The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 341

Upon entering the beige-and-white, European-style building, the real estate agent led Matthew through the interior. The first and most overwhelming impression was one of pure luxury. The living room featured an enormous bar, fully stocked with whiskey, brandy, and vodka. Directly opposite the bar was a floor-to-ceiling glass wall, and standing before it, one could gaze out at a panoramic view of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles.

"This was one of the most famous scenic overlooks in Beverly Hills back in the seventies," the real estate agent explained, approaching Matthew and Charlize. "Later, a development company transformed it into this luxury estate."

He pressed a button on a remote, and a curtain slowly descended over the glass wall. "If you don't want the view, you just need to lower the curtain."

Matthew gestured with his hand, and the agent raised the curtain once more.

"What do you think?" Matthew was quite impressed.

The estate's privacy was well-protected, the interior of the European-style mansion was filled with modern technology, and standing before that immense glass wall, overlooking half of Los Angeles, the feeling of being on top of the world was simply intoxicating.

He was only human, after all, and it was inevitable that such a feeling would take hold.

Hearing no response from Charlize, Matthew added, "I think it's great."

Charlize took two steps forward. To the left of the glass wall, near the cliff's edge, was a well-secured open-air viewing platform that looked absolutely beautiful.

"You're the one buying the house," she said in a low voice. "The decision is yours."Matthew thought for a moment, then said to the agent, "Mormont, what else does this mansion have to offer?"

...

They first toured the gym, indoor pool, dining room, grand ballroom, wine cellar, and private movie theater on the first and basement floors. Then, Matthew and Charlize followed the real estate agent up to the second floor, where the master bedroom was situated directly above the living room and, like it, featured a large glass wall suspended high above the ground.

Matthew walked over to the glass wall for a look, then went into the bathroom, where he discovered an enormous bathtub with a rather unique shape.

The real estate agent immediately came over and explained, "The bathtubs in this mansion vary in shape, but they are all carved and polished from single blocks of raw stone. Each one is worth up to a hundred thousand dollars."

He then added, "Of course, they are included in the total price of the house, along with the wine and all the other amenities."

Matthew circled the bathroom and returned to the huge bedroom, which had a spacious walk-in closet attached.

He asked for Charlize's opinion again, then went to see the other rooms on the second floor. After that, they left the mansion and walked around the tennis court to the left and the small garden to the right. He was gradually coming to a decision.

At over 7,000 square feet, the mansion wasn't the largest in Beverly Hills, but it was on the upper end of the scale. He was pleased with all the amenities inside, especially the privacy.

The real estate agent continued speaking to Charlize, clearly under the mistaken impression that she, as the "lady of the house," was the one making the final decision.

A mansion like this costs a fortune and is a scarce commodity in Beverly Hills, but it was common for such a property to sit on the market for several months or even years after renovations were complete. After all, very few people could afford it, and those who could had plenty of other options.

In Los Angeles alone, areas like the Santa Monica Valley and Malibu Beach were no less affluent than Beverly Hills.

"That's all for today," Matthew said deliberately. "While it would be great to make this our home, there are still a few other places we need to see."

Charlize nodded. "Of course."

It wasn't as if she was actually going to marry Matthew. This house-hunting was just part of the act, and Matthew could buy whatever he wanted.

As he walked along the stone path toward the front gate, Matthew considered his finances.

At the moment, he didn't have that kind of cash on hand, let alone enough to make a one-time payment of over twenty million dollars. But it was the end of April, and filming for the next two "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels would begin no later than June. Disney Pictures would pay the first installment of his salary then, and the first year's fee from Mercedes-Benz was due in late May or early June.

In that case, he'd have more than enough for the down payment, and with his current fame, securing a mortgage for such a high-value property would be no trouble at all.

Luxury homes, fancy cars, and beautiful women—these were the things most people wanted in life, and Matthew was no exception.

He was quite satisfied with the mansion and was already seriously considering buying it.

Besides, the house was large enough, with lavish amenities, a high fence, and a dense evergreen forest to the front, left, and right. Behind it was a nearly ninety-degree cliff, which, in addition to the fence, ensured maximum privacy within the estate.

