Chapter 1556: Chapter 1556: Invitation from the Mountains
In early spring, the air still carried the chill of deep winter, with the entire Clearwater City immersed in continuous drizzle—cold and damp.
Gavin Graves received an invitation from Ruth Frazer, agreeing to visit her home on Saturday.
Although Ruth held her wedding abroad, she and her husband also acquired a property domestically, which wasn’t too far from Clearwater City.
I heard that the house was designed by the couple along with friends, symbolizing their bond.
On Saturday, the rain stopped.
The air was slightly damp, and the bright spring light filled the greenery and streets, giving a feeling of clarity as if the mist had been lifted.
Gavin held Cherry in his arms as they sat in the car. After driving for more than an hour, they had left the city, with Cherry asleep in his embrace.
He saw the mountain in the distance and asked the driver, “What mountain is that?”
“Oh… it should be Swan Pagoda Hill. It used to be frequented by students and backpackers. Unfortunately, overdevelopment in recent years means fewer people visit.”
Swan Pagoda Hill…
Gavin remembered that the first corpse was discovered at Swan Pagoda Hill.
Later, similar bodies were found, but due to unknown causes of death, the authorities sealed off the news to avoid panic, and Lester Williams couldn’t find any leads.
The bodies remained unclaimed; the DNA database couldn’t identify them, resulting in them being handled as unidentified corpses.
If those deceased individuals were killed because they encountered cursed art pieces, then Swan Pagoda Hill would indeed be a suitable place to discard bodies—rarely visited, with discoveries happening only after an indefinite period.
Along the way, Gavin kept thinking about Ruth Frazer…
Though initially estimated to take two hours, due to the challenging mountain roads on the latter part, the car took three hours to finally reach its destination.
Several peaked houses stood mid-mountain, arranged in a cluster with varying heights, resembling a small castle, half-hidden amidst the early spring greens. It was quite beautiful.
The villa had no yard; stepping out led directly onto the road, with Ruth Frazer waving at them from afar, smiling as she welcomed them.
“You’re late, but just in time for my afternoon tea.”
Ruth Frazer led Gavin and Cherry inside, where there were already six or seven guests—men and women, either artistic or glamorous, either artists themselves or art investors.
Upon seeing Gavin, these people smiled and exchanged pleasantries with him.
Since arriving, Cherry looked unwell, appearing somewhat dejected.
Ruth Frazer concernedly asked Gavin, “Your wife’s complexion seems off. Did she get motion sickness on the way here?”
Gavin softly asked Cherry, “Are you feeling unwell?”
Cherry closed her eyes briefly and nodded gently.
“Is there a room where she can rest?” Gavin apologized to Ruth Frazer, “It might be because of the winding mountain road earlier; lying down might help. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
“No trouble.” Ruth Frazer quickly replied, “It’s my oversight. I forgot to warn you; that stretch of road is indeed difficult to navigate.”
Several guests nearby agreed, “Yes, that stretch is quite dizzying. We experienced some motion sickness ourselves on the way, but the scenery on the mountain is wonderful.”
Ruth Frazer smiled apologetically and excused herself while leading Gavin and Cherry to the guest room where they could rest.
The hallway in the house wasn’t straight but winding, reminiscent of a constantly twisting gluttony snake.
On one side, windows showcasing views of the forest; on the other, walls with paintings hanging every few meters.
Gavin observed, seeing Ruth Frazer’s works as well as Moissanite’s. Walking through felt like visiting an art exhibition.
“There don’t seem to be many servants in your home,” Gavin casually remarked. “In such a large house, it’d be troublesome to clean without any help from servants, wouldn’t it?”
Ruth Frazer’s expression froze for a brief moment.