Chapter 618

Odalys reflected on Finnian's plot against the Lark family and Drson, his later attempt on her life, and his collaboration with the Dark Web to kill Officer Hersey's family. Thinking of this, she said nothing, turned, and left.

Orson took a drag of his cigarette, snapped his fingers for a bodyguard to clean up, and followed Odalys. "Odalys Stone, come back here!" Sophia screamed heart-wrenchingly, but her cries were ignored.

Sophia tried to chase Odalys, but Henry grabbed her, threw her back into the room, and glared. "Stay in your room and reflect on your actions," he said, slamming the door shut. Sophia's pleas to be let out were met with silence.

She had been so triumphant that morning, only to be undone by Odalys. Her plan had been to use the last Love Spell, imbued with Oliver's blood, while he and the others were at the hospital, to manipulate Edie. After burning the talisman, she'd rushed to obtain Henry's blood. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until Henry's deception – a fake chest smeared with sulfuric acid – severely injured her fingers.

"You bitch, Odalys Stone, you bitch!" Sophia cursed, her finger tips throbbing, one nail already lost. Terror kept her immobile, her gaze fixed on her once-prized hands, now trembling uncontrollably. She hated that Henry had conspired against her for Odalys. If I had known, she thought, I would have killed Henry. "It's a shame there's no such thing as regret," she muttered, her cries for release eventually fading.

Then, she noticed something odd. Edie and Hannah were home, yet they hadn't heard her shouting. Remembering the talisman on Henry, she turned to the floor-to-ceiling window, threw it open, and jumped. Her body bounced back, landing heavily with a groan. The window, though transparent, seemed to have repelled her.

So the Bennett Villa is covered by something! she realized. What is it? Is it blocking my voice? Are Edie and Hannah affected too? She retrieved a hidden camera, only to find it smashed. "Odalys Stone! She must have done this. She even knew I had a camera!" Sophia whispered, fear creeping in.

Sophia, once unafraid, even hateful of Odalys, was now terrified. She lay on the ground, confusion battling with grim determination. No matter what, she thought, I must find the person who made the Love Spell. I can't wait to die! Finnian's gruesome death flashed in her mind—his fallen teeth, decaying flesh, and foul odor. A shudder wracked her.

Outside, Odalys and Percival reached Oliver and Brandon's room, the door ajar, the smell of blood heavy in the air. Orson was puzzled by the empty offering table and lit candles. The room's disarray, with discarded clothing, suggested a lack of cleaning.

"He's offering sacrifices to the wicked energy of Bennett Villa," Odalys explained, her gaze falling on the floor-to-ceiling window. Percival saw the window faced a large tree, seemingly innocuous from a distance, but radiating a chilling gloom up close. Despite the bright sunshine, the window area felt icy.

"This position is Bennett Villa's death gate, where the wicked energy is strongest. He chose it to recuperate, but it backfired," Odalys said. Percival noted Windsor's absence. Odalys had explained what happened at the hotel—Caspian and Atlas, and how she'd dislodged something from Windsor, sending it towards Caspian. Logically, Windsor should have returned for revenge, but he hadn't.

"His absence suggests Oliver and the others may not have been involved in the past incident. Oliver is targeting the Bennett family, but it's a delaying tactic, forced upon him by me," Odalys explained. "He's a decoy, possibly a pawn sent to test the waters and spy on the Bennetts. Brandon's ability to repel Windsor's soul suggests he's holding back, and is stronger than Oliver."

Orson, seemingly unfazed by Finnian's death, quickly absorbed this information. "So, we used Sophia's visit to catch her off guard, then leave her be?" he asked, still perplexed. With her ruined hands, Sophia couldn't harm anyone.

Odalys replied, "We need to force her true colors. We can't wait forever. The person behind her hasn't revealed themselves, and we have no time to waste." She'd deliberately revealed Edie's role in forcing Sophia into a posthumous marriage, ensuring Sophia would pursue the Stewarts. "She'll confront Edie after we leave. It depends if Edie considers her worthy. Now that Edie's given up on Henry, she'll probably choose someone else from the Bennett family."