"An international travel company?"
Taking the business card and glancing at it, Ivanka looked up at Duke and asked, "Does it also offer escort services?"
"Quite possibly," Duke shrugged.
"Hollywood really has every kind of company imaginable."
Muttering this, Ivanka turned and walked aside, directly throwing the business card into a trash bin. As she returned to Duke's side and linked arms with him, her phone rang in her handbag.
"I need to take this call," she said, glancing at the screen. "It's from my dad."
Duke nodded. "Go ahead."
As Ivanka walked away, Warner Bros. CEO Doug Walter approached.
"A young man came by just now," Doug Walter said, handing Duke a glass of champagne. "He wants to invest in Warner's projects."
"Who?" Duke already had some guesses.
Sure enough, Doug Walter replied, "Larry Ellison's son, the so-called 'madman.' He wants to invest in both your project and Harry Potter."
Duke looked intrigued. "I'm guessing you turned him down."
"Do you think I'd agree?" Doug Walter took a sip of champagne. "Even if it were his father, I'd reject him just the same."
Larry Ellison was undoubtedly a big name, but only in the IT world, not Hollywood.
Investing in Hollywood is not like investing in established companies like General Electric; having money doesn't always mean you'll have a place here.
Besides, neither Duke nor Warner Bros. was short of funds.
Doug Walter didn't take David Ellison seriously and shifted the topic. "Duke, I think releasing The Return of the King DVD after the Oscars would be more appropriate."
"You sound confident," Duke understood why.
"Warner's PR and marketing departments have already started working on it," Doug Walter said, brimming with confidence. "With the advantages we've built up from the trilogy, if we don't win big, I'll fire everyone in those two departments!"
The sound of high heels clicking announced Ivanka's return. Doug Walter, having said all he needed to, greeted her briefly before leaving.
"What's wrong, dear?"
When she left earlier, Ivanka had been in a great mood. Now her face clearly showed some unease.
"Nothing," Ivanka forced a smile. "Just a small argument with my dad. I'll tell you about it at home."
Hearing it was a father-daughter matter, Duke wisely refrained from asking further. Donald Trump occasionally made outrageous moves, and disagreements between him and Ivanka were not uncommon.
The party lasted until late at night. Around midnight, Duke and Ivanka returned to Duke's Manor. As they entered the eye-shaped villa, Tina Fey was still sitting in the living room, obviously waiting for them.
"Something up?" Duke asked.
"Yeah," Tina Fey nodded. "There was a press conference in New York tonight."
Ivanka, about to go upstairs, said, "I'll go take a shower first."
"Ivy…" Tina Fey called her back. "You should watch this too."
"It's about me?" Ivanka asked, puzzled.
"It's about Mr. Donald Trump."
As Tina Fey spoke, she turned on the TV and played a pre-recorded clip. It was a press conference, and the main figure was Donald Trump.
With just one glance, Duke frowned.
It was the launch event for Donald Trump's new book, titled Trump and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy!
"I contributed significantly to the trilogy's early planning and later production. The book details this extensively."
With the trilogy universally recognized as a phenomenon, Donald Trump was clearly trying to leverage its influence. His explosive statements added to the spectacle: "The book includes insights into filmmaking and my interactions with Duke, as well as Duke and Ivanka's relationship…"
Turning her eyes away from the TV, Ivanka first looked at Duke, then at Tina Fey.
"I didn't know about this beforehand," she said quietly. "I only found out from the call during the party. I was planning to bring it up after we got home."
Duke nodded, saying nothing, and continued watching the press conference. Donald Trump, a master of self-promotion, focused his interview answers primarily on himself and Ivanka.
No one likes being used as a tool for someone else's publicity, and Duke was no exception. While his expression remained calm, he was clearly unhappy.
Ivanka tried to explain for her father. "Duke, my dad…"
"Dear," Duke rarely interrupted her, "this has nothing to do with you."
He recalled that Donald Trump had once mentioned writing a book. At the time, the two had almost quarreled, but Ivanka had skillfully diffused the tension, and the idea seemed to have been shelved. Now it was clear Trump had been planning all along, waiting for the trilogy's influence to peak before launching the book.
"Turn it off, Tina," Duke said.
Although only a segment of the press conference was shown, Duke had seen enough and instructed Tina Fey to turn off the TV.
