Chapter 112: The Forceful Kiss

[Chapter 112: The Forceful Kiss]

A purple Lamborghini pulled up in front of the hotel, and Eric got out of the car. His eyes immediately landed on Jennifer Connelly, who was standing at the hotel's entrance alongside a middle-aged man in his thirties.

Eric approached them, and the two quickly noticed him and walked over. Jennifer had changed into a light blue dress and managed a forced smile at Eric. The middle-aged man next to her stepped forward enthusiastically, extending his hand for an introduction. "Mr. Williams, hello, I'm Miss Connelly's agent, Jim Lister."

"Hello, Mr. Lister," Eric politely shook his hand, then turned to Jennifer Connelly. "Miss Connelly, let's go. I've made a reservation at the restaurant."

Jennifer cast a desperate glance toward her agent. Eric's gaze and tone were so aggressive that it felt as if he considered her his personal property.

Having debuted at thirteen, she'd faced more than her fair share of unwanted attention due to her stunning beauty. However, nothing compared to the overwhelming possessiveness Eric seemed to exude. She believed that if she allowed him to have her alone, all the strategies she'd developed for dealing with men would be useless.

Eric followed her gaze to Jim Lister, who stood by. "Mr. Lister, are you joining us?"

Lister, unable to meet Jennifer's pleading look, smiled nervously at Eric and shook his head. "Of course not, Mr. Williams. I wouldn't dream of intruding on your date." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "Mr. Williams, could you share how today's audition for Jen went?"

Hearing Lister refer to Jennifer Connelly as "Jen" felt strange to Eric, so he cut to the chase: "If all goes well, that role is Miss Connelly's."

Jennifer, wary of Eric but unable to contain her surprise, looked up at him, while Lister was practically beaming with excitement.

As a sharp and adaptable agent, Lister quickly understood from Eric's fierce determination in his gaze that he intended to heavily promote Jennifer. With Eric Williams' reputation, anyone he considered would likely end up at his personal agency. As a third-tier actor's agent, Lister realized this was an opportunity he couldn't let slip away; who knew when he would encounter something like this again?

"Well, Mr. Williams, I believe UTA is a highly promising agency, and I'd like to bring my artists over. What do you think?"

Jennifer cast a surprised glance at her agent. Lister hadn't mentioned this to her, which left her displeased with his unilateral decision. But she refrained from voicing her concerns in front of Eric.

Worriedly looking at the young man before her, she realized that UTA was Eric's personal enterprise; if he agreed, she would have no choice but to accept. Deep down, though, she was reluctant to join UTA, not because she doubted the company, but because it felt akin to walking into a lion's den.

Eric noticed Jennifer's surprised and worried expression, taking a thoughtful look at the somewhat short and stocky middle-aged man before him. "Mr. Lister, you're a smart man, quick to seize opportunities, and you've made a good choice," Eric eventually replied.

He did indeed plan to bring Jennifer Connelly into UTA and have Kepler personally mentor her. However, since her agent raised the idea of switching agencies, Eric felt relieved. If Lister wished to continue working with her, that was fine; after all, Eric couldn't have all promising talent under Kepler alone. No matter how energetic Kepler was, he couldn't handle it all. If Lister failed to prove his worth in the future, he would still face consequences.

"By the way, how many artists do you currently represent?" Eric asked, recalling Lister's earlier comments.

"Four, including Jen," Lister immediately replied. He seemed eager to introduce the other three, but Eric waved him off. "Forget the other three; bring Miss Connelly to UTA by yourself. I only have my eye on Miss Connelly; I don't need any additional baggage."

A flicker of struggle passed over Lister's face. He had decent relationships with his other actors, one of whom was the brother of a friend who had asked him to help. However, thinking of his future, Lister decided in mere seconds. "No problem, Mr. Williams."

After finalizing the agreement, Lister smartly excused himself, leaving Jennifer Connelly by Eric's side.

...

Once in the car, Eric glanced at Jennifer, who sat dazed in the passenger seat, and leaned over suddenly.

