Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 180: Why so defensive

"Just you wait, wifey," he thought darkly, his lips curving into a restrained smile. I’ll get back at you for this. You’ll make me beg once — but only once.

Daniel’s mind was already in chaos, yet he still made a mental note to get back at her for teasing him. Little did he know, his wife was already planning her next move.

That thought didn’t last long. It vanished the instant Anna’s hand wrapped around his length and gave a firm squeeze.

A sharp curse left his throat as his balance nearly faltered. Anna’s back hit the cool tile while her other hand gripped it tightly for support. The darkness in Daniel’s eyes deepened, his breath turning ragged as his hand found her shoulder for balance.

Without warning, Anna began to stroke him — slow, deliberate, testing his control. Daniel’s breathing grew shallow, fanning against her ear, making her flinch at the sensation.

She wanted to look at him — to see his expression, to gauge how far she could push him — but she hesitated, afraid her resolve might crumble the moment their eyes met.

"I-Is this what you wanted?" she asked softly, her voice trembling even as she refused to look at him.

Daniel’s response came in a low hum as his lips brushed the crook of her neck. "Hmm..."

His hot breath ghosted over her skin before his mouth followed, pressing slow kisses that sent a shiver racing down her spine. Her head tilted back instinctively, granting him more access, but Daniel’s grip on her kept her grounded as his teeth grazed her skin, teasing.

"D-Don’t..." she gasped, trying to steady her voice. "No touching."

Daniel chuckled, the sound low and rough against her neck.

"Don’t be so heartless, wifey," he murmured, his tone both playful and dangerous — a warning and a promise all at once.

"You’re already making it hard for me," Daniel muttered, his voice low and strained.

The corner of Anna’s lips lifted into a knowing smile as she finally looked at him. Daniel’s face, flushed and tense, rested against her shoulder. His eyes—dark and desperate—met hers like a silent plea for mercy.

"I warned you, Daniel," she whispered, tightening her grip as her fingers trailed deliberately up his length.

A deep groan rumbled from his chest, and his eyes fell shut. "Fine," he breathed out, surrendering. "But don’t stop."

Anna couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped her. He really didn’t learn, did he? Her smile widened at his frustration—because he’d walked right into her trap.

The tension between them thickened, the air heavy and humming with unspoken challenge. Her hand moved again, slow at first, teasing, before she settled into a deliberate rhythm. His body reacted instantly, muscles tightening, breath coming in ragged waves until she felt him twitch beneath her touch.

It should’ve been exhilarating, but after a while, her wrist began to ache. Her breaths turned uneven as the effort dragged on longer than she expected.

"How can you be so damn insatiable?" she muttered under her breath, half-laughing, half-complaining, her tone dripping with mock annoyance.

Daniel didn’t answer. He only clenched his fist against the wall, knuckles white, his body trembling from the tension coiling inside him.

Anna pressed her lips together to hide a grin. She had wanted to see him break, but now she was the one starting to regret it. No one warned me foreplay could feel like an endurance match... or that satisfying my husband would require this much stamina.

"Faster," Daniel ordered suddenly, voice hoarse and commanding.

Startled, Anna blinked up at him, then nodded, quickening her pace despite her growing fatigue. His breathing grew heavier, the veins in his forearm standing out as his control began to slip.

He was close—too close. And for a fleeting moment, she felt a dangerous thrill at having that kind of power over him.

Then, abruptly, she stopped.

"Ah... I’m tired," she announced, pulling her hand free in one swift motion and flexing her wrist.

Daniel froze.

"...What?"

The word came out broken, disbelieving—like someone who’d just been shoved off the edge after being led right to the peak. His entire body went rigid, eyes snapping open in shock as the reality of what she’d done hit him.

Anna leaned back with a teasing smile, biting back her laughter. "I told you, no touching. You didn’t say anything about me stopping."

For a long second, Daniel just stared at her, chest heaving, a mix of frustration and reluctant amusement flashing in his eyes.

But his wife, heartless as ever, only waved at him with a smug little grin and swoosh—vanished before he could react.

"..."

Daniel stood frozen under the shower, water cascading down his tense body as the reality hit him. He’d been abandoned—right at the edge, no less.

His jaw clenched, a frustrated growl rumbling in his chest.

