Chapter 457
Everyone had heard that Mr. Henderson’s girlfriend was a PhD from an elite
international university—a tech prodigy, so the rumors went.
But then, if she was such a prodigy, why hadn’t anyone ever heard of anything
she’d actually accomplished?
Sure, Neural Nexus Tech had made some impressive breakthroughs recently, but
most people figured that was just Thorne’s lingering influence from his time there.
It couldn’t have had much to do with Vesta herself, could it?
Meanwhile, Charlene had never boasted about being a genius. Yet, today, she’d
stunned everyone with her brilliance.
Looking at it now, maybe Mr. Henderson’s girlfriend’s “genius” reputation wasn’t
all it was cracked up to be.
No one said it out loud, but the sideways glances, the way people kept eyeing
Vesta and Charlene, made their skepticism unmistakable. Vesta would’ve had to
be blind not to notice.
Her complexion had already been pale, but now she looked even worse.
Seeing everyone compare her to Charlene, watching their silent doubt flicker
across their faces, Vesta clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.
She might not have invented any groundbreaking tech, but her academic
credentials were real—no one had the right to question that.
Still, with no one voicing their doubts, she had no opportunity to defend herself.
Whatever indignation she felt had nowhere to go.
And when it came to actual academic achievements…
She thought of Charlene’s recent, internationally praised research paper and the
way Charlene had dazzled everyone at the press conference today.
Vesta had to admit, when it came to academic accomplishments, she could no
longer compete with Charlene.
She stood frozen in place, her face ashen.
Thorne, having finished greeting a few acquaintances, turned to her. “Let’s go,” he
said quietly.
Vesta forced a weak smile. “Alright…”
She took a moment to collect herself, then greeted Mr. Ashcroft and a few other
familiar business contacts with a composed expression before walking out of the
venue beside Thorne. They politely nodded to people as they left the press
conference.
Outwardly, Vesta maintained her calm, but inside, she was still a storm of
emotions.
Thorne, on the other hand, seemed to have left the press conference behind
without a second thought.
He spoke in his usual, even tone. “Mr. Black’s team has been fully vetted, right?
No issues?”
He was referring to the person they were about to meet—a potential partner for
Neural Nexus Tech.
Hearing his calm, gentle voice and
seeing that familiar warmth in his
eyes, Vesta’s anxiety slowly ebbed
away. She managed a genuine
smile Yes, I’ve looked into it
thoroughly. Mr. Black’s team fits our
needs perfectly.”
“Excellent.”
As they spoke, the elevator doors slid open.
…
Axiom Flux Technologies had built a solid reputation at home, and today’s press
conference was being streamed live.
They might not have been famous enough to cause an online sensation with a
single event, but they did have a loyal following who tuned in.
At first, the livestream chat was
fairly quiet. But as soon as news
broke of Axiom Flux Technologies’
partnership with PrimeStar,
excitement exploded across the
internet.
Within minutes, the virtual audience swelled.
After listening to Charlene’s presentation for a while, the livestream’s popularity
skyrocketed, quickly landing the event on the trending topics.
Leah Spencer bored and browsing
online, noticed the trending topic
and clicked out of curiosity. The
moment she saw Charlene on
screen she froze. Before she could
process what was happening, a
flood of comments praising
Charlene’s brilliance filled the chat.
People weren’t just singing Charlene’s praises—they were also speculating that
this press conference would put every other self-driving car company out of
business.
And, of course, there was plenty of discussion about how much of a bonus
Charlene, as the technical lead, would receive.
Reading these comments, even Leah—dense as she sometimes was—
understood what this all meant.
Panic set in.
She hurriedly closed the browser and dialed a number.
When Maureen Spencer answered and heard Leah’s frantic words, she paused,
clenching her hand around the phone.
Henley Hawkins noticed the change in Maureen’s expression and asked, “What
happened?”
If what Leah said was true, Henley would find out eventually.
There was no point in hiding it, so Maureen told him everything.
When Henley finished listening, he could hardly believe his ears.