569-570

**Chapter 569: Next Time, Even If You Beg, I Won't Let You Off**

“Luca, I heard you and Natalie were busy until late last night?”

In the morning, Scarlett called.

“Yes, we wrapped up filming around 3 a.m.,” Luca said, wiping sweat in the gym.

“And after 3 a.m.? Anything... extracurricular?” Scarlett teased.

“Of course not. Stop imagining things,” Luca replied.

“That’s a pity. Such a perfect chance last night, I thought you’d finally make a move on her.”

“Don’t joke around. Natalie doesn’t have the best impression of me. Last time she came to my office, she even brought pepper spray.”

“Seriously? Hahaha~” Scarlett burst out laughing over the phone.

“Stop laughing. Have you wrapped up *Midnight in Barcelona* yet? I’m heading to France in a couple of days,” Luca asked.

“I’ll meet you in France. My shoot is only 60% done; I’ll need about 20 more days,” Scarlett said.

She was in Spain filming Woody Allen’s new movie, *Midnight in Barcelona.*

“Alright, see you there,” Luca said.

“Wait, Luca, let’s get back to Natalie. Do you want her? If you do, just go for it. Don’t worry about resistance. Natalie’s only reserved on the surface. Deep down, she’s into you. If you push her down, she won’t fight back. Want to give it a shot?”

“Not necessary. I may be a bit of a flirt, but I’m not that indiscriminate.”

“Really? What a shame. I was hoping you were so amazing that Natalie and I could team up to handle you.”

Scarlett’s voice turned sultry. “Last night I even dreamed about you. Mmm~ you were so rough. My voice was hoarse afterward. Don’t believe me? Listen. Ah~ Oh~”

“Stop!”

Listening to Scarlett’s coquettish tone, Luca felt a stirring heat in his abdomen. “You little vixen, next time, even if you beg, I won’t let you off.”

“Hahaha~”

*Click!*

Luca decisively hung up the phone. Otherwise, it’d be easy to lose focus during his workout.

---

“Luca, time to eat!” Lima called from outside.

“Coming!” Luca took a quick shower, changed into casual clothes, and left the gym.

Kate was busy in the kitchen, Lima was breastfeeding baby Louis, and Miranda, yawning, came downstairs in minimal clothing, completely unbothered by Luca’s presence.

“Mind your attire at home!” Luca tossed a towel at her.

Miranda froze, pouted, and said, “If you want to look, just look. Don’t pretend to be a gentleman.”

“What’s there to look at? All that flab is unappetizing.”

“What did you just say?!” Miranda bristled.

Luca pointed at her slight belly.

With a huff, Miranda pulled in her stomach, revealing defined abs.

“And here.” Luca gestured to her arm, clearly bulkier than before.

“That’s muscle, genius!” Miranda flexed her arm, tossed the towel at him, and stormed into the bathroom.

Luca shook his head and headed to the dining table, picking up the baby. “Louis, are you full?”

The little one, round-bellied, pointed at the meat pie on the table, drooling.

“Which one do you want?”

“Meat pie!” the little guy gurgled.

“Ha, just like me, a meat lover from the start.” Luca reached for the pie, but Lima smacked his hand away.

“No more. Too much will constipate him,” Lima said.

“I know. I was just going to let him have a taste. Look at him drooling!”

“No. Meat pies are too greasy. He can try some chicken and vegetable porridge later.”

“Fine. We’ll wait.”

“Daddy! Meat pie!” the little one cried, pointing again.

Luca shrugged. “Your mom won’t let you. What can I do? I can’t beat her.”

“Don’t say nonsense in front of the baby,” Lima glared, scooping up Louis.

“Waaah!” Louis wailed.

“Shut it, or I’ll throw you out!” Lima snapped.

The little one blinked, tears receding in shock, then looked at his dad with a pitiful face.

“Don’t feel bad. You’ll get used to it. I went through the same thing,” Luca laughed.

“Stop laughing and bring out the porridge,” Kate called.

“On it!”

---

After breakfast, Kate, Lima, and Miranda left for work, busy with Fashion Week.

Luca also had a packed schedule as he prepared for an upcoming European shoot. Britney, meanwhile, planned to vacation at Lake Constance with little Max, conveniently near his filming location.

