Chapter 172

Maya recoiled from me in fear, her expression filled with dread, as if I were a ghost haunting her.

A single sentence from me sent her spiraling into nervous thoughts, leaving her visibly uneasy.

After a moment, she managed to find her voice and stammered, "Ms. Lowell, what kind of prank is this? Why would I quit the competition?"

She purposely spoke louder, her tone calculated to draw the crowd's