Chapter 434
Onon gripped the steering wheel tightly, his fingers suddenly loosening as he sucked in a sharp breath.
His towering frame slumped back into the seat as he processed Percival’s words. It felt as though an invisible net was closing in on him from all directions
“Because of your hypothesis from ten years ago, you’ve allowed Edie to nin wild, using the Stewart family’s resources to prop up the Simpson family,” Percival’s voice echoed through the phone. “You’re setting a trap for them, trying to prove whether your hypothesis was real, or are you just preparing for what’s to conse?“
Orson’s mind raced. He knew Percival’s thoughts, but he didn’t push for more answers. What Orson didn’t realize was that Percival had spent all these years preparing, not just for the present, but for the validation of a theory he’d kept hidden all along.
Orson snapped his fingers. “Nice.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’ll protect Odalys, even if it means my life. I won’t let a single hair on her head be harmed. Orson said, his voice suddenly filled with resolve.
He went on to recount the details of his day: how Odalys had intimidated Edie and probed into her mind, how she had exposed Sophia’s true nature, and how he’d collected hair and blood samples from both Sophia and Henry. He also mentioned Odalys suspicion that Henry was somehow meant for Sophia.
Percival listened in silence, before falling into a heavy quiet.
“Percival! Are you still there?” Orson asked after a long pause. He hadn’t heard anything from the other end.
“Did she see Edie and Sophia’s minds and not tell you?” Percival’s voice came back, tinged with disbelief.
“Yes” Orson replied. “I get the feeling Odalys is on the ver
verge of making a big decision. I’m worried… there’s a sense that danger is on the horizon”
Orson’s concern was palpable, but he didn’t want to seem like he didn’t trust Percival’s judgment.
“I understand. Percival responded, his tone clipped. Without waiting for Orson to reply, he ended the call abruptly.
“Percival! Percival Damn it, he hung up!” Orson cursed, staring at the phone. He tried calling back, but the line wouldn’t connect. Whether it was a poor signal or something else, he couldn’t tell
Restlessness gnawed at him as he rubbed his temples, trying to calm his racing thoughts.
“Damn it, Odalys did say she’d handle Percival’s safety. Why am I still worried? I’m probably just overthinking things,” Orson muttered to himself. But as soon as he thought about what Percival had said–the Simpson villa didn’t exist—it hit him like a bolt of lightning.
His heart skipped a beat. Without another thought, he slammed his foot on the gas pedal and sped toward Odalys‘ company.
When he arrived and parked the car, he saw someone leaving after placing candles inside. Orson quickly made his way inside, his footsteps hurried.
“Grandpa,” he called, his voice somewhat strained.
“Evander was seated, wiping down a table and rearranging the candles beside him with a quiet precision.
“What’s going on? Why the rush?” Evander asked without looking up.
Orson quickly closed the door behind him, then walked over to Evander and, in a low voice, recounted everything Percival had just told him. Evander listened without saying a word, his expression impassive.
“What should we do now? Do we need to come up with a strategy!” Orson asked, his tone uneasy.
While Orson couldn’t make any decisions about the Stewart family, he couldn’t afford to just sit back and let Percival handle things alone. With his medical background, Orson knew he could navigate a lot of challenges, but when it came to the family business and politics, he needed Evander’s guidance.
Evander took his time, pouring a cup of coffee, then handed it to
to Orion
Orson drank it quickly, not paying much attention to the taste. His nerves were on edge. He glanced at Evander, waiting for an answer.
“Grandpa, say something. Do y
you have any thoughts?” Orson pressed.
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Evander leaned back in his chair. They have their own plans. Let them handle it. We don’t need to get involved.
Orson stared at Evander, stunned. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing
“You’re not going to do anything? What if the Simpson family makes their move? Percival’s not in Crownridge, and the news is being tightly controlled. But The Simpson family has been eyeing The Stewart family for a while now. If they catch wind of something, it could spiral out of control”
Tm worried about them coming after you and Odalys Orson added, his voice tinged with real concern.
It wasn’t that he lacked the ability or the will to act–be just needed The Stewart family’s backing
“I promised Odalys that I wouldn’t leave the house or get involved in anything other than business of matters concerning the Stewart Villa Evander replied calmly.
Onson blinked in disbelief, has mind struggling to process his grandfather’s words.
He placed his coffee cup down on the table, his thoughts swirling in confusion. He and Evander sat in silence for a long while, both deep in their on reflections
“Anything that happens, you can’t just take it at face value, and you can’t rush into things. You’ll only walk into someone else’s trap that Patience is key Evander finally said, breaking the silence.
Orson sat frozen, struck by his grandfather’s wisdom. It wasn’t until now that he realized how much he had let his worries cloud his judgment, He had almost made a critical mistake.
It was strange. Just sitting here, in this calm atmosphere, with the coffee and the company, it felt like his mind had settled.
Light a candle for the ancestors, Evander said, breaking the moment of contemplation
He gestured for Orson to wash his hands and then pass him the candles
Orson didn’t dare to waste
age time. He hurriedly grabbed a candle and attempted to place it properly. But as soon as he tried to set it in place, it tilted. and his nerves got the better of him. He frantically tried to straighten it, but in his haste, melted wax dripped down onto his hand burning him.
He instinctively pulled his hand away, and the candle toppled, hitting the floor with a soft thud.
“Sorry I’m terrible at lighting candles. 1 I’m just nervous,” Orson muttered, flustered.
He quickly crouched down to pick it up and try again, but before he could, Evander moved in silently, taking the candle from his hand. Without a word, he turned and placed it in the candle holder–perfectly, without it tilting.
Orson froze, a strange sensation creeping up his spine. Something about the way it had happened felt… off. He couldn’t shake the eerie feeling growing in his gut
“Grandpa, I’ll head out now,” Orson said, his voice laced with uncertainty,
He had intended to stay and finish the task, but something told him it wasn’t worth it
The immediate priority was getting other matters sorted. There were bigger issues to address, and lingering on candles wasn’t going to help
Still, he couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong. His team had yet to report back on Oliver. It was already two hours, and there was still no news.
With his vast network, finding someone in Crownridge shouldn’t be this hard. The delay was too strange.
“Wait,” Evander called out just as Orson turned to leave
Orson paused, confused, laut complied and turned back.
“I’ll call Odalys Exander said, pulling out his phone in a hurry
Just as Orson was about to respond, a strange note came from outside the room. He turned quickly, but the hallway was empty. Before he could make sense of it, something suddenly flew toward him.
Reacting instinctively, Orson jerked backward, trying to block whatever was coming. It was a knife–gleaming in eyes widened in shock as in sliced through the air toward him.
sunlight, sharp and deadly. His
He barely had time to raise his arm in defense when the blade came down, aiming straight for his wrist. The hand he used to protect himself was
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Chapter 431
his most valuable asset–if that were to be damaged, everything he worked for would be destroyed.
In that moment, everything else faded away. The only thing that mattered was the incoming threat.
