Chapter 118

This time, she came with the advice of her lawyer. She knocked on the door and found Winnie standing by the window with a cup of hot tea in her hand. Calmly, Winnie asked, "If I don't plan to take Raven to court, can you propose a compensation of 100 million?" Wendy froze for a moment and then sighed in relief. "You're not angry anymore?" "I invited you here. This is between us, Mr. Marlowe has nothing to do with it," Winnie said as she set down her teacup, her tone calm. "Tell me your thoughts on my studio." "I'm not someone who gets too attached, so for now, I only plan to focus on making you a successful artist. Once you're able to stand on your own, and if I'm still interested in this industry, I might consider signing other people. Besides artist management, I'm also planning to register a company in Las Vegas and invest in some movie projects. Of course, the main focus is still on you. You'll be the leading actress with an investment in the production. What do you think?" Wendy explained patiently. Winnie smiled. "I have no objections, as long as you can provide the funds. But isn't your business somewhat overlapping with your other cousin? Why not just partner up with Stephan? His March Films has made quite a bit in recent years." "Then why don't you just go to Terry's studio? He also has shares in March Films, and you two are close friends—why go solo?" Wendy countered. Winnie tilted her head and extended her hand. "Pleasure doing business with you." Three days later, David received a notice from the law firm stating that they would be discussing the matter of Winnie's contract termination. David angrily puffed on his cigarette, firmly stating that he would personally speak with Winnie. After hanging up, he immediately called Alan, the largest shareholder of Raven. Though Alan had stepped back from the business for years, Winnie was the company's most important artist, and he couldn't ignore the situation. Alan listened to his report patiently and responded coldly, "Winnie is smart and money-driven. Since she's willing to pay more than 100 million in penalty fees, it means the company has some responsibility as well." "It mainly started with Wyatt... plus the recent promotion of Mia, which has put a lot of pressure on Winnie." "Mm, I know his style," Alan replied indifferently. "Have you made an effort to negotiate?" "At the last Starry Diamond Night, I tried to have a heart-to-heart with her, but she wouldn't give me a chance. Later, I reached out to... Terry," David said, hesitating uneasily. Alan wasn't surprised to hear the name. After a brief silence, he chuckled softly. "He won't intervene on your behalf. Right now, you're like a headless chicken, just flailing around." "I can't let her go, and the company can't either." David's tone was resolute, as though he had made an irreversible decision. Alan replied coolly, "Let it go. 100 million is no big deal." "Alan!" David was enraged by the dismissive response. He jumped to his feet, his voice rising. "You can let go, but I can't! Twelve years of effort—how can I just give up? I can make it right, no matter which direction she wants to go..." Alan didn't say much; he simply interrupted him calmly, "It's already happened. No need to regret it. Let's part on good terms—give her a chance to meet and say goodbye as friends." After that, he didn't say anything more and hung up the phone directly. David stood in the office, his hands resting on the desk, head bowed in silence for a long while. He knocked on the door of the CEO's office. William, a local by birth, carried an air of sharpness that seemed at odds with his background. His attitude toward Winnie was far from enthusiastic; he had openly declared during an internal meeting that the film market was outdated and that shifting to television was the way forward. His eyes were small, and his facial features somewhat asymmetrical, leaving an unsettling sense of discord in his appearance. David skipped over the details of his communication with Alan and went straight to the issue of Winnie's contract termination. "Alright, let's go by the contract," William said simply. Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "You said she's in a relationship. Is that true?" "Yes." "Can we hold her accountable for that?" William continued. David hesitated for a moment, then, after gathering his thoughts, responded calmly, "No need to hold her accountable, William. Our contract has a moral clause, but as long as it doesn't become public, private relationships aren't a violation. Besides, she did report it to the company." Just then, David's assistant, Nancy, called. "There's news on Tiktok about a popular female star being photographed with a new lover. Should we look into it?" David glanced at the screen and realized that this "rising star" and "capital tycoon" phrasing seemed deliberately provocative. Clearly, the leak was setting the stage for a specific kind of exposure. William also took a look, thought for a moment, and then said, "Who else in the company is in a relationship?" "Mia and Wyatt," David answered. William shook his head. "It shouldn't be him. If it were really him, he owns a media group, and he would have handled this long ago. He wouldn't let it escalate to trending." "It might be Winnie," David pointed out. "Her boyfriend isn't an ordinary person. That superyacht from before? It belongs to him." William's eyes lit up as if he had just thought of something. "Well then. If it is her in the photos, first, we can cancel all her endorsements. Second, according to the moral clause, we could claim quite a bit in damages. With the termination fee, the total could reach 300 million." David's heart skipped a beat, and he finally had to come clean. "William, I just spoke with Alan. He said that we should let her go for 100 million and avoid making a scene." "Alan isn't in charge of this," William said with a smile, patting David on the shoulder. "I have KPIs to meet, and whether the year-end financial report looks good is my top priority. The shareholders won't wait for me to slowly figure these things out. Besides, what if the photos don't turn out to be of her? We don't have to rush into action just yet."