Chapter 218

After hearing Ezra Vaughn's explanation, Aria Bennett finally understood why they'd formed a four-person team for the international arena livestream in her past life.

Turns out, they couldn’t find a suitable female teammate.

She arched a brow with a light laugh. "Even if I fit the bill, why would you assume I’d join?"

Ezra looked confident. "Because of your career."

"You’re a celebrity who just regained popularity through a reality show, but fame in the entertainment industry is fleeting."

"This international competition will keep you relevant—maybe even elevate your status."

"If we make it to the top three—or win—you’ll gain global exposure. Most in the industry would kill for this opportunity."

Had his original teammate not dropped out, this chance would’ve never fallen into Aria’s lap.

Of course, he’d only seen her in Island Crucible and thought she might work. Whether she actually qualified remained to be tested.

Aria noted that this man wasn’t just intelligent—he was also persuasive.

"That does sound tempting."

She paused. "When’s the competition?"

"Mid-next month," Ezra replied. "We have a month to prepare."

"So you’re saying yes?" He grinned.

Aria smiled. "You made it sound like I’d be losing a fortune if I refused. Fine, I’ll give it a shot."

Ezra admired her decisiveness. "Great. Tomorrow, we’ll start with tactical simulation."

"Fair warning—just being decent won’t cut it. I need to evaluate your weapon handling and adaptability."

"The competition’s difficulty is hellish. Choosing teammates requires extreme caution."

Their analysis showed that losing even one member drastically reduced their chances of making top three. That’s why they urgently needed a replacement.

The real challenge? Finding a high-caliber female teammate of the same nationality. The difficulty was doubled.

Hence, his trip back home to scout for candidates.

Aria nodded. "Understood."

"But I have filming tomorrow. Let’s do it the day after."

Her new drama was on a tight schedule, and she didn’t want to hold things up. She planned to wrap her scenes tomorrow so she could take leave afterward.

Ezra agreed easily. "No problem. I’ll call the others over then."

There was an unshakable confidence in Aria that made him think she might actually pull this off.

Might as well have the whole team assess her at once—saved him the trouble of explaining later.

Aria accepted the challenge without hesitation. "Bring it on."

Tristan Cole and the others only just learned why Ezra had returned.

Miles Mercer hooked an arm around Ezra’s neck. "You kept something this big from us? Some friend you are!"

Ezra let him hang there. "Wanted it to be a surprise. Guess the cat’s out of the bag now."

His original plan was to notify them when the competition started so they could watch.

Tristan rolled his eyes. "More like a shock."

Then, with typical vanity, he added, "If it weren’t for the female teammate requirement, I could’ve joined."

Ezra scoffed. "Please. You’ve let your skills rust."

"Stick to being a playboy."

Tristan bristled. "Hey! I’ve got an image to maintain in front of Aria!"

Sure, he was a flirt—but he wasn’t that kind of guy!

Ezra quickly explained to Aria, "We joke around like this all the time. Don’t mind him."

Aria chuckled. "No worries."

Tristan’s character wasn’t her concern anyway.

By the end of dinner, Aria had warmed up to the group and exchanged contacts.

They then dragged her to a bar.

To their credit, they didn’t pressure her to drink or cause trouble—just genuine camaraderie.

Aria ordered a cocktail and chatted casually.

As the night wound down, Miles sidled up to her.

"Aria, can I ask about that talisman again?"

He explained, "It’s for my uncle."

"He’s been sickly since childhood—prone to attracting negative energy."

"Wearing a jade amulet from Verdant Sun Temple helped, but it shattered in a car accident."

"He’s hospitalized again, and it’s hard to watch..."

He and his uncle were close in age and shared a deep bond.

The others chimed in. "Yeah, his uncle’s in bad shape. Help him out, Aria?"