A Second Life, A New Power novel Chapter 371

"Hold on, Ana. You dropped the bag, so why don't you go after it? What gives you the right to order Demi around? You're scared of the water, but Demi shouldn't be?

"Just because you're some delicate little princess, does that make Demi your servant? Your life might be precious to you, but hers is worth more!" Maria snapped, her eyes flashing with anger.

Ana shrank back, her voice trembling. "I… I just thought about how Demi was strong and such a good swimmer."

"Oh, you're great at making money too. Why don't you share some with Demi? What you do behind closed doors is none of my business, but pulling this stunt in front of everyone? Do you think we're all blind?" Maria retorted.

Ana's eyes welled up with tears.

Daniel glanced at Ana before frowning at Maria and asking, "What are you implying? Ana just lost her bag by accident, but you're making it sound like some conspiracy."

Maria scoffed. "Accident? I don't know about that. But calling out Demi specifically? That was deliberate! She didn't ask anyone else, just Demi! She wants people to think Demi is selfish for not helping.

"That way, when the supplies are gone, nobody will blame her for dropping the bag. Instead, they'll blame Demi for not retrieving it. And you know the internet would tear Demi apart for it. What a brilliant scheme!"

Ana protested tearfully, "I'm not that kind of person. I really just thought Demi was the best swimmer..."

Before Maria could retort, Demi gently pulled her aside. She couldn't let her friend face online harassment for defending her.

Turning to Ana, Demi's lips curled into a frosty smile. "Ana, should I applaud your acting skills? Others might not see it, but I know you intentionally dropped that bag."

Ana glared at Demi as she shouted, "I didn't!"

"Do you dare swear on it?" Demi challenged.

Ana froze. The memory of being struck by lightning instantly paralyzed her.

"I suspected Ana threw it deliberately, but I thought I was overthinking things. Did she really do it on purpose?"

"With this level of scheming, Ana would thrive if she channeled it positively."

"Thank goodness she's targeting Demi. An average person would've been crushed by her tricks."

"Did Demi learn to see through Ana after having dealt with her schemes constantly?"