Chapter 141

Sunlight spilled through the window as Millie woke, greeted by a cloudless, brilliant sky.

She paused for a moment, taking in the crisp blue above the city, and gave a determined nod.

The weather itself seemed to promise good fortune.

Today marked the long-awaited finals.

From the crack of dawn, chaos reigned.

Elaborate costumes and intricate hairstyles meant hours of work, so Millie arrived at the designer's studio well before schedule, determined to get every detail right.

Once her look was perfected, she slid into the backseat of the sedan and headed for the Heavenly Melody finals venue.

But as they approached, Millie immediately sensed something off.

Before she'd even set foot out of the car, she spotted a dense crowd swelling outside the recording studio.The energy was electric-excited, noisy, maybe even tense.

From inside the vehicle, she could only catch snippets of sound, indistinct but urgent.

Barbara, ever practical, leaned forward and instructed the driver to pull over a little ways off. "Serena, wait here," she said calmly. "I'll go see what's going on."

With that, she slipped from the car, disappearing into the bustling crowd to investigate.

Barbara soon returned, her expression clouded with worry.

"Should we try to drive straight in?" she inquired, glancing anxiously at the driver.

A prickle of unease shot through Millie. She stualied Barbara, waiting for an explanation.

Barbara finally broke, lowering her voice. "There are protesters up ahead-holding signs, making a scene..."

She trailed off, but Millie didn't need the rest spelled out.

"We're not getting through that crowd. We'll have to come up with another plan," Millie replied, her tone decisive. "They've probably spotted our car already. If we push our way in and things get ugly..."

She left the warning unfinished. The implication hung in the air.

One wrong move, and the finals would slip right through their fingers.

Just then, another car rolled past. Vivian's face pressed to the window, her eyes glittering with mischief."What's the holdup? Scared now?" she sneered, a mischievous smile lighting her lips.

Barbara shot Vivian a venomous glare before getting in. She slammed the car door so hard the whole sedan shook.

Without missing a beat, Millie urged the driver to pull away at once.

Just as the car pulled away, a swarm of potesters surged to their former parking spot, shouting and waving signs.

"Damn it!" Barbara muttered a sharp curse when she spotted them in the mirror, instantly realizing Vivian had deliberately tipped them off.

Thank God they'd left in time-if they'd hesitated even a second longer, they would have been completely surrounded.

Barbara's lips curled into a sly grin. "Well, look at that," she drawled, leaning forward. "Vivian's little stunt actually played right.into our hands."

The uproar over here had drawn away nearly all the protesters, leaving the entrance to the recording studio wide open.

Their sedan coasted effortlessly through the gate, slipping past the chaos and pulling up next to Vivian's flashy car.

Barbara hopped out first and helped Millie from the back seat, just as Vivían's eyes landed on them.She stood frozen, too stunned to even react.

Barbara spun on her heel and flashed Vivian a wide, taunting grin, finishing it off with an exaggerated eye roll that only made Vivian's expression darken.

Vivian's lips curled into a sneer. "Bask in it wwhile you can, Serena. This is the last time you'll ever get to feel proud."

Millie wasn't going to dignify that with a reply, but since it was the final round, she decided Vivian didn't deserve the satisfaction of silence.

She turned, catching the furious twist in her rival's features.

With a bold, unbothered smile, Millie answered, "Don't worry-I plan to. And trust me, I'm just getting started."

"You!" Vivian's temper snapped.

"Thinking about hitting her, huh?" Before Vivian could barrel forward, Barbara and the makeup artist darted in front of Millie.

Curious onlookers had already begun to gather, forcing Vivian to swallow her anger and rein in her temper.

"All you ever do is talk big," she muttered under her breath, and then spun on her heel and marched away.

The crowd's attention lingered on Millie, scrutinizing her every move.

Even Daphne gave a derisive snort as she swept past.

Millie paid them no mind and strode directly toward the backstage area.

Before long, the spat was already blowing up across social media.

The finals hadn't even kicked off, and the atmosphere was already crackling with tension.

