Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast novel Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Chapter 64

The performances of all four teams had now concluded.

Following each act, both guest mentors joined their trainees on stage for a final appeal to the audience.

Once the last team had made their case and exited, the host returned to center stage with a warm smile.

“Now, the live voting channel is officially open,” he announced.

“You’ll find a small keypad on the armrest in front of you.

“Please use it to cast your vote for your favorite mentor-and-trainee team.”

“Simply press ‘l’ for Team 1, ‘2’ Team 2, and so on.

“As an incentive, every trainee in the winning team will receive a bonus of ten thousand votes.

“You have five minutes to decide. The countdown starts now.”

Voting at the venue was exclusively for determining the team rankings.

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Support for individual trainees had remained open throughout the event via a dedicated mobile voting platform accessible on smartphones.

As the large screen swept across the audience, it captured numerous viewers engaged in lively discussions, evidently debating which team to support.

The camera then shifted to the family seating area, deliberately focusing on the central section.

[The three Hammond brothers and Mr. Delaney are here, too.]

[They came to cheer for Nicole again.]

[Nicole really commands attention. They show up in person for every one of her performances.]

[The Hammond brothers and Mr. Delaney all have such strong genes. Each of them is so handsome.]

[And they each carry themselves with such distinct presence.]

[Wait, who’s that sitting beside Mr. Hammond? I need his name within the next minute. He’s exactly my type.]

[Wow, who is that guy? He’s incredibly good-looking.]

[I know! I’ve seen him before in an interview for an economics magazine.]

(That’s Jason Farrell, chairman of Lucent Media. A major figure in the investment world.]

[So that’s Jason? He’s even more attractive in person.]

[I always imagined the chairman of Lucent Media would be older, maybe middle-aged at best. I never expected someone this young and striking.J

[He must be here to support Alicia.]

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[Most likely. After all, he’s also serving as her agent right now.]

[Seems like Alicia and Jason are quite close.]

[Nicole still has the edge in influence, though. All these influential figures consistently turn up for her.]

[Actually, could they be here for Maxwell?]

[That’s possible. Maxwell tagged them in a post recently, and they all responded.]

[Some of Nicole’s fans do tend to get carried away.]

[Last time Nicole performed, they all came to support her and even took a group photo together.]

[That’s because Maxwell posted first and Nicole didn’t. They were clearly there for Nicole.]

[I’m sure they’ll vote for Nicole.]

[No, they’ll vote for Maxwell.]

[For Nicole! Definitely Nicole. No doubt about it.]

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The fans of Nicole and Maxwell started bickering in the live chat, each convinced the four guests would vote for their own

favorite.

Catching the heat in real time, the director signaled the cameraman to cut straight to the voting panel.

[Ooh, the camera operator gets us, zooming right in.]

[This show really knows how to stir things up. I’m here for it.]

[Look. They’re picking up the keypads to vote now.]

[Come on, 1111!]

[3333, let’s go!]

[Jason’s first. He went with 4. No surprise, he’s here to back Alicia.]

[Check it. Mr. Hammond right next to him is voting too.]

Jason picked up the voting keypad and pressed 4 without a moment’s hesitation.

The Hammond brothers, who had been quietly observing him, noticed immediately.

Kevin followed suit, pressing 4 without any delay.

They had never publicly supported Alicia before, but her performance tonight was unexpectedly powerful, clearly the result of intense practice.

Of the four acts, her team’s was, in their view, unquestionably the strongest, Voting for her felt not only fair but deserved.

As for Nicole, in that moment, she simply didn’t cross their minds.

They were still completely captivated by Alicia’s explosive stage presence.

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Kevin’s choice was now broadcast clearly on the live stream.

[What?]

[Wait, Mr. Hammond voted for 4?]

[Did he press the wrong button?]

[He must have meant to choose 1 but hit 4 by accident.]

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[Seriously? Nicole’s fans are already making excuses? The man is a listed company CEO and an Ivy League grad. You really think he doesn’t know 1 from 4?]

[Never expected him to pick Alicia’s team.]

[Well, all that arguing between Nicole and Maxwell’s stans was pretty pointless then.]

[So curious what the other three will pick now.]

[Director and camera crew, keep the drama coming!]

The camera then shifted to Austin, zooming in on his keypad.

[Investment king also went with 4.]

[Another “mistake,” huh?]

[Are Nicole stans really suggesting a veteran investor can’t tell numbers apart? The level of denial is unreal.]

[Look! Caleb just pressed 4 too.]

[And Mr. Delaney right beside him, also 4.]

[So what, all of them suddenly forgot how to count?]

[I’m actually laughing out loud. How awkward for Nicole’s fans right now.]

[Maxwell’s fans have gone radio silent too.]

[They came here specifically to support Nicole, and every single one voted for Alicia. I mean…]

[To be fair, Team 4’s performance was objectively the strongest. Maybe they really did vote based on skill, not favoritism.]

[But they’re literally in the friends-and-family section. Earlier shots showed other guest mentors’ relatives all voting for their own.]

I always thought there was something fishy going on between these guys and Alicia.]

[Honestly, it’s probably bigger than we think. Just look at how Maxwell and Nicolas act around her.)

[You’re right. Everyone used to say Nicolas and Maxwell adored Nicole, but during the live variety show this week, they just seemed… politely distant with her, you know?]

[All they did was practically worship Alicia.

[And you can tell they’ve definitely known Alicia before, like way before. The vibe between them is different.]

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[It’s like they’re more naturally in tune with Alicia than with Nicole, somehow.]

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[Will Alicia’s fans quit trying to spin the narrative? Nicole is literally the Hammond family heiress and Nicolas’ childhood friend. What does Alicia even have to do with any of this?]

[Seriously, don’t just make up drama because they voted for her once.]

[Next, you’ll be saying Alicia’s the real Hammond heiress.]

[Actually, not to stir the pot, but I heard she really is the Hammond daughter.]

[Alicia’s fans are truly deranged. First, you ride her coattails, now this? Get a grip.]

[Who even confirmed Alicia’s some long-lost Hammond heir? Anyone?]

[You’re all just making claims. Did any of you check with the Hammonds?]

[And has anyone from the family publicly backed Nicole either? Didn’t think so.]

[They still showed up for Nicole’s show and took photos with her. That has to mean something.]

[What’s it supposed to mean? They came for Nicole and Maxwell today, right? Then why’d they all vote for Alicia?]

[Alicia’s fans are so far up their own delusions. Keep talking. Just wait till the Hammonds put you in your place.]

[If anything, Alicia might get herself blacklisted.]

[Nicole’s fans are the entitled ones here. Alicia literally mentioned Nicole on X and challenged her openly. Why wasn’t she canceled then?]

[For the record, I’m not even an Alicia fan. I just happen to know them in real life, and she is a Hammond.]

[Sure, and I’m a space alien. You stans are always trying to steal Nicole’s spotlight.]

[Believe whatever you want. Don’t cry about it later.]

The user was quickly mobbed by Nicole’s defensive supporters, who flooded the thread with hostile replies.

Most neutral viewers, however, found Nicole’s fans increasingly off-putting, not only for their stubborn refusal to consider other possibilities, but also for their aggressive, targeted attacks.

This distaste slowly bled into their perception of Nicole herself.

Beyond the narrative pushed by Nicole’s fans that Alicia was merely clout-chasing, many grew genuinely intrigued by the possibility of a deeper history between Alicia and the Hammond circle.

Son

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