[Chapter 128: Hollywood Couples]
Century City, Beverly Hills Business Club.
In the eting room, a copy of the National Enquirer lay on the desk.
Hawke sat in an armchair, looking serious as he stared at the newspaper on the table.
Sarah breathed heavily, clearly a bit nervous.
Caroline and Sofia each held a copy of the newspaper, reading intently.
Edward stood by the door, seemingly worried that soone might be eavesdropping.
The front page headline featured three close-up photos of Sarah side by side.
The first one showcased Sarah as if she were in her twenties, from a Lanco serum ad that she had endorsed.
The second photo was a side shot taken at the Beverly Beauty Center, revealing her swollen face just barely.
The final picture was a close-up of her face, which, while not very clear, showed that Sarah's face was not only swollen but also had a stiff expression.
The news headline read: "Beauty Guru Sarah Jessica Parker Suspected of Botched Costic Surgery!"
The article detailed that the Beverly Beauty Center's main business was costic surgery, further adding to the news's credibility.
Just then, Caroline's phone rang. She answered and quickly put her hand over the microphone, saying, "It's Lanco calling."
Sarah chid in, "Put it on speaker."
Caroline switched to speakerphone and said, "Sarah wants to talk to you."
"Hi, Isabelle." Sarah greeted with a smile. "Why are you calling so early?"
The woman on the other end responded directly, "Is what's in the paper true? Never mind, it doesn't matter. What celebrity or model doesn't get work done? You've got three days to calm this down. If you can't, Lanco will have to take action. We can't let your mistakes affect the brand's image."
In the fashion world, costic surgery and injections were seen as norms; as long as they didn't co to light, they didn't exist.
But if a scandal broke, that changed everything.
Sarah wasn't foolish enough to deny it, nor would she admit to it outright. She replied, "Five days."
"Resolve it quickly," the other woman said before hanging up.
"Damn it!" Sarah exploded, grabbing a newspaper, tearing it to shreds, and throwing it on the ground. "I shouldn't have gone out the back door that day! And I definitely shouldn't have t anyone!"
She turned to Caroline and Sofia, saying, "You! And you! Why didn't you stop ?"
Caroline and Sofia stayed silent, opting for the rational route.
Sarah then turned her attention to Hawke.
Edward reminded her, "The boss suggested sothing to you, but you didn't listen."
Sarah paused, recalling that was indeed true. If she had listened to Hawke, none of this would have happened.
Facing Hawke, Sarah seed to change her deanor, "What do you think we should do?"
Hawke shook his head, "It happened suddenly; I don't have any thoughts yet."
Sofia, who had recently beco Sarah's manager, hadn't reviewed the endorsent contract in detail, asking, "If it escalates, will Lanco breach the contract?" Ŕ𝘢𐌽𝘰𝐁Ęs
Caroline understood more clearly; she stole a glance at Hawke, thinking he must have a plan, and kept talking, "This endorsent contract is worth $6 million annually. Other scandals and rumors don't matter in the contract, they could just terminate it. But Sarah's current situation could severely damage Lanco's Aurora line, and they might seek significant damages."
Sofia remarked, "It's understood that female stars get costic injections."
"The problem is, it's been revealed!" Sarah nearly shouted. "The image I created in the ad could collapse!"
This was the most serious kind of breach.
She looked at Hawke, "Can you resolve this?"
Hawke remained silent, his expression deepening in thought.
At the mont Sarah turned away to look elsewhere, Caroline suddenly noticed Hawke's fingertips pointed towards her from under the chair.
Why is he pointing at ? Is he scheming against ? Caroline initially felt confused, but as the months of collaboration had built a sort of understanding, she started to piece together what Hawke ant.
It simply boiled down to a money issue.
Once Caroline thought of money, she beca particularly eager. "Hawke's job is to help you secure a nomination for the Golden Globe. This matter doesn't fall within his duty, Sarah; we need to handle it ourselves..."
Her words reminded Sarah that if this spontaneous event couldn't be controlled, the losses would be enormous.
