Chapter 572

Sophia saw Windsor enter. His face was ashen and grim, blood still oozing from his mouth; he had clearly just vomited blood. Sophia greeted him indifferently: "Dad."

Windsor ignored her, going directly to Oliver. He looked wretched. Slamming the door behind him, he said softly, "Oliver, it seems to have failed."

Oliver remained silent, simply looking at him. After a long silence, Windsor strode forward. "Sophia is pregnant. Can you determine the sex of the fetus? If it develops, should we… remove it?" His voice betrayed a weighty decision.

Oliver remained silent, leaving Windsor on tenterhooks. Finally, Oliver said, "I can't tell she's pregnant."

Windsor found this hard to believe. "The doctor said she seemed pregnant, and she's had symptoms. I even saw her throwing up."

"Perhaps it's too early to tell," Oliver replied. "If she truly is pregnant, we can make use of the fetus." He nodded.

As long as it benefited them, they were willing to try anything. After all, Sophia was just a woman; even removing the baby wouldn't kill her.

"What happened today?" Oliver asked.

Windsor shook his head, his earlier arrogance gone. "Everything was ready, but on my way back, I was in a car accident. Afterward, I started coughing up blood. It felt like someone kicked me in the chest. Look, there's even a footprint."

It felt as if someone were warning him.

Oliver stared at the footprint on Windsor's chest, his heart pounding. He turned away in fear. The kick was powerful, delivered remotely. Judging by the size, it must have been a woman. In all of Crownridge, only Odalys possessed such formidable power. Odalys was warning them.

A deathly silence fell over the Bennett Villa, broken only by a slap across Oliver's face. It was as if the footprint on Windsor's chest had delivered the blow, or perhaps an unseen hand had struck him. Before he could react, everything went dark. Fear seized them all.

Inside the hotel's dressing room, Odalys sneered, her fingertips lightly flicking a talisman.

"Odalys, why are you punching the air? Practicing boxing? It looks cool; I want to learn!" Selah, removing her makeup, watched Odalys's reflection curiously. Odalys had been drawing something since their return from work. After finishing, she tossed it in the air, kicked it, then slapped it from a distance.

"It's nothing," Odalys said calmly. "Just teaching a lesson to those who deserve it." The kick had warned Windsor; the slap was for Oliver, the mastermind behind the day's plan. She thought, You want to hurt me? Are you even capable?

"Who?" Selah asked curiously.

Freya kicked her chair. "Cut the crap. Hurry and remove your makeup. We shouldn't interfere in Odalys's business."

Selah, realizing her misspoken words, quickly fell silent.

Francis and Stellan returned. The men's and women's dressing rooms were supposed to be separate, but they shared one now, a tacit agreement seemingly in place.

"Odalys, where's the snake?" Stellan asked, looking around for the missing reptile.

Francis massaged his wrist, removing his coat. "Is it scaring people again?"

"I gave it away," Odalys replied.

Astonishment swept over the others; they stared in disbelief. She gave the snake away? Presumably, no one likes snakes.

"I gave it to a child," Odalys explained. "It'll return in a few days."

Freya playfully winked, wrapping her arms around Odalys's waist. "Odalys, I'm your precious little girl!"

Odalys giggled, enjoying the affection. She was clearly well-protected by the Stewart family.

"Percival is injured. I need to pick him up from the hospital and take him back to the Stewart Villa. Can we meet at the nightclub later?" Odalys glanced at the time and stood up.

Francis looked concerned. "Odalys, are you sure you want to go to the nightclub? You're only… what kind of place is it? Does Percival know?"

The nightclub was known for unsavory characters and activities.

"Yes, he knows. He gave me the money—over a billion dollars, which I haven't spent because I've been busy. Too much money to spend; it'll go moldy in the bank," Odalys said jokingly. She wasn't boasting; she hadn't spent much money recently. Meals were paid for by others or eaten at the Stewart Villa; Percival paid for her purchases. She didn't even pay rent.

She laughed. Since marrying into the Stewart family, she'd barely spent any money.

"Okay, okay, you're rich. You're treating us tonight," Freya declared.

Odalys grinned. "Okay, I'll cover all expenses."

She left; Stellan saw her out. Upon her departure, he said, "I just heard the riverbank in the suburbs collapsed. Mr. Stewart's injury is probably related."

Despite filming, he remained informed. The Drake family, wealthy and well-connected, learned of disturbances in Crownridge quickly.

"What happened?" The others were shocked.

They checked their phones, seeing the news. The situation had been resolved quickly; a picture showed a wooden stake in the center of the collapsed riverbank, blocking the water. Firefighters and police secured the area.

"What the hell is a single wooden stake doing? This must be Odalys's doing! No wonder Mr. Stewart got injured; she must have been there with him," Selah exclaimed excitedly. The picture showed the stake effectively blocking the water.