Chapter: 32
Her words dripped with accusation. “What kind of shady deal are you tangled up in this time?"
Joshua, having spent the entire night preparing his excuse, remained unnervingly calm. He knew she'd come at him like this.
"She's impulsive, you know that. After what happened, I worried she might cause a scandal online, so I paid her off to keep quiet."
Lilliana's eyes narrowed, skepticism etched on her face. “And why didn't you think to discuss this with me first?"
Joshua employed his usual charm, pulling her close, his arms wrapping around her like a soothing blanket. "Don't read too much into it, my love. If I was interested in her, do you think I'd have gone through all this trouble?"
His voice was soft, almost pleading, as he pressed a tender kiss to her lips.
His explanation seemed reasonable enough, and despite her lingering doubts, Lilliana was naturally inclined to believe him.
Slowly, the tension in her shoulders melted away, and she gave in to the warmth of his embrace.
"Alright," she whispered after a moment, resting her head against his chest. “But don't contact her again."
“Of course." Joshua, sensing victory, reassured her with a quick nod.
“Also, I paid Caden a fortune to keep him out of our hair. All of this-it's for us."
His words worked like a charm.
Pouting like a spoiled child, Lilliana nestled into him and murmured, “Fine, I forgive you."
But in her mind, Alicia was far from forgiven; she'd give that bitch a piece of her mind in due time.
Those two slaps, satisfying as they were, nearly gave Lilliana a concussion.
Alicia knew Lilliana wouldn't let it go, and to avoid dragging Monica into the inevitable shit-storm, she quietly rented a new apartment.
As she packed, Monica hovered nearby, her face pinched with concern.
"Are you sure you have enough money?" Monica asked, glancing at Alicia with worry.
She was well aware that Alicia had left her marriage with nothing, so she fished out her phone and started tapping away. “Here, let me transfer some cash to you."
Alicia quickly pressed Monica's hand down, stopping her. “I'm fine," she assured her friend with a gentle smile. “Remember, I did a few side gigs before all of this."
Monica's expression softened with sudden recollection. "Oh yeah, I completely forgot. Phew!"
Her face lit up as she remembered something else. "Oh! Guess what? Yesterday, Gerry Hopkins announced his new movie, and Lilliana's writing the theme song!"
Alicia's lips twitched into a sly smile, though her eyes glinted with a mix of amusement and disbelief. “Well, given how famous she is, it's no shock she's working with Gerry."
Monica scoffed. "I mean, how dare she? She's in way over her head. Doesn't she know she's a terrible songwriter?"
Alicia arched a brow, a hint of mischief playing on her face.
“That's her problem, not ours."
Then, she gently squeezed Monica's hand and offered a reassuring smile. "I have to head out now. Try not to miss me too much while I'm gone, okay?"
After settling down in her new apartment, she promptly sent her polished resume to Gerry's inbox.
It didn't take long before her phone buzzed, Gerry's name lighting up the screen.
"Alicia," Gerry's voice was easygoing, laced with amusement. "Are you really trying to challenge Lilliana for the theme song? Did you lose a bet or something?"