The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 543

Behind him, several trainees burst into hurried whispers.

"Was that actually Clive Sloan?"

"Yeah! Didn't they say he broke his contract a while back? What is he doing here?"

"Word is the company wants to re-sign him. They've been begging him for weeks."

"Wow, talk about an ego trip."

Clive simply smirked as he pressed the elevator button. When he pushed open the heavy double doors to the conference room, three people were already seated at the table. His former manager, Luke; the Vice President of the company, Michael; and the Director of Legal Affairs, Winnie. Sitting at the head of the table was the boss himself, Magnus Judson, wearing an identical, carefully practiced smile that failed to mask the sheer calculation in his eyes.

The moment Clive walked in, Luke shot to his feet, offering a painfully polite and unfamiliar grin. "Clive, you made it."

Clive lazily pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing his long legs. He tapped his fingers rhythmically against the polished wood of the table. "If you have something to say, get straight to the point. My time is incredibly valuable."

His dismissive tone made it seem as though he had merely dropped by for a casual cup of coffee rather than a pivotal negotiation regarding his entire career.

Michael felt an immediate flare of irritation at the display of arrogance. However, remembering the massive investment Winifred had recently poured into the agency, and acknowledging that Clive's undeniable star quality made him an indispensable cash cow if rebranded correctly, he held his tongue. Swallowing his pride, Michael forced a warm, friendly smile.

"Well, Clive, the company is currently prepping a premium historical blockbuster, and we haven't locked in our male lead just yet..."

"And?" Clive raised an eyebrow.

Winnie slid a thick contract across the table, her tone strictly business. "The company wants to sign you again. Take a look at the terms. They're significantly more generous than your previous arrangement."

A bead of sweat rolled down Luke's forehead as he desperately tried to smooth things over. "Clive, let's just leave the past in the past, alright? Besides, if you had just cooperated with management back then..."

They wouldn't have had to be so ruthless. They had given Clive multiple chances to comply, but he had stubbornly refused. How could he blame them for what happened?

"The past?" Clive's laugh was devoid of any warmth. "Luke, I was blacklisted by the entire internet, shelved for two straight months, and lost every single one of my endorsements. And you honestly expect to just brush all of that away with a flimsy 'let's leave the past in the past'?"

He stood up abruptly, towering over the table as he stared down at Magnus with absolute disdain. "Mr. Judson, I suggest you come back with some actual sincerity before you try to negotiate with me again."

Did they really think they could pacify him with some standard, run-of-the-mill contract?

Magnus's face darkened completely, the friendly facade finally dropping as he shed all pretense. "Clive, the company is doing you a favor. Don't push your luck!"