Chapter 9
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Jimmy was a little surprised. But in truth, this was also what he had hoped for. He had called Megan over with this in mind as well.
After all, he was only the third son of the Ferrell family, whereas Howard was the head of the entire Larson Group. If it could be avoided, he didn’t want the two sides to clash too fiercely.
Still, Megan agreeing so easily had indeed caught him off guard. He had even prepared to persuade her privately if necessary.
Lost in thought, Jimmy scrutinized Megan with a frown, trying to discern what she was thinking.
But her oversized sunglasses concealed everything, leaving him unable to guess.
“Let’s proceed according to the standard procedure.”
Megan wasn’t going to explain herself in front of the other two. She lowered her gaze slightly, fixing it on the fine hardwood table in Ferrell Entertainment’s office.
Its concentric rings were like clear ripples on the surface, yet there wasn’t a single ripple of emotion in her heart.
“My songs are under Ferrell Entertainment’s full agency. We’ll follow the company’s procedures.”
With that, she turned to Jimmy.
Jimmy immediately understood, gesturing for the staff to come and handle the formalities with Alyssa.
Alyssa looked at Megan, a flicker of contempt glinting in her eyes.
“Ms. Quinn, your decision is truly surprising,” Alyssa remarked, her tone carrying thinly veiled mockery at how Megan had insisted she wouldn’t sell, only to relent in the end.
Megan merely smiled without explaining, then rose and left the office.
She walked down the corridor and poured herself a cup of coffee.
Jimmy caught up with her.
“Megan,” he called.
She turned slightly, giving him a polite nod. “Mr. Ferrell.‘
His expression was complicated. After a pause, he finally asked, “Why?”
Megan smiled.
Meeting Jimmy’s troubled gaze, she asked, “Didn’t you hear her? She said she’s going to participate in ‘Celestial Voice.“”
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Jimmy didn’t quite follow, but based on the information he’d heard, he bobbed his head. “Yes, I heard Alyssa will be going as a guest, not as a contestant. She would only be like one of those guest judges.”
Megan’s smile widened as she set her coffee down. “So don’t you think it’s something to look forward to?”
Jimmy looked completely puzzled.
“Howard and I have already filed for divorce. We just need to wait 30 days before it becomes official.”
Megan continued to explain, “The reason he wanted to divorce me was to marry Alyssa. Didn’t she say she’s going to use the song as her main performance piece? One day, everyone will know I was the one who wrote it. Don’t you think that’ll be interesting?”
Seeing the realization dawn on Jimmy’s face, Megan smiled faintly. She whispered, “I can’t wait to see the look on their faces by then.”
“So this is your way of getting revenge on them?” Jimmy asked.
Megan didn’t respond right away. She raised the coffee to her lips, and the bitterness spread from her tongue to her heart.
“No. 1 only wanted to sever ties with them completely and focus on my own things.‘
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She looked out at the trees swaying in the breeze outside. “But since they tried to strong–arm me and walked right into this themselves, then why wouldn’t I take this opportunity?”
Listening to her calm words, Jimmy appeared conflicted.
The Staffords had once held significant influence in Acreport. Since he and Megan were of the same generation, he had known about her since they were young
In fact, one could even say they shared a sense of camaraderie.
And that was not even counting the fact that Megan, once the illustrious heiress of the Stafford family, had been the untouchable object of admiration for many men.
But after the Stafford family’s downfall, people gradually forgot about her. People were just inherently realistic. If not for what happened back then… Jimmy averted his gaze, careful not to let Megan notice his expression.
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“Divorce is for the best,” Jimmy uttered at last after a three–second pause,
Megan looked at Jimmy with gratitude.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely.
Jimmy smiled along. “This is mutually beneficial.”
That wasn’t untrue.
As the third son of the Ferrell family, he was vying for control of Ferrell Group.
Ultimately, only the one who produced the greatest results would prevail.
After some small talk, Jimmy promised not to reveal that Megan and Howard were in the process of a divorce before excusing himself to tend to business.
He still had to go over some things regarding “Celestial Voice” later.
Megan stood alone.
Holding her coffee, she gazed at the trees swaying gently in the wind outside.
She didn’t know how much time had passed, but then she heard footsteps approaching. A familiar silhouette then entered her space.
She knew it was Howard.
Thus, she pulled up her mask and turned her back to him.
“Why did you do that?”
His voice came from behind before she could leave.
Calm and composed, he exuded a dignified presence that only time and power could bestow.
Along with his voice came the familiar scent of his cologne–a composition of exotic, smoky woods.
Oud Wood by Tom Ford was his signature fragrance.
“From your songwriting, I can tell you have literary talent. You’re very gifted. So why make things difficult for someone at death’s door?”
Hearing him, Megan felt a pang of sorrow.
She slowly turned, lifting her face to Howard, who was frowning at her.
Megan met his gaze, her voice soft. “You think I’m talented?”
A flicker of confusion crossed Howard’s gaze.
He answered, “Yes.”
It was a simple statement of fact, but it made Megan laugh.
Talented?
A memory briefly surfaced in her mind, taking her back to their wedding night a year ago.
In their new home, he had lit a cigarette and told her, “Megan, Grandpa’s condition isn’t the best. I can’t help but worry. Set aside those insignificant projects of yours in the music industry for the time being and take good care of Grandpa and Grandma for me.”
The winding tendrils of smoke reflected his attitude at the time, which was light and completely unconcerned.
At the time, she’d said she could manage both caring for the elders and her work as a songwriter. But he had only frowned. “Our family doesn’t need you doing such work”
In the end, she had agreed. She told herself that Ronald’s health truly required her attention, but deep down, she had a feeling that that wasn’t the case.
Was it that the Larson family didn’t need her being in the public eye, or was it that Howard had never placed any value on her work, her so–called talent?
He had never explained these things to her, despite being married and having shared the most intimate bond two people could.
Howard looked at the woman before him.
Something about her gave him a strange sense of familiarity, as though he’d seen her before.
But with her chest–length hair, her stylish yet tasteful outfit, and those heels that perfectly flattered her legs, he found no real impression to grasp onto. All of a sudden, he felt irritated. Inexplicably, the woman before him reminded him of Megan.
Chapter 10
