"Who are you?" Matthew asked, turning on the cab's overhead light to get a better look at the woman standing outside. The light illuminated her features clearly, confirming she was indeed a woman.
Matthew was cautious. The world was full of sunshine, but where the light didn't reach, darkness prevailed. Those touched by the dark often dared to do crazy things for trivial gains.
"Are you the one..." the woman began, adjusting her baseball cap to reveal a ponytail of brown hair and pointing towards the estate, "...who delivered many women in there?"
Matthew didn't answer right away, instead sizing her up. The woman was slim, about 5'7" tall, with distinctive features that included plump, full lips and a disproportionately large bust for her slender frame. Although she didn't match his usual type, she could be considered a kind of unconventional beauty.
"Get in the car," he said, unlocking the passenger door. "We can talk inside."
The woman walked around the front of the Ford van and climbed in, settling into the seat next to Matthew and placing her handbag at her feet.
Relaxing his guard, Matthew recognized who the woman was. Unless she had lost her mind, Angelina Jolie wouldn't be out robbing a penniless man in the middle of the night. Having seen "Tomb Raider," Matthew had no trouble identifying her from the distinctive lips and pronounced bust.
"You haven't answered my question," Angelina reminded him.
"Sorry," Matthew replied firmly. "I cannot disclose that. It would breach my professional ethics."
Angelina didn't respond immediately. Instead, she pulled out her wallet, casually taking out five $100 bills and placing them between the seats.
Matthew glanced at the money, noted the number of zeros, and nodded, "Yes, I brought six women, Miss Jolie."
Professional ethics tend to dissolve quickly for someone whose entire fortune consisted of a few tens of dollars and who didn't know where his next meal was coming from.
However, Matthew wasn't foolish enough not to recognize the implications of directly acknowledging Angelina Jolie.
Angelina wasn't surprised that Matthew had recognized her; her fame in Hollywood was significant enough.
Matthew stole a glance at her, still puzzled by what a Hollywood star like her was doing in his cab at this hour.
He pocketed the $500, letting the unfolding situation override his confusion.
"Do you want to make more money?" Angelina suddenly proposed.
Matthew turned to face her, assessing her serious expression. Known for her wild reputation and notoriety in Hollywood, he was sure she wasn't here for a romantic adventure but likely had some secretive motive.
"Why wouldn't someone want more money?" he responded enthusiastically.
"Do you know who is hosting that party?" she pointed towards the mansion.
"Johnny Lee Miller," Matthew recalled from the documents he had seen, "The star from 'Trainspotting.'"
"Do you know him personally?" she asked next.
"Erm..." Matthew didn't, admitting, "I've only seen his pictures."
"That's enough," Angelina seemed satisfied, "Do exactly as I tell you, and you can have five thousand dollars."
The mention of $5,000 piqued Matthew's interest, although he said, "I don't engage in illegal activities."
"For something very simple," Angelina pulled out a small digital video camera from her bag, "Take this, go inside the mansion, and film Miller in compromising situations with women. Bring it back to me, and the money is yours."
"What?" Matthew was stunned, "You want me to spy?"
He then realized, "Why do you want to spy on him?"
"Do you want the job or not?" Angelina's tone was cold.
Such a task was definitely risky, especially since Miller was wealthy. Matthew's mind raced. Why would Angelina want this? Without understanding her motives, he wouldn't dare proceed—it could land him in serious trouble, like his days fighting for wages had taught him.
Seeing Angelina's intense expression, and thinking of the secure walls of the estate, Matthew suddenly guessed a possibility.
"Is Johnny Lee Miller your... husband?"
Angelina didn't deny it—a fact well-known to the public, she presumed.
"So, you want me to help you catch him cheating?"
Understanding the relationship, Matthew suddenly saw the bigger picture, "Or are you planning to divorce him?"
"You don't need to know," Angelina replied, placing the video camera between them, "Are you in or not?"
Matthew paused, weighing the risks against the potential payoff. Five thousand dollars was tempting but perhaps too little for the risk involved. Sitting next to a Hollywood star of Angelina Jolie's stature—even if she hadn't yet achieved her future fame—surely he could negotiate for more.
"Hollywood... Hollywood..." The name echoed in his mind.
"Why don't you do it yourself?" Matthew finally asked.
Angelina scoffed, "If I show up at the
gate, they'll know I'm there." Her face darkened, and in a barely audible tone, she added, "I want to make that bastard pay."
She had hired private detectives and had pretended to be out of town for a shoot to give Miller an opportunity, all while keeping him under surveillance. Unfortunately, the security at the mansion was too tight for her detectives to penetrate.
Needing something substantial for leverage in the impending divorce, she was prepared to manipulate the situation herself to feel the visceral pleasure of revenge.
Seeing no sign of movement from Angelina, Matthew decided to take the plunge, "Alright, I'll do it."
With the promised $5,000, he could afford to rent a place in Los Angeles and start laying the groundwork for his Hollywood aspirations.
"Deal," Angelina confirmed immediately. "Just get what I need, and my bodyguard will bring you the money."
Matthew looked at her again. Angelina was not a woman to be underestimated, and her last remark was clearly a warning—her bodyguard was close by.
"Deal!" Matthew extended his hand, but Angelina didn't reciprocate. Resigned, he withdrew his hand, "Wait here, I'll be back soon."
He concealed the video camera under his jacket and headed for the mansion's entrance.
"What are you doing back here?" the guard asked as Matthew approached, "Didn't you drop off the people already?"
"Hey, man," Matthew pointed towards his van in the distance, "I was told to wait there, but there's no bathroom. I need to use one bad. Can I come in?"
Having interacted with them earlier while driving in, Matthew had already established a rapport.
The guard glanced at the bag Matthew was carrying.
"It's just my jacket and some toilet paper," Matthew explained, holding up the bag.
"Go ahead," the guard directed him, "Follow the driveway to the fountain, turn right, and it's two hundred feet to the bathroom."
"Thanks," Matthew entered the estate.
"Just don't wander off!" the guard called after him.
"Don't worry."
Matthew walked toward the mansion's front fountain, ready to take a risk. If he could capture anything significant, it would give him leverage to negotiate further with Angelina Jolie.