King of Hollywood
Chapter 303 - Chapter 303 Chapter 30 Claudes New Plan

Chapter 303: Chapter 30 Claude’s New Plan Chapter 303: Chapter 30 Claude’s New Plan A soft clink, and a half-full flute of champagne was placed on the long table, Nicole Kidman had been leaning her hand on the table, looking at the men and women in the cocktail party with slightly bewildered eyes. Tom Cruise and Paramount had always had a good collaboration, so naturally, he wouldn’t miss a cocktail party hosted by CEO Gerard Ossan, but at the moment, she didn’t know where he had gone, only leaving her standing here alone. Thus, even though the hall was bustling, a sense of loneliness lingered persistently in her heart.

She covered her head and sighed softly, Nicole reached for the flute she had put on the table just before. She had already drunk a lot of champagne tonight, but only champagne could make her feel somewhat better.

However, her slender fingers did not grasp the flute. Instead, she felt the warmth of what should be a person’s hand, most likely a man’s hand. Nicole turned her head in slight surprise, then stared blankly for several seconds. The man also froze upon seeing her clearly, but soon after, he smiled slightly and picked up the flute.

“I think… this should be my glass, Ed,” Nicole said with a flirtatious smile, pointing at the glass in his hand. She smiled sweetly with a seemingly tipsy air, but complex thoughts couldn’t help but flood her mind.

“I have no doubt about that,” Adrian observed the glass carefully, turning it to the side with Nicole’s lipstick mark, then chuckled softly and brought the remaining champagne to his lips and drank it down.

Nicole watched all this, her breathing becoming slightly hurried for a moment, but then she calmed down quickly.

“I’m really glad to see you here tonight, Nicole,” Adrian said, the corners of his mouth curving into a charming arc.

“So am I, Ed,” Nicole chuckled in response, her eyes squinting slightly.

Adrian didn’t say more, he gazed at her intently with an appreciative look for a long time before suddenly blurting out, “But as I look at you, I see love, and I see the end of love, I hear the silence beyond the memory!”

“Like looking down from a great height, like looking down from a great height.” Nicole continued with a light laugh. Her dreamy look seemed to never change, “I like this sonnet by Mrs. Browning.”

“So do I, very enchanting lines, right? By the way, where’s Tom? I don’t seem to have seen him,” Adrian asked admiringly, abruptly changing the subject without giving her time to react.

“He went off somewhere, might be chatting with someone, or perhaps…” Nicole shrugged, not finishing her sentence, but a forlorn expression inevitably spread across her lovely face.

“Oh, that’s really a shame. I suppose he wouldn’t mind if we shared a dance, would he?” Adrian asked with a smile, extending his hand. His deep blue eyes blinked, she exhaled long and deeply placing her hand in his.

The band’s music was soft and gentle, perfect for people to sway and step lightly in the dance floor, where couples clung closely to one another, and Adrian and Nicole were no exception.

“You are always so beautiful, Nicole,” Adrian said in a hushed voice, one hand holding Nicole’s hand, the other around her waist, looking at her. “With you here, the whole room lights up.”

“And you always say the nicest things, Ed,” Nicole responded with the same flirtatious smile. She was wearing a semi-transparent black long dress with lace today, her delicate collarbones, and most of her smooth back exposed, her hair styled up high, revealing her swan-like neck, making her irresistibly seductive.

“I really don’t understand why Tom would leave you here alone, it’s practically a crime against the heavens,” Adrian murmured, his breath coming towards her, making Nicole even more dazed.

“He… had things to do, men always have their own business,” her voice also became much lighter, almost as if she truly was drunk. Adrian chuckled, “Don’t you think part of the charm of marriage is the need to fabricate lies for one another?”

Nicole was taken aback slightly, then he continued, “I never hide my envy of Tom, also quite puzzled, why would a beautiful woman who could have any man in this room want to get married?”

“Why wouldn’t she?” Nicole asked, peering at him with half-closed eyes.

