GLARE

Writtenby

JaredBattaglia

Sometimesbeingseenisthemostdangerousthingofall.

EXT. ROOFTOP POOL - MID-AFTERNOON

Hot. Hazy. Half full of wannabes, influencers, and rich weirdos. Everyone angling for attention like it’s oxygen. “Pretty” by SAIAH trickles in.

CADE MERRICK, mid-30s, ex-model, sprawled across a lounge chair. Low key. Rootless. Hung over. Built for beauty. Running on fumes.

He taps a call. Straight to voicemail.

CADE (under breath) Hey. It’s Cade. Fresh off the plane from Berlin. Doing two nights at the Pendry. Need my house back. Call me.

He drops his phone beside him. Spots NOA, early 20s, across the pool. Magnetic. Unbothered. Chaotic hope. Different from the hyper-glam girls.

She’s on her phone. Alone. Self-contained. Slightly feral. A playful live-stream, laughing at something only she can see.

NOA Small town Idaho girls don’t usually get views like this. Just saying.

She spins a lazy shot of the hills behind her. Light. Breezy. Infectious.

Cade clocks her. Sunglasses hiding his interest. The camera loves her. Something about her. Sharp. Messy. Real.

She towels off, moving closer. Cade leans back, casual.

CADE Are you staying here?

NOA Me? No.

CADE You’re not a guest?

NOA Just visiting a friend.

She half-smirks. Cautious. Curious.

2.

CADE Overheard you say you’re from Idaho.

NOA Right. I did.

Cade tilts his head, studying her. Not predatory. More like trying to remember something he’s never actually lived.

CADE What do you do?

NOA Give me your phone.

He hesitates. She snatches it. Types fast into Notes.

NOA (CONT’D) Log on tonight. You’ll figure it out.

She flashes a grin. Already gone. Cade watches her weave through the clout goblins.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Jet-lagged, dislocated. Cade sits at a desk, sleek laptop open. Half-eaten room service cooling at his side.

He clicks the link Noa dropped earlier. A profile snaps into view. Soft topless shots. Sultry glances. Flirty captions. Nothing explicit. It’s... intimate.

Cade scrolls slowly, taking her in. Then hits subscribe.

The screen shifts. Noa’s livestream. Lit from inside. Unfiltered. Alive on her own terms.

NOA You missed me? I missed you.

Cade stays still. Silent. Pulled.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Ring light glow. Comforter half-kicked. Noa adjusts her top, letting the strap fall a little low. Then tugs it back up, playful.

“Make Up” by Mona Yim spills from her cracked phone.

3.

She shifts, stretching out in bed. A sly, knowing smile for the tiny lens.

She skims the flood of comments. Thumb flicking lazily. Barely reading, just letting them pile up.

A private DM pops up. She glances at it. Cade types.

PENDRY POOL. LOUNGER BY THE WEST CABANAS.

NOA Oh yeah, I remember you.

I HAVE A PROPOSAL. WANT TO MEET TOMORROW — SAME SPOT? NOON.

NOA (CONT’D) Can’t. Back in Idaho.

LIAR.

Noa makes a face. Glances side to side, playful.

NOA (CONT’D) Excuse me, dude?

*I KNOW YOUR “SMALL-TOWN FANTASY GIRL WHO HAPPENS TO BE HOT” IS YOUR BRAND. BUT I’M NOT BUYING IT. DON’T WORRY I WON’T TELL ;) VIDEO CALL?*

Noa laughs under her breath. Eyes lift back to camera.

NOA (CONT’D) BRB, guys. Remember — private costs extra.

Noa flashes a small smile. A look that says: maybe you get more... maybe you don’t.

She swipes the screen closed. Gone.

INT. HOTEL ROOM/BEDROOM - INTERCUT

A digital tone pings. PRIVATE VIDEO SESSION: CONNECTED.

The feed opens. Both faces float on screen.

CADE Hey. Good to see you again.

NOA Uh, you too... You look familiar. Are you an actor or something?

4.

CADE Me? No. I mean, I did a couple little things, a bit part on a show. I model. I was a model.

NOA Nice. Listen, I don’t fuck on cam. I’m not going to film a scene with you.

CADE What? No. I’m not that kind of model.

Noa takes offense.

NOA Oh, I’m sorry. You’re not one of those models. Like me?

CADE Well, that’s true. Different lanes.

NOA Were you like on some Sunset Boulevard billboard?

CADE Yeah, actually. A few.

NOA Impressive. I’m not going back to the hotel to fuck you. Even off- camera.

She moves to end the call.

CADE I don’t want to fuck you.

Noa crosses her arms.

NOA I don’t believe that.

CADE Can we just meet tomorrow?

NOA Why?

CADE I want to develop you.

5.

NOA You want to develop me? Am I, some polaroid?

CADE I’m thinking of working with models. Talent builder capacity. Let’s meet at the rooftop tomorrow. I’ll buy you lunch.

NOA I can buy myself lunch. And I’m not driving back to West Hollywood.

CADE Then let me come to you. Where are you — East Hollywood?

NOA Van Nuys.

CADE That’s unfortunate.

NOA I grew up here, asshole.

CADE Exactly. Not Idaho.

NOA Okay. Noon tomorrow. Heart’s Coffee Shop.

CADE Let’s do it.

NOA We’re not going to vibe or whatever. Don’t ask me personal shit. And I’m not taking you back to my place for sex.

CADE Understood.

NOA Good. See you then.

She tosses him a look. Part challenge, part dismissal. A quick smile, like he’s just another fan. Then ends the call.

SPLIT SCREEN:

6.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT

Cade in the shower. Water pounding down. Leaning against the tile. Eyes closed. Breathing shallow. The beautiful boy aging out of his own myth.

INT. NOA’S STUDIO APARTMENT - LATER THAT NIGHT

Noa brushes her teeth. She lounges in a hoodie. Cheap LED ring light half-collapsed on the floor.

Thumb skips over Cade’s DMs again. She half-smiles. Half- sighs. Another day, another gamble.

EXT. VAN NUYS - NEXT DAY

Anti-glamour. Dreams leak oil here.

EXT. HEART’S COFFEE SHOP - DAY

Cade pulls up in a sleek-but-sad Alfa Romeo rental. Beat-up Priuses parked outside.

Kids skateboard nearby. A waitress vapes by the backdoor. Red hair, freckles.

He gets out. Runs his hand over a dented car.

INT. HEART'S COFFEE SHOP - CONTINUOUS

A little rough around the edges. Cade heads in. Noa sits at a a cracked red leatherette booth, picking at a croissant she’s not even hungry for.

