"So… her name's Bratz?"
"Yeah."
"Ugh, what an awful name. Did you come up with it?"
"Nope."
"Didn't think so." Little Taylor curled up on the couch, half-leaning against Dunn. "But there's only one doll here. When are they hitting the stores?"
Dunn thought for a second. "Officially, next year, I think? But they should be mass-produced by the end of this year."
Taylor's eyes lit up instantly. She sat up straight, beaming at him. "Then you've gotta snag me a few sets early so I can show off to my friends!"
Dunn frowned. "Taylor, showing off isn't a good look."
She giggled, brushing it off with a playful wink and lowering her voice. "Dunn, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Let's hear it."
"I heard there's a big angel model show in New York next month!"
"Huh?" Dunn raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You mean… Victoria's Secret?"
"Yes, yes, that secret! I saw the promo—it's all these women with amazing bodies… wow, they're gorgeous!" Taylor waved her hands, dramatically tracing curves in the air.
Dunn couldn't help but laugh. "That's not up to me. You'd have to ask your mom."
"She's getting stricter by the day. No way she'd say yes," Taylor grumbled, pouting unhappily.
Dunn shrugged, spreading his hands. "Then I'm out of luck here. She's your guardian."
Taylor puffed out her cheeks, looking pitiful as she sniffled. "But… I miss Dad. He hasn't been home in two months."
That hit Dunn like a punch. He felt a little guilty.
Her dad, Scott Swift, was the general manager at Dunn Capital, stationed in Manhattan, busy handling Dunn's stock trades.
After a moment's pause, Dunn sighed. "Alright, fine. Next month, I'll make time to take you to New York to see your dad."
"Whoa! Can I watch the show too?" Taylor's big eyes sparkled with excitement and hope.
"No way!" Dunn shook his head firmly. "A supermodel runway show… it's a bit too risqué for you."
Taylor wasn't having it. "That's not fair! I'm a girl too—why can't I watch?" she protested, biting her lip, tears welling up.
But Dunn didn't budge, so she switched tactics, taking a sly detour. "Okay… how about this? I'll tell you a secret, and you take me to the show. Deal?"
"A secret?" Dunn glanced at her. "What kind?"
Taylor grinned mischievously, sneaking a peek at her mom's spot before whispering in his ear, "A boy in my class is chasing me."
"What?!"
Dunn froze. How old are you, kid? American teens are way too grown-up for their age!
Her clever eyes twinkled as she giggled. "His name's Parker. Super cute. And he brings me pastries his mom makes every day—they're so sweet!"
Dunn took a deep breath, turned to face her, and gripped her little shoulders. "Taylor, you're too young to be thinking about this stuff," he said sternly.
"Why not?" She blinked rapidly, confused.
"Because you're a girl. It's easy to get taken advantage of," Dunn said, his brow furrowing.
"No way! Parker's really nice to me."
"I said no, and that's final!" Dunn's tone turned unusually harsh as he scolded her. "Keep arguing, and I won't get you any more gifts. I'll even tell your parents to punish you."
Taylor slapped the couch cushion with her tiny hand, fuming. "That's not fair!"
Dunn replied coolly, "Life's never been fair."
She sulked for a bit, noticing Dunn wasn't thrilled either. But the little girl was clingy and sharp. Soon, she plastered on a smile and scooted closer. "Dunn, I was just messing with you."
"Hm?"
"I was kidding! I don't even like Parker that much. So… if you take me to the show, I'll set things straight with him when I get back to school. Tell him to stop bugging me. How's that?"
Dunn hadn't expected to be outsmarted by a kid, but her offer wasn't half bad. No point in sweating the small stuff.
"For real?"
"Totally!" Taylor stuck out her pinky. "We can pinky swear on it."
"Deal!"
Dunn finally cracked a smile, patting her head. "That's more like it. Girls should behave."
Taylor pressed her lips together, holding back a smug grin as she bobbed her head triumphantly. Dunn, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow.
The Victoria's Secret show? Might be worth checking out! Especially since he had two stunning angel supermodels—Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima—living in his Manhattan townhouse. He'd bought the place through Scott Swift and set them up there, but he hadn't even visited yet. And with all those angelic beauties strutting the runway, it was hard not to get excited.
