DOS Ch-349

Evan looked at his brother from a distance, and for a moment, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Gone was the superstar who made women swoon across half the world. His posture was straight and decisive, his footing sure and confident, his hair slicked back perfectly, his face clean-shaven. The most noticeable difference was in his physique, which was thinner, yet radiated a kind of power that hadn’t been there just a month ago.

“What the fuck happened to him?” he muttered to no one in particular.

“I haven’t seen a more motivated actor in my life,” Jonathan replied seriously. “I did the same training as him, and so did many other actors, but he’s on another level entirely. If our trainers ask for ten pushups, he does thirty to begin with. I low-key think he’s a maniac.”

“He’s just dedicated,” Evan said, defending his brother. “As a director, I love this kind of actor.”

“Of course you do, he’s your brother.” Jonathan rolled his eyes.

Evan shook his head. “It’s not just that. There’s a reason every director in the world wants to work with Troy, and it’s not just because of his wealth and fame. In fact, they want to work with him despite that. Most actors at this level of accomplishment slow down or become big divas. Not Troy. For him, the role always comes before his comfort.”

As if to prove his point, a loud whistle rang across the field, drawing everyone’s attention to the instructor, a military veteran.

“Alright, boys, surprise drill. Drop and give me twenty.”

Without hesitating for even a second, Troy dropped to his hands and started doing pushups. The other actors followed suit only after Troy had already finished five.

“You too, Groff,” the instructor barked in Evan and Jonathan’s direction. “Get your pasty ass down on the floor right now.”

Jonathan didn’t like being addressed like that, but he did as told and got down on his hands.

“Troy didn’t have to be reprimanded,” Evan quipped cheekily. “That’s dedication.”

“Fuck you,” Jonathan grumbled.

Evan just laughed and stepped away, letting the actors train. It had been a month since the training began, a month he’d spent mostly on pre-production while the actors trained their asses off.

The biggest surprise for Evan was how many big actors wanted to be part of this movie. Matthew McConaughey, who was training just a few feet away from Troy, had lobbied for the role of Captain Jack Glover despite it being a supporting role, all because he wanted to change his image. He’d even agreed to take a big pay cut and work for a fraction of his usual fee, just $3 million compared to the upwards of $12 million he’d typically earn for a romantic film.

Then there was Henry Cavill, who had accepted the role of Private “Smitty” Ryker. Michael Keaton was cast as Desmond’s father, Tom Hardy as Sergeant Howell, and Annette Bening as Desmond’s mother.

Then there was the female love interest, Dorothy Schutte, a role that had been bagged by Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Troy had found a unique way to audition her for the role of Dorothy.

(Flashback)

“Here’s the deal, Elizabeth,” he began seriously. “I really like you for this role and would love to feature you in the movie, but I want to see some real acting from you beyond the audition.”

Hearing those words from Troy froze Evan in his tracks for a moment. If someone else had said that, Evan would’ve assumed they had ulterior motives. So why would Troy say something so damning?

“And what exactly would I have to do for that?” Elizabeth leaned forward, her expression eager as she asked. Having grown up around celebrities, she wasn’t starstruck, but she was definitely attracted to Troy, if her reaction was anything to go by.

“I have to shoot a music video for a song I’ve co-written. I want you to star in it opposite me. If I like you in the video, I’ll confirm you for the film as well. Fair enough?”

Elizabeth pouted, looking disappointed. “Alright. I can do that.”

Troy cocked his head sideways in confusion. “You seem disappointed.”

“No, no, I just didn’t expect that,” she said hurriedly. “I’m happy to get the role.”

When she was gone, Evan asked the question he was most curious about. “Didn’t you want to star in that music video with Scarlett?”

Troy sighed. “I did. But she didn’t want that. She thought we shouldn’t overexpose our relationship to media scrutiny after the leaks, and the video would do exactly that because of its toxic themes.”

That made a surprising amount of sense. Troy was impulsive and prone to snap decisions, but he needed someone like Scarlett to think things through sometimes and make him see reason.

“But aren’t you doing a movie with her as well?”

“It’ll take a year for Richard Curtis to get the script ready, and by the time the film releases, it’ll be 2012, possibly even 2013. Everyone will have forgotten about the leaks by then.”

Evan nodded. “Alright then, just one more question. The theme of this song is totally different from the one in [Hacksaw Ridge]. Are you sure this video will be enough to tell you if Olsen is good enough for the role?”

Troy smiled at him. “I’ve already made up my mind. She’ll play both roles. If she struggles at any point, I’ll help her out. I just don’t want her to think I hand out roles like candy.”

“But you do hand out roles like candy,” Evan joked, then turned serious. “How do you want me to direct ‘Love the Way You Lie’?”

He thought about it for a moment before answering. “I want the video to tell a full story, just like the lyrics. In the opening verse, establish the toxicity and power dynamics of their relationship, with people unsure who’s right, the woman or the man, since both are equally toxic. In the second verse, show the depth of their relationship. The little things the man does that make the woman mad, slowly shifting the blame onto me. By the third verse, it should be clear to everyone that I’m the villain here, and that this relationship would never work.”

Evan nodded slowly as he took it all in. “That’s perfect. I’ll write up a full story for the song to convey all that better.”

(Flashback End)

In the week following that conversation, Troy took a day out of his busy schedule to shoot the music video with Elizabeth Olsen, and honestly, the end result was fantastic. It was easily the best-directed music video of Evan’s career. The intensity and passion that Troy and Elizabeth brought to the screen were unimaginable.

