Ella watched Lucien as he delivered his speech, noticing that he seemed a bit nervous. Normally, he appeared effortlessly confident in this kind of situation.

Was it the pressure of going on stage right after Eden that got to him?

It was true that, despite the public's perceptions of the two men, Lucien was somewhat inferior to Eden when they were compared side-by-side. Especially with Eden putting his best foot forward like he just did.

Even in her past life, Ella watched Eden rise to fame, knowing full well Lucien would never be able to match him. She even provided her husband with a lot of help, and there were probably several other people supporting Lucien from the sidelines. Still, in spite of all of that backing, Lucien was still outdone by Eden time and time again. He was far from being considered his equal.

"I kinda feel like… Lucien's speech fell flat. Compared to Eden's, at least," Cendy remarked while gazing at the TV screen. The girl who had been chatting with Cendy earlier didn't dare to interrupt, knowing that Lucien was Ella's fiancé and they were about to get married. It was risky to say anything negative about him in front of Ella.

Only Cendy could be so bold.

To the attendant's surprise, Ella didn't react to Cendy's comment about Lucien. If anything, it seemed like she agreed with Cendy's statement. Wasn't it rumored that Ella adored Lucien? Because it certainly didn't seem that way right now.

Ella had initially come to the VIP reception room to retrieve the crown, but now everyone's attention was captivated by the Outstanding Youth Awards. Five more nominees participated in the selection and delivered their live speeches. However, throughout the event, Eden's speech had truly overshadowed the rest. His presence and charisma had left everyone in awe, causing the subsequent speeches to pale in comparison.

Finally, all the speeches were said and done, and the panel of judges convened to select the winner. In Ella's previous life, it was Lucien who had won the honor, but this time…

Ella couldn't help but feel a little nervous as she watched the hostess take a card from the judges and begin to read from it.

The hostess smiled and said, "The results of the selection are in. After examining the contributions to society and the live speeches of the five incredible young men who participated in this nomination, the winner is..."

The tension in the room was palpable. The attendant was nervously watching the screen, her hands folded in anticipation. It wasn't just her; Ella too felt a bit nervous at that moment. She wondered if everything that had happened in her previous life was about to change from this moment onwards.

Amidst the suspenseful silence, the hostess withheld the answer for what felt like an eternity. Then, finally, she announced, "Lucien Williams!"

The entire room erupted in loud applause. The camera panned to Lucien, and Ella could still see a flash of nervousness on his face before he quickly composed himself, displaying his usual gentle and composed demeanor. He humbly bowed to the panel of judges and the audience, exuding an air of modest refinement.

Pretending to be a decent person came so easily to him…

"Lame," Cendy expressed her disappointment, "I kind of expected him to win anyway. It's boring when there's no surprise."

"I thought Eden was better…" the attendant murmured in a hushed tone, showing pity, but not daring to say too much, afraid of offending Ella.

Ella was lost in thought for a moment. She had hoped that with a second chance at life, she could change things, but despite her efforts, the outcome seemed to remain unchanged. She steadied her emotions with a deep breath, ready to get up and leave.

But at that moment, the host suddenly spoke again with great excitement, "And Eden Dillon! Congratulations to the two of you!"

Unexpectedly, the announcement of a tie was made. Lucien's smile on the screen instantly stiffened, clearly unable to hide the change in his emotions. However, the camera had already shifted to Eden's face. He seemed to be accepting the result quite openly.

From the moment he wasn't announced as the winner, he remained unchanged, wearing a light smile and not showing any reaction. And when he was announced as a winner, his demeanor remained calm and composed, exuding a striking confidence as if he had known all along that his victory was assured.

"This guy really knows how to work a stage!" Cendy couldn’t help but blurt out, acknowledging Eden's exceptional stage presence. Although she didn't particularly like him, she had to give credit where credit was due. Today's display by Eden was undeniably filled with eye-opening brilliance that was hard as hard to ignore as it was to accept. It was only natural for Cendy to be impressed.

"I told you Eden deserved to win," the attendant couldn't help but express her excitement, but quickly added, "Just as much as Lucien did, I mean," still cautious not to offend Ella.

Ella chuckled softly; Eden had managed to surprise her yet again. Turning to Cendy, she said, "Let's go."

"Aren't you going to finish watching them present the awards?" Cendy seemed reluctant to leave, still wanting to watch the rest of the ceremony.

Ella ignored Cendy's protest and instructed the staff, "Please have this crown delivered to my family's residence."

"Yes, Miss Ford," the attendant acknowledged.

Ella left the reception room, and Cendy followed closely, looking back a few times. In one of those glances, she saw both Eden and Lucien in the same frame on the TV screen.

Damn.

If Ella was really going to leave Lucien for someone, Eden was probably the best choice. He was easily lightyears ahead of Lucien in terms of appearances.

Cendy hurriedly chased after Ella and got into her small car. Once inside, she started talking non-stop about Eden with unusual excitement, even though Ella didn't respond to her chatter.

"I'm meeting Winston for lunch," Ella suddenly spoke up.

Cendy froze. "What did you just say?"

"I said I'm having lunch with Winston. We're going to Dorsia, that place you like," Ella repeated.

"Are you crazy?" Cendy exploded, her hair standing on end.

Ella chuckled lightly, "Why are you getting so worked up? Winston's back. Shouldn't you be welcoming him?"

"He's been back for half a month, and you're talking about welcoming him just now? Besides, since when have you guys been friends?"

"We grew up together. If that's not a friend, I don't know what is."

"You know full well that I hate him," Cendy replied, looking a little aggravated.

"Back then, I think you said you liked him," Ella teased, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Cendy's face instantly turned red, and she spoke with righteous indignation, "That was me being young and ignorant. Besides, I was 15 or 16 years old at that time–I didn't know what I was talking about. I used to think a fast heartbeat meant liking someone. In reality, I was just… mislabeling my anxiety. As soon as I met Bowen, I realized what love truly felt like."

"Is that right?" Ella smirked.

"Yes! Bowen and I are destined to be together. Unlike you and Lucien, Bowen and I are getting married and growing old together. So deal with it." Cendy declared confidently.