Chapter 435
Onon tried to dodge, but instinct only allowed his body to fall backward. He watched, helplessly, as the knife came down on his wrist.
“Shit” Onson cursed, barely able to stop himself from shouting.
His body hit the ground with a heavy thud. It felt like his foot had kicked something, and suddenly his phone flew out of his pocket, colliding with the incoming knife with a loud clang.
Orson’s eyes widened in surprise. He saw the blade hit his phone and drop to the ground, landing between his legs.
His gaze didn’t move from the sharp knife, but his eyes were glued to the phone, still glowing, the screen displaying the very sketch Odalys had absentmindedly drawn on the table earlier when they were having coffee,
She had doodled it casually as she spoke, and after she left, he had snapped a photo of it before heading out.
His mind raced. Trembling fingers reached for the phone, his heart pounding.
“What happened?” Evander’s calm voice broke through the tension. He had heard the noise and came rushing out.
Seeing Orson on the ground with the phone between his legs, and the knife struck into the screen, Evander stepped forward, his heavy boots sounding solid against the floor. Orson handed the phone over wordlessly.
Evander took it his hands rough but steady, and stared at the glowing screen. He didn’t even need to look twice. “Tsn’t this the same mark from Odalys‘ room?” he asked.
“What mark!” Orson asked without thinking though deep inside, he had already started to piece things together.
He may have been young, but he wasn’t naive.
From the moment he couldn’t get the candles to stay upright, to when wax had burned his hand, and then the near–miss with the cleaver, it all suddenly made sense. The phone flying out of his pocket had saved him, but more than that it was the image on the screen, the same one Odalys had drawn.
At first, Orson had thought the sketch was simply a hint for him to go look for Oliver. But now, it seemed like that sketch might have saved his life.
He remembered Percival’s words: Odalys does nothing without reason.
Now, Orson was beginning to understand exactly what Percival meant
“This drawing is a bit rough, but look at the bottom corner. This pattern, when I brought fruit to Odalys room, there was a picture on her bedside table that looked just like this,” Evander pointed out
If Evander hadn’t seen it before, he might have overlooked the connection.
Orson recounted the whole sequence of events, and Evander listened with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
“So, Odalys must have sensed I was in danger,” Orson said, his voice softening as realization dawned. She tried to save me without saying a word She must have drawn this picture to catch my attention. If I took a photo of it, it meant I would survive the danger. But if I had just walked away without noticing my hand would have been sliced off
Orson’s voice almost cracked with the weight of what he had narrowly avoided. “I almost lost my hands… and with it, the entire Lark family legacy. My line, my family’s future–all of it, gone. He still couldn’t quite believe it
It felt almost like some kind of dark omen.
At that moment, Evander’s phone buzzed. The name “Odalys flashed on the screen
Orson and Evander exchanged a quick look, their expressions filled with unspoken understanding. Evander picked up the call
“Grandpa, is Orson alright?” Odalys
voice came thr
through, sounding calm but with a hint of concern.
The question left both of them in Munned silence,
Evander and Orson locked eyes. Orion had never been n
more amazed and unnerved by how deep Odalys foresight seemed to
“No worries. He just tripped, and his phone got broken, Evander replied, his voice steady, though his heart was still racing.
1/2
Chapter 435
“Odalys, did you know something would happen to me today?” Orson finally blurted out, his voice desperate to know the truth. He could no longer
hold it in.
If he didn’t ask now, he would be suffocating with unanswered questions.
“Yes” Odalys answered, her voice quiet but assured,
The silence in the room thickened. Orson grabbed the phone from Evander’s hand and put it on speakerphone. His voice shook slightly as he asked, “So. Odalys, was that picture you drew meant to test whether I’d notice it?”
He swallowed hard, his nerves still taut. “What if I hadn’t looked at it? What if I just left!”
The question hung in the air, heavy with consequences.
“If you truly cared about the Stewart family, and the matters we’ve discussed, you’d have noticed the drawing and been interested. If you just walked away, it would mean you only care about yourself and overlook the important details. I’ve seen your grandfather, and I’ve seen your faces. Orson. The Lark family isn’t at its end. The Stewart family and the Lark family have been allies for years. Your family’s fortune will see you through this danger. But you need to go to my company and find Evander, Odalys said, her words wrapped in wisdom.
“And lighting candles for your ancestors counts too,” she added quietly.
Orson’s head was spinning. It was all coming together–the candles, the picture, the phone, the near–death experience.
Sometimes, the smallest actions could have monumental consequences. To others, lighting a candle might seem like an insignificant gesture, but for those who understood, it was a life–saving act. People called it superstition, but the ones who experienced it knew it was real
“So if I hadn’t taken the photo? If I hadn’t gone to find Evander! If I hadn’t lit the candles… today, I would have lost my hands, right?” Orson could feel the cold sweat soaking his back
His voice shook as he asked, the fear creeping in.
“Yes, but I knew you wouldn’t ignore it, Odalys replied, her tone reassuring.
“Everyone has their own karma, something that others cannot interfere with. If a calamity is survived, there will be blessings ahead. But once people interfere. things may take an unexpected tum. That’s why I couldn’t be upfront with Orson about what happened earlier
Odalys spoke quietly, her voice laced with an almost philosophical calmness.
“Yes, she nodded in response to Orson’s question, confirming his suspicions. “I wasn’t just having coffee with you to pass the time, I was buying us some time while keeping an eye on Henry’s car
Orson, who had been under the impression that their meeting was a simple casual coffee, sank heavily to the ground in shock. He hadn’t expected so many layers to the situation.
This is your karma, Orson, Odalys continued with a calm, almost detached tone. “You have to face and bear it. I can’t warn you, nor should 1. If I had told you outright, you might have avoided the calamity, but it would have come back to you double. The next time you face such a trial, it could be even worse, potentially even overturning your entire life. That’s how karma works.”
She paused and gave a small, reassuring smile, her eyes softening as she looked at Orson
you’re fortunate,” she added, “so you’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about it too much?
with gratitude. If not for her, he would never have come here. He wouldn’t have lit the candles.
“Thank you. Odalys,” Orson said, his voice cracking w He might have…
He glanced at h
at his wrist, where a perfect scar would have been if not for the intervention of fate. He shuddered. That knife was so close.
“No need to thank me,” Odalys said, and with that, she hung up.
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jock. Bi le?” he
figure r
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