Dear Sweetheart

Chapter 738

Chapter 738 Extract The Toxin

Rayna whirled around, casting a glance at Cassidy. “Curtis, I still feel uneasy.”

Curtis didn't respond. Instead, he placed his hand against Rayna's lower back and led her away.

She had a troubled look on her face as she walked.

Noticing her distress, Curtis explained, “Mr. Zeller's intention for bringing us there was to get Cassidy to come here.”

“I know. I saw through his intention back there.” Rayna speculated, “Mr. Zeller and Fernando don't seem like a pair of father and son.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too,” Curtis agreed with her observation.

“Say, do you think Cassidy has been lying to us from the start?” Rayna felt something was wrong with the situation. It didn't fit their understanding.

“Let's give it time. We'll understand everything when the time comes,” Curtis assured. “I didn't see Yuna and Yasmin when Cassidy arrived earlier.”

“Yeah, it makes sense why Yasmin didn't come, but why didn't Yuna?” Rayna muttered before realization dawned upon her. “Is she still at home?”

“Probably. Let's talk about this later.” Curtis turned to Robin and ordered, “We're moving according to the plan.”

Robin glimpsed at the rearview mirror before steering the car in the opposite direction.

“Our priority now is Ashley's grandfather's cause of death. If we can find out the cause, it'll be easier for us later,” Curtis explained softly.

“Yeah.” Rayna nodded.

J's and the others' cars trailed after theirs as they drove to their pre-appointed location.

Finally, the line of cars stopped in front of the forensic science center.

Waiting by the front door was Chandler. He cast a confused look at Curtis. “You didn't say you were coming here, though?”

He thought they would meet at a hotel or something.

“Zita has an acquaintance here. They had delivered everything they gathered here.” Curtis reached for Rayna's hand and strode into the building.

J silently followed them into the building while Vance surveyed the surroundings. Trailing last in line, he murmured, “Luckily, we split into two ways, and so did the goods. Otherwise, they might've been detained.”

“I'm afraid we'll have a hard time retrieving them if they're detained.” J breathed a sigh of relief.

Rayna looked over her shoulder and chimed in, “Aren't you exaggerating?”

She didn't notice anything unusual about Andrew other than his strong charisma. He didn't do anything out of line too.

“That's because you came late. Mr. Zeller had come over once before you guys arrived. You didn't see the scowl he had on his face then.” A shiver coursed through Vance at his recollection of the earlier incident.

“What did you guys talk about?” Rayna questioned.

“He asked whether we're your friends or if we're working for you. He even asked something about some data, but we didn't divulge anything,” Vance reported.

“Then... how did Curtis know about Mr. Zeller inviting you guys there?” Rayna shot a confused glance at Curtis.

“J's watch has a call function. It's a hidden feature, so anyone but the wearer is oblivious to it. It's difficult for machines to detect it too.” Curtis dropped his gaze to meet Rayna's eyes and chuckled. “I'll have them prepare one for you next time so you can use it during an emergency.”

“Perfect!” Rayna cracked a faint smile at him.

Instead of taking the elevator, they took the stairs to the fifth floor. Coming out of the stairway, they beelined to an office.

J walked up to the door and rapped his knuckle on it. When Rayna noticed the rhythm of the knocks,

she eyed J meaningfully.

“Oh, this is something Zita and I always used,” J explained with a laugh.

“Not bad. It can prevent others from trying to pass off as you,” Rayna offered.

Suddenly, the door opened from the inside, revealing a woman clad in a white robe. The woman merely swept her gaze across their faces before leading them inside.

“We've already done the initial tests on the sample you sent. The hormone you found has the function of ingesting and fusing with human cells, thereby disrupting certain equilibriums within the body. As for the side effect, they'll vary from person to person,” the woman reported as she walked.

She paused a beat and handed a document to J. “I already had someone verify the situations you shared with me. Indeed, there are some engineered cell proteins. If they're used in skincare products, they'll have a positive result, but that can't be said for the side effects of their by-products. After all, nothing concrete can be said about whether the other substances within the skincare product will provoke a response from the engineered cell and thereby change its hormonal properties.”

“Can I have a look?” Rayna glanced at J and Zita.

J passed the document to Rayna.

The latter flipped it open and swiftly skimmed through the contents. When she caught Arachrede poison on the paper, her heart clenched. “What does this mean?”

Curtis' gaze followed her finger and saw Arachrede poison stated on the paper. With a frown, he asked,

“Is this in Anglandurn?”

“Oh, no. That's in Chanaean,” Zita answered.

“Arachrede poison? Why does Ashley's father-in-law's body have Arachrede poison?” Rayna was confused.

“You know about this poison?” Zita inquired. “We only found out about it after digging for the related information.”

“It's a poisonous substance derived from plants grown exclusively in Shvomhid Mountain. Thus why would he have it?” Rayna couldn't wrap her mind around it. “Did someone take a sample of the herbs from Shvomhid Mountain for research?”

Zita knew Rayna was familiar with the poison from her questions. She shot a look at J and didn't comment further. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“There's that possibility.” Vance's gaze darted to the document in Rayna's hands. “The people in Jayfort dislike venturing into areas like the Shvomhid Mountain, so it's unlikely for them to contract it by accident.”

“Are there any side effects when the two substances mix?” Curtis' focus wasn't on how Ashley's family member contracted the poison but on whether it would affect his health.

“There's no solid conclusion yet to prove the victim died from it. However, we discovered this kind of toxin could enter a dormant state. The toxin in the victim's body hasn't been activated, so we're still trying to verify its exact function.” Zita turned on the computer and brought up the relevant data for

Curtis' perusal. “Here, we can clearly see if the toxin is activated, it might create an unknown reaction with the hormone you found. It'll affect the human body. As for the exact effects, we'll find out after some research. Currently, the toxin in the victim's body has already lost its function. It'll be ideal if you can extract a sample from a live patient.”

“How do we extract it?” Rayna questioned.

Curtis stopped Rayna before she could get any more ideas. “Rayna, don't even think about using yourself as an experiment. The toxin in your body is likely dormant. If it's activated—”

“But we won't know the outcome if we don't research it. We can't live in fear forever, can we?” Rayna locked her gaze with Curtis, showing her determination. “It's just extracting the toxin. The process won't necessarily activate it, right?”

“Correct. A dormant state toxin works too. We just have to activate it. We can reach a conclusion quicker if we have a sample of it. That'll help to determine whether your suspect is doing something harmful.”