Roseline, anwhile, pressed her lips together. She did rember Kira—the maid from Clafford Mansion. But her involvent with Collin? That part remained a dark, confusing void.
"By the way," she said carefully, shifting the subject, "is everything okay with the investors? I heard there was an urgent board eting about... the situation with ."
Her voice was timid, as though afraid that even asking might spark trouble she wasn’t prepared to face. The uncertainty in her eyes made Hugo’s chest tighten.
Hugo hesitated for a mont, debating whether to soften the truth. But the way Roseline looked at him—wide-eyed, anxious, searching—made him abandon the idea. She had already been blindsided once. She didn’t need more shadows.
He sat down beside her, gently taking her hand.
"Roseline... the eting wasn’t just about reassuring the investors."
Her breath hitched. "Then what was it about?"
Roseline was unsure about what was happening outside and what the dia was reporting.
Hugo sighed, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "Fredrick raised doubts. He implied the attack on you might not have been random at all... that you might have known the person beforehand."
Roseline’s face drained of color instantly. Her lips trembled, fear sinking into her bones like ice.
"And you believe him?" Roseline whispered, finally understanding why Hugo had been so persistent—why he kept asking if she was hiding sothing.
Her voice was quiet, but the hurt beneath it was unmistakable.
Hugo didn’t answer imdiately.
And that silence...
That silence sliced deeper than any accusation.
Roseline’s expression darkened. She had always believed Hugo was the one person she could rely on—yet she also knew her marriage stood on fragile ground. If he ever discovered what she had been hiding... what she had been involved in with his daughter... she feared he would discard her without hesitation.
"You don’t have to worry about that," Hugo said at last, though his tone was strained. "Everything is settled for now. The board mbers are still on our side. But—"
He paused, his eyes hardening.
"But?" Roseline leaned in, her brow knitting.
Hugo turned to her fully, jaw tense. "But I suspect Fredrick isn’t done. I think he might try to weaponize this. He could push Ester into giving a statent to the cops—one that twists the narrative in his favor."
Roseline stiffened.
"That’s why," Hugo continued firmly, "I need to be absolutely sure about everything. This isn’t a case we can afford to overlook, Rose. Not when it involves you. Not when there’s a chance it could destroy everything."
The severity of his words hit her like a cold wave.
Roseline swallowed hard, her throat tightening. She understood now—fully—how precarious her situation was. Yet she still couldn’t bring herself to reveal the truth. She couldn’t show him the note Collin had slipped into her hand while she lay unconscious, the one that had tornted her mind ever since she read it.
Her fingers curled into a tight fist beneath the blanket, nails digging into her palm as her heart pounded with dread.
One wrong move... one truth exposed and her entire world could collapse.
***
[Clafford Mansion]
Huh? Where did everyone go? Anna glanced around the vast living area, confusion knitting her brows. The house was unusually silent—no servants moving about, no distant chatter, and not even Mariam in sight.
Monts ago, she had been secretly grateful that no one had walked in on what she and Daniel had been doing in the kitchen... things absolutely not ant for the household’s entertainnt. But now—this complete emptiness felt deliberate.
"I sent them away early," Daniel said, his fingers curling around her palm as he guided her toward the staircase.
Anna blinked up at him. He spoke casually, but his voice carried an undertone—one she recognized instantly.
Earlier, when Daniel subtly signaled to Mariam, the staff had assud he was about to reprimand Anna... or at least ntion the chaos she caused in the kitchen. But Mariam knew better. She had seen the look in his eyes. She knew exactly why he wanted privacy.
Daniel had no intention of upsetting his wife. Not when there were far... more important things occupying his mind.
It was unfortunate—unexpected, really—that they had been forced to stop earlier, just when the mont between them grew too intense to resist. Hunger and dizziness had pulled him back from the edge, leaving their desire hanging, raw and unfinished.
But now his steps were steady. His grip was firm. And his eyes—darkened with intent told her everything.
He wasn’t dizzy anymore. He wasn’t tired. He was more than energized. And he had absolutely no intention of holding back this ti.
However, to her utter dismay, Anna found herself gently guided toward the bed. Daniel made her sit, then walked to the other side and slipped in with practiced ease.
Before she could even ask what he was doing, he reached out. With one smooth pull, she toppled onto his side, his arm sliding around her, caging her against him.
"..."
Wait. Isn’t he going to finish what he started?
Anna stared at him, completely thrown off. If he hadn’t teased her to the point of lighting every nerve in her body on fire, she wouldn’t have reacted the way she had—needily, desperately.
And yet here he was... doing the complete opposite of what she expected.
Daniel caught the stunned look on her face and couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. He lowered his head, amusent dancing in his eyes.
"We’re not doing anything, wifey," he murmured, tugging her closer until her cheek pressed against his chest.
She could feel the deep rumble of his laughter vibrating through him—and unfortunately, through her.
God, how obvious was I?
Anna wanted to bury herself under the blankets in embarrassnt. Or better yet, smack Daniel for being this shaless, this teasing, and this entirely too comfortable after turning her into a flustered ss.
He held her easily, warmly, and completely unbothered by the chaos he had stirred inside her.
"I know you are not ready yet" he added leaving her uttery shock.
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