Chapter 75 The Wrong Target

Chapter 75 The Wrong Target
Bianca's POV

I SHOULD have been focusing on Natasha Hamilton. That was the original plan. It had always been the plan.
For months, every move I made had been carefully designed to weaken her position at Vanguard. Some efforts had worked better than others, but at least I understood my opponent. Natasha was stubborn, intelligent, and far more resilient than I had expected, but she was predictable in certain ways.
Valentina Rossi was not. That alone made her irritating.
The fact that she had publicly humiliated me in front of half the campus made her unbearable.
I sat at a table near the student center, scrolling through my phone while pretending to review project notes. Around me, students moved through the courtyard between classes, filling the air with conversation and laughter.
Normally, I enjoyed being in the middle of campus activity. Today, every laugh sounded suspiciously like it was directed at me.
I knew that wasn't true. Probably.
Unfortunately, the memory of Val's smug smile continued replaying in my head.
"Get in line."
The entire courtyard had laughed. Even now, I could still hear it.
A shadow fell across my table. I looked up to find one of my acquaintances standing there.
"Have you seen this?" she asked.
She handed me her phone and my expression immediately darkened. Someone had posted a video.
Not just any video. That video.
The confrontation in the courtyard. Val's victory.
The clip had already accumulated hundreds of comments. Most of them were annoyingly supportive.
"Valentina Rossi is iconic."
"Somebody finally said it."
"Bianca got destroyed."
"Can Val attend all my arguments for me?"
I lowered the phone slowly.
My jaw tightened. "Who posted it?"
"No idea."
Wonderful. 
I handed the phone back.
The girl studied my expression carefully. "Are you okay?"
"Perfectly."
She was smart enough not to challenge that obvious lie.
After she left, I leaned back in my chair and stared across the courtyard. This was becoming a problem. A serious problem.
Val's popularity had grown ridiculously fast since arriving at Vanguard. Most transfer students spent weeks trying to fit in.
Val seemed to have skipped that stage entirely. Students liked her. Professors tolerated her.
Even people who normally avoided campus drama enjoyed watching her dismantle anyone foolish enough to challenge her.
Including me. The realization made my mood significantly worse. I needed to regain control of the narrative. Immediately.
Fortunately, I was very good at controlling narratives. By the end of the afternoon, I had a plan. It wasn't complicated. The best attacks rarely were.
I wasn't going to target Tasha directly. Not this time. Instead, I would remind people that Natasha's growing circle of supporters wasn't nearly as impressive as everyone seemed to think.
That included Val.
The opportunity arrived sooner than expected.
The following morning, a large group of students gathered in one of the engineering lecture halls before class. Conversations buzzed throughout the room as people waited for the professor to arrive.
I entered with perfect timing. Not early enough to look eager. Not late enough to draw attention. Just enough to become part of the conversation.
Tasha was seated near the middle of the room. Val sat beside her. The sight immediately annoyed me.
Still, I maintained my smile and approached a nearby group.
"What are you talking about?" I asked casually.
One of the students looked up. "The international engineering showcase."
I nodded. "That should be interesting."
"It'll be competitive."
"I'm sure it will."
Then I tilted my head slightly. "Although some teams might have an advantage."
Several students glanced toward me. Exactly as expected.
"What do you mean?" someone asked.
I offered a thoughtful smile. "Oh, nothing serious."
That was a lie.
"I was simply thinking that some participants seem to receive a great deal of attention despite accomplishing very little."
The room grew quieter.
I continued speaking. "At a certain point, popularity starts becoming more important than actual results."
A few students exchanged looks. Others immediately understood what I was implying. Good. That was the point.
Across the room, Val slowly lowered her pen. Tasha's expression hardened.
Even better.
I continued. "Although I suppose that's one way to build a reputation,” I added and made several people to openly watch. "Become friends with the right people."
My gaze briefly drifted toward Tasha. Then toward Val. The implication landed exactly where I intended. Or so I thought.
Val leaned back in her chair. For a moment, she looked almost amused. That should have warned me.
Instead, I kept going. 
"Some students spend years building credibility," I said. "Others arrive halfway through the semester and somehow become campus celebrities overnight."
The room had gone completely silent. Everyone knew who I meant.
I smiled politely. "Personally, I prefer earning recognition."
Val stood. Immediately and without hesitation. Without the slightest sign of concern. The sight alone made me uneasy.
"That's fascinating," she said. Her voice carried easily through the room. "Because I was just thinking the same thing."
Several students immediately turned toward her. Val smiled. The expression looked entirely harmless. Experience had taught me otherwise.
"Really?" I asked.
"Absolutely." She crossed her arms. "I was actually wondering how difficult it must be to spend years trying to become important and still get overshadowed by a transfer student."
A few students snorted. The sound made my eye twitch. 
Val continued before I could respond. "Imagine working that hard."
Laughter rippled through the room. I forced myself to remain calm. Barely.
"Careful, Val."
"I'm being careful."
"No, you're being disrespectful."
Val blinked innocently. "Those aren't mutually exclusive."
More laughter. The atmosphere shifted immediately. I recognized the feeling from our previous confrontation. The crowd wasn't listening to me anymore.
They were waiting for her. Waiting for the next joke. The next attack. The next humiliation.
I hated it.
Val glanced around the room. "Can I ask a question?"
Nobody answered. She answered anyway.
"Why is it always the same people talking about merit?" The smile never left her face. "Because in my experience, people with actual merit are usually too busy working to announce it."
Several students laughed again. A few even applauded. Applauded. Inside a lecture hall.
I wanted to scream. Instead, I smiled. A skill I had spent years perfecting.
Unfortunately, Val seemed determined to test its limits.
"You know what's really impressive?" she asked.
"What?" I said coldly.
"Tasha." The room immediately quieted. Val pointed toward her. "She keeps succeeding despite people trying to sabotage her."
Tasha looked horrified. Val ignored it.
"Honestly, that's kind of inspiring."
My smile finally slipped. Just slightly. Val noticed. Then she delivered the final blow.
"Meanwhile, some people have every advantage imaginable and still spend their time obsessing over someone else's life."
The room erupted. Real laughter. The kind that spreads uncontrollably. The kind that can't be stopped.
I stood frozen.
For the second time in less than two weeks, Valentina Rossi had completely dismantled a situation I should have controlled.
Worse, she had done it effortlessly. As if embarrassing me required no special preparation. As if she genuinely enjoyed it.
The professor arrived moments later, finally ending the spectacle. Students returned to their seats. Conversations resumed. Class began.
But the damage had already been done. I barely heard a word of the lecture. My attention remained fixed on the row ahead of me.
On Val.
For the first time, I stopped viewing her as an annoying distraction. She wasn't. Distractions could be ignored.
Val couldn't. She’s quick enough to turn an attack back on its source before most people even realized what was happening.
Most importantly, she wasn't afraid of me.
That was rare. Dangerously rare.
As students filed out of the room after class, I remained seated for a moment longer. Across the room, Val laughed at something Tasha said. Then she glanced in my direction. Our eyes met briefly and her smile widened.
Almost as if she already knew exactly what I was thinking.
A genuinely uncomfortable realization settled in my chest. I had made a mistake by underestimating Valentina Rossi.
And if I wasn't careful, she might become the most dangerous enemy I had ever made.
I guess, I have to use my connections to destroy her.