Chapter 111: Being a Kept Man Feels Pretty Good

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Being a Kept Man Feels Pretty Good

The director was now looking at Sienna Everett as if he were gazing upon a shining patron.

’I have to say,’ he thought, ’this patron is amazing!’

’She doesn’t try to run the show, doesn’t demand we rig the results, and she’s fair and impartial!’

The director quickly brought over a chair and invited his patron to sit.

The five-member boy band standing nearby had been stunned when they saw Sienna Everett walk in. Now, finally snapping out of it, they excitedly rushed over to her.

"SG, hello! We’re huge fans! We absolutely love your compositions and hope we can work with you someday!"

"SG, thank you! We don’t have to be the pre-picked winners anymore!"

When Sienna heard that last sentence, she found the boy band rather interesting.

The youngest member of the group whispered to the one beside him, "Leader, our contract with Everett Entertainment is almost up. Do you think we could find a way to sign with Sovereign? That’s the only way we’d get a chance to work with SG..."

Sienna raised an eyebrow. "You want to switch companies?"

The five-member boy band nodded vigorously.

Sienna glanced at Keith Sterling, who was standing off to the side.

Keith Sterling was floored. Not only had Sierra invested in the show and become its largest backer just to crash Mason Everett’s party, but she was now using her influence as SG to poach his most promising artists right on the spot. This was pulling the rug out from under him, plain and simple.

’Sierra is really on a roll today, and she’s going out of her way to target the Everetts...’

Keith Sterling loved to gossip and knew plenty about the entertainment world. This boy band was known for being refreshingly blunt, good-natured, and had the potential to make it big.

Keith Sterling gave them a grand wave. "Come here!"

Seeing this, the veins on Mason Everett’s forehead bulged in anger. He glared darkly at the boy band. "You want to switch companies? You’re not renewing your contract with Everett Entertainment?"

The oldest member of the boy band spoke up. "Sorry, President Everett, but our principles really don’t align with Everett Entertainment’s..."

The whole incident with rigging first place just now had been excruciating for them.

’Besides, if they went to Sovereign Entertainment, they’d be at the same company as SG. That was the dream!’

Mason Everett, a man of some age and experience, was typically composed. But now, he was seething, his jaw clenched tight.

’He simply couldn’t afford to invest more money to outbid Sienna Everett right now.’

’The Everett family’s situation was already dire.’

And yet, in the span of a single evening, both the Everett family’s fashion brand and entertainment company had suffered one blow after another.

’The boy band was being poached. While there were other artists at the company, none of them were close to making it big. It would take massive resources and time to make them famous.’

’Mason considered promoting Shannon Everett, but her public image was in the gutter. She couldn’t bring the company any significant profit in the short term.’

What Mason cared about most right now was the family’s fashion brand. It had suddenly been expelled from the Valenti Fashion Association and sanctioned by the entire industry.

’It felt like someone was retaliating against them.’

’But... he still had an ace up his sleeve: Kian.’

’If he could get Kian on his side, Kian’s influence and talent could surely bring the Everett fashion brand back from the dead.’

’Kian... was likely his last hope.’

...

「Veridian Gardens, in the study.」

Julian Forrester finished his work. Outside, the night was already deep.

He raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, leaning back in his chair. The line of his prominent Adam’s apple was strikingly alluring, but under the study’s pale light, his expression was a mask of indifference and weariness.

In the silence, his phone chimed with a message from Samuel Sutton:

[Mr. Forrester, you and Miss Everett were at the amusement park today. A passerby took a photo and posted it online, and it started trending.]

Julian Forrester frowned.

He went online to check. The trending topics were all filled with negative news about Mason Everett and the Everett family; there were no photos of him and Sienna Everett.

Just then, Keith Sterling burst through the door, his eyes still shining with excitement. "Bro, I have huge news!"

Julian Forrester set his phone down. "What is it?"

So excited he was almost incoherent, Keith Sterling recounted the whole story: how Mason Everett had tried to use the photos as a diversion, how Sienna Everett had paid to take down the trending topic, and then how she had thrown down a ton of money to become the show’s biggest investor and brazenly poach artists from Everett Entertainment.

Keith speculated animatedly, "Bro, you think my sister-in-law was sticking up for you? Getting revenge on your behalf?"

Hearing this, the weariness in Julian Forrester’s expression melted away.

’Sienna has always been fiercely protective of her own, even as a child.’

Keith Sterling paced back and forth in the study, rubbing his chin. "You know, I overheard our sister-in-law on the phone earlier... she mentioned something about the Valenti Fashion Association, but she walked off and I couldn’t hear the rest. Do you think it has something to do with the Everett’s fashion brand?"

"I mean, I know Sienna can’t stand the Everetts, but usually she just keeps them at arm’s length—out of sight, out of mind. Today, though, she went on the offensive, picking a direct fight. It’s like she wants to drive them into bankruptcy..."

’It must be her way of getting even for him, right?’

Julian Forrester remained silent.

Keith couldn’t resist leaning in closer. "Bro, what’s going through your head? C’mon, tell me!"

Julian Forrester raised a brow, his long fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "The feeling of being a kept man... it’s not bad at all."

Keith: "???"

’What the hell did I just hear?!’

Keith Sterling was so shocked he felt like he was about to have an aneurysm. He seriously wondered if he was hearing things.

’Alright, it’s late. I’m just going to go home and go to sleep. I don’t need to stay here and be the third wheel to this sappy romance!’

...

In her bedroom, Sienna was wearing a sheet mask when there was a knock on the door.

She ran to open it.

Julian Forrester was standing outside. When she opened the door, he paused for a moment at the sight of her sheet mask, then let out a low chuckle.

Sienna patted the mask on her face. "Stop laughing. Hang on a sec."

With that, she ran back to her computer to finish what she’d been working on.

Honoring her request, Julian said nothing more. He leaned lazily against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, his dark gaze fixed on her.

She was dressed in a set of loose-fitting loungewear, her hair tied up in a fluffy bun, making her look incredibly soft and cute.

’So cute he just wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her.’

No one spoke for a moment. In the quiet room, the only sound was the soft clicking of Sienna’s fingers on the keyboard.

A moment later, Sienna finished her work, stood up, and stretched. After closing her laptop, she turned to face him. She was about to speak when she met his dark, intense gaze.

’It seemed he had been watching her this whole time, without looking away.’

Sienna’s heart skipped a beat. She hastily peeled the mask from her face. "Did you need something?"

Julian Forrester’s gaze fell on her now dewy, fair skin. He raised an eyebrow, strode over to her, and said in a casual tone, "There’s something I need to clarify with you."

Sienna blinked. "Huh? What is it?"