"Vincent Grant." Joanna Sherman, standing ahead of him, called his name. "Are you going to stay and deal with this first?"

She flicked her gaze toward Sophia Shaw, her expression casual, showing she wasn’t the least bit concerned about their relationship.

Her cool, commanding, goddess-like presence captivated the crowd of young elites. Her abilities were top-tier, leaving even men like them in the dust, and she stayed out of other people’s business. What man wouldn’t admire and adore a woman like that?

"No need!" Vincent Grant walked right past her and strode toward Joanna Sherman.

The sharp, cold draft from his sleeve brushed against the back of Sophia Shaw’s hand, and her already festering heart was brutally torn apart once more.

The pain drained the color from Sophia Shaw’s face. Tears welled up uncontrollably, blurring her vision.

She knew Vincent Grant couldn’t bear to let Joanna Sherman be criticized, but what had she done to deserve this?

He wouldn’t even do something this simple for her...

As the pair walked further and further away together, Sophia Shaw bit her lip hard, still unable to control the chill that wracked her body.

"That’s enough."

It was Jenson Forrest who finally spoke up.

The Forrest family held considerable standing in the city, so no one dared to offend them, and everyone fell silent.

Justin Hughes snorted in dissatisfaction. "Jenson, why are you helping her? She faked a bunch of data just for an outstanding employee award. Vincent giving her a million was already more than generous.

"Women like her are never satisfied. Give them an inch, they’ll take a mile!

"Didn’t you see? She tried to pin the blame on someone else but was exposed on the spot. Then she used her old tricks to find fake evidence to frame people! It’s a good thing Vincent didn’t indulge her again!"

The two walked further away, their voices growing fainter.

Sophia Shaw’s already tattered heart felt as if it had been pierced by countless more swords, shattering beyond repair.

So, in Vincent Grant’s eyes, she was a complete and utter fraud! That million he gave her wasn’t in recognition of her achievements; he just saw her as an unreasonable shrew.

It was just to stop her from harassing Joanna Sherman, from hurting the apple of his eye, to smooth things over... that was all.

And he didn’t believe a single piece of the evidence she found to prove her innocence!

Sophia Shaw felt trapped in a spider’s web, ensnared by countless threads that only tightened the more she struggled.

"Faye! What are you doing here? What’s wrong?"

When Levin Sawyer rushed over, he was alarmed to see Sophia Shaw standing there all alone, her face pale and her whole body trembling.

A glance at the exhibition stand behind her, and he suddenly understood.

"Did Vincent Grant do something? I’ll go settle the score with him right now..."

"Don’t go!" Sophia Shaw grabbed the corner of Levin Sawyer’s shirt, mustering all her strength to regain her composure.

Vincent Grant had already decided she was the villain. Confronting him now would just be humiliating herself.

Levin Sawyer was extremely protective of Sophia Shaw, his junior. How could he possibly swallow this insult?

Sophia Shaw took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto her small, pale face. "Levin, my life won’t revolve around Vincent Grant anymore. What he thinks of me doesn’t matter."

A sharp pain shot through Levin Sawyer’s chest. The Sophia he knew had always been spirited and confident, yet a single marriage had reduced her to this.

Afraid of upsetting Sophia Shaw, Levin Sawyer quickly said, "Right. We should spend our time on important things. It’s not worth wasting it on scum like them!"

"Mhm." Sophia Shaw nodded emphatically. She couldn’t control people’s hearts. Since she couldn’t change it, she wouldn’t try anymore.

"Levin, the opening ceremony is about to start, right? I don’t want to miss the keynote speech today!"

Knowing Sophia Shaw didn’t like being the center of attention, Levin Sawyer had deliberately chosen inconspicuous seats.

They were in the fifth row. Directly in front of them, in the very first row, sat Vincent Grant and Joanna Sherman.

Everyone seated in the first row was a major figure in the industry. Although Vincent Grant was young, his reputation in the field was enormous, so it wasn’t out of line for him to be there.

Joanna Sherman was in the front row entirely because Grant Interstellar had launched a rocket, and she was there in her capacity as chief engineer.

The two of them were seated on the far left.

Even so, sitting among a row of top experts with an average age of over sixty, they were a distinctive presence.

The cameras at the event kept panning over to their faces. Their faces were projected onto the screen.

People around them started whispering, "Who are those two young people in the front row?"

"To be able to sit with the top experts at such a young age—that’s incredible!"

