Chapter 229

Before discovering the anomaly in this person, they had gone too far manipulating Rafael—making him pay a heavy price to lull him into a false sense of security.

"Did you find anything on your uncle while investigating him?" Odalys asked.

Percival acted with his usual decisiveness. His sudden appearance could only mean one thing—he must have uncovered something significant about this person, even if he hadn't spoken it aloud. Odalys had already guessed. She'd been watching, waiting for the right moment.

"Yes, I suspected it before, but when you found that piece of clothing in the pool at the house, I knew for certain he was involved," Percival said.

He opened the car door for Odalys, who slid into the seat. He covered her legs with a light blanket before sitting down himself. The air conditioning hummed softly, making the temperature comfortable. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a hazy glow on Percival, his face almost obscured by the shifting shadows.

"But I didn't expect the dye to be made from human blood mixed with poison," Percival muttered coldly. "To kill someone and then act innocent it's truly detestable. To take the life of his own grandson, his relatives, all for some abstract fortune and he doesn't even feel remorse. It's like his mind's been twisted."

"Anyone capable of plotting such a deadly scheme to seize others' wealth, even to the point of taking lives and setting up such a complex game—there's nothing they wouldn't do," Odalys sneered. "The most vicious thing of all is the human heart."

The car fell silent, the weight of their words hanging between them.

Moments later, Orson and Callum arrived after taking care of some matters. They climbed into the car, and Callum immediately turned to Percival, speaking in a low voice: "Mr. Stewart, we've gathered some information, though there's still more to uncover. One-fifth of the people on the list have been identified. These are heirs or potential successors in some families. They are seriously ill—100% mortality rate," Callum reported grimly. "These people all had descendants, but now their families are dying off. Their estates are being donated, and the funds are eventually funneled overseas."

Money flowing out of the country was, without a doubt, a form of money laundering.

"Keep investigating," Percival instructed in a low, controlled tone.

Callum nodded. "Yes."

Orson, clutching a small box in his hands, seemed visibly anxious, his fingers trembling. The box contained a deadly poison—something capable of causing cancer.

"Don't worry. I deactivated it. It won't harm anyone," Odalys reassured him.

Orson quickly straightened, looking more serious. "Who's worried? I'm just excited. We've got new findings coming soon."

"Oh, so you're thinking about women now?" Odalys teased with a mischievous grin.

Orson's ears flushed red, and he quickly turned his head, clearing his throat. "Ahem, nonsense. I'm still young. No rush."

"I'm focused on my career—revolution, the country's prosperity, and all that," Orson declared solemnly.

Odalys nearly burst out laughing.

"Mr. Newart, the two men, along with Rafael, have been sedated and sent back to Crownridge by private plane. Everything that happened today is under strict confidentiality. No one will know," Callum reported.

Percival frowned.

"Once the reality show airs, people will try to come here to vacation or travel. Notify the tourism department and find a way to block the roads. No outsiders should be allowed in for now," Percival said with authority.

Callum immediately agreed.

"By the way, don't you find it strange that the sponsors of this reality show specifically chose this village for us to participate in? Is it just a coincidence?" Odalys asked, puzzled.

The car fell silent at her question. Percival opened the drawer next to him, pulled out a file, and handed it to her.

"When you arrived for the reality show, I had people look into the sponsors. They had received a tip that this village was mysterious and remote, a real challenge," Percival explained. "And they were given a sum of money, which led them to choose this location."

He paused before continuing. "I traced the origin of that money. It came from abroad, and the account holder is a foreigner who's never been to China."

As Odalys flipped through the documents, she skimmed through the information and quickly understood.

"Someone's testing the waters, trying to use the reality show's fame to bring attention to this village. They want to see if it draws any attention and to check the safety of their base," Odalys murmured. "But after the show aired, no one paid attention to this place."

Percival nodded. "Exactly."

Odalys fell silent again as she accepted some pastries from Percival and began to eat, her eyes flicking back to her phone. It was already dusk. She'd been busy all day, only glancing at her phone briefly when she arrived at the village. Now, WhatsApp was flooded with messages. Group B's members were all talking in the group chat. They'd tagged her, noticed she hadn't replied, and quickly switched to private messages. Then, they called her one by one. The phone rang non-stop.

Freya: [Odalys, where are you? Did something happen!] Selah: [Odalys, if you’re there, say something.] Francis: [Calling Odalys, please respond.] Stellan: [Odalys, if you’re there, reply.]

Reading through their frantic messages, Odalys couldn't help but laugh. She tapped on the group voice call, and they picked up immediately. Within moments, everyone was online, their voices overlapping in concern.

"Odalys, where did you go! We were so scared. We thought you'd been kidnapped."

"I'm fine. Just handling a few things. Just finished," Odalys answered.

Francis immediately chimed in, his voice anxious. "Odalys, I need a talisman. Draw me one, the kind that costs money."

Freya, seemingly munching on something, casually asked, "Did you go on a date?"

The line went dead silent. No one dared speak, knowing the name she'd mentioned earlier.

Odalys raised an eyebrow. "Oh! Want to join me?"

There was a collective "Oh" from the other side, clearly teasing.

Percival glanced at her, noticing she didn't deny it. His deep eyes darkened for a moment, and a slight smirk tugged at his lips, but he remained silent.

"Stellan, how's your father?" Odalys asked.

Stellan's voice came through quickly. "He just came out of surgery. He's not out of danger yet, but without your talisman, I'm sure he wouldn't have made it to the hospital."

"He'll be fine," Odalys reassured him.

"Thanks for the talisman. And by the way, why haven't you accepted the payment I sent? We agreed—you give me the talisman, I give you the money," Stellan added.

Odalys had almost forgotten. She opened the WhatsApp payment link and accepted the $1.5 million.

"About the talisman Can I tell my mom about it? After everything that happened, I feel obligated to warn her. She can't keep being reckless, or someone will die," Stellan said earnestly.