Behind The Spotlight Chapter 163
It took Lawrence an hour to convince Emma to let him go. He said that he had to leave first and prepare for their relationship, which he described in overly dramatic detail just to pacify her. His patience was outstanding for going along with it, considering he felt mentally drained and physically tense the entire hour.
As Lawrence and Collin walked out of the hotel, Lawrence couldn't help but sigh.
"I guess I have to adjust to this new life of mine," Lawrence muttered with a shaky laugh.
"Every time she clings to me, I feel every hair in my body standing on end. She won't kill me without reason, right?" He tried to sound casual, but his voice cracked slightly.
"I will hire more bodyguards."
"I guess that will do."
Lawrence thought of leaving the industry, but he couldn't let go of his dream. He loved acting and the fame that came with it. The validation he received from fans and critics was addictive. So he had to compromise in this situation, even if it meant sacrificing personal comfort. He was not sure if this was the right choice, but he had to do it anyway because there was simply no safer option.
"If I knew that Terrier would agree to my condition, I should have asked for a better price," Collin added, regretting how quickly he had spoken during the negotiation.
"Yeah, I'm curious about that."
"You probably have no idea, but the Blackstone Corporation is actually worth $82 billion. It's a private company with Terrier owning about 80% of the shares," Collin explained slowly.
"... You've got to be kidding me, really?"
"I'm not lying. If you successfully fix Emma, you'll get 2% of the Blackstone Corporation, which is $1.64 billion. You'll become a billionaire." Collin emphasized the word "billionaire."
"This... This venture might be worth it." Lawrence was stunned. He thought his decision might be wrong, but if the prize was more than $1 billion, then it was different. At least now he had more motivation to do it.
$1.64 billion was not simple money, even though it was technically company shares. Its worth was still enormous. Lawrence could never earn that amount unless he started his own business, which he had no talent for.
'Of course, as his agent, I'm also legally allowed 5% of that amount since I'm the one who negotiated it,' Collin internally celebrated.
As for what Collin would do with those earnings… he had no idea. Perhaps he could invest in another company or buy a mansion somewhere. Moonrise Music was steadily climbing, and the investment was worth it.
After thinking about it, this venture might not be bad, although it was still terrifying in its own way.
'If you're in our position, would you also act as Emma's lover in exchange for $1.64 billion? I think I know the answer.'
Collin and Lawrence left the hotel with clearer minds.
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After 10 days of screening, The Boss Proposal had grossed $117 million at the North American box office. 20th Centaur was satisfied with this performance, as the movie belonged to the Romantic Comedy genre.
They were happy working with Director Summerbelt and Lawrence Terrence, both proven moneymakers. Of course, they had to promote the movie all over the country with back-to-back interviews and appearances. Lawrence and the cast of The Boss Proposal went to different states and attended interviews and shows, sometimes three in one day.
During this time, Lawrence had to play along with Emma by calling and texting her at least twice a day, according to the treatment plan. He also contacted the psychiatrist regarding Emma's treatment. The psychiatrist said Lawrence's job was to teach Emma to behave and help her understand how human relationships work. As for how Lawrence could implement that, he had to work hard.
Whenever Emma tried to say that she would go to Lawrence's hotel because she missed him, Lawrence subtly told her that she had to respect his privacy, though she always whined before agreeing. This was also part of the treatment, the "self-control" stage or whatever it was called.
Terrier also did his job and found a novel writer who could help build a story that Lawrence had to follow to treat Emma, essentially turning Emma's recovery into a scripted drama. Furthermore, Terrier contacted Director Summerbelt since he was the best director they could find regarding Romance movies. The director was offered a huge amount of money, so he agreed. He didn't want to film a movie for the next two years, and working on a different kind of job seemed interesting and entertaining. Besides, he just had to stay updated on the situation and give his opinion, no cameras, no set, just guidance.
Next month, in September, Lawrence and Emma would marry. Lawrence didn't want to include his parents in this charade, so they were never invited to the wedding to avoid unnecessary questions. As for the attendees, apart from Collin, almost every guest at the wedding was hired by Terrier… they were extras.
The writer and Director Summerbelt used this moment to set up a scene where someone would stand up and try to prevent the wedding by confessing her love to Lawrence, triggering Emma's emotional confrontation. Terrier made sure that would happen with careful selection of the actress.
When the priest was about to announce, "You may kiss the bride," a beautiful woman stood up and confessed how much she loved Lawrence.
Emma was glaring daggers at the woman the whole time, but Lawrence showed his love to Emma by rejecting the woman convincingly. He kissed Emma, which made her fall harder for him, almost dangerously obsessed. Emma thought of harming the woman but made a promise to Lawrence that she wouldn't ever hurt anyone again.
Of course, there was a honeymoon… Lawrence admitted that Emma was attractive, and the whole honeymoon was not bad in terms of intimacy. Emma matched his freakiness in bed.
Their sex life was actually intense and fulfilling.
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While Lawrence was busy playing house with Emma, Hollywood didn't stop moving forward.
As of September 1, The Boss Proposal had grossed $234 million worldwide, with $191 million from the North American box office, while the remaining $43 million came from the international box office that started screening last week, a strong result for its genre.
As for The Born Identity, after 65 days of screening worldwide, the box office had grossed over $582 million. Metro Gold Mayer was thrilled with this result, while the Big Six studios were uncomfortable with Metro Gold Mayer's success. They didn't want Metro Gold Mayer to make a comeback, fearing shifts in market power.
Aside from that, Collin had to take care of his health. He was now at the gym lifting weights. However, he didn't know that two pairs of eyes were watching his every movement.
"You sure that's the guy?" one whispered cautiously.
"Of course, we saw his picture," the second murmured.
"But I didn't expect it to be him." The first one sounded surprised.
"Me too," the second person replied.
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