Chapter 527

Sophia didn't extend her hand but retreated, eyeing Oliver warily, as if expecting him to harm her. She didn't trust men who could easily draw talismans; she'd been tricked by a fake magician before, sleeping with him and ruining her reputation.

"Strange," Oliver mused, "why can't I sense your pregnancy? Is the baby's energy hidden? If so" He fell into deep thought. He desperately needed a miscarried or unborn child—he'd been determined to obtain the fetus of the former producer's wife, but the producer had discovered his plan and burned the incriminating painting. Now, Sophia's pregnancy had reignited his hopes. The Bennett Villa, saturated with negative energy, was where Sophia resided. An abortion there would imbue the fetus with that negativity, making it even more potent than other aborted fetuses. He needed a powerful boost.

"Let's put aside her pregnancy," Oliver said. "Why did your magic zone fail? I fear my ancestor is dead."

At this, Brandon finally regained his composure. Earlier, Odalys and the others had disrupted his thoughts. Now, alone, he felt something was amiss.

"The magic zone failed," Brandon explained. "Francis appeared alive, and his body hadn't been possessed. Your ancestor couldn't occupy Francis's body within the allotted time."

"Given your ancestor's demise and Francis's current fortune, possession should have been easy," Oliver said, distressed. "How could it have gone wrong?"

His chest heaved, and he nearly vomited blood again. Though he'd survived the magic zone's failure, his injuries were severe, preventing him from creating more zones or drawing talismans. He was lucky to be alive, but the memory terrified him. Was Odalys truly that powerful, or had she sought expert advice?

"Dead? I killed my ancestor?" Brandon murmured. "His soul lingered for years. How could he die so easily? There must be a remedy," he muttered, his original plan having been to use the Bennett family's negative energy to aid his ancestor.

"Oliver, what did you promise me? You said you'd find a new body for my ancestor!" Brandon roared, collapsing. His ancestor, nurtured for so long, was gone. All his efforts wasted.

Oliver felt a surge of blood, turning his head in discomfort. He coughed, spitting blood. He felt his very core tearing apart. The backlash was far more severe than he anticipated. He recalled Odalys's warning about the villa's spell causing death.

"Who the hell is Odalys?" Oliver muttered, his eyes rolling back before he fainted.

Windsor stood, holding Sophia, who struggled against his grasp. He tightened his hold, pressing a hand against her abdomen as a threat.

"Go to your room and rest," Windsor said.

Sophia sensed something frightening about Windsor but couldn't articulate it. She said nothing, walking upstairs and turning to see Windsor instructing Henry to carry Oliver to the guest room.

Brandon stood dumbfounded, Hannah thoughtful.

"What happened?" Hannah asked, after everyone else left.

Brandon's face was grim. The Bennett Villa's negative energy intensified after nightfall, suffocating him. He had once thrived in such environments, protected by his ancestor. Now, it was unbearable.

"Find a way to get the necklace from her neck," Brandon said. "It enhances her power. Odalys relies on it." Hannah watched him stumble upstairs. "What's your relationship with Oliver? Have you targeted the Bennett family for a long time?" she called after him.

He didn't answer. Hannah stood there, realizing Edie was behind her, unseen.

"The Bennett family is useless," Edie said. "Odalys's actions were a warning. If they try again, someone will die. She showed mercy, sparing Oliver. How could she be so powerful? They called her a jinx!"

Edie was confused, uncertain of reality. "We can't let Odalys win. Percival protected her tonight. Even if we lured Evander and conceived his child, we'd be no match for Percival."

Hannah worried. The Bennetts were overwhelmed, their numbers useless.

"Don't forget Percival is poisoned," Edie sneered. "His death is inevitable. Does the Stewart family think a rushed wedding will cure him?"

Hannah looked at her. "When do we strike?" she asked, impatience evident. Percival's threat, Windsor's protection of Sophia, Oliver's injury, the failed magic zone, Brandon's ancestor's death—all highlighted her vulnerability. She needed to secure her own power.

"Keep an eye on him," Edie instructed, "and when the opportunity arises, kill him when he's alone. Find Sophia's Love Spell. We need it to manipulate that old fool."

She went upstairs, Hannah following. Unseen, Atlas, injured earlier, leaned against the sofa, rising painfully. The pain intensified, but he watched Edie and Hannah.

"Mom reconciled with her? Who are they plotting against? Percival's dying. Is it the Stewarts?" Atlas groaned, regretting his early injury. He felt the Bennetts were finished, each consumed by their own agendas.

"Atlas," Sophia's voice startled him.