The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

~ Soraya ~
“So, as Lyra mentioned, I’m offering an initial investment of ten million dollars—and that’s just the start. When I have more, we can talk about a boutique. I’ll take care of marketing and the website.” Soraya beamed before showing Luca the website. “We’ll have a try-on feature to help customers get a feel for how the clothes will look on them.”
Soraya demonstrated, “On the website, customers will simply search for their ideal dress. They’ll click ‘Try it on,’ and be asked to upload a photo from their device. This will work on both laptops and mobile phones—whatever they prefer.”
“After selecting their saved photo, it will upload to the website, and then—” she waited until the magic happened.
Soraya uploaded her own photo, where she was wearing jeans, and smiled as the AI instantly replaced her outfit with the selected dress, transforming her screen-self into the exact image she had envisioned.
“Woah!” Luca reacted, smiling. “Oh my fucking God! It’s amazing! You’re a genius!”
“It’s great, isn’t it?” Silas said to Luca. “Soraya was working on the website while we were on the road last weekend—while we were eating—and probably in her sleep.”
Lyra cracked up and snorted. “That’s how Soraya’s mind works.”
“I visualized it all before bed and ran through the codes in my head,” Soraya said, turning to Luca with a slight smile. “So, what do you say, Luca? Partners—fifty-fifty. I want equal ownership of your brand.”
Luca extended his hand to Soraya. “Partners! Definitely partners.”
“Great!” Soraya said. She pointed to Lyra. “Lyra will be our marketing director. She’ll jumpstart the introduction of your brand, create social media hype, and more. She’ll also serve as my assistant and handle payments to suppliers, etc.”
“We won’t stop here. I envision an AI personal stylist assistant—a chatbot—and when we have a boutique, we can install an AI-powered AR mirror, and much more,” Soraya added eagerly.
From there, the ideas poured in—dress samples, launch venues, memberships, rewards, and timelines. The target was one month, just enough time for Luca to produce more pieces, and for Soraya to line up the spotlight.
Their meeting didn’t just end with a deal—it ended with a spark.
A brand was about to be born. And if things went according to plan, this partnership would change more than just their futures.
Another weekend arrived.
As usual, Soraya took Angela to her therapy, but afterward, the little girl asked to go to the mall. They were in the car when they happened to pass Titan Plaza—the same mall owned by Jacob’s company.
“Mommy!” Angela called, pointing at the mall. She did this three times.
Soraya ignored her. “I’m not going until you speak.”
The family driver laughed, and Angela pouted. She turned to Soraya, struggling with her words. “Mommy, I—go mall!”
“I want to go to the mall,” Soraya said slowly.
“I want—” Angela paused and enunciated carefully, “to go to the mall.”
Then Angela smiled.
“Okay,” Soraya agreed. “And I know we’ll end up eating snacks, but let’s also agree to eat healthy snacks.”
Angela nodded.
They made a detour to the mall. Angela and Soraya had sandwiches for snacks, and afterward, they walked around Titan Plaza.
They happened to pass a piano showroom. There were different brands and types of pianos and keyboards, too. A child was playing one of the upright pianos. It looked like the showroom allowed passersby to play select instruments.
“Mommy!” Angela grabbed her hand and pointed at the piano. “Mommy! Mommy!”
Angela ran ahead and excitedly dragged Soraya into the showroom, where she climbed onto the piano stool with a bright smile. She began pressing the keys at random, her laughter filling the space with playful energy.
Then, an idea sparked in Soraya’s mind.
She sat beside Angela and gently guided her tiny fingers. “Let me teach you something simple,” she said with a smile. “This one’s called Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
“Go on, you can do it,” Soraya encouraged, playing the tune slowly.
Angela followed along with enthusiasm. She stumbled at first, but what truly surprised Soraya was how quickly the little girl picked it up.
For the next half hour, they sat before the upright piano, playing the nursery rhyme again and again. By the end, Angela had memorized the entire melody—not by reading notes, but simply by listening.
“She has a good ear,” one salesperson said. “She learns by pitch. You should get her started with piano lessons—and I’m not just saying that because I badly need a sale today.”
