The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 554

Under the cover of the crowd, Pitt stood in a secluded corner, his gaze fixed on Matthew, who was chatting nearby with a stunning, well-endowed young woman.

"A shame... what a shame..."

Pitt shook his head. Such a beautiful flower. How did she end up with someone like Matthew?

He watched as Matthew and Alexandra spoke with extraordinary closeness to a blonde woman, then decided to move nearer. He recognized the blonde—Helen Herman, an agent whose stock had skyrocketed thanks to Horner.

From a distance, Pitt couldn't hear a thing. He eventually feigned indifference as he walked by, pretending not to catch the words "Wachowski brothers," "Natalie Portman," and "Cloud Atlas" as they drifted into earshot.

It brought to mind the reports Corin had given him.

Pitt soon learned that Matthew had found Natalie, who had then sought out the Wachowski brothers before they all met with Helen and left the ballroom. He waited a little longer, then slipped out himself and inquired with a waiter, who confirmed that the group had requested a private lounge for a confidential discussion.

What could they possibly have to talk about?

Pitt couldn't think of anything other than the project Corin had mentioned earlier: *Cloud Atlas*.

That evening, Matthew didn't return to the party. He remained in the lounge, locked in a clandestine conversation with the Wachowski brothers.Pitt was patient. He waited in his car outside the hotel until midnight, watching as Matthew, Helen, Alexandra, the Wachowskis, and Natalie emerged one by one before each went their separate ways.

A black Mercedes pulled up. Matthew opened the door, letting Alexandra slide into the car first, but he didn't hurry to get in himself.

"The novel *Cloud Atlas* was highly recommended by The New York Times and is a quality work in its own right, but..." Helen began, frowning as she stood beside him.

"Didn't you see it?" Matthew asked. "After the two *Matrix* sequels, the Wachowskis have veered onto a deliberately obtuse path, trying to cram their films with philosophical depth. That's a death sentence for a commercial movie."

Helen, who hadn't given the Wachowskis much thought before, took his words in. After a moment of reflection, she realized the trend was glaringly obvious in both *The Matrix Reloaded* and *The Matrix Revolutions*, which they had directed, as well as *V for Vendetta*, which they had written and produced.

"You think this project is doomed to fail? Then why didn't you just turn it down?" She paused, recalling all the massive blockbusters Matthew had rejected in the past, and decided not to press the point. Instead, she asked, "Is this for Pitt?"

Matthew shrugged, not bothering to deny it.

Helen shook her head and glanced toward another Mercedes that was approaching.

Matthew reached out and gave her shoulder a light pat. "I'm setting a trap for Pitt, and I need your help."

Helen weighed the pros and cons for a few seconds. "I've read the script, too. It's convoluted. If it's not handled perfectly, it's almost certain to fail. But if Pitt just jumps in as the lead actor... even if the film bombs, it won't be a career-ending move."

"But what if we could convince Pitt to invest in the film?" Matthew countered immediately. "I texted Bella an hour ago and asked her to look into something. By the end of June at the latest, Jennifer will have finalized her exit from Plan B. This Wachowski project is still in the preliminary planning stages, which means the timing will be perfect."

Helen considered this for a long moment before finally nodding. "I'll help."

Matthew smiled. "We're not intentionally harming anyone. We're just digging a hole. It's Pitt's personal choice whether or not to jump in."

Helen immediately concurred. "That makes sense. We wouldn't be pushing him. It's all on him."

She added, "The Wachowskis said the film has a hundred-million-dollar budget."

"It's not like losing that much would finish him," Matthew mused. "The hole feels a little shallow."

But for the time being, there was no opportunity to dig a deeper one.

The other Mercedes finally arrived. Before Helen got in, she said to Matthew, "Miracles don't just happen, but what if they actually pull it off?"

Matthew had considered this carefully. "With the resources Pitt has at his disposal, there's a chance he could turn things around..."

He leaned closer to Helen and lowered his voice. "That's why we have to make him lose that chance. That way, we eliminate a lingering threat for good."

Helen met his gaze, holding it for a silent moment before getting into the car.

Matthew watched her settle in, then closed the door behind her.

***

Pitt sat motionless in his car, lost in thought for a long time before pulling out his phone. He dialed a number and said, "Simmons, wrap things up with Jennifer as soon as possible and get Plan B operational."

A pang of guilt struck him as he thought of Jennifer. "Some of the less important assets... let her have them."

After hanging up, Pitt told his driver, "Take me home."

***

A black curtain had fallen over Los Angeles. As car after car departed from the Four Seasons, the Wachowski brothers were sent on their way.

"Matthew seems sincere," Andy Wachowski remarked.

Lana removed her red wig, revealing hair that had yet to grow back, and replied with a hint of pride, "It's his good fortune that he gets to work with us."

Andy's thoughts ran along a similar line. Horner was a little crude, perhaps, not exactly an artist and a bit slow on the uptake, but he definitely had vision. He knew who to align with to achieve success.

"To succeed, you need someone with vision. Matthew has vision, and that's why he's as successful as he is today," Lana declared. Ever since *The Matrix*, she'd believed their duo consisted of the best commercial directors in all of Hollywood. "We need to take advantage of this."

Andy nodded in agreement. "As long as Matthew is willing to officially join the project, it'll be much easier for us to secure investment from Warner Brothers."

"It's not just about that," Lana said, her thoughts racing ahead. "Andy, why should we tie ourselves to Warner Bros. if they can't give us their complete trust?"

She elaborated, "First thing tomorrow morning, I'm contacting our agency and asking them to set up an exclusive interview. Then we'll let the world know that the project exists and that Matthew is interested."

Andy caught on immediately. "That way, we can leverage Matthew's reputation to attract more studios to invest."

Lana smiled smugly. "Exactly! Why do you think I agreed with Natalie's suggestion to approach Matthew? Because he's a valuable asset, and we're going to leverage him for all he's worth. Don't forget, Matthew is only interested right now; he hasn't signed any agreement with us. We use his fame for promotion now, and even if he backs out of the project later, there will be no shortage of takers for our film. Then we can just choose whoever offers the best terms."

Andy smiled back.

In this business, everyone fought for their own interests—directors, actors, producers, and studios, without exception.

***

The black Mercedes left Beverly Hills and headed toward Burbank, approaching the ivy-covered house.

Alexandra looked at Matthew, who sat beside her, deep in thought. After a few hesitant attempts to speak, she finally ventured, "Matthew, are you doing this for me?"

She had been with Matthew long enough, had seen and heard enough, to put the pieces together. She was no fool.

Matthew turned his head to look at her. After a moment of silence, he said slowly, "Anna, I'd love to say yes and impress you, but I don't want to lie. That's only part of the reason. There are other, more important factors at play."

Alexandra nodded, about to press him further, when Matthew added, "The other reasons involve people's secrets, which I can't just share."

He, Helen, and Ilana had already struck a blow against Pitt once. It had been done in secret, but there was no guarantee it wouldn't come to light someday. An opportunity to make Pitt fall into a hole so deep he couldn't climb out and retaliate was an opportunity that couldn't be missed.

Helen hadn't said it outright, but he knew she was thinking the exact same thing.

"I understand," Alexandra said with a smile. "I'm just happy that you're protecting me."

Just then, the car came to a stop. She opened her door, but before getting out, she turned back to Matthew. "Amanda gave me some pure Blue Mountain coffee... want to come in and try some?"