Tobias sat across from a plump middle-aged woman named Erica in a cozy, secluded booth in a cafe near her home in Buckinghamshire, England. She stared at him with wide eyes after listening to his offer.
"I can't believe it." She shook her head slowly, still in disbelief. "I write fanfiction. Not some great piece of literature. Why would one of the world's biggest entertainment companies be interested in my story?"
Tobias kept his expression calm, though inside he was wondering the same thing. And what was Troy doing, reading Twilight fanfiction of all things? Did he have nothing better to do with his time?
"I've read your fanfiction," Tobias said, leaning forward with genuine emphasis. "And I have to say it's some of the best I've seen in a long time. At least one that could easily be turned into a standalone story."
He had read the entire work reluctantly, late at night with a mug of bitter black coffee. While he wasn't a fan of the genre, he could understand why it was the most-read Twilight fanfiction of all time, especially considering it had only been online for a few months.
"What exactly are you proposing?" Erica asked, glancing toward her husband for reassurance. "I get that you want the film adaptation rights, but how would that work? Can you even make an adaptation using characters like Bella and Edward?"
Tobias shook his head. "You can't. That's why I'm proposing that you rename your characters and make other small changes so it isn't connected to the Twilight universe at all. Once that's done and you hire a professional editor to polish the work, we'll publish your books worldwide as a series. You can decide how many books you want in that series. I'll even offer you a fifteen percent royalty right away, which is extremely uncommon for new authors. Anyone else would offer you ten, if that."
Erica looked at her husband, Niall, who sat tense beside her on the sofa. He gave a small, uncertain nod.
"In exchange," Tobias continued, keeping his tone even and confident, "Phoenix will pay you one million dollars right now if you sign the deal. I have a check in my pocket. Just say the word, and it's yours."
Niall leaned forward, eyebrows raised. "Are you sure this isn't a joke or something? Who pays a million bucks for a fanfiction?"
Tobias had asked himself the same question from the moment Troy called, but he kept a relaxed smile on his face. "I'm very sure. We at Phoenix believe in taking strategic risks with content acquisition, and I personally believe your story will be a massive hit, both as a series of books and movies. So what do you say?"
Erica and Niall exchanged uncertain glances, then excused themselves to talk privately in a different booth. Tobias listened to their muffled voices while he thought again about Troy's unexpected call regarding the acquisition.
"There is a Twilight fanfiction online called Master of the Universe, and it's very popular with its readers. It's an adult romance with BDSM elements. I want you to convince the author to delete it and publish it as a book under our publishing house. Also, buy the adaptation rights to the film and the TV series. Just in case."
Those had been the strangest instructions Tobias had ever received in his career. With Troy, nothing was ever normal, but this was near the top of the list. It felt like throwing free money into a fire. Who would read this stuff? BDSM, as it is, was a very small niche with barely any readers.
Yet he did as commanded, because that was his job.
"We've decided," Niall said as soon as he and Erica returned to the table. "We want two million dollars plus a fifteen percent cut of the movies."
Tobias resisted the urge to laugh at the audacity of the offer. He stood up and straightened his jacket. "I'm sorry. The offer is nonnegotiable."
He leaned forward and placed a copy of the contract on the table, along with a signed check for one million dollars. "Here. Read everything carefully before you decide. I'm in town for two more days. If you cash the check, I'll consider the deal accepted."
With that said, Tobias turned and left the cafe. The late morning sunlight spilled across the street outside, and he slipped his sunglasses on as he stepped onto the sidewalk. He knew the couple would agree. Phoenix would never share fifteen percent of a flop film's revenue with them. A million dollars was already more than generous for a story he considered literary filth.
He was confident because he had done his research and discovered that the couple was desperate for money. Their mortgage was behind, the car payments were late, and Erica's side jobs barely kept them afloat. They didn't exactly have studio executives lined up outside their door. The deal from Phoenix was the only one they'd ever see.
Tobias expected a call by the end of the day, so he wasn't in any hurry.
(Break)
Monty was already exhausted by his job, and it hadn't even been a full month since he was assigned here. He knew working as a bodyguard for the rich wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but this situation took things to another level. And it was right in the middle of the holiday season, when most of the other guards were away on break.
"He ruined me!" the man in front of him shouted, face red and streaked with cold sweat. "He told me that GM shares would make me millions. But today I'm as good as homeless. If you don't let me meet Troy, I won't move a single step from here."
"With all due respect, sir," Monty said with calm professionalism, "Troy isn't in London anymore. So I can't let you meet him even if I wanted to."
"That fucker! I don't believe a word of that nonsense. If he's not here, then get him on the phone. If he doesn't come here, I'll kill myself right now, right outside his home." The man yanked a small knife from his coat pocket and pointed it toward his wrist, hand trembling.
Monty instinctively stepped back as two guards behind him moved swiftly, pinning the man's arms and wrestling the knife away.
"I'll sue you! How dare you lay a hand on me?" the man screamed, voice cracking with desperation.
