A Call from Westlake City
The more Dexter Reed looked at Avery Hayes, the more impressed he was.
*This*, he thought, *is what separates the pros from the amateurs.*
She'd only been signed for a short time, but she had already landed two major roles on her own, without any help from the agency.
Hell, she was more capable than some of the professional agents he knew.
He wasn't even thinking about *Bones of Mountains and Rivers* anymore.
No matter how that show turned out, it was bound to do well.
The real ace up her sleeve was the other project: *You Are My Defender*.
Just a few days ago, Diana Marks had brought back the script for the third female lead in that show and given it to another actress at the agency, Leila Norris. Dexter had glanced at it, and the writing was so strong that even a terrible actor couldn't mess it up.
If the script for the *third* lead was that good, what about the second lead role Avery had specifically negotiated for herself? The character had to be even better.
Even before filming began, Dexter could see the massive potential of *You Are My Defender*.
Apparently, new investors had jumped on board in the last few days.
What was originally planned as a web series now had a budget almost on par with a star-studded blockbuster.
Investors in this business have a sharp eye for a reason, nobody throws that kind of money at a project unless they see a guaranteed hit.
It was easy to guess just how much the script must have improved to attract that kind of cash.
Dexter's earlier disappointment vanished, replaced by the giddy excitement of a prospector who'd just struck gold. He was looking at Avery like she was a winning lottery ticket.
Diana spoke up, pulling him from his thoughts. "A few days ago, I was contacted by a domestic sportswear brand. They saw Avery's recent press photos and want her to be a brand ambassador."
She paused. "I turned them down. Given Avery's potential, she shouldn't be taking on promotional gigs like that yet. It's better to wait until she has a few successful projects under her belt before we line up endorsements."
There's a world of difference between a spokesperson and an ambassador.
A spokesperson is the official face of a brand, a high-status gig.
An ambassador is more like a super-fan, constantly plugging products on social media, showing up at events, and even doing livestreams to move merchandise.
It was a role that clashed with the career path they envisioned for Avery.
On her acting journey, she could start with supporting roles and build her way up, gaining experience and establishing herself through her work.
But endorsements didn't work that way. If she started with low-tier commercial deals, it would be incredibly difficult to break into high-end brand partnerships later.
Brands form a fixed idea of an actor's value.
Once she became the face of a mid-range sportswear brand, trying to land a deal with a luxury label would create a mess for her image and market value.
So, Diana wasn't in any rush. She wanted to wait until Avery had built up some real industry clout before cashing in on her brand.
Avery, for her part, trusted Diana's professional judgment completely. If Stellar Media Group had gone to the trouble of bringing Diana all the way back from overseas just to manage her, the woman had to be exceptionally good at her job. Avery had no objections.
Hearing Diana's reasoning, Dexter realized he'd been too hasty in his own thinking. With that settled, they shifted gears and got down to business: sorting out the arrangements for Wyatt Riggs and Shane Croft.
"So, your driver and assistant, can you vouch for them?"
Dexter asked, looking up from the company's internal portal where he was entering their information.
In this business, a star's downfall often came from someone in their inner circle.
Those two positions were crucial, and they had to be filled by people she trusted completely.
Avery nodded. "They're both military veterans. Wyatt is my brother's childhood friend; he basically watched me grow up. And Shane... he's a classmate, I guess."
She wasn't entirely sure if they were actually classmates. That's just what her brother, Cole, had told her. But even if they weren't in the same class, they went to the same school, so it was close enough.
Dexter nodded. As long as she trusted them, that was all that mattered. For those roles, the company generally respected an actor's wishes and didn't interfere.
After getting them set up, Avery prepared to head back to her corporate housing.
Diana had to leave for another appointment, but not before telling Avery she'd pick her up for the audition tomorrow morning.
She also left Avery the keys to the SUV she'd used for the airport pickup.
No matter how much the company valued Avery, she was still a newcomer.
A dedicated company car wasn't in the cards yet, so a temporary vehicle would have to do.
