As 2009 gradually faded in the wake of Avatar's afterglow, the new year arrived swiftly.
This year, the Academy Award for Best Picture went to The Hurt Locker, and its director, Kathryn Bigelow, won Best Director as well.
She was one of the rare female directors capable of making a compelling war film.
Ethan, as her award presenter, also received considerable applause.
After winning the highest honor at the Oscars, Ethan didn't use this newfound fame recklessly. Instead, he kept a low profile and focused on filmmaking, silencing many of his critics who had been skeptical of his victory.
Norton Eye had a packed schedule this year. First up was The Conjuring. James Wan and his long-time screenwriting partner, Leigh Whannell, had spent an entire year crafting the script, which had finally earned Ethan's approval.
They planned to start filming this year.
Additionally, under Ethan's direction, Norton Eye invested in the comedy The Hangover, which was also set to hit theaters this year.
Over at Illumination Entertainment, Despicable Me had already entered its promotional phase, with a planned release in September.
On top of that, Ethan's own film, Lucy, was also set to premiere this year.
This was destined to be a big year for Norton Eye, a year of bold expansion and major success.
Of course, some people were eagerly waiting for Ethan to fail.
They couldn't wait for his films to bomb one after another, bringing Norton Eye crashing down with them.
For instance, Ronald Tuttle and Tracy. Their investment group had once planned to break into Hollywood, but that dream had been shattered. Instead, they found themselves entangled in lawsuits—thanks to Ethan.
They would have loved nothing more than to hire some goons and have Ethan beaten to a pulp.
However, Ethan's security was tight. Even getting close to him was a challenge, let alone attacking him.
Besides, such an act would be too obvious, too reckless. So, they had to let go of the idea.
But what they failed to achieve, someone else did.
In an underground parking lot, inside a sleek black luxury MPV, Taylor Swift was biting down hard on Ethan's arm.
Her teeth slowly dug into his skin, but Ethan didn't resist at all.
This made her feel both frustrated and defeated, so she raised her fist and punched him hard in the chest.
"Are you done venting?" Ethan treated her like a sulking child.
Taylor Swift glared at his handsome face with pure annoyance.
"No!" She punched his shoulder again. "You promised me! And now you've gone and had a child with someone else."
"I'm sorry," Ethan raised his hands in surrender. "I never said I didn't—"
"Yes, you never explicitly said you didn't have other women around you. I was just being naive," Taylor Swift crossed her arms, huffing in frustration as she sat beside him.
Ethan turned to look at her.
In just over a year, she had blossomed into a young woman. Her skin was fair and flawless, her signature eyeliner and red lips were striking, and her developing figure only enhanced her charm.
As Ethan gazed at her, Taylor Swift turned her head away, avoiding his eyes.
"My mom was right," she muttered with a hint of disappointment. "A man like you will always have women around him."
"So?" Ethan placed his hand gently over hers, making no other move, as if trying to comfort her.
Taylor Swift froze slightly at the warmth of his skin, then murmured in a wounded tone, "So… I don't have a chance anymore, do I, Ethan?"
Ethan pulled her into his arms, saying nothing, letting his actions speak for him.
"You don't need me anymore… do you?" she asked softly.
"No." Ethan held her hand firmly. "I still remember the time we went camping, and you whispered in my ear. To be honest, I was very tempted."
"Then why—?"
"Because I couldn't." Ethan sighed. "Our age gap is too big. This kind of relationship shouldn't have happened."
"It's just a few years! I'm not a kid!" Taylor Swift bristled like an angry kitten in his embrace.
"Yes, yes," Ethan chuckled. "I only realized that when I saw you singing on the Grammy stage."
He exhaled deeply. "Sometimes, I just want to escape. To some jungle where no one can find me, or a snowy wilderness where I can disappear for a while."
"You still can…" Taylor Swift countered.
"Now? With who—you?" Ethan looked at her. "If you're willing, I'll go with you."
