Reborn To Ruin Her Rivals - Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Just as James's hand grazed Arielle's hair,suddenly, a pair of warm, small hands clamped down on his wrist with bone-crushing force, holding him fast as if she might snap it.
Arielle looked up, shooting him a cold, sideways glare.
He stood, and she sat.
Her grip didn't loosen as she glared daggers at him, her eyes clearly saying, "How dare you touch me!"
Their movements quickly drew the attention of the other students, phones came out in a flash, some snapping photos, others recording videos.
Everyone waited with bated breath for the showdown between the campus king and queen.
No one dared to watch openly. Instead, they stole glances from the corners of their eyes.
The room was filled with gasps of shock.
Arielle actually dared to grab James's hand.
"Is she crazy? She's totally lost it!" the crowd whispered.
The students who missed the beginning thought the two were in a fight.
They imagined James was about to hit Arielle, and she was warding off his blow.
Within seconds, everyone's minds were "spinning wild scenarios."
Now, forgetting their fear, all eyes were glued to the pair at the back.
James's lips curled into a devious smirk. With a flex of his fingers, he wrenched free from her grasp.
His hand swept swiftly past her hair, and suddenly, a fingernail-sized leaf appeared between his fingers.
Meeting Arielle's hostile glare, he flicked the leaf away with a snap, letting it flutter to the ground.
Arielle turned away, withdrawing her gaze and ignoring him completely.
She thought, 'So... was he actually helping me get something out of my hair?
'Either way, he shouldn't have just touched me. He could've just said something.'
Arielle kept flipping through her book, solving problems, completely ignoring those around her.
Seeing that she didn't react at all, James found it all rather dull.
He hooked his foot around a chair leg, dropped into the seat, and leaned back lazily with his eyes closed, pretending to nap.
The warmth from Arielle's fingertips still lingered on his own.
He absentmindedly rubbed his fingers together, savoring the fading heat.
He placed the book over his face, reclined further into the chair, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
The golden sunlight streamed in through the window, bathing their two flawless faces, one feigning sleep, exhaustion evident. the other deeply engrossed in her book. The sunlit scene was breathtakingly picturesque.
Seeing that the two involved didn't come to blows, everyone reluctantly looked away, a wave of disappointment washing over them.
"Did you guys see that? How did Arielle end up grabbing James's hand? I thought they were about to throw down," one of the boys whispered.
Celeste strolled by indifferently. After last time, when provoking Arielle landed him copying the school regulations fifty times, he'd learned to behave himself.
He thought, 'That woman is downright ruthless. I can't afford to mess with her, and honestly, I couldn't care less about her business.'
A student said, "Looks like James was about to hit Arielle, but she saw it coming and grabbed his hand first."
Another said, "Damn, that's badass! James isn't the type to back down. Could it be that even he's scared of the demon queen now?"
"No way, man! James isn't scared of anyone, not even the devil himself. Maybe he just couldn't bring himself to hit a girl."
One boy scoffed. "Come on, since when has James ever been the chivalrous type? Last time, a girl from another class confessed to him, and he turned her down flat. She wouldn't give up and ambushed him on his way home. You know what he did? Threw her halfway across the street!"
One of the boys said, "Yeah, you've got a point. James isn't the type to hold back just because she's a girl. Maybe he was just in a good mood today and decided to give the demon queen a pass."
That was the boys' take on the situation.
However, the girls' reaction was the complete opposite.
Olivia scowled in disappointment. "That bitch has nine lives! She's provoked James time and time again, yet she always gets away unscathed."
Sophia snorted disdainfully, casting a contemptuous glance at Arielle, who was diligently working on her assignments.
She sneered, "What a pretentious act! That trashy country bumpkin can barely read, yet she's putting on this whole studious act. Bet she's just trying to get James's attention."
Hearing this, the girls all looked confused. Emma Wilson asked, "What kind of approach is that? James isn't just anybody, he hits people regardless of gender. Are you saying she actually wants to get with him?"
Sophia nodded as the girls huddled closer, whispering in hushed tones. "Yeah, no guts, no glory. James's met all kinds, but someone this tough? Never. See, her little stunt totally caught his eye."
Rachel White's eyes widened with sudden realization.
"Oh! I get it now, she's totally playing hard to get, trying to make James even more obsessed with her. She's provoked him twice, yet he didn't lay a finger on her. That's definitely suspicious," she said.
Olivia sneered, "Trash will always be trash. Scheming to seduce men, desperate to get the campus king to back her up, has she even looked at herself? Some nobody from the backwater thinks she can turn into a princess just by putting on designer clothes? Keep dreaming."
Olivia gnashed her teeth, glaring daggers at the figure behind her. "If only I could march over there and slap her a few times," she fumed.
But with such a huge gap in strength, all she could do was talk smack.
At the Bradford Mansion.
Meredith nestled coquettishly in Sharon's arms, showing off her new watch as she sweetly thanked her.
"Thank you for the gift, Mommy!" Meredith cooed.
Sharon gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her daughter's ear, her face full of adoration. "No need to thank me, darling. As long as my precious girl is happy."
When they saw Arielle return, the two of them instantly fell silent in unison.
Meredith made a show of hiding her new watch behind her back, pausing just long enough for Arielle to notice before tucking it away.
But Arielle didn't even look at her.
All Meredith wanted was to show off how much Sharon favored her, buying her a watch worth a fortune.
She thought, 'So what if you're the real daughter, Arielle? Mom still loves me more. She'll never care about you.'
Seeing Arielle head straight upstairs without so much as a glance, Sharon jabbed a finger toward the staircase and snapped, "Look at that attitude! Is she blind or just plain rude? She walked right past me and didn't even bother to say hello!"
Meredith quickly stepped forward to pat her mother on the back, putting on an anxious expression as she cooed in a saccharine tone. "Mom, don't be angry. I'd feel awful if you made yourself sick over this. That's just how Arielle is. She doesn't really mean it that way. Please don't take it to heart."
Sharon's anger flared even hotter. "That's exactly what she thinks, no respect for her elders! Does she even see me as her mother? What a waste raising such an ungrateful child!"
Meredith was thrilled inwardly but maintained her gentle facade.
She cooed, "Now, now, Mommy, don't scold Arielle. You still have me. When you're old, I'll always be by your side, listen to you, and never give you any trouble."
Hearing her thoughtful words, Sharon's heart melted. In that moment, she wished she could give her daughter every wonderful thing in the world.
That night, Arielle was about to go to bed when there was a knock at her door.
"Who is it?" Arielle called out, her tone cold.
"It's me," Meredith's voice came from the hallway.
"Going to bed. Not receiving," Arielle replied while reaching for the light switch.
Meredith was rebuffed and seething with frustration. She took a deep breath, forcing her tone to stay gentle. "I have something important to discuss. Open the door."
Arielle got up and opened the door a crack, keeping one hand braced against it to block the way.
She made no move to let Meredith in.
"What is it? Speak," Arielle said coldly.
Meredith saw that Arielle had no intention of letting her in. She clenched her hand tighter inside her sleeve.
She thought, 'That bitch! This was clearly my room, but she stole it from me. And now she won't even let me in?'