?Chapter 486:


    udius blinked, momentarily surprised. Of all the responses, that was not the one he had prepared for.


    Then he chuckled softly, the corners of his mouth curving in genuine amusement. No resistance, no bravado — just honesty.


    Ethan was still a student, after all. It was only natural for him to consult his family. But his sister? Not his parents? It seemed Ethan’s sister held a significant ce in his heart.


    udius couldn’t help but feel a growing curiosity about Ethan’s sister.


    “Alright, I’ll wait for your response.”


    With that simple deration, udius pivoted gracefully and descended from the stage, his steps sure and fluid — like a man who carried both certainty and wind in his stride.


    As the apuse faded and the final curtain fell on the Genius national finals, the grand event drew to a close. The sh of intellects had raged from the heat of the afternoon to the cool hush of evening, and by now, the world outside the venue was glowing with streemps and city light. Though the audience slowly began to trickle out, the air inside the hall still crackled with electricity — a storm of energy that refused to dissipate.


    Then, with a bright smile, the host turned toward the trio of victors. “The Cooper Group is throwing a banquet in honor of our top three finalists. Mr. Cooper himself will preside. Please meet backstage shortly — private cars are waiting to escort you.”


    He gave the winners a respectful nod before making his exit, stage right.


    At that very moment, like a bolt out of the blue, Maxwell stormed onto the stage. His eyes locked on Marisa, and without hesitation, he seized her wrist. “You came topete and didn’t even give me a heads-up?” he demanded, his voice equal parts hurt and disbelief. “Do I even count as your brother anymore? If I hadn’t found out by chance, I’d have missed the whole thing! I couldn’t bear the thought of not cheering you on!”


    But Maxwell’s idea of “cheering” was precisely what made Marisa’s temples throb.


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    Under her breath and full of exasperation, she muttered, “And that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you.”


    “What was that?” Maxwell frowned, his ears missing the whisper. Marisa rolled her eyes skyward, refusing to dignify him with an answer.


    Turning away from the pest that was her brother, she looked to Ethan and asked, “Where’s your sister? She came to watch youpete, didn’t she?”


    Still basking in the afterglow of his victory, Ethan blinked and scanned the stands, the reality of his win only now beginning to settle in.


    And then, like a lighthouse cutting through fog, he spotted her.


    A soft smile pulled at the corners of his lips. “There she is.”


    But that smile froze halfway. For beside Maia walked a man.


    Tall, effortlessly charismatic, the figure was dressed in a simple ck shirt — but there was nothing in about him. His silhouette under the arena lights was like a de honed by silence and shadows. His exposed forearm was a study in lean strength, and his features sharp and arresting — outshone even udius’s.


    Ethan’s eyes narrowed.


    “Who’s that guy?” he wondered aloud, the question like a stone dropped into still water.


    Maxwell, ever the casual observer, nced in the same direction — and immediately stopped cold.


    His eyes widened. His breath hitched. His mind reeled.


    It was Chris.


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