Hollywood: Lights, Ink, Entertainment!

….

.

About thirty minutes later, Regal found himself back in the same office as the day before.

The same room. The same time of day.

Sitting across from him? The same faces.

Gwendolyn sat across the desk, composed and effortlessly stunning.

Maggie stood nearby, having just returned with two cups of tea and snacks, a small but thoughtful gesture to smooth over the morning.

If one were to look at Maggie - she is a woman in her early forties - and had been a loyal employer for Everleaf Press even before the present 'boss' took over the company.

Despite the tough times to the point she had to occasionally do odd jobs, similar to being a 'receptionist' yesterday, she was dedicated to continue.

Overall, she is a part manager, part assistant, part friend, part well wisher and always there to lend a hand to her current boss, Gwendolyn.

And yes, of course, she receives the immense respect and pay bonus she deserves from Gwendolyn, who holds her in high regard.

Coming back, by the time Maggie set the tea and snacks down, the polite pleasantries had run their course.

And now, it was time for business.

On the surface, everything seemed unchanged.

But Maggie could feel the shift.

There was a subtle change in the air - a quiet mutual respect that hadn't been there before.

Maggie had a pretty good idea why.

Her boss, Gwendolyn, had made her intentions clear before the start of the meeting - she wanted to collaborate with Regal, and there was no changing her mind.

Maggie had also read a portion of Regal's manuscript, something she had done just that morning.

Surely, it wasn't enough to judge the entire book, but it was lightyears ahead of the usual junk they often get in the name of manuscripts. 

After reading it, one thing was clear, Regal had potential.

Maybe not today, but tomorrow?

There are some chances.

Maggie understood why Gwendolyn's took such a stance, even if it is too bold.

She wasn't blind to their situation - they have been in their downfall with many of their past ventures falling and were in no position to be picky.

The company needed a win, and Regal?

He might be it.

But something didn't sit right with her.

Regal was being too forward.

…and more than that he was showing it on his face.

Why?

They needed this deal to work, but Regal?

He shouldn't be that desperate like them.

Sure, he was a debut writer, but he didn't have to be inclined to this opportunity like they were.

From what she had seen, Regal Seraphsail, a young man in his twenties, prided himself on his worth and believed his book was something special.

Whether that belief was justified or not didn't matter.

But often, people like him tend to dream big and usually don't settle for small companies unless they are in an urgent need - recognition, money, or a break.

Even if it means taking a few losses.

It was the only logical conclusion she could reach.

So that automatically makes them have an upper hand in this deal.

Of course their company is as desperate if not even more than his but Regal didn't need to know about that.

The atmosphere shifted, turning serious as the conversation was about to begin.

But despite the tension, there was an undeniable ease between Gwendolyn and Regal.

Maybe it was their similar ages, or maybe they saw a similar spark of ambition in each other - or something else entirely.

Maggie couldn't quite put her finger on it.

What she could expect was a heated back-and-forth.

Regal wouldn't fold easily, and neither would Gwendolyn. She was almost looking forward to how it would unfold.

But then, Gwendolyn shattered her expectations with a single sentence.

"Regal, if you would like, allow us to publish your book."

"..." The silence that followed was deafening.

?!Maggie's eyes widened in disbelief. Had she missed something?

Gwendolyn had just tossed away their biggest bargaining chip as if it meant nothing. It was an unspoken rule in negotiations - never reveal how much you need the other party.

Yet here was Gwendolyn, laying it all bare without a hint of hesitation.

Regal, for his part, choked down his tea internally, his expression betraying nothing. He set the cup down with a light cough, masking his surprise.

"Bos–!"

"Believe me Maggie. I have already thought it through. We are doing this."

Maggie began, her voice filled with uncertainty, but Gwendolyn cut her off with a soft yet firm wave of her hand.

As the seconds ticked by, the weight of Gwendolyn's boldness hung in the room.

Maggie's thoughts spiraled - What's her angle?

She had been told this would happen, but why say it like this? So openly?

In fact she fears Regal might misinterpret that they are scheming something underhanded, when she could see Gwendolyn genuinely wishing to assist him.

But how would he know that? He had only met Gwendolyn once before this meeting and it was very brief.

Her attention moved onto Regal, who seemed to be thoughtful, as his gaze locked onto Gwendolyn as he was suspicious of her. -

"Hahe…" However, to her shock Regal let out a mirthful laugh and gave his terminal answer. "Okay, I agree."

"....." Gwendolyn.

"....." Maggie.

The confusion was evident as they both exchanged a glance - that's it?

Neither of them had expected him to gullibly accept without doubting their intentions - the conversation to take this turn so quickly.

….

.

After that, despite their skepticalness they dove into the details of the contract.

Gwendolyn, as the CEO of the Everleaf Press put forth a straightforward contract - still it is better then what a debut authors would get.

The deal laid out was simple enough.

An advance of - $10,000.

The amount will be divided into two halves with the first half being paid right after signing the contract and the other on the day of launch.

