Behind The Spotlight Chapter 274
"I'm going to resign."
Collin dropped that announcement, and the whole place fell silent. Only a few people were in the room, holding their preferred choice of alcohol, thinking today was a celebration.
Lawrence's movie was currently the highest-grossing film of 2001, and he had brought an expensive bottle of champagne to warm up the small gathering. They rarely had time to party together, and he cherished this moment.
Yet Lawrence was met with a grim announcement from Collin.
"Collin, what are you talking about?" Wyatt frowned. His fiancée stood next to him, comforting him and reminding him to calm down.
"As you can see, ANT was acquired by General Group, and now I'm in a pinch. I offended someone in management, and I'm going to lose all of you," Collin explained, laying everything out. At this point, there was no reason to hide it.
Most of them had heard about ANT's new owners, but they hadn't expected to be impacted this severely.
"Management will transfer your contracts to other talent agents."
"We won't agree to that, right, everyone?" Axel looked around at the others, and they all nodded in agreement. Collin had done an exceptional job, and they didn't want a different agent handling them. Why bother building a new relationship with someone else when Collin was already perfect for them?
"Of course! I don't agree with this at all," Princess Chantal raised her voice... She was a bit tipsy, having already drunk quite a bit. She had just wrapped up her concert tour in Asia, and while there, she discovered the appeal of alcohol and became quite dependent on it... Fortunately, she hadn't turned to drugs that much, most famous music artists usually succumbed to substances.
"I don't agree either. I won't change my agent," Lawrence replied, and the others shared the exact same sentiment.
"You guys are right. If you don't agree, they'll have a hard time transferring your contracts to other agents. You have the final say... But I have to apologize. I'm tired." Collin offered a bitter smile, letting his true emotions show.
"I'm tired of constantly guarding myself against their tricks and schemes. I'm tired of being targeted. You probably have an idea, but you guys are the cream of the crop. Many agents wanted to take you away from me because you are all super talented. I'm proud of you, and I'm happy to be your agent. But I can't endure all this politics and backstabbing anymore. I want to leave ANT."
Throughout his time working at ANT, Collin's greatest stress hadn't come from any scandals involving his clients, it had been caused by company politics.
"But you promised me I would make a comeback. Was all of that a lie?" Out of everyone in the room, Jennifer was the most emotional. Her career was faltering, and Collin was the only one who could save her.
If Collin resigned, Jennifer's career was basically over.
"I'll keep my promise. You will soar once again."
"How?"
"I started my own talent agency."
"..."
This time, silence fell over the room for a completely different reason. They all stared at Collin, whose green-brown eyes burned with determination.
"I started my own talent agency, and I want to invite all of you. Of course, I won't force you if you don't want to come. However, my decision is final. Please forgive me for my actions." Collin bowed his head slightly.
"Collin... Are you sure about this?"
"I am."
Technically, what Collin was doing right now was a breach of contract. Soliciting his clients to switch agencies while still employed by ANT was grounds for a lawsuit.
However, Collin trusted his clients. They wouldn't do anything to harm him, they owed him too much.
Once he left ANT, it would be difficult to reach out to them again, making this his only opportunity to state his intentions.
"Of course, I'm not forcing you to leave right away. You're all under contract, and a breach of contract could cost millions, which I don't recommend. All I hope is that when your contracts expire, you'll think of me and remember all the great things I've done... Maybe that will convince you to switch agencies."
"I'm in," Jennifer answered immediately, gulping a shot of vodka.
"My contract ends in two months... Now that I think about it, is this why you didn't want me to renew?" Jennifer asked Collin.
"That's right," he confirmed.
"You fucking bastard... I had a hard time sleeping because of you! I thought you were going to drop me once my contract expired," Jennifer cursed, her emotions running high.
"I'm sorry I could only explain it today."
"So, what about you guys?" Jennifer turned to the others.
"My contract ends next year in February," Axel said. Collin was the sole reason he had reached his current status, and he had no intention of leaving him behind.
"Mine ends in April," Wyatt chimed in. Truthfully, Wyatt didn't care which agency he was signed to, he had always been Collin's client, and he wanted to keep it that way.
"... My contract doesn't end for two years." Princess Chantal was so devastated by the news that tears began streaming down her face. Isabella moved to comfort her.
"How much would I have to pay for a breach of contract?" After a brief moment of emotional overwhelm, Princess Chantal asked the question.
"... For a pop star of your caliber, at least $10 million."
Princess Chantal's profitability was extremely high, and ANT made a fortune representing her. If she chose to terminate her contract early, she would have to pay at least $10 million based on 30 to 60 percent of projected financial losses.
ANT took its contracts very seriously. Even though their agreements were strict, many talent prospects signed with the agency because ANT delivered results, providing them with unparalleled career opportunities.
In the eyes of the public, Collin's clients had no logical reason to leave ANT, given the agency's solid performance and stellar reputation.
Because of this, contract breaches were extremely rare and rarely worth the cost, unless an extraordinary situation occurred.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]