Chapter 449

He sat staring blankly at the ceiling. The Bennett Villa was on the brink of collapse, and with it, he'd lost his job. His former friends had vanished, and no one dared contact him. Now, he could only stay home, unable to go anywhere.

“If Sophia is really pregnant with Windsor’s child, bringing her home might make Windsor reconsider,” Hannah muttered bitterly, clinging to a glimmer of hope. Then, she commanded, “Call Sophia. Tell her to come home.”

Atlas, already frustrated, stood up angrily. “She was arrested this morning! They framed Odalys, and Sophia was taken in for spreading rumors. She's at the station!” he yelled, his patience snapping. This was the first time he'd shouted at his mother.

His temper had always been better controlled than his brothers', but the pressure was overwhelming. He felt trapped, suffocated by the chaos. He even envied Caspian, who'd made a clean break and moved out, while he remained stuck, trying to clean up the mess. What was the point?

Hannah's face darkened. She was used to Atlas's compliance, but now he was rebelling. “You’re yelling at me? Atlas, you’re yelling at your own mother?” she wailed, playing the victim. “I gave birth to all of you! And look at this mess! If any of you had been more capable…”

Her words dripped with resentment. “If you boys were better, would the Bennett family be falling apart like this?” She wiped away fake tears, her pale face emphasizing her apparent helplessness.

Atlas froze, unsure how to respond. Then, blurting out the question before he could stop himself, he asked, “Why did you adopt Sophia and abandon Odalys?”

His naive perception of Sophia had shattered. Knowing her involvement with so many men, he couldn't look at her the same way. The memory of their past flirtations hit him hard, and he felt betrayed. He thought he understood her, but the truth was…

Hannah's face darkened instantly. “What are you saying? Do you think I was wrong?” she snapped. “Odalys poisoned you all! You think she's a saint? Look at what’s happened—it’s all her fault!” Her voice was laced with fury as she twisted the blame.

“I suspect Sophia is using Odalys’s methods to seduce your father. Sophia hasn’t acted like this before—why now, after Odalys returned? Odalys cursed the Bennett family!”

Hannah's words became erratic, justifying everything by blaming Odalys, even though the timeline didn't match.

“No, Mom. Three years ago, when Sophia and Windsor had that night together, Odalys wasn’t even back. She was still in the mountains. You’re wrong,” Atlas countered.

He still couldn't believe Odalys was capable of such things. She'd always been dignified, unlike Sophia, who had always been more flirtatious. Comparing them, it was hard to deny Sophia's promiscuity.

“Don’t tell me what I know, Atlas! Get Sophia and Odalys back here!” Hannah commanded shrilly. “I need to see for myself if Sophia seduced Windsor.”

Atlas recoiled. “Mom, you’re going too far. Bringing them back solves nothing. We saw Sophia with Windsor in the study—what are we going to do, force a confession?”

He added logically, “She was forced into a marriage, and now she's part of the Stewart family. We can't afford to antagonize them.”

It was as if he'd suddenly gained insight. With Caspian gone and Henry absent, Atlas, forced to handle things alone, felt his mind had cleared. He'd never had to think about these things before; Henry and Caspian always handled them. Now, realizing he had his own opinions, he said, “What did you say? You’re doubting me?” Hannah said in shock. “I raised you, and this is how you repay me?”

Atlas had always been easy to control, but this was the first time he'd ever rebutted her. “Mom, maybe it’s time you woke up. Whether it involves Odalys or not, you should know better than I do. Don’t mess with the Stewart family, or we might not survive.”

“If you want to fight Sophia over a man, fine. But don’t drag me into your drama,” Atlas said, tossing his hands up and walking away. He threw a needle in the trash, grabbed his phone, and left.

“Atlas, where are you going? Come back!” Hannah screamed.

But Atlas didn't look back, driving off without a word.

“Fine, leave! I hope you all die!” Hannah cursed, smashing the ashtray. She slumped onto the sofa, defeated. Her injuries—leg injuries and a fractured waist—left her powerless.

“How did it come to this? If Windsor ends up with Sophia, I’m finished. Do I have to beg Odalys to save me?” She muttered, “If Sophia’s pregnant, I’ll get rid of the child. I heard unborn children carry negative energy. I won’t need my useless sons anymore.”

She seemed to have gone mad. “Sophia and Windsor cannot be together,” she said, grabbing her phone.

She called the police station, learning Sophia had been bailed. Sophia's phone was off. She called Windsor—his number was disconnected. She stood there, unsure who to call.

A cold wind blew open the window, and the room was plunged into darkness, as if an unseen hand had reached inside.