Soraya laughed but didn’t dismiss his words. She knew many Aspies had a natural talent for music.
Now that she thought about it, Angela loved to draw musical instruments. She was very sensitive to sound. Angela didn’t like anything too loud, and she always paid attention when musical instruments were on TV.
Turning to Angela, Soraya asked, “Do you want to learn piano? I can teach you.”
Angela’s eyes lit up. She nodded eagerly.
“I can’t hear you,” Soraya teased.
The little girl giggled and hugged her. “I want to—I want to learn piano, Mommy,” Angela said.
“Then…” Soraya ran her fingers through Angela’s hair. “I’ll buy you an advance birthday gift.”
~ Jacob ~
Jacob’s business outside of town lasted longer than expected. He returned Sunday morning, just in time to hear someone playing the piano?
He stepped into the living room, brow raised. He didn’t own a piano, so why was there one now?
No, it wasn’t just someone watching TV. Whoever was behind the keys was making mistakes and playing London Bridge Is Falling Down.
The maid who took his luggage must have seen his confusion. She shared, “It’s the Young Miss, Sir. Miss Azar bought Angela a standup piano, and they’ve been learning nursery rhymes since yesterday. Angela is loving it.”
“Ah.” Jacob’s expression softened.
He followed the sound of the music. Soraya had arranged the piano near the back entrance of the house, facing the veranda.
Angela was seated on the piano stool, her back straight, tiny fingers hovering over the keys. Beside her sat Soraya, gently humming along to guide her timing.
“Good! Now play it again, just like before,” Soraya said softly, smiling with pride. “Left hand first—yes, that’s it.”
Angela’s brows furrowed in concentration. Her little hands moved with more certainty now, the tune clearer than before. She glanced at Soraya, who gave her a warm nod.
“You did it,” Soraya whispered as the final notes played. “I’m so proud of you, Angela.”
Angela turned and hugged her. “Again?”
“Of course,” Soraya said, laughing with her.
Jacob stood silently in the hallway, watching the scene unfold like a dream he didn’t want to disturb. There was something deeply moving about it—Angela so focused and joyful, Soraya so patient and kind.
He hadn’t seen Angela this engaged in anything. Not like this. Not with anyone else.
His heart squeezed in a way he didn’t expect.
When Angela played the tune again, this time with almost no mistakes, Jacob stepped forward and gently cleared his throat.
Angela and Soraya turned.
“Daddy!” Angela chirped, sliding off the stool and running to him.
He scooped her up with a smile. “I heard music. You’ve been busy, huh?”
Angela nodded enthusiastically. “Daddy! I play piano!”
Jacob looked at Soraya, who stood to greet him.
“You won’t believe what I just discovered. Angela learns to play the piano by sound! And she’s a fast learner!” Soraya shared eagerly. “We might’ve just found her niche!”
“Is that so?” Jacob looked at Angela, who was still hugging him. “Do you love the piano, Angela?”
Angela leaned back, nodding with a proud grin.
“How many songs have you played?” he asked. Angela raised two fingers.
“Wow! Two already?” Jacob said. “I’d love to hear it.”
Angela played ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ and ‘London Bridge Is Falling Down.’ The entire time, Soraya sat beside her, offering gentle guidance. Angela still made a few mistakes, but considering her age and how new she was to the piano, she did well.
When Angela was done, Jacob said, “I’d like to learn to play too.”
“The London Bridge?” Soraya teased. “Bold choice.”
Jacob chuckled. “What, no Für Elise on day one?”
Für Elise was far from easy, and when Jacob suggested it, Soraya burst into laughter. Her reaction was genuine, full, and unrestrained.
Jacob hadn’t expected to enjoy the sound of her laughter so much. But something about the sparkle in her eyes, the way her head tilted back just slightly—it caught him off guard. She looked effortlessly beautiful.
And for a brief moment, he forgot all about Beethoven.
Soraya eventually taught Jacob the basics while Angela ran off to eat some treats. He listened, quietly attentive, not saying much. But when they paused for a break, he looked at the piano keys a moment longer before casually asking, “If you’re not busy later... how about having dinner outside? And maybe, a movie after too.”