Chapter 253
dy ironic it was that this would happen to them.
How bitterly
“Alright, I’ll listen to you,” Callum murmured, nodding slightly.
As they stepped outside, a sudden crash of thunder split the air. The sky above was consumed by swirling black clouds, casting an eerie darkness
over the entire Stewart Villa.
“What in the world is happening?” The bodyguards downstairs were equally startled.
Orson and Callum rushed toward the floor–to–ceiling windows, watching in disbelief as dark clouds seemed to envelop only the Stewart Villa, while lightning struck relentlessly outside, never touching the villa directly.
They exchanged glances, anxiety gripping them, before hurrying toward Percival’s room
As they pushed open the door, a burst of force blasted them backward, sending them flying out of the room with a deafening slam.
Both of them screamed in pain as they were thrown across the hallway. The door slammed shut with another violent thud.
Orson and Callum stared in shock, their minds struggling to make sense of what just happened.
“Did we just get thrown out?” Orson muttered in disbelief.
Callum, shaken but determined, rose to his feet and tried to enter again. But as he reached the door, the sathe invisible force struck him, sending him tumbling back out.
The door slammed shut once more, and now, no matter how hard he pushed, the door wouldn’t budge
“There’s something inside… a force that’s pushing me out I can’t get in, and I can’t even open the door!” Callum grunted, struggling against the door, but it wouldn’t move.
Orson, ever the calm one, suggested, “Let’s go outside and get a clearer view of what’s happening”
The force inside the room was overwhelming, like an unyielding wall, and they knew it wasn’t a coincidence that lightning was flashing violently around the villa
“Alright,” Callum said, giving a quick nod.
Together, they rushed downstairs, where the guards and servants stood, watching the sky above the Stewart Villa grow ever darker, thick clouds clinging to the very top of the mansion.
The lightning cracked above, striking with increasing intensity, as though the heavens themselves were targeting the villa
Another massive thunderclap echoed through the air, lighting up the night. But there were no stars, no moon–only a thick, impenetrable darkness, as though the sky itself had shut out the world.
“Dorian?” Orson looked around, confused.
“Dorian‘ When Mr. Stewart and Mrs. Stewart returned, Mrs. Stewart spoke with Dorian, and he left with some of the guards,” one of the servants quickly reported
Orson’s heart sank, a sense of dread pooling in his chest.
A car suddenly appeared, speeding toward them. Evander, stepping out, looked up at the storm above, his body trembling slightly from the intensity of the moment.
“This dark cloud… it’s only covering the top of the Stewart Villa. Everything around it is normal. What’s going on His voice was strong burlaced with an edge of concern.
After his call with Odalys had ended without a reply, a nagglag sense of unease had taken hold of him. His instincts told him something was wrong, so he had rushed here as quickly as possible.
But nothing could have prepared him for the scene unfolding before him the entire villa was shpuded in darkness, lightning crashing down with terrifying force.
“Just now…” Callum recounted everything that had happened.
Evander, after hearing it, remained unnervingly calm. He stood still, eyes scanning the villa as he murmured. “Odalys must have sent Dorian out on
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Chapter 253
an errand. After dinner, she left in a hurry.”
“The storm, the lightning–it’s too sudden, too violent. It’s as though it’s aimed at the Stewart Villa. Evander’s voice was low but certain.
Though he was older and had seen many strange things in his life, this moment still left him shaken. But experience had taught him to adapt quickly
“Evander, what do we do? I can’t reach Odalys, Callum asked urgently.
Evander closed his eyes, clasping his hands behind his back, and sighed deeply. “We wait.”
“Wait Wait for who?” Callum asked, confusedl.
Orson, who had been quietly observing, suddenly spoke. “This… this feels like something Odalys would do. She left in such a rush, and now there’s lightning striking around the villa. It’s as if she’s controlling it, or at least, it’s responding to her presence.”
He had come to respect Odalys deeply. Though they hadn’t known each other for long Orson had quickly realized she wasn’t someone who viewed life lightly.
She had managed Percival’s illness–how could she suddenly leave without doing something? If she had truly left, why hadn’t she taken her phone? If she was the type to abandon someone in need, then why had Percival trusted her so much1
The pieces were starting to fall into place.
“Could it be Odalys… Callum stuttered in realization.
Just as he was about to voice his thoughts, a sudden flash of golden light exploded in the sky, and with a resounding crash, the storm clouds surrounding the villa seemed to shatter.
The air grew still, and the world returned to an eerie calm.
Servants and bodyguards, who had been frantically trying to record the event on their phones, looked down in surprise as their screens went black.
“My phone’s broken,” one of them muttered.
“Mine too.” said another, shaking his head,
Callum and Orson turned their heads in disbelief, only to see Odalys walking back toward them, her long black hair flowing in the wind, her steps. hurried, yet composed
“Odalys?” Callum gasped, barely able to believe his eyes.
She was empty–handed now. The bottle that she had been carrying was gone, but her expression was grim, her pace unbroken. Behind her trailed Dorian and several others, their clothes torn and singed, like they’d been through hell.
“Odalys“” Callum rushed forward, eager to reach her, but Odalys didn’t stop. She walked right past them and into the Stewart Villa, her face as dark as a storm cloud
Orson grabbed Callum’s arm to stop him.
“Don’t follow her, Orson warned quietly, shaking his head.
Evander, watching the scene unfold, remained will, his gaze focused on Odalys as she moved swiftly, unnoticed by the others who were too distracted by their phones.
“Wait, Evander murmured again.
It was a single word, but it settled over Callum like a calming weight. He paused, then, in an uncharacteristic moment of self–awareness, slapped
himself hard across the face.
“What was I doing? So frantic, so impatient. I should have trusted Odalys. She wouldn’t have left Percival to fend for himself.” He slapped himself again, more forcefully this time.
Hispanic had clouded his judgment. He had been so focused on finding Odalys, so fearful of Percival’s fate, that he had failed to see the bigger picture.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Odalys had been the one with the answers all along.
