The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 609

The next morning, the ringing of a cell phone woke not just Matthew, but Karolina too.

Matthew saw it was Helen calling. He had to get out of bed and step out of the room to take it. After a brief exchange, he hung up and headed straight for the bathroom.

After washing up and getting dressed, he called David, then returned to the bedroom to find Karolina already dressed.

"Sorry," Matthew said at once, picking up his Rolex from the bedside table.

He fastened it around his wrist. "I have to get back to Los Angeles."

Karolina gathered her long blonde hair, pulling it back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Matthew answered frankly, "There's been a strike in Hollywood that involves my company. I need to get back and deal with it."

He picked up his jacket, slipped it on, then walked over and kissed Karolina on the cheek. "I had a wonderful night," he said.

Matthew gathered his belongings. "I'm going to head down and order breakfast. I'll have them bring it up in about half an hour."

As she listened, Karolina couldn't help but blink. He had made a remarkable impression on her: strong, handsome, skilled, and even thoughtful.As a one-night stand, he was almost too good to be true.

But this wasn't her objective. It wasn't why she'd followed a major Hollywood star back to his room. She had certainly enjoyed herself, but she hadn't gotten the result she wanted.

"See you around, KK." With that, Matthew turned to leave, but a hand tugged on his arm from behind.

Matthew turned to face Karolina, who was still holding his arm.

"Is there something else?" he inquired.

Karolina smiled. "Aren't you forgetting something?" she replied.

Thinking he might have left something behind, Matthew glanced around the room.

"I don't think so," he said.

Karolina kept her hand on his arm, studying his face for a few seconds to see if he was playing dumb. Then she reminded him, "A man like you can afford to pay for whatever he wants."

Matthew frowned in confusion.

"This bottle of hotel wine, for instance." Karolina picked up an empty bottle that had rolled off a nearby table. "How much does something like this cost?"

Matthew replied, "Don't worry, anything the staff brought to the room will be charged to my tab."

Karolina's brow furrowed slightly, as if she couldn't believe his comprehension was this poor. She asked bluntly, "How much are you going to pay for last night?"

"Hold on," Matthew said, pulling his arm free from her grasp. He sat down on the edge of the sofa and looked at her. "I'm confused."

Seeing that Matthew wasn't leaving, Karolina simply sat down across from him.

It took Matthew a few moments for the situation to sink in. Karolina was implying that because they'd had a great night, he was now expected to pay her for it.

He'd never run into this before. In the past, it had always been a mutual exchange. He was satisfied, and the woman was just as satisfied. Everyone got what they wanted, and that was that.

But Karolina clearly wanted more.

"I..." Matthew trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Karolina repeated, "How much are you going to pay me?"

So it was a transaction after all. Sighing internally, Matthew said,

"Name your price."

Hearing this, Karolina instinctively started to raise two fingers, but after a moment's thought, she held up just one.

Matthew didn't for a second think she meant ten thousand dollars—supermodels didn't come that cheap. He immediately asked, "A hundred thousand dollars?"

Karolina didn't answer. She just watched him with a smirk, letting the moment hang in the air before correcting him: "One million dollars."

Matthew frowned but gave a sharp nod. "Give me the account number."

Impressed by how quickly he agreed, Karolina immediately rattled off an account number. Matthew called Bella to arrange the transfer. After hanging up, he told Karolina, "You'll have the money in half an hour."

"Thank you, Matthew," Karolina said with a smile. "You have my number. Feel free to call anytime you... need me."

Matthew managed an awkward smile. "Goodbye, KK," he said softly.

Even though the money hadn't arrived, Karolina was confident Matthew wouldn't go back on his word. She had been keeping tabs on his profile ever since they met last year and was certain he would prove to be a valuable resource.

That's why she had followed him to his room the moment he'd made his veiled invitation.

***

Leaving the luxurious suite, Matthew shook his head and sighed. His mood was considerably lower than it had been the night before.

It was the classic story: thinking you'd won over a beautiful woman with your charm, only to find out she was really after your wallet.

By the time the elevator reached the ground-floor lobby, however, Matthew felt a sense of relief. With the rate he went through partners, an encounter like this was bound to happen sooner or later.

He was actually lucky it hadn't happened sooner. The only thing that irked him was that Karolina had waited until after they'd slept together to bring up the payment.

When he emerged into the hotel lobby, David was pacing anxiously by the door. Seeing Matthew approach, he couldn't help but complain.

"What took you so long? You call me at the crack of dawn, make me rush over here, and then you're late!"

Matthew ushered him out of the hotel and into the waiting car. "You're not busy anyway," he said. "Come back to Los Angeles with me."

David glanced at the hotel driver and held his questions.

When the pair arrived at the airport, David's private jet was already cleared for takeoff. Money often bought convenience, and just after noon, the plane was in the air, heading back to North America.

"So that's what happened."

There was no one else on board, so Matthew briefly recounted the morning's events to David. "I paid her a million dollars for her... excellent service last night."

David laughed. "There's always going to be a woman who's more interested in your money than in you."

Matthew said with self-deprecating humor, "Apparently, my charm can't compete with cold, hard cash."

Just before he'd boarded the plane, Karolina had sent a text thanking him—the million dollars had arrived. Matthew had promptly deleted it.

"This is what you get for waking me up so early!" David was still grumbling. "If you hadn't called, I'd probably still be enjoying myself with Heidi Klum."

He then lowered his voice slightly. "Do you have any idea what that cost me?"

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "I thought you won her over with your charm."

David shrugged and held up two fingers. "I gave her two million dollars! You think she would have come with me otherwise?"

Hearing that, Matthew sighed. "Money talks."

"So," David concluded, "when you eventually get tired of this life, just make sure you don't marry a supermodel."

"That's not even on my radar," Matthew said, shaking his head. "I'd only ever do that under two circumstances. One: I'm blackout drunk. And two: I've completely given up on myself."