Sitting on the long couch, he tapped the armrest lightly. Ivanka, sitting beside him, rubbed her temples gently, evidently unsure of what to do.
Although Duke had said this had nothing to do with her, resolving the matter would inevitably involve her.
"I'm very sorry, Duke," Ivanka said, troubled.
She knew exactly what her father was like. If not for the call earlier that evening, she would still be in the dark. She had thought her father had given up on the book idea, but clearly, he hadn't…
"Dear, it's okay," Duke reassured her, taking her hand to comfort her and suppressing his dissatisfaction. Since the situation had already occurred, he couldn't blame Ivanka—it wouldn't be fair to her.
However, Ivanka's father was undeniably a headache.
"Tina, notify lawyer Richard tomorrow," Duke said openly, not hiding anything from Ivanka. "Send Donald a legal notice!"
Ivanka clung to Duke's arm and could only respond with a helpless smile.
Duke understood this was merely a way to show his stance. Donald Trump enjoyed publicity and wasn't reckless; the book was unlikely to contain outright fabrications. Given North American copyright laws, even if the book touched on him and Ivanka, there wasn't much he could do.
Was he really going to take Donald Trump to court? Even if he did, the lawsuit would drag on indefinitely.
Although North America valued freedom and independence, Duke was certain that if he and Trump had a falling-out, it would inevitably hurt Ivanka.
Despite being far from a saint, Duke had no intention of jeopardizing a relationship he had worked hard to cultivate.
When they returned to their room, Ivanka closed the door and hugged Duke from behind, pressing her face against his sturdy back and listening to his strong, steady heartbeat. "Thank you."
"There's no need to be so formal between us," Duke said, turning around to embrace Ivanka. He kissed her forehead gently. "Don't overthink it. Let's get some rest."
"Mm…" Ivanka nodded, kicking off her high heels and heading to the bathroom. "I'll take a shower."
As she walked, she glanced back at him. "Join me?"
"Of course," Duke replied without hesitation.
Ivanka waited for Duke to catch up, then linked arms with him as they headed to the bathroom. During the short walk, her eyes sparkled several times. Just as they entered, she said, "I plan to go back to New York tomorrow and have a good talk with my dad."
Duke paused briefly before saying, "That's probably for the best."
It was indeed a good idea for Ivanka to talk to Donald Trump. Duke didn't expect Trump, who thrived on publicity, to entirely stop using him and Ivanka as media fodder. But if Trump could tone it down, that would suffice.
The next morning, Duke went for a run in the garden while Ivanka stayed behind, heading to the gym where she found Tina Fey on a treadmill.
"Hi, Tina."
"Hi, Ivy."
The two greeted each other warmly as usual. Ivanka stood in front of Tina's treadmill.
Tina Fey glanced at her and pressed the stop button. "Something on your mind?"
"Not really. I just wanted to ask you something," Ivanka said after some thought. "Tina, what would you do in my situation?"
"Me?" Tina Fey pointed to herself and then shook her head with a smile. "I'm Duke's assistant. My job is simple—anyone who harms Duke's interests is my enemy."
Ivanka rolled her eyes at her and sighed, realizing she had asked the wrong person. As Duke's deputy and the real manager of Duke's studio, Tina would never side with anyone else.
Dropping her playful demeanor, Tina Fey stepped off the treadmill and patted Ivanka's arm. "Ivy, we've been friends since New Zealand. Go back to New York and have a proper talk with your father. No one will tolerate this forever."
"I understand."
Despite saying so, Ivanka still felt a headache coming on when she thought about her father.
After breakfast, Duke arranged for the driver to take Ivanka to the airport while he and Tina Fey headed to Duke Studios in Burbank. Work on Taken was ongoing, and there was no time to pause. As for Donald Trump, Duke had already instructed lawyer Richard to send a routine legal notice. Ivanka would handle the rest.
As for the newly released book, Duke decided to simply ignore its existence for now.
Upon arriving at the studio, Duke found that David Ellison had officially sent an investment proposal, covering multiple projects in which Duke's studio was involved. Duke merely glanced at it and instructed Tina Fey to send a reply directly rejecting the offer.
Although rejected by Duke, David Ellison didn't abandon his Hollywood ambitions. Through intermediaries, he arranged to meet another Hollywood heavyweight.