Chapter 333

Chapter 333:
“Forget about them, Sandra. Focus on us. We’ve got the skill — they’re just trying to shake our confidence. Their tricks won’t work, okay?”
Sandra inhaled deeply and nodded firmly. “I get it, Sylvia. I’ll pull myself together.”
“How’s Elbert holding up?” Stella asked.
Sandra gave a quick nod. “He’s alright. He told me to come here and calm myself down.”
As they stepped out of the restroom, they bumped into William standing right outside the door.
“Why do they always…” Stella started, her thoughts racing back to the same shady trick from three years ago—topic overlap. Could it really be a coincidence? Or were the judges once again favoring the other team? It almost felt like deja vu.
“Stella, don’t tell me you’re losing confidence just because their topic is similar to yours,” William asked seriously.
His question caught her off guard. It wasn’t what she’d expected to hear, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond.
“We both worked on your topic. I’ve seen how thorough it is. Even if it overlaps, our execution is stronger. Are you really going to crumble like Mr. Hoffman did and let that similarity break your spirit?”
Stella quickly shook her head—no, she didn’t want to repeat that mistake. But she couldn’t shake the suspicion. How else could the topics be ninety percent alike unless someone on the inside had leaked it?
“This isn’t the time to dwell on suspicions,” he added. “Right now, your only job is to finish this competition. Weren’t you determined to beat them thoroughly? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that.”
“I haven’t forgotten. Trust me.” Stella straightened, her tone firm.
“Good,” William said, his gaze steady. “Then use that same fire you just gave me and take it to them. I believe in you.”
Stella opened her mouth to argue—she hadn’t meant to talk back—but the second half of his encouragement made her pause. Her eyes softened at the unexpected boost of confidence.
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“I’ve got this,” she said. “Break’s almost over. I’m heading back on stage.”
William watched her go, hands in his pockets, before casually strolling back to his seat in the audience.
Once the competition resumed, Stella slipped back into form: calm, sharp, focused. Their team nailed the next few questions, outshining their opponents. Stella noticed the subtle nods and smiles from the judges, a clear sign their performance was being well received.
Then came the final, deciding question—one posed to both teams. After the judge read it aloud, the host activated the microphones for Sandra and the other team’s representative. Sandra whispered briefly with Stella and Elbert, then rose gracefully and delivered a clean, confident answer. Flawless. The other team responded too, but their reply lacked substance and polish. The judges didn’t comment, but their expressions said enough.
“We’ve concluded the Q&A portion,” the host announced. “Now, each team will present their technical project live on stage. You have ten minutes.”
That twist caught the rival team completely off guard. Stella smirked—if they were surprised, they hadn’t prepared. This was her moment.
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