Chapter 162

"Adas, I'm heading back to my room," Sophia said, visibly shaken.

Earlier that afternoon, Sophia had gone to Rafael and borrowed some snake repellent spray, thinking she could lie without consequences. But now, here he was. If anyone found out, her reputation would be ruined.

[Wait. I just saw that creepy single guy fifteen minutes ago. He went to his place earlier. Must have been to get the snake repellent spray she asked for.]

[Ugh, this is gross. I feel like throwing up.]

The internet users quickly noticed the figure nearby. Rafael seemed to be watching Sophia, but she avoided his gaze. A flicker of displeasure flashed in his eyes, though he didn't walk off in a different direction.

Sophia had just entered her room when a tap on the window startled her. She looked up, and there was Rafael's face pressed against the glass, sending a chill down her spine. She almost screamed.

"You promised you'd borrow something from me and come over for dinner tonight. You're not trying to back out, are you?" Rafael's voice was thick and slurred. Even through the glass, Sophia could smell the stench of his bad breath.

"I—I'm not feeling well today. Maybe tomorrow," Sophia stammered, her voice shaking. She couldn't understand why she had let herself become entangled with him. The memory of him tampering with her underwear flashed in her mind. The thought of his sleazy face made her regret getting involved with him. Rafael was the kind of person who wouldn't have been worthy of speaking to her in the past. Now, however, he was all over her.

4:39 PM Chapter 162

"If anyone found out, her reputation would be destroyed." No. I need to think of something. Should I just kill him? This idea kept swirling in her mind, relentlessly hammering at her, urging her to give in.

"Fine. If you dare lie to me, you'll regret it," Rafael spat, turning and walking away.

Sophia collapsed onto the bed, forgetting that there were hidden cameras in the room. The viewers watching the livestream were stunned. None of them dared to speak ill of her, afraid of getting caught up in her mess.

At that moment, Selah was heading out to dump something when she saw Rafael's face pressed against the glass, speaking to Sophia.

"You guys won't believe what I just saw!" Selah quickly grabbed her plate and rushed back. She sat down, leaning in to whisper, "I saw Rafael standing by Sophia's window, talking to her."

"Do you think the things she and Atlas got today are the same things Odalys mentioned? Could they have made some deal with Rafael? What's going on here!" Selah said, looking at them with disdain.

Sophia was supposed to be a noble young lady. She couldn't have fallen this low, could she? Freya thought, her mouth falling open in shock.

"Rafael! Sophia's got some serious tastes, huh? She used to act all high and mighty when we were fighting for resources. She had this whole attitude like she was above everything," Freya sighed. Even though Sophia was down on her luck, Freya never thought she would end up like this.

"Maybe I'm wrong, but look at this?" Selah pulled out her phone and showed them a picture. She'd just taken a quick shot, and although it was a bit blurry, it was clear enough to see Rafael leaning against the window, looking like he was talking to Sophia.

Odalys couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh. Everyone's future partner had a certain level, certain stats. By choosing someone like Rafael, it only proved that Sophia's own fate wasn't that high. She was draining her luck with these kinds of decisions.

Sophia had even gone as far as to undergo a complete transformation and let herself be adopted by the Bennett family. Now, Odalys was becoming more and more curious about the people pulling the strings behind Sophia. It seemed like some kind of deal with someone, leading to their favoring Sophia. Otherwise, it didn't make sense.

"Odalys, could this be her trouble?" Freya asked, startled. The person in the photo looked to be at least in their fifties.

"What else could it be?" Odalys responded.

Stellan, noticing the conversation, instinctively looked down at the screen. Then, without saying a word, he quietly stood up and began washing the dishes for everyone. Clearly, Sophia had left him speechless, unable to offer any further commentary.

After dinner, with the whole giant python incident still fresh on everyone's mind, no one dared to wander off. Everyone returned to the living room to sit and chat.

"I'm going for a walk," Odalys said, standing up.

Freya was about to follow, but Stellan reached out and placed a hand on her arm to stop her. Freya's lips moved, but then she saw Stellan shake his head.

"Odalys, come back soon. Be careful," Freya quickly waved at her.

Odalys nodded, then turned and walked toward the door, disappearing quickly into the night.

Freya turned to Stellan, confusion written all over her face. "Why did you stop me from going after her? Do you know something?"

Stellan sat there, sipping coffee, before answering in a low voice. "Odalys is always careful with her actions. If there's nothing important, she won't be leaving. And if she really wanted you to come along, she would've asked you to join her. But she seemed a little anxious just now. She probably has something urgent to handle. If you follow her, you'll only be a distraction."

His words shocked both Freya and Selah. They exchanged glances, then spoke in unison, "Wow, you really know her well."

"Don't overthink it, I think she's a good person. She's mature and sensible, even if she's young," Stellan said, continuing to sip his coffee as he walked back to his room.

6:39 PM Chapter 162

Selah pointed at him, then at Odalys. "Stellan has feelings for Odalys, doesn't he?" Selah seemed to be reveling in some gossip.

Freya flicked her forehead and said, "Nonsense. Stellan's very principled. Don't expect him to fall for Odalys. Even if he did, it wouldn't matter."

"Don't forget, Odalys already said she's married," Freya waved her hand dismissively as she headed for her room.

Selah was suddenly much more agitated. "She's only twenty! There's no way she's married already, right?" Selah asked, eyes wide with curiosity. Freya just shook her head and pointed to her own head. "Marriage isn't about age. In rich families, marriage is all about status. Anyway, they're legally protected if they have a marriage license, but if they don't, it doesn't mean they aren't married," Freya said casually as she walked away, leaving Selah standing there in confusion.

"Seriously?" Selah asked, jumping up to follow Freya.

While they were gossiping, Odalys made her way through the streets, disabling all the nearby surveillance cameras and hidden ones, avoiding detection. She then headed toward the old mansion. She knocked on the door but got no response. After a moment of thought, she turned, jumped up, and scaled the wall, effortlessly slipping inside.