She Outshines Them All

She Outshines 342

After Athena hung up the phone, she went straight to sleep.

The next morning, as the entire family gathered for breakfast, she watched Josie finish eating. Once Josie went to feed Bello and Dolli, Athena casually dropped the bombshell. “Last night, I got a call from Josie’s biological mother. She told me she wants to reclaim custody of Josic.”

The lively dining room instantly fell silent.

Everyone was in shock, momentarily forgetting their food.

Jaden was the first to react, quickly swallowing his bite and calmly asking, “Who are Josie’s biological parents? Have we met them before?”

“Yes, we’ve met them,” Athena replied as she leisurely cut her cake. “Josie’s biological mother is Paityn, and her biological father

is Damon.”

Those who had just recovered from the initial shock were again stunned into silence.

Jaden maintained his composure. “How did they figure out Josie is their daughter?”

Athena sipped some yogurt and explained what Paityn had told her the night before. Then, she added, “Paityn didn’t go into details, but I can make a pretty good guess.” Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“You can guess something like that?” Arthur, looking shocked, leaned over, staring at her in disbelief. “How did you figure it out? I didn’t notice anything.”

The entire family looked at Athena with the same puzzled expressions.

Athena said calmly, “I think it was the Hello Kitty.

“They didn’t recognize Josie from her looks, her previous disability, or even her voice. If that had been the case, Paityn would have realized it long ago.”

“It was the Hello Kitty that Josie always carries with her. It was a gift from her biological mother, with her signature on it.”

Wesley, trying to stay calm, asked, “Athena, you don’t seem surprised at all. Did you already know about this?”

Athena smiled. “While Paityn and Josie share some resemblance, it’s not enough to make people immediately think they’re mother and daughter. They’ve also rarely been seen together. Whenever Paityn picked up Lola from kindergarten, she wore sunglasses, so no one really had the chance to compare their faces.

“My suspicions about Paityn being Josie’s biological mother arose when Josie sang ‘Loving You‘ while holding that Hello Kitty.

“Paityn’s reaction was way over the top. She covered her mouth, cried, and stared at Josie with an intensity that just felt off.

“And it wasn’t even a sad song. Her reaction was completely irrational.

“Then, I saw some online comments pointing out how Josie’s voice and appearance resemble Paityn’s. Some media outlets even called her ‘Little Paityn,’ and that’s when it hit me.”

She spoke slowly. Arthur was practically squirming in his seat, while Maria was pacing, and Wesley and Claire seemed ready to interrupt. Jaden, on the other hand, remained unbothered, casually sipping his milk.

“What did you realize?” Arthur asked eagerly. “Athena, could you speed this up? I’m anxious.”

“Young people, you need more patience,” the older family members said calmly. They’d seen it all before and were completely unfazed.

Athena smiled again. “I remembered Paityn’s old scandals.

“These rumors are ancient history and aren’t often seen online, but you can still find some gossip here and there.

“It was said that Paityn was spotted by Damon shortly after her debut, leading her to switch to his company, where he took her under his wing. Their time spent together day in and day out sparked a romantic connection between them.

1/2.

*Since Damon was married, their relationship caused a huge scandal. Many media outlets even caught Damon entering Paityn’s apartment and hotel rooms.

“But they both denied the rumors, claiming they were just a mentor–student duo who often met late at night to perfect songs”

“I remember those rumors,” Claire chimed in. “I used to really like Paityn’s music. But I never knew her character was so awful.”

Athena continued, “The summer Josie was born, Paityn suddenly announced that she was leaving Damon’s company to study singing in Aeloria for a year. Then, she disappeared.

“At the time, there were rumors that she went to Aeloria to have a baby, but her manager posted photos of her practicing yoga, dispelling the rumors.

A year later, Paityn returned to the music scene, but her career never regained its former glory until she met Westin, who helped her make a comeback.”

Jaden, who had been searching something on his phone, said, “If you look at the timeline, it’s entirely possible Paityn gave birth to Josie while she was in Aeloria.”

“Exactly.” Athena nodded. “After my suspicions were raised, I gathered some materials from Paityn’s time with Damon. The way they looked at each other and their subtle interactions hinted at something deeper than just a professional relationship.”

“Love? More like a scandal.” Arthur angrily slammed the table. “Let’s not sugarcoat it. One was a homewrecker, the other was a cheating scumbag. They’re both terrible. Using ‘love‘ as an excuse for their behavior, having a kid, and then abandoning her. They are disgusting.”

“Shh, Wesley tapped Arthur on the head, scolding him in a low voice. “Keep your voice down. Do you want Josie to overhear?”

Arthur quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes darting toward the living room, terrified that Josie might have heard.

Athena continued, “With Paityn’s beauty, talent, and fame, it’s no surprise that only someone like Damon, a true prodigy, could persuade her to leave her thriving career behind and secretly give birth to their child overseas.

I’ve also compared Josie’s features with Damon’s. They share a bit of resemblance.

“So, when Paityn said last night that Josie’s biological father was Damon, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.”

The Donovan family exchanged uneasy glances, feeling the weight of the situation.

This was Damon they were talking about.

A legendary figure in the music industry, responsible for countless stars and timeless hits that would live on for decades. Even someone like Paityn was just another talented singer under his wing.

If Damon claimed Josie as his daughter and fought for custody, the Donovan family might have a slim chance of going against

him.

Maria, unable to contain her anxiety, asked, “Athena, do you think we can win against Damon?”

“Of course we can. Josie is part of our family. Unless she chooses to live with her biological parents, no one can take her away from us,” Athena replied with a smile. “What we need to focus on now is the fact that both the Pittman family and Damon are coming to Kitmore City. Who’s going to meet with them?”