[Bennett Mansion]
Inside her room, Kathrine sat on the edge of her bed, staring intently at the note in her hand.
The handwriting was bold and taunting — every letter deliberate, every word ant to provoke.
Looking for the truth? Then you’ll have to work harder, babygirl.
Her eyes narrowed, a storm brewing in their depths.
This wasn’t so prank. Soone had broken into her locked car just to leave this ssage — and that alone told her exactly what kind of person she was dealing with.
Her grip on the paper tightened, crumpling the edges slightly. A humorless smile curved her lips.
"Well," she muttered under her breath, "I guess I’m not the only one digging for answers."
But beneath her calm exterior, a flicker of unease stirred. Whoever had left the note wasn’t just confident — they were skilled. And from the looks of it, they were playing the ga a few moves ahead of her.
Kathrine stared at the note for another mont before setting it aside. Whatever it ant, she’d figure it out — later. For now, she had other matters to handle.
It was the weekend, but she’d sohow managed to secure a eting with ’Mark Anderson’ — sothing she’d been chasing since yesterday.
"It’s strange," she murmured to herself while slipping on her earrings. "Yesterday he flatly refused, and now he suddenly agrees? What changed overnight?"
She frowned briefly but shook the thought away. It didn’t matter how she’d gotten the eting — only that she had it. Especially since it was tied to the project her father had been working himself to the bone for.
Grabbing her handbag, Kathrine headed downstairs. But just as she reached the front hall, she caught sight of her mother, Roseline, elegantly descending the staircase — dressed in soft beige silk, every inch the image of grace and pride.
"Mom? Are you going sowhere?" Kathrine asked, pausing mid-step.
Roseline froze for half a heartbeat before turning, her expression instantly composed. Her eyes, however, flickered briefly — betraying a hint of surprise.
It was starting to feel intentional, how Kathrine always seed to cross paths with her whenever she was heading out. But glancing at her daughter’s attire, Roseline realized she too was prepared to leave.
"I could ask you the sa thing," Roseline replied smoothly, her tone refined and practiced. A small smile touched her lips. "Are you going sowhere, Kathrine?"
"Yes," Kathrine said plainly. "I’m eting soone on Dad’s behalf. You must know Mark Anderson — I have a eting with him."
Roseline’s smile wavered just slightly as she processed the na.
Mark Anderson... the CEO behind the Anderson Project. The sa project Hugo had been tirelessly working on.
Before she could dwell on it further, Kathrine’s voice pulled her back.
"What about you, Mom? Who are you eting today?"
Roseline blinked, her composure snapping back into place. "It’s a social gathering with my friends," she said smoothly, her tone brightening. "I’ve just been elected as the new leader of our community group."
Kathrine nodded, not surprised. Her mother was always particular about her reputation — every charity event, luncheon, and committee position was a performance ant to keep her relevant in the city’s elite circles.
’No wonder she’s dressed so perfectly today,’ Kathrine thought wryly.
"Alright then," she said finally, offering a polite smile. "I’ll head out first. See you later."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and made her way to the car.
Roseline stood there, smiling faintly as she watched her daughter leave. But the mont the car disappeared beyond the gates, her smile faded — replaced by a look far colder, far heavier.
Only when she heard the distant sound of the engine fade completely did she turn toward the door.
"Let’s go," she said curtly to her driver.
And without another word, the car pulled away from Bennett Mansion — its direction entirely different from where Kathrine was headed.
***
[Jason’s Office]
"So what you’re saying," Jason began slowly, rubbing his temples, "is that to get closer to your wife, you disguised yourself as DarkKnight_07... because you wanted to keep other n away from her?"
He blinked twice, as if hoping the words would change if he looked hard enough. But Daniel’s expression remained stoically calm — the sa infuriating calm that only made it worse.
Jason leaned back in his chair, muttering under his breath, "Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Did I miss sothing, or have you developed a split personality since the last ti we spoke?"
Beside him, Henry gave a small, nervous nod. "He’s not joking, Doctor. It’s... uh, very real."
Jason dropped his pen, slumping back in his seat. "Fantastic. My best friend, the brilliant, cold, calculated businessman — turns out to be a jealous husband catfishing his own wife."
Daniel ignored the jab, his tone turning almost icy. "And now," he said flatly, "I’m jealous that my wife seems more interested in my virtual persona than ."
Jason and Henry exchanged looks — one stunned, one horrified.