"Don’t underestimate those two. They..."

Sophia Shaw’s ears were filled with all sorts of hushed discussions, all about how bold Vincent Grant was to venture into the rocket business, and how capable Joanna Sherman was, single-handedly carrying Grant Interstellar and launching a rocket so successfully and perfectly.

Levin Sawyer could have sat in the front row, too, but he had declined to accompany Sophia Shaw.

Listening to the surrounding chatter, he found it laughable. "These people really don’t know any better. You were the one who reduced the rocket’s cost by ninety-five percent, which is the only reason Grant Interstellar could afford to burn money and play around with Joanna Sherman.

"Even the framework for the rocket Joanna Sherman built came from you. Without you, those two wouldn’t have accomplished anything, not even in another ten years!"

Sophia Shaw glanced forward indifferently.

Vincent Grant was leaning down, softly asking Joanna Sherman if she was cold.

Joanna Sherman maintained her usual aloofness. Even though she was so cold her arms were wrapped around herself for warmth, she still replied faintly, "I’m not cold."

Vincent Grant took off his suit jacket anyway and draped it over her lap. He was the picture of devotion, his long fingers carefully tucking in the corners. In all her years of marriage to him, Sophia Shaw had never received such treatment.

Having long accepted the reality that Vincent Grant didn’t love her, Sophia Shaw no longer felt the same pain as before upon seeing this. She only glanced at them for a moment before looking down to flip through the review notes in her notebook.

Her soft, rounded face was slightly lowered, her gaze focused and serious. She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a delicate earlobe, an image of indescribable, gentle beauty.

Vincent Grant seemed to turn his head inadvertently. Seeing this, his gaze faltered for a moment. But only for a second, then he turned back.

Justin Hughes, who was seated in the second row thanks to his connection to Vincent Grant, also saw Sophia Shaw. He said disdainfully, "She spent a fortune to get in here. Who’s she putting on a show for? As if people don’t know what she’s really worth."

The threshold for getting a ticket to the summit was very high. Justin Hughes was convinced Sophia Shaw couldn’t get one herself and assumed Yancy Shaw had pulled some strings and paid a high price for it.

Vincent Grant didn’t respond, his expression unchanging. His long fingers hooked the promotional brochure on his lap as he pointed out the summit’s key events for Joanna Sherman.

Seeing that Vincent Grant was unconcerned about Sophia Shaw, Justin Hughes nodded to himself in satisfaction. His disgust for Sophia Shaw only grew.

She’s not even worthy of carrying Joanna’s shoes, yet she has the gall to show up here and be an eyesore!

He’d bet that Sophia Shaw couldn’t even understand the most basic aerospace terminology!

Justin Hughes had no idea that the very woman he thought wasn’t fit to carry Joanna Sherman’s shoes was actually the biggest name in the room.

If she were to reveal her true identity, not only would she not need an invitation from Levin Sawyer, but she would be begged to attend the summit.

Sitting in the center seat of the front row would be no problem at all.

After Vincent Grant finished pointing out the highlights, he noticed someone had sat down next to him and greeted them politely. "Professor Hale."

The man’s eyes held a cold light, and even his smile was tinged with an imposing, noble air.

Professor Hale was a top figure in the industry, but he still felt a slight jolt of intimidation upon seeing Vincent Grant. He immediately smiled. "Mr. Grant, a pleasure to meet you.

"I never expected Cathan’s second rocket-building company to be Grant Interstellar. Grant Interstellar and Lead Aerospace are the pride of our Cathan!"

Professor Hale looked at Vincent Grant with a face full of admiration. "Heroes have always emerged from the young. It’s truly a timeless saying!"

"You praise me too much, Professor Hale." Vincent Grant shifted just enough to reveal Joanna Sherman on his other side.

Joanna Sherman also greeted him. "Hello, Professor Hale. I’m Joanna Sherman."

Professor Hale responded, his gaze growing even more enthusiastic. "I know. The name Joanna Sherman has practically become the highest ideal for women in Cathan! The first woman in Cathan to build a rocket, and so young, too. The younger generation is truly formidable!"

Professor Hale was known for being strict, so receiving such high praise from him was unprecedented.

Joanna Sherman, who always presented a cold and aloof image, still allowed the corners of her lips to curve up slightly.

Even at Lead Aerospace, only Levin Sawyer was relatively young. Their core members were rumored to be at least seventy years old.