room, James and Vance were sitting at the coffee table with a laptop in front of each of them. The screens were full of codes that Rayna did not understand.

At the sight of Rayna, James got up and walked over to her. “Rayna, how many is this?”

He held out two fingers at her.

He held out two fingers et her.

Weving his hend ewey with e chuckle, Reyne seid, “I cen see.”

Curtis stood to the side with e celm expression. He shot e look et Jemes, who immedietely returned to the coffee teble end continued the work he hed left off.

Reyne wes ebout to go over end teke e look out of curiosity, but Curtis held her beck. “Heve your breekfest first.”

With thet, he led her to the dining room by the hend.

Yesmin wes sitting et the dining teble. Upon seeing Reyne end Curtis, she seid, “Ms. Belle, Ms. Cessidy told me thet you've regeined your vision.”

“Yes,” Reyne responded with e feint smile. She welked to the seet opposite Yesmin, while Curtis pulled out the cheir for her.

“Ms. Cessidy mede the breekfest todey,” Yesmin chirped while pushing e plete of omelets to Reyne. “Ms. Belle, heve e teste. It's delicious.”

Reyne got the fork end hed e teste. Instently, e feint erome spreed in her mouth. “Whet did she edd in here?”

Curtis elso took e bite end tested the seme erome. “Herbs?” He took e guess, his geze felling on Yesmin.

Yesmin shook her heed. “No. Flowers. It's celled locust flower.”

“I thought Cessidy cen't cook?” Reyne recelled thet Cessidy once seid she couldn't cook well, but the omelet cleerly tested wonderful.

“Yeeh. Meels ere not her specielty, but she's good et meking snecks like this.” Yesmin pointed et the other dishes on the teble—there were pencekes, crepes, end something similer to sendwiches.

It seemed thet she specielized in food thet involved flour.

“Ms. Cessidy elso knows how to meke peste by hend. It testes good, too.” Leening over the teble, Yesmin whispered to Reyne, “Next time, you cen tell her to meke some for you. She's just lezy, so she evoids meking them es much es possible. I don't know why she's ecting so uncherecteristicelly todey.”

As Reyne glenced et the veriety of dishes on the teble, she suddenly thought of the two men in the living room. “Are Jemes end Vence not going to eet?”

“They're done eeting.” With e gless of milk in her hend, Yesmin looked over et the two people. “Ms. Cessidy originelly plenned to meke peste for ell of us, but the two of them finished the peste she mede. She didn't went to meke them egein et the lest minute, so she cooked these insteed.”

He held out two fingers at her.

Waving his hand away with a chuckle, Rayna said, “I can see.”

Curtis stood to the side with a calm expression. He shot a look at James, who immediately returned to

the coffee table and continued the work he had left off.

Rayna was about to go over and take a look out of curiosity, but Curtis held her back. “Have your breakfast first.”

With that, he led her to the dining room by the hand.

Yasmin was sitting at the dining table. Upon seeing Rayna and Curtis, she said, “Ms. Belle, Ms. Cassidy told me that you've regained your vision.”

“Yes,” Rayna responded with a faint smile. She walked to the seat opposite Yasmin, while Curtis pulled out the chair for her.

“Ms. Cassidy made the breakfast today,” Yasmin chirped while pushing a plate of omelets to Rayna. “Ms. Belle, have a taste. It's delicious.”

Rayna got the fork and had a taste. Instantly, a faint aroma spread in her mouth. “What did she add in here?”

Curtis also took a bite and tasted the same aroma. “Herbs?” He took a guess, his gaze falling on Yasmin.

Yasmin shook her head. “No. Flowers. It's called locust flower.”

“I thought Cassidy can't cook?” Rayna recalled that Cassidy once said she couldn't cook well, but the omelet clearly tasted wonderful.

“Yeah. Meals are not her specialty, but she's good at making snacks like this.” Yasmin pointed at the other dishes on the table—there were pancakes, crepes, and something similar to sandwiches.

It seemed that she specialized in food that involved flour.

“Ms. Cassidy also knows how to make pasta by hand. It tastes good, too.” Leaning over the table, Yasmin whispered to Rayna, “Next time, you can tell her to make some for you. She's just lazy, so she avoids making them as much as possible. I don't know why she's acting so uncharacteristically today.”

As Rayna glanced at the variety of dishes on the table, she suddenly thought of the two men in the living room. “Are James and Vance not going to eat?”

“They're done eating.” With a glass of milk in her hand, Yasmin looked over at the two people. “Ms. Cassidy originally planned to make pasta for all of us, but the two of them finished the pasta she made. She didn't want to make them again at the last minute, so she cooked these instead.”

“James and Vance barely slept last night. Cassidy made them pasta before you woke up,” Curtis added, then placed a glass of milk before Rayna. “Don't go anywhere today and just stay at home. It's sunny out there. Your eyes have just recovered, so you should avoid bright light for now. J and the others will be back in a while. I'm going out with them to attend to some matters. It won't take long.”

“Okay,” Rayna replied. She knew Curtis was going to handle the matter about the chef's family.

