“I’m all for it!” Teddy responded without hesitation, sitting up straight like an

overexcited puppy.

But the next second, his enthusiasm waned, and he slouched, looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.

“I’d love to, but I can’t just leave. The company signed us on three-year contracts.

If I breach it, I’ll have to pay a huge penalty, and I can’t afford it.”

That was what Lila wanted to clarify. “How much is the penalty?”

He pursed his lips. “Two million.”

He remembered the number clearly. It was the closest he had ever been to that much money—not as earnings, but as a liability.

She nodded. “What about Jamie? Is it the same for her?”

“What are you two talking about? What about me?” Jamie joined them as soon as her scene wrapped.

Teddy explained, “We’re discussing the penalty for breaching our contracts with Nexus Entertainment. Yours is probably two million, too, right?”

She shook her head indifferently. “Nope, three million.”

“What?” He shot up from his seat. “We’re both newcomers! Why are you worth more than me?”

While engrossed in their conversation, they failed to notice Dorian passing by with Oliver. Upon hearing them discuss penalty fees, he let out a mocking laugh.

The three turned to look at him, their expressions darkening instantly.

This time, Dorian didn’t say anything. He gave Lila a cold glance, his silence signaling that she had gone too far this time and that he wouldn’t show her any more leniency.

He knew she wouldn’t easily abandon the two newcomers under her care, and he was confident she couldn’t possibly come up with the exorbitant penalty fees.

He was forcing her to bow her head. A sneer played on his lips. This was just the beginning.

Jamie scowled and deliberately spoke loud enough for him to hear. “What’s that jerk so smug about?”

Dorian halted for a moment, his face turning even darker. Clearly, Lila hadn’t told them about the canceled appearances.

“Idiots, let’s see how long you can keep that arrogance!” he thought.

Oliver, trailing cautiously behind him, spoke with a nervous deference. “Mr. Blake, the person in charge of the project has been urging Ms. Hart to join. How should we respond to that?”

The question only irritated Dorian further. He shot Oliver a displeased glance. “Didn’t we agree that her contract time isn’t up yet? Tell them to wait and contact Mr. Lane as soon as possible.”

He wanted to capitalize on the buzz from his recent international award win and wrap this up quickly.

Oliver hesitated and then added, “By the way, the business collaboration we discussed with Tigermount Pictures-they’ve decided not to proceed for now.”

“They’re pulling out?” Dorian’s brow furrowed slightly.

After a pause, he waved dismissively. “Tigermount Pictures’s just a small company. How dare they ghost us? Reject all their future proposals outright.”

Consumed with his schemes against Lila, he didn’t realize that he had already lost several deals over the past weeks, some minor but others significant.

Jamie snorted and turned back to Lila and Teddy. “So, about those penalty fees. Are you planning to leave Nexus Entertainment?”

Teddy nodded and looked at her, puzzled. There was a hint of excitement in her eyes that he couldn’t quite understand.

Seriously? Wasn’t Jamie supposed to be the sharp one? Couldn’t she see they couldn’t possibly afford to pay up?

“Two million for me and three million for you. Even if they sold me piece by piece, I couldn’t cover your penalty!” He tugged on her sleeve, trying to snap her out of her unrealistic thinking.

However, she didn’t seem the least bit worried. “Don’t talk about illegal stuff. Let’s discuss something else, okay?”

“How can you even think about something else right now?” He was exasperated. He was at his wit’s end!

Should he sell himself to free Jamie from her contract?

She ignored him, flashing a sweet smile at Lila. She sat obediently beside her.

“Ms. Hart, since you and Dorian have completely fallen out and you’re single now, I want to introduce my brother to you. Let’s show that scumbag what he’s really worth!”