The Royal Contract

Would she be happy living out of the limelight if it came to that?

She had to consider the end of her career if the case did not go her way. As they said, good things never last, but how she thought she would be acting until she retired in her old age.

“We are here,” Adam spoke in the middle of her trance. She did not even notice that the motor had stopped as she stared out the window but barely saw the view outside.

“Oh!” Serena mumbled in mild surprise as she quickly unbuckled herself and exited the door. Soon, Adam walked next to her as they entered their apartment building.

“Bo said that you are doing well with your training. That is good.” Adam said as they climbed the stairs as he attempted a conversation.

He noticed that she had been quiet the whole ride home. He wanted to ask what was bothering her, but he did not want to pry into her private affairs. He was happy that they were getting comfortable with each other. He did not want to rush things and ruin their friendship. Besides, as a client, she was off-limits to him. He could not take advantage of her vulnerability by making a move on her. That would be unethical and against his principle.

.....

“Yeah, he is a good teacher. No wonder you are great at defending yourself.” Serena replied as she finally attention to the present and stopped worrying about the past and the future.

After a few minutes, she was face to face with her manager, who looked like the world was about to collapse and fall into its destruction. That was an exaggeration, but Nora had this look that she carried a horrible omen.

As much as she wished that her manager was a good actress, Nora was not. She only had very few expressions seen on her face but was usually dominated by a frown, an angry look, and an occasional forced smile.

“Where have you been? I have been calling you.” Nora asked as she looked at her as if expecting an answer immediately. “Hello, Adam. Sorry for dragging you into this. But then again, I am not sorry.” Her manager said, exasperated with her.

“That is ok, and hi to you too, Nora,” Adam responded with a friendly smile, understanding her frustration. He also had clients that could drive him to the wall.

“I have been out,” Serena casually answered without feeling the need for urgency as she waited for the two to finish.

She moved towards the small kitchen, in the same room as the living room, only divided by a counter. Then she grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, needing something to refresh her body from the warm temperature outside.

“Do you like some water?” She offered, but both declined as they waited for her to finish.

If compared to her home or the hotel rooms she had been staying at, her apartment did not have an efficient heating and cooling system. Therefore, it might take a while before she could feel refreshed in her new home.

But that was ok with her. She was not complaining. She just needed time to adjust to this new environment. It was not that bad since she saved money with the cheap rent.

“You should still answer my calls.” Her manager reprimanded her with a high tone. She truly meant business, whatever the reason she sprung into her presence with such short notice.

“I am sorry, but what seems to be the problem.” She understood her manager for being pissed, but she was now curious and anxious at her news.

Was it good or bad? But the way Nora looked at her, it could only be not good.

“This is the problem,” Nora said as she pulled an envelope out of her bag and shoved it in her hands. “Look at it yourself.”

She stared at the thick brown envelope she held with her fingers and wondered what it was. It could not be a script or a contract since her manager was pissed. It might have nothing to do with a job.

But what was it?

She did not need to shake it to know that it was a pile of papers but what was on it. That was the question as she gently untangled the tie holding the closure and unsealed it.

“What is it?” She asked again, wishing her manager would spill it out instead of her uncovering it. It was unnerving, especially when she also turned to see Adam looking suspiciously at what she was holding.

But her manager did not say anything as she gestured for her to look at it. When she finally checked the file inside, she could not even blink her eyes. It was not good.

“What is the meaning of this?” She asked, both furious and puzzled by the pictures in her hands. Those were the pictures she had been waiting to appear on the net or in the tabloids.

First, it was an invasion of her privacy. Nobody had a right to take pictures of her in her home or somewhere she was temporarily residing. Second, why did her manager have these pictures?

“Somebody sent it to my office. I don’t know who, and my secretary also had no idea who left it on my table.” Nora said as she finally moved to sit on the small uncomfortable couch.

“Can I see it?” Adam moved swiftly at her side, taking the pictures from her slightly shaking fingers.

“Who?” She asked again, but more to herself. “Why?” That was another question. “Are they asking for some money for it?” She meant the paparazzi or something.

Many people resorted to blackmailing stars for pictures they had taken by accident, or else they would sell it in the tabloids or whoever was willing to pay for it.

“I don’t know. So far, no one has contacted me. And obviously, neither you.” Nora said as she touched her head.

It was part of her job to deal with this shit. But with the sensitivity of her talent’s situation, she had to ask Adam’s opinion on this matter. Besides, he was one of the stars in the pictures.

“But can you explain to me what happened in those pictures?” She had to know the entire story if she would be handling the cleanup of this possible mess waiting to happen.

And the legal advice if there was any implication of these pictures to her case. Those were compromising photos that could mean anything based on the interpretations.

It can either go on their way or to the other team. If Elliot got his hands on these, he might use them against Serena. That was if he was not the mastermind of sending those pictures to her.

“As I said to you the other day. He attacked me again at the hotel. Luckily, Adam came back and saved me from him.” Serena repeated her story but forgot to mention the bystander taking their picture at that time.

“You should have said something. Maybe I could have tracked that creep immediately and stopped this before it became a problem.” Nora liked to keep things neat and do damage control before it created havoc.

Now, she had to stand by and wait for the problem to blow up in their faces before she could do anything about it. As much as she did not want it that way, it seemed she had no choice.

Whoever sent those pictures had something in their mind. But whatever that was, they could only speculate at the moment. However, Nora could already expect the worse from past experiences.

“What do you think?” Nora turned to Adam, who had been silent since he looked at those pictures.

“It could be nothing, but it might become damaging in Serena’s case if used against us,” Adam responded, stating his opinion.

He could already imagine what Elliot and his team of cunning lawyers would do with it if he had his hands on these pieces of evidence. But he hoped that man never got the chance.

He had to get hold of that man that took them. “Will you excuse me while I make some calls?” He moved to the other side of the room for privacy, leaving the two women to talk about the situation.

Then, he hastily called his investigators to check on the lead. He was sure cameras spread around the hotel room. One or two might have caught the man who took those photos.

The last thing he needed was for Elliot to do the same and beat him from taking those photos from that creep. But if that happened, he had to find a way to work around this problem.

He knew sticking to one strategy would give him a weak case. He had to prepare for other eventualities and unknown surprises that the other team might spring on him.

He would always need a new line of defense to win her case.