As dawn broke, the villa fell into complete silence. Many people were sprawled out in various poses, tangled together on the carpet of the banquet hall, fast asleep. Taylor Swift, however, remained awake, fueled by a burst of inspiration that had led her to write a new song. Tossing her pen aside, she glanced at her many friends draped over Matthew Horner and felt another surge of creativity.
It was as if inspiration was flooding uncontrollably.
Picking up her pen again, she grabbed some paper and began jotting down ideas. A thought crossed her mind—this group dynamic was far more stimulating for creativity than working one-on-one. Maybe she should organize more of these gatherings with Matthew in the future.
As a widely recognized and talented songwriter, she needed ample inspiration to craft better songs. Moreover, she was transitioning from her roots into mainstream pop—a risky move. Creating exceptional music was key to ensuring a successful transformation.
Gradually, a song took shape under her pen. Taylor Swift confirmed to herself that tonight's wildness was far more effective than any other kind of stimulation. Watching her friends turn into jelly in Matthew's presence—and feeling the same herself—had deeply impacted her.
The framework for the song was complete, and she decided to name it "Caligula." The Roman emperor, infamous for his excess and debauchery, seemed a fitting reference for someone like Matthew.
Yawning, Taylor prepared to get some rest. Setting an alarm, she planned to wake everyone up once the sun rose and continue the previous night's games. Who knew? She might find even more inspiration for another song.
As she surveyed the familiar faces—Katy Perry, Lily Aldridge, Karlie Kloss, Cara Delevingne, Poppy Delevingne, Lily Donaldson, and Martha Hunt—she found a spot to lie down. Just as she was about to drift off, she heard the faint sound of a doorbell.
She stopped and listened carefully. It was indeed the doorbell.
Who would show up at this hour? Taylor found it strange. Austin had left with Selena Gomez, and the party staff had been sent away earlier. Only her close friends remained, and she had already informed her manager and assistant to leave her undisturbed for the weekend. Even an apocalypse wouldn't justify interrupting her creative retreat.
Taylor initially ignored it, but the doorbell kept ringing. Luckily, the banquet hall had good soundproofing, and her exhausted friends weren't woken up.
Yawning widely, she grabbed some clothes from a nearby room, draped them over herself, and walked toward the villa's front door. She checked the monitor and saw a man in his thirties standing outside. It was Brown Williams, Matthew's bodyguard and assistant, repeatedly pressing the bell.
Is he here for Matthew? Taylor frowned slightly. Did this bodyguard think they were going to eat Matthew alive?
Pressing the intercom button, she asked, "Who is it?"
"Hello, Miss Swift," the man replied, clearly recognizing her voice. "I'm Brown Williams, Matthew's bodyguard. Is he still here?"
Taylor wasn't one to lie and replied honestly, "Matthew's here, asleep."
The voice on the intercom continued, "Could you wake him up? His agent, Helen Herman, has an urgent matter and couldn't reach him. She's on her way from Burbank to Malibu now."
Urgent? Taylor frowned, feeling her mood dampen.
"Wait a moment," she said, turning off the intercom. She returned to the banquet hall and gently nudged Matthew, who was surrounded by women. It took some effort to wake him up, as he was clearly exhausted from the previous night's activities. Once he opened his bleary eyes, she whispered, "Your bodyguard, Brown Williams, is outside. He says there's something urgent."
Despite his grogginess, the mention of Brown Williams and an urgent matter snapped Matthew to attention. Knowing his bodyguard wouldn't disturb him without reason, he gently moved the arms of Cara and Poppy Delevingne, draped across his neck, and climbed out from the pile of women. "Taylor, lead me to the changing room."
Everyone in the banquet hall had only been wearing swimwear the night before.
Taylor led the way, with Matthew following behind her to the changing room. After getting dressed, Matthew left the villa, feeling his legs slightly unsteady. He shook his head, reminding himself that human limits were indeed finite.
Outside the villa, Brown Williams stood by the ornate iron gate. Taylor joined Matthew and pressed the remote to open the gate slowly.
"What's going on?" Matthew rubbed his face.
Brown glanced at Taylor before stepping closer to Matthew and lowering his voice. "Miss Helen Herman called me when she couldn't reach you. She seemed extremely anxious and said it was about Miss Lily-Rose Depp."
"Lily?" Matthew asked, puzzled.
He noticed the French number among the missed calls on his phone, as well as Helen Herman's number. Connecting the dots, he guessed that Lily-Rose Depp had tried calling him, and when she couldn't reach him, she'd contacted Helen instead.
In the distance, the roar of an engine drew closer. A black Mercedes SUV sped down the road and stopped at the villa's entrance. Helen Herman stepped out of the driver's seat, glancing briefly at Taylor before looking at the villa behind her.
"What's wrong? Is Lily looking for me?" Matthew asked.
"Get in the car," Helen said, gesturing to him. "I'll explain on the way."
Realizing the urgency, Matthew turned to Taylor. "I need to go. Let them know I'm sorry when they wake up."
Taylor nodded lightly. "Call me later."
Helen tossed her car keys to Brown. "You drive. I'm too tired."
Brown took the keys and got into the driver's seat, while Matthew and Helen climbed into the back.
As the car began moving, Helen explained, "Lily called me last night, crying. She said something bad happened but wouldn't tell me what. I had to call Brown to track you down."
Matthew nodded. "I left my phone in the changing room."
He called the French number back, and it was immediately answered, as if someone had been waiting by the phone.
"Godfather!" Lily-Rose Depp's voice came through, trembling and filled with sobs. "Is that you?"
"Yes, Lily," Matthew replied gently. "It's me. What happened?"
Before he could ask further, Lily broke down over the phone. "Godfather, can you come to France? I… I don't know who else to turn to. You're my godfather…"
Hearing her sobs, Matthew's tone became even softer. "Don't worry, Lily. Tell me what happened. Who upset you? I'll make sure they regret it!"
Although he hadn't seen her often, Matthew remembered Lily-Rose Depp as a cheerful and optimistic girl. He had even planned to send her a gift for her upcoming twelfth birthday.
Who dared to upset his goddaughter so much?
"Dad… Dad doesn't want me and Mom anymore," Lily choked out.
Matthew was momentarily speechless. What had Johnny Depp done?
"Dad wants to break up with Mom. He doesn't want us anymore," Lily cried.
Matthew frowned. While he had managed to discipline Amber Heard recently, it seemed Depp's side of things had fallen apart. Was this a miscalculation on his part?
"Godfather… what should I do?" Lily's sobs grew louder.
For a twelve-year-old girl, this was a catastrophic event.
"Don't worry, Lily. I'll come to France right away," Matthew reassured her. No matter what, she was his goddaughter, and he shared a decade-long friendship with Johnny Depp.
After ending the call, Matthew turned to Helen. "Book me the earliest flight to France."
Helen nodded, taking out a mirror and a pack of tissues from her bag. "Wipe the lipstick off your face."
Unbothered, Matthew shrugged and accepted the tissues.
"You really have no self-control," Helen muttered, exasperated. "How many women were there last night?"
"What?" Matthew feigned ignorance.
Helen pointed at his face. "Judging by the colors and shapes of the lipstick marks, at least four."
Matthew glanced in the mirror, confirming her observation. His face and neck bore several lip prints, undoubtedly from Taylor and her friends getting overly enthusiastic.
Helen sighed. "You were just with Margot Robbie at the shooting range the other day. I thought you were seriously pursuing her. But now…"
She shook her head as Matthew remained silent. After booking the ticket, she instructed Brown, "Take us to the international airport."
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