"Buzz—Buzz—"
The Nokia phone on the coffee table started vibrating, followed by its iconic ringtone. Matthew paused his packing and emerged from the bedroom to check the caller ID. The screen showed "Sharapova."
He reached for the phone but hesitated before answering. After a moment of contemplation, he decided not to take the call.
The ringtone continued for over half a minute before stopping. Matthew returned to his packing. About five minutes later, the ringtone sounded again, though it stopped sooner this time.
A notification for a text message then beeped.
Matthew didn't rush out to check it. He finished packing and only then picked up the phone. As expected, the call and the message were from Sharapova. Likely unable to reach him by phone, she had sent a text.
In her message, Sharapova invited him to attend the U.S. Open Champions Dinner that evening.
Originally, Matthew had planned to attend the dinner at Rolex's invitation. However, something urgent had come up, and he needed to return to Los Angeles. Helen Herman had already communicated his change of plans to Rolex.
The LAPD had found the stolen camera, but it was damaged and required his identification.
As for the stolen underwear and photos, they remained missing.
Given the circumstances, dealing with the stolen property case took precedence over attending the Champions Dinner. Matthew decided to head back to Los Angeles to confirm the items and help the police with their ongoing investigation.
After finishing packing, Matthew stepped out to find Brown Williams and a hotel bellboy waiting at the door. The bellboy took his luggage, and they headed downstairs to a Mercedes sedan provided by the company, which then drove them to Kennedy Airport.
On the way, Matthew received another text from Sharapova. He waited until he reached the airport and was seated in the VIP lounge before responding. In his reply, he apologized, explaining that he had urgent business in Los Angeles and couldn't attend the dinner. He mentioned he was about to board a plane and would soon be turning off his phone.
After sending the text, he called Helen Herman to update her before switching off his phone and boarding the plane, choosing not to dwell on the situation with Sharapova.
For him, their relationship had ended the moment he put her in the car.
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, a car was waiting to take Matthew and Brown Williams directly to the Beverly Hills Police Department.
At the station, Matthew met again with Detective Bernard, the officer in charge of the case.
After exchanging pleasantries, Detective Bernard led Matthew to the evidence room, where he saw the long-lost small camera.
"This is it," Detective Bernard said, handing Matthew a pair of gloves. He walked over to the shelf holding the camera. "A sanitation worker called in, reporting that he found a camera matching the reward notice in a dumpster. We checked the make, model, and serial number, and it matched the one you reported stolen, so we retrieved it and called you."
Matthew put on the gloves and examined the camera. "Can you turn it on for me?" he asked.
Detective Bernard warned, "It's useless. The storage disk was missing when we found it."
Ideally, Matthew would confirm it by checking for his and Britney's video on the camera, but without the storage disk, that was impossible.
This particular model had been sold in large numbers. Matthew remembered that Britney had carved their initials into the camera's base with a knife.
"Can you lift it so I can check the base?" he requested.
Detective Bernard nodded, and a nearby detective carefully lifted the camera. Matthew peered at the bottom, where faintly visible were the initials "M" and "B."
"It's mine," Matthew confirmed, pointing to the initials as Detective Bernard leaned in to look. "My ex-girlfriend carved these."
With the camera confirmed, the group left the evidence room. In Detective Bernard's office, Matthew asked for an update on the case.
"Aside from the camera, we haven't found any other significant clues," Detective Bernard admitted, clearly frustrated by the case's high profile and its pressure. "We canvassed the neighborhood where the camera was found, but we couldn't identify anyone with climbing experience or who fits the profile. The only fingerprints on the camera belong to the sanitation worker who reported it. The thief clearly wiped it clean."
Matthew asked, "Any leads on the other missing items?"
Detective Bernard shook his head, "None."
Matthew shuddered at the thought of the thief potentially keeping the stolen underwear as a trophy. Luckily, he hadn't been harassed since the theft.
