Chapter 442 - 440: A 100 Million Lesson (Part 2)

Of course! It suddenly dawned on everyone: Raymond Ford was the original lead actress. After filming a third of the movie, she was replaced at the last minute—a loss of tens of millions, just like that!

Now, they had switched to Rhona Hughes, and filming was almost complete! And now she’d been arrested!

How huge would the losses be?

It was simply unimaginable!

Wayne Payne had been out all night partying and drinking. He still hadn’t gotten out of bed when his phone rang, shattering his pleasant dream. He was about to curse someone out, but when he heard the news, he felt like he’d been struck by lightning!

"What did you say? Say that again!"

"Rhona Hughes? Are you sure it was Rhona Hughes?!"

Wayne Payne stared blankly for a few seconds before scrambling out of bed.

"Goddammit! What a fucking unlucky year! It’s over! It’s all over!"

Rhona Hughes’s arrest sent shockwaves through Stellaris.

Christopher Sterling personally presided over an emergency meeting, and Lana Sheffield rushed over to the company from the Sheffield Family estate.

On the way there, she cursed Rhona Hughes, Raymond Ford, and all of their ancestors! She had invested so much money, and it might all be a complete loss!

Lana Sheffield marched straight to the conference room, threw open the door, and interrupted the meeting in progress.

Christopher Sterling glanced up at Lana Sheffield. "What are you doing here?"

"Why can’t I be here? I’m the sole investor in Rhona Hughes’s movie! With something this major happening, I have every right to be involved!"

"Get her a chair."

The secretary immediately stood up, offered her seat to Lana Sheffield, then found another chair for herself and sat behind her.

"I suggest we suspend all further work on this film. Our investors and partners are already coming after us for breach of contract. The company needs to send representatives to negotiate," Rose Shaw finished saying.

Half the people in the room nodded. At this point, there was no other choice but to accept the losses.

However, this would likely become a black mark on Stellaris’s record, turning the company into a laughingstock.

In all the years since President Sterling founded Stellaris and built it into what it was today, nothing this disgraceful had ever happened.

Wayne Payne sat in his seat, not daring to even breathe a word. The moment his eyes met Lana Sheffield’s, he ducked his head down to his chest.

"You’ll be in charge of this," Christopher Sterling stated, endorsing Rose Shaw’s plan.

Lana Sheffield’s face went pale. She had no idea how to handle this situation either. She glanced at Christopher Sterling, but his expression was as impassive as ever, revealing neither pleasure nor anger.

"Wayne Payne, are you involved in this situation with Rhona Hughes?" Rose Shaw asked, calling him out directly.

"I’m not! I had no idea about any of this! Who knew Rhona Hughes was that kind of person? This has absolutely nothing to do with me."

"If that’s the case, then you’ll be in charge of communicating with the investors and partners."

"I..." Of course Wayne Payne didn’t want to handle this hot potato. But it seemed he had no way of getting out of it.

’That Rhona Hughes is going to be the death of me!’

"I expect you to do everything you can to help Mrs. Sterling recoup some of her losses."

Rose Shaw stared at Wayne Payne, her tone so forceful and demanding that he felt like he was suffocating.

"Of course. Even if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make sure the losses are kept to a minimum," Wayne Payne immediately declared.

Christopher Sterling rose and left the room.

Lana Sheffield immediately followed him.

Once they were in Christopher Sterling’s office, Lana Sheffield immediately went up to him. "Is that really it? Is there no other way? I invested so much money—am I supposed to just lose every last cent?"

"I was busy dealing with the Sheffield Family’s matters, and you used it as an opportunity to come here and stir up trouble. Consider this a lesson learned."