Steven, riding high on Rex's faintest smile, decided to go all in. He waved them out of the post-production wing and into a quieter corridor where the walls were lined with glass offices. Executives in expensive suits sat inside, talking and ordering fast into headsets.
"This," Steven said, lowering his voice, "is where the real battles happen. Forget cameras, forget actors… this is the heart of Hollywood. Contracts. Deals. Agents and lawyers."
He tapped on the glass of one office where a man in a tailored suit was flipping through a stack of papers.
"That's a talent agent. Biggest sharks in the business. You see, actors think they're stars, but their careers are bought and sold like cattle. Ten percent to the agent, five percent to the manager, a cut to the lawyer, publicist, even stylists get their share. By the time the actor cashes the check, half of it's gone. But if they don't play along? They're blacklisted, quietly. Never work again."
