King of Hollywood-Chapter 549 - 270: Better to Steal than to be a Concubine

"You didn’t invite me here just to look at me like this," Nicole said, her gaze fixed on Adrian, who was seated at a corner of his desk.

"I like the office—it’s both a public and private space, very safe and secluded, suitable for anything," Adrian laughed, embracing his arms, and evaded the question.

"Really?" Nicole responded indifferently as if she had not caught the implication in his words.

She had just escaped from the control of one man, only to be subject to another. Yet, it seemed she had no say in the matter—the man before her was far more formidable. The previous man could not fully dominate her if she set her mind to resist. Of course, she seldom did so; no matter her initial intentions for marrying him, having been his wife for years, she still had some feelings for him, though they were now disappearing.

But this man was different; if she had only seen a vague silhouette before, his involvement in her divorce case and performance at this year’s Oscars had demonstrated immense power, influence, and talent. He was not a man she could defy. Despite her reluctance, as long as she had aspirations, as long as she was in Hollywood, as long as she wanted to advance, she could not resist him.

Indeed, Nicole had not ruled out completely yielding to him. Although Adrian never hid his possessiveness and could sometimes be domineering, he generally respected her and was mostly gentle and caring, incomparable in bed, immersing her despite her constant sharp tongue.

However, waking up beside him each time, the one US dollar "prostitution fee" would sting her eyes, constantly reminding her that he only wanted her body—that she was merely one of his many playthings. As a proud woman, tired of being controlled and standing behind a man, how could Nicole accept this? Hence, she was always conflicted, using her sharp language and stubborn attitude to fiercely maintain her precarious independence.

"I have seen the clips from ’The Others,’" Adrian spoke again. He stood up, walked over to her, and caressed her face, "You are truly beautiful, Nicole."

Her dark undergarments covered by a leather jacket, her golden red hair tied back and draped down the front, lent her a certain competent air. Her lower half was clad in similarly dark leggings matched with calf-high boots that perfectly outlined the curves of her legs.

"Thank you," Nicole replied briefly, lifting her chin while still letting him stroke her face.

"So, I’ve arranged a new project for you," Adrian withdrew his hand and handed her a script from the desk, "It’s a dark comedy. The film might not do well at the box office, and it could lose money if too much is invested, but it should be well-received critically, as long as the director captures the essence."

"Is this... ’Practical Magic’?" Nicole read the name of the script, quickly flipping through a few sections, then looked puzzled as something came to mind.

"A couple of years ago, the original producer had invited you to play the leading lady but, of course, you were troubled by certain issues then and turned them down," Adrian explained.

"Yes, exactly, troubled by issues," Nicole said with a hint of self-mockery.

"I’ve bought the production rights and postponed its making until today," Adrian shrugged, "The you back then might not have been able to handle this role. However, after the experience with ’The Others,’ I believe that even if you can’t interpret it perfectly, you can at least exhibit many of the traits."

"You really think things through, Ed," Nicole said after a moment of silence.

"Of course, I always think long-term, so I start preparing for certain things very early on; once I start, I have to achieve my goal," Adrian said meaningfully, smiling, then leaned closer to Nicole again, "You know, the Academy doesn’t favor excessively beautiful women, so this requires considerable buildup, which is why I’ve arranged all this for you."

He leaned even closer, almost cheek to cheek with Nicole: "Likewise, I always like to create miracles, so I intend to break this pattern with you. Do you understand, Nicole?"

"You mean..." Nicole was slightly stunned, but before she could finish, her mouth was silenced.

Though Adrian only gently sucked and then let go, she still felt somewhat dizzy. Having spent not a short time in Hollywood, Nicole knew what his words implied. But could it be possible? Yet, this man was known as the Miracle Director, always managing to achieve seemingly impossible feats. With this in mind, Nicole’s heartbeat unconsciously sped up.

"By the way, I’ve decided to cast Nami with you in this movie," Adrian added.

The vague excitement that had just arisen instantly faded, and Nicole suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, humming sarcastically, "It seems you’ve forgotten the troubles during the filming of ’Mulholland Drive.’"

Due to the height difference, Nicole and Naomi had to either use angles or props for their scenes in ’Mulholland Drive,’ making it quite troublesome, and that had also contributed to the difficulty in getting past the bed scenes.

"Don’t worry, I’ve analyzed the roles, and this arrangement is just right. If you play the older sister, then a petite younger sister is fitting for you to care for; if you play the younger sister, being protected by a petite older sister would more effectively emphasize the contrast," Adrian said with a light laugh, easily resolving her concern.

