Chapter 182 I Won’t Be Fooled Again
Simone’s words provoked those who had apologized, leading them to believe that she was too arrogant. However, they were powerless to do anything about it. One person even went so far as to report Simone to the special department.
In this world, geomancy was widely practiced, and the special department was well–known to the public. They even made their phone number public, encouraging people to report anything strange or supernatural.
The special department had been monitoring Simone due to a previous investigation, which revealed that she had indeed studied geomancy and mystical arts. She had obtained certification as a legitimate geomancy master before graduating from university but had never used geomancy or mystical arts for harmful purposes.
On the contrary, she had become a mentor to a group of geomancy masters, showcasing her strong talent. It was with her help that Sean and Skylar were able to track down the evil cultivator.
Now that Simone had been reported by several individuals, an investigation was inevitable. The special department requested the previous live broadcast recordings from the filming. crew and carefully examined the charms Simone had drawn. These charms were simple counterattack charms devoid of any harmful intent. The individuals who insulted Simone in the live chat, including those who cursed her master and best friend, were the ones who provoked her to use the counterattack charm.
This act of self–defense was completely legal. If no one had provoked or acted unethically, the counterattack charm would have been rendered useless. Therefore, those who were counterattacked had brought it upon themselves.
As Simone was a public figure, this incident occurred during a live broadcast and was witnessed by many people. Consequently, the special department released a public announcement regarding the investigation results. In the announcement, they reminded individuals lacking moral integrity to refrain from repeating their mistakes and also. emphasized that even without Simone’s counterattacks, these individuals would still face difficulties in their lives and work due to their karma.
The moment this announcement was made, Simone’s fans rushed to the live broadcast room to inform everyone. This left Jodie’s fans and keyboard warriors feeling frustrated and angry. If the special department did not take any action, what could they do? If the backlash continued, they would be defeated.
However, no one sympathized with them or came to their aid. As a result, some individuals refrained from cursing Simone and directed their anger towards Jodie instead, accusing her of causing trouble for no reason and labeling her as a disaster. After criticizing her, they unfollowed her on Facebook and stopped being her fans. Many other fans of Jodie followed
suit and unfollowed her as well. It was not an exaggeration to say that Jodie was a troublemaker.
Consequently, both Aaron and Luca, who were popular influencers, faced backlash and lost many fans. Leon broke up with Simone because of Jodie. These individuals were truly toxic, and it was best to stay away from them. Otherwise, who knew that maybe one day they might also face misfortune? As a result, another group of fans unfollowed them, and many turned against them.
Simone and a few others gathered in a restaurant. Luca, who had been sitting silently in the hospital garden, stood up and went to Jodie’s hospital room. Since there was no live streaming in the room at that moment, Aaron and Leon returned to the restaurant to continue making money.
In the afternoon, Luca instructed the cameraman not to follow him, as he wanted to be alone to calm down, and the director agreed. Luca pushed open the door and saw Jodie sitting up and eating a sandwich with her uninjured hand.
“You have strong mental resilience. At a time like this, you’re still able to eat,” he remarked sarcastically, as he had no mood or appetite at all.
Jodie paused her eating and looked up at him. At first, she was stunned, and then her eyes instinctively turned red. Looking at him pitifully with a face full of grievances, she said, “Luca, I’m sorry.” She explained, “I realized that my injuries were not natural, which made me suspect that someone had set me up, and when you mentioned Simone, I thought it was her.”
Luca frowned. “Even now, you still want to lie to me. Then tell me, did
you curse her?”
Jodie shook her head, denying, “No, I really didn’t curse her.” With tears in her eyes, she looked hurt. “Luca, don’t you believe me?”
Luca looked at her expressionlessly and said, “Then, swear.” He emphasized, “Swear in front of me now that you haven’t cursed Simone. Otherwise, you will be punished by the heavens.
Jodie’s body stiffened as she stared at him in disbelief. “Are you forcing me, too? Such a vow should not be taken lightly. If I do, Simone might take advantage of it to retaliate against me.” She helplessly added, “Anyway, I didn’t curse her. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I
can do.”
Luca walked over and suddenly grabbed her chin. “Jo, are you really playing me for a fool? If you have nothing to hide, why would you be afraid to make such a vow? Simone is a geomancer, and she dared to make the vow first, which shows that she has a clear conscience.”
Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head. “I didn’t.” Panic–stricken, she could feel that his attitude toward her and the way he looked at her had changed, just like before when Titus was the first who didn’t pay attention to her. How could this be? If they all didn’t care about her, how could she continue to stay in the Gray Family as the beloved young lady?
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How could she continue to do those things?
She showed the most vulnerable and pitiful look she could muster. “Luca, I didn’t play you. I’m just so upset. I won’t do it again. Please don’t be mad at me, okay?”
If it were before, Luca would feel sorry and soft–hearted when he saw her like this. But now, he felt cold because she was still pretending with him, and he let go of her chin. “No.” He looked at her with disappointment and distress in his eyes. “Because of you, we forced our younger sister to sever ties with the family. From the beginning, I have always stood by your side, but is this how you repay me?” He sarcastically remarked, “When it’s time to abandon me, you hesitate at nothing. Do you have any compassion, Jodie Gray?”
He felt devastated and hurt after being deceived and used as a pawn by the sister he had loved since childhood. His regret and guilt intensified when he confronted Simone’s betrayer.
Jodie set aside her sandwich and reached out to grasp his arm. “Luca, I didn’t give you up.” With the utmost sincerity in her eyes, she said, “You are the most important person in my
heart.”
Luca suddenly burst into laughter. “Even now, you still want to deceive me without a guilty conscience. You are truly suited for the entertainment industry; your acting skills are remarkable, but I won’t be fooled again.”
He no longer wanted to see her or listen to her lies, so he turned around and walked away.
Growing anxious, she cried and shouted after him, “Luca, please don’t go! Luca, I beg you, don’t leave me.”
But this time, Luca’s footsteps quickened instead of stopping. Opening the door, he left without looking back.
