Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 177: Time for punishment

A chill passed through Daniel’s eyes — sharp, sudden, unmistakable.

The word death hung between them, cold and heavy, and Anna could almost see the shift in him — the way the air thickened, the way his body went still.

That single word had done something to him.

Frost clouded his gaze as his mind spiraled somewhere distant — to a place she couldn’t reach.

"You won’t die," he said, his voice low, rough — not reassurance, but command. "I won’t let you die."

The firmness in his tone startled her, but beneath it was something else — something fragile, trembling. Fear.

Anna’s breath hitched, the edge of her anger softening.

She hadn’t meant to strike so deep. The word death had slipped out, careless in her frustration — but she knew its weight all too well. She’d lived through it. She’d clawed her way back from it.

She only wanted him to understand how it felt — how reckless his prank had been.

But she hadn’t expected this.

Daniel’s eyes darkened as he took a step closer, his voice cutting through her thoughts like ice.

"Did you hear me?" he said again, gripping her shoulders firmly. "I won’t let you die."

His hands were steady, but his breath wasn’t.

And in his eyes — beneath the fury, beneath the command — shimmered something raw and unguarded.

For the first time since her rebirth, Anna felt afraid of his intensity. Not because he’d hurt her — but because the emotion radiating from him was too real, too consuming.

What is that? she thought, her pulse quickening. Is that... fear?

Fear of losing her?

The realization hit her just as Daniel’s hold loosened. He closed the small distance between them, pressing his forehead gently against hers.

"I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking into something almost pleading. "It won’t happen again."

Anna’s chest ached at the sound. His tone — usually so composed, so assured — now carried a tremor that made her heart twist.

She could feel his remorse, the weight of it pressing between them.

Daniel exhaled slowly, his words softer now, almost a vow. "I won’t risk you. Not again."

And in that moment, Anna understood.

His teasing, his possessiveness, even his sudden temper — they weren’t just pride or habit. They were born from something deeper. Something he was too afraid to name.

For the first time, she saw him not as the confident man who always had control — but as someone haunted.

Anna’s heart raced, pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat.

The tremor in Daniel’s shoulders, the way his breath came uneven — it stripped away the façade of control he always wore. For the first time, she saw the raw surface of his fear... but she couldn’t fully understand it.

Still, instinct told her that before things went any further, she needed to retreat — to steady the ground slipping beneath her.

"Daniel, you—uhm—"

Her words caught mid-sentence when his lips suddenly crashed against hers.

The world tilted.

Her back met the cold tiles, the sound of water cascading around them echoing through the room — a blur of heat and rhythm and breath.

Daniel’s hand cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek as his lips moved against hers — urgent, desperate, claiming. Each kiss was a plea, each touch an unspoken apology.

Anna gasped softly, fingers curling around his wrist, trying to regain control — but his warmth, the press of his body, the faint tremble in his hold — all of it dissolved her resistance.

She could feel him, not just physically, but emotionally — every ounce of fear, frustration, and longing bleeding into that kiss.

She had told herself she wouldn’t lose control. That she would never let him pull her into his storm.

But Daniel Clafford had a way of undoing her resolve like no one else.

And this time... she let him.

Her hands slipped up, wrapping around his neck, drawing him closer as she deepened the kiss — not in surrender, but in challenge.

When their lips parted just enough for air to slip through, Anna’s voice came out soft but laced with mischief, her breath mingling with his.

"Time for punishment, husband," she murmured against his lips.

The corner of Daniel’s mouth twitched — half confusion, half intrigue — before realization dawned.

Her eyes, glinting beneath the falling water, told him exactly what she meant.

So you wouldn’t dare pull a stunt like that again.

Daniel blinked, his chest rising and falling with quickened breaths. The anger that once burned in his gaze was gone — replaced by something else entirely.

Amusement.

Awe.

And something dangerously close to reverence.

Before him stood not the furious woman he’d just upset, but his mischievous vixen — the one who could disarm him with a single look, the one who could make him fall apart and still smile doing it.

"Punishment, hmm?" he murmured, his voice low and rough, his lips brushing her ear as a shiver ran through him.

Anna’s smile was wicked, her tone daring. "You heard me, husband."

