****A couple of hours later.I woke up and stretched, feeling the stiffness of sleep fade away. Seeing Eleanor still awake, I walked over to her."Eleanor, is everything okay?" I asked gently.She looked up, sadness in her eyes. "I couldn't sleep," she said softly.Sitting beside her, I put my arm around her. "Is it about your illness?" I asked.She nodded, looking troubled. "I can't stop thinking about it," she admitted.I squeezed her hand. "You're not alone, Eleanor. I'm here for you," I reassured her.She smiled gratefully, leaning into my embrace. "Thank you, Damon," she whispered.Sitting together in the quiet morning, I knew we'd face whatever came our way, side by side.Seeing Eleanor like this, in her moment of vulnerability, I couldn’t believe that she was the same girl who looked so assertive and dominant in person, everyone had their weak moments.I glanced at the wall clock and it was around three in the morning.As we sat together in our room, the tranquility of the ear
The first task is as follows: Each team will be allocated a designated room where they can access their resources for the challenge. These resources include laptops with internet access, encrypted communication devices, and a secure server for storing information. The only people who will have access to the locations of each room are the team members themselves and both members will be assigned one key to unlock the rooms. Should you lose your keys to another group, other candidates who discover the location of your room and access them to steal your information, will not be penalized. Furthermore, teams will earn 50 points for successfully gathering valuable market intelligence from other teams, while also earning 25 points for effectively safeguarding their own data from being compromised.The task would last for a total of three days, during which teams would have to strategize, gather information, and protect their own data. At the end of the allotted time, points would be tallied,
[Eleanor’s POV]As I wandered around the building alone, my mind buzzed with thoughts about the plan that Damon and I had devised to gather information from other teams. I mulled over the details, weighing the risks and potential outcomes. Despite my initial doubts, I found myself growing more confident in our strategy. We had carefully crafted a plan that played to our strengths, and I believed that we had a real chance of success. With determination in my heart, I resolved to do whatever it took to execute our plan flawlessly and prove our worth in the challenge.But first, I needed to find a team to speak to.I roamed the corridors, and my eyes fell upon a team of two boys huddled together in conversation. With a determined stride, I approached them, my heart pounding with anticipation.As I got closer to them, I couldn't help but feel a wave of disgust wash over me as I took in their nerdy appearance. One had thick-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, his eyes glued to the sc
As the boys agreed to take me to their room, we began walking down the hallway together. The fluorescent lights overhead cast a harsh glow, illuminating the sterile corridors of the building."So, how are you finding the competition so far?" one of the boys asked, attempting to make conversation."It's been challenging, to say the least," I replied, keeping my tone neutral. "But I suppose that's to be expected in a competition like this."The other boy nodded in agreement, his glasses slipping down his nose slightly. "Yeah, it's definitely been a learning experience," he chimed in. "We've had to adapt quickly to the different tasks and challenges."I nodded politely, though inwardly, I couldn't help but feel a sense of impatience. Small talk was never my forte, especially when there were more pressing matters at hand.As we continued down the hallway, I kept my eyes peeled for any signs or clues that might reveal the location of their room.My mind raced with anticipation, eager to g
As I agreed to the boy's demands, a sense of dread washed over her. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease gnawing at my stomach. Thoughts raced through her mind as I desperately tried to devise a plan to extricate herself from the situation. She knew she had gotten herself into a tight spot and dreaded the consequences of leading the boys to her room.My anxiety threatened to overwhelm me, but i suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure approaching in the distance. It was Damon. Relief flooded through me, washing away the tension that had gripped me moments before. A genuine smile spread across her face as I hurried to meet him, the boys hot on my heels.My heart filled with happiness at the sight of his familiar presence. With him by my side, i felt reassured and confident that together, they could handle whatever challenges lay ahead.And handling these two boys would definitely be no problem for both of us.I finally got to where he was waiting and a sense of relief washe
"I think it's best if you two go back to where you came from," I continued, my voice cold and commanding.The intensity of my gaze bore down on them, and the boys were shook with fear, their eyes widening with apprehension.They stammered and tried to reason with me, but I remained unmoved by their pleas."We... we made a deal with you, though," one of them stuttered, his voice trembling with fear.I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by their attempts at negotiation. "And what deal would that be?" I asked, my tone dripping with disdain.The boys exchanged nervous glances before one of them spoke up. "We... we agreed to share our business information with Eleanor in exchange for similar insights from her," he admitted reluctantly.I scoffed, shaking my head. "I never agreed to such a deal," I retorted sharply. "You should have consulted me before making any arrangements."Their faces fell, realizing their mistake. They had presumed too much, assuming they could strike deals without my app
We finally arrived back at our room, the tension from the encounter with the two boys still lingering in the air. Despite the relief of being away from them, I couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling of the confrontation. As we stepped inside, I closed the door behind us, locking it securely. I let out a sigh, feeling a sense of safety wash over me now that we were alone."Well, that was an unexpected turn of events," Eleanor said, her voice tinged with a hint of disbelief. I turned to her, studying her expression for any signs of deceit or sarcasm. "Are you okay?" She asked, genuine concern evident in her tone.I simply nodded in response, I was in no mood to indulge in any form of friendly conversation with her."Damon, I'm impressed with how well you handled the situation," Eleanor said, her voice filled with genuine admiration."And I appreciate you quickly noticing my signal back there. It was a smart move on your part.""I appreciate the compliment," I replied with a shal
The other boy and girl on the team exchanged puzzled glances, clearly shocked by my statement. They seemed utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend what I meant by my remark.“Damon, what are you trying to say, we don’t understand,” the guy said, trying to sound sympathetic.‘Is this actually going to work? I hope I’m not making a big mistake,” I thought to myself."The act won't get you anywhere," I replied firmly, narrowing my eyes slightly. "Cut the charade and stop trying to fool me. I know exactly what you're up to.""But how?" the guy asked, clearly confused.‘Wait it actually worked! Oh my God I didn’t think they would be hiding something from me. What the heck? I don’t think I can trust anyone here moving forward, I’m glad I used this method,’ I thought.I remained calm in this situation, not letting my flustered emotions show.The way I got agitated about some things, and the way I handled some situations. It was honestly nothing short of childish."How dumb do you think I am