Chapter 48

A.S. let out a nonchalant sigh, her words lazy."Deal."

Khloe's lips curled with satisfaction. She was barely able to hide her excitement as their singing duel kicked off. "So what's the plan? Duet, or are we going solo?"

"Either way. Doesn't bother me." Still unfazed,A.S.shrugged.

Assuming A.S. was just fronting, Khloe couldn't resist pushing further. "Let's make it a duet,then.Got any favorites?"

Unbothered, A.S.waved a hand. "You decide."

Khloe wasted no time, queuing up the song she always used to show off her range. It was a tough,high-energy piece-her specialty.

The room began buzzing with anticipation.

Someone in the crowd leaned over. "Isn't Khloe stacking the odds with that one?"

"Hey, she gave A.S. the chance to choose. If A.S.crashes and burns, it's on her."

"A.S. is a powerhouse-just watch. She's got this."

"Well, finally! Thanks to Koko, we're getting to see A.S.really go all out."

Khloe seized the moment, belting out the song's highest, flashiest notes, leaving the onlookers wide-eyed.

Many eyes rolled at her antics.

"Classic Khloe. Too scared to lose, so she grabs the spotlight for herself. What's she trying to prove?"

"A.S. isn't even making a fuss-so why are her followers so riled up? Are you all just here to cheerlead?"

"Clearly you're tone-deaf. A.S.'s talent leaves Khloe in the dust!"

That fired up another reply, saying, "If A.S's all that, she'll crush it-big note or not. Save the complaints for someone else!"

As soon as the music began, the comments section exploded with arguments and opinions.

Launching into the first verse, Khloe hit her stride and delivered her trademark performance,racking up over fifty thousand reward points

within seconds.

Every single point represented a real dollar.

Seeing Khloe's tally skyrocket, A.S.'s fans could only hold their breath and watch.

Once Khloe finished, the room shifted. Suddenly,a voice floated out-warm as sunlight, tender as a breeze, carrying a hush through the entire crowd.

For a heartbeat, the comments vanished into silence.

A.S.'s melody wrapped around every listener, a gentle caress that soothed and captivated,threading straight through their hearts.

It felt like true enchantment.

Normally, A.S. limited herself to the occasional demo during coaching sessions, but this was different. Tonight, it felt like the world had been invited to her private concert.

Khloe was taken aback by A.S's performance.Only the flood of comments jolted her back into focus,but she was already a beat behind.

Panic clouded her mind, making it hard to stay on track.

Praise for A.S. poured in. "That's pure gold right

there! A.S.'s voice just became my new ringtone."

One fan finally got it. "No wonder A.S. rarely performs-after just a few notes, I'm addicted."

Others couldn't help but gloat. "Whoever doubted A.S. must be embarrassed!"

Irritationsimmered in Khloe as she watched the chat light up.

Sure, A.S. had a pretty voice-smooth,emotional,all the right elements-but it was style over substance.

Everyone was being played.

When A.S.'s reward points started climbing rapidly, anxiety gripped Khloe. She hurried off a text to her agent for support.

After all, Khloe was signed to a major agency-they were supposed to back her up in moments like this.

When the chorus hit its highest note, Khloe went all out, belting with everything she had, hoping to turn the tide.

Her total jumped, inching past Arabella's once more.

Suddenly,the chat flooded with enthusiastic-and

suspiciously coordinated-support.

"Look at Koko go! A.S. is just about the pretty tone and cheap feels, but Koko's got serious talent!"

"As a music major, I can say for sure-Koko's technique is rock solid. That other girl? All hype,no skill!"

One viewer said, "I'm no expert, but Koko sure sounds impressive."

Waves of paid comments began shaping the chat,and soon the casual audience was left second-guessing their own ears.

Then, out of nowhere, A.S.'s vocals floated through again, snapping the crowd back into a kind of trance.

Confusion flickered in the chat. "Who are you kidding? No technique? How else is A.S. making everyone feel like this?"

"Honestly, Koko's supporters must be wearing blinders."

"Is critical thinking just gone now? A.S.is the only one giving us real music!"

A.S.'s supporters grew restless. Despite her next-level talent, Khloe's reward score soared-her

total was now double A.S.'s, an eye-popping five million.

With only seconds left on the clock, it looked like A.S. would walk away empty-handed.

Back in her roomn, Arabella took in the scoreboard with unreadable calm, not a flicker of emotion crossing her face.

She had seen enough to know that most of Khloe's votes were probably fueled by her agency's wallet.

Although the platform claimed half of every dollar,agencies often got a percentage back-so those big numbers weren't as costly as they looked.

As the last notes faded, leaving only the instrumental outro, Khloe shot a sweet smile at the camera. "Well, A.S., looks like it's your turn to face the music. Care to say a few words?"