Chapter 169 - 167: The Capitalists’ Banquet
Andrew Sutton was slightly taken aback; he hadn’t expected someone with Lily Sterling’s gentle nature to refuse so directly.
But then a relieved smile appeared on his face. "It’s okay. There’s nothing to apologize for."
Lily Sterling still felt a little guilty. "But you were the one who recommended me to the production team."
"It’s really nothing," Andrew Sutton said, gently reassuring her. "Recommending suitable actors to a production team is very common, and it doesn’t always work out. Please don’t take it to heart."
Only then did Lily Sterling nod. She thanked Andrew Sutton sincerely once more, and with that, the matter was closed.
After Lily Sterling left, a trace of disappointment welled up in Andrew Sutton’s heart.
He had hoped she would take the role; otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken the initiative to recommend her. But since she didn’t want it, he wouldn’t force her. He even had a feeling this would be the outcome.
He had read the script, too. While it was the female lead, the character wasn’t particularly brilliant.
"Turning down the female lead... isn’t she getting a little too big for her britches?"
Drake muttered from the side, seemingly unable to comprehend Lily Sterling’s line of thinking.
Andrew Sutton glanced at him, and Drake immediately shut his mouth, blinking innocently.
That evening, Cecilia Sterling arrived at The Sovereign Club using the address James Lockwood had given her. Although he had said the dress code was casual, Cecilia didn’t take him at his word, instead choosing a long dress and high heels suitable for the occasion.
She gave the private room number to an attendant, who then led her inside.
She wasn’t late, but she hadn’t arrived too early either—just fifteen minutes before the time James Lockwood had given her.
But when she stepped into the room, she was surprised to find only two people inside.
One was James Lockwood. The other, Cecilia didn’t recognize.
James Lockwood was also a bit surprised to see Cecilia arrive first. He quickly rose to greet her. "Well, Miss Sterling! I didn’t expect you to be the first one here."
Cecilia calmly shook his hand, but she couldn’t help complaining to herself. ’I’m right on time, aren’t I? But President Lockwood’s reacting like he’s shocked I’m here so early.’
Little did she know, this was the nature of such dinners. None of the investors ever arrived on time. The more powerful you were, the more you could flaunt it; being half an hour late was nothing out of the ordinary.
In fact, it was common for some to show up one or even two hours late.
"Miss Sterling, allow me to introduce you. This is President Whitt of Hewitt Entertainment. Our two companies are long-term partners."
"Hello, Miss Sterling. A pleasure to meet you." President Whitt extended his hand enthusiastically, unable to hide how struck he was by her appearance.
He’d heard from James Lockwood that this Miss Sterling was quite young, but he hadn’t expected her to be *this* young.
After the introductions, James Lockwood tried to usher Cecilia to a seat near the head of the table.
It was a seat of considerable status, but Cecilia didn’t want it. At least, not today, in a setting she was completely unfamiliar with. As a newcomer, she felt it was best to keep a low profile.
"President Lockwood, I’d rather just sit next to you. I’ll be more comfortable here," Cecilia said with a pleasant smile. Before he could protest, she had already taken a seat beside him with graceful ease.
This seat was practically at the foot of the table, as it was closest to the door.
This made it clear that even an entertainment company president like James Lockwood ranked at the very bottom of the hierarchy at tonight’s dinner.
Otherwise, the two of them wouldn’t have been the first to arrive.
"Miss Sterling, this won’t do. Please, take the seat of honor," James Lockwood insisted, afraid of offending Cecilia.
But Cecilia just smiled and shook her head. "I’m not so concerned with formalities. Don’t worry, President Lockwood. As long as the project is sound, I’ll invest. It doesn’t matter where I sit."
Upon hearing this, President Whitt immediately gave her a thumbs-up. "Miss Sterling has real vision. She isn’t concerned with such superficial matters."
Seeing this, James Lockwood didn’t insist any further.
Time ticked by, and soon it was past the scheduled time of six-thirty.
It wasn’t until almost seven o’clock that the door to the room was pushed open again. This time, it was someone Cecilia actually recognized.
The famous actress, Morgana Dyer!
"Ah, President Lockwood, President Whitt! Long time no see!"
Morgana Dyer greeted them with familiar warmth the moment she entered. President Whitt rose with a chuckle. "Well, well, the superstar has arrived!"
Morgana Dyer was only twenty-eight years old, but she was an extremely well-known actress in the country. She had won several awards for her performances in television dramas, and her acting skills were well-respected within the industry.
What she lacked, however, were film awards and box-office success. Having just made the transition from the small screen to the big screen, she needed more opportunities to prove herself.
An actress as famous as she held a certain status in the entertainment world. But at a gathering like this, to put it bluntly, she was merely decoration. In the eyes of investors, female stars were little more than old-time performers—pretty faces at the dinner table to pour drinks and offer smiles, but ultimately insignificant.
With only a few people in the room, Morgana Dyer’s eyes were naturally drawn to Cecilia.
The young woman was beautiful, and her smile was exceptionally composed.
Almost instinctively, Morgana Dyer assumed Cecilia was just like her—another actress here to vie for an opportunity.
A sense of wariness arose in her, along with a competitive spark.
But more than that, she felt a sense of understanding. Morgana had entered the business at sixteen and had seen the struggles of countless actresses. There was nothing wrong with fighting for what you wanted.
It was just that Cecilia looked like a newcomer. She had the looks, certainly, but she probably wouldn’t be able to land a major role.
"Hello there," Morgana Dyer said, taking the initiative to greet Cecilia.
James Lockwood was about to make an introduction, but Cecilia spoke first. "Hello, Ms. Dyer. I’ve seen your shows, and I’m a big fan. My name is Cecilia Sterling."
Morgana Dyer was used to hearing such words from younger actresses, but she still responded with a gracious smile. "Thank you."
Cecilia was seated beside President Lockwood, while Morgana Dyer, a superstar in the entertainment world, could only take a seat beside President Whitt.
The moment she sat down, Morgana Dyer began chatting animatedly with the two entertainment presidents. She was always in her element in situations like this. Cecilia, however, felt her patience wearing thin as she watched the minutes tick by.
It was only then that it dawned on her. No wonder President Lockwood had been so surprised to see her earlier. It turned out that *everyone* was expected to be late.
After a full hour of waiting, the other late arrivals finally began to trickle in.
Some among them were acquainted, while for others, it was their first meeting.
Cecilia also spotted a familiar face—Connie. She was here because the project being discussed today involved one of the artists she managed.
Once everyone had arrived and the round table was full, Cecilia’s gaze fell upon the seats of honor at the head of the table.
There wasn’t a single head seat, but rather two, flanking the center of the table.
The man in the left seat was a heavyset, middle-aged man with the surname Young. James Lockwood called him Mr. Young.
The man on the right, however, was far more interesting. He wore sunglasses and a short-sleeved shirt, revealing a colorful tattoo sleeve covering his entire right arm. He had a buzz cut and a round face, and even through the dark lenses, you could see his fierce expression. He looked like he had just gotten out of prison.