Chapter 72

“Someone wants to break my charm,” the old man whispered. Before he could react, the wine glass in his hand clattered to the ground, shattering. Red wine splashed onto the carpet.

“They are so powerful! No, don’t…” The old man, slightly stunned, felt a sharp pain in his chest. He spat out blood, his eyes widening involuntarily. He vaguely heard the sound of his internal organs shattering. A fire burned in his chest, consuming his insides. He fell to the ground. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth; despair filled his eyes.

“How dare you be so arrogant with such little ability?” Odalys’s voice echoed.

She stood with her hands behind her back, before the window. Slowly turning, she walked toward the old man. He looked at her, his lips moving in fear, but he could not speak. His eyes closed, and he died.

Odalys retrieved a talisman and threw it at him, burning him to ashes, destroying even his soul. She wouldn't allow him another chance at life.

“Sophia’s body and birth date were altered. Someone is clearly hiding something. Why did they modify Sophia’s records and send her to the Bennett family? Or did the Bennett family do it themselves? What secret does Sophia possess that makes the Bennett family so enamored with her?”

However, the old man's death meant Sophia would suffer a backlash; the protective aura around her would dissipate.

Odalys surveyed the room, then threw the tablet the old man had worshipped to the ground. She set the villa ablaze. Finally, she tossed another talisman into the air, disappearing instantly and returning to her bedroom at the Stewart Mansion.

She changed clothes before opening the door. Dorian stood there, tears in his eyes. Odalys instinctively took two steps back.

“Dorian, what’s wrong?” she asked curiously.

Dorian strode forward, a CT scan in his hand. “Mrs. Stewart, the medicine you gave me was incredible. After taking it, the abnormality in my body became apparent. After treating the pain, I went to the hospital for a CT scan. Even the doctor was surprised. He said most of my kidney stones were expelled overnight. Mrs. Stewart, you’re amazing!” He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t experienced it himself.

“It’s good that you’re fine,” Odalys said softly.

Dorian took the CT scan and headed toward the study, muttering, “I’ll report this to Mr. Stewart and let him know how powerful you are!”

Odalys was stunned. Dorian had already entered the study. She rubbed her temples, wondering why he was so elated.

The quiet study was furnished in a retro style. One wall held bookshelves overflowing with rare books; the other, a wine rack filled with precious vintages. Percival sat at his exquisite desk, his large hand resting on the arm.

“So, you’re saying your uncle’s disappearance is related to your poisoning, after he left?” Callum Hale asked quietly, surprised. “We were sure there was no cure for your poisoning…”

“So, all these years, you’ve been secretly investigating your uncle behind your mother’s back. Did you suspect the poisoning was connected to him?” Callum exclaimed softly, finding it unbelievable. He seemed to have realized it too late.

“Not only that,” Orson Lark said dismissively. “He’s been hiding all these years, waiting for the mole to expose everyone at once.” He stood, opened a bottle of wine, poured a glass, and swirled it. He seemed agitated.

“Your uncle is missing. Any movement will arouse suspicion. Should we eliminate the mole in the Stewart family who’s in contact with the Bennett family?” Callum asked, writing on a tablet.

Percival replied, “Don’t do anything for now. If this person acts, my uncle will suspect he’s been discovered. I want to know who my uncle is working with to attack the Stewart family, and when he allied with the Bennetts. William is close to my grandfather; I wonder if he knows about the Bennetts’ actions. If William knows, I will destroy the Bennett family.” He was always ruthless; once the matter was confirmed, there would be no turning back.

“They forced Odalys into marriage and bought extra accident insurance for her. This means they want her to get into trouble after marrying you and then blame it on you,” Orson said quietly after a moment of silence.

At the mention of Odalys, Percival picked up his coffee and sipped it, his fingertips gently tracing the rim of the cup.

“Why did Finnian suddenly anger your parents?” Percival asked hoarsely.

Orson gulped down wine before slamming the glass down. “Speaking of which, it’s funny. He called my mother yesterday, scolding both her and my father! He seemed to want to seize control of the Lark family and let them die. Back then, the mistress plotted against my father, wanting to marry him using her child as an excuse. The Lark family valued bloodlines, so we allowed Finnian to join us. We’ve given him considerable resources over the years. I didn’t expect him to be so impatient.” He disliked Finnian; he pretended to be sensible, but he was ambitious.

“Why do you think he suddenly revealed his true nature after all these years? He even called your parents to tell them this,” Percival said deeply.

This question stunned Orson.

“You mean someone orchestrated this? Who’s powerful enough to force him to make such a call? It would ruin his future,” Orson said.

Percival listened, then laughed hoarsely.

“Maybe someone can,” he whispered.

Orson leaned in mysteriously. “Who’s that powerful?”