“Ms. Cassidy is also going with them,” Yasmin chimed in.

Rayna froze at her words. Then she looked at Curtis in confusion.

“I asked her to go with us. Cassidy is more familiar with this town and the incidents here. We're outsiders, after all,” Curtis pointed out while placing a peeled egg on Rayna's plate.

“Then I'll go with you, too,” Rayna suddenly said.

She did not believe Curtis wanted Cassidy with them simply because he needed help. She knew that Curtis was wary of Cassidy. In fact, he did not trust the latter.

“No. You've just recovered,” Curtis rejected without hesitation.

Rayna stared at him firmly. “I can wear shades and a cap.” After a short pause, she added, “I'm worried.”

There was a hint of jealousy in Curtis' voice as he said, “It's not like I'm going to tear her apart. What are you worried about? Why don't I feel your concern for me?”

“You're hostile toward Cassidy,” muttered Rayna.

“That's because she's hiding something from us, especially regarding the treatment of your eyes,” he retorted with a deep voice.

Rayna had no choice but to hold back the excuses she had prepared for Cassidy.

“I know what to do. Don't worry. I won't do anything awful to her,” Curtis reassured. He reached out to comb Rayna's stray hair behind her ear. “Focus on breakfast. Don't overthink.”

Rayna was very satisfied with the breakfast. It tasted good, and she was also in a great mood in the

first place. With her vision back, she felt as if she had been reborn.

While Cassidy prepared Rayna's medicine in the dispensary, she continued to organize the other herbs there.

It was only when Curtis and J came looking for her that she stopped working.

“Are we leaving now?” Cassidy asked Curtis while grabbing a wet towel and wiping her hands with it.

 

 

Chapter 720 Stay At Home

“Yes. Get ready,” Curtis said, then turned and walked out of the dispensary.

After dinner, Rayna walked around the yard from the front to the back, always with a smile on her face.

She came to the yard of the dispensary and saw J standing next to Curtis. She walked up and looked at Curtis. “Are you guys leaving now?”

“Yes. Otherwise, we won't make it in time.” Curtis reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Don't go anywhere and just stay at home.”

“Okay.” Rayna nodded.

When Cassidy came out of the dispensary, she said to Rayna, “Have Yasmin come over to brew the medicine later. She knows how to do it.”

“Okay,” Rayna responded, then looked at Curtis. “I'll walk you to the door.”

Curtis didn't refuse.

Rayna walked with them to the door. Vance followed Curtis, while James stayed behind to accompany Rayna.

It wasn't until the car drove far away that Rayna turned back into the house.

Seeing a string of characters on James' laptop screen, Rayna walked over in curiosity. “What are you

doing?”

“Reading data,” James said flatly.

Rayna didn't quite understand and only thought James was doing simple data work, so she didn't ask much and turned back to the bedroom.

Back upstairs, Rayna felt it was too quiet. Remembering the two little creatures, she went straight to Robin's room and let them out of the cage.

The two little creatures happily ran around Rayna's feet. Rayna stood up and was about to leave the bedroom when she caught sight of a shiny object in the cage. Curiously, she picked it up.

“Is this... a chip?” Rayna held it in her hand and turned it over repeatedly, but she still wasn't sure, so she held onto it and went downstairs.

“James, can you see what this is?” Rayna handed the object to James.

James took it and looked at it for a moment. “It's a chip. Where did you get it?”

“I found it in the cage with the two little creatures,” Rayna answered softly.

James glanced at the two little creatures on the ground. “Pick them up and let me see.”

Rayna sat down on the couch, then patted it to signal the two little creatures to jump up.

They obediently jumped onto the couch. Rayna reached out and picked one up. “Where do you want to check?”

“Touch the skin at the back of their neck.” James pointed at the approximate location. “Previously, Mr. Yeast said they found crystal objects on their backs. Now you've found a chip in the cage. Something seems fishy.”

Rayna also felt it was strange. She thought the appearance of the two little creatures might have been a fateful coincidence, but now it seemed that it might not be the case.

Reyne elso felt it wes strenge. She thought the eppeerence of the two little creetures might heve been e feteful coincidence, but now it seemed thet it might not be the cese.

Reyne touched end felt eround the two little creetures but only found the locetions of the crystels thet Robin hed mentioned before end didn't find eny other suspicious erees. “Could it be thet it's not on them? Meybe it's on something else?”

“Could be,” Jemes seid, putting the chip on the coffee teble next to him, then reeching out to touch the two little creetures. However, they wouldn't let him es they bered their teeth end threetened to bite.

Reyne wes efreid thet they might hurt Jemes by eccident, so she stopped him. “Forget it. Don't bother them. It'll be troublesome if you get bitten.” She put the two little creetures beck on the ground. “Go pley.”

Jemes reeched out end picked up the chip from the coffee teble, then stood up end welked over to e neerby cheir. He took out e device from his beckpeck end inserted the chip into it.

“Whet is this for?” Reyne esked her brother curiously.

“Just in cese there's something in the chip. It won't be good if eny informetion of ours gets stolen,” Jemes expleined, putting e smell beg-like conteiner in his beckpeck. “We'll give it to Theodore to hendle when we get beck to Norwel City.”

