The next morning, the trees outside the villa were alive with the clamor of birdsong. Zeta-Jones opened her eyes, feeling a dryness that signaled insufficient sleep. She rubbed her eyes and glanced down at the faint bruises on her chest, a flicker of annoyance crossing her features. The man had possessed inexhaustible energy.Carefully sitting up, the blanket slipped away, revealing her elegant curves. Her gaze swept the room, finding it empty. Sliding off the plush mattress, Zeta-Jones felt a pleasant ache in her muscles, a reminder of the previous night's exertions. She picked up a neatly folded robe, clearly laid out in advance, and slipped it on before padding barefoot into the en-suite bathroom.After freshening up, she studied her reflection in the mirror. Her face still held a radiant glow, though marred by subtle marks of passion. A faint smile touched her lips as she recalled the night's intensity.Finished in the bathroom, Zeta-Jones emerged, still in her robe, and walked towards the hallway leading to the second-floor living room. The exterior wall of the hallway was a single expanse of floor-to-ceiling glass. Pausing, Zeta-Jones gazed out, her eyes slightly unfocused, taking in the panoramic view of Los Angeles, Hollywood, and a substantial portion of Beverly Hills spread out below.This was the allure of Beverly Hills mansions: the sense of dominion, the feeling of looking down upon the world. This was especially potent for those striving for Hollywood stardom.After a few moments of wistful contemplation, a rumble in her stomach reminded Zeta-Jones of her physical needs. She turned from the window and entered the living room.Milo was nowhere to be seen, nor were any other guests. Only a middle-aged Caucasian woman in a maid's uniform stood in a corner of the room. Upon seeing Zeta-Jones, she approached with a warm smile. "Good morning, Ms. Jones. I'm Marina Aris, the housekeeper…"Through her conversation with Marina, Zeta-Jones learned that it was nearly noon. Milo had left that morning on business in San Francisco, leaving Marina with instructions to care for Zeta-Jones. Marina also informed her that she was welcome to stay as long as she wished, and that transportation would be arranged for her should she choose to leave.I'm certainly not leaving, Zeta-Jones thought. To leave now would be to have given everything away for nothing.She smiled at Marina. "I'm a bit hungry, Marina. Could you arrange for some food?""Of course," Marina replied with a smile. "I'll inform the chef immediately."Soon, Zeta-Jones found herself in the second-floor dining room, enjoying a meal that could be considered either a late breakfast or an early lunch, while admiring the artwork on the walls. Through casual conversation with Marina, she confirmed that the host had no intention of dismissing her. She was free to stay or leave as she pleased.A wave of relief washed over Zeta-Jones. Her greatest fear had been waking up to find a check on the nightstand. That would have truly been a degrading experience. And such checks were rarely substantial, ranging from a few thousand to ten thousand dollars. While a considerable sum for a groupie, it was hardly significant to a rising star like herself.After finishing her meal, around midday, she spoke to Marina. "Marina, could I ask where my bags are? I believe I left them in the changing room.""Of course, Ms. Jones. I'll have them brought to you immediately."Zeta-Jones retrieved her bags, containing her makeup and her mobile phone. After thanking Marina, she returned to the master bedroom and stepped onto the small balcony overlooking the pool.A wave of heat rushed to her face as she remembered the previous night. She vaguely recalled being swept up in a whirlwind of sensation, then being draped in a robe and carried to this very spot. She'd been too overwhelmed to open her eyes, but she distinctly remembered hearing the cheers and whistles of the women below.Muttering a few choice expletives under her breath, Zeta-Jones pulled out her phone and began making calls.The first call was to her agent, Anna. Zeta-Jones simply informed her of her location and that her phone was now active, should she need to be contacted.After a moment's thought, she placed a second call to one of her new acquaintances from the previous night, Julie Delpy. Cate Blanchett, the other woman, didn't yet have a mobile phone. Cate was in the country on a tourist visa and was facing tighter financial constraints."Hello, this is Julie Delpy. Who's calling?""Julie, it's Catherine, Catherine Zeta-Jones.""Wow!""Cate, come quickly! It's Catherine on the phone," Zeta-Jones heard Delpy say excitedly in the background, apparently calling for Blanchett."Catherine, where are you?""I'm still up at the house.""Wow!" Delpy exclaimed again. "You stayed the night?""Yes. When did you two leave?""We got back down the hill around one in the morning, Catherine. Tell me, how many of you stayed?""Just me.""Wow!" Delpy's voice conveyed her surprise. "It seems the host was quite taken with you!"Taken with me? Zeta-Jones thought. She suspected that was the case. She vaguely recalled that the man had… attended to her needs again as dawn broke, before finally leaving."You have no idea," Delpy continued. "After you two went into the room, he didn't come out for over an hour. And you didn't come out at all.""When he did emerge, you should have seen the other girls' faces. They were furious.""He then went back in with two other women, separately, before disappearing altogether. Then that portly man showed up. He told us the party was over, gave each of us a thousand-dollar check, and we left.""So, under normal circumstances, all three of you should have stayed," Delpy explained. "But the fact that only you were kept there means those other two girls definitely didn't make as much of an impression on the host as you did!""I'm certain of it," Zeta-Jones replied confidently. "Only I stayed.""So that proves it," Delpy said. "You're the favored one; otherwise, you wouldn't have been kept up the hill."Delpy concluded, "Congratulations, Catherine. He's the man Michael Eisner himself came to see!"Hearing this, a pleased expression spread across Zeta-Jones's beautiful face. As Delpy had said, they'd all witnessed Eisner's demeanor towards Milo the previous night. Eisner was known as a tyrant in Hollywood. It was said that he always wore a signature gloomy expression, regardless of who he was facing, be it a top-earning A-list celebrity or a superstar like Madonna or Michael Jackson.But last night, when Eisner spoke with Milo, there was no trace of that infamous tyrannical expression. He'd seemed affable and approachable, a far cry from his usual image.If it hadn't been for Eisner's arrival and his behavior, she and Delpy wouldn't have shifted from being passive to proactive. They had initially planned to leave. But they then chose to take the initiative, forming a united front and presenting themselves for Milo's selection. In the end, he had chosen her.