"I''m all for it!" Teddy responded without hesitation, sitting up straight like an
overexcited puppy.
But the next second, his enthusiasm waned, and he slouched, looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.
"I''d love to, but I can''t just leave. Thepany signed us on three-year contracts.
If I breach it, I''ll have to pay a huge penalty, and I can''t afford it."
That was what L wanted to rify. "How much is the penalty?"
He pursed his lips. "Two million."
He remembered the number clearly. It was the closest he had ever been to that much money—not as earnings, but as a liability.
She nodded. "What about Jamie? Is it the same for her?"
"What are you two talking about? What about me?" Jamie joined them as soon as her scene wrapped.
Teddy exined, "We''re discussing the penalty for breaching our contracts with Nexus Entertainment. Yours is probably two million, too, right?"
She shook her head indifferently. "Nope, three million."
"What?" He shot up from his seat. "We''re both neers! Why are you worth more than me?"
While engrossed in their conversation, they failed to notice Dorian passing by with Oliver. Upon hearing them discuss penalty fees, he let out a mockingugh.
The three turned to look at him, their expressions darkening instantly.
This time, Dorian didn''t say anything. He gave L a cold nce, his silence signaling that she had gone too far this time and that he wouldn''t show her any more leniency.
He knew she wouldn''t easily abandon the two neers under her care, and he was confident she couldn''t possiblye up with the exorbitant penalty fees.
He was forcing her to bow her head. A sneer yed on his lips. This was just the beginning.
Jamie scowled and deliberately spoke loud enough for him to hear. "What''s that jerk so smug about?"
Dorian halted for a moment, his face turning even darker. Clearly, L hadn''t told them about the canceled appearances.
"Idiots, let''s see how long you can keep that arrogance!" he thought.
Oliver, trailing cautiously behind him, spoke with a nervous deference. "Mr. ke, the person in charge of the project has been urging Ms. Hart to join. How should we respond to that?"
The question only irritated Dorian further. He shot Oliver a displeased nce. "Didn''t we agree that her contract time isn''t up yet? Tell them to wait and contact Mr. Lane as soon as possible."
He wanted to capitalize on the buzz from his recent international award win and wrap this up quickly.
Oliver hesitated and then added, "By the way, the business coboration we discussed with Tigermount Pictures-they''ve decided not to proceed for now."
"They''re pulling out?" Dorian''s brow furrowed slightly.
After a pause, he waved dismissively. "Tigermount Pictures''s just a smallpany. How dare they ghost us? Reject all their future proposals outright."
Consumed with his schemes against L, he didn''t realize that he had already lost several deals over the past weeks, some minor but others significant.
Jamie snorted and turned back to L and Teddy. "So, about those penalty fees. Are you nning to leave Nexus Entertainment?"
Teddy nodded and looked at her, puzzled. There was a hint of excitement in her eyes that he couldn''t quite understand.
Seriously? Wasn''t Jamie supposed to be the sharp one? Couldn''t she see they couldn''t possibly afford to pay up?
"Two million for me and three million for you. Even if they sold me piece by piece, I couldn''t cover your penalty!" He tugged on her sleeve, trying to snap her out of her unrealistic thinking.
However, she didn''t seem the least bit worried. "Don''t talk about illegal stuff. Let''s discuss something else, okay?"
"How can you even think about something else right now?" He was exasperated. He was at his wit''s end!
Should he sell himself to free Jamie from her contract?
She ignored him, shing a sweet smile at L. She sat obediently beside her.
"Ms. Hart, since you and Dorian havepletely fallen out and you''re single now, I want to introduce my brother to you. Let''s show that scumbag what he''s really worth!"