The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 27

It was Ramona’s first time facing such a crowd, and no matter how she tried to steady herself, she couldn’t quite shake the nerves.

“Who is she, anyway? Shouldn’t the Covington Group send Holden or Mrs. Covington as their representative?”

“Haven’t you heard? She’s Benedict’s illegitimate daughter. Word is she lucked into inheriting a billion-dollar fortune.”

“Is the Covington family really out of options? Does she even know the first thing about business? And they’re letting her get up there and speak?”

“I heard the Covingtons are a mess right now. Imagine making some clueless outsider the heir—looks like the family’s done for…”

“Look at the way she’s dressed—probably thinks this is a fashion show, not a business summit…”

Whispers swirled through the room, growing louder by the second.

Ramona hesitated for a few moments, her mind blank as she stared at the microphone. The chatter only grew, threatening to swallow her whole.

Suddenly, a sharp burst of applause cut through the noise.

It was Yancey. He started clapping, his expression calm but encouraging. Others followed his lead, and soon the room was filled with scattered applause.

The sound snapped Ramona out of her daze. She took a steadying breath and glanced at the teleprompter in front of her—only to find the screen completely blank.

She realized instantly: someone was trying to sabotage her, hoping she’d make a fool of herself in front of the entire assembly.

As the applause faded, Ramona steadied herself. She didn’t hesitate and began her speech, her voice clear and confident. Her accent was flawless, and with just a few opening words, the gossip melted away into silence.

What the saboteur hadn’t known was that Ramona had majored in finance—and her curriculum demanded both public speaking and linguistic finesse. Back in university, Ramona had taken first place in impromptu speaking competitions every year. Most of her speeches had been on business analysis; she could talk circles around her classmates without a script, effortlessly weaving together facts and insights.

Unlike the previous speakers, who all relied on interpreters, Ramona took the stage solo, leaving the translator at the side with nothing to do.

Watching her, Yancey finally felt his anxiety melt away.

For five solid minutes, Ramona spoke with barely a pause for thought. Her delivery was smooth, witty, and strikingly professional, so much so that when she finished, the room was silent for a few heartbeats.

Then the applause erupted—loud, sustained, and genuine. Someone from the audience even called out words of praise.

No one had expected that the young outsider, dismissed as an amateur, would turn out to be such a hidden ace.

Maybe they’d been too quick to judge. How likely was it that Benedict would hand the Covington legacy to someone unworthy?

Ramona gave a graceful nod of thanks and stepped off the stage. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst out of her chest, but the adrenaline rush was exhilarating.

While speaking, all she could think about was watching Ethan’s live stream the night before. He and the other speakers had such command of the room, their humor and confidence contagious.

She hadn’t caught every word, but the determination in their eyes, their sheer presence, had left a mark. She’d tried her best to emulate that tonight—and it had worked.

“Ramona, you really surprised me,” Yancey said, approaching her after the speech. He knew she’d studied finance, but hadn’t realized her public speaking chops were this sharp. She hadn’t even needed her prepared notes.

Ramona gave a rueful smile and finally told Yancey what had happened with the blank screen.

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