"She's got such a powerful background!" "Yeah, but she hasn't shown up for ages. There's no way she can pass the exam now. She's probably just here to make an appearance and pull some strings later." A few interns nodded in agreement. None of them believed Athena could pass on her own. They all assumed she'd use her connections. Athena overheard the whispers but didn't care. She knew soon enough she'd prove them wrong. The assessment began. Each intern entered their assigned exam room. Time ticked by. Those who finished early could leave once they were done. Judges would score their performance, and only the ones who passed would be certified. It was an internationally recognized exam. With the results, candidates could apply to hospitals anywhere. The better the score, the better the hospital they could join. When the first candidate came out of the exam room, she was stunned to see Athena already waiting outside. More candidates finished and joined the group. Quickly, everyone realized Athena had been the first to complete her test. The same people who had mocked her earlier exchanged smug looks. "See? Told you she'd just breeze through it for show. Her score's probably terrible. She'll get in through her connections anyway." Moments later, the examiner stepped forward. "Everyone's finished. Now, the final results ... " When Athena's perfect score was announced, the entire room fell silent. No one could believe their ears. "What? Athena got first place?" Someone gasped in disbelief. The examiner frowned and stated, "The assessment was conducted by several distinguished professors, all highly respected in the field. Every session was recorded. All videos will be released soon. If you still have doubts, feel free to file a complaint." That shut the person up immediately. The crowd's attitude shifted in an instant. Everyone began looking at Athena with newfound respect. A perfect score? No one had ever achieved that before. Was she really that amazing? Athena faced their curious stares with calm composure. There was no pride, no arrogance, just quiet confidence. She simply turned and walked away. Athena had done it. She'd passed the exam with a perfect score. Now, she could finally return to Vlephia. As she reached the door, her phone rang. It was a call from Kate. Athena answered quickly. "Athena, how did your assessment go?" Kate asked. Athena's tone was light and cheerful. "Professor, I passed with a perfect score." "That's wonderful!" Kate's voice was full of pride. "I knew you could do it. Even after all these years away, your skills haven't faded. I'm so proud of you." Athena's eyes sparkled. All her effort, every long hour and every struggle had been worth it. Kate continued, "I've lined up a patient for you. Once you're back in Vlephia, you can go straight into surgery." Hearing that, Athena's heart leapt with joy. Her luck was turning. She was going to win the bet with Maya.As soon as she hung up, a familiar car pulled up in front of her. Zaden's. He stopped the car and waited as she walked over. When Athena opened the passenger door, her breath caught. A large bouquet of red roses lay on the seat, vibrant and full, glowing with color. They were for her. "Congratulations on passing with a perfect score," Zaden said, smiling at Athena. Athena lifted her head and looked at him. "How do you even know I passed?" Zaden smirked mischievously, but he didn't answer. After a moment, Athena realized how silly her question was. With his status and connections, it would've been easy for him to find out her results. "Get in the car," Zaden said. "Let's go celebrate." Athena narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious. "Celebrate? You're not planning something sneaky, are you?" Zaden couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Mrs. Storm, what's wrong if I'm up to something? Would that be a problem?" She froze. Yeah, so what? He isn't wrong. We are legally married, after all. Even if he does have some intentions, I can't call it a problem. Athena clamped her mouth shut. She couldn't argue with that. Zaden stopped teasing her any further. He leaned closer and said softly, "Everyone's watching you. Shouldn't you introduce me?" Athena quickly glanced around.Sure enough, plenty of people were staring in her direction. After all, she had just aced the international exam with a perfect score. Of course everyone was looking. Athena didn't mind the attention, but she didn't like being the center of it either.