Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 80: Chapter 80

"What? No way! The deal was supposed to be dead—how did it end up going through?" Eunice was completely dumbfounded.
She couldn't believe it. Even the four judges misjudged the situation. Yet somehow, Zoe actually guessed it right. 'Does Zoe have some kind of fortune-telling ability or something?' Eunice started to wonder.
Laura, the host, quickly stepped in to lighten the mood, her voice brimming with excitement. "What an incredible twist! A deal that seemed completely broken has somehow been finalized.
"And now, it looks like Zoe is the only contestant advancing in this round. With no competitors left, she's directly moving on to the championship!
"Wow! This has to be the most mind-blowing competition result I've ever seen! Zoe, how did you figure out that this merger would succeed?"
As the host turned the spotlight on Zoe, all the cameras zoomed in on her.
Not just the audience, but even the four overly confident judges were eager to know how Zoe had managed to predict the outcome of a merger they had all dismissed as impossible.
"Fake news," Zoe said calmly.
The room fell silent, everyone too stunned to react.
Zoe continued, her tone steady and composed, "Corporate mergers aren't as straightforward as you might think. Big companies often spread false information to mislead competitors and secure deals at lower prices.
"If I'm not mistaken, they had already identified the target company's weak spot. By waiting until the other side was on the verge of collapse, they forced them to sign the contract at a bargain price."
The audience struggled to believe it. They didn't think a deal that had failed at the initial offer could suddenly succeed at an even lower price.
One of the judges, Chloe, quickly made a call to verify the details. After hearing the explanation, she turned to Zoe, her face a mix of shock and admiration. "She's spot on. Every single detail matches exactly."
"What?" The other three judges stared at Chloe in disbelief.
Chloe elaborated, "I just spoke to a friend involved in the merger. He confirmed they acquired the company at a price 20% lower than the initial offer."
"No way!" The three judges were stunned, and the audience erupted in gasps.
Eunice, meanwhile, felt her world spinning. 'What the heck is going on?' she asked herself.
Chloe added, "They had insider knowledge of the target company's financial crisis. If the deal had been delayed any longer, the company would've been forced to declare bankruptcy. So, even at a reduced price, they had no choice but to sign."
Chloe glanced at Zoe. She wouldn't dare underestimate the girl again.
The room fell silent. If her first win could be attributed to luck, her second victory was undeniable proof of her skill. Zoe had outperformed everyone, even the judges. With such a commanding performance, she was the only one left to advance.
The third round of the competition was canceled outright, and Zoe was crowned champion.
"Zoe, you're incredible! Congratulations!" Mandy exclaimed as she ran over and hugged Zoe, genuinely thrilled for her friend.
But Zoe didn't seem to care about the championship at all.
Soon, executives from major companies swarmed around Zoe, eager to connect with her.
"Zoe, have you considered joining a top-tier company?" one asked.
"We can get your onboarding process started immediately," another offered.
"Come work for us! We offer the best benefits and a salary that'll exceed your expectations," someone else chimed in.
While everyone was busy fighting over Zoe, the business prodigy, she basked in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Eunice was left standing in the background, feeling like nothing more than a supporting character.
Eunice was consumed with jealousy and rage. 'Why Zoe? Of all people, why her? If it was anyone else, I wouldn't have been this furious. But Zoe? It's infuriating,' she thought.
To keep her anger from eating her alive, Eunice discreetly pulled out her phone and sent a chilling message: [When are you going to kill her for me?]
The reply came almost immediately: [Now.]
Eunice felt a twisted sense of relief, as if the suffocating weight in her chest had finally been lifted.
She turned her icy gaze toward Zoe, her eyes glinting with malice. 'Enjoy your moment, Zoe,' she thought darkly. 'Soon, you'll be nothing but a lifeless corpse, and you'll never have the chance to flaunt in front of me again.'
Eunice was lost in thought, imagining how the hitman would take out Zoe, when suddenly, a massive chandelier above Zoe broke loose and came crashing down. Its target was unmistakably Zoe, who was standing directly beneath it.
Eunice's pupils shrank, her fingers gripping the hem of her dress tightly. 'Zoe's done for,' she thought.
Zoe didn't bother looking up, but her ears twitched slightly. She had already sensed the danger.
With her skills, escaping the falling chandelier would've been a piece of cake. But when her gaze landed on Shawn standing nearby, she abruptly changed her mind.
She couldn't afford to reveal her true abilities in front of Shawn. After all, she still had her assassination mission to complete. If she exposed herself now, everything she'd worked for would go up in smoke.
So, Zoe deliberately let out a sharp scream and pretended to be terrified.
The moment Shawn heard Zoe's scream, his body moved faster than his mind.
Seeing the chandelier plummeting toward Zoe, Shawn didn't hesitate. In a flash, he was at her side, scooping her up and rolling them both out of harm's way.
The deafening crash of the chandelier hitting the ground left everyone in the room stunned.
Zoe found herself nestled in Shawn's arms, feeling rather pleased with the outcome. After all, having someone risk their life to save her—and even serve as her human cushion—was far more convenient than dodging the danger herself.
"Get up," Shawn said, his voice rough and hoarse.
Noticing the odd tone in his voice, Zoe glanced at Shawn and saw that his face was slightly flushed.
'What? Did the mighty Mr. Ludwig get flustered just from saving me?' she wondered, only to freeze as she realized that her hand was resting on a particularly sensitive spot of Shawn's.