Chapter 332

Chapter 332:
She looked at the opposing team again—they were calm, almost smug, like they’d known this would happen all along.
Her brows knitted together. She leaned close to Elbert and murmured, “Something’s off about this.”
Elbert gave a slight nod. “Yeah. I noticed too. You think they’re up to something?” The idea didn’t sit right with them. This was a globally respected competition, held only once every three years. If shady tactics were common, wouldn’t its credibility have crumbled long ago?
“I’m not sure,” Stella said softly. “Let’s just see how things play out.” She did her best to stay calm and collected.
Ten long minutes passed before one of the judges finally picked up the microphone. “After reviewing both submissions, we’ve found a significant overlap between your two topics.”
Stella turned to look at the other team, disbelief written all over her face. The topic had been her idea from the start—original, forward-thinking, even praised within her team as something only she could’ve come up with. And now, the judges were saying there was a significant overlap between the two topics?
Swallowing her disbelief, Stella forced herself to remain composed. “Gentlemen, may I ask—how much overlap are we talking about?”
“Ninety percent,” came the blunt reply.
The number hit her like a slap. Ninety percent? How could that be possible?
Before she could gather her thoughts, the rival team spoke up. “Judges, overlap in topics isn’t a big deal—it’s happened before. We’re fine with moving on to the defense as planned.”
The unexpected turn of events rattled Stella’s team just enough to dull their edge. Their responses to the first two questions lacked the clarity and confidence they’d rehearsed. And with each fumble, their anxiety only grew worse.
Sensing that things were starting to spiral, Stella felt a surge of urgency. Then, her eyes landed on William in the audience—his brows slightly furrowed, his expression tense. That one look was enough. Determination welled up inside her, and without hesitation, she raised her hand to ask for a five-minute break. Thankfully, the organizers allowed brief breaks between segments.
Seizing the moment, Stella headed to the restroom alone.
Check what’s new on.c○m
At the sink, she splashed cold water on her face again and again, silently urging herself to stay calm. She couldn’t let this topic fiasco shake her. She had made a promise—to win the trophy back for Paul, and that mattered more than any distraction. A loss now might bury Paul permanently under the weight of past failures, and she couldn’t let that guilt settle on her shoulders too.
Just then, Sandra walked in, her face pale and eyes brimming with tears.
“What do we do, Sylvia?” Sandra asked shakily. “We’re not going to lose… are we?”
Stella steadied herself and spoke softly, trying to calm Sandra. “Don’t let them rattle you. They’re trying to throw us off. Do you still remember the answers to the two questions the judges just asked?”
Sandra wiped her nose and nodded. “I remember… I just got nervous. That whole overlap thing kept messing with my head.”
She hadn’t intended to fumble her answers. It was just that the distraction from the other team had thrown her off completely.
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