King of Hollywood
Chapter 450 - 172: What Could Be More Exhilarating?

Chapter 450: Chapter 172: What Could Be More Exhilarating?

"Just like that initial instant when he heard about her and her husband breaking up, Vronsky read the letter and unwittingly sank into a naturally occurring emotion triggered by his own relationship with the disgraced husband." The intense afternoon sunlight enveloped the balcony, casting a glittering golden glow, yet the reading voice under the cool shade had already ceased.

Sophie Marceau lifted her arm to her forehead, looking up at the still somewhat azure sky through the edge of the parasol, then let out a long sigh. After zoning out for a few minutes, she picked up the book again, but this time she did not read aloud. She had flipped through this French version of "Anna Karenina" countless times and was quite familiar with the plot’s trajectory, often comparing it with the adapted screenplay and having discussed it numerous times with the already finalized director, Angelica Vika. She was confident in portraying the essence of the character.

"This role is a real test of your acting skills because you don’t physically resemble a Russian woman; you must achieve a likeness in spirit." Do you know what the Chinese word means? It is to give the audience a sense of ’seems not much alike on the outside, but entirely the same on the inside.’" These words suddenly echoed in Sophie’s ears again.

Was this why she had been trying so hard? She asked herself internally. Then a feeling of irritation welled up, suddenly making her lose interest in reading further.

Thud—she tossed the novel onto a small round table next to her, Sophie stood up and walked back and forth on the balcony in frustration, then looked towards the direction of the English Channel. That guy must still be cuddling left and right in London, huh?

Damn it, how did I end up like this? Sophie returned inside, poured herself a glass of red wine, and took a large gulp before sighing deeply. Since the day Adrian had left, almost two weeks had passed without any contact between them, the only sighting of him being at the live broadcast of Princess Diana’s funeral, which suddenly made her feel uncomfortable.

You know, in the past, every two or three days, he would either call or send a letter. Never saying much, whether it was a call or a letter, there were only a few words, and most of the time, Sophie would handle it casually, but now the sudden absence made it unbearable.

Well, back to the film then, if this film gets good reviews, it will open up more opportunities in Hollywood... Damn it, those are his words again!

Sophie pensively swirled the wine in her glass; her melancholic demeanor revealed completely, her pensively nibbling lips tempted anyone who saw her to want to hold her close and comfort her.

Just then, the doorbell rang, startling Sophie out of her reverie; she walked somewhat dazedly to the staircase to see who was at the door. She remembered telling her agent to cancel all engagements for a few days, as she just wanted to rest at home for a while and not many people knew about this other small villa of hers—who could be visiting?

With curiosity, Sophie approached the door, peered through the peephole, and let out a startled cry, then chaotically grabbed her hair and pulled at her clothes, not knowing what to do next.

Oh God, why is he here! He’s supposed to be in London, Sophie thought morosely. At the moment, her hair disheveled and dressed in a loose shirt and shorts, she didn’t look very appealing.

As the doorbell rang a second time, Sophie suddenly calmed down; the panic had come and gone abruptly. She stared fixedly at the door for several seconds, then slightly tidied her hair before opening the door and crossing her arms, showing a cold face to the man outside, "What are you doing here?"

"Thank God, I thought you weren’t home," Adrian said with a relieved expression, "I’m so glad to see you, Sophie."

With that, as if he didn’t notice her cold demeanor, he pushed the door fully open and entered the house, causing the beautiful woman to bristle with indignation.

"I’m asking you a question, Ed!" Sophie called out as she closed the door.

"You really look... quite extraordinary," Adrian said nonchalantly as he took a seat on the sofa, gesturing in the air towards her figure, "Very casual, very relaxed, very lazy, and very attractive."

"Do I?" Hearing the compliment, Sophie couldn’t help but smile, but quickly got annoyed and stamped her foot, "Ed!"

"What’s wrong?" Adrian shrugged. "Can’t I come to Paris to see you just because I missed you?"

"Um..." Sophie was at a loss for words for quite a while before she finally asked resentfully, "How much did you pay to bribe my agent?"

"I didn’t spend any money. I just sincerely told Dominic that I really wanted to see you, and he gave me your address," Adrian said, spreading his hands.

