Awkward confrontation

Natalie's emotions were aflutter, and it was hard for her to think calmly in such a short span of time.

"Black Swan" had its official global premiere at the Venice Film Festival the previous week, garnering a chorus of praises from the media. The spotlight was especially on the two female leads, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. Fox Searchlight, responsible for distribution, believed that the film held strong potential to secure nominations and even awards for the two protagonists during the upcoming awards season. As a result, they laid out a preliminary publicity plan.

Part of this plan involved highlighting Natalie. News releases had already started circulating, describing how Natalie had devoted a year and a half to transforming herself. She spent seven months immersing herself in ballet lessons, not only to rekindle memories of her childhood ballet, but also to deepen her professional foundation. Her aim was to personally perform ballet in the film, showcasing genuine ballet skills. Her arduous journey, the struggles endured, resonated with the character she portrayed in the movie.

The upcoming promotional efforts would center around this narrative. They would emphasize how Natalie had gone to great lengths, drawing parallels between her dedication and the character's intensity – "mad and alive". The campaign would blur the lines between the film and reality, spotlighting her personal involvement in every scene to bring forth a genuine display of acting prowess.

However, those in the industry knew that professional ballet required years of consistent practice; a mere seven months was insufficient. Most of Natalie's ballet performances were actually executed by a professional dance double, while she took charge of acting and poses.

It was foreseeable that experts in the field would question Natalie's professional competence. When that happened, it would not only necessitate the dance doubles on the set to remain silent but also demand unity among the entire crew in supporting Natalie. Only then could the smooth progression of the awards season publicity be ensured.

If it were to be exposed that most of Natalie's ballet performances were done by doubles, the repercussions wouldn't just be about dishonesty; the marketing strategy itself would be shattered, with incalculable consequences.

Benjamin Millepiede, the choreographer for "Black Swan", was responsible for choreographing and directing all ballet sequences in the film. Serving as a professional consultant for the crew, he commanded the dance ensemble and double team. His statements were a crucial element, directly and authoritatively confirming Natalie's "professionalism".

However, during the filming process, Natalie and Benjamin had sparked a connection, developing a relationship. Should the media discover this, Benjamin's credibility as a witness would plummet, consequently affecting the subsequent public relations plans. Of course, even if they were found out, it wouldn't be the end of the world; the question was, why take unnecessary risks?

Thus, Natalie's concern wasn't avoiding the paparazzi but rather the paparazzi uncovering her relationship with Benjamin. If everything had gone according to plan, they would have met at the ticket counter fifteen minutes ago and then proceeded to the theater to watch the film. In that scenario, it would have been impossible for the paparazzi to detect anything amiss. However, Benjamin hadn't shown up on time, and that's when things began to go awry.

"Are you two on a date?"

When Natalie heard this speculation, her first instinct was to go with the flow. If she admitted to currently being on a date with this... stranger beside her, she could divert the media's attention and create confusion.

"Yes," she affirmed with certainty.

But once the words were out, Natalie realized she had made a mistake. The person beside her clearly wasn't a gentleman. If he outright denied her statement, it would be embarrassing. Moreover, she knew nothing about him. Would he be willing to cooperate in this act? Would he be willing to pretend to date her for the coming days? Did Benjamin even care? How would Fox Searchlight handle this? What about his agent? What if he used her name to stir up news? Would she be sabotaging herself?

Wisely, she quickly acknowledged her error. Hormones had seemingly thrown her off balance lately, and the jetlag from flying from Venice to Toronto yesterday had made her somewhat scattered. Her judgment had slightly skewed.

Sensing the weight of the visual attention on her shoulders, Natalie flashed a bright smile. "If you consider chatting about movies with a friend at a film festival as dating, then yes, we're on a date." It was a bit strained, but she managed to spin it around. Advance when she could, retreat when she must; Natalie had once again seized control of the situation.

The corner of Renly's eyebrow raised slightly. He wasn't sure what Natalie was up to, but from her fragmented words, it was evident she was contemplating something else. He was just a pawn in her scheme. Yet, he had no intentions of playing along.

With a significant look, Renly glanced at Natalie. This Harvard-educated prodigy truly lived up to her reputation. "Renly, is this really true?" Cornell clearly wasn't fully convinced and directed the topic back to him.

