Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 285

Her voice seemed to possess a peculiar magic, drawing the crowd’s attention like moths to a flame.

Just moments ago, a handful of people had been loudly calling for a boycott, but now even they had forgotten their own outrage, wide-eyed and silent as they watched the woman onstage—the Masked Woman.

Vivienne, ever perceptive, immediately noticed the shift in the atmosphere. Without hesitation, she sent a message to Wyatt under the table.

Almost instantly, instigators appeared in the audience, stirring up chaos.

Anyone who wasn’t shouting for a boycott became the subject of scorn from those around them.

“What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you protesting anymore? I swear, your morals must be rotten. Serena’s a fraud—she stole money meant for charity, she’s disgraced, a stain on the industry, and you still support her? Maybe you’re just as bad!”

“What? That’s not true, don’t accuse me!”

“Then stand with us—boycott Serena!”

“All right!”

“Boycott Serena!”

“Boycott Serena!”

A new wave of angry voices crashed through the hall, each shout louder than the last.

Vivienne watched the surging tide of protest with satisfaction.

And all of this, Emilia saw.

This was exactly the effect she wanted.

She’d experienced Vivienne’s tactics before, knew just how skillful she could be.

But if Vivienne wanted to use rumors to crush her, then Emilia would use those very rumors as chisels—chisels with which she would reshape herself before the eyes of everyone in the room.

The microphone in her hand felt like a sculptor’s tool. With every word she sang, every powerful note that cut through the uproar, it was as if the Masked Woman was carving herself anew, each lyric etching away the plaster that encased her.

The louder the crowd’s resistance grew, the faster the plaster seemed to crack and fall away from her body.

It was as if—

Every whisper, every accusation, every rumor became a thousand chisels, striking her again and again, until, at last, a new self was revealed beneath.

Even while performing such a demanding routine, she never lost control of her voice, carrying the performance forward with flawless precision.

Storytelling, skill, artistry—even the angry chants from the audience, all of it was woven seamlessly into the show.

Incredible.

Absolutely incredible.

Even Wyatt, who’d come to stir up trouble, couldn’t help but be impressed.

Thank goodness Vivienne had seized on Serena’s charity scandal and run with it—because if Christian had an ally like her, who knew how far he could have gone?

Wyatt grinned at the thought, glancing at Christian.

“I didn’t do anything,” he said with a shrug and a mischievous look. “I’m just here to see the look on your faces when you lose.”

He flashed a provocative smile at Christian. “I bet it’ll be spectacular!”

Meanwhile, onstage, the Masked Woman had shed all her plaster—except for the mask covering her face, still awaiting its final transformation.