*Ding-ding-ding~*
While sorting through documents, Luca’s phone rang. To his surprise, it was Leonardo DiCaprio.

“Leo, what’s up?”

“Luca, got a minute? There’s something I’d like to discuss,” Leonardo said.

“What’s it about?”

“The script for *Shutter Island.* Your company owns it, right?”

“*Shutter Island*? Not sure. Ever since my reputation for picking scripts got out, my company’s been swamped with submissions. I’ll need to check.”

“No need. It’s under Brazen Pictures. We spoke with Mr. Scott, who said you’d need to approve it. Can we talk?”

“Alright.”

---

Half an hour later, at a lakeside café in Central Park, Luca met Leonardo.

“Leo, remember early 2003? It was freezing. Lima and I sat here, basking in the sunlight, when we ran into you and Gisele. How’s she doing?”

Leo scoffed, “Let’s skip the small talk and get to business. How much to buy the rights to *Shutter Island*?”

Luca shook his head. “I checked with Scott on my way here. We plan to start filming next year, with me as the lead. So, it’s not for sale.”

“You as the lead?” Leo raised an eyebrow. “Even if you can pull it off, can you find a director? And your company—can it handle a $100 million project?”

“Thanks for your concern. We’ve got it covered.”

Leo sighed. “Luca, we’ve had our issues in the past, but we’re both in the same industry. Let’s let bygones be bygones.”

Luca smiled faintly. “I agree—peace and prosperity.”

“Great. Then can we discuss transferring *Shutter Island*? I love the script and believe this role could win me an Oscar.”

Luca considered before replying, “Alright. Two options: outright sale or collaboration.”

“Outright sale?”

“We bought it for $2 million with a seven-year license. The script has a lot of potential, so... how about $6 million?”

Leo frowned. “Luca, I thought we were friends.”

“We are. $6 million is a friendly price. Scripts I approve of routinely sell for $5 million just because I glanced at them. *Shutter Island* is worth far more.”

Leo hesitated. “And collaboration?”

“Brazen Pictures will fund the project, and you’ll be the lead. What do you think?”

Leo shook his head. “I don’t like uncertainties. I need control.”

“Then let’s drop it. I’ve got other matters to attend to,” Luca said, standing up.

“Wait. $4 million.”

“Leo, now the price is $8 million. Call me if you reconsider.” Luca left without looking back.

---

“Damn him! Does he think money gives him the right to act so high and mighty?!” Leo muttered, smashing his coffee cup before calling someone.

“Brad, it’s me…”

**Chapter 570: Trouble Is Here**

"I got it. I'm on a plane right now. Let’s discuss this when I arrive."

In the business class cabin, Luca hung up the phone, his face clouded with concern.

"What happened?"

Brittany asked.

Luca smirked slightly. "Nothing major. Two actors had to drop out of the crew. We'll need to recast them."

"Two at the same time?"

Brittany, having been around the industry for a while, immediately sensed something was off.

"Yes, two minor roles. It won't impact the project much."

Luca dismissed it casually.

"Well, trouble seems to follow you easily," Brittany teased.

"Guess it's because I'm just too good," Luca quipped with a wry grin.

Just earlier, Mr. Ross had called to inform him that the second female lead, Diane Kruger, and the third male lead, Christoph Waltz, who was playing the main antagonist *"The Jew Hunter"*, had both backed out of the production. They had even voluntarily paid the penalty fees.

Diane Kruger’s role in the film was that of a renowned German movie star who secretly worked as an Allied spy. During the casting process, the team had two criteria:
1. A German beauty.
2. Some level of international fame.

While many Europeans share similar features, subtle details make it easy to distinguish German women from French or American women. German women tend to have a more striking, robust aesthetic compared to the softer allure of French women, at least on screen.

After much consideration, Diane Kruger was deemed the perfect fit.

Kruger had made her silver screen debut in *The Pianist* in 2002, winning the Cannes Festival's Best Newcomer Award. In 2004, she starred alongside Nicolas Cage in *National Treasure* and Brad Pitt in *Troy*, making her Germany’s top female star.

Her departure was a disappointment, but Luca wasn’t devastated.

However, Christoph Waltz leaving was a significant blow.

Waltz was cast as the film’s main villain, Colonel Hans, also known as *The Jew Hunter*. A cunning and twisted butcher, his actions set the stage for the story's primary conflict.

