King of Hollywood-Chapter 598 - 6 Consolation

"Okay, okay, it’s Daddy’s fault, Daddy was wrong, please don’t cry, Juliet?" Adrian cooed to his second daughter cradled in his arms, but unfortunately, the little one was having none of it, crying incessantly with tears welling up in her big eyes―just like her mother’s―making Lily giggle incessantly on the side.

"Lily!" Adrian couldn’t help but shoot Lily a glance, getting distracted enough that Juliet’s wailing intensified, forcing him to continue his frantic attempts at soothing the infant. Lily’s laughter seeped out from between her fingers even more.

Earlier on, Juliet, left on the soft couch, was doing what babies do―biting her fingers. The mischievous Lily had several times pulled her hand out of her mouth, seriously informing her younger sister that biting one’s hand wasn’t good behavior, regardless of whether Juliet could understand or not. However, just seconds after each removal, the little one would stuff her fingers back into her mouth, and Lily would pull them out again, an endless cycle.

To Adrian’s dismay, the infant had shown no reaction to Lily’s teasing, but once he picked her up and removed her hand from her mouth twice for hygiene’s sake, Juliet started to cry discontentedly. Clearly, the grudges from Lily’s teasing had been transferred onto Adrian.

"I’ll take over, Ed," Monica came over after having fed Deva and put her to sleep, "Juliet must be hungry."

"Alright." Hesitating for a moment, Adrian handed Juliet over to Monica.

Once the little one started sucking eagerly, it was evident that she was indeed starving. Adrian scratched his head, his usually accurate judgment about the children’s behavior unexpectedly off today.

"I’m not a fool," Monica said with a soft smile, her tender and affectionate mien giving her an almost saintly aura.

However, some people liked to disrupt that feeling, like Adrian, who smacked his lips, "I’m really jealous of Juliet."

"Ed!" Monica called out in reprimand.

"I’m just expressing my thoughts; what’s wrong with that?" Adrian said with a cheeky grin, exaggerating a look around and then spreading his hands as if to show innocence. Lily had run off somewhere at this point, and the nanny, with Deva sound asleep from being fed, was far enough away to ensure privacy.

It was clear that Monica had noticed this too and gave him a glimpse with a roll of her eyes, "As if you haven’t tried..."

She halted her speech midway, her cheeks flushing with the memory of the time she and Sophie had fed him, even someone as experienced as Monica couldn’t help feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Okay then―Sophie will be thrilled to hear this," Adrian deliberately changed the subject, patting his greedily feeding daughter’s little head as he spoke.

"What would make her very happy?" Kate’s voice carried over just then. She was carrying a porcelain plate with a homemade apple pie on it. Despite her culinary skills not being so great, she was always trying to improve.

Deva and Juliet were almost five months old, and Adrian often took time to play with them and Lily, calling it fostering sisterly bonding. Lily adored both of them, and they seemed to get along with her as well. But whenever Adrian had free time, he would take Lily to see Monica and Sophie, or Kate, if he was with Deva and Juliet.

The three women found some common ground during motherhood conversations, but otherwise, they were rather indifferent to each other. So Adrian always chose moments when Sarah wasn’t around to invite Monica and Sophie over to Kate’s place, making sure to keep Charlize away to prevent the already strained atmosphere from becoming weirder.

However, Sophie wasn’t there today because she was busy with a movie, not the one Adrian had arranged for her, but Nancy Meyers’ "What Women Want."

Bossworth Film had invested in the movie, so last year Adrian had recommended Keira for the role of the daughter. The leading actress was supposed to be Helen Hunt, but for some reason, she dropped out just as filming was scheduled to begin in early January. The cast struggled to find a replacement, and Sophie, having recovered nicely, was promptly suggested by Adrian. As a chic Parisian, she easily won Meyers’ approval. Of course, the leading male role was still Mel Gibson, the actor who had been a bit overshadowed by Adrian’s own actions.

Adrian arranged a movie for Sophie with a clear goal, but because Sophie had practically vanished from the media and public eye for 8 months due to pregnancy and childbirth, she needed to polish her acting and regain some popularity first. Just then, some issues arose with "What Women Want", and he conveniently recommended Sophie for it, not caring what had happened to Helen Hunt, who was originally supposed to have landed the role smoothly. How could he let such a good opportunity slip away?

"By the way, I haven’t congratulated you yet for being nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress," Kate said suddenly after having Monica try some apple pie and chatting about mother-related topics for a bit.

"Thank you." Monica smiled and didn’t say much more.

Watching this, Adrian couldn’t help but silently chuckle and shake his head. Even though Kate acted quite normal, her slightly jealous demeanor didn’t escape his notice. She was like this, always wanting something but never asking for it directly in front of him, thinking it would make their interactions seem like a transaction, just as she used to put on an air of making a deal to hide her feelings. This contradictory attitude was really... adorable!

