[Chapter 84: Rumors of the Godfather Everywhere in the Industry]
When Charlie was dating Rachel, she was still an unknown young actress. In 1996, she appeared in the French film Stealing Beauty, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and produced by Fox Searchlight Pictures, which marked the beginning of her Hollywood career.
In that film, Rachel played a minor role far down the credits, and the only memorable thing was a few revealing scenes. Up until then, her most notable role was the third lead in Fifty Shades of Gray. Unfortunately, Vera had never watched any of these films and didn't understand why a British actress suddenly approached her.
Objectively speaking, Vera was younger but not as attractive as Rachel. Vera was aware of that. Perhaps it was a woman's intuition, but with a mix of skepticism and caution, she shook hands and said, "Hello, Vera Farmiga. What can I do for you?"
Rachel crossed her arms and glanced sideways toward the distance. "Are you an actress too? For a rookie actress, playing around with a small-time producer like Charlie Corleone isn't a bad option!"
Vera frowned and said firmly, "I'm Charlie's girlfriend. We're officially together. You're being very rude. Please leave."
Rachel let out a playful laugh and brushed her chin with the delicate back of her hand. She seemed to want to cover her mouth but didn't, smiling without holding back. "No, miss. You misunderstood me. I'm not saying you're someone who sells herself. Actually, Charlie's a young guy, successful in his career, good looking, and a great companion. I can confidently say that. Except for one thing..."
Rachel's eyes narrowed into crescents as she happily pointed at Vera's chest. "Don't even think about romance."
Vera was furious. Was this annoying woman Charlie's ex? Trying to sabotage their relationship?
"Talking behind someone's back is disrespectful," Vera said sternly.
Rachel snorted with a proud attitude, "That's not me saying it. Charlie told me himself." She rolled her eyes. "We met at a bookstore. There was a nasty brawl that night. Anyway, it was a very dramatic story. At first, I actually thought he was my Prince Charming. Three months later, we broke up. He politely told me he was helping me grow. I think you'll see that same gentle smile but with an unbelievably hateful breakup face one day!"
"Please leave!" Vera responded angrily.
Rachel laughed without restraint. Then she snorted in disdain toward Charlie's direction and turned to leave.
...
What a lunatic!
Vera's good mood was completely ruined. She pouted and angrily finished a whole glass of champagne. Glared at Rachel's retreating back a few times, then stood there in a daze.
Memories of when she met Charlie floated through her mind, followed by Rachel's words, making her feel uncertain.
Vera took a deep breath to comfort herself.
No, Charlie was a good man. She shouldn't let outsiders' gossip mess with her head. That woman must be jealous that she's now Charlie's girlfriend!
...
Unaware of the gossip between the two women, Charlie was busy discussing Death Row Records matters with Harvey and Kerry.
Kerry was intrigued after hearing about a $4 million donation and Harvey's pitch, asking detailed questions and nodding subtly.
In the middle of all this, Charlie noticed Rachel approaching Vera, but since it was a critical moment in the negotiations, he kept his focus on talking to Kerry.
He felt helpless and a bit annoyed.
Damn it, Rachel must be badmouthing me. After all the time I've spent mentoring her, has she learned nothing? This kind of behavior only wastes my time!
Luckily, Rachel couldn't read Charlie's true feelings or she'd probably slap the brat.
In fact, ever since Charlie had given her such a hateful look while breaking up, Rachel no longer felt extreme hatred toward him.
It wasn't worth being heartbroken or angry over a man like that.
But for the same reason, Rachel would probably never let go of it. Any chance to cause trouble for Charlie, she'd happily seize.
Charlie seemed to leave a strong impression on people.
From the moment he showed up in Hollywood, he refused to follow the ordinary path. Instead, he provoked Will and threatened Fox.
Setting aside whether these actions benefited his career, at least insiders always remembered this interesting guy as a source of gossip.
At the fundraising event, Rachel wasn't the only one talking about Charlie.
...
George Clooney and two other men were discussing him too.
"I was watching Independence Day with Bill in the home theater. You can guess the movie wasn't very exciting for us. Bill told me there was this guy who nearly ruined it all. Yeah, that guy was Corleone," said a thin man in his thirties or forties with short hair. He had a small head and sharp eyes, his tone full of inflections.
It was clear the man was well established.
When he finished speaking and laughed heartily, George and the handsome tall young man also laughed out loud.
George said, "I just met Charlie recently. He's young but really brave. Mr. Giustra, you should tell him that yourself. I bet he'd be scared."
George seemed to think Frank Giustra was joking about Charlie, so he played along.
But Frank Giustra shook his finger seriously. "At first, I thought Corleone was just a reckless kid. Then Bill told me more about him.
This is an election year. Bill is busy, so if he takes time to talk about someone, I know that person is unusual. Corleone actually succeeded in cooperating with Fox and helped Independence Day explode at the box office. That's surprising.
Later, I invested in his film. It turned out just as I expected -- after facing some challenges, he succeeded again."
George was an excellent actor and wasn't embarrassed by the earlier misunderstanding. He nodded repeatedly, "Yeah, Charlie's not just brave. When he chose to mess with Fox, he probably didn't realize how extensive the connections behind that movie were. If someone has great ability, even Lady Luck stands by their side!"
The handsome young man looked curious and seemed about to say something.
Frank Giustra looked into the distance. "Oh, Corleone is free now. Let's go chat with him. I've been wanting to meet him for a while. Luckily, he's at this fundraiser today, and so are you. Otherwise, it'd be really boring. Americans aren't too fond of me."
George smiled warmly. "Mr. Giustra, I'll invite Charlie."
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.