Chapter 267: 2 Broke girls.  (Patreon)

[Edward POV]

Sitting on the couch in the living room, I turned on the show, ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ and watched it while eating some popcorn. Suddenly, my laptop rang as someone video called me.

Pausing the tv, I leaned forward to the coffee table where my laptop was sitting, and answered the call. When the familiar face popped up, I smiled and teased, “So, they decide not to arrest you?”

“Low blow telling the cops to come to my house. It could’ve been really dangerous.” Max said angrily.

I chuckled and said, “Next time, I’ll ask them to come when they are on duty.”

“NO!” Max said decisively. “I’ve learnt my lesson.” She added.

“That is?” I asked expectantly.

“Never underestimate your insanity.” Max said. I was baffled for a bit, and then I realized that she was making sense. 

“So, you’re coming here or not?” I asked when suddenly, a blondie crashed into the screen, pushing Max slightly to the side as she joined in the conversation.

“Caroline, I told you I’ll ask him.” Max scolded whisperingly, taken aback by Caroline’s sudden intrusion. I managed to piece up the clues instantly in my mind, and figured out why she was there.

Putting on an innocent smile on my face, I greeted her, “Hello Miss Channing. We meet again.”

“Hello.” Caroline has an expression of disbelief. She said venomously, “You’re quite brazen for smiling when you see me. Did you forget about what you did to my life?”

“You mean, your fake life, built on the scammed money of innocent people.” I said with a sarcastic tone. “It seems that life hasn't hit you hard enough to make you reflect on yourself, Miss Channing.”

Caroline was taken aback, and she forgot what she was trying to say. I understood that she may have felt some resentment towards me, but like I said before, the FBI was on her father’s ass for years. She only felt that way because she heard from me, and thought that I was the one who was responsible for everything that happened to her.

Her dad would be thrown to jail anyway, it's just a matter of time. In fact, if he hadn’t tried to scam Pepper, I wouldn't even care about him. 

“Caroline. It’s not his fault your dad ran a Ponzi scheme.” Max scolded Caroline. She added, “Even I know to blame the victim for speaking up is disgusting. And I usually tell people to keep their mouths shut whenever I punch them and steal their money.”

“So, you think you’re disgusting?” I asked Max with a chuckle. “No wonder you want to stay at the rat’s nest you call a house.”

 She smiled and cracked a joke, “At least I’m self aware about it. And you won’t believe this! We have a horse!”

“Oh good for you!” I said honestly. “But knowing your browser history, I’m very concerned about the horse living with you.”

Max was speechless for a bit before she replied angrily, “Hey I’ve never watched that kind of stuff!”

“Enough. My father…” Caroline interjected suddenly, which made Max and I turn our attention to her. She struggled to continue giving excuses for her father, “He’s…a kind man…” 

Reality hitted her hard, and her entire world crumbled around her in just a matter of hours. None of her friends wanted to have anything to do with her as their family name could also be implicated. The Channing family name suddenly became something everyone wanted to avoid. 

“I’m not saying he’s evil.” I said suddenly, which made Caroline confused. “People are complex. They can be a nightmare for their enemies, and also a saint for their families. But let’s not pretend your dad is Robin Hood either. He hurts a lot of people with his schemes.

“Besides, he's probably not even going to learn from the mistake. In a year or two, he’ll be transferred to a cozy, high class prison,  maybe getting the opportunity to go out on parole after people forget what he had done. There won’t be any real punishment for him.”

“Really?” Max asked with some surprise.

I shrugged and said, “Have you ever really seen a rich dude getting punished for what he did? Even OJ managed to get away with killing his wife (Allegedly Lol), not to mention a Channing that has a lot of connections with the upper class society of New York. I mean, they say people lose money…but no real rich dudes were hurt in the crime, so..”

“Oh my god.” Max was exasperated. Caroline was taken aback, and she asked with a shivering voice, “Even if he can get out in the future, it’ll never be the same anymore.”

“Yeah probably not.” I chuckled. Caroline looked at me with an almost crying expression. “What should I do now?” She asked me.

“How should I now?” I shrugged dismissively. “I told you to bury some money before.”

Caroline opened her mouth to protest, then she remembered that I did tell her that before.

“Did you brush it off, what I said?” I asked mischievously. Caroline bit her lip and said, “Yes…”

“Then is it still my fault?” I asked again. Caroline was depressed and said, “No.”

“Well, at the very least, you have your business degree from Wharton. I’m sure you can find a good paying job in no time.” I said.

“Actually Max and I are aiming to start our own cupcake business.” Caroline suddenly brightened up– her emotions changed so fast, it was as if someone pressed a switch inside of her.

“Great. Do you guys need any seed money?” I asked casually. Caroline opened her mouth wide, excited about the offer, but Max shut her down instantly, “NO! We’re going to do it ourselves.”

“MAX!” Caroline tried to protest, but Max was determined. “No Caroline!”

