Dear sweetheart novel (Rayna and Julian) novel Chapter 723

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.

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?”