Chapter 351

Percival replied, “Is that so? Did I fail to knock some sense into you when I hit you with a car? Or should I cripple you and Henry permanently so you can’t flaunt yourself right now?”

“Are you trying to seduce me, hoping I’ll show you mercy just because you’re playing the victim? Do you have a death wish?” Percival asked ruthlessly.

Sophia was taken aback by his words.

Memories of that night flooded back. She and Henry had been tailing Odalys, only to have their car slammed by a black S-A8.

The one who hit Henry’s car was actually Percival.

Sophia thought, ‘No, it couldn’t be, why would he hit them? Was it for Odalys?’

“No! That’s not how it is!” Sophia stammered, panic flashing across her face. “You must have misunderstood me. Did Odalys say something bad about me? She must have poisoned your mind!”

When she saw Percival, the greed in her eyes almost overflowed. She was attracted by his imposing figure.

Odalys couldn’t hold back her laughter at Sophia’ s words. She shook her head at Sophia’s pathetic attempts.

Odalys said, “Sophia! According to Windsor, you slept with him willingly before he went abroad three years ago. He claims to have been your first.

“And now you’re accusing me of badmouthing you to Percival? Why should I? Should I tell him that you just came of age when you crawled into Windsor’s bed?”

She continued, “Or should I talk about how you tried to seduce that fake magician, throwing yourself at him with such enthusiasm?
“Or how you deliberately tempted the three Bennett brothers, clinging to each of them? Every single one of them has had their hands all over you, haven’t they?”

She added, “Should I mention how you followed Finnian to stalk Orson at night, hoping to seduce him at a remote villa, only to end up crossing paths with Percival and getting beaten instead? “Or maybe we should revisit those leaked photos of you booking a room with Finnian?”

Odalys’s words were like knives, each one slicing away at Sophia’s facade.

Sophia felt ashamed being exposed by Odalys. With every word from Odalys, Percival’s expression darkened.

Sophia retorted, “You’re lying! I didn’t do any of that! Percival, she’s trying to frame me! I swear it’ s not true. Please, take me away from here. Let’s go to your home. Let’s get married!”

If they didn’t leave now, Sophia was afraid she might not get another chance.

Brandon, who was watching over his son’s body, suddenly stood up.

“You’re the Bennett family’s adopted daughter, correct? You’ve been with so many men. Your body must be overflowing with wicked energy. Sleep with my son, and let’s see if it can bring him back to life.” As he spoke, Brandon lunged at Sophia.

Before Sophia could react, she was dragged away by Brandon. He flung her onto his son’s body.

The corpse was stiff, emanating a foul smell. It was clear that the man hadn’t bathed in a long time before his death, the stench of sweat assaulting her nostrils.

Nauseated, Sophia turned away, feeling the urge to vomit.

Brandon said emotionally, “You have a special body. Negative with negative cancels out! If you try, my son might live again! Just try. Let him live, and I’ll let you go!”

The loss of his son in his later years was a devastating blow. He regretted it.

If he had known, he would have listened to Odalys. If he had just been content with his lot, his son would not have died.

But now it was too late. Brandon had sacrificed for the Bennett family, but in the end, he couldn’t even keep his son.

“Are you crazy?” Sophia struggled constantly.

At this time, Rafael, who had woken up from the pain, crawled over.

“Yes, it’s her. Her body is too special! Maybe it can save your son.” Rafael echoed.

Sophia panicked. She scrambled to her feet, looking to Percival for help, but he only stared back with indifference, showing no intention of saving her.

She quickly looked at Windsor and whispered, ” Dad, help me.”

Windsor stood still, his expression complicated. His dislocated wrist throbbed with pain, keeping his mind sharp.

Tonight, these uninvited guests had thrown his plans into chaos. Now he was caught in a dilemma, desperate to distance himself from the mess.

“If you can save someone, you should try it. This isn’t the first time you have done it! You’re so kind, you must want to save me too. I’m so proud of you,” Windsor said indifferently.

It was as if Sophia was not his beloved daughter. Sophia froze, staring at Windsor in disbelief as if he were a stranger.

Just moments ago, he had cradled her in his arms, kissed her forehead, and shielded her. Now, faced with trouble, he was shoving her into harm’s way, even suggesting she do it with a corpse.

“Dad, you’re asking me to sleep with a corpse? You promised me you’d marry me in the future!” Sophia screamed, her voice breaking.

Though her voice was not loud, it echoed eerily through the Bennett Villa.

Hannah, supported by Atlas, walked out and stood not far away. Hearing this, her eyes burned with a poisonous glare.

“He actually wants to marry her?” Hannah couldn’t believe her husband had agreed to their adopted daughter’s request to marry her someday.

These words sounded like the ultimate betrayal.

Atlas remained silent. Tonight’s revelations shattered his world.

The sister he had once cherished and protected had turned out to have an illicit relationship with their father. Not only that, but she had also entangled herself with countless others, even attempting to seduce him and his two brothers.

Atlas used to think that Sophia was his adopted sister. He was afraid that she would feel insecure at home, so he took special care of her. Now it turned out to be a joke.

“Has she been secretly trying to seduce you, too?” Hannah suddenly asked.

Atlas clenched his fists and didn’t speak, but his eyes were fixed on Sophia as if he wanted to tear her apart.

“I didn’t realize she was such an ungrateful wretch,” Hannah said sarcastically.

Neither she nor Atlas stepped forward. They stood at the doorway, watching the chaos inside, the scene too absurd to believe. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would have thought it was fiction.

“Dad!” Sophia got up and rushed forward.

She wanted to hug Windsor, but he stopped her with his hand.

“You see? Your son is dead, and what did you get?” Odalys suddenly spoke up.

Brandon stared coldly at Windsor, then at Sophia. He was silent.

Sometimes silence was the scariest thing. A silent dog bit the hardest. Although Brandon was old, he had explosive strength in his body. Winsor snapped, “That’s enough. Don’t you think there’s already enough drama in the Bennett family? You’re my daughter. What possible benefit could you gain from stirring up trouble and creating conflict?

“The Stewarts agreed to marry you only to ward off misfortune, and they did it as a favor to the Bennett family.”

Chapter 352

Windsor continued, “If you no longer had the Bennett family’s support, do you think the Stewart family would still want you? High society values equality in status. Do you believe the Stewart family would tolerate everything about you?”

He wanted Odalys to face reality.

Sophia, who had just been consumed by despair, suddenly felt a glimmer of hope.

Her hope lay with the Bennett family. As long as they supported her, she still had a chance to marry into the Stewart family and push Odalys out of the picture.

“Oh? And how has Sophia fared with you as her ‘ backing’? Isn’t Percival standing right in front of you? Is your so-called support valid?” Odalys said with a mocking smile.

She found the situation both amusing and ironic. Even now, Windsor didn’t seem to grasp the reality of their situation.

“You…” Windsor’s face turned red with anger, veins bulging in his clenched fists. For the first time, he felt suffocated by the chaos.

Sophia let out a scream.

Brandon had rushed forward, forcefully dragging her into a nearby car. Before she could react, he shoved the freshly deceased body of his son inside with her.

“Dad, help me!” Sophia panicked.

Seeing this, Windsor tried to intervene but was stopped by Brandon, who pressed a dagger against his stomach.

“You…” Windsor glared at the blade, his anger barely contained. He hadn’t expected so much trouble upon returning home. All he had wanted was a peaceful night’s sleep.

Inside the car, Sophia pounded frantically on the window.

Windsor, held at bay by Brandon, dared not move closer. He could only watch helplessly as her screams faded into silence, leaving the car eerily still.

“What’s going on?” Callum was confused. He struggled to make sense of the scene before him.

