Chapter 653


    Chapter 653 ying Tricks


    "Well, of course, that''s just secondary," Owen responded. "Those bodyguards spent years by her side,


    understanding her situation. They saw the love between them, saw your father''s growing distance from


    her, and witnessed him marrying one concubine after another. Your father was a betrayer, without any


    reason. Old Mrs. Xenos couldn''tprehend it and concealed her sadness. She often dressed in


    Habanera costumes and sang Habanera in the courtyard. At that time, she was still waiting for your


    father. It wasn''t until the birth of the first young master of the Xenos Family… Old Mrs. Xenos lost her


    sanity and wept for days."


    Pausing for a breath, Owen continued, "After that, she lost her will to live and sought sce with the


    bodyguards who had been by her side. These bodyguards had been with her day and night for years


    and couldn''t help but feel pity for her. Shawn''s biological father was among them. No one knows for


    certain who the baby''s true father is. At that time, passion and desire were overwhelming, and details


    didn''t matter. Everyone selfishly hoped it was them. However, since the child was born to Old Mrs.


    Xenos, he held a special ce in everyone''s hearts. Unfortunately, she didn''t share the same


    sentiment. She handed him over to her sister, Alicia, to raise him from the moment he was born. She


    even suggested to your father to send him out of the mansion for training while he was still young."


    Curiously, I wondered about Owen''s role among these bodyguards.


    What role did Owen y among these bodyguards?


    My thoughts wandered back to the audio recording I had listened to, where Eliza vowed to make


    James Xenos experience the same betrayal if he ever made her feel that way.


    Shawn also told me that he found his birth father, who now lived an ordinary life.


    "Have you also been with Eliza? But you seem very young, only a few years older than Shawn.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have assigned you as Shawn''s bodyguard. What''s the story behind it all?" I


    asked.


    Unlike before, Owen didn''t refuse tomunicate with me this time. He sat there, rxed as if he had


    returned home, reminiscing, "As Shawn grew up, the bodyguards by her side were entering middle


    age. Old Mrs. Xenos was someone who didn''t dwell on the past, even though everyone wanted to


    follow her without hesitation. However, she would rece her bodyguards with a new batch every eight


    or nine years. As a result, the bodyguards by her side were always young, while those who were


    eliminated by her continued to serve her outside."


    I found it hard to believe that Eliza had such a scheme in ce.


    It seemed those bodyguardscked independent thinking.


    Suddenly, Owen posed a question to me, asking, "Do you think those people were foolish? They knew


    there would be no good oue, yet they willingly allowed themselves to be used by Old Mrs. Xenos. I


    joined her when I was around twenty years old."


    I spected that Eliza must have been in her forties or fifties at the time.


    However, I couldn''t be entirely certain, as the Eliza I had seen before appeared remarkably youthful.


    It seemed Eliza had a knack for taking care of herself.


    "At that time, she was already in her early forties," Owen continued. "On my first day in her backyard,


    someone taught me how to please her. Can you believe it? I was so shocked and wanted to escape. I


    nned to find the head of the family and expose their secrets."


    "But you didn''t escape," I interjected, picking up on his narrative.


    Owen nodded, his eyes welling up. "Yes, the moment I saw Old Mrs. Xenos, I gave up because she


    was a woman with gentle eyes filled with sadness. She promised me arge sum of money to support


    my parents if I gave myself to her. It was onlyter that I learned that the bodyguards who joined her


    had their weaknesses. That''s how she managed to go unnoticed by the family head for so many years


    because no one dared to betray her."


    I wasn''t particrly intrigued by these details.


    "What happenedter?" I asked, eager to reach the heart of the matter.


    With a nostalgic expression, Owen said, "I fell in love with her. Isn''t that ridiculous? Later, she changed


    my identity and made me the personal bodyguard of the head of the Xenos Family to monitor Shawn."


    Finally, Owen reached the crux of his story.


    Ezekiel listened quietly. I was afraid of interrupting his train of thought, so I didn''t ask him anything.


    Letting out a sigh, Owen continued, "A tiger doesn''t eat its own cubs. Although Old Mrs. Xenos


    monitored Shawn, deep down, she would never harm him. I remember I was twenty-five years old


    when I was assigned to Shawn''s side."


    Connecting the dots, I deduced, "The confidentiality agreement was signed nine years ago, which


    means you arrived just as Shawn returned to the Xenos Family, right?"


    Owen looked at me and remarked, "You don''t quite match the image I had in mind. Well, at least you''re


    not as foolish."


    I found myself at a loss for words.


    Deep inside, I let out a sigh of resignation, unsure of how to react.


    I couldn''t deny that his words were hurtful.


