Ch. 61..70

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 61

Edgy?

“Are you done with your food?” Alexander asked.

Elise patted her tummy and replied contentedly, “Yes I am.”

After having heard this, he called for the waiter and made payment with the digital wallet on his phone.

As they walked out of the restaurant, she was in such good spirits after the full meal that she couldn’t help humming a tune.

She was absent-minded as she hummed, but he was able to immediately pick up on the melody and recognized it. Then, he deliberately asked, “I didn’t know you liked H, too.”

Elise froze before the tune she had been singing died down. She rubbed her head sheepishly and answered, “Well, yeah, I guess I kind of like her.” Then, she sneaked a sideways glance at him. “Do you like her, too? You recognized the tune immediately.”

Alexander made a noise of affirmation. “Her music is really well-made, and—” He suddenly broke off and he looked like he just remembered something as he reeled in what he had been about to say. After a pause, he continued, “And she’s edgy.”

Edgy? Is H an edgy person? A small smile tugged on her lips as she answered, “Come on, drop me off at school. I need to work on a couple more questions this afternoon.”

After checking the time, he replied, “Very well. Get in the car, then.”

He then dropped her off at school and she exited after uttering her thanks. However, she didn’t notice there was a camera in the distance snapping photos of her as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle.

Elise had only just walked through the school entrance when Alexander heard a knock on his car window.

“Hi there…” Amanda began to greet him boldly, but she trailed off and found herself staring at him in awe the moment her eyes fell upon his chiseled face. What a gorgeous man!

“Is there something I can help you with?” he asked in an icy drawl.

This pulled her from her daze and she flashed what she believed was a charming smile as she explained, “Hi. You see, I’m a friend of Elise’s—actually, I’m her roommate. We stay in the same dorm.”

Alexander told her bluntly that he wasn’t interested and made to close the window, but Amanda was unexpectedly relentless as she tapped on his window. “Hey, don’t go yet. I’m not done speaking!”

“What is it?”

She had wanted to bait him into a conversation about Elise being a sugar baby so she could record it as evidence, but she completely forgot about this plan at the sight of his handsome face. Then, she hastily asked, “Could I get your number?”

He eyed her impassively. “I don’t have my phone with me.”

“That’s fine,” she pestered stubbornly. “Surely you know your own number by heart.”

Upon the sight of Amanda, he was well aware of the type of woman she was. He would never have entertained her had she not claimed to be Elise’s classmate; he had no interest in women like her who had desperation etched onto their features. That being said…

“181XXXXX,” Alexander swiftly dictated a series of numbers, which Amanda hurriedly keyed into her phone.

“Thanks. I’ll call you later.” She waved him goodbye and without further delay, he started the car engines and drove away.

Presently, Amanda stared at the number on her phone with glee. Who could have thought that a man as good looking as him would take Elise for a sugar baby? She grew wistful at this. If only he’d take me for a sugar baby, too. I wouldn’t even mind paying for my own stuff if it means I get to have him.

“Miss Hudson, do you still want the photos from earlier?”

It was only then that she snapped out of her thoughts. “Yes. Have those e-mailed to me and I’ll wire you the payment.”

“Very well, Miss Hudson.”

The man who had taken the photos sent them to Amanda. She browsed through the shots perfunctorily and was pleased to see that Elise was clearly captured in her action of leaving the flashy car. Although Alexander’s face was also in the shots, Amanda figured that she would do well in blurring his face, seeing as he could become hers one day. After having done all this, she registered a fake account and posted Elise’s photos onto all the high school gossip forums.

“I’ll make sure everyone sees your true colors this time, Elise,” she mumbled.

Meanwhile, Elise had been garnering fame in school ever since the Mathematics Olympiad and Chinese Week. Her photos had found their way onto a certain social media platform, and her peers were close to becoming her devotees whenever school tests were around the corner.

Thus, it came as no surprise that a post with Elise’s name captioned in bold would spread like wildfire among all the prominent high schools, though the celebrity in question was utterly clueless about it.

Riley had been the first to discover this post and she immediately called Samantha on the phone. “Sam, go on Reddit right now! Someone has uploaded Elise’s photo.”

Samantha hurried to log on to Reddit and her eyes immediately fell on the number one-trending post.

The bold caption which read, ‘Erudite Elise Caught Moonlighting as Sugar Baby—Pictures Included’ and the series of photos which followed were enough to stir up a controversy, even though most of the readers had no idea what was going on. There was no narrative attached, but that didn’t stop the gossips from having a field day as they bombarded the comments section with exclamations and mean opinions.

The person in charge of the platform apparently decided that there was nothing wrong with a good drama once in a while, which explained why the post was right at the top of the listing.

After having seen the post, Samantha spat out furiously, “Which son-of-a-b*tch did this?”

Riley, on the other hand, instantly thought of Amanda. “Could it be Amanda? It has to be, don’t you think? That b*tch has always been picking on Elise for no reason!”

Now that her blood boiled at an all-time high, Samantha snapped, “What the hell does Amanda think she’s doing? She’s crossed the line this time! Come on, let’s hunt her down and make her delete the post right now!”

The air seemed to crackle as Samantha and Riley stormed out to look for Amanda and make her take down the post. While this was happening, Mikayla was in class when she came across the post on Reddit. As she was seized with rage, she abruptly pushed her chair back and stood up while seething, “Damn it, how dare this a*shole try to give our Elise a bad name?”

As soon as she said this, a hush descended upon the classroom and the Math teacher was especially affronted as he barked, “Miss Mikayla, just what do you think you’re doing?”

Now that she was close to throwing a tantrum, Mikayla explained angrily, “Someone is trying to tarnish Elise’s reputation, sir. I can’t just be calm about it!”

At the mention of Elise, the Math teacher’s expression softened. He walked up to Mikayla’s desk and asked, “What is it?”

Mikayla paused and slowly kept her phone. “Nothing, sir. You may resume with class.”

An irritated look passed over the man’s face once more, but he didn’t want to disrupt the rest of the class, so he responded, “See me in my office after this.”

Without another word, he returned to the lectern and went on with the lesson.

Although class had resumed, she was already far too distracted as she joined the comments section beneath the post, typing away furiously on her phone.

Her username was Mika, and she commented, ‘What the hell are all of you talking about? Accusing someone of being a sugar baby is defamation, so take care that you don’t get thrown into prison soon! The car belongs to Alexander, as in Alexander Griffith. Elise happens to be a relative of theirs and she lives with them, so all of you better shut your pieholes. As for the person who made this post without fact-checking, you should watch your back; you could get sued for ruining someone’s reputation like this!’

Mikayla was still simmering with anger when Danny, who sat in front of her, turned around and asked, “Hey, what happened to Elise?”

When Mikayla saw that it was Danny who had asked, she hesitated. After a pause, she decided to tell him everything.

Upon learning that Elise was becoming the victim of cyber-bullying, he bristled and instantly texted his friends. They rallied in support of Elise as they flooded the comments section, with Danny taking the lead as he typed, ‘I’m Danny Griffith. The person who made this post must have been bored out of their minds to look for trouble like this. All these photos are a clear infringement of portrait rights; I can smell a lawsuit coming. You should take the post down before you find yourself biting off more than you can chew!’

One of Danny’s friends whose username was Riversnake commented, ‘Guess the person who made this post has nothing better to do than fabricate stories. Everyone in Eden High knows that the four Griffith boys are giving Elise a ride to and from school every day. The sugar baby trope is a complete lie! Take down the post right now; offending the Griffiths will only make your life in Athesea hell from now on.’

Another friend of Danny’s by the username of CryingCresentMoon added, ‘To the unassuming audience who all live for drama, I suggest you all ignore this post. As it turns out, the person who made it is just desperate for entertainment and has resorted to deceiving everyone.’

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 62

He’s Not My Boyfriend

When Amanda went on Reddit once more, she was baffled to see the majority of the comments were directing abuse toward her instead of Elise. “What the hell is going on?” she asked in bewilderment.

After clicking into the post she had made, she scanned the comments anxiously and a grimace began to work itself onto her features when she arrived at the end of the comments section. I can’t believe Elise actually has connections with the Griffiths of Athesea! And the four Griffith boys give her a ride to and from school every day, too!

