Chapter 63

Arthur Reed slammed his hand on the table in frustration. "What happened to that sharp mind of yours? Getting played by a woman and your own agent—what were you thinking?"

Nolan Reed ran a hand through his tousled short hair, agitated. "I don’t know. It was like I was under some kind of spell, always feeling like I had to take care of Serena Blake. As for Grant Mercer..." His voice dropped. "I let my guard down."

"Regretting it now, are you?" Arthur scoffed. "If you hadn’t been so blind, Aria might still be here."

Nolan’s expression darkened. "I know I messed up."

Arthur sighed. "So, what are you going to do about Grant?"

A cold glint flashed in Nolan’s eyes. "I’ll make sure he never works in this industry again—not a single penny left to his name."

"Now that’s more like it." Arthur nodded approvingly. "The future head of the Reed family can’t afford to show weakness when it counts."

The next day, Nolan’s social media exploded.

He publicly announced his termination of Grant Mercer’s contract, attaching a legal notice. Almost immediately, gossip accounts began flooding the internet with damning revelations:

#GrantMercerExploitsActresses

#GrantMercerTakesBribes

#GrantMercerBulliesNewcomers

The most shocking bombshell? Leaked intimate photos of Grant with multiple wealthy older women—all of whom had funneled resources to Serena Blake.

The entertainment industry erupted in outrage.

Artists who had suffered under Grant’s abuse came forward, and the official social media pages of Aurora Entertainment were swarmed by furious fans.

"Fire Grant Mercer!"

"A scumbag like him doesn’t deserve to be an agent!"

Aria Bennett’s fans joined the fray, dredging up every past incident of Grant mistreating her.

Grant’s home was vandalized with paint, leaving him too terrified to step outside for three days.

Marcus Sterling issued the termination order himself—and even Grant’s powerful backers didn’t dare intervene.

When the dismissal papers landed in Grant’s hands, he stared in disbelief.

"This can’t be happening..." His hands shook as he scanned the penalty clauses. "This is a death sentence!"

He frantically dialed every contact he could think of, but every so-called friend had already blocked him.

In desperation, he turned to Serena Blake.

"Serena, you’re the only one who can help me now!"

But Serena was already in tears. "Grant, I can’t even save myself! The internet is calling me a gold-digger who slept her way to the top..."

Grant left in utter despair.

Meanwhile, Aria was visiting the Sterling residence.

"Master Aria, we can’t thank you enough," Mrs. Sterling said, clasping Aria’s hands. "Elise has improved so much."

Aria smiled gently. "It was my pleasure."

Before she left, the Sterlings handed her another generous red envelope.

Back home, Aria took out cinnabar and yellow paper, crafting an academic talisman.

She posted a photo of it online with the caption:

@AriaBennettV: Share this Academic Talisman! The first 3,000 reposts will receive its blessing—guaranteed to boost your exam performance and studies!

The comments section erupted instantly:

[OMG I got it!]

[Must repost Master Aria’s talisman!]

[Pfft. More fake mysticism.]

[Haters, didn’t you learn from the last livestream?]

All 3,000 slots were claimed in seconds, leaving countless fans lamenting their missed chance.

And as the frenzy unfolded, Grant Mercer dragged his suitcase through the streets—a broken man, slinking out of the city in disgrace.