Alex stepped into his office at Titan HQ, LA. Rachel was already waiting, standing near his desk, arms folded, her expression was calm as usual. Seated opposite was a man in his late thirties with a trim beard, and he was wearing a suit. He rose as Alex entered.
"Mr. Wilson," the man said, extending his hand. "Daniel Foster. Assistant director on Zathura."
Alex shook his hand firmly and gestured for him to sit. He crossed behind his desk, set his phone down, and glanced at Rachel.
"You already briefed him?"
Rachel gave a short nod. "Only the basics. He knows about Favreau. I told him production's on hold until you decide the next step."
Alex leaned back in his chair, studying Daniel for a moment. His eyes narrowed slightly, not from suspicion but from calculation. He let the System run a quick scan. Lines of data scrolled invisibly across his mind's eye: education, credits, technical skill, leadership. No skeletons in the closet. No red flags. His qualifications were clean, even impressive. The man had been quietly underappreciated in the industry.
'Tsk. What a waste of time and money. Haa... Next time, I gotta meet every single cast member myself and check them out before another incident occurs like this,' He thought.
"Daniel," Alex began, his voice smooth but carrying authority. "I won't waste your time. Favreau is done. The film isn't. I don't let projects collapse because one man screwed up."
Daniel's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "I understand. But to be fair, I've informed all the crew members, and they are waiting for some official news from you regarding this matter. Some are asking if the project is axed or... They just want some answers."
"They'll have it," Alex said. He leaned forward now, his fingers steepled on the desk. "Here's what's going to happen. Titan Studios is acquiring the rights to both Zathura and Jumanji. The deal will be finalized by Rachel and the legal team within the week."
Rachel tapped her tablet, already making notes.
Daniel blinked, surprised. "Both properties? You mean…"
"I mean," Alex cut in smoothly, "that I see more than just a single film. I see a shared mythology. Jumanji was the seed. Zathura is the branch. And with the right script, they connect. One universe. One franchise. A legacy that outlives the box office. That was my vision. I actually wanted to discuss this with Favreau but he kept stalling and rewriting the script from the OG version that I invested in. So, I was going to take some steps. But... It is what it is."
For a moment, silence hung between them. Daniel leaned back slowly, the weight of what Alex had said settling in. "And the script?"
Alex's smirk was faint but confident. "I'll make the adjustments myself. Nothing drastic for the cast. The roles are already locked, and they stay locked. March tenth is still your start date. But the story? That's going to tie into something bigger. The audience won't just be watching Zathura. They'll be watching the opening move of a larger game. "
Daniel's eyes widened slightly, a mix of apprehension and excitement. "With respect, Mr. Wilson… that's ambitious. Two films, two mythologies. If you can really pull that off—"
"I can," Alex interrupted. "And you'll help me do it."
Daniel hesitated. "Me?"
Alex leaned forward with a serious expression. "I ran the numbers on you. Your work. Your leadership. You've been an assistant director long enough. You know the rhythms, the pace, the technicals. You're more than capable of handling the chair. Which means, starting today, you're not the assistant director anymore. You're the director."
Daniel blinked again, stunned. "You're serious?"
"Completely," Alex said. "I don't gamble with my projects and investments. If you weren't ready, I wouldn't even entertain the thought. But you are. And I'll be overseeing script changes personally. You'll have Titan's full resources behind you. All you need to do is deliver."
For the first time, Daniel's composure cracked. He leaned forward, voice lower, almost reverent. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime."
"Then don't waste it," Alex replied evenly.
Rachel set her tablet down, stepping closer. "I'll start the acquisition paperwork tonight. Sony still holds partial rights on the series, but nothing I can't handle. When the deal is inked and the changes finalized, you'll hear from us again. One to two weeks tops."
"Tell the crew that the movie is still happening with minor script tweaks," Alex said.
Daniel nodded quickly. "Understood."
"Good." Alex stood, extending his hand again. "Congratulations, Daniel. You just leveled up."
Daniel rose too, shaking his hand with renewed firmness, his earlier nerves replaced by determination. This was is golden opportunity, a massive breakout that he never imagined would happen this fast. "Thank you. I won't let you down."
"I know," Alex said simply.
Daniel gave a respectful nod to both of them before exiting.
Once the door clicked shut, Rachel exhaled. "I'll move on the rights immediately. It'll rattle Sony, but nothing they can't swallow once they see the payout."
