Chapter 423

Atlas, young and carefree, had always been pampered by his parents. He’d never had to worry about making decisions, and now, with things having gone terribly wrong, he was completely lost.

“Don’t go back to the Bennett Villa for now,” Caspian advised. “Move out and see if things improve.”

Atlas opened his mouth, hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.

Caspian let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least someone was on his side. As long as he wasn’t fighting this battle alone, there was still hope.

“So what now?” Ailas asked, his voice uncertain.

Caspian paused before responding. “We need to check the surveillance footage. We need to find out how Henry got involved with Sophia. Something’s not right about this whole thing.”

Before Atlas could respond, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from outside.

The two exchanged looks and rushed to the door. They found Windsor, his face twisted with rage, grabbing Hannah by the hair and slamming her head against the wall.

“Who told you to touch my things?” Windsor spat, his voice dripping with fury. “Didn’t I tell you not to mess with Sophia?”

His eyes were bloodshot, filled with almost animalistic fury.

Hannah, her forehead bleeding, struggled desperately against his grip, but Windsor held her fast, his anger escalating with each passing second.

“You let Henry sleep with her? Are you trying to ruin everything for me?” Windsor roared, delivering another brutal kick to Hannah’s side. She crashed to the floor, unable to protect herself.

Not far away, Dangelo leaned against the wall, supported by Sienna, watching the scene unfold.

“Good thing you only share a name with her,” Dangelo muttered to himself, shuddering.

Sienna shot him an irritated look and swatted his shoulder. “Don’t bring that up again. You don’t want me to turn on you.”

Dangelo, unoffended, sighed. “I don’t get it. Windsor’s acting completely out of character. I’ve worked with him before. He’s always been level-headed, able to keep his cool. But now! He’s completely lost it.”

Sienna frowned. “I’m worried. It’s not just Windsor. Something’s off with the whole Bennett family. I’ll have to talk to Odalys. We need to stay alert.”

She felt like something more was at play—something hidden beneath the surface. It was like the entire Bennett family was unraveling.

“Let’s head back,” Dangelo said gravely.

As they turned to leave, they noticed Harvey and Celeste observing them from a distance. The four locked eyes, and Harvey spoke first. “Has Caspian contacted you two recently?”

He and Celeste were dressed down, trying to blend in, and had come away from the crowd. Their conversation was private, out of the public eye.

“Has he been in touch with you?” Dangelo asked, surprised. Caspian had been contacting them frequently, trying to use their connections to arrange a meeting with Odalys.

“It seems like Caspian’s not as simple as he seems,” Harvey said, his tone suspicious. “He’s trying to use us to get closer to Odalys. What’s his real game?” As businessmen, they were accustomed to recognizing when something was off. Caspian’s motives weren’t entirely clear, and now they were starting to grow wary.

“We’ll talk more in your room,” Sienna interrupted, sensing the conversation was heading into dangerous territory. “We don’t want anyone overhearing.”

The four moved discreetly toward the VIP section of the hospital, ensuring that no one could overhear. They even had their bodyguards posted at the door to keep eavesdroppers away.

In the operating room, Orson, wearing gloves, inserted the needle and injected the sedative into Henry and Sophia’s veins. With a soft clink, he tossed the syringe aside.

The operating room was frigid, and Henry and Sophia, feeling the cold, began to stir. They were about to speak, but the anesthesia took effect almost immediately, and their eyes glazed over, their bodies going limp.

“Everyone out,” Orson ordered.

The medical staff quickly left, knowing their presence wasn’t necessary. Orson had complete control.

Once the room cleared, he stood over the unconscious bodies, watching them closely. He rubbed his temples, then walked to the door as he heard a knock. He pressed a button, and the door slid open, revealing Odalys.

“How’s it going?” Odalys asked calmly but expectantly.

Orson gestured for her to follow him to the operating table. “I’ve given them both the anesthetic. They won’t wake up for at least an hour,” he explained.

Odalys looked down at them, her eyes narrowing. “So, when you carried Henry into the room earlier, you were… treating him with something else?” she asked, a slight edge to her voice.

Orson cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well… I thought it would help,” he admitted, rubbing his wrist. He was trying to play the role of her assistant, a role he wasn’t used to. “I just wanted to see if they were really innocent, but I didn’t expect Sophia to want his heart’s blood. What does she need it for?”

Odalys’ gaze hardened. “Finnian was under her love spell. She drained his luck, used him as a puppet until he was ruined. That’s how she operates.” Orson’s eyes widened. Hearing Finnian’s name made him freeze. He hadn’t expected to hear it in this context. He had never suspected that the Lark family’s downfall had been caused by someone like Sophia. The truth about Finnian being the “illegitimate” son had been a public scandal, but the Lark family had never questioned it. Now, it seemed they’d been manipulated by Finnian’s mother.

“Is this about Henry’s heart’s blood, too?” Orson asked.

“It’s related,” Odalys explained. “Getting someone’s heart’s blood is a form of control, whether it’s for love spells or other dark magic. Once it’s taken, it binds the soul to the one who possesses it.”

“So she’s trying to turn Henry into her puppet!” Orson whispered.

Odalys nodded. “Sophia is an expert at these twisted arts. She knows how to manipulate people’s fates.”

Orson looked at Sophia, his mind racing. “But if she’s from the Bennett family, why would she be practicing these dark arts? A true heir from such a family wouldn’t bother with this kind of thing.”

Odalys stared at Sophia, her expression unreadable. “You want to see her true form?”

Orson blinked. “What do you mean?”

(The passage ends abruptly here.)