The person approaching was Jennifer Lawrence. This young actress, whenever she appeared in public, was always cheerful and smiling as if nothing in the world could ever trouble her. Her infectious, if sometimes goofy, smile gave her an approachable air.
"Long time no see, Jen," Matthew greeted her.
Jennifer immediately stretched out her arms for a hug. "That's on you—I can't ever seem to reach you."
She sounded like Matthew had somehow abandoned her.
Matthew patted her back lightly and said, "I haven't been in L.A., but now that I'm back, we can see each other anytime you'd like."
"Anytime?" Jennifer took a step back, raising her eyebrows. "Are you sure?"
Despite the playful words, Matthew had honed his response over the years, always keeping things light. "Whenever you'd like."
Jennifer Lawrence was known for being savvy and strategic. Even though she had recently shot to fame with an Oscar nomination and her role as Mystique in X-Men: First Class, she knew better than to change her behavior around Matthew.
She was well aware that her recent success was partly due to her connection with him. Seeing Nina Dobrev's meteoric rise with the Twilight franchise, she held high hopes for the upcoming release of The Hunger Games.
Her agent had advised her more than once that the fastest path to A-list stardom was either winning an Oscar for Best Actress or scoring a massive box office hit as a lead.
Jennifer was only twenty, and winning an Oscar was a long shot. While her agent had tried to secure a lead role in a romance film backed by Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein had refused to even discuss the possibility after hearing her name.
Thinking it over, Jennifer quickly understood why. There had been tabloid stories linking her to Matthew, and everyone in Hollywood knew of the tension between him and Harvey Weinstein. Without severing ties with Matthew, there was no way she'd be able to work with Weinstein.
But Jennifer knew she'd already established herself with Matthew's network. Starting over with Weinstein would take time, and given the current trajectory, Matthew's influence was rising, while Weinstein's was clearly on a decline.
Insiders knew that Weinstein's successful productions were becoming rarer; his career was on a downward slope.
So why switch paths now?
In terms of success rates, Matthew's was near impeccable, while Weinstein's approach to awards involved pushing multiple films for Oscar contention, hoping one would succeed. Was risking her connection with Matthew over a single role worth it? Absolutely not.
Jennifer Lawrence felt confident she was making the smart choice.
In addition, Weinstein's reputation was far worse than Matthew's.
With Matthew, there was a clear and direct exchange of effort and reward.
With Weinstein, the stories of actresses who received no payoff for their "efforts" were all too common.
Hollywood actresses often agreed that if one were to exchange favors, Matthew was the preferred choice.
Jennifer believed this to be true—she had directly benefited from the arrangement.
To her, using her looks and charm to gain opportunities seemed a logical path in a cutthroat industry where she lacked any family connections, financial backing, or influential ties. For actresses in her position, there wasn't much else to rely on. It was a transparent deal, not a hidden game.
With her usual cheery demeanor, Jennifer said to Matthew, "The Hunger Games finished post-production two months ago, and I'm dying for it to come out! Waiting until April feels like an eternity."
"Just a little longer," Matthew replied.
"It's half a year away," Jennifer said, genuinely impatient. For actresses, fame had to be seized quickly; male actors often had longer careers, while actresses typically had only a few prime years. "The wait feels endless."
Leaning forward, she placed a hand over her heart. "This waiting is painful."
Matthew looked down, catching a glimpse of her low neckline, realizing she was being playful.
"Well…" he said, never one to shy away from an opportunity, "Jen, why don't you stop by the estate sometime? I'll make sure you feel better."
Jennifer leaned in closer. "Will there be something sweet?"
Understanding her meaning, Matthew replied in a low voice, "Of course. Sweet and healing."
The tone of his voice was almost like a man offering candy to a child.
Jennifer looked around, seeing that no one else was nearby. "How about tonight? We could take some photos like last time."
Just as he was about to agree, Matthew thought of Amber Heard and hesitated. He then had an idea—why not invite them both?
"I have someone else joining tonight for a little fun. Would you be interested?"
Matthew respected Jennifer and Amber's wishes and would back off if either showed reluctance.
Jennifer quickly understood the suggestion but hesitated.
Three people? She had never tried that before.
Suddenly, a thought made her shiver. "Wait… it's not a guy, is it?"
Hollywood was full of people with all kinds of preferences.
Matthew shook his head and assured her, "No, it's a woman… and she loves a good game."
Jennifer lowered her gaze, silent for a moment.
Not wanting to push her, Matthew gently patted her arm. "How about we plan for another time?"
"I…" Jennifer suddenly looked up. "I could try it."
Matthew nodded. "I'll let her know."
Amber was unlikely to refuse, given that she'd proposed a similar idea before.
With so many people attending the premiere—particularly those involved in Matthew's projects—the red carpet was buzzing. Matthew took advantage of the Twilight series' popularity to promote other projects.
Jennifer Lawrence was a prime example.
Margot Robbie, cast as the female lead in American Sniper, was also at the premiere. However, her level of fame was far behind Jennifer's, and few recognized her. She stood quietly in a corner, observing the industry powerhouses in the room, especially Matthew.
Margot's gaze would drift to him every few seconds, watching the stream of beautiful women flock to his side. She could only shake her head at the scene.
What man could resist such temptation? Especially someone like Matthew, who was known as a playboy.
Nina Dobrev, Lily Collins, Jennifer Lawrence… and others she couldn't even name.
One of them would surely leave with Matthew tonight; maybe even two or three of them.
Her agent had suggested that if she could win over Matthew, she could save herself years of career struggle.
"He's exactly the type who seems great on the surface, and fun to be around," Margot muttered to herself. "But getting serious with him? Anyone who tries would end up miserable."
She could only imagine the chaos of dating someone like Matthew—the endless vigilance, the constant fear of other women, the insecurity. Just thinking about it felt exhausting.
The idea of a boyfriend who might cheat at any time was terrifying.
As the guests started to move toward the screening room, guided by the crew, Matthew found Amber and quietly relayed Jennifer's interest. As he expected, Amber was excited at the prospect.
Matthew briefly considered inviting Nina Dobrev as well, picturing the athleticism she'd shown with her gymnastics. However, when he brought it up, Nina firmly declined, saying she'd be willing to show him her gymnastics skills privately, but not with anyone else involved.
Not wanting to push the matter, Matthew waited until the premiere was over and then left with Jennifer Lawrence and Amber Heard to head back to the estate.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]