From His Silent Bride to the Queen of Comebacks

Henry frowned and glanced over, instantly spotting Lydia.

He shot up from his seat right away.

"Henry?" Clara looked over at him in surprise, then followed his gaze-and her expression instantly darkened. "Why is she here again?!"

What the hell were those security guys doing? They couldn't even keep a girl like Lydia out!?

Fuming, her chest lightly heaving, she was just about to call someone over to drag Lydia out when Lydia had already stepped onto the stage.

The host froze for a second, not stopping her at all, just standing there as Lydia calmly placed her robot down.

Lydia quickly scanned the audience, then lightly tapped a command. The robot's voice rang out, saying exactly what she wanted to say.

"Wait a sec! The contest isn't over yet-I haven't had my turn!"

Her eyes were filled with determination. Some staff started hurrying over, but Lydia didn't flinch. She kept her focus and continued manipulating the robot.

"My robot can analyze substances in the human body. For example..."

The robot turned to face Charles, following her prompt.

"I can tell exactly what you ate yesterday, and list out every ingredient, down to the meds you took."

Then, right on cue, the robot began listing everything Charles had eaten the day before, including the medications and their chemical components-down to the last detail.

For a moment, everyone turned to look at Charles.

And then-total silence.

A beat later, a crisp round of applause broke out.

Charles stood up, clapping as he looked at Lydia. "Brilliant! Your analysis is spot on, and the idea is fascinating! I'll admit, I thought this year's contest was gonna be another disappointment. But Miss Abbott, you proved me wrong. I officially declare Lydia the winner of this year's science competition!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Henry, who was about to walk up and pull Lydia off the stage earlier, paused, stunned.

So she actually managed to create something this impressive?

Thinking back to how he just tossed that thing aside not long ago, he felt a twinge of regret.

Lydia stood there, dazed by the thunderous applause.

It took her a moment to process everything. Her mouth opened just a bit, and then-tears started falling without her even realizing.

"Did I... actually do it? I really did it! Ten whole years of hard work, all finally paying off. So this is what recognition feels like-it's amazing." She thought to herself.

Lydia was so happy she almost jumped up in excitement.

This was her moment. Just hers.

Charles walked up to the stage and personally handed her the award.At that moment, Charles finally realized that Lydia was the same girl he'd seen at the hospital the day before.

Looking at this kind-hearted and talented young woman, he couldn't help but grow more fond of her with every passing second.

He sighed sincerely, "Kid, you're amazing. Your parents must've been so proud of you."

Lydia's eyes welled up at the mention of her late parents.

-Thank you.

Even though he probably didn't get what she was truly feeling, Lydia still wanted to express her gratitude.

As Charles kept singing Lydia's praises, Clara's face darkened with jealousy and panic started creeping up on her.

What was going on with her dad? He literally just met this girl!

Could he be... recognizing her?!

No way. She had to put a stop to this before things spiraled.

If he somehow found out that Lydia was actually his biological daughter...

Then what happened all those years ago at the orphanage would come out. No more secrets.

Feeling the urgency rise, Clara rushed onto the stage and clung to Charles's arm, whining, "Daddy, okay, the competition's over and it's super crowded here. You're not feeling well, remember? Let's go home."

Charles gave Lydia a few more encouraging words and followed Clara offstage.

As they walked away, Clara shot Lydia a glare sharper than a knife.

That wretched girl. She just wouldn't stay gone.

Clara had actually thought Lydia died in that accident years back.

But no-Lydia had not only survived, she even ended up becoming part of Henry's family.

Clara had already felt uneasy when she ran into Lydia at the Lawsons'.

Who would've thought someone who had vanished for over a decade would suddenly pop up there?

Back then, she didn't dare believe her eyes.

But after seeing Lydia's reaction to that necklace at the hospital yesterday, Clara was sure of it. Lydia was that "Seven" from the orphanage. She hadn't been mistaken.

Good thing Henry clearly wasn't fond of Lydia ever since that car accident.

So Clara figured she still had the upper hand, enough to act all high and mighty in front of her.

But now her dad had only met Lydia once and already thought so highly of her...

No way. She couldn't let this girl stay.

That thought alone made Clara's eyes grow darker, her heart full of brewing malice.

Lydia, meanwhile, found Clara's hostility puzzling, though she didn't dwell on it.

What really caught her off guard was Charles, someone who felt so warm and sincere, was actually Clara's dad?

Somehow, watching the two of them leave, Lydia felt a weird emptiness settle in her chest.

She couldn't explain it, but when she looked at Charles, there was this strange sense of familiarity... almost like home.

And she had no idea why.