Date The CEO.com

Chapter 290: Wanted for Inspiration

"I heard about the Venus investment," Ambryan heard as soon as his office door opened.

Jackson Hathaway let himself in, walking over to the mini bar. He pulled out two glasses and filled them with ice. The bottle of brandy already waited for him in the ice bucket. A grim expression painted over his face. 

If the project from Peitho turned out to be a blockbuster that surpassed them, that meant future collaborations would also be compromised. Even if they had Richard, the scales could always tilt. It was a matter of who gained the upper hand and how long they could keep it.

"And we need a script that counters it," Ambryan finished. He sat on his chair and kneaded both his temples with one hand. His violet eyes shut closed. "I can't think of a single upcoming project that would be good enough."

"Then, we need to scout for fresh ideas," his father said, bringing the two glasses of brandy to his desk. He sat on the across from Ambryan and took a sip. "There's bound to be an endless pool of scripts that are eager to be produced."

Ambryan sighed and snatched his share of the brandy. He let the ice circled the glass, listening to the melody they made. Scouting wasn't a new strategy but its time frame was unpredictable. They needed a more concrete plan to narrow things down and have it done in a week.

He took a swig of his drink, grunting in frustration.

Jackson rubbed his chin. His teal eyes stared discreetly at his son. He knew Ambryan could handle this. He just needed the right nudge. "There should be a tactic we can use. Something that guarantees a market."

"We can hire the best celebrities but it might cost more than we'd gain. That's what happens if the script isn't decent enough," Ambryan shot back. He let his hand drop from his face and glanced at his monitor. Titles of their movie projects stared back at him.

None of them stuck out from the rest.

"But you can't deny the influence celebrities have," his father continued.

"I'm aware of that, father. That's basic knowledge in this business."

"And there's several things you can do with that!" Jackson proceeded further, raising his voice a little. "Like asking a retired actor or actress to join the cast. It's bound to cause hype. Combined with A-list celebrities, it would be another level of publicity."

Ambryan slowly met his father's eyes. He didn't blink until he finished expressing the following statement, "You're not suggesting we ask mom to come back, are you?"

Jackson opened his mouth immediately to protest. 

Then, he closed it again and thought about it.

"Only for the right script," he negotiated. If his wife would be back in the spotlight, he wouldn't agree to anything less than the best script for her skills and her net worth. 

"Which leads us back to where we started," Ambryan pointed out. His head ached from going in circles. He wasn't normally like this and he hated every second of it. His mind should be thinking about the next step, not getting lost in the moment. 

He had to think better.

He had to think bigger.

What kind of script did Peitho even have?

This time, his father surrendered, realizing Ambryan won't be moving on until they had a good script in their hands. Fresh ideas were endless but which ones would hit it big was the real question. They could strategize all they want but without a strong plot, it would be futile. 

Jackson finished the rest of his brandy and placed the glass on the desk. 

"Yan, I'm sure you can come up with a solution," he spoke softly, leaning forward and patting his son's arm. "Don't stress over it right now. There's work to be done. Think about it later when you get home. Check the stats and get some inspiration. I'll also be here if you need me."

Ambryan forced himself to relax and nodded. "Thank you."

"Now" Jackson stood up and straightened his suit. He had done what he intended to do. There wasn't another reason for him to prolong his stay. "I should probably go and check on your mother. Who knows what she has done with the twins? I can imagine the amount of clothes she bought them by now."

"Hopefully, not enough to give Evangeline a heart attack."

He winked in his son's direction. "I'll do my best."

Ambryan sighed and leaned back on his chair. His hand picked up his mobile phone. The screen lit up to show his lock screen of Eve walking on the sidewalk. A hint of a smile curled on his lips while a tang of pain pierced his chest. 

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```Yan: I miss you.```

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Just when he was about to put his phone down, a message notification came.

