Strange?
Of course it was strange!
The magic in Ryan's pupils slowly faded.
Seeing how panicked Vanessa was, Ryan had cast a basic calming spell to soothe her nerves.
Looking at Vanessa's expectant expression, Ryan felt conflicted.
He was willing to let the mother and daughter stay.
As a man, he didn't have to worry about being pinned down by his neighbor's wife.
Even if it did happen, he wouldn't be the one at a disadvantage.
Helping out was just a small favor—no big deal.
The real issue was that his place wasn't big enough. Aside from his bedroom, the other rooms didn't have beds.
How could three people stay here?
If he agreed, he'd probably end up sleeping on the couch.
If he refused, he'd seem coldhearted.
Buying a new bed in the city now?
Given the darkening sky, it might already be too late.
He didn't know what this woman was thinking.
Staying at his place would be worse than booking a high-end hotel for a few nights.
"You can stay at my place, but you can't hide here forever, can you?" Ryan said slowly.
He wouldn't mind letting Vanessa stay indefinitely.
After all, feeding a few extra people wasn't a problem for him.
Imagine waking up every morning to a stunning young mother greeting you with a "good morning" and a certain look in her eyes.
The thought of such a life felt blissful.
But her husband probably wouldn't agree.
If he came back and found his wife living in another man's house, he would probably be furious.
This kind of misunderstanding was best avoided.
After all, he hadn't actually had an affair with Vanessa.
If you're going to get in trouble, own up to it, but this wasn't his mess to clean up.
"Then… what should I do?"
Utterly lost, Vanessa felt even more uncertain upon hearing Ryan's words.
Was she supposed to return to that haunted villa?
Though the property had cost a fortune when they bought it, what was money compared to their lives?
Maybe they should just move.
The thought flashed through her mind and stirred her heart.
She had never liked this house in the first place. Her husband, William, had impulsively bought it after taking one look at it without consulting her.
If he knew there was an evil spirit inside, he would surely agree to move.
But knowing her husband, unless he saw the spirit with his own eyes, he'd never believe in something so absurd.
After all, she wouldn't have believed in evil spirits either if she hadn't witnessed them firsthand.
To see the spirit, however, they'd have to enter the villa.
Once inside, escaping might not be an option.
It was a vicious cycle.
"I'll go back with you and cleanse the evil spirit from the villa," Ryan said, watching Vanessa's conflicted expression.
After all, evil spirits were a great source of nourishment for him. He didn't mind doing her a favor while helping himself.
Neighbors should look out for each other—who knew when he might need her help in return?
It was only natural.
"Really? Wouldn't that be dangerous?"
Vanessa's heart leapt at the suggestion. She had put so much time and effort into decorating their new home.
Many things had already been arranged inside.
If they moved out now, selling the villa would be one problem, but furnishing a new place would mean another huge expense.
She and her husband were already planning for a second child, and their savings couldn't handle such extravagance.
So, if the evil spirit could really be dealt with, she'd much rather avoid the hassle of moving.
"For others, maybe. But with me around, I can at least guarantee your safety."
"To be honest, my family in the china were celestial masters who purified evil spirits for the emperor. For eighteen generations, we've been professional spirit hunters!"
Slaying evil spirits is my specialty."
Ryan smiled, radiating confidence.
His assured demeanor instantly reassured Vanessa.
She felt a surge of trust, remembering how the protective charm he'd given her had saved her life.
A celestial master who served the Chinese Emperor—now, that sounded impressive.
Though, she vaguely recalled hearing that Ryan's parents had died when he was young.
Had he been a spirit hunter since childhood?
Unaware of her thoughts, Ryan saw that Vanessa was convinced by his made-up backstory.
Without further delay, he led the two back to the villa.
The moment the door opened, a chilling gust of air rushed out.
Ryan rubbed the goosebumps on his arms; his expression was grave.
It wasn't his imagination—the evil energy in this place had indeed intensified, growing stronger by more than twice.
Something was wrong!
Evil spirits don't grow stronger overnight. Normally, their power increased over years.
Yet, since his last visit, barely any time had passed.
For the villa's malevolent energy to spike so drastically...
It made no sense.
Something must have happened inside.
"Has anything unusual occurred in the house recently?"
"Or have you done anything out of the ordinary?"
Ryan glanced at Vanessa, who was clutching his sleeve nervously. Then, he briefly let his eyes linger on the deep cleavage revealed by her low neckline.
"No, nothing!"
Vanessa thought for a moment, then shook her head firmly.
Lately, her husband had been too busy to come home, collapsing into bed as soon as he arrived.
Aside from her daily routine, she hadn't done anything unusual.
Aside from the sudden appearance of the evil spirit, life had been completely normal.
So she was certain.
How bizarre.
Ryan frowned. Even evil spirits don't change without reason.
Something must have triggered this.
Thinking of the approaching major event—
Ryan suddenly froze.
Halloween! 🎃