COMPETITION

The atmosphere inside the university auditorium was unusually lively.

More than a thousand students had gathered.

Excitement buzzed through the air.

At the center of the stage stood the Dean, smiling broadly as he adjusted the microphone.

"I have an important announcement."

The crowd instantly quieted.

"The National Future Business Leaders Competition will officially begin next month."

The hall exploded.

"Oh my God!"

"It's finally happening!"

"I heard major corporations will personally recruit from the competition!"

"The winning team gets internship offers from the country's top companies!"

The students became excited.

This competition wasn't just another academic event.

It was an opportunity that could change someone's future.

The Dean raised his hand.

"The competition is jointly sponsored by several leading corporations."

A large screen lit up behind him.

The logos of powerful companies appeared one after another.

The audience gasped.

The Anderson Group.

The Eleanor Group.

The Kim Group.

The Maxwell Group.

And finally—

The Fredamo Group.

The moment the last logo appeared, the entire hall erupted.

Everyone knew what the Fredamo name represented.

Power.

Influence.

Money.

An internship there was a dream opportunity.

The Dean smiled.

"The top five participants will receive internship offers from our sponsors."

"Additionally, the first-place team will receive special mentorship opportunities."

The excitement instantly doubled.

Meanwhile, Bella's eyes shone brightly.

She could already see herself standing on stage accepting the championship trophy.

With her grades and family connections, entering the top five would be effortless.

At least that was what she believed.

---

After the announcement ended, students rushed toward the registration booths.

Groups quickly formed.

The strongest students naturally became the most sought-after teammates.

At that moment, whispers suddenly spread through the crowd.

"Look!"

"Stephen Maxwell is here!"

Every female student's eyes brightened.

A tall young man walked through the hallway.

His black hair framed a handsome face.

Cold.

Elegant.

Perfect.

Stephen Maxwell.

The heir of the Maxwell Group.

One of the Four Great Families.

The university's undisputed genius.

His IQ was legendary.

For three consecutive years, he had ranked first in every major academic competition.

More importantly—

He rarely spoke.

The mysterious aura surrounding him only increased his popularity.

"Stephen!"

Several students rushed forward.

"Would you like to join our team?"

"Join ours instead!"

"We have excellent grades!"

Stephen ignored them all.

His expression remained indifferent.

As if nothing around him interested him.

Then—

His footsteps stopped.

The crowd followed his gaze.

At the back of the hallway sat a familiar figure.

Ella.

She was reading quietly beneath a tree.

Completely unaware of the commotion around her.

For several seconds, Stephen simply stared.

Then he walked directly toward her.

The crowd froze.

Bella's eyes widened.

Andy Kim's face instantly darkened.

"Excuse me."

Stephen's calm voice sounded.

Ella looked up.

Their eyes met.

"Would you like to be my teammate?"

Silence.

Absolute silence.

The entire courtyard seemed frozen.

Everyone stared.

Bella almost dropped her phone.

Andy looked ready to explode.

Stephen Maxwell had personally invited Ella?

Why?

Ella blinked.

Clearly surprised.

"You want me on your team?"

Stephen nodded.

"I've reviewed the academic rankings."

His voice remained calm.

"Your scores are excellent."

Bella nearly choked.

Excellent?

Ella?

The same Ella everyone used to call average?

At that moment, Bella suddenly remembered something.

Ever since entering university, Ella had always ranked near the middle.

But now that she thought about it...

Ella had never actually failed anything.

She simply never stood out.

A strange feeling appeared in Bella's chest.

For the first time, she wondered—

Had Ella been hiding her abilities all along?

---

Not far away, Andy Kim clenched her fists.

Her eyes burned with jealousy.

As the Kim family's heiress, she had spent years pursuing Stephen.

Everyone already considered them future marriage partners.

Although neither family had publicly confirmed it, many people believed it was only a matter of time.

Yet now...

The man she liked was standing in front of another woman.

Inviting her to join his team.

Andy felt humiliated.

Especially because that woman was Ella.

Someone from a far lower social status.

At least in her opinion.

---

Meanwhile, Bella quickly regained her composure.

A mocking smile appeared on her lips.

"Ella."

Her voice immediately attracted attention.

Everyone turned toward her.

Bella crossed her arms.

"You should know your limits."

The smile on her face grew wider.

"This competition is for elite students."

"Not people who suddenly think they're talented after getting lucky once or twice."

Several students laughed.

Bella continued.

"Do you even understand business strategy?"

"Or are you planning to embarrass yourself in front of the entire country?"

The surrounding crowd immediately watched Ella.

Waiting for her reaction.

However—

Ella simply closed her notebook.

Then looked at Bella.

A calm smile appeared on her lips.

The kind of smile that irritated Bella the most.

"You seem very concerned about me."

Bella's expression stiffened.

Ella stood.

"If you're so confident..."

She adjusted her bag.

"Why don't you focus on winning instead?"

Bella's face darkened.

The surrounding students struggled not to laugh.

---

That evening.

Fredamo Group Headquarters.

Zeke sat inside his office reviewing documents.

Alex entered carrying a file.

"Boss."

"The university competition details."

Zeke raised an eyebrow.

"What about it?"

Alex smiled.

"The competition is sponsored by us."

Zeke accepted the documents.

As he skimmed through them, his gaze stopped.

Contestant List.

Ella Eleanor.

A faint smile appeared in his eyes.

Alex immediately noticed.

"Should we help Miss Ella?"

The room became quiet.

Several moments later, Zeke shook his head.

"No."

Alex looked surprised.

Zeke closed the file.

"She doesn't need my help."

His voice carried complete confidence.

"If she wants to win..."

His lips curved slightly.

"She'll do it herself."

---

Meanwhile—

Inside the Eleanor Mansion.

Andrew Eleanor sat across from several organizers.

A check quietly slid across the table.

"We only have one request."

His expression was serious.

"Ensure Bella enters the Fredamo internship program."

The organizer smiled knowingly.

Money always made things easier.

Across the room, Bella sat proudly.

In her mind, the internship was already hers.

After all, Stephen Maxwell would undoubtedly rank first.

As long as she attached herself to the strongest team, everything would go according to plan.

The Fredamo Group.

The most prestigious internship.

The greatest opportunity.

Soon, it would belong to her.

---

The following week.

The competition registration officially closed.

Thousands of students gathered around the university announcement board.

Excitement filled the air.

Today—

The preliminary rankings and team leader list would be released.

Bella stood confidently near the front.

A proud smile decorated her face.

She was already imagining everyone's admiration.

The screen suddenly lit up.

Names began appearing.

Fifth place.

Fourth place.

Third place.

Second place.

Gasps filled the crowd.

Then—

The first-place name appeared.

The entire campus fell silent.

Bella's confident smile froze.

Andy's eyes widened.

Stephen Maxwell finally looked up from his phone.

At the entrance of the crowd, Ella stopped walking.

The giant screen displayed one name.

TEAM LEADER RANKING — FIRST PLACE

ELLA ELEANOR

The crowd exploded.

"What?!"

"No way!"

"First place?!"

"How is that possible?!"

Bella's face turned deathly pale.

Her entire body trembled.

Because for the first time...

She realized she might have underestimated Ella.

And that mistake could cost her everything.