Troy was right about casting Olsen. Once again. Evan might grow old and grey, but he’d never have instincts as sharp as his brother’s when it came to casting in particular or selecting projects in general. Elizabeth Olsen’s audition hadn’t been bad, but it hadn’t stood out much either. Yet Troy had insisted she would be better than any other girl who auditioned. Evan had been skeptical until he saw her on the day of the shoot. She had completely transformed into the kind of woman who would be in a wild, passionate, and toxic relationship with a stoner or drunk man.

He could only wait to see how she would transform when it came to playing Dorothy, a soft-spoken Southern nurse.

“Evan,” Troy called out suddenly, breaking the young director out of his reverie.

“Yeah?”

“I’m done with my training today, and I’m going home.”

Evan glanced at the other actors still undergoing their respective training.

“So soon?”

“I have an Oscar campaign to run as well,” Troy reminded him. “I’m going to an Academy event. But don’t worry, my full focus will be on this film. I’m not that desperate for another Oscar, but I have to do it for the film in general. It doesn’t help that two of my songs are in contention for Best Song, ‘I See the Light’ and ‘Sign of the Times’.”

Evan smiled. “I understand, bro. After all, you’ll have to run a similar campaign next year for [Hacksaw Ridge] as well.”

Troy laughed at that. “Confident, are we? I like that in a director. Make sure you back that up with your direction as well. I want a masterpiece on the level of [Saving Private Ryan] and [Children of Men], which are some of the finest examples of direction I’ve seen in an action movie. If you have any doubts, feel free to contact Alfonso or Steven. I’m sure they’d guide you.”

“That’s not necessary,” Evan waved off the offer. “I’ve already planned how the war scenes are going to unfold in the movie, and I’ll make them more intense than anything you’ve ever been in.”

Troy raised an impressed eyebrow before nodding once. “I’ll hold you to that promise. For now…”

“Troy!”

Both Evan and Troy turned to see Benji running toward them, panting as if something important had happened.

“You need to come along,” he said urgently, then lowered his voice. “They found the man who hacked Scarlett’s phone and your emails.”

(Break)

Immediate anger burst through me as soon as I heard about the man who had almost ruined my life. If things had gone even slightly differently, everything I had built over the last decade would have gone down the drain.

“Who is he?” I asked as the three of us speed-walked toward the car.

“Some guy named Jackson Haim. Does that ring any bells?”

I thought about the name for a few seconds before shaking my head. “Not really.”

“Thought so,” Benji said. “He’s just a disgruntled guy who applied for a job at Phoenix and got rejected multiple times. This was his attempt to show everyone that he was actually good and deserved a job there.”

“The only thing he deserves is a place behind bars,” I hissed. “Where is he now? And who caught him?”

“It was a joint effort,” Benji replied once we were seated in the car. “Remember that guy you gave the Lambo to?”

“Patrick?” I asked.

“Yeah. He figured out the connection. Haim was very careful about hiding his identity, but he made one mistake. The IP address he used to send the malicious link to Scarlett was the same one he used while applying for a job at Phoenix. As soon as the team was sure they had the right guy, they shared the info with the FBI, who arrested him just a few hours ago. From what they’ve found, he was working alone. There was no conspiracy against you.”

It felt almost anticlimactic, as if the whole thing had been too easy. I’d expected… more from this hacker. I’d come up with so many theories in my head. Maybe Google hired him, or Weinstein, or one of Epstein’s associates I helped lock up. But in the end, it all happened because the man failed a job interview?

“I want that man to be sued to hell and back,” I said after a beat. “I want him buried so deep in lawsuits that he doesn’t have time to breathe. Make an example out of him. Show the world how vicious I can be when someone fucks with me.”

“Are you sure of that?” Evan asked cautiously. “As much as I want to kill him myself, you have an image to maintain.”

“Then people shouldn’t mess with me,” I said seriously. “This is something I’m not willing to budge from. If someone wastes so much of my time and resources because of some petty reason, then I’ll make sure to waste even more resources on them to make sure someone else doesn’t get the same idea.”

So many people brought frivolous lawsuits against celebrities, hoping to make a big payday from the payouts. I have never paid someone anything they weren’t owed, and I don’t intend to ever do that.

If I become a villain because of that, so be it.

(Break)

“In other news, the FBI has apprehended Jackson Haim, the man who allegedly leaked private photos, videos, and emails of Hollywood couple Scarlett Johansson and Troy Armitage. Haim is facing serious charges, including computer fraud and abuse, unauthorized access to protected systems, identity theft and impersonation, distribution of private and intimate material, and corporate espionage.

“If the charges are proven, Haim could spend decades behind bars. To add to his troubles, Troy Armitage’s legal team has also filed multiple civil lawsuits against him, with a mind-boggling $1 billion in combined damages. It is one of the highest amounts any single individual has ever been sued for.

“When asked about the reasoning behind the amount, Troy’s attorney had this to say:

‘What price should be put on the privacy of a couple who shared private moments with each other, expecting no one else to see them? What about the business and personal emails Troy sent to multiple people, all of which are now public knowledge? Or the corporate plans Phoenix had for years to come, some of which have now been revealed, allowing competitors to adopt similar strategies? If anything, I think we’re being generous by limiting the damages to just $1 billion.’”