Chapter 54: Other Means

"It's tough to get rid of," Willie sighed, looking pretty tense.

I glanced at him and asked quietly, "Why? What is this thing, anyway?"

He gave me a serious look and explained softly, "It's a mark someone put on you. Basically, no matter where you are, as soon as you fall asleep, they can slip into your dreams and make you do stuff for them."

No wonder I ended up taking a call in my sleep and driving out without knowing why. It must've been Amelia who did something when she hugged me. No wonder Eric said she might not be herself anymore.

I found it hard to accept, but there wasn't much I could do.

The old Amelia would do anything dangerous for me and handle everything. What had the new Amelia gone through?

Willie looked at me, his face serious. "Tonight, you dug up someone else's grave because they controlled you in your dream. Who knows what they'll make you do next? You need to be careful."

My waist and back still ached. I tried to push down the frustration bubbling inside me.

"Since you know what this is, can you help me get rid of it?" I asked Willie, feeling a panic I couldn't quite describe.

Eric was injured, and Jonathan had his own issues. However, I kept causing them trouble. If I could handle this myself, they wouldn't have to worry about me.

Tonight, I was just manipulated into digging a grave. What if next time, I got a call to commit murder or arson, or something even worse? I couldn't imagine it; I just felt helpless being controlled like this.

Willie saw my dejected look, turned off the car lights, and restarted the engine. "I've rarely seen a case like yours. I can try, but I can't promise I can fix it completely."

I didn't expect a miracle; I just wanted it resolved soon. If it could be entirely removed, great. If not, even some control would be good.

Willie drove away from the cemetery.

When we got back to the city and I saw the familiar streets, I finally started to relax a bit.

"How can it be resolved?" Jonathan had a hard time treating Eric's injuries, and I was also poisoned by Zara. All these problems made me even more desperate. Why was I being targeted?

Willie parked the car on a wide, empty street and silently took out a small white snake from his pocket.

Seeing him handle the snake, I froze in fear. "What are you doing!"

My biggest fear was snakes or anything resembling them.

Even though I knew Eric's true form, I had never actually seen it. Now, facing this snake, cold sweat started pouring down my back, and my mind went blank.

"It's a pet I've had since I was a kid. If nothing goes wrong, letting it bite you might solve part of the problem, but I can't say how much it'll help," Willie said, giving me a deep look.

The little snake in his hand seemed to understand and flicked its tongue eagerly.

I glanced at him and asked calmly, "Is there any other way?"

I was really scared of being bitten by a snake.

Willie gave me a gentle smile and slowly took out a piece of candy from his pocket. "Eat the candy, and it'll be over."

I didn't move, so he unwrapped the candy and put it directly into my mouth.

As soon as I swallowed the candy, the little white snake quickly bit the sorest spot on my back.

The sharp pain made cold sweat break out on my forehead.

Willie seemed to have expected this and calmly smoothed out the candy wrapper, slowly putting the little white snake away.

Seeing my resentful look, he explained calmly, "The little white snake is young. Solving this in one go is impossible. You'll need to be bitten four more times before midnight each day."

Hearing his explanation, I was dumbfounded.

"Even if the mark can be completely removed in the end, I can't guarantee I won't do something crazy while being controlled in my sleep for the next four days. Furthermore, is it really necessary to let the little white snake bite me?"

It was impossible, as Eric's body would recover within three days at most.

Once he recovered, he would definitely take me to find the remaining souls. If he found out I was still in contact with Willie, I might be beaten to death by Eric before the mark was lifted.

Willie patted my head and laughed loudly, "You're overthinking it. One bite from the little white snake will temporarily stabilize your condition. Besides, that old man won't let anything happen to you."

Mentioning Eric, he seemed a bit displeased.

I awkwardly rubbed my nose and looked at him. "Thanks for helping me, but I really love my fiancé..."

Before I could finish, Willie covered my mouth.

His face darkened, and he sneered. "Stop rejecting me. Aren't you afraid I'll get mad and not let you use the little white snake?"

I shrank back and quickly distanced myself from him. "No, I believe you're not that kind of person."

Willie paused and said nothing more.

He got out of the car and then got into a sports car parked by the road, waving at me. "Go home early; it's not far from here."

I nodded and obediently got into my car.

Before leaving, I looked at Willie. "You helped me, so if you need help in the future, you can call me. But I don't want to hear about our childhood engagement anymore."

Willie propped his chin with one hand and smiled mischievously. "Aren't you afraid that old man will get mad?"

I frowned. "Eric isn't that petty. He'll understand if there's a reason, as long as you don't keep pushing his limits."

Willie nodded and silently followed me for a while. When we could see the villa in the distance, he turned his car around and left.

I discreetly drove the car into the villa, and after turning off the engine, I was so tired that I couldn't even raise my hand.

As soon as I entered the yard, I felt my eyelids getting heavy. I squinted my eyes and walked dazedly to my room.

After ensuring the door was closed, I unbuttoned my shirt with one hand, tossed my dirty clothes on the floor, and headed straight into the bathroom.

Soaking in the huge bathtub, I sighed in relief. "Home is the best."

The water was already prepared, and the temperature was just right.

If someone could give me a massage and help me relax, I'd sleep even better tonight.

I closed my eyes and slowly sank into the water.

Just as I lay down, my foot touched something smooth and soft. That sensation scared me stiff.

"Oh my God, what the hell. Eric, help!"