That night, Oliver got home.Joey had started a group video chat earlier, so Oliver was on his phone talking to Joey and Justin as he pushed his bedroom door open.He nearly jumped out of his skin.Someone was sitting there in the dim light of a small lamp. After a closer look, he realized it was Olivia.His heart skipped a beat. He instantly regretted not locking his door when he left today.Suppressing a sense of unease, he stepped inside, and his phone's camera angle shifted, showing the room. Joey and Justin, now able to see Olivia in his room, were just as shocked. They remained silent, keenly watching the scene unfold.Oliver, looking startled, asked, "Via, what are you doing in my room?" He kept his phone against his chest, the camera still pointed toward Olivia. He felt uneasy and didn't want to end the call. Even just through the phone, having his buddies there made him feel a bit safer.Olivia was wearing a black silk slip dress that accentuated her figure perfectly. She gaz
Fine, if he wasn’t going to listen to reason, she’d have to resort to other means. Olivia's expression cooled. "Alright, if you won't keep your word, I won’t force you," she said calmly. "Just come over and help me back into the wheelchair and take me to my room."Oliver had no intention of carrying her. "However you got here, you can get back into the wheelchair the same way. Mom and Dad have been watching closely lately, and with that etiquette teacher around, I can’t afford to cross any lines."Olivia thought, "…He acts like he's so scared, but he's the boldest one in the family." She felt even more aggrieved. She’d thrown herself at him, and he had the nerve to reject her, completely ignoring her allure. This was just too much.She extended her hand. "Then at least help me up."Oliver frowned. "Why should I help you? You seem perfectly capable of getting back in the wheelchair yourself."Now, whatever Olivia did make him suspicious, wondering if she had some ulterior motive.See
After rushing out of his room, Oliver didn’t want to be alone, fearing Olivia might come looking for him again. He quickly knocked on Raymond and Alex’s doors, insisting they all head to the garden together. Once they sat down, he finally let out a sigh of relief.Raymond noticed the sweat on Oliver’s forehead and how tense he looked. "What's wrong, Oliver?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You look like you've been chased by a ghost."Oliver unscrewed a bottle of mineral water he’d grabbed from the house and took several big gulps. "Worse than being chased by a ghost," he muttered.Just then, Joey’s voice came through Oliver's phone. "Hey, Oliver, are you okay? What just happened? We heard you almost agreed to something."Oliver suddenly remembered he was still on a video call with Joey and Justin. He pulled his phone out of his shirt pocket, turning the camera back to face himself."It was really bizarre, I swear," he said, still visibly shaken. "If I hadn't experienced it myself,
"You're really lucky you went along with me that day and bought the talisman." Joey sighed. "Otherwise, you’d probably have lost your luck by now."He added, "Your precious little sister is quite ruthless, isn't she? Asking straight out for half of your luck."Back in the day, they had all doted on Olivia. Whenever they went out, Oliver would bring her gifts. Whenever something happened to her, the brothers would be immediately on guard, ready to protect her. To end up like this was pretty pathetic.Oliver's expression darkened. "Exactly. I've been cautious around her lately, but I haven't done anything to her. For years, we truly cared for her, and this is what we get in return. It's ridiculous."She'd demanded half his luck without a second thought. She hadn't even considered what might happen to him if he lost that much fortune."Judging by the look in her eyes, she's got quite a grudge against me. I’ve figured it out. She doesn't remember kindness, only grievances."Joey chimed in,
Lindsay was still awake when Joey sent the video, and she immediately clicked to watch it. She was a bit surprised by how bold Olivia had been. Was this the same girl who always played the pure and innocent "little angel" in front of these scumbags?It was clear that if Oliver had shown any interest, Olivia would have gone all in. Just as Lindsay had suspected, Olivia treated these scumbags more like her own men, which explained her strong possessiveness.Seeing Oliver's message, Lindsay sent a voice note, "I watched the video. You were likely under the influence of a charm designed to manipulate the mind. This type of charm has little effect when used directly. Did you notice any scent when you entered the room, like sandalwood?"Oliver thought back and replied with his own voice note, "Yes, I never use incense, but when I entered the room, I did smell a faint sandalwood scent."Lindsay was spot on with her guess.Lindsay replied, "That's it. When paired with specially made incense,
Joey jumped in with a grin, "Come on, Oliver, Lindsay and Jenny already saw through you ages ago. No point trying to play innocent now."He then seized the opportunity to declare his loyalty in front of Jenny. "Justin and I are still pure, unlike you, who knows how many girls you’ve slept with.”Justin added his own jab, "Seriously, do you have any self-awareness? Joey and I have never messed around like you, swapping partners all the time. If you hadn’t known there was something off with Olivia beforehand, you’d have fallen for it today."Oliver thought, "…These two shameless dogs!" Did they really have to trample on him just to make themselves look good?"Heh, and being around someone like me doesn’t exactly make you innocent, does it?" he replied, targeting Joey, "Joey, where's your precious Jasmine? Didn’t you use to bring her everywhere?"Then, turning to Justin, he said, "And you, Justin, didn't you secretly meet up with your little 'angel' more than a few times? Whatever happen