Waltz’s portrayal of Hans in the original movie had been a highlight, overshadowing even the protagonist with his cold-blooded, eccentric, and chilling performance. He went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Cannes Best Actor Award for this role.

Now that Waltz had exited, the film lost a major selling point.

Luca massaged his temples. Should he visit Waltz in person to persuade him? Or should he recast the role entirely? And who could possibly replace him?

---

After a grueling 10-hour flight, Luca and his team arrived in Paris. The production had two main shooting locations: Strasbourg in northern France and Brandenburg in Germany.

After landing, Luca saw Brittany and her entourage off. She, along with her child, assistants, nannies, and bodyguards, boarded a private jet to Lake Constance.

Luca then drove to the crew's hotel, where Mr. Ross, Director Eli Roth, producers, editors, art directors, and other key personnel were waiting.

Upon meeting, Mr. Ross delivered another piece of bad news.

"What? A third of the crew left?"

Luca was taken aback.

"Yes. Most of them were brought in by Quentin Tarantino. Apparently, Quentin has a new project, so they chose to leave. They even paid the penalty fees," explained Eli Roth with a shrug.

Luca’s face darkened for a moment before he chuckled. "If they’re gone, they’re gone. They’re not irreplaceable. We’ll hire the best replacements, won’t we, Eli?"

"Of course. But the set design, location scouting, and other preparations will be delayed, which will cost extra."

"No problem. We have time, and we have money," Luca said confidently.

Reassured by his attitude, Eli Roth and the others relaxed.

"I’ll start reaching out to new partners immediately, Mr. Kelly," Eli said before leaving with his team.

"Mr. Kelly, should we hold open auditions for the cast, or send out specific invitations?" asked casting director Jenny Johanna.

Luca thought for a moment. "Do you have any strong candidates in mind?"

"Yes, here are some profiles we’ve considered," Jenny replied, handing over a stack of actor profiles.

Luca flipped through them. For female leads, three notable options emerged: Nina Hoss, Claudia Schiffer, and Heidi Klum—all well-known German beauties.

Nina Hoss, aged 33, had recently won the Best Actress Award at the Berlin Film Festival for *Yella*. Her image and acting skills were excellent, earning her the nickname "Germany's Nicole Kidman." However, she lacked international recognition compared to Kruger.

Claudia Schiffer and Heidi Klum, both supermodels, had the fame. Heidi, in particular, was someone Luca knew personally. But their acting skills left much to be desired.

For male actors, five names stood out: Armin Goss, Tim Roth, and Til Schweiger—established stars in German cinema.

Luca carefully analyzed their profiles, comparing them to the role of Colonel Hans, but none seemed to match Waltz’s brilliance.

"Jenny, for the female role, contact Nina Hoss first and see if she’s interested."

"Understood, Mr. Kelly."

"As for the male role, we need to broaden the search. This character is crucial, no less important than the lead. He doesn’t necessarily need to be German—someone who looks the part will do."

"Got it!" Jenny left with her assignment.

With the room now quieter, it was just Luca and Mr. Ross.

"Isn’t directing a pain?" Ross handed Luca a glass of water.

"Absolutely. It’s a thousand things at once. Being an actor is so much easier."

Luca shrugged.

Ross chuckled. "Honestly, directing in Hollywood isn’t hard. You’re just doing too much—investor, producer, director, writer, costume designer, set designer—you’re a one-man army."

"Next time, I’ll delegate more," Luca remarked.

Ross nodded. "This situation came out of nowhere. I should’ve seen it coming. That’s on me."

"It’s not your fault," Luca reassured him before sharing some insights about the *Shutter Island* project.

"You think it’s DiCaprio?"

"Not just him—Pitt, Tarantino, maybe others," Luca mused. "Tall trees attract the wind. I guess I’m just *too* exceptional. But no matter. This is just a minor setback."

Over the next few days, Luca bounced between France and Germany, finalizing locations, supervising set construction, rehearsing with actors, and overseeing costume and prop design. Every detail demanded his attention, leaving him utterly exhausted.

After more than a week of preparation, the crew was ready to start filming.

However, the unresolved casting issues forced Luca to pause production and focus solely on finding replacements.

*(End of Chapter)*