Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 173: A note

Anna blinked, half amused, half exasperated.

"Sad?" she echoed with a scoff. "After bombarding me with messages all morning — and tailing me halfway across the city — you actually expect me to miss you?"

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs, her tone dripping with disbelief.

If Daniel had just kept his affections subtle, she might have found it endearing. But no — he had to make it dramatic, turning what could have been a romantic gesture into an obsessive pursuit.

Anna sighed. "You know, I never thought I’d see the day when Daniel Clafford — the cold, untouchable businessman — would turn into a clingy husband following me around like a lost puppy."

On the other end, Daniel chuckled lowly, clearly unfazed.

"Only for you," he replied smoothly, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

Anna rolled her eyes, though her lips betrayed her with a faint curve.

"Flattery won’t save you," she muttered. "Try acting normal for once."

"Normal?" Daniel mused, his tone teasing. "Define normal, Mrs. Clafford. Because to me, missing my wife isn’t abnormal."

Anna pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to fight the warmth creeping into her cheeks.

"So tell me, wifey," Daniel’s voice purred through the line, low and teasing, "do you want me to come there and take you out for lunch? I’m sure you’re free."

Anna’s lips twitched, part amusement, part disbelief.

Of course, he’d say that.

She had Kevin by her side for exactly this reason — to keep Daniel and Henry from suspecting anything. She’d made it clear that he was to act natural, calm, professional. But apparently, Daniel didn’t know the meaning of restraint.

"No," she said firmly, though her tone softened despite herself. "I’m busy. You should focus on your work instead."

And before he could throw another flirtatious remark her way, she ended the call.

A beat of silence followed before Anna sighed, pressing her hand against her flushed face.

"Why does he have to sound so cheeky?" she muttered to herself, her voice half exasperated, half flustered. "And since when did he learn how to sound that way?"

It wasn’t fair — he had no right to make her heart skip like this.

Still, she couldn’t stop the small, helpless smile that tugged at her lips.

Meanwhile, inside his car, Daniel chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with quiet amusement.

He’d known she’d hang up. He’d expected it, even. But teasing Anna had become his newest addiction — watching her struggle between irritation and affection, seeing the way she tried to hide the smallest smile.

He tucked his phone into his pocket, the faint smirk still lingering on his face.

Just then, the driver’s voice broke his thoughts. "Boss, we’re here."

Daniel’s expression shifted instantly. The warmth drained, replaced by that cold, commanding composure that defined him in the business world.

"Good," he said, his tone clipped and professional.

Within seconds, the playful husband disappeared — and in his place stood Daniel Clafford, the man people feared to cross.

Without wasting another minute, Daniel stepped out of the car and made his way into the lavish condo where Mark Anderson was already waiting for him.

"Meeting at the office would’ve drawn too much attention," Mark said as he rose to greet him. "So I figured my place would be a better choice."

Daniel gave a short nod and took the offered seat, his movements smooth and precise, as always.

"I assume things are going well with the Bennetts?" he asked, his tone even but carrying that quiet edge of authority that never failed to put people on alert.

Mark nodded. "Everything’s proceeding as you instructed. I’ve halted the supply lines and will contact Hugo Bennett soon to discuss the ’unexpected delay.’"

"Good."

Daniel leaned back slightly, but his sharp gaze didn’t waver. He could tell from Mark’s tone that there was more — something unsaid.

Mark hesitated for a moment before exhaling, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "There is... one thing you should know."

Daniel’s brows lifted just slightly. "Go on."

Mark hesitated again, then finally spoke. "Kathrine Bennett visited the company this morning. She requested a meeting with me."

For a split second, silence filled the room — heavy, cold, and palpable.

Then Daniel’s expression changed. The easy calm in his features hardened, shadows flickering in his eyes.

Kathrine.

Of all the names Mark could have mentioned, that was the one that shifted his mood like a switch.

Mark cleared his throat carefully, trying to gauge Daniel’s reaction. "My assistant said she wanted to discuss the project terms... though I had the impression that wasn’t the only reason for her visit."

Daniel’s gaze turned sharp, calculating. The faintest muscle in his jaw ticked as he processed the information.

The Anderson Project what most didn’t know was already under his control. Anderson Industries might have carried its own name, but it was one of Daniel Clafford’s many quiet subsidiaries, placed strategically under Mark’s management to conceal his hand in multiple markets. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I think she’s suspicious," Mark said quietly — and the single sentence made Daniel’s jaw clamp shut. Of course Mark would think that; no one strolls into Anderson’s world uninvited unless they mean something.

Daniel had always ranked Kathrine just behind Hugo in cunning. Seeing her so composed and forward only raised a new question: did Hugo know what Kathrine was capable of — or had she acted without his knowledge?

"Play along," Daniel said, voice low and controlled, "but make sure she doesn’t find anything." Mark gave a small, sure nod.

Daniel trusted Mark for a reason. Letting Kathrine into the fold was deliberate: he’d agreed to the meeting to bait whatever plan she was hiding and force it into the open. Her presence unsettled him more than he liked to admit.

’You picked the wrong game, Kathrine’ he thought, cold certainty settling over him. ’You’ll see soon enough — and it won’t end the way you expect.’

***

As much as Daniel wanted Kathrine to suffer, he wasn’t foolish enough to strike too soon. Giving her the benefit of doubt — even slightly — meant giving her ground, and that wasn’t something Daniel Clafford ever did. He preferred to play his cards when the game was already rigged in his favor.

But Kathrine Bennett wasn’t the kind to sit quietly and watch her world crumble. Not anymore.

Her suspicions about Daniel had only grown stronger over the past few days. If she hadn’t overheard that brief phone conversation — his tone cold, commanding, and far too familiar with the Andersons — she might have ignored her doubts. But now she had reason to trust her instincts.

Standing outside the towering glass structure of Andreas Industries, Kathrine’s expression hardened.

"You think you have it all, Daniel," she muttered under her breath, a cold sneer curving her lips. "But I’ll soon find out what you’re hiding — and when I do, I’ll expose you."

Her reflection in the glass doors stared back at her — composed, sharp, unyielding.

After spending the morning convincing her father to handle the supply issue with more caution, she’d come here to confirm her own theory. If Daniel’s influence truly stretched into the Anderson Project, she needed to see it with her own eyes.

Unfortunately, the man she intended to meet — one of Daniel’s close contacts within the company — was "unavailable for the day." A convenient excuse. Too convenient.

Kathrine exhaled in frustration, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I should’ve just gone with Father to meet him," she murmured, her voice low with irritation.

Disappointment simmered beneath her composure, but it wasn’t enough to deter her. She’d waited long enough to see through Daniel Clafford’s carefully constructed façade.

And now, she was done waiting.

One way or another, she would uncover the truth — no matter who got caught in the crossfire.

Unlocking her cars door Kathrine hoped in, however something caught her eyes.

There lied a note on her seat which she picked up, but the words she read darken her expression.