Chapter 65: Are they both tied to the same company?
Betty was the first to recover, forcing an awkward little smile as if nothing had happened.
"Okay, now that you’ve got your autograph, can we please begin with the actual reason we’re here?" Shawn’s stern tone cut through the moment.
Betty’s smile instantly dropped, and she shot him a glare sharp enough to make him wince.
Anna, meanwhile, was still trying to catch up with everything unfolding around her. But this wasn’t the time to play spectator to their strange back-and-forth. She needed answers—real answers.
Taking a steadying breath, she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Did you find anything?" she asked, her eyes pinned hopefully on Shawn.
He gave a single nod.
Anna’s pulse quickened. She held her breath, waiting.
"There were transactions made to Kathrine’s account from one of your father’s dummy accounts," Shawn said evenly. "The timing matches... right before she disappeared."
Anna’s eyes widened. The words crashed into her like a tidal wave. Her breath hitched, her palms curling into fists under the table.
"D-does that mean... Dad helped her escape?" she whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer out loud.
Her thoughts spun wildly. She had seen her mother flinch whenever Kathrine’s name was mentioned, even warning her never to bring it up in front of Hugo. Yet here was proof—a money trail leading straight from him to her missing sister.
Why would he give her money if he didn’t know? If he wasn’t involved?
But Shawn’s reports weren’t lies. He never handed her baseless claims.
Anna swallowed hard, pressing forward. "Shawn, can you check when Kathrine withdrew that money? Exactly when?"
Without another word, Shawn’s fingers flew across the laptop keys, the clacking filling the tense silence. After a moment, he turned the screen toward her.
"Here. It was withdrawn outside the airport. The same day she was last seen."
Anna froze.
Her mind refused to compute. If Kathrine wanted to flee from her wedding, why would she take Hugo’s money and still linger in the same city? Why risk everything when she was already so close to getting away?
None of it made sense.
Unless...
Anna’s chest tightened, her eyes narrowing on the screen. She didn’t want to think about what could have led Kathrine to change her mind at the very last moment. But if Kathrine had fooled even their parents into believing she’d left the country, then Anna knew one thing for certain—she had to speed up. She had to find her sister before it was too late.
"Thank you so much, Shawn. You did a great job," Anna said, her tone firm but grateful.
Shawn instantly puffed out his chest, adjusting his glasses with pride.
Anna’s expression sobered. "But keep watching. Kathrine doesn’t have endless money. When she runs out, Dad will step in again—I’m sure of it. And that will be our chance to find her."
Shawn nodded, determination flashing across his face. "Got it. I’ll update you the moment anything moves."
With that, their little meeting drew to a close.
***
[Outside the Café]
"I’ll take my leave now. Shawn, keep me updated," Anna said before waving goodbye.
Shawn’s eyes shifted toward Betty, who was hugging the autograph to her chest like a precious gem. "Come on, let me drop you home," he offered.
Betty shook her head quickly, forcing a smile. "No, it’s fine, Senior. I don’t want to trouble you. I can manage."
Her voice was light, but inside she was rattled. Ever since that night—the drunken blur of lips crashing against lips—things between them had been strained. She knew she had crossed a line, even if Shawn never outright said it.
"Betty," Shawn called her softly, but she only gave him another small smile and turned to walk away.
Before she could take more than two steps, Shawn’s hand shot out, wrapping firmly around her wrist.
Betty froze.
"You weren’t this thoughtful when you clung to me that night," Shawn’s voice dropped low, almost a growl. His eyes held hers, unflinching. "You kept kissing me like your life depended on it. So don’t act like me dropping you home is some big deal."
"..."
Betty’s lips parted, but no words came. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest.
Before she could gather herself to respond, Shawn tugged her forward with decisive force, leaving her no room to argue as he led her straight toward his bike.
Her pulse raced—not just from the sudden movement, but from the unspoken tension between them that was impossible to ignore any longer.
***
Anna continued down the sidewalk, her mind buzzing with everything Shawn had disclosed. If her father was indeed funneling money to Kathrine, then there was a chance—no, a certainty—that Hugo knew where she was.
"But how do I find it?" she whispered, halting mid-step as restlessness gnawed at her.
Confronting Hugo directly wasn’t an option. He’d never admit anything.
Her thoughts spun wildly until another possibility struck her. Her eyes flicked to the time. "Dad must already be at work by now..." A glint of hope sparked, and before she could hesitate, she flagged down a taxi and climbed in, barking the address of the Bennett Mansion.
By the time she reached the gates, Anna had already mapped out her next move—slip into Hugo’s study, search quietly, and get out unseen.
But fate clearly had other plans.
"Anna? What are you doing here?"
Anna’s heart lurched. She froze in the hallway to find her mother, Rosiline, standing just a few steps away.
She forced a quick smile. "M-Mom, how are you?" Her laugh came out brittle, half-hearted.
Rosiline’s brows knitted. "I’m perfectly fine. We just had dinner last night. But if you’re here again so suddenly... has something happened with Daniel?"
Anna’s lips twitched. She hated using Daniel as a cover, but at this point, she had no choice. "No, no! Nothing like that. We’re doing perfectly fine. Didn’t you see yourself last night how well Daniel’s been treating me?" She nearly choked on the words, but her smile didn’t falter.
Rosiline still looked skeptical. "Then why are you here, unannounced?"
Anna’s mind raced. "Oh, that. I just came to grab a few things from my old room. Won’t take long."
For the first time, guilt softened Rosiline’s sharpness. Her shoulders relaxed and her tone warmed. "That’s not what I meant, Anna. This is your house—you can come whenever you want. It’s just... your behavior worries me sometimes."
Anna offered a polite smile, though inside she sneered at the sudden show of maternal concern. Worry? Since when did you ever worry for me, Mom?
"You worry too much," she said smoothly.
Rosiline exhaled and nodded. "Fine. Go to your room. I’ll bring you something to eat."
Anna watched her mother head toward the kitchen. The second she was out of sight, Anna quickened her pace, her heels barely making a sound as she ascended the stairs.
In no time, she stood before Hugo’s study. Her pulse raced at the mere thought of stepping inside. Hugo despised anyone entering without permission—Anna had learned that lesson long ago.
"Don’t be scared, Anna," she whispered to herself. "You’re doing this for Kathrine... and for your freedom."
Taking a steadying breath, she pushed the door open.
The air inside was heavy with cigar smoke and the faint scent of leather. She had rarely been in here, but her sharp memory guided her to where Hugo kept his most important documents.
"There," she muttered, spotting the familiar drawer. Inside, she found a small key—the one to his locker.
Her fingers trembled as she unlocked it and sifted through the stack of files, each rustling sheet carrying the weight of secrets. She searched for anything—anything—that might point to Kathrine’s whereabouts.
Nothing.
Her heart sank, frustration clawing at her chest. "Damn it... nothing." She let out a heavy breath, her brows furrowing in disappointment.
Just as she was about to shove everything back, her gaze snagged on a file with a name that sent a jolt through her.
Smith International.
Anna blinked. The name rang loudly in her head, her memory racing back to the file she had stumbled upon in Daniel’s room.
"Why does this sound so familiar?" she murmured, flipping it open.
It was a proposal. Hugo’s proposal—to Smith International.
"Wait..." Anna frowned deeper. "Dad and Daniel... are they both tied to the same company?"
The thought sent confusion spiraling through her, but she didn’t dare linger. Quickly, she shoved the file back exactly as she’d found it, relocked the cabinet, and slipped out of the study, careful not to leave a trace.