Just then—
Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzt!
Peter's phone suddenly vibrated violently, the shrill ringtone slicing through the suffocating silence backstage.He frowned impatiently and instinctively glanced at the screen.
The moment he saw the caller ID...
His already gloomy expression instantly became even uglier.
The blood drained from his face.His fingers froze for a brief second before he hurriedly answered the call.
"D-Dad..."
The instant the call connected—
"YOU BRAT!!"
The furious roar exploded through the speaker like thunder almost made Peter drop his phone.
The deafening voice made his eardrums ring, forcing him to instinctively pull the phone several inches away from his ear.
His heart skipped a beat.
Never...
Never in his entire life had his father spoken to him like this.
Mr. McCain had always doted on his only son. Although he occasionally scolded him for being lazy or careless, it had never gone beyond a few harsh words.
But today...
There wasn't the slightest trace of affection in that voice.
Only pure, unrestrained fury.
Mr. McCain sounded less like a father...
And more like a volcano that had finally erupted.
"You useless brat!"
"Why on earth would you terminate the contract of such a promising young singer?!"
Peter's lips trembled.He opened his mouth, wanting to explain himself, but the words wouldn't come out.
Mr. McCain didn't give him the chance.While straightening his tie with one hand, he continued roaring into the phone.
"That song—'Never Gonna Give You Up'—is going to be a hit!"
"No!"
"It's going to be an absolute sensation!"
"I don't care what you have to do!"
"I order you to find Henry immediately!"
"Bring him back!"
"Sign him again!"
"If you fail..."
"...you'll regret it!"
Finally—
"HURRY UP AND GO, YOU IDIOT!"
The call ended with another earth-shaking roar.
Peter stood frozen.Cold sweat streamed down his plump face as if someone had poured a bucket of water over him.
His back was completely soaked.Only after several seconds did he finally snap back to reality.
He hurriedly stood up so fast that his chair toppled over behind him.
"I understand!"
"I understand, Father!"
Unfortunately...
The call had already ended.
Peter stared blankly at the dark screen before hurriedly stuffing the phone into his pocket and sprinting toward the exit.
For the first time in his life...
He finally understood how everyone else felt whenever they stood before his father.
The overwhelming pressure had radiated through nothing more than a phone call.
Just imagining facing that terrifying aura in person made Peter involuntarily shudder.
The gentle, indulgent father who had spoiled him for years had disappeared.
In his place stood a furious beast.
"Truly terrifying..."
Peter swallowed hard, his eyes filled with determination.
"I have to sign Henry back..."
"No matter what!".
Meanwhile.
Anne slowly walked onto the stage beneath thousands of watchful eyes.The dazzling spotlights that had seemed so inviting just moments ago now felt like scorching suns bearing down on her.
Every step felt unnaturally heavy.Her palms were damp with sweat.
Her heartbeat pounded so loudly that it almost drowned out the cheers of the host introducing her.
When she finally reached the center of the stage, Anne forced herself to smile.Unfortunately...
It looked more awkward than beautiful.
Looking out at the sea of faces before her, she suddenly felt as though she had become a criminal standing in a courtroom, waiting for the jury to deliver its verdict.
Those gazes...
Some were cold.
Some were curious.
Some carried unconcealed hostility.
She couldn't help but recall Henry's final words before leaving the stage.
"The person... is Anne from RockMedia."
Just one sentence...
Yet it had pushed her straight into the eye of the storm.
She clenched her fists tightly.
Calm down... Anne.
This is only your first obstacle on the road to becoming a superstar.
You've rehearsed this song hundreds of times.
Smile... breathe...
You can do this.
Come on, girl.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.She adjusted her expression, trying her best to appear graceful beneath the spotlight.
The audience gradually quieted.
The stage lights dimmed.
Moments later...
A gentle piano melody drifted through the speakers, accompanied by the soft cry of a blues guitar.
The melancholic introduction slowly wrapped itself around the venue.Anne tightened her grip on the microphone.
Her hands trembled ever so slightly.
Almost instantly, she noticed it.
No...
Don't shake.
She silently scolded herself before forcing her fingers to steady.Raising the microphone to her lips, she slowly opened her mouth.
"Mmh... baby, baby... don't go..." ♪
"Stay with me..."
"One more time..." ♪
Her soft voice echoed through the hall.
"Baby... I will never betray you..." ♪
"Cause you are my one and only..." ♪
"Ooh... ooh... ooh... ooh..." ♪
"I had a dream like Martin Luther King..." ♪
Before Anne could even finish the first chorus...
"BOOO!"
A lone voice rang out from somewhere within the audience.
It was quickly followed by another.
Then another.
Within seconds...
The scattered boos snowballed into a deafening wave that swept across the venue.
