Ch. 731..740
Chapter 731
Chapter 731 A Request From Yasmin
Pregnant?
“Are you sure?” Rayna raised an eyebrow as she regarded Yasmin with doubt.
“Positive, because I've seen baby clothes in Ms. Cassidy's bedroom before,” Yasmin said seriously.
This revelation truly surprised Rayna.
She never expected that Cassidy had been pregnant before. And as for the father of the child, she could already guess who it was without needing Yasmin to say the name.
Seeing the look of understanding on Rayna's face, Yasmin continued, “But the baby didn't seem to be Nando's... He was abroad at the time and didn't come back at all.”
The information Yasmin had just provided completely disrupted all of Rayna's thoughts that she had previously sorted out.
Flashes of the flowers in the yard came to her mind, and a connection slowly formed between the flowers and Hayley. The flowers in that photo were equally strikingly beautiful.
Does Cassidy have some kind of relationship with Hayley? Is there something between them?
“Okay, I understand now. I'll try to talk to Ms. Cassidy and see if she can allow Yuna to live with you,” Rayna said, reaching out to touch Yasmin's hair. When her fingertips lightly touched Yasmin's hair, her heart lurched, and she quickly withdrew her hand. However, a gentle smile remained in her eyes as
she looked at Yasmin.
“Thank you, Ms. Belle.” Yasmin smiled and thanked Rayna before turning around and leaving.
After watching Yasmin leave the room, Rayna immediately reached into the drawer, pulled out her phone, and dialed Curtis' number.
Downstairs, Curtis was preparing breakfast in the kitchen when he heard his phone ring. Seeing that it was Rayna calling, he answered it and asked, “What's up?”
“That child is here again...” Rayna whispered. As soon as she finished speaking, a loud noise came from outside her door.
Curtis, who was downstairs, heard the sound and immediately turned off the stove before rushing up the stairs.
Rayna got out of bed and was about to step onto the ground when she noticed that there were several Serekos crawling on the floor, and one or two had even climbed onto the bed.
At that, Rayna picked up a magazine from the bedside table and flicked the bugs onto the floor.
When Curtis arrived upstairs, he saw Yasmin being pinned down by Yuna with Yuna's hands tightly around Yasmin's neck.
He strode forward and grabbed Yuna, intending to pull her aside. However, when Curtis saw that her eyes were bloodshot and her mouth was open, ready to bite someone, he reacted quickly and flung her
away, directly slamming her into the wall.
Yasmin crawled up from the ground, coughing. “Ms. Belle... is inside...”
Looking in the direction of Yasmin's pointing finger, Curtis scanned the floor and saw wet marks. His heart dropped instinctively as he took big steps into the room. There were several Serekos crawling on the floor. They were larger than the ones he had seen before. Some of them even excreted white eggs when they wriggled.
Curtis picked up Rayna from the bed, stepped over the Serekos on the floor, and walked out of the bedroom.
Cassidy, who had heard the commotion, came out of the bedroom rubbing her sleepy eyes. She was startled when she saw the scene in front of her. “What's going on?”
With Rayna in his arms in the hallway, Curtis glanced at the corner nearby. Yuna, who should have been lying there, had disappeared. “That child named Yuna brought the bugs here.”
If his guess was correct, that child had probably hidden the Serekos in the pillow and brought them over.
“How did she get in?” Cassidy's face turned cold when she heard Curtis mention Yuna. She looked at Yasmin and asked, “Did you let her in?”
“N-No, it wasn't me... I don't know...” Yasmin shook her head repeatedly. “I just woke up and heard some noise outside, and when I came out, Yuna grabbed me by the neck.”
Yasmin sobbed and choked on her words as she explained, “It wasn't me, really.”
“These Serekos are much larger than the ones we saw before, and it looks like they are in pain too.” Rayna glanced at one of the Serekos wriggling in the room. From her perspective, it looked like a queen termite that was pregnant and ready to reproduce.
Cassidy strode to the bedroom door and looked inside. When she saw the seven or eight Serekos on the floor, her expression stiffened.
“Are they using these Serekos for experiments?” Rayna asked Cassidy softly. She really hoped Cassidy would tell the truth.
“Not for experiments. They are using them as breeding vessels. After the eggs are produced, the energy of these Serekos will be mostly depleted.” Cassidy stood at the door with her arms crossed. “Those white things live off of the nutrients in the Serekos' bodies, and the research team led by Mr. Zeller has been extracting what's inside the white things. They named the substance the Zero Element.”
“What use does it have?” Curtis asked Cassidy in a deep voice.
“I don't know, but... there is a substance in Serekos that can provide protection for the skin. Since Zero Element essentially comes from Serekos, it probably has the same quality. Maybe the quality of Zero Element is much better.” Cassidy looked at Yasmin, who was standing on one side, then turned to Rayna and Curtis. “I'll clean this place up. You take Belle downstairs.”
Yosmin crowled up from the ground, coughing. “Ms. Belle... is inside...”
Looking in the direction of Yosmin's pointing finger, Curtis sconned the floor ond sow wet morks. His heort dropped instinctively os he took big steps into the room. There were severol Serekos crowling on the floor. They were lorger thon the ones he hod seen before. Some of them even excreted white eggs when they wriggled.
Curtis picked up Royno from the bed, stepped over the Serekos on the floor, ond wolked out of the bedroom.
Cossidy, who hod heord the commotion, come out of the bedroom rubbing her sleepy eyes. She wos stortled when she sow the scene in front of her. “Whot's going on?”
With Royno in his orms in the hollwoy, Curtis glonced ot the corner neorby. Yuno, who should hove been lying there, hod disoppeored. “Thot child nomed Yuno brought the bugs here.”
If his guess wos correct, thot child hod probobly hidden the Serekos in the pillow ond brought them over.
“How did she get in?” Cossidy's foce turned cold when she heord Curtis mention Yuno. She looked ot Yosmin ond osked, “Did you let her in?”
“N-No, it wosn't me... I don't know...” Yosmin shook her heod repeotedly. “I just woke up ond heord some noise outside, ond when I come out, Yuno grobbed me by the neck.”
Yosmin sobbed ond choked on her words os she exploined, “It wosn't me, reolly.”
“These Serekos ore much lorger thon the ones we sow before, ond it looks like they ore in poin too.” Royno glonced ot one of the Serekos wriggling in the room. From her perspective, it looked like o
queen termite thot wos pregnont ond reody to reproduce.
Cossidy strode to the bedroom door ond looked inside. When she sow the seven or eight Serekos on the floor, her expression stiffened.
“Are they using these Serekos for experiments?” Royno osked Cossidy softly. She reolly hoped Cossidy would tell the truth.
“Not for experiments. They ore using them os breeding vessels. After the eggs ore produced, the energy of these Serekos will be mostly depleted.” Cossidy stood ot the door with her orms crossed. “Those white things live off of the nutrients in the Serekos' bodies, ond the reseorch teom led by Mr. Zeller hos been extrocting whot's inside the white things. They nomed the substonce the Zero Element.”
“Whot use does it hove?” Curtis osked Cossidy in o deep voice.
“I don't know, but... there is o substonce in Serekos thot con provide protection for the skin. Since Zero Element essentiolly comes from Serekos, it probobly hos the some quolity. Moybe the quolity of Zero Element is much better.” Cossidy looked ot Yosmin, who wos stonding on one side, then turned to Royno ond Curtis. “I'll cleon this ploce up. You toke Belle downstoirs.”
Rayna shifted her gaze to Curtis, and the couple exchanged a glance without saying anything else.
Curtis turned to walk downstairs with Rayna in his arms and Yasmin following behind.
Cassidy stared at the Serekos on the ground, and a cold expression crossed her face. She clenched her fists that hung at her sides slowly as she muttered, “Andrew...”
Curtis settled Rayna on the couch in the living room and draped a thin blanket over her. “I'll be in the kitchen. Call me if you need anything,” he said before leaving.
Nodding, Rayna watched him go. She then shifted her gaze to Yasmin, who was sitting on the couch across from her with red finger marks still visible on her fair neck.
“Why did Yuna attack you just now?” Rayna asked in a gentle voice.
Yasmin, who was about to reach for the candy on the coffee table, froze for a second at the question. Rayna noticed the subtle reaction and raised an eyebrow.
“I don't know,” Yasmin responded as she unwrapped a piece of candy, then popped it into her mouth.
Seeing that Yasmin was not going to tell her, Rayna lost interest in questioning her further. She could tell that the girl had a secret but knew it would be difficult to find out what it was about.
Footsteps soon sounded from the stairs, prompting Rayna to look up and see Cassidy coming down with a bag in hand.
When Yasmin saw Cassidy, she immediately placed the candy wrapper in her hand near Rayna while quickly swallowing the candy in her mouth.
Rayna noticed Yasmin's actions and felt that it was a bit odd.
“Is everything cleaned up?” Rayna asked as Cassidy passed by.
