Ch. 661..665

Chapter 661 Odell knitted his brows. He looked at her sharply and asked, “What are you trying to say?”

Sylvia took a breath and said, “Let Thomas go. Although you don’t have a good brotherly bond, he was quite worried about you when you were in trouble. He also said that even if Carter Corporation collapses, he will use his savings to help you as much as possible and won't let you live in poverty.”

He rubbed her face and asked, “Did he really say that to you?” She met his gaze and said, “Yes, he did.” Her expression was frank, much franker than it was when she had said she forgave him earlier. Odell smiled. “Then | have to thank him.”

Sylvia hurriedly said, “No, you just have to let him go.” When he saw how anxious she was to save Thomas, the smile on his face instantly cooled. Sylvia did not expect his expression to change at the drop of a hat. Her gaze shrank, and her mouth pursed up.

“What if | don’t?” he asked.

She swallowed her anger and resisted the urge to punch him, saying, “He’s your brother, Odell. It’s not right for you to lock him up.”

He curled his lips. “But | want to lock him up.” “Then, lock me up instead. Lock me up if you’re angry, but let him go, okay?” The smile on his lips instantly turned cruel again. His hand pinching her face also increased in strength. “You care about him so much. Wouldn't it be like giving you two my blessings if | let him go that easily?” Sylvia lost her patience and asked directly, “Then, what do you want in order to let him go?”

Her little face was puffed up, and her eyes and nose were still red from crying. She looked incredibly charming.

The look in his eyes changed as he sized her up and down from her forehead to her eyes, nose, mouth, and chin, then to the bottom of her neck.

Sylvia felt uncomfortable and subconsciously shrunk away.

Seeing her defensive look, he resisted the urge to teach her a lesson and grabbed her collar, saying in a low voice, “That'll depend on how you behave.”

She immediately slapped his hand away, glaring at him and cursing at him, “Bastard!”

Odell curled his lips silently and sat back in the car seat. His straight back leaned against the seat, and his slender legs casually crossed at the knee. His posture was upright and elegant, giving him a noble air.

However, Sylvia could not help but call him a bastard in her heart again. The car crossed two more streets and turned into the road where their residence was located.

Soon, the car stopped outside their door.

The moment it stopped, Sylvia pushed open the door and ran like hell to her house. It was already dark. Aunt Tonya was in the living room with the two little ones. When Sylvia entered, Isabel was the first to run toward her.

“Mommy!” Sylvia’s expression changed as she quickly hugged the girl. Isabel obviously missed her and said with a pout, “Mommy, where did Uncle Thomas and you

go?”

Sylvia was about to reply to her when she saw Aunt Tonya and Liam's gazes look behind her and instantly hesitated. She hurriedly turned around and saw Odell’s figure walking in. As soon as the tall figure entered, the atmosphere in the living room became somewhat depressing Sylvia frowned and subconsciously took a few steps back. However, the little girl stretched her chubby arms directly toward her. Odell looked at Sylvia, took two steps to her, and carried Isabel with one arm. Then, he looked at the girl. Isabel huffed, “Baddie, why are you back so late? Didn’t you tell Liam and me that you'd be back soon at Aunty Sherry’s place just now?”

Chapter 662 Odell stroked her head and said gently, “I was delayed by some stuff.” “Fine. I'll forgive you this time.” He smiled and asked, “Have you and your brother been well behaved at home these days?”

“Of course. Liam and | are the best.” The father and daughter chatted idly. The air was many times more relaxed than when they were in the car.

Sylvia’s expression also gradually relaxed, but she still avoided him from afar. Then, Isabel's stomach suddenly rumbled. She pouted and whined to Sylvia, “Mommy, I’m hungry.” Sylvia asked, “What do you want to eat? I'll cook for you.”

“| want to eat noodles. Mommy, please cook more!”

“Sure.”

