Dominate Showbiz: Media Tycoon Discovered My Talent-Chapter 122: Make It Up To You

Charles took the podium, while Kaija stepped to stand a little behind him.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said into the mic, "thank you for gathering here today to show your support for our newest artist, Kaija.

"But before we conclude today’s meeting, we have one last surprise for you.

"Please pay close attention to this part, and record it thoroughly with every device you have.

"In fact, we encourage you to broadcast it live, whether from your personal accounts or your media channels.

"Now, please welcome to the stage the winner of this year’s KE Festival: Liisi Grant."

At Charles’s words, the door beside the main stage swung open once more.

Stepping through it was none other than the pink-haired winner of the festival everyone had been talking about, wearing a modest black dress, as if she were walking into her own funeral.

Fire returned to the room at Liisi’s presence, but rather than the admiration that usually followed her at press meetings with her group Lipstick, this fire was one of doubt.

"Liisi! What do you think of the result?"

"Do you think you’re a deserving winner?"

"Liisi, how do you feel when your opponent has earned more attention than you, the winner of the festival?"

All cameras and phones began recording, broadcasting live across television and social media platforms.

Liisi’s smile didn’t falter under the barrage of questions, but deep inside, she was boiling.

"Fucking idiots," she cursed inwardly. "How dare you ask such insolent questions to my face?"

Still, the moment her gaze landed on Charles, all protest within her died down.

The CEO had stepped down from the podium and now stood silently behind it, silver eyes sharp as he watched her every movement, every subtle shift of her expression.

Liisi swallowed hard under the threat in that gaze.

If he noticed even the slightest misstep, he would release the footage that would decide her fate and her career. She couldn’t afford to screw this up.

With trembling legs, she stepped onto the stage and took over the podium.

Then she offered the crowd a gracious smile and a greeting, as if icy chills weren’t shooting through her. "Hi everyone, I’m Liisi from Lipstick."

Still standing behind the podium and next to Charles, Kaija blinked, dumbfounded.

"What is she doing here?" she asked, leaning slightly toward him.

"She has an announcement to make," Charles replied with a mysterious smile, guiding her to the seats. "Aren’t you curious about what she has to say?"

Kaija’s brows drew together, but before she could respond, Liisi’s voice rang out again.

"You must all be very surprised to see me here today," Liisi said sweetly into the mic. "But just like all of you, I’m here today for our lovely Kaija, who will soon become an official artist and a part of our big KE family."

Curiosity rippled through the room as all voices died down, eager to catch every word of her speech.

Seeing that she had everyone’s attention, Liisi leaned closer to the mic again, desperately recalling every single line of the speech Charles’s people had shoved in front of her the night before.

"As the winner of the KE Festival," she said carefully, "I understand that the results of this year’s festival have received... mixed reactions.

"I am deeply saddened to see doubts cast upon the integrity of the judging process, or the judges’ expertise in their roles.

"However, I am deeply joyful to see how my fellow competitor, our talented Kaija, has received the attention she truly deserves for her amazing performance.

"I am here today to present Kaija with a gift. This gift comes from my deep respect for her as a fellow artist, and from my best wishes for her journey ahead."

Almost immediately, the audience exchanged glances. Murmurs filled the room again as everyone tried to guess what the gift might be.

Liisi’s smile bloomed into a charming giggle, though her hands clenched into fists beneath the podium, her nails digging tightly into her palms.

"After carefully observing the public’s reaction to the results, and after much consideration," she said steadily into the mic, "I have found my own performance lacking compared to that of my friend, our lovely Kaija here.

"Her performance was clearly much stronger than mine, and she was undoubtedly the more deserving winner. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Hence, before all of you gathered here today, I hereby renounce my title as the winner of the KE Annual Festival.

"Our Kaija will be crowned the winner of this year’s KE Annual Festival, along with the S$100,000 prize she truly deserves!"

The moment Liisi stopped speaking, silence filled the vast space.

All murmurs had died down halfway through her speech, every face in the room now frozen in shock.

Phones and cameras hung motionless in their hands, still recording every second, broadcasting every word from the pink-haired singer far beyond the walls of the conference hall.

Outside the room, millions upon millions of people were tuning in, listening to the speech. Though far away, they shared the same reaction as those present in the hall, with their mouths agape, eyes wide with disbelief.

None of them could fully process what they had just heard.

Behind Liisi, Kaija blinked twice, her eyes fixed on the pink-haired girl’s back.

Then her blue gaze shifted to Charles, who was smiling faintly, silver eyes sharp with satisfaction as he observed the room’s reaction.

Sensing her gaze, Charles parted his lips, his words low enough for only her to hear.

"I made a terrible mistake by naming this undeserving person the winner, in front of thousands of Kosonen Group employees, and in front of you.

"Antony told me about what she did to you. To your song. To your performing outfit.

"I thought long and hard about how to make up for my mistake, how to make it up to you. When I obtained the footage of her destroying your outfit in the dressing room, an idea came to my mind.

"If I could make her admit it herself, in front of the press, all of your new fans, and maybe millions more across the country, that her performance was lacking, and that you were the more deserving winner...

"If I could make her renounce her own title, and announce you the winner instead...

"I hoped that could ease any anger or sadness I caused you on that stage that night, and make up for all the injustice you’ve had to endure."

Then his eyes softened, as his gaze shifted from the audience to her at last.

"How do you like this little surprise I prepared for you, baby?"