Chapter 424: Psychological Shadow

"Mr. Horner, please wait here. We will inform you of the results as soon as they are out."

The nurse in a white coat instructed Matthew before turning and leaving the VIP lounge. As the door closed, Matthew exhaled deeply.

This was a high-end private hospital in Beverly Hills. The hospital wasn't large, and today, to accommodate him, the owner, Dr. Bartella, only had two nurses on duty.

Of course, Matthew wasn't naive; he came under the guise of a routine check-up, although the tests were more extensive.

In the lounge, besides Matthew, were his two close friends, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

"Don't worry," James McAvoy reassured Matthew from the sofa. "It's not that easy to catch something."

Michael Fassbender added, "It's just tabloid gossip. How reliable can that be?"

Matthew leaned back on the sofa, his worry apparent to anyone who looked.

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender had never seen Matthew like this before. Even in tough situations and fierce competitions, he had never been so concerned.

However, both men understood the gravity of the situation; it concerned his lifelong happiness.

"I'm fine," Matthew rubbed his face vigorously. "You two don't need to worry."

He said that, but only he knew what he truly felt. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dragged his two best friends to this private hospital.

Despite completing all the check-up items and all indicators showing he was very healthy, one test result was still pending.

Hopefully, he wasn't infected...

Matthew recalled that apart from his initial encounter with Britney Spears, he had used protection every time with other women. He was always very cautious about this.

A few days ago, he randomly flipped through a tabloid and saw a piece of news that Jessica Alba had visited a gynecologist, suspected of having a sexually transmitted disease. Although Jessica Alba denied this in an interview, claiming she just went for a routine check-up, it still worried him.

After all, he had been with Jessica Alba more than once.

Matthew immediately told Helen Herman that he needed a comprehensive check-up, leading to this visit to a reputable private hospital known for its discretion and twenty years of excellent service in Beverly Hills.

Additionally, to avoid any emotional outburst, he brought along his two close friends, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

It's natural to be worried in such a situation; anyone would be anxious if they found out a past fling might have a sexually transmitted disease.

James McAvoy, seeing Matthew overly worried, said, "This isn't like you, Matthew."

Matthew shrugged, "If it were you, you'd be worse off."

Michael Fassbender interjected, "James gets regular check-ups for this sort of thing." He joked, "Matthew, you should learn from James."

"That's necessary," Matthew nodded. "At least once every six months."

James McAvoy added, "No need to be so cautious. STDs aren't terminal diseases; they're not hard to cure if you have the money."

Matthew covered his face, "They leave a psychological shadow!"

"You're usually so mentally strong," James McAvoy said, puzzled. "Why so fragile over a minor issue?"

"Minor issue?" Matthew shot him a glance. "This is a major issue concerning lifelong happiness!"

He suddenly felt it was a mistake to bring James McAvoy along.

"Didn't you always say," James McAvoy, being a mischievous friend, continued, "you enjoy the thrill of chasing women..."

Matthew cut him off, "Without the final passionate release, do you think the chase is still enjoyable?"

The door to the lounge suddenly knocked, and Dr. Bartella, wearing glasses and looking around fifty, entered with a stack of files.

Matthew immediately stood up and asked, "How is it, doctor?"

Dr. Bartella said straightforwardly, "Mr. Horner, you are very healthy."

Hearing this, Matthew felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender walked over and patted him on the back.

"Thank you," Matthew nodded slightly.

"You're welcome," Dr. Bartella said, then added, "However, I must remind you of something."

Matthew tensed up again, "Go ahead."

Dr. Bartella looked serious, "You should establish a regular check-up routine, at least once a year."

Matthew relaxed completely, smiled, and said, "I will."

He thought to himself, are all doctors like this?

Dr. Bartella then explained the details of the test results. As he had mentioned earlier, Matthew was in excellent health, with no issues.

Unlike his anxious entry, Matthew left the private hospital feeling relieved and joking with his friends.

"I've decided!" James McAvoy yelled as he drove out of the hospital. "To celebrate Matthew's clean bill of health, let's go to San Fernando Valley and find ten chicks!"

Michael Fassbender scoffed, "You go ahead. Matthew and I don't stoop that low."

Matthew took out his phone, "Indeed, I need to find a woman to calm my nerves, but not from San Fernando Valley." He waved his phone, "You two stop arguing; I'm making a call."

He found Eva Green's number and dialed, but the call couldn't connect. After several attempts, he gave up.

Michael Fassbender noticed Matthew's slight disappointment and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I wanted to have dinner with my queen," Matthew shook his head. "But I can't reach her."

Michael Fassbender, knowing who he meant, said, "Eva Green took leave yesterday and is going back to France today."

James McAvoy added, "She's probably already on the plane."

Matthew asked curiously, "Why is she going back to France when the shoot starts next Monday?"

Michael Fassbender shook his head, "No idea."

James McAvoy, always in the know, said, "I heard her twin sister or something is sick."

Matthew's phone suddenly rang. He quickly checked and saw it was Helen Herman.

"Hi, Helen," Matthew answered, "What's up?"

Helen Herman's voice came through, "You went for a check-up, right? Got the results?"

Matthew kept it brief, "All done, I'm very healthy, no issues."

Helen Herman responded calmly, "That's good." Then she added, "If you're free, come by the office. Amanda will be here too."

Matthew agreed, "Okay, I'll be there soon."

He hung up and asked James McAvoy, "Can you give me a ride to Burbank?"

James McAvoy tapped the steering wheel, "Michael and I are at your service today, no problem."

At an intersection, he turned the car towards Burbank.

It didn't take long for James McAvoy to drop Matthew off at the Angel Agency's entrance before leaving with Michael Fassbender.

Matthew entered Helen Herman's office, where Amanda was already waiting.

"Hi, Matthew."

Amanda walked over and gave him a light hug. Matthew noticed her hair and asked, "Did you dye your hair?"

"Yes," Amanda touched her short hair. "Does it look good?"

Matthew was honest, "A bit strange."

Amanda's hair, originally golden-brown, was now platinum blonde.

"Enough about hair," Helen Herman interrupted, "Let's get to business."

Matthew dropped the topic and sat on the sofa.

Amanda, sitting on another sofa, said, "The foundation's preparations are almost complete. We can start planning the charity dinner for the launch."

"Sounds good," Matthew nodded.

Helen Herman added, "Amanda and I visited Disney Studios yesterday. They are willing to sponsor us, but the launch has to be before the release of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,' in late June."

Amanda continued, "I need to send out invitations. It's late March now, so three months is not too tight. Late June is the earliest we can do."

Being a star himself, Matthew knew that inviting people to such events required early notice to allow them to adjust and confirm their schedules.

"Alright," he agreed. "Late June it is."

This timing would also benefit the promotion of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

Matthew said, "Come up with a detailed plan. '300' starts filming next Monday, and I won't have much time to handle this."

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