America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 168. The Collapsed Theron, the Arrival of Judgment

"Hey Theron! Is now a convenient time?"

Eric was driving the Wrangler and making a phone call at the same time.

"Eric, what's wrong?"

"How about we have dinner together? We can also discuss the plot of Inception."

"Sorry Eric, I'm a little tired and don't want to go out tonight. I'll treat you to dinner another day."

"You sound a little down. Is something wrong?" Eric asked knowingly.

Charlize Theron hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired from filming. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I need to rest for a while."

"Wait, you've been filming all day. It's not good for your health to go to sleep without eating dinner. If you don't want to come out, I'll buy you some food to take you over."

Upon hearing that Eric was coming over, Theron quickly refused, "No, that's too much trouble. Actually, I'm not hungry at all!"

"Is your boyfriend home?" Eric asked bluntly.

Is he here or not?

"Is he here, or not?"

"exist."

"Really?"

Theron was silent for a moment before speaking: "No, he's not home."

"Alright, half an hour at most, wait for me!"

"No, Eric, you absolutely mustn't!"

"It's settled then!"

After hanging up the phone, Eric smiled, sensing the other person's conflicted tone.

The fact that she's conflicted shows that she still cares about him, and that he's already enough to shake her boyfriend's position in her heart.

A few minutes later, seeing that the phone had not been called back, Eric became even more certain of his suspicions.

If Theron truly didn't want to go there, she would have called again to dissuade her, perhaps even saying something harsh, but she didn't.

She's in a state where she's walking on the edge of a cliff; if she exerts even the slightest effort, she could easily fall off.

The Wrangler revved the engine and sped straight to Leonard's restaurant. The two had dined there many times before, and Eric knew what she liked to eat.

Meanwhile, in Beverly Hills, at Charlize Theron's villa.

The woman slid slowly down the wall, finally sitting helplessly on the ground, her phone slipping from her palm.

A number was already displayed on the electronic screen, but her finger ultimately did not land on the dial button.

Sighing, Theron couldn't help but ask herself, what was wrong with her? What was she doing? How could she allow a man to come to her house?

What's scary isn't that this man is a stranger, but precisely because he's so familiar.

After spending more than a month together, she wasn't stupid and could naturally sense Eric's feelings for her.

"Could it be that my subconscious has already accepted Eric's feelings? Otherwise, why would I have tacitly allowed his arrival?"

"No, that's not how it is. Eric is the investor, the producer, the player who holds the power, and I'm just a card in the game."

"How can the cards refuse the player? I simply succumbed to his power."

"As for feelings, we are friends, and can only be friends. Today was just a dinner between friends, and it doesn't mean anything."

"I can't betray Stuart. By the way, I have to tell Stuart that if Eric sees him there, he'll definitely back down."

With that in mind, Theron picked up her phone, found her boyfriend's number, and then her finger hovered over the dial button again.

Looking at the phone screen in front of her, she felt as if her fingers weighed a ton, and she couldn't bring herself to press any buttons.

A battle raged within me, and I don't know how much time passed before I was startled awake by the doorbell ringing.

Looking up at the time, Theron exclaimed in surprise, "Oh no, how long has it taken? Eric must be here."

As if pushed by an invisible force, she decisively threw away her phone, abandoning the idea of ​​notifying her boyfriend.

When I opened the door, sure enough, it was the little man who had been making me so unsettled.

Eric held up the paper bag in his hand: "Look at the labels on it, they're all your favorite dishes."

"I already told you you didn't need to come, Eric," Theron said helplessly.

"But I'm already here, aren't you going to invite me in?"

Theron took the bag: "Okay, for the sake of the food, at least you remembered what I like to eat."

boom!

Eric walked into the house. It was his first time visiting Theron's home, and his goal instantly became clearer: to make this place his home someday.

After pouring the food onto a plate, Theron asked, "Would you like something to drink? Coke? Juice? Wine?"

"Of course, it's alcohol; it's the perfect drink for this moment."

Why?

"The chef recommended that this foie gras be paired with red wine to bring out its flavor, and it seems that you also need a little alcohol to numb your mood."

Theron's hand trembled violently: "What does this have to do with my mood?"

