Chapter 852

chapter852

Vera’s room had been the most severely damaged by the fire. The once-elegant furnishings were now nothing more than scorched, blackened skeletons of their former selves. While the villa’s first floor had already been cleared of debris, the second floor remained a haunting gallery of charred remains, waiting to be attended to.

Deep within a disheveled, soot-covered wardrobe, they discovered a pile of severely burned clothing. Nestled among the silk and lace was the antique. Patricia gasped when she saw it; while the clothes were reduced to carbon, the antique remained eerily intact, its colors as vibrant as the day it was made.

“This thing really is cursed, isn't it?” Patricia whispered, her voice trembling. If she had any lingering doubts about the painting being a "negative item" before, the scene now was undeniable.

“Hand everything over to me,” Skylar instructed, her voice calm and authoritative.

Patricia nodded quickly, surrendering the items without hesitation. There’s no use in keeping such a malevolent thing anyway, she thought.

Skylar glanced around the ruined villa, her eyes lingering on the blackened corners. “Even after the repairs are finished, Vera’s family shouldn't live here. They need to sell it.”

Patricia was stunned. “But if the negative items are dealt with, why can't they stay? What about the Grimwood Residence? Is that safe?”

“The Grimwood Residence is fine,” Skylar said solemnly. “But the energy here has been permanently warped. If Vera’s family continues to live on this ground, the fire will eventually return. Some cycles cannot be broken just by removing an object.”

Patricia sighed in a mix of fear and relief. “Okay, I’ll let them know.”

Under Patricia’s watchful, wide-eyed gaze, Skylar began the purification. She prepared a series of specialized talismans and laid them across the artifacts. To Patricia’s utter astonishment, the antique—which had survived a literal house fire without a scratch—instantly crumbled into fine white ash the moment Skylar’s talismans ignited.

Seeing this with her own eyes, Patricia’s skepticism vanished entirely. It was no wonder people like Alexander spoke of Skylar with such reverence. She didn't just have "luck"; she had true, formidable ability.

In the family group chat, Vera was fuming as she read Patricia’s glowing praise for Skylar. Meanwhile, Denton and the others in the family felt a massive weight lift from their shoulders. The relief was almost physical.

“Vera, our family has paid a terrible price for your choices this time,” Patricia messaged the group. “Your parents, Aunt Hayden, Uncle Marlon, Hector, and even your grandfather have all been affected. We are incredibly fortunate that no lives were lost. Skylar told me that if we had waited even one more month to find her, our family would have been doomed. Thinking back on it now... it’s truly chilling.”

Vera’s expression was dark and grim as she read the words, biting her lip so hard it nearly bled. She hated to admit it, but Skylar really did have the skills to back up her reputation.

The following day at work, Skylar updated Alexander on the final resolution with the Ruell family. Alexander listened with a relieved smile. “That’s excellent news, Skylar. Well done.”

After her meeting, Skylar headed back to her desk, only to be intercepted by a buzzing Caleb.

“Skylar, you’re my absolute idol!” Caleb whispered with a mysterious, excited air. “You’ve worked a miracle. Even Hector—who was so proud he barely spoke to me when we were classmates—actually reached out to apologize today. It feels amazing! He actually admitted he was wrong.”

Skylar smiled at his enthusiasm. “How is his recovery going?”

“He’ll likely lose some sensitivity in his right hand,” Caleb replied, his tone turning more serious. “He mentioned he’ll need to endure a tough recovery period and likely head abroad for specialized treatment. But since he’s not a concert pianist or a violinist, the impact on his daily life should be minimal.”

Caleb shrugged, noting that Hector seemed remarkably rational about the situation. Once the source of the curse was gone, the focus had shifted entirely to the future and taking action.