Odalys explained, “This old man likely knows some rudimentary dark arts. He believes that if a living person sleeps with his newly deceased son, it might give his son a chance to return to life.”

“Besides, Sophia has a special physique. She’s prone to attracting negative energy. That’s why this old man wants to use Sophia’s body to summon his son’s soul back.” Odalys continued to explain.

Hearing this, Callum’s curiosity was piqued.

“Will it work?” he asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he held his breath.

Odalys didn’t respond, only standing quietly. Windsor, now drenched in cold sweat, kept his eyes glued to the car.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and Sophia was flung out of the vehicle.

A thick black mist burst out from the car, shaking it violently. The corpse was ejected as well, landing on the ground in a grotesque heap, completely unrecognizable.

“My son! My son!” Brandon rushed forward, lifting the body. To his horror, it was already decaying, the flesh rotting away.

As Sophia lay sprawled on the ground, her skin became visibly brighter, and she appeared rejuvenated, even more radiant than before. “It seems your earlier claim about her undergoing a body transformation,” Percival said coldly.

Odalys watched the scene unfold, remaining silent.

“This is too much! Why do you keep targeting me? Was it my choice to be adopted by the Bennett family? Is it my fault that Dad, Mom, and my brothers treated me well?” Sophia shouted angrily.

“Now you’re all working together to humiliate me. This is ridiculous!” she yelled, storming back toward the Bennett Villa.

As she passed Atlas, who was supporting his mother, a chill seemed to follow in her wake.

“Mom, what’s going on? Why did Sophia seem like a different person just now?” Atlas asked in a low voice.

Hannah lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

Brandon held his son’s body, only to find it slowly beginning to rot.

“My son, my son,” Brandon roared in agony, watching as the corpse before him dissolved into a pool of foul-smelling liquid, seeping through his fingers, dripping onto the ground, and finally being absorbed by the earth.

He stared at his outstretched hands, feeling as if it were all a nightmare.

“Windsor! Your family ruined my son! If it weren’t for working with you, my family wouldn’t have ended up like this!” Brandon rose slowly.

Windsor didn’t move; he just watched him quietly. “Don’t you fear that I’ll expose everything about you?” Brandon growled through gritted teeth. Windsor’s eyelids fluttered, but he saw Callum step forward, knock Brandon unconscious, and drag him into the car.

“Stop him!” Windsor finally lost his composure, shouting in urgency.

He wanted his bodyguards to intervene, but Bennett Villa was deserted. There were no bodyguards, no servants, no one.

He stood rooted to the spot, his mind in a daze.

As Callum drove away, Rafael also seized the opportunity to escape.

The vast courtyard was left with only Windsor, Percival, and Odalys.

Windsor finally regained his composure. He glared at Odalys. His gaze was filled with a complex mix of murderous intent, hostility, and bitterness.

He asked, “Did you orchestrate tonight’s events to shatter my composure? Were they intentionally lured here to disrupt the peace of the Bennett family?

“Did the Stewart family have a hand in Henry’s downfall?”

He continued, “Was Odalys’s arranged marriage part of your plan all along? You never intended Sophia to marry into your family, did you?”

“So, you released the news that Percival was dying to cause chaos in the Bennett family, forcing them to bring Odalys back to Crownridge to marry you as a substitute.”

“The Stewart family never wanted a marriage alliance. You wanted to find Odalys all along, didn’t you?” Windsor suddenly realized.

Tonight’s incident would only push Brandon and Rafael further apart.

Sophia’s reputation would be ruined, and it would create a rift between her and Windsor. This would lead Hannah to hold a grudge against Sophia, causing conflict within the entire Bennett family.

“Mr. Bennett, if you don’t go back and appease your adopted daughter, your wife will tear her apart. Without her, the Bennett family is doomed. What will you do then?” Odalys sneered sarcastically.

Her pointed sarcasm was meant to enrage Windsor further.

Windsor was utterly infuriated. No matter what he said, neither Odalys nor Percival responded. It was as though they hadn’t even heard him. The silence gnawed at him, leaving him desperate for answers.

“You…” Windsor’s voice faltered as he staggered, nearly collapsing to the ground. He couldn’t believe Odalys would treat him with such blatant disrespect.

“Since you’re back, I assume the debts signed under the Bennett family’s name will be settled promptly. Right?” As Percival walked past Windsor, he dropped the sentence indifferently.

Chapter 353

Windsor was stunned. The moment he returned to the country, the Stewart family delivered him such a shocking “welcome gift” that he felt both flustered and fearful.

“Did the Stewarts force and lure me back?” Windsor seemed to finally understand.

Everything had been going too smoothly since he decided to return home. It was like an invisible hand pushing him back.

“Does it matter?” Percival said coldly.

Without looking back, he walked away with Odalys. After the two got into the car, the luxurious Maybach sped away and disappeared into the night.

Windsor stood frozen in place, his mind constantly replaying the events of the evening, each scene flashing through his mind like a movie.

He muttered, “The Stewart family is terrifying. They’ve forced me to come back! The news about Percival’s death was also fake. The Stewarts played me.”

He added, “The shattered sacred mirror at the villa… even such trivial matters alarmed those old men enough to confront me in the middle of the night. This was the Bennett family’s way of confirming my involvement.

“And the corpse of Brandon’s son, forcing Sophia into the car… What were they trying to verify? Or am I overthinking this?”

At that moment, Windsor couldn’t stay calm.

He vaguely felt that everything was like being deliberately guided by someone, leading him into a dead end.

Percival’s cold, warning gaze was a silent declaration. The Bennett family was doomed.

The Stewart and Bennett families had rarely crossed paths. Windsor didn’t understand why the Bennett family suddenly turned their attention to the Bennett family. He suspected it was because Odalys had married Percival as a substitute bride.

Standing alone in the night, Atlas was tormented.

“Dad.” After Atlas helped Hannah back, he walked toward Windsor.

Looking at the mess in the courtyard and the smell of blood in the air, Windsor was left alone, his figure looking a little dejected.

“How did we end up openly clashing with the Stewart family? Why has Percival suddenly risen from the dead? And why are tonight’s events all aimed at the Bennett family?” Windsor’s voice was cold and piercing.

He couldn’t fathom how disastrous it would be if they openly fought the Stewart family. With their money and influence, the Stewart family could destroy the Bennett family without lifting a finger.

Everyone else was merely an ant under the Stewart family’s feet.

“I…I really don’t know.” Atlas was lost. He didn’t even know what had happened.

He didn’t even know what had happened.

All he knew was that ever since Odalys had been married off as a substitute bride, the Bennett family had been in constant turmoil.

“Then tell me everything from the beginning,” Windsor said in a deep voice.

Atlas slowly began to recount the previous events in detail. As Windsor listened, he became more and more agitated. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag.

“So, all this started when Hannah went to bring Odalys back and marry her to the Stewart family? That’s when the Bennett family began to fall apart?” Windsor gritted his teeth.

Atlas fell silent. He couldn’t deny it but wasn’t certain that was the whole truth either.

Windsor said coldly, “Odalys isn’t simple. If she wants to overthrow the Bennett family, she’d better hope she lives long enough to succeed.”

He turned and walked towards the Bennett Villa, leaving Atlas looking at his departing figure in a daze.
“What does this have to do with Odalys?” Atlas scratched his head.

He couldn’t pinpoint the issue, but everything felt strange. A shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly turned to run back inside.

On the road, inside the Maybach.

The dim lights inside the luxurious car illuminated Odalys, who looked pensive as she leaned against the window, her gaze lost in the nighttime scenery of Crownridge.

“Don’t take it to heart.” Percival saw her silence and quickly tried to enlighten her.

After all, Windsor was her father. Being questioned by him was bound to cause some heartache.

