Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 234: Chapter 234

Thinking of this, Gerald's expression softened. It made sense; he and his four brothers, along with Eunice, each had unique talents in their fields. But Zoe's extraordinary abilities were truly one-of-a-kind.
Maybe Zoe just hit the genetic jackpot. The more Gerald thought about it, the more curious he became about Zoe's true identity when she returned to the Evans family.
"Ah. It really is a young person's world now." Even Robert couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. "These days, it's all about the younger generation. Us old-timers? We're past our prime. This isn't our era anymore."
Just look at this new generation. So many hidden gems. Take legendary warrior Shawn and Zoe. They're absolute standouts among the youth, way ahead of us old relics.
Robert nodded and smiled, and Gerald even thought that the praise Sean and Charlie gave Zoe earlier wasn't nearly enough. Their little sister was way more impressive than they'd said.
He couldn't help blurting out with excitement. "Zoe, I'm going home right now to tell Mom and Dad you're the Chair of Marlowe Group! Seriously, the whole family's going to flip!"
At that moment, no one was paying Eunice any attention. Everyone's focus was on Zoe; nobody cared about Eunice, who was already starting to lose it.
Unable to stand seeing Zoe in the spotlight any longer, Eunice turned and ran off by herself, not even bothering to call out to Gerald or wait for him.
As the chaos finally settled and the shocked murmurs faded, Emmett turned to Zoe, asking in a gentlemanly but decisive tone, "Ms. Evans, since you took first place, who should we appoint as the CEO?"
Zoe was already the Chair of Marlowe Group, a position that outranked the CEO. It wouldn't make sense for her to take a step down and fill that role herself.
That wouldn't be a promotion. It'd actually be a demotion. That's why Emmett hesitated, but Zoe made her decision without missing a beat. "Give it to the runner-up."
The runner-up was Philip. He smiled and said, "Honestly, I'm not cut out for business, and my family's in commerce too. They'd never let me join Marlowe Group. To tell the truth, I only came here for a shot at joining Eminence Nexus."
Everyone here, after all, was mainly aiming for Eminence Nexus. Marlowe Group was great, but compared to Eminence Nexus, it just wasn't in the same league. Since Philip decided to pass, the offer naturally went to the next in line.
Eunice had an off day and didn't even make it to third place, so she missed her chance at becoming Marlowe Group's CEO. In the end, the spot went to an unknown student who finished third.
When the student suddenly found out he'd become Marlowe Group's CEO, he was so thrilled he nearly dropped to his knees in front of Zoe. "Ms. Evans, from now on, you're the only goddess in my heart!"
While everyone else looked at the lucky student with envy, the atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by a phone call. Moments later, someone claiming to be from Eminence Nexus walked into the hall with an invitation letter in hand.
Everyone was stunned by this person's presence. After all, anyone from Eminence Nexus was a genius among geniuses, and it was only natural for their aura to leave people in awe.
Apparently, this person was a new recruit working on the periphery of Eminence Nexus and didn't recognize Zoe. Still, he walked up to her, smiled respectfully, and said, "The winner will receive an invitation to join Eminence Nexus. That's you, Ms. Evans. Please accept it."
Another invitation from Eminence Nexus. Under the envious stares of everyone around, Zoe reached out to take the invitation, though she couldn't help but frown a little.
To everyone else, an invitation from Eminence Nexus was the stuff of dreams, but to her, it was like a hot potato. She didn't want it at all. In fact, she'd rather just toss it away.
Because what was a golden ticket for others was basically useless in Zoe's hands. She could get as many as she wanted, so it meant nothing to her.
So, right in front of everyone, Zoe casually handed the invitation over to Gerald.
"Uh, Zoe, what are you doing?" Gerald looked a little lost.
But before he could say more, Zoe's next words left him completely stunned. "Here, Gerald. I'm giving you this invitation as a little gift for our first real meeting."
Gerald was frozen on the spot, like he just couldn't wrap his head around what Zoe was doing. His voice even started to shake. "I-I. What? Zoe, you mean you're giving me the Eminence Nexus invitation? Are you for real?
"This is the Eminence Nexus invitation! With this, you can join them and become one of their own."
Getting into Eminence Nexus, especially at their age, was the lifelong dream of all five Evans brothers. And now, Zoe was just handing it to him.
Gerald, with his straightforward nature, didn't immediately accept the gift. Instead, he advised Zoe seriously, "Zoe, calm down first. This isn't a small matter. Although I want this spot too, your abilities surpass mine. Only you deserve this invitation.
"Joining the Eminence Nexus will open doors for you that I could never reach. You need this more than I do."
He made it clear how much he cared about the invitation. He'd come here for it, after all. But he also knew it wasn't his to take, so he couldn't just claim it for himself.
"Oh, Gerald doesn't want it?" Zoe raised an eyebrow. She casually toyed with the invitation, which others considered valuable, and pretended to discard it. "If you don't want it, then I'll throw it away. It's useless to me anyway."
The students from Highcrest University felt like they'd just been slapped in the face. This was the second time now. Zoe got an invitation to the Eminence Nexus, only to treat it like trash.
'What kind of monster is Zoe? Since when did an Eminence Nexus invitation become so worthless that you can just hand it out like a party favor? Zoe is really showing off now,' they thought.
"Zoe, if Gerald doesn't want it, give it to me!"
"No, give it to me!"
"Zoe, I'll pay for it!"
"Zoe, I'll be your sidekick—just let me have the invitation!"
When Gerald didn't want it, the students started shouting shamelessly, all trying to get the invitation from Zoe. Seeing this, Gerald couldn't just sit there anymore.
Realizing Zoe truly didn't care about the invitation, Gerald quickly snatched it, clutching it like it was the most precious thing in the world. "Forget it, she's my sister. If she really doesn't want it, then it's mine now. None of you are getting it."