I am Hollywood

[Chapter 540: From Finland]

The anticipated first love ended before it even began, leaving the heartbroken girl restless all night. It wasn't until dawn that Caroline finally packed her bags and left her room.

She had planned to sneak out quietly, thinking that Eric might not care about her departure anyway. The hotel corridor was empty; to the left lay the elevator, while Eric's room was just a short distance to the right. Caroline hesitated, glancing around, before finally giving in to her lingering hopes. She convinced herself that saying goodbye without a word would be too rude, given her upbringing.

When she reached Eric's door, she pressed the doorbell and waited silently. Her mind raced with what she should say when he answered. Maybe he would try to persuade her to stay, in which case she would forgive him for his words from the day before. Caroline had always believed herself to be a very understanding girl, especially since she liked him so much.

Then the door opened, and the tall blonde woman from the previous afternoon appeared before her. Claudia was casually dressed in a pink silk nightgown, and the impression of her body suggested she wore nothing underneath. Her long, smooth legs were exposed, and anyone could see she had spent the night here.

"Good morning, Miss Wilson. Eric is just in the shower. Do you need something?" Claudia politely motioned for Caroline to come in, not reacting to the girl's sudden timidness. She was a clever woman and never pried into Eric's affairs with other women.

Standing before the much taller Claudia, Caroline felt a pang of insecurity, shrinking back slightly. She held back the bittersweet emotions rising within her, giving her nose a gentle rub, and quietly said, "Miss Schiffer, I just came to say goodbye to Eric. Could you please tell him I'm headed back to London?"

Caroline finished speaking without waiting for Claudia's reply and hurriedly walked towards the elevator.

Claudia peeked at the girl's despondent figure as she left, then returned to the guestroom to knock on the bathroom door and inform Eric of Caroline's visit.

As Caroline stepped out of the hotel, she stood by the curb, ready to hail a cab when she heard a voice calling her name behind her. Turning around, she saw Eric rushing after her.

Eric caught up beside her and breathed a sigh of relief, fastening the last two buttons of his shirt as he said, "Caroline, let me take you to the airport. I can't just let you go on your own."

Initially, Caroline felt a flutter of warmth in her chest at Eric's words, but stubbornness surged within her. "No thanks, Eric. You should... you should go back to Miss Schiffer. I can manage on my own."

Eric finished fastening his shirt, ignoring Caroline's comment as he took her small bag. "Come on, I'll arrange for someone to buy your ticket. But first, we really should get breakfast. You can't skip breakfast."

Seeing Caroline keep her lips pursed, Eric resorted to a little charm, taking her hand in his and leading her back inside the hotel.

Once he held her warm, rough hand, Caroline's resistance melted away completely. She lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, walking quietly beside Eric like a well-behaved child.

...

After breakfast, Eric took Caroline to the Berlin Schonefeld Airport in the hotel car, where he got her boarding pass and arranged for Rachel to pick her up upon arrival in London. He stayed with her until it was time to board her flight, watching her walk toward the gate until she disappeared.

Hearing the door open, Claudia, leaning against the living room sofa watching TV, straightened up and looked at Eric. "Did you send her off?"

Eric nodded slightly, walking over to clasp his arms around Claudia's slender waist as he settled beside her on the sofa.

Noticing the hint of disappointment in Eric's demeanor, Claudia couldn't help but ask, "If you like her so much, why let her go?"

"Because I'm a good guy," Eric said with a self-deprecating shake of his head, noticing Claudia rolling her eyes. "You know who she is, right?"

"Of course, I do. She's the only daughter of the Earl of Wilson in Berkshire. I heard all about it in Hollywood last month. The papers were full of news about you two planning to marry. When I came here yesterday, I thought you might send me away because of my common background."

Eric gently squeezed Claudia's waist. "Alright, enough teasing. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Of course!" Claudia giggled, snuggling closer to him. "Let's go out today. I can be your tour guide."

Though Eric felt no qualms about appearing publicly with another woman right after sending Caroline off, he knew it would likely embarrass Caroline and her family if it made the papers. He initially intended to refuse Claudia's suggestion but then rummaged through a pile of magazines on the coffee table and pulled out a travel brochure, flipping through it. "How about we visit another city? We can avoid the paparazzi. Prague sounds good."

Claudia leaned in closer, aware that Prague was the capital of the Czech Republic, only about two hundred kilometers from Berlin, but shook her head. "We need a visa for Prague. Even though it's quick to get a tourist visa, we won't be able to go today."

