"Alright, fine. For now, let’s not think about others," Daniel said, dismissing the topic altogether.
Before Anna could react, he tugged her toward him.
She gasped as the world tilted, and the next thing she knew, they were both lying back on the bed. Daniel wrapped his arms around her with ease, pulling her close as if that was exactly where she belonged.
The file he had been reading lay forgotten on the floor. Her night routine was abruptly abandoned, completely ignored now that her husband had finally turned his full attention to her.
Anna shifted slightly, still caught off guard. Then his voice broke the quiet.
"Tell sothing," Daniel said, his tone casual but his eyes anything but. "Were you and Kathrine always this close? Because as far as I rember, I hardly ever saw the two of you talk that much. Let alone share secrets like you did back at the restaurant."
He tried to sound indifferent, but curiosity had already slipped through. He couldn’t help it. The thought had lodged itself in his mind and refused to leave.
Anna looked up at him, caution washing over her. This was the second ti soone had asked her sothing similar, and now even she found herself questioning it.
"Is this a question," she muttered, narrowing her eyes, "or are you interrogating ? Because I don’t find either worth answering."
Daniel said nothing, but his gaze stayed on her.
Anna and Kathrine had never disliked each other. If anything, she was grateful their bond had stayed the sa even after her marriage to Daniel, unlike so many things in her past life.
’So why was he suddenly so curious?’
As her thoughts wandered, realization struck her, making her eyes widen slightly.
’Don’t tell he’s doubting us now.’
She studied his face carefully, her body tense beneath his arm, wondering when concern had quietly turned into suspicion.
"Wifey," Daniel said softly, pulling Anna out of her spiraling thoughts. "Tell what you two are secretly cooking. This closeness... it’s making worry."
She snapped her head toward him, startled by the seriousness in his voice. His gaze was fixed on her, sharp and searching.
Kathrine’s warning echoed in her mind, to keep Daniel out of whatever they were digging into. And yet, a part of Anna recoiled at the idea of hiding anything from him. She hated secrets between them.
"You’re thinking too much, Daniel," she said, trying to sound casual as she shifted, attempting to pull away. "There’s nothing cooking between us."
Daniel didn’t let her go. Instead, he tightened his hold, drawing her closer.
"Liar," he said quietly.
Anna froze, staring at him in disbelief.
He knew. Or at least, he sensed it.
Daniel would not take long to uncover whatever she and Kathrine were hiding. He was capable of that. But pushing now, cornering her, would only make her withdraw. And he didn’t want that. Not with her.
A beat passed.
Then he sighed, the tension easing from his shoulders.
"But it’s fine," he said softly. "If you don’t want to share, you don’t have to."
He pulled her fully against him, pressing her face into his chest, his arms wrapping around her protectively. He inhaled slowly, grounding himself.
"Just rember, wifey," he murmured, his voice low and sincere, "I’m always here to help you."
Instead of relief, guilt settled heavily in Anna’s heart.
That night, even cradled in Daniel’s arms, sleep refused to co.
She lay still, staring into the darkness, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing. The rise and fall of his chest told her he was fast asleep, unaware of the storm churning inside her.
After a few more minutes, she carefully slipped out of his embrace. Each movent was slow, deliberate, as if afraid even the air might wake him.
She crossed the room quietly and stepped out onto the balcony.
Cool night air brushed against her skin as she rested her hands on the railing. Above her, the moon hung bright and distant, calm in a way she did not feel.
Her eyes followed its glow, but her mind was anything but peaceful.
Secrets. Doubt. Fear.
And the growing weight of knowing that sooner or later, everything she was hiding would demand to be revealed.
"Why didn’t I ever try to find the reason behind Daniel’s interest in my family?" she muttered to herself.
Leaning against the railing, Anna closed her eyes briefly, mories surfacing one after another. She had brushed it off back then, had chosen comfort over curiosity, trust over doubt. It was only after Kathrine had accused Daniel of hiding sothing that the cracks began to show.
And now, another thought followed, sharp and cold.
The threat.
Her breath hitched as her mind drifted back to that day. The push. The suddenness of it. The way everything had ended before she could even react.
"What if soone was watching all along," she whispered, "just waiting for the right mont to eliminate ?"
Her chest tightened painfully at the possibility.
The more she thought about it, the more unsettling it beca. She hadn’t had enemies. Not real ones. Nothing serious enough to justify such an end. And yet she had been killed, pushed to her death, right after discovering those photos of Kathrine and Daniel.
The timing had been too precise.
"Was it all a plan," she breathed, "sothing set in motion long before I even realized it?"
The realization struck her hard, settling deep into her bones, leaving her cold and heavy.
Because everything unfolding in this life, every warning, every shadow, was sothing she had overlooked in her past.
And this ti, she knew one thing with terrifying clarity.
She could no longer afford to ignore it.
Anna stepped back into the room, the balcony door closing softly behind her.
She stopped at the foot of the bed and stood there, staring at Daniel for what felt like an eternity. He lay sprawled comfortably, features relaxed in sleep, unaware of the storm unraveling inside her.
"Did you ever love back then," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "or am I missing sothing, Daniel?"
The question hung in the air, unanswered.
Doubt settled in slowly, insidiously, weaving itself through her thoughts. The more she tried to push it away, the heavier it beca. What if the things she believed were wrong? What if the mories she trusted were incomplete, or worse, manipulated?
Her chest tightened, fear curling inward as the possibility took shape. The idea that everything she had assud could be false terrified her more than any external threat.
Anna pressed a hand to her heart, steadying herself, her eyes never leaving him.
If the truth was different from what she rembered, she didn’t know if she was ready to face it.
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