Chapter 187
Chapter 187:
“I was wondering if you ghostwrote it for him, but it seems I was mistaken,” Leah continued.
After a pause, Janice caught on. “So, does it sound like something I might have done?”
“Precisely!” Leah confirmed, her voice firm. “There’s no way he could produce something this good on his own. I know your style, and I’m pretty sure you’re behind this.”
Janice’s silence deepened, her mind humming. Had Carman heard that tune during their last encounter at Castle Shopping Center?
A sharp sneer crossed her face as she processed the thought. “Leah, no need to fret. He’ll get what’s coming to him.”
“Then I’ll sit back and watch the drama unfold.” Leah’s response came with a wry smirk. Then she ended the call with a sharp click.
Vernon was drenched in sweat by now.
Was that JE on the phone?
Leah used to seek privacy when speaking with JE, yet today she had conversed openly beside him. Perhaps, Vernon mused, he had finally earned JE’s approval?
His heart swelled with hopeful excitement at the prospect.
“Vernon, she instructed us to step back and watch events unfold,” Leah informed him.
“Absolutely,” Vernon responded, nodding in agreement before he ventured a bold request. “May I have the privilege of meeting her someday?”
Leah’s gaze hardened, sending a shiver down Vernon’s spine. He hastily expressed his apologies for the presumptuous question. Yet, unexpectedly, Leah’s expression softened into a smile. “Yes, you will meet her.”
Back at Delgado Jewelry, Janice ended her call and opened Twitter, instantly bombarded by the buzz surrounding Carman’s new track.
gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․cóm is your escape
She clicked on a trending link and was greeted by a melody she recognized all too well.
“So, it is that song from Castle Shopping Center,” Janice muttered to herself, piecing together that Carman must have overheard and memorized it, turning it into his own as was his habit.
Once, she had willingly shared her music with him, since he was family. Now, those days felt like a distant memory.
“Janice, Delilah, could you come here?” Stella’s voice interrupted Janice’s thoughts.
Delilah approached with a knowing grin. “Today’s the submission deadline, Janice. All set?”
“Worry about yourself,” Janice retorted, strutting toward Stella’s office with confidence in her stride.
Delilah watched her leave, her smile twisting into a sneer. “We’ll see if you’re still smiling later.”
Delilah glanced at Cheryl and exchanged a meaningful look. Cheryl gave a subtle nod, as if they had a silent understanding. Earlier, in the break room, Cheryl had taken advantage of Janice’s absence. Quietly, she had swapped out the USB containing Janice’s design.
When Janice tried to present her work, she would find that the USB drive was empty. Knowing Stella’s temper, she would surely explode and berate Janice. Any previous successes of Janice would be overshadowed by this failure. The confidence and pride she’d once carried would be reduced to a cruel joke.
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