Eric realized the new EU had only been formed two years prior with just six member countries. After tracing a finger along the map for a while, he picked another EU country -- Holland. "Then let's go to Amsterdam."

"Great! I'll change and call my agent. He's in Paris negotiating a contract for me," Claudia said, standing up and heading to her bedroom.

Eric quickly skimmed the travel brochure and then followed Claudia into the room, where she had already changed. She was now standing by her desk, searching through her Chanel bag for her mobile phone and a contact book.

He casually glanced over at her when he noticed the mobile phone in her hand. Just as she found her agent's temporary number and was about to call, Eric approached from behind, taking the phone from her while wrapping his arm around her waist.

Claudia thought Eric was suddenly feeling playful and shot a teasing glare at him. Just as she was about to lean over the large desk, she noticed Eric was actually examining her mobile phone with interest.

Feeling a slight blush creep up at the thought she had just entertained, Claudia turned to face Eric directly. "Is there a problem?"

Holding her mobile phone, Eric leaned closer and kissed the curve of her lips softly. "Sorry, babe, but it looks like we might not be able to go to Amsterdam after all. But maybe in a few days, I can take you to Finland."

"What?" Claudia asked, puzzled.

Eric pointed to the prominent 'NOKIA' logo on the mobile phone. "This mobile phone's from Finland."

Claudia still wore a confused expression while Eric felt a bit excited. He had been thinking about Apple but overlooked the fact that before the rise of Apple, Nokia held over forty percent of the world's mobile phone market share. It was a giant company that at one point had a market valuation exceeding two hundred billion dollars.

In another timeline, Apple only started to rise in 2007, which seemed very far off. The rapid development of Nokia was all set to unfold in the coming years, and if he could get involved now, it could lead to a significant fortune.

...

Rachel sat in the Heathrow Airport terminal, reluctantly listening to a chatty suitor beside her, her eyes focused on the entrance. She let out a sigh of relief when a familiar figure finally came into view, standing up and saying to the somewhat decent-looking young man next to her, "Excuse me, Mr. Luke. My girlfriend just arrived."

Rachel emphasized the word "girlfriend" before ignoring Luke's surprised expression and made her way toward Caroline.

As she approached, Rachel quickly noticed something was off. The sharp, fair-skinned girl's usual spark was dimmed. Her thin lips formed a tight line, her eyelashes lowered, and her once fluffy, slightly curled hair now drooped lifelessly. She looked like a pitiful cat abandoned by its owner, soaked in the rain.

"Caroline, what's wrong?" Rachel hastened her steps, concern etched on her face.

When Caroline saw Rachel, the tension in her lips immediately crumbled, and with reddened eyes, she collapsed into Rachel's arms. "Wahh, wahh, Rachel... he... he rejected me."

Rachel initially thought something major had happened, but upon hearing Caroline's words, she let out a relieved breath. Still, she understood that for this young girl experiencing love for the first time, it was undoubtedly a significant blow. So, Rachel held her tight, gently patting her back to comfort her. "It's okay, don't cry. I told you before, Eric Williams is a playboy. You shouldn't..."

"He's not!" Caroline protested through her sobs.

Rachel sighed but went along with the girl. "Alright, he's not."

"He's a bad guy," Caroline contradicted, sniffling.

"Yeah, he's a bad guy." Rachel played along.

Caroline cried against Rachel for a good while before finally managing to quiet down, whispering, "Rachel, I miss mom."

Rachel wiped the girl's face, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, then took Caroline's hand as they walked out together. "Let's go home."

Caroline obediently followed Rachel until they exited the airport terminal, only to suddenly murmur, "He held my hand."

Rachel pulled out her keys, opened the door of her powerful Jaguar Sovereign, and helped Caroline into the passenger seat. "I know. Today's Daily Mail had photos of you two."

Feeling anxious, Caroline looked at Rachel. "What did they say?"

"Who cares what they say? The Daily Mail is just a gossip rag."

Rachel said this as she turned the car around onto the highway. Caroline couldn't hold back her instinct to ask more, but she quickly buckled up, saying, "Rachel, please drive slowly. This is too dangerous."

"Alright, kiddo, I'll listen to you today."

Rachel slowed down, having visited Caroline's estate a few times, so she didn't need Caroline to direct her. After leaving the airport area, she headed northwest down the highway.

Once the speed was steady, Rachel cautiously probed, "Feeling any better? Want to talk about what happened?"