Just like in her rise to fa, when it ca ti to pay, Sarah was resolute, "Hawke, how much did you charge for the last crisis managent?"
Hawke replied honestly, "The selfie scandal cost $800,000."
"Alright, in addition to the Golden Globe contract, we'll sign a crisis managent contract." Sarah had signed a two-year contract with Lanco. If her ad persona collapsed, she would owe a hefty breach of contract fee: "Paynt $800,000."
Hawke didn't imdiately agree but instead wore a very serious expression, "Give a little ti. If I can think of a solution, then I'll take your job."
Seeing he didn't make any rash promises made Sarah trust that he could find a way.
"Please, be quiet," Hawke said, focusing on the newspaper as he began to think.
In fact, he had already considered a solution; otherwise, he wouldn't have initiated this plan.
This entire charade was ant to convey to Sarah that aside from this, there were no other options.
In the eting room, everyone fell silent.
Sofia was also deep in thought, but her focus was more dical -- wondering if there were dical ans to quickly alleviate the impact, allowing Sarah to appear on cara at her best, proving the problem lay with the reporters' lens.
Caroline didn't want to overthink and prepared to shout "baa baa baa."
During this ti, Sarah received a call from Matthew Broderick, who had already booked his flight and would be back before the night.
She relayed this information to Hawke, hoping he could factor in her husband's resources.
"Mr. Broderick is coming back?" Hawke seed suddenly inspired, asking, "Sarah, how is your relationship with him?"
Sarah knew Hawke was in the know and didn't hide the truth, "Aside from a few special preferences, our relationship is incredible. Matt loves to the core."
Hawke asked again, "As a major client of the Beverly Beauty Center, would they cooperate with us in tis like this?"
"Of course," Sarah replied. "That's written into the contract."
Hawke's serious deanor faded, replaced by confidence, "I have a plan now. Prepare the contract."
Caroline quickly pulled out the contract template from her email, sent it to both lawyers, and after drafting the terms, both parties signed the agreent.
Sarah checked online; news about her had already circulated, with many entertainnt bloggers sharing clips from Los Angeles Channel 9's Morning Show.
The news had spread across the internet, t with a flurry of ridicule.
With urgency upon them, she called the financial manager to transfer $500,000 to Hawke as an advance paynt.
...
Hawke took the contract and shifted into work mode, saying, "The key to solving the problem lies with Matt."
Sarah didn't understand.
"He loves you dearly; he will likely be forgiving about this incident, right?" Hawke asked directly, "For instance, as your husband, he would bear the pressure."
Sarah enjoyed a queen-like treatnt from Matt and thought it was only natural for him to bear pressure, "No problem."
Hawke pointed to her swollen, stiff face, stating the facts, "Before Matt went on the business trip, you both had a fight. He got drunk and physically abused you, leaving your face swollen and injured. You went to the Beverly Beauty Center to consult a doctor about quickly reducing the swelling. Your silence until now was to maintain family harmony and to prevent him from bearing pressure."
Sarah, being a refined egotist, couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this, "Good idea! That can explain my facial issues!"
Hawke reminded her, "The focus is on Matt."
"Don't worry," Sarah had decided to let her husband take the fall, "I can handle Matt."
Sofia exchanged glances with Hawke, then back at Sarah, realizing this might actually be a solution.
Caroline felt that Hawke wasn't done speaking.
Hawke kept piling on to the reasoning, "Pregnant woman, dostic abuse victim, family maintainer -- these labels will win you more sympathy votes when chasing the Golden Globe."
He gave Sarah a mont to consider it and continued, "Most of the Oscars and Golden Globe judges won't even watch the nominated works; emotional scores carry significant weight in their voting."
Caroline added her support, "Emotional appeal is also the goal of publicists during the awards season."
Sarah believed these words because that was the status quo in Hollywood.
Hawke said, "There's more I need to discuss with you privately."
Sarah turned her head, staring blankly at Hawke for a mont, then replied, "Sure."
