Chapter 84
“Angel, are you out of your mind? You’re defending Sylvia?” Byron’s eyes grew cold.
Angel’s face flushed. Back when they were all living together, she had been the first to criticize Sylvía for breaking up Byron and Joanna
But now, she was in Sylvia’s debt and had to bite the bullet.
“Byron, I’m just calling it as I see it,” she said, steeling herself. “Zack went to Sylvia’s because he misses her. You can ground him and yell at him, but that won’t change how he feels.”
While they were talking, Zack, who had been tossed onto the sofa, scrambled to his feet and bolted up the stairs.
“Grandma, Dad’s going to kill me!” he wailed.
Byron’s expression darkened. He watched his son disappear, then rounded on Angel, his eyes flashing with fury.
Angel said, “Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just being honest.”
A knot of fear tightened in Angel’s stomach. Her brother had always been cold and unforgiving. He didn’t just discipline Zack; even she had received harsh lectures for minor mistakes growing up.
‘If he finds out I’m only defending Sylvia because she did me a favor, I’m in for it tonight,‘ Angel thought frantically.
The next second, she was scrambling for the stairs herself. “I’m going to bed, Byron. Good night.”
A profound sense of unease settled over Byron. He didn’t know when it had started, but it seemed like more and more people were taking Sylvia’s side.
He let out a quiet, bitter scoff.
‘If they’re all so fond of her, why don’t they help me get her back?‘
Sylvia, oblivious to the drama she had inadvertently caused at the Blair residence, was already tucked in bed, cuddling her sweet daughter.
The next morning, after dropping Ruby off at school, Sylvia drove to the Four Seasons Hotel for the second round of auditions.
As she was about to enter, she saw a young man with his arm around a woman who looked significantly older than him.
The man was a classic pretty boy, with a pair of seductive eyes, wearing skintight jeans and a leather jacket. He was a smooth–talker, his words slick with a charm that had the woman next to him roaring with laughter.
Sylvia paused, a flicker of recognition in her mind. She was sure she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn’t immediately place him.
‘He seems like trouble,‘ she thought, watching him charm the older woman. The whole scene felt a little sleazy.
Shaking it off, Sylvia headed upstairs to get back to work.
Zander was on set today, so only a few of the assistant directors were present. They managed to cast several roles, but Sylvia remained unsatisfied with the candidates for the female lead.
After three or four hours of nonstop interviews, her head was throbbing. She stepped out into the hallway and stood by a window, needing some fresh
air.
The image of the pretty boy from the lobby drifted back into her mind. Suddenly, it clicked.
Julian Vance. He was, or had been, Angel Blair’s boyfriend.
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Chapter 84
Though she was divorced from Byron, she was still friends with Angel on social media. A while back, dha dean a pe
Jullan character, but the photo had been deleted shortly after.
‘Does Angel know he’s seeing other women?‘
Sylvia ran a hand through her hair in frustration, cursing herself for getting involved.
What did it matter to her? When she was part of the Blair family, Angel had made her life miserable.
Sylvia started back toward the audition room, but paused with her hand on the door. Turning away, she pulled out her phone and dialed Angel umumba
She was going to tell her.
It wasn’t just a matter of conscience. There was a more important, more strategic reason: she needed Angel’s help.
Sylvia needed Angel to testify for her in the custody battle for Zack.
She needed a witness to prove that Byron was too harsh and that Zack would be better off living with his mother.
It was a long shot, but if she could persuade Angel, she was almost certain to win full custody.
Angel picked up right away, but before Sylvia could speak, Angel began a strange, one–sided performance in a surprised tone.
“Oh, you need me for something that urgent? I’m at my brother’s office right now, I’ll head over immediately.”
Then, Angel hung up.
Sylvia was confused for a second before the situation became clear.
Angel was obviously getting an earful from Byron and was using her call as an excuse to escape.
The whole performance wasn’t for her benefit; it was for Byron’s.
Sylvia’s guess was spot on.
Angel was in Byron’s office, getting chewed out. Sylvia’s call had been a lifeline.
She had just finished her little act and was hurrying toward the door.
“Bang!”
Byron slammed his hand on the desk and rose slowly from his chair, his eyes narrowed. “Angel, did I say you could leave?”
Angel froze, turning back timidly. “Byron, please stop yelling at me. I know I messed up, okay? I told you, I already broke up with Julian. If he came to you for money, you shouldn’t have given him any.”
Fury burned in Byron’s eyes. He stalked over to her, his tall frame casting an intimidating shadow, and threw a stack of photos in her face.
Byron snapped, “Angel, look at this mess you’ve made! It’s a total disgrace!”
Angel stooped to pick up the photos, and her face went scarlet.
They were all boudoir photos, explicit and professionally shot.
Julian had taken them, and now he was using them to blackmail Byron.
“You are a Blair, Angel,” Byron bit out. “If this gets out, what will that do to our family’s name?”
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Chapter 84
The gravity of the situation finally hit Angel. She broke into sobs, then screamed through her tears, “That son of a bitch Julian I’m going to kill Kind
Byron grabbed her arm, his jaw clenched. “You’re not embarrassed enough? I how many more photos does he have?”
hting with a fowlife like that will only make things worse! How tell the,
Angel just hung her head, her silence a damning confession.
Byron was completely enraged.
It was clear Julian had more.
A muscle in his jaw jumped, and he raised his hand, his fury boiling over.
“Byron, that’s enough! She’s your sister, for God’s sake! Don’t you dare lay a hand on her!”
Just as his hand was about to connect with her cheek, the office door flew open and Sylvia stormed in, her face a mask of anger.
–
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