Chapter 473

“So, with this, Oliver will inevitably become entangled with the Bennett family…” Orson’s voice was filled with excitement. “Odalys, did you foresee this?”

He was practically buzzing with adrenaline. Magic, he decided, was far more thrilling than medical school.

“Move your hand,” Percival snapped, his eyes icy as they fixed on Orson’s hand, still resting on Odalys’s shoulder.

Orson froze, then glanced down, realizing that, in his enthusiasm, his hand had slipped onto Odalys’s shoulder, and he was leaning too close to her.

“What’s with the proximity?” Percival’s voice grew colder, his warning sharp.

Flustered, Orson immediately pulled his hand back. He hadn’t meant anything by it—he’d just gotten carried away with the conversation. He wasn’t trying to take advantage of Odalys.

“I… I wasn’t trying to…” Orson stammered, his face turning crimson with embarrassment. The others had always called him a playboy, but the truth was, he wasn’t nearly as experienced as people thought. His reputation was already ruined. His ears burned, and he quickly turned his face away, desperately trying to avoid looking at Odalys.

“Shall we add a little more fuel to the fire?” Percival’s voice cut through the awkward silence, his tone sly.

Odalys shook her head with a smile. “No need. If we push too hard, it’ll look too deliberate. Let them destroy themselves. Let them fall apart on their own.”

“Right,” Percival nodded approvingly.

Odalys turned her head, resting her cheek against the car window. The world outside sped past them as the luxury car cruised smoothly through the streets.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the unfamiliar number flashing on the screen, her fingers pausing momentarily before she answered.

“Odalys, it’s me,” Henry’s voice rasped through the phone, barely audible, as if he hadn’t had a drink of water in days. His throat was rough, and his words were laced with panic.

Odalys frowned, clearly irritated, preparing to hang up. “I told you not to call me again. What’s the point of using a new number?”

But Henry, sensing her intent, panicked. “Wait, don’t hang up. I need your help,” he pleaded, his voice strained. His desperation was palpable.

“I suspect something’s wrong with the Simpson family. Edie’s been with me, but she’s clearly trying to get close to the Bennett family. Sophia’s been with my father, and now the Bennett family’s falling apart. My parents are getting divorced. The other day, Edie threatened me, saying I had to take her back to the Bennett Villa. I think she’s looking for something there. So, I moved out and am staying elsewhere now. She even had Quinton beat me up. I’ve noticed something odd about Quinton. He’s changed. He’s not the same as he was before. I’ve seen him with my father overseas, and his attitude now is completely different,” Henry blurted out.

Odalys straightened, intrigued. His words were beginning to catch her attention.

“So what does that have to do with me?” she asked coolly. “This is your Bennett family’s mess, not mine.”

The more indifferent Odalys acted, the more frantic Henry became. His mind raced. He knew only one person could save him—Odalys. She was powerful, and with her connection to Percival, if he could get her on his side, he’d not only be safe but could possibly gain favor with the Stewart family. It was a win-win.

“Think back,” Henry pressed. “Why did your mother abandon you and adopt Sophia instead? Why did she choose her over you, even though you’re both daughters?”

Odalys laughed, a sharp, mocking sound that echoed through the phone. Henry was stunned. He thought these words would intrigue her, but instead, she laughed as if it were the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard.

“Because she’s a slut,” Odalys replied bluntly, her tone laced with scorn. “If I’d stayed in the Bennett family, I’d just be a servant, a tool for you all to use and abuse. But Sophia… well, she’s different. She can flirt with you all, offer you… entertainment value.”

Henry’s chest tightened. The words “entertainment value,” “slut”—they hit him like a punch to the gut. His pride, vanity, and sense of control crumbled in the face of Odalys’s casual cruelty.

“Henry,” Odalys said, calling out his full name, her voice icy.

Henry froze. An ominous feeling settled in his gut. He wanted to hang up, but he couldn’t stop himself from listening.

“Do you know why you’re so unlucky?” Odalys’s voice was cold. “Because you tried to hire someone to kidnap my master, maybe even kill him. You thought you’d kept it secret, didn’t you? But I knew. I’ve always known. You wanted to use my master to blackmail me into helping your Bennett family. You even thought I’d pave the way for Sophia, or step aside and let you take my position as Mrs. Stewart.”

Odalys’s words hit him like a series of punches. He realized every step he’d made had been seen through by her.

“And this is why you’re in the mess you’re in,” Odalys said with a sneer. “It’s not an accident. It’s karma. When you tried to harm me, the Bennett family was already done for. Did you ever wonder why Hannah suddenly had her legs broken? Why your company’s been falling apart?”

“You tried to harm me and use me? You’re not worthy.” Odalys’s voice was icy, her laughter mocking.

Her words were like daggers. He wanted to argue, to deny it, but the truth was undeniable. Everything she said was right.

“Just wait for your downfall,” Odalys said with finality. She didn’t give him a chance to respond. She hung up and blocked him.

Percival, who had been listening, couldn’t hide the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“You’re smiling. What’s so funny?” Odalys glanced at him, an eyebrow raised.

Percival steered the car expertly around a corner, still grinning. “You knew it was Henry calling, and you still answered on purpose.”

Odalys smirked. “Just to push him a little further. Make him feel the hopelessness, so that when Oliver shows up, Henry will jump at the chance to ally with him. Then we’ll see what Oliver’s really capable of. And we’ll find out if it was him, or someone else, who encouraged the Bennett family to abandon me all those years ago.” Her eyes sparkled with a dangerous gleam, and Percival admired her cunning.

“Ah, you really are something,” she added, almost teasingly.

Orson, who had been silently observing them, couldn’t help but feel like he was witnessing a dangerous love story unfold.

Just then, his phone buzzed. He sat up straighter, his excitement palpable.

“Odalys, the test results for all those rich families who’ve been sick have come back,” Orson said, practically bouncing in his seat.

“Well?” Odalys asked, her curiosity piqued.

Orson handed her the phone. “They may seem like different illnesses, but they all have one thing in common. As you suspected, there’s something strange linking them all,” Orson reported.

Odalys glanced at the results, her expression thoughtful.

“What about Dangelo’s cancer treatment? Has the research been completed?” she asked, her voice sharp.

Orson shook his head. “According to the prescription you gave, he’s been taking the medicine as directed, and his condition has been controlled. But the cancer cells in his body… they’re behaving strangely. The medication keeps them in check but doesn’t eliminate them. My grandfather’s still working on your prescription, trying to see if increasing the dosage could help.”

Odalys nodded slowly, her mind racing. Everything was falling into place.