From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

A silence descended.

The entire screening room was devoid of any sound; everyone was stunned, even their breathing seemed to have been cut off.

No one had anticipated Frank Jr.'s decision to marry Brenda, and even fewer had foreseen that Frank Jr. would reveal all his secrets to a stranger he had just met, causing all his previous crimes and escapes to be in vain.

In that moment, it was difficult to discern one's own emotions—

Shock?

Astonishment?

Relief?

Or… bitterness and唏嘘, revealing a trace of sadness?

Various emotions surged and erupted.

"I… I am nothing."

Frank Jr. tried hard to remain calm, but his slightly trembling voice still betrayed the fear and fragility within; his deep blue eyes seemed to reflect the faint light flickering gently.

He shed his disguises layer by layer, revealing his most authentic self without reservation.

Then.

Frank Jr. raised his eyes to look at the man before him, without pretense, without scheming, without calculation, showing his sincerity, clear and bright.

"I am just a kid who fell in love with your daughter."

The man before him stared into Frank Jr.'s eyes, expressionless, displaying the lawyer's composure and sharpness, and gently shook his head.

"Do you know what you are?"

Hearts stopped beating.

"You are a romantic."

Huh.

Wait, what?

To the astonishment of the entire audience, the stern man revealed a smile, his eyes filled with gratification.

"Without the women we love, men like us are nothing.

I must admit, I've had such foolish and strange notions myself."

"After dating Carol five times, I proposed.

Empty pockets, penniless, because I knew she was the one."

He heavily patted Frank Jr.'s shoulder, not concealing his admiration.

Frank Jr. had escaped another calamity.

However, Melvin fell into brief confusion—

Were those words a carefully woven lie by Frank Jr. to escape this predicament, or were they some of Frank Jr.'s rare, heartfelt thoughts?

For a brief moment, Melvin believed it was the latter.

Just like Frank Jr.'s phone call to Carl on Christmas Eve, he was lonely, confused, and lost; no amount of money or parties could fill his emptiness.

He craved sincerity.

He longed for a true self, he longed to build a family, he longed to say goodbye to the days of constantly lying and running away and truly settle down—

He truly fell in love with Brenda, the girl who was like a moth drawn to a flame for love.

Saying he would marry Brenda was genuine; the words he said to Brenda's father were also genuine.

For a fleeting moment, one could see Frank Jr.'s shoulders relax, the burdens and responsibilities weighing heavily on his shoulders finally lifted, he had finally found a haven to settle down, bid farewell to his life of crime, get on the right track, and firmly grasp the life he wanted.

At least, that's what Melvin believed.

However.

It only lasted for a brief moment, and Melvin couldn't help but become vigilant again—

Can Frank Jr.'s words really be trusted?

It wasn't paranoia, but Frank Jr. was a habitual liar, blurring the lines between truth and falsehood, and even his sincerity was inevitably mixed with falsehood.

Thoughts swayed back and forth in his mind.

At this moment, Melvin could finally understand Frank Jr.'s loneliness; perhaps it was because of this that, time and time again, he fell into such predicaments.

Frank Jr. was finally tired, so he wanted to return to the right path, return to his family, return to reality, and start a new life relying on his own abilities in a down-to-earth manner.

In fact, Frank Jr. was doing just that.

On one hand, he prepared for his wedding with Brenda.

On the other hand, Frank Jr. took the Louisiana bar exam.

December 26, 1969, on a flight from Paris to New York.

The scene shifts, returning to the present.

Carl and Frank Jr. were on the plane, and Carl finally couldn't help but ask, "Frank, do you know what I've never understood?"

"How did you cheat to pass the bar exam?"

Melvin's eyes lit up: he was also curious about this question.

Just as he was curious about whether Frank Jr.'s words and actions were lies or the truth, whether Frank Jr. had truly bid farewell to his life of crime and returned to life in a down-to-earth manner, what about the bar exam?

Frank Jr. didn't understand, "Why? What's the difference?"

Carl persisted, "Someone took the exam for you, right?"

Frank Jr., "Carl, I'm going to be locked up in prison for a long time, seriously, what difference does it make?"

Carl was a little depressed, "It's just a simple question."

Frank Jr., "Do you want to eat that éclair?"

Carl moved the éclair in front of him away stingily, "Yeah, I'm saving it for later."

Frank Jr., "Would you be willing to share some with me?"

Carl looked straight ahead.

Frank Jr., "If you give me half, I'll tell you."

Carl opened the box of éclairs, deliberately watching Frank Jr. stuff one into his mouth, chewing with a look of enjoyment.

Pfft.

A low chuckle rippled through the screening room.

It was these little humorous scenes that kept the movie lighthearted, even though it was a crime story, a sad story, it was able to captivate the audience and draw them completely into the story.

Frank Jr. was serious—

About settling down.

Brenda Strong, this was the girl he wanted to marry.

Because Brenda loved him, and he loved Brenda; also because the Strongs had a happy and fulfilling marriage, even now they were still in love.

Whenever Frank Jr. saw the Strongs' daily life, his eyes were filled with the shadow of his own parents, and those feelings of envy and nostalgia didn't lie.

Frank Jr. lived seriously, like never before.

Not just about his own life, but also about his parents' lives.

When he learned that his father's tax problems had finally been resolved, and his father was even preparing to sue the IRS to launch a counterattack, Frank Jr. handed his engagement invitation to his father and prepared to invite his mother, hoping that his parents could use his engagement banquet to reconcile.

It wasn't until this point that Frank Jr. learned, through his father, that his mother had remarried.

It was also at this time that Frank Jr. learned that the FBI had found his father.

The FBI wouldn't let it go.

Frank Jr. fell into confusion, and his conversation with his father completely disrupted his thoughts; his father said his part, but he was still shocked by the fact that his mother had remarried.

This plunged Frank Jr. into despair, and he prepared to leave, but returned because of his father's words.

"Come over, sit down, let's have a drink.

I am your father."

In one swift step, Frank Jr. supported himself on the table with his left hand, looking down at his father.

"Then order me to stop."