The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 298: The Turn]

At the hotel suite door, Paris looked at the now-calm but exhausted Britney and told the approaching hotel manager, "I'll compensate for all the damages and decorations; please don't disturb us for now."

The hotel manager recognized Paris and nodded, "Okay, but please keep the noise down; we don't want to disturb the other guests."

"I will," Paris assured.

The hotel manager left, and Paris shut the door, turning to find Britney dozing off on the couch.

She tried to shake her awake, but Britney felt heavy, so Paris fetched a goose down duvet to cover her.

Paris had never seen Britney like this before. Sitting on the couch, she reflected on the terrifying events and thought, this cannot continue, or Britney will totally lose it.

Paris stepped out of the living room and dialed Hawke, quickly recounting the situation.

...

This was Paris's first time managing such a situation, and she felt uncertain. "Get someone here fast."

Hawke thought of the fact they were all women and called Campos, asking him to send Betty and Fiona right away.

...

Meanwhile, Paris grabbed Britney's phone and, as directed by Hawke, removed the SIM card.

Now, Jamie could no longer contact Britney immediately.

Half an hour later, someone knocked on the suite door. Paris saw a stranger, a Latina woman.

Fiona whispered a few words before cautioning, "If all goes well, I'll accompany you and Britney back home as your new assistant."

Paris asked, "Can't you come now?"

"I'm a newcomer," Fiona quickly explained. "Britney just had a meltdown. If I show up, it might raise her suspicions. It'll be easier for you to talk to her alone, and I'll only step in when she fully realizes what's happening."

Paris took her phone, entered her number, dialed, and returned the phone to Fiona, "Wait for my call."

Fiona left for the downstairs.

...

Paris returned to the room and waited a while longer until Britney finally stirred awake.

She stared at the mess on the floor, paused to collect her thoughts, and said, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened; I just lost control."

Paris felt a bit jittery but took a deep breath and organized her words in her mind. "I came to see you today for this reason, but I didn't expect to answer a call only to find you in this state." ṙἁ𝐍ȱ𐌱Ę𝘴

Britney looked apologetic, "I don't even know why."

"I recorded it. You need to see; it's terrifying." Paris brought over her laptop, opening the video stored on the hard drive and hitting play.

Britney's eyes fixated on the screen, watching the wild woman explode in chaos, and she lowered her head in shame.

Was that her? Had she truly lost control?

More chaotic than her last incident of smashing the glass door.

Britney felt tears welling up, "I've never been like this; why has this happened?"

Paris said, "I wanted to talk to you about this today."

She picked up the mouse and opened another audio file, "This is something I got from Fox. An independent journalist sold a story about your father to Fox. My series, In Paris' Company, collaborates with Fox, and the producer who bought the news is familiar with me -- so he tipped me off. I purchased it after listening."

If it were someone else, Britney might have doubted it, but upon hearing the voice, "My dad?"

As the audio played, Paris also opened several photos for Britney to see, "The journalist caught these snaps."

Britney recognized the two men instantly; one was her father Jamie, while the other was someone she had seen at a Hilton party, though the name eluded her.

As more dialogue unfolded, Britney's expression darkened. While she might not be the sharpest, she wasn't naive.

Those two were brazenly discussing how to drive her insane and control her to carry out illicit schemes.

After considering the recent events in her life, Britney began to suspect her father.

Suddenly, she recalled her manager Larry Rudolph mentioning that her earnings had been pilfered and her account was nearly empty.

At first, she hadn't taken it seriously, but the suspicion surged within her.

Once someone develops a prejudice or suspicion about someone, they inevitably doubt every action taken by that person.@@novelbin@@

Britney told Paris about her manager.

Having received guidance from Hawke, Paris replied, "Ask your manager, then directly check with the bank. Remember, the financial manager is your father's man -- keep it quiet."

...

Britney called Larry Rudolph and then contacted the bank, discovering that her two accounts held less than $5,000 combined.

She recalled her earnings for the year had exceeded ten million -- only Jamie and she could access those funds.

The recordings echoed the truth.

...

Paris and Britney deliberated further, and Britney called for Larry Rudolph to come over.

Larry, having listened to the audio and seen the photos and video, subtly shot a glance at Paris.

With his experience, he sensed something was off.

But Larry wouldn't reveal anything just yet, as it aligned with his interests as Britney's manager.

If Britney were driven mad by Jamie and fell completely under his control, her career would be finished.

Larry's primary revenue stemmed from Britney, amounting to millions each year.

While Paris felt slightly nervous, it soon became clear that things were aligning with Hawke's expectations, as Larry totally sided with Britney.

