In the newly furnished game room, the sudden sound of a whip slicing through the air echoed sharply, like a sudden clap of thunder that startled Amber Heard.
Amber instinctively shivered, as if she feared the whip would strike her, yet a hint of anticipation lingered within her.
The whip cracked again, and with her eyes blindfolded, Amber couldn't see where it was; she could only guess from the sound that it was close.
"Matthew..." she whispered, her voice trembling.
The only response was the sound of the whip snapping through the air again.
Matthew circled around Amber like an interrogator studying a prisoner before administering punishment.
Amber's hands were locked in cuffs, her eyes still covered by the blindfold. She couldn't see Matthew, but she knew he was close by.
Though they had played many bold games in the past, this was the first time they used tools that could actually cause harm.
Fear, trepidation, anticipation, excitement—these mixed emotions twisted together inside her.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded, starting softly and then growing louder. Blindfolded, Amber's sense of hearing heightened; from the sound, she guessed Matthew was pacing circles around her, one after another.
What was he doing? Why didn't he just get started? Was he trying to drive her crazy?
In the dark, a thought struck Amber. Recently, a widely circulated novel online had depicted some intense scenarios between a character named Eduardo and Isabella—similar to this scene. Rumor had it that Matthew had obtained Stephanie Meyer's authorization and hired a ghostwriter to pen it as fanfiction...
Seeing him lock her up so skillfully today, and handling the whip with such expertise, she wondered if he might have written the novel himself.
Matthew had indeed practiced using a whip before, back when he used to herd cattle and sheep in the mountains. He never thought he'd actually put those skills to use someday.
Of course, he didn't actually intend to whip her; he was merely using it to create pressure.
The whip cracked through the air once more.
"Ah!"
Amber felt the wind from the whip and couldn't help but cry out.
Feeling the moment was right, Matthew finally spoke. "Miss Amber Heard, you are my prisoner now! I—"
"Yes!" Amber, unexpectedly cooperative, responded before he could finish. "I'm your prisoner; I won't resist."
Matthew stepped closer, gripping her chin roughly. "You'll do whatever I tell you to, and you'll answer whatever I ask!"
Amber responded immediately, "Yes, master!"
But Matthew hadn't brought her over just to play games.
"Tell me, what's going on with you and Harvey Weinstein?" Matthew pressed, pretending to trap her. "Are you in cahoots with him to plot against me?"
"Uh..." Amber was momentarily speechless.
Had she been found out? That was her first reaction.
So he really had found out! Now, what should she do?
Luckily, she had anticipated various scenarios when she initially agreed to the plan. Ideally, she could keep her involvement hidden and secure a role from Harvey Weinstein. But if she were discovered...
Then she would just have to betray Harvey.
Amber had never been one for principles, and she had already considered this possibility. It only took a few seconds before she made her decision.
"I'll tell! I'll tell!" she said, sounding like a traitor breaking under the lash of the enemy's whip. "I'll tell you everything."
Now, it was Matthew's turn to be speechless. He had merely been trying to trick Amber; typically, even if she was colluding with Harvey, she'd deny it outright, refusing to confess under any circumstances. Then he would transform into the interrogator, resorting to stricter methods—perhaps tying her up, using hot peppers or uncomfortable chairs until she finally broke and confessed.
But she had admitted everything before he even started. It was… disappointing.
Matthew moved to stand directly in front of her and kicked away the candles on the floor, demanding harshly, "Are you telling the truth?"
Deny it, he thought. If she denied it, then the candles—or rather, the tools he had prepared—would all be used in full force.
But Amber was even more unprincipled than he'd expected. "Yes! Absolutely true!" she added quickly. "I was forced by Harvey Weinstein!"
The best-case scenario would have been getting a role in a Weinstein-backed film to compete for an Oscar. Now that was clearly impossible. Matthew Horner had connections everywhere and somehow knew about her dealings with Weinstein. Regardless, she wouldn't be able to fulfill Weinstein's demands. Given his domineering nature, her future looked bleak if she couldn't achieve his goal.
