Chapter 114

Jayceon's voice rang out, steady and clear."We see nothing wrong with Serena. Our sponsorship remains,no matter what."

A stunned hush swept through the meeting room.

Spectators who'd been expecting Charles to squirm were left completely dumbfounded.

Charles' two brothers cast uneasy glances in Jayceon's direction, brows furrowed in surprise.

Oakley couldn't hold back. "Are you sure about this,Jayceon? Did you even run it by Myron?"

That jolted Charles from his shock. He shot Oakley a warning glare. "Enough! He's speaking. Keep quiet!"

Oakley bristled, his battered face tight with irritation,ready to fire back.

Jayceon cut the tension, already growing impatient."Let's not drag this out. I know exactly what I'm saying The Elliott family stands behind Serena, so there's no reason for her to drop out. And honestly, we put money behind this campaign exactly because we saw her potentials. If she's gone, what happens to our money?"

Across the table, Reuben Evans exchanged a look with his associate, who finally voiced what others were thinking. "You're a huge Serena fan as far as we know,Mr. Elliott,but business isn't about personal favorites.Don't think you can steamroll your brother."

Frustration boiled over. Jayceon's hand smacked the table.

"Excuse me? You think I'm acting on my own, ignoring my brother's opinion?" He rose, commanding the room's attention. "Tell you what! All three of us discussed this. Our families are in agreement!"

His eyes scanned the assembly, defiant. "And yes, 1admire Serena. I'll say it straight-I stand by her, and so does the entire Elliott family. She stays in the competition,our partnership continues, and we'll keep backing her growth. But if she leaves, we're out, no matter how much hype Heavenly Melody gets!"

That left no room for doubt.

Despite Serena's absence, Heavenly Melody was still trending, with plenty of commercial interest riding on the other contestants.

Among the judges, Alex had quickly become a standout.

Charles found himself speechless, but kept his thoughts to himself for now.

The room's energy shifted again as theWatson Group representative rapped the table. "Mr. Watson sent me today. Our stance is clear-Serena isn't leaving, and Watson Group fully supports her."

That declaration sent a ripple through the crowd.

Suddenly,speculation replaced shock.

In Crobert, real power belonged to three giants: Watson Group, Evans Group, and Elliott Group.It was no secret that the Evans brothers were fighting each other, and while Charles stood with Serena,his brothers refused to align.

Now,with the Elliott family publicly in Serena's corner and Watson Group showing no opposition, the balance of power was shifting.

Clearly, there was more going on beneath the surface than anyone had guessed.

The Watson Group's representative wasn't finished."One more message from Mr. Watson," he announced."If any sponsors decide to pull out over this, Watson Group will pick up every share they drop."

Jayceon shot up in protest. "Hey, that's my line! Myron made it clear, the Elliott Group is in too!"

A competitive spark lit his eyes. "Throw every available share our way. We're ready to take on the lot!"

This declaration sent a ripple of unease through the investor reps. Phones lit up across the table as everyone scrambled to check with their home offices,searching for guidance or some hidden piece of the puzzle.

Initially, the Elliott Group hadn't backed the competition in the first three rounds. Their attention on Serena only intensified during the latest stage.

The big question: what changed in round three?Serena's fame had skyrocketed; her talent was plain for all to see.

The conclusion was simple-her commercial potential had caught the Elliott Group's eye. Jayceon's personal admiration likely played a smaller part.

When it came to Brandon, no one believed it had anything to do with being love-struck over Serena. It was clear to everyone he sponsored the show for Vivian's sake, and besides, Serena was Charles 'girlfriend. That just didn't make sense.

Meanwhile, Watson Group's rep looked determined to scoop up any dropped shares.

All signs pointed to a simple truth: both companies saw value in Serena and Heavenly Melody that went beyond surface hype.

With some thought, the logic became clear.

The potential tied up in Serena and the show was bigger than most could see right now. Something was happening behind the scenes, something only a few understood.

Any talk of Serena dropping out vanished. The possibility of forfeited shares disappeared too. The game would go on, unchanged for now.

Still, an air of mystery lingered over the gathering.

Who exactly was Serena, that three corporate giants in town were practically all fighting to keep her? What secret did she hide behind her mask?

Charles scanned the room, sharp-eyed and restless.

Just like that, the whole argument had fizzled out.

Later, at Evans Entertainment, Charles was nearly doubled over with laughter, hand pounding the desk.

"You had to see my brothers' faces! Like they'd just swallowed a mouthful of nails. Bet they spent days lining up allies, but when it mattered, everyone turned their backs. All their careful favors meant nothing.The whole thing was a rush!"

While Charles reveled in the moment, Millie sat quietly,lost in her own thoughts.

There was something deeper going on. She could understand the Elliott family's earlier moves, but this time, she couldn't explain their fierce defense of Serena.Why fight so hard for someone whose identity they didn't even know?

Puzzlement gnawed at Millie.

Also,what was driving Brandon's actions? His motives made less sense by the day.

He had been the first to champion Vivian, spreading the word and making her the focus. Now,unexpectedly, he was the one ensuring Serena stayed in the running.

Unable to keep her questions bottled up, Millie gave voice to her doubts.

Wiping away tears of laughter, Charles met her gaze with a knowing nod.

"I've been just as baffled, to be honest," he admitted,reaching for a folder and laying it between them. "But take a look-l managed to get my hands on something just before I got here."

The papers slid across the table to Millie.

A quick scan revealed details that echoed the strategy Millie had outlined the previous night, her plan for countering Vivian's moves.

A furrow creased her brow. "Was there a problem? Did they reject it?"

Charles shook his head, eyes serious now. "Watson Group actually submitted this to the authorities before we did."

What?

Surprise flickered in Millie's eyes.

"Our people tried to hand in the report this morning,but they were told Watson Group had already staked their claim on the show." Charles tapped the file for emphasis. "One of our contacts from the inside managed to get a copy. It's just a piece of the Watson Group's larger plan. Plus, there's more going on behind the scenes. What we've heard is, the show isn't in danger of being axed for now."

Each new detail only made Millie's frown deepen.None of it added up.

Charles leaned back, lost in thought. "Honestly,I used to think Brandon was just being difficult; almost seemed like he was sabotaging himself. But then another piece fell into place."

He handed her a second document.

"After the third live show, Brandon's team reached out with an offer-compensation for Eva's silence.But the truth was, they just wanted her to keep quiet about the fact that Vivian didn't actually write Glimmer of Love." Charles shrugged. "I refused, of course. Maybe this time around, he's just brokering deals."

A half-smile then played at Charles' lips."Or maybe it's just guilt-maybe he feels he owes you, after everything that's happened."