Chapter 441
Just as Odalys finished speaking, a loud rumble echoed from above. The sky seemed to crack open with flashes of lightning, as if the heavens themselves were about to be torn apart. Without thinking, Percival instinctively pulled Odalys back a step, shielding her. Above them, the door that had just been securely shut moments before was now shattered into wooden splinters, smoke rising from the broken pieces.
“We’ve probably entered some kind of illusion,” Percival muttered, eyes still fixed on the wreckage of the door.
Callum had followed him here, but in the blink of an eye, they had been separated. Perhaps lost was the better word; perhaps Callum was still somewhere within these walls, but neither of them could see the other.
“It’s not exactly an illusion,” Odalys corrected him, her voice sinking with a dark weight. “This place is real, but it exists in a different reality from ours.”
Her words made Percival’s blood run cold. Things were spiraling in a direction that terrified her-one she hadn’t dared imagine. The events unfolding in Crownridge were merely the tip of the iceberg.
“Odalys, right now, we need to find Callum. He and I were together in a past life, and just before I entered this place, we somehow got separated,” Percival said, his voice filled with urgency.
“This place has no signal, and even the compass is useless. The magnetic field here is messed up,” he added, scanning the surroundings with vigilance.
Odalys turned to look at him, her brow raised in surprise.
She hadn’t expected him to be so focused on Callum’s safety. In the midst of all this danger, his thoughts were with someone else, not with the mysterious circumstances surrounding his father. It was strange-a man who ruled with an iron fist, usually indifferent to the lives of others, was now so concerned for the safety of someone close to him.
“Callum’s with me,” Percival continued, sensing her unspoken question. “No matter what happens, I’m bringing him back. He grew up with me, always by my side. We’ve been through life and death together.”
Odalys couldn’t help but smile, the depth of his words moving her more than she’d expected.
“I thought people like you-the ones in charge of powerful families-would be cold-hearted, only interested in themselves,” she said candidly. “Well, if I were to turn and leave, then I wouldn’t be the kind of person you think I am,” Percival replied, his tone softer than usual.
Before either of them could say more, a violent gust of wind blasted through the air.
Odalys instinctively reached for Percival’s arm, pulling him back, but he was already faster. He slammed the door shut with a loud bang, even quicker than she had been.
The wind howled violently outside, rattling the door and making an eerie squeaking sound. Inside, the room was pitch black, except for the faint flicker of candlelight that appeared on the table covered with ancestral tablets. The shadows seemed to dance unnaturally, casting an ominous atmosphere over the space.
“Callum should be safe for now,” Odalys said, her voice steady but serious. “Our priority now is to leave. If we’re still here when the clock strikes midnight, we won’t be able to return to our world.” “This place runs on the same time as the outside world, but midnight is a boundary,” she explained, her eyes dark with urgency. “If we’re still trapped here when that time passes, we’ll be stuck here forever.”
Percival’s lips tightened. She had mentioned this “world” multiple times now, and he couldn’t help but question what she meant.
“Is this world some kind of balance line? And what exactly did I see earlier?” His mind was racing with confusion as he asked.
Odalys took a step forward, standing before the altar with the ancestral tablets. She glanced sideways at him, her eyes meeting his briefly. “What you saw was the deepest, most vulnerable part of yourself,” she said, her voice calm, but carrying an edge of warning. “It’s the part of you that’s hardest to confront. If you had let your desires cloud your judgment, you would’ve ended up like Windsor-falling prey to temptation and losing your soul.”
She paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. “Thankfully, you stayed rational. If you had given in, your fortune would have been drained. A person without fortune is like a puppet- controlled by something else.”
Percival’s heart sank as the weight of her words settled on him. “If things had gone wrong, your body would have been taken over by evil forces, used as a vessel for some dark ritual. Your family’s ancestral energy would’ve been destroyed, and the Stewart family line would have ended. No children. No legacy,” Odalys finished grimly.
Her words hit him like a physical blow. Percival stared at her, his eyes flickering with unease. He swallowed, trying to push the thought away.
“So… does that mean I can never… be with anyone?” His voice was hoarse, almost unwilling to ask, but it had to be said.
“What?” Odalys blinked, surprised. She stared at him, not quite understanding.
Percival’s face flushed a deep red, and he quickly turned away, clearly flustered. His usual composed demeanor seemed to falter.
He took her hand firmly, pulling her forward, as if the conversation was over, even though it clearly wasn’t.
It wasn’t the time to dwell on it. After all, breaking the vow would be bad for both him and her.
He had once thought that after spending so much time together, once everything was over, they would have a chance to be together. He never anticipated that breaking his vow would bring about so much trouble.
For a fleeting moment, Percival felt an unease stir inside him. It wasn’t that he wanted to rush into things physically with her, but he realized he had selfishly wanted to stay with her forever.
Now, it seemed all of that had been wishful thinking. The bond he had hoped to form with Odalys might only ever be a fleeting moment, and that thought left him strangely restless. An invisible weight pressed on his chest, making it hard to breathe, as if the hopes he had built up over time were once again blocked.
The glimmer of hope he had felt when he met her now seemed to be obscured, never to return.
Before he met her, he had never thought about marriage.
After meeting her, he had imagined a future, a genuine relationship.
Now, it all felt like a mirage. If breaking his vow would cause the destruction of the Stewart family, he had no choice.
“Percival.” Odalys sensed his emotional turmoil.
She looked at his large hand wrapped around hers, feeling the intensity of his grip, as if he were afraid she might disappear. Yet, he didn’t hurt her.
She could even sense his care, his gentleness, but in his deep eyes, she saw a fleeting moment of despair and restraint-a look that
disappeared as quickly as it came, but she caught it.
Odalys was confused. She sensed that perhaps he had misunderstood something. She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated, unsure if she was just overthinking things.
“Come, let’s light the candles for our ancestors,” he said, his voice low and steady, though the turmoil inside him was evident.
He grabbed a candle from the side, lit it, and handed it to her. Odalys watched the flame flicker as she held the candle, her gaze falling to the dancing fire.
As they both knelt before the altar, lighting the candles and offering a silent prayer, the room seemed to hold its breath.
Percival’s voice, deep and rich, broke the silence. “Percival, 113th heir of the Stewart family, with my wife, Odalys, we offer our prayers. May our ancestors bless us with peace and safety.” They bowed three times, then inserted their candles into the candleholder.
The instant the flames touched the holder, the room trembled.
A deafening crash echoed as every single ancestral tablet toppled over, and the candleholder split apart with a loud crack. The air erupted in a cloud of smoke, and in an instant, the entire room seemed to explode with chaotic energy.
“Get down!” Percival shouted, pulling Odalys into his arms, his body shielding hers from whatever force was bearing down on them.
She looked up at him, feeling his protective embrace, and for the first time since they had arrived, she felt an overwhelming sense of safety. The sensation was so unfamiliar, so startling, that it left her breathless.
“Percival,” she whispered, almost involuntarily.
The world around them seemed to vanish as she locked eyes with him, losing herself in the intensity of his gaze. She could feel the pounding of his heart through his chest, strong and steady, and for a moment, it was all she could focus on.
Chapter 442
In that moment, Odalys was stunned beyond words.
She hadn’t expected it. In the blink of an eye, when disaster struck, Percival hadn’t hesitated for even a second. He had stepped directly in front of her, blocking her from the danger without a second thought.
Her eyes widened as she stared at him in shock, but before she could process what had just happened, the ancestral tablets that had fallen to the ground suddenly shook with a deep boom. The entire room seemed to tremble, and Odalys pulled herself away from Percival’s embrace, her body still shaken.
She raised her hand and swept it through the air, scattering the dust and debris. The scent of melted wax filled the air as she stepped forward. Then, a beam of golden light shot toward her from the shadows, as if it were a bridge, crossing over Percival’s body and wrapping itself around hers.
“Odalys stood frozen, her hand instinctively clenching, her eyes locked on the golden light. Her gaze shifted to the fallen ancestral tablets, her lips pressed tightly together, and her stare unwavering.
