The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife novel Chapter 85

85 The Karaoke Showdown

85 The Karaoke Showdown

“Sweet Caroline! BAH BAH BAH!” The entire bar erupted in song as Kyle belted out the chorus, microphone thrust in the air dramatically.

I sipped my cocktail, laughing as Chloe swayed beside me. The karaoke bar was packed, with colored lights sweeping across the crowd. After dinner, our group had claimed a large corner booth, close enough to the stage to cheer on our friends but far enough to talk over the music.

“He’s actually not terrible,” I shouted to Chloe over the noise.

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t encourage him. His ego’s big enough already!”

Levi slid into the seat beside me, his arm casually draping across the back of the booth behind my shoulders. “Having fun?”

“I am,” I admitted, surprised by how true it was. For the first time in weeks, I wasn’t thinking about work stress or the complicated mess with Liam.

“Good.” His smile was warm, inviting. “You deserve it.”

On stage, Kyle finished with an exaggerated bow as the crowd applauded. He sauntered back to our table, high-fiving Jason on the way.

“Beat that, amateurs!” he crowed.

Scarlett grabbed my hand. “Come on, Hazel! Chloe says you have an amazing voice.

Let’s do a duet!”

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly-”

“Don’t be shy,” Levi encouraged. “I’d love to hear you sing.”

“I haven’t sung in front of people in years,” I protested weakly.

Before I could object further, the lights dimmed and the emcee announced, “Next up, we have a special guest performance!”

I frowned. That wasn’t part of the normal rotation. When the spotlight hit the stage, my heart nearly stopped.

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85 The Karaoke Showdown

Liam Sterling stood center stage, microphone in hand, violet-blue eyes scanning the crowd until they locked on me. His tall figure was imposing even from across the room, dressed in dark jeans and a charcoal button-down with rolled sleeves revealing his

forearms.

“What the hell?” Chloe hissed beside me.

Levi’s arm tensed behind me. “Is that-

“My boss,” I finished flatly, though we both knew he was much more than that.

The opening notes of a ballad filled the room. Liam’s rich baritone voice stunned the crowd into silence as he began to sing, not breaking eye contact with me once.

“I didn’t know he could sing,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.

The song was about second chances and fighting for love. As he crooned the chorus about not giving up, he stepped off the stage and moved through the crowd toward our table. My cheeks burned as people turned to see who had captured his attention.

Levi’s arm slid fully around my shoulders now, his body language clearly territorial. Liam’s jaw tightened at the sight, but he didn’t falter in the song.

When he reached our table, he extended his hand to me. The gesture was both invitation and challenge, his eyes intense with unspoken emotion.

“Don’t,” Chloe warned under her breath.

But something in his gaze pulled at me. I found myself placing my hand in his, allowing him to guide me to my feet. Levi’s hand slipped away from my shoulders, his expression darkening.

Liam pulled me close, continuing to sing softly near my ear as he led me in a slow dance. The rest of the bar faded away as we swayed together, his familiar scent enveloping me.

“What are you doing here?” I whispered when he paused between verses.

“Fighting for what matters,” he replied, his voice husky.

As the song reached its climax, he spun me gently and dipped me backward, supporting my weight effortlessly. Looking up into those violet-blue eyes, I momentarily forgot all the reasons I was angry with him.

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85 The Karaoko Showdown

The song ended, and the bar erupted in applause and whistles. Reality came crashing back. I straightened, pulling away from his arms.

“Come home with me,” he said, no longer singing but just as intense. “We need to talk.”

The spell broke. “Seriously? You track me down, make a public spectacle, and expect me to just leave with you?”

“Hazel, please-”

“No.” I stepped back. “I’m here with friends. This is supposed to be my night off from all the drama.”

His expression hardened. “With him?” He nodded toward Levi, who was watching us with narrowed eyes.

“That’s not your concern,” I said, turning back toward my table.

When I reached the booth, I found it had gained several occupants. Damian, Owen,

and three other men I recognized as Liam’s friends were standing there, facing off with Levi’s group.

“What’s going on?” I asked warily.

“These gentlemen were just explaining how they tracked us here,” Scarlett said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Owen, Thea’s husband, had the decency to look embarrassed. “I tracked Thea’s phone. I was worried when she didn’t answer my calls.”

“You tracked my phone?” Thea’s voice rose in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”

“He’s not the only one,” Chloe said, glaring at Damian. “Apparently, these cavemen all decided to band together for a rescue mission.”

I turned to find Liam standing right behind me. “Did you know about this?”

He hesitated just long enough for me to have my answer.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered.

“We were worried,” Damian defended. “After everything that’s happened-”

“So you decided to stalk us?” Jessica interrupted, coming to stand beside us with Stella

in tow.

85 The Karaoke Showdown.

The tension in our corner was building. Levi and his friends stood, forming a line opposite Liam’s group.

“Look, we just came to make sure the ladies were safe,” Jason said calmly. “No need for this to get heated.”

“Maybe you should let them decide if they want to leave with you,” Liam countered, his voice cool but threatening.

“Maybe you should back off and let them enjoy their night,” Levi shot back, stepping forward.

I stepped between them. “Stop it! Both of you!” I turned to Chloe, finding her as annoyed as I was. “We need to defuse this before it gets out of hand.”

A slow smile spread across her face. “I know exactly how to handle this.” She

whispered something to Jessica, who grinned and nodded.

“Ladies,” Chloe addressed our female friends, “I think it’s time we show these men how we feel about being tracked and interrupted.”

She marched to the emcee and whispered something in his ear. He nodded enthusiastically and handed her five microphones.

“Come on,” she called to us women.

Thea, Jessica, Stella, and I exchanged glances before following her to the stage. The opening notes of “Independent Women” began to play, and the crowd cheered as we lined up.

Chloe took the lead, her voice strong and confident as she pointed directly at the men at our table. I joined in for the chorus, finding my voice growing stronger with each line. We danced in perfect sync, all our frustrations channeling into the performance.

When we belted out the lines about buying our own diamonds and paying our own bills, I locked eyes with Liam, making sure he got the message. Beside me, Thea was doing the same with Owen, while Stella and Jessica aimed their defiance at the entire group of men.

By the end, the whole bar was cheering us on. We took an exaggerated bow before returning to our table where ten men stood in varying states of discomfort.

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