“That’s impossible!” Amanda hissed through gritted teeth. She had always thought of Elise as some bumpkin from a below-average family, but boy, she was wrong. Clearly, Elise had the Griffiths to back her up. Does this mean that the guy from earlier was the legendary Alexander Griffith?

As realization dawned upon her, Amanda quickly found the number that Alexander had given before she hit the call button. She was hoping that she could conduct some damage control before things went out of hand. However, she didn’t expect a female voice to speak up on the other line when the call went through. “Hi, this is the Athesea Psychiatric Hospital. How may I help you?”

When she heard this, color drained from her face and she bitterly registered the fact that he had given her the number for the psychiatric hospital instead.

A furious Samantha and Riley found Amanda at this moment and they shouted her name, “Amanda!”

“This must be your doing!” Samantha snapped and snatched Amanda’s phone without another word.

“What the hell, Samantha?” Amanda shrieked. “Give me back my phone!”

Samantha ignored her and instead tapped on the phone screen. Several clicks later, she found the content she was searching for and concluded mutinously, “Yeah, she’s the one behind all this.”

Upon hearing this, Riley grew outraged and immediately dragged Amanda with her. When Riley found Elise, she declared seethingly, “Elise, this b*tch has been making up lies about you on Reddit. I have half the urge to punch her lights out!”

Elise was clueless about the incident until Samantha had sent her the link to the infuriating post. After having perused the photos and the caption, Elise asked Amanda stoically, “You did this?”

Amanda pressed her lips into a grim line, obviously reticent.

Rather than forcing an admission from Amanda, Elise grabbed the girl’s phone and changed the password. After that, she tossed the device to Riley and added, “Have fun with her account.”

Riley chuckled deviously. Not missing a beat, she quickly logged into the account and made the post private before she impersonated Amanda to upload a statement admitting all the accusations directed toward her. As if adding more insult to Amanda’s injury, she also signed off the statement with Amanda’s full name.

Needless to say, Riley was seized with great satisfaction at the end of such a feat. Amanda’s name immediately started trending on Reddit and the torrential abuse that followed was highlighted by an exposé on her past scandal on plastic-surgery.

At the sight of the scathing remarks that flooded the comments section, Riley switched off the phone with a grin. Amanda, on the other hand, was stumped as she leaned into the chair, looking as if all life had been drained out of her.

“Amanda, I think it’d be better if you asked to leave this dorm,” Samantha pointed out bluntly. It was more of a command than a suggestion, and she didn’t sound like she was offering Amanda a chance to negotiate.

As she gritted her teeth, Amanda refused to say anything.

Riley then broke the tense silence and drawled, “Well, if you’re so shy, maybe I could help you to ask instead.”

With that, she took out her phone and gave her father a call. “Hey, Dad, you know how there’s an Amanda Hudson staying in our dorm right now? She wants to switch to another dorm. Do you think you can make the arrangements?”

Mr. Bolton didn’t spare any doubt as he readily agreed to his daughter’s request. “There’s still a vacant bed in Dorm 504. She can move over immediately.”

“Okay, I’ll relay this to her,” Riley quipped with a smile and hung up the call. Then, she turned to address Amanda haughtily, “There’s still an empty bed in Dorm 504. See yourself out.”

Bitter resentment filled Amanda, but now that she was backed into a corner, she knew she had no choice other than to pack her things and move into Dorm 504 next door.

Presently, as the door fell shut after Amanda’s departure, Riley and Samantha high-fived each other with glee. “The evil witch has been defeated!”

Elise gazed at them and smiled, having been moved by the way they stood up for her earlier. She went over and clapped one hand on each girl’s shoulder before she said lightheartedly, “Dinner’s on me tonight. Take it as my show of thanks to the both of you being my knights in shining armor.”

Samantha and Riley exchanged a bemused glance, then cackled. “Since you offered, don’t blame us for tearing a hole through your wallet.”

Elise replied good-naturedly, “Bring it on. You guys can order anything you want.”

The three of them beamed at each other and it was the first time she had ever felt lucky to have friends.

They dined out that evening and it was the free period when they went back to school. Similar to what happened last week, Mr. Bolton handed them another set of test questions to work on.

Amanda was noticeably absent from free period after what had happened earlier that afternoon, but no one asked about her, given how busy they were with the test.

“Hey, Elise, what was your answer for the last multiple choice question?” Samantha asked as soon as the free period was over while holding Elise’s arm with renewed desperation.

Elise thought about it for a moment before she responded, “I chose B.”

Samantha grew upset at this. “I got it wrong again.”

“That’s alright,” Elise comforted as she ruffled the other girl’s hair affectionately. “I’ll help you work on it when we’re back in the dorm.”

The trio were conversing with one another while heading back to the dormitory when someone called out, “Hey, Elise, there’s someone at the school entrance asking for you.”

As such, Samantha and Riley accompanied Elise over to the school entrance. They immediately saw Alexander standing in the distance and Riley tugged Elise’s sleeve as she asked, “Elise, isn’t this the hot guy who picked you up earlier? Be honest, is he your boyfriend?”

Samantha was keen to know the answer as well. “Yeah, Elise, let us in on the secret to bagging handsome men!”

Elise, however, resisted the urge to cringe as she explained hastily, “No, you’ve got it all wrong. He isn’t my boyfriend.”

Samantha and Riley’s eyes brightened and they said in unison, “Then, he’s mine.”

As Elise gaped at her friends, she was a little astonished by the looks of interest on their faces and asked solemnly, “Are you guys serious about this?”

They nodded once in response and a smile played on her lips as she turned to look at Alexander, then shouted, “Hey, Alexander! There are a couple of girls here who are into you!”

The awkwardness that ensued right after was suffocating and while his eyes darkened dangerously, Samantha and Riley exchanged a panicked glance. Each could tell what the other was thinking: The joke is getting out of hand!

Samantha was the first to be defensive. “No, no, Young Master Alex! There’s been a mistake; I am completely not into you.”

Riley jumped on the bandwagon as well. “Yeah, I’m not into you either. That would be ridiculous.”

Elise was rendered speechless by them, but before she could react, Alexander had walked up to her and held the take-out carrier bag toward her. She glanced at it and took it before she mumbled hurriedly, “Thanks.”

However, the word had barely rolled off her tongue before he turned on his heels to leave.

Samantha and Riley saw this and skittered over to her. Then, they asked in hushed tones, “Is he always been so cold and distant?”

“My goodness, he’s like a walking iceberg.”

Elise stared at the take-out carrier bag in her hands mutely. For some reason, she felt as if Alexander was upset, even though he had uttered not a single word.

She looked up and watched the car drive further away. As she pursed her lips, she thought, Nah, you’re being melodramatic.

“Wow, what did he get for you?” Riley asked curiously, pulling Elise from her thoughts. Elise gave the contents of the bag a fleeting look and saw all the dishes she had had with him for lunch.

After she retracted her gaze, she announced, “Come on, let’s go back to the dorm and feast!”

The three girls paid no mind to Alexander’s tense and non-verbal interaction with Elise and headed back to the dormitory while laughing as they went.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 63

Framing Elise

Elise opened the take-out carrier bag to reveal the delicately-prepared dishes. Her stomach rumbled at the sight of the food and before long, the three girls sat on their stools and began to dig in.

“This is so good!” Samantha exclaimed in delight as she took a bite of one of the dishes.

Upon hearing this, Riley quickly sampled a mouthful of the food as well. “That’s incredible. I need to know the name of the restaurant so that I can drop by in the future.”

“I could bring the both of you along next time,” Elise offered heartily.

The two girls agreed earnestly, and as Riley ate her supper, she caught a glimpse of Samantha’s wrist watch. “Samantha, is that a new watch you’re wearing? It’s gorgeous!”

“Thanks. My daddy gave it to me for my birthday,” Samantha explained. “It’s a limited edition from Chanel; I couldn’t bear to take it out of the box until two days ago.”

“It’s beautiful. I should get my dad to buy me one, too,” Riley said. She glanced over at Elise and asked cheerily, “Do you have a watch that you like, Elise? I’ll get it for you as a gift one of these days.”

Elise, however, made her opinion known. “I’m not really into watches. I’ve always thought of them as impractical accessories.”

