At the doorway, Megan Fox glanced back at the man raging helplessly inside the room.
This time, Megan didn't bother trying to explain anything. If someone lacked their own convictions and kept blaming others, they were bound to lose.
Accompanied by her agent, Brian Austin Green, Megan headed toward the nanny van parked on the street. She ignored the faint camera flashes and figures lurking in the bushes. She'd never intended to hide her divorce anyway.
Megan believed that traveling light was the only way to embrace her future.
"Hollywood's a cutthroat place right now. Romance isn't something you should be worrying about," said Chris Silberman, her manager, lounging in the van with one leg crossed, casually trimming his nails. "Instead of dragging this out, you'd be better off cutting ties cleanly."
Megan stayed silent as the van started, staring blankly out the window at the passing scenery.
Chris glanced at her dazed expression, a smirk tugging at his lips. "The entertainment industry has no use for pretty faces alone—I'll only say that once. You didn't land the role in Jonah Hex, but I suggest you take a look at the Jennifer's Body script. It fits your image perfectly."
"Don't think that Transformers contract means you're set for life. If you don't like this script, we should pull every resource we have to find a project that'll truly cement your place in Hollywood."
"There's nothing suitable right now," Megan replied softly. "Director Michael has been demanding a lot lately. I'm under a lot of pressure."
Hearing her finally speak, Chris relaxed a bit. "I got some news I wasn't planning to share, but since you're a free woman now, I think you should know—for your career and your personal life."
Megan took the file her agent handed her and started reading.
"Claire Lee's been doing heavy PR with Christopher Nolan in the UK lately," Chris continued. "A lot of industry folks are already turning their attention that way. Batman 2 is in production, and I think this is Claire's crossover move with Batman. She's got a knack for cross-promotion."
"Warner Records' CEO, Edgar Bronfman Jr., has been holding multiple press conferences in LA. Taylor Swift's been spotted there too. If you're interested, you could reach out to Claire. Sure, her agent said some things we didn't like, but Claire has a lot of pull at Warner Records."
"Warner can't control Claire's career path!" Seeing Megan's resistant expression, Chris gently patted her head and lowered his voice. "I know you don't want your relationship with her mixed up with business, but think about it. Transformers might keep you in the spotlight this year, but what about next year? Or the year after?"
"To be blunt, Claire's got resources you can't even imagine. Just recently, she helped a no-name British model land a supporting role in a 20th Century Fox co-production."
"The news just broke, and VOGUE gave her a cover! You? Without Transformers, it'd take you at least three years to get on VOGUE's cover."
Megan gazed at the sunset in the distance, suddenly recalling a memory of her and Claire running together under the same golden light after school.
"Claire! If I ever become a big star, I'm marrying you!"
"Megan! If I ever make tons of money, I'll split half with you!"
The Toyota nanny van pulled away, but the paparazzi didn't quiet down. As Megan's assistant's car left, Brian Austin Green, now unhinged, stormed out of the house with a baseball bat.
Seeing the mob of reporters blocking his doorstep, Brian swung the bat wildly. The paparazzi, who'd been snapping photos relentlessly, jumped back in shock.
"Brian, are you insane?!"
"Brian, run! He's lost it!"
From a Mercedes nearby, Barry Robin watched the chaos unfold. As Claire Lee's biggest media ally, Barry had gone from USA Today's editor-in-chief to deputy director, becoming a hot commodity in American media circles thanks to his direct access to Claire.
Claire wasn't exactly a superstar in the U.S., but the timing was perfect. Her song One Day had exploded, resonating with anti-war politicians and activists. In the U.S., "politics" and "entertainment" were inseparable—free speech or not, the media and entertainment industries always led the charge for public opinion.
One Day not only won Claire a legion of peace-loving fans in the U.S. but also reached third-world countries ravaged by war through global media. Yet, contacting her was nearly impossible—either Manchester United's execs blocked requests, or Warner Records cited her "packed schedule."
While everyone scrambled to reach Claire, USA Today announced, "We've secured exclusive interview rights with Claire Lee in the U.S. Want to talk to her? Go through us." Naturally, this meant Barry Robin negotiating prices with international media behind closed doors.
Initially, Barry didn't want to help Megan Fox manage her negative press. But since her relationship with Claire was already public knowledge from their football field days, Barry stepped in for his own future gain. Brian's meltdown only made it easier—his lack of composure meant he was no longer a factor.
Barry's strategy? Strike while the iron's hot. If Claire and Megan ended up together, Barry could leverage even bigger opportunities.
"I heard Claire's new website's already valued at a billion dollars?" Barry asked over the phone.
