Made In Hollywood

"You're not in a hurry, are you, Sophie?" Duke cleared his throat as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, who appeared as pure as an angel and as graceful as Venus. "I need a little time."

Like a queen in control of everything, Sophie Marceau's face was relaxed and casual, though her bare body contrasted with her composed expression. She didn't care, however. "I told you, Duke, we have the whole night."

"I also want to tell you a story," Duke said slowly. "A story about a video camera."

Sophie Marceau gestured for him to proceed.

Duke smiled. "In July this year, Sony released a new DV camera, the DCR-VX1000. It's not available in the North American market yet, but Sony Electronics was kind enough to gift samples to many well-known Hollywood actors and directors, and I was one of them."

This seemed entirely unrelated to the night's situation, but Sophie Marceau couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding.

"My mother has a goddaughter who is very mischievous and loved the camera. When she visited last time, I intended to give it to her, but she left it in the living room downstairs."

Duke pointed to the floor, speaking slowly, "That night, I put the camera away."

He leaned forward slightly, moving closer to Sophie Marceau. "Do you know where I put it?"

Perhaps starting to piece things together, Sophie Marceau's voice was no longer so relaxed. "How… how would I know?"

"It's in this room."

Upon hearing this, Sophie Marceau instinctively wanted to look around but forced herself to remain still. Before she could say anything, Duke looked straight into her eyes. "When you went to take a shower earlier, I noticed the camera was out of battery, so I charged it..."

He tapped his forehead. "I can't remember if I turned it on or not."

"Duke Rosenberg, you... you..." The casual expression on Sophie Marceau's face disappeared completely, her beautiful face tightening like cast iron as she tried to stay composed. "You… you… think I'll… believe your words?"

"Sophie..." Duke crossed his arms, showing no sign of wanting to prove anything. "Belief is your issue."

Just as Sophie Marceau started to relax slightly, Duke added, "The DV camera Sony provided me is a custom model. The footage may not be as clear as a film camera, but I'm quite satisfied with the picture and sound quality."

"I won't believe you! I won't believe you!" Sophie Marceau gripped the arms of her chair tightly as if they were her lifeline. She grabbed her phone, shaking it in front of Duke. "I'll call the police! I'll call them right now!"

"Be my guest."

As she abruptly stood up, gripping her phone with her right index finger hovering over the send button, Duke did nothing to stop her and even gestured for her to proceed. But she couldn't muster the courage to press it.

She stared at Duke, and Duke stared back at her. After about five seconds of standoff, Sophie Marceau collapsed back into her chair.

"You've made a very wise decision." Duke remained calm. "Miss Sophie Marceau."

"You… you're a demon!"

Her fingers released, and the phone dropped onto the carpet. Sophie Marceau looked at Duke, "How could you use such despicable means?"

"Sophie, you just used a vivid story to teach me not to underestimate anyone and how treacherous the world can be."

Any guilt Duke had felt earlier evaporated completely. "This is just basic self-protection."

"I..." Sophie Marceau's eyes shifted. "I want to see what you've filmed."

"You'll have the chance." Duke wasn't foolish enough to take out the camera now. His bedroom was large, filled with items, and he was content to let her guess where it might be. "But not right now."

Sophie Marceau's face was livid, her smooth, sexy body trembling, causing her chest to shake with every movement. Her eyes widened to the extreme, as if she might jump at him at any moment.

"Calm down, Sophie!"

There was still business to take care of, and Duke didn't want her turning hysterical, so he deliberately said, "The whole world would love to see it. Darling, don't give me a reason or an excuse, okay?"

Suppressing her urge to destroy everything, and the growing fear in her heart, Sophie Marceau fought to keep control. The balance of power had shifted in an instant, leaving her dizzy.

"What do you want?" She forced herself to ask. "Or… what do I have to do?"

"Everyone loves Sophie Marceau."

Duke stood up, walked over to her, and tilted her chin up, examining her beautiful yet furious face before tossing her aside. "I believe in fair trade. I like the idea that when you give, you get something in return. So don't worry, I won't ask you to do anything too excessive—at least, nothing as extreme as the CAA."

