Chapter 26: Chapter 26: A Huge Misunderstanding
James Lockwood hesitated, stopping and starting, but finally decided to make things a little clearer.
"It’s like this, Miss Sterling. The 20,000 budget we’ve advertised is just the minimum—a conservative estimate. In reality, the cost will definitely be higher. After all, the salaries for the male and female leads alone will take up nearly 5,000. You also just said you’d cover the remaining shortfall, so I feel I must be transparent about the actual circumstances."
Cecilia Sterling understood. James Lockwood was clearly hinting that the budget deficit was still quite large and was afraid the figure he was about to quote would scare her away.
She smiled calmly. "Mr. Lockwood, just give me a number."
James Lockwood’s throat bobbed as if he were mentally calculating what number to quote. He was terrified of scaring Cecilia Sterling away.
But for the project’s sake, he gritted his teeth and named the figure he had in mind. "Ten thousand!"
As if afraid she would change her mind, he quickly added, "Miss Sterling, the more you invest, the greater the returns. We are very confident in this project, you have to trust us."
Seeing his desperate and terrified expression, the smile on Cecilia’s face widened.
She simply gave a slight nod and said, "No problem. As long as my sister gets the role, my ten thousand investment will be in your account immediately."
Not expecting Cecilia to agree so readily, James Lockwood, Amanda Shawcross, and Sam Fletcher were all stunned into silence.
Amanda Shawcross was the first to snap out of it. She quickly gave orders to Sam Fletcher, "Sam, lock in this role immediately. You’re more familiar with the school, so you go handle the communications. But remember, we can’t announce the main cast until the press conference, so make sure you keep this under wraps."
"Got it, got it. I’ll contact her teacher right now." Sam Fletcher nodded repeatedly, unconsciously stealing another glance at Cecilia Sterling.
He’d never seen someone so young with such a commanding presence. To her, ten thousand seemed to be no more than a single dollar.
Seeing her opportunity, Cecilia spoke up. "Mr. Lockwood, our arrangement must also be kept confidential. I prefer to make my fortune quietly, so please don’t let anyone else know, and that includes my sister."
’Lily is naturally sensitive and has low self-esteem. She wouldn’t necessarily be happy if she knew about this.’
James Lockwood understood Cecilia’s intentions. He shot a look at Sam Fletcher, who immediately knew what to do.
Just then, a sudden commotion erupted at the main entrance of the banquet hall. It sounded like people were arguing at the door.
The guests glanced over, their curiosity piqued. Unfortunately, the main doors were closed, and while they could faintly hear the sounds of an argument, they couldn’t make out what was happening.
Seeing this, James Lockwood stood. "Please have a seat, Miss Sterling. I’ll go see what’s happening."
Outside the banquet hall, Shawn Lane, radiating pure fury, was being blocked by two security guards.
"Sir, this is a private reception. You can’t enter without an invitation."
"Sir, you can’t force your way in. Otherwise, we will have to remove you by force. Please understand."
Shawn Lane’s eyes were bloodshot, an inferno of rage seeming to burn at his back. He suppressed his fury and said in a low voice, "I’m just looking for one person. I’ll be right out!"
Just then, Beatrice Lynn, who had been waiting for some time, hurried over in her heels. Running to Shawn’s side, she deliberately tugged on his arm. "It’s no use, Shawn. You need an invitation for a high-end party like this. Your ex is pretty capable, huh? The guy she’s latched onto is clearly a big shot."
The words had barely left her mouth when James Lockwood walked out from inside.
Beatrice Lynn instantly recognized him as the man who had been with Cecilia. She pointed at him excitedly and yelled, "Shawn, that’s him!"
Before James Lockwood could even ask what was going on, the frenzied man in front of him lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar.
The image of Cecilia’s alluring back from the photo flashed through Shawn’s mind, and jealousy drove him into a frenzy. "You dare touch my woman!"
With a low snarl, he raised his fist and threw a heavy punch.
The punch was so sudden and brutal that James Lockwood had no time to react. He took it square on the cheek, stumbling sideways. Luckily, a quick-thinking guard managed to catch him.
The other guard came to his senses and tackled Shawn, but he was no match for Shawn’s size and his attempt to take him down was useless.
Taking advantage of the door James Lockwood had just opened, the now-irrational Shawn bellowed, "Cecilia! Cecilia, get out here!"
James Lockwood saw stars, and the left side of his face immediately began to swell.
Beatrice Lynn watched Shawn’s frenzied state, a triumphant glint in her eyes.
’So much for being his "perfect, unforgettable love." Pfft!’
’Soon she’ll be utterly humiliated in front of everyone.’
The sudden chaos at the entrance immediately drew the attention of the people inside, especially Cecilia, who heard someone shouting her name. She rushed to the door with Amanda Shawcross.
"Shawn?"
Cecilia was surprised to see Shawn here, but when she saw James Lockwood’s badly swollen cheek, her expression instantly darkened.
Shawn looked at Cecilia. She was stunningly beautiful, but her beauty was blooming for another man, and the sight was blindingly painful to him.
His eyes were bloodshot, and just as he was about to surge forward, a sharp scream from Amanda Shawcross made him flinch.
"Husband!"
Amanda Shawcross saw James Lockwood’s disheveled state and ran to him in terror. "Oh my God! How could this happen? Are you all right?"
Someone behind them snapped to their senses and quickly called out to a waiter, "Hurry, get some ice for President Lockwood to bring down the swelling!"
’Husband?’
’This guy’s wife is here too?’
’Then what was that picture all about?’
’If they were having an affair, bringing Cecilia to an event where his own wife was present would be way too audacious.’
Shawn wasn’t an idiot. Amanda’s appearance started to bring him to his senses, and the look of dawning realization on his face was a picture.
The rage on his face had yet to fully dissipate, but it was now mixed with confusion and a growing sense of unease.
Beatrice Lynn was dumbfounded, too. ’What’s going on? Why is this man’s wife here?’
She saw the expression on Shawn’s face and realized she’d likely made a huge mistake.
’I’m screwed. I’ve really messed up this time!’
But what was done was done. Gritting her teeth, she decided to double down, pointing at Cecilia and shouting, "Cecilia, you’re so shameless! Cheating on Shawn and messing around with other men!"
"You shut up!"
Had Beatrice kept quiet, it would have been fine. But the moment she opened her mouth, the anger that had just started to fade in Shawn flared up again with a WHOOSH, and he roared at her.
Beatrice Lynn flinched and immediately fell silent.
Cecilia retracted her dark glare and walked over to James Lockwood, her expression apologetic. "Mr. Lockwood, I am so sorry. You should call the police."
No one would feel good after being punched squarely in the face for no reason at all.
But the assailant was an acquaintance of Miss Sterling, and James Lockwood had just secured a ten-thousand investment. He didn’t want anything to jeopardize it.
So, despite his grim expression, he said, "There’s no need, Miss Sterling. This was probably just a misunderstanding."
’A misunderstanding?’
’A massive one!’
’But a punch like that can’t just be brushed aside as a misunderstanding.’
Cecilia pulled out her phone, her face devoid of expression. "I’ll make the call for you."
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