Elodie glanced sideways, then returned her attention to the notebook she had prepared.

Alexander was a little surprised to see Sylvie arrive as well.

By all rights, Sylvie was an accomplished candidate from a top university- impressive, sure, but as someone who’d registered independently, she shouldn’t have made it to the second row.

So…

His gaze shifted to Jarrod, who had just taken his seat in the front.

Was there really any mystery to it? With someone like Jarrod pulling strings for Sylvie, it was no wonder she’d found herself up front, right where everyone could see her.

Alexander glanced at Elodie, relieved to find she was unfazed by Sylvie’s presence beside her, keeping her head down and organizing her notes.

That was a comfort.

Sylvie didn’t exactly enjoy sitting next to Elodie either, but she wasn’t the type to feel out of place. If anyone ought to feel awkward, it was Elodie—the latecomer, the amateur among professionals.

Yet, even now, Sylvie had to admit: Elodie was sharp in her own way.

Take the “Neural Intelligence plagiarism” incident, for example.

Elodie had stepped forward to take the blame with remarkable composure, and as

a result, had landed a spot at this academic conference.

A bit audacious, a bit cunning.

But…

Sylvie scoffed inwardly.

These conferences were conducted entirely in foreign languages. Elodie had no overseas experience and, with all the specialized terminology, there was no way she could really follow along.

Elodie had no clue what Sylvie was thinking.

She turned and said to Alexander, “Esmeralda wants to see what it’s like here. Mind if I take a few photos for her?”

Esmeralda wasn’t in this field, and whenever there was an important event, she never quite had the chance to attend. Still, she was never upset about it—she just liked seeing pictures.

Alexander knew how Esmeralda was. He nodded and handed Elodie his phone. “The program hasn’t started yet, so take a few shots, no problem.”

Elodie accepted the phone, took a handful of pictures around the conference hall, and sent them to Esmeralda.

Sylvie, legs crossed, noticed Elodie snapping photos.

She frowned, a glint of irritation in her eyes.

Typical-treating the place like some

spot, taking pictures just

to show off that she’d attended. here for the status boost.

The conference soon got underway.

It was a biennial event, with the theme set long in advance.

The first speaker, naturally, was the most respected senior in the field.

Elodie listened carefully, jotting down key points as she went.

The leading scholars in the room soon launched into a lively discussion of the topic.

Both Alexander and Elodie found themselves learning a great deal, occasionally leaning over to exchange a few thoughts in hushed tones.

Sylvie, on the other hand, struggled with some sections-dense and technical, the kind that had to be carefully recorded and reviewed later.

As she was scribbling down notes, she noticed Elodie beside her, looking relaxed, even laughing and whispering with Alexander.

Sylvie’s expression grew frosty.

Clearly, if you didn’t understand a word, it was easy to be so unfazed-to even laugh in such a serious setting.

When the intermission arrived, Elodie rubbed her sore neck, but she was in high spirits.

This was an eye-opening opportunity for her.

The break was fifteen minutes-enough time for the organizers to prep for the next session.

Sylvie, deep in thought as she reviewed her notes, was jarred by the sudden ring of her phone.

She glanced at the screen.

A video call from Octavia.

“Octavia?”

Octavia was still awake, her voice effervescent. “Has it started? Is Steene there too?”

Sylvie smiled, turning her screen to the front of the room. “Yes. Both

your brother and I are sitting nine

the front. Maybe after the

conference, I’ll get a chance to say h.” sŵnovel

“Sylvie, you’re amazing!” Octavia gushed. You had to submit a just to apply-only the best accepted. You’re my role mod