Three days passed in a blur.
Hillwood Academy’s prestigious south wing — usually reserved for board meetings and formal events — had been transformed into a high-pressure battlefield. The tension in the air was sharp enough to cut through.
Selene Parker stood calmly in the center of the grand conference room, alongside the other three candidates.
Each of them was hand-picked after the brutal first round: one girl with sharp eyes and a calculating smile, and two guys who looked like they hadn’t slept since the announcement.
Selene’s gaze swept across the room.
At the far end of the long mahogany table sat the Hillwood Investment Club leaders, observing them like judges from a throne.
Sebastian Ford, as always, lounged in his chair with a casual arrogance, his fingers idly tapping against the polished table surface. His lazy posture didn’t fool Selene; she could feel the sharpness of his attention underneath it.
To his right was Kairo Hyun, the third-in-command of the club. Unlike Sebastian, Kairo’s posture was military straight, his dark eyes assessing, cataloging everything. His presence was quiet but intense, like a coiled spring.
Mr. Carrington stood just behind the leaders, arms folded, as stern as ever. His eyes scanned the candidates with that same unbending scrutiny.
"Welcome to the Second Trial," Mr. Carrington announced, voice crisp and commanding.
"You have been chosen for your potential — but potential alone does not make you worthy of Hillwood Investment Club."
He paused, letting the weight of the moment settle.
"Today, you will be given a real-world business simulation. You must work as a team to create a company strategy that survives market fluctuations, aggressive competitors, and internal conflicts. You will have two hours."
The four candidates exchanged quick, wary glances.
Teamwork?
Selene smiled slightly. Teamwork was a weapon — you just had to know when to wield it and when to let it cut your enemies.
"Your project," Mr. Carrington continued, "is to develop a business plan for an international luxury brand expansion into emerging markets."
A thick packet of documents was dropped on the table in front of each candidate.
Financial reports. Market analyses. Consumer behavior data. Selene skimmed through the contents quickly, already formulating ideas.
"And," Mr. Carrington said smoothly, "each of you will be evaluated both individually and as a team.
You succeed together — or you fail alone."
At his signal, a clock on the wall started counting down.
Two hours.
The room exploded into motion.
Selene immediately took charge without appearing aggressive.
"Let’s split tasks based on strengths," she said coolly, flipping through the packet. "Financial forecasts, marketing strategy, brand positioning, and risk assessment. Which one do you prefer?" she asked the others, her tone efficient.
The girl — Mia, Selene remembered — eagerly grabbed marketing.
The two boys, after some awkward hesitation, picked financial forecasts and risk assessments.
That left brand positioning to Selene. Perfect.
The team spread out around the table, documents flying, pens scratching against paper.
Discussions turned into quiet arguments. Everyone was desperate to prove their worth, but panic was just below the surface.
Selene, however, moved with an eerie calm.
She drafted a brand positioning strategy that was sharp, bold, and rooted in actual consumer psychology, drawing on her years of silent observation in the upper echelons of society. She adapted quickly to the team's suggestions, polished their rough ideas, and rerouted chaotic energy into something that resembled leadership — without ever appearing to seize power.
Halfway through, one of the boys — Jason — started making mistakes in the financial section, panicking under the pressure.
Selene spotted the error instantly.
Instead of humiliating him, she leaned in and whispered a correction, guiding him back on track while letting him believe he figured it out himself.
Sebastian’s eyes flickered with interest as he watched her.
The clock kept ticking.
By the time the final bell rang, their business plan was cohesive, daring, and strategically sound.
Breathless, the four of them stood together as Mr. Carrington and the club leaders approached the table.
One by one, the candidates presented their sections.
Selene's voice was steady as she laid out the brand positioning, her words crisp and calculated. She wove a narrative that made their expansion plan not just sound plausible, but inevitable.
When they finished, silence fell over the room.
The leaders whispered among themselves for a few moments, reading through the papers, flipping through the strategy maps.
Finally, Mr. Carrington straightened.
"Interesting," he said thoughtfully, glancing toward Sebastian.
Sebastian stood up slowly, sauntering toward them.
"You," he said, pointing directly at Selene, "seem to understand how to lead without making it about yourself. That’s rare here."
Selene tilted her head, masking her satisfaction with a polite, neutral expression.
"But," he continued, "the real test isn’t just how you perform when things are going well."
He smirked, stepping closer, until he was only a few feet from her.
"The real test is what you do when everything falls apart."
Before Selene could respond, Mr. Carrington clapped his hands once.
"This concludes the Second Trial," he said. "Final results will be posted friday morning."
Dismissed, the candidates began gathering their things.
As Selene packed her notes into her bag, Kairo Hyun passed behind her, his voice low enough that only she could hear:
"You made an impression today, Parker. But be careful."
Selene glanced up, but Kairo had already walked away.
Careful?
Selene smiled to herself as she stepped out into the crisp afternoon air.
She wasn’t here to be careful.
She was here to win.