The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 224

The moment those words left his mouth, the faces of the gossiping guests darkened. One of them glared at Leon and suddenly scoffed, "I was wondering why this gentleman looked so familiar. It's Dr. Lennox, the hero who rushed to the rescue at the press conference. Judging by your matching outfits, I take it you two are dating?"

I was completely blindsided by the accusation. I glanced at Leon for a brief second and opened my mouth to clarify, but Leon playfully beat me to it.

"That topic isn't on today's discussion panel," he joked smoothly. "If you really want to know, we can chat after the summit. Free of charge."

He shot me a quick wink and gently guided me toward the seating area.

I glanced back at the group that had just been mocking us. Their eyes were still filled with clear contempt and dismissal.

It was a stark contrast to how they treated Zoey.

Speaking of the other intern, Zoey was currently acting like a fragile little bird nestled by Ferris's side, soaking up all the praise and attention in the room.

"Don't let them get to you," Leon said softly, reading my mind. "Just being here today is a huge win for us. And a little insider secret: the desserts tonight were made by a Michelin-star chef. We're going to try every single one later."

Looking at Leon's warm, encouraging smile, the knot in my chest instantly loosened.

He was right. Misunderstandings and prejudice would always exist. Why let these people ruin my night?

I decided that as soon as my two-minute speech was over, I would just enjoy the food. What I didn't expect, however, was that the organizers had made a last-minute seating change—putting Zoey right next to me.

The girl looked at me nervously and explained, "I asked the organizers for this. Ferris is an industry titan, so of course he belongs at the VIP table. But someone of my status doesn't belong up there, so they moved me here..."

How incredibly considerate of her.

I gave a faint smile. "You've had a busy night, Zoey."

The summit finally began amidst a buzz of anticipation. The hosts invited various prominent figures to the stage in order of seniority. Several of them were legends I had only ever seen in the news, and their insights were truly enlightening.

"Wasn't that your speech, Selena?" Zoey gasped, her eyes darting to the terrified waiter before locking onto me. "Without your notes, how are you going to present?"

The waiter shot a pitiful look at Zoey, his lips trembling, before looking back at me in panic. "I am so sorry, this is all my fault..."

The very next second, the host called my name over the microphone.

It was my turn to take the stage.

I stared down at the ruined, dripping mess of paper in my hands, then looked up at the podium, my mind racing in total panic.

"Selena, should I go ask Ferris? Maybe he can get them to cancel..."

"No need," I interrupted, gripping the soggy paper tightly. I forced my voice to stay level. "I'm going to do this."