Chapter 19

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on Aria Bennett’s face as she lazily scrolled through her phone. The trending topics about Serena Blake had exploded online, with countless netizens now questioning her actions.

"Tsk. Can’t keep up the act anymore, huh?" Aria smirked, then noticed faint wisps of white mist drifting away from Serena’s figure—her luck was draining.

A spark of satisfaction lit Aria’s eyes. So, all it took to weaken Serena’s advantage was dismantling her "irresistible charm" persona. With a subtle flick of her fingers, Aria traced an invisible sigil in the blind spot of the cameras.

"Let’s see you keep stealing others’ luck." She watched with satisfaction as the talisman dissolved into Serena’s back. It wouldn’t bring outright misfortune, but at least it would curb her unnaturally smooth sailing.

The hallway was empty during the midday break. Just as Aria pushed open her door, a sickly sweet voice called from behind. "Aria, can we talk?"

Serena stood there, putting on a pitiful act. "The trending topic really wasn’t my intention—"

"Stop." Aria turned, her gaze icy. "No cameras here. Drop the act."

Serena’s expression twisted before she forced another smile. "I just wanted to explain—that night, Nolan was the one who offered to help me—"

"Oh?" Aria arched a brow. "So you came here to brag?"

She gave Serena a once-over and scoffed. "If Nolan Reed actually fell for someone like you, he’d have to be blind beyond saving."

Serena’s face turned livid, her nails digging into her palms.

"We’ll see about that!" She spun on her heel and stormed off.

Aria slammed the door shut, humming cheerfully. She knew nothing stung Serena more than being called plain.

At the afternoon assembly, the director announced the team assignment rules. Nolan immediately locked eyes with Aria. "We’re a team."

Serena, standing nearby, froze mid-smile.

"Pass." Aria didn’t even look up. "I don’t need to ride on your fame."

Nolan’s brow furrowed. "I’m letting you."

The room fell silent. No one expected the top-tier celebrity to say something like that.

Aria finally met his gaze, her tone indifferent. "No need for your concern."

The air turned frigid. Caleb Monroe coughed awkwardly, while Audrey Lane subtly gave Aria a thumbs-up.

Seizing the moment, Serena sidled up to Nolan. "Nolan, maybe we could—"

"I’ll go solo." He cut her off coldly, though his eyes remained fixed on Aria.

The director hurriedly intervened. "What about you, Damian? Who would you like to team up with?"

Damian Cross, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "I’ll pair with Aria."

The livestream chat exploded.

[OMG! The Oscar winner actually asked her?!]

[What kind of insane luck does Aria have?!]

[Serena’s face is literally green LOL]

Aria blinked in surprise, then smiled when Damian gave her a slight nod. "Sure. Thanks, Damian."

Serena stood rigid, her nails nearly drawing blood. She could swear she saw another wisp of white mist slip away from her.