The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1760

Seeing this, Tobias didn't sit down immediately. Instead, he glanced downward, frowning slightly. Being the Quinnell family's scion, he was direct in his approach. "I think I'll contact the director first."

Hearing this, Luna's expression turned slightly aggrieved. "Mr. Quinnell, what are you so worried about?"

"I'm not worried. This is just a professional decorum as an actor," Tobias replied with a smile.

His grin carried a mix of arrogance and charm, perfectly embodying the persona he was known for on-stage—rebellious and untamed.

"If we get secretly photographed, my fans would have to rush to clear up rumors. What a waste of their energy, don't you think?"

Despite the casual tone, he made no move to sit.

With only the two of them in the private room, any such photo would be difficult to explain. Tobias wasn't new to the entertainment industry and knew better than to take risks in situations like this.

Instead, he pulled out his phone. "I'd better check with the others about what's going on," he said and turned to leave.

Seated in her chair, it was as though Luna was struggling to move around. She merely clenched the fist resting by her side.

At that moment, Rickey arrived. Walking in behind Tobias, his voice was warm and friendly. "Tobias, why are you standing? Come and have a seat."

Several others entered the room with Rickey, including a few actors, the producer, and even Jocelyn.

Only when he saw more people enter did Tobias put away his phone, his suspicions easing slightly. With a smile, he said, "I was waiting for everyone to arrive."

"Take a seat," Rickey said, clearly intent on seating him next to Luna. He even gestured to a spot near her.

Though Tobias raised an eyebrow at this, he didn't argue. Nevertheless, he chose his own seat, deliberately placing himself far from Luna.

Fortunately, Rickey didn't insist, but for some reason, his movements seemed unusually slow, as if something were physically restraining him.

Tobias, noticing this, thought it was backache. "Mr. Lynn, you should walk around more on set. It's good for your back."

Rickey didn't respond and simply sat stiffly in his chair.

Feeling something was off, Tobias looked around as the others took their seats. He leaned toward a male actor, Wilbur Lefty, and asked, "Is Mr. Payton not coming?"

Aldous Payton was a veteran actor in the production and wasn't the type to skip such gatherings.

Wilbur shook his head wordlessly as he looked at Tobias, who felt an inexplicable unease but said nothing.

Rickey spoke again. "Why is the food not here yet?"

A voice from outside replied, "It'll be ready soon. Just a little longer."

Tobias raised an eyebrow. He hadn't noticed any waiter outside earlier.

Luna, sitting three seats away, asked, "Mr. Quinnell, is there anything you don't like to eat?"

He smiled faintly. "Not at all."

Rickey poured him a glass of wine. "Let's have a toast first."

The atmosphere seemed normal, easing some of Tobias' earlier discomfort. However, Aldous' absence still lingered in his mind.

Unwilling to stay too long, Tobias took out his phone to text Jacqueline, asking her to come pick him up sooner. But when he unlocked his phone, he realized the signal bars were nearly empty.

Tobias sighed. This wasn't unusual for shooting locations, where signal reception could be spotty at best.

"Mr. Quinnell, stop staring at your phone. There's no signal, anyway. Why not chat and play some games with us instead?" Wilbur, who had been silent earlier, suddenly spoke, startling Tobias.

"Exactly," Jocelyn chimed in, turning toward him. "Let's play some games!"

Tobias recognized Jocelyn as he'd seen her earlier. She was usually a pretty good-looking woman, but now her hair looked oddly messy.

"What game do you all want to play?" Tobias had matured over the years. Once known for his aloofness, he now understood the importance of maintaining a good image. After all, he couldn't afford to let rumors of arrogance surface again.

Wilbur spoke softly, "The atmosphere's perfect for a round of the Fairy Wish game. What do you think?"

Rickey seemed to like the idea of everyone bonding. "That's a great suggestion."

Tobias chuckled lightly. "Unfortunately, I don't know how to play."

Luna flashed a sweet, understanding smile. "It's okay if you don't. You'll figure it out quickly once we start."

"Exactly, Mr. Quinnell. It's super simple," Jocelyn added enthusiastically, clearly eager to play.

Not wanting to dampen everyone's enthusiasm, Tobias relented. "You all go ahead for the first round. I'll just watch."

"How can we play without you?" Luna glanced at Rickey.

With that, Rickey immediately chimed in, "Tobias, you're the lead actor. You can't skip this. Besides, I'll record it for some behind-the-scenes footage."

It was common knowledge that successful shows often needed engaging behind-the-scenes clips. With Rickey putting it this way, Tobias couldn't refuse anymore.

"Alright, let's start," Wilbur said, flipping a bowl upside down on the table. "Fairy, oh, fairy, why did the lead role in the neighboring drama go to some talentless actor instead of me? This isn't fair!"

Tobias couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Yet, he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Given that he was seated next to Wilbur, it was now his turn. All eyes in the room turned toward him, their gazes unnervingly eager, as if waiting for him to join the game.

