Chapter 189: The Entire Crew Is on Vacation

Chapter 189: Chapter 189: The Entire Crew Is on Vacation

"Time off?" Someone froze, then reacted, their eyes full of gratitude.

"Yes, time off," Irene nodded. "Everyone, go contact your families first. If you cannot get through or if cell reception is bad, we will coordinate with the hotel so everyone can use satellite phones and the internet to ensure you can reach your loved ones. The assistant director will compile a list of personnel who need to return to the United States.

The crew will handle all flight tickets and travel arrangements, and we will cover all expenses. Vivian, please assist everyone with follow-up matters and help soothe the actors’ emotions, especially Henry. He has relatives in New York, so please keep an eye on his communication situation and come to me if there are any issues."

"Okay." Several people immediately responded and went their separate ways.

At this moment, Henry was pacing back and forth anxiously with his phone, muttering, "Why can’t I get through?"

Irene walked over and patted his shoulder. "Don’t worry, communications must be congested right now. Wait a little longer, or try sending an email. Sometimes emails work better than phone calls."

Henry nodded, his eyes reddening. "I hope they’re okay."

Depp walked over, handed Henry a bottle of water, and spoke in a heavy tone. "They will be fine. All we can do now is trust our families and wait for communications to be restored."

He turned to look at Irene with admiration in his eyes. "You handled that very well, Irene. At a time like this, keeping a cool head is more important than anything."

Irene gave a bitter smile, the lingering fear in her heart not yet dissipated.

She looked toward the beach in the distance, where her parents, Nicolas, and Britney were walking toward the set.

Britney’s face was also full of worry, clearly having already heard the news.

"Why did you come over?" Irene went to meet them.

"We heard something happened and were worried about you," Eleanor said, holding Irene’s hand and looking at her with concern.

"Don’t worry too much, take care of yourself, and don’t push yourself too hard."

Britney walked up to Irene’s side, her voice soft. "Irene, are you okay? I just got in touch with the company. They are all fine, but New York is in a state of chaos."

"I’m fine," Irene shook her head. "Let everyone contact their families first. We’ll deal with other matters after these few days pass."

Nicolas frowned, his tone solemn. "I didn’t expect something like this to happen. The United States must be in a state of chaos. We need to make sure everyone on the crew stays safe."

"Yes," Irene nodded. "I’ve already asked those who need to go back to arrange their travel. The rest will stay on the island and try not to go out."

As the sun set, the originally bustling set became quiet, with only the occasional sound of ringing phones and low conversations.

The sea breeze from afar brought a hint of chill. Everyone’s face had lost its usual smile, leaving only concern for their families and shock at this disaster.

Irene stood on the beach, looking at the distant horizon, praying silently.

She knew that this sudden disaster had not only disrupted the crew’s filming schedule but also cast a shadow over everyone’s hearts.

But at least the people she cared about were safe and sound, and that was enough.

During the ten-day break, many crew members with families in the United States gradually embarked on their return journeys. The originally lively set and hotel became mostly deserted.

Since Irene’s family was with her, she didn’t need to squeeze onto planes with everyone else and spent the holiday peacefully on the island.

The sea breeze still blew across the beach of Port Royal Bay, but without the hustle and bustle of filming or the playfulness of the extras, even the sound of the waves seemed exceptionally lonely.

News of the terrorist attack spread like a tide across the island. Whether in the hotel lobby, beach restaurants, or local markets, tourists could be heard discussing it everywhere.

When Irene was having breakfast with her parents at the restaurant, an American couple at the next table was arguing in low voices.

The husband shouted with a red face, "This is retaliation for our interference in their domestic affairs. We should have expected this."

The wife immediately retorted, "How can you say that? Those who died were innocent civilians. Now we should be thinking about how to protect our own country."

Passing by the beach, she heard some European tourists lamenting. "The United States has always claimed to be the safest. I didn’t expect this to happen. I won’t dare to go there easily in the future."

Others were relieved. "Fortunately, we are on this remote island, far away from those big cities. We’ve dodged a bullet."

Various voices intertwined: anger, sorrow, accusations, relief. They were like an invisible web covering the entire island.

Listening to these discussions, Irene felt a mix of emotions.

She felt pity for the victims, yet secretly rejoiced in her initial decision to keep her family and friends away from this disaster.

However, the sense of security brought by this "foresight" hid an unknown secret, leaving her feeling somewhat uneasy.

On the afternoon of the third day of the holiday, Irene had finished most of her work and was about to find Britney to discuss song selection when Nicolas approached her with a set of deep-sea fishing gear. "Irene, don’t stay cooped up in the room. The sea is calm. Want to go deep-sea fishing? We might catch a few large groupers and roast them for dinner."

Irene thought about it. Going out for some fresh air would be good. She hadn’t truly relaxed since coming to this island, so she nodded, changed into casual clothes, and went out with him.

The two walked along the beach toward the pier.

Nicolas teased with a smile while organizing the fishing rod. "Seriously, Irene, you were incredibly prescient this time. If you hadn’t summoned us all to this island, we might still be in Los Angeles, feeling anxious, or stuck at some airport."

He paused, his eyes full of emotion. "Only after experiencing something like this do you realize that having family and friends by your side is more important than anything. Look at us now. We can fish here peacefully, while New York is in a state of chaos. Just thinking about it makes me feel lingering fear."

Irene’s heart tightened, and the fishing line in her hand almost tangled. ℴ

She glanced at Nicolas quickly. There was a natural smile on his face, and no suspicion in his eyes, just pure emotion and relief.

But this sentence was like a needle, piercing through her feigned composure, instantly reminding her of the secret of her "foreknowledge."

What if someone dug deeper? Why did she invite everyone to the island at this specific time? Why was she able to precisely avoid this disaster? In the eyes of someone with ulterior motives, would this seem exceptionally strange?

She suppressed her panic, squeezed a helpless smile onto her face, and sighed softly. "What foresight could I possibly have?"

She paused, deliberately letting her tone carry shock and fear.

"I just thought the filming pressure was high and wanted everyone to come and relax. I really didn’t expect, I really didn’t expect such a serious terrorist attack to happen on US soil. Thinking about it now, I feel chilled to the bone. It’s just unbelievable."