Chapter 161: I'm Not Uninterested In You

[Chapter 161: I'm Not Uninterested In You]

Ian was working in the office when he saw his secretary, Ida, rushing in.

She lightly tapped on the office door, and upon seeing Ian looking up, she came closer and whispered, "Miss Roberts wants to see you."

As she leaned over, a generous amount of her cleavage became visible. Ian ignored it, saying, "Which Roberts?"

"Julia Roberts, no appointment," Ida answered.

Usually, Ida wouldn't announce someone without an appointment, but as Ian's secretary, she knew him well.

Big stars like Julia Roberts could squeeze in without an appointment.

Ian thought for a moment and asked, "What's my schedule today?"

Ida smiled, "There's a meeting about expanding the overseas division in an hour."

"Oh, if I'm not out in an hour, let the meeting start an hour late," Ian nodded. "Let her in now."

Ida nodded and left.

...

Moments later, Julia Roberts walked in.

Ida closed the door behind them and stepped out.

This was Ian's first official meeting with Julia Roberts.

She wore a pink floral blouse with a black jacket over it, topped off with a wide-brimmed hat, and carried an LV handbag.

Standing in front of Ian, the starlet's lips twitched slightly.

Ian remained seated, watching her without getting up, which made Julia feel slightly awkward.

Before coming, she had envisioned many scenarios but never expected this -- Ian Carr looked at her as if she were a mere animal, devoid of emotion.

So, she took it upon herself to remove her hat and jacket, hanging them on a nearby coat rack.

She sat down on the large sofa in the middle of the office and looked at Ian, saying, "We're all smart people here, Mr. Carr. I think you know why I'm here."

Ian chuckled lightly.

He stood from his seat and grabbed a drink from the bar beside him. "Black Stag absinthe, good stuff. I just learned about it from Olivia a few days ago."

After pouring two glasses, he sat down next to Julia and handed her one. "To be honest, I'm not quite sure why you're here, but I'm certain you're not here to accuse me of anything."

Julia sighed as she accepted the drink.

Then, raising her beautifully crafted chin, she looked at Ian. "I need you to clear my name."

Ian leaned back on the sofa, taking a small sip of the absinthe. "What's done is done, and I can't just tell the public that the news I released was false."

Julia said, "No need for that. I'll publicly declare that I ended things with Kimmel, and Daniel Modal is my fiance. You just need to apologize for invading my personal life. That would validate my claim."

Ian grinned. "Is that all?"

Julia continued, "And make sure your reporters stop bothering me, including you."

Indeed.

She wasn't here just to clear her name; for Julia Roberts, this was minor.

What she feared was Ian continuing to pursue her and exposing more of her dirt.

Ian gently shook his head. "I can't assure you of that."

Julia said nothing, just downed her drink in one go.

Then she stood up slowly, gradually pulling off her belt.

Seeing her actions made Ian feel somewhat nauseated.

Too forward.

Watching her movements, Ian shook his head, "No!"

Julia blinked in surprise. "What did you say?"

'The most valuable actress in America -- how could you possibly say no to me! Do you prefer men?'

Ian sighed heavily. "I'm not uninterested in you."

To be exact, a minute ago, he still had some interest in Julia Roberts.

Though she was a bold woman, she was still a major star.

But now, watching her casually undress as if it were the simplest thing, Ian had instantly lost all interest.

He didn't mind rushing things, but that kind of rushing usually depended on the target showing some inclination toward him.

Even Olivia's deliberate seduction carried admiration and yearning -- let's be honest, emotion was involved to some degree, whether little or much.

But with Julia Roberts, he only saw a skillful, emotionless act akin to that of a prostitute.

This completely turned him off.

He looked at Julia Roberts and stated, "An apology is out of the question. As for your future news, it can go unpublished, but the condition is that you must join my management company."

Julia stared at him in disbelief. "Are you joking? You don't have a management company!"

"I will have one, very soon," Ian replied confidently. "You join my management company and help me make money, receiving a 20% cut."

Hollywood management companies usually took around 10%, depending on the person. For big stars like Julia Roberts, it typically would be around 5%.

But Ian didn't care; his people got 20%.

If the profit margin was too small, what was the point of running a management company?

Julia looked at Ian, her anger boiling.

Ian remained calm. "That's the deal. I know you have a year left on your contract. When that's over, just come on over -- don't renew before then. I also won't target you again."

Julia took a deep breath. "Are you even a man, Ian Carr?"

Ian laughed. "Of course, but I don't need to prove it with you."

As he spoke, he walked over, taking her jacket and hat from the rack, handing them to her. "It's settled then. You can tell the media you and Daniel Modal are in true love; I won't contradict you."

He opened the office door, and Julia, frustrated, glanced at him before finally accepting her clothes and storming out.

...

As Ian watched Julia Roberts leave, he smiled slightly.

In the secretary's office, Ida looked at Ian with confusion. "Mr. Carr?"

So soon?

Or wasn't it even started yet?

Ian Carr softly said, "The meeting will proceed on time."

...

A day later.

Julia Roberts publicly claimed that she and Kimmel had ended their relationship long ago and that Daniel Modal was her new boyfriend.

The stylist probably got paid and didn't say a word.

And that was that.

As for Carr Media, they didn't say anything either.

We merely reported your personal matters; how you explain that to the public is not my problem; it still doesn't alter the facts.

Julia Roberts' situation slightly eased as a result.

People started to shout: "The media is like worms in the gutter, prying into others' privacy, I always knew Julia was a good person; she did nothing wrong."

Of course, there were also clever people.

"Idiot! If her relationship with Daniel Modal was normal, why deny it at the start? Until the media threw out evidence, she claimed it was true love?"

But such statements meant nothing to her fervent fans.

The overall intelligence of people was lacking; happy education and elitist education created severe class divisions, leaving most people with no ability for independent thought.

As for the elite class, even if they saw through it, they wouldn't say a word.

Ian Carr might not care about Julia Roberts, but the elites still did.

Those who could profit from her wanted to make money, and those who didn't wanted a chance to get close to her.

After all, not everyone had evolved to the point like Ian, where they could pick and choose among the beautiful.

Regardless, Julia Roberts' situation was now behind her, and Ian got the news he wanted.

As for that Tom Rothman, he was bound for prison... he would never regain his past glory.

*****

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