Chapter 498

“You did well! I’ll reward you,” Odalys said, poking the snake lightly on its head. The snake’s body stiffened, seemingly in anticipation. When her finger touched its head, a tingling sensation coursed through it, and it felt as though it were wrapped in bright light. Moments later, it slumped onto the seat, unconscious.

“It fainted!” Odalys was dumbfounded. “The snake was knocked out after a small reward.” Scratching her nose, she rolled up the car window and drove toward the film studio.

By the time Odalys arrived, it was already 4 p.m. The area felt quieter than usual; fewer actors were walking around. Most were likely inside, shooting scenes. Outside, only a lady selling hotdogs and a small smoothie stand were open.

After parking, Odalys tucked the unconscious snake into her canvas bag and planned to grab a drink. Just as she turned toward the stand, she noticed a group of men in sunglasses heading straight for her, radiating a menacing aura.

Odalys stopped, observing their hostile movements.

“You are Odalys, right?” the leader asked menacingly, blocking her way. He waved a metal rod; the two men flanking him brandished fruit knives. Behind her, two more men armed with electric batons cut off her escape.

“Yes,” Odalys replied quietly.

The leader removed his sunglasses and glanced at her contemptuously. “So it’s you! A young woman playing tricks and pretending to be mystical. Was it you who live-streamed a fortune-telling session yesterday and caused someone’s death?”

Odalys listened, guessing their identity. “Yes,” she nodded. No wonder she felt uneasy; someone was here to cause trouble.

“You’d better come with us!” The leader swung the rod threateningly. The two men grabbed her arms and pushed her forward. Odalys stumbled but didn’t resist. She could easily subdue them, but chose not to fight back. Since the trouble had found her, it needed to be resolved.

They “invited” her to a black luxury car parked in a corner. The leader knocked on the window. The door opened slowly, revealing a portly man with a round face. His black T-shirt stretched tightly over his protruding belly. His expression was angry, but the moment he saw her face, it shifted to lechery.

“You’re Odalys?” he sneered, his beady eyes scanning her. “Yesterday, you told my sister-in-law to…”

Odalys stood there, glancing at him coldly before her gaze landed on the back seat of the car. “What goes around comes around,” she said coldly.

The back door opened, and the woman from yesterday’s livestream stepped out, her eyes reddened. Spotting Odalys, she rushed over and pointed. “It’s her! She told me to confront your son, to make him give my son’s life force back. It’s all her doing!”

Her emotions flared as she jabbed a finger at Odalys, faltering slightly when their eyes met. Odalys tilted her head, studying the woman. Her eyes were red, but the greed was unmistakable. Disgusted, Odalys turned away, her expression bitter.

“It seems you’ve given up your child’s life for money,” Odalys said coldly.

The woman froze, shocked. Her face twisted, her anger flaring. “Nonsense! My son died because of you! If you hadn’t told me to confront my brother-in-law, my son wouldn’t have gotten into this mess!” She continued shifting the blame, her voice growing shriller.

Odalys strode forward. Seeing her approach, the woman panicked and took a step back. Odalys snatched her backpack and flung it back, scattering banknotes across the ground.

“My money! My money?” The woman shrieked, diving to grab the cash. Odalys stepped forward and stomped on her hand. She rarely targeted anyone, especially a defenseless woman, but this woman had gone too far, distorting the truth.

The truth was clear. Yesterday, the woman had sought justice for her son, hoping to reclaim his life force. But fear overtook her at the critical moment. Fearful of confrontation, she blamed Odalys. After midnight, she couldn’t convince her nephew to return her son’s life force. Tragically, her son died last night. She could have persevered, especially since her brother-in-law was absent. All that was needed was a promise. Instead, fear gripped her—fear of retaliation and discovery. Overwhelmed with remorse, she confided in her brother-in-law, urging him to confront Odalys.

“My hand! My hand!” the woman screamed and struggled. But her hand was crushed under Odalys’s foot. The woman looked up at Odalys’s cold gaze in horror, panicked, her lips moving, her eyes flickering, not daring to meet her gaze.

“You were too cowardly to save your son! You didn’t even dare to fight for his life!” Odalys’s voice was low. “You’re framing me? You manipulated your brother-in-law, even saying I was pretty enough to give him a healthy son, urging him to kidnap me as a mistress!” She never targeted anyone, but this woman had angered her.

“How do you know?” the woman was terrified. Only she and her brother-in-law knew these things, but Odalys seemed to have overheard their conversation.

“Be kind. Even if you can’t manage kindness, don’t harm others for no reason. You’ve truly angered me today,” Odalys said coldly. She shuddered at the thought of how many innocent lives this woman might ruin.

“Grab her! Didn’t you say you wanted a beautiful woman to give you a healthy son? Look at her. She has such a great figure and a fat butt. She’s…” the woman cried out.

Her words emboldened the portly man. His gaze grew even more lascivious as he looked at Odalys. “Get her in the car! If she dared harm my son, she can make it up to me by giving me a new, healthy one,” he ordered, gesturing for his men to seize her.