Chapter 75

Chapter 75: "Stage Lights and Headlines"

Beverly Hills – Gold Agency Offices

August 2007

The lobby was loud, modern, and overly scented. Jake Harper stood beneath a massive steel sculpture that looked like a gold lightning bolt stabbing into a velvet carpet. Music played overhead—too trendy, too loud—but the energy was undeniable.

Callum leaned in. "You sure about this guy?"

Jake smirked. "He's insane. But he gets things done."

Before Callum could reply, the doors flung open and Ari Gold himself walked out, phone in one hand, sunglasses still on inside.

"Get Spielberg on the damn line and tell him no one passes on my kid. Nobody! I don't care if he's in Berlin!" He clicked the phone shut and turned to Jake. "Harper. The prodigy. The goddamn unicorn. You ready to change Hollywood?"

Jake raised an eyebrow. "That's the plan."

Inside Ari's Office

The walls were lined with movie posters—Entourage, The Matrix, Ocean's Eleven. And smack in the center was a massive dry-erase board labeled:

> NEW HOLLYWOOD – WHO OWNS IT?

Under it were two names:

Netflix

FaceWorld

Ari leaned against his desk, tossing Jake a chilled bottle of water.

"You've got the tech. You've got the distribution. You've got Thrones. But what you don't have—yet—is the chaos. The stars. The pop."

Jake calmly opened the water. "That's what this meeting's about?"

"No. This meeting is about a production label. You and me. Backed by real money. I bring the scripts, the talent, the crazy—you bring the greenlight button."

Before Jake could respond, the door opened and a voice said, "Hope I'm not interrupting."

In walked Mila Kunis—young, confident, and already a rising name from That '70s Show. She smiled as she sat across from Jake.

I told Ari I'd only come if he promised I'd meet the kid who bought Netflix and made a dragon show."

Jake gave a slight grin. "Guess I'm glad you showed."

Ari clapped his hands. "See? Chemistry. This is what I'm talking about."

Meanwhile – SoundStack Global Launch

Across the world, screens lit up.

Jake's sleek, bass-driven promo for SoundStack had dropped that morning. FacePhones buzzed with the update. FaceTVs refreshed with new tabs. The FaceStore auto-installed the SoundStack app globally.

Social media exploded with posts like:

This thing is CLEAN."

"SoundStack just took over my FacePhone. Not mad."

"Jake Harper is 13. I just downloaded an app he probably coded in his pajamas."

Back at headquarters, SoundStack's DAU counter ticked past 10 million within 24 hours.

And it was only getting started.

That Evening – Judith's Home, Brentwood

The dining table was set simply but with care—candles, flowers, a cloth runner. No media, no tech, no guests outside the family. Just Judith, Herb, and Jake.

Jake sat across from them, nursing a glass of sparkling water. He was still in the dress shirt he'd worn to the meeting with Ari Gold earlier that day, sleeves now rolled up, hair a little messy. Despite everything on his mind, he looked relaxed. For now.

Judith smiled as she placed a casserole dish in the center of the table. "I'm glad it's just the three of us tonight."

Herb nodded. "Feels right."

As they began to eat, Judith gave Herb a look—one Jake didn't miss.

"We have something to share," Judith said, setting her fork down. "We've picked a date."

Jake looked up. "For the wedding?"

Herb grinned. "Next May. A small ceremony overlooking the coast. Nothing huge, but beautiful."

Judith reached for Jake's hand. "I wanted you to hear it from us. And… I'd love for you to be part of it. However you feel comfortable."

Jake offered a soft nod. "I'll be there. And I'll say something good. I promise."

Judith's face softened. "That means a lot."

They ate in silence for a few moments, the kind that felt natural—easy, for once.

Later – Jake's Bedroom

Jake sat cross-legged on his bed, a FacePad in his lap. He'd been half-working, half-reflecting for the past hour, flicking through dashboards and messages without really processing them.

SoundStack had exceeded 12 million users in 36 hours. A wave of indie artists had begun uploading early demos. The system was holding strong. No outages. No bottlenecks. Just pure, clean scale.

A message flashed from Mila Kunis:

Let me know if that studio deal with Ari is real. I've got ideas—and not just for me."

Jake smiled briefly, then tapped the screen off without replying.

A moment later, another notification came through.

Haley Dunphy:

> "I saw the SoundStack launch. Congrats. Just don't forget there's a world outside your empire, okay?"

Jake stared at it.

Then slid the phone aside.

He wasn't ready to answer that yet.

Judith and Herb in the Kitchen

They stood shoulder to shoulder at the sink, washing and drying dishes together.

Herb glanced toward Jake's closed door. "He seemed quieter tonight."

Judith nodded. "He's thinking about a hundred things at once."

She paused. "Sometimes I forget… he's just a boy."

Herb glanced at her. "Sometimes I think he does, too."