Chapter 196: Family

After their dinner, Kim exited the restaurant briefly to visit the restroom. Bruce, familiar with Kim's routines, understood she wouldn't return immediately, so he placed a call to Khloé in the hotel's lounge area.

Khloé led the way, Bruce followed closely, and his wandering gaze quickly sharpened.

Physical appearances meant little to him.

Perhaps it was an instinctive reaction, or maybe his intense gaze hinted at something more, but Khloé felt an inexplicable warmth in her cheeks.

Unable to resist, she slowed down her pace to walk beside Bruce.

Upon reaching the lounge area, Bruce courteously pulled out a chair for her, saying, "Please, have a seat."

Khloé responded with a smile, "Bruce, you're such a gentleman."

Bruce recalled Martin's behavior and took a seat across from her, stating, "People who know me often say so."

He presented a mahogany gift box to Khloé, asking, "Would you mind checking if this suits you?"

This was a test. Khloé accepted the box without hesitation and opened it, revealing a platinum pendant adorned with green gems.

Observing her lack of refusal, Bruce inquired, "Do you like it?"

Khloé responded graciously, "Yes, I do. Thank you, Bruce."

The sound of familiar footsteps approached, and Kim appeared from a distance.

Bruce watched silently while Khloé closed the gift box and placed it in her bag.

He chose to remain reticent, as if he hadn't offered a gift at all.

If Khloé brought it up, Bruce would naturally respond accordingly.

When Kim joined them, the topic of the gift remained untouched as they proceeded upstairs.

Upon arriving at their prearranged suite, the three of them settled on the sofa to watch TV.

Bruce occupied the left side, his arm draped over the back of the couch.

Kim sat in the middle, leaning against Bruce's arm.

Khloe, on the right, nestled close to her sister, with her back discreetly touching Bruce's hand where Kim couldn't easily see.

Bruce remained steady as a rock, but his hand unconsciously descended, stopping near the waistline.

Perhaps finding it thrilling, Khloé suddenly stood up and snapped Bruce's hand back.

The sofa cushions were plush, causing Bruce's hands to sink in completely.

The top was equally soft, allowing Bruce's palm to sink in further.

A family that shared an intricate bond.

At 8:30 in the evening, Khloé bid her farewell and departed. Bruce retrieved another gift box, presenting a bracelet to Kim.

Kim was delighted and willingly accepted, drawing herself closer to the wall.

Bruce believed he could continue to enjoy the evening.

...

As morning light streamed into the bedroom, Martin awoke, disentangled himself from Louise's embrace, and headed for the bathroom.

The room was strewn with torn clothing, broken glasses, and damaged professional attire.

Martin stepped on a shirt with its sleeves ripped off, and an object struck him. He kicked the shirt aside to find it was the clown sculpture he had given to Louise.

Crafted from antlers, it bore his likeness with arms outstretched.

Perhaps due to the state of his attire, the clown remained damp even after several hours.

Martin paid it no mind and proceeded to freshen up in the bathroom. Upon returning, he noticed the phone still on a call under Louise's business suit.

Kelly's voice emanated from it, "When are you returning to Atlanta, you jerk?"

Martin replied, "next month probably in tge middle of the month. Have you prepared Louise's surprise?"

Kelly chuckled, "I'm all set. You just need to play your part."

She could listen but not act, while Louise might see but not react.

Hearing footsteps, Martin turned to see Louise, who had put on a casual outfit after her shower, approaching.

"What were you talking about with that tramp?" she inquired.

Martin casually hung up the phone, saying, "Kelly asked when is the crew is heading to Atlanta."

Louise embraced him from behind, musing, "I always feel like you playboy and that slut are up to something."

Martin partially truthfully replied, "We're planning to tie you up and tickle you."

Louise giggled, "With what? Your whip?"

Martin tossed his phone onto the floor, jesting, "I'm afraid it might break your bones."

After Louise finished her morning routine, they tidied up the room together.

Louise handled the clown sculpture with care, washing and disinfecting it before placing it in a box.

Martin asked, "Is all this necessary?"

Louise donned a small suit, put on a pair of black-rimmed glasses, and replied, "Lily used you as a model for this clown sculpture, and it's quite remarkable. The proportions are spot on. The head is oversized, and the body is oddly proportioned..."

Martin thought to himself, "That's a peculiar way of describing it." He felt hungry after their active night, so he suggested, "Shall we go downstairs for breakfast?"

Louise took his hand, and they descended together. While walking, she mentioned, "When we're in Atlanta, I'd like to meet Lily. She seems like an intriguing girl."

Martin paused and casually remarked, "Indeed, a very intriguing girl."

Louise appeared genuinely interested, saying, "I believe she has a great talent for carving. Would you like me to connect her with a skilled mentor?"

