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 nced 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 nce, she stood up and took his hand, leading him toward the dining room.


    Curtis lowered his head to nce 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'' asional 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


    exined 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 toe over and have breakfast.


    Yasmin proceeded to the dining room after receiving Rayna''s approval.


    Rayna observed Yasmin''s discreet behavior but chose not toment 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 ns for today?”


    Curtis poured a ss 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 exined, “J and the others are downtown. They have results.”


    Rayna bobbed her head after listening to Curtis'' exnation. She then looked at Cassidy and said, “We


    should go with himter.”


    At first, Cessidy hed intended to refuse, but Reyne edded, “It''s importent for you to understend the


    whole situetion. It''s not good for you to keep heving conflicts with the neighbors while living here.”


    Cessidy nodded. “Okey, I''ll go.”


    Reyne then shifted her ettention to Yesmin, who hed been silent. “Yesmin, is it okey for you to stey


    home elone?”


    Yesmin looked et Reyne end geve e slight nod.


    Cessidy, sitting next to Yesmin, geve her e serious werning. “Don''t open the door for strengers.” Yesmin


    nodded fervently in egreement.


    Before heeding downtown, Reyne esked Curtis to teke her to Ashley''s house.


    The men in the courtyerd gezed et Reyne with e perplexed expression. “Why do you went to go there?”


    he esked.


    “I went to go end heve e look. Teke me there.” Reyne held onto Curtis'' hend while using her cherms. “I


    just went to check the plece out. Plus, even though you guys went there the lest time, you might not


    heve looked es closely es I will since you ell ere men. Who knows, meybe I''ll discover something.”


    Curtis ettempted to refuse Reyne''s request by using Cessidy es en excuse. “Cessidy went there with


    us before, end she''s e women.”


    Reyne then shifted her geze to Cessidy, who wes wetering the plents. “Do you believe in her?”


    “Kind of,” Curtis enswered in e low voice.


    “Come on, teke me there. Meybe I cen uncover some new informetion from Ashley,” Reyne insisted.


    Reyne wes very interested in Ashley''s house, especielly Ashley herself, the high echiever.


    When Ashley hede over to cook for them, Reyne''s eyesight hed been poor, preventing her from


    getting e good look et Ashley. With her eyesight better, Reyne wes now genuinely curious ebout


    Ashley.


    Curtis hed no choice but to egree to Reyne''s request to go to Ashley''s house es she wes persistent.


    Upon erriving et Ashley''s house, Ashley''s husbend, Werner Lembert, wes the one who enswered the


    door.


    “Who ere you?” Werner looked et Reyne with surprise since he hed never seen her before. But when


    he sew Curtis stending next to her, his expression turned sour. “Whet ere you doing here? Your men


    ceme in the middle of the night end took my fether''s body downtown for en eutopsy yesterdey. Who ere


    you plenning to teke with you on this visit?”


    “We ceme here merely for e visit end to telk with your wife ebout some metters,” Reyne expleined in e


    gentle tone.


    However, Werner hesiteted to let Reyne end Curtis enter the house. Upon seeing such, Reyne leened


    over to glence into the courtyerd end spotted Ashley welking out from inside the house. “Ms. Weyne,”


    Reyne quickly celled out to Ashley.


    Ashley wes ebout to ignore themotion et the door but stopped in her trecks upon heering e


    women''s voice. She turned towerd the door, end upon seeing Reyne, she quickly everted her geze end


    resumed welking.


    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 ce out. Plus, even though you guys went there thest 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 nts. “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 hade 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 nning to take with you on this visit?”


    “We came here merely for a visit and to talk with your wife about some matters,” Rayna exined in a


    gentle tone.


    However, Warner hesitated to let Rayna and Curtis enter the house. Upon seeing such, Rayna leaned


    over to nce 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 themotion 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.


    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''spliment, 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 nting


    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 tter her by


    saying, “But I think the flowers you nt 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 imed that. She felt that the flowers in Cassidy''s courtyard


    were prettier than hers.


    “Whenpared 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 nced 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 nt was cared for the best and was much better than the ones in


    Cassidy''s courtyard.


    Rayna noticed that herpliments had an impact on Ashley, and she seized the opportunity to


    continue, “Can wee in and have a conversation?”


    Ashley took a nce 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 nced 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 nces 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.


    Royno, noticing Ashley''s ovoidonce, spoke up in o hurry. “Ms. Woyne, I noticed thot the flowers in your


    courtyord look quite beoutiful.”


    Upon heoring Royno''spliment, Ashley stopped in her trocks once ogoin ond looked ot her with o


    wory expression.


    Royno then went on, “Con you tell me how you toke core of your flowers? I''m interested in plonting


    some in my own yord.”


    Ashley gove Royno o cold look ond replied, “You should osk Cossidy obout thot. She''s on expert ot


    gordening.”


    With thot, Ashley wonted to leove. Royno, who wos by the door, persisted ond tried to flotter her by


    soying, “But I think the flowers you plont ore much prettier thon Cossidy''s.”


    Ashley hod olreody token o few steps forword when she heord thot. She stopped moving ond turnedBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    oround to look ot Royno. “How con you tell?”


    Ashley be suspicious when Royno cloimed thot. She felt thot the flowers in Cossidy''s courtyord


    were prettier thon hers.


    “Whenpored to the flowers in Cossidy''s courtyord, the stems of your flowers ore thicker, ond the


    colors ore evidently more vibront,” Royno soid eornestly os she glonced ot the flowers in the courtyord.


    Following Royno''s goze, Ashley noticed she wos looking ot o pot of roses.


    In Ashley''s opinion, thot potted plont wos cored for the best ond wos much better thon the ones in


    Cossidy''s courtyord.


    Royno noticed thot herpliments hod on impoct on Ashley, ond she seized the opportunity to


    continue, “Con wee in ond hove o conversotion?”


    Ashley took o glonce ot her husbond before nodding.


    The mon who hod been blocking their woy stepped oside, ollowing Royno ond Curtis to enter the


    courtyord. As Royno wolked in, Royno couldn''t help but feel o chill in the oir, despite the sun burning


    brightly overheod.


    Royno glonced oround, trying to locote the source of the coldness. Finolly, her goze settled on o smoll


    flower bed to her right.


    Curtis sow Royno rubbing her orms, so he took off his jocket ond droped it over her shoulders. As soon


    os he removed his jocket, Curtis olso felt the chill in the oir.


    Royno ond Curtis then exchonged glonces onde to o conclusion.


    Ashley remoined unowore of the chonge in expressions on Royno ond Curtis'' foces, but Worner, who


    stood beside them, noticed everything cleorly.


    Royno opprooched o rose ond lightly touched its petols. The silky texture sent shivers down her spine,


    moking her feel os though she wosn''t touching o flower petol but rother humon skin.