chapter890

When Lydia announced she'd be gone for two days, everyone just froze. Things were already so intense. Working on the cure couldn't wait another second. Without her, what were they supposed to do? How could they even keep going?

Lydia, where are you even planning to go right now?" Garrett asked, his voice tight. She must have something else in mind.

Lydia didn't bother keeping secrets. She told them straight up. "Without a cure, the border situation is only going to get worse. Whoever's behind this is probably already trying to spread the virus here. I'm heading to the Triangle to look for medicinal herbs. After that, I'll stop by the border and try to keep things under control."

Things at the border had been tense for a while. Even with strict checks, stuff kept slipping through, and more and more people were getting sick. If they wanted to stop the virus fast, the best shot was to climb Mount Gemspire in the Triangle and pick up some rare herbs for an emergency fix.

"The Triangle? That place is a mess, and it's dangerous. How are you supposed to find anything there by yourself?" Garrett shot back, clearly against the whole idea. He'd heard about Mount Gemspire and its legendary herbs. Problem was, the mountain belonged to someone, and getting up there wasn't exactly easy. Even if you got up, the herbs were hard to find and even harder to take.

Relax. I have a plan. I wouldn't go if I wasn't sure I could handle it," Lydia replied. Kevin might not have known Mount Gemspire was Connor's now, but he trusted Lydia. If she wanted something done, she would find a way, no question.

"Just be careful, Lydia. Seriously, watch yourself," he said.

"I will, don't worry."

"So... what about us?" Richard and the others looked lost. If Lydia was off chasing the cure by herself, what were they supposed to do? Were they just supposed to stand around and look busy?

Lydia pulled out a handwritten formula. "This is the cure recipe I came up with last time I was in the Triangle. Go through it and see if any of the rare herbs can be swapped out for something easier to get."

There were only so many rare herbs on Mount Gemspire. If they could find cheaper, more common substitutes, it would save time and money. Problem solved.

Garrett's eyes went wide. "Wait, so you were the one who solved the Triangle outbreak before?"

He'd heard about how the virus

popped up in the Triangle and then suddenly disappeared. He'd

wondered if Miracle Hands had been

involved, but the whole thing was kept so quiet that he never got the full story. Now he realized it had been Lydia all along.

Richard and the others took the formula, turning it over in their hands. They couldn't hide their admiration.

"This is amazing! You always think of things no one else does," Richard said.

"Even if the virus has mutated, the basics haven't changed. Just focus on finding substitute herbs. Leave the rest to me," Lydia said.

Working on these formulas was a huge time sink, and right now, she was out of time. She had to let them handle it.

"Alright. We'll take care of it. Just be safe when you're out there at the Triangle and the border."

Lydia gave them a quick rundown on where to start, then sent a message to Connor, letting him know she was heading to Mount Gemspire.

Connor was still at the office, working late. The moment he saw Lydia's message he called her video Lydia was stir the middle of

talking herbs with the others when the call came through.

Garrett glanced at the phone and cleared his throat. Looks like we're good here. Go take your call."

Kevin just rolled his eyes. Their darling flower was really ending up with that Jefferson guy.

Lydia nodded and took her phone over to the lounge. She answered, and Connor's face filled the screen all sharp lines and a calm, steady gaze. His voice was low and warm. "When are you leaving? I'll get everything ready."

Lydia thought for a second. "In two hours. I'll stop by the border too. Don't worry about me. You've got enough on your plate."

She just wanted to give him a heads-up, since she had a lot of valuable herbs to gather from Mount Gemspire.