She secretly glanced at Vincent Grant.

Vincent Grant was busy talking to the engineer next to him and didn’t notice their conversation.

Joanna Sherman made an excuse and hurried to a secluded spot.

She made a call. "Kanter, you said you met Old Master Sloan’s star pupil last time. Who is it?"

"For you to be asking like that, I assume you already have an answer." The person on the other end spoke in a lazy tone.

"Levin Sawyer is starting his own company, so of course he’d choose the most skilled person he trusts the most. Old Master Sloan’s prodigy happens to fit all the requirements..."

Sophia Shaw was surrounded for a while, only getting a chance to step away after answering most of the questions.

The crowd was so dense that a thin layer of sweat had formed on her forehead.

Before she could even catch her breath, she saw Elias Underwood standing just outside the circle.

"Elias, what are you doing here, kid?"

Samuel Goldman had actually seen Elias Underwood a while ago.

Elias Underwood had come over as soon as Sophia Shaw was surrounded and had been listening intently to her speak the whole time.

Elias Underwood fidgeted, wringing his hands, but he couldn’t stop his eyes from looking at Sophia Shaw. "You spoke very well. It was really educational."

"Regretting it now?"

Samuel Goldman deliberately poked at his sore spot.

"Back then, no matter how we tried to persuade you to stay, you refused. It’s no use regretting it now!"

Elias Underwood didn’t offer a single word of defense.

He tacitly agreed with Samuel Goldman’s words.

Seeing him like this, Samuel Goldman suddenly couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsher.

For a tech fanatic like Elias Underwood, the greatest punishment wasn’t a lack of money, but being deprived of the chance to work with top experts.

He had destroyed this opportunity with his own hands, bringing a heavy punishment upon himself.

In the end, he just patted his shoulder. "There will be other opportunities."

Elias Underwood’s shoulders slumped even further under the pat.

He had signed a full ten-year contract with Zenith. A long decade. ’What opportunity could there be?’

Sophia Shaw also felt it was a shame for a talent like Elias Underwood, but what was done was done. She could only nod and start to walk away.

Lead Aerospace and Zenith were competitors, so there was no chance for them to even interact in private.

Elias Underwood looked utterly dejected, as if his backbone had been removed.

Until someone suddenly grabbed his arm tightly!

Elias Underwood was dragged to a deserted spot before Joanna Sherman abruptly turned to face him, demanding sharply, "Elias Underwood, why are you paying so much attention to Sophia Shaw! What is her real identity?!"

Elias Underwood just stood there like a block of wood, not saying a word.

Whether Sophia Shaw’s identity was made public or not was her own business. He wouldn’t say anything.

The more Joanna Sherman looked at him, the more her heart sank!

Her chest pounded violently, as if someone were beating a drum inside!

Elias Underwood was arrogant; he wouldn’t pay attention to someone he didn’t truly admire.

’If Sophia Shaw really is Old Master Sloan’s star pupil, then what does all my high-profile posturing in front of her lately amount to?’

’Showing off in front of an expert?’

’Utter arrogance?’

’If it’s all true, the slanderous things I’ve said about Sophia Shaw will come crashing back and swallow me whole!’

After the conference, Ms. Warren called, saying that Old Master Sloan had already boarded his flight and was coming early.

"Really?"

Last night, Old Master Sloan had said he had other matters to attend to and the date was uncertain, so he told her not to book a ticket yet.

She’d thought she would have to wait a few more days, but she never expected it to be so soon!

Ms. Warren told Sophia Shaw that she would also come over later after contacting Seraphina Vaughn.

Last night, Sophia Shaw had contacted a major figure in the industry for Seraphina Vaughn. After watching a video of Seraphina Vaughn’s performance, the person had agreed to take her on as a student.

In the future, Seraphina Vaughn would also be able to participate in that person’s performances.

Sophia Shaw told Ms. Warren this news, and Ms. Warren was overjoyed.

Ms. Warren never had children of her own and, from the bottom of her heart, treated Seraphina Vaughn like her own daughter.

Sophia Shaw herself, of course, didn’t have such extensive connections to be able to sway such a major figure.

It was Mrs. Sawyer who had stepped in to find the person for her.

Thinking about how she owed Mrs. Sawyer another favor, Sophia Shaw felt a little embarrassed.

’I’ll just have to find a way to repay her in the future.’

She hopped in a car and headed to the airport to pick up Old Master Sloan.

Meanwhile, a low-key, luxurious Maybach slowly drove up.

