Chapter 563: Re-opening the case

“Is that all you wanted to ask, or is there something more?” Kathrine questioned when she noticed her father drifting into silence.

She watched him carefully.

Kathrine would be lying if she claimed she did not understand her father at all. In fact, she knew him well enough to recognize that his silence often meant more than his words. Sometimes it carried a weight that made her uneasy.

Hugo snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her, offering a faint smile.

“You are getting scarier, Kathrine,” he said lightly.

Kathrine raised a brow.

“It should be me saying that, Dad,” she replied. “You know your silence can make people think many things unless… you suddenly snap.”

Her voice softened near the end, almost turning into a whisper.

The remark immediately caught Hugo’s attention.

He knew exactly what she was referring to.

For a moment, he pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze.

“I do not snap anymore,” Hugo said quietly after a pause. “Did you forget what the doctor said? If I do not control my temper, I might soon end up seeing heaven.”

His words carried a dry attempt at humor, but the meaning behind them made Kathrine uneasy.

She immediately grew cautious and chose not to say anything further.

The room fell silent.

A moment later, Hugo realized what he had just said.

He glanced at his daughter and then looked away again, reflecting on his own behavior.

For years, he had allowed his emotions to control him. His anger, pride, and impulsive decisions had often brought out the worst side of him, damaging relationships and creating conflicts he could not easily undo.

Now things were different.

The heart attack had forced him to face a harsh reality.

If he wanted to live longer and repair what he had broken, he needed to change.

And that meant learning to use his mind rather than letting his temper lead him.

The two of them continued their conversation for a while longer.

Hugo asked about her work at the company, occasionally showing interest in how she was managing the pressure there. He even asked about Anna and how things were going in her life, something that surprised Kathrine slightly. In the past, he rarely involved himself in matters that did not directly concern business.

But today his questions felt different. They were calmer, almost thoughtful.

Kathrine answered him patiently, explaining how things had been progressing and how she was handling the situation at work. Though the discussion remained simple, there was an unusual ease between them that had not existed before.

Eventually their conversation reached its natural end.

Hugo nodded as if satisfied with what he had heard, and Kathrine prepared to leave.

Yet as she walked away from the meeting, one particular detail lingered in her mind.

***

[Glorious International]

Shawn was deeply focused on the documents spread across his desk when someone suddenly knocked on the wooden surface in front of him.

His head snapped up.

Standing there was Henry.

And he looked like a man whose soul had just been personally offended by the universe.

“Sir Henry… are you okay?” Shawn asked cautiously.

Henry did not answer immediately. Instead, he glanced toward Daniel’s office. Through the glass walls, their boss could clearly be seen working at his desk.

Even from outside the room, Daniel looked intimidating.

Henry had originally come to speak with him, but now he was seriously reconsidering his life choices.

“Shawn,” Henry said slowly, placing both hands on Shawn’s desk, “do you know how long I have been working in this company?”

Shawn blinked.

“Seven years?” he guessed.

“Eight,” Henry corrected dramatically. “Eight long, loyal, hardworking years.”

Shawn nodded politely.

“And in those eight years,” Henry continued, lowering his voice as if sharing a national secret, “never once have I felt this distressed.”

Shawn frowned in confusion.

Henry was practically the social butterfly of the company. Everyone liked him. Even the interns felt comfortable joking around with him.

“What happened, Sir Henry?” Shawn asked.

He thought for a moment and then suddenly gasped.

“Don’t tell me… Boss is going to fire you.”

Henry froze.

“…You—”

His eye twitched.

“Why would he fire me?” Henry snapped.

Shawn immediately sat up straighter.

“I was just guessing!”

Henry pinched the bridge of his nose, silently questioning why he was having this conversation.

Now, it was not like Daniel had never intimidated him before.

Everyone in the company knew that standing near Daniel was like walking on thin ice. One wrong step and your career might suddenly take a vacation.

Henry had survived eight years of it.

Yet somehow he still wasn’t used to it.

“What I am trying to say,” Henry continued while forcing a smile, “is how exactly do you manage to deal with Madam Anna?”

Shawn blinked.

Henry leaned closer.

“Don’t you think she shares the same brain cells as our boss?”

Shawn’s lips twitched.

The moment Anna’s name was mentioned, memories flashed through his mind.

Her calm voice.

Her sharp logic.

