"Arg! Why am I not able to sleep?"
Anna groaned, jerking upright on her bed, her hair falling in ssy waves over her shoulders. Her glare darted straight toward the door, that stupid, silent door that refused to open.
It had been the sa every night for the past few days. The sa restless tossing. The sa silence. The sa ridiculous, infuriating thought —’ what if Daniel walks in?’
Only he didn’t.
And that tiny, traitorous part of her that hoped he would... gnawed at her nerves.
"Ugh!" she huffed, grabbing her pillow and slamming it against the bed. "Why am I even thinking about that man?"
Ever since Betty’s teasing that playful, maddening suggestion that Daniel might actually love her , Anna’s emotions had been a chaotic ss.
She had brushed it off then, laughing it away as one of Betty’s silly romantic fantasies. But that conversation had planted sothing dangerous in her head , sothing she couldn’t quite shake off.
And now, here she was, lying wide awake and questioning every single thing Daniel had done.
The way he defended her. The way he looked at her sotis too intense, too unreadable. The way he touched her, careful and yet... not made her breath hitch.
Her jaw tightened as she exhaled sharply through her nose.
"I should’ve known it was all montary," she muttered bitterly, glaring at the door as though it had all the answers. "Now he’s probably regretting what happened between us."
Because that was Daniel always in control, always detached the mont things got too real.
He’d disappear for days, pretending nothing had happened. And every ti, she told herself she didn’t care. That she didn’t need him.
Only this ti... it stung.
’Still...’
Her thoughts trailed as a long sigh escaped her lips. She rolled over and reached for her glass of water only to find it empty.
"Ha..." she muttered dryly, staring at the glass as if it betrayed her too. "Of course. I finished it hours ago. Because why not? Tonight just keeps getting better."
With an exaggerated groan, she swung her legs off the bed and stood up. "Fine. I’ll get more. Maybe walking around will help fall asleep."
Barefoot, she padded out of the room and headed straight to the kitchen.
***
anwhile, inside the study, Daniel was leaning over his desk, his eyes heavy with exhaustion but his mind far from done. The phone buzzed, and he imdiately picked it up.
Henry’s voice crackled through the line. "Boss, I checked the details. Apart from Hugo, the nominee for those dummy accounts is his wife — Rosiline Bennett."
Daniel’s fingers stilled mid-tap on the desk. His expression darkened almost instantly.
’Rosiline Bennett...’
The na rolled through his mind like a sudden chill.
It couldn’t be... could it?
He knew Hugo was a greedy, manipulative man who’d sell his soul for a deal. But Rosiline? She’d always appeared so poised, so warm. A woman of grace and charity. During his ti with Kathrine, she’d even treated him kindly, as if she truly cared.
That was the version of her he rembered, the one who smiled sweetly at every party, the woman who made others believe in her generosity.
But appearances... had fooled him before.
"Boss?" Henry’s tired voice broke the silence. "Can I go to sleep now?"
Daniel blinked, montarily thrown by the sudden whine.
"O-okay," he said, distractedly. "Goodnight."
The line disconnected, and for a second, Daniel just stared at the phone in his hand, processing.
Sowhere across town, Henry collapsed face-first onto his couch, clutching a pillow, muttering curses about his cruel, workaholic boss while begging his wife not to lock him out again.
Daniel exhaled sharply and set his phone down. "Weirdo," he muttered under his breath. "Why would I want him awake?"
He leaned back, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair, his other hand propping up his head as he stared at the half-finished report before him.
Everything pointed to the Bennetts but which one? Hugo, the scher? Or Rosiline, the so-called saint?
He pinched the bridge of his nose, his patience thinning.
Nothing added up.
Taking the glass of water beside him, he downed it in one gulp, trying to clear his head. But the more he thought about it, the murkier it got.
’If Rosiline really is behind Kathrine’s disappearance,’ he thought grimly, ’then this isn’t just about money anymore.’
Daniel leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the reports spread across his desk, when a sudden wave of heat rolled through his body.
He frowned, loosening the top button of his shirt. "Why the hell is it so hot in here?"
Reaching for the remote, he lowered the temperature by several degrees, the hum of the air conditioner filling the room. But instead of cooling him down, the heat only worsened, spreading like liquid fire under his skin.
His pulse quickened. His throat felt dry. His muscles tensed.