Odalys said, “I was wondering if Brandon and Rafael’s simultaneous presence in the Bennett family, along with their history as old acquaintances of Windsor, could be related to their knowledge of the murder in the suburban villa.”
She continued, “They reported that the sacred mirror in the suburban villa had been broken. Such mirrors are meant to repel evil or suppress malevolent forces. There are ten buried corpses in the villa. Someone must have tried to seal their souls within their bodies.”

She added, “They met out of panic and fear. That suggests the elderly sorcerer who died earlier might have been their associate, the one performing rituals in the villa.

“And that sorcerer was likely manipulating Sophia, using magic to maintain her current beauty. Sophia must be their most crucial pawn.” “Her bones and skin were reshaped to alter her appearance. Then she was sent to the Bennett family to be fostered, groomed as a superstar adored by millions, all to replace me,” Odalys said, her voice steady as she pieced everything together.

Percival sat aside, took out a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed it, and handed it to her.

“Have some water,” Percival said hoarsely.

Odalys accepted the bottle, taking a small sip. She swirled the water inside, her gaze fixed on it as if lost in its depths.

Odalys explained, “Before they abandoned me, they had planned everything. First targeting me, then setting their sights on your Bennett family. The fortune teller you met before may have been my teacher. He sent me down the mountain, saying I was destined to face a great tribulation.” She added, “Percival, if Sophia is their key pawn or breakthrough, why would Windsor take her first night before leaving the country?

“I noticed a black aura around Sophia. Anyone who gets close to her ends up suffering misfortune. That is why Hannah broke her leg shortly after I married into your family. Henry faced calamity one after another.”

She continued, “Even Finnian was gravely injured! Sophia’s bad luck spreads misfortune to everyone around her and eventually rebounds onto herself. If they wanted to use her to infiltrate the Stewart family and take your place, Windsor wouldn’t have destroyed her ‘purity’ before leaving the country.”

Odalys said thoughtfully, “If Sophia was still a virgin, her misfortune might have been suppressed. But Windsor’s actions broke the seal, causing her bad luck to spread uncontrollably. It not only harms those around her but will also destroy her in the end.”

Percival listened to her analysis, patiently and carefully listening to her finish.

He said, “Windsor only decided to return to the country after hearing news of my death. So, his intentions to move against the Bennett family are beyond doubt.”

He added, “Bradon’s attempt to escape and his betrayal led to his son’s death. This will undoubtedly cause a fallout between him and Windsor. Once that happens, Windsor will lose control of what’s happening in the mountain village.”

“And Windsor, like my uncle, fled abroad yet remains well-informed about Crownridge’s affairs,” Percival added, picking up her train of thought and expanding on it.

Chapter 354

“Edie and Henry had an affair. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did. Is this the Bennett family’s attempt to infiltrate, Edie’s ploy to lure them into a trap, or both sides vying for control?” Odalys’s voice carried a sudden spark of realization. Percival’s expression became stern.

“What did you see tonight at the Bennett Villa?” he asked, shifting the conversation.

Odalys absentmindedly rubbed the bottle in her hand. She frowned. “I noticed something strange. Windsor’s body seemed cloaked in some kind of energy. He wasn’t affected by the misfortune.” She continued, “This makes me think he had guidance from someone powerful. Earlier, I said if Sophia was truly that crucial, Windsor wouldn’t have taken her first night, but he did.”

She added, “Is it possible that Windsor needed her body for something, perhaps as a core in his plans? By taking her first night, the balance of positive and negative energy might have been key.”

Her voice grew softer as she spoke, the complexity of the situation twisting like an unsolvable riddle.

“If Windsor and Sophia fall out, your theory falls apart. But if they remain close after all this, it means there’s something about her that Windsor wants,” Percival said, his tone steady but thoughtful.

After a moment, a spark of understanding lit his eyes.

Turning toward her, his chiseled features drew closer, his voice a low murmur against her ear. For someone to go to such lengths to reshape her appearance, there must be something extraordinary about her body. Otherwise, why would Windsor be so desperate to take her virginity before leaving the country?”

Odalys froze, her mind racing.

She said, “So you’re saying Windsor draws energy from her body. Sophia’s aura might be one of misfortune, but if used strategically, it could spread disaster to those around her while benefiting him.”

Excited by the realization, Odalys leaned in, only to find herself face-to-face with Percival.

Odalys felt an inexplicable heat as his hot breath washed over her face, her body stiffening. The sound of his strong heartbeat filled her ears. Their bodies were close, her eyes lifting to meet his eyes as his Adam’s apple bobbed in a way she found strangely alluring.

“Why are you so close?” Odalys pushed him away quickly.

Percival only felt a thirst in his throat and a dry mouth. He picked up the mineral water, unscrewed it, and took a sip.

His hand suddenly froze, and even Odalys was a little surprised.

He drank from the same mineral water bottle she had just finished. His lips brushed the spot where hers had been, giving him the fleeting illusion of an indirect kiss.

Odalys rubbed her temples awkwardly.

Percival held the mineral water in his hand, picked up his phone, and said in a hoarse voice, I’ll call Callum.”
He hurriedly called Callum.

Callum’s voice came from the other end of the phone. He whispered, “Mr. Stewart, this man said he has something to say to Mrs. Stewart.” “That old man wants to see you,” Percival said hoarsely.

Instead of taking it, she pressed the speakerphone button. “Speak,” she said coldly. Brandon’s voice, sharp with grief, came through the phone after a moment of shuffling. “Did you have something to do with my son’s death? Why else would he die so tragically?”

Odalys burst out laughing.

She said, “Are you playing dumb, or are you truly ignorant? Your son was doomed long ago.

Someone cast a spell on him, leaving him plagued by illness. Add to that the years of poisoning, and there was no saving him.”

She added, “I detoxified him once in the village, but you doubted me. After I left, you ignored my remedies, allowing the poison to rebound. “You knew the villa was dangerous, but you stubbornly rushed into the unknown. And afterward, you went to the Bennett family looking for Windsor!”

She continued, “Don’t pretend to be clueless. Windsor’s aura could trigger the poison in your body. You remain unharmed, so your son has to pay the price.

“You were in denial, convinced you could defy everything! Even in the village, you were content. You wanted to take over the Bennett family. That’s why you were in such a rush to meet Windsor.”

She sneered. “But Windsor didn’t appreciate it, did he? You were partners once, and then you were at his mercy. It ate you up inside, but you forgot if you crossed him, your son would pay the price.”

“Aren’t you the one to blame for your son’s fate? Are you trying to shift the blame onto me?” Odalys retorted sarcastically.

Brandon fell silent, his hand tightening around the phone.

“Kill Windsor for me,” he said solemnly.

Odalys raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Percival, both of them briefly flashing a cold look.

“Do you think you can command me? Or do you think I need you? You overestimate yourself! Your life has nothing to do with me, and I’m not obligated to kill anyone for you. Besides, Windsor is my father. Why would I kill him?” Odalys said deliberately.

As soon as her words fell, Brandon grew anxious.

“Because the Bennett family wants to kill you!” Brandon said anxiously.

Odalys frowned and leaned her head to the side. “I know. They’ve always wanted to ruin me. I’m not stupid.”

Brandon replied, “That’s not what I meant! The Bennett family wants to use your body to kill. This time, you’re marrying into the Stewart family! It’s the Bennett family’s scheme. Your energy is special, and ordinary people can’t control it.”

He added, “Especially that man from the Stewart family who has been ill for years. He is already poisoned. Once you marry him and sleep with him, he will definitely die.

“Then, your ‘husband killer’ reputation will be set in stone, and the Stewart family will blame you for it.”
He continued, “If you cause that Stewart family member’s death in bed, their aura will be disturbed, which will lead to the collapse of the Stewart family’s century-old foundation. Once the aura is disrupted, their business will plummet, and their power will be divided.”