“Is it that bad?” Adrian raised an eyebrow, a gesture that looked really good.

“It’s that good,” Nicole said with a laugh, exhaling deeply. Even though she had managed to deflect the conversation, the undercurrents in her heart were still unstoppable.

After two more turns around the dance floor, even though they were so close and appeared so intimate, Adrian’s hands remained very proper. Nicole finally calmed her rapidly beating heart, and then, at that moment, he spoke again, “Do you know why women get married, Nicole?”

“Let’s hear it,” Nicole said with a light laugh, her eyes barely daring to open completely.

“That is…” Adrian laughed meaningfully, “after they lose their virginity, it’s the only way they can frolic with men and with the man they truly desire.”

The flirtation was now overt. Nicole told herself she should push him away and leave, but the renewed quickening of her heartbeat made her thoughts go awry, and in the end, she only managed to tease back, “That’s really interesting.”

Adrian chuckled lightly, wrapping his arms around her and swayed gently for a moment before asking, “Have you seen Gerard’s art collection?”

“Those paintings?” Nicole’s gaze became increasingly hazy, “They’re very beautiful, I really like them.”

“This is my first time at his house, maybe, you could take me to see them,” Adrian’s face drew even closer.

Their noses were almost touching, their lips just a few inches apart, as if they might kiss at any moment. Nicole’s breathing became rapid once again, her red lips parted slightly, exuding a sense of ripe temptation.

Just as Adrian leaned in a bit closer, she suddenly moved backward, as if awakening, and smiled, shaking her head, “Maybe… next time, I may have… had a bit too much champagne.”

Her smile was both conflicted and perplexed, but still, she let go of him, “I need to find my husband.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind being alone for a bit,” Adrian’s grip on her waist tightened for the first time.

“Perhaps, but… I really should go, I must go,” Nicole said with a laugh, shaking her head to push Adrian away.

“You understand, you don’t want to leave,” Adrian gently tugged her, his deep eyes unblinking as he gazed at her, like a clear pool that one could easily sink into.

Nicole’s expression grew even more bewildered, but ultimately she took a step back, “I need to find my… husband!”

She emphasized the word “husband” forcefully, as if reminding both Adrian and herself. She laughed, raised her index finger to her lips and kissed it, then pressed a finger against Adrian’s mouth, before turning and sashaying off without looking back.

It wasn’t until she reached the villa’s entrance and the cold breeze outside blew over her that Nicole, who had been shrouded in a sense of daze from beginning to end, finally came to her senses. But this did little to ease her discomfort, as the lady immediately closed her eyes, covered her forehead, and let out a low moan.

Scene after scene involuntarily popped into her mind, all related to Adrian, from their first encounter to being surrounded by stars at a previous party. A mix of indescribable emotions surged through her, especially when she made comparisons, causing her to grind her teeth in frustration or feel a sense of melancholic loss.

“Hey, dear, so here you are,” Cruise’s voice came from behind her.

“Tommy?” Nicole trembled slightly, turning around with a forced smile.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Cruise sensed something was amiss.

“Nothing, just… feeling a bit unwell,” Nicole gestured, her mind involuntarily recounting Adrian’s words to her.

“I want to go back, Tommy,” she said, looking at her husband.

“Go back? Now?” Cruise frowned, “This is Gerard’s party, and there are still so many guests.”

“Please, Tommy, I just want to go back and rest,” Nicole pleaded.

“Alright, then let’s go back,” Cruise agreed after a moment’s thought, his reluctance evident on his face. Nicole, although slightly upset, didn’t say anything more; she just wanted to leave.

However, as she was walking away, she couldn’t resist looking back, and that glimpse ignited a firestorm of rage within her. Adrian was in a corner talking to a woman with long brown hair and an alluring figure–that woman she knew, Cindy Crawford, one of the so-called first supermodels!

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Even though he had woken up before his cell phone ringtone sounded, he still couldn’t help but mutter a complaint when he picked up the phone.

