Nicky's question about company food left Leo silent for a solid three seconds. He even pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at the screen—just to make sure it was really her calling. "Uh... I think so?" he answered uncertainly. No sooner had he spoken than she replied, "Be there in half an hour," and hung up.
Leo stared at his phone, baffled. "Why does it feel like she's coming for the food and not the meeting?" He shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought. This is serious. Ms. Hayes wants to talk about her livestreams.
After hanging up, Nicky got off at the next bus stop and headed straight for the nearest subway station. She hadn't eaten anything since the morning, running purely on system-bought stamina, and her stomach was growling loudly. All she could think about was the company cafeteria.
On the train, she pulled out her phone and changed Leo's contact name from "Original Agent (Zero Presence)" to "Leo (Potential Lunch Buddy)." She dug through the original story's memories—Leo really had been sidelined early on, though he clearly had a sharp mind for strategy. Later, after Nina helped him out of a tight spot, he became completely devoted and helped craft her "inspirational goddess" persona.
"Could be useful," Nicky murmured, tapping her screen. "But let's see how it goes. No point forcing it if we don't vibe."
Thirty minutes later, Nicky was standing in front of the Spark Entertainment building, still in her dusty work clothes, her hair tied back messily. She stuck out among the well-dressed employees like a weed in a rose garden. As expected, a security guard stopped her at the door.
"No badge, no entry. Move along, don't waste my time." He'd seen plenty of fans trying to sneak in and wasn't impressed.
Instead of arguing, Nicky leaned closer. "Sir, you're a full-time employee, right? Is the cafeteria still open? Is there any food left?"
The guard was taken aback. All his prepared lines vanished. He looked her up and down, skeptical. "You kids come up with the wildest excuses these days."
"Whatever. I'll just call." She pulled out her phone and messaged Leo on WhatsApp: Stuck at the door. Come get me. Also—is there any food left in the cafeteria?
A moment later, Leo rushed down. He grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, whispering urgently, "Hurry up! Ms. Hayes is waiting. You're making her angrier by the second!"
"Wait." Nicky dug her heels in. "The cafeteria's that way, right? Is it still open?"
"The cafeteria?" Leo blinked, thrown off. Seeing the hope in her eyes, he floundered. "It's... it's closed. Lunch only."
The moment he said "no food," the energy drained from Nicky's body. Her eyes lost their spark. She could barely summon the will to move.
Leo hustled her into the elevator. The small space felt tense. He rambled nervously, "Nicky, listen. You used to have Condé Nast backing you up. You could pick any role you wanted. But it's different now. You need to be realistic..."
He was still talking when the elevator dinged open. Nicky didn't respond. One hand pressed against her hollow stomach, she shuffled slowly behind him, not even bothering to look his way—who had the patience for lectures on an empty stomach?
Used to her indifference, Leo didn't press further. He led her straight into Ms. Hayes's office.
"You're late. Do you have any concept of time?" Ms. Hayes sat behind her desk, hands folded, her tone cutting. She was establishing dominance from the start.
Nicky didn't even acknowledge it. She just collapsed into the plushest couch in the room and leaned back lazily, her eyes half-closed.
Smack! Ms. Hayes slammed her hand on the desk and stood up, glaring. "What is this attitude? You think you're still the Condé Nast heiress? Let me be clear—you're still under contract with Spark. You'll do what I tell you to do!"
Nicky finally glanced up, a cold laugh echoing inside her head—here it comes.
Sure enough, Ms. Hayes took a deep breath and softened her tone. "There's an industry dinner tonight. A supporting film role is on the table. Be there. Represent the company well. Don't embarrass me."
"A dinner?"
Nicky immediately sat bolt upright. Her eyes lit up, and the words spilled out faster. "What dinner? Who's paying? Is it all-you-can-eat? Are there steaks? Dessert?"
A rapid-fire volley of questions entirely about the food left Ms. Hayes utterly speechless. She had expected questions about the role, which executives would be there—not this. This was not following the script at all.