After Twain ended the press conference when the game ended, he did not immediately get on the team bus. Instead, he went to send off Gloria and her crew.
Gloria mentioned the atmosphere of the match, which Twain felt was normal. “Almost every home game is like this,” he said. “As long as we win the game, it will be like this. What you just saw was no exaggeration. As for the reason… I think it probably has something to do with the Nottingham Forest fans being suppressed for too long. For a team who had been the defending champion of the Champions League twenty-five years ago to struggling in the lower level league, the psychological gap between their ideals and reality grew over time. Now, they’ve just found a way to vent.”
Gloria was satisfied with his answer. She smiled and said, “I suddenly understand why you hold such a high status in their minds.”
Twain shrugged and disagreed. “Any manager who can bring victory to his supporters will have that status. The rules of the world are simple: the winner rules.”
Gloria flicked her golden hair and extended her hand to Twain again. “We’re on the flight tonight, but now I’m a little reluctant to leave Nottingham. Our time together has been very short, but I want to thank you for working with us. Before I came here, a friend of mine in the media was kind enough to remind me that Tony Twain is a very difficult person to get along with. But from the moment I called you, I thought he was wrong. You’re easier to get along with than anyone.”
“Thank you very much, Miss Gloria.” Twain also extended his hand. “It’s been a pleasure working with you too.”
After they shook hands, Gloria took out a business card from her bag and handed it to Twain. “This is my contact number. I think we’ll stay in touch often in the future, Mr. Twain.”
Twain patted his pocket. “I’m sorry I don’t have a business card on me to give to you, Miss Gloria. I always forget to make my business cards. But you must have my cell number.”
“Of course.” Gloria laughed. “I’ll be in Milan too when your team is playing there. It’s the last part of the filming plan. Try not to lose, Mr. Twain. That would not make a perfect show.”
The two said their goodbyes in the noisy City Ground stadium.
Clarice Gloria and her colleagues left the United Kingdom.
And Twain went on with his life.
Other than some people on the team who were not used to not having a blonde woman standing on the sidelines, there was no difference from the usual.
It was just an ordinary interview, but some people did not see it that way.
※※※
Twain suddenly discovered that he had become the focus of media attention overnight. This time, he was under the limelight not because of a victory or defeat. It was because of his private life.
When Twain was asked by a reporter at the team’s regular Wednesday press conference, “Mr. Twain, may I ask- what’s the relationship between you and Clarice Gloria?” he realized that the story between him and Gloria was not done yet.
The reporter who asked the question had the latest edition of The Sun, which was full of photographs and very little descriptive text.
Though it was not in front of him, Twain could still recognize that it was a series of photographs of him and Gloria out having dinner.
There was a photograph of the two of them in front of the restaurant, holding their hands out to wait for a cab. A bunch of photographs of them at the hotel entrance saying goodbye to each other, and even one in which Gloria put her hand on his lips.
Twain was suddenly reminded that he lived in the United Kingdom, with the most developed media and the most rampant paparazzi.
“What do you say our relationship is, Mr. Reporter?” Twain calmly asked in response.
Ever since The Sun had vilified Twain for bringing Shania to Spain and other despicable acts, he had not read that newspaper. He also never accepted any interviews from The Sun, and The Sun reporters would not even appear in such routine press conferences. But the influence of the United Kingdom’s biggest tabloid on him was still everywhere.
It looked like he had been unknowingly followed by someone. That enraged Twain. He was trying to suppress his anger. Twain liked to be famous, but he liked to be in control of his fame. He did not like to publicize his private life. In that case, how was it any different from a reality television show? But now, without his knowledge of the situation, he was secretly photographed, which was worse than a reality television show. This was almost like “The Truman Show!”
He was kept in the dark and subjected to the viewers’ wanton commentary!
He found it intolerable.
This reporter was not a novice. He was able to see that Twain was angry, but he still wanted to deliberately provoke him. How could there be news if Twain was not incensed?
“I don’t know either. That’s why I’m here to ask you, Mr. Twain.”
Twain interrupted his words. “Did you just say, ‘here to ask’? Very well. This is the team’s regular weekly press conference, and I will answer any questions about the team. The relationship between me and Miss Gloria? What’s that got to do with Nottingham Forest? If you want to know what my relationship with Miss Gloria is, you can call my agent. Forgive me, I’m not here to answer that type of question.”
The reporter in question was confused. Since when did Twain have an agent? There was no news that Tony Twain had an agent. “But, Mr. Twain, you don’t have an agent.”
“That’s correct,” Twain said gruffly.
“But you said—”
“What I meant is that you shouldn’t even ask me that at all!” Twain was finally unable to suppress his anger and roared, “You go ask The Sun! Go and ask the son of a b**ch reporter who followed me all the way while he took my photos! If I said there was not a damn thing between Gloria and I, would you believe me? Are you going to honestly publish my words as they are in the press? Do you think I don’t know what you want to hear? If I don’t admit it, you’ll say I’m hiding something! You already have the answers in your heads, so why do you still have to ask?”
Twain got angrier as he spoke. At this point, he simply stood up.
“That’s it for today.” He even swore under his breath while he was leaving.
Looking at the back view of Twain leaving in a rage, a few of the reporters hooted excitedly. The press conference had just started, and the first question to be put forward was that. Everyone wanted to know about the relationship between Twain and Gloria. Not many people cared about the team.
Pierce Brosnan sat in his seat and looked at his excited peers around him, feeling somewhat awkward. He knew that he could not call Twain for at least another week. If he did not want to be implicated, he’d better not do anything for the moment.
He had a peculiar relationship with Twain. On the one hand, they could be friends. On the other, because of his special status as a reporter, Twain would sometimes take it out on him. He was helpless about it. He could not give up his job to get Twain to like him, just like he detested behaving like a paparazzo just so that he could cater to his readers.
However…
Brosnan looked down at the newspaper in his hand. It was the same newspaper that was in the hands of the reporter who had asked the question. It was the latest edition of The Sun, which featured the series of photographs that had angered Twain. Looking at the photograph in which Gloria had made that intimate gesture, Brosnan sneered.
I also want to know what your relationship with her is, Tony.