Chapter 433: A Crazy Night, a Sweet Morning

[Chapter 433: A Crazy Night, a Sweet Morning]

The Oscar night had been one wild ride. Even when they woke up the following morning, Jennifer Connelly, Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, Brooke Shields, and the other eighteen still felt the crazy energy from the previous night. None of them expected their boyfriend to be so outstanding.

"Renee, Diane, breakfast is here. Do you need anything else?" Jodie Foster asked as she set the tray on the table in the bedroom.

"No, I want to sleep a little more," Renee Zellweger replied weakly without opening her eyes, tucked under the covers.

"Honey, can you massage my thigh? I'm completely drained," Diane Lane groaned, laying prone with a less than graceful pose.

"No problem!" Jodie smiled and sat down to help Diane, though she wasn't trained in massage. Her clumsy attempts made it even more uncomfortable for Diane, who immediately gasped and asked her to stop.

Jodie couldn't help but chuckle at these two. They regularly trained for marathons, practiced yoga and aerobics, and could do the splits perfectly. Yet when it came to this, they were no better than she was.

She smiled and left the bedroom. Nearby, Brooke Shields and Charlize Theron emerged from the next room, each carrying a meal tray. The three exchanged knowing smiles -- seemed like they were the only survivors of last night's ordeal.

...

Downstairs in the living room, Link sat alone on the patio at the breakfast table, holding a sandwich, with several newspapers spread before him. The sunlight bathed him, highlighting his jet-black, sharp-cut hair, clean and angular face, a sexy Adam's apple, and an aura of powerful masculine charm. In Jodie's eyes, he seemed to shine in the morning light.

"What are you reading?" Jodie sat down and cheekily grabbed his sandwich to take a bite.

Link smiled lightly, unfazed by her playful tease.

"The media's reviews of this year's Oscars."

"I bet they're defending you, claiming you deserved Best Director," Jodie said with a smile.

"Not entirely."

The entertainment news was buzzing, especially three hot topics involving him.

First, he hadn't denied rumors on the red carpet about Monica Bellucci, Michelle Pfeiffer, and others being pregnant; he even promised a unified response soon. The media took this as confirmation. Link was about to become a father -- not just once, but several times. The mothers, all major stars like Monica Bellucci, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, and Julianne Moore. French outlets even reported sightings of Sophie Marceau and Emmanuelle Beart looking pregnant. Industry insiders whispered that Guess Pictures' PR chief Lily had paused work suddenly, suspected to be pregnant as well.

If all true, billionaire Link would welcome seven children within the year.

Some joked he was running a population plan and might have a hundred kids someday.

Others criticized his chaotic private life, saying he disrespected women by treating them like baby factories and hurt their rightful interests. As a public figure, he bore social responsibilities, and his actions sparked many negative effects.

Though none of the children were born yet, the reports and controversies flooded the media.

Headlines screamed "Billionaire Link to be Dad, Mothers are XXX" with tabloids spinning that Monica, Michelle, and the rest risked their careers and reputations for this -- was it love's magic or greed's lure?

The scandal overshadowed Oscar news, with most newspapers dedicating huge sections to Link's baby controversies and only small parts to the ceremony's results -- many also involving him.

He missed out on Best Director, becoming one of the biggest tragic figures in Oscar history. Yet, he won Best Film Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay, the first ever to claim both simultaneously.

Juliette Binoche, honored as Best Supporting Actress at the ceremony, revealed she was tortured working with Link, calling him her least favorite director.

His film The English Patient won eight Oscars -- more thanks were given to him in speeches than to God, with ten acknowledgments due largely to past performances from Guess Pictures' films.

"Link, are you going to address the pregnancies publicly?" Jodie asked after reading the Los Angeles Times.

"Yes. They're public figures, and pregnancy impacts their reputation, careers, and health dramatically. As the father, I can't shirk responsibility. Before the children arrive, I'll gradually reveal everything to the press, so we welcome them openly."

Beyond that, Link planned to emulate Elon Musk, establishing a family fund to provide monthly childcare support, so the mothers wouldn't have to worry.

"Aren't you worried people will call you a playboy or deadbeat dad?" Jodie blinked.

"Compared to their sacrifice, my bad reputation means nothing."

"Honey, I wasn't wrong about you -- you really are a great man, aside from being so damn lustful," Jodie said seriously, holding his hand.

"I'd agree but for that last part," Link shrugged and picked up another newspaper.

"Look at Renee and Diane -- they look like zombies," Jodie teased, poking his arm and leaning on his shoulder. "Sweetheart, after we finish shooting One True Thing, why don't we have a baby?"

Link looked surprised. Jodie was in her early thirties, the ideal age for starting a family, yet she wasn't comfortable embracing her femininity and was fearful about having children. Amid the others' eagerness for kids, she seemed least concerned.

Still, her sudden change of heart surprised him.

He held her hand, sensing her inner turmoil. "Take your time. We have plenty of it. Whenever you're ready, it won't be too late to start."

"No way! I'm 35 this year, and if we wait longer, I'll be a high-risk mom. I want to have the baby right after the new movie. If you don't agree, I might have to get tough," Jodie said, clenching her fist in mock menace.

Link smiled and kissed the stubborn woman.

"Link, I made strawberry ice cream. Want to try?" Brooke called from the dining room.

"Sure, I'll take some."

"Brooke, why didn't you ask me first?" Jodie walked there, knocking playfully on Brooke's behind, and grabbed some ice cream from the counter.

"Didn't you already get your hot chocolate?" Brooke laughed, pushing away Jodie's hand.

"You're so thoughtful, Brooke." 

"Charlize, here's your warm milk," Brooke called down as Charlize Theron came to the table.

"Thanks!"

"Only the four of us could get up this morning. That's amazing," Jodie smiled.

Charlize blushed and glanced at Link, having joined the villa later and never experienced such chaos before. Last night opened her eyes.

"Jodie, stop. It's daytime now," Brooke said, pointing at the bright morning light.

Jodie smirked and leaned on Link's shoulder. "What are you reading?"

"UFO sightings! Last Wednesday, a UFO was seen over Phoenix by thousands. With recent total and partial solar eclipses, interest in aliens is definitely rising among media and the public."

"UFOs? Do you believe in aliens? Oh honey, maybe you're an alien yourself, which would explain your brilliance," Jodie joked.

"Maybe. I just forgot which planet I'm from. If I remember, I'll take you with me to settle on an alien world," Link teased.

"I'm not reading this for the fun of it or because I believe in aliens," he continued seriously. "The surging public interest means sci-fi movies will become more popular. Guess Pictures can't miss this wave."

"You'll make a sci-fi film? Star-crossed tales like Interstellar have plenty to adapt. You can pick from those stories," Jodie said.

"Yes, it's planned."

Link took a bite of strawberry ice cream, enjoying the rich flavor.

"Don't rush the sci-fi stuff. Right now, you should focus on yourself. You didn't deny Michelle and the others' pregnancies on the red carpet, and the media has exposed this. There'll be a lot of criticism. Have you thought about how to handle public relations?"

"Don't worry. This is nothing I can't handle."

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.