CADE Sorry, I’m a few minutes late. Traffic was brutal. But you’re on time. That’s great.

She looks at him funny.

NOA You’re already being weird.

Cade slides into the booth.

CADE Is that weird? A lot of people in the industry are late for meetings. (MORE)

7.

CADE (CONT’D) Most think it’s a power move. I’m not into that.

NOA Cool story, dude.

The waitress swings by with a coffee pot.

SERVER Coffee?

CADE Yeah, thanks.

She pours him a cup and leaves. Noa stares at Cade, feeling him out.

NOA Just so we’re clear, I don’t need a pimp or a sugar daddy.

CADE Good. I’m not either. Right now, I put modeling on the back burner. I think my strengths could be building someone else. Someone like you.

NOA Um, I built this myself. I don’t need anyone.

CADE What you have is good. I’m sure you make a nice income.

She nods.

NOA I do.

CADE But I want to repackage you.

NOA Um, I have no shame about being an adult content creator. No need to repackage me.

CADE You shouldn’t. But I think we could take that power and charisma you have — and move it in a different direction.

8.

NOA You want to, like... guide my career? Do people even do that anymore?

CADE Yes. My mother founded a company that does it for models. You might’ve heard of her. She’s Blu.

NOA Like the Blue People of Kentucky? Their skin is actually blue.

CADE No. Her skin isn’t blue. It’s her name. Blu Merrick. Blu Models. It’s very respected.

NOA I’m sure she’s really important and successful. But that doesn’t really mean anything to me.

CADE It should.

NOA Why?

CADE This could be lucrative for you. I’ve been living in Europe. But now I’m back, I’m going to talk to Blu about joining her. I’m ready to go all in. Full send.

NOA So you don’t even work there?

CADE Not yet. I think she needs my help. She doesn’t realize it yet.

NOA Wouldn’t your mom have a problem with me? She gonna hate me or just pretend I’m empowering?

CADE I’ll handle that. Or move around her.

He notices her doing something on her phone.

9.

CADE (CONT’D) You busy?

NOA White Fox, bro. Keep up. I have to get new outfits.

CADE Do guys really care about what you wear?

NOA Yeah. They have all kinds of opinions. And it’s about selling a fantasy.

CADE That’s what we do.

NOA Real models?

CADE Even me. I play my cards however I need to. Listen. You can’t go at it alone forever. Do you really want to still live out here?

Cade glances out the window at the low-energy block.

NOA Van Nuys isn’t glamorous, but it’s mine.

CADE The fog tastes like gasoline. The place is boring as hell.

NOA I like my life. Every Friday, 11 am, I hit a new release with my neighbor. She’s pushing eighty. Brings a Ziploc bag with her own popcorn. Says movie theater butter’s a scam now.

CADE What else do you do? Go to the gym?

NOA No, I just walk around my neighborhood. If I say yes, are you going to make me do weigh-ins? Jesus.

10.

Noa cracks a laugh.

CADE I didn’t mean it like that.

NOA I have an amazing body.

CADE That’s accurate. I’m not trying to be that guy, but I am being that guy when I say — I, we together — could change your life.

Noa exhales. Takes a moment.

NOA I’m not saying I’m not interested, it’s just... you know. Fuck. Give me a minute.

Behind her, a neon OPEN sign flickers. Glitches once. Then holds.

EXT. COLDWATER CANYON DRIVE - DAY

Cade drives, cutting hard down canyon curves. Feeling dangerous again.

INT. CADE’S RENTAL CAR - MOVING

Cade, one hand loose on the wheel. A neon pulse reflects off his sunglasses. Phone buzzes against the console.

Caller ID: BLU MERRICK.

EXT. PIAZZA DEL SOL - WEST SUNSET BLVD

Cade heads up the sun-baked stone steps towards the arched entryway. A discreet brass plaque beside the door catches the light: BLU MODELS.

“Believe” by Izzy Perri seeps in.

INT. BLU MODELS - OFFICE FLOOR

Cade pushes through the heavy door. Tiled floors. Sun-faded velvet chairs. Low murmur of a fountain somewhere deeper in the courtyard.

11.

A battered reception desk. Empty. Cade moves past a wall of silent, waiting faces. Perfect skin. Brittle smiles.

INT. BLU’S OFFICE - DAY

High-ceilings. Coffee pod machine in the corner. BLU MERRICK, 50s, founder, sits at her desk with a portfolio. Over-washed hands. Red raw cuticles.

Southern killer energy. Legendary ex-model. Still terrifyingly beautiful.

Lifts a cat-eye frame to the bridge of her nose. Tortoise shell. Hair pulled back like a clean kill. She flips a page in the portfolio with one finger. Slow. No expression.

BLU She’s sad-core without the pretty. Pass.

An ASSISTANT takes the portfolio away. Leaves. Blu’s hand is already on a contract. Pages flip. Signatures marked. Highlighted clauses. Her eyes don’t lift.

Cade slips into the room. Blu doesn’t look up. But we know she clocks him. Just a flicker, like ignoring a paper cut from your own child.

CADE Hi Mom.

She finally rises. Smooth. Controlled. Then, suddenly, wraps him in an embrace.

BLU I can’t believe you. I can’t fucking believe you.

CADE Didn’t expect flowers, but damn.

She lets go. Blu shakes her head.

BLU You don’t come home for Christmas anymore. You didn’t go see me when I was in Paris. Twice.

CADE I needed to take a step back.

BLU From your own mother?

12.

CADE From everything.

BLU You show up after everyone stopped asking where you were.

CADE Better late than never.

BLU Right. Better late than never. Oh, and to make me feel even more like a fool — you tell Ellery you’re back before me?

CADE She’s in my house. I like to ease in. Not cannonball and drown.

BLU You’ve never been impulsive. Sometimes that’s good. Sometimes it isn’t. (then) But chaos, instead of polish, is what people want now. Like Wren over here.

She regards a talent lookbook on the coffee table. Opened to WREN, mid-20s, at the peak. High gloss, nuanced. Dynamic, cocky, but not flat.

CADE What’s Wren’s deal?

BLU Energy-first. Myth-zone. You either get it... or you get erased.

CADE That sounds like a cult.

BLU It’s the next era. Post-identity. Not erasing anyone’s scars. Not pretending flipping the pyramid fixed everything. Just... moving forward. Energy over category.

She looks at him.

13.

BLU (CONT’D) You’re still beautiful enough to get into rooms, you know?

CADE I’m ready to pivot. I want to help create new pipelines for you. Make me Head of Development. Craig and Amber have been gone for years.

BLU (darkens) Those two.

