Chapter 413

Percival stopped the car, and he and Odalys stepped out, heading toward the figure standing by the Stewart Villa.

"Why aren't you going in?" Percival asked, confusion evident in his voice.

The Stewart Villa wasn't a place just anyone could approach, let alone enter at will. But Lee, given his relationship with Evander, had no reason to be excluded.

Lee quickly crushed his cigarette, standing up straighter as they approached.

"No need," Lee said cautiously. "I just have a few things to say, and then I'll leave."

He kept his distance from everyone—especially the Stewart family. Even standing beside Percival, Lee maintained his distance. The Stewart family was a powerful conglomerate, wielding significant wealth and influence. It was precisely this power that made Lee cautious, careful to avoid future complications.

"Is this about Edie?" Odalys asked, cutting straight to the point.

Lee froze, disbelief crossing his face. He stared at her, wide-eyed.

"How did you know?" he asked, swallowing hard.

His shock was impossible to hide. He hadn't said a word, yet Odalys had deduced his reason for being there. If she had been an enemy… well, he wouldn't have known what hit him.

"You've got some negative energy about you, and I can sense her presence on you. She must have warned you, urged you to be cautious," Odalys said matter-of-factly.

Lee nodded slightly, admiration flickering in his eyes.

"That's exactly right. Her threats were… crude, and they made me realize something. The explosion at my daughter's school was connected to her."

Lee continued without hesitation, his voice dropping. "The case we investigated with the dozen or so bodies in that villa—it's connected to the Simpson family."

Percival and Odalys exchanged a surprised glance, their earlier suspicions confirmed.

"I wouldn't worry," Percival said quickly, stepping forward. "The Stewart family isn't involved in the Simpson family's business. And as of now, they've cut ties with Edie. What she's doing is her own business, and we'll handle it. If it comes to that, you can pursue it officially."

He was eager to distance himself from the Simpson family. The less association, the better.

Lee seemed to relax slightly, though surprise lingered in his expression. He hadn't feared the conglomerates, but he also didn't want to make enemies of them.

"With Mr. Stewart's word, things should be much easier," Lee said, relieved. He had suspected Edie was no longer with the Stewart family, but hearing confirmation was significant.

"Has there been any progress with the case?" Odalys asked steadily. As an outsider, she wasn't directly involved in the investigation and hadn't followed up until now.

Lee nodded. "Following your suggestion, we've found all the victims' families and confirmed the exact times they went missing. It seems they all received mysterious phone calls just before disappearing—something about winning a prize."

"And then there's also something to do with loans. What they all had in common was dire financial situations. They were desperate, looking for a way out, and ended up losing their lives in the process. All were single at the time of death—either recently divorced or separated. There were no romantic entanglements."

Odalys nodded thoughtfully. "When people have just gone through a breakup or a divorce, their emotions are unstable. They're filled with anger, regret, or bitterness."

"It's easy to manipulate them into a mindset of revenge. Those emotions make them vulnerable to exploitation. All it takes is a lure—a promise of hope—making them think they have a chance at revenge, to make the other person beg for forgiveness. In that moment, they're ready to gamble everything. The more they want something, the less they realize they're walking into a trap."

Lee's expression darkened. "I traced the victims and found that before they disappeared, they had been betrayed by their partners—cheated on. They'd witnessed it firsthand, even fought over it."

"Their families thought they just went off to clear their heads. By the time anyone realized something was wrong, it was too late. They were already missing—and dead."

The truth was devastating. The people who had been used, manipulated, and exploited had lost their lives because of someone else's schemes.

"Edie provoked me today, using my daughter as leverage," Lee added bitterly. "And this case… it's classified. Only a few people knew about it. I've been digging through everything, trying to figure it out."

He paused. "Right now, the Bennett family and the Simpson family are the two biggest suspects, but we don't have solid evidence to connect them. I'm not an expert on magic, but both families turned their fortunes around in the same year and became the elite of Crownridge. And Hannah and Edie go way back."

"After the Stewart family's downfall, both the Bennett and Simpson families have been flourishing," Lee said. "I've even had professionals examine the energy field in that villa. They said it gathers souls and absorbs resentment."

"I don't fully understand all this," Lee said humbly. "That's why I came here to speak with you, Odalys. I know you have the knowledge to shed some light on this."

Odalys smiled slightly, her gaze sharp. She had helped Lee in the past, with the talisman that protected his daughter, and he trusted her expertise. She had played a key role in solving a dozen missing person cases, saving the police significant time and effort. Now, they needed her help to close the case on the villa.

"Once we identify the killer, we can finally close the case on the villa," Lee said, his expression focused.

"Sometimes, misfortune can be a tool," Odalys said softly. "The more misfortune someone carries, the heavier their resentment. There are people who specialize in gathering that resentment and turning it into their own strength. When you collect enough of it, it becomes negative energy. And if you live under that energy long enough, your body weakens, and accidents begin to happen. People die without even realizing how close they were to the edge."

Percival's brow furrowed at the mention of negative energy. His mind immediately flashed to the negative energy surrounding the Bennett Villa.

Was that just a coincidence, or was there something deeper at play? Lee thought.

Lee's eyes lit up. "So, all I need to do is look at the people who've been the unluckiest, those whose families have been struck by repeated accidents! That might give us some clues?"

Odalys nodded slowly. "Exactly."

Lee's excitement was palpable. A genuine smile spread across his face. For the first time in a while, it felt like he was getting closer to something. That smile seemed to infect Odalys, and she couldn't help but return it, if only slightly.