“Come on, you can tell a lot about a person from the watch they’re wearing and it’s scarily accurate,” Riley argued. “It’s like a symbol of your status or something.”

Samantha nodded in agreement. “My daddy and his business partners all have a staple piece in their watch collection. The watches represent who they are.”

Elise hummed in response, conceding to the argument. “Well, in that case, I should probably read up on this theory.”

They talked while they devoured the food amd after they had polished the take-out containers clean, they worked through a couple more questions before washing up for bed.

Elise woke earlier the next morning. She arrived at the classroom only to find that it was empty save for Zachary, who had his head down as he scribbled furiously onto a piece of paper.

It was only after she went closer to him that she noticed the crumpled papers being littered on the floor around his desk. She gingerly picked one of them up and opened it, trying to smoothen the edges.

“Your workings are wrong in the first place.” Elise’s voice rang out close to Zachary’s ear and he was so stunned that he stopped scribbling at once. He looked up and met her gaze before she saw that she was staring at the test paper he had discarded.

He had been trying to solve that question with all the workings he could come up with, all to no avail. He didn’t think she would show up just as he was reaching the peak of frustration.

“Do you know how to solve it?” he asked, gazing at her intently.

She did not answer him as she took the pencil on his desk and drew an auxiliary line on his diagram. “You should have drawn the auxiliary line here instead and used Pythogaras’ theorem to determine the remaining two angles. After that, you use the same formula for this side of the triangle, and finally use trigonometry to come up with the final answer.”

Elise spoke gently but firmly and steadily, her voice calming Zachary in an instant. She had lowered her head as she explained the workings to him, drawing his attention to the diagram on the draft as she did so. He could just detect the faint scent of her shampoo lingering on her hair and for a moment, he felt like someone was pulling at his heartstrings.

A somewhat embarrassed Zachary quickly looked away and responded, “I’ll give it a shot.”

With that, he picked up his pen and gave her method a shot. She watched as he scribbled his workings and when she was sure he could figure it out, she sauntered over to her own seat.

Meanwhile, after having followed her workings, he found himself solving the question. His eyes brightened and he turned to look at Elise with a newfound admiration.

The lessons that morning were more hectic than usual, but Zachary, who had always been focused in class, was distracted. As soon as each lesson was over, his gaze would unknowingly flicker to where Elise sat.

It wasn’t long before lunchtime rolled around. She was packing her things when Samantha and Riley came over. “Hey, Elise, let’s grab lunch at the cafeteria.”

Elise hummed in response. “Okay, give me a second to keep my stuff away.” After having said that, she kept her things in her desk drawer and rose from her seat to leave the room with the girls.

When lunch was over, Samantha walked out of the cafeteria and absentmindedly brushed her wrist. With a start, she spoke urgently, “Hey, where’s my watch? It’s missing!”

Riley couldn’t resist tapping the girl on her head. “Dude, don’t you remember removing it and putting it in your bag during the last lesson?”

Samantha blinked at her in bewilderment. “I did? Okay, let’s hurry back to check on it.”

However, when the girls returned to class, they discovered that the watch wasn’t in Samantha’s bag at all.

Panic instantly washed over her. “I know I’ve left it in my bag. It couldn’t have just disappeared!”

Upon seeing how frantic she was, Riley placated, “Hey, don’t worry. Try searching your bag again.”

Elise was just as taken aback by the sudden turn of events and joined in their efforts of looking for the watch. “Are you sure you placed it in your bag? Maybe you dropped it in the cafeteria.”

Samantha shook her head. “No, I left it in my bag. I never took it with me to the cafeteria.”

“It’s alright. If you’re sure that you’ve never brought it out of the classroom, then it has to be here somewhere. Go around the room and look for it,” Elise soothed.

However, try as they might, they could not locate the watch. The rest of the students were spilling into the classroom and when they heard that Samantha had lost her watch, some of them started looking for it as well. Alas, their efforts did not pay off.

“Well, if you really can’t find it anywhere, you might as well have everyone check each other’s bags. Maybe someone stole it.” The voice that rose above the chatter made Elise frown and she turned to see that it was Amanda who spoke. She was rooted in her seat and wickedly smiling at Elise, which gave Elise the feeling that the girl was up to no good.

“I second that idea. Go through each other’s bags, guys. After all, Samantha’s watch is a designer one and someone might have stolen it.”

In support of this suggestion, the majority of the class began to search through each other’s bags without fear, seeing as they had nothing to hide anyway. Elise walked back to her desk and picked up her bag, then rummaged through it. The next second, she blanched as her fingers clasped around something cold and familiar. She took the watch out, a gesture that was immediately met with an outburst from the rest of the class.

“My goodness, it was her! She was the one who took it!”

“No way! Who could have thought that an outstanding student like her would do something as shady as this?”

“Consider my worldview warped. I can’t believe someone would stoop to stealing from a friend even in this time and age.”

“For someone like her to show up around here is an insult to the rest of us. It’s practically derogatory.”

Everyone was piling in with disapproving remarks and it only sounded meaner than the last. Elise felt her heart sink as she looked at Samantha and handed the watch over. “I don’t know how your watch wound up in my bag, but I didn’t take it,” she spoke in clear, unwavering tones.

Samantha stared at the watch in mild surprise and she couldn’t react in time to take it back. However, Riley was the first to say, “There’s no way Elise could have taken the watch; she was with us the whole time. Someone must have planted this in her bag to frame her!”

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 64

You’re Finally Here

Upon hearing Riley’s words, Samantha pursed her lips. “I don’t think Elise did it. Still, Elise, as the watch is in your bag, you’ll have to give me an explanation for this.”

“She didn’t take it.” Zachary emerged from among the crowd to defend Elise. His expression was grave as he looked at the classmates around him. “If she really took it, then she must have been a fool. She would be telling everyone that she was the thief by storing the watch in her bag.”

The crowd fell silent as no one spoke up.

After a long while, a classmate finally asked in a meek voice, “If she didn’t take it, then who did?”

“Yeah! If she wants to prove her innocence, she should find the real culprit! We can’t tolerate such behavior in our class!”

The corners of Zachary’s lips curled into a confident smile. “Actually, it’s effortless if we want to catch the culprit; we just have to report it to the police! The investigation techniques are extremely advanced nowadays, right? Anyone who touched this watch before would leave their fingerprints. Since everyone has unique fingerprints and our class isn’t huge, we can just let the police compare our fingerprints and find out who stole the watch.”

Upon seeing that Zachary had a point, Samantha took out her phone right away. “Then, I’ll call the police now. No matter who it is, I’ll find the culprit before the day ends!”

He gestured for her to go ahead, so she dialed the number.

The other classmates waited patiently in the classroom while Elise stood in silence. She had never met with such a situation before, so she was a little flustered. Not to mention, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling to be accused of something she didn’t do.

Zachary looked at her and seemed to have summoned enough courage to pat her on the shoulder. He then gave her a look of assurance.

She understood that he meant well, so she quickly whispered, “Thanks!”

When the police arrived, Samantha told them a brief summary of what happened before she asked them to compare the fingerprints on the watch to those present. However, this request had greatly troubled the police.

“Miss Greene, if various people had handled this watch before, we cannot really do anything with the fingerprints, which would have been smudged. We can extract the fingerprints on the surface, but it wouldn’t be sufficient to pinpoint the culprit. To put it simply, this technique isn’t reliable if you want to find the real culprit.”

Samantha frowned before she looked at Zachary, who simply smiled. “They are right, though. We cannot find the culprit by this technique alone.”

She was puzzled. “Then, why did you…”

He withheld his answer as he looked toward the crowd. “If my guess is correct, then there’s one person missing from our class right now. In other words, she has probably escaped.”

As soon as they heard that, everyone exchanged glances with each other. Then, by the process of elimination, they found the identity of the missing person.

“I know! It’s Amanda! She was here just moments ago, but she has already run away.”

After hearing that name, Elise remembered how Amanda looked at her while realizing the truth.

“Amanda is a wretch! That was such a dirty move!” Samantha raged.

“She must be feeling guilty and was scared that the police would check the fingerprints, so she escaped!” Riley agreed. She never thought that Amanda would resort to such a thing.