But Matthew wasn't foolish enough to say he wanted to buy it right away. As far as he knew, the house had been on the market for over six months. Its exorbitant asking price meant there were very few serious potential buyers, and it certainly wasn't going to sell anytime soon.

As they reached the iron gate, Matthew and Charlize's cars were already driving in. Through the gate, a large crowd of paparazzi and entertainment reporters could be vaguely seen.

"Mr. Horner, I hope you liked the mansion."

The real estate agent was eager to close the deal. True, there were many wealthy people in Los Angeles, but there weren't many potential clients with a reputation like Matthew's.

Instead of responding to the agent, Mormont, Matthew called Bella over and said to him, "Mormont, this is my assistant, Bella. I'll have her contact you later."

Bella shook Mormont's hand and asked for his contact information, and Mormont gave Bella his business card.

"Let's go," Matthew said to Charlize. "Are you coming back to my place?"

Charlize shook her head. "I need to go to the Dior branch on Rodeo Drive."

Hearing this, Mormont looked first at Matthew, then at Charlize, suddenly feeling confident about selling the mansion. The two big stars seemed to want to live together.

A black sedan and a black Mercedes SUV drove out of the iron gates one after the other. Mormont turned to look at the mansion at the end of the stone path and swallowed with envy, knowing he could never own such a luxurious estate, even if he worked his entire life.

He stepped out of the estate gates, which then slowly closed behind him.

The moment the gates shut, a dozen journalists who had been hiding nearby suddenly surrounded him, catching Mormont by surprise. Fortunately, he was a professional and instantly composed himself—or at least, pretended to.

He didn't need to say much to the journalists; he knew why they had gathered around him.

Recently, the newspapers and the internet had been filled with stories about Matthew and Charlize. The two major Hollywood stars had been displaying their happiness and affection on various occasions, sparking envy and adoration from countless onlookers.

Even the media was full of praise for the two: a natural pair, the most beautiful and attractive couple in all of North America...

Even TMZ, which he read, had run a story about how the two were born to be together.

If there was any Hollywood star couple surrounded by the hottest gossip lately, it was Matthew and Charlize.

One of the reporters in the crowd, the one at the front, asked, "Excuse me, may I ask if you were just showing a house to Matthew and Charlize?"

After his initial nervousness at being in front of so many reporters and cameras for the first time, Mormont's spirits lifted, and he quickly replied, "Yes! That was me! I recommended the house to Mr. Horner and Ms. Theron, and they were very pleased with it. It's one of the most beautiful mansions in Beverly Hills, with a state-of-the-art security system, and also..."

Perhaps due to his profession, Mormont not only answered the reporter's question but also launched into a lengthy sales pitch for the mansion.

"Hold on!" another reporter interrupted Mormont. "Are you sure the buyers of the house are Matthew Horner and Charlize Theron?"

"I'm sure," Mormont said, recalling Matthew's attitude when he was showing them the house. "As I was presenting the property, Matthew Horner consulted with Ms. Theron about every feature I showed them, as if she were the one making the decision. And thankfully, she was very happy with the mansion, which is built on the most famous scenic overlook in Beverly Hills, with a..."—and he launched into another real estate pitch.

"Why are you telling us all this? It's obvious none of us can afford a mansion like that!"

One of the female journalists couldn't help but cut Mormont off. When he fell silent in embarrassment, she asked, "So, are Matthew and Charlize planning to build their love nest here?"

Mormont nodded eagerly. "Yes, Matthew mentioned several times that they were moving in together."

He finished answering the question and said again, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a really fine property, high on a hill, overlooking..."

Before he could finish, the journalists, having gotten their quotes, dispersed as suddenly as they had appeared. No one was interested in the house he was trying to sell.

Mormont scratched his head, looked at the reporters getting into their cars, and muttered, "It's a one-of-a-kind mansion in the Los Angeles area. You'll regret not buying it."

Unfortunately, no one heard his words.

...

As May approached, the new summer movie season kicked off in North America, and the promotional campaign for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" intensified. Advertisements for the film could be seen everywhere—in newspapers, magazines, on the internet, and on television. Huge posters featuring Matthew and Charlize were plastered on billboards in popular locations across major North American cities.

But these conventional promotional methods weren't enough. And so, just as he had planned last year, Matthew prepared to propose to Charlize.