The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 225

I walked up to the podium under the scrutinizing gaze of the entire ballroom.

Just as Dr. York had said, with my current lack of seniority, I had no right to be sitting in the same room as these highly accomplished industry titans.

To make matters worse, my speech had been destroyed at the absolute worst possible moment.

It meant that earning the respect and approval of this crowd was going to be a thousand times harder than I had anticipated.

I was risking total public humiliation.

I could disgrace Capital General and validate every bit of prejudice and hostility these people held against me.

Stepping down would have been the safer choice. It would have saved my dignity. But I refused. Selena Hayes was no coward.

So, despite knowing the mountain I had to climb, I stood at that podium without a shred of hesitation.

Looking out at the sea of questioning, disdainful, curious, and bewildered eyes, I took a deep breath and began my two-minute presentation. "When we wake a patient's brain during surgery, the greatest danger isn't technical error, but arrogance toward pain..."

It was a strange sensation. Even though my notes were a ruined mess, the moment I started speaking to the audience, the words just flowed. I barely stumbled. The verified data and research points flashed across my mind like a projector screen. The more I spoke, the more energized and passionate I became. What I thought would be an agonizing two minutes flew by before I even realized it.

When I finished, I gave a deep, respectful bow. The entire ballroom was dead silent.

I let out a quiet, internal sigh, unable to hide the crushing disappointment in my chest. But just as I turned to step off the stage, thunderous applause suddenly erupted around me.

I snapped my head up in shock, looking into the eyes of my peers. For the first time, I saw genuine respect and validation.

She stuttered through the fake compliment.

The bitter disappointment in her eyes was impossible to hide.

I offered a polite thanks and quietly looked away. My eyes drifted toward the VIP table, and by total coincidence, locked onto Ferris's gaze.

The moment our eyes met, he immediately looked away, his expression laced with cold impatience.

I figured he hadn't been looking at me anyway. He was likely checking on Zoey.

The girl had always been fiercely competitive and proud. Having to sit through my triumphant moment probably felt like torture to her.