Single Mom Warned The Boxing Champion 3 Times "Don't Try Me" On Live TV — 5s Later Silenced Studio
Chapter 19
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A ripple of unease moved through the customers watching. Nobody spoke; nobody dared interrupt whatever was unfolding.For one long moment, Colton said nothing at all. His easy performer's mask slipped; it slipped just enough for sharp-eyed viewers to catch it.Reggie stepped in fast, sensing danger. He forced a smile toward the camera. "Big day ahead for Colton tonight, folks. Let's not get too deep into old history."Denise hesitated, caught between instinct and instruction. Her producer gave a small shake of his head—not the signal to keep pushing, a different one now."Right," Denise said, recovering quickly. "Let's, uh, take a quick break."The broadcast cut again, this time abruptly.The moment the light blinked off, calm politeness dropped from the room.Reggie rounded on Colton immediately, his voice low and urgent. "What was that? You're supposed to be charming, not defensive!""She's twisting things!" Colton snapped back. "Making it sound like something it wasn't!""Doesn't matter how it was," Reggie hissed. "It matters how it looks! And right now, it looks bad!"Colton ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every movement. "So what do you want me to do? Just sit there and take it?""I want you to smile," Reggie said flatly. "I want you to apologize generically and move this conversation somewhere safer. That's it. That's the whole plan.""Fine," Colton muttered, though his tone suggested he had no real intention of following through.Reggie studied his face a moment longer, clearly unconvinced, then turned away with a heavy sigh: he had managed Colton long enough to recognize when advice would go unheeded.Denise pulled her producer aside near the kitchen door, her voice tight with worry. "This is spiraling," she said. "We need to wrap this segment before it gets worse."Her producer glanced at his tablet, scrolling fast. "Too late for that," he muttered. "Social clips are already up. People are asking questions online right now.""What kind of questions?""The kind that mention lawsuits," he said grimly. "Sponsors are going to want answers before tonight's signing."A young production assistant hurried past, phone pressed to her ear, speaking rapidly to someone at corporate headquarters. Nobody in the building seemed to be standing still anymore.Denise closed her eyes briefly. She pressed two fingers to her temple. "$40 million riding on tonight. Perfect timing."Her producer's phone buzzed again, insistent. He answered, listening for a moment, his face growing grimmer with each second. "That's the sponsor's legal team," he said, lowering the phone. "They're asking if we have footage confirming Colton's exact words.""We have everything," Denise said. "It's live television. Everything is confirmed.""Then they're going to want a statement," he said. "Before noon, ideally."Denise rubbed her forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache building behind her eyes. "This was supposed to be a feel-good homecoming segment," she muttered. "Pancakes and nostalgia.""Welcome to live television," her producer said grimly. "Nothing stays scripted for long." He glanced toward Sadie briefly, something like professional respect crossing his tired face. "Whatever else this morning had become, it was undeniably good television."