Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Ruthless and Decisive
’Why does Teacher Hartwell always have to be so cryptic...’
Claire Sinclair racked her brain, but she still couldn’t completely figure out what he meant.
Just then, Ethan Kingsley suddenly called out from the stage, "To the beautiful Cinderella wearing the man’s suit jacket, would you please come up to the stage?"
Claire Sinclair stood where she was, completely still.
’I don’t even want to acknowledge him...’
Henry Hartwell, standing beside her, smiled and said, "You’re right not to go up. Just stay here. He’ll come down himself."
Claire Sinclair wanted to ask him why, but in the next second, Ethan Kingsley did indeed step off the stage and walk toward them, the spotlight following his every move.
Before long, Ethan Kingsley was standing before them. His gaze locked onto Claire Sinclair’s pretty face, but it didn’t stay there for long. It soon shifted to the distinctive suit jacket she was wearing.
"Is that your boyfriend’s jacket?"
His probing tone seemed laced with ill intent.
Claire Sinclair told a bald-faced lie. "Teacher Hartwell gave it to me."
Having been called out, Henry Hartwell gave a faint, meaningful smile. "It is the duty of every civil official to protect a worthy general from harm by a villain."
"A villain? Heh... I’m not fond of that word." As he spoke, Ethan Kingsley raised his gaze to meet Claire Sinclair’s eyes. "Claire Sinclair, are you willing to endorse M2L?"
"Mr. Kingsley has already made this a public spectacle. If I refuse, I’m afraid certain people won’t let me off the hook. So I’ll accept. I hate causing trouble."
Ethan Kingsley broke into a grin and turned to give an order, "Bring up the contract. We’ll sign it on the spot."
His words immediately sparked a heated discussion among the onlookers:
"Young Master Kingsley is so decisive, isn’t he? Is he sure he doesn’t want to reconsider?"
"Haha, I love how decisive Young Master Kingsley is! He never beats around the bush. So cool!"
"That’s the Young Master Kingsley I know and love! Cool!"
"Sign it, sign it, sign it..."
Someone started the chant, and soon many of the onlookers joined in, yelling, "Sign it!"
It was like an invisible force, pushing Claire Sinclair forward, leaving her no room to back out.
A staff member brought up the contract, prepared in duplicate.
Claire Sinclair skimmed through the contract. As far as she could tell, there were no major issues, but she still had her reservations, so she asked Henry Hartwell to look it over as well.
Henry Hartwell spent a few minutes reading it over before finally saying, "There are no major issues. You can sign it, but..."
"But what?" Claire Sinclair asked, clinging to her last sliver of hope. She really didn’t want to sign any endorsement deal.
Henry Hartwell closed the contract and said with a smile, "You’ll have your regular job and you’ll be shooting commercials. I’m just worried you won’t be able to manage your schedule."
Ethan Kingsley suddenly spoke up, "Young Master Hartwell, please rest assured. I will have the production team do their utmost to accommodate her work schedule. We will absolutely not interfere with her job."
Henry Hartwell’s smile was as pleasant as a spring breeze. "That’s wonderful. I wish you a pleasant collaboration."
Claire Sinclair: "..."
’These two weren’t men; they were a pair of ambitious wolves.’
’This is terrifying. I want to go home.’
In the end, Claire Sinclair signed the contract.
There were two copies. Ethan Kingsley took one and left the other with her. The shooting schedule was to be determined, but the contract stipulated a deadline: it had to be filmed within one month.
Claire Sinclair clutched the heavy contract, an indescribable feeling welling up inside her. All she knew was that she was thoroughly frustrated.
’I wonder what he thinks, the one watching me from the shadows. Will he think that my accepting this endorsement is a sign that I’ve sold out?’
