Later that evening
"So you are telling this man is the one threatening Mom?" Katrine asked, staring at the photo on her phone, the sa one she had sent from Roseline’s phone to Anna earlier.
Her brows furrowed as she looked up at Anna, then back down at the screen.
"This picture," she continued, pointing at it, "he took it with us, saying his daughter was my fan. At the ti, I thought it was sweet. I was even surprised people recognized that much." She tapped the date on the image. "But now seeing the sa photo in Mom’s phone... and realizing she ca to et on set the very sa day..."
Katrine exhaled slowly. "It cannot be a coincidence."
Anna nodded, recalling everything Daniel had shown her. Rupert Maxwell. Or rather, the man pretending to be Rupert Maxwell. The na that did not exist. The face that appeared everywhere yet belonged nowhere.
"It clicked for too," Anna said. "Daniel said that man does not exist on paper. No real background. No real history."
"And he never hurt you," Katrine added thoughtfully. "Not even once."
"Exactly," Anna replied. "He followed . Watched . Took photos. But never crossed the line." She paused. "Because I was not the target. Mom was."
The realization settled heavily between them.
"He was using you to scare her," Katrine murmured.
"And the mont Ethan confronted him for eavesdropping," Anna added, "he disappeared."
Katrine fell silent, processing it all. Then her eyes narrowed slightly. "Wait," she said. "If this man was not hired by Daniel... then how did Daniel even find out about him?"
Anna leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, letting out a long sigh. "Ethan told him."
Katrine blinked. "Ethan?"
"Mm hmm," Anna said. "Apparently, my husband decided to go full jealous detective mode when Ethan texted late at night."
She rolled her eyes dramatically.
"In his head, Ethan was already plotting to steal , marry , and probably na our imaginary children after himself," she muttered.
Katrine snorted despite herself.
"I swear," Anna continued, shaking her head, "instead of just informing like a normal husband, he went and confronted Ethan. Very calmly. Very possessively. Very ’this is my wife’ energy."
"And?" Katrine asked, amused now.
"And Ethan, being Ethan, casually dropped the information about this man," Anna said. "Which Daniel pretended not to be relieved about."
She scoffed. "Jealous freak. Acts all mature, but inside he is a walking red flag wrapped in a designer suit."
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Katrine laughed softly.
"Still," Anna added, her expression sobering just a little, "as annoying as he is... he was right to be cautious."
Katrine nodded. "Unfortunately."
Anna sighed again. "Do not tell him that. His ego does not need the boost."
But even as she joked, both won knew one thing for certain.
This was no longer just about suspicion.
While Katrine was busy wondering when Ethan and Daniel had secretly turned into allies without informing her, Anna’s thoughts drifted elsewhere. Sowhere darker. More unsettling.
"By the way," Anna said suddenly, her tone a little too casual, "do you know soone nad Collin Fort?"
Katrine blinked, caught off guard. "No?"
Anna humd as if that settled it, nodding to herself.
But Katrine did not miss the way her shoulders stiffened. Or how her eyes briefly flicked away.
"And who is that man?" Katrine asked sharply, her curiosity sharpening into suspicion.
Anna froze.
The pretend ease on her face slipped, replaced by sothing guarded.
"Nothing," she said quickly. "I was just asking. Random thought."
Katrine tilted her head slowly, her gaze locking onto Anna from across the table. The warning in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Anna."
The tension stretched between them, thick and heavy, as Katrine waited. She knew Anna too well to buy that lie.
And whatever Anna was holding back, it was not sothing small.
"Look," Anna said quickly, leaning forward, her voice dropping into a whisper, "do not tell Dad about this, okay?"
She knew exactly what would happen if Hugo found out she had walked into his study and gone through his docunts just to sniff out whatever he was hiding about their enemies. He would not just scold her. He would ban her from stepping foot inside the Bennett house altogether.
Katrine’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk.
Oh, this was good.
Seeing Anna, of all people, looking like a guilty mouse was oddly satisfying.
"So," Katrine said calmly, folding her arms, eyes gleaming with interest, "you broke into Dad’s study."
Anna winced. "That is not how I would phrase it."
Katrine lifted a brow. "Spill."
The single word carried just enough assurance to make Anna sigh in defeat.
"That day I ca to et Mom," Anna began, rubbing her temple, "I was supposed to leave after a while. But sothing felt off. So instead, I... stayed."
Katrine nodded, listening intently.
"I sneaked into Dad’s study," Anna admitted. "I was not even looking for anything specific. Just answers." She hesitated. "That is when I found a file. Not in the locker. In his drawer."
Katrine’s smirk faded slightly. "Dad does not keep important things in drawers."
"Exactly," Anna said. "Anything truly confidential goes into the locker. That is why it bothered . The file had one na written clearly on it."
She looked up at Katrine. "Collin."
Silence followed.
"I did not read everything," Anna continued, her voice quieter now. "But it was enough to know Dad was keeping information on him deliberately. Not hidden away, but close. Like he expected to need it."
"And that unsettled you," Katrine said thoughtfully.
"Yes," Anna nodded. "We both know Dad does not keep tabs on random people. If he has a file on soone, it ans that person matters. Or is dangerous."
Katrine leaned back slowly, processing it all. The teasing was gone now, replaced by sothing sharper.
"And why would he do that?" Kathrine muttered, her brows knitting together. "Keep details on a man who was released a month ago?"
"That’s exactly what bothered too," Anna replied, the sa unease tightening in her chest.
Kathrine exhaled slowly, her expression hardening as if she had already reached a decision. "Don’t worry. I’ll look into it myself. But make sure you don’t ntion any of this to Daniel."
There was a sharp edge to her warning, one born not of fear but of caution. Kathrine still wasn’t convinced Daniel could be trusted. Whatever he was doing behind closed doors, in the shadows she couldn’t quite see, made her wary.
Anna frowned, ready to protest, but the firm look Kathrine shot her silenced the argunt before it could begin. She rolled her eyes instead. "Fine."
She didn’t understand why Kathrine saw Daniel as a threat, nor why her own heart hesitated whenever doubt was cast in his direction. But for now, she chose not to push. So questions, she knew, were better left unanswered—at least until the truth revealed itself
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