Chapter 475

Just as Michael was about to shut down his phone and hit the sack, a message popped up on his screen.

It was from Jerry. Instead of calling and waking Michael up, he decided to shoot him a text.

Michael glanced out the window and saw the sky starting to lighten up. Dawn was breaking.

Knowing Jerry wasn't a morning person, Michael figured he must've pulled another all-nighter.

"Should I cut Jerry some slack?" Michael wondered, rubbing his chin.

In the end, Michael decided to give Jerry a break. The guy had been swamped lately. With the push to bring overseas industries back home, Jerry's help would be crucial. When that time comes, Jerry's workload will only get heavier, so it's best to let him chill now.

Meanwhile, after sending a message to Michael, Jerry suddenly sneezed three times in a row.

"Why did I just sneeze three times? Is someone talking about me?" He chuckled to himself. "Oh well, maybe I just caught a chill and didn't get enough rest!" With that, he yawned and flopped onto his bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

He still had four more hours of sleep.

Michael noticed the message from Jerry was actually relayed by Estella.

Estella had asked Jerry to let Michael know that the movie she was filming was facing budget issues. Despite landing a hundred million dollar endorsement deal from John to cover the actors' fees, they soon realized it wasn't nearly enough once production started.

Estella and the director had tried cutting costs, but making a sci-fi movie was expensive, especially with all the special effects needed. They couldn't even afford A-list actors due to their high fees. In fact, Estella herself was acting for free.

After reading the message, Michael turned off his phone and rubbed his chin.

Knowing Estella mentioned the movie, Michael realized a hundred million dollars wouldn't cut it. Though not an expert in the film industry, based on recent sci-fi movie trends, he estimated they'd need at least two hundred million dollars to finish the film.

An idea struck Michael, but it required calling Jerry. Thinking it was too late, Michael assumed Jerry was already asleep and decided to let his hardworking subordinate rest. He didn't want such a valuable employee burning out.

"Forget it, I'll call him tomorrow. Making a movie isn't a quick fix," Michael shrugged, stashed his phone, and headed to another room.

Isabella was still asleep. Sensing Michael's absence, she instinctively wrapped the blanket around her legs.

Gently tugging the blanket off Isabella, Michael slipped into bed. Feeling something missing in her embrace, Isabella's hands searched until they found Michael.

Isabella immediately hugged him tightly, draping her legs over him like a koala clinging to a tree.

Struggling to free his arm, Michael hugged her head and planted a light kiss on her forehead.

"Feeling so beat, babe. Sweet dreams," Michael whispered in Isabella's ear before closing his eyes.

While some were catching Z's, others were hustling in the city, like Estella.

At that moment, Estella was hashing out the next plot with the director, Zachary Baker, on set.

Zachary was impressed with Estella's performance, but thinking about the film's progress, his expression darkened.

"Ms. Foster, you sure your husband can bring in the investment?" Zachary looked at Estella expectantly.

Estella felt a bit uneasy since one billion dollars was no small sum.

"It should work out, but my husband's swamped right now. He might not reply right away. I'll nudge him in a few days," Estella said.

Zachary's eyes lit up with hope. "I hope your husband sees the potential in this film. It could be a game-changer in sci-fi history."

"He will. Let's get back to the plot," Estella said, steering the conversation back to the script.

'Hoping Mr. Williams will invest in me, given my recent success,' Estella sighed inwardly.

Another day rolled by. Urged by Carol, Isabella reluctantly got out of bed, dressed, and hurried to freshen up in the bathroom.

"Enough, Carol. I know work's demanding, but I need personal space! It's been over a month since I've been intimate with my husband. I just had a night of pleasure!" Isabella grumbled to her phone while brushing her teeth.

Carol's stern voice came through. "Goodness, do you hear yourself? This company is your family's legacy, and I've been busting my butt! I've got dark circles under my eyes, and you're thinking about romance?"

Feeling guilty seeing how hard Carol had been working, Isabella was about to respond when she heard a man's voice on the line.

"Darling, who are you chatting with? I miss your kisses... and after last night, I can barely move - you really wore me out." Joe's mischievous voice echoed through the phone.

"Aw, hush," Carol's panicked voice chimed in.

Raising an eyebrow, Isabella coolly replied, "Thought you were already at the office."

"Well, I've been tired too and need some TLC, but let's race to the office and see who gets there first," Carol awkwardly chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, Isabella shot back, "Not playing these games. I'll head to the office after brushing up and grabbing breakfast."

Carol nodded. "Got it. We'll chat about other stuff once you're in."

"What stuff?" Isabella was about to ask when the call abruptly ended.

Isabella stared at her phone in silence, Carol's words still ringing in her ears: "Come on baby, let's wrap this up in half an hour?"