Chapter 318: How did this happen...
In his plush office at Warner Bros., Vince Knight leaned back in his chair, his face a mask of irritation. He'd just received word that Lucas's manager had declined his offer of help.
"Goddamn stubborn kid," Vince muttered, tossing the report onto his desk.
His assistant, hovering nervously in the doorway, cleared her throat. "Should I arrange another call, sir? Maybe if you spoke to Lucas directly-"
"No," Vince snapped, cutting her off. "If he wants to be an idiot and face Harvey alone, let him."
He stood up, pacing the room. "Does he have any idea what he's up against? Harvey will eat him alive."
The assistant remained silent, knowing better than to interrupt when Vince was in one of his moods.
Vince stopped at the window, looking out over the Hollywood skyline. "He thinks he's so damn smart, doesn't he? Probably thinks he can take on the whole industry by himself."
He turned back to his assistant. "Keep me updated on everything."
"Yes, sir," she nodded, quickly retreating from the office.
Alone, Vince poured himself a drink, his mind racing. Part of him wanted to let Lucas crash and burn, to teach him a lesson about the realities of Hollywood. But another part, a part he didn't like to acknowledge, was worried.
"Stupid kid," he muttered into his glass. "You have no idea what you're getting into."
As he sipped his drink, Vince began to plot. If Lucas wouldn't accept his help directly, maybe there were other ways to intervene. After all, he had his own reputation to consider. He couldn't let his son's crusade bring down the Knight name.
***
In his opulent office, Harvey Weinstein let out a mocking laugh that didn't quite mask the undercurrent of anger in his voice. He'd just received word that Lucas's team was ready to face him in court.
"Can you believe this kid?" Harvey sneered, waving the report in the air. "He thinks he can take me on? Me?"
Bob Weinstein sat across from him, his face a mask of conflicting emotions. Anger at the mess his brother had created warred with worry for Harvey's increasingly erratic behavior.
"Maybe we should reconsider our approach, Harvey," Bob ventured cautiously. "This is getting out of hand."
Harvey's eyes flashed dangerously. "Out of hand? This is nothing. I've crushed bigger names than Lucas fucking Knight."
Bob watched as Harvey poured himself another drink, noting how his brother's hand shook slightly. It was barely noon.
"I'm just saying, maybe we should-"
"We should what, Bob?" Harvey snapped. "Roll over? Let some pretty boy actor and a bunch of lying whores take me down?"
Bob flinched at the venom in Harvey's voice. "That's not what I meant. I'm worried about you, Harvey. The drinking, the anger... it's not good for you or the company."
Harvey laughed bitterly. "Spare me the concern, little brother. I've got this under control."
As Harvey turned back to his desk, muttering about teaching Lucas a lesson, Bob felt a knot form in his stomach. He could see the train wreck coming, but felt powerless to stop it.
Excusing himself, Bob left Harvey's office. How long could he keep enabling his brother's behavior?
As Bob walked away from Harvey's office, his phone buzzed. Unknown number. He ignored it, but it rang again almost immediately. Sighing, he answered.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Mr. Weinstein? This is Neil, Lucas Knight's manager."
Bob froze mid-step, frowning. "What do you want? If this is about my brother, forget it. I'm not getting involved."
Neil's voice came through, calm but insistent. "With all due respect, Mr. Weinstein, you're already involved. You're Harvey's brother, his family. This affects you whether you like it or not."
Bob pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Look, I don't know what you think I can do, but-"
"Just meet with me," Neil cut in. "One conversation, that's all I'm asking. Off the record, if you prefer."
Bob hesitated, glancing back towards Harvey's office. He could still hear his brother's angry muttering.
"I... I don't know if that's a good idea," Bob said, lowering his voice.
"What have you got to lose?" Neil pressed. "One meeting. If you don't like what you hear, you never have to speak to me again."
Bob stood there for a long moment, weighing his options. Finally, he let out a long breath.
"Fine. One meeting. But somewhere discreet. And if anyone asks, we never had this conversation."
"Understood," Neil replied, the relief evident in his voice. "I'll text you the details."
***
Lucas leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Neil. "So? Did he agree?"
Neil nodded. "Yeah, he did. But he thinks he's just meeting with me. I'm not sure how he'll react when he sees you there too."
Lucas smiled, a glint of determination in his eye. "Don't worry about that. I'll handle Bob. I think I can convince him to stand up to Harvey."
Neil couldn't hide his skepticism. "Lucas, I know you're confident, but this is his brother we're talking about. Family ties run deep in this town."
