Chapter 56: An We Are Live

The custom Maybach pulled up smoothly to the back entrance of the studio, its midnight-black paint polished to a high mirror shine. Emblazoned subtly on the side step was my personalized crest: Made Specially for Mr. Ethan. It was pure, unadulterated luxury, drawing immediate, respectful nods from the floor crew as the doors glided open.

Ruby stepped out first. She wore a stunning, low-profile designer dress paired with a wide-brimmed vintage hat and a sheer lace veil. The ensemble was utterly breathtaking, yet perfectly masked her identity from the lingering paparazzi. I offered her my arm, and we were immediately ushered into the exclusive VIP gallery overlooking the main stage, completely hidden from the pre-show chaos.

Down below, the host was pacing back and forth near his desk, reviewing his teleprompter notes.

I pulled out my phone, opened a secure satellite transfer, and routed $100,000 directly into his private account. Right beneath the confirmation notice, I attached the rewritten script—the exact blindside questions that would trap Hailey on live television.

Across the studio, I saw the host’s phone buzz in his hand. He glanced down at the screen, his eyes widening in pure shock as he saw six figures hit his account. His gaze darted upward, scanning the VIP gallery until his eyes locked onto mine.

I gave him a slow, cold tilt of my glass. He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and gave me a firm, silent nod. The deal was done.

Seconds later, the heavy studio doors swung open, and Hailey made her entrance like a spoiled monarch. Flanked by four assistants, a hair team, and Travis hovering in the wings like a hawk, she strutted onto the set in a glaring crimson gown, waving fake smiles to the live studio audience.

"Three... two... one... and we are LIVE!" the director shouted.

The red tally lights on the broadcast cameras flared to life, transmitting the show to millions of streaming viewers worldwide. Hailey sank into the guest couch with her signature arrogant smirk, completely unaware that she had just walked straight into her own execution.

The host smiled, leaning across his desk with effortless charm as the broadcast cameras zoomed in.

"So, Hailey," he began, keeping his tone light and rehearsed. "This album has been over a year in the making. Your fans are dying to know—where did the inspiration for these tracks come from? What was the creative process like for you in the studio?"

Hailey giggled, crossing her legs gracefully and adjusting her red gown for the main camera. She looked directly into the lens, her expression radiating warmth, passion, and complete authenticity.

"Honestly? It came from the deepest parts of my soul," she said, her voice dripping with well-practiced sincerity. "Every single track on this record is a piece of my heart. I locked myself in the studio for months, writing late into the night, pouring my real-life heartbreak, my struggles, and my victories into every lyric. I didn’t want any outside noise—just me, my piano, and my truth."

From up in the VIP gallery, Ruby tilted her head slightly under her lace veil, a faint, cold smile playing on her lips.

Down on the floor, Travis stood near the soundboard with his arms crossed, watching his daughter with a proud, smug grin. Hailey was putting on a masterclass in media manipulation. She talked about the long nights, the tears behind the lead single, and how every melody was a reflection of her personal journey. She sounded so genuine, so raw, that anyone watching at home would have believed every single word.

The studio audience applauded, completely captivated by her story. Hailey soaked in the praise, resting her hand over her heart with a modest smile, fully convinced that she controlled the narrative.

Then, the host glanced down at his desk. He reached for the blue cue card—and slowly flipped it over to the hidden paper underneath.

The host leaned back in his chair, his expression shifting from warm enthusiasm to a sharp, investigative glint.

"Speaking of your fans and the community, Hailey," he said, his voice ringing clearly through the studio monitors, "there’s a massive conversation trending online right now. A mystery singer has been going viral, dropping stunning acoustic covers of your tracks—only for her videos to get manually scrubbed and muted within hours by your management. People are wondering why your team is trying so hard to pull her sound down."

Hailey’s fake smile instantly froze.

Her eyes went wide, and her head snapped toward the host with a look of pure, unadulterated shock. What are you doing? her glare screamed, her jaw twitching as she realized he had just shattered the pre-approved script on live television. Off-stage, Travis’s smug posture collapsed into a cold, furious scowl as he began aggressively gesturing to the floor director to cut to commercial.

"Oh... well," Hailey stammered, recovering just enough to force a nervous, airy laugh. "I... I honestly don’t know anything about that! You know how strict these streaming platforms are with copyright policies. It’s completely automated! I’m sure it’s just platform policy taking over."

"Actually," the host pressed on, leaning forward, refusing to let her off the hook, "the automated system doesn’t issue manual priority strikes within three hours of an upload. Industry reports confirm those strikes came directly from your label’s legal department. Why go after a small cover singer so aggressively?"

Hailey’s hands tightened into fists over her red dress. Caught dead in front of millions of live viewers, her pride left her with only one way out: total denial.

"Well, if my team did that, I certainly didn’t order it!" she declared smoothly, placing a hand over her heart with dramatic innocence. "I would never do that to someone singing my music. If my label overstepped, I’ll make sure they apologize personally, because I had absolute zero idea any of this was happening!"

Up in the VIP gallery, Ruby shook her head softly, a bitter, silent laugh escaping her lips under the veil. She tilted her phone toward me.

On the screen was the notification from ten minutes ago: Account Suspended. Hailey’s fifty-thousand-dollar bot burn had just nuked her second profile—yet here she was, lying through her teeth to the entire world.

"Look at her," Ruby whispered, her voice steady and icy cold. "She’s so good at lying. But she has no idea what’s coming next."