Chapter 79: A Clumsy Lie
No one knew Olivia had joined JL Entertainment—not even Sophia.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked, her tone sharp.
"Absolutely," Howard said. "I only found out a couple of days ago. I meant to tell you sooner, but things got hectic. When I saw Leon practicing today, it jogged my memory. I thought we should talk. Olivia stepping into showbiz? That’s not something simple."
Sophia frowned, her mind already spinning. "For someone from the Morgan family to join the entertainment industry—it doesn’t add up. They’d never let her wade into that mess. Which means she went in on her own. But if JL Entertainment is investing heavily in her, there has to be someone backing her. If it’s not the Morgans... then it’s someone else."
Howard hesitated. "JL Entertainment is under Lucas’s company. He doesn’t usually meddle with entertainment affairs, and I haven’t heard of him showing up there... but what if it is him? Maybe he’s doing it on purpose—to boost Olivia and go against you."
At the mention of Lucas, Sophia’s expression darkened slightly.
"I doubt it," she said quietly. "That’s not his style. If Lucas wanted to go against me, he wouldn’t need to play games. He’s direct. Whatever this is... it smells like someone else’s plan."
She paused, then added, "I heard that some of JL Entertainment’s shares are held by other members of the Hilton family. Look into that. If you find anything solid, tell me immediately."
Howard nodded, but her mind was elsewhere.
She didn’t want it to be Lucas.
She didn’t want to wake up one day and realize that the man who had treated her gently had been pulling strings behind her back all along.
That the warmth she’d begun to believe in... was just another illusion.
Howard broke her silence. "I’ll handle it. But there’s more—Olivia’s set to appear on a reality show next week. It’s huge. If nothing goes wrong, this might be her breakout moment. I was thinking of sending Leon too, to gain exposure."
Sophia’s eyes narrowed. "People don’t rise overnight, Howard. Not without someone making it happen. If Olivia blows up that fast, it’s because someone powerful wants her to—and it’s not just for fame. Whoever’s behind her wants to use her... against me."
After a moment, she glanced through the glass wall at Leon, who was practicing hard, his shirt soaked through with sweat.
Her lips curved slightly.
"I have a better plan," she said. "One that’ll put him on top faster."
Howard raised an eyebrow. "I’m listening."
"Get his measurements tonight. I’ll design an outfit for him myself. Then hire a top photographer—spend whatever it takes. If we’re going to launch him, we’ll launch him straight to the top."
Her mind was already racing with ideas.
...
Outside, her six children were waiting patiently in the car.
"Billy," Dustin whispered, watching through the tinted window, "when are we going after Ethan?"
"If we move too soon, it’ll be too obvious," Billy replied coolly, his small face serious beyond his years. "Don’t worry. I’ve got someone handling it."
The two boys exchanged a knowing grin.
Ethan’s car already had a tracker on it—installed so discreetly, not even he would notice.
Now they could watch his every move.
...
When Sophia finally stepped outside, she froze.
A man stood by her car.
Her heart jumped. The kids!
"Hey!" she shouted, picking up her pace. "Who are you? What are you doing there?"
The man turned—and bolted. Fast. Within seconds, he was gone.
Sophia ran to the car, yanked the door open, and looked inside.
"Sweethearts! Are you okay?"
"Mommy, we’re fine!" Faye piped up, blinking innocently. "That man just asked for directions."
Six pairs of bright, innocent eyes stared back at her, angelic as ever.
Sophia exhaled softly. "Listen, babies—if I’m not here, you cannot open the window for anyone. Got it?"
"Mommy, we’re not three years old," Billy said, rolling his eyes. "We get it."
She chuckled. "Good. Then we won’t have any problems."
"Mommy, where are we going now?" Faye piped up from the backseat.
"To see Auntie Harper."
Since coming back, Harper had been practically living at the office.
Sophia parked outside the company instead of going in. After a quick call, it took less than five minutes before Harper appeared, walking briskly toward the car.
"Sophia!" she cried, yanking the door open. "Finally! If you hadn’t shown up today, I swear I was about to lose my mind!"
Sophia smirked. "Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad."
Harper threw her hands up dramatically. "Not that bad? Please! It’s pure chaos! I’m one email away from a nervous breakdown!"
As she climbed into the car, little Faye turned around and offered her a piece of candy.
"Aww, Faye, you’re such a sweetheart! But hey—don’t eat too much candy, okay? You’re getting new teeth soon. You don’t want to lose them all!"
Faye froze mid–wrapper twist, her eyes blinking like a startled kitten.
Dustin leaned forward confidently. "It’s fine, Faye. Eat it. Big brother will pay for your dentist."
Faye gave it a second thought, then popped the candy into her mouth anyway.
Harper turned back to Sophia with a grin. "Alright, spill it. You never call me out for nothing. What’s going on?"
Sophia didn’t waste time. "Olivia joined JL Entertainment."
"What?" Harper’s voice shot up an octave.
"And from what I’ve heard," Sophia continued, "she’s already booked for a reality show. It airs soon."
Harper blinked, stunned. "That explains why she’s been off the radar lately. So she was secretly training?"
Sophia nodded once.
"So," Harper said slowly, "you want to talk strategy?"
"That was the plan at first," Sophia said, her gaze steady. "But now... I have a better idea. Tell me, Harper—would you be interested in acting in a TV series?"
Harper’s jaw dropped. "Wait, acting? Like... a real show? Sophia, I can handle animation, sure—but real people? Not my thing."
Sophia smiled. "There are three female leads. My plan is to give the main role to Olivia—and the second lead to you."
Harper gasped in mock horror. "What?! She’s the lead and I’m number two? Sophia, you don’t love me anymore!"
Sophia sighed, fighting a laugh. "Just listen first. I suspect Olivia has someone powerful backing her. The Morgan family would never allow her to enter the entertainment industry, so whoever’s behind her has their own agenda.
"I need someone close enough to observe her. I can’t do it myself yet. You studied performing arts when you were younger—you were even in theater classes. You’re perfect for this."
Harper crossed her arms, pretending to pout. "So basically, I’m your sidekick—summoned at your convenience?"
Sophia’s lips curved slyly. "Remember that Country F necklace you’ve been dying to get your hands on?"
Harper’s eyes went wide. "No way. You got it?"
Sophia raised a brow.
Harper squealed. "I knew there was a reason I liked you!"
Sophia handed her a script. "Here’s the project. Olivia’s reality show wraps up in about a month. The series starts filming three months from now. Read it carefully."
Harper flipped through the first few pages—then froze. "Hold up... Sophia. Are you the investor?"
Sophia’s hand paused mid-motion as she reached for the ignition.
Harper narrowed her eyes. "You’re the CEO of YL. A designer. Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly become a producer with access to TV scripts."
Sophia cleared her throat lightly. "Of course not. I just... know someone. Howard. He’s the CEO of LT Entertainment."
She rubbed her nose—a tiny, almost nervous gesture.
From the backseat, Dustin observed quietly, his mind processing every subtle cue like a seasoned psychologist.
Mommy’s lying, he thought. Her face doesn’t blush, but her tone gives her away.
He looked at Harper through the rearview mirror. She’d noticed it too.