King of Hollywood-Chapter 227 - 226 Successfully Purchased

Chapter 227: Chapter 226 Successfully Purchased

Chapter 227: Chapter 226 Successfully Purchased

“Alright, little one, time to get up,” Adrian, who had just finished dressing by the bed, gently patted the little girl clinging to his clothes and said with a hint of amusement.

“Sleepy…” Emma rubbed her eyes, yawning incessantly and refusing to leave the comfort of the bed.

“Honestly.” Adrian shook his head and dressed the little girl as he had done before. He had intended to tease her a bit, but seeing her drowsy appearance, he decided against it. If the little one was just a bit groggy, she would giggle and roughhouse with him, but if she was too sleepy, she would get quite angry.

After getting dressed, Adrian carried the little one out of the bedroom. The middle-aged woman preparing breakfast immediately greeted him warmly, “Good morning, Mr. Adrian, do you need my help?”

“No worries, I’ve got her, Maeve,” Adrian declined as always with a shake of his head.

Then he entered the apartment’s washroom to freshen up Emma, who was now somewhat more awake. If we talk about the biggest surprise since June, it wasn’t Claude’s acquisition plans or the impending deal to get Pixar from Jobs, but Emma’s arrival.

When he first received the phone call, Adrian could hardly believe it. After all, it’s not feasible for such a small child to travel abroad without a guardian, and her guardian, Rodlin, was currently at home with a baby bump, so naturally, George couldn’t leave her side. Who then could bring Emma to the United States?

However, after hearing the explanation, it all made sense to him. Rodlin and her husband had found a distant cousin, Maeve Quinlan, who had now taken up the role, so this was no longer an issue.

Thus, Adrian had agreed. Although they didn’t say anything else, he had guessed a few things. Ever since he learned of Rodlin’s pregnancy and saw the little girl’s somewhat gloomy demeanor, he knew that certain things were inevitable. Moreover, whenever he spoke with Emma, though the little one didn’t express any grievances or other discomforts, her eagerness to see him was completely evident in her tone of voice.

“Milk again…” Emma came out of the washroom lively but couldn’t help but droop at the sight of breakfast.

“Of course, it’s good for you, dear. If you don’t drink it, you won’t be strong, and if you’re not strong, I’ll be very sad,” Adrian sighed, then put on a “sad” expression.

This tactic was one hundred percent effective; the little one immediately started drinking her milk in big gulps, though her face still showed reluctance.

The knock on the door sounded twice, and Charlize, dressed in a white long-sleeved tee and jeans, walked in. She sat down to join them for breakfast and handed Adrian the schedule for the day.

“Thank you,” Adrian smiled and reached under the table to give her thigh a playful squeeze.

“You’re welcome,” Charlize maintained her smile but forced the words through gritted teeth.

Since Emma was going to share a bed with Adrian, it wasn’t suitable for Maeve to be too far away. Therefore, Charlize, who had been living next door to Adrian, had given up her room and moved across the hall.

This arrangement had left Adrian somewhat uncomfortable. After all, it was more pleasant to wake up and see a young and beautiful lady making breakfast than a middle-aged woman. However, he didn’t think too much about it. With Emma by his side, and immersed in work, plus a horde of reporters that could show up at any moment, certain things were obviously off-limits. Even Monica’s call from New York the previous day, suggesting they hang out before she left since shooting was wrapped up, was politely declined by him.

After breakfast, Adrian took Charlize and Emma to the film set. It was not necessary for Maeve to accompany them, as Charlize, who had a good relationship with the little girl, would look after her, and had been getting along quite well with Natalie over the past few days.

Outside the film set, the number of gawking reporters had dwindled since Adrian’s arrival in New York. After all, chasing down directorial news was far less lucrative than chasing stars. However, today’s crowd, while smaller, was more active than before; partly because both principals’ elusive and halfhearted answers kept the buzz alive, and partly because today’s shoot was an exterior scene outside a police station, which meant Adrian couldn’t hide in an apartment as he had before, giving the reporters a chance to pounce.

“Let them keep their distance,” Adrian knew that unless he threw a bone to these guys, they wouldn’t rest, so he briefly answered a few questions and then ordered the assistant director to shoo them away.

Though the reporters were not very satisfied, Adrian’s responses hardly differed from the statements released earlier, they obediently left the set. Everyone knows that no film crew would allow reporters on set during filming, as it could disrupt the schedule and lead to legal action. Besides, even if Adrian’s answers were similar, with a little embellishment, that was enough.

