CHAPTER 221: TWO TIMING

The shooting wrapped up much sooner than expected—mostly because Fiona was suddenly cautious with every move she made. She didn’t dare slip, not with Daniel standing beside the director, his piercing glare trained on her the entire time.

It was an indirect warning, but Fiona wasn’t stupid. She knew pushing him again would only mean losing her role in the film... and she believed this movie was supposed to be her breakthrough.

Ethan didn’t linger either. He offered Anna a small smile and a gentle goodbye.

After she confirmed his suspicion, he hadn’t pushed further—respecting her decision the moment he sensed her discomfort. Still, one thing bothered him: the cleaner who had disappeared abruptly. Ethan hadn’t expected that man to vanish so quickly, and part of him had wanted another look at him.

Meanwhile, Anna changed out of her costume and left the set through a different exit, the one Daniel had instructed her to take. As soon as she stepped outside, she spotted his car waiting. Of course he hadn’t left without her.

Daniel was many things, but careless when it came to her safety wasn’t one of them.

Without overthinking it, Anna slipped into the passenger seat. A moment later, they were already pulling away from the building.

Silence lingered until Daniel broke it. "You should be more alert about your surroundings, wifey."

Anna didn’t answer right away. She leaned back, crossing one leg over the other, her fingers idly running along the handle of the car door in a slow, absentminded rhythm that somehow carried a hint of mystery.

"I am," she finally said, her voice calm. "But don’t worry. She won’t tail us for too long."

Meanwhile, not far behind Daniel’s car, another vehicle trailed them at a calculated distance. Inside sat Fiona, her jaw clenched as she peered through the tinted window. She had slipped out the moment Anna left, dragging her manager, Venus, with her. Fiona truly believed she was being clever—secretly following Anna to catch her slipping.

What she failed to realize, however, was that Anna was far smarter and far sharper than Fiona ever gave her credit for.

"Be discreet," Fiona hissed, her eyes glued to the car ahead. "Don’t let them even suspect we’re behind them."

The driver nodded, adjusting speed just enough to maintain distance without losing sight.

Despite the fear that still lingered from Daniel’s earlier warning, Fiona couldn’t bring herself to back down.

Admit defeat? Never. Not when she was convinced Anna was hiding something... something she could expose. Fiona was desperate for proof, desperate enough to risk everything.

"Be ready the moment they step out," Fiona said, turning to Venus with icy determination. "Click as many pictures as you can. I don’t care what angle, just get something."

Venus swallowed but nodded. She had worked with Fiona long enough to know when the actress was spiraling—and today was one of those days.

Fiona leaned forward again, eyes narrowing.

"Daniel may be obsessed with Anna now," Fiona muttered under her breath, bitterness tightening her features, "but I’ll make sure he finds out how she’s two-timing him with that mysterious man."

In her mind, it all made sense. Daniel had walked off earlier after taking a phone call, and moments later Anna had slipped into another car. To Fiona, that was all the proof she needed—Anna running into the arms of someone else.

What Fiona didn’t know, however, was the truth she was too blinded to see that the "mysterious car" Anna got into belonged to Daniel himself.

A limited-edition model he rarely brought out. A car no one had ever seen him use.

Just as Fiona’s eyes brightened with ruthless determination, the car beneath her gave a sudden jolt. The engine sputtered, the vehicle slowing abruptly before rolling to a complete stop.

"W–what happened?" Fiona snapped, her head whipping toward the windshield. Daniel’s limited-edition car was already drifting farther and farther away.

"I—I’ll check, ma’am," the driver stammered before scrambling out.

Fiona tapped her nails impatiently against the leather seat, her frustration bubbling. Venus kept her head low, already sensing the storm about to erupt.

Within seconds the driver returned, but the look on his face made Fiona’s stomach drop.

"Ma’am... we ran out of petrol."

"WHAT!"

The shriek was so loud that even their dead engine seemed to tremble in fear. Fiona slammed her palm against the back of the front seat, fury radiating off her in waves.

