Chapter 44: What Must Come, Will Come

In a studio office, Matthew and Amanda sat on a long sofa, silent, watching as Helen Herman negotiated with the record company. The discussion covered various aspects, from Matthew's compensation to many other terms that he didn't fully understand.

For example, it was not usual for the production team and record company to provide transport for a minor actor like Matthew, but Helen managed to secure a daily transportation allowance of fifty dollars for him.

Additionally, she argued that as the male lead, Matthew needed to rest properly to perform well, successfully persuading the production team to allocate one of the four makeup rooms exclusively for him.

Other clauses regarding workplace injury insurance and actor's rights were also carefully negotiated.

Helen fought tooth and nail to secure the best possible conditions for Matthew without crossing the record company's boundaries. Matthew remained silent throughout but absorbed everything, realizing that despite her somewhat aloof demeanor, Helen was a highly competent and dedicated agent.

As negotiations continued, a faint sound of an argument reached their ears.

"That voice…"

Not just Matthew, but Amanda heard it too and whispered, "Sounds familiar."

Matthew listened more intently, a smirk briefly crossing his face as he also whispered, "Sounds like Michael Sheen to me."

"Michael?" Amanda was puzzled. "Didn't he leave?"

"Who knows." Matthew shrugged slightly. "Looks like he came back."

At that moment, Helen's phone rang. She apologized to the record company representative and answered the call. After listening briefly, she stood up abruptly.

"What?"

Shock was written all over her face behind her dark glasses. "I'll be right there."

Without even a word to Matthew and Amanda, Helen rushed out the door, thankfully wearing flat shoes which allowed her to move quickly without tripping.

"What's happening?"

Amanda was taken aback, having rarely seen Helen so agitated.

As the record company personnel also hurried out, Matthew stood up and motioned to Amanda, "Let's go see what's going on."

Missing out on the drama, especially one he might have had a hand in creating, would be a waste.

Matthew and Amanda left the office and followed the sounds into a nearby corridor, where they saw a crowd gathered around a man shouting near an office door.

"Martin Jackson, you bastard! You faggot!"

Hearing the voice, Matthew confirmed it was undoubtedly Michael Sheen. Approaching the crowd, they saw Michael, face flushed red, wielding a steel pipe and blocking an office door while yelling.

Inside, Martin Jackson's trembling voice could be heard, "He's gone mad! Call the police!"

"Michael Sheen!" Helen Herman shouted from the front, "Stop right now!"

But Michael, in a fury, was beyond listening.

Helen, wisely, didn't attempt to intervene physically.

Under these circumstances, nobody wanted to risk getting hit by the steel pipe Michael wielded.

"Bam! Bam!" The sound of Michael kicking the door echoed.

"Has he lost his mind?" Amanda instinctively moved behind Matthew, "Causing a scene right here in the studio."

"A scene?"

York, an assistant in the crowd, turned to Matthew and said, "Jackson just came out of the audition room when Michael hit him with the pipe on his shoulder. If Jackson hadn't locked himself in that office, who knows…"

He shook his head.

Michael continued to kick the door, also attempting to break it with the pipe, looking increasingly unhinged. No one dared approach him; instead, they called the police.

"Damn it!" Helen Herman lost her usual composure, "Someone stop him!"

In Hollywood, self-preservation is instinctual; nobody heeded her calls.

"Bam—"

Another kick sent wooden splinters flying.

Unable to reach Martin Jackson to settle his grievance made Michael more desperate, the pain reminding him of what Martin had done to him, fueling his rage and determination to break down the door.

Rage voids reason.

Thus, including Helen Herman, no one dared to approach, fearing the hard swing of the steel pipe might target them next.

Martin, being a minor MV director, likely influenced the crowd's hesitance—if a more prominent director had been trapped, someone might have intervened sooner.

"Bam—bam—bam—"

The intense banging continued, followed by Michael's enraged shouts, "Martin Jackson! You bastard! You fucked my mouth! Fucked my ass! And you didn't give me the role you promised! I'm going to kill you! Kill you, you faggot!"

