Later that evening, Kathrine stopped by hospital to check on Hugo after work before heading to Anna’s ho.
"You’re becoming quite the regular visitor," Anna teased as Kathrine stepped inside, noticeably more relaxed than usual.
Kathrine always carried herself with quiet confidence whenever she walked in, but Anna knew better. That calm exterior was often just armor. Today, though, sothing about her seed lighter. Less guarded.
"I didn’t co here to visit you," Kathrine replied, her tone calm but deliberate.
Anna’s smile slowly faded. "Then why did you co?" she asked, curiosity replacing her playfulness.
"She ca to et ."
Daniel’s voice cut through the room as he walked in. He took the seat beside Anna, his arm stretching casually along the back of the headboard as he leaned closer to her. The gesture was natural, protective without being obvious.
Anna blinked, clearly trying to catch up with whatever was happening.
Kathrine reached into her bag and pulled out a file. She walked over and handed it to Daniel.
"These are the reports of the legal businesses we’ve handled over the years. It should be enough to stabilize our footing now that we’re operating under Glorious International."
Anna’s expression shifted as the aning settled in. "You overtook our company?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
Daniel nodded.
"Your father signed the clause back then. He was too eager about marrying Kathrine and aligning with to look at the fine print." His tone was steady, not smug, just factual. "At first, I did it out of revenge. I wanted to bring him down."
The air grew heavier at that admission.
"But things have changed," Daniel continued. "Now it’s about safeguarding what remains, especially since my aunt has started making quiet adjustnts behind the scenes."
He placed the file on the table without opening it. He already knew most of the groundwork Bennett had handled. This was not about verification. It was about transparency.
And he appreciated that.
Kathrine was not playing gas. She was not holding information hostage like Hugo used to. She was laying everything out clearly, choosing stability over pride.
Anna looked between them, emotions flickering across her face. Confusion. Realization. A hint of relief.
"So this isn’t a takeover to destroy us," she said softly.
"No," Daniel replied. "It’s to keep things from falling apart."
Kathrine t Anna’s gaze, her expression steady, her voice softer than usual. "Thank you for warning beforehand."
Daniel looked at her and smiled, a quiet acknowledgnt passing between them.
The previous night, just before they had parted ways, Daniel had asked her to resu her position in the company. At first, she had brushed it off, thinking it was just another strategic suggestion tossed into the air. But after going through the numbers, the shifts, the silent changes being made in her absence, she realized sothing unsettling.
She was needed.
Not as a figurehead. Not as a na on paper. But as a presence.
Anna watched the exchange between them carefully. There was no tension. No sharp undertones. No simring hostility. For two people who once stood on opposite sides of a battlefield, they were surprisingly composed.
It gave her an unexpected sense of relief.
"Now that you’re here, you should stay for dinner," Anna offered, her tone warm. "It feels strange letting you leave so quickly."
Kathrine gave a small smile. "No, thank you. Ethan and I already have plans. Maybe next ti."
She said it lightly, but Anna noticed the subtle difference. Kathrine no longer sounded like soone drifting between loyalties. She sounded grounded.
After she left, the house felt quieter.
Anna turned toward Daniel, folding her legs beneath her as she studied him. "Now can you tell what’s really going on?"
She had heard every word earlier. But she knew Daniel well enough to understand that what he said aloud was rarely the full story.
Daniel leaned back slightly, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch, his gaze thoughtful.
"My aunt has been restructuring internal assets," he began calmly. "On paper, it looks harmless. Minor reallocations. Administrative changes. But the pattern isn’t random."
Anna frowned. "You think she’s preparing sothing?"
"I know she is."
His voice was steady, not alard, just certain.
"She’s consolidating influence. Moving loyal people into financial departnts. Removing older executives who were aligned with Bennett." He paused briefly. "And if she manages to control the legal front completely, she gains leverage over everything else."
Anna absorbed that slowly. "And bringing Kathrine back..."
"Isn’t just about business," Daniel finished.
There was sothing unspoken beneath his calm explanation, and Anna felt it before he even voiced it.
Concern.
Not just for the company. Not just for control.
For Kathrine.
"But don’t worry," Daniel said quietly, drawing Anna out of her thoughts as he shifted closer to her. "She won’t be able to touch Kathrine while I’m here."
The assurance was firm. Not dramatic. Just absolute.
Anna studied him for a second, then relaxed. She did not question his confidence. When Daniel decided to protect sothing, he did it without hesitation and without limits.
"I know," she said softly.
Silence lingered for a mont, comfortable but weighted.
Then Anna tilted her head slightly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Though I doubt Kathrine would go easy on anything your aunt throws at her."
Daniel blinked, catching that subtle spark in her expression.
There it was.
The quiet amusent that made Daniel shook his head as they both got up and walked towards the dinning area.
***
[Ethan’s Place]
"So now Glorious International holds the rights to your father’s company?" Ethan asked as he placed the last dish on the dining table.
He had planned sothing simple. Nothing extravagant. Just warm lighting, her favorite food, a quiet evening where she did not have to think about boardrooms or contracts. But the mont she walked in, shoulders slightly slumped, heels dragging just a little, he felt that small pinch in his chest.
She was exhausted.
"Yes," Kathrine replied, slipping into the chair. "And starting tomorrow, I’ll be working under them."
Her voice was steady. Not bitter. Not defeated.
Ethan studied her carefully. If this had happened months ago, she would have bristled. Her pride would have flared. Tonight, though, she simply sounded... resolved.
He decided not to poke at it.
Instead, he pulled her plate closer.
"Now co feed ," Kathrine said suddenly, leaning back dramatically. "I’m too tired to lift my hands."
Ethan stared at her for a second before shaking his head with a quiet chuckle. "Unbelievable."
But he picked up the spoon anyway.
She opened her mouth obediently, almost childlike, and he fed her without complaint. He never minded these monts. If anything, he treasured them. Kathrine only allowed herself to be soft around very few people.
He alternated between feeding her and taking a bite himself, their movents unhurried. The earlier tension of the day slowly dissolved into the rhythm of the evening.
By the ti they stepped onto the balcony, the city had dimd into scattered lights. The air was cool. The sky unusually clear.
They stood side by side, not touching, just sharing the quiet.
"Is everything okay?" Ethan finally asked, resting his forearms against the railing.
He had given her space. He knew she liked staring at the sky when she was sorting through her thoughts. But the silence tonight felt heavier than usual.
Kathrine kept her eyes fixed ahead.
For a mont, she did not answer.
"I wonder," she said softly, almost to herself, "what will happen after I rember everything."
Ethan watched her pause and then continue. "will everything be just the sa"
That questuion had beco a part of her life now. Despite being confident that the fragnt she saw didn’t gave her the whole picture. But she knew sothing was indeed wrong.
"Why do you feel that?" Ethan asked now slowly turning to face her.
"Because a part of believes my father wasn’t wrong in erasing my mory"
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