On top of the crowds protesting Serena, a growing swarm of spectators had gathered, hungry for the unfolding drama.

With anticipation building, everyone waited breathlessly/ for the live broadcast to begin.

···

Despite nearly being hemmed in by the protesters outside, Millie still managed to slip backstage ahead of schedule. Inside, Daphne-unwilling to share even a corner of the space with Millie-had already retreated to a private lounge, leaving only a handful of staffers milling about behind the scenes.

With the contestants, judges and host all absent, the atmosphere backstage felt strangely deserted.

Some staff eyed Millie warily, their loyalties shifting according to each contestant's odds of winning.

In the end, no one ever approached her, and Millie found herself isolated in the middle of a wide, empty stretch of floor.

When Barbara tried to gather information, she ran straight into a wall of chilly indifference.

The cold-shoulder treatment reeked of Vivian's doing.

Clearly, their earlier confrontation had struck a nerve, and Vivian wasn't finished retaliating.

It was at that awkward moment that Jayceon and his siblings swept in and took in the scene.

Jayceon, never one to hide his feelings, barreled straight toward Millie with a thunderous scowl.

"Serena, crush it out there! I've got your back!" he hollered, his voice echoing off the high backstage ceiling.

Trailing just behind, Adriana rolled her eyes and promptly reached over to twist her brother's ear.

"Can you not? Don't startle her before she goes on stage," she groaned, barely suppressing her own exasperation at his theatrics.

Meanwhile, Myron trailed after them, giving Millie a warm nod and an easy smile when their eyes met.

Adriana's voice softened as she turned to Millie. "We debated coming back here, honestly. People love to talk, you know. But Jayceon's been a huge fan and the public already knows that, so it's not exactly a secret.We figured,why not?"

Jayceon bobbed his head in agreement, grinning.

True to form, Myron stayed mostly in the background, his expression quietly supportive, eyes shining with quiet amusement.

Millie glanced at the three of them, a flicker of envy stirring at the effortless closeness of the Elliott family.Even Barbara, who typically kept her distance, lingered nearby, visibly admiring their camaraderie. As Charles' assistant, she understood all too well the undercurrents of conflict that ran through the Evans family.

Millie felt immune to rumors and unfazed by the noisy protest outside.

What truly mattered were the people willing to stand beside her now-she cherished them all the more for it.Though the Elliott family already knew the truth, Millie's chest tightened with gratitude.

A genuine smile spread across her face as she stood. "Thank you,"she said, her voice steady, her eyes alight.

Adriana's lips curved into an easy smile, her eyes lighting with unspoken understanding as she met Millie's gaze.

"We can't wait to see what you'll do out there tonight," Myron offered, his tone gentle but sincere.

Millie hesitated briefly, and then returned a polite nod, her expression softening.

Adriana shot Myron a playful look before turning to Millie. "We'll go grab our seats. Don't keep us waiting too long,"she teased.

Millie smiled, her shoulders relaxing a fraction. "I'll do my best," she promised, a spark of warmth in her eyes.

As soon as the Elliott siblings disappeared down the hallway, the mood backstage subtly shifted. The once chilly staff now greeted Barbara's questions with a hint of warmth, their attitudes less frosty than before.

It was clear-the Elliott name carried weight, and their support meant something, even if few backstage truly believed Serena could win.

And even if she somehow did win, in their eyes, her reputation had long ruined.

The Elliott family's appearance seemed less about support and more a reflection of Jayceon's open admiration for Serena-or perhaps a curiosity to see if her talent could eclipse the taint of scandal.

As the Elliott family made their exit, the remaining contestants and the judges trickled in, almost every one deliberately steering clearof Millie.

She noticed their avoidance but simply brushed it off.

Out in the audience, Brandon kept glancing at the empty seat beside him.

Several days ago, he'd mentioned the show and asked Millie if she planned to attend. She'd promised she would, so he'd sent her a message with the details and saved a spot for her.

Now, as the minutes ticked by and the crowd settled, he couldn't help but wonder if she would actually show.