King of Hollywood-Chapter 279 - 7 I am happy to provide opportunities
Chapter 279: Chapter 7 I am happy to provide opportunities
Chapter 279 -7 I am happy to provide opportunities
“After that night, you never called me, and I thought you had forgotten about me,” the bright sunshine streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a delicate, tranquil look on the girl’s face. Her spoon stirred evenly under her slender fingers, causing the coffee in the cup to slowly swirl into a small vortex, a playful tone concealing a hint of melancholy.
“How could I forget? You were so exceptional and refined that night,” the man sitting across from her smiled slightly, lifting his cup elegantly to sip, his movements graceful and cultured, exuding a unique charm.
Gwyneth raised her eyebrows but did not speak. Although she kept smiling, disbelief was evident on her face.
“Of course, I should apologize for not calling. It was indeed my mistake, even though I have been quite busy,” Adrian put down his cup and sighed, “but I wouldn’t forget any beautiful woman who made a deep impression on me.”
“Any?” Gwyneth’s eyes wandered, her thoughts unclear as she casually swept a strand of hair behind her ear, looking quite enticing.
“Why did you choose me for this role, Ed?” she suddenly changed the subject, “to play this fragile wife who eventually gets killed by a psychopathic murderer?”
“Because that’s the impression you give me, Gwyneth,” Adrian replied leisurely.
“Are you saying I’m the type of woman a psychopath would pick?” Gwyneth propped her chin with one hand and pouted.
Adrian immediately burst into laughter, not blinking as he watched the girl in front of him: “Kind, delicate, fragile, that’s how I see you, Gwyneth, a woman who might not be considered traditionally pretty but is indeed beautiful.”
“You really have a way with words, Ed,” Gwyneth covered her mouth and giggled, then glanced at her agent bargaining with Roger at a nearby spot, and further off, Charlize looking at a magazine, seemingly indifferent to everything around her.
“Anyway, it’s truly an honor to be personally invited by you,” she said subsequently.
“That’s very flattering to hear, Gwyneth. Actually, I just wanted to make sure that the person I had in mind would agree because I believe they are perfect for the role,” Adrian spoke calmly but with an undeniable authority, making Gwyneth’s eyes flicker with a different light.
She lowered her head to sip her coffee, about to continue speaking when Adrian’s voice suddenly rose, “Wait!”
“What’s wrong?” Gwyneth asked, puzzled.
“Yes,” Adrian replied, “something wonderful and interesting.”
His eyes unblinking, he looked at Gwyneth, his expression a mix of amusement and appreciation mixed with a hint of invasion.
“Can you tell me what it is?” Gwyneth slightly furrowed her brows, a gesture that made her look quite attractive.
Adrian did not answer but instead put his index finger to his lips in a “shush” gesture, continuing to scrutinize Gwyneth. His gaze roamed from top to bottom, from left to right, sometimes clear and transparent as if appreciating a fine piece of art, at other times filled with intense desire as if the person before him was a naked torso.
Faced with such a gaze, Gwyneth felt uncomfortable, twisting her body and lowering her head, not daring to meet his eyes. But as time passed, the discomfort grew.
“Ed… I think…” Gwyneth stirred her nearly empty coffee, trying to dispel the feeling of helplessness, but suddenly, Adrian reached out and lifted her chin.
Gwyneth’s face, momentarily shocked, flashed a hint of annoyance and was about to speak when Adrian’s voice rang out again, “A few minutes, just give me a few more minutes, Gwyneth.”
His tone was pleading, yet slightly seductive, and his deep, dark eyes were filled with seriousness.
A sudden shy blush crossed Gwyneth’s cheeks, and the words she had on her lips remained unspoken. She turned her head slightly to look out the window, letting Adrian caress her cheek.
“Truly… perfect!” Adrian exclaimed a few minutes later.
“Perfect?” Gwyneth turned her head back as he drew his hand away, “That’s a nice compliment, Ed.”
Though her tone was clearly sarcastic and although there was a look of indignation between her brows, her breathing had quickened slightly at the word “perfect.”
“I’m serious, Gwyneth,” Adrian had retracted his hand, but his gaze never wavered, now more excited than ever, “I have a brilliant idea, and only you can help me achieve it!”
“Really?” Gwyneth’s eyes lit up again, “May I… may I know what it is?”
“Um… Sorry, I can’t tell you.” Adrian smiled with a teasing and cunning look, and as she showed a displeased expression, he added, “But I can assure you, it’s a fantastic idea. Look at you, Gwyneth, your demeanor, your beauty, make you the impeccable choice.”
“Okay, I don’t understand.” Gwyneth sighed, completely clueless about what Adrian was talking about.
