John opened the door, the sound of it echoing in the tense silence. Below, the three waiting figures heard the soft creak and rushed up the stairs with heavy footsteps. Their anger was palpable, fueled by frustration and distrust.
When they saw Alton still lying motionless on the bed, rage surged within them.
"Didn't you say you could cure my father's disease? Why isn't he awake? You damn liar!" Noah's voice cracked with frustration. His eyes burned with fury as he lunged toward John, ready to grab him by the collar and punish him for his deceit.
But John, calm and unshaken, spoke with quiet authority, "I have cured his disease. Just wait another half hour. He will wake up, but it will be in his own time."
"Wait half an hour?" Noah was taken aback, confusion momentarily dampening his anger.
Linda, however, sneered, her lips curling into a mocking smile. "Ah, I see what you're doing. You want to stall. You'll wait and then try to escape, right?"
The deal was clear—if John failed to cure Alton, they had agreed that he would suffer a gruesome punishment. In Linda's eyes, John was clearly trying to buy himself time to flee.
"Yes, exactly," Noah scoffed. "I thought it was cruel to cut off your hands and feet, but now… you're a liar and a cheat. I'm going to find a knife and make sure you regret this!"
Fueled by rage, Noah turned toward the stairs, heading for the kitchen, intent on retrieving a blade.
But Emily stepped forward, her icy demeanor halting him in his tracks. "Enough, Noah," she said with a cold edge to her voice. "Let's wait for him, just half an hour. We'll see if he's telling the truth or if he's just another fraud."
Her gaze remained locked on John, suspicion burning in her eyes. She wasn't sure if John was a liar or not, but the way he carried himself made her uneasy.
Linda, growing impatient, snapped at Noah, "Enough of this. We don't have time to wait. Go get a knife, and I'll stay here to make sure this liar faces the consequences. The Wood Family won't stand for being tricked."
John, unfazed by the increasing tension, decided to speak up once more. "Since you're so impatient, let me give you something to think about."
With an air of ominous calm, John's voice dropped to a whisper. "Alton was never sick. He was possessed by an evil spirit. The source of it was hidden under his pillow."
At his words, the room froze.
Linda's face turned pale, her voice shrill as she scolded, "Nonsense! What evil spirit? You've gone mad with your lies! You're addicted to deceiving us!"
Ignoring her, John stepped toward the bed, his hands clasped behind his back. "The evil thing is real. It was placed under his pillow."
Before anyone could respond, Linda, seething with disbelief, rushed toward Alton's bed, her hand reaching for the pillow despite John's warning.
John was quick to grab her wrist with an iron grip. "Don't touch him," he said softly, his tone as hard as steel. "If you do, you'll undo everything I've done. It'll cost Alton his life, and no one will be able to save him—not even the immortals."
Linda yanked her wrist away, trying to break free. "Let go, you bastard!" she screamed.
But as her hand reached for the pillow again, Alton's eyes shot open. His voice, deep and filled with a chilling power, filled the room. "Linda, are you eager for my death?"
Linda screamed, stepping back, tripping over her own feet in a panic, and collapsing to the ground.
"Father, you're awake!" Emily rushed to Alton's side, tears streaming down her face. She clung to him, her sobs shaking her body. "I thought… I thought I'd never hear your voice again."
Alton gently patted her head, his fingers trembling slightly. "Doctor Lopez saved me," he whispered. "I woke up before you even came in."
Emily paused, her brow furrowing as she gazed at him in confusion. "Why did you pretend to sleep?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion. But before she could continue, she realized something important. "Dad... Is Doctor Lopez telling the truth? Was someone really trying to hurt you?"
Alton nodded solemnly, his face grim.
Everyone's gaze snapped to Linda, who was still lying on the floor, her face ashen. Her terror was palpable now, her attempts at denying the truth hollow and unconvincing.
Alton's voice was icy, commanding. "Linda, was it you? Tell me the truth now."
Her eyes darted, panic setting in as she quickly shook her head. "No! No, I swear it wasn't me! It's that liar—you're being deceived! He must've planted the jade pendant in your pillow!"
The room fell deathly silent at her words. The accusation hung in the air, thick and suffocating.
Linda, desperate to clear her name, continued her frantic explanations, "I didn't do it! Please, believe me! I didn't…"
John's cold laugh broke through her pleas. "When did I ever say that the evil spirit was caused by a jade pendant?"
Boom.
It was as if a bolt of lightning struck Linda. She froze, her face pale, her mind racing to piece together what she had just inadvertently revealed.
She had made a critical mistake.
Noah, realizing the weight of his mother's betrayal, kicked her with violent force. "You did this!" he screamed, his voice filled with a bitter fury. "How could you do this to Dad? To all of us? After everything he did for you!"
The kick sent Linda sprawling across the floor, her screams of pain echoing through the room. John stepped forward, his expression darkening as he pulled the bloody jade from his pocket, slamming it onto the floor. The moment it hit, a gust of cold, malevolent air swirled around them, suffocating and vile, the intense resentment within it palpable.
But before the specter could take form, John's hand moved swiftly. With a flick of his wrist, the air seemed to still, and the dark energy was erased in an instant, dissipating like mist in the sun.
Linda stared at him, her face now drained of color. "What… what did you do?" she whispered, horror filling her eyes.
John's voice was icy as he addressed her. "You were trying to use this evil spirit as your scapegoat. You thought you could manipulate everything, pin the blame on me, and make me the one to suffer. But you were wrong."
The jade had been used by Linda to frame John, to set him up as the last person who would come in contact with it. The specter, now unleashed, would have targeted John if Alton had died. But instead, John had destroyed the dark force within the jade with a single, effortless gesture, showing just how formidable he truly was.
Linda's face twisted with regret and fear. "No… no… this was never my plan. I didn't mean to—"
"Shut up!" Noah's voice cut through the air like a blade. He advanced on her, his eyes wild with anger. "You are not my mother. My mother died years ago! You're just a fucking snake, a woman who poisoned everything we once had!"
He struck out again, his fists landing on Linda's body, not caring for her pleas, not pausing for her whimpers. He only stopped when Alton's commanding voice stopped him.
"Enough, Noah," Alton said firmly, his gaze piercing through the haze of rage. "It's time we find out what truly happened. Speak, Linda. Tell me everything now."
Linda collapsed to her knees, her sobs wracking her body. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Alton… I was manipulated… I was tricked… I thought… I thought I could fix things. Please… please forgive me."
But Alton wasn't listening. He stared at her coldly, his eyes hardening into something unrecognizable. "Tell me the truth, Linda. Now."