Chapter 180
“Joanna, you’re entering the talent show? I’ll definitely be there to support you!” Liana lit up when she heard the news.
“Liana, I knew you’d be happy for me, so I came to tell you the second I got the invitation,” Joanna said with a grin.
“You’re so thoughtful, Joanna.” Liana’s face clouded over as she thought of her own daughter. “I wish Angel could be more like you.”
Joanna hesitated. “Liana, I think I heard that Angel got an invitation, too.”
Liana’s face fell. She shot up from the sofa. “Are you serious, Joanna? She can’t even sing! She’ll make a complete fool of herself!”
“I’m not sure, Liana. We won’t know for certain until the show starts,” Joanna said, feigning a sigh. “Don’t get upset. Maybe she won’t even go!”
Liana’s expression was grim. She asked for the exact time of the preliminaries, determined to be there, even if she had to cancel something important.
This was exactly what Joanna had hoped for. Liana had no idea that Angel was actually a fantastic singer. By getting Liana to the show, Joanna was setting the stage to crush Angel’s chances.
Otherwise, if Angel actually got to perform, Joanna knew she wouldn’t stand a chance of winning the preliminaries.
Friday arrived quickly. At ten in the morning, the contestants began to file into the TV station.
Dressed to the nines and wearing their number tags, they settled into their dressing rooms to get ready.
“Sylvia, do you really think I can do this?” Angel asked in one of the rooms, her voice trembling slightly as she looked at Sylvia.
Sylvia smiled. “Just be yourself up there, and that championship is yours. All you have to worry about is what fancy restaurant you’re taking me to after you win.”
To compete in the preliminaries, Angel had even postponed her filming schedule.
Sylvia’s confidence was contagious, and Angel felt some of her nerves melt away. “Okay,” she said, managing a smile. “If I make it to the next round, dinner is on me.”
Angel was scheduled to go last.
One by one, the other contestants took the stage, their nerves on full display for the live broadcast.
Unbeknownst to Angel, Joanna was also competing. She was on stage now, singing a popular ballad.
With her years in the entertainment industry, Joanna was a familiar face, and the judges gave her the highest score of the night so far.
Liana, sitting in the audience, nodded in satisfaction.
The crowd erupted in applause as Joanna finished.
“And now, for our final contestant, please welcome Miss Angel Blair!” the announcer boomed.
Joanna came down from the stage and slid into the seat next to Liana in the audience.
Hearing Angel’s name, her expression soured slightly as she glanced at Liana.
“Liana, Angel’s really here. What if she doesn’t do well? People will laugh at her. She’s so sensitive, she couldn’t handle that.”
“I won’t let her go on,” Liana said, her face a cold mask. She stood t
up and marched toward the backstage area.
Angel was just about to walk on stage when Liana blocked her
path.
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UO.TU
Chapter 180
“Go home. Don’t you dare embarrass this family.”
“No.” Angel was stunned to see her mother here, and her good mood evaporated.
She glanced at Joanna, who was standing right behind her. “Mom, why don’t you tell her to leave? She just performed!”
“Joanna is nothing like you,” Liana snapped. “She has talent. Do you?”
Joanna stepped forward. “Angel, just listen to your mother. Don’t make her angry. If I win, I’ll give you the trophy, okay?”
Liana nodded. “You hear that, Angel? See how good Joanna is to you? She’s here because she has the skill to win. Why do you need to make a spectacle of yourself? It’s not like our family needs the money.”
“No!”
The words stung, and Angel’s face flushed with anger. She bit her lip. “I don’t want your pity trophy! I’ll prove myself with my own talent! And let me make one thing clear: as long as I’m here, Joanna is not winning any championship!”
Joanna’s face fell, and she looked at Liana with wide, innocent eyes. “Liana, maybe we should just let her be. I think she’s misunderstood us…”
Angel didn’t have time to argue. Her cue was coming up. She pushed past them and walked onto the stage.
She began to sing the original song Sylvia had given her.
As the first notes filled the studio, the audience fell silent, completely mesmerized. Her voice was hauntingly beautiful, sending shivers through the
crowd.
Everyone was lost in the music when, suddenly, something went
Not only Angel, but the entire audience froze in confusion.
wrong. Angel’s microphone cut out. The sound system died. The live feed went black.
Backstage, Joanna whispered to Liana, “We did this to protect her, but do you think she’ll see it that way?”
Just moments before, she had subtly suggested that Liana, with her status, could call the station president and get them to pull the plug.
Liana had done exactly that.
The live broadcast was cut, and the sound system was dead.
The show’s director walked out onto the stage, addressing the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, due to unforeseen technical difficulties, tonight’s show has concluded. Please exit the studio in an orderly fashion.”
The audience filed out, muttering in confusion, while the staff began clearing the room.
The lights dimmed, leaving Angel standing alone on the vast, empty stage, still clutching the dead microphone.
She bit her lip, her eyes welling up, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.
From behind the curtain, Joanna peeked out. Seeing the empty hall, a smug smile played on her lips.
Angel lost.
No audience, no applause. How could she possibly win now?
Joanna’s own performance was complete. The preliminary championship was as good as hers.
Dejected, Angel turned to leave the stage when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Sylvia-
“Don’t be sad. Give me five minutes. I’ll get you your stage back.”
08:10 Thu, 3 Jul
Chapter 180
The simple sentence was like a ray of light, cutting through the gloom that had settled in Angel’s heart.
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Meanwhile, in the station’s control room, Sylvia had slipped in unnoticed. She sat down at a computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she connected to the station’s internal network and uploaded a top–tier Al program.
Sylvia had seen Liana go after Angel but hadn’t bothered to intervene with words. Arguing was pointless. She had a much better way to make sure Angel became a star tonight.
The sound system was dead? She’d just take over the entire network. The audience was gone? She’d make sure Angel’s voice was heard on every street corner in the city.
She would make everyone witness Angel’s talent and brilliance.
She could do it. Because she was Shadow, the legendary Al expert.
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