Royalty Rate - 12% of net sales for the first 50,000 copies, and 15% for all copies beyond.

Initial Print Run - 5,000 copies.

Marketing Budget - $3,000 allocated for social media campaigns, bookstore signings, and mailing copies to influential bloggers and early reviewers.

Retail Price for hardcover book - $16.99

Regal skimmed through the details carefully before putting the contract down on the table.

"Can I get a pencil?" He asked, his hand already outstretched without even looking up from the paper.

Gwendolyn nodded, and Maggie handed him a pencil.

Regal leaned forward, making a few adjustments to the contract with quick strokes of correction.

After a few seconds, he handed the paper back to Gwendolyn.

She picked it up, and began scanning through the changes he made.

"...Are you for real?" She questioned, rubbing her forehead with one hand, the other still holding the contract.

Maggie, a little surprised by her boss's reaction, leaned in slightly, trying to see what had caused this shift. But the moment Gwendolyn caught her, Maggie quickly pulled back, feigning innocence.

Regal shrugged, unfazed. "I am betting on myself just as much as you are betting on me."

Gwendolyn's gaze sharpened as she laid it out bluntly. "You wouldn't get a penny if this book didn't work out."

"I will be printing money if it's a hit." Regal countered.

"You are being too greedy." She replied, though her tone wasn't harsh. It was more like a gentle reprimand.

"I just know exactly what the worth of this book is." Regal said with confidence.

Gwendolyn let out a soft sigh, not out of disappointment, but concern.

She had already been juggling a lot with her newly formed relationship, and this added stress wasn't exactly helping.

Maggie, now even more intrigued by the back-and-forth, leaned in again, this time without trying to hide it.

Her curiosity was obvious.

That's when she finally saw the details Regal had changed on the contract.

The advance payment was cut to zero.

And the royalty rate?

It had been slashed from 12% to 3% for the first 100,000 copies - a massive jump from the initial 50,000 - but to balance it out, the percentage for copies beyond that was bumped up from 15% to 20%.

The half of the advance payment was now requested to be used for printing the initial copies.

The rest was to be allocated to the marketing budget.

As for the copyrights?

They were fully owned by the company, but any adaptation rights still had to go through Regal himself.

Maggie felt the blood drain from her face.

Her mouth went dry, and before she knew it, she even had hiccups.

Clearly, it was a one-sided deal, entirely in their favor, even if the book turned out to be a hit.

For Regal to see any real profit, the book would have to make massive waves, enough to compete with the bestselling books of the year.

That's when she remembered his initial 'pick-up' line to her boss when he first pitched the project.

Regal passed her the water bottle from his side, looking at her with a faint grin.

"Curiosity kills the cat."

Maggie, startled by the sudden call-out, straightened up in her chair.

Even before she could take a sip, the sudden interruption was enough to quell her hiccups.

Regal knows what he is doing.

Right now, more than anything he needs cash.

Cold, hard cash.

…not some chump change.

It isn't just for his survival.

He needs enough money to kick-start a small indie film.

He was dead set on it.

For Regal, now living in this young man's life, it felt like a bittersweet irony.

The boy had been so much like him- an aspiring director brimming with ambition but crushed by relentless bad luck.

Six months ago, things had taken a sharp turn.

The boy's father, Ryder Seraphsail, died in a car accident.

He is a man who spent his late forties chasing the dream of success as a scriptwriter.

He hadn't found it.

Dreams remained just that - dreams.

Anyway, with Ryder gone, the boy lost the modest income that had kept the household running.

No debts, thankfully, but no savings either.

Left on his own, he scrambled to stay afloat - juggling too many responsibilities on far too little sleep.

He had worked tirelessly to get into a prestigious film school, believing that education was his ticket to a future in the industry he loved.

But without financial support, things unraveled fast.

He already quit college due to looming tuition bills.

Rent for his tiny apartment went unpaid.

He is barely eating three meals a day.

Still, he didn't quit on his dream.

Between part-time jobs and freelance gigs, he wrote scripts, sending them out in the hope someone would notice.

…and there was also his twin sister -

Unlike him who dropped out, she is still in her final year of college.

Regal was lucky enough for the fact that she stayed in the college dormitory, far enough from home to avoid seeing the mess he had made of his life.

If she had been closer, there was no chance he could have dropped out.

She would have fought him every step of the way, like she always had when he made rash decisions.

There was also the fact that - she couldn't stand the film industry.

And frankly, the boy, and even Regal, understood why.

Their father had spent his life chasing success in it, too often putting his family on the back burner. In the end, all he had earned was the bitter title of failure.

For the last three months, the boy had avoided meeting her in person, crafting endless excuses about his busy college schedule. The last thing he wanted was for her to see the hollow shell of his life.

He thought he could make everything right with his success.

Then a few days ago 'something' happened.

Regal woke up in the boy's body, his memories and struggles now his own.

It was frankly, cruel - to wake up in the life of someone so similar to his own.

.

….

[To be continued…]

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