Anson Wood, currently a hot topic and seemingly already near the top of the pyramid, surrounded by spotlights and flashing cameras, is, in reality, still a completely broke guy.
Forget about the yet-to-be-released "Spider-Man"—even "The Princess Diaries" has only paid an initial installment, with a final payment due at the end of the year.
And those magazine shoots?
People might mistakenly believe that actors get paid for magazine shoots, but the truth is, they don't. Actors do these shoots for free because it's a form of promotion. In fact, actors often have to "beg" for these opportunities since top-tier promotional resources don't just fall into their laps.
In other words, Anson is still a poor guy who relies on his family's allowance. Thankfully, Lucas sent him some money this month, or else Anson wouldn't have known how to pay next month's rent.
Beneath the glamorous surface, this is the reality of being a Hollywood actor.
Of course, this so-called "poverty" is relative because Anson has a habit of living large. High income comes with high expenses, and while it's not as extreme as Johnny Depp's later financial troubles, living under the spotlight does come with considerable costs.
To be precise, Anson is still a small fish in Hollywood, with a career that has just begun. On this trip to Paris, "Fashion" arranged his accommodation and local transportation, but Anson had to cover the transatlantic flight himself.
So, Edgar chose economy class.
In fact, the outbound flight went smoothly, with no one recognizing Anson, making for a peaceful journey. However, the return trip was a completely different story.
—First Class!
Anson learned that there's a difference between first class on short-haul and long-haul flights. First class on short-haul flights simply offers wider seats and more space, but on long-haul flights, the seats can be fully reclined to form a bed, allowing passengers to lie down completely for sleep.
Moreover, the spacious cabin, quiet environment, dedicated service, and high-quality dining make long-haul flights more comfortable from various angles.
But in Anson's view, the real trick lies elsewhere.
In economy class, they were still customers and were treated with care. However, in economy class, they were part of a collective—
Passengers. Gentlemen. Ladies.
A vague concept.
Once they entered first class, they were given names—Mr. Wood, Mr. Cook. With names came faces and identities, making the service feel more personal and genuine.
This subtle distinction carries more warmth than any physical amenity.
Of course, the spacious seats were indeed satisfying.
After settling in, a glass of champagne and freshly pressed newspapers were already laid out.
Anson opened up "Le Figaro" and began painstakingly reading with his rusty French—
His mother was French, and he had learned French and Spanish as a child, but without regular use, those languages had long been buried in the dusty corners of his memory.
Now, Anson was trying to revive his linguistic instincts.
Though rusty, Anson found that he could actually understand some of the text, and soon he found a photo of himself and Winona on the entertainment section's front page.
---
Unlike other tabloids, *Le Figaro*, France's highest-circulating general-interest newspaper, maintained some journalistic integrity and didn't maliciously speculate about the relationship between Anson and Winona. Instead, they outlined the sequence of events.
And finally, Anson understood what was going on—
Four years ago, when Winona and Gwyneth were still good friends, Gwyneth helped Winona recover from heartbreak by introducing her to a new boyfriend: Matt Damon.
At the time, Gwyneth was dating Ben Affleck, who was close friends with Matt, bringing them all together. Winona and Matt had a stable relationship for four years. Even during the scandal where Gwyneth betrayed Winona, Matt stayed by Winona's side, and despite Gwyneth and Ben breaking up, Winona and Matt remained together.
However, last month, the media reported that Matt Damon had an affair with Penelope Cruz, his co-star in *All the Pretty Horses*, and that their relationship had been ongoing for quite some time.
This rumor exploded, becoming the target of countless media outlets—
Because right after filming *All the Pretty Horses*, Penelope joined the cast of *Vanilla Sky* to work with Tom Cruise. There were even rumors that Tom had fallen for Penelope, with reports of the two being seen together late at night.
Penelope was also the rumored catalyst for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's separation and eventual divorce.
So now, the love triangle turned into a pentagon.
It was chaotic, noisy, and created quite a stir for a while.
Originally, in this pentagon, Winona and Nicole were somewhat distanced from the drama, both seen as victims and not attracting much negative attention. But Winona had a triggered reaction—
The nightmares came back.
Gwyneth's betrayal, and now Matt's turn.
Already at a low point in her life, Winona suffered a second blow.
So, the reason became clear—why were the paparazzi trying to surround and even besiege Winona in Paris?
Because they wanted to see her break down.
The paparazzi employed every tactic, hoping to provoke Winona, to attack her, and to capture the moment she lost control and broke down.
For them, it was just another front-page photo in the entertainment section; for the general public, it was just another moment of Winona's downfall.
But behind that photo, there was blood.
Unfortunately for the paparazzi, they failed this time—
Winona didn't break down. At the Chanel fashion show, when she was on the verge of collapse, Anson pulled her back from the edge.
Naturally, the media turned their focus on Anson.
Perhaps it wasn't just a pentagon anymore, but a hexagon?
Even *Le Figaro* hinted at speculating about the nature of Anson and Winona's relationship, not to mention what the other tabloids must be saying.
"What's that? You can read French?" Edgar noticed the playful smile on Anson's face.
Anson handed the newspaper over, "Does this count as my first scandal?"
Edgar was stunned. The chaos of Fashion Week had kept him too busy, and the slower spread of gossip in Paris compared to Los Angeles meant Edgar had missed this crucial piece of news.
"What do you mean?" Edgar asked.
Anson chuckled, "Me and Winona. The media is speculating whether there's something between us."
"Jesus Christ." Edgar's brow furrowed deeply. "This isn't a small matter."
Seeing Anson's calm expression, Edgar shook his head slightly, "If Matt Damon's PR team gets wind of this, they'll do whatever it takes to smear you. We can't just sit back and do nothing."
With that, Edgar stood up and quickly walked over to the flight attendants.
Matt Damon, who would've thought you were like this!