Monty let out a slow sigh and pulled out his phone. "What did you say your name was again?"
He wasn't about to call Troy, but he could call someone who would know how to handle this situation. Paolo, Troy's personal CPO and the head of all security staff, would know exactly what protocol to follow.
"Richard Summers," the man snapped haughtily, still struggling against the guards who held him by the arms.
Monty stepped a few paces away from Richard and dialed Paolo's number, keeping his eyes on the struggling man. He waited anxiously for the call to connect.
"Monty?" Paolo said curtly as soon as he picked up. "Everything okay over there?"
"Errm." Monty glanced nervously at Richard, who was still shouting at the guards. "There's a man here threatening to kill himself if he doesn't speak to Troy. His name is Richard Summers. What should I do?"
Paolo let out a long sigh. "He's very persistent. Summers has been trying to corner Troy ever since June. Apparently, Troy mentioned a company in passing, and Richard assumed it was legitimate investment advice. The company went bankrupt, and its shares tanked. Summers invested everything he had."
Monty grimaced, the idea of losing everything settling into his gut like a stone.
"Can we not ask Troy to maybe talk to him for a minute?" Monty asked quietly. "I'd be devastated too if I lost everything."
"No," Paolo answered sharply. "He was warned off last time and told not to approach Troy or any member of his family. Troy already left instructions for what to do if Summers shows up again. Call the police and explain everything. Tell them he's trespassing and threatening self-harm. Force them to arrest him. Meanwhile, I'll make sure that man won't walk free anytime soon."
The call ended, leaving Monty with a bitter taste of unease. As much as he sympathized with the man's desperation, he couldn't ignore Paulo's instructions. Disobeying meant risking his job and possibly more.
He turned back toward the scene and began to follow protocol, making the call as ordered.
It was a week later when Monty learned just how serious the situation truly was, and why it had been better for Troy not to get involved with a man as unstable as Richard Summers.
Breaking News: The biggest Ponzi scheme in British history has been uncovered.
Richard and Patricia Summers, two well-known fund managers in London, have been found complicit in misusing fifty-two million pounds of investor money. Their confession to the police has revealed shocking details. The Summers lived far above their means and convinced people that they were highly successful investment managers. They collected money from more than a hundred victims and had been planning to leave the country before finally getting caught when Richard tried to break into the home of superstar actor-singer Troy Armitage.
It remains unclear why Summers was trying to meet Troy, but it couldn't have been for anything good. Troy's representatives have stated clearly that Troy has no association with the Summers' or their schemes.
Troy Armitage met Richard and Patricia Summers through business circles. Richard tried to sell his investments to Armitage, but as an adept investor himself, Armitage wasn't convinced by the man's promises and refused to invest. However, hundreds of other investors were not that financially savvy and may find themselves several hundred thousand pounds poorer.
Richard and Patricia Summers could face up to ten years in prison, along with the confiscation of all their properties. However, internal sources say the couple had already taken heavy mortgages on most of their assets to pour more money into the market. From the looks of it, their victims are unlikely to see any meaningful reparations.
(Break)
"I can get an abortion if you want. No one will know."
I couldn't shake that thought out of my head. The words echoed like a cold whisper I couldn't escape. Did I really want her to abort? I honestly didn't know. I had never dealt with a pregnancy scare in my past life because of the vasectomy I had had. And in this life…
"Troy," Scarlett said softly, worry building in her eyes. "Say something. Anything. Just don't go silent on me. Not now."
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. My gaze drifted down to her bare stomach, still flat and untouched by time. In three or four months, that would change. A life would grow there. Soon, the whole world would see, judge, analyze, gossip, and speculate. It was one thing to raise a child. It was something entirely different to let the whole world into that sacred part of your life. The pressure felt suffocating. Maybe it would be easier to just…
I shook my head sharply as soon as that thought entered. Physically, I might be young, but mentally, I have carried the weight of two lives. One thing I learned from older friends in my first life was that your twenties are the best time to have kids. Sure, people had children in their thirties and forties, but by the time they were finally free of responsibility, they were too old to enjoy the rest of their lives.
"I want the kid," I said suddenly, before fear could change my mind. "I don't care if the baby was planned or not. We can't just kill a child because the world might judge us. Fuck the world and its opinion."
"He could be a she as well," Scarlett whispered.
"He or she could even be twins or triplets," I added. "Whatever they are, I'll love them as much as I love you. Probably more."
I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close, our bare bodies pressed tightly together. Her skin felt warm and fragile against mine, as if she was holding herself together only because I was holding her.
As soon as her forehead touched my shoulder, Scarlett broke down and began sobbing. Her tears soaked me, trembling against my skin.
"Hey," I murmured, rubbing her back gently. "What's the matter? I thought that's what you wanted."
"That's the problem," Scarlett choked out between sobs. "I don't know what I want. I want my career for sure. I finally have something good happening with [Black Swan], [Black Widow], and now this play. I don't think I can handle a kid with everything going on. We can have a child in our thirties, can't we?"
