Chapter 344: All Found Out

[Chapter 344: All Found Out]

Around nine in the morning, a sports car pulled up outside the entrance of Liberty City. Kathryn Bigelow took a deep breath, still shaken, and complained to Cameron, who was behind the wheel, "Jim, if you drive that fast on the way back, I'll never ride in the same car with you again."

"I thought you liked that thrill," Cameron said, glancing at his wife's startled expression with a hint of pride. He honked the horn enthusiastically, for they had a reservation, and the manor's security soon saw the Cameron couple inside the car and opened the gate.

As the sports car entered the manor, Kathryn Bigelow remarked, "Do you know how fast you were just going? You're joking with your safety, and I don't like it at all, not one bit."

"Alright, Kate, I apologize," Cameron shrugged nonchalantly, gazing at the scenery outside the window. "Hey, what do you think about building a manor like this someday?"

Kathryn Bigelow knew her husband was changing the subject again and quipped back, "When do you think you're going to earn thirty million dollars?"

Cameron confidently replied, "Maybe with my next film."

"If you don't overspend," Kathryn teased.

After hits like The Terminator and Aliens 2, Cameron had already established himself as a leading director. Besides a steady director's fee, he could also enjoy a share of the film's profits. However, due to his relentless pursuit of perfection, he often ended up sacrificing his own share to secure additional budgets from the producers. Except for The Terminator, which only had a fixed investment of more than 6 million US dollars, the subsequent Alien 2 and The Abyss were also in this situation; Titanic and Avatar were no exception. Particularly during Titanic, the escalating costs nearly drove him to the brink, but he never wavered in his pursuit of perfection, pushing the costs over two hundred million dollars.

...

Just as he stepped out of the car, Cameron gazed at Liberty City, shining silver in the morning sun, and marveled, "It's just perfect for a movie. I have to get it in there."

Kathryn Bigelow, shouldering her bag from the back seat, casually remarked, "Eric has to agree first."

"He'll definitely agree," Cameron said, unable to help himself as he extended his arms and framed the mansion with his fingers, calculating the best angle for the shot.

"Alright, let's go in. We have a lot to discuss today," Kathryn pulled on Cameron's sleeve firmly, prompting him to reluctantly follow her toward the villa's entrance.

Before they could even ring the doorbell, laughter from a woman echoed from the east.

"Looks like they're over there," Cameron said, nodding with his chin. He and his wife maneuvered around the towering holly trees that served as a barrier, spotting a man and a woman on the tennis court.

Kathryn Bigelow noticed Eric, dressed in a white tennis outfit, struggling against the woman opposite him, who was playing an aggressive game with precision. She couldn't help but smirk in delight.

Cameron, however, was captivated by the tall, athletic figure of the woman on the opposite side. She wore a tight black sports tank and shorts, showcasing her slender waist and long legs, with deep brown hair casually tied back in a ponytail, and her slightly rugged features exuded a wild charm.

Tall, athletic, wild, untamed...

Each characteristic embodied Cameron's definition of sexiness, and even with his wife standing right beside him, a flicker of fervor was evident in his gaze.

Upon spotting the Camerons, Eric ignored another tricky shot from Famke Janssen and dropped his racket like a lifeline, striding towards them. The woman on the court, displeased, was about to protest when Eric pointed toward the couple. Seeing Kathryn and Cameron, she set her racket aside and followed Eric over.

...

"Jim, Kate, I thought you'd arrive around ten," Eric greeted them.

"If we had come a bit later, we might have missed seeing you all flustered," Kathryn Bigelow couldn't resist teasing.

Eric chuckled awkwardly and introduced his girlfriend, saying, "This is my girlfriend, Famke Janssen."

Although it was clear Eric had omitted the word "one of," Famke Janssen still beamed with joy, warmly shaking hands with Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow.

Eric then noticed the way Cameron was looking at Famke with a hint of intrigue. He quickly understood Cameron's thoughts, smiled slightly, and playfully put his arm around Famke's smooth waist, giving it a gentle squeeze. He asked Cameron, "Jim, doesn't Famke seem like the perfect lead for your movie?"

"Absolutely! If it weren't for the fact that the lead in Terminator 2 has already been cast, I'd definitely invite Miss Famke Janssen."

"That's too bad," Eric replied with a chuckle, sneaking a glance at Kathryn Bigelow. The casting of Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 was the flashpoint for the divorce between this couple. During the filming of Terminator 2, the rumors surrounding Cameron and Linda Hamilton had stirred quite a scandal. After the movie release, Cameron divorced Kathryn Bigelow, whom he had been married to for less than two years.

It's worth noting that Kathryn Bigelow was among the few beautiful female directors in Hollywood. Even twenty years later, when she took the stage at the Dolby Theatre as the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director, she still appeared to be in her thirties, in her late fifties. Now, Kathryn was already 39 years old, and her stunning looks and physique were enough to incite envy among many Hollywood actresses who had resorted to extensive cosmetic enhancements.

Both women quickly noticed that their men were distracted by the woman across the court. Kathryn used her foot to nudge Cameron discreetly, while Famke wrapped her arms around Eric and playfully pinched his waist.

"Ah..." Eric winced, instinctively lifting his hand as if to swat Famke's backside, but quickly realized the impropriety of the moment and instead suggested, "Well, shall we head inside to talk?"

"Sure," Cameron quickly chimed in.

Once inside the villa, Eric hastily showered and changed before emerging, leading the Cameron couple, who were sitting by the floor-to-ceiling windows sipping coffee, down to the basement study.

*****

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