Hawke addressed Caroline and Sofia, "If the dia contacts you, tell them Sarah will make a formal statent tomorrow."
Edward rose, opened the door to the eting room, and gestured for Caroline and Sofia to leave.
Seeing Sarah wave her hand, they had no choice but to exit the eting room.
Edward closed the door behind them, standing guard outside.
...
Inside the eting room, Sarah unbuttoned her blazer, pulled off her rhinestone belt, and asked Hawke, "What do you plan to do?"
Hawke was montarily thrown off by her move, "Wait, Sarah, what are you doing?"
Sarah had long realized Hawke was strong and directly stated, "You want to send the others away, don't you? That's why we're doing this."
Hawke finally understood; Hollywood people were often driven by base instincts. Once soone took the initiative to suggest talking privately, they would jump right into it.
Suddenly, Sarah recalled that Hawke had once secretly recorded monts of the two of them and asked, "You want to involve Matt? I don't mind; he's coming back tonight."
Hawke waved his hand, "Stop with the nonsense. What I need to discuss next is a very serious matter."
Sarah carefully examined Hawke, realizing he didn't seem impulsive, and sat back down, "Go ahead."
"How do you want to explain this to Matt?" Hawke asked.
Sarah frowned slightly, "I'll just tell him directly; with how he dotes on , he'll definitely agree. Isn't it a husband's responsibility to support his wife?"
Hawke pointed to her swollen face, "You have to face the dia. Although it's swollen, it's still different from visible abuse."
Sarah touched her stiff face, "Are you suggesting I should have Matt actually hit ?"
Hawke stated, "There are difficulties in this approach. First, Matt might not dare to lay a hand on you. Second, that would an losing control of the situation. Are you really sure you can fully control Matt? Once sothing unexpected happens, it'll be hard to redy."
He sighed, "You're my client, and I am paid to uphold your interests."
Sarah sensed so unease but, after so thought, felt that being in total control was indeed the safest route.
After all, feelings could change.
She asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Our plan is not to disclose anything to Matt for now," Hawke adopted a position entirely supportive of Sarah, "Matt would wholeheartedly protect you, proving his love for you, just like you do for him; that's certainly not a problem, especially considering how much you've done for him."
He emphasized, "Sarah, you are a woman!"
Sarah naturally thought back to the tis she had explored other relationships. At this mont, she certainly viewed those as sacrifices made for her husband.
She softly replied, "You make a lot of sense; this is also a test for regarding Matt. How specifically should I carry this out?"
Hawke proposed, "You and Matt have a particular playfulness between you. What if this evening when he cos ho, you express so frustration or suitable excuse and suggest trying a new ga, using physical pain to alleviate emotional distress?"
Sarah laughed, "That sounds perfect! We've played before, just at a lighter level, but he really enjoyed it."
Hawke had previously gathered data showing that those interested in one type of kink often had a penchant for another.
He said, "This ti you could delve a bit deeper and even use a cara to capture it; then you'd be holding all the cards."
nding the breach of contract was bait; winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress was the hook. After so internal struggle, the refined Sarah opened her mouth to bite onto the hook: "The power is in my hands; I can maneuver as I please."
She worried about the future, thinking of how Matt might change if she ever strayed.
With newfound determination, Sarah asserted, "Hawke, find a cara that can blend in as furniture. I need it before tonight."
Hawke made a call, asked a few questions, and said, "I'll figure it out."
Sarah completely endorsed Hawke's plan and asked, "What about other aspects?"
"We'll also need a selfie cara." Hawke detailed more aspects of the plan, going on for nearly half an hour.
Afterward, he left the eting room and chatted with Edward, who imdiately left to "find" suitable filming equipnt.
...
Caroline caught Hawke, "Several dia outlets called inquiring about Sarah's situation, and I provided the responses you suggested."
Hawke nodded, "Prepare a press statent for Sarah and Matt."
"What's the content?" Caroline inquired.
Hawke explained, "Matt apologizes for mistakenly hurting Sarah and expresses sincere remorse. Sarah states she chooses to endure and forgive for the sake of family and their relationship... and yes, she should stress she is not a good role model for won."
