Chapter 245: Fake Becomes Real

Just as Clark Phillips and Hannah had anticipated, the black BMW car in front of them continued along Interstate 5 to the northern outskirts of Burbank, then turned into the avenue leading to Matthew Horner's residence. It was clear that the occupants were heading home.

"Is Keira Knightley moving into Matthew Horner's residence?" Clark Phillips and Hannah had almost the same thought. "Are they preparing to officially move in together?"

Unexpectedly, the black BMW car arrived at a quiet area and suddenly stopped by the roadside.

"Hurry up!" Hannah, sensing that something was about to happen, urged, "Clark, overtake them! Those two must not be able to hold back anymore, they might even..."

Without needing Hannah's reminder, Clark Phillips knew what to do and quickly sped up, overtaking the BMW. Hannah, disregarding the risk, climbed out through the car's sunroof and began taking continuous photos, accurately capturing the front windshield where a man and a woman were passionately kissing.

Perhaps noticing them, the couple suddenly stopped and restarted their car, driving forward.

"How did it go?" Clark Phillips asked concernedly, "Did you get the shots?"

Hannah excitedly responded, "Got it! It's a pity they didn't do more in the car; that would have been even more exciting!"

Clark Phillips loudly declared, "This is good enough. Let's keep following them."

On the black BMW, Matthew slightly accelerated, overtaking the car that was obviously from the paparazzi, and said to his passenger, Keira Knightley, "Keira, you're very sweet today."

Keira Knightley pouted and replied, "I'm using the same lipstick."

Since their first kiss at the premiere of "Finding Nemo," public displays of affection and kisses had become normal for them. She had gradually gotten used to it, and kissing Matthew passionately was no big deal.

"It seems there aren't many paparazzi following us," she looked back and only saw one car.

Matthew responded, "I specifically chose a time when the paparazzi were likely eating."

Keira Knightley frowned, "Why?"

Matthew focused on driving and said, "Don't worry, there will definitely be a lot of paparazzi and reporters waiting at the doorstep."

He understood Keira Knightley's meaning. If they were planning to live together according to the plan, it had to be sensational; otherwise, why seek publicity this way?

As the car approached his private residence, Keira Knightley saw a large group of reporters and paparazzi, realizing that the production team and their agencies had already prepared for this.

These reporters would witness their cohabitation.

Matthew parked the car, and Keira Knightley followed him out, grabbed her bag, and, linking arms with Matthew, walked towards the gate.

The flashlights kept flashing, and reporters immediately surrounded them.

Clark Phillips had already parked his car and, using his agility, quickly made his way to Matthew and Keira Knightley, loudly asking, "Keira, have you moved all your luggage from the hotel here? Are you planning to live with Matthew?"

Keira Knightley turned around and confidently said, "Compared to a hotel, this feels more like a home."

Another reporter loudly asked, "Are you going to get engaged?"

Matthew, worried Keira Knightley might say something impulsive, quickly said, "We are enjoying our relationship right now. We will nurture our love together. Keira and I love each other very much, and we will always be happy."

After speaking, he dragged the luggage and Keira Knightley towards the entrance.

Reporters and paparazzi, having received news from various sources, certainly wouldn't let them go so easily. Some loudly asked more questions, even delving into intimate details between men and women. Matthew and Keira Knightley pretended not to hear and entered through the gate.

As Matthew closed the iron gate, effectively isolating the reporters outside, some reporters hurriedly left, seemingly rushing back to write their articles, while others continued to wait outside for further developments.

Inside the high walls, Matthew carried Keira Knightley's luggage into the room. This was Keira Knightley's first visit, and she curiously looked around.

"It looks nice," Keira Knightley said after a tour, "Cleaner than I expected."

Matthew set down the luggage, "I cleaned up specially for you."

Keira Knightley bit her lip and asked, "Where's my room?"

"This way..." Matthew led her to a bedroom door, opened it, and said, "I prepared this room especially for you."

Keira Knightley walked in, glanced around, and frowned, "It's so plain."

Matthew ignored her comment, pulling the luggage into the room. Indeed, the room's furnishings were simple, with just a bed and a dressing table.

"You're only staying temporarily," Matthew said offhandedly.

