Chapter 348
“I understand Lorelai’s and Alberta’s concerns,” Saanvi said, elegantly crossing her legs while holding her coffee. “Neither Westin nor I truly accept Josie. We just want to bring her back to the Pittman family, where we can keep her under our control to prevent her from competing with Lorelai in the future”
Konnor scoffed, “So what if Josie beats Lorelai once? With our family’s abilities, we don’t have to worry about Lorelai not becoming a superstar. Given the conditions of the Donovan family, I don’t believe they can nurture Josie to be better than Lorelai.”
Saanvi replied, “The Donovan family isn’t the real threat. We need to be wary of Damon.
“Damon wants to make Josie a world–class superstar, and we can’t let him take custody of her.”
At this point, Saanvi took a sip of her coffee, revealing a cryptic smile. “If Josie is one of ours, we can decide if she can sing, what she sings, and how she sings. Even Damon won’t be able to reach us.”
Konnor nodded in agreement. “Right. It’s better to have Josie in our hands than let her fall into Damon’s.”
Saanvi continued, “Once we gain custody of Josie, we can have her play a supporting role for Lorelai, just like a prince’s companion in ancient times.
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“She can help Lorelai eliminate her rivals, paving the way for Lorelai to reach the top all on her own.
“We can also use Josie to negotiate with Damon, asking him to support Lorelai.”
Konnor nodded repeatedly, giving her a thumbs–up. “Brilliant. Truly brilliant.”
Saanvi’s expression brightened. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll take Paityn to court to officially fight for Josie’s custody.”
Paityn felt a chill in her heart, followed by an overwhelming anger.
She had long suspected that the Pittman family had ulterior motives, but she never imagined they could be this malicious, Paityn thought, “What have I done to deserve such scum in her life?”
In the living room, Saanvi’s phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID and answered the phone, “I have a meeting with the media from Kitmore City. Let’s have the press together.”
The two turned off the lights and exited the guest room.
Paityn stumbled out of her bedroom and collapsed onto the sofa, feeling enveloped by despair.
She thought, ‘What could I do to protect Alina?‘
After a while, her phone rang.
She didn’t feel like answering, but it was her agent calling, so she picked up, forcing her voice to remain calm. “Hello?”
–The agent, unaware of her secret daughter, excitedly informed her, “Your performance on the talent show was outstanding!
Many variety shows want you to participate.”
“Singing Star wants you as a mentor, with a season’s pay of 4 million dollars, plus high–profile gigs paying 200 thousand dollars for two songs. Are you interested?” the agent said.
Paityn clutched her aching stomach and shook her head. “Please decline for me. I’m not interested.
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Chapter 348
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The agent clearly hoped she would accept the offer and sighed. “With your talent and fame, it’s a shame to be stuck at home taking care of a child.
“We still have time. Think it over before you turn them down. Let me know in a few days.”
After the agent hung up, the living room fell back into extreme silence.
The bustling city lights and the vibrant world outside felt like they belonged to another universe, completely disconnected from Paityn.
She reached for the fruit on the table, stuffing it into her mouth.
The fruit was sweet, but all she could taste was bitterness.
The living room was dark, with no lights on.
As she ate, her hand suddenly brushed against a fruit knife, piercing her palm and causing warm liquid to flow out.
She knew she was bleeding.
It hurt.
Pain coursed through her, making her tremble slightly.
Yet, not a single person was by her side, nor did anyone care if she was hungry or in pain.
Paityn pressed her palm against her mouth, sucking the blood from her hand, and suddenly tears streamed down her face.
She was one of the top pop divas in the country. Just participating in a variety show brought in 4 million dollars. Singing two songs earned her 200 thousand dollars. Even shooting an advertisement could bring in hundreds of thousands.
Paityn thought, ‘How did I end up as a high–class nanny for the Pittman family, subject to their whims? And why should I let the Pittman family bully me and my daughter? I have made a mistake once. Did I have to make another? Is it worth sacrificing my dignity, career, and even my child for the empty title of a wealthy lady?‘
Paityn braced herself, standing up and dragging her heavy body to the fridge, pulling the door open.
Fortunately, there was cake, milk, and chocolate inside.
It felt like Paityn had been starving for days as she frantically stuffed her mouth, even swallowing without chewing.
Only when she could eat no more did she collapse onto the floor, mumbling, “Alina, this time I will definitely protect you.
“If you don’t want to acknowledge me as your mother, that’s fine. If you don’t want to come back to my side, that’s fine too. As long as you’re doing well, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to acknowledge me.
“Everyone should take responsibility for their actions, and I must pay for my mistakes.”
In the darkness, tears streamed from her eyes, but her gaze was unusually bright and resolute.
That night, Paityn fell ill.
She caught a severe cold, feeling dizzy and weak, and her voice was hoarse. She could barely walk.
Saanvi had to cancel the plan to take her to court to sue the Donovan family and called a doctor to examine her.
Paityn couldn’t eat anything and weakly said, “Mom, I miss Westin.
“Could you bring Westin to keep me company? With him here, I know I’ll recover quickly.”
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Chapter 348
Seeing her like this, Saanvi–felt a wave of disdain, but knowing Paityn was the only one who could file the lawsuit, she begrudgingly said, “Alright, get some rest. I’ll call Westin right now and have him come over as soon as possible.”
Westin was busy, often attending various events and
engagements, so he couldn’t stay home frequently.
However, he still made it to Kitmore City that day, sitting by Paityn’s bedside to feed her medicine.
Paityn leaned against the headboard, smiling at him. “Westin, with you here for dinner, I feel like I could eat more.”
Westin smiled, gently brushing aside her bangs. “Okay, let’s eat together.”
After they finished eating, Paityn yawned and closed her eyes. “I’m so sleepy. I’m going to sleep now…”
After playing with his phone for a while, a strong wave of drowsiness hit Westin.
Seeing it was still early, he didn’t go to his room but instead laid his head on the table, planning to take a quick nap.
However, as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep and even started to snore softly.
At that moment, Paityn opened her eyes, propping herself up, taking his phone, and lifting his right hand, pressing his thumb onto the fingerprint sensor.
Fingerprint recognized.
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She accessed Westin’s phone screen, opened his iMessage, glanced through the friend list, and clicked on a beautiful, sexy profile picture to view their conversation.
Paityn laughed softly as she read, her eyes filled with tears mixed with deep coldness, resentment, and madness.
Westin and the entire Pittman family would never expect that Paityn, who usually seemed so meek, obedient, and submissive would dare to do something like this.
