章節 130: Chapter 130: Still a Chance?

"Luca, how did the audition go?"

"Not bad. The director said I really fit the lead character's look, and the screenwriter thought I had a deep understanding of the role. They were impressed. I think I might just land the part."

At the Governor Hotel in Santa Monica, the sunlight flooded the balcony as Luca lounged on a deck chair, shirtless, talking on the phone. The sun was so intense that he had to shield his eyes with his arm.

"Congratulations, darling! You'll be a big star soon. Don't forget it was my idea," Kate laughed over the phone.

Luca shook his head. "Honestly, I'd rather be your assistant, spending every day with you, traveling the world together."

"Sure, why not? We have plenty of time, don't we? In our future plans, we can add world travel alongside the big estate," Kate teased.

"Great idea!" Luca raised his eyebrows, feeling a little excited at the thought of backpacking with Kate.

"When are you coming back to New York?" Luca asked.

"I just arrived in Berlin. Next stop is Stockholm. I'll probably be back in New York next week. Don't miss me too much."

"But I already miss you," Luca replied.

After chatting for half an hour, they ended the call. Luca stared out at the beach, lost in thought, before calling Lima.

"I'm in class, what's up?" Lima whispered on the other end.

"Still in class? I'll call you later tonight."

"No need. I just snuck out the back door," Lima laughed softly.

Luca smirked. She was never much of a good student.

"How's it feel being back in school?"

"Not great. The design courses are tough, and I'm way behind. I don't understand most of the classes, and all I want to do is sleep. When the teacher asks questions, everyone raises their hand, except me. It's so awkward. One time I tried to raise my hand just a little, but the teacher saw me and called on me. I didn't know the answer. It was super embarrassing."

"Haha~"

"You jerk! How can you laugh? This is all your fault, saying that the NYU game design program would be fun, where I could play games and learn at the same time. Bullshit! I've been in class for three days and haven't had a single gaming course. It's boring, way worse than practicing runway walks."

Luca chuckled, catching his breath. "Babe, if you don't like it, you don't have to force yourself."

"Eh, it's fine. I don't have much going on right now. Learning something while I'm free is still good."

"Alright then."

After Fashion Week ended, models entered a slow period. Some went home, others traveled, and some headed to Hollywood for side gigs.

Lima would usually go back to Brazil during this time of year, but this time, she stayed in New York with Luca.

At his suggestion, Lima enrolled in NYU's art school, studying fashion design, jewelry appreciation, and—somehow—game design.

"Luca, guess who I saw at school?"

"Who?"

Luca was a little confused.

"Your little girlfriend," Lima teased with a playful hum.

Luca raised his eyebrow. "You're my only girlfriend. Are you talking about Fanny from art school?"

"Yeah, she's this super creative, talented girl. We've talked a few times and get along well."

"That's good. It's always nice to make more friends."

Suddenly, a tune played over the phone. "Babe, school's out. I'm heading home. I have to hit the gym later. I wish you were here to work out with me. When are you coming back?"

"Tomorrow or the day after."

"Alright, come back soon. I miss you."

"I miss you too."

After hanging up, Luca stretched and headed back inside.

The audition was a bust, and it was time to go back to New York. But before he left, he needed to hand over the script for *Taken* to Tom Cruise.

The first draft of the script was already finished and had been registered with the Writers Guild of America. But the draft was still rough.

Cruise was a megastar who was never short of scripts and notoriously picky about his choices. Impressing him would be tough.

Although *Taken* had the potential to be a box office hit, nothing mattered until the numbers proved it.

Luca didn't want to come across as all talk, so he poured his efforts into the script itself.

He wasn't just writing a script; he had also created a storyboard with rough sketches, including shot numbers, camera movements, visuals, content, sound, and dialogue.

The storyboard followed the sequence of the movie's shots, and if filmed this way, it could easily be turned into a full film.

Luca didn't know if Cruise would be pleased, but he was determined to give it his all.

At his desk, Luca pulled out a thick notebook, about 60 or 70 pages long. This was the new script for *Taken*, prepared especially for the superstar.

Scene 56:

Setting: Interrogation scene.

Location: Abandoned power plant.

Characters: The protagonist and the head of a small French gang.

Camera shot: Moving shot, close-up, facial detail.

Lighting: From the left window.

Luca continued working on the storyboard. After detailing the shot types and filming methods, he sketched each frame.

In this scene, the protagonist, agent Bryan, captures a gang leader and brings him to an abandoned power plant, tying him to a chair.

"Hey, wake up!"

Bryan jabs two electrified metal rods into the gang leader's thigh.

"Ahhh!!"

The gang leader screams in pain.

"Tell me, where is she?" Bryan demands, showing him a picture of his daughter.

"Pfft!" The gang leader spits and refuses to talk.

"Fine!" Bryan flips the switch.

"Ahhhh!!!"

The gang leader screams in agony, his face contorted.

Knock, knock, knock.

After some time, Ed knocked on the door, looking grim.

"What's wrong, Ed?" Luca put down his pen and rubbed his temples.

"Bad news!" Ed shook his head. "The *Mean Girls* crew called. The audition didn't go well."

"It didn't work out, huh?"

Even though Luca hadn't expected much, hearing the news still stung a bit.

Ding. A text message popped up from *Mean Girls* director Mark Waters.

Mark explained that the crew had initially agreed to cast Luca as Aaron, but the production company suddenly insisted on casting Jonathan Bennett instead.

Faced with pressure from the producers, the crew had no choice but to comply. Waters apologized for the situation.

"Thank you, Director Waters. I hope we get to work together in the future," Luca texted back.

"It's a shame our company doesn't have strong connections in Hollywood yet. We couldn't even reach Paramount's higher-ups," Ed sighed. He'd been trying to pull strings since the audition but to no avail.

"It's fine. We'll get there eventually," Luca wasn't too bothered. He had only been in Hollywood for six months and had already landed two major supporting roles, even acting alongside Cruise. His career was moving faster than most.

There were plenty of opportunities ahead. No need to stress over a minor role.

"Ed, book the tickets. After I hand over the script to Tom Cruise tomorrow, we'll head back to New York."

"Got it!"

After Ed left, Luca continued writing and sketching. As the sky darkened, the thick notebook turned another few pages.

"Scene 83: Normandy Street, France. A chaotic street. The air is misty. Bryan, in a leather jacket, holding an M13 pistol, efficiently takes out a few thugs and enters the gang's hideout."

(End of chapter)