Chapter 437

Odalys didn't get out of the car to follow him. Instead, she remained seated, watching as the old man disappeared around the corner. A few seconds later, he reappeared, stepping out from the same bend. Odalys smirked, observing his cautious movements.

She knew he was testing for a tail. If someone had been following him, they would have rushed to catch up when he disappeared, only to collide with him upon his reappearance. But when the man emerged and saw no one, it was clear he'd confirmed he wasn't being followed. Only then did he stride confidently toward a narrow alley.

Odalys stepped out of the car, swiftly moving behind him. As he entered a courtyard and closed the door, she halted. Her foot hovered in mid-air before retracting. She stood in the shadows, inspecting the courtyard. It wasn't just an ordinary place—it was protected by a powerful barrier. Any intruder coming too close would trigger a lethal force, and anyone inside would immediately sense it, forcing them to flee.

"Interesting," Odalys murmured, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "So, you've got more tricks up your sleeve than I thought. To think that after all these years, you still have a place here in Crownridge."

Earlier, when she had deliberately approached him, she'd assumed he was loyal to the Stewart family—someone she could manipulate into believing she trusted him. Percival's appearance in the mountain village had made him feel smug, thinking his plans were working perfectly. But neither she nor Percival had been fooled. They had seen through his facade long ago. All of it—his son's death, which seemed like an accident—was likely part of his own twisted scheme to garner sympathy and lower others' guards.

Now, standing at the edge of the courtyard, Odalys took a talisman from her pocket. With a few quick, practiced strokes in the air, she tossed it toward the barrier. The moment the talisman touched the barrier, the wards were momentarily undone, opening a hidden door. Odalys stepped forward, her presence concealed, moving quickly into the courtyard.

From the outside, the place seemed ordinary. But Odalys could sense the intricate array of formations. The items scattered around—what appeared to be mere decorations—were actually arranged according to a sacred mirror array. Any slight disturbance, any wrong move, and the entire formation would activate, trapping anyone inside. The consequences would be fatal.

She had encountered such deadly arrays before, but it was rare to see one in Crownridge. Yet, here it was.

She entered, standing near the entrance. The old man, now inside, turned sharply, his eyes scanning the space. "Who's there?" he called, his voice wary.

He stepped toward the door, scanning the area outside. When he saw no one, he was visibly unsettled.

"What's going on? Why do I keep feeling like someone's watching me, yet I can't see anyone? Could someone have used an invisibility talisman? No, that's impossible—today's people don't even understand the basics of these arts," the old man muttered to himself, his brow furrowed.

There was no trace of mourning on his face—no sign of grief for the son he had just lost. Instead, there was only cold calculation and a look of cruel resolve.

Not bothering to linger, he quickly shut the door and left in a hurry, walking as though fleeing for his life. Odalys followed silently, keeping a safe distance until he exited the alley. Only then did she return to her car.

To set up such a secretive array in a back alley like this in Crownridge, she reflected, her mind sharp. And yet he'd been hiding away in his mountain village, playing the victim!

Her thoughts shifted, becoming deeper and darker. "Could the visions I saw in Edie's consciousness have something to do with him?"

She thought of the strange power in Sophia's body. "What's the connection between him, Edie, and Sophia? And if he knows Sophia, why did she never acknowledge him during that variety show? She went after that disgusting Rafael, but never once crossed paths with this man."

Chapter 137

Odalys sank into thought, her mind racing. Her instincts were always sharp—she could feel something was off with these people, but their fates had clearly been tampered with. It was impossible to read through the layers of manipulation.

Everything seemed to be part of a larger, preordained plan. What she saw was only a surface-level illusion.

So, Odalys didn't jump to conclusions. Instead, she followed the trail step by step, unraveling the web bit by bit, forcing them to reveal their true selves. Some people might rush to judgment, mistaking appearances for the truth. But those who acted too hastily often ended up walking right into someone else's trap—sometimes paying the ultimate price.

Having traveled through time, Odalys understood the value of her life. She wasn't about to throw it away recklessly.

As she started her car to leave, a sudden sharp pain in her chest made her pause.

"Percival's in trouble?" Her mind reeled, disbelief washing over her.

She almost couldn't believe it. Looking up, she noticed the sun had been suddenly obscured by dark clouds. The air around her seemed to shift, as though a storm was brewing. It felt like everything was closing in on her. In that moment, Odalys was almost thrown off balance.

Her eyes, now cold and sharp, seemed to freeze the very air around her.

In a remote, decaying town, the once-thriving buildings were long abandoned. The air was thick with the calls of crows, and shadows flitted through the ruins.

"Mr. Stewart, something's off here," Callum remarked, glancing around with unease.

He surveyed the area, which resembled a desolate burial ground. Blood, dried and cracked, stained the earth, and fragments of bodies littered the ground.

Percival stood calmly, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked around with the detached demeanor of someone who had expected this all along. His gaze swept over the surroundings like a god surveying the world he had created.

"As I suspected," he muttered. "This place was once a bustling town, but something went terribly wrong. The people here died, and now it's a burial ground—a place no one dares approach anymore."

He stepped forward, completely unfazed. "The Simpson villa—the location is correct, but this is cursed ground. The negative energy here is heavy. The Simpson family had no idea I'd come here. They never realized the danger in this place."

Callum, trying to match Percival's calm demeanor, immediately understood the gravity of the situation.

He said, "Looks like the Simpson villa has more secrets than we thought. As Odalys suspected, the Simpson family is hiding something, but it's Quinton who seems to be at the center of it. We don't know much about him. He's the one who runs the Simpson family, but rarely shows himself, never interacts with people from our circle."

Percival's lips curved slightly, an edge of coldness in his voice. "The more elusive someone is, the more likely they're hiding something. He might not even be human."

Callum shivered involuntarily at the words.

"Not human?" He blinked in confusion, his voice faltering. "You mean—he's not human? But he came to the Stewart family once, and that was in broad daylight."

(The passage ends abruptly here. There's a partial word "A col held" at the end which is incomplete and doesn't make sense in context.)