Rebecca came downstairs with another suitcase. Her face looked pale, and her faded makeup gave it away that she had been crying. "Change of plans. You know Tessa Scott, right?" "Yes. We were very close, you know, before her husband's cheating scandal and all." "Excellent. You will arrange a meeting between her and Frank." Rebecca frowned. "Sir, Tessa has been in hiding for months. She wouldn't want to be anywhere close to anyone from the industry after what happened." "She will if you ask nicely. Tell her that my son can restore her music career. He has connections that can clear any name and make her famous again." Frank got up from the couch, not liking where this was going. "I don't need a blind date. I'm not a child." Nathan looked back at his son. "No, no, no. This isn't about romance. You are going to recruit her for the label. Tessa Scott has millions of fans who believe she was treated unfairly. If we sign her to the new label, it shows that we protect our a

Jason stared at his phone, watching Calvin's viral video for the fifth time in a row. It had been two years of hell and mistreatment leading up to this point. During this time, he had been treated like a dangerous criminal for things he never did. He watched helplessly as Nathan Harrington destroyed everything he loved about music. Now, however, someone was finally giving him a chance to do what he loved again. Despite every fibre of his being telling him this was a mistake, Jason walked to his kitchen. He dug through the overflowing trash pile until he found Abigail's business card. His hands shook as he dialled her number, hoping desperately that this wasn't him walking into another industry trap. "Hello?" Abigail's voice sounded tired and broken, like she was recovering from an emotional blow that he had caused earlier by being a jerk. "Is this Abigail Freya?" What came next was a long pause before the voice confirmed. "Yes, it is. Who is this?" Jason smiled briefly be

The second session didn't last until the end before Abigail cut him off. Then the third session, and then the fourth went the exact same way.Jason at this point was starting to feel like he had made a big mistake by just coming here."Are you sure, ma'am?" asked Joe, noticing the increasing tension between both of them each time she demanded they start again. "Sure, his voice almost cracks at the higher pitches, but we don't need to be cutting him off like this.""We could just cut out the bad parts and put together all the points he nailed perfectly."Abigail looked at him as if she wanted to start a long-winded argument. "Whatever you say, pretty face."Then she turned back to Jason, realizing he wasn't enthusiastic anymore. It was normal to do multiple takes in creative endeavors like this, but it was a lot harder when the person pushing you forward always said your attempts were horrible.Realizing what she had done, she walked into the booth to talk with him.The last thing she

Nathan was angry, gripping his phone so hard that his knuckles had gone white. He was beyond tense, but did his best to keep his voice calm and formal."Sir, before you pull the funding from my company, please listen to me. The viral clip from Calvin Constantine is nothing more than social media noise. One week from now, no one will be talking about it. Everything's gonna work out like we planned and you'll get your returns by the end of the year just as we agreed."The voice of the investor kept crackling through the phone as Nathan drummed his fingers on the desk."I understand, sir. But if you would just listen..."The line had gone dead with a sharp beep. Nathan resisted the urge to crush the phone in his hand, instead slowly putting it down while taking a deep breath.Nathan pushed both hands through his hair, taking short breaths as he stared out the glass wall behind the desk. Then the phone rang again, making him give a loud groan.Nathan stared at it until it rang four times

"Shut up!" Jason said as he slammed his fist against the bars. "You don't know me! I hate you! I swear to God, I hate you so much."Lois stood still where she was, unfazed by her son's words while watching his face twist with so much rage like she was studying a caged animal."I've heard that too many times that it almost feels like breathing now." Her voice remained flat and cold. "But whether you like me or not, I do care about you. All I'm trying to do is protect you from yourself just as I always have, even though you always refuse to let me in."As Jason grabbed the bars of the gate keeping them from each other, part of him wanted to grab her shoulders and shake the truth out of her."You're looking out for me?" Jason asked before laughing with a sound that came off as bitter and broken. "Are you kidding me?"As he laughed, multiple questions flooded his mind. Why hadn't he called the police yet? Why hadn't he dragged her off his pro