CADE I found someone.

Blu raises an eyebrow.

BLU Where?

CADE On a subscription platform.

BLU A subscription platform?

CADE It’s tasteful, considering what’s out there. Not some thirst-trap cam girl.

BLU Jesus, Cade.

CADE Wouldn’t be my first choice either. But she has it. That thing you always talk about. Your version of the It Factor.

BLU The bloodlight.

CADE I’m trying to preserve your legacy. Can you just think about it? And let me take you out for your birthday tomorrow night?

14.

EXT. SUNSET PLAZA - DAY

Cade drifts past a flickering IV drip boutique. Empty chairs. Dead screens. His iced Cortado sweats in his hand.

EXT. HILLS-VIEW GLASS HOUSE - GOLDEN HOUR

The city sprawls below like a dying neon god. Cade enters, spots a SVELTE FIGURE, at the counter in an open-plan kitchen overlooking the infinity pool.

CADE You didn’t call me back. But told my mom I was back in town.

ELLERY, early 30s. Gorgeous, emotional landmine, sips on a Magnesi-Om mocktail. A little faded around the edges. Like a starlet who took one wrong turn off the boulevard and kept driving.

ELLERY Yeah. That’s pretty much what happened.

Cade regards her drink.

CADE Little early for that, isn’t it?

Ellery gives a dry smile.

ELLERY It’s a mocktail.

CADE Like I said in my voicemail. If you even listened to it. I need my house back.

ELLERY That wasn’t part of our agreement.

CADE We have no agreement.

ELLERY I broke my lease to help you out, remember? After you disappeared to Berlin. Never a call, never a postcard. Three years? Four?

15.

CADE I had just watched my two closest friends OD and die. I needed some space.

ELLERY They were my friends too, Cade.

CADE You don’t have to leave. I just want my room.

ELLERY All my stuff’s in there. Take the spare.

CADE It’s a three-bedroom house.

Ellery’s gaze drifts lazily towards the pool.

ELLERY Two rooms are occupied.

Cade follows her outside. Sharp movements, wound-tight. A figure slices through the water.

JASPER, mid-20s. Wild. Dangerously calm. Savage under the surface. Born at a frequency most people can’t survive for long. Sex, with teeth.

CADE Who’s that?

ELLERY Jasper. One of your mom’s top clients. You do still pay attention, right?

CADE Why’s he living in my house?

ELLERY Moved from Miami about a year ago. Needed a place to stay. Blu’s idea.

Jasper surfaces, wiping water from his face.

JASPER Orlando. I moved from Orlando.

ELLERY Miami sounds better.

16.

Cade watches Jasper like he’s sizing up a threat.

CADE (on the sly) He your boyfriend?

ELLERY No.

CADE Are you fucking him?

Jasper smiles. A slow, dangerous curve. And floats on his back like he owns the whole world.

JASPER I love your place.

CADE Thanks.

ELLERY You know it’s your mom’s birthday tomorrow?

Cade glances at her.

CADE Right. I want to throw a surprise party here.

ELLERY Oh, she’ll love that.

JASPER I’ll text Wren. Gravity.

Ellery looks at Cade.

ELLERY I’m going through a lot, Cade. Don’t drop some force majeure on me. I’ll file squatter’s rights in a heartbeat.

CADE Fine. I don’t care. You can stay in the room for now. I’ll take the spare.

ELLERY Okay. I put my Peloton in there though.

17.

CADE Move it.

He shakes his head. A reluctant smirk, like muscle memory. Nothing more.

INT. BLU MODELS - KITCHENETTE

Small, stylish, sterile. A half-finished Erewhon salad on a blue plate. Fork untouched. Blu taps her phone on the marble slab counter. Calls Cade.

BLU (leaves voicemail) I know everything’s digital now. I’m not a dinosaur. I realize I can’t just pull up to Pepperdine and sign some water polo player. Valeting cars at Geoffrey’s. (then) Well... that still works too.

INT. THE PENDRY - 24/7 FITNESS CENTER - NIGHT

Mostly empty. Cade on the treadmill. AirPods in. Listening.

BLU (V.O) But what you say this girl does? That’s low-rent. That is sleazy.

He frowns. Rolls his eyes.

BLU (CONT’D) Let’s see if you’re serious. Be here tomorrow. 9 AM sharp. You’re mine for the day.

INT. BLU’S OFFICE - NIGHT

Empty office. Dead TV light on. Broken light tube flickers. Lizard in a glass tank. Alive, but barely. Plastic surgery pamphlet in the trash.

Blu opens the mini-fridge. Nothing inside but the six variations of the same pressed juice. One half-drunk. From three days ago.

She dry-swallows a capsule. No label. No water.

18.

EXT. HOTEL ROOM - PRIVATE BALCONY - NIGHT

View of Sunset. Cade texts Blu. Sends her a link.

INT. BLU MODELS - KITCHENETTE - NIGHT

Blu pours a pressed juice into a wine glass. Sits alone on a velvet stool beside the marble counter.

Watches a billboard through a large arched window flicker. It’s not her anymore. It hasn’t been for a long time.

Her phone buzzes. CADE: TAKE A LOOK. THIS IS WHAT I MEANT.

INT. BLU’S OFFICE - LATER

Blu behind her desk. Doypack of adaptogen gummies slumped in her lap. Rusty scissors by her mouse pad. Yellowed modeling comp cards scattered like old receipts. Names blacked out in Sharpie. Her old Vogue covers neatly arranged at the edge of the desk. Trophies she still pretends she doesn’t see.

She clicks a link on her glowing monitor. Noa’s page appears. She runs a hand through her hair. Scrolls. Watches. She can’t believe her eyes.

INT. NOA'S STUDIO APARTMENT - LATER

Noa in bed, whispers into the ring light.

NOA You think being seen means you matter. Sometimes, it just means there’s nowhere to hide.

COMMENTS - WTF. Show us your tits. “Deep, LOL.”

INT. BLU’S BEDROOM - MORNING

Curtains drawn. On a mannequin: a silk dress for the birthday dinner. Still tagged. Still pristine. She passes the dress like it’s asking too much.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE

Drenched in blue-gray morning light.

19.

INT. GLASS HOUSE

Cade enters. Moves past Ellery’s Peloton. Drops a sleek black weekender bag by the stairs.

Sees Jasper sprawled shirtless in a Barcelona chair. One bare foot resting on the glass coffee table. Calm. As if he’s always lived here. As if Cade never did.

Ellery walks in. Regards Jasper.

ELLERY He sleeps out here sometimes. Says it makes him feel more alive.

