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In February, Ava's album was released by HD Records, featuring a total of eight songs. The title track was "Scarbro Market," with the remaining seven songs carefully crafted.
The album's release immediately sparked intense interest. Following the success of previous songs and the promotion from the "Red Dead Redemption" movie, Ava's fame and the song "Scarbro Market" gained widespread recognition. Many purchased the album for their collections.
Within just a week, over 50,000 copies were sold. The marketing department predicted that the album would eventually sell more than 200,000 copies.
After completing preparations for the crew of "Across the World," Ava joined the team for filming and bade farewell to Hardy as she left Los Angeles.
Elizabeth Taylor returned from New York and contacted Hardy the day after her return. Hardy went to pick her up for the day.
Previously, Sarah, Taylor's mother, had been wary of Taylor's interactions with Hardy. However, as Hardy's status quickly rose, Sarah not only relaxed her guard but also encouraged her daughter to connect with him. Sarah saw potential in Hardy, with his growing influence and assets, including HD Security, HD Pictures, MEBO TV Company, Playboy Magazine, Barbie Toy Company, and a mining company, amounting to tens of millions of dollars.
In Hollywood, Hardy was becoming a significant film tycoon. Sarah believed that if her daughter could be associated with someone like Hardy, her future would be promising. Consequently, even though Taylor was only 15, Sarah imposed no restrictions on her interactions with Hardy. She even discussed women's topics with Taylor at night, providing her with advice on hygiene and physical well-being.
That day, Taylor initiated a call to Hardy, who arrived to pick her up. Taylor was dressed in a stylish skirt, boots, a windbreaker, with her hair shoulder-length and carrying a satchel. Her appearance was both mature and elegant.
Having finished her role as Matilda, Taylor returned to her natural style, looking much more refined. Later generations would recognize Marilyn Monroe for her extreme sexiness, Audrey Hepburn for her pure and refined beauty, and Elizabeth Taylor for her nobility and elegance.
After saying goodbye to her mother, Sarah, who was heading to a party with her husband, Hardy took Taylor out.
"Do you have any preferences for today's outing?" Hardy asked.
"Mr. Hardy, could you take me to the Barbie doll factory, especially the clothing department? I want to see how the designs are created," Taylor requested with eager eyes.
"Do you enjoy designing clothes?" Hardy inquired.
"Yes, I think Barbie doll clothes are so beautiful; they rival any high-fashion brand. While playing with them, I've designed a dozen outfits," Taylor explained enthusiastically.
"I've learned to draw them. If you're willing to help me create them," Taylor added, pulling out a stack of colored drawings and sketches.
"Certainly, I'll take you to the Barbie doll factory today," Hardy agreed.
"Yay, that's wonderful!" Taylor exclaimed.
Upon arriving at the Barbie doll factory, Hardy introduced Taylor to the person in charge and took them to the clothing design and production department. He asked the designer to create the clothes based on Taylor's designs.
"Mr. Hardy, I have an idea. Many people, like me, would love to design clothes for Barbie dolls but don't have the same opportunities. Why not hold a global design competition? We could select designs to be made into clothes," Taylor proposed.
"We have quarterly and annual design competitions, selecting the top ten each time. The winning designs could be produced as new styles for Barbie dolls," Taylor continued. "We could offer prizes—maybe a few hundred dollars for the top entries. Many enthusiasts, including children, would be thrilled to see their designs made into real products."
Hardy thought Taylor's proposal was excellent. It was a simple initiative that could significantly boost publicity.
"Your idea is fantastic. I'll implement it. Would you be interested in participating as one of the judges?" Hardy asked.
"Yes, definitely!" Taylor responded excitedly.
Hardy handed over the details to the Barbie team, instructing them to organize the design competition and promote it through advertisements.
Regarding the prizes, Hardy decided to offer more substantial amounts than Taylor suggested. The top quarterly prize would be $500, with $300 for second place and smaller amounts for subsequent places. The annual first prize would be $2,000, which could be equivalent to a year's salary for many people. This generous prize could have a substantial impact and attract numerous submissions, significantly promoting Barbie dolls.
After a full day at the factory, Taylor was thrilled with eight new sets of beautiful clothes she had designed.
