Chapter 53 I Heard You Want to See Me?
Olivia met Nicola's gaze with calm resolve, and her voice cut through the air like ice. "An evil spirit harboring malevolence must be eradicated."
When Olivia made her stern declaration, Nicola's body swayed, prompting Mary to quickly gather her in a protective embrace.
"Nicola, this child is not meant to be with you, especially given the harm it has nearly done to you. I know it sounds harsh, but your well-being is my top priority," Mary said, her voice trembling with maternal concern.
Mary, as a mother, empathized deeply with Nicola's conflicting emotions. She understood the fierce maternal instinct to protect a child, but her daughter's safety and happiness came first.
Feeling her mother's comforting embrace, Nicola simply closed her eyes, grappling with her own complex feelings for the unborn child.
In truth, Nicola had little attachment to the baby. It was a mistake from the start, and even without the events in the teaching building, she might have chosen to end the pregnancy. Perhaps this rejection fueled the baby's resentment and eventual transformation into a malevolent spirit.
Despite harboring resentment for Nicola, the baby clung desperately to her, going to extreme lengths to keep her close during her captivity.
Nicola couldn't fully express the ambiguous emotions she had for the unborn child, but she couldn't bear the thought of its destruction.
Nicola turned to Olivia, pleading, "Master Sinclair, is there no alternative?" Despite their close age, Nicola's eyes were heavy with experience, devoid of innocence or naivety.
Olivia paused, contemplating the complexities of the situation. As a master of magic cards, she lacked experience exorcising malevolent spirits, particularly the ghost baby, who possessed not only its own malevolent energy but also that of the suicidal students and the skull.
Olivia made a decisive decision despite her uncertainty about her ability to eliminate the threat. Without saying anything else, she turned and left the room, retrieving her phone to make a call, leaving Nicola and Mary to contemplate the unborn child's uncertain fate.
Olivia dialed a number on her phone, speaking urgently. "This is Olivia... There is a ghost baby here, and I need your help to get the evil spirit out of it. It's a unique situation."
Olivia's expression changed as she heard the response, her brow furrowing with concern. "What? Twenty dollars. But you quoted $4 earlier! That is too steep! Can you provide a discount?"
"Fine, I'll expect the delivery this afternoon."
Olivia ended the call and returned to the room, where Mary and Nicola waited for her.
"I've arranged for someone to try to remove the evil spirit from the ghost baby. If he can remove the evil spirit, maybe it won't be an evil ghost anymore," Olivia said.
Mary and Nicola expressed gratitude to Olivia for her assistance. Mary inquired about the service's cost, keeping in mind their modest financial situation.
Olivia recognized their financial difficulties and offered a reduced rate. "My fee for the service is $60, plus an additional $16 for the commission to remove the evil spirit. "You can pay a total of $76."
Despite being surprised by the amount, Mary agreed, relieved to have a solution at hand.
Olivia accepted the payment and left a magic card for Nicola's protection before leaving the premises.
Olivia took refuge in a quiet spot downstairs as she waited for her contact to arrive. Soon, a mysterious figure dressed in black approached, their features hidden behind a mask and hat.
"Hello, what item do you need delivered?"
Olivia took out the paper lantern tied with a red string from her backpack.
As they exited the building, the ghost baby struggled violently, hoping to reunite with its mother. Unfazed, the young man in the black hat calmly removed a box from his bag.
Olivia recognized the box as one of Jeremy's magical artifacts, which were used to temporarily seal items containing evil spirits. This box was among the twelve artifacts.
Olivia put the paper lantern in the box and paid the fee in person. With the transaction completed, the young man quickly left with the box in tow.
Olivia promptly messaged the contact, informing them of the ghost baby's impending arrival, and transferred the agreed-upon $16,000.
Despite the significant financial loss—having recently received one hundred and twenty thousand dollars from Tom, only to lose it all, plus an additional forty thousand—Olivia felt a pang of regret. However, she quickly dismissed it, determined to recoup her losses in another venture. Despite the setbacks, she had solved someone's problem and capitalized on the opportunity to make money.
Meanwhile, Nicole lay in her hospital bed, visibly weak after only two days, with dark circles under her eyes, pale skin, and a subdued demeanor. Her recent near-death experience had left her sleep-deprived and on edge, wary of everyone around her.
Despite her exhaustion, Nicole remained vigilant, fearing that anyone nearby could transform into Nicola and pose a threat.
Nicole, who was nursing her third cup of coffee for the day, was accompanied by Kayla, who was wearing a bandage on her head from an earlier accident. Despite her own injuries, Kayla remained committed to Nicole's well-being, offering her support and companionship throughout her hospital stay.
Nicole's mind was filled with worry during this difficult time.
"Nicole, you've had approximately twenty cups of coffee in the past few days. "It's bad for your health."
Nicole ignored the warning and drained her cup of coffee before turning to Kayla with an anxious expression.
"Mom, has Dad found the Master Monk who can save me? If not, we can get help from Olivia, right?"
"Nicole, don't worry. Your father is already searching for him. We don't need to that little bitch. We will find a way to save you."
Nicole's rage boiled over, and she threw her cup to the ground, the shattering glass echoing her impatience.
"How are you going to save me? I nearly died! Nicola has become a vengeful spirit looking for me, and you have no idea how terrifying it is!" Nicole's voice trembled with emotion. "Why didn't you take me to Olivia?
"I want to see Olivia! Even if she cannot expel the evil spirit, she can divert its attention. Maybe seeing Olivia will make it leave me alone and focus on her instead."
Just like before, as long as Olivia was by her side, the illness and pain that had been persisting wouldn't affect her, but slowly transferred to Olivia instead. She moved to remove her IV tube, determined to take matters into her own hands.
"I need to see Olivia. You need to take me to her right now! She has my bracelet; she must save me."
Kayla moved quickly to calm Nicole, but before she could intervene, the hospital room door swung open, revealing Olivia standing in the doorway with a subtle smirk on her lips.
"I heard you wanted to see me. Here I am."