CHAPTER 134: YOU REALLY SHOULD STOP FALLING FOR ME,MRS CLAFFORD

Anna’s head snapped up. "I am not blushing!" she hissed, though her cheeks betrayed her with their deepening hue.

Daniel smirked. "Hmm. Then maybe it’s the heat."

"It’s you," she shot back without thinking — and immediately wished she could take it back.

That slow, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

"Don’t," she muttered, trying to pull away, but his hand didn’t move.

Daniel tilted his head slightly, studying her — really studying her — until his teasing softened into something else. Something quieter.

"Anna," he said, his voice gentler this time, "you shouldn’t touch things that make you forget how to breathe."

Her eyes widened, not because of his words but because of the way he said them — like it wasn’t just about his skin she’d touched, but the line between them she kept crossing without realizing.

For a moment, the room felt too small, too charged. Neither of them moved.

Then, as if snapping out of a trance, Daniel released her hand and stepped back, his composure returning like a mask slipping back into place.

"I’ll get changed," he said casually, though his voice still held that faint rasp. "You might want to do the same before you melt."

Anna blinked, still dazed, watching Daniel stroll away with that maddening calmness — like he wasn’t the reason her heart had decided to run a marathon in her chest.

She barely caught her breath before she noticed something strange.

"Excuse me?" she snapped. "Where do you think you’re going?"

Daniel paused, one hand already on her cupboard handle.

He turned slowly, his expression almost innocent. "Taking my clothes," he said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Anna’s eyes widened. "Your clothes? And since when do they live in my cupboard?"

Daniel tilted his head slightly. "Since I moved in."

The words hit her like a splash of cold water.

Moved in?

Her hands dropped to her sides. "You—what? Without even asking me?"

Without answering, Daniel opened the cupboard door as if her protests were background noise. His shirts hung neatly next to hers — organized, color-coded, settled.

Her cupboard. His clothes.

"This is unbelievable!" she exclaimed, storming toward him. "You can’t just walk in here, use my bathroom, take over my wardrobe, and act like—like this is your room!"

"It is my room," he said smoothly, closing the cupboard door. "Last I checked, you’re my wife."

Anna gaped, speechless.

He had that infuriating, calm look again — the one that made her want to throw a pillow at his head.

"You—" she started, lunging toward him, "you arrogant—!"

But before she could finish, her foot slipped against the edge of the rug.

"Ah—!"

She lost her balance completely, and in a desperate attempt to steady her, Daniel reached out — only for both of them to go tumbling down.

Thud!

The room fell silent.

For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Anna’s breath caught in her throat as she realized just how close they were — his face inches from hers, his hand still at her waist while they lie on the floor.

The air between them grew thick, her heartbeat echoing in her ears as Daniel’s eyes locked with hers. There was something raw in them unguarded, almost vulnerable that made her chest tighten.

"Are you... okay?" His voice was softer than she’d ever heard it.

Anna swallowed hard, her mind a mess. "I—I’m fine," she managed, though her voice barely worked. But neither of them moved.

For one dizzying moment, the world outside that room ceased to exist. No fights, no confusion, no pretending. Just the sound of their breathing, tangled in the tension they kept denying until something poked.

"..."

Anna froze, her entire body going still — but when her eyes met Daniel’s, something in his gaze made her breath catch.

It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t annoyance. It was something deeper, sharper — an intensity that made her pulse stumble.

For a split second, she couldn’t move. The longer she held his stare, the stronger the pull became — that magnetic, terrifying current that always seemed to appear between them when words failed.

"Daniel..." she breathed, though she wasn’t sure if it was a warning or a plea.

She pushed herself up in a hurry, but her foot caught on the edge of the carpet again, and this time she fell — hard — right into him.

"God... Anna," Daniel groaned, the impact knocking the air out of him.

Anna’s face flushed instantly. "I—I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—"

She tried to push herself up again, but his hand shot out instinctively to steady her. The sudden movement threw off their balance once more — and in the next instant, she found herself flat on her back, with Daniel bracing over her to keep them both from tumbling again.

The air between them thickened. Neither spoke.

Anna could feel her heart thundering in her chest, her breath uneven as she looked up at him. His face hovered inches above hers — close enough for her to see the water droplets still clinging to his hair, to feel the heat radiating from him.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "You can let go now."

Daniel didn’t move. His hand still rested near her waist, his breathing deep and controlled — too controlled. His eyes flicked to hers again, and for a heartbeat, neither looked away.

Then, as if realizing what he was doing, Daniel finally exhaled and pushed himself up, standing to his full height. His voice was quieter when he spoke, rougher somehow.

"You really should stop falling for me, Mrs. Clafford."

Anna sat up, glaring at him even as her cheeks burned. "You—! I tripped, not fell for you!"

Daniel smirked faintly. "Right. Keep telling yourself that."

And with that, he turned and walked back into the bathroom, leaving Anna speechless while her heart was still beating far too fast for her own liking.

But only she knew it was the same for Daniel too, as he had to shower once again while taming the beast she woke up.