I fell silent after that question.
"What I offer is straightforward, but you don't have to decide now. Let's have dinner first," he said boldly and immediately ended the call.
My mouth opened in shock.
'The audacity! He didn't even let me respond,' I thought, pissed. But I knew this was how most rich and powerful men acted, as if the world was their oyster.
But his offer was tempting. He was Damian Hades for goodness' sake. He's been in the industry longer than I have been alive.
This was the kind of opportunity that could change my life forever.
Of course, I wanted revenge. Of course, I wanted them to see that I'm not just a nobody they could discard whenever they wanted. Of course, I wanted to shine brighter than Lucky and my sisters.
But was this the way? I would have to sell my soul? What would Mom say?
"Who cares? Hera, she kicked you out because she couldn't use you anymore," I told myself.
I had already made up my mind. I was going to have that dinner with Damian Hades. The only issue was that I didn't know what he wanted in return, but I already had an idea of what it was.
Shortly after, I stood in front of the mirror, clad in a dashing, sparkling black long-sleeve dress with a revealing back. My makeup was light, and I had my Auburn hair in a ponytail.
I took out the diamond earrings and necklace Mom bought me for my birthday… and put them back.
Reaching outside, I was surprised to find a black Rolls-Royce waiting with a suited man in front.
"Are you the driver Damian Hades sent?"
The driver simply nodded and opened the car door for me to enter, and I did.
It didn't take long before we arrived at a high-end fancy restaurant. I was escorted in by the suited guards waiting at the entrance and taken up a floor to the most opulent side of the restaurant.
Here, though, there were no other customers, only one man sitting at the table positioned near the glass window, revealing a surreal scenery of the city's nightly beauty.
The escorts stopped at the entrance, and I took crisp steps forward.
"Good evening, Mr. Damian Hades," I greeted, holding my purse in front of me.
The man calmly uncrossed his legs, stood up, and turned to meet my gaze.
Tall and sharply suited in an obsidian pinstripe suit, he made the air in the room stand still in wait for his every action. His skin looked a bit sickly and pale, with deep blue eyes hidden behind spectacles, and hair, dark and sleeked backwards like ink, framing his angular face in a poised manner.
His cold gaze lingered on my body for God knew how long before the corner of his lips curled into a smile.
"Miss Hera Flores. As dashing as they say," he voiced and walked towards me, "I'm glad you could honour my invitation. Come, sit with me…"
He gestured towards the table he was sitting at, and I followed his lead.
"Sure."
He opened the chair for me like a gentleman. "Thank you," I said, my heart already beating as though I just ran a marathon.
He was being too gentlemanly! It was obvious what he was going to want in return!
He sat down and snapped his fingers, and a guard quickly ran away to do… whatever that finger snap meant.
Damian Hades was an enigma, one of those names people in the industry spoke carefully.
The dimmed lights threw shadows across his face, catching on his sharp cheekbones and glinting off the onyx ring on his finger.
"So," he said, setting down his glass of red wine. "You've had quite the week."
I pursed my lips. "If that's your way of saying I'm a public disaster, I've already heard it a hundred times."
"A disaster, you say. I'd rather call you… a spectacle." His smile was stiff. It was obvious he was trying his hardest to be an outgoing person. For a legendary actor, he was bad at being a normal person.
Regardless, I decided to first state my boundaries, so I cleared my throat in a ladylike manner and spoke, "Mr. Damian Hades—"
"Call me Hades," he cut in.
"U-Uhm, okay. Mr. Hades, I want to know what your motives are. Why do you want to help me? You don't know me."
He leaned forward and spoke sternly, "Nowadays, the industry has gone soft. Losing everything over a minor DUI of all things? How many celebrities have done worse and only been given a slap on the wrist?
"When I heard it, I couldn't shake the feeling that all this is someone's effort, because it isn't natural."
"I made a mistake. I'm just facing the consequences," I repeated Mom's words.
However, Damian Hades shook his head.
"No, Miss Flores, someone wants to see you fall. And what's a better revenge than a spectacular return?"
I stared at him. "Why me? There are thousands of actresses out there praying for a chance like this."
His gaze was steady and unreadable. "As an underdog myself, I simply like a good underdog story."
I almost laughed. "Mr. Hades, you're not an underdog."
The waiter approached quietly, placed the first course on the table, and poured some wine into the glasses.
Damian Hades picked up his glass and swirled it lazily.
"Let's talk business. You are a musician. But as it seems, that boat has sailed."
I frowned. "I don't understand, sir. What do you mean?"
"Forget about succeeding in the music industry," he boldly said and snapped his fingers again.
"I-I don't think I can."
"Sure, you can." One of the suited men behind took out a folder and gave it to Damian Hades, who slid it towards me. "Because I can make you succeed in the movie industry. You were a child actress, you already have more talent than most, and you can also sing and dance. And speaking of which, my current film needs a lead with this level of versatility and star power."
My pulse kicked up. I opened it and scanned through the clauses, but I stopped breathing for a second as I saw the figure on the third page.
"This… is a lot," I muttered.
"Enough to clear your debts," he added.
My throat tightened; these figures were too generous to be given to a C-list actress. And such generosity never came without chains.
"I-It's too much."
He didn't flinch. "No, it's not. I have a good eye for worth. And it has helped me get this far. So trust me when I say right now, you're grossly undervalued."
I read more until I noticed something and paused.
"Wait, this part: Exclusive representation under Olympus Studios for a minimum period of three years. That means I can't take any other roles?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Correct." Mr. Hades' lips curved, faintly. "You'll have plenty of work with me. You won't need the distractions."
"That's not fair. What if something better—"
"There won't be any better." He leaned forward slightly, his cologne dark and expensive, and his gaze anchoring on me. "Miss Flores, I don't share my investments."