CHAPTER 248: WE BOTH NEED TO SHOWER

The meeting finally ended with Fredrick storming out of the boardroom—his face twisted in humiliation and barely contained rage. Hugo and Kathrine exchanged a small, satisfied glance as the door slammed behind him.

Mr. Halden and Ms. Bernard, two of the senior investors, had made a fair and brutally sharp decision. One that cut through Fredrick’s manipulation and exposed his intentions cleanly.

"You did a good job," Hugo said, breaking the lingering tension. His voice carried genuine appreciation. "Your timing was perfect. I couldn’t have handled it better myself."

Kathrine gave him a polite nod.

She had expected him to acknowledge her efforts... but hearing it still warmed her chest.

Hugo had always known Fredrick was a snake—someone he kept close because it was better to watch a snake than lose track of it. But today he learned just how poisonous Fredrick truly was. After failing to gain Daniel’s favor, the man dared to stoop low enough to drag the Bennetts into the business mud.

Kathrine sighed. "I’m glad I could help, Dad. But... what if Mr. Steward was telling the truth?"

Her brows knitted, mind replaying the pieces she had collected.

She knew someone Roseline was familiar with had attacked her. But with the police report pointing to a girl, she couldn’t shake the suspicion that her mother’s silence was tied to even darker motives.

And she couldn’t ignore the conversation she overheard earlier in the hospital the faint voices, Hugo’s sharp tone, and Roseline’s nervousness the moment she walked in.

Something was off. Yet she masked it off seeing the two.

"Of course it’s not true," Hugo replied too quickly, too stiffly. "W-why would Roseline knowingly let someone dangerous near her?"

His denial was firm.

His eyes were not.

Kathrine studied him carefully. Hugo was many things—stern, composed, confident. But hesitant wasn’t one of them.

Yet here he was, hesitating.

"I was just mentioning it," Kathrine said lightly, though her tone was meaningful. "If Fredrick wants to stir trouble, he might use this angle to mislead the police."

Hugo didn’t respond immediately—but her words clearly struck him. He couldn’t allow suspicion to fall onto Roseline. Not now. Not with Collin possibly back in the shadows.

"Don’t worry," Hugo said after a moment. "I’ll handle it. Fredrick won’t get a chance to tamper with the investigation."

A brief silence settled over the room before Hugo’s assistant stepped in.

"Boss, we have to leave."

Kathrine’s attention snapped toward them. "You’re going somewhere?" she asked, watching Hugo rise to his feet.

"Yes," Hugo said, straightening his coat. "A meeting with Daniel."

Kathrine blinked—surprised and slightly thrown.

Daniel? Her father rarely visited him personally unless something major was brewing.

"Should I join you?" she asked, assuming it was work-related.

But Hugo immediately shook his head.

"No need. Stay here and handle the company matters."

Before she could ask another question, Hugo turned and walked out of the boardroom. His assistant followed, closing the door behind them.

Kathrine remained standing, eyes fixed on the closed door, her mind buzzing with questions, until her phone buzzed and she pull it out checking what it was.

Suddenly the corner of her lips curled up and her eyes shone in victory.

***

Meanwhile, Fredrick stormed back home instead of heading to his office. The moment he entered the living room, he slammed his hand on the table so hard the decorative vase rattled. His whole body trembled with pure, unfiltered fury.

Ester, who had rushed out the second she heard the door open, froze at the violent sound. She instinctively took a step back, her breath catching.

"D-Darling... what happened? Why are you so angry?" she asked cautiously, lowering her voice as if afraid even a loud breath might provoke him.

Fredrick turned his head sharply, his glare slicing straight through her.

"You and your daughter are good for NOTHING," he spat.

Fiona, who had just reached them, halted mid-step, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"I—what?" Fiona whispered, her voice shaking. "Father, what did we do—?"

Ester swallowed hard. "Why are you home? Did something happen in the board meeting?" she asked hesitantly, remembering he was supposed to face the investors today. She prayed he hadn’t caused damage.

But Fredrick’s jaw clenched at the mere mention of the meeting.

His humiliation.

His plans falling apart.

His arguments crushed by Ms. Bernard and Mr. Halden—thanks to Hugo and Kathrine’s interference.

He had expected leverage. Power. A chance to strike.

Instead, he was made a fool.

"I—" Fredrick’s voice cracked with rage. "I thought I could twist the Bennett situation to my advantage. I thought I could USE it!"

Then he shot Ester a look so cold she almost stumbled.

"But YOU!" he shouted. "You stupid woman! Whatever nonsense you fed me turned EVERYTHING against me!"

