Chapter 144

Odalys gently placed her fingers on his wrist, then slowly slid them over his hand, examining it. After a moment, she said, “This injury… it’s probably been around ten years. Your finger was broken once, and since it wasn’t treated, it healed improperly.”

She lightly tapped the injured finger. The elderly man tensed. His usually calm expression shifted, revealing a flicker of something in his eyes.

“It’s getting late. I should sleep now,” Brandon said, withdrawing his hand. “If you’re done, please leave.”

Odalys smiled faintly and turned to leave. But as she was about to go, she seemed to remember something. She glanced back thoughtfully. “If you want your finger fixed, I can reset it for you. After breaking and reconnecting your fingers, they will heal, though slower than for a younger person. Your tendon can still be reattached,” she added, then turned and walked away.

Brandon sat stunned, watching her leave with the others. His eyes became distant and deep, lost in thought. As the gate to the courtyard closed, Odalys’s voice reached him. “I’m staying at the production team’s house at the edge of the village. I’m Odalys Stone. I’ll be here for five more days. So, if you want to treat your hand, come find me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the gate closed, blocking her from view. Brandon remained seated, staring after her. A strange emotion rose in his eyes as he whispered, “Who exactly is she?”

He murmured to himself, “Is it a coincidence?” He remembered her saying that her method could heal his injury and that she knew exactly what had happened to him. His fingers trembled slightly. Her words about leaving in five days echoed in his ears. Suddenly, Brandon struggled to sit up, his steps unsteady. It seemed as though he wanted to follow her, but after a few steps, he stopped and glanced back thoughtfully at the room.

Chapter 144

Standing there in the dark, he remained frozen, staring into the pitch-black night. His expression shifted from excitement to despair, then settled into a vacant, emotionless stare. He stood like that until his figure was swallowed by the night.

Meanwhile, Freya jogged ahead, then turned to walk backward, glancing at Odalys. “I heard the production team’s equipment suddenly broke down. I wonder if we’ll be able to continue the live broadcast tomorrow. If the machines are down, we’ll probably have to leave early and won’t stay here for the full five days,” Freya said in a low voice.

Odalys chuckled softly. “The machines aren’t broken. They’ll probably be fine by tomorrow.”

“Really! You can tell that just by looking!” Freya’s eyes lit up. She looked at Odalys with admiration, almost rushing to hug her.

Odalys smiled without responding. In reality, when everyone first entered the courtyard, she had already drawn a talisman and discreetly placed it on the camera’s screen. Unnoticed, the screen went black, and the live broadcast viewers couldn’t see or hear anything. When the production team returned to check, they wouldn’t find any issues with the equipment. An hour later, the talisman would vanish. There was no way they would find any malfunction. Odalys had ensured no one could learn what had really happened inside the courtyard.

If Brandon really was connected to the Stewart family, and he was the one collaborating on custom clothing for them, there were definitely secrets that needed to stay hidden.

With this thought, Odalys smiled faintly. “Are you tired?”

“Oh, I’m really exhausted. My back is killing me. I just want to lie down now,” Selah complained, rubbing her back.

Stellan gave Odalys a thoughtful look but said nothing.

“Alright, let’s head back to rest. We’ll try to wake up early tomorrow,” Odalys said quietly. The group walked briskly back, humming a tune from time to time.

When they returned to their quarters, they sensed a tense atmosphere from Group A. Finnian and Francis sat by the door, silent. Adas leaned against the wall, scanning the room, and Sophia was the only one missing.

Chapter 144

“What are you staring at?” Atlas snapped, his eyes locking onto Odalys as he felt their gazes on him. He was arrogant and easily offended, unable to handle feeling wronged. Today, Odalys had slapped him twice and then completely ignored him, which made him feel suffocated. He couldn’t figure out why she had changed. Odalys used to be nothing like this.

“You’re so full of yourself,” Freya retorted.

Freya grabbed Odalys and began walking back toward the room. As they entered, the door slammed shut with a loud bang, causing Atlas to tremble with rage, his hands shaking.

Atlas clenched his teeth and muttered, “They must be doing this on purpose, right? Group B is trying to push us down. We have to beat them tomorrow.”

However, Francis and Finnian didn’t respond. They just stood silently, looking out at the night. Then, without a word, they turned and headed toward the room.

“Hey! Why aren’t you saying anything? You’re just going to watch as Group B steps all over us?” Atlas growled, his frustration mounting. He had expected them to stand by him, but instead, they turned their backs and walked away.

Atlas quickly followed them, but Francis spun around, giving him a dismissive look. “Mr. Bennett, the way you talk, it sounds like you’re trying to rally a bunch of people to your side. Instead of preaching to us, why don’t you go talk to Sophia? Maybe you should tell her to stop causing trouble and stop dragging us down. We’ve been getting so much criticism because of her. If she ends up getting us all in trouble, we’re all going down with her. Self-awareness is important. Group B handles their own business without bothering us. What right do you have to accuse them of doing this on purpose? We could’ve worked hard together and beaten them, but what have you done? What has Sophia done? All you’ve done is blame others, but what have you actually done!”

“And let’s not forget, you two were the ones who caused that mess. Since you’re so fond of making trouble, then I really don’t want to be associated with you,” Francis said coldly, his voice full of disdain. Francis had never liked Atlas, not understanding why Adas was so blind to what was happening.

Chapter 144

Atlas was at a loss for words, his face burning with embarrassment. He stood there, grinding his teeth in frustration, barely holding himself back from lashing out.

Finnian spoke quietly, his tone decisive. “Francis is right. I feel the same way. If Sophia hadn’t tampered with my coffee, making me feverish and delirious, I wouldn’t have been tricked into causing that mess. Luckily, nothing happened to Group B. If something had gone wrong, I would’ve been responsible. They’re being generous by not holding me accountable. If you think Sophia is in the right, then we won’t be associating with either of you.”

Finnian immediately distanced himself from Atlas and even tried to make things right with Odalys. But he felt powerless, his heart heavy with guilt and frustration.

“Have you all been enchanted by Odalys or something?” Atlas couldn’t believe it. The words spilled out before he could stop them.