Reborn To Ruin Her Rivals - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

These days, Arielle was the talk of the school.
She was indifferent to everything and completely ignoring the stares from others.
Whether in class, at meals, or on her way to and from school, she always kept to herself.
Here, she had neither friends nor family. And she didn't need any.
When class ended, a crowd of students from other classes gathered outside the classroom.
Some had come just to catch a glimpse of Arielle.
The weekend arrived with warm sunshine, and finally, it wasn't so cold anymore.
Arielle glanced at the empty floor-to-ceiling window and thought, 'Maybe I could put a few succulents here. At least I'd have someone to talk to at night.'
After her morning routine, Arielle headed downstairs for breakfast.
Upon entering the dining room, she saw Sharon and Meredith exchanging animated whispers.
Their conversation died instantly when they saw her.
Arielle took her seat at the table, treating them as if they were thin air, and ate her meal in deliberate silence.
Sharon was fuming, 'She doesn't even care about me! And now she's stirring up all this trouble at school!
'If Meredith hadn't told me, I'd still be kept completely in the dark.
'Not only did she get into fights, she even wrapped a snake around a classmate's neck.
'Just hearing about it gives me the creeps.
'How does Arielle even dare to do something like that?'
To keep Meredith from being affected, she secretly instructed Lexi that Arielle's dishes and utensils were to be kept and washed separately, her meals were served in dedicated containers, and all her laundry was washed in a separate machine.
Of course, Arielle knew nothing about any of this.
Had she known, she would have been delighted.
She would have welcomed uch special treatment.
Meredith saw her mother's expression and couldn't help but feel smug.
She thought, 'See? Mom dislikes her even more now.
'No rush, once Mom and Dad are completely fed up with her, that'll be the day Arielle leaves the Bradford family.'
'I'm sure that day isn't far off.'
Sharon barely contained her fury, finding Arielle more detestable with each passing glance.
She felt Arielle was a curse sent from heaven to torment her.
She shot Meredith a meaningful look.
"I'm done," Sharon announced, and left the table without another word.
She walked away from the table.
Right after, Meredith echoed, "I'm finished too." She followed her out of the dining room.
With their departure, the dining room fell silent, leaving Arielle all alone at the table, quietly finishing her meal.
Lexi watched with a heavy heart.
She thought, 'The young miss is so pitiful and so alone.'
Little did she know, Arielle would have preferred not to see them at all.
Arielle thought, 'Just a little longer. It won't be long now.
'Enduring this is torture.
'After over a decade, what's two more years?'
The weekend flew by in a flash.
It was time for school again.
Arielle still cruised to school in her sports car, unapologetically unique.
She was a striking presence on campus, impossible to miss every time she walked by.
All eyes inevitably drifted her way.
At the same time, a young man swaggered toward the academic building, an entourage of followers in tow like a gang.
He stood in the sunlight, his unruly black hair flying wildly in the breeze.
Every strand oozed rebellion.
Their arrival drew clusters of gawking students to a standstill.
His handsome eyes were full of arrogant, cold disdain.
He ignored the stares and whispers around him.
With both hands stuffed in his pockets, he swaggered past with effortless, cocky grace.
A person said, "Oh my god! I can't believe he's actually come to school. This is so rare!"
Another said, "Our school is full of hidden talents, but all the oddballs seem to end up in Class 1."
Someone else said. "Keep your voice down! Don't let him hear you. He might beat you up."
The boy who had just spoken quickly covered his mouth, glanced around nervously to make sure no one had heard him, and only then patted his chest in relief.
Arielle had barely settled into her seat when the entire class erupted in commotion.
A student at the doorway spotted a group heading toward Class 1 and shouted, "James Miller's coming with his crew!"
Instantly, everyone's eyes snapped to the windows.
Some classmates couldn't resist dashing out of the classroom to get a better look.
In the hallway, students reflexively parted, instinctively making way for James and his crew.
They were what everyone called the school's resident troublemakers.
No matter where they were, they'd start a fight at the slightest provocation.
To the teachers, they were nothing but bad news.
