Chapter 404

“What kind of catalyst are you talking about? I’ve seen Stellan’s shows before. Some catalysts involve human blood—don’t tell me you need Sophia’s blood for this?” Sienna asked, her voice tinged with unease.

Her disdain for Sophia, once a slight distaste, had bloomed into something much darker. The thought of using Sophia’s blood as a catalyst churned her stomach. How could anyone stomach it? If someone drank it, they’d surely become disoriented. It would feel…filthy.

The hallway was unnervingly quiet, but Sienna could faintly hear Sophia’s voice—a low, suggestive sound that left little to the imagination. It was clear what was going on in there.

“Desire,” Odalys said flatly, her tone almost cryptic.

Sienna blinked, completely thrown. Desire? How do you even take someone’s desire? Her mind raced, trying to understand.

Of course, Odalys never followed the conventional path. Ordinary catalysts? She could deal with those. But desire? How do you capture something intangible, something you can’t see or touch?

Odalys gave her a calm, almost detached look. “Once Sophia’s desire reaches its peak, I’ll use it as a catalyst to find what I need.”

“My time is running out. Without the catalyst…” She trailed off, the weight of the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. Without that catalyst, Percival would die.

That night, after feeling Percival’s pulse and observing his condition, Odalys had realized just how dire things were. She had been suppressing the poison in his body for so long, but it was only temporary. The negative energy had been pushed back, but it lingered, waiting to explode.

“Wait a second,” Sienna said, her mind racing. “You’re telling me you need Sophia’s desire as some kind of trigger for the cure?”

“Exactly. If I can stoke her desire and push it to its limit, I’ll be able to use it to find the remedy I need.”

Sienna’s brow furrowed. “How do you plan to do that? What do you need me to do?”

Odalys gave her a long, assessing look before whispering something in her ear.

Sienna froze, her hand involuntarily clenching into a fist. Her usual calm demeanor shattered; her face went pale, shock and disbelief flickering in her eyes.

“That’s… that’s your plan?” Sienna asked, her voice barely a whisper, as if she couldn’t quite believe what she had just heard.

“That’s it. It sounds simple, but executing it will be far from easy,” Odalys replied, her voice low.

Sienna took a deep breath and, surprisingly, gave Odalys an affirming nod. She raised her hand in a gesture of confidence. “I’ve been managing the Drake Group for years. This kind of business, I know inside and out. I’ll take care of it. You can count on me.” Her voice was full of resolve.

As soon as the topic turned to business, Sienna’s focus snapped into place. She was a woman who thrived on negotiation and getting things done. Whatever the target, she knew how to make it happen.

“Thank you,” Odalys said with a genuine smile.

The two women exchanged a knowing look, both understanding the weight of what was to come.

“I’m going to check on Dangelo’s condition,” Odalys said, straightening up. “I had planned to come during the day, but Percival’s condition worsened, so I came early. Since I’m already here, I might as well see how Dangelo is doing.”

“Thank you,” Sienna said with uncontained excitement. She knew how skilled Odalys was in medicine. In fact, Orson had once told her that many of his methods came from Odalys, including the medicines he’d been using to treat Dangelo. Now that Odalys was here in person, it was like a miracle had arrived. How many people had been hoping for this? She didn’t want to miss the chance.

Chapter 101

“It’s nothing,” Odalys replied calmly. “It’s just a small favor.”

The two women turned and walked toward Dangelo’s room. As they entered, they found Dangelo wide awake, his gaze fixed on the door. Since Sienna had left, sleep had eluded him. He was worried something might go wrong, afraid of the unexpected.

Seeing Odalys and Sienna enter, Dangelo’s eyes widened in surprise. Despite his illness, his mind was still sharp.

“Miss Stone?” Dangelo couldn’t believe his eyes. He immediately jumped out of bed and quickly approached them, his tone respectful. “Why are you here so late? Did something happen?”

“Did you visit Stellan again?” he asked nervously. He knew that Stellan had landed a new role in a series Odalys had recommended, and since today was the first day of filming, he feared the worst—had Stellan gotten into trouble?

“No, Stellan is fine. The shoot went well,” Odalys reassured him. “I just came to the hospital to speak with Mrs. Drake about something and decided to check on your condition while I was here.”

Dangelo was guided back to his bed, where Odalys immediately began to take his pulse. A deep, respectful silence fell as she worked, her hands steady and focused.

After several minutes, Odalys withdrew her hand and nodded. “Orson’s medicine is working. Your white blood cells are under control now. That’s a good sign. The cells are no longer spreading, but you need to continue with the medication,” Odalys advised.

She reached into her canvas bag and pulled out several silver needles. Without a word, she inserted them into Dangelo’s temples and wrists. The needles stung as they pierced his skin, but Dangelo remained still, not daring to move.

“I’m using these needles to protect your heart meridian and control the spread of leukemia. Keep eating regularly, and when we reach the second stage of treatment, we’ll incorporate chemotherapy. If you don’t experience any bleeding, we’ll proceed with a more aggressive approach.”

As the needles entered his body, Dangelo’s complexion began to improve, a noticeable flush creeping into his pale face. He felt the change immediately. His energy surged, and for the first time in a long while, he felt like he could face the day again.

“Thank you,” Dangelo said, his voice thick with emotion. When he had first been diagnosed with leukemia, he had braced for the worst. The survival rate was grim—only 5% of people survived. Even chemotherapy would only buy him a little more time, not a cure. But now, after hearing Odalys’s words and feeling the positive effects of Orson’s medicine, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Odalys replied with a wry smile. “If I were truly a miracle worker, I wouldn’t be here asking you for help at midnight.”

Sienna laughed softly, her eyes damp with tears. She hadn’t expected to see this kind of improvement. Looking at Dangelo now, she could finally see a glimmer of hope.

It’s not the same as with Percival, Odalys thought to herself. She remained outwardly calm, but inside, she felt the weight of uncertainty. She had been hoping for a clear answer, but with Percival’s condition, it seemed far more complicated. She had a hunch about what was happening…

The text ends abruptly. There are some inconsistencies in capitalization and some incomplete sentences. I've tried to maintain the original voice and style while correcting the grammatical and punctuation errors.