"It's inflated," came the reply. "Claire's got big ideas, and we're not meddling too much. You could help out with her UK projects. When she heads to the University of Hawaii for her studies, I can arrange a day for you."
Barry ignored Edgar's sidestepping and pressed, "Who's funding it? I heard that site's one-of-a-kind in the UK."
"Not sure on specifics, but she's in it for the money."
---
Zhang Peng, still hungover, lay in bed snoring loudly.
San Ge, eyes red and swollen, peered out the hotel window, muttering, "Damn, damn," under his breath. Beside him, the team's goalkeeper, Li Dongdong, gawked enviously at the parade of sports cars and luxury vehicles below, clicking his tongue.
"We're really riding Zhang Peng's coattails this time! Without him, we wouldn't be seeing all these big stars!"
"Wang Ge said tomorrow's music festival tickets are $599 a pop. No way I could afford that!"
San Ge shot Li Dongdong a look of exasperation and smacked the back of his head. "Didn't Zhang Peng tell us last night? We're all going! Forget the Buckingham Palace tour—you forgot already?"
"For real? I got so wasted by that white chick last night, I don't remember a thing!" Li Dongdong rubbed his head sheepishly.
"You guys were embarrassing last night! Didn't do a thing, just got plastered by those foreign girls. Now look at Xiao Wang—charming left and right, taking down girls like a champ. That's what I call representing the country!"
Li Dongdong ignored San Ge's bragging, his eyes glued to the glamorous celebrities below. He didn't know many of them, but their dazzling outfits had him starstruck. "Hey, why don't you talk to Peng Ge again? Maybe get us a photo with those stars. It'd be great for bragging rights!"
San Ge glanced at Zhang Peng, sprawled out like a dead pig, and scratched his chin, scheming.
---
Taylor Swift shot a disdainful "hmph" at Claire Lee, who was eating nearby.
Claire didn't bother responding. To her, Taylor was just a naive kid—engage her, and she'd get clingy; ignore her, and she'd have no leverage.
"Are Simon and Dujuan's interviews set?" Claire asked, not wanting to wait for public buzz to build.
Costa Mayor glanced at his watch—it was 9 a.m. "All good. Dilia just texted me; they've already met. Simon and Dujuan's joint broadcast will be live on USA Today and Claire Tickets by 2 p.m. at the latest."
Claire shoveled down the last bite of her beef rice, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "How many supporters do we have on the site now?"
Costa grinned. "Your event's killing it. One like equals one dollar. As of 8 a.m., we've had over 70,000 visitors to the campaign page."
"Simon's adorable, and Dujuan's great on camera! The 'Like Ambassador' idea was genius," Costa added. "One ticket purchase gives kids like Simon $10 in aid, and it's getting tons of media coverage. We could keep this going long-term with Warner Records."
"Do whatever. I just want this music festival to go well and make Simon's dream come true."
Costa laughed. "You've got the makings of a capitalist! You're shamelessly spinning website promo as charity. If this festival's a hit, every music festival in the UK will come knocking."
Claire didn't take the bait, grabbing her takeout box and heading for the door. As soon as she left, Taylor Swift plopped down next to Costa. "I don't have an agent yet. How about you take me on?"
Costa's head throbbed. He'd heard about Taylor's "colorful" track record before joining Warner. She was a big name but a handful—nothing like the low-maintenance Claire.
"Let's wait for the boss's call. Your contract's still with the U.S. branch, and I'm just here to help with your album promo. Your main market's in the States, so maybe think it over."
Taylor, unfazed by his polite rejection, pulled a business card from her bag, set it on Costa's table, and sashayed off.
Costa eyed her exit, then tore up the card and tossed it in the trash. "Hmph. Be your agent? I'd lose years off my life."
---
Dujuan faced a barrage of cameras, her heart racing with excitement. But when she glanced at the frail boy beside her, a pang of sadness hit.
"Sister, why're you sad? Is it because of that guy who called you? My parents fight, and my dad always apologizes first. Maybe you should wait, and that guy will call you first," little Simon said.
Dilia, overhearing, shot a glance at the USA Today reporter across from them. The reporter, quick on the uptake, turned off his camera and patted Simon's head. "You're a smart one, aren't you?"
Simon ducked away from the reporter, burrowing into Dujuan's arms.
"All right, thanks for your help," the reporter said. "Our deputy director's in London overseeing the event. We'll keep you updated if all goes well."
Dilia smiled and saw the reporter out.
Dujuan's mind flashed to Claire Lee. "If this goes well, you might just become a dual-threat artist. But don't rush to sign with anyone. Wait until your results are in—then you'll have leverage to negotiate."
"Why are you helping me so much?" Dujuan had asked.
Claire laughed. "Fate, it's all fate!"