Chapter 176
Chapter 176
“Zack, are you sure about what you saw?”
Liana bolted upright from the sofa, shocked at the idea of Joanna being with another man.
Zack nodded forcefully, his eyes firm. “Grandma, I’m positive! I saw it clearly. The man even kissed Joanna!”
Liana’s expression soured. “Don’t you lie to me, Zack,” she warned. “I’m going to call Joanna right now and find out what’s going on.”
“Grandma, no! Don’t call her!” Zack pleaded, tugging on her hand. “We need to get the driver and follow them! We can still catch them?”
Zack anxiously tugged at Liana’s hand.
“Come on, Grandma! Then you’ll see! She’s not good enough to be my new mom!” Zack urged.
Frowning, Liana still didn’t quite believe him. She gently pulled her hand away and dialed Joanna’s number.
It was too late for Zack to stop her.
“Joanna, where are you?”
On the other end, Joanna’s voice was laced with confusion. “Liana, what’s wrong? I’m just out and about.”
Liana frowned. “Zack said he saw you leaving with a man. Who was he?”
Joanna’s heart leaped into her throat. She and the man had just checked into a hotel, and she couldn’t believe Zack had spotted them.
“Oh, Liana, that was just my cousin,” Joanna lied smoothly. “He just flew in from Europe, and we haven’t seen each other in forever. I even had him bring
back some great toys for Zack.”
A smile spread across Liana’s face. “Oh, your cousin! Well, you two catch up then.”
After a bit more small talk, Liana ended the call.
Zack stomped his foot in frustration. “Grandma, how could you call her?”
“What is your problem, Zack?” Liana snapped. “If I hadn’t called, I wouldn’t have known it was her cousin. You were about to make a huge deal out of nothing!”
“But he kissed her, Grandma!” Zack insisted, his face flushed with frustration.
“They’re cousins, Zack. It’s perfectly normal to be affectionate,” Liana said dismissively, nudging him toward the stairs. “Now go do your homework and stay out of grown–up business.”
“Grandma, give me the phone.” Zack turned and held out his small hand.
Liana frowned but handed the phone over.
Zack snatched it, his little feet pounding up the stairs, and immediately dialed his father, Byron.
“Dad, I saw Joanna with another man. He kissed her.”
Byron was at a business dinner, his voice clipped. “That’s not your concern, Zack. Mind your own business.”
“But Dad,” Zack whined, “if she’s with another guy, then Grandma can’t try to make her my new mom anymore.
“She was never going to be your new mother,” Byron said coolly, clearly not giving the topic much thought.
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Chapter 176
In fact, he almost hoped Joanna had found someone else. If she was really in a new relationship, he’d probably send them a lavish wedding gift.
Joanna had been the catalyst for his divorce from Sylvia, but losing Sylvia had been the only way he’d come to understand her true worth.
He’d been so cold to her back then, all because he was disappointed she was content to be a homemaker, when he’d wanted so much more for the woman carrying the Blair name.
Now she was everything he’d ever wanted–driven, successful, with a life of her own.
And the cruelest twist of all was that the woman she’d become was no longer his.
Zack hung up. His dad had been dismissive, but a wave of relief washed over the boy.
Byron wasn’t going to try to make Joanna his new mom.
Zack’s eyes darted thoughtfully for a moment before he dialed Sylvia’s number.
“Mom? Aunt Angel just had a huge fight with Grandma. She stormed out of the house.”
Sylvia was on the floor reading a comic book with Ruby when the call came in. She sat bolt upright, her expression instantly serious. “I understand. Don’t you worry, Zack. I’ll go find her.”
She ended the call and turned to her daughter, her voice gentle. “Ruby, sweetie, stay here and be good, okay? Mommy has to go find Angel.”
“Okay, Mommy,” Ruby nodded obediently, her little face full of anticipation. “Mommy, when you find her, can you ask her to come stay with us?”
Sylvia ran a hand through her daughter’s hair. “Of course, sweetie. You be good, and I’ll bring her right back.”
With that, Sylvia grabbed her coat, got into her car, and dialed Angel’s number. “Angel, where are you right now?”
Angel’s voice came through the phone with forced cheerfulness. “I’m just out on the street. What’s up?”
In reality, she was slumped on a curb, her eyes puffy and red from crying. A few empty beer cans lay discarded at her feet.
Sylvia didn’t call her out on the lie. She just sighed. “Share your location with me. I’m on my way.”
Angel was silent for a moment, then finally agreed and sent her location.
She pocketed her phone and looked up, her attention drawn to a commotion in front of a nearby department store where a
had gathered.
A middle–aged man stood on a makeshift stage, beaming into a phone set up for a livestream. “Hey, folks!” he boomed. “We’re holding open auditions for a singing competition! Who wants a shot at fame? Don’t be shy!”
His assistants bustled around, handing out flyers and hyping up the passersby, which only made the crowd grow larger and louder.
The onlookers were a little shy; they loved the drama but no one wanted to be the first to step into the spotlight.
“I’ll do it!” A voice cut through the hesitation. Angel lurched forward from the edge of the crowd, unsteady on her feet.
She grabbed the microphone from the man in charge, her eyes bleary with drink. “Cue up an old song for me,” she slurred. “Something like… ‘Almost Home‘.”
The man nodded to his assistant, who found the track on a laptop. The song’s melancholy, regret–filled intra filled the air.
Angel began to sing, her voice trembling at first, but then it soared, a beautiful, haunting melody that captivated everyone.
The chattering crowd fell silent, completely mesmerized. The only sound was her clear, aching voice echoing through the plaza
One by one, phones came out. People started recording, some even going live, every lens trained on Angel.
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Just then, Sylvia arrived at the scene. She pushed her way through the onlookers and saw Angel on the stage. Her eyes widened in surprise and
admiration.
‘I had no idea she could sing like that,‘ Sylvia thought, a bold idea taking root. ‘If she wants it, I could help her cut an album!
“Liana? You won’t believe this. Angel’s completely wasted on a street corner, singing her heart out for a whole crowd of people!”
It turned out that Joanna, having just left her hotel, was also passing by.
She stood at the edge of the crowd, a flicker of raw jealousy in her eyes as she watched Angel.
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Joanna and Angel had been in school together. She knew just how good Angel’s voice was–so good that a record label had nearly signed her back then.
But Joanna had pulled a few dirty tricks, swooping in to steal the opportunity for herself. It was her ticket into show business.
The sight of Angel captivating the crowd, earning their applause, filled Joanna with a familiar bitterness. She immediately pulled out her phone and called Liana.
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