Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 386: Chapter 386

"I hereby declare that Zoe is under full protection of the entire International Elite Weapons Design Alliance!" said Tobias.
James also began, "I hereby declare: anyone who dares to target Zoe again will be crossing not just me, but the entire research institute."
Another big shot announced, "I hereby declare that any nation that dares to target Ms. Zoe Evans will be permanently banned from all international racing competitions from now on."
The crowd gasped in shock.
The three powerful factions' bold declarations struck such fear into those whose vital interests were at stake that they were practically scrambling to silence themselves.
Seeing her support evaporate once more, and with so many people rallying behind Zoe, Sophia felt her hatred and resentment only intensify.
But she couldn't kill Zoe in public, so she had to keep up her act, pretending to be weak and pitiful. With teary eyes, she whimpered, "Shawn, I'm doing all this for your sake. Won't you even stand up for me?"
Shawn turned away, refusing to look at Sophia.
If it weren't for their childhood bond and the long-standing ties between the Ludwig and White families, Shawn would have exposed Sophia's true colors to the world long ago. Yet his restraint only emboldened her to push her luck even further.
Seeing Sophia about to cause more trouble, Shawn fixed his gaze on Rick. Though no words were exchanged, the warning in Shawn's eyes and his rapidly thinning patience made the gravity of the situation crystal clear to Rick.
Seeing that Shawn refused to acknowledge her, Sophia turned her anger toward Zoe and snapped, "Zoe, I won't let you steal him away from me!"
Just then, Rick seized her wrist and growled, "Enough! Do you want to make an even bigger fool of yourself? Since they're clearly in love, stop being so stubborn. Let it go."
Sophia was stunned. 'Why is Rick saying this? Didn't they send me here to finalize my engagement with Shawn?
'Now he's telling me to let go? Did they ever see me as a person? Or am I just like a dog that they can command at will to them?' Sophia thought bitterly.
Sophia's crush on Shawn failed. Zoe showed her up and ruined her reputation. Now Rick was dragging her away like some pathetic stray. She couldn't accept this injustice.
"I—" Before Sophia could protest, Rick clamped a hand over her mouth and forcibly shoved her toward the assembled Elders, who whisked her away fast.
With Sophia out of the picture, Zoe and Shawn were back to being the picture-perfect couple—simply meant to be together.
Rick, to act generous and lighten the awkward atmosphere to keep the other countries from laughing at them, Rick forced a smile and offered his blessings.
He said, "Shawn, honestly, if you'd just told us about your sweetheart, we wouldn't have made such a spectacle of ourselves. Look at this mess we're in."
"Rick, since this was merely a misunderstanding, let's consider the matter closed." Shawn's tone carried an unmistakable warning.
Rick forced a polite smile as he led the remaining people away, but beneath his composed exterior, rage burned fiercely within him.
'The Ludwig family is growing increasingly dismissive of the White family. All these years of kindness have made them think we're pushovers. Just wait until I get back. I'll make sure they learn their place,' Rick thought grimly.
The drama came to an end. Not daring to offend James and the others, the onlookers quickly dispersed, each heading off to enjoy the rest of the party in peace.
James and the other two men gathered around Zoe, seeming to have a million things to say. But seeing Shawn right beside her, they realized it wasn't the right moment.
Therefore, they simply asked for her contact information before politely taking their leave.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Shawn asked, his voice tight.