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Added 2025-08-10 15:40:55 +0000 UTC

Chapter 436: The 18 Forbidden Rules

Once Hunter left, it was just Vanessa and her sister Scarlett alone, free to dive into some private girl talk.

“So, where’d you guys go last night? A hotel?” Vanessa asked, her curiosity bubbling over like a little kid.

“Nope, his place,” Scarlett replied, her face lighting up with excitement. “His house is huge and gorgeous—it’s like a full-on estate! I’m telling you, even the mansions in movies don’t look that luxurious. This morning, when I was leaving, I’d have gotten totally lost if Anne hadn’t helped me out.”

“Anne?”

“Anne Hathaway! You know, the one from The Princess Diaries—we watched it together, remember?”

“What?!”

Vanessa’s jaw practically hit the floor. “She lives at Director Walker’s house too?”

Scarlett hesitated for a sec, then lowered her voice. “Actually, besides her, there are two others. I think they’re Australian actresses or something—I’m not too familiar with them.”

Vanessa was so stunned she could barely speak. “They… all live together?”

Scarlett sighed, a mix of frustration and resignation in her tone. “The three of them were chatting and laughing like old friends. Honestly, they get along great. Natalie totally knows about it—she can’t even do anything about it, so what am I supposed to do?”

Vanessa felt a chill run down her spine. The lives of these mega-rich folks were seriously beyond anything she could wrap her head around.

She’d read some gossip about Dunn in the papers before and always took it with a grain of salt, figuring half of it was made up. But hearing Scarlett spill the tea like this? Wow—Dunn was even wilder than the rumors!

Scarlett, though, seemed to have already made peace with it. “Natalie doesn’t care, so why should I? She gets to play the good guy while I’m stuck being the bad guy? No way!”

Vanessa nodded fast. “Exactly, you can’t meddle! Don’t mess things up and lose his favor over something small.”

“That’s what I figured,” Scarlett said. “Anyway, Dunn told me those girls are just temporary flings. Give it a year or two, and they’ll all be gone.”

Vanessa let out a relieved breath, then fixed her sister with a teasing, eager look. “So… you two did it last night, huh?”

Scarlett didn’t even flinch, though her delicate brows furrowed a little. “Yeah, we did, but it felt awful! I’m still sore down there. Do you think I should see a doctor?”

“A doctor? For what?” Vanessa laughed, half amused, half exasperated, shooting her a look. “It’s your first time—everyone feels like that. It’ll get better. Oh, did you bleed?”

“Yeah, I messed up the sheets,” Scarlett said, pouting a little, clearly not thrilled about it.

Vanessa chuckled. “Silly girl, it’s just a bedsheet! The important thing is it made him happy. Didn’t Miss Coppola say on the phone yesterday that he’s got this medieval right-wing religious vibe? I looked it up, and it all clicked.”

“What clicked?”

“A girl’s first time—it’s like a symbol of purity to him. He’s definitely into that!”

Scarlett didn’t seem too interested in that angle. She just grumbled, “I don’t know. He was with me for, like, ten or maybe twenty minutes, then he just left.”

“Left? What do you mean?”

“I was crying from the pain, and he went off to another room.”

“What?!”

Vanessa stared at her sister, wide-eyed and speechless.

What kind of move was that?

He ditched her halfway through to go find another woman?

Dunn’s antics were so outrageous that Vanessa’s entire worldview felt like it was crumbling. She pressed a hand to her forehead, practically dizzy from the shock.

But Scarlett? She just smiled dreamily. “He came back later, though. Held me close and whispered all these sweet nothings—super gentle. I ended up falling asleep in his arms.”

Vanessa’s expression flickered like a TV screen with bad reception. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

The life Scarlett was stepping into—the environment, the lifestyle—it was all so far removed from Vanessa’s world. She had no clue how to offer her little sister any seasoned advice.

Then Scarlett grabbed her arm, all excited again. “Oh, sis! Dunn told me yesterday to tell you to start looking for a house. He says this area’s too sketchy. Somewhere like Beverly Hills would be perfect—it’s close, so I could pop home to see you guys anytime.”

“Beverly Hills? The prices there are insane! Forget buying—I couldn’t even afford the rent!” Vanessa shook her head hard.

Scarlett grinned wide. “Oh, come on, you don’t have to pay! He said it’s a gift for you!”

“What? A gift… a house for me?”

“Yup!” Scarlett bobbed her head proudly, practically glowing with smug satisfaction. As the little sister bringing this kind of perk to the family, she felt like a hero. “Just don’t pick anything too pricey, though. One or two million dollars should do it. Anything more, and the property taxes would be a nightmare—talk about embarrassing!”

“One or two million…”

Vanessa swallowed hard, her throat dry as a desert. A one- or two-million-dollar house in Beverly Hills might not be the cream of the crop, but compared to the life she’d known? It was paradise!

Last night was Dunn’s first date with her sister.

This morning, he’d already sent Hunter a Lamborghini supercar and was gifting her a mansion. Talk about generous!

“Sis, you’ve gotta step up your game and keep his favor,” Vanessa said, her earlier doubts about Dunn completely gone. “Especially since he’s so big on reputation—you need to be extra careful about that.”

Any woman by this guy’s side could only feel one thing: happiness.

So what if he had a bunch of women? You’d get used to it. Didn’t all big shots live like that?

Love? That’s just a comfort for broke people!

Scarlett nodded eagerly. “I know, he laid it all out for me—eighteen rules to follow.”

“Eighteen rules? That many?” Vanessa gasped.

