Chapter 484
“When you opened the Cayenne’s door earlier, did the hand that reached out feel familiar?” Odalys asked.
Percival’s fingers tightened around his water cup. The image of the outstretched arm replayed in his mind. He finally said, “It was my father’s hand. He loved coffee; the heat left faint marks on his fingertips from always holding a cup.”
Recalling the scene, Percival frowned. Those hands had forcefully pushed him and Odalys back. A strange, stifling discomfort swelled in his chest.
“I wondered if my father, Morpheus, was trying to save me,” Percival said. “He wanted to alter events, but it would come at a cost. Hence, he stopped me.”
“You’re saying the person who pushed you out of the time tunnel was your father?” Evander’s voice grew hoarse, though his composed demeanor betrayed his emotion.
“Yes,” Percival confirmed.
Orson rubbed his chin, confusion flashing across his striking features. “Then why did the time tunnel appear tonight?”
Odalys remained silent, the events replaying in her mind, each detail magnified. She pressed her lips together, leaning back in her chair. Her long, black hair arched elegantly, flowing like silk. The soft light gilded her figure.
“Perhaps some things can be changed,” she finally said.
“Maybe the Stewart family’s ancestors left a safeguard,” Odalys added. Unsure but feeling it strongly, she continued, “What do you mean?” Percival asked, his heartbeat quickening. A faint hope sparked within him.
Odalys turned, her gaze meeting his. For a moment, it felt as if their souls connected, revealing innermost thoughts.
“Perhaps it starts with prayers,” Odalys said. “But if misused, they can harm. My astrological sign was pressed under the Stewart family’s thurible. Thuribles are…”
“Although I haven’t rested since returning from the energy junction, I feel surprisingly energized,” Slar interjected. “And today, the time tunnel appeared. I was the first to enter, suggesting a connection between me and the Stewart family. I could open the tunnel, but only to the moment of Morpheus’s accident.”
Cadalys’s words sent a shockwave through the room.
“I’m not certain, but I feel everything ties back to my astrological sign. Someone wanted to twist my luck. We were meant to meet disaster at the energy junction earlier, but Morpheus shielded us. We unexpectedly saw…” Codalys concluded, “Perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, many things are predetermined.” It wasn’t arrogance, but an absence of any other explanation that made sense to her.
“Odalys, does this mean you and Percival are destined to be together?” Blossom’s imagination ran wild. “Since you’re fated to marry him, is that how the Stewart family’s ancestors protected and guided you?” Her gaze darted between Odalys and Percival.
“I don’t know. Maybe,” Odalys replied lightly. In the previous timeline, she’d never met Percival before her death, though he’d collected her body afterward. Around the 1920s, the couple tragically died during their wedding. Something then had prompted someone to kill both her and Percival. And in this timeline, everything seemed to revolve around the Stewart family. Odalys couldn’t figure out her significance to them.
“No matter how it happened, at least you two married, and Percival averted misfortune!” Clarence said warmly. “That’s good. Odalys, you’re a blessing to both the Stewart and Lark families. Come, let’s have a drink,” he added, pouring himself a glass.
Evander perked up. The group shifted their focus back to the meal, which lasted three hours. They finally wrapped up at 11 pm. Orson drove Clarence home. Sienna and Dangelo returned to the hospital; Dangelo’s condition wasn’t fully recovered, and he’d abstained from drinking. Harvey and Celeste watched as Percival drove away.
Blossom, leaning against the wall, gazed at Percival’s departing car. “Mom, I feel like Percival and Odalys have a mysterious connection. I kept getting this strange feeling. They don’t seem like a couple who just married to dispel bad luck. Their bond runs deep; it’s like they’ve shared a long and profound history,” she murmured quietly.
Celeste tapped her daughter’s forehead. “You’ve been reading too many romance novels! Your brain’s full of nonsense! You’re always overly sensitive,” Celeste concluded indulgently.
Harvey nodded slightly. “If the time tunnel and energy junction are real, Blossom’s not entirely wrong. Regardless, the Tillery family must help the Stewarts through this,” Harvey said thoughtfully. “If the Stewarts fall, Crownridge could collapse. Our family wouldn’t be safe either. The people involved are influential. We must be vigilant.” His gaze was sharp and calculating. His insights, as a businessman, were precise.
The Tillery family had always been neutral, but this time, he chose to stand with the Stewarts. It wasn’t for power or favor; he refused to let others trample them. The grudge from Blossom’s near-death experience due to Sophia’s love spell was something he could never forget.
“Dad, I saw on the news that Sophia is pregnant. They say she’s involved with Windsor and a few other men in the Bennett family. Whose child is she carrying?” Blossom asked, disbelief in her eyes.
“Don’t waste your time with this nonsense! Go shower and go to bed,” Celeste interjected, pulling her daughter toward the house.
Harvey remained silent, looking up at the sky, now swallowed by dark clouds. “It seems like a storm is coming. I hope everyone is safe,” he said, his tone laden with meaning—a warning, a reminder to tread carefully. He hoped his choice would protect the Tillery family.