Daniel arrived home as the last traces of daylight faded into the evening. The clock on his dashboard showed it was just after 7 PM. He parked his car and sat in silence for a moment, watching as the street lights flickered on, one by one. The night was creeping in, but his thoughts were still tangled up in the events of the day.
Taking out his phone, he opened his gallery. A smile formed on his lips as he looked at the picture the staff at the Marriage Bureau had taken of them. He never expected them to provide a small, cute veil for Anastasia to wear during the photo.
"Ah, how can she be this beautiful even with such bare minimum effort?" His smile widened as he gazed at the image.
His smile slowly faded as he let out a sigh, leaning back in his seat, the warmth of the memory still lingering. But the weight of the lie he had created pressed down on him. The secret of his true identity gnawed at him, and he began to worry about how it might affect everything between them.
Finally getting out of the car, Daniel felt the cool evening air brush against him as he walked towards the front door. Inside the grand, spacious house, the silence felt overwhelming. He loosened his tie, draped his suit jacket over the back of a chair, and sank into the plush leather sofa in the living room.
His relaxed posture was abruptly interrupted when he glanced up and saw his mother sitting on the sofa opposite him. She was crossing her arms, her gaze sharp and unyielding.
"Oh my gosh! Mom!" Daniel exclaimed, startled by her unexpected presence. "Why are you sitting in the dark? Are we saving money or what?" He frowned, still in shock.
His mother's stern expression didn't soften. "We need to talk."
Daniel's eyebrows furrowed as he sat up straighter. "About what? Is everything okay?"
She remained silent for a moment, her gaze piercing. "Marleen told me the marriage couldn't happen." Frustration was evident on her face. "She said Anna already has someone she loves and doesn't want to be forced into anything. And then she went on and on about how reasonable her reasons are." The frown lines on her forehead were deepening. "So, what did you do?"
Daniel forced a nervous smile and chuckled awkwardly. "Mom… if I tell you something, can you promise not to get too upset?"
"When you ask me something like that, it makes me even more worried about what you've done," Diana said, her tone stern. "What's going on?"
"First," Daniel began, pulling out his phone, "have you ever met Anna?"
Diana looked at him with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "I did, I think once. When she was around fourteen," she recalled. Her husband had wanted to show her the family that had saved his life, but finding Marleen and Anastasia had been challenging due to their frequent moves.
"You met her when she was fourteen?!" Daniel was taken aback. That was around the time Anastasia had transferred to his school, and it was the first time he had seen her.
"Yes! Why?" Diana frowned, noticing Daniel's peculiar behaviour.
"Then you should know," Daniel said with a grin, pulling out his phone. "Your daughter-in-law is beautiful, right?" He showed her the picture from the Marriage Bureau. "She's even more beautiful now."
Diana's eyes widened as she took in the image. For a moment, her frustration was replaced by surprise and admiration. "She is indeed lovely," she admitted, but then her expression hardened. "Wait… Did you get married?!"
Daniel's grin faded slightly. "Mom… listen. Let me explain first."
Diana's eyes narrowed. "I can't ignore the feeling that something isn't right. I'm starting to sense that you might be lying to Anastasia. You're playing games, aren't you? I can see it in your face. What's really going on?"
Daniel's shoulders tensed. "Mom, I—"
Diana cut him off. "No more excuses. If you've been dishonest with her, it will cause a lot of trouble. You need to come clean and fix this mess before it's too late."
Speechless, Daniel struggled to find the words. His mother's piercing gaze made it clear that there was no escaping this confrontation.
"Tell me from A to Z, what is really happening?!" Diana demanded.
Daniel hesitated for a moment, then began to recount the story. "Alright, Mom, here's what happened…"
He explained how he'd been frustrated by the arranged marriage and had ended up drinking with Leo, which led to a mix-up about his intended bride. He described meeting Anastasia and how he decided to keep his identity hidden, playing the part of a demanding boss to get to know her better.
He didn't go into every detail but made sure to cover the key points, including his initial misunderstanding, his growing feelings for Anastasia, and the realisation that his plan was flawed.
As he spoke, Diana listened intently, her expression shifting from anger to concern. When Daniel finished, she took a deep breath, her frustration now mixed with worry.
"Ethan," she said, her voice steady but firm, "you need to come clean with Anastasia. The longer you wait, the more damage you're doing. Fix this before it's too late."
Daniel sighed deeply, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I'll think of a better way to explain things to her as soon as possible."
Diana stood up and gently rubbed her son's back. "I know love can make you blind and cause you to act out of character," she said softly. "But, Daniel, a relationship built on lies won't last."
As Diana's words settled, Daniel's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and saw Anastasia's number. Frowning, he answered the call, expecting to hear her voice.
"Hello, is this Daniel? I'm sorry to bother you. I'm Marleen, Anastasia's mom." came a frantic voice. "I'm using Anastasia's phone. I need your help—Anastasia's been taken to the hospital. I can't be there because Flynn, her father, suddenly went into critical condition. Can you come to the hospital and stay with her?"
"Wait…what happened? I just sent her home earlier." Daniel's heart raced at the unexpected news.
"She had an accident at home—fell down the stairs and might have had a head injury. Please, can you come here? I can't leave Flynn right now," Marleen's voice trembled with urgency.
Daniel's worry deepened. "Of course, I'll head to the hospital right away."
He ended the call and looked at Diana, who had been quietly observing. "I need to go. Anastasia's been taken to the hospital."
He quickly explained the situation to Diana, who nodded with understanding.
Daniel rushed out of the house and drove to the hospital. When he arrived, he found Marleen near the emergency room, pacing anxiously.
"Aunt Marleen?" Daniel called out as he approached her.
Marleen looked up, her eyes widening in recognition and surprise. "Daniel?"
"Yes," Daniel said, concern evident in his voice. "I came as soon as I could. How is Anastasia?"
Marleen couldn't hide her shock as she came to the realisation. "Wait a minute... You're Ethan, right?"