Scarlett shrugged like it was no big deal. “They’re mostly the same stuff. Basically, just don’t mess around with other guys, and I’m good.”

Vanessa went quiet for a moment, then smirked. “Oh, and he’s definitely gonna make you a star, right?”

At that, Scarlett’s face lit up like a sunrise, her chin tilting up as she mused, “He said he’s gonna turn me into everyone’s dream girl!”

Meanwhile, Isla Fisher sulked as she stepped into Dunn’s office.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“It’s that new friend of yours, isn’t it?”

“Scarlett?”

“Who else?”

Dunn chuckled. His little secretary was tight with Natalie and clearly couldn’t stand his new girlfriend.

Too bad for her—he kinda spoiled Scarlett anyway, letting her do whatever she wanted.

Isla scoffed. “She’s handing out gifts to everyone like she’s the queen of Dunn Films or something.”

Dunn grinned, half annoyed, half amused. “She’s my girlfriend—of course she’s the queen of Dunn Films. What’s the problem?”

Isla shot back, “But Natalie never did that! She’s just trying to win people over!”

“Enough with the nonsense,” Dunn said, giving her a look. “Scarlett’s not as scheming as you think. And stay out of whatever’s between Natalie and Scarlett. If you notice anything, just let me know.”

Schemes or cunning—those things scaled with smarts.

Plenty of ditzy actresses got played by directors and producers because they were all looks, no brains.

With Natalie’s IQ, if she decided to play the jealousy game, Scarlett wouldn’t stand a chance—not even with a whole team of advisors!

So Dunn let Scarlett have her fun. As long as she didn’t break the “eighteen rules” or mess around with other guys, he’d turn a blind eye.

Her little tricks weren’t enough to dethrone Natalie anyway.

Isla huffed. “It’s gonna blow up eventually!”

“Alright, drop it,” Dunn said. “As long as it’s not messing with work, it’s fine. Oh, what’s the legal team saying about the Lord of the Rings rights?”

After nearly two months of negotiations, Dunn Films had finally struck a deal with the Tolkien Estate, snagging the TV rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

At first, little Tolkien tried to stall, waiting to see how The Fellowship of the Ring movie did before talking. But Dunn Films had a simple strategy: throw money at it!

Five million, eight million, ten million, twelve million… fifteen million!

Little Tolkien caved under the cash onslaught and took the offer.

Fifteen million dollars—what did that even mean?

Right now, even the hottest, bestselling novels didn’t fetch more than five million for movie rights—and stuff like Narnia or Harry Potter had multiple sequels to pad the deal.

Back in the day, Tolkien sold the movie rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for a measly ten grand total.

By standard logic, TV rights should cost less than movie rights. Dunn Films dropping fifteen million for the TV rights to both novels? That was astronomical!

And that wasn’t all—once the show was made, little Tolkien would get a 3% cut of DVD sales profits.

A deal this insane? Nobody but Dunn could’ve pulled it off!

Was it a loss?

At first glance, maybe.

Even the red-hot Harry Potter series wouldn’t command that kind of price right now.

But Dunn wasn’t thinking short-term—he was playing the long game!

Amazon shelled out $250 million for The Lord of the Rings TV rights to create a masterpiece to rival Game of Thrones.

The Lord of the Rings was the godfather of Western fantasy—an untouchable, timeless classic!

No matter what, securing the rights was step one!

“Legal’s still reviewing it,” Isla said. “The contract’s insane—over 300 pages just for the basics. But Mr. McNick’s still questioning your call. These rights don’t come with merchandising.”

The merch rights for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were long gone—even the trademarks were locked up.

Dunn Films couldn’t profit off tie-ins—no games, no toys, no theme park characters…

Dunn just smiled faintly. “Didn’t little Tolkien budge and let us use some of Tolkien’s unfinished manuscripts? Plus, we can create original adaptations based on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings plots. That’s enough!”

The stories from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings weren’t seamless.

Dunn’s plan was simple: use Tolkien’s leftover drafts, fill in the gaps himself, and tie it all together!

This had to be a long-haul, epic series!

Chapter 437: Natsu, Why Don’t You Just Ascend to the Heavens?

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is set to premiere this Wednesday, December 19th.

Following the success of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a ton of movie fans, filmmakers, and industry folks have gained a whole new appreciation for computer-generated effects.

Turns out, those fantastical visuals that used to live only in our imaginations can actually be brought to life with computer tech!

This isn’t some cartoon—it’s a perfect blend of live-action and CGI!

A month after its release, Narnia smashed through $220 million at the North American box office, with overseas earnings topping $270 million! Just the UK market alone chipped in $70 million!

And with The Lord of the Rings carrying even more fame and clout, it’s no surprise fans are buzzing with excitement.

December 15th, Planet Six.

Through some connections, Dunn managed to snag a copy of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring from New Line Cinema. He screened it early in his private home theater.

The family theater’s decked out in luxury, with just 12 seats. The centerpiece—the owner’s chair—looks like a freaking throne. The backrest adjusts and reclines, turning into a bed if you want.

The wildest time? Right before 9/11, when Dunn screened Basic Instinct. He had Penelope Cruz on his left and Angela Lindvall on his right. Halfway through, he lowered the backrest and, well, things got pretty crazy in there.

The sounds, the visuals—it all mixed with the movie in this “mind-blowing” chaos.

But this time? No chance of that.

On Dunn’s right was Scarlett Johansson, snuggled up close. On his left? The clingy little gremlin, Taylor Swift—or rather, little Tay-chan.

When the kid heard they were watching The Lord of the Rings, she insisted on tagging along. Dunn couldn’t say no, so here she was.

