[Chapter 672: Hollywood is Really Small]
At ABC's production center, Emily walked into a studio with her assistant, who held a thick stack of documents. She surveyed the busy crew recording segments for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and patiently waited until Eric eventually emerged from the crowd.
Noticing the serious expression on Emily's face, Eric led her into a temporary office and instructed the secretary to brew some coffee before asking, "Did you get any results on that matter?"
Emily nodded and then shook her head. She opened the documents her assistant handed her and presented them to Eric. "The FBI in Manhattan reviewed all the footage we provided, but they didn't find anything. There were just too many people in and out of the backstage those last two days. Also, there were no issues with fingerprints; evidently, the person who did this was very clever."
They were discussing the incident involving the shoe that fell during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Although the media had spun Diana Kruger's mishap into a Cinderella-like tale, the truth behind it was less glamorous. The FBI's examination of the broken shoelace showed clear signs of tampering.
As Eric read through the report, he asked, "Did they find out how the shoelace was tampered with?"
Emily took out a delicate nail file and a thin piece of string from her handbag. Demonstrating in front of Eric, she said, "See, someone used a nail file on this string, which made the break look natural. However, the FBI's report indicated that the force on the shoelace's break was lateral, while a natural break would show a vertical force."
Eric picked up the nearly severed string she handed him and tugged gently, causing it to snap completely. He shook his head in resignation. "This is just..."
Noticing Eric's gaze shifting to the nail file, Emily continued, "This is practically impossible to trace. Each angel had their own kit in the makeup area, and..." She paused and added, "Detective Rini from the FBI told me that unless we launched a full investigation, we wouldn't get any results. However, he mentioned that they had done everything they could. If we push for a case, the media will report it widely, and we'll face huge public relations risks. We would certainly be criticized as well."
Although several days had passed since the show, media interest had not waned. Prior to this, some gossip pages had made conspiracy theories about Diana Kruger's fallen heel, turning the event into a romantic accident. If a full investigation was launched, the fairy tale image they had created would shatter in an instant. The FBI launching an investigation over a shoelace would undoubtedly be criticized as a misuse of authority, and bringing in private detectives wouldn't be feasible either.
"Well, if that's the case, let's just drop it," Eric said, reluctantly fiddling with the nail file.
Hearing Eric give up on pursuing the issue, Emily sighed in relief. It wasn't that she wished to protect the culprit, but given the current favorable situation, halting the investigation was more beneficial overall from any perspective.
Once that issue was settled, Emily quickly shifted the conversation. "Eric, where do you plan to spend Thanksgiving?"
"In Malibu," Eric replied, a hint of anticipation crossing his face as he reminisced about the previous year. Getting the women together to cuddle up in bed was something that happened only once a year, and he certainly didn't want to miss it. "I'm spending Thanksgiving in Malibu and Christmas in New York. Why?"
Emily's shrewd demeanor softened; she shyly fidgeted a bit before saying, "Could you change your plans? For Thanksgiving... come with me and Chris to Maryland. Oh, and it would be great to have Elia and the others with us."
Realizing the situation, Eric understood immediately. Jeffrey was currently secluded at their Maryland farm, rarely going to New York or Los Angeles. As dutiful son and future daughter-in-law, Chris and Emily would naturally spend Thanksgiving with him.
However, as two single adults, they couldn't escape the inevitable "forced marriage" scenario that holiday gatherings entailed.
Chuckling to himself, Eric shook his head. "Nope, I'm not going, and this is for your own good. If I bring a family over to Maryland for Thanksgiving, Jeffrey will definitely want grandchildren once he sees Kevin and Elia. You'd just end up with more pressure."
Emily shot Eric a glare. "Fine, whatever. I've never met anyone so gleefully malicious."
Eric still wore a smile. "Isn't Chris in Europe right now? If you're really scared of this, talk to Chris and see if he can find an excuse to stay in Europe past Thanksgiving."
Emily replied, "Jeffrey called Chris in Europe, and he already agreed. And even if... Chris wouldn't do what you suggested."
Leaning on the leather chair, Eric spread his hands. "Well, I can't help with that. If you ask me, you two should just get married. Even if you don't plan to, you could at least have a kid."
"I just turned thirty..."
"Stop being too melodramatic. With that tone, you'd think you just turned thirteen. What about those girls who become mothers in their teens? How would they feel?"
Emily shot him a reproachful look, pouted, and stood up. "I can't talk to you macho types. I'm leaving."
...
After seeing Emily off, Eric returned to the studio, where everyone had just finished recording some segments and was taking a break. He checked the footage they had just shot, then made his way to the five Victoria's Secret models resting in a lounge area.
Today, they were recording behind-the-scenes footage from the show, and while it would involve footage of other angels, most of the highlights focused on the five main models.
Noticing Eric entering the lounge, the five supermodels gathered on the sofa greeted him cheerfully.
Eric smiled and nodded as Diana Kruger rose to pour him a cup of coffee. He thanked her and sat down on a nearby single chair, casually pulling out the nail file from his pocket and playing with it while chatting with the women, intermittently tending to his nails.
The five Victoria's Secret angels noticed Eric's actions, and various expressions spread across their faces.
Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista wore faint smiles, while Cindy Crawford appeared puzzled at first then quickly masked it with a smile. Tyra Banks and Diana Kruger held their coffee cups in front of their faces, trying to hide their reactions and maintain normal expressions.
Eric caught their expressions and paused to look at Cindy before quickly shifting his gaze. "Is there a problem?"
"Eric, nail files aren't meant to be used like that," Linda Evangelista said with a laugh as she set down her coffee cup, extending her slender fingers to demonstrate. "If you file it like that, your nails will look terrible."
It dawned on Eric why all the ladies had reacted that way. Nonchalantly shruggin, he was about to say he didn't care how his nails looked. Instead, he pointed to Cindy. "Cindy, show me how it's done."
Cindy, looking at Tyra and Diana on her right, who were closer to Eric, wondered why he wanted her to demonstrate. Reflecting on her previous reaction, it suddenly hit her. She understood that Eric must have misinterpreted her response.
How rude! How could he think it was something she would do? Even though Diana Kruger was gaining fame in the modeling world, she posed no threat to Cindy, who had already established herself. There was hardly anything to gain from such an act.
In terms of competition, Cindy glanced at Tyra. Although Tyra had a few years' head start, her fame did not overshadow Diana. Among the five, those two were actually the ones competing. If Diana messed up, it was Tyra who would benefit the most.
Cindy didn't dare voice her thoughts though. She complied and got up to Eric's request to demonstrate with the nail file. As she reached for it, she noticed Eric extending his large hand toward her.
Well, well, what a troublesome man!
Cindy Crawford felt a flare of annoyance inside, but wore a practiced expression of reluctant submission. She gently squatted down to help Eric "demonstrate" how to use a nail file.
Noticing this, Christy Turlington immediately stood up, as if she had just remembered, and said, "I think I need to touch up my makeup."
"I seem to have put on too much lip gloss, I need to reapply it," Linda Evangelista found an excuse almost at the same time, and the two women couldn't wait to get up and walk out.
Tyra Banks looked at the actions of the two, and although she did not find any reasons, she stood up and walked out. Diane Kruger, who stood up with her, had a little resentment in her expression. Shouldn't she be the one to do this kind of thing? Why did he call Cindy Crawford?
Soon, Eric and Cindy Crawford were the only ones left in the lounge. As the door was gently closed, Cindy Crawford did not stop what she was doing, but raised her chin with a wronged look on her face and said to Eric, "It wasn't me."
"I know."
Cindy Crawford raised the nail file in her hand: "Then you still..."
Eric took the nail file and threw it into the trash can next to him. He said, "I know someone is messing with me, but I can't check it. I'm very angry now. Cindy, what do you do when you're angry?"
"Shopping."
"Oh, what a typical woman."
"You are discriminating," Cindy Crawford's eyes flickered and she asked, "What about you?"
Eric reached out and pressed Cindy Crawford's shoulder: "Guess."
Cindy Crawford lay on Eric's lap, looking extremely submissive. She felt Eric's fingertips brushing across her face, as if he was touching something delicate. The woman said with some resistance, "You can't do this."
Eric didn't push further, pulling back his hand. "Alright, go out and let Diane in."
Cindy stiffened but didn't get up, muttering, "What a rotten man."
With a triumphant smile, Eric gently patted Cindy on the cheek. "Hurry up; you've got fifteen minutes."
...
During the editing of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show segments, ABC's ratings for Survivor continued to soar. By November, it averaged over 33 million viewers per episode. Unless something unexpected happened, The Victoria's Secret Annual Fashion Show was set to enjoy a massive lead-in from Survivor's season finale on December 6.
...
Simultaneously, the Thanksgiving release window officially kicked off on November 11, with multiple new films premiering that day. Although the box office capacity during the New Year's period is typically far lower than summer, the competition for that window was significantly fiercer.
After a five-year hiatus, Julia Roberts returned to romantic films. Thanks to the excellent buzz and residual box office clout of Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride grossed $28 million in its opening week. While not record-breaking, its overall box office takings had no doubt crossed the $100 million mark, ensuring a high return on the $30 million production cost.
...
After Runaway Bride, Kevin Costner's version of Mission: Impossible hit theaters on November 18.
Eric had agreed to support the young woman, so he returned to Los Angeles on November 17 to attend the film's premiere at the Los Angeles Music Hall.
Compared to the mid-tier budget for Runaway Bride, the premiere of Mission: Impossible was much more grandiose.
Stepping out of the car, Eric crossed the long red carpet, casually accepting a few interviews before heading backstage with the crew.
After a quick hug with the young woman and greetings with Amy Pascal and others, Eric began chatting with the creative team behind Mission: Impossible, including Brian De Palma and Kevin Costner.
Brian De Palma was behind many classic films like Carrie and Scarface. Moreover, there was another intriguing detail about the fifty-something thriller director that piqued Eric's interest. He remembered a story about a family who had fled the Soviet Union during a period of political unrest. The husband and wife quickly divorced, and the wife's acting career was derailed by language barriers, leading her to become a maid in the home of renowned Hollywood director Brian De Palma. The maid, named Galina Loginova, had a daughter named Milla Jovovich. This story was just the beginning and would ultimately involve many figures from the film industry.
Every time Eric thought of this, he couldn't help but feel how small Hollywood truly is.
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