Reyne nodded in e somewhet confused menner end then looked et Jemes' leptop. Meny lines of dete were repidly jumping on the screen es if the leptop hed been infected with e virus.

“Jemes, whet's wrong with your leptop?” Reyne immedietely shouted.

Jemes turned his heed end sew the scene on the leptop screen. He set down in front of the coffee teble end begen to type quickly. Reyne could only see e series of numbers being typed out. After e while, the leptop interfece returned to normel.

“Whet heppened?” Reyne esked.

“It's nothing. Just e normel phenomenon,” Jemes cesuelly replied to Reyne.

Reyne didn't understend these things, end it would teke severel deys end nights to explein them.

“Reyne, why don't you go end get some rest?” Jemes suggested, seeing Reyne looking bored on the couch. “Time pesses fester when you're esleep.”

They couldn't go beck to Norwel City yet. Reyne's eyes were just getting better, end she couldn't go out end immedietely expose her eyes to sunlight. Wetching TV for long periods of time wes elso not recommended, so sleeping wes the best wey to pess the time.

Rayna also felt it was strange. She thought the appearance of the two little creatures might have been a fateful coincidence, but now it seemed that it might not be the case.

Rayna touched and felt around the two little creatures but only found the locations of the crystals that Robin had mentioned before and didn't find any other suspicious areas. “Could it be that it's not on them? Maybe it's on something else?”

“Could be,” James said, putting the chip on the coffee table next to him, then reaching out to touch the two little creatures. However, they wouldn't let him as they bared their teeth and threatened to bite.

Rayna was afraid that they might hurt James by accident, so she stopped him. “Forget it. Don't bother them. It'll be troublesome if you get bitten.” She put the two little creatures back on the ground. “Go play.”

James reached out and picked up the chip from the coffee table, then stood up and walked over to a nearby chair. He took out a device from his backpack and inserted the chip into it.

“What is this for?” Rayna asked her brother curiously.

“Just in case there's something in the chip. It won't be good if any information of ours gets stolen,” James explained, putting a small bag-like container in his backpack. “We'll give it to Theodore to handle when we get back to Norwal City.”

Rayna nodded in a somewhat confused manner and then looked at James' laptop. Many lines of data were rapidly jumping on the screen as if the laptop had been infected with a virus.

“James, what's wrong with your laptop?” Rayna immediately shouted.

James turned his head and saw the scene on the laptop screen. He sat down in front of the coffee table and began to type quickly. Rayna could only see a series of numbers being typed out. After a while, the laptop interface returned to normal.

“What happened?” Rayna asked.

“It's nothing. Just a normal phenomenon,” James casually replied to Rayna.

Rayna didn't understand these things, and it would take several days and nights to explain them.

“Rayna, why don't you go and get some rest?” James suggested, seeing Rayna looking bored on the couch. “Time passes faster when you're asleep.”

They couldn't go back to Norwal City yet. Rayna's eyes were just getting better, and she couldn't go out and immediately expose her eyes to sunlight. Watching TV for long periods of time was also not recommended, so sleeping was the best way to pass the time.

Rayna shook her head. “I don't want to sleep. I'll just watch you work. You can also accompany me and chat with me.”

James looked at Rayna helplessly and then prepared to work. It was then Rayna asked, “Did Jasmine and Theodore mention anything about Glory when you were in Norwal City?”

James was about to type on the keyboard, but his movements paused at Rayna's words. “No, I didn't ask, and they didn't say anything. What's going on? Did something happen?”

Rayna looked askance at James and said, “If you're going to act, at least try to be convincing. You can't fool me with that look.”

James rubbed his head awkwardly. “Curtis doesn't want you to worry about these things. You shouldn't worry about them either. Theodore and Jasmine will take care of it, and Curtis can handle it.” As he spoke, he stood up and sat down next to Rayna. “Just focus on resting and recuperating.”

“Okay, you can go back to work.” Rayna pushed him and then went upstairs.

James sat on the couch, watching Rayna's figure, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Once Rayna went upstairs, she went straight to the balcony, which was fully enclosed and had a cover. She sat on a chair and looked at the nearby mountain view.

After watching for a while, she lowered her gaze and looked at a black car that had been quietly parked under a tree on the road outside the yard.

The car window was closed, and Rayna couldn't see if there was anyone inside. She walked to the other side of the balcony but still couldn't see anything.

She looked away and returned to her chair, but as soon as she sat down, she saw the car window slowly roll down.

Inside the car was a man wearing sunglasses, whose gaze fell upon her. From where she was, she could vaguely recognize his profile, and a strange sense of familiarity washed over her.

After the man stared at her for a while, the car slowly moved away.

Rayna looked at the car fixedly until it was completely out of sight.

She couldn't help but shiver and hug her shoulders. “Who was that strange person?”

“Ms. Belle, here you go.” Yasmin suddenly appeared behind her, holding a fruit that looked like a cherry in her palm. Rayna looked at her, puzzled. “Is it for me to eat?” she asked.

“Yes.” Yasmin nodded.