Chapter 138

Sophia struggled, but Rafael dragged her inside. "Let go of me!" she cried, terrified by his lecherous gaze. She felt a shiver down her spine; she'd been caught completely off guard. Usually, she'd simply dispatch her bodyguards to deal with such men. She’d never given them a second thought. Whenever Sophia felt upset or heartbroken, a few tears were enough; someone always took care of everything. But now, genuine fear gripped her. Struggling or crying was useless against Rafael.

"You came here tonight to seduce me, right? Those things I gave you weren't free," Rafael spat, his anger escalating with each word, his grip tightening.

Sophia's eyes burned with regret. Why did I rush here to confront him? she wondered. She'd forgotten he wasn't like Odalys—someone she could bully. He wasn't from the Bennett family, someone who'd comfort her tears. He wasn't a powerful man concerned with reputation. Rafael was simply an unmarried man, without wealth or status, who desperately wanted a woman.

"I told you I was borrowing them! I'll give them back! Let go of me! Do you know who I am? If you mess with me, my brother will kill you!" Sophia shouted.

Before she could finish, he slammed her against the door. He grabbed her waist, leaned down, inhaling her scent, muttering, "Damn, you smell so good."

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Before he could finish his sentence, Sophia slapped him hard. Rafael was momentarily stunned, then tilted her chin up, locking eyes with her, his gaze narrowed. Sophia, terrified and trembling, stammered, "What...what do you want? Let go of me!" She continued to struggle.

Rafael suddenly lifted her into his arms and started walking toward a room. Sophia was shocked. His sour body odor hit her with nauseating force. She froze, still struggling, fear overwhelming her.

Then, she saw Odalys and several staff members standing outside, watching. Her pupils shrank in disbelief. Are they watching me make a fool of myself? Did Odalys bring them here to ruin me? she thought, horrified by Odalys's apparent malice.

"What's going on here?!" Kenny, the director, shouted.

Rafael, caught off guard, turned to face them. Seeing them crowding his yard, he sneered, "What do you think? Making babies?"

Everyone gasped. The onlookers' comments followed:

"What's going on here! Sophia's at a bachelor's house at night, and they seem entangled. Is there something going on between them? It sure looks like they're flirting!"

"Oh my god, the man even touched her. She seemed to refuse, but it almost looks like she's playing hard to get."

"She walked right into this. What's there to explain?"

Many viewers, about to turn off the livestream, were now glued to their screens. The fans were in shock. The camera clearly captured their struggle, their seemingly flirtatious interactions.

Speculation erupted amongst the viewers: "Could this be staged?" "That man looks like a sleazy bachelor, though. And he's definitely a local. He's old and ugly." Sophia's fans argued, replaying the footage, confirming its authenticity.

6:32 PM

Some viewers speculated about Sophia's late arrival and her intentions with Rafael. Could it be she's tired of handsome guys and wants an affair with an old bachelor? they wondered.

"This is a celebrity from our production team. Please let go of her," Kenny intervened.

The cameraman, hands shaking with excitement, zoomed in, ensuring a clear livestream.

"Production team! I don't know anything about that. All I know is she came to my place at night, and she must be lonely. I just want to fuck her," Rafael sneered, his face dark, his grip on Sophia's wrist firm, inescapable. Rafael was strong and used to physical work.

"Sophia, what about you? Are you here voluntarily?" Kenny asked, turning to Sophia. He was angry. If a celebrity from his team got into trouble, he'd be held responsible. Celebrities usually didn't leave the production site alone. But Sophia had defied everyone and come to Rafael's house alone. If she denied anything was happening, even Kenny wouldn't believe her.

"No, I'm not," Sophia said, panicked. "Save me...He's trying to take advantage of me." She slapped at Rafael's hand, weakly, ineffectually.

"Then why were you in his yard? We saw you open the door," Kenny asked, his face darkening. His opinion of Sophia was rapidly changing. The image of a sweet, innocent girl shattered. Many in the industry maintained a facade, but he'd never seen anyone as fake as Sophia.

Sophia's mind exploded. Kenny having seen her open the door meant they'd filmed everything. She trembled uncontrollably.

6:32 PM

In a fit of rage, Sophia turned to Odalys.

"Odalys, did you purposely have someone follow me? You're trying to trap me with the cameras, aren't you? You can't stand seeing me do well, can you?" Sophia shouted, her voice laced with anger.

Her words stunned everyone, including viewers.

Speculation filled the chat: What does she mean? Didn't Odalys and the others go for a walk before Sophia? Could Odalys be framing her? Maybe Odalys brought her here? They're adults. If Sophia didn't want to, could Odalys really force her to come in?

Everyone watched tensely.

Odalys laughed softly, stepping forward, calm and composed. She gave Sophia a cold glance, a faint smile playing on her lips. This sent a jolt through Sophia. She realized Odalys was about to retaliate. She tried to stop her, but it was too late.

Odalys, her voice steady, said, "I'm framing you? Are you saying I made you come here to find Rafael in the middle of the night? Did I tell you to push open the door? Did I tell him to drag you inside? To hold you? To behave like a creep with you? To pin you against the door?"