INT. BLU MODELS - DAY

An Assistant returns from a juice run. One shoot in full swing — swimwear, glossy, controlled chaos.

In another room: a casting call. Nerves in lip gloss. Commercial callback in the hallway. Faces for a campaign quietly assessed, dismissed, noted.

Cade watches. Blu beside him. Silent. Surgical. Unapologetic.

INT. BLU’S MERCEDES SUV - SUNSET BOULEVARD - (TRAVELING)

Blu drives. Sunglasses that track her mood on. Cade rides.

BLU I opened the link.

CADE And what did you think?

BLU It’s not my cup of tea. Felt like going into the Adults Only section of an old video store. But I saw... something there.

CADE You always said it. The bloodlight only shows up once in a generation.

Blu nods stoic, like it’s her own prophecy.

BLU You wait for it to break through the noise like a goddamn natural disaster.

20.

CADE Noa’s already burning.

BLU Maybe. The paid content. How far does it go?

CADE Lingerie pics. Artsy topless shots. Cheeky nudes.

BLU (a bit flustered) Open leg?

CADE Sometimes.

BLU (quietly) Masturbation?

CADE No masturbation. Some might see what she does and look back, say it’s a badge of honor.

BLU A badge of honor?

CADE Look Mom, she’s the future if you let her be. The world’s moving fast. There aren’t many taboos left to break anymore. Mostly.

BLU I’m known for my taste. What she does? Tasteless.

CADE Whether you like it or not, the gatekeepers are ready for someone like her. They just don’t know it yet.

BLU So fast, nobody knows where it’s going. This too could crash and burn. Fast.

21.

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

Dim. Dust-dulled. The industrial doors hiss open. Blu walks in. Shades still on. Cade follows. Music pulses from deep inside. Already in motion.

INT. GUTTED RACQUET CLUB - DAY

BRAND VIDEO SHOOT. The atmosphere is tense. Lights flash.

Wren steps onto the cracked court. Racquet in hand. Goggles on. Damp tank. Thrift Umbros hang low. Jockstrap visible. Not camp. Not kink. Armor.

SERUM in big painted stenciled letters on the wall. Hydrate. Dominate. Ascend above it. “Hit That” by BIG SIS & Geordie Kieffer blasting.

Blu observes.

BLU (off Wren) That’s a female form trained in dominance. Not presentation. Not appeal. Presence. (beat) You can’t coach that. Some people come out of the womb haunted. Others learn to haunt back.

Cade looks around, at her side.

CADE (over music) Cool ghost space. What’s the product again?

BLU Lifestyle Hydration System. Travis Kelce is an investor. But really, Wren is the brand here.

Wren swings the racquet, left to right. Bold. Smirking. Consuming the camera.

WREN (to the camera, fierce) Hydration. Because you fucking need it.

BLU (hushed, to Cade) That will most likely be censored. (MORE)

22.

BLU (CONT’D) (pauses, smiling) But they’ll use it anyway.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - JASPER’S ROOM - DAY

Jasper pulls shirts from a garment rack. A blur of neutrals, soft knits, something sheer.

Ellery’s lying across his bed, legs dangling off the edge. Lazily painting her nails. A small portable fan spins on the floor. It’s not hot. Just something to feel.

ELLERY You’re overthinking it. They either want a deviant or a default. You’re in the uncanny valley. That’s your zone.

JASPER It’s a fragrance ad.

ELLERY Exactly. No one wants to smell like stability.

He stops. Watches her. She doesn’t look up. Just blows on her nails. Lets the silence stretch.

Then glances at him. Direct hit. She knows she has him in that look.

JASPER What’s the color?

ELLERY (beat) It’s called Divorce Party.

He smirks. She goes back to painting.

EXT. GUTTED RACQUET CLUB - LOADING DOCK

A styling corner nearby. Folding mirror. Emergency fits. Craft table. A single real joint. iPhones rigged with mic packs.

Wren peels off the goggles. Burning. Hot. Already aching for reinvention.

Cade steps out after, lights a cigarette with one hand. They don’t speak right away. Silence wins.

23.

Wren sinks onto a makeup stool. Eats a protein bar like it’s punishment. Muted ring light flickering. She scrolls.

CADE Heard you have a big following.

Wren glances over.

WREN I do. But there’s a lot of fake engagement.

CADE It happens.

WREN You ever wonder if anyone real’s still watching?

CADE What do you mean?

WREN Half my comments sound like a client trying to flirt. Too much polish. Like a pitch deck got horny.

CADE Bots?

WREN Probably. Or interns at skincare startup.

Looks in the mirror. Shrugs. It doesn’t matter.

CADE I’m Cade, by the way.

He steps over.

WREN (beat, curious) Blu’s son?

CADE Right.

WREN Wren.

They shake hands.

24.

INT. NOA’S APARTMENT - LATER

Noa sees a balloon pop in slow motion during a silent live stream.

INT. VALLEY VALUE CENTER - DAY

Neon lit. Noa browses bins. Fluorescent paint under her fingernails.

Runs her hand over a pink ski mask. White feather hair piece. Gold mask cracked in half. Fake award trophy. Faux Rolex.

She sits on a plastic-wrapped couch. Checks her phone. Dead WiFi zone.

EXT. NOA’S BLOCK - DAY

Noa carries a bag full of stuff. Puts her hand out. Notices ash snow falling outside. Smoke in the distance. A Dead-End street sign flickering in the wind ahead.

She keeps walking. The bag splits a little at the bottom. Something falls out. She doesn’t stop.

INT. PARKING LOT - LATER

Blu and Cade walk to her car.

BLU Brands love Wren. Every tie-in is a blood compact for survival now.

CADE But did society really embrace Wren’s uniqueness? Or did they manufacture it for a new market?

BLU The new world doesn’t care. Just wants something to devour. Wren serves it raw.

Cade clocks that. She opens the driver’s side door.

BLU (CONT’D) That girl. Bring her by the office. Let’s see what we’re dealing with.

25.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - LATER

Wall of glass. Stacks of art books. Cade eats alone at the glass table. A kale scramble in a cardboard box. Not hot anymore. Fork halfway to his mouth. Still scrolling. Still thinking.

Gets a ping. NOA.

BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID... I’M IN.

Cade stares at the message. Likes it. Types:

I KNOW IT’S SHORT NOTICE, BUT THERE’S SOMETHING TONIGHT IF YOU WANT TO COME...

He doesn’t hit send. Not yet.

EXT. VAN NUYS APARTMENT - DAY

Noa reclines in a retro pink convertible float, gliding across a kidney-shaped pool. Polka-dot headwrap. Oversized magenta fly-eye lenses. Like she’s hiding from fame before it finds her.

