Chapter 14
D
Over the years, the constant pain had been like a relentless torturer, pushing Percival closer and closer to the edge of breaking down. If it weren’t for his iron will and the meager support of medications, he’d probably already be hanging by a thread.
Forget surviving, he wouldn’t even have made it this far. And yet, now, for the first time in a long while, he felt a wave of relief, both physical and mental, washing over him like he was being reborn. It was as though the toxins inside him were quietly dissolving, his body and mind both rejuvenated in a way he’d never felt before.
“All set,” Odalys said softly, pulling her hand back, turning, and walking over to the sink to wash her hands carefully. After a moment, she faced him again, her stance now more commanding as she sized him up.
Her eyes locked with his dark, intense ones. But her gaze slipped, falling onto his bare torso–his strong abs and V–line were obvious now, with only a towel barely covering the lower half of his body.
Odalys froze for a second, her face flushing bright red. She quickly turned her gaze away, realizing the thick, charged atmosphere in the room. She turned toward the door, her steps a little rushed, not quite as graceful as usual.
“It’s getting late, and I have to record a variety show tomorrow morning” she said, her voice low. “I’ll head back to my room to sleep.
Just as she reached the door, Percival:
al Stewart’s gravelly voice cut through the air, stopping her dead in her tracks. “Wait.”
“Huh?” She turned back, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Percival glanced at her briefly, then shifted his gaze to the coffee table across the room. “Dorian opened a safe at the bank this afternoon,” he said in a quiet, serious tone. “Your wedding gifts are in there.”
“The key and your ID are on the table,” he added, his voice rasping a little.
P
Odalys followed his gaze and saw her ID and a key on the table. She quickly walked over and grabbed the ID.
“Take the key too, Percival said without looking at her, almost like he knew she’d forget it. “It’s yours”
Odalys hesitated. She never planned on keeping the gifts. She didn’t want them–she just didn’t want the Bennett family getting their hands on them
In a month, if Percival made
le it through, she’d sit down and talk with him about ending this arrangement. She’d return everything to him then “Alright.” Without saying much more, she grabbed the key and made her way to the door.
Inside the bathroom, Percival’s eyes lowered to the marks on his neck and chest. The impressions left by her fingers were still visible. He couldn’t help but feel the strange, almost electric sensa
“So this is acupressure?” he murmured to himself his voice low and hoarse. He hadn’t expected acupressure to actually do this–to help with toxins, of all things
Odalys wasn’t at all what he’d imagined. He thought she was just some pawn sent by the Bennett family to get close to the Stewart fortune. But she’d kept her distance, treated him with cool professionalism, and never once flinched around him.
“Interesting,” he muttered, wiping the blood from his lips, pulling on his bathrobe, and stepping out of the tub.
As soon as he walked out, Leng Zimo arrived in a hurry, his eyes locking on Percival’s neck as he caught sight of him. He quickly approached, excitement written all over his face.
“Damn, let me see that Onson said with a grin, practically rushing over to Percival. He yanked at the bathrobe, revealing the claw marks on his chest that connected to those on his neck.
“No way! You’ve gotta be kidding me? Orson exclaimed, his hands shaking with excitement.
Percival grabbed his hand, pulling it away as he tightened his robe and shot Orson a sharp look. “So, this is acupressure?”
*Hell yeah! I’m freaking amazed! You start from the chest to suppress the toxins, then move down to the neck–this is genius! Where’s your wife! I need to meet her right now,” Orson said, practically bouncing on his heels, eager to run off and find Odalys.
Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Callum suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
“Mr. Lark” Callum said, his voice low but serious, “You just said it yourself–she’s Mrs. Stewart. Don’t you think it’s a little off to go looking for another mans wife at this hour!“.
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Chapter 14
Orson froze. He quickly raised his hands in surrender, nodding. “Yeah, yeah, you’re rightt Not the best timing. I’ll talk to him tomorrow. But, uh. could you have a word with her for me! See if she’ll teach me a few things?”
Onson was obsessed with medicine. Coming from a long line of doctors, he couldn’t resist the chance to learn new techniques, especially one as promising as this. There was no way he was letting it slip away.
“She’s not available right now, Percival’s deep, gravelly voice interjected, shutting him down cold.
That was like a bucket of ice water over Orson’s head. He opened his mouth, trying to think of something to say, but no words came out. Before he could react, Callum slapped a hand over his mouth and yanked him out of the room.
Once Orson was gone, Dorian stepped in, speaking in a low voice. “Sir, when Mrs. Stewart went our earlier, the driver saw her stop by a pharmacy. But after that, she got.. tangled up with someone.”
Percival’s eyes narrowed slightly. He looked up at Dorian, his expression unreadable.
Tangled up with someone?” he asked, his voice rough, with just a hint of suspicion.
Was someone harassing her? Or did she run into some creep? he wondered.
“Well, it seems like… Dorian hesitated, lowering his voice even further, and gave a detailed report of what had happened. He handed over an iPad with a video of the whole encounter.
Percival watched the footage, his gaze hardening when he saw the guy’s face, heard Odalys‘ words. His eyes grew colder than ever.
“Sir, should we take care of this?” Dorian asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Percival handed the iPad back, picked up his phone, and paused for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was deep and calm, though the tension in the room was palpable. “No need. She can handle it herself.”
He added, with a deliberate pause, “And from now on, tell the driver to stop tailing her. She’s from the Bennett family, not some dama commodity ve bought. This whole marriage thing was my grandfather’s idea
“She’s part of the Stewart family now, and she gets treated with respect. She’s got her own life. Let her live it And make sure she gets everything she needs–top–tier, no exceptions. When she comes back, arrange for her to have her own car.”
Dorian blinked in surprise. This was the first time Percival had given orders like this–something more personal, not business–related. He nodded quickly, impressed by the shift.
“Understood, sir,” Dorian said quiedy, howing as he left the room with the iPad.
Meanwhile, in the next room, Odalys had returned to her space. She grabbed a couple of pastries, washed up, and then settled down to rest… Surprisingly, she didn’t feel restless despite being in a new place. In fact, she drifted off to sleep almost instantly.
When her alarm went off, she uretched lazily, got ready, and slipped into a loose black T–shirt and high–waisted pants. She tied her hair up in a ponytail, grabbed her bag and a small suitcase, and quickly made her way downstairs
The house was eerily quiet, the servants moving about like shadows. Odalys walked quickly, ordering a ride on her phone as she headed toward the door
“Mr. Stewan,” Dorian called, stepping forward as he saw her in a hurry.
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