Chapter 246

“Was it you? You sent people to kidnap my master, didn't you?” Odalys yanked Henry’s hair back, forcing his face upward. Her eyes locked onto his, cold and sharp. She kicked him without warning.

Henry, knife still embedded in his hand, went flying. As he crashed, Sophia, who had just risen, was knocked back down, landing on top of him. She screamed as he crushed her, her forehead slamming into the stairs. Pain contorted her face.

Odalys flicked her wrist; the emerald pendant hung suspended in the air. “Isn’t this what you want? You wanted my emerald pendant, didn’t you? It’s right here. If you’re brave enough, come take it.” She sneered, planting one foot on the couch with an air of dominance.

As soon as Hannah saw the pendant, her eyes gleamed with greed. She reached out, muttering, “Give it to me. Give me the emerald pendant.” The moment she saw it, a strange sense of relief washed over her, as though an invisible weight had lifted. She had felt suffocated before, but now, with the pendant in sight, she felt reborn—she wanted it. No, she needed it.

“None of you want it, huh? Well then, don’t blame me for taking it back.” Odalys laughed softly, tucking the pendant away.

She stood with her hands behind her back, her gaze icy as she fixed her eyes on Atlas. He seemed frozen, unable to meet her gaze.

Upstairs, Caspian heard the screams and came out of his room. He stood at the top of the stairs, observing the scene below. His eyes were drawn to Henry’s hand—the knife, embedded deep, blood seeping through and dripping onto the leather sofa. He froze, gripping the railing, his body tense. He hid himself in the shadows, unable to descend.

“I’m telling you this once,” Odalys said coldly, her voice a chilling warning. “If you don’t want to die, stay away from my master. This knife is just a lesson. You failed to kidnap him, so it only pierced your hand. But next time, if I find out you try again, the knife won’t stop at your hand—it’ll go straight for your throat.”

Her words were calm, but the threat hung heavy in the air. Everyone knew she meant it.

She turned to Hannah. “And you, pretending to be innocent. You knew exactly what was going on. You used to lure Rafael on that show, didn’t you? And then you came home and seduced your own brother. The only reason you don’t stop is because you’re too weak. And then you try to act like she’s the villain? What a joke.”

Hannah’s blood ran cold. Memories of Sophia returning, running into Henry’s arms, flooded her mind. Then Atlas, pulling her close, kissing her cheek—two men comforting her, while Hannah stood by, helpless.

“You’re insane,” Hannah snapped. “She’s my daughter! I don’t know what kind of twisted ideas you have about her being close to her brother!”

Odalys’s gaze remained unflinching. “Whether your daughter seduces your son or not is none of my business. I’m here to warn you: keep your hands off my master. And don’t even think about going after Percival. I’ll kill you all if you do. A death is a death—it doesn’t matter who it is.”

Her voice was casual, as though she’d taken lives before. The others shuddered. She turned to leave, but paused, walked back to Henry, and kicked him hard.

“Did you hear me?” she asked, her voice low. “Next time, I’ll kill you.”

Henry, trembling with fury and pain, was almost knocked unconscious. His vision blurred. She was leaving, and he could do nothing to stop her.

6:30 PM

Chapter 246

“Odalys, get back here!” Henry roared in agony, but she didn’t glance back. She had come to make her point, and now she was gone. She didn’t care about their feelings; she had made it clear, and that was enough.

The Bennett family seethed, their pride wounded.

“Henry, are you okay?” Sophia’s voice broke the silence. Her hands shook as she helped Henry up.

Atlas stood stunned, his mind racing. “Henry, did you really send someone to kidnap Odalys’s master?”

He was taken aback. Odalys hadn’t done anything to warrant such drastic measures. Her master had never interfered and had raised Odalys with care. Even when the Bennetts tried to reclaim her, her master hadn’t stopped them. Yet, Henry had ordered her kidnapping. A strange discomfort gnawed at him.

“Atlas, do you know what’s going on? Henry’s been severely injured, and she’s getting arrogant because she thinks the Bennetts can’t fight back anymore,” Sophia said. “We have surveillance. You need to call the police immediately—let’s sue her!” Her demure demeanor was gone, replaced by fiery pain.

It was a harsh reminder that, in Odalys’s eyes, Sophia was just an imposter—a fake Bennett daughter. Despite their affection, to Odalys, Sophia was nothing.

“The cameras are broken,” Atlas murmured, approaching the monitor. A large piece of debris was lodged in the camera, indicating sabotage. He sank onto the sofa, a cold feeling spreading through him.

“Mom…” he mumbled, feeling lost and helpless. He had always taken the easy path, never having to make decisions. The Bennetts had always handled everything. But now, with everything falling apart, he didn’t know what to do.

“I’ll go find Caspian.” Atlas hurried upstairs.

In the hallway, he saw Caspian, as if waiting. Caspian silently began ascending the stairs. Atlas hesitated, but spoke.

“Don’t say anything foolish,” Caspian warned, glancing over his shoulder.

Atlas instinctively followed, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on him. Caspian entered his room and sat down. Atlas followed, standing uncertainly at the door. A strange heaviness hung in the air. Everything felt too fast.

“You want to ask me why I didn’t stop Odalys when I saw her hurt someone, don’t you?” Caspian leaned against the bed, his voice calm, but his gaze sharp.

Atlas nodded, his voice barely audible. “Yes.”