“Yes, it's all cleaned up. Did that child sneak in with a pillow?” Cassidy replied, waving the pillow in her hand.
“Yeah, I think she must have hidden the bugs in there.” Rayna nodded.
“That's right. It's all wet inside,” Cassidy said with a disgusted look. “I wonder how she got in.”
Upon listening to Cassidy's words, Rayna glanced at Yasmin. The girl appeared calm and unruffled, as if she was accustomed to such events, which made suspicion grow in Rayna's heart.
Chapter 732
Chapter 732 Flower Petals
“Cassidy, does Yuna know that she shouldn't touch the Serekos with her bare hands?” Rayna retracted her gaze from Yasmin and fixed it on the pillow in Cassidy's hand.
Cassidy, who was about to throw the pillow aside, paused for a moment after hearing Rayna's words and responded, “There are researchers in the mansion. I'm sure they would have informed her about it.”
After saying so, she walked out of the living room and headed toward the courtyard.
Rayna glanced at the candy wrapper in front of her before turning to Yasmin.
After Curtis was done preparing breakfast, he left the kitchen and noticed Rayna staring at Yasmin. He approached Rayna, removed his apron, put it aside, and said, “Breakfast is ready. Come and eat some.”
Rayna looked up. When Rayna's eyes met Curtis' intense gaze and noticed him giving Yasmin a meaningful glance, she stood up and took his hand, leading him toward the dining room.
Curtis lowered his head to glance at Rayna, sensing she had something to say. “What's wrong?”
“Don't you think Yasmin is acting a little weird?” Rayna asked Curtis in a soft voice.
Curtis hummed in acknowledgment.
Rayna looked up at him in surprise. She then recalled the times when Yasmin demonstrated her fear of
him.
“Have you noticed it... a long time ago?” Rayna probed.
She initially thought Curtis' occasional unpredictable mood swings were the cause of Yasmin's fear of him, leading to her behaving weirdly. But upon reflection, it seemed that she had misunderstood the situation.
“Certainly not too long ago. It was only on the day Yuna showed up that I became aware of it,” Curtis explained calmly as he grasped the context of Rayna's inquiry.
As Curtis pulled out a chair to sit down, Rayna turned her head to look at Yasmin, who was still in the living room. When Yasmin met Rayna's gaze, Rayna gestured for her to come over and have breakfast.
Yasmin proceeded to the dining room after receiving Rayna's approval.
Rayna observed Yasmin's discreet behavior but chose not to comment on it.
After throwing away the trash, Cassidy washed her hands in the yard and walked into the dining room. She sat down next to Yasmin casually and asked Rayna and Curtis, “Do we have any plans for today?”
Curtis poured a glass of milk for Rayna while replying, “I have to go to the downtown police station.”
Cassidy's hand, which held an egg, froze when she heard Curtis' response, and Rayna also looked at him with surprise.
Curtis noticed their reactions and explained, “J and the others are downtown. They have results.”
Rayna bobbed her head after listening to Curtis' explanation. She then looked at Cassidy and said, “We should go with him later.”
At first, Cassidy had intended to refuse, but Rayna added, “It's important for you to understand the whole situation. It's not good for you to keep having conflicts with the neighbors while living here.”
Cassidy nodded. “Okay, I'll go.”
Rayna then shifted her attention to Yasmin, who had been silent. “Yasmin, is it okay for you to stay home alone?”
Yasmin looked at Rayna and gave a slight nod.
Cassidy, sitting next to Yasmin, gave her a serious warning. “Don't open the door for strangers.” Yasmin nodded fervently in agreement.
Before heading downtown, Rayna asked Curtis to take her to Ashley's house.
The man in the courtyard gazed at Rayna with a perplexed expression. “Why do you want to go there?” he asked.
“I want to go and have a look. Take me there.” Rayna held onto Curtis' hand while using her charms. “I just want to check the place out. Plus, even though you guys went there the last time, you might not have looked as closely as I will since you all are men. Who knows, maybe I'll discover something.”
Curtis attempted to refuse Rayna's request by using Cassidy as an excuse. “Cassidy went there with
us before, and she's a woman.”
Rayna then shifted her gaze to Cassidy, who was watering the plants. “Do you believe in her?”
“Kind of,” Curtis answered in a low voice.
“Come on, take me there. Maybe I can uncover some new information from Ashley,” Rayna insisted. Rayna was very interested in Ashley's house, especially Ashley herself, the high achiever.
When Ashley had come over to cook for them, Rayna's eyesight had been poor, preventing her from getting a good look at Ashley. With her eyesight better, Rayna was now genuinely curious about Ashley.
Curtis had no choice but to agree to Rayna's request to go to Ashley's house as she was persistent.
Upon arriving at Ashley's house, Ashley's husband, Warner Lambert, was the one who answered the door.
“Who are you?” Warner looked at Rayna with surprise since he had never seen her before. But when he saw Curtis standing next to her, his expression turned sour. “What are you doing here? Your men came in the middle of the night and took my father's body downtown for an autopsy yesterday. Who are you planning to take with you on this visit?”
“We came here merely for a visit and to talk with your wife about some matters,” Rayna explained in a gentle tone.
However, Warner hesitated to let Rayna and Curtis enter the house. Upon seeing such, Rayna leaned
over to glance into the courtyard and spotted Ashley walking out from inside the house. “Ms. Wayne,” Rayna quickly called out to Ashley.
Ashley was about to ignore the commotion at the door but stopped in her tracks upon hearing a woman's voice. She turned toward the door, and upon seeing Rayna, she quickly averted her gaze and resumed walking.
At first, Cossidy hod intended to refuse, but Royno odded, “It's importont for you to understond the whole situotion. It's not good for you to keep hoving conflicts with the neighbors while living here.”
Cossidy nodded. “Okoy, I'll go.”
Royno then shifted her ottention to Yosmin, who hod been silent. “Yosmin, is it okoy for you to stoy home olone?”
Yosmin looked ot Royno ond gove o slight nod.
Cossidy, sitting next to Yosmin, gove her o serious worning. “Don't open the door for strongers.” Yosmin nodded fervently in ogreement.
Before heoding downtown, Royno osked Curtis to toke her to Ashley's house.
The mon in the courtyord gozed ot Royno with o perplexed expression. “Why do you wont to go there?” he osked.
“I wont to go ond hove o look. Toke me there.” Royno held onto Curtis' hond while using her chorms. “I just wont to check the ploce out. Plus, even though you guys went there the lost time, you might not
hove looked os closely os I will since you oll ore men. Who knows, moybe I'll discover something.”
Curtis ottempted to refuse Royno's request by using Cossidy os on excuse. “Cossidy went there with us before, ond she's o womon.”
Royno then shifted her goze to Cossidy, who wos wotering the plonts. “Do you believe in her?”
“Kind of,” Curtis onswered in o low voice.
“Come on, toke me there. Moybe I con uncover some new informotion from Ashley,” Royno insisted. Royno wos very interested in Ashley's house, especiolly Ashley herself, the high ochiever.
When Ashley hod come over to cook for them, Royno's eyesight hod been poor, preventing her from getting o good look ot Ashley. With her eyesight better, Royno wos now genuinely curious obout Ashley.
Curtis hod no choice but to ogree to Royno's request to go to Ashley's house os she wos persistent.
Upon orriving ot Ashley's house, Ashley's husbond, Worner Lombert, wos the one who onswered the door.
“Who ore you?” Worner looked ot Royno with surprise since he hod never seen her before. But when he sow Curtis stonding next to her, his expression turned sour. “Whot ore you doing here? Your men come in the middle of the night ond took my fother's body downtown for on outopsy yesterdoy. Who ore you plonning to toke with you on this visit?”
“We come here merely for o visit ond to tolk with your wife obout some motters,” Royno exploined in o
gentle tone.
However, Worner hesitoted to let Royno ond Curtis enter the house. Upon seeing such, Royno leoned over to glonce into the courtyord ond spotted Ashley wolking out from inside the house. “Ms. Woyne,” Royno quickly colled out to Ashley.
Ashley wos obout to ignore the commotion ot the door but stopped in her trocks upon heoring o womon's voice. She turned toword the door, ond upon seeing Royno, she quickly overted her goze ond resumed wolking.
Rayna, noticing Ashley's avoidance, spoke up in a hurry. “Ms. Wayne, I noticed that the flowers in your courtyard look quite beautiful.”
Upon hearing Rayna's compliment, Ashley stopped in her tracks once again and looked at her with a wary expression.
Rayna then went on, “Can you tell me how you take care of your flowers? I'm interested in planting some in my own yard.”
Ashley gave Rayna a cold look and replied, “You should ask Cassidy about that. She's an expert at gardening.”
With that, Ashley wanted to leave. Rayna, who was by the door, persisted and tried to flatter her by saying, “But I think the flowers you plant are much prettier than Cassidy's.”
