Chapter 611: The Competition Begins

Sophia nodded. “I later found out it was him. I ran into him at the airport while picking up my luggage. He was on the same flight as me. I asked why he was there, but he wouldn’t answer. Still, I know him well. It didn’t take long to figure it out. And later, he admitted it.”

“He was the one who helped me through all those problems and sent me flowers every day. He said it was to make up for what happened before. He apologized and hoped I would forgive him. If I’d known it was from him, I never would have accepted them.”

Sophia’s thoughts went back to what Michael had done last time. She couldn’t forgive it.

“That’s how he works, hurts me, then begs for forgiveness. Does he still think I’m a child? Or just the maid in his family whom he can bully whenever he wants? What he did only made me hate him more.”

Sophia looked annoyed, but Bianca could see the uncertainty in her eyes. Even though she kept pointing out Michael’s faults, it was clear she still cared. Otherwise, she wouldn’t remember every little detail.

But if everything Sophia said was true, why had Michael done all of it in secret?

“Sophia, I think this time is different. If he really wanted to, he could have done all these things openly. Why sneak around? If you hadn’t run into him, you wouldn’t have known it was him. Maybe what happened last time changed him. You should talk to him,” Bianca said.

“No, that’s not possible,” Sophia replied. Then she turned to Bianca, her expression uncertain. “Do you think he’ll bother me again?”

Bianca hesitated. After a moment, she said, “Maybe this time… it’s not bothering.”

Sophia stared off into the distance, deep in thought.

A moment later, Sophia spoke again. “Never mind. Let’s not talk about him anymore. Michael has always been like this, neither straightforward nor generous. Let’s focus on the competition.”

“Okay. About the competition, I…”

With that, Bianca and Sophia turned their conversation to the competition.

Meanwhile, in Dave’s office.

“Here are the financial reports and business updates for the overseas company,” Michael said, taking the documents from his case and setting them on Dave’s desk. “I gave you a summary earlier. These have all the details.”

It had taken Michael almost a month to gather the information, making sure nothing was missed.

Dave’s expression became serious.

Michael stood up, ready to leave. “Okay, I’ll get going. Take your time, you workaholic.”

“Next time, make sure to summarize the key points,” Dave said.

He had been working all day and hadn’t expected Michael to hand him the reports just as he was about to finish.

“Also, if you’re confident about something, just go ahead with it. You don’t need to run everything by me,” Dave said, rubbing his temples.

“That won’t do. You’re the major shareholder behind all this. It’s my duty,” Michael replied before walking out.

Once Michael left, Dave called the Deputy CFO to review the documents.

Alone in the office, Dave stared out the window, deep in thought. Everything had been strangely quiet since the banquet incident. It felt like the calm before the storm, and a sense of anxiety crept into his thoughts.

Just then, his phone rang.

“Mr. Evans, we have a problem. All our leads have gone cold,” Wyatt said.

Dave hung up, a slight frown forming. This was turning out to be more complicated than he thought. Wyatt might have hit a dead end, but it also exposed something deeper.

After leaving the airport, Brenda’s trail had been wiped clean. She didn’t show up again until days later. Where had she been? Who had she met?

He didn’t know.

With her final decision and what happened at the banquet, Blake looked suspicious. But what had he promised her to make her side with him? And was all of this really just to ruin his and Reese’s names?

If Brady was behind it, at least it would make sense; his motives were obvious. But even he didn’t seem to have the pull to make Brenda take such a huge risk. There was no clear link between them, and it was hard to believe Blake alone could offer enough to win her over. Her shares in Universal Pictures alone were worth billions.

That was the part Dave couldn’t figure out. He was starting to realize he had underestimated Blake.

Resting his chin on his hands, Dave narrowed his eyes. Maybe there was someone powerful working with Blake or backing him from the shadows.

It was also possible Brenda had been caught up in something. Maybe she was being blackmailed or pressured into going along.

Until he knew the truth, he wouldn’t feel comfortable. And he couldn’t shake the thought that Bianca might become their next target in the competition.

After thinking it over, he decided to keep his worries to himself. He didn’t want to affect Bianca or her artists’ performance. All he could do was hope there wasn’t some plot unfolding behind the scenes.

Three weeks passed quickly, and the long-awaited competition had finally reached its final stage. From the original one hundred contestants, only twenty were left.

To his surprise, things were nothing like he had feared.

So far, the competition showed no signs of hidden agendas. The frontrunners, Reese, Sophia, Nicolas, Mylo, and Rayan, owned the spotlight, their talent and popularity impossible to miss. They were the ones everyone expected to take the stage by storm.

The judges, sharp-eyed and fair, made sure everything stayed above board. Gerry’s sharp and entertaining commentary each round even won him a fan base of his own.

The presence of special guests Ruby and Louis added to the sense of fairness, reassuring viewers that the rankings were legitimate.

When the show aired, it became an instant hit, drawing viewers in like few events ever had.

On Twitter, the buzz was nonstop, with nearly every trending topic linked to the competition.

“Prediction: Reese will take the crown. We’re not watching any movie unless she’s the lead.”

“Phoenix Entertainment and Emerald Artists Agency are taking the world by storm. Universal Pictures might be their next stop!”

“Sophia’s acting is unmatched. Every scene makes me cry. She’s the queen of this competition.”

“This is what a real competition looks like! The performances are stunning. Remember those other shows?”

“Universal Actor Selection Competition is breaking records and dominating ratings.”