Chapter 444

Odalys anxiously glanced at Percival, then at the woman’s figure, her heart inexplicably agitated. Despite the woman’s appearance being identical to her own, the moment she saw her call Percival’s name, he seemed on the verge of releasing Odalys’s hand. The pain she felt was undeniable.

Odalys couldn’t quite place what was troubling her, but as Percival loosened his grip, she felt as though her soul had left her body. A suffocating weight pressed on her chest, unlike anything she had ever experienced. Deep down, she knew that if Percival stepped forward and took that woman’s hand, walking away with her, his fate would be death.

But she could do nothing. She could stop nothing. The abyss and the bridge were both strange and unnerving. Suddenly, a phrase appeared in her mind: Bridge of Sighs.

Odalys was completely lost, torn by her inner turmoil. But just as she was spiraling into despair, a tight grip wrapped around her waist. She looked up in confusion, only to be pulled into Percival’s strong embrace. She collapsed into his arms, feeling the comforting pressure of his protective hold.

“She’s not you,” Percival’s voice was rough, as if filled with a mixture of pain and clarity. His large, steady hand covered her ear, and he leaned down to meet her gaze. In his eyes, she saw her own reflection. The suffocating despair melted away, replaced by an unexpected sense of calm.

“Percival…” The woman was still calling his name.

Odalys stared at the unwavering determination in Percival’s eyes. She was shocked by what she saw, then heard him say, “Look.”

Before she could respond, Percival gently turned her head toward the bridge. She saw a tall figure striding confidently toward the woman. The man’s stature and elegance made her pause. Her shock flared again as she took in Percival’s handsome profile—it was indeed him.

“What’s happening?” Odalys murmured, her voice barely a whisper.

There, before her eyes, Percival, dressed in his military uniform, stood beside a woman—herself—in a red wedding gown. They held hands and walked toward the other end of the bridge, never looking back.

The woman paused after a few steps, turning to glance at Odalys. She smiled softly, a smile that seemed to reach deep into Odalys’s soul. The smile hit Odalys like a wave, and she felt her eyes sting with tears. She reached up to wipe her face, realizing she was crying. She had always prided herself on having a hard heart, on never being easily moved. Yet, here she was, helplessly weeping.

In a flurry of motion, Odalys wiped away her tears. When she looked up again, the two figures had disappeared into the night. Without thinking, she instinctively moved to follow them. She saw the woman suddenly lift her veil; it floated through the air, landing softly on Odalys’s face, leaving behind a faint, familiar scent—the fragrance Odalys loved.

She sneezed instinctively. With the sneeze, the bridge ahead of her collapsed with a thunderous sound. Before she could react, Percival was there, catching her in his arms. Everything went black.

“Odalys, Mr. Stewart,” came Callan’s voice.

Odalys let out a muffled sound as she regained consciousness. The illusion had vanished, and she found herself and Percival lying amidst the tulle. Callan, with scratches on his arm, hurried toward them.

Chapter 111

“That was eerie. It was exactly midnight. I thought I was seeing things,” Callan muttered.

Odalys, hearing him mention midnight, quickly pulled out her phone. The screen showed exactly 12:00 AM. She reached up to touch her face and realized the veil was still there, the faint scent lingering.

“She saved us,” Odalys said with certainty.

Percival looked at the veil in her hand, then met her clear gaze. He hesitated, almost in disbelief, before reaching for the veil himself. The image of him and Odalys, walking side by side—him in his military uniform and her in her wedding dress—flashed through his mind.

So, were they supposed to marry? Had they been married in the 1920s? The wedding dress seemed to suggest they had died before they could marry. Odalys had mentioned someone wanting them bound together. Could someone have used her to manipulate their fate, intending to steal her life?

The memory of Odalys’s past life flashed in Percival’s mind—the one where she had jumped from the balcony of the Bennett family home. He wouldn’t allow her to die. He couldn’t let anyone take her from him.

“Percival, we’re not just tied by one life. In the 1920s, we had another life together,” Odalys grabbed Percival’s arm, locking eyes with him.

Callan looked on, completely confused, clearly unable to understand what they were talking about.

“In that past life, when you jumped, we had only just met. What we saw just now, in the 1920s, was us in wedding clothes. So, in the 1920s, we were already married. The fates were sealed, but something went wrong before we could be happy. The image we saw must have been when we died before the marriage; that’s why we were still in our wedding clothes,” Percival’s voice was deep and resolute.

“So, we’re destined to be together. In other words, we were always meant to be, but someone interfered. Someone didn’t want us together. Maybe, if we did end up together, it would ruin someone’s plans. So they calculated your astrological signs and tricked the Bennett family into abandoning you. They originally wanted your life. But then your master appeared and saved you, taking you away. Edie married into the Stewart family, and everything seemed to go smoothly, but then you came back. When you returned to the Bennett family, you were forced into marriage again, and that’s how you and I met. Because you didn’t die, the situation turned around. We ended up marrying, and now the Simpson family is panicking, sending Windsor and Quinton rushing back from abroad. So, the Simpson family knows things we don’t. The Bennett family is in the dark about all of this. They were probably being manipulated for some kind of profit, or for other reasons. Since you were born into the Bennett family, your fate can influence the Bennett Group, and that’s why Edie wanted to marry Henry.”

Percival was piecing the puzzle together, and as he spoke, it seemed to make more and more sense. The Simpson family set up a place here to honor the Stewart family, and they trapped your father there to lure you in. They wanted to trap you, but they didn’t expect me to slip a talisman into your pocket. I was led here by the talisman, ruining their plans. And they didn’t expect that the spirits of the honored plaques were guarding my astrological signs, which kept us from being trapped here.