Chapter 131: Sisters’ Heart-to-Heart

Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Sisters’ Heart-to-Heart

She picked up the phone, and Shelly’s excited voice immediately came through the receiver.

"Irene! Did you see it? Four nominations! The industry is buzzing! Baird Fergus from Fox just called me to say that the evaluation meeting for Pirates of the Caribbean will be moved up, and staff from Disney have also been asking about the situation. This is all the confidence the nominations have given you!"

Irene wore a confident smile as she said into the phone, "I saw it, Shelly. Get ready for the upcoming negotiations. With these four nominations, our bargaining chips are even stronger."

"Don’t rush, Irene, just wait a little longer. As long as you can win an award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy or Best Screenplay, then the three-way collaboration will definitely work!"

Irene couldn’t help but nod in agreement, but realizing the person on the other end couldn’t see her expression, she quickly added, "I’ll listen to you."

The weekend after the Golden Globe Awards nominations were announced, the living room of the Malibu villa had completely turned into a fashion battlefield. Francis had even arranged to meet friends early in the morning for a gathering, leaving the space to the women.

The sheer curtains in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows were pulled back, and sunlight poured in, illuminating the haute couture gowns hanging across the entire wall.

From the silver sequined mermaid skirt by Armani to the nude lace long dress by Dior, and finally the bright red satin gown by Valentino, each piece was covered in a luxury brand’s exclusive dust cover, gleaming with exquisite luster in the light. This time, there were no second-tier brands.

Vivian shuttled through them wearing slippers, holding up an emerald green velvet gown, her tone certain.

"Listen to me, choose this one! Velvet looks especially high-end under red carpet lights, and this color makes your skin tone look like cool-toned pale skin. It will definitely be a hit in photos. Hilary Swank won Best Actress wearing velvet earlier this year. It’s a sure thing!"

Britney was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a fashion magazine, and retorted without looking up, "That’s too dull! Irene is going to the Golden Globe Awards, not the Oscar. It needs to be more lively!"

After seeing a certain page, she suddenly held up the magazine, pointing to a pink feather strapless dress. "How about this one! It’s sweet and eye-catching, perfectly fitting the youthful vibe of Mean Girls. The judges and the media will resonate with it."

"Pink is too dependent on the occasion. It would be awkward if you wore the same thing as another actress." Sophia walked over with two glasses of champagne, handed one to Irene, and scanned the options, finally settling on a champagne-colored off-the-shoulder gown.

"I think this one is safer. It’s simple and elegant. It can highlight your figure without stealing the spotlight from the awards themselves. After all, you’re going to compete for an award, not just walk a runway."

Irene smilingly took the champagne, her gaze also falling on the champagne-colored off-the-shoulder gown, while the chattering of the three women filled her ears, as lively as a marketplace.

Vivian had already taken the emerald green velvet dress off the hanger and, without further ado, held it up against her.

"Look, look, how well the waistline fits! And velvet has an inherent sense of high-end quality. It won’t look ostentatious at all."

Britney immediately leaned in, blocking the other side of Irene with the pink feather dress. "The contrast is too obvious! Green looks old-fashioned, pink looks young! You’re the producer who made Mean Girls. You need that girlish vibe!"

Sophia shook her head helplessly and picked up a pearl belt. "Why not compromise? Choose this white mermaid skirt and pair it with this pearl belt. It’s elegant yet lively, and white is the least likely to go wrong on the red carpet."

The four of them circled around Irene, holding different dresses and accessories up to her, their laughter rising and falling.

Irene looked at herself in the mirror, surrounded by gowns, feeling full of warmth in her heart, but inadvertently caught a flash of envy in the depths of Sophia’s eyes.

That look was very faint, as quick as an illusion, but it was caught right in the act by Irene, who had been paying attention to her sister’s expression.

She could very well understand Sophia’s thoughts.

Since childhood, Sophia had always been the "straight-A student" in everyone’s eyes—talented yet introverted. As the eldest daughter of the Coppola family, she had always taken pride in her identity and considered continuing the glory of the Coppola family as her duty.

And as the younger sister, she had obtained recognition from the Golden Globe Awards first with a teen comedy. It was inevitable that her sister would feel a sense of disparity.

Amidst the noise, Irene used thirst as an excuse to pull Sophia upstairs.

Arriving at the second-floor balcony, the laughter from the first floor was cut off.

Irene poured Sophia a glass of lemonade. "Sis, are my friends too noisy?"

Sophia shook her head with a smile. "Of course not, you are still young. This is the time when you should be lively."

Irene held Sophia’s hand and pulled her to sit on a lounge chair. "Sis, didn’t you always say you wanted to do a new project? Do you have any ideas?"

Sophia glanced at Irene, wondering why she was suddenly talking about her new project at this time, and said with a smile, "I don’t have any inspiration yet, which is why I thought about coming back to spend time with the family."

Irene continued, "If you don’t have any inspiration, I remember you went to Japan as an exchange student in college and said the city atmosphere there was very special. Why not take this time to revisit Tokyo? Maybe you can find new creative inspiration in the streets and alleys."

Sophia was initially a bit indifferent, but she lowered her head and pondered for a moment, and a light gradually appeared in her eyes.

She thought of Tokyo’s rainy nights, the Shibuya crossing, and the alleys of Shinjuku. Those images in her memory suddenly became clear.

She raised her head, her eyes shining. "That’s a good idea. I do need to change my environment to find a feel for things. Maybe this trip to Japan will allow me to write a really great script."

Irene smiled and hugged her sister. "You definitely can. Your talent is much higher than mine."

After all, Sophia’s Lost in Translation had received four Oscar nominations and eventually won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, causing a huge sensation at the time.

Of course, there were also media outlets saying that Sophia was riding on the coattails of her father, Francis, and that people only voted for Lost in Translation because of Francis Coppola.

Such comments were inevitable. Thinking about it, once the news of her nomination spread, there would likely be newspapers writing the same thing.

But screw that. Relying on your dad is also a skill.

As for Irene wanting to walk into the Oscar awards ceremony, I’m afraid there is still a long way to go.

Just then, Vivian’s shout came from the living room. "Irene! Sophia! Come out quickly! We’ve finally selected three options, hurry up and try them on!"

In the living room, Britney was standing in front of the mirror holding three dresses, while Vivian was matching accessories on the side.

Irene swept her gaze over them, and the only one that matched her aesthetic was that bright red satin gown by Valentino.

Finally, mother Eleanor was also pulled in to be the judge.

After comparing the styles, colors, and brands, the Valentino that Irene chose finally stood out from the crowd and became the gown she would wear to the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.