Chapter 215 - Coercion and Temptation

Later on, she discovered that this seemingly petite girl was quite capable. Susan had assisted Theron with various tasks and had a discerning eye for selecting scripts. She wouldn't show just any script to Theron in exchange for money.

Susan glanced in the direction of the training room's entrance, then walked lightly to Laila's side. "Can we talk in a different place? I don't want Theron to hear what I'm about to say."

"Of course." Laila gestured for her to lead the way.

Susan led her into her office.

Thanks to the company having fewer employees, new agents like her could even get an office. This was a luxury not often available in other reputable talent agencies.

Once she confirmed there was no one around, Susan closed the office door and let out a sigh.

"Sorry, BOSS. I just didn't want anyone downstairs to overhear."

"It's alright." Laila sat down across from her, now intrigued by what Susan was about to say. "What do you want to tell me?"

"Before that..." Susan hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "Is it true that you agreed to Charlize's request?"

Laila smiled and asked in return, "Do you think I'm the type to make jokes like that?"

"Of course not!" Susan quickly shook her head. "It's just that, seeing how hard she's been working recently, I was worried..."

Of course, Laila knew what Susan was worried about. It was about her inadvertently making a promise and then withholding the role from Theron, even if she achieved Laila's demands.

"Don't worry, I value Theron highly." Laila didn't elaborate any further. If an agent couldn't understand such a straightforward hint, maybe it was better for her not to continue in this profession.

Susan visibly relaxed. "That's great to hear! That's great to hear!"

She wasn't concerned that Theron wouldn't meet the requirements. Her concern was that the boss might just casually make a promise and then award the role to someone else, which would surely devastate Theron. Now that she had the boss's affirmation, she could let go of that worry. Now, she only worried about one thing.

Seeing Susan's ever-changing expressions, going from pale to red, from happy to dejected, Laila found her quite interesting. She wore her emotions right on her face. Not exactly the approach one would expect from an agent.

"Feel free to speak your mind. Is there something unfair happening within the company?"

"No, it's not that!" Susan furrowed her brows, finally displaying a bit of her tomboyish spirit from outside the company. "It's like this. You've heard of American Express, right?"

Laila nodded. American Express was a global conglomerate providing services to accomplished individuals. Her grandfather, mother, and even she were all high-ranking members of the company. So, how could she not know about it?

"Is there an issue with American Express?" she asked.

Susan hesitated again, then finally said under Laila's pressing gaze, "A few days ago, I received a call from someone who claimed to be from American Express. They hoped that Theron could attend their upcoming annual gathering."

"Oh, that matter. I'm aware of it." Laila's invitation was still lying in a drawer at home. She wasn't particularly interested in such events, so she had no intention of attending.

"Now that you know, you must also know who their annual gathering is meant for, right?"

"Well, it's..." Laila was about to say, then she frowned suddenly. She realized that given Theron's current reputation and income, she wouldn't be invited to the peak-level gathering where the bigwigs gathered. So, why would American Express reach out to her? The reasons were questionable.

"Susan, tell me. What did they say in that call?" She squinted her eyes, feeling a certain revelation.

"They wanted Charlize to attend the gathering and hinted that a powerful figure was interested in her. They hoped she could be friends with this influential person," Susan said with a hint of annoyance. "After I declined, they mentioned that the powerful individual doesn't take kindly to refusals. They even suggested that attending the event could lead to her landing roles in the film industry."

In short, it was a hidden rule of coercion and temptation. Laila was more than familiar with this concept. In her past life, she encountered numerous wealthy individuals willing to "befriend" the beautiful actresses in her crew. At that time, she had no standing, so beyond pretending not to notice, she couldn't do much to intervene.

As a result, she eventually stopped concerning herself with these matters. She let the people below her play however they liked, as long as they didn't create chaos on her set.

However, this life was different. She had a solid foundation and full support from her family. She wanted to test what kind of warning she would receive if she declined such an offer! In her past life, not all actresses succumbed to power and money; they had their ideals and were willing to earn their rewards through hard work.

One incident remained vivid in her memory. During the filming of a TV drama, she discovered a supporting actress among the extras. The girl was beautiful but not frivolous, and she worked diligently on her acting skills.

The girl had once told her with a smile that acting was her lifelong dream, and she was determined to persevere despite any obstacles.

However, she had broken her promise. After a wealthy individual saw her acting in a supporting role on TV and took an interest in being "friends" with her, it began with flowers, followed by jewelry, and countless sweet words.

But the girl refused. The consequence of her refusal was her disappearing from the set overnight. Years later, at a social event, Laila had seen her again, dressed meticulously like a doll but with vacant eyes. She looked like a walking corpse.

Laila later learned that the night the girl disappeared, she had been taken away by a wealthy individual. What happened afterward was anyone's guess.

This incident had a profound impact on Laila in her previous life. That man had openly taken the girl away from her set and shattered the girl's innocent dream. Who had given him the audacity to do such a thing?

If she had any influence she could use, would that person still dare to take such actions?

However, she also couldn't rule out the possibility that some actresses would be willing to find a shortcut to success. Before making her decision, she needed to know Theron's opinion on this matter.

If Theron was willing, then Laila would support her. But if Theron wasn't willing... Laila vowed that no one would be able to use underhanded means to take anyone away from her set again.

"Tell me, Susan. Does Charlize Theron want to accept the invitation?"

Susan widened her eyes. "Of course not! She declined as soon as she heard about it. But she also told me not to report this to the company. She said she didn't want to cause trouble for the company."

Compared to Theron's innocence, Susan felt that Laila should know about this matter. After all, their boss wasn't an ordinary person. Just the fact that she was a rising Hollywood director carried significant influence, let alone the massive backing from Moran Media Group and Morland Fashion.