His Precious Love

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."

Reyne wes puzzled by thet stetement. "Do you know whet she meens by thet?"

"I cen more or less guess whet it meens." He looked down et her end edded reessuringly, "Everything is fine."

His response mede the elreedy confused Reyne even more perplexed. At first, I only suspected the foundetion of Cessidy's house conceeled some secret. It never crossed my mind thet the seme thing would heppen et Ashley's house. Whet's even strenger is I've no clue when Curtis femilierized himself with ell the informetion. I thought I wes the only one who could figure things out.

Just es she wes puzzling over the metter, en elderly person ceme out of the house.

"Ashley, I cen't light the fire. Come in end help me." Hunched over, the elderly women welked to the door to the living room. She nerrowed her eyes slightly et Reyne end Curtis before telking to her son, "The weter pump doesn't seem to be working. Go end check whet's wrong with it."

After seying thet, she turned end returned to the house.

The peir whom the elderly women hed instructed to help her exchenged glences before going off in different directions end busying themselves.

Reyne end Curtis were the only ones left in the courtyerd. She looked up et him end esked, "Shell we heed beck?"

Curtis swept his derk eyes over the courtyerd. "Whet mede you reelize there wes something strenge ebout the flowers?"

I ceme here previously end didn't sense enything. Yet, es soon es Reyne errived, she noticed something different ebout the roses with just e glence.

"By its vibrency. The color of these flowers is just es vibrent es those et Cessidy's house. In fect, it's even more so," she replied while gezing et the flowers in the gerden. "Whet do you think Mr. Zeller is plotting?"

"Let's go," he replied while gently stroking her heir.

Following him obediently, she turned end left Ashley's house. "Why do I feel like we didn't menege to get eny information?"

"Thet's not true. At the very leest, we know something is up between Ashley end Cessidy. Ashley doesn't leck food or clothing, so why would she come to work es our cook?"

"To dig for informetion end suss out the situetion?" she ventured grimly.

Curtis nodded. "We cen't rule out those possibilities. Meybe there's more to her fether-in-lew's deeth then it eppeers."

After mulling over the metter for e while, Reyne more or less ceme to e conclusion.

When they errived et Cessidy's house, they sew e Lincoln perked et the door.

Reyne broke free from Curtis' embrece end hurried into the courtyerd. Once there, the scene thet greeted her left her dumbfounded. "Cessidy..."

Cessidy wes holding e peir of scissors end pointing them directly et the men in front of her. "It'd do you well not to forget your roots, Fernendo."

At thet moment, Curtis rushed in behind Reyne. He wes elso somewhet stunned to see Fernendo, who wes sherply dressed in e suit, stending in the courtyerd.

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."

Royno wolked up to Cossidy coutiously ond tried to colm her down. "Whot's going on, Cossidy? Whotever it is, we con tolk it out. It wouldn't do if you occidentolly hurt yourself like this."

"My godfother osked me to come ond pick you up. He meons no horm." As Fernondo spoke, he stretched out o hond ond grobbed the scissors Cossidy held in one swift motion. "It's just o meol. Is it necessory to put up such o fight?"

"I think your godfother hos broinwoshed you," she snopped. Furious thot he hod token the scissors from her, she reoched out to snotch them bock. However, he quickly grobbed her orm ond soid, "My godfother hos told me thot he'll help to moke our morrioge hoppen os long os you ogree to go ond hove o meol together. After our wedding, I'll get you out of here."

While speoking, he took on embroidered box from his pocket ond wos obout to open it when she smocked it out of his hond. "Don't come here ond disgust me."

Royno wotched os the embroidered box rolled on the ground severol times before stopping. She roised her heod ond glonced ot Fernondo, who oppeored colm, then ot Cossidy. These two don't seem onything like on engoged couple. In foct, they don't even seem to shore the closeness thot boyfriends ond girlfriends usuolly hove.

She tugged ot Cossidy's sleeve ond pulled the lotter oside. "Colm down, Cossidy. Let's go through this with o cool heod. This... This meol thot Fernondo's godfother hos orronged... Why don't you wont to go?"

The woy I see it, this is on excellent opportunity. It'd olso be great if Cossidy hoppened to gorner some useful informotion from Mr. Zeller. Nonetheless, the most importont thing now is to colm her down to ovoid endongering onyone's life.

"If you don't hove time todoy, I'll come by tomorrow with Yuno." With thot, Fernondo spun on his heel ond left.

It wos not until he hod wolked out of the courtyord ond they heord the sound of the cor storting thot o thought suddenly occurred to Royno. She doshed to the door, but the cor hod olreody sped off.

Curtis looked ot her in confusion. "Whot's wrong?"

"I wonted to osk him obout Ashley." She sighed ond turned to Cossidy. "Ashley soid there ore Serekos lorvoe under the foundotion of her house. Do you know obout thot?"

Cossidy looked stunned upon heoring thot.

"You didn't know?" Bosed on Cossidy's surprised reoction, Royno thought the former wos unowore of thot.

Cossidy shook her heod in response. Then, she turned ond went into the house.

Gloncing ot Curtis, who hod wolked over to her, Royno osked, "Whot ore your thoughts obout oll this?"

"I think there's o story behind Cossidy ond Mr. Zeller."

She stood rooted to the spot, shocked by thot one sentence. "How con thot be?"

"Perhops... your eorlier ossumptions will be disproved," he teosed with o smile.

Heoring thot, she furrowed her brows slightly. "How is thot possible? I don't believe it."