“Can you even follow it?”

When it comes to pacing, The Lord of the Rings drags on a bit—three hours is a lot for a kid to sit through patiently.

Little Tay-chan tilted her chin up proudly. “Hmph, don’t underestimate me! I’ve even read the books! Ask my mom if you don’t believe me. My favorite’s Harry Potter, but The Lord of the Rings is right up there too!”

Dunn chuckled and pulled her small shoulders closer. “Next year around this time, you’ll get to see the Harry Potter movie! How about I bring Hermione and Harry over to watch it with you?”

Tay-chan shook her head instantly. “No way, that’d be no fun at all! Movie characters showing up in real life just ruins it. Last month, I rewatched Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and every time I saw Natsu-nee, I couldn’t stop laughing. Totally broke the immersion.”

Dunn opened his mouth, nearly bursting into laughter.

This kid, acting all wise and grown-up, was just too adorable!

Scarlett pressed herself against Dunn, giggling softly. “You really spoil her, huh?”

Dunn paused, letting out a small sigh. “I feel kinda bad for her, honestly.”

“Huh? Why?” Scarlett’s eyes widened in confusion. She’d been living at the hillside estate for over two weeks now and knew a lot about Dunn’s life.

Little Tay-chan used to be just a country girl. The fact that she’s now living in LA, in a Beverly Hills mansion no less, was all thanks to Dunn.

Dunn lowered his voice. “Her parents… they’re getting divorced.”

“What?!” Scarlett’s eyes popped open, and she sat up straight. “Did he sleep with her mom? Oh my God, Dunn, are you trying to go for a mother-daughter—”

“Stop, stop, stop!”

Dunn’s forehead creased with exasperation. After spending enough time with Scarlett, he’d learned she could be pretty wild—both in actions and words. Just a week ago, he’d casually asked if she’d be okay with him bringing Anne Hathaway over one night to join them in bed.

He’d pitched similar ideas to Natsu tons of times, only to get shot down cold every time.

But Scarlett? She didn’t even blink—just agreed right away and even threw in, “Why not call those two Aussie girls too? I’m cool with it!”

Safe to say, Scarlett had zero boundaries.

But this? This was way too out there.

Mother and daughter… cough cough. That’s a dream he wouldn’t touch!

The moral baggage was just too heavy.

Otherwise, Dunn would’ve already tracked down Liu Yifei, who’d drifted to the States, and “unified the empire” by now.

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Dunn pulled her back into his arms and gave her perky backside a playful smack. “You and your wild imagination!”

“But didn’t you say they’re divorcing? And that you feel guilty…”

“That’s because her dad’s working for me, and it’s kept them apart!”

Dunn shot her a glare.

Scarlett grinned mischievously, her voice turning sweet and teasing. “Okay, my bad! Don’t be mad!”

They kept their voices low, but Tay-chan was right next to Dunn. She vaguely caught words like “parents” and “divorce.” Her crystal-clear eyes turned red in an instant.

She might be young, but she understood more than people thought. She could sense the shifts in her parents’ relationship with her sharp little heart.

Dunn felt a pang of sympathy and pulled her closer, kissing her hair gently. “Hey, sweetie, be a strong girl. You’re the best, you know that?”

Tay-chan sniffled, her voice trembling with hurt and defiance, tinged with a sob. “Dunn, am I gonna be an orphan?”

“Cough cough!”

Dunn nearly choked, his face stern. “Don’t say stuff like that! Your dad’s still your dad, your mom’s still your mom. Just grow up happy, got it?”

“Oh.”

Tay-chan’s reply was faint, her soft, fragile voice carrying a hint of fear.

Dunn sighed softly and pressed his forehead to hers. “Remember, you’ve still got me.”

…

Juno is two weeks away from hitting theaters. Tonight, Natsu’s appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live to kick off the first wave of TV promo for the film.

Dunn’s pumped because Natsu mentioned ages ago that she’d teamed up with the show’s crew to create a special song!

Scarlett was draped over Dunn, playfully feeding him fruit mouth-to-mouth, having a blast.

“Alright, enough fooling around. Keep this up, and I’ll get too fired up to watch the show.”

Dunn lifted Scarlett off his lap and set her beside him. He glanced at the time—five minutes until the show started.

“I’ve been feeling it for a while, heh…” Scarlett teased with a laugh, then switched gears, asking casually, “Oh, by the way, have you told Natsu about us?”

“Nope,” Dunn replied offhandedly.

Scarlett’s expression faltered slightly, and she turned to him. “Why not?”

Dunn grinned. “Relax, she’s not that petty. Plus, she’s my number-one girlfriend. You… you’ve gotta respect her, okay?”

Scarlett pouted a little. “What if she picks on me?”

“She wouldn’t dare!” Dunn thought for a second. “If she does, just tell me. But don’t fight with her, got it? If you two start arguing, it’ll be a mess. She’s stubborn as hell—never backs down.”

“Oh, fine,” Scarlett said, shrugging it off. These past few nights, she’d been crashing with Anne Hathaway and Dunn, long past any initial shyness or awkwardness.

Life here was amazing!

It was like paradise.

No way was she going back to how things were before.

And she could feel how much Dunn doted on her—that was enough.

Right then, CBS’s The Tonight Show kicked off. Sure enough, this episode had a little twist from the usual.

The first shot was a VCR clip.

The host sat poised, starting the chat with tonight’s guest: “Our star tonight—Natsu Portman.”

Natsu stepped out in a sleek black dress, all elegance and grace. “Hey there.”