Dexter had to go down to the short-form content division, so he offered to walk her downstairs.
With him by her side, Avery instantly became the center of attention.
The managers were unfazed; the whole company had recently pulled an all-nighter for her PR blitz, so they all knew she was the new talent the boss had personally signed from California.
The trainees, however, were a different story.
They were living at the company for intensive training and had no idea who Avery was.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Thanks to the online buzz, everyone knew *who* she was, but they didn't know why she was here, walking with one of the top executives.
A few curious trainees peeked out of a practice room, whispering as they watched her pass.
"Stop staring," a cool voice cut through the whispers. "That's Dr. Hayes. She just signed with the agency about a month ago."
Inside the training room, Leila Norris, who had been practicing her expressions in the mirror, stopped and turned, leaning against the ballet barre as she spoke to the girls crowded by the door.
As she spoke, her eyes betrayed a hint of envy she couldn't quite hide.
A few days ago, when her agent handed her the script for *You Are My Defender*, she was told Diana Marks had secured the role for her.
She'd been confused for a while, wondering why the famously sharp-elbowed agent would suddenly hand her a role.
Later, she found out the truth: the script had been rewritten by the company's newest actress, Avery Hayes. Avery had used the rewrite as leverage to get the second female lead, and Diana, ever the opportunist, had seized the moment to negotiate the third lead part for Leila.
You just can't compare yourself to people like that. Leila glanced at Avery's retreating back, then thought about her own struggles. No wonder the company was willing to back her so heavily. If she had that kind of talent, they'd be rolling out the red carpet for her, too.
"Newly signed? Then why isn't she in here training with us?" a girl nearby sneered, her voice dripping with jealousy. "We're all new. Why does she get to skip training and walk around with Mr. Reed? I bet there's something going on between them."
Leila couldn't miss the venom in the girl's tone.
She shot her an indifferent look, let out a soft, scornful laugh, and turned back to the mirror without another word.
Her acting coach said her eyes weren't expressive enough on camera.
She could handle simple emotions, but her face would go stiff during more intense scenes. She had work to do.
The other trainees weren't stupid. Hearing the girl's comment, their expressions froze.
They exchanged awkward glances, pretended they'd heard nothing, and quickly went back to their own routines.
You'd have to have a death wish to gossip about Mr. Reed.
Did this girl not want a career? She was a brainless idiot, and it was better to stay far away from her.
Anywhere you have people, you have drama, and Stellar Media Group was no exception.
This new batch of trainees already had their own little agendas, subtly competing with each other before they'd even made a name for themselves.
In contrast, Leila and one other actress seemed to be the only ones focused on the work.
Diana had arranged a single dorm room for Avery. It was small, only about three hundred square feet, but it was clean and tidy. Besides a wardrobe and a bed, there was a full-length mirror for practice. Avery wasn't picky. Having her own space was a luxury, and it was much better than sharing.
After a quick look around, she didn't even bother unpacking. She just put on her headphones, pulled up a legal analysis podcast, and started studying for her essay questions.
She hadn't been listening for long when her phone buzzed, the ringing cutting through the podcast in her headphones. Avery picked it up to check the caller ID.
It was a call from her lawyer in Westlake City.
The moment she saw his name, the warmth in her eyes turned to ice. If he was calling now, it could only mean one thing: a new development in the medical malpractice case.
It seemed the Sterling family was making another move.
But what were they planning this time?
Ever since Bryce Sterling was sentenced, Avery had been waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She knew they wouldn't just accept the verdict.
Her suspicions had only grown after Caleb Sterling told her that Ronan Bowen, a key figure in the case, had left the country right before the trial.
She'd always felt Ronan's sudden trip abroad was connected to the Sterlings trying to get Bryce out of trouble.
Because of that, she'd asked her lawyer to keep an eye on things. She hadn't heard anything from him in days and was starting to think maybe, just maybe, Warren Sterling had finally given up.
Apparently not.