Chapter 263

“Are you out of your mind?” Odalys asked coldly. “Sophia’s missing, so you should be calling the police, not coming to me. What’s so special about her? Do you expect me to keep an eye on her? What is she to me? And what are you to me?” Her tone was icy.

Atlas was taken aback, his frustration mounting. Furious, he shot back, “I’m your brother, and Sophia is your sister. Is this how you treat family? Just because we like Sophia more, you’re holding a grudge? What are you trying to do, destroy us, ruin the Bennett family?”

“Is that what you want? You beat Sophia last night and even hurt Henry. Mom’s leg was broken. I’m starting to think you were behind that!”

Seeing her remain calm, showing no guilt or fear, only fueled Atlas’s anger. Why is she living the high life while we’re stuck in this mess? he thought bitterly, resentment simmering.

Before, Odalys had been meek and compliant, always giving. But since leaving, she’d become incredibly successful, while they were left to deal with chaos.

“And that thing you said on that variety show,” Atlas continued, his voice sharp, “You claimed our family abused and abandoned you, and even had the cops back you up. Do you realize that everyone in the industry is now gossiping, saying the Bennett family did it? People are watching us. They’re even questioning if you’re really one of us.”

He paused, his eyes hard. I think she just wants us to take her back. But Atlas wasn’t about to let that happen easily. He wanted to teach her a lesson.

“All this talk, and you just want to know where Sophia is, don’t you?” Odalys raised an eyebrow, unfazed by his accusations.

Atlas felt like he’d hit a wall. His anger was building, but she wasn’t giving him the satisfaction of a fight. He couldn’t vent his frustration.

“Are you going to help us find her?” he asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. Odalys was being too accommodating, and it made him uneasy.

“I’ll help, but only if Hannah, Henry, Caspian, and you come with me,” Odalys replied.

A sense of foreboding washed over Atlas. She wants us all to go together? Is she planning to murder us? What’s she up to? he wondered, feeling uneasy.

“If you don’t want to, then forget it,” Odalys added coldly. “I’m going to eat. Move.”

Atlas hesitated, then quickly made a call. He hung up and said in a low voice, “They’re on their way.”

“You better pray that Sophia’s okay,” Atlas warned, his voice dark. “Otherwise, we won’t let you off the hook.”

He turned to leave, and Odalys was already dialing her phone.

As Stellan and the others drove, still some distance from the restaurant, they heard Odalys’ words and immediately turned the car around. A black SUV was parked outside. Caspian rolled down the window.

“Are you sure she wants the whole family to go?” Caspian asked, unease creeping into his voice. Odalys is always bold. If she’s making this kind of request, I have a feeling it’s not a good sign.

“Yeah. She’ll only help if we all go together. The police haven’t made any progress. If something happens to Sophia, the Bennett Group’s reputation will be even worse,” Atlas replied in a low voice.

Hannah, in a wheelchair, watched Odalys through the window, a flicker of jealousy in her eyes. “Let her get in the car,” she said coldly.

Atlas turned, ready to approach, but then saw Odalys heading toward another vehicle. She slid inside without hesitation, and the car sped off before he could speak.

“Follow her!” Odalys called out through the open window.

Atlas froze, then jumped into the passenger seat. “Caspian, she told us to follow her. Hurry up. I need to see what she’s up to.”

“Did you call the police?” Hannah asked in a low voice.

Henry’s left hand was bandaged. His right hand held his phone. “Yes, we suspect Sophia was maliciously kidnapped by Odalys.”

“The police are behind us. Let’s go,” Henry said quietly. He was exhausted, physically and mentally. After his hand was injured last night, he’d been overcharged fifteen thousand dollars at a small clinic—for a bandage and wound treatment. He was furious. Fifteen thousand dollars hadn’t been a big deal before, but now, with the Bennett Group teetering on collapse, it was unbearable. It was all Odalys’ fault.

Today, Henry was determined to ruin Odalys’ reputation. With the police backing them, if anything happened to Sophia, Odalys would be imprisoned for a long time.

“Did you start the live stream?” Hannah whispered.

They were using the official Bennett Group account, hoping to salvage their reputation and capitalize on the publicity.

“It’ll start soon,” Henry replied. He’d just posted an announcement that Sophia was missing and suspected kidnapped. In five minutes, they would begin the live stream with the police.

“There are already a million people waiting to watch. Seems like Sophia’s popularity isn’t any less than Odalys’,” Atlas said, looking at the live stream data on his phone. They’d expected no one would care, but over a million viewers was interesting.

“Do you think this is too harsh on Odalys?” Caspian asked, glancing at the others. He had an uneasy feeling. Hurting Odalys for attention might backfire.

“Too harsh? Did she think about how harsh she was when she attacked you guys?” Henry replied coldly. He hadn’t slept all night because of the pain. He wanted to crush Odalys and ensure she never recovered.

“Don’t forget. If the Bennett Group goes under, you guys won’t have it easy either. Yesterday, she hurt my hand. Next time, she might kill you,” Henry said, trying to scare them.

The others fell silent. As the car in front stopped, Henry started the live stream. He turned the camera to himself.

“I’m sorry to be broadcasting under these circumstances, but last night, celebrity Sophia went missing. We’ve been unable to reach her. We suspect she’s been kidnapped,” he said.

“The Bennett Group has contacted the police, and a patrol car is following us. We invite all of you to witness this with us…we will protect Sophia. The Bennett Group will never bow to evil forces,” Henry continued, his voice determined. As he saw the viewer count surge into the millions, he felt a surge of excitement.

He set his phone down, allowing the camera to capture the view ahead clearly.

“Make sure to point the camera at Odalys later. Let’s solidify the suspicion that she’s the one who kidnapped Sophia,” Hannah whispered.