Both contestants and viewers were taken aback. They'd banked on seeing a seasoned industry bigwig, not this fresh face.

The comments on the livestream were buzzing.

“Wait, isn't she Sadie Pierre engaged to the CEO of the Fredrick Group? Why's she here?"

“I was hoping for some industry giant, not just arm candy."

“A year in and she's judging? Seriously questioning her qualifications here."

“Is this for real?"

“Heard she's had a ton of work done on her face."

“She's just riding on her boyfriend's coattails."

Seeing Sadie in the judge's seat, Ariana felt a knot in her stomach.

This wasn't a good sign.

Sadie had this gentle air about her, gracing everyone with a warm smile. But when her eyes met Ariana's, there was a coldness there.

It felt like she wouldn't mind seeing Ariana taken down a peg or two.

Initially, Sadie couldn't care less about joining this variety show.

Such stints felt like a snooze-fest to her and didn't seem like a good fame booster. To her, those who made appearances on such shows were in a different league altogether.

But her agent had other ideas, dubbing it the "show of the moment."

So, she reluctantly agreed.

What she hadn't anticipated was finding out Ariana would be there too.

Seeing her name on the participant list, handed over by her assistant, felt almost like Ariana was playing into her hands.

A chuckle escaped her.

First, she was restless. But knowing Ariana was in the mix, things started looking up. Sadie figured Ariana must've hit a rough patch lately. Maybe life hadn't been kind, or perhaps she was just trying to reclaim some lost spotlight.