Martin felt not the slightest sympathy for the death of bullies.
Of course, he had no sympathy too for Nathaniel, who had turned against those bullies—after all, that guy had went after Elizabeth.
Maybe Nathaniel hadn't meant any harm, but Martin wasn't interested in hearing any explanations, especially since the guy had tried shooting him back then.
So, Martin had no feelings of guilt of using him as a promotional tool on Wanted.
After the news broke of Martin's interview at the gate of Tuckers High School—
The film Wanted became etched in the minds of countless North American movie fans.
By this point, Martin had already led the film crew to Prague to shoot the scenes set in a textile factory.
…
As the capital of the landlocked Central European country of the Czech Republic,
Prague was hailed as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
This city, located in the western Bohemia region of mainland Europe, was bisected by the winding Vltava River. The old city, filled with ancient architecture featuring spires or domes, preserved an array of classical styles—Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, even Renaissance. The rooftops and architecture were incredibly colorful and visually striking (red tiles and yellow walls), earning Prague nicknames like "City of a Thousand Spires" and "Golden Prague."
It was also the first city in the world to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in its entirety.
The last time Martin had only passed through briefly, but now he finally had time to properly enjoy the city.
As a Incubus with top-tier aesthetic taste, even he was deeply captivated upon entering Prague—it was genuinely breathtaking.
And as for the rest of the film crew, their excitement was even more obvious.
"Wow! This place is absolutely beautiful—perfect for a vacation!"
"Look at those rooftops! They look like they're straight out of the Middle Ages!"
"The sky is so blue, and that river—Is that the Vltava?"
"I heard there are tons of hot springs here!"
On the bus, the crew buzzed with excitement, as if they were on a sightseeing tour instead of a work trip.
"There are hot springs, huh?" Jessica leaned in and whispered in Martin's ear.
"So... what do you want to do?" Martin teased.
"Hehehe," Jessica gave a mischievous grin. "I want you to serve your Queen in the bath."
"As you command."
The Czech Republic was a small country.
Even its capital, Prague, wasn't exactly a sprawling metropolis.
It took the crew less than forty minutes to get from the airport to their hotel in the city center by bus.
Afterward, producer Carmelo discussed with Martin and announced that the crew would get a day off.
To be honest, Wanted probably had one of the least powerful producers in all of Hollywood.
Even in a "producer-centered" system like Hollywood's—where producers often wield more power than directors—this film was an exception.
Because the lead actor was Martin.
Carmelo had basically become a glorified assistant and messenger.
But he didn't mind. Being in such close contact with the big boss? If he made a good impression, he could climb the ladder later.
The moment the crew heard they had a half-day off, they cheered and quickly split into groups for their own plans—some went bar-hopping, some went shopping, some went sightseeing around the old city.
Jessica also dragged Martin out the door.
"I heard there are all kinds of hot spring inns here!"
"I heard the beer and roast duck are incredible!"
"I heard there's a huge astronomical clock on the old town hall that's super cool!"
Jessica chirped nonstop like an excited little magpie.
Martin nodded with a smile, seemingly listening, though perhaps not—who knew?
"You're heading to the old town hall?"
A voice came from nearby. Martin, a little dazed, turned his head.
The first thing he saw was a magnificent... boobs.
His gaze shifted upward to a naturally beautiful face framed by a pair of striking pale-blue eyes.
Alexandra Daddario.
That face was instantly recognizable—oh, and those too.
Of course, at this point in time, Alexandra Daddario wasn't famous yet. Although she had already entered the entertainment industry, her roles had been minor—a bit part in the TV show All My Children and a few supporting roles in indie films.
Her breakout wouldn't come until 2010, when she starred as Annabeth in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, adapted from the children's novel Percy Jackson.
She was a year younger than Martin but curvier than Jessica.
In Other Martin's memories, "that guy" had once beat his meat toward this girl in a movie.
Martin smiled and looked at her.
From her gaze, it was clear she recognized him.
But the girl was pretending not to, and focused on chatting with Jessica instead.
Martin found it amusing—if you're going to act like you don't know me, at least stop sneaking sideways glances every few seconds!
Still, he didn't expose her little game. A skilled hunter often appears as just another prey.
He was more than happy to spend time playing with this little kitten.
"Yeah, we're planning to check it out. I heard the astronomical clock is really fascinating."
"It truly is," Alexandra replied. "It's one of Prague's most famous attractions. That spot draws a crowd every single day."
"Really? What makes it so interesting?" Jessica asked. "Why does everyone gather there? Do you know?"
"A bit," Alexandra answered. "Apparently, every hour, two little puppets come out and ring the bell. Then, two windows open on the clock, and statues of the twelve apostles of Jesus slowly pass by the windows one by one, accompanied by the chime of a bell."
Alexandra was a strong speaker, her words logical and organized. She spoke with animated gestures—which, in turn, made her boobs bounce as well.
Martin was completely entranced.
Noticing his look from the corner of her eye, Alexandra's cheeks flushed slightly, though she couldn't help feeling a small sense of pride.
Because her career hadn't been going well, Alexandra had come to Prague to clear her mind.
She chose this city because her great-grandmother had been Slovak.
(She was of mixed—Italian, Irish, English, and Slovak descent)
She wanted to visit the city her great-grandmother had once lived in.
...
After checking into the hotel, Alexandra got a phone call from her manager.
The voice on the other end was her agent, angrily said: "Alexandra, you can't keep passing up these opportunities. Fine, maybe it was forgivable that you refused to go 'discuss the script' in that TV director's room last time—but this time it's Carla Williams! She's way more powerful! She's got two films in development and tons of connections. She even specifically asked for you! Clearly, she likes you. And she's a woman—so what's the harm? Just spend one night with her!"
Alexandra snapped: "No. It's disgusting. I don't want to."
The manager pleaded: "Come on, this is Hollywood. If you're not willing to pay the price, you don't get the opportunity—unless your dad is Spielberg. Otherwise, next time I'll try to set you up with someone younger and hotter. I get it, first time and all—you want to pick someone easy on the eyes!"
Alexandra: "No! That's not even the main reason—well, okay, it's one of the reasons. But the biggest reason is, I don't want to get ahead that way!"
Manager: "Then it's going to be very hard for you to make it."
Alexandra: "I'll take my chances."
Manager: "Fine, fine. Do what you want. I do know your dad, after all. We'll take it slow."