Ashley had already taken a few steps forward when she heard that. She stopped moving and turned around to look at Rayna. “How can you tell?”
Ashley became suspicious when Rayna claimed that. She felt that the flowers in Cassidy's courtyard were prettier than hers.
“When compared to the flowers in Cassidy's courtyard, the stems of your flowers are thicker, and the colors are evidently more vibrant,” Rayna said earnestly as she glanced at the flowers in the courtyard.
Following Rayna's gaze, Ashley noticed she was looking at a pot of roses.
In Ashley's opinion, that potted plant was cared for the best and was much better than the ones in Cassidy's courtyard.
Rayna noticed that her compliments had an impact on Ashley, and she seized the opportunity to continue, “Can we come in and have a conversation?”
Ashley took a glance at her husband before nodding.
The man who had been blocking their way stepped aside, allowing Rayna and Curtis to enter the courtyard. As Rayna walked in, Rayna couldn't help but feel a chill in the air, despite the sun burning brightly overhead.
Rayna glanced around, trying to locate the source of the coldness. Finally, her gaze settled on a small flower bed to her right.
Curtis saw Rayna rubbing her arms, so he took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. As soon as he removed his jacket, Curtis also felt the chill in the air.
Rayna and Curtis then exchanged glances and came to a conclusion.
Ashley remained unaware of the change in expressions on Rayna and Curtis' faces, but Warner, who stood beside them, noticed everything clearly.
Rayna approached a rose and lightly touched its petals. The silky texture sent shivers down her spine, making her feel as though she wasn't touching a flower petal but rather human skin.
Chapter 733
Chapter 733 The Secret Under The Foundation
Rayna had never touched the flowers in Cassidy's courtyard, so she could not make a comparison. However, the rose petals in her hand felt as smooth as skin.
“This...” She glanced at Curtis. Seeing that, he reached out to touch the petals and was similarly surprised by their texture.
Naturally, their reactions did not escape Ashley's notice. She said slowly, “The soil in my garden is from Cassidy's house.”
Rayna was stunned for several seconds after hearing that. She was about to say something when Ashley piped up first, “I know you must be wondering why soil from the Gilroy residence would wind up in my garden. You don't have to be afraid. There's nothing special about the soil. It's merely a medium for breeding.”
“A medium?” Rayna echoed, not fully understanding what Ashley meant.
It was Curtis who seemed to realize something instead. His deep voice rang out as he asked, “Is it a medium to breed Serekos?”
Upon hearing that Curtis knew of the existence of Serekos, Ashley did not feel the need to hide anything any longer. She slowly walked toward them while saying, “That's right. It seems the two of you know much more than I had anticipated. I presume you have a pretty good grasp of the situation already.”
He pulled Rayna close and fixed Ashley with an icy stare as she approached them. “I'm guessing there
are a lot of Serekos larvae beneath the foundation of this house.”
He sounded so sure that Rayna turned to him with an incredulous expression. It was clear she could hardly believe her ears.
Ashley was also in disbelief. She had wanted to walk closer to them, but her husband grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Be rational, Ashley.”
His voice was rough, but his tone was gentle.
Rayna could hear the man's love for Ashley in his voice and shifted her gaze to study him. From the front, his appearance was quite ordinary. There was nothing particularly outstanding about his looks. From his side profile, however, he looked rather handsome.
“It's not like I bite.” Ashley turned around, narrowing her eyes at him before pulling her hand out of his grasp. Then, she looked at Curtis and said, “Mr. Faymon, it appears you've done a fair bit of research into our residence.”
Rayna swept her gaze over the other flowers and plants in the courtyard. All of them looked normal except for the roses.
“Curtis, are you saying that there are Serekos underneath this house's foundation?” She still found what he said a little hard to believe. However, Ashley's earlier statement that the soil used for planting the roses had come from Cassidy's house seemed believable to her.
“Yes. There are larvae,” Curtis answered in a firm tone. Noticing the flash of doubt in her eyes, he
lowered his voice and said, “You'll find out everything when we go to the city center later.”
She stopped looking elsewhere and glanced at him, who was still holding her protectively. She did not say anything else after that.
The corners of Ashley's lips curled upward as she took in their little exchange. Crossing her arms in front of her, she narrowed her eyes and surveyed the flowers and plants in the courtyard. “It looks like we can't keep these things here much longer.”
Rayna was puzzled by that statement. “Do you know what she means by that?”
“I can more or less guess what it means.” He looked down at her and added reassuringly, “Everything is fine.”
His response made the already confused Rayna even more perplexed. At first, I only suspected the foundation of Cassidy's house concealed some secret. It never crossed my mind that the same thing would happen at Ashley's house. What's even stranger is I've no clue when Curtis familiarized himself with all the information. I thought I was the only one who could figure things out.
Just as she was puzzling over the matter, an elderly person came out of the house.
“Ashley, I can't light the fire. Come in and help me.” Hunched over, the elderly woman walked to the door to the living room. She narrowed her eyes slightly at Rayna and Curtis before talking to her son, “The water pump doesn't seem to be working. Go and check what's wrong with it.”
After saying that, she turned and returned to the house.
The pair whom the elderly woman had instructed to help her exchanged glances before going off in different directions and busying themselves.
Rayna and Curtis were the only ones left in the courtyard. She looked up at him and asked, “Shall we head back?”
Curtis swept his dark eyes over the courtyard. “What made you realize there was something strange about the flowers?”
I came here previously and didn't sense anything. Yet, as soon as Rayna arrived, she noticed something different about the roses with just a glance.
“By its vibrancy. The color of these flowers is just as vibrant as those at Cassidy's house. In fact, it's even more so,” she replied while gazing at the flowers in the garden. “What do you think Mr. Zeller is plotting?”
“Let's go,” he replied while gently stroking her hair.
Following him obediently, she turned and left Ashley's house. “Why do I feel like we didn't manage to get any information?”
“That's not true. At the very least, we know something is up between Ashley and Cassidy. Ashley doesn't lack food or clothing, so why would she come to work as our cook?”
“To dig for information and suss out the situation?” she ventured grimly.
Curtis nodded. “We can't rule out those possibilities. Maybe there's more to her father-in-law's death
than it appears.”
After mulling over the matter for a while, Rayna more or less came to a conclusion.
When they arrived at Cassidy's house, they saw a Lincoln parked at the door.
Rayna broke free from Curtis' embrace and hurried into the courtyard. Once there, the scene that greeted her left her dumbfounded. “Cassidy...”
Cassidy was holding a pair of scissors and pointing them directly at the man in front of her. “It'd do you well not to forget your roots, Fernando.”
At that moment, Curtis rushed in behind Rayna. He was also somewhat stunned to see Fernando, who was sharply dressed in a suit, standing in the courtyard.
Rayna walked up to Cassidy cautiously and tried to calm her down. “What's going on, Cassidy? Whatever it is, we can talk it out. It wouldn't do if you accidentally hurt yourself like this.”
“My godfather asked me to come and pick you up. He means no harm.” As Fernando spoke, he stretched out a hand and grabbed the scissors Cassidy held in one swift motion. “It's just a meal. Is it necessary to put up such a fight?”
“I think your godfather has brainwashed you,” she snapped. Furious that he had taken the scissors from her, she reached out to snatch them back. However, he quickly grabbed her arm and said, “My godfather has told me that he'll help to make our marriage happen as long as you agree to go and have a meal together. After our wedding, I'll get you out of here.”
While speaking, he took an embroidered box from his pocket and was about to open it when she smacked it out of his hand. “Don't come here and disgust me.”
Rayna watched as the embroidered box rolled on the ground several times before stopping. She raised her head and glanced at Fernando, who appeared calm, then at Cassidy. These two don't seem anything like an engaged couple. In fact, they don't even seem to share the closeness that boyfriends and girlfriends usually have.
She tugged at Cassidy's sleeve and pulled the latter aside. “Calm down, Cassidy. Let's go through this with a cool head. This... This meal that Fernando's godfather has arranged... Why don't you want to go?”
The way I see it, this is an excellent opportunity. It'd also be great if Cassidy happened to garner some useful information from Mr. Zeller. Nonetheless, the most important thing now is to calm her down to avoid endangering anyone's life.
“If you don't have time today, I'll come by tomorrow with Yuna.” With that, Fernando spun on his heel and left.
It was not until he had walked out of the courtyard and they heard the sound of the car starting that a thought suddenly occurred to Rayna. She dashed to the door, but the car had already sped off.
Curtis looked at her in confusion. “What's wrong?”
“I wanted to ask him about Ashley.” She sighed and turned to Cassidy. “Ashley said there are Serekos larvae under the foundation of her house. Do you know about that?”
Cassidy looked stunned upon hearing that.
“You didn't know?” Based on Cassidy's surprised reaction, Rayna thought the former was unaware of that.
Cassidy shook her head in response. Then, she turned and went into the house.
