"What is it that I’m supposed to decide?"
The voice echoed through the living area, instantly drawing both Daniel’s and Roseline’s attention toward the entrance.
It was Anna.
She walked further inside, her steps asured, stopping right between the two of them seated on the couch. Her gaze moved from Daniel to Roseline, sharp and assessing.
Daniel hadn’t expected her to show up so suddenly, but the timing did not escape him. A faint trace of amusent flickered in his eyes as he watched her, as though fate itself had decided to intervene.
Roseline, on the other hand, visibly stiffened. The color drained from her face as she t her daughter’s gaze.
"A Anna... what brings you here?" Roseline fumbled, forcing a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.
Anna frowned, instantly catching the unease in her mother’s expression.
"I ca to see you," she replied simply, her eyes softening for a brief mont before narrowing again. "You didn’t answer my calls, so I thought I’d stop by."
Then her gaze shifted to Daniel.
Surprise flashed across her face. "I didn’t know my husband would be here too."
The room fell into a brief, uneasy silence.
Anna’s brows knitted together as suspicion crept into her expression. She looked from Roseline to Daniel once more, her instincts stirring.
"Did I walk into sothing I wasn’t supposed to?" she asked quietly, though the question carried far more weight than her tone suggested.
Daniel glanced at Roseline, noting how all color had drained from her face, before turning his attention back to his wife.
"Would you like to share what we were discussing, Mother-in-law?" he asked smoothly, his gaze holding Roseline’s cautious eyes.
He had already flipped the conversation on its head, leaving her little ti to gather herself. Now, bringing it up in front of Anna only tightened the fear coiling in her chest.
Anna, anwhile, sensed the shift imdiately. Sothing in the air felt wrong. Before she could speak, Daniel extended his hand toward her.
She did not hesitate. Slipping her fingers into his, she allowed him to guide her closer, settling beside him on the couch. The gesture was natural, instinctive.
Roseline watched as Daniel’s arm slid securely around Anna’s waist, his hold protective and unmistakably possessive, before he lifted his gaze to et hers.
"Your mother is concerned about you," Daniel said calmly.
Anna arched a brow, surprise flickering across her face. Daniel’s presence alone had caught her off guard. Now his words only deepened her confusion.
Concerned about her? And spoken like this, in that tone?
Anna’s eyes moved between them, suspicion sharpening.
"What kind of concern?" she asked slowly.
Inside, one thought echoed louder than the rest. What exactly had been happening here in her absence?
Roseline let out a small, awkward laugh, quickly masking her unease with a practiced smile.
"Oh, it’s nothing serious," she said, waving a hand lightly as if dismissing the entire matter. "Just a mother worrying too much, that’s all. You know how I am."
Anna’s frown deepened. The explanation felt thin, rehearsed.
Daniel, however, did not loosen his hold around Anna’s waist. If anything, his arm tightened just slightly, a silent reminder of his presence. His eyes never left Roseline’s face.
"Worrying is natural," he agreed calmly. "Especially when it cos to one’s child."
Roseline nodded a little too quickly. "Exactly. That’s all it is."
"But," Daniel continued, his voice smooth, almost conversational, "so worries are... specific."
Roseline’s smile faltered for just a second.
"For instance," he went on, glancing briefly at Anna before looking back at Roseline, "concerns about how much protection is too much. About how far one should go to shield soone they love."
Anna stiffened slightly at his side, sensing the undercurrent beneath his words.
Roseline swallowed. "Daniel, I think you’re reading too much into this."
"Am I?" he asked softly, tilting his head. "Because it sounded to like you were worried about the consequences of my actions. About who might get hurt."
The room grew heavier with every word.
Anna turned toward her mother now, her eyes searching.
"Mom?" she asked quietly.
Roseline’s smile finally strained, the tension tightening around her eyes. Daniel leaned back against the couch, perfectly at ease, clearly in no hurry to release her from the pressure.
He was enjoying this.
Anna waited.
Her gaze stayed fixed on Roseline, patient but unyielding, silently urging her to speak. The seconds stretched, thick with expectation. Roseline opened her mouth once, then closed it again, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her dress. The words clearly refused to co.
The silence grew uncomfortable.
Just when it seed Roseline might crack under the weight of it, Daniel shifted beside Anna. The tension around him eased almost instantly as he let out a soft chuckle.
"You’re both staring at her like she’s on trial," he said lightly, giving Anna’s waist a gentle squeeze. "I think we’re scaring her."
Anna blinked, startled by the sudden change in his tone, and glanced at him.
Daniel turned to Roseline, his expression warm now, almost teasing.
"I only ant that she worries too much about Anna being overwheld. Which mother wouldn’t?" he added with a shrug. "She thinks I spoil my wife far too much."
Roseline seized the opening, her shoulders relaxing as she nodded quickly.
"Yes, exactly," she said, forcing a small laugh. "That’s all I ant."
Anna studied them both, unconvinced but unwilling to push further, not with Daniel suddenly playing peacemaker.
She leaned back slightly, still alert. Sothing about the exchange felt off, but Daniel’s easy deanor made it hard to press without sounding paranoid.
As Daniel smiled, calm and composed, one thing was clear.
He had flipped the situation effortlessly, and Roseline knew it.
"Is that so? Then why does your face look pale?"
Roseline’s smile faltered when Anna fixed her with a sharp, piercing gaze.
Before Roseline could scramble for an answer, Daniel spoke from beside Anna, his tone smooth and tily.
"That’s because you showed up unexpectedly and scared her. Am I right, Mother-in-law?"
Roseline latched onto the lifeline imdiately, nodding a little too fast.
"Yes... yes," she said, attempting a smile, though it wavered at the edges.
Sensing the mont slipping out of her control, she stood up abruptly.
"Now co on, both of you. Lunch is ready. Let’s eat together."
She had barely taken a step when Daniel rose as well, calmly adjusting his suit. The quiet authority in his movents made Roseline pause.
"I’ll have to decline, Mother-in-law," he said evenly.
Before Anna could react, Daniel took hold of her wrist and gently pulled her to her feet.
"My wife and I already have plans for lunch."
Anna turned toward him, surprise flashing across her face at the sudden announcent, but Daniel gave her no ti to question it.
Roseline forced a polite smile, masking the nervous thudding of her heart.
"Of course," she said softly. "Another ti, then."
Without lingering, Daniel guided Anna toward the exit. The doors closed behind them, leaving the house unnervingly quiet.
Roseline remained standing in the living room, one hand pressed lightly to her chest, her heartbeat still racing.
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