Thanks to Twilight's unstoppable box-office run, Fox Searchlight did something insane: they kept the movie in theaters worldwide for a full six months.
Six. Months.
That had literally never happened before. This ridiculous little teen vampire romance was still sucking money out of wallets like a sparkly blood-draining machine.
Which meant Joey's bank account was updating faster than a live stock ticker.
But right now she was kicked back in an office at MGM, feet up, while Tom and a whole table of MGM execs stared at her like she'd grown a second head.
She'd won. Full stop.
A few months ago these same suits were laughing behind her back, calling her naive for thinking she could turn some YA vampire book into a blockbuster franchise overnight.
Now? They were eating crow in silence. Twilight's numbers had shut every single one of them up. When you're making that kind of money, pride gets real flexible real fast.
After weeks of back-and-forth negotiations, they finally locked the deal.
Joey traded full ownership of the Twilight franchise to United Artists (UA) in exchange for 15% of the company, plus 25% of all future Twilight profits in perpetuity.
She was completely cut out of creative control on any sequels, but she still got a massive backend check every time the series printed money.
Basically: she swapped the golden goose for a huge ownership stake in a legendary studio. In her previous life the six Twilight movies made over $3.3 billion worldwide. Right now nobody believed those kinds of numbers were possible, so MGM thought they were robbing her blind.
They weren't.
Overnight, Joey Grant became one of the biggest individual shareholders in a major Hollywood studio. At twenty-something.
Tom, meanwhile, took 30% of UA and was officially installed as CEO.
After the papers were signed, Joey picked out her new office on the UA lot: floor-to-ceiling windows, plush carpet, gorgeous wood desk, walls covered in classic movie posters.
Perfection.
She flopped onto the oversized leather chaise, stared up at the ceiling lights, and grinned like an idiot.
This was it. She'd made award-winning indies, now she co-owned the company that could green-light anything she wanted. Total freedom was finally in sight. Maybe one day she'd actually be the face of independent film (the one who dragged it into the mainstream and made it massive).
Heels on carpet. Tom walked in, stopped beside her, and looked down with that cool, distant expression he'd been wearing lately.
"So what's next, miracle girl?"
Joey had noticed the shift in him over the past few weeks. The old Tom (warm, sunny, easy to talk to) was gone. This version felt like talking to a glacier.
She couldn't figure out why, and it stung more than she wanted to admit.
She rolled onto her side, still smiling despite the chill. "I want to make a movie with an Asian lead. Something that shows what it's really like to be Asian in America (the real stuff, the stereotypes, the strength). Something that makes people feel the positive energy."
Tom gave a short nod. "Very on-brand for you. Keep pushing for minority representation."
She flopped her head onto the desk dramatically. "Script's not done yet, but I already have the perfect actress in mind. We've talked; she's super into it."
"Who?" Tom asked, running through the tiny list of bankable Asian actresses in his head. "Maggie Q? She's the only one I can name."
Joey's eyes lit up. "Exactly her! You actually keep track of Asian actors. I'm impressed."
"Doesn't take much," he said flatly. "She's the only Asian actress Hollywood bothers to remember."
Joey's smile faded a little. "Yeah… well, she loved the idea, but she hurt her back on her last shoot. Nothing until she's 100%. So the whole project's on ice for now."
"And in the meantime?" That cool half-smile again.
She scratched the back of her head, hair going everywhere. "I took a gig."
"Doesn't sound like a movie."
"It's not." She slapped the desk playfully. "I like keeping things fresh. I'm directing a commercial."
Tom leaned against the desk. "For who?"
"H&M. Their big new seasonal spot."
He raised an eyebrow. "Wait—you're already the face of their campaign."
"Yep! So I'm directing it and starring in it."
Tom actually looked surprised (a rare win). "So you're stepping in front of the camera for real."
"It's just a commercial," she laughed. "I figure I can handle sixty seconds."
"Guess your IMDb is about to list: director, actress, model."
She cracked up. "Big directors shoot commercials all the time. The avant-garde visuals mix great with fashion. Could be cool."
"True," he said, voice neutral. "But the real question is how you'll look on camera. People are gonna be very curious what kind of magic you pull off."
Joey laughed it off, but inside she was sweating. She had zero clue how she'd come across either.
But she was the face of the brand; turning down the spot would've been weird. So H&M got her on-screen debut.
They'd already brainstormed the concept for weeks. The seasonal theme was "Be Yourself" (release your true self). They finally settled on a "many sides of Joey" vibe: sweet, playful, a little mysterious, a little seductive.
Nothing too mature (Charlize Theron's Dior J'Adore vibe was not happening). More like Natalie Portman's pink Miss Dior sweetness, but spiked with a hint of Eva Green's dark, hypnotic Blue Dior energy.
She already had the whole treatment in her head and couldn't wait to shoot it.
She was smiling to herself, lost in the idea, when she realized Tom was watching her. For just a second the ice in his eyes melted (something soft flickered there when she was deep in thought).
He hated how much he still wanted to be close to her. The second he felt himself softening, he shut it down.
He gave her shoulder a quick pat (friendly, professional, distant). "Can't wait to see you light up the screen."
Then he walked out before the warmth could creep back in.
H&M's usual ads were quirky, artsy, sometimes downright weird. Never about pure glamour.
This time they wanted the spotlight on her (full-on Dior/LV, let Joey's personality and looks carry it).
Which left her with one hilarious, terrifying thought:
She was about to make her acting debut… banking entirely on her face.
God help her.