Glancing at Curtis, who had walked over to her, Rayna asked, “What are your thoughts about all this?”
“I think there's a story behind Cassidy and Mr. Zeller.”
She stood rooted to the spot, shocked by that one sentence. “How can that be?”
“Perhaps... your earlier assumptions will be disproved,” he teased with a smile.
Hearing that, she furrowed her brows slightly. “How is that possible? I don't believe it.”
Chapter 734 Confession
The two returned to the house only to find Cassidy missing. “I'll go upstairs to check on her,” Rayna told Curtis before heading up the stairs.
After Rayna left, Curtis took out his phone and sent a message to Theodore: Investigate Cassidy's life in the past few years.
Theodore sent Curtis a confirmation, after which Curtis pocketed his phone.
After hanging around in the living room for a moment, he went to the backyard to admire the flowers in the garden. He reached out to gently touch one and discovered that the petals were coated with a powder the same color as the petals themselves.
It had rained quite a bit in the past few days, so he didn't think someone had deliberately applied the powder.
Curtis stood before the flowers, comparing them with the flowers in Ashley's garden.
Yet, even after an extensive examination, he could not see a problem with them.
Other than the distinct sensation of the petals, the flowers before him seemed pretty natural. Although he couldn't tell if the powder was pollen or something else, the roses in Ashley's yard had petals that felt significantly smoother than those in Cassidy's garden.
Curtis took out his phone and dialed J's number.
The phone rang for quite a while before being answered.
“Did you take soil samples from the flower beds at the Wayne residence for testing?” Curtis asked directly.
“Vance did. The composition was the same,” J replied from the other end of the phone. “However, the concentration was higher than the soil from the Gilroy residence. Vance and I suspect there's something beneath the Wayne residence.”
“All right, let's discuss this in person later,” Curtis said, having gotten the answer he sought, and hung up the phone.
He had initially suspected Cassidy's place was the primary location, but now it might not be the case.
It was Ashley's family that had direct communication with Mr. Zeller.
However, he couldn't understand why Ashley's father-in-law had died. Why now, of all times?
As Curtis pondered the mystery, he heard noises coming from upstairs. Glancing up, he saw Yasmin moving a stool on the balcony.
Once she positioned the stool, she stood on it, tiptoed, and reached for the wall of the balcony. After feeling around for a while, she seemed to have found something.
Curtis watched as she pressed a part of the wall with force, causing a small section to sink inward.
As he prepared to go upstairs, he heard a sound echoing behind him.
Turning around, he noticed the flower bed sinking gradually, revealing a small section of exposed ground. As Curtis approached, he noticed countless writhing, unidentifiable white creatures in the exposed area.
There was also a crack near the opening. Curtis picked up a dried twig and probed inside. Soon, a large, white, transparent-bodied Serekos crawled out. It was larger than the ones he had seen before.
Curtis looked up at the balcony to see Yasmin watching him. Once she was sure he had seen the creatures, she climbed down from the stool and disappeared into the house.
“Curtis, what's going on?” Rayna, who heard the commotion from upstairs, came down and approached Curtis. Upon seeing the split flowerbed, she was taken aback.
Cassidy, who followed Rayna, also froze in place upon witnessing the scene.
“Ms. Cassidy, I think you should explain this to us,” Curtis said, flinging away the dried twig in his hand and looking intently at Cassidy with his gloomy eyes.
Rayna also looked incredulously at Cassidy upon seeing the scene. “Cassidy...”
Knowing she could no longer hide it, Cassidy took a deep breath and slowly said, “This is a queen Serekos.”
“So what's the deal with the Serekos that kept appearing in the courtyard before?” Rayna couldn't help but suspect Cassidy of staging all those appearances herself.
“Serekos are either male or female. I guess there's a male one in Ashley's house,” Curtis said solemnly. “That's why the flowers in Ashley's house and yours are the same variety but grow differently.” Curtis reached out and touched the flower petals. Rayna noticed that his fingers were now coated with powder. “What's going on?”
The flowers in Ashley's house didn't have pollen.
“This pollen is probably what Mr. Zeller wants to cultivate,” Curtis continued. “He just doesn't know that Serekos also need certain conditions to grow, and they also have genders.”
“Does... Ashley not know about this either?” Rayna immediately recalled Ashley's reaction when she mentioned the differences. She mentioned it casually to instigate Ashley's innate competitive nature as a woman. But as it turned out, she hit the nail on the head.
“Could it be that Ashley's original purpose in coming here is to look into this?” Rayna glanced back at the Serekos on the bottom of the flowerbed.
Curtis added, “Ashley probably came here as a cook to make money initially without thinking too deeply about it.”
“But her family doesn't seem short of money,” Rayna disagreed with Curtis.
“They do need money.” Curtis looked at Rayna, giving her an affirmative look. “The Wayne residence might not even belong to her family anymore.”
“How could that be?” Rayna became more confused upon hearing Curtis' words, which differed from
her speculation.
“The death of Ashley's father-in-law is the best explanation, as well as... Ashley's mother-in-law's behavior. Didn't you notice her indifference toward her husband's death?” Curtis hinted at Rayna.
Recalling her previous encounter with the old lady, Rayna admitted that the older woman appeared normal and unaffected.
After all, losing her husband would be hard on her at her age. In the worst-case scenario, it could even lead to severe illnesses.
But she was still thinking about lighting a fire... “Now that you mention it, it does make sense.” Rayna nodded in agreement.
“Do I need to continue explaining?” Curtis asked Cassidy.
In response, Cassidy curved her lips into a smile. “What you said should be mostly correct.”
“Cassidy, is it really like that?” Hearing Cassidy's confession, Rayna was shocked. She stepped forward, took Cassidy's hand, and said, “Why didn't you tell us? Don't you trust us?”
“It's not that I don't. I didn't want to involve you.” Cassidy looked back at Rayna. “After all, I'm also responsible for that thing in you.”
“When you first arrived, I recognized you immediately. I was initially surprised to know that you had lost your sight, but after I examined your body, I realized that things were not as simple as they seemed,” Cassidy continued softly. “Producing these things was originally not a big deal, as they can be used as
medicinal ingredients.”
“But you didn't expect things to get out of control, did you?” Rayna asked gently.
“Yes.” Cassidy nodded. “I don't know how Mr. Zeller's godfather learned about the Serekos. He fooled the government under the pretext of investment and development, and without the community's knowledge, he began to produce Serekos.”
Chapter 735 Queen Serekos
“Our soil isn't suitable for Serekos to grow in. I genuinely have no idea how Mr. Zeller managed to cultivate them,” Cassidy explained. “He doesn't have a queen Serekos either; he only has a male Serekos. Male Serekos only reproduce with queen Serekos, and it has to be a natural reproduction, or else the Serekos won't survive.”
“This is something we have to find out later on.” Curtis gave Rayna a look after hearing Cassidy's explanation.
Rayna then asked, “Have you seen Mr. Zeller in person before?”
Right as that question left her mouth, Rayna sensed a shudder in Cassidy's hand. It seemed instinctual.
“No... I haven't. I've only heard of him.” Cassidy then retracted her hand from Rayna's before turning to enter the house. Before she went in, she pressed a spot with the mark of a circle, and the flower garden returned to its initial state.
At that, Rayna looked at the mark, realizing that she had never noticed it before.
Curtis then took photos of the marked spots on the wall with his phone and sent them to Theodore.
There were many secrets about the house that only a rare few knew about.
“It seems like there are many mechanisms in this house,” Curtis muttered to Rayna as he walked over to her.
“Mhm,” Rayna responded before heading toward the house. “What time will we be going to the city center?”
Curtis checked the time. “In an hour.”
“Is Cassidy going to come with us?”
“It'll be best if you can convince her to come along.”
“I'll try.” Rayna then walked toward the stairs. When she saw Yasmin coming down the stairs and looking at Curtis, she turned to look at him again.
Curtis curled his lips as he watched Yasmin come closer and closer to him. “You're Yuna.”
Rayna, who was about to ascend the stairs, halted in her tracks upon hearing the man's words.
“You're smarter than her,” Yuna commented, turning around to flash Rayna a smile.
A chill ran down Rayna's spine when she saw the smile. In the next second, Cassidy's anxious voice traveled into her ears. “Yasmin! Yasmin!”
Cassidy rushed down the stairs with Yasmin in her arms. Upon seeing Yuna in the living room, she froze. “How... How did you come in here?”
“Yasmin must have let her in,” Rayna said. Glancing at the girl in Cassidy's arms, she then continued,
“You swapped identities, didn't you?”
Cassidy blinked in surprise.
“The two of you look almost identical, so no one can tell. Both of you must have been swapping places all the time,” Curtis added after a glance at Yuna. “If my guess is right, Yuna's Yasmin, and Yasmin's Yuna.”
“Is that... so?” Cassidy was in disbelief. “How did you come to that conclusion?”
