The atmosphere inside Apex Entertainment was far from the rigid corporate image people imagined.
Laughter echoed faintly through the polished hallways, blending with the rhythmic hum of productivity.
Isabella walked beside Pelumi, her composed elegance softened by a rare, genuine smile.
For once, she wasn’t the distant, untouchable figure feared in boardrooms—she was simply a woman enjoying the moment.
Pelumi, on the other hand, was brimming with excitement.
“So this is the cafeteria?” she asked, her eyes wide as she took in the sleek interior, the neatly arranged seating, and the aroma of freshly prepared meals.
Isabella nodded.
“Apex believes comfort fuels creativity. People work better when they don’t feel trapped.”
Pelumi let out a low whistle.
“If my school had something like this, I’d never leave.”
Isabella chuckled softly, the sound light and almost unfamiliar even to herself.
“Careful. You might end up preferring this place over your studies.”
“Ah, no way,” Pelumi grinned.
“But… I won’t lie, this is tempting.”
“And you think that blockhead will agreed to it?”
“I’m not sure…” Pelumi’s voice was so reduced that even Isabella standing next to her almost couldn’t catch up.
“He will!” Isabella said.
“Are… Are you sure?” Pelumi was shocked at Isabella’s words.
“Have you brought up the conversation with him before this?”
“Not really… Actually I am kind of scared of him.. not in an actual sense, but…but…” She was fidgeting.
Isabella was intrigued.
Smile forming at her face.
“Scared? Because of his sudden rise?”
Pelumi was stunned.
“Surprised? Let me tell you something, it’s not a secret he had nothing before his sudden acquisition of Lekki tech dynamics..”
She paused.
Letting pelumi catch up with her explanation.
“He was never impulsive, nor delving into anything illegal, all he acquired was from grit and wit.”
Pelumi mouth opened.
“Many counteract from his opposition, but he never wavered, or hid.”
She paused.
“When he strikes… It’s either hit or hit.”
She chuckled.
“He never missed, he planned his move before even taking action.”
Pelumi was speechless.
Anthony was this scary?
If Anthony heard all these, he wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Talk to him. He’s still your brother by the way.”
“That’s true, if he try anything funny… Hahahaha I still have a powerful at hand.”
“What?”
“Mom… He always try to be on her good side. Hmph Mom won’t allow him to bully me!.”
“He’s scared of your Mom?”
“Add very to it ” Pelumi laugh mischievously.
“And don’t worry, I will smooth things for you when I speak to her tonight!”
“No, no,no… There’s. There’s actually nothing going on between us” Isabella stuttered.
If anyone around her was here.
They will be shock!
“Hahaha, let me handle it don’t worry.”
Isabella inner thoughts were chaotic.
She was confused about her behavior about everything concerning Anthony.
And so their little adventure continued.
They moved on, touring department after department—production rooms buzzing with activity, editing suites lined with high-end equipment, rehearsal studios filled with aspiring talents chasing their dreams.
Pelumi absorbed everything like a sponge, asking questions, marveling at details, occasionally throwing in playful remarks that earned her small smiles from Isabella.
There was no calculation here.
No hidden motives.
Just simple, unfiltered curiosity.
But peace rarely lasted long in places like this.
As they turned a corner toward one of the rehearsal studios, the energy shifted.
A small crowd had gathered ahead, murmurs rising and falling with tension.
At the center stood a man—tall, stylishly dressed, his presence loud even in stillness.
A B-list singer.
Known enough to have fans, irrelevant enough to crave constant validation.
His voice cut through the air, sharp and irritated.
“I said I don’t like the arrangement! Do you people even know who you’re working with?”
A staff member stood opposite him, visibly uneasy.
“Sir, this is the schedule approved by—”
“Approved?” he scoffed, stepping forward.
“By who? Some nobody behind a desk?”
Pelumi frowned, her brows knitting together.
“What’s his problem?”
Isabella didn’t answer immediately.
Her gaze had already sharpened, her earlier warmth fading into something colder… controlled.
They were about to walk past when the singer’s eyes landed on them.
Or rather—on Pelumi.
His lips curled slightly, assessing, dismissive.
“And who’s this?” he said loudly, ensuring everyone heard.
“New trainee? Or just someone wandering where she doesn’t belong?”
The air went still.
Pelumi blinked, caught off guard.
“Excuse me?”
He tilted his head, smirking.
“You heard me. This isn’t a playground. People actually work here.”
A few uneasy glances were exchanged among the staff.
No one spoke.
Pelumi’s expression shifted—confusion giving way to irritation.
“I’m just—”
“That’s enough.”
The words were soft.
But they cut through the tension like a blade.
Isabella stepped forward.
The temperature of the room seemed to drop instantly.
Her gaze settled on the singer—not loud, not aggressive… just absolute.
“You’ve been speaking for quite some time,” she said calmly.
“And yet, nothing of value has been said.”
A ripple moved through the crowd.
The singer blinked, clearly not expecting resistance—especially not delivered so… effortlessly.
“…What did you just say?”
Isabella didn’t raise her voice.
She didn’t need to.
“I said,” she repeated, her tone even colder now, “that your complaints lack substance. You reject schedules, insult staff, and disrupt operations—yet offer no solution beyond your own inflated sense of importance.”
A few people subtly stepped back.
Pelumi stared at her, eyes widening slightly.
This… this was different.
The woman beside her was no longer the calm, approachable guide from moments ago.
This was someone else entirely. The source of this chapter is g.com.
The singer laughed, but it sounded forced.
“Do you even know who you’re talking to?”
Isabella’s lips curved—barely.
“Yes,” she said.
“A replaceable asset with declining relevance.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Crushing.
The man’s face darkened.
“You—”
“If Apex chooses to promote you,” she continued smoothly, cutting him off, “it is a privilege. Not a right. And privileges can be withdrawn.”
Her gaze swept over him once, clinical.
“You are not indispensable.”
That was the breaking point.
The arrogance in his posture cracked, replaced by barely contained anger—and something else.
Uncertainty.
Because deep down… he felt it.
The truth in her words.
Before he could respond, footsteps echoed from the corridor behind them.
Measured.
Confident.
Anthony appeared, accompanied by Nelson, Adaora, and a few others who had left the entrance earlier.
His gaze swept the scene once—taking in the crowd, the tension, the singer… and finally settling on Isabella.
For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes.
Recognition.
Of her presence.
Pelumi turned quickly.
“Brother—”
But her voice faded as she looked back at Isabella again.
The shift was undeniable.
The warmth was gone.
In its place stood something far more formidable.
Elegant.
Untouchable.
Terrifying.
Isabella didn’t look at Anthony immediately.
Her attention remained on the singer for one final second.
Then, with effortless finality, she spoke.
“Apologize,” she said.
Not a suggestion.
A verdict.
The room held its breath.
Because everyone present felt it—
The ice-cold beauty of the business world… had just revealed itself.
Pelumi was astonished about the sudden Aura expanding from Isabella.
Subconsciously, Pelumi felt the instant change of what her future would be like.
it was later in the future will people remember this day was the day_
The famous BOX OFFICE QUEEN was born.
Isabella’s commanding presence stir awake the slumbering Tigress in her.
Sorry for the late post.
Been busy with work.
Have a blast!