Jennifer noticed Eric's movement and immediately raised both hands defensively. "What... what are you going to do?"

"You're adorable when you're scared," Eric remarked, rolling his eyes and reaching for the seatbelt beside her. "I'm not skilled at driving this car, so it's safer if you buckle up."

"I can buckle it myself," she replied, reaching to grab the seatbelt but accidentally gripping Eric's hand instead, drawing back instantly as if shocked.

After he secured his seatbelt, Eric sat back up straight but didn't start the car right away. Instead, he turned his head to observe the nervous woman next to him.

"Are you afraid of me?" he eventually asked.

Jennifer instinctively nodded, realized it was inappropriate, then quickly shook her head. "Mr. Williams, I... I didn't mean that."

"You can call me Eric."

She hurriedly turned to look out the window, murmuring a soft "uh-huh."

"Come on, look at me." Eric's tone softened a bit, and Jennifer found herself turning her head to face him, curiosity in her eyes.

Eric reached back behind her, grasped the back of her neck, and suddenly leaned forward, kissing her luscious red lips.

Caught off guard, Jennifer's eyes widened, pupils dilating, hands instinctively pushing against Eric's chest as she froze, forgetting to escape. As she felt Eric assertively kissing her, his tongue teasingly probing for entry, her lashes fluttered rapidly, and her large eyes quickly filled with tears as Eric finally released her lips.

"How could you do that!" Her first instinct was to slap Eric and jump out of the car, but she realized she was firmly strapped in the seat.

While she was frantically unbuckling her seatbelt, Eric pressed down on the accelerator, sending the Lamborghini onto the road. "Mr. Williams, please pull over! I want to get out!" she shouted.

"Calm down and buckle up."

"You... I want to get out!" she insisted defiantly.

Before Eric could respond, a convertible Mercedes sped toward them, the punk-haired driver clearly crossing the center line to overtake. Eric swore and jerked the steering wheel to barely avoid a collision, but they still scraped past the other car closely. The punk youth in the car must have caught a glimpse of the beautiful woman in the passenger seat, who let out loud cheers and catcalls as they passed.

Once the Mercedes disappeared from the rearview mirror, Eric realized he was sweating profusely. He cast a glance at the equally startled woman next to him before adopting a more serious tone. "Buckle up."

This time, Jennifer didn't resist. She didn't want to gamble with her life, so she obediently buckled up. However, she stubbornly turned her head away from him.

...

Arriving at a famous Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills, the doorman rushed over upon seeing the flashy purple Lamborghini. Eric exited the car, handed over the keys along with a tip, and turned back to Jennifer. She had calmed down and didn't walk away in a huff after exiting the vehicle. Reluctantly, she linked her arm with Eric's and followed him into the restaurant.

"Is a salad enough? Why not order something else?" Eric suggested as they sat at the table.

Jennifer glanced at the waiter standing nearby and mumbled, "I'm on a diet."

Eric didn't press further, ordering his own dinner and a bottle of red wine. Once he handed the menu back to the waiter and they had left, he said, "Alright, girl, how about giving me a smile? You're making me feel guilty."

"You feel guilty?" she shot back, glaring at him. "And don't talk to me in that condescending tone. You're only a few months older than I am."

"Well, isn't that a fine compliment? I'm surprised you've even figured out my birthday. That'll be quite helpful for our future interactions. I also remember your birthday: December 12th. Quite a fascinating date, isn't it?"

His words made Jennifer uneasy. "How do you know my birthday?"

"File records," Eric replied, smiling casually as he charmed her. "I know much more about you. Ever since you hit the screen in 1984, I couldn't forget that angelically beautiful girl, and I never imagined she would one day appear right in front of me."

What woman doesn't enjoy such compliments? Particularly from a rising young director, Jennifer found herself unable to meet Eric's smitten gaze, but her cheeks flushed in a soft pink. Even the prior offense from Eric didn't seem so severe anymore; she convinced herself he acted that way because he liked her.

*****

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