Chapter 33
Atlas stayed silent, considering the situation. He thought, We’re in different groups after all. So there’s no obligation to invite anyone from Group A. It isn’t exactly fair to blame Odalys for this.”
But even knowing that, Atlas couldn’t bring himself to voice it out loud, Still, his patience had its limits.
Sophia might be a spoiled princess, but so was Atlas. Neither of them was used to this kind of hardship. And now he had to come over, stomach growling, to soothe her? Atlas was getting annoyed.
“Atlas. I’m not blaming you. I’m sorry.” Sophia muttered softly, hands around his arm and shaking it lightly, her tone laced with
Gradually, the simmering anger in Atlas cased, bit by bit.
using his irritation. She leaned in quickly, wrapping her
hint of playful affection.
“In the future, don’t pick fights with her during live streams, okay? If we need to deal with her, let’s do it privately. You don’t want to get dragged through the mud online and end up with a reputation you can’t recover from, do you?” Atlas whispered,
his tone serious.
When Sophia heard this, her eyes reddened with unshed tears.
“You think I’m the one causing trouble with her, don’t you?” Sophia murmured, her voice trembling. “But I’m not. I just wanted to get along with her! Why does she have to hate me so much?”
Her eyes brimmed with tears as Sophia stared up at him
“Hey, don’t cry. Let’s get you some food, and then you need a good night’s sleep” Atlas said, guiding her toward the fire. But when they reached the pit, all they saw was a pile of smoldering ash.
Atlas was about to speak when Finnian stood up, brushing off his clothes. “I’m done eating. Heading back to sleep, he announced flatly.
“Ms. Bennett, would you like some?” Lucian offered quickly, slicing off a portion for her as she approached.
But the fire was out, and the meat wasn’t fully cooked. The charred pieces had already been eaten by Finnian and Lucian, leaving only the bloody, half–raw portions. When Sophia saw that, her tears spilled over once more.
I’m not eating. You guys enjoy,” Sophia said, her voice barely audible as she turned and hurried away.
Then Sophia quickened her pace, catching up with Finnian’s retreating figure. When they entered the cave, she reached out and grabbed his arm.
“Are you mad at me?” Sophia bit her lip, her expression pitiful as she looked up at him.
Finnian exhaled sharply, his chiseled features darkened by a stormy scowl. He pried her hand off his arm. He said seriously, “Ms. Bennett, we’re here for a reality show.
“And what about tonight? You intentionally led the boar to attack her. What was that supposed to achieve? If Odalys died, how would that have benefited either of us?”
–
“We had an agreement, Finnian continued. “You make her take your place in the marriage, and I’ll step in after. But i you’re trying to kill her? Do you want all our plans to fall apart?
Sophia froze, his words hitting her like a slap. She stumbled back half a step, shaken by the ice in his gaze.
now
Finnian didn’t wait for her response, striding away and throwing himself down on a makeshift bed, completely ignoring her presence.
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Sophia stood there, rooted to the spot, before taking a small step closer. “But I haven’t eaten anything yet,” she said quietly. hoping for some shred of sympathy.
Originally, Sophia wanted to elicit his sympathy, but Finnian didn’t even look her way. She bit down on her lip, her frustration and humiliation boiling over into silent fury.
What none of them realized was that while the official camera crew had clocked out for the night, hidden cameras scattered. around the island continued rolling, broadcasting their every move.
Confident that the crew was off–duty. Sophia had let her true colors show, unaware that it was all being captured for the world to see.
By now, the live–stream chat had exploded. While most viewers had drifted off to sleep, a late–night crowd gathered to watch the drama unfold.
[Wow. Sophia’s such a spoiled brat. All that “sweet and kind” branding she’s been pushing? Completely falling apart now.)
[And what’s up with Lucian? Did he really steal food to bring back for them? Shady as hell. Dude’s canceled.]
[Wait, why does Sophia keep calling Atlas and get along so closely? Are they actually siblings? I thought that was just a gimmick.]
[Somebody dig into this. Is Atlas the heir to Bennett Entertainment? Didn’t he say he had Odalys‘ contract in his hands? Is he planning something?]
[Forget the drama. Sophia’s been flirting with every guy here. She’s such a classic fake.]
Even Sophia’s fans fell silent, watching the live feed in stunned disbelief. Her actions–flirting with every man in sight, leading the boar toward Odalys–were too much to defend.
For the first time, even Sophia’s most devoted followers were at a loss for words.
[She’s done. Sophia is the blueprint for a two–faced diva.]
Meanwhile, Sophia’s biggest fan account tried to rally support, but their comments were drowned out by the flood of
criticam
Online, the backlash was swift and merciless. Clips of Sophia leading the boar toward Odalys and her provocative poses in a skimpy outfit spread like wildfire.
Sophia still wanted to use the variety show to boost her popularity and bring down Freya. By leveraging the show’s popularity, she aimed to secure the lead role in a major directors script.
Unexpectedly, on the day the variety show aired, Sophia’s various coquettish provocations immediately made the director furious.
[Breaking: A–list director announces late–night statement, cutting ties with Sophia.]
The lead role in this highly anticipated blockbuster series had originally been reserved for Sophia. Meanwhile, the production team had been waiting for her to wrap up the reality show before finalizing the contract.
However, Sophia’s behavior during the livestream shocked the tire crew, leaving the director no choice but to reject her decisively
The news reached Atlas at 1:30 am. He called the director immediately, desperate to salvage the deal, but was told there was no point. The production had made up its mind to no longer work with Sophia.
Back on the island, Sophia remained blissfully unaware that heractions had cost her the role she’d spent six months fighting for. Oblivious to the fallout, she continued dreaming of finishing the show and heading straight into production.
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[Odalys said there’d be storm tonight. It’s past midnight, and the weather’s perfectly calm. Total fraud.]
[Yeah, kick Odalys off the show already. What a joke.]
Sophia’s fans, desperate for a scapegoat, flooded the live chat with furious comments. Yet, despite the 200,000 viewers online, no one engaged with them.
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While most viewers had already gone to bed, those still tuned in were eagerly waiting to see if Odalys earlier prediction would come true.
As time passed and nothing happened, boredom set in. People began logging off, ready to call it a night.
Then, out of nowhere, a deafening crack shattered the silence. A flash of lightning lit up the screen, striking an ancient tree with the force of a falling hammer. The sound was so intense, it felt as though the heavens were collapsing
[What the hell just happened?]
[Was that… lightning? It’s real?]
The viewers who had been seconds away from closing the stream jolted awake suddenly, their excitement renewed.
Inside the cave. Odalys and the others were fast asleep, exhausted from the day’s events.
But the thunderclap startled Freya awake. She sat up, wide–eyed, just in time to see the lightning strike outside, setting the massive tree ablaze with an eerie glow.
“Odalys!” Freya gasped, frantically shaking Odalys awake.
Odalys had already stirred the moment the thunderstruck. She glanced toward the entrance, watching the electric storm rage outside, her expression growing tense.
Next, Selah woke up, letting out a startled scream, her face pale with confusion. “What’s going on?” she stammered, her voice shaky as she struggled to make sense of the chaos.
Soon, Selah climbed to her feet and peered outside, only to see the scorched tree still smoking.
Just then, another crack of thunder followed, louder and more violent than the first. A second bolt of lightning slammed into the same ancient tree, making its massive trunk sway ominously
Meanwhile, Stellan startled awake, shot up from his spot, still in his beach shorts. He grabbed his gold–rimmed glasses. quickly, slipping them on as he made his way toward the entrance,
