In the early morning, Leonardo awoke in his Upper East Side apartment, glanced at the wall clock, and playfully patted Sienna Miller's behind.
"Time to rise and shine, lazy one," he teased. "Aren't you making breakfast for me today?"
Sienna finally found her energy and sat up. "I'm on it," she replied.
A few minutes later, after washing up, they both made their way to the living room and kitchen.
As Leonardo opened his computer to check emails, his habit led him to click on Google, where he noticed Martin's name ranking third in the entertainment news. Curiosity piqued, he clicked on it, only to be greeted by a flood of photos and gossip about Martin and Blake living together.
Looking through the comment sections on several webpages, Leonardo found them filled with blessings from fans.
"Famous couple," Leonardo muttered, remembering his own past breakup with Gisele. He raised his middle finger to the images of Martin and Blake on the screen and offered his not-so-sincere well-wishes, "Good luck staying together!"
Martin's latest film had underperformed at the box office, and on top of that, he had portrayed a couple with Martin in the movie. Despite this, Martin had his own dedicated fan base, and Leonardo knew it.
Leonardo also followed Martin's blog and noticed tens of thousands of comments on Martin and Blake's confession.
The level of attention they were receiving was almost enough to rival his own, even when he had changed his girlfriend.
As Leonardo browsed through social news, many reports about Angelina Jolie caught his eye.
Leonardo decided to call Jack Nicholson: "Hey, old man, have you seen the news about Martin and Blake being together?"
Nicholson responded, "Of course, it's all anyone's talking about these days. The Los Angeles hero and his young fangirl. Beauty falling for the hero? We both know Martin's a piece of work. Think about what he did on that yacht. How's it different from 'Beauty and the Beast'? It's all fake, just like 'Beauty and the Fake.'"
Leonardo, taking the matter seriously, said, "That guy betrayed us. He said he wanted to remain a single bachelor, but look what he's doing now! I broke up with Giselle, and what happened? He found himself a steady girlfriend. That's unforgivable!"
Nicholson was more concerned about escalating the issue rather than the betrayal itself. "We couldn't touch him in New York," he noted.
Leonardo was determined: "Once we're back in Los Angeles, we'll mess with him again. We have to get them to break up. How can our guy fall into a woman's arms? I'm planning a water gun party in Los Angeles. You better come. If you don't, I'll hire a hot air balloon to fly over the city with your banner."
Nicholson chuckled at the memory of the fireworks that had given him and Meryl cramps. "Martin's become my favorite."
Leonardo ended the call and turned his attention to Sienna, who had called him for breakfast.
Leonardo called his assistant and arranged a flight back to Los Angeles.
As for Sienna Miller, she was a good sport.
A few hours later, Leonardo arrived at JFK Airport with his two assistants.
As he approached the security checkpoint, his phone rang. It was Martin.
"Hi, Martin, I'm on my way back to Los Angeles," Leonardo greeted, his tone friendly and not betraying any resentment. "Filming's all done, and I'm planning to head back early to organize a party. You said you'd attend one of my parties, so I'll hold you to it!"
Leonardo emphasized, "It's going to be an even more epic party than last time. You must come."
Martin, though, had a reminder: "I have the 'Wanted' premiere in early November. Make sure you mark your calendar."
Leonardo had his assistant check his rough schedule for the next month and assured Martin, "No worries, I'll be there to cheer you on."
But Martin had a specific request, "No banner-waving this time!"
Leonardo chuckled, pretending innocence, "Who, me? I'd never do something so lowbrow."
After the call ended, Martin found himself at Warner Studio.
As he walked in, he ran into Thomas and Daniel.
Daniel greeted him with a smile, "The hero saves the beauty, and the beauty falls in love with the hero who saved her. It's a great gimmick, and the online response is incredible."
Thomas added, "You and Blake need to maintain a consistent level of exposure. How about going shopping together on Rodeo Drive this weekend?"
Martin nodded, "That sounds good to me."
Daniel came up with another idea, "And when the film is officially released, could you and Blake take it a step further?"
Thomas confirmed, "They're already living together."
Daniel clarified, "I mean, publicly, could you propose to Blake?"
Thomas chimed in, "We don't think Blake would say no."
