Driving through the Santa Monica Mountains and entering Daenerys Studios from the northern entrance, Amy Adams and Jessica Chastain arrived at the parking lot of the three-story administrative district. It was just before 9 a.m., but the lot, which could accommodate hundreds of cars, was already packed. The area buzzed with activity, filled with a vibrant energy as people hurried about.
Amy let Jessica, who was in the passenger seat, get out first to scout for a spot. After a moment, Jessica found an empty space in a corner of the lot, and Amy quickly drove over.
After parking, the two women walked side by side toward the office building. Amy glanced around, feeling a strange sense of pride now that she had starred in a hit film for Daenerys Entertainment. "There are so many people here. Compared to Paramount and Fox, their studios feel like retirement homes."
"I feel the same way," Jessica replied.
As they turned a corner, a tall, dark-haired woman wearing sunglasses passed by them, heading toward another office building. Jessica couldn't help but feel a pang of insecurity. Her appearance was her biggest weakness—even less striking than Amy's. Her agent had recently suggested she consider plastic surgery, but she couldn't afford it.
Amy, on the other hand, was much calmer. She even glanced back at the woman. "I feel like I've seen her somewhere before. Is she a model?"
"Shalom Harlow. She had a cameo as Matt Dillon's girlfriend in In & Out," Jessica said, naming the woman. But she couldn't help adding, "If she's here now, she must not be doing well. Otherwise, she'd be in Europe for fashion week."
Amy sensed the bitterness in Jessica's tone and couldn't resist stirring the pot. "Maybe she's here to audition for an important role."
Jessica instinctively replied, "She's not Simon's type."
Amy smirked. "What is Simon's type?"
Jessica hesitated, then rolled her eyes at Amy.
Still, thinking back to the tall, elegant woman with her fair skin and striking figure—though her face might not be conventionally beautiful, it was far from ugly—Jessica couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Life was unfair.
Amy noticed Jessica's expression and continued to poke fun. "Besides, maybe Simon likes to switch things up occasionally."
Jessica glared at her, then quickly wrapped an arm around Amy's and started tickling her waist.
Amy, unable to escape and not wanting to make a scene in such a public place, could only grit her teeth and beg for mercy.
By the time they reached the coffee shop at the base of the administrative building's employee cafeteria, their assistant, Lena Kane, was already waiting for them. As soon as she saw them, Lena stepped forward and scolded, "What were you two doing just now? Be more careful. This isn't your apartment."
Amy broke free from Jessica's grip and hugged Lena's arm, trying to assert herself. "Lena, I'm a big star now, and I'm your boss. You should show me some respect."
Lena rolled her eyes and led them into the coffee shop. "I was just about to say, you should give me a raise."
Amy immediately deflated. "Okay, let's change the subject."
Jessica seized the opportunity. "Don't stop now. I want to hear more."
Despite the banter, the closeness between the three women was evident. Over the past few months, even though Lena had been assigned to them as a newcomer from WMA, she had gone above and beyond to manage their careers. She was professional, handling negotiations, public relations, and scheduling with ease.
Amy and Jessica weren't stupid. They knew that having an assistant like Lena would be a huge asset to their careers. While they didn't say it outright, both had started vying for her loyalty. After all, as their careers took off, it wouldn't make sense for them to share an assistant.
Moreover, Lena was clearly someone with her own opinions. If Amy tried to play the boss, she might end up getting fired instead.
Once they were seated and had ordered coffee, Lena efficiently pulled out a few pages of a script and handed them over. "Jason has some urgent matters to deal with and will be here in half an hour. This is the audition script for Celebrity. Familiarize yourself with it quickly. The official audition starts at 10 a.m. Also, bad news, Jessica. The lead role in Elizabeth has been cast. Your audition this afternoon is canceled."
Elizabeth was the latest project from Highgate Pictures' British film division, which had produced hits like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, and The Full Monty. Every project from this team attracted significant attention in Hollywood. Their agent, Jason Baster, had tried to get them auditions, thinking Amy, as the lead in Paranormal Activity, had a better chance. Surprisingly, it was Jessica who had made the cut.
Amy's image was too far from that of Elizabeth I.
For this audition, Jessica had been practicing a British accent daily, even while promoting Paranormal Activity. The sudden cancellation was a blow.
Jessica's grip on the script tightened, and she couldn't hide her disappointment. "What happened?"
"It's an Australian actress named Cate Blanchett," Lena explained, lowering her voice slightly. "Jason called and found out it was Simon's decision."
Jessica didn't know what to say. Amy, trying to suppress a small sense of schadenfreude, couldn't help but ask, "Is she really beautiful?"
Lena pulled a photo out of her bag and handed it to the two women.
They looked at it together, and Amy immediately said, "Her nose is a bit big. Not really Simon's type, is she?"
"If Simon only cast actresses he found beautiful, you two wouldn't be here, and he wouldn't have achieved what he has," Lena said, then added, "Cate graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. She's been acting in theater for five years and was nominated for an Australian Green Room Award for her role as Ophelia in Hamlet. Simon's decision makes perfect sense."
