Chapter 404:

After a few seconds of silence, Brandon finally spoke. “Millie, can we talk privately sometime?”

She looked at him with quiet sympathy.

“No,” she said gently.

Then, turning away, she added, “I just finished performing. I’m tired and need to rest.”

She turned to the Elliott siblings, offering them a polite smile, and thanked them. Then, to Charles and Barbara, she said, “Let’s go. I’m thirsty.” Not once did she look back at Brandon or Vivian.

Charles caught on right away. “There’s water in the lounge. Let’s go.”

Millie nodded.

As they neared the stairs and moved closer to the camera’s frame, Brandon finally turned, watching Millie’s retreating figure with aching eyes.

“Millie,” he called after her softly.

But she didn’t turn around.

Supported by Barbara, she carried her costume and disappeared around the corner.

Only the Elliott trio, Brandon, and Vivian remained.

Jayceon and Adriana had already moved on, chatting about what to eat next. Myron listened quietly as he walked with them.

Brandon lowered his gaze, staring at the spot where Millie had stood. A trace of her costume’s plaster was still clinging to the floor.

Vivian saw it too. She clenched her teeth in frustration but didn’t dare show it.

She feigned innocence. “I really didn’t know Serena was Millie.”

She added meaningfully, “Didn’t they say during the first broadcast that she’d been injured ten days ago and couldn’t rehearse?”

Brandon still didn’t respond.

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Jayceon suddenly turned back with a curious look. “I heard she really was hurt. Fell down the stairs, apparently.” He leaned into the gossip, his voice tinged with sarcasm. “It was pretty bad. I heard she couldn’t even get out of bed for days.” He went on with deliberate mockery. “Makes you wonder how such an accident happened in the first place.”

Brandon’s fingers twitched slightly. His eyes were fixed on the faint trail of plaster left behind.

Jayceon turned to Adriana. “You’re a woman. What would you do if you were in her shoes?”

Adriana played along. “What else? I’d move on and find someone who truly cherishes me this time.”

Jayceon nodded in agreement.

Vivian was furious, but she held back, keeping up her act.

Just as she was about to speak, Jayceon cut her off. “That medical report Charles gave was definitely fake—the timeline simply didn’t add up. But everyone saw how Millie was before the performance—those injuries were real. And Serena’s condition on the earlier broadcasts? Anyone with eyes could tell.”

Vivian couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “Mr. Elliott, are you defending her because you like her?”

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