Chapter 325: The French Rose and Three Other Beauties

[Chapter 325: The French Rose and Three Other Beauties]

After leaving the club, Link drove to the Kingston Hotel on Beverly Boulevard, where he met the long-missed Sophie Marceau in their hotel room. She had her golden hair down, dressed in a trendy striped shirt paired with high-waisted straight-leg pants, radiating the unique elegance and casual charm of a Hollywood starlet.

Sophie turned around, winked at him, and revealed her exquisite beauty. Her rose-colored lips were full and glossy, and her fair skin shimmered under the lights, making her look like an angel from a church painting.

"Link!" Sophie exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms.

Link held the petite Sophie tightly. They had only seen each other once since the Berlin Film Festival months ago, and there had been no opportunities to meet since. After greeting her, Link said little, gently lifting her and leaning her against the wall to express how much he missed her.

In that moment, the sparks between them ignited like a thunderstorm and comet crashing into the moon. The entire Kingston Hotel seemed to tremble under the weight of their connection.

At 29, Sophie was at the peak of her beauty, with looks, physique, charm, and experience that made her one of the few shining stars in the entertainment industry. They had first met at a signing event for Interstellar, and after an initial conversation, there was mutual admiration, leading to them sharing a blanket that very night.

At that time, Sophie had a boyfriend, and Link wasn't yet the playboy he would become. That encounter had only been a one-night stand. After Link left Paris, Sophie often called him, expressing how much she missed him and even broke up with her boyfriend to pursue a long-term relationship with him. Link hadn't rejected her feelings.

Whenever he traveled to Europe or France, he would stay at Sophie's place for a few days, reveling in their private world together. With time, Sophie developed deep feelings for him. If it weren't for Link having many girlfriends in the States, she would have moved to Los Angeles to live with him.

...

"My dear, the French film industry has stagnated in recent years, producing few films and good roles. Why don't you come over? There would be more opportunities, and we could date more often," Link suggested, as his fingers grazed her smooth shoulders while he inhaled the scent of rosewater in her golden hair.

"I've thought about it, but commercial films dominate Hollywood, and there's a significant difference between art films and French films. My acting style differs from Hollywood actors, which would make it hard to fit into a cast."

Sophie leaned comfortably in his strong embrace, closing her eyes, her lashes fluttering. Her delicate face mirrored the joy of rain after a drought, just slightly shy like a water lily caught in a tempest.

"It doesn't matter. We can do a French script with a French director and French actors, shot in Hollywood. If you want to make it, I'll handle everything else. I'm willing to do this for you," he assured her.

Link held her tightly, with an air of possession. Sophie smiled softly, lazily resting against his chest. "Darling, I know you can, but I don't want to burden you with material concerns. I cherish the moments with you talking about literature by the Seine, not billionaire Hollywood director Link, even though the latter is very charming. The former belongs to me."

"If you insist on this, our chances of seeing each other will become rare," he pointed out.

"Then we will cherish every moment we get together."

Sophie blinked her sparkling eyes at him. Link lowered his head to kiss her, lifting her slim body in his sturdy arms, cherishing the moment even more.

...

After they got up, Link accompanied Sophie to the cafe downstairs, where they met her friends from Hollywood, Juliette Binoche, Emmanuelle Beart, and Julie Delpy, all of whom were currently working on a film set in Hollywood.

Juliette, aged 31, had short black hair and a strong facial structure, a classic beauty. She gained fame in 1993 for her role in the art film The Three Colors Trilogy: Blue, winning Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival in '94 and being nominated for a Golden Globe.

Emmanuelle, at 32, had long flowing golden hair and a strikingly pure appearance, comparable to prime Isabelle Adjani. Her notable works included Manon des Sources and La Belle Noiseuse, and she garnered significant attention in Hollywood, currently shooting Mission: Impossible starring Tom Cruise.

Julie, at 26, also a blonde beauty, rose to fame in the last two years with the Three Colors Trilogy and had appeared in Before Sunrise, making her somewhat familiar with Link.

Link saw Juliette Binoche and thought of her great performance in The English Patient, so he asked her if she had any schedule in July or August, as he had a role that would be perfect for her. Juliette glanced at Sophie, nodded, and expressed her desire to read the script first. They exchanged contact information, and Link promised to have someone deliver the script tomorrow.