The two dined at a high-end restaurant, and afterward, Hardy took Taylor to a Beverly Hills mansion.
As the gate opened, the mansion's lights illuminated the quiet, beautiful estate.
"Mr. Hardy, where is this?" Taylor asked, curious.
"This was originally Mr. Siegel's manor, which I bought and renovated. I haven't lived here; only a housekeeper and a few servants are present," Hardy explained.
"Why don't you live here?" Taylor asked.
"I prefer a warmer environment. A large house feels too empty when you're alone. But it's a great place for parties or gatherings," Hardy said with a smile.
In the backyard garden, after a servant served tea and left, Hardy and Taylor reminisced about their first meeting at this place. They discussed movies, from the killer's nonchalant shooting to Taylor's future roles.
"Director Hitchcock told me that roles like Matilda are rare and advised me to wait until I'm 18 to take on more mature roles," Taylor said.
Hardy considered this. "There may not be a suitable role for you now."
"Do you have a new story?" Taylor asked, intrigued.
"It's not a new story. It's a fairy tale. Have you heard of 'Beauty and the Beast'?" Hardy inquired.
Taylor shook her head.
Hardy recounted the story: an arrogant prince cursed to become a beast by a witch, with the curse to be broken only by a girl's sincere love. Eventually, the girl fell in love with the beast, breaking the curse and returning him to his princely form. They lived happily ever after.
The core of the story, while similar to other fairy tales like "The Frog Prince" and "Snow White," captivated Taylor, who enjoyed stories about princes and princesses.
"It would be fascinating to adapt this story into a movie," Taylor remarked.
"And the castle's enchanted objects—the candlestick butler, the teapot mother, and the little teapot baby—are charming," she added with a smile.
She looked up at Hardy and teased, "If this were the castle and I were Belle, then you'd be the Beast, right?"
Hardy narrowed his eyes, approached Taylor, and playfully opened his mouth wide. "Huh~ Are you scared, little girl?"
Taylor feigned fear. "Mr. Monster, please don't eat me."
Hardy continued in a gruff tone, "Unless you give me an affectionate kiss to break the curse, I won't let you go."
Taylor blinked her large eyes at Hardy, then slowly pouted and kissed him.
Hardy was momentarily taken aback, then instinctively pulled away. Taylor was still young, and Hardy was uncertain about the implications of such an interaction.
Taylor's violet eyes met Hardy's, and she softly said, "Director Hitchcock suggested I hone my acting skills. I've never kissed anyone before. What if I encounter kiss scenes in future films? Mr. Hardy, could you teach me?"
At 11 p.m., Hardy drove Taylor home.
Sarah breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her daughter return.
Though she hoped for Taylor to be close to Hardy, she was concerned about her daughter's youth. If something inappropriate occurred, it would be detrimental.
Seeing her daughter back safely, Sarah felt reassured.
"Isha, why are you back so late? Where did you go today?" Sarah asked, sitting by Taylor's bed with concern.
"We spent the day at the Barbie doll factory, and Mr. Hardy had eight sets of clothes I designed made for me," Taylor replied happily, showing off her designs.
Sarah noted that Mr. Hardy was very generous with her daughter.
"What about tonight?"
"We had dinner and then went to Mr. Hardy's mansion," Taylor said.
Sarah tensed up, worried about what might have happened.
"We were in the garden..."
Sarah's anxiety spiked.
"In the garden, we drank tea and discussed the movie. Director Hitchcock advised that finding roles like Matilda is challenging, and Mr. Hardy mentioned a story, 'Beauty and the Beast.' We talked about that story until late."
Sarah relaxed. It was just a conversation in the garden.
Then, her curiosity piqued again. "Isa, do you think Mr. Hardy is going to invest in another movie and cast you as the lead?"
Taylor shook her head. "We just discussed the story. We didn't talk about investing in a film. Mom, you know it's not easy to invest in movies."
"Oh, I understand. But in the future, you should discuss movies with Mr. Hardy. Who knows what might happen?" Sarah encouraged her daughter.
Thinking about Hardy's lessons from earlier, Taylor blushed but nodded. "Okay."