Chapter 128

“I don’t understand. He rushed up to me and wanted to hit me for no reason. Why? Because his last name is Bennett?”

“Does he think that as a member of the Bennett family, he can do whatever he wants? Do the Bennetts think they can hit and harm whoever they want?”

“If I were the only one affected, I wouldn’t pursue this, but there were four of us. What if the current had been stronger? Who could guarantee nothing would go wrong?”

“I can’t let this go. I’m getting justice today. Whoever cut the rope, I’ll cripple one of their hands,” Odalys said sternly.

Francis stood nearby. He approached, looking thoughtfully at Sophia, who shrank behind Finnian. Then he looked at Atlas, whom Odalys had knocked down. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Ms. Stone, are you sure someone from Group A did this?”

“What I’m sure of is that after you went out, we stayed in the living room,” Sophia replied.

He remembered everyone being there.

“If he didn’t go out, what’s wrong with his shoes? They’re covered in mud, but he only washed half of it. He was in such a hurry; the bottom of his pants are dirty,” Odalys said coldly, pointing at Finnian.

Everyone followed her gaze. Finnian’s shoes and pants were muddy, the mud still wet. He had clearly just been outside.

“Why are his clothes and shoes dirty?” Francis asked, surprised. He was puzzled. When had Finnian gone out? Why hadn’t he known?

“So, are you still sure he didn’t go out? Or did he use the bathroom break as an excuse? Or did you not notice him leaving?” Odalys pressed.

Francis fell silent, unwilling to participate further, but he looked at Finnian with disdain. They were all participating in a variety show. Guiding public opinion was one thing, but harming someone’s life was immoral. He thought, How could he disregard the life and death of others for popularity?

Finnian met Odalys’s gaze, his body trembling. He felt a chilling force consuming him, and subconsciously retreated, but Sophia pressed against him from behind.

“Odalys, even if his clothes and shoes are dirty, it doesn’t mean he cut your rope,” Sophia said. Then, with a cold smile, she added, “Did you do this yourself to frame us? To attract attention, you’ve gone to a lot of trouble. Do you think I’d incite Finnian to cut your rope? Or do you want to drag us all down?”

Odalys laughed, staring at Sophia as if she were foolish.

“I only said you wanted to harm me and that his shoes and clothes were dirty; I didn’t say you instigated him to cut the rope,” Odalys said quietly.

Her words shocked everyone. They considered how Odalys had first kicked Atlas to incite emotions, then questioned Sophia, and finally shifted the focus to Finnian.

Chapter 124

(This section appears to be a mixture of online comments and narrative. It needs significant restructuring to be a coherent paragraph.) The online comments should be placed in a separate section, clearly labeled as such.

Chapter 125

Odalys raised her hand and slapped him hard. Finnian tilted his head, stunned, looking at Odalys in disbelief. He hadn’t expected her to hit him.

Finnian grunted, his mind a mess. The slap seemed to clear his thoughts, as if waking him from a dream.

“If you dare to cut our ropes, you might drug us tomorrow,” Odalys said, grabbing his collar and pulling him down. She kicked him, he knelt, and she jabbed a nearby branch into his palm.

(Online Comments from Chapter 124):

“[Visu] You’re making it so obvious. Aren’t you suspecting I instigated him?” Sophia panicked. Her expression flickered; she wondered how Odalys had found out.

[Look at how Sophia is crying. It doesn’t look like she did it.] [This is murder. Wouldn’t something have happened to Stellan if the water flow was a little stronger?] [Odalys, hit her! She must have done it!] [That’s right, just because his shoes are dirty doesn’t mean he went there. Odalys is too much. How can she hit others?]

The online viewers were in an uproar. Odalys had immediately begun settling scores upon her return. Their argument sparked curiosity and nervousness. Some viewers even watched Group A’s video.

[Wait, I think I remember Finnian going to the washroom.] [I’m going to watch the video too. Finnian wouldn’t harm anyone. Odalys, don’t even think about framing him.] [I’ll find evidence for Sophia. Odalys is a bitch. She is too much. Does she think we don’t have evidence?]

Fans began searching for previous live broadcast videos. Sophia and Finnian’s fans wanted to post video evidence, but saw that after Group B left, Sophia entered Finnian’s room. Atlas and Francis were in the living room; Finnian was asleep, unwell. Sophia went in, closed the door, and stayed for a long time before coming out alone.

[Fuck, Sophia went into the room to look for Finnian. The two of them were alone for a while.] [After Sophia came out, Finnian didn’t appear.]

Those searching for evidence were stunned. They had only focused on the live broadcast, and hadn’t noticed Finnian’s absence. But now, they realized the timing was significant.

Sophia’s fans fell silent.

[Didn’t you want to give us the evidence? Bring it on. Why aren’t you posting the video of Sophia and Finnian in the room!]

Freya and Stellan’s fans attacked Sophia’s fans.

In the village, Odalys looked coldly at Sophia. Seeing Sophia cry, her smile deepened. “W-What are you doing?” Sophia panicked. Finnian rushed to stand in front of Sophia as Odalys approached.

This cleaned-up version improves grammar, punctuation, and flow. The online comments are separated for clarity, and some unclear or repetitive phrasing has been removed. There are still some minor inconsistencies (like the sudden shift to second person in some sections), but this is a significantly improved version of the original text.