She looked almost angelic.
Almost.
Following behind her were three people.
Two lawyers.
One represented the Quinn family.
The other represented her father.
And behind them came Ava's assistant, carrying a slim tablet and several documents.
The moment the Vice President saw her, the corner of his face twitched.
Yesterday.
The competition.
The negotiations.
And, most importantly
The contract.
He remembered exactly how much that agreement had cost them.
Ava reached the stage.
The empty chair beside the Crownside Dean of Affairs was waiting for her.
She walked toward it without hesitation.
Every step seemed to draw another pair of eyes toward her.
Even in such a relatively simple outfit, Ava had managed to command the room.
Some journalists lowered their phones only to raise them again moments later.
A few photographers immediately began taking pictures.
Averis representatives watched her carefully.
Jennie's eyes narrowed.
She remembered the conversation from yesterday far too well.
Ava had gotten what she wanted.
An eight-year tax exemption for her family's businesses operating within Averis's capital country.
Five major government projects had been added to the agreement.
For three years, Averis had agreed to turn a blind eye to whatever Ava personally did—legal or otherwise.
There was also the forty-five-percent cut.
Any business dealings involving Ava, her father, her mother, her brother, or Ava's own companies would give Averis only fifty-five percent of the relevant proceeds.
And when Ava's side purchased certain land or other approved assets, they would receive a forty-five-percent reduction in price.
For life.
The Vice President still couldn't believe how quickly the agreement had expanded.
The higher-ups had agreed, but he had been the one forced to take the fall for the situation.
Even with the backing of the people above him, he would still face consequences because the final arrangement had become far more expensive than anyone had expected.
How was it my fault? he thought bitterly.
They had assumed Ava was bluffing.
They had taken too long to agree.
Then her mother moved.
Her father moved.
Her brother moved.
And suddenly, the entire eighteen-country Averis structure had been forced to pay attention.
They had no choice but to agree quickly.
The only thing keeping the Vice President from completely losing his mind was that the contract applied only to Ava and the specified members of her immediate family.
If this had covered the entire Quinn and Hayes families...
He didn't even want to imagine the consequences.
Wouldn't that practically be giving our country away for free?
Ava reached the empty chair and sat down.
Her lawyers followed.
One stepped forward and placed a document directly in front of the Vice President before returning to stand behind Ava.
The Vice President picked it up.
He opened the file.
Then paused.
His face went completely blank.
Inside were the final seals.
Not one.
Not two.
The seals of the major leaders, military authorities, political organizations, royal families, major business powers, and other organizations whose approval had been required to solidify the arrangement.
Every seal was there.
Every signature had been confirmed.
There was no loophole left to exploit.
No technicality to challenge.
No convenient way to claim that someone hadn't approved it.
The Vice President stared at the document for several seconds.
If this footage ever reaches the news, even I won't understand how I managed to keep a straight face.
He slowly closed the file.
The Dean of Affairs adjusted the microphone.
"Now that everyone is here, before we begin the actual press meeting, I believe we should start with a few brief remarks."
He looked around the hall.
"Many of the journalists, reporters, and news anchors here also attended yesterday's event. We were glad to host you again."
A polite smile appeared on his face.
"Although yesterday was a competition between two top schools, we should remember that it was a friendly competition. It was never meant to create hostility between Crownside High and the Averis representatives."
Several people nodded.
"We should not take what happened between the students as a reason to destroy the relationship between the two schools. They competed, they challenged one another, and, yes, there were mistakes."
He gestured lightly toward both sides.
"But at the end of the day, we were celebrating Unity Holiday. The fact that we can still compete, laugh, learn, and stand together despite our differences is exactly what Unity represents."
Applause moved through the hall.
The Dean waited until it faded.
"And now, we would like to introduce the Vice President of Averis's capital country. We are honored that he took the time to join us during the holiday."
He stood.
The Vice President rose as well.
They shook hands before the Dean returned to his seat.
The Head of Student Affairs stood next.
He shook the Vice President's hand before returning to his chair.
The Vice President adjusted his jacket and rose to address the room.
"I had to come," he said with a small smile. "This is a competition between two of the top schools, so I believe it is worth visiting."
A few people laughed softly.
"Even top leaders from Aurelion County and other countries within Elysia have attended events connected to this competition, so how could I, a mere Vice President, refuse to show my support?"
