One cool morning, in a small, wooded park near an apartnt complex, Matthew t with Ilana, who had co all this way just to see him.
"You look like you've lost so weight." Sitting on a bench, Matthew looked her over. "Definitely. You're thinner."
Ilana tossed her blonde ponytail over her shoulder. "I've been on a diet lately," she said.
Matthew gave her a thumbs-up. "The results speak for themselves."
Already tall and fit, Ilana was now noticeably leaner.
"You called and asked
to co all the way out here," Ilana said, getting straight to the point. "What's this about?"
Matthew pulled a bottle of mineral water from his bag and tossed it to her. "Don't you want a story? I've got one for you."
He had run this by Helen when he signed the settlent, and she hadn't objected.
"You haven't forgotten you owe
a story, have you?" Ilana raised an eyebrow, grumbling slightly before prompting him, "Spill it."
Matthew stopped beating around the bush. "Do you know Vin Diesel?"
"Of course," Ilana confird. "Spielberg gives him a lot of support. The rumor is that Vin is his illegitimate son."
Hearing that, Matthew sat up straighter. "Really?"
Ilana shook her head. "It's just a rumor."
She continued, "Vin is working on The Fast and the Furious right now, if I'm not mistaken."
Then sothing clicked, and she looked at Matthew. "You're also in The Fast and the Furious... Did you have a run-in with Diesel?"
"Do I seem like that kind of person?" Matthew asked thoughtfully.
Ilana studied Matthew for a mont, then snorted. "Yes," she said seriously. "You are."
Matthew lowered his voice, adopting a secretive tone. "I'm about to give you so top-secret information."
"Co on, out with it," Ilana urged impatiently.
"I've been released from The Fast and the Furious." Matthew took out another bottle of water and twisted off the cap. "The man behind it is Vin Diesel."
Ilana was skeptical. "Are you saying you were set up?"
Matthew took a sip of water. "Would I lie about sothing like this?"
Setting the bottle aside, he gave her a rundown of the recent events on the set of The Fast and the Furious, deliberately omitting the part where he'd punched Vin twice.
"You're not exaggerating? That kind of behavior doesn't match his status," Ilana said, quite surprised. "He's a C-list star at best."
Matthew spread his hands. "The truth is even more outrageous than what I've told you. You can go interview the other actors. I'm sure soone will voice their displeasure with Diesel."
Ilana understood imdiately. "Don't worry, we have a long-term arrangent. I won't ntion your na. And even if I can't get an interview, it'll just be a story leaked from 'sources close to the production'."
"If I were worried about you selling
out," Matthew said, completely unconcerned, "I wouldn't have co to you."
"Either way, I'll find a way to interview soone from the cast and crew." Ilana took a swig of water. "I'll dedicate a whole feature to him and post it online."
"Online?" Matthew asked curiously. "Not in a news report?"
Ilana declared, "I quit U.S. News & World Report and I'm moving to Yahoo Entertainnt. You know, using the internet for entertainnt news is faster, more flexible, and offers more freedom. In short, online entertainnt gossip is the future for journalists like ."
"Well, good luck on your path to becoming Hollywood's number one gossip queen," Matthew said with a casual wave.
"Thank you." Ilana graciously accepted the "complint" and stood to leave, but suddenly rembered sothing. "By the way, there's a rumor going around lately that Britney Spears has a boyfriend."
Matthew replied calmly, "Really? I hadn't heard."
Ilana gave him a suspicious look, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she added, "They say it's a rumor started by Christina Aguilera, so there's probably no reason to believe it."
She turned to go. "I'm off. Call
if you need anything."
Matthew waved as Ilana's tall figure disappeared into the woods, then got up and headed for the park exit.
Shortly after returning to his apartnt, he got a call from Helen. She inford him that the crew of The Mummy Returns had booked his ticket to London and that he was flying out tomorrow morning for his scenes as the Scorpion King.
