King of Hollywood
Chapter 310 - Chapter 310 Chapter 37 Charity Auction

Chapter 310: Chapter 37: Charity Auction Chapter 310: Chapter 37: Charity Auction Emma had arrived in Los Angeles on October 26, five days after Blanchett had left, accompanied by a distant relative Maeve Quinlan who acted as her guardian. During those days, Adrian was having a passionate time with Monica, enjoying her devoted service, but he had to prematurely end it due to this situation.

The little one knew there was something special between him and Kate, she somewhat sensed the subtle relationship between him and Charlize as well. With her precocious behavior, even if she didn’t know what it exactly meant, she probably kept it in mind. If she were to know that many other women also had a similar relationship with him, God only knows what the little girl would do – the phrase “I want to be your woman” from their time at the amusement park was still echoing in his ears.

Fortunately, the next plan was to finish the last bit of work on “Forrest Gump” and then vacation in Malibu with Kate–it was usual routine, directly heading to the villa Kate had rented, then ‘kidnapping’ her to the car, and driving straight to Malibu. As long as he didn’t mention that day with Charlize and their threesome, Kate’s resistance was basically negligible by now.

As the little one grew older, plus being unusually smart, even though many of her actions and words were still naive, she was relatively more mature compared to her peers. When they were in London, she had already started to show less hostility towards Kate, and now that she had run away to Los Angeles, she had become even more well-behaved and was basically able to play with Kate.

Therefore, Adrian spent Halloween with her and Kate in Los Angeles, which was different from Halloween in London, and the little girl had a lot of fun. The only regret was that she didn’t have friends here, and could only play “trick or treat” alone; even so, she was still happy to knock on doors house by house, even though she couldn’t finish all the candy she received.

Then, there was the party date, Adrian really had to be tactful in not letting Emma know while he flirted with Sarah; he endured a long time at the party before pulling the girl aside, yet before he could speak a few words, the little one interrupted them.

“You can’t expect me to be by your side every second of the day,” Adrian comforted Emma in the bedroom, then sighed as he was asked to sit on the bed and tell her a story.

“I just hope that while we are here, you can be by my side at all times,” the little girl said pitifully from under the covers, nibbling gently on the edge of the blanket, her eyes large and round.

Well, there went his chances of getting intimate with Sarah. Adrian just settled for holding her in his arms and continued telling the story. Actually, he had been prepared for this; with Emma around, he couldn’t escape the fate of accompanying her to sleep, even more so than when he was dating Kate. But having the little girl around had its advantages, like–

“This is mine! This is mine! I’m not giving it to you!” Emma giggled, raising her hands high and shaking the small toy, while another Emma lay on top of her, eagerly stretching her arms to grab it. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t reach, which only made the first Emma laugh even louder. Accidentally, the second Emma pushed too vigorously and tackled the first onto the ground, and both little ones instantly rolled around on the grass in the park.

“Emma!” Both Adrian and Julia shouted from the grass, then got up simultaneously to pick up their respective Emma. But the two little ones weren’t upset at all; after being brushed off of the grass and dirt, they laughed and played together again.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Emma so happy,” Julia noted with a sigh as she brushed a strand of hair from her ear.

“Me too,” Adrian said, nodding as he watched the little girl.

“Who are you talking about?” Julia glanced at him suddenly.

“You know,” Adrian said with a smile, drawing closer to kiss her. Julia subtly moved away: “This is a park, watch the setting, Ed, if you don’t want to be seen by others…”

Before she could finish, Adrian had pulled her into his arms, followed by a slight touch on her cheek.

“Alright, I’m used to it,” though she glared at Adrian a bit resentfully, Julia didn’t make any other move and sat back down on the blanket laid on the ground, watching the two little girls running around on the grass.

They were in a small park near Julia’s villa in Santa Monica, frequented mostly by groups of families with few couples around. Julia, slightly dressed up and accompanied by the two children, meant that no one recognized them.

“They are both so adorable,” Adrian said, sitting next to Julia and pulling her into his embrace. She compliantly leaned against his chest. She was dressed in a knee-length skirt and silky top, covered with a thin trench coat, her hair up in a bun and her silky-stockinged legs curled together– a touch of allure hidden within simplicity.

“Yes, they’re all so adorable,” Julia sighed softly, then lifted her head. “Thank you, Ed.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you,” Adrian smiled slightly. “Compared to your Emma, my Emma needs friends more. Right now, she’s too attached to me, which isn’t good for her growth.”

