Chapter 451

Just as Hannah reached for her phone, she felt an icy pressure on her wrist. The old man had raised his foot and stepped on her hand, pushing her phone away with a swift kick.

“What do you want?!” Hannah screamed in terror.

Without answering, the old man pulled a knife from his robe and swiftly slashed her arm. Blood oozed from the wound, and only then did he nod in satisfaction. “The negative energy here is so dense. It needs a bit of color to match the atmosphere, don’t you think?” he said, his tone almost playful as he watched her blood seep out.

Hannah winced, her body jerking with pain. The old man, still standing, looked around the Bennett Villa.

“After leaving Crownridge for so long, I’ve finally found my energy field here,” he muttered to himself with quiet satisfaction. He then kicked the sofa away from her, his movements deliberate and almost casual.

Hannah felt the weight lift, and before she knew it, he had dragged her back into the living room, her body bouncing across the floor as he pulled her along.

Her previous arrogance and defiance had evaporated, replaced by a deep, gnawing fear. The once lively Bennett Villa was now silent, empty, and suffocating. It felt like a mausoleum—completely alone, with no one to help her. She had never imagined someone would barge in and assault her like this.

“What do you want from me?” she gasped, the pain from her wound making it difficult to speak.

She was no fool. She was Hannah, after all. She had clawed her way to the top, and she knew this old man was no harmless villager. His words made it clear he was after the Bennett family, and his presence here wasn't accidental. If he had targeted Sophia and Odalys before, then this was clearly the culmination of his plan.

She recalled his words about his son dying in front of her home, and the chill that ran through her was almost unbearable. Her mind reeled with the implications.

“I heard you and Windsor divorced. I assume he won’t be back here for a while,” the old man continued, his voice light, as if discussing the weather. “And your sons have all moved out. I even saw your youngest son leave. It seems like we’ll be living together from now on.”

He spoke so casually, almost as if it were inevitable. Then, without further thought, he reached for a coffee cup and began brewing himself a cup of coffee.

Hannah watched him, growing increasingly nervous. This wasn’t some rustic old man from a mountain village; he had the demeanor of someone accustomed to wealth and luxury. The way he carefully prepared his coffee only confirmed her suspicions.

“Who is this man? What does he want?” Hannah’s heart raced. Her instincts screamed that something terrible was about to happen, but the fear was suffocating. She bit her lip, trying to focus, trying to stay calm.

“Don’t worry,” the old man said, taking a slow sip of his coffee, his eyes glinting with something dark. “I won’t kill you.”

As Hannah tried to push herself up, the old man, with a casual flick of his wrist, threw his coffee cup directly at her. It hit her squarely in the face, shattering with a loud crash.

She screamed in pain as the hot liquid burned her skin, and before she could react, everything went black.

The old man stood up, surveying the room, nodding in satisfaction. “The Bennett Villa truly is the most wicked place in all of Crownridge,” he muttered to himself. “A perfect match for me.”

At 3:30 a.m., a luxury Cayenne sped down the highway, cutting through the darkness like a streak of light. Its headlights pierced the night.

As he turned to the backseat, Callum said, “We’ve arrived, Mr. Stewart,” his voice tired but respectful.

Percival was sitting there, staring at Odalys, who had fallen asleep beside him. With a gesture from Percival, Callum nodded in understanding.

7:30 a.m.

Chapter 431

He got out of the car, closing the door quietly behind him. Instead of walking away, he stood by the vehicle, gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

As the car came to a halt, Odalys stirred, her brows furrowing as she slowly woke up.

“Are we here?” she asked groggily, blinking as she tried to adjust to the surroundings.

Odalys stretched and opened the door, stepping out of the car. Callum, seeing her move, hurried to meet her but stopped short when he saw her walking in a different direction.

“Percival, come here,” Odalys called out.

Percival moved swiftly to her side, noticing her urgent pace as she headed toward the old tree in front of the Stewart Villa. When she reached the tree, she stopped, said a few words, and then opened her canvas bag, pulling out a small handful of dirt.

“Help me place this here,” she instructed, handing the dirt to Percival.

Without question, Percival took the dirt, walked to the tree, and gently placed it near the roots, even arranging a flower nearby to cover it. Once done, he stepped back.

Odalys reached into her bag again and pulled out a talisman. She threw it onto the dirt, and in an instant, the talisman ignited, turning into a torch before quickly disintegrating into ashes.

“It’s done. I’m going back to sleep now,” Odalys said, turning to leave. She didn’t need to look back to know Percival was following her. As they walked toward the villa, she murmured, “Before you leave every day, stand under this tree for a moment. Just stand there for a bit.”

“Understood,” Percival responded immediately, his voice steady.

Odalys glanced at him, a hint of curiosity in her expression. “Aren’t you curious as to why I’m asking you to do this? Aren’t you worried I’m playing some trick on you?”

Percival shrugged and gave her an earnest look. “I trust you. I know you wouldn’t deceive me.”

Odalys paused, a bit taken aback. She hadn’t expected him to trust her so completely.

“By the way,” she added, “after you’ve loosened up Callum’s team, that old man from the mountain village will probably have escaped by now. You should tell your people to stop monitoring him.”

Percival’s interest piqued. “Do you know where he went?”

Odalys gave a light snap of her fingers and walked ahead with casual ease, saying, “The Bennett family. Didn’t I tell you? The Bennett Villa has the heaviest negative energy in all of Crownridge.”

“Right now, it’s only the Bennett Villa and the Simpson villa that are so steeped in it.”

“His son died there that night, and I knew right then he’d target the Bennett family. With his son’s death, he plans to take over the Bennett Villa’s territory.”

“This man is an expert at reading energy fields, and I’m sure he’s an old acquaintance of Windsor. But he’s been preparing for this moment all along.”

Odalys continued, her tone light as she walked, seemingly carefree. “The other night when Rafael died outside Film Capital, I knew he would make a move. After Callum’s men let him slip away, he’d go straight to the Bennett Villa. It was inevitable.”

“And that’s why I wanted the Bennett family to tear each other apart. Once they’re all too broken to return, that’s when he’ll slip in.”

She spoke with such ease, as though everything had already been orchestrated and was unfolding exactly as she had planned. Everything, it seemed, was under her control. She may have appeared simple, but to those who truly knew her, she was already several steps ahead.