Kelsie chuckled softly and proceeded to lean backward, a mocking smile hovering across her lips.
"Sister, what are you going on about? Why have a competition with me when I'm not the creator of the program?"
Then she paused and gestured at Zoe with a deliberate nonchalance.
"My teammate, Zoe Derruci, created the program. If you're so desperate to prove that you're the real owner, why don't you go ahead and challenge her?"
"Or is outdoing noobs and having people shower you praises for doing so all you're good at?"
The room instantly went silent.
Unable to contain herself anymore, Laura's face darkened.
For the nth time that evening, Laura was taken aback by Kelsie's sharp-tongued words that she didn't have a response to.
She was blinded by her irritation towards Kelsie that she failed to recall she obviously wasn't the one created the program.
On the other hand, a flicker of worry flashed past her eyes as she glanced at the timid Zoe Derruci who had her eyes lowered.
This timid little thing? How could someone like her create such an ingenious program?
She had heard of this person, but never really bothered with her. Not only was she clumsy, but she never made it through any stage of contests and competitions.
Most times, whatever team she was assigned to would end up looking for a way to kick her out.
So how was it someone so clumsy and unwanted suddenly came up with such an ingenious program?
But as she continued staring at Zoe, doubt crept into her heart.
Could it really be she was a genius, but because of how timid and clumsy she was, no one ever got to see her display her skills?
If that was the case, accepting to compete against her wasn't the best thing to do. Not only would she lose, but she'd also end up embarrassing herself in front of everyone and making herself out to be a liar.
Furthermore, she'd be a laughingstock in the whole of Silicon Valley once the media outlets outside aired the contest's coverage across the city.
The reputation she had spent years meticulously building would crumble in matter of hours.
As various scenarios ran through her head, she clenched her jaw tighter and grew even more worried.
Seeing how long she was taking to make a decision, everyone quickly assumed she was holding back from competing against a noob as their admiration of her grew even more, but Kelsie knew better.
As Laura wavered, Kelsie tapped her fingers idly on the table, her expression one of mock impatience.
It was at this moment that Laura's teammates jumped in to rescue her.
"How dare you suggest something so ridiculous? Laura would never bully a nobody like Zoe!"
"Zoe Derruci is a nobody who fails every competion she joins. There's no way she created that ingenious program!"
"You've been attacking Laura ever since you joined the contest. Is this another one of your attack to demean her hard work by pitting a noob against her?"
"It must be. Aren't they sisters? I bet she must've snuck into Laura's room when she wasn't around and gotten the program some way."
"That is very likely. She may not be good with programming and coding, but one doesn't need a lot of knowledge to do something like that."
"I just can't wrap my finger around it no matter how much I think about it. So I agree that this Kelsie did it. Why else would she be on that thief's side instead of her sister's?"
"Wronging her sister like this, what a despicable woman! I would rather die than have a sister like hers!"
"People like her are the reason I'm glad to be an only child!"
Although still surprised that Kelsie was insisting that she made the code, Zoe Derruci, although extremely flustered and barely able to control her nervous breathing, couldn't sit still as this people accused her and Kelsie.
She sat up properly, pushed up the rims of her glasses and fired back at them in a shaky voice.
"S-stop spouting nonsense! If Laura did create it, why didn't she use it for the task?"
Laura's teammates were once again at her defence and began lashing out at her.
"What a slow poke! Why would she use a program she wasn't sure of in the first place?"
"No need trying to explain it to a dumbo like you. Laura, compete with this little bitch so she can know her place!"
A trace of panic flashed past Laura's eyes when she heard them, but she maintained a straight face and sighed softly.
"I won't. It's not right for me to do so."
Kelsie stared down at her fingernails and mused almost immediately, "You won't or you can't?"
Laura's nostrils immediately flared as she glared at her.
"I won't compete against her because then everyone would think I'm bullying her. If she insists she made the program, then I will leave it for her. I already worked on it once, I can always work on a better one!"
Kelsie drummed her fingers impatiently on her thigh as she waited for the hypocrital words to end.
Then she leaned forward, lips twitching in amusement, "Your teammates have been saying a lot of things and one of them has stuck to me."
"They said not to let people continue walking all over you. If you let Zoe have the program without even fighting for it, she'll forever be remembered as the girl who created it."
"When they happens, it'll only be a matter of time before everyone forgets that you even existed in the same generation as her."
"This is your chance to take what you claim was stolen from you. If you compete with her here and win fair and square, you'll not just get the program back, but you'll also make it clear to everyone that you won't let just anyone who tries to walk all over you off the hook."
"All that being said, do you dare to compete against her, sister?"