The meeting with Daniel Cross was set for 10 AM the next morning.
Emma arrived at White Entertainment's headquarters alone. Nicholas had offered to come, but she had refused. This was her career, her negotiation, her name on the contract. She needed to prove to herself, to the studio, to everyone watching that she wasn't just Nicholas White's wife.
The conference room was on the 34th floor, glass walls overlooking the city. Daniel was already there, along with two men Emma didn't recognize and a woman with sharp features and sharper heels.
"Emma." Daniel stood, extending his hand. "Thanks for coming."
"Thanks for having me."
She sat across from them, her back straight, her hands folded on the table. She wore a simple black dress, elegant, professional, unassuming. She wanted them to see her talent, not her wardrobe.
Daniel gestured to the woman. "This is Margot Vance, head of production. And these are Alan Drake and Simon Cross,no relation to me though, from the finance team."
Margot Vance didn't smile. "Miss Rhodes. We've reviewed your work on Fractured Light. Impressive."
"Thank you."
"Elena Vasquez speaks very highly of you. She's requested you for her next project."
Emma's heart skipped. "I read the script. It's extraordinary."
Margot nodded. "It's also expensive. Period pieces always are. The studio is willing to greenlight the film on one condition."
Emma kept her face neutral. "What condition?"
"You sign a three-picture deal with White Entertainment. Exclusive. No outside projects without our approval."
The room went quiet.
Emma had expected this. Daniel had warned her. But hearing it out loud, the strings attached to her rising star made her stomach tighten.
"What are the terms?" she asked.
Alan Drake slid a thick folder across the table. "It's all there. Salary, bonuses, creative approval, marketing commitments. You'll have a team, a publicist, a stylist. We'll make you a star."
Emma opened the folder. The numbers were staggering,more money than she had seen in either of her lives. But the fine print was densed . Exclusivity clauses. Non-compete agreements. Options that gave the studio control over her schedule for the next five years.
"I need time to review this," Emma said.
Margot's eyes narrowed. "We need an answer by Friday. The director is ready to move, and if you're not interested, we have other actresses in mind."
Emma met her gaze. "I'm interested. But I'm not signing anything without my lawyer looking at it first."
Daniel stepped in smoothly. "Of course. Take the folder. We'll talk Friday."
The meeting ended. Emma walked out of the conference room, the folder heavy in her hands.
Her phone buzzed.
Nicholas: How did it go?
Emma: They want a three-picture deal. Exclusive.
Nicholas: And?
Emma: And I need to read 47 pages of fine print.
Nicholas: Sloane is at the penthouse. She can look at it tonight.
Emma smiled. Emma: You think of everything.
Nicholas: I think of you. The rest is logistics.
She tucked her phone away and walked to the elevator.