CHAPTER 270
Arianna felt a rush of disappointment, even though she wasn’t shocked.
“If you think your talent will shine through and that your win is guaranteed, then feel free to post that clarification. It won’t change anything for you. But if you hesitate, it’s because you know, deep down, that you used my video to influence the votes and grab the win.”
She took a short pause before adding, “At this moment, you’re still pretending you had nothing to do with it, trying to maintain your innocent image. You’re giving yourself way too much credit, Harmony.”
Harmony’s response didn’t reflect any alarm at being called out. She spoke in the same sweet, innocent tone.
“I get that you’re upset, and it’s easy to overthink in moments like this. Let’s talk about it when you’ve had some rest, okay? We’ll figure it out once you’ve calmed down.”
Without hesitation, Arianna ended the call.
There was nothing left to say.
The timing of the video was no coincidence—it appeared in the final moments of the competition, just in time to block any chance of a comeback. By the time she realized what had happened, it was already too late.
Harmony had not only cheated but made it clear she was willing to step on Arianna to win.
Winning unfairly just wasn’t enough for her—she even had the nerve to call and act like she was innocent, keeping up her sweet persona in front of Arianna.
If Arianna had been a bit more gullible or easily influenced, she could have fallen for Harmony’s charade, allowing herself to be controlled by her act.
Even though she claimed she would accept losing if it was fair, there was no way she would let this unfairness go unchallenged.
............
The next morning, Arianna woke up early, planning to visit Lychee TV. After finishing her shower and just about to change, she heard an unexpected knock on her door.
“Arianna, you have a visitor,” came Aunt Julia’s voice from the other side.
A visitor?
Since moving in, Arianna rarely had anyone come to see her. The only time was when she had invited Alan over.
She didn’t have many friends, and the only person she kept in regular contact with was Rochelle. But Rochelle wouldn’t come to the villa. She wasn’t fond of John or his circle of friends, including Xander. After everything Xander had put Arianna through, Rochelle preferred meeting her elsewhere.
Who could it be?
Arianna tried to think of who might visit but came up empty.
“Okay, Aunt Julia. Please make them comfortable. I’ll be right down after I change.”
“Certainly, Arianna.”
Arianna quickly dressed in some casual house clothes, then sat at her vanity, making sure she looked presentable. Once satisfied, she left her room and made her way downstairs.
As she entered the living room, she was surprised to see William sitting on the couch, sipping tea that Aunt Julia had just served him.
It caught her off guard. William usually reached out via WhatsApp, so she hadn’t expected him to drop by unannounced.
She approached with a friendly smile, sitting on the couch across from him.
“Good morning, Mr. Schuck.”
William set down his tea and smiled.
“Good morning, Arianna. I hope I’m not bothering you by showing up this early.”
“Not at all,” Arianna replied.
“What brings you here, Mr. Schuck?”
Instead of answering directly, William asked gently, “Have you had breakfast yet? There’s a great place nearby that serves a fantastic breakfast. May I take you out?”
At that, Arianna understood why he had come by so early. She decided it was best to hear him out.
She nodded. “Sure.”
After informing Aunt Julia, Arianna left with William, who had driven over in his car. He took the wheel, and about twenty minutes later, they arrived at a cosy restaurant. A waiter guided them to a private room.
Once they were seated, William handed Arianna the menu.
“Please, order anything you’d like.”
Arianna looked at him and smiled faintly.
“You can go ahead and order, Mr. Schuck. We both know we aren’t here just for breakfast. I prefer being straightforward if that’s alright with you.”
William’s smile faltered for a brief moment before he quickly recovered, chuckling softly.
“You are sharp, Arianna.”
He ordered a few dishes at random, and once the waiter had left, closing the door behind him, silence settled over the room.
William picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Arianna. He glanced at her thoughtfully before finally speaking,
“You’ve seen what happened on GossipNet yesterday, right, Arianna?”
It was more of a statement than a question.
Arianna simply replied, “Yes.”
“And what’s your take on it?”
The way he asked made it almost laughable to her. Without hesitating, she answered firmly,
“I’m the one who confronted the attacker and saved the child. The public may not know the full story, but you, the Starlight TV staff, and others present that day know the truth. It’s only fair that someone steps up to clarify what happened, don’t you think?”
William didn’t seem surprised by her words, though his expression darkened with discomfort. After a brief hesitation, he finally spoke,
“Here’s the issue, Arianna. We all know what you did, and no one is denying that. You’re the one who deserves credit for everything that happened. But… that video gave Harmony a major boost right at the end, securing her the win. The competition was streamed live, and everyone witnessed her victory in real time. If we were to step forward now and overturn the results, there’s no telling how the public would react.
“You remember the video of you that surfaced during the first round, right? The netizens had a negative view of Starlight TV after that, and it took a lot to calm things down. If we side with you again, people might accuse us of favouring you and bullying Harmony, who’s seen as defenceless. That could severely damage Starlight TV’s reputation.”
Arianna grasped the situation instantly.