Brandon added, “If the Stewart family falls, those who have been eyeing them will join forces to eliminate them and take their place.” Odalys and Percival exchanged glances.

Other than using her body to break Percival’s aura, everything else was consistent with what she and Percival had guessed.

“Why should I believe you?” Odalys sneered.

She straightened her back and said indifferently,” Trying to drive a wedge between us? Not a chance.”
She hung up the phone without waiting for Brandon to continue.

Odalys remarked, “I thought they wanted me to marry because the Bennett family pitied Sophia, not wanting her to marry a sick man and live in widowhood. I didn’t realize they wanted to use my body to destroy your aura.”

She added, “Although what he said is indeed reasonable, the poison in your body has already spread everywhere. Once you’re with a woman, your blood will surge with passion, and the poison will attack your heart.”

Chapter 355

Odalys continued to explain, “The poison will attack your heart and lungs, and you will be beyond cure. So, in your case, you don’t even need my body. Any woman will do. If you want to sleep with them, you’ll die in bed.”

She added, “But he mentioned the matter of the energy field. The Stewart family’s energy field is strong! Their ancestors’ foundation is excellent, and the Stewart family mansion has a powerful energy field. No ordinary people could destroy it.” Odalys smiled abruptly when she said this.

She said, “It’s just that the Bennett family doesn’t want me as their daughter and wants to use me as a scapegoat. But they don’t know that once my aura merges with the Stewart family’s, it will only strengthen the Stewart family’s future fortune.”

She added, “And my aura can counteract the misfortune in Sophia. That’s why she became so lucky when I was around, and everything went smoothly.”

She continued, “It seems that in whichever timeline, the Bennett family has always underestimated me! But it’s also true, they think I’m a jinx who will destroy the Bennett family, while they believe Sophia can bring prosperity to the Bennett family. How ridiculous.”

Odalys found it more and more interesting as she spoke. It felt like the Bennett’s believed in the energy field, but they seemed to have been deceived.

“So, the idea that Sophia is a blessing star is a lie. The other party clearly deceived Windsor, leading him to hurry and take Sophia’s purity, just to steal her fortune?” Percival asked in a low voice.

Odalys nodded, her fingertips against her cheek, her smile deepening.

She said, “Yes! But he has another layer of protection. So, when I tested him, I realized he’s probably wearing some kind of charm or something similar.”

She explained, “So when I left, I made a move on him. As long as he breaks his vows and sleeps with Sophia again, the protection on him will be destroyed.

“After tonight’s events, he’s probably burning with anxiety, thinking his fortune is bad and wanting to boost it. So, he will definitely try to sleep with Sophia again.”

“If he does, he’ll be in for bad luck,” Odalys said, suddenly feeling lighthearted.

Odalys thought nothing could be more exciting than watching a scumbag fall from grace. After all, she wasn’t a good person.

“You seem to be in a good mood.” Percival chuckled, his voice a low rumble.

As he watched her cheerful demeanor, Percival felt his own mood lift. A smile unconsciously graced his lips, so subtle that even he didn’t notice.

“Of course! Just imagine how furious Hannah will be when she discovers her husband and adopted daughter are sleeping together. Windsor’s finally getting what he deserves!” Odalys exclaimed.

“Her own adopted daughter, the one she raised with love and care, betrayed her with her husband! And with the Bennett family in complete chaos, things are about to get wildly out of control,” Odalys said, her voice filled with delight.

She couldn’t help but imagine the scene in her mind, the thought of it sending a thrill through her.

“It looks like it’s time to add fuel to the fire,” Percival said.

Odalys’s ears perked up at his words.

“Tell me how!” Odalys asked eagerly, her eyes shining with excitement like a child.

Meeting her excited gaze, Percival chuckled softly. “Didn’t Henry take Edie away? Then we’ll force them into a dead-end and make them return to the Bennett family.”

He explained, “By doing so, won’t the Bennett family get even more chaotic? Hannah’s good friend is involved with her son, and Hannah’s adopted daughter is in bed with her husband.” “Isn’t that a double blow? Let the Bennett family fall into chaos! Let them become desperate, using the schemes they wanted to use on you against their own people and turn against each other,” Percival said in a low voice.

Odalys stared at him intently.

“Percival, I’m warning you! You can play your games with the Bennetts, but don’t you dare try that with me. Otherwise, you’ll face the consequences,” Odalys threatened.

A faint smile played on Percival’s lips as he listened to her.

“Until you’re ready, I won’t sleep with you,” Percival said in his magnetic voice.

His words struck her like a thunderbolt. Odalys was dumbfounded, staring at him in disbelief as if he’d lost his mind.

But Brandon’s words kept echoing in her ears. The Bennett family wanted Percival dead, which was why they had made her marry him. They wanted her to sleep with him.

And he had just assumed she wanted to seduce him and see him die in bed. Odalys felt utterly frustrated.

She felt that she couldn’t explain herself, and besides, she didn’t want to.

“Get lost,” Odalys said coldly, her face flushed as she turned her head and rested her forehead against the car window, gazing at the night outside.

She seemed calm and rational, but in fact her heart was racing and she was in a complete panic.

She had always thought of Percival as a friend and hadn’t even thought of him as a man. She thought they were partners, only now realizing she was his wife. Odalys went silent.

Odalys went silent.

Then, Odalys snapped, “Percival, don’t get any funny ideas.”

Percival sat back in his seat and looked thoughtfully at the rearview mirror, watching her close her eyes. After a long moment, he said, ” Okay.”

“Did you really think about it before?” Odalys sat up instantly.

She turned her head and met Percival’s eyes. Seeing her reflection in his eyes, she moved her lips, but found her throat choked, as if something was stuck there.

“No,” Percival lied.

Odalys stared at him, feeling as if she was being burned by his gaze. The emotions in his eyes almost drowned her.

She quickly looked away, avoiding his gaze. “You better not be. I’m only 20!” Odalys reminded him.
Percival tapped his long fingers on the armrest of the chair and said nothing more.

The bodyguard driving the car overheard their conversation, and his palms began to sweat nervously. He was thrilled to hear such intense flirtation between Percival and Odalys.

“Mr. Stewart, should I raise the partition between us?” The bodyguard couldn’t hold back and asked.

Hearing this, Percival rubbed his eyebrows.

“No need,” Percival said hoarsely.

The bodyguard fell silent, took the earplugs from the side, plugged his ears, and continued driving. The Maybach slowly drove up and stopped in front of the Stewart Villa. After the two got out of the car, they walked back side by side.

“Get some rest.” Percival opened the door for her, and Odalys walked past him into the room.

Seeing Percival slowly close the door for her and hearing his footsteps leaving, Odalys secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She collapsed onto the soft sofa.

After a while, she got up and went into the bathroom to wash up.

By the time she returned to bed, it was already 2 AM.

After a full day of chaos, no matter how good her stamina was, Odalys was completely worn out. She lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep within seconds.

She thought she would sleep soundly because she was too tired, but unexpectedly, she fell into a dream.

“Who?” Odalys struggled continuously.

♡

Chapter 356

She saw a tall figure standing in the moonlight not far away, the man’s back facing her.

“Are you staying here?” Odalys asked again.

The man remained still, his hands clasped behind his back. The moonlight bathed him, casting a large shadow and making him seem almost unapproachable.

Odalys took a few steps forward, only to realize her own aura was spilling out. Her aura intertwined with the man’s, hovering in the air. Odalys widened her eyes in shock as her aura fused with the man’s, pulling her forward into his
arms.

A wave of pain hit her, and she covered her nose and looked up.

