?Chapter 146:


    What was more, winning the singingpetition would not only bring her fame but also a substantial cash prize. It was a win-win situation that would also satisfy her vanity.


    Even better, she could paint it as an act of gratitude — make it seem like she was stepping onto that stage not for herself, but for her loyal fans who still believed in her.


    It would be the perfect story.


    And once the narrative shifted, the old scandal would rot in the forgotten corners of the inte, just like every other fleeting outrage.


    “Alright, I’ll do it.” Rosanna tightened her grip on the phone, her decision firm.


    Excitement lit up the scout’s voice as he wrapped up the call on a cheerful note.


    Maia finished replying to Pattie’s message and opened her Twitter, scrolling to the video Vicki had left behind.


    Her nose tingled, and tears threatened to well up in her eyes.


    That video had been her lifeline during the darkest days. If it hadn’t been for her determination to publicly discredit Rosanna and show that the bracelet was a keepsake from Vicki, she would never have made it public.


    Brushing the screen with trembling fingers, she traced Vicki’s gentle smile and murmured, “Grandma… I miss you so much.”


    Lifting her wrist, Maia tilted it toward the window where the sunlight caught the bracelet’s deep green surface, scattering light like tiny stars.


    Once, Vicki had told her that whenever the ache of missing her grew too heavy, this bracelet would be herfort.


    Drawing a soft breath, Maia let her fingertips dance over the bracelet’s cold surface.


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    No auction, no price tag could ever tempt her to give it up. To her, it was irreceable—woven so tightly into her heart that losing it would feel like losing herself.


    While she was still wrapped in a cloud of memories, her phone buzzed against the couch, jolting her back to reality. ncing at the screen, she froze.


    Chris’s name shed across the disy.


    In an instant, shes of the night before flooded her mind—the way Chris had cornered her against the door, the closeness of his voice, the questions that had left her rattled. She could still feel the ghost of his breath brushing past her ear.


    For once, Maia hesitated, unsure whether she was ready to face him.


    Finally gathering her courage, she pressed answer and lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello?”


    “Have you eaten?” Chris’s voice drifted through, low and easy, as if they were just two old friends chatting.


    At the very mention of food, Maia’s stomach let out a loud, embarrassing growl. She had spent her lunch break throwing fuel onto the fires of social media and had


    She had barely touched a real meal. The only thing she had managed to cook was Kathie’s medicinal soup before dashing out the door.


    Originally, she had nned a lunch outing with Ethan. Earlier that day, though, a different scene had unfolded. Instead of pestering her or begging for attention, Ethan had buried his nose deep into his phone.


    Worry had flickered through her — was he falling into the same trap so many kids did, sucked into endless scrolling? Yet when she peeked closer, she had caught a glimpse of something unexpected: no social media, no mindless videos. Instead, Ethan was lost in an e-book, so absorbed he might as well have been in another world.


    With no better options, Maia quietly ordered takeout for him.


    Hunger hadn’t really bothered her until Chris’s voice brought it to the forefront. Now her stomach grumbled loudly, making its displeasure impossible to ignore.


    One hand pressed against her empty stomach, she said, “Not yet. I was just about to find something to eat.”


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