Chapter 249

Percival sat in the car, as if he'd never been in the Bennett Villa.

"Finished?" Odalys's eyes lingered on him, watching as he slowly opened his eyes. His deep gaze swept over her. He reached out, gripping her wrist to help her into the car beside him.

Odalys settled in, her smile still playing on her lips.

"Feeling good!" Percival raised an eyebrow.

Her smile deepened as Percival's lips tightened. He finally asked, "You didn't do something to them, did you?"

"A little trick here and there," Odalys murmured softly. "I tapped into what Sophia and Hannah both desire most deeply. Those two are masters of playing pretend, so I decided to drag those dirty thoughts out into the light."

Percival frowned slightly. After a pause, he asked in a low voice, "You want them to fight each other?"

"Exactly," Odalys nodded, her eyes lifting toward the Bennett Villa. The atmosphere around it had changed—heavy, suffocating, almost as if the roof were about to collapse under the weight of dark energy. That thick, wicked aura… all she needed was a little nudge, and they would be tearing each other apart for quite some time.

"I left the Bennett Villa not long ago, and it was eerie. But coming back today, the wicked energy is suffocating. It's a presence I recognize—the very same energy siphoned from the Stewart family."

She paused, letting the tension build. "It means when we blew up that old tailor's grandson's grave, we broke the Stewart family's wicked energy. What's worse, the fragmented energy is now gathering here. That means the clothes they made passed through the Bennett family's hands. And when the Stewart family fell, the Bennett family benefited."

Overwhelmed by wicked energy, she added in a low voice, "Check if the Bennett family has started turning things around since your father's incident."

Callum, in the driver's seat, immediately grabbed his iPad and started searching. A few moments later, he exhaled sharply. "It's true. After Mr. Stewart's incident, the Bennett family's variety show—the one they'd been pushing—blew up."

Percival's eyes darkened dangerously. He lifted his gaze toward the Bennett Villa, bloodlust flashing across his face like a brewing storm.

"The Bennett family couldn't possibly be the mastermind," Percival said, his voice low and thick. "They're probably pawns, just like that tailor. Used by someone else to strike at the Stewart family. Even if the Stewart family catches on, they won't be able to trace the true culprit."

"It means that, after we blew up that grave and the Stewart family's wicked energy broke apart, it converged here. Does this mean the Bennett family is about to face the same suffering the Stewart family once endured?" Percival suppressed his fury, trying to collect his thoughts. Odalys reached for her coffee and took a small sip, unfazed.

"Exactly. That's why the Bennett family is in for even worse luck now. And I purposely injured Henry's hand—his blood flew into the air, mixing with the wicked energy."

"Even if someone tries to reverse this, to bring the energy back to the Stewart family, it will backfire. Now that the wicked energy has absorbed Henry's blood, it's fused with the Bennett family. Unless they're powerful enough, they won't be able to break this."

"Everything I've done is carefully calculated," Odalys said, her voice soft but resolute.

Percival raised an eyebrow. "The Bennett family has been in contact with Oliver, trying to take the emerald pendant from you. If they find out their luck is being affected, they'll likely hurry to deal with you. You're walking into a storm, Odalys."

Odalys shrugged, her expression indifferent. "Oliver is no match for me. If he tries to deal with me, he'll be courting death."

She paused, her voice dropping lower. "I led the police to that villa today. They'll probably dig into it and find something soon. Anyone connected to that place will start to panic. Let's see if anyone gets desperate enough to turn to people who can read energy fields or practice magic. Some might even come looking for me!"

Percival nodded. "I've already stationed people at that villa. As for the families on the list, our people are keeping an eye on them too. We'll see if anyone makes a move against them—or if they retaliate against others. Everything is under my control. If I move, it will shift everything."

Chapter 249 (Continued)

Odalys turned to Percival, her voice dropping as she added, “I’m glad I didn’t make a move on you. Otherwise, I’m sure you could kill me with a snap of your fingers.”

Her words hung in the air before Percival gently tilted her chin upwards to meet his gaze. The tension thickened. The air in the car seemed to freeze as their eyes locked. The beat of their hearts echoed in the stillness, and Odalys saw her reflection in the depth of his eyes.

"Afraid of me?" Percival's voice was low, almost a growl.

Odalys quickly turned her head, as if the tension was unbearable. She grabbed her coffee and took a sip, trying to shake off the feeling. Her fingers brushed against his chest, and she smirked. "Your heart's beating a little too fast. You should get that checked. Could be heart disease."

Percival fell silent, his lips pressing into a thin line. He shifted his focus outside, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest.

As the car sped toward the Stewart Villa, Callum occasionally glanced in the rearview mirror. He noticed Odalys picking at something, while Percival frowned, before reluctantly reaching out to peel a few nuts for her.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. Percival glanced at the screen. It was a call from the Stewart family. He answered it quickly.

Before he could speak, Evander's voice rushed through the line, urgent and concerned. "Percival, how's it going? Have you picked up Odalys? Dorian said you two haven't come back for dinner."

"Odalys is still growing, Evander. Make sure she's eating on time, don't let her starve." Evander's voice was sharp, almost accusatory.

Percival sighed, rubbing his temples. "Grandfather, we're handling something, but we're on our way home now. Dorian's already prepared dinner. We'll eat as soon as we get back."

"Evander." As Odalys heard his voice, she leaned in eagerly, her tone softening unconsciously. Hearing her voice melted Evander's heart instantly.

"I'm here, I'm right here. Don't worry. If that guy dares to let you go hungry, I'll make sure he regrets it," Evander said seriously, his protective nature evident.

Odalys leaned in, her voice soft but teasing. "I was just out with him at the Bennett family's place. He was covering for me."

"The Bennett family?" Evander's voice instantly grew tense. "What happened? Did they cause trouble?"

Odalys couldn't help but stifle a laugh at his concern, trying hard to keep a straight face, feeling the weight of her words, yet wanting to laugh all the same.

The text has been significantly cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and flow. Inconsistencies in names (Bennen/Bennett) were corrected to Bennett. Some phrasing was slightly altered for better clarity and readability.