Chapter 264
Henry wiped the sadness from his face, his eyes now filled with calculation. He spoke in a low voice, "Don't worry, Mom. After today, I'll make sure Odalys will never recover."
He paused, then added, "We're going to use her current popularity to climb higher. In this digital age, attention is everything."
A barely suppressed smile spread across his face as he looked at the livestream comments.
Meanwhile, Stellan, driving ahead, asked, "Odalys, what's your connection to Sophia's disappearance?"
"I'm curious about that too," Selah interjected.
Odalys, in the back seat, answered casually, "The Bennett family wants me to help find her, but they're just trying to frame me for wanting to harm Sophia, hoping to use me to regain their power." She shrugged. "The Bennett Group is so suppressed right now; they have no way to recover. I'm guessing Henry must be livestreaming already, trying to gain attention and set things up for the Bennett Group's comeback."
As soon as she finished, Francis and Freya checked their phones. Their faces darkened when they confirmed the Bennett Group was indeed livestreaming.
"They're really doing it!" Freya gasped. "Could they be setting a trap for you?"
Freya was ready to confront the Bennetts online.
"We could livestream too," Odalys said quietly. "Open your streams soon, and follow my lead."
Francis nodded. "I have an international account. I can stream as well."
"Right. Francis should stream too. Let's get this news out internationally," Selah immediately agreed.
The vehicle sped toward the outskirts, stopping before an old, secluded, and dilapidated house.
"This is going to be an exciting day," Freya said with a grin.
Odalys stepped out of the car, staring at the house. She was about to enter when she saw the Bennett family's car arrive, and Atlas hurried toward her.
"Don't go in," Atlas quickly grabbed her arm, worried she might warn the kidnappers or ruin their plan.
At that moment, Henry appeared, holding his phone, and gave Odalys a wide shot. He said, "Looks like you know where the incident happened. How can you still claim the kidnapping wasn't your doing?"
As he spoke, the police arrived. The old house seemed to have nothing to do with the kidnapping; escaping would have been incredibly easy given its unstable state.
Inside the quiet living room, strange objects were scattered about: eerily grinning spirit dolls, some with blood trickling from their eyes; talismans stuck to the windows; and flowers placed nearby.
Sophia, with burning ambition, declared, "I want a love spell, and… I want to control someone. I want her to lose control of her emotions, to commit murder and arson, and finally take her own life. I want her to obey my every command." She desperately wanted the love spell and Odalys dead. Sophia planned for Odalys to kill Percival and then force her to hand over the Stewart family. Sophia intended to rise to the top on Odalys' blood.
As soon as Sophia finished, Alden, sitting in a high-backed chair, sharply lifted his head. He stared at her, seeing the greedy and malicious look in her eyes. A calculating glint flashed in his gaze.
Alden, legs crossed, calmly addressed Sophia, "Take off your clothes and sit in the bath."
Sophia, taken aback, asked, "Here? In front of you?" There had been no such process when she initially paid for the love spell. Now, Alden demanded she undress and bathe before him. Sophia sensed something was wrong.
Alden, still in his robe, added, "What? Don't want the love spell anymore? Last time, you weren't sincere enough, so the love spell was broken and didn't work."
"Now you need to calm down, strip away all your inhibitions, and sit in the bath to cleanse yourself. Let me give you a proper ritual," Alden said smoothly.
Sophia hesitated, then turned to leave, but Odalys' earlier arrogance stopped her.
"Fine. I'll do it," Sophia muttered, gripping her clothes as she undressed.
Her clothes fell to the ground, and she blushed deeply. Hesitant but determined, she stepped into the bath. A strange fragrance from lit scented candles filled the air, causing Sophia to feel dizzy.
"My head feels so dizzy," she whispered, clutching the bath.
Alden watched her closely. Seeing the incense's effect, he took a talisman, burned it, and poured the ashes into the water. He approached her and gently forced the liquid into her mouth.
"How wonderful… Your ambition, your ruthlessness… Women like you, who've already been…re-changed… are rare," Alden said, fascinated.
When Sophia first requested the love spell, he'd sensed something intriguing about her. Upon closer inspection, he realized how irresistible she was. His spirit dolls needed energy, and Sophia was willingly offering it. The more Alden thought about it, the more excited he became.
Suddenly, he jumped into the bath with a loud splash.
"Baby, once we unite, we will be one," Alden said excitedly.
Sophia, faint and dizzy, struggled as Alden moved closer. She tried to scream.
"Didn't you say you wanted the love spell? I not only have the love spell, but I also have a talisman that can make someone's life and death impossible to control. If you give yourself to me, I'll make your wishes come true," Alden whispered in her ear. Sophia tried to resist, but a part of her craved it.
"The talisman that can control life and death? Yes, I want Odalys to suffer, to be trapped between life and death," her thoughts screamed. Her ambition surged, weakening her struggle. Alden moved closer.
"Stop, no," Sophia whimpered weakly.
Sophia struggled, but Alden pinned her down, her movements futile. Her hair fell loose, her eyes wide with panic.
"No, please," she cried softly, tears spilling.
Sophia had always dreamed of marrying rich and powerful. But Alden was greasy and repulsive. She hadn't suspected anything when he asked her to undress and bathe. Previously, everything seemed normal, but now she realized Alden was after her body.
"Why do you keep struggling? I'm helping you. Let me cleanse your body first," Alden said in a low voice.
Outside, Atlas held Odalys back, preventing her from entering.