Love in the Limelight novel Chapter 543

Hank leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. "Boss, the internet is buzzing over the news. A bunch of your rivals' fans are stirring the pot. Could this bad-mouthin' hurt your rep with the regular audiences?"

Astrid's grin was sly as a fox. "Not at all. It's just pumping up my visibility. After this circus, even more folks are gonna know my name." She seemed to muse for a moment, then said, "Doesn't seem like the buzz is big enough, though. Go buy us another spot on the trending list, will ya?"

Chad raised his eyebrows but didn't say a word.

"Got it," Hank replied, already on it.

Astrid had everything planned out in advance, like a master chess player thinking several moves ahead.

She had only one TV series airing at the moment, and even though her movie had a release date set, it hadn't hit the theaters yet.

Sure, reality TV had pulled in a hefty fan base, but she knew it was talent that kept you in the limelight. Without it, you'd just be a shooting star, blazing bright before fading fast.

She'd known Jay would pull a stunt, so to milk the situation for all it was worth, she'd given him a full day's lead time instead of confronting him immediately.

Her aim was to use Jay as a stepping stone, to get her name out there even more.

Exposure was gold in the showbiz, and she wasn't about to let such a golden opportunity slip through her fingers.

Jay had no clue he was dancing to Astrid's tune, still living in his little fantasy world. He'd fired his old assistant for not cutting the mustard and now had a new one who was sharp as a tack.

"Julie," Jay called out, his voice echoing through the plush office. A man walked in, exuding a scholarly vibe.

The man glanced at Jay and nodded slightly. "Everything's set for tonight."

"Any word from Aster?" Jay inquired further.