The once-relaxed atmosphere, filled with casual conversation, instantly turned tense the moment Victoria issued her challenge. The gentle breeze and the giggles of her friends died down as if a switch had been flipped. All eyes were fixed on the confrontation between the club's resident queen and the mysterious young man.

Owen turned to face her fully. He looked deep into those blue eyes, which were filled with an unconcealed arrogance and a desire to win, before a calm and cool smile spread across his face. His smile showed no sign of nervousness or excitement; it was the smile of someone who had the entire situation under control and was enjoying the game that had just begun.

"With pleasure, madam," he said, accepting the challenge, his voice even but firm. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to lead the way, as this is my first time here."

His steady and unfazed demeanor only irritated Victoria more. She had thought he would show some hesitation or at least some surprise, but he was acting as if being challenged to a golf match by the governor's wife was a common, everyday occurrence. His coolness was so infuriating she wanted to hit him in the face with a golf club.

"Follow me," she said curtly, before turning and leading the way to the first tee box with the gait of a queen about to punish a challenger, with her group of girlfriends and Owen following closely behind. They instantly became the center of attention for everyone on the driving range.

The match began amidst a gentle breeze and the soft late-morning sun. Victoria went first, as was customary. Her swing was elegant and well-practiced, as befitting a high-society lady, but beneath the beauty was a slight tension from the pressure she had created for herself. The golf ball flew a good distance but veered slightly to the right, landing in the rough where the grass was longer than usual.

It was Owen’s turn. He stepped up and addressed the ball with a relaxed and natural posture. The power from the "Golf Genius" made his every movement smooth and perfect. He swung the club, striking the ball with a clear, ringing sound. The golf ball shot out in a straight line like an arrow, landing beautifully in the middle of the fairway, clearly and significantly surpassing Victoria’s ball.

The psychological game had begun. "That's a very beautiful swing," Owen complimented Victoria as they walked to their balls. "This set of golf clubs must be very expensive. They suit you very well."

The seemingly sincere compliment made Victoria frown. It was like he was implying that all she had was expensive equipment and a pretty posture, but her performance was lacking.

The match continued. Owen continued to display his superior skill in every shot. He hit farther, more accurately, and was visibly calmer. Every time Victoria hit a nearly-good shot, he would casually compliment her. "Oh! That shot was almost perfect. Just missed by a little," or "Very good weight on that one. Just need to control the direction a little more." Those words felt like repeated, light slaps to her face. They slowly chipped away at her concentration and her confidence.

After two holes, Owen had a decisive lead… The lips that Victoria had been pressing together tightly began to tremble with a rage she could no longer contain…

Victoria stood biting her brightly-lipsticked lower lip as she stared at the scorecard in the caddy's hand. The numbers that confirmed her defeat in the past two holes were as clear as a brand of sin. Her face began to flush with a mixture of anger and shame. The once-warm sun now felt unbearably hot and annoying.

The whispers of admiration for Owen from her friends periodically reached her ears, like needles constantly pricking her ego.

"Unbelievable, his swing is so steady," Emily mumbled to another friend. "Yes… like a professional. He must be very good…"

'Who is this nobody?' Victoria screamed in her mind. How dare he stand out in my territory, in front of my entourage! (Of course, she didn't remember Owen, and with her personality, she wouldn't bother to.)

She would not yield… She would never be defeated by this unknown stranger in front of everyone!

At the tee box of the third hole, a par 3 famous for its beauty and challenge, a clear pond that sparkled like a jewel under the sun lay before them. A small grassy knoll and pristine white sand traps guarded the slightly elevated green where the flagstick was invitingly planted. Victoria decided she would no longer play by these boring rules.

She addressed the ball… took a deep breath to gather her concentration… not just for the swing, but for the delicate control of her power. Then she swung with all her might. But just as the club head was about to impact the ball, she secretly used her Telekinesis, sending an invisible wave of energy to envelop the golf ball in advance.

Her golf ball flew beautifully over the pond, but an experienced player would see that its trajectory was clearly heading for the left side of the green… But then, something strange happened. As the ball was about to land… it was suddenly pushed by a "mysterious wind," changing its direction slightly in mid-air before it landed on the edge of the green and rolled to a stop near the hole, in a position where she could easily make a birdie with a single putt.

Her friends cried out with excitement at the incredible "luck."

"Vicky! Unbelievable! That ball should have gone left!" Emily exclaimed. "The wind must have helped you! Amazing!"

Only Owen showed no reaction. He stood still, having sensed the faint, web-like fluctuation of mana that had just faded in the air… a power so faint, but it could not escape his now-sharpened perception. This, combined with the knowledge from [Golf Genius], which told him instantly that the previous swing could never have produced that result.

He narrowed his eyes at Victoria, who was feigning delight at her own "luck." She raised a hand to her chest in surprise, saying to her friends, "Oh my, I guess this is really my day."

A cold smirk appeared on Owen’s lips. He knew that the real game… had only just begun.

The match continued, but the balance of power had completely shifted. Owen still hit every ball perfectly as before, but now, Victoria had suddenly become a formidable opponent.

She began to use her Telekinesis more and more continuously and discreetly. Every time she hit the ball, Owen could feel the faint wave of mana interfering with the play. It wasn't a blatant control, but small "adjustments" that had a massive effect.

On a long par 5, Owen hit a perfect drive, the ball landing beautifully in the middle of the fairway. Meanwhile, Victoria's ball sliced to the right, heading for a thick line of trees. But instead of disappearing into the woods, the golf ball hit a single tree branch at an impossible angle and bounced back out, landing on the fairway in an even better position than Owen’s.

"Incredible!" Owen said with a smile as they walked to their balls. "It seems luck is truly on your side today, madam."

