"Light on the top," he instructed.
"Focus more on the bottom."
"Left side, not too light, not too heavy."
"Right side, make sure to press a bit."
He directed her with all his energy.
Isabella could see that the massage was indeed easing his headache, but his commanding demeanor was getting more and more insistent.
Her hands were getting sore.
Isabella glared at him, who was enjoying himself with his eyes closed, looking utterly smug.
The more she looked, the more she felt he had a face that just begged to be slapped.
Suddenly, her phone chimed with a message alert.
Isabella glanced at it and saw a message from her cousin, Hilda: "Isabella, I just called the Rivera’s, and your stepmother said you ran away from home. Where are you? I'm so worried about you.
Lucius saw that Isabella was dressed in casual wear and asked, “For a tennis tournament, shouldn’t you be wearing a proper tennis outfit?”Isabella shook her head, “Those specialized sports outfits are too expensive, and I didn’t have time to buy one. My main goal is the prize money. As long as I win, that’s all that matters. I’m not too concerned about anything else.”As she quickly put on her jacket, she continued, “I was planning to drag you in as a last-minute partner if I couldn’t find anyone for doubles. But since you’re still recovering from your injury and shouldn’t be doing intense exercise, it worked out that the school assigned me a partner. That’s one problem solved.”Finally, she grabbed her backpack, ran out the door, and called back to him, “I won’t be back for lunch. You’ll have to handle it yourself.”Without paying any attention to Lucius’s dejected look, which resembled the Titanic
Cynthia’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head in fury. “Are you out of your mind? Call the school security! How did they let such a lunatic in?”Fanny looked at the man, who was so charming despite his rebellious demeanor. There was something particularly attractive about a bad-boy look.Seeing Fanny gaping at the man with starry eyes only made Cynthia more enraged. She shoved Fanny hard, shouting, “Go on, hurry up!”The man gave Cynthia a sidelong glance and grinned, “Security let me in. I’m just here to deliver something.”With that, he turned and headed towards the gymnasium.“So he’s just a delivery guy, acting all high and mighty,” Fanny commented, seeing Cynthia’s face turn pale with anger. Fearing that Cynthia might take her frustration out on her, she hurried to pacify her.Caleb Reed smirked. Lately, he had indeed become a delivery man.
What a handsome delivery guy.Everyone was captivated by Caleb Reed's outstanding appearance.Some couldn’t resist taking photos with their phones and posting them online with the caption: “The most handsome delivery guy just arrived.”Isabella looked at him and recognized him as the fast-track driver often called by Lucius.When did he become a delivery man?She stared at Caleb in confusion and said, “I didn’t order a tennis outfit.”Caleb, showing a face weary from Lucius’s torment, said, “Your man ordered it for you. Ah, life is tough; please sign for it quickly.”He didn’t want to be the center of attention just for delivering clothes and was eager to leave.Oh, so Lucius ordered it. Hmm, a bit touched; didn’t expect him to be so considerate.Seeing Caleb Reed’s troubled expression, Isabella i
Cynthia glared at Isabella, who was standing in the center of the court looking stunning, her teeth clenched in anger.Why did Isabella always have such a good life? Loved by her grandfather, cherished by her father, and adored by Samuel.Cynthia had schemed to take everything Isabella had, but she couldn’t overshadow Isabella’s dazzling brilliance.Cynthia glared fiercely at Isabella, her lips bleeding from the force of her bite.Fanny, feeling frustrated, countered, “No matter how luxurious it is, it can't be more expensive than Cynthia’s sportswear. Her outfit costs over ten thousand dollars.”The crowd erupted in laughter.Those who knew the industry understood that for MCM, the world’s top luxury brand, such diamond-studded high-end apparel would cost several hundred thousand.A ten-thousand-dollars outfit couldn’t compare to a hundr
Isabella smiled, thinking of her grandfather. Her love for tennis was nurtured by him when she was young. Later, she was recruited into the school team when she started junior high. After her grandparents passed away and she returned to the Rivera family, she hadn’t touched a tennis racket again.While everyone was congratulating her, the list of participants for the mixed doubles and the match schedule was announced.Isabella scanned the list from top to bottom and was shocked to find that her name wasn’t there.Confused, she asked the coach, “Coach, I signed up for the mixed doubles. Why isn’t my name on the list?”The coach looked at the list and confirmed Isabella’s name was missing. He said, “I’ll check with the sports committee.”Isabella felt uneasy, sensing that something might be wrong.Sure enough, when the coach returned, he looked anxious. “The pa
