King of Hollywood
Chapter 639 - 47: Employing Some Tactics

Chapter 639: Chapter 47: Employing Some Tactics

"You shouldn’t have spoken like that." After wrapping up today’s selection process and leaving the room, Charlize suddenly said this to Ivanka.

"What, was there something wrong with what I said?" Ivanka raised her eyebrows, but after thinking for a few seconds, she dropped her confrontational tone and asked with confusion.

"Of course there’s nothing wrong," Charlize shrugged, "it was just bad timing. When he asked you for that girl’s information, you should have provided it without a word, instead of saying that he finally showed his true colors."

At this point, she stopped walking, turned around, and looked at Ivanka seriously, "Do you think, after saying that, Ed would back off?"

"How could he?" Ivanka, also stopping, answered without hesitation.

"Then, in that kind of environment, how appropriate do you think it is to say such a thing, even if no one heard you?" Charlize immediately countered, "Although Adrian never cares, as a personal secretary, shouldn’t you consider these things?"

"Haven’t you done the same thing before?" Ivanka frowned and spoke discontentedly.

"So, you plan to become just like me," Charlize looked at her half-smilingly, "It seems I should be proud of my mentoring."

Ivanka was speechless; she understood the implication in Charlize’s words, whether to be a copy of the former secretary or to be a distinctive current secretary, which was indeed a dilemma. Even more so, she was vaguely aware that this also involved whether she was Charlize the second or Ivanka the first in Adrian’s heart, something she clearly disliked but kept unconsciously avoiding facing. How contradictory.

"I understand," Ivanka said somewhat reluctantly.

"So, what should you do next?" The corners of Charlize’s mouth lifted slightly, but then relaxed again.

"Gather more information about that girl as possible, and then give it to him when he returns to the hotel," Ivanka responded quickly, in a manner that suggested she wouldn’t be outdone.

"Correct answer." Charlize didn’t even look back as she turned and walked away, the secretary standing far away, who dared neither disturb nor eavesdrop on their conversation, immediately followed her.

Watching her predecessor’s retreating figure, Ivanka couldn’t help but scoff softly, then turned and walked the other way. The things she had just spoken of needed to be put into action.

While his former and current secretaries were having a minor verbal skirmish, Adrian was in the lounge looking through the information about the girl who had seemed familiar to him, provided by the organizers of ANTM from Australia. In fact, after spelling out the girl’s name, he knew his guess was right: Miranda Kerr, one of the future Victoria’s Secret Angels, with a lovely doll-like face and a charming smile.

Since Alexander had become part of his collection after a trial, Adrian’s memory of Victoria’s Secret had also increased. Just as he had said a long time ago, these memories were in the corners of his mind, but with continuous stimulation, they could be fully recalled. So when Miranda appeared in front of him, he felt a sense of familiarity.

Perhaps, it was time to find a companion for Alexander. Adrian thought with a light laugh while perusing Miranda Kerr’s information. He had a good feeling about this girl, with her doll-like face. According to his long-standing habit of desiring and having the capability to acquire, to pass it up would be foolish, especially since such a chance encounter during the preliminary round of the Australian version of ANTM seemed like God had purposely sent her his way.

The information stated she had modeled at the age of 13, then attended a Catholic Church school for her secondary education, and there seemed to be something off about this. Adrian tapped his head with his finger after going through her information. Catholic Church schools are known to be very strict, especially as boarding schools. Since she had been a child model, why did she attend such a place for school? And now, having graduated, she had participated and passed the preliminary selection in ANTM, which was interesting.

After careful thought, Adrian stood up, thinking about a good approach inspired by recent events.

Speedily walking through the corridor and pushing open the door, numerous gazes suddenly shot towards him. Adrian walked with an air of nonchalance, as if he hadn’t seen the contestants seated and resting, and after passing by, he paused to gesture and whisper a few words to a staff member before moving forward again and turning left at the end of the hallway.

Many contestants’ eyes lit up, knowing that those who made it to the second round of auditions were clever individuals. Anyone who had done their homework knew who the Miracle Director was and his connection to ANTM. Establishing a connection with him, even just a few words, could open doors. Even if he couldn’t or wouldn’t influence the Australia ANTM, one must not forget he was a media mogul whose Victoria’s Secret was wildly successful, and those rumors that not even the Pacific could stop, if one could gain his favor...

In recent times, numerous women had tried to get close to Adrian, although none had succeeded, there would definitely be a continuous stream of attempts.

After making a large loop and reemerging from the other side, Adrian glanced inside through a glass door and then shook his head. The women waiting there were truly foolish; even if he was willing to give them an opportunity, he wouldn’t engage with them in such a public setting as it could cause a scandal if it reached the media. Slightly reassured, he noticed that Miranda wasn’t among them, confirming that she had looked up at him as he passed by her earlier.