Victoria just gave a cold smile in return, but internally, she was annoyed by his use of the word "luck."

The game had turned around quickly. Victoria’s score began to catch up at an astonishing rate. She made miraculous shots time and time again, from making the ball "jump" over a sand bunker, to chipping the ball from off the green and having it stop dead next to the hole as if it had invisible brakes. Now, the score between them was tied on the final hole.

"That's amazing, Vicky!" her friends cheered excitedly. "You're finally back on top of your game! Teach that man a lesson about who's the queen of this place!"

Owen pretended to be trying his best, a slight look of pressure on his face, but inside he was calm and empty. He knew he couldn't beat the "magic" before him with skill alone.

At the final green, the afternoon sun cast long shadows. The tall pine trees cast shadows across the perfectly manicured grass. Both their golf balls were about the same distance from the hole, but it was Victoria’s turn to putt first. She gave him a sneering smile before addressing her putter with confidence.

As Victoria was about to make the final putt to claim victory… Owen sensed the most concentrated wave of mana he had felt so far. It enveloped the golf ball like an invisible hand, ready to guide it into the hole… and at the same moment, the translucent blue screen of the [Choice System] flared to life in front of him, along with an emotionless, synthesized voice in his head.

…..

[You are about to be defeated in an unfair match. What will you do?]

[1. Expose her despicable actions to everyone.]: (Affection -10 | No one will really believe you, as you have no proof.)

[2. Let her defeat you, then go congratulate her.]: (Affection +1 | Victoria will gradually lose interest in you, as you are just like everyone else.)

[3. Let her win this match, then congratulate her. Imply that this was not your true skill to provoke her anger, and plan to get your revenge next time.]: (Affection -5 | Enters the path to defeating Victoria. | You can use the evidence of her cheating to blackmail her into doing one thing you command.)

…..

Click!

The sound of the putter hitting the golf ball. The golf ball rolled in a perfect straight line, as if guided by a ruler… before dropping softly into the hole.

"Yes!" Victoria exclaimed with joy. She turned to sneer at Owen like a true victor, amidst the applause and cheers of her friends.

In Owen’s mind, the first choice was social suicide… the second choice was to give up the mission… leaving only the third choice. Owen analyzed all the options in a split second… before his gaze turned cold and unpredictable.

He had made his decision…

He took a deep breath and walked towards her with a friendly… but completely unreadable smile.

Owen walked through the circle of her girlfriends to Victoria, who was standing there smiling with satisfaction. He held out his hand to congratulate her with the posture of a graceful, defeated gentleman.

"Congratulations on your victory," he said in a sincere voice, without a trace of resentment. "It was an excellent match."

Victoria accepted with an arrogant smile, barely touching his hand. "Of course, it was." But before she could fully bask in her victory, Owen spoke his next sentence, which made her smile freeze.

"Thank you, really. I haven't had a chance to warm up on a real course like this in a long time. It was very good practice."

The atmosphere suddenly went quiet. The words were like a splash of ice-cold water on the fire of her victory. It instantly devalued her proud win into nothing more than a "warm-up" for him.

Victoria narrowed her eyes at him coldly. "Oh… so you lost and now you have to make the excuse that you were 'practicing'? I thought you were more of a gentleman." She tried to turn the situation around, to make him look like a sore loser making excuses.

But Owen just chuckled softly, as if her accusation was utterly amusing. "An excuse? Not at all," he said, meeting her eyes directly, his gaze strangely sincere. "You won ‘fair and square.’ I just feel that… this was just a friendly game where neither of us was being serious."

This statement was even more vicious than saying he had gone easy on her… It wasn't the excuse of a sore loser, but the declaration of the game’s 'status' from a superior. He readily admitted her victory but devalued it to nothing by dragging her down to the status of a 'practice partner' just like him. It was a declaration that the victory she had tried so hard for (even cheating) meant as much to him as a casual warm-up.

His coolness was the perfect fuel, igniting the fire of her pride until it was uncontrollable. She would not let this man walk away with the belief that he was superior to her!

"Stop right there," she ordered, her voice sharp. "If you think what just happened wasn't 'for real'… then fine!"

She stared him down, announcing in front of all her friends. "Next week… same time! We’ll have a rematch! And this time, I want you to use all of your 'real skill'!"

Owen feigned a moment of thought, as if considering the request of a petulant child, before letting out a soft sigh and giving a gentle smile. "If it will make you happy, madam… then very well."

His easy acceptance, as if humoring a stubborn child, was the final insult that made Victoria so angry she could have screamed.

"I’ll be waiting," Owen said as a parting shot, before giving a slight bow to her and her friends, and then walking away with elegance, leaving Victoria standing there, her fists clenched in a rage, staring at his back with a hatred ready to explode at any moment.

…..

The scene cuts to Owen driving his SUV away from the club. The friendly smile that had been on his face was completely gone, replaced by a cold, determined gaze. His plan was one step closer to completion, but he knew that to win against her cheating next time, he needed undeniable "proof."

He took out his phone and searched for a contact he had saved… the young man with high self-confidence who claimed to be a genius in the world of technology… Jez.

The line rang for only a moment before the other end was picked up with an enthusiastic voice. "What's up, my friend! Anything this genius can help you with?"

Owen didn't beat around the bush. "Jez, I need some equipment… a device that can detect mana usage at close range and record the data as evidence. Does your shop have anything like this?"

The voice on the other end was quiet for a moment before laughing with amusement. "Haha! You asked the right person, my friend! That kind of thing isn't sold in regular shops… but of course, a genius like me can get it for you. Better come to the shop to talk details. This isn't something we should talk about over the phone for too long."

A smirk appeared on Owen’s lips. "I was right to call you. Okay. I’ll be at your shop in less than two hours."

The plan to blackmail Victoria had officially begun…

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