Chapter 335

Chapter 335:
Stella tilted her head slightly. “And what makes you so confident? Got a few judges in your pocket too?”
Her words made Finnegan’s arrogance creep right back in. “You think people just show up to these events without understanding how it works? We’re not playing in the same league. Get ready to lose.”
Sandra scowled. “That’s called cheating!”
Finnegan gave a lazy shrug. “Is it? Got any evidence?”
Sandra fumed. She had already been furious after being bumped into earlier, and now her patience was snapping by the second.
Right then, Stella lifted her phone. “Oops. I recorded everything you just admitted.”
Finnegan froze, his eyes locked on hers, stunned into silence.
“Weren’t you bragging about how fearless you are? Even if I hand this over to the officials, you’d still be fine, right?” Stella added, a sly smile curving her lips.
His fists tightened at his sides. “Don’t push your luck.”
Sandra stepped in, no longer able to hold back. “Push our luck? You’re the one who’s shameless!”
But Stella reached out and lightly held Sandra’s arm. “Don’t waste your breath. Once this gets sent out, they’ll be the ones begging for mercy. Come on.”
Finnegan glared after her, his jaw clenched. “Sylvia, this isn’t over. You’ll regret this!”
Stella didn’t flinch. “I’ll be waiting. Try me.”
Once Finnegan and his group stormed off, Elbert and Sandra came up beside her.
“Sylvia, that was brilliant! You even had the presence of mind to record them? Were you planning this the whole time?”
If she hadn’t acted, they might have had to swallow their anger yet again.
“I have a feeling someone from our institute tipped them off. That’s probably how they ended up with the same topic,” Stella said, voicing her suspicion. Elbert’s eyes narrowed. “You might be right. It’s too much of a coincidence.” Stella’s tone grew serious. “Let’s keep this to ourselves for now. I don’t want to risk dragging the institute’s name through the mud. We’ll talk more once we’re back.” Elbert caught her meaning immediately and gave a firm nod. Sandra did the same.
As they headed toward the exit of the competition hall, Stella caught sight of someone weaving quickly between bodies before disappearing almost as soon as they appeared. Something about the figure tugged at her memory, but the crowd thickened, and the face was gone before she could be sure. Her gut twisted with certainty: someone inside the institute had betrayed them. Once they returned, she intended to find out who.
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Outside the venue, the three climbed into an SUV. Since William was staying at the same hotel, he joined them in the car. As the vehicle made its way back, Sandra leaned against the seat, still buzzing from the day’s events. With a long sigh, she said, “Today feels like one big stroke of luck! But honestly, it’s all thanks to Sylvia. If she hadn’t calmed me down back in the restroom, I wouldn’t have nailed that final part.” Elbert nodded. “That’s true. We really have Sylvia to thank.”
They had complimented her before, yet Stella still felt a little flustered each time. She brushed a stray lock behind her ear and offered William a quick look before speaking. “To be fair, it wasn’t just me today. Mr. Briggs helped more than you know. Even after we left the restroom, Sandra, I was still unsure of myself. But he talked to me and gave me the push I needed. I don’t think I could’ve held it together without him.”
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