King of Hollywood
Chapter 305 - Chapter 305 Chapter 32 Maple Leaf Country

Chapter 305: Chapter 32 Maple Leaf Country Chapter 305: Chapter 32 Maple Leaf Country The vast sky, dense forests, and maple trees everywhere–this was the impression Canada had made on Adrian. This country, one of the world’s largest by land area, had a pitifully small population concentrated mainly along the border with the United States. Next to Russia, Canada probably had the biggest inverse ratio of population density to land area.

It was normal, much like Siberia, the closer you get to the Arctic Circle, the fewer people there are. Naturally, this gave rise to some of the world’s most abundant forest resources. And with few industries, the environment here was very well-preserved–even the air was much fresher. Combined with its unique climatic features, it made for an excellent summer vacation destination.

“It’s a pity that if we had come a month later, we could have enjoyed the mountains full of maple leaves,” Adrian said with a sigh as he looked out over the endless forest and wrapped his arms around the lady in his embrace.

After resolving to acquire ABC, he immediately handed off the matter to Claude and stopped intervening.

“You’re the CEO, you’re responsible for these things; I’ll just focus on the results,” Adrian had told Claude.

Of course, that was a joke. After a brief discussion, Adrian immediately phoned his uncle and outlined the situation. Although his uncle still used a lecturing tone, he agreed without any hesitation. And then… there was no and then. Acquiring a colossal company like ABC was no simple task–preparation, contact, negotiation–even if everything went smoothly, it would take at least a year and a half, not to mention that Disney wasn’t the only one interested in them. In such a competitive field, the variety of tactics used was endless, and so was the time required.

But for AC Media, this was a good thing–the longer the delay, the more the situation would turn in their favor, especially once TNT achieved success with “Sex and the City,” which would make them even more attractive to ABC. This was AC Media’s greatest competitive advantage: undeniable achievements–for a broadcasting company, what could be more important than ratings?

In any case, these events were far off in the future. For a long while, Adrian only needed to be updated on the situation, since Claude was the CEO. So he quickly returned to his prior lifestyle, working on post-production for “Forrest Gump” and dating his women. Although the reporters were less frequent, they still harassed him from time to time, so he simply escaped to Canada for both a set visit and a breather.

“It’s okay, if you want, we can come back when the time comes. Canada and the United States are so close and convenient that sometimes I think they are the same country,” the lady beside him responded with a smile.

Her tight-fitting women’s jeans showcased the curves of her lower body very well, particularly her rounded buttocks that were accentuated and taut. Brown ankle boots, a white short-sleeved tee, and a pink non-woven fabric cowgirl hat, with golden locks falling from under the brim, gave her a cowgirl vibe with a hint of playfulness and charm.

The woman by Adrian’s side wasn’t Liv Tyler, although she had tangled with him the most recently and was the only one who had insisted on calling to join him in Canada. Liv was bolder and more direct than he had imagined. For instance, after learning some gossip about Adrian’s private life from her mother, she excitedly asked during lovemaking how she compared to his other women! What’s more, the question was heartfelt and without any sense of impropriety; even when Adrian told Liv that he was still in touch with other women, she seemed not to care at all.

“As long as you don’t lie to me, it’s fine,” she had said. Quite interesting, isn’t it?

Adrian sometimes couldn’t help but wonder if Bibi would regret raising her in that environment, knowing that all her efforts were in vain.

It was precisely because of her outspoken and straightforward nature that she had called to follow him to Canada, even knowing full well about Adrian’s situation, rather than staying silent like Monica and others.

“I just wanted to know who would be the woman by your side,” Liv said with a giggle, apparently finding the whole situation amusing.

Adrian eventually managed to pacify her with sweet words, but it made him think of something–because–

“Then it’s settled, Gwyneth,” he chuckled, wrapping his arm around the lady’s waist and pulling her into his embrace before audaciously taking off her cowboy hat and kissing her rosy lips without any restraint.

Gwyneth was initially startled by his aggressive moves, instinctively resisting with her tongue, but soon they became tangled under Adrian’s seduction, and only after a proper, passionate kiss did they stop.

Just a few days before, after having asked her out for dinner, to watch a game, and shopping, Adrian had unsurprisingly made his way into Gwyneth’s boudoir–though it wasn’t difficult for him before either–the emotions she had accumulated over the months were fully vented at that moment, a night of passion leaving her desiring both death and ecstasy.

Getting her into bed was a natural progression. Not to mention there was an underlying purpose; Gwyneth did have feelings for Adrian. After all, he was humorous, witty, considerate, sometimes overbearing and unruly. A combination of these qualities proved to be immensely lethal to women.

If he hadn’t wanted to keep her hanging, Adrian would have had her long ago, but now was also not too late. The next day he invited her to join him on a visit to the Canadian set, and without a moment’s hesitation, Gwyneth agreed, leading to the scene before them now.