What Neil didn't know, and what Lucas couldn't explain, was the knowledge he carried from his previous life. In that reality, Bob had been deeply concerned about Harvey's well-being, worried about his brother's sex addiction and increasingly unstable mental state.
"Trust me on this, Neil," Lucas said, his voice calm but firm. "Bob's not as loyal to Harvey as everyone thinks. He's worried about him, sure, but he's also tired of cleaning up his messes."
Neil raised an eyebrow. "And you know this how?"
Lucas paused, trying to find a way to explain without sounding crazy. "Let's just say I've done my research. Bob's been living in Harvey's shadow for years, dealing with the fallout of his behavior."
Neil shook his head, still doubtful. "I hope you're right, kid."
***
Two days later, Lucas and Neil found themselves sitting across from Bob Weinstein in a discreet corner of a quiet deli. Bob's eyebrows raised slightly at Lucas's presence, but he didn't seem overly surprised.
After brief greetings, Lucas dove right in. "Mr. Weinstein, we're here because we think you should stand up against your brother."
Bob chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Bold of you to say that to my face, kid. He's still my brother, you know."
Lucas leaned forward, his voice low and intense. "I know. But you must be tired of all this, Bob. And more than that, I think you're worried about him."
Bob's eyes narrowed. "Worried? How so?"
"Harvey's not well," Lucas said bluntly. "Even if he manages to dodge these allegations now, with his current mental state, it's only a matter of time before he faces them again. And next time, he might not be able to run away from it."
Bob remained silent, his face unreadable. Lucas pressed on, "He needs help, Bob. Real help. And enabling him, covering for him... it's only making things worse. He needs to face this now, get the help he needs before it's too late."
Neil watched the exchange, shock evident on his face as he saw Bob actually considering Lucas's words.
After what felt like an eternity, Bob spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll... I'll think about what you've said."
As they left, Neil turned to Lucas, amazement in his eyes. "How did you know all that? About Harvey's mental state, about Bob being worried?"
Lucas just smiled. "Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts, Neil."
***
The Lucas vs Harvey situation had become the talk of the town, dominating social media and dinner conversations across the States. The involvement of a rising star like Lucas Knight facing off against a Hollywood powerhouse like Harvey Weinstein had captured the public's imagination.
Given the high-profile nature of the case and the media frenzy surrounding it, the court had expedited the proceedings. This wasn't just another celebrity lawsuit; it had implications for the entire entertainment industry and the #MeToo movement.
On the day of the hearing, the courthouse was a circus. Reporters from every major network jostled for position, bloggers live-tweeted every detail, and a crowd of onlookers gathered, hoping to catch a glimpse of the drama unfolding.
Harvey arrived first, flanked by his legal team and looking grim. His brother Bob followed shortly after, his face a mask of conflicting emotions.
When Lucas's car pulled up, the crowd surged forward. His security team formed a human barrier as Lucas, Neil, and Vincent made their way towards the courthouse steps.
"Mr. Knight! Lucas! Can you comment on the allegations?"
"How do you respond to Harvey's claims?"
"Are you worried about the impact on your career?"
The questions came rapid-fire from all directions. Lucas, looking composed in a sharp suit, raised a hand to quiet the crowd.
"Everything will become clear in court," he said firmly. "That's all I can say for now. Thank you."
As Lucas and his team disappeared into the courthouse, the reporters turned to their cameras, eager to speculate on what would happen next.
Outside the courthouse, the crowd buzzed with speculation.
"Harvey's probably gonna have to pay Lucas for defamation," a young woman in a #MeToo t-shirt said confidently.
Her friend nodded. "Yeah, but for a guy like Harvey? That's probably pocket change."
An older man chimed in, "But if Lucas has to pay? That could really hurt him. He's just an actor, after all."
Little did they know about Lucas's significant investments in Uber and Vine, seeing him only as the famous actor they knew from the silver screen.
Inside, the courtroom was packed. Cameras from major networks were set up, broadcasting the proceedings live across the country. CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC all had their top legal analysts providing commentary.
The case had even caught international attention. BBC World News and Al Jazeera had sent correspondents, recognizing the global implications of this Hollywood showdown.
As the judge called the court to order, a hush fell over the room. Lucas, sitting at the plaintiff's table, looked calm and collected. Harvey, at the defense table, seemed to be barely containing his anger.
The world watched, riveted, as the clerk announced, "The case of Knight versus Weinstein is now in session."
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