Chapter 721
The ratings for “Life Focus” had been in the pits for the last couple of years. With new shown popping up left and right, their family–reunion angle just wasn’t drowing the crowds. Word around the office was that a rebrand was imminent, so when they heard someone wanted to reconnect with a long–lost daughter, their knee–jerk reaction was to decline.
“The guy says his daughter is Brielle, an assistant informed, hesitating slightly. “You know, the Brielle that caused a media frenzy yesterday”
The director’s eyes bulged, half–convinced he’d misheard. “You mean the Brielle who got publicly called out by Amelia? The CEO of Stellar Stage Entertainment, that Brielle?!”
“Yes, that’s the one”
“Book it! Get him in here, pronto!”
Brielle was the talk of the town, the name on everyone’s lips. Any show that featured her was guaranteed skyrocketing viewership.
“But the assistant cautiously began, “I heard this guy abandoned his daughter at an orphanage twenty years ago. Now that she’s made it big, he’s suddenly reappeared, demanding a hundred million in support. It seems a bit….
“Enough,” the director interjected sharply. “We’re in the business of buzz. The more the viewers rant, the higher our ratings climb” And so, the scene was set
The host of “Life Focus surrounded by a crew of producers and technicians, camped out in the lobby of the Stellar Stage Entertainment building, waiting.
The receptionist had already buzzed Brielle, who was on her way down.
Stellar Stage Entertainment, being a premier entertainment company, spared no expense on appearances. The lobby was chic, and the sofas were top–of–the–line imports.
The host, a 25–year–old man, was visibly nervous as the live broadcast continued. The online buzz had reached a fever pitch. When word got out that this was a reunion show for Brielle, the online audience had surged to the point of nearly crashing their servers. They were experiencing the highest viewership in the history of the show!
In past episodes, children had been reunited with their biological parents, and for the sake of drama, they were encouraged to embrace and weep. But the audience wasn’t buying it. They just found it awkward and staged.
The host could hear the production team in his earpiece, shouting with excitement
“We hit ten million views!”
“Twenty million!!”
“We’re closing in on thirty million!!!”
Thirty million people watching their livestream was unprecedented. The host’s palms were sweaty with anticipation. He turned the camera to Kingston, aiming to warm up the audience before Brielle’s arrival. “Mr. Kingston, you’ve previously mentioned that your daughter is the CEO of Stellar Stage Entertainment” the host prompted. “Could you elaborate on your intentions for today?”
Kingston, clad in an ill–fitting suit that seemed borrowed, had a calculating look in his eyes as he gazed at the building’s entrance. He snapped back to reality when the host addressed him.
“My request is simple,” Kingston said, adjusting his tie nervously. “I want my daughter to acknowledge me and to live with us. We had no choice but to leave her at the orphanage back in the day. The folks at the DNA center called us and told us she’s doing well, Everyone knows how lucrative the entertainment industry is. She’s a CEO, yet she hasn’t given us a dime in support all these years.” “And after she was taken in by the Haywood family, she changed her surname. She needs to revert it back. She has no blood relation to the Haywoods. Her mother is worried sick; we used to visit her at the orphanage, spending every penny we had on her. Now that she’s grown up, it’s time for her to repay her parents. If she refuses to recognize me as her father, I’m asking for a hundred million in support” A hundred million–the online crowd was incredulous. This man hadn’t cared for his daughter in over two decades and was now demanding a fortune.
Yet some viewers felt that blood ties couldn’t be severed so easily. Brielle was making money hand over fist surely, she could afford to give her biological parents something. To her, a hundred million would be a drop in the bucket, wouldn’t it?
The elevator dinged, and Brielle appeared. The camera swung to capture her entrance.
The viewers saw a woman dressed in a simple yet formal outfit walking towards them. Her eyes, firm and clear, swept over the room, exuding a powerful presence that put everyone on edge.
Fully briefed on the situation, Brielle nodded to the camera and then to the host–a courteous acknowledgment to the online audience. and those present. Taking a seat opposite Kingston, her tone was measured, and her demeanor was composed.
“Speak,” she said.
