Chapter 259

In the CEO's office of Archer Group, Owen Archer stared at the international arena livestream on his computer screen.

He had no interest in such events, but there she was—Aria Bennett, the woman who made his Serena seethe with hatred, and the rising star of their rival company, Aurora Entertainment.

"Tch, an Aurora pet," he sneered, drumming his fingers on the desk.

The online rumors questioning Aria's qualifications, which he'd orchestrated days ago, had been effortlessly dismantled by that Marcus Sterling.

The office door swung open as Serena Blake strode in on stilettos.

"What brings you here unannounced?" Owen arched a brow, pulling her into his lap. "Missed me?"

Serena playfully shoved him. "Be serious. I have an idea."

She produced a tablet from her bag, pointing at the livestream. "Look how smug Aria is. Let's turn the tables—hire people to pose as her fans and harass other competitors."

Owen's eyes gleamed. "Brilliant."

He immediately called his PR team to mobilize troll accounts. After hanging up, their pent-up tension spilled onto the office couch.

Later, Serena eagerly refreshed the livestream. "Let's see the chaos."

Yet the screen showed no trace of the expected uproar.

"What's this?" Owen's expression darkened as he dialed his assistant.

Slamming the phone down, he growled, "All the accounts got banned! Even the keywords are blocked!"

Serena gaped. "Who has that kind of pull? This is the official broadcast!"

"Either the organizers cracked down, or..." Owen narrowed his eyes, "someone's protecting Aria."

Her jealousy flared. "Let's try another approach—"

"Enough!" Owen snapped. "With official intervention, you want to self-destruct?"

Seeing her flinch, he softened his tone. "If she's truly unqualified, it'll show during the competition."

Serena bit her lip in frustration but relented.

Meanwhile, across town, Damian Cross sipped red wine leisurely. Having anticipated sabotage, he'd secured administrative privileges from the event organizers beforehand.

"Owen Archer..." He swirled his glass, jotting the name in his blacklist notebook.

On Vanguard Island, 120 teams assembled. As the host took the stage, the crowd hushed.

"Let the International Arena Championship begin!"

Global viewership instantly surpassed 10 million. The camera lingered two extra seconds on Aria—calmly adjusting her gear with a confident smile.