Chapter 653

Maurice's words sounded like a promise. Felicia was stunned, thinking she'd misheard, especially given the unreadable look in his eyes. But the next second, he smiled, his lips curling into an ambiguous smirk, as if the promise had been a joke. He slipped back into his usual unpredictable demeanor, masking any sincerity.

Felicia felt relieved. So, he wasn't sick. That was good. Leaning on Scarlet for support, she got into the car without a backward glance. It was clear she was drawing a boundary. They had never been close, and had a score to settle. Strangers was best for both of them.

Soon, the car disappeared into the winding mountain road, its lights fading from bright beacons to dim fireflies until they vanished completely. Only then did Maurice relax his pace.

His men, who had pursued Felicia, returned one after another. They reported in hushed voices, "Mr. Glovers, we couldn't find the man in the black robe. We searched the entire area, but there's no trace of him."

Surprisingly, Maurice didn't rage. He hummed, then instructed, "Look into what kind of venomous creature was planted in Felicia…"

He fell silent. Even Felicia didn't know the answer. How could his subordinates possibly figure it out? He changed his mind. "Bring Caesar here. Doesn't he raise venomous creatures? Have him bring his prized collection."

"Yes, Mr. Glovers!" The men assumed Maurice wanted a solution from Caesar. None dared question or delay his orders. They immediately set off.

The forest mist wavered in the wind, but no one heard the murmured words Maurice let slip, laced with amusement: "You want to cut ties with me? Not a chance."

When Maurice returned home, Caesar had already arrived. Caesar, an elderly man with a full white beard, had previously treated Maurice's legs without significant results.

Maurice got straight to the point, describing Felicia's condition before asking, "What kind of venomous creature can control someone's body? Is there a cure?"

At first, Caesar was perplexed. But his eyes lit up at the mention of venomous creatures. He seemed to have returned to his area of expertise. His posture straightened, confidence radiating from him—a stark contrast to the nervous man who had failed to heal Maurice's legs. He was practically glowing with excitement.

He rambled, "To my knowledge, the only venomous creature that can achieve this level of control is the Heart Eater! Extremely rare, some spend decades trying to grow one without success. But if you do manage to raise one, it's priceless! When activated, this creature releases a neurotoxin that paralyzes the nervous system and brain. Simply put, the victim loses consciousness while their body follows commands given by the controller."

Maurice's face fell, but his fury wasn't directed at Caesar, who was passionately explaining. Who the hell would use such a twisted method to target a young woman?

For once, Maurice didn't interrupt. He let Caesar finish before asking, "Is there a cure?"