CHAPTER 241: SHE IS THE CULPRIT

The doctor arrived promptly, checked Daniel thoroughly, and assured Anna that the fever was nothing severe—just stress, exhaustion, and stubbornness catching up all at once. He administered a mild sedative to help the fever drop and scribbled a list of medicines and strict rest instructions before leaving.

Anna took one last glance at Daniel—his face peaceful, his breaths deep—before slipping out of the room and closing the door gently behind her.

She entered Daniel’s vast office, the silence stretching across the gleaming space. Then, without hesitation, she sank into his executive chair—his throne—crossed her legs, and leveled her gaze at the trembling man sitting before her.

Henry flinched the moment she looked at him.

"Now," Anna said calmly, her voice controlled but carrying enough edge to slice through steel, "tell me what happened."

Henry’s back straightened with a jolt, like someone had just plugged him into a high-voltage socket.

"M-Madam, I—I can explain—" he stammered.

Anna raised one eyebrow—the deadly one.

Henry’s explanation jammed somewhere in his throat. He swallowed hard, sweat already forming on his forehead.

He looked like a criminal cornered in an interrogation room, except the detective was a calm, beautiful woman who could destroy him with nothing but a single unimpressed blink.

"I—I swear, Madam, I tried!" he burst out, panic spilling everywhere. "Boss wasn’t feeling well since morning, but he told me—not asked, told me—not to say a word. I-I even tried to secretly bring him lemon water but he glared at me like I’d personally insulted his ancestors!"

Anna’s lips twitched. Just slightly.

Henry continued dramatically, hands flapping as if acting out every scene muutering nonsense.

"M-Madam... I swear I wasn’t being careless. I was being... obedient. Terrified but obedient."Henry deflated, shoulders slumping like a balloon losing air.

Anna exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Henry," she said with a sigh.

He jolted again. "Yes, Madam?"

"Next time Daniel is sick, I don’t care what he orders. You inform me."

"Yes, Madam!" he declared instantly, nodding vigorously like a bobblehead on caffeine.

"And Henry..."

He froze mid-nod.

"If he glares at you—just glare back."

Henry choked. "M-Madam... I value my life."

Anna rolled her eyes, leaning back in Daniel’s chair like she owned the entire building.

"Just do it."

Henry nodded again, terrified but determined—because when Madam commanded, even death had to wait.

"Now tell me the truth."

Anna’s tone dropped—firm, unwavering, leaving no room for excuses. She wasn’t angry... not yet. But she wanted answers. Real answers. The truth behind Daniel’s stress—the truth he hid so well whenever she was around.

Henry swallowed so hard it echoed in his skull.

This... this was the one thing he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. Daniel had warned him. Threatened him. Glared at him with those soul-snatching eyes until Henry promised secrecy with his whole existence.

But under Anna’s stare—the deep, dissecting stare that felt like it could read his sins from last birth—Henry felt his resolve crumble like a biscuit dipped too long in tea.

’Sorry, Boss... you can demote me all the way to Mars, make me clean alien toilets, but Madam’s eyes are scarier. I’m doomed anyway.’

He inhaled sharply, bracing himself for the storm his confession would unleash.

"The thing is—" His voice cracked like a teenager going through puberty.

Henry clenched his hands into tight fists on his lap, gathering what little courage he had left to finally spill the rest of the truth.

But before he could utter a word, Anna’s phone rang—sharp, slicing through the heavy tension wrapped around them.

Anna frowned. The name flashing across the screen made her brows knit tighter.

Kathrine.

Normally, she would have ignored her sister without a second thought—especially now, when she had Henry on the verge of confession. But one thought froze her hand halfway:

What if this is about Mom?

So, instead of rejecting the call like she preferred, Anna swiped to answer.

"Ann, you need to come to the police station. Now."

Kathrine’s voice trembled with urgency—something Anna rarely heard from her.

"I’ll be right there."

She ended the call immediately.

Across from her, Henry squinted, sensing the sudden shift in her demeanor. The thunderous aura she had moments ago... softened. Not entirely, but enough to make him feel like he could breathe again.

"Let’s push this topic for later," Anna said, rising from Daniel’s chair. "I need to go somewhere."

She was halfway past him when she paused, turning her head slowly—just enough for Henry to freeze mid-breath.

"And Henry," she added, her voice low and calm.

"When I say later, I mean the truth."

Henry nodded so fast he almost sprained his neck.

Anna didn’t wait for a response. She turned on her heel and walked away, heading toward the private corridor that led out of the building—a hidden route known only to a handful of trusted people.

Her footsteps were swift, purposeful, and within seconds she disappeared behind the discreet exit door... leaving Henry slumped in his chair, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead.

***

Meanwhile, Anna reached the police station in record time, her pulse thrumming with unease. The sterile smell of the place hit her as soon as she stepped inside, and she immediately spotted Kathrine near the front desk, speaking to the officer in charge.

The moment Kathrine saw her, she lifted a hand. "My sister is here."

Anna approached, her heels clicking softly against the floor. She exchanged a brief, tense look with Kathrine, one filled with too many unspoken questions before turning her attention to the officer.

She recognized him instantly. The same officer she had spoken to before... she met her mother in the hospital. That memory alone made her spine stiffen.

"Officer," Anna greeted, her voice steady despite the tension curling inside her.

"I called you both here to show you something," the officer said, gesturing toward the chairs in front of his desk.

Anna and Kathrine sat down slowly, tension coiling between them. The officer reached into a drawer, pulled out a stack of forensic documents, and placed them on the table.

Anna’s breath caught the moment her eyes landed on the bold heading—FORENSIC REPORT.

Something cold slid down her spine.

But before she could flip the page, the officer pulled out another folder. This one was thinner... but heavier somehow. He opened it, and Anna felt her heart drop to her stomach.

"Kira?" she whispered, unable to stop herself from saying the name.

The officer turned the file toward them, revealing Kira’s photos clipped neatly to the top.

"She is the culprit," he announced grimly.

Kathrine pursed her lips while Anna felt the air leave her lungs feeling the realization of her doubt hitting to her gut.

"The finger prints on the knife matched with her," he continued. "So does the timing of her disappearance."

Anna’s fingers curled slowly, her pulse roaring in her ears.

"Kira is the one who attacked your mother."

The officer’s words slammed through the room like a thunderclap.

Before either sister could react, another voice cut through the silence—sharp, trembling, and terrified.

"Madam."

Anna’s eyes widened. She turned and standing behind her was Mariam—her face pale, her eyes wide with shock, fingers trembling as she pointed at the displayed evidence.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

Whatever she had heard—whatever she had realized had shaken her to her core.