Rushing against the clock, she returned to her residence in West Hollywood from Burbank, got dressed up, and hurried to Beverly Hills.
She was late in the end, because she got lost.
She finally found a mansion in Trousdale Estates at 8:15. Rene Russo felt like she was about to cry, unsure if she would be turned away.
Fortunately, that didn't happen.
A small private party was being held inside the mansion. Rene Russo was led to the living Room next to the villa's main hall. A group of men and women were sitting on sofas chatting. Her eyes scanned the Room: Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange... and, of course, that hateful young man.
Although there weren't many people, every single one of them was instantly recognizable to ordinary movie fans.
Thus, she couldn't help but feel a little inferior.
She knew everyone in this Room, but these people probably didn't know her.
Simon saw the woman appear, stood up, and walked over. Seeing Simon do this, everyone else in the Room stood up and looked toward the door.
"Come, let me introduce you".
The man walked over, not mentioning her tardiness at all. He placed one hand on her waist and gently pushed her forward. She naturally took a few steps forward, listened to his introduction, finally calmed down, and greeted Scorsese and the others one by one.
After brief pleasantries, everyone sat down again.
Rene Russo sat quietly beside Simon, accepted a glass of red wine the man handed her, and listened to him chatting cheerfully with Scorsese and the others.
For over an hour, she only remembered them mentioning Martin Scorsese's new film in preparation, and a movie starring De Niro scheduled for release in late June, which seemed to be called 'The Sixth Sense'. She had recently noticed this film; he wrote the script himself, but apart from the name, she didn't know what it was specifically about, it seemed very secretive.
This continued until around ten o'clock, when the small gathering gradually dispersed.
After seeing off Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel, who left together last, Rene Russo realized that only she and he were left in the mansion.
Simon led the woman back into the villa, noticed her confusion, and explained, "I need to finish some post-production work for 'Batman' at Warner Bros. Studios recently, and I don't want to commute too far, so I'm staying here".
Although Daenerys Entertainment headquarters also has dedicated post-production studios, they cannot meet all the technical requirements for 'Batman'.
This villa in Trousdale Estates was naturally also a property owned by Simon. He realized he couldn't change his compulsive habit of buying real estate everywhere, but fortunately, his current wealth allowed him to fully afford it.
Simon also gradually felt that buying houses might just be his hobby.
Rene Russo felt a bit discouraged.
She had originally planned not to let him have his way tonight, but watching him walk straight upstairs, she found herself unconsciously following him up the stairs. Just like facing a group of big stars tonight, she felt secure simply sitting next to him, as if that gave her someone to rely on.
Arriving on the second floor, thankfully he didn't head straight for the bedroom, but rather a study.
Simon found a book and a script on the somewhat cluttered desk, turned around, and handed them to Rene Russo, saying, "You just met Martin. This is the original novel and script for his next film. I think the female lead, Karen Hill, is perfect for you. Take them back and prepare. Next week, Martin will arrange an audition for you. As long as your performance meets the standard, the role is yours".
Rene Russo accepted the script and the novel, staring blankly at the title 'Goodfellas' on the script cover.
Martin Scorsese.
Among the four great Hollywood directors; Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Martin Scorsese. it was Scorsese who was most appealing to actors for collaboration.
Compared to the other three directors, Scorsese's films, as he is a frequent recipient of various film awards, often give actors more Room to perform and simultaneously elevate their careers. Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, and Jodie Foster, who just won the Oscar for Best Actress this year, all made their names in Hollywood through Scorsese's films.
Thinking this, Rene Russo suddenly felt less confident.
Did she really have the qualifications and ability to star in a Martin Scorsese film?
After handing the manuscripts to the woman, Simon turned and sat down behind the desk, picking up some documents about Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and casually flipping through them. Noticing Rene Russo's silence, he asked, "What's wrong?"
Rene Russo hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm not sure if I can perform well".
