Adrian's face flushed a deep, humiliated red. Driven by sheer wounded pride, he surged forward and blocked Serena's path.
"Is it because of Nicholas Blackwood?!"
He glared at her, his eyes bloodshot. "Serena, do you actually think you've secured a golden ticket with Mr. Blackwood? Do you really believe you're going to marry into royalty now?"
"He's the Blackwood Crown Prince. He's had every type of woman throw herself at him. A nobody like you with zero background or family standing—you honestly think he'll marry you?"
"Stop dreaming! You're just a toy to him."
"When he's done playing with you, let's see how fast you come crying back to..."
*Smack!*
Before he could finish the sentence, Serena's hand snapped out and slapped him hard across the face.
The sheer force of the blow violently wrenched his head to the side.
In a matter of seconds, half of his face swelled into a harsh, angry red.
"You...!" Adrian stared at her in utter disbelief.
Before he could even process the indignity, Serena raised her leg and planted a brutal kick square in his chest.
The impact sent his body flying backward, crashing heavily into the hard pavement.
"Get the hell out."
"Look at you acting like a stray dog. It's disgusting."
Serena didn't give him a second glance as she strode straight back into the lab.
The moment she stepped inside, the massive core monitor on the wall flared to life on its own.
An authoritative, white-haired older man appeared on the screen, radiating the commanding presence of a national leader.
"The Scientific Oracle!"
He leaned closer to the camera, squinting, his booming voice echoing through the room. "Why is my tracker showing that you're currently stationed on National Research Island 3?"
"The Sovereign-X Dragon just sent
an emergency alert. The system detected that you fired up the Fusion Micro-Power Module. What wild new tech are you developing that required you to activate its
independent core?"
The older man practically bounced with excitement, already imagining the world-
shattering research Serena was about to hand him.
"Oracle, the energy curve on The
Sovereign-X Dragon is practically off the chartsIf the grid on Island 3 isn't giving you enough juice, just. say the word. I'll file the paperwork right now and repurpose a military satellite exclusively to power your lab!"
"We absolutely cannot let my precious machine suffer..."
He paused, looking at Serena through the monitor, and chuckled warmly, "And, of course, we can't let you suffer either."
Serena walked closer, her voice calm. "No need. The minor inconvenience here has already been resolved."
"Alright, fine, as long as it's handled." The older man bobbed his head, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "So, what exactly are you researching? Can you give this old man a tiny hint?"
Serena raised an eyebrow. "If you know I'm on National Research Island 3, how do you not know what I'm doing?"
"Island 3..." The older man scratched his head, thinking hard for a few seconds before giving up and asking someone off-camera.
A moment later, he got his answer.
National Research Island 3 was currently hosting the final round of a global elite university challenge.
His eyes went wide. "Oracle, I begged you for ages to represent our country in a real tournament and you barely agreed! Why on earth are you wasting your time playing in a kindergarten science fair?"
Serena replied simply, "I had things to handle."
The old man huffed. "I don't care! If you have time for this childish game, you
absolutely have to attend our main competition!"