Chapter 39
“Correct answer.
A flicker of shock crossed Camille’s eyes.
Stellar actually got it right?
It must have been a lucky guess.
Didn’t Yvonne say she had spent the last two years doing nothing but chasing after men? How could she possibly still be keeping
up?
The instructor quickly moved on to the second and third questions.
And every single time, before anyone else had a chance to fully process the problem, Stellar had already pressed the buzzer,
delivering the correct answer without hesitation.
Camille’s expression finally shifted.
Her fingers curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms.
There was no way Stellar was guessing all of them right.
By the fourth question, Camille straightened in her seat, sharpening her focus.
“Regarding the structural components of a mechanical system, which principle must be applied…”
This one was noticeably harder than the previous ones.
Even after carefully analyzing it, ten full seconds passed, and Camille still couldn’t figure out the answer.
And then, right in front of her, Stellar pressed the buzzer again.
Her clear voice rang through the hall, delivering the precise answer without a single misstep.
The room fell silent.
Camille could hardly breathe.
What the hell?
Was this woman cheating?
How was it always her?
Why wasn’t anyone else buzzing in?
Yvonne had been right.
+15 Bonus
Stellar wasn’t even part of the research institute yet, and she was already outshining everyone.
If she actually got in, there would be no competing with her.
She could crush them with skill alone without using any underhanded methods.
No. That couldn’t happen.
Camille’s mind raced as she watched Stellar sitting there, poised and composed, as if this was effortless for her.
Then she thought of their bet
No. She couldn’t lose..
So the moment the instructor started reading the next question, Camille, desperate to get ahead of Stellar, hit the buzzer before he could even finish the sentence.
The abrupt interruption made the professor pause, his unfinished words hanging in the air.
His brows knitted together in slight displeasure.
In an academic setting like this, proper etiquette was expected.
Students were supposed to wait for the full question before answering.
Jumping in too soon was not only impatient but also disrespectful to the entire room.
Still, the professor remained composed and simply said, “Miss Dawson, since you buzzed in first, please give us your answer.”
All eyes turned to Camille.
Even Stellar, seated calmly beside her, was slightly surprised.
Feeling the weight of so many stares, Camille swallowed hard.
A thin layer of sweat formed on her forehead.
She had won the right to answer, but the problem was… she had no idea what the answer was
“Miss Dawson, we’re waiting for your response,” the professor prompted again.
Camille shifted uncomfortably, pressing a hand to her ear as her cheeks flushed a deep red.
Stellar took in her expression, the nervous tension in her posture, and calmly remarked, “Could it be that you don’t actually know
the answer?”
Camille’s jaw tightened
Cornered and unwilling to admit defeat, she gritted her teeth and snapped, “That’s right! This question is completely outside our field of study
+15 Bonus
“Of course I don’t know the answer! Do you? Oh, wait–how could I forget? You’re the so–called ‘genius‘ student, right? I’m sure nothing is too difficult for you!”
She deliberately redirected the pressure onto Stellar, hoping to watch her struggle instead.
Immediately, the attention in the room shifted, all eyes now focused on Stellar.
For a moment, she lowered her gaze, appearing thoughtful, as if hesitating-
Meanwhile, behind the surveillance monitors, Stephen sat with one leg crossed over the other, his expression unreadable as he
watched the subtle shift in Stellar’s demeanor..
This question truly was outside the standard scope of their studies.
And the answer wasn’t just difficult, it was deliberately tricky.
Stephen had inserted it on purpose.
It was a hidden test.
He was almost certain that Stellar wouldn’t be able to answer it.
“What’s wrong, Stellar? You’re supposed to be so brilliant. Don’t tell me you’re actually stumped?”
Camille’s voice dripped with mockery, her lips curling into a smug smirk as she watched Stellar remain silent.
For the first time, she felt like she finally had the upper hand.
The so–called genius was just a title, nothing more.
And today, right here in front of everyone, Camille was ready to tear down the illusion of Stellar’s so–called brilliance.
