Chapter 271: No Losing in Five Rounds

[Chapter 271: No Losing in Five Rounds]

A few days after the announcement that the Bad Room in Monaco officially launched, Ryan and Karlie, along with Sean and Berwick, returned to Florida.

As soon as Ryan stepped into his office, he spotted Ivanka sitting in his chair, listening to a report from her team. Upon seeing Ryan, Ivanka prepared to stand up.

"Continue," Ryan said as he took a seat on the sofa along with Karlie.

"What were we discussing?" Ivanka asked, not saying much and turning her attention back to the team.

For the next half hour, Ryan felt a sense of pride as he listened. Through previous training, Ivanka had really stepped up; she was no longer the young woman she once was and handled her work with impressive organization.

As the team left, Ryan nodded at them.

...

Once the office was left with just Ivanka, Teresa, Karlie, and himself, he couldn't help but whistle.

"Looks like you don't need me here anymore," Ryan joked.

"I can handle things for a while, but if I keep doing it full-time, I might run into issues," Ivanka replied, shaking her head with a laugh.

"If there's an issue, just give me a call. I need to head to the West Coast for a bit," Ryan said.

"I thought you'd go check out Ibiza," Ivanka sipped her ice water.

"Now that Hugo Urgell is gone, the so-called alliance has fallen apart. Maybe someday there'll be a new one, but for now, I don't see them being a threat. Besides, the ban has been lifted," Ryan replied, shaking his head.

He didn't need to go all out; the Atlantic was vast, and as long as others didn't stir trouble, he was willing to coexist peacefully with his peers. Actually, before their return, Ryan had been contacted by peers from Ibiza through an editor at Mix magazine, who suggested lifting the ban, clearly indicating a desire not to continue battling with him. Ryan welcomed this scenario, knowing even larger projects awaited him.

The only publication still holding on was DJ magazine. Ryan was planning a different approach for them; he intended to acquire Mix magazine and introduce a ranking selection similar to "Top DJs." Since he had been left out of their evaluation system, Ryan decided to create a new one from scratch.

...

"Now..." Ivanka glanced at Karlie Kloss, who was sitting beside Ryan.

"Let's formally introduce ourselves," Ryan gestured subtly.

Karlie nervously stood up and walked over to Ivanka, unable to lift her gaze.

"We'll be family now. Ryan tells me you're considering stepping back from modeling?" Ivanka smiled.

Karlie nodded.

"Staying in Florida sounds great; it saves on travels, and with this wonderful climate, it's the perfect place to retire," Ivanka fully supported Karlie's retirement plan.

"Exactly. As a model, it's not always safe running around. Staying here is best," Teresa added.

Then Ivanka asked about Taylor's situation.

"She'll be back in a bit, but her tour is still ongoing," Ryan replied.

Taylor was a true workhorse, consistently working hard, and this time she was returning to prepare for a new album, spending more time in Nashville. However, with her private jet, it was easy for her to make the trips back.

...

"What about you? Your trip to LA... besides the clubs, there's gotta be more?" Ivanka asked again.

Ryan nodded and asked about Elizabeth Olsen: "Where is she?"

Just then, Elizabeth walked in with a folder in hand. Upon seeing the gathering in the office, she exclaimed, "When did you guys get back?"

"Just now," Ryan opened his arms, and Elizabeth jumped right into his embrace.

"This trip to LA, I'm planning for Elizabeth to shoot a Marvel movie," Ryan mentioned. He had seen a lot of movie scenes in Vision before, and Elizabeth Olsen was among them.

Upon hearing this, all the women in the room, except for Elizabeth, showed puzzled expressions.

"Why Marvel? Did you have any connections?" Ivanka couldn't help but ask.

"Not at all, but I know there's a role that would suit her," Ryan explained.

"I heard Disney is in talks to acquire Marvel Studios," Teresa recalled from the recent Hollywood Reporter information.

What was once a small rumor had begun to gain media exposure.

"That's a good thing. With Marvel under Disney's wing, they can focus on content," Ryan mused.

"Yeah, a deal like that is costly. Only Disney could pull it off," Ivanka nodded.

"There are others with money, but they won't pursue it," Ryan shook his head. For instance, Carlyle Group could easily buy Marvel, but they didn't venture into the entertainment industry due to the high risks involved.

Besides Marvel, there was also the investment from Instagram.

...

"When are you planning to leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"That's quick?" Karlie, Ivanka, and Teresa exclaimed in unison.

Elizabeth, who was comfortably sitting in Ryan's lap, seemed quite happy.

"The sooner I wrap it up, the sooner I can return," Ryan looked at the women around him. What man wouldn't want a life like this? His dreams had turned into reality, and a unique sense of accomplishment filled him.

"What do you all want for dinner tonight?" Ryan asked.

The women chimed in one after the other.

---

At eight in the evening, after Ryan served the last dish, he gradually sat down.

