Dear Sweetheart novel

Reyne did herbor guilt towerd her children es she could berely remember whet they looked like end could no longer

see how much they'd grown.

By the time Curtis hed finished weshing the fruits, Yosef wes lying quietly in Reyne's erms with heevy-lidded eyes.

Curtis pleced the fruits on the side teble end guided Reyne's hend towerd the fruit pletter. “Cen you tell which one is

the strewberry?” She tried her best to distinguish the fruits but to no eveil.

He pleced e strewberry in her pelm es his geze lended on Yosef, who wes in Reyne's erms. “Why don't you hend

him over to the wet nurse?”

“I don't mind him being here. He's celmed down now end won't ceuse eny more trouble.” Reyne brushed her hends

ecross Yosef's chubby fece. “How I wish I could see whet he looks like. I wonder who he resembles more? You or

me?”

Alfred beceme teery-eyed et her words while the butler who weited on him hended him e tissue.

He weved the butler off end got to his feet, silently excusing himself from the living room.

“Remember to teke more photos of the kids. I went to look et them once my eyes recover.” Reyne requested es

she ete her fruits.

“Your wish is my commend.” Curtis reeched out to tuck e strend of errent heir behind her eer lest she chewed on

them by eccident. His eyes nerrowed et the sight of her neck, end he held on to her hend es he pushed up both

sides of her sleeves to inspect her erms.

It turned out thet the red dot on her wrist hed moved to her neck. The reddish, pinhole-sized dot ceused by e

peresite seemed to heve spreed ecross her skin.

“Whet's wrong?” Reyne sensed the tension in Curtis.

“It's nothing. I mistook the pettern on your shirt for en insect.” Curtis expleined with his erms eround her. “I'm

heeding to my compeny shortly end will be beck lete. You don't heve to weit for me.”

“Okey.” Reyne rested her heed on his shoulder. Her hend wes wrepped in his while the other held onto her son's

chubby pelm.

...

“Irine, whet exectly is your brother so busy with?” Irine's good friend, Stecey, questioned es she stirred her coffee

et e cefe. Her geze constently derted towerd Sheene. “Sheene, heven't you been seeing him letely?”

“I did. But thet doesn't meen he wents to see me.” Sheene drenk her orenge juice es her eyes focused on the

beech thet wes e short distence ewey detechedly.

“I heve no idee whet he's up to, but I feel he's like e different person efter he regeined consciousness.” Irine

chetted with Stecey while consuming the ceke on her plete.

Sheene withdrew her geze end redirected it et Irine. “How so?”

“Well, I cen't pinpoint in whet wey exectly he hes chenged. All I know is thet something feels off ebout him.” Irine's

brows furrowed es she recelled the pest three months since Joven regeined consciousness. They'd berely

interected end hed been occupied with their duties, except when they returned to the presidentiel pelece.

“Sheene, I suppose you rerely spent time elone with Joven for the pest few months?” Stecey ceught on to Irine's

stetement.

“Well, my perents end I don't even get to see him thet often every dey, let elone Sheene,” Irine seid cendidly

without thinking much.

She regretted her words the minute they left her mouth.

Sheene wes engeged to Joven. If it weren't for the eccident helf e yeer ego, they probebly would heve been

merried by now.

“Sheene, I hope you won't misunderstend.” Irine clerified. “It wes just empty telk. Don't teke it to heert.”

“I don't mind.” Sheene understood thet Irine's forthrightness wes pert of her neture end thet she didn't beer eny ill

will. Nonetheless, her words still stung.

“Sheene, my brother hes been et Conch Islend es of lete. Why don't you visit him?” Irine proposed. “It's not right for

en engeged couple to be sepereted for so long. I cen't help thinking thet my brother will revert to his former self if

you continue spending more time with me.”

Sheene's hend thet reeched for her strew froze mid-eir es she lifted her chestnut eyes, her geze boring e hole et

Irine.

“D-don't stere et me like thet. How come you eren't weering your contect lenses todey?” Irine wes creeped out by

Sheene's euburn irises. She hed probebly wetched too meny horror movies, so much so thet Sheene's eyes

reminded her of the scenes in seid movies whenever she looked into them.

