Chapter 509:

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Although she once harbored ambitions of finding herself a powerful backer, like Micah Cavanaugh, the chances of that happening were slim.

As Astrid stood up with Oliver’s assistance, the audience’s comments were filled with praise for her.

[Astridobsessed1]: “Astrid is truly dedicated. Despite her injury, she pushes forward. What a dedicated young woman!”

[AstridLover99]: “She’s not your typical pampered celebrity. I admire her spirit.”

[RisingStarWatcher1]: “Darya is such an ice queen. She doesn’t even care if her teammates are hurt. Poor Astrid.”

Micah noticed the derogatory comments about Darya, and his blood began to boil. Without a second thought, he swiftly defended her in the chat.

[MC]: “Astrid is clearly pretending to be a victim! Why should Darya be blamed?”

[MC1]: “Darya is smart and strong. She’s a thousand times better than Astrid, who’s faking weakness!”

[MC2]: “Astrid is nothing but a burden!”

As Norris walked alongside Micah, he glanced at the screen and was taken aback. It was a rare sight to see his boss watching an entertainment show, and even rarer to witness him passionately defending Darya.

“Could this be the power of love?” Norris wondered, his heart filled with hope for a potential reconciliation between Darya and Micah.

Astrid limped behind Darya and Oliver, putting on a pitiful act. But Darya didn’t have time to feel sympathy. She had her eyes set on the goal, and nothing would deter her. Astrid was nothing more than a nuisance.

“Darya, do you have any idea where the treasure might be?” Oliver asked. Having wandered through the forest with no success, Darya pulled out the map and studied the riddle carefully.

The first to solve it would be the first to claim the coveted treasure.

Feel inspired by gⱯlnσν𝒆𝓁s․𝓬𝓸𝗺

Winter had arrived, and despite the warmth of the artificial landscape, Darya felt a chill creeping over her after spending so much time outdoors. She regretted agreeing to Bradley Gould’s request to participate in this program—it wasn’t as relaxing as she had hoped.

“We’ve searched the entire forest, but it seems unlikely that the treasure is here,” Darya said aloud. “I have a feeling it’s in the water.”

“In the water?” Oliver asked, surprised, his gaze shifting to the nearby river. Were they supposed to search in the water?

Darya nodded, pointing at the riddle on the map. “Look at this sentence. It seems to hint at water, don’t you think?”

Oliver leaned in, studying the riddle with her. “‘On this map, a clue for the bold and true. In liquid depths, lies the prize you pursue.’ Hmm. It does sound like a clue for water.”

Oliver found Darya’s deduction sensible, but the river, though small, seemed rather deep.

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