“What’s going on?” Percival asked, equally shocked.
He watched in disbelief as the golden light passed through his body and seemed to merge with Odalys, almost as if it were entering her. He tried to intervene, but the golden light was like mist-slipping through his fingers as though it didn’t exist in the material world.
“This is the primordial spirit of the Stewart ancestors,” Odalys explained quietly.
The room fell silent again, though it was a messy silence-chaotic and unsettling. Odalys’s heart, however, felt like it was in turmoil. She continued to stare at the fallen tablets, her mind racing, but she said nothing.
Seconds ticked by, and Percival remained quiet. Finally, he stepped forward, carefully lifting and arranging the fallen tablets, making sure they were upright again.
Although he knew this wasn’t the true ancestral hall of the Stewart family, but merely a side room, he couldn’t just let the sacred tablets lie scattered on the floor. He couldn’t disrespect the spirits of his ancestors.
It wasn’t until Percival had placed the last tablet in its rightful place that Odalys snapped out of her trance.
She stepped forward, reaching into the cracked candleholder and rummaging through the debris. Her fingers brushed against something-a piece of yellowed paper.
When she pulled it out, Percival frowned, walking toward her.
“What is this?” he asked, his gaze falling to the yellow paper in her hand.
She unfolded it slowly, revealing a set of characters written in some sort of shimmering dust-magic dust, no less.
“My astrological signs,” Odalys said softly, her voice devoid of emotion.
Percival’s brow furrowed as he read the symbols, his instincts kicking into high gear. He scanned the room, the unease mounting. “But… how would anyone know your astrological signs? And why would they place them here, in front of the Stewart family’s tablets? This doesn’t make sense.”
He paused, then spoke again, his suspicion deepening. “You and I hadn’t even met before the marriage arrangement. The Bennett family and the Stewart family have never had any real connection. My grandfather did briefly mention an arranged marriage with them, but you were abandoned by the Bennett family long ago. No one other than them could know your astrological signs. And now… this place is riddled with strange energy. Odalys, this isn’t right.”
His hand instinctively moved to shield her, as if protecting her from something unseen. His gut told him this was no coincidence-whatever was happening here was meant to happen to her. Odalys took a breath, as if pondering something, before she spoke again. “It seems like you and the Stewart family are fated to be involved with me.”
Odalys’s mind wandered back to their past lives. After her death, it had been Percival who had taken her body back, though she wasn’t sure if he had managed to return it to her master before he died. But in that life, Percival had died in the very act of carrying her, which meant she owed him a life.
And now, it seemed, in this lifetime, they were bound by some unknown thread from their past. “Are you connected to the Stewart family? What you mean is, from the very beginning, someone set up a trap to make you marry into the Stewart family, tying you and me together through everything that’s happened?” Percival steadied himself and became more rational.
He was different from others; he didn’t lose his composure over small matters.
“Yes,” Odalys nodded.
She tightly crumpled the yellow paper into a ball and, after a pause, stuffed it into her bag.
“This place can’t really be called an illusion. It’s a junction of energy. During the day, positive energy is at its peak here, but at night, negative energy is also at its strongest. This is a junction of energy.”
“They set up the spirit hall with the Stewart family’s ancestral tablets here. And they trapped your father’s soul here, making him unaware that he’s dead, causing him to keep returning home, looking for you. But this place is a crossing of realms, where he’s trapped-he can’t leave or go back, unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation. It’s like the Devil’s Triangle; no matter which way he goes, he always ends up back here.
“This place is weighing on my astrological signs, meaning someone had already foreseen that you and I would get married, that my fate was tough. And with the negative energy here, surrounded by ancestral tablets, over time, my body will start to deteriorate.
“But now, it seems my body has been unaffected. After returning to Crownridge and distancing myself from the Bennett family, I’ve actually started to feel better. So, this method has failed.” Odalys continued explaining.
Percival was somewhat surprised. When he first saw her astrological signs, he suspected they might have an impact on her, but he hadn’t expected it to be like this.
“They wanted to use the negative energy from the Stewart family’s ancestral tablets to harm your body and bind you and me together. With me poisoned and nearing death, and your body deteriorating, the Stewart family would lose all hope.
“The goal was to replace the Stewart family, starting with my father, then me, and finally you. But if my grandfather hadn’t insisted on having you marry in to ‘counteract the bad luck,’ their plan would have failed, right?” Percival furrowed his brows, clearly confused.
Counteracting bad luck wasn’t something human effort could control.
Odalys said, “When I looked at your astrological signs earlier, I saw that we had a past connection in a previous life. Though brief, it seems our fates were bound together.
“Also, just now, the golden light from these ancestral tablets passed through your body and entered mine. They sensed my arrival because my astrological signs have been anchored here for so long. They’ve been protecting my signs until I arrived.
“If I hadn’t come tonight, perhaps it would’ve all ended. But now that I’m here, I’ve reclaimed my astrological signs, and because my signs are protected by the Stewart family’s ancestral tablets, my body hasn’t been harmed.”
“As long as we take your father away tonight, and leave this place, the person behind all this will panic. You came here to find the Simpson villa, and you’ve come to the right place.” Odalys said with growing excitement.
She felt like she was getting closer to the source of everything.
Percival relaxed a bit, seeing her so enthusiastic, and his previously wary expression eased. “Why did you suddenly decide to come here?” Odalys asked, her curiosity piqued.
Normally, Percival wouldn’t have been in such a rush to leave Crownridge. But now, he seemed determined to find the Simpson family’s old villa, as if he had made up his mind about something.
Chapter 443
Percival stood there, his gaze dark as he stared out into the distance.
“Last night, after we visited the Simpson family, you mentioned that their energy field was like a coffin, a trap,” he began, his voice low and contemplative.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about the Simpson family’s origins. From the moment Edie targeted my father, drugged him, and then got pregnant, forcing a marriage into the Stewart family-she had a plan. Afterward, she seemed to want to eliminate him.
“This means the Simpson family must have had a strategy against the Stewart family from the very beginning. But Edie… she hasn’t been subtle at all. Over the years, she’s grown increasingly arrogant, almost like she’s trying to flaunt her power to everyone.”
Percival paused, eyes narrowing as he pieced together the pieces. “If she was truly gunning for the Stewart family, she should have stayed low until she had us under control. But no, everything she does is flashy-almost like she’s trying to make sure the world knows exactly what she’s been up to.
“That’s part of why I’ve let her run free-I’ve been watching her closely, trying to figure out what she’s really after. But every move she makes is about laying the groundwork for the Simpson family. The thing is, they don’t seem to accept her. Every time she returns from the Simpson family, she’s always… off.
“And the Bennett family,” he continued, his brow furrowing in thought, “they’ve had no real dealings with her for years, and she’s cut all ties with Hannah. But Quinton, on the other hand, has been sending out olive branches to the Bennett family.”
He looked at Odalys, his expression darkening.” The Bennett family must have some connection to the Simpson family. It’s no coincidence that when the Bennett family faces a crisis, the Simpson family doesn’t step in to help. But Windsor? He suddenly returns from abroad, and the moment he does, he gets involved with Sophia. He breaks his vow, and it’s like everything turns to bad luck. The more I think about it, the more something doesn’t add up.” “Windsor’s been gone for three years. There’s no way he’d come back and immediately fall into someone else’s trap. You’ve mentioned something’s been off with Windsor too,” Percival went on, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Last night, I dug through some old books from the Stewart ancestors. Found some strange things. Apart from soul-switching and body-swap rituals, there’s another method-shadow replacement.”
He looked up at her, his eyes Intense. “It’s as if someone can be extracted from their body, and a shadow takes their place. The shadow then becomes loyal to the one who controls it, doing whatever is asked of it.”
“I’m not sure if Windsor is one of these shadow replacements,” Percival continued, “but the Simpson family is far too suspicious for me to ignore any longer. That’s why I had to come here, to understand what’s really going on.”
Although his approach might not have been entirely correct, the principle remained the same. Only by understanding the other party’s background could one truly seize control of their fate.
