After removing her makeup and changing into her everyday clothes, Winona Ryder left the private dressing room and returned to her producer's office. She poured herself a glass of water, sat behind the spacious and luxurious desk, her posture relaxed and at ease. Her mood, clearly, was quite good.
The "girl, interrupted" project had been pushed forward solely by her—it was her opportunity to stage a comeback. She absolutely wouldn't allow anyone to steal the spotlight. As for the scenes that had been cut, she had already discussed them with the scriptwriters and other relevant parties. They were standout moments for a supporting role, but didn't significantly affect the overall story.
She was the producer. As long as the other producer, Georgia Kakendis, stayed silent, Angelina Jolie had no power to fight back.
Rushing footsteps came from outside, followed by a knock at the door. "Come in," Winona said casually.
Her assistant hurried in.
"What is it?" Winona frowned slightly.
The assistant was nearly out of breath from running. "Jolie and that man are here."
"Oh?" Winona raised her elegant brows. "What do they want?"
"Could it be..." the assistant whispered, "they're here to make trouble again?"
Winona thought for a moment and slowly shook her head. "If it were to stir trouble, Jolie would've come alone."
Then, a possible reason came to her, and a faint, expectant smile appeared on her usually cold face. "Could it be... Jolie is here to plead on that man's behalf?"
The assistant nodded. "Very likely! I heard from Rubin that the man only got into the crew because Jolie had Vanessa pull some strings for him."
"If that's the case..." Winona's smile deepened. "What should I do?"
She suddenly began looking forward to Angelina Jolie's arrival.
—
In the hallway of the office area, Matthew followed beside Angelina Jolie reluctantly, walking toward the office they had visited at noon.
"You're all big stars," Matthew muttered. "I'm just a nobody, a background actor. Better if I stay out of this."
Angelina glanced at him. "Your role was cut by her. Don't you want it back? Don't you want to see if she can still keep that icy expression?"
Of course Matthew wanted to see that—but facing Winona Ryder directly, he had his reservations.
"Hmph—" Angelina snorted. "Without you as a witness, do you think she'd feel threatened by me? Do you think you'd get better opportunities?"
Matthew had originally considered approaching Winona on his own. But remembering some things he'd seen during his years at the bottom of society, he realized it was smarter to bring a bigger name along. Against someone of Winona's stature, who knew what dirty tricks she might pull.
Powerful people always have countless ways to deal with the insignificant.
He figured Angelina Jolie had seen through his attempt to use her as a tool—but she wasn't going to let this chance to hit back at Winona pass. So she simply pulled him into the fray, making sure he couldn't stay hidden in the background.
His gaze briefly lingered on her chest. This woman's definitely not just a pretty face.
Despite his concerns, Matthew came anyway. He urgently needed a breakthrough.
—
At the office door, Angelina pushed it open and walked in. Matthew followed closely behind.
"What do you want?" Winona's cold voice rang out.
Angelina turned to her assistant. "I want to speak with you alone."
Winona immediately refused. "No need."
She looked Jolie up and down—no longer as arrogant as before—and then at the tall young man beside her, his handsome, rugged face calm and composed.
So these two lovebirds need something from me, Winona thought, a sneer creeping across her pale face.
"I think we should talk privately," Matthew said calmly. "Ms. Ryder, perhaps you could ask your assistant to step outside?"
"No need." Winona waved her hand dismissively.
Angelina nudged Matthew. "Well, say it then."
Matthew didn't jump straight into the accusation. Instead, he said calmly, "Ms. Ryder, a few days ago, I saw you at a bookstore outside the studio lot."
Winona put down her cup, a faint blush appearing on her pale cheeks. "What bookstore?"
"The one near the tourist area," Matthew looked at the assistant. "The bookstore near the north end of the studio."
Winona suddenly felt her heart hammering in her chest. She turned to her assistant. "Leave us. Shut the door."
The assistant rushed out and shut the door behind her.
"Ha!" Angelina suddenly laughed.
Winona's heart beat faster. "Why are you laughing?"
Angelina took a big step forward and stared down at Winona. "Who would've thought? The famous Hollywood star Winona Ryder is a thief."
"Don't slander me!" Winona retorted.
"Is it slander?" Angelina leaned in closer. "You know the truth."
Winona didn't admit to anything. "If you keep slandering me, I'll sue for defamation!"
"Oh really?" Angelina's voice sharpened. "Shall I call my lawyer then?"
Winona jumped to her feet and pointed at Matthew. "You. Out!"
She was beginning to realize the situation was dangerous. Better to get rid of irrelevant people and figure out what Jolie knew.
But Matthew didn't budge. "Sorry, Ms. Ryder. Just a reminder—it was me who saw you at the bookstore."
He looked at Angelina. "Not Ms. Jolie."
If he was going to be involved, there was no turning back now.
Winona turned icy. Just as she opened her mouth, Matthew added, "Fourth and fifth shelves from the north end—fashion and beauty section. You took two books, both with red-and-green covers."
Winona froze. Her face flushed unnaturally red.
"Oh, one more thing," Matthew added. "You may have forgotten, but that bookstore has security cameras. If necessary, we can go check the footage. With your and Ms. Jolie's fame, that shouldn't be difficult."
Thud—Winona's legs gave out, and she collapsed into her chair, her face going pale.
He… he saw it! How is this possible?
She'd always had a habit of stealing—but with her celebrity status as a shield, no one ever suspected.
"Shall we go take a look?" Angelina hopped up to sit on the desk. "I'd be happy to help."
"I… I…" Winona was speechless.
Matthew found a swivel chair and sat down. The rest was up to Angelina and Winona. He was still a nobody—only they could negotiate as equals. Besides, Winona couldn't do anything to them now.
Small people suffer in silence. To survive, sometimes you must borrow power.
He waited for the showdown.
After a few moments, Winona slowly recovered. In this cutthroat Hollywood world, she wasn't easily rattled.
"You…" she looked up at Angelina's sharp-featured face. "What do you want?"
She neither admitted nor denied anything—pretending Matthew hadn't said a word.
"Relax. I won't call the cops. I won't expose you." Angelina snapped her fingers in front of Winona's eyes. "Simple deal: you continue as the female lead, I stay as the supporting actress. But stop messing with me."
Winona was surprised. "That's all?"
Angelina smirked. "Of course not! You think I'd let you off that easy?"
She dropped the act and spoke seriously. "Restore all the scenes you cut of mine. No deletions. In fact, add more. And I want approval rights on the final cut before release!"
Winona tried to speak, but Angelina cut her off. "Don't worry about Sony-Columbia Pictures. I'll handle them."
These demands might've been outrageous once—but given the situation, Winona found them acceptable.
After a long silence, she finally said, "Fine."
Angelina grinned. "That's a good girl."
Winona went pale with fury, but said nothing.
"All right," Angelina hopped off the desk.
"Ahem—" Matthew cleared his throat loudly.
"Relax, I haven't forgotten you." Angelina glanced at him and turned back to Winona. "And don't forget about this extra."