Chapter 26: The kiss was hard
Daniel was pacing the hall, his phone pressed to his ear, issuing rapid instructions to his men. His voice was clipped, sharp—until Mariam’s whisper cut through the air.
"Madam..."
The single word was faint, almost hesitant, but it hit Daniel like a gunshot.
His head snapped toward the sound, his gaze locking on the woman who had kept the entire estate in turmoil for hours.
Anna.
The grip on his phone tightened, the muscles in his jaw hardening as his voice dropped into something cold and commanding.
"Stop the search."
He ended the call without another word.
Anna stood frozen under the weight of his glare, her eyes darting around at the staff who were all staring at her, their faces pale with relief and fear. Only then did the realization crash over her—she had made a mistake. A big one.
She had disappeared without notice, and in her absence, Daniel had turned the entire mansion upside down.
Her lips parted, her breath snagging in her throat as her gaze finally met Daniel’s. His eyes were dark, furious, filled with a storm she had no chance of weathering.
Run, her mind screamed. Run for your life, Anna.
But her legs wouldn’t move.
Instead—another thought struck, reckless and absurd. And suddenly, laughter bubbled past her lips.
Soft at first, then louder.
Her chuckle rippled through the hall like a stone thrown into still water, startling everyone around her.
Kira, standing close to Mariam, furrowed her brows in disbelief. Leaning closer, she whispered under her breath, "Has she lost her mind? Why is she laughing... after making us all panic?"
Mariam’s eyes snapped to Kira, sharp and warning. With a subtle shake of her head, she signaled her to stay quiet.
Because the real storm wasn’t Anna’s laughter.
It was the man standing just a few steps away—his gaze burning with a darkness that promised this was far from over.
Mariam’s heart clenched as she looked at her Madam, silently begging her not to provoke Daniel further. With a firm wave of her hand, she signaled everyone to retreat.
The staff quickly scattered, not daring to linger. Kira, however, was the last to move, her eyes still glued to the couple. It wasn’t until Mariam grabbed her wrist and yanked her along that she finally shuffled out, leaving the two of them alone.
The heavy silence that followed was deafening.
Anna’s laughter, bold just moments ago, faltered and died in her throat. What was left was an awkward, strained smile tugging at her lips.
Daniel hadn’t said a word.
His eyes, sharp and unyielding, bore into her as he closed the distance between them. Each deliberate step made Anna’s pulse quicken, her bravado slipping with every inch he erased.
Then—without warning—he seized her wrist.
Anna gasped as his grip tightened, firm but controlled, and before she could protest, he was dragging her through the hall, up the staircase, his long strides leaving her struggling to keep up.
"Daniel—let go!" she hissed, tugging against his hold, but her voice was swallowed by the echo of his footsteps.
He didn’t stop. Didn’t look back.
Not until they reached their room.
With one swift motion, Daniel pulled her inside and slammed the door shut behind them. The sharp crack reverberated through the walls, sealing them into a private cage of tension.
Anna stumbled slightly but quickly steadied herself, her chest rising and falling as she turned to face him. Her heart pounded against her ribs like a trapped bird.
And Daniel—still holding her wrist—leaned closer, his eyes blazing with a fury that made the air itself heavy.
Daniel had no idea why he was this upset. He knew Anna had gone for her shoot. He knew she was supposed to return in the afternoon. But when he came home and the staff stammered that she was missing, something inside him snapped.
The weight in his chest had been unbearable—an ache he didn’t want to name.
And now, with her standing before him, real and breathing, that fire didn’t extinguish. It dimmed, yes—but still burned hot enough to consume him.
Anna, however, refused to cower. Her nerves screamed, her heart thrashed against her ribs, but her chin lifted all the same.
"Let go of my hand, Daniel," she muttered, voice low, steady—though the rapid pulse beneath his grip betrayed her.
From the beginning, she had sworn she would never bend to him. He wasn’t her master. He wasn’t her keeper. And if he thought she needed his permission to step outside these walls, he was gravely mistaken.
"I said leave my hand!" she snapped, her anger bubbling to the surface. With a sharp pull, she tried to wrench free—
But his grip only tightened.
In a single, unrelenting motion, Daniel yanked her forward until she collided against him. His other hand came up, bracing her waist, caging her in place.
"Don’t you dare test my patience, Anna," he growled, his voice deep and cutting, vibrating with restrained fury.
The sound made her still, her wide eyes locking onto his.
Her lips parted, breath shallow, and the fire in his eyes left her momentarily speechless.
And then he leaned closer.
The air between them thinned, her pulse hammering at the proximity, while his gaze lingered on her face as if daring her to defy him again.
And then—without warning—Daniel claimed her lips.
Anna froze, her mind going blank, every thought scattering like shards of glass.
It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t tender. His kiss was hard, unyielding—searing with the weight of his anger, his frustration, his confusion. It was as if he was trying to brand her, to pour all of his fire into her at once.
The realization jolted her back. This isn’t right.
Anna wriggled, her palms pressing against his chest in protest, but he didn’t let her go. His arm locked firmly around her waist, pulling her flush against him. His other hand slid up, fingers threading into her hair as his palm clamped firmly behind her nape, holding her captive.
Every time she tried to push him away, his grip only grew tighter.
Her heart thundered painfully, her body trembling between fight and... something she refused to name.
Her lips moved against his only to break free, but Daniel devoured every resistance as if daring her to defy him even here.
Anna wanted to fight, to push him away, to scream—but Daniel’s grip was too strong, his body an unmovable wall against her.
When her efforts failed, she stilled.
Her lashes trembled, and tears welled in her eyes. The ache in her chest deepened, sinking like a stone, and with it came the bitter sting of betrayal. Not betrayal of flesh—but of trust, of dignity.
Daniel finally gasped, pulling back as if surfacing from a storm. The second his gaze fell on her tear-brimmed eyes, something inside him shifted. His fury, his control, his very composure—vanished, swept away in an instant.
The weight of what he had done hit him hard.
Anna’s lips quivered, her face pale but burning with anguish. A tear slipped free, tracing down her cheek. She wanted to yell, to scream until the walls shook. She wanted to tell him exactly what kind of man he was.
But instead—
Pak!
Her hand cut sharply across his cheek, the sound ringing through the silent room like thunder.
Pak!
Daniel’s head jerked slightly with the force of the blow, his cheek stinging. But he didn’t move. Didn’t speak. He only stood frozen, staring at the woman before him.
Anna’s hand dropped, trembling, but she didn’t falter. With her spine straight and her breath uneven, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving the door swinging shut behind her.
Daniel remained rooted in place, the burn of her slap lingering on his skin, but the weight of her tears burning far deeper.
For once, the man who never bent to anyone—stood utterly still, drowning in the silence of his own mistake.