Aldrich is on fire!
Since the weekend match was played in the evening, and the Christmas rush was about to begin, Aldrich gave the team a day off right after the ga. He woke up early to go for a jog and work out.
However, as he opened the door wearing his workout gear, he was greeted by a swarm of paparazzi outside, caras flashing in his face, making his eyes ache a bit.
"Mr. Hall, did you have a sex party at the Green Hotel last night?"
"Did you finally dump that little pop star?"
"Were there any Millwall players at the party?"
"Besides flirting with Katie Price, who else do you have?"
"Do you acknowledge any intimate contact with Katie Price?"
"She called you a disgusting man; what's your response?"
"What ti did you get ho last night?"
"Will you take legal action to protect your reputation?"
"What is your relationship with Katie Price exactly?"
"Have you considered apologizing or offering compensation?"
The British paparazzi are relentless, especially when it cos to breaking news. They can make soone the center of attention in no ti and do so with the most vicious words, provocations, and shaless tactics to make the subject lose his composure, even sanity, in the process. That way, they can snatch the most sensational photos.
Facing these malicious questions, would Aldrich get furious and make an irrational move?
If he exploded in anger, regardless of the truth behind the news, his reputation would be imdiately tarnished. If he even swung a fist, things would get even ssier.
Aldrich took a couple of steps outside and, confronted with nurous microphones and caras, paused in surprise for a second. Then he smiled and slowly stepped back inside. As he retreated, he pointed to the threshold of his ho, signaling for the reporters to be cautious and not to cross the line, or it would be considered trespassing.
With a big smile, he gently closed the door.
The paparazzi sighed in disappointnt and retreated to their cars, but their high-powered caras remained trained on Aldrich's apartnt.
Sitting on the couch, Aldrich pondered. He had a computer at ho, but there was no news to browse through online that could keep up with current events. He had a rough idea of what had happened; it was probably the "乳皇" Jordan biting back again.
Just as he was about to dial a number, soone called in.
"Hello."
"Aldrich, where are you?"
"At ho."
"Stay ho and don't go anywhere, and don't talk to anyone outside. Disconnect your landline; I'm coming over."
"Okay."
Aldrich ended the call from Andrew and sat quietly, waiting as expected. His ho phone started ringing non-stop, indicating that nurous reporters were attempting to interview him. Instead of unplugging the phone, he picked it up to hang it up again, then set it back on the table, keeping the line engaged.
Andrew arrived quickly, looking sharp in a suit, giving off a true lawyer's vibe. He had two n in their thirties with him, likely employees from his firm.
When Aldrich opened the door, journalists crowded outside again, but aside from snapping a few photos, they couldn't get any significant news.
Just as Aldrich was about to open the door, he suddenly heard soone angrily shouting at the group of reporters, "You bunch of filthy liars! My boss had dinner at my house last night and didn't go to any lousy hotel!"
Aldrich peeked out and saw Villa, clutching a soccer ball, standing outside with a furious expression.
The reporters were taken aback, turning to stare at Villa. So even attempted to snap photos, but Aldrich quickly shouted, "David, go ho!"
Andrew reacted swiftly, signaling to his assistant, who imdiately stepped outside to warn the photogs, "He's still a minor. If you take any photos and publish them, be prepared for a summons from the court!"
Villa, seeing Aldrich smiling with no sign of nervousness, showed disdain towards the paparazzi and then dropped the ball, dribbling away faster than they could catch sight of him.
Once again, Aldrich shut the door. As he sat back down on the couch, Andrew pulled out several newspapers from his briefcase and handed them to Aldrich for him to review.
They were gossip tabloids filled with sensational news.
Among them, the headline of The Sun stood out: one half showcased Aldrich commanding his team from the sidelines, while the other half featured a picture of Katie Price in plain clothes.
"The lion-hearted young coach takes the field! He is the starting XI captain! Katie Price flees from the Green Hotel!"
Aldrich couldn't help but laugh when he saw that headline.
As he flipped to the next page for more details, he beca engrossed in reading the news.
The reports cited private comnts from Katie Price.
She sounded so innocent: "Everybody knows I admire Aldrich. I wanted to be friends with him, so when he reached out to , I was surprised. I thought maybe sothing romantic might happen between us, and it would be wonderful. But when I walked into the suite at the Green Hotel he booked, the handso image I had of him was completely shattered. He's a disgusting man, and there were almost a dozen half-naked guys in that suite, obviously prepared to have a good ti. Aldrich thought wrong; I'm not that kind of girl. I imdiately left the suite; nothing happened. But I don't know what they did afterward. I turned them down, but they were already ready to enjoy themselves, and I'm sure they'll look for other girls to entertain them. Right now, Aldrich is just making feel sick."
