I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 245

Even Zachary was enjoying the show with a grin. The only person who remained completely composed was Steven. He took the microphone from the host and began to announce the results, starting with third place.

He stood center stage, impeccably dressed, his handsome face exuding a natural air of refined elegance. His voice was magnetic.

“In third place, we have a tie between Mr. Marico James and Mr. Evan, with a score of 520 out of 600. Congratulations.”

The two men who were called looked ready to jump for joy as they ran to the stage to accept their awards from Zachary.

Steven’s gaze swept over the audience and landed on me for a heart-stopping moment before he continued, “In second place, we have another tie between Ms. Linda and Mr. Aaron, with a score of 530 out of 600. Congratulations.”

That bastard. He totally did that on purpose.

Linda let out a gasp of delight and rushed onto the stage, greeting Mr. Taylor and Mr. Lee warmly. Both masters responded with enthusiasm as they presented the awards.

Jonas was even more ecstatic than she was, his eyes glued to the stage. “She’s second… Does that mean I’m first?”

York shot me a worried glance.

Steven’s handsome face was impassive. “And now, for the first-place winner of this competition.”

The crowd held its breath. I felt a knot of tension in my stomach as Steven’s calm voice filled the silence.

“Ms. Zephyra, with a score of 595 out of 600, takes first place. Congratulations.”

Before I could even process it, York’s shriek erupted next to my ear.

I snorted softly, whispering back, “If I can’t be smug after winning first place, when can I?”

Steven looked down and let out a quiet, breathy laugh. He was undeniably handsome—with his long, phoenix eyes and perfect features, his smile was devastatingly charming. My heart skipped a beat. Annoying. Everything else about Steven was replaceable—his fit body, his six-pack—but that face? There was no substitute for that face.

He placed the gold medal around my neck and handed me the champion’s trophy. Just as the two masters beside us were about to start their recruitment pitches, a furious voice cut through the air.

“This competition is unfair! Someone cheated! The results are fake!”

Jonas shouted from the audience, trying to run onto the stage. “Everyone, listen to me! This competition is rigged! The first-place winner has an inappropriate relationship with the sponsor! There’s no way she could have scored that high! We have to fight against this injustice and protect the integrity of the competition!”

The venue, which had been respectfully quiet during the awards, was now filled with his shouting, and nearly everyone heard him.