The air inside the conference room shifted so abruptly that everyone felt it, even before they fully understood why.
One mont, Daniel sat at the head of the long table, his posture relaxed yet authoritative, his expression unreadable as he listened to the quarterly updates. The next, his entire aura changed.
It was subtle, yet unmistakable.
His shoulders stiffened slightly, his jaw tightened, and the calm indifference in his eyes turned into sothing cold and distant.
The presenter, who had been confidently explaining the latest projections, faltered for a fraction of a second. His throat went dry, his voice nearly catching, but he forced himself to continue. He did not dare stop unless instructed. No one did.
Around the table, the others remained composed, their faces carefully neutral. Years of working under Daniel had trained them well. They knew better than to react openly.
But they could feel it.
The tension.
It pressed down on the room like an invisible weight, making it difficult to breathe.
Henry, standing quietly beside the wall, noticed it too. He had worked with Daniel long enough to recognize the signs. Sothing had shifted. Sothing had triggered that sudden change.
And then Daniel spoke.
"The eting is adjourned."
His voice was calm. Flat. Final.
For a mont, no one moved.
Everyone sat frozen in their seats, exchanging brief, confused glances, unsure if they had heard correctly. The eting was far from over. There were still reports left to present, decisions to be made.
But no one questioned him.
No one dared.
Daniel had already risen from his chair, his expression giving nothing away as he walked toward the door without another word.
Henry offered the others a polite but awkward smile, silently signaling that the eting was indeed over, before quickly following his boss out of the room.
The door closed behind them with a soft click.
Only when they entered Daniel’s private office did Henry finally speak.
"Boss, is everything okay?" he asked carefully. "Why did you end the eting midway?"
Daniel did not respond imdiately.
He walked toward his desk, his attention fixed on the phone in his hand. His fingers moved swiftly across the screen, typing a ssage with quiet focus.
Henry frowned slightly, watching him.
It was rare for Daniel to interrupt sothing as important as a board eting. He was not a man who acted impulsively. Every decision he made had purpose.
So this could only an one thing.
This mattered.
After a mont, Daniel stopped typing. He lowered the phone slowly before lifting his gaze toward Henry.
His expression remained calm, but there was sothing guarded behind his eyes.
"Anna said she would be eting her mother," he said.
Henry imdiately understood.
Daniel continued, his voice steady but firm.
"I want you to send soone to monitor them. Make sure everything around them is safe."
There was no hesitation in Henry’s response.
"Yes, boss."
He nodded once, already turning toward the door. He knew better than to ask unnecessary questions. If Daniel had given the order, it ant there was reason for concern.
And protecting Anna was never sothing Daniel took lightly.
Henry left the office swiftly, closing the door behind him.
Silence filled the room.
Daniel remained standing near his desk, his phone still in his hand.
Anna had assured him she would be fine.
She had sounded calm. Certain.
But he had learned long ago that reassurance ant nothing in a world where danger often appeared without warning.
His grip on the phone tightened slightly.
A part of him refused to lower his guard.
Not when it ca to her.
***
Kathrine arrived at Bennett Enterprise with her usual composed stride, but the mont she stepped inside, she saw Norma waiting.
Norma stood near the wide glass windows of the office, her posture straight and unmoving, her expression solemn and unreadable. She looked as though she had been there for a while, simply waiting.
Kathrine suppressed the irritation that rose within her.
She had no idea why Norma had started appearing at her workplace so frequently. Even if she owned the company, her constant presence felt unnecessary. Intrusive. It was as if Norma was no longer content controlling things from afar and had decided to watch everything herself.
To watch her.
"You are late, Miss Kathrine," Norma said, her voice calm but edged with quiet authority.
Kathrine offered a polite smile, though it did not reach her eyes.
"And you are quite persistent, showing up here every day," she replied evenly. "Is this your way of keeping watch over , Madam Norma?"
Her tone was respectful, but the aning behind her words was clear.
She had grown accustod to Norma’s sharp remarks and manipulative tendencies. But this constant invasion of her space was sothing she did not appreciate.
Norma, however, did not appear offended.
Instead, she laughed softly, the sound controlled and knowing.
"What if I say I am?" Norma said. Her eyes held Kathrine’s steadily. "After all, what I am about to say is very much connected to that."
Kathrine’s eyes flickered for a brief mont, but she quickly regained her composure. She did not allow her discomfort to show. Showing weakness in front of Norma was the last thing she would ever do.
Norma did not waste ti with unnecessary conversation.
She reached forward and tossed a file onto the table between them.
The sound echoed faintly in the quiet office.
"Globe International," Norma said. "I want you to get them on our side."
Kathrine frowned slightly and stepped closer. She picked up the file and opened it, her eyes scanning the contents.
The mont she read the company na clearly, her fingers stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Globe International.
It was Marcus’s company.
Her mind imdiately connected the pieces, and a quiet unease settled inside her chest.
Norma watched her reaction carefully, as if she had been waiting for it.
"I am sure it will be easier for you," Norma continued calmly. "After all, you are dating Marcus Helmsworth’s son."
The words were deliberate.
Precise.
Kathrine slowly lifted her gaze to et Norma’s.
In that instant, she understood what Norma had ant earlier.
This was not just a business request.
This was leverage.
Norma was not asking her to secure Globe International because of her professional capability. She was asking her to use her personal relationship.
"And I don’t want no for an answer," Norma added coldly. "Rember, you are no longer in a position to refuse ."
Her words settled heavily between them, leaving no room for argunt.
For a mont, neither of them spoke.
They stood in silence, their eyes locked in a quiet standoff, neither willing to yield. The air itself seed to grow heavier, thick with unspoken threats and restrained defiance.
Kathrine knew exactly what Norma was doing.
This was not a request. It was a command.
And more than that, it was a reminder.
A reminder that Norma still held power over her.
Kathrine tightened her grip on the file before finally speaking.
"Fine," she said calmly. "But I doubt he would agree."
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