Chapter 164

"With a single sentence, the fact that Brandon and his son had been in Crownridge was confirmed."

Odalys's eyes darkened, a cold glint flashing in them as she shot a sharp look at Brandon and Keylor. "You both fled to a remote mountain village after leaving Crownridge, didn't you? You harmed someone, or even killed them," she hissed, her voice low and terrifying. Her words carried immense pressure, as though her presence had expanded, filling the room. Though only a twenty-year-old girl, her aura was heavy, making it hard to breathe.

She stood there, her eyes filled with cold fury, slowly walking toward Brandon. When she stood before him, she bent down slightly to meet his gaze, her voice icy. "Have you ever heard of the Stewart family?"

Brandon's pupils constricted, and he began to tremble uncontrollably. His lips parted, but he couldn't speak. Slowly, he collapsed back into his chair, as though his backbone had vanished, muttering, "So it's come to this."

"Who are you?" Keylor asked, stunned.

Keylor instinctively stepped in front of Brandon, but before he could move further, Odalys grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground. With a loud thud, Keylor was slammed against the wall, the impact ringing through the room. He groaned in pain, still unable to believe what was happening. "Whowho are you?" he stammered. He couldn't even lift a bucket of water, yet Odalys had effortlessly picked him up, leaving him with no strength to fight back. "You tampered with the fabric of those clothes and killed someone from the Stewart family, didn't you?" Odalys's voice was dull, precise, and clear. She then tossed Keylor roughly to the floor.

Chapter 164 (Continued)

She thought of the gold bars Percival had given her, and the pile of golden jewelry from Evander. Even though she and Percival weren't a real couple, they were still her employers. Checking into matters for them was simply part of her job.

"Did someone from the Stewart family send you?" Brandon's voice was hoarse, and he slowly stood up, his eyes locked on Odalys. He trembled as he asked, "Is Mr. Stewart alright?"

Odalys stood firm, a cold smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "You've already killed his son. And you still have the nerve to ask if Mr. Stewart is alright? His son is dead. You think he's fine?" Her words were cutting, each one a dagger aimed at his heart. "Just like you. Your son is about to be killed too. So tell me, are you alright?"

Brandon's body shook as he slumped back into the chair. "Then kill me," he said, his voice trembling. "Just spare my son. He doesn't know anything. Use my life to pay for Mr. Stewart's son."

Brandon pulled out a knife in desperation, attempting to end his own life. But as he tried to stab himself, he found the knife hovering in mid-air, unable to reach his body, no matter how hard he tried. He froze, confused, realizing that Odalys had somehow stopped the blade in mid-flight. With a soft clink, the knife fell to the floor, its sound sharp and clear.

Odalys watched the two men carefully, a sly smile spreading across her face as she spoke lowly. "I can save your son, and I can kill him too." She stepped forward casually, sitting down with one leg crossed over the other, propping her chin up in her hand as she gave both men a pointed look. "If you truly feel guilty about Mr. Stewart's son, then why don't you tell me the truth about that clothing?"

Brandon remained silent, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "They used my son's life to threaten me, forcing me to make that garment. I checked it thoroughly at the time, and the fabric seemed fine. I thought it was just an ordinary new outfit. I folded the clothes, remade them to fit Mr. Stewart's son's size, and soaked them in my family's special scented candles to cover up the fact that the fabric wasn't new. The Stewart family's clothes were always custom-made at my place. When my family was about to go under, Mr. Stewart helped us. But after that, I just had this feeling something wasn't right. Why did they want me to make the clothes in Mr. Stewart's son's size? After the Stewart family took the clothes away, I couldn't sit still. I originally planned to go to the Stewart family and clear things up with Mr. Stewart, but before I could, I saw a car crash at an intersection downtown. It hit his son's car. I saw blood everywhere, and strangely, there was no one in the truck. The car that hit Mr. Stewart's son was also empty. I thought maybe he'd passed out. When I walked over, I found the car was empty. I felt something was off and wanted to help, but the car exploded. Mr. Stewart's son died right in front of me. No one got out of that car, and I felt more and more that something wasn't right." Brandon spoke, his voice trembling as he slowly rose to his feet.

His eyes were already brimming with tears as if he were drowning in regret and guilt. "I had this vague feeling that something was wrong. I kept thinking that something about those clothes was off, but when I tried to go to the Stewart family, my son was in trouble. He was found hanging, barely alive. They said he was poisoned, but no one could heal him. He couldn't wake up. Later, I got a call telling me to pick up a package with a remedy that could ease the poison."

Brandon paused, his lips twisting into a bitter smile. "I closed the shop, left Crownridge, and came back here, but over time, my son's condition only worsened. When I finally decided to go back to the Stewart family, I found out that something had happened to them. And because I wanted to return, my grandson, my daughter-in-law, and my wife… All of them died. They all died because of me. Now, I only have one son left. They warned me if I stepped foot outside this place or had any connection to the Stewart family, my family would be wiped out."

"I'm not afraid of death, but now that my family's all gone, I can't just sit by and watch my son die in front of me too," Brandon said, kneeling before Odalys. He kept bowing repeatedly, his cries nearly bringing him to the ground. Seeing this, Keylor rushed over, pulling him into a tight embrace, whispering softly, "Dad, please, stop."

Odalys felt a pang of sorrow deep in her chest as she watched them. When she had entered the room, she had drawn a talisman, an invisible mark placed upon them that allowed her to discern the truth of their words. She clearly saw that both of them were telling the truth.

"Then why are you telling me that now?" Odalys asked softly.

Brandon slowly lifted his head, and there seemed to be a flicker of light in his murky eyes. "You've helped my son with the poison. You saved his life. You're my son's savior. If it weren't for you, he probably wouldn't have made it through last night. You've been given everything you wanted to know. Even if I die tomorrow, I can't keep this secret anymore. I saw Mr. Stewart's son die in that car accident. I couldn't save him."