Chapter 18

Sophia raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Vintre is just saying the wind’s going to pick up,” she said. “I checked the weather forecast before I came here. My brother even called the weather bureau to double-check.”

“They said clear skies for the next two weeks—not a storm, no rain, nothing. It’s about as safe as it gets,” she continued.

She pulled out her phone and handed it to Kermy. “Look, here’s the confirmation from the weather bureau.” As she spoke, she angled the phone so the cameraman could catch the screen, making sure everyone saw the information.

Kenny glanced at it, then cleared his throat. “Well, if the weather bureau says everything’s fine, then it should be. But if Odalys feels something’s off, we should stay alert—better safe than sorry.”

He turned to the crew and called out, “Alright, everyone, stay sharp. If the weather changes, we need to be ready. We can’t take any chances.”

Sophia’s grip on her phone tightened. She had hoped calling out Odalys would embarrass her and make Sophia look good in front of everyone. But instead of getting flustered, Odalys stayed calm, and Kenny actually took her seriously. That was enough to make Sophia furious.

Her fists clenched, but with the cameras rolling, she forced a tight smile. “Yeah, being cautious is never a bad thing.”

She reached out to grab Odalys’ arm, but Odalys just turned and walked away without a second glance, leaving Sophia hanging. Her eyes burned with irritation as she watched Odalys walk off.

Meanwhile, the live stream was blowing up with comments:

[What’s Odalys doing? Is she ignoring Sophia on purpose?] [A-list actress acting all high and mighty! Gross.] [No wonder she doesn’t even have a Twitter. She’s probably too scared of getting roasted by trolls.] [Honestly, island weather is unpredictable. Sophia’s right to be cautious. Better safe than sorry. I’m with Odalys on this one!]

Kenny glanced at the live comments, then up at the sky, thinking. If the weather does turn, that’d actually work in our favor. A little drama means more views. Just as long as no one dies, of course. He kept that to himself; he didn’t need anyone hearing that.

Not far off, Freya waved at Odalys, who was disembarking the boat. “Odalys! Over here!”

Selah stepped forward, eager to help. “Freya, let me grab that for you.”

Freya smiled, waving her off. “It’s fine, really. I don’t have much. I got it.”

Stellan followed quietly behind, carrying his own things. Odalys, effortlessly carrying her bag and pulling her suitcase, walked off the boat as if it were nothing.

In contrast, Sophia was taking tiny steps, carefully followed by Atlas, who was lugging her bags, and Finnian, who was holding her makeup bag.

“Slow down!” Atlas warned, making sure she didn’t trip on her heels.

Sophia strutted down the ramp, practically gliding with Atlas and Finnian in tow. Lucian followed behind, holding her Louis Vuitton bag as if it were the crown jewels. Her luggage was a mountain compared to Odalys’ simple, light packing.

The live chat was going wild. Some people were mocking Sophia for how extra she was with her baggage; others were jealous of the two guys doting on her. But as soon as the boat docked, their phones lost signal. They had no idea what the fans were saying. Only the crew could see the flood of comments.

Kenny followed closely behind, stopping and raising his hand as if he were making some kind of grand proclamation.

“Alright, listen up, people!” he said. “Here’s the deal. You’re going to be split into two teams of four. From this point on, you’ll be living on the island on your own, surviving. That’s on you. No help from the production team. You’ve got your brains and your guts—that’s all you’ve got to rely on.”

He continued, “The camera crew will be with you, but no matter what happens, we’re staying neutral. We’re not interfering. Odalys brought up the possibility of wind. Even though the weather forecast says it’s all clear, stay sharp. Safety first, alright? We’re kicking off this challenge now! From this moment on, your phones are useless. You won’t be able to use the internet; we have an internal network set up. I’ve created a group chat, so if you need anything, hit us up there.”

Having spoken, the crew scattered, moving off to video the contestants trekking down the muddy path leading further into the island. The path was decent at first, but it quickly became something straight out of a jungle.

“What the hell is this island? This looks like a damn jungle! No sign of any development here!” Atlas said, his voice filled with disbelief. The team hadn’t told anyone which island they were on. Everyone thought it would be some luxury resort, but the scene before them was anything but a vacation spot. A chill ran down their spines.

“Sophia’s composure is practically gone?”

“What the hell are we supposed to get through this?” Sophia asked, looking around in confusion. Her earlier composure had vanished. Having been adopted by the Bennett family, she’d been pampered and had never really experienced hardship. Even on set, there was always someone looking out for her. In this wild, untamed jungle, she instinctively pulled herself together, visibly freaked out.

“Everyone, throw on your jacket. We’re going to get eaten alive by mosquitoes,” Odalys said quietly, already putting on a sun-protection jacket she had prepared. Freya and Selah followed suit, quickly pulling out their jackets, and Stellan did the same, dressing quickly.

“Is this really necessary?” Finn Lark muttered to himself, frustration seeping into his tone. Odalys hadn’t looked at him once all day. It was like they were strangers. He couldn’t forget the slap she’d given him the night before—it still angered him. She’d embarrassed him on purpose, and if he hadn’t been quick enough, his scandal would have been all over the media. On the boat, he’d taken photos of Sophia on purpose, deliberately getting close to her to get a rise out of Odalys. He expected her to get jealous and confront him, but she didn’t say a damn word. Two hours later, she was still stone-cold silent. He felt off, but with the cameras rolling, he just had to suck it up.

“If the wind picks up tonight, we need to find a place to camp ASAP,” Odalys warned, her voice low. “If we don’t, we’re going to be in deep trouble.” Freya quickly leaned toward her, whispering, “Wind! We better get a move on, then—if the waves come in, we might get dragged out to sea.”

“Yeah, let’s head deeper into the island,” Stellan agreed, nodding quickly. “Get away from the shore.”

Selah instinctively glanced over at Lucian, but he was looking anywhere but at her. He was focused on Sophia, and then said, “Miss Bennett, why don’t you wear my jacket?” He handed it over with a polite smile, the kind that made it clear he wasn’t exactly doing it out of charity.