“Back to the stage then. It’s time for the critique segment,” Diana said.
Bianca followed Diana back to their seats. Dave’s seat was empty.
Diana noticed and frowned. “Did you two step out? What happened?”
She had seen Bianca disappear after Blake’s performance.
When she couldn’t find Bianca, Diana had also noticed Dave was missing. She almost called but got distracted by the chaos with Blake and didn’t have time to worry.
Now, after calming Blake, she let out a dramatic sigh when she finally found Bianca.
“Diana, I think I really pissed off the CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group.”
Diana’s jaw dropped. When she saw the playful look on Bianca’s face, her panic disappeared. She put a hand on Bianca’s shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry. We’ll handle it together. We’re not afraid of anyone.”
Bianca’s heart warmed with gratitude. She laughed.
“Relax, Diana. I was just messing with you. I won’t back down, no matter what he throws at me.” Her eyes showed a strong determination.
Blake was pushed onto the stage, greeted by another loud round of applause.
Relief filled the room when everyone saw that Blake was unharmed.
The host asked about his condition before making some small talk.
Then, the judges began their critique.
Sophia, Blake’s fellow artist and a former target of slander, gave subtle compliments.
Noticing the praise in Sophia’s voice, Nicolas smiled.
It was his turn to speak. “Blake’s performance was incredible. Think about it-here’s a rising star, psychologically broken by a car accident. And yet, he stands here, not only performing flawlessly but showing incredible strength through it all. I felt a lump in my throat when he stood up, just like everyone else. The winner tonight doesn’t matter-Blake is already a champion.”
In the tough world of entertainment, Nicolas’ praise was priceless. His words raised Blake’s status, making him a winner in the eyes of the audience, who cheered loudly.
“Now, about the music… we have professionals for that. No need for an amateur like me to embarrass myself, right Brandon?”
Nicolas winked, smoothly shifting the attention to the respected music critic.
Brandon forced a grin. It looked like it was being pulled by a string.
His plan to shame Blake was almost falling apart. One wrong word could get him on tomorrow’s front page.
Brandon didn’t mind Blake’s singing or songwriting. In fact, he admired him.
But when Brandon thinks about Blake and Bianca’s relationship, he feels bad for Dave.
After a moment, Brandon seemed to realize something. He rested his chin on one hand and stared at the camera.
“I really admire Blake’s musical talent. Out of all the singers today, he’s the only one, besides the famous Everleigh, I’d want to work with. Sometimes, he even reminded me of Everleigh. But…” He paused and looked straight at Blake. “I heard you’re engaged. Is that true?”
The room exploded into a loud noise.
“Blake was engaged? For real? Is his fiancee Reese?”
“It could be a publicity stunt. Who knows if their relationship is real? If he really has a fiancee, I’ll stop being his fan!”
“I was just praising him. Will this mess up his future?”
Blake was taken aback by Brandon’s sudden question. He sat there, unable to speak.
The host tried to calm the room, but it was filled with whispers and questions.
Brandon cleared his throat, easing the tension.
“Winning the championship is one thing, but your future in the spotlight is another. Think about your fans. If you’re not engaged, now’s the time to set things straight, right?”
Blake gripped the armrests of his wheelchair, and his fingers pressed hard into the fabric.
Bianca, sitting in the audience, was stunned by Brandon’s words.
How did he know? Had Dave told him, sparking all this chaos?
Brandon’s words had come true in an instant.
Bianca bit her lip, staring at Blake. She silently prayed he wouldn’t confirm it. He couldn’t afford to.
It would ruin Blake’s future and put Emerald Artists Agency at risk.
She trusted Blake to understand the consequences and wouldn’t put everything on risk for her.
When Blake’s look went from uncertain to serious, Bianca’s heart sank.
In the middle of the heated debates, he grabbed the microphone and gave Bianca a quick smile.
“Since Brandon brought it up, I’ll just tell you,” he said, pausing.
“Yeah, I was engaged.”
His words sent the crowd into a frenzy.
“Did he really admit it?”
“Is this for real?”
“Who’s the woman? I don’t think it’s Reese.”
“Wow, seriously? I just became a fan, and now this bombshell!”
Bianca sat there, shocked. She sank into her chair, feeling exhausted. Her thoughts were scattered, trying to figure out how to deal with the fallout from this surprise.
Diana’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Bianca. “What’s Blake talking about? When did he get engaged? And why didn’t I know?”
When she saw Bianca’s pale face and silence, Diana straightened up and leaned in closer. “Bianca, did you know?”
Bianca bit her lip, paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.
“What? Didn’t you tell him to keep it quiet? If he talks, we’re all in trouble. Why didn’t you tell me? And why would Brandon bring it up now? Was it on purpose?” Diana kept asking, but Bianca stayed silent, and her face turned gloomier.
Taking a deep breath, Diana pressed on. “Do you know who he’s engaged to? If we need to fix this later, we might have to contact her and ask her to stay out of the way. If this keeps going, our company could be in real trouble!”
Bianca nervously fiddled with her fingers.
“Bianc, are you even listening?” Diana’s face turned serious as she looked at her. “Do you know anything about this?”
“I do,” Bianca whispered.
“Who is she? Can you give me her contact details?” Diana’s eyes lit up, wanting to get into Blake’s drama.
Bianca glanced at her, lips pressed tight. “The woman is right in front of you.”
After a moment of stunned silence, Diana’s eyes widened in disbelief. She pointed at Bianca. “Wait, what you just said… Is that really what I think it is?” she blurted out.
Bianca gave a bitter smile. “Yep, it’s me.”
Diana looked shocked by the revelation.
She stood up quickly, her mouth opening and closing as if she couldn’t find the right words.
Finally, she sat back down, clearly overwhelmed by the situation.
Just then, Blake’s voice rang out from the stage, grabbing everyone’s attention.