Chapter 106: Jenna’s Story I

Adrian moved back into his original position while Rose remained on the couch, still flushed from everything that had just happened. She gestured impatiently with one hand, silently telling him to get on with it.

He did.

Still, he paused for a moment before lifting the phone.

Damn.

Even like this, she looked ridiculously pretty on camera.

He framed the shot, made sure he had what he wanted, and tapped the screen.

Click.

Adrian lowered the phone.

"I’ve taken it."

Only then did Rose finally close her mouth. She swallowed, this time without much hesitation, then leaned forward slightly, her cheeks still warm.

"Let me see."

Adrian blinked.

"Oh. Sure."

He held the phone out to her.

Rose’s eyes immediately moved across the screen. She studied the picture for several seconds before finally nodding. Then she took her own phone from him.

A moment later, she leaned forward and kissed him.

Adrian paused for half a second before kissing her back.

Their lips stayed together for a moment before Rose slowly pulled away.

"That was a little..." She hesitated, then smiled sheepishly. "I think I got a little intense back there."

"Yeah."

Adrian looked at her.

"But we still forgot the surprise, didn’t we?"

Rose’s lips curved upward.

That expression told him everything.

Before Adrian could say anything, her phone buzzed.

The sudden sound cut through the room.

Rose glanced down at it, seemingly uninterested, and was already about to put it aside when Adrian caught sight of the screen.

His hand stopped hers.

"Wait."

Rose looked at him.

Adrian read the caller ID.

"Jenna."

Rose’s expression changed immediately.

Right.

Jenna had said she wanted to talk to him earlier.

He had barely thought about it after everything that had happened, but seeing her name on Rose’s screen made that forgotten conversation come rushing back.

"Can you answer it?"

Rose stared at him.

"Seriously? Right now?"

"I know." Adrian rubbed the back of his neck. "I just... have a bad feeling about it."

Bad feeling was probably an understatement.

He didn’t know what Jenna wanted, but she wasn’t exactly the type to call for no reason. And Adrian barely paid attention to his phone as it was. If something had happened, he wasn’t going to find out by ignoring the call.

Rose sighed.

"Fine."

She swiped across the screen and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

Adrian watched her expression.

"Yeah."

A few seconds passed.

Then Rose’s face changed.

It was subtle, but Adrian noticed immediately. Her eyes sharpened, and the playful warmth from moments earlier disappeared.

His stomach tightened.

Whatever Jenna was saying, it wasn’t casual.

Rose listened for another moment.

"Okay."

Then she switched the call to speaker.

"Yeah, you’re on speaker now."

Jenna’s voice came through almost immediately.

"Adrian’s there, right?"

"Yeah, he is," Rose replied. "So, what did you say was wrong?"

There was a brief pause.

Then Jenna spoke again.

"Adrian... it’s about the entire VJ operation."

Adrian straightened.

"The audition operation?" he asked. "Did you get the gig, or did something else happen?"

His curiosity sharpened instantly.

Jenna hesitated.

"The audition operation has basically been secured."

Adrian frowned.

How good was that news if Jenna sounded this tense about it?

"What exactly happened?" he asked.

***

Jenna’s POV

The VG building towered above Jenna, its glass exterior catching the afternoon light as she stood several meters away from the entrance.

She tightened her grip on the edge of her jacket.

Why was she so nervous?

She had already made it this far.

He had chosen her from all the other auditioners. That had to mean something.

Jenna took a breath.

"He picked me."

The words sounded more convincing when she said them aloud.

Jenna glanced once more at the building.

She had imagined this moment several times since receiving the invitation. In those imagined versions, she always looked confident, walked inside without hesitation, and immediately felt like she belonged.

Reality was different.

Her palms were slightly damp.

Still, this wasn’t some random meeting she had stumbled into. Mr. Aruj had personally invited her after watching her video. That thought gave her enough confidence to move.

She squared her shoulders and started toward the entrance.

"He picked me out of everyone else. That wasn’t for nothing."

She forced a small smile.

"So why the hell are you freaking out?"

Another breath.

"This is the moment."

Her nerves didn’t disappear, but her feet finally moved.

"This is the moment I become a star."