Daniel’s jaw clenched as his thoughts drifted back to the night before.
Anna — bold, unflinching, and rciless had turned the tables on him in a way that still made his pulse quicken. She had punished him, pushed him to his limits, and just when he thought she’d surrender, she’d pulled away and left him hanging.
He should’ve been furious. Instead, he’d been... captivated.
But the thrill quickly soured when she’d brought up DarkKnight_07 — his own alias — right to his face. She’d said it so casually, with that little spark of curiosity in her voice, as if she had no idea who she was talking to.
Jason studied Daniel for a long mont, torn between fascination and sheer disbelief. "You do realize how insane that sounds, right?"
Henry nodded in frantic agreent. "Yeah, boss. You basically... rivaled yourself. Against yourself."
Daniel’s eyes narrowed, his voice a dangerous whisper. "I know exactly what I did, Henry."
The air grew thick, his tone so cold it sent a shiver down both n’s spines.
Jason sighed heavily. "You really need therapy."
Henry nodded again. "Yeah... or an exorcist."
Daniel didn’t respond. He simply leaned back in his chair, eyes glinting faintly with mischief.
Because deep down, even if he’d driven himself to the edge he wasn’t done playing this ga yet.
"Why is he smiling like that?" Henry whispered, sharing a worried glance with Jason.
Jason didn’t answer mostly because he didn’t know either.
He had assud Daniel’s early morning visit was about those recurring dreams he’d ntioned, the ones so vivid they almost felt real. But now, it turned out Daniel had co all this way... just to discuss his jealousy over a persona he himself created.
Jason exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Of course," he muttered. "Because that’s perfectly normal behavior."
"Listen to , Daniel," Jason said aloud, straightening in his chair. "Whatever plan you’re plotting in that head of yours make sure it doesn’t backfire."
Daniel’s faint smile disappeared. His expression hardened, brows furrowing as his gaze locked onto Jason. "What do you an?"
Jason t his eyes steadily, unwilling to back down. "I an," he said firmly, "don’t get too comfortable playing your little online double life. If your wife finds out that DarkKnight_07 is actually her husband—" He paused, letting the words sink in. "—then I doubt the divorce would take long to follow."
The silence that followed was heavy. Even Henry, usually the talkative one, didn’t dare breathe too loudly.
Daniel’s jaw clenched, and a shadow crossed his features. He didn’t appreciate the reminder or the truth buried in it.
"That’s never going to happen," Daniel said coldly, his tone leaving no room for argunt. "I’ll make sure of it."
Jason exchanged a helpless look with Henry.
anwhile, Henry’s thoughts were practically screaming. Boss, please... your confidence is starting to sound a lot like overconfidence.
He swallowed hard, his mind spinning. He knew how fragile Daniel and Anna’s relationship still was hanging by threads of tension, attraction, and pride. And now Daniel was risking all of it for a ga that could explode in his face any mont.
Jason sighed again, pushing back in his chair. "You’re playing with fire, Daniel," he said quietly. "And the more you think you can control it, the faster it burns."
Daniel didn’t respond. He only stared out the window, his jaw tight as though sowhere deep down, a small part of him knew Jason might be right.
"Anyway," Jason said, deciding it was ti to steer the conversation away before Daniel froze the entire room again. "What about those dreams of yours? Did you get one last night?"
He watched Daniel closely, relieved to finally see a flicker of normalcy — a faint trace of sothing human in his otherwise stoic expression.
Daniel’s gaze shifted, his tone low but even. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Not last night."
Henry, who’d been unusually quiet, leaned forward with a sigh. "Well, how could you, boss? You look like soone who hasn’t slept in days. Those panda eyes aren’t exactly dream-friendly."
Jason didn’t even have ti to chuckle before Daniel turned his head sharply, shooting Henry a glare that could’ve turned him into stone.
Henry’s words died instantly. He slapped his hand over his mouth, eyes wide.
Jason stared at him, deadpan. "Henry, I swear you have the survival instincts of a moth."
Henry pouted silently, shrinking back in his chair.
Jason exhaled through his nose and turned back to Daniel, shaking his head. He really needs to be teleported into the Pacific Ocean before he says sothing suicidal again.
"Alright," Jason said, forcing a calm tone. "So no dreams last night. That’s good, I suppose." He studied Daniel a mont longer. "You’ve been having them often, haven’t you?"
Daniel didn’t respond right away, his eyes distant for a mont as if the question had pulled him sowhere else entirely.
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