The Pinnacle of Academic Symposium officially began, and a wave of applause swept through the venue like an incoming tide.

The host smiled as he addressed the audience. “The most anticipated moment of today’s Pinnacle of Academic Symposium is the first public appearance of Mr. Alvarez and Miss Genius C. I’m sure everyone has been eagerly awaiting the debut of this incredible genius girl.”

At his words, all eyes turned toward Adam and the empty seat beside him.

Someone in the audience called out, “We can’t wait any longer! Let the genius girl take the stage already!”

The host chuckled warmly. “Alright, then. Up next is the highly anticipated appearance of Miss Genius C, who will deliver the opening speech for the Pinnacle of Academic Symposium.”

The genius girl was about to appear. The noisy hall fell into a sudden, profound silence. Every breath was held, every gaze fixed on the stage.

Melody and her classmates, seated near Jean, leaned toward one another, whispering excitedly, “She’s coming! She’s finally coming!”

Sonia, Tracy, and Lucy had been searching for Celine since entering the venue, but hadn’t found her. Frustrated, they decided to stop looking and focus on the stage. After all, this was why they’d come. Their curiosity burned; they couldn’t wait to see this elusive genius girl.

Carly, however, felt only jealousy and malice. She sneered inwardly, “Let’s see what this so-called genius girl looks like. She’s probably hideous.”

Benjamin clutched his bouquet of red roses tightly; his palms were damp with sweat. Damn it. He, the infamous troublemaker of Mercity, was actually nervous.

“Adam, my goddess is about to take the stage!”

Adam didn’t respond. He simply lifted his eyes, his piercing gaze settling on the podium. Then, a slender, graceful figure emerged under the lights.

She wore a simple white blouse and a fitted black pencil skirt. The understated outfit hugged her frame, perfectly outlining her youthful yet elegant silhouette. Her jet-black hair was tied into a high ponytail; she wore no jewelry or accessories.

She moved from the shadows into the dazzling lights, her every movement exuding composure and poise. Reaching the podium, her bright eyes swept across the audience, taking in the sea of faces. Then, with a soft, composed smile, she introduced herself:

“Hello, everyone. My name is Celine Tate.”

Her clear, melodic voice carried through the microphone, ringing crisply in everyone’s ears.

Adam, who had been sitting back lazily, suddenly straightened. His gaze locked onto Celine and remained fixed. He was stunned. It was her? It was actually her! So, Celine Tate was Miss Genius C.

In the right section of the venue, Sonia and Tracy’s eyes widened in unison as they recognized the figure on stage. Their pupils contracted in shock.

“Celine?”

“Oh my God, Melody, look! It’s Celine!” one of the classmates exclaimed, tugging frantically at Melody’s sleeve.

Melody’s head snapped toward the stage. She froze, her jaw slack. Words failed her. Why was it Celine? Wasn’t she supposed to be the infamous “Goddess of Sleep”?

The most stunned, however, were Carly and Lucy. The moment Celine stepped onto the stage, both women shot up from their seats, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief.

“How could it be Celine? No way! She dropped out of school when she was sixteen!” Carly stammered.

Before Carly could say another word, murmurs began to ripple through the audience. The hushed voices were filled with admiration and awe.

“Wow, the genius girl has finally made her appearance. I heard she’s just like Mr. Alvarez; she aced her grades and earned dual master’s degrees from Hallard University at sixteen. That’s why she stopped going to school at sixteen.”

Carly’s breath hitched audibly. Her thoughts were in chaos. “So that was it. Celine had stopped going to school at sixteen, but the difference between ‘stopped going to school’ and ‘dropped out of school’ was astronomical.”

It turned out that Celine, like Adam, had graduated with dual master’s degrees by the age of sixteen. The rumors about her being the “Goddess of Sleep”? Fake. The claims that she had no education? Also fake. All this time, Celine was the genius girl everyone revered. And Adam’s mysterious Miss Genius C? She was Celine.