Chapter 71

Chapter 71:
The first goal was clear. Vivian wanted to cloud Serena’s thoughts and make her falter on stage. There had been no rehearsal attendance from Serena. Vivian could not judge the girl’s talent, nor had she sent anyone to test her. Most likely, Serena did not even know the competition’s rules. The night was meant to be Vivian’s triumph, and she was determined to shine brighter than anyone else.
A second reason burned beneath the surface. Vivian aimed to plant resentment for Millie in the heart of Serena, the woman Charles kept at his side but never made official. Pain must have lingered from losing a child with Charles, only to remain unrecognized by him. Surely Serena must harbor suspicions or feel bitterness.
If any anger existed, Vivian wanted it aimed squarely at Millie. Her goal was to use this woman as a weapon against Millie. Thinking through each step, Vivian found no fault in her plan. A sense of satisfaction washed over her as she turned away and moved backstage.
At the end of the corridor, Millie paused, her eyes following Vivian’s fading figure. She remained silent.
Elsewhere, in a dimly lit monitoring room, two people listened intently as the recording from the Backstage Corridor device played, their eyes wide with shock. A whisper broke the silence. “Do you think we should tell someone about this?”
“Not yet. Feels like something bigger is about to drop,” another replied quickly. “If we reveal it now, it’ll kill the impact. Better to wait a little longer.” The source of thɪs content is (.)net
Vivian still didn’t fully grasp how showbiz truly worked. The number of recording devices publicly listed never matched the real count. There were always extra cameras, hidden mics, and people recording on the sly. That was where the big scoops came from—the shadows.
And even then, only a small fraction of the chaos ever reached the public. Most scandals were bought off before they could make headlines.
Backstage, the stage manager leaned over and said, “The second performer’s almost done. Serena, get ready.”
At the cue, Millie stepped out into the lights.
Out in the audience, Brandon stood. He hadn’t planned to stay long. Events like this weren’t his thing, and he had only come to see Vivian perform. Now that she was done, he saw no reason to remain.
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But he had barely taken a few steps when the third contestant walked onstage. He turned instinctively.
“And now, please welcome to the stage—Serena Ellsworth,” the host announced.
The name caught his attention. Vivian had mentioned Serena before, calling her Charles’ secret lover. He hadn’t thought much of it then. But now, for some reason, he paused.
People had been whispering about this woman all day—the contestant in the mask. Now, here she was.
She stepped to the center of the stage, her hands relaxed around the mic. The first few notes left her lips—soft, steady, threaded with something intimate.
The room hushed itself. The crowd, which had been whispering just seconds ago, fell into silence.
Brandon frowned slightly. There was something familiar about the way she sang. Not the voice exactly, but the tone.
The vibe was close to Millie’s style. But it wasn’t a copy. Serena’s voice was deeper, more seasoned. There was a quiet sadness in the way she held her notes—like someone who had walked through fire and no longer needed to speak about it.
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