Chapter 626: Was This Whole Thing Rigged?

Hadn’t Rupert captured Brenda? Ashley had insisted she was beyond saving, locked away in a fortress no one could reach.

Could Rupert and his men have failed? Blake pushed the thought aside. If Brenda had been freed, Ashley would have known. She would have sounded the alarm.

“I can prove it,” Katharine said, her posture as rigid as a royal decree. “As a member of the royal family, I vouch for her without hesitation. She is Brenda McGee. I’ve known her since childhood. There is no doubt.”

“She’s the real Brenda McGee, plain and simple. This farce has gone on long enough,” Bianca added, and her eyes fixed on Blake before she switched off her microphone. “You should be helping us end this nonsense instead of making a fool of yourself.”

Her words shattered Blake like glass struck by a hammer.

Outside the hall, the internet erupted.

“Brenda’s royalty?! That explains the Universal Pictures shares! I’d heard rumors about royal investment, but I never believed them.”

“So this is the real Brenda. That other one was nothing but a fraud. Unbelievable! Now Blake looks like the fool.”

“This is insane. Is the actual royalty standing up for Brenda, and is Brenda herself royalty? I can’t even process this!”

Blake stared at Bianca, stunned. Why would she say that? Had she known from the very beginning?

Even Bianca felt a flicker of disappointment. This was a live competition, broadcast nationwide. Every word mattered.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” she said with calm poise, shifting the situation into a comfortable moment, “I know this revelation has left many of you shaken. So let’s hear from the woman of the hour herself. Brenda McGee, please, clear the misunderstanding.” She walked toward Brenda and placed the microphone in her hand.

Brenda drew in a steady breath, her fingers curling slightly. Katharine’s calm presence beside her gave her silent strength.

Just hours earlier, Brenda had been trapped in a cellar beneath a mansion.

Edenfield, which she once thought would bring her success, had turned into the worst mistake of her life.

She had arrived full of confidence and was confident she could finish her mission quickly. But the moment she walked into the taxi outside the airport, her fate was sealed. She was kidnapped by someone she had never known.

She hadn’t been hurt, but the captivity itself was cruel. The food was barely edible. The air reeked of damp earth and rotting wood. And the cellar was alive with insects that thrived in the endless dark.

Then, only hours ago, everything had changed. A rescue team had stormed the mansion, moving swiftly as they brought down her captors and pulled her to safety.

Even now, as she stood there, a part of her still feared it was a trick, another cruel game meant to break her. It wasn’t until she saw Katharine’s familiar face that she finally allowed herself to believe it was real.

Katharine gave her a reassuring nod.

Brenda’s eyes shifted to Michael, the man who had saved her. She drew in a long breath, trying to compose herself.

On the way here, she had pieced everything together. Now she carried a plan, bold, risky, maybe even reckless, but it had to be done.

She turned to face the camera, her eyes meeting the millions watching from their screens. “To everyone here, and to those watching at home, it’s an honor to finally speak to you. I regret that this is the first time I’ve addressed you all. I know there are endless questions, especially with all the rumors spreading online. Our partners are worried, and I understand, especially now that we’re in the final round of this competition.”

She paused, letting the silence stretch until the tension was almost unbearable. “But there’s something I need to make absolutely clear.” Her eyes stayed fixed on the camera and unflinching. “I do not accept the results of this competition!”

The room fell silent. For a moment, not a single sound could be heard. Then, suddenly, voices broke out in shock and disbelief.

“What?! What does she mean she doesn’t accept?”

“No way. Was this whole thing rigged? Did Phoenix Alliance Group set up the entire competition?”

“If they had, wouldn’t Blake be the one walking away as the winner?”

“Then why do Bianca and Dave look so calm just standing there?”

The audience broke into shocked gasps and whispers. Brenda’s strong “I do not accept” bothered people's thoughts. Most of them had strong ties to Phoenix Alliance Group, with some bound by contracts under Phoenix Entertainment. Many had even joined Emerald Artists Agency because of Reese.

At the same time, the internet was in chaos.

“This is the third shocking twist today! I can’t stop watching. What’s coming next?”

“If Phoenix Alliance Group really rigged the results, they’re in huge legal trouble. This could blow up fast.”

“But Brenda never named Vitality’s CEO. And Michael, the Hayes heir, was the one who escorted Brenda and Katharine out. Isn’t he close to the CEO? Could this be some kind of setup?”

“The one panicking the most right now has to be… what’s his name? Blake? The guy who made accusations earlier? This is hilarious! It’s like he got slapped in the face. If I were him, I’d want to vanish into the ground.”

“This show is going down in history.”

“Phoenix’s stock is crashing. Brenda’s words just wiped a huge chunk off Phoenix Alliance Group’s market value…”

Even with the tension around him, Blake felt a rush of excitement. Brenda’s bold refusal had actually worked in his favor.

Her rejection meant only one thing: the results were invalid.

Reese first, Sophia second? Gone. The outcome hadn’t changed much. Dave was still on the hook for massive liquidated damages, and Bianca would share the blame for siding with him.

Blake hadn’t expected this turn of events, but he welcomed it.

Brenda stood her ground and raised her voice. “I reject this outcome because I haven’t seen the contestants perform for myself. Without that, I can’t give a fair judgment.”

She walked toward the four actors —Mylo, Rayan, Reese, and Sophia —with her eyes sharply studying each of them.

None of them backed down. Only Reese and Sophia looked her straight in the eye with confidence. They carried themselves like true contenders.

Brenda made her choice clear. “There will be a re-audition. The earlier scores are canceled. I will choose the winner myself. This isn’t about popularity, votes, or online numbers. What matters is who can meet the demands of a major film for Universal Pictures.”