[Chapter 129: Unexpected Guest]
Looking at the person on the security screen, Daniel was genuinely surprised.
Wasn't she filming in Detroit? Why did she suddenly come here?
It was Scarlett.
Daniel pressed the buzzer to open the gate and stepped into the courtyard to greet her. Sure enough, Scarlett stood at the entrance holding a small suitcase. Surprisingly, she was alone, no driver, no bodyguard, and no car.
"Daniel."
Scarlett gave Daniel a sweet smile and walked over to hug him.
Daniel hugged her back. "Why did you come... alone? That's pretty risky."
He was telling the truth. Given the public safety situation in the area, what Scarlett was doing was indeed dangerous, though things were better during the day.
Scarlett laughed. "Didn't you say last time you needed to talk to me about something? I flew over to find out what it was."
"Didn't we agree to wait until you finished filming?" Daniel felt a warmth in his chest. This girl really took his words seriously.
"Anyway, I don't have anything going on this weekend. I'm just staying at the hotel nearby."
Her face was full of sweet smiles; she clearly looked happy to see him.
"Come on, let's go inside and talk."
Daniel took the suitcase from her hand and led her into the house.
As soon as they stepped inside, Scarlett froze. "She is..."
Scarlett looked from Daniel to Francia. At first, she thought Francia might be Daniel's girlfriend. But she quickly realized she wasn't. Scarlett had met Amanda before, and Amanda didn't look like this. Amanda was noticeably taller than Francia.
Francia was also stunned to see Daniel leading a female celebrity into the house. She hurriedly stood up. "Don't get the wrong idea, there's nothing going on between me and Mr. Cross."
She had also mistaken Scarlett for Daniel's girlfriend.
"If you don't know what to say, just keep quiet." Daniel gave Francia a sharp glare. "Let me introduce you. Francia is a client who hired me for an exorcism. Because she's currently being targeted by a Malevolent Spirit, it's very dangerous, so she has to stay here. That way, I can monitor any Malevolent Spirit that might appear near her. And Scarlett is my... friend."
After hearing Daniel's introduction, Scarlett visibly relaxed. But when she heard "friend," her heart sank a bit, and she felt a little uncomfortable.
Francia immediately approached and said nervously, "Hello, Miss Johansson. You can call me Francia or Thea."
Scarlett smiled. "Hello, Thea."
Daniel asked, "Have you had breakfast?"
Scarlett shook her head. "No."
"I... I'll go make some." Francia hurried toward the kitchen.
Meeting Scarlett's questioning gaze, Daniel explained, "She's currently studying acting at an acting school and doesn't have much money. Plus, she's a very kind girl. I only charged her $100 for this exorcism."
Scarlett looked at Daniel in surprise. "Daniel, I didn't expect you to be such a compassionate person."
Daniel smiled. "It depends on the person."
He glanced at the suitcase beside him. "Are you planning to stay here for the weekend?"
Scarlett's eyes lit up. "Can I?"
"Of course. Come on, pick your room."
...
After Scarlett's room was arranged, Francia finished making breakfast for her. Although Scarlett's breakfast was hot, Daniel and Francia's plates had already gone cold. Fortunately, neither of them was too particular, and they ate the cold food anyway.
After breakfast, the three discussed where to go for fun.
Francia suggested seeing a movie. But when they scrolled through the listings online, they found nothing worth watching. September was the off-peak season for theaters.
In general, the slot was usually filled with low-budget horror, thriller, and suspense films. However, in this world, there were no horror movies, so, only thrillers and suspense.
They looked over recent releases. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, a sci-fi action thriller starring Jude Law and Angelina Jolie, about fighting aliens and considered a blockbuster. But it only had a 6.1 rating.
Collateral, released last month, a thriller crime film starring Tom Cruise, had only done average at the box office.
Then there were some historical films, biopics, and suspense movies. But without exception, none were very good. The thrillers had only the thriller part, the historicals only the history.
They abandoned the idea of suffering through a movie at the cinema.
Besides, Daniel was worried that Samara might crawl out of the movie screen while they watched. That would be quite the entertainment.
Scarlett suggested going to an arcade to play games, but Daniel vetoed it. Arcades had too many screens and were more dangerous. There were just too many unpredictable factors.
"Then let's just play at home." Scarlett grinned. "Let's go buy a console and play here."
"That works." Daniel agreed.
They drove to a mall, bought a console, came back, and hooked it up to the TV. Scarlett specifically chose her favorite game, Mario Kart.
Daniel looked at the crude graphics and really couldn't stand it. His eyes, spoiled by later AAA blockbusters, simply couldn't handle it.
But Scarlett played enthusiastically, and Francia was interested too. The two of them quickly started playing together.
The day passed like that.
For dinner, they went to Salt & Fire Restaurant and had a good meal. The trip back was uneventful, and nothing happened.
...
The room Scarlett chose was next to Daniel's but opposite Francia's.
Late at night, the three were in their respective rooms.
Scarlett tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She didn't even know why she had impulsively rushed over this time.
Originally, she had mustered the courage to properly move her relationship with Daniel forward. But Francia's presence had interrupted her plans. She'd have to look for another chance.
...
The whole night passed quietly. Samara seemed to have vanished completely.
The next morning, Francia made breakfast again, this time pancakes and scrambled eggs.
Scarlett had to return to the set for filming later that day, catching a flight in the afternoon.
"Goodbye, Scarlett."
Daniel drove her to the airport and hugged her goodbye.
"Goodbye, Daniel. I had a great weekend." Scarlett hugged him tightly in return.
When saying goodbye to Francia, they shared only a brief hug before parting.
"Goodbye, Daniel."
Scarlett kept waving as she walked into the airport.
Watching her leave, Daniel said to Francia, "We should head back too."
He glanced at Francia; the Death energy still clung to her face, giving her a look of impending doom. It was precisely because of this that Daniel remained so cautious.
But Samara seemed to be playing guerrilla warfare, hiding somewhere unknown and never showing herself.
And so, three more days passed with no trace of Samara.
"It seems this is the only way," Daniel said to Francia. "Come on, let's go to your place."
*****
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