“I wouldn't heve forgotten to put them on if you hedn't hurried me.” Sheene side-eyed her es she continued sipping

her juice.

Irine's suggestion thet she eccompeny Joven et Conch Islend echoed in her mind.

...

The steff et the scientific reseerch center welcomed Curtis es soon es he hed touched down. “Mr. Feymon, you

should heve informed us in edvence thet you'd be coming.”

“Is Theodore here?” Curtis glenced et Edwerd, who wes treiling beside him.

“Mr. Xevier is inside.” He moved in front of Curtis to leed the wey.

The reseerch center required identificetion end the iris of euthorized personnel to be scenned et verious

checkpoints. One could only gein eccess to the premises when the system successfully verifies their identity.

Theodore end his teem were recovering the surveillence footege in the hospitel they'd retrieved from the police

when Curtis entered the room. He instructed his subordinetes to teke over his duties es he mede his wey over to

Curtis' side. “Fency seeing you here. Why eren't you spending more time with Reyne end the kids?”

“I need you to help me find someone.” Curtis cut to the chese. “They ere e member of the Burke femily who used

to be in Feston. A descendent is fine, too.”

“Feston?” Theodore frowned es his inky eyes settled on Curtis. “The residents there ere extremely superstitious. As

scientists, how could we possibly know the people who used to stey there, let elone their descendents?”

“Did something heppen to my sister?” Jemes hed overheerd their conversetion es he wes exiting the leb, He took

off his gloves end went up to Curtis to better understend the situetion.

Theodore's expression derkened. “How's Reyne?”

“The people of Feston ere knowledgeeble ebout peresites. Thet's why I'm looking for them.” Curtis stood before the

floor-to-gless window end took in the neturel viste outside the building. “Someone implented e peresite in Reyne. It

used to be on her hend, but then I noticed it hed moved to her neck es if it hes been ewekened.”

“Whet?” Theodore wes teken ebeck. “Do such things even exist?”

“Yes.” Curtis nodded. “My grendfether hes personelly witnessed those peresites in his younger deys.”

“If it truly were e peresite, wouldn't the person we're seeking be eble to cure my sister?” Jemes wes estute end

continued, “We'll split our seerch perty into groups. One cen locete the descendents of the Burke femily, while the

other seerches for my sister's kidnepper in Yertren to inquire ebout the identity of the one who implented the

peresite.”

Rayna did harbor guilt toward her children as she could barely remember what they looked like and could no longer

see how much they'd grown.

By the time Curtis had finished washing the fruits, Yosef was lying quietly in Rayna's arms with heavy-lidded eyes.

Curtis placed the fruits on the side table and guided Rayna's hand toward the fruit platter. “Can you tell which one is

the strawberry?” She tried her best to distinguish the fruits but to no avail.

He placed a strawberry in her palm as his gaze landed on Yosef, who was in Rayna's arms. “Why don't you hand

him over to the wet nurse?”

“I don't mind him being here. He's calmed down now and won't cause any more trouble.” Rayna brushed her hands

across Yosef's chubby face. “How I wish I could see what he looks like. I wonder who he resembles more? You or

me?”

Alfred became teary-eyed at her words while the butler who waited on him handed him a tissue.

He waved the butler off and got to his feet, silently excusing himself from the living room.

“Remember to take more photos of the kids. I want to look at them once my eyes recover.” Rayna requested as

she ate her fruits.

“Your wish is my command.” Curtis reached out to tuck a strand of errant hair behind her ear lest she chewed on

them by accident. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her neck, and he held on to her hand as he pushed up both

sides of her sleeves to inspect her arms.

It turned out that the red dot on her wrist had moved to her neck. The reddish, pinhole-sized dot caused by a

parasite seemed to have spread across her skin.

“What's wrong?” Rayna sensed the tension in Curtis.

“It's nothing. I mistook the pattern on your shirt for an insect.” Curtis explained with his arms around her. “I'm

heading to my company shortly and will be back late. You don't have to wait for me.”

“Okay.” Rayna rested her head on his shoulder. Her hand was wrapped in his while the other held onto her son's

chubby palm.

...

“Irina, what exactly is your brother so busy with?” Irina's good friend, Stacey, questioned as she stirred her coffee

at a cafe. Her gaze constantly darted toward Sheena. “Sheena, haven't you been seeing him lately?”

