Keaton said,


    "Anyway, you got hurt because of me. I have to take responsibility."


    "Whether or not you want to get back at Beatrix, that''s up to you. But this is my way of making it right."


    "I pulled a few scripts for you-hot properties right now. Take a look, see if any catch your eye. If you find one you like, I''ll bankroll the whole thing. You''ll be the leadingdy."


    "You can even pick your co-star. Doesn''t matter if they''re from the industry or not just say the word, I''ll make it happen."


    Winona stared at him, stunned. She reached for the folder and flipped through it. Every script was in serious demand these days.


    Keaton added,


    "If you think you can juggle your schedule, take them all if you want. Or if there''s a movie or a brand endorsement you''re dying to do, just tell me. I''ll set it up."


    Winona: "..."


    She could turn down whiskey, but these scripts? No way. She was an actress, and she loved her craft. She wanted to keep pushing her limits, keep surprising herself.


    These were projects she''d always dreamed of, but never had a shot at. Now they were right in front of her, and she wasn''t about to let them slip away.


    She didn''t bother pretending. She was straightforward:


    "These are exactly what I want. I''ll take them. Let me pick which ones and get back to you. Thanks, Keaton."


    Keaton grinned, even more direct,


    "I should be thanking you! If you turned me down, I''d never stop feeling guilty."


    Then he picked up a pair of scissors and handed them to Winona. "You can look at the scriptster. For now, I figured you might want to blow off some steam."


    Winona eyed the scissors, confused. "What''s this for?"


    Keaton exined, "Heard you had to chop off some hair to get stitches, and you cried about it. I figured I''d give you a shot at payback."


    Winona: "?"


    Keaton shrugged. "Hey, I''m vain too. But we''re friends, right? Just... go easy on me, and please don''t make me look like a total disaster."


    Now she got it. Keaton was offering up his own hair as a peace offering.


    Honestly, with a move like that, how


    could she stay mad? No wonder everyone knew he was a flirt but girls still fell for him. He wasn''t just good-looking or rich-he knew how to make a girl feel better how to hit the right emotional notes. He could check every box: looks, money,fort, fun. Who wouldn''t fall for a guy like that? Out of ten women, at least half would catch feelings.


    Winona didn''t take the scissors.


    "Forget it. I''m over it. Let''s just move on. We''re still friends." But Keaton pushed,


    "No way. I can''t get that image of you crying over your hair out of my head Please, just take a few ships so can feel a little less guilty."


    She hesitated, so he nudged her, "Come on, don''t leave me hanging."


    Winona sighed, "I don''t even know how to cut hair."


    Keaton just winked, "That''s fine. Whatever happens, I won''t hold it against you.”


    She paused for a moment, but when he insisted, she gave in.


    "Okay, you asked for it. If it turns out awful, you''re not allowed toin." "Scout''s honor!"


    Winona took the scissors, nning to just trim a little off the ends, nothing drastic. She really wasn''t upset anymore.


    But-


    Just as she brought the scissors to Keaton''s hair, they heard Caroline''s voice from the other room:


    "I''ming, I''ming!"


    Startled, both of them jumped.


    Keaton jerked his head, and Winona''s hand slipped.


    Snip !


    A huge chunk of Keaton''s perfectly styled hair came off, right at the roots.


    His suaveid-back look instantly transformed into a ridiculous,psided mess. Instead of looking. like the star of a vintage film, he now looked... well, like someone who lost a bet at a frat party.


    And the worst part? The middle part was way too wide. Not a little wide—a canyon. Bold, obvious, and absolutely impossible to hide.