King of Hollywood

Chapter 195: Chapter 195 Lolita “Lolita

Adrian pushed open the door to the room and took a few steps to the office desk, where he sat down and surveyed the well-behaved little girl sitting in front of him. Although he had seen her during the first audition, he couldn’t help but admire her in his heart yet again. Her golden hair, brown eyes, and round cheeks, coupled with the little dress she wore and the snow-white nylon stockings on her legs, gave her an air of pure beauty, like a little princess on an outing. Even if she looked a bit older as she grew up, with a slightly wider face, she was still a beautiful girl.

The little girl sitting before him was Kirsten Dunst, a child actor who had already played many highly acclaimed roles at a very young age, but it was only after “Spider Man” that she became a top celebrity.

No wonder Vladimir Nabokov wrote such a novel. Adrian thought to himself, squinting his eyes as he looked at Kirsten. Compared to Natalie’s delicate qualities and her innocent charm that day, Kirsten undoubtedly knew better how to dress up and how to show off her cuteness and beauty.

After realizing his gaze was perhaps too unrestrained, Adrian promptly looked down, gave a cough to cover up, and quickly adjusted his emotions, “Sorry, I stepped out for a moment—after reading your resume, I am quite impressed, Miss Dunst. I didn’t expect your acting experience to be so extensive.”

Hearing this compliment, the little girl immediately showed a proud smile.

“So now please tell me, what do you think Matilda is like?” Adrian continued.

“She’s a precocious girl, but at the same time very innocent…” Eager to perform, Kirsten immediately began to explain as he had requested. She obviously had done her homework well, capturing the character’s qualities.

“And how do you see her relationship with Lyon?”

“If you were in her shoes, what would you do?”

Adrian asked several questions in a row. Seeing that she had done her homework well, he nodded with a preliminary impression in mind, “Thank you very much, Miss Dunst. That will be all for now. We’ll call you about the specifics.”

As he closed the file in his hands, the little girl in front of him sensed something and looked anxious. As she stood up, she suddenly asked, “Mr. Adrian, may I ask a question?”

Adrian paused and then nodded, “Of course, you may.”

“Could you share your opinion of me?” Kirsten asked nonchalantly.

“Hm… Clever and mature beyond your years, you will make an outstanding actress,” Adrian pondered for a few seconds before replying.

“Anything else?” The girl immediately showed a disappointed look, cupping her cheeks with her hands on the desk and gazing at Adrian with hopeful eyes.

Confronted with this pure and flawless visage, something jumped in Adrian’s heart, and surprise flickered in his eyes as he composed himself, “Cute, beautiful, lovely, endearing.”

“So…” A hint of hesitation crossed Kirsten’s slightly plump and round face—her breathing became more rapid, but determination soon replaced hesitancy. She gazed at Adrian, allowing her smile to become even more charming, then whispered softly, “How about we do something interesting, Mr. Adrian?”

“Sorry, what did you say?” The folder nearly slipped from his hands. Although Adrian quickly regained his composure, silently eyeing the little girl in front of him, he was indescribably shocked. He certainly understood the implication behind those words. If they had come from an adult actress, he might have bantered a bit, perhaps progressing to more in-depth interaction, but this…

“I mean…” Kirsten appeared resolute, maintaining her cute smile as she looked at Adrian and slowly said, “How about we do something interesting, Mr. Adrian?”

As she brushed her hair back from her ear, the innocent face momentarily took on a captivating seductiveness, as if both an angel and a devil had descended upon this little girl.

“I think I must have heard something wrong…” Adrian took a deep breath and replied noncommittally, calm despite never hiding his desires—it didn’t mean he was a fool.

“I’ve been doing commercials since I was three years old and even modeled for Ford cars. I first acted in a movie in 1989. I like that feeling, the wonderful sensation of being watched. But they always think… and my parents agree… To be honest with you, Mr. Adrian, I’m sick of playing the role of the good, cute little girl! And I hate how my dreadful parents are always so controlling in this respect! I need a breakthrough, I want to become beautiful, stunning. I don’t want to be labeled as a little girl, cute just for acting purposes! I want more attention, more accolades! I don’t care what means I use to achieve this goal!” These words must have been bottled up inside for so long that Kirsten was almost venting towards the end, her cute face distorting slightly, but this only seemed to add an inexplicable allure.

Kirsten quickly realized her outburst and, running a hand through her hair, looked at Adrian again with that alluring yet innocent smile, “I know you can help me achieve this wish, right, Mr. Adrian? After all, you are known in the industry as the Miracle Director.”

