From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea )

Bryce grudgingly bit the bullet, his wounded pride forcing him to swallow the pain.

The humiliation was already unbearable, and the thought of people finding out that he, a grown man, had been taken down by a slip of a girl was too much to stomach. Where could he possibly hide his face?

Gritting his teeth against the agony, Bryce picked himself up and hastily retreated from the party.

From the corner of the room, Anthea watched his retreating back, her voice tinged with a hint of mockery, "Careful, Mr. Harper. We wouldn't want you to take another spill!"

Alex, having witnessed the entire debacle from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes, which glinted with a dark intensity. After a moment, he approached Anthea, "Ms. Yeager."

"You’re looking for me, Mr. Peterson?"

He gave a slight nod, "Yes."

"What's the matter?"

"Kendrick is asking for you."

Anthea's eyebrows knit together slightly, "You sure you've got the right person this time?"

"I was mistaken earlier," Alex said smoothly, his tone gentle, "I hope you won't take it to heart, Ms. Yeager."

She pressed on, "The Kendrick you mentioned, is he the one from Capital City?"

"Yes." His response was succinct as he gestured for her to follow, "This way, Ms. Yeager."

Anthea stepped forward to keep pace.

As they walked side by side, Alex led the way.

Exiting the main hall, they needed to traverse an open-air path to reach the back of the venue. It was the dead of winter, and although Cloudcrest never saw snow, the chill was penetrating.

Alex instructed a servant to bring a down jacket for Anthea. This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

"Thanks, Mr. Peterson," Anthea replied, "but my dress has temperature control built into it. I won't be needing that jacket."

"From AY Tech Co., Ltd?" Alex seemed to recall something.

She nodded slightly, "You're familiar with AY?"

"I've heard a few things."

AY Tech Co., Ltd was a rising star in the industry. Though new, their strength was undeniable. They first secured a global patent for temperature-adjustable clothing and then made a powerful entry into the market.

Recently, the CEO of AY had invited Alex for a partnership. At the time, he hadn't paid much attention, but now it seemed he couldn't afford to delay any longer.

With their own thoughts, they stepped onto the open-air path.

The garden was ablaze with camellias, their fiery blooms nearly covering the entire path. Anthea's dress matched the flowers, making her seem part of the vibrant scene under the shroud of night.

It made one wonder if she was an enchantment borne of the camellias themselves.

A cold breeze brought with it the scent of camellias mixed with a crisp fragrance that lingered enticingly.

This scent didn't belong to the camellias.

Alex, sensitive to smells, glanced at Anthea.

She looked straight ahead, focused on the path.

In Alex's world, there seemed to be two types of women: those who instantly fell for his charms, and those, like Rebecca, who kept their distance.

Anthea was different from both.

He was curious whether she was naturally like this or if she was just clever at hiding her feelings.

Just then, Anthea sensed a searing gaze upon her.

She lifted her eyes slightly.

And there was Rebecca, standing not too far off, her eyes seeming ready to devour Anthea whole.

That little wretch! Rebecca could never have imagined that the Miss Yeager Kendrick had mentioned would be Anthea.

As a child, Anthea had usurped her place in the Morris family.

Just when she had reclaimed her position following the revelation of the truth, Anthea had snatched away her chess glory and forced her to downgrade her system!

And now, she was taking away the life-saving gratitude that should have been Rebecca's!

She should not have underestimated Anthea from the start, nor should she have let her go.

She should have kept Anthea trapped in the Morris family, tormenting her relentlessly before marrying her off to Alex, letting her suffer and die!

Rebecca was filled with regret.

She truly regretted it.