Taylor Swift broke free from his embrace, her eyes filled with suspicion. "Are you serious? You'd abandon everything, not care about anything?"
"Absolutely." Ethan nodded.
"Then let's go to the Arctic. Somewhere no one can find us." She threw out the suggestion, fully expecting him to back out.
But to her astonishment, Ethan immediately pulled out his phone and called Tom, instructing him to book their tickets.
In that instant, all of Taylor Swift's anger melted away, replaced by shock and delight. She threw her arms around Ethan's neck, laughing excitedly.
"You really agreed! Oh my God, you actually said yes!"
"I told you—I'll make your wish come true." Ethan wrapped his arms around her as well.
The two of them remained in the car, holding each other close, until Tom called back to confirm the flight booking.
While Ethan and Taylor Swift were traveling to the Arctic, Jessica was taking Elena and her parents to Russia.
Under Ethan's arrangement, they would have a quiet vacation, though he wouldn't be there.
As for the company, Yuffie, Jimmy, and the others would take care of everything. Anyway, apart from filming, there wasn't much to worry about.
At the same time, with the audience's efforts, the brain development level in Lucy had reached 100%, and the third promotional trailer had entered the public eye.
This trailer mainly followed the movie's core storyline, showing Scarlett being imprisoned and then fighting back, answering some of the audience's questions.
But only to a certain extent—Vincenzo and the others still had no idea how the big boss, Mr. Zhang, would appear or what Scarlett's final fate would be.
However, this didn't affect their enthusiasm for the film. In fact, it was precisely because things weren't spelled out that they had room to interpret and dig deeper. Under such circumstances, any speculation about the plot was reasonable and could also be questioned.
As a result, a series of discussions about Lucy erupted online.
With the added popularity of Avatar and the trend of watching 3D movies, Lucy had already gained widespread attention, even sparking considerable anticipation worldwide.
After Inception, what kind of movie would Ethan bring next? That was the question on everyone's mind.
Amidst such anticipation, Lucy finally arrived at its release date.
Japan, Tokyo.
"Kyoko, want to watch a movie with me? This Lucy is also in 3D, just like Avatar." On the set of a just-finished drama shoot, the sultry Kyoko Fukada was being hit on by a male co-star.
On the surface, she maintained a flawless smile. After all, in terms of seniority, the man in front of her was technically her senior.
In Japan, it wasn't uncommon for seniors to do inappropriate things to juniors, and people often turned a blind eye.
So, Kyoko Fukada smiled brightly, as if pleasantly surprised, then suddenly covered her mouth. "Ah, this is bad."
"What's wrong?" the male actor asked with concern.
"Sorry, senpai, I really want to go with you, but I already made plans with my sister to watch her violin performance. I'm really sorry."
The male actor looked disappointed but was unwilling to give up. "Then I'll go with you. I can drive you there."
"Ah, what should I do?" Kyoko Fukada put on a troubled expression. "This violin performance is invitation-only. It's a school event, sorry, senpai."
"I see, then there's no way around it." The male actor, seeing her insistence, couldn't push further. He had originally planned to use the movie as an opportunity to take this seductive beauty home.
There was no denying that Kyoko Fukada's alluring figure and slightly fleshy yet charming face had a captivating charm that even seasoned players found irresistible. They wanted nothing more than to throw her onto a bed and indulge.
But Kyoko Fukada had no interest in such men.
Late at night, in the depths of her mind, she always recalled that American figure.
When he looked at her, it was never like a beast but with a detached coldness and just the right amount of politeness.
When wild, he was wilder than a beast. When a gentleman, he was more restrained than anyone.
That was her type.
"I really miss Ethan-kun." Kyoko Fukada slowly walked out of the set and got into her Porsche.
She then opened the glove compartment and took out a plane ticket—one bound for America.
"I wonder what kind of reaction he'll have when I show up in front of him..."
