Chapter 138: Competing and Snatching
"My hit songs weren't actually written by Bianca; they were composed by Emily. I just found out when I saw I was trending online. I confronted Bianca, and she finally came clean," Chase said, his voice heavy with disappointment.
He couldn't pinpoint exactly when Bianca had started hiding things from him, but lately, understanding her motives had become a real struggle. Why would she take credit for Emily's work?
"I asked Bianca about it, but her explanation was pretty weak. Right now, the priority is to handle the online backlash and accusations of plagiarism. I don't have the energy to dig deeper into anything else," Chase added, sounding exhausted.
Aiden could hear the weariness in Chase's voice and decided not to push him further.
Chase's manager had spent a lot of money trying to cool things down online. But someone wanted Emily to know what was happening, so they tipped her off.
"Chase hasn't treated you right. Now he's stuck in a plagiarism scandal, and he deserves it. There's no way he could've written such amazing songs," Sophia was the first to vent.
She couldn't stand Bianca, or anyone from the Johnson family who supported her. An avid internet surfer, Sophia saw the trending topic and immediately shared it with Emily.
Emily had almost forgotten about this incident. In her previous life, Chase had also been accused of plagiarism and faced heavy criticism online. It was only then that Chase realized Emily had written the songs, but instead of gratitude, he had accused her of plagiarism.
To clear Chase's name, Emily had tracked down the mastermind behind the accusations, hacked their account, and hired netizens to support her. She had also found evidence of her own compositions and compared them with the so-called "evidence" presented by the accuser, ultimately exonerating Chase and saving him from massive compensation claims.
Now, Chase was probably freaking out. She wondered if Bianca would, like before, say nice things while shifting all the blame onto her.
"Don't be surprised. The songs weren't plagiarized by Chase because I composed them," Emily said openly.
Sophia was stunned and then erupted in excitement. "What? Emily, you're incredible! How can you be so talented at everything? I envy you!"
Emily smiled. "It was just a coincidence. I discovered I could sell songs, and it only took a few minutes, so I did it."
"What a simple reason!" Sophia exclaimed.
"Who are you talking to?" A man's voice suddenly interrupted from Sophia's end.
Emily recognized the voice. "Is that Byron? You two aren't..."
Sophia quickly clarified, "No, Emily, don't get the wrong idea. There's no way I'd be interested in Byron."
"Am I that bad? I wouldn't be interested in you either. If I liked anyone, it would be someone like Emily—strong and impressive!" Byron retorted.
"I thought you liked someone like Bianca," Sophia teased.
Byron's past affection for Bianca was a sore spot, and he immediately defended himself.
Emily, listening in, found Byron's declaration amusing. "You like me? Sorry, I'm not interested in someone like you," she teased.
Byron perked up and responded enthusiastically, "Emily, where are you? When can we race again?"
Emily replied curtly, "I'm busy!"
Byron, feeling a bit dejected, quickly tried to prove his loyalty. "Emily, I've changed. I don't like Bianca anymore. Don't listen to Sophia. But if you don't like someone like me, who do you like? It can't be James, can it?"
He thought to himself that as a man, he knew James wasn't worth Emily's affection. If he truly liked someone, he would be devoted, not dividing his heart between two women.
Emily's mind flashed to Daniel's handsome face. However, when James was mentioned, her tone turned cold. "I wouldn't even give James a second glance now. Don't worry, I'm not blind anymore."
"What's wrong with your eyes? How do you feel?" Daniel's voice came as he walked in with lunch, concern evident in his tone.
"Emily, do you have a boyfriend now? Who is it? Do we know him?" Byron's sharp ears picked up Daniel's voice, but he didn't recognize it.
Byron was worried someone might take Emily's attention away from him and immediately voiced his concern.
Daniel also heard the boyfriend comment. His clear, focused eyes were on Emily, waiting for her answer.
Emily felt her heart race and her ears turn red under his gaze. "It's nothing. I have to go," she said, choosing to avoid the question and quickly hanging up.
To Byron, this confirmed that Emily had indeed fallen in love again and couldn't wait to be with her boyfriend.
"If I find out who Emily's boyfriend is, I'll have to interrogate him to see if he's worthy of her," Byron muttered.
Sophia, having missed part of the conversation, asked, "Who's the guy Emily's interested in?"
Byron rolled his eyes. "If I knew, I wouldn't be complaining to you!"
Emily had no idea about Byron's complaints. She thought she was brave, but now she felt shy facing Daniel.
Daniel didn't press the issue. Instead, he gently touched her forehead. "How do you feel? Any discomfort?"
His cool fingers felt soothing on her forehead, almost making Emily show a contented expression. She quickly moved back, avoiding his touch, and smiled. "I'm fine, thanks for asking."
Daniel sat down beside her naturally, making the atmosphere even more intimate.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
"Not really," Emily replied, though she regretted her words immediately.
As she had anticipated, Daniel's deep eyes were full of her. His voice was low and husky. "If you're not hungry, let's continue our conversation from earlier. Emily, I like you."
Emily was stunned. Despite expecting it, hearing it now felt surreal and unexpected.
She didn't know how to respond.
Daniel saw her confusion and hesitation. He sighed inwardly, realizing the timing wasn't right. But he couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to be good to her openly and feared missing his chance.
Emily was like gold, shining brighter as she shed her outer layers. More people would come to appreciate her, and he needed to compete for her attention.