Chapter 106: I think I like you
It took Anna another thirty minutes to bring Daniel out from the bathroom after he finally calmed down. Luckily he was a lot more cooperative when she asked him to change.
It was as if at the back of his mind he knew what was happening to him and yet he used all his self control to not cross the line.
Helping him lie on the bed, Anna then grabbed the remote from the side table and decreased the temperature of the air condition.
"Just in case if he starts feeling hot again"
Anna might have managed to surpress the effect of the drug, however it wasn’t fully eliminated from his body. But when she noticed the calmness on his face as he breathed, her worries vanished.
"Aah, I need to get change" she was still wearing the same wet clothes, but she wasn’t that displeased knowing Daniel didn’t let her drench more.
It was late and once confirming that there was nothing to worry about, Anna then turned to leave, however a hand reached to grab her wrist and pulled her back making her fall on the bed.
"hey~" Anna was about to scold Daniel, but when she realized he was still sleeping soundly with his arms wrapped around her like cocoan she blinked.
’Just how am I supposed to get out from here’
Anna had always had this question as to how come even fast asleep Daniel wouldn’t let her go. And now she realized why.
’Because he thought her of a spongy pillow he could strangle in his sleep’
Anna moved trying to break free, but alls Daniel did was to hold her tight.
’Agh this clingy devil. Even after being drugged his intention of not letting me go is so evident’
Anna realized it was useless to get away from here, however the colness inside the room had started to bother her.
"Geez why did I even decrease the temperature" she muttered gnashing her teeth and slowly scooted closer to Daniel.
"That’s the payback for hugging me to sleep in my bed"
Anna didn’t linger too long as the exhaustion finally hit her and she closer her eyes, however she didn’t let a single incident of whatever happened tonight miss her mind.
’Its high time that she needs to be taken care of’ with that thought Anna drifted to sleep looking forward for the next day.
***
Meanwhile, inside the maids’ quarters, Kira hadn’t closed her eyes all night. Sleep evaded her like punishment. Every time she blinked, she saw Anna’s hand flashing across her face, felt the sting of that slap burning her cheek again and again.
She clenched her jaw, her nails digging into her palm. "That woman," she hissed under her breath. The hatred simmered low but dangerous.
Yet, beneath her anger lurked something worse—fear.
"What if she confronts me?" Kira muttered, sitting upright abruptly, heart hammering against her ribs. The very thought of facing Anna again made her stomach twist.
She’d planned everything so carefully—the potion, the timing, Daniel’s drink. The plan was supposed to make him crave her touch, not spiral out of control. But she hadn’t accounted for Anna walking in. That woman had ruined everything.
Kira’s eyes flickered with bitterness as she recalled the moment she saw Rosiline secretly hand that small bottle to Anna. She had overheard their whispers about "reigniting passion," about "giving the son-in-law a little push." When Anna refused, Kira seized her chance, stealing the discarded bottle from the trash outside the mansion gates.
It had seemed perfect—too perfect. Until Anna interfered.
"Ugh, no," she growled, shaking her head. "She can’t prove anything. She won’t dare."
She repeated that lie until she almost believed it. Anna had no evidence. And even if she suspected, Kira could twist the story—claim she was only trying to help Daniel after he looked unwell.
With that reassuring thought, Kira finally exhaled, forcing her expression into something neutral. "Yes... she has no proof," she whispered, brushing the wrinkles off her apron before heading out to start her day—her mind already plotting the next move.
***
Meanwhile, upstairs, the morning sun spilled through the curtains of Daniel’s room. The air was warm again, but Anna remained curled close to him, her arm draped lazily across his chest. Her face was serene, soft in sleep, lips parted ever so slightly as she murmured something incoherent.
Daniel’s eyes softened despite himself.
’How come I never noticed the way she sleeps?’ he thought, watching the way she unconsciously snuggled closer, like a kitten seeking warmth.
He couldn’t help the faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"She’s such a baby," he murmured, brushing his finger against the tip of her nose.
For a few minutes, he let himself watch her in peace. Her slow, steady breathing, the faint rise and fall of her chest—it was strangely grounding. Calming.
But then... the memories of the night before came crashing back.
Henry’s call.
The strange taste of the water.
Kira walking in.
Anna slapping her.
Daniel’s smile faded, replaced by a shadowed frown. The images replayed in his head like a broken reel, leaving one lingering question that gnawed at him—who spiked his drink?
He wasn’t naïve. He knew his body well enough to recognize when something foreign was taking over. The way his pulse raced, his senses blurred—it hadn’t been natural. Someone had tampered with his drink, and it hadn’t been by accident.
Yet... the more he thought about it, the more his confusion deepened. His instincts pointed at the truth, but his mind refused to accept it.
He turned his gaze back to Anna, still asleep, tangled in the sheets beside him.
"You clingy little devil, let go of me," he muttered, half under his breath.
To his surprise, she frowned in her sleep and mumbled something back—a half-intelligible curse that made him huff in disbelief.
"Sleep talking again," he murmured. But this time, there was no amusement in his tone. Only a quiet frustration that cut deeper than he wanted to admit.
It wasn’t the first time he’d questioned what she really thought of him. Every time he tried to bridge the gap between them, every time he thought they were getting closer, she’d pull back—coldly reminding him about divorce.
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. "Just how did I ever think she was like the rest of her family?"
His thoughts drifted back to the beginning—when he first married her.
He’d believed she was just another Bennett pawn, an obedient daughter trained to smile, nod, and keep quiet while her family reaped the benefits. He’d thought she was naïve, maybe even manipulative beneath that calm exterior.
But the night after their wedding, she had looked him straight in the eye and said she wanted a divorce.
Daniel could still remember the shock—the sheer disbelief that this quiet, delicate woman had the audacity to challenge him.
He had waited for her to use the threat for leverage, to play the victim, to cry her way into sympathy. But she hadn’t. Instead, she’d walked out of his house and gone to her parents, asking to end the marriage herself.
That was when everything changed.
He’d expected defiance, but not dignity. Rebellion, but not courage.
And somehow, between his curiosity and irritation, she’d carved her way into his thoughts—so deeply that now, even when she slept in his arms, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Daniel exhaled, his eyes tracing the faint curve of her cheek.
"Anna Bennett..." he whispered under his breath, voice barely audible. "I think I like you"