Scarlett's apartment isn't big—just two bedrooms, one living room, and a bathroom. She shares a room with her older sister, Vanessa Johnson, while their fraternal twin brother, Hunter Johnson, takes the other bedroom.
Growing up, life wasn't easy for the three siblings.
Their dad's a Danish architect with some money to his name. But here's the catch: their parents never married—just lived together and had four kids. After the split, their mom brought Scarlett and Hunter back to the U.S., where things got tight financially.
Since Scarlett and Hunter were cute kids—and twins to boot—they caught people's eyes. Their mom started dragging them to auditions: commercials, music videos, TV shows, movies—you name it.
Hunter eventually got phased out, but Scarlett started making a name for herself in films.
Now, Scarlett's got enough going for her to live on her own. Vanessa, the eldest and newly adult, caught the movie bug too, so she's moved out to LA with her little sister and brother.
As for their mom? She's back in New York, chasing a new romance!
It's past 9 p.m., and the party crew is starting to peel out. It's an apartment, after all—too much noise this late, and the neighbors will complain.
Before Sofia Coppola heads out, she tosses Dunn a half-smirk, half-teasing look.
Dunn ignores it, casually slipping on his jacket without a rush. Once the living room clears out, he turns to Scarlett with a grin. "It's still early. How about… we take a walk?"
"A walk?" Scarlett blinks, caught off guard. It's past 9 p.m.—kinda late for that, right? She hesitates. "The area next door's a slum. Not exactly safe."
Dunn shrugs it off. "I've got a car. We could hit Beverly Hills, Palos Verdes, or Santa Monica—wherever you want."
At night, the slums are dicey, but the rich neighborhoods? Top-notch security!
"Uh…"
"Come on, let's go. It's your birthday, after all."
Dunn's smile is warm and bright.
The party was loud—his ears are still ringing—and he barely got a word in with Scarlett. Plus, all those flirty girls throwing themselves at him like wild animals? Annoying.
Dunn's seen plenty of gorgeous women. Right now, he's only got eyes for Scarlett Johnson!
Scarlett bites her lip, cheeks flushing. "Okay… hold on, I'll go change."
Back in her bedroom, that shy, delicate vibe vanishes. Her face lights up like a starry sky as she cheers, "He asked me out! He asked me out!"
She tries to keep her voice down, but the excitement's bursting out—she's practically bouncing.
Vanessa's preening in front of the mirror, showing off the necklace Dunn gave Scarlett. Hunter's sulking on the bed, surrounded by birthday gifts he couldn't care less about.
Compared to what Dunn got Scarlett, his haul's trash! (They're twins—same birthday.)
Hearing Scarlett's squeal, Vanessa's eyes sparkle. She rushes over, grabbing her sister's hands. "Who asked you out? Mr. Walker?"
"It's him! It's totally him!"
"Wow, hon, congrats! Congrats!"
The sisters clasp hands, jumping up and down like they just won the lottery, buzzing with uncontainable glee.
Hunter, off to the side, sneers. "It's just a date. You think he'd actually fall for you? You're so ugly!"
Scarlett snaps, "One more word, and you're not getting a dime of my money from now on!"
Vanessa glares at him too. "You idiot, can't you read the room? She's going out with Dunn Walker! He's not just a director—he's a mega-rich guy! What's a birthday gift? If they start dating, anything you want's just a word from your sister!"
"Huh? For real?"
Hunter bolts upright, staring at Scarlett with hopeful eyes.
Scarlett gives him a cool side-eye. "Look at you, so pathetic!"
"Heh, sis!" Hunter instantly softens, sidling up to her with a goofy grin, tugging her arm. "Sis, you're the best! You're the prettiest woman in the world! We're twins—closest family ever. Back when we were broke, Mom always gave you the best stuff. Now that you're about to make it big, you can't forget me, right?"
Scarlett's heart melts a little. She brushes his cheek with a sigh. "Fine. What do you want? I'll try to mention it to him."
"Woah, sis, you're the best sister ever!" Hunter's so thrilled he almost hugs her, but catches Vanessa's sour look and hugs her too, chuckling. "I want a sports car! Lamborghini's cool, Maybach's fine, but I really love Maserati!"
Vanessa grits her teeth, fuming at her little brother. "Maserati? Why not ask for a Boeing 747 while you're at it?"
