Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Interception

Lynn Jennings was showing Jessie Sterling a screenshot.

It was a screenshot of the comments under the video Nina Walsh had just posted.

A comment from someone with an Aethelburg IP had directly pointed out Brianna Hudson, who was visible behind Nina Walsh.

Nina Walsh might not even have been an amateur skier, but her entire getup—snowsuit, snowboard, hat, goggles, and all—was from top luxury brands. The complete set easily cost over a hundred thousand.

With such obvious logos on all her gear, it would have been difficult not to attract attention.

And that one comment read, “Birds of a feather flock together. The one behind Nina is the youngest daughter of that major jewelry family from Port Caldoria, isn’t she?”

People like Brianna Hudson were extremely protective of their privacy. Even those who knew her wouldn’t be so tactless as to go expose her identity in the comments of someone else’s video.

To Jessie Sterling and her friends, this whole affair was utterly pointless.

“I just clicked on that commenter’s profile, then I checked a couple of Nina Walsh’s other recent videos. This person is in the comments almost every single time, and they always seem to be very ’in the know’,” Lynn Jennings whispered to Jessie Sterling.

Jessie Sterling replied, “Good thing Brianna Hudson has quick reflexes. If she knew her cameo was being used like this, she’d probably be absolutely livid.”

Lynn Jennings muttered, “I wonder what she’s trying to pull.”

Before long, Jessie Sterling and the others found out exactly what Nina Walsh was trying to do.

After returning from The Aridlands, Jessie Sterling couldn’t stop thinking about skiing. But once she was back, she was immediately swamped with work.

Victor Morgan had bought Apex Films for her, and even though it came with a professional management team, Jessie Sterling had no intention of being a hands-off owner.

She was familiar with most of the popular manga IPs on the market. On the first day back at work after the Spring Festival, Jessie Sterling went to Apex Films, ready to discuss her plans with the team.

It was Jessie Sterling’s first day, so of course Victor Morgan was going to give his wife his full support. He personally drove Jessie to Apex Films that morning.

As an older, more established film company that had enjoyed a period of considerable success, Apex Films had a prime location in Aethelburg, inside the second ring road.

However, it was still a considerable distance from the Morgan Group’s office tower. After getting out, Jessie Sterling lingered by the car door instead of leaving right away. She looked with a smile at Victor Morgan in the driver’s seat. “President Morgan, you’re going to be late for work today.”

Victor Morgan replied, “It’s my duty to serve President Sterling.”

Jessie Sterling laughed. She walked around the front of the car to Victor’s side and gestured for him to come closer.

Unsuspecting, Victor Morgan leaned in.

The next moment, he felt a quick peck on his cheek.

By the time he looked up, the culprit was already running off with a smile. She glanced back and called out, “A reward for President Morgan! Bye, President Morgan!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Victor Morgan watched her light gray figure disappear around a corner of the underground parking garage.

A silent smile touched Victor Morgan’s lips.

Chloe had been a receptionist at Apex Films for three years. She was a relative of one of the company’s minor shareholders, so her family had arranged this cushy, well-paying post for her—a job that also let her fangirl over celebrities.

Chloe had heard before the New Year that the company had changed owners, but she hadn’t paid it much mind. A new boss wouldn’t have much impact on a veteran “relationship hire” like herself.

When Jessie Sterling stepped out of the elevator, Chloe couldn’t help but draw a sharp, silent breath.

There was a clear distinction between celebrities and true heiresses, a fact especially apparent to those who, like her, were used to seeing what the young ladies of wealthy families were really like.

A perfect smile appeared on Chloe’s face as she took the initiative. “Hello, how may I help you?”

Jessie Sterling was surprised. For a company on the decline like Apex Films, the receptionist had an impressive presence. ’At least she’s perceptive,’ Jessie thought.

Jessie Sterling took the employee badge Victor Morgan had given her out of her bag.

The moment Chloe took the badge and glanced at it, the smile on her face nearly froze.

She had been wondering if Jessie might be an investor from some major family. She never expected that this woman, who looked to be about her own age, was actually the new boss the whole company had been buzzing about!

“President Sterling!” After a moment of shock, Chloe immediately put on an even more sincere smile. She knew her place. Her status as a “relationship hire” meant something when compared to employees without connections, but it meant nothing in front of the big boss herself.