The host asked lightly, “So, Natsu, what’s a day in the life of ‘Natsu Portman’ like?”

Natsu raised an eyebrow. “You really wanna know?”

The host chuckled. “Of course, tell us!”

The screen cut instantly, switching to an MV-style segment.

Dunn, watching from home, got a little hyped, squeezing Scarlett’s hand. “Here we go! Haha, let’s hear Natsu’s singing!”

Scarlett muttered under her breath, “I can sing too, you know…”

On TV, Natsu dropped the good-girl act entirely. Hands and feet moving, she launched into a fierce, rhythmic beat—not singing, not quite speaking, but shouting!

Dunn’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

Wait… was this rap? A freestyle?

Holy crap!

A bad feeling hit him like a truck.

And sure enough, Natsu’s familiar voice came blasting through, wild and unstoppable: “No booze, no pills, I ain’t sleeping tonight! Drink ‘til I’m dizzy, party hard, then peel out at a hundred miles an hour!”

The screen flipped to a backup rapper, hamming it up: “Whoa, Natsu, you’re one crazy chick!”

Natsu snapped back, fierce as hell: “Shut your damn mouth and get down there to lick me! One punch from me’s like lightning—kick CBS to the curb and tell Sumner Redstone to kiss Hollywood goodbye!”

“Natsu, what’re you up to?”

“Boozing and brawling!”

“Natsu, what do you need?”

“All-night chaos!”

What followed was a flood of filthy lyrics: “Drop dead, who told you to yell my name? … All you little brats who worship me, get over here and lick me! Big sis is Portman, chugging like there’s no tomorrow! Big sis is Portman, popping pills nonstop! … All you Jews, yeah, I’m talking to you, you’re a bunch of jerks! … Back in college, I was drunk, high, and screwing around every day—cheated on every test, snorted every drug, whatcha gonna do about it?”

…

Dunn’s eyes were wide, staring at the screen, too stunned to speak.

Scarlett was floored too, muttering, “Dunn… didn’t you have those 18 rules? How can she…”

Dunn gritted his teeth, fuming. “Idiot, this is a TV show—it’s dirty rap! Damn it, this Natsu’s gonna kill me! I thought she was gonna sing a real song, not drop some filthy rap with this kind of edge. She’s lost it—this girl’s absolutely lost it! Natsu, why don’t you just ascend to the heavens already?!”

Chapter 438: Pros and Cons

Dunn was furious!

Natalie’s explicit rap was just the spark—he was really upset about her public image.

In every industry, top-tier folks are prime targets for jealousy and smear campaigns, especially in the messy world of entertainment.

Hollywood’s big stars, particularly the women, often get dragged through the mud in outrageous ways!

Take Angelina Jolie—she was a troubled teen, cut ties with her dad, tried all sorts of drugs, and even dated someone with the same last name. Her life was a mess, sure, but the media took it to a whole new level of shamelessness by claiming she hooked up with her own brother.

The truth? She and her brother were close because after she ran away from home and lost financial support, he quietly stepped in to help. Later, when her image started turning positive, he was the one handling the PR. But for the sake of a juicy headline, tabloids spun it into some scandalous sibling romance—absolutely disgusting.

Then there’s Gwyneth Paltrow. She liked putting makeup on her kids when they went out, but somehow that turned into rumors of “Paltrow giving her five-month-old daughter two plastic surgeries!”

The kicker? Some people actually believed that nonsense!

Pop queens like Madonna and “Sweetie” Britney Spears? No surprise there—their wild lifestyles were already a mess, and once the media exaggerated it, things got so out of hand you couldn’t even look at it straight.

In his past life, Natalie took the “good girl” route. Forget stripping—she wouldn’t even show a hint of cleavage. She was so conservative, she barely seemed like a Hollywood star. Yet, against all odds, she crushed it in both artsy films and blockbusters.

People who stand out too much? They’re easy targets.

To grab attention, sell copies, and feed the twisted expectations of some dark-minded folks, gossip rags dug deep. With Natalie, they latched onto her “dirty rap” and the “dance double drama.”

The dirty rap thing came from when she was promoting V for Vendetta. She let loose with a wild, screaming rant on a talk show—her first time shattering that goddess image, and she did it to herself.

In the U.S., that kind of humor barely raises an eyebrow.

But overseas, especially in places where info’s scarce, people took the lyrics way too seriously. They trashed her, assuming her college years were a total trainwreck.

Reality check? Harvard invited her to speak at their graduation—she’s a model alum!

The “dance double incident” was a different beast. When it blew up, it caused a real stir in the States.

Natalie was huge back then, and fans knew she often used stand-ins. She had two just for nude scenes!

In her movies, any risqué shots were always close-ups of body parts or back-and-side angles—never the full-frontal stuff that hits harder—because it wasn’t her in those shots, it was a double.

The “dance double drama” kicked off with Black Swan. Her dance stand-in, Sarah Lane, got mad about the studio’s PR and took to social media to blast them.

Sarah argued they shouldn’t hype Natalie so much—she deserved the spotlight since she did most of the fancy dance moves, not Natalie.

Hilarious, right? No movie ever markets the stand-in as the star.

A double wanting A-list treatment?

Let’s be real—she saw Black Swan blow up, got jealous that no one cared about her, and tried to grab some fame.

It was an insult to Hollywood’s intelligence.

Once it hit the news, the story exploded. Gossip mags and tabloids jumped in, accusing Natalie of hogging credit, screwing over the little guy, and lying about doing 90% of the dancing herself.

Luckily, Black Swan was a masterpiece, and Natalie’s performance was mind-blowing. The controversy? It got huge!

