Chapter 194: Desperate and Impatient

The news of Victor refusing to work with Briena spread across the internet and on news channels like wildfire, overtaking the recent announcement of Briena’s plans to sign with a major movie production company for her first official film.

An online feud erupted between Victor’s and Briena’s fans, with each side trolling the opposing actors and exchanging insults. Silvia’s fans rallied behind Victor, joining in on the attacks against Briena’s supporters as Silvia supported Victor’s statement as well.

In response, Briena’s agency mobilized its own "keyboard warriors" to defend her and retaliate.

In her office, Briena seethed as she watched Victor and Silvia’s comments about her to the press. The barrage of online trolling only fuelled her anger further.

"How dare they. Who does Victor think he is? That miserable lapdog of Natalie," Briena snarled, sweeping everything off her desk in a fit of rage. "Natalie... that bitch must have told him to say it. She can’t stand seeing me succeed."

"Calm down, Briena," Ana said soothingly. "Our PR team is handling it."

"What if the production company decides not to sign me anymore?" Briena’s expression shifted to worry. "We haven’t signed the contract yet."

"They won’t back out. We haven’t received any indication of that, which means they’re not concerned with this," Ana reassured her. "They know you’re perfect for the role. If Victor doesn’t want to work with them, that’s his loss."

Briena clenched her teeth. "Once I become a global star after this movie, I’ll make sure Victor and that bitch Silvia never get any more work. They’ll regret this. They’ll beg me to work with them."

"Yes, let’s focus on that," Ana replied, attempting to comfort her. "Once we finalize the contract, the rumors will fade."

"Get it done quickly. I don’t care about the details—I just want to sign it," Briena said, looking desperate.

"We have to wait for the legal team to review it, and your grandmother’s approval," Ana reminded her.

"I don’t care. Contact them and arrange for me to sign it now," Briena ordered. "Don’t tell my grandmother."

"But—"

"Remember, you’re my manager, and I can replace you if you don’t listen to me," Briena snapped.

The insults from Victor and Silvia’s fans were intolerable to her.

Ana contacted NovaFrame and arranged for Briena to sign the contract. Briena left her office with Ana and her bodyguards, not letting anyone know where she was heading to.

However, her arrival at NovaFrame’s headquarters didn’t go unnoticed by reporters, who quickly broadcasted the news, speculating that she was there to sign her new film deal.

---

Inside Sephina’s office, her assistant showed her the news footage of Briena’s car entering the premises of NovaFrame’s headquarters.

"What on earth is she doing there?" Sephina spat out, her expression darkening.

"Given the current situation, she’s probably gone there to sign the contract to silence everyone," the assistant replied.

"That girl..." Sephina frowned, anger flaring in her eyes. "Call her and tell her to come back."

"I already tried reaching Ana, but her phone isn’t reachable—she might have turned it off," the assistant said, a thin sheen of sweat forming on his forehead as he braced for Sephina’s reaction.

"Has the legal team finished reviewing NovaFrame’s contract?" Sephina asked.

"Yes." He placed the file on her desk. "They said the contract is solid and safe to sign. The only thing they suggested was negotiating for a higher signing amount, though NovaFrame’s offer is already quite generous."

Sephina exhaled, visibly relieved. "Even if she’s signing, at least it’s a sound deal."

"It’d be almost impossible to stop her now; they’ve likely already signed or will finish by the time we get there," the assistant added.

Sephina was still visibly displeased. "She’s never behaved like this before—not once has she acted without consulting me. But now..."

"She must have felt cornered after what Victor told the reporters and the trolling from his and Silvia’s fans."

"Victor," Sephina seethed, clenching her teeth. "That wretch Natalie must have put him up to this. They’ll both pay for it."

"Once Ms. Briena signs this movie, she’ll silence them soon enough," the assistant replied reassuringly.

----

At NovaFrame’s office, Briena and Ana were escorted inside by a high-ranking staff member. Both women couldn’t help but gasp at the opulence of the place, a level of luxury they had only dreamed of entering so effortlessly.

"Wow, they’re practically swimming in wealth here," Ana murmured, still in awe.

"You’ll see that wealth in my pocket soon enough," Briena replied, unable to deny that this place felt like heaven.

"Oh my gosh, is that superstar Damien?" Ana whispered excitedly. "And there’s Ciara too..."

"Stop acting like a child," Briena chided. "What else would you expect from a place where every actor dreams of working?"

"This place is like a paradise of superstars," Ana said with admiration. "Soon, you’ll be a part of it too."

With a smug smile, Briena followed the staff member deeper into the office.

They were led into a sleek meeting room, where Briena took a seat at a stylish circular table, with Ana standing just behind her. A man in a black suit entered, and Briena immediately recognized him as Mr. Dwen, one of the executives who had visited her at the Fords earlier. She stood to greet him.

"Good to see you here, Ms. Briena," he said, shaking her hand before gesturing for her to sit again.

"Has your legal team reviewed the contract we provided?" he asked.

"Yes, they have," Briena replied confidently. "They found everything in order; we see no issues with signing." She had to lie as she didn’t want to wait anymore. She trusted that offer from such a known company can never be of any loss.

"Do you have any thoughts on the signing fee we’ve offered?" Mr. Dwen inquired.

"No, that’s fine as well," Briena replied with a polite smile. "As we continue working together, we can discuss my fees further."

The man returned her smile, clearly pleased. "Very well. We look forward to working with you."

Both Briena and Ana felt relieved that neither he nor the company seemed affected by the recent media controversy. As the industry leader, they likely saw such matters as trivial.

Both of them could not help but feel smug inside and dream about their best future. A Superstar and superstar’s manager.