Chapter 163: It Must Be Someone With The Same Name

[Chapter 163: It Must Be Someone With The Same Name]

At 5:30 PM, Amber finally stepped out of the hotel elevator. It had been three hours since she entered the room for the second time. Her hair was a bit disheveled, and due to her fair skin, there were noticeable flushes on her neck and face. Even now, she couldn't fully collect herself.

Her girlfriend anxiously rushed over to her in the lobby. "What took you so long up there? What did he do to you?"

Amber shot her a cold glance. "I told you to head back early."

Amber had sent a text shortly after going back inside, asking her to return and mentioned that she was negotiating with Ryan. She couldn't wrap her head around what was actually being negotiated.

Amber walked straight ahead, and her girlfriend followed her closely.

"Did you get any results from the negotiation?" her girlfriend asked again.

"Stop asking!" Amber frowned, clearly annoyed.

Once they settled into the car, her girlfriend's barrage of questions continued.

"This can't just end like this!" her girlfriend slapped the steering wheel.

"What do you want to do? What can you do? Isn't it all on me? Where've you been?" Amber questioned her repeatedly.

"I..."

"Useless," Amber muttered under her breath.

Once they got home, Amber suddenly began packing her bags.

"Where are you going?" her girlfriend panicked completely.

"I just want to go home for a few days," Amber said.

...

Ryan actually had dinner with Trey before leaving Los Angeles.

"Taylor has been calling you a lot lately, especially since your proposal," Trey stirred her coffee absentmindedly while speaking.

When they went to Florida before, Taylor, Ryan and Trey had a meal together. Taylor was very enthusiastic towards Trey and gave her many gifts. She also visited Trey's father, showing more affection than Ryan.

"She even invited me to stay at your house. Are you really buying such an expensive mansion?" Trey asked.

"It has to be bought sooner or later, so I might as well do it all at once," Ryan replied.

Trey gave a soft "Oh," looking slightly troubled.

Inside, she was caught in an inexplicable conflict; while she felt fortunate that they'd reached this stage, she couldn't shake off the bitterness in her heart.

She couldn't pinpoint the reason, but it left her feeling somewhat vexed.

Ryan noticed her expression and smiled. "When you come back, there'll be a place for you in the house."

Trey tightened up, raising her chin defiantly. "I don't want to intrude on your love nest."

"But when you return, it'll be a trio, won't it?" Ryan said with his usual levity.

Trey shot him a look. "Bottom line: you've proposed, so don't let her down. Stay out of trouble."

"By the way, I have two things you need to hold for me. You have to keep them in an absolutely safe place, one only you know about," Ryan instructed.

Trey accepted the envelope, which contained two portable video tapes.

The two tape boxes had different labels: one read "Cheerleader" and the other "Amber."

"What did you record here?" Trey frowned.

"Don't ask, and don't look," Ryan said.

"I wasn't going to pry. If you want me to hold it, I will," Trey replied, not wanting to add more to the conversation.

Ryan considered it carefully; no matter where these things were kept, they weren't safe. It was actually better to have Trey hold onto them.

"As for the series, the comedy was great, especially those punchlines. They might even become a hit," Trey continued as they talked about the show...

...

Los Angeles, Burbank, the internal test screening venue hosted by the CW Network, in the executive meeting room.

"Let's hear your thoughts," Dawn Ostroff surveyed the executives around her and began to speak.

She was the president of entertainment for the CW Network and had previously worked at UPN. After the merger, she became the president of entertainment. Years later, she would become the CEO of Spotify.

The head of program development spoke up, "This vampire-themed show cleverly weaves together family, historical elements, and yes, romance. The casting is solid, and I think it has the potential to be a blockbuster."

"The target audience is clear -- the young women. We can highlight this in the promotions," the marketing and publicity director chimed in.

"But this is a fantasy drama, and from the special effects in the pilot, the production costs will be high. I think we should proceed with caution," the finance and operations director voiced his concerns.

"Advisors, what do you think?" Dawn turned to the representatives from Warner and CBS sitting at the end of the table.

"Clearly above average quality. This is the best show we've seen in the past few days," one of them noted.

The other one agreed.

Dawn pressed a button on the phone in front of her. "What's the audience feedback like?"

The ratings analyst responded on the other end, "Some folks thought it was amazing and are looking forward to more, while others feel the story was a bit drawn out."

"That's because the plot hasn't really taken off yet," Julie argued quietly. As the producer and representative for the production team, she needed to be present for the test screening.

Dawn whispered a few questions to Julie, then turned back to her.

"We need to think some more. As per our usual process, we will confirm with you a month before the pilot season," Dawn said.

