kvmb Chapter 234 Contentment
Chapter 234 Contentment
Chapter 234 Contentment
When the silver fork scraped the bottom of the white porcelain plate one last time, and Ernst put down his cutlery as he put the last grain of rice coated in rich seafood sauce into his mouth, a hint of satisfaction flashed across his eyes.
"These capitalists are really getting better and better at scheming."
He really enjoyed the taste of the food, especially the signature seafood risotto, which suited his taste perfectly.
However, when Ernst looked at the bill, he shook his head.
Tipping is a culture in the United States, but there is no law that mandates tipping.
In upscale restaurants, tipping is now usually included in the bill, making it mandatory.
Ernst didn't mind, but a 20% tip was a bit much.
In the United States, the current tipping standard is 3% to 10%. Even at such a high-end restaurant, Ernst has eaten at many places, and the highest tip he has ever received is 12%.
This restaurant's increase to 20% is clearly a way of avoiding paying its service staff, shifting all labor costs onto the consumers.
Indeed, high-end products only target the wealthy, and even a tycoon like Ernst is not immune.
Connery didn't seem to notice anything amiss, and with a smile, he took Ernst's arm and walked out, saying, "You're completely different now compared to how you used to talk about hundreds of millions of dollars a few days ago."
Ernst turned his head, looking at the smile in Connery's eyes, and reached out to pinch her cheek. "You have to consider whether spending money is worthwhile. Hundreds of millions can bring at least a 100% return, but these three hundred dollars only bring the frustration of being forced to spend. Besides..."
He then changed the subject, "Why do you think these restaurant owners dare to charge such high tips? They've calculated that the people who come here are either wealthy people like me who don't care about such a small amount of money, or celebrities who want to show off in front of their peers. Even if they feel uncomfortable, they won't lose face over a few hundred dollars. To put it bluntly, they've packaged overcharging as high-end service."
Connery nodded repeatedly at his words, and said playfully in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Then how about—I give it back to you?"
Ernst paused, his smile instantly turning ambiguous. He raised his hand and gently patted Connery's pert buttocks, the pressure just enough to send a shiver down her spine. "No need for the money."
His voice was low, with a magnetic huskiness, "I don't need this, but if you really want to make it up to me, how about—"
—Payback with sex?
These two words seemed to trigger some kind of switch; Connery's cheeks instantly turned red, his body tensed up instinctively, and even his steps became somewhat stiff.
She recalled their intimacy in the apartment last night, and even now, her inner thighs still felt slightly sore, and she could feel the friction when she walked.
If again...
She decided against it, fearing she might have to use crutches or even a wheelchair tomorrow.
She quickly changed the subject, saying, "Stop fooling around, it'll be troublesome if we get photographed."
Ernst chuckled as he watched her flustered state, then stopped teasing her. He simply put his arm around her waist and strode towards the black Rolls-Royce parked by the roadside.
The car drove smoothly up the East Side, and when she returned to her apartment building, Connery's agent was already waiting for her at the door.
Upon seeing Ernst and Connery get out of the car, the other party hurriedly went up to greet them, his face plastered with a cautious smile, his voice deliberately ingratiating, clearly showing his awe of this powerful Hollywood tycoon.
Ernst acted as if he hadn't heard her greeting, hugged Connery, and then turned and left without giving her even a second glance.
The agent didn't think anything was wrong and got into a car parked by the roadside with Connery, heading towards the airport.
The atmosphere in the carriage was somewhat somber, with only soft jazz music playing from the train radio.
Candice hesitated several times before finally speaking tentatively, "Jennifer, do you think—is there any possibility—that you two could take things further?"
The words "further steps" were like a bomb, instantly shattering the tranquility of the carriage.
Connery abruptly turned his gaze from the window, his eyes instantly turning icy cold, like a knife chilled to the bone, aimed directly at the other person.
"Candice, I advise you not to have such absurd ideas again, and not to say such things to seduce me."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable warning: "Otherwise, don't blame me for disregarding our years of friendship and replacing you."
Candice flinched at her gaze, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face, but she quickly replaced it with a pitiful expression and softened her voice, "Jennifer, how could you say that? I'm your manager, and I'm only thinking this for your own good."
"For my own good?" Connery sneered, his eyes full of mockery. "Candice, after all these years, do you think I'm still that naive little girl who just came to Hollywood from Boston and knew nothing?"
She leaned back in her seat, her fingertips lightly tracing the edge of the car window, her voice tinged with weariness. "Marriage? Do you think someone like Ernst would easily marry anyone? He's never short of women; I'm just one of them."
