Chapter 245 - 243: I Want Lily Sterling

「Locke Entertainment, conference room.」

"Catherine, Balthazar Coleman, and Zachary Griffin aren’t planning to renew their contracts."

James Lockwood sighed at the news, picking up the renewal contracts on the table and flipping through them casually. "Did they mention any conditions for renewal? Did you bring it up?"

The man across from him was dressed in casual clothes. With a round face, a round belly, and small, squinted eyes, he was Beau—the company’s most formidable agent besides Connie.

Beau scoffed, but his voice was tinged with resignation. "It’s useless whether I bring it up or not. They’re all eager to start their own studios and go solo. Damn it, when they were just rookies under my wing, I drank myself sick at banquets fighting for their resources. Now that they’ve made it big, they can’t wait to fly away. A bunch of ungrateful bastards!"

"President Lockwood, it’s not that I can’t keep them. It’s that their ambitions have gotten too wild. They’re all A-listers and B-listers now. If they all leave, who will I have left? Jessica Reynolds? Derek Thorne?"

James Lockwood looked at Beau with a complicated expression. That was just how the entertainment industry worked. Once actors achieved a certain level of success, it was inevitable they’d think about going solo. You could only force them to stay with exceptionally tempting renewal terms or contractual restraints.

But good resources were limited, and contractual obligations weren’t always a foolproof guarantee.

"Don’t be so anxious," James Lockwood said, trying to console him. "In a way, this just proves your ability. You guided their growth, and now they’re all actors who can carry a show."

"What good is that? Is a single one of them grateful?"

Just as he spoke, the door opened, and Connie ambled in. Seeing their long faces, she couldn’t help but say, "Stop looking like someone died. I’ve transferred a few people to you. They’re all promising talents."

With that, she dropped a stack of artist portfolios in front of Beau. "Take your pick."

Beau grinned when he saw Connie. "Connie, how about you give me Lily Sterling?"

"How about I give you Heather instead?"

"That works too! Heather is great. She’s been at the top for so long and has stuck by you through thick and thin. I love the grateful ones!" Beau said, half-joking.

He knew that even if Connie agreed, Heather Keaton certainly wouldn’t. Connie had guided her all the way to superstardom, and just last year, she’d renewed her contract with Connie for another five years precisely because she trusted her completely.

Connie knew he was kidding. "Stop joking around. And don’t feel too bad about the ones who aren’t renewing. They owe most of their success to you. Leaving you doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll do better."

James Lockwood nodded in agreement. "You can’t force it. Besides, Locke Entertainment isn’t short on artists. Pick anyone from this stack, and the company will definitely prioritize arrangements for you."

Beau flipped through the files without much interest, then pouted. "I want Lily Sterling."

Hearing this, James Lockwood and Connie exchanged a look. Their expressions were surprisingly identical: both had their brows tightly furrowed.

Cecilia Sterling had personally negotiated Lily Sterling’s contract with Connie herself. If they switched her to Beau midway, Miss Sterling would definitely not agree.

Besides, Jessica Reynolds was one of Beau’s artists. Given what had happened before, James Lockwood couldn’t just turn a blind eye. There was no way he could put Lily Sterling and Jessica Reynolds under the same agent.

"Lily Sterling is not an option. Her situation is special; only Connie can manage her," James Lockwood stated plainly.

Connie remained silent but didn’t yield either.

At that moment, there was a sudden knock on the office door. It was Lily Sterling.

"Connie, President Lockwood."

Lily Sterling entered the conference room. After greeting Connie and President Lockwood, she looked toward the chubby agent. Connie made the introduction, "Lily, this is Beau."

Lily Sterling had heard of Beau before. He was a big name in the industry, having launched the careers of many of today’s hottest stars.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Beau," Lily Sterling greeted him politely.

This was Beau’s first time seeing Lily Sterling in person. She was more vibrant and lively than in her online photos, with a fresh and tender youthfulness that was truly endearing.

He beamed. "Lily, right? You’re even cuter than in your pictures."

Lily Sterling gave an embarrassed smile. James Lockwood looked at her and asked, "Lily, what brings you to the company?"

"Connie asked me to come sign a couple of supplementary contracts."

"Oh, right. The contracts for before you join the film crew. I’ll go get them," Connie said, getting up and leaving the office.

"Have a seat and wait, Lily," James Lockwood said, motioning for her to sit. He then turned back to Beau. "Take these files back with you and look them over carefully. Connie picked them out for you; her judgment is never wrong."

Beau nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on Lily Sterling. He tested the waters with a half-joking tone, "Lily, how about you consider working with me? The resources I have are no worse than Connie’s!"

Lily Sterling offered an awkward but polite smile. "Beau, I don’t think that would be appropriate, would it?"

"Stop teasing her. Who poaches an artist right in their agent’s office!" James Lockwood said with a frown.

"Her agent’s not here, is she?" Beau said dismissively, shamelessly pressing on. "Seriously, Lily, think about it. Connie has Heather Keaton, so of course the best resources have to go to her. If you come to my team, you’ll be my top priority. I’ll give you all the best resources."

"Thank you for the kind offer, Beau, but I think I’ll stick with Connie," Lily Sterling replied, her soft voice firm in its rejection.

She didn’t need the best resources. She just needed the ones she wanted.

Beau instantly deflated like a wilted vegetable. He grabbed the files from the table. "Fine, I won’t hang around and make a fool of myself."

But just before leaving, he added one more thing to Lily Sterling, "If you change your mind, you can find me anytime!"

After Beau left, James Lockwood quickly explained, "That’s just how Beau is, but he doesn’t mean any harm. Several of the actors he built up are about to leave, so he’s really frustrated right now."

Lily Sterling nodded, and thinking of the forced smile Beau had worn just moments ago, she suddenly felt a bit sorry for him.

"By the way, Lily, the conditions on this new film set will be pretty tough. There definitely won’t be any private dressing rooms, so the company is providing you with a small RV. It would be too inconvenient otherwise," James Lockwood said.

In the new drama, she was playing the younger version of a girl who had been trafficked and sold into the remote mountains. The crew was filming on location in a village tucked away in a mountain ravine. The living and eating conditions were harsh, but an RV—with its small kitchen and bed—would significantly improve things.

"It’s okay, President Lockwood. I’ll be fine just like everyone else. When in Rome," Lily Sterling said, not particularly concerned about it.

She had shared a bunk bed with her sister in the same room since she was little; she wasn’t the delicate type. She knew filming this drama would be tough and was already prepared for it.

"I know you don’t like getting special treatment, but don’t worry. There are plenty of actors who can’t handle hardship. Yours definitely won’t be the only RV on set. Just follow the company’s arrangements."

Lily Sterling nodded and didn’t insist on the matter any further.

After signing the contracts, she and Connie left the conference room, walking right into a commotion outside. Lily Sterling looked closely and saw that Heather Keaton had come to the company!