The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 473

The sky was completely dark, but Arthur Ashe Stadium was brilliantly illuminated as the hard-fought women's singles final came to a dramatic close amidst a deafening roar and the breathless anticipation of countless spectators.

"Aah!"

With a sharp cry, Maria unleashed a ferocious forehand. The ball seemed both unsettled by and propelled by the sheer force of her shout. Henin's return shot slammed into the net, and Maria held her serve.

It was set point in the second set. The score settled at 6-4, securing Maria the US Open women's singles title with a decisive 2-0 victory over Henin.

Maria collapsed to her knees on the hard court, overcome with tears of joy as she celebrated her second championship title.

"That's not fair!" Kaya exclaimed. "This match is rigged! Maria cheated! She must have screamed on purpose to distract her opponent!"

Matthew didn't respond. As far as he knew, there was no rule in tennis that forbade a player from shouting while hitting the ball.

"Alright, Kaya," Cindy interrupted her muttering. "That's enough complaining."

Kaya pouted and glared at Maria on the court. She was, after all, still a child.

Just then, a staff member approached, stood beside Matthew, and whispered, "Mr. Horner, it's time for you to get ready."Matthew nodded, stood up, and followed the staff member from the VIP area through a special corridor to a dressing room. A stylist quickly touched up his hair, and as Matthew changed into formal attire, he was handed a new Rolex watch.

It was a watch better suited for the formal occasion.

Stepping out the door, Matthew met up with an executive from Rolex's advertising department and made his way to the entrance of the hard court. Besides him, the honorary president of the U.S. Tennis Association was also responsible for presenting the award.

Someone came over to run through the procedure one last time. The honorary president would give a speech, and Matthew would present the trophy afterward.

On the court, a podium was being set up. Matthew stood by the entrance, waiting patiently.

The Rolex advertising executive approached him, pointed to the winner's trophy, and reminded him, "The sleeves of your suit were specially designed and tailored to be slightly shorter than usual. When you present the award, extend your left hand so the watch is facing the camera."

Matthew nodded. "I understand."

The ceremony proceeded step by step. Henin received her runner-up award, then Maria stepped onto the top of the podium. Matthew walked out with the honorary president of the U.S. Tennis Association.

Standing beside the hostess holding the championship trophy, Matthew maintained a poised posture. Though there were over 20,000 spectators in the stadium, he was accustomed to scenes like this. He wore his most charming smile and applauded along with the crowd as the USTA president shouted his congratulations to Maria.

"Congratulations to Maria!" he announced. "This is Maria's moment!"

He gestured toward Matthew, who took the winner's trophy from the hostess, walked a few steps closer to Maria, and gave her a polite hug.

"Congratulations." After they separated, he made sure to extend his left arm, prominently displaying the Rolex on his wrist as he handed Maria the women's singles trophy. "You were incredible out there today," he said.

Maria accepted the trophy but didn't look at it. Her eyes were fixed on Matthew, as if she hadn't expected him to be the guest of honor.

Matthew recognized the look in Maria's eyes. It was a familiar one—the same adoring gaze he had seen from his most passionate fans during public appearances.

Could the new US Open women's singles champion also be a fan of his?

"Thank you." Maria, who spoke fluent English, glanced down at the trophy and then suddenly lowered her voice to say to Matthew, "I like the way you look today."

Matthew looked at Maria, a young woman who stood nearly six-foot-three. The contrast between her imposing height and her whispered compliment was intriguing.

After their brief exchange, which appeared no different from any other tournament award presentation, Maria took the winner's trophy and moved toward the host to say a few words into the microphone.

Matthew had presented the trophy and flashed his Rolex for the cameras, successfully completing his mission for the day. The only surprise was his encounter with the tennis star.

"I like the way you look today."

What did that mean? Matthew watched Maria thoughtfully.

****

After a short interview, the ceremony concluded. The group on the podium began to file toward the court-side passageway, and Matthew deliberately hung back to walk alongside Maria.

Once they were in the tunnel, Matthew slowed his pace to fall in step beside her. "I didn't get a chance to say it earlier, but I really admire your commanding presence on the court."

