Chapter 38

Instinctively, the group followed Odalys' gesture, their gazes lifting upward. What they saw stunned them—a single leg dangling from the tree above. Sophia was wedged between the branches, her clothes disheveled, and her dress hiked up just enough to reveal the top of her thigh.

"Kenny, it's Sophia! The current must've swept her up into the tree!" someone shouted excitedly.

Sophia, lying awkwardly on the branch, gritted her teeth and shot a venomous glare at Odalys. She was seething. Actually, Sophia had woken up as soon as the tide receded and had been planning to climb down when she noticed the production crew approaching. She wanted to pretend to have gone "missing," hoping to put the crew in an awkward position.

But as the crowd grew larger, Sophia hesitated. When Kenny turned to Odalys for answers, Sophia decided to stay hidden. She wanted to watch Odalys embarrass herself.

What Sophia hadn't expected was for Odalys to reveal her location so casually. Now she was caught, utterly humiliated. Stranded, disheveled, and surrounded by gawking eyes, Sophia wished she could disappear into the tree.

"Ah!" Sophia screamed softly, gritting her teeth before flipping off the branch in what looked like a clumsy "fall." A crew member rushed forward and caught her just in time.

Sophia looked pale. Scratches marred her cheeks, her skin was noticeably sunburned, and her disheveled appearance left her looking far from her usual polished self.

"She's fainted!" someone exclaimed dramatically.

Kenny strode forward, his face dark as he looked down at Sophia. Despite her unconscious appearance, his expression showed little sympathy. However, when Kenny turned to Odalys, his gaze burned with a mixture of awe and disbelief. He was totally stunned. Kenny hadn't really believed in her abilities, but now, seeing how precisely Odalys had pinpointed Sophia's location, he couldn't help but feel astonished.

"Can you figure out where Atlas is?" Kenny asked nervously, unsure if Odalys' skills could be pushed further.

Hearing this, Odalys turned without a word, her eyes landing on a patch of overgrown bushes nearby. Just as Odalys glanced in that direction, a disheveled figure emerged, stumbling out of the underbrush. It was Atlas. His eyes, bloodshot and furious, scanned the crowd before he stormed forward.

"Move!" Atlas barked harshly, and the crew parted to let him through immediately. Soon, Atlas reached the spot where two crew members were helping Sophia sit up. His eyes locked on her face, his gaze filled with frustration and concern.

"If anything happens to her, Odalys, I swear I'll make you pay for it!" Atlas growled, his voice shaking with emotion. A night of turmoil had left Atlas teetering on the edge of breaking, and seeing Odalys standing there so composed pushed him over the edge.

Odalys remained unfazed, standing with a casually amused expression. The calmer she appeared, the angrier Atlas became, his fury bubbling just beneath the surface.

"What? Did I offend you somehow? Was I the one who sent the tide to sweep you two away?" Odalys asked softly, a hint of laughter in her voice. "Everyone knows Kenny called you last night and told you to leave. She refused. So why are you blaming me?"

Atlas clenched his fists, his anger boiling over as if a dam had broken inside him. Odalys' indifferent tone felt like a slap in the face, but with so many people watching, he forced himself to hold back.

Atlas crossed his arms and spoke with an air of entitlement. "This is all on you, Odalys. You leaked information about the cave deliberately, made it sound like a good spot, and then handed it over to us on purpose."

"You definitely knew this cave was unsafe, yet you let us stay in it. And it wasn't safe near the coast during high winds, but you didn't bother to warn us."

Atlas' words hung in the air like a misplaced punchline. Everyone stared at him, their expressions shifting from confusion to disbelief.

"Does he seriously say that?" someone whispered, barely containing a laugh. "Does the ocean knock something loose in his head?"

Odalys let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Wow. Guess the Bennett genes don't put much stock in logic, huh? Your thought process is seriously on another planet. You're really something, Mr. Bennett. Always twisting the story, blaming everyone else to save face. What's wrong? Backstabbed so many people you think it's normal now?"

Atlas' face darkened, his jaw tightening as he glared at her. He hadn't expected Odalys to call him out like that, especially in front of everyone.

"You've changed," Atlas said finally, his voice low but shaky. "What happened to you?"

"What happened to me?" Odalys took a step forward, her sharp gaze pinning him in place. "Should I have just stood there and taken the fall for you? That's what you think I'm here for, right?"

Atlas flinched, stepping back involuntarily. The steel in Odalys' voice sent an uneasy ripple through him.

Odalys continued, "Let me jog your memory. Last year, during that hurricane, your car broke down in the middle of the storm, and debris smashed through your windshield. Who drove out in the dead of night to pull you out and carry you to the hospital? Me! Or your leg would've been ruined without me. And when you got wasted and started swinging at people during that recording session, who stepped up and took the blame so your career wouldn't go up in flames? Me. And just a few weeks ago, when you got into that brawl at the club, who showed up to take your punches because your family begged me to? Me again. So no, Atlas, I didn't sign an eight-month contract with the Bennett family to be your scapegoat. I don't owe you or your family a damn thing. Last night, Sophia refused to leave when she was warned. That's on her, not me. But sure, go ahead, twist the narrative so I'm the villain."

"And while we're at it…" Odalys let her voice drop into an icy tone. "You've been coddling Sophia like she's your entire world. What is she to you, huh? Is she your girlfriend or something?"

The question landed like a bomb. Atlas staggered back, visibly caught off guard. He tried to cover her mouth, but it was too late; Odalys had already said everything he'd wanted to keep buried. His face turned pale with anger, but it was as if his mouth was sealed shut, unable to utter a sound. Atlas watched helplessly as Odalys exposed all the things he had suppressed.

"You're talking nonsense!" Atlas shouted, his tone laced with urgency and frustration.

Odalys knows Sophia's my sister. But she still said those things in front of everyone deliberately. She must want to make people misunderstand. I can't believe how ruthless she can be, Atlas thought.

"What's the point of getting all worked up? I'm just stating the truth," Odalys replied coldly.

With that, Odalys turned to leave. As she stepped forward, her foot landed on Sophia's hand, which was limp on the ground.

"Ah!" Sophia screamed, the pain shooting through her fingers like fire. The sudden outburst had everyone spinning back toward her. Sophia jolted upright from the crew's arms, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her injured hand.

Seeing this, Odalys arched an eyebrow, her lips curling into a small, amused smile. "Oh, so you aren't actually unconscious. That's interesting."

"You—" Sophia glared at her, seething. She yanked her hand back angrily, met everyone's gaze, and then got up and strode away with large steps. But after spending the night stuck in the tree, her legs had gone completely numb. Then Sophia fell flat on her face with a loud thud, the wet mud splattering across her clothes and skin.

Another scream tore from Sophia's lips, and the crowd couldn't help but exchange awkward glances. One by one, the crew dispersed, leaving Sophia lying in the dirt. Whatever sympathy anyone might've had for her had completely evaporated.

[This is insane! Is anyone there to witness all this? Someone spill the tea! Is what Odalys said actually true?] [Wow, Odalys has been treated like a doormat this whole time. Atlas is such an ungrateful jerk.] [Okay, but am I the only one who found Odalys kind of… awesome here? She probably knew Sophia was faking it and decided to teach her a lesson. Love it!] [That stomp on Sophia's hand was iconic. Can we talk about how she completely exposed Atlas and Sophia without even breaking a sweat?] [Sophia spent the whole night in a tree just to embarrass herself like this. And let's not forget her… wardrobe malfunction. Is she seriously not wearing anything under that skirt?] [Okay, but what's the deal with Atlas and Sophia? Something about their dynamic feels… off.]

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