The Return Of the Invincible Heiress
Chapter 301

Chapter 301: Chapter 301

In the dim light, Avery watched the organizer, the Messenger.

Their average build was hidden beneath a flowing black robe that concealed their hands and feet, making it impossible to determine their gender. What struck her was the tall, authoritative presence they commanded, exuding the calmness of a general ready to face any challenge.

From the top of the stairs, the Messenger scanned the gathered participants and spoke in a voice that had been altered to be indistinct.

"Welcome, everyone, to tonight’s gathering. As tradition dictates, please hand over your phones before we dive into our game. After that, pick a seat and help yourselves to your favorite desserts and drinks."

Avery shared a silent glance with Alexander before she handed her phone to a masked attendant.

The attendant placed their phones into clear plastic bags, sealing them with tape, and reminded them, "Remember the number on the seal. Just say it when you want your phone back."

Avery noted that the seal bore a lengthy 14-digit number. The attendant gave them only a brief look at it before swiftly taking the bags away.

It confirmed her thoughts: this gathering was solely for those sharp-minded.

She and Alexander exchanged another look before making their way to the round table.

As they walked, the "Baharia Lady" brushed past her, whispering, "Make sure you come in first and fulfill my request. I’ll reward you handsomely." Avery was here under the name Daniel.

Both she and Alexander had pinned on the brooch Zoe had given them. It was clear that the "Persian Lady," or Zoe, recognized them as her allies immediately. Avery merely nodded in response.

When she reached the table, she noticed that each seat was spaced 3 feet apart, and each had a number on the back. The only exception was the seat labeled "O," which had a 1.5-meter gap on either side and was the closest to the stairs. It was obvious that this spot was saved for the Messenger.

That wasn’t hard to guess.

The Messenger waited until everyone was seated before descending the stairs and taking the "O" seat. Their voice now carried a playful tone as they said,

"You’re all geniuses, and there are three reasons to be here: to play games with smart people, to win rewards, and for mutual benefit. Since your time is valuable, I won’t waste it any longer. Let’s get started."

An attendant placed a box on the table.

The Messenger continued,

"Inside this box are pure gold cards, each weighing 0.2 pounds.

Each card comes with a question. You’ll draw in order, and if you answer correctly, you keep the card. If you get it wrong, others can jump in, and the first correct answerer gets the card. Your performance will count towards your overall score."

Avery nodded slightly, impressed by how well the Messenger understood people.

Not every genius was wealthy, and this kind of reward would certainly entice many in the room. Sure enough, as soon as the Messenger finished speaking, some participants couldn’t contain their excitement.

The Messenger said, "We’ll start with the participant in seat number 1 on my left."

The attendant placed the box in front of the first participant.

They drew the first card and handed it over.

After reading it, the attendant announced,

"This question needs to be answered in the dark, so I’ll turn off the lights temporarily. Don’t worry, they’ll be back on shortly."

With that, the candles at the center of the table flickered out instantly.

Everyone was engulfed in darkness.

Avery suspected that the chandelier above was rigged with an automatic lighting system—no one had to light or extinguish candles manually.

The attendant announced,

"Here’s your question: How many people walked through the villa’s entrance earlier, and how many are seated at this round table? Exclude the Messenger, who’s in seat ’O.’ Seat 1, you have one minute to answer."

The person in seat 1 took a moment to think, about 20 or 30 seconds, then finally answered,

"There were 68 people who entered the villa, and 42 of them are seated here."

The attendant asked, "You still have time. Do you want to change your answer?"

Seat 1 responded confidently, "No, I’ll stick with it."

The attendant said, "I’m sorry, but that’s incorrect. Anyone else can answer now."

The moment those words were spoken, several buzzers lit up, only milliseconds apart.

The fastest one came from seat 35—Avery’s seat.

Without a second thought, Avery answered,

"There were 66 people who walked through the villa’s door, and 41 seated at the table."

The attendant confirmed, "That’s correct. This gold card is yours."

The chandelier above flickered back to life.

A few attendants walked over, placing the gold card from seat 1 into a small box in front of Avery.

Then the attendant turned to the next person,

"Seat 2, it’s your turn to draw a card."

Seat 2 pulled a card and read the question aloud:

"Do you believe in ghosts? What’s your reasoning for either believing or not believing? It’s an open-ended question, and others can share their opinions too. The most persuasive answer will be determined by a vote."

Seat 2 didn’t hesitate and shook their head.

"I don’t believe in ghosts. Ever since humanity’s been around, there have been countless stories about ghosts, but there’s no solid evidence proving they exist. Now, if I saw one myself or found some real proof, that would change my mind."

Immediately, someone jumped in,

"I do believe in ghosts, but not the creepy supernatural kind from myths. I think they’re just projections of beings from higher dimensions appearing in our world."

Another participant added,

"Ghosts could be real, but maybe they’re just leftover information from someone’s life, only showing up under rare circumstances."

Then someone chimed in confidently,

"I’ve seen a ghost myself, but you can’t catch them on camera."

The discussion turned into a full-blown debate, with these brilliant minds arguing back and forth for nearly fifteen minutes.

Avery and Alexander stayed quiet, just listening to the exchanges.

When it came time to vote, the majority agreed that seat 2 had the most reasonable answer, earning them a gold card.

Avery had voted for "don’t believe."

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