Chapter 82: A Unexpected Connection

Adrian looked at Jenna for another second.

Then he remembered Rose was sitting behind them.

"Nothing."

He turned back toward the road before his answer could sound any less convincing.

A quick glance at the rearview mirror confirmed the problem.

Rose was squinting at him.

Adrian faced forward again.

’Great.’

He probably should’ve thought about that before staring.

The 49% wasn’t helping either.

He pushed the number aside. A system notification wasn’t a reason to suddenly start seeing Jenna differently. If there was actually something worth investing in, he’d figure that out himself.

Preferably without Rose watching him do it.

For now, he had a car to drive.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"VJ Entertainment."

The shift in the back seat was subtle.

Adrian noticed it anyway.

Rose knew the name.

He did too, technically. VJ had contacted her before about one of her paintings, though he’d barely paid attention to the company at the time. His life had contained more immediate problems.

Jenna glanced between them.

"You know VJ?"

"We know of them."

"How?"

"They contacted Rose."

"For what?"

"One of her paintings."

"And?"

"A little over two hundred thousand."

Jenna nodded.

That was it.

No widened eyes. No pause to process the number.

Nothing.

Adrian checked the mirror.

Rose had reacted, at least. Barely, but enough.

Jenna seemed completely unfazed.

"That’s kind of what they do," she continued. "VJ isn’t just entertainment. They’re a whole group with businesses across different sectors."

"So they do more than entertainment?" Rose asked.

"Way more."

Jenna shifted in her seat.

"The entertainment side is just the part people actually see. They find people with potential and develop them properly. Singers, performers, creators, different kinds of talent. They have the resources to build someone instead of just signing them and leaving them to figure everything out themselves."

Adrian glanced at her.

She sounded like she’d actually researched the company rather than simply picked the biggest name she could find.

"The idol side is part of that?"

"Yeah."

"And you already arranged a private audition?"

"I did."

No hesitation.

That answered more than another explanation would have.

Adrian asked for the address.

Jenna pulled out her phone and checked it.

Then frowned.

"I don’t actually know the route from here."

"You don’t know the route?"

"I’ve only been there once." She looked down at her phone. "I’ll just use Maps."

She typed for a moment with the screen angled away from him before holding it forward.

"Here."

Adrian took the phone.

The route was already there.

"Got it."

He handed it back and started the car.

He wasn’t going to mention that the thought of asking for directions had briefly crossed his mind.

The drive settled into something quieter.

Jenna checked the map every so often and gave him directions whenever the route became unclear. Rose barely spoke.

That was probably worse than if she’d complained.

At least complaints came with instructions.

This came with nothing but silence and the occasional reflection in his mirror.

Adrian left it alone.

He didn’t have a solution that wouldn’t make the situation worse.

The city gradually changed as they drove.

The roads widened. The buildings grew taller. Even the storefronts looked like someone had spent considerably more money deciding where to put the letters.

Then VJ appeared.

Adrian had expected a large building.

He hadn’t expected the first thing he saw to turn out not to be the whole building.

As they got closer, more of the complex rose into view until he had to tilt his head back slightly just to follow the structure upward.

The main VJ insignia wasn’t mounted on the building.

It was part of it.

Adrian looked up.

Then a little farther.

How many floors does this thing have?

Massive digital displays covered parts of the lower exterior. One was running a teaser for an unreleased VJ product, complete with dramatic music and visuals.

He caught a few words from the presentation.

Innovation.

The future.

Something about changing the world.

Adrian looked back at the building, not bothering to hear the rest.

The parking attendant waved him toward the visitor section.

Then waved him past an open space.

The spot was too small. Adrian kept going. Another attendant pointed him somewhere else.

This one seemed better.

He finally found the correct space. He parked and turned off the engine. They got out almost immediately.

From the ground, the building looked even larger.

’Of course it does.’

Jenna was already heading toward the entrance, so Adrian and Rose followed.

She stayed a few steps ahead.

