CHAPTER 157: IT WAS DEFINITELY HIM

The shoot wrapped up quicker than expected, and by the time Anna was ready to leave with Kevin and Betty, she noticed something unusual.

Instead of heading toward the open parking lot like they always did, Kevin turned toward the ramp leading underground.

"Kevin, why are we going this way?" Anna asked, frowning as her eyes darted around the dimly lit space.

Kevin stayed quiet, his expression unreadable as the car descended into the basement.

Usually, he parked outside — somewhere open, visible — but this time, he seemed oddly deliberate, almost cautious.

And then Anna noticed the sleek black car parked a few meters away. Her breath hitched.

"Don’t tell me... Daniel is here?" she asked, her voice half shock, half disbelief, as she turned to Kevin.

Before Kevin could respond, Betty gasped and squealed, "Big Sis! Your man is so considerate!"

Anna’s eyes went wide. "My what?"

Betty froze, realizing a second too late what she had just said.

Kevin raised an eyebrow, glancing at the two women in confusion. "Man?" he repeated, his tone dripping with curiosity.

Anna immediately elbowed Betty, her glare sharp enough to cut steel. Betty yelped softly, rubbing her arm.

"I—I mean... of course he’s a man! I mean, he’s not a woman! Hahaha..." she blurted out, her laughter awkward and nervous.

Kevin blinked, completely lost. "What on earth are you two talking about?"

"Nothing!" Anna and Betty said at the same time, their voices too quick to sound convincing.

Kevin’s brow furrowed as he parked the car, muttering under his breath, "Just what is wrong with these two?"

Meanwhile, Anna shrunk, pinching the bridge of her nose in silent mortification.

’God, why is it always her mouth that gets us into trouble?’

Betty, sensing the storm brewing beside her, quietly zipped her lips and avoided making eye contact.

But her eyes couldn’t help but sparkle a little.

Because she’d been right — Daniel’s car was parked directly across from theirs, the headlights cutting through the dim underground lot.

Even from a distance, Anna could tell he wasn’t here by coincidence.

He’d come to pick her up.

But with both Betty and Kevin staring at her like she’d just walked into a trap, she froze halfway through stepping out of the car.

Her fingers lingered on the door handle, her heart thudding faster than it should.

Kevin’s eyes flicked between Daniel’s sleek car and Anna’s hesitant expression. He wasn’t clueless — he had long sensed Daniel’s interest in her — but the extent of that connection, the fact that she might actually be his wife, was something even he hadn’t pieced together yet.

He straightened his collar, glanced at Betty, and muttered quietly, "Let’s go."

Betty blinked. "Now?"

Kevin gave her a pointed look. "Yes. Now."

Realizing what he meant, Betty nodded quickly, her lips curling into a tiny knowing smile. "Right. Of course. Bye, Big Sis!"

"Wait—Betty—!"

Too late.

Kevin and Betty were already in their car, pulling out of the parking lot as if the devil himself were chasing them.

Anna stood frozen, watching their taillights vanish, her lips parting in disbelief.

"..."

Her shoulders slumped. "What about me?" she muttered under her breath. "Isn’t he supposed to be responsible for his artist?"

She groaned softly, clutching her bag tighter as she turned toward Daniel’s car again.

The longer she stood there, the more her nerves tangled.

’If I don’t move, he’ll definitely come out and drag me there himself,’ she thought, the image of him effortlessly tossing her over his shoulder flashing in her mind.

"God, no," she whispered to herself, already feeling her pulse spike.

She took one reluctant step forward, then another — each one heavy with dread — until her eyes met the dark-tinted window of Daniel’s car.

The passenger door unlocked with a click causing Anna to froze.

And just as she thought about turning around and making a run for it, Daniel’s deep, calm voice drifted from inside.

"Are you planning to stand there all night, Mrs. Clafford?" Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

’Oh, great. He’s in one of those moods again.’

"No, of course not," Anna said with an awkward smile, forcing a laugh before sprinting toward the car and sliding inside.

Daniel’s calm gaze followed her every movement, the faintest hint of amusement tugging at his lips as she shut the door a little too quickly.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of sharp eyes watched from the shadows.

Hidden behind one of the parked cars, Fiona’s assistant, Venus, crouched low, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. She peered over the hood just in time to see Daniel’s car pull away — Anna sitting beside him in the passenger seat.

Her eyes widened. "Got you," she whispered before pulling out her phone and quickly dialing Fiona’s number.

***

[Inside the Makeup Room]

"So you’re telling me Anna left with Daniel Clafford?" Fiona asked, her brows creasing as she turned toward Venus.

The assistant nodded eagerly. "Yes, Madam. I can’t be mistaken — it was definitely him. Daniel Clafford himself."

Fiona went still.

Her reflection in the large vanity mirror stared back at her — perfectly composed, lips painted crimson, eyes sharp as glass — but beneath that flawless exterior, rage simmered.

She slowly lifted her gaze to her reflection, her expression tightening as her thoughts spiraled.

’Daniel Clafford... again.’

First, he had saved Anna from drowning. Then, he personally called a doctor to check on her and even insisted no one enter her vanity while he was there.

Now he was picking her up from the set.

Fiona clenched her jaw, the sound of her nails scratching faintly against the edge of the vanity.

Every memory, every rumor she’d brushed off — all of it now started to piece together.

There was something there. Something she didn’t know yet.

Her lips curled into a cold smirk. "So I was wrong about Daniel and Kathrine," she murmured, her tone low and bitter. "But Daniel’s interest in Anna... that’s something I didn’t see coming."

Venus shifted nervously beside her. "Madam, do you think—"

Fiona cut her off, her tone sharp. "I don’t think, Venus. I know."

Her reflection smiled back at her — the kind of smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

"I need to keep an eye on them," she said softly, leaning closer to the mirror. "There’s something more to this secret meeting... and I intend to find out what." before that smile vanished and turned into a grim.