**Chapter 40: The Temptation of the Leading Lady in a Blockbuster Series**

Wayne noticed her reaction but didn't care at all.

He needed to care about his girlfriend's feelings, but toys didn't require such attention. If a toy became dissatisfied or unwilling to play its role, he could simply discard it and find a new one.

This was Hollywood, and as his fame grew, there was no shortage of beautiful women willing to be his toys.

Across from him, Annie quickly regained her composure. After reflecting on her failed audition today, her agent Katie's harsh words, and the help Wayne could offer her, she eventually suppressed her dissatisfaction and forced a smile as she welcomed the two of them inside.

What a joke! This mansion was rented by Wayne!

$8,000 a month—having lost the chance to star in *The Princess Diaries* and still being relatively unknown, there was no way she could afford such an expensive place.

After thinking it through, Annie became more proactive during their post-dinner "intimate exchange," doing everything she could to please Wayne, as if trying to outdo Mrs. Stewart, bringing him immense satisfaction.

Annie walked over to Wayne and straddled him, her dress riding up to reveal her toned thighs. She leaned in and kissed him deeply, their tongues intertwining in a passionate dance. Wayne's hands wandered down to Annie's ass, squeezing it gently as she ground against him.

Breaking the kiss, Annie stood up and slowly removed her dress, revealing her black lace lingerie. Wayne's breath hitched as he took in the sight of her, his eyes lingering on her lace bra and matching thong. Annie walked over to the coffee table and picked up a bottle of lubricant, giving him a wink.

Annie climbed back onto Wayne, her knees on either side of him. She leaned down and kissed him again, her hands working to undo his pants. Once they were undone, she reached inside and pulled out his cock, stroking it gently. Wayne let out a low moan as she leaned down and took him into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the tip.

Wayne's hands wandered up to Annie's breasts, cupping them gently and pinching her nipples through her bra. Annie let out a moan around his cock, her hips grinding against his leg. Wayne could feel her wetness seeping through her thong, and he couldn't wait any longer.

Wayne lifted Annie up and laid her down on the couch, spreading her legs. He leaned down and kissed her inner thigh, working his way up to her lace thong. He could smell her arousal, and it only made him want her more. He pulled her thong to the side and leaned in, his tongue finding her clit. Annie let out a loud moan as he started to flick his tongue against it, her hips bucking against his face.

Wayne slid a finger inside of Annie, feeling her warmth and wetness. He added a second finger, curling them upwards and stroking her G-spot. Annie's moans grew louder as he quickened his pace, her legs shaking. Wayne could feel her walls tightening around his fingers, and he knew she was close.

Annie let out a loud moan as she came, her back arching off the couch. Wayne continued to stroke her G-spot, drawing out her orgasm. Once she came down from her high, Wayne pulled his fingers out and licked them clean, savoring the taste of her.

Wayne climbed on top of Annie, his cock pressing against her entrance. He looked into her eyes, and she nodded, giving him the go-ahead. Wayne slowly pushed inside of her, her warmth enveloping him. He started to thrust slowly, building up a rhythm. Annie wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of her.

Wayne leaned down and kissed Annie, their tongues dancing together as he continued to thrust into her. Annie's nails dug into his back as she moaned, her hips meeting his thrusts. Wayne could feel himself getting closer to the edge, and he picked up the pace.

Annie let out a loud moan as she came again, her walls tightening around Wayne's cock. Wayne couldn't hold back any longer and let out a loud groan as he came, filling her up. He collapsed on top of her, both of them panting heavily.

However, Wayne rejected Annie's request to spend the night after receiving a phone call.

With disappointment in her eyes, she watched him get dressed and leave the villa.

The call was from Charlize Theron, inviting Wayne over for a drink. Wayne didn't hide this from Annie.

In the past, Annie would have been upset or thrown a little tantrum. 

But her recent experiences had clearly made her mature a lot, and she now understood her place in Wayne's life. Even though she felt disappointed, she kept it to herself. 