“Previously, I avoided touching the Simpson family because I didn’t want to stir the hornet’s nest. But after Windsor’s incident, I’ve been trying to reach out to the Simpson family. Now that they’ve been entangled and with Edie’s situation worsening, the Simpson family is bound to be in a panic.”
“That’s why I decided to come now, while they’re in disarray,” Percival said.
He was meticulous in his actions and never took a step without being confident in the outcome.
Odalys met his gaze, her lips curling into a faint smile. “It looks like you came here at the right time. We’ve found the place, so now things can start moving.”
The unspoken understanding between them was palpable. There was no need for more words; they knew what they had to do.
“If this really is the Simpson family’s ancestral home, and there’s negative energy here, it makes sense why Quinton never shows his face. He can’t be in the light,” Odalys said, her voice growing more confident.
She looked out across the land, her tone sharp, yet there was a touch of satisfaction in her eyes. “Maybe he’s not even human. Perhaps he’s something… else, something that doesn’t die. Whether the Simpson family wants to swallow the Stewart family whole, or if there’s someone behind them pulling the strings, it doesn’t matter now. Now that we know where the Simpson villa is, we can exploit their weakness.”
Her voice had a triumphant edge to it, and Percival couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. Her clarity of thought was infectious.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Percival asked.
Odalys stood there, her small hands clasped behind her back. The wind blew in from outside, lifting her ponytail, and she gazed up at the sky, her eyes seemingly filled with stars, shining brightly.
“I’ll tell you when we get back,” Odalys replied.
As soon as she finished speaking, she lifted her foot and gently stamped it down.
The small movement caused the surroundings to shake violently. With a thunderous sound, the entire house collapsed. Dust swirled into the air, and Odalys grabbed Percival’s wrist, pulling him forward quickly. “Run.”
Percival, being pulled by her, hurriedly matched her pace and walked briskly towards the exit. As they stepped outside, they heard another loud “boom.” The house had fallen, leaving a massive hole in the ground, as though it were a bottomless pit.
Percival’s heart skipped a beat. Looking back at the spot, it seemed as if the house had never existed at all.
“The world is shaped by the mind. Your obsession is your father, so you saw him,” Odalys said.
“He’s been trapped here because he cares for you, but only when your heart is free of this obsession can he be released.”
“Percival, let go of your attachment,” Odalys said seriously, holding his hand.
To break the illusion, all it took was Percival letting go of his attachment.
Percival listened, his lips pressed tightly together. He gripped her small hand in his, his large palm enveloping hers. Just as his lips moved, ready to say “okay,” the scene before them changed.
The ground that had been flat moments ago now revealed a vast abyss, an eerie black chasm that looked even more ominous in the dark night.
“What is this?” Odalys asked, her foot faltering as she was startled.
She quickly pulled her foot back, unable to Imagine what might have happened if she had taken one step further.
Before she could recover, a bridge made of bamboo appeared and stretched across the abyss. The wind blew, causing the bridge to sway precariously.
Before she could grasp the situation, she saw a tall figure in the distance, wearing a brilliant red wedding gown, stepping forward as though drawn by something.
The figure slowly turned around. A woman in a phoenix coronet and a red veil stood there, smiling softly. She raised her hand, and the bells on her fingers chimed, their crisp sound ringing through the night air.
The wind lifted the fine veil draped over her head, and her beautiful eyes, like stars in the night sky, gleamed with an expectant light.
“Percival, take me with you,” she said, her voice soft.
The gentle tone was filled with longing and desire as she continued to beckon him.
She took a few steps back and stood at the end of the bridge, her smile seemingly capable of melting the whole world.
Odalys watched in shock as the figure in the red gown, illuminated by moonlight, gazed at her. The woman’s expression was full of longing and anticipation.
“This… how can this be me?” Odalys’s voice was filled with disbelief.
She widened her eyes, staring at the woman in the phoenix coronet, watching her gaze Percival, yet somehow it seemed as though she was looking past him, at someone else.
And the woman was calling out, “Percival.”
As she said, “Percival, take me with you,” the strength with which Percival had been holding her hand loosened noticeably.
Odalys lowered her gaze, seeing Percival’s hand slacken. Her lips moved, as if about to speak, but no sound came out.
A sense of terror washed over her as she looked at Percival, trying desperately to make him ignore the illusion, but she was powerless to do anything.
Chapter 444
Odalys anxiously glanced at Percival, then at the woman’s figure, her heart feeling inexplicably agitated. Despite the woman’s appearance being identical to her own, the moment she saw her call Percival’s name, he seemed to be on the verge of letting go of Odalys’s hand.
It was impossible to deny the pain she was feeling.
Odalys couldn’t quite place what was troubling her, but she knew, as Percival loosened his grip on her, that it was as though her soul had left her body. A suffocating weight pressed on her chest, unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
And deep down, she knew: if Percival stepped forward and took that woman’s hand, walking with her, his fate would be death.
But she could do nothing. She could stop nothing.
The abyss and the bridge were both strange and unnerving, and in a sudden flash, a phrase appeared in her mind: Bridge of Sighs.
Odalys was completely lost, torn by her inner turmoil. But just as she was spiraling deeper into despair, a tight grip wrapped around her waist. She looked up in confusion, only to be pulled into Percival’s strong embrace.
She collapsed into his arms, feeling the comforting pressure of his protective hold. “She’s not you,” Percival’s voice was rough, as if filled with a mixture of pain and clarity.
Percival’s large, steady hand covered her ear, and he leaned down to meet her gaze. In his eyes, she could see her own reflection. The suffocating despair she had felt melted away, replaced by an unexpected sense of calm. “Percival…” The woman was still calling his name.
Odalys stared at the unwavering determination in Percival’s eyes. She was shocked by what she saw, but then heard him say, “Look.”
Before she could respond, Percival gently turned her head toward the bridge. She saw a tall figure striding confidently toward the woman. The man’s stature and elegance made her pause, her gaze frozen.
Her shock flared again as she took in Percival’s handsome profile, realizing it was indeed him.
“What’s happening?” Odalys murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
There, in front of her eyes, Percival, dressed in his military uniform, stood side by side with a woman-herself-in a red wedding gown. They held hands and walked toward the other end of the bridge, never looking back.
The woman paused after a few steps, turning back to glance at Odalys. She smiled softly, a smile that seemed to reach deep into her soul.
The smile hit Odalys like a wave, and she felt her eyes sting with tears. She reached up to wipe her face, only to realize she was crying.
She had always prided herself on having a hard heart, on never being easily moved. Yet, here she was, helplessly weeping.
In a flurry of motion, Odalys wiped away her tears, and when she looked up again, the two figures had disappeared into the night. Without thinking, she instinctively moved to follow them. She saw the woman suddenly lift her veil, her hand swiping it up. The veil floated through the air, landing softly on Odalys’s face, leaving behind a faint, familiar scent.
It was the fragrance Odalys loved, filling her nostrils.
She sneezed instinctively.
With the sneeze, the bridge ahead of her suddenly collapsed with a thunderous sound. Before she could react, Percival was already there, catching her in his arms. Everything went black.
“Odalys, Mr. Stewart,” came Callum’s voice.
Odalys let out a muffled sound as she regained consciousness. The illusion had vanished, and she found herself and Percival lying amidst the rubble.
Callum, with scratches on his arm, hurried toward them.
“That was eerie. It was exactly midnight. I thought I was seeing things,” Callum muttered.
Odalys, hearing him mention midnight, quickly pulled out her phone. The screen showed exactly 12:00 AM.
She reached up to touch her face and realized the veil was still there. The faint scent lingered on it.
“She saved us,” Odalys said with certainty.
Percival looked at the veil in her hand, then met her clear gaze. He hesitated for a moment, almost in disbelief, before reaching for the veil himself. The image of him and Odalys, walking side by side, him in his military uniform and her in her wedding dress, flashed through his mind.
So, were they supposed to marry? Had they been married in the 1920s?
The wedding dress seemed to suggest they had died before they could marry.
Odalys had mentioned someone wanted them bound together.
Could someone have used her to manipulate their fate, intending to steal her life?
