Chapter 177

The following morning, MMillie stepped into the marble lobby of Evans Entertainment, arriving a few minutes ahead of schedule. She'd deliberately timed it so she'd have a chance to meet with Charles before Brandon showed up-she wanted to nail down the Elliott Group endorsement details without distractions.

She kicked things off by filling Charles in on the latest developments.

The samples she inspected alongside Myron and Adriana remained prototypes, unshaped stones poised for transformation into finished gems.

"The Elliott Group's new products are positioned for the mid-to-high-end market just as they promised in our last contract," he noted, his gaze steady.

Millie nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Plus,the Elliott Group's given me a ton of creative freedom for the endorsement, so I've got an idea that I want to run by you."

Charles gestured for her to continue, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Let's hear it."

Millie brightened, her eyes lighting up with enthusiasm."Let's try something strategic-we can link each new song to a particular Elliott Group gemstone, but not in a way that forces people to buy both. Think of it as a pairing: every gem has its own song. The cross-promotion would be massive."

Charles considered the idea, tapping his pen thoughtfully. "It's clever. But what if people push back?Vivian will jump at any excuse to cause chaos."

"That's why we have to keep a sharp line between the endorsement and the songs." Millie's lips curved in a confident, reassuring smile. "I'll handle the endorsement-Millie as brand ambassador. But the music? That's Eva's domain."

"I'm listening." Charles leaned in, curiosity sharpening his gaze. Millie's contact was managed by Evans Entertainment, and any lucrative payoff would benefit them both. But even if the company made little-or took a loss-Charles had already decided: he'd back Millie all the way.

Just as Millie prepared to elaborate, a brisk knock sounded at the door.

"Mr. Evans, the Watson Group representatives are here," the assistant declared from the hallway.

Charles didn't hesitate. "Take them to the first meeting room," he instructed, already shifting gears.

Millie caught his eye, her lips curving into a knowing half-smile. "Let's go meet them first. I'll fill you in later-though I have a feeling you've already pieced most of it together."

A jolt of anticipation ran through Charles; every time he teamed up with Millie and set to make something big, he felt a surge of adrenaline.

He'd been watching Oakley's every move, eager to seize the upper hand, but Oakley hadn't shown his hand yet. For now,patience was his only weapon..

"Sure, let's do this!" Charles replied, his voice upbeat.He passed Millie the last few items she'd requested for her disguise,his excitement barely contained.

The meeting room felt like a walk-in freezer, the air conditioning blasting as Millie and Charles strode in together, their bulky frog costumes swallowing every hint of their real selves.

Brandon and Vivian exchanged bewildered glances,clearly thrown off by the spectacle.

Vivian squinted, her confusion evident. "Can someone please explain what's happening?"

Charles tugged off his oversized frog head, tousling his damp hair as he spoke. "We've got a big company event today. You caught us just as we finished, so we came straight over."

Millie wrestled with her own headpiece, fumbling with the clasp, but it refused to budge.

Charles shot her a sympathetic look. "Seems like that one's wedged on tight. Don't force it and risk hurting yourself-we'll get someone to help you in a minute.Just leave it for now."

The so-called event was real enough, but it was carefully staged for one purpose-keeping Millie's identity under wraps.

Since Brandon and Vivian indeed showed up earlier than expected, the whole setup felt even more convincing.

Millie caught Charles' eye and gave a subtle nod.

Charles faced their guests with practiced calm. "So,what brings you both here today? Anything you'd like to get off your chest?"

Vivian's gaze lingered on the frog-suited Millie before she answered. "Actually, we wanted to talk about 'Glimmer of Love.'"

Charles motioned for the assistant and the rest of the staff to step out, shutting the door behind them.

He shot Millie a meaningful look, and then turned to Vivian. "Vivian, our company's already served you with a legal notice. We've warned you multiple times about your infringement, and you chose to ignore it.Frankly, there's nothing left to negotiate."

He delivered the line with the precise cadence he and Millie had rehearsed earlier.

Vivian brushed Charles aside, focusing instead on the silent woman in the oversized frog costume.

"Eva, what about you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with a sly glint before shifting to a look of fake concern.

She let out a soft sigh, voice dripping with affected sympathy. "It can't be easy, can it? Being a nobody at Evans Entertainment, selling your songs quietly while the company keeps all the spotlight for someone else."

The instant Vivian finished, Charles and Brandon both turned to her, their reactions sharply opposed.

Brandon's brow knit in silent displeasure, but Charles shot to his feet, his voice sharp with outrage. "Vivian,what the hell are you saying?"

Vivian offered only a tight, rueful smile, guilt flickering across her face. "I claimed your song as my own. That was wrong of me, and I'm here to make it right."

She rose and gave a formal, apologetic bow. "Today,I want to settle this once and for all. Brandon and I are prepared to pay you for the right of attribution, so the song will belong solely to me."

Vivian turned to the Millie still hidden in the frog costume, her expression softening with feigned concern. "You probably could use the money," she murmured, her smile carrying a note of pity. "Wearing a mascot suit in this heat just to get by-it can't be easy."

Charles bristled, barely containing his rage.

Ignoring him completely, Vivian clasped her hands and leaned in, her tone turning gentle, as if offering a lifeline. "So, why not accept my offer?"

Millie kept silent, her face unreadable behind the mascot head. Charles, not missing a beat, raised his voice, flinging accusations at Vivian. "Vivian, you're unbelievable! Eva, don't listen to her-those song rights belong to you, and no one can take that away."

Peering through the mesh of the costume, Millie watched Vivian's smug little smirk and Brandon's poker-faced calm.

She coughed twice, adding a scratchy rasp to her voice.

"Mr. Watson, what's your take on this?" she asked,deliberately sounding hoarse.

At last, Brandon's gaze settled on the mascot. He studied the frog costume, trying to size her up.

The disguise was nearly perfect; not a single feature gave her away.

Brandon's mind flickered back to the last time he'd run into this woman-her identity just as hidden then..

Even in that memory, she'd shielded herself with massive sunglasses and a mask.

The remnant of her unfamiliar perfume clung to the present moment, threading through the air between them.

A faint line appeared between Brandon's brows.

After a beat, he spoke, his tone measured. "Legally,the right of attribution belongs to you, and what's happened is clear-cut infringement. We can end the violation here-but Eva, you have to keep this quiet."

Vivian's feigned pleasantness fell away, her lips pressing into a thin line as she shot Brandon an aggrieved glare.

This wasn't the plan she'd orchestrated.

Millie's response was a low, amused laugh. "Is that all?"

Brandon's expression darkened with skepticism as he studied her. "Then what do you propose?"

Millie lowered her gaze, her voice rough with pretense."My take's a little different. Just like Miss Simpson mentioned, I need money." She smiled faintly, her tone gentle. "But I'm not talking about cash."

If not cash,then resources?

Brandon caught on right away,giving a composed nod."That's doable."

Vivian, on the other hand, didn't hide her dissatisfaction. She shot Brandon a pointed look."Brandon."

But he paid her no mind, eyes fixed steadily on Millie.

Vivian's irritation simmered, though she managed to keep it from her face.

She turned back to Millie, refusing to back down. "Eva,as long as you keep quiet about this, you'll get compensated. So why not take more? The result's the same for you either way. Hand over the right of attribution, work with me, and I'll make sure you're well compensated."