It was then when everyone quickly understood that this incident had nothing to do with Elise, for Amanda was the one trying to frame Elise instead. Samantha walked forward and apologized shyly, “I’m so sorry, Elise. I went overboard with my words.”

Elise’s expression was still dark. “Let’s not talk about that now. We have to find Amanda first. Sir, is it possible to prosecute Amanda?”

The policeman then explained, “If you have concrete evidence illustrating that she was the one who stole the watch, she can be charged for the crime. Her sentence will then be determined by the value of the item, so judging by the price of this watch, she could be behind bars for at least a year and a half.”

“That’s a problem; we don’t have evidence!” Riley sighed.

Elise, on the other hand, smiled. “Don’t worry, we’ll get the evidence we need.”

With that, she turned and looked at her classmates. “Now, I hope everyone will cooperate with me. We’ll let the facts speak for themselves.”

Everyone present nodded their agreement, afterwhich Zachary looked at her and asked, “Is there anything I need to do?”

Although Elise had wanted to say no, she eventually thought of something and whispered in his ear.

Upon hearing it, his eyes brightened. “All right, we’ll do as you say.”

……

Meanwhile, Amanda had just arrived at the school gates when she saw a patrol car entering. Since she felt guilty, she hid before she watched as the car made its way toward the classroom. After that, she emerged from her hideout and ran outside.

Her chauffeur was already waiting for her at the gates, so she immediately jumped into the car and the car drove off.

Amanda could feel her heart racing. She merely wanted to create a rift between Elise and Samantha with this incident, but failed and brought harm upon herself instead.

Then, Amanda took out her phone and called her father in panic. She told him everything that happened before she sobbed, “Dad, what do I do now? I don’t even dare to go back to the classroom. What should I do if they found out that I was the one who did it?”

On the other end of the line, Eric Hudson asked hastily, “Where are you now?”

She looked at her surroundings, then relayed her location. “I just left school and I’m on the way home.”

He immediately shouted, “You idiot! Why did you leave just like that? Leaving right now just means that you’re feeling guilty about what you did! Go back there now and pretend nothing has happened. Trust me, even the police won’t be able to find you out. Even if they suspected that it was you, they can’t give any solid proof that you did it.”

Amanda was stunned to be reprimanded like that. “Okay, I understood, Dad. I’m going back now.” She hung up and asked the chauffeur to turn around.

When she returned to the classroom, everyone was seated in their own seats, as if nothing had ever happened.

She sighed in relief and returned to her own seat. However, it was moments after she sat down when she overheard a classmate behind her.

“I heard that the police are already checking the CCTV footage. They’ll find the culprit soon enough.”

“We mustn’t let the culprit off the hook so easily! How dare they do such things!”

As Amanda listened to them, she felt her heart skip a beat. She excused herself to the bathroom before she ran to the security room. She opened the door to discover that the place was deserted.

“You’re finally here.”

Elise’s voice rang out behind her and Amanda turned to look at Elise. “It’s you?”

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 65

See You at the Nationals

Elise asked calmly, “Why are you surprised?”

Amanda felt a little guilty, but she braced herself and mumbled, “No, not really.”

She then made a move to leave, but she heard Elise enunciating her words. “You’re the thief, aren’t you?”

Upon hearing Elise’s question, a somewhat nervous Amanda paused in her tracks. “What nonsense are you saying? What thief?”

“If you didn’t steal anything, then why did you leave when everyone was ready to have their fingerprints compared?” Elise smiled. “And why would you come here when you heard our classmates talk about the CCTV footage?”

There was denial in Amanda’s tone. “I just happened to pass by.”

When she heard Amanda’s reply, Elise shrugged. “I knew you won’t admit it so easily, but evidence speaks louder than words. Tell me, what would happen if I pass this evidence to the police?”

This left Amanda in a state of panic. “What evidence? How did you get it?”

Elise looked at Amanda as if she was looking at a clown. “Everyone slips up sometimes. What do you think? Do I really have the evidence? Or, do I not?”

Amanda’s forehead broke out in cold sweat because she completely broke down then.

“I planned to give you a chance, but since you’re so stubborn, I guess I’ll skip that stage. I’ll hand this evidence over to the police right away.”

“No—” Amanda unconsciously answered.

Elise looked at Amanda with a wry smile, creating the impression that she was waiting for Amanda to continue with her words. Amanda wasn’t sure whether Elise really had the evidence or not, but she wasn’t ready to take any risks.

If Elise really passed the evidence to the police, Amanda would be done for.

Since there were only two of them and judging by the way Elise spoke, she was trying to negotiate.

“What conditions do you have then?” Amanda immediately asked.

Elise gave a dry smile as she replied, “So, you’re admitting that you’re the one who did it?”

Amanda nodded slightly. “Just tell me what you want and I’ll do everything I can to fulfill those conditions. However, I want you to give all the evidence you have to me.”

“How would I know if you’re lying or not?” Elise shook her head. “You said that you stole the watch, but what is your motive? Also, when did you do it?”

Since Elise was the only other person there, Amanda didn’t have any intentions to beat around the bush. “I was the one who took the watch and yes, I also placed it in your bag. I merely did it to ruin the friendship between you three. As for when, I just found an opportunity and executed the deed.”

Elise smiled coldly. “At least you’re being honest!”

Amanda clenched her fists. “You know everything now. I have no reason to hide from you, right? Tell me, what should I do in exchange for the evidence?”

Elise took her time to answer. She took a while to think before she replied, “Actually… I didn’t have the evidence, but I do now.”

As soon as she said that, the door to the security room opened. All their classmates walked in with Samantha and Riley at the lead. Without saying anything, Samantha delivered a slap across Amanda’s face, causing Amanda to be stunned by the impact.

Riley said viciously, “I knew it would be you. You were already a troublemaker before this, but you’re a thief now! Your actions are horrible!”

“Right?! How could I have trained with a person like you? Unbelievable!” The other classmates also started to voice their thoughts aloud.

It was only at this moment when Amanda finally realized that Elise had set the trap.

“What are you guys saying? I don’t get it—” Amanda whined.

However, Samantha interrupted in a cold voice, “Quit your act. We heard everything you said.”

Elise also fished a recording pen from her pocket. “Our entire conversation has been recorded here. This is the evidence I was talking about.”

Amanda immediately paled. “How dare you!”

“What, was I the one who told you to steal?” Elise retorted, to which Amanda gave no reply.

At this moment, Mr. Bolton also arrived and shot Amanda a look before he sighed. “You can drop out now. We don’t welcome students with sticky fingers here.”

She shouted, “No, I can’t! I don’t want to quit school!”

He didn’t give her any chance of redemption. “If you won’t quit, then I’ll have to take the recording to the police. We’ll let them make the decision.”

At this moment, she had no choice but to quit school.

That night, Amanda gathered her things and was about to leave the school campus. However, before she left, she went to see Elise. “I’ll remember this. You’ll pay for what you did.”

Elise replied, “You should’ve kept to yourself, Amanda. No matter what you do to me, I’ll pay it back tenfold.”

Amanda’s departure had also marked that the boot camp was finishing soon. Their last exam finally marked the end of boot camp, which had already lasted for half a month.

Riley was a little unwilling to leave the camp. “I’ve learned so much from Elise during this period of time. I never thought about joining the nationals, but I think I may want to join now, after all.”

Samantha chimed in, “I can’t believe I could improve so much in just half a month! I used to get a headache just by looking at those questions, but now I can answer two thirds of them! This is way beyond what I imagined! Still, I won’t join the nationals after all. You guys can go and I’ll be there to support you.”

Elise looked at her friends before they smiled at each other. “Even though we’ve had some accidents, I still had a good time with you guys in the end. I hope we can hang out every once in a while in the future.”

Riley and Samantha linked their arms with Elise’s paws.

“I even want to transfer schools now! Maybe I’ll transfer to your class next semester,” Riley suggested in excitement. Then, she looked at Samantha. “Hey, why don’t you come along? Then, we can have more time together! Isn’t that great?”

Samantha thought for a while and deemed it plausible. However, she wasn’t sure whether her family would agree to it. “I have to ask my mom first, but I think she’ll agree as long as it helps with my studies.”

Elise was surprised. “Wait, do you guys really mean it?”

