What a line—"Show some mercy." In her previous life, when Linara and her crew humiliated her before him, why didn't he step in with that same advice? Hypocrite! Acting like a noble gentleman while indulging in the same filth he condemns. Pathetic! Skyler frowned slightly. "What are you laughing at?" What's so funny with what I just said? "If I'm not mistaken, you're the student council president—not God. Or do you think you're the emperor of Bloomington School, and we're all your subjects who must obey you?" The crowd erupted into laughter at Seraphina's sharp retort. Skyler froze. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. The mocking laughter from the surrounding students only made his expression stiffen further.Seraphina didn't bother sparing him another glance. Instead, she turned to Linara and the others. "No one stops until all fifty laps are done." Linara, panting heavily, put on her most understanding expression and said sweetly to Skyler, "Skyler, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me." Skyler's gaze softened as he looked at her. "Take that off your back." "I'll take that." Before Linara could respond, Theron stepped in, quickly removing the turtle shell from her shoulders. "Thank you, Theron," Linara said sweetly, her cheeks tinged pink. The scene was enough to make the girls watching burn with envy. They wished nothing more than to push Linara aside and take her place. Evelyn rolled her eyes, unable to tolerate the saccharine display. "Quit slacking and get running. I'm keeping track, and you've still got 42 laps left." Biting her lip, Linara prepared to continue running. But before she could take a step, a green turtle shell was placed in her path. "Put it back on," Seraphina said coldly. Theron turned grim. "Seraphina, don't take this too far. She's your sister. If you don't want to make things ugly for everyone, you'd better back off." "And you are? Do I even know you?" Seraphina shot back, her tone dripping with sarcasm. What a busybody. Linara tugged gently on Theron's arm, her voice soft. "Theron, it's fine. Don't be angry with Seraphina. She's just a kid." Theron glanced at Linara, her gentle and kind demeanor in stark contrast to Seraphina's blunt and uncouth behavior. His disdain for Seraphina deepened. Evelyn couldn't hold back her irritation. "Oh, save the flirting for later! Everyone else is out here honoring their bet, and you're the only one standing around whining." On the track, Zack continued to run. Though his pace had slowed, he didn't stop. Dora and the others pushed themselves to keep going, alternating between jogging and taking short breaks. Only Linara stood off to the side, engaging in idle chatter. Dora's gaze flicked toward Skyler, who was gently wiping Linara's sweat. A flash of jealousy crossed her eyes. Fifty laps weren't a joke. Of the nine people involved, only Zack managed to finish. The rest collapsed onto the field, utterly spent and refusing to move. Seraphina didn't press further. Her goal wasn't the laps themselves but to see Linara humiliated. Now that her goal was achieved, she didn't care about the exact number of laps completed. … In the music room of the arts building, Dora angrily played the piano, her frustration spilling out through the sharp, disjointed notes. Images of Skyler and Linara's closeness replayed endlessly in her mind, fueling her irritation. The chaotic melody grew harsher and more unpleasant.Suddenly, a pair of hands pressed down on the keys, abruptly silencing the music. Dora looked up in surprise at the unexpected visitor. "I could hear your jealousy and resentment in the music," Seraphina said softly, her voice cutting through the silence.