Chapter 8

Aria Bennett took an immediate liking to Elise Sterling, the gentle and kind-hearted girl. The two of them chatted effortlessly, finding common ground.

"Miss Bennett," Marcus Sterling suddenly spoke up, his voice laced with urgency. "You said you could cure my sister. What do you need from us?"

Mrs. Sterling quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes! How can we help?"

Aria smiled faintly, but her gaze lingered on Elise’s slender wrist. "This bracelet—someone gave it to you, didn’t they?"

Elise’s eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?" She instinctively touched the bracelet. "Does it... have something to do with this?"

"Exactly." Aria’s expression turned grave. "All the accidents, bad luck, weakness, and insomnia you’ve suffered over the years—it’s because of this."

"Judging by your condition, you’ve been wearing it for three years." Aria paused. "If you keep it on any longer, I’m afraid..."

Her words sent a chill through the Sterling family.

Elise was too stunned to speak. She never imagined that the source of her years of suffering was this very bracelet.

"It really did start three years ago..." Elise murmured, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.

Mrs. Sterling yanked the bracelet off. "Who gave this to you?"

Elise bit her lip and glanced at her father. "It was... my cousin. She said it had been blessed..."

"Impossible." Aria’s tone was firm. "This is a burial artifact, steeped in dark energy."

Elise paled. "Why would she do this to me?"

"For love." Aria didn’t mince words. "She wants your fiancé."

Elise felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. She remembered how her cousin always made a point of getting close to her fiancé whenever she visited...

"So she was trying to..." Elise’s voice shook.

Marcus sneered. "If something happened to you, the engagement would naturally fall to her."

Mrs. Sterling trembled with rage. "How cruel!"

"However," Aria added, shifting the conversation, "your fiancé hasn’t betrayed you—at least not yet."

Elise let out a small sigh of relief.

"But," Aria continued, "your cousin has definitely been scheming behind the scenes."

A cold glint flashed in Marcus’s eyes. "I’ll look into it."

"No." Mr. Sterling suddenly spoke, his voice icy. "I’ll handle it."

Aria tactfully redirected the focus. "The priority now is dealing with the bracelet. You’ll need to find a piece of jewelry infused with protective energy..."

Marcus caught on immediately. "Do you have any recommendations?"

Aria shook her head. "You’ll need to consult a professional metaphysician."

As she was leaving, Marcus escorted her to the door. "The issue with the agent—it’ll be resolved today."

Aria nodded in thanks, a faint smile playing on her lips as she turned away—the real drama was only just beginning.