Riley and Samantha nodded simultaneously. “Of course! With Erudite Elise by our side, what do we have to fear?”

Elise was so elated that she was at a loss for words.

The three friends then gathered their things and walked to the school gates together. Samantha was the first one to get into the car and she waved at them as she left. Riley was the next one; she left the campus with Mr. Bolton. Soon, Elise was the only one left at the school gates.

She didn’t tell the young masters of the Griffith Family that the boot camp ended today, so none of them were there to pick her up. As she was about to hail a cab to head home, Zachary walked over to her.

“Elise.”

“Hi, Zachary.” She smiled at him. “What’s up?”

Zachary looked at her. Then, as if he had summoned immense courage, he broke the silence. “See you at the nationals.” With that, he waved at her before walking off into the distance.

Elise was confused, for she wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to say. Did he just challenge me to the nationals?

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 66

Is That You?

Elise shook her head and didn’t think much about his words. Then, she took out her phone to hail a ride home.

When she arrived at the Griffith Residence, Jonah was engaged in a game of chess with Alexander. They were both surprised when they saw her. “Ellie, you’re back so suddenly! You should’ve told us beforehand and I’ll get Alex to fetch you.”

Elise explained, “It’s fine; there’s not much difference if I return on my own.”

Jonah beckoned to her. “Come, let me have a good look at you. I haven’t seen you in half a month! Ellie, you seem to be thinner! You must be tired from all of your studying. Stella, prepare some chicken soup for Ellie, won’t you?”

Stella hastily replied, “Understood, sir.”

“Ellie, come have a game with me,” he invited. At that, Alexander, who was seated opposite Jonah, rose to his full height and allowed Elise to take over his place.

As Elise had previously learned the ropes with Robin, she was aware of the general rules since she was half a beginner herself.

“Alex, please watch the game for us. Don’t let her lose terribly.”

Alexander nodded. “All right, Grandpa.”

Thus, with Alexander as her support, Elise felt a little more confident. However, it was only reasonable to lose when the opponent was a master like Jonah. They played three rounds, all of which she had lost.

She was upset as she asked Alexander, “Didn’t Grandpa ask you to watch the game? Can’t you help me win for once?”

He simply replied, “It’s bad manners to comment on the game from the sidelines.”

Inasmuch as Elise wanted to say something, she found that Alexander had a point.

“All right, Ellie. You fought well. You were always exceptionally close to winning and I even thought you might be doing it on purpose.”

She stuck her tongue out mischievously. “I’m not as good as you say, Grandpa.”

Jonah smiled, but he didn’t say more. Instead, he asked Elise about her studies. “Now that the boot camp is over, you’re setting out to Northcliff to join the national Math Olympiad, aren’t you?”

Elise nodded. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow. The test starts the day after and it’ll only take half a day to complete.”

He nodded in understanding before he looked at Alexander. “Doesn’t the company have some business relations in Northcliff?”

Alexander reported honestly, “Some, I think.”

Jonah quickly added, “Then, that’s the perfect opportunity! You can head to Northcliff with Elise tomorrow. Make sure she’s safe and you can handle company matters while you’re at it.”

Upon hearing that, Elise quickly rejected the idea. “It’s fine, Grandpa, I can head there on my own.”

However, he wasn’t about to back down. “Girl, don’t be stubborn. Northcliff is a big city and it’s not safe for a girl like you to be on her own. I was thinking of your safety when I asked Alex to accompany you. Also, he can settle some company business while he’s there, so you can relax and join the nationals without any worries.”

“But…” She trailed off as she stole a glance at Alexander, who didn’t seem like he was against the idea. “But it’s just us two. It won’t look too good either, will it?” she asked as she picked up from where she left off.

Jonah looked like he didn’t catch her gist. “Don’t worry! Ellie, Alex is quite a steady guy compared to the rest of them. I won’t have to worry if he’s the one accompanying you.”

“He might not agree, though.” Elise passed the responsibility to Alexander. She thought that he definitely would reject the idea, but she underestimated the weight of Jonah’s words.

“Grandpa, I’ll ask my secretary to get the plane tickets ready in a moment.”

A satisfied Jonah nodded. Upon seeing that, Elise could only acquiesce.

Elise and Alexander arrived at the airport together the next morning with their first class tickets. It was after boarding the plane that she finally asked, “Why did you agree to head to Northcliff with me?”

He returned her question with another one. “Well, isn’t that what Grandpa wanted?”

What she heard merely made her speechless.

She decided to keep her mouth shut. Since it was Jonah’s intention, there was nothing more to question. The plane landed at the Northcliff Airport after two hours of flight.

After Elise disembarked the plane with Alexander, they found that someone was already waiting for them at the arrivals hall.

“Mr. Griffith!” the chauffeur greeted with all due respect before he took over the luggage in Alexander’s hand.

“Get in.”

Elise nodded, then did as she was told.

As the car drove away from the airport, she asked, “Where are we going to?”

Alexander was responding to his business matters on his iPad as he replied, “I’ll take you to the exam venue first, so you can familiarize yourself there. Then, we’ll head to the house in Northcliff.”

“You have a house in Northcliff too?”

He replied, “We’re staying there for the night. I looked it up and found that the house is closest to the exam venue. It only takes 5 minutes to get there, so it’s not that far either.”

Elise nodded. “All right, understood.”

She went to the exam venue and printed out her admission ticket. After finding her seat, she familiarized herself with the surroundings before returning to the accommodation with Alexander.

As it was a detached villa, it wasn’t as grand as the Griffith Residence. However, land prices in Northcliff were extremely overpriced, so a villa in itself would’ve set the Griffith Family back by a hefty sum.

“I’ve already asked someone to clean the house. You’re getting the bedroom on the left and I’ll stay in the bedroom on the right. The study is in the middle and I’ll be working there. If you need anything, you can let me know.”

Elise nodded. “Got it.” With that, she went straight to the room assigned to her.

Alexander watched her leave and he only looked away after she disappeared from sight, thereafter he made a call. “Find someone to cook meals here.”

After hanging up the phone, he made his way to the study and started to busy himself with work.

Once she arrived in her room, she didn’t dally and immediately took out her phone to call someone. It was around half an hour later when she knocked on the door to the study.

“Come in!”

Elise opened the door and walked inside. “I’m taking a walk outside, so I thought I’d notify you. You can have dinner without me.”

Alexander looked up at her. “You just arrived, so don’t go around on your own. I can take you wherever you want to go.”

Elise hastily rejected the idea. “It’s okay, I’m really just walking around. I’ll be back at night.”

The look in his eyes darkened as he felt that Elise didn’t trust him much, which made him upset. “All right, you can go. Be careful, though.”

After she signed an ‘OK’, she closed the door behind her..

As Alexander listened to the footsteps dying down, he quickly lost interest in his work even though he was originally busy. He remained in his seat for a while before he rose to leave as well.

Elise hailed a cab the moment she left the villa. As she sat in the car, she watched the scenery gradually becoming familiar while a faint smile graced her lips. The cab stopped at a public toilet by the road and she exited the car to head into the toilet cubicles.

By the time she emerged from the place, the ugly makeup on her face was replaced by a wholly new one. She then hailed another cab, which headed toward an old alley that seemed to be forgotten by time.

She walked in the alley until she arrived at the end where a row of courtyard houses silently stood. Moments later, she punched the right password on the access control panel, thereby unlocking the door and providing her with passage.

“Long time no see, Julius.”

A young man was seated on the rocking chair in the yard while enjoying the sun. The sudden female voice frightened him and when he recovered his senses, his eyes brightened. “H, is that you?”

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 67

Sorry, I’m Not

Elise smiled as she answered with another question, “What do you think?”

Julius immediately jumped from his chair and ran toward her. However, when he was half a step away from her, she stopped him. “Hey, calm down. There’s no need to get too worked up.”

His eyes reddened. “It’s been so many years and you’re finally back! We’ve looked everywhere for you…”

As he spoke, his voice started choking up.

Then, Elise patted him on the shoulder. “Look, I’m back in one piece. I see that you’re learning to enjoy life more now, eh? You seem to be getting by quite nicely on your own.”

It took a while for Julius to finally calm down, albeit slightly. Then, he asked, “Do Noel and the others know that you’re back?”

“For now, I don’t think so.”