"That's why you need to prepare seriously", Simon said. "I talked to Martin. His new film is a male-dominated story. Although Karen Hill is the female lead, the role is actually more like a supporting character, and the screen time isn't extensive. As long as your audition performance isn't too bad, you'll get the role, and Martin will continue to guide you during filming. Furthermore, I've read the script, and the role of Karen Hill actually has a lot of Room for performance. If you're willing to put in enough effort, you might even get an Oscar Best Supporting Actress nomination in the future. Your career started too late, and Hollywood won't give you many chances to hone your acting skills. Starring in Martin's film is the best way to broaden your range and quickly shed the 'pretty face' status".
Listening to Simon's patient explanation, Rene Russo finally nodded.
Then the study became quiet again.
He sat behind the desk, flipping through documents.
She stood opposite him, holding the two manuscripts and watching him flip through the documents.
Simon, seemingly unaware, went through a dozen pages of HTML documents. Only after more than ten minutes did he look up again.
Rene Russo was still standing in the same spot, her gaze fixed on him, showing a mix of grievance and stubbornness.
This...
Was this supposed to be a punishment for herself?
The young man across the desk scrutinized her for a few moments before finally asking, "Did you drive here?"
She continued staring at him and hummed in affirmation.
"In that case, it's very late. You should go back".
Her eyes widened slightly. Had she misheard?
Then she saw him walk over. Seeing that she didn't move, he reached out, and his finger traced her cheek.
This body was, after all, her greatest asset, and she had always paid great attention to maintenance over the years. Although she was 35, she was confident that her skin was no worse than, and perhaps even better than, that of girls in their early twenties.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so 'reluctant to let go' that night, leaving many marks on her body.
However, the man's finger retreated once it reached her neck. He repeated, "Go back. You drank some wine just now. I'll have Neil drive you".
Having said that, she watched him leave the Room first.
She had no choice but to follow him out again.
Arriving in the front yard, her mood was still complicated. She had only had a small half-glass of red wine and wanted to refuse his offer to send a driver, but he was insistent, so she had to comply.
Her car was left behind, and she rode in his vehicle.
She had thought this might maintain some connection, but the next morning, his driver delivered her car to West Hollywood.
The audition was scheduled for the following Wednesday.
She had already accumulated several years of acting fundamentals, and upon hearing the news, ICM specifically hired a famous Los Angeles acting coach to help her study the role. After four days of serious preparation, she successfully passed the audition personally hosted by Martin Scorsese, and Scorsese even praised her performance.
It was apparent that the praise was not mere courtesy.
However, her mood in the following days was not very good.
Perhaps giving her a role meant they were even, as the young man never contacted her again... Until he left for Europe, Simon tried his best to immerse himself in busy work. Ever since that coma, he felt certain unwelcome elements appearing in his consciousness, and he couldn't even distinguish whether they originated from the body's original owner or were an awakening of some of his own awareness.
However, he was very clear that this mindset was highly abnormal, so he had been forcefully suppressing it.
The 42nd Cannes Film Festival opened on May 11th this year. On Daenerys Entertainment's side, not only did Ira Deutchman bring Highgate Films 'My Left Foot' to compete in the Main Competition Unit this year, but Robert Rehme also led a team to Cannes to promote a series of films produced by Daenerys Entertainment.
The Cannes Film Festival is not just an awards ceremony; it is also Europe's largest film market.
After deciding to attend the Cannes 'Gucci Night' event on May 20th, Simon's trip to Europe inevitably saw many other activities gradually added to his schedule.
Determined to continue laying the groundwork for the upcoming Internet era, Simon easily located Tim Berners-Lee through articles in industry magazines. This founder of the Internet concept is currently working at the European Particle Physics Institute in Sweden. Simon hoped this trip to Europe would allow him to invite him to North America to oversee the refinement of various Internet technical standards.
Since he had already purchased Gucci, Simon also planned to visit Florence, where Gucci's headquarters is located.
Furthermore, he felt he should personally inspect the numerous properties he had purchased in Europe.
The teams led by Ira Deutchman and Robert Rehme arrived in Cannes before May 11th, while Simon only departed from Los Angeles on the morning of May 19th.
