Chapter 581: I Thought You Had Run Away

[Chapter 581: I Thought You Had Run Away]

By the time Eric, Famke, and Nicole finished washing up and headed downstairs, the other three women were still sound asleep.

Nicole and Famke's figures were comparable to Eric's, both of them wearing Eric's white shirts and jeans. With Eric dressed in a similar outfit, the three of them looked like they were wearing couple's clothes, but they seemed even more charming together.

As they settled on the sofa by the glass wall, the Russian twins noticed Eric and the others coming in and promptly stood up, greeting him in unison, "Boss."

After a few months, Eric had become accustomed to the twins' serene and reserved expressions. He gradually realized that it was merely a protective demeanor they took on in a foreign environment, not necessarily their true selves. Glancing at the Sony Walkman and the hefty Russian-English dictionary on the coffee table, Eric understood they were learning English. He waved his hand and said, "You guys can keep at it. By the way, have you had lunch yet?"

The twins, dressed in identical light blue sweaters and khaki pants, exchanged glances, and one of them -- he could never tell which was which -- replied, "We've eaten, Boss. Do you need our help with anything?"

Eric shook his head, signaling for them to keep doing their thing as he and Famke ventured toward the kitchen. He still struggled to tell the twins apart. He once suggested that the two girls wear clothes of different colors, but Drew insisted they dress alike, claiming it was more fun that way.

Nicole walked beside Eric and, once they were out of earshot of the twins, turned to glance back at them. She tugged at Eric's sleeve and asked, "Are they really boxers?"

Eric nodded, "Yeah."

Famke added, "You can't really tell. They look more suited for modeling."

Eric laughed and said, "Don't you like boxing occasionally? You could give it a try with them."

Famke felt a hint of mischief in Eric's smile and, with a note of caution, asked, "Have you tried?"

Eric pointed at the corner of his right eye, "It's been sore for days."

Both women imagined Eric's flustered face and chuckled. Famke continued, "Oh, I remember now, when I came back to see you in August, your eye was a bit bruised. I thought it was just a dark circle from lack of sleep. Turns out you got hit."

Nicole chimed in, "Hey, did you go after them?"

Eric shook his head with a mock 'disappointment' and smiled, "No way, they would just toss me around."

Nicole playfully jabbed Eric's shoulder with her fist, teasingly saying, "You just like to bully us."

Famke joined in, "No wonder you didn't bring them to your room last night." They all passed through the hall to the kitchen on the west side of the villa. Pushing the door open, Famke suddenly remembered something and laughed, "Oh right, we seem to be missing one -- where's Penny's sister? How did you forget her last night?"

Just then, they spotted Monica Cruz standing next to the fridge, holding a bottle of ketchup and looking a bit lost. Monica had been in America for about six months now and was already fluent enough in English for daily conversation. She had just heard Famke's last comment and, glancing at the three of them dressed alike, easily connected the dots.

Last night, she was supposed to sleep in the same room as her sister, but Eric had abruptly walked in, leaving her both surprised and a bit hopeful. However, in the end, he only carried Penelope out of the room, leaving Monica behind. She thought Eric didn't like her at all, which made her feel sad and anxious all night, barely falling asleep until dawn. That's why she had woken up a little earlier, but as she prepared to make some food in the kitchen, Eric and the others walked in.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Eric stepped up, gently taking the ketchup from Monica's hands and placing it aside. Noticing her slightly messy hair, he softly asked, "Just woke up?"

Monica felt empty-handed and wasn't quite sure where to place her little hands. She simply nodded, "Um, I... um."

"Why don't you go take a shower?" Eric cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed her, speaking in a kind tone, "I'll make lunch for everyone. You can help once you're done."

Monica nodded obediently, glancing over at the twins standing a bit further away. In a soft voice, she asked, "Eric, are you...?"

"Of course not," Eric interrupted before she could finish, "But this is California. You wouldn't want me to get into any trouble, would you?"

Monica was a little confused by Eric's words, but instinctively shook her head. Eric patted her back lightly, "Then off you go."

Watching the shy-looking Monica leave the kitchen, feeling as if she was floating after Eric's encouragement, Nicole spoke up with a hint of jealousy in her voice, "You've never been this gentle with me."

Famke nodded in agreement, "Not with me either."

Eric retrieved some ingredients from the fridge and handed them to the twins. "It can't be that I've never been, right?"

Nicole took a bag of bread and shot Eric a glare as she walked toward the counter, casually responding, "Hmm, I think there was one time."

Eric recalled the moment when Nicole had cried and felt a bit guilty, "There was no need to be jealous of a little girl."

Famke began placing eggs into the boiling egg cooker and, hearing Eric's comment, teased, "I thought you had changed; turns out it was just about avoiding 'trouble,' tsk tsk."

"I have always been a law-abiding citizen."

Eric grinned, internally noting how inconsistent laws across different states were. In most states, you could marry at sixteen, and in some, the legal age for marriage dipped as low as twelve. In contrast, some states set the legal age for consensual acts at eighteen. For a country that felt like a moving vehicle, it appeared that the issue of space was more problematic than time.

He remembered how, in the original timeline, the young and rebellious Milla Jovovich ran off to Vegas to marry her boyfriend at sixteen. In California, that boyfriend -- four years her senior -- would face jail time, but in neighboring Nevada, they could legally tie the knot. The irony was not lost on him. Speaking of which, the filming for the Resident Evil in this timeline was likely starting next year, yet he hadn't seen Milla Jovovich on any media platforms. It seemed this illustrious Russian-born star was being fanned by the butterfly effects of time.

