Her Tears Are His Weakness novel Chapter 272

"Samantha Newton!" The host announced.

Applause broke out around Samantha.

A few contestants clapped enthusiastically, and even the two celebrities joined in. Whether they meant it or not didn't matter—at least on the surface, their congratulations seemed genuine.

Most of them had already figured out how things would turn out while waiting in the dressing room. Since winning was clearly out of reach, it was pointless fighting for it anymore.

Everyone was congratulating Samantha except Liliana. She stood frozen in place.

Her mind reeled. No—this wasn't how it was supposed to go.

Yvette had promised her that no matter what, she'd make sure Liliana will get to be the brand ambassador. She swore she wouldn't let Samantha even have a shot at it. So how… how had it come to this?

All the spotlight was on Samantha now. Liliana had become nothing more than a footnote.

Then, without thinking, Liliana snatched the mic from the host. "There's definitely something wrong with the votes!"

Gasps echoed through the crowd. No one expected her to say it out loud in front of the crowd.

Leonardo raised an eyebrow, his voice low and heavy with authority. "Are you sure you want to check?"

Liliana instinctively stepped back, and the blood drained from her face. Only then did the weight of what she'd just done hit her. She'd completely lost control.

The truth was, if anyone's vote numbers were shady, it was hers.

If they really did dig into the vote count—it might be possible that Samantha's results wouldn't be spotless, but she was just a nobody. People would gossip, maybe laugh about it for a few days, and then forget.

But Liliana was different. She was a high-profile celebrity. If her name got tied to vote rigging, it wouldn't just be a scandal but a career-ending disaster. She'd never shake off the label.

Off to the side, Madeline and Serena exchanged smug glances. They were competitors, sure—but at this moment, they were united in their silent enjoyment of Liliana's spiral.

Once the pieces clicked into place, Liliana's face fell.

Leonardo spoke up again. "If you've got something to say, now's the time."

But Liliana was barely registering his voice anymore. Her head spun, and she only caught the phrase "say something".