Chapter 414:

Brandon lowered his head. A single tear slid down his cheek.

What else had he missed? What more had he really done to hurt her?

Meanwhile, public opinion online was overwhelmingly in Millie’s favor. At the same time, the final live broadcast of Heavenly Melody came to a close.

The host announced the winners on stage.

Serena—Millie—was declared the champion without contest.

As she accepted the trophy, dazzling lights lit up the stage around her.

She stood in a wash of gold and silver, confetti raining down.

The applause was deafening. Online, the comment section overflowed with congratulations. Crowds chanted her name.

Once offstage, Millie finally allowed herself to relax.

“The competition is finally over,” she said with a smile to Barbara beside her.

Barbara grinned. “The sponsor reps are all here. Time to sign some contracts!” Each sponsor had promised resources for the champion. Now that the competition had ended, they would begin to fulfill their commitments.

Barbara grew more excited by the second.

Charles nodded in agreement.

They all headed backstage. The representatives were already seated, including those from Elliott Group. Jayceon and Adriana had left for dinner, so only Myron remained at the table.

When Millie and the others entered, Myron stood and offered his hand. “Congratulations on winning.”

Millie smiled and shook his hand. “Thank you. I look forward to working together with the Elliott Group.”

“As do I,” Myron said with a polite smile. “Let’s make this a great partnership.” There were no objections. The lawyers had reviewed the contracts beforehand, so everything was ready.

Millie signed her name. Each party received a copy.

The reps all nodded in approval.

Daphne, though visibly displeased, said nothing.

She had already decided to stay quiet after learning Serena was actually Millie. Still, she was the runner-up and would receive some support. That was her only consolation.

The third-place contestant had never expected to rank so high. They accepted their modest share of resources with good cheer.

Only Vivian looked truly shaken.

Outside the venue, a large crowd had gathered. They had originally come to protest Serena staying in the show. Now, the atmosphere had shifted entirely. Vivian hesitated to step outside. She wasn’t sure what might be waiting for her there.

No one paid much attention to Vivian. The others seemed genuinely happy, with most of the crowd gathered around Millie. The sponsor representatives and contestants chatted warmly, knowing they worked in the same industry and that there was a chance they might collaborate someday.

Before Serena revealed her true identity, there had been private discussions among these representatives. Earlier, before the final round—when Serena was under fire—a meeting had been held at the Evans family’s estate. Representatives from both the Watson Group and the Elliott Group had come to support her, leaving everyone else confused.

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