[T/N: Sorry for the long delay. Summer holidays are finally over and I will be updating frequently from now on.]
[Chapter 161: A Visit from the Princess]
Before boarding the plane, Daniel had called Frank Douglas to ask for help finding a negotiation team.
Frank's efficiency was frighteningly fast -- he had already found one in no time. Daniel was a bit surprised.
"That quick?" Daniel asked.
Frank smiled. "Hollywood's full of people like this. You just have to ask a few friends, and you'll find reliable folks with solid track records."
Frank went on to explain. Such a team usually needs a professional lawyer. More specifically, an entertainment lawyer who knows Hollywood inside and out. There also had to be a finance and auditing team, plus a skilled negotiator to moderate. Finding all these people could be a major headache for Daniel, but for Frank, it was just a few phone calls.
"Alright," Daniel said. "I'll meet them tomorrow and send them to New York for detailed talks."
...
That evening, Frank treated Daniel to dinner as a welcome back. The next day, Daniel met with the negotiation team, went over everything in detail, and then sent them off to New York.
The team Frank had assembled was impeccable, truly professional, but the price wasn't cheap. A base salary of $100,000, plus an additional $100,000 after a successful negotiation, as Daniel requested.
...
In the days that followed, Daniel had some free time. He went to Cross Hall to check on things, but no customers had come by yet. However, Francia Raisa had kept Cross Hall spotless; it was cleaner than when Daniel had last been there.
"Mr. Cross." When Francia saw Daniel arrive, she was both happy and a little nervous.
Daniel asked about the recent situation. Everything was normal, so he was ready to leave again.
"Cross, long time no see."
"Cross, it's great to see you. You look even better than before."
"Cross, how about a drink?"
As Daniel walked down the street, the neighbors greeted him eagerly. He didn't even remember when they'd become so friendly. And when the previous contempt, and those looks that seemed to hope for his downfall had simply vanished.
But it didn't matter. When the gap between people grows too wide to measure, all scorn just turns into respect. Jealousy shifts into envy or even flattery.
Daniel nodded at them, gave a few polite responses, and then drove away.
---
Not long after he started driving, Daniel's phone rang. It was Francia. "Mr. Cross, a customer has come to the shop looking for you."
Daniel was speechless. They hadn't shown up while he was inside, but as soon as he left, they came. He had no choice but to turn back.
As he approached the shop, Daniel saw a silver Mercedes-Benz parked out front. He pulled in behind it, opened the door, and stepped out. Inside, by the shop door, he spotted the visitor. Seeing her, Daniel's eyes brightened slightly.
Hollywood had plenty of beauties, but their prime was usually short-lived. Even someone as stunning as Scarlett Johansson, after her role in The Avengers, had quickly gained weight, her figure grown soft, and signs of aging started to show. But a few exceptions had always been beautiful -- since their debut and even after marriage and children, still maintaining their looks and figure.
Anne Hathaway was one of those exceptions.
The two Princess Diaries movies had catapulted Anne to Hollywood stardom. While she lacked Scarlett's two Golden Globe Best Actress nominations and massive influence, the box office for those two films had far surpassed many of Scarlett's projects. Anne was one of the hottest actresses this year.
Anne hadn't come alone. Next to her stood a woman close to forty, dressed professionally -- her agent.
...
As Daniel entered, Anne looked up. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she immediately stood, asking, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Cross?"
Francia introduced them. "Yes, Ms. Hathaway, this is the Mr. Cross you're looking for."
Anne took two quick steps forward and reached out her hand. "Mr. Cross, hello."
"Hello, Ms. Hathaway. Please, have a seat." Daniel shook her hand and motioned toward a chair.
Once everyone was seated, Francia brought a cup of coffee for Daniel. Finally, with Francia around, Daniel's shop no longer served only bottled drinks. Anne and her agent had been drinking the coffee Francia brewed. Daniel took a sip; it tasted familiar -- the same as the coffee Francia made at his home.
Daniel examined Anne Hathaway carefully, noticing a faint layer of dark energy lingering on her face. It confirmed she'd indeed encountered something supernatural.
"Ms. Hathaway," Daniel asked, "tell me, what kind of problem have you been experiencing?"
Anne sighed. "I haven't been sleeping well lately. Nightmares haunt me, and I see shadows floating through my house. But when I look closer, they vanish. Also, before I go to bed, I make sure all the doors and windows are locked. But in the middle of the night, I find some of them open on their own."
Anne paused. "Large bruises have appeared on my body. I went to the doctor, and he said the bruises aren't from impact but look like some kind of lesion. He prescribed medicine, but it hasn't helped."
"It was Molly," Anne added, glancing at her agent. "She was the one who suggested I might be dealing with something supernatural and told me to find an Exorcist."
Before coming to Daniel, Anne had already called an Exorcist. He'd come to her house and performed an exorcism ritual. But nothing changed. Afraid to live at home, Anne had moved to a hotel. Still, the nightmares continued, and the bruises kept appearing.
She was truly panicked. She asked around for a powerful Exorcist and eventually found her way to Daniel.
"Did you just move into a new house?" Daniel asked.
Anne nodded quickly. "Yes. It's a new place I bought. I never expected this to happen."
She seemed to be annoyed with the house. "I regret buying that house more than anything. Even though I don't live there anymore, I can't shake this."
"Where exactly are your bruises? Can I see them?" Daniel asked.
Anne hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Is there somewhere private?"
Daniel stood. "Follow me."
He led Anne to the inner room. "We can do it here."
Anne looked around. It was private enough. After a brief hesitation, she took a deep breath and began to undress.
She removed her coat, revealing a lightweight base layer underneath. Crossing her arms, she grabbed the hem and pulled it over her head.
Daniel immediately saw her snow-white, delicate skin covered only by intimate underwear.
Anne turned her back to him, revealing a patch of bruising on her back.
At first glance, the bruise looked like an impact, but it was quite large, irregularly shaped, and carried a shadowy blackness mixed into the blue and purple hues.
Daniel frowned. "Any others?"
Anne's expression froze. After a long moment, she answered quietly, "Yes."
"Can I see them?" Daniel pressed.
Anne didn't respond immediately. She put her shirt back on, then started to remove her pants.
*****
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