"Because it heard the sorrow deep within your heart." Eric pointed to his ear.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds. Under Eric's powerful gaze, Theron was defeated and hurriedly turned around and walked to the liquor cabinet next to her.

"Um, is Harlan Winery okay? Or Stag's Leap Winery?"

"Stag's Leap Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of grapes."

"The King of Grapes is a perfect match for you, the King of Hollywood, is that what you mean?"

Eric shook his head slightly: "King of Hollywood, haha. I don't like that title. Harvey Weinstein is called the Emperor of Hollywood. He completely tarnishes the name."

"I've heard that Harvey Weinstein isn't a good person, and there are rumors circulating in the industry that he likes to be unruly with actresses."

"It's not a rumor, I can tell you for sure it's true. There are at least dozens of actresses who have been sexually assaulted or threatened with sexual assault by him."

Upon hearing this, Theron was initially surprised, but then nodded knowingly. That's just how messed up the industry is; what can you do about it?

They carried the food over and sat down on the ground.

Theron suddenly asked, "Eric, you're not going to end up like Weinstein, are you?"

"Do you think I need to?" Eric asked, pointing to his handsome face.

The two burst into laughter. Theron thought to himself that he had been alone with Eric so many times, he had plenty of opportunities, and if he really wanted to force himself on him, he would have done so long ago, but he didn't.

Well, lately he seems to be getting bolder and bolder, no longer satisfied with just verbal teasing, he's started to get physical.

But it's not annoying at all; it seems to have broken down my defenses in a subtle and gentle way.

"It will take half an hour to sober up, so we can eat something first."

"Or I could watch a movie; I took the DVD."

"The End of It, Jennifer Lopez? I like her." Theron looked at the tape.

"What type of movie is this?"

"I haven't watched any thrillers or crime films, the kind that involve suspense. My boss gave it to me."

Eric certainly knew that the movie involved domestic violence, with the husband abusing the wife, and then the wife awakening and beating and killing the abuser in revenge, making it a revenge thriller.

For Theron, this kind of movie works much better than horror movies.

They turned on the DVD player, and the Sony Columbia logo flashed by as they ate and watched.

The movie is from last year, and the picture quality is very clear.

As the movie's plot unfolded, the two had put down their cutlery. Charlize Theron frowned, looking distressed as she stared at the television screen.

boom!

"OMG!"

As the scumbag husband punched and broke his wife's ribs, even though she knew it was just a movie, the memories of the past still attacked her.

Theron couldn't take it anymore and turned her head away, closing her eyes.

Seeing this, Eric moved closer and opened his arms to pull her into his embrace.

The moment their bodies touched, he clearly felt Theron tremble, but she did not resist.

The two embraced quietly, each able to hear the other's heartbeat.

Eric didn't go any further. After a while, he said, "Don't be afraid, she's going to kill that scumbag."

Theron opened her eyes, moved slightly, and finding it had no effect, stopped struggling, leaned against Eric's chest, and refocused her attention on the movie.

Finally, when the scumbag husband was beaten to death by his wife, and the wife was deemed to have acted in self-defense, Theron finally smiled.

Eric took the opportunity to peck her on the cheek, and Theron shuddered again.

Then something seemed to move, and four lips suddenly joined together, a pair of arms wrapped around Eric's neck, and the two kissed passionately.

The air was thick with moisture as Eric savored Theron's flavor, their heavy breaths mingling together.

The kiss lasted for several minutes, as if to release all the longing and desire that had been building up over this period of time.

Suddenly, Eric felt a force on his chest and was pushed to the ground, while Theron quickly stood up and took a few steps back.

She waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Eric, what we're doing is wrong. I have a boyfriend, you know that."

"Besides, Stuart didn't betray me. Please don't pressure me anymore. I'm worried that I might not be able to control myself and betray him. I don't want to be the bad guy."

Eric smiled and gestured for Theron to be quiet: "Okay, I respect your decision. I won't force you, okay?"

Theron, panting, looked at Eric: "Really?"

"Really, I promise what happened just now won't happen again, okay?"

Theron nodded: "Okay, I... I'll go heat up the food, you wait a moment."