Sophie knew better than to believe that excuse. She was well aware that many French people were against her pursuing a career in Hollywood. Dominic Beshard had also advised her several times to take on French or European film projects to change this public sentiment, but Adrian had suggested she fully focus on Hollywood.

"You have the potential, the kind that makes everyone not just admire your looks and figure, but your acting skills. You just haven’t met the person who can bring out that potential," he had said at the time.

Of course, Sophie was equally aware that they each had their own agendas. If it had been herself ten years ago, she might not have understood all this, but after spending ten years waking from the daze of being love-struck, she could see it clearly.

Dominic was her agent, and naturally, his income was closely linked to her work. However, he knew nothing about Hollywood. He had handled "Braveheart" before, but since "The English Patient," an American agent recommended by Adrian had taken over. If Sophie shifted her focus to Hollywood... As for Adrian, there was no need to say where his thoughts lay.

"What would you like? Coffee or tea?" Sophie turned and walked towards the kitchen, giving up on arguing with him.

"Definitely the coffee made by your very own hands," Adrian said with a playful grin, which of course earned him an eye roll from Sophie.

Pervert! Sophie ground the coffee beans furiously, turning the handle rapidly as though it was something of Adrian’s she wished she could tear off. Yet, when she actually started to reminisce, she couldn’t help but sigh again.

Initially, she indeed harbored the thought of using his capabilities to climb another rung on the ladder, but this guy simply wouldn’t play by the rules. After winning her trust with his clever words, he began to take liberties and invade her privacy.

Sophie still vividly remembered what happened in the garden that day; especially the image of being penetrated deeply while a couple moaned loudly just outside the bushes as he covered her mouth remained particularly clear. Whenever she fantasized about it privately, that thrilling sensation made her unconsciously rub her legs together.

Well, he was very talented, charming, and understood a woman’s heart. He always managed to talk about topics she wanted to hear, and they had a lot in common in many areas. When she lay in his arms, that sense of security was very comforting. She had looked after that man for nearly ten years; why couldn’t she find a man to look after her? If only... if only he wasn’t ambiguous with so many women, even fathering a child with one of them...

"What’s wrong?" Adrian suddenly asked while tasting the coffee.

"What’s wrong?" Sophie, curled up on the sofa with one hand supporting her cheek, snapped back to reality.

"You suddenly seem... sad," Adrian said earnestly.

Sophie hesitated for a long moment and then gave a bitter smile, shaking her head but not speaking.

"It’s best to talk about things that make you unhappy. Having someone share the burden can reduce your unhappiness a lot," Adrian said, holding her hand and looking into her brown eyes with tenderness.

"Thank you, Ed," Sophie smiled. "It’s nothing."

"Looks like I was too subtle," Adrian suddenly said, "What I really meant was, if there’s anything upsetting you, feel free to share it and make me happy too."

"Ed!" Sophie immediately screamed, raising a cushion to throw at him.

Under Adrian’s mediation, the atmosphere in the room perked up, and after some frolicking around, the man and woman resumed their conversation which was quite like before—fast-changing topics, laughter, some arguments, and remarkably harmonious.

Dusk fell quickly, and after they finished talking about Victor Hugo’s "Les Miserables," Adrian checked the time, then extended his hand to Sophie, "May I have dinner with you, Sophie?"

"Um..." Sophie hesitated, "Perhaps not, Ed, I..."

"I insist," Adrian didn’t give her a chance to continue.

Sophie frowned, but quickly smoothed her expression and sighed, "Alright, I agree."

Having said that, she got up, went into her room to get ready, and it took her nearly an hour to finish. She changed into a simple mustard yellow dress, her hair softly resting on her shoulders, her face lightly made up, looking especially delicate.

"You look beautiful no matter what you wear, Sophie," Adrian remarked with admiration.

Sophie shrugged her shoulders: "So, where are we headed next?"

"The car is already waiting outside, you’ll see when we get there," Adrian said with a slight smile, then added, "You might want to grab a coat though, the place we’re going can be a bit chilly."

Although puzzled, Sophie did as he suggested. When she came out, night had already fallen and the city lights were already brightly lit, casting a dim radiance. Indeed, there was a car parked outside the villa, a black Rolls-Royce Wraith—not a stretch version, but still a top-grade sedan.