That was enough for a first attempt. However, it was better to complete all probes today since the second round was imminent. Whether she advanced or not, things would become complicated. Thinking this, Adrian walked on and, as he turned a corner, suddenly collided with someone. Although he didn’t see who it was, the ample bosom pressed against his chest was somewhat telling.

"Sorry, sir, I didn’t see you, oh God, how could I be so careless?" an exaggerated female voice followed.

"No harm done, madam, I’m fine," Adrian quickly responded, taking a few steps back to stand firm.

"Are you Mr. Adrian Cowell? Oh, God, I can’t believe I bumped into you, I really shouldn’t have," the woman exclaimed again in an exaggerated tone.

Adrian felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation, eyeing the woman in front of him; she was around twenty, blonde, decent-looking, and her bosoms, quite substantive—though he wondered if they were natural or enhanced. But her mind seemed less functional, knowing enough to wait for him here, but far too contrived.

"It’s alright, madam, I should be the one apologizing," Adrian said courteously.

Looking around, people stood at both ends of the T-junction, but none were watching this way. Seizing the moment, he quickly placated the girl with nearly indistinct words and hurriedly walked away. Even so, the young lady didn’t feel offended, rather, she watched Adrian leave with a dreamy gaze—an indication that her brains weren’t quite adequate.

After this incident, Adrian became more cautious, deliberately navigating a considerable circuit within the building and using the emergency stairs numerous times, indeed avoiding several women lying in wait at various locations.

I really shouldn’t have come out alone, he couldn’t help remarking to himself. Previously, with Ivanka, with bodyguards, and with staff surrounding him, even if women attempted to approach, they would be politely kept at bay.

Alright, it should be safe to go now. After discreetly circling the lobby, Adrian fetched a cup of water at the water dispenser and then headed towards the elevator. Just then, a figure entered his sight; a tall figure about 5 feet 7 inches high, simply dressed yet her physique undeniable, stood near the glass wall, back to Adrian, talking on her phone.

Adrian raised an eyebrow and slowly approached, pondering what to say while straining his ears to catch snippets of her rapid, anxious conversation—was she concerned about her performance, perhaps facing elimination, and now seeking a friend’s counsel?

He reached her from behind, just about to call out to her when Miranda suddenly turned around, swiftly and briskly, and collided into Adrian’s embrace. With a splash, Adrian’s paper cup crumpled, spilling water all over him, soaking his suit and shirt.

Miranda gasped in shock, at a loss momentarily, not knowing what to do.

"Sorry, sir, it wasn’t intentional..." she could only gesture meekly.

"Uh..." Adrian forced a bitter smile and raised his hands, his second collision today, this time resulting in getting drenched—absolutely dreadful.

"You are... you’re Mr. Adrian Cowell?!" Miranda recognized him in that instant, becoming even more nervous, "I’m so sorry, Mr. Cowell, I truly didn’t mean it!"

"Alright, miss, it’s okay, these kinds of things happen often," Adrian said in a comforting tone, then pretended to remember something, "Right, your name is... Miranda Kerr, correct?"

"You... remember me." Miranda showed a surprised expression.

"Of course, just over an hour ago, you made a good impression on the judges and me, and I have always had a good memory," Adrian smiled.

"Thank you." Miranda showed a shy smile with two shallow dimples, adorable and charming, then she immediately looked very apologetic, "I’m sorry, Mr. Adrian, I didn’t expect to see you here..."

"It’s okay, I was just wanting to walk around, and that brought me over here," Adrian reassured her once again and then looked around and called a staff member over, inquired a few things, then said to Miranda, "Could I borrow your mobile phone? I didn’t bring mine."

"Of course," Miranda hurriedly handed her phone to him.

"Please come with me, it’s a bit crowded here," Adrian said with a smile, then led her to a small room with the help of the staff.

"Hey, Innie, it’s me. I’m in a room on the right side of the hall, accidentally got myself wet and didn’t bring my phone, so I’m using someone else’s phone to call you. Can you send someone down with some clean clothes for me to change into? Thanks." Once he entered the room, Adrian immediately used Miranda’s phone to get in touch with Ivanka.

"No phone with you?" teased Ivanka from the other end.

"If you could, please hurry," Adrian said nonchalantly, then hung up the phone and handed it back to Miranda, "Thank you, Miss Miranda Kerr."

"Just call me Miranda," said the girl, flattered.

"Alright, Miranda, you can call me Adrian or Ed," Adrian was equally casual.

