Behind The Spotlight Chapter 232
As Lila was about to say something, everyone turned their heads to her, waiting for her to speak. The entire room suddenly became silent.
Even Collin and Arnold were nervous, waiting for her to save them... They were not really close with the CEO, but at this point, no one could save them except the woman sitting calmly at the head of the table.
What Claude wanted was outrageous, but he also had a point. But Collin and Arnold didn't want to let go of Princess Chantal and Pulse Static. They had been their agents since day one. It was hard to let go of someone whose career you helped build.
"I believe what Salvador said is right." Being the CEO of ANT, Lila held 6% of the company's shares, a significant portion.
On top of that, she also earned 5 million annually as the CEO... She was rich, wealthy enough to live comfortably and retire.
"Is that so?" Claude was a little surprised. After years of working with Lila, he knew that she was the type of person who didn't care much about the company's politics unless it would lead to ANT's downfall. Her response was unexpected.
"Collin discovered Princess Chantal and worked hard to provide her with the best career. Although it's true that Collin is not an expert in handling a music artist, it's still his responsibility to take care of her."
"But Princess Chantal's career might be affected if Collin makes a wrong decision along the way."
"Again, it's Collin who will take care of it. Besides, I believe Elijah Edward, my father, will also agree with what I said."
"..."
That sentence made the whole conference room fall silent. The executives looked at each other, confirming the truth, their expressions filled with shock.
'Did she just say that her father is Elijah Edward? The Chairman and also the owner of the Database Giant?' Collin was speechless as he looked around. Many people were surprised, including Arnold, Griffith, and the others.
The older executives were also shocked, but not as much. There had already been a rumor that Lila was related to Elijah Edward, the biggest shareholder of Apex Network Talent and the Chairman of the company.
Technically, he was the king of the company, but he rarely influenced ANT.
But today, Lila decided to use Elijah's name to make a statement, something she had never done before. Elijah Edward was an eccentric person and he didn't care about ANT's future. As long as the company shares returned to where they belonged, he didn't care.
There was a clause in their contract: if an agent was fired from the company, his shares would be bought back at market price. These shares were rewards in the first place, not permanent ownership.
Some executives swallowed their saliva and lowered their hands... They could offend other people such as Salvador and his allies, but Lila and her backer were different matters. They would not dare, the risk was too great.
Claude's expression turned sour. He coldly stared at the executives who lowered their hands. They averted their gazes and avoided him.
In the end, the voting only reached 12%, while 15% were against it, and others abstained from voting.
It meant that the majority of the executives present didn't agree with the decision to transfer the clients. The proposal had failed.
Collin and Arnold sighed in relief. Even Salvador grinned, staring straight at Claude. The two had been on each other's nerves for a decade, ever since Claude took over the package deal that Salvador had worked hard to secure. It was a grudge that never disappeared.
The meeting ended after Lila's final words, signaling the conclusion of the session.
As the executives left one by one, Collin and Arnold decided to stay and thank Lila.
"Arnold, you can leave first. I have something to talk about with Collin," Lila commanded.
"Alright." Arnold naturally followed the order and left the two of them, closing the door behind him.
The conference room now only had Collin and Lila. The spacious room suddenly felt quiet.
"Thank you for saving us. Honestly, I didn't know how to solve that problem. As long as I'm an agent of ANT, I can't dare to disobey their rules," Collin admitted.
"It's good that you recognize that." Lila smiled and adjusted her glasses. Her ocean-blue eyes stared at Collin's green-brown eyes... No matter how many times she looked at his eyes, they were always beautiful.
"If you're wondering about my relationship with Elijah Edward, it's true, I'm his daughter. He did a paternity test and confirmed that we are related, sadly."
"..." Collin didn't know what to say.
"I never liked my father. For me, he's nothing but a stranger. I never used his influence to take advantage of any situation. I worked hard to get what I wanted. Even this position as the CEO that he forced me to take, I didn't liked it first. This is the first time I have used his name to solve an issue, and it left a bad aftertaste." She smiled at Collin, but her blue eyes slightly sharpened.
"I'm sorry about that. I'll make it up to you." As much as he didn't know what Lila and Elijah's relationship was, it was true that she saved him today. He owed her.
"You better be. How about you treat me to dinner? A fancy one." She crossed her arms.
"That would be great—"
"No, let's change that. I will treat you to dinner at your home instead. Give me your address, and I'll visit you." Her tone suddenly became playful.
Collin was about to agree, but Lila suddenly changed her mind and caught him off guard.
Collin wrote the address of his apartment and gave it to her.
"So when are you going to visit?" he asked curiously.
"That's the neat part, it's a surprise. You just prepare and get ready." She smiled mysteriously.
"... But what if I'm not in the apartment at the time of your visit?"
"You better be, or else I'll be sad."
"..."
Collin was not sure if Lila was joking or serious. They were not really close and didn't know each other's behavior, which made the situation awkward.
'Is it a date then? Did Lila just invite me to a date? And it's her treat?'
Collin was confused.
Lila found it entertaining when Collin slightly furrowed his brows.
"Well then, see you next time, Collin." She waved her hand and exited the conference room, leaving Collin confused and standing in place.
[Author's Note:]
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88 advance chapters of Behind The Spotlight
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