Chapter 220: More Familiar with His Son
"You're leaving already?"
On the hotel bed, Elizabeth Hurley lay in disheveled sheets, watching as Aaron Anderson finished buttoning his shirt.
Aaron leaned down and kissed her deeply, his hand trailing over her curves.
"The party's not over yet," he murmured. "I should at least show my face. Once you wrap filming on Forrest Gump, come find me."
He had stayed in Elizabeth's room for nearly an hour before returning to the celebration downstairs. She, on the other hand, chose to remain behind and rest. By then, the once-crowded ballroom had already thinned—several guests slipping away in pairs.
As Aaron prepared to leave the hotel with Sophie Marceau, he noticed Hugh Grant climbing into a car with a young woman wrapped around his arm.
"Looks like men are all the same," Sophie remarked lightly. "When we were filming Four Weddings and a Funeral in London, he was constantly wandering through bars."
Aaron chuckled. "My dear, I'm not exactly a regular at bars."
"You?" Sophie pinched his thigh playfully. "I never imagined you'd back someone from France. Christiana, was it? Christiana Reali?"
Aaron intertwined his fingers with hers. "She's my assistant."
Sophie smiled knowingly as she slipped into the back seat of the car, Aaron following close behind.
"Yes," she said softly, "a very beautiful assistant."
Aaron offered no reply. Christiana Reali had already left for Brazil, busy establishing a modeling agency focused on the South American market.
The entertainment industry was like this—relationships blurred, loyalties shifted, and everyone understood more than they admitted.
Some things were simply left unsaid.
He simply ran his hand along her thigh before pulling her close and kissing her deeply.
Sophie Marceau responded with equal passion, her fingers already tugging at his zipper.
By the time they returned to the villa in Mandeville Canyon, Beverly Hills, they headed straight for the bathroom…
---
At the end of July, the 2nd annual MTV Movie Awards were held in Los Angeles. Organized by MTV, the ceremony differed from traditional academy awards: winners were chosen by audience votes rather than industry insiders. Highly commercial and youth-oriented, the event earned its nickname — the "Golden Popcorn Awards."
Tom Cruise and Jodie Foster's courtroom drama A Few Good Men won Best Movie.
Denzel Washington took Best Male Performance for Malcolm X.
Christian Slater won Most Desirable Male for Untamed Heart.
Sharon Stone earned Most Desirable Female for Basic Instinct.
Kevin Costner's The Bodyguard won Best European Movie.
And Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater shared Best Kiss for Untamed Heart.
Compared with more industry-driven ceremonies like the Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy & Horror Films's Saturn Awards or the Independent Spirit Awards, the MTV Movie Awards leaned heavily toward teen audiences and commercial appeal.
At twenty-nine, Marisa Tomei had just won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress earlier that year for My Cousin Vinny — her star was rising fast.
At the time, the three most profitable cable television networks in the United States were:
MTV (entertainment),
ESPN (sports),
and CNN (news).
MTV belonged to Viacom.
ESPN was owned by Capital Cities/ABC and Hearst Communications.
CNN was under the umbrella of Turner Broadcasting System.
Meanwhile, Aaron's Dawnlight Pictures had its eye on AMC, a cable network under Rainbow Media, itself part of the Dolan family's Cablevision empire.
---
New York — The Plaza Hotel, Manhattan
Aaron Anderson sat across from Charles Dolan, the 67-year-old founder of Cablevision and the man who had also launched the legendary HBO.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Dolan."
"Good afternoon, Aaron."
Charles Dolan sighed inwardly. His younger son, James Dolan, now thirty-seven, had achieved little beyond indulgence — alcohol, gambling, drugs. Recently, Charles had reluctantly sent him to rehab.
"Aaron, do you truly intend to acquire AMC?"
Aaron nodded calmly. "$120 million in cash, plus assuming $80 million in AMC's debt. That's a sincere offer."
Dolan tapped his knee thoughtfully. AMC had existed for less than a decade. It had no original programming division and relied primarily on licensed films.
"Perhaps," Dolan suggested, "there's a more balanced solution."
Aaron sipped his wine. "I'm listening."
"AMC could sell fifty percent of its shares to Dawnlight Pictures — along with full content production rights. Cablevision would continue operating AMC, handling distribution and broadcasting."
Aaron smiled — then shook his head.
"AMC doesn't even have a production arm worth mentioning. And even if it did, could it rival Dawnlight?"
"If CVC continues running AMC, does that mean Dawnlight's film distribution to television networks would also fall under CVC?"
Dolan's proposal was transparent: leverage Dawnlight's content library to revive AMC while retaining operational control.
"Mr. Dolan," Aaron replied evenly, "Dawnlight wants a platform — not a passenger seat."
"AMC fits our criteria, but it isn't our only option."
In truth, Aaron could easily acquire a regional cable network first, then consolidate smaller stations over time. With Dawnlight's film slate, subscriber growth would follow naturally.
Dolan persisted. "Joint ownership would accelerate AMC's growth. Our other Cablevision assets could help boost ratings."
Aaron leaned forward slightly.
"Dawnlight will hold at least 51 percent — and we will manage AMC. Cablevision can assist operationally, but control must rest with us."
The negotiation had only just begun.