“That makes me feel quite bad.” I said with a slightly hurt expression. Max was apologetic and said, “Sorry. I just can’t do that to you. The moment I start borrowing money from you, then it means we can’t just be friends anymore.”

“Why?” I asked curiously. Max replied, “Because! Everytime I see your face, I’ll think about the money I owe you. I don’t want that.”

“Alright, I understand.” I replied casually.  “Anyway Max, you’re still coming here for Thanksgiving, right? We’re going to Wisconsin afterward.” I ignored the depressed Caroline and asked only Max.

“About that. Um…” Max glanced at Caroline for a bit before she said, “I’d probably stay here…”

“Ugh.” I scoffed and said angrily, “Fine then. Go be with the homewrecker, you bimbo.”

Max and Caroline both gasped in offense. “Hey I’m a slut, not a bimbo–” Max said, but I cut the call immediately, not wanting to look at Max’s face any longer. Max tried to call me back, but I didn’t want to answer her. 

She sent me a cute otters holding hand gif asking for an apology later that night, only then did I reply to her. 

…

The weekends flew by pretty quickly. Instead of working on the movie, I decided to leave all of the work to Director Judd and Paige while I worked on Breaking Bad and Suits. Which leads to an important discussion I currently have with Pepper and Harvey right now.

“How do we air the series? Should we create a new channel just for us? Entertain TV Network or Entertain Channel sounds pretty good.” Pepper asked excitedly as I sat in front of him in his office. Harvey, Pepper and I were sitting on the office reception couch, and I sipped some coffee while I thought about Pepper’s question.

Putting the cup of coffee down, I replied, “Well, AMC is interested in the show Breaking Bad, and they wanted to acquire it for their network. But for me, I think, we can just release it on the streaming platform.”

Harvey added, “Currently, we have 32 million paid subscribers for Netflix. I think similarly to Edward.”

“But, if it's not on TV, can it still be called a TV series?” Pepper asked in confusion. I smirked and said, “It’s original content then. And Pepper, the first episode wasn’t even recorded yet. We still have time.”

Harvey chuckled and said, “Edward will soon release the sim cards, in which, people who bought it will have 1 month free subscription to Netflix. Not to mention, if they bought the Firestick, they can stream the app on TV.”

Pepper nodded as Harvey continued, “Then, he will release the shows; Breaking Bad, Suits, and Queen’s Gambit, at the same time. All of it is part of Edward’s sinister plan to take over the world. Projected views on Breaking Bad's first episode is 5 million people. So don’t worry Peps. The show will definitely succeed.”

“It should be. We invested quite a lot in our studio.” Pepper said before he guffawed.  

“I’m going to go to the set. They are casting the actors right now.” I stood up and excused myself from the office. 

Pepper asked, “Breaking Bad?”

I nodded to him, “Yeah.”

The series were mostly shot on a real world location, which made filming the series a strenuous feat, however everyone who participated in the project were excited to do it. 

The entire series, from season 1 to season 5, were all already planned out, and they just had to shoot the tv show. The main director, Vince Gilligan, was really excited when I pitched the idea to him. 

I joined in the casting process of the few main actors we needed for the show by standing on the side of the audition stage, watching the audition without interrupting and announcing my presence there. 

So far, we only managed to cast Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul for their roles as Walter White and Jessi Pinkman. Dean Norris as Hank Shrader was easy to find. RJ Mitte was Walter White Junior took a little effort, but I found him. 

Betty Brand as Marie Shrader jumped on the project the minute it was offered to her. Currently inside the building, we're conducting a screen test for the finalist of the role of Skyler White - Walter White’s wife, and an important main cast in the series. 

There were 5 finalists for the role, and Jenna’s mother was one of the finalists. It surprised me a bit, but when I saw her acting like an unreasonable pregnant wife, I understood why she came so far in the casting process. 

Mrs Karlsen even wore a fake pregnancy stomach as she auditioned. She gave everything she got in front of the director of the show. 

“Thank you Mrs Alex. You can go now, and we will call you if you get the role.” The casting director Sharon said to Mrs Alexandria. She was one of the three casting directors, but she has the greatest deciding power compared to the other two. Jenna’s mom brightened up, and she left the room after thanking the directors. 

“Next.” The director told the assistant, and she went to get the next actress to screen test for the role.

However, as soon as the other actress walked in, I furrowed my brows. With a smug look on her full makeup face, she slowly untied her robe, revealing a black laced undergarment before walking to the video shot, stark contrast to how Mrs Karlsen wore a pink sweater and minimal makeup when she was testing for the role.

“What are you doing?” Sharon asked in confusion and irritation. The actress, Jess, smirked and said, “She’s supposed to be giving a handjob while they are watching tv, so I was dressed for such an event.”

“We’re not even testing for that.” Sharon said sarcastically, “So why don’t you put your clothes back on, and then walk out of here with dignity– however much of it is left behind in you.”

Baffled, the actress said, “You’re not the boss! I went out with the creator of the show before! He promised me the role! I-I’m going to sue!”