But to the other students, they were the undisputed rulers of the campus.
The class bell rang sharply.
Students in the hallway snapped to attention and hurried back into their classrooms.
The moment James appeared, the students in Class 1 couldn't help but steal glances at his tall, imposing figure.
Olivia and her three friends made no effort to hide the excitement on their faces.
To their surprise, James showed up so soon.
Seeing James felt like spotting a lifeline.
Their eyes were brimming with anticipation and excitement.
What thrilled them most was that finally, someone would stand up for them.
Justin Geis leaned back slightly, cupping one hand over her mouth.
In a hushed whisper, he warned Arielle behind him, "That's the campus kingpin, don't mess with him! Just play dumb!"
Spotting James approaching, he hastily straightened up, terrified of being noticed.
Arielle's eyes flickered. This was the second time Justin had reached out to her.
All eyes were locked on James, his grand entrance was impossible to ignore.
He strode toward the back row, his striking gaze landing on Arielle.
His eyes swept the room, pausing briefly on familiar classmates before settling on the seat where Arielle sat.
His brows furrowed slightly.
He noticed Arielle, head bowed, completely absorbed in her book.
He thought, 'Don't know her. New student?'
James strode up, rapped his knuckles twice on her desk, and looked down at her. In a deep, lazy drawl, he said, "You're in my seat."
Arielle looked up.
Her cool gaze landed on a tall guy, at least six foot one.
Her icy eyes settled on his strikingly handsome face.
A cross earring dangled from his left ear, adding a rebellious yet refined edge.
"Is your name written on it?" she asked flatly.
James was stunned, no one had ever dared talk to him like that before.
The crowd was in disbelief. "Is she crazy? Does she have a death wish?" they whispered among themselves.
"No," James's deep, velvety voice came again, devoid of emotion.
Arielle then pointed to the adjacent seat. "There's space over there."
Her pupils brimmed with icy indifference. She couldn't be bothered to give him even the slightest reaction.
James glanced at the two empty seats beside him.
To be precise, all three seats belonged to him.
One was his, one was Oliver Anderson's, and the third was where they usually dumped their stuff.
No one had ever dared to sit in these seats, until now.
One of James's sidekicks barked at Arielle, "Move it, now!"
A sneer flashed in Arielle's eyes, as if to say, "You don't deserve it!"
She swept an indifferent glance at the two people in front of her.
"Are you blind or deaf? Can't you see there are two empty seats right there? Don't give me that look, your face isn't a mood ring." Her words came out flat and cold.
It was as if they were just complete strangers passing by each other.
Everyone was stunned speechless.
They thought, 'She actually dared to say them to James, of all people!'
Luna had just walked into the classroom.
She thought, 'Too late to stop her now.'
She took out my phone, ready to call the school administrators and security.
She thought, 'Arielle may be tough enough to make all those parents apologize, but James's no pushover either.
'What a headache!
'Why did I have to get assigned to teach Class 1?
'No wonder Mr. Smith's already got gray hair at such a young age.
'At this rate, I'll be going gray myself soon...'
Justin felt his heart leap into his throat. 'If those two start fighting, I'll be the first casualty,' he thought nervously.
After all, his seat was the closest to them.
Olivia, Sophia, and the other students who had been bullied by Arielle were absolutely thrilled.
'Fight already! Just start fighting!' they screamed internally.
The other students reacted in all sorts of ways, some were nervous, others excited, some just there to watch the drama, while a few couldn't care less. The small classroom was a microcosm of reactions.
James's eyes flashed with a chilling, murderous glint, a glare that could kill.
No one had ever dared speak to him like that.
He was used to being fawned over and obeyed without question.
"Are you sure about that?" James's lips curled into a cold smirk as he spat out the words.
The onlookers held their breath, hearts pounding.
The tension was palpable, and James was about to explode.
Some students already had their phones out, ready to film the epic showdown between these two titans.
Arielle sat up straight, lifted her chin, and met his gaze with icy calm.
"If you don't want to sit, take a left and use that door," she said coldly, pointing at the back exit.