Elliott stared at Ethan Clark returned from escorting his 'fiancee' out, followed by Clara.
He smiled at Clara. His poor agent, who took pride in her appearance, looked haggard just after one round. Good. He was looking forward to round two now...
The moment the two people took their seats, Clara began, "Elliott, we've been reviewing the situation since this morning. Ethan and I both feel it's best that you make a formal announcement and say that you'll be stepping away from Reaching for You due to personal and professional commitments. It'll sound reasonable and respectable. This morning was almost a scandal and it is not right for you to link an upcoming movie with that..."
Elliott's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything. Since this was her play, he did not need to comment.
Clara tilted her head slightly, "It's the best route for everyone involved. You leave with dignity, no scandal, no questions. The agency will manage the narrative, of course. You don't have to worry.."
In other words, they wanted him to butt out. He smiled, cocked his head and said," No."
And then watched as her smiled faded, turning sharp, "Elliott, you don't have a choice in this. Starlink has invested too much in your image. If you refuse, you'll be breaching your contract, and that would mean—"
He cut in, "I said no. I have already signed the contract and it in no way breaches my contract with Starlink. Instead it is bringing you profits.."
Clara exhaled sharply through her nose while Ethan remained silent behind her. Clara continued in a cold tone now. "We are your agency, Elliott! It is upto us how we manage you. You realize what refusing means, right? Without our support, you'll be out. You won't be able to get another project. Not in this city, not under any major banner. You'll be blacklisted from the industry.
Elliott met her eyes and shrugged, "Fine. Then blacklist me."
That simple answer threw her off for a second. She had expected him to fight and argue, or at least negotiate for a compromise.
Instead, he looked indifferent, as though her threats meant nothing. Ethan's expression didn't change, but his fingers tapped once on the table before going still again.
Clara stilled. It didn't matter whether he was willing to negotiate or not. At this point, she needed to make him yield to their demands.
"You're making a mistake, Elliott. And I don't want you to do that. I've been your agent for years. The truth is...I know you are fed up of the romance roles so, I've taken your previous requests into account. You wanted something different, something with range."
She pushed forward a file and continued, "This is an action film, something completely away from Reaching for You or any of the romantic dramas you've done before. Strong lead role, intense character, real screen presence. It'll set a new image for you, but its schedule will be conflicting with Reaching for You. Come on, this is major..."
Elliott looked at the folder but didn't touch it. "No."
Her brows drew together. "You haven't even read the script."
"I don't need to. I said no. I am not interested anymore, Clara... But I find it interesting... I don't even know the dates for Reaching For You and I have no shoots or tours booked after the current filming because you wanted me to take a vacation. So, how did I get conflicting dates, exactly?"
He watched her sigh and give him a look. Finally, she was going to take off the gloves. SHe tapped her manicured nails against the table. "You think you can just ignore us and everything will be fine? Just because you escaped unscathed today? You think the media won't find something to destroy you with?"
He gave no response to that.
Her patience finally cracked. "Fine. If you think that by the stunt you just pulled, you can get away untouched, you're wrong."
She opened another folder, this one thinner, and pulled out a few photos. "I've already confirmed the details. You left the party almost an hour after midnight, but the person with the tattoo- your apparent body double-showed up much later.
That means there are pictures of you at the party long before the commotion started. If I leak these, it won't take long before people start drawing conclusions. You'll be the face of the scandal."
Elliott finally looked at her properly. For a moment, his eyes softened as if in pity, then he gave a slow smile and leaned back in his chair.
"Tsk, tsk," he said quietly. "You're quite desperate, aren't you? Trying everything-threats, offers, and now blackmail."
He shrugged again, "Fine, if you want to expose that, go ahead. But remember something, Clara- you're not the only one who can play that game."
"If you reveal those pictures, I'll reveal what you did. How you sent me there. How you made money from the party. How you forced me to go, gave me drugs so that I would endure it and hinted that it would be good for my image. You even stole my phone..."
"Do you remember that? Because I do. And I'm sure the police will be very interested in hearing how Starlink profits off their actors being pushed into things like that. Some might even call it organized prostitution."
Her face paled. "You wouldn't—"
"Oh, I would," he said smoothly. "And I'll do it with evidence. Here, I have a few videos... Cameras are a two way sword, Clara. So go ahead. Leak the pictures. See who survives it."
The silence that followed was thick and cold. Clara stood frozen, her eyes flicking toward Ethan as if silently asking for backup. Ethan had remained still the entire time, but now his hand came down hard on the table, the sound echoing sharply through the room.
"Enough," he said. He then turned to Elliott and said slowly," Elliott Ross. You think you can challenge me and escape unscathed. Don't forget, you are still an actor under Starlink."
Elliott shrugged," I remember that. It would be good for you to remember it as well. After all, you failed in your duty to protect me this morning... so, if you don't want me to sue you for breach of contract, you should compensate me for that. I'll look forward to it."