Following that, under his lead, the two began to slowly chat. Adrian was already very experienced, making the girl laugh heartily with just a few words, and making the atmosphere increasingly harmonious. Not only did they talk about modeling matters, but Adrian also managed to tease out many stories from Miranda’s childhood, though when it came to her experiences as a junior model three or four years ago, the girl didn’t like to talk much, seemingly carrying some unpleasant memories.

Soon, the clothes were brought down. Since his shirt and jacket had gotten wet, Adrian didn’t hesitate to change in front of the girl.

"Well, let’s call it a day," he said to the girl after changing, "It was nice chatting with you, Miranda."

"Me too, Adrian," Miranda stood up with a smile, though her eyes carried a hint of hesitance.

However, after he spoke, Adrian didn’t leave but continued to gaze at her. At first, Miranda could look back at him, but she soon lowered her head and a blush crept over her cheeks, spreading quickly to her ears.

"You are really adorable, Miranda, and very charming," Adrian then said softly.

Miranda didn’t speak or lift her head, but her breathing clearly quickened briefly.

"May I take a turn?" he suddenly asked.

Miranda didn’t have any doubts or objections; she naturally spun around in front of him.

Adrian suddenly pulled a business card from his pocket, jotted down a few notes on it, and handed it to her. "I’ve written down the hotel room number on the card. If you like, Miranda, you can come see me before four o’clock the day after tomorrow."

The young girl finally lifted her head, a hint of disappointment flickering in her eyes, yet she seemed relieved as she reached for the business card and revealed a sweet smile. "I will, Adrian."

After seeing Miranda off, Adrian nodded, then shook his head. Clearly, Miranda hadn’t bumped into him on purpose; it was a complete accident. From their conversation, he could tell she still had an innocent side, but the subsequent test revealed another facet of her. If she were completely naïve, she would surely have rejected such an invitation. Even if she were tempted, she would have at least asked a question about what he wanted, but she had simply agreed.

That was good. Adrian thought, a need would let her willingly fall into his hands, and as long as she was in his hands...

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Miranda Kerr took a deep breath, adjusted her attire, maintaining her composure before pressing the doorbell. She was meticulously dressed today, though her outfit was simple—a dark inner shirt and coat paired with white leggings and boots, her neck wrapped in a pink scarf—it was winter in the southern hemisphere—and, with her baby-fat cheeks, she had a bit of a doll-like appearance.

It’s fine, at least... he’s amiable. She silently bolstered herself, recalling a friend’s words: Seize the opportunity, Miranda. You should go to Paris, London, New York, not stay in this godforsaken place! Always remember, opportunities come when they will, as long as you can get out, a little sacrifice is nothing.

The door opened, revealing a tall woman with blonde hair, dressed in a ginger coat and white over-the-knee pencil skirt, perfectly showcasing her curves.

"You must be Miranda Kerr," the woman scanned her and smiled, then fully opened the door, gesturing her in. "Come in, I’m Ivanka, Ivanka Trump, Mr. Adrian’s executive assistant."

"Thank you," Miranda curtsied, recognizing the beautiful woman who had been sitting next to Adrian the previous day. So she was his secretary.

A sense of inferiority surged within her, whether it was the lady’s provocatively perfect curves or her composed elegance, Miranda felt a twinge of jealousy.

"Please, have a seat here and wait for a moment; Mr. Adrian will be out shortly." Ivanka led her to a sofa, said this, then walked towards the inner room.

Miranda inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself, then sat down with her legs together. Glancing around, the luxurious and opulent decor of the presidential suite made her even more nervous.

He couldn’t be thinking about a threesome, could he? Suddenly, this thought popped into Miranda’s mind. After returning, she had researched Adrian extensively, with the term "playboy" deeply impressed in her memory. Some said he had countless lovers, others said he was skilled at sweet-talking women into bed, and still, others claimed that he had relationships with many women in Hollywood. However exaggerated, one thing was certain: the fastest way to make it in Hollywood was to keep him satisfied in bed, and there were too many examples of that.

He was indeed a charismatic man; if it weren’t for their conversation that day, she might not have readily agreed... Miranda mused to herself, unsure whether it was her true sentiment or an excuse. However, the gorgeous and elegant secretary must have been in bed with him. His asking her to come today, and having his secretary receive her, could it truly be that he wanted—How could it be, she still...

Just as Miranda was lost in her thoughts, she stood up abruptly. At that moment, the door to the inner room opened, and Adrian came out, followed by the secretary Ivanka and a flamboyantly dressed, somewhat effeminate man.

"I’m glad you came on time, Miranda," Adrian greeted her with a smile and began the introductions.

"Philip, this is the talented young model I mentioned, Miranda Kerr."

"Miranda, this is Philip Cox, the creative director of Victoria’s Secret." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian.com to vote and support; your support is my greatest motivation.