CHAPTER 260
Xander pretended not to notice Arianna’s glare. He leaned in closer, his lips near her ear, and murmured in a deep voice,
“What happens after the hug?”
Arianna replied, annoyed, “Nothing!”
“Liar.”
With a playful grin, Xander lightly nibbled on her ear, sending shivers through her and turning her ears a deep red.
“Well, since you’re not telling me, I guess I’ll have to…figure it out myself.”
“Xander, don’t—Mmmph!”
Before she could finish her protest, Xander silenced her with a kiss. It started soft, but quickly grew more passionate as he took control.
Arianna, unable to resist, closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, surrendering to the moment.
All her worries seemed to vanish, and for a while, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.
After some time, Xander lifted Arianna into his arms and carried her to the bed...
…
The next morning, Arianna woke up with a sore back.
Xander was already gone from the bed. She glared at his side of the bed, recalling his relentless actions the night before. She thought about giving him a few well-deserved kicks.
It was her fault. She had brought up the idea of a domineering CEO, and that had sparked Xander’s ego. He insisted on living up to the comparison, and she was the one who ended up paying the price.
Arianna sighed and headed to the bathroom, sinking into the warm tub for a relaxing soak. While there, she grabbed her tablet, intending to check the situation on GossipNet.
To her surprise, the public’s opinion had shifted dramatically. She stared at the screen, puzzled, and quickly scrolled through the posts to figure out what had changed.
Throughout the night, the legal team from Xander's company uncovered the identities of several cyber troopers and swiftly took legal action against them.
By early morning, the cyber troopers had already conceded, quickly deleting their defamatory comments from GossipNet.
They admitted to being paid to spread lies.
To clear Arianna’s name, Starlight TV’s official account released a full video of the first round of the competition, urging viewers to watch and see for themselves.
They emphasized that the competition was entirely fair, with all contestants judged purely on their abilities.
William, the competition’s organizer, shared the post with the caption: [Feel free to review the footage yourselves.]
It was his way of showing transparency and asserting that the process had been beyond reproach.
Arianna had anticipated this resolution ever since the previous night, so none of it surprised her. What did catch her off guard, however, was a post from Harmony.
[Arianna is truly talented, and I hope everyone can disregard the rumours. The competition isn’t over, and we’ll all give our best!]
Although Harmony’s words were brief, they essentially confirmed that Arianna had rightfully earned first place. Netizens who had supported Harmony out of sympathy were now left without grounds to attack Arianna.
Harmony’s post vindicated Arianna, but it came at a personal cost to herself. As a sharp and insightful woman, Harmony had to know this.
Curious, Arianna clicked into Harmony’s GossipNet account and saw it flooded with harsh criticism. People accused her of changing her stance because she had been bought off, called her weak for not standing up for herself, and claimed they had considered being her fans but changed their minds after her post.
As Arianna read through the hurtful comments, her lips pressed together in thought, and a complex expression crossed her face.
If Arianna was being honest with herself, she had always been a bit cautious of Harmony, having had her doubts about her in the past.
However, she began to wonder if perhaps she had misjudged Harmony.
Just then, a notification from her phone interrupted her thoughts.
She glanced at the screen and saw a WhatsApp message from Harmony.
[Don’t mind what those netizens are saying on GossipNet. Your talent is undeniable, and I acknowledge my mistake. You earned first place in this round fair and square. I’m just going to keep giving it my all in the upcoming rounds. The competition is important, but so is keeping a great friendship. I hope the online chatter won’t affect us.]
After reading the message, Arianna had to admit that Harmony, if nothing else, possessed a high emotional intelligence.
It was hard to harbour ill feelings toward someone who had publicly defended her on GossipNet and then privately reached out with such a considerate message.
Arianna knew that if she continued feeling uneasy, it would seem like she was being unnecessarily petty.
After a moment’s thought, Arianna typed a reply: [Agreed. Let’s both give our best in the competition.]
Harmony responded almost immediately with a smiling emoji.
Arianna chose not to reply further, deciding to leave the matter at that.
…
Five days later, the second round of the competition commenced.
At nine in the morning, the seven remaining contestants gathered at the studio. After William had finished doing a headcount, the three judges took their seats.
Like before, the rules for the second round were revealed on the spot. One of the judges stood up, ready to explain them. However, just as he cleared his throat and was about to speak, a loud commotion echoed from outside the door.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, clearly startled by the sudden commotion. Curiosity mingled with concern as they tried to figure out what was happening.
One of the judges looked at William, raising a brow. “Is something wrong, William? Should you check what's going on?”
Noises like that were never allowed during broadcasts or recordings at the station.
William nodded, about to head out when a staff member burst into the room, panic evident on his face.
“Mr. Schuck, we have a serious problem. A maniac broke into the station, and he’s holding people hostage in Studio One. The situation is bad. He’s demanding to see a reporter or anchor, but most of our team is out at the convention. I’ve tried contacting everyone, but no one’s available right now. Is there anyone here who can help?”