Upon arriving in Cannes, the time was 8:00 AM local time on May 20th.
Sophia Fessey personally came to pick up Simon. The group disembarked from the plane and headed straight for the mountain mansion in Le Cannet.
Inside the Spanish-style villa, Simon and Sophia were chatting quietly as they entered, only to see Nastassja Kinski curled up on the sofa wearing only an oversized white shirt, exposing her long legs. Upon seeing Simon, the woman merely offered a brief, indifferent greeting before standing up and heading upstairs, like a Persian cat habitually cold toward its owner.
Looking around, compared to when he left a year ago, the villa's furnishings had changed, clearly leaning towards a feminine style. A faint scent of perfume drifted in the air. Simon had just seen some servants outside, and he wasn't accustomed to having such people in his sight.
After instructing Neil and the others traveling with him to conduct a routine sweep for listening devices inside the villa, Simon sat down on the sofa and asked Sophia, "How much money did she spend over the past year?"
Sophia smiled slightly and replied, "Around $700,000".
"Organize the bills these next few days. I'm going to collect the debt," Simon said, recalling Nastassja Kinski's voting incident when she served as a Cannes juror last year. He lay sideways on the sofa and added 'fiercely', "Calculate the interest too, clearly".
Sophia walked over, squatted down, and placed a cushion under Simon's head, saying with a hint of teasing, "Then you definitely won't get it back. Natasha couldn't get alimony from her ex-husband. Although she starred in three films last year, they were all low-budget European small productions, and her combined salary was less than $200,000, even less after taxes".
Although Nastassja Kinski is a very beautiful 'vase' in European film circles and her fame is considerable, her salary is actually quite low due to the overall budget constraints of European cinema. Even for commercial films, her pay is likely only in the $100,000 range.
"In that case, I'll just have to kick her out", Simon said, lifting his head slightly so Sophia could adjust the pillow, kicking off his leather shoes. Noticing Jennifer was still standing nearby, he added, "I'm going to rest for a bit. You take Jenny to settle into her Room first, and then have someone prepare lunch. Ira and Bob will be coming over for lunch".
Sophia nodded, then went to the other end of the sofa to neatly place the shoes Simon had kicked off before taking Jennifer upstairs.
Although Simon felt Sophia seemed a little more considerate than usual this time, he didn't pay much attention. Remembering something, he instructed the two women heading towards the stairs to give the servants in the mansion the day off. Simon then rested his head on his arm and closed his eyes to rest.
The busy days and the over ten-hour journey inevitably left him feeling tired.
He woke up more than two hours later, just past eleven o'clock.
Opening his eyes, he saw Nastassja Kinski curled up again on the adjacent sofa. The woman was still wearing the long, white shirt, but this time she had put on long pants, though she was still barefoot.
Noticing Simon looking at her, the woman, who was casually flipping through a fashion magazine, glanced over and then looked away.
Simon sat up and asked, "Where is Sophia?"
Nastassja Kinski didn't lift her head, saying lazily, "Probably in the kitchen".
"You got divorced?"
"Mhm".
"What about the child?"
"I'm not good at raising children; it's better if he keeps him".
"So, you plan to stay here indefinitely?"
"I think this is quite nice".
"But I think it's terrible", Simon said, feeling he should try to gain some initiative. He added, "Besides, you spend too much money. Can you find some time to settle the bill?"
Nastassja Kinski shifted slightly and said indifferently, "I don't have any money".
"In that case, can I kick you out?"
"Mhm".
"..."
The atmosphere remained awkwardly confrontational for a moment, or rather, only Simon was awkwardly involved in the confrontation, feeling like he was complaining into thin air, and then he voluntarily gave up.
He wasn't very good at kicking people out.
Anyway.
He would just treat her like a cat he was raising.
It's not like he couldn't afford her.
Seeing Jennifer enter with Ira Deutchman and Robert Rehme, Simon stopped paying attention to Nastassja Kinski, stood up, and went to greet them.