Natalie raised her head and gazed at Renly, a warning shimmering in her eyes. Renly responded with a knowing smile. "In matters like these, we should always respect the lady's answer, shouldn't we?" His gentlemanly reply was impeccable. However, the teasing tone in his voice and the mockery in his eyes started to make people ponder the underlying message.

Before Gavin and Cornell could digest this, a voice rang out from the side. "Natalie? What are you doing here? I've been looking for you for so long!"

As the voice emerged, everyone turned their heads in unison. A tall, elegant man sprinted over, worry etched on his face. He was out of breath, his gaze fixed solely on Natalie. Concern flickered in his eyes as he hastily explained, "I waited for you at a different ticket counter, but I never saw you. Later, someone told me there were four ticket counters here." His English carried a faint French accent, captivating and refined.

Now, the situation was truly awkward.

Natalie kept sending signals to Benjamin with her eyes, watching as he was about to envelop her in a warm embrace. In her panic, she blurted, "Benjamin!" This finally caused him to pause slightly. "I'm sorry, I ran into two journalist friends here, so I lost track of time."

Though her words were brief, they contained enough information. Benjamin finally caught on. His outstretched arms relaxed. Natalie turned her gaze towards the two journalists and caught sight of the unfamiliar man next to her. Just as she was about to start explaining, the unfamiliar man's courteous voice reached her ears, "I apologize, I must leave now. I'm heading to watch The Illusionist", and there's not much time left before it starts."

That polite voice resonated like a mellifluous cello, yet the subtext made Natalie's left eyelid twitch. Then, the man continued, "May you both have a splendid afternoon." That damned guy! Natalie gritted her teeth inwardly. What was he implying with that statement? It was practically baiting the journalists into speculation. The whole plan was thoroughly disrupted now.

Gavin's pupils contracted slightly. Renly's words seemed ordinary, just the pleasantries of a social setting – polite and graceful. However, his tone and timing carried an intriguing subtlety. He first declined to answer the dating question, respecting Natalie's response as if it held hidden meaning. Then, this seemingly French man appeared, and Renly immediately excused himself. Though the excuse was seamless, the timing was incredibly delicate.

What was Renly implying?

Natalie watched the stranger's departing figure, her teeth grinding in frustration. She was about to call out, but she realized she didn't even know his name. Her intended words screeched to a halt, barely avoiding biting her tongue. "Wishing you a pleasant afternoon too," she responded between gritted teeth. In an instant, Natalie regained her composure, her eyes on the journalists. "He's always like this, wildly enthusiastic about movies. Nothing can deter him. We, as a film crew, are planning to watch the movie together later. I was going to extend an invitation, but it seems the answer is now all too clear."

Witty and intelligent, Natalie's explanation casually interpreted Benjamin's appearance. She wrapped up the situation quickly, preventing it from escalating further, even if not faultlessly, at least avoiding exacerbation.

Something was off, extremely off. Every pore on Gavin's body was screaming that there was something fishy. Especially Renly's final tone and reaction; there was definitely something awry here. While it might be an overactive imagination, his gut feeling told him so.

"Psst, psst." A light touch on his arm – Gavin knew it was Cornell without even looking. Cornell was surely asking whether they should follow Renly's footsteps or stay and unearth Natalie's secret. Initially, Gavin had planned to trail Renly, given he was the hot newcomer of late. However, his stance shifted now.

"Is the "Black Swan" cast planning to watch a movie together today?" Gavin raised his voice, curiosity evident. "What movie? Is it really worth the entire crew's outing?"

Natalie felt things were growing more complicated. That cursed man had wreaked havoc!

Renly walked straight toward the ticket counter. He hadn't lied; he was indeed planning to watch "The Illusionist".

As for Natalie... In her previous life, Renly couldn't recall the exact timing, but everyone knew about Natalie's pregnancy, and the father of her child was Benjamin. The two even got engaged later on. However, from the hints earlier, it was clear Natalie didn't want the journalists to find out, especially about her relationship with Benjamin. As an outsider, Renly held limited information and didn't care or wonder much. Ultimately, he merely returned the favor by throwing in a minor wrench.

Checking the time, a movie was scheduled in five minutes. Remarkably, there were still tickets left, an uncommon occurrence at the festival. Renly purchased his ticket, entered the theater, and left the unexpected encounter behind.