Ignoring Sophie Marceau's struggling thoughts, Duke walked to the side, dressed himself, and then draped a large blanket over her bare body. He pressed the intercom and said a few words. Within five minutes, there was a knock on the door, and Tina Fey entered with a security guard.

"I have something I need you to hold onto for now."

Disregarding Sophie Marceau's concerned gaze, Duke led Tina Fey to the cabinet between the washroom and the door, took out the camera, and handed it to her. "Don't peek," he instructed.

Tina Fey nodded seriously.

On the other side, Sophie Marceau wrapped herself in the blanket, stood up hesitantly, but seeing Duke and the security guard's cautious demeanor, she paused. In the end, she didn't move, but despair crept into her eyes.

The door slammed shut, and once again, only the two of them remained in the room. Sophie Marceau could no longer hold the blanket, letting it fall onto the plush carpet as her eyes dimmed. She slowly sank back into the chair.

"I never like to lie," Duke said as he walked back to stand behind her, gently massaging her smooth shoulders. "I keep my promises."

"When you give, you get something in return, don't you?"

Turning to face her, Duke sat in his original spot. "Let's first talk about the rewards you'll get."

"You… you're not blackmailing me?" Sophie Marceau sounded incredulous.

"Things need to be viewed separately. Without the camera, would you be willing to listen to me?" Duke lightly touched the marks on her wrists. "I think a mutually beneficial deal motivates people more than threats."

To think a single tape could control these open-minded actresses? Duke wasn't that foolish. For now, she had her use, but it was the person behind her who was his primary target.

"Sophie, this matter ends here. I won't pursue it. Once you've done what I need, you can return to France and continue your career as a European movie star."

"Tell me, Duke," Sophie Marceau closed her eyes slowly. "What do you want me to do?"

"It's not that difficult." Duke didn't beat around the bush. "Since the person behind this is Mel Gibson, and your target is also him…"

Seeing a flicker of disgust on Sophie Marceau's face, Duke lightly tapped her hand. "Don't worry. I wouldn't dare send the beloved Sophie Marceau to seduce that crude Australian brute. What you need to do is simple—just act like none of this ever happened, continue interacting with Mel Gibson and his people, and when I need it, pass some information along to me."

"That's it?" Sophie Marceau seemed skeptical.

Duke snorted internally but said aloud, "For now, that's all."

He reached out and pinched her delicate face. "You're very charming, Sophie."

Sophie Marceau let out a deep breath, seemingly relaxing. A hint of hope returned to her face, her eyes gradually regaining their sparkle, as if she had once again become the Sophie Marceau who could captivate all of Europe.

She gazed at Duke with affection. "Duke, I… I'll definitely help you."

"From now on, we're on the same team."

Seeing that Duke wasn't making any moves, yet still treating her kindly, Sophie Marceau suddenly wondered—could he actually be infatuated with her?

She had always been extremely confident in her charm, which was her greatest asset in navigating the European film industry.

So, she tentatively asked, "Now… can you delete those things?"

Duke looked at her without answering, prompting her to quickly add, "I promise."

"Should I trust your promise?"

Standing up, Duke pinched her smooth face again. "Darling, you're tired. I'll have someone take you to the guest room to rest. You can leave tomorrow morning."

"But..." Sophie Marceau wasn't ready to give up.

"I'll make a copy of the tape for you. As long as we remain partners, it will never see the light of day."

When he had time, Duke planned to edit himself out of the video and give Sophie Marceau a copy to remind her that some things come with consequences.

Sophie Marceau followed a maid to the guest room, while Duke walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, opened the curtains, and gazed out at the dark sea. His eyes gradually hardened.

Why was Mel Gibson doing this? Why now? The answer became clear after a moment of thought.

Mel Gibson chose this moment, clearly wanting to exploit the scandal to undermine him and his film. *Braveheart* was already an Oscar frontrunner, and if the director of *Saving Private Ryan* were to be involved in a major scandal, it would inevitably influence many of the Academy voters, potentially leading to a devastating loss for the latter.

Since Mel Gibson is so eager to win the Best Director award, it would almost be unfair not to step in and disrupt the Australian's plans.

...

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