INT. LIVE CASTING STAGE - DAY

A black cube of light and shadow. Cold reflections. Cameras blink. “BDSM” by Felix Da Housecat, Los Angela, x Black Asteroid blares on a boom box.

Jasper stands center-frame. Unmoving. Sure of himself. Bathed in harsh light.

BLU (O.S.) The algorithm can fake bone structure. What it can’t fake is certainty.

On the monitor: EXIST. TURN AWAY. SMILE LIKE YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN CANCELLED AND CAME BACK SEXIER.

Blu and Cade observe through a pane of treated glass. Not tinted. Distorted.

BLU (CONT’D) Jasper is masculine beauty, weaponized. Elemental, unpolished. The world wants him too much.

26.

INT. OBSERVATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS

But Jasper is the last thing on Cade’s mind.

CADE I want a real shoot for Noa. Something glossy for some go-sees. You know who’d be great for it.

BLU Richard?

CADE He knows how to light a human face. Not everything needs to look like it fell off TikTok.

BLU I can’t have Richard in here. There was a lot of backlash over that LA Magazine story.

CADE Poppers and blow jobs. I read the article. Everyone was legal. Nothing forced.

BLU The power dynamics. They called it soft coercion.

CADE I just knew to skip parties like that. Or go, and not do things you don’t want to.

BLU Because you have a mother like me. Not everyone does.

CADE You want a safe industry. Sell insurance. His pictures will sell her. No one has to know who took them.

INT. BLU MODELS - BATHROOM

Rust rims the sink lip. A peeling decal above the soap dispenser reads: YOU ARE YOUR BRAND.

Ellery washes her hands.

27.

Stares at herself in the mirror like she’s not sure she still believes it.

INT. BLU MODELS - GALLERY - DAY

Cade follows Blu through the gallery. Composite cards. Campaign stills. Faces Blu once built. Some long since gone.

BLU The system harvests you. Extracts your myth energy. Uses it up. Then maybe, if you’re lucky, validates you, but only after you’re undeniable.

Cade traces one name with his eyes. Crossed out in sharpie.

BLU (CONT’D) (then) With these faces... We’re handing them the grenade. They can pull the pin. Or miss the war.

Blu spots Ellery outside her office. Arms crossed. The look in her eyes is deadly.

BLU (CONT’D) I need a minute.

INT. BLU MODELS - DAY

Ellery stands by the window. Stunning.

ELLERY It’s like you plug Wren into every campaign.

Blu sits back on the couch, legs crossed.

BLU Wren falls into a category that’s very sexy for people right now.

ELLERY Identity as currency. Are we still doing that?

BLU I work hard for all my clients.

28.

ELLERY Lately it’s been molasses. Should I shave my head?

BLU We could talk about it.

ELLERY Fuck that. I built half the boards on this wall. And don’t tell me I’m getting older, there’s all kinds of conversations about anti-ageism happening online.

BLU That’s online. It’s not the reality of our business. You catch the light wrong and you never recover.

ELLERY I’ve been loyal.

Blu doesn’t flinch. Just tilts her head slightly —

BLU I remember when I found you. You were so put together. But such a mess inside. Couldn’t hack it in New York. That boyfriend of yours. He was a real winner. I fought for you.

ELLERY I wasn’t some dilettante.

BLU Oh, please. I coached you. You were lazy. Upper middle class, running around like you were some old money Rockefeller. (mocking face) Posing next to your Springer Spaniel. Everyone saw through it. But I still loved your look.

ELLERY I need to think about my future.

BLU Where you gonna go, Ellery? Who’s going to sign you now? That ship has sailed. And you know it.

29.

ELLERY Then why am I still your client?

Blu doesn’t answer. She just smiles. Tight. Tired. Terrifying.

BLU I always took care of you, Ellery. Maybe too well.

A loaded look.

INT. BLU’S BEDROOM - DUSK

Curtains drawn. Dim light. She stands in front of the mirror. Touches her jaw. Neither judging or admiring.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - SHARED BATHROOM - DUSK

Empty. Still. A fogged mirror. The sound of a shower running. Unseen.

On the counter: a designer toothbrush cup, filled with stray lashes. An open jar of cold cream. A jade roller.

A single pair of men’s boxer briefs. Damp. Slung over the towel rack.

A phone buzzes. The screen lights up.

GROUP TEXT: pre-party glam [sparkle emoji]

We never see who it belongs to. The water shuts off. Footsteps approach the mirror.

Someone wipes the steam.

Cut away before we see the face.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - CADE’S BEDROOM NIGHT

Cade sits at the edge of the bed. Showered. Dressed sharp. He stares into his old mirror. Lit by the city glow outside.

Picks up a cologne bottle. Looks at it. Puts it back down. Buttons the last button on his cuff. This isn’t a celebration. This is a negotiation.

30.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - OPEN KITCHEN/MAIN AREA - SOON AFTER

City lights wash through the glass walls. Cade grabs his keys off the entry shelf.

Ellery slices fruit at the kitchen counter with visible disdain. Cuts too hard. One piece mushes under the blade.

CADE We good for tonight?

ELLERY Yes.

EXT. GRANDMASTER RECORDERS - NIGHT

A former recording studio reborn as a rooftop restaurant. A shrine to faded dreams and curated futures.

Cade sits at a table with Blu.

BLU If this Noa is real, if you see it, you can come into the company. Do your thing. This is your next act. I know what it’s like to really see someone. To see something in them that they don’t even know yet.

CADE I won’t let you down.

BLU You never did. I know I opened a lot of doors for you. But you did so well.

Cade rolls his eyes, masking it as casual.

CADE Still. The Nepo Baby.

BLU Yeah. Like they wouldn’t do the same for their kids.

CADE I just needed to go for a while. Berlin let me be nobody. I drifted a little too long I guess. It felt like playing survival chess. Every day.

31.

BLU This industry taught me pain. Fame doesn’t erase the wounds. Success doesn’t erase the loneliness. Beauty doesn’t erase the betrayals. So I taught myself power. (then) So I could sit here today and say — look what you couldn’t kill.

CADE You’re still here.

Blu smiles. Not soft, but sharp.

BLU Trick is? You sharpen the scars into knives.

CADE Come to the house. Ellery got a Bottega cake for you.

BLU (surprised) Ellery did?

CADE Even wolves celebrate birthdays.

