"Please, don''t make fun of me." Faye managed a strained smile.


    "What''s wrong? Don''t tell me you don''t have any confidence in yourself." Vanessa nudged her, noticing the tension in Faye''s posture.


    Faye bit her lip, her cheeks tinged with red. "Of course I''m confident, it''s just—"


    "Just what? If Eleanor can do it, so can you. You''re every bit as good as she is." Vanessa pressed on, determined to push Faye through this speech.


    Faye''s eyes darkened with resolve. "I''m not any less than her. Not at all."


    "That''s the spirit. I''ll be waiting for you in the lobby." Vanessa gave her shoulder a reassuring pat and slipped out.


    Inside the conference hall, a suddenmotion at the entrance drew everyone''s attention.


    Reporters who had been busy interviewing various industry titans rushed toward him, camera shes going off in rapid session. Ian greeted the press with a wave, scanning the audience until his gaze paused on the third row-right where Eleanor was seated.


    Eleanor kept her eyes lowered, flipping through a program booklet, pointedly ignoring his arrival.


    With a brief nod,n let the staff usher him to the very center seat in the front row. His presence brought instant hush to the previously noisy venue.


    Vanessa, re-entering the hall, spottedn as she looked for her seat. But this time, she didn''t sit beside him; instead, she joined Henry, leaving the seats aroundn for the tech industry''s movers and shakers.


    Henry leaned over and whispered, "How''s your sister holding up?"


    Vanessa smiled, "She''s in good shape. She won''t let us down."


    Backstage, a staff member hurried in and told Faye thatn had arrived. Faye took a deep breath, clutching her speech notes with trembling hands.


    The countdown to theunch event began.


    The host came on stage, reciting the opening lines before invitingn up for a few words. True to form,n kept it brief and gracious, quickly handing the spotlight to Byron.


    Byron, ever the gentleman, took the stage and began eloquently introducing the theme of the conference.


    Backstage, Laird handed Faye a ss of water, encouraging her to get ready. But Faye''s face had gone pale.


    "Faye, are you okay? You don''t look well."


    "I''m fine," Faye insisted. "How many people are out there?"


    "A lot. Pretty much everyone who matters in research is here, and there are plenty from abroad too."


    Faye only looked more anxious at that.


    Onstage, Byron was wrapping up his remarks. "Now, let''s wee our lead researcher, Ms. Faye, to share her insights."


    The spotlight swept to the entrance. Faye steadied herself on her heels and stepped onto the stage. Instantly, the lights locked on her, and every eye in the hall turned her way.


    Her breaths came fast and shallow. She took the mic from Byron, but when she tried to speak, her voice caught in her throat. The sea of faces in front of her, especially those in the front row, blurred together under the pressure.


    "Hello, everyone, I''m... I''m..."


    She had the mic, but her voice was barely louder than a whisper. Her fingers clenched the speech so tightly her knuckles went white.


    Vanessa fidgeted nervously in the audience. A low murmur began to spread through the hall.


    Byron moved quickly, retrieving the mic and signaling to Laird. Laird hurried onto the stage, gently guiding Faye back down.


    Byron addressed the audience with a gracious smile. "Looks like I made a mistake. Our next speaker is actually the person who first developed this theory and a key member of our team-Ms. Eleanor."


    He locked eyes with Eleanor, gesturing cordially. "Let''s give a warm wee to Ms. Eleanor."


    Eleanor blinked in surprise. Why was he calling on her?


    Byron chuckled, "Perhaps our apuse wasn''t enthusiastic enough. Let''s hear it again for Eleanor!"


    The audience erupted in thunderous apuse. At the same moment, the spotlight swung to Eleanor, singling her out in the crowd.


    Realizing there was no escape, Eleanor mustered a calm smile, rose from her seat, and made her way to the stage under the gaze of hundreds.


    Behind her, Xavier shot her an approving look.


    Backstage, Faye''s cheeks flushed red, then pale. As she watched Eleanor take the stage, tears welled up and spilled over, herposure finally breaking under the weight of disappointment.