Chapter 548

Ricardo was still trying to wrap his head around what had just happened when the office door slammed shut with a bang, jolting him back to reality.

The new CEO? A woman, and so young? And stunningly beautiful at that.

His cheeks flushed with the thought, and he couldn’t bring himself to look directly at Belle.

Spread out on Brielle’s desk was a pile of files, all about the talent at Stellar Stage Entertainment. The deeper she dug, the more furrowed her brow became. So many talents. had been with the company for five or six years without landing a single gig or even n sniffing paycheck. These weren’t contracts; they were downright indentures.

She wasn’t exactly versed in the ins and outs of showbiz, but she knew enough to understand that these aspiring artists needed exposure. Yet, all the opportunities were hogged by those willing to play by the higher–ups‘ rules, most of whom were coerced into compromising their dignity due to the oppressive contracts.

Massaging her temples, she suddenly remembered the young man standing at her door. “What’s your name?”

Ricardo’s face turned a deeper shade of red. At nineteen, being in the presence of such a stunning woman left him quite flustered. “Ricardo.”

“An actor?”

“Yes.”

“Been in any plays or films?”

Ricardo cast his eyes down, a shadow of disappointment flickering through them. “No.”

Brielle quickly found Ricardo’s file. He was barely nineteen, had signed with Stellar Stage since he was sixteen, and did not have a single role to his name. The thought made her blood boil.

She had heard the company was shady, but this was beyond anything she had imagined. There were others in their twenties who had been with the company for years with nothing to show for it.

Taking a deep breath, she said, “I understand. I’ll make sure things start to change around here. While I’m in charge, I’ll see to it that we do better. I’ll have finance increase the base salary for all talent. Let’s say a minimum of seven thousand. If they’re part of a TV series, they take home seventy percent of the earnings. I heard your sister’s been unwell. How is she doing now?”

She didn’t look up at Ricardo as she spoke. Instead, she focused on the contracts in her hands. After a minute of silence, Brielle glanced up, only to be taken aback.

Ricardo was on the brink of tears, which soon began to cascade down his cheeks. Brielle had seen men cry before Spencer’s recent sobbing had been particularly unsettling, event annoying. But Ricardo was so young, so innocent–looking His tears were unexpectedly heart–wrenching.

She remembered her own days of poverty, too poor to afford a proper meal, but at least she had Mark to help her out. Apart from his sister, this young man seemed to be entirely alone in the world Just then, a video call from Max came through, catching Brielle off guard–it was the first time she’d seen him initiate a video chat.

She quickly hit the answer button and saw Max, impeccably dressed as always, probably just out of a meeting. A hand, likely Patrick’s, was tidying up documents beside him. He leaned back slightly, the sunlight streaming in from behind him.

Before Brielle could even compliment the scene, she heard the rapid footsteps of Ricardo approaching.

He enveloped her in an unexpected hug. Caught off guard and unsure how to react to Ricardo’s weeping embrace, she felt a strange maternal instinct kick in. Then she remembered Max was still on the line, and in a panic, she pushed Ricardo away.

The call had already ended. Brielle hurried to send a message explaining the situation, but Max beat her to it with a single, wry remark. [Looks like Ms. Haywood is having quite a time.] On the other end, Max had hung up the call, breathing heavily to keep from losing his composure. He had taken extra care with his appearance before the call, a novelty for him, even requiring some guidance from Patrick.

He hadn’t expected to witness such a scene.

The boy was young and full of life, and in a company like theirs, attractive young men were not in short supply. They were all too eager to throw themselves at her. She must’ve been hrilled.

The more