Chapter 319: Welcome to Monaco

After spending two days in Ajaccio, Corsica, Arthur and his companions arrived on the neighboring island of Sardinia, where they checked into an island vacation villa.

In the early morning, Christiana Reali, the first to awaken, looked at the still-sleeping pair beside her and got up to freshen up.

"Arthur, I'm heading to Monaco first. I'll wait for you tonight," Christiana explained, bending down to kiss Arthur on the cheek.

"Ah, this early?" Arthur sat up and kissed Christiana. "Thanks for the hard work. I'll be there tonight. When we get back, we'll continue our yacht vacation."

"Alright, I'm off!"

After Christiana left, Arthur glanced at Sophie Marceau lying beside him, then hugged the woman and closed his eyes again.

"Mm," Sophie Marceau mumbled in a daze, hugging Arthur tighter without opening her eyes. "Christiana left this early?"

"Yes," Arthur felt her softness. "Really not going to Albert II's Christmas party?"

"No, the reporters would definitely hound me about my personal life," Sophie Marceau said, lying on top of Arthur. "It's too annoying. I'd rather stroll around the island and enjoy the scenery."

Then Sophie Marceau kissed Arthur's chest, "Satisfied? You're living the dream these days!"

Arthur laughed, hugging Sophie Marceau tighter in excitement, "Such days, I don't even want to go back to the States."

Sophie Marceau reached out, "Hmph, can you really leave those women in America? Winona Ryder and Nicole Kidman?"

"Mm," Arthur shut Sophie Marceau up with a long French kiss.

"You're something else," Sophie Marceau gasped after the kiss, blushing. "The final installment of The Three Colors: Red is being filmed. The second installment, The Three Colors: White, will premiere in France after the New Year. The first part, Blue, released this year, received high praise. Everyone is excited for the next two!"

Arthur sighed, "The lead in Blue was Juliette Binoche. The other two definitely won't be on the same level. Besides, European art films don't get much attention in America.

Blue's box office in the U.S. was less than $2 million, even with the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion title. Even Cannes, known for its art films, has some Golden Palm winners with high box office expectations."

Take The Piano for instance - $40 million in North America and a global gross of $100 million. 

Sophie Marceau reminded, "Arthur, can't you make anything but commercial films?"

"Only commercial films?" Arthur laughed. "Galaxy has won the Oscar for Best Picture three years in a row, and two films that won the Palme d'Or this year are also released by Galaxy in North America. Sophie, Galaxy is set to dominate the Oscars!"

Sophie Marceau was stunned for a moment, then laughed. Indeed, many of Galaxy's films were both critically acclaimed and box office successes.

"Okay, you're right. I almost forgot the Oscars are being labeled as belonging to Galaxy now."

During Christmas, while Arthur vacationed in Europe with beautiful women, Galaxy's Philadelphia opened in North America.

Due to its subject matter, the scale of the release was relatively small, aiming to target the Oscars.

The AIDS film, directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, received considerable acclaim upon release.

Many critics praised the film for its portrayal of humanity and dignity.

At the same time, Geffen Pictures partnered with Warner Bros. to begin filming the new movie Interview with the Vampire.

Directed by Neil Jordan and starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, this vampire blockbuster immediately attracted a lot of attention.

Meanwhile, Hollywood action star Mel Gibson brought a script about Scottish hero William Wallace's rebellion against English tyranny to Paramount Pictures.

Given its historical war genre, many studios were hesitant; the project required a massive budget with high risk. Ridley Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise flopped box office last year, proving the point.

As an action star transitioning to directing such a major production, even Mel Gibson's fame required studios to be cautious.

Far away in Europe, Arthur only paid attention to Galaxy's Philadelphia, showing little concern for other matters.

At that moment, he attended Prince Albert II's Christmas party at the Hotel de Paris Monte Carlo in Monaco, accompanied by Christiana Reali.

Prince Albert II attended with his girlfriend, the supermodel Naomi Campbell. Perhaps due to his Hollywood-born mother, Prince Albert II's relationships with entertainment industry women were numerous.

"I heard that guy's mistress gave birth to a daughter and has been seeking recognition, right?" Arthur gestured towards Prince Albert II with his wine glass.

Christiana helplessly nodded subtly, explaining quietly, "It seems it was an American mistress. This year, the news was quite the scandal."

Curious, Arthur asked, "Is it true that King Juan Carlos I of Spain has been with over 1,000 women?"

Christiana rubbed her forehead and hugged Arthur gently, "I don't know. According to some, probably more!"

The Spanish King now seems to have a new woman every month.

"And him? Probably had hundreds by now?" Arthur looked at Prince Albert II.

"The papers say two to three hundred, but who really knows?" Christiana Yerry found it amusing. "Arthur, why are you interested in these royal scandals?"

Well, Arthur always knew European royalty led extravagant lives, but this was too much!

Arthur laughed and kissed Christiana, "It's not me; it's the public that's interested in this stuff. Galaxy's Daily Mirror is quite focused on such news."

"He's coming," Christiana reminded Arthur as Prince Albert II approached.

Arthur took Christiana's hand and greeted him with a smile, "Merry Christmas, Your Highness!"

"Oh, Arthur, Merry Christmas!" Prince Albert II hugged him. "Welcome to Monaco!"

Arthur, however, pondered internally about Monaco, this tax haven, and decided to be more cautious.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.