Chapter 60

The debut broadcast of Heavenly Melody had everyone glued to their screens, thanks in part to Brandon's appearance. Now,the second live show had turned into a magnet for the city's most influential people.

Evans Entertainment sponsored the event, and their own artist Serena was one of the most talked-about contestants, so it was only natural for Charles to attend.

With Vivian showing up, it was almost guaranteed that Brandon would be there as well, especially since he had not missed the first broadcast.

What really surprised everyone was the arrival of the Elliott siblings. Not only did Jayceon bring his trademark energy, but Adriana and even the usually elusive Myron made an appearance.

The result was a rare sight-every major force in Crobert was represented in the same place.

This sort of gathering had never happened before.

No entertainment show had ever attracted the attention of all three leading families in town at once.

Even a few seconds of footage showing them entering the building already sent the Internet into a chaos.

As the Elliott siblings walked past Brandon,Myron gave a small nod in his direction.

Brandon's brows drew together in response.

"Hey,Brandon!" Jayceon called out with his usual enthusiasm.

Adriana also greeted Brandon, though her voice stayed cool and reserved. "Mr. Watson."

Brandon gave a nod in return and focused his gaze on Myron,his eyes quietly searching for answers.

"I'm just here with my siblings to see what's happening,"Myron replied in a straightforward tone.

Jayceon chimed in right away, his voice bubbling with excitement, "I heard Serena-the star of the last charity auction-is performing. I just had to check it out, so I dragged Adriana along. Of course, she gets annoyed with me easily..."

He shot Adriana a wounded look, and then continued with a playful grin, "So I made sure to bring Myron, too.That way, Adriana had no choice but to tag along.Hehe...ouch!"

Jayceon wore a mischievous grin until his sister reached over and gave him a poke on the forehead.

Adriana offered a polite smile and said, "Mr. Watson,he's always this way. You can just ignore him."

Brandon took it all in stride, knowing full well that Jayceon's playful side was common knowledge.

The Elliott family had a reputation for being both disciplined and very close. In their case, having a lighthearted little brother was almost a blessing,especially when compared to the ongoing drama in the Evans family.

Noticing the group gathered together, Vivian stepped forward to join them.

She kept her style soft and refined, and this time she wore the pendant from the charity gala-the gleaming 6-carat ruby pendant.

Vivian greeted the two Elliott brothers with a friendly smile. "Hello,Myron. Hello, Jayceon." Then she turned her attention to Adriana and added, "Adriana, you look wonderful today."

Adriana felt a flash of surprise and annoyance. In her mind, Vivian was always good at making herself look charming in public, but the way Vivian addressed her didn't sit well with her.

Most people addressed her as "Miss Elliott," and she barely knew Vivian outside of these social events, so they were clearly not close enough to use first names.

Still,given Vivian's fragile health, Adriana decided not to make an issue of it.

She gave a small nod in reply, and the rest of the group did the same, motivated by both respect for Brandon and the Elliott family's values, as well as awareness of Vivian's condition.

The group shared a few more words before everyone settled into their seats, with little conversation after that.

Out of sight from the others, Vivian's lips curled in a faint smile as she glanced at a dimly lit corner.

A discreet "OK" sign caught her eye, and she allowed herself a moment of satisfaction.

Everything seemed to be falling into place just as she hoped.

Vivian turned to Brandon with a look of polite gratitude, her voice carefully measured. "Brandon, I honestly didn't think you'd make time to be here today. It really means a lot to me."

Brandon answered with a simple nod,which seemed to satisfy Vivian.

After exchanging a few words, Vivian excused herself and made her way backstage to get ready for the show.

Just then, a video clip started circulating online.

The footage, shot from afar, captured Vivian chatting with Brandon and the three members of the Elliott family, all of them appearing friendly and relaxed.

A bold caption ran across the screen, saying, "Vivian has officially joined the ranks of high society;the Elliott siblings showed up at the live broadcast just for her."

That single video set off a fresh wave of online chatter about Vivian.

Strict rules about electronic devices only applied to regular audience members, leaving people like the Elliott siblings free to use their phones as they wished.

Jayceon quickly caught wind of the viraL post. He scowled at his phone and showed it to his siblings."Who took this video? It's ridiculous!"

Myron stayed quiet, showing no reaction, while Adriana shrugged and replied, "There's always some rumor going around here and there. You shouldn't let it get to you."

Still, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she glanced toward the backstage area where Vivian was preparing.

Adriana could not help but wonder if it was really all just a coincidence.

Jayceon, unaware of the tension, kept talking. "You're right. Last time they wrote nonsense and tried to match me with the McCoy daughter, her brother came to confront me, and I almost had a heart attack."

That sparked Adriana's curiosity. "So, what did you think of her? If you actually liked her, why not spend more time together?"

Jayceon flushed with embarrassment. "Adriana!"

Her laughter bubbled up as she continued to tease her younger brother.

Spending time with him felt like playing with a big,cheerful golden retriever.

Still, those moments hardly mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Everyone's attention stayed fixed on the competition.

Now that the eliminations were about to start, the outcome would depend on a mix of votes from the judges, the live audience, and online viewers, all tallied during the broadcast to decide who would have to leave.

Because of that, the order in which contestants performed was more important than ever.

Millie was set to go on stage fifth, landing her right in the middle of the lineup.

The latest Heavenly Melody broadcast was as dazzling as the last.

All the contestants showed clear improvement over their first live appearance. Every performance was thoughtfully planned and visually appealing.

That level of quality came about, at least in part,because Vivian had decided not to pull any strings this round, a fact that the audience never realized.

Millie chose a gentle rock ballad called "Us" for her performance.

Her outfit, though much simpler than what she wore before, worked well with the stage's shifting lights.She sang in a soft voice, letting the music tell a moving story.

The song traced the journey of a young couple getting by with very little, relying only on each other as they faltered and struggled in life.

Over time, as life moved on, they ended up going separate ways and leaving behind the person they once cherished most.

Although it sounded like a cliche story about love facing hardship,Millie's honest lyrics, storytelling style,and the subtle rock melody gave it a quiet sadness that lingered with listeners.

She sat at the piano in a flowing gown, her figure lit by cool shades of blue, her song gentle and sincere.

The peaceful mood she created was enough to bring many in the audience to tears.