As Kristen Stewart and her on-screen love interest—Robert Pattinson—walked the red carpet, the family of three ahead was fielding a barrage of questions from reporters.
Martin's words were sharp, his reactions quick, firing back at every bad question while patiently answering the good ones.
He didn't hide that he was there to show off his baby.
"That's right, I want everyone to know—he's my son, Connor Meyers. Look at him, isn't he beautiful? He's inherited the best genes from his parents…"
By now, Connor was nearly two months old. His face was no longer wrinkled like at birth—smooth and plump. His eyes resembled Martin's, but his nose and mouth were more like Nicole's. He looked just like a beautiful doll.
Nearby, Robert Pattinson watched Martin brag about his baby and couldn't help saying, "I never thought Martin would have a kid at such a 'young' age. Isn't he worried about his career?"
Kristen Stewart giggled, her eyes complex as she glanced at the family ahead. "Are you joking? Sure, Martin's an idol star, but he doesn't rely on that for a living!"
"Uh, yeah, I forgot—Martin's a big-time capitalist."
…
Inside the Grand Theater.
The lights dimmed.
The movie began.
The first installment of Twilight was called Twilight. Twilight's descent marked the end for humans but the beginning for vampires.
This was a "wolf loves lamb" story.
The heroine, Bella, originally lived with her family in a small town called Forks. When her parents' relationship soured, Bella moved to Phoenix with her mom. Her mom Renee's new boyfriend was a baseball player who traveled for training and games, so Bella returned to Forks to live with her dad Charlie, the police chief.
In the film, after Bella's return to Forks, the first person she meets is her childhood friend Jacob.
Jacob is a werewolf, the vampires' sworn enemy.
Then the Cullen family appears.
The Cullens are vegetarians—vampires who don't drink human blood, only animal.
Bella and Edward fall in love at first sight in the cafeteria.
After a series of events, the vampire and human lovers become family, dancing gracefully at the prom as the first Twilight film ends perfectly.
Ever since Martin wrote the first Twilight novel, this cross-species, forbidden romance has become the romantic awakening for countless teens.
Director Catherine Hardwicke captured it with delicate expression, making Twilight visually stunning. Every character glowed under her lens, especially Edward's entrance—he literally sparkled in the sunlight.
That scene wasn't easy to film.
To find a way for Edward to gleam under the sun, Catherine Hardwicke first studied all naturally glowing substances, then consulted ten effects companies for skin that was "marble-smooth and crystal-shining."
In the end, Industrial Light & Magic and George Lucas's effects teams proposed a virtual solution.
The crew scanned Robert Pattinson's body for 3D effects.
Then, using animation software, they added the sparkling glow.
Admittedly, the result was gorgeous.
And Bella's transformation into a vampire—when she opens her eyes, that close-up has an inexplicable fierceness, like a girl finally growing into a queen!
As the movie ended, the theater erupted in thunderous applause.
Martin stood, hugging the creators heading onstage one by one.
With director Catherine Hardwicke, Martin said, "The best thing I did was give you the director's chair for Twilight. You did an amazing job."
With Robert Pattinson, Martin said, "Kid, ready? You're about to blow up."
With Kristen Stewart, Martin said, "See you in New York."
Then came the interviews.
The once-unknown young actors now got cheers from the audience below, shouting their names as they took the stage.
Of course, just their character names—their real ones would need time to ferment before becoming household.
The loudest cheers were for "Edward" and "Bella."
Catherine Hardwicke had made them look so beautiful on screen…
But during the Q&A, a little mishap occurred.
Whether from low EQ or an attempt at humor, Robert Pattinson answered a question about his character like this:
"If Edward weren't fictional and you met him in real life, he'd be locked up as a dangerous psychopath."
On the Twilight novels: "The first time I read the book, I thought it shouldn't even be published. It's so long—I kept falling asleep…"
On the leads' romance, he quipped: "Think about it—he (Edward) tells Bella, I've killed forty or fifty people, then says, you shouldn't be with me because I want to kill you every second. And Bella's like, whatever, I love you. That dialogue… Bella's definitely got issues, and Edward sure does too."
On his acting: "My whole technique boils down to wearing contacts that are super uncomfortable. Just squint like that—it's low-grade constipation face."
Martin's brows furrowed slightly. He turned to Drew beside him: "Contact this guy's manager. Ask what the hell this kid's up to."
Drew's face darkened too, eyeing Robert Pattinson with displeasure.
Nicole, cradling the baby in one arm, gently patted Martin's with the other. "Darling, don't get mad. I think the kid just doesn't know how to talk to the media."
Perhaps motherhood had softened her—Nicole now seemed as compassionate as Buddha!
Martin nodded. "I'll give him a chance, but he's gotta learn how to talk to the press first."
Drew said, "I'll have a chat with the kid's manager."
…
The next day, Twilight reviews poured in—mixed, as expected.
After all, it was a teen idol film, the type critics least favored.
---
[TL/N: This is the last chapter for today. I wanted to translate 10 more chapters, but I can't my laptop's broken. I'm thinking about getting a second-hand one so I can work without worrying about my sister finding out I'm using hers. But right now, I only have $120 (Since the genius me decided to put all of my money to my mom savings account and now i can't fucking withdraw it for 5 days), and after 2 hours of scrolling through Facebook Marketplace, I still can't find anything decent. Everything either has issues (like battery, screen, or charging problems), or the sellers seem sketchy.]