Chapter 188: Not a Joke

Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Not a Joke

Port Royal Bay during filming breaks always exuded a relaxed warmth.

Ever since Irene had talked with Britney, the young singer seemed to have shed a burden and become much more vibrant. Even more surprisingly, she and Nicolas had become fast friends despite the age gap. Before this, they had barely met properly, yet somehow, whenever they got together, they had endless things to talk about.

During breaks, the two could always be seen sitting on the beach. Nicolas would hold his old camera to photograph the waves, while Britney sat nearby, hugging her guitar and humming newly written melodies, occasionally popping up with a whimsical idea. "Do you think it would be cool if we combined funk rhythms with the wildness of pirates?"

Nicolas’s eyes lit up immediately. "What a great thought. Back when I was filming Leaving Las Vegas, I wanted to have the main character listen to something different, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find a fitting musical style."

The two could chat about everything from music to movies, from old artifacts to future creative ideas. Even Irene teased, "As expected, peculiar minds think alike."

But this scene didn’t look that way in Edward’s eyes.

This time, he was playing Elizabeth’s brother in the film. His role wasn’t large. He was just here to gain some exposure in a big production. After all, Irene’s films had never lacked his presence. He had originally thought that with Britney coming to the island this time, he would be able to spend more time with her.

However, Britney’s mind was not on him at all. In the morning, she followed Nicolas to go sea fishing. In the afternoon they strolled through local markets together, and in the evening they even managed to play poker. Even when he asked her to go for a walk on the beach, he was dismissed with the line, "Nick and I are going to talk about new melodies."

After work that day, Edward found a chance to pull Irene aside, complaining with a grievance-filled and helpless expression.

"Irene, do you think Britney has forgotten about me? She’s been here for almost a week, and the time she’s spent chatting with me properly adds up to less than two hours. She hangs out with Nicolas every day. That guy is almost twenty years older than her. How can they have so much to talk about?"

He frowned, his tone full of jealousy. "I’m really afraid she’ll be led astray. After all, that guy Nicolas has such strange ideas, and Britney is easily attracted to novel things."

Irene couldn’t help but laugh and patted his shoulder. "Don’t worry. They just get along well. Nick may look casual, but he actually has a very good sense of boundaries. Britney is currently looking for inspiration for her new album, and Nick’s experience can give her a lot of ideas. Once she’s done with this busy period, she will naturally think of you."

Although she said this, Irene also found it interesting. The combination of these two was indeed unexpected, yet inexplicably harmonious.

This relaxed atmosphere didn’t last for many days. On a brand-new morning, after waking up, Irene looked at the calendar and took a deep breath. The date had arrived: September 11, 2001. It was now 6:00 AM, and there were three hours left until that terrorist attack.

Facing such a major catastrophe, as long as she didn’t want to be taken away for dissection, she had to keep her mouth shut and not reveal a hint of emotion. So, she started filming as usual, coordinating work as she always did, and directing the actors’ emotions.

As she was directing the scene on the deck of the Black Pearl, Johnny Depp was reciting Captain Jack’s lines to Henry Cavill when a burst of urgent footsteps suddenly came from afar.

Irene’s heart suddenly beat very fast. She controlled her expression, frowned, and turned her head. She saw Jerry Bruckheimer with a deathly pale face, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his suit jacket crooked from running, hurrying toward the set. His assistant followed behind him, clutching a satellite phone tightly in their hand.

"Irene. Stop filming," Jerry’s voice carried an unprecedented tremor, and he shouted from far away.

Seeing Jerry’s state, Irene thought, It’s here, and immediately raised her hand to signal a stop. "All departments, stop." The set instantly fell silent, and everyone’s eyes turned toward the panting Jerry.

Jerry rushed to Irene, grabbed her arm, lowered his voice, and spoke in a tone as heavy as a stone. "Something big has happened. New York, New York has been attacked by terrorists. The Twin Towers have been hit by airplanes, and the situation is very bad now."

"What?" Irene reacted instantly. Although she had been mentally prepared, hearing these words from Jerry’s mouth still felt like her whole body had been struck by a heavy hammer.

She subconsciously looked toward the distant horizon, as if she could see the scene in New York through layers of distance, and her heart suddenly tightened.

"Mr. Jerry, are you joking?" The head of the lighting crew not far away joked with a smile. "Today is not April Fool’s Day." This remark drew agreement from many people. Everyone’s faces still carried the smiles from the filming break. Clearly, no one believed it.

"Who is joking with you," Jerry raised his voice sharply, his expression terrifyingly serious.

"It’s true. I just received an emergency call from the Disney headquarters. The news has been confirmed. Two planes have hit the World Trade Center, and the buildings are collapsing now. The casualties are heavy."

Just as he finished speaking, Irene’s mobile phone also began to vibrate violently. Because the set had strict controls and mobile phones back then didn’t have many functions, most people chose to leave their phones in their room or in backpacks. Very few carried them on their person. Therefore, as soon as Irene’s phone rang, everyone’s gaze immediately followed her movements.

It was Adelaide Griffin from Fox calling. The content was the same as what Jerry had said, but she added one point: asking Irene to try her best to soothe the emotions of the crew members. Because a terrorist attack had occurred, aircraft traveling to and from the United States would certainly increase control measures, and crew members should be careful if they needed to return. ℴ

After Irene hung up the phone, the set was silent. She knew everyone was waiting for her statement.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, walked to the center of the set, and raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet. There was not a trace of a smile on her face, and the heaviness in her eyes made everyone gradually put away their joking expressions.

"Everyone, please be quiet," her voice was clear and firm. "I have just confirmed the news Jerry mentioned through a phone call. A serious terrorist attack has occurred on American soil. The New York World Trade Center has been hit by airplanes."

The set instantly fell into a deathly silence. Faces that had just been smiling were now replaced by shock and disbelief.

"This is impossible," Keira Knightley muttered to herself, subconsciously clutching her skirt tightly.

The color instantly drained from Henry Cavill’s face. His relatives were still working in New York. The previous ease was gone, and his lips were pressed white.

"It’s true," Irene looked at everyone, her tone carrying unconcealable grief. "I know this is hard to believe, but Jerry and I have no reason to joke about something like this."

She paused, looked at the panic-stricken faces, and continued, "Now, I announce that the entire crew will have a ten-day break."