Oops I Banged the CEO novel Chapter 181

But there was no way she’d let her win!

Yvonne drew in a shaky breath, standing tall at the podium. Her small hand, trembling on the edge of the lectern, clenched tightly into a fist as she tried to steady herself.

She opened her mouth to speak, but her nerves only grew stronger, her heart pounding so loudly that it seemed to echo in her head, drowning out everything else.

Desperately, she tried to calm herself, forcing her gaze away from the distant crowd and locking eyes with a man in the front row—legs crossed, expression unreadable.

The moment Marico saw Yvonne step onto the stage, his sharp eyes narrowed. He immediately turned to William beside him and said, voice low, “Go backstage and see what’s going on.”

William stood up at once and hurried off.

Sensing Yvonne’s anxiety, Marico began to clap.

In the otherwise silent conference hall, his applause rang out—loud, solitary, and determined.

Sitting right below the stage, he met her gaze with calm, steady eyes that somehow managed to be both penetrating and warm. The encouragement and quiet affection in his look were unmistakable, and he didn’t look away, not even for a second.

Others in the audience hesitated, but soon joined in, their applause swelling and filling the room.

Bolstered by this support, Yvonne managed a smile and began her introduction.

Her voice was bright and clear, sweet yet confident, and carried effortlessly through the speakers to every corner of the hall.

Her English was flawless. By the time she finished her self-introduction, the entire audience erupted into thunderous applause.

Glancing at her slides, Yvonne organized her thoughts as she spoke—thankfully, she’d helped out behind the scenes at major events before, and had paid close attention at the last company seminar.

She had a photographic memory and, back in college, had even competed in debate tournaments to sharpen her skills.

Even without a script, she delivered her presentation smoothly, explaining every point with ease.

For a second, her eyes lit up—until she realized they were tangled together in front of everyone.

Oh God. This was a disaster.

Her face drained of color, panic flooding her expression—she was even more horrified than when she’d nearly face-planted on stage. She scrambled to pull away, desperate to put some distance between them.

But Marico kept a firm grip on her arms, his brow furrowed with concern. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no, I’m fine!” Yvonne blurted, wishing she could leap away, but his hold was too strong—she couldn’t move.

She could feel the stunned, gossip-hungry stares of the backstage crew burning into her.

“Mr. Hamilton.” Linda’s voice was weak. She was seated on a chair off to the side, still waiting for the ambulance.

She’d been sure Yvonne would mess everything up, but instead, Yvonne had pulled through—impressively so—while Marico had stepped in to protect her in front of everyone.