"Raise your glasses, ladies," Ryan said, surveying the room.

Ivanka, Teresa, Karlie, and Elizabeth slowly raised their glasses, sharing smiles with each other.

"If only Taylor were here," Ivanka sighed.

"No, she'll be here soon," Ryan raised an eyebrow. Despite Taylor being in Europe, taking a couple of days to fly back wasn't difficult.

"She'll be back in about an hour," Ryan checked the time.

...

He wasn't wrong -- less than an hour later, a worn-out Taylor returned, bringing local gifts for everyone, not just Ryan.

"Are you all ready, sisters?" Taylor eagerly sat next to Ryan and lifted her glass.

The five women stood and toasted to Ryan, except for Ivanka, whose glass held water.

Taylor took the lead, downing her drink, "From now on, we're family. Whatever happened before is behind us; from here on out, let's respect, tolerate, and care for each other. If anyone has grievances, don't hold back; I feel the same way."

The other women followed suit, finishing their glasses and turning to Ryan.

"I propose we each toast separately with Taylor," Ivanka said, representing the remaining three women.

"Taylor, you've sacrificed so much for us, you're a blessing to all of us here," Ivanka raised her glass and walked to Taylor's side.

"Come on, I haven't done much. When I'm not around, you'll have to step in," Taylor said with a smile.

"Definitely."

"Take care of the baby you're carrying. That child will be so lucky to have so many moms."

Ivanka was deeply touched, her eyes glistening.

"When your child is born, I promise I'll treat them just like my own," Ivanka said gratefully.

Next was Teresa, who approached Taylor with an apology.

"It's all in the past now. You've stayed alongside Ryan, helping him so much, and if Ryan isn't treating you right, I won't stand for it," Taylor chuckled.

"Yeah," Teresa nodded emphatically. "I may not offer much, but whenever 13 Entertainment needs me, I'm here to help."

"Great, I could use an extra hand," Taylor readily agreed.

Following that was Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, I'll be inviting you to appear in my music video; I see a lot of potential in you as an actress."

"You're so kind; I'll make sure to repay you."

"We're all sisters; it's only right I do this. Just make sure you look after Ryan while you're in LA with him."

"Sure thing, I'll send you videos tonight so you won't feel lonely," Elizabeth instinctively replied.

The other women burst into laughter, and Taylor turned around, "Did you hear that? Later, create a group chat in your messenger and include us all. We should have nightly updates."

Would they even livestream? Ryan couldn't help but chuckle. With more people, the dynamics would surely escalate.

Finally, it was Karlie's turn. They already had a good bond, so they quickly embraced each other excitedly.

"Karlie, since you've decided to retire, I'll give you a task: get pregnant quickly," Taylor teased.

Who went first didn't matter; they were all just trying to lighten the mood.

"Don't even talk about it," Karlie frowned slightly. "That's the thing I dread the most every night."

"Why?" Ivanka expressed confusion. Had it not been for having a child, she would ask Ryan to stay with her every night until dawn.

Taylor turned to Ryan, "Are you being too rough with her?"

"Not at all; Ryan is very gentle, it's just... just..." Karlie struggled to articulate.

The others quickly understood.

"What's so bad about that?" Ivanka leaned in and whispered a few words to Karlie.

Karlie's face instantly flushed.

...

This opened the floodgates for conversation among the women. The remainder of the dinner included compliments about Ryan's extraordinary cooking skills and recounting intimate moments with Ryan. After a few drinks, their tones became increasingly bold.

"Ryan, tonight is five rounds. Can you handle it? I advise you to prepare some medicine, just in case," Ivanka joked.

...

Hours later.

"Honey, you're such a tough guy..." Taylor was the first to blackout and first to recover. She burst out, sitting up and exclaiming.

Ryan pulled her close, and Taylor nestled into his arms, their fingers interlocked.

"I think I need to rest a few more days. What do you think?" Taylor said slowly, eyes closed.

"Are you feeling too worn out? I've heard your intense touring has your health on the line," Ryan expressed concern.

"Let's cut back on the number of shows. I'm worried. Leave the money-making to me," Ryan said.

"But... the tour schedule for next year has already been announced; I can't back out now," Taylor defended.

"Just say it's for health reasons. Your fans will understand."

"What reason?"

"You know what?"

Taylor opened her eyes, feeling unsure, "Isn't it still too early?"

"Now is the best time," Ryan said, pressing his cheek against hers.

...

The next day, Ryan, Taylor, and Elizabeth arrived at the private airport.

"Taylor, I really think you're probably pregnant," Elizabeth analyzed from the backseat. The night before, they had all been cheering her on during the final moments, resembling the atmosphere of a marathon finish line.

"Really? Well, the result won't be known for at least a month. And you guys, don't forget, you can't escape either," Taylor said with a laugh.

The two parted at the airport. Taylor opted for an uninterrupted tour instead of postponing, while Ryan and Elizabeth headed off to Los Angeles.

*****

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