Free Web NovelChapter 228: Emily’s Struggle
<🎧 Song Recommendation: Toxic by BoyWithUke>
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Arthur frowned deeply at the last line Gary dropped. It felt like a punch to the gut.
It hadn’t been Arthur’s decision to sell those shares. The conglomerate needed the cash, and his wealthy backers were quickly losing trust in his ability to run Vanguard.
Now, because of Gary’s big mouth, he was losing trust before everyone in the room all over again.
"I’ve had enough of this, Gary!" Arthur shouted, slamming his hand on the table.
"Don’t forget I am still the CEO of this brand. If you think you’re so smart, why don’t you give me a better idea on how we can do better?"
Hearing the CEO pass the mic directly to him made Gary smirk menacingly. He had been waiting for this exact moment.
"It’s very easy," Gary said confidently, looking around the room to gather support. "We are investing too much money on marketing, and that’s only cutting our loss further. Last I checked, our quarterly budget for Q4 was five million dollars. Making it one million dollars will be better for a change. We need to stop paying for expensive billboards and just save the cash."
Some of the younger executives sitting in the chairs nodded slowly at Gary’s words. To them, he sounded like he was making a great point. Saving money sounded safe.
But there was visible frustration on Arthur’s face. They were going completely against his entire corporate ideology.
’These fools. I even thought they would suggest investing that money into better production or new designers, but they are only interested in saving money.’ Von almost facepalmed as he witnessed what was going on. freёwebnovel.com
He looked over at Arthur to see exactly what the CEO’s reaction would be.
"No, I refuse!" Arthur shouted. "That won’t happen. It’s very obvious you care more about your own pockets than the actual company. How will reducing the marketing budget make us do better? If nobody sees our clothes, nobody buys them!"
Arthur’s strong words were final. He held the majority power, and Gary could only sit back down in his chair in bitter resignation.
"Well, I’ve told you my idea," Gary muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don’t come crying to me when we go bankrupt before Christmas."
Arthur ignored Gary’s dark taunts. He just squeezed his hair in frustration. His head was running with a million different problems, trying to figure out how to save the company without cutting the budget, when he suddenly heard a calm voice cut through the tension.
"I have an idea."
The entire room went quiet again. All twenty heads turned to look at the side of the table.
Von was standing up now with a confident, mischievous smile.
After listening to these old men argue in circles, he finally knew exactly how to play his hand.
He believed he had just come up with the best plan yet, one that could change everything for everyone in this room.
***
With Von away in New York battling the Vanguard executives, Emily didn’t have the leisure to waste her day.
The five-day staycation they had enjoyed made Von to miss several interview slots, and it was her job as his manager to smooth ruffled feathers and make things right again.
To add to the mounting pressure, the Grammy nominations were going to be announced in a few month’s time.
So Emily had to make sure the voting committees had Von’s name fresh in their minds.
He had disrupted the music scene this year, and she was going to make sure he finally got his flowers.
"There’s so much work," Emily muttered to herself, rubbing her tired eyes. "So many opportunities."
She was sitting on a couch in the Pinecrest estate living room. Her dark hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she wore a pair of blue-light blocking glasses, scrolling rapidly through endless emails on her tablet.
Her grand plan for Von was to send him on a nationwide tour. It was highly deserved given how far he had climbed in the industry over the past year.
But Emily was a realist, and she knew the truth about the business.
Von was independent, so he didn’t have a record label bankrolling his endeavors.
They also had to pay for everything out of their own pockets. Renting arenas, hiring stage crews, transporting equipment, and building sets cost millions of dollars upfront.
Even though Von was highly successful right now, he didn’t have nearly enough liquid cash to fund a tour himself. Not yet.
So, for the next few months, maybe even a year. Emily’s plan was for Von to take on more high-paying gigs, club appearances, and acting roles, hoarding every single dollar until they had the war chest needed for the tour.
’It’s unfortunate the movie hasn’t premiered yet. I’m not getting any lucrative acting gigs to pitch him.’
Aside from a few producers who had focused on Perfect Ruins during the film festival, the general Hollywood offers Von was currently receiving were insultingly low for an actor of his true caliber.
She opened an offer from a mid-tier action movie studio. They wanted Von to play a background gang member for three scenes. The pay was $50,000.
Emily scoffed at the offer. It seemed like a joke, but that’s all she’s been getting.
Ring.
Emily’s phone suddenly rung from the table. She picked it up to see it was an unknown number.
It wasn’t strange for a manager to get unsolicited calls, so Emily swiped the screen and brought the phone to her ear.
"Hello? Emily speaking."
"Hi, Miss Emily. Are you aware of who’s speaking?"
The voice sounded familiar, but she gave it the benefit of doubt.
"Who is this?"
"Rayan West."
That single name made Emily surprised. Rayan West might just be their biggest enemy. Why in the world would he be contacting her? They were nowhere near his level.
"What the hell do you want from me, West?"
Rayan chuckled on the other end of the line. He wasn’t offended by her tone at all.
"We can both be of help to each other. I actually stopped by Miami this morning to handle some business. Let’s meet at The Setai. I’ve got a private cabana out back. Be there in an hour."
Emily raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? Why should I meet you? If you can’t tell me what you want over the phone, then lose my number this instant."
Rayan simply smiled menacingly.
"It’s like you forgot about James and Mia too soon. But it’s fine. Come in an hour if you change your mind."
The call disconnected, leaving Emily sitting in silence.. Her biggest fear had just crawled out of the shadows.
"No... no, no, no. This can’t be happening."
James. Her father. The man who had framed her, ruined her life, and exiled her from the industry. Rayan West knew. And if Rayan knew, it meant her father knew exactly where she was.
Emily scrambled to pick up her phone, her thumb hovering over Von’s contact name.
But after a second of thought, she tossed the phone back onto the couch.
’I’ll have to meet him. I have to fix this myself.’
***
Fifty minutes later, Emily’s car pulled up to the valet at The Setai Miami Beach.
The hotel was a monument to Asian-inspired luxury, hidden behind walls of lush tropical bamboo.
She bypassed the busy lobby, walking straight through to the expansive outdoor courtyard.
Past the pools, tucked away near the private beachfront, was a VIP cabana draped in white linen.
Rayan West was sitting on a plush sofa inside, a glass of expensive bourbon resting on the table in front of him.
"You made good time," Rayan said, gesturing to the empty seat across from him. But Emily didn’t sit.
"Cut the bullshit, West. What do you know about James?"
"I know your father has been having his fixers watch you for the last two weeks," Rayan said casually, taking a sip of his drink.
"James Brooklyn knows you’re back in the game, Emily. He knows you’re managing the kid. And right now, he is quietly preparing to strike back at you."
Emily’s stomach dropped, but she kept her face completely neutral.
"And I’m supposed to believe you care about my well-being?"
"I don’t," Rayan laughed.
"But I have the power to shield you. I can make sure your father doesn’t even look in your direction."
Emily narrowed her eyes. Nobody in this industry handed out free shields.
"What do you want from me? If it’s anything that has to do with sabotaging Von’s career, then I don’t need your damn help. I’ll fight my father myself."
