The setting sun bathed the entire desert in red. The camp was silent, with only the occasional sound of the wind breaking the stillness, as if everything had fallen into a deep slumber.
But Brown-Williams didn't see it that way. The camp was quiet now because the main crew had not yet returned from the filming location.
He quietly slipped behind the trailers, hiding near the front of one and peeking out. A young man wearing glasses was sneaking around, seemingly searching for Matthew's whereabouts.
Brown-Williams noticed John on the other side of another trailer. John was looking in his direction.
He made two tactical gestures to John, and the two of them quickly closed in on their target, using the trailers for cover.
"Where did he go?" The young man with glasses muttered to himself as he searched around. "How did he disappear so quickly?"
He had been following Matthew since he left the trailer, but suddenly lost sight of him.
"Could I have been noticed?" This thought crossed his mind, but then he reassured himself, "I'm just a fan of Matthew Horner. Wouldn't it be great if he noticed me?"
Just as he was thinking this, he heard footsteps behind him and turned around. A burly bodyguard was rushing at him. Before he could react, two large hands grabbed his arms from behind, twisting them back.
A sharp pain shot through him, and the young man with glasses dropped to his knees, crying out, "It hurts! It hurts!"
Brown-Williams, holding the young man's arms, found it strange that the man didn't seem to resist at all. But he didn't let his guard down and questioned him, "Who are you? Why are you following us?"
"I… ah…" The young man with glasses screamed again, then pleaded, "It hurts so much! Can you loosen your grip so I can talk?"
John stood a short distance away, his hand resting on the back of his waist, ready to draw his gun if necessary.
Seeing John, Brown-Williams slightly eased his grip. "Talk!"
The young man with glasses, feeling the pressure on his arms lessen, stopped screaming and said, "I'll talk! I'll talk! I'm Max Will, a fan! I just wanted to get Matthew's autograph!"
Hearing this, Brown-Williams frowned and demanded, "Show me proof!"
"I'm here with a group of other fans!" Max Will quickly explained. "They went to the set, but I didn't. I sneaked into the camp because I wanted to take a picture with Matthew!"
After saying this, Max Will saw that Brown-Williams didn't respond, so he added, "I'm the vice president of the North Hollywood Matthew Horner Fan Association. Phyllis Beretta and many people from the support website know me."
He could tell that these two were likely Matthew's bodyguards.
Five minutes later, Matthew emerged from behind a trailer, and the crew's security personnel also arrived. They saw the young man with glasses standing between John and Brown-Williams.
The security personnel surrounded the young man with glasses, and Brown-Williams approached Matthew, whispering in his ear, "This guy's name is Max Will. He's the vice president of the North Hollywood Fan Association. I've confirmed this with Bella Anderson."
"Did he get hurt?" Matthew asked.
Brown-Williams shook his head. "No, we subdued him easily."
Matthew couldn't help but glance at the young man with glasses. The man was in his early twenties, with an ordinary appearance that made him blend into a crowd. However, his arms seemed unusually long.
For most people, their arms hang down to just below their hips. But this man's arms, when hanging naturally, almost reached his knees, resembling those of a long-armed ape.
While it wasn't polite to describe his fan this way, Matthew couldn't think of any other words to describe him. Besides the overly long arms, the man's hands were also unusually large, especially considering his relatively thin frame.
People's appearances vary, and not everyone could be as handsome as him, nor could everyone possess the stunning looks of Jason Statham. Matthew only gave him a quick glance and didn't think much more about it.
After all, there were countless people in this world who looked even stranger.
Since Brown-Williams had confirmed that the man posed no threat, Matthew walked over. When it came to his fans, he was always kind and approachable.
Seeing Matthew approach, Max Will's face lit up with excitement.
Matthew stepped into the circle formed by the security personnel and extended his hand. "Hello, Max."
Max Will, full of excitement, quickly shook Matthew's hand. "Hello! Hello! Good afternoon! Oh… no, good evening, Matthew!"
He was so excited that he became somewhat incoherent, tightly gripping Matthew's hand and shaking it vigorously.
Matthew smiled. "I apologize for what just happened."
