Chapter 16

As soon as the man finished speaking, the fans went wild, their cheers echoing around the room.

“Oh my God, it’s Atlas Bennett! He’s seriously such a fanboy! I might just start shipping them: Sophia is so lucky—she’s got her big brother spoiling her, and then there’s Finnlan looking out for her. Honestly, what more could a girl ask for?”

“Right! Being a rich, pampered heiress is the dream. I’m so jealous!” another fan piped up, their face lighting up with excitement.

Hearing the adoration, Atlas cast a quick, scathing look toward Odalys. His earlier actions clearly aimed to get her attention. He expected anger, maybe even sadness, in her eyes—but no. She was absorbed in her phone, not even sparing him a glance. His jaw clenched, his muscles tensing with frustration. If not for the crowd, he would have marched over and confronted her.

“Sorry I’m late!” a bright, cheerful voice cut through the air. A woman wearing sunglasses, cargo pants, and a basic T-shirt walked over. With a flick of her wrist, she removed her shades, revealing a stunning face.

“Let’s give a huge welcome to Freya Winslow!” The host’s voice was practically shaking with excitement as he rushed to greet her. Freya gave the host a quick hug, and a man walked up behind her. Seeing the host hug Freya, the man simply shook his hand. “Guess the girls get all the love. No hugs for us guys,” he joked with a playful smirk.

The host laughed, a little flustered. “You’re Stellan Drake, the hottest actor in the game right now! I don’t deserve a hug from you!”

The fans cracked up at the exchange.

Freya pushed her suitcase closer and paused to scan the crowd. Her eyes locked onto Odalys, and without hesitation, she walked over and plopped down beside her. Stellan followed and took the seat on her other side.

Odalys had hoped to sit quietly and blend in, but with two of the biggest stars in the room flanking her, she became the center of attention. The cameras immediately zoomed in on them.

“Hey, Freya,” Odalys said softly, leaning in closer. “Looks like we’re going to be tossed on an island to survive. Guess we’ll have to stick together, huh?”

“Same here,” Stellan added in a low voice. “First time for me on an island, too.”

Odalys chuckled and smiled, enjoying the easy conversation. “Me too. I’m actually looking forward to it!”

Meanwhile, Sophia, sitting off to the side, was seething. She had carefully chosen her outfit—a plunging V-neck dress—hoping to grab the spotlight, but Freya completely stole her thunder. They had always been rivals, but after Freya’s massive success with a hit historical drama, the tension had reached a whole new level. Sophia had fought hard for the lead role in that drama, only for Freya to swoop in and take it. As soon as the show aired, Freya’s career exploded, while Sophia found herself stuck.

“Atlas, how dare she team up with Freya Winslow to shut me out? I’m her sister!” Sophia hissed, her voice dripping with venom. Her eyes burned with rage. She never thought she’d be ignored like this. She had carefully styled her look—her custom-made dress, designed to show off her curves—but it hadn’t made any impact. It was like she wasn’t even there.

“Chill, it’s not even the island yet,” Atlas said, trying to calm her down. He gave her hand a light, reassuring pat. “Once we’re on that island, anything can happen.”

His words barely seemed to sink in. Finnian didn’t speak, his eyes locked onto Odalys with an intensity that could almost burn through steel. He hadn’t known Odalys was so close to Freya and Stellan. “Why didn’t I pick up on that?” he wondered. It left him with a knot of confusion and unease.

“I’m so sorry, the traffic was insane. I’m really late, my bad.” A girl rushed in, dragging her suitcase behind her, panting heavily. Sweat was dripping down her face; it was obvious she’d been in a mad scramble to get there. Right behind her was a guy—Selah Rowe and Lucian Pierce, the hot new duo. Their songs had been hugely popular lately, and now they were diving into acting, hoping to boost their profile and snag some top-tier gigs.

“Looks like all our guests are here,” the host said, holding a microphone and announcing it to the crowd.

Selah and Lucian scanned the area and spotted two empty seats in the center—clearly the prime seats. After a brief hesitation, they made their way over and sat down. Lucian chose the seat next to Finnian, while Selah settled in next to Freya.

“Alright, let me quickly run through the rules for the show,” the host said. “For the island challenge, we won’t be taking your phones, but the signal will be blocked. You’ll only be able to communicate with each other while you’re on the island. We’ll be live-streaming everything, and the crew, including Kenny, our director, will be shadowing you guys throughout. Now, check your bags—no food allowed, but you can bring any essential medications. We have some self-defense gear for you to choose from—ropes, knives, machetes, axes, stun guns, water guns, pepper spray, and shovels.”

“Oh, and we’ve got some self-defense gear. Pick one.”

As soon as the host finished, staff pushed the equipment forward.

“I’ll take the stun gun!” Sophia shot up, grabbing the stun gun as if someone were going to steal it.

Atlas squinted, stood up, and said, “I’ll go with the axe.”

“Guess I’m stuck with the machete then,” Finnian muttered, picking up a large knife.

Lucian walked up and said, “I’ll take the shovel.”

The host chuckled. “You guys are like mind readers. Since you all picked the same items, why don’t you team up? The rest of the tools will go to the other team.”

The items were quickly sorted out. Odalys picked the knife; Freya grabbed the rope; Stellan chose the water gun; and Selah grabbed the pepper spray.

Once everything was sorted, the host added, “You’ll be on the island for two weeks. Your main task is to find food.”

“If your team can find enough food every day, the winning team will get S-level resources from Silverline Entertainment.”

At the mention of Silverline Entertainment, the room went dead silent. Silverline Entertainment was one of the most elite companies in the industry. They had the best connections, the best resources—most of the biggest stars came from there. Landing S-level resources from Silverline was like getting a golden ticket straight into the A-list.

Sophia’s eyes lit up, and she gripped the stun gun like it was the key to her future.

“Alright, time to board the boat!” the host announced, and the crowd went wild, cheering for their favorite stars. The noise was deafening.

The group boarded the boat while Kenny and the rest of the crew scrambled to finish getting everything ready. Odalys got up to use the bathroom, and when she came back out, she found herself cornered at the door. Atlas was standing there, his face tight with fury, his eyes cold as he glared at her.

“Henry says you need to make sure Sophia wins this show,” he said, his voice ice-cold. “You’re going to help her snag the top spot and secure those Silverline Entertainment resources. Got it?”

“If you play along and help her, we might let you go permanent. Otherwise, when your contract’s up, don’t expect us to renew it,” Atlas warned, his tone sharp as a knife.