Chapter 3

With everyone watching for drama, my hand landed gently on Sophie's face.

But instead of slapping her, I softly caressed her cheek and said, "I can't bear to hurt such a beautiful face."

As expected, Felix got even angrier. He looked like he wanted to teach us a lesson, but everyone else stepped in to calm him down.

In the end, Felix told the staff to throw both Sophie and me out so we could clear our heads.

Sophie stayed completely silent as we were tossed out together.

She didn't look like she was about to slap Felix or show any main character vibes. Instead, she looked like she'd been through this a million times before.

"Wait, are these messages fake? Or is it because I didn't actually slap Sophie, so she hasn't awakened yet?" I muttered.

I glanced up at the messages scrolling by. The chat was as confused as I was.

[Why didn't Olivia slap Sophie? Glad she didn't, but it looks like Sophie still hasn't awakened.]

[Did the author change the plot? Are they delaying Sophie's awakening? Is there still some drama ahead?]

[No matter what, Sophie will definitely awaken and take revenge on Felix later.]

"Is it because I didn't actually slap her, caressed her cheek? Since there was no pain, Sophie didn't awaken," I muttered.

Since I didn't slap her, the story's progression got postponed. Judging from the messages, there'll be similar scenes coming up later.

I imagined Felix pulling another stunt, Jenny targeting me again. What would I do then? What if I lost control and actually went after Sophie?

Wouldn't that send me straight down the original storyline? Was there really no way for me to break free from Olivia's fate?.

I stared at my hand, thinking, Is Sophie only going to awaken if I actually slap her? If I went through with it now, would she finally snap out of it?

Ripped the band-aid off. No one knew when Felix would try something nasty again. Maybe I should do it now and get it over with.

Up close, Sophie really was stunning. Her smooth skin and soft features made her look exquisitely beautiful. With her head lowered, there was a hint of sadness in her expression.

Standing in the doorway, bathed in moonlight, she looked gentle and delicate, but the way she held herself straight showed a stubborn streak. She really did have the vibe of a rich heiress.

I shut my eyes tight, thinking, 'If I don't see Sophie's clear, innocent gaze right now, maybe I won't end up feeling sorry for her.'

I lifted my hands, but couldn't make myself go through with it. After seeing all those messages, I got scared. What if I really did it and fell right into the storyline trap?

Maybe it would have been fine if Sophie hadn't awakened. What if she could wake up on her own, without anyone else forcing it?

In the end, I gave up and gave her cheek a gentle squeeze. It was actually pretty soft.

Sophie took a step back, suddenly on guard. "What are you doing?"

I probed, "Did you remember anything? Or do you have any thoughts about Felix?"

Sophie seemed to think it over. "I told Felix I needed a break. Guess I shouldn't have said that."

"Why are you still like this?" I muttered.

I was so frustrated with her. I was only sticking with Felix for the money, but what was Miss Moore's deal? She couldn't even ask for a break. Was she really planning to work herself to death to please him?

I glanced at the messages scrolling behind me. Most were wondering why Sophie hadn't awakened yet, some were relieved she didn't get slapped, and others were totally chill about it.

No one was even asking what I was supposed to do now as the villainess.

Sophie noticed me staring behind her and couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at?"

"You can't see it?" I replied.

"Wait, am I the only one who can see these messages?" I muttered.

Sophie looked a bit nervous and asked, "See what?"

The messages zipped by: [Olivia's totally doing this on purpose. She knows Sophie's terrified of ghosts, so she's messing with her to get a reaction.]

[Olivia really is the real deal when it comes to being a villainess. Her reputation's well earned.]

[Okay, she didn't make Sophie awaken, but even after getting tossed out, she still can't stop messing with her. Seriously?]

"No, t-that's not it," I stammered.

I seriously had no clue Sophie was afraid of ghosts. I wanted to know if she could see the messages. But now, whatever I did got pinned on me like I was some kind of villain. Seriously, I couldn't catch a break.

I hadn't even laid a finger on Sophie, and messages were already calling me the villainess. If I actually did slap her, the fallout would be a nightmare.

Sophie looked scared, her voice trembling as she asked, "What's back there?"

Right now, I was the only one who knew Sophie was the Moore family's heiress. She hadn't awakened yet, but one day she would. She'd ditch Felix and take control of her wealth.

If the money really belonged to her, I should try to win her over and change my own destiny. And if these messages were fake, at least I'd gain a friend out of it.

I looked at Sophie, her lashes trembling with fear. Right now, she was the one who really needed help.

A faint glimmer flashed by, making Sophie shrink back in fear.

I reached out and caught it, then gently reassured her, "It's a firefly. There's a firefly behind you."

Sophie opened her eyes, hesitant and not quite convinced.

I slowly opened my palm, and a firefly fluttered out, its tiny light twinkling like a little star.

The soft glow from my hand illuminated her face, and Sophie gazed at me, her eyes wide with surprise and wonder.

[How does Olivia know that fireflies are Sophie's favorite? Isn't that supposed to be Vincent's exclusive moment with her?]

[Why are the main couple's signature scenes happening here? What about Vincent? How's he supposed to react now?]

[Their bond is unbreakable.]

[Vincent will transfer to Sophie's class, and that's when their sweet romance will finally kick off.]

[Sophie and Vincent are childhood sweethearts. He went abroad for a while, but now he's back. Their feelings are still there. They're the real deal.]

I didn't know Sophie liked fireflies. I grabbed one so she wouldn't get scared.

Turned out fireflies were Sophie's thing, but I was not Vincent, so it did not matter to me.

The messages said Vincent was transferring schools. If what they were saying was actually true...

Once Vincent showed up, Sophie would probably get together with him and ditch Felix once and for all.

That made things feel a lot more hopeful. She'd probably awaken soon.