[Chapter 27: Actresses Love Marrying Photographers]
As Daniel guided the prayer seal ash onto Gella's glabella, her eyelids fluttered open slowly. At first, her eyes showed confusion, but when she saw the room full of people -- especially Emma -- her gaze finally brightened.
She sat up abruptly, fumbling over her body before sighing in relief when she found nothing wrong.
"Emma, you... you all..." she stammered.
Seeing Gella awake, Emma visibly relaxed. "Gella, that was really dangerous just now. If we had been even a moment later, you would have..."
Gella's face still held traces of lingering fear. "I saw a black shadow just before everything went blank."
Daniel asked, "Just a black shadow? Anything else?"
Emma interjected, "This is Mr. Cross, a very powerful Exorcist. He's the one who saved you."
"Thank you, Mr. Cross," Gella quickly said, clearly showing signs of a refined upbringing.
Daniel waved his hand. "Besides the black shadow, what else do you remember?"
Gella thought hard and finally recalled, "I vaguely remember pulling the curtains... over and over."
Daniel pressed, "Anything else?"
She shook her head. "No, I don't remember."
Daniel nodded, an idea forming. "You'll come with us, so nothing else happens to you."
Without hesitation, Gella agreed.
Daniel asked, "What about your parents?"
"They're usually very busy and rarely home. Even when they do, it's late," Gella replied quietly.
Daniel nodded, choosing not to probe further.
The group left the room. Daniel arranged for the bodyguard and agent Meni to leave first later, hoping to avoid having to protect more people if that shadow came back.
If possible, Daniel wanted to bring just the two young women, but Julia wouldn't be comfortable with that; she insisted on staying.
The bodyguard hesitated at the order to leave early.
Julia said firmly, "Johnny, listen to Mr. Cross. After you drop us off, you and Meni can leave."
Daniel's recent display of power -- driving off the evil spirit and waking Gella -- had given Julia immense confidence. She trusted him implicitly.
Johnny didn't argue further.
...
About half an hour later, the nanny van pulled into a grand mansion's garage. Several luxury cars were already parked there.
After bidding farewell, Johnny and Meni each drove their own vehicles away.
Inside, Daniel only saw the household staff.
He asked Julia, "Where's your husband?"
Julia was married, Daniel recalled. His gaze drifted to her belly. By his estimation, she was pregnant -- carrying twins, no less.
But it was still early, so the bump wasn't very visible.
"He's filming out of town, not in Los Angeles," Julia explained.
Her husband was a famous photographer, often traveling with various film crews.
Daniel noticed an odd pattern: many actresses married photographers. Perhaps it was because photographers made them look good on camera?
He guessed but suspected the reality was more complicated.
He'd also heard that actresses' partners often cheated when they were pregnant.
These chaotic thoughts swirled in Daniel's mind.
"Take me to see it," Daniel said, suppressing his concerns.
"I'm tired, Emma. You take Mr. Cross to look around," Julia said, sinking onto the sofa -- the pregnancy making her easily fatigued.
Emma gladly took the lead, guiding Daniel and Gella through the mansion.
...
Daniel wanted to check for any threats inside.
The mansion truly lived up to its name -- six suites, three maids' rooms with separate circulation paths that didn't disturb the owners.
There was a temperature-controlled indoor pool, a fitness center, a private home theater, and multiple entertainment rooms.
The front and back yards together covered over ten thousand square feet.
Daniel was tempted by the luxury; his current living conditions were nothing in comparison.
Of course, this level of opulence came with a staggering price tag -- easily several million dollars.
For now, Daniel could only look.
He also recalled rumors that in 2025, the mansion was burgled after a fire disabled its security system, causing Julia major losses.
But that was two decades in the future; Daniel didn't mention it.
He inspected the mansion thoroughly but found no problems.
...
When Daniel confirmed the house was safe, Julia felt visibly relieved.
Daniel asked Gella, "Is the mark on your body still there?"
Gella turned around, pulled up her shirt to check, then faced him with a worried expression. "It's still there."
Daniel nodded. "That's good. Now that both of you are in one place, I'm not afraid that thing won't come."
Emma quickly asked, "When will it come?"
"Tonight, of course," Daniel said.
...
They had ordered a takeout pizza just to have something on the table while they waited. The box was open, but the food was barely touched. Everyone knew they were just passing time until nightfall.
Emma looked at Daniel, curiosity outweighing her nerves. "How can you tell if someone is really affected by a spirit?"
Daniel answered patiently, "You don't rely on a single sign. You look for patterns. Sudden personality shifts, strong reactions to certain places or objects, repeated disturbances around the same person. When several things line up, it's worth taking seriously."
Emma nodded, absorbing every word. "So it's not just feeling scared or having bad dreams?"
"No," Daniel said. "Fear alone proves nothing. It's consistency and shared experiences that matter."
Emma then asked, "So what actually happens during an exorcism?"
"The process has stages," Daniel explained. "First, I observe and confirm what we're dealing with. Then comes preparation -- protective steps for the people and the space. The final stage is confrontation, where I force the entity to leave or sever its attachment."
He added gently, "Don't worry. The most important thing for you two tonight is simple: stay calm and stay together. Let me handle the rest."
Emma and Gella both nodded seriously. "Okay."
Emma hesitated, then asked, "Have you handled many cases?"
"A handful," Daniel said calmly. "In the last one..."
He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes lifted toward the ceiling, then shifted sharply to the window.
Julia, Emma, and Gella tensed at once.
Julia lowered her voice. "Mr. Cross..."
Daniel raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
He slowly set down his chopsticks and whispered, "It's here."
*****
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