The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood! Chapter 54

At the Los Angeles County Courthouse, the bald-headed Morris stood in a corner of the hallway, his gaze fixed on the tightly shut door of the negotiation room. The parties involved had not yet emerged.

He only had a temporary contract with Matthew Horner, so this lawsuit had little to do with him directly. But thinking about the chain of negative consequences that Matthew’s breach of contract had set off for him, he couldn’t resist coming to see how it played out. He had even made a special effort to accompany the production company's agent to court.

He wanted to see Matthew, but as a non-party to the proceedings, he couldn't enter the negotiation room. A quick trip to the restroom had caused him to miss Matthew Horner's arrival.

Initially, he had been happy to work with the adult film company, but the breach of contract had created a mountain of trouble for him personally, until the company eventually stopped working with him altogether. It took him several months to find another actor who met their standards.

Morris had been so preoccupied with finding actors for the company over the last six months that he hadn't paid attention to anything else, nor had he bothered to check on how the country boy was doing.

But he was certain nothing special had happened. Who could possibly turn their entire world upside down in just six months? How was Matthew going to repay the $30,000 for breaching the agency agreement?

Thirty thousand dollars was by no means a small sum. Morris had done the math in his head and had made some specific inquiries before coming here. The settlement was to be paid in installments; Matthew's lawyer had requested a three-part payment plan. The production company just wanted their damages paid and had no strict demands on the timeline, as long as it was settled within the next year.

Still, it made one thing clear: Matthew Horner was broke.

Morris calculated that if Matthew couldn’t pay up later, he might be tempted again. Of course, this time he couldn’t let him off with a regular adult film—the kid had caused him too much trouble. Maybe he could force him to star in more... "special" adult films?

Morris almost snickered at the thought but managed to restrain himself.

...

Inside the negotiation room, both sides quickly reached an agreement. Wilson, the lawyer, handed the out-of-court settlement to Matthew, who gave it a cursory glance before passing it to Helen, who had accompanied him. She leafed through the pages and said, "No problems. Sign it."

Matthew picked up a pen and signed both copies of the contract.

Although he had to pay $30,000 in damages and another $4,000 for Wilson’s legal fees, the $16,000 reduction was a significant weight off his shoulders.

And since Wilson's fees were due by the end of the year and the $30,000 settlement was to be paid in three installments over the next year, the financial strain wasn't overwhelming.

"It's finally over," Matthew sighed in relief.

After the agreement was signed, the production company and its lawyers left first. Wilson had other matters to attend to and also departed quickly.

Matthew and Helen gathered their things and left the room at a leisurely pace, heading down the corridor toward the exit.

Around the corner, the bald-headed Morris spotted Matthew and almost laughed out loud. Judging by his appearance, the kid must have been going through a rough time lately.

He remembered clearly that Matthew had been fair-skinned, but now? That pale complexion was completely gone. Both his face and the muscular arms exposed by his short-sleeved t-shirt were tanned, clearly the result of long hours working outdoors under the sun.

And his body... Matthew was noticeably thinner.

What did that prove? That Matthew had been stuck doing hard manual labor, the kind of low-status work that didn't pay much.

In Los Angeles, a job like that was just enough to support yourself. Paying off a massive $30,000 debt would be next to impossible.

Morris’s gaze shifted to the woman beside him, dressed in a form-fitting professional suit. He immediately recognized her as an agent.

"No wonder Matthew Horner dared to sign the agreement," Morris thought instantly. "It's all because of her."

Watching the two of them head for the exit, Morris hurried to follow. The fact that Matthew Horner, who had so decisively refused him and caused him so much unnecessary trouble, was still trying to become a star was something that deeply annoyed him.

After leaving the Los Angeles courthouse, he saw the pair walk into the parking lot and quickened his pace. Seeing the man and woman open their car doors, about to get in, he couldn't help but call out, "Matthew!"

Matthew had just opened the passenger door when he heard someone call his name. He turned his head and saw an exceptionally bald head glinting in the sunlight.

He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the rather harsh glare and was finally able to get a good look at the stranger's face. He couldn't help but frown.

Although they had spent very little time together, Matthew remembered exactly who this man was.

Helen didn't get into the car. She closed the door and eyed the approaching bald man with suspicion. From his suit, tie, and briefcase, she got the intuitive impression that he was a "colleague."

"It's been a long time, Matthew." Morris clutched his briefcase and walked up to Matthew, deliberately looking him up and down. "Are you back to swinging sledgehammers on a construction site? Why are you so tan? For a second there, I thought I ran into a Black man."

In reality, Matthew only had a light, wheat-colored tan, a far cry from what Morris called "black."

Without waiting for Matthew to respond, Morris glanced at Helen on the other side of the car. "What agency are you with? Did you really decide to work with him?"

Helen looked at Matthew, who shrugged and said, "He's the agent I told you about."

She immediately understood.

Morris turned back to Matthew. "Still pursuing a career as a star? Matthew, I know a lot of people in Hollywood. Maybe I can give you a little help."

"Think about it, what kind of future can you have with a female agent?" His hand moved to clap Matthew on the shoulder, but Matthew raised his own hand to block it, forcing him to continue. "You'd be better off re-signing with me. I promise I can make you a big star, starring in the most hardcore films in the industry."

Morris shot Helen a look of clear disdain. He knew practically every important agent in the business; this woman had to be a newcomer.

"And you." He pointed at Helen. "An agent with your looks? You should be on a set yourself. You'd be a hit for sure."

An angry expression flashed across Helen’s face, but Morris had already turned back to Matthew. "Are you working on some obscure little film? Already signed a contract? You're better off coming with me. I'll even pay your contract buyout."

"You're really going to pay?" Helen suddenly interjected.

Morris rubbed his bald head and opened his mouth to speak, but then caught himself and remained silent.

Helen, clearly irritated by his earlier remarks, declared, "Matthew's contract buyout is three hundred thousand dollars."

"What?" Morris couldn't believe it. "Three hundred thousand? Don't make me laugh. Even Nikki Anderson's contract buyout isn't that much! What film is he in?"

"Band of Brothers!" Helen replied simply. "DreamWorks and HBO are backing the project, with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg as executive producers."

"That's impossible!" Morris turned his head toward Matthew. How could this poor, nameless kid, this fool who was willing to do porn just to make a few bucks, get involved in a project produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg?

Helen wasn't finished. "DreamWorks and HBO have public phone numbers. Call them and see if it's true."

Hearing her words, Morris was suddenly struck by the absurdity of the situation. He couldn't help but look up at the sky, the scorching sun burning his skin.

Helen, seeing him fall silent and realizing she might have said too much in her anger, opened the door and got into the car.

Matthew opened the passenger door as well.

Morris froze for a moment, tilting his head back to look at the sun. His eyes stung from the blazing light, which, combined with the agent's words, sent a wave of dizziness through him.

Beside him, a car engine started. Before Morris could turn around, the car was already pulling out of the parking space.

"Which day are you heading to New York?" Helen asked, regaining her composure. "I'll book the tickets."

Matthew shook his head. "No need. I'm leaving tomorrow. I've already booked them."