Although Lucius had deliberately lowered the brim of his cap, making it almost impossible for people around him to see his face, his outstanding presence and strikingly handsome figure made him stand out like a crane among chickens.An extraordinary aura and unique charm are impossible to hide.He stood there like a shining star, drawing many curious glances.He couldn't stand hearing from Caleb Reed at home that his girl was in trouble. Even though he shouldn’t have shown up, the thought of his Bella suffering made him restless. In the end, he couldn’t resist and came out to save the day.The counselor looked at Lucius in surprise and asked Isabella, “Who is this?”“He’s a friend of mine who came to team up with me for the mixed doubles match,” Isabella explained to the counselor.For some reason, Isabella felt extremely uncomfortable with the numerous envio
“Y-you...” Cynthia’s face turned bright red from Lucius’s words. After struggling to find a response, she couldn’t utter a single word and, in frustration, gave Fanny a fierce glare.Fanny had embarrassed her completely today.Fanny awkwardly covered her sleeve and stammered in an attempt to cover up, “My clothes are pure cashmere. They pill easily, not because they’re poor quality...”“Shut up!” Cynthia was mortified, feeling she might as well kneel before Fanny’s ignorance. Bringing Fanny today was an incredibly foolish decision.Fanny must have had her brains kicked by a mule to wear such clothes, and now Lucius had caught her out.As the second daughter of the Rivera family, having friends so impoverished they can’t afford decent clothing made Cynthia’s face burn with shame. What would people think if word got out?Cynthia glared at Fanny and turned to th
The scoreboard: "3-0"Wade’s side lost another point.Wade’s eyes were bloodshot. "Again!"The scoreboard: "4-0"Wade’s side kept losing points.Wade coughed up blood. "Again!"...Wade collapsed, flat on his back, foaming at the mouth.Lucius casually flicked his racket, wiped the sweat from his face, and with a relaxed smile.Isabella stood there in a daze, watching the two men battle it out. For the entire second half, she and Cynthia had nothing to do; they just went through the motions. The match had turned into a showdown between these two men.Wade, beaten down by Lucius’ relentless attacks, lay motionless on the ground. His pride and arrogance had been shattered into pieces. His heart, torn and bleeding, cried out, “Did I just face a superhuman?”I
However, before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Isabella's cold laugh, her eyes filled with complex emotions. “If you had just told me what you wanted, I would have given it to you. So if you really like him, just say it, and I won’t hesitate to let you have him. Why bother tarnishing your reputation as a mistress by doing such a disgraceful thing? My dear sister, you’ve truly disappointed me.”“Anyone who can be seduced by a mere glance from you, do you think he’s worth anything? Thank you for helping me identify trash!”“Isabella, don’t say that! He... he’s not trash. We just got caught up in the moment.” Cynthia was at a loss, completely unsure of how to perform. Although she was supposed to be the supporting actress, she felt like she was being led around by Isabella.“You mean you were momentarily confused, right? In front of so many people, you can openly hold hands. What about when I'm not
Time flew by in the training camp, and in a month, Isabella will take her exams for the Aetheron Film Academy, including an interview test. Therefore, she didn’t visit the Knight’s training camp as often and returned to school to study.The entrance interview for the Aetheron Film Academy typically involves three teachers and two senior students as assistants. However, when Isabella arrived at the venue, she was surprised to find that the seniors assisting this year were familiar faces.Samuel and Cynthia stood beside the three interview teachers, looking like a perfect match with their impressive looks.Generally, the performing arts program at the film academy has multiple phases, including a first and second round for elements like dialogue, performance, and vocal skills. All these stages are completed in a single day to prevent any potential interference, such as bribing the teachers.Aft
“Uncle, I need you to help me check on someone. There’s a trainee named Cecilia at the Knight training camp.” Lucius’s voice grew angry as he mentioned her name, and he instructed Lysander coldly.“Is something wrong? Did that little wife of yours get bullied again?” Without needing much context, Lysander immediately guessed that Lucius’s anger and attention to detail must be due to something happening to his wife.“She withdrew at the last moment before the competition. Cecilia schemed to make her give up. People like her, who play dirty, don’t deserve to stay at the Knight training camp. She’ll only bring chaos,” Lucius stated, believing Lysander would understand that Cecilia could not remain there.Meanwhile, Cecilia successfully secured first place in the afternoon competition, guaranteeing her a spot in Bryan’s film.However, Bryan himself was not present at the finals that afternoon.
