Chapter 119: What if I do?
Later that afternoon, Hugo stormed back into the Bennett mansion, his composure long gone. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the fury building inside him.
Anna’s defiance still rang in his ears, her words echoing like a challenge he couldn’t ignore.
And if that wasn’t enough, his wife’s betrayal only added fuel to the fire.
He found Rosiline in the sitting room, arranging flowers on the center table. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps, her hands faltering when she saw the expression on his face. Dark, rigid, and simmering with restrained rage.
"Why did Anna come home that day, Rosiline?" Hugo demanded, his voice cold and cutting.
Rosiline froze, the vase in her hand trembling slightly. She’d seen her husband angry before, but this was different. His eyes burned with accusation, his jaw clenched so tightly she could hear the faint grind of his teeth.
"I—I told you," she stammered, forcing a nervous smile. "She said she missed home, so she came—"
"Don’t lie to me, Rosiline!"
The roar that escaped him made her flinch violently, the vase slipping from her hands and shattering against the marble floor.
Hugo took a menacing step forward, his voice echoing through the room. "Take this as a warning. I’m not in the mood for your excuses."
Rosiline’s lips trembled. "Hugo, please, I—"
"Why did you hide it from me?" he cut in sharply. "Why didn’t you tell me Anna has decided to pursue acting?" His voice rose with each word, the fury in his tone enough to make the walls vibrate. "WHY?"
Rosiline’s breath hitched. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst.
"D-darling, I—"
"Tell me, Rosiline," Hugo interrupted again, his voice low now, dangerously calm. "Did you forget what we agreed on all those years ago?"
Her throat tightened. "No, Hugo. I haven’t forgotten."
"Then why?" His tone cracked with disbelief. "Why couldn’t you stop her when we made it clear that no one was supposed to know about her? That no one must ever find out she isn’t my real daughter?"
The words sliced through the air like a blade.
Rosiline lowered her gaze, her hands trembling as she clasped them together. Yes it was true that Anna wasn’t his biological daughter, but hers from her first marriage.
When Rosiline married Hugo, he had agreed to take Anna in but not as his own. To the world, Anna Bennett barely existed. Only a select few knew of her existence, and that was exactly how Hugo wanted it.
For years, Rosiline had lived with that secret, convincing herself it was for the best to protect Anna, to maintain peace. But now, seeing her husband’s fury rekindle, she wondered if she’d only made things worse.
"I haven’t forgotten, Hugo," she whispered finally, forcing the words out. "I remember every promise I made. But tell me how was I supposed to stop her when she has Daniel’s support?"
Hugo froze. "What are you talking about?" he demanded, his voice lowering but no less dangerous.
Rosiline hesitated, her pulse quickening. "What I mean is... Anna’s not a Bennett anymore. She’s a Clafford now. And her husband, Daniel, supports her decision to act."
Hugo’s brows furrowed. "Daniel? Agreed to this?"
"Yes." Rosiline swallowed hard. "When I confronted her, she told me Daniel had no objection to her pursuing a career. She even said if he didn’t mind, why should we?"
The memory of that conversation replayed in her head. Anna’s calm defiance. Her quiet strength. The hint of finality in her tone when she said, ’Daniel doesn’t mind.’
Rosiline hadn’t believed her at first but now, standing in front of her enraged husband, the truth seemed undeniable.
Hugo’s expression turned grim. His eyes darkened, his fists curling at his sides. "Daniel Clafford," he muttered under his breath, the name tasting bitter.
One part of him wanted to believe Rosiline. Wanted to think Daniel was simply being considerate, letting his wife chase her dreams. But another, colder part of him refused to accept it.
Daniel wasn’t that type of man.
’He was the one who wanted the marriage kept secret,’ Hugo thought, his mind racing. ’He wanted distance. Silence. Control. So why would he let her act, knowing the spotlight would draw attention to both of them?’
None of it made sense and that left Hugo even more eager about Daniel’s intention.
