Chapter 202: Mutation?

After she ran out of the restaurant after Eric, Elisabeth found that he had disappeared, so she could only return to her hotel, disappointed.

"Julia, what are you doing?"

Back at the hotel room, Elizabeth saw a suitcase lying in the middle of the bedroom with Julia packing her clothes.

Julia folded a small t-shirt into the box, looked up and answered, "I...I'm leaving, I think I should go back to Los Angeles."

Elisabeth stomped her feet, pulled Julia up and sat her down on a chair before she questioned, "Why are you acting like a tiny animal that has encountered a predator and is running away with its tail tucked between its legs?"

Julia’s eyes dodged Elisabeth, flustered before she gathered her courage and complained to Elisabeth, "Why are you blaming me? Why didn't you remind me when you saw him behind me? Since I said all those things about him, that asshole will definitely cause me trouble."

Elisabeth couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Haha, how will he settle with you, spanking? Stop it, Julia, all this is just your conjecture, OK?"

Julia shrank her neck and said, "You...you don't understand, Liz, that guy is very bad."

Elisabeth really didn't understand Julia's behavior. She couldn't help but pat her forehead and thought for a while before she grabbed Julia’s hand and said, "Come, follow me."

"Where to?" Julia stood up and asked.

"Let's go see Eric Williams. Since you are worried, I will make it clear in person, so that he doesn’t harass you again."

When Julia heard Elisabeth's words, she freed herself from the latter’s hand and sat back down in her chair with her small hands holding the handrail tightly, and she quickly explained, "He… he never harassed me."

"Then tell me, what's wrong with you?"

"I… I don't know. I'm just a little bit uncomfortable in front of him. And because of that time when I was drunk and today's matter, I don't even dare to see him. Liz, just leave him alone, okay?"

Even though Elisabeth is her best friend, Julia never revealed her greatest secret in front of her. Her secret was only known by herself and Eric. In fact, she didn’t know whether her emotions were truly caused by Stockholm Syndrome. She had read some books about Stockholm Syndrome, but the symptoms seemed… different.

Is it a mutation?

Elizabeth wandered around the bedroom before she suddenly clapped her hands and said, "Julia, do you think it’s that simple?"

Julia raised her head curiously and Elisabeth’s analysis, "Perhaps, it's just like you told me. You have met him very few times, but in those few short meetings, he seemed very powerful which might be why he left such an impression in your heart?"

"Maybe..." Julia nodded after carefully thinking about it. In fact, Elisabeth’s words are quite reasonable. Even while filming Pretty Woman, she had been alone with Eric just a few times. From the day she met to the present, she only slept with him once, and although the impression he left was very... profound, it was only once.

Then, other impressions...

On the night of their first encounter, he looked down at her and said that he could make her the top actress in Hollywood... While filming Pretty Woman, she mentioned Al Pacino's invitation to her to test him, but he simply replied, ‘Go, but don't delay tomorrow's shooting’... In the vanity van, he raised his palm as if to strike her and she felt excited. Then, he opened the door with a crash...

After the success of Pretty Woman, she went to him in an imposing manner, and he reprimanded her while saying, ‘So impatient, what are you going to do’... UTA had assigned her a driver plus bodyguard which she found very cool, so she ran over to show off, but he simply mocked her with his eyes...

It seems that from the beginning, she has been standing at bottom, looking up, while he has remained as unattainable as a god. At the same time, he blocked the sun and covered her in his shadow.

Seeing Julia’s pensive appearance, Elisabeth couldn't help but snapped two fingers in her ear.

"Huh?" Julia was suddenly awakened and looked up at Elisabeth suspiciously.

"Julia, don't you want to change the status quo?"

"How… how can I change it?"

Elisabeth replied, "It's very simple. Interact with him more. I think Eric Williams is not as terrible as you believe. Currently, he is in Venice, free from the pressure of directing a movie. Once you get to know him better, you won’t be that timid in front of him."

Slightly expectant, Julia raised her head and asked, "Will that work?"

"How would you know without trying?" Elisabeth saw that Julia was no longer tense, so she quickly pulled her up and said, "Let's go find him now."

"Wait, I… I think I'd better change my clothes," Julia said, embarrassed.

Elisabeth looked at Julia’s large pink sleeveless t-shirt and jeans and replied while shaking her head, “Forget it, you look beautiful. Besides, it’s already past nine PM, so we might miss him if we take too long.”

After speaking, Elisabeth dragged Julia out of the room.

***

After returning to his room, Eric took a quick shower, changed into simple clothes, turned on the TV and browsed through the channels. Although the hotel had cable signals from several major TV stations in North America, there were no good programs on, and he didn’t even care to look at local TV stations. Finally, he turned it off and picked up the Walden book that Drew had bought for him before he boarded the plane.

Even as a middle-aged man, it was difficult for Eric to read this collection of essays. He tried to read it on the plane before finally getting so tired that he fell asleep. This time, just looking at it made him feel sleepy.

He was about to go to bed when the room’s phone rang. Upon answering it, he learnt from the front desk that someone had come to meet him.

***

"Come in, it's so late, what are you two doing here?" Eric asked the two women casually.

Forgetting Julia who fell behind her, Elisabeth walked around the spacious living room of the suite before she picked up Walden from the coffee table, looked it over, and asked, "Who would’ve thought you like this book, as well."

Eric poured two glasses of juice and handed it to them. Hearing Elisabeth's question, he casually replied, "I don't like it."