Matthew's ticket was for business class, a perk Helen had secured during the initial negotiations.
Helen also ntioned that Sean Daniel, the film's producer who was returning from L.A. after handling so financing matters, would be on the sa flight, albeit in first class.
Matthew was well aware that it was thanks to Sean's support that he had landed the role of the Scorpion King. If it hadn't been for the whim of the conservative southerner, he might never have managed to push Dwayne Johnson aside.
...
Over at Universal Studios, Sean Daniel finished his work for the day and left his office, heading to a nearby café for a scheduled eting.
The previous afternoon, a Universal executive had called him to say that a promising star wanted to et with him.
Sean had just stepped into the café when a bald, powerfully built man approached him.
"Hello, Mr. Daniel." With a stony expression, the bald man introduced himself. "I'm Vin Diesel."
As he spoke, Diesel extended his hand.
"Hello." Sean glanced from Vin Diesel's face to his hand, his eyes catching a glimpse of the tank top underneath his short-sleeved shirt. For a split second, an almost imperceptible look of distaste crossed his features.
Nevertheless, he politely shook Diesel's offered hand.
"This way, please."
Sean followed Vin Diesel, very discreetly wiping his right hand on his trouser leg as if he had just touched sothing unclean.
If he'd known this was the person he was eting, he wouldn't have co.
Out of courtesy and respect for the Universal executive who arranged it, Sean sat down across from Diesel and asked bluntly, "What did you want to talk about?"
"I'm currently working on a Universal film, The Fast and the Furious," Vin replied. "I'm close with Jett Brighton at Universal—he's in charge of the project—and I helped him secure so major investnts."
Sean had no interest in a long chat and cut him off with a raised hand. "If you have sothing to say, please get to the point."
Vin froze, baffled by Sean's abruptness.
Maybe I should just forget it, Diesel's thoughts began to waver.
Just then, their coffee arrived. As Diesel reached for the sugar, a sharp movent sent a dull ache through his side, and the mory of that day instantly flooded his mind.
The pain swiftly erased any hesitation.
The man across from him was just a film producer, and he would be one soon enough. It didn't matter if Sean Daniel agreed; the important thing was to screw over Matthew.
Besides, since when had he been afraid of anyone?
After all, Vin Diesel was an extrely arrogant and self-important man.
"I want to ask for a favor," he said, deciding to be direct. "There's an actor in your cast for The Mummy Returns nad Matthew Horner. He's an asshole."
Diesel paused for a mont before continuing. "He intentionally hit my car and Jett Brighton's car. Jett is furious. We've discussed it, and we're planning to have him removed from all films financed and produced by Universal Studios."
Sean's face remained impassive, revealing nothing. Of course, he rembered who Matthew Horner was—the very actor he had personally championed for the role of the Scorpion King.
"Mr. Daniel," Vin Diesel said, "I'm sure this is a small thing for you."
It was probably just his nature, but even when asking for a favor, his cold expression gave the impression of a threat.
Full of himself, Diesel added, "Both Jett and I would be in your debt."
Sean glanced at Diesel's bald head, a hint of sarcasm touching the corners of his mouth. "Let
tell you sothing. You can run your own little project however you like, but stay out of other people's business. You stick your nose where it doesn't belong, and it'll get broken."
Sean's tone sharpened. "And I don't need you telling
who to fire from my film."
Vin Diesel froze, clearly not expecting Sean to react this way.
Sean pulled out his wallet, took out a bill, and slapped it on the table to pay for the untouched coffee. He then walked out of the café without a backward glance, completely ignoring Diesel's reaction.
...
The cast of The Mummy Returns was filming at Pinewood Studios. The next day, Sean flew to London on the sa plane as Matthew, though he didn't see him since they were in different cabins.
Matthew checked into the hotel arranged by the production team and turned in early to rest and de-stress. Filming for his scenes as the Scorpion King was about to begin, and he needed to be fresh to deal with a director who was already biased against him.
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