Even Rayna was staring at Curtis, astounded.
It was not that she had never suspected Yuna's and Yasmin's identities, but she never thought that the twins had swapped places from the very start.
“Mhm.” Yuna bobbed her head before turning to Cassidy. “I'm not a bad kid, and Yasmin's fine. She's only asleep because of the medicine.”
Cassidy lowered her head to look at Yasmin. “Why did you feed her medicine?”
“I don't want to go back to the mansion. I want to come back here...” Yuna blinked at Cassidy. “Yasmin said that she can go to school now. I want that too.”
It was only then Rayna's heart stopped racing. She was glad that the truth was not all too terrible.
At the very least, no one was dead.
“Ms. Cassidy, I know you don't like me that much—I know you like Yasmin more,” Yuna cautiously remarked. “I haven't done anything bad, and I've never hurt anyone...”
“Wait a minute. Curtis, what did you mean when you said Yuna is Yasmin and Yasmin is Yuna?” Cassidy interjected once she registered Curtis' words.
“The one who first came to the Gilroy residence was Yuna, the one standing here—not the one in your arms. If my speculations are right, the one in your arms is working for Mr. Zeller,” Curtis calmly explained. “Chances are, she's the one who lured the Serekos in previously. As for the reason behind her actions... You'll have to ask her yourself when she wakes.”
Curtis then shoved his hands into his pockets and checked the time again. “It's almost time for us to leave, Rayna. Cassidy, will you be coming with us? You might learn more if you do.”
Rayna stepped forward, about to persuade Cassidy to go with them, when she noticed Cassidy's hesitance. However, Curtis stopped her and shook his head.
“We'll be leaving first. You can join us once you're done with your matters,” Curtis said to Cassidy before holding Rayna's hand and exiting the living room.
Soon, the only ones left in the room were Yuna, Cassidy, and the sleeping Yasmin.
“Where did you get the information?” Rayna asked as she sat beside Curtis.
They were together all the time, but she never knew Curtis had been doing investigations.
Curtis reached out to circle his arm around Rayna. “It's a guess.”
“I'm serious.” Rayna did not believe that it was merely a guess; she knew it had to be a deduction stemming from his observation.
“Yasmin and Yuna aren't completely identical. You just never noticed it,” Curtis quietly said. “Only one of them likes eating sweets, but no one realized that either.”
Rayna scoured through her memories and abruptly recalled a moment when Yuna placed the sweet wrappers on her side of the table.
“Cassidy... knows about it, right?” Rayna's eyes flicked toward Curtis. “I saw Yuna deliberately putting the sweet wrappers in front of me earlier. Was it so that Cassidy won't notice anything amiss?”
“I guess so,” Curtis answered. “Many of the sweets in Cassidy's place were left untouched on the table. If Yasmin liked them, they would have been gone by now.”
Rayna found sense in his words. “But how did you know that Yuna's Yasmin and Yasmin's Yuna?”
Just as she said that, Curtis handed her his phone. “Take a look at it yourself.”
Once she took it, she realized the screen was showing Curtis' chat history with J and the others.
As it turned out, there were photos of the children's home in the chat. “How did they get these?” Rayna asked.
“J sent his men to look into the children's home. You'll realize that the two kids are quite different people,” Curtis told her as he pointed at one of the children. “Can you tell if this is Yuna or Yasmin?”
Rayna studied the photos for a while before shaking her head. “Not really.”
They both looked the same to her. “I only know that their hair doesn't feel the same. One is softer, and one has a stiffer quality.”
Curtis arched a brow. “That's all?”
“Yes. I wouldn't have called you to tell you that Yuna's here otherwise,” Rayna muttered as she browsed through the rest of the photos. All of a sudden, a figure in one of the photos caught her attention.
Curtis leaned over a little. “What did you see?”
“Here. Doesn't it seem like someone's there?” Rayna pointed at the corner behind the children in the photo. “There's a shadow here, and it doesn't seem like the tree shade. It looks like a person.”
Curtis looked at the spot she was pointing at and noticed that there really was a person's shadow in the background. However, that was all he could see. “Maybe it's someone working at the children's home.”
Chapter 736 First Meeting With Andrew
Rayna stared at it for a little longer, but she could not make out anything else.
Lifting her head to look at Curtis, she asked, “You haven't told me how you differentiate Yuna and Yasmin.”
“The two kids have different eyes,” Curtis slowly started. “Yuna has cloudier eyes while Yasmin has clearer eyes. They talk at different speeds too.”
Rayna's curiosity was growing more and more as she listened to Curtis' explanation.
She had been spending some time with Yasmin, but she never noticed those differences. “By the way, Yasmin's still unconscious. It doesn't seem too good for us to come out now.”
“It'll be fine. Yuna won't gravely hurt Yasmin, let alone when Cassidy is around,” Curtis reassured. “Both you and I won't be able to help out in any way in Yuna and Yasmin's matter. Only Cassidy can deal with this.”
“That's why you're making space for Cassidy and the twins?” Rayna quirked a brow as a merry look entered her eyes.
“That's right.” Curtis nodded in affirmation.
Robin, who was driving, glanced at Rayna and Curtis through the rearview mirror. “Mr. Faymon, will we settle Ashley's family's matter after this trip to the city center?”
Curtis' eyes darkened, and he turned to look out of the window. “If everything goes well, yes. If not, it'll be hard to say.”
Rayna glanced at Curtis. She knew what he was talking about—he was likely talking about Fernando's godfather, Andrew Zeller.
“I'm... thinking of leaving things as they are if we can't resolve it,” Rayna started. “Cassidy said that Mr. Zeller is on good terms with the civil servants here. If they get involved, things will become more complicated.”
Rayna was aware that Curtis had his hands full with her own matters, so she did not want to create more trouble for him and Faymon Group.
Curtis was taken aback by her words. “I thought you'd insist on seeing this to the end.”
“I have children now. Once a woman becomes a mother, she'll have more to worry about. Like the kids, I have to have you in my life,” Rayna somberly said to him.
“Okay, it's up to you.” Curtis reached out to pinch her cheeks. For a moment, he felt as if he was touching rose petals—her cheeks were really soft.
“What's wrong?” Rayna asked when she noticed his hand freezing midair. “Is something the matter?”
At Curtis' stare, Rayna touched her own cheek, but she found nothing strange about it.
“It's nothing.” Curtis took her hand and glanced outside. “Mr. Yeast, how long more until we reach ournoveldrama
destination?”
Robin peeked at the navigation system and answered, “Soon. Around ten minutes and a little more.”
“By the way, will Cassidy still come?” Rayna was anxious about leaving Cassidy behind.
“She will,” came Curtis' confident response, however.
The car came to a stop outside a mansion. Rayna turned to Curtis and asked, “It's here?”
“Yes,” he said. “Let's go in first.”
The two of them then came down from the car and walked into the mansion's compound. Rayna sneaked a glance at the bodyguards in the yard and realized things did not seem as simple as Curtis said they were.
“These people...” Rayna cast Curtis a dubious look. “There are bodyguards here.”
She thought the owner of the house would be an ordinary person, but the design of the house and the bodyguards told her otherwise.
“Who is the owner of this house?” Rayna voiced her thought out loud. “You didn't tell me that things were like this.”
When Curtis noticed that she was looking at the towering bodyguards, he patted her shoulders and said, “Don't be afraid. I'm right here.”
“I'm not afraid. Are you hiding something from me?” A touch of anger crept into Rayna's chest. “It's not Mr. Zeller, right?”
As far as Rayna knew, the only ones whose place was set up in this way would either be a government official or Andrew Zeller.
“It is,” Curtis told her. Upon noticing her nervousness, he reassured her by saying, “J and the others are inside too, so don't worry.”
“I'm not. I just...” Rayna drew her brows together. “We were investigating him, but you're now at his place. Won't it...”
“I know what you're worried about, but remember, I'm here.” Curtis then held her hand and led her in.
J and Vance were in the spacious living room, and the two of them were reading a book. When they saw Curtis and Rayna, they came forward and said, “You're finally here.”
Curtis turned to J and quietly asked, “Shouldn't we be meeting somewhere else? Why are we suddenly here?”
“He sent his men to invite us here when we were on our way to our agreed location,” J softly explained before handing Curtis a book. “Do you want to take a look at this?”
Curtis did not take it, but Rayna did. “It's about Zeller Group's products?”
“Mmhm,” J responded. “We were supposed to be going to Sereagan Manor, but we were escorted here
on our way there. We didn't have the numbers, so we didn't dare to enter a confrontation with them.”
Rayna raked her gaze across the people in the room. They were all unfamiliar faces, but some were wearing white lab coats, so she figured that they were on the team that came with J.
“James isn't here?” Vance asked Rayna.
It was then Rayna came back to her senses and realized that James was not around. “I'm glad he's not, or else we won't have anyone to back us up if anything happens.” Then, she walked over to a corner of the couch to sit down and started flipping through the book in her hand.