...

While they chatted, Link received a work phone call and excused himself to take it in the next room. After he left, the atmosphere at the table grew strange as Juliette, Emmanuelle, and Julie exchanged glances, sipping their coffee.

Sophie watched them from the soft fabric couch, and asked, "Do you have any questions for me?"

"I do!" Julie answered quickly, raising her hand with a smile. "Sophie, are you Link's girlfriend?"

"No, we are lovers, closer than a simple boyfriend-girlfriend status," Sophie replied, a charming smile on her face.

"With Link in Hollywood and you in Paris, how did you two connect and fall in love?" Julie probed.

Sophie chuckled, "In early '93, Link came to Paris for a signing event. I was his fan. Afterward, we talked for a long time and discovered we shared many similar interests. After we parted, I missed him increasingly. That's when I realized I might be in love with him. So, I broke up with Andre and got together with Link."

"You started dating in '93? So early?"

"Unbelievable! You broke up with Andre because of Link?"

"Link is that charming? You fell in love with him after just one meeting?"

Sophie's words left Juliette, Emmanuelle, and Julie in awe, surprised at Sophie's praise for Link, who she claimed was incredibly appealing and worthy of her affection.

While they had heard of Link when they were in France, having read his novel and watched his films, they also knew he was a young, handsome, wealthy, talented director, writer, and producer -- the owner of Guess Pictures. They had even read about his gallant escapades, which described him having dozens of girlfriends, all of whom were movie stars, including several top-tier stars.

From this perspective, he did seem very charming. However, they couldn't fathom sharing a man with dozens of women.

...

"What are you all talking about?" Link returned, holding his phone.

"We were just discussing how you and I fell in love, and how much I love you," Sophie said, smiling.

"I love you too," Link replied, wrapping his arm around Sophie's slender waist and kissing her lips as she entwined her arms around his neck.

As Juliette, Emmanuelle, and Julie watched the couple kiss passionately and lose themselves in each other, it seemed to them that with just a blanket, they could turn into Adam and Eve. They believed Sophie's words -- that she truly loved Link, who was six years younger than her.

Once Link released Sophie, he sat down to discuss The English Patient with Juliette, but then his phone rang again -- it was Mark Amin calling.

"Sorry! I've been busy with the company's acquisition of Pixar Animation; there's a lot on my plate that I need to address personally," Link explained.

"It's alright; go take your call," Sophie urged, gently pushing him.

...

Link stood to take the call. As Juliette watched him disappear down the hall, she leaned in, asking Sophie quietly, "Sophie, don't you mind all the rumors about Link in the Hollywood papers?"

"A little, but I can tolerate it. Compared to having Link, nothing else matters," Sophie admitted.

Seeing their puzzled expressions, she took a sip of her coffee and continued, "Meeting a man like Link is my fortune. To me, love is like a small hill, whereas what Link and I share is like a volcano -- sometimes dormant for decades, but once it erupts, nothing else compares. Isn't that unfathomable?"

Sophie smiled brightly at them with a mix of pride and contentment, as if she possessed a rare treasure that they could not attain.

Juliette and the others exchanged glances, realizing that while most women would feel embarrassed to date a player, Sophie wore her situation like a badge of honor, unabashedly boasting about her charming rogue of a boyfriend.

It was indeed hard to fathom!

This revelation led them to feel nervous -- having met Link moments ago, would they too be swept away by his charisma?

...

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation again," Link returned to the table.

"My dear, if you're busy with work, you should head back to the office. I have Juliette and the others here; I don't need you to stay on my account," Sophie said, holding his hand.

"It's fine; I've almost wrapped up the acquisition. It's mostly just contract signing from here on," Link reassured her, his arm comfortably around her waist.

Sophie snuggled closer to him with her palm resting on his strong chest. Juliette, Emmanuelle, and Julie exchanged glances again, wanting to leave but feeling it would be rude. They stayed, intrigued and apprehensive about Link's supposed charm.

...

As summer rolled in and the completion of the Guess Pictures acquisition drew near, the company workload became relentless. After spending a whirlwind weekend with Sophie, Link returned to the office to tackle his responsibilities.

*****

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