After a moment of silence, Caroline softly replied, "He suddenly said we weren't suitable for each other."

Rachel remained quiet after Caroline's statement, unable to hold back a sigh. She didn't prod further, knowing Caroline still harbored deep feelings for Eric and he was likely sheltering her from more negative aspects. However, Rachel also knew that Caroline, albeit tender-hearted, could be stubborn and wouldn't let go of things easily.

As the Jaguar passed through Windsor and continued for another several kilometers, they arrived at the Wilson estate, situated along a tributary of the River Thames.

...

When the estate's gatekeeper saw the car stop outside, he approached to ask a question. But as soon as he saw the young lady with a drawn, weary face in the passenger seat, he quickly stated, "Miss Caroline, you've finally returned. Your mother mentioned you this morning. I'll notify her right away; oh, I'll open the gate for you!"

The man, named Mark, greeted Caroline respectfully and hurriedly opened the large iron gate of the estate before rushing back into the security booth to grab the phone.

Though it wasn't her first visit, driving through the long driveway of the Wilson estate and gazing at the sprawling acreage still filled Rachel with admiration. The British aristocracy had long since declined; the maintenance costs of traditional estates and castles were exorbitantly high. With the UK's inheritance tax reaching seventy-five percent, many cash-strapped nobles struggled to maintain their heritage and had to either donate their castles or let them fall into disrepair. The Wilson family was one of the few aristocratic families maintaining their prominence in modern times.

As the car stopped along the roadway, Rachel hadn't even gotten out when she saw a graceful woman accompanied by a few maids exiting the castle. Upon seeing her mother, Caroline hurriedly jumped out of the car and ran toward her.

Rachel opened the back door just as one of the maids graciously approached to take Caroline's bag.

Upon seeing them, Lady Wilson walked over and extended her hand to Rachel. "Miss Weisz, thank you for taking care of Caroline during this time."

"No problem, Lady Wilson. Caroline is my good friend. I only did what I should do," Rachel replied politely. The reverence the British generally held for nobility was deeply ingrained in them, and Rachel's rapport with Caroline was mostly due to the girl's innocent character that masked the innate distance brought by her aristocratic upbringing. However, in the presence of Lady Wilson, Rachel felt somewhat constrained and was eager to excuse herself. "Lady Wilson, since Caroline is home safe now, I should get back to London. I have some things to attend to this afternoon."

"If it's nothing too urgent, why not stay for lunch?" Lady Wilson still wore a warm smile and made a gentle gesture inviting Rachel to stay. Caroline, however, immediately pulled Rachel forward, saying, "Stay, Rachel. We spoke on the phone the other night, so I know you have nothing planned this afternoon."

Caught off-guard, Rachel felt her cheeks heat up as the girl exposed her, wishing she could pinch the naive girl's face. Staring at Lady Wilson's unwavering smile, Rachel could only smile slightly and agree, "Then, I'll impose."

Upon hearing Rachel's acceptance, Caroline eagerly pulled her toward the castle, and only then did Lady Wilson say, "Caroline, first go say hello to your father in his study."

"I know, Mom."

"And don't forget, Matthew and Robert will also return home for lunch. The little one will be here too."

Caroline, taken aback with excitement, asked, "What about Charles?"

"He left for New York a week ago," Lady Wilson said, gazing at her daughter fondly. "You as a sister are utterly negligent, not even knowing where your brother is."

Caroline playfully stuck her tongue out but quickly withdrew it under her mother's sharp gaze.

As Rachel walked behind them, she was left feeling uneasy. With Caroline's chatterbox nature, she was quite familiar with the Wilson family's situation. The current Earl, James Wilson, had three sons and one daughter, precisely the three individuals mentioned moments earlier. Caroline was the youngest child in the family. Although Lady Edith Wilson appeared to be in her early forties due to her youthful care, she was actually much older. Her eldest son Matthew and her second son Robert were both married with children. The only one still single was Charles, who was four years older than Caroline but supposedly already engaged.

Listening to the mother and daughter chat, Rachel could tell nearly everyone in the family would gather for the lunch, amplifying her sense of discomfort.

Indeed, as noon approached, the castle was filled with more and more guests, with both of the earl's sons arriving with their wives and children, and several other waves of visitors left Rachel with an overwhelming urge to escape. Yet, it seemed that Lady Wilson, ever perceptive, had noticed Rachel's unease. After lunch had wrapped up, she quietly instructed her daughter with a few words, and only then did Caroline take Rachel back to her room.

*****

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