Lily's carvings had all been crafted under the guidance of instructors from her school's extracurricular classes. After a moment's consideration, Martin acknowledged, "When I return to Atlanta, I'll inquire about it." However, he glanced at Louise, sensing her ulterior motives, and added pointedly, "She's just an ordinary middle school student. Let's not get carried away."

Louise smiled and chose not to pursue the matter, but she believed that middle school students were still quite impressionable.

Upon reaching the restaurant, the chef promptly served breakfast, and Mary, the housekeeper, brought some newspapers, placing them on the dining table.

As they dined, the two conversed and perused the newspapers. This time, there was no mention of Brad Pitt. Instead, Martin came across articles about Angelina Jolie in the entertainment sections of several newspapers.

The articles praised Jolie for her exceptional motherhood and her willingness to sacrifice everything for her children, especially as she officially adopted her second child, a Russian orphan.

Louise, who was familiar with Jolie, commented, "We initiated the adoption process last year. In normal circumstances, it should have been completed by the end of last year, but it got delayed until now."

Martin quickly skimmed through the newspaper and then set it aside, saying, "Once the preparations were in place, Pitt and Jolie had no choice but to shift the blame onto Aniston for her workaholic tendencies. They even considered aborting their plans for children. It stirred up quite the frenzy, benefiting everyone from the film studio to the distributor."

Louise added, "Except for Aniston, who was left in the crossfire. When the situation arose, I had Pacific Pictures support me from behind. Aniston and I are merely acquaintances. If Jolie's appeal gets stronger, it might benefit 'Wanted.'"

"Alexander the Great" had only managed a North American box office of $34 million, with its global earnings just covering production costs. DVD and video sales were dismal. Louise needed a hit to restore Pacific Pictures' reputation.

Since it was the weekend and they had no work obligations, the two exited through the back door and strolled in the park behind the mountain.

Not far away, Martin heard barking and spotted the four Olsen siblings approaching. Elizabeth held a large golden retriever.

The older Olsen sisters were twins, while the youngest Olsen was a twin brother and sister.

Louise had a neighborly relationship with them, so they engaged in conversation.

Among their circle, the Olsen sisters were considered quite affluent, and shared interests often bound the wealthy together.

Therefore, the not-so-fortunate Martin joined the students willingly in conversation.

He inquired about the dog, pointing and saying, "What's its name? It seems to adore you."

Elizabeth beamed and replied, "Its name is Potato. Since it's yellow, and potatoes are yellow too, I called it Potato. I raised it, so it listens to me."

She then glanced at Martin and asked, "Did you star in a movie called 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants'?"

Martin nodded, saying, "Yes, it was filmed last year. I wasn't the lead, though, just a minor supporting role."

Elizabeth leaned in closer to her sister, lowered her voice, and said, "You're different from regular actors. My sisters, for instance, would claim to be the lead or part of a movie they've invested in, no matter how small their roles."

Martin, seizing the opportunity, offered, "Dealing with the media is different from chatting with friends. With the media, you have to exaggerate a bit. But with friends, it's best to be honest."

Elizabeth appreciated Martin's insight, which essentially acknowledged him as a friend of the family. She added, "My school is gearing up for a competition against Burbank Middle School, sponsored by the 'Traveling Pants' crew. There might be a promotional event. Will you participate?"

Martin, already aware of his schedule, affirmed, "I'll be there."

"I will too," Elizabeth explained, "I'm part of the school's cheerleading team, and we'll be competing against Burbank Middle School's cheerleaders."

Martin recalled Blake Lively mentioning her involvement with Burbank High School's cheerleading team.

He decided to share some information, saying, "You'll be up against a formidable opponent. Blake Lively, the lead in 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,' is part of Burbank's cheerleading squad."

Elizabeth exclaimed, "That's not fair!" Her voice drew the attention of the Olsen sisters, so she quickly smiled and waved before continuing to Martin, "Our cheerleading team has been training an extra day each week for over a month. We haven't had a fair chance to compete."

Martin assured her, "According to the standard promotional playbook, they'll want Blake to shine."

The 16-year-old girl, well-protected by her siblings, felt grateful to Martin, saying, "Thank you for sharing this crucial information. It's a big deal for our preparations."

Martin responded calmly, "I'm glad I could help."

Elizabeth, growing quite fond of Martin, pulled out her crimson mobile phone and asked, "May I have your phone number?"

Martin recited his number, and Elizabeth dialed it on her phone.

Martin retrieved his phone to save her contact information.

Elizabeth, still excited, inquired, "Could I bring some classmates to take photos with you and request autographs?"

Martin agreed, "Of course, that'll be no problem."

Elizabeth was delighted, certain that she would be the center of attention.