Chapter 183
Angel couldn’t believe it. For the first time in ages, Byron was being gentle with her.
It was so out of character that she knew instantly he was after something.
He wanted her to call some big–shot Al expert. Why this guru would even know her name was a mystery, but that wasn’t the point.
The point was her brother’s sudden change of heart.
Angel picked up her phone, ready to dial the number on the business card, then glanced up at Byron’s impatient face. A sly smile played on her lips. “So, are you going to be this nice to me from now on, Byron?”
Byron’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “Of course. Now make the call.”
Angel huffed. “Uh–uh. How do I know you won’t just drop me like a hot potato after this is over? Let Joanna walk all over me again?”
“I won’t,” Byron snapped, his jaw tightening. “Besides, would Joanna dare to cross you? And since when are you dumb enough to let her?”
“That’s true… ” Angel mused. “Alright, since you’re going to be a good big brother from now on, I’ll make the call.”
She dialed the number on the card.
“Ms. Shadow?” Angel asked, her voice trembling slightly.
This was a call to Shadow, the pioneer of the entire Al field. She was a nervous, excited wreck, half–convinced Byron had made a mistake.
She’d never met Shadow. How could
the
woman possibly know who she was?
Like Byron, Angel had no idea that Shadow was, in fact, Sylvia.
When Sylvia saw Angel’s name flash on
her
screen,
she gave a wry, private smile.
She’d deliberately told Byron that only Angel could make the call, hoping his little sister would use the opportunity to give her notoriously stern brother a
hard time.
She hadn’t expected the call to come so soon.
It was obvious Byron’s sweet talk had totally won Annie over–she was putty in his hands.
“This is she,” Sylvia said, pitching her voice lower, giving it a raspy, authoritative edge. “Is this Ms. Angel Blair?”
Angel gasped and turned to Byron, whispering excitedly, “Byron, it’s her! Shadow really knows me! How does someone that famous know who I am?”
Byron just shot her a cold look. “Get to the point.”
Angel pouted, then turned her attention back to the phone, “Ms. Shadow, my brother has always wanted to collaborate with you. You said that as long as I was the one to call, you’d be open to it. Is that right?”
On the other end, Sylvia’s reply was cool and simple. “That’s correct.”
Still in disbelief, Angel pressed her luck. “I was hoping you could meet with my brother tomorrow to discuss the partnership. Would that be possible?”
“Yes, I’ll be at your brother’s office at ten a.m.“/With that, Sylvia ended the call.
Angel was absolutely buzzing. She put her phone away and beamed at Byron. “Byron, she agreed! She’s coming to your office tomorrow morning!“. Byron, who had been chasing a partnership with Shadow for ages, was in a surprisingly good mood. He glanced at his sister. “You did well. What do you
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Chapter 183
want? I’ll buy it for you.”
“Let me think about it,” Angel said. “You owe me one.”
Byron nodded and drove off.
Angel got into her own car and headed for Sylvia’s house, where she’d been staying recently. She had to share the good news.
After all, her sudden fame and this incredible connection to the Al legend were all thanks to Sylvia’s help.
But when she arrived, Sylvia wasn’t there.
It was Friday, and the kids were home from school for the weekend. Sylvia had gone to the nearby farmer’s market to buy fresh ingredients for a special dinner.
Finding the house empty, Angel decided to head back to her film set.
That evening, Sylvia cooked up a feast. The two little ones, Zack and Ruby, ate with gusto, chattering away.
“Zack,
how many stars do you think are in the sky?” Ruby asked with wide–eyed innocence.
Zack blinked his big eyes, thinking hard. “A whole lot! I can’t count them all!”
“Can we count them together tonight?” Ruby suggested happily.
Zack nodded vigorously. “Yeah! We have to be super careful not to miss any.”
Sylvia sighed fondly. ‘Looks like they have a busy night ahead.’
Angel had a night shoot and didn’t make it back for dinner.
After the kids were settled, Sylvia made a few calls to media companies. She wanted to strike while the iron was hot and organize a press conference for
Angel’s new song.
As soon as they heard it was for Angel, every outlet eagerly agreed. She was the hottest topic in entertainment right now,
News of the upcoming press conference spread online like wildfire.
When Joanna saw the announcement, she was so consumed with jealousy she couldn’t sleep.
She had been in the industry for years and had never experienced the kind of explosive fame Angel was enjoying. Seething with resentment, she made a vow–there was no way she would let Angel’s press conference go smoothly.
The next morning, Sylvia undertook a careful transformation. Staring into the mirror, she meticulously applied theatrical, almost kaleidoscopic makeup, creating an elaborate mask of color and shadow that made her completely unrecognizable. She was no longer Sylvia; she was Shadow.
Keeping her promise to Angel, she hailed a cab and headed for the Blair Group headquarters.
Byron was waiting for her in the conference room. He stood as she entered, looking sharp in a high–end black suit, his hair perfectly styled. He gestured
to the chair beside him. “Ms. Shadow, welcome to the Blair Group. I look forward to our collaboration.”
His deep, analytical gaze swept over her, but he didn’t have the faintest clue he was speaking to his ex–wife.
Sylvia nodded and sat, accepting a thick portfolio from his assistant.
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The Blair Group had dozens of subsidiaries, and the document, over a hundred pages long, detailed all the divisions interested in Al integration.
She was patiently flipping through it when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Angel.
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“Sylvia, what do I do?! That snake Joanna cornered me! I just got to the press conference, and before I could even park, she threw herself in front of my
car!”
Sylvia’s expression hardened, a cold fury flashing in her eyes.
The venue was swarming with reporters.
For Joanna to pull a stunt like this, right here and now… her malicious intent was chillingly clear.
