The online world turned into a battleground, with people attacking every post by Sophia. Even her once-loyal fans had turned against her.
Partners of Emerald Artists Agency flooded them with phone calls.
After calming down the angry partners, Bianca called Sophia into her office, wearing an apologetic expression. “Sophia, I never expected this. I’m really sorry. I promise I’ll figure out what happened with the show’s crew and prove you’re innocent.”
Though a bit pale, Sophia managed a tired smile, trying to be comforting. “No worries. This isn’t your fault or the company’s. When you first told me about the show, a small voice in my head said something felt off. But why would they do this to us?”
“Maybe we’re in the way of someone…”
Bianca’s expression darkened. Blake and Reese were enjoying the spotlight while three contestants from Orion Entertainment faced elimination.
Orion Entertainment had never liked Bianca’s company, and now that her trainees were shining, it seemed they had formed a secret alliance with the show’s crew to target her.
It looked like Orion Entertainment had secretly bribed the production team of the show.
The revelation made Bianca sigh inwardly. She hadn’t expected such shady dealings in a supposedly prestigious talent show.
Sophia picked up on Bianca’s thoughts. “If that’s the case, they aren’t after me. Blake and Reese are their targets. Since they’re new to the scene, this show is really important for them. If they get hit with this slander, I’m afraid they won’t be able to handle it.”
Sophia gently placed her hand on Bianca’s, offering a grateful smile. “I’ve been through worse. This is manageable. Don’t worry about me. If you need anything, I’m here for you anytime.”
“Sophia…” Bianca’s eyes reflected her gratitude and sympathy as she held Sophia’s hand. Sophia, once a timid soul who relied on Bianca, had grown into a strong support during this crisis.
Bianca felt happy for her, finding comfort in Sophia’s changes.
With a smile, Sophia said, “This is what I should do. I’m part of the company. Besides, Bianc, without you, I might have…”
She brushed aside the somber memories, shaking her head. “Let’s leave the past behind. But, Bianc, I’ll always remember your kindness.”
Sophia was ready to give her best to those who treated her well.
There was no need for elaborate words; the understanding between them was clear in their shared smiles.
“Sophia, stay away from the online world for a while. Ignore the noise. I’m in contact with the show’s crew.”
“Sure. I trust you with the business.”
Once Sophia left, Bianca finally dialed the assistant director’s number. To her surprise, he said they intended to remove Sophia’s eligibility as a judge before she even had a chance to ask him.
“Sophia’s comments weren’t the real issue. The problem is how your staff edited this episode. Why did you take away her role as a judge? And remember, we have a contract. You can’t just end it like that.”
The assistant director laughed mockingly. “The contract says that if Party B harms the show’s reputation, Party A can end the partnership without conditions. Don’t you remember that?”
Hearing this made Bianca’s frustration boil over. She rarely lost her temper with them, but she couldn’t hold back. “If you hadn’t cut and twisted the footage, would we even be in this mess? You are completely responsible for this situation. I demand that you publicly admit your mistakes and apologize to Sophia Johnson!”
The assistant director scoffed. “Twisted the footage? Those were Sophia Johnson’s own words, weren’t they?”
Realizing that the assistant director was being unreasonable, Bianca decided further discussion was pointless. She took on a cold and serious tone, saying, “If that’s how you feel, we’ll have to take this to court. The audience members who were there can testify about what really happened. There are no secrets that can’t be uncovered. Let’s see what the court decides!”
After a brief two-second silence, the assistant director ended the call.
Bianca tried to call back, only to find out she had been blocked.
She went through her contact list, calling the director, the editing team, and other staff members. Each time, she discovered she was blocked.
It seemed like they had all planned this together.
With no other options, Bianca sent a private message to the show’s Twitter account. But her message seemed to disappear without a trace, and she received no response.
The show’s crew was clearly set to make things difficult for her. It seemed impossible to negotiate a solution.
Bianca clenched her fists tightly in anger. As an agent, it was her duty to stand up for her accused stars. No matter the challenge, she wouldn’t back down!
With this in mind, she took a deep breath, sank into her chair, and started brainstorming solutions.
Later in the day, she asked a friend to contact a video editing expert, and together they examined the show. The editing was well done, but in a two-hour show, there were bound to be some mistakes.
With the expert’s help, Bianca shared a screenshot from the show that looked altered. She then wrote a detailed article titled “Star Search’s Deceptive Editing Exposed: A Public Apology Is Needed!” and shared it on her personal social media accounts.
Bianca’s social media account had millions of followers. Shortly after posting on Twitter, her tweet became a top trending topic, drawing a lot of attention.
Despite the many sarcastic comments, some thoughtful users began to share their suspicions.
“I re-watched the show. The scenes in Bianca’s screenshots really do look unnatural, like they’ve been edited.”
“As someone who knows about editing, I can say for sure that something is off with these clips!”
“Why is there suddenly so much support for Sophia Johnson? Is she paying people to spread rumors?”
Even as supportive comments started to appear, they were quickly overshadowed by critics. But Bianca calmly released an audio recording she had made for Blake and Reese. Originally intended as a reference for their training, it now served as important evidence.
In the recording, Sophia’s words were fair and unbiased, completely different from what everyone had seen. This changed the online conversation. Many people began demanding explanations from the crew of Star Search in response to Bianca’s post.
However, a day went by without any reply from the show’s crew. Instead, more trouble began to surround Bianca.
Suddenly, the door burst open. Diana rushed in, phone in hand, and urgently showed it to Bianca. “Bianc, look at this!”
Bianca narrowed her eyes, but as the content came into focus, her head began to buzz.