Upon seeing the text message, Matthew immediately called James Wan back. After a brief conversation to understand the situation, he put away his phone and began tidying up his somewhat disheveled clothes while standing in front of the door.
Anne Hathaway, who was eagerly anticipating some excitement, noticed Matthew suddenly stop and quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
"James... you know, the Chinese-American director who was sitting next to me earlier, has run into some trouble," Matthew quickly straightened his clothes. "I have to go check on him."
Hearing this, Anne Hathaway quickly adjusted herself as well and asked, "Should I come with you?"
Matthew, not wanting to waste time on trivial matters, responded offhandedly, "If you want to, then come along."
He casually closed the door and walked toward the elevator, with Anne Hathaway hurrying to catch up, slipping her arm around his as she stayed close by his side.
Once inside the elevator, Matthew didn't speak to Anne Hathaway again. His brow furrowed slightly, as if he was deep in thought.
The heated feeling in his body had mostly subsided after the call with James Wan. Matthew had always been very clear about where his priorities lay between women and his career.
No matter how deeply these women might seem to love him, he knew exactly what attracted them to him in the first place.
Without the foundation and capital, how could one continue to cut trees in the forest?
King Leonidas couldn't just wield a spear without finding an opponent.
As the elevator dinged open, Matthew stepped out, glanced at the nearest room numbers, then turned left and walked quickly down the hallway.
Anne Hathaway had no idea what was happening, only clinging to Matthew and following beside him.
Matthew had already seen it—a luxurious suite with double doors at the end of the hallway, the deep red doors tightly shut.
Looking at the locked doors and recalling James Wan's words over the phone, his expression darkened. Harvey Weinstein had gone too far this time!
Despite knowing that James Wan had already signed a preliminary cooperation agreement with Studio 13, Weinstein still tried to forcibly take over the horror film project. When James Wan refused, Weinstein had locked the director inside the suite.
What was this? Unlawful detention? Or was it an attempt to intimidate?
Matthew was never a generous person, especially when it came to someone like Harvey Weinstein, whose actions had already infringed on his future plans.
James Wan was crucial to the horror universe he was planning, which was at the core of his interests.
Anyone who tried to get their hands on his wallet was undoubtedly an enemy.
Standing in front of the door, Matthew noticed a service attendant peeking from a distance, looking suspicious. He gestured for him to come over, "You, come here!"
The attendant hesitated, seemingly reluctant to approach.
Matthew raised his voice slightly, "Come here!"
Reluctantly, the attendant made his way over.
Anne Hathaway glanced at the attendant, then at Matthew, and finally at the door, her face full of confusion.
What was going on? Why did they suddenly come here?
The attendant hesitantly approached, and Matthew gave him a look, pointing to the deep red double doors. "Open it."
"Mr. Horner," the attendant said, clearly recognizing Matthew, "this isn't your room."
He seemed to gain a bit of confidence after that. "You have no right to ask me to open someone else's room."
He was the dedicated attendant for this floor and knew exactly whose room this was. He was also aware that the man who often occupied this suite engaged in all sorts of messy activities, and that fat man was quite generous with him. Moreover, he had been instructed by higher-ups not to meddle in whatever happened in this suite.
Matthew, not interested in wasting words on a mere attendant, pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Once connected, he said directly, "Hello, Howard, it's Matthew."
Hilton and Four Seasons were hotels he frequently stayed at, and as a VIP guest, he knew several of Hilton's senior managers.
"My friend has been locked in a room by someone." Matthew, hearing the person on the other end ask for details, looked at the room number and relayed it. The person seemed hesitant, so he frowned and added, "Howard, I know this is Harvey Weinstein's room, but you need to understand something: the person locked in there is my friend. This is unlawful detention, and if it weren't for our good relationship, I would have already called the police!"
He spoke firmly, "If the hotel can't handle this, let the police deal with it."
After a moment, Matthew received a satisfactory response. He ended the call and pressed a sensor in his pocket, knowing that the hotel would likely inform Harvey Weinstein, which could lead to some unpleasantness.
Anne Hathaway, standing beside Matthew, couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, but she heard Matthew's words clearly. A friend of his had been locked inside this suite, and the person who locked him in was Harvey Weinstein!
Even though she had looked down on him earlier at the banquet, Anne Hathaway knew exactly who Harvey Weinstein was.
In an instant, the hand Anne Hathaway had around Matthew's arm loosened, and she began to regret coming along. If Matthew clashed with Harvey Weinstein, wouldn't that be trouble for herself?