“No worries, you’ll find out in time, and I’m going to surprise a lot of people, so…” Adrian’s smile deepened, “How about signing at least three film contracts with me?”
Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.
“Three film contracts?” Gwyneth showed a shocked expression.
“Yes, three non-compulsory film contracts,” Adrian said, hands joined leisurely as he watched Gwyneth, “Trust me, Gwyneth, there’s no one more suitable than you.”
She covered her mouth, then took a couple of deep breaths, nibbled her lip with her teeth, glanced outside through the floor-to-ceiling window, and finally made up her mind, “Clearly, I have no reason to refuse.”
Her gray-green eyes twinkled, “It’s truly an honor to be praised by the ‘Miracle Director.'”
“Thank you.” Adrian didn’t continue with surprised gratitude this time but immediately grasped Gwyneth’s hand, caressed it briefly, and then touched the soft area between her thumb and forefinger. Gwyneth did not withdraw her hand, but slightly bowed her head, shyly looking at Adrian, until noticing at a nearby seat that her manager and Roger were leisurely drinking coffee and chatting, realizing they had already reached an agreement.
“I think I should go back now.” Gwyneth withdrew her hand and stood up, transforming back into the elegant lady she was at the beginning, “Thank you for the invitation, Ed.”
“I’m so glad you agreed,” Adrian replied, smiling as he stood up.
Next came naturally seeing Gwyneth off, then Adrian told Roger about the previously mentioned trio of film contracts to handle, and followed by getting into the car with Charlize, ready to head back to the office.
“Don’t forget, you have a date,” Charlize reminded him as they watched Gwyneth’s car drive out of the club, though her face showed no expression. Adrian had thought she would be unhappy.
Today’s meeting with Gwyneth was primarily to offer her the role of the wife in “Seven Deadly Sins,” a fairly significant supporting role. Such business didn’t require his personal involvement, as the company’s responsible personnel would handle it well; therefore, Adrian’s personal invitation to meet Gwyneth certainly had a motive.
Throughout the meeting, Adrian kept a close watch on Gwyneth’s reactions. Apart from the genuine shyness displayed when he stroked her cheek, the rest seemed somewhat mixed between truth and pretense. In fact, it was the same at the charity event last time. There was a performative flavor to her behavior, which she executed so well that practically no one noticed. It just goes to show that women are natural actors in front of men, but unfortunately, this time she was up against Adrian.
Put simply, this woman wanted to gain something from him. Even though Gwyneth came from a family of artists—her father a film producer and her mother an actress, and even having a big director as a godfather—it did not mean her path in Hollywood would be smooth. These factors only meant that she started from a higher point.
Adrian recalled a conversation overheard at a party where someone mentioned a story. A director’s daughter wished to become an actress, so the director entrusted her to a somewhat reputable producer. For her first audition, this producer had asked the girl to undress on camera, saying something along the lines of “If you won’t even strip, how can you devote yourself to art?” (Note), and the girl, nearly in tears, complied eventually.
This is Hollywood, a glamorous Vanity Fair. Moreover, connections, though important, do not guarantee anything without talent, as too many examples have already shown.
Therefore, actors, especially those not top-tier, would try every means to seize opportunities. Having the support of the Miracle Director could significantly boost their careers.
“I’m quite willing to provide such opportunities, as long as they’re willing to pay the price,” Adrian murmured to himself, stroking his chin. Gwyneth wasn’t particularly beautiful, but she possessed a fine demeanor, similar in type to Blanchett. Of course, she was more daring than Blanchett, and he was quite eager to see them submit before him.
At this thought, he turned to look out the car window. Even through the tinted glass, he could feel the brightness of the sun; summer was almost here. Adrian sighed again internally, reflecting that summer was also a season of harvest, then shifted his focus to the upcoming meeting. It had been a long time since he had last seen her, and he wondered what she looked like now.
====================================
Sitting in the drawing room, Rachel Weisz rubbed her fingers restlessly, occasionally pulling out a business card from her pocket to look at it, uncertain if what she was doing was right or wrong.
“You have to understand, Rachel, I am your agent, and it’s true I should fight for roles for you, but you should be willing to change as well, shouldn’t you? This is Hollywood, not London!” her agent had told her over the phone.
Maybe coming to Hollywood was a mistake? Rachel wondered to herself. She pulled out the business card again, staring at the name on it, slightly dazed. She had thought she was crazy that day. They had just met on the set, had afternoon tea, chatted a bit, and had dinner together. Then absurdly, she had taken him home and they had ended up in bed…
Rachel covered her forehead and shook her head with a bitter chuckle. Okay, she admitted that Adrian was indeed very charming that day. She still remembered the conversation they had, from Foster’s novels to Shakespeare, and from Middle Ages drama to modern fiction. Adrian matched her imagined figure from the “Howards End” movie perfectly—articulate, knowledgeable, humorous, and understanding of a woman’s mind. It naturally sparked her emotions, building more and more until it was out of control.