With that thought in mind, Jenna stepped into the VJ building.

The familiar corporate atmosphere immediately surrounded her.

People moved through the spacious lobby in every direction, some carrying folders, others talking quietly as they hurried toward elevators or offices. Jenna had seen much of it before, but today everything felt different.

Today, she wasn’t just visiting.

She had an appointment.

Her eyes quickly found the reception desk.

There was already a line.

Of course there was.

She joined it.

The minutes dragged by, each person ahead of her seeming to take forever. Jenna shifted her weight from one foot to the other, occasionally glancing toward the elevators.

Eventually, the line moved enough for her to reach the front.

The receptionist was a young woman who looked close to Jenna’s age, perhaps a few years older. Her attention remained fixed on the desktop in front of her as her fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard.

"Um... hello?"

No response.

Jenna waited.

The keyboard continued clattering.

She leaned forward and gently knocked against the counter.

The woman’s eyes remained on the screen.

"Yes?"

"Oh, sorry."

Jenna straightened.

"I can hear you."

"Right." Jenna gave an awkward smile. "Sorry. My name is Jennifer Brooks. I have an appointment with Mr. Aruj. He invited me after viewing my talents video."

The typing stopped.

The receptionist finally looked up.

Her eyes moved over Jenna briefly before she held out a hand.

"ID."

Jenna immediately reached into her purse.

"Of course."

She pulled out her identification card and handed it over.

The receptionist checked it, then typed something into her computer.

A few seconds later, she returned the card.

"An escort will take you to his office."

Jenna blinked.

"An escort? Where do I meet him?"

The receptionist pointed behind her.

"He’s already here."

Jenna turned.

A young man stood several steps away.

He looked slightly older than her, though his neat corporate clothes made it difficult to guess his exact age. A name tag was pinned neatly against his chest.

Adam.

He gave Jenna a polite nod.

"Right this way."

"Oh." Jenna quickly adjusted her purse. "Okay."

She followed him.

The farther they went, the quieter the building became.

They passed several offices separated by glass walls, their occupants absorbed in meetings, computer screens, or quiet conversations. Jenna tried not to stare, but there was something strangely intimidating about the place.

Everything looked expensive.

Everything looked important.

And she was walking deeper into it.

Adam eventually stopped before a large wooden door.

Jenna looked up.

It wasn’t an ordinary office door.

The wood was thick and polished, the frame carefully constructed, with a weight and presence that made her instinctively straighten her back.

Adam stepped aside.

Jenna stared at the door for a moment.

This was it.

She raised her hand and knocked.

Once.

Twice.

She waited.

A few seconds later, a deep male voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Jenna’s fingers closed around the doorknob.

She hesitated.

For one brief second, every bit of confidence she had forced into herself threatened to disappear.

Then she exhaled slowly.

You’ve got this.

She turned the knob and stepped inside.

The office was enormous.

Her eyes widened before she could stop them.

Jenna immediately became aware of how small she felt in comparison to the room.

Not because anything about it was unfriendly. If anything, the quiet luxury made her more conscious of every little movement she made. She resisted the urge to adjust her clothes again and instead kept her posture straight.

Her gaze returned to the man behind the desk.

This was the person who had watched her video.

The person who had decided she was worth bringing here.

Suddenly, her nerves returned.

She swallowed them down.

A broad wooden desk occupied the center of the room, its surface almost perfectly organized. Two large armchairs sat opposite it, positioned for visitors.

But what caught Jenna’s attention most was the wall behind the desk.

It was almost entirely glass.

Beyond it, the city stretched beneath the afternoon sky, buildings filling the distance in a view that looked more like something from a luxury penthouse than an ordinary office.

Jenna stared for a second too long.

Then she noticed him.

The man sitting behind the desk looked tall even while seated. His shoulders were broad, and his older features carried the kind of composure that made the entire room seem to belong to him.

He rested comfortably against his chair, one arm settled along its side.

His gaze moved toward Jenna.

Then he smiled.

"Hello."

His voice was calm, almost warm.

"You must be Jenna."

Jenna swallowed.

"Yes."

The man gestured toward one of the armchairs opposite him.

"I’m Mr. Aruj."

He smiled again.

"Please, sit down."