Chapter 127: Going After Mason Everett

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Going After Mason Everett

Keith Sterling stopped mid-sentence.

Evan Shelby strolled back, his hands in his pockets. His blue eyes held a mischievous smile. "What about me? Go on, say it."

Keith Sterling scoffed. "Hah."

Evan deliberately teased him. "Haha."

Keith, refusing to be outdone, retorted, "Hahaha!"

Sienna Everett: "..."

’How childish?’

’How boring?’

By noon, the three of them were having lunch at a nearby restaurant.

After lunch, just as they were leaving the private room, Evan Shelby got a call. It was from home, and it wasn’t a conversation that could be wrapped up in a minute or two.

Evan gestured to Sienna Everett, indicating he needed to step aside to take the call.

Sienna waved him on, telling him to take his time. She and Keith Sterling would wait for him.

After Evan Shelby walked away, Sienna Everett and Keith Sterling prepared to return to the private room to wait for him.

Sienna took a couple of steps before realizing Keith was still standing at the door to the room, his eyes fixed on the left end of the hallway.

"What’s wrong?" Sienna asked suspiciously.

"I see a senior from the industry," Keith Sterling said, gesturing with his hand in that direction.

Sienna followed his gaze and saw a thin, elderly man in the hallway who looked somewhat listless.

The man’s hair was half-white, and time had carved wrinkles into his face, yet his eyes remained clear and bright, radiating a scholarly aura.

Sienna recognized him at a glance. He was a famous veteran actor in the entertainment industry named Roger Shields. He had won a lifetime achievement award and was a highly respected artist.

In Sienna’s memory, the veteran actor had always been full of life, taking roles in excellent film and television productions despite his age.

’Why does he look so drained today?’

Roger Shields was staring at his phone, seemingly reading a message, and didn’t notice the trash can in the hallway. He tripped over it as he walked past.

He stumbled right at the entrance to their private room.

Keith Sterling quickly reached out and steadied him. "Be careful, sir."

Sienna followed up, asking, "Are you all right?"

A fall could be very serious for someone his age.

Roger Shields regained his balance and smiled gratefully. "I’m fine. Thank you."

Sienna breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Mason Everett and Shannon Everett walking toward them.

The moment Mason arrived, he pulled Roger Shields away from Keith Sterling. "Mr. Shields, the room I booked for you is on the third floor. You seem to have found your way to the second."

Roger Shields sighed. "I guess I really can’t fight old age. I can’t even find the right room."

"Not at all, you’re in great spirits." Mason Everett’s expression was stern, and his words were clearly insincere. He then turned to Keith Sterling with a sneer.

"General Manager Sterling of Sovereign Entertainment, Mr. Shields has already agreed to sign with our Everett Entertainment. I’d ask you to refrain from despicable acts like poaching talent behind our backs."

Keith Sterling’s eyes narrowed, his voice turning cold. "Mason Everett, do you think everyone is as shameless as you? I just helped Master Shields up. What are you so afraid of?"

Mason’s brow furrowed. He didn’t respond to Keith, instead giving Sienna Everett a blank look before helping Roger Shields toward the private room on the third floor.

Sienna was completely baffled. "What was that about? What poaching?"

Keith Sterling looked disgusted. "That shameless scoundrel Mason Everett is playing the victim!"

Sienna walked back into the private room and sat down. "Explain. In detail."

The memory just made Keith angry. He sat down in the chair next to her and said, seething, "Master Shields dissolved his personal studio a while back, so I went to visit him and ask if he’d be willing to sign with Sovereign Entertainment."

"For one thing, Master Shields is a highly respected artist in the industry with a lifetime achievement award. If he signed with Sovereign Entertainment, it would be a huge boon for us. He’d be like a stabilizing force."

"For another, his acting is superb and he has so much experience. If he just spent one hour a week teaching our company’s younger generation, they would benefit immensely."

Sienna looked Keith Sterling up and down, genuinely impressed. "Not bad, Sterling. Who said you’re just some rich playboy who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun? This shows you’ve got a good head on your shoulders and are thinking about the company."

A corner of Keith’s lips curled up in a rakish grin. "I’ve got plenty of skills! Most people just don’t know it!"

Sienna’s eyes shifted slightly as she guessed, "Based on what Mason Everett just said, it looks like you didn’t manage to sign Master Shields?"

The more Keith thought about it, the angrier he got. "You have no idea, sister-in-law. I had already reached an agreement with Master Shields. He’d consented to sign with Sovereign Entertainment, but then Mason Everett showed up out of nowhere and poached him from right under my nose."

"As for Mason, the only reason he wants to sign Roger Shields to Everett Entertainment is to use Master Shields’s reputation to boost his own company’s. He’s playing his cards well."

Sienna was a bit puzzled. "What kind of offer did Mason make for Master Shields to change his mind at the last minute?"

Keith sighed. "Sister-in-law, did you notice that Master Shields seemed a bit down earlier? It’s because his wife was hospitalized. She was diagnosed with cancer and doesn’t have much time left."

Sienna frowned.

’Parting through death is the one thing people have no control over.’

Keith continued, "Mrs. Shields used to adore a gown from G.Y. She always wanted to buy it, but that gown was personally designed and handmade by Kian. It’s one-of-a-kind, only for display, not for sale. No matter how much she loved it, she could never have it, and it’s always been a source of great regret for her."

"So now, with Shannon Everett being hailed as some ’new genius designer,’ she’s drawn up a design for Mrs. Shields, claiming she can create a gown similar to Kian’s to soothe Mrs. Shields’s greatest regret."

Sienna Everett: "..."

’Shannon drew a design for Mrs. Shields?’

’She’s just stealing one of my old designs again.’

Keith said, "Master Shields and Mrs. Shields are very devoted to each other. As soon as he heard that Shannon could fulfill his wife’s greatest wish and let her wear the gown she’s always dreamed of before she passes away from cancer, he changed his mind on the spot and agreed to sign with Mason."

Sienna’s rosy lips curved into a slight smile, her eyes glittering. "Even if Shannon Everett designs a similar one, it’s still not the one Mrs. Shields truly wants."

Keith Sterling shrugged. "There’s nothing to be done. Kian’s piece is for display only, not for sale. Mrs. Shields is happy enough that Shannon can design something similar."

Keith didn’t blame Roger Shields for changing his mind. After all, he and his wife were deeply in love; it was understandable that he would do anything to fulfill her greatest regret before she died.

Actually, after learning that Sienna Everett was Kian, Keith had considered asking her if the gown was for sale. He figured he could just buy it, even at a high price, and give it to Mrs. Shields. That way, he could still sign Master Shields.

But on second thought, he figured Sienna must have her reasons for making it display-only.

Keith chose to respect Sienna’s decision. He didn’t want to use emotional blackmail to force her to sell it.

’Look at me! Where else would you find a younger brother as understanding, dapper, handsome, cute, wise, and mighty as me!’

Just as Keith was shamelessly patting himself on the back, he saw Sienna prop her chin on her hand, striking the pose of a powerful boss looking out for her subordinate. "Don’t worry. Mason Everett will never sign Roger Shields in this lifetime."

Keith froze, then swallowed hard. "Sister-in-law," he asked, "I’ve noticed you’ve been targeting Mason Everett a lot lately."

Sienna’s lips, bright and red, curved into a dazzling and defiant smile. "Mason Everett is exactly who I’m targeting."

With that, she stood up coolly. "Let’s go."

Keith scrambled to his feet. "Where are we going, sister-in-law?"