Anna pulled the car beneath the covered driveway and turned off the engine, but she didn’t get out right away. Her hands rested loosely on the steering wheel as she stared through the windshield, eyes unfocused, her mind still trapped inside the walls of the bookstore.
Kathrine’s face.
The file.
The truth that had surfaced far too easily.
"I assu she’ll be okay," Anna murmured to herself, though the words felt more like a hope than a certainty.
After a few seconds, she pushed the door open and stepped out—only to pause when she noticed a familiar car already parked inside.
My husband is ho... already?
The realization worked like a switch. The heaviness in her chest lifted, her thoughts scattering as she straightened unconsciously. By the ti she entered the house, a soft smile had already settled on her lips.
"Daniel?" she called as she stepped into their room.
Silence answered her.
She glanced around, confusion knitting her brows. The room was neat, untouched—no jacket tossed aside, no sign he’d been there at all.
Huh? Where did he go?
She stepped back into the hallway just as a maid passed by.
"Where is Daniel?" Anna asked, stopping her, but the response made her already make her way to where he was.
***
Daniel had gotten through the day with practiced ease. etings, calls, decisions—he handled them all without missing a beat, burying every unwanted thought beneath efficiency and routine.
But night had a way of stripping him bare. When he was alone, the silence grew louder, and the thoughts he had so carefully suppressed crept back in.
He couldn’t erase Kathrine’s words—the way she had said Anna trusted him, trusted him enough to believe him even when Kathrine had tried to warn her. That trust weighed heavily on his chest, twisting into guilt that refused to loosen its grip.
Daniel knew Kathrine would never tell Anna what had happened in the office. Yet that knowledge brought him no comfort. Because he also knew one undeniable truth—he couldn’t keep Anna in the dark.
What if, after knowing the truth about , she thinks I’m at fault and leaves ?
The thought resurfaced again, sharper this ti. His fingers tightened as he increased the speed of the treadmill, pushing his body harder until his lungs burned and his breath ca out in harsh bursts. The physical pain was easier to endure than the fear clawing at his chest.
If hiding the truth from Anna would eventually lead to their separation, then he wanted no part of it. Not at any cost.
His resolve had already begun to fracture the mont he started digging deeper into the Bennett family. It wasn’t as simple as he had once believed. Beneath every polished smile lay layers of carefully constructed lies, truths buried so deep that no amount of effort could uncover them all at once.
His father’s death may have appeared sudden—unexpected. But now, when he allowed himself to think back, how could he ignore everything that had followed after?
That day—the day he had canceled his eting—he had gone to see Jason.
Jason had known he would co, even after clearly declining to offer any help. He had always known Daniel too well. Daniel was not soone who knew how to stop, not when the truth was within reach.
So when Jason finally revealed what little he knew, Daniel had been taken aback instantly.
Because what Jason disclosed changed everything.
Kathrine’s mories had been erased.
That was why she couldn’t rember certain things.
And suddenly, nothing felt coincidental anymore.
Anna stepped in just as Daniel slowed the treadmill, the soft hum of the machine filling the space between them.
"I thought you told to take it slow," she said, arching a brow as she eyed the display. "But I guess you’re trying to compete now."
Daniel stepped down, rolling his shoulders as he turned toward her. Before he could say anything, Anna reached for the small towel hanging on the handle and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, her movents casual—almost practiced.
"Are you trying to break this thing," she added, lips twitching, "so I won’t lose weight? Because that’s very suspicious, Mr. Daniel."
He snorted. "Trust , if I had that kind of foresight, my life would be a lot simpler."
"Mm-hmm," she humd, narrowing her eyes theatrically. "That sounded like a confession."
She leaned closer, sniffing lightly. "Also, you sll like effort. And poor coping chanisms."
Daniel shook his head, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. "You weren’t ho. And our room—" he paused, then sighed. "It just made feel alone. So I ca here to distract my mind."
Anna froze for exactly half a second before recovering. She handed him the towel and crossed her arms. "Wow," she said solemnly. "So instead of missing like a normal husband, you decided to declare war on gym equipnt."
"It was a fair fight," he said. "The treadmill started it."
She laughed, the sound light and genuine, and sothing tight in Daniel’s chest loosened just a bit.
"You know," she said, circling him slowly like a detective, "most people watch TV or scroll on their phones when they’re restless. You run like you’re being chased."
"I learned from my wife," he added with a faint smile. "Seems her influence is finally kicking in."
"That’s how I know she’s a bad influence."
Daniel chuckled at her outright response. "You can’t dean my wife like that. No matter what, she could never be a bad influence."
Anna humd thoughtfully, tapping her chin as if considering his words. "Then you must also know why she does that," she said, eyes glinting with mischief. "And now it makes wonder whether it’s the sa for you."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
She leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Is my husband secretly learning all my bad habits because he likes them... or because he’s just as guilty?"
He laughed softly, shaking his head. "If that’s the case, then I’m afraid I don’t stand a chance."
"Good," Anna said, smiling. "I’d be very offended if my influence didn’t work."
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