Stepping inside the cream-colored European-style building, Matthew, led by the real estate agent, toured the interior. His biggest impression was luxury. The living room featured a massive bar stocked with whiskey, brandy, and vodka. Directly opposite the bar was a glass curtain wall, and standing by it, the views of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles stretched out before them.
"This was one of Beverly Hills' most famous viewing platforms in the 1970s," the real estate agent said, leaning closer to Matthew and Charlize Theron. "It was later converted into this luxurious estate by a real estate company."
He pressed a remote control in his hand, and a curtain slowly descended from above the glass wall. "If you don't want to see the view, you just need to lower this custom-made curtain."
Matthew gestured with his hand to the real estate agent, who then raised the curtain back up.
"How does it feel?" Matthew was somewhat tempted.
The estate's privacy measures were excellent, and the interior of the European-style mansion was filled with a sense of technology. Standing before the enormous glass curtain wall, one could overlook half of Los Angeles, and that commanding view easily captivated people.
He was an ordinary person, so it was inevitable that he would feel this way.
Seeing that Charlize Theron hadn't responded, Matthew said, "I think it's very good."
Charlize Theron walked two steps forward. To the left of the glass curtain wall, near the cliff, there was also a well-protected outdoor viewing platform, which indeed looked very nice.
"You're the one buying the house," she whispered in Matthew's ear. "You make the decision."
Matthew thought for a moment and then told the real estate agent, "Mormont, let's go look at some other places."
They first toured the ground floor and basement facilities, including the gym, indoor pool, dining room, grand ballroom, wine cellar, and private cinema. Then Matthew and Charlize Theron followed the real estate agent upstairs to the second floor. The master bedroom on the second floor was directly above the living room and, similar to the living room, also had a large glass curtain wall offering a commanding view.
Matthew walked up to the glass curtain wall to take a look, then went to the bathroom, where he found the enormous bathtub to be quite uniquely shaped.
Real estate agents are experts at reading people, so he immediately walked to the bathtub and said, "The bathtubs in this mansion all have different designs, but they are all carved and polished from a single piece of raw stone. Each one costs up to $100,000!"
He then added, "Of course, these, like the wine and all other facilities, are included in the total house price."
Matthew circled the bathroom, then returned to the enormous master bedroom, which was connected to a spacious walk-in closet.
He asked Charlize Theron for her opinion again, then looked at the other rooms on the second floor. After leaving the mansion, they visited the tennis court on the left and the small garden on the right, and he gradually made up his mind.
This mansion, occupying over 7,000 square meters, was not among the largest in Beverly Hills, but it was of a medium-to-large scale. He was very satisfied with all the facilities, especially the privacy.
The real estate agent kept leaning in front of Charlize Theron, saying something, clearly misunderstanding and thinking that Charlize Theron, the "mistress," was the one making the decisions.
Such a mansion is quite valuable and a scarce resource in Beverly Hills. However, it's normal for it to sit on the market for several months or even years after renovation, as very few people can afford such a luxurious home, and those who can have many options.
In the Los Angeles area alone, the Santa Monica Mountains and Malibu Beach are affluent communities no less prestigious than Beverly Hills.
"Let's call it a day here," Matthew called out to Charlize Theron, deliberately saying, "Although this place would be a nice new home for us, there are still a few other places we should see before deciding."
Charlize Theron nodded. "Alright."
She didn't actually plan to marry Matthew; buying a house was just a charade. Matthew could buy whatever he wanted.
Matthew walked along the flagstone path towards the main gate, pondering financial matters as he went.
Currently, he didn't have that much capital, and it was impossible for him to pay over $20 million upfront. However, it was already late April, and the latter two sequels of "Pirates of the Caribbean" would begin filming by June at the latest. Disney Pictures would also pay the first installment of his salary. The first year's endorsement fee from Mercedes-Benz would also arrive by late May or early June at the latest.
In that case, the first down payment for the house would be sufficient. With his current fame, getting such a large mortgage for a property would not be difficult.
Mansions, luxury cars, and beautiful women—these are the pursuits of most people's lives, and Matthew was no exception.
He was quite satisfied with this mansion and had already considered buying it.
Among other things, the house was large enough, luxuriously equipped, with tall walls and dense evergreen broadleaf forests on the front, left, and right. Behind it, in addition to the wall, there was an almost ninety-degree cliff, which could maximize the privacy within the mansion.
But Matthew wasn't foolish enough to say he wanted to buy it now. According to his understanding, the house had been listed for sale for over half a year. The extremely high asking price limited the number of genuine potential buyers, so it certainly wouldn't sell quickly.
