"Pete?"
Luca nodded.
This strategy would not only ruin Pete's reputation but also shift the media's attention, damage Aniston's name, and help clean up the dirt on Pete. Three birds with one stone—what a high-level move!
"Kate, it's not necessarily throwing dirt on them. What if Luca and Aniston really have something going on?" Miranda blinked and smiled.
"Stop it. Aniston and I are just friends. There's nothing between us," Luca glared at her.
"Really?" Kate crossed her arms, her deep blue eyes full of suspicion.
Luca gave a bitter smile, "Kate, seriously, there's nothing!"
Kate looked at him, then smiled, "Alright, I believe you. But things are getting dangerous. You should clear your name quickly, or it could hurt your career."
Luca nodded in agreement. Actors need a good reputation. If your name stinks too much, no one will hire you. He had just become a B-list actor and couldn't afford to lose that status over this.
With that in mind, he called Ed to discuss PR matters.
Ed said the company was already handling it, but the opposition was strong and aggressive. Clearing things up wouldn't happen overnight.
"Try to avoid meeting Aniston for now. If more rumors spread, you'll be completely ruined," Ed advised sincerely over the phone.
"I understand."
"And in a few days, the company will arrange a TV interview for you. You can clear things up by saying you spent most of the year in Brazil. It'll be easy to explain."
"Alright, I'll follow your lead."
After hanging up, Luca leaned back in his chair, feeling a headache. He hadn't done anything wrong, yet he was being painted as a cheater—truly a disaster out of nowhere.
"Enough, stop worrying."
Kate ruffled his hair and smiled, "This whole thing could benefit you. Aniston, Pete, Jolie—they're all big stars. Getting caught up in this with them will give you a lot of publicity."
Kate smiled with a playful curve to her lips.
Luca shook his head. "I don't need that. I'm a serious actor. I let my work speak for itself. Publicity like that means nothing."
"Pfft!" Kate and Miranda rolled their eyes in unison.
Around four in the afternoon, the car slowly returned to Pear Tree Manor.
It was July, the height of summer, and the trees inside and outside the estate were lush and green.
On the emerald lawn, two brown tabby cats were chasing butterflies, while two white Angora cats lay by the pool, lazily pawing at the water.
After half a year at the manor, the four kittens had grown into half-sized cats, their fur even softer to the touch.
Back at the villa, Luca took off his clothes and swam a few laps in the pool. Then he lounged on a beach chair, staring up at the blue sky and white clouds. Before long, he dozed off.
The next day, feeling refreshed, he ran eight kilometers along the Pacific West Coast, worked up a good sweat, and felt even more energized.
"Smells great!"
Luca walked into the dining room, toweling off his hair.
Kate had her long hair tied up and was wearing an apron as she laid out breakfast on the table: vegetable salad, toast, and eggs. Luca's plate also had a piece of fried pork chop.
"Eat first. Miranda likes to sleep in," Kate said, pouring two glasses of milk and sitting across from him.
"Didn't she say last night that she was going to wake up early to exercise?"
Luca laughed as he set down his towel.
"That's just wishful thinking."
"Yeah, but hasn't she put on a little weight? Shouldn't you be pushing her to lose some?"
"No need for that. She's nice and soft to cuddle with when she's a bit chubby, isn't she?"
Luca laughed heartily, agreeing wholeheartedly. Lima was voluptuous, Britney was slightly plump, and sleeping with them was soft and cozy. Ambrosio, on the other hand, was a bit too thin, and sometimes her hip bones would poke into him.
"Do you have any plans today?" Kate asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Well, I'll be starting a new project in a few days, so I need to prepare for that," Luca said while eating.
Kate nodded. "There's a party at the book club this afternoon. Wanna join? Lots of socialites and beauties will be there."
"No thanks. I'm not interested in socialites and beauties," Luca shrugged.
"Why not?" Kate teased, using her slender fingers to lift his chin. "You used to drool at the mention of beautiful women. Now what, you've turned into some celibate heartthrob?"
Luca swatted her hand away. "I have to be. Between dealing with Lima and Britney, even a superhuman body couldn't keep up."
"Haha, is it just Lima and Britney? What about Aniston and Theron? And that girl from the watermelon patch? You still haven't explained that one. What are you hiding?"
Luca's expression froze, then he laughed awkwardly. "Honey, isn't this conversation a bit too heavy for breakfast?"
"Heavy?" Kate raised an eyebrow sharply. "Don't tell me... it was a guy?"
Luca's face darkened, his mouth twitching. "Kate, I'm a straight man. I'm not into guys."
"Who knows? Didn't you want to star in Brokeback Mountain? You even did that thing with Jolie, and Lima said you like it when..."
"Stop!" Luca wiped his brow, laughing nervously. "Kate, we're having breakfast. Can we not talk about this?"
"Fine. So who was the girl that night?"
"Rachel McAdams."
"Her? Why didn't you just say so?"
"There's nothing to hide. I just hadn't had the chance. Do you want to hear the whole story while we eat? I can tell you if you want."
"Never mind. Listening to a sexy story during breakfast would ruin my appetite. Save it for later," Kate said, munching on some fruit.
"Alright then."
Luca let out a sigh of relief.
Kate glanced at him, her lips curving up slightly.
"Oh no! I gained another pound! What am I going to do?" Miranda's voice rang out before she appeared.