Chapter 305
Chapter 305:
Liam was sitting in his car across the street, watching the entrance. He saw Skye come out, flanked by Alistair’s bodyguards. He saw her smile at Alistair as she got into his car.
Liam punched the steering wheel. The leather cracked under his fist.
He picked up his phone and dialed his lawyer.
“Investigate Alistair Thorne,” Liam said, his voice thick with hate. “Dig up every skeleton. Every illegal deal. I don’t care what it costs. I want him in prison p>
“Sir,” the lawyer hesitated. “Thorne is dangerous p>
“So am I,” Liam whispered. “I have nothing left to lose p>
The next morning, the sun rose over a city already buzzing with the news of the attack. But inside the glass-walled conference room of Vance Media, the mood was funereal.
Julian Vance sat at the head of the table, coughing into a handkerchief. He looked paler than usual, his frail frame almost swallowed by his suit.
Dominic paced the length of the room, furious. “How did she spin this? How is she the hero? She was attacked by our former employee, and yet the headlines are all ‘Skye Sterling: The Unbreakable Star p>
“People love a survivor, Dominic,” Julian said softly.
The door opened. Sebastian Thorne walked in. Behind him were thirty other trainees, the entire core group of the upcoming debut project. They weren’t wearing their practice gear. They were wearing street clothes.
They carried boxes.
Dominic stopped pacing. “What is this? Why aren’t you in the studio p>
Sebastian stepped forward and placed a stack of papers on the table.
“We quit,” Sebastian said.
Dominic stared at him. Then he laughed. It was a harsh, barking sound. “You quit? You can’t quit. You have contracts. Ironclad contracts. If you walk out that door, I will sue you for every penny you will ever make p>
“Actually,” a new voice said from the doorway.
A man in a sharp gray suit entered, carrying a briefcase. “I represent Oracle Holdings p>
Dominic froze. “Oracle p>
The lawyer walked to the table and placed a single document on top of the resignation letters.
ո𝘢𝘃𝗂𝘨𝖺𝗍𝘦 𝗲𝗮ѕ𝘪𝘭𝗒 𝘰𝗇 𝖻𝘦.𝖼𝘰𝗆
“This is a wire transfer confirmation,” the lawyer said. “My client has purchased the buyout clauses for all thirty-one trainees present. The funds, including the penalty fees for early termination, have cleared in the Vance Media corporate account as of 9:00 AM p>
Dominic snatched the paper. He stared at the number.
It was staggering. It was enough to fund the agency for two years.
But it meant losing his talent.
“You can’t just buy people!” Dominic shouted.
“It’s a free market, Mr. Thorne,” the lawyer said with a thin smile. “And your contracts had a buyout clause. We exercised it p>
Dominic whirled on Julian. “Do something! Reject the payment p>
Julian looked at the document. Then he looked at the trainees, who were staring at Dominic with open hatred.
“We need the liquidity, Dominic,” Julian said with a shrug. “The tech-sector losses… this covers them. It’s a good business decision p>
“It’s sabotage!” Dominic roared.
He grabbed Sebastian by the collar. “You ungrateful little brat. I fed you p>
Sebastian knocked Dominic’s hand away. “You starved us. Skye offered us a future p>
“Skye?” Dominic’s eyes bulged. “She’s behind this p>
“She is the Boss,” Sebastian said with a smirk. “See you on the charts, brother p>
Sebastian turned and walked out. The trainees followed him, a mass exodus that left the room feeling empty and cold.