Caroline had gotten used to working with Hawke. Whatever he said, she followed his thought process.
In the past, everything had gone smoothly.
At that mont, Sofia returned from her break, asking, "Will things resolve smoothly?"
Hawke replied, "No major issues, it's not the most difficult challenge I've faced."
Caroline couldn't resist adding, "The solution is pretty unconventional."
...
Around noon, the group had lunch at the business center.
By around two o'clock, Edward returned, handing a large bag to Hawke.
Hawke called Sarah aside to the eting room, opened the bag, and began teaching her how to use the equipnt inside.
As a mber of Hollywood, Sarah was no stranger to such things.
Hawke took the keys to the business car, giving them to Caroline, "The dia knows about your car; it may beco a target for them. Take this vehicle to drive Sarah ho, park it at her place, and tomorrow I'll send a driver to pick it up."
Caroline complied, "Alright."
...
Later that afternoon, Caroline drove the business car, quietly taking Sarah back ho before leaving in Sofia's car from Sherman Oaks.
As the sun set, Matthew Broderick rushed over from the airport, seeing reporters with caras along the road before speeding ho.
After parking, he dashed into the living room of the villa, tightly embracing his wife, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything; just give so ti; I'll figure it out."
"You're the one who loves the most." Sarah, feeling lustful, clung to Matt, fervently requesting, "I've been down for a long ti; make happy."
She led Matt to an upstairs room filled with various implents.
Sarah requested, "I need extre physical stimulation to temporarily forget about these worries, alright?"
This was no usual couple; they played both openly and with kinks.
At that mont, Matt couldn't refuse his wife's eager invitation.
After establishing a safe word, the air filled with sounds of their play.
Sarah continuously begged, shouted for him to stop, and scread for help, which were not the agreed safe words but only fueled Matt's emotional intensity.
Encouraged by Sarah's teasing, Matt grew more vigorous, and the marks left behind beca increasingly apparent.
When all quieted down, Sarah felt imnsely satisfied and handed Matt a bottle of water.
Matt, feeling fulfilled as if he had discovered a new territory, drank and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Sarah, ignoring her discomfort, entered the changing room, retrieved the hidden cara, and began taking pictures of her injuries in front of the mirror.
This ho must be under her command; these photos would give her true control.
Even if Matt disagreed, he would take the bla.
In Sarah's mind, Matt was rely a behind-the-scenes producer; even if dostic violence allegations surfaced, it wouldn't be a huge issue.
After finishing taking pictures, Sarah donned gloves and, following Hawke's instructions, started gathering the canes, wooden boards, and boxing gloves Matt had used, sealing them in plastic bags to hide for now.
She recalled Hawke's advice, ensuring she did everything she could.
At last, she stood in front of the mirror, inspecting her face.
Matt couldn't bear to touch her already swollen face. The bruises were all inflicted by Sarah during the earlier play.
Due to her prior injections, she couldn't apply too much pressure, so she had to be careful to inflict just minor surface wounds, saving heavier makeup and concealnt for the next day.
A night passed in the blink of an eye.
...
The next morning, when Matt woke up, he found the room had been tidied up, and Sarah had prepared bathwater and fresh clothes.
Noticing the bruises on Sarah's face and the marks around her neck from where he had applied pressure, he felt guilty, "I'm sorry, dear. I got carried away last night."
"No, I feel wonderful." Sarah feigned unparalleled kindness and generosity. "This is what I asked you to do; you've brought happiness."
Matt, the most sentintal man in Hollywood, felt even guiltier, "Next ti, I'll be gentler."
He recalled sothing important, "The negative press about you; it's intertwined with the Lanco contract and must be resolved quickly."
Sarah took Matt's hand, caressing her facial wounds, "I have an idea -- can you help ?"
Monts later, after hearing Sarah's plan, the guilt-ridden, imnsely satisfied man complied with her request.
Matt, the responsible husband, was more than willing.
*****
/Sayonara816.
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