Seeing Adrian opening his mouth to say something, the little girl immediately raised her middle finger to her lips again, “Don’t be quick to deny, Mr. Adrian, I am confident in my powers of observation.”

Slowly and teasingly, she brushed a wayward strand of hair from her mouth, speaking with a sweet and seductive voice, “I can do a lot of things, Mr. Director.”

Even with Adrian’s self-control, he couldn’t help but swallow discreetly. Now he truly understood the essence of the phrase, “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins, my sin, my soul”—the trait of a girl transitioning from greenness to maturity without having fully made the change could mesmerize anyone.

Taking another quiet breath, Adrian calmed himself down and spoke with an even tone, “I believe that too, Miss Kirsten. You will find the role that’s right for you.”

That was basically telling her she could leave now. Adrian was never a good person; otherwise, he would not have agreed to Sarah’s deal, nor would he have taken the opportunity of MMC’s dissolution to sign Britney and Christina, let alone go to great lengths to produce “The Professional.” Besides, wasn’t his wholehearted effort in propelling Pacino and Thompson to stardom meant to add to his fame and wrap himself in layer after layer of attractive aura?

However, just a little boldness in his gaze, and she had deduced his thought process. That was almost demonic! No wonder after finishing “Interview with the Vampire,” some said that despite her small stature, she harbored the heart of a 35-year-old. God knows whether this cunning little girl would turn around and ‘buy’ him.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Adrian, you can absolutely trust me,” Kirsten continued in a sickly sweet voice, occasionally swaying her petite, green figure.

Completely trust you? Impossible, given your situation! Adrian was somewhat frustrated and wanted to say just that, but then he narrowed his eyes, noticing a clear trace of distress flashing across Kirsten’s cute, round face. Although she tried to stand tall, her body was trembling slightly. Adrian suddenly had the feeling that if he truly sent her away, she would burst into tears right then and there.

Which meant… she couldn’t be sure; she was just gambling, taking a last desperate chance! So everything she said must have been true! Adrian inhaled softly for the third time. He could hardly believe that Kirsten, still just a girl, could be so ruthless for the things she wanted.

He didn’t speak but simply looked at her from top to toe and back again under her watchful eye.

The girl before him first looked startled, then quickly her eyes sparkled with elation, and her smile became even more coquettish, “Time sometimes flies, Mr. Adrian, and I think you must have a way to prevent breach of contract, right?”

Indeed, quite the precocious girl, figuring out what he wanted to say this quickly. Adrian applauded her in his mind. As soon as Kirsten uttered her first words, he had pressed the record button on the pen he always carried to prevent this kind of situation. Everything she had said was now recorded, while he had said nothing particularly incriminating. If Kirsten ever reneged on her words, just leaking this recording would ruin her reputation.

“Well then, it’s been a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kirsten.” After secretly turning off the recorder, Adrian watched the little girl with a smile, lightly caressing her cheek with his hand, feeling a tainted thrill inside.

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Adrian,” Kirsten did not rebuke his touch, her smile losing its coquetry and leaving only the cute innocence of pure naïveté behind,

“I’ve gotten the role, haven’t I?” she said somewhat proudly, puffing her little chest, only to find Adrian shaking his head, “My answer is—no!”

What a joke, the role of Matilda was practically settled, how could he possibly hand it to Kirsten.

“What do you mean?” Kirsten’s expression changed instantly.

“Don’t fret, my dear,” Adrian said with a smile, waving his hand, “I think you could take on some even greater roles, like those worthy of a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.”

“Best Supporting Actress nomination?” Kirsten was stunned, then her eyes blazed with enthusiasm, “Really?!”

“Of course, I have two films in preparation, one featuring a sassy daughter from the nineteenth century, and the other a vampire with the heart of a 35-year-old, but who appears to be only eleven or twelve. You can choose either one.” Adrian said with a smile, soothing her once more with a hand on her obedient face, “I believe you’re fully qualified for such roles.”

A hint of a smile rippled across Kirsten’s face, “I truly appreciate your generosity, Mr. Adrian.”

“No need to thank me—I think,” Adrian reluctantly withdrew his hand, still fixated on the little girl’s face, “we’ll have many more opportunities for collaboration in the future, right?”

“Of course!” Kirsten beamed with pure innocence again.

(To be continued – for more information, please visit . More chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)