The two women weren't familiar with the Green Room Award but assumed it was similar to the Tony Awards in the U.S. Jessica, who had only played a supporting role so far, couldn't compare.
Lena took the photo back and said, "Alright, focus on your scripts. Since these are small roles, there's a good chance you'll both get parts in Celebrity."
Jessica silently looked down at her script.
Amy, however, couldn't resist gossiping. "Lena, this is Woody Allen. You know, a few years ago..."
Lena cut her off. "Be realistic, Amy. If that issue comes up again, you can publicly distance yourselves. For now, appearing in a Woody Allen film, even just briefly, is like gold plating for actresses. If you have moral qualms, my advice is to go back to Colorado, marry a simple farmer, go to church every week, have eight kids, and raise them as devout Puritans."
Amy stuck out her tongue and didn't dare say more, instead complimenting, "Lena, I didn't know you were so talented. You just came up with a script in ten seconds."
"Do you want to star in it?" Lena rolled her eyes, then added, "Also, since the Elizabeth audition is canceled, I've scheduled a house viewing for you this afternoon. You can't keep living in that apartment in the Santa Monica Mountains, and you need to live separately."
The small apartment in the mountains had been rented by the two women for convenience during the filming of Paranormal Activity. It offered no privacy, and now that they were gaining fame, it was no longer safe. Moving was inevitable.
However, Amy immediately disagreed with her assistant. "Lena, Jessica and I are both broke. Living together saves money."
"And soon the tabloids will say you're lesbians."
"How could that be? So many men and women share apartments in L.A. Are they all gay?"
"The issue isn't whether you're gay. It's whether people think you're gay. If you were still nobodies, living together would be fine. But now it's different, unless you don't mind damaging your careers."
Amy could only nod. "Alright."
Lena took a sip of her coffee and urged, "Alright, focus on your scripts. Rumor has it Simon personally took an interest in this project. It could be one of Woody's best in years."
Amy's curiosity was piqued again. "Simon personally took an interest? How do you know?"
Jessica also looked over, curious.
"I have my sources," Lena said, subtly showcasing her connections. "Woody originally wanted to make this a black-and-white film, paying homage to Fellini's La Dolce Vita. Highgate's Ella agreed, but Simon vetoed it. When Simon was in New York recently, he met with Woody and said he loved the story but insisted it had to be in color—vivid, bold colors. His exact words were, 'a retro, golden-age Hollywood opulence.'"
Jessica asked, "Did Woody compromise?"
"Of course."
Amy raised her hand slightly, gesturing. "But... Woody's a big director. Couldn't he find other investors?"
"Even the biggest directors are still just directors. Besides, after that incident years ago, it was Highgate that gave Woody a chance to make a comeback. His recent films have all been with Highgate. What do you think Woody's choice would be?" Lena didn't wait for an answer before adding, "So, since Simon is excited about this project, even if you don't get the roles, you should at least make a cameo. There are a lot of big crowd scenes in the full script."
The two women listened intently to Lena's insider knowledge, even if it wasn't exactly juicy gossip. They wanted to hear more, but Lena quickly closed her mouth and gestured to the scripts in their hands.
Amy and Jessica had no choice but to focus on the thin pages in front of them.
About half an hour later, a tall, thin man in his 40s hurried over. It was their agent, Jason Baster.
As soon as he sat down, the exhausted agent sighed and said to the two women, "Amy, Jessica, if you ever date someone, make sure you know their age first." He then let out a curse before continuing, seemingly talking to them or just thinking out loud. "Ever since the Michael incident, these kids have found a goldmine. They're getting bolder and bolder."
This clearly hinted at some drama.
The two women looked up, waiting for more, but Jason had already moved on. He took a few sips of the coffee the waiter brought and then shifted to other matters. "First, some good news I know you'll want to hear. I just got a call on my way here. There's going to be a bonus for Paranormal Activity. Amy, you'll get $300,000. Jessica, you'll get $100,000. But you'll both need to sign a clear sequel contract. Jessica, you're confirmed as the lead for the sequel. Oh, and the Screen Actors Guild stuff is sorted. This agreement will give you the basic union protections."
Beside Jason, Lena, who had been sipping her coffee, noticeably paused when she heard the agent mention the sequel.
Recently, Jessica Chastain, despite being a supporting character, had been heavily involved in promoting the film. Many had speculated she might take on a larger role in the sequel.
Now, it was confirmed.
Amy and Jessica's first reaction was excitement, but when they heard the conditions, Jessica quickly calmed down. "Jason, when we were promoting the film, Danny Morris told us not to do any more found-footage movies."
"He meant not to do those cheap, knockoff found-footage films Hollywood is churning out. That would typecast you. Paranormal Activity is different."
Amy got straight to the point. "Jason, if we sign on for the sequel, how much will we get paid?"
Jason looked at Amy. "Your character's story is pretty much done. You'll probably just have a cameo in the background and get a token fee. Jessica, as the lead, could negotiate around $300,000."
Amy was disappointed and couldn't help but feel indignant on Jessica's behalf. "Paranormal Activity is such a hit, and Jessica only gets $300,000 for the sequel?"