Ester’s face drained of all color.

She remembered exactly what she’d told him.

How she whispered that something about Roseline’s attacker seemed personal.

How she had seen Roseline following someone that night.

How she assumed Roseline knew the culprit.

She had said it lightly, out of irritation and jealousy.

She didn’t think Fredrick would drag it to the investors’ table as ammunition.

"I—I didn’t mean—" Ester stuttered, voice trembling. "I only told you what I saw—"

"What you SAW?" Fredrick laughed bitterly, shaking with anger. "You saw NOTHING! You made me look like a DAMN IDIOT!"

He kicked the chair beside him, the wooden legs scraping harshly against the marble.

Fiona flinched, grabbing her mother’s arm.

"Father, please—calm down—"

"SHUT UP!" he barked at her, making her shrink back instantly.

He ran a shaky hand over his face, breathing heavily.

"I should’ve known better than to trust either of you," he hissed. "Your stupidity nearly got ME accused of making baseless claims against the Bennett family!"

His voice echoed through the room.

Ester’s knees weakened while Fiona’s eyes glossed with fear.

Fredrick’s fury wasn’t just humiliation.It was desperation. And desperation made dangerous men even more unpredictable.

"But now I will use this foolishness against them" his eyes then turned sharp.

He then looked at Ester who gulped at the sight of it very well aware of what was coming for her.

***

Meanwhile, back at the Clafford Mansion, Daniel refused to leave Anna alone for even a second. He trailed behind her through the room, arms wrapped around her waist until she had to physically push him away.

"Your fever is gone now, so why are you still this clingy?" Anna stretched her words in exasperation as she tried to pry him off. But Daniel simply followed her like a very determined—very large—lost puppy.

Just as she reached the bathroom door, she spun around and blocked the entry with both arms spread wide.

"Stay. Here. You’re not coming inside," she warned, eyes narrowed.

Daniel blinked innocently. "But... we both need to shower."

Anna stared at him.

Blink.

Blink.

Her face warmed instantly as memories from earlier flashed through her mind—specifically how very not innocent he had been. She shook her head quickly, pushing the thoughts away before they derailed her entirely.

"No," Anna declared firmly, holding her ground. "I’m showering first. You can wait your turn."

Even though a traitorous part of her mind whispered that he did look incredibly cute right now.

But she stayed strong.

Absolutely immovable.

A wall of willpower.

Daniel widened his eyes, trying to look as sweet and harmless as possible. His lower lip even jutted out a little—he was clearly weaponizing his face at this point.

But before he could utter another "wifey," Anna shut the door right in his face.

For a moment, Daniel just stood there, hand half-raised, blinking at the closed door.

And then— slowly... very slowly... the corners of his lips stretched into a wide, satisfied smile.

As if her flustered reaction had been exactly what he wanted.

****

Anna took her sweet time soaking in the bathtub, a tiny part of her wanting to tease Daniel for his shameless insistence earlier. At first, he knocked on the bathroom door—once, twice, then harder—dramatically demanding her attention.

But when she ignored him on purpose... the knocking stopped.

Minutes passed in silence. "Huh?" Anna muttered, sitting upright. "Did he already leave?"

That didn’t sound like Daniel at all.

Normally he would sulk, complain, or try to pick the lock.

Frowning, she quickly rinsed off and stepped out of the tub. She wrapped herself in a towel, got dressed in a hurry, then stepped into the bedroom.

Empty.

No Daniel on the bed, on the couch or lurking by the door ready to pounce.

Did his fever come back? A small pang of worry hit her.

She scanned the room, checking corners, the balcony, even behind the half-open wardrobe door. Nothing.

Just as she pulled out her phone to call him, something on the bedside caught her eye—a small folded note.

She picked it up, brows knitting.

Work’s calling. See you in the evening.

Anna let out a long, relief sigh.

"So he really left..." she murmured, pressing her lips together. "I shouldn’t have kept him outside like that."

She hadn’t expected to miss him this quickly—but the empty room felt strangely cold without his presence, without his clinginess, without his teasing smirk.

Shaking off the odd heaviness in her chest, Anna changed properly and stepped out of the room.

She headed downstairs with the intention of checking on Mariam—to make sure the older woman was alright after last night’s emotional breakdown.

But as soon as she reached the hallway leading to the kitchen, she stopped.

Mariam was already back to work as if nothing happened.She worked alongside the staff, moving briskly, giving instructions, folding towels, chatting quietly. And that made her sigh in relief. But soon her phone rang and she stepped to the side to answer it.

"What is it Shawn?" she asked reading the callers name, but what he said next made her frown.