Kyoko Fukada clamped her legs together, bit her lip, took two deep breaths, then drove straight to the airport.
Meanwhile, at the premiere of Lucy.
Hand in hand with Scarlett on the red carpet, Ethan was surrounded by reporters.
"Ethan, what's your box office expectation for this film?"
"Ethan, do you think this movie will surpass Inception?"
"Ethan, why did you choose Scarlett as the lead actress?"
Ethan patiently answered each question, and Scarlett, reduced to a mere accessory beside him, didn't mind. She simply smiled at the cameras.
Ethan and Taylor Swift's Arctic trip lasted only a week.
Taylor Swift couldn't stand the cold weather, and the barren landscape filled only with penguins, seals, sea lions, and ice.
Although the scenery was stunning and she took plenty of photos, she simply couldn't stay there long.
So later, they went to Finland, where they spent a month.
It wasn't until Taylor Swift could no longer bear the pressure from her family and manager that she finally returned with Ethan.
From start to finish, Ethan never once mentioned going back.
This finally put Taylor Swift's mind at ease. She knew Ethan loved her, and that was enough.
A child?
That was just Ethan's constraint. Sooner or later, she would take him away from that woman.
If necessary, she would have a child of her own—this was Taylor's plan.
However, when her parents asked who she had traveled with, and she answered honestly, her mother was furious.
"He's a married man! How could you do this?" Her mother was visibly upset, while her father, though more understanding, still gently advised her to find a single man instead.
Although he had once thought about matchmaking the two, times had changed. Ethan had publicly acknowledged his wife, so things shouldn't go any further.
Otherwise, if people found out, it would be a scandal too ugly to bear.
But Taylor Swift was firm. She insisted that she and Ethan were true love, and no one could separate them.
With her strong stance, her parents had no choice but to back down, only reminding her from time to time.
However, Taylor refused to listen and simply moved into Ethan's villa.
As a result, sparks met dry wood, and their passion exploded daily—from the bedside to the living room, from the living room to the balcony. It could be said they had mastered all eighteen techniques.
Taylor Swift was at the premiere today as well, supporting Ethan's film.
If she weren't worried about stealing the spotlight from Scarlett, she would have gone up and pulled Scarlett's hand away, keeping her far from Ethan.
Playing the villain, Rob Sari also walked the red carpet alongside Choi Min-sik, palms sweating.
Until the moment he got out of the car, he kept telling himself not to be nervous—it would be fine.
After all, this was his first time walking a red carpet under such global attention, and it was happening at Hollywood's famous Chinese Theatre on the Walk of Fame. It was surreal.
"Mom, Dad, little brother, little sister. Are you watching?"
As Rob Sari stepped onto the red carpet, surrounded by cheers, his initial anxiety disappeared.
Feeling grounded, he thought of his family.
Right now, they were probably sitting in front of the TV, watching the live broadcast of the news, right?
So exciting.
They must be proud of me.
To not disappoint his family, Rob Sari's steps became steadier. Though he was much shorter than most others, so what? Napoleon was short too!
The red carpet event moved quickly, and when all the cast and crew had entered the theater, Lucy's premiere finally began.
At that moment, in America, Japan, China, Canada, Italy, Germany, Russia, France, and many other countries, long lines stretched outside cinemas.
With popcorn in hand, people stepped up to the counters, handing over their money.
"Two tickets for Lucy, please."
"One Lucy ticket."
"Three for Lucy."
"Five tickets for Lucy."
For this Friday's release, no other films dared to compete head-on with Lucy on its first day.
So, inside cinemas, there was only one name being purchased—Lucy.
Cinema owners sat tensely in their offices, waiting for the first batch of data.
Reporters gathered outside theaters, ready to see if anyone would leave early and to collect audience reactions.
Meanwhile, inside the theater, surrounded by critics, Ethan and the others sat as the lights dimmed.
The screen lit up, showing the Norton Eye logo.
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