Chapter 281: Other mystery box.
Adelyn lifted her eyes and looked straight at Corrin.
"Do you really want to know?" she asked.
There was a quiet arrogance hidden beneath her calm gaze —one Corrin completely failed to notice. He was far too consumed by his own imagined victory.
The moment he heard her ask that, he immediately nodded.
"Yes, of course." His smile widened further. "I want to know. If there’s still anything you’re not satisfied with, I can take it to the management and speak to them on your behalf."
He paused before adding more dedicatedly ...
"Although I can’t promise they will agree, you can still trust me. As long as I put in a word for you, the company will definitely take it seriously. And if they still refuse ..." He smiled as though making a noble sacrifice. "... I don’t mind putting myself at risk for your sake. They’ll eventually agree. So just tell me what’s on your mind."
Adelyn almost couldn’t hold back her smile. Looking at him, she gave a small nod.
"Fine ..." she said. "Then I’ll tell you honestly."
Corrin only grew more delighted.
The more he listened to Adelyn speak, the more convinced he became that she already trusted him.
And that trust was exactly what he wanted.
As long as she trusted him ...
... she would eventually walk over to his side—
Leaving Freya behind.
"Manager Thatcher," Adelyn began calmly, "I honestly think you should quit being a talent manager here and consider joining the entertainment industry as an artiste instead."
Corrin was too caught up in his own thoughts to grasp the meaning behind her words. He was already about to nod in agreement when something suddenly registered.
He blinked.
"Huh?"
Adelyn looked at him and nodded again with complete seriousness, as though she genuinely meant every word.
"Yes. You have far greater potential there. With just a little more professional polishing, you’d make an excellent actor."
For a brief moment, Corrin simply stared at her, unable to process what he had just heard.
He instinctively turned to look at Freya.
But Freya remained seated with a completely impassive expression.
Not even the slightest reaction appeared on her face.
That only confused Corrin even more.
Could he be overthinking this?
The thought crossed his mind before the corners of his lips slowly curled upward again.
"So ..." he laughed. "Are you complimenting my excellent looks?"
Adelyn merely raised a brow at his confidence. She studied him for a long moment before offering him a polite smile.
"No."
She shook her head.
"I was complimenting your excellent ability to act shamelessly with a perfectly straight face."
The smile on Corrin’s face froze instantly.
Adelyn, however, continued as though she hadn’t noticed his expression at all.
"Not everyone possesses that kind of talent. Since you already have it, why not showcase it on a much bigger stage before an even larger audience?"
She paused thoughtfully before continuing, "And if you’re worried about finding a capable manager ..." Turning toward Freya with a smile, she said,
"There’s no need to look elsewhere. Sister Freya could be your best choice. It’s just that ..."
She pursed her lips in a thin line and turned to look at him with some pity.
"You’d still have to ask her first. After all, whether she’d be willing to accept you or not would entirely depend on her."
Corrin’s face darkened almost instantly. His fingers clenched tightly into fists as he glared at Adelyn.
"You—"
Adelyn simply raised a brow and calmly met his gaze.
Seeing her remain so composed ...
So fearless ...
So outrageously bold ...
Corrin felt his blood begin to boil.
Unable to vent his anger at her directly, he suddenly turned toward Freya.
"Manager Finn, don’t get too smug." His voice turned cold. "The price for her outrageous behavior will ultimately be paid by you."
He pointed toward the agreement lying on the table.
"Complete the task you’ve been given. Otherwise—"
He never finished the sentence.
Casting one final glare at Adelyn, he abruptly turned around and strode out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him with a loud thud.
The sharp sound echoed throughout the room.
Freya instinctively closed her eyes.
Adelyn, however, remained calm.
After making sure Corrin had completely left, she turned back toward Freya.
Seeing her sitting there with her eyes closed, Adelyn’s brows knitted together slightly.
"Did I create even more trouble for you, Sister Freya?"
Although she didn’t regret a single word she had said, she also had no intention of dragging Freya into greater difficulties because of her.
She didn’t think much of Corrin Thatcher himself.
But after seeing the confidence he displayed today, she realized he clearly possessed considerable influence within the company.
Freya slowly opened her eyes before gently shaking her head.
"I’ll handle it. You don’t have to worry."
She then paused before looking at Adelyn again.
"But ..." Her gaze slowly drifted toward the agreement she had pushed across the desk earlier.
"I really think you should seriously consider it."
"The terms aren’t bad. If you truly feel it’s the right choice, then you can sign it."
"Not bad?" Adelyn repeated, looking at her with genuine curiosity. "Do you mean not bad on the surface ... while rotten to the core?"
Freya paused.
She simply stared at Adelyn.
That reaction alone caused a faint smirk to appear on Adelyn’s lips.
"You don’t actually want me to sign this agreement, do you, Sister Freya?"
Freya’s fingers curled slowly as she continued looking at her.
"It’s currently the safest and most guaranteed option available to you ..." she said. Her gaze lowered toward the agreement once more as she continued,
"Even if not completely, you’ll still have a company and its name backing you."
"After finishing ’The Empress’s Grief’, you’ll potentially have enough resources and exposure to secure another better opportunity easily in no time."
"There will be a promotion team supporting you. They’ll even provide accommodation, the same benefits enjoyed by the company’s top artistes, and access to their other promotional resources."
She took a slow breath before concluding, "All in all ... they aren’t offering you a bad deal."
"You can still have hope here. So ... think it through carefully before rejecting it."
Although Freya had spent all this time explaining why signing with the company would be beneficial ...
Only a single phrase truly caught Adelyn’s attention.
She looked at Freya thoughtfully before asking,
"If I don’t choose the safest and the most guaranteed option ..." She leaned back slightly, her eyes never leaving Freya’s.
"... then what’s hidden inside the other mystery box?"