On the afternoon of March 12th, the sky over New York was covered with dark clouds, signaling a heavy downpour.
At LaGuardia Airport in Queens, Ms. Nina stared at the crowded exit with a gloomy expression, matching the weather.
The past few days had been filled with good news, but today, one bad thing after another kept happening, leaving her frustrated.
The first thing: when she woke up in the morning, she found Eve dancing on the balcony, to none other than the song "Nobody," shaking her little hips and touching her chest—nothing ladylike about it. Clearly, she had picked up bad habits from Luca.
Nina angrily scolded little Eve, who pouted and left for school looking upset. Nina, equally frustrated, went to her office.
But once she arrived at work, something else annoyed her.
*Vogue* magazine sent a statement terminating their collaboration with Kate Kelly effective immediately, saying Kate's photo would not appear on the March cover.
They also added a remark: "Since she doesn't want to cooperate, we won't cooperate in the future either."
"Fuck!"
Nina was so angry that she smashed her coffee cup.
In recent days, *Twilight* continued to be a bestseller, steadily holding a spot in the top ten. Kate had transformed from a model into a bestselling author known for both beauty and talent, causing a sensation in the fashion world.
Nina had thought Anna would give the rising star some leeway and overlook Kate's offhand remark, but instead, she got this response.
"Fuck!"
Nina furiously tore up the statement, scattering paper all over the floor.
Before she could call someone to clean the room, something even more irritating happened.
Ed called—he was back, and he had brought Luca, the troublemaker, with him.
"Didn't you two go to conquer Hollywood? Why are you back so soon?"
Standing at the airport exit, Nina watched the two approach, looking even more annoyed.
When they left, they were all dressed up, confident, and full of pride, proclaiming they were off to conquer Hollywood.
But now?
They looked exhausted and defeated, clearly worn out. Seeing them like this evoked both pity and frustration—what was the point of talking big if they couldn't back it up?
"Well, say something. Have you conquered Hollywood?"
Nina blinked as it began to rain. Raindrops landed on her eyelashes, making tiny splashes. She let out a small snort, opened the car door, and got in.
Ed and Luca followed, the two downcast friends—one black, one white—looking both pitiful and amusing.
Nina handed them two cups of hot coffee, then started the car in silence.
"Sigh... it's a long story."
Ed took a sip of his coffee and sighed lightly.
"Yes!"
Luca also sipped his coffee and nodded in agreement.
"Well, after we got to Hollywood, we immediately went to audition for *Under the Tuscan Sun*. Unfortunately..."
Ed sighed and shook his head.
"Unfortunately, the director wanted an Italian guy with Italian charm, but I'm just a Brazilian guy."
Luca spread his hands in regret.
"Exactly!"
Ed nodded. "Luca is a bit mature, but the director said his performance was too stiff—not Italian enough."
"No, my failure had nothing to do with my acting!"
Luca retorted indignantly, "I got insider info—the male lead was already chosen because he was the producer's lover. Ed just didn't do his job, so I went all that way for nothing."
"How is that my fault?"
Ed complained, "If your acting had been better, the director would have chosen you over the other guy. You just weren't good enough."
"Haha, that's ridiculous. I'm fresh out of school—how good could I be?"
"Still not my fault."
"Enough!"
Ms. Nina, her face dark, interrupted their argument.
They both seemed so reliable before—how did one trip to Hollywood turn them into this?
Was it true that adversity reveals character?
She shook her head and turned on the windshield wipers.
The rain fell more heavily, pattering on the windshield and obscuring the road, the cars, and the Queensboro Bridge ahead.
The wipers swished back and forth, clearing the rain and restoring her view.
"And the other movie? With Luca's current fame, he should've been able to land at least a big supporting role."
She asked casually.
"This failure was unavoidable."
"Yes, truly unavoidable!"
Luca nodded in agreement.
"The director of this film, Len Wiseman, is reportedly pursuing the lead actress, Kate Beckinsale. And since Luca is *Mr. Big*, and also very handsome, Wiseman was worried he might end up in the wrong trailer, so he refused to let him play the lead."
Ed said, clearly unhappy.
"Exactly. At the audition, he glanced at me and asked, 'Are you Mr. Big?' I said 'yes,' and that was the end of it."
Luca shook his head, frustrated.
"So, does this mean your plan to break into Hollywood failed again?"
Nina held her head in her hands, feeling even more exasperated.
Since the day they signed, these two had been bragging about their journey into the entertainment industry, aiming to become Hollywood stars. But half a year had passed, and they had only landed one small role in one film.
She wasn't sure if they were worried, but she certainly was.
Having Luca in New York made her uneasy.
She was tempted to take over as Luca's agent herself—no matter what it took, she wanted to shove him into Hollywood so he wouldn't have the chance to influence Kate or corrupt the kids.
But as she glanced in the rearview mirror at the two men looking down, their faces somewhat gloomy, she felt a bit sympathetic.
She was about to say something to comfort them when they suddenly exchanged glances and burst out laughing like lunatics.
"Haha, sorry Nina, but this time, we didn't actually fail."
Grinning widely, Ed pulled two scripts from his bag. One had "*Honey*" on the cover, the other said *The Notebook*.
"Nina, we lost two bad ones but got two much better ones. We came back with more than we hoped for!"
Luca smiled slightly. The two films were *Honey*, starring Jessica Alba, and *The Notebook*, starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.
Both movies were better in terms of box office and reviews than the previous ones.
Plus, Luca had more scenes in these films.
"Yes, Nina!"
Ed laughed heartily. "Sorry for not telling you right away—we wanted to surprise you."
"Is that so?"
Nina raised an eyebrow. "If you got these roles, why didn't you stay in Hollywood to shoot? Why come back?"
"Haha, no need, Nina. *Honey* is being filmed in New York, and *The Notebook* is being shot in Charleston, South Carolina—still on the East Coast."
Screech~
Nina gripped the steering wheel tightly. "So, you're saying you'll be staying in New York for the foreseeable future?"
"Yes, Nina. Surprised? Excited?"
Luca asked with a big grin.
Surprised?
More like shocked. She had been hoping Luca would stay in Hollywood and stop influencing Kate and Eve. But now, here he was, right back again.
Vroom~
Nina slammed on the gas, and the car shot forward.
"Ahh~ Nina, slow down! I'm in no rush to get home!"
Luca clutched the seat tightly.
"Nina, it's raining, the road's slippery. Don't drive too fast!"
Ed said nervously.
"Don't worry, no one's dying today!"