Chapter 1130: Its mere existence is a threat

"... I need your help."

Another moment passed in silence as neither Mint nor Penny spoke another word. Penny had thought of other things that had compelled Mint to approach her in a certain way. However, she didn’t expect to hear her father’s name from Mint’s mouth, or Charles’s time in the military. Not even the baby swap, even though that was already public knowledge.

"For a brief context, I wasn’t looking into the Bennet Family until recently," Mint explained to avoid any misunderstanding. "The case simply led me to look into it, particularly to Charles Bennet and then you."

"Is this the reason you turned up in this town?" Penny asked without beating around the bush, and Mint shrugged. "I knew it. It’s a little weird for someone like you to ditch your work just for vacation."

"Don’t underestimate my obsession with my little cousin," Mint returned proudly, as if there was something to be proud of about this obsession. "But you see, looking into your family has put my life in quite some danger."

Penny raised her chin mildly, eyes still on Mint. ’She’s looking into the baby swap?’

"By the look on your face, it seems that I’m not the only person who got into trouble just because I’m looking into your unfortunate past about the baby swap."

"What else do you know?"

"Well, some information here and there," Mint shrugged indifferently. "But you see, I’ve been feeding you information that can put me in a pickle. You haven’t said anything to help me."

"I am already helping you by listening." Penny rested a hand on the railing, eyes on Mint. "Besides, it seems everything I’d say are already things you already know. Yes, you’re not the first person to look into the baby swap, and you’re not the first person to get in trouble because of it."

"Just like your uncle?"

Penny arched a brow. "Just like him... and the Information Guy."

"Ahh... that Information Guy." Mint rocked her head. "He’s still missing. Is he in your custody? Because that raid that was conducted on their hideout, which was urged by your brother, really messed up my plan. I had some people in there, you see."

"So, you know that he’s been investigating the baby swap?"

"I’m afraid I am," Mint nodded. "I was hoping he’d lead me to answers, but he was attacked. Sadly."

Penny narrowed her eyes at Mint, getting more and more grasp of Mint’s personality. Mint might seem careless, but it seemed she was far from being a klutz. Mint had been doing her own investigation, letting things unfold to keep herself, or rather, her case, safe with her.

"One thing I find very interesting, though, is that... it seems it’s not the baby swap," Mint remarked, making Penny’s brows rise. "Those who were looking into the baby swap aren’t getting in trouble because of the baby swap, but rather, because of something else."

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I’m saying is that, aside from knowing the people who were behind it, and Charles Bennet’s past, there’s more to this," she clarified, although that didn’t provide much more clarity. "After being in service for years now, I’ve met a lot of criminals. Since you’re also in the same line, I’m sure you have the idea that during an investigation, a motive always holds significance."

Slowly, Mint looked away and set her attention on the group. "It seems they’re starting to succeed in making that fire."

Penny gazed at where Mint was looking, only to see a spark of light in the group’s direction. "Finally."

Silence fell on their shoulders, deep in thought. Their eyes might be on the group, but their minds were drifting elsewhere as they thought more about their conversation.

"I’ve been thinking about it," Mint whispered, her eyes narrowing. "What if... the motive we’ve all led to believe is far from the truth? It makes me wonder, is it really to stop people from looking into the baby swap, to stop anyone from finding who was the mastermind? Or was it to conceal something else other than their identities?"

Now that Mint mentioned that, Penny couldn’t help but mentally step back and think about it as well. The baby swap was almost like common knowledge. Everyone knew that Penny was swapped as a child with another. Although the public knew it was the nurse’s mistake of "accidentally" swapping the name tags, it still didn’t make sense in a way.

"It could be just as what we think it is," Mint spoke again. "The baby swap is probably just petty revenge by the people Charles Bennet offended. However, whoever these people are, they’re setting their eyes on your family again. Not because of what your father did, but because of what you’ve done. I could be wrong, though."

"The miracle drug?" Penny slid her eyes to Mint, only to see the latter nod. "It’s still in trial, and I can’t say it has succeeded. After all, there were many people—especially many pharmaceutical companies—who were against it. Besides, the Miracle Drug is expected to fail as well, since no drug can cure everything. It’s more complicated than that."

If it were that easy, Penny would’ve made it happen after two lifetimes of studying this drug. But alas, even now, the miracle drug’s future wasn’t bright.

"Even so, its mere existence is a threat to a lot of people," Mint returned, not surprised by what Penny had said about the miracle drug. "Another point you haven’t mentioned is that one of the people your father killed during his service was the creator of the lethal drug that can kill someone without leaving any trace."

Penny arched a brow, this time gazing at Mint. "How did you know that?"

"I told you, I’ve been looking into your father’s records." Mint gazed back at Penny. "After some more digging, I got a little bit of information about her too."

"..." Penny held her breath, wide-eyed. For one, Charles told them about his story and about the woman he had accidentally killed during a special operation. This death led him to unimaginable torture after an unknown group abducted him, and interrogated him about this particular woman and her remains.

This was all classified information, but if Mint knew, it meant Mint was more serious than one would imagine. Now Penny couldn’t help but wonder how Mint was still alive and hadn’t been captured to be killed.

Mint knew information that even Charles didn’t know. After all, Charles had no idea why this woman was so important for two powerful and unknown groups to fight over that woman’s body—she was already dead. Yet, the interest in her body was still high enough to abduct Charles.

"She’s... a chemist of a lethal drug?" Penny blurted out under her breath, and Mint nodded.

"From what I heard, she imprinted the formula under her skin and had been on the run. I think she lived in Anteca for quite some time too," Mint said. "But the main point here is that that drug had recently turned up in the black market at a whopping price for each pill."

Another moment of silence fell on their shoulders before Penny asked, "And this alliance you were talking about is about?"

"Your expertise." Mint didn’t beat around the bush. "Fortunately, one of my agents retrieved a few of them."

Mint paused and smiled a little, thinking of the agent she was talking about. "I want you to look into this drug. My people have been working on finding out its formula and properties to know how to counter it. But still, it’s a complicated thing to do since this drug is meant to dissolve without a trace once a person takes it. Talk about its rarity."

"You help me with this drug, and I’ll make sure I catch all those bastards who’ve been shutting people down about the baby swap," Mint added reassuringly before offering her hand to Penny. "And cripple those motherfuckers who did that to Haines Bennet’s leg. What do you say?"

Penny glanced at the hand offered to her before lifting her gaze to meet Mint’s. A glint flickered in her eyes, knowing her plate was full at the moment with the Pierson Family’s affairs. Someone looking into the Bennet’s past and especially, looking into the baby swap that had put many people in danger. But if someone like Mint looks into it, it might not be a bad idea.

"If something happens to you because of looking into this, that’s not part of my liabilities," Penny said as she reached out to hold Mint’s hand.

The latter smirked and chuckled. "Not to brag, but I’m pretty capable. I did mention that my life has been in danger, right? Guess who is writhing in pain as we speak after being forced to talk? I can’t tell you who, but it’s definitely not me."

As those words rolled out of Mint’s mouth, Penny and Mint squeezed each other’s hands, marking an alliance no one would expect.