Chapter 107 Her Next Target Is Ryan
Damian's POV
Dinner had been unusually quiet tonight, the kind of silence that settles over a table when everyone is thinking their own thoughts but no one wants to be the first to voice them out loud. Grandmother had excused herself earlier than usual, and I watched as one of the housemaids wheeled her back toward her room with practiced efficiency.
Ever since her legs had stopped working properly, Grandmother's pride had kept her from attending social gatherings or appearing in public more than absolutely necessary. The family had grown accustomed to her absence from our evening routines, but tonight something felt different in a way I couldn't quite articulate.
I set down my knife with deliberate precision, letting my amber-gold eyes narrow slightly as I studied the faces around the table before allowing a meaningful smile to curve my lips. "Grandmother's appetite tonight seemed particularly… robust," I observed, my tone casual enough to pass as idle conversation but weighted with enough implication that anyone paying attention would catch the underlying question.
James perked up immediately, his enthusiasm cutting through the subdued atmosphere. "Absolutely! Grandma had a big bowl of chicken noodle soup before dinner, and she asked the kitchen to make pan-seared salmon—she ate almost half of it!"
Sophie bounced slightly in her seat, nodding vigorously in agreement as she chimed in with her own observation. "She ate so much! I've never seen Grandma eat that much before!"
Clara set down her fork with a soft clink against the porcelain plate, her brow furrowing. "I'm worried she might get indigestion from eating so much so quickly. Perhaps we should have the family doctor come to check on her, just to be safe."
Grandfather's voice cut through the suggestion with calm authority. "That won't be necessary, Clara. It's probably just a momentary indulgence, nothing to make a fuss over."
His tone was gentle but firm, the kind of statement that didn't invite further argument, and I caught the brief flash of something sharp and calculating in those pale eyes before he smoothed his expression back into grandfatherly serenity.
He knew something was wrong too, I realized with a jolt of recognition, watching the way his fingers drummed once against the table in a pattern I'd learned to read years ago as a signal of concern carefully concealed.
The meal concluded without further incident, and Father's voice reached me quietly from across the table. "Damian, my study. Five minutes."
When I entered Father's study exactly five minutes later, I found both him and Grandfather already waiting, their faces grim in the lamplight that cast long shadows across the dark wood paneling.
I closed the door behind me with a soft click and let the easy smile I'd been wearing all evening drop away completely, my amber-gold eyes turning cold and sharp as I met their gazes. "Grandmother has a problem," I stated flatly, not bothering to frame it as a question because we all knew the truth already.
Father nodded once, his jaw tight with controlled tension as he leaned back against his desk. "The butler reported that Nolan came back to visit his grandmother this afternoon and left shortly after. When he departed, he appeared to be carrying something from her room."
"We need to contact Elara immediately," Father continued, already reaching for his phone. "She's the only one who understands what we're dealing with."
The video call connected after two rings, and Elara's face appeared on the screen, her expression already alert despite the late hour where she was. Father wasted no time on pleasantries, quickly summarizing the situation.
"The parasitic entity has two primary methods of stealing family fortune," she began, her voice taking on the lecturing tone she used when explaining complex magical theory. "The first is a slow drain through the bonds of affection and connection with family members over an extended period. The second method is much faster and more direct—soul displacement, what we call seizing the body."
She paused, making sure we were all following before continuing. "In a body-seizing ritual, the target's body is occupied by an external soul. After seven days, if the ritual completes successfully, the fusion becomes permanent. The original owner's fortune is absorbed completely, and their soul remains eternally imprisoned within a container doll."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence, and I felt my blood run cold as I imagined Grandmother trapped in some prison while something else wore her skin and walked around in her body.
Grandfather's face had gone pale, his ice-blue eyes sharp with the kind of rage that came from helplessness in the face of evil, and Father's knuckles had gone white where he gripped the edge of his desk.