Sylvia did not want to see Odell anyway, so she turned around and went into the kitchen. sino

Not long after she entered, Aunt Tonya also came in. Aunt Tonya walked up to her and helped her prepare the ingredients, asking in a low vo Syl, why did you come back with him? Where’s Thomas?”

Ice Sylvia frowned and said, “He left because something came up.”

Aunt Tonya would be frightened if she were to know that Odell locked Thomas up. “Then, how did you and Odell meet?” she was still puzzled.

“| bumped into him at the door.”

“| see.” Aunt Tonya stopped asking but lowered her voice again to say, “Syl, | heard Sebastian say that Carter Corporation is completely fine and that the incident before was all part of Odell’s plan. Did you know about it?”

Sylvia hummed. “I saw the news on my phone earlier.” “I really thought that Carter Corporation would collapse. | didn’t expect it to all be a part of his plan.” Aunt Tonya sighed and said, “How is he so powerful at such a young age?”

Sylvia did not say a word. She also did not expect this crisis to be part of his plan. Moreover, his methods were more powerful than she imagined.

Suddenly, Aunt Tonya whispered into her ear, “Don’t tell him about Thomas and you. I’m worried that he’ll bully you again if he finds out.”

Sylvia’s body instantly froze.

“Oh, Aunt Tonya, not only does Odell already know but he’s even locked Thomas up.’ She lowered her head silently and focused on making the noodles. However, when she was cutting the vegetables, she accidentally sliced her finger. The skin broke, and bright red blood

flowed out.

Before she could react, Aunt Tonya exclaimed in fear and pushed her out of the kitchen. Sylvia did not want to go out, but she could not resist and had to leave the kitchen.

In the living room, Odell was sitting on the sofa with Isabel in his arms while Liam was sitting beside him. Perhaps because they heard Aunt Tonya’s yell, they all looked over when Sylvia came out.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Isabel asked with a crisp voice. Sylvia put her hands behind her back, avoided Odell’s gaze, and said to Isabel and Liam, “I’m fine.”

Then, she went around them to the other end of the living room where the first aid box was kept. She took out the antiseptic solution from the box, cleaned the wound, and wrapped the Band-aid around her finger.

“Mommy, what happened to your hand?” Liam’s childish voice suddenly sounded. Sylvia turned her head to see him standing behind her with his small eyebrows furrowed. Her gaze flickered, and she said with a smile, “I accidentally cut my finger when | was chopping the vegetables earlier. It’s just a small cut, so don’t worry.”

Liam was still frowning.

At that moment, Isabel ran over. She heard the conversation between Sylvia and Liam earlier. She ran to Sylvia, looked at her finger, and said with a pout, “Mommy, how could you be so careless?” 1 Sylvia quickly assured them, “I'll be more careful next time.”

Chapter 663 Isabel picked up Sylvia’s hand and blew on her finger while chanting, “Pain, pain, go away.” Sylvia could not help but smile. “Thank you, Isabel. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Then, she touched Isabel and Liam’s heads affectionately and said, “You two go and play while | help Aunt Tonya. Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Okay,” Isabel answered obediently. Sylvia walked the same way back to the kitchen.

Isabel looked at her figure walking away and muttered in confusion, “Strange, you can go directly to the kitchen from here. Why does Mommy have to go around to the door to access the kitchen?”

when she said that, she raised her finger and pointed to a walkway that led directly to the kitchen.

Liam pursed his lips and did not say anything. A man’s straight figure sat on the sofa at the edge of the walkway. He looked in the direction of the kitchen, and his expression darkened when he heard Isabel’s childish voice.

Before long, Sylvia and Aunt Tonya walked out with a pot of piping hot noodles.

While Aunt Tonya placed it on the table, Sylvia helped to set the table. Isabel and Liam came up with their bowls in an obedient manner. Only Odell sat down, his deep and cold eyes still looking at Sylvia.

Nevertheless, she did not look at him and simply went about her own business. Although she wanted to kick him out, he was the father of the little ones, and Thomas was still in his hands, so she could not mess with him too much.

