….

  Two Days Later.

  .

  Iique Talent Agency HQ.

  Christopher Be, a man in his mid-forties and the CEO of Iique Talent Agency, sat fortably in his high-backed office chair, exuding an air of practiced authority.

  Beside him stood Anne Whitmore, his ever-effit assistant, holding a tablet in one hand and a small stack of dots iher.

  "How did the uy visits go?" Christopher asked, gng up briefly from a set of papers he had been reviewing. His tone was casual but expet. "Did you find anyone... iing?"

  "They went well." Anne replied thoughtfully. "I spotted a couple of promising individuals, but I will know more once I meet them in person."

  Christopher nodded, setting the papers aside on the desk. "Keep me posted. Not that I am holding my breath for any hidden gems out there anyway."

  "Yes, Sir." Anne's response was brisk and without hesitation.

  Christaze shifted to a sleek leather portfolio resting on the er of his desk. He reached for it, flipping through its ly arranged tents until stopping at one particur page.

  "What about her?" He asked, his finger resting on the profile of a young woman.

  Her name, Violet Grace, rinted in bold letters beh a headshot, apanied by a brief summary: 24 years old, ret uy graduate.

  Anne followed his gaze.

  "The tract was finalized a few days ago." She said evenly. "But with my schedule tied up by the uy visits, and your trip out of state, I only mao reach out to her yesterday."

  Christopher, never oo waste time, suggested promptly. "Then we meet her a signed."

  It was an uatement to say Christopher wasn't looking forward to finalizing this deal.

  Lately, finding talent worth the iment had been an uphill battle, even for a fairly established agency like theirs.

  The bitter truth he stantly wrestled with was that their discoveries, once polished and ready, seemed to vanish the moment rger arted showing i.

  This time, however, he hoped for something different. Something sting.

  He his to work, not just for the agency, but for the sense of aplishment that would e from knowing they had helped nurture true potential.

  Anne paused for a moment before responding.

  "Well... about that." She said, her voice measured. "When I spoke to her, I found out she's already been cast in an indie film. She's been attending the reading sessions."

  The words indie film lingered in the air, shifting the tone of the versation.

  Christaze narrowed slightly. "Is she the lead?"

  "No." Anne replied. "It's a supp role, but she mentioned havi s time."

  Christopher nodded, a small sense of relief settling over him.

  At least it wasn't a lead role - meaning no bme either if the film flops.

  Still, his expression remaiaut. "That might still be a problem."

  Anne nodded, agreeing with the se. "I thought the same thing."

  Christopher leaned forward, his voice growing sharper. "Didn't you say she wasn't ready to be cast? That she had performance issues?"

  Anne sighed. "Yeah, that's the case. We had even po get her ag lessons ohe tract is signed."

  Christopher's fiapped on the desk.

  "Yet she still got the role?" He asked, his tone skeptical. "Do you know anything about the film?"

  "Not a lot. Just the title." Anne replied.

  Christopher raised an eyebrow. "And what's the title?"

  Kaira g her, speaking the name slowly with a touphasis. "[Following]."

  Christopher leaned ba his chair, exhaling slowly as he mulled over the name. "...why does that sound like a creepy B-grade film?"

  Anne, sensing the tone, responded carefully.

  "Sir, from what I have seen of Gra our brief meetings, I would like to believe that shouldn't be the case." Her voice was respectful but firm, expressing her fiden the talent she had seen so far.

  "Well, if you are fident." Christopher frowned momentarily, then shook his head. "But still, it sounds like she's already signed on for this film. Nothing we do about it now."

  Anne shook her head. "Actually, she hasn't signed anything."

  Christopher raised an eyebrow in surprise. "She hasn't? But you said she was already attending reading sessions."

  "She is." Anne crified. "But when we agreed on the tract terms, I told her not to sign anything without cheg with me first."

  Christopher's surprise deepened. "And she actually listeo you?"

  "...I was surprised too." Anne was clearly amused. "Especially sidering how eager she sounded. But yes, she waited and actually listened."

  Christopher's curiosity piqued. "Now that's rare."

  "It gets even stranger." Anne tio share the new details. She said that if we don't approve of her participating in the film, she won't sign the tract with us. She is holding off, staying true to her word, apparently, she promised the director she wouldn't back out."

  Christopher's expression softened as he leaned back, trying to grasp the straure of it all. "And the director believed her?"

  "Yes." Anne firmed. "She told him she wouldn't abandon her role."

  Christopher's expression softened, as if trying to uand the oddity of the situation. "And the director believed her?"

  Anne nodded. "He did."

  A low chuckle escaped Christopher, shaking his head in disbelief. "Now that is even rarer."

  "I agree." Anne added, a smile tugging at her lips.

  Christopher rested his fiogether, his mind clearly processing everything. "Since when does Hollywood operate on trust? Are verbal agreements still a thing here?"

  Anne chuckled lightly. "Trust and showbiz don't usually go hand in hand. It's a rare bination, for sure."

  Christhed. "It's definitely… unusual."

  "..." Aayed silent, her expression taut.

  They didn't o eborate. The unspoken thought lingered between them, heavy and unfortable.

  Both khere were reasons other tha that sometimes dictated casting decisions - reasons that often came ed in promises and quiet whispers.

  The leniency of the director in this situatio odd, almost absurd... especially si's an indie film, as they often don't want to take ces.

  A part of them wao believe it urely based on talent.

  But deep down, they both knew how uhat was. Still, they silently g to a sliver of hope: Let this not be one of those situations.

  "Maybe I should have stayed in tact with her?" Anne murmured, almost to herself, her voice tinged with a hint ret.

  Sensing the shift ione, Christopher decided to steer the versation elsewhere. "Enough about that. We still have a ce to pull her out if needed. When is filmio start?"

  Anne snapped out of her thoughts, nodding as she checked her notes. "In about a week."

  "Good, we have got time." Christopher's voice grew firm. "Arrange a meeting with her immediately. I want those tracts signed as soon as possible. Ohat's done, I will review the script, and if it makes sense, I would like it if you could also meet the director as well."

  Anne nodded. "Uood. I will tact her immediately and make the arras."

  "Do that." Christopher said, her toaking on a more serious edge. "We o be prepared in case this film doesn't meet expectations. We 't let our discovered tale dragged down by a poor debut. It's our responsibility to ensure she starts on the right foot."

  "I will get in tact with her immediately." Anne replied.

  Christave a slight nod in response, signaling his approval.

  His mind was already focused on the upiing.

  He was curious to find out what kind of people these two were.

  Would they rise above the standard mediocrity so on in the industry, or would they simply blend into the sea of so many other talents?

  .

  ….

  [To be tinued…]

  ★─────??★??─────★

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