“Nata, I need you to convey a feeling of anger and unwillingness, but the anger must not be too obvious, understand?” While others were busy setting up the scene, Adrian coached Natalie on her role.

“Um… How about this?” Natalie pondered for a moment, emotional brewing, she closed her eyes, and then a few seconds later promptly opened them – her brown eyes now carried a layer of sadness, her lips pressed into a line, almost seeming to bite them.

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“Excellent,” Adrian praised, “it seems you have completely recovered your form, Nata.”

But despite his compliment, Natalie did not show any signs of happiness. Instead, she glared at him and then began playing with Emma, who was tugging at his trouser leg, ignoring his presence. Adrian didn’t take it personally, and he patted the little one’s head, signaling that she could go and play with Natalie, before turning to chat with someone else.

This was why Emma was the biggest surprise of June. It was her presence that day that first caused Natalie to change her mind about him— he had seen her expression when she came down the stairs, and he had thought she would have adjusted by then, yet she was still so sensitive, which was unexpected.

At the same time, Emma distracted Natalie, causing her to forget the significance of the day, so that the subsequent birthday party was a grand surprise for her. Adrian had spent a lot of effort planning the party ever since leaving New York, discussing at length with Natalie’s parents over phone and even managed to bring Oldman back to the set.

As it turned out, his efforts paid off. At the birthday party, Natalie, having gotten over her initial excitement and astonishment, started to have a wild time after her father left. The specifics need not be mentioned, as the pictures and videos were there for all to see, especially one photo of Adrian and Natalie which circulated among the crew for a long time.

In the photo, Natalie stared round-eyed at the camera with an aggressive, almost biting expression. Her arm was firmly hooked around Adrian’s neck, as though tugging with force, while Adrian rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue as if gasping for air, clearly overpowered. This showed just how excited Natalie truly was that day.

However, for Adrian, another photo was even more dear to him. It was taken towards the end of the party when an exuberant Natalie, her mind probably clouded, suddenly hugged his head from the side and planted a solid kiss on his cheek. The photographer happened to capture that moment, preserving the intimate scene.

Although Natalie’s disposition had improved greatly thanks to the birthday party he had organized— she was at least not as sensitive anymore— she still maintained a cold, disapproving demeanor towards him because of that photo.

Adrian didn’t take it to heart. After all, the birthday party had been a success, hadn’t it? As for the rest, there was no need to rush; he had plenty of time to deal with things gradually.

“Gary, I won’t give you specific instructions, just improvise as you see fit, okay?” After making the rounds, Adrian approached Oldman, who had already changed into Stan’s signature beige suit, rubbing his cheeks, already conjuring a mischievous air.

“No problem, I know what to do.” Oldman smiled and nodded his understanding. He looked as if he wanted to say something to Adrian but, after hesitating for a second, shrugged and walked away.

Even though Oldman held back from speaking his mind, Adrian understood what he had wanted to say, which could be inferred simply by observing the crew’s expressions over the past while. After all, the memory of Monica visiting the set every other day was still fresh, but it was unexpected that Adrian would return from Los Angeles with rumors flying about him and Julia; those statements alone revealed that their relationship was anything but simple.

Of course, that was ultimately his private affair, so no one would blab, especially not to the reporters. Most of the crew had grown familiar with Adrian after working on several films with him and knew he wouldn’t take such situations lightly; as actors, Oldman and the others were naturally averse to paparazzi and wouldn’t gossip carelessly. Then there was Renault, who, due to the French penchant for romanticism, had often made veiled remarks to Adrian, although Adrian would always steer the conversation away without leaving a trace.

“You’re a crafty one, Ed,” Renault finally said.

Crafty it is then; everyone had their moments of cunning, and Adrian soon immersed himself in the shooting. Even though he only needed to produce one film this year, there were other matters to observe, attend to, and prepare. His foundation was only halfway there, with the other half still needing a solid base.

Hence, after a week of filming, he announced another halt to the shooting and returned to Los Angeles. Claude had successfully acquired Pixar from Jobs. It was a willing seller and willing buyer agreement, so the deal didn’t take long to finalize. Claude even considered bargaining, but keeping in mind Adrian’s initial instructions, he eventually agreed to a deal for 52 million US dollars. Adrian had stopped filming and rushed back from New York to ensure Pixar’s staff remained stable, which was crucial.

(To be continued… For the following story, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters are available for support of the author and for licensed reading!)