Wilbur passed him the bowl. Just as Tobias was about to take them, a cold, alluring voice cut through the air from behind the curtain. "How come no one invited me to join the game?"

It was Dalton. He entered the room alone, without Crow. Clad in a black trench coat over a dark shirt, his refined and aloof demeanor made his sharp features appear even more striking.

No one else in the room knew Dalton's true identity. To them, he was just an ordinary friend of Tobias.

Tobias, however, shot Dalton a pointed look. He was clearly begging Dalton to reveal his identity as the investor. He assumed Dalton must have participated in such a gathering before, but Dalton had truly never attended one.

And, judging by the others' expressions, his presence wasn't welcome. Everyone's eyes took on an eerie hostility as they stared at him. This was especially true for Luna, whose displeasure at the disruption was palpable.

Dalton was unfazed by the stares and simply sat down beside Tobias. His commanding presence seemed to disrupt the entire room. Even Wilbur hesitated slightly, as if struggling to suppress some kind of instinct.

Luna forced a smile. "Of course, Mr. Quinnell's friend is welcome if he wants to play. Please, take the bowl."

To her, it didn't matter who played—once someone made a wish, they'd be caught in her web.

Dalton picked up the bowl, his thin lips curving slightly in a mocking smile.

Tobias leaned in and whispered, "Don't push yourself. Wynter will blame me for corrupting you if she finds out I allowed you to play this."

Dalton, still coughing lightly, raised his hand with an air of calm authority. He flipped the bowl upside down and said in a neutral tone, "What do I do next?"

"Back on set, I asked you what you wanted, and all you said was world peace. So, I had no choice but to drag all these people into the formation first."

As she spoke, her appearance began to change dramatically. Her long, draped hair grew unnaturally fast, spilling down her back. Her clothing shifted into a traditional Foplyanese outfit, and her mouth twisted grotesquely as it opened and closed like a lifeless puppet.

She sneered. "Now, let's see how you plan to escape."

Tobias stared at her, his face turning pale. "You're not Luna. Who are you?"

Her gaze darkened. "Who am I? Your dear sister knows very well. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have chosen this random body to possess. I should have been revived long ago, but now I'm stuck in this minor celebrity's body all because your family is as stubborn as a bull!"

As Luna spoke, the tables and chairs in the room began to levitate. She also rose off the ground, her long hair moving wildly, as if blown by an invincible wind.

In an instant, she lunged toward Tobias. Tobias instinctively raised the lucky token to block her, but Luna deftly avoided it, directing Rickey to approach him instead.

Unable to pull Dalton along, Tobias had no choice but to kick open the door and dash out.

He knew there was no way he could handle eight to nine people alone. He was also increasingly certain that these people were no longer human—he could tell just from their unnatural movements.

He initially thought dragging Dalton out of there would help, but as he stepped into the hallway, he was met with an overwhelming darkness stretching endlessly in every direction. There was no way to tell where to go.

Thankfully, it seemed that the possessed individuals weren't targeting Dalton for now.

Tobias kept racking his brain for a solution. He checked his phone again, only to find that there was still no signal.

Luna, watching his frantic retreat, let out a sinister, bloodthirsty laugh. "Whoever catches him first will have their wish granted!"

At her command, all the possessed people moved as one, rushing toward the door.

But just as they were about to step out, Dalton—who had been sitting quietly—finally moved. He shifted slightly to the side, raising his right hand. In an instant, everyone froze in place, as if nailed to the floor.

Luna, who had been floating in midair, twisted her neck stiffly to look at him. Her face betrayed pure shock. She couldn't understand how someone could resist her control even after making a wish.

Dalton remained motionless, standing at a distance from the group. "You're slow," he remarked indifferently.

He had been holding back, unwilling to reveal his abilities in front of Tobias. But now that things had escalated, his patience had worn thin.

With a casual flick of his sleeve, Luna plummeted from the air, crashing heavily to the ground. Her pale face turned even whiter, as if completely drained of blood.

She tried to stand but found herself completely immobilized, an unseen force pinning her down. Her limbs grew stiff, as though paralyzed.

"You! Who are you? You're not a cultivator! You don't have the energy of one! Who the hell are you?" Luna demanded.

Dalton didn't answer. As he walked forward, black feathers began to fall from above, blanketing the area. The scene looked like something out of a novel. As black mists surged around him, a crow landed gracefully on his shoulder.

Each step he took seemed to crush the malevolent spirits trying to crawl up from the ground beneath him. It was as though they were being burned into the void.

This sight left Luna completely frozen. She recognized him now! Yet, her body refused to move, leaving only her eyes darting around in sheer panic.

In the film crew's makeup room, a wooden doll began glowing faintly with an eerie green light. It trembled violently, trying desperately to escape.

Deep within her memories, the wooden doll finally recalled who Dalton was. She had never imagined that he was still alive. No matter how many lifetimes she had lived, she still had no idea of his true identity.

The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. In her previous life, Dalton had nearly obliterated her entirely. She knew she had to escape as far as possible!

But still, she couldn't help but wonder if the Quinnell family truly knew who he was.