He hurriedly wiped the tears from his eyes as he added, “Noel has been waiting all these years for your return and he’s the only one who insisted on waiting for you in the same place. I heard that he’s the exclusive lyricist for an artist since he still has his way with words. However, without your voice and songs, the best effect cannot be achieved no matter how good the lyrics are.”

Elise didn’t say a word as she looked around at the courtyard houses. After a while, she suggested, “Let’s go out for dinner tonight.”

An elated Julius replied, “Then, I’ll ask them to come along.”

She quickly responded, “No, don’t tell them that I’m back. Let’s just have dinner together.”

There was hesitation on his end. “I promised Noel to inform him of any news relating to you the moment I receive them.” After saying that, he seemed to arrive at a conclusion. “Never mind, I’ll just keep quiet. Maybe I can show you around instead?”

After voicing her agreement, Elise walked to the backyard where some limited edition motorbikes were parked neatly in a row. She reached out and touched one of them. “It’s been so long since I last patted them.”

While Julius grinned, he fished out a set of keys and tossed it to her. “Let’s go for a drive.”

She caught the keys before she quickly sat on the bike. Wearing the helmet had made her absolutely stunning. With a smile, she stepped on the ignition and brought the bike out of its parking spot.

They both rode a bike each and cruised the road side by side. It was obvious that Julius was overjoyed because it felt like he had returned to the good old times with Elise and their friends.

He brought her to a bar, where the two of them ordered a few classics to sample.

Then, she held the wineglass and clinked it with his. “How have you been, Julius?”

Julius replied, “It’s been a long while, H.”

The two downed the wine before Elise finally asked, “Really, how have you been these few years?”

“Ever since you left, everyone went their separate ways too.” He smiled. “Noel is the only one who’s still active in the field whereas everyone else retired. As for me, I run this bar, so I come here at night to keep an eye on things. During the day, I sunbath in the courtyard houses. Noel is quite lucky, seeing how he gradually brought that particular artist to fame. That artist is quite the star these days, I believe. What’s the name again? Right, Jack Griffith! You can look up his songs; Noel is the lyricist for some of the most notable ones.”

The moment she heard Jack Griffith’s name, Elise was dumbfounded. It’s a small world. Way too small.

“I’ll give it a listen when I feel like it. Your bar is rather presentable.”

Julius smiled. “Why don’t you make an appearance tonight? Sing a song or two.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I haven’t sung in years and I’ve already forgotten the feeling.”

He wasn’t about to throw in the towel either. “Just go and sing a song! Won’t you grant my little wish, please?”

Elise didn’t know whether it was her inability to win against Julius in an argument or her desire to have some satisfaction, but she found herself hesitating for a while. Then, she donned a mask as she took to the stage.

“A mystery guest has decided to join us in Kimi Bar tonight. She will be performing a beautiful song called Concealed Fragrance. Let’s welcome her with applause!”

As the host ended his introduction, Alexander frowned from his perch on the second floor. He sat alone at the side and he couldn’t help but focus on the middle of the stage.

Concealed Fragrance was H’s trademark song. After she left the entertainment field, he had never heard of the song ever since. He never thought that he would chance into this song just by heading out for a drink in boredom.

Elise was wearing a white dress as she gracefully walked onstage. As she wore a mask, no one could figure out what she looked like. However, the moment she opened her mouth, the audience fell silent.

“When petals fall away from the flower, the concealed fragrance remains. It went away in the rain, and no one knows…”

As soon as Alexander heard her voice, he was shaken to the core. He was overcome with disbelief, for this voice was exactly the same as H’s voice in his memories…

The angelic voice seemed to be reciting a tale in the song and every member of the focused audience was fully immersed in the experience. Since he was the first to come to his senses, he quickly rose to his full height and strode toward the backstage.

“Sir, this is the backstage. You cannot enter.” A waiter blocked Alexander’s way, but Alexander retrieved a stack of cash from his pocket and pressed it into the waiter’s hands. The waiter paused for a while before he pretended to turn away, thus allowing Alexander passage.

After the song was over, the audience erupted in thunderous applause. Elise smiled as she bowed, then she proceeded to walk off the stage. However, a moment later, she saw Alexander walking toward her while saying, “Wait…”

He was calling out for her, which stunned her as she stopped in her tracks. Her hand had also subconsciously tugged at the mask she wore. She forced her voice into a lower pitch as she asked, “Is there anything, sir?”

“I just wanted to ask, are you H?”

Elise never thought that Alexander would recognize her. She was taken aback by his question, but she could never allow him to know of her identity. “Sorry, I’m not.”

With that, she moved to leave, but he grabbed her wrist instead.

“What are you doing? Please let go, sir.”

Alexander examined the woman before him and he felt that her figure was identical to someone whom he knew, but he also thought that it was impossible.

After a pause, he asked again, “Are you really not H? You two have identical voices, though.”

Elise explained, “I only know how to mimic her. You’re giving me compliments I don’t deserve, but that just means I’ve improved at mimicking, so thank you for that.”

So, I see. He seemed to be convinced by her answer as he released his grip on her.

Now that she had regained her freedom, Elise refused to delay a moment longer as she quickly walked off.

Julius approached her and asked, “Who is that man? What did he say to you?”

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 68

No Buts!

Without providing any explanation, Elise then dragged Julius out of the bar and soon vanished from Alexander’s sight.

Alexander believed that him seeing H was a product of his hallucination since he was under the influence of alcohol. After disappearing without a trace for ages, it wouldn’t make sense for her to show up and sing at this bar. Plus, the girl he saw earlier had a different aura from his memory of H. He withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

Once Elise was out of the bar, she released her grip on Julius. “I need to head back now because there’s something I have to do tomorrow.”

It was Julius who appeared reluctant to part ways with her. He finally expressed the thoughts he had wanted to tell her all along, “H, did you see that? They were all engrossed in your music earlier. After so many years, some of your fans are still checking in on Twitter daily to wait for news on your comeback. Are you really okay to say goodbye to the fans who love you?”

“I guess I can only apologize to them.” She pursed her lips.

Julius was aware that Elise would react in the same way that she did years ago—she would not renegade on her words. Still, he was clinging on to a sliver of hope. “No matter what, we’re waiting for your comeback. We’ll be here to witness you recreating the glorious years from before.”

Without replying to him, she merely smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Send me home now,” was what she said next.

After sending her to the lobby of her apartment, Julius added before leaving, “If you arrive at a decision at any time, feel free to contact me. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Elise waved at him before she headed straight into the apartment. Since Alexander was not back yet, she decided to retire to her room, wash up and go to bed.

As there was an exam the next day, she woke up earlier to prepare herself for it. Then, she realized that Alexander, who stayed in the room next door, had stayed out for the entire night. She didn’t give it much thought and hastily grabbed a bite at the joint in front of the neighborhood entrance. Then, she hailed a cab to the exam venue.

Once she arrived, she saw Samantha and Riley waving at her from afar. “Elise, we’re here!”

It was at that moment when Elise walked over to them. “You guys are quite early.”

Riley chuckled. “We actually arrived yesterday! Last night, we even had some northern cuisine for dinner! It was delicious!”

Then, Elise asked, “Which exam hall are you in?”

Riley checked her entrance pass and replied, “I’m in Hall 7. What about you?”

“I’m in Hall 21.”

Samatha chimed in, “Oh, what a coincidence! I’m right next to you—I’m in Hall 20.”

The three of them headed into the campus while chatting. When they were close to the exam halls, they happened to run into Zachary. He had also spotted Elise and handed her a pouch full of stationeries that he prepared beforehand. “I packed you some 2B pencils and ballpens.”

Elise was a little taken aback and hurriedly turned him down. “It’s fine! I brought mine.”

He did not reply to that and instead shoved the pouch into her hands. Before leaving, he added, “See you after the exam.”

She looked dumbfounded as her friends exchanged looks beside her. “Miss Elise Sinclair, tell us the truth. What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Elise replied as she shrugged in confusion.

Samantha and Riley obviously didn’t believe Elise’s words and continued to pester her. After having been defeated, she playfully knocked them on their heads. “Quit being busybodies and focus on your exams!”

