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!