As a woman, if a man consistently steps up to help you in your most vulnerable and helpless moments, you might not instantly fall for him, but you'd definitely give him a 95 out of 100 in your heart. The missing 5 points? Well, that's just to keep him from getting too full of himself!
That's exactly how Megan Fox felt sitting next to Claire Lee. They'd been childhood friends, and with Claire's youthful success, Megan couldn't help but quietly compare him to her fiancé. This wasn't some fairy tale—it was reality, especially for someone like Megan, who'd been navigating the entertainment industry for years.
Maybe it was the scare from earlier, but Megan's heart was still racing. She sat quietly beside Claire, her cheeks flushed, stealing occasional glances at him. Was it her imagination, or was Claire cautiously looking back at her every time she did? It wasn't quite sparks flying, but there was definitely something in the air. About 40% of the media's attention was fixed on them, and if it weren't for the hefty expenses covered by London Fashion Week, the reporters would've swarmed them again.
Meanwhile, Chris Silberman and Costa Mayor, two cunning agents, stood outside the fashion week tent, tucked away in a hidden corner, quietly making deals.
"If Megan divorces now, it'll tank her reputation. Don't even think about it," Chris said firmly.
Costa, unfazed by Chris's sharp rejection, casually pulled a stack of envelopes from his jacket and handed them over. "What if the divorce is for… less-than-ideal reasons? Honestly, if it weren't for Claire, I wouldn't touch your company's mess."
Chris lit a slim cigarette, took a deep drag, and opened the envelope. When he saw the photos inside, he shouted, "Idiot!"
His half-man, half-woman yell startled Costa, who quickly shielded his face with his left hand as curious onlookers shot them strange glances.
"This is domestic abuse! I'm reporting him! That scumbag!" Chris fumed.
"Calm down, calm down," Costa soothed. "I'm sure this can make up for the Jack Jones endorsement deal I secured for you. I don't want trouble for my client, so this stays between us. If Megan doesn't divorce, I'll find ways to keep their meetings to a minimum. Don't doubt Warner Records' influence."
Chris's face darkened. Truth be told, he'd reached out to Costa before, but his invitation letters to Warner Records either went unanswered or got a vague "we're reviewing internally." After discussing with Megan, Chris had sensed something was up. For one, Claire Lee, the cash cow of the newly launched Warner Online, was heavily protected by his label. On top of that, Megan Fox had a significant influence on Claire. You could see it in how Claire reacted when Benzema insulted Megan on the soccer field. And then there was the song One Day. While Warner Records didn't charge for its use, they never said it was free for commercial purposes. Yet Claire had granted Megan the commercial rights to perform it publicly—making her the only person in the U.S. who could sing it without facing a lawsuit from Warner.
So, Chris understood why Warner was keeping them at arm's length. To counter, he'd leveraged Megan's Transformers fame and her connections to secure Claire a British commercial endorsement deal with Jack Jones. The contract was simple: Claire and Megan would take a beachside photo together. At first, Chris thought everything was going smoothly. If Megan could convince Claire to give her the song Unstoppable within the next three days, their potential collaboration with Beyoncé might stay on track—a major coup for any talent agency.
But Costa had outplayed him. Not only had he dug up everything about Megan's personal life, but he'd also uncovered details Chris, who'd only recently taken her on, didn't even know. Costa's move had shattered all of Chris's careful plans.
Disappointed, Chris muttered, "Are you really selling that song to Taylor Swift?"
Costa waved his hand with a grin. "No, no, not selling—gifting. If Claire's songwriting talent is as good as we think, we'll help Taylor finish an album, and we might sign her next year!"
Chris wasn't surprised by Costa's response, but for the sake of appearances, he held up the envelope. "Thanks for this. If it's possible, I'll talk to Megan. But you know, a Catholic girl like her might not listen to me."
Costa glanced at Megan's seven-person entourage and clicked his tongue. "Tch, that girl's really made it big!"
A good agent keeps trouble away from their client. Claire might've been watching the stunning models on the runway, but with his childhood friend sitting beside him, how could he focus? Even if he could stay composed, their "connection" wouldn't let him.
"So, what're you up to later?" Claire finally mustered the courage to ask, though it came out as small talk.
Megan, startled by his question, quickly composed herself. "I'll probably stick around London for a few days. Got some Jack Jones promo shots to do. But you're coming too, right?"
"Yeah, thanks for helping me score that £1.7 million deal."
"No need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you."
They fell into silence again, but just as Claire's mind started to wander, someone familiar appeared on the runway.
Du Juan owned the catwalk. When she stepped out in a sleek black dress, she not only dazzled the judges but also earned nods of approval from fashion industry peers. As Claire stared, transfixed, Du Juan seemed to recognize him and gave a small wave as she passed by. That wave set off a chain reaction—guys in the back whistled, and Claire's heart skipped a beat.
"Du Juan, you're killing it!" a piercing shout in rang out.
Heads turned, and though Du Chan tried to play)|^
System: play it cool, Claire caught her eye. She nodded at him calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"What a poser that girl is!" Claire muttered to himself.
"You know the one who shouted?" Megan asked, her expression complicated as she watched Du Juan's retreating figure. A woman's intuition told her this model—and the Korean woman they'd met on the soccer field—posed a threat. She bit her lip, wanting to warn Claire but hesitating because of her own situation. In the end, she stayed silent.
"Yeah, I know her. Sports reporter. Interviewed me once," Claire replied casually.
Megan didn't say anything more, but her eyes stayed glued to the runway exit, assessing the potential threat Du Juan represented.