I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1099: Selling Out?!]

Eric opened the door to the room and, upon hearing the girl's words, couldn't help but chuckle. "So that's the reward you gave someone else, and now you want it back?"

"You all tricked me."

"No one tricked you," Eric said as he led her out of the room, ignoring Paul Roland and his entourage who had immediately stood up in the outer area, walking past them. He turned to the girl beside him and added, "You just did something beyond your abilities. Don't be so foolish in the future."

She bit her lip, refusing to say anything more.

A group of them exited the apartment, still in that familiar horse ranch area. Since it was quite late, the open space outside the apartment was illuminated by lights, while everything else was shrouded in darkness. The winter sky was high, and the sporadic stars looked rather apathetic.

A business vehicle was parked at the entrance. Eric Williams waved at Paul Roland, who approached with a polite demeanor, personally opening the car door and gesturing for her to get in.

She silently climbed into the backseat. After the car door was closed, she saw Paul Roland exchange a few words with Eric before he got in with the company driver.

...

As they left the ranch and the business car drove onto the pitch-black asphalt roads of Long Island, Carmen Kass glanced at her watch under the soft glow of the interior light. It was already past eleven at night. Reflecting on the day's events, it felt as though everything had been a dream.

But she was really hungry.

Looking up at the front passenger seat, she caught Paul Roland studying her through the rearview mirror, his expression rather complex.

Even though Paul had a notorious temper and had scolded her just that day, he had still treated her decently ever since she signed with WM.

So she huddled into her seat, feeling like a child who had done something wrong, yet stubbornly unwilling to admit her mistakes.

Paul Roland was the first to break the silence, unusually gentle in tone. "It's quite late. I'll take you home now. We can discuss everything tomorrow."

She could only nod in response.

Yet, she couldn't help but think, did all these men really believe that pretty girls didn't need to eat?

But that could lead to starvation!

...

When they returned to Manhattan, it was already past two in the morning. Carmen Kass rummaged through her apartment's fridge, finding something to eat to fill her stomach, and then collapsed into bed, falling into a deep sleep.

She only woke up when she heard the knocking at noon the following day.

It was Camila, come to pick her up.

Camila didn't bring up the fact that she had been let go; neither did she mention it, as if nothing had ever happened.

After freshening up, Camila drove her to a restaurant in Midtown where Paul Roland was already waiting. There was also a middle-aged man with him, and after introductions, she learned his name was Edward Razek. She glanced at the business card he handed over, noting he was the Vice President of LTD and the Marketing Director for Victoria's Secret.

Victoria's Secret?!

Suddenly, she recalled what that man had said to her the night before: "Don't worry, I haven't said I'll let you off the hook."

She immediately felt that something was off.

However, Paul Roland and Edward Razek seemed to be enjoying their lunch, and after the meal, they finalized a contract. She was officially confirmed as one of the five brand ambassadors for Victoria's Secret.

Her mind, however, was still preoccupied with that man's ominous words about not letting her go.

In a daze, she agreed.

Okay, she was actually quite clear-headed; it was just that how could she refuse a contract worth $10 million?

Ten million!

Though Forbes had begun ranking supermodel incomes two years ago, where the likes of Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista garnered over $20 million annually, she had secretly envied them but never dreamed she would receive a $10 million endorsement deal herself.

Such a hefty sum would be enough to sell herself, practically.

Wait.

Sell herself?

Sell out!

...

"So, Edward, let's have dinner again sometime. See you next time," Paul Roland smiled as he escorted Edward Razek to his car outside the restaurant. After Razek drove away, he turned to the girl next to him, sounding a bit like a nagging elder. "Carmen, it's always good to be polite to clients. Don't forget to say goodbye when they leave."

"But," she finally regained her focus and replied hesitantly, "Paul, I... I don't want this contract."

"Don't say foolish things," Paul Roland replied, putting on his sunglasses, completely dismissing her attempt to explain. He waved for the driver to come over and said, "Come back to the company with me. We need to reorganize your contract. As it happens, your European agency has terminated your agreement, and Mr. Williams wants WM to take care of your personal affairs from now on. Our European office can easily handle just you."

Once he was in the car, Paul Roland closed the door and pressed the button to roll down the window. "I heard your car is gone. You can use the one Camila drove for now; of course, whenever you want to buy your own car, just return that one to the company."

...

Watching Paul Roland's vehicle pull away, Camila brought another car around. She stood by the roadside in a daze for a moment before finally opening the door and sitting inside.

The next few days passed in constant busyness.

She dealt with various re-signed contracts, rescheduled appointments, and attended a public Victoria's Secret event, officially confirming her new identity as a brand ambassador.

The media buzzed, especially the gossip outlets familiar with the fashion world, who were taken aback as if something monumental had happened.

She kept a low-key eye on the follow-up to that New York Post article about Gisele Bundchen since it had cost her everything, including her car.

However, subsequent reports merely stated that the kiss between Gisele and Alessandra Ambrosio at the nightclub was merely a game between friends, letting the matter fizzle out without much fanfare, as if suddenly, everyone had grown very tolerant towards same-sex relationships.

Fashion week continued, and though she missed New York, London, and Milan, she quickly reserved 17 runway shows at the Paris Fashion Week, including a grand opening with Chanel, reportedly thanks to Eric Williams personally networking with Karl Lagerfeld on her behalf.

Even though that man didn't appear before her for a while, it felt like he was somehow everywhere.

And strangely enough, she found herself compelled to pay attention to everything about him: about Firefly Group, about Firefly Investments, about his recent film, and about the new annual Forbes billionaires list.

Initially, she just thought he was an impressive figure, but the more she learned, the more she realized that his brilliance exceeded her imagination.

*****

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