Her ability to completely dismantle someone’s argument within thirty seconds while smiling politely.

No matter how much time passed, Shawn still had not fully recovered from the first time she met him.

His eyes slowly drifted toward Daniel’s office again.

Henry was not wrong.

Those two together were terrifying.

One ruled with silent authority.

The other ruled with elegant destruction.

They were a power couple… but also a walking anxiety test.

“Are you scared to go inside?” Shawn asked casually.

Henry’s smile vanished.

“Of course not,” he replied instantly.

Shawn raised an eyebrow.

Henry straightened his tie.

“Absolutely not.”

Shawn leaned back in his chair.

Then he added very calmly,

“Did you do something that might make Boss transfer you to a secluded island?”

Henry’s heart dropped.

“WHAT?”

His voice cracked loud enough for two nearby employees to look over.

Henry immediately lowered his voice.

“Why would you even say that?” he whispered aggressively.

Shawn shrugged.

“I am just asking. You came here looking like someone told you the coffee machine is permanently broken.”

“That is not funny,” Henry muttered.

Shawn tilted his head.

“Did you mess up a report?”

“No.”

“Lose an important client?”

“No.”

“Accidentally reply-all to a company email?”

Henry gasped.

“I am not a monster.”

Shawn folded his arms.

“Then why are you acting like you’re about to walk into your execution?”

Henry turned slowly and looked toward Daniel’s office again.

Through the glass wall, Daniel calmly flipped through a file.

He did not even look up.

Yet somehow he still looked dangerous.

Henry swallowed.

“…You don’t feel the pressure?” he asked.

Shawn followed his gaze.

“Oh, I feel it.”

Henry stared at him.

“Then how are you sitting so peacefully?”

Shawn shrugged again.

“I already accepted my fate.”

“That is not comforting.”

Shawn leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.

“Look, Sir Henry. You survived eight years here.”

Henry nodded slowly.

“You survived three audits.”

Henry nodded again.

“You survived the time Boss reviewed everyone’s quarterly mistakes personally.”

Henry shuddered.

“And most importantly,” Shawn continued, “you survived Anna threats.”

Henry closed his eyes in pain.

“That was a traumatic day.”

“Exactly,” Shawn said. “After surviving that, what else is there to fear?”

Henry opened his eyes.

Then he looked back toward Daniel’s office again.

He took a deep breath.

“…You know what?”

“What?”

“I think I can do this.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Henry straightened his coat confidently.

He took one step toward Daniel’s office.

Then he stopped.

“…Shawn.”

“Yes?”

“If I don’t come back…”

Shawn sighed.

“You’re just delivering a report, not going to war.”

Henry gave one last dramatic nod.

Then he walked toward Daniel’s office like a soldier heading into battle.

He had just gathered enough courage when something suddenly caught his attention.

The elevator doors slid open.

A moment later, Norma stepped out.

Henry immediately froze.

“What is she doing here now?” he muttered under his breath.

All the nervous tension he had been feeling about meeting Daniel suddenly disappeared. Compared to facing his boss, dealing with Madam Norma felt… slightly less dangerous.

Almost.

Straightening his posture, Henry quickly walked toward her and greeted her politely.

“Good morning, Madam Norma.”

However, Norma did not even acknowledge his greeting.

Her expression was sharp, her steps quick and purposeful as she moved past him.

Henry blinked.

Before he could say another word, Norma had already marched straight toward Daniel’s office.

The glass door swung open as she entered without knocking.

“What is all this, Daniel?” she demanded angrily. “What does it mean that you are planning to reopen your father’s case?”

Her sudden intrusion made Daniel slowly lift his head from the file he had been reading.

The irritation in her voice was unmistakable.

But the anger on her face was something he had not expected.

Daniel leaned back slightly in his chair, studying her calmly.

Meanwhile, Henry had rushed in after her, clearly panicking.

“Madam, Sir is—”

He stopped mid-sentence when Daniel raised his hand slightly.

The silent gesture was enough.

Henry immediately understood.

Without saying another word, he stepped back and quietly left the office, closing the door behind him.

Now only Daniel and Norma remained inside.

Norma stood in front of his desk, her expression still tense.

Daniel placed the file down slowly.

“And why do you look so furious?” he asked in a calm, almost curious tone.

His composed reaction only seemed to irritate her further.

Norma stared at him as if trying to understand how he could remain so calm after what he had done.

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