The television screen continued replaying the same footage.
Racheal stepping out of the car.
The reporters shouting.
The cameras flashing endlessly.
And beside her---
him.
The glass in Daniel's hand cracked again.
This time, a thin line of blood slipped down his finger.
But he barely noticed.
His eyes remained locked on the screen.
"NO..." he whispered again, shaking his head slowly. "That's impossible."
The reporter's voice echoed through the penthouse apartment.
"CEO Racheal officially appears with her mysterious husband for the first time---"
Daniel muted the television instantly.
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
His breathing slowly became uneven as memories flooded back into his mind.
The accusation.
The lies.
The setup.
The moment everything fell apart for him.
Daniel made sure there was nothing left for him to return to.
No money.
No reputation.
No future.
So how----
How was he suddenly standing beside Racheal?
Of all people.
Racheal.
One of the most powerful women in the entire city.
Daniel ran a hand through his hair roughly before standing up from the couch.
Something felt wrong.
Dangerously wrong.
Because if he were alive...
Then eventually, the truth could become a problem.
His jaw tightened.
"No," he muttered firmly this time. "There's no way he got close to her by accident."
The thought bothered him immediately.
People didn't simply enter.
The thought bothered him immediately.
People didn't simply enter Racheal's world.
Which meant one thing---
Racheal had chosen him personally.
And that terrified him more than he wanted to admit.
Meanwhile ----
Inside Racheal's company building, he stood silently near the office window, staring down at the city below.
The media attention still felt unreal.
Even now, his phone wouldn't stop vibrating from unknown numbers and endless notifications.
Every news channel was talking about Racheal's husband.
A stranger yesterday.
A headline today.
The office door suddenly opened behind him.
Racheal entered without a word.
He glanced over his shoulder.
"You know," he said dryly, "normal people usually knock before entering."
Racheal ignored the comment completely.
"You'll be attending dinner with the board members tonight."
He frowned.
"Tonight?"
"Yes."
"You enjoy throwing people into chaos without warning, huh?"
Racheal placed a folder on the desk calmly.
"You'll survive."
He stared at her for a moment before speaking again.
"That reporter earlier...."
Racheal's expression remained unreadable.
"What about it?"
"The inheritance question."
For the first time since entering the room---
Racheal went silent.
A dangerous kind of silence.
Then she walked closer slowly.
Close enough for him to notice the exhaustion hidden beneath her cold expression.
Barely visible.
But there.
"You're getting too curious again," she said quietly.
He crossed his arms slightly.
"And you're getting too good at avoiding answers."
Their eyes locked.
Tension immediately filled the room.
Then unexpectedly----
Racheal stepped around him and looked out the window beside him.
"The board members already hate this marriage," she admitted softly.
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
That was the first honest thing she had said all day.
"They think marriage makes me weak," she continued. "Especially to someone outside their world."
Outside their world.
The words lingered in his mind.
Because she wasn't wrong =.
He didn't belong here.
Not in this building.
Not in these expensive clothes.
And definitely not beside someone like Racheal.
But before he could say anything---
Racheal suddenly turned toward him again.
"So tonight," she said calmly, putting her cold mask back on, "try not to embarrass me in front of people already waiting for me to fail."
Then she walked toward the door.
But just before leaving----
she paused slightly.
Without looking back, she added:
"And stay away from reporters until then."
The door closed behind her quietly.
Leaving him alone again.
Alone with questions.
And somewhere else in the city---
Daniel stared at Racheal's picture on the television screen one last time before making a call.
The line connected almost instantly.
"I need information on someone," he said coldly.
His eyes darkened.
"Find out everything about Racheal's husband."