Chapter 130

“You could say that,” Odalys answered vaguely.

Stellan didn’t press the matter further. Freya and Selah both looked troubled. They had been shocked when they saw Odalys jab the branch into Finnian’s palm earlier. Both had wanted to step in and stop her. They hadn’t expected that, after being hurt, Finnian wouldn’t blame Odalys. Instead, he confessed the truth. Though they still didn’t understand what exactly had happened, they could sense that Odalys didn’t mean any harm.

“Sophia is so cruel!” Selah said, unable to believe it. “How dare she! She might even kill someone!” Selah thought, feeling a little scared. “Last time, Sophia manipulated Lucian into wanting to harm Odalys. This time, she tricked Finnian into cutting the ropes.”

“Forget about them,” Odalys smiled and reminded everyone. “Let’s get cleaned up and have some food, or it’ll be dark.” It wasn’t until she pointed it out that everyone noticed their clothes were filthy and drenched.

“Hey, I’ll go take a shower first,” Freya said quickly, heading back. Selah followed her.

Odalys glanced at Stellan and gave a small wave of her hand. “You should change too. I’ll take care of some things. Come help me start a fire.”

“Alright.” Stellan nodded and walked inside.

(The following is a series of internal thoughts and online comments, presented as a narrative break):

What’s going on? Why do I feel like something’s off? What did Odalys just say about what Sophia gave Finnian to drink? That cup of water! Back then, she heated something in it in the morning. Sophia gave him some more medicine. I gave it to Finnian to drink. After he drank it, he came down with a fever. Oh my god, could Sophia be a witch? What exactly has she been doing? Since Finnian admitted it, it looks like it really was Sophia’s doing. Incredible. [I think Odalys was trying to help Finnian. She poked him with that branch, and after his palm started bleeding, he seemed to agree. I just compared Finnian’s eyes before and after he was hurt. The change is so obvious.] The netizens were all in shock. They had originally thought Odalys was bullying Sophia and the others, but now it seemed like all of Odalys’ suspicions were true. Even though the production team hadn’t released any footage, Finnian’s words and the events that had unfolded seemed to support what Odalys had said. Francis was acting really strange earlier. He seemed to know something. That day, Sophia gave Francis water, but he didn’t drink it. The voices calling for Sophia’s condemnation grew louder online. Some even started rewatching old videos, noticing how Sophia’s expressions seemed downright unsettling. Oh my god. Didn’t everyone say she was so kind? I’m terrified. I thought her smile was pure before, but now I see it’s so terrifying. Without any videos, how do we know if any of this is true? Maybe it’s all just hype. Who would risk tarnishing the Bennett family’s daughter’s reputation just for some publicity? The Bennett family would never allow that to happen. I can’t believe they would let anyone slander Sophia. The debate online raged on, but no one was willing to defend Sophia anymore. In an instant, it felt like all of Sophia’s fans had vanished, and Finnian’s followers had quickly turned against her, digging through her old tweets to criticize her badly. Meanwhile, Sophia and the others had no idea what was happening.

Sophia sobbed and looked at everyone before turning away to take a shower. She changed into a white dress and lay down on the bed, not leaving.

Chapter 130

“Hi, Sophia,” Atlas said, sitting on the edge of her bed. He reached out and touched her, noticing she was quietly sobbing. Atlas immediately grew concerned, gently stroking her head. “It’s okay. Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding. Don’t cry.”

Sophia’s voice trembled as she sobbed. “Atlas, I didn’t do anything. Why is Finnian helping Odalys frame me? I didn’t do anything wrong. Finnian got a fever today, and I gave him medicine. Why would he turn around and try to frame me?” Sophia sat up and looked at the camera in the room. Sophia knew that the room had been livestreaming before she went to sleep. As far as she was concerned, as long as she didn’t admit to anything, these events couldn’t be pinned on her.

“Are you sure it has nothing to do with you?” Atlas hesitated, asking. Clearly, Atlas was stunned by what had just happened. He had a vague feeling that Odalys might be telling the truth. Otherwise, Finnian wouldn’t have suddenly confessed.

“Atlas, even you don’t believe me? Why would I harm someone from Group B? What would I gain if something happened to them?” Sophia murmured softly. She looked at Atlas with reddened eyes. She clenched her teeth and gave a bitter smile, then tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. “Why does she have to target me? Why? She may not like me, but that doesn’t give her the right to frame me. I won’t argue with her, and I don’t want to make things hard for her.” After all, she probably has her own reasons and struggles, right? Sophia’s voice softened as she spoke. Sophia turned her gaze toward the window, noticing that it was getting late. She gently nudged Atlas and said, “Atlas, go outside and see if you can find some food. Don’t sit here with me starving. We’re not like Group B, able to find food so easily. Don’t starve yourself just because of me.” She said with some concern, but inwardly, she rolled her eyes.

Chapter 130

“Alright, I’ll go find something for you. You stay here and rest,” Atlas said, rising to his feet and heading toward the door. For some reason, being with Sophia made Atlas feel a little suffocated. There were some things Atlas needed to figure out, so he planned to go out and find Francis. Francis had never interacted with them before, and he was more of an outsider. Maybe Francis has a clearer view of things than we do, Atlas thought. Atlas hurried outside but found it strangely empty. Finnian and Francis were both nowhere to be seen. Used to a life of comfort, Atlas felt somewhat disoriented in the wilderness.

“Hey, Odalys,” Atlas called after a long pause, heading to the neighboring cabin. Their water bucket was filled with fish, shrimp, and clams. On the table, there were fresh potherbs, mushrooms, and various vegetables. There was a wide variety of food, and it all looked quite abundant.

“Huh! What’s wrong?” Odalys asked coldly when she noticed Atlas approaching. Her icy tone caught Atlas off guard. He parted his lips, hesitating, and then awkwardly said, “You have so much food. Could you spare me a little? It’s getting late. Sophia hasn’t eaten anything all day. If she doesn’t eat soon, she’ll starve,” Atlas added, lowering his voice in a more pleading tone. If I sound pitiful, she should give me something, right? Atlas thought to himself. After all, in the past, Odalys had always indulged him. Whenever Atlas asked for something, she’d never refused. This time, Atlas believed she would soften and help him as well.