Chapter 284: The only condition.
Everyone froze for a second.
Almost instinctively, they all turned toward the meeting room door.
There, they saw Liam walking in.
One hand rested casually inside his pocket while the other swung naturally by his side. His every move carried effortless composure. Dressed impeccably, he looked every bit the image he was known for within the industry —charismatic, refined, and very undeniably handsome.
Although his features lacked the overwhelming dominance of the Warren brothers, he possessed his own kind of polished charm that naturally drew people’s attention wherever he went.
As for his reputation ...
No one was unfamiliar with it.
Everyone present knew the kind of influence and authority he held in Ashvale —not only as the second young master of the Scott family, but also as the CEO of the city’s second-largest artiste management company.
Very few people dared to offend him lightly.
Thus, when they saw him appear here, every one of them was surprised.
"CEO Scott, what a pleasant surprise," one of the investors greeted him with a smile. "We certainly weren’t expecting to meet you here."
Liam merely glanced at him. He didn’t even bother returning the greeting, nor did he offer so much as a polite smile.
The investor’s expression stiffened immediately.
Embarrassed, he swallowed his words and didn’t dare say anything further. Others didn’t dare either.
Liam then shifted his gaze toward Old Samson.
Although Samson couldn’t compare to the Scott family’s reputation, his own standing wasn’t insignificant either. So Liam’s words from earlier had naturally sounded offensive to him.
Looking at the younger man with a frown, he said, "CEO Scott, I’m not entirely sure why you’re here today, but I don’t believe your presence in this meeting is appropriate."
Liam raised a brow slightly.
"What makes you so certain my presence here isn’t appropriate, Mr. Samson?"
Old Samson frowned even deeper.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
Liam had no intention of explaining himself to him. Instead, he turned toward James and extended his hand.
"Producer Polson," he greeted, his tone polite, and respectful. "It’s a pleasure to meet you."
James was equally surprised.
There hadn’t been any appointment with the CEO of Starlight Entertainment, so Liam’s sudden appearance was completely unexpected.
Still ... he didn’t allow his surprise to show. Keeping his composure, he accepted Liam’s handshake with a smile.
"The pleasure is mine as well, CEO Scott. But may I know what brings you here today?" He returned the greeting before slowly asking.
Liam returned the smile. "Of course. It’s exactly what I mentioned when I walked in."
His gaze briefly shifted toward Samson and the other investors who had been making demands just moments ago.
Everyone’s brows furrowed in confusion.
Even James couldn’t quite understand what Liam meant. He subconsciously glanced around the room before turning back at Liam.
"My apologies, CEO Scott," he said politely. "But I’m afraid I quite don’t understand what you’re referring to."
Liam nodded. "My apologies for not making myself clear, Producer Polson", he said, adding, "I’m here today to discuss about the investment."
The investors exchanged glances, getting uneasy.
"Investment?" James repeated being just as much surprised.
Liam nodded once again. "Yes," he said, continuing, "On behalf of Starlight Entertainment, I’m very much interested in investing in your upcoming production of The Empress’s Grief."
James was stunned.
For a brief moment, he simply stared at Liam, trying to understand the intention behind his sudden appearance.
Before he could read through it—
Bang!
Samson slammed his palm onto the table for the second time that day. The sharp sound startled several people sitting nearby.
Yet Liam barely reacted.
He merely turned his eyes toward the old man with complete indifference, as though the outburst had absolutely nothing to do with him.
"Are you trying to humiliate me, Liam Scott?" Samson sneered.
James was about to intervene. However ... before he could speak, Liam answered him calmly,
"Humiliate you?? Mr. Samson, I believe you’ve misunderstood something."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"I said I’m here to discuss an investment. And that has nothing to do with you."
"You expect me to believe that?" Samson scoffed coldly. "I wasn’t born yesterday. No company —including yours —would willingly invest in this doomed project."
"Now that ..." Liam replied with the same composed expression, "... isn’t for you to decide."
His calm demeanor and unwavering confidence only infuriated the old man further.
"You—"
Samson immediately turned toward James.
"You think his investment alone is enough to save you?"
He laughed, scoffing, "Even tens of millions won’t be sufficient for the production scale you’re planning. So, Producer Polson, I’d still advise you to think carefully."
"If removing one insignificant actress can secure an easy investment ..." He paused and then added again, "... isn’t that a much better deal?"
The other investors, who were already growing increasingly nervous, immediately echoed his words.
"Yes, Producer Polson. Don’t be so stubborn."
"This project involves hundreds of millions. You can’t risk everything over one scandal-ridden actress."
"That girl simply isn’t worth such a risk."
"Why choose the difficult path when the easier one is right in front of you?"
One after another, they voiced their agreement.
And with every single word they spoke ...
Liam’s fingers tightened a little more.
Scandal-ridden actress ...
That was his sister they were talking about.
His sister.
How dare they?
The warmth disappeared completely from his eyes, and his expression turned cold. He didn’t hold himself back this time.
In an unwavering voice, he declared, "I’m willing to invest one hundred million."
The entire meeting room fell silent ...
And everyone froze.
Several investors even stared at him in disbelief, wondering if they had heard him correctly.
Liam slowly swept his gaze across every face in the room —meeting each pair of stunned eyes —repeating calmly,
"One hundred million. As for the remaining funding gap ... I’ll personally help Producer Polson find better investors."
He paused for just a moment before stating further.
"The only condition is ..." His voice remained calm —yet every word carried undeniable authority. "Adelyn Sc—"
He caught himself almost instantly.
"... Grace stays."