Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

As soon as Nicolas said that, everyone turned to look at Felicity.

Felicity’s face darkened further, and she was so embarrassed and angry that her eyes began to turn red.

She really hadn’t expected Alicia to be hiding this level of skill.

When the group first formed, Alicia wasn’t this strong at all.

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She thought to herself, ‘How much preparation did Alicia do behind the scenes? Was all of this just to humiliate me? This is too much!’

Right now, she felt incredibly wronged.

If she’d known Alicia was this sneaky, there was no way she would’ve been so confident and tried to show off earlier.

At this point, she couldn’t say anything. She could only pretend she hadn’t heard Nicolas’ mockery and ignore everyone’s gleeful stares.

Naturally, this made her hate Alicia even more.

If Alicia hadn’t been hiding her real skills all this time and keeping them under wraps in LUMIA, Felicity wouldn’t have embarrassed herself so badly today.

Nicole, sitting right next to her, felt even more frustrated and suffocated.

She’d joined this show specifically to make Alicia look bad by comparison.

But on day one, Alicia completely erased her reputation as a useless burden.

And then there were Nicolas and Maxwell. Both of them were acting way too familiar with Alicia, their words and gestures showing they knew her well, and that proud, boastful attitude they had was seriously grating on her nerves.

Especially Nicolas. The way he’d been staring at Alicia earlier, his eyes full of admiration and affection.

It was just like before, back when Alicia was around, and they’d all orbit around her like she was the sun.

Nicole had been the one hiding in the corners, watching them with envy so bitter it burned, wanting nothing more than to steal it all away.

She’d worked so hard to drive a wedge between them, to make them misunderstand Alicia.

She’d used every trick in the book, even hurt herself, just to get their attention focused on her instead.

And now they were looking at Alicia again.

Nicole was shaking with rage, but she had to keep her emotions and expression under control.

What made her want to scream even more was when Maxwell suddenly turned to look at her, grinning smugly as he said, “Nicole, Alicia’s always been amazing, right?”

He had this expectant look on his face, like he assumed she’d be just as proud.

He was thinking about how Nicole always said she envied Alicia’s energy and how proud she was to have such an accomplished sister.

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So he figured Nicole would share their pride.

He couldn’t resist showing off to everyone.

Nicole clenched her teeth. ‘Can you just shut up,’ she thought.

Maxwell’s comment actually made Alicia want to laugh.

He really believed Nicole genuinely liked her and wanted her “sister’s” approval.

Maxwell was as blind and clueless as ever.

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Nicole had always exploited Maxwell’s blunt, straightforward personality to her advantage, but today it was backfiring spectacularly.

Alicia glanced over at Nicole and caught the brief flash of discomfort on her face before she quickly masked it.

Nicole was seething inside, probably furious, but she had to swallow it down and force herself to look like she was praising Alicia, too.

Alicia couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. ‘Living behind a mask like that must be exhausting,’ she thought.

Nicole plastered on what looked like a genuine smile and said, “Yeah, Alicia’s really talented.”

She wanted nothing more than to strangle Maxwell right now, but she had no choice but to play along.

As soon as this livestream ended, she’d need to find someone to cry to and get some comfort, or she’d lose her mind.

Desperate to shift the attention away from herself, Nicole suddenly turned to Felicity with a bright smile and asked, “Ms. Sterling, don’t you think so?”

If Felicity hadn’t been dragging them down, things wouldn’t have spiraled this badly.

‘Where the hell is Starlight Entertainment’s PR team?’ Nicole thought bitterly. ‘And what about the people I pay to manage my image? Are they all dead? How did they let Alicia pull off this reversal? Useless, all of them.

That thought led her straight back to Jason.

She was certain Jason had been pulling strings behind the scenes.

Setting Off With Friends’ biggest investor was Lucent Media, after all.

There was no way Chase and Marley would dare set up a livestream self-defense stunt like this without Jason’s approval.

Jason had properly given the green light or actively pushed for it.

She had to admit, it was the fastest and most effective way to clear Alicia’s name.

Nicole hadn’t even checked X yet, but she knew Alicia was trending by now.

That impromptu dance performance would be everywhere, shocking everyone who saw it.

Lucent Media’s PR team was definitely working overtime, manipulating the narrative and whitewashing Alicia’s image.

Meanwhile, the LUMIA members were probably getting torn apart in the comments, especially Felicity, who’d managed to sabotage herself in less than a day of filming.

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Nicole had to admit that Jason was pretty damn impressive. Building an empire that massive without the Farrell family’s backing took great skill.

And that just made her want to take it all away from him even more.

‘How does Alicia get to be so lucky?’ she thought bitterly.

‘Born with a silver spoon, spoiled rotten her whole life. She finally hits rock bottom, and even the people who should hate her reach out to help. She’s always so bright and full of energy, no matter what happens. It’s so annoying.’

Meanwhile, Nicole had suffered through so much since childhood. She’d had to scheme and claw for everything she’d ever gotten.

