"You don't even really know me."
In the newly arranged bedroom, Margot Robbie curled up under the covers, with Matthew holding her from behind. He whispered, "I know you well enough, darling. You're a wonderful woman."
He kissed the back of her head and asked, "What are you afraid of?"
Margot leaned into his embrace. "Nothing," she replied, then suddenly turned to face him. "I'm afraid of everything. What if my fears can't be resolved?"
Matthew looked at her. "We'll get married and start a family."
Margot wanted to respond, but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out.
At that moment, the director, Clint Eastwood, called out, "Cut!"
"Sorry," Margot quickly realized she'd missed her cue. "Sorry, it was my fault."
Matthew released her, moving a bit further away. Beneath the covers, both were only wearing underwear.
Margot sat up and called over to the director, "I just need two minutes to adjust."
As straightforward as the first time they'd met at the shooting range, she lowered her voice and muttered to Matthew, "Can you hold me a little looser? I don't mean anything by it—it's just, you're a bit strong, and it's a little tight."
Matthew nodded gently. "I'll keep that in mind."
He looked at Margot as she sat up, the blanket naturally slipping from her shoulders. She wore only a strapless bra, looking quite alluring.
This Australian actress wasn't the skinny type.
For some reason, Matthew's thoughts shifted to Harley Quinn.
Margot didn't look like the conservative type at all. But still…
Thinking of this, Matthew shook his head. There were plenty of seemingly open people, like Gal Gadot and Diane Kruger, who had no issue with shedding clothes for the camera, just like Margot. But none of them were interested in him.
Matthew sighed internally, understanding that the problem wasn't with Gal, Margot, or anyone else; it was with him.
In recent years, with his growing fame as a top Hollywood star and his good looks, attracting women had become easy. Most actresses and models, not exactly paragons of virtue in Hollywood, were often influenced by the industry's atmosphere and didn't care much about things like this.
Any woman he set his sights on was usually within easy reach, yet things that came too easily often lost their value. In contrast, the unattainable felt more enticing.
People often find themselves in this situation to some degree.
And his experience in the past two years made it even worse.
As a result, he found Gal Gadot and Margot Robbie far more appealing than Jennifer Lawrence or Amber Heard.
Are all men like this?
It wasn't something he could easily talk about, and he didn't have anyone to share it with.
Based on her past film and TV roles, Margot appeared to be quite open, certainly not conservative, yet she maintained a distance from him.
This woman had even saved him.
The image of Margot smashing a glass over Eddie Lowe's head left an indelible impression on him.
How could he repay such a great debt? Obviously, by giving himself over…
Matthew quickly reined in his wandering thoughts. As a man with morals and principles, he knew if he kept thinking this way, he'd end up like Harvey Weinstein.
Margot quickly adjusted herself, and Matthew returned his focus to work. Perhaps because he'd overthought things, he made another mistake, prompting another pause in filming.
This scene turned into a hassle, with both of them repeatedly making mistakes. After seven consecutive NGs, Clint Eastwood lost his temper, clearing everyone out of the set bedroom, leaving only Matthew and Margot to talk it out.
"Sorry." Margot got off the bed in her black underwear, pulled up a chair, and sat down. "I've messed up your rhythm."
Matthew shook his head. "It's not your fault. I overthought things."
Margot asked directly, "Care to share what you were thinking about?"
Leaning against the bed's headboard, Matthew looked at her. Margot spoke up again. "Maybe I should go first."
"Your issue?" Matthew asked.
"Yes," she nodded without hesitation. "My issue is with your line."
Matthew looked puzzled. "My line?"
Margot, direct but not foolish, first confirmed, "We're talking to solve a work issue, right?"
This woman! Matthew nodded. "Of course."
Margot smiled. "So, you won't mind what I say, right?"
"I won't," Matthew assured her.
"Actually, my problem is with your line, 'We'll get married and start a family.'" She didn't hold back. "Matthew, every time you say that line, I can't help but…"
She struggled to find the right words.
Matthew understood. "It makes you think about my real-life situation? And you find it… funny?"
"Well…" Margot hesitated, then admitted, "Yes, something like that."
She continued frankly, "It just feels strange hearing you say that."
Matthew sighed. "Margaret, this is acting. It has nothing to do with real life."
Margot, who was no novice, spread her hands. "I know, and I've never had this issue before. But… I don't know what's going on."
Matthew thought for a moment. "Try clearing your mind. I use that trick sometimes."
"I'll give it a shot," Margot agreed, then asked, "And what about you? I remember you rarely make the same mistake twice."
Matthew hesitated. "Well…"
Margot was blunt. "We're supposed to be talking to solve this issue, right?"
"I started thinking about how you looked holding that bloody glass at the shooting range," he confessed, though he wasn't fully honest. "You looked… cool."
Margot scratched her head. "I didn't think much at the time; I just grabbed the glass and hit him."
"That shows the real you," Matthew said slowly. "If it were me, my first reaction would've been to find a safe place to hide."
Margot tilted her head. "You're really strange."
"How so?" Matthew asked.
"You often… come across as someone who overthinks things."
Since they were practically bare before each other, they spoke more freely. Margot added, "But sometimes, you also seem like a sunny, carefree guy."
Matthew shrugged. "I wasn't always like this. I always wanted to be a good person, but in this industry, you need to be sharp to get anywhere."
It sounded as if Hollywood's culture, not his nature, was to blame for how he'd changed.
Margot nodded in agreement. "I'm also trying to be someone with a little more strategy."
After saying this, she laughed, and Matthew couldn't help but laugh as well.
Afterward, Margot suddenly felt the man across from her didn't seem quite as terrible as before.
But memories of past images quickly flashed through her mind, reminding her this was probably just an illusion.
Margot's gaze flickered, and she looked at Matthew, suddenly saying, "You don't need to keep thinking about what happened at the shooting range." She added teasingly, "Actually, it wasn't just an instinctive move; there was another thought behind it that I haven't shared with anyone."
Matthew asked, "Are you going to tell me?"
"I think it might help solve our current problem." Margot paused, then said, "When I heard the first shot, I thought, I finally got to talk to you and won a fair audition. If someone took you out, wouldn't that mean I'd lose my chance? How long would it take to find another opportunity like this?"
Half-joking, half-serious, Matthew found it hard to tell how much of her words were true.
Margot went on. "I didn't just give myself a shot—I made sure you owed me a favor."
Matthew chuckled. "Is that so?"
"Yeah!" she nodded earnestly. "Now I'm the lead in American Sniper without having to do things I didn't want to for the role."
"Margaret, you're a fascinating person," Matthew said unexpectedly.
Margot blinked, unsure what he meant.
Matthew didn't explain further, instead calling a crew member to bring Clint Eastwood back.
The director returned to the set, briefly spoke with Matthew and Margot, and the crew quickly got ready for another take.
With distractions set aside, both found their groove again, lying together once more.
Despite two more mistakes, they soon fell back into the rhythm. The scene and subsequent intimate scenes between the lead characters were shot successfully, with most scenes requiring only two or three takes.
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