EXT. HILLSIDE SWITCHBACK - NIGHT

A black car snakes up the road like a secret. Inside: Blu and Cade. Quiet between them. The city shimmering below.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - NIGHT

“Yr Not Invited” by TV Girl x George Clanton curls in the air. Cade guides Blu up the steps. Something alive inside.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - MAIN ROOM - NIGHT

Blu steps through the doors with Cade. Pauses. Jaw slacked. His eyes light. No one jumps out. No “surprise.” The party’s already in motion. Glowing. Louder than expected.

WREN Happy birthday!

Wren swoops in, arms wide. Hugs Blu. Big smiles.

32.

BLU Thank you.

Wren hands Blu a frosted gift bag.

WREN This is for you.

BLU You didn’t have to.

WREN Open it.

Blu parts the colorful tissue.

BLU Oh. A coffee mug. Nice.

WREN Not just any mug. You can control the temperature. I use mine every day.

BLU That’s fun.

Ellery appears with the cake. Candles already lit. Jasper beside her. The singing begins.

CADE Surprise.

The song ends. The candles burn low. Blu blows them out.

BLU (dry) You know I hate surprises.

Blu catches Ellery laughing. Jasper leaning in. A new constellation forming. Without her.

BLU (CONT’D) But since you’re all here... let me say this. (beat) There’s a myth that relevance belongs to the young. That once you age out of a demo, you disappear.

She smiles, razor-thin.

33.

BLU (CONT’D) But relevance isn’t something you lose. It’s something you survive. So thank you for seeing me tonight. Even if half of you came for the view and Wren’s playlist.

Laughter. Applause. She raises her glass.

BLU (CONT’D) I love you kids. You’re my family. Let’s keep building. Even if the walls are made of glass.

Ellery stands next to Jasper.

ELLERY Just beautiful vultures. All orbiting power.

She watches Blu. Part idol, part saboteur, part mirror she can’t crack.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - POOLSIDE - NIGHT

Jasper lights his cigarette.

JASPER You came through.

Wren scans the house.

WREN I need a place like this.

JASPER Good luck.

WREN You’re doing fine, but you could be doing more. People eat up your rising alpha, soft dom vibe.

JASPER Even I get tired of being worshipped.

WREN Let’s do something together.

JASPER A collab? Our audiences don’t exactly crossover.

34.

WREN The gig economy of identity is over. The culture’s eating itself. Labels don’t matter.

JASPER There’s still no future without branding yourself.

WREN I’m tired of being a brand. I just want to be.

JASPER Then be.

WREN It’s a cringe circus. Everyone’s disposable. Some just get swag bags on the way out.

Wren walks off. Jasper flicks his cigarette into the pool. No one notices.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - VERANDA - NIGHT

Blu steps up to Ellery, who stands solemnly. Watching the party like it’s already over.

BLU (quietly) Don’t do that.

ELLERY Do what?

BLU Desperation disguised as elegance.

Ellery stiffens. Something flares beneath the surface.

ELLERY You just don’t like that your control is slipping.

BLU You’re nostalgic for a world that doesn’t exist anymore. You think if you stay perfect enough, it’ll come back to you.

35.

ELLERY I don’t need the world to hand me everything. But I know I’m better than what I’m getting. (beat) It’s brutal, watching yourself get erased.

BLU Beauty depreciates. For everyone. (then) You’re not used goods.

ELLERY Thanks.

BLU We’ll figure it out. But be careful. Jasper curates dependency.

They both look across the pool. Jasper’s in the thick of it. Laughing with one group. Flirting with another. Shirt half- open, drink in hand.

ELLERY Oh, I know. Jasper thinks he’s the hunter. But he’s already prey.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - STAIRS - NIGHT

Cade lingers mid-staircase, drink in hand. Watches the machine of it all turn below. Wren appears beside him.

WREN Berlin. So undone. There’s a lot of sex clubs there.

CADE Yeah, they do that.

WREN It’s wild. Everyone talks about you like you’re this fallen prince.

Cade snorts.

CADE They do?

WREN Yeah, you’re a legend.

36.

CADE I didn’t know.

WREN I hear you’re going to be whoring models out like your mom does?

CADE That’s the plan.

WREN Cool. We’re all just squeezing blood from dead culture. Spinning it into living myth-fiber.

CADE Myth-fiber, huh?

WREN Better than nostalgia. At least this burns on contact.

Cade blinks, unsure if he’s been challenged or seen.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - POOLSIDE - NIGHT

Blu pulls out her phone. Taps. Waits. The Uber gesture. Across the pool, Ellery clocks it.

JASPER (hushed) Don’t let your Dommy Mommy get you down.

He sips from a whiskey glass, dancing slowly to the music. That glint in his eye. Something reckless. Too alive.

ELLERY Oh my God.

JASPER Pop a Vyv. You’ll feel good again.

ELLERY I’m fine.

He twirls her once by the wrist. Breaks away. Loose at the edges. Smiling to himself. Moving like it was his party. Everyone pretends they’re not watching. But they are.

JASPER Be real with me. Did you guys fuck?

37.

Ellery rolls her eyes.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - MAIN ROOM - NIGHT

Blu heels out. Cade in her sight lines.

BLU I’m leaving. But this was so nice.

CADE The least I could do.

BLU Stop. Let’s move on. It feels like this city is tilting off its axis sometimes. But you and me together? I think we could be unstoppable.

She puts her hand on his chest.

CADE Goodnight, Mom.

Blu leaves his side. But looks back, like she’s sharing state secrets:

BLU Remember this company. It isn’t about models. It’s survival disguised as beauty.

Cade watches her go. A beat. He exhales. Like he’s just been handed the crown and told it bites.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - NIGHT

Blu steps outside. The night folds around her like a secret. Heels soft against the stone. She doesn’t look back. Doesn’t have to.

Still that bitch. Still the storm they all orbit.

EXT. HILLSIDE SWITCHBACK - NIGHT

A black luxury car descends down the road. Blu sits in the back. Distant. The city twinkles below. Indifferent.

38.

INT. BEAT-UP PRIUS - NIGHT

Noa drives. Smudged lip gloss. Windows down. Music low. Wind in her hair.

NOA (lip syncing) Honey, you know where the world is at. Get what you want with your lucky eyes...

Up ahead: a black car. Blu’s silhouette in the backseat. Polished, still. Watches it pass, like two timelines colliding in the night.

NOA (CONT’D) Better wake up this sleepy head. Big old world pass us by.

She exhales. The future looks expensive. But she’s coming for it anyway.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - MAIN ROOM - NIGHT

After Blu leaves. The party descends into beautiful chaos. Cade steps away from the crowd. Checks his phone. A text lights up:

NOA (text)

I’m outside

He reads it. Like gravity just tilted. He heads for the door.