Seeing the trouble brewing over there, I walked out of the shadow, much to Sharon’s surprise, and leaned on the table before I said casually, “I’m the creator, and I’m pretty sure that I’ve never slept with you.”

“What?” Jess was dumbfounded as she was exposed. But then, she smirked and walked towards me sensually, “Are you sure?” She then whispered to my ear, “Even if it's a lie, I can make it a reality very soon… I’ll do anything you want.”

“You can–”

“Anything…” She interjected my words with a sensual whisper. “Anythang…”

I smiled, which made her believe that I was seduced, then I spat out, “Get the fuck out.” with a casual tone. “Security.” Sharon called, and Jess was escorted out of the building.”

“Why did she even get this far?” I asked with confusion. “How in the hell did she pass in the first place?” 

Sharon smiled wryly and replied, “She has some connections, so I did it as a favor. I didn’t think she'd be this crazy.” 

“Is she the last one?” I asked. Sharon nodded and said carefully, “I think we’ll go with Karlsen. I know that she used to work with Playboy, but I think she really fits the role. She’s dedicated, and she really suits the character. It’d be a little risky, so if you don’t like that, we can go with the second choice.”

Turning my head to Sharon, she became confused when she saw my deadpan stare. “What?” She asked in confusion.

“I’m the one who recommended her.” I exposed it, which made the three of them become baffled. “What?” Sharon especially, was flabbergasted by the sudden fact. “Why didn’t you tell us?” She asked.

I smiled and said, “I don’t want that to be a factor. Okay, you can call Cranston and conduct the chemistry test between them. See if they fit together. If all goes well, we can start filming the first episode after Thanksgiving.”

“You’re the boss.” Sharon said before she sat back down on her seat. I walked outside of the room, only to find myself facing a group of young aspiring actresses in their 20s. They instantly broke into excited murmurs after they saw me.

Confused by their presence, I walked to the nearest girl, a brunette girl and asked, “Why are you guys here?”

She blushed a bit and replied, “Um, to audition for a role.”

“What role?”

“The role of Jane.” She explained.

“Ah!” I exclaimed in realization and thanked the girl. It seemed that Sharon decided to settle on the casting of the characters early. Well I should’ve mentioned to her that I want Krysten Ritter for the role, but not too late I guess. I returned to the room, confusing Sharon as she thought that I would be gone.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Jane…I kinda already have someone I want for the role.” I replied. Sharon widened her eyes and apologized profusely, “I’m really sorry! It was presumptuous of me to do this without asking first.”

“It’s fine. It’s a mistake.” I said dismissively as it wasn’t a big deal. “Do you want me to send those girls away?” She asked with some frustration.

“No– Um, do you have the script for Queen’s Gambit with you? We need some extras for that, so tell them about the mistake, and ask them if they want to try it out. We need some girls to play the high schoolers.”

“Alright. I promise that I’ll fix this.” Sharon said with determination. Her fiery gaze made me shudder for a bit, “Ooh~ It got fierce in here. I’ll let you deal with it.”

After that, I snuck away using a different path to ensure I wouldn’t meet the girls, and drove away from the company. It has been a week since Missy and Mary came to California, and they will be returning home tonight. 

Mary invited me to have dinner one more time with her at the beach house to thank me for my generosity. For some reason, Mary and my dad bonded quite a bit. He even took them both on a trip on his ship, with Missy flirting with my dad the entire time.

I rang the doorbell when I arrived at the house. Missy pressed the intercom and asked, “Who is it?”

“Your step son to be.” I replied.

The door was unlocked, and a flustered Missy said as she opened the door, “So you know about that huh?”

“You broke my heart. I thought we had something going on between us. But it turns out, you’re only using me to get to my dad.” I pretended to be hurt as I entered the house. 

Missy giggled and stuck her tongue out, “Sorry, but I only like rugged men.”

When I entered the house, it was empty of other people except the two of us there. “Where’s your mother?” I asked.

Missy went to the kitchen and took out some food from the oven, “She went to get Sheldon.”

“He can’t come by himself?” I asked with confusion.

Missy sighed and said, “You know he’s a weirdo. He doesn't want to come if you’re here.”

Befuddled, I said, “You’re the one who twisted his nipples. Why is he blaming me for it?”

“Again. He’s a weirdo.” Missy said as she licked her finger that touched the chicken grease. “Want some?” She asked.

“We’re not waiting?” I smirked and walked to the kitchen.

“Who knows when they’re going to be here. Hmm, till the end, Paige doesn’t want to hang out with me.”

“Really?” I twisted off a chicken drumstick and put it in my mouth. “How come?”

“I don’t know.” Missy replied. I asked, “Have you ever asked her to come hang out, alone?”

Busy with her work on the script, Paige decided to sacrifice the reunion with her friend in order to finish the script. However,  I missed that and thought that she just didn’t want to come.

Missy thought for a bit and replied, “No. Never.”

“Then, do you want me to ask her to come? I’m her boss. She definitely has to be here if I did it.” I said playfully, but Missy was excited and said, “Call her! Call her now!”