Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 175: It’s strange...how he isn’t like he used to be

Chapter 175: It’s strange...how he isn’t like he used to be

After Mariam left, the house felt too quiet.

Anna decided to take a walk around the Clafford estate a place she once knew better than the back of her hand, yet somehow still felt foreign.

In her previous life, she had spent countless days wandering these same paths, the lawns and gardens offering her the illusion of peace when the world outside turned cold. But this time, she rarely stepped out of her room.

The property was vast sprawling green lawns, a carefully designed garden, and even a small treehouse tucked away between the old oaks. Every corner spoke of Daniel’s taste, thoughtful, refined, precise.

If she remembered correctly, there was even a private golf course beyond the hedges, where Daniel used to practice on his rare days off.

He never really took breaks, did he? she thought with a faint smile.

As her steps carried her along the cobblestone path, memories began to unfurl, pieces of a life she wasn’t supposed to remember, yet couldn’t forget. The way Daniel laughed softly when she teased him, the warmth in his gaze that she always pretended not to notice, the quiet comfort of simply existing beside him.

Somewhere along the way, her life had started revolving around him and she hadn’t even realized it until it was too late.

"It’s strange," she whispered, staring up at the fading sky, "how he isn’t like he used to be."

Everything felt... different this time. The world had shifted, choices rewritten, and Daniel — the man she once thought she knew entirely was no longer predictable.

As the evening breeze brushed against her skin, Anna’s lips curved into a soft, wistful smile. She closed her eyes, letting the quiet wash over her — the rustle of leaves, the hum of distant water, the faint scent of roses drifting through the air.

It was peaceful. For once, she felt alive, until a warmth seep in.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

Her eyes flew open, her breath catching, but before she could turn, a familiar scent and voice surrounded her.

Daniel rested his chin gently on her shoulder, leaning in until his breath brushed her ear.

"I missed you," he murmured.

Three simple words but they struck through her like lightning.

Her heart lurched, the steady rhythm faltering in her chest.

Part of her wanted to tease him, to ask why he hadn’t called if he missed her so much. Why he’d gone silent after practically bombarding her with messages earlier.

But she didn’t.

She just stood there still, quiet, caught between the ghost of their past and the fragile beauty of their present and let him hold her for as long as he needed.

And maybe, just this once, she let herself need it too.

***

After lingering outside for a while, the couple finally decided to return indoors.

But as soon as Daniel stepped into the living room, his brows drew together. "Where’s Mariam?"

"It’s the weekend," Anna replied casually. "She decided to visit her house."

Daniel blinked. "Her house?"

Anna turned to him, surprised by his tone. "Don’t tell me you didn’t know she owns a place in the city?"

The confusion on his face said it all. Anna’s brows shot up, her disbelief spilling into a scoff.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," she said, folding her arms. "She’s been with you since forever, Daniel. How do you not know that?"

Daniel tried to mask his cluelessness with a nonchalant shrug, but that only made her laugh.

"Just admit you didn’t know. Don’t give me that look," she teased, shaking her head as a small chuckle escaped her.

She turned to walk away, but before she could take a single step, Daniel caught her wrist and pulled her back firm yet effortless until she was pressed against him, caged in his arms once again.

"Are you mocking me, wifey?" he murmured near her ear, his tone threaded with playful challenge. "Because I happen to not know what my nanny does on her weekends?"

Anna’s lips twitched. "Shouldn’t I?" she quipped, her voice light and teasing.

Then, tilting her head slightly, she added with a sly smile, "But then again, maybe it’s not your fault. You spend most of your time at the office not enough time to notice what happens in anyone’s life."

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Daniel’s brows arched slightly, his teasing expression turning curious. "How did you know that?"

The question hit her like a splash of cold water.

"What?" she asked, blinking.

"How did you know I stay at the office most nights?" His tone was casual, but the way his eyes studied her sharp and searching made her pulse quicken.

He wasn’t just teasing now. He was thinking.

As far as Daniel remembered, Anna had always kept her distance. Even when he was wrapped up in that whole charade with Kathrine, she’d barely seemed to notice him. But now... now she spoke like someone who had been quietly watching, quietly knowing him.

Anna’s brain scrambled for a reasonable answer. Stupid, Anna, she scolded herself inwardly. You weren’t supposed to sound like a wife who actually pays attention.

"I—uh—found out recently," she blurted, forcing a weak smile. "Through... Mariam. Yes. She told me."

For a beat, Daniel just stared at her — then his lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. His eyes glimmered with amusement, the kind that told her he wasn’t buying a single word.

"Or..." he said, lowering his head slightly, his voice dropping to a husky whisper, "...were you secretly trying to know me, Mrs. Clafford?"

Before she could react, his lips brushed her ear — a barely-there touch that sent a shiver straight down her spine.

Anna gasped softly, instinctively leaning back to create distance. Her pulse was racing far too fast for her liking.

"Daniel," she muttered, her voice dropping into a nervous whisper, "we can’t do anything here."

A faint flush crept up her neck as she spoke, the sudden wave of shyness washing through her like a spark she couldn’t quite control.

Mariam might have gone home for the weekend, but there were still other staff moving about the house — and the thought of them witnessing anything remotely intimate made her want to bury herself alive.

Her eyes darted toward the hallway. "Someone could see us," she added, her tone flustered, trying to sound logical rather than embarrassed.