The Scorned Heiress: No More Mercy novel Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The director suddenly remembers Jake’s explicit instructions to make Tara’s life a living hell, but the situation is rapidly spiraling out of his control. Tara is resilient, brutally honest, and utterly void of the fake influencer persona, making her completely bulletproof to their traps. To be honest, the director is starting to become a fan of the girl himself. In an industry built on plastic smiles, her raw authenticity is intoxicating. He decides to just let the cameras roll and see what happens.

After the guests dump their bags and catch their breath, the next task is immediately issued: forage the village garden and harvest the day’s ingredients. They have one hour.

The moment the timer starts, Jade aggressively links her arm through Tara’s, flashing a sickeningly sweet smile. “Let’s team up! We can look out for each other.” In reality, she plans to use Tara as a pack mule so she doesn’t have to ruin her manicure.

Tara smoothly yanks her arm free, her lips curving into a mocking smile. “No thanks. I work alone.”

The chat erupts.

“What is Tara’s problem?! Jade is being so sweet and she’s acting like a total bitch!”

“Seriously, playing the ice queen? Does she think she’s A-list?”

“She’s probably just terrified of looking incompetent on camera.”

“Am I the only one who thinks Tara is awesome? Jade is so annoying. I used to like her, but she is so incredibly fake.”

Ignoring the burning glares, Tara marches straight into the garden. She moves with ruthless efficiency, expertly identifying, harvesting, and bundling the vegetables. She clears her quota in under thirty minutes.

On the other side of the plot, Jade is intentionally stalling. She screeches at imaginary bugs, complains about the dirt ruining her dress, and puts on a helpless act that earns her deep, annoyed scowls from Ana and Amanda. How did they never realize she was this much of a drama queen?

The comments are flying:

“Jade is so adorable, even when picking cabbage!”

“Adorable? Try whiny. Look at Tara actually putting in the work.”

“Are

you blind? Tara is definitely faking it. She’s a spoiled heiress, there’s no way she knows how to do manual labor.”

“Who’s blind here? Did you not just watch her clear half the garden?”

When the whistle blows, Tara secures the highest score for speed and yield. Jade, having spent the entire hour complaining, is dead last.

The director holds up a megaphone. “For tonight’s dinner, the highest scorer gets first pick of the premium ingredients. The lowest scorer gets a bowl of plain rice and pickled radishes.”

Jade’s eyes instantly flood with tears. She looks devastatingly into the camera. “I’m so sorry, everyone… I dragged the team down…”

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20:07

Chapter 25

Ana finally snaps, rolling her eyes hard enough to cause a headache. “If you know you’re dead weight, then shut up and learn. Stop playing the victim for the cameras.”

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