“How long have you been here?” Curtis surveyed his surroundings as well. He could see some wearing black suits, as well as white lab coats. There were even two young women around. Arching a brow at J, he asked, “Are they all your men?”
“Yes,” J answered. “We're all Mr. Faymon's men.”
Rayna lifted a brow at that. She thought that she had seen all of Curtis' men; she was not expecting to see unfamiliar faces around.
Curtis soon took a seat by her side. He saw that Rayna seemed to be enjoying her chat with J, so he did not say anything to interrupt her. However, he noticed that Rayna was giving him a long look every once in a while. Hence, he uttered, “I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just said nothing because I didn't want you to worry.”
“You make it sound as if I'm not worried now.” Rayna gave him a side-eye. “I hope this isn't a trap.”
Although they had not seen Andrew Zeller in person, everything they had learned about him so far told them that he was no kind-hearted man. Otherwise, he would not have used the people of a town as part of the research for his product.
“I'm glad Cassidy isn't here,” Rayna blurted out.
Her words made the man walking toward them pause in his tracks. “Mrs. Faymon, are you familiar with Cassidy?”
A deep voice of a man came from behind them, and Rayna turned to see a middle-aged man in traditional garb with a cane walking toward them.
However, the man's appearance seemed young, and he was no less handsome than Fernando, who was standing beside him.
“Mr. Zeller.” J was the first to speak, and his greeting was also a hint for Rayna and Curtis.
Mr. Zeller? This man is Mr. Zeller?
Rayna was transfixed in her spot. She thought that the man would be a graying elderly man—she was not expecting to see a younger man than that.
Rayna's eyes flicked between Fernando and Andrew, unable to connect the two as godfather and godson. It would be much more believable if someone told her that they were brothers.
Chapter 737 A Taste Of Your Own Medicine
However, Rayna did not answer Andrew's question.
When Curtis realized that Rayna did not seem interested in interacting with Andrew, he lowered his head and quietly said, “Hold on for a little longer.”
Rayna raised her head to look at him, and she spotted the trace of joy in his eyes. Thus, she gave him a small smile in resignation.
Andrew slowly walked over to Rayna and Curtis, his cane tapping on the ground. “Mr. Faymon, Mrs. Faymon, I've heard from my subordinates that you came to Jayfort. I've been wanting to invite you here, but I haven't had the time.”
Rayna was not interested in Andrew, so naturally, she did not believe in his words either.
Gripping the hand Rayna rested on his wrist, Curtis chuckled and said, “If so, today's the day to meet then.”
Andrew smiled. His gaze drifted from Curtis to Rayna, and a gloomy look danced across his eyes.
Curtis noticed it, and alarm bells began ringing in his head. Subconsciously, he pulled Rayna closer toward him.
At that, Andrew looked away to scan the room instead. “Why isn't Cassidy here?”
Even though he had looked back to Rayna and Curtis when he asked the question, the question wasnoveldrama
directed to Fernando.
Fernando replied, “Yuna has gone to the Gilroy residence. I'm guessing that Cassidy's departure has been delayed by Yuna.”
Andrew's somewhat friendly look instantly darkened. “There are so many of you around, but you still can't keep a child in check,” he berated.
“It was an oversight on my part,” Fernando said, lowering his head. “I'll go and pick Yuna up now.”
“What's the point of going there now? Since Cassidy's there, call her and ask her to send her over instead,” Andrew grimly said to Fernando.
“Understood.” Fernando turned and left the living room.
Rayna watched them speak, and she continued looking at Fernando until he was out of the living room and out of her line of sight.
“Mrs. Faymon, do you know Fernando?” Andrew was watching her as well. As he spoke, he walked over to the couch to take a seat.
“I've seen him once or twice at Cassidy's place. Cassidy said he's her fiancé.” Rayna turned to look at Andrew, and she saw the icy look that flashed past his eyes when she mentioned that Fernando was Cassidy's fiancé.
Rayna then turned back to Curtis, who gave her a signal. As it turned out, he had noticed the slight change in Andrew's demeanor as well.
“Fiancé...” Andrew mulled over the word. He was smiling, but his smile did not reach his eyes. Upon seeing that Rayna and Curtis were still standing, he said, “Come, take a seat. Make yourself home.”
It was only then Curtis led Rayna to sit on the couch opposite Andrew's.
“By the way, you seem close with Cassidy, Mrs. Faymon. Have you known her for long?” Andrew said as he picked up a cup from the coffee table. The butler at the side immediately filled his cup.
“Yes. We got to know each other as children, but we later ceased contact with each other,” Rayna truthfully replied.
“I see, I see.” Andrew leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs as he studied Rayna. “I hear that Mr. Faymon has brought Mrs. Faymon here to seek treatment from Cassidy. Is that right?”
“It is,” Rayna calmly answered.
Curtis tightened his grip on her hand when he saw how tranquil she seemed to be. He could feel the dampness of her palm.
Rayna turned to look at J, Vance, and J's team before enunciating, “Mr. Zeller, you've invited our friends over as well. Is it also for a talk?”
“This is a misunderstanding, actually. My men messed up. Mr. Faymon, Mrs. Faymon, you were the ones I intended to invite, but my subordinates ended up getting the wrong people,” Andrew explained
as he took a sip of his tea.
Hearing that, Rayna and Curtis shared a look. Both had come to a conclusion, but neither was going to voice it out loud.
“Mr. Zeller, since you've said it's a misunderstanding, why don't we leave it as this today and meet on another day?” Rayna suggested.
Andrew's expression turned grim immediately. As he cast his mirthless eyes on her, he said, “Mrs. Faymon, you're quite straightforward.”
“Mhm. I've always been like this, and that's why I'm a match for my husband,” Rayna said. “Frankly, I think you wanted to chat with my husband, but alas, he has promised to shop with me today. Therefore, I'm afraid your arrangement today will not work. My few friends here have been brought here by mistake, so since we've cleared things up, we should let them head back first.”
Rayna then tugged Curtis' sleeve and gazed at him sweetly. “Why don't you meet Mr. Zeller another day?”
Curtis raised a brow as a look of exasperation appeared on his face. “Mr. Zeller spent much effort inviting us here. It isn't quite polite for us to leave just like that, right?”
“But you promised me! It took so long for my eyes to recover and for me to see. You said you were going to walk around Jayfort with me. Moreover, this place is humid, and it rains all the time. How many days have we been here? It's so rare to see the sun here, so let's just go strolling first,” Rayna pestered as she shook Curtis's wrist.
Curtis ruffled her hair before casting Andrew a stumped look. “I'm really sorry, Mr. Zeller. It looks like I won't be able to discuss anything with you today.”
Andrew narrowed his eyes at them. “Do you two have children yet?”
“We do,” Curtis said after glancing at Rayna. “Triplets.”
A look of joy finally appeared in Andrew's dark eyes. “Good. The more, the merrier for children.”
Rayna took the opportunity to pull Curtis upright before smiling at Andrew. “So... Mr. Zeller, shall we meet another day?”
Andrew bobbed his head at them. “Very well. We'll do this another day, then.”
With that, he turned to the butler, who promptly stepped forward and said, “This way, please, Mr. Faymon, Mrs. Faymon.”
The butler led them, including J, Vance, and the others, to the door.
Just as Rayna and Curtis reached the doorway, they saw Cassidy walking toward them.
“Cassidy?” When Rayna and Curtis turned around, they saw Andrew's faint smile.
“Cassidy, why are you here?” Rayna whispered to Cassidy as she grabbed her arm.
“Would they have let you go if I didn't come?” Cassidy muttered as she gazed at them all. “It'll be a taste of their own medicine. Don't worry. I'll be fine. You should leave first.”
After Cassidy pulled away from Rayna, she greeted Curtis and went straight into the living room.
Rayna tried to follow her in, but Curtis stopped her. “We should go back first. Cassidy has Fernando, and he won't let anything happen to her.”
As he spoke, he gave Fernando a long look.
Rayna turned in response, but she could not see any expressions on Fernando's calm face.
“He doesn't look like he can't even protect himself; how will he protect her?” Rayna did not trust Fernando's capability. After all, she had just witnessed how obedient he was to Andrew.
Chapter 738 Extract The Toxin
Rayna whirled around, casting a glance at Cassidy. “Curtis, I still feel uneasy.”
Curtis didn't respond. Instead, he placed his hand against Rayna's lower back and led her away.
She had a troubled look on her face as she walked.
Noticing her distress, Curtis explained, “Mr. Zeller's intention for bringing us there was to get Cassidy to come here.”
“I know. I saw through his intention back there.” Rayna speculated, “Mr. Zeller and Fernando don't seem like a pair of father and son.”
“Yeah, I noticed that too,” Curtis agreed with her observation.
“Say, do you think Cassidy has been lying to us from the start?” Rayna felt something was wrong with the situation. It didn't fit their understanding.