"The pie today tasted slightly better, did you add something new?" Adrian followed Kate to the kitchen as she was cleaning up the leftover pie.

"The same as usual," Kate replied, shrugging her shoulders as she continued tidying up.

"Couldn’t you have the maid do it?" Adrian wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"I like doing it myself, is that okay?" Kate finally turned around and huffed lightly.

"Of course it is," Adrian responded with a laugh, kissing the back of her neck before deliberately changing the subject, "Speaking of which, securing an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for Monica wasn’t easy."

Kate took a deep breath and then turned her head, nonchalantly asking, "Really? So what are the chances of winning?"

"Not very high, so I put in quite an effort," Adrian shrugged.

In the end, Harvey Weinstein agreed to his request. As he had said before, the Weinstein brothers would do just about anything for money, even dance a striptease on stage. Other people’s claims of a grand trilogy might be up for debate, but coming from the Miracle Director, it’s a different story. With that in mind, why not go all out? For the Weinstein brothers, who were familiar with the workings and rhetoric of the Film Academy, it certainly wasn’t a particularly difficult task. Even though a 100% guarantee was impossible, they could get very close, especially since AC Media’s resources were at their disposal.

Adrian had his timing down perfectly, and what he said wasn’t wrong either. The Weinstein brothers always hoped that Miramax could handle more big productions, turning it into a major film company. Disney, originally set to acquire them, parted ways because of its conservative approach to the youth market, which clashed with the somewhat aggressive Miramax, relegating them to a support role.

However, this problem didn’t exist with AC Media, which ran Miramax very well after acquiring it. Even after Universal was bought out, the Weinstein brothers were worried for a while but didn’t have conflicts with AC Media. Adrian also knew that 100% was impossible unless the entire Film Academy was bought out. Promising the grand trilogy was as much about appeasing them as it was about pushing them to work harder on PR and advocacy.

Of course, Adrian didn’t forget to attach some conditions. He would decide the three Best Actress nominees they’d aggressively campaign for, and the trilogy wouldn’t start until 2002 at the earliest.

"Monica is really lucky," Kate remarked, unable to contain herself.

Adrian couldn’t help but chuckle, his hands starting to move upward from her waist: "By the way, there’s a role you might try. It’s been a while since ’Miss Congeniality’ and ’28 Days’, you should have had enough rest by now."

"Aren’t you still writing the screenplay for ’Tomb Raider’?" Kate thought of that first.

"Yes, but I’m talking about a different script," Adrian said with a smile, "A relatively more artistic one."

"You want me to film two movies in a year again?" Kate turned around with a slight frown on her face.

"So what if I do? Last year didn’t you also star in two movies?" Adrian cupped her cheeks and smiled, "This movie is also adapted from a novel, and it has even more potential than ’28 Days.’"

Adapted screenplays have this advantage: once you secure the adaptation rights, whether you start early or delay it, it’s entirely up to you. Just like ’The Bone Collector,’ which I’ve prepared for Monica—it was supposed to be released last year but is only now in preparation and will take some more time before production begins, of course, Denzel Washington is still the male lead.

In any case, as long as it still fits with the current social climate, a delay isn’t a problem, and it’s the same with the movie I’ve prepared for Kate. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

"You know, to win the Oscar for Best Actress, experience is a necessity," Adrian kissed Kate’s lips.

The title of English Rose is sweet sounding and comes with some advantages, but it imposes greater restrictions. Winning the Oscar for Best Actress isn’t such an easy task.

"It sounds like... you’ve got everything ready?" Kate seemed a little uncomfortable and lowered her eyelids as if feeling secretly pleased, but more hesitant.

"Of course, my darling, although it’s a bit of trouble and will take some time, I’ve arranged everything," Adrian used an excessively sweet endearment.

After all, Kate was the first woman he’d been with since his rebirth and the mother of his first child. If she were to win Best Actress, it had to be a genuine and glorious victory, not just reliant on public relations.

"If you doubt again, I’ll strip you naked in front of Monica..." He then made a threatening remark and, though he swallowed half the sentence, his playful demeanor revealed what he would have said, and Kate unceremoniously elbowed him.

Just as Adrian wanted to feign pain, there was a knock at the door. Upon permission, a servant came in with a mobile phone.

"A young lady is on the phone for you, Mr. Adrian," the other said.

"Okay, thank you," Adrian replied with a smile, but sighed inwardly. If it were his mansion, Yukie would have called him out to explain the situation instead of doing it in front of Kate.

Perhaps it would be better to bring Lily and Deva, Juliet over to his place in the future. Adrian took the phone with this thought, then recognized who was on the line and made an apologetic gesture to Kate before leaving.

