The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 796: The Taste of Betrayal

On Long Island, New York, in a post-production suite at Cross Creek Films, Darren Aronofsky wrapped up a strenuous day of work.

The shoot for "Black Swan" had wrapped long ago, and the film was now deep in post-production.

As Darren Aronofsky stepped out of the post-production suite, Natalie, who had been waiting outside, approached him.

"How did it go today?" Natalie inquired.

"Perfectly," Darren replied, looking much younger than his age. "I should be able to wrap up all the post-production by the end of June at the latest."

Natalie nodded and then sighed. "So we'll miss Cannes and Berlin."

Darren smiled. "I've already submitted it to the Venice Film Festival. We'll make that one." He stretched, loosening his shoulders. "Time to unwind after a long day."

Natalie caught his meaning and replied instantly, "This isn't the right place, and we don't have time."

"That's fine." Darren pulled Natalie into a nearby lounge, and as soon as the door was closed, he pressed her close. "Use your mouth."

Seeing Darren Aronofsky unbuckle his belt, Natalie opened her mouth and obediently tended to her director and lover.Ten minutes later, they emerged from the lounge.

"Are you coming to my place tonight?" Natalie asked.

Darren Aronofsky shook his head. "No, I have to talk to someone about work tonight."

Slightly disappointed, Natalie pressed, "Who?"

"An investor." Darren Aronofsky's voice was tinged with impatience. "It's about my next movie."

Seeing that Natalie was about to ask another question, he cut in, "We'll talk later. I have to go."

Staring at his retreating back, Natalie's brow creased with worry. Getting a firm hold on Darren Aronofsky was proving to be a formidable challenge.

She could feel his attitude toward her growing colder, more distant than before.

It was time to come up with a plan to make him hers for good.

Darren left the studio and drove toward Long Beach. Even as he drove, his thoughts were consumed by filmmaking. In the modern world, distractions were everywhere: video games, the internet, other movies, iPods, texting, cell phones, and so on. How could a film capture an audience's attention? He believed it was essential to create unforgettable, monumental images—images people would talk about long after, images with powerful emotional resonance. Most importantly, he wanted to create visceral experiences the audience could connect with.

He wasn't making "Black Swan" for Rachel Weisz at all, but because his sister had been a ballerina. Every time Darren passed her room, he would see the posters and ballet slippers, and a strange creative impulse would always stir within him.

"Follow that lime green sedan up ahead."

From the back of the Cadillac, Rachel instructed the driver, "Stay close. Don't lose him."

The driver, a seasoned professional, skillfully tailed Darren Aronofsky's car through the congested traffic.

Rachel pulled out her cell phone, dialed a number, and asked, "Are you on him?"

"We're on him," a man's voice replied instantly. "Don't worry, we'll get every shot you need."

Rachel added, "Good. As long as I get what I need, money is no object."

She hung up, put her phone away, and stared ahead. Darren's car was clearly visible through the windshield.

Even though she could only see the car, not the man inside, Rachel seethed with hatred.

Natalie Portman. Darren Aronofsky. She was going to make those two pay.

Rachel suddenly recalled scenes from Darren's own films. Perhaps the only way to quench her hatred was to turn his dark creativity against him and Natalie.

Darren's films were filled with neurotic, dark, and bizarrely thrilling elements: a festering arm from a dirty needle, electroshock therapy that rotted the brain, a sharp pen piercing tattooed flesh, staples punched one by one into a man's body, a thumb shoved into a meat grinder, shattered toenails.

That's what that pair of animals deserved to suffer.

Just then, the car ahead pulled over. Rachel signaled for her driver to stop and lowered the window. Darren got out and stood on the curb for a moment before a woman with long, dark brown hair approached. They spoke for a moment, then she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

The two were so lost in each other it was as if they were the only two people on the street.

Rachel gripped the car door handle so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the strain.

But she forced herself to remain still, watching the scene unfold with cold eyes, confident that her photographers were capturing every moment.

After all, she was the one directing this little scene.

The woman with Darren Aronofsky was none other than Natalie Portman's good friend and "Black Swan" co-star, Mila Kunis!

Taking a few deep breaths, Rachel slowly reined in her raging emotions.

Just a short distance away, right there on the sidewalk and in plain sight, Darren's hand brazenly slid onto Mila Kunis's dress.

"Excellent, just excellent," Rachel murmured to herself. "It's all going according to the script Matthew and I wrote."

Her composure slowly returned. Darren had broken up with her long ago; there was nothing left between them but resentment. Natalie was the one who should be panicking now.

How would Natalie feel, knowing the director she'd worked so hard to ensnare had turned around and started an affair with her own best friend?

Rachel's mood lifted instantly. Natalie had made her miserable, and she was about to return the favor. Natalie had betrayed her as a friend; now, she would get to taste what betrayal from a friend felt like.

Darren Aronofsky and Mila Kunis finally separated and climbed into Darren's car one after the other. The vehicle slowly pulled away and continued down the street.

"Follow him," Rachel ordered the driver.

The Cadillac slipped back into traffic, tailing Darren's sedan.

Rachel was patient. It had taken months of intricate maneuvering to convince Mila Kunis to seduce Darren, so she knew there was no need to rush. The best was yet to come.

Mila Kunis seducing Darren Aronofsky was just another reminder that friendships between actresses in Hollywood were nothing more than a plastic sisterhood.

"But my friendship with Matthew is real," Rachel sighed.

She thought back to her time on the set of "The Mummy". She had only offered Matthew some minor assistance back then, but he had never forgotten. Not only had he warned her that Natalie was a scheming bitch, but he had also helped her plan this revenge, going far beyond what anyone could expect of a friend.

Without Matthew, she didn't know how she would have survived the blow.

Now, not only had she survived, but she was launching a targeted counterattack to make that wretched couple pay. It was even restoring her confidence.

Countless people in this town had surely gossiped about her, laughed at her behind her back. But when Natalie and Darren's misfortune became public, it would make all those bastards understand one thing: Rachel Weisz was not someone to be trifled with.

Ahead, Darren's car stopped again, this time in front of a hotel.

Rachel told the driver to park on the curb near the hotel. She looked over just in time to see Darren and Mila Kunis walking hand in hand toward the main entrance, looking incredibly intimate.

What could two people that intimate be doing at a hotel? It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

She picked up her phone again, dialed the same number, and said in a low voice, "Send me the photos you've taken so far. Keep watch and get shots of them when they leave."

Hanging up, Rachel ordered the driver, "Back to Manhattan."

On the drive back, an email arrived on her phone. She opened it to find the photos. The photographer was clearly a professional; every angle of Darren and Mila's kiss had been captured, including a close-up of Darren's hand sliding onto her skirt.

She casually scrolled through the pictures before setting her phone aside, already plotting how to get them to Natalie. It wouldn't be too difficult to get her personal email address, but celebrities often ignored their inboxes for long stretches. There was a chance Natalie might miss the fun entirely.

After a moment's thought, she decided it would be better to find one of the "Black Swan" cast members she had on her payroll and have them deliver the photos directly to Natalie.

Rachel had already bribed several people on the cast and crew, and they had been feeding her information from the "Black Swan" set.

Back in her Manhattan apartment, Rachel suddenly remembered something. She made a point of calling Matthew, and after a brief chat, she forwarded him a copy of the photos.

How could she not share such a delicious piece of work with someone? Matthew, who had given her the idea in the first place, was definitely the best person to share it with.

Rachel also decided she would report every new development to Matthew immediately.