Julia didn’t respond but just looked up at him as if trying to see right through him. Adrian and she quietly held each other’s gaze before he lowered his head and kissed her lips. Unfortunately, just as they touched and before they could go any deeper, Emma’s voice came through, “Ed, look what we just found–”

There was no more to her sentence. The little girl’s eyes were wide open, looking at them with a mix of surprise, disbelief, and a hint of contemplation, while the other Emma hid behind her, full of curiosity.

Although they had never kissed in front of children before, the two felt somewhat embarrassed at this moment.

“Alright, kids, it’s time to go back. Julia and I have other plans,” Adrian said as he checked the time, easing the atmosphere. Before the first Emma could speak, he raised his finger and shook it, “Remember, we had an agreement.”

Despite the apparent reluctance of the two little girls, they returned inside the villa where the duo handed them over to the nanny and then went upstairs to change clothes for going out.

“Which do you think is more suitable, this purple one or this green one?” asked Julia, holding up two dresses.

“If you really want my opinion, you look the best right now,” Adrian joked, already dressed in his suit.

“Alright, if you think I look fine now, then I’ll just go like this,” Julia shot him a glance. At that moment, she wore only a bra and panties, both purple with lace edgings, her ample bust, flat stomach, and long legs all tantalizingly on display.

“I just think you’re too beautiful right now, makes it hard to look away,” sighed Adrian as he stood up and approached Julia, placing his hands on her waist and leaning in to kiss her lips.

Julia closed her eyes, responding with several sucks and stirs, leaning back only when Adrian’s hands started to wander, catching her breath as she said, “Enough, Ed.”

“Really enough?” Adrian thrust his hips, lifting his hands to lift Julia up.

“Ed!” Julia instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and his waist and called out, but her tone wasn’t angry, rather it had a hint of playful scolding, “We’ll be late if we keep delaying.”

“Alright, alright, I got it,” Adrian joked, kissing her neck and deliberately thrusting his hips before finally setting Julia down.

“Let’s go with this one, the purple has a dignified feel, suitable for most occasions. The green would make you look glamorous, but we’re not going to a party,” he said, picking out the two dresses Julia had earlier shown.

“Alright, the purple one then,” Julia smiled as she took it.

As she dressed, Adrian couldn’t resist getting his hands on her, especially since evening dresses seldom are worn with bras for a sleeker look, necessitating nipple covers to prevent any mishaps. Naturally, Adrian took over this task, naturally kneading a bit as he applied them, stopping only when Julia got somewhat angry.

“Don’t even think about coming in while I’m changing clothes again!” Julia declared as she came out of the bedroom, though whether it would be enforced was clear from how Adrian had his arms around her as they went downstairs.

“We won’t be back until late, so be good and stay at home. Listen to Ms. Barbara, understood?” Adrian said to the two little ones as they were leaving.

“Got it,” Emma waved indifferently, showing a “no worries with me here” attitude. Though she was inevitably unhappy about Adrian’s departure, she quickly led the other Emma off to play.

Adrian and Julia were headed to a charity auction, a common occurrence in Hollywood where celebrities would donate valuable items for sale, with the proceeds managed by designated charitable foundations. These items could range from precious jewelry to limited edition clothing or luxury goods, and some were memorabilia–like an Oscar statuette.

Of course, memorabilia were often bought back by their original owners, but it was also an opportunity to drive up the prices. Many enjoyed seeing the original owners pay multiples of the item’s worth to buy it back. Still, price inflation was not allowed to become outrageous, as excessively driving up prices was forbidden.

Charity auctions were rather dull, essentially a place for the rich and famous to flaunt their wealth and attract attention, albeit at a nominally higher level because the money went to charity, making the spending seem more generous.

“This is a limited edition Chanel handbag from Ms. Barbra Streisand’s collection,” the host announced as he brought out a new item, immediately drawing the attention of many ladies in the room, “starting at 50,000 US dollars.”

As soon as he finished speaking, various bidding signs shot up.

“How do you feel about this, Julia?” Adrian asked Julia sitting next to him, who seemed a bit distracted.

“Not interested. I’ve collected similar styles before, and I don’t like this one,” Julia shrugged.

“How many times have you said that tonight? We haven’t bought anything yet,” Adrian joked quietly, “Surely you can’t be uninterested in everything.”

“Of course not, it’s just that so far, none of the items that have come up have caught my interest,” Julia brushed her long hair from her face and glanced around casually.

Adrian chuckled lightly; he knew what Julia was thinking. The charity auction had attracted many celebrities, like Madonna with her long-divorced husband Sean Penn, the Hanks couple, the Spielberg couple, and the Weinstein brothers–including Harvey Weinstein who was with an unknown actress. Many of them were well-known to both Adrian and Julia.