Martin pondered this suggestion as he entered his office. The plot of a hero and a beauty falling in love always had a special appeal, both onscreen and in real life.
He contemplated the long-term plan, saying, "When the next movie is released, we can also have an engagement ceremony."
Martin politely declined, "Progressing that quickly might be challenging. I need time to align my thoughts and emotions. Rushing into things could lead to problems. Let's discuss it later." Daniel glanced at Thomas, who remained silent, and decided to drop the idea.
He continued, "Regarding the regular promotion, your main tasks will include attending several roadshows, participating in preview screenings for media and theater managers, and giving an exclusive interview to Warner TV." He added, "The interview will be with Helen, the same host you saved at Burbank Middle School. She gained fame because of that incident, and her show has excellent ratings."
Martin agreed, saying, "Alright."
After their business discussion, Martin and Thomas left the "Wanted" studio.
As they walked along the studio's sidewalk, they encountered Jessica, and the three of them headed to a nearby cold drink shop together.
Jessica informed them, "Brad has just contacted me. He's interested in taking over the adaptation of 'Dark Areas,' but he wants to thoroughly study the novel and have a detailed discussion with the author, Alan Glynn."
Martin, slowing down a bit, responded, "That's no problem. You can accompany him to meet Alan Green. After I finish working on 'Wanted,' I'll also talk to Brad about the adaptation."
Jessica inquired about the upfront costs, to which Martin proposed, "Set up a brand new studio in your name or Mene's name, and the studio will cover the expenses. Since this novel also has the subtitle 'Limitless,' let's name the project 'Limitless Studio.'"
Jessica acknowledged, "I'll contact Brad right away."
Martin entered the cold drink shop and placed an order with the familiar waitress, Mia. Shortly after, Mia received an important audition call and apologized for having to leave unexpectedly.
Martin was understanding, waving her off. Hollywood's saturated actor market meant that last-minute auditions were common.
Thomas watched Mia depart and remarked, "Many Hollywood stars had similar experiences in the past."
Martin nodded, adding, "Although there are fewer such cases now."
Thomas acknowledged, "Hollywood is like Blake, with an ever-increasing number of actors."
Martin grasped the underlying message: "Second-generation stars often start with advantages. This isn't unique to the entertainment industry; it's prevalent in other fields as well."
Thomas, a middle-class individual himself, commented, "If you don't come from a privileged background, finding a good mentor can make a significant difference."
He took a sip of his coffee, saying, "Speaking of 'Transformers,' Spielberg's godson landed the lead role. He may not be famous, but he has connections."
Martin inquired about Christopher Nolan's situation.
Thomas explained, "I met Nolan's wife and producing partner, Emma Thomas, and shared your information. She and Nolan have a strong relationship. She doesn't seem inclined to engage in extramarital affairs or multiple relationships. I didn't approach Mene for this."
Martin added, "Mene has been busy auditioning for new projects lately. The casting director from 'The Departed' referred her to someone."
Thomas considered, "Nolan's project is still in the early stages of casting. We can only do so much for now. British actors tend to be his preference."
Martin understood that Nolan preferred British Isles actors, sometimes even prioritizing Australians over Americans. He knew Nolan played the long game, while Martin himself was planning for the future.
The next morning, Martin participated in a recorded interview with Helen for Warner TV. Helen had asked many sensitive questions, but she had coordinated with Martin and Thomas in advance to ensure they were all on the same page.
The interview recording went smoothly, concluding before 11 AM. As Martin approached the exit, a black car suddenly pulled up in front of him.
Bruce, who had been trailing Martin, quickly shielded him and discreetly held a concealed firearm beneath his coat.
The car's window rolled down to reveal Jolie's face. She greeted Martin with a friendly tone and a wave, saying, "I've been waiting for you all morning. Can you hop in? I've already booked a hotel." She emphasized, "I have no ulterior motives. It's just a simple gesture of gratitude from a student to her teacher."
Martin agreed with a nod, saying, "Sure, let's go." Jolie asked, "Aren't you going to call Blake?"
Martin didn't make the call but remarked, "You certainly have a unique hobby."
Jolie didn't deny it; instead, she shared, "I developed this psychological quirk when I was around 16 years old, back when I first stole my mother's boyfriend."