Chapter 41
Sophia noticed a cameraman following her and immediately put on a serious expression. As she bent down to gather some branches, she said. “Although the strong wind last night almost caused some trouble, it’s really nice to get up close and personal with nature.”
“I wasn’t being careful last night and almost got myself into trouble. Hey, guys, make sure to stay safe out there!” Sophia playfully winked at the camera as she spoke.
Sophia was wearing a spaghetti–strap dress, and her arms, scratched by weeds, were covered in red marks on her delicate skin. The itching made her instinctively want to scratch. Sophia regretted not changing into a long–sleeved outfit.
But then again, long sleeves would’ve hidden her sexy, graceful figure. She gritted her teeth and endured the discomfort, thinking to herself. It’s fine. Hang in there. I’ll be back soon. Once I’m back, I’ll just put on some medicine, and it’ll be fine.
Am I the only one wondering why she keeps wearing a spaghetti strap dress on a deserted island? There are bugs everywhere.]
[Her skin is full of bug bites. She’s so fake.]
[Why are you being so mean to a woman? Sophia just wants to look her best, and she’s done nothing wrong. What’s the big deal about wearing a dress? Are you criticizing her on purpose?]
[The public is so unfair to women nowadays.]
Sophia’s fans immediately clapped back, but the audience’s dissatisfaction with Sophia remained strong,
Not far away, Finnian, Atlas, and Lucian had gathered plenty of dead fish, shrimp, and shellfish. As they walked back, they noticed Sophia carrying a pile of branches and quickly stepped in to help.
The group made their way back together, bustling with activity as they processed the fish and shrimp. However, they were faced with a problem. None of them had brought a proper cooking pot for the fire.
“How about this shovel?” Lucian pointed at a nearby shovel, which he had chosen from the tools provided by the production
team.
“It’s okay. Let’s clean it up first, Finnian said.
Sophia hesitated, thinking to herself, I remember that shovel is for manual labor. Can we really use it to cook? What if we get poisoned? Despite her inner reluctance, she forced a smile and pretended to be fine with it.
“That’s great. Now we have something to cook with,” Sophia said enthusiastically.
Just then, a pair of underwear hanging to dry suddenly fell, landing right next to Lucian. He glanced at it briefly.
Noticing it, Sophia quickly darted over, snatched it up, and stuffed it into her suitcase. She had washed it the night before and hung it up to dry, never expecting it would fall.
“Finnian, Odalys used to like you, didn’t she? So why is she upset with you now?” Sophia lowered her voice to ask. In reality, Sophia had deliberately chosen to bring up the question while the live–stream cameras were rolling.
Even though she whispered, her words would still be picked up on the stream. Finnian stayed silent, giving Sophia q thoughtful look, unsure why she had suddenly brought this up.
Back then, the two of them had agreed on a plan. Finnian would charm Odalys into replacing Sophia as Percival’s bride.
Once they married, Finnian could share in the benefits Odalys would bring from the Stewart family. Odalys had been. showing her fondness for Finnian, so Finnian naturally regarded her as a suitor.
Chapter 41
What Finnian didn’t know was that it hard all been orchestrated by Sophia. Sophia had deliberately made him misunderstand that Odalys was pursuing him
Sophia had
Odalys deliver gifts to Finnian on her behalf and intentionally dropped hints to Finman that Odalys admired him. As a result, this ambiguous situation had developed, with both sides believing there was mutual interest
Sophia had been the one misleading both of them all along, making Odalys think Finnian liked her and convincing Finnian that Odalys adored him.
“It’s not a big deal. Just say a few sweet words to her, and she’ll forgive you,” Sophia whispered with a sly smile, offering advice
Nearby. Lucian squatted quietly, lost in thought. His gaze shifted to Sophia, noticing the mosquito bites on her smooth
neck
“Ms. Bennett, you’ve been bitten by mosquitoes. Do you want to put on some lotion?” Lucian asked, holding out a bottle of calamine lotion.
Sophia glanced at it and declined. “I’m not able to do much right now,”
Then let me help you Lucian offered.
Dipping his fingertips into the lotion, Lucian moved closer to Sophia, his touch gentle as he dabbed the lotion onto the bites on her neck. Slowly, his fingers began to trace downward.
“Mmm. Sophia let out a muilled hum.
Hearing her soft voice, Lucian froze for a moment, instinctively lifting his eyes to meet hers. Sophia’s cheeks flushed, and she quickly turned away. “That’s enough, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Lucian replied, tucking the lotion back into his pocket. Trying to maintain his composure, he resumed his tasks, though his gaze occasionally flicked back to her..
Sophia noticed his glances, her expression uneasy but her mind crystal clear. She understood Lucian’s intentions. He was, trying to flirt with her, testing her reactions with his earlier gesture. The realization brought a sly smile to her lips.
Lucian and Selah are in the same group. If I can use Lucian to bring Selah into my circle, then…. Sophia murmured under her breath, her plan forming.
Having made up her mind, Sophia decided to keep Lucian interested. She lifted her eyes and caught his gaze. Their eyes met briefly before they both looked away, the silent exchange leaving an unspoken understanding between them.
“I’m going for a walk,” Sophia said, standing up and rubbing her arms as she headed toward the cave, Lucian saw her leave and seized the opportunity to follow. The two of them disappeared inside, one after the other.
“Hey, Ms. Bennett,” Lucian called softly once he realized the cameraman hadn’t followed them. He quickly closed the distance between them.
Sophia raised a hand, stopping him. “I need you to do something for me,” she said in a low–voice.
Lucian leaned in closer to hear her better. After listening to her whispered instructions, he seemed taken aback. “Are you sure about this?” he asked quietly.
If you pull it off. I’ll get your cast in an A–tier lead role a
the show,” Sophia promised,
Lucian’s initial reaction was dissatisfaction. An A–tier role was decent, and in the cutthroat entertainment industry, every ambitious actor dreamed of landing an 5–tier role to skyrocket their fame.
“If you’re not interested, then forget it,” Sophia said, her tone icy Anyway, once your group disbands, you’ll be like scattered
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Mon,
Chapter 41
sand. No buzz, no future”
12
66%
Her words stung, but Lucian swallowed his pride. Fine, I’ll do it he muttered, his voice low and begrudging Sophia didn’t respond. She brushed past him, heading out of the cave..
As she did, she felt his hand graze hers, sending a slight tingle up her arm. With a subtle look of distaste, she pulled her hand away and walked on.
By the fire, Finnian and Atlas were busy grilling fish and shrimp Though the meal lacked the flavor of what Odalys had prepared the night before, after a night of hunger, they were too desperate to complain.
“Sophia, come over here. Atlas called, waving her over.
Lucian trailed behind her as they returned to the group. They both sat back in their spots, avoiding any mention of what had just transpired.
[Something feels off. Sophia and Lucian both look so unnatural after coming out and back alone…]
[Poor Finnian. He barely has enough for himself, and yet he’s grilling fish for Sophia. This is so infuriating.]
The audience noticed Sophia’s action of slipping away until the food was ready and even getting Finnian to pick out the fish bones for her. The criticism flooded her Twitter, with accusations piling up.
After being defamed online all day yesterday, Sophia’s follower count had dropped from seven million to five million in just DIDE C day.
Her loyal fans scrambled to defend her, but the wave of backlash was relentless. Even fans of Atlas, who had previously stood up for her, had now gone silent.
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SEND GIFT
