Chapter 78: We’re even
It was well past midnight when Daniel’s car finally rolled up the driveway.
He had deliberately stayed out late, telling himself distance was the only way to quiet the storm in his head. But as he climbed the staircase and reached the hallway, that fragile resolve began to crumble.
He paused outside Anna’s door, his hand braced against the wall.
"She’s asleep by now," he muttered, though his gaze lingered on the handle far too long.
For several seconds he simply stood there, listening to the soft hush of the house. Then, with a low breath of defeat, he turned toward his own room.
The door clicked shut behind him unaware of the shadowed figure at the corner of the hall.
Kira, hidden in the dim light, watched the subtle war in his eyes and let a slow, knowing smile curve her lips before slipping silently away.
***
[Next Morning]
Birdsong drifted through the open window, coaxing Anna from sleep. But instead of the gentle calm of morning, an unexpected heat pressed down on her.
Her skin was damp, a fine sheen of sweat clinging to her neck.
"Did I turn off the AC in the middle of the night?" she mumbled, groggily trying to shift. Except—she couldn’t.
Her limbs refused to move and suddenly a jolt of panic shot through her chest.
’What—why can’t I move?’ Her eyes flew open. And then she froze.
A man lay beside her.
’Daniel.’ Her breath caught, every nerve snapping awake.
’When did he—how...’ Shock quickly melted into sharp annoyance.
"So what if he came into my room? That does not give him the right to sleep here like he owns the place."
She tried to wriggle free, but the moment she moved, his arm tightened around her waist like a steel band.
"Stop moving," his voice came low and rough against her ear, still husky from sleep, "unless you want me to kiss the hell out of you."
"..."
Anna went utterly still.
The words weren’t a threat exactly—but the warning in his tone made her heart stumble.
"I thought you said you’d be home late," she managed, keeping her voice as steady as possible. "Why are you sleeping here?"
Daniel’s eyes remained closed for a beat, though she sensed he’d been awake long before she stirred. Slowly, he opened them—dark, heavy-lidded, and somehow restless.
For a heartbeat, the world stilled. Those eyes—confused, tired, yet quietly intent held her captive.
"I meant to stay in my own room," he said finally, his voice low and unguarded. "But... I failed."
The simple confession stole the words from her tongue. Her silly anger wavered, replaced by a flicker of something she didn’t dare name.
’Why is he looking at me like that? So—serious?’
Daniel studied her, searching her face for something—perhaps permission, perhaps understanding.
But Anna’s silence only deepened.
He’d told himself their marriage was a transaction, a means to an end. Yet each day spent near her had chipped away at that wall.
He wanted to know her.To be near her. And yet her quiet, unreadable gaze now felt like it might undo him.
Finally Anna found her voice, though it came out more brittle than she intended.
"Daniel," she said, narrowing her eyes, "is this some kind of revenge? For me keeping my acting a secret?"
His brow knit, the softness in his face hardening at once.
A dry scoff escaped him as if her accusation had cut deeper than he cared to admit.
Without a word, he released her and swung his legs off the bed.
The sudden loss of his warmth startled her more than she’d expected.
He stood, shoulders taut, back to her.
Anna pushed herself upright, blinking at him in confusion.
Something was off. Either Daniel was truly angry—or the man had completely lost his mind.
’But why should she be the one to feel uneasy? If anything, she was the one with every right to be upset.’
"Listen," Anna said at last, her voice steady even as her heart thudded, "if that’s what you came here for, then let me make it clear—we’re even."
The words snapped Daniel’s gaze to her like a whip.
She shifted on the mattress, his stare sharp enough to make her pulse jump, but she refused to cower.
Back straight, chin high, she met his eyes.
"I kept one secret from you," she continued, "and you kept one from me.
That makes us even."
For a heartbeat the room went very still.
Daniel’s lips twitched—then a dry, incredulous laugh slipped out. It wasn’t amusement; it was disbelief.
’This... this is what she thinks I meant?’
She hadn’t caught it at all—that the reason he’d come here, the reason he’d crossed his own boundaries, was because he simply couldn’t stay away from her.
Anna’s brow furrowed, confusion flickering across her face.
’Why does he look like I just insulted his pride? Isn’t this what he wanted to hear?’
The faint, crooked smile that spread across his face was dangerously magnetic, yet it sent a faint chill skating down her spine.
Unable to read him, Anna finally swung her legs off the bed and stood. Her bare feet sank into the rug as she faced him fully.
"I know you weren’t expecting me to forgive you so easily," she said, her voice soft but firm. "But since you were—" she searched his eyes "—actually thoughtful about the whole thing I kept from you... I’m letting go of my anger."
"..."
Daniel had reached his limit. Her blithe misunderstanding—turning his restless night into some petty score-keeping—made him feel like a complete fool.
Jaw tight, he spun on his heel and stormed out, the door clicking shut behind him with a sharp finality.
Anna blinked at the empty space he’d left behind, her mouth opening and closing in pure confusion.
"I was just... trying to make it easier between us," she muttered, more to the silence than to anyone else.
For a moment she stood there, baffled by how quickly his mood had shifted. But she refused to chase after him or unravel the knot of his irritation.
With a small huff, Anna shook off the thought and was about to head to the bathroom when her phone buzzed with a notification.
Anna quickly picked her phone and read the text from Shawn. "Location send. Be on time"
A smile made it’s way on her lips and she quickly placed the phone back on the table and rushed to the bathroom.