...

After a few minutes, as Monica hadn't returned from her shower yet, Drew, Penelope, and Connelly strolled into the kitchen one after another. The little one, covering her mouth as she yawned, tossed a mobile phone over to Eric, "Hey, Jeffrey Katzenberg just called. I told him you'd be back soon."

Eric took the mobile phone while noticing the little girl reaching for the freshly fried sausages, playfully lifting his hand and asking, "Did you brush your teeth yet?"

"I'm starving!" she protested, somewhat reluctantly, but she obediently left to head outside.

Eric looked at Connelly and Penelope, and upon seeing their nods, pointed to the skillet, "Keep an eye on it. When it's ready, plate it up."

Handing off the task to the two women, Eric walked outside with the mobile phone.

Though it was noon, when Eric called, Katzenberg answered almost instantly. This workaholic was still at the office during lunch hour, making Eric feel a tad embarrassed as he, who always woke up late, caught him right on the heels of lunchtime.

The management at Firefly had already drafted a media relations plan based on what they discussed the night before after a morning of deliberation. Katzenberg had even learned that Buffett and his wife Susan were currently residing at their vacation home in Laguna Beach, southern Los Angeles, and had made an appointment to meet.

While Eric discussed this with Katzenberg, he stepped into the study on the basement level, while Katzenberg directed his secretary to fax over the meeting notes.

In contrast to the brief decisions made last night, the proposal in hand was far more professional and detailed, carefully considering various possible outcomes.

Katzenberg was evidently thrilled as the two chatted for about half an hour. During that time, Eric glanced through the proposal quickly. While Katzenberg had already arranged the meeting with Buffett, it was clear from the media relations strategy focused on showcasing Firefly's strength that they were not overly optimistic about sealing the deal privately.

Fortunately, once they finished discussing that, Katzenberg didn't linger on other topics. He simply urged Eric to visit Firefly's headquarters in the afternoon, as he needed Eric's signature on some documents, then hung up.

...

Eric organized the fax he had just received and turned to see Drew quietly sitting on the steps at the entrance, munching on a sandwich and giggling. "You scared me! How come you're always so silent like a cat?"

"You surprised everyone," she shot back, standing up with her sandwich. "We suddenly couldn't find you; we thought you'd run away."

Eric followed Drew outside, laughing, "Why would I run away?"

The little girl rolled her eyes playfully, pretending to be confused, "I don't know either. Nicole said it, so ask her."

Once in the kitchen, as Eric appeared, the few women quietly seated around the dining table seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief. The previously tense atmosphere rapidly diffused. Nicole even got up with a bright smile, acting like a considerate wife and helped pull out a chair for Eric.

Eric sat down and explained, "I was on the phone with Jeffrey for longer than expected. He's a workaholic who never considers if anyone else is having lunch. Heh, how could you think I'd run away?"

Famke shot Eric a look, quipping to the others, "I said, he's such a shameless guy. How could that be possible?"

Nicole recalled a conversation she had while chatting with Elisabeth and remarked, "Why not! This jerk has a record."

Eric realized Elisabeth probably told Nicole something; these conversations among women always slipped through his fingers. However, the reason he had run away once was understandable. Who could handle a girl who might spring a proposal on you as soon as you woke up?

"OK, let's eat," Eric declared like a true host, eyeing the women and adding cheekily, "Should we say a grace before our meal?"

Nicole picked up from the dining area, "Let's skip that; I doubt God would believe what comes out of your mouth."

Laughter erupted around the dining table. While Eric was generally kind and considerate, given his stature, the Cruz sisters and Connelly were hesitant to banter back and forth with him. Watching how Nicole and Famke freely jested with Eric felt both refreshing and enviable.

Eric took a sip from the juice Nicole just passed him and, once the laughter faded, stated, "Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Since you all aren't going home, let's have a Thanksgiving dinner together tonight. I need to go to New York tomorrow, so how about tonight?"

The women exchanged glances, and no one objected. Eric continued, "Tonight it is! In the afternoon, you can shop for ingredients. By the way, does anyone know how to roast a turkey?"

Among those present, only Connelly and Drew were familiar with Thanksgiving traditions. The others were from different countries and clearly wouldn't know how to roast a turkey.

The little one was about to suggest having a chef take care of it, but with so many women around, even if they had a private chef they had signed a confidentiality agreement with, it would still pose a significant risk in this context. So, she clammed up.

Eric shook his head helplessly, "Then let's buy two turkeys. When I get back tonight, we'll brainstorm. If that fails, we'll just order a roasted one from a restaurant."

"Eric, are you going to shop with us this afternoon?" Penelope asked then.

Eric shook his head, "I need to stop by Firefly's headquarters. There are some things I need to handle personally before leaving Los Angeles, but I should be back soon. Also, be careful when you go out, so the paparazzi don't catch you."

"What if we get caught? What do you plan to do?" Nicole teased.

Eric shrugged and laughed, "Then I'll just have to publicly marry all of you."

Famke added, "And then we would only see you in federal prison."

"When that time comes, make sure to bring me some good snacks," Eric said nonchalantly.

The women laughed again, as for someone of Eric's wealth and status, the constraints of federal law had diminished to a point where they were almost negligible. As long as he didn't act foolishly and make any outlandish public acts that anyone could catch onto, his chances of ending up in prison were slim. Even if something did happen, he could easily escape from incarceration with a hefty bail.

Having multiple women around would hardly be an issue. If any billionaire were to stick to just one woman, that would seem odd from the traditional viewpoint of the average public.

*****

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