At that moment, Imogen's desire to kill Johanna surged exponentially. The affection and care she had once shown now twisted into seething hatred. Remembering how she had been manipulated by that despicable woman, Imogen wished she could rewind time and personally end the lives of that vile pair. All her love and dedication had been a cruel joke; her sincere feelings and kindness taken for granted. She regretted sparing Johanna's life; that hesitation had given Johanna the chance to escape, and now she dared to threaten Imogen with her child's life. The thought of not inflicting a terrible death upon Johanna left Imogen fuming with rage.
Seeing Imogen's fury, Felicia paused before explaining. "Yes, I've been infected by a venomous creature, but it has little to do with Johanna. It's likely the work of those backing her."
Scarlet chimed in, "We'll deal with all of that later. What's one more name on the list? Right now, the priority is handling this immediate situation!"
"Exactly," Imogen agreed, though her eyes remained filled with worry as she looked at Felicia. "But I'm more concerned about you right now. Are you sure you're okay? Are you really unaffected?"
"I'm fine," Felicia replied calmly. She felt no sense of being controlled, almost as if something had intervened and shielded her from the bronze bell's effects. It was perplexing, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. The most important thing was to reach the explosion site and uncover the truth.
"Let's go!"
The three women wasted no time and continued their ascent.
Meanwhile, at the mountain's foot, a black, bulletproof car screeched to a halt. The tires left deep skid marks as the vehicle shuddered. The doors flew open, and two of Maurice's men jumped out, their eyes bloodshot, shouting toward the car, "Mr. Glovers!"
"Stop him! Don't let him go!"
"What's happening to him? Why is he acting like this?"
Maurice kicked away a man trying to steady him, sending the man flying six feet with a sickening crack of breaking bones. Yet Maurice seemed unaffected, feeling no pain or remorse. His brown eyes were clouded, shrouded in an eerie haze, yet his lips curled into a grin. Half his usually handsome face was shadowed, the other half twisted into a wild, manic smile—a blend of madness and arrogance.
His men froze, stunned into silence. Then, one remembered Caesar's warning: "Mr. Glovers, are you certain about this? Once the venomous creatures are planted, you'll bear all the pain and control meant for the other host. There's no way to undo it!"
The realization hit them like a bolt from the blue. Maurice's sudden loss of control was the venomous creature taking effect!
Maurice moved with unnatural speed, distancing himself from his men. The bronze bell's sound grew frantic, accompanied by a raspy, hypnotic voice chanting an ancient summons: "Come here. Come to me."
Maurice's legs moved against his will, but his mind clung to a fragile clarity. He turned, shouting, "Don't follow me! Leave!"
Maurice's final command was a guttural rasp, his voice strained. Then, he sprinted up the mountain.