"Keep an eye on that car."
From the window of his vehicle, Spike Lee watched as Sophia Coppola entered Matthew Horner's Mercedes. He instructed his driver, "Follow them."
The black Mercedes started its engine and slowly pulled away from the theater entrance, turning the corner and heading in the direction of the Four Seasons Hotel.
Spike Lee's expression darkened. He had left the theater early and waited in his car to see if his words had any impact. What he saw was Sophia Coppola and Matthew Horner leaving the theater together, intimately close, with Sophia even holding onto Matthew's arm before they both got into the same car.
He knew Sophia Coppola well. She had studied art but dropped out midway, inherently restless and never a conservative woman.
The black Mercedes in front of them approached the Four Seasons Hotel and slowed down. Spike Lee's expression grew darker, his face reflecting the shadows of his deep frustration.
Despite his ulterior motives for wanting to reconcile with Sophia Coppola, it was gut-wrenching to see his ex-wife, whom he had hoped to woo back with lies and deceit, going to a hotel with another man. The frustration and anger were almost unbearable.
The Mercedes stopped at the hotel entrance, and as Spike Lee watched, Matthew and Sophia exited the car and walked into the Four Seasons together.
Spike Lee wasn't a fool. A man and a woman, entering a hotel together at this hour, weren't there just to chat, drink, or have a late-night snack. It was obviously more than that.
Bang—
Spike Lee's black hand slapped the black leather seat hard, muttering under his breath, "Those bastards!"
He took off his glasses and leaned back in his seat, breathing heavily, almost losing his composure.
The driver glanced at Spike Lee through the rearview mirror, perplexed. The director had been divorced from the Coppola heiress for over two years. Was this really worth all the fuss?
"Park across the street," Spike Lee ordered.
The car drove past the Four Seasons, then made a U-turn and parked on the opposite side of the road. Spike Lee continued watching the hotel entrance through the car window. The Mercedes that had brought Matthew and Sophia had already driven away, disappearing into the night.
The car was gone, and those two wouldn't be leaving the hotel anytime soon.
Spike Lee had a fleeting urge to storm into the hotel and catch them in the act. But being fifty years old, even though he had developed quite a temper as a long-time director, he knew he had no right to burst in. Sophia had divorced him two years ago.
For a moment, he was at a loss, feeling a deep sense of bitterness, almost as if he had swallowed a live worm.
Matthew Horner! Sophia Coppola!
Sophia, being a Coppola, belonged to a family with significant influence in the industry. He couldn't afford to do anything drastic to her, especially since he still needed to leverage the Coppola family's power in the future.
But Matthew Horner…
Spike Lee instructed his driver, "Let's go, take me home."
The driver, maintaining his silence, started the car and drove away from the Four Seasons. After a short distance, Spike Lee's raspy voice came from the back seat again, "Drop me off first, then come back and keep an eye on them. Tell me when they leave."
Spike Lee lived in Beverly Hills, not far from the hotel.
The car exited South Doheny Drive and turned onto Rodeo Drive. Spike Lee gazed out the window. Rodeo Drive was bustling, especially around the Beverly Center, which remained crowded even at this hour. A large screen on the mall's exterior displayed various advertisements.
Spike Lee's eyes locked onto the screen. A row of men in red briefs caught his attention, particularly the one standing at the front, who exuded rugged masculinity and fierce strength, almost like a war god.
"Slow down!" he commanded his driver.
The car slowed as a short movie trailer played on the big screen. Watching the male lead radiate such masculine charm, Spike Lee suddenly felt a pang of inadequacy. Compared to Matthew Horner, he was indeed getting old.
But he refused to accept it!
Spike Lee took a final look at the screen, just in time to see Matthew Horner kick another man down a well…
His eyes widened in shock, staring blankly out the window until the car turned off Rodeo Drive. He then pulled out his phone and dialed a number, "Find out when Matthew Horner's new movie is premiering and which company produced it. I want an invitation to the premiere."
The driver dropped Spike Lee off and switched to another car to return to the Four Seasons. He waited near the hotel entrance but soon dozed off, unable to keep his eyes open.