"So," Alex grabbed her arm and pulled her onto his lap before kissing. Her lips tasted peachy today. She kissed him back as usual. Then, after a few minutes of kissing, they pulled away. "I like this new peachy taste. It makes me want to just keep kissing you and suck on those juicy lips."
Rachel smiled faintly, still close enough that her breath brushed his cheek. "Careful, Alex. If you keep complimenting me like that, I'll start expecting a daily review on my flavors."
Alex chuckled and kissed her again, slower this time. "Maybe I should. Imagine it. Strawberry Monday, vanilla Wednesday, peach Friday. A whole menu just for me."
Her laugh was soft, amused, though she arched a brow. "And what happens when I decide you don't get dessert?"
He smirked, sliding a hand along her hip. "Then I'll have to work for it. And you know I always get what I want in the end."
For a moment they stayed like that, the taste of peach still on his lips. Rachel let her fingers toy lazily with the collar of his shirt, as if she might pull him back in. But Alex leaned his head back against the chair, his eyes narrowing slightly as his focus shifted.
"Rachel," he said, his tone dipping into business again, "What are we going to do with Martin Channing's case?"
Rachel's expression sharpened at the mention of Martin Channing. The playfulness in her eyes disappeared, replaced by the calm calculation she was known for. She slid off his lap, standing by the edge of his desk. She opened her tab.
"The best move," she said calmly, "is to reopen the case. Not as it stands, but from the ground up. Forget the surface files, forget the trial records. Everything tied to Martin is rotten. I've been digging quietly, and what I've found isn't just negligence. It's sabotage."
Alex tilted his head, interest flickering. "Sabotage?"
Rachel nodded once. "Too many inconsistencies. Witnesses that don't exist outside the transcripts. Fake documents and reports. Cops with sealed disciplinary records who somehow ended up testifying. And the lawyers…" She scrolled quickly, letting pages of forged documents and falsified evidence flicker across her screen. "Bought. Coerced. Positioned to make Martin the perfect scapegoat. Someone needed a fall guy, and he was convenient."
Alex asked. "And behind it?"
Rachel's lips curved, though it wasn't amusement. It was the smile of someone who'd already started pulling strings. "Big companies. The kind with shareholders who don't want their names spoken out loud. There's a paper trail that's been buried under shell corporations, dummy firms, and doctored contracts. But the deeper I dig, the clearer it gets. Martin wasn't just unlucky. They specifically targeted him."
For a moment Alex said nothing, letting the weight of it settle. Then he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. His eyes met hers. "And you want to handle it."
Rachel closed the tablet with a click. "Yes. This isn't a courtroom fix, Alex. It's a rot that needs to be burned out. I have the connections to do it. I've eyes and ears in every corner of the justice system, every boardroom that thinks it's untouchable. Give me the clearance and I'll dismantle the cover-up piece by piece. The truth will surface, and the ones who buried it will regret ever touching Martin Channing's name."
He knew exactly what she was saying, and more importantly, what she wasn't. This wouldn't be clean. It wouldn't be gentle. It would be Rachel moving like a blade through the system, using every shadow connection she had.
He exhaled slowly, leaning back again. "I trust you, Rachel. More than anyone. If you say you can cut through this, I believe you. Do it."
Rachel's eyes softened just slightly at that, though her voice stayed cool. "Then consider it done."
Alex reached out, catching her hand before she could move away. He gave it a light squeeze, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "Thank you."
"I'll take a couple of kisses and lots of sex as my payment. Plus the bragging right to Caroline," She said with a playful smirk.
Alex stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "That I can actually arrange. And..." He kissed her once before whispering. "I can pay some kisses as an advance payment."
"Mhmm~ I'll gladly take the payment," She whispered back.
Thus, the kissing began...
How long did they kiss?
No idea.
Oh, by the way, that night Alex told Angelina about the night date with Halle. Her reaction? 1 week with her in the Bahamas after the shoot wrap-up, and for some reason, she wants Max to tag along with them. Alex agreed to that, thinking: 'What could possibly go wrong?'
...
...
[Next Morning – Halle's Hotel Room]
Halle had already been awake for over an hour. Early rising was second nature to her.
