The Tower Reversed: Back to 18 (Venus) novel Chapter 58

Chapter 58 The Judge

Watching the siblings interact, Darcy couldn’t help but sneak glances at Venus to see how she’d react.

(64)

Finished

At first, he’d assumed Venus was an adopted member of the Burns, but after having his secretary investigate last night, he found out she was actually their biological daughter who had grown up away from them.

The Burns had four sons, yet none of them cared for their real sister. Instead of cherishing her, they bullied and excluded her.

But her composed, detached expression showed she didn’t take the pair seriously at all, and Darcy finally exhaled quietly.

“Mr. Weston.”

Venus suddenly spoke up.

Darcy flashed her a bright grin. “Ms. Oracle, what is it?”

Venus turned toward him, smiling with open amusement. “The way you’ve been looking at me? You’re practically screaming thirst.”

Darcy was speecless.

If the judges’ table hadn’t been sitting in the dark, everyone would have seen the red rising to his face.

“Ms. Oracle, I apologize. That was inappropriate of me,” Darcy said at once.

Venus smiled faintly, then turned her attention back to the pair on stage.

At the moment, Josh stood beside Rayne, appearing a little overshadowed by Rayne’s flashier presence, and his outfit was nowhere near as polished as Rayne’s designer ensemble.

Rayne basked under the lights, every bit as arrogant as a peacock flaunting its feathers.

The final evaluation began. The judges would score them live, and whoever came out on top would serve as Zrebert’s image ambassador for the next decade.

Predictably, it unfolded just like before.

From the start, Rayne’s points outmatched Josh’s by a wide margin.

Josh only managed to narrow the gap slightly in the later stages with stronger performances.

In her previous life, Darcy had awarded the last ten points to Rayne, and Josh lost the ambassador spot by a

whisker.

This time, however, there was a new factor-Venus.

And Darcy, influenced by Venus.

They both sat there coolly, watching Rayne dominate the stage, talking endlessly about himself.

1/3

18:28 Tue, Jan 27 J M

Chapter 58 The Judge

Venus couldn’t resist and cut in, “Mr. Rayne, is this your personal fan meeting?”

64

Finished

The voice sounded somewhat familiar to Rayne, and he glanced toward the judges’ table. Because of the lighting, the panel remained hidden from view and would only be revealed at the end.

He didn’t think much of it. Venus wouldn’t have the státus to sit there. Putting on a practiced smile, he replied politely.

“Of course not. This is the selection for Zrebert’s ambassador.”

Venus didn’t bother humoring him. “If that’s the case, why are you showing off yourself from every angle like a rotating billboard?”

Hearing that, Rayne thought the voice resembled Venus’s, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He forced down his irritation and kept his pleasant tone.

“I think a city ambassador should project a strong image, distinctive charm, popularity, and influence. That’s how you elevate a city’s reputation. So presenting myself fits the goal perfectly. Does the judge have an issue

with that?”

By the end, his tone carried a faint edge.

Venus replied coolly, “Image, charm, and fame are fine, but where’s your professional ability?”

Rayne chuckled. “Sorry, judge, this is the first time anyone’s questioned my skills.

“I debuted at five and won Best Actor at 18-”

As he bragged about his achievements again, Venus’s voice stayed calm. “I meant, if you become Zrebert’s ambassador, what professional strengths do you bring to the job?

“Mr. Rayne, since you stepped on stage, all you’ve done is show yourself off. How much do you really know about Zrebert’s culture and heritage?”

Rayne froze briefly, then scrambled to answer, “Zrebert is a leading tourist city with over a thousand years of history. I mean, obviously I know that.”

Venus smirked.

She knew Rayne far too well.

He had a real gift for acting and had been in the spotlight since childhood.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify