Chapter 16
In the auditorium, the other freshmen couldn’t help but steal glances at Eliana, who seemed to light up the room as she mingled effortlessly with the group at the front.
Her polished smile and occasional respectful nods only made her more captivating. She was, quite literally, glowing.
Meanwhile, Willow Garcia, clueless about the deeper dynamics at play, watched the scene with thinly veiled disdain.
“What’s the big deal? So she knows a few hotshots. That doesn’t mean she’s gonna win, Willow scoffed to herself, her lips curling into a smirk. A pig dressed in silk is still a pig.
Even if Eliana made good connections, Willow believed she had everything under control and would be the true winner in the end.
Fueled by her scheming, Willow strode confidently toward Roman. As she passed by, she accidentally bumped into him.
“Oops!” she gasped, letting out a dramatic little yelp as she leaned into him for balance.
Roman instinctively reached out to steady her. “You okay?” he asked, his tone polite but distracted.
Willow blinked up at him, lashes fluttering as she plastered on her most demure smile. “Oh, thank you, Roman! I’m fine, really.” Her voice dripped with faux innocence.
“Watch your step next time, Roman said casually, already glancing back toward the front where Eliana was. His attention wasn’t on Willow at all–it was clear who had captured his interest.
Willow’s heart sank for a moment, but she quickly recovered. She tugged at his sleeve, trying to prolong the moment. “Oh no, I think I got some lipstick on your jacket! I’m so sorry! Here, why don’t you give it to me? I’ll get it cleaned for you.”
Roman raised an eyebrow but shook his head. “No need,” he said flatly. It’s just jacket”
However, Willow was determined not to let Roman go so easily. She wanted to leave a lasting impression. “Come on, it’s the least I can do. Let me help you,” she insisted, tugging at his sleeve
“I said no,” he replied firmly, pulling his art back. He wasn’t about to waste any more time on this unnecessary conversation.
But Willow wasn’t giving up that easily. Just as she opened her mouth to push the issue further, a sudden sound cut her off–a loud rip from behind. She froze, her eyes widening in disbelief as a chilly breeze hit her exposed back.
“What the” she muttered, reaching behind her. Her fingers brushed over her dress, or what was left of it. The seams had given way completely, leaving her back scandalously bare.
“Holy crap! Look, her dress just ripped!” someone from the crowd shouted.
Willow’s face turned crimson as she tried desperately to cover herself, but it was no use. The more she moved, the more obvious her predicament became.
“Don’t look at me!” she screamed, spinning around helplessly, but her outburst only drew more attention.
Her face flushed with embarrassment. She had hoped to make an impression at the freshman assembly, but instead, she made a fool of herself.
From her spot at the from, Eliana noticed the commotion. She turned her head, and her eyes landed on Willow, flailing in embarrassment. A flicker of amusement crossed her face, though she quickly masked it with a neutral expression.
“Funny how tables turn, Eliana thought with a quiet satisfaction, Before her time travel, she had been the one humiliated like this. Now it was Willow’s turn to feel the sting of public disgrace.
The dress ripping was no accident; it was Eliana’s doing
Earlier, at the entrance of the auditorium, Willow insisted on searching Eliana.
During the search, Eliana discreetly used a small blade hidden between her fingers to nick the seam on Willow’s dress. She didn’t cut deeply, knowing that as long as Willow behaved, the dress would stay intact.
Eliana was betting on Willow causing trouble. As she expected, Willow’s attempts to flirt with Roman led to exaggerated movements, causing the dress to tear.
1/2
In Eliana’s view, Willow brought this upon herself,
Willow desperately tried to hold her dress together. Although Roman hesitated at first, he couldn’t ignore her predicament. As a gentleman, he handed over his jacket to cover her.
Embarrassed, Willow thanked him and quickly left the auditorium, unable to face anyone.
Once Willow was gone, Eliana glanced away and met Cameron’s gaze. She realized he had been watching her and wondered why he kept staring at her.
Turning her attention back, Eliana handed a photo to Silas. “Mr. Carter, is this little girl your daughter? I found this photo at the
entrance.
Sillas was surprised and quickly checked his wallet, realizing the photo was missing. He hadn’t noticed it was gone.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so glad you found it. Thank you, Eliana, Without you, I would never have gotten it back,” Silas said, relieved. “I took this photo when my daughter was six, in first grade. She’s twelve now and in Ocrein with her mother. This is the only photo I have of her as a child. Thank you so much.”
Silas then asked, “Eliana, how did you know she is my daughter?”
Eliana smiled warmly. I saw a picture of your daughter on Twitter before, and the girl in the photo looks similar to her, so I took a
chance. I’m glad I was right ”
Silas nodded, recalling his post. “Yes, I did share it on Twitter. I didn’t expect you to follow me there.”
Eliana seized the opportunity to compliment him. I really enjoy your films, Mr. Carter. That’s why I follow you on Twitter. I hope to work with you someday after I graduate.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. You’ll definitely get a chance. You’re talented, and I won’t overlook that Silas laughed warmly, clearly impressed by Eliana.
After successfully returning the photo to Silas, Eliana felt a wave of relief.
With the freshman assembly concluded, everyone left the auditorium, aware that the freshmen’s training session would begin in three days.
Cameron and the others walked alongside Eliana, surrounding her profectively like her guardians.
Eliana let out an exasperated sigh. “Seriously, don’t you guys have anything better to do than tail me all day?”
Thomas leaned in with a casual smile. “Hey, we’ve got some downtime. If you’re heading home, I could give you a lift, Eliana”
Landon chimed in with a playful smirk. “Come on, there’s still so much of the afternoon left! Why waste it sitting at home? Let’s do something fun instead!“.
Adam nodded in agreement. “We’ve got a monthly pass at the Epicurean Club. How about we hit the pool tables there?”
Thomas turned toward Cameron. “What about you, Cameron? You in?”
Cameron, however, shifted his gaze to Eliana and asked, “What do you think?”
Eliana paused, caught off guard. If her memory served her right, the Epicurean Club was the swankiest members–only hotspot in Dratora City. Regular people didn’t even get to step foot inside.
And they’ve got a monthly pass? Just thinking about it made her head spin. The sheer extravagance of it all was unreal.
