[Chapter 315: Madonna vs. Nicole Kidman]
After spending three delightful nights with Nicole Kidman at the hotel, on the fourth evening, Linton took her back to the estate as promised after getting off work. He called the housekeeper Amy and also invited Madonna and Kate Winslet, who were waiting at the estate, to introduce Nicole to them.
To his surprise, Madonna, who was usually warm and friendly to new sisters, was unusually confrontational upon meeting Nicole. Sparks flew between their gazes the moment they saw each other.
Linton had just finished the introduction and hadn't even managed to say, "You two are sisters now, so help each other and get along," when Madonna interjected with an exaggerated smile, "Hello, Mrs. Cruz, welcome to Linton's estate."
Nicole Kidman was no pushover either. Before Linton could react, she shot back with an equally sweet smile, "Oh, isn't this Aunt Madonna? So, you like our Linton too?"
Linton covered his face in disbelief. What was with these two? Meeting for the first time, and they've already ignited fireworks, exchanging the harshest words with the sweetest smiles.
Next to them, Kate Winslet was watching the scene with the amusement of someone enjoying a good show. She wasn't a goody-two-shoes; at 11 she had gone against her parents' wishes to borrow money from her grandmother and enroll in drama school. Years of navigating the entertainment industry had made her accustomed to the complicated rivalries among women in the business. She had been skeptical of Linton's expectations for the sisters to love each other.
Madonna, Vivian Chow, and Sophie had welcomed her warmly before, helping her blend into the sisterhood. But seeing such an explosive scene just days later was quite the spectacle, and she kept glancing at Linton to see how he would handle the two rule-breaking sisters.
Amy the housekeeper maintained a neutral expression, but the smile lines at the corners of her eyes betrayed her feelings.
Her boss was great at everything except being devoted to just one woman. With so many top stars all under one roof, who coexisted harmoniously, it was mind-blowing to her.
Now that she finally got to witness two of the women in the estate clashing, this kind of juicy gossip was hard to resist.
However, she couldn't understand why Madonna, despite her usual warmth and friendliness to everyone at the estate and genuine welcoming of new sisters -- earning respect and affection from other women and staff alike -- was so antagonistic specifically towards Nicole Kidman.
...
The truth was they didn't really understand Madonna. Her friendliness came from her deep love for Linton, and thus extended to anyone close to him.
More importantly, she knew she held a special place in Linton's heart. The warmer and kinder she was to the sisters, the more Linton liked her, and the more secure her status became.
With her youthful beauty growing ever radiantly, and having mastered the charisma to the max, she didn't see any of the younger sisters as real threats.
Moreover, in her eyes, no other sister could match her. While others depended on Linton's resources to some extent, she had always operated independently and wouldn't need to change since she herself was the biggest star and now a successful capital investor, a provider of resources.
This gave her a natural sense of superiority, thinking that only she and Linton shared true love.
That's why she usually remained unbothered by Linton's spoiling of big baby Jennifer or his excessive trust in Winnie.
As she expected over two years, although the number of sisters grew, her position in Linton's heart remained unbeatable. She was often entrusted with organizing estate parties, having effectively become the big sister of the sisterhood.
But the moment she saw Nicole Kidman, she sensed a familiar scent -- another woman with charisma just like her: top-tier beauty, commanding aura, shrewd and full of schemes, with powerful skills to cause stir and drama.
Although Nicole's popularity and resources were still far behind, with Linton's backing, she was bound to be her equal in time.
Having someone like Nicole join the sisterhood would seriously challenge her status and disrupt the current stable harmony.
Therefore, ignoring Linton's previous rules, she confronted Nicole right in front of him. Her goal wasn't to stop Nicole from joining but to remind her of the reality: newcomers must know their place and not stir up trouble or form cliques.
Unexpectedly, Nicole wasn't one to back down either; instead of showing humility, she openly challenged Madonna before Linton's eyes. The whole place practically erupted.
It wasn't only Madonna feeling this way; Nicole, seeing Madonna's stunning youth and beauty at first sight, immediately recognized her as a top rival.
Although Nicole knew that appearing weak and submissive now might win Linton's favor more easily, she refused to shrink back in front of her rival.
She boldly chose to confront Madonna head-on.
"Mrs. Cruz, let me show you around our estate," Madonna said, stressing 'Mrs. Cruz.'
"Aunt Madonna, from now on this is our Linton's estate too," Nicole replied, emphasizing the first five words.
...
Watching their continued bickering, with Kate and Amy amused on the sidelines, Linton felt conflicted but knew he couldn't be lenient. Otherwise, the sisterhood would never know peace and would become a battlefield.
He wrapped his arms around Madonna and Nicole, one on each side, and administered a sharp smack on each of their firm buttocks.
Although he put in little force, the hit made them both cry out in pain, cover their wet eyes with their hands, and look at Linton with pitiful, teary eyes.
Seeing their identical reactions, Linton was both amused and frustrated but understood he had to be firm to win them over.
"Amy, take Kate outside to enjoy the estate's beautiful scenery."
Without waiting for a reply, he held Madonna in one arm and Nicole in the other and headed upstairs.
"It seems you two have completely forgotten the rules I set. Today, you need a proper lesson."
*****
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