Keira Knightley left the room and asked, "Which one is your room?"

Matthew also came out and said, "Next door."

Keira Knightley went over, pushed open the door, and walked in. After seeing the room's elegant setup, she declared, "I'll stay in this one."

Matthew followed her, "Can I refuse?"

Keira Knightley pouted, "No!" She glared at Matthew, "Any objections?"

"No objections if you stay here," Matthew stretched, "But, I'll have to stay here too. It seems we'll have to share a room."

Keira Knightley looked at Matthew but said nothing.

Matthew closed the door, wrapped his arms around Keira Knightley's waist, and without any hesitation, they kissed passionately, just as naturally as they had for the media in public.

"Oh, this is not what I expected!" Matthew's voice of surprise echoed in the room, "There's an 'A' for effort!"

Then came Keira Knightley's voice, cursing Matthew through gritted teeth, followed by indescribable sounds echoing around...

Keira Knightley moved into Matthew's residence that night and did not go to the room prepared for her. She directly moved into Matthew's bedroom, making their nominal cohabitation a reality.

The next morning, as Matthew prepared breakfast, Keira Knightley, having washed up and changed, sat at the dining table and asked, "You haven't really fallen for me, have you?"

Matthew, bringing over two plates, placed one in front of Keira Knightley and said, "Have you fallen for me?"

"How could I?" Keira Knightley snorted, "I'm just fulfilling the agreement."

Matthew also placed a glass of skim milk in front of her and said, "So am I."

The two tacitly stopped talking until breakfast was finished. Their brief conversation made their positions clear; there was no need for further discussion.

Later, Matthew went out to buy a bunch of newspapers. A large group of paparazzi was still waiting outside, making it difficult to avoid harassment.

After returning, he briefly skimmed through the papers, especially the tabloids, which mostly reported on "Matthew Horner and Keira Knightley Officially Cohabit."

Keira Knightley also checked his computer, finding numerous reports on sites like Yahoo Entertainment about their cohabitation.

From the media's attention, the "cohabitation" plan fully achieved its intended purpose.

As for whether it was a fake or real cohabitation, both had reached an understanding not to involve romantic feelings. The agency and the production team would not interfere in such matters.

Matthew wasn't a saint aspiring for a high moral ground; he envied the glamorous lifestyle of Hollywood. Keira Knightley, not new to this either, equally enjoyed the physical intimacy.

The scandal's outbreak undoubtedly boosted the promotion of "Pirates of the Caribbean," followed by an announcement from Disney Studios in conjunction with Jerry Bruckheimer Films. They revealed that planning for the sequel to "Pirates of the Caribbean" had begun. Unlike the first installment, the sequel would not be shot separately but as part of a trilogy completed in one go, with each part released sequentially.

Disney Studios also announced their intention to bring back Matthew, Johnny Depp, and Keira Knightley as the leading trio. The second installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean" was scheduled for release in the summer of 2006.

These promotional efforts and positive news successfully drew more attention to "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," making its second-week performance remarkably stable.

The box office on the first workday of the week dropped by only forty-five percent to $10.2 million.

For a commercial entertainment movie, this was an exceptionally good trend.

Throughout the following weekdays, "Pirates of the Caribbean" showed a very stable performance, with daily box office revenues consistently around $10 million. Before the second weekend, the film's North American box office easily surpassed the $100 million mark, reaching $106 million thanks to four days of accumulation.

In just a week, "Pirates of the Caribbean" achieved a box office breakthrough of over $100 million in North America.

During the second weekend, the film displayed an incredibly stable performance, with a drop of just over thirty percent from the opening weekend, earning $43.3 million.

Within ten days of release, the North American box office of "Pirates of the Caribbean" had not only recouped its production cost but was nearing the $150 million mark.

Meanwhile, the film was also released in Latin America, Europe, Australia, and East Asia, among other overseas markets. It collected over $110 million in its first week abroad, pushing the global box office past $250 million.

Disney Studios and various professional forecasting agencies released new projections, universally agreeing that "Pirates of the Caribbean" surpassing $500 million globally was virtually assured.

Undoubtedly, the film had achieved tremendous success, but all stakeholders wanted to push for even greater achievements.

Intensifying the promotional efforts was deemed the most effective strategy.

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