The Heiress He Underestimated novel Chapter 176

Chapter 176 Formidable

More laughter, lighter now. The mood was shifting from shock to fascination.

“What does your husband think of all this?” a fashion reporter called out, her voice tinged with gossipy gice.

Elera didn’t even blink. “My husband is currently recovering from a serious illness thanks to the treatment the protocols developed at Nethys Medical. I believe his exact words this morning were, ‘Go show them what formidable looks like.‘ He’s been incredibly supportive.” She glanced at Drakonius. “Sometimes annoyingly so.”

The crowd laughed again. Drakonius gave a small, elegant shrug from his seat, playing along.

For the next twenty minutes, Elera fielded questions with a combination of sharp intelligence and dry wit. She deflected the invasive ones, scattered the rude ones with facts, and charmed the rest. By the time she wrapped up, the energy in the room had completely transformed. The skepticism was gone, replaced by a kind of bewildered admiration.

As she left the stage to a final round of applause, she felt lightheaded. Not from fear, but from something else. Something like triumph.

Back in the green room, Clara engulfed her in a hug that nearly knocked her over.

*You were perfect! Did you see their faces? When you said ‘Celestine,‘ I think the guy from Reuters actually

choked on his coffee!”

“It went okay?” Elera asked, feeling suddenly unsure now that the adrenaline was fading.

Okay? Elera, you just became a business icon. A triple threat. A… whatever comes after triple. Quadruple? That’s not as catchy. We’ll work on the branding.” Clara released her, beaming. “The internet is already losing its mind. In a good way. Mostly.”

Drakonius entered the room then, moving more slowly than he’d left it. The effort of the morning was showing. But his eyes were bright.

‘Well done, Mrs. Vex,” he said quietly.

“Thank you, Mr. Vex.”

“The car is ready whenever you are,” Frost said from the doorway. “There’s a bit of a crowd at the private exit, but we can handle it.”

“Give us a minute,” Drakonius said, not taking his eyes off Elera.

Clara and Frost exchanged a look and slipped out, closing the door behind them.

“You’re exhausted.” Elera said, stepping closer. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“And miss history? Not a chance.” He reached out and took her hand. His fingers were warm, the tremor almost gone. “You were magnificent. I meant what I said. Formidable.”

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Chapter 176 Formidable

“You’re just saying that because you’re married to me.”

Finished

“I’m saying it because it’s true.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. The old–fashioned gesture, so at odds with the modern, high–tech room they were in, made her throat feel tight. “Now, can we please go home? I believe I was promised a serene afternoon of not being stressed, and I’ve already failed spectacularly.”

“Let’s go home.”

The internet, as Clara had predicted, did indeed lose its mind.

By the time their car reached the cliff house, #TripleThreat was trending globally. #Celestine Reveal was right behind it. Memes were born within minutes: photos of Elera from the gala photoshopped into a superhero costume, side–by–side comparisons of Celestine gowns and Raven Shadowmere book covers, a particularly ridiculous one of her face superimposed onto a Russian nesting doll with labels: “Author,” “Doctor,” “Fashion Queen.”

Her phone, which she had wisely left in the car, now had approximately nine thousand notifications. Clara had taken possession of it and was scrolling through, making delighted and horrified noises in equal

measure.

“Ooh, Vogue wants an exclusive. Obviously yes. Oh, ick, your father gave a comment to Page Six. He says he’s ‘bursting with pride‘ and ‘always supported her creative pursuits. What a weasel.”

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