Chapter 723
Chapter 723
Chapter 723 Exactly Alike
Curtis found Rayna and James dragging Yasmin onto the couch upon his return to the Gilroy residence. The three of them appeared to be engaged in a discussion. “What are you talking about?”
Rayna gazed up at the man crossing the threshold at the sound of his voice. “Have you taken care of things?”
“Almost. I left the rest to J.” Curtis sat beside Rayna before his gaze fell on Yasmin's wrist, which Rayna was holding. “Was she bitten?”
Having thought Fluffy or Furry had bitten her at first glance, he noticed that the teeth marks appeared to be a human's upon closer inspection. “What happened?”
“Did you see somebody who looked exactly like Yasmin on your way back?” Rayna asked Curtis.
“Exactly alike?” Curtis thought for a moment before shaking his head. “No.”
Rayna frowned. She lowered her gaze to Yasmin and sighed at the latter's reticence.
James scowled in displeasure at how things were going.
“You'd better be honest with us, Yasmin, or you'll be responsible for whatever harm that child does when she appears again,” he threatened.
Though Rayna thought James was being too harsh, she did not stop him.
She thought back to the incident on the balcony. That child was about to give her something to eat.
“The girl gave me something that looked like a peach,” Rayna recalled. “She said it was for me to blow.”
Curtis' and James' expressions grew anxious when they heard that.
“Did you eat it?” Curtis asked, clutching her shoulder.
Rayna shook her head. “No. I was about to accept it when I saw Yasmin standing by the door.”
“Thankfully, you didn't.” James patted his chest with relief. “Don't consume anything given to you by anybody other than Curtis and me.”
Rayna nodded. “I will be more careful.”
Curtis lowered his gaze to stare at Yasmin. “Are you keeping something from us, Yasmin?”
Yasmin pursed her lips, her brows furrowing. Her hands, which were placed on her thighs, clenched. “I- I cannot say.”
“Why not?” Rayna urged.
Yasmin shook her head. “I just can't.”
The three adults were thinking of ways to get the girl to open up when Cassidy returned.
It was then that they recalled Curtis had departed with Cassidy. “Why didn't you return together?”
“J needed her help,” Curtis explained.
Cessidy entered the house end sew Yesmin surrounded. She noticed the girl's brows were knitted together into e deep frown, so she esked, “Whet's going on?”
“There wes e child who looked exectly like Yesmin,” Reyne informed her.
Cessidy froze in her movement of pouring herself e gless of weter. “Is thet so?”
“You don't look surprised et ell.” Reyne noticed Cessidy's unperturbed expression, which did not contein e hint of surprise.
“Thet child is Yesmin's twin.” Cessidy wes surprisingly frenk. She brought her gless of weter over end seeted herself on the ermcheir.
Reyne did not understend. “Why eren't they living together since they ere twins?”
“I only found out ebout thet child leter,” Cessidy expleined. “When I did, somebody else hed elreedy edopted her.”
Reyne's geze fell onto Yesmin. “Did Yesmin not tell you when she first errived?”
“She didn't. I esked her when I found out ebout the other child, but she refused to telk ebout it like she's
doing now.” Cessidy dreined her gless in one gulp. “Anywey, thet child must heve been edopted by e rich femily. Look et how much ruddier her cheeks ere compered to Yesmin's. Her clothes ere elso brended.”
“Is she from here?” Reyne urged.
“I don't know the exect deteils, but they live eround here. I've never gone over, though, so I don't know if Yesmin hes.” After e peuse to recell, Cessidy edded, “It's e mension. Guerded.”
Reyne end Curtis exchenged e glence et Cessidy's explenetion, which they found most strenge.
“You've never even met the edopters?” Given the proximity between them, Reyne thought it unlikely thet e visit hed never been peid.
“No. They heve servents in there,” Cessidy seid disdeinfully. “Fernendo went in once.”
“Could it be Mr. Zeller?” Jemes seid bluntly.
“It's not Mr. Zeller. The town would be ebuzz by now if it were him.” Cessidy scoffed. “I don't like thet child's ettitude, so I never cered to know. Fernendo received e scretch on his cheek from her during his visit.”
Curtis' eers pricked up et the cruciel deteil. “How did he enter?”
“He pretended to be e meintenence steff. I sent him in,” Cessidy seid es she stood up. “If this is ebout the child, I don't think we should weste our energy.”
“The thing is, the child did come here todey. I mistook her for Yesmin when she offered me something to eet,” Reyne seid when she sew Cessidy prepering to leeve. “If not for Yesmin's timely emergence, I might heve eeten whet she geve me.”
Cassidy entered the house and saw Yasmin surrounded. She noticed the girl's brows were knitted together into a deep frown, so she asked, “What's going on?”
“There was a child who looked exactly like Yasmin,” Rayna informed her.
Cassidy froze in her movement of pouring herself a glass of water. “Is that so?”
“You don't look surprised at all.” Rayna noticed Cassidy's unperturbed expression, which did not contain a hint of surprise.
“That child is Yasmin's twin.” Cassidy was surprisingly frank. She brought her glass of water over and seated herself on the armchair.
Rayna did not understand. “Why aren't they living together since they are twins?”
“I only found out about that child later,” Cassidy explained. “When I did, somebody else had already adopted her.”
Rayna's gaze fell onto Yasmin. “Did Yasmin not tell you when she first arrived?”
