Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 384: Chapter 384

Many who had publicly humiliated Zoe now bitterly regretted it.
After all, even if their countries tried every means to win her over, she would never pledge allegiance to a nation that had once insulted her.
Zoe's face fell as more and more people stepped forward to expose her. She realized her true identity was about to be revealed.
Shawn stood quietly, watching Zoe's profile.
'Even now, Zoe still won't admit who she really is? Come on, I want to hear you say it—'Firefox',' he thought.
Zoe could feel Shawn's burning gaze fixed on her, but she couldn't utter a word. She wasn't ready to concede defeat in this psychological duel over her identity.
Just as Zoe was trying to figure out how to shut everyone up, a voice from the crowd suddenly called out, "Hey, are you Fox?"
Someone in the crowd exclaimed, "Wait, that Academician Peyton... Could it really be the legendary Academician Peyton I'm thinking of?"
"The only genius designer who could outshine Tobias... You couldn't possibly be Kestrel?" someone in the crowd blurted out.
As one jaw-dropping question after another was thrown out, the slower-witted members of the audience finally started putting the pieces together.
They were shocked and kind of scared. 'Could this seemingly ordinary girl really have so many secret identities? If that's true, then...' they thought.
"Are you Firefox?" Sure enough, someone in the crowd finally voiced what everyone was thinking.
Indeed, when it came to someone this extraordinarily talented and versatile, there was only one person everyone knew—Firefox, the Queen of Mercenaries, as well as the ruler of the Eminence Nexus.
Hearing someone ask that question, Sophia staggered back in panic and broke her high heel. She then nearly tumbled to the ground in embarrassment.
Rick was momentarily taken aback.
He pondered, 'If Zoe were just an ordinary girl, she would have lost her composure and made a fool of herself at such a high-profile event.
'But instead, she stood there calmly, unfazed by all the attention. Could it be she's truly no ordinary person?'
Rick swiftly turned to Sophia, his gaze sharp. "When you said she was connected to Firefox, did you already know something and keep it from me?"
Under Rick's relentless questioning, Sophia didn't dare reveal the truth.
'Zoe kept her identity hidden for so long. Why would she suddenly expose herself now? What should I do?' she thought anxiously.
"Rick, I swear I didn't! I just guessed she might be connected to Firefox. That's all. I really don't know anything else!" Sophia was so desperate to prove she wasn't lying that she nearly swore to God.
Seeing her reaction, the other Elders realized she wasn't lying and promptly lost their composure.
'If Zoe really is Firefox, how are we supposed to stop her? This is catastrophic!' they thought.
Everyone looked to Rick for help, but he was clueless. This whole mess was his fault, and he never knew Zoe was so important.
A persistent voice from the crowd pressed on. "Why won't you answer? Are you Firefox?"
At that moment, Shawn stepped forward and took Zoe's hand in his.
Zoe looked up at Shawn, anxiety flickering in her eyes. 'Has he already figured out who I really am? There's no way my cover will hold today. It's bound to be blown,' she thought.
Facing a barrage of questions from the crowd, Tobias raised his voice.
He said, "Everyone, be quiet! Who said she's Firefox? And who said she's Kestrel? Everyone knows Kestrel is always shrouded in mystery. What makes you think she'd show up in a place like this?"
With Tobias' explanation, the others seemed to snap out of their confusion.
"Everyone, you've got it wrong," James explained. "Academician Peyton is just an old friend of mine. We did some academic research together, but after she left suddenly, my project stalled. That's why I lost my cool."
Someone in the crowd retorted, "But the Academician Peyton we know is a genius pharmacologist."
James asked, "What's your name?"
The person replied, "Dolly."
James scanned the crowd. "How many people here are named Dolly?"
Several hands shot up right away.
James shrugged. "See? It's a common name. What's wrong with her being called Peyton?"
That left the person speechless.
"Surely Fox can't be fake too?" Someone challenged defiantly, still determined to expose Zoe's identity.
But at this moment, the President of the International Racing Association finally spoke up. "I merely said she's a racer I admire. If you'd seen her spectacular performance in that race, you'd understand why I'm so excited.
"She's truly exceptional. Maybe one day, she'll be the next Fox.
"Zoe, would you consider joining us? We guarantee you'll receive the best compensation package in the industry."
A leading scientist from the research institute pleaded, "No, Zoe, please join us instead! Our pharmaceutical research has recently hit a wall. If you come, I'm sure you could help us make groundbreaking advances that would benefit all humanity."
The representative from the International Elite Weapons Design Alliance cut in, shoving forward, "No way! All of you, quiet! She's the rising star we've got our eye on. There's no way we're letting you poach her."
The scene took a wild turn as several big shots went from clearing Zoe's name to publicly scrambling to recruit her.
The reversal was so jaw-dropping that the thousands-strong audience was left utterly stunned. Some were so overwhelmed that they actually fainted on the spot.
Those with stronger nerves couldn't help wondering, 'Who on earth is this girl? How does she have so many extraordinary skills? She's almost on par with Firefox already. Could she really become the next Firefox?'
When Zoe was a nobody, everyone looked down on her. But the moment they realized she was someone important, they couldn't wait to cozy up to her.
"Of course she's extraordinary. She's the woman who caught the eye of Shawn, the legendary warrior of Clusia!" someone in the crowd shouted admiringly.
Another chimed in, "I always thought Shawn would marry Firefox, but now I see a woman like her is far too dangerous. Honestly, this young lady by your side suits you much better, Shawn."
"Wrong! So what if she's from humble beginnings? Her talent rivals Firefox's!"
"Take a closer look," someone in the crowd remarked. "She does look like Firefox herself."
"What do you mean, 'like Firefox'? She's clearly on par with Firefox! Only Shawn is worthy of a girl like her. She's way out of our league."
Someone in the crowd exclaimed, "See? The moment I saw them together, I knew they were perfect for each other—a match made in heaven!"
After a flurry of lavish praise, everyone quickly got down to business, swarming around Zoe, each itching to recruit her for their country.
Sophia was fuming as she watched these brainless fools instantly buy into Zoe's act and rally behind her. It made her blood boil.
She shot Rick a pleading look, hoping to coax him into finding a way to drive a wedge between Zoe and Shawn.
However, Rick was no fool. Trying to force the two apart now would only make him the laughingstock of the world.
After all, marriage is a personal decision, and outsiders meddling too much would just make them look ridiculous. He couldn't afford that kind of humiliation.