This was the biggest crisis Dunn had faced since filming *Titanic*—even bigger than the poisoning incident. That didn't worry him as much as this.
**Filming was interrupted again.**
The heartbreaking farewell scene between "Jack" and "Rose" on the ocean's surface had already taken 17 hours to shoot. They had moved from a swimming pool to a water tank, from warm water to cold, yet Dunn was still not satisfied with the effect.
He felt bitter inside.
The reality of filmmaking wasn't as smooth as he had imagined.
In his original plan, they were supposed to shoot from easy to difficult. This scene, filmed in warm water, wasn't supposed to take long.
But now, Dunn realized—it wasn't going from easy to difficult at all. It was the opposite!
This wasn't just a challenging scene—it was the hardest scene in the entire film!
But there was no turning back now. Everyone in the crew understood: if they could nail this scene, then Leonardo and Kate—having endured this ordeal—would breeze through the remaining water scenes, and filming would proceed smoothly.
**"Where are James and Grant?"**
Dunn had called the core production team together to discuss how to overcome this hurdle, but these two hadn't shown up yet.
Just then, a crew member rushed in, panting. "James and Grant… they're arguing over there!"
Dunn's expression darkened. "What's going on?"
"I heard Mr. Jon Landau was fired by the company, and Mr. Cameron is furious about it."
Dunn raised an eyebrow. Grant sure acted fast.
Truth be told, Dunn had no concrete evidence that Jon Landau was behind the poisoning incident. But in situations like this, it was better to be safe than sorry.
At that moment, a striking figure appeared at the door of Dunn's dressing room—it was Kate Winslet.
She had a thick towel draped over her shoulders, and her wet hair clung to her face. Her complexion was pale, even without makeup, from being submerged in water for so long.
In fact, to help her get into character, Dunn hadn't spent the night with her for the past few days.
"Excuse me, gentlemen," Kate's voice was soft and frail, clearly exhausted from filming. "Can I speak to Dunn alone for a moment?"
No one had any reason to refuse the leading lady.
Once the others left, Dunn asked with concern, "Kate, what's wrong?"
Before he could finish, tears the size of pearls rolled down Kate's pale cheeks. She tried to suppress them, but quiet sobs still escaped.
Dunn panicked. He hurried to her side, gently pulling her into his arms. "Kate, stay strong. I know you're a brave girl—you can do this. I've always believed in you!"
He understood her tears.
The pressure was overwhelming.
Two days straight of being submerged in water, endless retakes, heavy workloads—her nerves were stretched to the limit.
Even James Cameron and the other producers constantly praised her resilience and acting potential.
But… she wasn't even 21 yet!
If even Leonardo was complaining and Dunn himself felt exhausted, how could a young woman like Kate possibly bear it all?
"Dunn, I can't do this anymore," Kate sobbed, her body trembling in his embrace. "This shoot is torture. I can't take it—I just can't!"
Dunn reassured her, "Kate, we all believe in you. You can push through this! This scene might be the greatest opportunity of your career—seize it! Take control of your own destiny, okay?"
Kate choked back her sobs. "But… but I really can't take it anymore. Can't we just get by like we did with the other scenes?"
Dunn's face turned serious, and he firmly refused. "Absolutely not! This isn't just some ordinary dialogue scene—this is the *soul* of the entire film! You have to give it your all. I need the perfect shot!"
In earlier scenes, Dunn had been more lenient. If Kate's performance was at 80% of what he wanted, he would let it pass—even if it meant arguing with Cameron.
But *this* scene was different.
Dunn had made up his mind—he wouldn't accept anything less than 99%, or even perfection.
Sure, he had inherited Cameron's professional instincts. But he refused to just be *another* James Cameron—he wanted to leave his own mark on this film.
Seeing how resolute he was, Kate bit her lip, stifled her sobs, and, after a moment, stepped away. She wiped her tears and forced a smile. "I'm sorry, Dunn. I just needed to vent. Don't worry—I'll keep going."
Dunn looked at her weary face and felt a pang of guilt.
But the road to achieving dreams was never easy.
"Kate, you're an incredible actress—strong, fearless. Everyone sees it," Dunn said, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You've already breathed new life into Rose. If you keep pushing forward, you'll give her a soul that soars."
Kate nodded firmly. "I understand now, Dunn. Don't worry—I won't let you down."
---
The day's shoot ended, but it hadn't gone well.
Dunn was frustrated—not just because of the filming delays but also because of the argument between Cameron and Grant.
At first, when the poisoning incident happened, Dunn's gut reaction was that Jon Landau had orchestrated it to sabotage him.
But now… something didn't add up.
Poisoning was a *serious* crime. If Landau was behind it, would he really entrust such a critical task to someone else while he was still in New York?
One wrong move, and his entire career would be over.
Also, over a hundred people had eaten that meal, yet only a handful of minor crew members and extras got sick. That was too much of a coincidence.
If Landau had ordered the poisoning, wouldn't he have targeted key crew members and actors instead? That would've been the best way to derail Dunn's filming schedule.
Most importantly, Cameron's reaction had been *way* too intense.
Cameron and Landau were old friends. They knew each other well.
Despite his temper, Cameron was an honest man—not your typical Hollywood director. He had even sketched Kate Winslet's nude scene using only her bikini photos for reference. Any other director would have had the actress strip down in front of him.
If Cameron believed Landau wasn't capable of such a crime… then maybe he really wasn't behind it.
So then… *who* poisoned the food?
Dunn sat on the couch, deep in thought.
Just then—
**Knock, knock, knock!**
The door opened to reveal George Paxton, looking *thrilled*.
"George? What's up?" Dunn gestured to the couch.
George had recently been promoted to assistant director. He had worked as a set assistant for six years but had no formal training in filmmaking. Dunn had promoted him out of friendship, but George clearly wasn't suited for the role.
Still, being untalented didn't mean he was dumb. On the contrary, George was *very* smart—and self-aware.
Sitting down, George hesitated for a moment before saying, "Dunn, I think… it'd be better if I went to the New York set."
"New York?" Dunn frowned. "You're the assistant director—why would you leave the set?"
George chuckled. "Come on, Dunn, I know I'm not cut out for this job. Everyone just tolerates me because of you. Instead of staying here, I'd be more useful scouting ahead for you in New York. I hear Landau has been there for weeks, right?"
Dunn's eyes suddenly widened.
George hesitated under his sharp gaze.
After a long silence, Dunn exhaled and said gravely, "George… *you* did it, didn't you?"
George remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Dunn, I won't lie to you."
Dunn's expression turned intense. "George, do you understand what you've done? This is *dangerous*!"
George smirked self-deprecatingly. "Dunn, I *know* my limits. But you—you're a genius. A rising star in Hollywood. You'll have plenty of talented people around you in the future. But me? I needed to prove my worth."
"You could go to *prison* for this!"
George smiled. "You'll get me out, won't you?"
Dunn's eyes darkened. After a long silence, he embraced George tightly.
"George… we're brothers for life."