Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18

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Jason stepped out of the herbal bath, wearing a short–sleeved shirt and shorts.

Alicia glanced at him and said, “Lie down on the couch. Let me do the acupuncture for you.”

His couch was spacious enough for him to stretch out and get the treatment comfortably.

Jason paused for a moment, then asked, “Wait, isn’t it just my legs?”

Alicia replied, “I need to do some points on your body too.”

She grinned and teased, “Need a hand? Should I carry you over there?”

With just the two of them in the house, if he needed help, she was the only one who could do it.

Jason just stared at her, lost for words.

‘This woman never fails to surprise me,’ he thought.

He gave her a helpless look, replying, “Thanks, but I got it.”

He propped himself up with his hands and shifted onto the couch before lying down.

Alicia took out her acupuncture kit and disinfected the needles.

She rolled Jason’s shirt up to his chest and his pant legs up a bit, her face unusually serious. Then she started the acupuncture treatment.

Jason had never been comfortable with people touching him, ever since he was little.

Seeing Alicia totally unfazed as she rolled up his shirt and exposed his skin, he felt super awkward. Even his whole body went rigid.

While she worked with the needles, Alicia said, “Just try to relax.”

Jason took a deep breath, doing his best to relax. “Okay.”

After knowing Alicia for so long, this was honestly the first time Jason had ever seen her so focused and serious. He couldn’t help but be a little surprised.

Back then, most of what he remembered about her was from their middle school days.

She was always wild and carefree, living life on her own terms.

The four of them–Alicia, Nicolas, Maxwell, and Caleb were totally inseparable back then.

Alicia was known as the campus queen, the big bully, and the straight–A student.

She’d break out of school with Maxwell to play video games, shoot hoops with Caleb, and jam on the piano

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Chapter 18

with Nicolas.

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At every school sports meet, she could always be spotted sweating it out on the field. If she signed up for an event, she’d snag first place.

On the stage at school events, she was either hosting or taking the lead in the dance performance.

If anyone dared mess with her, they’d get a taste of her fists.

Sure, people called her the big bully, but she never bullied anyone. If anything, she was the one who stood up for the kids getting picked on.

Jason had even accidentally learned that she’d secretly given financial support to several top students from struggling families.

Some of them were girls who almost had to quit school because their families preferred sons over daughters.

She was everywhere on campus, always in the middle of the action, but she always got an A in exams.

Ever since Nicole came into the picture, she’d been treated unfairly at home.

Once she entered the entertainment industry, she faced all kinds of unfair treatment from her company, got ostracized by LUMIA members, and even got dragged online.

But she never let it get her down. She was still as upbeat and positive as ever.

‘That’s actually pretty nice,‘ Jason thought to himself.

The needles need to stay in for half an hour before being removed.

While they waited, Alicia and Jason started making small talk.

Jason said, “The company managed to poach Darren, and he’s agreed to join the reality show.

“We’ve already put money into the show, and according to the production team, the first live episode will go up next month.

“In a couple of days, we’ll let the news slip in the industry that you two are on board.”

Alicia smiled, “You really get things done fast. With your investment, I bet a bunch of big–name stars will be lining up to join.”

Lucent Media’s investment was the real game–changer.

Right now, Jason was basically a legend in the entertainment industry when it came to investing.

Every drama, movie, or reality show he’d put money into had turned into a hit.

People in the industry had their eyes glued to him. If Jason personally backed a project, everyone just knew it was going to be a smash hit.

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Chapter 18

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Jason said, “Yeah, tons of people are interested. Right after I invested, artists from other companies and even some of our own hit me up, asking if they could get in on it.”

Then Jason switched topics and asked, “If Nicolas wants to join too, would you mind?”

He added, “If you’re not okay with it, I’ll make sure the show turns him down.”

Jason had always been at odds with Nicolas and had been holding Starlight Entertainment down for years, so he knew exactly what kind of guy Nicolas was.

Now that Alicia had cut ties with him, if Nicolas wanted to fix things, getting on the same reality show would be his best shot.