Arriving near the wrought-iron gate, Matthew and Charlize Theron's car had already driven in. Outside the gate, a large crowd of paparazzi and entertainment reporters could vaguely be seen.
"Mr. Horner..."
The real estate agent was eager to close the deal. While Los Angeles was indeed full of wealthy people, potential clients with Matthew's reputation were not that common.
Matthew didn't respond to Mormont, the real estate agent. Instead, he waved Bella Anderson over and said to the agent, "Mormont, this is my assistant, Bella. If there are any questions, I'll have her contact you."
Bella Anderson shook hands with Mormont and exchanged contact information. Mormont also left Bella Anderson's business card.
"Let's go," Matthew called to Charlize Theron. "Are you coming to my place?"
Charlize Theron shook her head and said, "I'm going to the Dior branch in Los Angeles on Rodeo Drive."
Matthew understood her meaning and nodded, saying, "See you tonight. I'll wait for you at home for dinner."
Hearing this, Mormont first looked at Matthew, then at Charlize Theron, and suddenly felt a surge of confidence about selling the mansion. These two big stars seemed eager to move in together...
The black sedan and the black Mercedes SUV drove out of the wrought-iron gate one after another. Mormont turned around, glanced at the mansion at the end of the flagstone path, and swallowed enviously, knowing that he would never be able to own such a luxurious estate in his lifetime.
He exited the estate gate, greeted the people responsible for maintaining the estate, and the gate slowly closed.
As soon as the gate closed, more than a dozen reporters suddenly swarmed him, catching Mormont a bit off guard. Fortunately, he had met many celebrities and wealthy individuals before, so he quickly calmed down.
Without the reporters saying much, he knew why they were crowding around.
Recently, newspapers and the internet were full of rumors about Matthew Horner and Charlize Theron. These two Hollywood stars were flaunting their happiness and sweetness in various ways on various occasions, making countless bystanders envious.
Even the media was full of praise for the two, calling them a match made in heaven, Hollywood's coolest couple, the most handsome and beautiful boyfriend and girlfriend combination in all of North America... He even saw on TMZ that these two were "born to be together."
If there were any Hollywood stars whose gossip and rumors were hottest recently, it would be Matthew Horner and Charlize Theron.
Among the reporters who gathered around, the one leading the pack asked, "Sir, were you just serving Matthew and Charlize?"
Facing so many reporters and cameras for the first time, Mormont, after his initial nervousness, became excited and quickly replied, "Yes! It was me! I recommended this house to Matthew and Miss Theron, and they were very satisfied after seeing it. This is the best mansion in Beverly Hills, with the most advanced security facilities..."
Perhaps it was his professional instinct, but Mormont not only answered the reporter's question but also rattled off a long advertisement for the mansion.
"Sir!" another reporter interrupted Mormont and asked, "Are you sure the buyers are Matthew Horner and Charlize Theron?"
"I am absolutely sure of that!" Mormont recalled Matthew's attitude when recommending the house and said, "When I introduced the house to them, Matthew Horner would ask Miss Theron for her opinion every time I introduced a new area, as if Miss Theron was the one truly in charge. Fortunately, Miss Theron was very satisfied with this mansion, which is built on Beverly Hills' most famous viewing platform..."
He once again started advertising the property he was selling.
"We know it's a mansion! And we can't afford it!"
A female reporter couldn't help but interrupt Mormont. Seeing Mormont stop talking, she asked, "Are Matthew and Charlize planning to build their love nest here?"
Mormont nodded profusely. "Yes, Matthew has mentioned more than once that they plan to move in together." After answering the question, he once again said, "Everyone, this property is really great. It's high up and you can see..."
Before he could finish, the reporters who had asked their questions suddenly scattered, just as quickly as they had gathered. No one was interested in the house he was describing.
Mormont scratched his head, looking at the reporters who had gotten into their cars, and muttered, "This is truly a unique mansion in the Los Angeles area!"
Unfortunately, no one paid attention to his words.
As time gradually approached May, a new summer movie season in North America was about to begin. The publicity campaign for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" was also intensifying. Advertisements for the film could be seen everywhere in newspapers, magazines, on the internet, and on television. Large billboards in popular locations across major North American cities also displayed giant posters of Matthew and Charlize Theron.
However, these conventional promotional methods alone were not enough. So, Matthew, following the plan he had formulated last year, prepared to propose to Charlize Theron.