Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 499: Chapter 499

Chase shook his head. "Honestly, Shawn, Ms. Evans looks like she's in full control. Feels like she's just playing with her opponent."
Shawn shot Chase a death glare, instantly shutting him up. Chase felt wronged. 'Come on, I'm just telling the truth here,' he thought.
On the surface, Zoe seemed constantly on the defensive, chased and overpowered at every turn. Yet each time, she managed to turn the tables as if she had everything perfectly timed.
Seriously, she wasn't weak at all. Clearly, she had anticipated every move and planned everything meticulously.
Chase stole a glance at Shawn. 'Shawn's really changed,' he thought. 'Back in the day, nothing got past him. He would've seen right through this little act.
'But now? Zoe just acts a little off, and he can't sit still. Guess that's what happens when you're the one caught up in it.'
Seeing Shawn finally falling for someone, Chase couldn't help but feel happy. At least now, he and the others no longer had to worry about Shawn ending up a lonely bachelor.
Aileen was delighted to see Zoe making repeated mistakes on stage. This proved her plan worked. 'Looks like the drug really does the trick after all,' Aileen mused.
Sophia watched the scene unfold, barely containing her glee. 'Zoe's finally going to bite the dust this time,' she thought.
Zoe watched as Edwin got more and more carried away with each strike, a cold smirk touching her lips. 'Playtime's over,' she thought. 'Time to fight back.'
Convinced of his impending victory, Edwin prepared to unleash his ultimate move, the Hammer Fall, to crush Zoe once and for all.
Zoe looked up as Edwin soared into the air, preparing to crash down with devastating force. Yet she stood rooted to the spot, motionless as if she had given up resistance.
"Has Zoe lost her mind? Why isn't she dodging?"
"I bet Edwin knocked the sense right out of her."
"Nah, she's just scared shitless by Edwin."
As the crowd jeered and mocked, Aileen had already gotten the red wine ready, preparing to toast her victory.
Even Sophia pulled out her phone, eager to capture the moment when Zoe met her humiliating end.
Seeing this, Shawn was about to charge in to save Zoe. But Chase, sensing something was wrong, grabbed him in a bear hug, holding him back.
"Let go," Shawn snarled, struggling to break free.
"She's fine. She's faking it," Chase insisted.
But Shawn wouldn't believe it. "She's never acted like this before."
Chase wanted to roll his eyes. 'Back in the day, Shawn would never lose his cool over a woman,' he thought. 'Just wait. Zoe's about to deliver her finishing move.'
Bang. As Zoe's fist collided with Edwin's, a heavy thud echoed through the room. In the next instant, Edwin was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing straight into the iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
The chandelier swayed dangerously, then gave way under his weight and crashed to the ground with a metallic groan.
Edwin barely managed to glance at Zoe before everything went black, and he passed out cold.
The crowd froze in shock. Aileen hurled her wine glass across the room in fury. 'Damn it,' she seethed inwardly, 'Did I fail again?'
"No way," a woman in the audience shrieked.
The outburst seemed to set Aileen off completely. Aileen shouted hysterically, "That's right. No way. She's cheating. There's no way she could have won this match."
The entire crowd erupted in angry shouts of unfairness. Yet, the fact remained that Zoe had defeated Edwin.
Reluctantly, the emcee stepped forward to make the final call. "3, 2, 1. It seems that, once again, the winner of this match is Zoe from Clusia."
Not a single clap could be heard. No one wanted Zoe to win. Now that she had won, they could barely bring themselves to refrain from booing her.
Aileen was livid. She stormed into the group chat. [You pathetic losers. Still want your pay or not? Get your asses moving. Double reward for whoever takes her down.]