Although Riley wanted to ask further, she ultimately held her tongue. “I think he must have fallen for you.” Then, she stuck out her tongue at Elise before she waved and wandered into her exam hall.

Upon seeing that, Samantha hurriedly comforted Elise, “Don’t mind her. All the best!” Then, she waved at Elise, who watched as her friends walked away.

Elise looked at the pouch in her hand and wondered whether Zachary had truly fallen for her. What does he want from me, though? I don’t have the most beautiful face… Since she could not figure out his intention, she gave up and handed his pouch to her classmate who didn’t bring any stationery.

The duration of the exam was two hours, but because Elise had performed so well, she was able to submit her papers half an hour before the time was up.

She strolled out of the exam hall, checked the time and hailed a cab back to the apartment. At that time, she bumped into Alexander, who was about to leave his room. When he saw her, his expression had remained calm. “Something came up at the last minute. I’ll head home tomorrow.”

Elise was fine with that. “If you’re busy, don’t mind me. I can head home on my own today.”

As Alexander narrowed his eyes, he replied, “Grandpa asked me to take care of you. If you return alone, do you think he will let this slide?”

Indeed, using Grandpa as an excuse to shut her down was always effective. She instantly agreed to stay for another day. “Are you heading out? Where to?”

He said nothing as he scanned her from head to toe. “If you are bored, you can join me.”

Elise wanted to turn Alexander down, but upon a second thought, she realized that she’d be bored if she stayed in the apartment after her exams. That was the reason why she decided to follow him out. Little did she expect him to bring her to a luxurious salon.

A panicked Elise then tugged on his sleeve. “Why did you bring me here?”

He explained, “I will meet a client later. Do you think you look presentable?”

She quickly checked her appearance but thought she looked alright. In fact, she was used to her lack of fashion sense.

On the other hand, Alexander had directly passed her case to the stylist. “I’ll give you an hour. Style her and give her a totally different look.”

Upon hearing that, the stylist scrutinized Elise to the point where Elise felt a little on edge. She hurriedly urged, “It’s fine; you don’t have to exercise too much effort. Just give me a formal suit.”

After looking at Alexander for confirmation, the stylist only brought Elise to pick an outfit after he agreed.

“Miss, please pick your outfit first. When that’s done, we will style you.”

A layer of cold sweat started to coat Elise’s forehead as she replied, “I don’t want to trouble you! I can take care of my own hair and makeup.”

The last thing she wanted was to allow the stylist to work on hair and makeup because she’d be in deep trouble if her identity was exposed.

In the face of Elise’s apprehension and insistence, the stylist did not insist on styling her. She finally changed into a black formal suit, pulled her hair back into a bun and retouched her ugly makeup. As a result, she looked a little fairer than before and her features seemed to be more harmonious. Other than that, she looked quite similar to before.

Elise regarded her new look in the mirror. When she confirmed that she looked decent, she walked out and announced, “I’m done.”

When Alexander looked up, his eyes flickered with strange emotions because she had a voluptuous body and her gown did its part to accentuate her alluring figure.

“Do I look okay?” she asked hesitantly.

He turned away and answered with a question, “Is your French good?”

As Elise was confused by the purpose of Alexander’s question, she blinked a few times. “Well, I can hold basic conversations.”

“If that’s the case, help me to interpret later.”

She clarified, “Huh? You mean to say that you want me to be your interpreter?”

“Yeah,” he retorted. “Do you have any problem with that?”

There was a slight frown on her face. “But—”

He ignored her reservations and replied, “No buts!”

Then, Alexander stood up to his full height and led Elise out of the salon.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 69

There Goes My First Kiss

As a global conglomerate, the Griffith Group had maintained business relationships with entities in various countries. On that particular day, Alexander brought Elise to an upscale French restaurant and they saw their guests the moment they stepped into the private dining hall—a group of French people.

The moment Alexander entered, the French people were joyful and they enthusiastically greeted him whereas Elise shot him a glance and understood his hint. Then, she started to interpret for both sides and her fluency in the language was more than conversational as she had spent some time abroad.

His gaze had intermittently swept past her throughout the course of the dinner. It was then he realized that she had a captivating charm.

When Elise saw that the meal was almost over, she whispered to Alexander, “I’ll head to the washroom.”

He slightly nodded, thus allowing her to excuse herself from the hall. After she left, the guests couldn’t help but ask him in French, “Alex, what’s with you today? Why were you quiet during the meal? The missus was the only one speaking to us.”

Alexander smiled beguilingly as he slowly replied in fluent French, “She’s my assistant. Since she’s unfamiliar with the operations, I was giving her a training opportunity earlier.”

The French guests exchanged looks with each other and grinned. “So, she’s only your assistant, Alex? I clearly saw how you looked at her just now, though. I thought she was your girlfriend.”

Upon hearing the term ‘girlfriend’, Alexander oddly didn’t feel repulsive because he seemed to agree that it was a suitable nickname for Elise.

He fell silent and took a huge sip of the wine in front of him. The French were always passionate, sensual and especially open-minded when it came to relationships. When they saw Alexander agreeing with them in silence, they couldn’t help but joke with him. “Alex! It looks like the missus’ identity is not as simple as you said! I think you should be more courageous to meet the true love of your life.”

The wine didn’t smoothly slide down his throat because the moment he heard their words of encouragement, he choked on his wine.

It so happened that Elise was back from her trip to the washroom. She could sense that something had shifted in the air the moment she entered the hall, but she quickly handed him a tissue regardlessly. “Are you alright?”

Alexander looked up and met her clear eyes that sparkled with his reflection in them. As it reminded him of the ‘advice’ from his guests, it caused him to hurriedly look away and reply, “I’m okay.”

She could feel that he was acting in a strange manner, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what went wrong.

The amused guests looked like they had made a new discovery. As they were about to speak, Alexander swiftly handed them the bottle of wine and smiled knowingly before he downed the contents in his glass.

His abrupt action was clear—he wanted to prevent them from exposing him.

Since it wasn’t their first time collaborating with him, they exchanged grins as they were elated to witness him losing his composure. No one was stopping him and by the end of the event, he had already downed more than he could handle.

In the end, Elise had to support Alexander as they walked out of the restaurant, which made her pant from the exertion. “Why did you drink so much?” she grumbled as she couldn’t hold back her annoyance, to which he simply commented, “I haven’t had so much fun in a long time. I am only feeling a bit dizzy.”

She replied, “How could you not be dizzy after all the drinking? Stand still for now. I’m calling a cab.”

He grunted and was about to stand straight when he lost his balance a second later, leaving him with no choice but to lean against her.

It left her at the end of her wits. After hailing a cab with her phone, she brought him back to the apartment.

It was with much effort that Elise finally hauled Alexander into the unit and the action of doing so had exhausted her. She leaned against the wall for a short rest and wanted to reach out for the light switch. Much to her surprise, his body fell toward her and she hurried over to hold him. As she failed to catch him, she watched as he fell flat onto her and sent them crashing to the ground.

She was still reeling from the pain when she heard a loud thud somewhere. A pair of warm lips pressed themselves against hers in the middle of the dark, causing her eyes to widen in shock as she stared at the enlarged face in front of her. Her nose was filled with a unique masculine scent, after which she shoved him away carelessly in a frantic manner. “Alexander, what are you doing?”

Alas, he had too much to drink and he was slumped on his side as he leaned against the wall limply.

Elise quickly wiped her lips and forced herself to rise from the floor. As she left Alexander behind, she rushed to the bedroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror while regrets washed over her. “Ahhhhhhhhhhh! What was that?! Elise, that was your first kiss! It’s gone just like that!”

She sounded so regretful that she badly wanted to repeatedly cleanse her lips.

Even though the corners of her mouth had turned red from the rigorous wiping, she still refused to stop.

After what seemed like an eternity, she took a deep breath to calm down. “It will be fine. Elise Sinclair, just forget what happened before. Act like nothing has happened.”

Despite her attempts to convince herself, the earlier scene was still playing itself in Elise’s mind. She finally lost her cool and cursed in desperation, “Dammit! What the heck was that?”

As she had lost her mood to care for Alexander, she left him asleep on the floor until late after midnight when she felt a little sorry for him. She headed out of the bedroom to take a peek and found him still on the floor. Now that she was feeling sorry for him, she caved in and dragged him to his bedroom.

