Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 617

Mira took a few swigs of her ice-cold water, a wave of pure relief washing over her.

"That hits the spot."

Leah couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction after her own drink.

Her reaction drew resentful glares from the students nearby.

Everyone else was grumbling about how their cold water had turned into warm bathwater, or their sports drinks had become unpleasantly hot.

"Our bottles baked in the sun. How come her water is still ice-cold?"

"Maybe hers is hot too, and she's just saying that to mess with us."

Whether it was true or not, the student felt a lot better believing that narrative.

Harvey Rivers ran over, his face flushed red from the heat. "Why didn't you tell me to use a thermos for ice water? That's cold, Mira."

"Is it my fault you lack basic common sense?"

She could have had Silas deliver more, but her bodyguards operated from the shadows, and exposing them over something so trivial was out of the question.

It wasn't long before Reece called for them to assemble again. This time, they were subjected to marching drills beneath the blazing sun.

It was an endless loop of synchronized marching, pivoting left, and pivoting right.

For Mira, the physical exertion was nothing. The heat was the only real annoyance.

But the others were practically wheezing.

When the morning session concluded and they were dismissed, Instructor Vance surprised everyone by giving Mira a thumbs-up.

"You're the only woman in this squad who hasn't complained once. It's obvious you train regularly and have true grit."

He then addressed the entire class. "You should all follow her example."

That sparked another wave of jealous, hateful glares, though no one dared voice their resentment.

Anyone who got into Aethelgard University was obviously brilliant, but they also knew how to grind. Without hard work, you couldn't absorb the knowledge required to excel.

They were just unaccustomed to physical labor.

"Is Instructor Vance just playing favorites because she's pretty?"

An abrasive voice cut through the air, freezing the dispersing students in their tracks.

It was Jillian.

"She's totally corrupt. Keep her away from any leadership roles, or she'll ruin us all."

The whispers and murmurs erupted among the students.

Vanessa's eyes burned with fury, but she clenched her jaw and stayed silent.

She knew that keeping her mouth shut was her best move. On the surface, the crowd was only targeting Jillian.

The moment she spoke up, she would be incriminating herself.

"Yeah, totally! Yesterday at the restaurant, she was picking fights, acting completely unhinged, and tried to hijack someone's VIP suite."

The guys from Harvey's dorm chimed in, tossing out details of the incident from the day before.

"So this is the kind of person she is. I'll be having a word with the administration to see how they handle discipline."

Instructor Vance's eyes widened as he fixed a hard stare on Jillian.

She really was a rabid dog, snapping at everyone in sight.

"Please don't report me, Instructor! I'm sorry, it was all my fault."