Chapter 259

Percival began. “The paparazzi have been closely monitoring the Stewart family. Their rush to the funeral home to buy flowers pretty much confirmed the rumors of my death.

“Unsurprisingly, this has exploded on social media. My mother will undoubtedly spread the news, hoping to sow chaos within the Stewart family.

“So, it’s only natural this is making headlines,” he added, his tone flat and detached, as if discussing something unrelated to himself.

Odalys fell silent, unable to understand his calm demeanor. It seemed the news didn't affect him in the slightest.

“Does she really want you dead that badly?” Odalys asked, her emotions a jumbled mess. She’d thought the Bennen family situation was bad, but Percival’s mother seemed even worse.

Earlier, Odalys had been abused, beaten, and abandoned. Although they later killed her, it was due to manipulation. But Percival’s mother seemed intent on his death at any moment.

Percival’s voice was cold. “She doesn't care about the Stewart family. She considers marrying my father a disgrace. She wouldn’t hesitate to harm me. She sees me as a stain on her life.

“If not for my grandfather, she probably would have strangled me as a child. I have no feelings for her, not even familial ones. I’ve seen her less than I’ve interacted with you.”

Odalys remained quiet, unsure how to comfort him.

“We’re alike. Both of us were abandoned by our mothers; in my case, she even tried to kill me. You feel nothing for Hannah, and I feel the same way about Edie,” Percival continued.

Odalys wanted to say something but was speechless.

“How do you plan to handle this?” she asked, gesturing to the trending topic on her phone. The internet was ablaze with the news; Crownridge, especially those tied to the Stewart family, might have trouble sleeping. Even those who previously watched the family were now making their moves.

Percival replied, “I’m not going to do anything. Since it’s already in the spotlight, let it ferment.

“I want to see what happens. If I really end up dead, and the Stewart family is left with only my grandfather, will people side with him out of respect for the family’s past power, or will they turn on both him and the family?” He wondered who was truly loyal.

“That makes sense,” Odalys said, nodding. “No wonder this topic remains trending without being addressed. You’re using public opinion to weed out the parasites in the Stewart family.”

She thought, ‘No wonder he’s pulling the strings. He expertly uses public opinion to his advantage.’ Percival seemed quicker than anyone else, always choosing the most effective path.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Percival said calmly. He wasn’t hiding anything from her; he didn’t feel the need to.

“Alright, I’ll go to sleep,” Odalys said, rubbing her temples. She was exhausted.

Percival watched her leave, then followed.

“Can I ask you something?” he asked softly.

Odalys turned, puzzled.

“You don’t seem to care much for money, but you really like rubies. Why?” Percival asked, his curiosity piqued. Earlier, upon receiving the ruby, her face had lit up. He found it perplexing.

Chapter 259 (Continued)

Odalys had expected an important question, not this. “My mentor likes rubies and wants them with him when he passes away. These rubies I earned using my magic,” she explained.

Planning for death might seem absurd to others, but Odalys understood and accepted it as part of her goal.

“Understood,” Percival said softly.

Odalys yawned, went to her room, and quickly fell asleep. Percival, however, couldn’t sleep. Her words echoed as he called Callum.

“Mr. Stewart, is something wrong?” Callum asked, beside the truck at the funeral home, directing the loading of flowers. People lingered in the distance; he even spotted paparazzi.

“Tomorrow, once the bank opens, pick up 80,000 rubles,” Percival said, his voice steady.

Callum, worried about being overheard, slid into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut. He thought he’d misheard.

“80,000? What do you need them for?” Callum asked, confused. He’d followed Percival for years, but never heard him mention wanting rubies before. He associated rubies with women.

“Just get them and bring them back,” Percival ordered.

Callum lit a cigarette. “Mr. Stewart, did you see the trending topic? Do you want to handle it?”

“No need. Buy fake accounts to push the topic further,” Percival replied calmly.

Callum was silent, thinking. The topic already had immense attention. Did he really need fake accounts? The world was watching. Every post had billions of views.

“Got it,” Callum responded quietly.

After hanging up, Callum scratched his head, smoking angrily. His phone vibrated; thousands of WhatsApp messages asked about Percival’s condition. Everyone wanted to know what happened to the Stewart family. Some paparazzi offered him hundreds of thousands of dollars to find out if Percival was actually dead.

“This is crazy,” Callum muttered, leaning back.

He finished his cigarette and saw a massive group of reporters swarming the funeral home, pretending to buy flowers. They kept glancing at Callum.

The funeral home owner had never seen so many people buy flowers in bulk at night. Earlier, the entire stock, and even the neighboring store’s, had been sold out. The buyer purchased enough to fill a truck. The owner doubted his eyes.

“I’m sorry, but our flowers were bought by this customer. We’re out of stock,” the owner said with a bitter smile, regretting his eagerness to make money.

“Why is ‘The Stewart Family’ engraved on the wrapping paper?” someone asked.

Everyone’s eyes lit up. Several bolder individuals immediately took pictures of the wrapping paper, even taking selfies as proof.

“Hey, you can’t take photos of these! They shouldn’t be exposed!” the owner shouted, marching toward the group.