Hollywood: Behind The SpotLight Chapter 67

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 67

"I said you are the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen in my entire life, without exaggeration. You're better than any woman I've ever known or even imagined, except for my mom and sister, of course."

"That could be taken out of context real fast, do you know that?"

Jennifer snorted and returned to reading the script, one she had read so many tis she could probably recite it backward.

'To be fair, Jennifer is indeed better than any woman I've ever known in terms of loyalty and honesty. At least she's soone I can trust and who doesn't hide her feelings, even when she's being rude. She won't betray like others might. Unfortunately, I have no intention of getting into a relationship with her... I can't handle her strong attitude and chaotic personality.'

Collin stared at the actress a few seconds too long. He had to admit, Jennifer was gorgeous in a fiery, mature way. She was only four years older than him, not exactly a big gap, honestly.

"Please don't stare at like that with your intense eyes. I can't concentrate, and you're ssing up my focus."

Jennifer blushed slightly and raised her script like a shield to block his gaze.

"My fault for admiring the scenery. Ah, I just rembered, I finally found a personal assistant for you. I also found assistants for Lawrence, Wyatt, and Axel to help lighten their loads."

It was sothing he should've done last year when their careers started gaining montum, but Collin had been too busy. More importantly, he needed people he could truly trust with sensitive matters.

Being a personal assistant to a celebrity wasn't a light job. It required complete discretion. Assistants acted as their clients' hands and feet, navigating unpredictable situations, helping in every possible way.

In so cases, an assistant would be the first to witness questionable or even illegal actions, and that ant the person hired had to be trustworthy beyond doubt. So Collin didn't rush. He perford thorough background checks, relied on his instincts, and filtered applicants through multiple rounds of interviews and character assessnts.

After months of searching, he found four solid candidates with professional experience, three males and one female.

Naturally, the female would be assigned to Jennifer to avoid any awkwardness or baseless rumors.

"Really? I'll have an assistant from now on? You're not joking, right? This isn't so sick prank? Stop lying or I'll stab your eye with a high heel, you fucking cunt."

"Do I look like I'm joking with this straight face?"

"...Wow. I can't believe I finally reached the mont where I have my own assistant. Like a real celebrity."

"Don't celebrate just yet. Her salary will be covered by you, not the agency. That ans you need to work hard consistently, because soone else now depends on your inco."

"T-That's kinda scary. Like a huge responsibility dumped in my lap. What if I go broke?"

"You don't need to worry too much. Like I said before, you've got watching your back."

"Collin... If not for your failed past relationship, I might've dragged you to bed and made you my personal toy."

"Why do you keep bringing that up? I regret ever telling you about that story when I was trying to convince you to sign with ."

They bickered like squabbling siblings.

"Anyway, you'll have to pay her an annual salary of $25,000 at the very least. If you can afford to give a bonus, that's even better, it keeps her loyal."

"So... my assistant is a female, just to be clear. Do I pay her directly, or does it go through the agency?"

"That's up to you and how you want to handle it."

Jennifer frowned. $25,000 felt like a lot, especially for soone who once lived off cup noodles for a week while struggling to pay rent. She knew hardship too well.

Luckily, she received a $50,000 bonus from The Accidental Wedding Crashers, her biggest check to date. That was already a life-changing amount for her.

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. Collin might dress like a nobody, but deep down, he was probably rich. As producer of The Accidental Wedding Crashers, he likely made at least a million dollars from that movie.

"Honestly, I should've found assistants for you all a month ago before the schedule got packed. But I needed ti to be absolutely sure they could be trusted."

"What about Lawrence? Isn't he off in so tropical paradise?"

"I gave his assistant a first-class flight to Bora Bora. The production team is handling accommodations and als. It was part of the contract I negotiated."

To avoid rumors or misinterpretations, Collin made sure the male clients had male assistants, and the sole female client, Jennifer, had a female assistant.

Wyatt, as a director, already had an Assistant Director helping him on set, but that was different from a personal assistant managing off-cara life.

"I'll introduce her to you in a few days, once she's fully briefed."

"Shit. You're not helping my anxiety, you're making it worse. Now I really have to take this audition seriously because I've got another mouth to feed."

"This is just the start of your journey to stardom. Once you beco famous, I'll build a full team for you, one that rivals A-listers."

"Eh, that sounds expensive. Can I just share Wyatt's team or sothing?"

"...That could work, but you'd still need to pay your share."

"...Damn. Stardom is brutal."

In fact, Collin was already putting together a team for Wyatt to support him as a rising director. It would take at least half a year to complete.

Directors couldn't operate solo if they wanted to succeed. They needed reliable people to organize and manage the chaos. As an agent, Collin had to ensure his clients lived manageable lives so they could focus on delivering results without burning out.

Collin glanced around and saw Madison still watching him with unreadable eyes.

'Sigh. She's not showing any hostility, but I know she just wants to use .'

He shook his head and dismissed the thought, walking away without a word.

"Where are you going?" Jennifer asked suspiciously as she saw Collin heading for the audition room door with quiet confidence.

"Henry and Wyatt gave permission to watch the auditions from inside."

"...Tch. What a lucky bastard getting VIP access." Jennifer clicked her tongue and pouted.

"Oh, by the way, did you eat anything heavy today? You might need to wear a swimsuit for the stripper scene."

"I didn't eat a damn thing. Not even a bite of bread. You said I should go for the stripper role since I've got the curvy, mature body that fits the character. So I skipped breakfast to keep my stomach flat. I even took a shit... I'm hungry and miserable." She looked like she wanted to cry and scream at the sa ti.

The nearby actresses who overheard the conversation nodded silently in agreent. It seed everyone had resorted to drinking only water to keep their stomachs flat.

'I can relate. I used to be a model surviving on crackers and cucumber slices.'

Collin knew the pain well. Back in his modeling days, appearance was everything. There were days he'd force down a salad or fruit and pretend it was satisfying. He was never allowed to eat until full, or risk losing a gig.

'God, I hated that part with every fiber of my being.'