Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 525

“I already told you,” Larissa cut him off. “You had your chance to leave without penalty, and you refused. Now you want to break the contract? You’ll have to wait until it expires.”

Trusting his family’s company, Leopold had signed a ten-year deal. Only two years had passed. He still had eight to go. By then, his career would be over.

“Larissa, if you let me go, I promise I’ll never bother you about forgiveness again,” he pleaded.

“Leopold,” she said, her voice dripping with scorn, “the only reason I offered to release you from your contract for free was because I wanted nothing more to do with you. But you refused. You were probably high on some self-serving guilt after discovering Honora’s lies and thought you could make it all better with some grand gesture. Now you regret it? Too late.”

“Of course, if you insist on breaking the contract now, you’re welcome to,” she continued, a cruel glint in her eye. “You just have to pay the buyout fee. It’s not much. Only ten million. But given your current situation, can you really afford that?”

He couldn’t. After two years, he only had about three million in savings. The rest he had squandered, mostly on gifts for Honora. A single handbag or piece of jewelry had often cost him hundreds of thousands. Looking back, he realized he’d spent nearly ten million on her alone. And all the while, she had been secretly sending two hundred thousand a month to her biological father. They had been played for absolute fools.

“Don’t worry,” Larissa added, her tone mockingly helpful. “Since Gale Entertainment is so eager to poach you, I’m sure they’d be willing to cover a measly ten million, wouldn’t they?”

So, she already knew. She knew he was planning to sign with them.

Leopold froze, the words of denial catching in his throat. It was the truth.

Seeing his stunned silence, Larissa’s eyes filled with contempt. “What, did you think I wouldn’t find out why you suddenly had a change of heart?”

He looked down, ashamed.

“Magnus, Starlight’s former head of the acquisition department, has been in touch, hasn’t he?” she pressed on. “I don’t know what he promised you to make you jump ship to Gale Entertainment, but this just proves you’re exactly like your brother Finley. Both of you talk a big game about making amends, then turn around and stab me in the back.”

Almost instantly, fans who had recently discovered she was the author “Field of Lari” flooded the comments.

[Wow! She’s incredible! A brilliant author AND a songwriter? What kind of genius is she?!]

[I’ll buy anything she releases!]

[Does this mean you’ll be doing the entire soundtrack for the “Heaven’s Will” show yourself?!]

[I hope so, but I don’t want her to burn out!]