BOOM. She’s here. Noa walks in like she owns the moment. The new gravitational force. Some look. Some pretend not to.

But the hierarchy rewrites itself anyway.

Jennifer Love Hewitt — if she was raised by the internet, smoked Juul pods at 14, and reads Sontag now.

CADE Glad you came.

NOA The belly of the beast.

CADE Get you a drink?

NOA Sober-curious.

39.

CADE Fair enough.

She surveys the glass walls. The view. The room that wasn’t expecting her.

NOA I like your house.

CADE If all goes well, you’ll get your own.

NOA We’ll see.

Jasper. Wren. Subtle glances. Ellery looks panicked.

CADE Think of this as your soft launch. There’s people here you should meet.

Noa smiles casually.

NOA Okay.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - POOLSIDE - NIGHT

Cade guides Noa over to a stylish cluster by the pool. A stylist. A glam duo. A creative consultant with silver nails and a camera in one hand.

CADE These are some of my favorite people in the Blu Models orbit.

They take Noa in. Cool, but curious.

NOA Nice to meet you.

CADE She’s one of our new faces.

Ellery hovers behind the group. She hears. Watches. Then -

ELLERY Trying an age-gap romance?

CADE We’re working together.

40.

ELLERY You always did like a fresh canvas.

Cade shifts towards Noa.

CADE Noa, this is Ellery. Legacy model.

ELLERY Some of us remember when this was about more than clicks. But hey, riding the viral edge of destruction might be the only thing that saves Blu Models.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - LOUNGE CHAIRS/FIRE PIT - NIGHT

Wren leans back in a chair beside Jasper, surrounded by beautiful, undefined creatures. Every move deliberate. No one interrupts Wren. No one turns away.

WREN Survival isn’t about staying alive. It’s about staying visible.

JASPER People don’t know how to handle wanting.

WREN (eyes Ellery) Some are just clinging to relevance.

Ellery lingers outside of the circle. Drink in hand. Watching. Not hostile. Not warm. Something older than rivalry. More personal than envy.

JASPER The system doesn’t break you. It learns you.

WREN And then it sells you back to yourself. The industry already collapsed. Now we’re just scrambling to dance on the shards.

JASPER Still pays.

WREN For now.

41.

ELLERY (to Cade) Wren thinks she’s playing the system. Truth is, it’s tattooing itself under Wren’s skin.

Wren meets her gaze. Doesn’t flinch. Just lifts a glass in a half-toast. Slightly amused.

WREN (quiet) Your lizard brain’s not subtle.

Ellery smiles. Her fingers white-knuckle the stem of her glass.

ELLERY I’m evolving.

Cade approaches with Noa. Wren doesn’t rise, but the gravity tilts.

CADE Noa, this is Wren.

Noa nods. Wren gives the smallest smile. Already clocking everything.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT

Noa cracks open a bottled water. The party hum fades behind her. She sips, alone.

Ellery enters. Slow. Composed. Watching Noa without pretending not to. Noa clocks her. A subtle smile.

ELLERY I see why Cade would want to develop you.

NOA That word.

ELLERY It’s what they do. (then) You’re good. Not just pretty. That knife-in-a-velvet-case good.

NOA Oh?

42.

They hold each other’s gaze. Noa doesn’t flinch. Ellery likes that. But she’ll never admit it.

ELLERY Just remember, the monsters aren’t obvious anymore.

She pours vodka into her glass. Exits. Mocktails are for daylight.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - HILLSIDE LOOKOUT - NIGHT

Noa takes in the view. Cade joins her.

NOA I did a Google Image search. Versace. Balmain. Tom Ford. You had a good run.

CADE I like to think so.

NOA Is this about building me up... or rebuilding yourself?

Cade shrugs. Unapologetic.

CADE Maybe both.

NOA I feel bad about leaving my fans. They tug on threads they don’t even understand.

CADE Maybe you’re afraid of becoming desirable in a way you can’t control.

NOA I’m not afraid. But I do like the control. Still, I have to say, there’s something nice about being chosen.

CADE You’re making the right move.

She checks her phone.

43.

NOA I’m gonna go. But thanks for having me.

CADE You’re leaving? It’s still early.

NOA (deadpan) What’d you think? I was gonna get drunk, pass out on your couch, and wake up half-asleep with your fingers under my panties?

She stares at him. Daring him to flinch. He doesn’t.

CADE Tomorrow. Come to the office. I have a photographer. I want him to shoot you. Professional shots. He’s good.

NOA That works. Good night.

She smiles. Leaves his side.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - POOLSIDE - NIGHT

Cade steps back into the party. His gaze lingers as Noa disappears out the door. Like he could’ve imagined her.

Ellery joins his side, polishing off her drink.

ELLERY Blu used to look at me like that. I was the future.

CADE Don’t start with the sad violin thing, Ellery. You’re still viable.

A tight smile from her.

ELLERY Your mother doesn’t act like I am.

CADE It’s camouflage. You know that.

She slowly shakes her head.

44.

ELLERY She’s wielded power over me. Approval. Affection. Attention. Financial access, wrapped in conditional love.

A long moment. Cade glances at the house. Laughter rising. The low throb of something that used to mean fun.

CADE Come by the office this week. We’ll figure something out.

He pats her shoulder. Cade walks off, leaving Ellery alone with her reflection in the glass.

EXT. GLASS HOUSE - BOTTOM OF THE DRIVEWAY

Noa walks downhill, alone. Heels clacking against pavement. The night holds its breath.

She pauses. Checks her phone. Notifications ping. She doesn’t answer.

Slips off her shoes. Carries them in one hand. Keeps going, barefoot

A lone coyote lingers in the shrubs. Watching. Noa watches back. A light wind moves through her hair.

No fear. Two creatures surviving the night. Lit faintly by the city glow.

EXT. SUNSET BOULEVARD - NIGHT

Noa turns onto Sunset in her beat-up Prius. The strip glows: pink, purple, pulsing reds. Neon reflections chase across her windshield.

She stops at a red light. Across the street, a backlit bus stop banner flutters slightly in the breeze.

WREN, reclined in sun-drenched glamor, cradling a pastel can of KØLD sparkling water. Tagline: You Want It.

Noa stares. Jaw tight. Her reflection catches faintly in the glass. Her and Wren. Side by side. Real and aspirational. A momentary mirror.

The light turns green. She doesn’t move. A car behind her honks.

45.

She blinks, catches her breath. Hits the gas. Drives on.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - LATER

The party’s thinning out. Half-empty glasses catching the city light.

Cade, still awake, still sharp, watches across the room. Jasper brushes a hand lightly across Ellery’s waist.

