[Chapter 147: Tit for Tat]
After getting into the car, Naomi was still a bit shaken. "Oh my God, how could he dare to do that in front of everyone? Is he a demon?"
Yes, how could he be so bold? (Harvey Weinstein's actual offenses of harassing women at public parties really happened later in history, but here it's placed during an Oscar night party.)
After Harvey's downfall, some tried to defend him, claiming he was a victim of the feminist movement -- it was just unbelievable.
Based on all the media reports revealing the shocking extent of his sexual assaults, it was astonishing that he remained so arrogant and untouchable until 2017.
It seemed that the $10 million settlement wasn't quite enough of a lesson for him. Maybe his earlier actions were a deliberate retaliation, especially considering everyone knew Naomi rose to fame because of Step Up.
If the lesson wasn't harsh enough, then no one could blame him for hitting back hard. It was a way to protect the public and indirectly save countless women from his abuse.
"Alright, it's all in the past now," Linton said softly, comforting Naomi while thinking to himself.
"Thank goodness you were there. Otherwise, I can't even imagine what could have happened."
"Sweetheart, you did great just now. When faced with something like that, you have to stand up and fight back."
"Why didn't anyone among the crowd help me stop him?"
"Yeah, Hollywood's so-called elite have their morals buried at their feet. Plus, the staff on site seemed indifferent. There's definitely something fishy involved. Don't worry -- I will get to the bottom of it."
"Honey, I'm so glad you're here," Naomi said, pressing a kiss on him.
On the side, Cameron was completely mesmerized by Linton's actions. She lowered the partition between the driver's cabin and the back seat and wrapped her arms around Linton, planting a kiss. "Honey, you were so bold and manly just now."
"Cut it out, we're in the car, and we're almost at the estate."
...
Not long after Linton and the others returned to the estate, Madonna and Winona also rushed back. They had been on the other side of the lobby and hadn't heard Naomi shout at the time.
After learning what had happened, both were filled with righteous anger, but also shivered at the thought -- what if it had been them?
"Don't worry too much. Villains like Harvey are thankfully the minority. And since you're all celebrities, public figures, most people wouldn't dare try anything with you.
But you still have to be vigilant. Didn't I arrange bodyguards for you? Make sure to keep them close. Also, you could learn some basic self-defense from the bodyguards. That could be really helpful in a pinch."
"Okay, we'll start learning right away," the women agreed, even Madonna accepted the arrangement, planning to pick a female bodyguard before leaving tomorrow.
"Alright, the unpleasant thing is behind us. You're all leaving tomorrow, and it's already late. Let's cherish the remaining time and enjoy," Linton said, sensing everyone was low, so he initiated the challenge.
"Yeah, let's go upstairs. With teamwork this time, we'll definitely beat him."
A sweet and joyful chorus followed...
...
The next day, after sending off the four women, Linton continued the post-production of Speed.
He initially thought Vanity Fair and Beverly Hills Hotel would come apologize or explain, but nothing happened.
All the media were covering the Oscar winners -- some praising the winners as well deserved, others feeling certain films were snubbed.
There was no report about what happened at the Oscar night party. Clearly, Vanity Fair, Beverly Hills Hotel, and Harvey joined forces to suppress the news.
It seemed he was still too weak to be taken seriously. Since that was the case, it was time to make a big move -- a real message to scare others.
...
That night, Linton arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel. He took the elevator from the underground garage up to the 12th floor and used the room key Sharon Stone had given him to open the door. As soon as he entered, a soft, delicate body threw itself into his arms and kissed him. "Honey, you finally came."
Soon, sweet and happy music echoed...
Without Linton's energy nourishing her, Sharon could only keep up for so long before collapsing into deep sleep in the early hours.
...
Alright, time to work. After tidying up a bit, Linton lightly stunned Sharon again to deepen her sleep and went to the living room. Opening the window, he jumped down.
That night, a fire broke out at the film storage room during filming of Dance Fever High at Warner Bros. By the time firefighters extinguished it, over two months of filming had turned to ashes.
The same night, Miramax's post-production studio in Burbank also caught fire and was reduced to ruins by the time the fire was out, burning all footage from The Night We Never Met, which had just wrapped and entered editing.
There's an old saying -- those who harm others often get harmed in return. Harvey had been so arrogant and malicious, making so many enemies, and provoking Linton multiple times. So Linton gave him a taste of his own medicine.
...
What surprised Linton was that after setting the fires, he felt uplifted and his development in Radiant Core at the fifth-level unexpectedly advanced a step, nearing breakthrough.
Originally, he planned to train for at least another two weeks, absorbing more admiration -- especially from Sharon Stone and Nicole Kidman -- before pushing through.
This gave him new insight: this was not just about absorbing and refining fame energy; breaking through personal mental barriers and achieving clarity of thought also helped advance his development.
...
No one noticed as he quietly flew back to the hotel suite through the window, finding Sharon Stone sleeping soundly.
It was not even 5 a.m., and since the opportunity for breakthrough was here, he intended to make the most of it.
He removed her sleep stun and gently caressed her. Sharon soon awoke and then lost herself in Linton's passion.
During the passionate encounter, the fame absorption activated automatically. With Sharon's high star power aiding him, he easily broke through to the sixth level of Radiant Core.
...
Three hours later, their intense morning session ended. Sharon was soft as melted butter, curled up on Linton like a little kitten.
"Honey, you're incredible -- I thought I saw God just now."
"Baby, you were amazing too!"
"Can you stay with me a couple more days?"
"Since you're so good, how about you rest up during the day while I work? I'll come back and be with you tonight and tomorrow night."
"You're too good, muah..." Sharon said, excitedly kissing him.
*****
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