Silence filled the room.
Adelyn’s eyes scanned through the papers once again. Although the terms and conditions ntioned in it were the sa as those she signed in the Deal mo, the difference was stark.
The stakes were clear.
No banner.
No resources.
No backing.
All of it only increased the level of difficulty for her.
But difficulties like these doesn’t scare her —they just simply co like the challenges she wants to overco.
Overco not to prove anything to anyone, but to satisfy herself.
The sa spark of confidence lit in her eyes, and she raised her gaze back to Freya.
"Sister Freya, I —"
Before she could speak further, an uninvited knock sounded at the door, visibly making Freya frown.
She exchanged a gaze with Alia, and before Alia could even take a step toward the door, the person outside pushed it open to invite himself in shalessly.
"Freya Finn, long ti no see!"
Freya’s brows furrowed deeper. She didn’t rise from her seat to greet him, nor did she make any effort to appear polite.
"Evening, Manager Thatcher. May I know what brings you here?"
Corrin stared at her with a smug smile curving the corner of his lips.
"What do you think could bring here?"
"Ti is too valuable. I don’t think either of us has enough to play the guessing gas," Freya said flatly, her intent not to entertain him clear in both her face and her tone.
Corrin looked at her and smirked. "Really?"
His gaze darted toward Adelyn.
"Oh yes, I heard you finally managed to sign an artiste under you. But how successful that will be ... that’s sothing we both know, don’t we?"
His words carried a taunt — one ant not only to discourage Freya, but also to warn her new artiste.
However, Adelyn didn’t react.
She didn’t even turn to glance at him.
Alia, however, was imdiately offended —especially because it was Corrin Thatcher.
Her fingers curled into fists, and she stepped forward, blocking Adelyn from his line of sight.
"Aren’t we too unfortunate, Freya?" she taunted back, staring right at Thatcher’s face. "We are learning about our future from soone whose future is built on feeding on other’s. A man who carries nothing but the legacy full of stealing with his na —stealing not just the share of money from his artistes, but also the talents of his peers."
Corrin’s expression hardened imdiately. His brows drew tight as he glared at her.
"Say that again?"
"Why?" Alia tilted her head, unfazed at his threat. Didn’t I speak clearly enough the first ti, Manager Thatcher?"
"You —"
He pointed, almost losing his temper. But when he caught himself, he scoffed and dismissed her.
"I won’t argue with you because I know sour grapes will never turn sweet for you."
"Even if they don’t," Alia gritted out, her fingers clenching into fists, "I won’t think of stealing yours like you stole Freya’s artistes."
Corrin felt his patience thinning. However, he couldn’t bring himself to argue further.
He had taken advantage of Freya’s misfortune back then and taken away all the talents she grood under her expertise.
But was he wrong?
He didn’t believe so. After all, everyone sought growth. And her misfortune had simply been his opportunity.
"Alia, that’s enough," Freya intervened, knowing that if she didn’t, things would escalate sowhere dangerous. She didn’t care about herself, but Alia ... she didn’t want her to get implicated in any wrong way.
Alia didn’t say another word. But she didn’t step away either. She stood like a shield in front of Adelyn, as if trying to hide her from Thatcher.
She wouldn’t let him to steal their flicker of hope.
Thatcher, however, had a mission. He wasn’t there just to taunt —he wanted to see whether Freya had found soone worthy of becoming his new opportunity.
He shifted on his feet to steal a glance, but just as he did, Alia moved and blocked his line of sight again.
He stared at her, frowning, but she only offered him a forced smile —as though telling him he wouldn’t succeed under her watch.
But Corrin was on another level when it ca to shalessness.
He stepped forward and pushed Alia aside.
The movent was abrupt. Unnecessary. Deliberate.
Alia staggered half a step —more from shock than force.
"You —" she snapped, but before she could continue, Freya spoke.
Her tone was no longer polite, but rather burning with intensity.
Her people were her bottom line. And Alia was certainly included in that.
"What kind of behavior is this, Thatcher?" she asked, standing up with both hands pressed against her desk. "If you have forgotten, this is my office."
Adelyn was quietly taken aback. Freya’s outburst like that surprised her slightly. Her brows lifted as she watched her closely with interest.
She might not have fully understood her character before, but this reaction made her realize sothing important about her.
Her lips curved up in knowing —and she didn’t bother to hide it.
Corrin flinched for a second. But recovering quickly, he cleared his throat.
"Don’t get wrong, Freya. I am just here out of goodwill. After all, I can’t let you dupe soone."
As he said that, his gaze returned to Adelyn.
Freya watched him, her gaze sharp enough to pierce one’s bones.
"I heard people in the company saying you found a newbie —soone for whom you nearly fought the company to death for. That alone was enough to tell how deserving she must be."
"You can leave now, Corrin," Freya said calmly.
But her eyes were anything but calm. She was on the verge of losing her patience —not because Corrin was a threat to her, but because he had crossed a line she could not tolerate.
Corrin, however, was too shaless to care. Ignoring her words, he stepped forward and faced Adelyn.
"You must be the excellent talent Manager Finn discovered this ti," he said, extending his hand for a handshake. "Hello, I am Corrin Thatcher. I am sure you must have heard about ."
He sounded ... far too confident.
And for so other reasons, Adelyn didn’t like it.
She looked at his extended hand, but even after a long mont, she made no move to acknowledge it.
"Hello," he said again. "Don’t tell you got a hearing impairnt."
That could be one possibility, he thought of. After all, no talented person in their right mind would agree to sign under Freya Finn —not after knowing her previous scandals.
"A hearing impairnt?" Adelyn repeated slowly, finally turning to look at him. "Is that how you usually mistake soone’s deliberate silence for incapacity?"
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