Chapter 9: Self-Persuasion
William's rejection genuinely caught Nicole off guard.
The way he had looked at her earlier had confirmed her confidence—she was certain her charm had already taken effect, that William had fallen under her spell.
She believed that with a little incentive, this man could become a stepping stone in her career.
Yet William had refused—
and not in the way she expected.
She had spent hours weighing the decision before finally choosing to gamble on him. If it worked, great. If it didn't, she could always fall back on her original plan—getting close to Tom Cruise.
But she never imagined William would turn her down outright.
For a brief moment, she lost her usual composure and blurted out, almost stubbornly:
"What if I say I don't want any pay?
All I want is for you to make a movie for me."
Nicole's words made William pause.
He studied her face—the determination, the competitiveness flickering beneath her calm exterior.
The proposal itself was naïve.
But her face truly was beautiful.
"Ms. Kidman," William asked evenly,
"have you considered this—after the film is finished, does it belong to you, or to me?"
It was a critical question.
Nicole froze.
Before she could respond, William turned and started walking toward the exit.
Naturally, Nicole followed.
"Whoever pays owns the film," she said, watching him closely, trying to decipher his real thoughts.
"That's not really up for debate, is it?"
"Exactly," William replied.
"So I'm sorry—I have no interest in working for someone else."
He paused briefly, then added:
"Though in a few months, we might actually have a chance to collaborate."
His gaze swept over Nicole again, and for a fleeting moment, he recalled her powerful performance in Before I Go to Sleep.
That film—
he could recreate it almost perfectly and use it as his true debut.
Nicole Kidman would make an excellent springboard to fame.
After all, if he wanted to become the unseen godfather behind Hollywood, anonymity wouldn't do.
Only when his name alone made people pause and listen—wondering what major news had just dropped—could he claim real control over the industry.
But clearly, he wasn't there yet.
Without capital, there was no way he could convince Nicole to work for free, and William wasn't foolish enough to indulge in daydreams.
He remembered countless films that were both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
There was no need to stake everything on Nicole Kidman alone.
Nicole followed behind him, studying his profile for a long while—yet found nothing she could read.
After being rejected twice in a row, her emotions finally settled.
She didn't force the issue.
Instead, she narrowed her eyes, quietly reconsidering William's attitude.
As she calmed down, a realization slowly dawned on her.
A director with once-in-a-generation talent—
choosing to make low-budget films to escape worldly constraints,
only so he could eventually create a fully independent work that perfectly embodied his artistic vision.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
In that moment, Nicole felt as if she truly understood William.
And under the influence of her own reasoning, his image began to grow—larger, more profound.
She became increasingly convinced that this man would one day leave a deep mark on Hollywood history.
Which only made Nicole Kidman—born into privilege—want even more to star in his first true film.
Her father was a clinical psychologist, and she had grown up in a wealthy household with an excellent education.
And she trusted her judgment.
But that background also made her intensely utilitarian.
Every approach she made toward William was driven by interest, not emotion.
"Hey, William!"
Just as William was about to get into his car and leave, Nicole called out his name.
"Is there something else, Nicole?"
William replied, using her first name as well.
Hearing him address her so casually, Nicole paused for a moment—then quickly regained her composure.
"If you're worried about creative control, I can guarantee—"
She didn't get to finish.
"Nicole—if I call you that, you don't mind, right?" William interrupted calmly.
"Do you really think the two of us—especially me, a broke nobody—can scrape together enough money right now to shoot an independent film?"
At this point in time, Nicole Kidman was not yet the international superstar or renowned producer she would later become.
She was only a moderately well-known actress.
Seeing her tacitly accept that reality, William continued.
"And if we can't raise the money, even if I write the script, I'll still have to seek investors. Who do I approach?"
"The Big Eight?"
"Or capital you pull in through your network?"
"In front of them, someone as insignificant as me—do you think I could really guarantee creative control?"
He paused, then softened his tone.
"All right. That's enough for tonight. Get in—I'll take you home. It's late, and the streets aren't exactly safe."
William tilted his head toward the passenger seat, signaling her to get in.
That short speech made Nicole reevaluate him—again.
She hadn't thought nearly that far ahead.
She hadn't expected this man to already be planning so deeply.
Looks like I'm still too inexperienced, she admitted inwardly.
Yet the more composed and forward-thinking William appeared, the stronger her contrarian impulse grew.
At the same time, her rational mind became increasingly convinced that this man was destined for success.
Compared to the Hollywood darling she'd met days earlier—Tom Cruise—
William felt like someone truly capable of building something great.
Tom Cruise, by contrast, had left her with an odd, hard-to-define discomfort.
Lost in these thoughts, Nicole naturally walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and got into William's car.
She didn't mind its battered condition.
Instead, she weighed the pros and cons—how to establish a meaningful connection with this yet-unknown genius director, and how she might extract future benefits.
A lead role.
A custom-made film.
Something exclusive.
Noticing her silence, William waved his hand in front of her face and snapped his fingers.
"Hey—wake up. You're not planning to come home with me, are you?"
The snap pulled Nicole out of her thoughts.
She rolled her eyes and rattled off an address.
For now, she was renting a townhouse on Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, as her temporary base in Los Angeles.
Hearing the address, William wasn't surprised.
The area was relatively safe, and many moderately well-known single actresses chose to live there.
The drive passed mostly in silence.
Nicole Kidman replayed William's words in her mind—
along with the images he had captured on film.
And she reached a conclusion:
William was someone with exceptional clarity of thought.
Which meant—
If she wanted something from him,
she would need to change her strategy.