Big-name outlets stepped in, investigated, and quickly set the record straight.

The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Wikipedia, even a dance magazine Sarah used to work for—they all laid out the facts and shut it down fast.

Natalie swept the awards season with Black Swan, snagging over 20 best actress trophies, including the Golden Globe, Oscar, and BAFTA. She became Hollywood’s first post-80s Oscar-winning actress.

Even so, the “dance double thing” still gets dredged up. Shady media and clueless fans cling to the early tabloid rumors, ignoring the legit clarifications from trusted sources and the praise she gets from verified industry pros on Quora.

It’s like how some science-illiterate folks bash Edison to prop up Tesla—you can’t wake someone pretending to sleep, let alone a corpse.

In this life, Natalie Portman is Dunn’s girlfriend. He’d hoped to use his influence to shield her from trouble—maybe even stop her from doing V for Vendetta, shaving her head, or rapping.

But nope. While promoting Juno, she went wild.

“Where’s my phone?” Dunn growled, barely holding back his anger.

Scarlett flinched, grabbing his phone from the couch. “Dunn, don’t get mad,” she said softly. “Don’t fight over it—it’s just a song.”

“Just a song? Hmph, that girl’s really trying to fly too high!”

Dunn was frustrated, almost disappointed. He took the phone, and as if they were on the same wavelength, Natalie called him right then.

“Did you hear my song? You totally did, right?” Her voice was buzzing with excitement.

Dunn frowned, his tone heavy. “Nat, you should’ve talked to me first!”

“Huh?” Natalie paused, her joy fizzling out. “You… you’re mad?”

He clenched his jaw but couldn’t bring himself to snap. With a sigh, he said, “Honey, you shouldn’t have done that. It’ll tank your image—people will get the wrong idea.”

Natalie pouted. “But… I think the pros outweigh the cons.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m a movie actress, right? But everyone sees me as this goody-two-shoes. That narrow image seriously limits my roles! Juno’s about a rebellious teen—it’s got some edgy stuff. If I stick to the good-girl vibe, audiences won’t buy it, and that’ll hurt the box office.”

Dunn’s brow darkened. “Whose idea was this? Damn it, it’s just a movie—do I look like I’m strapped for cash?”

Natalie giggled, teasing him. “Oh, come on, you’re overthinking it again. No one told me to do it. Everyone at Rose Films knows I’m your girl—who’d dare mess with me? I wanted this. You might not care about the box office, but this is my job. Fighting for a film’s success is what actors do.”

Dunn sighed. “You still shouldn’t have kept it from me.”

“I wanted to surprise you! Who knew you’d be so… so uptight about it?” She huffed playfully. “Sometimes you’re wild as hell, other times you’re shockingly square. My fault, huh?”

“I thought you’d sing some pop tune,” Dunn said, exasperated. “Not a filthy rap! Nat, you scared the crap out of me!”

She whined, “I’m not a pro singer—rapping’s the best I can do!”

“But those lyrics? ‘Lick you down there’? You seriously said that out loud?”

“I wrote the lyrics! That line? I got it from you! Didn’t you catch my word choice? It’s ‘dick,’ not ‘pussy.’ Hmph, don’t act innocent—I know the filthy stuff you say when you’re fooling around with those girls!”

“Cough, cough… don’t make stuff up!” Dunn shot a glance at Scarlett, his face heating up. “Anyway, I say that in private—you did it on national TV! No shame?”

“I’m just trying to break my own mental barriers,” she said confidently. But she could hear the frustration he was holding back, so she softened. “Okay, fine, I messed up this time. Next time, I’ll totally run it by you!”

“Hmph! Next time?”

“No, no next time! Chill, don’t be mad. You’ve got a few girls at home—go blow off some steam with them! Haha, let them ‘lick you down there’!”

Dunn’s eyes lit up, his mood finally lifting.

Maybe Natalie doing this bold rap wasn’t all bad.

Like she said, it broke some mental barriers!

He pulled Scarlett closer, grinning. “Oh, by the way, I met a new girl—Scarlett Johansson. She’s Jewish too. I think you two could hit it off.”

“Oh.” Natalie’s reply was calm, like it was no big deal. “Actress or model?”

“Actress. A damn good one.”

“She moved in?”

“Yup.” Dunn chuckled, winking at Scarlett. “How about Christmas? Skip New York—come to LA with me. I’ll introduce you.”

Natalie hesitated. “I’ll try.”

“No trying! You’re coming—I’ll send a plane!” Dunn’s tone left no room for argument. “We’re not done talking about today. That dirty rap? It freaked me out—way too much!”

“Huh? Is that necessary?”

“Damn right it is!” He barked with authority, then softened. “Be good and come over. I’ve got a gift for you.”

“What gift?”

“Surprise! Top secret!”

She giggled. “It’s not another dirty rap, is it?”

“Get lost!”

Chapter 439: The Cool and Glamorous Queen

Sure, you can get mad all you want, but some precautions still have to be taken.

Over the years of Dunn’s rise, he’s had plenty of rivals. By now, he’s practically forged himself into an invincible force. Those little gossip scandals with female celebrities? They’re just fodder for casual chats over tea—nothing serious enough to tarnish his name.

But Natalie’s a different story.

Women are at a disadvantage, no matter the country, and Hollywood’s no exception. For actresses trying to make it big, it’s a minefield at every turn.

Natalie Portman is, without a doubt, Dunn’s only real weakness right now.

If his enemies teamed up and went all out to smear her, it’d be a tough mess to handle.

Whenever trouble pops up, Dunn can’t help but sigh—his power’s still too limited!