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```Lin: As you should.```

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Ambryan chuckled at the response. The stress and worries he previously troubled over evaporated from his shoulders. For the first time in a while, work wasn't in the forefront of his mind. Not even the pings from the company's desktop chat app caught his attention.

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```Yan: How is the camp?```

```Lin: Much more competitive than I thought.```

```Lin: Rough day?```

```Yan: You have no idea.```

```Lin: Try me.```

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Ambryan summarized the situation in a short message.

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```Lin: Oh, wow. That is rough.```

```Yan: As I've said.```

```Lin: What are you gonna do now?```

```Yan: I was hoping you had ideas.```

```Lin: Am I going to get paid?```

```Yan: It's up for negotiation.```

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He waited while Eve composed a reply. Catching his reflection on the monitor, he noticed the grin on his face. He covered it with a hand even though he was currently alone. His chest fluttered from the brief conversation.

If only they could do it more often.

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```Lin: How about a story of a human and alien falling in love? Make it like Romeo and Juliet even. Two planets, both alike in dignity, in the milky way galaxy, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge to new mutiny, where both human and alien blood makes all hands unclean.```

```Yan: Eve, be serious.```

```Lin: Who says I'm not?```

```Yan: ```

```Lin: I'd like to share more brilliant ideas but I'm up for a photoshoot. Update me when there's progress, boss! I believe in you! xoxo```

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The smile on Ambryan's face gradually disappeared. He closed the app and phone icons flooded his screen. His eyebrows scrunched a little at the purple square with three letters. Then, an absurd idea came to his head.

He jerked upright in his seat as soon as it came to him. 

Eyes wide, he remembered what his father had said about celebrity power. He put the phone down and pulled his chair closer to the desk. His hands shook as he opened the internet browser to check on the latest romance news. The page flooded with recent articles and different hits on romance. He went to the top stories, skimming through the headlines.

Many of them included celebrity pairings, some new and some long-standing relationships. There should be a famous couple that he could take into inspiration for a movie script.

At this point, he was just researching if there was one better than his own.

Because, for him, the idea was 100% crazy and would cause several controversies if not played right. People involved would need to give their consent to make it happen. The process would be long and excruciating.

Not to mention, he wasn't sure what Eve would say about it

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Eve sneezed in the middle of her photoshoot. The photographer frowned at her and she smiled in apology. A few snickers came from the spectators. She didn't need to look to know who they were. Another person shushed them, glaring in their direction as well.

She knew who that one was too.

The set consisted of life-size building blocks in different pastel colors. Eve wore an oversized pastel yellow coat and trousers. A white dress shirt with violet polka dots peeked from underneath the lapels. She also wore a pale blonde wig and pink sunglasses shaped like octagons.

Somehow, Eve had to use these blocks as props. She had done several poses while sitting on a cylinder in the same color scheme as her outfit but neither the photographer nor the director was satisfied with her performance.

Her gaze landed on Tiffany who smirked back at her.

This was the latter's strength in modelling. It was an easy win as far as anyone could predict. Eve felt her blood pressure rise up in an instant. There was no way she'd give in that easy. The clock was ticking and she needed to think outside the box.

She turned her back on the camera, her brown eyes sweeping across the set. 

Then, she began climbing.

Staff on standby moved in to monitor her progress. Cale did a gasp and also stepped forward. Eve ignored them all and continued on her path. Another cylinder stood at the top, perched over a square block. She reached it and leaned her back against it while crossing her ankles. 

The director shooed the staff away and signalled for the photoshoot to resume.

Eve used the height for different pose ideas as well. Each time she climbed down, she tried to connect both her hands and her feet to any of the blocks. It didn't matter how weird the shapes or the angles they made, she made it work.

Tiffany grimaced when Eve exited the set. Neither one said a word but electric waves danced between their eyes. It happened only for a few seconds, overlooked by almost everyone on set except for those who knew about their rivalry.

Sitting on her designated vanity mirror, Eve checked on her phone.

One message waited for her in the DTC app.

```Yan: What do you think about a story about a woman dating her boss?```