After all, she brought this on herself.

Twenty minutes later, Wayne arrived at Charlize Theron's place. After parking his car, he took out his key and opened the door.

Despite being a fairly prominent second-tier star now, Charlize Theron's villa wasn't much different in size from the one Annie was staying in—except Theron had purchased hers for a hefty $2 million.

"You're actually drinking? Didn't you always say that alcohol is a woman's worst enemy when it comes to her skin and figure?"

As soon as Wayne walked in, he smelled alcohol. Following the scent, he found Charlize Theron sitting in her wine cellar, drinking alone. He couldn't hide his surprise.

Although Wayne had a wine cellar too, it came with the house, just like when he bought Wayne Manor.

Due to her strict regimen for maintaining her figure and skin, Charlize Theron had always been careful with alcohol, except for social occasions. After all, women in the West tended to age quickly. She wouldn't have been able to maintain her figure and appearance in her late forties otherwise.

Yet now, two bottles of wine were already empty in front of her, and she was a third of the way through the third one. There wasn't even a decanter in sight—she was drinking straight from the bottle.

How much bitterness was she drowning?

"What's wrong?" Wayne asked again.

Charlize finally turned her head to look at him, showing a complex smile of resentment, bitterness, and self-mockery. "You really don't care about me at all, do you?"

"Heh."

Wayne chuckled coldly, not bothering to pamper her. To her surprise, he picked her up in a princess carry, amid her shocked protests, and headed straight for the bedroom upstairs.

Two hours later, Charlize Theron, though too exhausted to even lift a finger, felt her mind clear for the first time in days. Lying quietly in Wayne's arms, the worries and anxieties that had plagued her for so long finally subsided.

"It's because of *Men of Honor*, right?" Wayne said as he stroked her smooth, delicate skin.

Although phrased as a question, his tone was certain.

"So you knew all along?" 

Charlize Theron blinked, about to respond with sarcasm, when Wayne slapped her on her firm backside.

"The box office for *Men of Honor* wasn't that bad," Wayne said.

Because of Charlize, he hadn't attended the premiere, but he had kept an eye on the film's performance.

It grossed $9.8 million on its opening weekend, $16 million in its first week—about the same as in his previous life. It didn't even come close to topping the box office, nor did it crack the top three.

Based on the usual trend, its final North American gross should be around $40 million, with a global gross of about $70 million.

With global earnings, it should break even, given the publicized production cost of $32 million, although the real cost likely didn't exceed $20 million.

Since the film's performance was mediocre, Fox probably wouldn't spend much on post-release marketing, so the total cost wouldn't exceed $30 million.

With DVD sales and revenue from selling television rights after the theatrical run, the film might even make a $20 million profit.

That's no small amount.

Charlize could tell what Wayne was thinking, but she couldn't accept it herself.

"That's Robert De Niro! An Oscar-winning actor! And alongside me, we still need global box office sales just to break even—this is—"

"But don't forget, the other lead actor is Black."

Wayne cut her off before she could finish.

This made Charlize pause.

"But it's Cuba Gooding Jr.! He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in *Jerry Maguire*!"

"But the success of *Jerry Maguire* was due to Tom Cruise, not him."

Wayne bluntly pointed this out.

*Jerry Maguire* was the breakout film for current Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise. However, while Tom Cruise didn't win an Oscar for it, Cuba Gooding Jr. snagged the Best Supporting Actor award.

But in today's Hollywood, even in America as a whole, political correctness hadn't become so extreme yet.

"And an Oscar doesn't guarantee box office success," Wayne added.

"A Black lead and an Oscar-winning actor co-starring in a film directed by another Black man isn't going to draw in many viewers. Not every Black actor is Morgan Freeman or Will Smith."

"Plus, the movie's quality is just average. The fact that it did this well is already impressive."

"More importantly, you barely had any screen time in the film. Even if it failed, it has nothing to do with you, right?"

Charlize Theron was momentarily speechless.

The only reason she felt so down was because the film hadn't lived up to her high expectations.