She quietly shifted her position, wanting to leave but unable to. Walking away now would definitely make Matthew suspicious.
Anne Hathaway tried to move behind Matthew as much as possible, hoping not to draw attention to herself later.
Matthew sent a text to James Wan and calmly waited. There was no need to guess; he knew the hotel would inform Harvey Weinstein, which was fine by him. It was better to have Weinstein come over.
Before Weinstein could arrive, Brown Williams, accompanied by a bodyguard, turned the corner from the elevator into the hallway. The two men joined Matthew and stood by his side.
Matthew nodded lightly at them without saying much. Since the FBI had confirmed that the drug lord behind Tijuana had fled to Colombia, his bodyguard team had returned to its normal size of two.
Two minutes passed, and he said nothing more to the attendant. The attendant wasn't the main target, and more words would be pointless.
To be precise, the hotel itself wasn't the main target. If the hotel delayed opening the door, he'd simply call the police.
Matthew wasn't interested in dealing with anyone else; he just wanted to see if Harvey Weinstein would show up.
The sound of faint footsteps came from the direction of the elevator. Matthew looked over and saw a hotel assistant manager approaching with an assistant. Before they reached him, the short and stout figure of Harvey Weinstein also appeared.
"Hello, Matthew." The assistant manager quickly extended his hand to Matthew. Without wasting time, Matthew shook it briefly and pointed to the door. "Open it, Howard."
"Wait!" Harvey Weinstein's voice came from behind.
Matthew ignored Howard and turned to face Harvey Weinstein, calmly saying, "Open the door, Harvey."
His voice wasn't loud, and he didn't seem particularly imposing, appearing quite calm.
Harvey Weinstein walked over and said, "I'm the owner of this suite. James Wan wanted to rest, so I lent him the room. He doesn't want to be disturbed."
Matthew shook his head with a smile. "Should I call James Wan right now?"
Howard stood by, not saying a word. As the hotel's representative, he didn't want to offend either man.
In his eyes, neither Matthew Horner nor Harvey Weinstein was a good guy.
Harvey Weinstein stared at Matthew, his fat face full of bluster, occasionally glancing at Anne Hathaway.
Anne Hathaway bit her lip lightly, regretting her decision to the core. Not only had Matthew clashed with Harvey Weinstein, but the latter had also noticed her. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have come with Matthew tonight.
Why did she get involved in this mess?
Anne Hathaway felt a strong urge to step forward and tell Harvey Weinstein that she was just looking for a one-night stand with Matthew and had nothing to do with him.
If she offended Harvey Weinstein, how much more difficult would it be to compete for an Oscar in the future?
Unconsciously, Anne Hathaway loosened her grip on Matthew's arm and took a step back, increasing the distance between them.
As someone who considered herself very smart, Anne Hathaway instinctively wanted to protect herself.
She even considered whether she should call Harvey Weinstein later to explain that tonight's incident had nothing to do with her.
As for Matthew Horner...
Whether it was Matthew or Harvey Weinstein, they were both big shots she couldn't afford to offend. They could fight all they wanted, as long as she wasn't dragged into it.
Seeing Anne Hathaway step back after a glare from him, Harvey Weinstein's bluster increased, and his face grew even darker.
But Matthew wasn't intimidated at all.
These days, the forces around him might not yet match those of Harvey Weinstein, who had been entrenched in Hollywood for thirty years, but they were not without power to contend with him.
Seeing that Matthew remained unusually calm, his expression unchanged, Harvey Weinstein spoke slowly, his voice low and filled with anger, "Matthew Horner, are you planning to go to war with me and Weinstein Company?"
The threat was clear.
Matthew suddenly smiled. "Harvey, do you want to make this a big deal?"
Harvey Weinstein snorted, "You're the one trying to make a big deal out of this, aren't you?"
Unexpectedly, Matthew nodded. "Yes, I am. I can't miss this opportunity." He slowly rotated his phone in his hand. "I'll call the police right now... and I'm sure the media will be interested. Don't think you can suppress the media coverage. Disney has deep conflicts with you, and Warner Bros. has been at odds with you for years. TMZ, under Warner's banner, has always been very interested in you."
Harvey Weinstein's expression
changed slightly at these words, though it was too quick for anyone to notice.
Matthew remained calm. "Harvey, do you want me to seize this opportunity to make a big deal out of it?"
Harvey Weinstein glared at Matthew. "Fine! You're very good."
Matthew ignored him and turned to Howard, saying, "Open the door."
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