As Lily opened the door to the VIP room, she was greeted by a middle-aged man and two women, one older and one younger.
The man, Keith Raniere, approached with a warm smile, exuding elegance and charm. The exhibition manager introduced them, "This is Mr. Keith Raniere, and these are his relatives."
"Hello," Lily greeted him with a gentle smile, shaking his hand.
Raniere reciprocated, expressing his admiration for Lily's artwork. "I've always been a fan of art, and stumbling upon your exhibition in New York is a stroke of luck."
As Lily exchanged pleasantries, she couldn't shake off a sense of familiarity. Turning around, she spotted Martin and his companions entering the room.
Recognizing the resemblance between Raniere and Martin, she realized there was more to Raniere than met the eye—a façade of sunshine concealing darkness within.
Martin, Nicholson, and Leonardo took their seats silently, conveying a subtle message of vigilance.
Sensing their presence, Lily reassured Raniere, "They're just friends. Pay them no mind."
Lanier then expressed his desire to purchase all of Lily's exhibited artwork, proposing to leave them on display until the end of the exhibition.
Delighted, Lily accepted his offer graciously.
Meanwhile, Martin signaled his companions discreetly, prompting a shake of their heads, indicating their unfamiliarity with Raniere.
Detective Nicholson, however, cast a knowing glance at Catherine Oxenberg, recognizing her from somewhere.
As Lily's agent finalized the deal with Raniere, the trio of bastards engaged in their own conversation, silently asserting their presence.
With the transaction completed, Lanier extended an invitation for Lily to share the stories behind her artwork in the coming days.
Graciously accepting, Lily bid them farewell as they exited the room.
Before India could speak, Catherine ushered her out, leaving Lily to conclude the meeting with Raniere and his group.
With the business concluded, Lily escorted them out, and Martin and his companions followed suit, their unspoken message lingering in the air.
As they returned to the exhibition hall, Raniere strode out ahead.
Just as Martin was about to inquire, Marina and Svetlana rushed over, pulling him aside excitedly to share an absurd piece of news about a banana being sold as art in the adjacent exhibition hall.
Observing from the second floor, Raniere joined Allison Mack, spotting Lily and the two Russian women surrounding Martin.
His eyelids twitched as he compared the women surrounding him to those around Martin, feeling the stark discrepancy.
"It's all about comparison," he muttered to himself, realizing he had quantity but lacked quality.
Gesturing towards Martin and the two women, he asked Allison, "Who are they?"
Both Allison and Catherine shook their heads in ignorance.
Eager to help, Allison offered, "I'll find out."
Lanier instructed, "Ask about their background and interests."
"Got it," Allison nodded.
...
In the lounge, Lily's excitement was palpable as she celebrated her newfound fortune. "I'm going to be a millionaire!"
Leonardo cautioned, "Be wary of ulterior motives. Don't let him deceive you."
Martin added, "Make sure your bodyguards are always with you."
Remembering her past encounter with Cassie, Lily vowed, "I'll be careful."
Martin turned to Leonardo and Nicholson, inquiring about Raniere.
Leonardo shrugged, "I don't know him."
Nicholson adjusted his sunglasses, recalling, "But I recognize the woman with him, Katherine Oxenberg, a former Hollywood actress."
Leonardo chimed in, "I remember her from 'Dynasty'."
Martin turned to Bruce, "Find out more about him."
Bruce promptly reached out to Thomas and Judy for information from agents and media reporters.
With their mission accomplished, Martin and the trio left the exhibition hall to visit academy members settled in New York.
As the Oscars approached, the race for awards intensified. Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" aimed to secure Leonardo a win.
Leaving Robert De Niro's home, Martin remarked, "No wonder Scorsese and De Niro keep going. Family is the ultimate motivation."
Nicholson quipped, "I prefer my life of leisure."
Leonardo joked, "I aspire to be like Jack in my golden years."
Martin reiterated, "Consider getting married during awards season, and your chances of winning triple."
He saw Leonardo's murderous look and quickly changed his mind: "Actually, there's another approach. You could woo each of the female judges one by one. They say it's the fastest route to their hearts! And as Leonardo DiCaprio, you could easily win them over."
Nicholson retorted, "Your idea is too risky. It might backfire and lead to Leo not even getting nominated. Besides, if he fails to win them over, a group of disgruntled female judges might vote against him."
Martin grasped the implication immediately and admitted his mistake: "I overlooked Leo's greatest strength."
Leonardo hopped into the car and motioned for the driver to depart.
Left stranded, Martin and Nicholson hailed a taxi to follow.
Back at the hotel, Bruce joined them in Martin's study.
Martin inquired, "Did you find out?"
Bruce handed over three copies of the fax to Martin: "Keith Raniere is the leader of Nxivm, a self-help organization claiming to lead human evolution. Catherine Oxenberg is one of his assistants, handling Hollywood affairs."
He emphasized, "Nxivm recruits elite female members from political and business circles."
Martin grasped the gravity, "This is an elite organization."
Leonardo confirmed, "I've heard of them. They've been implicated in cases of abducting women."
Bruce added, "But no charges stuck, and whistleblowers faced retaliation."
Nicholson, well-informed as always, chimed in, "There are many such organizations across the U.S., and they're tricky to deal with."
He, ever the troublemaker, cautioned, "Let's not provoke them unless provoked first."
Martin agreed, "I'd rather avoid such troubles."
He instructed Bruce, "Keep an eye on Lily during the exhibition until she returns to Los Angeles."
Nicholson remarked, "With Lily's wits, she won't be easily duped."
"I'm not concerned about Lily," Martin quipped, half-serious. "I'm worried she might stab Raniere with a knife."
Leonardo and Nicholson exchanged a glance.
In the following days, Martin juggled filming on set with keeping tabs on Lily.
Bruce shadowed Lily, observing Raniere's daily visits to the exhibition, which amounted to little beyond conversation.
Lily, wary and astute, kept all interactions public and turned down Raniere's dinner invitations.
As the exhibition concluded, Catherine Oxenberg collected the exhibits in Raniere's stead.
Meanwhile, Marina's scenes were wrapped, and she decided to stay in Los Angeles permanently with Svetlana.
Nicholson concluded his covert investigation, phoning Martin and Leonardo, "Marina's a drama queen, putting on a show even in daily life. Don't trust her lies."
Leonardo suggested, "Let's keep an eye on her when we return to Los Angeles."
Martin reminded firmly, "No antics. She's our collective responsibility."