Chapter 13

“Elsis is just bored, making a meme out of a news bill. It’s making trade with you, so stop staring. Faliraly gave Elsis a good talking-to and…”

Sophia: “But you were the best, the said her endearing…”

(A wave of warmth washed over him at her words. His cutter annoyance… get you. We’ve got that variety show recording tomorrow.)

Toutant: “Alright, enough with the drama. Let’s okay?”

“Moi, you’re right. I’m hanging up now,” Sophia replied quickly, ending the call before receiving a response.

Finnigan slammed his phone shut, his mind replaying Odalys’ cold, dismissive stare. His irritation flared again, and he slumped back.

“She’s definitely playing some kind of game. That whole ‘cold’ act was just a front. I haven’t even made a final decision about our marriage, or why the hell does she think she can look down on me, the husband?” Finnigan muttered under his breath, feeling slightly better as he did so.

Meanwhile, Odalys had purposefully slipped away in the chaos. Wandering among the objects, she felt a dark satisfaction stirring inside her.

She flagged down a taxi, hopped in, and gazed out at the night through the window. Her almond-shaped eyes narrowed as she muttered, “He’s abandoning me this fast! What the hell?”

A flash of suspicion crossed her mind. Unsure, she quickly typed a string of numbers into her phone.

A red exclamation mark popped up on the screen; she’d found the app. Her eyes narrowed. Blaine had installed tracking software on her phone.

“Heh,” she chuckled, thinking back to when he had borrowed her phone to make a call. She’d been distracted and handed it over without a second thought. But now, she realized that was probably when he’d slipped in the tracking software.

Lending someone her phone wasn’t a big deal; she never thought to look for anything suspicious. To think that Blaine—a top actor—would pull such a shady move…

At first, she considered uninstalling the tracking app, but then a thought crossed her mind. Instead of getting rid of it, she decided to turn the tables. She hacked into his phone, injecting a virus. A WhatsApp chat appeared on her screen; her finger hovered as she opened it. She stared at everything from it.

Right then, a message from Sophia popped up. Odalys opened the chat and scrolled, her eyes widening as she read their flirty messages. Her stomach churned.

“So, Sophia’s been playing me all this time? Setting up situations so Finnigan thinks I’m crazy about him? Even telling him behind my back that I secretly like him?” Odalys whispered, her mind reeling as she scrolled.

For so long, Sophia had been whispering in her ear about how Finnigan was into her. And then, in front of Florian, Odalys had confessed her feelings.

Sophia had been double-crossing her, making Odalys think there was a real chance between her and Finnigan, while Finnigan just saw Odalys as some pathetic, nerdy girl. To be fair, Odalys had felt something for Finnigan at first.

This mess was one of the reasons she had ended up in a toxic relationship and developed depression.

With a sharp exhale, Odalys quickly took screenshots of the conversation and saved them to the cloud and her email. When she finished, the cab pulled up outside the Stewart Mansion.

She grabbed her bags, went inside, and immediately noticed two perfectly arranged pastries and a steaming cup of milk sitting on the table.

Odalys stared at the little scene, her emotions a whirlwind of confusion. She carefully picked up the milk, sniffing it to check for anything weird.

Just as she was about to take a sip, there came a sudden knock at the door.

“What is it?” Odalys quickly set down her glass and jumped to her feet to answer.

… (The following section needs similar cleaning and consistent character names) …

Chapter 13 (Continued)

The butler reported that Mr. Stewart had just taken a medicinal bath and then started vomiting. “I need to check on him.” Without missing a beat, Odalys rushed out of the room.

She glanced around, and without hesitation, she pushed open Percival’s door. Dorian hurried after her. Before he could say anything, Callan stepped in front of him, covering his mouth and pulling him out of the room. “Oh, come on, you’ve been calling her ‘Mrs. Stewart’ this whole time. Why the hell does it matter if she goes in the bathroom?”

“Oh, right, right,” Dorian blinked, as if waking from a daze.

It suddenly hit him. The wedding gifts had already been delivered, and Odalys had officially entered the Stewart family home. She was, in fact, the Young Mistress now, whether or not there had been a formal ceremony.

Inside the bathroom, steam curled through the air. Odalys stepped in, her gaze landing on the tall figure sitting in the bathtub. His broad back was perfectly sculpted, and his muscular arms rested casually on the edge. She walked closer and lightly placed her hand on his neck.

“Who’s there?” Percival’s hoarse voice rasped. Before she could react, his hand shot out to grab her wrist.

Odalys felt his grip tighten. He yanked her forward; she planted her other hand on the side of the tub to steady herself. She tilted her head slightly, her hair cascading around her shoulder, and met his gaze.

They locked eyes for a moment. Percival froze. Seeing her wrist turning red, he immediately let go and grabbed a towel to wrap it.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He frowned, eyeing her warily. An icy aura radiated off him; his dominant presence made the air thick and heavy. But Odalys didn’t seem fazed.

“The butler said you were vomiting blood, so I came to check,” she said, her tone cool and unaffected.

Her fingers hovered on the side of his neck as she checked his pulse. Then, she gently wiped the blood from the corner of his lips.

“You’ve been taking all these meds for years,” she continued, her voice low. “A lot of that stuff builds up inside your body, leaving toxins in your blood. You know what they say—every medicine has a bit of poison. If you take too much, it’ll mess you up.”

“After that medicinal bath, all the toxins in your body are mixing together, so vomiting blood is pretty normal. But starting today, no more medicine. Don’t even bother. It won’t help,” she said matter-of-factly.

She stood in front of the tub, peering down at the herbs floating in the water. With one delicate finger, she scooped up a few pieces to examine them.

Percival stayed frozen, his body tense. His eyes followed her fingers as they traced through the water; he glanced down at the herbs, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. His fingers dug into the edge of the tub, turning his knuckles white. After a long pause, he grumbled, “Got it.”

“Don’t worry,” Odalys said softly. “I told you I’d make sure you don’t die in a month. I’m good for it.” She placed a hand on his shoulder; her fingers glided gently over his shoulder and then trailed down to his throat, slowly moving downward over his chest.

Percival’s throat tightened; his eyes flashed with a mix of emotions. His body stayed stiff, leaning against the tub, his gaze fixed on her fingers as they traveled down his body. The sensation of her touch felt like a warm current, spreading through him, and a strange electricity surged. His once-tight body, coiled and tense, finally began to relax under her touch. It was unfamiliar, a little unnerving, but it felt… good.