"No, no, it's fine…" Max Will still held onto Matthew's hand, shaking it back and forth. "It was my fault for being reckless. I shouldn't have broken into the set's camp."
Matthew's hand was being shaken continuously, and he suddenly noticed that Max Will's hand was very rough, similar to his own, with many calluses.
"I heard you wanted my autograph and a photo?" Matthew asked.
Max Will nodded eagerly. "Yes!" He smiled sheepishly and said, "We originally planned to go to the outdoor set to watch you film today, but I changed my mind at the last minute… Matthew, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused."
"It's okay." Matthew gestured toward his hand. "Could you let go now?"
What was meant to be a polite handshake had turned into Max Will refusing to let go. Being held onto by another man and shaken repeatedly was far from a pleasant experience.
Max Will quickly released his hand, apologizing again, and then asked, "Can I still get a photo with you?"
"Of course." Matthew turned to Brown-Williams and gave him instructions, then said to Max Will, "Please wait a moment."
Soon, one of the crew's photographers came over with a Polaroid camera and took a photo of Matthew with Max Will.
After the photo developed, Matthew signed the back of it, exchanged a few more words with Max Will, and then watched as the young man was escorted out of the camp by the security personnel.
Following the two security guards, Max Will walked through the corridors between the trailers and out of the camp. After walking a short distance, he turned to look back, but Matthew Horner had already left the spot where they had taken the photo.
Looking at the photo in his hand, Max Will felt a surge of excitement again. Today's encounter had been incredibly rewarding. Not only had he met Matthew up close for the first time, but he had also gotten a photo with him.
It was something he had only dreamed of.
But there was still a bit of regret…
From the moment he had shaken Matthew's hand until he left the camp, Max Will had been overwhelmed with excitement. However, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret. Why couldn't Matthew Horner have taken the photo with him in his underwear?
Wouldn't that have been amazing?
Back at the "G.I. Joe" set camp, the place began to buzz with activity as the main crew returned. The sky gradually darkened, and the hum of generators filled the air as various high-powered lights were switched on.
Despite the unexpected interruption caused by Max Will, which had delayed things a bit, Matthew did not change his plans and continued heading toward Karolina Kurkova's trailer.
When he arrived at the trailer, he knocked on the door. Karolina Kurkova's assistant opened it, saw Matthew, and then turned back to inform Karolina. After that, the assistant left the trailer.
Matthew entered alone and saw Karolina Kurkova lying half-reclined. "I heard you got heatstroke. Are you feeling better?" he asked.
Karolina Kurkova pursed her lips and said, "I took some medicine today, so I'm feeling much better."
She knew very well why she had gotten heatstroke, but she couldn't voice her complaints. After all, she had made a promise when they struck a deal.
She looked at Matthew, thinking to herself how everyone in the world had been fooled by him. Beneath his friendly exterior lay the heart of a devil.
But then again, she had only agreed to the deal because she had been deceived by his handsome appearance…
Yet she had no choice. With major brands canceling her contracts, her glamorous life was slipping away. Compared to that, what Matthew was putting her through now was nothing.
"About yesterday, I might have gone a bit too far."
Matthew pulled out a chair and sat down, casually placing a paper bag on the small table next to him. "KK, I promise I won't play yesterday's game again."
Karolina Kurkova's face briefly showed a flash of grievance, and she nearly teared up. Being tormented in the scorching desert, was it any wonder she fell ill?
But then she realized something—Matthew had said he wouldn't play yesterday's game again…
Karolina Kurkova's body began to tremble slightly. There were still over six months until "G.I. Joe" was released. Who knew what else this devil might do in that time?
She glanced at Matthew, who was smiling at her. The smile seemed warm and genuine, like a gentle spring breeze, but Karolina was certain it was the smile of a devil!
Suddenly, she had a moment of clarity. She should never have accepted that million-dollar payment! Matthew Horner had seemed generous when he paid the million dollars, but in reality, he had been looking for opportunities to settle the score with her…
This man loved money even more than beautiful women, didn't he?
Matthew tilted his head, looking at Karolina Kurkova. "What are you thinking about
, KK?" He didn't wait for an answer and pointed to the paper bag beside him. "This is a special potion I prepared. It has incredible effects. Be sure to use it."
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