The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 199

Three days after filming wrapped, Matthew and Keira Knightley signed the contract. With their agents and lawyers present, they put pen to paper, formalizing the terms that would bind them both.

The contract's most crucial clause stipulated that from the moment it was signed, neither Matthew nor Keira would be permitted to date anyone else for the entire duration of their PR relationship.

The exact timing of the relationship’s public launch and its eventual conclusion would be determined by circumstance.

The agreement covered a multitude of details, from the carefully orchestrated public reveal to the minimum number of public dates required per week. There were dozens of such clauses.

Furthermore, if either party were to be caught in a cheating scandal that damaged the other's reputation, or if one of them revealed the true nature of their arrangement, it would trigger an automatic breach of contract, resulting in a penalty of up to three million dollars.

Matthew had no strong objections. For the sake of advancing both his and Keira's fame, he figured committing to the real thing would be easy enough, let alone faking it.

Of course, the contract didn't specify exactly how far Matthew and Keira were expected to take things. It only outlined the general trajectory: from scandalous rumor to public relationship, from cohabitation to a planned breakup. Everything was to proceed according to the script, leaving no room for recklessness from either party.

And if they happened to genuinely fall in love, no one would object. Hollywood had seen its share of romances that began as publicity stunts only to end with the couple getting together for real.

Most, however, were born from film promotions: the co-stars would "suddenly" fall in love, flaunt their affection for the public, and then, once the movie's run was over, "amicably" part ways.

Statistically speaking, Hollywood was full of such couples."I never thought I'd sign such a ridiculous contract."

In the conference room of the Angel Agency, Keira handed the signed contract to her agent, Jaime, and declared to Matthew, "This is absurd!"

Matthew passed his own copy to Helen. "Isn't this standard practice in Hollywood?"

Keira bit her lip. "I'm already starting to regret this."

Matthew gave a slight shrug. "Don't you want to be more famous?"

Keira fell silent. She wouldn't have agreed to any of this if she hadn't seen the potential payoff.

Helen headed upstairs to her office with Jaime, saying Anderson would be up later.

Matthew turned to Keira. "Want a tour of the place?"

"It's a small agency," Keira said with a scoff. "What's there to see?"

Despite her words, she followed Matthew on a tour of the small, three-story Angel Agency building. Nearly everyone they passed greeted them warmly—or, more accurately, greeted him warmly.

When they returned to the ground floor, Matthew led Keira into the main lobby. "Does everyone here adore you this much?" she asked as they walked.

"I doubt it," Matthew remarked. "I'm just the agency's number-one client."

Keira nodded. "That explains it."

They were approaching the main entrance when the glass door swung open from the outside, and a young woman with long black hair slipped in. Her striking blue eyes landed immediately on Matthew.

Keira studied the brunette. She was about the same height and had a youthful, almost unformed face, still carrying a trace of baby fat. But her chest...

"Hi, Matthew," the brunette said, taking the initiative to greet him.

Matthew smiled back. "Hello, Alexandra."

Alexandra Daddario replied politely, "You can call me Anna."

Then she added, "Matthew, thank you for getting me that part."

"You're welcome," Matthew said, maintaining his pleasant smile.

It hadn't been a big deal—just a single phone call.

Alexandra chatted with Matthew for another minute or two before heading up to the second floor.

"You helped her get a part?" Keira asked curiously.

Matthew shrugged it off. "I just asked them to give her a small part, something a little better than an extra."

A random thought suddenly occurred to him. Alexandra Daddario had been cast as the younger version of Selene, while Kate Beckinsale was playing the adult version. Did that mean the character's chest actually got smaller as she aged?

Now that was a problem.

But that was something for the film's director to worry about, not him.

"You're not just helping her for the sake of it, are you..." Keira tilted her head, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Tell me, Matthew, what are you scheming?"

Matthew glanced back at her, not understanding what she was implying. "Scheming what?"

Keira gestured toward the staircase. "You want her."

"What?" Matthew raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Do I look like the kind of guy who chases every pretty girl he sees?"

"Aren't you?" Keira retorted.

"Alexandra is only sixteen." Matthew's gaze drifted down to Keira's chest. "But even at her age, she's... developed more in certain areas than you have."

The words hit their mark, visibly deflating Keira. She glared, her voice rising as she snapped, "Shut up, you bastard!"

"Alright, alright." Matthew held up a placating hand. "I was just kidding."

Keira scowled.

But this wasn't the first time they had sparred like this, and after a few more words from Matthew, Keira was soon laughing again.

Matthew and Keira chatted in the lobby for a while longer until Helen returned with Jaime. Then, Matthew and Helen walked Keira and her agent out of the agency.

"Where's Anderson?" Matthew asked as he and Helen returned to the lobby.

Helen gestured toward the street. "He stepped out."

She then asked, "Are you and Keira close? You're not going to actually fall for each other, are you?"

Matthew gave Helen a look. "Are you kidding me?"

He thought for a moment before replying, "I just find her more straightforward than most people in this business. She's easier to be around."

Compared to Rachel, Keira seemed naive. But he was well aware that people change. The Rachel he first met had been somewhat naive, too.

Hollywood had a terrible way of doing that to people.

Helen asked, "You're not still in touch with Britney, are you?"

"Don't worry." Matthew could see her concern. "That's all in the past. There won't be any problems."

"That's for the best," Helen advised. "This whole arrangement might seem ridiculous, but it's no joke. Matthew, you have to take it seriously. If the truth gets out, it could have a major impact on your future."

She continued, "You need to be more careful these days, especially when it comes to women and relationships. And speaking of which, you're in the tabloids again."

"What did I do this time?" Matthew couldn't help but scratch his head.

His time with Rachel was so long ago, and it had never seemed to attract any press attention.

Helen explained, "Some tabloid published a photo of you leaving the Viper Room with Charlize Theron after a night of drinking."

"Pay it no mind." Matthew, who had already seen the paper, waved his hand dismissively. "The paparazzi deliberately framed the shot to get just the two of us. Depp and Keanu were leaving with us—I was out drinking with them."

Helen nodded softly. "Now that the plan is in place, you'd better be on your best behavior."

"Don't worry," Matthew said breezily. "When have I ever done anything stupid?"

He changed the subject. "Any news on Jerry's two new projects?"

Helen shook her head. "Nothing on the 'American Independence' project. All I know is that the two screenwriters are back from Washington and have locked themselves away in the studio. No one but them knows what they're writing."

Matthew couldn't recall any popular films about American independence, so he asked, "What about the other project?"

"That one is pretty much confirmed," Helen clarified. "The project is tentatively titled King Arthur, and the budget is expected to be around one hundred and fifty million dollars."

"Are we going after the lead role in that one?"

"No."

To Matthew's surprise, Helen shook her head. "I've thought it over, and I think it's best if we don't go after the lead."