Chapter 464: Housewarming Party

Los Angeles International Airport. When Elizabeth Olsen came out of the exit, she saw a lot of reporters taking pictures around someone. That person being photographed was tall and handsome, holding a large bouquet of roses in her hand. It's was Martin himself.

Throwing the luggage to her twin brother James and the backpack to her two sisters, Elizabeth separated from the crowd and ran towards Martin.

Reporters had already seen the two sets of twins in the Olsen family, and one reporter immediately turned around to take pictures.

Elizabeth's smile was clean and sweet, and the reporters' mood improved.

Their fingers pressed the camera shutter harder.

Martin hurried towards Elizabeth, and Elizabeth ran over and hugged him regardless.

"You didn't even cqme to London to see me!" she complained deliberately.

Martin didn't explain much. He first sent the flowers to Elizabeth's hand, and then gave her a deep kiss.

When the long kiss ended, Elizabeth said nothing and just wanted to accompany Martin home.

But Martin couldn't just leave. He went over to greet the three Olsen siblings and asked for Elizabeth's luggage before getting into the Escalade driven by Bruce.

In the car, Elizabeth was very concerned and asked: "Are the housekeepers, servants and chefs at home ready?"

Martin said: "Don't worry, we have everything we need."

Elizabeth added: "Guess we are in London this time? " Where did I go?"

Martin thought for a while and asked: "Buckingham Palace?"

"Yes, Buckingham Palace!" Elizabeth was similar to most Americans in some aspects and seemed very excited: "I took advantage of my two sisters. I met the Queen and the Crown Prince."

Martin said: "Crown Prince for 50 years."

Elizabeth said: "he looks a bit like Thomas."

Martin wondered: "How does he look like Thomas?"

Elizabeth said seriously: "they are both bald."

Martin and Bruce, who was driving, laughed.

Back home in Beverly Hills, Elizabeth first opened her backpack, took out a box, and handed it to Bruce: "A gift for you." Bruce took it and said, "And a gift from me?

"You are much better than Martin , this bastard...well, he never gives me gifts."

Martin gave him a middle finger: "Because you are an ugly man."

Elizabeth just smiled, she knew how important Bruce and Martin were to each other.

Back in Burbank Middle School, one dared to stay and risk his life to cut off the enemy, while the other dared to risk his life to save him.

Elizabeth even had a feeling that if Martin could only choose between her and Bruce, Martin would definitely choose Bruce.

Of course, she's not that stupid to ask such a stupid question.

Martin asked: "Don't I have a gift?"

Elizabeth jumped up and hung on him: "you will get your gift tonight!"

Martin carried the person into the bedroom on the first floor.

Only then did Elizabeth realize that Martin had done so much secretly.

She thought for a while and asked: "Have you never held a housewarming party?"

The opulent home of Martin, now shared with Elizabeth, echoed with plans for a grand housewarming party. "We haven't properly celebrated moving in," Martin remarked thoughtfully. "With you here, it's time we introduced ourselves to the neighborhood."

Elizabeth's smile brightened the room. "Why don't we invite our friends and their families too? It would be the perfect occasion to mingle and make our house feel like a true home."

Martin nodded in agreement. "We should also extend the invitation to our neighbors. It's time to make our presence known."

With excitement in the air, Elizabeth swiftly dressed and called for Martin's newly appointed butler. They began to discuss the arrangements for a lavish gathering, deciding to hire a professional company from Hollywood to manage the event. All that was required from them was a guest list.

That afternoon, Martin and Elizabeth took a leisurely stroll to meet their neighbors. They noticed the house next door was for sale, with potential buyers often seen inspecting the property. On the other side lived the Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron, who had been away filming during most of Martin's renovation period. To their delight, she had recently returned.

Upon their visit, Charlize greeted them with mild surprise. "I wasn't expecting such esteemed visitors," she remarked with a warm smile.

Martin returned the smile. "We didn't have the chance to meet before. My sister, Lily, mentioned visiting you, we moved here while you were away, so we didn'thave much opportunity to meet."

Accepting a bottle of red wine from Elizabeth, Charlize recalled, "Ah, Lily. She was charming and delightful."