She leans in. Almost invisible to anyone else. But not to Cade. “Don’t Come Back to Me” by Eternal Crush seeps in.

Without a word, they disappear — slipping into the bedroom that used to be his. The door shuts with a soft click.

Cade stays standing there. A man out of time. Out of place. Not out of moves. Not yet.

Wren leans in. Shoulder brushes his. A smile that knows it’ll get a yes.

WREN Pop-up after party. You in?

Cade considers.

CADE (small smirk) Sure.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - UPSTAIRS BEDROOM - NIGHT

Kissing. Heated. Urgent. Ellery drops her dress. Breasts bare, unselfconscious.

Jasper strips, unapologetic. Stands for a moment. Full frontal. Not cocky. Real. A body that knows it’s been wanted.

He pins Ellery’s wrists gently above her head. His touch reverent, yet possessive.

He strokes her face. Eyes locked on hers. Then, flips her over, face down on the bed. Guides her body with a hand at the back of her neck. Not forcing. Tethering.

Close on Ellery’s face. Fear flickers. Hunger mirrors back. A dangerous sadness between them. The last moment before the world moves on.

46.

INT. BLU’S PENTHOUSE CONDO - NIGHT

Sterile. Silent. Blu moves through the space like a ghost who forgot she’s dead. Sets her clutch on a marble counter.

Slips out a tiny velvet pouch. Inside: a glass vial. A ketamine micro-dose kit.

Blu draws a measured breath. Taps out a pinch on the back of her hand. No hesitation. Sniffs.

For the first time, the curtains are open. She crosses to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Wine glass in hand, staring out at the city, still faking warmth for anyone too scared to look closer. No smile. Survival in its purest form.

INT. NOA'S STUDIO APARTMENT - NIGHT

Ring light off. Just the soft blue from her screen. Noa sits cross-legged on her unmade bed, her laptop angled. A soft amber glow from the corner lamp.

Hair pulled back. Makeup smudged from the night. A version of herself her fans rarely see.

She hits record. A quiet beat.

NOA Hey guys, I’m gonna be taking a break. Just for a week or so.

A half-smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

NOA (CONT’D) I’ve just been feeling it... you know?

She tugs a loose thread on her sleeve.

NOA (CONT’D) Anyway. Love you. Mean it. Be good.

She leans forward and clicks off the stream. The screen goes dark. Silence.

Then Van Nuys creeps in. An Old A/C unit hums. Distant sirens. A dog barking down the block.

Noa exhales. Alone.

47.

INT. GLASS HOUSE - UPSTAIRS BEDROOM - LATER

Ellery stands alone. Hair wild. Lips flushed. She buttons one of Jasper’s shirts.

In the mirror, she stares at herself. Not searching. Not broken. Ready.

INT. EMPTY SHOWROOM - NIGHT

A shimmer over dirty floors. DJ in disco ball glitter mask. Bass thick enough to feel under the skin. Strobe lights flash. A beautiful wasteland of bodies colliding.

Cade elbows up to the slapdash bar, next to Wren. Faces glowing from their phones.

WREN So, why’d you give up?

CADE Modeling?

He catches himself in a cracked mirror behind the bar.

WREN Yeah. If you can even call it that anymore. We’re just souls trapped in monetized bodies.

Cade chuckles under his breath. But the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

CADE That’s an image.

The room pulses around them.

WREN Is anyone even looking anymore?

Cade watches her. Something flickering underneath.

CADE What do you mean by that?

WREN Since I was thirteen, it was all — don’t put me in that box. Now it’s starting to feel like I’m just in a different one. And the thing about boxes? I don’t like them.

48.

The Bartender puts Wren’s drink down. Wren doses it. Powder vanishes into liquid. Cade sees, doesn’t ask. Wren sips.

CADE I’m getting in the dirt more at the company. We should talk.

WREN (knocks back the drink) Come on.

Wren slips into the crush. Cade hesitates. Then follows. Laser reds. Acid greens. Light fractures across sweat-slick skin. A throb of bodies. Too many to count.

Music bends reality. Wren disappears into it. Arms lifted. Face lit from below. A vision. Cade pushes through. Composed, but the seams start to give.

Crowd swallows him whole. A girl in neon-blush scream laughs beside a boy with gemstone pupils. A guy blows vape into a stranger’s mouth like communion.

Wren clocks Cade briefly. Then spins back into the strobe. Cade doesn’t lose himself. But lets go.

INT. BLU MODELS - DAY

Blu paces in her office, on headset.

BLU They say LA’s for influencers. Please. Half my girls are in Vogue Japan and not one of them’s ever posted a thirst trap. And they still make the algorithm their bitch. Presence wins. Not performance. (then, switching gears) Yes, Wren can be available for this. But Wren’s rate’s gone up. Also, you have to meet Jasper when you’re in town. (listens) Ellery? We’re repositioning her in the marketplace. But yes, of course, she could work.

Blu pauses. Something catches her eye.

She turns slightly, watching a silhouette appear in the glass doors downstairs. Her security monitor glowing like an altar.

49.

Focus narrows. She doesn’t say a word.

INT. BLU MODELS - RECEPTION/HALLWAY - DAY

Cade meets Noa in front. A nod instead of a hug.

CADE This is it.

He walks her down a clean white hallway. Sunlight pouring through the slats. Sleek art on the walls.

NOA I’ve never been a “we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto” kind of girl. (pause) But this is impressive.

CADE (smiling) Thought it was Idaho?

NOA (deadpan) I’m not from Idaho. But I make it work.

They reach the doors to the studio. Cade opens one, gestures her in.

INT. BLU MODELS - WEST WINDOW STUDIO - DAY

A studio setup jammed into a too-big, too-empty office. White backdrop. Flicker strobe light not turned off since 2019.

Makeup station. Burn cream on a vanity. Ring lights. Hair extensions tucked in a tray like evidence.

Old headshots curling off the corkboard. Noa stands in front of the camera. Tension in her jaw. But holds herself proud.

A photographer who gets it. Cade stands in the corner.

CADE You don’t have to smile.

Noa glares at the lens. Pure, unsanitized defiance. Shutter clicks. The shoot flows. The world falls away.

50.

INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Blu watches through the glass wall. Unreadable behind dark sunglasses.

One hand casually resting against the glass. Old Guard evaluating the New World.

Noa senses something behind the glass. Doesn’t flinch. Blu turns away. No approval. No rejection. Recognition.

“Protostar” by Aidan hums into existence. Low, rising, inevitable. The air shifts. The song swells.

No one can stop what’s coming.

HARD CUT TO BLACK.