After Isabella left, Cecilia wasted no time stepping forward. "Director Wade, it was our fault. Karrie was on the phone with a friend, and he happens to be called Lucius too. Isabella thought it was her boyfriend, and that’s why she ran off. She got jealous and left the competition in a hurry."While Bryan had been speaking with Isabella, Cecilia and Karrie had been eavesdropping the whole time. So, as soon as Isabella left without an explanation, Cecilia seized the chance to pretend to defend her. In reality, she only made the situation worse.Cecilia assumed that Bryan would be displeased to hear that Isabella abandoned such a golden opportunity for a man. But to her surprise, Bryan saw right through the situation.Unlike Cecilia, Bryan knew that Isabella’s boyfriend was indeed Lucius from the Knight Group. Their relationship was well-known, and her concern was understandable. When Bryan recalled Isabella’s words
Bryan had already made up his mind to cast Isabella as the lead in his new movie. But who would have thought that halfway through the competition, Isabella would suddenly withdraw, running off the stage without a word?Bryan felt as if his heart had left with her. After all, she was the actress he had chosen!Frowning, he watched Isabella's retreating figure and found himself instinctively following her to find out what was going on.Previously, he had heard that Isabella couldn't swim, which was why he had set the rules as he did. Yet, not only could she swim, but she swam exceptionally well, securing the first place.This showed that she must have put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.She seemed like someone who would work hard for her dreams, and Bryan admired that.So what could have caused Isabella to withdraw at the last moment?
Fortunately, there were lifeguards on duty. Upon seeing the situation, one jumped into the water to rescue the struggling competitor.Once the person was pulled from the water, Isabella and Masha realized that it was actually Karrie who had nearly drowned.It was said that those who drowned often knew how to swim, but Karrie had become overly nervous after entering the water. Her calf cramped up, preventing her from extending her movements, and she was unable to swim.The pool was two meters deep, and when she choked on water, she couldn’t breathe. In her struggle, water flooded her goggles, blurring her vision. All she could do was thrash about underwater, creating splashes as a desperate call for help.In this group match, Cecilia successfully took first place and advanced to the semi-finals, while Karrie, just as Isabella had predicted, cramped up mid-race and was eliminated.
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the competition deadline arrived.It’s quite odd to use a swimming competition to select a movie lead; this unconventional method could only come from someone like Bryan Wade, who doesn’t play by the rules.Many participants would be taking part in the selection, so they couldn’t all compete at once; instead, a scheduled format would be followed.Each person would swim in small groups, with a baseline score set for each. The first round, known as the preliminary round, would eliminate half of the competitors.Next came the semi-finals, which would eliminate two-thirds of the remaining participants. Finally, those who advanced to the finals would compete once more to determine the top winner.This competition format was fair and just, leaving no room for doubt.Bryan Wade would be seated as a judge, watchin
On their way back to the dorm, Isabella mentioned the casting news she overheard about Director Wade. She thought out loud, “It was strange when the teacher talked about it in the office. Bryan Wade usually finds actors on the streets, so why did he come to our academy this time?”Yes, Bryan Wade was like a talent scout; whenever he found someone who fit his character requirements, he would immediately invite them to star in his films. He couldn’t stand the influx of actors from the academy, who he viewed as mass-produced products.However, this time, he specifically came to the training camp, stating he wanted to select a lead from among their group of students.This news didn’t just surprise Isabella; it puzzled both Cecilia and Karrie as well. Even Isabella found it strange when she first heard it.Lucius rubbed his nose and replied, “Maybe he’s changed his mind.”Br
Upon hearing Isabella’s words, Cecilia and Karrie exchanged glances. They had tried to outsmart Isabella several times, but they always ended up losing, which was incredibly frustrating. They wanted to regain their dignity after each defeat.However, every time they were exposed by Isabella, it left them feeling embarrassed, and for a moment, Cecilia and Karrie didn’t know how to handle her.Now that Isabella had come to them with such a proposal, after a moment of hesitation, Cecilia looked into Isabella’s eyes and asked, her attractive lips slightly parted, “How do we compete? What are the rules?”Though they were in the same class, their specializations were diverse. They studied performance, music, dance, and various other courses that made up their daily lessons.“Aren’t we in swimming class right now? I heard this training camp will have a competition to find the fastest swimmer, who wi