The next morning, Elise woke up almost close to noon and rummaged for her phone. When she realized that it was already 11:00AM in the morning, she washed up and exited the bedroom. She saw Alexander seated on the couch and furiously typing away on his laptop.

“You’re awake?” he asked. When she heard his voice, she was instantly transported to the scene last night, which irritated her to no end.

When he didn’t receive any answer, he looked up at her and closed his laptop. “I had too much to drink last night, so it must have been tough for you.”

Elise then glared at him sharply before she couldn’t help but complain, “Good that you know it! Do you know how much effort I used to get you home? I was so exhausted!”

At the sight of her animated expression, Alexander unknowingly broke into an almost unnoticeable smile that would easily be missed. “My mind went completely blank last night. I didn’t cross a line, did I?”

Upon hearing that, she had wanted to retort, but she resisted and coldly replied, “No.”

Alexander looked reassured after hearing Elise’s reply. When he first woke up, some vague memories lingered in his mind and he was worried that he had crossed a line. Come to think of it, he found his reaction after he drank the alcohol rather odd. He rarely was tipsy even after downing many glasses of wine on normal occasions, but last night was an exception. I totally blacked out! I think I need to cut down on drinking next time.

Bring Your A Game Mr Chapter 70

Do Some Matchmaking

“When are we heading home?”

Alexander snapped back to reality and answered, “Pack your stuff. Let’s head back in the afternoon.”

After hearing his answer, Elise relaxed and turned around to enter her bedroom.

In the afternoon, they traveled in silence throughout their journey to the airport. He could sense that she was intentionally creating distance between them.

Moments after they returned to Athesea, he asked the driver to send Elise home while he himself headed to the office.

Once she arrived at home, a concerned Jonah asked, “Ellie, how was the exam?”

She replied, “It was fine. Not a problem for me.”

He then gave a warm smile. “I knew it! Ellie is the best! By the way, why are you home alone? Where’s Alex?”

The last thing she wanted to talk about was Alexander, so she answered curtly, “He went to the office.”

The old man clearly sensed the change in Elise’s mood and assured, “Ellie, he didn’t bully you in the past two days, did he? If he bullied you, just let me know. I have your back!”

Elise focused on a particular spot on the floor before she shook her head. “I-I’m fine! Grandpa, I feel a little tired. So, I’m going to rest in my room.”

Now that she had greeted Jonah, she went upstairs into her room. He flashed a smile of knowledge at the vanishing figure and the butler beside him interjected, “Sir, you seem to be in a good mood.”

Jonah’s smile widened even more. “Yeah! It looks like my trick has worked pretty well. In the future, you need to figure out ways to make them spend time with each other. I don’t want to let this future granddaughter-in-law escape!”

The butler rarely saw Jonah in such high spirits. “Sir, you’re right! Miss Elise and Young Master Alex look quite compatible.”

Confirmations of his greatest wish was what Jonah loved to listen to.

“This boy, Alex, keeps everything to himself and he is extremely calculative. Someone like Ellie by his side would only spice up his life even further!”

“You’re right indeed! Young Master Alex’s birthday is around the corner. Do you think we should… do some matchmaking?”

Upon hearing the suggestion, Jonah agreed and nodded. “Let’s observe for now. When the time is right, we’ll give them a push.”

Elise returned to her room, opened her laptop and logged into the account that she previously used to help Alexander with interpreter work. She found herself staring at the message he sent to her half a month ago—he asked whether she wanted to help him with interpreting on the spot at Aris. Without a second thought, she replied, ‘No!’

She instantly felt much relieved after she replied with a one-word answer. Now that she had sent the message, she closed the laptop and shoved the matter to the back of her mind.

Now that she was done with the National Mathematics Olympiad, she returned to school once again.

Alexander should have been the one to send her to school, but she stubbornly decided to leave with Danny.

Since Elise was absent for half a month, she found herself longing for school life.

Mikayla approached Elise and gave a bear hug. “Elise, you’re finally back!!!”

“That’s enough! You’re squeezing me; I can’t breathe!”

Upon hearing that, Mikayla released Elise from her embrace. “Do you know how badly I have missed you in your absence?”

They interlocked their fingers in an intimate manner while heading to the classroom. As Mikayla suddenly thought of something, she lowered her voice. “Oh, right, I have something to tell you. Jasmine is going to be engaged. She came to school two days ago to deliver the invitation cards for her engagement party to us.

Now that Elise was hearing Jasmine’s name once again, it no longer evoked any reaction from her. She then replied airily, “Her life has nothing to do with me.”

In contrast, Mikayla looked indignant. “How could someone like Jasmine live such a good life? I refuse to accept that! Shouldn’t the bad receive their karma?”

Mikayla looked confused, but Elise merely ruffled her friend’s hair. “Okay, stop overthinking! We just need to live our lives to the best of our abilities. The lives of others do not concern us.”

After being comforted by Elise, Mikayla immediately cheered up and they both entered the classroom.

At the same time, Alexander was seated in his luxurious executive chair in his office at the Griffith Group. His eyes were staring at the words on his computer screen—the reply he received regarding his request for interpreting on the spot No!

He lifted a brow in surprise and finally made an internal call. Soon, an assistant came into the office.

“I told you to look for Arisian interpreters. Are there any candidates? Send their resume to my inbox, please.”

Upon hearing that, the assistant responded in nervousness, “Young Master Alex, we have not received any resumes so far.”

Alexander’s eyes narrowed as he fell into deep thought. “Did you ask the foreign language college? I don’t mind fresh graduates as long as they can help with basic interpretation work.”

“I have checked with a couple of colleges in Aris, but nobody has majored in the language since the population of Arisian speakers is small. That’s why I can’t find a candidate until now.”

As he rapped his knuckles rhythmically on the table, Alexander stared at Elise’s reply before he finally decided and messaged, ‘What’s your offer? As long as you are willing to work, the pay is not a problem.”

After sending his reply, he felt that it wasn’t enough and added, ‘If you have any issues, you can talk it out with me face-to-face. As for the pay, I can match your preferred salary.”

This was the first time Alexander had lowered himself to beg for a favor. It was all because the company urgently needed talent, yet it was hard to come across.

To be more blunt, he was running out of options.

“Get back to work and search for an Arisian interpreter. Once you receive an application, let me know right away.”

“Sure, Young Master Alex.”

With that, the assistant left, but the door to the office was opened again soon after. As Alexander was buried deep in work, he thought that his assistant had returned. “Anything else?”

Jonah smiled and announced, “It’s me.”

Alexander looked up with a surprised face. “Grandpa, why did you visit today?”

Calmness had enveloped Jonah when he replied, “You must have endured a lot this time. I’m just bored at home, so I decided to swing by.”

Then, Alexander rose to his height and handed his grandpa a couple of financial reports that he had vetted. “Grandpa, these are the financial reports for this month. Take a look! I have a meeting soon, so I’ll need to run.”

Jonah accepted the reports, but he placed them aside for the time being. “Those aren’t urgent. I need to talk to you.”

Upon seeing his grandfather’s grave expression, Alexander thought that serious matters would be discussed and he asked the assistant to close the door. “Grandpa, what’s the matter?”

Much to his surprise, Jonah flashed a smile. “Why are you so nervous? It’s nothing much. I just noticed that it’s going to be your birthday soon. Do you have any thoughts on how you want to celebrate it?”

Alexander was taken aback by the question. “Grandpa, it’s just a birthday. It’s not that important.”

As usual, he never liked anything ceremonial and would prefer a simple dinner with family for his birthday.

“Well, here’s what I think. Since our family hasn’t gathered for a long time, let’s have everyone over to celebrate your birthday. What do you think?”

Alexander was still in the dark about his grandpa’s plan and tried to reject the suggestion with the excuse of being busy. “Grandpa, I have a lot of projects to work on. I even have a work trip to Aris in a few days’ time. As for the birthday celebration, let’s put it aside for now.”

“Look at you! You’re only focused on work. If so, I’ll take care of your birthday celebrations and you’ll just need to focus on your work. When your birthday rolls around, all you have to do is to show up.”

Since Jonah was insistent and even offered to help, Alexander did not reject the idea and allowed his grandfather to take charge instead.