’Daniel Clafford, what does that even mean?’ he question lingered in his mind while his expression turned grim over the fact that Daniel was turning back on his own words.
***
The day slipped by faster than Anna realized.
By the time she returned home, the sky outside was already painted in streaks of gold fading into dusk. She kicked off her heels with a tired sigh, grateful to finally be in her own space. The meeting with Kevin had gone better than she expected.
He wasn’t like most managers she’d heard about those who treated their artists like puppets. Kevin, despite his cool and businesslike demeanor, actually listened. He was practical but kind in a way that didn’t make her feel small.
For the first time in a long while, Anna felt understood.
After a quick shower, she changed into something comfortable and sank onto the bed. The soft glow of her phone lit up the dim room as she absently scrolled through random posts, her mind only half-present.
But as always, her thoughts wandered.
Specifically to him.
’Why is he so quiet today?’ she thought, tilting her head slightly as if that would help her process it.
Her mind unhelpfully supplied his username: DarkKnight_07.
The man who had single-handedly caused chaos on her comment section, clarified rumors like some knight in shining armor, and then had the audacity to declare he "couldn’t risk not being her friend."
Anna sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Don’t think about it, Anna," she muttered to herself. "He’s probably just trying to annoy you."
Still, she couldn’t help the small, amused curve that touched her lips.
From the way he texted her bold, teasing, occasionally infuriating, it was clear he was a man. Only men could be that persistently shameless.
Then again, a tiny voice in her head whispered, what if it’s not?
She shook her head, brushing the thought away. "Nope. Not going down that road."
Just as she was about to put the phone aside, a new notification popped up.
Anna blinked. "Huh?"
It was a follow request from none other than ’Ethan Helmsworth’
"He started following me too?" she murmured in disbelief.
Her eyes lingered on his profile photo for a second before she set the phone down. Since making her private account public, most of her castmates had followed her. Even Wilsmith, their director, had dropped a discreet like on one of her posts—his silent way of confirming her involvement in the film.
Everyone from the cast had followed her, except two. Fiona and Ethan.
Now, only Fiona remained. And honestly, Anna doubted that day would ever come. Not that she wanted it to.
She scrolled down absently only to stop dead when a new comment appeared under her latest post.
Ethan: Looking forward to working with you. Hope we have a good time.
Anna froze. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped slightly.
"Wait... what?"
She blinked again, rereading the words to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. Ethan, the famously reserved, emotionally distant had commented publicly on her post?
Her mind scrambled to process it. Ethan wasn’t the type to comment on anyone’s photos. He barely even liked posts. She knew because she used to follow him in the past life before deleting her old account.
This... was new. This was strange.
And if she was being honest, a little flattering.
The man who rarely showed any emotion had left a friendly, even warm, message on her feed for the world to see.
Her fingers hovered over the screen as she debated whether to reply. Maybe she should thank him? Or just like the comment? Would that look too eager?
She was mid-thought when another notification popped up.
Her stomach flipped as she saw the name flash across her screen.
DarkKnight_07: So I see I have competition now? Guess I’ll have to work harder.
Anna’s hand flew to her forehead, a groan escaping her lips.
"Oh, for heaven’s sake," she muttered.
The universe clearly had no plans to let her relax tonight.
Letting out a frustrated groan, she snatched up her phone and quickly typed back a reply.
Anna: What does that even mean?
Her fingers hesitated for a moment before hitting send. She didn’t know what this man’s intentions were anymore.
Who was he, really?
He confused her endlessly. One moment teasing her like a mischievous friend, the next acting cold and distant, as if he was deliberately testing her patience. It was infuriating.
And maybe that was exactly why she didn’t want to trust him.
A notification blinked. Another message.
DarkKnight_07: I just asked because I thought maybe you already had someone you like.
Anna’s eyes narrowed, a scoff slipping past her lips. "Unbelievable."
Her fingers flew across the screen.
Anna: And what if I say I do? Would you cause another buzz in the comment section just to prove a point?
She pressed send, satisfaction flickering briefly in her chest.
Let him squirm for a change.