On a rubble-strewn street, a woman handed a bomb to a child, murmuring something in Arabic. The child, struggling slightly with the large explosive, rushed toward the American soldiers and an M1 tank, driven by what seemed to be hatred for these invaders. Suddenly, the gunfire sounded without warning, and as the prop master pressed the remote, a large burst of fake blood erupted from the child.
The young actor performed exceptionally well, collapsing into the rubble immediately.
The woman behind him screamed something unintelligible, running to the fallen child, picking up the bomb, and once again charging toward the line of soldiers.
Another gunshot rang out, and a spray of blood shot from the woman as she crumpled to the ground, like a tattered rag caught in a gust of wind.
The bomb landed a short distance away from her, erupting in a fiery explosion.
"Cut!" Clint Eastwood shouted, halting the filming. "That's a wrap for today. Good job, everyone."
The chaotic set became even busier as the hundreds of actors called for the battle scene began packing up. To add realism to the scene, the crew had coordinated with the Pentagon to bring in an M1 tank, Humvees, and armored vehicles, all driven by military personnel. The set also included dozens of actual U.S. soldiers.
Eastwood walked over to a Pentagon representative, reminding him to keep the soldiers in check.
Filming had been ongoing for a week, and although the soldiers' antics were relatively minor, it reinforced for both Matthew and Clint that rumors about U.S. military discipline weren't unfounded.
After returning to his trailer, Matthew stripped off his gear and uniform, discovering that his undershirt was soaked with sweat and his face was covered in dust.
The crew hadn't needed to add makeup for the scene; just being in the dilapidated town long enough gave everyone the gritty look of soldiers on a battlefield.
Matthew showered, changed, and was about to leave the trailer when his assistant approached, saying softly, "Charlize Theron is here to visit the set."
"Oh?" Matthew replied. "Where is she?"
"She's at the camp area."
Matthew nodded, climbed into a nearby Mercedes van, and told the driver, "Take me back to camp."
The set was in the middle of the California desert, with the nearest town a hundred miles away. To save time, the crew had opted to set up a base camp in the wilderness. Although someone had suggested that Matthew could take a helicopter to shuttle between the set and the nearest city, he chose to stay with the rest of the team, just like Eastwood.
Returning to camp, Matthew spotted Charlize Theron.
"What brings you out here?" he asked as he jumped out of the car.
She smiled. "I just finished filming Snow White and the Huntsman and had some free time, so I thought I'd drop by. I also have some news."
Curious, Matthew asked, "What news?"
She shrugged. "I read the script for Fast & Furious 7 and decided to take on the role of the villain you mentioned."
"Didn't you already agree to that last time?" Matthew asked, spreading his hands.
"Did I?" Charlize replied lightly. "That was just a preliminary agreement. Now it's official."
Matthew checked his watch. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No," she replied.
Leading her toward the camp's makeshift dining hall, he said, "Let's grab dinner."
They entered, found a quiet spot, and after getting some food, began chatting as they ate.
"I heard you were involved in another shooting incident recently?" Charlize asked, sounding concerned.
"It was no big deal," Matthew replied casually. "Just a veteran with PTSD who thought the world was against him and felt everyone owed him something."
Charlize sighed. "Try to stay away from danger, Matthew. I know you're capable, but bullets are beyond anyone's control."
"This was just an accident," he said honestly.
Realizing he wouldn't take her advice, she dropped the subject.
"How's Amir?" he asked, changing the topic. "Why didn't you bring her along?"
Charlize took a sip of water. "She's in school."
Matthew nodded. "You should join our next racing meet. I'd like to introduce you to everyone."
She didn't refuse. "Sure."
Matthew noticed that Charlize was more reserved around him than she once was; perhaps they'd both changed. He remembered how she'd once had genuine feelings for him, but he had never been ready to settle down.
Now, it was clear Charlize saw him as just a friend, with most of her attention focused on her adopted daughter, Amir.
Charlize seemed uninterested in discussing Amir further and instead turned the conversation to the film. "I recently read American Sniper," she said thoughtfully. "Don't you think the book's stance and values are problematic?"
Matthew, chewing on his steak, replied, "What do you mean?"
Charlize hesitated, then said, "According to Chris Kyle's account, Americans are always the good guys, and any Arab who appears is automatically the villain. He claims he killed to protect others, but going onto foreign land to kill its natives—no matter the reason—feels pretty far-fetched, doesn't it?"
"It is far-fetched," Matthew acknowledged, never denying that aspect.
Only the naive or foolish would see American soldiers as noble saviors; he had never viewed the U.S. as inherently righteous.
Charlize continued, "Will the film's stance align with the book?"
Matthew didn't hide his intentions. "More or less."
"Is that... okay?" Charlize asked, then added, "I've been to war zones, and it's a hundred times worse than people imagine."
Matthew dabbed his mouth with a napkin. "Charlize, this isn't about right or wrong."
As someone who had once been engaged to Matthew, she quickly understood his meaning. "So, it's about commercial interests?"
Matthew shrugged. "If the Middle Eastern market were as big as North America's, I'd absolutely make an anti-war film, where American soldiers repent before the suffering Iraqi people."
He added nonchalantly, "But that's not reality. I can't ignore North American audiences to appeal to Iraqis."
Charlize nodded. As a prominent Hollywood actress, she was well aware of how film investors thought; commercial returns were their primary concern.
As for values and justice, those were just byproducts molded to suit the market's needs.
Matthew was no exception.
Since becoming a mother, Charlize's views had shifted considerably.
Matthew sensed this change in his long-time friend, but he didn't comment. People were different; he couldn't expect everyone to share his perspective.
His goal was simply to secure the support of as many people as possible.
The more supporters he had, the more profit he could gain.
Across the dining hall, Margot Robbie spotted Charlize sitting with Matthew. In a room dominated by men, she noticed them immediately.
"Why is she here?" Margot wondered aloud.
Her assistant, Lisa, replied, "Matthew Horner and Charlize Theron remained close friends even after ending their engagement."
"Close friends?" Margot couldn't help but think of a more specific type of relationship. "Seems like more than that."
Lisa lowered her voice. "Hollywood gossip has it that although Matthew Horner is a playboy, he genuinely cared about two women—his first love, Britney Spears, and Charlize Theron. He even got engaged to Charlize at one point."
Lisa pondered, "Do you think Matthew and Charlize might get back together?"
Margot shook her head. "Not likely. A playboy never changes; they just move from one woman to the next."
Though she hadn't known Matthew Horner long, Margot believed she could read people well enough. Someone like Matthew Horner wasn't about to settle for one woman.
Charlize wasn't his "one true love," and maybe no one in Hollywood would ever be.
Margot was fun-loving and outgoing but not naive. She could tell that Matthew was interested in her, but she wasn't entirely receptive to that kind of attention.
One-night stands didn't bother her much, but what came afterward?
A one-night fling and then moving on?
Margot wasn't conservative, but she also wasn't going to swoon over a playboy.
After dinner, Charlize took her leave from the set. Matthew arranged for someone to drive her to the nearest city, where the production's rented helicopter would fly her back to Los Angeles. As she put it, she needed to get back to take care of her daughter and couldn't stay out long.
Perhaps, as a mother, a woman's life inevitably centers around her children.
Matthew didn't fully understand this, but he ensured that someone kept an eye on Charlize's well-being. If the South African star ever needed help, he would assist her if possible.
Meanwhile, the crew continued filming, focusing primarily on battle scenes.
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