She rolled out her mat by the window and began her yoga flow. Slow stretches, grounding breaths, movements that eased the weight from her body and cleared the residue of restless dreams. Her limbs loosened with each pose, but her mind refused to settle. Thoughts of Alex had been threading through her night and now they pulsed with each inhale, sharper with each exhale.
By the time she moved into her last stretch, her chest rising toward the sunlight, her heart was beating faster than the rhythm of her breathing. She sat still for a moment, eyes closed, palms pressed together, as if she could meditate away the thrum of excitement in her blood. But she couldn't. Not today.
She left the mat where it was and walked into the bathroom, already filling the wide marble tub with steaming water and a generous spill of jasmine-scented foam. The bubbles rose high, fragrant and lush, softening the edges of the morning. Halle took off her clothes and slid in, sighing as the warmth wrapped around her muscles, the water climbing her collarbone. She let her head tip back, curls damp against porcelain, and allowed herself to simply float.
Her lips curved into a little smile. A private audition with Alex, followed by a date. The thought alone made her chest tighten in a way she hadn't felt in years. She caught herself smiling and almost laughed, the sound echoing lightly against the tiles. Smiling like a teenager drunk in love. That was what he did to her.
And then, of course, the doubt crept in. She was thirty-nine. Alex was mid-twenties, sharp and ambitious, a man who could have anyone. Well, He already did. Women younger than her. She thought about the girls he's in a relationship with for a moment.
Her smile faltered for a moment. The age gap wasn't small. It wasn't something she could ignore. Sitting there, wrapped in bubbles and heat, she let herself feel the weight of it. The question of whether she was clinging to something impossible, reaching for someone who should by all rights be looking elsewhere.
But then she remembered the way he had kissed her. Firm, confident, and with love. Not as though she were a prize won, but as though she was something he wanted, right then, without apology. She remembered the way his eyes had lingered, how he told her plainly he didn't care about age, that love wasn't confined by numbers.
Her heartbeat quickened again.
She sank lower into the bath, letting the foam cover her shoulders, and laughed softly under her breath. No, she wasn't going to let the number on her birth certificate rob her of this. Not when he had made her feel something she thought she'd put behind her.
"God! I'm thinking too much. But I can't help it," She mumbled to herself. "I wonder if he's as excited as me for the date."
When she finally stepped out, steam clouded the mirror. She toweled herself dry slowly.
She went into the bedroom, dropping the towel onto a chair as she walked toward the tall mirror by the wall. She stopped in front of it, standing completely bare, and looked at herself.
Her reflection stared back, illuminated by the morning sun. Smooth dark skin. The toned lines of her stomach. The curve of her hips, her well-toned tummy... the natural grace in her posture. She turned around and looked at her butt.
"Humm..." She grabbed her butt cheeks and gave them a couple of squeezes before jiggling them a bit. "Well, looks like all the yoga and diet are paying off. Ass looks perfect, if I say so myself." She winked at her reflection before turning to her front. She then cupped her boobs. Sure, they weren't big, but they sure are perky and moderate in size.
She lifted her chin slightly. Yes, she was older than the women who circled Alex. But she was also Halle Berry. She carried decades of experience, of resilience, of sensuality that wasn't a performance but a truth etched into every part of her.
Her lips curved into a slow smile, confidence surging back like a wave. She wasn't going to compete by being younger. She was going to bring her thousand percent by being exactly who she was. Unapologetic, experienced and confident.
"I'm gonna rock your world, Mr. Wilson, and love you with my all... forever. And I hope you'll love me back... Hold me close, whisper sweet things into my ears, cuddle and watch a nice movie, or just lie on the couch, holding each other without any words and steal kisses every now and then," She said truthfully from her heart as she remembered their little date, his smile, and the soft kiss they shared yesterday.
Her hand drifted over her stomach, then up to the line of her collarbone. For a brief moment she closed her eyes, picturing Alex's hands instead, his lips on her skin. The memory of his voice replayed in her mind, low and assured. He wanted her. He had made it clear. That thought alone steadied her, turned the nervous flutter in her chest into a delicious hum.
Opening her eyes again, she studied herself once more in the mirror: Naked, strong, beautiful, and ready.
"Bring it," she whispered to her reflection, almost laughing again at the girlish thrill in her tone.
Halle turned toward the wardrobe, already imagining what she'd wear later. The audition came first, the professional front, the role. But the date afterward was hers.
---
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