Larry expressed his fury to Britney, saying, "What I previously told you doesn't even scratch the surface of what Jamie has done. He isn't a father; he's a leech who wants to control your life and drain every drop from you!"

Britney felt infuriated but also wrestled with a burning sensation inside her. Years of being controlled by her father had deeply ingrained that influence in her.

"Maybe he just made a mistake in the moment."

Larry nearly choked in disbelief, ready to burst. Hadn't she learned anything after spending a decade with the Mickey Mouse Club and ten years in Hollywood?

Paris, feeling momentarily at a loss for words, said, "I need to freshen up. I'll be back in a minute."

...

In the restroom, she pulled out her notepad, reviewing what Hawke had suggested she keep a record of during their discussions.

Equipped with this insight, she knew what to do.

Paris emerged from the restroom, regaining her confidence and telling Britney, "Since you're still holding onto hopes and fantasies, how about we see if he truly sees you as his daughter, or simply wants to drain you dry?"

Britney, feeling a connection to Jamie, said, "I want... to see for myself."

Larry asked bluntly, "What's your plan?"

Paris addressed Larry first, "You leave here, call Jamie, and set up a meeting while I take Britney back home."

Then she turned to Britney, "When Jamie returns, don't mention anything about today's melt down. If he asks, just say it didn't happen."

Britney still clung to hope, saying, "Okay."

Paris also added, "I'll have my assistant bring over some supplies to arrange your home; I won't let anyone harm my friend!"

After a quick discussion, Larry swiftly departed, calling Jamie to schedule their meeting.

...

Soon, Fiona knocked on the suite's door.

Paris left the phone number with the hotel manager to estimate the losses, instructing that any bill should be sent to her. Then they got into Fiona's car from the underground parking lot, heading directly to Beverly Drive, arriving at Britney's home.

The car pulled into the seldom-used underground garage, allowing for concealment.

They entered the villa.

...

Fiona asked Britney a few brief questions, before placing hidden cameras in various rooms where the father and daughter frequently interacted.

Now, Paris mostly kept silent.

All tasks were left to the people Hawke had sent, as they awaited the results.

...

Paris and Fiona went to the second floor, entering Britney's bedroom.

The latter pulled out her laptop, checking the footage from the cameras to monitor the situation downstairs.

Paris quickly retrieved her notepad to review the key points, refreshing her memory for the next moves in order to deal with the next situation.

There were several points she needed to clarify and called Hawke specifically because he anticipated three developments.

...

Dowstairs, Britney sat nervously in the living room, unsure of how long she'd been waiting until Jamie Spears walked in.

Seeing his daughter, he questioned, "Where have you been? You didn't even let me know. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

This made Britney feel a bit more at ease, convinced her father still cared about her.

Jamie fake-concerned, asked, "Nothing unexpected happened today, right?"

"No," Britney remembered, "I've been fine... Maybe I was just too stressed that day."

Jamie, slightly taken aback, thought about what Manninger mentioned -- long-term use of medication leading to resistance. But hadn't she only used it a few times? It seemed too fast.

Recalling the earlier argument with Larry Rudolph left him more agitated, pushing the matter to a breaking point.

Jamie felt he needed to assert control over Britney quickly; otherwise, managing a grown-up meltdown would be tricky for him.

Thankfully, he had prepared a remedy: "Looks like the beauty water is working. Wait here; I'll go grab some more."

Britney remained seated, saying, "Sure."

...

Jamie entered the kitchen, closing the door behind him. He pulled a bottle of mineral water from the fridge, pouring it into a large decanter, then took a powdered drug from his pocket, mixed it into the water, and added some sugar.

Once thoroughly blended, he transferred it into a bottle and placed it on the low table in front of Britney.

...

Meanwhile, on the second floor, Fiona watched closely through the security cameras and instructed Paris, "Call Larry; find a way to get Jamie out of there."

Paris quickly made the call.

...

In the living room, Britney, still clinging to her last threads of hope, asked, "Dad, can I not drink this?"

"No, you must drink it." Jamie put on a stern fatherly facade, "This will cure your illness."

Britney fell silent, knowing speaking would betray her emotions.

...

Just then, Jamie's phone rang; it was the financial manager calling.

Larry Rudolph sought account clarification and was on his way to the office with a lawyer.

Jamie cursed under his breath, preparing to leave.

Before stepping out, he warned Britney, "Make sure you take your beauty water at the right time!"

That wasn't enough; he added, "Sweetheart, why don't you go shopping with Paris and clear your mind?"

*****

/Sayonara816.