He had always been brutally honest with her—never bothering to sugarcoat his words, his bluntness almost arrogant in its transparency.

Amy sat in silence for a long moment before finally speaking.

"You can have the studio. But first, I want you to remove Benjamin's name from those trending posts, find the person who leaked the story, and clear his reputation."

Alexander paused, then answered, "Fine."

"And about the songwriting deal," Amy continued, her voice steady, "I want to discuss it with you in person tomorrow."

"Agreed."

The moment she ended the call, Samantha turned to her with concern.

"Celeste, are you seriously considering negotiating with Alexander?"

Alexander Blackwood was infamous for his ruthlessness—anyone who tried to strike a deal with him inevitably walked away worse off. The odds were stacked against Amy.

Amy waved off her worries with a light smile. "Don't worry. I won't let myself be taken advantage of so easily."

But Samantha, seeing the calm determination in Amy's eyes, felt a knot of unease tighten in her stomach.

She knew Amy too well—she wasn’t the type to surrender without a fight.

It almost felt like… she was plotting something.

Samantha’s nerves were frayed. She hated the injustice of it all, but she was exhausted from the constant battles.

She knew better than anyone—you don’t cross people with real power.

If it had been anyone else trying to buy their studio—anyone but Alexander—she might have been thrilled to accept.

A clean two-million-dollar profit, even after renovations and rent? Who would refuse that?

But it was Alexander. And he was doing this for Victoria, his mistress. That alone made her blood boil.

Samantha tried to remind herself that, as a professional manager, she shouldn’t let emotions cloud her judgment.

But she was also Amy’s closest friend.

If she didn’t stand by Amy, who would?

Still, the two of them alone—they were no match for Alexander.

They lacked the resources, the connections, even the family support.

Everything Amy had achieved, she had built from nothing.

Sure, Sebastian had helped them countless times, but when it came down to it, he was still Oliver’s father.

Take this situation, for example.

Amy could ask Dominic to dig up information, or she could rely on Sebastian to pull strings if needed.

But expecting Sebastian to wage war against Alexander for her sake? That was asking too much.

There was a difference between offering assistance and declaring all-out war.

Why should Sebastian risk his entire empire just for Amy?

If their companies truly clashed, the losses would be catastrophic.

At that point, Amy would owe him far more than just a simple favor.

Besides family, no one in this world helps you unconditionally, no matter the cost.

And as for Amy’s family…

Best not to even think about it.

"Celeste, maybe we should just give them the studio. With two million, even after expenses, we’d still walk away with over a million in profit. It’s not the worst outcome."

Amy squeezed Samantha’s shoulder reassuringly.

"Don’t worry. I won’t let myself be trapped. And Dominic will be there—he’ll help."

At the mention of Dominic, some of the tension eased from Samantha’s shoulders.

"Alright. If you need anything tomorrow, call me immediately, okay?"

Amy nodded.

The next day, Amy arrived at Blackwood Enterprises.

She had barely stepped through the doors when she ran into Alexander’s secretary, Isabella.

The moment Isabella spotted Amy, her expression darkened.

"Ms. Sinclair, what are you doing here?"

Amy met her gaze coolly. "I’m here to see Alexander."

Disdain flickered in Isabella’s eyes, her tone turning icy.

"Ms. Sinclair, Mr. Blackwood is no longer married to you. Stop bothering him."