‘How is that fair?’ Nicole thought.

When Nicole suddenly threw Felicity under the bus, Felicity’s expression shifted.

This time, she’d been called out directly, so Felicity had no choice but to force out an answer. “Yes,” she said stiffly.

She turned to Chase and asked, “Is there anything else we need to do?”

She couldn’t take this anymore. She just wanted today’s livestream to be over.

Chase smiled and said, “Today’s crossover livestream event between the two shows is finished. There’s nothing else planned.”

He asked deliberately, “Does Ms. Sterling have something else in mind?”

Today’s show trended multiple times, and views skyrocketed. Felicity definitely deserved some credit for that, even if it wasn’t the kind she wanted.

Felicity forced out a stiff smile. “No, I was just asking.”

Chase didn’t push it any further. He said goodbye to the guests and viewers, and then the livestream ended.

The second the cameras cut, Felicity stood up with a cold expression. She didn’t say a word to anyone and left with her assistant.

Everyone else just pretended not to notice.

Alicia and Darren chatted with the trainees for a few minutes, said their goodbyes, and then headed back to the hotel.

Alicia had just reached the studio’s main entrance when Maxwell rushed up to her and asked, “Ally, I did pretty well today, didn’t I?”

He looked like a puppy begging for praise.

The others who’d been heading out suddenly slowed their pace, clearly hoping to catch some drama They’d also noticed Maxwell had called her “Ally” instead of using her full name, which suggested a certain intimacy between them.

Alicia rolled her eyes at him and said coldly. “Who are you? Do I know you?”

Her expression made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him.

She’d meant it when she said she was cutting ties with them, and this wasn’t some joke.

If she gave him attention now, Nicole would definitely come crying to them later, and they’d feel sorry for her all over again.

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Then they’d probably think Alicia had been too showy today, that she’d outshone Nicole and hurt her fragile feelings.

Maxwell hadn’t expected Alicia to treat him this way. He looked genuinely hurt and said. “Why are you being like this?”

Alicia rolled her eyes again and snapped, “If you’re sick, go to a hospital. Now move.” She grabbed Darren’s arm and quickly walked out.

Maxwell’s face darkened with anger.

Nicolas, who’d also been about to approach Alicia, stopped in his tracks.

*****

Back at the hotel, Alicia opened X and scrolled through her feed.

Just as she’d expected, she was trending and had gained a massive wave of new followers. The comments section wasn’t filled with insults anymore either.

She sent Jason a message, and he replied almost instantly, asking if she wanted to have dinner together.

They could eat first and then go back to her room for acupuncture afterward.

Alicia agreed.

She rested in her hotel room until evening, then headed out.

The hotel’s top floor had a restaurant with excellent privacy, so they’d decided to meet there.

The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Nicolas and Maxwell walking out of the opposite elevator with Nicole between them. They came face to face.

Alicia glanced over at Nicole. Just as she’d expected, Nicole’s eyes were bloodshot and puffy. Nicole had clearly been crying her heart out.

‘Same old playbook, Alicia thought. ‘Works every single time, as long as Nicolas and Maxwell keep falling for it.’

All three of them froze when they spotted Alicia.

Nicolas and Maxwell both looked awkward and guilty, their discomfort written all over their faces.

Nicole, on the other hand, felt a surge of satisfaction.

I wonder if Alicia will lose it when she sees that Nicolas and Maxwell came here just to keep me company, Nicole thought smugly.

She plastered on a bright smile and called out, “Alicia! Are you eating alone? Why don’t you join us?”

Maxwell chimed in, “Yeah, come sit with us. We were actually planning to invite you anyway.”

Nicolas nodded and added, “Yeah, join us.”

He and Maxwell had originally planned to take Alicia out for dinner tonight. But Nicole’s assistant had called them in a

panic

Apparently, people were trashing Nicole online, and she’d felt humiliated and embarrassed during today’s filming.

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After she got back to her hotel room, she’d cried so hard she nearly passed out, so they’d felt obligated to check on her.

It had taken forever to coax her out of her room and bring her up here to the rooftop restaurant for dinner.

And now, of all the terrible timing, they’d run into Alicia.

Alicia immediately looked away from them and didn’t bother responding.

Instead, she turned and walked toward the restaurant entrance.

Right then, Jason appeared in the doorway.

When he saw Alicia, his usually cold and distant expression softened into a smile. “You’re here,” he said warmly.

He’d clearly been waiting for her.

Alicia’s previously cool expression melted into a bright, genuine smile.

She walked over to him without hesitation and naturally moved behind his wheelchair, pushing him forward. “Let’s go in,” she said easily.

Lately, she’d been giving Jason acupuncture treatments, and afterward, she’d push him downstairs for some fresh air. So this gesture had become routine for them.

But to Nicolas, watching from across the room, it was anything but routine.

He stared at their retreating figures, his face darkening like a thundercloud.

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