Chapter 292 Danielle, Grandpa Harriman
"Mr. Turner will be back soon. He wants to tell you something personally," the talent director said with a smile, handing Jessica a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
Jessica raised an eyebrow. Interesting.
Preston Turner, CEO of Star Entertainment, had never asked to see her before. In the two or three years since she signed with the company, she hadn't seen him up close. The only time she caught a glimpse of him was at the annual party a year ago, where she saw him from a distance.
She didn't wait long. Less than ten minutes later, Preston arrived.
When he entered and saw Jessica on the sofa, he nodded. Jessica stood up and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Turner. Is there something you want to discuss with me?"
"You have to get back to filming this afternoon, right? I'll keep it short," Preston said, looking at her. "When Mackenzie signed you, how many years was your contract?"
"Five years," Jessica replied after a pause.
"It's been almost three years now. From our observations, Mackenzie's business capabilities are average, and her resources are limited. She can only manage newcomers. You are now one of Star Entertainment's key artists, and your rise in business resources and scripts has been rapid. With Mackenzie's abilities, she can't keep up with you," Preston said, raising an eyebrow. "Mackenzie gets time off work to go on an international trip. You don't need to go to her studio anymore. The company has arranged a new manager for you, and the transition will be completed within this week."
In the afternoon, Jessica returned to the set, and Zoey, sitting next to her, had visibly red eyes.
"You've heard?" Jessica glanced at her.
Zoey nodded, eyes red. "I just heard from the studio group chat this afternoon that Mackenzie has been replaced."
"The replacement isn't a big issue. If I disagree, Mackenzie can come back anytime," Jessica said with a stern face. "But the problem is, the company has assigned Cherry as my new manager."
Zoey looked at Jessica in disbelief. "Cherry? Isn't she the woman Mr. Turner keeps outside? She's only a few years older than me, maybe twenty-six or twenty-seven. I heard she started messing around with the CEO of Star Entertainment before she even graduated from college. She knew Preston had a family but still stayed with him. Over the years, she hasn't shown any real talent. Preston has given her a lot of artists, but they all seem to be in limbo, with no progress. Now Preston wants her to manage you?"
Indeed, although Mackenzie didn't have many resources, she genuinely cared for Jessica. They had built a relationship of mutual trust and reliance over the years, surpassing the typical manager-artist dynamic.
If Cherry were to be forced into the role, how could Danielle's situation be managed?
Mackenzie would keep her secrets, but Cherry, who thrived on chaos, might not.
Cherry only started managing artists and working in media after becoming Preston's lover, with no prior experience in the field.
If Mackenzie's abilities were lacking, Cherry's business skills were non-existent.
"What is Mr. Turner thinking? Does he see that you're too popular now and wants Cherry to manage you so she can gain fame alongside you? Her artists are almost out of resources. If she's desperate for results, she'll definitely divert your resources to them, whether it's business deals or scripts. Mr. Turner is clearly sending his mistress to leech off you!"
Jessica suddenly asked, "Have you tried calling Mackenzie? Is she not answering or is her phone off?"
"She's not answering."
"That's right. She's probably not abroad at all. The company must have given her strict orders not to contact us. Borrow a phone from the crew for me. I'll call her from a different number."
Zoey, fuming, stormed off to borrow a phone.
A few minutes later, Jessica used the crew member's phone to call Mackenzie. As expected, after a few long rings, the call was hesitantly answered, "Hello?"
Hearing Mackenzie's weary and hoarse voice, Jessica calmly asked, "Mackenzie, it's Jessica. Don't hang up. I just have two questions."
"How did you... Never mind, go ahead."
"I know the contracts between artists and the company are all unfair. My share of the earnings is usually only twenty percent after taxes, with you and the studio taking twenty percent, and Star Entertainment taking sixty percent. Who set this clause?"
"The company did."
"Do all artists have the same terms as me?"
"No, yours is indeed lower."
"So not only are my earnings and ad fees low, but the finance department often delays payments. Even now, as I'm just starting to gain fame, I've been exploited by Star Entertainment for years. And in the next two years, during my career peak, I'll continue to be used and exploited, right?"
"I understand. Take care of yourself," Jessica said, hanging up after receiving a silent but certain confirmation from Mackenzie.
Seeing Jessica fall into a long silence after putting down the phone, Zoey didn't dare to speak for a long time.
A silver-gray business car was parked in front of the Harriman Group office building.
Michael, leaning on a cane, walked out with an elderly businessman, chatting and laughing. After a few more words, the two old men said their goodbyes and got into their respective cars.
"Are we heading back to the Harriman family?" Fred asked, not letting the driver start the car immediately but looking back at Michael.
Michael rarely went out, but he had heard that an old friend who had moved abroad decades ago had returned and was collaborating with the Harriman Group. So, Michael had come to the company today.
"Not yet," Michael said, his eyes bright as he looked east. "Where did we go to find Nicholas the other day? Blue Bay Apartments, right?"
With that, Michael slowly got out of the car with his cane. "It's been five or six years since I last walked around near the company. The apartments and buildings around here are all new. This environment, these buildings, it's all for the young people now. The weather is nice today, so I'll take a walk. You don't need to follow me."
Though he said they didn't need to follow, they couldn't really let him go alone. Michael, despite his vigor, was still old, and a fall could be disastrous.
Fred instructed the driver to drive slowly along the road, keeping a distance from Michael but ensuring he could get back in the car to rest if he got tired.
Michael walked and stopped, looking around the area. As he walked, he got closer to Blue Bay Apartments. Feeling tired, he was about to sit on the edge of a flower bed to rest. He wasn't in a hurry to return to the Harriman family, as he was usually alone at home with Fred, feeling quite bored.
"Grandpa, are you okay? Is your leg hurting?"
Suddenly, a cute, clear voice sounded nearby.
Michael paused before sitting down and turned to see a little girl in a pink sweater looking at him with big, concerned eyes.
"Mommy says the edges of flower beds are made of tiles and are very cold. Sitting on them will freeze your butt and give you a stomachache if you sit too long. It's best not to sit there!" The little girl said seriously, looking up at Michael. She then reached out her chubby little hand to hold his cane. "Grandpa, where are you going? If you can't walk anymore, Caroline and I can help you find another place to sit! It's too cold here; you'll freeze your butt!"
