Chapter 593

Odalys circled the basement before returning to her original spot. "What this means is that these women, bound to the posthumous marriages, aren't truly dead. They consumed something unusual, and someone stole their souls—if fate hasn't already claimed them. I might be able to bring them back to life," she explained calmly.

But they've already endured so much—abuse from their parents and betrayal by the world. If they return, they might trust no one. They could become weapons in someone else's hands. Her voice lowered. "Anil, there's a chance they could turn those weapons on us."

When she finished speaking, the medicine applied to their eyelids wore off. Percival and Orson blinked, only to find the basement empty. The elaborate decorations and the corpses in bridal gowns had vanished.

"They're all gone! How are they all gone?" Orson exclaimed, lunging forward in disbelief. The posthumous brides had disappeared. He reached out, but there was nothing to touch.

"It's all deliberately concealed, cloaked from normal sight," Odalys explained. "Elias, earlier? He was just a tool for selecting their targets." Odalys glanced at the two men. "And the person you've been waiting for is about to arrive."

With that, she turned and headed for the exit. Percival and Orson quickly followed. They cast one last glance inside as the basement door closed behind them. The emptiness remained, but a wicked energy washed over them, sinking deep into their bones.

Once outside, they slipped into the shadows to hide. Their timing couldn't have been better. Moments after they found cover, a car sped toward the villa. Elias heard the vehicle and staggered out, clutching his injured side. The car door opened, and a figure stepped out.

She was dressed in a modified robe, her head wrapped in cloth, concealing her features.

"It's her," Percival muttered, his dark eyes narrowing in recognition.

Odalys also watched intently, though her face showed no surprise. Instead, a faint, knowing smile played on her lips.

"Her? Who is she? Do you know her?" Orson asked, baffled. The distance made it hard to see clearly, and the cloth covering her face added to the mystery. Yet, somehow, they seemed to know who she was. "Edie," Percival said slowly, the name hanging heavy in the air.

A chill ran through Orson's entire body when the name left Percival's lips. His mouth worked soundlessly for a moment before he pointed at the figure, his hand trembling. Then, glancing between Odalys and Percival, he blurted out, "Wait. That's Edie? What the hell? Why would she kill all those women?"

Orson frowned, confusion growing. "And why would Edie need a posthumous marriage? You're her son—you're not dead!" He only realized how quickly he'd spoken after the words were out, his mind trailing behind. He had said the wrong thing.

Percival thought: The poison still lingered in his system. If no one intervened soon, death would be unavoidable. But something didn't add up. Edie wasn't doing this for him.

"Who?" Edie suddenly felt eyes watching her from the shadows. Her senses went on alert as she turned to look into the darkness. Elias, still clutching his wounded side, followed her gaze. They moved toward the shadowed corner, only to find it eerily still—no sign of anyone.

Edie thought, If someone were there, they'd be terrified.

"No one," Elias said quietly, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Edie stood still, eyes narrowing as she looked at Elias's injuries. Her voice dropped, tinged with annoyance. "What happened? I thought you were supposed to have someone delivered tonight. Why are you covered in cuts and bruises?"

Chapter 393

She stepped inside, only to halt at the sight of the bloody scene. She recoiled, quickly retreating.

"What happened to the people inside!" Edie demanded, her voice sharp.

Elias, not daring to hesitate, quickly recounted everything. Once he finished, Edie raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

"Stupid, utterly foolish," she hissed. "The Bennett family come looking for you, and you just agree? I told you, the Bennett family are off-limits in Crownridge."

Elias was stunned by the slap. His earlier arrogance vanished, replaced by a fear that rendered him speechless. He stammered, then, under Edie's murderous gaze, blurted out, "When he said it was Sophia, I thought… She's so beautiful. She'd be a perfect match."

He paused, trying to justify himself. "We're lacking women from rich families. I figured I could take advantage of the situation, make a quick gain, and settle the score with the Bennett family for you. I saw how they treated you and thought…" His words faltered, his confidence crumbling.

Edie listened, her grip tightening on the Louis Vuitton bag she held, and she swung it at him. "I told you not to touch the Bennett family. You went ahead and meddled with them anyway. Don't you realize that Odalys has been keeping an eye on them! If you mess with the Bennett family, she'll follow the trail back to us. Ultimately, they will ruin my entire plan."

Edie was so frustrated she nearly rolled her eyes. She had known he was foolish, but she never expected him to be this reckless.

"I'm sorry," Elias muttered quickly, sensing the danger.

Edie took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. "Make sure the men of the Bennett family keep quiet. If any of this gets out, I won't hesitate to deal with you myself," Edie said in a cold tone as she turned to leave.

After taking a few steps, Edie stopped as a thought crossed her mind. "What's going on in there? Do you really think the Bennett family has it in them to do something this ruthless?" Edie asked skeptically. As far as she knew, members of the Bennett family were all talk and no action. They did not seem like the kind of people who would kill.

"It was that woman," Elias said. He hurriedly recounted every detail. As Edie listened intently, her face grew visibly darker.

"Is Sophia that powerful?" Edie asked, feeling stunned. All along, Sophia had been timid and compliant, barely making her presence known in the Bennett family. Even when Windsor dragged her into the room previously, Sophia hadn't even had the strength to fight back. Could she have been feigning all along? Edie wondered. If Sophia had been masking her true nature, then she might just be the most formidable and dangerous member of the Bennett family.

"Boss, I'm telling the truth. Let me pull up the surveillance footage for you," Elias said, quickly pulling out his phone and showing Edie the surveillance video.

Edie stared at the screen for what felt like an eternity before finally snapping out of her daze. "The money you transferred," Edie ordered. "Send me a copy of the surveillance footage, and find a way to reclaim the money!"

Elias kept silent, not daring to speak. Watching Edie drive away in a hurry, Elias collapsed to the ground. In the distance, Odalys and the others had overheard everything.

Chapter 393 (continued)

"It seems she's wary of you," Percival remarked. Percival felt a pang of discomfort after hearing Edie's words. Despite investigating for so long, he had failed to realize that Edie owned the villa and that Elias worked for her.

"Edie is afraid of Odalys because she knows she is no match for her, but why would Edie hold a posthumous marriage here, and who is it for?" Orson asked, feeling puzzled. He couldn't quite figure out who the posthumous marriage was intended for.

"It's also possible that Edie's trying to build her own power. Do you remember that Callum had an accident while on his way to investigate the debutante training class? I have a feeling that his accident may have something to do with Edie," Odalys said.