Chapter 119

Finnian winced in pain as the bic band retracted. He saw the fork marks on his son's arm; blood oozed from the wound. He glanced at Odalys, as if wanting to lift her. Odalys sat coldly, watching him.

She said, "If you dare attack my people again, it won't be as simple as a scratch."

Sophia, witnessing Finnian's injury, turned angrily, glaring at Odalys. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Don't go overboard! We're all here for a variety show. Even if we're not friends, show some respect. You attacked without warning. Do you think that's impressive?"

Odalys burst out laughing. She stood, taking a step forward. Her powerful aura caused Sophia to take two steps back.

"Then you shouldn't have been so shameless," Odalys retorted. "Don't snatch food. When we refused you, you tried to hurt us. If I hadn't intervened, Freya would have been strangled! Your group is arrogant. How dare you shout at me? Do you think you can get away with it because the cameras are rolling and only we're here? Or do you think I can't see what you did? You know better than anyone what's wrong with Finnian!"

Sophia broke into a cold sweat, shocked. Seeing the warning in Odalys's eyes, she panicked. She knew she was at fault, and she wondered if Odalys had seen through her. Odalys's words hinted at a hidden meaning.

Could she know? No, that's impossible. Odalys is an idiot. How can she be so powerful? Sophia thought, trying to convince herself.

Odalys stood with her hands behind her back, an indifferent aura surrounding her. She looked at Sophia coldly, a smile playing on her lips, as if looking at a clown.

"Feeling guilty? Should I tell everyone what you did?" Odalys raised an eyebrow, anger simmering.

Sophia's heart pounded. She knew Odalys's pre-anger demeanor. She dared not provoke her. Rushing to Finnian's side, she said, "I'm not hungry. Really. Don't be angry. Let's get some food ourselves." Tears welled in her eyes.

Seeing her distress, Finnian felt a pang in his heart. He looked at Odalys, his body freezing momentarily at her clear gaze. Something he was suppressing seemed to stir. He shook his head in pain, appearing confused. His initial reaction to Sophia's bullying was to seek justice, but his rationality warned him something was wrong.

"Your head hurts again, right? Let's go," Sophia said, helping him to rest.

Passing Odalys, Sophia's eyes were red, her lip bitten as if wronged.

(The following section seems to be a mix of internet comments and a continuation of the story. I've separated them for clarity.)

Internet Comments:

Please don’t target the people who want to protect me. Okay with anything else? Even if everything was fake and everyone was bullying her. Yan phry, do you know that? There’s a saying that a bitch is always pretentious.

Continuation of the story:

Odalys didn't hesitate, scolding Sophia directly. Tears streamed down Sophia's face. Odalys had never dared offend her before, even at her most stubborn. Only since Odalys's marriage had she seemed…changed.

Sophia stamped her foot, hurriedly assisting Finnian.

"Are you feeling better?" Sophia asked gently. She was a little angry. The moment she saw him strangle Freya, a trace of joy flashed across her heart. She wanted Finnian to strangle Freya to death. Unfortunately, Odalys, the bitch, ruined my plans and even scolded me, Sophia thought resentfully.

"Hey, I'm fine, really," Sophia whispered. Her gentle voice soothed Finnian's frustration. He was curious why something in his heart seemed to be struggling to surface, yet was suppressed when he saw Odalys's eyes; it was as if something had been erased. He felt it wasn't right, but couldn't explain why.

"He's not feeling well. We'll find something to eat later and let Finnian rest," Sophia said softly.

Francis didn't object, but Atlas felt uneasy, unhappy seeing his sister so protective of another man.

"Let's go to the village," Atlas said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away, preventing her from being alone with Finnian. Francis followed, watching her with a probing gaze.

After Sophia left, Finnian sat staring at her, unfamiliar memories flooding his mind.

"Hiss," he hissed, his head hurting intensely. He retreated to his room to lie down.

More Internet Comments:

Am I the only one who feels something is wrong with Finnian? It’s as if he’s being manipulated. There must be something wrong with the water and medicine that Sophia gave him. Where are the people from the production team? Why didn’t they do anything about it? Something has already gone wrong. Did Odalys notice something! I feel that there’s a hidden meaning in her words. Sophia is so guilty. She must have done something evil.

The netizens were in an uproar, increasingly dissatisfied with Sophia.

Odalys watched them leave, then turned to Freya. "How are you? Did he hurt you?"

Freya, still shaken, shook her head. "I'm fine. He didn't pinch me hard." She added doubtfully, "Why does he seem…violent? Different from before." Meeting his gaze, she felt a strangeness. It was him, yet…different.

"Indeed different," Odalys said. She was certain Sophia had tampered with Finnian. The current Finnian was not the same; Sophia had manipulated his mind, potentially turning him into a killer for her. He was a knife in her hand, ready to act at her command.