CHAPTER 132: MAYBE I SHOULD MOVE UP HERE

[Kira’s Place]

After her calls went unanswered for the tenth time, Kira slammed her phone onto the couch, frustration blazing through her like wildfire.

"This old hag!" she snapped, running her fingers through her tangled hair. "Who does she think she is? Ignoring my calls when I’m desperate for money?"

Mariam — the aunt she once worked under — had gone silent for days, refusing to pick up her calls.

Kira chewed her lower lip anxiously, pacing the small, dimly lit room. Her savings were gone. The rent was due. Her stomach had been growling since morning.

Back when she worked at the Bennett Mansion, things were easier. The pay was decent, the meals regular, and she didn’t have to think beyond following orders. But after being fired, surviving had turned into a daily nightmare.

"Think, Kira, think..." she muttered, scanning the cluttered room for anything of value. Her eyes landed on a small velvet box tucked under a pile of clothes.

When she opened it, her breath hitched. A watch — sleek, silver, and elegant — shimmered under the faint light.

"This will do," she whispered, a flicker of hope crossing her eyes as she grabbed it and dashed out the door.

***

The pawn shop smelled of dust and despair.

Kira placed the watch on the counter, trying to look confident despite her shaking hands.

"Miss, this is... old," the shopkeeper said after examining it under the light. "I can give you—" he scribbled a number on paper "—this much."

Kira’s eyes widened at the pitiful amount. "Do you think I can survive on this?" she yelled, her voice echoing across the room.

"Take it or leave it," the man replied flatly, sliding the money across the counter.

"Useless!" Kira hissed, snatching the watch back and storming out.

She had assumed it was a luxury piece — probably a gift from Daniel to Mariam for her years of service at the Clafford mansion. Something worth at least a few thousand.

But apparently, it wasn’t worth even a proper meal.

Her frustration boiled over as she stomped down the street. "Education, money, luck — I got none of it! Maybe I should’ve never gone back to that woman..."

Her words trailed off as a tall figure stepped into her path.

Collin.

That unnerving, sharp-eyed man she’d met just a few days ago. The one who always seemed to appear out of nowhere — with a smile that never quite reached his eyes.

"What’s with all that anger?" he asked, his voice smooth, almost amused.

Kira scowled. "I thought my aunt’s stuff would help me survive, but this—" she waved the watch — "isn’t even worth a few pounds!"

Collin took the watch from her hand, his gaze lingering on it. Then, after a moment, he looked up, his smile deepening.

"How about I give you money?" he said casually.

Kira blinked, confused. "You’d... give me money?"

"Yes," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "But in return, you’ll have to do something for me."

There was something in his tone — a quiet authority, a dangerous promise that sent a shiver down her spine.

Kira hesitated. They had met only recently, yet she had already told him things she never shared with anyone. Maybe it was the way he listened. Or maybe it was the hunger in his eyes that mirrored her own.

Either way, she needed the money more than her conscience.

Her lips curved into a small, reckless smile. "What do you want me to do?"

Collin’s grin widened — slow, deliberate, dark.

"That," he murmured, leaning closer, "depends on how far you’re willing to go."

His voice was calm, but the danger beneath it was unmistakable.

As she stood there, watching him, a chill crawled down her spine.

She didn’t know what she was getting into but Collin did.Because for him, this wasn’t just a deal. It was the first step in a long-awaited revenge.

***

[Anna’s Room]

Her phone had gone silent — a rare mercy after the constant pinging that had tested her patience all evening.

She’d stopped replying. Stopped entertaining the man who had single-handedly made her question every ounce of her judgment.

Anna knew she shouldn’t overthink it, but she couldn’t help herself. The unease had already taken root. Whoever he was, he wasn’t ordinary — and she wasn’t naive enough to believe his words at face value anymore.

"If he’s one of Fiona’s allies," she muttered, grinding her teeth, "he better watch what he’s getting himself into."

Her anger simmered quietly, hot and sharp until it began to exhaust her. Finally, with a long exhale, she pushed herself off the bed and decided she needed air.

The walls of her room had started to feel too close lately, as if the silence itself was pressing down on her chest.

"Madam, should I bring you something to eat?" Mariam’s soft voice reached her as she stepped into the hallway.

The old lady stood a few feet away, watching her with that familiar motherly concern.

Anna blinked, realizing how long it had been since she’d eaten. "Yes," she said after a pause, "but not in my room. Send it to the terrace."

Mariam nodded immediately, and Anna continued her way upstairs.

The terrace greeted her with a rush of cool night air. The soft whisper of the wind brushed against her hair, carrying the faint scent of rain and earth.

She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing it in. The tension in her shoulders began to fade with each passing second.

This part of the mansion had always felt distant — untouched, peaceful and almost forgotten. It was the kind of place where silence didn’t suffocate.

"Maybe I should move up here," she murmured to herself, leaning against the railing. "At least then I won’t have to lock my door or feel like the walls are closing in."

It was a good idea until her mind, traitorous as ever, wandered to Daniel.

’He wouldn’t approve,’ she thought automatically.

The realization made her frown. "Wait... why do I even care about his opinion?" she said aloud, irritation flickering again.

But her own words rang hollow. Because the truth was, she did care.

Ever since the accident, Daniel’s face had been flashing in her mind more than she wanted to admit. The way he looked when he pulled her out of the water — pale, frantic, terrified — was burned into her memory.

That wasn’t the same man she had known before. The man she had once believed was incapable of feeling anything.

Her fingers brushed the railing absently as she stared out at the night sky, her thoughts tumbling over one another.

This life had been different from the one she’d lived before. She had made different choices, faced new fears, and found strength she didn’t know she had. But what she hadn’t prepared for... was him.

Daniel Clafford — the man she thought she knew, yet couldn’t seem to understand at all.

"You should’ve just ignored me, Daniel," she whispered to the quiet air. "It would’ve been easier for me to go on thinking this marriage was doomed from the start."

But the truth was undeniable.

He hadn’t ignored her. And now, he was everywhere — in her thoughts, her anger, even her silence.

And the worst part?

She wasn’t sure she wanted him gone anymore.