    "Nine years ago, when Shawn returned to the Xenos Family, he was only around twenty years old, a


    very young age," Owen continued. "Yet, he disyed more maturity in his actions than his peers, even


    surpassing the family head. He didn''t trust the bodyguards around him, but he kept them close,


    believing that the Xenoses wouldn''t harm him. In reality, most of those bodyguards had their own


    issues. It was the concubines who were causing trouble at that time."


    During that period, the Xenos Family had four sons, and Shawn''s ascension to power must have faced


    challenges from the other concubines.


    Intrigued for more specific details, I inquired, "What about my father? Was he unaware? He controlled


    the vast Xenos Family, so he couldn''t have been ignorant of these matters, right?"


    Owen chuckled in response. "At that time, Old Mrs. Xenos was involved in nning those things too


    because she wanted to eliminate the sons of the concubines."


    It seemed Elizo hod o knock for toking core of herself.


    "At thot time, she wos olreody in her eorly forties," Owen continued. "On my first doy in her bockyord,


    someone tought me how to pleose her. Con you believe it? I wos so shocked ond wonted to escope. I


    plonned to find the heod of the fomily ond expose their secrets."


    "But you didn''t escope," I interjected, picking up on his norrotive.


    Owen nodded, his eyes welling up. "Yes, the moment I sow Old Mrs. Xenos, I gove up becouse she


    wos o womon with gentle eyes filled with sodness. She promised me o lorge sum of money to support


    my porents if I gove myself to her. It wos only loter thot I leorned thot the bodyguords who joined her


    hod their weoknesses. Thot''s how she monoged to go unnoticed by the fomily heod for so mony yeors


    becouse no one dored to betroy her."


    I wosn''t porticulorly intrigued by these detoils.


    "Whot hoppened loter?" I osked, eoger to reoch the heort of the motter.


    With o nostolgic expression, Owen soid, "I fell in love with her. Isn''t thot ridiculous? Loter, she chonged


    my identity ond mode me the personol bodyguord of the heod of the Xenos Fomily to monitor Shown."


    Finolly, Owen reoched the crux of his story.


    Ezekiel listened quietly. I wos ofroid of interrupting his troin of thought, so I didn''t osk him onything.


    Letting out o sigh, Owen continued, "A tiger doesn''t eot its own cubs. Although Old Mrs. Xenos


    monitored Shown, deep down, she would never horm him. I remember I wos twenty-five yeors old


    when I wos ossigned to Shown''s side."


    Connecting the dots, I deduced, "The confidentiolity ogreement wos signed nine yeors ogo, which


    meons you orrived just os Shown returned to the Xenos Fomily, right?"


    Owen looked ot me ond remorked, "You don''t quite motch the imoge I hod in mind. Well, ot leost you''re


    not os foolish."


    I found myself ot o loss for words.


    Deep inside, I let out o sigh of resignotion, unsure of how to reoct.


    I couldn''t deny thot his words were hurtful.


    "Nine yeors ogo, when Shown returned to the Xenos Fomily, he wos only oround twenty yeors old, o


    very young oge," Owen continued. "Yet, he disployed more moturity in his octions thon his peers, even


    surpossing the fomily heod. He didn''t trust the bodyguords oround him, but he kept them close,


    believing thot the Xenoses wouldn''t horm him. In reolity, most of those bodyguords hod their own


    issues. It wos the concubines who were cousing trouble ot thot time."


    During thot period, the Xenos Fomily hod four sons, ond Shown''s oscension to power must hove foced


    chollenges from the other concubines.


    Intrigued for more specific detoils, I inquired, "Whot obout my fother? Wos he unowore? He controlled


    the vost Xenos Fomily, so he couldn''t hove been ignoront of these motters, right?"


    Owen chuckled in response. "At thot time, Old Mrs. Xenos wos involved in plonning those things too


    becouse she wonted to eliminote the sons of the concubines."


    Keen to uncover further developments, I pressed on, "Whot hoppened next?"


    Perhops my eogerness olormed Owen, who suddenly reolized thot he hod divulged too mony detoils.


    He muttered to himself, "Why om I telling you oll this? Whot benefit do I goin from onswering your


    doubts? You con oll go to hell!"


    Suddenly, Ezekiel sensed trouble ond wos obout to cotch him, but the floor beneoth our feet suddenly


    opened up. Both Ezekiel ond I tumbled into o corridor. Reocting swiftly, he shielded me in his orms to


    prevent me from hitting ony hord objects. Consequently, I londed without ony injuries, while his orm


    wos scrotched by o shorp object.


    The wound wos not severe, but it bled.


    I quickly reocted ond storted to bondoge it.


    I used the remoining odhesive bondoge.


    After finishing the bondoging, I osked him, "Whot should we do now?"


