Chapter 84

The live show was still ongoing, but the Internet was already buzzing.

Heavenly Melody had become a sensation, drawing a wave of attention.

The live stream audience was just a fraction. Many who missed it watched the edited clips instead.Serena had made a strong impression in the first round, but her second-round performance felt underwhelming.

Now, thanks to the trending clips released by Evans Entertainment's official website, the views were skyrocketing.

If the live stream sparked the first wave of attention, this was the second-wider, louder, and far more explosive.

Most people didn't have the time to sit through full live broadcasts, so the edited versions became their go-to.

The more views poured in, the louder the chatter grew.

"Oh my goodness, this is amazing!"

"Yeah, I've been watching the edited versions. Everyone stepped up in round two. I thought they were holding back in the first round, letting her shine. Didn't realize it was the audio and video quality messing things up."

"In the second round, her song didn't focus on showing off singing technique like the others did. Plus the tampered quality, she looked pretty average."

"I only voted for her because of her songwriting. I gave my other votes elsewhere. Honestly,I regret it now!"

"So who's behind this? I don't buy the 'technical issues' excuse. I mean, why is she the only victim?Someone needs to dig deeper!"

"Exactly. This has to be looked into properly!"

Vivian's side was instantly flooded with criticism.

People began questioning her, demanding answers.

Vivian was caught off guard.

Thankfully, she used the live broadcast as an excuse to delay her response and buy time.

Meanwhile, at the apartment, Seville and Alexia were celebrating.

"Hahaha, this is so satisfying! I can finally breathe again!" Seville jumped to his feet. "Everyone was attacking me before.Look at them now-apologizing!"

"Yeah, some even posted screenshots of your old comments. It's hilarious," Alexia said with a nod.

Seville was surprised that people had acted so fast to save those comments before they were deleted.

Now,they had become proof.

"But I'm sure most of the ones insulting me before aren't the same ones defending me now," Seville said, narrowing his eyes.

Alexia laughed. "Still, clearing your name is what matters."

"Absolutely!" Seville broke into a goofy anime-style celebration dance in the living room.

He might've been chubby and a bit of a homebody, but he moved with surprising agility.

Alexia burst out laughing beside him.

Unseen by them, Sheridan, sitting in another chair, smiled quietly.

At the Heavenly Melody live show venue...

Inside Millie's private room, Charles looked pleased as things started swinging in their favor.

But Millie stayed calm. She quietly watched Vivian return to her seat on the live stream screen.

Vivian's return meant only one thing-she had a counterplan.

Now, it was time to see her next move.

Vivian's PR team wasn't one to take lightly.

Sure enough, a new narrative soon began to spread online.

"Why is everyone blaming Vivian? She's not even a contestant!"

"Exactly. She's just a judge. Maybe people are barking up the wrong tree."

"They say Vivian used Brandon's influence to target Serena, but think about it-if she really had that power, Serena would've been erased without a trace by now."

"Someone else is behind this, and they're trying to frame Vivian."

The argument was clever, flipping the logic in Vivian's favor.

To the average viewer, it sounded reasonable.

Meanwhile,Seville and Alexia stayed active, pushing out responses and listing their points.

It was all part of a well-planned strategy. Slowly, public opinion started tilting back.

After all, besides Vivian, no one else had a reason to target Serena.

And that was the truth.

Then,professionals from the music industry joined in, analyzing Serena's performances and praising her talent.

The online buzz only grew louder.

Vivian saw it all-and her jaw clenched in frustration.

Since Johnny's team started working with her, she had never taken such a hit.

Even handling Millie had been a walk in the park. But now Serena-this nobody-was proving to be a real thorn in her side.

Still, Vivian couldn't let her frustration show on camera. She signaled the crew not to film her and quickly lowered her head to text Oakley and Johnny.

Oakley ignored her completely. He had his own mess to deal with.

Johnny suggested they leak Serena's scandals-like her secret relationship with Charles and her miscarriage-to distract the public.

Vivian refused. "That's my ace. I need to keep it for leverage. Besides, now that the audio tampering is almost confirmed, using that info would backfire. Netizens will think we're slandering her out of spite.We'd lose the advantage and risk a backlash."

Johnny agreed-but there was nothing more he could do for now.

"I need to clear my name and steady my public image first," Vivian typed back quickly. "I'll come up with something. Wait for my message," she added after thinking it through.

Vivian glanced toward Serena's lounge, her eyes filled with hatred.

Then she reopened Oakley's chat-but still no reply.

Frustrated, she got up and stepped into the staff corridor to call Eugene.

It didn't take long before Eugene answered.

"Miss Simpson?" his voice came through.

"Eugene, I need your help. I don't know if you've seen what's going on online," Vivian said weakly.

Eugene confirmed he had.

"I honestly don't know who's behind this. But now, everything's being pinned on me. Doesn't the Watson Group have ties to the entertainment industry? You might know some people. Could you give me a hand?" she asked in a low,pitiful voice.

Before now, Vivian had only used Brandon's name as a shield, relying entirely on Johnny's team. This was the first time she'd ever directly asked Watson Group for help.

Getting the Watson Group involved meant more complications. Once tied to them, she wouldn't have the freedom she used to. She also risked some of her secrets coming to light.

But now, she had no choice.

And it was all because of Serena. Vivian believed Serena was the reason that she had been pushed this far.