Her words hit me like a gut punch. I hadn't expected her to suggest something like that right now. Abortions sound simple on paper, and I was always in support of the right for women to choose what they wanted for their bodies. But when the child in question was mine, the idea pierced through my chest like grief.
"We don't know that for sure," I said after a long stretch of tense silence. "We don't know if we'll even be able to have a kid in our thirties."
"What do you mean by that?"
I hesitated, my thoughts drifting back to my first life. I had two close friends in London, both fiercely career-driven and perfectly happy living a DINK lifestyle for years. They kept pushing parenthood further and further away, confident they had time. When they finally tried for a child in their late thirties, it was too late. Doctors, treatments, tears, and disappointment became their routine. Some women just aren't meant to conceive that late, no matter how much their hearts want it.
The memory felt heavy and depressing, so I shook it off and turned back to Scarlett.
"It doesn't matter. Listen, the ultimate decision to have our child or not is yours. I would never dictate your choices. But you asked for my opinion, and I'm giving it to you. Have this child. I'll postpone any [Black Widow] movies in the MCU for you. And you won't be showing for a few months anyway, so you can finish this play without trouble. When the baby is born, I'll take full responsibility. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to. You can focus on your career."
Scarlett stared at me as if I had just struck her.
"How can you say that?" she asked, her voice trembling with betrayal. "I don't want to be a bad mother to my child."
Her hands cupped my face with gentle desperation. "Don't get me wrong, I want a child, it's just…" Her voice broke, and she collapsed into another wave of sobs against my shoulder.
I let her cry without saying anything, stroking the back of her head in soft, slow motions.
"You can handle a child with your career," I said after a few minutes, my tone steady and warm. "We can. You aren't doing this alone. We'll adjust our jobs so that at least one of us is always there for the baby. It'll be difficult, but doable. And if there's ever something unavoidable where we both have to be away for a few days, my parents would love to babysit. They would be over the moon to do that."
She pulled away slowly, wiping tears from her face, before glancing down at my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry for getting you all wet. I'm so hormonal right now, I can't help it. I'd only heard that emotions get heightened during pregnancy, and I didn't believe it until now."
"It's okay," I said softly, brushing a stray tear from her cheek. "Why don't you grab some tissues for me from the drawer on your side?"
She turned around to do exactly that. She opened the drawer and started rummaging through it, hair falling over her shoulders as she leaned forward.
"There are no tissues here," she announced with a confused frown.
"Look carefully," I said with a grin. "It's the only thing in the drawer."
She turned back toward me, a tiny box resting uncertainly in her hands. "The only thing in that drawer is this…"
Her voice faded as realization washed over her. Her breath caught, eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at the ring box like it was something fragile and impossibly precious.
I gently took the box from her hand and lowered myself onto one knee. She sat on the edge of the bed, completely bare and vulnerable, and I knelt before her in the same state, stripped of clothing, pride, and emotional armor.
She gasped, one hand flying to her mouth as she finally understood what was unfolding.
"Scarlett Ingrid Johansson," I enunciated carefully so that every syllable carried the weight of my heart, "ever since I met you all those years ago at that Golden Globes event, I knew you were special. I thought I knew what love meant before, but you taught me something no one else ever has. Love means sacrifice. You truly love someone when you're ready to give up your comfort, your time, even parts of your dream, just so the person you love can breathe easier. And looking at you right now, terrified and brave at the same time, I can confidently say that I'm ready to do all that and more for the rest of my life."
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as I continued.
"You are my best friend, my soul mate, my better half, and more. You complete me and give me something no one else ever has, and that's home. No matter where on Earth we are, if I'm with you, I feel like I'm home."
I took a slow breath, wanting every word to land like a promise carved into stone.
"Keep in mind that this isn't a spur-of-the-moment thing," I said with heartfelt seriousness. "I asked your father for his blessing, and I planned this whole shebang for New Year's Eve with a grand proposal, but I couldn't wait any longer. Because I wanted you to know that my love for you is not conditional."
I opened the box and presented the intricately designed Homeric Kunzite ring. The rose-gold base glowed softly in the warm bedroom lights, complementing the lilac stone that seemed to glow from within. The microscopic detailing on the band gave it a timeless elegance, as if someone had etched stories into metal grain by grain. If one were to look closely, they would find Scarlett's and my names engraved on the inner side of the ring. The designer had sworn it was one of a kind, and no other copy would ever be made. That felt fitting. Scarlett deserved something that existed only for her.
"Your decision about this pregnancy won't change my feelings for you," I said firmly. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife, no matter what choice you make. Please make me the luckiest man on the planet by marrying me."
____________________
AN: I'm really sorry for not updating the story here for the past few days, but I have been really busy with real life. But fear not, because I'm back and I'll be posting this and STS much more frequently now.
Check out my second story, 'Swimmer to Superstar (A Hollywood SI)', which is now publicly available.
Link: www(dot)fablefic(dot)com