After serving the children and Aunt Tonya, she gave him a bowl of noodles as well and placed it in front of him. Then, she sat down herself.

The atmosphere was a little stiff as Isabel and Liam ate quietly and obediently. Aunt Tonya did not speak.

Sylvia also had nothing to say and ate with her head down. When she finished her bowl and raised her head, her gaze locked with a pair of deep and dark eyes.

Odell was looking at her. The bowl in front of him was already empty. It was obvious that he had finished the noodles too. Sylvia avoided his gaze and looked at Isabel and Liam. The children were still eating, but they were almost finished.

Thus, she watched the little ones until they were done eating and got up to clean up.

Aunt Tonya quickly said, “Go and rest, Syl. I'll handle it.”

“Aunt Tonya, you can go play with Isabel and Liam. I'll tidy up the kitchen,” Sylvia said and quickened her movements.

Before Aunt Tonya could react, Sylvia ran into the kitchen with a stack of dishes in her hands as if there was a wolf chasing her. Aunt Tonya was stunned.

Isabel also tilted her head and muttered, “Mommy is acting strange today.” Liam looked in the direction of the kitchen and did not say anything. Odell’s handsome face darkened again.

After entering the kitchen, Sylvia washed the dishes used one by one. Then, she tidied up the kitchen which was already very clean. When she looked up at the time after an hour and guessed that Odell should have left, she took off her gloves and apron and went to the door.

The moment she reached out and pushed open the kitchen door, a tall and straight figure appeared in her line of sight.

The man was leaning against the wall with his back to the door and his arms crossed in front of him. One of his long legs was bent at the knee, and the other was straight. Despite his devil may-care posture, he exuded an aura of indifference and a strong sense of oppression. Sylvia's pupils shrank. Then, she looked ahead, pretending not to see him, and took fast steps forward “Stop,” he suddenly commanded.

Chapter 664 Sylvia instinctively stopped in her tracks.

The living room was quiet at the moment. Not only were the two little ones not around, but Aunt Tonya was also nowhere to be found.

After hesitating for a moment, Sylvia quickened her steps and walked forward. Odell frowned. “Don’t you want to see him?” She stopped in her tracks and looked back at him, asking suspiciously, “Will you let me see him if | say yes?” “Come here.” He curled his lips and added, “Come to me and I'll let you see him.” Sylvia immediately looked at him warily. “You said the same thing to me this evening in the forest park.”

He had also said that he would tell the bulldozers to stop if she went to him, but in the end, he told them not to spare a single flower!

Odell narrowed his eyes. “If you don’t come here, then you'll never see him again.” Her chest tightened as she glared at him. Meanwhile, he leaned lazily against the wall, looking at her calmly.

Sylvia resisted the urge to punch him and took a deep breath, saying, “Odell, if you’re angry, just take it out on me. Thomas is innocent. Can't you let him go?” He looked at her with cold eyes with no intention of answering her, let alone agreeing with her. She gritted her teeth and said, “Fine. I'll break up with him.” His gaze changed slightly. “What did you say?” “I'll break up with him!” she raised her voice. “As long as you let him go, I'll break up with him immediately, okay?”

He curled up his lips. “I can’t hear you. Come here and say it.” Sylvia could not help but yell, “You prick!” Odell smiled wickedly, his expression seemingly saying, “Don’t try to negotiate with me if you refuse to come here.”

Sylvia was so angry that her chest hurt.

However, there was no other way. Furthermore, he looked like he was in a good mood, so it should be possible to negotiate with him.

She quickly walked to him and stopped about half a meter away from him.

Odell curved his lips and stretched out a long arm to wrap around her waist and pull her into his arms. Sylvia instantly raised her hand to push against his chest and looked up to glare at him.

He smiled at her and asked, “What if you guys get together again behind my back after | let

him go?”

“I'm not you. | won't go back on my word,” she replied instantly in a righteous manner. Odell looked at her face puffed up with anger and could not help but chuckle. Then, he took her left hand and lifted it up.