When she tried to see the man’s face, her pupils contracted in disbelief. She recognized the familiar, handsome face in front of her.

“Percival?” Odalys was shocked.

She hadn’t expected her and Percival’s aura to be combined.

Everyone’s fate aura was supposed to be different, and she had never heard of aura merging like this. But hers and Percival’s aura had become entangled.

Odalys was startled. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed a strong light coming from Percival, and she instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes.

She cried out in a low voice and sat up abruptly in bed.

Cold sweat kept oozing out, soaking her pajamas. Odalys sat on the edge of the bed, panting continuously, sweat dripping down her cheeks.

“It was a dream,” Odalys murmured in a low voice.

She picked up her phone, which had been charging at the side, and it was fully charged. She glanced at the time and found that it was already 7 am. It was already daylight.

At that moment, a knock came from the door.

Odalys’s thoughts were interrupted. She quickly jumped out of bed, rushed to the door barefoot, and opened it.
Evander stood outside, his face full of concern. Seeing her covered in sweat, he anxiously asked, “Odalys, what happened? Are you feeling unwell? I heard you scream.”

Hearing his worried voice, Odalys quickly shook her head.

“No, I just had a nightmare,” Odalys said quickly. Evander studied her, relieved to see no other signs of distress. He sighed in relief. “You must have been too tired yesterday. It’s probably just the aftereffects of fatigue. It’s still early. You should go back to sleep.”

“Okay,” Odalys replied in a low voice.

Evander didn’t linger, concerned he might disturb her further.

Once she saw him leave, Odalys slowly closed the door. But when she returned to bed, she found herself unable to sleep. Though she had the nightmare, at least she had rested enough, and her energy had somewhat recovered.

“Percival’s aura merging with mine… In the previous timeline, it was Percival who took me away after I died,” Odalys whispered to herself.

She didn’t expect that there was such a connection between herself and Percival. She rubbed her temples.
She rubbed her temples.

She couldn’t foresee her own fate, but she hadn’t expected to glimpse the past after her death through Percival’s birth date.

Now, she knew that her fate was special, and naturally, her aura was strong.

The people from the Bennett family didn’t know this. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have let her leave.

Odalys wondered if the Bennett family had never consulted fortune-tellers about her. She speculated whether someone had misled them or if they had confused her fate with Sophia’s, leading them to focus on Sophia instead.

She also pondered if it was all a deliberate act by someone to place Sophia in the Bennett family.

The latter explanation seemed more convincing. Sophia seemed like a pawn inserted into the Bennett family, and indeed, she had succeeded. Then, Odalys’s phone vibrated.

Odalys picked up the phone and answered. Freya’s voice came through. She lowered her voice and said, “Odalys, are you awake?”

Odalys was stunned to hear Freya’s call and didn’t respond for a while.

“What’s wrong?” Odalys asked in a low voice.

Freya was delighted to hear that Odalys didn’t mind she called her early in the morning. She couldn’t help but laugh, imagining how jealous Selah and the others would be.

“I just got the news. The costumes and props for the crew are ready. They said you should notify them about tomorrow’s opening ceremony, so I called to ask if there’s anything else that needs to be prepared,” Freya said in a low voice.

In truth, she missed Odalys.

“No need, I’ve got everything ready,” Odalys said in a low voice.

After she finished speaking, she realized Freya had not hung up the phone yet. “What’s wrong? Anything else?” she asked, puzzled.

“Well, I just miss you, so I wanted to call you and hear your voice,” Freya said coquettishly.

Listening to her coquettish tone, Odalys couldn’t help but laugh.

“Why don’t you come back for dinner?” Odalys asked in a low voice.

Hearing this, Freya’s face instantly fell.

“Never mind. If my brother finds out that I’m pestering you, he won’t be happy. Also, I’m rehearsing lines with Selah and the others at the apartment. We’re working on this script that came in suddenly, and it’s a bit of a rush. I’m feeling a bit pressured,” Freya replied softly. As soon as Freya finished speaking, Odalys vaguely heard Selah’s voice.

It seemed like she had rushed over, with footsteps growing louder as she approached. Selah’s voice then came through. “Freya, you’re secretly calling Odalys behind my back.”

“I won’t dare to do it again.” Freya laughed, clearly caught by Selah. Selah pinned Freya on the sofa, and Freya gave up.

Odalys listened to the playful exchange over the phone, and a smile curved her lips. Her mood lifted as she could feel the joy between them even through the screen.

“I’m going to get up now. I’ll call you later,” Odalys said and hung up.

She got up from the bed and sat on the edge for a moment, staring at the wardrobe. After a while, she walked over and chose a black outfit, which perfectly highlighted her legs.

The clothes Percival prepared for her seemed to be tailor-made. Every outfit fit perfectly, highlighting her best features.

Although there were no labels, it was not difficult to see that the fabrics were of excellent quality and very expensive.

After changing and freshening up, Odalys went downstairs. From a distance, she saw Percival sitting alone on the sofa, reading a financial newspaper.

“You’re up?” Percival heard footsteps, quickly folded the newspaper, and looked up.

Odalys nodded slightly and said with a yawn, ” Why are you up so early?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Dorian’s voice came, “Mr. Stewart got up at 6 am! He even got up early to make you breakfast. Come and try it.”

“Percival made breakfast? You can cook?” Odalys asked with interest.

She walked forward and saw many dishes on the dining table.

Dorian lifted the lid for her, and the aroma wafted from the mushroom soup.

“This is oatmeal with honey and walnuts, served with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon! I heard it’s best to cook it slowly, so Mr. Stewart got up early to prepare it for you. He was worried you might not sleep well after being so tired. These ingredients are known to help with relaxation,” Dorian said proudly.

Chapter 357

Odalys was somewhat surprised, as these foods were indeed calming. She hadn’t slept well last
night and kept having dreams.

“Don’t listen to Dorian’s nonsense; I just had nothing to do, so I cooked something,” Percival said in a deep voice.
He walked towards her and started bringing over the other dishes he had made. Seeing this, Dorian immediately stepped in to help.

The table was filled with delicious food, and Percival even filled half a bowl of oatmeal for Odalys.

“Mr. Evander Stewart called me. He must want me to go for a walk with him. I’ll be going then. Take your time to eat.” Dorian answered the call and immediately understood.

As he spoke, he waved his hand and walked out, fearing that if he slowed down, he would be punished by Evander.

Anyone who interrupted Percival and Odalys’s bonding time would be doomed.

It was rare for Percival to prepare breakfast for a woman, always putting her first. And Odalys could help alleviate the poison in his body. This was a win-win. They would lock these two up if they could.

The bodyguards and servants also seemed to be very sensible. After serving the dishes, they immediately turned and left.

Only the two of them were left in the huge dining room.

“My uncle is back,” Percival said. He broke the silence and brought Odalys back to her thoughts.

“Also, he and Windsor were on the same flight. I checked their financial transactions. I had overlooked this before, but it turns out they’ve had dealings abroad for a while,” Percival
continued.

He took a stack of documents and handed them to Odalys.

She took the documents, glanced at them, and softly said, “And they were neighbors abroad. That’s quite interesting.”

Percival replied, “For these years, they’ve had little interaction with the domestic side. It seems like they made an arrangement to go abroad alone without bringing any family.”

“They even took the same flight when they left. In recent years, all the money Windsor has spent abroad has been given by my uncle,” Percival said in a deep voice.

After hearing this, Odalys became even quieter.

“Does your uncle know about Edie?” Odalys asked tentatively.

Percival took a sip of his soup before slowly answering, “The Simpson family has always been selfish. Furthermore, they no longer care about Edie after she marries into the Stewart family.”

