Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 482

Another judge jumped in, nodding eagerly. “Exactly. This system is next-level. If it ever goes public, those robots are going to sell out in seconds. Mr. Aldridge, you’re the top name in robotics—aren’t you even a little tempted?”

Andrew’s brow furrowed, a chill in his eyes that no one could read.

He didn’t bother with an explanation. His voice was calm, almost distant. “No one knows where the gold will go until the last contestant is up. Anything could happen.”

The judges exchanged looks, rolling their eyes just a little. No one missed the silent message between them.

He’s just putting on a show.

Everyone in the industry knew what the global AI scene looked like. Evelina’s AI system was miles ahead, practically untouchable. Who else could possibly compete?

The contest rolled on.

Just as everyone expected, the next dozen contestants were a letdown—average at best, some even thrown together at the last minute.

A couple had interesting ideas, but their systems were clunky, nowhere near as smooth.

After witnessing DUO in action, the judges and the crowd had lost their spark. Nothing else came close.

With each new demo, the judges grew more impatient.

“Alright, that’s enough. Next.”

“Nice idea, but the tech’s not there. Move on.”

They kept cutting people off, waving through presentations like they couldn’t see the point of watching any longer.

Soon it was contestant nineteen’s turn.

Which meant Emmy, number twenty, should’ve been backstage, getting ready.

But the prep area was still empty.

Danny was freaking out, pacing like crazy, stabbing at his phone screen so hard it was a miracle it hadn’t cracked.

“Emmy, where are you? Please, just text me back!”

Up in the stands, Teresa’s hands were clenched tight, her heart pounding in her chest.

It was almost noon.

The awards and patent ceremony were set for the afternoon. Time was running out, and the judges were clearly out of patience.

One judge glanced at Emmy’s file, didn’t even bother looking up, and sighed. “We all know how this is going to end. Let’s wrap it up.”

His neighbor leaned away from the table, turning to Andrew with a big grin. “Mr. Aldridge, I have to say, I’m blown away by Ms. White’s DUO. I’m planning to reach out to her about investing.”

He paused, half teasing, half serious. “If you’re not interested, just don’t fight me for it, alright?”

On the other side, Dean’s group was a picture of disappointment.

Some quietly folded up their “Emmy for the Win” banners, tucking them away.

One friend patted Dean’s shoulder, keeping his voice low. “Dean, maybe we should just go?”

“She’s not even here. No point in sitting here feeling worse.”

But just as he finished speaking—

A deafening roar suddenly filled the stadium, the unmistakable sound of helicopter blades slicing through the air.

Everyone’s head snapped up.

A moment later, the entire arena fell silent in shock.

A deep green military helicopter hovered above the soccer field, getting ready to land right in the center.

Even crazier, it looked like the staff had been tipped off. No one knew when, but they’d already cleared a huge space in the middle of the field and were waiting in a neat line, serious as could be.

Tens of thousands of people stared in disbelief as the helicopter landed with perfect precision. The door slowly swung open.

And then, everyone witnessed a moment they’d never forget.