The memory of Odalys’s past life flashed in Percival’s mind-the one where she had jumped from the balcony of the Bennett family home.
He wouldn’t allow her to die. He couldn’t let anyone take her from him.
“Percival, we’re not just tied by one life. In the 1920s, we had another life together,” Odalys grabbed Percival’s arm.
She locked eyes with him.
Callum looked on, completely confused, clearly unable to understand what they were talking about.
“In the past life, when you jumped, we only just met. What we saw just now, in the 1920s, was us in wedding clothes. So in the 1920s, we were already married.”
“The fates were sealed, but something went wrong before we could be happy. The image we saw must have been when we died before marriage, that’s why we were still in our wedding clothes.”
Percival’s voice was deep and resolute.
“So, we’re destined to be together. In other words, we were always meant to be, but someone interfered. Someone didn’t want us together.
“Maybe, if we did end up together, it would ruin someone’s plans. So they calculated your astrological signs and tricked the Bennett family into abandoning you. They originally wanted your life.
“But then your master appeared and saved you, taking you away.
“Edie married into the Stewart family, and everything seemed to go smoothly, but then you came back. When you returned to the Bennett family, you were forced into marriage again, and that’s how you and I met.
“Because you didn’t die, the situation turned around. We ended up marrying, and now the Simpson family is panicking, sending Windsor and Quinton rushing back from abroad.
“So, the Simpson family knows things we don’t. The Bennett family is in the dark about all of this. They were probably being manipulated for some kind of profit, or for other reasons.
“Since you were born into the Bennett family, your fate can influence the Bennett Group, and that’s why Edie wanted to marry Henry.”
Percival was piecing the puzzle together, and as he spoke, it seemed to make more and more sense.
“The Simpson family set up a place here to honor the Stewart family, and they trapped your father there to lure you in. They wanted to trap you, but they didn’t expect me to slip a talisman into your pocket.”
“I was led here by the talisman, ruining their plans. And they didn’t expect that the spirits of the honored plaques were guarding my astrological signs, which kept us from being trapped here.”
Chapter 445
Odalys’s voice suddenly broke the silence, filled with excitement. “What we saw earlier might have been the golden light from the Stewart family’s ancestral tablet, preserving our memories or consciousness.”
She clutched the bright red veil tightly, the scent of the woman still lingering on it, an exact match to the fragrance that clung to her own skin. “So, not only did the Stewart family ancestors protect us, but it’s also possible your father had a hand in it. Even though he’s trapped here, he must have seen you and instinctively wanted to protect you,” she added.
Her words were barely out when Percival spun around.
In the distance, through the gray mist, a lone figure stood beneath a tree, casually sipping from a coffee cup.
It was as if the figure sensed Percival’s gaze because he lifted his cup and smiled faintly in his direction, calmly sipping the coffee as if he were both watching and not watching at all. “Father,” Percival muttered under his breath.
The figure seemed to sense something, and their eyes locked.
But before Percival could speak again, the figure rose and walked away with long strides, fading further into the mist, his form slowly swallowed by the fog.
“Wasn’t that… Percival’s father just now?” Callum’ s voice cracked with disbelief. He rubbed his eyes, unsure if he was seeing things.
Percival’s father had been dead for over a decade, and yet, just now, that familiar figure had appeared in front of them. It was enough to make anyone question their reality.
“Don’t dwell on it. You need to let go of any attachments. Maybe only then can we break free from all of this. Once things are over, I’ll figure out a way to free him and bring him back,” Odalys said gently, her hand resting on Percival’s arm.
Percival took a step forward, but then halted, his foot hovering in the air.
He stood there, staring in the direction where his father’s figure had disappeared. He didn’t speak, but his hand tightened into a fist at his side, the muscles in his jaw clenching. He was holding back a storm of emotions.
His father’s death had always haunted him, but to know that even in death, his father had still found a way to watch over him, to care for him… It was almost too much to bear. He had once tolerated Edie’s manipulations for the sake of the greater good. But now, the hatred he had suppressed for so long was rising up inside him, threatening to consume him.
“It looks like we didn’t come here for nothing,” Percival said, his voice low but steady. “The first thing we need to deal with is the Bennett family. Let’s see who from the Bennett family, aside from the Simpson family, encouraged them to abandon you all those years ago.”
He paused, then added with a cold edge, “And who made them adopt Sophia.”
His voice regained its calm and resolute tone. Percival, as the head of the Stewart family, was accustomed to handling matters with rationality. Faced with something as large as this, he could process it quickly.
“The initial intention behind adopting Sophia- was it to replace you, or was it to use the Bennett family as a cover for her?
Whoever was behind this knows a thing or two about magic. “They must have known you had good fortune, and maybe they even knew about the endless ties between you and me, but they couldn’t directly remove you. So they targeted the Bennett family instead, made them abandon you, and left you to die out there.” Percival’s voice grew darker. “But your master intervened and changed your fate.”
It all made sense now. Everything clicked into place.
“Yes,” Odalys said, her voice soft but filled with surprise. She knew Percival was sharp, but she hadn’t expected him to piece it all together so quickly.
“Wait a minute, what happened to you two earlier?” Callum asked, still dazed, clearly not understanding what had just unfolded.
He had almost fallen victim to some illusion, but it was as if a slap had woken him from the spell.
Odalys turned to Callum suddenly, her eyes sharp. “What happened to you earlier?”
Callum immediately launched into a detailed explanation, recounting every bizarre moment he had experienced.
Percival exchanged a glance with Odalys.
“It looks like he, too, got trapped in the illusion. We’re lucky he was snapped out of it, or he might have died here too,” Percival said with a heavy sigh.
It was then that he noticed the brick in Callum’s hand.
Callum, sensing Percival’s gaze, quickly handed the brick over.
Percival took it, inspecting it closely. Odalys leaned in and pointed at it. “This looks like the brick from under the candle holder, doesn’t it?”
“There’s still wax on it,” Callum said, rubbing his fingers across the surface, confirming her observation.
“So when the house collapsed earlier, the brick must have been flung out,” Percival continued, a look of realization crossing his face. “It seems your father was the one who woke him up.”
Odalys quickly concluded, “It must have been your father’s lingering consciousness that saved him.”
Callum stood frozen, a whirlwind of emotions flooding him. He had never imagined that Percival’s father-whom he had known and respected-was the one who had saved him. He shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t been jolted awake.
“Does your father still have a presence here? Does that mean he’s still… here? But how could the dead still have consciousness? And why was he in the Simpson villa?” Callum asked, his confusion growing.
“I’ll explain,” Percival said. “He was brought here and trapped. Someone locked him in this place.” Callum’s eyes widened in shock, realization dawning on him. “So when you attempted to summon his spirit before, you couldn’t find him because his soul was locked here? Who did this to him?”
Callum’s voice trembled with anger, the injustice of it all sinking in. He had grown up with Percival, and the Stewart family had treated him like their own son. Percival’s father had always been kind to him, and now… now someone had trapped him in this horrible place.
“The Simpson family?” Callum said, his eyes narrowing in fury before he even let Percival answer. The mention of the Simpson family had set a fire in his heart.
“Yes,” Percival confirmed softly, his voice carrying the weight of their shared history.
His hand tightened around Odalys’s, his large fingers gently enclosing her small hand, as if giving her strength and protection.
Odalys stood there, silent, her thoughts swirling. The image of Percival’s father, and the vision of herself in the bridal gown, kept flashing through her mind. Her gaze fell to the red veil in her hand, the weight of its significance pressing on her heart.
“We should go back,” Odalys said decisively, breaking the tension in the air.
This wasn’t a place for conversation.
Even though midnight had passed, it didn’t mean the place was safe. The energy here was all wrong-the junction of energies was heavy with malevolent force.
Staying here too long could damage them physically, or worse, harm their health.
“Let’s go back,” Percival agreed, nodding.
“They made their way out of the eerie place, and as they turned to leave, Odalys glanced back. The spot they had been standing in had become hazy, the mist swirling thicker and more ominous as if trying to conceal something.