And in that moment, Daniel realized something terrifyingly sweet that for all his control, when it came to her, he was already on his knees.

"Hehe."

Anna’s soft giggle broke through the thick silence, catching Daniel completely off guard.

Her sudden change of mood made his brows lift slightly — that mischievous sound never promised him anything good.

She reached for his collar, her fingers curling into the damp fabric of his shirt. Daniel blinked, still half-stunned, his pulse ticking up when she leaned closer.

’She’s still angry,’ he thought, but that smirk tugging at her lips told him she was planning something far worse than words.

"Stupid loser," she murmured under her breath — though the glint in her eyes said she wasn’t really mad anymore, just dangerous.

Then she brought her lips close to his ear, her breath brushing against his skin, and whispered — slow and deliberate:

"And your punishment is..."

Daniel stilled, waiting — his muscles tense, heart already bracing for the unknown.

"...I’ll help you bathe."

For a moment, his brain blanked.

Then his lips curled into a grin. "That doesn’t sound like a punishment, wifey," he said, his voice low, already liking where this was going.

But before he could enjoy his victory, Anna leaned back — her smile sweet, her tone wicked.

"But..." she drawled, her lashes lowering, "you’re not allowed to touch me."

The grin on Daniel’s face froze instantly.

Anna folded her arms, looking entirely too proud of herself.

The devil sitting on her shoulder clapped gleefully. You’re dead meat, Daniel. Your wife is ruthless when it comes to payback.

Daniel exhaled, a dry laugh slipping past his lips. "You’re serious?"

"Completely."

His eyes narrowed in mock challenge. "You do realize that’s torture."

"That’s the point," she replied sweetly.

Anna stepped back just enough to give herself space — and control — before picking up the shower head. Her movements were slow, deliberate, graceful... cruel.

Daniel, still fully dressed, stood there under her command, his eyes glued to her every gesture.

The sound of water filled the silence again, soft but heavy with tension.

Anna tilted the shower head, letting the stream hit his shoulder first, soaking through his shirt.

The fabric clung instantly to his body, tracing the lines of his muscles beneath.

Daniel’s jaw flexed. "You’re enjoying this way too much."

"I told you," she said, her voice calm but teasing. "Punishment."

Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she continued, deliberately slow — the soft spray of water tracing his neck, sliding down the front of his chest.

"Consider this a reminder," she added, her tone dipping lower. "Next time you try to scare me..."

Daniel’s breath hitched as the water ran down his collar, his eyes fixed on her face.

"...I’ll make you regret it."

Anna smiled, serene and victorious — and in that moment, Daniel knew two things:

One, he’d never win against her.

And two — he didn’t mind losing.

Not to her.

The staring match went on for several charged seconds, neither of them blinking first.

Then, finally, Daniel stepped back — slow, deliberate, every movement calculated.

Anna’s smirk widened, though the faint flutter in her chest betrayed her calm façade.

Without breaking eye contact, Daniel reached for the buttons of his shirt. With a few practiced motions, he slipped it off and tossed it aside. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The fabric hit the floor with a soft thud, and for a heartbeat, the room grew still.

"I can see you wavering, wifey," he murmured, his voice low and laced with amusement.

Anna tried to play it off, but her eyes had already betrayed her — trailing over the sharp lines of his chest before she caught herself.

"You wish," she shot back, her tone crisp, though the corners of her mouth twitched.

Inside, however, her thoughts were far from composed. Focus, Anna. It’s just a torso. A very unfairly sculpted torso.

Daniel, of course, noticed the spark in her eyes. His grin deepened as he began to unbuckle his belt.

Anna cleared her throat, forcing herself to stand tall even as her composure teetered.

"Don’t flatter yourself," she said, lifting her chin. "This is still punishment, not a show."

"Then why," Daniel teased, "do you look like you’re enjoying it more than I am?"

She shot him a glare sharp enough to cut through steel, but it didn’t help when he stepped out of his pants and stood before her — now stripped down to his boxers, water glinting off his skin.

Anna’s breath hitched before she could stop it.

Her gaze darted upward immediately, refusing to linger, but the heat in her cheeks gave her away completely.

GASP....

’Why is his cock so big’