Story code: ST-001245
Part 3: The Signed Agreement
The thick paper lay face-up on the polished floorboards, the bold blue Velo logo cutting through the warm lighting of the VIP dining room. Brooke Lin remained frozen, her fingers hovering an inch above the document. Maya Lin’s gaze dropped from Brooke’s face to the paper, her shoulders squaring instantly.
Marcus Vance did not lean over the table. He gestured slightly with his hand toward the floor. “Chloe, please retrieve that.”
Chloe Chen stepped forward from the catering station. She knelt, picked up the document, and placed it on the wooden table directly in front of Marcus. The header read Exclusive Brand Ambassador Agreement, dated three weeks prior, with Velo’s corporate seal stamped near the bottom.
“It’s just a draft copy,” Brooke said, her voice dropping its usual melodic tone, becoming flat and hurried. She pulled her designer jacket tighter around her shoulders. “They sent it over for review. I haven’t signed anything, Marcus. It was just a proposal.”
Marcus turned the page over. The final sheet revealed two signatures: one from the Velo chief marketing officer, and the other, signed in blue ink, bearing Brooke Lin’s distinct, looped handwriting.
Maya’s breath caught. She did not look at Brooke. Her eyes remained fixed on the signature page. “You told me you rejected their second offer,” Maya whispered, her knuckles pressing hard against the edge of the table. “You said we were locking in the Luxora deal together. We spent six months pitching this joint campaign.”
“I was going to resolve it,” Brooke said, her gaze darting toward the exit. “It was a backup. The terms weren’t finalized.”
“The document is fully executed,” Marcus said, his voice level and devoid of inflection. He tapped his finger against the signed page. “It was signed on the fourteenth. That was before our initial photo shoot in Miami.”
He turned his attention back to his tablet, scrolling through a document. “Chloe, please display the transport log for last Saturday on the monitor.”
Chloe moved to the media screen on the wall, plugging in her tablet. The screen illuminated, displaying the billing portal for the production’s joint account. A line item highlighted in red showed a luxury car service booked under Brooke’s name. The GPS log detailed a pickup at the Velo headquarters at 11:45 PM, with the drop-off at Brooke’s residential address.
Brooke sat back, her hands dropping to her lap. “I had to meet with their representative to discuss canceling the agreement. That’s why I was there.”
“You said you were in bed with a migraine,” Maya said. She finally turned her head to look at her cousin, her face completely pale. “You had me present the solo pitch to Marcus last Monday because you said you were too sick to prepare.”
Brooke did not answer. She pulled her phone from her pocket, her thumb scrolling rapidly, though she kept the screen angled away from the table.
Marcus Vance closed his tablet with a soft click. He pulled the gold-embossed Luxora contract folder toward his side of the table, his expression completely blank. “We have a clear breach of our exclusivity representations. I need to make a call to our compliance director.”
He stood up, leaving the Velo document on the table, and walked toward the quiet terrace at the back of the dining room. The glass door slid shut behind him, leaving Maya and Brooke sitting side by side in the heavy silence.