Jessie Sterling said, “Could you show me to my office? It’s my first time here, so I don’t know where it is.”

How could Chloe possibly refuse?

She came out from behind the desk and walked beside Jessie. “President Sterling, your office is upstairs. This floor is for the general staff. Would you like me to give you a quick tour first?”

Jessie Sterling accepted.

By the time Jessie Sterling got to her office, nearly everyone at Apex Films knew their new boss was a strikingly beautiful woman who looked almost too young for the role, with looks that could rival a movie star’s.

But no one dared to underestimate her. How could anyone who could acquire the entire Apex Films be an ordinary person?

Jessie hadn’t had time to visit the company before, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t made any plans.

Before the New Year, she had already emailed the management team, instructing them to start making contact regarding several manga IPs on the market.

After settling into her office for a bit, Jessie had her secretary arrange a meeting. Half an hour later, Jessie walked into the conference room.

In her previous email, Jessie had specifically mentioned one manga IP titled *Honor in Your Name*.

It was a shonen-style manga by Yvonne Rhodes that had been serialized online some years ago. Jessie hadn’t read it herself, but she knew the story was about a group of academy students who, after a rocky start, eventually formed a tight-knit team, grew stronger together, and became people who could trust each other with their lives.

It was an ensemble piece, full of passionate competition. The main group started out stumbling and struggling, but by the end, each member had found their purpose and become an indispensable part of the team.

Jessie had specifically prioritized acquiring the rights to this manga and had also told her team to start looking into casting.

So, upon entering the conference room and after some brief introductions, Jessie immediately asked about the progress on *Honor*.

“We’ve made contact with the original author and are currently negotiating the price. The contract isn’t finalized yet because of the holiday, but barring any surprises, we should be able to sign it this week.”

Jessie nodded. Her plan was to start filming in the spring, shoot for two months, allow one month for post-production, and factoring in the time for regulatory review, if the broadcast license was approved quickly, they could premiere during summer break and capitalize on the summer viewership wave.

“And the cast?” Jessie asked.

She was only responsible for setting the project’s direction. The finer details were, of course, left to the professionals. All she had to do was listen to their reports in the conference room.

A brief silence fell over the conference room at her question.

Jessie arched an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?” she asked.

A manager seated to Jessie’s left spoke up to explain. “Our company manages quite a few artists. After you sent the email, President Sterling, we arranged for one of our young actresses to take a role.”

Jessie motioned for him to continue.

“Rachel Ford. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of her, President Sterling? She previously starred in a low-budget youth film that got a great reception. She had a minor breakout moment.” As he spoke, the manager adjusted his tablet, projecting a photo of Rachel Ford onto the screen at the front. “We felt she would be a good fit to play Tiana Lane, one of the main characters in *Honor*. Her schedule was already confirmed, but then over the New Year, she suddenly breached her contract and demanded to terminate her agreement with Apex Films.”

“She insisted on terminating?” Jessie knew, of course, that the penalty for such a breach of contract was a hefty sum. “Did she find a new backer?”

The manager to her left didn’t dare hide the truth. He nodded. “Thorne Pictures.”

Jessie understood. It was Arya Thorne’s family’s company.

She wasn’t particularly surprised. It was only natural for people to seek better opportunities, and right now, the prospects at Thorne Pictures looked much brighter than at Apex.

Still, she didn’t think highly of an artist who would breach a contract just to jump ship.

Jessie had assumed that would be the end of the matter regarding Rachel Ford, but then she heard a familiar name.

“Our investigation revealed that when Thorne Pictures poached Rachel Ford, they promised her the female lead in *Youth Handbook*. But after she made the move, the role was snatched by someone else.”

Rachel Ford’s previous success had come from a school-themed youth drama. She had the classic “first love” look. Since Apex Films currently lacked any good youth-oriented scripts, it wasn’t surprising she would leave for a role that had a high chance of becoming a breakout hit.

It was just a shame that after jumping ship, she discovered the grand promises made by her new employer had vanished into thin air. One could only imagine how Rachel Ford was feeling now.

“The person who snatched the role was an unknown newcomer named Nina Walsh.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep