Los Angeles, Kodak Theatre, the 83rd Oscars are about to begin. Actors, directors, writers, and influential figures have already taken their seats. The screen on the stage lights up, showing funny scenes of James Franco and Anne Hathaway in "Inception." The two hosts then appear in other nominated films, eliciting soft laughter from the audience.
The crowd applauds as the two hosts finally take the stage. Lucas, who happens to be seated next to Jennifer, joins in the applause with her.
In a different row, Vince sat with his wife, Myla. He whispered to her, "Honey, you shouldn't get too involved in controversies.
You shouldn't be criticizing my son, even if I don't like him, he's still our own."
Myla snorted, "You're seriously taking your son's side over mine?"
"Of course not…" Vince responded, but he decided not to argue any further.
"Oh my gosh, you're all real!" Anne Hathaway joked as she scanned the crowd of celebrities below the stage.
James Franco simply responded, "Wow."
The audience below laughed politely, but Lucas leaned over to Jennifer and whispered, "Awkward."
Jennifer chuckled and nudged him playfully.
"This is actually happening… Hello! Welcome to the 83rd Annual Academy Awards!" Anne said with a radiant smile.
The venue erupted in applause, and then James complimented Anne on her beauty, but she deflected the praise with a joke that made the crowd laugh.
"So here we are at Hollywood's biggest night!" Anne exclaimed.
"This is very exciting, especially for Anne since she's nominated tonight," James added.
Anne then feigned embarrassment and said, "Actually, James… I'm not nominated tonight."
James chuckled and teased, "Oh, come on, Anne. Don't be so modest."
The crowd laughed as Anne jokingly complained, "No, I'm not just nominated… You know, I used to be…" She added, making exaggerated gestures, "You get naked, you get nominated!" She continued, "Not anymore… Not anymore…"
Lucas couldn't help but smile, and Jennifer nudged him, "They're funny, right?"
Lucas chuckled and replied, "It was alright. But the two of them could use some work." They continued to watch.
"But enough about me…" Anne said, recovering from her fake sulk. "James, how about you? Did you get nominated?"
James also shook his head and joked, "I should have been! I think. You see '127 Hours' getting nominations? I should've been the main role— but the blondie stole my role, sigh."
The camera briefly focused on Lucas, who was seated next to Jennifer.
Everyone knew who James was talking about—Lucas Knight, who received a "Best Actor" nomination for "127 Hours."
Anne patted James on the back and joked, "Well, at least we can sympathize with each other…" The crowd laughed more genuinely this time.
"Well, at least I'm hosting the Oscars, so I'm the face everyone watching right now sees. So, I'm still the winner, Blondie," James teased.
Beside Lucas, Jennifer chuckled softly and teased, "So, you're 'Blondie' now?"
"At least I'm not a sex maniac—" Lucas caught himself before he could finish the sentence, but those around him, including Jennifer, couldn't help but chuckle.
Christopher Nolan, who was seated in the same row as Lucas and Jennifer, playfully scolded, "I heard that, young man."
Leonardo, seated next to Nolan, also couldn't contain his laughter.
Lucas tried to diffuse the situation by saying, "Let's just pretend I didn't say anything, alright?"
However, this only made the nearby celebrities laugh harder.
The Oscars ceremony continued with the awards being presented, winners giving their speeches, and the hosts introducing presenters. Celebrities also performed on stage, and time flew by.
During the breaks, Lucas mingled with the other celebrities in his row. Christopher Nolan and Leonardo DiCaprio, who were seated in the same row, noticed the closeness between Lucas and Jennifer but decided not to interfere in their personal lives. Instead, they continued their conversation as usual while sipping their wine.
Despite James and Anne's attempts at humor, the awards ceremony continued. Natalie Portman won "Best Actress" for "Black Swan," and Colin Firth won "Best Actor" for "The King's Speech."
Jennifer wasn't surprised she didn't win, but she couldn't help feeling a bit sad for Lucas when he lost the "Best Actor" award. In her opinion, he deserved it for his performance in "127 Hours."
Harvey Weinstein, seated nearby, couldn't help but smirk as he watched Lucas and Jennifer sitting together in the same row, sipping his wine.
The Oscars finally ended, with the hosts' performance receiving mixed reviews.
James Franco seemed disinterested, while Anne Hathaway tried too hard to compensate for their chemistry. Critics couldn't wait to voice their disapproval of their hosting skills.
After the ceremony, celebrities mingled with each other. Lucas spotted Vince in the distance, and Jennifer noticed, "That's your father, right?"
Lucas nodded, his gaze still on Vince. "Yeah… He and his wife just had to ruin my night by falsely accusing me in front of the press."
"Wow, really?" Jennifer gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Are you alright?"
Lucas nodded, trying to brush it off. "I don't care much about their opinion, anyway."
Jennifer looked at Lucas with a hint of pity. He had mentioned having a strained relationship with his parents, especially his stepmother, but she didn't think they'd stoop so low as to falsely accuse him in public.
After the ceremony, celebrities dispersed to various after-parties hosted by different entertainment media outlets. Some parties were more reserved, with dining tables and servers offering wine, while others were wilder, with celebrities dancing and letting loose. Lucas and Jennifer opted for a more subdued party where everyone seemed kinder and more approachable.
Lucas, however, couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was just acting and wearing multiple masks. In contrast, at the wilder parties, celebrities were dancing and appeared to have shed their masks.
Jennifer, attending her first Oscars after-party, also felt out of place. Although she had been to Sundance Galas and Golden Globes events, the atmosphere at the Oscars felt different.
As Lucas and Jennifer mingled, they spotted Harvey approaching them.
"Hi, I'm Harvey," he said sarcastically, extending his hand to shake.
Lucas reluctantly shook his hand and replied, "Nice to meet you."
Harvey nodded and said, "I see you lost the award. That's a pity. I thought you deserved it…" He raised his glass of wine and continued, "Even if you're young, the award isn't about age; it's about performance, don't you agree?" He tried to clink his glass with Lucas'.
Jennifer couldn't help but furrow her brows as she listened. Although Harvey seemed to be encouraging, his tone told a different story.
Lucas smiled and said, "Well, I guess I'll just have better luck next time and do my best in my performances."
Harvey chuckled, "It doesn't work that way—" He stopped short when he noticed Jennifer beside Lucas. "Oh, lovely Jennifer is here too! Hello, hello. How are you, dear?"
He tried to hug her, but his expression soured when she politely declined.
"I'm doing very well, sir," Jennifer said, patting him on the back before pulling away.
"Oh, okay..." Harvey said, visibly annoyed. He then turned to Lucas. "You know, young man... I could make your Oscar dreams come true if you want. I can introduce you to the heavyweights in Hollywood."
Lucas and Jennifer exchanged glances, but Lucas chuckled and replied, "Well, Mr. Harvey, Oscars aren't everything, and while it would make me happy to receive one, it's not my dream."
Harvey raised an eyebrow, clearly irritated by Lucas's response. "Really? Can you even recreate the intensity of your performance in '127 Hours' again? I doubt it, Lucas. It was probably just beginner's luck, don't you think? Just like Jennifer here, she won't be able to match her debut performance anytime soon. So, I don't see her getting an Oscar anytime soon."
Jennifer felt insulted but decided to stay silent.
Harvey patted Lucas on the back and continued, "Unless…" He smirked, revealing his dark intentions. "Unless you do as I say, your career is going nowhere in Hollywood." He leaned in and whispered, "So, kid, I suggest you bow down to me… or else, I can make sure you'll never see an Oscar in your entire life."
After that, Harvey laughed smugly. "What do you think, kid? Interested in being… managed by me? I hear you're also into music. I can introduce you to big names in the industry, even Sean Combs if you want to rap. And you've dabbled in comedy too, right? I know Bill Cosby—" He smirked. "The point is, I have the connections to make your dreams come true, Lucas. What do you say?"
Harvey was scheming to control Lucas, use him, and pass him around to his influential friends. It didn't escape him that Lucas Knight was quickly becoming more appealing than Justin Bieber, thanks to his outstanding performance at the Grammys and his growing appeal in both the music and acting industries. In Hollywood's eyes, Lucas was the freshest rising star.
Lucas felt disgusted as Harvey flaunted his connections, and he could tell Jennifer was uncomfortable too. So, he said sarcastically, "You've got quite the network, Mr. Harvey. Impressive. But I'd rather build my own career without selling my soul, thank you very much."
Hearing this unexpected response from Lucas, Harvey's eyebrows furrowed. It was no secret that even the brightest stars in Hollywood wouldn't dare to turn him down, except for those with untouchable connections or those whose careers had already been discreetly sabotaged by Harvey.
"I see... I guess your sudden rise to fame has gone to your head," Harvey sneered, his smile a thin line on his face. "I hope you don't live to regret this decision." He stood up, feigning nonchalance, but his eyes betrayed his irritation. He casually slipped his business card onto the table. "You know where to find me if you change your mind."
Turning to Jennifer, he held out his hand, a forced grin plastered on his face. "Jennifer, care to dance at the other party?"
Jennifer's expression hardened as she shook her head curtly. "No thank you."
Harvey's fake smile faltered for a moment, revealing his true annoyance, before he quickly regained composure. "Suit yourself." With that, he sauntered off, leaving a trail of tension in his wake.