Chapter 268

Madeline was at the top of the leaderboard. Liliana was in second place, while Serena ranked third. Samantha hovered between fourth and fifth. She had trended on social media before, which gave her a bit of an edge in terms of popularity—at least compared to complete unknowns. However, she couldn't quite compare to the celebrities. Chione stepped off the stage with a less-than-pleasant expression. She knew her performance had been average at best. What really bothered her, however, was her conviction that Samantha had arrived with one of the judges. She was convinced that some sleazy older guy had taken a special interest in Samantha. That would explain the special treatment she received. However, there were only five people on the judging panel—three women and two men. One of them was Leonardo. The other man was a senior executive from Evergreen—mid-30s and also good-looking. Chione just couldn't imagine Samantha getting involved with either of those men. So, she managed to c