From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea ) novel Chapter 508

His voice was magnetic, deep and soothing, with a touch of huskiness from being purposefully lowered—a sound that seemed to resonate right through to the soul.

It left her breathless.

His hand rested gently at her waist, his palm radiating a subtle heat that seeped through the thin layer of her dress. Even so, she could feel the calluses at his fingertips—rough, yet oddly ticklish.

A shiver ran up her spine.

At that moment, Anthea was acutely aware of her own heartbeat, drumming loudly in her ears.

“Thank you,” she whispered, lifting her arms to wrap around him in a soft embrace.

A faint, rare smile curved at the corners of Sherman’s mouth.

That smile—

It was like spring returning to the earth, bringing everything back to life.

People watching the livestreamed ceremony couldn’t contain themselves, turning into armchair prophets one after another:

“If these two aren’t a thing, I’ll eat a shoe on camera!”

“Dad’s found a new pup outside the house…”

“Same here, something’s definitely up with those two—I bet they’ve been sneaking around forever.”

“Wait, is Dad about to get us a new stepmom?!”

“No, Dad, don’t! We don’t need a stepmom!”

“If there’s a new stepmom, there’ll be a new stepdad too… Dad doesn’t love us anymore!”

“I mean, I’m not a fan of stepmoms, but honestly, these two just look so good together.”

“Exactly! They’re perfect for each other!”

“Who’s the guest presenter anyway? Why didn’t the host give a proper introduction?”

“Yeah, that was weird! But hey, if she can show up at Tech Summit Global and hand out awards, our new stepmom can’t be just anybody.”

Rebecca sat in the audience, her jaw clenched so tight it might crack. Envy burned in her eyes, nearly spilling over.

If it weren’t for Anthea, she would be the one up there in Mr. Christensen’s arms right now.

That bitch!

Anthea, that conniving bitch.

“System! Where the hell are you?”

Rebecca was caught in a storm of jealousy and anxiety.

What if the system never came back? What if she’d lost it for good?

No. Impossible. She was the system’s host.

The system would come back.

It had to.

The awards ceremony wrapped up quickly.

Anthea stepped off the stage.

Despite being the youngest, she showed no sign of nerves. If anything, she seemed to command the room.

Even among all the experts, Anthea stood out with her presence and confidence.

“Dad is such a boss!”

“Dad is so cool!”

“What about the new stepmom?”

“@Raine, come out and explain—didn’t you say Dad is just part of a team?”

“Hey, lay off her. I checked, and her account just got banned by someone. Guess she couldn’t take the heat.”

“The livestream’s ending soon. I don’t want to say goodbye to Dad… or our new stepmom!”

Anthea attended the expo and then sat in on a roundtable with the experts.

She stood at the head of the table, speaking with poise and passion. The experts, many already in their fifties, scribbled notes like schoolchildren.

And somehow, it all felt completely natural.

By the time Anthea got back to her hotel, it was already past ten.

She headed straight for a shower.

Just as she stepped out, her phone buzzed with a message from Sherman: “Want to grab a late-night bite?”

Anthea quirked an eyebrow, teasing him: “Didn’t know monks ate midnight snacks.”

“Monks are people too. Besides, I’m no monk.”