Once in the car, Callum drove them back along the same path.
The road was quiet, and Callum didn’t speak a word. Odalys leaned against the window, her eyes lost in the vast darkness outside. Though the night was pitch black, she felt as though she could still see that figure from the past.
Around the 1920s, she and Percival had been married.
But if they had been, then why did everything go so wrong? Why had she died after jumping from that balcony? Had their lives been interfered with in their previous lives, causing their tragic end? Was her death the result of someone’s deliberate actions, designed to separate them once and for all?
Chapter 446
Countless possibilities raced through Odalys’s mind, each one more puzzling than the last.
“What’s on your mind?” Percival noticed her lost in thought, a flicker of concern flashing in his eyes.
He knew that this place was dangerous, yet he had never intended for her to bear any of the risks. If this situation was causing her any stress, it was his fault.
To Percival, all the weight and pressure should fall on the man, not the woman. He had never wanted her to get entangled in this mess.
“I was thinking… could our astrological signs be special? What if they’re a combination that frightens certain people? That would explain why all these strange events are happening. You saw the man and woman on the bridge, right? “It seems something went wrong during a wedding. In the past life, I died, and then you appeared. It’s like we’ve been missing each other, or leaving behind regrets. So, perhaps this plot against the Stewart family isn’t just about now. Maybe it’s tied to past generations, some conspiracy rooted in the Stewart family’s ancestors,” Odalys murmured, her voice trailing off.
“Maybe there’s something the Stewart family has that others want/ she continued, her tone darkening, “to not just about stealing the Stewart family’s fortune. This whole Crownridge situation is more complicated than we imagined, Before I came here, I had Orson contact Oliver, Though he rarely shows his face, Oliver is a master at manipulating the energy field of Grownridge’s elites. When Blossom was in trouble, Oliver was already at the Tillery family’s place in the middle of the night!
“Oliver’s always been quiet, hiding in plain sight, But I can’t shake the feeling that he’s involved in something… we need to find him, Odalys added with an edge to her voice.
Everything seemed tangled, complex, and mysterious-but Odalys had a different thought. “Maybe we’re overcomplicating things,” she said softly, her voice almost a whisper. “Maybe it’s not as complex as we think.”
Percival fell into silence, mulling over her words.
“Maybe you’re right. But regardless of the cause, whether it’s simple or complicated, right now, you need to calm your mind. Don’t think about anything, don’t overanalyze it.
“Tonight, let’s just treat this like an adventure. Let yourself rest, clear your mind,” Percival’s voice softened as he spoke, his usual commanding tone replaced with something warmer, gentler.
He wanted her to relax, to stop overthinking. Some things weren’t meant to be solved by human hands, no matter how hard they tried. “Will we both be okay this time?” Odalys asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Her voice was quiet, filled with uncertainty.
She thought about the past life-when she had died, and when Percival had followed. Even in the 1920s, they had both perished. She was wondering: would they die again, in this life, as they had before?
What was fate? It seemed beyond anyone’s control, but Odalys refused to be at its mercy. She wanted to take charge, even if it meant defying fate itself. After all, weren’t all people born equal? What right did the heavens have to take that from them?
“We won’t die. I won’t let anything happen to us,” Percival replied firmly.
Inside, he added a silent promise. ‘Even if I die, I won’t let you suffer again.’
He didn’t voice it, but the weight of the thought was clear. He gazed at Odalys, his eyes locking onto her, as if committing every detail of her to memory.
“Alright,” Odalys whispered in response.
They shared a smile, the atmosphere between them lightening instantly. Callum, who had been tense behind the wheel, couldn’t help but notice the shift in mood. The moment the tension eased between them, he felt himself relax as well.
Callum’s driving was smooth and steady, despite the winding roads, and Odalys, influenced by Percival’s calming words, finally felt the exhaustion of the day catch up to her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and soon, she tilted her head to rest against the window, falling asleep within minutes.
Percival glanced at her as she drifted off, his heart softening. He reached over and gently draped a blanket over her.
His gaze lingered on her hand, which, even in sleep, gripped the red veil tightly. It was as if the veil was a lifeline, a connection to the events that had unfolded, a reminder of what they were fighting for.
“Orson, it’s me,” Percival murmured as he took out his phone and dialed.
Orson’s phone rang, and when he picked up, his voice was tinged with relief.
“Percival? I couldn’t get through to you before. I thought something had happened.”
Orson had been trying to reach Percival for hours, with no success. He’d even tried tracking his location, but it was as if Percival had vanished off the grid.
“Something unexpected happened here. I’ll explain when I get back. For now, we need to find Oliver-quietly, without alerting anyone. We need to contain him and stop him from contacting the outside world.”
Orson’s stomach churned at Percival’s words. He knew now that Oliver was a key figure in this tangled web of mysteries.
Oliver had been laying low, almost vanishing completely. He had once been involved with the elites of Crownridge, and now… nothing. No one had heard from him in weeks. It was as if he was hiding something.
“Got it,” Orson replied quickly.
He couldn’t afford to waste time. This was no ordinary mission. The stakes were far too high. “Just a heads-up,” Orson added, lowering his voice as if to share a secret. “I think Odalys might miss you. You should call her when you can.”
Percival’s response was swift. “I’ll be back soon. But keep your movements discreet. We can’t let the Simpson family or the Bennett family catch wind of this.”
Orson nodded, leaning back in his seat. A sense of relief washed over him now that Percival was back in contact. For a while, he’d felt like he was floundering, without a clear sense of direction.
“Alright, I’ll keep it under wraps. The Bennett family is too busy with their own chaos to pay attention to us right now,” Orson said with a wry smile, his mood lightening as he thought of their current situation.
The Bennett family’s drama seemed endless. Between Windsor, Sophia, Edie, and Henry, it was a soap opera waiting to unfold.
When the call ended, Orson felt a strange sense of empowerment. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, ready to head back into action. But just as he was about to start the car, he spotted a figure walking toward him.
Orson squinted through the windshield, recognizing her instantly.
She was wearing a V-neck camisole dress, the cool night air doing little to hide her figure. She seemed to sense something, because she was walking straight toward his car.
Before Orson could react, she was standing in front of his vehicle, her gaze turned toward him as she tilted her head slightly.
Chapter 447
Sophia’s face grew larger in Orson’s field of vision as she approached, and a cold chill ran down his spine.
“Who the hell did I offend?” Orson shouted, his voice laced with shock and disbelief.
His hands trembled as they gripped the steering wheel, and before he could even think, his foot slammed on the gas. The Bentley surged forward without hesitation, crashing into the woman who had just gotten close to his car.
There was a sickening thud, and Sophia screamed in agony.
She had been standing by the side of the car, and the luxury vehicle hit her from the side, knocking her off balance.
She staggered, trying to regain her footing, but Orson didn’t even flinch. He sped away without a second glance, leaving her stunned and sprawled on the ground.
Her frustration, which had been simmering under the surface, boiled over once again.
Just moments ago, she had been released from police custody, only to find that no one had come to pick her up. The anger and humiliation of it all kept bubbling up inside her. She had just been released from the station, and yet here she was, alone in the dead of night.
As she walked down the street, she spotted a luxury car parked at a corner. The license plate caught her eye, and she couldn’t help but recognize it-the Lark family’s car.
When she peered closer, she saw him. Orson. Sophia’s heart raced. She had been trying so hard to track him down, and now, by sheer coincidence, she had stumbled upon him in the street. Was this fate? Was she about to hit the jackpot? If she could get close to him, maybe, just maybe, she could marry into a wealthy family.
That would solve everything-no more scheming with Finnian, no more struggles.
But to her surprise, the moment she got close, Orson didn’t even hesitate. He slammed the car into her, knocking her aside, and then sped off, not even stopping to check if she was alright. Sophia lay there, stunned and humiliated, as the realization set in. She had been crushed once more, her hopes dashed in an instant.
“Orson… you actually hit me? Why? What did I do to deserve this? Why is everyone targeting me?” she whispered bitterly, tears welling up in her eyes.
