Chapter 2

The moment Dale saw Maya shed tears, his expression immediately shifted.

He lunged forward in a few big strides and shielded her with his body before barking at me in a furious roar, "What the hell is wrong with you, Sierra Beckett?

"Do you think having good combat talent gives you the right to humiliate her like that?"

The other teammates immediately chimed in.

"Yeah, Sierra. That was way too harsh."

"Maya was just trying to give you a drink, yet you threw it straight into the trash. What kind of attitude is that?"

"She isn't your maid, you know."

Standing behind the crowd, Maya wiped her tears, looking like she was fighting to keep herself from breaking down.

"No, don't. Please don't blame Sierra. It was all my fault…"

I looked at the group defending her and coldly said, "All of you signed the pre-assessment oath. The practical admission assessment forbids the intake of any unregistered external substances, including energy drinks, potions, or supplements.

"Maya, did you register that drink? Or were you trying to get me to consume a banned substance?"

Tears rolled down Maya's cheeks as she finally found her voice.

"I'm sorry, Sierra. I had no idea it was this serious. I just thought you'd be tired, and I wanted to help you perform your best…"

Dale's expression immediately softened. He rested a hand on her shoulder and soothed her in a gentle voice, "Hey, don't cry, you poor thing."

When he looked up at me, all the gentleness in his eyes vanished.

"Did you have to blow a minor issue out of proportion like it's the end of the world? Maya never intended to harm you. She's far too kind-hearted to pull a stunt like that.

"She was trying to show she cared about you, yet you wouldn't stop being mean to her!"

I was so mad that I laughed and kicked the trash can toward him.

"Kind-hearted? Her kindness nearly ruined my admission assessment, and I don't need it.

"And if you're so obsessed with the drink, why don't you dig it out of the trash can and drink it yourself?"

Dale's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

"Have you lost your mind, Sierra? How dare you talk to me like that?"

I met his eyes and refused to back down the slightest inch. "I made myself clear, or do you need me to spell it out in nastier words for you?"

Sobbing, Maya threw herself between us.

"Please, stop fighting… I'm the one who always messes things up, and I never should have brought the drink. Sierra, please don't be mad at Dale, okay?"

I was completely sick of her pathetic act. Turning around, I marched toward my tactical gear bag behind her.

"I don't want to hear—"

Before I could even finish, Dale assumed I was going to attack Maya and shoved me away with brutal force. I was sent crashing onto the floor, knocking my knees against the edge of the steps, and blood immediately welled through.

I sucked in a deep breath and gritted my teeth hard.

Seeing the wounds on my knee, the others immediately frowned.

Someone couldn't help but call Dale out.

"What the hell are you doing, Dale? An injury like that could completely ruin her ability to lead the team during the assessment tomorrow."

Dale kept his freezing gaze locked on me, as if I had just crossed an inviolable line. "She was about to lay her hands on Maya, and I just stopped her."

I pushed myself off the floor and got onto my feet. After looking down at the bleeding gash on my knee, I laughed.

"One is supposedly my little sister, trying to get me to cheat in the assessment so my scores get voided. The other is supposedly my boyfriend, constantly defending the one trying to sabotage me and shoving me to the ground.

"You're two toxic pieces of trash, a match made in hell."

Dale's expression shifted. "Stop sprouting nonsense, Sierra!"

I couldn't be bothered to waste another second on him.

After slinging my bag over my shoulder, I announced in a loud, final voice, "Dale Ashshade, from this day forward, we're breaking up. I hope you and Maya stay locked together for the rest of your lives, and stop dragging me into your mess."

Dale stared at me in utter disbelief. "Are you breaking up with me? When you regret this later, don't come to me, crawling and crying for a second chance!"

I let out a cold laugh and turned to walk away.

…

The next day, I arrived at the admission assessment grounds. My team was slotted into the tenth round.

While we were in the waiting area, stretching out our limbs, rolling our necks, and checking our gear, Maya walked over with a sweet smile on her face. She carried several bottles of water.

"Good luck on the assessment, everyone! I've poured water for all of you so you can hydrate before heading into the assessment grounds!"

The others took the bottles from her and praised her for being so thoughtful.

Maya turned to look at me and flashed me a pure, innocent smile.

"I couldn't find your bottle, Sierra. Where did you leave it? Just tell me where it is, and I'll fill it up for you."

In my past life, this was how she had secretly slipped the performance booster into my bottle.