Scarlett waves it off lightly. "Whatever, Maserati—I'll remember that."
Vanessa's jaw drops. "What are you saying? A Maserati's at least a hundred grand!"
"A hundred grand?" Scarlett smirks, nodding at the necklace around Vanessa's neck. "Know how much that's worth?"
"Huh?"
"It's a Van Cleef & Arpels 50th-anniversary limited edition—only 50 made worldwide, a collector's piece. Price tag? No less than $300,000!"
"What?!"
Vanessa gasps, and even Hunter—who couldn't care less about jewelry—gapes, mouth wide enough to fit an egg.
Vanessa swallows hard. "Ingrid, you… you sure you didn't get that wrong?"
Scarlett shakes her head. "Sofia whispered it to me during the party. You think she'd mess that up?"
"Uh…"
Vanessa sucks in another sharp breath.
Sofia Coppola's from a fancy family and a fashion guru. If she says it's $300K+, it's legit.
Hunter mumbles, dazed, "First meeting, and he drops a gift like that? No wonder Mr. Walker's got all those hot girls—guy's loaded!"
"Get out! I need to change!"
Scarlett glares and kicks him out.
Once Hunter's gone, Vanessa shakily takes off the necklace and digs out a new jacket from her closet. "Ingrid, I bought this last week—never worn it. Try it on, see if it fits?"
Scarlett doesn't argue, slipping it on. She's broke and doesn't have nice clothes—this first date's gotta look perfect.
"Sis, should we tell Mom?"
"Nah… no need, right?" Vanessa wavers, then firms up. "No need. I'm your guardian now, and I say it's fine to go!"
"But… what if he wants me to stay over?" Scarlett's cheeks heat up.
Vanessa laughs. "That's normal! It's late—you're not expecting him to drive you back in the middle of the night, are you?"
Scarlett hesitates. "But it's our first time meeting. Isn't that too fast?"
"Hmm… fair point." Vanessa's been around—five or six boyfriends under her belt—but Dunn's a different beast, and she's stumped. "Your case is kinda special. If he doesn't respect you and treats you like some random fling, that'd suck."
"So what do I do?" Scarlett stomps, deflating. "I wanna be a big star and live in a mansion!"
Vanessa perks up. "Ask Ms. Coppola! You're friends, right? She'd know."
"Right!"
Scarlett's eyes brighten. She quickly dials Sofia, keeping her voice low and rushed. "Sofia, Mr. Walker asked me out—what do I do? Huh? I… yeah, totally! When have you ever seen me with a boyfriend? …Oh, that simple?"
The call's over in under a minute, and Scarlett hangs up, dazed.
"Well?"
"She said not to worry."
Scarlett blinks, totally lost.
Vanessa frowns. "What'd she say exactly?"
"She asked if I've had a boyfriend these past few years, if I'm still… you know, pure. I said yeah. Then she said Mr. Walker's got this medieval conservative vibe and to just relax."
"What?"
Vanessa's baffled. Medieval conservatism? What's that supposed to mean?
"Whatever! He's a big director, a billionaire—he's not gonna mess with a nobody like me!"
Scarlett takes a deep breath, letting Vanessa help her get ready. She puts on light, elegant makeup, then steps out into the living room.
Hunter's there, chatting up Dunn. When he spots Scarlett, he hollers dramatically, "Sis, you're gorgeous!"
Scarlett rolls her eyes and stands there, poised, lips pursed, gazing at Dunn.
"Beautiful!"
"Thanks."
Dunn offers his arm. Scarlett pauses, then flashes a charming smile with a hint of flirtation, gliding over to take it.
Out of the corner of her eye, she catches Hunter pumping his fist, cheering her on.
"You smell amazing."
"Thanks."
In the elevator, Dunn's gaze gets bold, roaming over her. It's winter, so she's bundled up, but those full, curvy lines? No hiding them.
"You've got an incredible figure!"
"Thanks."
Dunn chuckles. "Just as stunning as Charlie!"
Scarlett's cheeks warm. "Charlie?"
"Charlize Theron. You've probably heard of her."
"Oh."
Of course Scarlett knows Charlize Theron—she's a huge star! Hearing Dunn's familiar tone stings a little with jealousy. "I looked up her stats. Our busts are the same. But I'm only 17—give me a couple years, and I'll outshine her!"