Chapter 7 The Exorcism

"Isn't this Tyler Sims' house? Why did you bring our boss here?"

Kelvin and Luke were taken aback to find themselves in front of the stunning villa.

Seeing their confused faces, Billy smiled smugly

"You guys probably don't know, but strange things have happened at Tyler’s house. They've consulted many priests to ward off the evil spirits, but nothing has worked.

"Now, they're seeking help from the community. If someone can get rid of the ghosts in their house, they'll receive 2000 dollars as a reward."

"Wow, as expected from the richest person in our class."

"I've wanted to do this for a while, but I was afraid to bring it up since you might get scared."

Luke and Kelvin raised their hands and cheered. "Why didn't you say so? Let's go get some money!"

Lana frowned upon hearing this. Who would have thought that her hands would be used to exorcise ghosts one day?

Still, she couldn't say no to it when she saw how eager the traffic light trio looked.

There were plenty of stories about ghosts. But just how many people had actually encountered them?

As Lana entered the villa with the guys, two middle-aged men ran out, screaming, "Ghosts!"

The butler who had come to welcome them looked at the men helplessly.

"This is bad. Two other men had been scared silly."

Chills ran down the guys' backs. They subconsciously huddled behind Lana for protection.

Lana remained calm. She had noticed that those two men who had run out had given off an unusual smell.

The group entered the villa, where they were welcomed by Tyler and his father, Mark Sims.

Tyler was surprised to see the guys.

"Why are you here?"

Billy grinned. "To help you exorcise the ghosts, of course!"

"Do you know them, Tyler?"

"They're my classmates."

Tyler was a little chubby, while Mark was quite overweight. They found Billy's playful expression very irritating.

Mark reached out to stop them. "Listen, don't blame me for not warning you. This isn't a joke. I can't give your parents an explanation if things go south."

Billy suddenly pushed Lana forward. "My guardian is right here. She's here to help us exorcise the demons."

The Sims were shocked. This lady seemed younger than Mark. She couldn’t be their guardian. Needless to say, these guys had to be lying.

Tyler sighed silently. These guys were usually good for nothing. It wasn't a surprise that they were willing to hire an actress just to get the reward.

Before they set off, Tyler gave them a final warning. "I'll be upfront with you. I won’t bear the consequences if you get scared or suffer psychological trauma from this."

It was up to them to heed his warning. He had tried his best.

Just as the butler was about to lead them to the haunted floor, Lana finally spoke.

"Mr. Sims, is there anyone else in the house besides you two and the household staff?"

Mark replied, "There's also Tyler’s mother. She's gone abroad for some business. The only other person left is my elderly father, George, who's been paralyzed for years.

"His health has deteriorated recently, and he's been on his deathbed for days. It seems he's waiting for a distant relative to visit him."

Lana nodded in understanding. Then, she and the traffic light trio followed the butler to the haunted floor.

Tyler was slightly worried. "Dad, do you think they'll be okay?"

Mark sighed. "I hope they don't wet their pants."

The haunted floor was on the third level of the villa. The butler escorted the group to the stairwell, but he refused to go further. He urged them to be cautious before swiftly leaving.

The layout of the third floor was simple. It had a central corridor with five rooms on each side. There was also a restroom used by the household staff at the very end of the corridor.

From what Lana had gathered, George Sims' room was on this floor.

Hardly anyone dared to come up here due to the haunting, especially at night. Hence, George had to spend his nights in this desolate place alone.

"It's quite well lit and safe here. It doesn't look like a haunted place."

"Exactly. It doesn't seem like our boss is going to get those 2000 dollars."

Just then, Luke, who was walking at the back, felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and looked at the empty corridor. Suddenly, his knees went weak.

"Who was that just now? Who tapped my shoulder?"

Billy, Kelvin, and Lana shook their heads. They had been walking in front of Luke. How could they have tapped his shoulder?

Luke became flustered. Could there really be a ghost?

As they were talking, the lights in the corridor suddenly flickered a few times before going out completely.

After what Luke had just experienced, the guys were scared. They huddled together, crying out for their parents.

In the dark, Lana was terrifyingly calm. She quickly made a decision. "Shh, don't make a sound. Put this on."

Puzzled, they took the masks Lana handed them. Why was she asking them to put on masks right now?

However, Lana's calm voice gave them some strength. The group donned the masks, followed Lana's instructions, and crouched down.

The ticking of the old clock near the stairwell was the only sound in the eerie darkness of the corridor.

Ten minutes later, the guys' legs started to become numb. It turned out that getting the 2000 dollars wasn't as easy as they had thought.

They were about to stand up and leave, but Lana suddenly pressed down on their shoulders with force. "Shh, look over there."

They looked in the direction Lana was pointing. The door to one of the rooms at the end of the corridor had opened. Then, a shadow emerged from within.

Was it a ghost?

The guys were so frightened that they almost wet themselves. Yet Lana’s eyes were filled with amusement.

Finally, it had arrived!

Lana whispered, "The ghost is out. What are you waiting for?"

While the guys were frozen with fear, Lana had already moved toward the shadow.

"Hey, wait … "

A cry came from the shadows, and the lights in the corridor turned on.

The guys were still in shock. They realized that Lana had somehow ended up at the end of the corridor with someone pinned beneath her.

It was an old man.

Once the lights came on, Lana released the man beneath her. She reached out a hand to help him up. "If I'm not mistaken, you must be Mr. Sims Senior."

The commotion upstairs had drawn the attention of the Sims family. They were all stunned to see Mr. Sims Senior in good health.

Wasn't he bedridden due to paralysis? How did he end up in the corridor? Were people here to kidnap him instead of exorcise the ghost?

Mark immediately grew angry and began berating the guys and Lana loudly.

"Who are these scoundrels? They had the guts to harm my father! Call the police quickly. Don't let them escape!"

Robbery and kidnapping were both major crimes. However, kidnapping carried a heavier sentence of at least ten years in prison.

The guys were dumbfounded. They hadn't expected this at all. They were too young to understand the situation and were utterly bewildered by Mark's attitude.

However, Lana remained fearless even in this tricky situation. She stood straight and asked, "Sir, I must ask—when did you see me lay a hand on your father?"

Despite their age difference, Lana's powerful demeanor starkly contrasted Mark's attitude. He cowered in fear under her intimidating presence.