But what could she do now that the contract was signed? Whether she quit or was fired by Wayne, it would be a huge disgrace for any housekeeper.
So, she had no choice but to stay and try to subtly "reform" Wayne.
At this moment, Wayne had no idea what was on Maida's mind. When he heard that all these envelopes were party invitations, he couldn't help but show a surprised expression.
"Party invitations? I just got back! How do they even know?"
Maida quickly brushed aside her distractions and patiently explained, her expression unchanged, "Different parties send invitations at different times depending on their level and content. Except for the one you're holding from Harvey Weinstein for the *Gifted Girl* celebration party, which was delivered just minutes ago and is happening tomorrow night, the rest of the invitations were sent days ago. They didn't know you'd be back today. Sending invitations was just a formality."
Wayne suddenly understood. Looking at the finely crafted invitations in his hand, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"That Weinstein is really in a rush. The Christmas holiday isn't even over, and he's already throwing a celebration party. The box office for *Gifted Girl* must be doing pretty well?"
"Yes, sir," Maida responded.
Although Maida wasn't Wayne's assistant, given Wayne's involvement in the film industry, as his housekeeper, she had to be somewhat knowledgeable in this area.
Over the past month, she had spent a lot of time learning about the film business.
While she might not have the professional depth of someone like Mia, who had actual work experience in the industry, Maida's knowledge had surpassed Mia in terms of breadth.
"*Gifted Girl* has been out for nine days now. Yesterday's North American box office was $3.9 million, with overseas bringing in $3.17 million. The total North American box office is at $44.56 million, and the global box office has reached $76.13 million. Given the budget Miramax invested in this film, they've already started to see a small profit. Major film critics and institutions are optimistic that *Gifted Girl* will hit its $130 million global box office target," Maida explained in detail.
Honestly, even Hannah might not have been able to rattle off so much information without a newspaper in front of her.
This made Wayne view Maida in an even more impressive light.
"Nine days—no, eight days—and $76.13 million at the global box office? That means I can expect another $3.3 million share from Miramax, right? In that case, I think I'll attend this party."
Wayne closed the invitation and handed it back to Maida.
"Who sent the other invitations?"
"One is from the Olsen twins, celebrating the success of their new album. Julia Roberts is hosting a party for the Oscars campaign. Steven Spielberg..."
About forty minutes later, Wayne, now in casual clothes, drove alone to Charlize Theron's place.
Although Charlize had guessed he would come over, she couldn't hide her delight when he showed up at the door.
Dressed up beautifully, she flashed a radiant smile, as stunning and noble as a goddess from Greek mythology. Wayne couldn't help but walk quickly towards her, wrap his arms around her waist, and lift her off the ground.
Without any unnecessary words, Wayne shut the door behind him with a swift kick and carried Charlize straight to the upstairs bedroom.
"You could go find Naomi and Annie. I bet they're waiting for you too~" Charlize teased softly, tracing circles on Wayne's chest with her fingers as they lay together on the messy bed.
Wayne was well aware of that, but there are levels to everything, even with playthings. Charlize, with her perfect looks, body, and grace—and her understanding nature—clearly ranked higher in his heart than Naomi or Annie.
Besides, women are often best at saying one thing and meaning another.
Charlize might say to go see Naomi and Annie, but deep down, she likely didn't mean it. Wayne would be a fool to take her words at face value.
"Sorry, I'm not going anywhere today. I just want to stay here," Wayne said, giving her a playful smack before continuing, "I'm starving. Got anything to eat? The food on the plane was terrible."
As expected, Charlize rolled her eyes at him, but the warmth in her smile was unmistakable.
"There's only bread, cereal, and some salad ingredients in the fridge. I doubt you'd enjoy any of that."
"Looks like we'll have to order takeout then. Experts say that only eating vegetables and grains isn't good for your health. It can lead to too much oxalate, which causes kidney stones. A balanced diet with carbs and meat keeps you healthy without making you fat. So let's have BBQ today~"
Wayne picked up his phone and dialed his favorite restaurant for delivery.
"Which expert told you that? I've never heard that before," Charlize teased again, rolling her eyes, but she didn't object to his suggestion.
After all, with her recent workout routine, she could easily burn off any extra calories.
Besides, in such a good mood, a little indulgence didn't hurt.
After placing the order, Wayne looked at the sweet and docile Charlize in his arms and felt an immense sense of satisfaction.
After all, this was *the* Hollywood "queen" from his past life!
Just like he said, he spent the entire day with Charlize in a cozy, romantic atmosphere. The next morning, after breakfast, he personally dropped her off at the set of *Resident Evil*.
Seeing the envious and jealous glances from Zhang Ziyi and Naomi, Charlize felt both moved and a little smug.
(End of Chapter)