Chapter 55: Birthday

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Birthday

Irene was sipping her red wine when she heard the question. She paused for a moment, then turned her head. A knowing and calm smile curved her lips as she answered honestly.

"Yes, they did contact Shelly."

She gently set down her wine glass. Her gaze moved across the family and friends who were chatting and laughing around the dining table. Finally, her eyes settled back on Britney’s face. They were clear and steady.

"But my battlefield is behind the camera, not in front of the flashes. Those fine clothes and jewels are beautiful, but they should be the halo that belongs to you, Britney. You were born to be a star for the stage and the lens."

Her tone was sincere. There was no jealousy or regret in her voice. She only felt clear understanding and support for her friend’s path.

"As for me," Irene continued, and her voice carried a confidence that could not be doubted

"I prefer for people to remember me through the stories on the screen, not through which season’s dress I’m wearing. Accepting that title would distract me. I want to devote all my energy to building the next world."

She gently clinked her glass against Britney’s. The glasses made a faint, crisp ding.

"So, don’t feel sorry for me. Fendi chose you because you are its best embodiment. Rejecting it was my clearest choice for my own path. We are simply shining with different lights on our own stages."

She never wanted to be a spokesperson for capitalists. She wanted to enter the core circle that controlled resources, distribution channels, and the power to speak.

She wanted to join them and become one of them through her own strength, vision, and boldness.

She did not want to be a star selected by capital. She wanted to be a player who could talk to capital as an equal, and one day even lead it.

The dinner was ending in a pleasant mood, but everyone still wanted to keep talking. Just then, the restaurant lights suddenly dimmed. Only a few warm wall lamps stayed on. Eleanor and Sophia shared a smile and left their seats at the same time.

A moment later, they slowly came out of the kitchen. They were pushing a large two-tiered cake. It was decorated with beautiful frosting and fresh berries.

On top of the cake were candles shaped like the numbers "1" and "8." The warm candlelight flickered and reflected on everyone’s smiling faces.

"This is..." Irene was slightly taken aback. Then she remembered that this year’s Thanksgiving was only one day before her birthday. Tomorrow she would be eighteen years old in this world.

Francis stood up and raised his wine glass. His voice was loud and full of love.

"Although tomorrow is the actual day, our dearest family and friends are all here. Why not take this chance to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of our family’s pride, my youngest daughter Irene, in advance?"

"Happy Birthday, Irene!" everyone shouted together with smiles. Britney and Vivian clapped their hands, and little Jack shrieked with excitement.

Irene quickly pulled Britney to her side. "Britney’s birthday is also coming up in a couple of days, so happy early birthday to our Brit as well!" Irene started applauding, then suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, and congratulations to our Brit for getting a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist!"

Everyone immediately cheered and applauded.

"Happy Birthday, Britney! We hope you bring home the Grammy next year!"

Irene and Britney smiled at each other and gave each other a big hug. Under everyone’s gaze, they took a deep breath, leaned over, and blew out all the candles together. Applause rang out once more.

Eighteen.

At an age when many of her peers were still drifting without direction, Irene’s resume already included a huge commercial success like Legally Blonde. She also held the script for Mean Girls, which was almost certain to be another hit.

Britney had already won the MTV Best New Artist award and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Compared to others their age, they were already standing at the peak of success.

Looking back at the past, all those sleepless days and nights on set and in the dance studio now felt like a heavy sense of achievement.

’I didn’t let down the person I’ve been for these past eighteen years,’ she thought to herself. It was not arrogance. It was a quiet confirmation that her hard work had paid off. She believed that Britney felt the same way.

At that moment, she felt incredibly grateful. She was grateful that she had been given a second chance in this world. She was grateful to feel her parents’ love again.

She was grateful for the advantages that most people could never have. She was grateful that she could freely choose her own future and help Britney reach even greater success.

After Thanksgiving, Irene began writing her third script. It would later become the star-studded action-adventure classic The Italian Job.

Irene did not rush to write complicated heist steps. She first focused on the soul of the story — Charlie Crowe’s betrayal and being betrayed.

The idea of "giving someone a taste of their own medicine" was the key selling point of this movie.

This time, she decided to adapt the original film further. In her script, the story opened with a heist scene set in Boston.

The details were left vague, but the feeling of betrayal was strong. The death of the mentor, the character played by Robert Blake in the original, was not just about losing money. It was a devastating blow to trust.

That moment laid a solid emotional foundation for the entire revenge plan that followed. Every action the team took was not just for profit, but for justice.

Irene knew that even the smartest plot needed to be carried by vivid characters. She focused on several key roles.

Charlie Croker was the leader of the team. She still wanted Mark Wahlberg to play him. He was an avenger who carried both guilt and anger.

His calm face hid a burning fire underneath. Wahlberg had both street smarts and emotional depth, which was exactly what she wanted.

Steve was a shrewd and two-faced villain. His betrayal did not come from a moment of greed. It came from his arrogance. He thought he was better than everyone else and looked down on the team’s loyalty.

Edward Norton played him originally, but he was at the peak of his career right now. He had just released the huge hit Fight Club this year. He would likely turn down her script.

After all, The Italian Job was still a standard commercial film. It had moments that showed human nature, but not many.

Because of that, the actor definitely had to be changed. She could leave that decision to Fox when the time came.

Stella was the locksmith expert and an important female role in the film. She was independent, strong, witty, and a little sharp.

She was a top safe expert with amazing skills. The role needed a woman with strong charisma. She had to be beautiful, but also tough.

Charlize Theron was suitable for this role, but maybe because of the original script, she had not shown her strong and sharp side yet. Irene could try to develop that side of the character further.

Then there were the other roles in the team: the passionate demolition expert, the nervous and talkative computer hacker, and the racing driver with incredible driving skills.

Except for the racing driver, who was played by the future action star Jason Statham, the other actors were not very famous yet. CAA could handle casting those parts when the time came.

While she was creating, she watched Mark Wahlberg’s sharp face again and again. His face could look both honest and dangerous.

She imagined how heavy his heart felt. She thought about how he would use his eyes to show the pain of broken trust and his determination for revenge.

His image became her visual anchor for shaping Charlie Crowe.

Besides the characters, the most important part of the film was the "mission impossible" chase with three nimble MINI Coopers.

She spent a lot of time designing the car chase scenes. She did not just want speed. She wanted rhythm and fun.

In her description, the MINI Coopers moved through the crowded traffic of Los Angeles like swimming fish and raced through subway tunnels.

She wrote these scenes to be vivid and exciting. The chase scenes were practical for the escape, but they were also fun to watch.

She wanted them to become classic movie moments that people would remember for years.