Suddenly, a call interrupted her thoughts. It was the same crew head who had blacklisted her just days ago.
Bianca answered, and the man on the other end talked politely.
“Miss Scott, I owe you an apology. I’ve been swamped lately and didn’t catch this mess. On behalf of the editing team and Star Search crew, I sincerely apologize to you and Emerald Artists Agency. We are truly sorry. We’ve added Miss Sophia Johnson’s name to the latest show list and are willing to pay her for her distress and issue a public apology.”
Bianca couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
‘Too busy to notice this mess?’ It felt like a blatant excuse. But since they were extending an olive branch, she chose not to reject it. After all, it was the best outcome for now.
Still, she couldn’t shake the curiosity. What was the reason behind the crew’s sudden change of attitude?
No matter how many times Bianca asked, the other person always avoided the truth, coming up with excuses like misunderstandings and unreliable editors.
Bianca had to give up.
On top of that, the show’s crew released the full video recording of the show at eight o’clock in the evening.
The episode ran for a full six hours without any editing, showing what really happened that day. Every single comment supported Sophia.
“These people are nothing but bullies! The way they edited it changed the whole meaning of the episode. “Did Sophia offend someone before?”
“Oh my God! The story has flipped. This is exciting!”
“Reese! She’s going to be famous! A rising star! She was incredible, even when she was making it up as she went along.”
“Oh my God! Blake is so perfect! He sang live the entire time.”
“Hey, who said they weren’t talented? Who said they got special treatment? Why are all of you praising them now when you were bullying them earlier?”
Netizens all rallied behind Emerald Artists Agency, and their popularity continued to rise.
Natalie’s humiliation that day also became known.
“Natalie’s biased, right? She praised everyone from Orion Entertainment but picked apart everything when it was Blake’s and Reese’s turns.”
“She probably faked her ankle twist on purpose. Maybe she’s afraid a trainee will outshine her acting skills. What a shame!”
“That’s way too fake!”
Natalie’s account took a hit, losing two million followers in just one day, while Sophia’s, Blake’s, and Reese’s accounts saw a rapid increase in their follower counts.
Many people flooded Natalie’s account, asking if she had teamed up with the show’s crew to target Sophia.
Natalie was furious as she stared at the news, feeling a strong urge to throw her phone.
“Bianca Scott, just wait and see!” Natalie clenched her fists.
“Wait, what?” Natalie’s agent, Kirby, swung the door open, looked at Natalie, and sat down on the sofa.
“Kirby,” Natalie said with a charming smile as she rushed over to him. “Hey Kirby, what’s our next move? Do you think we should contact the head office for some clarification?”
Kirby Douglas brushed her hand off his leg. “You messed up and now want the company to fix it for you? Forget it.”
Natalie suddenly felt confused. Hadn’t the company approved these actions?
Kirby gave her a quick glance and said, “Even the head office can’t fix this mess, especially with some mysterious man backing Emerald Artists Agency. You’re in a tough spot this time, Natalie. You better stop the negative comments about the company, or you’ll see what happens.”
“I…”
It finally hit Natalie that her company was using her for their own advantage.
She clenched her fists tightly. In that moment, she realized that beneath the glamorous facade of being Natalie King, she was just a money-making tool and a disposable pawn in the company’s game.
If she were to become disabled, the company would have a line of valuable replacements ready to take her spot one after another.
Natalie thought switching companies would bring back her glory days. But she quickly realized that Orion Entertainment didn’t really care about her. They were just using her.
Their plan was to make her a topic in their dealings with Bianca.
But in the end, she lost to Bianca.
How did Bianca always manage to slip out of trouble? Was that guy secretly helping her avoid danger? But why would he do that?
Natalie looked up again, her eyes filling with tears.
She couldn’t accept this. She was determined to take that man away and ruin Bianca’s reputation!
Kirby felt a bit of sympathy for her and chose to speak in a softer tone. “I understand you’re upset about how things are going, but getting angry won’t help. Focus on doing your best in the upcoming recording and see if you can turn things around. The company can only do so much, so take your time to think it over.”
After a long day, Justin drove home, feeling exhausted.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed in front of him, forcing him to shield his eyes. Annoyed, he shouted, “Damn it! Can’t you see?”
The car slowly pulled over to the side of the road. When Justin opened his eyes, he saw men in black waiting outside.
Caught off guard, he stayed calm and rolled down the car window, asking in a cold tone, “Who are you?”
The man in front replied, “Mr. Wilson, Mr. Lucas Evans wants to see you. Please come with us.”
Lucas?
Justin’s expression turned serious. He opened the door and stepped out. The leader reached out his hand. “Mr. Wilson, we’ll need to hold onto your phone for now.”
Justin understood what was happening. He didn’t resist and handed over his phone. Lucas was cutting off his secret ties to Dave.
A bad feeling settled in Justin’s heart.
The man in black covered Justin’s eyes with a black cloth. He apologized for it, but his hands kept moving.
The car sped along the highway for several minutes before turning onto a bumpier road, indicating they were crossing through a mountainous area.
Justin’s nerves started to tremble. He couldn’t help but wonder why this meeting arranged by Lucas was so secretive.
Finally, the vehicle came to a stop. The black cloth was suddenly pulled away from Justin’s eyes, revealing a brightly lit, luxurious villa.
The sudden brightness made him shield his eyes with his hand. As his vision adjusted, he realized he was likely at one of the Evans family’s properties.
Two tall, armed guards blocked his way as Justin was led to the entrance. Justin frowned, confused.
“I’m sorry, but we need to do a body search before you can enter,” the man in black explained.