The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 221: Knives Out]

West Los Angeles, West Olympic Boulevard.

Hawke lounged in the bedroom of the villa, comfortable enough to not want to move a finger.

With a thud, Megan dropped down onto the soft bed, shifting slightly to rest her head on Hawke's shoulder.

The two of them didn't say a word but fell asleep with their eyes closed.

...

After a long while, Hawke awoke to the sound of his stomach growling and opened his eyes. He noticed Megan was still fast asleep, and without disturbing her, he carefully placed a pillow under her head before getting up to wash his face in the bathroom.

When he returned, Megan was awake.

"I'm going to grab something to eat. Want to join?" Hawke asked.

Megan threw on a robe, "I worked up quite an appetite; let's go."

They made their way to the dining room, where Hawke set out a late-night snack he had prepared earlier. While eating, he mentioned the events of the day, focusing largely on the situation with the Catholic Church and Pat Kingsley.

Megan was unfazed. "I've heard about this kind of news before; it's been suppressed by the parish at any cost."

Hawke bit into a piece of cold roast. "This Saint Beatrice Welfare School is something else; they have their sights set on the children of illegal immigrants."

Megan barely touched her food, grabbing a napkin to wipe her mouth. She brought over her laptop and reached out for a USB drive. "You brought it, right?"

Hawke handed it to her. "Give it a listen."

The USB drive contained not only audio but also video footage secretly filmed by Campos. After watching it, Megan remarked, "Their grip has already reached the illegal immigrant community."

Having finished his meal, Hawke set down his knife and fork. "The church's welfare school provides food and shelter for free. Those kids lack relatives or have relatives who hardly care, so whatever happens, they just have to endure."

Megan continued, "These low costs allow them to exchange help for sizable donations from those charity-minded individuals who need those kids. The church is running this business smarter than Buffett."

Hawke said, "As they come through, do they know they are merely disposable materials once they arrive here in America?"

Megan, a typical American with her views on Latin America, replied, "Maybe they come here because they see no future back home."

This thought brought to mind Campos and Carlos, the former Mexican drug enforcement agents. Staying in Mexico would only bring them death.

Megan pulled out the USB and tucked it away. "I can't make that decision on my own; I need to check with the channel's higher-ups. If it's approved, I'd love to expose them."

Hawke understood her meaning: "Support from Fox is crucial. If Channel 11 doesn't back you, then this whole thing might as well not exist. We can only ensure our own safety to do more."

Megan suddenly smiled. "I'm the deputy director, after all. I have some say in this."

"Let's go, deputy director." Hawke stood and pulled her up. "It's time to start the second half."

Together, they headed to the bedroom.

...

Beverly Hills, Mulholland Drive.

Pat Kingsley rode in a BMW 7 Series, driving up the road towards the massive mansion that Tom Cruise occupied atop a small hill.

The property spread over more than 2.5 acres, and it took several minutes just to drive from the main gate to the front door.

The car stopped in front of the house, and Kingsley got out, glancing at the familiar assistant at the door. "Where's Tommy?"

The assistant smiled slightly. "He's waiting for you in his study."

Kingsley didn't need him to show the way; she grabbed her bag and walked inside, knocking on the study door before entering.

Tom Cruise was tapping away at his laptop keyboard. "Make yourself comfortable," he said.

Kingsley sat directly across from him and coldly asked, "What's so important that it couldn't be said over the phone that I had to come here?"

Tom Cruise flashed a bright smile, enjoying a moment of confrontation. "I mentioned the church, and here you are, so you know what this is about."

Kingsley didn't believe any information would leak; after all, she had been going to Saint Beatrice Church for over a decade with no issues.

Her demeanor remained icy. "Cut the nonsense, Tommy. There's no way we can coexist peacefully. You still don't get it; you started this war!"

Tom Cruise burst out laughing in anger. "I initiated this war? You've smeared my faith through the media, called me gay, and portrayed me as someone who imprisoned Nicole Kidman. Who do you think initiated this conflict?"

Kingsley scoffed, "Because you fired me! No one has ever dared to do that before."

"Hey, wake up! You're not the center of Hollywood, let alone the center of the universe!" Tom Cruise could hardly contain his laughter, irritated by this veteran publicist and entertainment manager. "You know what? Your previous public relations manager and current entertainment manager are essentially here to serve stars, earning contracts for them through service."

He shook his head with a smile. "What are you thinking? That you can turn stars into slaves? Or worse, become the master of stars like me? You think that's possible?"

