With a casual wave of her hand, Ava stepped past the female trainee and moved forward, pressing a palm to her chest as though still catching her breath.“This time,” she said between light gasps, “I’ll choose the event.”Poppy had expected hesitation, perhaps even retreat. Instead, Ava volunteered without the slightest prompting. The surprise lasted only a moment before satisfaction curled through Poppy’s chest.“Fine,” she replied at once. “Whatever you choose.”Ava’s gaze drifted around the circle of spectators before settling on the equipment nearby.“Bench press.”Poppy nearly laughed.In her mind, Ava’s earlier success had little to do with strength. Pull-ups, after all, could be aided by a lighter frame and quick reflexes. Bench pressing, however, relied on sheer muscular power. There would be no clever tricks there.And muscular power was something Poppy prided herself on.“Very well,” she said briskly. “Let’s begin.”Naturally, she added a small calculation of her own. Ava had
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