Chapter 121: Run as much as you want Anna
"You what?"
Anna tilted her head slightly, her tone calm and irritatingly unapologetic. "Relax," she said, tapping her fork against the plate. "I only mentioned that my husband happens to be on my side. It might keep him off my back for a while."
Daniel blinked once. Twice. Then leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, his eyes narrowing with quiet amusement.
"Anna," he said slowly, voice low and smooth with a dangerous edge, "are you telling me you used me as your shield?"
She met his gaze, unflinching. "More like a deterrent."
A quiet, disbelieving laugh escaped him — deep, rich, and laced with something between surprise and admiration. He never imagined his wife could be this cunning. For the first time, he saw a glimpse of the strategist hiding behind that calm exterior.
But the way she spoke — the certainty in her voice — it made him wonder. Even after everything, after her father had discovered her secret, she wasn’t trembling or defeated. She was calculating, composed.
And that only led him to one question.
"Does that mean," he asked, reclining in his chair, his voice dripping with teasing warmth, "you’re finally starting to trust me?"
His gaze lingered on her face — those steady eyes, that quiet strength — as though searching for something beneath the calm. He didn’t know why her trust mattered so much to him. But somehow, it did.
Anna smiled faintly, the corner of her lips curling upward. "Trust is a fragile thing, Daniel. And I hardly trust anyone." Her eyes flicked to his. "Which includes you. But since you’re so intent on keeping me tied to this marriage, using you shouldn’t be a problem, right?"
Daniel’s eyes gleamed with amusement. She was sharp — far sharper than he’d given her credit for.
’So,’ he thought with a smirk, ’she knows I pulled the strings to get her signed under Starlight.’
Leaning forward, he murmured, "Of course you can, darling. After all, you’re my wife. And there’s no one else who has the right to use me as much as you want."
Anna blinked, thrown off by the smoothness in his tone.
Then he added, with a grin that could melt steel, "You can use all of me, if you’d like."
She choked mid-bite, coughing into her napkin as Daniel broke into laughter.
"See?" he teased, resting his chin on his palm. "You’re too easy to fluster."
"Keep talking," she shot back, narrowing her eyes, "and I’ll make sure your dinner ends up on your face."
Daniel chuckled, the sound low and genuine. "Ah, my wife. Always so violent when she’s embarrassed."
"Just focus on your food before I shove it down your throat," she muttered, trying to ignore his insufferably amused grin as she dug into her plate.
He didn’t stop watching her, though. His eyes followed every small movement, every flicker of annoyance that crossed her face.
And when she snapped, "Stop staring," he only smirked wider.
"Ahh..." he drawled, deliberately opening his mouth as if waiting for her to feed him.
Anna froze, blinking in disbelief. "Are you seriously doing this right now?"
Her glare could’ve cut through glass, but Daniel only chuckled again, clearly enjoying how easy it was to push her buttons.
So, instead of responding, she decided to ignore him completely — finishing her meal in record time before escaping to her room.
***
[Later — Inside the Bedroom]
"Where are you going?" Daniel’s voice came from behind her, low and curious, as Anna grabbed a pillow and a duvet from the bed.
She didn’t even turn around. "To sleep on the couch," she replied curtly.
He frowned. "Why?"
"I’ll sleep here from now on," she said flatly, walking toward the couch and starting to arrange her things.
Daniel stood at the edge of the bed, watching her in disbelief. "You’re joking."
"I’m not," she said without looking back. "It’s more peaceful over there."
For a second, he just stared — brows drawn, lips twitching in irritation. But then, before she could even settle down, Daniel strode across the room, his long strides cutting the distance in seconds.
"Daniel—"
He didn’t let her finish. In one smooth motion, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her clean off the ground.
"Ah!" Anna gasped, the pillow falling from her hands as she instinctively grabbed his shoulder. "Put me down!"
Her protests went ignored.
Daniel carried her effortlessly back to the bed and dropped her onto the mattress.
"No one," he said firmly, eyes locked on hers, "is sleeping on the couch."
Before she could scramble away, he slid onto the bed beside her and pulled her back, trapping her against him.
"Daniel Clafford!" she hissed, twisting in his grip. "What kind of behavior is this?"
"Marital behavior," he replied smoothly, his tone maddeningly calm.
"Let go of me."
"No."
"Daniel—"
"I said no," he murmured, his breath brushing her ear. "Go to sleep."
Anna clenched her jaw, glaring at him, hating how easily he could overpower her, how effortlessly he filled the space around her, commanding it.
There was one thing she despised most about Daniel Clafford — his dominance.
The way he always had to be in control.
The way he always made her feel like no matter how hard she fought... he’d still win.
But what she hated more was how her heart wouldn’t stop racing every time he did. And yet she didn’t let it sway.
Anna’s elbow jabbed hard into Daniel’s stomach, earning a sharp, pained groan from him.
She didn’t wait. The moment he bent forward, she spun around and bolted toward the door.
But Daniel recovered quickly.
With his long strides, it took him only two steps to catch up and pass her. His hand shot out, and with a firm twist, the lock clicked shut.
The sound echoed through the room like a final warning.
"..."
Anna froze, stumbling back a step when he turned to face her. His eyes — dark, intense, unflinching — held her still, as though daring her to try running again.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Daniel’s chest rose and fell, his breathing steady but his jaw tight. He had told himself to be patient with her. To take it one step at a time. To let her come to him when she was ready.
But Anna — as always — had her own way of destroying his restraint.
He clenched his fists loosely at his sides, reigning himself in. There was no way he was letting her sleep away from him tonight. Not again.
He wasn’t being possessive, not this time — or at least that’s what he told himself. He simply couldn’t bear the thought of waking up in the middle of the night and finding her curled awkwardly on the couch, or worse, half on the floor.
She had a habit — an infuriating one — of sleeping like she was fighting a war.And every time she rolled to the end of the bed, he’d quietly scoop her up and tuck her to bed without saying a word.
But tonight... he didn’t even want to give her the chance.
Daniel’s eyes softened slightly as he studied her. The way her breath quickened, the faint tremor in her hands, though her chin stayed defiantly high.
He didn’t want to frighten her. He just wanted her to understand that he wouldn’t let her push him away anymore.
"Run as much as you want Anna, but the second I caught you, I will devour you"
"..."