Aldrich put the paper down and grabbed another gossip sheet, which also followed the sa narrative.
Andrew waited for him to finish reading all the newspapers before crossing his arms and calmly asking, "What happened? Tell the truth, from start to finish."
In that mont, as a lawyer, Andrew was serious.
Aldrich honestly recounted everything that had happened. Andrew looked at him with a strange expression.
He beckoned Aldrich to follow him to the kitchen, nodding towards it. "Let's talk privately."
Aldrich followed him into the kitchen. The two brothers lit up cigarettes, and Andrew spoke first: "Aldrich, what are you doing? You could have ignored her, played along, or anything. There was no need to make a big deal out of it."
"What do you an?"
"I an, my brother, you're a celebrity now. You have money—look at you! Dressed in Armani, with looks that make others jealous, and a body that's off the charts. Every weekend, countless people cheer for you, and of course, there are multiple girls wanting to get close to you. So of them will be top-notch. But what are you doing? You've shut the door on them, keeping them out. Only the most pious among n would do that, but you have no religious beliefs. I just don't get it."
Andrew looked at Aldrich as if he were a strange creature, but Aldrich shook his head, "My brother would do the sa."
"Your brother's ambition is focused on his career! He's trying hard to build the noble image of the Hall family, but he can't shake off the nouveau riche background. He can only avoid mistakes. Others might point fingers at him calling him illiterate or a nouveau riche, but they can't call him a playboy. That won't make him a noble, but it will earn him so respect. Aldrich, I've always thought that you and I are similar. We can live in the mont; there's no need to impose a monk's doctrine on ourselves. You're wealthy, and countless won are eager to be with you. If you go bankrupt, they'll abandon you. That's how the world works."
Andrew said, his eyes wide open.
Perhaps because as an underage helper at a glass factory while growing up, Aldrich's elder brother Barnett was incredibly passionate about social status, even as a newly minted British business mogul who hadn't indulged in debauchery. Instead, he worked hard to present himself as a noble—one who may never reach that lofty height in his lifeti but would tirelessly strive for the second and third generations to fulfill that dream.
Aldrich smoked silently for two minutes and then slowly replied, "Andrew, let tell you a story."
"I'm all ears."
"I know a friend; he's an ordinary guy, graduated from a regular university, has a standard job, and then he got a typical girlfriend. When he was almost thirty, he proposed to her. She hesitated because her family wanted him to have property. So, that relationship ended. The man stayed single, filled with confusion about marriage and family because he knew he couldn't earn enough for a house in just a few years."
"That's it?"
"That's all."
"Was your friend's girlfriend an idiot? Are her family mbers idiots too?"
"My friend is Chinese. The consur mindset there is quite different from that in Europe and Arica. In our circles, as long as soone has a stable job, they can afford housing and a car, provided they pay off the mortgage before they die. But in China, it's different; they save up to buy a house before they die, and many never manage to save enough. Renting or mortgaging a house lacks a sense of security."
Andrew blinked, uninterested in delving into cultural differences. It wasn't sothing he could grasp just by ruminating on it. He simply shrugged and said, "Your travels taught you that emotions and money should be kept separate, right?"
Aldrich pondered for a mont and then nodded, saying, "It's a massive shock when genuine feelings are rendered worthless in the face of money. That's why I want to live simply. Today it's Katie Price; tomorrow it could be soone else. Girls like these keep appearing one after another. I'm not trying to paint myself in a good light; it's just the traditional, trashy entertainnt culture in England."
Andrew patted Aldrich on the shoulder, finally understanding his brother's mindset.
He recognized his own position; he had indulged in many models and celebrities, but if he lost his wealth, those beautiful won would certainly distance themselves from him.
Hence, this playboy could only enjoy superficial relationships. Aldrich had no such penchant, and Andrew saw no reason to criticize him.
"Okay, I understand. Bring the phone recording; I'll take care of it. I'll make sure that from now on, those gold-digging won won't set their sights on you again, or they'll humiliate themselves."
Aldrich laughed and bumped fists with him before going upstairs to fetch the recording for Andrew.
Reviews
All reviews (0)