“Let's give it time. We'll understand everything when the time comes,” Curtis assured. “I didn't see Yuna and Yasmin when Cassidy arrived earlier.”
“Yeah, it makes sense why Yasmin didn't come, but why didn't Yuna?” Rayna muttered before realization dawned upon her. “Is she still at home?”
“Probably. Let's talk about this later.” Curtis turned to Robin and ordered, “We're moving according to the plan.”
Robin glimpsed at the rearview mirror before steering the car in the opposite direction.
“Our priority now is Ashley's grandfather's cause of death. If we can find out the cause, it'll be easier for us later,” Curtis explained softly.
“Yeah.” Rayna nodded.
J's and the others' cars trailed after theirs as they drove to their pre-appointed location.
Finally, the line of cars stopped in front of the forensic science center.
Waiting by the front door was Chandler. He cast a confused look at Curtis. “You didn't say you were coming here, though?”
He thought they would meet at a hotel or something.
“Zita has an acquaintance here. They had delivered everything they gathered here.” Curtis reached for Rayna's hand and strode into the building.
J silently followed them into the building while Vance surveyed the surroundings. Trailing last in line, he murmured, “Luckily, we split into two ways, and so did the goods. Otherwise, they might've been detained.”
“I'm afraid we'll have a hard time retrieving them if they're detained.” J breathed a sigh of relief.
Rayna looked over her shoulder and chimed in, “Aren't you exaggerating?”
She didn't notice anything unusual about Andrew other than his strong charisma. He didn't do anything out of line too.
“That's because you came late. Mr. Zeller had come over once before you guys arrived. You didn't see the scowl he had on his face then.” A shiver coursed through Vance at his recollection of the earlier incident.
“What did you guys talk about?” Rayna questioned.
“He asked whether we're your friends or if we're working for you. He even asked something about some data, but we didn't divulge anything,” Vance reported.
“Then... how did Curtis know about Mr. Zeller inviting you guys there?” Rayna shot a confused glance at Curtis.
“J's watch has a call function. It's a hidden feature, so anyone but the wearer is oblivious to it. It's difficult for machines to detect it too.” Curtis dropped his gaze to meet Rayna's eyes and chuckled. “I'll have them prepare one for you next time so you can use it during an emergency.”
“Perfect!” Rayna cracked a faint smile at him.
Instead of taking the elevator, they took the stairs to the fifth floor. Coming out of the stairway, they beelined to an office.
J walked up to the door and rapped his knuckle on it. When Rayna noticed the rhythm of the knocks,
she eyed J meaningfully.
“Oh, this is something Zita and I always used,” J explained with a laugh.
“Not bad. It can prevent others from trying to pass off as you,” Rayna offered.
Suddenly, the door opened from the inside, revealing a woman clad in a white robe. The woman merely swept her gaze across their faces before leading them inside.
“We've already done the initial tests on the sample you sent. The hormone you found has the function of ingesting and fusing with human cells, thereby disrupting certain equilibriums within the body. As for the side effect, they'll vary from person to person,” the woman reported as she walked.
She paused a beat and handed a document to J. “I already had someone verify the situations you shared with me. Indeed, there are some engineered cell proteins. If they're used in skincare products, they'll have a positive result, but that can't be said for the side effects of their by-products. After all, nothing concrete can be said about whether the other substances within the skincare product will provoke a response from the engineered cell and thereby change its hormonal properties.”
“Can I have a look?” Rayna glanced at J and Zita.
J passed the document to Rayna.
The latter flipped it open and swiftly skimmed through the contents. When she caught Arachrede poison on the paper, her heart clenched. “What does this mean?”
Curtis' gaze followed her finger and saw Arachrede poison stated on the paper. With a frown, he asked,
“Is this in Anglandurn?”
“Oh, no. That's in Chanaean,” Zita answered.
“Arachrede poison? Why does Ashley's father-in-law's body have Arachrede poison?” Rayna was confused.
“You know about this poison?” Zita inquired. “We only found out about it after digging for the related information.”
“It's a poisonous substance derived from plants grown exclusively in Shvomhid Mountain. Thus why would he have it?” Rayna couldn't wrap her mind around it. “Did someone take a sample of the herbs from Shvomhid Mountain for research?”
Zita knew Rayna was familiar with the poison from her questions. She shot a look at J and didn't comment further.
“There's that possibility.” Vance's gaze darted to the document in Rayna's hands. “The people in Jayfort dislike venturing into areas like the Shvomhid Mountain, so it's unlikely for them to contract it by accident.”
“Are there any side effects when the two substances mix?” Curtis' focus wasn't on how Ashley's family member contracted the poison but on whether it would affect his health.
“There's no solid conclusion yet to prove the victim died from it. However, we discovered this kind of toxin could enter a dormant state. The toxin in the victim's body hasn't been activated, so we're still trying to verify its exact function.” Zita turned on the computer and brought up the relevant data for
Curtis' perusal. “Here, we can clearly see if the toxin is activated, it might create an unknown reaction with the hormone you found. It'll affect the human body. As for the exact effects, we'll find out after some research. Currently, the toxin in the victim's body has already lost its function. It'll be ideal if you can extract a sample from a live patient.”
“How do we extract it?” Rayna questioned.
Curtis stopped Rayna before she could get any more ideas. “Rayna, don't even think about using yourself as an experiment. The toxin in your body is likely dormant. If it's activated—”
“But we won't know the outcome if we don't research it. We can't live in fear forever, can we?” Rayna locked her gaze with Curtis, showing her determination. “It's just extracting the toxin. The process won't necessarily activate it, right?”
“Correct. A dormant state toxin works too. We just have to activate it. We can reach a conclusion quicker if we have a sample of it. That'll help to determine whether your suspect is doing something harmful.”
Chapter 739 A Grand Office
After pondering over the matter, Rayna said slowly, “Curtis, contact Jasmine and request that she send us a few samples of the problematic products.”
Curtis asked darkly, “Are you suspecting that...”
“He is creating a line of skincare products, so he must understand the implications of the hormone on different skincare formulations. Glory is the only one in Norwal City with the financial resources to employ a large R&D team for such a venture,” Rayna said confidently as she gripped the file in her hands.
Behind her, James walked in and chimed in, “If we can prove that this hormone is present in Glory's products, then we can confirm that Mr. Zeller is behind this.” He showed his laptop to Rayna. “Look, Rayna. Theodore previously told us to gather the victims' skin conditions. It is clearly stated that they all suffered from different problems.”
Zita added, “Every person is unique, so their cells will respond differently to the same stimuli. As such, they will likely experience different problems.”
“Rayna, we just received some news. According to an anonymous tip from the town, Yuna's mansion is being used as a research base, with the townspeople volunteering to participate in the experiment for money. I think Ashley's father-in-law wanted to earn the money but ended up meeting his demise.” James showed a video to Rayna. “The tipper had their face covered in a sack to keep their identity a secret, but they claimed they chose to reveal the truth as they were afraid of dying one day.”
“Why didn't they call the police?” Zita asked.
“The townspeople were bribed, especially those working for the government,” J explained. “Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked for your help, Zita.”
Comprehension dawned on Zita. She quickly reached for her bag, rummaging through its contents until she found a name card. Giving it to J, she explained, “This is someone I know. Hopefully, he can be of help. If what you said was true, he is definitely powerful enough to suppress the officials here.”
J glanced at the name card. “Zita, why haven't you mentioned this to me previously?”
“There are many things you don't know. I can't tell you everything, can I?” Zita replied as she shot J a look.
After reading all the files, Rayna jotted down the important parts on her phone. She was so engrossed that Curtis couldn't bring himself to interrupt her.
“What are you going to do next?” Zita asked J and Vance, but her gaze kept flitting toward Rayna and Curtis.
“We need to solve the problem here first,” James replied. “After that, all subsequent steps will be made more transparent. Otherwise, the entire situation would remain muddled.”
“I agree.” Rayna closed the file and turned to Curtis. “We'll delay our return to Norwal City for a few days and solve the problem here first. I think James is right. It isn't a coincidence that we were led to Jayfort.”
Curtis' gaze turned dark as he stared at Rayna. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, it's just a few days. How is Faymon Group doing?” Rayna suddenly recalled the landslide involving Faymon Group's project.
“That issue is almost resolved,” Curtis replied matter-of-factly. “We'll focus on solving the problem here.”
“Mm.” Rayna returned the file to Zita. “I'll leave the report here with you as we might lose it.”
Zita took it from her and smiled. “Sure. Feel free to get it from me whenever you need it, as I'll be here for quite a while. You can depart after solving the issue.”
Rayna nodded and turned to Curtis. “Should we head to our next destination?”
Curtis' lips curled slightly. “Yes. We're going to meet the sheriff.”
Vance and James shared a look and shrugged while J pushed his glasses up his nose bridge. “I'll have you know that this sheriff is a difficult person.”