He continued, “The Simpson family values sons over daughters, so Edie has been using Stewart family assets to support the Simpson family, pushing my uncle to a higher position and helping the Simpson family’s business grow.”
He added, “After I fell out with her, I cut off all support from the Simpson family. All the businesses the Simpson family has been cooperating with withdrew their investments. Now, the Simpson family isn’t much better off than the Bennett family.”

He explained, “My uncle is in a rush to return to the country because, after I severed Edie’s options, it also meant cutting off his paths. Plus, with news of my supposed death reaching abroad, he’s getting restless.

“He thought that with my death, the Stewart family would fall into Edie’s hands. But unexpectedly, the Stewart family cut ties with her. He’s certain he’ll come back to help her.”

Percival spoke calmly, clearly unaffected by the matters of the Simpson family.

“That’s interesting!” Odalys laughed softly.

Her appetite immediately improved, and she drank two bowls of oatmeal without noticing that Percival, watching her happily eating the oatmeal he made, couldn’t help but smile faintly.

After breakfast, Odalys walked out with the car keys.

“I’m going out for a bit,” she said, quickly heading out.

Just after she left, Orson drove over. He walked in briskly and saw Percival buttoning his shirt cuffs with his head down.

“Something happened,” Orson said.

His steps were brisk as if the situation would be more serious if he walked two steps slower. “What happened?” Percival asked.

Orson looked at Percival’s calm demeanor. He quickly raised his hand, ruffling his messy hair. His eyes were bloodshot, clearly from lack of sleep or perhaps not sleeping at all.

“Didn’t my father bail Finnian out? I had a feeling he wasn’t mentally stable, so I went to examine him and found a foreign object in his body.” Orson lowered his voice.

Percival paused while buttoning his cufflinks and looked up at Orson.

“What kind of foreign object?” Percival asked in a deep voice.

Orson quickly took out the bag and whispered, It looks like something similar to a talisman paper inside his body. I injected him with anesthetics when he wasn’t paying attention and took it out while he was asleep.”

“I remember that Sophia had given him some kind of Love Spell to drink when he was recording for a variety show. Could it be that the talisman paper turned to ash, then entered his body when he drank it, and slowly restored itself into a talisman, merging into his body?” Orson whispered.

His voice was laced with fear.

The thought of something turning to ash, entering the body, and then quickly regenerating into a talisman stuck to the human body seemed absurd.

“Are you sure it’s the talisman that was drunk and restored into the paper? Or did he just insert it into his body in the past few days?” Percival frowned, clearly feeling that the whole situation was strange.

Orson explained, “No! He’s from the Lark family, and when someone enters the Lark family mansion, there’s a body sensor that automatically scans the body. I’ve always been keeping track of his movements. I’ve checked before, and everything was normal.”

He added, “But starting last night, he began acting strangely, like he was going crazy. He kept calling out Sophia’s name, and then his body started changing.

“This is a video from the sensor. It starts when he goes crazy calling out Sophia’s name. The talisman paper he drank before has been stuck in his stomach and intestines, never excreted.” “Then, slowly, as if summoned, it started moving through his body rapidly, eventually reassembling into a complete talisman, sticking to his organs,” Orson said, his voice trembling.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it was real. It was too bizarre, chilling even.
“Send me a copy of the video,” Percival said.

Orson nodded hurriedly and sent the video to Percival. “I’ve already told my parents about this, and they’ve heard that Odalys is a magic practitioner,” he said.

“So, my parents are wondering if she could take a look when she has the time. They suspect that Finnian might have been possessed or that something was already wrong when he returned to the Lark family,” Orson suggested.

People from wealthy families were often rational and logical.

Unlike the foolish and brainless characters in novels and TV shows, they were the minority.

Situations like the Bennett family’s were rare. Most wealthy families worked together for the sake of the family.
“What’s the current situation with Finnian?”

Percival asked in a low voice.

Orson swallowed, then walked to the side and poured himself a glass of water, drinking it.

After finishing the water, he collapsed on the sofa, stretching his legs and comfortably leaning back. He said, “I have him under control.”

“I injected him with anesthetics, so he’ll sleep the whole day. I’ve had people guard his apartment, with the doors and windows sealed, just in case he tries to run away,” Orson added.

Chapter 358

Orson was worried when he mentioned this. For him, Finnian didn’t matter, but he couldn’t allow the Lark family to be affected.

The Lark family had been in the medical field for generations and couldn’t be ruined by this illegitimate child.
“Let’s go check it out,” Percival said in a hoarse voice.

Upon hearing this, Orson immediately became alert, jumping up from the sofa, grabbing the car keys, and quickly walking ahead. After taking a few steps, he turned back to look upstairs.

“Percival, is Odalys home? Should we call her?” Orson asked in a low voice.

It seemed that no matter what happened, as long as Odalys was there, he felt a sense of security.

“She had something to attend to and went out,” Percival replied.

Hearing this, Orson quickly followed Percival out, muttering, “It’s a pity Odalys isn’t here. If she
were, she would definitely be able to find a solution.”

Hearing Orson mention Odalys, Percival felt a sense of pride for some reason.

---

On the road, Odalys took a detour. Her eyes revealed a hint of coldness. Her gaze was fixed on the road ahead, ever since they left Stewart Villa.

She saw black mist lingering in front of her. The black mist was filled with resentment, and as she drove closer, she could smell a rancid odor growing stronger and more pungent.

But the pedestrians passing by seemed not to smell it at all, hurriedly going about their business.

“How could there be such ominous energy in Crownridge?” Odalys muttered.

She parked the car on the side of the road, grabbed her backpack, and walked forward.

Not far away, a security guard stood outside, his hands clasped behind him, surveying the surroundings.

Seeing her approaching, the security guard was stunned. He immediately greeted her respectfully, “Are you Odalys Stone?”

“Yes.” Odalys was a little surprised.

She didn’t expect to be recognized, and she even forgot that she was very popular.

She hadn’t logged into Twitter since yesterday’s livestream and had no idea she had gained
another 50 million followers. Her inbox was swamped.

“What brings you here? Is there something supernatural here?” The guard asked, his voice tinged with fear.
Odalys saw his frightened look and smiled. “No, I’ m just here to take care of something. Would it be convenient for me to come in?”

“Of course,” the guard said, immediately stepping forward to swipe the access card for her.

Odalys was a little surprised that it went so smoothly.

“Feel free to walk around inside. If you see anything strange in the area, please help us deal with it,” the guard whispered.

Odalys almost laughed when she heard this.

“Okay,” she replied in a low voice.

She stepped inside and saw that almost the entire community was surrounded by black mist. The black air pressed down as if it were going to crush the entire community.

Odalys’s expression became serious as she quickly walked toward the area with the thickest mist.

She realized this building was in a blind spot, blocked from all exits by several other buildings. Though it seemed like a good location, it was actually a dead-end.

With this in mind, she entered the elevator and headed to the top floor.

“Who?” The bodyguard immediately became alert when he saw her figure.
Odalys stepped forward. The bodyguards were stunned and blurted out, “Odalys?”
“Yes,” Odalys responded.

The bodyguards were relieved to see her. They had never met her, but they knew she was skilled. They immediately stepped forward and subconsciously stood behind her.

“Is Finnian Lark inside?” Odalys asked, glancing inside.

The bodyguards exchanged glances, surprised that she had guessed correctly.

Finnian had been brought in by them early this morning. Orson had ordered them not to tell anyone, so only people from the Lark family should know.

But Odalys had just arrived and already knew who was inside.

“Did you figure it out?” The bodyguards looked at her with increasing admiration.

Odalys smiled but said nothing. She pushed the door open and saw Finnian. His entire body emanated a dark aura.
“Interesting,” Odalys muttered.