If he had Murdoch-level influence—a media tycoon running News Corp, controlling half of America’s propaganda machine—would he still have to worry about Natalie stirring up trouble?

Take Mark Zuckerberg: a work screw-up leaks some info, and he’s facing congressional hearings from both the U.S. and the EU. Meanwhile, Murdoch’s News Corp gets hit with the “phone-hacking scandal”—a mess a million times worse, practically bordering on stealing state secrets—and what happens? Just a dip in stock prices, nothing more.

That’s the gap between old-school tycoons and the new internet billionaires.

Sure, the internet rich have cash, but real power and sway? That’s still in the hands of the tycoons.

The Rockefeller family’s fortune fizzled out long ago—they even had to sell off collectibles to keep the books balanced.

Yet the Rockefellers remain America’s most influential clan. Kissinger’s practically their errand boy.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Dunn still needs time.

Luckily, he’s off to a solid start with plenty of cash flow in his pocket.

Dunn reached out to her agency, CAA, telling them to stay sharp and be ready to jump in with PR support whenever needed.

Soon enough, the Christmas season rolled around, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters.

Christmas is the biggest holiday in the West, and Hollywood crews usually take a break around this time, enjoying a little downtime.

Penelope Cruz, who’d been filming Daredevil, and Charlize Theron, working on The Italian Job, both came back for the holidays. Rose Byrne and Abbie Cornish, meanwhile, headed back to Australia.

Aside from spending time with family, the “Aussie Gang” throws an internal get-together every year-end. For any Australian actor grinding it out in Hollywood, it’s a big deal.

One group leaves, another arrives, and Scarlett’s pretty much given up on Dunn’s personal life by now.

“Isn’t it a bit late?”

Scarlett nestled into Dunn’s arms, dodging the chilly wind as they stood at Orange County Airport, grumbling a little.

Standing out in the biting winter cold to pick up her romantic rival? Yeah, it didn’t exactly sit well with her.

Dunn pulled her closer, chuckling, “Almost there—five minutes tops… Wait, look over there… That’s gotta be it!”

Scarlett tilted her head up and spotted a massive plane circling in the sky, gearing up to land. “No way,” she said, surprised. “You didn’t send a private jet for her?”

“Yep, that’s my private jet!”

“A Boeing?”

Dunn grinned. “Yeah, brand new! I haven’t even flown it yet. Just sent it straight to Boston to pick up Nat.”

Scarlett muttered under her breath, “You’re really good to her, huh?”

Dunn bent down, kissing her hair. “What, I’m not good to you?”

That got a smile out of her. “You are! Really good! My sister cried when she moved into her new place, you know.”

“It’ll only get better.”

Dunn said it casually, his eyes locked on the massive plane touching down. In bold letters along the side, it read “Dunn Walker.”

Now that’s a luxury jet!

The moment it landed, it felt like the ground itself trembled. Compared to his old plane, the Boeing 747’s wings alone were as big as a Gulfstream V!

Not that smaller is always worse, of course.

For short domestic hops, the Gulfstream V is still more convenient and quicker.

The Boeing 747’s just too huge. Most regular airports can’t handle its parking or maintenance—it has to be stashed at places like LAX, Long Beach, or Orange County Airport.

Storing it’s a hassle, takeoff and landing are a hassle. The U.S. has over 20,000 airports—more than the rest of the world combined—but fewer than 1,000 can handle a beast like the 747.

So, Dunn’s Gulfstream V isn’t going anywhere.

Once the plane settled, Dunn took Scarlett’s hand and boarded.

It was his first time stepping inside, but he’d already seen the design plans. Still, the real thing felt grand—impressive, and he was pleased.

Scarlett, though, was floored. “Whoa! Is that a panoramic screen?” she blurted out.

A pretty flight attendant started to explain, but Dunn waved her off with a smile. “Both sides have built-in panoramic screens. When we’re up in the air, you can see the wide-open sky outside.”

Scarlett took in the sleek, elegant décor and murmured, “So this is what rich people’s lives are like… a whole different world.”

Dunn laughed, wrapping an arm around her slim waist. “Congrats, you’ve just stepped into that world.”

She wrinkled her nose, then perked up with excitement.

They wandered to the back of the plane, checking it out. Dunn was thrilled. “Where’s Natalie?” he asked.

The flight attendant, hands neatly at her sides, smiled warmly. “Miss Portman’s still resting.”

Dunn nodded. “Take me to her.”

The plane’s got everything—a bathroom, kitchen, dining area, wardrobe, small bar, a mini private theater, a teleconference office, and, of course, bedrooms. Dunn designed it himself.

Two bedrooms: a big one for him, a smaller one for guests.

But the flight attendant led him to the smaller one and gestured for him to go in.

Dunn frowned, pushed the door open, and found Natalie just waking up, sleepy-eyed. She was in a silky robe, hair tousled, a few strands clinging to her cheeks. Beyond her usual elegance, there was a hint of playful charm.

“Are we here?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes and pouting at Dunn. “I’m not even awake yet.”

Dunn chuckled, a little charmed, and pulled back the covers, diving in to kiss her.

Natalie didn’t push him away. They locked lips for a few minutes until, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a gorgeous blonde standing by the bed—green eyes, cute as a button. She panicked and started shoving him off.

Dunn’s hands were already wandering under her robe. Making out in front of a stranger? Natalie couldn’t handle it.

“Heh, this is Scarlett Johansson—the one I told you about,” Dunn said, sitting up and waving Scarlett over.

