….

  "That movie is going to work."

  ?!!..John, standing behind him, froze, blinking in fusion.

  He stared up at his higher employer, uo mask his bewilderment. If the movie was going to work, why reject it?

  "Sir…?"

  Brad ignored him, pig up a pen and idly tapping it against the desk. His tone remained indifferent. "tact the director aiate to buy the plete rights to the film. Keep it under 1 Million. The lower the price, the higher the bonus for you."

  John gawked, unsure if he had misheard. "A million!"

  Brad's eyes flicked to John, his irritation breaking through. "Do I look like I am joking? If the actual film is even half as good as the storyboards and clips, it will be worth it."

  Still reeling, John nodded quickly and made his way to the exit. "Y-yes, sir. Right away."

  "Oh, and John."

  The assistant stopped, turning back at the call.

  "Don't let them know it was me. Keep my of it." Brad's warned firmly, leaving no room for errors.

  John nodded solemnly. "Uood, sir."

  As the door clicked shut behind him, Brad leaned ba his chair, staring at the ceiling for a long moment.

  "Seraphsail…" He muttered under his breath. "Do I know someoh that name?"

  The words hung in the air, unanswered. His brow furrowed slightly as if digging through distant memories.

  Then, with a slight shake of his head, he returo the pile of unread scripts on his desk, the thought slipping to the back of his mind - for now.

  ….

  John, oside, sighed to himself, before making the call, and was thankful that Regal and Keanu were still in the viity.

  The receptionist at the studio had jotted down their tact details earlier, making it easy te a meeting.

  With a sense of unshowcased urgency, Joh up for as soon as possible, opting for a ral location - not too far from the studio - to keep things discreet.

  "Why do you think they tacted us again?" Keanu asked thoughtfully, actually enjoying his brewing imagination.

  Regal leaned ba his seat, his ess intact, though there was a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. "How would I know?"

  Actually, Regal despite not showing much emotions, he was kinda pissed after getting a call right after beied.

  However, pride doesn't make movies happen.

  Not when you are starting out.

  Once he is in a position where he call the shots, maybe.

  For now, he values opportunity more than pride - of course there are certain boundaries to it.

  ….

  John arrived a few mier, sing the area before spotting Regal and Keanu sitting at a modest outdoor café table.

  He was surprised by how casual Regal seemed, his jacket slung over the back of his chair, ay pte in front of him.

  Regal waved him esturing to the seat across from him. "John, right? You take your seat."

  John nodded, a little flustered by his rather trasting personality but tried to keep his posure.

  The meeting spot had been Regal's call - not that he cared much where it happened, as long as it wasn't at the studio.

  It worked out perfectly for John, too, given the sensitive nature of his instrus.

  Ign the remnants of their meal y oable as Johled in.

  "Thank you freeing to meet so quickly." He began, taking a professional stance despite the informal setting.

  Regal leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows oable. "You said you had an offer. Let's hear it."

  Johated under Regal's dired unyielding stare.

  The young director didn't flinch, didn't rush to respond, he wondered if he already khe game being pyed here.

  "I actually read your script." John began, f enthusiasm into his tone. "It was brilliant. And the visuals? Absolutely amazing."

  "Thanks." Regal's curt response didn't match the fttery.

  His face remained unreadable, devoid of the gratitude or excitement John had expected.

  Keanu, sitting quietly tal's side, bristled.

  He was ready to jump in if this versation took a wrong turn having no iion of letting anyone walk all over them again.

  John, unaware of the storm brewing in Keanu's head, pressed on, his voice gaining a faux siy. "I will try to vince my boss again. Maybe we arrange a private si weekend. He was in a bad mood today, but if he is feeling menerous then, there is a good ce he will buy the rights. And don't worry about the money. I will push for a solid deal, something worth around a half a million or even more if you are lucky."

  Keanu was pletely baffled by the dudes rumbling and his face torted at John's audacity.

  Buy the rights? Who said they were selling? And half a million at that?

  Regal wouldn't want to for all he cared.

  The words ed in his mind, threatening to explode out of him. He shot up from his seat, his chair scraping the ground. "Hey–!"

  "Aughh~" Before he could finish, a zy groan interrupted him.

  Keanu turned sharply to find Regal leaning ba his chair, loosening his tie with a deliberate, almost dismissive motion. The younger man unbuttohe colr of his shirt, dragging the tie down with a faint sigh.

  "Man…" Regal muttered, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "So that was it?"

  John blinked, fused.

  Regal straightened slightly, his tone dropping into something sharper.

  "It wasn't even a one pert ce, was it?" He gestured vaguely, as if waving off the eera. "If you are here to spew this nonsense, you could have do over the phone. Why waste our time?"

  John sputtered, his face darkening into threatening. "Hey, do you even realize what you are throwing away because of your temper? You have got to be more patient if you want to succeed in this business."

  Keanu's eyes darted between Regal and John, his anger simmering just below the surface.

  "100 million." - the words left Regal's lips with calm finality, slig through the tension in the air.

  "That's the money I will make from this movie." He added in crification, his tone unshaken, as if he were stating a simple fact.

  "...?!" John froze in fusion, then realizing what he meant he broke into a stupid ugh. "Pfft, 100 million?" He repeated, the ridiculousness painted all over his face.

  Even Keanu couldn't suppress his shock from the side - the 100 million mark was no easy feat, even for veteran directors with big studio bag couldn't promise for certai alone an Indie debut director.

  It is simply ludicrous.

  "You are out of your mind." John sneered, shaking his head. "What makes you think this dubious little film will even e close?"

  "...." Regal didn't flinch.

  His eyes locked on John's with a quiet iy that made Keanu's pulse qui.

  It wasn't arrogan Regal's gaze. No, it was something far more uling.

  fidence. Unshakable, unnerving fidence… almost b on overfidence.

  Keanu, against his better judgment, started to believe it too.

  The audacity of the number, bined with Regal's unwavering demeanor, pnted a seed of possibility in his mind.

  John, however, was unimpressed.

  "I thought you were a clever guy, but it turns out you are just a fool." He sneered, adjusting his jacket. "Mark my words. Yoing tret this for the rest of your life."

  He gestured vaguely toward Keanu. "And who is this ? He looks more unhihan you."

  Keanu's face drained but did not act out.

  John scoffed, turning on his heel. "If you ever e to your senses, give me a call. But don't fet to add 'please' when you beg."

  He took a few steps befal's voice called out, firm and calm. "John, right?"

  John turned back with a smug smirk, clearly expeg Regal to fht away.

  Keanu, oher hand, shal a fused gnce.

  But the expression al's face was not what John anticipated.

  No desperation.

  .

  Just an icy stillness.

  Regal poio Keanu without looking away from John. "Remember his name. Keanu Reeves."

  John's face torted in fusion, then irritation. But he still waited for a moment, only fal's stare to not waver.

  "You go now…" Regal added dismissively.

  Keanu blinked, utterly dumbfounded.

  "What the hell just happened?" He muttered under his breath, watg John storm out steamingly.

  ….

  .

  [To be tinued…]

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