Such a plea for mercy!
In her past life, when Saira and her group bullied her right in front of him, why hadn't he called for mercy then? Connor was nothing but a hypocrite. Pretending to be a righteous gentleman while doing such vile things—disgusting!
Connor's brows furrowed. "Why are you laughing?"
What was so funny about what he had just said?
"If I remember correctly, you're the student council president, not God. Or are you the emperor of Windsor Academy, and we are your subjects who must obey you?"
Laughter erupted from the crowd around them.
Connor was stunned. No one had ever spoken to him like this before. The mocking laughter made his expression tighten.
Zuri ignored him, turning to Saira and the others. "No one stops until you've run fifty laps."
Panting, Saira turned to Connor with a sweet, considerate smile. "Connor, it's okay. You don't need to worry about me."
Connor's gaze softened as he looked at her. "Take that thing off your back."
"That's not necessary."
Arthur stepped forward and removed the turtle shell from Saira's back.
"Thank you, Arthur," Saira said, her cheeks flushed, her voice sweet.
This scene filled the surrounding girls with envy, jealousy, and hatred, wishing they could replace Saira.
Azura, unable to tolerate such a saccharine scene, interjected, "Stop being lazy and keep running. I've been counting; you still owe forty-two laps."
Saira bit her lip and prepared to run.
A green turtle shell blocked her path. "Put it back on."
Arthur's handsome face turned icy. "Zuri, don't go too far. She's your sister. If you don't want everyone to look bad, you'd better know your place."
"Who are you? Do I know you?"
Such audacity!
Saira lightly shook Arthur's arm. "Arthur, it's okay. Don't be mad at Zuri; she's still young."
Arthur looked at the gentle and kind Saira, then at the vulgar and ill-mannered Zuri, and his disdain for her deepened.
"You have all the time in the world to flirt. Haven't you noticed everyone else is fulfilling their promise, while you're the only one standing here whining?" Azura couldn't help but retort.
On the field, Colin hadn't stopped running. Even though he wasn't as fast as before, he kept going. Farida and the others also persisted, running and stopping intermittently. Only Saira was standing aside, flirting.
Farida watched from a distance as Connor tenderly wiped Saira's sweat, a flash of jealousy in her eyes.
Fifty laps weren't a joke. Out of the nine, only Colin completed the run. The others were sprawled on the track, too exhausted to move.
Zuri didn't press further. Her goal wasn't the fifty laps but to humiliate Saira. Now that she had achieved that, she didn't care about the number of laps.
In the music room of the art building, Farida played the piano irritably, the image of Connor and Saira's closeness replaying in her mind. The music became fast and jarring, unpleasant to the ears.
Suddenly, a pair of hands pressed down on the keys, disrupting the music.
Farida looked up, surprised to see who it was.
"I can hear your jealousy and hatred for someone in your playing," Zuri said softly.
"You're crazy!" Farida stood up, ready to leave.
Zuri leaned against the piano, her clear eyes following Farida's retreating figure. "You like Connor."
Farida's steps faltered. She turned around. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"There's nothing wrong with liking someone. Why not admit it? Is it because Connor likes Saira, so you dare not express your feelings?"
This hit a sore spot, and Farida's expression wavered.
"My feelings for Connor are none of your business."
"I mean no harm. Actually, I came to propose a collaboration."
A collaboration?
Farida was skeptical and distrustful.
"If you're trying to blackmail me with this, you'd better think twice."
"Don't rush to conclusions. Hear me out." Zuri sat down and turned to face her. "Why does Connor like Saira? Because, in his eyes, Saira is the perfect girl, a goddess. The boys at school speak highly of her, don't they? If you want to win Connor from Saira, the best way is to make Saira less perfect."
Farida's face remained haughty and disdainful, but her actions betrayed her interest.
She sat back down across from Zuri. "You want to use me."
"It's not using; it's mutual benefit. After all, we have the same goal, don't we?"
In her past life, Farida met a tragic end. Because of Connor, she had tried to sabotage Saira several times, all of which failed. When discovered, Saira's admirers had made her life miserable. To protect their business, the Blue family severed ties with Farida. Unable to cope, Farida went insane and was sent to a mental institution by her family.
"What do you want me to do?" Farida asked warily.
"You've only fulfilled one part of the bet; there's still the other part."
Farida immediately understood. "You want her to clean the bathrooms alone."
Zuri nodded.
Talking to smart people was always easier; no need to spell everything out.
"Saira is desperate to repair her friendships with you. This is a perfect opportunity. Whether you push her yourself or have someone else do it is up to you."
Zuri's fingers danced over the black and white keys, producing a soothing melody. Farida watched in surprise, not expecting Zuri to play the piano.
The melodious tune drifted through the walls, echoing down the corridor.
At the end of the hallway, a door opened, and several tall young men emerged. The leader, wearing a baseball cap, mask, and sunglasses, had an air of elegance despite his concealed face. Even with his face covered, his handsomeness was evident. Removing the mask would reveal an even more stunning appearance.
Owen stopped, ears pricked, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses as he listened intently.
His manager, Isaac, noticed his hesitation. "What's wrong?"
Isaac was worried about being spotted. If people recognized Owen, they wouldn't be able to leave today. If not for Owen's insistence on meeting this piano master, Isaac would never have allowed him to come to a place like this.