Toby’s pupils shrank, and his hands on Tina tightened.
Stroking his chin, Zane said, “The blood isn’t turning black, so it doesn’t look like it was a poisonous snake, but we can’t be sure about that. Toby, you’d better take her down the mountain and get a serum shot from a doctor.”
Without a second word, Toby quickly rushed to where the cable cars were with Tina in his arms. After watching the cable car disappear into the cloud and mist, Sonia and the rest found a spot to sit while waiting for the cable car to return.
“Darling, just how did you guys encounter the snake?” Charles asked as he handed a bottle of water to her.
Taking the bottled water from him, Sonia then held it absentmindedly in her hands, but she didn’t open it. “I don’t know either,” she answered while shaking her head.
The appearance of the snake was beyond her expectation, and before Tina was bitten, she had no idea what was going on at all.
Rebecca raised her hand and said, “Let me explain this.” Everyone turned to her, so she began, “It’s like this. I wanted to wash my face at the creek as well, then I saw a snake hanging on a tree branch behind President Reed. Initially, it seemed like the snake wasn’t planning to attack anyone, but Tina startled the snake by suddenly standing up and shouting at President Reed. That’s why it lunged at President Reed.”
“So you mean that the snake wanted to bite Sonia at first?” Tyler asked, his mouth hanging open in shock.
Rebecca nodded. “Yes, and I was the one who shouted at President Reed to get down, which was why the snake ended up landing on Tina, who was opposite her, and bit her instead.”
“This is so dramatic,” Zane commented with a chuckle.
Only then did Sonia understand everything that had happened. Taking Rebecca’s hand, she then said in gratitude, “Thank you so much, Rebecca.”
If it weren’t for Rebecca, who asked her to get down suddenly, perhaps the one getting bitten would have been her.
“You’re welcome, but it’s all because of your unwavering trust in me. Or else, it would have been useless even if I shouted at you,” Rebecca said, smiling.
“I really didn’t expect this mountain to have snakes, and I was so lucky to run into one,” Sonia said with a laugh.
Although she had calmed down now, the thought of the snake still made her shudder in fear.
Lacing his fingers behind his head, Charles said, “Well, we can only blame that woman. If she hadn’t stood up so suddenly and startled the snake, it wouldn’t have attacked Sonia. But luckily she was the one who got bitten in the end, so I feel much better.”
“Speaking about that, it seems to me that Tina startled the snake on purpose,” Rebecca added suddenly, stroking her chin.
Her words shocked everyone, and Charles stared at her. “Are you saying that Tina deliberately provoked the snake?”
“That can’t be true!” Tyler said, his mouth hanging open.
Zane put a hand on Tyler’s shoulder and said, “It’s definitely possible. Don’t forget that Tina had done so many things to Sonia before. What else is she not capable of?”
Flabbergasted, Tyler turned his head to Sonia, who had her brows knitted and seemed to be in deep thoughts.
Nodding, Rebecca continued, “That’s right. I suspect that she did it on purpose because I saw a smile on her face when the snake was flying toward President Reed, and she didn’t seem surprised at the appearance of the snake at all. That’s why I think she already discovered the snake earlier, so she deliberately stood up and shouted loudly at President Reed.”
“If that’s true, then she’s only reaping what she sowed by getting bitten,” Zane said, smirking sarcastically.
“That must be true!” Charles slapped his thigh indignantly as his face turned gloomy. “I knew that she hadn’t given up on trying to harm Sonia. She wants to do it again! And sure enough, she struck again.”
Rebecca snorted and said, “She is the most vicious woman I’ve ever met.”
Even if it upset Tina that Toby and Sonia were once married, they were now divorced, and Toby loved Tina wholeheartedly. So, Rebecca couldn’t understand why Tina felt the need to keep targeting Sonia this way.
Zane turned to Tyler. “Lad, you saw what happened today, so you better watch out after this. Don’t step on Tina’s toes without a reason, or she’ll definitely lay her hands on you, judging from her petty personality.”
