Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 500: Chapter 500

Where there was good pay, there was the bold. Finally, another challenger stepped forward.
However, Zoe didn't give her opponents any chance this time. With a single move, she defeated each challenger as they stepped up. Her lightning-fast strikes silenced the entire arena.
The spectators were utterly dumbfounded. 'How can a woman be this powerful?' they wondered.
Even after a relay of challengers, she was still standing strong.
As the last challenger stepped onto the stage, the audience was already on their feet, ready to leave.
'What's the point? The last one is just going through the motions,' people muttered. 'No one can beat Zoe.'
As expected, with a single punch, Zoe sent her opponent flying straight into the stands, almost crashing into innocent bystanders.
The emcee didn't even bother with the count this time. He immediately declared Zoe the winner.
"See that? Ms. Evans is completely fine," Chase chuckled as he watched the outcome.
The last time he saw Clusia dominate a competition like this was during Shawn's prime. He had never thought they would get another powerhouse just as formidable as Shawn.
Chase thought to himself, 'Zoe is so great. No wonder Shawn chose her.'
Zoe hopped down from the ring with effortless ease. Aileen, in the stands, went berserk, flinging a wine bottle straight at Zoe. Without even turning around, Zoe swung her fist to intercept the bottle as it flew toward her.
Bang. The bottle shattered upon impact, sending shards of glass and red wine spraying across the floor. The heady fragrance of wine instantly filled the air.
Zoe licked the wine from her hand. "Good wine," she taunted.
Shawn gazed at Zoe, a complicated mix of emotions flickering across his face. Zoe suddenly stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around Shawn's neck. She planted a passionate kiss right on his lips.
Shawn, caught off guard for just a second, immediately responded with equal fervor. The sight of their intimate embrace caught the remaining spectators' attention.
"Useless," Sophia muttered under her breath, slamming her fist against the wall while hidden in the crowd.
She couldn't believe Zoe was still this strong even after being drugged. Aileen was completely incompetent. She had a winning hand and still managed to mess it up. This was just so disappointing.
Shawn released Zoe. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Were you hoping something happened to me?" Zoe teased. "Don't forget. You promised me a victory kiss if I won."
Without hesitation, Shawn pulled her close and kissed her again. They became locked in a passionate embrace, completely oblivious to the stunned onlookers around them.
Chase couldn't help but cough on the side. 'Kissing is fine,' he muttered, 'but don't overdo it unless you're asking for jealousy.'
The emcee walked over hesitantly and said, "Excuse me, you two, please calm down for a moment. We've just received instructions from the organizers—there will be some changes to the competition."
Hearing there was more to come, the remaining spectators stopped in their tracks.
"What change?" Zoe asked, her tone sharp.
"The champion has been decided. However, since the match was so one-sided and lacked excitement, the organizers are now requiring the judges to step onto the stage and accept challengers."
Zoe frowned. This change was clearly targeting Shawn.
Shawn turned to the emcee, his gaze sharp. "Who dares challenge me?"
The emcee looked somewhat embarrassed. He hesitated, then said, "A mystery challenger."
In fact, all of this was orchestrated by Aileen. When she realized she couldn't take down Zoe, she set her sights on humiliating Shawn instead.
'Let's see what happens when Shawn loses,' Aileen thought with a vicious glint in her eyes.
Zoe wasn't the least bit worried about Shawn losing; what really concerned her was that Aileen might play more dirty tricks.
When someone came over to hand Shawn a bottle of water, Zoe immediately stepped in and intercepted it. "Chase, go fetch some water," she ordered.
After what happened with her drink earlier, there was no way she was letting Shawn drink anything that might be tampered with.
Shawn naturally understood what Zoe meant and said, "I don't need any water."
Zoe deliberately wrapped her arm around Shawn's. "I'm a bit possessive. You can only accept things from me, not from anyone else."
Zoe's sudden claim over Shawn left the person offering the water feeling awkward.
"Just toss all that," Zoe added. "If my man needs anything, I'll take care of him myself."
"On it. I'll get the supplies," Chase responded promptly, sharp-eyed as ever.
Zoe shot another look at the supply attendant. "Stop dawdling. Take all this away," she snapped.
The man hesitated.
"What, does your precious competition ban outside supplies?" Zoe pressed.
"No, it's just—" Clearly, he was under orders and couldn't return empty-handed.
Zoe, without hesitation, grabbed the bottle and chugged it all down.
"Don't drink that." Shawn's warning came too late.
Wiping her mouth, Zoe shook her head at Shawn with a reassuring look. This stuff couldn't touch her.
Turning to the attendant with a cold stare, she snapped, "Are you done here? Can you leave now?"
Zoe's ruthless efficiency left the staff utterly astounded. Too intimidated to mess with someone so formidable, they all slunk away with their tails between their legs.
A moment later, Chase returned with a bottle of water. In front of everyone, Zoe deliberately unscrewed the cap for Shawn.
Normally, this was something a man would do for a woman. But when Zoe fed Shawn water, half the crowd felt jealous.
Chase, in particular, was practically smacking his lips on the sidelines. If filming weren't prohibited here, he'd whip out his phone and show the team just how the ice king finally melted.
Shawn accepted Zoe's gesture, and their chemistry was so obvious that the air was almost thick with pink bubbles of romance.
Several young onlookers whistled in approval. This was the kind of love everyone wanted to root for. However, Aileen's face twisted with rage.
'I was supposed to break them up, not push them closer,' she fumed to herself. Now they were so sweet even more shamelessly, right in front of her.
Frustrated and unwilling to give up, Aileen snatched up her phone and called Harry.
She said, "Damn it, I don't care how you do it. Just bribe that mystery challenger. I want him to defeat Shawn and force Zoe to step in."
Harry was in a tough spot hearing this request. "Ms. Carleton, Shawn is the legendary warrior of Clusia, a living legend in International Elite Competition.
"Just because this mystery challenger wants to take on Shawn doesn't mean he can actually defeat Shawn."
Aileen said coldly, "That's your problem. I want that man to take down Shawn and crush Zoe, too."
Harry, seemingly aware of Aileen's ruthless methods, could only grit his teeth and accept the task.
With Zoe guarding Shawn like a hawk, drugging him was nearly impossible. Then they would just have to play dirty some other way.
The masked challenger stepped onto the stage, his face hidden behind a helmet and mask. No one could see what he really looked like, but everyone understood. After all, if he lost, at least he defended his dignity.
As the challenger stepped forward, Zoe's nose twitched. A faint, almost imperceptible aura clung to him—something most would miss, but not Zoe.
The moment she identified its source, her expression darkened. This person had clearly come prepared.