So once word got out that Alicia would join the show, even if it was a show Jason invested in, Nicolas would be the first to hit up the production team to get himself on board.

He might even get Starlight Entertainment to make an investment in the show.

Alicia gave him a half–smile. “Do you think it’s better to turn him down or let him join?”

Jason answered, “From a business perspective, it’s definitely better to let him join.

“He’s a top–tier star, and he’s never done a reality show before, so his debut on the show will bring in a ton of views.

“Plus, everyone’s saying you’re just riding on your childhood connection with him. The chemistry between you two on the show is bound to be a huge talking point.

“So, the pros definitely outweigh the cons if he joins.

“But since we’re partners now, I’ll respect whatever you choose.”

He made it clear that even though having Nicolas on board would bring in a lot of benefits, if Alicia wasn’t comfortable with it, he wouldn’t force her.

Alicia grinned, “You really do make a great partner. Since it’s more good than bad, let him on board.

“Let him stir up some hype and give us something to talk about. Works for me.”

Jason could already tell what her answer would be.

A smile appeared on his handsome face. “I’m really glad to have such a level–headed partner.”

If Alicia were the kind who acted recklessly and just lashed out for revenge, he definitely wouldn’t work with

her.

Alicia laughed and said, “Honestly, who would’ve thought we’d ever be sitting here, getting along and trading compliments?”

Jason let out a laugh. “Yeah, never thought this day would come.”

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Chapter 18

He added, “By the way, if Nicolas joins, there’s a good chance Nicole will jump on board too.”

Alicia nodded in agreement. “She definitely will.”

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“She’s been dead set on marrying Nicolas, and being on the show together means she’ll get plenty of on- screen time with him.”

“And of course, she’ll try to put me down while she’s at it. She won’t let a chance like that slip by.”

Alicia knew Nicole better than anyone, but she wasn’t fazed by her at all.

Jason paused, then said, “Since you’re cool with them joining, why not bring in one of your former group members too?

“If Nicolas brings Nicole, then I’ll have the production team invite another LUMIA member.”

Alicia shot him an amused look, raising her brows. “See, that’s the real capitalist move right there. You’ve totally cracked the viral code.”

When it came to reality shows, there were only two things that could really hook viewers: either everyone was vibing and the comedy was nonstop, or there was tension between the guests, so viewers got to watch the fights break out live on screen.

The drama between Alicia and the other four girls from LUMIA had been public knowledge for a long time.

If they all ended up on the same show, people would tune in to watch.

Jason smirked, “Thanks for the compliment.”

Time flew by as they chatted.

When the time was up, Alicia took out the needles and asked, “Do you feel anything?”

Jason looked genuinely surprised. “Actually, I do. My legs have been numb for ages, but now that the needles are out, I can actually feel some heat in them.”

He never thought Alicia’s acupuncture would kick in so fast.

After being numb for so long, he suddenly felt that warmth. It actually made him feel a rare spark inside.

For the first time in a long while, Jason actually started to believe that maybe Alicia could really help him walk again.

She was even better at this than he’d ever expected.

Alicia nodded. “That’s exactly what you should be feeling.

“Give it a few more rounds, and you’ll be able to move your toes, maybe even lift your foot a bit.”

Jason’s eyes lit up. “I can’t wait for that day to come.”

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Chapter 18

From then on, Alicia came over every day to give Jason his acupuncture treatment.

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Two days later, Lucent Media spread the word around the industry that Alicia would be joining the reality show Setting Off with Friends.

As they had expected, Nicolas wasted no time and reached out to the production team himself, saying he wanted to be a regular on the show.

Starlight Entertainment was also willing to throw some money into the project.

The production team had already gotten the hint from Jason’s assistant, so they were totally on board with it all.

They even told Nicolas he could invite a friend to join him on the show. Whether they were in the business or just a regular person, it didn’t matter.

got the

Nicole got

scoop about Nicolas joining the show almost instantly. She was the first to know.

After all, both Nicolas’s agent and his assistant had always been on great terms with her.