Malskolov waved his hand. "André, I support you, but on one condition—if you ever get the chance, you must work with us!"

  "That goes for me too!" Fox immediately followed up.

  Two old foxes! As expected, they were trying to rope me in. To them, I was undoubtedly a goldmine waiting to be tapped.

  "Of course! Absolutely! If the opportunity arises, I would be honored to collaborate with both of you."

  Seeing the two Hollywood moguls shower me with favor, the other guests quickly followed suit, bombarding me with flattering words. If I weren’t mentally prepared, I might have fainted on the spot from the overwhelming attention.

  Only Hedy and Mitt kept their distance. Hedy stood behind a chair, avoiding eye contact with me, while Mitt’s face was twisted in resentment.

  Malskolov and Fox invited me to dinner that evening, but I declined, citing work commitments. If not for an important scene to shoot that night, I might have accepted—after all, opportunities to connect with such powerful figures didn’t come every day.

  After another hour of conversation, Grant finally led the group away, though not without reluctance. Before leaving, Malskolov and Fox discreetly slipped me their business cards, urging me to reach out to them anytime. They even assured me that the doors of MGM and Fox would always be open for me.

  I was, of course, immensely grateful for their kindness.

  Once we bid farewell to our distinguished guests, my team swarmed around me, ecstatic. MGM and Fox had just offered to screen our film for free in their 200 theaters. The excitement was palpable—after all, even superstars like Chaplin hadn’t received such treatment!

  "André! Our film is going to make a fortune!" James was so exhilarated that his face turned bright red. He was already envisioning his return as a heartthrob, making countless young girls swoon again.

  Julie stood beside me, her face filled with admiration. The girl was completely stunned. Malskolov, Fox, Grant—these were household names in Hollywood! Yet they treated her boss with such respect. Just how much charm did this young man possess to have these industry titans fawning over him?!

  At Fatty’s suggestion, we all headed to a nearby Chinese restaurant for dumplings. Spirits were high, and I ended up eating two full bowls.

  After the meal, I dismissed the rest of the crew and took only a select few with me—Berg, Gans, James, Julie, and a couple of key crew members—to a villa located north of Hollywood City Hall.

  Grant had lent us this villa, and tonight’s crucial scene would be filmed in one of its second-floor rooms.

  Since the scene involved an intense bed scene, including Bush’s first act of aggression toward Dietrich, I sent everyone not directly involved back home.

  The ride to the villa was silent. Especially Julie—she hadn’t spoken a word. She knew exactly what she was about to film. For a girl who had never even dated, let alone had a boyfriend, appearing naked on camera and engaging in an intimate scene with a man—without making any mistakes—was no easy feat.

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  After shooting a few exterior shots, we moved inside to the designated room.

  Gans had set everything up in advance—two cameras strategically placed. Fatty operated one, and I handled the other. The room remained unlit, and tension hung thick in the air. Everyone looked at me, their eyes flickering with nervous energy.

  "Julie, come here." I understood the importance of this scene more than anyone. Before we started, I needed to talk to her.

  Julie hesitantly stepped forward. The faint moonlight from the window cast a soft glow on her delicate face. She bit her lip, her body trembling slightly—a clear sign of her anxiety.

  "Listen carefully. You need to fully immerse yourself in the role. The moment I call ‘Action,’ you are no longer Julie. You are Dietrich. Your goal is to win Bush’s affection before ultimately assassinating him. In this room, there are only the two of you—no cameras, no crew, and no me. Do you understand?" I patted her shoulder reassuringly and handed her a glass of water.

  Julie gulped it down before nodding firmly.

  "Alright, places, everyone! Prepare to roll!"

  I sat behind the camera, personally taking control.

  "Three, two, one—Action!"

  At my command, Bush and Dietrich entered the room. The lights came on. The two locked eyes and immediately began an intense kiss. James perfectly embodied Bush—a man tormented by inner pain and burning desire. His approach toward Dietrich resembled a ravenous wolf closing in on its prey. He wasn’t just kissing her—he was devouring her.

  The movements grew increasingly wild. Suddenly, Bush slammed Dietrich onto the floor, tearing her dress into shreds.

  "Cut!" The first take was complete. Not bad. Julie was a little tense, but she met my expectations overall.

  "Both of you, come here!" I gestured for Julie and James.

  "This next shot is extremely difficult. Julie, you must let go completely. Forget about us, forget about the cameras—immerse yourself in the scene! Understand?"

  Julie nodded.

  I turned to James. "You have more experience acting than Julie. I need you to guide her through this. No matter what, stay composed."

  Despite his many film appearances, I was certain this was his first time filming such a scene.

  He looked into my eyes, clenched his jaw, and nodded solemnly.

  "Alright, places! Action!"

  The room fell into tense silence.

  Under the dim lighting, James transformed—his aggression surged. He roared, growled, and threw Julie onto the bed, tearing off her clothes with force.

  For the sake of authenticity, Dietrich wasn’t supposed to wear undergarments during this seduction scene. So, the moment James stripped Julie, an eerie stillness enveloped the room.

  Time seemed to freeze.

  Even James—who prided himself on being unfazed—stood there, utterly stunned.

  "Cut!" I shouted, snapping everyone back to reality. I grabbed a blanket and draped it over Julie before turning on James with a furious glare. "James! What the hell is wrong with you?! The girl managed to keep her composure, but you froze up?!"

  James looked at me helplessly. "Director, I admit my mistake, but I’ve never filmed a scene like this before!"

  "That’s exactly why you can’t afford to mess up! If you lose focus, Julie will too! What do you expect her to do?! What do you expect us to do?!"

  James glanced at the blushing Julie before straightening his back. "I won’t mess up again, Director. I promise."

  "Good. Let’s go again!"

  I took my place behind the camera.

  "Three, two, one—Action!"

  This time, James didn’t hesitate. He threw Julie onto the bed, tearing away her dress. Veins bulged on his forehead, his scar looking even more menacing.

  "Cut! Julie, why aren’t you reacting?! You can’t just lie there! You need to scream, struggle a little!"

  "Action!"

  "Cut! D*mn it, Berg! Your camera isn’t moving! Wake up!"

  "Action!"

  "Cut! What the hell, lighting?! One more misplaced light and I’ll fire you!"

  "Cut! Who’s foot is that?! Who the hell is stepping into the frame?! James, too much movement!"

  "Cut!"

  ...

  I had expected challenges, but the sheer number of issues drove me insane. If it wasn’t James messing up, it was Julie. When they finally got it right, the cameraman or lighting guy screwed up.

  Good lord, filming a movie was exhausting!