Chapter 327

An unprecedented sense of unease washed over Dorian. He quickened his pace. The security guard pressed the elevator button for him, sending him directly to the 8th floor. After Dorian stepped out, the guard remained standing by the elevator doors.

“Thank you,” Dorian nodded to the security guard.

Only then did the security guard turn and re-enter the elevator, watching as it descended. Dorian quickly took out his cell phone and sent Odalys a message: "Ms. Stewart, there's something wrong with this hotel."

Unexpectedly, as soon as the message was sent, a "ding" sounded, followed by a notification: "Message failed to send." He glanced at his phone screen and noticed there was no signal. The glaring red "X" at the top of the screen confirmed it.

Dorian frowned but quickly calmed down. He massaged his brow, then walked towards Room 378, which was at the end of the corridor. Just as he raised his hand to knock, the door creaked open.

"My dear, are you there?" Dorian whispered.

The room remained unsettlingly silent. He stepped inside, and the door slammed shut behind him. Dorian's expression darkened as several burly men emerged from the shadows. Several of them stood behind him, blocking his exit.

"Who are you? Where's my girlfriend?" Dorian asked, feigning confusion.

The faces of these men were familiar. They were the same sleazy ones from the video he'd seen earlier. Though Dorian knew this, he deliberately acted frightened and panicked, prompting the men to burst into mocking laughter.

"Girlfriend? Seriously! Old man, are you so desperate for a woman that you've lost your mind? You're really helpless," the scruffy man sneered. He was the one who had pretended to be a girl and scammed Dorian.

He grabbed Dorian by the collar, pulling him into the room. The bag in Dorian's hand was snatched away in the process.

"Touch my property, and you'll regret it," Dorian growled through gritted teeth.

The scruffy man opened the bag and found it full of cash. Holding it up to his nose, he took a deep sniff and cursed. "Damn, this is real money! Don't you think this is a little too much? Should we make him cough up another six million dollars?" one of the men whispered.

Six million dollars seemed like a lot, but now, with easy money within reach, their greed grew insatiable. One of the men adjusted his sagging pants, stepped forward, and pressed a knife against Dorian's throat. His voice dropped menacingly. "Tell me"

At that moment, Dorian grabbed the scruffy man's wrist. With a loud "snap," the man's arm was forcibly broken. Dorian then sent him flying across the room. The man groaned, spitting out blood, his face contorted in pain. His eyes locked onto Dorian. With a bang, the door burst open. Odalys, Francis, and Stellan entered, wielding daggers and charging forward.

Chapter 327 (Continued)

Odalys strode in with confident steps. The men froze in disbelief, only to be swiftly taken down by Dorian.

"Don't move!" Francis and Stellan rushed forward as well.

Sensing danger, the men whirled around, hoping to escape through the window, their prearranged escape route. However, just as they were about to jump, ropes suddenly ensnared them, jerking them back. They crashed to the floor.

Realizing something was wrong, they fumbled for their phones, only to find their pockets empty. Even the slowest among them now understood they had fallen into a trap. As they tried to shout for help, no sound came out. The leader's face paled as he stared at Odalys in shock.

"Go on, scream. Why aren't you screaming? Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save you," Odalys said with a chilling smile.

As she stepped inside, Freya and Selah slipped in after her, slamming the door shut with a resounding bang. Both of them looked pale and out of breath.

They rushed up to Odalys, grabbed her arm, and gasped, "We think we just saw a ghost."

Odalys narrowed her eyes, her expression darkening.

"This place is indeed filled with negative energy," she said.

Freya swallowed hard, trying to compose herself before saying, "While we were running up the stairwell, we saw Lucian."

"Lucian? Isn't he locked up in prison?" Francis frowned deeply. He had a terrible impression of Lucian; he would stoop to any level, even attempted murder, just to curry favor with Sophia.

"But Freya and I saw him. He was at the corner of the seventh floor and entered a room," Selah whispered.

Odalys stood there, deep in thought, her gaze shifting to the men lying on the floor.

"Let's deal with these guys first," she said.

She stepped forward as Dorian delivered a series of heavy kicks to their bodies. The men groaned in pain, but no sound came from their throats. They could only glare at their captors with resentment.

"Mmph, mmph," they tried to speak but could produce no sound.

Odalys looked down at them coldly, her gaze finally resting on the scruffy man. "Do you want to live or die?"

The scruffy man moved his lips, but no sound emerged. He nodded vigorously. Odalys waved her hand, and his voice returned. As soon as he regained control of his body, he grabbed a nearby knife and lunged at her.

Everyone held their breath, realizing it was too late to intervene. Before the knife could pierce Odalys' abdomen, she grabbed the scruffy man's wrist mid-swing. With a sharp "crack," she twisted it, disarming him. He let out a bloodcurdling scream. Odalys then drove the blade into his arm with brutal force. He was in pain again, his anger replaced by fear as he stared at her in disbelief. Before he could react, the dagger plunged into his shoulder. The blade plunged deep, causing a gush of blood to flow out.

Odalys grabbed him by the throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. His feet dangled in the air, and his breathing became labored as he neared suffocation. Odalys threw him to the ground with a thud.

"I didn't tell you I'm a killer," Odalys said coldly.

Chapter 27 (This appears to be a misnumbered chapter, likely Chapter 328)

Her words contained the missing connection to Hannah. Everyone was stunned into silence. Even Dorian was taken aback and blurted out, "What do you mean? Is he one of Mrs. Bennett's people?"

Odalys said, "It seems he's related to Hannah by blood, probably cousins. He's also a murderer. At least two victims that I can confirm. Hannah must have been blackmailed."

She continued, "Their plan was to use his criminal record to manipulate him, sending him to get close to you and lure you out. If successful, they'd replace your identity, use your phone to contact the Stewart family."

As she finished, the scruffy man's face turned pale. His lips quivered, astonished by how much she knew.