Nicole glared at him, pinched the bridge of her nose, and after a long sigh, she stood up, "Fine, if there’s nothing else, then I’ll be leaving. I’ll consider it carefully."

"Thanks for the compliment. That just makes me more determined," Adrian chuckled, "I finally get to have something about you that some guy never got. That’s unique for me."

Nicole was moved inwardly, and then began to hesitate. She certainly understood the subtext in his words.

"You have to choose one way or the other, otherwise, I won’t let you go," Adrian continued with a smile.

Damn it! This was tantamount to cutting off her first choice; after resisting for so long, she couldn’t just backtrack immediately, could she?

Nicole’s face changed instantly; she shook her head repeatedly, only to hear Adrian suddenly call out, "Come in."

The sound of the door opening rang out, and left with no choice, Nicole quickly crawled under the desk, daring not to make a sound.

Footsteps came through, then the sound of sitting, followed by Adrian’s cheerful greeting, "Hi, Tommy, really glad to see you."

"Me too." Although the visitor’s response was brief, Nicole held her breath.

Damn it! That bastard! Nicole felt both embarrassed and angry; she knew this must have been arranged by Adrian—he couldn’t possibly be unaware of his own setup. Yet, at the same time, a thrilling sensation surged through her just like that time outside her villa, holding the phone and being groped by Adrian while talking to Cruise in the courtyard—shameful yet intensely exciting, compelling her to continue.

"Regarding the sequel to ’Mission: Impossible’?" Adrian asked with a smile,-leaning over the desk, his chest close to the edge.

Feeling Nicole’s movements below, adrenaline and excitement flowed through him, especially with Tom Cruise sitting right in front of him.

"Yes, I don’t understand why we can’t start preparing?" Cruise said with a displeased expression.

"If the company’s people have said they still need time, then waiting a bit longer won’t hurt. You know, the production was handed over to you, so I shouldn’t be dealing with these specifics; you should speak to the relevant personnel." Adrian responded with a smile, but in Cruise’s eyes, the smile carried a sense of mockery.

"If you don’t want to invest, then you could let me handle it entirely, and I believe Paramount would be happy to," Cruise said bluntly, his dissatisfaction evident on his face.

"That won’t do; why would we give up such a successful film?" Adrian spread his hands, "Don’t worry, Tommy, once the company sorts things out, I’ll notify you immediately. After all, you are the undisputed lead actor."

Cruise gazed at him sternly, his anger almost beyond words.

No wonder Cruise was so upset. The divorce case had dragged on for almost a year, costing him financially and damaging his public image. Just when he was settling these issues and hoping to use the ’Mission: Impossible’ sequel to boost his waning popularity, Bossworth kept stalling with various excuses, yet they held the rights to the film, preventing him from going it alone.

Having no choice, Cruise had to lower his pride and seek a meeting with Adrian. Despite his not-so-great character, Adrian had climbed to a position far above, so Cruise had to swallow his pride even if he knew Nicole might have hooked up with Adrian before, and even if he suspected Adrian’s involvement in the divorce case. However, when he actually faced Adrian, his sarcastic, cocky demeanor and casual smile still drove Cruise to the edge of rage.

"Calm down, Tommy. Yelling isn’t going to solve anything," Adrian said lazily, and after he said the word "bitch," Nicole’s actions beneath the desk grew wildly unrestrained. If this were not in an office, Adrian might have almost moaned with the overwhelming sensation.

"You know what I think of you, Adrian? You’re just an arrogant, contemptuous bastard! Don’t think..." Cruise continued shouting, clearly the stressful events of the past year had brought him to a breaking point. Facing Adrian, who he found most humiliating, he finally erupted.

"I know you’re powerful! But I truly don’t care! Go on, fancy that bitch if you want, I’m game!" With these last words, he took a deep breath.

"Okay, if that’s how it is, I’ll transfer the movie rights for ’Mission: Impossible’ to you at a low cost." He adjusted his tie, speaking wistfully, looking quite satisfied.

This abrupt turnaround left Cruise stunned; he did not believe his words had changed anything. It seemed Adrian hadn’t been listening or didn’t care about his attitude, which deeply frustrated Cruise.

Despite this, he seized the opportunity to ask, "Are you serious?"

"Of course, since you need it, I’ll give it to you, just like I handed over the production rights to you. See, I’ve always respected you, Tommy," Adrian maintained his nonchalant tone.

No matter the underlying tone of his words, Cruise rubbed his temples, then suddenly stood up, "I think... I’d like to use your restroom."

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please feel welcome to recommend and vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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