"However," Elara added quickly, and I heard the deliberate emphasis she placed on that word, "as long as we find and destroy the container within those seven days, we can return the soul to its proper body. If we act quickly enough, there won't be any lasting damage."
Grandfather leaned forward, his voice rough with barely controlled emotion as he asked the question none of us wanted to voice. "What should we do? How do we handle this without making things worse?"
Elara was quiet for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "For now, we need to act as if nothing is wrong. If we alert the parasitic entity that we know what's happening, it might panic and either accelerate the ritual or transfer to a different target. We can't risk that. Pretend everything is normal. Don't give any indication that you suspect anything. Can you do that?"
Father took a deep breath, his shoulders straightening as he accepted the burden of that deception. "Understood. We'll maintain appearances and act as if Grandmother's behavior is perfectly ordinary for the next few days."
Both Grandfather and I felt something loosen slightly in our chests at Elara's decisive instruction, though I doubted she realized the full reason why. The decision to prioritize caution over immediate action meant she wouldn't have to face the terrible moral dilemma of choosing between saving Grandmother and protecting the rest of the family from potential risk. It was a choice none of us wanted to force her to make, and her strategic approach had spared her from that particular burden, at least for now.
I pulled out my tablet, calling up the reports I'd compiled earlier in the day while the conversation had been happening. "I had the butler conduct a discreet inspection of Grandmother's room this afternoon after Nolan left. There were no dolls or obvious containers found anywhere in her quarters, which means whatever Nolan took with him this afternoon was almost certainly the vessel containing Grandmother's soul."
Grandfather's expression darkened further, his voice carrying the bitter taste of betrayal as he spoke. "We can't confirm whether Nolan himself has been body-snatched as well, but his allegiance has clearly shifted entirely to Aurora's side. Either he's being controlled, or he's chosen to betray his own family willingly."
I pulled up the next set of files, spreading them across the tablet screen as I laid out the results of my investigation. "I've compiled records of all properties registered under Nolan's name, cross-referenced with his recent social media activity."
My fingers moved swiftly across the screen, pulling up images and location data. "By analyzing the angles of skyline views visible through windows in his posts and comparing them against building heights and positions, I've been able to triangulate his most likely current location."
I highlighted a specific building on the map, zooming in to show the exact floor and unit. "Based on the architectural landmarks visible in the background of his photos, Aurora is almost certainly staying in this downtown apartment right now, and the container is very likely inside with her."
I sent the complete address, floor plan, and detailed positioning data directly to Elara's phone, watching as she received and reviewed the information with quick efficiency.
Father's voice cut through the moment with sharp authority as he turned to address someone off-screen. "Albert, arrange for our most reliable Delta scouts to maintain twenty-four-hour surveillance on that apartment. They are to remain completely hidden and under no circumstances allow themselves to be detected. The absolute priority is preventing Aurora from moving that container to a different location. If she relocates it, we may never find Grandmother in time."
Elara's image on the screen shifted as she leaned forward, her expression intense with focus and determination. "Aurora's urgency in targeting Grandmother suggests she has additional plans already in motion. I've placed protective guardian seals on every member of the family as a precautionary measure—if anyone experiences a soul attack, I'll sense it immediately no matter where I am."
She paused, and I caught the brief furrow of her brow as if she'd just thought of something important but couldn't quite bring the pieces together yet. "I'll dedicate the next three days to tracking down the parasitic entity's source. With luck, I'll be able to return home before the seven-day deadline."
My phone buzzed suddenly in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see an urgent message from Albert flashing across the screen. I glanced up at the video call, meeting Elara's eyes as I relayed the new information. "Albert just reported that Grandmother went to Ryan's room alone a few minutes ago. She appeared to be searching for something near his bedside table."
The effect on Elara was immediate and dramatic, her eyes widening as her pupils contracted with sudden understanding. An object that's been in close contact with Ryan, something that carries his essence and can serve as a binding medium for soul imprisonment. That means her next target is Ryan!"