Similarly, as she had said that night, it had been the most pleasant experience for her, so uninhibited that they went several rounds. Every time she recalled the passionate intimacy of that night, Rachel would blush, Adrian’s unreserved passion and skill had given her an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
But it was also because of this, the clever part of her had immediately sensed something, which made her ask him if he had many women. Later, she saw that scene of Adrian and Julia going into the lounge, she did not have a scene that day but still came to the set.
From this, it was clear that Adrian had the identity of a Playboy. Although Rachel was annoyed, she didn’t regret anything, and when Adrian specially came to invite her to Hollywood, she did not say much and even took his business card. In her opinion, there would be no future contact with him, so she did not attend the premiere of “Four Weddings and a Funeral.”
However, some things are unpredictable. After acting in a few stage plays, Rachel began to transition to a professional actor, and only then did she realize how much an opportunity meant in movie production, especially after arriving in Hollywood where she had to start from scratch. In London, the trophies she gained from stage plays had added some weight, but here they were useless.
So when she heard those words from her agent, her heart suddenly chilled. She knew exactly what her agent meant. There were several times she thought her auditions were quite good, but ultimately, the roles always went to other actresses who had closer relationships with directors or producers.
She could choose to endure it, maybe someday she would perform in an unknown independent movie that might make her famous. Such things had happened before. But for a woman who had been impressive in movies from the age of 13 or 14, held the title of a princess at Cambridge University, and was somewhat proud, this was unacceptable.
Out of sheer desperation, Rachel dug out Adrian’s card—she had kept it well preserved. Although she had heard plenty of rumors and gossip about him since coming to Hollywood, if she could overlook his lascivious aspect, he was still a decent man. Alright, that was indeed Rachel’s self-consoling thought; after all, she had only met him a few times, but now, besides this, she seemed to have no_other choice, so she finally showed up here.
“`
Knock, knock, knock, the sound of knocking came, and Rachel immediately looked up to see the familiar yet unfamiliar man standing at the entrance of the living room, smiling at her.
“Hi, Rachel, it’s been such a long time,” Adrian said with a tone of nostalgia.
“Yes, it has been,” Rachel casually put her business card back into her pocket and stood up with a faint smile.
“You are still so beautiful and charming,” Adrian walked over and took her hand.
“Thank you,” Rachel sighed softly in her heart. She could tell the sincerity in his words, and besides the handshake, there was no other action, just like the gentleman he was when they first met.
“Please, have a seat,” Adrian invited, then turned his head to the door and called, “Charli, please bring two cups of…”
He looked at Rachel questioningly, and she nodded.
“Please bring two cups of English tea, thank you,” Adrian called out and then sat down beside Rachel, “The tea in the office might not be as good as outside, but it’s still quite decent.”
“That’s fine, anything is fine,” Rachel quickly said.
“Is there something you wanted to see me about?” Adrian cut to the chase after exchanging pleasantries.
Rachel was taken aback, suddenly realizing she had come here without thinking of anything specific—how absurd! When had she become so foolish? What should she say now? That she wanted a role? Don’t joke! How would that make him see her?
Luckily, Adrian immediately relieved her by saying, “Oh, you’ve finally decided to try your hand in Hollywood, haven’t you?”
“Um… yes…” Rachel muddled through, just as Adrian’s secretary brought in the tea, and after taking a sip, she finally calmed down.
“That’s wonderful, you don’t know how happy I was when I heard you called!” Adrian continued with a nostalgic tone, eagerly looking at Rachel without blinking, “I always remember the girl I met on the set of ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral,’ who was beautiful with a remarkable presence, and that wonderful night.”
He suddenly stopped talking and then looked embarrassed, “Sorry, perhaps this isn’t the right time to talk about this.”
Rachel forced a smile and remained silent, not knowing what to say, but not realizing that with just those simple words Adrian had already made her feel slightly more affectionate toward him.
“If you had come two weeks earlier, it would have been perfect, there was a role you could have tried,” Adrian changed the subject to ease the atmosphere.
“What kind of role?” Rachel asked curiously, unaware that the initiative had already shifted into his hands.
“A girl from the 70s, reckless in her youth, engaging in drugs and promiscuity, longing for fame yet living somewhat dazed,” Adrian described.
“Do you think I am suitable for such a role?” Rachel frowned, yet Adrian’s reply surprised her.
“Of course not!” (To be continued, for the outcome, please visit www.qidian.com, more chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)
“`
