[Chapter 198: Superpowered Housewife]
"How frustrating."
As they left, Isaac Perlmutter's face darkened, covered in a cold frost of anger. "We've completely become hired hands."
Avi Arad patted his friend and partner on the shoulder. "There's nothing we can do. If we didn't agree, he could just go it alone without us. But we can't."
"Unless we develop other Heroes," Isaac added bitterly.
Avi shook his head. "After our assessment, Iron Man is, by far, the most suitable Hero right now."
Isaac gritted his teeth in frustration. "I must have been crazy to agree to sell Iron Man to him."
Avi Arad smiled wryly. "That just shows he has extraordinary vision -- thinking the same way we do."
He patted Isaac's shoulder again. "Bear with it. Once Iron Man succeeds, everyone will rediscover Marvel. We can use that momentum to launch our own Super Heroes. The next one will be even better."
Isaac sighed deeply. "I guess it has to be this way."
"Exactly," Avi said. "That's why we have to do a great job with Iron Man. We can't afford to be careless. We need to prove Marvel's strength."
...
After their conversation, a joint studio between Daniel and Marvel was quickly established -- right in Hollywood. Marvel sent key personnel to work on site, while also recruiting new talent.
The first task was naturally the Iron Man script. Trusting his own instincts, Daniel took a hands-off approach, leaving Marvel to manage the project. Still, he retained final approval over characters, scripts, and the final cut. If he wasn't satisfied, he could demand reshoots or re-edits.
...
On this day, Daniel's phone screen glowed faintly. The small figure of the Succubus Chris appeared, leaning against the edge of the screen, resting her chin on her hands and looking at Daniel with sly eyes.
"Master, Miss Hathaway just sent a message. Her promotional tour is over, her plane has landed, and she's on her way home. Looks like you'll be 'working overtime' again tonight."
Daniel chuckled and glanced at the message from Anne Hathaway. Thoughtfully, she hadn't asked him to pick her up -- probably worried he didn't want the extra attention.
After all, Hitch was a hot movie, and Anne had become wildly popular. Wherever she went, countless eyes followed.
After half a month in theaters, Hitch's North American box office had surpassed $120 million, and its global total had topped $220 million. The film was officially making money, and everything beyond that was pure profit.
Anne had made a successful transition with this role, stepping away from the naive parts that had once defined her. The range of those roles was too limited.
Of course, Will Smith was just as popular. With this film, he once again proved his box office draw, and offers to collaborate flooded in. But his reputation was already sky-high, so this was just icing on the cake.
In comparison, Anne's star seemed to be rising exponentially, like she'd leveled up several times in her career overnight.
...
The sound of an engine echoed outside. The car pulled up to Daniel's villa.
Anne pushed open the door and stepped out, her agent Molly following behind to grab her luggage.
"Hello, Mr. Cross," Molly said politely as Daniel appeared.
She was so glad Anne had taken Hitch, a project recommended by Daniel himself. In fact, Anne had landed the lead because of Daniel's vision and influence. For an insider like Molly, his talent and foresight were enough to command deep respect.
Daniel nodded. "Hello, Molly."
A soft body, carrying a gentle fragrance, suddenly threw itself into Daniel's arms.
Anne wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring the fact that someone was nearby, and kissed him deeply.
After a long moment, they broke apart, both breathless.
"Molly, you can head back with the car. I'll be staying here for the next few days."
"Okay," Molly responded, her attitude toward Anne noticeably warmer now. After saying goodbye, she climbed into the car and drove away.
As soon as Molly was gone, Anne kissed Daniel again, her lips lingering against his as she pulled him inside.
...
Nearly two hours later, the intense and passionate moment finally ended.
Anne, her hair disheveled and cheeks flushed, lay against Daniel's chest.
"Daniel, I really love you," she whispered. "You have no idea how popular I am now. Everywhere I go, people call my name. Molly's inbox is almost bursting with scripts and commercial offers. I'm going to make several times more this year than last year."
Daniel wanted to point out that she'd earned too little last year. But he thought better of it. Such words would only sound discouraging, or even arrogant.
Compared to him, Anne might have earned less last year, but compared to ordinary people, she was doing very well.
Daniel's hand slid over her smooth skin. "Has your next movie been confirmed yet?"
"That tickles," Anne said playfully, grabbing his mischievous hand. "Not yet. Molly's still reviewing scripts."
"If it's not confirmed, I have a suggestion for you."
"Really? What movie?"
Anne sat up immediately, eyes bright with interest.
"A Super Hero movie."
"A Super Hero movie? From DC?" she asked, surprised.
"No, a movie from a small company."
"Which small company? Have I heard of it?"
"Probably not. It's my company."
"Ah?" Anne looked puzzled. "Your company? You're making movies now?"
"That's right. This will be the first one. If you want the lead, I'll save it for you. If not, I'll find someone else."
In truth, Anne, though beautiful, didn't quite fit the traditional image of a housewife. But with some makeup and stretching herself, the role was definitely within her reach.
Without hesitation, Anne said, "I'm in. I'll take it."
"Aren't you curious what the role is?" Daniel asked.
She smiled. "I trust you."
"All right. You'll be playing a superpowered housewife."
"A superpowered housewife? That sounds interesting. But to get into character, I'm going to need your help."
"What kind of help?"
Anne rolled onto Daniel, a playful smile lighting her face.
Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. He thought Anne wanted him to marry her.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
https://discord.gg/HjHHhUXPn7.