(TN: You asked)
Just now, Jennifer felt the anger in Landon's heart, and she almost fainted, even as she thoroughly enjoyed the ultimate pleasure, as if heaven itself were right before her.
However, in the end, Landon gave Jennifer some breathing room, allowing this pleasure to last as long as possible.
Landon quietly felt Jennifer transition from the peak of pleasure to slowly settling down.
In the dim light, her silhouette was soft, and her eyes were clear.
"Darling, you must remember," she continued, her fingers resting over his heart,
"when you face those cameras and those questions alone, what you got here tonight—my trust, my support, everything I gave you—it's all real. It won't diminish one bit just because we have to enter and leave the set separately."
She propped herself up and looked down at him: "On set tomorrow, we won't interact much. I'll still be Alicia, and you'll still be Charles. But remember, I'm always right there—"
She lowered her head and lightly kissed the corner of his lips.
Landon reached out and caressed her cheek.
His fingers slid across the curve of her cheekbones, the line of her jaw, and her soft lips.
"Thank you, Jennifer," he finally said, his voice a bit raspy.
Jennifer shook her head and lay back down beside him. "No need for thanks. It's just..." she paused,
"when you stand higher and go further one day, remember tonight as well.
Remember that when everyone else doubted you, someone chose to believe. Then, when it's your turn to choose, give that same trust."
They were silent for a while, listening to each other's steady breathing and the never-ending background noise of the distant city.
"Go to sleep," Jennifer said finally, turning her back to him, yet leaning back into his embrace.
"You'll need your energy tomorrow. I will too. Alicia has a very heavy crying scene tomorrow, and Charles..." she chuckled softly, "Charles has to continue being that charming illusion."
Landon held her from behind, his hand naturally feeling the fullness of her peaks.
At the same time, feeling those plump and warm buttocks, Landon buried his face in the hair at the nape of her neck.
The scent on her was a mix of the fresh fragrance of bath soap and the scent of their recent intimacy.
This scent made him feel calm and grounded.
He knew tomorrow wouldn't be easy.
Reporters might actually show up outside the set, the Def Jam video conference could be tricky, and Tracy might have more strategies that need his cooperation.
But at this moment, in this warm embrace, beside this woman who chose to believe in him, he felt an unprecedented strength.
It wasn't about conquest, but being understood and accepted by someone close was even more precious.
This wasn't redemption—he didn't need redemption.
This was the conviction that keeps you going.
It's someone who has drifted in the industry for years reaching out her hand and saying: I've walked this path, I know how hard it is, and I believe you can walk it well.
Landon closed his eyes. Drowsiness finally surrounded him like warm water, gathering strength for tomorrow.
In the final moment before his consciousness slipped into dreams, he felt very fortunate.
Maybe this is what growing up is like.
It's not about learning how not to fall, but learning to recognize those who are truly willing to reach out and help you when you do.
And Jennifer Connelly, one of the people closest to him, had reached out her hand tonight.
The next morning, as usual, Landon woke up first. Seeing Jennifer sprawled completely over him, Landon gave a somewhat happy, bitter smile.
He didn't know when Jennifer had developed this habit; clearly, last night she had been lying on her side next to him, with her back to him.
He carefully picked Jennifer up, moved her slowly to the side, and then got up to wash.
By 6:45 AM, Landon had finished washing up and was sitting in the suite's living room drinking coffee, wearing a simple T-shirt and sweatpants.
Zoe was checking today's schedule, and the driver Bruce was already waiting downstairs.
The bedroom door opened. Jennifer walked out, already wearing light makeup and casual clothes, ready to go to the set for final adjustments.
Their eyes met.
The two of them shared a hug and a morning kiss.
"Morning," Jennifer said, her voice no longer raspy.
"Morning," Landon responded, patting her back.
She walked to the door and paused for a moment with her hand on the knob.
Then she turned her head and gave him a brief, almost imperceptible smile.
That smile still held the tenderness of last night, the determination from the bathroom, and silent trust, but it also added the mood of two people interacting in public.
It was the smile of one actor to another, polite and measured.
At the same time, her eyes—those eyes Landon had learned to read—said much more in that instant.
They seemed to say: I remember. I believe. I'm here.
Then she pushed the door open and left. The sound of her high heels grew distant in the hallway.
Landon finished his last sip of coffee and set the cup down.
"Time to go?" Zoe asked, looking in the direction Jennifer had gone before turning to Landon.
"Time to go." Landon stood up and grabbed his jacket.
As the elevator descended, he looked at his reflection in the mirrored walls: 18 years old, with a hit song, a role in a major movie, and caught in the middle of a top star's breakup scandal.
He had just received precious trust during a precious night from a woman older and more experienced than him.
The person in the mirror looked a bit more composed than yesterday.
When the car drove out of the hotel's underground garage, sure enough, he saw two people with cameras standing across the street.
They didn't rush over, as they were being held back by hotel security at the perimeter, but their lenses were aimed right at his car.
Landon didn't lower his head or dodge.
Following the mental rehearsal he did yesterday, he looked ahead calmly, letting the car drive smoothly into the morning traffic.
His phone vibrated. Tracy sent a message: "The Def Jam meeting has been moved to 6:00 PM, giving you more time to prepare. Also, the New York Post's report this morning was relatively restrained. Continue with the current strategy."
Landon replied: "Got it."
He looked out the window. New York's morning was busy and real, with everyone rushing toward their own lives.
And his life was unfolding at a dizzying speed: music, movies, scandals, trust, ambition, vulnerability... all of these intertwined to form the Landon Williams sitting in the back of the car on the way to the set.
The bathroom last night, the bed last night, Jennifer's voice and body heat, had all become part of his inner strength.
Invisible, but present.
The car stopped at a red light. On the front page of a newspaper at a street corner stand, he saw photos of Britney and Justin with exaggerated headlines.
The light turned green. The car continued forward.
Landon took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.