Chapter 19

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on Lucy White’s face as she lazily scrolled through her phone. The trending topics about Lily Green had exploded online, with countless netizens now questioning her actions.

"Tsk. Can’t keep up the act anymore, huh?" Lucy smirked, then noticed faint wisps of white mist drifting away from Lily’s figure—her luck was draining.

A spark of satisfaction lit Lucy’s eyes. So, all it took to weaken Lily’s advantage was dismantling her "irresistible charm" persona. With a subtle flick of her fingers, Lucy traced an invisible sigil in the blind spot of the cameras.

"Let’s see you keep stealing others’ luck." She watched with satisfaction as the talisman dissolved into Lily’s back. It wouldn’t bring outright misfortune, but at least it would curb her unnaturally smooth sailing.

The hallway was empty during the midday break. Just as Lucy pushed open her door, a sickly sweet voice called from behind. "Lucy, can we talk?"

Lily stood there, putting on a pitiful act. "The trending topic really wasn’t my intention—"

"Stop." Lucy turned, her gaze icy. "No cameras here. Drop the act."

Lily’s expression twisted before she forced another smile. "I just wanted to explain—that night, Michael was the one who offered to help me—"

"Oh?" Lucy arched a brow. "So you came here to brag?"

She gave Lily a once-over and scoffed. "If Michael Johnson actually fell for someone like you, he’d have to be blind beyond saving."

Lily’s face turned livid, her nails digging into her palms.

"We’ll see about that!" She spun on her heel and stormed off.

Lucy slammed the door shut, humming cheerfully. She knew nothing stung Lily more than being called plain.

At the afternoon assembly, the director announced the team assignment rules. Michael immediately locked eyes with Lucy. "We’re a team."

Lily, standing nearby, froze mid-smile.

"Pass." Lucy didn’t even look up. "I don’t need to ride on your fame."

Michael’s brow furrowed. "I’m letting you."

The room fell silent. No one expected the top-tier celebrity to say something like that.

Lucy finally met his gaze, her tone indifferent. "No need for your concern."

The air turned frigid. Robert Lee coughed awkwardly, while Olivia Davis subtly gave Lucy a thumbs-up.

Seizing the moment, Lily sidled up to Michael. "Michael, maybe we could—"

"I’ll go solo." He cut her off coldly, though his eyes remained fixed on Lucy.

The director hurriedly intervened. "What about you, Ethan? Who would you like to team up with?"

Ethan Smith, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "I’ll pair with Lucy."

The livestream chat exploded.

[OMG! The Oscar winner actually asked her?!]

[What kind of insane luck does Lucy have?!]

[Lily’s face is literally green LOL]

Lucy blinked in surprise, then smiled when Ethan gave her a slight nod. "Sure. Thanks, Ethan."

Lily stood rigid, her nails nearly drawing blood. She could swear she saw another wisp of white mist slip away from her.