"What..." he muttered, pushing back from the desk. "What’s happening to ?"
He tried to stand, but the mont he moved, the world tilted. A sharp rush of dizziness slamd into him, forcing him to grab the edge of the table for support.
His breathing grew heavy, erratic. Beads of sweat ford on his forehead despite the cold air blasting through the room.
Daniel rarely fell ill, his body was disciplined, trained to endure sleepless nights and stress. But this... this was different. It wasn’t exhaustion. It was sothing else entirely, sothing invading his system, making his blood run hot and his thoughts blur.
"Damn it," he hissed through gritted teeth, stumbling toward the side of the desk. "What’s wrong with—"
"Master, are you okay?" a voice sliced through the haze.
Daniel blinked, forcing his eyes open to see a figure standing at the doorway.
Kira stood there her expression painted with feigned concern. before she rushed toward him the mont he swayed.
"Master, you’re burning up," she gasped, reaching for his arm.
Daniel’s instincts scread at him. He jerked away, his voice sharp despite the weakness creeping into it. "Don’t touch ."
Kira froze, masking the flash of annoyance that passed through her eyes with another layer of worry. "Please, Master. You look pale. Let help you to your room."
She moved closer again, her hand brushing against his sleeve — light, deliberate, persistent.
Daniel staggered back, his breathing labored. The air around him seed thicker, heavier, almost suffocating. He could feel his body betraying him, his strength slipping away with every passing second.
His vision swam, the room spinning into smudged outlines of light and shadow.
"Get... away..." he tried to command, but his voice cracked midway, barely more than a whisper.
Kira’s lips curved, just faintly, with a flicker of satisfaction behind her mask of worry.
’Perfect,’ she thought, watching the mighty Daniel Clafford falter before her eyes.
"Master, please," she murmured, steadying him by the shoulders as if she were helping. "You’re unwell. Let take care of you."
But Daniel barely heard her. His head felt heavy, his body unbearably hot, and his mind slipping into fog.
He could sense it now, sothing foreign coursing through his veins. A drug. A toxin.
His heart thudded painfully as realization dawned.
The water...
He had just drunk it minutes ago. The strange taste, the faint sweetness he’d dismissed it then. But now, everything clicked.
His hands tightened weakly around the edge of the desk, his glare struggling to focus on the woman before him. "What... did you... do..."
Kira’s eyes widened theatrically, though the smirk she tried to suppress betrayed her.
"Master, I don’t understand what you an," she said softly, her tone dripping with false innocence as she pretended to steady him.
But Daniel’s sharp eyes, even half-lidded and dazed, caught the faint curl of her lips, the flash of triumph that shattered her act until another voice cut through the silence.
"He said to let go."
Kira’s head snapped toward the doorway, but before she could steady herself, Anna crossed the room like a storm and slapped her hard.
"Aah!" Kira hit the floor, fingers flying to her cheek, eyes wide with shock and humiliation. Her voice startled, "Madam what are you—" but soon it died.
Anna didn’t wait for an explanation and shot her eyes back. "This is your only warning, Kira. One word out of you and you’ll wish you hadn’t been born," she hissed, the nace in her voice leaving no room for argunt.
A fra crashed sowhere behind them, the sound of glass shattering and Daniel staggered into view, leaning against the study wall, panting. He looked wrecked: sweat pearling at his temples, color drained from his face.
Anna’s anger evaporated in an instant. She abandoned the theatrics and rushed to his side, cupping his face with both hands. His skin was fever-hot beneath her thumb.
"Daniel, what’s wrong?" Her voice trembled despite her effort to stay steady.
He tried to answer, but the words ca out ragged. "An—" He blinked hard, breath hitching. His hand found hers and held on with a small, desperate strength.
Anna moved without hesitation. "Co on. I’ll get you to the bedroom." She looped his arm over her shoulders and braced his waist, guiding him with careful, determined steps.
Daniel leaned into her as if she were the only thing keeping him upright.
From the floor, Kira watched them go. Her cheek stung and her pride burned, but the fury in her eyes was colder now, less surprise, more calculation. She rose, one hand rubbing her reddened face, the other clenching into a fist.
"You bitch," she spat under her breath, voice low and lethal. "This isn’t over."
As the study room’s door closed behind Anna and Daniel, Kira sank back on the carpet and smoothed her hair, already stitching together the next move.
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