### Chapter 242: Monica Bellucci

After filming in Switzerland for two weeks, the crew moved to Paris for the next scenes. According to the address on his passport, Bourne went to an apartment in Paris to look for clues about his true identity, while the CIA, hot on his trail, followed him to Paris.

Bourne had been sent to do some dirty work, but the mission failed. If the truth came out, it would affect the career of the person in charge of Operation Treadstone, so they decided to eliminate Bourne.

"I’m not making this up, it’s all true," Bourne said, pulling out a stack of passports and placing them on the table.

"Alright," Marie said, glancing at him.

"Whose safety deposit box would be filled with money, six passports, and a gun?" Bourne said, exasperated. "And who would hide a bank account number on their back? The first thing I did when I entered the restaurant was to scan the surroundings and look for the exits."

"I noticed the exit signs too, but I never worry about that. I mean, you were shot at, and when someone is scared, they do all kinds of strange things," Marie said comfortingly.

Bourne looked around and said softly, "I can tell you the license plate numbers of the six cars outside. I can tell you the waitress is left-handed, the guy sitting at the counter weighs 215 pounds, and he isn’t drunk yet."

Bourne exhaled, "I also know where you can find a gun nearby—in the gray truck outside, in the driver’s seat. At this altitude, I can sprint a kilometer without my hands shaking. Why do I know all this? How can I know all this and not know who I am?"

"Cut! That's a wrap!" Director Lehmann shouted.

Richard smiled, "After a month of filming, this is the first scene we got in one take. It’s not easy!"

"Haha, congratulations!" Franka clinked her coffee cup with his.

"Thanks!" Richard smiled, just as his assistant Anna approached.

"Richard, Gisele has arrived in New York. She just sent a message."

"Got it."

Richard took the phone, glanced at the message, and called Gisele to chat for a bit. She had stayed with him for a week before returning to her busy schedule in New York, where she was working on launching her personal brand.

"You two have a great relationship!" Franka commented as Richard hung up.

"It’s alright. Gisele is very outgoing and casual in her speech. After being together for so long, we’ve become even more relaxed with each other," Richard shrugged.

"That’s a good way to communicate. Who made the first move between you two?" Franka asked curiously.

"I did. At first, she didn’t agree because she thought dating would interfere with her work. Haha, she had just arrived in New York and was focused on making a living and establishing herself. I had just started my professional boxing career, and my work wasn’t stable. I pursued her for over three months and promised it wouldn’t affect her work before she finally agreed to date me," Richard said with a smile.

"As a woman, I really envy Gisele. Whether it’s in her career or her love life, she’s a huge winner," Franka said, resting her cheek on her hand, somewhat melancholic.

Richard smiled, thinking about asking her about her own love life. Franka had previously been in a relationship with Tom Tykwer, the director of "Run Lola Run," but he wasn’t sure about her current situation, so he decided not to bring it up.

"Richard, Franka, get ready!" the assistant director called out.

"Okay!"

The two prepared for their next scene.

After a day of filming, they wrapped up around 5:30 PM.

Richard returned to his hotel, changed into workout gear, and headed to a nearby boxing gym at the local sports center for training.

To help him train better, Andy had sent over his coaching team along with two heavyweight sparring partners, Albert and Owen.

Both were newcomers signed by Star Sports. They were of average skill but had good physical attributes.

Albert was twenty-eight, fast, and technically sound. Owen, on the other hand, was a 6'8", 263-pound muscular Black man with rough techniques but exceptional endurance, making him a challenging opponent.

Richard started each session with two hours of speed and strength training before sparring with the two for over an hour. He felt he was making some progress.

"Richard, a seven-match tour, one match a week, will put a lot of strain on your stamina. You need to ramp up your endurance training," Coach Wesley suggested.

"Okay, you can add an endurance training regimen for me," Richard said, wiping sweat off his face.

"But you’re filming every day. Can you handle additional endurance training?" the coach asked, hesitantly.

"Haha, no problem. Filming combined with training is already a test of endurance. Adding a bit more won’t hurt."

Even though he was exhausted every day, with sore muscles and a body that felt like a rock, a good night’s sleep was all he needed to be full of energy the next day.

That was one of his secret weapons—his exceptional recovery ability.