Kate sighed, quickly put the remaining apple pie on a small plate, and was busy for a while before she was about to leave when Adrian suddenly came in.

"Sorry, Kate, I have to go out," Adrian said apologetically, "I might not be back tonight."

"I understand," Kate replied with some resignation, "Remember to tell Monica."

"Of course." Adrian smiled and kissed her, then turned to leave the kitchen.

"Can I know what it’s about?" Kate suddenly asked.

"Mmm..." Adrian stopped in his tracks, and it took him a while to turn back with an awkward smile. He pointed at Kate’s belly and then quickly slipped away.

Kate thought for several minutes before she realized what was going on, but by then Adrian was long gone and even blushing didn’t help.

After greeting Monica in the living room and kissing each of the three little ones goodbye, Adrian got in his car and left the villa. It wasn’t a huge issue, just pregnancy symptoms, and although she was just over a month in and her belly wasn’t showing, Jessica was not even twenty. Plus, keeping it from her family led to some emotional fluctuations; it was normal that she wanted someone to rely on.

"See, I came over right away, didn’t I? So don’t worry," Adrian said affectionately, holding her on Jessica’s couch.

"I’m just a little... scared," Jessica said softly, snuggling into his arms.

With the intention of taking care of her and the fear that being alone was unsafe, Adrian had hired a middle-aged woman to look after her—of course, the best quality—if it wasn’t for the risk that moving suddenly might alert her family, Adrian would have had her move into the Beverly Hills mansion a while ago.

"Don’t be scared, not many people know about this yet," Adrian continued to reassure her. "And nothing has been delayed. ’Save the Last Dance’ was already completed a while ago, and the second season of ’Dark Angel’ is about to wrap up too. You don’t have much screen time left, which is perfect for some restful recovery."

He paused before adding, "Although I’m starting a new film next month, if you’d like, you can come by the set. We’re heading to Missouri, the forests there are beautiful."

"I... I’ll consider it," Jessica nodded.

Seeing her like this, Adrian sighed internally. Honestly, Jessica wasn’t as playful now as she would be in several years, so he really didn’t need to force her with those tactics. But what’s done is done, and besides, Jessica had voluntarily chosen the third option. The fear in her heart would slowly fade after the birth of the child. He just wondered if it was going to be another daughter, and if she would be so... awkward.

Adrian spent the whole afternoon cheering Jessica up, making her giggle nonstop, which lifted her spirits. They even slept cuddled together that night. But come morning, her leg was draped over his lower abdomen, nearly climbing on top of him. It was fine for now, but in two months, he couldn’t let her sleep in that position. It was clear that the pregnancy, and the inability to shift the situation, had hit her hard. But... this was exactly what Adrian wanted to see, wasn’t it?

Although taking care of his woman and daughter was time-consuming and draining, Adrian hadn’t let go of his work obligations, such as selecting the right young actor for ’Winter’s Bone.’ He didn’t have the luxury of time to conduct a detailed search in Missouri. After all, whether an actor fit the character’s image, besides their own talent, was also greatly due to the makeup artist’s skill. A child born in the area might have an edge in terms of temperament, but it wasn’t essential.

If he excluded a talented kid over this, it could negatively impact the shoot. Adrian also had another movie to produce this year, and ’Winter’s Bone’ was a mid-project addition, so he only allotted six weeks for filming.

Moreover, he had to oversee many film projects, especially those for his women.

"I have great confidence in you, Steven, especially after seeing ’Out of Sight’ directed by you—I knew you had finally started taking yourself seriously," Adrian said, spreading his hands lazily but earnestly from his high-backed chair.

"Thank you, it’s an honor to receive a comment from the Miracle Director," said the man, not yet forty, sitting at the desk, pushing up his glasses and speaking with a teasing tone.

"Come on, Steven, you’re also worthy of being called the Miracle Director," Adrian laughed.

The man he addressed as Steven wasn’t Steven Spielberg, but Steven Soderbergh, the youngest recipient of the Palme d’Or before Adrian. Although Soderbergh had primarily taken the independent route, after producing ’Out of Sight’ in 1998, he began to move towards commercial cinema. Adrian approached him to direct a movie that was essentially meant to be directed by him: ’Traffic’!

The story of how ’Traffic’ ended up with him was quite interesting. The original version was a British TV series from 1989, which a Hollywood producer bought the rights to for a film adaptation. It took a long time to find investors until Fox Searchlight finally showed interest, only for the project to be put on hold due to casting issues and later taken over by Focus Features, a division of Universal.

Every major movie studio has a subsidiary dedicated to arthouse film production, like Fox Searchlight and Universal’s Focus Features. They acquired it by the end of 1999, and then it caught the eye of Adrian, who frequently reviewed company scripts. Well, the rest is history.

(To be continued... If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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