"Hello, Vivienne. I’ve arranged a job for you. It’s a very good opportunity, and the pay is excellent, but..."
Mary hesitated, her voice trailing off uncertainly.
Even though Vivienne was a top star with millions of fans, ever since she started chasing after Adrian Voss, ninety percent of those fans had turned against her.
Vivienne stepped out of the bathtub, holding her phone in one hand.
"Just say it, Mary. Don’t tiptoe around me. I’ve been in this industry for years—you know how strong I am."
Mary let out a soft sigh.
"I have to admit... Adrian Voss is your only weakness."
Vivienne exhaled at her friend’s blunt teasing.
"Alright, alright. I’ll say it. There’s a new reality show—Survive the Challenge. It’s a one-month live broadcast. The pay is over three million per episode. The conditions are actually very good if we’re looking to make money."
"Oh? So that’s it. When does filming start?"
"Tomorrow. The first episode is tomorrow. Make sure you’re ready—and don’t do anything foolish again."
"Understood, Mary. Thank you so much."
Watch the upcoming program Survive the Challenge, featuring:
@Oscar Jones
@Leo Thompson
@Arthur Williams
@Emma Walker
@Camila Hall
@Vivienne Blackwood
A thrilling journey begins tomorrow at 7 a.m. Stay tuned.
"Wait... isn’t that Arthur Williams, the most notorious playboy in the entertainment industry?! And he’s here?! Oh my god, I’m going to see my idol live on screen—this is his first reality show!"
"Oscar is a recently famous painter. I love his work, especially The Woman and the Child. How did the production team even convince him? He hates public appearances and always isolates himself to paint."
"Finally! We get a live broadcast of my favorite, Emma! I’ve always loved her style and runway shows—they’re unreal. I even heard she was invited to become a brand ambassador for the famous Lion fashion label."
"Speaking of fashion, Camila is a legendary designer. Even after twenty years in the industry, her name still carries weight. She’s worked with Emma several times—they look like a mother-daughter duo."
"Does no one care about that gold digger on the list? Why is she even invited? What is the producer thinking? How can they allow someone like Vivienne on the show? Get her out—I don’t want to see her dirty my screen."
"Why is that stalker there?! She shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the program. What if she switches targets and starts following Oscar? No, I refuse to accept this—kick her out!"
"Remove Vivienne Blackwood!"
"Get her out of the entire entertainment industry!"
The internet boiled with demands for Vivienne’s removal. The backlash grew so intense that the production team nearly gave in and deleted her name entirely.
But suddenly, the storm stopped.
The comments went silent.
The wind of public opinion shifted—and no one mentioned Vivienne again.
Only then did the director of the show finally exhale and resume work as usual.
"Is it done?" a rough, low voice echoed through the line.
"Yes, Boss. The comment section has been controlled. Our water army redirected attention exactly as you ordered."
"Good."
Adrian Voss ended the call with a single word.
He stood by the curtain wall of his high-rise office, gazing at the city below through the glass, lost in thought.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen for a moment before answering, his voice unusually soft.
"Mother?"
"Do you still remember I’m your mother? Then why haven’t you come to see me in so long? Hm?"
The woman’s voice was lively yet elegant—warm, aristocratic, and sharp beneath its gentleness.
"And what is this situation with Vivienne? That poor girl has suffered so much, and I wasn’t even there for her..."
Her tone sharpened.
"What kind of man are you? How could you not hesitate for a second to reject her every time? You even pushed her to the brink—she nearly died! Is this how you repay the person who saved our family? Is this the Voss upbringing? Is this how I raised you—to be a cold-blooded wolf in human skin?!"
Adrian’s veins pulsed faintly beneath his skin.
If anyone else had spoken to him like this, they would have regretted it immediately.
But in front of his mother, he was powerless.
He controlled his breathing, closed his eyes, and spoke with restrained patience.
"Mother... I didn’t do anything to her. I’m not ungrateful. How many times have I helped her from the shadows? Wasn’t I the one who turned her into a rising star? I gave her funding, support, protection—everything she has now."
"Do you even know how dangerous the entertainment industry is? Do you think someone like Vivienne, without any backing, could have survived and built a name for herself without me?"
"Enough! Don’t justify yourself to me!"
His mother’s voice rose sharply.
"Didn’t she end up in the hospital because of you? I saw her publicly apologizing to you online! That poor girl—caught in your web. Even if you are my son, you do not deserve her love."
Adrian frowned deeply.
What did he have to do with it if that woman was greedy and manipulative? If she had used their so-called friendship for years just to present them as lovers to the world?
She was the one who twisted everything.
He never forgave betrayal. He despised it more than anything.
And Vivienne had crossed that line.
Still, he had never harmed her. He simply refused her—and always would.
"Mother—"
"Don’t call me ’Mother’!"
Her voice cut through him again.
"I’m coming back to the country this week. And as for Vivienne... you are not the only man in the world."
Adrian paused.
For the first time, a flicker of confusion crossed his expression.
"...What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? I stayed silent all this time because I thought Vivienne might soften your heart. But you... You’re like a vampire with no beating heart."
"I’m coming. And I will make her leave you—and find her a man a hundred times better than you, you useless block of ice."
Beep.
The call ended abruptly.
For a brief moment, Adrian felt something unfamiliar—unease, hesitation... and a strange, tangled emotion he couldn’t quite name.
But only for a second.
Then his expression returned to its usual calm indifference.
"Good. It would be better if that greedy woman stayed away from my life anyway."
His cold voice faded into the silence of the office.
The silence that followed was different this time.
He should have felt nothing.
He always did.
Yet—
Adrian Voss remained standing by the glass wall, his gaze still fixed on the city below, though his reflection in the window looked slightly... unsettled.
For a brief moment, his hand tightened around the phone in his grip.
Then—
it rang again.
A new message notification lit up the screen.
He glanced at it without expression.
But his eyes paused.
Just for a fraction longer than usual.