Scarlett didn’t flinch. She strolled over confidently, plopped down next to Dunn, and flashed a bright smile. “Hi, Natalie! I’m Scarlett.”

“Hi,” Natalie replied absently, quickly fixing her robe. Her cheeks flushed as she nudged Dunn. “You two go out. I need to change.”

“No need, right? We’re all family here.”

“Family?”

Natalie’s heart skipped a beat. Something felt off.

Then Dunn added, “Oh, by the way, why’re you in this room? You should’ve taken the big one.”

Natalie said, “The flight attendant told me the big one’s just for you.”

Dunn got annoyed and called out to the attendant outside, “Hey, listen up—the big bedroom’s for me, Natalie, and Scarlett—uh, this girl right here. They can use it too!”

Natalie’s delicate brows furrowed. She shot a deep, searching look at Scarlett, cozied up next to Dunn, and said coolly, “Scarlett, could you step out? I need to change.”

Scarlett blinked, a little bummed. “Oh… sure.”

Once the door clicked shut, Natalie’s face turned stern. She stared at Dunn. “What’s up with this girl?”

Dunn grinned cheekily. “I told you, she’s the new girl I’m seeing—”

“Don’t brush me off!” Natalie snapped, suddenly wide awake, biting her lip. “Don’t think I can’t tell. She’s… special to you. This isn’t like those other women. You dote on her even more than you did with Nicole back in the day. I can feel it.”

Dunn pulled her close, planting a kiss on her lips. “Aw, is my baby jealous?”

Natalie kept her eyes locked on his. “I need an explanation. You know you can’t fool me!”

Dunn sighed, giving in. “Alright, fine. I like her. She’s my girlfriend. Happy now?”

“Girlfriend?” Natalie’s eyes widened, and she tried to pull away. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Dunn held her tight, rushing to explain. “Hold on, don’t freak out. Here’s the deal—I told her she’s my number-two girlfriend. You’re my number one.”

“I don’t like this!” Natalie shook her head firmly, her voice calm but resolute. “I’ve never stopped you from messing around out there, but this? No. She’s a threat to my place.”

Dunn laughed. “Nat, come on, where’s your confidence? Her…” He lowered his voice, “Like you said, she’s just some ditzy actress. How could she compare to you? You play her with one little trick, and she’s done. You’re overthinking this.”

Natalie replied evenly, “But she’s prettier than me! Better figure, younger too! I bet she’s wilder in bed—not all reserved like me. She’ll give you more thrills, right?”

“No way! You’re both gorgeous—actually, you’re prettier!” Dunn said, rubbing his temples. He hadn’t expected Natalie to get this worked up. “Yeah, you’re a bit reserved, but adding Scarlett balances that out, doesn’t it? Plus, she’s a good girl. I’ll be straight with you—I’ve slept with over 50 women, but the only ones I’ve truly had completely? You and her. So… you get what I mean.”

Natalie’s jaw dropped, her hair practically standing on end. “Wait… you’re saying she’s a virgin too?”

“Yup. Otherwise, what right would she have to be my number-two girlfriend?” Dunn shrugged, playing innocent. “You know a girl’s first time matters. You wouldn’t want your man to be some irresponsible jerk, right?”

That hit the nail on the head. Natalie’s face turned icy, and she gave a curt nod. “Fine. Let her be the number-two girlfriend then. But I’ve got conditions!”

Dunn froze. He’d never seen her this cold before. “Uh… go ahead.”

“Your thing with her can’t go public—not unless society one day accepts polygamy, like in some South American countries.”

“Of course!”

“And you tell her—since she’s number two, she acts like it and doesn’t get any big ideas. You’re my man. No one’s taking you, and no one can take you!” Natalie’s voice rang with steel, her usual softness replaced by a fierce, glamorous edge—straight out of Queen Amidala’s playbook. “If she tries anything funny, I won’t let it slide!”

“Huh?”

Dunn was speechless, stunned.

Natalie’s face was like ice, her eyes sharp and commanding. Gone was the sweet, good-girl vibe—replaced by a frosty, ruthless queen.

“You know I can do it,” she said with a cold huff. “If she behaves and respects me, I’ll treat her like a friend. But if she doesn’t… hmph! I’m above petty games for attention, but push me too far, and those Hollywood airheads? Not one of them’s a match for me!”

Dunn’s knees practically buckled. He hugged her tight, stammering, “Honey, sweetheart, baby! What’s gotten into you? Don’t scare me like this! Scarlett’ll behave—I’ve already told her she can’t challenge you. And I’ve said it before: I’ll marry you someday. Only you!”

Natalie’s rigid frame softened a bit. She let out a quiet “mm,” her voice turning gentle. “Scarlett’s not my Christmas present, is she? ‘Cause I’m not okay with that.”

“Haha, no way,” Dunn said, exhaling in relief.

Natalie blinked quickly, curious. “Then what is it?”

“Come on, I’ll tell you when we get home!”

Dunn could feel the sweat soaking through his shirt.

This Natalie Portman? She’s something else!

Chapter 440: I Am a Singer

The condition to unlock “Mirror Possession” is a global box office total of 1 billion USD. This insanely tough requirement once nearly forced Dunn to delay the filming of Star Wars: Episode I because he couldn’t meet it.

But now?

It’s way too easy!

Dunn has directed five films: Titanic, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Star Wars: Episode I, Spider-Man, and direttiA Beautiful Mind (currently in theaters), racking up a total box office of 4.962 billion USD.

As a producer, he’s been involved in six films: Wedding Crashers, Saw, Girl, Interrupted, Traffic, The Unsinkable, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, bringing in a combined 2.273 billion USD.

