The Tyrant Billionaire

"Mr. Hardy, do you think my performance was okay?" Taylor asked, slightly out of breath.

"Your ballet was beautiful," Hardy replied honestly.

The girl's big eyes darted around as she gathered her courage to ask tentatively, "My mom said there's a role in Mr. Hardy's movie that I might fit. Is it the story I talked to you about before?"

"You mean you want to play Matilda, the 14 year old girl?" Hardy clarified.

"Yes, I really want to." Taylor nodded eagerly.

From the moment Taylor heard Hardy talk about the story, she found it intriguing. The role of the girl was dynamic and challenging, something she believed she could excel in if given the chance.

But Hardy shook his head now, leaving Taylor puzzled, thinking he had rejected her.

"What is it about me that doesn't fit?" she asked tentatively. "I have many talents I can show. Maybe I can perform a scene for you."

Taylor knew this was a rare opportunity. Her mom had told her that Hardy might hire Hitchcock to direct the movie and collaborate with MGM, with Matilda as the lead role—an opportunity she didn't want to miss.

"I just told you about Matilda's story. Do you think you and she have anything in common?" Hardy asked.

Taylor paused, then shook her head in disappointment. Matilda grew up in a poor neighborhood, her father was a small time thug and drug dealer, and her mother was a mistress. It was a challenging upbringing, marked by hardship and abuse.

"Taylor, have you noticed you always have a touch of haughtiness? That's quite different from Matilda," Hardy explained. "I doubt you could portray this character convincingly."

Taylor lowered her head, acknowledging Hardy's assessment. She knew she and Matilda were too different.

Struggling to hold back tears, Taylor finally spoke up: "Mr. Hardy, I'm willing to change for the role. Can you give me a chance?"

"Changing will be tough. Are you up for it?" Hardy asked.

"I'm willing. I'm not afraid of hard work," Taylor replied firmly.

"Taylor, bring your mother over here," Hardy instructed.

Thinking Hardy had rejected her, Taylor walked over to her mother with a lost look in her eyes. Sarah, seeing tears welling up in her daughter's eyes, quickly asked what was wrong.

Taylor explained Hardy's comments to her mother.

"Mr. Hardy said our personalities are quite different. I said I'm willing to change, but he didn't answer and asked me to bring you over," Taylor recounted.

Sarah took her daughter's hand and went to Hardy.

"Mr. Hardy, Elizabeth is a hardworking and smart girl. Can't you give her a chance?" Sarah pleaded on her daughter's behalf.

This time, Hardy didn't refuse. Instead, he pretended to consider.

Looking at Taylor again, Hardy said, "If you're really willing to work hard and change, it will be a challenging journey. You'll need to learn a lot."

Taylor sensed opportunity in Hardy's tone and excitedly said, "Mr. Hardy, I'm willing to work hard. I'm not afraid of challenges."

"Mr. Hardy, please give Elizabeth a chance. She's very bright," Sarah chimed in.

Observing the mother and daughter, Hardy thought to himself, "Am I bullying this young girl or trying to save her?"

Turning to Taylor, Hardy said, "The film is still in pre-production. It won't start for several months. If you're not afraid of hard work, I can train you during this time."

Overjoyed, Taylor exclaimed, "I'm not afraid of hard work. I'm willing to accept Mr. Hardy's training."

Sarah echoed her daughter's sentiment: "Thank you for giving Elizabeth this opportunity. She will learn diligently."

The next day, Hardy went to the film company and called in two screenwriters. He handed them a draft he had written the previous night—a synopsis of "Léon: The Professional."

Unaware of the original script's content, Hardy's draft was a copy of the film's plot, even incorporating some classic dialogue.

Matilda asked Léon, "Is life always this painful, or is it just when I am a kid?"

Léon, not wanting to lie to the girl, replied, "It's always like this."

Looking at Léon, Matilda said, "Léon, I think I might be in love with you. This is my first love, you know?"

"Why do you say that?" Léon asked.

The girl smiled and said, "Because I feel it in my stomach. It feels warm, unlike before when my stomach was always in knots."

Léon made a helpless expression: "Matilda, I'm glad your stomachache is gone, but I don't think that means anything."

After reading the synopsis, the two screenwriters were impressed. They saw it as a fantastic story with a unique vibe.

"Assistant Hardy, you're a genius writer. No one has ever written such a story," one of the screenwriters complimented.

"I love this story. I'm sure it will be amazing when filmed," added the other screenwriter.

Ignoring whether the screenwriters were being genuine or not, Hardy said, "I'll leave it to you. I want to see the script in three days. Any issues?"

"No problem. Three days is enough. Your synopsis is detailed enough, we just need to turn it into a script," they assured.

Hardy left the film company in his Packard and went to Beverly Hills to meet Elizabeth Taylor.

Taylor's family background is actually very good. Her father is a gallery owner who sells Oil paintings, some of which are paintings by famous artists, and earns $10,000 a year.

Although Taylor's house is also a villa, it is completely incomparable with mansions like Meyer and Siegl.

Hardy rang the doorbell.

Sarah opened the door.

Seeing Hardy's face full of smiles, she said, "Please come in, Mr. Hardy Elizabeth is ready I'll tell her to come down."

Taylor came running downstairs upon hearing Hardy's arrival.

With wavy hair, wearing a white pleated skirt, and pretty shoes, with makeup and lipstick on, Taylor greeted Hardy.

Observing Taylor, Hardy shook his head.

"What's wrong, Mr. Hardy? Don't you think this looks nice?" Taylor asked.

"It's nice, but it's not what I'm looking for. Taylor, change into shorts and a T-shirt, and wipe off your makeup and lipstick," Hardy instructed in a commanding tone.

Taylor hesitated for a moment before heading upstairs to change.

Shortly after, Taylor returned, completely transformed in shorts that showed off her straight thighs and a T-shirt, her face free of makeup and lipstick.

Hardy carefully observed her.

"Better. Now let's go," Hardy said with a hint of satisfaction.