When His Perfect Mask Shattered I Awoke (Anneliese and Zacharias) novel Chapter 698

He stood there for a long moment before he closed his eyes, composed himself, then opened them again with a resigned sigh.

"You're driving me crazy. Are you even going to the competition or not?"

She was so good at making him lose his resolve. All he wanted now was to take her home, show her how much he loved her, and ignore everything else.

"Of course I'm going! Hurry up and get to work. Honey, thank you for driving me here."

Anneliese caught the look in his eyes and felt a little spooked, like a rabbit sensing danger.

She quickly slipped her hand out of his and took a small step back, waving at him.

Jonathan didn't tease her any further. He just nodded. "I'll watch the livestream. Good luck, honey."

Anneliese waved at him, then turned toward Oceaton University's main gym where the competition was held.

She reached the check-in point for competitors at the gym's entrance and gave her name and ID.

She didn't expect the staff to frown after checking her info on the computer. He glanced at another male supervisor and started whispering.

Anneliese sensed something was wrong. "Is there a problem?"

The supervisor looked up and handed her back her ID and entry slip. "There's no record of your registration in our system. We can't let you in."

"That's impossible." Anneliese frowned and held out her digital confirmation. "I have my registration receipt right here. How could there not be a record?"

She repeated her personal and lab information. "Please double-check."

The staff checked again and shook their head. "Still nothing. The event's about to start. Please step aside so other participants can check in."

The supervisor shoved her ID back at her and motioned for her to move on.

The sudden chill in her tone and sharp glare gave her the same intimidating vibe Jonathan had. People nearby stopped to watch, and the supervisor flinched, his voice faltering.

"We… we're just following the rules, you…"

Just then, a familiar, rather annoying voice cut in behind her.

"What's going on? Why's the entrance all blocked up?"

Anneliese turned to see Gianna in a white business suit, with Pepper by her side in a matching outfit and a ruby necklace.

Gianna spotted her and feigned surprise. "Anneliese?"

The supervisor immediately came out from behind the computer. "Ms. Malone, here's your number. Please head in. This problem will be sorted out soon; don't let it affect your mood or your focus. You've got this, Ms. Malone—first place is yours for sure."