CHAPTER 45: WHEN FAVORABILITY RISES BUT DEBT DOES TOO

Lando just stared at me in silence for a few moments. Then his eyes widened. "I’m... what?"

He looked flabbergasted, and so did the staff standing behind him. At that moment, I finally realized that I had used the wrong words.

To him, it must have sounded like I was announcing a pregnancy, which was ... ridiculous! Totally impossible, considering the furthest we had ever gone was holding hands!

He hadn’t even tried to take advantage of me when I was drunk, which made me believe I could completely trust him.

But then again ... I also didn’t know whether he was impotent or not.

Well whatever, that wasn’t important right now!

"I-I mean, you’re going to be a cat dad!" I quickly swung my hands around and revealed the two kittens I’d been hiding behind my back. "I found these little ones on the street, and I’ve decided to adopt them. You’re not allergic to cats, right?"

Actually, it was such a dumb question, because if he really was allergic, Henry would have told me from the start.

"I’m not." Lando glanced at the kittens in my hands, but he didn’t make a move to hold them. It was strange because most people would at least try to touch them. "But, I don’t like cats."

My jaw dropped. "You don’t like cats?!" I gasped as if he’d just confessed to being a serial killer. "How could anyone not like cats? Look at these faces!"

I lifted one of the kittens closer to his face. The tiny furball meowed weakly, its eyes big and round, like it was begging for his approval.

"This orange baby even looks just like you!" I lifted the kitten higher, comparing its fur to the shade of his blond hair. More than that, both of them shared the same blue eyes!

Lando immediately leaned back, acting as if the tiny kitten was some kind of monster he had to avoid. He cleared his throat and muttered, "They’ll scratch the furniture and make a mess. I don’t like it."

"Oh ..." I slowly pulled the kittens away from him, lowering my head as sadness pressed down on my chest. Deep down, I knew he was right. Besides, I couldn’t promise these little ones wouldn’t scratch the furniture someday.

I let out a heavy sigh and whispered, "Then ... I guess I’ll find someone else to adopt them." I stroked their tiny heads gently, then spoke again in an even softer voice. "But I really want to keep them."

As I was still wondering where I could find someone trustworthy enough to take them in, I suddenly heard Lando clear his throat with a light cough.

"Maybe ... they’re fine, as long as they stay in one room," he said at last. His voice dropped even lower as he added, "I can ... ask Henry to get people to build a cat room. If ... you want it."

My eyes lit up instantly and I looked at him with bright eyes. "Really? You mean it?"

He gave me a small, reluctant nod, already looking like he regretted saying it.

Grinning from ear to ear, I cradled the kittens close to my chest. "Hear that, babies? You’ve just been promoted! You’re officially part of the family now!"

[Lando’s favorability has increased by +3%]

I blinked several times, completely confused by the sudden jump in his favorability. Didn’t he say he didn’t like kittens? So why did it go up now?

Slowly, I placed one of the kittens on his lap, secretly hoping his favorability would rise again. But he just sat there, stiff as a board, making no effort to pet it.

Maybe he was just too shy to show affection in front of me.

"You can try getting used to this one kitten first," I said with a smile. "His name is Lingo."

"Lingo?" Lando frowned deeply, his brows pulling together. "You’re terrible at naming things."

I gasped dramatically. I had named him Lingo so it would rhyme perfectly with Lando’s name, since they shared so many similarities.

But before I could even defend my genius naming skills, Lando suddenly changed the subject. "Helcia, I want you to meet someone."

I tilted my head. "Who?"

At his signal, one of his staff brought forward a woman who had apparently been standing by the door the whole time. She looked to be in her mid thirties, dressed in a sharp gray suit, her thick glasses giving her a no-nonsense kind of aura.

Just one look, and I could tell this was the type of woman you did not mess with. She probably ate dishonest businessmen for breakfast.

"This is Ms. Marissa Hale," Lando said, introducing her. "She’ll be your manager from now on."

I blinked, completely stunned. "W-what?" My gaze darted toward Marissa. She stood tall and firm beside Lando, silent, as though giving me space to absorb the news. "You didn’t even discuss this with me first?" I turned back to him in disbelief.

"Didn’t I already say I’d help you find a manager?" Lando replied casually, like this was the most normal thing in the world. "My contact sent me a list of candidates, and I picked Ms. Hale. I thought she was the best choice for you."

Marissa finally stepped forward and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Orszebet. You probably haven’t heard my name before since you’re still new to the industry, but trust me, I’ve managed many popular celebrities, and I can guide you properly."

Oh, I knew who she was. Everyone did. Marissa Hale wasn’t just any manager, she was the manager!

Every celebrity under her wing had flawless careers. None of them ever picked bad scripts, and their careers always shot straight up.

The problem was ... her fee was outrageously expensive. Her payment included a fixed monthly salary of around $12,000, plus six percent of every acting job.

Of course, nobody ever complained. With her track record, she was worth it. But because of her fees, only A-list stars could afford her.

Of all the people he could have chosen, why did Lando have to pick the most expensive one?! I already owed him so much, and now this meant one day I’d have to pay him back for every single dollar he spent on Marissa!

At that moment, all I wanted to do was crawl into the corner, hug my kittens, and cry my heart out.