Adrian walked beside Rose without saying anything.

He didn’t need to look at her to know she was still thinking about the car.

He looked anyway.

She caught him.

Adrian immediately looked toward the entrance.

That seemed safer.

Inside, the lobby was exactly the sort of place that made Adrian check whether he’d accidentally brought the wrong shoes.

Not because it was flashy.

Because everything seemed to have a purpose.

Employees moved through with badges clipped to their clothes. Assistants carried equipment between different sections. Visitors checked appointments at reception while others headed straight for the elevators.

Nobody wandered around looking lost.

Jenna went to reception.

Adrian followed with Rose.

Jenna gave her name.

The receptionist checked the booking, confirmed the private audition room, and then mentioned the additional charge for the advance reservation.

"$542.99."

Jenna paused.

It was brief.

But Adrian saw the calculation.

That wasn’t the reaction of someone who didn’t have the money.

It was the reaction of someone who hadn’t expected the number.

His card was already in his hand.

"I’ve got it."

Jenna looked at him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

He handed the card over.

There wasn’t much to think about.

She’d arranged the audition herself. She’d come all the way here for it. And after hearing her talk about it, Adrian had a pretty good idea how much this mattered to her.

Five hundred dollars wasn’t going to be the thing that stopped it.

The system made the decision easier.

His phone buzzed.

He ignored it.

The receptionist finished the payment and handed Jenna the access card.

Adrian’s phone buzzed again.

He pulled it out.

Investment registered: $542.99

Cashback: $531.16

Net loss: $11.83

He stared at the final number.

Eleven dollars.

That was survivable.

The silence behind him was considerably less so.

Adrian put his phone away and turned.

Rose stood there with her arms folded.

She wasn’t angry.

At least, she wasn’t displaying it.

Adrian had learned that with Rose, the absence of an expression could sometimes be the expression.

He held her gaze for a moment.

She said nothing.

Just look away. It’s the best thing to do.

He looked toward Jenna instead.

Jenna had taken the access card.

"Thanks. You saved my skin there."

She slipped the card into her hand, then looked at Adrian again.

"For a second, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to give you the surprise I planned after today."

Rose’s head turned.

"Surprise?"

Jenna looked at her.

A tiny pause.

Then a smile.

"Oh. That..." She glanced at Adrian. "It’s nothing."

And just like that, she turned toward the elevators.

Rose watched her leave.

Then came the look.

Adrian already knew what it meant.

"What?"

"What surprise?"

Adrian blinked.

"How would I know?"

"You’re the one she planned it for."

"That doesn’t give me access to information she hasn’t told me."

Rose continued staring.

Adrian considered pretending he didn’t understand.

That probably wouldn’t survive more than three seconds.

"If I knew what it was, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore."

Nothing.

"And if you’re asking whether she told me, she didn’t."

Still nothing.

Adrian nodded toward the elevators.

"That’s everything I know. Come on."

Rose unfolded her arms with a quiet scoff and followed.

Adrian decided that was probably enough diplomacy for one afternoon.

The private audition room turned out to be considerably better than he’d imagined.

He’d pictured a rehearsal room with a stage, speakers, and enough equipment to make the place look professional.

Instead, it looked like VJ had decided that calling it an audition room didn’t mean it had to feel like one.

A proper stage occupied the far end. Lighting rigs hung overhead. Acoustic panels covered the walls, while a recording setup sat behind glass beside a control board.

Several padded seats faced the stage.

Adrian stopped just inside.

Okay. He looked around once more. Now I understand the $500.

Jenna walked onto the stage.

Adrian and Rose moved to the viewing area, just a few feet away from the stage.

He chose a seat with a little space between them.

Rose sat beside him anyway.

Neither mentioned it.

Adrian decided not to ask. The lights dimmed. The room changed immediately.

Whatever this had been five minutes ago, it now felt like a place where somebody was expected to prove something.

Jenna stood beneath the stage lights.

Adrian watched her settle into position.

Then...

A beat started.