For a brief moment, she felt utterly lost, abandoned by everything she had ever known.
She had been saved by someone after her arrest, but who had helped her? She had no idea. The Bennett family certainly didn’t care. It was as if they had thrown her away, like a discarded object.
She no longer had any desire to return to the Bennett Group, but without them, she had nowhere to turn. The thought of facing Hannah’s cold, hateful gaze made her teeth grind in frustration.
“I can’t just give up. The Bennett family raised me. How could I just leave? They owe me!” Sophia muttered to herself, determination slowly growing in her chest.
Despite the pain in her body, she refused to be beaten. She pushed herself to her feet, gritting her teeth against the ache.
Just as she managed to rise, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows, blocking her way. “Who?” Sophia gasped, eyes wide in shock, and instinctively stepped back.
Finnian stood before her, his face twisted into a menacing grin, and his eyes gleamed with malice. Sophia shivered as memories of the hospital flashed before her eyes-Finnian and Windsor’s presence, the tense encounter that had left her shaken.
“Finnian?” she asked, her voice trembling. She felt a chill creep down her spine.
Finnian’s expression was anything but human. He looked like a predator, and she was the prey.
Before she could react, he lunged at her grabbing her hair and dragging her closer
With a sickening slap, he struck her across the face, sending her sprawling onto the ground. Her body was dragged further by her hair, and she scrambled desperately to grab hold of any plant or rock within reach.
Mud and dirt soaked her hands and clothes, the jagged soil tearing at her nails. Her face, once flawless, was new smeared with dirt,
Sophia’s mind spun, her despair deepening as she realized the emptiness of the street. There were no people around, no passing cars-just the cold, dark night.
“Help! Someone, please! I’m being attacked! Help!” she screamed, her voice hoarse and desperate.
But in her heart, she knew that Finnian wasn’t going to let her go. He was far too angry, far too vengeful.
Her mind flashed back to the time when she had used the Love Spell on him, how she had tried to sabotage him on the variety show, watching his popularity plummet. That was something he would never forgive.
“Shut up!” Finnian barked, kicking her in the ribs. Sophia’s face was pressed into the dirt, her soft skin scraping against the rough ground. She moaned in pain, unable to hold back the tears.
“You think I’m just going to let you scream?” Finnian snarled, his foot digging into her side, crushing her. “You think you can escape this? After everything you did to me?”
“Why? Finnian, I didn’t do anything to you. Why are you doing this to me?” she gasped, panic rising in her voice.
“Shut up!” Finnian growled, his face twisted in anger. He stood above her, staring down at her battered face with a twisted sense of satisfaction.
There was something perversely enjoyable in seeing her suffering. It gave him a rush-power, control.
“How does it feel? Painful, huh?” Finnian said, his voice low and dark. “But it’s nothing compared to the pain you caused me. You took everything from me. You ruined my life. You used me, tricked me with that damn Love Spell, and now look where I am. I’ve got nothing left. You’ve destroyed me, made me a shadow of who I was.”
“I was once the young master of the Lark family. Even if I was a bastard, I was still someone. Now, because of you, I’m nothing. I’m hunted like an animal. All of this is because of you.”
Sophia’s body trembled in fear, her eyes wide with terror. The man before her was no longer the Finnian she had once known-this was a monster, a deranged man seeking revenge.
“I didn’t… I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me. It was Odalys,” she gasped, trying to deflect the blame.” She’s the one who cursed us. She’s the one who did all of this. If you kill her, everything will go back to normal. We’ll both be free, I promise.” Finnian’s expression darkened further. He knew better now than to trust her. He had seen Odalys’ s power firsthand.
“Should I pop your eye out, Sophia?” he said, his voice dripping with malice. “If I blind you, you think the Bennett family will ever take you back? Do you think your fans will still love you if they know you can’t see? They won’t care about a blind star.”
The toothpick pressed dangerously close to her eye, and Sophia’s body went rigid, paralyzed with fear.
Without warning, he grabbed a toothpick from his pocket, holding it up to her eye.
“No, please, don’t. I’ll do anything. Just don’t hurt me!” she begged, her voice trembling with terror.
Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded for her life.
She had always looked down on Finnian, never imagining that right after being released from the police station, she would run into him on the street. What were the odds? Yet, here he was, in front of her.
Sophia suspected that he had been secretly following her, or that the person who had bailed her out was him. ‘Could it be?’
If she had something he wanted, maybe she could use him to escape again. But one thing was certain-she would never compromise with someone like him.
“I could let you go, but you have to tell me where I can buy Love Spell,” Finnian gritted through his teeth.
The words Odalys had said to him echoed in his mind.
His only chance for survival now was to find Love Spell and take back his luck. If Sophia kept draining it, he would die. He was already a dead man walking, and now, he had nothing left to lose.
Sophia’s heart skipped a beat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What Love Spell? I don’t know anything,” she lied, though inside, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something about this was familiar, and it unsettled her deeply.
Chapter 448
Sophia hadn’t expected Finnian to come after the Love Spell.
If he got his hands on it, he could reclaim the luck he had lost, and that would mean her protection was gone. Even worse, he had come out with Windsor before, ‘Was this his idea, or was Windsor pulling the strings from behind the scenes? Had Windsor abandoned me too?’ Sophia thought.
After all, he had once been so fond of her. Three years ago, he had taken her innocence, telling her that as long as she behaved, he would make her a top star.
“Not talking, huh? Looks like you don’t want your eyes anymore,” Finnian sneered, losing his patience.
With a malicious grin, he took the toothpick and aimed it at her eye, but at the last second, he missed, stabbing it into her cheek with a sickening thud.
Sophia screamed in pain, her face burning as she felt the sharp jab.
“Ah! My face!” Sophia gasped, her hands instinctively covering the wound, but the toothpick was still lodged deep in her flesh. She dared not touch it further, her eyes wide with shock. Finnian had really gone this far.
”Sorry, missed,” Finnian mocked with a twisted smile, watching her squirm in pain. His satisfaction seemed almost pathological as he admired her suffering.
With that sadistic grin still plastered on his face, Finnian slowly pulled the toothpick out of her cheek.
“Where should I stab next?” Finnian said.
Fresh blood poured down her face, and Sophia’s body jolted in pain as she let out a muffled groan.
She collapsed onto the ground, her head spinning as she watched Finnian hold the bloody toothpick and lift her chin with it. His eyes were gleaming with a disturbing hunger as the toothpick traced her neck, then wandered lower, sliding dangerously close to her exposed skin. Sophia trembled, a sickening dread pooling in her stomach. She instinctively inched backward, but he grabbed the strap of her top, yanking it as though he was going to tear her apart. One sharp tug, and she’d be left exposed.
“Finnian, don’t touch me!” Sophia cried, her voice breaking, desperation filling her chest.
Before she could finish speaking, Finnian kicked her viciously in the ribs, silencing her pleas.
“Touch you? Do you think I want to touch you?” Finnian sneered, his voice cold. “Look at yourself! You really think you deserve anything from me?
If you hadn’t ruined my life, I would’ve been married to Odalys by now.”
He leaned in closer, his breath hot and sharp in her ear. “If you don’t give me the Love Spell right now, I’ll tear you apart. Believe me.”
He no longer had any shred of kindness left in him. To him, life and death had become indistinguishable.
These days, he didn’t dare go out in the rain or touch water.
If he did, within a month, he would rot from the inside and die. He didn’t doubt Odalys’s words; he knew she wasn’t the type to lie, and there was no reason for her to deceive him-especially when lying to him wouldn’t benefit her at all.
His life now hung by a thread.
“Let me go, and I’ll give you Love Spell,” Sophia bit her lip and whispered, the words laced with desperation.
As soon as she finished speaking, Finnian withdrew his hand. He stood there, a mocking smile on his face, and said, “Should’ve said that earlier, huh? No need to drag it out with all this nonsense.”
Sophia pushed herself up from the ground, glaring at him with venom in her eyes, wishing she could kill him right then and there. But the truth was, her strength was no match for his.
