Megan Fox sat next to Claire, her expression heavy with thoughts. Whether it was Damien Chazelle's imagination or not, she seemed to inch closer to Claire, who didn't seem to mind.
Damien Chazelle had heard of Claire Lee long before this moment. Claire's songs, bursting with "uplifting" and "inspirational" vibes, had skyrocketed him to fame. His rise was astonishing—overnight, he became a household name. But just as quickly, he'd vanish from the spotlight, only for his music to echo through every street corner. And when you thought you'd forgotten him, he'd pop up again, tied to something completely unrelated to his singer persona.
"Thrashing Premier League giant Chelsea."
"Saving the UK's pension fund."
"Hosting a music festival to aid kids with cancer."
Claire's life was practically a movie script.
Now, this British folk legend stood right in front of Damien, but their first encounter wasn't exactly warm. Claire had called Damien's music video script "too low-class." As a Harvard film grad, Damien wasn't thrilled about being criticized in his own field. He'd been outright annoyed until Jaguar's execs hinted, "If you don't play ball, there are a dozen other Harvard film grads waiting to shoot this MV."
Swallowing his pride, Damien faced Claire, bristling. "I don't know what you dislike about my script, but changing it on your own could backfire on you."
Claire glanced at the still-green Damien and shook his head with a smile. This was the future director of La La Land, now just a project lead at McCann Worldgroup, serving Jaguar.
When Claire first saw the visuals and setting, he had to admit Damien had a unique spark—something that set him apart. But the script's storyline? It gave Claire second-hand embarrassment.
A sleek Jaguar races through LA streets. Megan Fox, dressed provocatively, stands on the roadside, legs crossed. Claire, driving, hums his hit song "One Day." Spotting Megan, he reverses to invite her into the car.
The rest of the plot was unbearable—a cliché about a rich kid using his wealth to win over Megan Fox. No wonder Damien struggled to break out after Whiplash and La La Land. This kind of story was exactly what turned people off, even if it fit America's mainstream vibe.
"Did you write this script yourself?" Claire asked. "Did your team's editor quit? On maternity leave? Or maybe they defaulted on a mortgage and fled to the countryside? The visuals are solid, but this storyline doesn't match Jaguar's vibe at all. If I were you, I'd lean into family and human connection to tug at heartstrings and maximize the MV's impact."
Claire and Megan were endorsing the 2008 Jaguar XF 3.0 V6 Premium Luxury. Claire wasn't sure about the car's market trajectory, but he knew its competitor: the Mercedes E-Class. A single ad wouldn't make the Jaguar a bestseller, but a good MV could carve out its own fame.
Damien, red-faced and lowering his voice, snapped, "Fine, how would you shoot it?"
Megan, drawn back to reality by their argument, frowned at Damien's tone. Just as she reached for her phone to call her manager, Claire gently grabbed her hand.
Megan glanced down at her hand in his, not pulling away, savoring his protectiveness. Clashing with a director, no matter how small the issue, wasn't a good look if it got out.
"How about this," Claire said. "Picture a snowy winter where roads are blocked. A lonely elderly man waits for his kids to join him for Christmas, but the snow keeps them away. Meanwhile, a couple drives a Jaguar XF through a treacherous mountain road, heart in their throats. Highlight the anti-skid mode, stabilization, and heating features through subtle details. The old man waits, ready to spend Pragmatic Play spend his Christmas alone under dim lights. At midnight, as he prepares for a solitary holiday, a beam of light hits his room—the couple has arrived. Shoot it like that. Megan and I have open schedules. Take your time revising the script. No copyright fee needed—just call it a friend's favor."
Damien froze, his mind vividly picturing the scene. The emotional twists and surprises sparked excitement in him. He rushed off without a word.
"How rude!" Megan huffed, watching Damien's eager departure. "He stole your idea and didn't even say thanks."
Claire grinned like a sly merchant. "I get it. Geniuses can be obsessive about great work. But I think we just scored big."
Megan glanced at Damien's retreating figure, then back at Claire, feeling a mix of confusion, happiness, and admiration.
---
Back in Hawaii, Claire resumed his routine. The Jaguar MV shoot went smoothly, netting him 1.4 million pounds and uncovering a talent in Damien. Claire didn't try to win Damien over with charisma—he preferred cunning. He never mentioned the script again, but whenever Damien wasn't around, Claire praised its brilliance to Jaguar's staff. Each time Damien received compliments, Claire caught a flicker of pain and conflict in his eyes.
Dealing with schemers wasn't Claire's forte, but handling gentlemen? He had plenty of tricks. Before parting with Megan, he made a bet: would Damien visit him within a week? If Megan won, Claire would accompany her to a movie audition. If Claire won, Megan would owe him a favor—details TBD.
Time ticked by. Maggie Li embarked on her new year's journey, leaving Claire alone again. His days grew monotonous—hanging with tech geeks or dodging Robert Lighthizer's endless questions. But Goldman Sachs' Maggie Pate brought good news: the UK Big Sale Network's merger would be finalized in two days.
Claire could head to Nasdaq for the bell-ringing ceremony soon. Racing against the subprime crisis, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, though no one was there to share the moment.
In an uncharacteristic move, Claire, who never drank, cracked open several bottles of Maggie's alcoholic juice. Drunk Claire was a wildcard—seemingly aware yet doing things sober Claire would never do.
---
The next morning, a pale-faced Steve Chen stared at a hungover Claire sprawled on his bed. "Does he have a split personality?" Steve asked Ronaldo. "Sober Claire isn't into flashing wealth."
Ronaldo, picking at his nose, eyed the scattered business cards Claire had tossed around. Drunk, Claire had called a journalist and rambled for half an hour, spilling the details of founding the UK Big Sale Network and boasting about his wealth. The journalist, thrilled with the recording, quit USA Today and joined the BBC overnight.
Entertainment reporters worked 24/7, and no star could predict how fast a story could blow up. Ronaldo replayed the audio. "At least his drunk tongue was thick. He mostly mumbled about being lonely and missing his family."
Steve rolled his eyes. "You got lucky. He called himself your fan and said he missed you. Meanwhile, he trashed me to the reporter!"
Steve gave Claire's backside a kick, but Claire just groaned, still out cold. Costa Mayor stormed upstairs, sweating, with Delia trailing nervously.
"I told you, no alcohol in Claire's house!" Costa barked. "Why's there a case of alcoholic drinks here?"
Delia stood at the door, looking wronged, while Claire's assistant, Violet, trembled silently.
---
Meanwhile, in Korea, Jessica Jung stared unhappily at her packed schedule. Yoona, her closest teammate, held a news article with concern. "Claire sounds pitiful. That recording—he kept saying he's lonely."
"I know," Jessica sighed, "but I had a fight with the company recently. Taking time off now wouldn't be good for any of us."
Tearing up on her tatami mat, Jessica felt helpless. Then Yoona piped up, "Why not have your manager get you a role in the U.S.? You could stay there longer, and the company's been stressing about going international."
Jessica's dim eyes suddenly brightened.
---
Back in China, Du Juan stared blankly at a newspaper handed to her by her manager, who was excitedly pointing out big names at a banquet. The manager was thrilled about Du Juan landing a film role, snatched from a Hong Kong model with a similar career path—someone who'd also modeled in Japan and starred in MVs with big singers. Beating her out was a coup.
As the manager prepared to say more, Du Juan cut in, "Book me a ticket to Hawaii. I have some personal matters to handle."