Chapter 166The Parking Dispute
Inside the recording studio.
A handsome man emerged.
Clad in a light blue jacket, a set of blue headphones hung around his neck.
"Nicholas is truly a music genius, nailing such a tough song in just three takes!"
"Nicholas, thanks for your patience, it’s been a long wait."
"We've set up some refreshments and late-night snacks in the lounge, and your ride's waiting outside."
Hearing this, Nicholas glanced over, his impatience palpable, and put on his headphones, tuning them out.
His agent, clearly annoyed, complained, "To make our Nicholas wait like this, you are certainly the first."
The other party wiped the sweat off his forehead, resigned.
"We really had no choice..."
"Grace has just been nominated for Best Actress and is the talk of the town."
"Plus, she's a Curtis, and in this area controlled by the Curtis family—we can't afford to cross her…"
"Mr. Nicholas, you're a gentleman. Please don't hold this against us."
On one side, a leading lady backed by the Curtis’; on the other, a music legend that commands the industry.
He was truly caught in the middle, between a rock and a hard place!
His agent sneered, corner of his mouth twitching with disdain, "So you fear crossing Grace, but you think it's fine to offend us?"
"It looks like we won't be needing this recording studio anymore."
This spot was secured by the agent after some tough negotiation.
But out of nowhere, Grace swooped in today. By the time they arrived, she was already laying down tracks.
Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal. In this business, you rub elbows one day and shake hands the next—a few kind words usually smooth things over.
But Grace isn't one to take lightly. Not a single 'thank you,' just commandeered the studio for a solid six hours.
Midway through, Nicholas's agent had tried to get them to let Nicholas record his part first.
After all, with Nicholas's skill, he would need no more than thirty minutes.
But Grace ignored them completely, shutting her door in their faces.
"Come on, Nicholas!"
"Let's talk this out, Nicholas!"
Clip-clopping of heels punctuated the tense air.
From the dressing room emerged a woman trailed by an entourage of a dozen, buzzing with activity.
She was the picture of elegance, her slender figure dressed in an eye-catching red gown, her eyes gleaming with pride.
Her features weren't soft nor harsh, but her presence was formidable.
When she approached Nicholas, she flashed him a perfunctory smile that lacked any real warmth, as if she hadn't just hogged the studio.
"Hello, Nicholas, it's good to finally meet you. I'm Grace."
Being born into the Curtis family came with an innate nobility; merely standing there, she seemed to sparkle, captivating all attention.
Nicholas glanced at Grace.
"Hello." Grace acknowledged with a hum, devoid of any intent to apologize or thank him, then turned on her heel and left.
Nicholas's agent clutched his chest in frustration.
"Can you believe the nerve? Is this the level of class we can expect from the Curtis family?"
Grace walked away with her head held high, an assistant dutifully handing her a freshly squeezed juice.
"Didn't you see how pale Nicholas's agent went?"
Grace took a sip.
The assistant continued, "Who would've thought Nicholas would be upstaged? Sure, he's a great singer, but when it comes to fan base—Grace, you're in a league of your own."
Grace’s eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke with a measured calm, “I still remember when I was still hustling to make it in the industry, I once reached out to Nicholas, hoping he'd lend his voice to the theme song of my TV show. But he turned me down.”
“Gosh, that Nicholas really missed the boat, didn’t he? I bet he’s kicking himself now!”
On the other side, Nicholas’s agent couldn’t help but ask, “Nicholas, isn’t this the first time you’re meeting Grace? Why does it seem like she’s got it in for you?”
Nicholas raised his gaze lazily and noticed a car that had just snugly taken the last spot along the curb. “Before she hit the big time, she called me up, asked me to sing for this TV show she was in.”
The agent sensed something, “You didn’t agree?”
Nicholas shot back a question instead of answering. “Why would I? Such a senseless show with no logic whatsoever. It was an insult to my eyes.”
“Let’s go, my friend’s here.”
The agent looked around, puzzled. “Huh? Friend? Who are we talking about? Where?”
Nicholas pointed towards Luann Weaver’s car at a distance. The agent’s heart skipped a beat.
“Nicholas, it’s getting late, and those paparazzi have probably called it a day,” he said with concern. “But still, be cautious...”
Nicholas nodded. “I will.”
Luann Weaver sat in her car, having witnessed the whole interaction. Even though she couldn’t hear their conversation, the look on Nicholas’s agent’s face told her enough.
She was just about to step out when Grace’s assistant ran up and started banging on her window forcefully, leaving smudges in their wake. Luann rolled down the window, her expression tranquil, “Can I help you?”
“Move your car,” the assistant demanded.
A mocking smile danced on Luann’s lips, “Is this your parking spot? If it is, I’ll leave immediately.”
“It’s not, but you’re blocking our car!” The assistant’s eyes widened in frustration.
Luann glanced back; her car was properly parked within the lines. Grace's, however, was slightly jutting out, narrowing the space between the vehicles more than it should have been. To any regular driver, this would make backing out a challenge.
“You looking to pick a fight?” Luann pointed out the markings on the ground. “That line isn’t invisible, is it?”
Hands on hips, the assistant’s tone became sharp, “Why are you being so rude? All I’m asking is for you to move your car so we can get out. Is that so hard?”
Luann decided she’d had enough and stopped engaging.
Had this lady approached Luann Weaver with a nicer tone from the get-go, Luann would've gladly done her the favor. But now, the last thing Luann wanted was to listen to some woman's rant in the dead of night.
So, Luann got ready to roll up the car window.
Her assistant, however, beat her to it, pressing a hand against the edge.
"Trying to close the window? I'll give you one more chance. Get out of the car!"
"Now! Immediately!"
As the window shot upwards, panic struck the assistant. But taking one look at Luann's fair and seemingly mild-mannered face, she assumed Luann was only bluffing, not daring enough to actually hurt anyone.
To her surprise, Luann raised the window all the way up.
Instantly pinching the woman's hand, eliciting a howl of pain.
"Ouch! Ouch!"
"Let go! Release it!"
