Chapter 77
Caspian said, "Bennett Entertainment's artists are unable to work. Continued inaction will quickly bankrupt the company. Selling this land will attract funding and ensure profitability, even if we sell it later."
Henry rubbed his temples, unbuttoning two shirt buttons. His Adam's apple bobbed; irritation flickered in his eyes. He was less calm than before, yet Caspian's words resonated. He was, after all, a businessman.
"Let's investigate," Henry said. "How did this land end up in Orson's hands? If it's a trap, we lose everything."
Caspian nodded. "I've already asked a friend to investigate. If it belongs to Orson, we can use Finnian. Even as the Lark family's illegitimate son, he's still one of them. He's worth a piece of land, and everyone knows he likes Sophia. We'll have Sophia ask him out. If he wants her, he'll show his sincerity—by giving us the land."
He disliked Finnian, but profit outweighed personal feelings.
"You want Sophia to seduce him?" Henry asked disapprovingly.
Caspian smiled, a devilish glint in his eyes. He leaned closer, whispering, "A few dates to save Bennett Group? We're not asking her to marry him."
Atlas interjected, "Odalys also likes Finnian. If she sees him dating Sophia, she might panic, apologize, and have the Stewarts help us."
They chatted, oblivious to the unconscious Sophia. She groaned, feeling internal fire and searing pain, as if someone had flayed her skin. The pain intensified; she struggled against unseen restraints.
Sophia screamed, sitting up drenched in cold sweat. She fell back onto the bed, confused. She saw her brothers talking on the sofa. Aggrieved, tears streaming down her face, her body trembling, she said, "I had a terrible dream. Someone burned my insides and skinned my face. It was Odalys! She must have tampered with something. She just left, and this happened. She knows magic; maybe she's cursing me…"
The three men watched with strange expressions.
"Don't you believe me?" Sophia sobbed.
Seeing their lack of comfort, she jumped off the bed, walked towards them, and said, "I believe you," Caspian said, hugging her helplessly.
Sophia clung to his shirt, her body pressed against his. His body stiffened; he was clearly aroused.
Suddenly, Hannah screamed, falling from her bed and hitting her head. The doctor diagnosed a dislocated jaw from agitation. After resetting it, her mouth was slightly crooked.
"Probably from prolonged air conditioning," the doctor said. "Facial paralysis. A few injections and some rest, and she'll recover in a few days." He felt the ward was cursed; doctors and nurses avoided it. The atmosphere was gloomy; since Hannah's arrival, strange things had occurred. They wondered if something was wrong with the family.
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"Should we ask Mr. Carline for help?" Atlas asked, fearing he lacked Henry and Caspian's calm maturity. They were older and more experienced, though slightly flustered.
"I'll try again," Caspian said, making calls. Industry contacts immediately refused.
One said, "Mr. Bennett, you didn't believe Mr. Carline before; you even angered him. I can't help you."
Another scoffed, "Invite him again? The audacity! You offended Mr. Carline, and now…"
They hung up, unwilling to get involved with the embattled Bennetts.
"What do we do?" Atlas asked, dumbfounded. The calls were on speakerphone.
"It's my fault," Sophia said. "If I'd been nicer before…" Silence fell.
The ward's atmosphere was heavy. Hannah trembled, drool dripping from her mouth. Cleanliness was important to her; this was humiliating. Tears streamed down her face. She mumbled, her mouth crooked, "Find Odalys…bring her here."
Henry felt a sharp pain. "Go for a checkup," he said.
The checkup revealed three cracked ribs and a slightly dislocated leg.
"Odalys, you're heartless!" Henry raged.
The others, furious but helpless, seethed.
"I'll find her," Atlas said, leaving.
At the Stewart Mansion, Odalys showered after assaulting Henry. Seeing a bottle containing Sophia's hair, she mused, "I broke that old man's charm; he died instantly. If he cursed Sophia, she'd be suffering now."