"Could you wear this?" As she, filled with curiosity, got into the car, Adrian surprisingly pulled out a black cloth strip and looked at her with a grin.

"What are you planning to do?" Sophie asked, looking at him warily.

"It’s a surprise, I hope to reveal it at the last moment," Adrian smiled and whispered in her ear, "Don’t worry, I won’t do that again."

Sophie’s face flushed instantly, and then she glared at him fiercely. The last time Adrian had visited her in Paris, they had passionately made love in the living room. He had blindfolded her unexpectedly and lifted her from behind, falsely claiming he had carried her to a window facing the street, which, as one could imagine, greatly thrilled her. Sophie had been angry for several days, and it took Adrian a long time to appease her.

"Sophie, can you trust me?" Adrian asked earnestly.

After hesitating for a moment, Sophie clenched her teeth and finally accepted it, blindfolding herself. The car then started moving, and they remained silent throughout most of the ride, though Adrian kept holding her hand. After about 20 minutes, the car finally stopped. With Adrian’s help, Sophie got out of the car and walked a good distance before they entered an elevator.

Adrian was considerate as ever, constantly whispering and alerting her about the road conditions. Still, Sophie’s suspicions only increased along the way. They were supposed to be in an elevator, but what kind of elevator travels upwards for several minutes without stopping? Besides, her high heels clinked against the floor, sounding like they were tapping on steel.

While she was wildly guessing, the blindfold was suddenly removed. Although the light here wasn’t that strong, Sophie instinctively squinted her eyes, but she soon cleared her vision and couldn’t help but gape.

They were at least 800 feet high, surrounded by steel structures. Standing in front of the railing, they could overlook the entire brightly lit Paris; the city seemed like a vast map, with its broad avenues and narrow alleys drawn in numerous lines of varying widths by the lights. If her memory served her correctly, this place should be...

"Welcome to the Eiffel Tower, Miss Sophie Marceau," a waiter approached, smiling and bowing slightly to her.

"This... this..." Sophie stuttered, unable to speak.

"Come, my beautiful lady." Adrian took her hand and led her toward a nearby fence, where a round table had been set. Several candles burned in olive-shaped glass bottles, casting a soft glow. In the middle of the table, a vase held a single, delicate rose. Apart from the waiter, a musician not far away was playing a serenade. There was no one else around; everything seemed enveloped in a mist, adding a romantic charm.

It wasn’t until they sat down at the round table that Sophie still seemed as if in a dream, until the breadbasket was placed down and the waiter set the menu in front of her, startling her awake.

"I’m not dreaming, am I?" Sophie blinked and asked, but the whistling wind by her ears told her this was all real.

"Let’s order first," Adrian said, smiling as he opened the menu.

How could a French dinner be complete without foie gras and escargot? Under the culinary skills of a top chef, the food was exceptionally delicious. Coupled with the music and the unique setting, the romantic dinner almost made Sophie lose her composure.

Like many others, after finishing their meal, they especially invited the chef to come up in the elevator to meet them. After exchanging a few words and resting for a few minutes, Adrian bowed to Sophie, "May I have this dance?"

Sophie’s cheeks were flushed with a faint smile, and she extended her hand without hesitation. Adrian snapped his fingers, and the rested musician immediately began playing a lively waltz. The two embraced and danced gracefully amid the beautiful music and howling wind. From their occasional giggles, it was clear that Sophie was very happy.

"Oh, Ed, oh, Ed..." As the music ended, Sophie had collapsed onto Adrian, murmuring his name, her eyes filled with enchantment.

It was quite a while before she finally stood up to look around; no one else was there anymore. Adrian had dismissed the musician and the waiter at some point. If it weren’t for the small round table still there, and the candles in the glass bottle still burning, she might have thought it was all a dream.

"How did you do this?" Sophie couldn’t help asking, although she had guessed a bit, "Knowing that at this time..."

"Well, it certainly took a lot of effort and quite a few favors to book the third-floor viewing platform, but... it was all worth it, especially when that sad look no longer mars your beautiful face," Adrian said, his finger gently tracing her cheek.

Sophie gazed at him steadily, something twirling in her eyes. Although Adrian spoke lightly, she knew it wouldn’t have been easy, especially that last part...

(To be continued. If you like this work, please support the author by voting or subscribing on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)