Of all times, of all possible moments, her car chose now to betray her. And just like that... she lost her chance to tail Anna as the other car had vanished and disappeared from their sight.

***

Meanwhile, Anna allowed a small smirk to tug at her lips when Fiona’s car finally disappeared from view.

Victory.

But the moment she glanced sideways, she froze—Daniel was watching her with a care-to-explain look.

Anna, being Anna, pretended she saw nothing. She simply flashed him a grin and pulled out her phone, typing something quickly before hitting send. Then she relaxed back into her seat... until she noticed the scenery outside wasn’t familiar.

Frowning, she looked at Daniel again, this time genuinely surprised.

"Are we... not heading home?"

"No," Daniel replied calmly, eyes still ahead. "Since you have a shoot here again tomorrow, I thought we could stay back. After all, I don’t want my wife looking sleep-deprived after spending the night awake."

"..."

At first, Anna blinked, not registering what he meant. But the slow, devilish smirk curving on his lips made the realization hit her like a slap.

No way... does he plan to punish me for what I did this morning?

A shiver raced down her spine. Just the memory of their morning encounter was enough to make her cheeks warm. Still, she didn’t voice her panic not when Daniel looked so dangerously pleased. Instead, she sat perfectly still, shoulders tense, like a cornered cat pretending she wasn’t terrified.

Daniel’s smirk deepened, amusement glinting in his eyes.

His wife was far too easy to tease... and he loved every second of it.

Soon their car rolled to a stop in front of a high-end hotel, and within minutes the couple made their way up to a secluded private suite arranged under Daniel’s name.

The moment the door closed, Anna slipped away like a startled kitten, darting straight into the bathroom to freshen up—anything to buy herself time from whatever Daniel had planned.

Daniel didn’t follow. He stayed in the living area, shoulders tense, mind far away from teasing his wife for once.

Henry’s report still echoed in his head.

They had finally located the man who’d been tailing Kathrine, but the problem was, they hadn’t managed to see his face. The stalker had worn a mask the entire time he shadowed her.

Who could it be? Daniel wondered, jaw tightening.

He replayed everything he knew, everything he had dug up about the Bennetts when he first began pursuing their influence. Kathrine Bennett had no notable enemies. No scandals. No record of a past lover who might hold a grudge. Nothing that explained why someone would suddenly be following her.

And now this masked stranger wasn’t just stalking— they had even tried to attack her.

A cold unease spread through Daniel’s chest.

Someone out there had an agenda. A dangerous one. ’But who? And what did he know about him’

Daniel was still lost in his thoughts when the bathroom door clicked open. He looked up and whatever tension he carried evaporated in an instant.

Anna stepped out in a soft bathrobe, loosely tied, her long white legs slipping out through the slit with every step. Damp hair cascaded over her shoulders, clinging to her skin in a way that made her look effortlessly seductive... almost dangerous.

Daniel’s breath caught. For a moment, the investigation, the masked stalker, the danger everything vanished and all he saw was his wife.

Without thinking, he closed the distance between them in a few strides. Before Anna could even register the movement, Daniel’s arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her back against his chest in a firm, possessive embrace.

Anna’s breath hitched the moment Daniel buried his face in the crook of her neck. His arms tightened around her waist as he inhaled the soft, freshly bathed fragrance clinging to her skin.

"You’re making it very hard for me to control myself, wifey," he murmured, his warm breath brushing her neck before he pressed a feather-light kiss there.

Anna gasped, her eyes fluttering shut as a shiver rippled down her spine. Instinctively, she melted further into his hold, her back fitting perfectly against his chest. It was impossible not to react to the tenderness woven into his voice—so gentle, so intimate it made her pulse stumble.

Earlier in the car, Daniel had only been teasing, amused by how easily his suggestive words flustered her. But now... now was different.

Seeing her damp and flushed, wrapped in nothing but a single robe that barely clung to her body, his restraint snapped thread by thread.

His desire spiked, raw and immediate, and Anna could feel every bit of it in the way his fingers tightened on her waist before slowly moving towards the knot to open the robe.