Under the premise of confirming there was nothing wrong with himself, publicly acknowledging a girlfriend with an STD meant what? Christopher Rokenkort was very clear. Even if he had pursued her with ulterior motives and wasn't deeply invested, what about just a few nights ago when they had been together?
It meant he was highly likely to be infected!
Turning off the computer and closing the newspaper, Christopher Rokenkort sat in his swivel chair, looking grimly in Jessica Alba's direction.
Jessica Alba's entire face was dark. The moment she saw Christopher Rokenkort, her eyes immediately reddened.
She stood up at once and almost ran to Christopher Rokenkort. As she crouched down in front of him, tears streamed perfectly down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Chris! I'm so sorry! That night, I got drunk, smoked some marijuana, and... I made a mistake..."
Listening to Jessica Alba's excuses and pleas, Christopher Rokenkort wanted to slap her hard across the face. He didn't care about her cheating; in fact, he had always known that this playful and thrill-seeking girl would never be faithful to him. But he hadn't expected her to be so stupid as to mess around and contract a disease.
Contracting a disease was one thing, but she might have even passed it on to him!
Christopher Rokenkort raised a hand in anger, wanting to strike her, but he forced himself to hold back.
He had been in Hollywood for ten years, rising from a penniless nobody to someone with wealth, status, and influence. He couldn't even remember how many intolerable things he had endured—there were simply too many.
For the sake of long-term benefits, he was willing to make many concessions and compromises.
Herpes wasn't a terminal illness. Even if he were infected, it could be treated. If he fell out with Jessica Alba, it would likely have a negative impact on the larger plan. If it raised suspicion among certain people, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?
Although Jessica Alba's scandal had tarnished her image, her newfound fame was undeniable. She would be a valuable asset when seeking investment. Displaying the magnanimity to forgive her would also create a perception of reliability, making it easier to win some people's trust.
And if he dumped her? Where would he find another woman as foolish as her to help him?
Christopher Rokenkort had studied this deeply: approaching people with a widely known partner was far more effective than doing so alone.
Once his goal was achieved, he could discard her and pursue the most beautiful women he desired.
In a split second, Christopher Rokenkort decided on his next move.
Across from him, Jessica Alba's face was flooded with tears, her eyes red and swollen, yet she showed no sign of stopping.
She had made countless excuses and promises, now delivering an acting performance far better than anything she had done in films, pleading sincerely for her boyfriend's forgiveness.
"I promise, Chris, this will never happen again. I promise to cooperate with the doctors..."
As she made promises, her face covered in tears, her eyes swollen from crying, there was no sorrow or guilt in her heart. She didn't care at all whether Christopher Rokenkort got infected.
She didn't genuinely care about this boyfriend. She had no intention of giving up her lifestyle for him.
Jessica Alba had agreed to date him only because he was a wealthy producer who could greatly benefit her future. Once she attained the status and influence of an A-list actress, would she still let him be her boyfriend?
Don't be ridiculous! A man worth only tens of millions of dollars and without any major productions under his belt—what right would he have to stand beside her then?
But now was different. She had just started to rise to fame and encountered such a scandal. She desperately needed support. Besides, he held a major project, one that could potentially involve Duke Rosenberg. The allure of that project was indescribable!
As long as she remained his girlfriend, she would secure a role in this project. The most important female role might even be hers. A chance to collaborate with Duke Rosenberg—what did this current mess even matter?
For the opportunity to work with Duke Rosenberg, she would apologize with utmost sincerity and win back Christopher Rokenkort's heart.
She would dump him eventually, but not now.
"Chris..."
Jessica blinked her bright eyes, looking exceptionally pitiful. Christopher Rokenkort's raised hand slowly fell, gently wiping away her tears.
"This wasn't entirely your fault. I'm partly to blame too," Christopher Rokenkort said in the most loving tone, "I've been too busy with the big project and neglected your feelings..."
Hearing the words "big project," Jessica Alba's brow twitched slightly. She reached out to grab his hand, pressing it to her cheek and gently rubbing against it.
