Staff members immediately went inside to arrange Anneliese''spetition equipment and setup. Meanwhile, Steven nodded in Anneliese''s direction and, as an official representative, delivered the final remarks to the media and reporters.


    "I would like to assure everyone that the entirepetition process will be livestreamed. All submitted works will be encrypted and assigned anonymous identification numbers for blind review. The judges will see only the code logic and the execution results.


    "The key scoring stages will be reviewed by multiple experts, and all evaluation criteria will be fully quantified and announced in advance."


    As Steven spoke, his gaze fell on Gianna, who was still standing beside Anneliese. His voice grew slightly heavier as he continued, "Furthermore, no one will receive any additional data, hints, or priority in the review process. We will ensure that thispetition is fair and impartial. I also wish all participants the best of luck and hope you can all push beyond your limits during thepetition."


    To Gianna, it felt like Steven was calling her out in public, which was a huge p to her face. She forced herself to maintain a calm expression, but her teeth were clenched so hard they ached.


    D*mn it, Anneliese!


    It was all her fault for making things so humiliating for her.


    Gianna refused to believe that Anneliese, after leaving the industry for so many years, could still outperform her. Once they were in thepetition arena, she would make Anneliese pay.


    If only she could crush Anneliese under her heel...


    Furthermore, given how Anneliese made such a huge scene, she''d be the real joke


    if she walked away from thepetition without any ranking at all.


    When Steven finished speaking, apuse erupted.


    The staff began reorganizing the contestants and media in an orderly manner, guiding everyone back inside. Anneliese waited off to the side, standing by for her assigned number.


    At that moment, Wendy finally appeared from the back of the crowd, holding Ellie''s hand as they walked over.


    "Ms. Chalmont? Ellie? You guys made it!" Seeing them, Anneliese''s eyes lit up slightly.


    She bent down, her eyes curved in a gentle smile, and held out her hand to Ellie. "Thank you foring to cheer me on, Ellie."


    Almost instinctively, Anneliese reached out to pick the little girl up. However, Wendy smiled and gently pulled Ellie back to her side as she said, "It wasn''t easy to secure this chance topete. Focus on thepetition, and don''t mess up your outfit."


    Anneliese paused slightly and nced at the white suit she was wearing.


    "It''s fine to hold her for a moment," she said with a smile, then added a little awkwardly, "You saw what happened earlier too, Ms. Chalmont?"


    She was, of course, referring to her confrontation with Gianna. With everything that happened earlier, it had surely caused some negative impact on Adrian''spany as well.


    After all, Gianna was Wendy''s daughter, and Adrian was Wendy''s ex-husband.


    The fact that Wendy had brought Ellie straight over to her still came as a surprise to Anneliese.


    Wendy gave Anneliese a reassuring smile. "You did the right thing by standing up for your own rights. As for Gianna, she''s been spoiled silly."


    Anneliese let out a sigh of relief.


    Toward Wendy, whom she had only met a handful of times, Anneliese felt an instinctive sense of closeness and respect. Meanwhile, Ellie made her feel especially tender and protective.


    If her rtionship with Wendy and Ellie had been affected because of Gianna, Anneliese would have truly regretted it. Fortunately, Wendy was not someone who ignored right and wrong or blindly favored herown children.


    Anneliese smiled at Wendy, who returned the look with gentle warmth.


    However, when this scene fell into Gianna''s eyes from not far away, it felt like a sharp stab, so painful it made her throat taste of blood.


    Anneliese had pped her, and she was the one who pressed the issue relentlessly and publicly embarrassed both her and the Malone family.


    Yet, Wendy not only failed tofort her own family member or keep her distance from Anneliese—she had even gone over to chat andugh with her.


    "She''s been my mother for over twenty years. Even if we''re not mother and daughter anymore, I''m still her own niece. How can she favor an outsider like this?"


    Gianna''s voice trembled with anger. Beside her, Pepper was holding an ice pack wrapped in a scarf against Gianna''s face.


    Hearing this, Pepper turned her head and nced toward Anneliese and Wendy, a fleeting glint shing through her eyes.


    She turned back and spoke gently to Gianna. "Don''t get angry. Focus on thepetition. Perform well and secure a good ranking-that''s the only way to silence everyone and fet your father see how capable you really are."


    Gianna nodded. "I know."


    A few days earlier, Pepper had already said the same thing to her.


    Now that Wendy hadpletely torn away the facade of a mother-daughter rtionship with her, Adrian would soon find out about it as well.


    Judging by Wendy''s cold and resolute attitude, Adrian would quickly realize that trying to use Gianna to soften Wendy''s stance was no longer possible.