Chapter 162

Millie lifted her head and saw Derek smiling at her.

"If you lose, you'll have topay triple the amount listed in the lawsuit to buy it all back," he said.

Tears welled up in Millie's eyes.

If she followed Brandon's advice and chose to go through with the lawsuit, the first trial alone could last half a year. After that, a second trial might follow.

Then came the execution and handover phase. If the entire process dragged on, it could stretch over a year,maybe even two.

Now, Derek was basically offering her an opportunity to quickly reclaim everything that belonged to the Bennett family.

Millie's eyes darted toward Brandon. He was focused on the documents in front of him, wearing a blank look.

Derek picked up on her silenceand gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It's my decision to make, not his."

Then he looked Vivian's way.

"You want to be part of my family, don't you? I'm giving you that opportunity now," Derek said. "You've read the terms. If you win, you'll be accepted by us as Brandon's wife. But if you lose, you'll have to apologize to Millie publicly and leave Crobert for good."

He paused, and then added, "Taking your condition into account, the agreement allows a three-month period. That means you and Brandon still have two months left to organize the wedding."

Vivian's heart surged with excitement.

She had pressed Brandon again and again, but he always held back. The revelation that Serena was, in fact,Millie had only made him more hesitant.

The Watson elders had never fully welcomed her,but now,she finally had a real shot, as long as she could come out victorious.

Everyone's eyes were on the agreement.

Millie saw the terms plainly.

In three months, each side would complete their designated projects. Then, under Derek's supervision,a panel of professionals would evaluate and score the results. The person with the highest score would be declared the winner.

The evaluation would center on several factors like profit margins, cost efficiency, project complexity,and most importantly, return on investment, which was the biggest deciding factor.

Cheating in any form was strictly prohibited.

For example, if Brandon or his friends mass-purchased flowers directly from Vivian Floral Design to inflate her sales, it would be considered a violation.

However, if they signed honest contracts with her to employ her service, that would be acceptable.

The same rules applied to Millie, though she had no connections or resources to exploit even if she wanted to.

"I've looked into it. You both have your own strengths,"Derek said.

He shot a glance at Brandon and let out a snort.

He knew full well that Brandon would do everything he could to support Vivian, and would likely give her numerous contracts. That alone would give her the upper hand.

Vivian seemed to have the same thought. On top of that, she had skills in both floral design and marketing

Those skills would definitely come in handy. After studying the agreement, she quickly understood that return on investment was the key factor. She had a powerful monetization tool at her fingertips. This was her miniseries, Love of Vivian.

Floral business alone wouldn't bring in much revenue,but the miniseries would.

She could launch an aggressive marketing campaign and introduce multiple revenue streams to maximize her earnings.

There was also the theater route. The film company they partnered with was already in the process of securing approvals, and Brandon was actively helping with promotion.

If everything went as planned, the box office potential would be enormous.

Vivian was confident that her marketing skills could drive massive ticket sales.

Meanwhile, Millie's income from songwriting was not a lot, and she wasn't even close to being a celebrity.She was still just an emerging artist. Even with the exposure from winning Heavenly Melody, how far could she really go in just three months?

Compared to the billions a movie could easily earn,how could Millie stand a chance?

"You only made it this far because of Brandon. Now that he's no longer backing you, Millie, let's see what you can do on your own," Vivian thought with a cold glint in her eyes.

Out loud, she said calmly, "I have no objections to the terms."

Millie kept her eyes on the contract, .running calculations in her mind.

After winning Heavenly Melody, she had signed a few contracts with the sponsors, but most of the resources promised to her needed her to take the initiative.

Whatever progress she made within these three months would count toward her return. However,she still had to work with the partner companies' timeline,which severely limited her flexibility.

Still,that didn't shake her.

A small smile tugged at Millie's lips. If this was the game, then she was willing to play it.

She didn't believe opportunities would stay out of reach forever.

Besides, she couldn't stand waiting endlessly. Delays would only bring her more uncertainty.

With this in mind, Millie spoke up. "I have no objections either."

Derek gave a nod of approval.

Both women moved forward and signed the agreement.

Brandon stood off to the side, silently watching them.

He knew Millie was clearly acting out of anger. That was the only explanation for her determination.

He had to make sure that she didn't win. Because only then could he keep her close.

Millie signed quickly, took her copy, and passed the rest of the documents to Eugene.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave," Millie said as she turned to leave.

She was about to reach the elevator when Vivian's voice rang out behind her. "Millie."

Millie stopped for a moment and turned around.

Vivian was walking toward her alone. Millie's eyes flicked to the bandage on Vivian's wrist.

Vivian came to a stop in front of her, looking cocky.

"I didn't think you'd actually have the guts to sign,"she said with a smirk.

Millie slightly arched an eyebrow.

"You're going to lose, and it won't even be close,"Vivian said with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

She went on, "In three months, make sure you show up at Brandon and I's wedding banquet. I'll save you a special seat."

Vivian tilted her head as she mocked, "Maybe I'll call it the 'ex-wife table.' Or how about "the discarded'?Doesn't that have a nice ring to it?"

Millie almost laughed.

To be honest, the moment she chose to walk away from Brandon, his future with Vivian stopped mattering to her.

If it weren't for this competition, she might've even wished them a happy married life.

With that thought, she replied calmly, "Not everyone sees Brandon as a prize. To me, he's just someone l met as I went through life. It's such a pity to see someone throw away who they are just to cling to a man."

She had no interest in dragging it out further."If you want him, make sure you cling unto him with all your might."

With nothing more to say, Millie stepped into the elevator.

As she turned to press the button for her floor, her eyes briefly met Brandon's. He was standing not too far away with slightly red eyes, holding a file. He didn't speak a word.

Millie wwasn't sure how much of the conversation he had heard, but it didn't matter anymore.

She pressed the button and watched as the elevator doors slid shut, closing off the sight of Brandon and Vivian.

The floor numbers blinked in red as the elevator descended smoothly.

When it reached the ground floor, the doors opened.

Millie stepped out, holding her documents tightly in one hand as she walked through the lobby and out of the Watson Group building. She had just raised her hand to call a taxi when she spotted a familiar black Bentley parked nearby.

Smiling, she wwalked toward the car, opened the passenger side door, and got in.

"| heard the Watsons called you in," Myron said,looking at her. "Did Brandon give you a hard time? Do you need anything?"

Millie looked at him quietly, saying nothing.

Vivian's words echoed in her mind, stirring something inside her. She reached into her bag and pulled out the divorce papers.

Myron didn't interrupt. He just watched patiently.

She opened the document, found the page she wanted,took out her phone, and took a photo of it.

Then, she opened her personal social media account under the name Millie, and began typing a short message. "Cheers to a fresh start."

She attached the photo she just took, and then hit post.