Chapter 608
“I believe you should know who's truly behind all this,” Odalys said coldly. “Considering you didn't kill me before, I'll give you a chance for revenge today. Consider it repayment for bringing me into the world.”
Windsor’s lips moved; his gaze was complex. He rose and approached Odalys, her aura of nobility undeniable, her eyes radiating coldness. He wanted to speak, but his voice was trapped in his throat.
“Oliver has placed a creature he raised inside you,” she continued. “If you don’t want to die, return it to him. Within two hours, if you don’t, it may control your body and absorb your divine energy.”
Windsor clenched his fists. Defeated, yet a hint of comfort touched his expression. “As expected, leaving the Bennett family was the right thing to do,” he murmured, then strode away without another word.
Atlas and Caspian fell to the ground, excruciating pain lancing through their bones. They struggled, powerless. “Dad!” they cried hoarsely.
Windsor paused at the door, glancing back at his sons. “You can’t distinguish right from wrong! You repay kindness with malice, even daring to kill your sister. Everything today is your own fault—death is too light a punishment. Odalys owes the Bennett family nothing, certainly not to you. As her brothers, you failed to protect her, constantly scheming against her. You deserve to die. Odalys didn't grow up in the Bennett family; her last name isn't Bennett. Don't use moral blackmail to control her again; otherwise, you're unworthy of being men.” He left with long strides, never looking back.
Atlas and Caspian were stunned, incredulous that their father had delivered such a rebuke. No one had ever spoken to them like that. They’d always believed Odalys, as their sister, should accept their harsh treatment. Now, humiliated by his public reprimand, Atlas roared, “Dad! Have you been brainwashed by her?” But something inside him, seemingly suppressing him, caused a terrible headache.
Caspian, however, remained relatively calm. He felt something inside him trying to replace him. Recalling Odalys’s words, his face darkened. “Y-you…” he began, wanting to question Odalys.
She smiled. “Yes, that’s what Oliver did to Francis that night. Weren’t you there? Now, I'm using it on you, for revenge. There's a soul inside your body that doesn't belong. It could be Windsor's shadow, or another's. They're trying to control you. Don’t worry, if they take over, you won't be yourselves. Someone else will live in your place. Isn't that… good? It’s like that night Oliver and the others plotted against Francis. You watched! Perhaps you thought, ‘It’s just Francis, no big deal.’ The reason I called you here is to let you experience this feeling.”
Caspian’s heart sank. He remembered the car accident, Odalys saving him. He’d thought he was special to her. Now, she was taking revenge regardless. “The reason Dad’s behavior has been unusual since his return is because his body has been taken over!” he realized. “That’s why he acted so differently with Sophia. It all makes sense.”
Ignoring the others, Odalys said to Francis and Freya, “Let’s go.” They were rooted to the spot, reeling from the shock. Odalys snapped her fingers.
Freya, bewildered, asked, “Huh? What?” Francis was equally disoriented. “Let’s go,” Odalys repeated. They quickly left.
Atlas and Caspian remained on the ground, their bodies feeling hollowed out.
Later, Freya, hesitant, addressed Odalys, “About Windsor earlier…”
Odalys smiled, explaining, “The Windsor you saw was the real Windsor. His body was controlled, like Francis’s. Oliver wanted another soul to replace him. Windsor must have been controlled abroad, explaining his drastic change and involvement with Sophia. Last night, he likely realized something was wrong with Sophia, even knowing the problem within the Bennett family. Today, I anticipated his attack on Francis, so I deliberately summoned Atlas and Caspian to expel what was in Windsor's body. I don't have time to deal with them afterward, so I used Atlas and Caspian to share the burden, preventing further trouble. Once Windsor regains his senses, he won't want to be controlled. He’ll investigate, expose them. We don't need to do anything; we wait and see. Let someone else do the work for us.”
Freya was dumbfounded. “Damn, you’re scheming,” she said, amused. She’d worried Odalys might soften, be swayed by the Bennett family. Instead, Odalys had been plotting against them all along. Relief flooded her. “Good thing you’re merely using them. I thought you were brainwashing yourself, forcing forgiveness,” Freya said, clutching her chest, feigning fear.