At noon, Kate walked into the hospital room, holding a stack of payment receipts.
"Leon just called," Luca said.
"What did he want?"
"He wanted to ask you out for coffee, but I turned him down for you," Luca admitted, handing over his phone.
Kate smiled gently and said nothing, pushing his wheelchair out of the room. "Luca, it's time to say goodbye to this hospital room."
"No, no, better to say 'never again!'"
"Haha, then let's say never again!"
After spending more than half a month in the hospital, Luca's injuries had healed remarkably well. His fractured vertebrae were mending much faster than the doctors had predicted, nearly twice as quickly.
The attending doctor, Joel, reluctantly announced that Luca could be discharged for home recovery. As long as he didn't hurt himself, with his freakish recovery speed, he might be walking within a month.
Kate was delighted to hear the news and even invited Joel to the discharge party that afternoon.
Joel smiled and readily agreed, saying he would definitely be there later.
"Joel's not bad, right?" Luca asked casually as they drove away from the hospital, watching it disappear through the window.
"Yeah, he's good," Kate replied, gently turning the steering wheel.
"You aren't planning on dating him, are you?"
"Luca!" Kate shot him a sharp glance.
"Alright, alright, just asking. I won't ask again," Luca said, raising his hands in a mix of embarrassment and resignation. His previous self had been incredibly protective of his sister, getting irritated when Kate got close to other guys, and depressed when she found a boyfriend. He even disliked her wearing revealing clothes—classic late-stage "sister-complex."
But now, for some reason, it felt even worse than late-stage.
Kate seemed to be aware of his "condition," making the situation even more awkward.
"Uh, Kate, are we having the party at home tonight?"
"Yeah," Kate replied softly.
"Kate," Luca hesitated, feeling conflicted. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I—well, it's nothing. I shouldn't interfere with your love life. That's my problem. I think... I might need a therapist."
Kate subtly smiled but didn't say anything, just placing her hand gently on his.
Luca felt a slight tremor in his body, and whatever he was going to say vanished. Maybe nothing more needed to be said. The car fell into a peaceful silence as they drove back to the apartment on 76th Street, Third Avenue, maintaining an atmosphere that was both harmonious and conflicted.
"Bang!"
"Surprise!"
As Luca rolled into the living room in his wheelchair, two loud pops echoed overhead. Colorful confetti rained down, covering him from head to toe. Apple-scented champagne sprinkled down like a spring drizzle, filling the air with a refreshing fragrance.
Lima and Eve stood on either side, with Eve holding the confetti poppers and Lima holding a bottle of champagne, both smiling brightly.
Ed and Nina stood nearby, clapping with smiles on their faces.
Kate stood behind him, surely smiling as well.
For a moment, Luca felt a wave of gratitude towards God for bringing him to this world. It wasn't so lonely here after all.
"Luca, welcome home!" Lima bent down and gave him a gentle hug.
"Thank you, Lima!"
"Brother Luca, welcome home! Can I come over to hear more stories in the future?" Eve asked, pulling on his hand, smiling.
"Of course, Eve. You're welcome anytime."
Luca had finally been discharged from the hospital, and Kate had prepared a party at home, inviting some Brazilian supermodels who had visited him during his stay: Alessandra Ambrosio, Isabeli Fontana, Fernanda Tavares, Michelle Alves, and Raquel Zimmermann, along with a few coworkers and Dr. Joel. In total, there were more than twenty people.
"Luca, do you face this many beautiful women every day?" Joel joked, pointing to the group of models.
"Jealous?" Luca grinned.
Joel shrugged, "It's pretty great, but I should tell you, this environment isn't conducive to your recovery."
"I know, Joel. I promise to follow your advice—no drinking, smoking, and I'll maintain a good sleep schedule, no strenuous activity."
"Haha, good to hear!"
Luca chuckled and clinked glasses with Joel.
"Hey, Luca, is this your doctor?" Supermodel Isabeli approached, curious.
"Yes, Isabeli, this is Dr. Joel Ernest. He graduated from the Orthopedic Institute in Munich, Germany, and is now the youngest orthopedic surgeon in New York."
"Wow, impressive!" Isabeli extended her hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Joel. I'm Isabeli."
"Nice to meet you, Isabeli," Joel replied.
"Joel, my shoulder blade has been aching. Could I consult you about it?" Isabeli asked.
"Of course!"
Seeing them hit it off, Luca wisely excused himself.
"Luca, there you are! I've got two pieces of good news for you," Ed said, his dark face flushed from a few too many drinks, looking like a red-hot iron.
"Ed, take a seat," Luca said, pouring him a cup of coffee.
"Luca, your screenplay *Goal!* has been picked up by Walt Disney Pictures," Ed said, swirling his coffee cup with a grin.
"Hmm, that is good news," Luca replied, a little surprised—it had only been a month.
But he quickly figured out why. Sports films had been doing well at the box office this year, so there was money to be made. Plus, his rising fame probably helped too.
"Ed, how much did they buy the script for?" Luca asked eagerly.
He had been in New York for two months now and had only earned two or three thousand dollars, while Kate had probably spent at least a hundred thousand on his tuition, medical bills, and living expenses. That didn't feel very manly.
Seeing Luca's eager expression, Ed flashed his white teeth in a grin. "There are two offers. One is for the script alone—they're willing to pay $100,000 outright."
"$100,000?" Luca nodded, understanding that's typical for a new writer.
"And the second offer?"
"The second offer is a collaboration. If you agree to be both the lead actor and the screenwriter, they're willing to pay $500,000."
"$500,000?" Luca was tempted. A newbie actor getting a lead role with a $400,000 salary was a great opportunity.
"Ed, are they planning to shoot this year?"
"I believe so."
"Then unfortunately, I can't take on an action role this year," Luca said. His health came first—he wasn't going to risk it again.
Ed nodded. "So, how about the first offer?"
"That works. What's the second piece of good news?"
Ed smiled. "Mr. Frank thinks you're doing well. Armani is considering offering you a contract to endorse their denim line—two years for $500,000."
"$500,000? Not bad at all."
In the fashion world, male models earned significantly less than female models. In 2002, the highest-earning male model, Noah Mills, only made $1.2 million, less than a tenth of the female model champion Karolina Kurkova.
Armani's offer of $500,000 over two years was probably due to Luca's "Superman" fame.
"Ed, thanks for bringing me two great pieces of news."
"Luca, I should be thanking you—you made my month profitable."
"Hahaha!"
Luca laughed and brought up something else. "Ed, do you know anyone in book publishing?"
"Oh, are you planning to officially publish *Twilight*?"
"Yes, what do you think?"
"Emmm, maybe it's worth a try," Ed said, recalling how he had barely gotten through the first chapter of the book—it wasn't his thing. But Nina, Kate, and Lima had all loved it, and Eve was obsessed, always asking for more. There might be a market among women.
"Luca, if you publish it now, you can leverage your Superman fame for promotion."
"No, Ed, I want Kate to be the author."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Yes. Don't you think a beautiful supermodel writer would be more marketable?"
First, it was a female-oriented book, so Kate's name would help with marketing.
Second, if the book became a hit, Kate could become a supermodel-author, boosting her appearance fees and making it easier for her to transition careers in the future.
Third, if he ever adapted more female novels, he planned to let Kate take the credit, building her into a famous writer.
Ed thought for a moment. "A supermodel writer—that does sound good. I'll discuss it with Nina when I get back."
"Sounds good!"