"Ahh... Anna," he hissed through gritted teeth, raking a wet hand through his hair. "I won’t spare you for this."

The sound of his own voice echoed off the tiles, half-anger, half-laughter—because he knew she’d done it on purpose.

Little did he know, Anna was only a few feet away, leaning against the wall outside the bathroom door, biting back her laughter as she listened to him curse her name.

Victory never sounded sweeter, but she enjoyed every bit of it.

***

By the time Daniel stepped out, fully dressed and freshly composed, Anna had already changed in his bedroom and slipped back into hers.

That grin, however, hadn’t wavered for a second.

She was savoring every bit of his vulnerability — every flustered glance, every restrained sigh. And honestly, Daniel couldn’t even complain. After what he’d done to her before, it was only fair.

Anna caught him pointedly avoiding her gaze, pretending to busy himself with his work as if nothing had happened. Her grin deepened.

So much for composure, Mr. Perfect.

She turned her attention to her phone on the nightstand, picking it up casually and scrolling through her feed — random updates, photos, meaningless chatter — until a particular thought crept into her mind.

Her thumb hesitated.

Then, almost instinctively, she navigated to her inbox.

The most recent message sat right at the top. From none other than DarkKnight_07.

Her lips parted slightly as she reread the message, her mind spinning with a mix of curiosity and unease.

"He isn’t usually this quiet," Anna muttered under her breath, scrolling through her messages — completely unaware that Daniel had already slipped into bed beside her.

"Who isn’t?"

The sudden voice nearly made her jump out of her skin. Her head snapped toward him, eyes wide in shock.

Daniel’s dark gaze met hers — calm on the surface, but shadowed with curiosity. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he tilted his head ever so slightly.

"Who are you talking about?" he asked again, his tone deceptively casual.

Anna froze, her brain short-circuiting for a second before she panicked and shoved her phone to the side like a guilty teenager.

"N–Nobody!" she blurted out, her voice a pitch too high.

The smile vanished from Daniel’s lips, replaced by a slow, unreadable expression that made her pulse skip.

’Why would you even say that?’ she scolded herself silently, her heart thudding in embarrassment. It’s not like you’re not allowed to check your phone.

But the realization came far too late — the word was already out, and Daniel’s piercing stare told her he’d caught every flustered second of it.

"Let me see," Daniel said, reaching out to grab her phone.

But Anna quickly pulled it away, shoving him back before he could touch it."What—no!" she protested, clutching the phone like it was a lifeline.

Daniel froze, lips pressing into a thin line. He didn’t push again, but the uneasiness twisting in his chest refused to settle.

Why so defensive, Anna?

His thoughts spiraled faster than he’d like to admit.What if it’s Ethan? he wondered grimly. Shawn’s out of the picture now that he’s set his sights on Betty, but Ethan...

The idea alone made his jaw tighten.

Still, part of him couldn’t dismiss the truth he already knew and that Shawn helping Anna to trace Kathrine. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

A man with a talent for vanishing in plain sight. A sworn hacker who’d been helping Anna from the shadows and yet he doubted him.

Daniel had found out about him weeks ago — thanks to Henry, whose informers had been quietly tracing every digital thread connected to Anna.

And though Daniel told himself it was just precaution, he couldn’t deny the flicker of jealousy now igniting in his gut.Luckily everything was settle, but Ethan..good how can I get rid of him.

Anna watched him quietly for a moment, her brows knitting. His behavior was... strange. Restless, even. Then, as she studied him, something clicked — Kevin’s words echoed in her mind.

How did I forget that?

She was about to confront Daniel right then, to ask why he seemed so uneasy, but she stopped herself. If Kevin was involved in any of this, she didn’t want him dragged into Daniel’s line of fire. Still, that didn’t mean she was going to let Daniel’s suspicion slide so easily.

"Do you really want to know who I was talking about?" she asked suddenly, her voice calm but laced with challenge.

Daniel’s head lifted, his eyes narrowing just slightly. There — that flicker. That unmistakable jealous glint in his gaze.

"I—If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to—" he began, trying to sound indifferent.

But Anna cut him off, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"DarkKnight_07," she said, watching his expression darken just as she expected. "He said he wants to be friends with me."