The finger that she cut earlier was the index finger of her left hand. The tip of her finger was still wrapped in a Band-aid.

Aas

He gently touched the finger and asked, “Does it still hurt?”

Sylvia frowned in annoyance. “No.”

It was just a cut on her finger. When he had broken her leg before, it was much more painful than this. He held her hand and looked at her. “Be careful in the future.”

Sylvia frowned.

‘What's that supposed to mean? Is he concerned about me?’

Her heart was irritated for some reason, but she calmed down quickly and looked at him. “I will. Can you let Thomas go now?” Her tone was significantly better than before and even held a trace of pleading. However, Odell’s expression instantly cooled.

Chapter 665 In the past, he probably would have taken her to bed directly and taught her a lesson.

However, the woman in front of him that he hurt countless times was the girl who saved him on that rainy night. Although she liked another man now, and although he was so angry that his heart ached, he had to hold back. He could not hurt her anymore. 4

He restrained his emotions and said, “No.”

Sylvia’s face was cold. She was just about to push him away, but before she could use her strength, he said, “I didn’t lock him up because of you.” She instantly froze.

Odell looked at her and continued, “He’s the mastermind behind Carter Corporation’s crisis this time.”

Sylvia’s eyes widened again. “He’s the mastermind? How can that be? Weren’t you the one who planned the crisis?”

He could not help but pinch her face. “Didn’t you read the news today?”

His voice was cold and helpless, as if he was very angry but could not do anything to her, so he could only hold himself back

She pursed her lips and remembered that the news article shared her opinion. Was she wrong? Odell pursed his lips. “The shareholders who were taken away by the police were manipulated by him.”

She instantly remembered the shareholders who were handcuffed and the explanation of the reason for their arrest on the news. The reason was clear. They had tampered with the funds of several of Carter Corporation’s major projects. If Odell had not been prepared in advance, Carter Corporation would have been gone by now.

It was indeed impossible for him, the head of the corporation, to create a crisis for his own company. Although she did not know much about that, Carter Corporation's stocks had been falling for some time now.

The crisis this time should be caused by those few shareholders. Odell had most likely learned about it early and let them convene the shareholders’ meeting in order to wait for them to reveal their true colors and wipe them out all at once.

However, how could those shareholders have been manipulated by Thomas?

Sylvia still did not believe him and looked at him, asking, “Who said that it was Thomas who manipulated them? Did they confess to it?”

“No.”

“Then, how do you know?”

“Speculation.” “Do you have proof?”

Odell was speechless. For some reason, he suddenly felt attacked.

When Sylvia saw him remain silent, she asked, “You don’t have any evidence?”

Odell hummed.

She immediately said, “There’s no way Thomas could have done such a thing. He’s only keen on playing the piano and shouldn't

be able to manipulate people. Besides, he’s your brother and still has shares in Carter Corporation. If the company collapses, he won't be able to get the dividends, so he has no reason to do that either.”

Her tone was firm, and her small face was brimming with faith in Thomas. Odell pursed his lips, and his expression went cold uncontrollably. Sylvia only wanted to quickly quash his suspicions and did not notice anything off about him. She thought about it and continued, “During Carter Corporation’s crisis, Aunt Tonya, the kids, and | lived with him. Although | wasn’t with him every moment, | saw him every day. He doesn’t have time to scheme about those matters...”

Her small mouth continued to chatter, every sentence a defense for Thomas. As if defending him was not enough, she also stressed that they were together every day. The man’s expression quickly became gloomy. Then, he suddenly lowered his head and sealed her mouth.

“Mm!” Sylvia’s unfinished words were instantly blocked off.

At the same time, the man’s domineering breath barged in. He did not give her a chance to struggle. She was furious and tried to bite him, but before she could, he nibbled on her mouth.

She cried out in pain, and he finally let her go.

He took her little face in his large hand and looked at her darkly. “Say one more word to defend him and your mouth might never open again.”