Chapter 364

Chapter 364:
Vivian spoke with a calm kindness in her voice, the kind that left Brandon feeling slightly disarmed and unsure of how to respond. Finally, he managed a faint nod, giving his silent agreement.
Vivian gave a bright smile. “Alright, Brandon, get some rest. I’ll let you be for now,” she said. “What do you think about having dinner together tonight?”
Brandon gave a small nod, and only then did Vivian turn and leave.
As he watched Vivian walk away, a wave of conflicting emotions stirred inside him.
His mind drifted back to the memory of him and Millie beside his grandfather, sharing a solemn promise meant only for his gravely ill ears. Brandon slipped his hand into his pocket and slowly pulled out the wedding ring, holding it in his palm for a moment. The light bounced off its surface, casting a cold shine.
He’d bought the set in a hurry that day, on his way back to Watson Mansion. After choosing the rings quickly, he slipped one onto Millie’s finger. She beamed with happiness, gently taking the other ring from his hand to slide it onto his finger herself.
“Now, this is forever,” she had said, her hand—now bearing a ring—holding his, her eyes shining with joy.
That smile now seemed like a distant memory.
Thankfully, even though Millie had taken off her ring, he still had it. Brandon held onto the hope that, one day, when they remarried, he’d place it on her finger again.
Elsewhere, Millie left Myron behind and headed straight to Evans Entertainment. She had already arranged with the designer to check her outfit for the finals. Once she changed into the costume, Millie pulled on the matching mask. The reflection in the mirror made her smile with satisfaction.
Standing nearby, the designer gave an approving nod as well.
“Try moving around a bit, and check if the joints work well,” the designer instructed. Millie went through her dance routine, the flexible joints of the costume allowing her to move with ease.
“Looks perfect,” they both agreed, pleased with the results. This content belongs to
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“I really can’t wait to watch you take the stage in this,” the designer said, their eyes shining with excitement.
A smile spread across Millie’s face as she nodded, sharing in the anticipation. “But Serena, there’s a lot of criticism online right now. Are you sure you’re alright?” the designer asked, concern creeping into their voice.
Millie reached out and gave the designer’s arm a reassuring pat.
“I’ll take care of it,” she remarked.
The finals would be her chance to finally remove the mask. After that, there would be no room for doubt.
Once the costume was settled, Millie took a brief rest before heading to the afternoon rehearsal for Heavenly Melody. Since every broadcast aimed for top quality, all acts were required to rehearse. During the first rehearsal, Millie had been stuck in bed and couldn’t make it. Charles later covered for her by altering the dates on her hospital records, making it seem like she had been seriously injured ten days earlier, which made Vivian start suspecting Serena had ties to Charles.
During earlier rehearsals, everyone kept to themselves, focusing on their own staging. This time, though, things felt different.
While Millie waited backstage, one of the contestants—Daphne Wendell—showed up. Without warning, Daphne perched on Millie’s makeup table, looking down with a cold expression.
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