Chapter 60: Madam stole the file
Meanwhile, Anna was utterly speechless about what had just unfolded at her parents’ house. The way Daniel had so shamelessly tried to portray their marriage as harmonious in front of her parents made her blood boil.
Throughout the drive home, she stayed silent. Not a word escaped her lips, not even a glance in his direction. Deep down she knew—keeping her parents in the dark was the safer option for now. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t seething inside.
By the time the car pulled into the Clafford mansion, Anna didn’t waste another second. The moment the driver opened the door, she stepped out briskly and walked away without sparing Daniel a single look.
Daniel didn’t stop her. He didn’t call out or ask why she was upset when, in his mind, all he had done was protect her—keeping Hugo and Rosiline under the illusion that everything was fine between them.
Instead, he headed back to his own room, his expression unreadable, though his mind was far from quiet.
His thoughts circled back to the Bennett mansion, to the dinner, and more importantly—to Hugo.
The way Hugo treated Anna had not escaped his notice.
There was a stark contrast in his behavior between his daughters. Kathrine was always showered with praise, spoken of with admiration. Anna, on the other hand, was handled like a burden—controlled, criticized, diminished.
Daniel’s jaw tightened as the memory replayed: Anna’s subtle flinch every time her father raised his voice, the way her smile faltered, the unease in her eyes.
That reaction wasn’t new. It was instinctive.
Fear.
"I wonder what kind of relationship she truly has with her family," Daniel muttered under his breath, his tone low and contemplative as his fingers brushed over the edge of his jaw.
Later, after a long shower, he stepped out of the bathroom, towel draped around his neck, his mind already shifting back to business. The first thing he did was head straight for the file he’d ordered to be sent home earlier that day.
That file was no ordinary paperwork—it was information he couldn’t afford to let fall into the wrong hands. His study was the only place he trusted to keep it secure, away from prying eyes.
But the second he opened the drawer where he usually stored confidential documents, his hand stilled.
Empty.
The file was nowhere to be seen.
His brows furrowed, his expression hardening as he checked again, this time more deliberately—yet still, nothing.
A faint tension rippled through him, his aura shifting cold and sharp.
’Where is the file?’
***
[Next Morning]
Anna woke after what felt like her first proper night’s sleep in days. A smile tugged at her lips—until the memory of him flashed in her mind.
"Ugh... that devil," she muttered, sneering at the thought of Daniel.
Forcing herself out of bed, Anna was about to head to the bathroom when something caught her eye—half-hidden beneath the side table.
’Uh? What’s this?’
She bent down and pulled it out, her brows knitting as she examined it.
Glorious International—the bold letters on the file stared back at her.
"What in the world is Daniel’s document doing in my room?" she muttered, utterly confused. But in the next breath, her jaw tightened.
Is this his new trick? Sneaking his work into my room just to barge in whenever he wants?
Fury surged, and without another thought, Anna stormed out.
"Daniel Clafford! Why can’t you keep your damn belongings with you?!"
She barged into the next room only to halt mid-step.
Not only was Daniel there, but so were Mariam and Kira.
Anna’s eyes darted between the two women—Mariam looked pale with worry, while Kira’s lips curved ever so slightly, her gaze sharp. Then her eyes met Daniel’s—icy, unreadable, instantly turning colder at the sight of her holding the file.
"See, Master! Didn’t I tell you Madam was the one who took your file?" Kira suddenly blurted, her voice sharp with fake conviction.
Anna froze, stunned. What the hell is she saying?
Her gaze snapped down at the file in her hands, then back at Daniel. Her lips parted to speak, but words refused to come.
Daniel closed the distance in long strides, snatching the file from her grip. His face gave nothing away, but his voice was a blade.
"How did you get this file? Did you read it?"
The depth of his tone, the command laced in his eyes—it made Anna’s stomach churn.
From the corner, Kira smirked, her eyes glinting with malicious delight.
’Now you’ll know what happens when you cross me, Anna. Master will throw you out of this house himself.’
But then—
"Master," Kira piped up again, feigning innocence. "Now you finally know who took the file. Don’t you think my aunt deserves an apology?"
Her words stunned the room into silence.
"Kira! What nonsense are you spouting?" Mariam gasped, her voice sharp with disbelief, trying to silence her niece.
Anna’s chest tightened as her eyes darted between the three of them. She turned to Mariam, confusion etched across her face.
"Mariam... can you please explain what’s happening here? And why she’s talking like this?"
The older woman’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes full of guilt.
"Why ask my aunt, Madam, when you already know what you’ve done?" Kira’s voice cut through the air like venom. "You hid Master’s important file in your room, and now my aunt is the one being questioned."
Anna froze, her mind scrambling. ’When did I ever do that?’
Her lips parted as she tried to retrace her steps. ’I—I don’t remember... I woke up, had breakfast, went to meet Betty, then Ethan at the studio... and after that I came straight home. When would I have—’
Her racing thoughts screeched to a halt. A sudden realization struck, sharp as a blade.
Her expression hardened. "So this is your plan to trap me," Anna hissed, her glare locking on Kira. For a moment, the girl’s boldness faltered, her confident façade twitching.
"W-what do you mean I’m trapping you?" Kira stammered, her voice faltering as she struggled to maintain composure.
Anna let out a low, humorless chuckle. She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing like daggers aimed straight through Kira’s flimsy façade. Her voice dripped with cold certainty.
"Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?" Anna’s tone was sharp, each word deliberate. "You didn’t come to clean my room yesterday. You came to hide that file. I found it shoved under my side table this morning."
Kira’s eyes flew wide, panic flashing across her face before she quickly lowered her lashes, trying to conceal the crack in her mask.
But Anna didn’t let up. She stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. "No one else enters my room except Mariam and you. And I know Mariam would never stoop so low. Which leaves only you."
The room went quiet, the tension thick enough to choke on. Mariam stiffened, glancing between them nervously.
Kira clenched her fists at her side, her nails digging into her palms. She tried to smirk, to hold on to her false bravado—but under Anna’s piercing stare, her confidence faltered like glass about to shatter.