Chapter 288
Chapter 288:
He stiffened. “Don’t call me that. I’m just Sebastian here p>
“Names carry weight,” Skye said. “Even the ones we try to drop p>
She pushed off the wall and walked toward him. She held out a manila folder.
“What is this?” he asked, not taking it.
“Your freedom,” Skye said.
Sebastian frowned. He reached out and took the folder, opening it in the dim light. His eyes scanned the documents inside.
“It’s… my contract,” he said. “The slave clause p>
“Dominic has you locked in for ten years,” Skye recited from memory. “No solo debut. Ninety percent of your income goes to the agency. A five-million-dollar penalty for early termination. He designed it so you would never leave, never succeed p>
Sebastian laughed bitterly. He slammed the folder shut. “I know what it says. Why are you showing me this? To rub it in p>
“No,” Skye said. “To offer you a buyout p>
Sebastian stared at her. “You’re the bankrupt ex-wife of Liam Kensington. Everyone knows your story. Where does a bankrupt socialite get five million dollars p>
Skye smiled. It was the smile of The Oracle—mysterious, knowing, and dangerous.
“Look deeper in the folder,” she instructed.
Sebastian hesitated, then flipped past the contract pages. Tucked into the back pocket was a cashier’s check. It was a certified bank draft, heavy and official, made out to Vance Media for the exact amount of the penalty clause.
His eyes widened. He looked from the check to her face, reevaluating everything. “Who are you?” he whispered.
“I’m the person who is going to burn Dominic’s empire down,” Skye said. “And I want you to hold the matches p>
She tapped the folder. “My backers have set up a holding company. We are acquiring assets. You are the asset we want p>
“What’s the catch?” Sebastian asked immediately. “People like you don’t give away millions for nothing p>
“There’s one condition,” Skye said. “You take the other four talented boys from your group—the ones Dominic ignores. We form a new group. Under a new label managed by my investors p>
“You’re recruiting me for a rival agency p>
і𝖿 y𝘰𝗎 𝘴ее 𝘵𝗵𝘪𝘴 n𝗈v𝗲𝗅 on а𝘯𝘆 ѕ𝘪𝗍e o𝘁h𝗲𝗿 𝗍𝗵𝗮ո b𝘦𝗅ո𝗈𝗏el𝗌.соm 𝗶𝗍 іs a 𝘤𝘰𝗽𝘺
“I’m recruiting you for a revolution,” Skye corrected. “And the best way to crush Vance Media is to take their best asset—you—and make you a star somewhere else p>
Sebastian looked out at the city. He looked at the Vance Media logo glowing on the billboard across the street. He hated this place. He hated his brother.
He looked back at Skye. He extended his hand.
“Deal,” he said.
Skye took his hand. His grip was firm, rough with calluses from hours of practice.
“Deal,” she said.
In the shadows near the stairwell door, a tiny red light blinked. A shutter clicked silently. Neither of them heard it.
The next morning, the cafeteria was buzzing with the usual low-level anxiety of hungry trainees. Skye sat alone at a corner table, picking at a bowl of oatmeal.
Crystal, a friend of Whitney’s with sharp eyes and a sharper tongue, slammed her tray down on the table next to Skye.
Sebastian was eating with his group.
“So,” Crystal said loudly, her voice carrying across the room. “What were you doing on the roof with the Princess last night p>
The cafeteria went quiet.