Phelps stealthily glanced down at his phone, watching the endless stream of trending hashtags and comments pop up. His face contorted with such ferocity that he was barely keeping it together.
He had expended so much effort, pulled so many strings in the shadows.
And in the end, it had merely served as another stepping stone for the Elyndor team to ascend to glory.
Why?
Why was it that Severia was the host country, yet Elyndor was the one stealing all the thunder tonight?!
Phelps ground his teeth together, a dark, churning venom swirling in his eyes, threatening to spill over.
But unfortunately for him, they were still on a global live broadcast.
He couldn't afford to throw a tantrum here.
He clenched his fists, his breathing growing noticeably heavier.
Suddenly, Desmond Prescott's commanding voice crackled through his earpiece. "Fix your face immediately. You are on a global live broadcast!"
"That Elyndor student certainly has some tricks up her sleeve."
"Focus on preparing for your upcoming matches. Leave the Elyndor team to me."
Phelps instantly smoothed over his expression, not daring to let another ounce of displeasure show on his face.
Deep down, an ecstatic thrill began to bubble up.
If his father was stepping in.
Serena and her little team were absolutely finished!
They could kiss their precious spotlight goodbye!
He just had to stand back and enjoy the show!
...
The opening ceremony's itinerary pushed forward.
Per tradition, just before the conclusion of the event, the captain of each delegation was required to take the stage and deliver a brief, one-minute academic declaration in their native language.
This segment was designed to showcase the intellectual spirit and academic ethos of each nation's elite institutions, and it was always one of the most highly anticipated highlights on the global broadcast.
The podium was equipped with simultaneous translation devices.
And the massive screens overhead would display bilingual subtitles in real-time.
Soon, it was Elyndor's turn.
VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Messing With Her? Are You Crazy!