Chapter 122: The scar
Anna swallowed hard.
The way Daniel was staring at her made her freeze. His eyes were dark, steady, and impossible to read.
"Y-You won’t," she stammered, still trying to sound confident even though her voice betrayed her.
Daniel folded his arms and leaned casually against the door. "Try me."
The quiet challenge in his tone made her knees weaken. There was no hint of teasing this time—no trace of mischief. He meant every word, and that truth alone sent a chill racing down her spine.
He had always been like this—setting his rules, claiming control in ways that left her breathless and furious all at once. Sometimes he would keep his distance, giving her space; other times, he’d corner her with that calm authority that made resistance seem pointless.
And now, with the door locked behind him and that look in his eyes, she knew he wasn’t bluffing.
No, Anna. You can’t let him win again, she told herself.
"Fine," she muttered under her breath, and when he raised an eyebrow, she ran.
She sprinted across the room, heart hammering. The first place she went was the window. She shoved it open—but one look down at the drop made her pale.
"No, no... too high," she whispered. "I’d break something."
She turned to the balcony instead, leaning over the railing to see if there was anything she could climb down from. Her hopes deflated the moment she saw how far away the drainpipe was.
"Come on, seriously..." she groaned, stretching her arm hopelessly toward it when she heard a low, amused sound behind her.
"Tsk, tsk. Too bad," Daniel said, voice smooth but heavy with amusement. "Looks like you’re out of options."
Anna froze. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she felt him approaching—slow, deliberate steps closing the distance between them.
"Busted," he murmured.
Anna turned, glaring, and there it was that infuriating smile that said you never had a chance.In that instant, she almost wished she’d jumped.
’You can’t,’ her rational mind warned. ’You have a shoot coming up. A career to protect.’
And before she could think of another plan, he’d already caught her by the wrist.
"Not again—" she started, but he easily pulled her back from the balcony.
"Daniel!" she protested as he lifted her off her feet, ignoring her half-hearted struggle. "Put me down!"
He did but only when they reached the bed. A man who skipped his meal still had the strength to carry her like a sack of potato and she couldn’t help but wonder how good was his stamina.
Anna hit the mattress with a soft thud, glaring up at him as he stood over her, his breathing calm despite the scuffle.
His eyes, dark and unreadable, lingered on her face for a moment too long.
"Daniel, that’s not fair," she said, folding her arms, trying to mask the nervous tremor in her voice. "You should’ve waited until I found my way out."
He tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "If I waited, you’d still be trying to climb a wall by morning."
She opened her mouth to argue but stopped when he added quietly, "Just stop running, Anna. You’re safe here."
Something in his tone softened the air between them. The anger she felt melted into confusion—a warmth she didn’t want to recognize.
"Safe?" she asked wondering what kind of safety she would get after getting cage like that. But before her mind could reel the corner of his lips curled, alerting her and then she heard him say.
"And now my kiss" and just like that Daniel kissed the hell out of her until she found herself getting dizzy.
***
Anna drifted into sleep, the dizziness from Daniel’s kiss pulling her swiftly into unconsciousness.
Daniel, however, remained wide awake.
He lay on his side, his gaze fixed on her face — the steady rhythm of her breathing, the faint crease between her brows that hadn’t fully relaxed even in sleep. It was strange how peaceful she looked, and yet how much chaos she left in his mind.
Slowly, his eyes drifted downward until something unfamiliar caught his attention.
The edge of her shirt had lifted slightly, revealing a faint scar stretching down her abdomen — thin, pale, and deliberate.
Daniel stilled.
For a moment, he simply stared at it, his thoughts slowing to a crawl. Then, with careful fingers, he lifted the hem of her top a little higher, just enough to see the full mark.
A surgical scar.
His brows drew together. How had he missed it before? Especially when there were moments — moments he didn’t like to admit thinking about — when he’d been closer to her than this.
But now that he saw it, he couldn’t unsee it.
His expression turned unreadable, a mix of curiosity and concern clouding his sharp features. "What happened to you, Anna?" he murmured softly, his voice barely audible.
He had always known that she carried pieces of herself she didn’t share — invisible scars from a life that hadn’t been kind. But seeing a mark like this... it made those assumptions feel far too real.
The Bennetts had been cold to her, that much he’d already learned. Her father’s control. Her mother’s silence. A family that silenced pain rather than healed it. It was easy to see how Anna had learned to live behind walls — smiling when expected, obeying when demanded, and hiding when hurt.
Daniel’s jaw tightened slightly as he studied her sleeping face. She was a mystery — one wrapped in contradictions. Brave yet fragile. Guarded yet endlessly intriguing.
And now, with that scar staring back at him, he realized there was so much more about her he didn’t know — things she never spoke of, things that shaped the woman she was.
He leaned back slightly, his expression softening.
"What are you hiding, Anna?" he whispered again, his tone laced with something between frustration and tenderness.
He wanted to wake her, to ask, to demand answers — but he couldn’t. Not yet. She had built her walls carefully, and forcing them down would only make her rebuild them higher.
So he stayed silent, watching her breathe, the faint rise and fall of her chest a quiet reminder that she was here — fragile, human, and far more complex than anyone gave her credit for.
Daniel exhaled slowly and reached out to pull the blanket over her again, covering the scar from sight.
"I need to find everything" he said to himself before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
***
The next morning, when Daniel arrived at his office, he was greeted by an unexpected sight — Hugo Bennett, already waiting inside.
Daniel’s steps slowed for the briefest moment, surprise flickering behind his composed expression. But as always, he quickly masked it, his features settling into their usual calm.
"Mr. Bennett," he greeted evenly, closing the door behind him. "What brings you to my office so early in the morning?"
Hugo turned, his expression as stern as ever, though there was a tightness in his eyes that didn’t go unnoticed.
Daniel, however, already had a faint idea why he was there.
"I’ll get straight to the point," Hugo began, his tone clipped. "Daniel, did you give Anna permission to pursue her acting career?"
Daniel regarded him quietly for a moment. The polite smile he’d worn slipped away, replaced by a more neutral expression.
"I suppose," he said slowly, "that means you’re not happy about it."
Hugo’s lips twitched, his composure faltering for a fraction of a second. "You told me once you wanted to keep this marriage out of the public eye," he said, his tone sharp with accusation. "So why the sudden change, Daniel? Why go back on your words?"
Daniel’s brow lifted slightly, his voice calm but edged with amusement. "And what makes you think I’ve gone back on them?"
That threw Hugo off balance. His eyes flickered in confusion, his confidence faltering.
Daniel leaned casually against his desk, folding his arms as he looked at the older man. "If I recall correctly, I made my terms quite clear before the wedding. Anna and I are married only on paper. What she does with her life is entirely her choice."
He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle.
"I married her to protect your reputation, Mr. Bennett — to save your family from humiliation. Beyond that, she owes me nothing. And I have no objection to her choices."
Hugo’s eyes widened slightly. It was true — Daniel had said that. He had been so focused on sealing the alliance that he’d forgotten the very conditions Daniel had set.
Daniel’s gaze sharpened, though his tone remained deceptively calm. "So, as far as I’m concerned, Anna can do whatever she pleases. Neither you nor I have any right to stop her."
His words hung heavy in the air.
For a moment, silence filled the office, the faint ticking of the wall clock the only sound between them.
Then Daniel tilted his head slightly, his next question cutting through the quiet like a blade.
"But what I don’t understand," he said softly, "is why you’re so desperate to stop her. Shouldn’t a father be proud to see his daughter standing on her own for once?"