The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call

Chapter 1705 The Odd River

"It can't just be that you were hunted. With your abilities, you could have returned anytime you wanted," Wynter stated, her voice probing.

She had already seen through the black serpent's cultivation-it had enough power to influence humans. If she and Dalton hadn't appeared when they did, it might have already hypnotized Oscar, likely leading him to commit some misdeed under its influence.

The black serpent shuddered, lowering its head. "I admit I had some bad intentions before. I won't dare to do it again. But there's a reason I targeted that man.

"It's because this river started changing since he came here last month. My lord, you saw it, too-those fish floating to the surface. At this time of year, it's not normal for so many fish to die like that."

Wynter already knew something strange was at play.

She had read Oscar's fortune earlier. Though he had wild animals' blood on his hands, he wasn't an inherently bad person. In fact, he had an honest quality and wasn't the type to orchestrate such a large-scale disturbance.

"Are you saying that the water started changing all of a sudden a month ago?" Wynter asked.

"Yes." The black serpent nodded.

Wynter continued, "What about the river water? Has it been different from before?"

It shook its head initially before raising its gaze. "Actually, there is one difference. The water... it doesn't taste as fresh anymore."

That fact made Wynter's sharp eyes narrow further.

Animals had heightened senses-far more acute and direct than humans'. While the river water appeared clean and clear to the naked eye, the black serpent's statement suggested something was wrong with its quality.

However, this area had no factories producing anything harmful, and there were no obvious sources of pollution nearby.

"Boss!"

While Wynter was observing the river, Balmond came running up to her.

He looked like an unassuming junior civil servant, complete with glasses. Around 24 or 25 years old, with fair, clean -cut features, he resembled the type of office worker who quietly typed reports, barely drawing any attention to himself.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

But beneath that meek exterior was one of the Special Unit's most hot-tempered members.

Initially, he hadn't wanted to report this to Wynter. Normally, a river contamination case would follow the standard environmental procedures.

However, after receiving the directive to investigate, his worry had grown. The possibility of a pandemic weighed on him, compounded by Lupius' mysterious disappearance.

An ecological crisis on this scale, with no clear source, was more than he could handle. He was truly anxious and had finally decided to call Wynter after running out of options.

Balmond had expected her to show up alone. So, when he saw Dalton, he paused briefly before recognition dawned on him.

When Wynter's engagement was announced, the team had naturally done their research. They knew that Dalton was not only the Yarwood family's head but also a key figure in the Elite Division of the Special Unit, codenamed " Artist".

He was the one who had provided critical intel during their search for enemy agents back when Wynter had gone missing. In all these years, Dalton had been the first to be on par with Wynter in terms of logic.

Hence, Balmond quickly snapped back to work mode. "You've seen the situation. Something's not right with the river. But we've tested the water, and there weren't any issues with it."

Wynter took a glance at the test results before surveying the surrounding area. "Are there any other residents nearby apart from those in the factories?"

"No." Balmond shook his head.