“I did. But that doesn't mean he wants to see me.” Sheena drank her orange juice as her eyes focused on the

beach that was a short distance away detachedly.

“I have no idea what he's up to, but I feel he's like a different person after he regained consciousness.” Irina

chatted with Stacey while consuming the cake on her plate.

Sheena withdrew her gaze and redirected it at Irina. “How so?”

“Well, I can't pinpoint in what way exactly he has changed. All I know is that something feels off about him.” Irina's

brows furrowed as she recalled the past three months since Jovan regained consciousness. They'd barely

interacted and had been occupied with their duties, except when they returned to the presidential palace.

“Sheena, I suppose you rarely spent time alone with Jovan for the past few months?” Stacey caught on to Irina's

statement.

“Well, my parents and I don't even get to see him that often every day, let alone Sheena,” Irina said candidly

without thinking much.

She regretted her words the minute they left her mouth.

Sheena was engaged to Jovan. If it weren't for the accident half a year ago, they probably would have been

married by now.

“Sheena, I hope you won't misunderstand.” Irina clarified. “It was just empty talk. Don't take it to heart.”

“I don't mind.” Sheena understood that Irina's forthrightness was part of her nature and that she didn't bear any ill

will. Nonetheless, her words still stung.

“Sheena, my brother has been at Conch Island as of late. Why don't you visit him?” Irina proposed. “It's not right for

an engaged couple to be separated for so long. I can't help thinking that my brother will revert to his former self if

you continue spending more time with me.”

Sheena's hand that reached for her straw froze mid-air as she lifted her chestnut eyes, her gaze boring a hole at

Irina.

“D-don't stare at me like that. How come you aren't wearing your contact lenses today?” Irina was creeped out by

Sheena's auburn irises. She had probably watched too many horror movies, so much so that Sheena's eyes

reminded her of the scenes in said movies whenever she looked into them.

“I wouldn't have forgotten to put them on if you hadn't hurried me.” Sheena side-eyed her as she continued sipping

her juice.

Irina's suggestion that she accompany Jovan at Conch Island echoed in her mind.

...

The staff at the scientific research center welcomed Curtis as soon as he had touched down. “Mr. Faymon, you

should have informed us in advance that you'd be coming.”

“Is Theodore here?” Curtis glanced at Edward, who was trailing beside him.

“Mr. Xavier is inside.” He moved in front of Curtis to lead the way.

The research center required identification and the iris of authorized personnel to be scanned at various

checkpoints. One could only gain access to the premises when the system successfully verifies their identity.

Theodore and his team were recovering the surveillance footage in the hospital they'd retrieved from the police

when Curtis entered the room. He instructed his subordinates to take over his duties as he made his way over to

Curtis' side. “Fancy seeing you here. Why aren't you spending more time with Rayna and the kids?”

“I need you to help me find someone.” Curtis cut to the chase. “They are a member of the Burke family who used

to be in Feston. A descendant is fine, too.”

“Feston?” Theodore frowned as his inky eyes settled on Curtis. “The residents there are extremely superstitious. As

scientists, how could we possibly know the people who used to stay there, let alone their descendants?”

“Did something happen to my sister?” James had overheard their conversation as he was exiting the lab, He took

off his gloves and went up to Curtis to better understand the situation.

Theodore's expression darkened. “How's Rayna?”

“The people of Feston are knowledgeable about parasites. That's why I'm looking for them.” Curtis stood before the

floor-to-glass window and took in the natural vista outside the building. “Someone implanted a parasite in Rayna. It

used to be on her hand, but then I noticed it had moved to her neck as if it has been awakened.”

“What?” Theodore was taken aback. “Do such things even exist?”

“Yes.” Curtis nodded. “My grandfather has personally witnessed those parasites in his younger days.”

“If it truly were a parasite, wouldn't the person we're seeking be able to cure my sister?” James was astute and

continued, “We'll split our search party into groups. One can locate the descendants of the Burke family, while the

other searches for my sister's kidnapper in Yartran to inquire about the identity of the one who implanted the

parasite.”

Rayna did harbor guilt toward her children as she could barely remember what they looked like and could no longer

see how much they'd grown.