When he awoke, daylight had broken. Seeing the sun rising in the sky, he feared he had missed something important.
However, he had a plan. He ran to the hotel entrance and took advantage of a bellboy stepping out to slip him a $100 tip. He quickly learned that Matthew and Sophia had stayed in the hotel overnight and left together about twenty minutes ago.
Returning to his car, the driver called Spike Lee and slightly altered the story to appear diligent, "Boss, Matthew Horner and Sophia Coppola left the Four Seasons five minutes ago, together."
"I see." Spike Lee's curt response was followed by the click of the phone hanging up.
The driver shook his head, thinking his boss was being petty. After over two years of divorce, why meddle in someone else's private life?
As he drove away, he glanced back at the luxurious entrance of the Four Seasons. People like Matthew Horner clearly matched better with someone like Sophia Coppola. His own boss was just old and...
"Where are you heading?"
In the moving Mercedes, Matthew asked Sophia, "I'll drop you off."
Holding his rough, calloused hand, Sophia hummed softly, "Century City. Take me to the Fox Tower."
"Mike!" Matthew instructed the driver.
"Why are your hands so rough?" Sophia said, examining Matthew's hand, noticing the calluses, "But they feel nice."
Matthew smiled at her double entendre, "I keep myself in shape. Unless I'm busy filming, I work out and train every week."
Sophia understood, gently prodding a callus with her fingernail, "No wonder you're in such good shape."
"I have to be." Matthew replied casually, "People like me need to work hard to stay on top."
"It's not easy for people like me either," Sophia admitted.
Matthew responded softly, "You have more advantages than I do."
Sophia was silent for a moment, then nodded, "You're right." She paused, reflecting, "My father started grooming us when we were very young. I still remember when I was six, he directed a family movie at home called 'Cinderella.' I played the lead, my mother was the fairy godmother, and my brothers were the prince and the stepsister…"
The imagery was so vivid that Matthew found it hard to imagine…
"My dad was always over-the-top in his expectations," Sophia continued, "If it weren't for seeing my idol Prince in 'Purple Rain' at the theater when I was twelve, I probably wouldn't have gotten into movies at all."
She wore a nostalgic look, "You've probably heard that I was harshly criticized back then."
Matthew nodded, joking, "Blame it on your last name."
"Yes, blame it on being a Coppola." Sophia, mature beyond her years, could now face her past with calm acceptance, "I wasn't the only one affected by the pressure. When Nicolas was still called Coppola, he faced constant taunts on set. People would recite lines from 'Apocalypse Now' or 'The Godfather' to mock him."
Matthew chuckled, "Nicolas didn't have it any easier than you."
"He was luckier than me." Sophia self-deprecatingly noted, "Did he ever win two Razzie awards?"
"I think I've been nominated for a Razzie too."
"Don't pay attention to them," Sophia waved it off, "They're just a bunch of crazies. You know what they say recently?"
Matthew shook his head.
Sophia didn't wait for him to answer, providing her own, "The Razzie committee proudly claims that awarding me the Worst Newcomer and Worst Supporting Actress prizes saved me from pursuing acting further. They say the movie world would have lost an Oscar-winning director."
It sounded plausible. Matthew laughed and patted Sophia's hand.
Despite the morning traffic, the drive from the Four Seasons to the Fox Tower in Century City was short. Soon, they arrived at the base of the building.
"I have to go," Sophia said, giving Matthew a lingering look with a smile and her distinctive nasal tone, "Last night was wonderful. I'll remember it for a long time."
Matthew extended his hand, "Your phone."
Sophia hesitated briefly before handing it over. Matthew entered his number, dialed it, then hung up and returned the phone to her.
"I'll miss you, Sophia," he said.
Sophia nodded slightly, putting her phone away. She opened the door and stepped out, waving to Matthew before turning and walking into the Fox Tower.
Meanwhile, Spike Lee had arrived at Francis Lawrence's home.
He stayed only briefly, about half an hour, before leaving. As he exited, he received a call from his assistant. Through agency channels, his assistant had managed to secure an invitation to the premiere of "300."
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