Chapter 229: Riding the Wave of Popularity

"Explosive! 'Pirates of the Caribbean' leads Matthew Horn and Keira Knightley fall for each other during filming, now caught shopping together. Matthew Horn buys Keira Knightley a Tiffany black pearl necklace as a token of commitment..."

On Yahoo Entertainment, this news broke first, accompanied by numerous intimate photos of Matthew and Keira Knightley shopping together.

With the internet's rapid response far surpassing traditional newspapers and magazines, another website later published photos taken by other paparazzi, detailing the couple's on-screen roles as lovers.

In the following period, rumors about Matthew and Keira Knightley, alongside the promotion of 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' kept appearing in newspapers and online. However, both remained tight-lipped, even during promotional events for 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' sticking to the agreed-upon narrative of being just good friends.

As April rolled in, besides various promotional activities, Matthew also made a point of meeting with his lawyer, Wilson, who timely filed his tax returns.

Dealing with taxes in the U.S. is notoriously complicated, with the tax system and April 15th, the so-called Tax Day, being notoriously disliked. Even Americans find it confusing, heavily relying on professionals.

It's said that Intuit, a financial software service provider for the IRS, spends a hefty sum lobbying in Washington to prevent the simplification of the tax filing process...

In the U.S., individuals file their taxes annually by April 15th for the previous year. Personal income tax makes up more than half of U.S. tax revenue. Failing to file correctly can lead to more than just a simple fine; it can become a significant hassle.

However, policies like tax refunds exist to alleviate some of this burden.

Matthew, not quite understanding the system, leaves it to the professionals.

Moreover, most Hollywood stars engage in legal tax avoidance, with Matthew's accountant and agent Helen Herman discussing establishing a charitable foundation, which would become more feasible as his fame grows.

Hollywood studios differ from those across the Pacific, where stars' incomes are net of tax paid by the production team. Hollywood has a tradition of paying gross salaries, leaving tax filings to the individuals.

This system has its advantages, allowing for high salaries while keeping them a reasonable percentage of the total production budget, thus allocating more funds to production.

As May begins and the North American summer movie season kicks off, news related to films floods the internet and print media, advancing Matthew and Keira Knightley's rumors to a new stage.

Yahoo Entertainment's latest photos show the two watching 'The Matrix Reloaded' together, hand in hand, seemingly confirming their relationship.

Gossip has always been an essential part of public life, drawing increasing attention to the couple.

Even Johnny Depp mentioned Matthew and Keira Knightley in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, saying, "They got along very well on set. Isn't it fitting if they got together? I would bless them if it's true."

On a picturesque afternoon, Matthew and Keira Knightley entered the Staples Center in Los Angeles to watch the Lakers versus the Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals.

A week before the game, Helen Herman managed to get tickets in the celebrity-frequented section, a prime spot for camera attention during breaks. As a powerhouse in the NBA, the Lakers have many Hollywood fans.

Matthew and Keira Knightley sat in the second row, with several seats nearby empty. However, within ten seats to the left, Matthew spotted numerous celebrities.

Not yet bloated enough to sink the Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio was chatting up his girlfriend Gisele Bundchen; directly in front was the recent Oscar winner Denzel Washington; nearby, always in sunglasses, was Jack Nicholson; and two blondes sitting together seemed to be Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz...

Surrounded by stars, Matthew couldn't help but feel like he and Keira Knightley were relatively unknown.

But this was expected since their appearance was to gain publicity. The more celebrities present, the more likely the camera would focus on them, generating more news.

Their recent rumors, backed by Disney and the production team, had been heating up. Their appearance here would surely generate a slew of new stories.

As players warmed up, Matthew recognized only Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, frequent fixtures in LA newspapers.

He didn't recognize anyone from the Spurs.

"Do you understand basketball?" Keira Knightley asked.

"Not really," Matthew admitted, pointing to the court. "I just know that shots from beyond that line are worth three points, and inside it, two."

Keira Knightley pouted, "I knew that too."

Both were essentially basketball illiterate, here for the publicity.

"Excuse me, can I get through?"

A crisp female voice sounded next to Matthew, who quickly pulled in his feet, as did Keira Knightley.

Though the VIP seats were spacious, access wasn't always easy.

"Thank you."

The girl thanked them and walked past to take the seat next to Keira Knightley.

Matthew glanced over, noting the girl's slim jeans and white T-shirt outlining her tall, sexy figure, her sweet face framed by brown hair, her skin a mixed-race chocolate shade.

She seemed familiar, like someone he had seen in a movie, but not a leading star, or he would have remembered her name.

Keira Knightley also took a few extra glances.

Noticing Keira Knightley, the girl introduced herself, "You're Keira Knightley, right?"

"Yes," Keira Knightley responded politely, "Hello, I'm Keira Knightley."

The girl was more enthusiastic, introducing herself as "Jessica Alba."

Seeing Matthew, obviously with Keira Knightley, she introduced him as "Matthew Horn, my friend."

"Hello," Matthew reached out, and Jessica Alba shook his hand lightly, "I've seen your 'Scorpion King,' a fantastic film."

Matthew, not recalling her films, simply thanked her.

Jessica Alba's name reminded him of the Invisible Woman in 'Fantastic Four,' but he couldn't remember her other roles.

As the game started, Matthew's attention drifted from the game to Keira Knightley and Jessica Alba, who were chatting, with Jessica explaining some basketball rules based on the game's events.

When the camera panned to them, Keira Knightley whispered to Matthew, feigning intimacy.

"Are you two dating?" Jessica Alba asked curiously, noting the media frenzy around them.

Keira Knightley glanced at Matthew, who gave her a look, and she just smiled at Jessica Alba, saying nothing.

Matthew preferred caution, unsure of Jessica Alba's intentions.

Disney, the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' production team, and their agencies had a plan and a set date to officially go public. He and Keira Knightley were to attend the premiere of Disney's 'Finding Nemo' by Pixar, essentially riding Pixar's popularity wave.

Just like today, their continuous presence at hotspots wasn't just about being seen; it kept them in the public eye and leveraged current events for publicity.

Throughout the game, aside from showing affection with Keira Knightley, Matthew hardly watched the match, only realizing the Lakers lost after seeing the final score.

Unlike the disappointed Lakers fan Jessica Alba, Matthew and Keira Knightley left immediately after, ready for their next publicity opportunity.

Before that, though, Matthew received a script from Sean Daniel at the agency.

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