"Why do you look like you ran all the way here?" Anna asked, pulling a tissue from the holder and handing it to her mother.
Despite being the one who had driven at breakneck speed, Anna made sure she looked perfectly composed.
Roseline hesitated before lifting her gaze. "I wouldn’t have had to rush if you hadn’t called like that," she said, finally taking the tissue.
"But you said you were already nearby." Anna tilted her head slightly, watching her mother too closely. "Or were you lying when you said you were around?"
The mont the words left her mouth, Roseline’s shoulders stiffened.
Her throat tightened at the mory of standing outside Ethan’s place, pretending to check her phone while secretly watching Kathrine. But she forced her expression to remain neutral.
"What is it you wanted to talk about?" she cut in, deliberately ignoring the question. "You said it was urgent."
Anna’s eyes lingered on her for a second longer than necessary, as if she sensed the evasion—but she didn’t let it slide.
Instead, Anna leaned back, crossing her arms. "Why did you et Collin?"
The color drained from Roseline’s face.
"And before you lie," Anna added calmly, "let tell you—I have proof. Enough to prove you wrong."
In reality, Anna had no proof at all.
But she had grown used to Roseline’s instinctive lies, thanks to Kathrine, who had kept her alert for years. So when she sensed her mother was about to deny it, Anna decided to bluff.
Roseline studied her daughter’s defiant expression, searching for cracks—for hesitation, for uncertainty.
She found none.
"Did Kathrine tell you this?" Roseline asked, forcing her tone to remain steady.
After all, it had been Kathrine who tried to confront her earlier.
She shouldn’t have let her guard down, not when Kathrine was already growing suspicious of her intentions.
"No," Anna replied coolly. "I was the one who told her about it."
Roseline’s eyes flickered in disbelief.
In a single sentence, all her assumptions about Kathrine shattered—replaced by the unsettling realization that Anna had been ahead of her all along.
"So tell , Mom," Anna said quietly, her voice no longer sharp but dangerously calm. "Why would you et him without telling anyone? Not even when you knew he was the one who tried to hurt you?"
This ti, Anna was ready to listen.
She knew Roseline wasn’t behind Collin’s escape. If she were, she wouldn’t have denied it so easily when Kathrine confronted her.
Roseline might lie—but there was always a pattern to it. A hesitation, a deflection, a crack. And Collin wasn’t soone who could be intimidated by her. Not that easily.
"So is that why?" Anna continued, her gaze unwavering. "Did you want him gone before he could bring up the past... the past you’ve been trying so hard to keep buried?"
Roseline’s lips quivered, sweat breaking out along her forehead. "W-what nonsense are you talking about?" she stamred, forcing out a weak laugh that sounded anything but convincing.
She tried to deny it, but her fingers were already trembling around the tissue in her hand, crumpling it into a damp ss.
Deep down, she was nervous. Far more nervous than she wanted to admit.
Anna watched every micro-expression—the way her mother avoided eye contact, the slight tremor in her voice, the stiffness in her posture. Roseline had always been good at lying, but she had never been good at hiding fear.
Roseline had initially thought Kathrine was simply interrogating her out of spite. After all, she had rejected the marriage proposal, and Kathrine was simply being insecure because Anna step in. In Roseline’s mind, this was just another petty confrontation.
But now... now it felt different.
Because the Kathrine she knew wasn’t close to Anna. They barely interacted each other before or what did she thought. And yet suddenly, they were talking. Sharing things. Trusting each other.
That realization unsettled her more than anything else.
"I don’t know what you think you heard," Roseline continued, straightening her back as if posture alone could restore control. "But Kathrine has always had a habit of twisting stories. You know how she is—dramatic, impulsive, always making herself the victim."
Anna didn’t interrupt. She simply waited.
Encouraged by the silence, Roseline pressed on.
"She’s jealous, that’s all," Roseline said, her tone hardening. "Jealous because you have Daniel now. Because your life turned out better than hers. She can’t stand seeing you happy, so she’s trying to poison your mind against ."
A bitter smile tugged at her lips. "That woman has always been insecure."
Anna let out a soft chuckle. Not loud. Not mocking. Just... amused.
Roseline froze. "What are you laughing at?"
"At how far you’re willing to go," Anna replied calmly. "Even now, you’re still hiding behind soone else."
Roseline frowned. "What does that an?"
"It ans," Anna said, leaning forward slightly, "that even when you’re cornered, you’d rather drag Kathrine into it than take responsibility."
"I am taking responsibility!" Roseline snapped. "I’m telling you the truth. She’s manipulating you, Anna. Can’t you see that?"
"Manipulating into what, exactly?" Anna asked. "Believing you t Collin? Because you just admitted that part without realizing it."
Roseline’s breath hitched.
"I—no—that’s not what I ant—"
"You didn’t deny eting him," Anna cut in gently. "You just blad Kathrine for telling ."
Silence crashed between them.
Roseline opened her mouth, then closed it again. Her mind raced, searching for a way out, a new angle, a new lie that didn’t contradict the last one.
"You’re twisting my words," she finally said. "I only said she’s exaggerating things. Or maybe I t him coincidently"
"Coincidence?" Anna repeated. "You coincidentally t the man who tried to destroy you? The man who vanished from the hospital hours later?"
Roseline’s jaw tightened. "You’re overthinking it. I didn’t do anything of it"
"No, Mom," Anna said softly. "I’m finally thinking clearly."
That was what scared Roseline the most.
This wasn’t the emotional, impulsive daughter she could guilt or distract. This was soone calm. Observant. Patient.
Soone dangerous.
"You know what I think?" Roseline said suddenly, switching tactics again. "I think Kathrine is feeding you lies because she wants to break your trust in . She knows if she separates you from your family, you’ll depend on her more."
Anna raised an eyebrow. "And why would I depend on her?"
"Because she’s lonely," Roseline scoffed. "Because she lost Daniel. Because she can’t stand the fact that you succeeded where she failed."
"That’s interesting," Anna murmured. "Because she never ntioned Daniel even once."
Roseline blinked. "What?"
"She didn’t talk about him. Not about jealousy. Not about losing anything." Anna’s gaze sharpened. "She never talked about you too. But path lead it to you because it always started with you."
Roseline’s face drained further.
"Kathrine only warned"
Roseline’s breathing beca uneven.
"Anna, listen to —"
"She warned about Collin before I even brought him up," Anna interrupted. "So tell , Mom... if she’s lying, how did she know his na?"
Roseline’s mouth fell open.
For the first ti, she had no imdiate answer.
The silence stretched. Thick. Suffocating.
Anna slowly reached into her bag.
Roseline’s eyes followed the movent, unease crawling up her spine.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ending this," Anna replied.
She pulled out her phone and placed it on the table between them, screen facing down.
Roseline stared at it as if it were a loaded weapon.
"I was hoping you’d tell yourself," Anna said quietly. "But you didn’t. You chose to lie. Again."
Roseline swallowed. "Anna... whatever you think you saw—"
Anna flipped the phone over.
A photograph filled the screen.
Roseline froze.
"That’s you, Collin and the baby in the middle is...."
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