His smile became slightly apologetic.
"Our leader would have been honored to join us, but the distance and matters of state kept them from attending."
He stepped away from the table and gave a respectful bow toward the audience.
"I apologize on their behalf."
The two Averis students and their teachers immediately stood and bowed as well.
The Head of Student Affairs, the Dean of Affairs, the two Crownside teachers, and the two Crownside students rose in response.
Ava stood too.
But while everyone else gave a formal bow, Ava merely inclined her head.
It was respectful enough to acknowledge the Vice President's rank and maintain the public image both sides were carefully presenting.
But nothing more.
The difference did not escape several cameras.
Everyone sat again.
The Vice President smiled toward the Crownside side of the table.
"And, of course, I would like to congratulate Crownside High on winning yesterday's competition."
Applause followed.
"Perhaps next time, the two schools shouldn't compete against each other."
He smiled.
"Perhaps you should compete together."
The hall reacted with amused murmurs.
"Imagine Crownside High and the Averis school standing on the same side as one team. I believe it would be quite capable of shaking the world."
His compliment was deliberately balanced.
He praised Crownside for winning while making sure the Averis school was not publicly diminished.
The Vice President returned to his seat.
The Head of Student Affairs cleared his throat before speaking.
"And speaking of cooperation, our next Averis competition will take place next week."
He looked toward the representatives.
"By then, the Unity Holiday will have ended and everyone will return to their usual responsibilities, although October will remain the month dedicated to unity."
He smiled.
"Until Friday, however, the Averis representatives will continue to be treated as fellow Crownside students. Tomorrow's basketball competition will be another opportunity for both schools to compete while remaining united."
He paused before continuing.
"Yesterday's victory also gave our teachers, students, parents, and citizens something else to think about."
His expression became more thoughtful.
"Winning does not mean we are perfect."
The hall quieted.
"It means we have another opportunity to see our strengths and our shortcomings. We should continue improving, strengthening our foundation, and learning from every experience."
He glanced toward the students.
"And I want to thank the ten students who represented Crownside High."
His expression softened with pride.
"Only three of them are here today, but all ten deserve recognition for making our school proud."
The students at the table straightened slightly.
The applause that followed was warmer this time.
The Dean of Affairs leaned toward his microphone.
"So, without further delay..."
He glanced toward the rows of journalists.
"Let us begin the press meeting."
"What documents was given to the vice president could it be shared "
" Does the document have anything to do with your attacks"
"Ava, everyone saw the incident during the mini-city challenge yesterday. How is your hand feeling today? Do you think this your school lack of security senses or did they set this for another and you just happened to get hit"
"You continued building the miniature city despite being injured. What made you decide not to stop?"
"Do you believe the incident was an accident, or do you believe someone deliberately targeted you?"
"Have you received any explanation from the organizers regarding how that sharp material ended up inside the cabinet?"
"Has the injury affected your hand movement today?"
"Some people online have questioned whether the injury was exaggerated because of the media attention afterward. What would you say to them?"
Then she leaned toward the microphone and tapped it twice.
Tap.
Tap.
The sound immediately drew the room's attention.
"Is that all the questions?"
The journalists gradually quieted.
Ava looked from one side of the hall to the other.
"We won't be receiving any more questions. These are already enough questions for us to answer."
A few reporters exchanged disappointed looks.
Ava settled back into her chair.
"I'll go straight to the point."
Then she stopped talking.
For nearly two minutes.
The silence became almost uncomfortable.
The journalists waited.
The cameras remained fixed on her.
The Vice President watched her without saying a word.
The Dean of Affairs glanced at her.
Ava simply sat there, looking perfectly comfortable.
Then she suddenly frowned slightly.
"Where was I again?"
Several people stared at her.
Ava looked toward the ceiling for a moment before continuing.
"Ah. The document."
She turned her attention toward the journalists.
"The document my lawyer gave to the Vice President concerns matters between my lawyer and the Vice President. If you want to know more, you can always try to meet them privately."
A few journalists immediately started writing.
Ava continued before anyone could interrupt.
"Secondly, yes, I continued working with my teammate despite what happened."
She rested her injured hand carefully against the table.
"Because that's what teammates do."
Her gaze briefly moved toward the Crownside student beside her.
"Bad situation or not, if I had left, he would have had to complete everything by himself. Crownside teaches teamwork, so I did what any teammate should do."
