[Chapter 258: Trick or Treat]
"My agent told me."
Scarlett stared into Daniel's eyes, her expression unsettled. "Disney's Enchanted? You want me to play a princess in a fairy tale?"
Daniel reached out and gently held her slender waist. "You don't like it?"
Scarlett pursed her lips, hesitation tinging her voice. "It's not that I don't like it. Every girl dreams of being a princess -- I'm no exception. But I just finished filming Michael Bay's high-intensity commercial blockbuster. Now I have to go back to playing a character who sings to woodland creatures and twirls in a puffy skirt... I just feel like it's not very challenging."
She lowered her head and gave a self-deprecating smile. "I always feel that for roles like this, all you really need is to be pretty."
Daniel said lightly, "With your current image, being pretty is the biggest challenge. This movie has huge commercial potential. It could completely pull you out of the slump after The Island."
Scarlett suddenly looked up, locking eyes with Daniel. "You really think that highly of it?"
"Do you doubt my judgment?"
Scarlett was silent for a few seconds, then sighed and buried her head in Daniel's shoulder. "Okay, since you've decided, I'll do it. Anyway, this kind of role isn't difficult for me, so I'll just treat it like a vacation on set."
She looked up, her eyes growing warm, fingertips lightly brushing the back of Daniel's neck.
"So... to thank the boss for giving me this 'vacation' opportunity, I have to show some sincerity."
Before Daniel could say a word, Scarlett kissed him. For the next three days, she stayed directly at the villa.
Aside from eating and a little sleep, every corner of the lavish mansion bore the marks of the their acitivities.
Scarlett's physique -- transformed by the Foundational Reinforcement Elixir and Osteogenic Elixir -- had reached an astonishing level of strength. But even then, facing Daniel's seemingly inhuman stamina, she found it somewhat overwhelming.
...
On the afternoon of the third day, the nanny van stopped at the villa entrance.
The door opened, and Scarlett stepped out, wearing large sunglasses and flat shoes.
Her outfit was very conservative, yet it couldn't hide her rosy, glowing complexion.
She paused on the steps, her right hand resting on the doorframe, her brows knitting slightly.
As she descended, her movements were unusually slow.
Each step caused her legs to tremble slightly, her balance unsteady.
Her walking posture was stiff and uncoordinated.
Daniel stood in the doorway, dressed in a loose bathrobe, holding half a glass of red wine.
Scarlett walked toward the car, glanced back at Daniel, and said weakly, "Daniel... I think Princess Giselle definitely shouldn't be running or jumping in the movie. Otherwise, in my current state... I wouldn't last half a minute."
Daniel swirled his wine glass and smiled. "That's because you thanked me a little too hard."
"You really are a monster."
Scarlett blushed and scolded him before getting in the car.
The vehicle slowly pulled away.
...
By October, Los Angeles already carried a noticeable chill in the mornings and evenings.
Thanks to Daniel's investment, Disney's Enchanted began filming several months ahead of schedule.
The set was located at a studio in Burbank.
At this moment, Scarlett stood in front of a green screen wearing an elaborate, fluffy pink princess dress, singing to the empty air.
Her 5'7" frame paired with the outfit, flawless ivory skin... in front of the cameras, she barely needed any filters.
During a break, Scarlett held her massive skirt as she sat in the shade, picking up her phone.
"Daniel, I received an invitation to a Halloween costume party. Do you want to go with me?"
She sent a message to Daniel.
Not long after, his call came in directly.
"Don't go to any parties." Daniel's tone was firm, "No parties, no outdoor Halloween activities. None."
Scarlett blinked, surprised. "Why? Didn't we go to Chris's party last year?"
Daniel's voice was serious. "Do you remember the killer clown from last year?"
Scarlett's grip on her phone tightened.
That scene from last year instantly returned to her mind.
Art, the Clown from Terrifier who murdered women on the street and kept moving even after being struck by lightning, was her lifelong nightmare.
"I... I remember," Scarlett's voice dropped.
Daniel said, "On nights like this, whatever usually hides in the shadows is most likely to cross the line. Stay home, be obedient, don't go anywhere."
Scarlett no longer hesitated. "Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll turn down all invitations."
Over the next half hour, Daniel called Amanda Seyfried, Megan Fox, Miranda, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba, and Rachel McAdams one by one.
Megan was a bit reluctant -- she'd wanted to show off her custom-made 'battle-damaged female warrior' costume. But after hearing Daniel say, "You might die," she fell silent and complied.
...
Time passed swiftly, and soon Halloween night arrived.
On the evening of October 31st, the streets of Los Angeles teemed with dancing demons -- and screams and heavy metal music echoed through the city.
Daniel sat on the villa's terrace, holding a pot of tea.
Succubus Chris leaned on the railing, watching the flickering city lights beneath the distant hills.
That night, Beverly Hills was bursting with life.
But Daniel's villa remained exceptionally quiet.
...
The next day: November 1st.
Before Daniel even got out of bed, his phone rang urgently.
He answered to hear Anne Hathaway's panicked voice, rapid and breathless.
"Daniel! Something happened! Sasha is in trouble!"
Daniel sat up, furrowing his brow. "Who's Sasha?"
"My best friend -- the girl who filmed that commercial with me!"
Anne was terrified, her voice shaking. "She didn't listen to me. She sneaked off to a 'Rule Party' held in the old town last night. This morning, she was found dead in her bathtub... No, it wasn't just death. Her body... her body was sliced open like a pumpkin pie!"
Daniel's eyes turned icy. "Where are you? Wait for me there. Don't touch anything in the house."
...
Half an hour later, Daniel arrived at a West Hollywood apartment.
Anne Hathaway cowered in the corridor corner, her agent Molly calming her.
Seeing Daniel, Anne threw herself into his arms, trembling uncontrollably.
"It's inside... in the bathroom."
Daniel pushed open the door, immediately assaulted by a powerful, mixed stench of decay and something sweet.
He stepped into the bathroom.
A young girl lay in the bathtub, shrouded in a bizarre bright orange robe.
Her abdomen was neatly cut open, internal organs removed.
In their place were half-burned candles and countless pumpkin seeds.
Most horrifying, her head was twisted 180 degrees.
On her pale face, a huge, twisted jack-o'-lantern smile had been carved.
On the bathroom mirror, a line of writing was smeared in blood:
"Trick or treat."
*****
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