"Oh god, did Young Master just eat a slice of pizza?"
"He’s even drinking soda!"
I could hear the housemaids whispering as Lando and I sat in the dining room. He held my contract in one hand, while the other casually held the pizza I’d given him.
Why were they so shocked just because he ate junk food and soda? Had he really never eaten things like this before?
Thinking about it again ... maybe not. With all the chefs in this house, he probably only ate ho-cooked als instead of processed food. Still, he went out often. Who knew what he usually ate out there, right?
"They’re paying you $20,000?" Lando’s deep voice pulled out of my thoughts.
I quickly nodded. "Yes! They’ll send half of it as a down paynt tomorrow, and the rest after I finish my job." I hesitated for a second before lowering my voice. "Do you think ... that’s too much for ?"
Lando placed the file down and pushed it to the side of the table where no food could touch it. "Too much? That’s actually way too little for you."
I blinked at him, tilting my head as I chewed my pizza. "Mr. Brixton, I’m just a rookie. That pay is already way higher than what most beginners get."
"I know you’re a rookie, but that doesn’t matter." He set his phone down, showing one of my audition photos I had sent him. Honestly, it was supposed to be private, but since he was my husband, I thought it was fine.
"You have the skill of a professional model." Lando tapped the screen a few tis to zoom in on my photo. "You didn’t strike this pose randomly, you paid attention to every detail, and that’s what made the whole shot stunning."
I ignored everything else and clung to just one word. "So ... you think I’m stunning?"
Lando pressed his lips into a thin line, staring at for a long mont before saying, "Yes. Your photoshoot is stunning." He cleared his throat. "But that’s not what I was trying to say."
I smiled widely at him, feeling satisfied even though he said he hadn’t ant to complint . "Then, what did you want to say?"
Lando leaned back in his chair, his long fingers tapping the table as if he was thinking carefully. "What I an is ... don’t underestimate yourself. That company is lucky to have you."
I leaned forward and asked, "So ... let’s say you were the CEO of the company that wanted to hire . How much would you pay based on this photoshoot?"
Lando’s eyes locked on mine, serious as always. "At least thirty-five grand, since this campaign will probably run for months." He paused, then added calmly, "If you were chosen as the face of the product, I’d pay you around sixty grand."
My mouth fell open. That ... that was the exact amount I used to earn back when I worked in the entertainnt industry for over four years!
Well, it actually made sense. My skills hadn’t disappeared just because my soul ended up in the body of a rookie. But most companies cared more about a celebrity’s background than the actual talent they had to offer.
"That’s way too high!" I clapped my hands in excitent, unable to hold it in. "Maybe I should just go to a company where you’re the CEO!"
Lando almost choked on the soda he was drinking, probably because I had touched on his real job, sothing he was clearly trying to keep hidden.
I quickly poured so mineral water into a glass when he couldn’t stop coughing and pushed it toward him. He took it, drank in silence, and only after the coughs subsided did he clear his throat, trying to change the subject. "Do you already have an agent? Or a manager?"
I shook my head. "No, I’m handling everything on my own right now. Since this is my first job, I don’t think it’s that big of a problem."
Lando dabbed the corner of his lips with a handkerchief before speaking again. "First job or not, you still need a manager." He paused for a mont, his gaze lingering on . "You have a lot of potential, far more than you realize. It’s better to be prepared from the start, and besides, a manager can help you go through contracts and filter your offers."
I pressed my lips together, my fingers curling into a fist under the table. "Ah ... but I actually like reading my own contracts."
The last ti I trusted my manager to handle all my contracts, I ended up trapped in a porn film shoot. So it’s been hard for to trust anyone to take on that role again.
"It’s smart to read your own contracts carefully, but a manager can still do a lot for you," Lando said. "Ms. Orszebet, this industry isn’t easy to face alone. Having soone to guide you would make a big difference."
He paused for a mont before continuing, his voice softer this ti. "If you don’t know where to start, let help you. I ... have a connection who’s very skilled in this field, and I can promise you this person can be trusted."
I couldn’t help but think that connection was most likely him. After all, as the founder of ZENTRA dia, Lando had more influence and connections in the entertainnt world than anyone I knew.
Maybe ... if he was the one choosing a manager for , that person wouldn’t turn out to be as rotten as my forr one.
Still, if I had a manager, I would also need to spend money to pay their salary. With such a heavy debt hanging over my head, that would beco a huge burden.
A manager usually takes around 10%–20% commission. It might not sound like much, but for soone like —whose inco isn’t steady and who’s already drowning in debt—it would hurt my pocket more than anyone could imagine.
But how could I say no to Lando? He looked so determined, so genuine in the way he wanted to help .
I hesitated, biting on my bottom lip. "But the fee ... it’s still money. I don’t think I can handle any extra expenses right now."
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