And Love Spell was her last trump card. She couldn’t afford to give it up easily. But for now, she had to play along, bide her time, and wait for the right moment to escape.
“I don’t have it on me. But if you take me to the Bennett family, I’ll get it for you,” Sophia lied, her voice steady, but her heart pounded with fear.
Finnian narrowed his eyes, skeptical but intrigued. He wasn’t about to trust her, not after everything that had happened.
“You think I’m stupid? If it was at the Bennett family, do you really think Windsor would still be after you? You think I’m an idiot?” Finnian roared, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her up roughly.
Sophia gasped, her scalp stinging as he dragged her to her feet. She couldn’t fight him; he was too strong, and she was too weak.
His anger boiled over, and he threw a punch at her. Sophia had no time to react, and the next moment, she was sent flying to the ground, her vision going black as her body crashed against the dirt.
Finnian stood over her, breathing heavily, as if trying to regain control of himself. “Damn women, always a hassle.”
With a grunt of frustration, he grabbed her arm and threw her over his shoulder like a ragdoll, carrying her away into the shadows.
Meanwhile, in the darkness, someone had been watching. A figure stepped out from the shadows, hurriedly pulling out a phone. “Mr. Lark, I’ve been tracking Finnian. I’ve got a video- should I continue following him?”
It was one of Orson’s bodyguards. When Orson received the call, he opened the video immediately.
He had been following Finnian ever since Odalys had forced him to leave the hospital, determined to learn everything about Sophia’s connection to the Love Spell.
Finnian was desperate to recover his lost luck, and the bodyguard knew that if they kept following him, it would be easy to uncover the truth.
“Continue following him. Don’t let him out of your sight,” Orson said coldly, his mind already plotting his next move.
Back at the Bennett Villa, the house was eerily quiet.
Hannah sat on the couch, her body shaking from pain. Atlas was at her side, administering a painkiller that slowly began to ease her discomfort.
“Mom, if this keeps up, you won’t last much longer. The painkillers we have are from illegal sources, and we’re running out,” Atlas said, concern etched across his face.
Since offending Odalys, the Bennett family had been ostracized from all medical facilities. Any hospital or clinic affiliated with the Lark Group refused to treat them, cutting them off from essential medicine.
Hannah groaned in frustration, the pain taking a toll on her.
“Windsor still hasn’t come back?” she asked, her voice weak, her gaze unfocused as she stared at the empty villa.
“No. After Dad left last night, we haven’t heard from him. His phone’s off, and when I asked his friends, they said he hasn’t been in contact with anyone since returning to the country. It’s like he’ s disappeared,” Atlas reported, scratching his head nervously.
Hannah’s face tightened. “Seems like he’s really made up his mind to leave the Bennett family. All because of Sophia… Did he really think he could control everything just because she was carrying his child? Now look at the mess she’s made of everything.”
။
Her words were laced with bitterness and regret. If she had known Sophia would lead to all this chaos, she would never have adopted her.
But now, it was too late.
Chapter 449
He sat there, staring blankly at the ceiling. The Bennett Villa was on the brink of collapse, and with it, he had lost his job. His former friends had disappeared, and no one dared to contact him anymore. Now, all he could do was stay at home, unable to go anywhere.
“If Sophia is really pregnant with Windsor’s child, then if I just bring her back home, I don’t believe Windsor would just ignore her,” Hannah muttered bitterly, still grasping at a glimmer of hope.
“Call Sophia. Tell her to come back to the house,” Hannah ordered.
Atlas, already frustrated, suddenly stood up in anger.
“She was arrested by the police this morning! They framed Odalys, and she was taken in for spreading rumors. She’s in the station right now!” Atlas yelled, his patience snapping. This was the first time he had shouted at his mother.
His temper had always been better than his two brothers’, but now, the pressure was too much. He felt trapped, suffocated by the chaos around him. He even envied Caspian, who had made the clean break and moved out, while he remained stuck here, trying to clean up the mess. What was the point?
Hannah’s face darkened immediately. She was used to Atlas being compliant, always doing what she said, but now he was rebelling.
“You’re yelling at me? Atlas, you’re yelling at your own mother?” Hannah’s voice quivered as she started to play the victim. “I gave birth to all of you! And now look at what’s happened. If any of you had been more capable, do you think I’d be in this mess?”
Her words were loaded with resentment, the bitterness in her heart spilling over. “If you boys were better, do you think the Bennett family would be falling apart like this?”
She wiped away fake tears, her face pale from the sickness. Her condition, combined with her mental state, made her appear pitiful and helpless.
Atlas froze, momentarily unsure how to respond. “Why did you guys abandon Odalys and adopt Sophia?” he suddenly asked, the question slipping out before he could stop it.
His mind, previously clouded by his naïve perceptions of Sophia, was now beginning to question everything.
His earlier belief that she was innocent and harmless had been shattered.
Now, knowing she had been involved with so many people, he couldn’t look at her the same way anymore.
The image of their past flirtations hit him with full force, and he felt betrayed. He thought he had understood her, but now the truth was too painful to process.
When Hannah heard this, her face darkened instantly.
“What are you saying? Do you really think I was wrong?” she snapped. “Odalys fed you all some poison! You all think she’s some saint? Look at what’s happened to us-it’s because of her!” Her voice was laced with fury as she tried to twist the blame.
“I even suspect Sophia is using Odalys’s methods to seduce your father. All these years, Sophia hasn’t been this way-why is she acting like this now, after Odalys returned? It’s obvious Odalys cursed the Bennett family!”
Hannah’s words became more erratic, her mind trying to justify everything by blaming Odalys. She was convinced that it was Odalys who had somehow manipulated Sophia, even though the timeline didn’t add up.
“No, Mom. Three years ago, when Sophia and Windsor had that night together, Odalys wasn’t even back yet. She was still up on the mountain. You’re wrong,” Atlas countered instinctively.
“In his heart, he still couldn’t believe Odalys would be capable of something like that.
She had always carried herself with a sense of dignity, while Sophia-well, Sophia had always been more flirtatious. Comparing the two, it was hard to deny who was more promiscuous. “Don’t tell me what I know, Atlas! You need to call her back-get Sophia and Odalys back here!” Hannah commanded, her voice growing shrill. “I’ Il make them both come back, and we’ll find out who’s the real problem here. If Sophia is truly the one who seduced Windsor, I need to see it for myself.”
Atlas recoiled. “Mom, you’re going too far with this. Bringing them back will solve nothing. What will we even prove? We saw Sophia with Windsor in the study, so what are we going to do -force them to confess?”
“You’d better not forget, she was forced to marry in place of someone else, and now she’s in the Stewart family. We can’t afford to mess with them now.” Atlas said logically.
“It was as if he had suddenly gained insight.
With Caspian away and Henry not coming back, after being forced to handle things on his own, Atlas felt like his mind had cleared up a lot.
These were things he never had to think about before, because Henry and Caspian always handled them for him. But now that they were both absent, he realized he actually had his own opinions.
“What did you say? You’re actually doubting me?”
Hannah said in shock. “I worked hard to raise you, and this is how you repay me?”
In the past, Atlas was easy to control-he had no brain, and whatever she said, he would do. But this was the first time he ever rebutted her, and it made Hannah question everything.
“Mom, maybe it’s time you woke up. Whether it has anything to do with Odalys, you should know better than I do. Let me give you some advice: don’t mess with the Stewart family, or we might not even know how we die.”
“Of course, if you want to fight with Sophia for a man, I have no opinion. But don’t drag me into your women’s drama.” Atlas suddenly tossed his hands up and walked away.
He threw the needle into the trash, grabbed his phone, and walked out the door.
“Atlas, where are you going? Atlas, come back here!” Hannah screamed desperately from behind.
But Atlas didn’t look back as he walked out, hearing her screams but still getting into his car and driving off without saying a word.
“Ah! Fine, all of you leave, and don’t ever come back. I hope you all die out there!” Hannah cursed, grabbing the ashtray and smashing it onto the floor.
She slumped back onto the sofa, feeling defeated. Her body was broken-her legs were injured, her waist had been fractured, and she couldn’t even hold herself up anymore.