“A pair of diamond earrings from Tiffany’s, donated by Mrs. Amy Hayes, starting at 200,000 US dollars,” the host announced as the beautiful earrings sparkled under the spotlight, drawing the eyes of many ladies, including Julia, whose breathing Adrian noticed had become noticeably slower.

Looking at the woman beside him, who seemed still disinterested in the items on stage, Adrian silently chuckled and, as the bidding started, immediately raised his paddle: “250,000 US dollars.”

This move stirred whispers among the crowd. The host had announced a raise by increments of 5,000 US dollars, so Adrian’s bid clearly indicated his determination to win the earrings.

Many envious gazes turned towards Julia, as it was clear the earrings were intended for her. Julia, still calm, sat there; after all, she had publicly walked into the event arm-in-arm with Adrian, and their relationship was well-known within the circle, requiring no concealment here even if it did before reporters.

After a few rounds of bidding and no responses, as everyone else bid in 5,000 US dollar increments and Adrian always raised by tenfold, the price reached 500,000 US dollars. A middle-aged man tried to add 50,000 to it–evidently planning to buy it for the woman with him–but Adrian straightforwardly raised it by 100,000 to 650,000.

If Adrian’s initial bids showed his determination, his 100,000 raise was a strong emphasis. The middle-aged man shrugged and did not continue, as it was just an auction after all, and aggressively competing for something readily purchasable was undeserving of getting red in the face–an ordeal reserved for novels.

However, just as the host was about to declare the winner, another voice rang out: “660,000.”

It was a woman’s voice, magnetic and languid with a seductive allure. Adrian immediately raised his eyebrow, and Julia’s eyes also flashed an unusual expression. Even by just hearing the voice, they both knew who it was.

“700,000,” Adrian called out as he raised his paddle and then turned his head. Not far away, Monica sat in her seat, resting her face on one hand with a half-smile watching him. Her black low-cut evening gown added a sense of mystery, and the deep cleavage was irresistibly tempting.

“710,000,” Monica called out as she raised her paddle.

“750,000,” Adrian sighed, raising his paddle again just as she had put hers down, while Julia sat upright beside him, as if the unfolding scene had nothing to do with her.

“760,000.”

“800,000.”

“810,000.”

“850,000.”

After several bids, most people in the audience started looking amused, while those in the know, like Tom Hanks–who hadn’t missed visiting Julia and Monica on the set in Alabama during the filming of “Forrest Gump”–watched him with playful looks.

Thankfully, Monica did not make it too difficult for him; she finally gave up when the bidding reached 950,000. Adrian was buying the earrings for Julia, and the fact that his other woman was competing didn’t change that. Monica understood this too; her actions were merely to assert her presence, and Adrian would make it up to her.

“Congratulations, Mr. Adrian Cowell, on winning the earrings,” the auctioneer announced, banging the gavel.

When the waiter brought over the box, Adrian unhesitatingly took them out and began putting them on Julia, who seemed pleasantly surprised and sat obediently as he adorned her ears. At this moment, some enthusiastic audience member started clapping, followed by a wave of applause filling the hall, causing Julia’s cheeks to blush slightly, although Adrian remained composed.

After that, there were no more interesting items, and the auction soon ended, followed by the usual cocktail party. Adrian unavoidably became the target of light-hearted teasing from many acquaintances, and others with ulterior motives approached him.

“I’m thinking about trying out acting in movies, any good suggestions, Ed?” Madonna stood before Adrian with a glass of wine, wearing a one-shoulder deep blue evening gown, her golden curls cascading down her shoulders, her lush lips gleaming enticingly, exuding allure.

“A biographical movie might be a good idea,” Adrian smiled back, “Playing a powerful female role with a wide influence like yourself is probably the best choice, Madonna.”

This woman really knew how to flirt, using the topic of David Fincher directing her music video to quickly closen their relationship.

“Perhaps you could recommend one?” Madonna flashed an alluring smile, “Maybe we could talk privately about it?”

Although this woman was already 36 years old, she did not yet possess the “frightening” look she would have ten years later, and her figure was still quite symmetrical. Engaging with a woman who had become an iconic figure and still retained her charm seemed like a good idea.

“If you’d like, maybe we can arrange a time to talk further,” Adrian smiled and said, then discreetly glanced at Sean Penn in the distance. Madonna’s purpose in approaching him was not simple; although the former couple were now estranged, the bitter quarrel they had before the auction had been heard by many, including him, and besides… (To be continued. For further details, please visit www.NovelFire.net. More chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)

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