Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 506: Kathrine isn’t a business asset

Kathrine didn’t miss the faint glint in her eyes.

"I hope everything is well with him," Norma continued.

Kathrine straightened slightly.

"He’s recovering," she said evenly. "The doctors are optimistic."

"That’s reassuring," Norma replied, though her expression suggested otherwise. "A weakened patriarch tends to create instability in a corporation."

"Our corporation is stable," Kathrine said firmly.

Norma set the paperweight back down with a soft click.

"For now," she said.

Silence stretched between them.

"If you’re concerned about leadership," Kathrine continued, her voice steady, "you’re welcome to review our quarterly performance. We’ve exceeded projections."

"Oh, I’m not questioning your numbers," Norma replied. "I’m questioning timing."

"Timing of what?"

"Transitions," Norma said smoothly. "When a powerful man falters, others begin circling."

Kathrine’s gaze sharpened.

"Are you circling, Madam?" she asked quietly.

Norma smiled again, this time slower.

"I don’t circle," she replied. "I wait."

The message was clear.

If Hugo weakened further, if cracks appeared, Norma would not hesitate.

Kathrine stepped around her desk, closing the physical distance between them just enough to make a statement.

"Then you may wait comfortably," she said. "Because Bennett Enterprise isn’t collapsing."

Norma studied her for a long moment.

"You have your father’s resilience," she observed.

"I have my own," Kathrine corrected.

A flicker of approval passed through Norma’s eyes before it disappeared.

"See that you maintain it," she said finally. "Because the world is far less forgiving to daughters."

With that, she turned toward the door.

Before leaving, she paused.

"Oh, and Miss Kathrine," she added without looking back, "make sure Hugo doesn’t attempt any... emotional decisions during recovery."

Kathrine’s expression hardened.

"He won’t."

Norma nodded once and exited.

The door closed softly behind her.

Kathrine remained standing for several seconds.

Norma hadn’t just come to warn her.

She had come to remind her that vulnerability— Was always watched.

Kathrine let out a long breath and closed her eyes, pressing her fingers lightly against her temple.

For a moment, she allowed herself to release the tension Norma had left behind.

Just for a moment.

But then a thought surfaced, sharp and unwelcome.

Her eyes opened immediately.

Ethan.

Her expression tightened.

"Should I check on Ethan?" Kathrine muttered, her fingers hovering over her phone.

For a second, she was ready to call him again.

But she stopped.

"Maybe I shouldn’t," she said softly to herself.

If he was at his father’s place after so long, the last thing he needed was her interrupting that moment. Whether it was reconciliation or confrontation, it was something he had to face on his own terms.

She inhaled slowly.

Stay positive.

Not every call meant disaster.

Not every silence meant something had gone wrong.

With that thought, she placed her phone back on the desk and straightened her posture. There were contracts waiting for review. Emails demanding replies. Investors expecting assurance.

Work was safer than worry.

And so she buried herself in it.

***

Meanwhile, Ethan sat across from his father.

The room smelled faintly of polished wood and strong tea. The house hadn’t changed much over the years. Still grand. Still rigid. Still suffocating in its quiet authority.

His father sat comfortably in his armchair, porcelain cup in hand, steam rising lazily from the rim. He took his time with every sip, as if silence itself was a form of control.

Ethan watched him without speaking.

"So," his father finally said, placing the cup back onto its saucer with deliberate precision, "you came."

"You asked," Ethan replied evenly.

A faint hum escaped the older man. "I didn’t ask. I summoned."

Ethan’s expression didn’t shift, though his jaw tightened slightly.

"Is there a difference?" he asked calmly.

"There is," his father said, leaning back. "A son responds to a summons. A stranger responds to a request."

The implication hung between them.

Ethan crossed one leg over the other, posture relaxed but guarded.

"You didn’t call me here to discuss semantics," he said. "What do you want?"

His father studied him carefully.

"You’ve grown," he remarked. "More controlled."

"I’ve had practice."

Marcus studied his son for a few seconds.

The last time they had met, Ethan had left furious, the tension between them nearly explosive. But now, he seemed composed. Controlled. Almost indifferent.

"I heard your mother approved your relationship with Kathrine," Marcus said casually, though his eyes were sharp.

Ethan’s gaze flickered at the mention of her name.

"I never needed her approval in the first place," Ethan replied evenly. "But if you believe she did, then yes, I’m glad."

Marcus leaned back slightly.

"Then you must also know," he continued, "that the girl is of little use now that her father has lost most of his business influence. Do you still believe she’s suitable to be our daughter-in-law?"

Ethan let out a soft chuckle.

"And when have I ever agreed with you, Dad?" he asked calmly. "Just because we share blood doesn’t mean I think like you."

Marcus’s lips twitched. His brows knitted together as irritation seeped through his restraint.

"You are still my son," he said sharply. "And as my son, you should obey me."

Ethan’s expression didn’t change.

"You wish," he replied. "I’ve never obeyed you. I’ve respected you because you’re my father. But if you think you can control my life, then I need to remind you that you lost that right a long time ago."

The air between them tightened.

The day Ethan moved out of this house had been deliberate. He had walked away from Marcus’s empire, from the expectations, from the suffocating belief that inheritance equaled destiny. He built his own name, refusing to remain tethered to his father’s shadow.

Marcus scoffed. "Stephane seems to have brainwashed you."

Ethan’s eyes hardened.

"She never did," he said firmly. "It was me who started seeing things clearly."

Marcus’s face darkened.

Despite the divorce, despite years of separation, he still believed Stephane had been the reason Ethan drifted away. In his mind, she had planted rebellion. She had encouraged independence. She had turned their son against him.

Marcus had always seen legacy as obligation. Ethan was his only son. The empire was his birthright. Responsibility was not optional.

But when Ethan chose his own path, Marcus refused to accept that it was a conscious decision.

He convinced himself it was manipulation.

After all, Stephane had done the same thing years ago.

She had walked away when she realized they were no longer compatible. When the love they once shared had faded into strategy and pride.

"She left because she couldn’t understand ambition," Marcus said coldly.

"No," Ethan corrected. "She left because she understood herself."

Marcus’s jaw tightened.

"You’re making the same mistake she did," he warned.

Ethan stood slowly.

"If choosing my own life is a mistake," he replied calmly, "then I’m prepared to live with it."

He paused, meeting his father’s gaze directly.

"And Kathrine isn’t a business asset. She’s the woman I love."

Marcus said nothing.

But the silence between them was no longer about authority.