Kathrine t Norma’s gaze without hesitation. This was not entirely in her control. Marcus was not soone who could be easily manipulated, and he certainly was not soone who would blindly agree to sothing without reason.
But Norma did not appear concerned.
"Then make him agree," Norma replied simply.
The certainty in her voice was absolute.
Kathrine’s gaze hardened slightly at the conviction in Norma’s tone. She understood now. Norma did not care about Marcus’s willingness. She only cared about the outco.
Slowly, Kathrine stepped closer until she stood beside Norma, their shoulders only inches apart. The proximity was deliberate, a silent assertion that she would not be intimidated so easily.
Norma did not move.
"I don’t care how you do it," Norma said quietly, her voice low but firm. "But make sure that man is on our side."
Norma turned her head slightly, her eyes falling on Kathrine’s side profile.
For a brief mont, a faint, wicked glint passed through Norma’s eyes, as though she already knew more than she was saying.
Then, just as quickly, it disappeared.
She looked away and turned on her heels, her footsteps calm and asured as she walked toward the door.
Without another word, she left the room.
Kathrine remained standing there, unmoving.
The file in her hand suddenly felt heavier than before.
She stared ahead, her thoughts racing. Not by Norma’s words, but with Marcus thoughts.
That man despised her.
Kathrine knew it without needing confirmation. Marcus had never hidden his indifference toward her. If anything, his coldness had always been deliberate, as though he wanted to remind her of the distance between them.
Which was why she doubted he would even spare her a mont of his ti, let alone agree to et her.
She stood there, the file still in her hands, her thoughts tangled with uncertainty and quiet resentnt. Norma’s command echoed in her mind, pressing down on her with suffocating weight.
Just as she was about to return to her desk, there was a knock on the door.
Ben stepped inside.
"Ma’am," he said carefully. "Mr. Marcus has agreed to et you."
Kathrine froze.
For a mont, she simply stared at him, certain she had misheard.
"...What?" she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.
"Mr. Marcus Helmsworth," Ben repeated. "He has agreed."
Denial flickered across her face. This did not make sense.
Marcus was not soone who agreed easily, especially not when it involved her.
So why now?
The answer ca to her almost imdiately.
Norma.
A bitter realization settled inside her chest.
Norma had already made her move.
She had not given Kathrine this task without preparing the ground beforehand. Norma was always steps ahead, always controlling the outco long before anyone else realized the ga had begun.
And that realization made Kathrine feel worse than she cared to admit.
Because it ant she was not the one in control.
"Okay," she said finally, her voice steady despite the unease creeping beneath her calm exterior.
Ben nodded and left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Kathrine walked back to her desk slowly and sat down, placing the file in front of her. She stared at it for a long mont, her fingers resting lightly against its surface.
But she did not open it.
Her mind was elsewhere.
On Marcus. On Norma. On the invisible strings pulling everything into place.
She leaned back slightly in her chair, her gaze distant.
How was she supposed to face him? She had no idea.
Marcus was not just a business contact. He was Ethan’s father and the man who want nothing but to seperate them.
Suddenly a chcukle rumble her chest and she shook her head sitting straight in her chair.
"Let’s get back to work Kathrine. You have a long way ahead" with that she finally started her day.
***
After agreeing to et her mother, Anna tried to return to her routine.
She focused on her work, forcing herself to move through each task with the sa professionalism she always maintained. On the outside, nothing about her had changed. Her expressions remained calm, her movents steady, and her voice carried the sa quiet confidence everyone expected from her.
But inside, she was restless.
By the ti she stepped into her changing room, she had already checked the ti more than three tis.
Each glance at the clock made her chest tighten slightly.
She told herself it was just a eting. Just a conversation.
Yet it did not feel that simple.
"Big sis, are you in a hurry?" Betty asked from behind her. "You keep checking the ti."
Anna paused briefly before turning toward her, offering a faint smile.
"There is a place I need to be," she replied. "So I need to wrap up before then."
Betty nodded, accepting the explanation without pressing further. She had worked with Anna long enough to know when to ask questions and when to remain silent.
They returned to the set soon after, finishing the remaining shots with efficient coordination. Anna perford flawlessly, just as she always did. No one could tell that her mind was elsewhere, waiting for the hours to pass.
Finally, the shoot ca to an end.
Anna changed quickly, gathered her belongings, and left before anyone could delay her further.
The drive to the eting location felt longer than usual.
By the ti Anna stepped inside, her eyes had already found Roseline.
She was seated near the window, exactly where she said she would be, her posture straight and composed, her presence as refined as ever. To anyone else, she would look like an ordinary woman waiting for soone important.
But to Anna, she was anything but ordinary.
Anna was about to step forward when sothing else caught her attention.
A man.
He stood across the café, pretending to look at his phone, yet his gaze flickered toward them far too often to be a coincidence.
Anna’s brows furrowed slightly.
She did not react imdiately. Instead, she let her eyes move naturally across the room, pretending to observe her surroundings while confirming her suspicion.
He was watching them.
Or more specifically, he was watching Roseline.
Or perhaps both of them.
A quiet alertness settled within her, but she did not let it show.
Slowly, she walked toward the table where Roseline was seated, her movents calm and asured.
Roseline noticed her almost instantly.
Relief flooded her expression, and a smile broke across her face. Her eyes shimred with tears as she stood up quickly, her composure slipping for the first ti.
"Anna... my daughter," Roseline whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
She stepped forward, her arms opening as she tried to pull Anna into an embrace.
But Anna stopped her.
Her hand ca up firmly, halting Roseline before she could touch her.
The gesture was not aggressive, but it was clear.
Final.
Roseline froze, her arms still slightly raised, her expression faltering as the reality of Anna’s rejection settled over her.
The warmth in her smile faded, replaced by sothing fragile and uncertain.
Anna lowered her hand slowly, her face calm but distant.
"Just because I agreed to et you," she said quietly, her voice steady and unyielding, "doesn’t an I have forgiven you, Mom."
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