Julie nodded. "Also, I've produced a second show this year. Due to time constraints, this series is not on the schedule, but I think it can be put in line. After all, it's a sitcom and everyone can watch it while eating lunch."

Dawn glanced at her expensive watch and nodded casually. "Consider it a side dish! You have five minutes to grab our attention; if you don't, we'll change the channel."

"Agreed!"

"I'll go get my lunch."

As the executives attended to their own tasks, Julie instructed the staff to start the screening.

...

"Ding ding!"

"Pick up! Tables 12, 4, 11!"

On the large screen, the chef brought out dishes to the serving area...

"Is that armpit hair?" Dawn gasped at the chef's rather unkempt appearance.

Daddario, chewing gum and wearing a yellow apron, came to the food serving counter and said while serving the dishes, "Got it. Hey, when you get a second, stop looking at my boobs."

The older finance and operations director had been opening his food container when he froze, overwhelmed by what he heard, whispering, "Oh my God, are they showing this to the kids today?"

"This actress serves the dishes very skillfully," Dawn noted, recognizing the detail.

But she quickly became captivated by Daddario's dramatic performance style.

After just a few shots, the meeting room, which had been noisy due to lunchtime, fell eerily silent.

The head of program development held a plastic fork in his mouth, forgetting to open his food container, his eyes glued to the screen.

After several minutes, Daddario's performance had the whole room captivated.

"Who's the writer?" Dawn observed that the script was very tight, using humor to reveal the lead character's identity and personality traits, leaving a deep impression on the audience.

"Ryan, Ryan Rivers," Julie casually mentioned.

'The DJ? No, it must be someone with the same name,' Dawn nodded, not thinking much of it.

The screening continued until Amber's character, Caroline, made an entrance, prompting a low murmur from the room.

"Wow, she's stunning!"

"Who is this?"

"Isn't she that blonde from Texas... it has to be her."

"The outfit really showcases her best features."

The executives exchanged comments.

As the story progressed, they realized it was a dual-lead show.

"Both lead characters are distinctive and vastly different, but their traits complement each other perfectly, like a pair of sisters, creating excellent comedic chemistry."

"The supporting characters are uniquely crafted; everyone leaves a memorable impact. Who's the writer for this show?" the two advisors chimed in.

Generally speaking, internal test screenings forbid excessive chatter, but since it was lunchtime, everyone remained absorbed in what they were watching.

From the perspective of a sitcom, this was indeed a gem.

And by the end of the pilot, everyone, including Dawn, was left wanting more.

...

"Let's hear some evaluations; let's start from the financial side," Dawn rested her chin on her hand.

"A sitcom, low production costs and high returns. It's my favorite," even the usually picky finance director gave it a green light.

"If I had to point out just one downside, it would only be the abrupt canned laughter," the content executive joked.

"Honestly, I have no objections; it's quite entertaining, and that's enough for me. Who cares about advertisers?" the marketing and publicity director chimed in.

Dawn looked at the others, and this time, no one voiced any doubts.

"How did the audience react?"

"The audience reps are all asking when this show is airing."

Hearing that the audience shared the same excitement reassured Dawn as the last weight on her shoulders lifted.

"Let's sign a contract, Julie, if you want to leave here!" Dawn said with a smile.

Truthfully, she had hesitated about The Vampire Diaries earlier, but this sitcom was clearly of "must-have" quality.

This had the potential to rival the likes of Friends or, at the very least, Two and a Half Men. Dawn thought to herself; sitcoms had always been the CW's weak point, and she was determined to have this one, 2 Broke Girls.

"Um... it's not that I don't want to sign, but the investors asked me to wait and see the reactions from other networks," Julie responded sheepishly, as Ryan's original instruction was to "wait for a better offer," so she couldn't agree so quickly.

"What if I sign you on two shows right now, including that Vampire Diaries show?" Dawn raised her offer.

"Well... I need to call Ryan first." Julie sighed, knowing how vital the Vampire Diaries was for her too.

"Call him now."

...

"Ryan... are you back at the nightclub? It's nothing much; I'm at a CW screening..." Julie spoke quietly.

'The nightclub? What would a writer be doing at a nightclub during the day? Finding inspiration?' Dawn felt perplexed.

"He said he'd think about it. It seems he has other matters at hand and he'll call back in a few hours," Julie hung up.

...

"Then we'll wait a few hours. We can wait, even until the end of the day. Oh, I didn't get to ask you; who is this writer? I've never heard this name before." Dawn inquired again.

"I told you, Ryan Rivers."

"There are so many people with that name, like that DJ..." Dawn trailed off, realizing what she was implying.

"Exactly, you guessed it right, it's that Ryan Rivers!" Julie nodded.

"Fuck!" Dawn gasped out loud.

The other executives in the room wore equally dumbfounded expressions...

*****

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