She tried to get up but collapsed back into the sofa, powerless.
“How did it come to this? If Windsor really ends up with Sophia, then my time’s up. What do I do? Do I really have to bow to Odalys and beg her to save me?”
“What am I supposed to do? No, Sophia cannot end up with Windsor. If she’s really pregnant, then I’ll make sure someone gets that child out of her. I heard that unborn children carry a lot of negative energy, and if it grows into a ghost, it can do my bidding. I won’t have to rely on my useless sons anymore.”
“Yes, that’s what I’ll do.” Hannah muttered to herself.
She seemed to have gone mad.
“I cannot let Sophia and Windsor be together. If they are, I’ll be finished.” Hannah said as she quickly grabbed her phone.
She dialed the police station, only to be told that Sophia had been bailed out.
She tried calling Sophia’s phone but found it switched off.
Hannah panicked. She called Windsor, only to find the number was disconnected-he had clearly canceled it. She stood there, holding her phone, unsure who to contact.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew outside.
The wind forced the window open, and the outside was pitch black, as if an invisible hand were reaching into the living room.
Chapter 450
Hannah struggled to rise, her eyes wide with fear, staring out the window. The lights in the living room flickered erratically, making a high-pitched buzzing sound, as if something was about to break through the darkness and tear her apart. The lights pulsed and dimmed, giving the eerie impression that something was lurking just beyond the threshold, waiting to pounce.
“Henry, Caspian, Atlas…” Hannah muttered their names under her breath, frantically dialing their numbers.
But no one answered.
Despair washed over her as she scanned her surroundings. This was her home, yet it felt like a tomb. The walls seemed to close in, the air thick with an oppressive chill that made her skin crawl.
Clutching her phone tightly, her mind raced with images of Odalys. Without thinking, she immediately dialed her number. The call was answered almost instantly, and a wave of relief washed over her.
“Odalys, hurry back! Mom’s about to die!” she cried out.
“Hello? Can you hear me? You better come back, or your mother’s going to die!” Hannah shouted, her voice dripping with arrogance. To her, being a mother was her power, and she couldn’t fathom that Odalys, her own daughter, would let her die.
But on the other end of the line, there was silence.
“Fuming, Hannah was about to yell again when a voice interrupted her-low, smooth, and utterly chilling.
“Then go ahead and die.”
Hannah froze. She had expected Odalys to respond with the usual false sympathy, promising to come to her rescue. But instead, all she heard was a blunt dismissal. Her blood ran cold.
“Who are you? Who are you?!” Hannah demanded, her voice cracking with panic.
There was no response. The phone clicked, and the call abruptly ended.
Hannah was livid, her rage making her almost physically tremble. She immediately redialed Odalys’s number, but this time, the call didn’t even go through. She was blocked.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn’t process what was happening.
The fantasy she had built in her mind-the one where Odalys would always be her devoted daughter, always by her side-shattered in an instant.
She remembered the old days, when Odalys would fawn over her, noticing when she wasn’t feeling well and bringing her gifts like that necklace-her necklace that Odalys had taken back.
Then, she recalled how Oliver had once expressed a desire for it. Back then, she didn’t think much of it, but now, after everything that had happened, after realizing how much power Odalys really had, Hannah couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret, especially with everything falling apart around her.
“How dare you let a man answer my call? How dare you tell me to die? How dare you hang up on me? How dare you steal my necklace back, Odalys! You’ve gotten too cocky!” Hannah screamed, furious.
Just as she finished her rant, a cold chill swept through her, a premonition so strong it made her spine tingle.
She clutched her phone tightly, desperately scrolling through her contacts. Finally, she dialed Sienna’s number. The call connected, and she quickly blurted out, “Sienna, are you and my daughter Odalys close lately?”
“If you still want Odalys to help you, you’d better send someone to the Bennett Family to get me out of here-now!” Hannah’s voice was frantic. Her desperation had reached its peak, and she no longer cared about old grudges.
Years ago, she had used their similar names to push Sienna out of the social circles of wealthy
women.
And Sienna’s son, Stellan, was far more capable than her own sons. The Drake family had always been thriving, while the Bennett family had fallen behind.
Because of this, she and Sienna had never gotten along, but now, she had no one left but Sienna.
“You don’t deserve it,” Sienna’s cold voice responded, and before Hannah could reply, the line went dead.
Hannah stared at her phone in disbelief, her mind racing. She gripped the phone tightly, a strange sense of dread creeping up her back. It felt as though some invisible hand was reaching for her. She spun around, only to see the window behind her wide open, the wind howling outside.
Suddenly, a gust of wind slammed into the room, sending the sofa she was sitting on flying toward the door. The force of the wind propelled her and the sofa out of the room with a deafening crash.
The impact sent Hannah tumbling to the ground, the heavy sofa pinning her down, leaving her unable to move. She struggled with all her might, but the weight of the furniture made it hard to breathe.
As she gasped for air, Hannah’s mind was filled with one thought-how had everything gone so wrong? Had her previous good fortune really been the result of the necklace Odalys had given her? Was it all a fluke?
“Odalys, you bitch! Give me back my necklace!” Hannah cried out in agony, her voice breaking.
She continued to struggle beneath the heavy weight of the sofa when a shadow appeared in the doorway.
Hannah looked up, expecting to see one of her sons, but instead, she saw an old man standing in the doorway, hunched over, his eyes fixed on her with a sinister gaze.
She blinked in confusion. The man looked familiar, and her mind raced to recall where she had seen him before. Then, the memory hit her- this was Brandon, the elderly man from the mountain village. His son had been ill, and it was Odalys who had saved him.
“Is it you? You’re the heir to the century-old clothing store?” Hannah’s voice shook with a strange mix of relief and hope. She had no idea why he was here, but something about his presence made her feel like there was a chance for salvation.
“I’m Odalys’s mother. My daughter saved your son. You’ve come to thank her, haven’t you? Please, help me up,” she begged, her desperation palpable.
But the old man stood there, unmoving, his cold gaze never leaving her.
“My son is dead. He died a few nights ago, right in front of your house,” he said in a voice so deep and old it sent a chill down her spine.
Hannah froze, her mind racing to process what he had said. “Dead? He died in front of my house? That’s impossible! No one has died here!” she stammered, her voice trembling with disbelief. The old man stepped forward, his bent form moving with a disturbing slowness. His wrinkled face looked even older than it had moments before, and the agony of the past few days seemed to have aged him by years.
Standing over her, he fixed her with an intense, unyielding gaze.
“It was your family, the Bennett family, that killed my son. Sophia, during the variety show, seduced Rafael from the village. Do you know what happened to him?”
He paused, letting the silence hang in the air, before continuing, “A few days ago, he was hit by a car outside Film Capital. His body was crushed. Do you know who did it? It was your daughter, Odalys.”
Hannah’s blood ran cold.
The old man spoke again, his voice heavy with malice. “My son died right in front of your Bennett family house. Right there. And it was her doing.
Hannah’s eyes widened in horror. Everything was unraveling. If Odalys was behind this, then she had just made a grave mistake by revealing her Adentity: The old man was connected to all of this and now she was a target.
What are you doing here?” Hannah demanded, fear creeping into her voice. “If she killed someone, then you should be calling the police, not coming here to threaten me!”
The old man stepped closer, his rank odor of neglect and urine filling the air. Hannah recoiled, nearly gagging.
“You and your family are gone now. The Bennett Villa is a place of misfortune. I’m here to join your family” he said, his voice filled with an unsettling satisfaction as he surveyed the dark, oppressive atmosphere of the room.
“This house, filled with so much negative energy, is the perfect place for me,” he continued. “My son died here, and his death only made the wickedness grow. It’s just the right place for me.” Hannah could barely comprehend what he was saying. The words made no sense, and his lack of grief over his son’s death chilled her to the bone.
“Who was this man? Why was he so twisted? Was he insane? Or had he always been this way?’ Hannah thought.
Hannah held her breath, her hand shaking as she reached for her phone, her only hope now to call the police.
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