“Alright, I admit it was my fault for leaving without saying goodbye last night, which is why I kept my phone on, but you don’t have to call this early, Crow,” Adrian sighed.

“Me? Now? Oh, of course, I’m in the bedroom of a beautiful lady,” he said, turning his head to look with a grin at the half-exposed woman on the bed, who was waking up with sleepy eyes.

“Good morning, Ed, who are you talking to on the phone?” the lady asked with a smile after about half a minute of recollection.

“Well, I got it, I’ll be there soon.” Adrian quickly finished the call, put his phone on the nightstand, then got out of bed, turned around, and shrugged, “That was my buddy, Claude. He needs me to discuss some work stuff, so sorry I can’t join you for breakfast, Cindy.”

“Men are all the same, can’t wait to leave after having their fun.” Although Cindy Crawford said this, there was not a hint of dissatisfaction on her face–in fact, her lips curled into a subtle, knowing smile.

“Hey, baby, that’s not fair,” Adrian’s tone was filled with regret, “I also really want to spend more time with you, but you see, the guy was calling me up first thing in the morning.”

“Either way, you have to go now, don’t you?” Cindy turned her body, and the blanket slid off her, revealing her superbly proportioned figure in its entirety, worthy of a supermodel.

Adrian raised his hands in a gesture of helplessness and then said after a moment of thought, “How about this, I’ll make you breakfast right now? Making breakfast won’t take up too much of my time. What do you want? Bacon? Or fried eggs?”

“You can cook breakfast?” Cindy seemed surprised.

“Of course, you’ll soon find out about my breakfast skills.” Adrian said as he reached for his clothes.

“That’s unexpected, you’re such a considerate man, Ed.” Cindy started to laugh softly.

“Thanks for the compliment.” Adrian smiled slightly and then heard her exhale softly, “Oh God, that thing of yours…”

Looking down, his manhood stood tall and proud, unweary from the night’s battles, showing no signs of wear whether in length or girth, as if it had the vigor to carry on for three hundred more rounds.

“Just a natural reaction,” Adrian said, not hiding the pride in his voice too deeply.

Cindy Crawford’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she licked her lips and said with parted crimson lips, “I think you don’t need to make breakfast, Ed.”

“Oh?”

She crawled over with a seductive smile, knelt on the bed, and moved closer on her knees, grabbing the colossal thing with a meaningful smile, “I’ve found something to eat.”

With that, Cindy dove down, taking him into her mouth. Adrian drew a deep breath and pressed her head down without a word, savoring the moment of bliss.

After leaving Cindy Crawford’s mansion, it was already past 9 a.m.–no one really believed it was just going to end with a blow, did they? So, the “exercise” that followed in the morning was foreseeable.

All things considered, last night at Oxun’s villa once, then all night at her mansion, and another round in the morning, the fun was truly delightful. Thinking about her skilled technique, especially that swallowing action, she surely lived up to her supermodel status.

So, even though last night was a pity that he didn’t get that married woman into bed, having this married woman as compensation wasn’t bad. Cindy Crawford was in a cold war with her husband Richard Gere, and with Richard Gere not at home, Adrian had little trouble stirring her up.

Their conflict had obviously reached an irreconcilable point, otherwise, Cindy wouldn’t have been on the bed last night, slapping her own buttocks excitedly, yelling “Fuck me” at Adrian while glancing at the single photo of Richard Gere on the opposite table–his picture was the only one on the entire surface.

Adrian felt no pressure about it; they were both just having fun. If she had refused, he certainly wouldn’t have forced it, right? Like the other one last night. As for the other one, well, no rush, if she’s meant to be mine, she will be.

“Ha, I knew it,” Claude, sitting behind his office desk, looked at Adrian, who spoke in a languid tone, “If I had called you an hour later last night, I bet you wouldn’t have shown up here until lunchtime.”

