[Chapter 282: Monica Bellucci's Family Matters]
No wonder she said her name was Monica.
Isn't this Monica Bellucci?
Though she was already over forty, that mature elegance and breathtaking charm radiating from her very bones still drew the gaze of anyone nearby, impossible to look away from.
As expected of Monica Bellucci.
Even now, her eyes red and her face worn, her grace was undeniable. Her mature figure was even more curvaceous than in her youth.
"Hello, Mr. Cross."
Monica stood, her breath a bit uneven. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes; she hadn't expected the famed Mr. Cross to be so young.
Daniel's Spiritual Sense scanned the entire villa -- no one else was present. It seemed it was only the two of them here.
Uninterested in others' business, Daniel didn't pry.
"Please sit, Ms. Bellucci."
He casually gestured to the leather sofa across from him, as if he owned the villa.
Monica sat uneasily, leaning forward slightly, her anxiety obvious. Her fair, slender hands were tightly clasped.
"Mr. Cross, please... save my daughter."
"Tell me everything. I need details," Daniel's voice was detached. "That day in Derry Town, besides the heavy rain, what else did you see? Or, did your daughter act strangely before disappearing?"
Monica inhaled deeply, steadying herself. "It was pouring that day. I had parked by the roadside to buy cigarettes. Before I got out, my daughter suddenly pointed outside and said, 'Mommy, there's a balloon over there.'"
Daniel narrowed his eyes. "A balloon? What color?"
"Red." Monica's voice trembled further. "I thought it was just some clown or store promoter, so I didn't pay attention. I told her to lock the doors. But when I returned two minutes later, the car door was open and my daughter was gone. Only a red balloon was tied to the back of the passenger seat, slowly deflating."
Daniel pressed on. "How did the local police handle it?"
"They checked surveillance footage, but heavy rain had made all the convenience store cameras static that day." Monica covered her face, tears slipping through her fingers. "The cops' attitude was odd. They didn't seem surprised that someone was missing; they just took the report mechanically."
Daniel asked, "Anything else?"
Monica thought hard, then said, "I met an old man. He said, 'It's starting again.' He told me my daughter wasn't the first child to disappear in that town. Several children have recently vanished. Twenty-seven years ago, a large number went missing too. None were ever found."
"Twenty-seven years?" Daniel frowned.
Now he was almost certain what Monica had encountered. This was the horror story from the movie It.
In that film, a clown named Pennywise terrorizes a town. It's not human but an ancient evil from another dimension that awakens every twenty-seven years to feed on the fear of children. It can transform into the shape of a child's deepest fear and has powerful hallucination and mind-control abilities. Because it manipulates ordinary perception, adults in Derry Town often appear bizarrely indifferent to the disappearances.
Daniel continued, "Monica, you said your daughter has been missing five days?"
She nodded quickly.
Daniel's face darkened. "She's in danger."
Monica panicked. "Mr. Cross, please save her. She's only three."
Daniel said, "The monster that took your daughter is powerful. For one million dollars, I'll do my best. An advance of two hundred thousand dollars is required. If I fail, the advance is refundable."
"All right."
Monica quickly dug in her handbag, took out a checkbook, and wrote a check for two hundred thousand dollars, and handed it over.
Daniel looked at the check, then with a flick of his wrist, it vanished into the System space.
Seeing the check disappear, Monica was briefly stunned.
But she had no time for amazement and anxiously asked, "Mr. Cross, what now?"
"Do you have a map in your house?"
Monica found this strange but quickly produced one.
Daniel studied the map, soon pinpointing Derry Town.
"Follow me."
He strode to the villa's exit.
Standing in the middle of the lawn, he gazed at the sky.
It was afternoon; they should reach there before dark.
He glanced at Monica, who stood nearby, tightly wrapped in a trench coat.
"Come here," Daniel beckoned.
Monica hesitated briefly but then walked over in her heels.
"Hold me tight," Daniel said flatly.
Her body froze.
She looked at the younger man before her, a flash of intense disgust and sorrow in her eyes.
After so many years in Hollywood, she'd seen this before. Men cloaked selfish desires in lofty words.
She'd expected this famous "Master" to be different. But with her daughter's life at stake, he still made such a request.
"Mr. Cross..." Monica bit her lip, voice trembling with suppressed anger. "At a time like this, you actually think like that?"
Daniel said nothing, simply watching her.
"If you want to save your daughter, you'll do as I say. My time is valuable."
Monica closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. For her daughter, she would endure anything.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Daniel's waist.
That mature, captivating body -- its incredible curves and vitality were apparent even through her clothes. Her entire form pressed closely against his, her warmth and steady heartbeat unmistakable.
She leaned in close, her breath sweet as orchids but tone cold as steel, "Mr. Cross, is this enough? If you need, we can do it right here -- on the lawn, or inside the house. As long as you bring my daughter back afterward."
Daniel felt the slight trembling and fury in her arms but remained expressionless.
"Quiet. Hold on tight."
Before Monica could respond, Daniel stomped his foot.
Buzz--!
A fierce blast of air erupted beneath them.
Monica cried out in surprise as her body suddenly became weightless and soared upward.
The roaring wind thundered in her ears; reflexively, she opened her eyes.
Looking down, she was speechless.
Below, the villa and streets rapidly shrank.
They were flying.
This man really wasn't flirting -- he was carrying her into the sky.
At that moment, all of Monica's anger and humiliation vanished, replaced by pure shock.
Staring at Daniel's cold profile, she felt too embarrassed to even speak.
She finally understood: in this man's eyes, this body that had driven countless men crazy was truly just "luggage."
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
https://discord.gg/HjHHhUXPn7.