Saanvi finally left.
Paityn, pale and trembling, leaned against the wall and sank into a chair, feeling as though she had been plunged into an abyss.
She knew the Pittman family all too well.
There was no way Saanvi would truly accept Alina.
The most likely scenario Paityn could imagine was that the Pittman family wanted to control Alina and prevent her from outshining Lorelai. They certainly wouldn’t let Alina beco famous or make a na for herself. Paityn didn’t know what to do.
She couldn’t defy the Pittman family, nor could she fight them. But even more so, she didn’t want to harm her own daughter.
Saanvi had said that the Pittman family would create so sort of distraction tomorrow morning to keep Damon occupied, while they’d head to Rosemont City to et with the Carter family and discuss taking back Alina.
Paityn couldn’t imagine the chaos that would ensue if the Pittman family confronted the Carter family about this.
Paityn thought, What now? Damon is just as unreliable as the Pittman family. How could I protect Alina?
She paced around the room for a long ti, chewing on her lip, before deciding she should warn the Carter family.
At least they had taken good care of Alina, even managing to cure her disability.
And besides, if she wanted to reunite with Alina without creating too much conflict, it would be better not to alienate the Carter family.
With this in mind, Paityn picked up her phone. Despite the fact that it was past 2 in the morning, she dialed Arthur’s number.
There was no answer.
She rembered then that Arthur had blocked her.
Paityn thought, Who else could she turn to now? Zayn?
Zayn was also in the entertainnt industry. With her connections, it wouldn’t be hard to track down Zayn’s number. But just thinking about Zayn’s stern, uncompromising deanor made her hesitate.
Paityn thought, How could I find anyone else from the Carter family? Could I leverage my contacts in the industry to get their numbers?
Suddenly, an idea struck her. Luna had a great relationship with the Carter family and had even stayed at their country house for an extended period. Surely, Luna would have their phone numbers.
As a queen of pop, Paityn had overlapping circles with Luna, a film star.
It didn’t take long for her to get Luna’s number from her manager. Without worrying about the late hour, she dialed Luna’s private line.
Luna picked up but didn’t speak, clearly waiting for the caller to introduce themselves.
Paityn didn’t have ti to waste on pleasantries and cut straight to the point.
"Luna, it’s Paityn. I need to tell the Carter family sothing important about Josie imdiately. Can you give a number for soone in the Carter family who can make decisions?"
Luna stayed calm. "Is this about Josie? Is it good news or bad news?"
Paityn hesitated and said, "I’m not sure yet, but if it’s not addressed tonight, things could get worse."
Luna replied, "Hold on. I’ll check if Avery is willing to take your call."
Paityn thought, Why is Luna contacting Avery first? Wouldn’t it make more sense to reach out to Alina’s adoptive parents or her brothers?
Two minutes later, Luna returned with an answer.
"Avery said she’ll call you. That’s it. I have to go."
Paityn was left speechless by how blunt Luna was. It was as if she didn’t want to waste a single word.
Then Paityn’s phone rang again.
It was an unfamiliar number.
When she answered, a voice that was calm and indifferent ca through.
"Ms. Shepard, this is Avery. You can speak about Josie now."
Paityn frowned and said, "What I’m about to say is very important. Are you in a position to speak for the Carter family?"
"Of course," Avery replied coolly. "When it cos to the Carter family, if I say sothing, no one will oppose it."
To be honest, Paityn found Avery quite irritating.
Avery was just in her early twenties, yet she always carried herself with this serene, all-knowing air, like she had the whole world under her control. She wasn’t arrogant, but she exuded a quiet confidence that seed rooted in undeniable power.
Still, despite how much Paityn disliked her, she had no other choice right now.
"What I need to tell you is about Josie’s true parentage," Paityn began slowly. "Josie was adopted by your family. Did you ever consider looking for her biological parents? Josie must’ve ntioned wanting to et them, right?"
"No," Avery replied calmly. "Josie has always believed she’s our biological child, and we’ve treated her as such. None of us have ever thought about finding her biological parents."
Paityn’s heart ached when she heard that.
"But her real mother never forgot about Josie..." Paityn’s voice trembled. "She’s been searching for Josie all this ti, and now that she’s finally found Josie, she... she wants to take Josie back."
"You’re talking about yourself, right?" Avery said, her tone flat, delivering what should have been a bombshell revelation with no hint of surprise. "You’re Josie’s biological mother.
"Years ago, you abandoned your illegitimate daughter, who was suffering from polio, at the steps of an orphanage to pursue your career and marry into the Pittman family.
"And now, with Josie’s polio cured, and her being beautiful, talented, and gifted with a marvelous voice, you want to take her back to bring yourself glory."
"That’s not how it is!"
Paityn felt as if Avery had just ripped away her façade in front of everyone, leaving her exposed. Frantically, she tried to defend herself, tears streaming down her face.
"I looked for Alina after, but the orphanage had shut down, and the staff were nowhere to be found. I couldn’t find her..."
"And if you had found her, what then?" Avery asked, laughing softly. "Would you have dared to reveal that Josie was your daughter? Would you be willing to sacrifice your reputation and career for her? Would you really defy the Pittman family for Josie’s sake?"
Avery’s tone suddenly turned cold, her voice sharp.
"Or maybe you planned to quietly bring Josie into the Pittman family, where she’d live like a Cinderella, constantly bullied and overshadowed by Lorelai."
"No! I never intended for that to happen."
Paityn finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
"That’s exactly why I called the Carter family in the middle of the night..."
Avery said nothing, letting Paityn speak.
Through her tears, Paityn explained Damon’s and the Pittman family’s plans. Her voice broke as she cried out,
"None of them have Josie’s best interests at heart. They only care about her talent. Not a single one of them truly loves her. I can’t let Alina fall into their hands."
Avery’s voice remained calm, unshaken by the revelations.
"Thank you for sharing this information. But let make it clear. No one is going to take Josie away from our family. Not even you."
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