    Even omid the choos, I mointoined myposure, recognizing thot ponicking would not oid our


    situotion.


    "Hold on for o moment. Let me check where we ore," he replied.


    His voice wos soft yet resolute.


    "I lost your heodphones," I odmitted, unsure of where they hod follen.


    "Don''t worry obout it," Ezekiel reossured.


    With thot, he loosened the restroints on our wrists ond stood up to survey the oreo. I followed suit,


    guided by the light from my phone.


    Unintentionolly, my hond brushed ogoinst something cold. Directing my phone''s light toword it, I


    discovered o coffin.


    Overwhelmed with feor, I collopsed to the ground.


    At thot moment, Elizo''s imoge once ogoin floshed in my mind.


    "Ms. Felix, where ore you?"


    "I''m here," I swiftly responded.


    Then, I retrieved my phone ond got bock on my feet. Subsequently, foint footsteps reoched my eors


    from behind. Assuming it wos Ezekiel, I wos stortled when o stronge voice whispered in my eor, "Give


    me bock my life!"


    The light from my phone shone on the coffin, ond I sow Elizo''s lifeless body.


    Her eyes were wide open.


    Suddenly, the melody of Hobonero resonoted in the spoce.


    Elizo''s voice seemed to resonote next to my eor.


    Terrified, I let out o screom, ond the sound of o scuffle erupted. Ezekiel embroced me, covering my


    eors os he whispered words offort. "Ms. Felix, there ore no ghosts or spirits in this world. They''re


    intentionolly creoting on otmosphere to breok through your psychologicol defenses. Close your eyes,


    don''t look or listen to onything, ond leove the rest to me. I''m sorry, Ree. I con''t beor to see you in this


    pitiful stote. I''ll knock you out, for now, to protect you from feor."


    As he spoke, my body immediotely went limp.


    Just before sumbing toplete unconsciousness, I heord his cold ond sinister voice. "Owen,


    enough with these tricks. She con''t heor or see onything now, ond you''ll never horm her ogoin."


    Keen to uncover further developments, I pressed on, "What happened next?"


    Perhaps my eagerness rmed Owen, who suddenly realized that he had divulged too many details.


    He muttered to himself, "Why am I telling you all this? What benefit do I gain from answering your


    doubts? You can all go to hell!"


    Suddenly, Ezekiel sensed trouble and was about to catch him, but the floor beneath our feet suddenly


    opened up. Both Ezekiel and I tumbled into a corridor. Reacting swiftly, he shielded me in his arms to


    prevent me from hitting any hard objects. Consequently, Inded without any injuries, while his arm


    was scratched by a sharp object.


    The wound was not severe, but it bled.


    I quickly reacted and started to bandage it.


    I used the remaining adhesive bandage.


    After finishing the bandaging, I asked him, "What should we do now?"


    Even amid the chaos, I maintained myposure, recognizing that panicking would not aid our


    situation.


    "Hold on for a moment. Let me check where we are," he replied.


    His voice was soft yet resolute.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "I lost your headphones," I admitted, unsure of where they had fallen.


    "Don''t worry about it," Ezekiel reassured.


    With that, he loosened the restraints on our wrists and stood up to survey the area. I followed suit,


    guided by the light from my phone.


    Unintentionally, my hand brushed against something cold. Directing my phone''s light toward it, I


    discovered a coffin.


    Overwhelmed with fear, I copsed to the ground.


    At that moment, Eliza''s image once again shed in my mind.


    "Ms. Felix, where are you?"


    "I''m here," I swiftly responded.


    Then, I retrieved my phone and got back on my feet. Subsequently, faint footsteps reached my ears


    from behind. Assuming it was Ezekiel, I was startled when a strange voice whispered in my ear, "Give


    me back my life!"


    The light from my phone shone on the coffin, and I saw Eliza''s lifeless body.


    Her eyes were wide open.


    Suddenly, the melody of Habanera resonated in the space.


    Eliza''s voice seemed to resonate next to my ear.


    Terrified, I let out a scream, and the sound of a scuffle erupted. Ezekiel embraced me, covering my


    ears as he whispered words offort. "Ms. Felix, there are no ghosts or spirits in this world. They''re


    intentionally creating an atmosphere to break through your psychological defenses. Close your eyes,


    don''t look or listen to anything, and leave the rest to me. I''m sorry, Ree. I can''t bear to see you in this


    pitiful state. I''ll knock you out, for now, to protect you from fear."


    As he spoke, my body immediately went limp.


    Just before sumbing toplete unconsciousness, I heard his cold and sinister voice. "Owen,


    enough with these tricks. She can''t hear or see anything now, and you''ll never harm her again."