"Really?" A flicker of surprise crossed Maria's face.

Matthew said earnestly, "Could I get an autographed photo of you playing sometime?"

They reached a T-junction in the corridor, as their locker rooms were on different sides. Maria stopped, clutching her trophy, her face lit with excitement. "Let's trade! I've always wanted an autographed photo of you!"

"No problem," Matthew said, spreading his hands. "But I don't have a photo with me."

Maria's eyes remained fixed on Matthew. "I didn't bring anything either."

Just then, Matthew saw several people approaching from Maria's direction—her coaches, family members, and assistants, by the looks of it.

He quickly said, "Why don't you give me your phone number? I'll get in touch when you're not busy."

Without a moment's hesitation, Maria rattled off a series of digits. She glanced back at the approaching crowd and asked, a little uncertainly, "Did you get that?"

Matthew repeated the number back to her and finally said, "Of course."

"Great!" Maria replied brightly. Before her team reached them, she added once more, "I really love your outfit today."

With that, she gave Matthew one last sweeping glance, turned toward her group, and was immediately engulfed in a sea of joyous celebration.

Matthew stood watching for a dozen seconds or so before turning to walk toward his own dressing room. He was already strategizing. Maria was clearly a fan, there was no doubt about that, but...

Once inside, he changed back into his own clothes, took off the Rolex, and handed it to the company's staff. Then he pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and asked, "Do you know anything about Maria Sharapova?"

Ilana now held a senior position at TMZ, a gossip site that, much like its print counterparts, didn't limit its focus to entertainment stars; sports celebrities were just as valuable for generating buzz.

After a brief conversation, Matthew hung up and waited patiently. By the time he left Arthur Ashe Stadium and settled into his Mercedes sedan, Ilana was calling him back.

He spoke with her for several minutes, getting a general picture, before ending the call. He lowered his head in thought.

According to Ilana, Maria had spent her entire adolescence in grueling training and was a young woman who craved romance. Behind her stood a rather remarkable father, a man who was both farsighted and socially ambitious.

Maria's father had sold all of his family's assets to bring her from Russia to the United States for tennis training. He had successfully molded her into a tennis starlet with prestigious titles to her name by the age of nineteen. But he wanted Maria to find a boyfriend who could make both of them famous and rich. He had invested so much in his daughter and expected a superior return, especially since the young Maria was so gifted in the world of tennis.

The information might not be one hundred percent accurate, but coming from TMZ's inside sources, it was credible enough.

When the car pulled into the underground parking garage of the Manhattan hotel, Matthew didn't get out right away. He turned to Brown Williams in the passenger seat and said, "Find out which hotel Maria is staying at."

By the time he got upstairs and entered his suite, Brown already had the information.

Matthew didn't bother to change. He stood by the living room window, gazing in the direction of Flushing Park, where Maria's hotel was located. He imagined it would be a sleepless night of wild celebration for her.

He pressed the intercom button, summoned a member of the hotel staff, and requested that a photographer be sent directly to his suite. He had several photos taken of himself in the formal suit he'd worn for the awards ceremony, selected the one he liked best, and signed his name on both the front and back.

Since Maria wanted an autographed photo, he would deliver it to her personally.

Matthew made his decision. After a moment's thought, he called the staff back to give them more detailed instructions. This was one of the finest hotels in New York, and they could provide a wide array of services, provided the guest was willing and able to pay the price.

In a nation built on commerce, the one with money was king.

Matthew was far from the top, but with the money he had, there was a great deal he could accomplish.

Time ticked by. He was as patient as a hunter stalking a fox.

Just then, the staff member knocked on the door and said respectfully, "Everything is arranged."

"Good," Matthew said. "How soon can they arrive?"

The man replied immediately, "In fifteen minutes."

Matthew nodded. "Excellent."

He stood before the full-length mirror, adjusting the formal suit he'd worn for the award ceremony. Then he picked up his phone and the signed photograph and said to the concierge, "Let's go."

The staff member opened the suite door for Matthew and led the way. As they walked toward the elevator bank, Matthew was already dialing Maria's number on his phone.