Hopefully, it wasn't a deranged fan.
With no significant progress from either the police or the private investigators Matthew had hired, the case felt like it involved a first-time offender who had randomly decided to break into Horner Manor, steal a few items of interest, discard the useless ones, and keep the rest hidden away without showing them or talking about them.
As Detective Bernard put it, such cases were the hardest to crack.
Now that Matthew had confirmed the camera was his, the police planned to dismantle it to see if any internal clues could be found.
After leaving the Beverly Hills Police Department, Matthew returned to Horner Manor, where Ilena Poyer soon arrived.
"You have quite the network," Matthew remarked as he welcomed her into the living room. "I just got back from New York, and you already knew."
Ilena accepted a cup of coffee from a maid, thanking her, then replied, "Don't forget what I do for a living." She sipped her coffee and continued, "You were spotted by reporters at Kennedy Airport. Didn't you notice the entertainment reporters outside LAX?"
Matthew shrugged, "I didn't pay attention." He looked at Ilena and asked, "So, what brings you here?"
Ilena Poyer, never one to mince words with Matthew, got straight to the point, "I had business nearby and thought I'd drop by for dinner and also ask about what's going on between you and Maria Sharapova."
"More like you came mainly to ask about Sharapova and are using dinner as an excuse," Matthew retorted bluntly.
Ilena laughed but didn't deny it. "Interpret it however you like."
Considering Ilena's connection to TMZ, Matthew thought about the recent rumors. Many media outlets were already speculating that he was pursuing Sharapova. He had even asked Bella Anderson to check Sharapova's blog, where it seemed she believed his efforts indicated he wanted to be her boyfriend.
Perhaps he could use TMZ to clear things up. He didn't mind such rumors, but tying himself to Sharapova was out of the question. He wasn't willing to sacrifice his independence to avoid disappointing her.
Even if Sharapova's fans criticized him, he remembered his initial goals in Hollywood clearly.
"Is it inconvenient to talk about?" Ilena tilted her head, scrutinizing him. "Or could it be true?"
She seemed to have discovered something groundbreaking. "Are you actually planning to date Sharapova seriously? That doesn't seem like you..."
Matthew pointed at her, "It's not true. I think Sharapova misunderstood. My relationship with her is no different from what I had with Jessica Alba or Scarlett Johansson."
Ilena understood immediately, "A one-night stand."
Matthew gave her a brief rundown of his time with Sharapova. "Use an anonymous source to report this and give Sharapova a heads-up."
Ilena nodded, "I know how to handle it."
Matthew called for the housekeeper to inform the kitchen to prepare a special dinner to host Ilena.
After the housekeeper left, Matthew called Amanda to invite her over. Amanda had been extremely busy lately. His two charitable foundations were preparing for the second large-scale shipment of aid to Africa, coinciding with the launch of the promotional campaign for '300.' This shipment would soon head to the war-torn regions of Africa.
Though over fifty percent of the donations were used as "operational expenses" by the foundations, Matthew's influence and reach had secured significant funds. The amount of aid collected was staggering.
There would be a ceremonial send-off for the aid shipment, with a mountain of supplies presented to the media and public, creating a far more impactful image than just monetary figures.
This was precisely the effect Matthew sought.
In terms of Hollywood charity work, his foundations were among the few genuinely making a difference. Most celebrities merely waved the flag of charity, doing little beyond appearing in front of cameras to shout slogans and pose for photos when needed.
Of course, Matthew was also putting on a show, and a grander one than most. But the aid reaching Africa was indeed helping many in need.
Amanda was handling everything smoothly, leaving Matthew little to worry about.
Three days later, Helen Herman returned to Los Angeles after her first round of negotiations with Marvel Entertainment in New York. In the coming weeks, Angel Agency would represent Matthew in the follow-up negotiations with Marvel in Los Angeles.
Helen's immediate return was also to assist Matthew in handling his new endorsement deal with Mercedes.
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