Chapter 224

Orion looked at Odalys with newfound admiration. If anyone else had traced their fingers across a man's body like that, he would have thought they were teasing him. But with Odalys, there was no trace of inappropriate intent. Her fingers, precise and clinical, commanded respect, not desire. As they brushed over Percival's skin, he felt a strange, almost mystical sensation—a tingling, as though life itself were stirring within him.

"The illness is probably linked to that village," Odalys murmured. "I didn't check his pulse the other night, so I'm not sure what exactly is wrong. But as we head back, the poison inside him is starting to stir, almost like it's being drawn to something. It feels like it's about to erupt."

Some things, no matter how hard science tries, defy explanation.

"Do you mean returning to the village will solve it?" Orson asked eagerly. It seemed this trip was yielding more than one unexpected discovery.

"I'm not sure yet. Let's get to the village first, and we'll know more then," Odalys replied quietly.

She turned her gaze to Percival, who was elegantly adjusting his shirt. Despite his serious face, his ears were bright red.

"Did you feel any unusual symptoms when you came to the village the other night?" she asked, her voice soft but probing.

After straightening his shirt, Percival wiped his fingers with a handkerchief and handed her a piece of pastry. Without hesitation, Odalys took it, nibbling as he made her a cup of hot coffee and placed it within her reach.

"Felt a bit of unrest in my chest, but it wasn't too noticeable," he said, his tone steady.

Odalys nodded while chewing, mulling over his words. "I think I understand now." She took another bite of the pastry. Percival peeled an orange and handed her the segments, a gesture so natural it seemed as if they had been doing this forever. "Thank you," Odalys said with a smile, resting her head against the window as she gazed out at the passing scenery, eating as she went.

Orson sat in the front, glancing at the rearview mirror, observing the natural ease with which Percival and Odalys interacted. There were no words, but their quiet understanding was unmistakable. Percival handed her things without question, and Odalys accepted them without hesitation. It was like they were a pair who had known each other forever.

He couldn't help but smirk at their chemistry. It was evident that something was going on between them.

"What are you smiling about?" Callum asked from the driver's seat, glancing at Orson with a look of mild distaste. "You're acting like a schoolboy in love."

"You wouldn't understand," Orson replied, clearly amused.

He glanced back in the mirror and caught Percival's eyes—dark, piercing, and full of something unspoken. Orson froze, a shiver running through him, and quickly looked away, pretending to sleep.

Odalys, oblivious to the exchange, continued eating her orange. "If you start feeling bad, just let me know," she said, her voice breaking the silence.

"Got it," Percival responded quietly.

Odalys finished the orange and noticed Percival offering her some shelled nuts. She shook her head. "I can't eat any more."

"Then we'll save them for later," Percival said with a gentle smile, placing the nuts on the small table beside them.

Odalys looked at him, noting how his composure was both elegant and quietly intimidating. There was a quiet power to him that couldn't be ignored.

"Percival," she suddenly called out, her voice low.

He raised an eyebrow, glancing at her with a touch of curiosity. "What's up?"

"I think Sophia might have taken an interest in you," Odalys whispered, leaning closer, her tone full of gossip. "After we went out for dinner, she and Henry tried to follow me. You blocked them by driving into their path."

Chapter 221

"She's probably noticed you by now. Lately, she's been trying to cause trouble for me. During the filming of the variety show, I could feel her jealousy radiating off her."

"She must be investigating now that we've chartered a private plane back to Crownridge. I'm sure she knows I don't have the power to pull that off, so she's probably guessing it was the Stewart family behind it."

Odalys couldn't help but laugh. The thought of Sophia focusing on her was oddly amusing.

"You think she's interested in me?" Percival's voice was thick with confusion.

"Why does that matter to you?"

He thoughtfully took her hand, grabbed a wet wipe, and started gently cleaning it. "So, does she have a masochistic streak? Did she think getting hit by my car was her idea of fun? Or maybe she assumed that chartering a private jet to send someone back meant I had no intention of bringing her along?"

Odalys couldn't help herself—his words made her burst out laughing.

Odalys shrugged and smiled. "She's into powerful, wealthy men, and you definitely fit that description."

"She probably thought you were dead, but now that she sees that's not the case, the Bennet family will do everything they can to turn this into a public issue." Odalys smirked, finding the thought of their frustration utterly satisfying.

"Are you happy?" Percival asked thoughtfully, his gaze lingering on her.

Odalys rolled her eyes, casually grabbing a handful of nuts to snack on. "Isn't that an obvious question?" she replied with a shrug.

"Got it." Percival's voice dropped to a murmur.

As soon as he finished speaking, Odalys sensed something was off. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Percival handed her his phone. His voice dropped lower as he said, "Take a look. Maybe this will make you a little happier."

Odalys took the phone and glanced at the screen. A document popped up, and she tapped on it, her eyes widening as she saw what it was: an equity transfer authorization. As she scrolled down, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Caspian's signature.

"Did Caspian just transfer all his shares to me?" Odalys whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.

Percival, watching her closely, couldn't hide the slight smile tugging at his lips. He clearly enjoyed seeing her so intrigued. She seemed so capable, but at the end of the day, she was just a twenty-year-old girl.

"When I left, I was worried the Bennetts might get too cocky, so I had Dorian step in to put some pressure on them. Caspian, worried about his reputation, offered a polite concession to avoid conflict," Percival explained briefly.

Odalys caught on immediately.

"So Dorian just took advantage of the situation, didn't back down, and completely crushed him instead," she murmured.

A grin played at the corners of Percival's mouth. "Mm," he replied, his voice low and approving.

The conversation flowed easily between them, creating an almost private atmosphere in the back of the car. Meanwhile, the two people in the front seat were left in awkward silence, feeling like third wheels as they tried to keep up, but it was clear they were being overshadowed by the couple's quiet moment of connection.

Just then, Odalys' phone vibrated, breaking the mood. The car rolled to a stop at the village entrance, and Percival stepped out, quickly circling around to open her door for her. As she stepped out of the car, she answered the phone, saying, "What's the update?"

(The final section is too fragmented to meaningfully edit. More text is needed.)