Deep down, she knew that just because an actor wins an Oscar doesn't mean the film will be a hit. But with even the reviews being lukewarm—not bad, but not great either—there was only one word to describe it: mediocre.

This left her disappointed.

She had hoped that collaborating with an Oscar-winning actor and Best Supporting Actor would earn her an Oscar nomination.

Wayne knew she was overthinking it.

But he was also right: the success or failure of this film didn't really affect her. Otherwise, her upcoming project, *Sweet November* with Keanu Reeves, would have encountered some trouble.

On reflection, she realized she had nothing to be upset about. In fact, she should have been relieved.

The only thing she stood to lose was some promotional opportunities for the film, but for a second-tier star like her, it wasn't that significant.

After all, she had another movie, *The Legend of Bagger Vance*, premiering next month.

That was a $60 million big-budget production starring Matt Damon and Will Smith! Surely it would perform well… right?

If only Wayne knew what she was thinking—he would've laughed out loud.

*The Legend of Bagger Vance* wasn't a bad film. After all, with Matt Damon and Will Smith starring, and Oscar-winning director Robert Redford at the helm, how could it be?

But its lack of commercial appeal would ultimately hurt its box office.

Moreover, it would soon be competing with *Charlie's Angels*, *102 Dalmatians*, *How the Grinch Stole Christmas*, and *Unbreakable*, all massive blockbusters that grossed hundreds of millions at the box office, crowding it out.

In the end, *The Legend of Bagger Vance* failed to recoup its production costs.

Just the salaries for Robert Redford and Will Smith alone exceeded $23 million. The real production cost was likely around $40 million, with marketing bringing the total to $55-60 million.

Even with DVD sales and TV rights, it wouldn't break even.

At best, it would minimize the losses.

Fortunately, the film's failure wouldn't negatively impact Charlize Theron, as the poor performance was due to the script, not her.

"Could she really be cursed never to star in a commercially successful blockbuster?"

Thinking of the films Charlize would go on to star in, Wayne couldn't help but entertain this odd notion.

"You won't have any new projects after *Sweet November*, right?" Wayne asked, after mulling it over.

"No, why?" A slightly recovered Charlize Theron looked up at him, curious.

"If everything goes smoothly, I'll be launching a new project while filming *The Bourne Identity*. It's a franchise, with the female lead as the primary protagonist. The plan is to make seven or eight movies. If you're interested, start training in martial arts—but only in technique, don't bulk up."

Wayne was referring to the famous *Resident Evil* series.

Originally, he hadn't planned on making *Resident Evil*. After all, there weren't many roles for him in it, and even if he played the male lead, he'd be written out after one episode. It didn't seem worth it.

There's no way he'd play the big villain, Wesker, right?

On top of that, Jessica wasn't a good fit to replace the original Milla Jovovich as the female lead, Alice, so he didn't have Sarah buy the rights.

However, at that moment, he suddenly realized Charlize Theron might be perfect for the role of Alice.

At least in his eyes, Charlize Theron's performance and image in *Mad Max: Fury Road* were far better than Milla Jovovich's.

Of course, that was just his personal opinion.

Also, since he wanted to hold onto this timeless South African beauty for a long time, buying the *Resident Evil* series and having Charlize Theron play Alice seemed like a pretty good idea.

After hearing this, Charlize Theron stared at him with a strange look for a good seven or eight seconds before saying in an exaggerated tone, "Are you crazy? What Hollywood actress would turn down the lead in a big commercial series with a female lead?"

"So, you're saying yes?"

"Of course I'm saying yes!" Charlize Theron replied without hesitation.

"But why are you suddenly being so nice to me?" Charlize couldn't help but ask. She had some ideas but wasn't entirely sure.

"Because I don't want what happened with Anne Hathaway to happen to you. I want to make you something that belongs only to me."

Wayne smiled, not hiding his possessiveness toward her.