Elizabeth seized the moment. "We're officially settled in and planning a housewarming party this weekend. We'd be honored if you and your guests could join us."

Charlize, her demeanor bright and gracious, accepted the invitation. "Unless something comes up, I'll certainly be there."

The conversation drifted towards Charlize's career and her ambitions following her Oscar win. Despite a few setbacks, her resilience and desire to expand her network were evident.

During their chat, a man descended the stairs. "Sally, do we have visitors?" he inquired, his posture casual yet curious.

Charlize introduced him to Martin. "This is Stewart Townsend, my fiancé."

After a brief exchange and a cordial invitation to the party, Martin and Elizabeth politely excused themselves.

Outside, Elizabeth shared her admiration for Charlize. "I used to dream of being half as beautiful as her when I grew up."

Martin, linking his arm with hers, reassured her with a compliment. "You're even more beautiful now."

Elizabeth laughed lightly at his charm. "Flattery will get you everywhere. But remember, even Stephen Hawking certified that in no parallel universe could you have ended up dating Charlize Theron."

As they walked back, they inquired about the neighboring house for sale, noting the sluggish state of the luxury housing market in Los Angeles.

Back at home, Martin mulled over Nicholson's advice to invite influential figures, especially those with clout in the awards season circles. He decided to extend invitations to film critics like Kenneth Turan and Todd McCarthy, industry executives from WMA, and of course, Nolan and the crew of 'The Dark Knight'.

In his study, Martin personally called David Fincher, ensuring the guest list was as distinguished as it was extensive.

Elizabeth, tasked with the return gifts, coordinated with Cartier for elegant trinkets. "This party is about celebrating our home, not canvassing for awards," Martin had insisted.

As for the party's content, that would be left to the whims of their guests.

In the living room, Elizabeth laid out the budget. "We can't skimp on the quality of drinks, and though few eat much, we must have a lavish buffet. There's the band, courtyard decorations, and staff wages..."

Her calculations led to a daunting figure. "It'll be hard to keep this under three hundred thousand dollars."

Martin, unversed in the intricacies of party planning, simply responded, "Handle it as you see fit. I'll take care of the expenses."

Elizabeth, with a playful glance at both Martin and Bruce, teased, "Do you really have no clue about party planning?"

Bruce remained silent, his thoughts drifting to Martin's previous exploits in hosting parties, particularly one that had notably impressed Wes Craven with its unique flair.

Martin, however, was modest about his party-planning skills. "Whenever I'm in charge, it turns into a basic, rowdy drinking bash. Some of our esteemed guests aren't exactly champions of the bottle. I'd rather avoid any embarrassing drunken escapades," he explained with a wry smile.

Elizabeth, reflecting on past events, added, "I've always left the party planning to my sisters. It's only now that I realize the staggering cost involved."

At that moment, Lily breezed into the room, catching the tail end of their conversation. An idea sparked in her mind. "Why not sell the invitations? I've seen Academy members auction off invites to celebrity parties. Depending on the host's fame, tickets could fetch anything from a hundred to several thousand dollars each."

She turned to Martin with a playful glint in her eye. "Given your status, I bet your party invites could easily go for $5,000 a pop."

Elizabeth covered her face, perplexed by Lily's unconventional thinking, which often seemed aimed at provoking Martin.

True to form, Martin reacted with mock exasperation, standing up and clenching his fists in jest. "Enough, Lily! I'm not going to start selling party invites!"

Lily, her face a picture of mock indignation, retorted, "Hey, I'm just trying to help! You don't have to get physical every time I make a suggestion."

Martin, calming down, took his seat again. "You know, since I missed giving you a Labor Day gift, and with Thanksgiving around the corner, I think I'll just give you your presents for all these occasions now. Let's throw in Christmas and New Year's gifts too."

Lily's interest was piqued. "How generous! What are we talking about here? How many tons of what exactly?"

Martin, with a hint of amusement, declared, "Bruce, transfer all the stock from your import-export business to Lily!"

The room filled with laughter and lighthearted banter as they delved into the intricacies of organizing what promised to be an unforgettable housewarming party.