"Even if he were to get married, do you think he would marry a woman of the night?"
Connery chuckled self-deprecatingly, then his eyes softened and his voice lowered. "I'm already very content to have met him. He's not like those Hollywood producers who treat me like a plaything to be manipulated, nor does he force me to attend those smoky parties. He gives me enough respect and the freedom I want. When he gets tired of me, I'll find a quiet place to retire and live the life I want."
Candice was stunned by her words, opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
After a long silence, she sighed softly, her voice tinged with helplessness. "Every girl who comes to Hollywood dreams of becoming a superstar, but who knows the ugliness of this industry?"
Only those within this circle can truly understand its darkness.
What the media reports are about is just the tip of the iceberg in the entertainment industry, probably less than 20%.
Eating, drinking, and sleeping with someone? That's as normal as clocking in for work.
However, while fame provides choices, it doesn't mean one can avoid them.
No matter how famous a female star is, she has no right to refuse a big shot like Ernst.
She understood why Connery was content, because Ernst was truly different from those big shots.
Those important figures see them as mere playthings, to be discarded like trash after they've had their fun.
At least Ernst didn't do that, or rather, he didn't do that to Connery.
Don't be fooled by the actresses' behind-the-scenes slander of Connery for climbing the social ladder and becoming Ernst's outcast. In the quiet of the night, who doesn't envy her? Who wouldn't want to be the next Connery?
At least she only needed to please Ernst, who was a young, wealthy, and energetic man.
Since hooking up with Ernst, Connery has been free from all sorts of messy disturbances, a feat that surpasses 99% of Hollywood actresses.
Those greasy investors who once tried to grope her at parties now greet her with utmost respect.
Those gossip media outlets that once wrote that she rose to power through unspoken rules now don't even dare to mention her name easily.
Candice knew very well that these privileges were merely attached to Ernst's aura. Once that aura was gone, Connery would revert to being an actress who could be manipulated by others.
Silence fell over the carriage again, with only the sound of wheels rolling on the road echoing in the ears.
After a while, Candice changed the subject, trying to ease the dull atmosphere in the carriage. "By the way, do you remember Lillian? She's the girl I signed two years ago."
Connery nodded. In his memory, she was a blonde, blue-eyed girl with a sweet smile and eyes full of longing for Hollywood.
"What's wrong?"
"She had her fan leader take nude photos." Candice's voice was full of helplessness. "That fan leader was a nouveau riche with some money. He initially said he would help Lillian get resources. Lillian believed him and got very close to him. But she didn't expect that the fan leader had already dug a pit for her to fall into."
She sighed and continued, "That fan leader has nude photos of Lillian and threatened to post them online if she didn't cooperate. Lillian had no choice but to listen to him, have meals with him, go shopping with him, and even accompany him—you know what I mean."
"Now, she is just a plaything in their hands."
"Fame and fortune are too tempting, like an apple in Satan's hand. They look glamorous, but they hide deadly poison, leading these girls step by step into the abyss." Candice's tone was full of regret.
Don't underestimate this group of fans; every fan leader is extremely wealthy.
These people are like investors; they first invest in you and build a good relationship with you.
Then you may come into contact with a lot of bad behavior towards artists. No one in this industry is clean, and this is unavoidable.
Better fan leaders only care about profits; they will sell information about celebrities and related merchandise.
The more despicable ones will use the dirty evidence they have to bully the celebrities, and things like sleeping with them and taking nude photos are not uncommon.
It mainly depends on the artist's management company. If the company believes you still have potential and value, they will step in to negotiate.
Once you're sentenced to death, they won't care whether you live or die, because they simply can't manage it all.
The scandals about celebrities that are exposed in the media probably represent less than 30% of what they control.
Many celebrities choose to confront scandals when they are exposed, but the truth is that these celebrities actively requested the information to be released.
They had already reached an agreement with the whistleblower in advance; they were just taking the opportunity to make their presence felt.
Let the fans know that our brother dares to stand up to the challenge, and the other side can't produce any new evidence, proving that our brother is good and has nothing to fear.
Little did they know that this was all a trap, designed to fool their brainless fans.
Connery had no pity for her, nor did she have the right to. Having chosen this path, she had to be prepared for it.
How many bizarre and outlandish things have happened in Hollywood? How many big stars have fallen into depression?
What do you think it is? It's just that I can't handle this kind of pressure.
In front of their fans, they shine like stars.
Within the industry, they discovered they were the lowest of the low, even those behind the props and behind-the-scenes could take advantage of them.
"So I don't want to hear those kinds of things again. I'm very content with everything I have now."