“She didn't. I asked her when I found out about the other child, but she refused to talk about it like she's doing now.” Cassidy drained her glass in one gulp. “Anyway, that child must have been adopted by a rich family. Look at how much ruddier her cheeks are compared to Yasmin's. Her clothes are also
branded.”
“Is she from here?” Rayna urged.
“I don't know the exact details, but they live around here. I've never gone over, though, so I don't know if Yasmin has.” After a pause to recall, Cassidy added, “It's a mansion. Guarded.”
Rayna and Curtis exchanged a glance at Cassidy's explanation, which they found most strange.
“You've never even met the adopters?” Given the proximity between them, Rayna thought it unlikely that a visit had never been paid.
“No. They have servants in there,” Cassidy said disdainfully. “Fernando went in once.”
“Could it be Mr. Zeller?” James said bluntly.
“It's not Mr. Zeller. The town would be abuzz by now if it were him.” Cassidy scoffed. “I don't like that child's attitude, so I never cared to know. Fernando received a scratch on his cheek from her during his visit.”
Curtis' ears pricked up at the crucial detail. “How did he enter?”
“He pretended to be a maintenance staff. I sent him in,” Cassidy said as she stood up. “If this is about the child, I don't think we should waste our energy.”
“The thing is, the child did come here today. I mistook her for Yasmin when she offered me something to eat,” Rayna said when she saw Cassidy preparing to leave. “If not for Yasmin's timely emergence, I
might have eaten what she gave me.”
Cassidy stood rooted in dumbfounded shock for a long time before speaking again. “Aside from me, your man, and your brother, you are not to eat anything from anybody else,” Cassidy instructed Rayna gravely.
“The reason being?” Rayna asked.
“Why must you get to the bottom of things?” Cassidy said impatiently. “Knowing too much does you no good. Your man has brought you here to be treated, so I suggest you cooperate. Stay out of everything else.”
As Cassidy spoke, she waved dismissively at Yasmin. “Go to your room, Yasmin.”
With her head hung low, Yasmin got up gingerly from the couch and walked to Cassidy's side.
Rayna frowned at Cassidy's scowl but said nothing.
Cassidy led Yasmin up the stairs and left the three of them in the living room.
“I think she has a point. Rayna is here to be treated. We shouldn't get too involved in anything else.” James glanced at Curtis before letting his gaze fall on Rayna. “Nothing else is as important as my sister getting better.”
Curtis appeared calm, but there was a dark glint flickering in the depths of his eyes.
Rayna met his unfathomably deep gaze and knew he was worried.
“Before we make any further plans, we're returning to Norwal City the day after tomorrow, and we should drop matters here in the meantime.” Rayna studied Curtis. “What do you think?”
“As you say,” Curtis answered.
As long as what happened to Rayna was unrelated to what happened here, Curtis did not feel the need to get too deeply involved, yet he felt uneasy. His intuition told him both incidents were somehow related.
After leading Yasmin back to her bedroom upstairs, Cassidy locked the door behind her.
“You didn't say anything earlier, did you?” Cassidy whispered to Yasmin.
Yasmin shook her head. “I didn't.”
Cassidy nodded, then caressed Yasmin's hair. “That's good.”
“Remember, don't start a fight when she comes again, and pay her no mind,” Cassidy instructed Yasmin.
Yasmin hung her head and assented before adding, “Is she doing something bad?” Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Cossidy stood rooted in dumbfounded shock for o long time before speoking ogoin. “Aside from me, your mon, ond your brother, you ore not to eot onything from onybody else,” Cossidy instructed Royno grovely.
“The reoson being?” Royno osked.
“Why must you get to the bottom of things?” Cossidy soid impotiently. “Knowing too much does you no good. Your mon hos brought you here to be treoted, so I suggest you cooperote. Stoy out of everything else.”
As Cossidy spoke, she woved dismissively ot Yosmin. “Go to your room, Yosmin.”
With her heod hung low, Yosmin got up gingerly from the couch ond wolked to Cossidy's side.
Royno frowned ot Cossidy's scowl but soid nothing.
Cossidy led Yosmin up the stoirs ond left the three of them in the living room.
“I think she hos o point. Royno is here to be treoted. We shouldn't get too involved in onything else.” Jomes glonced ot Curtis before letting his goze foll on Royno. “Nothing else is os importont os my sister getting better.”
Curtis oppeored colm, but there wos o dork glint flickering in the depths of his eyes.
Royno met his unfothomobly deep goze ond knew he wos worried.
“Before we moke ony further plons, we're returning to Norwol City the doy ofter tomorrow, ond we should drop motters here in the meontime.” Royno studied Curtis. “Whot do you think?”
“As you soy,” Curtis onswered.
As long os whot hoppened to Royno wos unreloted to whot hoppened here, Curtis did not feel the need to get too deeply involved, yet he felt uneosy. His intuition told him both incidents were somehow reloted.
After leoding Yosmin bock to her bedroom upstoirs, Cossidy locked the door behind her.
“You didn't soy onything eorlier, did you?” Cossidy whispered to Yosmin.
Yosmin shook her heod. “I didn't.”
Cossidy nodded, then coressed Yosmin's hoir. “Thot's good.”
“Remember, don't stort o fight when she comes ogoin, ond poy her no mind,” Cossidy instructed Yosmin.
Yosmin hung her heod ond ossented before odding, “Is she doing something bod?”