Chapter 76: I'm Right Across from You

[Chapter 76: I'm Right Across from You]

In March, the warmth of spring was in the air.

Everything was blooming!

In a luxurious hotel suite in Los Angeles, Ian and Scarlett were wrapped up in each other.

Scarlett was increasingly infatuated with Ian, her passion was ablaze.

Then, the phone rang.

Ian had to soothe the eager Scarlett, "Hold on, babe, let me take this call."

Scarlett gave Ian a forlorn look, "You always have so many calls; I'll manage it myself."

Saying that, she got on top of Ian, played with him happily.

Even though her tone seemed to complain, she genuinely enjoyed listening to Ian talk shop on the phone.

...

It was Lloyd calling, letting Ian know he had just purchased two small newspapers.

As usual, the plan was to absorb the resources of these papers, expand the Herald, and then make cuts.

With Ian Carr's news expertise, these papers would regain profitability and could then be sold for a good profit.

At that moment, Lloyd said, "The integration is ongoing; it will take at least another month. The problem now is that we lack any explosive headlines."

Ian had delivered several good stories lately, but something as rare as Burning Torch was hard to come by.

The recent sensational news were still relatively hollow, its inherent value limited and the improvement they brought to his eyes was underwhelming... It wasn't just about sales; the quality of the news mattered too.

"Don't worry, it will come," Ian assured calmly.

The reason he hadn't stirred up trouble lately was because he needed to consolidate resources to maximize the news value.

After all, money needed to be made -- acquiring WND and these newspapers had led him to borrow over a hundred million dollars from Lino.

...

After hanging up, Ian saw Scarlett gazing at him dreamily.

He smiled and asked, "What's up? Why the silence?"

"I'm tired; let's take a break for a moment," Scarlett said as she settled next to him.

She pulled her laptop onto the quilt, opened WND, and browsed the comments.

Scarlett loved reading the comments about Ian's articles, and lately, the hottest topics were the wager between the Los Angeles Herald and the Times, along with the Herald's aggressive acquisitions of similar industries.

Economic news was boosting, and it also improved his left eye, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to upgrade.

"Ian Carr is like a mad gambler, betting everything he can bet on."

"He might be a genius journalist, but he's definitely not a brilliant businessman. No good businessman would operate like that."

"He will go bankrupt eventually."

"And he will continue being a top-notch journalist. Don't worry, dude, even if Ian Carr goes bankrupt, he'll still be living better than us."

As Scarlett read these comments, she chuckled, "Looks like they don't think much of your wager, Ian."

Ian smiled, "Miracles are born from skepticism."

In that moment, the two of them were teasing each other, and Ian was fully enjoying Scarlett's tenderness and beauty.

He greedily sucked her sweetness, and Scarlett erupted in delightful joy.

...

Scarlett caressed Ian's hair, sweetly confessing, "I love this feeling. You know, Ian, I particularly enjoy listening to you while doing business; it's a peculiar sensation. It intoxicates me with your warmth while I'm also captivated by your schemes... they're even more intricate than those in the movies."

This was quite normal.

In film, plots couldn't be too complex or deep due to audience knowledge constraints; it had to be simple and straightforward.

Reality was far more complicated than film!

Without Gaskill's help, just the various connections needed for corporate acquisitions would have driven Ian insane... Corporate mergers were big projects, but they were never efficient.

Gaskill assisted Ian by navigating the political and business processes, while Ian Carr tackled the intent behind the objectives, allowing things to proceed efficiently.

Finally, Ian gently held onto Scarlett, "So, do you like doing business with me? Like now?"

Scarlett froze, "What? Is there news happening now?"

Her pupils slightly dilated, then she shook her head, "No, no, Ian, you can't go out naked to cover news!"

"No need for interviews, just some filming," Ian said gently.

Scarlett gasped sharply.

Suddenly, she turned to look at the window's camera.

It was aimed outside.

Scarlett realized something and looked at Ian, "You planned this? Who are you filming?"

"Deryl Chandler." Ian said, lifting her and getting off the bed.

...

Setting Scarlett aside, Ian stood by the camera and looked at the window across from them.

The curtains were drawn, and the distance between their hotels was less than twenty meters. Ian easily activated the invisible threads.

As if a breeze had blown, part of the curtains lifted.

The people in the room evidently hadn't noticed, engrossed in their passionate preoccupations.

Scarlett walked over and peered into the camera, gasping, "Sharon Stone?"

She was a well-known Hollywood star, and Scarlett didn't expect her to be involved with Deryl Chandler.

She looked at Ian, "Where did this info come from?"

Ian smiled, "Who else? Ezriel! He knows if I don't win the wager, he's done for."

Scarlett gasped in surprise, her mouth agape, "When we met him, you told him he was the destined winner."

Ian scoffed, "When persuading others, it's always kind words, but there aren't that many good things in this world. Even if the Chandler family themselves don't catch on, I won't just inform them voluntarily."

Ever since Ezriel helped Ian set up the bet, he was bound to Ian's ship, with no options left.

A traitor still wants a win-win situation?

There's no such thing as a free lunch!

The rhetoric was always beautiful; the truth was harsh!

Scarlett shook her head repeatedly, "You really are a cunning bastard... but I like it."

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she embraced Ian.

Thus, in two hotels, two pairs of lovers shared their warm embraces.

At Deryl Chandler's end, it was a passionate performance, while Ian Carr's end was one of admiration and excitement.

...

After a while, Ian finished his filming.

He grinned as he held Scarlett, now soft and pliable as clay, saying, "His time is considerably shorter than mine, right?"

Scarlett blushed, "Shut up, Ian. I don't want to see other men naked! I only want to see you!"

Saying this, she pulled Ian toward the bed, and he couldn't help but shake his head.

He mused that his stamina still wasn't enough.

"Save some energy for me; we have negotiations tonight," he pleaded.

Scarlett chuckled, "You're so confident you can complete the wager; why resort to this approach?"

"Because I need time; time is always so precious," Ian replied softly.

Scarlett looked at him with increasing excitement, "Which is why you should treasure it even more..."

Ian sighed helplessly as Scarlett pulled him back into the fray again.

...

After a while, Ian satisfied Scarlett once more and noticed it was getting late.

Ian picked up his phone, "Mr. Deryl Chandler?"

On the other end, Deryl responded, "Ian Carr? What's up?"

Ian approached the window, glancing at the other room where Deryl Chandler was on the phone, while Sharon Stone sat on the sofa, smoking in nude.

Ian laughed, "I'd like to invite you to dinner at the Milo Hotel, how about it?"

"I don't have time; I can't make it."

"It's not far from you; just a few steps away."

Deryl Chandler was astonished, "What are you saying?"

"Look out the window."

Fear gripped Deryl's heart as he rushed to the window, only to discover part of the curtains had somehow been drawn back.

He looked across the window and saw Ian, standing naked with his recently toned physique, waving at him; beside him was a camera set on a tripod.

"Fuck!" Deryl Chandler cursed out loud.

*****

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