Chapter 221
Stellan was silent.
The anxiety he had been feeling melted away the moment he heard Francis‘ tears. It was as
Two hours later, the plane touched down.
the tension had been washed away.
A luxurious RV slowly pulled up, and Stellan strode toward it, getting inside. Just as he was about to close the door, it jammed. He turned in confusion.
“You?” he asked, his expression cool, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features.
Francis stepped in, throwing her luggage aside, wrapping her arms across her chest and sinking into the seat. Within moments, she was asleep.
“Wait, we’re coming too.”
Freya and Selah squeezed their way in, slamming the door shut behind them.
“What is this?” Stellan’s lips moved, his eyes flicking uneasily between them. “I have things to do. I can’t take you all.”
Freya, with her pale, delicate face, flashed him a mischievous smile and winked. “We don’t need a ride, but didn’t Odalys say your dad’s in trouble! We’re coming along to see if we can help.”
Selah nodded in agreement.
“Right. The more people, the better. Go on, drive! We’re running out of time,” she urged, nudging Stellan toward the driver’s seat.
Stellan had not expected this, but after a brief moment of hesitation, he gave in and quickly moved to the driver’s seat, revving the engine and speeding off.
“Odalys, we just landed. We’re in Stellan’s car, heading back now,” Freya said, dialing Odalys‘ number and putting the call on speaker
On the other end of the line, Odalys‘ voice was calm but sharp.
“Have you made contact!”
They glanced at Stellan, who shook his head. “No, can’t get through. The phone’s out of service, and we checked the cameras. The car hasn’t been seen since.”
A heavy silence settled over them, mixed with worry and curiosity.
“Could it really be like Odalys said? Has something gone wrong? they wondered.
“Give m
me their number, Odalys said quietly.
r left, but it
She held the phone with her shoulder, rummaging through her bag for an iPad. Her fingers flew across the screen with a smooth, practiced rhythm. After a few moments, she spoke again, her voice lower now.
“Go to Crownridge East District, near the overpass. There’s a sloped area to the left.”
She tapped the screen once more,
studying the flashing red dot. A flicker of something darker passed across her eyes.
“Percival. She said his na
is name softly.
Percival, who had been sitting beside her, remained still, silent, and attentive. He didn’t interrupt. When he heard his name, he glanced over at her. She raised her chin slightly.
“Look at this location,” Odalys murmured, turning the iPad toward him.
Percival leaned over, his tall frame close to hers, as he studied the screen. His voice was low, barely a help!”
y a whisper. “Do you need me to send someone to
There’s no time. I suspect someone tampered with the car. It lost control, broke through the guardrail, and went down into the trees on the slope.
If possible, could the Lark family arrange for an ambulance to head over first Odalys replied quietly.
In the front seat, Orson had been pretending to rest, but his ears were alert.
As soon as he heard his name mentioned, he turned and nodded sharply. “Got it. Send me the location”
1/2
6.25 PM C
Chapter 221
“Near the overpass in East District, by the sloped woods,” Odalys confirmed.
Orson gave her an “OK” signal and murmured, “Understood.”
After exchanging a few more words with the others. Odalys spoke again, her tone calm but urgent. “Tve arranged for an ambulance. It should be on its way: You go ahead.”
The line fell silent for a moment…
As soon as Odalys had spoken Percival’s name, everyone in the car fell still holding their breath.
“Freya” Odalys asked when she heard nothing from the other side of the line. The silence felt unnatural.
It took a few moments before Freya responded, her voice faint. “We’re here, we’re here.”
“Do you have the location!”
Selah immediately chimed in. “Got it. We’re on our way. The airport’s close, so we should be there in about 30 minutes
“Alright. I’ll hang up now. Call me when you arrive.
p the phone and glanced at her WhatsApp. As soon as the plane landed, Stellan had sent her a transfer of 1.5 million dollars.
Odalys hung up
Earlier, when she’d given him the talisman, she’d mentioned a fee, but hadn’t specified the amount
To her surprise, he had remembered and transferred the money immediately after landing. She stared at it but didn’t accept the transfer. The silence on the other end of the call was unsettling. It felt like they were afraid of hearing something they shouldn’t.
The Stewart family was untouchable–its influence stretched across the globe, controlling the world’s financial power and political affairs. They were a force no one dared cross, and though they had retreated from the public eye, they were still at the top of the business world. Their reach was so vast, it was like an army–people didn’t need the Stewart name to follow their orders.
“I didn’t just hear that, did I!’ Selah whispered, her voice trembling
She sat back, her mind racing as she muttered, “Did Odalys just call him. Percival?”
“Percival. Could it be the one I think it is?” Francis, who had been quietly resting, suddenly sat up, his body stiff, breaking into a cold sweat. The mention of the name shook him to his core.
The mention of the name shook him to his core.
Freya, deep in thought, held her phone tightly. A soft, worried whisper escaped her lips. “So, Odalys is married to him?”
The realization made her heart tighten in h
en in her chest.
“Only the Stewart family could pull strings like this–arranging us a private line straight back to Crownridge, setting up a VIP route to avoid the crowds, and sending us directly to the outskirts. No one else has this kind of power, Selah said, her voice low with a mix of awe and fear.
Even with money, such arrangements were rare and needed approval from multiple sources,
This sudden VIP treatment, however, seemed to have been arranged effortlessly.
The atmosphere in the car grew
“Whoever this “Percival is, we need to keep quiet. Don’t say a word about this. We don’t want to cause any trouble for Odalys,” Selah warned, her voice firm and serious.
Francis nodded quickly. Who would dare say anything about this! Only someone seeking certain death.
Stellan, driving, was stunned. He hadn’t expected this, but it made sense now. No wonder the Porsche Cayenne earlier had seemed so out of place. Odalys and the Stewart family were connected in ways he hadn’t imagined.
His car veered off course, following
the route Odalys had given.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed in the air. Stellan saw a car speeding off the overpass, plunging downward with terrifying force, and the sound of it hining the ground reverberated in his ears.
Everyone in the car was startled, their eyes snapping toward the source of the noise, unable to believe what the
they had just witnessed
Chapter 221
The car screeched to a halt as Stellan slammed on the brakes.
6:25 PM
C
