Chapter 384
Sophia struggled desperately, trying to push the motorcycle off her. But the bike, clearly custom-made, was incredibly heavy. She couldn't budge it, and was pinned beneath it, flat on the ground.
Meanwhile, Percival turned, stood tall, and looked down at her. "If you dare harm her again, I'll kill you," he said coldly.
Sophia lay in shock, her body aching, her pupils wide with disbelief. She couldn't believe the man before her would go to such lengths to defend Odalys. She couldn't understand what was so special about Odalys, why this man was so protective—as if she had the entire Tillery family's support, always ready to stand by her, always ready to fight for her. "Have these people lost their minds? Odalys, some country bumpkin—what's so special about her? I was raised as the precious daughter of the Bennett family!" she thought.
"Quick, help move the bike and check if she's dead," an officer hurried over, instructing the others. Several people moved to lift the motorcycle. Halfway through, someone, for unknown reasons, grew impatient. With a loud bang, the person's hand slipped, and the bike crashed down onto Sophia again.
Sophia's eyes widened in pain as blood seeped from her mouth. Her vision blurred, her body tensed, and she passed out, her eyes rolling back in agony. The officer pushed the motorcycle away, noting Sophia's severe injuries before calling for an ambulance.
"See? This is what happens when she brings it upon herself. She's done bad things, and now she's paying the price," Celeste's voice cut through the silence. Her words hung in the air, silencing the crowd. The president and his wife of the Tillery Group, usually distant from such matters, stepped forward to support Odalys.
"Exactly. Who has a motorcycle that drives itself? It's clear she's done more wrong than we know," Blossom chimed in.
The people around them nodded in agreement. Someone live-streaming the incident shared it across the internet:
“[Sophia looks like she’s in deep trouble.]” “[She’s got a dark aura around her. It must be because she’s done too many bad things.]” “[She framed others and had the nerve to act so righteous. Odalys has already shown her respect by ignoring her.]” “[A fake daughter daring to act like this.]” “[So disgusting.]” “[Ugh, Odalys is so innocent.]”
Everyone rallied behind Odalys, condemning Sophia. It was clear Sophia was in the wrong. To the public, it was infuriating. In an instant, the Bennett Group was back in the spotlight. From framing Odalys and smashing surveillance cameras to distorting the truth about it on Instagram, the Bennett family, just as they’d begun to regain some favor, found their name dragged through the mud once more.
The police called an ambulance and took Sophia away. After apologizing to Odalys, the onlookers hurried off to post on Twitter and other social media, spreading the day's events far and wide. Only the three Tillery family members, Odalys, and Percival remained.
9:51 PM Chapter 384
"Odalys, thank you for letting me get that off my chest today. I feel so much better now," Blossom said, rushing forward to hug Odalys.
Odalys, caught by surprise, raised her hands in surrender. "As long as you feel better," she chuckled softly, her voice hoarse. Blossom's gloom lifted, and Odalys felt a sense of relief.
"Take these talismans," Odalys said, "Invite the people who attended Sophia's wrap party, and after burning the talismans to ashes, make them drink the ashes in water to ensure they don’t show any symptoms." She continued, taking out a few talismans and handing them over, "You also need to tell them not to blindly follow celebrities anymore."
Blossom eagerly accepted them, surprised and honored. Celeste's eyes welled up with emotion. She had never believed in magic before, but now she was fully convinced. If it hadn't been for Odalys, the Tillery family would likely have fallen into the hands of the Bennett family, controlled by Sophia. The consequences would have been unimaginable. Odalys wasn't just saving Blossom; she was safeguarding the entire legacy of the Tillery family, a heritage passed down through generations. At the same time, she had saved Celeste and Harvey's lives.
"You don't need to say anything more. Just keep this in your heart and do more good in the future," Odalys said, sensing Celeste's thoughts. Celeste smiled faintly; further words would feel unnecessary and pretentious. "Okay," she responded.
Meanwhile, Harvey and Percival were talking. After a while, Harvey approached, thanked Odalys, and then led Celeste and Blossom away.
Odalys turned to glance at Percival, a smile tugging at her lips. "Mr. Stewart, you were pretty fierce just now," she teased. She had already noticed something amiss with the motorcycle earlier.
Percival remained calm. She guessed it had been his doing. "Why not? Should I have just let her bully you in front of everyone? If it weren't for the fact that hitting a woman isn't really my thing, I would've kicked her a few times myself," Percival replied in a deep voice.
Odalys couldn't help but imagine the scene. Her smile deepened, her beautiful eyes squinting into crescent-shaped slits, sparkling like bright stars.
"Edie was arrested," Percival continued.
Odalys was taken aback. Everyone in Crownridge knew Edie was Percival's mother and had once been part of the Stewart family. Even though Edie had intentionally started a fire earlier, it hadn't caused any real damage. Normally, the police would turn a blind eye unless someone had given orders from behind the scenes.
"You had the police arrest her?" Odalys asked in surprise. Odalys knew Edie was in a state of bad luck and wasn't thinking clearly. She had expected Edie to do something reckless, but hadn't anticipated Percival would personally take action.
"She started the fire deliberately to harm you, and tried to scheme against the Stewart family. If I didn’t teach her a lesson, she’d really think the Stewart family was weak," Percival said coldly. "Though it was her fault my father died, there's no solid proof that she killed him," he continued. "But over the years, she's secretly supported the Simpson family, helping them grow into a force that can't be ignored. She's become a criminal in her own right. Now, she's trying to marry into the Bennett family, aligning with them to plot against you."
"If I don't act and send her away now, she'll truly think the Stewart family can be pushed around," Percival finished in a hard tone. Originally, he had planned to avoid confronting Edie directly, instead using her to draw out the mastermind behind the scenes.
9:51 PM Chapter 384
But now, Edie was acting like a madwoman. If he didn't clamp down on her now, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Arresting her is fine. Since she's chosen to team up with Sophia, we can use this opportunity to ruin both their reputations. Destroy them both, and the Bennett family will have no choice but to act, which will surely lead them to the Simpson family," Odalys said, her face serious.
She gazed up at the pale blue sky, faintly sensing an invisible force pressing down on her. She swung her hand in a subtle motion, and in the distance, there was the sound of something shattering as that oppressive energy dissipated. Even Percival, standing nearby, felt a sudden sense of relief. He glanced at her in surprise, and she silently withdrew her hand.
"Edie's been so brazen in her dealings with the Stewart family because someone's been watching the family for a long time, intending to take it for themselves. They must be after something besides the Stewart family's energy field. I'm sure there's something else they desperately want," she said.