“Ed!” Gwyneth chided affectionately after they parted, her flirtatious eyes incredibly tempting.

Adrian, of course, was not bewitched by her current allure; their kiss on the private plane before had been more intense than this. If he hadn’t had other plans in mind, he might have engaged in high-altitude lovemaking with her already. So, after pinching Gwyneth’s chin, Adrian wrapped his arm around her and headed towards the set, “Alright, it looks like they’ve finished filming, let’s head over.”

The movie set in Canada must be for “Fly Away Home,” no other. The environment here was probably great, combined with the heartwarming content of the film, people got along very well. Natalie, whom he hadn’t seen for months, seemed to have grown taller, and her brown hair had grown longer, no longer the bob of Matilda but tied into a ponytail that hung behind her head, giving her a less mischievous and more refined demeanor.

“I can’t believe it, you’re actually here!” Natalie, having just finished her own shots, gave Adrian a surprised hug when she saw him, catching him slightly off guard.

“You’re quite enthusiastic, Nata.” Adrian laughed as he patted her head, then stood up to shake hands with her mother, Shelly. From a linear distance, Ontario, the filming location, wasn’t too far from New York, so Shelly was able to stay with her daughter on set for extended periods.

“Gwyneth, this is Natalie, Natalie… Portman, and this is her mother, Ms. Shelly; Nata, this is Gwyneth, Gwyneth Paltrow, my girlfriend.” Adrian promptly introduced them to each other, saying ‘girlfriend’ without a hint of hesitation or a flicker of an unusual expression–his skin was indeed thick.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Shelly.” Gwyneth shook Shelly’s hand with openness and grace, naturally exuding elegance. Shelly responded with a smile and a nod, showing no other emotion, but Natalie’s expression turned slightly odd.

“May I call you Nata?” Gwyneth then bent down and smiled warmly at the girl.

“Um… of course you can, Gwyneth.” Natalie hesitated, glanced at Adrian, and then agreed, but her attempt at concealment was not very successful, prompting Gwyneth to ask, “Is something on your mind?”

“No, nothing.” Natalie, after all, was still Natalie. She quickly regained her composure, her cheeks brightening with a smile, her eyes filled with curiosity, “I just feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before, like… I know you from somewhere.”

“If you saw Spielberg’s ‘Hook’ from the year before last, you’d realize that Gwyneth is the actress who played young Wendy,” Adrian chimed in to explain.

“That’s right,” Natalie took the opportunity to look enlightened, “Indeed, the young Wendy, you are so graceful.”

Everyone loves to hear compliments, and Gwyneth was no exception. Her eyes immediately lit up with a smile: “Thank you.”

“Can we catch up later? Let’s go and say hello to Richard and the rest of the crew.” Adrian once again wrapped his arm around Gwyneth’s waist and, with a smile to the girl, walked towards Richard Ryan.

Natalie didn’t say a word, just watched their intimate departing figures, biting her lip thoughtfully, a slight frown creasing her brow, wondering what was on her mind.

The filming of “Fly Away Home” went smoothly; the scenes in Canada weren’t complicated, and with lengthy preparations in advance, even the few problems that did arise were expertly resolved by Richard Ryan, except for one.

“Everyone knows, animal actors are the most troublesome; these guys don’t care how you plan to shoot your scenes,” Ryan said with a wry smile, watching the gaggle of goslings scurrying around the set.

Adrian laughed instantly standing beside him. Besides Natalie, the movie had another star–the large group of goslings–which realistically couldn’t be reproduced with CG, basically all on loan from the zoo. But directors know that the hardest to work with in movies are six or seven-year-old children and animals. And with the zookeepers on site intently observing the goslings, filming their scenes was always quite challenging.

“You only have that one problem, right?” Adrian slapped his shoulder reassuringly.

“She is outstanding, gets into character quickly, and has a good grasp of the role. There probably aren’t many her age who can compare with her,” Ryan said, nodding in agreement, his tone full of admiration.

“Of course, my judgment is never wrong,” Adrian replied with a smile, his gaze returning to the girl frolicking with the goslings on the set. For the needs of the shoot, she had become very close with the little animals, currently being chased around by them squawking for food, her youthful vigor on full display.

Gwyneth and Natalie were both teasing the goslings, occasionally letting out bubbling laughter, though the goslings were not as fond of her, preferring to chase Natalie. However, Gwyneth didn’t seem to mind. From a distance, the two seemed to get along well, but… Adrian chuckled again, recalling clearly the expression on Natalie’s face earlier.

Their timing to visit the set was perfect as the following day was the weekend, and Natalie had planned on returning to New York with her mother. She used to go back every other week, but having been there the previous one, and with Adrian cordially inviting her and her mother to visit nearby attractions, they decided to stay.