As he shouted, the surrounding area fell silent, leaving Matthew and Amanda exchanging glances.

Such incidents were not secret in the industry, but airing them publicly was unheard of.

Helen realized the potential fallout could affect Angel Agency, her own creation. In a panic, she moved to intervene.

She was just in front of Matthew, about to rush forward when Matthew noticed.

Having finally found a competent agent with a good professional network, Matthew didn't want to see her ruin her career. He reached out and held her shoulder firmly, cautioning her, "He's lost it. Are you going to lose it too? Do you want to live?"

Michael was spewing shocking allegations, continuing to kick at the door, wielding the steel pipe wildly. Approaching him was a risk of getting inadvertently struck.

Helen felt the firm grip on her shoulder, as strong as a vise, holding her back. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't break free.

After a moment's pause, brought about by Matthew's intervention, Helen calmed down. She was not typically impulsive.

"You know him well." Helen quickly turned to ask, "Do you know what this is about?"

Matthew let go of her shoulder, scratching his head, "It's exactly what he said."

Sirens were heard approaching from outside the studio, followed by the rapid steps of police officers storming in. The situation was quickly brought under control as several burly officers subdued Michael Sheen, handcuffed him, and dragged him out of the studio.

Then, the office door was opened from the inside, revealing a grimacing Martin Jackson holding his shoulder, pale-faced with sweat beading on his forehead, apparently not lightly injured.

The record company's representative stepped forward, "Get him to the hospital now!"

A few crew members, accompanied by police, helped escort Martin out of the studio.

"Ah—" Martin let out a cry of pain as he moved a bit too quickly.

"Let's clear out..." The record company's representative motioned to the bystanders, "Everyone, clear out."

The crew dispersed quickly, but Matthew noticed that Helen and Amanda stayed put, not moving.

"Call the company, we need a new director," the representative instructed an assistant. "Keep an eye on Jackson's situation, and that actor..."

Turning to Helen, he asked, "Helen, what happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Helen responded swiftly, hinting at a possible private deal gone wrong between Martin Jackson and Michael Sheen.

Such issues were tricky, but she was not one to back down easily, especially considering Matthew's implications that there was more to Michael Sheen's outburst than personal grievances.

The representative looked at Matthew and Amanda with furrowed brows, "This has caused a terrible impact."

Helen turned to Matthew and Amanda, "You two, wait in the office for me."

Clearly, she needed to have a private discussion with the representative.

Without a word, Matthew and Amanda returned to the office where negotiations had taken place, patiently waiting for Helen to rejoin them.

"Could this get messy?" Matthew asked quietly.

Amanda shook her head, "No worries, Helen has handled much worse."

Matthew had not expected Michael Sheen's rage to escalate to such violent actions against Martin Jackson. This far exceeded his expectations, but considering what Michael had endured, his reaction seemed almost justified.

Michael might also be looking to settle scores with him, Matthew guessed. However, he wasn't as easily accessible as Martin Jackson.

Today's events had unfolded with a mixture of his planning and unexpected developments, but overall, they had achieved his intended outcome.

After about twenty minutes, Helen returned to continue negotiations with the record company's representative. They finalized the terms and drafted a contract, which Matthew signed under the supervision of a lawyer present.

Helen secured several advantageous clauses, though Matthew was particularly interested in the compensation aspect. The filming schedule was set for four days, with a payment of four thousand dollars, and an additional thousand dollars for each day extended.

Matthew received the MV script but was uncertain when filming would start, given the sudden issues with the director. The exact schedule would depend on the production team's updates.

Having exhausted much effort on the makeup audition, Matthew took a ride with Helen to the Angel Agency for a brief visit before taking a bus towards his office on Hollywood Boulevard.

The bus had just left Burbank when Matthew received a call from Helen, asking him to visit Angel Agency again the next day.

"What must come, will come."

Helen was no fool. Adding that she needed help and had no suitable candidates, she had brought in Amanda...

The situation suggested that significant changes and decisions were impending, potentially reshaping the professional landscape for Matthew, Helen, and possibly even Amanda.