Chapter 3

Chloe, seeing herself being challenged, cried even harder, tears rolling down her face.

“I read a report once, someone put razor blades in another person’s sleeping bag, or on the edge of their water bottle… I never thought you could be so vicious. As your friend, I can’t condone this!”

Her words were pure manipulation, and the men who already doubted me instantly changed their expressions.

I scoffed, my gaze sweeping over the fools.

“Are you out of your minds? If I really wanted to harm someone, would I have shown it this early?”

“Who knows if this isn’t some kind of reverse psychology!”

Brock yelled sharply, clearly now completely on Chloe’s side.

I was about to retort when a mournful wolf howl echoed from the distant forest.

Everyone’s faces paled.

“It’s a wolf!”

Someone’s voice trembled.

Chloe shrieked in terror, instinctively hiding behind Brock, but not forgetting to blame me. “It’s all your fault, Cassie Blackwood! If you hadn’t wasted everyone’s time with this pointless drama, we’d at least have some strength to run! Now look what happened…”

I cut her off coldly.

“You see a wolf and you still want to run? Are you insane? Running makes you a sitting duck!”

Brock immediately shielded Chloe, glaring at me furiously.

“You shut up! If it weren’t for you—”

“You want to draw them closer, why don’t you?!”

I lowered my voice, warning him sharply,

“Are you trying to attract the whole pack? The only thing we need to do right now is find somewhere to hide!”

Fear overrode the argument.

Everyone frantically began to gather their meager equipment.

As Brock packed, he still couldn't resist questioning me in a low voice.

“I just can’t understand why you’d be so kind as to warn us? Shouldn’t you be wishing we’d all die so you could take the prize money?”

I stopped, staring at him, and shot back.

“What about you? Why are you helping Chloe so much? In just five days, have you fallen so in love with her that you’d willingly die for her?”

“Or are you just completely under her spell from her tearful act?”

Brock choked, his face turning ashen, unable to speak.

Not far away, Chloe was looking at her heroic defender with eyes full of worship and dependence, tears still glistening.

After becoming best friends with Chloe, I always thought she only had romance on her mind.

And also, some vague, unspoken jealousy towards me.

Before, I just thought she was a bit petty, nothing major.

But this wilderness trip had completely opened my eyes.

We hadn't gone far when a dark, narrow cave mouth appeared on the side of the mountain, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

From deep within the cave, a faint sound of flowing water could be heard.

“Water!”

The influencer gasped in surprise, his parched lips trembling with excitement.

He quickly adjusted the camera on his collar, lowering his voice but unable to hide his thrill as he spoke to the camera: “My loyal followers, do you see this? God hasn’t abandoned us! We found a water source! When I win this competition, I’ll hook all my subscribers up with a bonus! Haha!”

Desperate for views, he didn't think to assess the situation before entering.

He had barely squeezed half his body into the cave entrance when a loud rustling sound came from inside.

“Ah!”

A short, sharp scream suddenly rang out, followed by the sound of something heavy being dragged away.

Right behind the influencer was Chloe.

Half her body was wedged in the narrow opening of the cave entrance, her huge backpack making it impossible for her to move forward or backward.

She had clearly seen something inside the cave; her entire face instantly lost all color, and her pupils dilated to their widest extent.

“Chloe!”

Brock’s eyes widened, and he lunged forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her desperately.

“Get out, fast!”