“Look, there are maple leaves turning red over here; nature sure is marvelous,” Adrian slowed the horse to a walk, eventually bringing it to a gentle amble in a circle.

While he marveled, Natalie nestled in his arms couldn’t help expressing concern, “Ed, have we gone too far?”

“Too far?” Adrian glanced around; apart from a small patch of woods about thirty feet to their left, the rest was a vast open field with no people or sounds in sight. It appeared they had gotten a bit too excited and lost track of direction, ending up here.

“No worries, let’s head back now; we should have come from that direction.” Relying on his excellent memory, he quickly recalled the direction from which they had come, guided the horse to change direction, and with a light flick of the reins, set the horse trotting.

Agriculture and ranching have always been thriving in Canada, and to Americans–especially those from the South who rarely visit–the impression of the Maple Leaf Country is of a land with many, many cows. Therefore, maintaining a horseback ride across the fields had become a standard activity for many visitors. For someone of Adrian’s wealth, equestrian skills were essential–having his own stable back in Los Angeles–though he wasn’t exceptionally skilled, he wasn’t bad either.

Natalie, born in Jerusalem and raised amidst the skyscrapers of New York, would hardly have the opportunity to learn horseback riding. So while the majority, including Gwyneth, galloped freely, she could only pout and sit on horseback, led by the horse trainer.

Seeing her displeased expression, Adrian immediately invited her to ride together. For some reason, after a short consideration, Natalie agreed, and the two sped off together to this unknown place.

“Remember? We just passed from here,” Adrian said, recalling as the horse trotted slowly, assuring the girl in his arms, “We won’t get lost.”

“Really?” Natalie tilted her head back, asking with a mix of belief and doubt,

From this angle, looking down, she still appeared quite adorable.

“Of course, I remember telling you, I have a photographic memory,” Adrian said with a smile, then took a deep breath. The unique fresh scent of a young girl instantly filled his nostrils, and with the gentle jostling of the horse, the small body pressed against him rubbed up and down, truly refreshing.

“How I envy you,” Natalie said somewhat vexedly, “I wish I could do the same.”

“Oh, why’s that?” Adrian asked curiously, “Run into some trouble?”

“You know, I’m already in 7th grade. Even though there isn’t much more homework than in elementary school, I don’t want my studies to suffer because of acting,” Natalie shrugged her shoulders. “Mom told me that studies always rely on self-discipline. If I also had your type of memory, life would certainly be much easier.”

“Don’t be too greedy, dear Nata. God is fair. You’ve already got some outstanding qualities, a clever mind, and exquisite acting skills. Wishing for a photographic memory on top of that is just not possible,” Adrian laughed heartily and immediately pinched her tender little cheek.

“Don’t you think what you’re doing isn’t appropriate, sir?” Natalie lifted her head and glanced at Adrian with a tilt, emphasizing the word “sir” quite heavily.

“Alright, alright,” Adrian laughed heartily. “Nata is already a big girl, it’s really quite sad.”

Natalie rolled her eyes at him and pursed her lips before quickly changing the subject. From studying to living to acting, there was almost no topic she didn’t speak of. This was exactly what Adrian wanted to see. Because during the initial audition, Natalie had let something private slip to him, and with everything that had happened since, the young girl had developed an inexplicable trust in him, telling him things she wouldn’t tell her parents. Adrian needed to keep this situation going.

“I really don’t understand why Hanukkah can’t be made an official holiday.” Suddenly, she shifted the conversation to festivals.

“Because Hanukkah doesn’t use the civil calendar, how can it be made an official holiday?” Adrian casually replied, internally feeling somewhat disdainful about the Jewish not celebrating Christmas.

How can they not celebrate Christmas, given it’s already a statutory holiday? Does it mean that when Christmas comes, everyone else is resting while the Jews are still busy at work? Okay, people might say they just don’t celebrate it, but if friends who celebrate Christmas invite them to a party, won’t they go? The so-called non-celebration of Christmas is just a conservative, somewhat affected statement. If it were in Israel that would be one thing, but in the United States, for Jews not to celebrate Christmas is just a joke.

Of course, he certainly couldn’t say this to Natalie; the girl might not take it to heart, but if Evan found out, it could lead to some dissatisfaction, so it was better swallowed back down.

They chatted a bit more, and soon they could see the camp in the distance. Adrian immediately flicked the reins to speed up, reaching their destination in a few breaths.

“Mom!” Natalie jumped down from the horse as soon as it stopped and ran straight towards her mother.

“Ed!” Meanwhile, Gwyneth passed by them and embraced Adrian, who had just dismounted from the horse.

“It’s okay, I’m fine. Ed took me for a long ride; it felt amazing…” Natalie talked to her mother while glancing over at Adrian, who was passionately kissing Gwyneth. Her eyebrows involuntarily knit together slightly. (To be continued. If you want to know what happens next, please visit www.NovelFire.net. There are more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)