“I-I got it,” Tyler uttered while nodding hurriedly.
Even though he knew that Tina was mean, he hadn’t witnessed her doing anything bad before. Therefore, he had never taken it seriously and wasn’t even afraid of her. But now that he had finally seen it with his own eyes, he had to admit that he was shocked.
“No, we can’t just let this matter rest. We have to teach Tina a lesson,” Charles growled angrily, holding his palm into a fist.
Sonia pursed her lips and asked, “How do you plan to teach her a lesson? There’s no evidence to show that she did this on purpose. Rebecca is the only eye-witness and she’s one of us, so Tina can totally say that we’re the ones telling Rebecca to frame her.”
“Sonia is right.” Zane agreed with a nod. “Since Tina didn’t attack Sonia directly, we really can’t do anything to her.”
Unsatisfied, Charles asked, “Are we going to let it go just like this?”
Narrowing her eyes, Sonia said, “Of course not. If she could do it so that we have no evidence against her, then we can do the same as well.”
Charles’ eyes sparkled. “Darling, what do you plan to do?”
She hooked her finger at them, gesturing for them to lean in closer. They did so, and just as she was about to speak, Charles suddenly interrupted her. “Hang on.”
“What is it?” she asked, looking at him.
After pushing Tyler aside, he explained, “Darling, this kid is Toby’s younger brother. He belongs to the other side. We can’t let him listen.”
“Who said that I belong to the other side? I’m not!” Tyler snapped loudly.
Folding his arms across his chest, Charles then said, “You’re Toby’s brother, aren’t you? Of course you’re on his side.”
“Even though I’m his brother, it doesn’t mean that I’m on his side. Unless he breaks up with Tina, I won’t stand on his side,” Tyler said in a huff.
Raising an eyebrow, Charles asked, “Are you telling the truth?”
“Yes!” Tyler nodded without hesitation.
Charles pulled his lips into a thin line before he spat, “I’m not letting you listen even if you’re telling the truth.”
“You!” Tyler uttered, so mad that he wanted to smack him.
Meanwhile, Sonia only felt her head throbbing when she looked at these two who could stir up an argument anytime. “Enough, Charles. How old are you now? Why are you being so childish with a kid? Stop messing around and let him listen if he wants to.”
“But darling, what happens if he tells Toby and Tina?” Charles asked, worried.
With a stern look on her face, Sonia asked Tyler, “Will you do that?”
Shaking his head hastily, he answered, “I’ll never do that!” Pointing three fingers upward, he added, “I swear!”
After acknowledging it with a nod, she said, “That’s good.”
Seeing that she had already made up her mind, Charles shrugged and decided not to say otherwise. Instead, he cast a warning look at Tyler. “Rascal, you’d better don’t breathe a word about it. Or else, don’t blame me for being mean with you.”
“You won’t get that chance,” Tyler retorted smugly.
In response, Charles rolled his eyes at him. “Let’s hope so.”
Soon, Sonia told everyone her plan, and all of them grinned mischievously after listening to it.
“This is a good plan,” Charles commented while holding up his thumb.
Nodding in agreement, Rebecca said, “Yes, just the thought of it is exciting.”
“I didn’t expect you to come up with something like this as well,” Zane said with a lopsided grin at Sonia.
“I can’t help it. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Isn’t that normal?” Sonia flipped her hair back, revealing her long, slender neck.
Charles’ eyes paused on the graceful curve of her fair neck for a second, but he quickly snapped back to normal.
“Sonia, just leave it to me to lure her out,” Tyler said suddenly, raising his hand.
Turning to him, Sonia said, “Of course I have to leave it to you. You’re the only one who can do it. Because of your relationship with them, you won’t raise their guards up by going to the second floor.”
Upon hearing that she had agreed to let him do the task, he smiled brightly. “Understood!”
