HWI 234

Hollywood What If Chapter 234

"Ooh, you're kind of handsome, I like that." A woman in her late 40s giggled as she looked at the fine specimen of a man in front of her. Even though she was almost half the man's current age, that didn't stop her from flirting with him.

Elizabeth was proud of her beauty. She took care of her body and was alluring in her knee-length sundress. Her beauty and youthful appearance deceived her age. Next year, Elizabeth would be 50 years old, but her beauty never seemed to fade.

"Ahem, Mrs. Cohen--"

"Miss Cohen, I prefer you call me Miss. Better yet, just call me Elizabeth."

"So, Miss Elizabeth," Harold Witsend took a deep breath... He admitted it, but Kazir's mother was indeed a beauty. It was amazing and frightening at the same time, as if the woman before him was not real at all.

Harold knew the importance of Wanted and he felt he had to do something to save it from possible destruction. He was confident in Kazir's filmography, his friend had proven himself to be talented in making action movies.

But Harold understood that Kazir was just a man. Even if the movie was amazing, if people didn't see it, it was all for nothing. All their hard work was for nothing.

Harold watched as The Hangover almost flopped. It was a terrifying experience and he could not sleep. He was the prop master at the time, but the time and love he put into that movie was something he cherished. So when the allegations of Kazir's domestic violence spread, he was deeply affected.

And now Harold was no longer a prop master. He was a real producer. He put more than time and love into Wanted, he put his life on the line.

Only someone like Kazir and Grey Pictures would hire a person like him as a producer. If Wanted failed at the box office, Harold would go back to being a prop master and maybe leave Hollywood altogether... He had a house, cars and a child's education fund to take care of.

Hell no, he had to shut down the Cohen's mother and daughter before something bad happened. From the looks of it, Harold had what they needed. A better connection.

"Miss Elizabeth, I'm sure you know the reason I'm here."

"I think so. Unlike my clueless son, you seem to know what I need. Fufu, perhaps I can give you something in return." Elizabeth's sundress fluttered slightly as she crossed her legs.

Harold nodded slightly. He had heard that Elizabeth and her daughter wanted to be part of this industry. He researched everything he could about them. Salvatore Barlowe helped him.

The thing was... Salvatore Barlowe did know about Harold's plan. He agreed to help him because he knew it was for the betterment of Kazir's mental health.

Even though Kazir seemed healthy and well, he was a fragile man. Even a strong man would fall if his weaknesses or insecurities were used against him.

This was true of Kazir's situation two years ago. When Kazir met Elizabeth after a long time, the woman tore a hole in his heart. This caused the man to drown in alcohol and have sex with Cameron Diaz.

Harold Witsend placed a manila envelope on the table.

"All I want is a simple agreement."

"If you're offering me money, I'm going to be disappointed. My exes offer me plenty."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and picked up the manila envelope.

"It's a script for a small-budget movie. They need a young woman to play the female lead. I think your daughter needs experience and exposure."

"..."

Elizabeth knew Harold was right. First, Mara had to understand how the industry worked before she could work on big projects. This movie seemed like a good project for Mara to start.

"If you don't like the script, I can find another project for your daughter. Of course, I can't guarantee that your daughter will be the female lead."

Actually, Salvatore was the one who found this project with his connection.

"And this?" Elizabeth found another application in the envelope.

"It's a modeling job."

He had heard that Mara Cohen had a beautiful face, but her acting was terrible. Maybe modeling would be better for her.

"Pftt-haha!"

Elizabeth suddenly cackled. This was interesting. This was exactly what she needed. A backer who would protect her and provide jobs for her daughter. As expected, using Kazir to threaten people was the best answer.

Elizabeth was not stupid. Of course, she would never sabotage Kazir. After all, she needed him to stay in power. How could she prosper if Kazir lost his status? So no, Elizabeth would never harm her son.

She knew that as long as Kazir was doing well, they had a chance in this industry. Connections were very important in Hollywood. Companies didn't hire actors/actresses for their talent, at least that wasn't the most sought after reason. They hire actors/actresses who have nice looks that fit the roles. They hire actors/actresses who have connections they can use or who are in their good graces.

And now Elizabeth had found a backer who had extensive connections.

"Thanks, Harold. You're a nice guy. I can return the favor if you like." She was acting sexy now, not hiding her intention at all.

"No, I'm fine."

Harold knew that this vixen could destroy a family, in fact, she already had. So Harold would never endanger his family just for a little fun.

++++++

[Author's note: I decided to use Harold as an instrument because I wanted to use a different PoV. Also, Harold is a producer and this kind of stuff is usually his responsibility. I'm glad that Harold, the ex-props master, is getting better at his job.]

[Shout out to David Karlsson for giving me an idea about Mara's possible modeling career, which might be the best job for a beauty with no acting talent. I'm too stupid to have thought of that, haha].

[So yes, tomorrow might be the premiere of Wanted. I'll try my best to make a nice summary for the movie.]

[If you can't wait, you can subscribe to my Pat re on instead. That way you can also vote in some important polls that might affect the plot of this novel.]

https:// ww w.patr eon. com/Puji_ma ki