Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 324

Lilith would be permanently nailed to the cross of shame, forever branded a homewrecker.

Soon, it was time for Julian to accept his award.

When the host announced Julian's name, Summer's eyes widened in exaggerated disbelief. Her face clearly broadcasted her thoughts: *Julian? That useless, partying trust-fund idiot actually has talent in tech? Who knew!*

Julian adjusted his suit jacket and strutted up to the stage. The applause, the flowers, the spotlight—it was all his.

For a fleeting moment, he was riding the ultimate high, absolutely glowing with triumph.

The massive screen behind him displayed a brief overview of his winning project and its core technological advancements.

Next came the Q&A segment.

Summer casually flipped through the event brochure provided by the organizers, looking thoughtful before raising her hand.

Julian tried desperately to pretend he didn't see her, but the host took the initiative and called on Summer immediately.

It was a no-brainer. Summer was the absolute star of the night. The online discourse surrounding her was astronomical, and her social media followers were exploding by the second.

The host wasn't stupid.

Watching Summer stand up, panic seized Julian. The palm gripping the microphone turned slick with cold sweat.

Summer looked up at Julian. Her eyes curved into a sweet, gentle smile.

But the sweeter she looked, the harder Julian panicked. An icy chill crawled from the pit of his stomach all the way to his fingertips. He couldn't explain it, but he had a terrifying premonition that he was about to crash and burn.

Summer asked a question. It was lengthy and packed with dense, highly advanced technical jargon.

Julian understood every individual word she said, but strung together, it sounded like an incomprehensible alien language.

He didn't even understand the premise of the question.

Every single eye in the auditorium was locked on Julian, waiting for his brilliant answer.

The seconds ticked by agonizingly.

Julian stood frozen on the stage, his grip on the microphone tightening like a vice. Beads of sweat broke out across his forehead, his eyes darting frantically around the room.

What terrified him most was that his mind had gone completely blank. The script he had painstakingly memorized over the last few days had vanished entirely. His ears were ringing loudly.

He couldn't remember a single damn word.

His family had specifically planted people in the audience to ask pre-approved questions. All he had to do was point to them and recite his rehearsed answers.

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