“Is he more difficult that Mr. Zeller?” Rayna questioned.
“No. They are different people,” J explained as he headed to the door.
Rayna then left with Curtis.
“By the way, I remember you've arranged for someone to be here. Why isn't he here yet?” Rayna
asked. “Is he already at the sheriff's place?”
“No, he's still on the way.” Curtis glanced at his phone and added, “He's stuck in the traffic.”
“Oh, I see.” Rayna pursed her lips. “I hope the person you invited is influential enough to suppress the sheriff.”
Curtis chuckled out loud. “Of course.”
They left the forensic science center and headed to the sheriff's office.
Vance, who was seated in the passenger seat, cast a glance at Rayna and Curtis and spoke softly. “Our men managed to get Ashley's father-in-law's body to the mortuary and delayed his burial. Ashley's husband is quite emotional over this.”
“He alone reacted this way?” Rayna promptly got his point.
“Although Ashley's mother-in-law appeared to be quite composed, their son was really emotional,” Vance confirmed.
“That's certainly strange,” she said, resting her chin on her palm as she pondered over the matter. “Ashley's mother-in-law should be the most emotional person right now, considering her husband has just passed away.”
“Perhaps they weren't on good terms,” Curtis suggested. “Ashley's parents-in-law looked quite old, so I assume they were around the same age as my grandpa. Maybe they were arranged to be married.”
“I don't think so.” Rayna shook her head to refute Curtis' words. She then added, “There was Arachrede poison in Mr. Lambert's body. That was most probably injected by Mr. Zeller's men as an experiment.”
“Ashley is around our age, so it seems impossible that her in-laws are older than our parents,” Rayna commented. After thinking over the matter, she muttered under her breath, “Did the stuff Andrew developed have some sort of detrimental effect on a person's appearance, possibly even causing premature aging?”
Hearing that, Vance agreed, “Rayna, you might be right. That is highly plausible.”
“The most direct way to confirm our guess is to examine Ashley and her family,” Curtis said in a deep voice.
“We'll prepare for that after arriving at the sheriff's office,” Rayna told him. “It will be troublesome if our actions alerted the townspeople ahead of time.”
Robin, who had been silent the whole time as he was focused on driving, chimed in, “People in small towns are unbelievably united. If one family runs into trouble, the entire town pitches in to help.”
Slowly, the car exited the highway and drove into the streets.
Rayna glanced around and realized that the sheriff's office was located in a great location with a gorgeous landscape. It was as if she had been transported away to a luxurious holiday resort rather than to a law enforcement building.
“Are you sure we're at the sheriff's office?” Rayna glanced at the scenery outside before whirling
around to look at Curtis. “Did we come to the wrong place?”
Curtis took in their surroundings and flashed a smile. “We're at the right place.”
Robin, Vance, and the rest gaped in disbelief.
“Is this a form of bribery?” Rayna asked softly with her brows arched.
Chapter 740 Thorough Investigation
Curtis said nothing and gestured for her to keep quiet.
Rayna fell silent.
After they walked into the courtyard of the grand building, two men in uniform came out. “Mr. and Mrs. Faymon, this way, please.”
Rayna turned over her shoulder and noticed one of them was leading Vance and the rest in another direction.
“Are we getting separated?” she asked gently.
“Mm. I think so.” Curtis caught sight of the rest getting led away from the corner of his eye before turning to the man standing in front of them.
The man announced, “Our sheriff is waiting inside for you.”
Curtis held Rayna's hand as they climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Inside the reception room on the second floor, Rayna noticed an elderly man whose hair was silver- white, sitting with his back to them.
Hearing their footsteps, he slowly turned around and flashed a smile when he spotted Curtis and Rayna.
“Mr. and Mrs. Faymon,” Luigi Bacco, the sheriff, greeted them. He pointed at the couch across from him and said, “Please have a seat.”
Rayna noticed that Luigi couldn't keep his eyes off her when she came into the reception room.
That didn't escape Curtis' notice, too. He quickly reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Sensing his intention, Rayna played along and sat beside him obediently without saying a word.
“My assistant told me that you're here for the Lambert family's case, Mr. Faymon.” Luigi broke the silence and went straight to the topic.
“That's right,” Curtis affirmed.
Hearing that, Luigi arched a brow.
He knew Curtis as the latter was influential in Norwal City. However, they were currently in Jayfort, which wasn't under Curtis' influence.
“Ashley Wayne's father-in-law's death was a coincidence. Elderly people often take various medications, and the hormone you discovered could be a result of the substances he had ingested,” Luigi said in a serious manner. Those who didn't know anything would think he was telling the truth.
Nevertheless, Curtis and Rayna knew well that he was lying through his teeth.
“Although Jayfort is not underdeveloped, it is nowhere near as bustling as Norwal City. I know you must
be curious to look into the matter, but I'd suggest you stay out of this. The city is known for its tourist attractions, and if word gets out about what you are doing, it could be detrimental to its development. If you still think it is necessary to report the matter to the authorities, it may drag Faymon Group into the situation,” Luigi revealed calmly. “I do recall reading something about the Faymon Group's project in Yartran not long ago. Mr. Faymon, have you managed to resolve this issue yet?”
Rayna was about to speak when Curtis tightened his grip on her wrist, signaling her to stay silent.
“Faymon Group's project has absolutely no bearing on this issue,” Curtis stated in a composed manner. “We wanted to make sure we were fully aware of the facts before we take any rash action. After all, we found the same hormone in both Glory's products and Mr. Lambert's body. Initially, we planned on informing the police, but my wife argued that we should take the time to verify the facts ourselves. We are almost finished with our verification process.” His face was devoid of expression as he added, “We've already sent the samples to the relevant department to be examined. Thus, I'm afraid things are beyond our control anymore, Chief Bacco.”
Luigi was in shock. His mouth was slightly agape as he gazed at Curtis in disbelief.
Rayna glanced toward Curtis, and after receiving his subtle nod of encouragement, she spoke her piece. “We came here not just to talk to you, Chief Bacco. Most importantly, someone else other than us wants to see you. Chief Bacco, I believe that big shot is currently with our friends. When we arrived, your guards led them elsewhere.”
Luigi was surprised, but he quickly summoned his subordinate. “Find out if they are telling the truth.”
His subordinate left the room immediately.
Narrowing his eyes, Luigi regarded Curtis and Rayna silently. He felt a tinge of uneasiness as they both seemed unfazed.
His subordinate soon returned and reported, “Mr. Carson Lewinski from the council is here.”
Luigi blanched in horror and jolted to his feet abruptly. “Hurry, lead the way.”
Curtis and Rayna got up and went after him.
In another hall, J and the rest were munching on fruits when they caught a glimpse of Luigi scurrying toward them. A collective smile spread across their faces as they saw him approach.
The middle-aged man sitting across from Vance and J also noticed Luigi coming into the hall in a hurry.
“Mr. Lewinski, why didn't you inform us of your arrival?” Luigi approached Carson as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
The middle-aged man stood up and glanced at his surroundings. A smile nudged his lips as he said, “I wanted to do that, but before I could say anything, your men brought me to this annex.”
Rayna stood beside Curtis and tugged at his sleeve. “You never told me that someone this influential would be coming.”
She assumed that Curtis was lying and played along with him, so she was quite astonished to discover that it had actually been the truth.
Curtis explained softly, “Didn't I say I was here to take care of this issue? Why don't we see if we can
also resolve Glory's problem while we're at it? That way, we can kill two birds with one stone.”
Rayna's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she realized that Curtis had taken the initiative to organize and plan everything without consulting her beforehand.
Her gaze landed on Carson. He was a political figure she'd never seen before despite her frequent watching of political news.
Carson paid no heed to Luigi's uneasiness and cast his gaze around the room in the house, taking in the stylish furnishings. “Not bad at all,” he remarked. “This is quite a fashionable decor for an office.”
It was a simple comment, but Luigi's face paled before turning red.
“Uh... Well...” He was at a loss of words.
Carson ignored him and gazed at Curtis. “Mr. Faymon, I'll report this to the relevant authorities, and you should expect to hear back from them by tomorrow. If you need any help from us here in Jayfort, please don't hesitate to let me know. You can also seek assistance from the police station and forensic science center if you need it. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to help you with Mr. Zeller, so you'll have to find another way to address the situation,” he said gently.
“All right. Thank you!” Curtis thanked Carson and left with J, Vance, and the rest.
“Where are we going next?” Rayna asked Curtis.
Before Curtis could say anything, J spoke behind her. “The police station. We must investigate the death cases in Jayfort over the past few years. We suspect that Mr. Lambert's death wasn't an isolated
incident, and there might be more cases that have been hidden from the public.”
That made sense, so Rayna agreed readily. “The police station should have the census records.”
“Mm. We'll do that right now.” Curtis led Rayna into the car. “Unfortunately, it's likely that we won't be back home until late tonight.”