Chapter 55

Percival, dressed in a black shirt and well-tailored trousers, exuded a powerful, arrogant, yet calm and restrained aura. His gaze was almost impossible to meet.

"Huh?" Percival froze. His long fingers, stiffening at the tips, rested on the sofa's armrest as he furrowed his brows, clearly thinking he'd misheard.

A memory of their first meeting flashed unexpectedly: her marching up to him, silently grabbing his shirt, and tearing it apart with force.

Percival's Adam's apple bobbed. His handsome face was as cold as ice, yet his ears flushed a subtle red. "Alright," his voice grew hoarse.

He straightened, his fingers gently unbuttoning his shirt with deliberate, controlled motions, revealing a muscular chest and perfectly defined muscles.

Odalys, casually supporting her cheek with her hand, took a bite of lamb chop, watching him undress. When the last button was undone, his perfect abs were fully exposed. He stood, removed his shirt, and turned his back to her.

Odalys quickly stood, walked toward him, and placed her hand on his back. "Over the last couple of days, have you been feeling a burning in your chest, like you're about to spit up blood, only to have it subside? Has this happened repeatedly?" she asked in a low voice.

Her hand felt his body tense, his skin burning with heat.

"Yes," Percival whispered, his voice hoarse.

An inexplicable tingling sensation surged through his chest, a strange numbness, like ants lightly biting him—not painful, yet intensely forceful.

"Good thing I came home today," Odalys said quietly. "If I hadn't returned, you probably would have collapsed tonight. The poison in your body is more aggressive than I thought." She circled behind him, then faced him.

Gently tugging at his waistband, she traced her finger along his V-line. "Your body has been under continuous poison attacks, gradually lowering your resistance," she explained softly. "Your skin heals, but breaks down again each time it regenerates. Skin and blood have already mixed."

"The poison has spread across your skin," she continued. "Your V-line and abs look perfect, but those areas are the most dangerous when the illness flares."

Percival stood frozen, watching her fingers trace his V-line, her other hand still gripping his waistband. The atmosphere crackled with tension; his body temperature soared as if he were about to melt.

"Don't work out, and avoid intense exercise," Odalys murmured. "For most people, abs are a sign of good health, but for you, it's not."

Stepping back slightly, she noticed his broad shoulders and narrow waist, biting her lip and glancing at him several times. She'd met many people, but Percival's physique was the most perfect she'd ever seen. Standing at 6'2" with a well-balanced weight, perfect abs, and a defined V-line, he radiated a natural aura, almost maddeningly perfect.

"Am I going to have a flare-up?" Percival asked, his voice still hoarse. His abs tightened, and to mask his emotions, he slowly turned away.

Chapter 35 (Note: This chapter appears to be misplaced in the original text)

Odalys turned and walked back to the sofa, sitting down and picking up her plate. "Yes, you'll take a shower soon and wait for me tonight," she said casually.

The ambiguity of her words would have made others blush, but Odalys remained unfazed; it was all in a day's work for a medical professional.

"What time tonight?" Percival's Adam's apple bobbed as he looked at Odalys, who was focused on her meal, her eyes clear and undistracted—clearly uninterested in his body. If not for that, he would have thought she was trying to seduce him.

"The medicine isn't done yet," she said softly. "It's seven now. I'll be busy for a while longer and should be over around eleven." Percival nodded slightly and put his shirt back on.

She ate with focused enjoyment. This was the first time Percival had seen a woman so calm, so pure, seemingly unfazed by anything. A faint smile touched her lips; her beautiful eyes gleamed with excitement. She popped another lamb chop into her mouth. "I know," she said.

"It's about time the Bennett family's luck ran out," she added in a low voice. If not for her return seven months ago, the Bennett family would be in deep trouble.

Hannah had enjoyed months of good fortune, all thanks to the emerald pendant Odalys had given her. Without it, her leg would have been broken long ago.

"Henry's been trying to reach me privately lately, and the Bennett Villa has been calling," Percival said softly. "They probably want to use our marriage as leverage to get the Stewart family's help."

Percival harbored no goodwill toward the Bennetts. Years in business had taught him to see through their schemes. They weren't clean. This time, they were pushing Odalys into marriage, pretending to offer her a chance at wealth while maneuvering her into a dangerous situation.

Everyone knew Percival wouldn't survive more than a month; many businesses were preparing to capitalize on his illness, slowly dismantling and absorbing the Stewart family. The Stewarts, however, were financially powerful, influential worldwide in business, government, and politics. Others couldn't swallow them whole, but they were fighting for a piece of the pie. That was the harsh reality.

Percival had initially planned to arrange everything for the Stewarts before his death. He hadn't expected Odalys's arrival to offer a glimmer of hope.

Initially, he hadn't trusted her, but after her acupuncture treatment, the signs were clear. He hadn't had another poisoning flare-up or coughed up blood in three days.

'Does this mean what Odalys said is true? I'm not going to die yet?' Percival thought, his gaze complex as he looked at her.

Chapter 55 (Continued from the interruption)

"What do you think?" Odalys asked, curious.

Percival went to the side, poured her a glass of warm water, and brought it to her. "Of course, I refuse," he said. "The Stewart family doesn't owe the Bennett Group anything."

"William did have a relationship with my grandfather, and the Bennett family's current size is thanks to my grandfather providing them with resources behind the scenes," he continued. "This time, to protect Sophia by not sending her to marry me, the Bennett family went to great lengths and even hurried to find you within half a month. You're nothing but a statuette they put forward."

"Since the Bennett family is heartless, the Stewart family won't care about their end," Percival added in a low voice. "As for you and the Bennett family you're far more important to me."

This cleaned-up version corrects grammatical errors, improves sentence structure, and standardizes punctuation. It also addresses inconsistencies and clarifies ambiguities in the original text. The chapter numbering discrepancy has been noted.