The Wolf of Los Angeles

Chapter 52: Publicity Heat

Morning in the studio, Hawk descended from the upstairs room, having changed out of his workout clothes. Edward came in carrying a stack of newspapers, about to shut the door when a large foot jammed it open.

Frank, shameless as ever, walked in. "Once you’re done, I’m taking the papers."

Edward, annoyed, held his ground. "Have some decency, you old beggar. Coming straight into someone’s home to scavenge? Watch it, or I’ll call the cops."

Frank smirked. "What’s the matter? Was the cotton for this paper grown by your ancestors?"

Edward switched tactics, delivering a verbal uppercut. "Don’t let me find out who your ex-wife is with her kid. Because if I do…" His gleaming white teeth flashed in a menacing grin.

Frank felt his blood pressure spike.

Hawk, now holding the papers Edward handed over, focused on flipping through the entertainment section.

Nearly every paper featured prominent coverage of Dwayne Johnson’s story:

"A True Hero: The Rock!"

"On-Screen and Off, Dwayne Johnson Proves to Be a Hero."

Frank leaned over Hawk’s shoulder, skimming the articles. "This have anything to do with you?"

Hawk deflected smoothly. "I got the footage through my network."

"Sure you weren’t scammed?" Frank grabbed a paper, reading it more carefully. His brows furrowed. "This seems too perfectly timed. His movie The Scorpion King is about to premiere, and here he is, saving the day?"

"It’s all real," Hawk replied, placing the entertainment headlines into a file with previous clippings. "I sold the video to Channel 11 last night. Midnight Entertainment aired it as the top story."

Frank, unimpressed, grunted, "Congrats on another paycheck. How about celebrating?"

Hawk, knowing the freeloader’s intent, shot back, "Sure, invite your ex-wives over. We’ll throw a big party."

Unfazed, Frank quipped, "Let’s plan for the weekend. In front of my trailer, we’ll host a bash. Bring your girlfriends."

Edward seized the opportunity. "Tell me your ex-wives’ names—I’ll bring them for you."

Frank ignored him entirely.

Hawk checked the time and announced, "Time for work." He clapped Frank on the shoulder and handed him a broken ashtray. "Here. Get to work. Set this on the street." ɌἈŊộВЕⱾ

Frank snorted, accepted the ashtray and newspapers, and ambled to the sidewalk. He set up his makeshift "booth," plopped down, and waited for alms.

Edward, not missing a chance to rub salt in, dropped a dime into the ashtray. "Don’t mention it."

"Thanks," Frank said sarcastically.

Hawk chuckled. "You two are a comedy act."

Hawk and Edward drove to Beverly Hills and arrived at William Morris to see Dwayne being mobbed by reporters in the parking lot. Caroline stood nearby, watching the scene unfold from beside her Mercedes.

She waved at Hawk as he approached. "What’s the buzz like?" he asked.

Caroline lightly tapped her high heel on the pavement. "Twelve outlets showed up, including The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, Variety, and People."

Her tone shifted sarcastically. "Proper entertainment media—not the likes of National Enquirer or other bathroom rags."

Hawk caught the dig and retorted, "So you use those rags in the bathroom? Impressive. Not worried about chafing?"

Caroline ignored him, tilting her chin and standing tall in her blush Chanel suit, resembling a flamingo.

The media frenzy had exploded after Midnight Entertainment’s broadcast and the subsequent coverage in major outlets. Reporters surrounded Dwayne, snapping photos of his bruises—visible badges of his heroism.

Dwayne, maintaining his practiced humility, told the crowd, "I just did what any man should."

It took nearly an hour for Dwayne to break free and enter the agency. Hawk followed, catching up in the hallway.

"Man, you were right," Dwayne said. "These bruises are getting me headlines left and right."

"You’ve got a talk show this week, right? Go on with the bruises," Hawk suggested.

Dwayne slung an arm around Hawk’s shoulder. "Done. I’ll listen to you."

Caroline, trailing behind, pointed out, "I said the same thing before him."

Dwayne, grinning, replied, "Yeah, but Hawk explained it better."

Dani Garcia entered with an envelope, handing it to Hawk. "This is for you."

Hawk opened it and found an invitation to The Scorpion King premiere.

"From Dwayne," Dani said.

Hawk passed it to Edward. "Thanks."

"Don’t mention it," Dwayne quipped. "But don’t expect to walk the red carpet. Just head straight to your seat."

Hawk laughed. "I’d rather you send me more clients."

Dwayne thought for a moment and nodded. "I might know someone who needs your kind of help. I’ll set it up."

At the conference table, Dani pulled up her laptop to show the group the online reaction.

Dozens of websites, blogs, and forums had picked up the rescue story. The video was trending everywhere. Comments poured in, praising Dwayne:

"This is so Rock. A real-life hero."

"Dwayne Johnson is as reliable in real life as on screen."

"Strong, brave, and admirable."

"Even with those bruises, he’s even more lovable."

"Movies may be fake, but The Rock is the real deal."

Caroline added, "Public enthusiasm for actors often translates into increased interest in their movies. We’ve run surveys to prove it."

Dani agreed. "The production team is ramping up Dwayne’s promotion."

Hawk outlined the next step. "Let the buzz simmer. Tomorrow, we’ll release a statement from the rescued woman, thanking Dwayne. She won’t reveal her identity to maintain privacy."

Caroline approved. "Good. Let’s keep the momentum going."

Dani glanced at her screen again. "Good news—Google searches for the rescue story are now in the top three trends."

Dwayne beamed.

That afternoon, The Scorpion King producer Stephen Sommers called Dwayne. "Fantastic work. Ticket presales are up 20% today."

The next morning, Hawk met Jacqueline to record a censored video where she expressed her gratitude to Dwayne.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, Hawk worked with Midnight Entertainment, which had exclusive rights to the original rescue footage. Megan Taylor and her team gladly followed up, ensuring the new segment would continue building the story’s momentum.

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