Their fallout wasn't limited to the Oscars; it was fundamentally a conflict about profit and status.

Kingsley, being a sharp-tongued woman, said, "You say this to mask your cowardice after failing. Nicole Kidman won an Oscar, and you didn't. You're embarrassed; you feel inferior to your ex-wife and see yourself as a failure, yet you can't even admit it. Instead, you blame it all on me."

Her words struck like a sword digging into Tom Cruise's heart, freezing the smile on his face.

Without hesitation, Tom Cruise shot back.

He hit the spacebar on his laptop, and a previously opened audio file began to play.

Kingsley heard her own voice in the audio and fought to keep herself from smashing the laptop in rage.

The words she had spoken just that day were fresh in her memory. Still, it was just sound.

Tom Cruise raised a finger, reminding her, "Listen before you talk."

Kingsley sat still, saying nothing and making no movements.

The sounds of a boy calling her grandmother, trading chocolate, and those unspeakable utterances that followed...

All of it was eerily similar to what had happened that day at Saint Beatrice.

From the start of the audio to its end, Kingsley remained silent even after Tom Cruise stopped it.

His earlier smile returned. "We've known each other for twenty years, haven't we? It's hard to believe that the always-tough and upright Kingsley has such a hidden side."

Kingsley smirked dismissively. "Ridiculous. You slaved away just to catch me talking about funding orphans. Quite a feat for you."

Tom Cruise responded, "Apparently, talking about funding orphans is something you want to highlight in a way that gets people to bite on those things. Fascinating."

Kingsley's expression didn't change. "Just a joke."

"Not a funny one." Tom Cruise thought of what Hawke said and used this card. "Just so you know, since the Oscars, I've had people keeping an eye on you; what I've obtained is more than just audio; there are also videos."

He let out a chilling laugh. "You think the church is some safe haven? Many low-level priests and welfare school teachers are also eager for money."

Hearing the mention of videos made Kingsley's complexion change at last.

She didn't believe they could have filmed anything. Still, she didn't trust that priests or teachers could resist the temptation of Tom Cruise's money.

Unable to contain herself, she shouted, "You can't possibly have video!"

Tom Cruise merely chuckled lightly, not feeling the need to respond.

At last, Kingsley couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "What do you want?"

Tom Cruise grasped the initiative, not needing to make specific demands. "You know what I want you to do."

Although the man across from her hadn't made any threatening statements, Kingsley was unwilling to gamble; her losing would mean more than just her downfall.

Without her protection and connections, her husband and children's careers would be severely affected.

After a moment of hesitation, Kingsley said directly, "I will halt all work related to you; from now on, we'll be strangers, and none of us will interfere with the other."

Tom Cruise didn't wish to force things to a breaking point either, merely reminding her, "Don't forget about Nicole Kidman."

Kingsley paused thoughtfully and replied with a nod, "Okay, I'll handle Nicole Kidman."

Tom Cruise clapped his hands. "See? We easily found common ground despite our disagreements."

Kingsley stood up, "Hold on to what you have. If it leaks, I'll show you the madness of an older woman."

Tom Cruise spread his hands. "Mind your tone; I'm afraid of sending the wrong email by mistake."

Kingsley swallowed her frustration and said, "Sorry, my voice just got a bit loud."

She opened the door to the study and left the mansion without looking back.

...

Once she was in her BMW, Pat Kingsley finally took a breath and realized she couldn't be the only one feeling uncomfortable.

Pulling out her phone, she dialed Nicole Kidman's number and said, "It's me. Urgent matter; find a good place to take this call."

Nicole Kidman quickly responded, "Go ahead."

Kingsley stated plainly, "Starting tonight, try not to mention Tom Cruise in any situation. All those plans we set before are now null and void."

Confused, Nicole Kidman remarked, "Our plans have been going quite successfully; they've garnered significant attention."

Kingsley casually listed a few reasons, "Times are different; plans have changed. You're the Oscar-winning actress now, having successfully established an independent female identity. Bringing up Tom Cruise too often will make people frequently recall your past, which could affect your new persona."

She elaborated further, "The Church of Scientology has immense power; you know that better than I do. The smear campaign against Tom Cruise that we triggered is starting to spiral out of control. The Church is becoming the damaged party. Just think of Sharon Tate; do you want to be the second one?"

Nicole Kidman recalled the former Hollywood star, the ex-wife of Roman Polanski, who had been cut open by a fanatic, and quickly replied, "I'll listen to you; I'll avoid mentioning Tom Cruise as much as possible."

*****

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