After getting exposed by Lindsay, Oliver felt a bit awkward. He hadn’t expected that in Lindsay’s eyes, his image was already that bad. He blamed those two idiots for their constant nonsense. But he had to admit, if he hadn’t been aware of Olivia’s schemes, he probably wouldn’t have turned her down. She’d made the first move, so why should he have hesitated? It could have just been some harmless fun. But now, regret filled him, and he realized he couldn't afford to be so careless in the future.Joey teased, "Too bad, Oliver, you couldn’t join me in being a target. At least then I’d have some company."Oliver shot back, "Get lost. Who wants to be your partner in misery?"He had no intention of letting Olivia drain his luck. He quickly tagged Lindsay. "Could you sell me two more talismans?"Without one on him, he felt constantly on edge. Right now, he felt like a prime target, always needing to guard against Olivia.Lindsay replied, "Sure, two million dollars.""Deal, I’ll transfer the
Seeing her like this, Brandon frowned and asked, "Did someone bully you?"Olivia bit her lip. "Not really bullied… It’s just that Oliver said he hated me. I don't even know why, but lately, Oliver, Raymond, and Alex all seem to have a problem with me."“I haven’t done anything to provoke them,” she added, sighing with a hint of sadness. "But I guess it makes sense they’re annoyed with me. After all, all they think about these days is Lindsay."Brandon reached out and gently patted her head. "They're just acting crazy lately. Don’t bother with them. I’ll find some time to talk to them."He smiled softly. "And don’t be upset; even if they don’t care about you, I still do."Olivia leaned closer, resting her head on his shoulder and hugging his arm. "I guess all I have left is you, Brandon."She added, "Brandon, I've been having such bad luck lately. Can you lend me some of yours? I promise I'll give it back once things start going better for me."If she could steal all of Lindsay's luck a
In the vibrant district of the historic town, the streets were lined with vintage boutiques and various artisan stalls. Lindsay's group visited the town’s administration office and rented a temporary booth.Alex and Justin eagerly borrowed a table and chairs, setting up the booth. Following Lindsay's instructions, they also bought a piece of white fabric and worked together to create a simple sign. The production team provided markers and other supplies.Lindsay glanced over at Benedict and said, "Benedict, I’ll let you handle writing the banner."She was eager to observe his writing and the energy he gave off while doing it.Benedict sighed inwardly—this girl was constantly trying to test him. After a moment’s thought, he nodded. "Alright, I’ll write it."He grabbed a marker, uncapped it, and wrote in bold letters across the white fabric: “Fortune Telling, Divination, and Tarot Readings.”Lindsay watched him closely, noticing the fluidity of his movements as he wrote, his posture exud
Justin added, "My mom’s been trying to get me to help Olivia and distance myself from Lindsay. She’s also said plenty of nasty things about Lindsay. This time, not only did I ignore her, but I even pushed back. It probably pissed her off, and now she’s taking it out on Lindsay."Alex, clearly upset, said, "You should talk to her and tell her to stop fixating on Lindsay. Lindsay hasn’t done anything to provoke her. It’s ridiculous."He was frustrated that Justin’s mom had been stirring up trouble, making Grace even more difficult to deal with.Justin nodded. "Alright, after the show is over, I’ll have a talk with her."He also felt his mom was acting out of line. Back when he liked Lindsay, her disapproval at least made sense. But now that Lindsay had kicked him to the curb, his mom’s continued obsession was baffling.Although they were speaking softly, Lindsay and Benedict, walking ahead, heard every word.Lindsay found the situation with Abby baffling as well. A woman who fawned over
After Lindsay left, the other guests quickly followed, leaving only Alex standing there awkwardly. He spoke briefly to the production staff, and they soon shifted the cameras away from that area. Alex then walked over to Grace, saying, "Mom, since Lindsay won’t lend it, let’s just drop it."Grace shot him a cold glare, her expression dark. "How can you be so heartless? The one lying in bed is your fourth brother. Are you hanging around Lindsay all the time just to learn how to be cold and ruthless?"Unable to contain her frustration toward Lindsay, Grace directed it at Alex instead.Alex sighed in exasperation. "Even if we need help, it has to be something she’s willing to do! We’ve wronged Lindsay enough as it is, so why do you keep trying to guilt-trip her? Brandon’s situation isn’t Lindsay’s fault. Why don’t you go find Olivia? She’s the one who caused all this, maybe she can fix it. After all, whoever’s behind her is no easy target."Right now, all Alex felt toward Lindsay was gui