Joel Hale caught sight of Sophia Shaw hopping into a taxi and his eyes flickered.

He had just followed Vincent Grant to the conference as well.

’Sophia Shaw worked so hard to become the center of attention, probably just to get President Grant’s notice and make him change his mind.’

’They’re already divorced, and she’s still dreaming!’

He already disliked Sophia Shaw, but seeing Vincent Grant with his eyes closed, feigning sleep, he couldn’t be bothered to mention it.

Although Vincent Grant was in the back seat with his eyes closed, his mind was anything but calm.

Sophia Shaw’s voice echoed in his mind again and again:

"Father?"

"Are you worthy?"

The light in her eyes wasn’t resentment, nor was it despair, but... resolve?

His body suddenly shuddered, and he shot upright.

Vincent Grant touched his forehead; cold sweat beaded on his skin, as if he had just woken from a nightmare.

He had a persistent feeling that something was wrong.

’It feels like something has happened that I don’t know about.’

’What could it be?’

Just then, Vincent Grant’s phone rang.

It was Cedric Grant’s dedicated driver, Norton.

Norton’s voice came through. "President Grant, I came to pick up Cedric, but I’ve been waiting for a long time and haven’t seen him. His teacher doesn’t know where he went either."

Vincent Grant had always cared deeply for his son, Cedric Grant. Hearing this, he immediately ordered, "Go to the school!"

When Vincent Grant arrived at the school, Cedric Grant had already been found.

He was walking out with his teacher, head hanging in dejection.

Seeing Vincent Grant, the teacher hurried over. "Cedric ran off to the botanical garden. He was sitting behind a tree the whole time. He gave us quite a scare."

A child suddenly going missing from school was no small matter; the teacher’s face was still pale.

Vincent Grant pressed his lips together, his gaze turning stern as he looked at Cedric Grant. "No matter what happens, you shouldn’t hide. And you certainly shouldn’t make your teacher worry about you."

"Now, apologize to your teacher."

"I’m sorry, Ms. Lane," Cedric Grant said sullenly.

Ms. Lane patted his shoulder. "Go on home now."

Cedric Grant said goodbye to his teacher. Vincent Grant led him to the car but didn’t rush to get in.

"Tell me. What happened?"

Cedric Grant hunched his shoulders. Hearing Vincent Grant’s question, he opened his mouth several times but couldn’t get the words out.

"If you don’t tell me, I’ll ask your teacher." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Only then did Cedric Grant say, "I... I’m being ostracized by my classmates."

Vincent Grant was taken aback.

Whether in academics or ability, Cedric Grant was top of his class and had always been well-liked by teachers and classmates alike.

Vincent Grant had never imagined he would be ostracized.

"Why?"

Cedric Grant’s shoulders slumped even lower. "Because... because they said I don’t love my mom, that I love Auntie Joanna..."

"Dad, is it wrong for me to like Auntie Joanna?"

Cedric Grant didn’t understand.

The moment Cedric Grant finished speaking, a chubby head popped up between them.

The head was round but swiveled with surprising agility. "Mister, he really doesn’t love his mom! I can prove it!"

A chubby little hand shot up with it.

"I heard him bad-mouth his mom with my own ears! He said his mom was an embarrassment!"

"Chubby!"

Chubby’s mom was mortified.

’She’d looked away for one second and her son had run off—and to tattle on someone else’s family business, no less. How embarrassing.’

She hurried over to pull him away.

But Chubby refused to leave. "I would never bad-mouth my mom! My mom is forever the best, most beautiful mom in the world! My mom is my pride and joy!"

He said this while thumping his chest.

Chubby’s Mom: "..."

After giving birth, she had put on weight, she didn’t care about how she dressed, didn’t wear makeup, and didn’t fix herself up. Even she disliked her own appearance.

But her son said she was the most beautiful...

Oh, goodness. Oh, goodness.

She was so incredibly touched!

Chubby’s mom was so overcome with emotion that she planted a big kiss on her son’s cheek.

After kissing her son, she looked over at Cedric Grant.

Sophia Shaw was always impeccably dressed in tasteful, elegant clothes. She was beautiful, too, like a fairy.

And she doted on Cedric Grant.

’With a mom like that, he should be secretly laughing with joy. How could he find her embarrassing?’

’If he were my son, I’d have tossed him in a ditch long ago.’

"Son, let’s go home!"

Chubby’s mom led her son away, walking past the two of them with her head held high.

Leaving Cedric Grant alone to face Vincent Grant, so ashamed he hung his head, barely daring to breathe.