Back in the car, Jared grabbed a thin blanket and draped it over Tina’s legs. She reached out to take it, her fair wrist exposed.
Jared’s gaze was caught by a hint of red, and he smiled as he asked, “Who gave it to you?”
Tina thought of the faces of the two children earlier and curved her lips slightly. “Kiki and Mimi.”
Jared nodded, holding her hand with a smile. “Scarlett put some thought into it.”
Tina froze for a moment.
Jared continued, “Peachwood wards off evil. Scarlett has been through this herself and probably guessed that we were hiding the pregnancy. She must have used the kids as a way to avoid burdening you psychologically.”
Tina narrowed her eyes, looking at Jared in shock.
Had he been following her earlier?
Jared seemed to read her thoughts and chuckled as he revealed the truth. “This is a talisman that a master blessed. I saw it when I went to request another charm for protection.”
“A talisman?”
Tina didn’t know what to say.
How much had Jared been hiding from her? It seemed every casual question revealed something new she wasn’t aware of.
Jared pressed his lips together, avoiding further explanation. Instead, he gently wrapped his arm around her and spoke softly, “I sewed it into the corner of your clothes. You don’t need to think about it-it’s just what the master suggested.”
Tina was speechless.
Did Jared really have to be this cautious? He was even starting to believe in the master’s words?
As the car drove back, they finally reached their shared home.
Nathan was waiting outside since he still had to stop by the station later.
The moment they entered the house, Jared scooped Tina up in his arms and carried her directly to the bed. He said it was because he would be brewing some herbal medicine soon, and he didn’t want her to smell it and feel nauseous.
He felt more at ease with her lying down.
Seeing how Jared, even at this point, insisted on making her herbal medicine, Tina couldn’t help but feel a bit stunned. “Uncle, don’t you have a report to file with the higher-ups?”
Jared rolled up his sleeves and began preparing the medicine. “It’s not urgent. I’ll wait until you’ve taken the medicine before I go.”
Tina was speechless.
How much of this medicine was left?
If things went on like this, either she would lose her mind, or Jared would become overly obsessed.
Ten minutes later, she understood Jared’s reasoning.
Even from a distance, she could clearly smell the heated aroma of the medicinal herbs. Each individual ingredient was distinct.
The scent was slightly bitter, but it easily triggered her stomach’s reaction.
Frowning, Tina got up and walked to the window.
The cold air seeped in, diluting the herbal smell in the air, and it helped alleviate her discomfort a little.
Her phone suddenly buzzed. Tina returned to the bedside to pick it up, and Jayden’s voice came through immediately.
“Young Master, the bodies have been found.”
Tina’s brow furrowed slightly. “Where?”
Jayden replied, “About ten kilometers away from the site of the incident, in a cave. There are two female bodies, but their faces are unrecognizable for now. We’ll have to wait for further results.”
“Two bodies?”
Tina hesitated and asked again, “Are you sure there are two?”
Jayden answered with certainty, “Yes. But something seems to have happened. The first body has small wounds all over, but the blood in her body was completely drained, leaving her mummified. The second body, while similar, appears to have died from excessive blood loss.”
“Why can’t the faces be identified?”
Jayden quickly responded, “Please punish us, Young Master. We failed to protect the scene in time.”
Tina immediately understood.
After an entire night, even if the bodies were drained of blood, the deep mountains would have attracted plenty of wild animals. The scene was probably too gruesome to look at now.
She made her decision within a second. “Send the bodies to the research institute. I’ll investigate personally.”
When Jared brought the medicine over, he overheard Tina ending the call. Her final words were clear to him.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Tina, what’s wrong?”
Tina narrowed her eyes. “Uncle, the bodies were found. Two of them.”
Hearing this, Jared’s gaze darkened instantly. “Are you certain one of them is Claudia?”
Tina shook her head. She wasn’t sure, which was why she had to see for herself.
If it really was Claudia, then this matter would finally be resolved.
She had been waiting for this day for far too long.
Tina grabbed her discarded jacket and put it back on. Just as she was about to leave, her eyes fell on the medicine in Jared’s hands.
She walked over, downed it in one gulp, and frowned as she grabbed a piece of candy from the side to place in her mouth. “Uncle, you handle your work. I’ll go check things out and send you the results as soon as I have them.”
Jared grabbed her hand, stopping her in her tracks, his expression filled with concern. “Tina, your body isn’t in a condition to handle this.”
Tina looked up at Jared’s furrowed brow and instinctively reached out to smooth it with her fingertip. “Uncle, you need to trust my expertise. I’m only going to identify the bodies. Nothing will happen.”
Jared still wasn’t convinced. Pregnancy reactions were the body’s natural way of rejecting foreign substances, and it wasn’t something that could be suppressed by sheer willpower.
He wouldn’t allow Tina to take any risks.
“No, I’ll go with you.”
“Uncle…”
This time, Jared cut her off before she could argue. “Have you forgotten what happened this morning? Do you want the entire research institute to find out you’re pregnant?”
Uncle had won.
“What about the report to the higher-ups?” Tina asked, looking at Jared.
They had already urged them twice. After all, they were the ones in charge of this case, and certain orders still needed to be followed.
A cold light flashed in Jared’s eyes. “If the bodies are related to Claudia, then my current report will be obsolete. It’s better to wait for the results and report afterward.”
Tina agreed.
The two of them walked out together. Nathan, sitting in the car, thought he was seeing things until Jared spoke.
“To the research institute.”
Nathan was stunned but quickly started the car without asking questions. “Yes, Jared.”
The car sped out of the villa area, heading toward the institute.
Half an hour later, Tina arrived and entered the highest-security level with Jared.
Jayden and his men were waiting outside.
Tina approached. “Are they inside?”
Jayden lowered his head. “Yes, Young Master.”
After changing into sterile clothing, Tina and Jared entered the lab.
Inside, two bodies lay on the examination table, covered by a large white sheet.
Tina tightened her grip on the white gloves she was wearing and reached out to lift the sheet.
Jared stopped her. “Let me.”
Tina nodded and didn’t refuse his offer.
She was still in the early stages of pregnancy, and there were some things she couldn’t control even if she wanted to.
Jared glanced at the bodies, his expression darkening.
The two corpses had already been mutilated beyond recognition by wild animals. The marks on their bodies were severe.
Identifying them by sight was impossible.
The only way to determine their identities was through the genetic database or by analyzing the developmental age of their bones. Looking at the remains offered no clues-just a horrifying mess of torn flesh.
Jared stepped back and positioned himself in front of Tina, shielding her from the sight.
“Tina, let the lab handle this.”
Tina raised an eyebrow. If Jared wouldn’t let her see, she could only rely on her imagination. “Uncle, is there really nothing to be gleaned from them?”
Jared remained silent, then gave a firm nod. He knew Tina could probably deduce something if she examined the bodies herself, but he wouldn’t allow her to do so.
He didn’t want her to feel sick like she had that morning.
Jared gestured to the staff outside to begin DNA comparisons and then pulled Tina toward the door.
“Wait!”
Tina pointed to the bodies on the table and negotiated. “Uncle, I’ll listen to you and not look at their faces, but can I at least examine their hands and feet?”