Chapter 496

Evander silently watched the surveillance footage. He poured Odalys a cup of coffee and handed it to her. "At this rate, the Bennett Group's good fortune is ending."

"You don't need to understand energy fields to see this," Evander continued. "Just observe the Bennett children's personalities and mindsets. When faced with problems, they don't seek solutions; they shift the burden onto others."

He continued, "Take Henry, for instance. He suggested sending Atlas to seduce Sophia to see if she possesses a Love Spell. But what if Atlas dies? Then what?"

"I heard Henry became ruthless after taking over the business," Evander said disdainfully. "It seems that's true."

Clarence Lark's frown relaxed. "It's shameful they don't care about their siblings," he said. "Odalys, don't fall for the Bennett family's tricks."

Looking at Odalys's delicate face and recalling her actions in the time tunnel the previous night, Clarence liked her even more. He regretted that she was married to Percival; otherwise, he would have encouraged his less promising grandson to pursue her.

Dorian chimed in, "He knew Edie was Hannah's old friend, yet he had an affair with her, married her despite his parents' objections, and would do anything to get ahead—even sell his body. What kind of future could someone like that have?" He also looked down on Henry.

"Sophia used a Love Spell," Odalys suddenly announced.

Her words silenced the office. Everyone stared at her in shock.

"A Love Spell?" Evander's eyes widened. He sat up straight, afraid to miss a word.

"Yes," Odalys explained. "When Henry and Caspian arrived earlier, I only sensed a dark mist around them. However, when Atlas joined them, their aura drastically declined, and the dark mist intensified, threatening to consume them."

"I smelled a Love Spell on him," she said. "Sophia has struck again." Odalys chuckled. "She wouldn't back down so easily. Being rejected by them must have fueled her determination."

"What will happen to them after she uses the Love Spell?" Evander asked anxiously.

Odalys sipped her coffee, tapped her finger on the table, and said, "Their guard will subconsciously want to please her. Moreover, Oliver will find them soon."

She looked up at the surveillance screen just as the feed cut out. Although they reject her, they will…

Henry sat in the driver's seat. As he looked at Atlas, his phone vibrated. Thinking it was Edie, he almost hung up. When he saw the familiar number, he sat up alert.

"Hello?" Henry's voice was strained.

Claver had disappeared since their hospital argument. Henry tried to find him, but Oliver avoided him. After the Bennett family's troubles became known, others were unwilling to help. He didn't expect Oliver to call.

"The Bennett family is finished," Oliver said in a deep voice.

Henry's smile faded. He put the call on speaker.

Chapter 196 (Note: This should likely be a continuation of Chapter 496, not a separate chapter.)

"Mr. Carline, what do you mean?" Henry gripped the steering wheel, trying to control his emotions. He'd become impatient and irritable recently.

"Have your brothers been experiencing frequent accidents lately? Bloodshed, injuries, car accidents—threats against your lives? Unrest in the household?" Oliver's voice was calm.

Henry exchanged glances with the others. "What do you mean, Mr. Carline?" he asked, feigning puzzlement. Sensing Henry's deception, Oliver coughed.

"I feel a connection to your family. I can help resolve your issues, but you'll need to trade something in return. I want the necklace Odalys once gave your mother."

Henry fell silent. Getting the necklace from Odalys was impossible.

"Not only could the three of them not defeat her together, they wouldn't dare provoke the Stewart family. To do so would be suicide," Henry said. "Besides the necklace, is there another choice?"

"Her blood will do as well," Oliver replied without hesitation.

"Okay," Henry said, nodding to the others. "When will you arrive at Bennett Villa? We'll discuss this then."

"Now," Oliver said.

He desperately needed Odalys's necklace, or something else she owned, to suppress the mark on his face. Without it, the mark—a Lockfang—would deepen, and the energy of his miscarried child would grow stronger, draining him.

"Alright, we'll go home and wait for you," Henry said, hanging up.

Caspian slumped back, running his fingers through his hair. "Henry, are you sure you can get him?"

"I've promised him. We'll deal with it later. For now, we need to focus on the immediate issues," Henry replied.

Atlas sat there, feeling constricted, as if an invisible hand were clutching him.

"Let's go home," Henry said, starting the car and turning towards Bennett Villa.

In the office, Odalys watched the surveillance footage and listened to the conversation. She propped her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

"The Bennetts are utterly shameless," Evander muttered angrily, slamming his hand on the desk. He hadn't expected Henry would…

"Evander, don't be angry. I've been stirring things behind the scenes," Odalys said, hurriedly calming him before explaining her plot against the producer and his wife.

As Evander listened, doubt flickered in his sharp eyes.

"It was the two who came here yesterday at noon," Odalys reminded him.

Hearing this, Clarence slapped his thigh. "I remember! We were leaving when that man rushed over, supporting a pregnant woman. I even prayed her baby wouldn't miscarry."

"So it was them," Evander realized.

Dorian also pulled up a chair and leaned closer.

The office was silent, the atmosphere shifting as if the four seasons were cycling through.

Evander remarked, "He plotted against Zachary's wife, hoping to cause a miscarriage and intensify her husband's resentment, then, through your charm, that unborn child has been transformed into a Lockfang, striking Oliver's face."

"He's in such a hurry to find Henry and the others. Is he trying to resolve this problem?" Evander asked.

This cleaned-up version corrects grammatical errors, improves sentence structure, and removes inconsistencies in punctuation and formatting. I also combined what appeared to be two halves of the same chapter. If they are truly meant to be separate, please let me know and I will adjust accordingly.