Chapter 294 Carry You Up
Cherry raised an eyebrow. "Any questions?"
"Yeah, how many artists do you manage, and who are they?" Jessica asked.
"Not many. Including you, just three. The other two are pretty famous too. One's filming in S City, and the other's prepping for a concert. Their gigs don't clash with yours. But you've been getting a ton of offers lately, more than you can handle. As they say, 'Don't let good resources go to waste.' It's smart to pass on what you can't take."
"Really?" Jessica arched an eyebrow. "I only have four endorsement deals right now, with seven or eight more offers. Top-tier artists juggle ten to twenty endorsements without a hitch. How can you be sure I can't handle these? 'Sweet Ferris Wheel' isn't even finalized yet, and filming wraps in a month. Modern dramas aren't that tough. I can always squeeze in an ad shoot. I don't think I'm incapable of managing these."
Cherry's polite smile faded.
She stared at Jessica, noting that while Jessica didn't look upset, she clearly wasn't someone who'd easily go along with things.
Cherry suddenly smiled again. "This is just a preliminary contract. It outlines adjustments and arrangements for future situations."
"Let's wait until those situations arise and discuss the resources and brand requirements then. No need to sign anything now." Jessica didn't even reach for the pen.
"Jessica," Cherry said pointedly, "starting today, I'm your manager. I hope you'll cooperate."
"Of course, I'll cooperate. But the company signed me three years ago, and I don't see the need for a new contract. I still have two years left with Star Entertainment. I'll fully cooperate with the company's plans. I hope you, Ms. Wallace, will do your best as my manager. We all get what we need from work, and our private lives stay separate."
With that, Jessica didn't give her a chance to respond. She took the script Zoey handed her. "I have a scene to shoot and need a quiet space to study the script. Ms. Wallace, you drove here, right? Please return to your car. After today's shoot, if there's anything else, we can talk then."
Cherry paused, her face darkening as she grabbed the contract and quickly left the car.
It was clear Jessica's lack of cooperation had ticked her off.
The bodyguard closed the door, and the car fell silent. Jessica took the script and sat on the sofa, with Zoey beside her.
Zoey, who had been holding back, finally let it out. "What kind of manager is she? Doesn't she know her job? Mackenzie might not have had a ton of resources, but she managed everything perfectly as you got more popular. Every opportunity she set up was beneficial, and she never pissed off any sponsors. But this Cherry, with her attitude, is gonna offend all the advertisers. A manager's supposed to arrange resources for their artists, not redistribute them. It's like she's blatantly exploiting you. Does she think you're that easy to push around?"
Jessica opened the script and said calmly, "I can't contact Mackenzie right now to avoid causing her trouble with the company. Check on her when you have time."
Zoey nodded, though she felt it was unrealistic, and asked, "Can we really not work with Mackenzie anymore?"
Jessica didn't answer.
She just looked down at the script without saying another word.
Zoey didn't dare to ask further.
That evening, after Jessica finished filming, she didn't drive. The filming location was close to Blue Bay Apartments, so she planned to call a car to go back. Cherry honked the car horn and offered to drive her home.
Knowing Cherry wanted to talk, Jessica didn't refuse.
Sitting in Cherry's purple-pink decorated Porsche 911, Jessica held her phone, occasionally responding to Gabriel's messages but mostly not paying much attention.
Gabriel: [When are you planning to move to the thirty-second floor?]
Jessica: [In a few days. Danielle's room still needs a crib, and I need to prepare some things. Just wait a bit longer.]
Gabriel: [What have you been preparing all these days?]
Jessica: [It's a secret! (smirk)]
Gabriel: [I'll give you five more days. If you don't want to scare the housekeeper, I might just carry you upstairs in the middle of the night.]
Cherry, driving, suddenly asked, "So you live in Blue Bay Apartments. The rent there is pretty high. When did you move in? Based on your previous income, you shouldn't be able to afford it."
"I've been living there for quite a while. I don't know about the rent since I haven't paid it," Jessica replied, looking at her phone.
Before Jessica could respond, Gabriel sent another message.
Gabriel: [Don't think about changing the password. Do you really think a password can stop me?]
"What do you mean you haven't paid rent?" Cherry asked, puzzled.
"It means the landlord is my boyfriend," Jessica answered calmly.
Cherry abruptly hit the brakes and turned to her. "You have a boyfriend? You know the company's rules for artists! There have been rumors about you online recently, and there's still no clear explanation about your relationship with Mr. Chloe from Four Seas Entertainment. Oh, and I've heard some rumors about you and Mr. Harriman . But those are just rumors. I doubt you have the ability to get involved with someone like Harriman. I don't care what methods you're using to climb up, but I advise you to keep your private life clean and not bring any scandals to me!"