The thought alone sent a warm rush through him.
…
Dunn's pitch for American Idol was pretty straightforward—just a basic concept and framework. He was an outsider to TV production, so the nitty-gritty planning and details were obviously left to the pros.
He wasn't about to waste time meeting with Dick Clark Productions' TV folks himself. No need for that. Truth be told, he hadn't even met the top brass at TA Network. All his orders went through Bill McNick, and that was that.
That's how a real boss operates—focus on the people, not the tasks. Keep the core team in line, and the whole operation runs like clockwork.
But there's always an exception. Ella Fisher, his secretary, flagged an oddball project from Slywood Animation and brought it to his attention.
Slywood Animation was a subsidiary under Dunn Films, with a $30 million investment for a 51% stake. Back when they teamed up, the president, Tosca Musk, had insisted on full operational control, so Dunn Films only had oversight rights.
Honestly, Dunn wasn't too optimistic about Slywood's future. He'd only given Tosca a shot because she was Elon Musk's sister, letting her take a crack at an animated Fantastic Four. But instead of playing it safe, Tosca went rogue. She dropped a jaw-dropping $3 million to snag the film adaptation rights to some obscure cartoon comic called Bone Treasure Adventures!
Dunn had never even heard of it. And according to Ella Fisher's breakdown, Tosca was likely planning to turn it into a full-blown animated movie. That was straight-up delusional!
In Dunn's mind, only the three animation giants had any business touching animated films. Tosca Musk—an outsider who'd jumped from Silicon Valley to Hollywood—thought she could tackle this? Based on what?
He was ticked off. That afternoon, he stormed over to Slywood Animation's studio.
Women, man—they can be so clueless!
The second he arrived, Dunn's irritation spiked. The studio was in Burbank's commercial district, where real estate wasn't cheap. Yet Tosca had rented a lavish half-floor in the biggest office building there. The place was decked out—fancy renovations, walls carved with lifelike cartoon characters. It looked flashier than Dunn Films' current setup.
Tosca greeted him with a smile, noticing him scoping the place out. "Funds are tight, so we kept the decor simple. Otherwise, it'd be even more impressive," she said cheerfully.
Dunn's face darkened, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "The money I invested—was it for you to blow on superficial stuff like this?"
Tosca froze, blinking. "Dunn… boss, you're not here to chew me out, are you?"
He snorted. "I hear you bought the adaptation rights to some cartoon comic?"
Her face lit up with a dazzling smile. She was stunning—blonde, blue-eyed, tall, curvy, pale skin, long legs. A waste she wasn't a model. Too bad she couldn't be trusted. Dreaming of some big movie? Pure fantasy!
"Yeah, Bone Treasure Adventures. It's a super fun comic—adventure, heart, inspiration, comedy, all rolled into one. After our team's market research, we think it's got huge potential for an animated film," she said confidently.
Dunn laughed, but it was out of frustration. "An animated film? Miss Musk, this is Hollywood, not Silicon Valley! Even in Silicon Valley, the internet boom's over. Investors' money isn't for you to squander like this!"
His words were harsh, and Tosca's expression soured. "I thought we agreed I'd have full control over Slywood Animation's operations."
"True," Dunn shot back, "but I also recall our deal was for Slywood to make a Fantastic Four animated series—not chase some wild movie dream!" He huffed, brushed past her, and marched toward the president's office, not bothering with politeness.
Their spat in the lobby drew too many eyes. Tosca, fuming, glared around and snapped, "What are you staring at? Back to work!"
In the president's office, Dunn plopped into her cushy chair without a second thought, his face growing stormier. "Miss Musk, this office setup's fancier than mine!"
She met his icy stare head-on, refusing to back down. "Dunn, don't give me that snarky attitude! My brother sank $20 million into Slywood too. Every cent I've spent, I stand by!"
She'd come from Silicon Valley to start up in Hollywood—two totally different worlds with clashing vibes. Silicon Valley swam in cash; founders could splash out on slick offices without blinking. Hollywood? A century-old beast that prized grit over glitz.
Tosca Musk was clearly still stuck in that Silicon Valley mindset.