Chapter 52: She Made It
She turned and saw Cillian Forrest standing behind her.
His pale eyes regarded her impassively, as if the incident with the neck ring the other day hadn’t affected him in the slightest.
Sophie Wexler snapped back to the present and pointed at the food in front of her. "Oh, this? I’ve made it before, back home."
Only after she spoke did she remember he hadn’t been there. ’It’s only natural he wouldn’t know what it is.’
"Here, have a seat." Sophie Wexler scooted over, patting the chair beside her.
Cillian Forrest hesitated for a moment, but after a look into her bright eyes, he finally sat down.
Sophie Wexler immediately scooped out the Tammy from the pot. Wary that he might not like it, she only gave him one. "See what you think."
Cillian Forrest glanced at the dish in front of him; it was the same as what everyone else had on their tables.
Seeing his expression, one of the others explained with a smile, "It’s all thanks to Miss Wexler’s recipe that we get to eat the chef’s Tammy today."
On that topic, some of them had been craving this dish ever since they first saw Sophie Wexler.
That’s right, it was the few soldiers who had watched her live stream. They had seen her introduce the dish back then and had been craving it ever since.
As it happened, Sophie Wexler was in the cafeteria today asking what was available to eat. After several days of nutrient liquid, she was finding it hard to stomach.
When she first walked in, Sophie Wexler wondered if she’d come to the wrong place. The cafeteria was completely empty, without a single soul in sight.
But the first bite of food made her understand why. It was truly inedible. ’How could anyone make food that was this awful?’
Having no other choice, Sophie Wexler decided to cook for herself.
Unexpectedly, when the soldiers heard Sophie Wexler was in the cafeteria, they all remembered the Tammy they had seen on her live stream and rushed over.
The cafeteria, usually so deserted that not even a rat would visit, was suddenly packed with people.
When she heard they wanted to know how to make Tammy, Sophie Wexler gave them a live demonstration.
Even the chef came over to watch, so Sophie Wexler simply gave him the recipe. That led to the current scene: everyone gathered together, eating Tammy.
Cillian Forrest looked at the dish in front of him, which was called Tammy. It was white, round, and plump, and looked quite appetizing.
He took a hesitant bite. It was soft and chewy, and a delicate sweetness spread through his mouth.
His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and he put down his spoon. He didn’t care for sweets.
"Don’t you like it?" Sophie Wexler asked, puzzled.
Hearing her, the others immediately chimed in to object. "No way!"
"Even the ones the chef made with your recipe were delicious." And this one she had made personally.
"You guys want to try it then?" Sophie Wexler offered hesitantly.
"Yes!" The moment the words left her mouth, the large pot of Tammy was devoured in an instant.
Someone even exclaimed while eating, "Miss Wexler, this is delicious!"
"Yours is even better than the chef’s!"
It was likely the chef’s first time, so he might have been a little off with the measurements. Sophie Wexler, however, had no such problem.
Hearing this, Cillian Forrest looked up at Sophie Wexler. "You made this?"
’Didn’t the chef make it using her recipe?’
Sophie Wexler just nodded. "That’s right. I was showing them how to make it."
The batch she’d made during the demonstration had been placed in front of her.
The hand Cillian Forrest was using to hold his spoon froze. He looked at the pot, which had been picked clean, not a single one left.
Cillian Forrest: "..."
"I didn’t know you don’t like sweets," Sophie Wexler said, recalling his slight frown. "I’ll remember for next time. No sweet things like Tammy for you."
Cillian Forrest: "..."
Since the food was gone anyway, Sophie Wexler told the others to enjoy their meal, then left the cafeteria with Cillian Forrest.
Before leaving, Cillian Forrest shot one last glance at the now-empty pot.
As they walked, Sophie Wexler turned to Cillian Forrest. "Did you need me for something?"
Cillian Forrest faltered, only then realizing he didn’t actually have a reason for seeking her out.
’He had simply heard from Ethan Cross that she was in the cafeteria, so he had come.’
"I do."
Sophie Wexler let out an "oh." ’She knew it,’ she thought. ’Why else would he come looking for me?’
"So, what is it?"
"How is the progress on that business partnership you mentioned last time?"
At the mention of that, Sophie Wexler perked up.
Just as they had predicted, Sophie Wexler’s song had blown up. Countless companies were scrambling to partner with her and buy the rights.
With so many companies competing fiercely, the offers they made became visibly better and better, each one afraid that their terms weren’t good enough and that Sophie Wexler would choose someone else.
Her inbox was completely flooded with messages from various record labels, all wanting to negotiate terms.
"The progress has been incredible. It’s just..." Sophie Wexler trailed off, her cheerful tone dropping.
Noticing Cillian Forrest’s questioning gaze, Sophie Wexler explained, "There are just too many people who want to partner up."
Lately, every time Sophie Wexler looked at her overflowing inbox, she felt happy, but also incredibly overwhelmed.
’There’s so much. How am I supposed to get through it all?’
"I’m planning to ask the platform in the next couple of days if they know anyone reliable who can work as a manager."
Normally, these things are handled by a management agency—things like copyright issues, business partnerships, performances, and so on.
If it were just one or two offers, she could probably manage. But given the circumstances, she was completely swamped and couldn’t possibly handle it all on her own.
She needed someone to help her take on this work.
"Have you found anyone?"
That was the real source of Sophie Wexler’s headache.
"Not yet." Finding a manager was a long-term commitment, and some people were obviously unsuitable right off the bat.
The main issue was that most managers were affiliated with an agency, and she didn’t want to sign with any agency.
It was easy to find a manager, but hard to find an independent one, which was what had been giving her such a headache these past few days.
"If I can’t find one, I’ll just have to look through them myself for now," Sophie Wexler said listlessly. "There are just so many."
She didn’t fully understand some of them, which made her headache even worse.
"I’ll help you look at them," his deep voice came from above her.
Sophie Wexler stopped in her tracks and looked up at him, stunned.
"I looked over some last time. I should be able to handle it," Cillian Forrest said. "I can help you review them until you find someone suitable."
’Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?’
’He was the one who helped me last time!’
"Cillian Forrest, you’re a lifesaver!" Sophie Wexler said excitedly, grabbing his arm and giving it a shake.
"I’ll go back and send you the files right now!" With that, Sophie Wexler turned and ran off.
Her most pressing problem was finally solved, and Sophie Wexler felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders.
Cillian Forrest watched her run off, then his gaze drifted down to his own arm. Even though there was a layer of clothing between them, the sensation of her touch seemed to remain, lingering long after she was gone.