Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Jason’s post was a total game–changer.

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All those comments roasting and mocking Alicia came to a screeching halt, like the internet just glitched.

People were left speechless, totally slapped in the face.

Just moments ago, they were all saying Alicia would never land a new company and would soon disappear from the entertainment scene.

But out of nowhere, the CEO of Lucent Media himself stepped in and said he’d be taking her under his wing.

Lucent Media might be a newcomer in the entertainment world, but it quickly became a powerhouse, rising to the top at breakneck speed.

They were easily ranked among the top five entertainment companies, and they were famous for their deep pockets and extravagant style.

In just the past couple of years, they’ve poached and nurtured a bunch of A–listers and top–tier stars, and when they went up against Starlight Entertainment, they usually won.

No wonder they had the guts to sign Alicia after her split with Starlight, and Jason even stepped up to publicly support her.

They were clearly not afraid of Starlight. It was basically a public challenge.

The news sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry.

Even folks in the business who’d never heard of Alicia, or just didn’t care about her before, suddenly started paying attention.

After all, Jason was making it loud and clear that he was backing Alicia, and he wasn’t even trying to hide it.

It was unbelievable, but it happened, just like that.

Now, everyone was dying to know what made Alicia so special, or what it was about her that caught Jason’s

eye.

Or maybe Alicia had some kind of powerful backing they didn’t know about.

Either way, it was enough to make everyone pay serious attention to her now.

The news left Haley and the rest of the LUMIA members totally stunned.

They were all back at the company, sitting together and talking about Alicia’s departure.

Honestly, just like everyone online, they figured Alicia was toast.

She’d left the group and broken her contract with that attitude. There was no way things would end well for

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Chapter 15

her.

They figured she’d be out of the industry in no time.

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But then, out of nowhere, the whole thing got flipped upside down, leaving them totally blindsided.

Who saw it coming that a top investor, the CEO of a major company, would personally back Alicia?

Not even a web drama would dare to script something this wild.

Even now, they still couldn’t wrap their heads around it.

Honestly, it just didn’t sit right with them. They couldn’t accept that Alicia ended up doing even better after leaving the group.

They’d barely even seen the CEO of Starlight in person, let alone gotten his support as Alicia did.

Felicity couldn’t help but turn to Haley and ask, “Haley, how did Alicia manage to jump ship to Lucent Media and get Mr. Farrell to personally back her?

“Is there something about her we don’t know? Or did she already know Mr. Farrell before all this?”

Felicity couldn’t help but also think about how weird Nicolas had been acting around Alicia before.

Haley’s face darkened. “How should I know? I wish someone would tell me.”

But honestly, she kind of had a hunch.

Alicia was from a wealthy family. She probably knew Jason from way back.

This whole contract break and move to Lucent Media must’ve been set up with Jason all along. No wonder Alicia was so sure of herself.

Haley was even more upset and pissed off than the other four girls in LUMIA, but she wasn’t about to spill the

beans.

The last thing Haley wanted was for anyone in the business to know Alicia’s true background.

She looked at the four girls and took a deep breath. “Just because Mr. Farrell is personally backing Alicia doesn’t mean it’s all a bed of roses for her.

“If she messes up, she’s basically slapping Mr. Farrell and Lucent Media right in the face.

“Since you all think she was holding LUMIA back and that you’ll do better without her, then prove it.

“Show me, the company, and everyone in and out of the industry that you’re the best.”

Now, Haley was tied to LUMIA for good, and she’d already burned her bridges with Alicia.

There was no turning back. She had to stick with the girls and work together to make sure Alicia stayed down.

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Chapter 15

Even if Lucent Media got Alicia’s back, Haley didn’t care less.

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In this business, having connections and money didn’t mean one could suddenly blow up and become a star.

Haley kept telling herself, ‘Alicia’s still getting roasted online, so we’ve still got the upper hand.

Hearing Haley’s words, Felicity and the other three girls instantly felt a wave of relief.

“Yeah, we have to prove to everyone that Alicia leaving LUMIA was a huge mistake,” Felicity said.

They all stacked their hands together, voices firm. “Without Alicia, LUMIA is going to be the top girl group out there. We’ll all go further than she ever will.”

Right now, they were already doing better than Alicia, and Starlight Entertainment was just as powerful as Lucent Media.

They were sure they’d blow Alicia out of the water and leave her in the dust.

In the fanciest lounge at Starlight Entertainment, Nicole was scrolling through Jason’s post.

Her face was stormy, and she looked seriously pissed off.

She’d always thought Alicia was just throwing a tantrum. That was the reason she quit the group and broke her contract on a whim.

Nicole had been scheming about how to use this chance to crush Alicia for good.

She even reached out to the head of a mid–sized entertainment company, telling them to find a way to sign

Alicia.

Her plan was to keep using Alicia’s clout to hype other artists, or maybe just let her fade into obscurity.

She never planned to force Alicia out of the industry right away.

After all, the worse Alicia did in showbiz, the more embarrassed the Hammonds would be, and that would just make Nicole look even better in comparison.

The Moores would get more and more fed up with Alicia’s reputation, and eventually, they’d give up on the idea of Nicolas marrying her.

That way, Nicole could snatch away the chance to marry Nicolas for herself.

All that talk about passion and dreams was just for show. Nicole didn’t join the entertainment world because she loved it, no matter what she told the Hammond family.

She was just using Alicia as her stepping stone, making herself look good by comparison, and grabbing every opportunity to get in good with Nicolas.

Her goal was simple: land herself a spot in high society. And Nicolas was the prize she was after.

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Nicolas might be in showbiz right now, but he was the only heir to the Moore family fortune.

Once he left the entertainment world, he’d be taking over the family business.

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The Moore family was no less powerful than the Hammond family, with serious history and deep roots in high society.

For someone like Nicole, Nicolas was the best catch she could ever hope for.

But she’d never guessed that Jason, someone who totally outclassed Nicolas in status, power, and influence, would suddenly show up to back Alicia.

That just pissed her off to no end.

Nicole barely knew Jason. After her mother married into the Hammond family, she’d only run into him twice.

Back then, he was hands–down the most handsome and classy guy she’d ever laid eyes on, like some prince charming straight out of a manga.

He was the golden boy among the rich kids, always getting hyped up as a total prodigy and straight–A legend. Seriously, he was the kid everyone’s parents wished they had.

Nicole had thought about trying to get close to Jason, but once she realized Nicolas, Maxwell, and Jason didn’t get along at all, she could only sigh and give up on the idea.

After all, if she wanted to establish herself in the Hammond family, Nicolas and Maxwell were way more important.

After that, she couldn’t reach out to him anymore because Jason had gone abroad.

Nicole had heard that Alicia didn’t get along with Jason either, thanks to Nicolas and Maxwell.

Thus, she just couldn’t wrap her head around why things had turned out like this.

And Alicia’s sudden move totally threw a wrench in Nicole’s plans.

She had this sinking feeling that things were starting to spiral out of her hands.

After mulling it over, she told her agent to message Nicolas’s assistant and fill him in on the whole situation.

She wanted to get a read on Nicolas’s take.

Alicia was now hanging out with their sworn enemy. Nicole knew that Nicolas and his side weren’t pissed

about it.

If this ended up making them fall out with Alicia, that’d be a win in Nicole’s book.

Besides, Nicole knew she had to get ahead of this. She couldn’t just sit back and let Alicia turn things around and get a fresh start.