Chapter 1062
Isabella stood motionless in the shadows, her gaze turning utterly toxic.
Watching Serena effortlessly command the room, surrounded by fiercely loyal teammates and looking as though she held the entire world in the palm of her hand, ignited a suffocating wave of jealousy that threatened to consume her. Her heart hammered with a blinding, overwhelming hatred.
Why?
Why did Serena always have to steal everything from her?
From the moment Serena had returned to the Lancaster family, every single ounce of prestige and attention Isabella had carefully cultivated had been ripped away. Now, even her academic superiority-the one thing she truly prided herself on-was being ruthlessly crushed by Serena’s presence.
She had planned to use the Marington Elite Scholarship Gauntlet to prove her irreplaceable value to the Lancaster family. She wanted to show them that she was infinitely more refined, intelligent, and capable than the pathetic stray they had brought home from the countryside. She wanted to prove she was the only one fit to be the true heiress of the Lancaster legacy. Winning this tournament was her only ticket back into the high society she craved.
But p>
Serena had systematically dismantled her at every turn. All the glory, all the respect, and all the awe were now entirely focused on Serena. Isabella had been reduced to a pathetic footnote in Serena’s success story. Even here, on this remote island, where Serena was being actively targeted and sabotaged by powerful forces, she was still thriving.
Isabella’s hands curled into tight fists. As long as Serena breathed the same air, she would never have a chance. She would never get her life back!
“Bianca p>
Isabella forced down the twisted darkness in her chest, ensuring her voice sounded fragile and gentle when she spoke. “Look at how arrogant she is p>
“It makes sense, I suppose. That’s exactly how she acted when she came to the Lancaster family—-constantly flaunting her power, constantly looking down on everyone else p>
“That’s exactly how she destroyed me and got me thrown out on the street p>
She paused, letting the silence stretch for a moment. “Bianca, you can’t act on impulse right now. Remember what Arthur told you p>
“We absolutely have to win this tournament p>
ét
At the mention of Arthur, the color, completely drained from Bianca’s face a flash of pure terror briefly illuminating her eyes. Her father was an absolute nightmare to disappoint.
Noticing the shift, Isabella leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a seductive, manipulative whisper. “If she wins this tournament, your family’s reputation is entirely ruined p>
“Honestly, having her lab so close to ours might actually be a blessing in disguise. Don’t you think p>
“Look at them. They’re so ecstatic and blinded by their new toys, they have zero situational awareness p>
“We don’t necessarily have to attack them head-on. At the end of the day, the competition is judged purely on the final experimental data p>
She spoke as casually as if discussing the weather. “Bianca, all we have to do is focus on perfecting our own results and delivering an immaculate final report. And as for them well, if they miraculously, fait to produce any viable data all of Serena’s arrogance won’t mean a thing p>
She deliberately emphasized the words “fail to produce,” letting the implication hang heavy in the humid night air.
Exactly as Isabella anticipated, the only words that actually registered in Bianca’s mind were “experimental data” and “fail to produce p>
Bianca’s eyes narrowed as the pieces fell into place.
She was right. The entire Gauntlet hinged on the final submission of their data.
Since traditional sabotage and physical intimidation clearly didn’t work on Serena, why not strike at the absolute core of her work?
If they wiped the core data from Serena’s drives, if Serena had absolutely nothing to show for her efforts at the end of the five days, then The Dreamscape Initiative would be guaranteed a victory! If she was going to win, she needed to easure was completely eradicated from the rankings. That
Serena
was the only way she could face her
father with her head held high.
The more Bianca thought about it, the more a toxic, obsessive madness took root in
her mind.
She was going to make sure Serena never left this island with her pride intact!