For a teacher to take an exam alongside students was already an unusual sight, but for Liza to submit her paper so quickly after the test began? That was enough to spark rumors. Whispers filled the room as students speculated about her motives. Could she really have taken the test so casually, or was she merely putting on a show? When news of the wager between Liza and Ava spread, many assumed the pressure had gotten to her. They began murmuring about how it might have affected her mental state. Unbothered by the gossip, Liza left the examination hall. Instead of dwelling on the reactions of others, she headed straight to the university's materials room. Gavin had previously granted her permission to access the archives, but her schedule hadn’t allowed it until now. Her goal was specific: she wanted to uncover information from twenty years ago. However, upon scanning through the shelves and boxes, she found nothing. The files from that time period were entirely missing. It was peculiar. Was the person or organization she was investigating truly so elusive that they could erase even confidential records? Staring at the empty archive box, Liza contemplated the mystery briefly before deciding to leave. Unbeknownst to her, the moment she stepped out of the materials room, the news reached Gavin. Reading the update on his phone, his expression darkened. Why was Liza so interested in events from twenty years ago? … The following morning, Liza entered the classroom with a sandwich in hand, the one her chef had thoughtfully packed for her. Before stepping inside, she heard Ava’s voice echoing, her tone dripping with mockery. “Hahaha, where’s Liza? Why isn’t she here yet? Is she too ashamed to show up?” Ava’s laughter was loud and triumphant. It seemed Ava had discovered that Liza had taken the same test and submitted her paper early. For Ava, this was a golden opportunity—not just to win the wager but to humiliate Liza in the process. “Ava, please don’t be like this,” came Serena’s soft, sugary voice. She always managed to sound gentle, masking her true intentions. “My sister must already be feeling bad. Let’s just leave her alone, okay?” Ava snickered. “Sad? She should be. Can you imagine how hard she’s had to pretend? Who even gave her the courage to take the test? Did she not realize the university made the exam much harder this time for the international competition? She probably couldn’t even understand the questions!” Serena sighed theatrically, feigning concern. “Ava, I know my sister is going to lose, but could you spare her the humiliation of kneeling down? For my sake?” Ava was about to reply, but her words faltered when she noticed Liza leaning casually against the doorframe. With an air of nonchalance, Liza took a bite of her sandwich, her relaxed posture and calm demeanor entirely at odds with the tension in the room.Ava couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss, but she quickly rationalized it. Liza was probably just putting on a brave face to preserve her dignity. The test had been exceedingly difficult—Ava herself had struggled with some of the questions and had barely finished within the allotted time. Surely, Liza must have given up after realizing she couldn’t handle it, which explained why she had submitted her paper so quickly. With that thought, Ava’s confidence returned, and she let out a mocking laugh. “Oh, you actually showed up? I thought you’d run off to save yourself the embarrassment.” Liza didn’t even spare her a glance. She casually tossed her sandwich wrapper into the trash can, dusted her hands off, and strolled into the classroom. A perceptive student quickly vacated their seat for her without being asked. Before Liza could settle in, Serena approached with her trademark gentle smile. Her tone was full of concern as she said, “Sister, I wasn’t at university yesterday because I took the day off. I didn’t know about the test and couldn’t stop you from competing with Ava in time. The results are out now… but don’t worry. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose. I’ll always support you.” The watching students were immediately moved by Serena’s supposed kindness. They couldn’t help but think she was the epitome of a loving, understanding sister. But Liza simply gave a sly smile. “Oh? You didn’t know about the competition? Isn’t it thanks to you that I got to take the test in the first place?” Serena’s expression froze for a brief moment. How did Liza find out? Could the dean have mentioned it? Still, she quickly composed herself, deciding to deny everything. After all, her classmates would believe her over Liza. Feigning hurt, Serena bit her lip and let her eyes water slightly. “Sister, how can you accuse me like that? I would never push you into trouble. Yes, I did mention to the dean that you’re around my age and could try taking the test, but it was just a suggestion. You’re the one who agreed to it. If you hadn’t overestimated yourself, my suggestion would’ve meant nothing. “I know you didn’t perform well on the test and must be feeling upset, but it’s unfair to blame me. I’ve always supported you, even telling Ava not to demand you kneel and apologize if you lost…” Before she could finish, Ava cut in sharply. “Hold on. I never agreed to that!” She turned to Liza with an aggressive glare. “Don’t try to wriggle out of this! You were the one who set the terms of the bet—you said we had to own up if we lost. Don’t think you can use Serena to backpedal. If you lose, you will kneel and apologize. Do you hear me?”