Her voice remained casual.
"As for my injury..."
Ava's eyes shifted toward the Vice President.
She gave him a brief side-eye.
"I wasn't faking it."
The Vice President's expression remained perfectly still.
"And it wasn't sabotage."
A few reporters immediately looked at one another.
"Nor was it an error made by Crownside."
The hall became quieter.
"I simply didn't see the object."
She lifted her shoulder slightly.
"That's also why I didn't leave my teammate. Anyone could make that mistake."
Ava glanced down at her hand.
"My hand isn't damaged. It just needs some rest."
Then she smiled faintly.
"And my lawyer will continue from where I stop."
She pushed her chair back.
"I'd love to keep you company, but I have to visit my doctor."
Ava stood.
Her assistant immediately moved forward.
She didn't wait for another question.
She simply walked away from the stage, leaving the journalists staring after her.
The room erupted into murmurs almost immediately.
The Dean of Affairs slowly turned toward the Head of Student Affairs.
The other man gave him a helpless smile.
There was absolutely nothing they could do about Ava once she had decided she was finished.
The Dean cleared his throat and returned to the microphone.
"Well..."
He glanced briefly toward the doorway Ava had disappeared through.
"We'll keep this brief." He said waving his hand for them to countinue.
"What do you think the new set of Averis representatives will be like? If they behave like these students did, how would you feel about competing with them?"
The questions started coming from every direction.
One journalist barely finished before another microphone was raised.
"To the teachers from both schools, do you believe yesterday's disagreement has affected the relationship between the two institutions?"
Another voice followed immediately.
"Looking beyond yesterday's controversy, what was the most memorable moment of the competition for each side?"
A female reporter turned toward the two Averis students.
"Why did you do it? Why did one of you fake an injury while the other supported her and tried to frame Crownside?"
The two girls stiffened.
Before either could answer, another journalist spoke.
"Would the schools consider organizing future competitions where students from Crownside and Averis are placed on the same teams?"
"With Unity Holiday currently taking place, what message do you think yesterday's competition sends about cooperation between different nations?"
A male paparazzo leaned forward, his camera still hanging from his neck.
"Mister Dean, you said you would like to work with Averis again. Are you being sincere, or were these representatives simply a handful of problematic students?"
The Dean maintained his composed expression.
Then an Averis journalist raised her microphone.
"What about the two officials who came yesterday? Why did they leave, and why is the Vice President here today? Is his attendance connected to the cabinet matter?"
Another female journalist immediately followed.
"Those two girls from Averis apologized yesterday, but it looked more like they were trying to make themselves the victims. Do they genuinely have something against Crownside High?"
"The two Averis students apologized publicly yesterday. Do you believe their apology should mark the end of the controversy?"
"Some people online have described yesterday's incident as humiliating for Averis. Do you think that description is unfair, considering the students were under enormous pressure?"
"Would you agree that one student's mistake should not define an entire school or an entire country's educational system?"
Another reporter lifted her microphone.
"Have there been problems between the Averis school and Crownside students before yesterday's competition?"
"After competing against the Averis all-girls school, how confident are you that Crownside can maintain its position when the Orenthal representatives arrive tomorrow?"
A different reporter redirected the question.
"The Averis school produced some remarkable performances throughout the competition. Despite losing, would you say the students successfully demonstrated the strength of Averis's education system?"
A paparazzo laughed lightly.
"Is it still called a friendly competition because Averis lost?"
Several journalists chuckled.
The Averis representatives did not.
"Averis lost by two points. What do you have to say about that?"
The questions continued.
"Many people were impressed by how Crownside continued competing even after the unfortunate accident during the mini-city challenge. Was there ever a moment when the students considered withdrawing?"
Then a deeper male voice cut through the room.
"With respect, everyone keeps calling yesterday's competition friendly, but one student was injured, another was publicly accused of sabotage, and two high officials were caught on camera being thrown out of Crownside. The news was quickly covered afterward. What actually happened?"
Another journalist immediately picked up the subject.
"What happened to those officials? Why were they thrown out, and why were they not allowed back in?"
The cameras began clicking more rapidly.
Sorry for late update guys I'm serious I just resume school again from the long holiday caught me off guard I'm sorry thanks for understanding so I will countinue today a chapter a day kiss kiss