Chapter 89
Chapter 89
A loud voice rang through the classroom, drawing the attention of several students who turned to see what was going on.
Leia quickly reached out to cover her friend’s mouth, looking embarrassed. “Lucy, keep it down! Everyone’s staring at us.”
“What’s the big deal? This is amazing news!” Lucy, completely unfazed, continued in her booming voice, as if she had a built–in megaphone. “Phoenix Entertainment is one of the top three entertainment companies in Reniam City, especially when it comes to music. Every talented aspiring singer dreams of getting in!”
Leia blinked at Lucy’s over–the–top reaction and deliberately played innocent. “Oh, but I’m nowhere near those geniuses! Charlie was the one who sent my recording to the producers. They only gave me this chance as a favor to him. I couldn’t have done it on my own.”
“Are you kidding me? That makes it even better!” Lucy was practically vibrating with excitement. “Leia, your brother is Charlie! With him backing you, breaking into the entertainment industry should be a walk in the park!”
Leia, of course, knew this all too well. She enjoyed hearing Lucy hype her up, but she still put on an exaggeratedly flustered expression and pleaded. “Lucy, please! I’m begging you; stop talking about it. Everyone’s listening! This kind of attention isn’t good.”
But no matter how much Leia pretended to protest, it was already too late. With Lucy’s booming voice, everyone in the class had heard every word loud and clear.
The whispers started immediately.
“Leia got invited by Phoenix Entertainment to record a song? Does that mean she’s really going into the industry?”
“Not necessarily. Didn’t she just say it was all because of Charlie?”
“That’s exactly the point. The fact that Charlie is her brother is a massive advantage.”
“Seriously, Leia has it made. First, Eli cleared up the rumors about her, then her world–champion fourth brother, Damon, rushed to defend her. And now, Charlic is introducing her to Phoenix Entertainment. Her brothers spoil her rotten.”
Ever since the rumors were dispelled, everyone knew that Noelle was the true daughter of the Anderson family while Leia was the one who had been switched at birth. But when it came down to it, Leia’s relationship with the Anderson brothers was far better than Noelle’s.
Even if Leia wasn’t their biological sister, her connections and resources were undeniable. In contrast, Noelle, the real heiress, their actual little sister, seemed almost pitiful.
Leia could feel the shift in the way people looked at her, the admiration, the envy, the respect. And she loved it.
‘So what if Eli has set the record straight? Four out of my five brothers stand firmly on my side. Noelle can never compete with that,‘ she wondered. ‘Noelle would never be able to shake my standing, not in the Anderson family, not at school, not anywhere!
Across the room, a small group of girls had been listening in. One of them turned back to Noelle and whispered, “Wow, Noelle, Leia is one hell of
an actress.”
“Huh?” Noelle looked up, confused.
The girl lowered her voice. “Lucy is loud as hell, and Leia knew exactly what she was doing. She brought up the recording just to make sure everyone heard about it but then acted like she didn’t want the attention like she was trying to keep it a secret. Classic fake modesty. She’s a natural.”
Hearing this analysis, Noelle was momentarily stunned. ‘Oh my god. Leia doesn’t just act. She lives it, she thought.
Whenever Noelle had to perform, she still needed to rehearse and recall the techniques Nick had taught her. But Leia did it effortlessly as if it was second nature. In a way, Noelle actually kind of admired her for it. Leia might as well be her personal acting coach.
Leia, meanwhile, was basking in the attention when she casually glanced in Noelle’s direction, fully expecting to see her looking jealous and furious. But when she turned to look. Noelle was staring at her with wide, shining eyes, eyes full of admiration.
Leia froze, completely thrown off. She even blinked a few times, thinking she might be seeing things. But no, Noelle was still looking at her with that same starry–eyed, awestruck expression.
Leia felt like she had just punched a pillow. All her momentum and all her satisfaction were gone. ‘What the hell? Is Noelle insane?‘ she wondered.
“Noelle, Charlie has introduced connections for Leia, but why hasn’t anyone thought to do the same for you? With your looks, you’d definitely be a sensation in the entertainment industry.” The girls surrounding Noelle spoke up in her defense.
Noelle took the last sip of her milkshake, then looked up and admitted honestly, “Charlie and I aren’t close. He wouldn’t introduce me to anyone.
To be fair, Noelle had only met Charlie a handful of times.
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9.14 PM
Chapter 89
Charlie was always busy. He had his own place outside and rarely came back to the Anderson residence unless something major happened. The only reason Noelle had seen him before was because Leia had collapsed and been hospitalized.
Just Noelle coming back to the Anderson family wouldn’t have been nearly enough of a reason for Charlie to return.
“That’s so unfair! You’re their real sister,” a classmate complained, confused.
Noelle, however, had long since come to terms with it. She replied calmly, “But Leia’s the one who’s been with them every day for over ten years.”
She had never once thought about taking the Anderson family’s love away from Leia. All she wanted was to be treated equally just like how they treated Leia. That would make her mission a lot easier.
But at the beginning, no one in the family had cooperated with her at all. Leia, especially, had seen her as an enemy.
Noelle couldn’t quite understand it. The whole Anderson family seemed to have a weird way of thinking.
Still, she had no choice. For the sake of her mission, she had to build good relationships with them and make them like her.
“Noelle, I’m so sorry,” the girls murmured, unaware of what was really going through her mind. Hearing her speak so openly, they couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
Leia had taken over more than a decade of Noelle’s life, hogging all the love from their parents and brothers.
If it had been anyone else, they probably would have resented Leia by now or even wallowed in self–pity. But Noelle was still so optimistic, so composed. She was incredibly strong.
Off to the side, Harley glanced at Noelle, his gaze flickering. He, too, felt a pang of sympathy for her.
The Anderson family really is a bunch of heartless people. Noelle is so wonderful; she deserves the best things in the world,’ he wondered.
After a moment, Harley spoke up, offering, “Noelle, if you want to enter the entertainment industry, I can help you.”
The Parker family had a stake in Phoenix Entertainment. They weren’t major shareholders, but arranging for a newcomer to enter the industry was effortless for them.
Noelle shook her head with a smile. “Thank you, Harley, but I don’t need it.”
Her classmates immediately sighed in disappointment. “Why not, Noelle? This is such a great opportunity!“/
Noelle rested her chin in her hands, her eyes curving into a playful smile. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Nick had already planned out everything for her. The release of her new song was the perfect opportunity.
Once the song became a hit, she would establish a persona as a musical prodigy. And since Charlie had always admired the composer of The Shadows, once he found out that she was the one who had written it, he would surely see her in a different light.
Nick had said that interest was the first step to liking someone. If things went according to plan, this would be her way in.
Harley stayed quiet, watching Noelle’s bright, confident smile as if she had already thought of a way out. He couldn’t help but feel a little unsettled.
ง
Even though he was standing so close to her, he still knew nothing about her.
‘What does she mean by ‘you’ll find out soon enough? Does she have another plan? But the Anderson family doesn’t treat her well; there’s they’d give her resources. As for Nicolas… he thought,
Harley didn’t even consider that man a possibility. Nicolas was best known for being a notorious flirt.
no
way
The entire Sawyer Group was controlled by Nicolas‘ two older brothers. Nicolas was just a figurehead with no real power in the company, let alone the ability to provide Noelle with any resources.
‘So, Noelle… what other secrets are you hiding?‘ Harley wondered.
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