"What is this?"
"I thought this Anne was some kind of genius!"
"This is the person RockMedia abandoned Henry for?"
"You're kidding me!"
"I've heard better songs from amateur singers online!"
"My grandma could write something better than this!"
"My ears..."
"They're protesting already!"
The atmosphere instantly became chaotic.
Some genuinely thought the song was mediocre.
Others were still furious over Henry's story.
And quite a few...
Simply joined in because everyone else was doing it.
Crowds were frightening like that.Once someone had been branded the villain...
People became surprisingly eager to throw another stone.
The livestream exploded.
"That's it?"
"She isn't even worthy of passing the first audition!"
"So this is RockMedia's secret weapon?"
"What a joke."
"They sacrificed Henry for this?"
"No wonder he left!"
"I almost feel sorry for her..."
The comments poured across the screen faster than anyone could read them.
Meanwhile...
Countless viewers rushed straight to RockMedia's official Chirp account.
Within moments, the latest post had been flooded.
"When is your company going bankrupt?"
"Trash management!"
"The executives must have rocks for brains!"
"You abandoned Henry for this singer?"
"You deserve every bit of today's embarrassment!"
Back on stage...
Anne's breathing became increasingly erratic.She stared blankly at the audience.The lyrics she had rehearsed countless times...
Were gone.
Her mind had become completely blank.
The microphone in her hands suddenly weighed as much as a mountain.
Her legs trembled uncontrollably.She knew Henry had pushed her into the spotlight.
She knew the audience would be biased.
But...
She had never imagined it would reach this level.
What did I do wrong...?
Was it really wrong to seize an opportunity when it appeared before me?Wasn't everyone in this industry trying to climb higher?
Her eyes gradually reddened.
The music continued playing.
But Anne...
Could no longer sing.
The pressure pressing down on her chest finally shattered the last thread holding her together.Tears streamed down her cheeks.
She broke down crying right there on stage.
The music continued.
The audience...
Did not.
The boos mixed with mocking laughter echoed throughout the venue, completely drowning out the accompaniment.
Anne could only stand there helplessly beneath the blinding lights.
For the first time in her life...
She understood that a stage capable of creating stars...
Could also destroy one.
In the VIP viewing area.
Liam watched the scene unfold from beginning to end without saying a word.His originally calm expression gradually turned colder.He had expected Anne to stumble under the pressure.
He had expected her performance to be affected by Henry's speech.
But...
He hadn't expected her to completely collapse after barely finishing half of the first chorus.Seeing Anne standing helplessly on stage with tears streaming down her face, Liam slowly closed his eyes.
A trace of disappointment flashed across them.
Too weak.
Not because her singing was terrible.
Nor because she lacked talent.But because she lacked the mental fortitude required to stand at the top of the entertainment industry.
How could someone who dreamed of becoming a superstar crumble after facing a little public pressure?
A true star...
Would continue smiling even if the entire world stood against them.
Anne...
Had failed his expectations.He gently shook his head before raising a hand.
His assistant immediately leaned closer.
"President Liam."
Without taking his eyes off the stage, Liam spoke indifferently.
"Contact the media department."
"Seal every photo and video of me visiting backstage today."
The assistant froze for a brief moment before quickly nodding.
"I understand, Boss."
She immediately took out her phone to carry out the order.
Liam wasn't trying to protect Anne.Nor did he suddenly think she was being treated unfairly.He was protecting only one thing...
His own reputation.There was no such thing as standing beside a weak person out of sympathy in his world.
If word spread that he had personally visited backstage to support Anne before her disastrous performance, his own name would inevitably become part of the public discussion.
He had no intention of allowing that to happen.The entertainment industry was cuttthroat and reputations took years to build...
only to be destroyed in minutes.
The assistant couldn't help sighing inwardly.
Fortunately,president Liam's relationship with Miss Anne was never made public.
Otherwise,she didn't even dare imagine the amount of backlash they would be facing right now.She glanced toward Anne, who remained frozen under the spotlight while tears rolled endlessly down her cheeks.
A flicker of disgust unconsciously appeared in her eyes.
After tonight...
Anne's future in the entertainment industry was hanging by a thread.
One more wrong step and that fragile thread would snap completely.
Liam slowly stood up from his seat.He no longer had any interest in watching the rest of the performance.What occupied his thoughts now was something else entirely.
His uncle had abruptly left the venue halfway through Henry's performance.
Knowing his uncle's personality,that could only mean something important had happened.
Without another glance at the stage, Liam buttoned his suit jacket and quietly walked toward the exit.
His assistant hurried after him.
The two disappeared into the corridor before making their way toward the underground parking garage.
Behind them...
The boos inside the venue still echoed relentlessly.