Chapter 20

The bambood cradled Nomaner how many times Selena afreshed the page nothing would load Frostration enewed at

it as she debated whether to swallow her pride and check the lesin hund for the wors

heard

Just then. Annie and Noelle walked throunds the door, holding hands, looking unerly tuned as they whimpered to each other

“What are you two talking about Selena got up with a mile Who go first place this time I was about to check the form but it crashed Dot tell me the class president took the top sport

Noelle hesitated, her expression unreadable

Annie, however, blurted it out without danking Selena, can you believe it! The top scorer is your ter There’s no way that’s real. She must have cheated–either that or she got the answers beforehand. It’s just to starty

“What?” Selena’s voice shot up in disbelief.

Both Annie and Noelle flinched, startled by her reaction.

“This has to be a mistake! Selena shouted. The warmth in her expression vanished, replaced by something sharp and twisted–so unlike her usual gentle demeanor.

Annie and Noelle exchanged uneasy glances. For the first time, Selena felt like a stranger to them

But just as quickly, Selena smoothed her expression, regaining her composure. She said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you guys. I was just… surprised. You two go on in–I’m heading to the bulletin board to check for myself”

With that, Selena turned and walked out of the classroom.

Noelle tugged on Annie’s sleeve, lowering her voice. “Did you see her face just now? That was scary. She looked like a wicked witch from a fairy tale.”

Annie hesitated but shook her head. “Come on, we’re her friends. We shouldn’t doubt her over a single expression”

Noelle thought about it for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

The hallway near the bulletin board was packed. Selena couldn’t squeeze through the crowd, but then she spotted Mateo pushing his way out.

Immediately, Selena called out, “Hey, Mateo!”

dark expression eased slightly when he saw her. “Selena”

really well, right?” Selena flashed him

face tensed. His mood was visibly

Joshua strolled over, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Well, well, Who would ve thought?

“Wait, what? No way!” someone exclaimed.

first?”

a smirk, full of

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Chapter 20

Dalton?” the student asked agai

“Yeah,” Joshua replied.

her eyes wide with disbelief. “She’s never been that good. How

glare. “If you don’t believe it, go check for yourself.”

top three scorers were always displayed prominently. Her gaze

looked again. The name was still there. Hailey had

Her eyes darted

total score. Casey, who always ranked

if Hailey remained consistent, every

nowhere–town school. There’s no

her lip. Selena forced herself to stay composed and turned back to Mateo with a sympathetic

test. And it’s only a practice exam, so don’t be discouraged. You’ve

his frustration a little. Mateo nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. With

better next time.”

feigning

walked through

her immediately, his voice booming as he sprinted

all heads turned toward her.

Hailey moved

Her hair was swept into a casual ponytail, framing a face that was both strikingly beautiful and

said, Hailey smiled. Soft, warm, breathtaking. It was enough to leave half the crowd momentarily stunned–including Mateo.

a flicker of jealousy flashing in her eyes. She masked it with a sweet, delicate voice. “Wow, Hailey! First place! That’s amazing. But… wasn’t your old school’s curriculum

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