“Would that be so bad? We could have lunch and talk then. I haven’t come by in weeks, and there’s been a lot of changes here.” Adrian shrugged and glanced outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, then sat down on a single-seater sofa. With AC Media’s planned relocation to TBS and the continuous acquisitions, the headquarters in Burbank were becoming more and more imposing.

“Speaking of which, you sure move fast. I only chatted with Marne Mott and her people for a bit, and when I turned around, you had vanished,” Claude made a clicking sound with his tongue, awaiting coffee from his secretary before asking with interest, “Who did you take away from the reception?”

“Cindy Crawford,” Adrian said, tasting his coffee.

“Cindy Crawford? The supermodel?” Claude couldn’t help whistling, “When did you start taking an interest in models, Ed?”

“Since I heard you were messing around with Heidi Klum,” Adrian shrugged.

“How does it feel?”

“What else can I say, supermodel? You could try it out if you’re free.”

Both of them chuckled at this, as the modeling world is even more chaotic than the entertainment industry. A newcomer with no connections who isn’t willing to network through one-night stands might still have a chance in the entertainment industry to get noticed for a role in an independent film–though very rare, it’s not impossible. However, for a new model without connections who wants to make it big, the sacrifices required are much greater. Cindy Croft’s rise from a blue-collar girl in Tennessee to one of the first supermodels didn’t come cheaply. Just think about her willingness to pose nude for Playboy, something Adrian had previously praised her for being skilled at.

“Okay, Crow, you didn’t rush to call me here just to talk about that, did you?” Adrian asked, spreading his hands.

“Oh, of course,” Claude nodded, “Do you remember what I told you a few months ago?”

Adrian thought back, “A lot, what aspect are you referring to?”

“A plan,” Claude prompted.

“Yes, a plan, a plan you called ‘crazy’ and because you weren’t ready, you didn’t want to tell me–now you’re ready?” Adrian quickly recalled.

Claude didn’t say a word, took out a thick folder from the drawer of his desk, and pushed it towards Adrian, then held Adrian’s outstretched hand, “Before you read this, I hope you can promise me something.”

“What is it?” Adrian asked, somewhat surprised, as Claude seemed unusually hesitant.

“Um… I hope that… after you’ve read this… you won’t be angry,” Claude struggled to get the words out and then tugged at his collar, as if trying to relax himself.

Watching his rarely-seen nervous demeanor, Adrian almost laughed, shook his head, and then opened the folder in front of him. He only read the title and his eyes widened; then he lifted his head to look at Claude with a shocked, surprised, irritated and… damn it, exasperated expression.

“Keep going, finish reading and then we can discuss, okay?” Claude said with an awkward smile, gesturing with his hands.

Adrian glared at him for a while and then, without a word, lowered his head and continued reading.

After about twenty minutes, after skimming through the plan, Adrian snapped the folder shut and looked at Claude as if ready to reprimand him. Claude, having adjusted his mindset, met his gaze calmly.

Tapping his fingers on the desk a few times, Adrian finally spoke, “Originally, who told me that TBS was a better choice than ABC?!”

“It was me,” Claude admitted honestly.

“Then, who told me that we had no advantage over ABC?!” Adrian continued.

“It was me,” Claude smiled.

“And who told me that we could expand TBS to the level of the other Four Major Broadcast Companies?” Adrian raised his voice sharply.

Claude raised his eyebrows as if to say something, but he chuckled and admitted again, “It was me.”

“Good,” Adrian crossed his arms on the desk, staring intently at Claude, “then why are you now throwing out a plan to acquire ABC? I need an explanation, Crow!”

After a moment of silence, seemingly organizing his thoughts, Claude finally spoke, “I made a mistake, Ed.”

“Mistake?” Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, a mistake,” Claude sighed, “Cable television and broadcast television are quite different, after all, I’m new to media, so I didn’t realize the gap.”

“Wait, we discussed this before, and we came up with a solution,” Adrian interjected.

“Yes, that’s what I’m about to tell you,” Claude nodded.

(To be continued. For more, please visit www.NovelFire.net. More chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)

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