"You need to understand, it's the film that's a hit, not you as actors. Plus, because of the genre, even if the first film makes $500 million worldwide, the sequel will still be low-budget. They can't pay you too much."
Amy blurted out, "Then we just won't do it."
Jason looked at her, exasperated. "If you don't, first, you won't get this bonus. Second, you'll be sued because the original contract included a sequel clause. Third, not just Daenerys, but no other studio will touch you. In short, you'd be done in Hollywood."
Amy fell silent.
Even though they had only earned $8,000 from the project initially, the actor contracts did include sequel clauses, though the details were vague. Clearly, Daenerys was using this bonus as an incentive while locking down the specifics.
If they refused, the outcome would be exactly as Jason predicted.
Seeing Amy calm down and Jessica showing no objections, Jason continued, "Amy, Jessica, from now on, I want you to treat Paranormal Activity as a thing of the past. You have no choice but to sign this agreement. However, once you do, Daenerys will definitely give you more resources to ensure the sequel's success. Your job is to quickly shed the label of 'cheap found-footage stars' and avoid being typecast. Understand?"
The two women nodded quickly this time.
Jason was satisfied. At least they weren't completely clueless. He then brought up another matter. "Also, tonight, Michael Jordan, the chairman of Westinghouse, is hosting a party in Bel-Air. The Paranormal Activity crew is invited. You should go. It'll be great for networking."
Before Jessica could respond, Amy blurted out, "Michael Jordan?"
Jason chuckled. "Same name, different person. He's a 60-year-old white guy."
Amy nodded, then asked, "We don't know him. Why would we go to his party?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Seeing the stunned looks from the others, Amy realized she'd said something stupid and quickly added, "Okay, I'll go."
Jason explained, "Westinghouse bought CBS two years ago. You know CBS, right? Recently, they've been expanding their presence in the media industry. Westinghouse just sold part of its power business to Siemens for a lot of cash and is now strengthening its film and TV production division. They might even acquire a major studio. In short, Michael Jordan is about to become a big player in Hollywood. He invited you two because of Paranormal Activity's success. There'll be a lot of Hollywood heavyweights at the party. It's a great networking opportunity. Don't waste it."
Amy finally understood.
Jessica hesitated, then asked, "Jason, will Simon be there?"
The question made everyone pause. After a moment, Jason said, "Simon happens to be in L.A. these days. He might go. So you two need to be on your best behavior."
The two women nodded eagerly.
Even though they had some lingering resentment about the sequel situation, the thought of possibly seeing Simon Westeros again filled them with excitement.
After finishing, Jason checked his watch. "We'll head to the audition at 9:50. You still have some time to prepare. Oh, Jessica, did Lena tell you about Elizabeth?"
"Yes."
"That's a shame, but don't be discouraged. You'll have plenty of opportunities."
"Okay."
With that, the two women continued preparing for the Celebrity audition, completely unaware of one thing: Jason's subtle coldness toward Lena.
Lena didn't mind, and she understood Jason's reaction.
While the two women had been considering how to win Lena over, Lena had also been weighing her own future.
Before becoming their assistant, Lena, a USC graduate, had been an intern at WMA, working in the mailroom for a year—a role that had launched the careers of many legendary agents.
Thanks to her parents' connections in the industry, she had landed the opportunity. Through her parents' network, Lena had learned that the two women had been personally chosen by Simon Westeros for Paranormal Activity. She even knew more about the film's background, such as it being a project Simon had conceived and developed himself.
Given that, the film's success was almost guaranteed.
Now, with Paranormal Activity's massive success, Lena's predictions had come true.
However, until Jason revealed that Jessica Chastain would be the lead in the sequel, Lena hadn't fully decided on her next career move.
She definitely wouldn't continue as a glorified babysitter.
Initially, she had considered two options. The first was to become a manager for Amy or both women, earning a percentage of their earnings like an agent. However, this would require their careers to take off quickly enough to justify having both a manager and an agent.
Otherwise, the overlapping roles would inevitably lead to conflicts.
The second option was to poach one of the clients from Jason Baster.
Over the past few months, the two women had come to respect her abilities, so Lena was confident she could pull it off.
Amy Adams was the ideal choice, but it would be too difficult. If she succeeded, Jason would definitely retaliate, potentially escalating the issue to Jonathan Friedland.
As the head of WMA, Friedland wouldn't tolerate internal conflicts, and Lena's parents' connections wouldn't be enough to shield her from his wrath.
Therefore, poaching Jessica Chastain was the better option.
However, there was a problem.
Jessica was only a supporting character in Paranormal Activity. While the film was a hit, it was the kind of movie where the film was famous, not the actors. Amy might be fine, but Jessica's future was still uncertain.
But now, hearing that Jessica had been confirmed as the lead for the sequel, Lena felt more confident. As the lead, Jessica would likely receive more support from Daenerys Entertainment to ensure the sequel's success.
Having decided to poach Jessica from Jason, Lena wasn't surprised by his coldness. In fact, she suspected he was already plotting how to get rid of her first.
Hollywood was like that.
A battlefield without smoke or fire. The people here might not be smart, but there were no innocent, pure-hearted bunnies. They wouldn't survive.
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