The bodyguards followed behind her. As soon as they entered the room, they felt a chill run down their spines. They instinctively rubbed their arms and asked in low voices, “Ms. Stone, is he possessed by a ghost? I feel like it’s been freezing in here ever since he moved in.”

“This place is full of wicked energy. I suggest you leave first,” Odalys said.

Upon hearing this, the bodyguards immediately turned around and ran out.

Odalys stood by the bed, her gaze fixed on Finnian. She placed her fingertip on his forehead and slowly moved it down. Though the movement seemed gentle, the force penetrated deep into his flesh.

Finnian groaned. He felt a surge of energy and opened his eyes abruptly. Seeing Odalys, he was taken aback, but then he noticed her hand on him.

The next second, her fingertip pressed against his abdomen.

Finnian cried out in pain.

He saw her fingertip carve a wound on his abdomen, with blood oozing out. It was then that Finnian truly felt fear.
“You, you! Odalys, you want to kill me?” Finnian was shocked. He looked at her in disbelief.

Odalys ignored him. Her fingertip sank into his abdomen and forcefully hooked forward. Finnian’ s face changed instantly as he tried to stop her, but his body felt as though it was being restrained, unable to move at all.

At that moment, the door was kicked open.
Orson and Percival walked in from outside and saw Odalys standing by the bed, her hand against Finnian’s abdomen, reaching into his body.

“Orson, save me! She, she wants to kill me!” Finnian struggled in fear.

For the first time, he felt death closing in on him. His breathing became labored as if he might suffocate at any moment.

“Shut up.” Orson’s face turned cold the moment he heard Finnian speak.
He stood behind Odalys, keeping a step away from her. His eyes almost overflowed with excitement as he rubbed his hands.

His gaze was fixed on her fingertips as they reached into Finnian’s abdomen.

“This incision on his abdomen isn’t very clean; it looks like it was made by a fingernail. And there’s no major bleeding. You’re amazing!” Orson said, almost jumping with admiration.

He had even forgotten that the person lying on the bed was his younger brother.
“Don’t talk. You’ll distract her,” Percival said in a deep voice.

Orson quickly shut his mouth. His eyes were almost glued to Odalys, watching her fingertips move around Finnian’s abdomen.
Suddenly, as if she had hooked something, Odalys reversed her grip and pulled hard.

Finnian screamed miserably, the pain almost making him roll.

Odalys’s fingertips pulled out a yellow talisman from his abdomen. The scriptures on the talisman seemed to have been somewhat corroded by the gastric acid in his body, and the writing had become somewhat blurred.

“This is it!” Orson strode forward.

Watching her pull the talisman from Finnian’s abdomen, he quickly walked over.

But Odalys pressed her hand on his abdomen, took out another talisman from her bag, and pressed it firmly against his belly. Finnian screamed again in pain.

Chapter 359

The talisman ignited on his abdomen, and a faint smell of burning emerged.

After the talisman burned out, the wound on Finnian’s abdomen became red, but the cut that was made earlier seemed to have sealed itself, leaving only a shallow scar along with some blood on his abdomen.

“Odalys, what happened? How did you do that? There was clearly a cut here just now,” Orson said, stepping forward.

He stood there, staring at Finnian’s abdomen, then reached out and rubbed the area. To his surprise, the wound had already healed. “It’s healed? It’s amazing!” Orson shuddered. Orson went to the Stewart Villa with his grandfather yesterday. Although they only had breakfast together, Evander praised Odalys endlessly, and he even saw appreciation in Evander’s eyes.

Afterward, his grandfather had been reminding him to find an opportunity to interact with Odalys and learn from her. He had warned him not to be arrogant and to avoid displeasing her. If his grandfather saw this, he would probably beg her to take Orson as a disciple right away. “I applied a healing ointment on my finger earlier. After the talisman burned, it sterilized the wound. The fire quickly sealed the wound, merging with the balm I applied,” Odalys explained.

She added, “But the wound must not touch water for a short time. If it does, it will get infected, and the wound won’t heal. Even if you stitch it up, it will bleed.

“This method is only for emergency rescue. It has severe aftereffects and should never be used under normal circumstances. But since you’ve confined him, using it on him is no problem.”

“However, if he doesn’t fear death and lets the wound touch water, then it will be his punishment,” Odalys said coldly.

It was not difficult to hear that she had a bad impression of Finnian.

“I see,” Orson responded, his voice tinged with bitterness and an unhidden sense of envy.

“I’ll send you two boxes when I get the chance. You can use it for emergency situations, but the aftereffects are too great. If the wound touches water, he’ll die,” Odalys said.

Orson was so excited that he almost jumped up. “Okay, okay! Thank you!” he said, his voice trembling with excitement.

Odalys ignored him and instead walked to the floor-to-ceiling window with the talisman she
had taken from Finnian’s abdomen. She held it up high under the sunlight.

The dazzling sunlight streamed in and shone upon the talisman.

In an instant, the talisman in her hand caught fire. She gently flicked her fingertips, releasing it. The talisman slipped from her grasp and turned to ash as it hit the ground.

“It’s burned?” Percival strode forward.

He wanted to shield her behind him, but Odalys raised a hand to stop him, shaking her head slightly.

“This kind of dark magic cannot be exposed. I just saw the scripture on the talisman, and it’s exactly as I suspected. It’s an ancient spell that was used on the dead,” she said.

Odalys explained, “Do you know about corpse- guiding? During ancient times, when people died in foreign places and couldn’t be brought back, sorcerers would draw this kind of talisman and stick it on the deceased.

“The deceased would feel it and would follow the order to rise and return home. But after such a long time, this kind of talisman has been lost! It was originally called ‘guiding the corpse.

She continued, “But now, this talisman has been transformed into a Love Spell and used on humans! After the talisman burns, it merges with liquid and, when ingested, rapidly restores itself in the human body.”

She added, “Inside the body, it generates a large amount of energy that disrupts normal thought processes, causing the person to lose their mind. Finnian, like during the program, will appear clear-headed, yet do completely unexpected things.

“But afterward, he will seem normal again. In reality, the situation is even worse. If I hadn’t taken the talisman out just now, he would have died.”

“Once dead, he would turn into a zombie! He would obey the one who cast the spell on him, becoming a living dead!” Odalys said in a low voice.

Percival listened, his gaze falling on the ashes of the burned talisman on the floor.

“Now that it has caught fire in the light, can it still return to its original state?” Percival voiced his confusion and doubt.

Odalys shook her head and replied, “Once it catches fire in the light, it’s completely ruined.” She added, “But if it’s lit with a match or lighter like Sophia did, the fire and ashes are just an illusion. It will still restore itself afterward.”

After Odalys finished speaking, she turned to look at Finnian, who was lying on the bed with a pale face.
Finnian had heard what she just said, and he was still trembling as he lay in bed, having wet his pants. He looked at her with complex and fearful eyes.

“But he had a relationship with Sophia, which caused Sophia to absorb his aura. He volunteered for it, so as long as Sophia needs it, he will be absorbed at any time,” Odalys continued.

With every word she said, Finnian’s face turned paler. He felt that his end had come.

“I… I didn’t do it on purpose.” Finnian panicked.

He struggled, but his body remained immobile. He could only lie stiffly on the bed, looking at them. He felt utterly embarrassed.

Odalys retorted, “Only you know whether you did this willingly or not. You and she made a deal, and it involved me marrying into the Stewart family. Then, after I die, you two plan to divide my inheritance between yourselves.”
She continued, “Finnian, you’re too scheming! You’re willing to make such a dirty deal with Sophia to climb to a higher position. Unfortunately, I’m not going to die.”

“Stop having these thoughts. Your bond with the Lark family is weak, so don’t think about taking the Lark family’s heir position,” Odalys said coldly.