Subtract the five times he’s already used the skill, plus the one-time bonus from the newbie gift pack, and Dunn still has three “Mirror Possession” uses left!

And with more and more commercial blockbusters hitting theaters, Dunn, as a producer, will only stack up even more.

Just making movies clearly isn’t enough to burn through his growing stash of “Mirror Possession” uses.

“Time to splurge and mess around a bit!”

Back home, Natalie couldn’t wait to pester Dunn for her Christmas gift. He didn’t hesitate—heading straight to his study alone.

He’d already decided on the gift; he just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

Locking the door behind him, Dunn slipped on his sunglasses, and that familiar screen popped up again.

He navigated it like a pro, but this time, he wasn’t searching for directing or producing skills. Instead, he went under the crew category and zeroed in on “composing.”

Hollywood isn’t just about movies, after all. Don’t forget—the big three record labels, Sony Music, Universal Music, and Warner Music, are all part of the Hollywood machine too!

This time, Dunn was about to “Mirror Possess” a musician!

Natalie into music—she even recorded a gritty rap track once.

Dunn wasn’t thrilled about her going rogue with that, but he totally supports her passion for music. So why not seize the moment and give her a song—an original one, at that!

Dunn’s got tons of great songs in his head. He can sing them, knows the lyrics, but he’s clueless about music theory, can’t compose, doesn’t play guitar, and has no idea how to produce a track.

All that stuff takes real musical chops.

Good thing he’s got the sunglasses system!

It didn’t take long for Dunn to find a musical genius who could do it all—lyrics, composition, singing, performing, directing, producing—the whole package: Prince Nelson!

“Music possession, three-month duration per use. Does the host confirm the use of ‘Mirror Possession’?”

Seeing the system prompt, Dunn couldn’t help but sigh.

Movies get one full use per activation, but music’s trickier—each “Mirror Possession” only lasts three months.

Luckily, for him, “Mirror Possession” isn’t some rare luxury anymore.

“Confirm!”

…

Before long, Dunn strutted out with a guitar in hand. In the spacious, fancy living room, he found Natalie , Scarlett , Penelope Cruz, and Charlize Theron all waiting.

Dunn making such a big show of giving a gift? Naturally, everyone was curious.

“You’re giving her a guitar?”

Scarlett nearly burst out laughing. She’d been a little jealous, thinking Dunn was only getting Natalie a gift and not her, but then it was just a beat-up wooden guitar—no wrapping or anything.

Natalie almost cracked up too, giving Dunn a teasing sidelong glance. “Come on, stop stalling! Hmph, I wanna hear what kind of song you’ve got!”

“Singing?” Scarlett caught on, smirking. “Dunn, that’s so half-hearted~~”

Dunn shot her a glare and cleared his throat. “Alright, everyone quiet down and take a seat. This is an original song I wrote—lyrics and music by me. As for singing it… since it’s a gift for Natalie , maybe we’ll do a duet sometime down the road.”

Natalie let out a little snort, giggling. “What kind of song could you write? Hmph, if it’s a total mess, no way I’m singing it with you. That’d be embarrassing.”

With a guitar in hand, it’s obviously not rap.

Dunn grinned. “Don’t worry, I promise… heh, it’ll hit the Billboard charts—no, it’ll top them!”

“Big talk!”

“Yeah, you’re getting ahead of yourself!”

“I’ve heard you hum before, and honestly, your voice… it’s not that great.”

The second Dunn finished speaking, everyone jumped in to roast him.

He gritted his teeth in mock frustration. “Shut it, all of you! Staging a rebellion, huh? Hmph! I’m a humble, low-key guy, so I don’t flaunt my musical talent. Why can’t you guys get that?”

Scarlett giggled, and Natalie rolled her eyes hard.

Dunn huffed, grabbed a barstool from the mini bar, sat down with his guitar, and strummed the strings. Head down, he actually looked a bit like a singer—a bar singer, at least.

“He’s really selling it!”

Natalie plopped down next to Scarlett , whispering in her ear. Scarlett snickered, clearly ready to watch the show unfold.

To Natalie , the gift itself didn’t matter much. She’s got an Amex Black Card from Dunn with no spending limit—she’s long past chasing material stuff.

What matters to her is Dunn’s heart.

Whether the song’s good or not, the fact that he’s willing to sing it in front of everyone already means the world to her.

She might play it cool and jokey on the outside, but inside, it’s like she’s tasting honey—sweet as can be.

“The song’s called Something Just Like This, and it’s for my most beloved treasure, Miss Natalie Portman.”

With Dunn’s intense gaze locked on her, the song hadn’t even started, and Natalie already felt her eyes welling up.

Sure, this jerk has a lot of women, but in this moment, she could feel their hearts beating as one.

Then the strings kicked in, and his voice followed—

“I’ve read through old tales, ancient legends, and boundless mysteries…”

Just one line, and Penelope Cruz and Charlize Theron, sitting off to the side, widened their eyes in shock. What a magnetic voice, what a catchy rhythm!

Scarlett leaned over to Natalie , teasing, “Hey, he’s actually pretty good!”

But Natalie wasn’t in the mood to joke anymore. It was like her heart was melting, her eyes glued to Dunn, unblinking.

“Like Odin and his spoils of war

Like Thor and his thunderous might

Or Spider-Man’s web of control

And Daredevil’s fists in the fight

I clearly can’t compare to them

She asked me, ‘Where are you headed?

How much more will you weather?’

I don’t crave Captain America’s gifted flair

Or a superhero’s invincibility

Not even the bliss of mythic tales