Chapter 217

Calm and unruffled, Millie stood her ground.

Fixing her eyes on Vivian, she spoke without hesitation. "If your big idea for this live stream was to parade my old house and dredge up pieces of my past just to rattle me, you've got it all wrong. Honestly, I find it pretty sad. I regret nothing I've done, and I'm not ashamed of loving someone who turned out to be the wrong choice."

With a deliberate gesture, she indicated the two new photo frames beside her.

She continued, "My marriage to Brandon and our divorce-they're both public knowledge. Everyone in Crobert knows my story. I don't have anything to cover up or pretend about."

Vivian went pale, her eyes filling with tears.

"I never meant it like that," Vivian protested, her voice wavering. "You've got it all wrong, Millie. I'm just here to live stream, that's all."

A slight smile crossed Millie's lips.

"Oh, have l?" she replied quietly, her eyes driftingto the stream's chat."YOUu picked the day, you picked the spot, you chose exactly what to show, didn't you?"

Vivian jumped in. "It just happened like this. All of it. Pure chance."

Millie echoed the word with disbelief. "Pure chance?"

Her smile sharpened, tinged with irony.

Millie didn't need to spell it out any further. The comments flying across the live stream spoke volumes.

Nobody watching the livestream was buying the coincidence excuse.

Millie had already spelled out that Vivian called every shot.

The Elliott Group's product launch had been planned and announced far in advance.

Suppose the timing lined up by accident, but what about the location?

Everyone remembered Vivian's live stream wasn't supposed to take place here at all.

Still,Vivian insisted it was all a fluke.

Even if the original venue fell through, there was no explaining why Vivian went to Millie and Brandon's old home and kept the camera focused on their wedding photo still hanging on the wall.④

Vivian was also the one who started the live link right then.

One or two lucky breaks might slip by, but after a while, the setup was too obvious. Vivian's choices were obviously intentional.

Coincidence didn't cut it anymore.

Besides, whether it was the wedding portrait left untouched or the suspicious decor of the bathroom,the message behind was clear-Millie and Brandon had genuinely loved eachother once.

There had been no betrayal. No outsider.

Their marriage had been real-recognized by the law, embraced by their families, and celebrated for what it was.

Seville's team stepped in1, bringing up what Millie herself would never say out loud.

"Any real product comparison should actually spotlight the product-like how Millie's streams always focus on the Golden collection. Even if there's a marketing stunt involved, it all boils down to what's being sold."

"Vivian tried to pitch her stream as an exploration of luxury floral design, yet the camera lingered on Millie and Brandon's wedding photo, and she couldn't resist taking a peek into their bathroom. The flowers barely got a mention."

ef've caught Vivian's other home tours and floral arrangement vlogs before. She never behaved this way in those videos."

"It's obvious. She's clinging to Millie's name just to pull her down."

All of this comeback had been planned through a quick phone call from Millie.

Vivian had been given more chances than she deserved.

Messages flooded the chat, each one zipping past faster than the last.

Fans who'd once felt betrayed by Vivian on Heavenly Melody finally found their voices.

Chaos erupted in the livestreamn room.

Millie didn't bother reacting to the disorder on Vivian's end.

A serene smile on her face, she turned her attention to the people gathered in person.

"Thank you for waiting. Let's keep going. Our final stop is just ahead," she announced, her tone warm and inviting.

No one needed to be asked twice. The group, satisfied with what they'd seen, eagerly followed her lead.

A light breeze flicked through the air, causing the prop documents to flutter open and expose the pages inside.

There weren't any specific details printed on them, just two unmistakable names.

Millie Bennett. Brandon Watson.

Stamped boldly across the marriage certificate prop-"CANCELLED."

The divorce certificate, meanwhile, stood as a symbol of Millie's fresh start.

Millie was already leading the group onward.

Meanwhile, Vivian was floundering, struggling to regain her composure.

Desperate for attention,she faked a bout of weakness, coughing in front of the camera.

But the ploy only made things worse for her this time.

"If you're feeling that unwell, there's really no reason to push yourself in a contest like this."

"Exactly. We keep cutting her slack because she claims to be sick. Millie never uses health as an excuse for sympathy."

These remarks were quickly lost in the sea of comments.

Tears brimmed in Vivian's eyes.

She gazed into the camera, a single tear slipping down and landing right inside the vase she clutched.

She quickly turned away, brushing the tear off her cheek before anyone could see.

Lowering her gaze, Vivian looked as fragile as ever. "I know nothing I say will change a thing. Simply by showing up here, I become the villain. It feels like even my existing is a mistake at this point."①

Meanwhile,Millie guided the group onward, bringing them into the next exhibit.

This space symbolized everything about the present moment.

A Polaroid camera sat nearby, waiting to snap new memories.

A sweeping golden river cut through the center, echoing the gemstone motif from the previous hall. Now,golden grains formed little beaches and jagged rock islands.

Scattered across the sand and stone, golden picture frames peeked out through wisps of river mist, lending the whole scene an air of wonder.

Each frame, unique in design and shape, stood ready with wide open space. Arranged before every frame,the latest pieces from the Golden series sparkled in the light.

Right as Millie was explaining the collection, Vivian's voice broke through."Millie!"

She turned toward the streaming device.

Vivian had fashioned a fresh bouquet, ready for the camera.

"These are Renoir's Roses," she said, her face still stained with tears.

Millie fixed Vivian with a steady look, saying nothing as she waited for her to go on.

Determined, Vivian swept away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Your opinion doesn't matter to me," she insisted. "None of what you accused me of was ever on my mind.I really never meant to hurt you. People kept urging me to check out the master bedroom, but I wouldn't do it.That was my way of showing you respect," Vivian added,her lips pushed out in a small pout.

Not so much as a flicker crossed Millie's face. "And then?"

Vivian's tears started to flow again. "Then I see that being kind is pointless with you. People are still convinced I'm here to attack you." Sniffling, Vivian dabbed at her eyes. "Fine, then. I'll just go anyway!"

Hurt pride and defiance warred in her tone, as though Millie had pushed her to this point.

A short, amused laugh escaped Millie at the display.

"If I asked you not to go, would that actually stop you? Drop the act, Vivian. If you want to wander in, then just do it."

Vivian didn't know how to respond after Millie's blunt words.

"You..." she stuttered, at a loss for anything else to say.

Choosing not to acknowledge Vivian, Millie pressed on, talking about the new collection to her group with barely a pause.

Viewers watching the stream couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Millie's got some serious backbone," someone commented.

Keeping her gaze fixed on the floor, Vivian masked the bitterness brewing inside her.

Just then, a message came through-Eugene and Darden had arrived outside the villa. Her security team still held the entrance, but they were running out of time.

She needed to act fast.

Refusing to back down, Vivian muttered, "You can't keep me out of the master bedroom just by telling me to stay away.

Millie, you've set upo surprises for the launch. What's next? I can't wait tofind out."

Receiving no answer, she watched as Millie finished her product presentation, unbothered.

Soon after, Vivian picked up her bouquet and headed straight for the master bedroom, determined to see the place Millie and Brandon once shared.

Off to the side, Millie placed a call. "It's time, Myron," she said, a satisfied smile lighting her eyes.

Somewhere beyond the villa, the distant whir of helicopter blades drifted closer, growing louder by the second.