Chapter 41
The racket spun idly in Eliana’s hand as she flashed a playful, almost mocking look at Willow standing across from her.
Her lips curled into a small smirk, and beneath the brim of her hat, her expression carried the weight of someone far above it all, like a goddess gazing down from her pedestal.
It was as though she was silently thinking. Is this really all you’ve got?
Willow pressed a hand to her nose, her eyes welling up with tear from the sting of the impact. Beneath the pain, though.. there was something darker, an ember of resentment burning fiercely inside her.
Stella jumped up in excitement, grinning from ear to ear. “That’s amazing, Eli We won.”
Eliana turned to offer a bright smile, and the two of them made their way over to the rest area.
“Wow, the new girls this year are seriously something else,” one of the spectators commented.
“This match was a total blowout. Not much to see here,” another one muttered..
“Who says it wasn’t worth watching? There are gorgeous girls all over the court! What, no one’s paying attention? Eliana is stunning 1 bet she’ll be in the top ten for campus queen this year!”
“Willow’s cute, too, but honestly? She doesn’t hold a candle to Eliana”
Willow was undoubtedly attractive, but her flirtatious, almost desperate vibe seemed to attract the attention of only the in the stands.
Eliana, on the other hand, had this effortless allure that drew everyone in. Men and women alike couldn’t help but notice her. Her cool, dignified aura was magnetic. She never had to play up to anyone to get ahead, Eliana simply was the best.
Back at the rest area, Eliana’s gaze flickered over to Cameron and the others in the back row of the audience.
The four of them were clapping, and Cameron met her eyes with a soft, almost amused expression, his lips tugging into a slight smile.
For a moment, Eliana froze, before quickly averting her eyes and tucking her racket into her bag.
She had thought the match was over, but just then, the referee approached, flanked by Willow and her teammates.
The referee addressed Eliana, his tone official. “This student claims you deliberately injured her. We’re going to review the footage.”
Before Eliana could respond, Stella was already on her feet, furious. “Who’s trying to hurt anyone? They missed the ball, and now they’re blaming us? If they can’t handle it, they should just admit they lost and stop making excuses!
Willow’s eyes were red, and her face was a pacture of fake innocence. “I didn’t… the ball hit my face:
Eliana knew better than to expect Willow to just admit she’d been beaten. Of course, she’d make up something to drag this
If Eliana refused to let them review the footage now, people might start thinking she was guilty.
Eliana held up a hand to stop Stella, her voice calm but firm. “Fine, let’s review the footage then.”
The referee hesitated, but once Eliana agreed, things moved along much more smoothly.
Just as they were about to head toward the video station, a voice cut through the air. “Where are you going?”
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Chapter 41
Everyone turned to see Cameron and the others had already come down from the stands and were casually making their
way over.
Landon, the president of the tennis chib, spoke with an air of authority, his words making an immediate impact.
The referee turned to Landen, speaking with respect, Tresident, Two Team Bare claiming that Team A violated the miles. We were just about to review the footage.”
Landon, with one hand casually tucked in his pocket, cast a brief, disanissive glance at Willow and her group. “There’s no need for that. The match is over”
The referee hesitated, unsure of what i
to do next.
Then Cains stepped forward, his voice steady but insistent. “Is that against the rules? If there’s doubt, we have to check the
Landon’s cold stare landed on him. “Are you questioning me? Who’s the president here, you or me?”
Caius opened his mouth, but no words came out. He fell silent.
The referee, seeing the exchange, simply nodded at Landon before turning and walking back to the court.
Willow clenched her fists in frustration, unable to believe that Landon and the others would side with Eliana like this. It stoked the flames of her anger even more.
Not knowing what else to do, she spotted Roman coming out from the back of the rest area. Without thinking, she closed her eyes and dramatically collapsed toward him.
Roman’s reflexes kicked in, and he caught her instinctively.
Earlier, when Eliana’s ball had hit Willow’s face, she had probably been so eager to make a scene that she hadn’t taken her fall properly. Now, the sharp pain shot through her, and blood began to drip from her nose.
Charlene shouted in panic. “Willow! Are you okay?”
Roman, taken aback by the sight of Willow’s nosebleed, blinked in surprise. He quickly handed Willow over to Charlene, who nearly lost her balance under the weight of her friend.
Charlene, trying to keep her composure, spoke quickly. “Roman, please take her to the infirmary. Can you help her, please?”
Eliana and Cameron’s group watched with indifference. No one seemed to care about Willow’s display. If anything, they turned and walked away without a second glance.
Roman, the vice president of the tennis club, didn’t want to deal with taking Willow to the infirmary, but he couldn’t just leave her lying on the ground either. Turning to Caius, he said, “Caius, you take her to the infirmary”
Calus gave a quick nod. “Got it”
Willow, still pretending to faint, was shocked that Roman didn’t even seem to care about her. Instead, Caius was the one who ended up helping her!
But, since she was already “unconscious, there was no way she could just snap back to reality. She had no choice but to let Caius take her to the infirmary.
Eliana and Stella had won their final match, officially making them members of the tennis club.
The next day, after the match, the club hosted a meet–and–greet, and to their surprise, Eliana and Stella were the only two
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Chapter 41
gurbs among this year’s recriats.
66%.
Π
When they introduced themselves, the duo was showered with compliments, quickly earning the title of “this year’s powerhouse newcomers“
There weren’t many girls in the club, just Eliana, Stella, and a handful of others, with the total number barely reaching
freen
The senior members were all easy to talk to, representing different departments across campus.
While they were registering, a senior from the photography department, Elsie, had been eyeing Eliana for a while. Grinning. she finally asked, “Hey, do you have a one–inch photo?”
Eliana raised an eyebrow, “A photo?”
Elsie flashed a bright smile. Yep.”
Eliana thought for a moment, then pulled out the photo she had taken earlier for Willow in the auditorium. She handed it over to Elsie. “Is this okay?”
Elsie took a glance, nodded, and said, “It’s not the clearest, the lighting’s a bit off, but it should work. You can always upload a better version later!”
Eliana blinked, confused. “Upload to what? What are you talking about?”
Elsie winked at her mischievously. The campus beauty contest! You look way too good to miss out on it. Plus, you’re in the acting department. Just give me the photo, and I’ll sign you up! I’m one of the organizers for the Campus Belle Competition this year.
“Wait, what?” Eliana stammered, completely caught off guard.
Before Eliana could protest, Elsie cheerfully grabbed the photo and dashed off.
Eliana stood there, stunned, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. She hadn’t even decided if she wanted to join the contest!
Beside her, Stella was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Eli, you’re pure gold! Even if you’re buried under a mountain of rocks, you’ll still shine through and be found! This is amazing! I’m definitely voting for you!”
A club member who had been helping with the registration chuckled and added, “Our club’s never had anyone make it into the top ten of the beauty contest. We’re all rooting for you! You’ll definitely get our votes when it’s time!”
And just like that, Eliana’s photo was uploaded into the system. Within half an hour, every single member of the tennis club had voted for her, and some even used their backup accounts to vote again.
By 6 p.m. that evening, her vote count had already surpassed everyone else’s by a wide margin.
