They wanted Jarrod to accompany her onstage.

That would change everything.

Jarrod was already at the top of the city’s social hierarchy-his presence beside Sylvie wouldn’t just be support; it would elevate her status in front of everyone.

The room was packed with C-suite executives from the biggest corporations.

Witnessing this scene firsthand, no one would dare underestimate Sylvie after tonight. Doors would swing wide open for her in every circle.

Even Alexander frowned, glancing at Elodie beside him.

If Jarrod really did that, how would it be any different from publicly announcing his relationship with Sylvie?

Elodie returned his look with calm, unruffled eyes.

-it doesn’t matter.

By now, she understood just how much Jarrod valued Sylvie, how deeply he cherished her. Nothing about his actions surprised her anymore.

Seeing that Elodie no longer cared about such things, Alexander finally relaxed a little.

Sylvie turned to Jarrod. “Jarrod?”

He checked his watch, a hint of regret in his eyes as he leaned in and said softly,

“I have a call coming in soon-international, can’t reschedule. You go ahead.”

Sylvie felt a brief pang of disappointment.

But thinking it over, it made sense. Jarrod’s work was relentless; he’d often have to take long conference calls even in the middle of dinner.

She smiled. “Then, can you at least walk me up there?”

She gestured down at her stilettos. “These are murderously high—and a little slippery.”

Jarrod’s gaze dropped to her shoes, a faint, indulgent smile tugging at his lips.

“Of course.”

He stood, offering his arm with gentlemanly grace. Sylvie beamed and slipped her hand through his.

The two of them walked past Elodie.

Thunderous applause erupted behind them.

Elodie watched from the sidelines as Jarrod, in full view of the crowd, escorted Sylvie onto the stage.

A striking couple-confident, inseparable. The students cheered wildly.

Octavia darted over, phone in hand, filming them from every angle. “Go, Sylvie!”

Sylvie must have heard Octavia’s shout. She glanced out into the crowd, then turned to look at the man standing behind her. Their eyes met, and they both smiled.

A few guests just behind Elodie began to whisper excitedly.

“Did you see? He’s personally walking her up there-this is the real deal! They’re perfect together.”

“That’s a privilege no one else gets.”

“Absolutely! Mr. Silverstein has always had a spotless record—no scandals, nothing. When he falls for someone, he really gives her everything. That’s the kind of man who makes you feel safe.”

“If I were a guy, I’d fall for Sylvie too. She’s gorgeous, successful, someone you’d be proud to bring home. They’re a power couple, no question.”

Alexander overheard and snorted, murmuring to Elodie, “They should just give them the Best Morals Couple Award now.”

Elodie said nothing.

Now, scenes like this didn’t bother her. She could stand apart, self-possessed.

Sylvie’s expertise was undeniable-her presentation was sharp, persuasive, her poise and elegance on full display.

Elodie glanced up, catching Jarrod’s expression as he watched Sylvie onstage, his eyes full of admiration.

She looked away and said quietly to Alexander, “You’ll be up soon.”

He nodded.

After Sylvie wrapped up, Alexander took the stage as the headline speaker. He shared stories from the world of aerospace, explained decades of progress, and offered the kind of career advice the students would remember for years.

Toward the end, he highlighted some of the innovative features in VistaLink Technologies’ upcoming project.

Elodie scanned the crowd.

The audience was captivated-the response was overwhelming.

As Alexander finished, he advanced his slides to the very last one.

With a smile, he said, “That’s all from me. If anyone’s interested, I’d be happy to discuss more. VistaLink Technologies is always looking to build deeper connections.”

At that moment-

The applause from the back rows rivaled a rock concert.

Jarrod’s dark eyes locked onto the big screen behind Alexander.

The list of project leads for VistaLink Technologies’ new initiative flashed up.

Six, maybe seven names.

First was Alexander. Right after-

-Elodie.

Jarrod narrowed his eyes, thoughtful.

He wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Naylor and Grady both frowned instantly.

They looked genuinely shocked, or maybe they thought they’d misread it.

When Sylvie spotted Elodie’s name, her smile faded, confusion mingling with disbelief-then a trace of amusement.

How could Elodie’s name be on such an important project? Was this a mistake? “What’s going on?” Grady leaned over. “That has to be a typo, right?” Sylvie pressed her lips together. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one thinking it. It just didn’t add up.

Naylor glanced sideways at Elodie, then, seeing Alexander step down, moved straight over. “Mr. Sterling, the technical demands of this project are even higher than expected, but-if I may ask, why is Ms. Thorne listed as one of the leads?”

The others gathered around.

Grady piped up, “Mr. Sterling, are you kidding? A project this massive-how could you throw in a junior employee’s name?”

Naylor shot Elodie a complicated look, clearly finding it absurd. “Seems Mr. Sterling and Ms. Thorne are quite close. Can’t deny, Ms. Thorne having a friend like Mr. Sterling is a golden ticket. Anyone would envy that.”

Elodie met his gaze.

She understood immediately-he was implying Alexander had pulled strings for her, letting her ride his coattails.

He didn’t believe she’d truly earned her place.

Sylvie caught the subtext too.

She nodded slowly, keeping her tone professional and respectful. “Mr. Sterling, this project is seeking funding, but listing a non-specialist as a lead-won’t that make investors question your standards? It could ”

“It could make people doubt VistaLink Technologies’ credibility and expertise. Mr. Sterling, maybe you should reconsider-for the company’s sake?” she finished, her voice gentle but sincere.