From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent

Chapter 508
His voice was magnetic, deep and soothing, with a touch of huskiness from being purposefully lowered-a sound that seemed to
resonate right through to the soul.
It left her breathless.
His hand rested gently at her waist, his palm radiating a subtle heat that seeped through the thin layer of her dress. Even so, she
could feel the calluses at his fingertips-rough, yet oddly ticklish.
A shiver ran up her spine.
At that moment, Anthea was acutely aware of her own heartbeat, drumming loudly
in her ears.
"Thank you," she whispered, lifting her arms to wrap around him in a soft embrace.
A faint, rare smile curved at the corners of Sherman's mouth.
That smile-
It was like spring returning to the earth, bringing everything back to life.
People watching the livestreamed ceremony couldn't contain themselves, turning
into armchair prophets one after another:
"If these two aren't a thing, I'll eat a shoe on camera!"
"Dad's found a new pup outside the house..."
"Same here, something's definitely up with those two-I bet they've been sneaking around forever."
"Wait, is Dad about to get us a new stepmom?!"
"No, Dad, don't! We don't need a stepmom!"
"If there's a new stepmom, there'll be a new stepdad too... Dad doesn't love us anymore!"

"I mean, I'm not a fan of stepmoms, but honestly, these two just look so good together."
"Exactly! They're perfect for each other!"
"Who's the guest presenter anyway? Why didn't the host give a proper introduction?"

"Yeah, that was weird! But hey, if she can show up at Tech Summit Global and hand out awards, our new stepmom can't be just
anybody."
Rebecca sat in the audience, her jaw clenched so tight it might crack. Envy burned in her eyes, nearly spilling over.
If it weren't for Anthea, she would be the one up there in Mr. Christensen's arms right now.
That bitch!
Anthea, that conniving bitch.
"System! Where the hell are you?"
Rebecca was caught in a storm of jealousy and anxiety.
What if the system never came back? What if she'd lost it for good?
No. Impossible. She was the system's host.
The system would come back.
It had to.
The awards ceremony wrapped up quickly.
Anthea stepped off the stage.
Dr. Varn, Mason, Eugene, and a crowd of other leaders in tech stood up to greet her, smiles all around.
This was Luxphinia's first time ever taking first place at the Tech Summit Global. Anthea had made history.
On the other side of the aisle, Pellonia's three top executives sat stone-faced, their pride shattered.
None of them had imagined they'd be beaten by a girl who barely looked old enough to drive.

Utter humiliation.
Karl, especially, felt the sting. He'd taken first place last year-this year, he hadn't even made the top four.
If not for Anthea, he would've at least snagged third.
Rebecca sat right next to Anthea, watching as everyone flocked to congratulate
her, while she herself was left completely ignored.
It stung more than she wanted to admit.
If Anthea hadn't shown up out of nowhere, she'd be the one everyone was celebrating right now.
Anthea was nothing but an imposter, a cuckoo in someone else's nest-how did she deserve any of this?

Rebecca silently prayed the system would return soon.
With it, she could finally defeat Anthea.
And when that day came, she'd make sure Anthea wished she'd never been born.
After Tech Summit Global
concluded, Anthea was immediately
invited by top experts to join the
upcoming season's science and technology expo.
Surrounded by the most brilliant minds in the industry, she stood the
enter of attention, glowing et
r everyone revolved around.
Despite being the youngest, she showed no sign of nerves. If anything, she seemed to command the room.
Even among all the experts, Anthea stood out with her presence and confidence.

"Dad is such a boss!"
"Dad is so cool!"
"What about the new stepmom?"
"@Raine, come out and explain-didn't you say Dad is just part of a team?"
"Hey, lay off her. I checked, and her account just got banned by someone. Guess she couldn't take the heat."
"The livestream's ending soon. I don't want to say goodbye to Dad... or our new stepmom!"
Anthea attended the expo and then sat in on a roundtable with the experts.
èt
She stood at the head of the table, speaking with poise and passion The experts, many already in their fifties, scribbled notes
like schoolchildren.
And somehow, it all felt completely natural.
By the time Anthea got back to her hotel, it was already past ten.
She headed straight for a shower.
Just as she stepped out, her phone buzzed with a message from Sherman: "Want
to grab a late-night bite?"
Anthea quirked an eyebrow, teasing him: “Didn't know monks ate midnight
snacks."
"Monks are people too. Besides, I'm no monk."