So, she might as well turn him in and get what she could.
Besides, everyone knew what kind of person Harvey Weinstein was. He would even take liberties with veterans like Judi Dench and Meryl Streep—let alone a young actress like her.
"Could you…" Amber felt as if the blindfold isolated her from reality. "Could you untie me first?"
Matthew replied coldly, "You'll tell me everything right now."
Instead of answering, Amber asked, "Have you been suspicious for a while? Did you set me up here today to force me to talk?"
Matthew decided to play along, appearing confident. "That's right. I've been keeping an eye on you since December."
Hearing this, Amber suddenly felt a twinge of disappointment. So, this was just a harsh interrogation and not some sort of twisted pleasure…
"Harvey Weinstein saw the rumors about us," Amber began, framing the situation to her advantage. "He approached me, asking me to use drugs to tempt you, hoping to get you hooked so he could ruin you."
Based on information from Brown-Williams' investigation, Matthew had already suspected as much. So her confession didn't surprise him.
Thinking back to Oscar night when Weinstein even dared to detain a director, Matthew knew he was brazen enough to pull something like this.
"Go on," he said calmly.
Amber adjusted her stance, stretching her foot slightly to relieve her body from the prolonged position, and continued. "Harvey Weinstein offered me a role as compensation—the lead in a film adaptation of a love story aimed at winning an Oscar."
She sped up, "I was going to refuse, but Harvey threatened that I'd never get any serious roles in the future if I turned him down."
Matthew rubbed the whip thoughtfully, suspecting that part of her story was fabricated.
But that wasn't the crucial point.
Clearly, after multiple open and covert confrontations, the feud between him and Weinstein had escalated. Weinstein wasn't just trying to sabotage him in private; he was now taking overt action.
Fortunately, Matthew despised drugs. Otherwise, under the invitation of a beautiful woman promising fun, he might have been tempted.
Amber continued recounting her dealings with Weinstein, including each meeting with his agent.
Matthew listened carefully, mulling over his options.
It was clear Amber's version of the events was embellished, painting herself as a victim of a criminal's oppression.
But her story only provided limited useful information. According to her, Weinstein had only promised her a role, while everything else was allegedly relayed through his agent.
Of course, it was obvious that Weinstein was orchestrating it all from behind the scenes.
Those imperialists will never stop trying to destroy me, Matthew thought, shaking his head. Looking at Amber, still blindfolded and restrained, he wondered what he should do with her.
Lock her up for a private interrogation? That was out of the question; he wasn't that type of person.
Circling around her once more, Matthew quickly devised a counter-strategy. If Weinstein was playing spy games, why not turn it against him?
"Do you still have those two packets of drugs in your bag?" he asked.
Amber nodded quickly. "Yes, they're with me."
Matthew deliberately added, "Remember, someone addicted to drugs wouldn't carry the same amount all the time."
"Oh!" Amber realized. "I… overlooked that."
"A while back, a young singer tried to attack me with a bottle," Matthew said abruptly. "My team figured he was on drugs, so I had him arrested, making him out to be a Mexican cartel accomplice."
Standing in front of Amber, he grabbed her chin once again. "You know the police and FBI are highly vigilant about anyone with connections to drug dealers like that, right?"
Amber lifted her head slightly. "Yes, I've heard of those cases. That singer—Justin Bieber, right? He was charged last year with possession, distribution, and endangerment, sentenced to eight years with no chance of parole."
Matthew's tone turned icy. "So, what do you think would happen if I called the police and they found the drugs in your bag?"
Amber panicked immediately. "No! Please don't!" she begged. "Matthew, I was forced. I'm on your side, can't you see? Every time I tried to tempt you, it was just going through the motions."
Matthew ignored her plea. Instead, he said, "Amber, I used to like you. You're beautiful, sexy, and bold."
Amber wasn't foolish; she saw that he hadn't made the call and sensed an opening. "Matthew, what is it you want? I—"
"It's simple." Matthew said slowly, "Join my side."
Hearing this, Amber felt a wave of relief. She had already decided to switch loyalties.
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