Chapter 44: Extremely Dangerous Creatures

It seemed like everyone was waiting for the weekend break. On the evening Murphy announced it, most people in the temporary house in the northern Fernando Valley Basin left. By the next morning, only Murphy, Kerry Mulligan, James Franco, and a family tutor remained.

Murphy needed to adjust the filming plan based on previous issues. Kerry, whose guardian Julian Ferros was away for work, had nowhere else to go and no intention to leave. The family tutor had to use the weekend to catch up on Kerry's studies. With Kerry staying, there was no reason for James to leave either.

On Saturday morning, after a quick wash-up and a light breakfast, Murphy felt the headache he hadn't experienced in a while returning. Though not as severe as when he first arrived, it was still discomforting. Unable to concentrate on work, he decided to take a walk outside.

Opening the house door, Murphy breathed in the fresh air, feeling a slight relief from the breeze carrying a peculiar fragrance from the lake. After briefly admiring the distant lake and the azure sky, he intended to wander into the woods behind the house. However, before he could, someone pushed the door open from inside. A middle-aged woman in professional attire, followed by Kerry, stepped out.

"Hello, Mrs. Morrison," Murphy greeted the woman and noticed her handbag. "Are you leaving?"

The family tutor remained silent while Kerry, speaking first, said, "Yes, Murphy. Mrs. Morrison has some urgent matters to attend to in downtown LA."

"I see," Murphy nodded and turned to the woman. "Do you need a ride? I can drive you."

"No, thank you," the woman declined politely. "Someone will pick me up in town."

Watching the tutor leave, Murphy rubbed his temples and decided to continue his walk. Kerry joined him, asking curiously, "What are you doing?"

"Just taking a break," Murphy replied as they walked along the forest path. "I might head to town later. Will you come?"

Kerry shook her head. "Mrs. Morrison left me some assignments, and I have rehearsals with James."

Pointing towards the woods, she added, "I can walk with you here."

As they strolled along, Kerry appeared innocent, pretty, and adorable, especially in Murphy's presence, always hiding her rebellious side.

After circling the woods, they returned to the house's back door. Kerry opened it and asked, "Do you want to come in?"

"You go ahead," Murphy declined, pointing in the direction Mrs. Morrison left. "I'm going to town. I'll be back around noon. Do you want me to bring lunch?"

"A vegetarian pizza, please," Kerry requested with a smile before entering the house and closing the door.

Rubbing his head, Murphy contemplated the challenges of the ongoing filming. His lack of experience as a novice director and the mediocrity of some crew members made progress slow. Yet, he didn't dismiss them. Finding affordable yet talented replacements in Hollywood wasn't easy.

Fortunately, Kerry and James were improving, proving his decision to cast them right. Suddenly, Murphy remembered something crucial.

There were originally four people in the house: himself, the family tutor, Kerry, and James. Now that he was about to leave for town and the tutor had gone, only Kerry and James remained!

Without hesitation, Murphy turned back and hurried towards the house.

He might resort to dubious means to achieve his goals, like tricking Kerry and James into playing the lead roles, but that didn't mean he wanted to see an innocent girl like Kerry fall prey to a Lolita-obsessed man.

After spending time with them, Murphy knew James was peculiar but had boundaries. Yet, he couldn't be sure if James would cross the line. After all, men could be extremely dangerous creatures.

It took Murphy only three minutes to return to the house, where he found Kerry and James deeply engrossed in rehearsing their lines on opposite sofas in the living room.

"Are these photos taken here?" Kerry admired them, looking at James with admiration. "They're amazing. How did you manage that?"

James, fixated on Kerry, seemed to have fully transformed into Jeff. "Want to find out? Come with me."

As if performing a magic trick, he pulled out a box of chocolates from behind and offered it to Kerry. "Take a look at these. Guess what they are."

"Oh!" Kerry exclaimed excitedly, putting down her script and taking the chocolates. "These are my favorite!"

Leaning against the corner wall, Murphy observed the scene. Despite Kerry's apparent excitement, he knew she had no positive impression of James. Her excitement was clearly feigned.

He had returned, not fearing what James might do, but curious about Kerry's intentions. Why was she acting this way?

James gestured towards the box of chocolates. "Won't you have one?"

Kerry put down the chocolates and picked up the script again. "Let's wait until the rehearsal is over. We can rehearse another scene."

"Which one?" James asked.

Kerry flashed a sweet smile. "The scene where Haley first dominates Jeff."