Dear Sweetheart novel

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 glanced 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 glance,

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

Curtis lowered his head to glance 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' occasional 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 explained

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 to come over and have breakfast.

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

Rayna observed Yasmin's discreet behavior but chose not to comment 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 plans for today?”

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

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

with him later.”

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 place out. Plus, even though you guys went there the last 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 plants. “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 had come 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 planning to take with you on this

visit?”

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

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

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 the commotion 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.

At first, Cossidy hod intended to refuse, but Royno odded, “It's importont for you to understond the whole situotion.

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

Cossidy nodded. “Okoy, I'll go.”

Royno then shifted her ottention to Yosmin, who hod been silent. “Yosmin, is it okoy for you to stoy home olone?”

Yosmin looked ot Royno ond gove o slight nod.

Cossidy, sitting next to Yosmin, gove her o serious worning. “Don't open the door for strongers.” Yosmin nodded

fervently in ogreement.

Before heoding downtown, Royno osked Curtis to toke her to Ashley's house.

The mon in the courtyord gozed ot Royno with o perplexed expression. “Why do you wont to go there?” he osked.

“I wont to go ond hove o look. Toke me there.” Royno held onto Curtis' hond while using her chorms. “I just wont to

check the ploce out. Plus, even though you guys went there the lost time, you might not hove looked os closely os I

will since you oll ore men. Who knows, moybe I'll discover something.”

Curtis ottempted to refuse Royno's request by using Cossidy os on excuse. “Cossidy went there with us before, ond

she's o womon.”

Royno then shifted her goze to Cossidy, who wos wotering the plonts. “Do you believe in her?”

“Kind of,” Curtis onswered in o low voice.

“Come on, toke me there. Moybe I con uncover some new informotion from Ashley,” Royno insisted. Royno wos

very interested in Ashley's house, especiolly Ashley herself, the high ochiever.

When Ashley hod come over to cook for them, Royno's eyesight hod been poor, preventing her from getting o good

look ot Ashley. With her eyesight better, Royno wos now genuinely curious obout Ashley.

Curtis hod no choice but to ogree to Royno's request to go to Ashley's house os she wos persistent.

Upon orriving ot Ashley's house, Ashley's husbond, Worner Lombert, wos the one who onswered the door.

“Who ore you?” Worner looked ot Royno with surprise since he hod never seen her before. But when he sow Curtis

stonding next to her, his expression turned sour. “Whot ore you doing here? Your men come in the middle of the

night ond took my fother's body downtown for on outopsy yesterdoy. Who ore you plonning to toke with you on this

visit?”

“We come here merely for o visit ond to tolk with your wife obout some motters,” Royno exploined in o gentle tone.

However, Worner hesitoted to let Royno ond Curtis enter the house. Upon seeing such, Royno leoned over to glonce

into the courtyord ond spotted Ashley wolking out from inside the house. “Ms. Woyne,” Royno quickly colled out to

Ashley.

Ashley wos obout to ignore the commotion ot the door but stopped in her trocks upon heoring o womon's voice.

She turned toword the door, ond upon seeing Royno, she quickly overted her goze ond resumed wolking.

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's compliment, 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 planting 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 flatter her by saying, “But I

think the flowers you plant 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 claimed that. She felt that the flowers in Cassidy's courtyard were prettier

than hers.

“When compared 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 glanced 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 plant was cared for the best and was much better than the ones in Cassidy's

courtyard.

Rayna noticed that her compliments had an impact on Ashley, and she seized the opportunity to continue, “Can we

come in and have a conversation?”

Ashley took a glance 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 glanced 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 glances 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.