"Alright! We’re planning to assign you a nutritionist and a massage therapist to help you recover during filming," the coach said.

"A nutritionist is fine, but forget the massage therapist. I’m here to work, not to live in luxury. It wouldn’t look good. Wesley, don’t worry about my body. I’ll keep pushing through."

Richard pounded the punching bag with powerful strikes.

Seeing this, Coach Wesley said nothing more. Richard’s extraordinary physical condition was no secret in the boxing world.

---

It was a little after 8 PM when Richard returned to the Hilton Hotel after finishing his training.

Located next to the Paris Opera House, this place was more comfortable to stay in, allowing him to rest better and making it convenient to get to the film set.

"Hello!"

Entering the hotel elevator, he greeted the people inside in French and then stood on the other side, closing his eyes to rest.

"Hello!"

Two more people entered the elevator. The first was a voluptuous woman wearing large sunglasses and a tight dress that accentuated her hourglass figure, followed by her assistant.

Richard glanced at her and found her somewhat familiar. The woman also looked over at him, scanning him up and down.

"Hello, Ms. Bellucci!" Richard tipped his hat and greeted her in French.

This woman was none other than Monica Bellucci, the Italian actress who had gained worldwide fame last year with "Malèna." Her husband, Vincent Cassel, is a famous French actor.

"Hello, are you Mr. Brad?!" Monica Bellucci asked in surprise.

"Yes!" Richard smiled slightly. He had just finished working out and was dressed in yellow sportswear, with headphones around his neck and a baseball cap on his head, giving off a bit of a hip-hop vibe—quite different from his usual image in the media.

Monica Bellucci smiled and stood next to him, the air now filled with a rich, fragrant scent.

Ding~

The elevator ascended a few floors, and people gradually left, leaving only Monica and her assistant.

"Richard, are you here for a competition? I heard there’s a tour event in Paris," Monica Bellucci asked after removing her sunglasses.

"There is one, but it's in October. Right now, I’m here for a movie shoot, filming on Mont Street," Richard explained.

"Oh, I’ve heard about it—'The Bourne Identity,' a big production."

Monica brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her chest heaving.

Richard kept his gaze forward. "What about you?"

"I’m also here for a movie, an art film called 'Irreversible,'" Monica replied with a smile.

"It must be a great film; your movies are always fantastic," Richard nodded in agreement. This woman was quite bold and never minded nudity in her films, such as in "The Difficult Stepmother," "The Affair," "Roman New Year," and "Love and Freedom."

Most of her films involved full or partial nudity, offering plenty of eye candy.

Richard didn’t particularly enjoy watching them, but Anthony did, so he had glanced at a few.

"Richard, which of my movies is your favorite?" Monica asked with a wink and a smile.

"'Malèna.' It’s a classic film, one that can be included in global film history."

"Haha, your movies are great too. Your performance in 'Fast & Furious' was very cool," Monica said with a laugh.

"Thank you!" Richard smiled. "Fast & Furious" was a commercial film, lacking in artistic value and not enough to be considered a classic, so it typically wouldn't catch the eye of film critics or be considered a representative work.

However, he thought about it again—apart from "The Martian" and "Fast & Furious," he didn’t have many other noteworthy works. "Dangerous Game X" was mediocre, "Miss Congeniality" starred Sandra, and he wasn’t the lead in other films.

Realizing this, Richard felt the need to work harder, to make more classic films and strive to win a film award. Otherwise, he’d be embarrassed to call himself an actor.

"Richard, how long will you be shooting in Paris?" Monica asked.

"About four to five more weeks," Richard replied after thinking for a moment. This movie was quite complicated, with filming locations spread across five countries: the United States, Switzerland, France, Germany, and Italy.

Monica nodded slightly and glanced at the elevator display. They had reached the 17th floor.

"Should we exchange contact information?" Monica smiled.

"Sure!"

They exchanged phone numbers.

The elevator doors opened, and Monica put on her sunglasses, swaying her sexy hips as she left the elevator. Richard watched the doors slowly close, but something strange seemed to be wriggling in front of his eyes.

Richard shook his head. Women are indeed the greatest enemies of boxers, and this one in front of him was a particularly formidable enemy.

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(End of chapter)