True Tycoon Her Empire, Her Rules

Chapter 174

Just as Bagot had predicted, after the big—shot influencer posted evidence of Mae buying fake online support, the Bright Group swiftly sent out a cease and desist letter, accusing Mae of defamation.

Facing pressure from both the Bright Group and Starfall Entertainment, it looked like Mae’s agent was ready to drop her like a hot potato.

But Mae herself was blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around her.

When she was told by her agency to wrap up shooting early and head back, Mae was visibly irritated, but she managed to keep her temper in check in front of the live stream.

Soon enough, Mae packed her bags and left with her assistant in tow. As she was stepping into the car, one of the production assistants ran over to Baily and said, “Mr. Baily, Mae took the amulet with her.”

Baily’s face darkened upon hearing this. The others might not know, but he was well aware that the so-called “Protection Charm” was from Winnie.

And because of that, he had little respect for Mae. Using Winnie’s Protection Charm and then having the gall to cause trouble — if you've got so much nerve, why take the Charm with you at all?

But Baily knew better than to make a scene.

After all, the dark spell afflicting Mae had not been fully dealt with yet. If the production team demanded the Protection Charm back and something happened to Mae, she might turn around

and blame the show.

Besides, although the online community wasn’t exactly Mae’s biggest fan at the moment, if the production team appeared too harsh, they might be accused of lacking compassion and pushing someone to their breaking point.

“Let her keep it for now,” Baily said finally. “We'll draw up a legal document later on to formally terminate her contract after this episode.”

After giving his instructions, Baily thought it best to pull Winnie aside to explain the situation, especially since the Protection Charm had come from her. He didn’t want Winnie to feel slighted.

However, to his surprise, Winnie didn’t seem too bothered by the fact that Mae had taken the Charm. From what Winnie had seen over the past few days, Mae wasn’t the type to act with integrity.

“That Charm shielded her from the spell. In a couple of days, once the police wrap up their investigation and break the spell, the Charm will lose its power anyway.”

In other words, it wouldn’t be of much use to take it back. 27.00 Chapter 174

Baily had intended to just give Winnie a heads-up, so she wouldn't feel shortchanged, and he also briefed her on the current online sentiment.

“We've decided to cut ties with Mae for the next episode, and I’ll find a new guest to fill in. Starfall Entertainment will handle the online situation, so you don’t need to worry about her.”

Winnie offered a small smile.

She wasn’t concerned about Mae. Even without the intervention of the Bright Group or Starfall Entertainment, Mae’s future didn’t look too bright.

Winnie didn’t believe in repaying evil with kindness. Since Mae had harbored ill intentions towards her, there was no need for Winnie to go out of her way to be considerate.

After dealing with the skull issue the night before, Winnie had cleansed the surrounding area of the inn of any residual negative energy.

As for the bad vibes clinging to Mae, Winnie deliberately overlooked them.

That negative energy was not heavy; even if left untreated, it would dissipate after a bit of sunlight and time — though Mae might experience some bad luck in the meantime.

Winnie figured it was no big deal.

Back at the production set, the team had finished setting up for the live stream interaction. They had installed a large screen to ensure that the guests, even when far apart, could easily

read the viewers’ comments.

The live interaction segment kicked off, and with all the guests in place, the audience quickly noticed Mae’s absence. “They are missing one guest... Where’s Mae?”

“Could the production team have asked her to leave?”

“That wouldn't be surprising, considering who she managed to offend.”

“It just goes to show, the bigger your backing, the more say you have. Same production, but they can kick out anyone they want.” “What's with all the previous cryptic comments? Mae brought this on herself; what does it have to do with our Winnie?” “If you ask me, it’s better off without her. | feel queasy even watching the live stream with her in it.”

“I'm with the production on this one.”

“What program wouldn't want to get rid of a trouble-making guest?”

“Actually, having just five people is pretty good. | like watching just the five of them.”

Winnie’s fans and some neutral viewers started flooding the chat with their comments, quickly pushing the snide remarks down the feed.

Mae’s fans had dwindled in number due to her recent antics, but there were still a handful who were loyal to her looks over her character, continuing to support her.

And then there were a few who simply resented the wealthy.

Since the launch of the show, this was the first time the guests were engaging with the audience directly, and their fresh reactions were evident on their faces as they read the live

comments.

The host, from off-camera, explained, “Due to other commitments, Mae had to leave, so the upcoming live interaction segment will continue with our five remaining

The live chat immediately shifted from the previous debates to enthusiastic responses. “Finally, the interaction segment!”

“Ah! Can | talk to Kaney?”

“Winnie, | love you!”

“Candy, you're so beautifull”

“Gentry, you're the best!”

With Mae gone, the atmosphere in the live stream was unusually harmonious.

Though Ned was off-camera, he followed the live chat on his phone. After greeting the online audience, he went on to explain, “For the first hour of this interaction, it’s Q&A time for you, the viewers. You can send in questions via the chat, and our five guests will pick and answer them. Please indicate if you'd like a specific guest to respond.”

He paused, then added, “Just a friendly reminder: try to keep your questions related to the show or the paranormal. Otherwise, they might be skipped over.”

After an hour of interactive Q&A, the show's producers had set aside some time for personal storytelling. “Feel free to share any odd experiences from your daily lives,” Ned announced, “and our special guests will offer their insights live.”

As Ned's words faded, the audience engagement kicked off, with viewers rapidly posting their questions in the live chat. The inquiries were as varied as a bag of jelly beans.

Some were curious about the dynamic between Kane and Winnie as a team.

Others pondered whether Winnie truly had a grasp of the mystical.

There were even questions about what it felt like for Gentry to have a protective spirit.

But the bulk of the audience focused on a few burning questions — Is the show unscripted, as claimed? 3/4

07:01

Did

Woducers know about Naylor’s incident beforehand?Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

Is Winnie’s talent genuine, or just a marketing ploy by the show?

These were the lingering doubts since the last couple of episodes. And now, the show was finally ready to reveal the truth.