The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 223

Beverly Hills.

A black executive sedan slowly turned onto Rodeo Drive, pulling into an open spot at the curb. Ilana, sitting in the back, glanced outside; the street was lined with high-end brand stores, near the spot where she had arranged to meet Matthew and Helen.

She checked her watch, then pulled out her cell phone and dialed Matthew's number. It wasn't Matthew who answered, but his personal assistant, who then passed the phone to him.

"Matthew, I'm here," Ilana whispered. "When will you be arriving?"

"You'll have to wait a little," Matthew's voice came over the phone. "Keira's running late."

"Alright, just let me know when you're here."

Ilana didn't press the matter. Getting paid for the job and doing it well had always been the professional code she lived by.

Although Matthew and Helen hadn't stated it directly, Ilana had guessed what this was all about when they approached her last week with people from Disney.

From her perspective, it was a solid idea: two C-list stars, riding the hype of an upcoming film by striking up a romance—real or fake. It was guaranteed to generate widespread publicity, especially across the various internet sites.

Gossip and rumors have always been a popular form of entertainment; otherwise, even Yahoo Entertainment would go out of business, to say nothing of all the tabloids in the United States.This stunt also allowed her to pull some strings with Disney, which, Ilana had heard, was preparing to partner with Warner on a website focused entirely on gossip. Rumor had it the project was backed by a massive investment and aimed to become number one in the industry.

A site like that would offer her a much greater chance of success than the somewhat stagnant Yahoo Entertainment.

A black BMW SUV, with Mira at the wheel, was driving leisurely toward Rodeo Drive. In the back sat Matthew and Helen.

"I just contacted Jaime," Helen said, putting her phone away. "There was an accident near the hotel that's caused a massive traffic jam, so they're going to be late."

Matthew nodded, his gaze drifting to the car window as he looked with interest at the lavish mansions of Beverly Hills.

Beverly Hills was known as "the world's most exclusive residential area," a symbol of wealth and fame.

If he could, Matthew would love to buy a mansion here.

Seeing Matthew's attention fixed on the mansions lining the road, Helen remarked, "If you make a few more successful films, you could easily afford a house here."

Matthew leaned back in his seat and declared, "I want more than that. I want to buy a huge estate, hire a hundred beautiful maids—each of them at an Audrey Hepburn level—and then spend every day sleeping on a massive luxury bed and every night throwing rave parties, drinking and celebrating until dawn..."

"That's the life I want," Matthew added.

Helen gave him a strange look but said, "Wait until you're a superstar before you start thinking about things like that."

"Why can't I think about it now?" Matthew shifted his gaze from the window to Helen, not waiting for an answer. "You know, Helen? Sometimes I get stressed and bored, but whenever I imagine that kind of life in my future, I feel motivated. It's what keeps me going."

Though Mira was focused on driving, she couldn't help but glance into the rearview mirror when she heard his words. She had been Matthew's personal assistant for some time and knew he was a very, very vulgar man—a hundred thousand miles from the prim and refined image one might expect from a star.

"No wonder he trains and rehearses with such dedication every day," a thought naturally formed in her mind. "So this is the real reason."

Helen knew that Matthew was far from the type to restrain himself. Based on what she had seen over the past two years, he was in exceptionally good physical shape and unusually energetic. If he hadn't been pouring most of his time and energy into filming and training, he would have found himself far too "lonely."

He used to have an official girlfriend to keep him in line, but now that he didn't, Helen was a little worried. "I don't care who you sleep with in the future," she instructed, "but keep a low profile while we're executing this plan, or it will all blow up into a scandal."

"I know," Matthew said, looking rather puzzled. "I was just saying—"

Matthew's phone suddenly vibrated. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen—it was a text message from Keira.

"They're almost here," Matthew told Mira. "Let's head to Rodeo Drive."

...

In another car that had just entered Beverly Hills, Keira put her phone away and said to her agent, Jaime, who was sitting beside her, "They're waiting for us."

Jaime nodded slightly. "Keira, just be natural. Aren't you and Matthew friends? Just act the way you normally do around him."

Keira rolled her eyes. "That's useless advice."

She gazed out the car window. Not long before her eighteenth birthday, she had returned to England. Her parents threw a party especially for her, and it was there that she received a gift from Matthew.

"That guy..." Keira whispered to herself, shaking her head to clear away the stray thoughts.

The car turned onto Rodeo Drive and gradually slowed. Noticing a spot near the road, Keira told the driver, "Over there!"

A black BMW SUV was parked by the curb. She recognized it as Matthew's car and quickly sent him a text.

Matthew received the message and got out. Having arrived earlier, they had just pulled onto Rodeo Drive when Helen and Mira also exited the vehicle.

He dialed Ilana's number, then waved at the car approaching from behind.

In the black car across the street, Ilana put her phone away, grabbed her camera, and got out. She crossed at the crosswalk, observed the positions of the two target vehicles, and quickly selected a suitable spot to shoot from.

There were many reporters in Los Angeles, and pedestrians were not surprised to see cameras on the street. Besides, it was a weekday, so there weren't many people around.

She sat down on a bench by the sidewalk and raised her camera, aiming it at her target.

"Good to see you, Keira," Matthew greeted Keira Knightley as she walked up beside him. "You've gotten even more beautiful."

For the sake of the cameras, Keira wore no sunglasses or hat. She put on a stern face and said, "Didn't you used to say my square face was ugly?"

Matthew smiled. "We were friends back then, so of course, I could say whatever I wanted."

He grinned even wider. "But now we're boyfriend and girlfriend. Of course, I have to flatter you now."

Keira grumbled, "You have zero sincerity."

Matthew maintained his smile and said, "What kind of sincerity do you want, my dear? For me to seriously court you?"

Keira rolled her eyes. "Of course not. If it weren't for the contract, I would have forgotten you even exist."

Matthew reminded her, "The cameras are already rolling."

That did the trick. A sunny smile instantly appeared on Keira's face as she fell into step with Matthew, walking toward the plaza ahead where the luxury shops converged.

Across the street, Ilana changed her position and continued shooting from a voyeuristic angle, already thinking about how she would write the future article.

The two were actors, and they had provided more than enough material for a story: "'Pirates of the Caribbean' co-stars Matthew Horner and Keira Knightley on a secret date, with Matthew pulling out all the stops to finally win a happy smile from Knightley."

Matthew and Keira walked side-by-side, joking and laughing the entire way. They weren't talking about their relationship at all, but rather about some of Depp's funny stories, which made them appear close without being overly intimate.

After all, they didn't hold hands the entire time, something an ordinary couple in love would do.

The plan, like for so many of these so-called Hollywood couples, was to first be teased by the press. Then, they would neither confirm nor deny it, offering ambiguous statements like "we're very good friends." Later, as the film's release approached, they would be seen together in public from time to time, always photographed by paparazzi and reporters. The related gossip would lead to frequent mentions of the film, and only then would they finally hold hands.

Ilana followed them closely until Matthew and Keira walked into a Tiffany & Co. store. When the two came out, she noticed an extra black pearl necklace around Keira's neck and immediately raised her camera to get a close-up shot.

She continued to follow them, and after a while, she realized she wasn't the only one. Several paparazzi from various tabloids had recognized Matthew and Keira and were also tailing them.

Ilana didn't need an exclusive. She couldn't care less about the other photographers and simply focused on finding good angles for her shots.

Matthew and Keira wandered around for half the day, until it grew dark, and had dinner together before going their separate ways.

This was their first date.

Later that evening, photos of the date appeared on numerous websites.