The school bell rang—ding-ling-ling!.
Ryan bolted out of the classroom like a sprinter at the start of a 100-meter dash. While the hallway was still empty, he rushed to his locker, grabbed his backpack, and dashed toward the school gate as if a thousand monsters were chasing him.
"These damn brats are even worse than reporters and paparazzi!" Ryan's face was filled with exhaustion—it was clear he hadn't had a pleasant day.
He jumped into the SUV and slammed the door shut, finally letting out a deep breath of relief. Grabbing the juice box his agent had prepared, he gulped down half the carton in one go.
"What happened, Ryan?" Kingsley asked curiously. "You look beat."
"Pat, don't even ask." Ryan gave a wry smile, clearly recalling the nightmare of being surrounded earlier. "Those kids were terrifying. I swear, it still feels like there are ten thousand crows screaming in my ears."
"Kids?" As the car merged onto the highway, Kingsley caught on and chuckled. "Want me to have a word with the school?"
"Could you?" Ryan visibly relaxed once she confirmed. "That'd be amazing."
Back at the apartment, Ryan tossed his backpack aside and collapsed onto the couch. He leaned over against Nicole, who put down her script and gently massaged his temple, a look of concern in her eyes. She turned to Kingsley and said, "Thanks, Pat."
"There's no need for thanks between us—and besides, it's my job." Sitting across from them, Kingsley noticed the script on the coffee table. "Is that… a new script Ryan wrote?"
"Yep," Nicole nodded, pushing the script toward her. "It's a love story. Who knows what this little rascal's thinking."
A black car pulled up by the curb. Carter Eisner glanced at Chris Columbus in the passenger seat. "No phone call, no heads-up—are we really just showing up unannounced? God knows if they're even home."
"See those reporters over there, Carter?" Chris gestured to a group of camera-toting men nearby. "If they're camping out here, at least one of Nicole Kidman or Ryan Jenkins is definitely home."
"Well then, I must be out of my mind."
"Is that so?" Chris chuckled, opening the door and getting out first. "Don't pretend you didn't see the value in that story collection."
Ryan changed out of his hideous school uniform and came back to the living room—only to find unexpected guests: two men, one unfamiliar, the other vaguely familiar.
"Ryan, they're here to see you. This is Carter Eisner, head of the film division at Touchstone Pictures, and this is director Chris Columbus," Nicole briefly introduced them.
After greeting the two, Ryan sat beside Nicole. Then it hit him—he finally remembered where he'd seen that familiar face. It was the director of the first two Little Wizard movies—the very films he'd plagiarized. How amusing that he came knocking on Ryan's door. History really does love irony.
"Ryan, we're here because Chris and I were both impressed by one of the novellas in your story collection," Carter got straight to the point.
"Home Alone," Chris Columbus added, pulling out the book from his briefcase. "I'd like to adapt it into a film."
"Hmm…" Ryan rubbed his fingers together, looking like he was in a bit of a bind.
"Is something wrong?" Carter asked.
"I'm already halfway through adapting Home Alone into a screenplay. I can't really sell the rights anymore." As Ryan spoke, Nicole fought the urge to roll her eyes. This little rascal could lie without batting an eye.
Others might not know, but she certainly did—Home Alone and the script they'd been working on were completed at the same time.
Carter and Chris exchanged glances and smiled. They had originally hoped Ryan would handle the adaptation himself. Hearing he'd already begun was actually excellent news.
"In fact, Ryan, we were planning to invite you to write the script yourself. It's your story, after all—no one knows it better. After The Sixth Sense, I doubt anyone questions your screenwriting chops," Carter said, though he kept another thought to himself: the next "super genius" film would be a huge marketing hook.
After a quick whisper with Chris, he added, "Also, we'd like to invite you to play Kevin."
Ryan suddenly grinned. He had assumed Chris Columbus would try to cast the son of that greedy so-called 'friend.' If that had been the case, there's no way he would've sold the rights—no matter that the story was originally his.
