He Waited She Wilted (Ottilie and Yorath) novel Chapter 21

Or maybe she was one of the masterminds plotting against her alongside Nyssa.

Being ignored by Ottilie didn't sit well with Kendrick.

But as a seasoned veteran of the vanity fair, no matter how displeased he felt, he kept a smiling face on the surface.

"Ms. Sewell, you're off the clock now. Could you hop in the car and chat with us for two minutes? Director Cameron is in there, too."

Ottilie took the last bite of her pastry and unhurriedly finished her coffee. She stood up, tossed her trash into the bin, and turned to leave.

Bryce Cameron stepped out of the car to block her path, flashing a gentlemanly smile.

"Ms. Sewell, I had no idea you attended the premiere that day. If I had known, I absolutely would have explained to you in person why your scenes were cut."

Ottilie looked at him. "Go ahead and explain."

Bryce sighed. "You're currently considered a controversial figure. If we didn't cut those scenes, the movie never would have passed the review board. Our hands were tied, and I hope you can understand."

"I understand. Is there anything else?"

Bryce kept smiling, the crow's feet deepening around the middle-aged man's eyes.

His expression was heavily strained.

"This film had a massive multi-million dollar budget," he said. "If it can't be released, I have no way to answer to the investors. Look, is there any room for negotiation here?"

With that, he turned and pulled a small gift box from the car.

He opened it to reveal two solid gold bars.

Ottilie merely glanced at it. "You're too kind, Director Cameron, but I'm a nobody. I have no say in these major decisions. My bus is here. Goodbye."

She jogged over, hopped onto the bus, and headed home.

Bryce tossed the gift box into the backseat.

He got in, yanked his tie loose, and cursed with a livid face.

"Damn it... damn it! What the hell is going on?"

At first, no one could have predicted things would escalate to this extent.

Bryce scrambled, "Three years ago, it was our fault for not keeping an eye on Ms. Tarrant's safety. I can—"

Before he could finish, Jevon hung up.

Bryce was so furious he smashed his phone.

"Kendrick, call Ms. Tarrant. Ask her to put in a good word."

Kendrick kept his mouth shut, too afraid to respond.

Releasing Ottilie's version of the film was an order that came directly from Mr. Fordham himself. Nyssa had gone ahead and swapped the versions without so much as a heads-up. Wasn't that essentially a slap in Yorath's face?

That was exactly why Yorath's retaliation was so swift and merciless.

Asking Nyssa to beg for mercy now would probably only make things worse.

Once a favor was overdrawn, the goodwill was gone for good.

"Director Cameron, we still have to tackle this from Ottilie's end."