Seeing that she didn't dare to look him in the eye and made up a lame excuse as if she were running away, Eric couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

However, it seems he needs to work harder; he knows that Theron is a rather devoted woman.

Given her beauty and status, it's normal for her suitors to line up from Los Angeles across the Atlantic to London.

However, she actually has very few scandals, especially during her relationships, and there have never been any rumors of her cheating.

Is it because tabloids aren't working hard enough? Of course not, the United States has world-class entertainment media capabilities.

The main reason is that they really can't find one; Charlize Theron is just that kind of woman.

To truly win over a woman like that, you have to put in a lot more effort.

Afterwards, the two drank the red wine that had already decanted, ate the remaining food, and discussed the movie plot.

After their passionate kiss, Eric could feel that Theron's heart was more open, and she began to talk about her most painful memories.

The father abused the mother and the child, and the mother chose to shoot and kill the father in order to protect herself.

The two had been alone together many times, but this was the first time Theron had discussed this topic.

Once they started talking, the two of them drank one glass after another, and Eric couldn't stop them, so he could only drink with her.

Then he pulled her into his arms again, smelling the alcohol in her breath and watching her eyelids grow heavy, until she completely slumped into his embrace.

"Alas! It's hard to be a gentleman sometimes, especially when faced with a beauty like you. But while your beauty lowers my rationality, it also elevates my morality."

"How could I take advantage of you in your vulnerable state? Get some sleep."

Eric muttered to himself as he picked Theron up, carried her upstairs to the bedroom, took off her shoes, and then placed her on the bed and covered her with a light blanket.

Looking at that stunning face, he couldn't help but lower his head and gently kiss Theron's forehead before closing the door and leaving.

A moment later, hearing noises coming from the kitchen downstairs, Theron slowly opened his eyes.

After a while, she saw Eric's departing figure through the curtains, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

She touched the spot on her forehead where she had been kissed, and then her boyfriend's yelling and arguing over the past few days came back to mind.

Theron shook his head and covered his head with the blanket.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Eric focused on filming and did not bother Theron again on the day "Monster" wrapped up, but kept in touch by phone and text message every day.

During this period, he also completed the script outline for "Inception," which he had been writing for over a month. He then sought out a script doctor to supplement and enrich the script while arranging for the producer to connect with the main actors, including Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Tom Hardy.

As for Nicole, I'll personally deliver her there, and while I'm at it, I'll pull some strings, clear out the sewers, play with her little bells, sing an opera, and dance a little.

After several months of script refinement, filming for "La Vie en Rose" finally began, with Ron Howard ultimately chosen as the director.

Eric greatly admires and appreciates this great director, who is known as Hollywood's best director of biographical films and has directed countless excellent works.

He just won the Academy Award for Best Director two years ago for "A Beautiful Mind," so you can rest assured that you can entrust your work to him.

He didn't participate in the scriptwriting of "Supernatural," he only came up with the idea.

The episodic format is actually quite easy; we simply hired nine writers and submitted our first draft in a short time.

Eric reviewed it and offered some suggestions for revisions. He estimated that the machine would be ready to go by the end of August.

The first season of "American Horror Story" still used the Murder House as the script prototype. Eric suggested an idea and then arranged for the screenwriter to take the lead.

"Hannibal" is an adaptation of a novel, so naturally they brought in the original author, Thomas Harris, and found two screenwriters. The three of them then worked on it.

The show that Eric really needs to work on is Breaking Bad. If you only give a basic idea for that show, most screenwriters can't pull it off; it needs a lot of polishing.

On set, Andrea praised, "Director, it's great to see how dedicated you are. I was really afraid you'd abandon the project like you did with 'Blue Is the Warmest Color'."

Eric chuckled: "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"Um?"

He handed the director's microphone to Andrea: "You're in charge of the set for the next few days. I have something to take care of."

"Oh? Here we go again!"

"Haha. If you can endure hardship, you'll be able to endure even more. I'll invest in your short film. Good luck!"

After making a grand promise, Eric left the film crew. He had to rush to Santa Barbara because Michael's trial was imminent.

Thank you Luciferhx for the 100-coin reward, and thank you to all the readers for your support.

(End of this chapter)