If anyone else, even a Hollywood superstar like Will Smith or an Oscar-winning director like Robert Redford, had said something like that—calling her 'a thing'—she would have sneered and maybe even slapped them.

But when Wayne said it...

Thinking about Wayne's looks and physique, the huge boost he could bring to her career, and the indescribable pleasures she had experienced with him lately, which she had never felt with anyone else...

At that moment, she felt Wayne was overwhelmingly dominant and irresistibly charming. She was completely captivated.

"So, what if I wanted to have your baby?" Charlize Theron asked, staring into his eyes.

"Then have it," Wayne smiled. "Though it would be a love child, I promise not to neglect them."

"F*** you!"

Wayne had always fantasized about Charlize Theron. It was the way her body moved, her confidence, and the way she commanded a room. Tonight, she had finally come over for dinner, and Wayne couldn't have been more excited.

As they sat at the table, sipping wine and making small talk, Wayne couldn't help but feel a growing tension between them. He knew that she felt it too. He could see it in the way she looked at him, the way her eyes lingered on his lips.

Finally, as they finished their meal, Charlize leaned back in her chair and looked at Wayne with a mischievous grin. "I think we both know why I'm really here," she said, her voice low and sultry.

Wayne's heart raced as she stood up and walked towards him. She was wearing a tight dress that accentuated every curve of her body, and as she approached, Wayne could feel his cock growing harder in his pants.

Charlize reached out and ran her hand down Wayne's chest, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt. "You're so fucking hot," she whispered, her breath hot against his ear.

Wayne stood up and pulled Charlize close, feeling her body pressed against his. He could feel her nipples harden through her dress, and he knew that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

Without a word, Wayne picked Charlize up and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and began to undress her, slowly and deliberately, taking in every inch of her perfect body.

As Charlize lay there, naked and vulnerable, Wayne couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. She was even more beautiful than he had imagined, and he knew that he had to have her.

Wayne climbed onto the bed and positioned himself between Charlize's legs. He looked down at her, her eyes filled with desire, and he knew that this was it.

He leaned down and began to kiss her, his tongue exploring her mouth as his hands roamed her body. Charlize moaned softly, her body writhing beneath him as he touched her.

Wayne moved his mouth down to Charlize's breasts, taking each nipple in turn and sucking on them gently. Charlize gasped, her back arching as he teased her nipples with his tongue.

He continued to move down her body, kissing and licking every inch of her skin. When he reached her pussy, he spread her legs wide and began to lick her clit, his tongue flicking back and forth over the sensitive bud.

Charlize moaned loudly, her body shaking as Wayne's tongue worked its magic. He licked and sucked on her clit, his fingers exploring her pussy as he brought her closer and closer to orgasm.

Finally, Charlize couldn't take it any longer. She grabbed Wayne's head and pulled him up, kissing him deeply as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Wayne positioned himself at her entrance and pushed inside her, feeling her tight pussy grip him tightly. He began to fuck her roughly, his hips slamming into hers as he pounded her hard.

Charlize moaned and screamed, her body shaking as Wayne fucked her. She could feel herself getting closer and closer to orgasm, and she knew that it was going to be intense.

Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. She screamed as she came, her pussy gripping Wayne's cock tightly as she orgasmed.

Wayne continued to fuck her, his own orgasm building inside him. He could feel himself getting closer and closer, and he knew that he was going to cum soon.

Finally, with one last thrust, Wayne came, his cock exploding inside Charlize's pussy.

Charlize Theron suddenly sat up, then exhausted the bit of strength she had regained in another deep "conversation" with Wayne.

What she didn't know was that Wayne's genes had long been altered by a special enhancement serum. While it hadn't reached the extreme of reproductive isolation, it was nearly impossible for an ordinary person to conceive his child.

Of course, Wayne wasn't fooling Charlize either.

He had already planned to buy more genetic enhancement serum once he got richer and give each of the women he intended to keep around a dose, so they could stay youthful for years to come.

That's why he needed to make more money. After all, just one bottle of the basic serum costs $200 million.

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(End of this chapter)