Finnian’s heart sank little by little as he listened.

“His bond with the Lark family is weak?” Orson was a little surprised.

Previously, his family had consulted someone, and they were told that Finnian and the Lark family were meant to be one.

Odalys put her hands behind her back and slowly turned around, looking at Orson.

“Didn’t your family also find an expert to do fortune-telling?” Odalys asked with a smile. Orson nodded.

The atmosphere in the room turned eerie in an instant. Even Finnian held his breath, his lips moving as he tried to tell her to be quiet. But it seemed he had lost his voice and couldn’t make a sound.

Odalys explained, “They were deceived. Finnian’s mother was able to deceive your father back then. After she got pregnant, she hid away, gave birth, and returned with the child to force your Lark family to acknowledge him.”
She continued, “And Finnian is dishonest. He wants to replace you. Their return was clearly with a purpose! If he truly had a fate with the Lark family, why would he be so eager to make deals with Sophia?

“On the surface, he says he likes me, but he tries to find ways to make me marry into the Stewart family. His goal isn’t just to take the Lark family. He also wants to target the Stewart family.”

Odalys continued to explain, “Coincidentally, the Bennett family wants to form a marriage alliance, and the Stewart family is the one they want to ‘boost.’ Isn’t this a perfect opportunity?” Finnian’s heart sank.

Orson’s lips moved, his mouth agape in shock.

Chapter 360

“Take a look at this,” Percival said in a deep voice.

He considered showing Orson the documents while they were in the car but decided to wait until they got out and handed them over then. Orson reached out to take the documents handed over by Percival and looked at them. With every glance, his bewildered, handsome face paled; his lips moved as he stared at the document, then at Percival and Odalys.

“Is it all fake?” Orson asked in disbelief.

He stumbled back half a step and collapsed onto the carpet.

“But our family did a paternity test for him. He does have the bloodline of the Lark family!” Orson said. After all, technology didn’t lie.

Having been a doctor for many years, he knew how to distinguish the real from the fake. The test data can’t be falsified or manipulated.

Yet, Finnian was a fake Lark. Orson fell silent. All these years, he treated Finnian like his own brother. He never looked down upon him for being an illegitimate child. His parents treated Finnian well, too.

But Finnian developed malicious intentions, and he wanted to oust the Lark family from power and sit in the position of the family head. His ambitions were too great.

Odalys explained, “The Lark family and the Stewart family have been family friends for generations! If he could take over the Lark family, that would mean he could infiltrate the Stewart family at any time, but he wasn’t confident, so he turned his attention to the Bennett family’s marriage plan.”

She added, “Blossom Tillery, the eldest daughter of the Tillery family, was nearly driven to insanity by a Love Spell cast by Sophia because of her obsession with a celebrity. Fortunately, Harvey sensed something was wrong and sought help.” She continued, “The Drake family, who for generations had only one son, faced a near tragedy. While Dangelo and Sienna were away on business, their car was sabotaged. The sabotage caused their car to careen out of control on the highway and ultimately explode. Dangelo and Sienna barely escaped from the burning vehicle.”

“This is a series of incidents targeting the wealthiest families in Crownridge,” Odalys whispered.

Orson suddenly woke up from his daze. He knew about these incidents, but he had never connected them with the Lark family.

Now, reminded by Odalys, he finally understood.

“Damn it!” Orson got up angrily.

He strode forward and kicked Finnian hard.

Finnian was sent crashing to the ground after a heavy kick to his backside. He screamed in pain but couldn’t move, unable to even struggle. Orson snapped, “Since you were brought back into the Lark family, what have we done wrong to you? Why do you still want to destroy our family? We even gave you a chance before, and even when you got into trouble, my father stepped in to protect you.”

“Finnian, it seems your ambition is far too great. Our Lark family can’t satisfy your desires anymore!” Orson shouted angrily.

He had truly treated Finnian like a younger brother, so even when he made a mistake, as long as it wasn’t fatal, the Lark family handled things for him.

Perhaps because of the Lark family’s favor, Finnian had become reckless.

“No, Odalys is lying! She’s trying to drive a wedge between us. Orson, don’t believe her. She must be working with Percival to break us apart.” Finnian was getting desperate.

Odalys’s words just now struck a chord within him. He had a faint feeling that his time had run out.

Before, he had dared to cause trouble because he knew the Lark family would never abandon him, even if they had to force him into a corner. They would never let him die.

Now, since he wasn’t a part of the Lark family anymore, it meant they wouldn’t care about him.

“If you are innocent, why are you anxious? Why should Odalys lie? Besides, what kind of deal did you make with Sophia in private? You volunteered to give her your aura, so what else is there to say?” Orson said.

His attractive eyes exuded a vicious intensity.

“Take care of it yourself! I’m leaving,” Odalys said. From here on out, it was the Lark family’s business, and it was no longer her concern.

Besides, the talisman paper had been burned in the sunlight earlier, and the dark aura around Finnian had dissipated. But he had been entangled with dark energy for so long that his aura had almost vanished.
A person who loses their aura is not far from death.

That was why she cut open his abdomen and took out the talisman paper on the spot. To her, Finnian was already a dead man.

Even if he were kept alive, he wouldn’t last long.

“Odalys, thank you for today. I’ll explain everything to the family and make sure it’s handled properly. We won’t cause you any more trouble,” Orson said, immediately following her respectfully as she was about to leave.

Even though Odalys hadn’t officially taken him as an apprentice, in Orson’s eyes, she was already a senior.

Odalys had taught him medical skills through their previous exchange, for which he was extremely grateful. Without her guidance, perhaps his skills would have remained stagnant, with no progress.

But after her guidance, he had made great strides.

This matter was now known to the entire Lark family. Other elders in the family, who had never met her, were praising her. They made grand promises that, as long as it concerned Odalys, the Lark family could not turn a blind eye.

Now, the Lark family had unknowingly become her backing, her support.

“Okay,” Odalys replied softly.

She walked out, Percival following behind her. Side by side, they walked towards the elevator. The bodyguards, who had been standing nearby, saw her and immediately moved forward. Upon seeing Orson snap his fingers at them, they bowed to Odalys before quickly approaching.

“This Love Spell was cast on Finnian by Sophia. Now that the Love Spell has been taken out by you and burned under the sun, will Sophia suffer any backlash?” Percival asked his question.

Logically speaking, there would definitely be a backlash.

Whether it was a talisman or a curse, the principle was the same. Such evil deeds must come with a price.
“Of course, there will be backlash. Otherwise, all the moves I made on Windsor last night would have been in vain,” Odalys said softly.

At the mention of this, her eyes lit up.

It seemed that everything was under her control, and the constant validation of that feeling was truly satisfying.
“To make Windsor break his taboo, it’s not enough to make him think this way alone. Sophia also has to suffer some backlash. Her body will be harmed, so she will actively seek out Windsor?” Percival was silent for a moment before sharing his guess.

If that were the case, it seemed that Odalys had long been planning this.

Odalys replied, “That’s about right. After the old man who did the ritual at the villa died, Sophia was hit with backlash, causing her appearance to change. That’s why she’s been so eager to borrow aura from Finnian.”

She explained, “So she was able to maintain her current appearance all thanks to Finnian and the Love Spell in his body. Now that the Love Spell in Finnian’s body has been destroyed, Sophia has lost her foundation.”

She added, “That’s why she must find more men willing to be close to her. With all his troubles with Edie, Henry surely has no time for her. “Caspian is a smart man; he already distanced himself, so he wouldn’t dare get involved with her mess!”

She continued, “Atlas may not seem smart, but he’s unlikely to get any further with Sophia. So, aside from Windsor, Sophia won’t find anyone else in the Bennett family suitable to target.”

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