Chapter 381

In the evening, after the premiere of 27 Dresses, Charles Capet took Odette Annable and Blake Lively back to his luxurious villa in the Upper East Side.

Gossip Girl turned Odette Annable and Blake Lively into fashion darlings, boosting their endorsements and advertisements.

In May this year, the two also attended the charity gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as guests!

That night was incredible for Charles, being pampered by Queen S and Queen B. However, Odette Annable had to film a new movie, and Blake Lively had to promote hers, so they were really busy.

...

On Sunday evening, on the third floor of Charles's villa in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the TV in the hall was broadcasting financial news. Ivanka was sitting next to Charles on the sofa.

"Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called for a second round of economic stimulus."

"Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said the U.S. financial markets were slowly recovering from the credit crunch, and although the worst of the credit crisis might be over, it would take several more months to fully resolve the market issues."

"The House of Representatives passed a bill to establish a $300 billion mortgage insurance fund and provide billions of dollars in additional aid to homeowners."

"In the New York Stock Exchange, General Motors' stock price dropped below $10 today, closing at the lowest price since September 2, 1954."

"Lehman Brothers, the fourth-largest investment bank in the U.S., faced a severe financial crisis!"

The dire economic situation really caught the U.S. government off guard.

"You know John Paulson? He's the king of hedge funds on Wall Street now. He made almost $4 billion last year," Ivanka said enviously.

John Paulson made a huge profit by shorting risky CDOs and buying cheap CDSs through his Paulson Fund!

"Of course, I know. John Paulson and five other fund managers made so much money during the subprime crisis that they were invited to Washington, D.C. for a talk," Charles smiled.

Charles also earned a lot, but mainly from the European and Japanese markets by aggressively shorting the two housing giants. Otherwise, he would have been invited to Washington too.

However, very few people knew how much Charles really made, as it was challenging to track the joint actions of the Cayman Islands accounts and dozens of companies.

Lily Ying had moved her base to Hong Kong, likely because she was too overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation.

With the dollar still low, Charles bought over $17 billion worth of U.S. Treasury bonds for $5.8 billion. Once the dollar strengthened, these Treasury bonds would be highly sought after.

Ivanka certainly did not know about many of Charles's investments, but she was surprised by his recent acquisition of the NFL team, the Miami Dolphins.

One Worldwide Plaza building on 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan was already a significant move!

"Charles, your acquisition of the Miami Dolphins is so enviable," Ivanka said, hugging Charles's arm tightly.

Her ample chest made Charles feel very comfortable. 

Charles held Ivanka tightly and placed her on his lap, "Do you like football? We can watch the game in the stadium suite together!"

"Sure, my father owns a large estate in Mar-a-Lago, Miami," Ivanka said as she initiated a kiss with Charles.

...

Meanwhile, in a restaurant in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Anne Fletcher was discussing The Proposal with actress Sandra Bullock!

Sandra Bullock, 44, shot to fame after Speed with Keanu Reeves in 1994.

Then, she hit a rough patch with some flop movies, so she started her own production company, Fortis Films. In the millennium, she found success with the Miss Congeniality series and later participated in the well-received Crash.

Sandra Bullock, with many acclaimed works, was a big star. However, she fell into a slump again after Crash, with several undesirable movies.

Sandra Bullock laughed, "When I saw the script, I was surprised. I wondered if the role suited me because it seemed like a story about an older woman forcing a young boy to marry her. I'm 44 now, and dating a guy in his twenties feels a bit weird."

Anne Fletcher laughed, "We cast Ryan Reynolds as the male lead. He's 32, so it won't look so mismatched!"

Sandra Bullock nodded, "If it's Ryan Reynolds, I do feel a bit more at ease."

"There's a scene where you and Ryan Reynolds bump into each other naked. Do you need any special preparations for that?" Anne Fletcher asked. This kind of scene always required the actress's opinion.

Sandra Bullock shook her head, "That scene is very comedic and doesn't show any explicit parts, so it's not a problem!"

"I'll make sure Ryan Reynolds takes good care of you," Anne Fletcher was pleased with Sandra Bullock's response.

"Thanks. Nowadays, no actor would refuse a movie from Capet Pictures. Anne, you said even Charles Capet thinks highly of me. I surely won't let you down," Sandra Bullock said, needing to return to the public's eye as her love life and career had both seen setbacks.

In 2005, she married her boyfriend, Jesse James, a TV reality star who repeatedly betrayed her, causing her much trouble.

For the past few years, both love and career were challenging for her, and a high-grossing movie was crucial.

Anne Fletcher was thrilled. Her second movie, 27 Dresses, was currently in theaters, and now her third film was about to start shooting. Once the lead actress was confirmed, the pre-production work was complete.

Next, they just needed to find filming locations, report to Capet Pictures, and start shooting!

*****

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