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Behind The Spotlight Chapter 273
The two men fell silent. This was truly a disaster for them. They had worked hard for their clients and helped them reach success, yet the company decided to sabotage them. It was painful to accept.
"Arnold, I can trust you, right?"
"What, do you have something in mind? I want to hear it. Don't worry, they'd have to grab me by the balls before I snitch."
"Why do you have to be so specific? Who cares about your balls?" Collin asked, disgusted.
"I do. So, what's your plan?" Arnold leaned closer.
"I'm starting my own agency."
"... Collin, are you serious?" Arnold was shocked. "Starting your own agency isn't that simple. Investment aside, are you even confident in managing a company? You don't have any experience at all."
"That's why I have Lila to help me."
"Don't tell me..."
"Yes, she has already registered the company in Delaware. I'm serious about this."
"That fast!? You already have a company?"
"Yeah, I'm just finalizing the paperwork."
"But I thought Lila wasn't allowed to work for a rival company or something?"
"She didn't sign that non-compete. Come on, she has tons of lawyers to help her spot traps on paper."
"And they just let her go like that?"
"She's Elijah Edward's daughter, there's nothing they can do to her."
"I guess so... But what about you?"
"I'll hire a lawyer to help me too. If I can't break it cleanly, I'll just pay the damages for breach of contract. How much could it be anyway, $3 million?"
For the record, $3 million was a lot of money. However, it was an amount Collin was prepared to part with if necessary.
"So, what about it?"
"..." Arnold fell silent.
Lila had been the CEO of ANT for years and possessed solid experience managing a company. She also had a vast network in Hollywood. Arnold had full confidence in her.
"What about you? What are you going to do?" Arnold asked.
"Honestly, I'm tired of being hands-on. I prefer to just find talented people and let others manage them. I think that's a better fit. Being the President of Talent Management and Representation suits me well."
Arnold thought about it. He, too, believed in Collin's talent-scouting abilities, the man had proven himself time and again.
"Wait a minute. If you're going to be the President of Talent Management and Representation, what about Lila? What's her position going to be?"
"Either CEO or General Manager."
"This guy... Why don't you become the CEO while Lila serves as the President of Talent Management and Representation? The exact titles don't really matter for you two. Lila will manage the company as President, while you discover talent as the CEO."
"Yeah, that could work. No wonder Lila didn't agree to my decision to be President of Talent Management and Representation right away," Collin admitted.
"She was probably waiting for the right time to convince you to change your mind," Arnold added. "So how did you split the ownership? Is it 50-50? Am I allowed to invest?"
"The money's all on me. I'm taking a gamble that I'm confident I'm going to win. As for the equity, I actually offered Lila 50% of the company shares, but she was mad about it."
The couple had argued about it in Lila's office. Lila was too deeply in love to let Collin give her 50%, and Collin felt the exact same way... He was only convinced to lower her share when Lila undressed and they had snu snu.
After a naked negotiation, terms were finalized in a 75-25 split, with Collin holding the larger share, and that was Collin doing his best to settle for less. If Lila had pushed any harder, the negotiation might have ended up at 90-10.
It was a very strange negotiation: instead of fighting for more, they were fighting for fewer benefits. Was love truly that powerful that people would sacrifice everything to make their loved ones happy?
And yes, Collin was frustrated that he ended up with more. In his opinion, someone like Lila, who would be managing the company, deserved a larger stake. He wasn't a greedy man and wanted only the best for the people he cared about.
"A 75-25 split?" Arnold clarified.
"Yeah," Collin said, gritting his teeth.
"Why are you looking so sad, then?"
"You're not in my position, so you wouldn't understand. Anyway, are you in or not? Lila and I talked about it, and we're comfortable offering you 3% of the shares. We need someone we can trust."
"Now I'm flattered."
"So, what's your answer?"
Arnold swallowed hard. Now that Collin had laid out his cards, it meant he was leaving ANT completely to start fresh.
"What about your clients? What are you going to tell them?"
"Hey, you're dodging my question."
"I'll answer yours once you answer mine."
"This guy... I'm going to contact my clients and tell them the truth."
"Are you going to invite them to switch agencies?"
"... I won't force them. I'll tell them the truth, but I won't pressure them to follow me."
"But why!?" Arnold was shocked, his voice rising slightly.
"They already have established careers, and switching agencies can disrupt that. Breaking their current contracts could cost them a fortune. I'm confident in myself and the future of my company, but there's a small chance I could fail, and I don't want to drag them down with me."
Even though Collin was preparing to resign, he still put his clients' best interests first. He was a true talent agent.
"So, now that I've answered your question, are you in or not?"
"..."
Arnold knew that once Collin left ANT, Claude and Salvador would target him and potentially steal Tom and Brody from his lineup... Before that could happen, Arnold had to fight back in his own way.
"I'm in... But 3% of the company shares? I think I'm worth more than that. How about 10%?"
Collin chuckled, he knew Arnold would ask for more. That was precisely why he had offered 3% first, knowing Arnold would try to negotiate.