Beverly Hills, Martin's Mansion
Jessica lay lazily on the bed, flanked by Dorothy and Lindsay.
"Why isn't Martin back yet?" Lindsay yawned.
"He's definitely spending the night with Nicole," Jessica replied. "After all, Nicole pulled off something huge tonight. Oh my God, just thinking about it feels surreal."
Lindsay puffed out her cheeks like a hamster, grumbling, "Hmph, one day, one day, I'll announce to the whole world that I'm Martin's woman too!"
"And when will that 'one day' be?" Dorothy teased, pinching Lindsay's cheeks.
"Pfft!" Lindsay's cheeks deflated.
"Hahaha, Lindsay's leaking air!" Dorothy burst into laughter.
"You're so childish, ugh!" Lindsay glared at Dorothy, clearly annoyed.
"Not childish, just fun!" Dorothy cackled.
Suddenly, Lindsay stuck a finger into Dorothy's mouth.
"Eww!" Dorothy gagged.
Now it was Lindsay's turn to laugh.
Jessica watched the two with exasperation. These girls are so immature! She reached out and started tickling both of them under their arms.
The three girls tumbled around on the bed, laughing and playfully wrestling.
Malibu, Cameron Diaz's Villa
After a round of "card games," Cameron lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs before suddenly asking, "Justin, you seem really interested in Martin's personal life?"
Justin was caught off guard but quickly replied, "Not at all. I was just curious. I've never been around someone as wealthy and influential as him before."
As he spoke, Justin couldn't help but recall the humiliation he'd suffered at the Grammys at Martin's hands. Even though he'd provoked the situation, it didn't stop him from harboring resentment toward Martin.
Cameron's expression turned serious. "Justin, you don't have any issues with Martin, do you?"
While she had a soft spot for younger men (most of Cameron's boyfriends had been younger than her), she didn't want to stir up trouble, especially since Martin was her best friend's man.
Justin quickly denied it. "Of course not. Why would I?"
He conveniently left out the part about his past conflict with Martin.
"Good," Cameron said, finishing her cigarette. She then flipped Justin onto his back and grinned. "I declare round two begins!"
Justin silently prayed for his stamina. The little blue pill he'd taken earlier seemed to be kicking in, so he played along. But inwardly, he was crying—I need to find an excuse to leave this house tomorrow, or I might actually die in this bed!
The next day, Justin fled the villa, his kidneys aching.
The Day After the Oscars
News of Nicole Kidman publicly declaring her love for Martin at the Oscars spread like wildfire, causing an uproar. The age gap between them—18 years—was a whole generation!
"The world has gone mad. We can understand Nicole Kidman declaring her love for Martin, but Martin seemingly accepting it? Our reporters captured them leaving together after the Oscars. This is outrageous! With Martin's looks, talent, and wealth, he could have any woman he wants. Why Nicole Kidman, an older woman?"
"F***!" Nicole slammed the newspaper on the table. "I'm not an old woman!" she protested, though she couldn't help but glance at the mirror hanging on the wall.
Martin, who was having breakfast, chuckled at her adorable reaction. "You're not old, Nicole. Look at you—smooth skin, toned muscles, thick hair. And last night? Absolutely explosive. You're still in your prime! Don't listen to the papers. Let me see which one it is—oh, The World News. No surprise there."
Nicole burst out laughing. "In my prime? Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," Martin said with a straight face, making Nicole laugh even harder.
Despite Martin's reassurance, the external criticism weighed heavily on Nicole, especially online. Martin's female fans were relentless in their attacks.
"Nicole, you're just an old woman. Let Martin go."
"Nicole, you shameless b****, you don't deserve Martin."
Nicole had stopped going online altogether.
To ease the pressure on Nicole, Martin decided to shift the public's attention.
"Hey, Benjamin, I've decided to release my new book earlier than planned."
"Earlier? Any particular reason?"
Martin couldn't outright say it was to divert attention from Nicole, so he came up with an excuse. "Remember the mockingjay pin I wore at the Oscars? It's sparked a lot of discussion online. There's a Ching Chong saying: 'Strike while the iron is hot.' I think releasing the book early is a good move."
[TL/N: What? You thought i stopped editing and replacing Chinese/China? Nuh uh.]
"Hmm, we've noticed the buzz around the pin too. Releasing early isn't a problem; we've been ready for a while. Do you have a specific date in mind?"
"How about April 1st? April Fool's Day."
Benjamin Georgia agreed without hesitation. As Martin's social status and wealth had grown, Benjamin's attitude toward him had shifted from reluctant equality to outright deference, almost like a subordinate.
News of Martin's upcoming book release sent his fans into a frenzy. Martin Meyers was set to release another new book—The Hunger Games!
His writing speed was jaw-dropping. Most authors considered one book a year fast, but Martin was releasing three books a year, totaling nearly a million words.
Naturally, some began to question whether Martin was using ghostwriters.
But soon, a video of Martin typing at his computer surfaced online, putting the rumors to rest. In the video, Martin's fingers moved like the fluttering wings of a dragonfly, creating a blur. The sound of the keyboard was a continuous stream, and the words on the screen appeared in chunks rather than one at a time.
"Holy crap, is this video sped up?"
"I thought Martin was just randomly typing, but the coherent sentences on the screen prove he's actually writing at this insane speed."
"What kind of hand speed is this? Can his brain even keep up?"
"Typing fast doesn't mean much. Writing a book isn't just about typing—it's about 构思,布局, and phrasing!"
Despite the video, the doubts didn't completely disappear.