Chapter 112: Is There Any Way Out?

As the car slowed down, Courteney Cox looked through the window. Not far ahead on the mountain road, at the entrance to a mansion, a black Mercedes was slightly chaotic due to being surrounded by paparazzi.

A moment later, the Mercedes finally entered the mansion, and the driver in front braked to a stop at the roadside. The invitation had specifically mentioned that due to the large scale of the party, sufficient parking could not be provided, so Courteney had reserved a luxury car for transport.

As the paparazzi saw the Cadillac stop, they crowded around again, cameras at the ready.

A sudden wave of intense anxiety washed over her.

She even felt an urge to instruct the driver to leave.

Due to the earlier chaos, two attendants from the mansion had come out to manage the situation, and the driver also stepped out of the car.

The door opened, and there was no turning back now.

Taking a deep breath, Courteney stepped out of the car, her black gown flowing elegantly. The paparazzi who had been poised for action seemed disappointed, puzzled, or merely snapped a few obligatory shots before turning their attention to another arriving sedan.

In Hollywood, after a movie becomes a hit, the media often delve into which stars had passed up the opportunity to shine in it.

"Run Lola Run" was no exception.

However, Simon was too much of an unknown before "Run Lola Run," and the media could only unearth fragmented information about his original intent to cast another girl he had pursued for the role of Lola, without even discovering her name.

Courteney knew all too well that she was that girl.

The neglect she faced upon exiting the car only added to her unease, and she couldn't help but think of Sandra Bullock.

A novice actress who had never appeared in a film had risen to A-list stardom in Hollywood almost overnight, and had recently signed on as the lead in two sequels to "Back to the Future," a guaranteed blockbuster success.

All this should have been hers.

Following the attendant leading her, she admired the Mediterranean-style mansion hidden among the trees.

All of this should have been hers!

A resentful feeling welled up inside her.

That man—if only he had been more attentive back then and officially pursued her, she surely would have accepted.

With these thoughts, she found herself already at the front of the mansion.

Despite the presence of many others, she instantly spotted a particular figure, busily greeting guests and chatting animatedly with a couple. Drawing closer, she recognized the couple's identities.

Sean Penn and Madonna.

The couple from the Mercedes that had been surrounded by paparazzi just moments before.

Noticing her approach, Sean Penn and his wife politely nodded at her before heading inside the mansion, Madonna casually reminding him to write a song for her as they left, clearly very familiar with each other.

Simon watched the Penns enter the mansion before turning to Courteney.

Meeting his gaze, Courteney suddenly felt a bit guilty.

She hadn't received an invitation to this party; the invitation was secured through Jonathan Friedman, her agent, who had a few reserved for WMA clients.

The last time they met was on the day "Run Lola Run" wrapped up, more than half a year ago. Simon had almost forgotten about Courteney.

Now, seeing her before him again, Simon smiled and extended his hand, asking, "How have you been?"

Feeling Simon's warm greeting, Courteney relaxed slightly, shook his hand, and said, "I've been good. I've been meaning to congratulate you, and today I finally got the chance."

"Oh, thank you," Simon released her hand and gestured towards the villa, "Come in, enjoy yourself."

Though she wanted to talk more, noticing other guests arriving, she could only nod and head into the villa.

Inside, about twenty or thirty people were either standing or sitting around chatting, including well-known figures like Robert Redford and John Travolta. The atmosphere was somewhat subdued, and her entrance went largely unnoticed.

Realizing she was unlikely to penetrate these circles, she walked straight through the living room to the backyard and felt a sudden sense of relief.

The atmosphere here was far more lively than inside, with two hundred people gathered around the pool and on the adjacent lawns. Orchestral music filled the air, several buffet tables were set up by the pool, and bow-tied waiters navigated through the crowd with trays.

Seeing the bustling scene, Courteney felt somewhat empty inside.

There's a pervasive unspoken rule among young Hollywood men and women: before becoming famous, unless you can attach yourself to a big star, it's best not to maintain a stable relationship, as it could cost you many opportunities.

Thus, many Hollywood stars who suddenly rise to fame often appear as if they have no past, starting to publicize various romances with equally famous stars only after gaining fame.

After a minor confrontation

 at last year's party, Courteney had candidly told Simon that she didn't plan on having a boyfriend in the short term, influenced by this rule.

Now.

Time definitely wouldn't rewind to a year ago.

Taking a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray, Courteney gathered her spirits and scanned the crowd, spotting Jonathan Friedman. She approached him with a smile.

As she neared, she heard her agent speaking with a sweet-looking blonde, seemingly trying to recruit her.

The blonde noticed Courteney approaching and pointed at her, telling the agent, "Joe, I appreciate your interest. But Josh is quite good, and I don't plan on changing agents."

Jonathan, noticing the gesture, turned to see Courteney and gave her a 'just a moment' look before saying to the blonde, "Meg, regardless, I hope you'll consider it. If you join WMA, well, maybe I could get Simon to write a script specifically for you."

Jonathan's interlocutor was none other than Meg Ryan.

After more than two months of adjustment, Meg Ryan was no longer the dispirited figure Simon first met; she had mostly returned to the radiance typical of a woman in her twenties.

Simon had initially required Meg Ryan to 'work nine to five' at Daenerys Films until filming began, but as "When Harry Met Sally" progressed and word got out—though both parties explained it was for the actress to gain life experience—media speculation was inevitable.

To avoid further messy rumors, considering Meg Ryan's recovery, Simon had also prematurely ended her arrangement to work at Daenerys Films.

Hearing Jonathan's final words, Meg Ryan slightly shrank back and said, "Joe, let's not, I'm really not interested in starring in Simon's movies."

Just participating in "When Harry Met Sally" had been trying enough; starring in a script written by that guy, was there any way out?