Behind The Spotlight Chapter 250
After talking to Holmes Moriarty, Collin decided to recall the information he had gathered from his clients. He carefully pieced together every small detail, making sure that nothing slipped through.
Apparently, not only did Princess Chantal receive invitations to parties, but the others had also received invitations from various people. Some of these invitations might have been innocent and held no deep meaning, but Collin checked them just to be safe.
As expected, some of the people who had invited them were friends with Papa Daddy and his circle. Collin called his clients and told them not to attend informal parties. Although formal parties might also hold hidden dangers, he knew he couldn't stop his clients from doing what they wanted. However, it was better to remind them nonetheless. At the very least, he wanted them to stay cautious and aware of their surroundings no matter where they went.
'I even heard from Lawrence that Emma also received an invitation back when they were still married. And her invitation was for Jeff Stain's island. I don't know what to say about that,' Collin thought. The more he learned, the more he realized how deep the connections ran between these people.
Anyway, this matter was not simple, and Collin had to be careful with his next step.
...
...
...
In November, Collin and Arnold decided to celebrate Thanksgiving in their hometown. Since they had attended the same high school, they naturally shared the same hometown. Arnold even knew Collin's cousins.
After his confrontation with Belle, Collin didn't feel any awkwardness visiting his town anymore. He had no reason to avoid his high school friends, as he knew he was the innocent one. He felt lighter returning to a place that once carried heavy memories.
As for the rumors and defamation that Belle had spread, Collin didn't care. If people believed rumors, so be it. Collin had no reason to prove his innocence. He had already moved on and didn't feel the need to justify himself to anyone.
"...Thanksgiving just passed yesterday, and now you've invited me to play golf?" He glanced at Arnold.
"I remember back when we were in high school, you said that you wanted to play golf here," Arnold chuckled.
Collin recalled that time. The golf course they were at was the largest and most elite place in their town. Rich people loved playing there. Back then, Collin felt like having a membership at this golf course meant that he was rich... He was still young and innocent at that time. Wealth felt like a distant dream.
Now that he was actually at the golf course, he realized that it wasn't that great at all. It was just a golf course, nothing else.
Collin smiled to himself.
"Alright, I know you. You wouldn't invite me without a reason. Where's Jolyne?"
"She's with my mom. They're shopping at the mall with my daughter," Arnold spoke casually, clearly comfortable with his current life.
"Is it about the fact that I'm a shareholder of Moonrise Music? Is that why you want to bother me today?"
"Fuck, why do you keep reminding me of that?" Arnold frowned.
"Just to tease you."
"Fuck you! I was so happy that Pulse Static had a successful debut, I thought I would make a lot of money. But I was so fucking wrong, you earned more from Pulse Static while doing nothing." He glared at Collin, who simply shrugged.
As a talent agent, Arnold was responsible for representing Pulse Static in negotiations. He earned a commission through that.
But Moonrise Music was different. The record label funded almost every endeavor for Pulse Static, and they owned the music catalog. Pulse Static earned a good amount of royalties instead, which were on the higher side of the industry.
Anyway, Arnold had earned $4 million from representing Pulse Static. Using that as a basis, Pulse Static had probably earned $80 million from business deals that required representation.
But their album sales were different, Arnold only got a very tiny share of that cake. Pulse Static's album sales were their biggest source of income, as they received royalties from them. That was where the real money flowed in.
As of November, the album sales for Pulse Static had reached $146 million. The royalties that Pulse Static earned were $29 million.
For the record, this was from album sales alone. Moonrise Music's profit came from other sources too, such as merchandise and music licensing. Their revenue streams were diversified and continuously growing.
"You're earning more than me just by being a shareholder."
Collin didn't say anything and just smiled. The total profit of Moonrise Music was $287 million, including merchandise, album sales, and concert tours from both Princess Chantal and Pulse Static.
With a 22% share, Collin's expected profit would be at least $63 million. They still had another month before the money would be divided, and the profit would obviously increase. The final number would likely be even higher by the end of the year.
"I hate that smile of yours," Arnold gritted his teeth.
"Hehe." Collin didn't even try to hide it.
"Why don't you sell your shares to me? I'll buy them at market price. How much do you own, anyway?"
"See? You're mad."
"Fuck!" Arnold spat.
Collin had no intention of selling a profitable share that gave him a huge amount of dividends every year. To him, it was a long-term asset worth keeping.
While they were playing, Collin's phone rang, and he subconsciously smiled. The expression came naturally.
"Let me answer this call. You play by yourself."
"Alright, alright." Arnold saw Collin's smile and chuckled. Actually, he wasn't truly that jealous. He had already achieved a lot in his career, and being a shareholder of a record label wouldn't change much. He was just annoyed that Collin had kept it a secret, though he also understood that Collin had no obligation to tell him.
Just like right now.
'That guy, he's obviously seeing a woman, but he never talks to me about it... Am I a person who can't keep a secret? Surely not, I'm a talent agent, after all,' Arnold internally complained.
They were both talent agents, and keeping secrets was part of the job.
'He will tell me about it when he's ready. I wish him the best,' Arnold ultimately chose to respect his friend's privacy.
Arnold hoped that Collin would find a partner. He didn't want him to stay in a depressing state of being alone, still dwelling on Belle's betrayal.
When Collin returned, he had a toothy grin that irritated Arnold so much.
"By the way, Belle went to my apartment."
"What the fuck!? When did that happen?" Arnold's reaction was immediate and intense.
"About five months ago, I think." Collin wasn't entirely sure.
"And you're just telling me about it now? Collin, this is huge!" Arnold couldn't believe he was hearing this so late.
"More shocking than being a shareholder of Moonrise Music?"
"Fuck that shareholder topic, I don't care about it at all. Collin, please, I'm begging you, tell me you're not seeing Belle again." Arnold thought that Belle and Collin had gotten back together.
"That's disgusting. Where did you get that idea?"
"Because it's obvious that you're seeing someone, and now you're telling me that you met Belle." Arnold tried to connect the dots.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]