Because this story was meant for him.
"Alright then," Ryan said with a shrug. "I'm open to it. The specifics—talk to Pat."
Carter and Chris didn't respond right away—they turned to Nicole instead. After all, these things still needed a guardian's approval.
"Ryan can decide these things for himself," Nicole said, putting their concerns to rest.
That should've been the end of the conversation—but Carter had already noticed a script tucked in the corner of the coffee table. He couldn't tell if it was Ryan's latest work or a new project Nicole was considering.
And of course, a thick skin is a necessary trait for businessmen.
After a moment's thought, Carter pointed at the script and asked, "Is that the Home Alone screenplay, Ryan?"
Everyone in the room was dead silent. What a terrible excuse!
"Nope. That's a new script I wrote for Nicole," Ryan replied casually, like writing a screenplay was as easy as breathing.
"Mind if I take a look?"
"Go ahead." Ryan handed it over without hesitation.
Carter had expected something in line with The Sixth Sense or Home Alone, probably with a child protagonist. But after a few pages, his eye began to twitch. It was a full-blown romance!
"This... is quite a surprise." Carter finally closed the script after a long pause. Everyone turned to look at him.
"Ryan…" He struggled to find the right words.
"I get what you mean, Mr. Carter" Ryan said nonchalantly. "What does a ten-year-old know about love, right? Honestly, not much. Everything I do know comes from TV and movies. So, this script is a bit of a cheat—I borrowed a lot from An Affair to Remember. That film's referenced throughout. The final reunion scene at the Empire State Building is basically a way to fulfill the promise left hanging in that movie."
"A beautiful, emotionally rich story," Carter praised, eyes gleaming. "Ryan, what would you think about letting Touchstone handle this project?"
Ryan shrugged and looked at Nicole. "Sleepless in Seattle belongs to Nicole now—she gets to decide how it's handled."
To be honest, Nicole Kidman wasn't the most obvious choice for this type of film. She was too icy and elegant—unlike America's sweethearts like Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts. But she had her strengths: far better acting skills than in Ryan's past life, a tall frame, and striking beauty.
So, Ryan adjusted the female lead's character to better suit Nicole, even designing multiple storyboard sketches based on her. Sleepless in Seattle wasn't a typical rom-com anyway—it was more of a tearjerker with humor. With the acting she displayed in The Sixth Sense, she should be able to pull it off just fine.
If she could land two well-received, high-grossing films, Nicole would have a firm footing in Hollywood. No more struggling through obscure roles just to shake the label of "Tom Cruise's wife."
There was no rush—after all, it was only 1990. To get Nicole to the top, she first needed the right track record.
Though no formal agreement had been reached with Nicole, the fact that they'd secured Home Alone already left Carter and Chris smiling as they left the apartment. The other script hadn't gone public yet—so they still had a shot.
But they had no idea that a long and grueling negotiation was waiting for them.
"Pat, stall the negotiations with Touchstone as long as you can. Don't accept anything before The Sixth Sense finishes its run," Ryan said after seeing them off.
Everyone in the room was sharp. Nicole and Kingsley only hesitated for a second before their faces lit up with knowing smiles.
As June arrived, schools across America let out for summer, kicking off the red-hot summer movie season. Though The Sixth Sense had lost nearly half its theater count, it remained a top choice for moviegoers. While its weekly box office wasn't as jaw-dropping as before, its performance stayed strong and steady.
The film silenced a lot of critics. No one had expected a family drama cloaked in horror to garner such acclaim—or rake in so much money. By comparison, Miramax's $20 million investment seemed like pocket change.
Harvey Weinstein beamed in an interview, "It's a masterpiece, no question about it. David, Al, Nicole, and Ryan—they all did an incredible job. What? Ryan? Of course! From the first time I met him, I knew he was a super genius. No one could've done better! And yes, we'll be working together again. If he writes another script, even better. You never know what kind of brilliance he'll come up with next."