Grace held back her anger and said, "It'll only take a few minutes. I have something important to discuss with you."Lindsay sat back down in her seat. "Fine, go ahead."The livestream was on, and Lindsay was fully aware of it—she was doing this on purpose.Grace was about to speak when her assistant whispered something in her ear. Her expression changed, and she subtly shifted her body to turn away from the camera.Then she looked at Lindsay. "Can we talk outside?"In her rush to find Lindsay, she had almost forgotten that this was a live-streamed variety show. She didn’t want to be on camera, much less discuss such personal matters in front of an audience.Lindsay, however, refused. "If it's important, say it here. If not, then don’t say anything."Grace’s expression darkened. "It’s because it’s important that we need to talk privately."She emphasized, "It’s not appropriate in front of the camera."Lindsay just smiled. "Unless it's something shady, what’s wrong with saying it on cam
Lindsay thought about it for a while and figured that if Grace was coming to find her, it was probably for Brandon. The only thing she could want would be the artifact in her possession.Alex saw her reply and couldn’t help but smile wryly. His sister was indeed sharp and saw right through it.He sent a voice message, repeating what the head of the Divination Association had told them. "Mom just wants to borrow the artifact from you to suppress Brandon’s condition."Lindsay replied, "Tell her not to waste her energy."Seeing that message, Alex knew right away that she wouldn’t lend it out. It didn’t surprise him—his sister could be ruthless when she wanted to be."We can’t convince her otherwise, not even Dad can stop her... sigh," Alex added. When their mom’s temper flared, she wouldn’t listen to anyone.Lindsay didn’t seem to care. "Then let her come. I’m not going to do her any favors."Alex recalled the conversation between their parents at the hospital and decided to warn her, "M
Recently, Grace had been spending more time with Abby, often meeting up for outings. Over time, Richard noticed that Grace's anger towards their biological daughter had deepened. Abby had always disliked Lindsay and showed more favoritism towards Olivia. She must have been stirring up trouble and egging Grace on whenever they met. With time, Grace was bound to be influenced.Grace, clearly annoyed, said, "You even want to control who I make friends with? Aren't you going too far? What's wrong with me getting along with Mrs. Ford and spending more time with her?"Richard felt cornered. "I just think there's something off about her. Her intentions in getting close to you don't seem good. That's why I'm trying to give you a heads-up."Grace didn't believe him at all. "I think you're overthinking it. We’ve always had a decent relationship. We’re just closer now, that’s all.""What do you men know about women’s matters? Don't interfere." She now had plenty to talk about with Abby. Jenny wa
Richard glanced at Grace with clear disapproval. “This whole mess was caused by Olivia and Brandon. What does any of it have to do with Lindsay?”He could tell that recent events, and the embarrassment caused by their sons, had left his wife feeling bitter. It seemed she had begun to project that frustration onto Lindsay, despite the situation having little to do with her.Grace crossed her arms defensively. “If it wasn’t for her ongoing fight with Olivia, Brandon wouldn’t have gotten involved. He’s her brother. Doesn’t she owe him some consideration now that he’s in this condition?”Richard frowned. “What exactly are you trying to say?”Valarie, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, her displeasure clear. “I see it differently. It’s Olivia and your son who started the trouble, and all Lindsay did was defend herself. Are you really looking to embarrass yourselves even more?”Grace shifted uncomfortably, feeling the sting of her mother-in-law’s words. “I’m just thinking abou
Given the Harper family's persistence, there was no way the Divination Association could avoid a thorough investigation. Seeing that Randolph wouldn’t back down, the official left, courteously escorted out by Randolph, who, for the moment, had ceased his protests.Valarie carefully placed the multicolored stone inside a small protective pouch before securing it around Brandon's neck. Though he felt a slight relief after putting it on, the bad luck continued. As the official had warned, his misfortune was too severe for one artifact to fully contain.Randolph tried every connection he had, attempting to borrow a second artifact, but came up empty-handed. Time slipped by, and evening approached before they could find any further solutions.By the time Richard and Grace arrived at the hospital, they were met with the weary faces of their parents. Feeling guilty for everything his father had gone through, Richard bowed his head. "Dad, Mom, I'm so sorry you had to go through this today."
Hearing their words, the hope that had briefly flickered in Brandon’s eyes quickly faded, leaving him more devastated than before. "Grandfather, I know I was wrong," he muttered, finally realizing the truth. His foster sister had been nothing but trouble—far from trustworthy, she had been a constant source of harm. Meanwhile, his real sister, though harsh and distant, had proven to be far more reliable. Regret gnawed at him deeply.Randolph sighed, his voice heavy with disappointment. “Knowing you’re wrong doesn’t change anything. It’s too late now.”Turning back to the two mystics, Randolph asked, “If you can’t break the curse directly, could you at least help suppress his misfortune? Maybe with a protective charm or some kind of mystical object?”Despite his frustration with his grandson’s foolishness, he couldn’t just leave him to suffer.Both mystics exchanged uneasy glances. “We don’t have the ability to suppress his bad luck with charms.”“For something like that, you’d need t