"Chris, Universal Pictures has asked me to reduce my public appearances. I won't be involved in promotions and don't have much on my plate right now. How about I help you?"
"Sure."
In an instant, the two reconciled. "I could really use a capable assistant. With your help, I'll be able to raise the remaining 40% of the $160 million budget much faster and get the project rolling."
"Is there still a big funding gap?"
When Christopher Rokenkort nodded, Jessica Alba asked again, "Did Duke agree to it?"
"It's still a secret agreement for now," Christopher Rokenkort said mysteriously. "Don't tell anyone. Duke has a contract with Warner Bros. He can't take on any new projects before 'The Return of the King' is released."
"Hmm…" Jessica's eyes darted. "I still own two properties. I could take out loans against them."
"My dear, you truly are my greatest love," Christopher Rokenkort said, suppressing his revulsion, and gave Jessica Alba a light kiss on the lips. "I promise to do my best to convince Duke to cast you as the female lead."
This statement hit the mark. Jessica immediately showed a sweet smile. "Starting tomorrow, I'll accompany you to seek investments."
Thus began a financial scheme in Hollywood, leveraging Duke's name.
The publicity surrounding Jessica Alba's scandal kicked off the evening after The Fast and the Furious was released. By the third day, it hit traditional media outlets. Public opinion takes time to ferment, directly challenging The Fellowship of the Ring that weekend.
On Friday, The Fellowship of the Ring grossed $15.65 million, slightly edging out The Fast and the Furious, which earned $15.21 million.
On Saturday, although The Fast and the Furious experienced a slight drop, it still achieved $13.81 million. However, The Fellowship of the Ring remained steady with $13.95 million, maintaining its lead.
By Sunday, The Fast and the Furious began to feel the effects of Jessica Alba's scandal. Though the impact wasn't massive yet, daily earnings dropped to $9.12 million. Even so, The Fellowship of the Ring also followed the market trend, pulling in $11.62 million for the day.
Despite facing a strong challenge, as predicted by all media outlets, The Fellowship of the Ring maintained its momentum, securing the weekend box office crown with $41.22 million in its third week!
While The Fast and the Furious saw rapid declines by Sunday, its performance far exceeded Universal's expectations, grossing $38.14 million in three days, comfortably taking the second spot.
The third spot went to DreamWorks Animation's Shrek, which cleverly parodied classic fairy tales. Due to its vastly different audience, it was barely affected by The Fellowship of the Ring, grossing $16.52 million over the weekend.
Tomb Raider revealed the limitations of video game adaptations and suffered a second-week plunge to $10.21 million, revealing its weak staying power.
"The Fellowship of the Ring is the biggest winner in North America so far this year, with a cumulative domestic box office of $290.57 million!"
On the new Monday, The New York Times entertainment section headlined, "This magical epic has set a series of records: fastest to $100 million, $200 million, $250 million… The next milestone is $300 million. Its North American box office trajectory suggests $400 million is no longer the endpoint. $500 million seems highly probable. Perhaps we'll witness the second film in North American history to surpass $500 million!"
While uncertain about hitting $500 million domestically, Duke had strong faith in the overseas box office as the film premiered in Europe.
With the opening of Eastern European and Russian markets, The Fellowship of the Ring dominated European screens, exceeding Warner Bros.' expectations in key markets.
France's opening weekend grossed $12.76 million, Italy $8.52 million, Germany $13.55 million, and Spain $11.28 million.
In the birthplace of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, bolstered by its North American success, the film created a nationwide viewing frenzy in the UK, achieving a stunning $21.22 million opening weekend.
"Having watched The Fellowship of the Ring, we fully agree with our American counterparts: henceforth, the world will be divided into two kinds of people… Those who have seen The Fellowship of the Ring and those who are about to see it."
— The Times
Fleet Street, known for disdain toward American colleagues, surprisingly echoed the praise for The Fellowship of the Ring.
Europe alone grossed $132.15 million in its opening weekend, pushing global box office earnings past $400 million.
As the new week began, the North American fervor for The Fellowship of the Ring declined, but the buzz around The Fast and the Furious faded even faster.
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