Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 531: Can someone be so cruel

"Strange?" he whispered harshly. "Madam, do you know how long it took me to put that on? I watched three tutorials!"

Anna crossed her arms, unimpressed.

"It was crooked."

Henry’s shoulders dropped in defeat.

"I knew it," he muttered miserably. "I told them the glue was cheap."

Anna shook her head, half amused, half exasperated.

"Seriously, Henry?" she whispered. "You’re spying on me now?"

Henry straightened immediately, trying to recover whatever dignity he had left.

"I prefer the term monitoring," he said defensively. "Monitoring sounds professional."

Anna raised an eyebrow.

"You were hiding behind a plant."

"It was a very large plant," he argued weakly.

She stared at him.

He sighed.

"Okay, fine. I was hiding behind a plant."

Anna pinched the bridge of her nose, trying not to laugh.

"And the beard?"

Henry hesitated.

"...Creative disguise?"

Anna held up the fake beard.

"This looks like it came from a Halloween costume."

Henry looked genuinely hurt.

"It was the premium version."

She gave him a flat look.

He quickly lowered his voice again.

"Boss told me to make sure you were safe," he admitted quietly.

Anna paused.

The humor faded slightly, replaced by understanding.

Of course.

Daniel.

She should have known.

She exhaled softly, shaking her head.

"You could have just told me," she said.

Henry blinked.

"And ruin my undercover mission?"

Anna gave him a look.

"You lost your cover the moment I touched your beard."

Henry frowned.

"...That was supposed to stay on longer."

Anna finally allowed a small smile to appear.

"Next time," she said dryly, "try a better glue."

Henry nodded seriously.

"Noted."

"Now go," Anna said quietly. "Before my mother comes looking for me."

She did not wait for Henry’s reply.

She simply turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, still holding the fake beard in one hand and what remained of his dignity in the other.

Henry sighed miserably and began peeling off the rest of his ridiculous disguise.

Meanwhile, Anna returned to the table, her expression calm and unreadable, as if nothing had happened.

Roseline, however, noticed the change immediately.

Her eyes narrowed slightly with curiosity.

"What took you so long?" she asked.

Anna did not answer right away. Instead, she reached for her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"I have to leave," she said.

Roseline blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"So soon?" she asked, standing up as well. "But we haven’t talked much."

Confusion and unease flickered across her face. This was not how she had planned the meeting to end. She had expected resistance, perhaps anger, but not this sudden withdrawal.

Anna paused.

She looked at her mother, her gaze steady but distant.

"I heard what I needed to hear," Anna said truthfully. "Now I need time to process it."

Roseline’s lips parted slightly.

This was not the reaction she wanted.

This was not control.

"There is something more I wanted you to know," Roseline said quickly, stepping closer to her.

Anna frowned faintly but did not step back.

"It’s about Daniel."

The moment his name left her lips, Anna’s expression darkened.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her bag.

She said nothing.

She simply waited.

Roseline watched her carefully, choosing her words with precision.

"I don’t think he is someone you should be with," Roseline said softly. "Not after what he did... to us. To Hugo."

Anna’s eyes hardened.

There it was.

The real reason behind this meeting.

***

Outside the restaurant, a black car waited quietly along the curb.

Inside, Daniel sat in the driver’s seat, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed on the restaurant entrance.

Beside him, Henry struggled to remove the remains of his disguise.

"I told you, boss," Henry whispered in frustration as he peeled off the fake mustache. "This was never going to work. Madam is way sharper than we expected. She caught me in no time."

He held up the beard miserably.

"I even used premium glue."

Daniel did not respond.

He did not look at Henry.

His eyes remained fixed on the entrance.

Waiting.

Watching.

Time passed slowly.

Too slowly.

Every minute Anna spent inside that restaurant tightened something inside his chest.

He trusted her.

He did.

But he did not trust Roseline.

Not her words. Not her intentions. Not her presence.

Roseline was dangerous in ways most people did not understand.

She did not need weapons.

Her words alone were enough.

Henry glanced at Daniel carefully.

"Boss... she’ll be fine," he said quietly.

Still, Daniel said nothing.

His jaw tightened slightly.

If Anna had not assured him she would be fine... he would have already gone inside.

He would have dragged her out himself.

He would not have allowed her to sit across from the woman who had caused her so much pain.

The thought of Anna sharing the same space as Roseline filled him with quiet, controlled anger.

But he restrained himself.

Because Anna had asked him to.

And he would never deny her that choice.

Still, as he watched the restaurant doors, waiting for her to appear...

His patience was wearing thin.

Every second felt longer than the last, his eyes never leaving the restaurant entrance. His hand clasp on one another, unmoving, but the tension in his posture betrayed him.

And then he saw her.

Anna stepped out of the restaurant.

The moment his eyes found her, something inside him eased.

It was subtle. Almost unnoticeable.

But it was there.

She looked calm. Composed. Unharmed.

It was as if she had already known he would be there.

Without hesitation, Anna walked straight toward the car and opened the door, sliding into the passenger seat beside him.

She did not look surprised.

She did not question his presence.

She simply settled into her seat and closed the door.

Henry, who sat in the front seat, glanced at Daniel through the rearview mirror.

Daniel gave him a small signal.

Henry understood immediately.

"I’ll bring madam’s car," Henry said quickly, stepping out before either of them could stop him.

He closed the door behind him, leaving the two of them alone.

The silence inside the car was palpable.

Heavy.

Unspoken.

Daniel waited.

He expected her to speak first.

She didn’t.

Anna simply looked ahead, her expression calm but distant.

Daniel exhaled quietly.

"I’m sorry for sending Henry," he said finally, breaking the silence.

Anna turned her head slowly and shot him a sharp look.

One that clearly said she knew exactly what he was doing.

Daniel cleared his throat and adjusted his coat, trying to maintain his composure.

"Despite knowing how bad he can be at disguises," he added.

Anna raised an eyebrow.

Daniel continued, his voice calm and entirely unapologetic.

"He said he would manage it fine," he said. "He just failed to realize that you can see through anyone."

Anna stared at him in disbelief.

He had sacrificed Henry without hesitation.

Thrown him under the bus without a second thought.

Just to save himself from being lectured.

She knew exactly how this had happened.

Henry would never have come on his own.

Daniel had sent him.

Ordered him.

And now he was pretending to be an innocent bystander.

Anna shook her head slowly.

Unbelievable.

Her lips pressed together as she looked away, trying not to smile at the absurdity of it.

’Poor Henry,’ she thought. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

At that exact moment, several streets away, Henry—who was driving Anna’s car back—suddenly sneezed.

"Ah—choo!"

He blinked in confusion, rubbing his nose.

"...Why do I feel like I’ve been betrayed?" he muttered to himself.

Back inside Daniel’s car, the silence softened slightly.

Daniel glanced at Anna carefully.

"You’re not angry?" he asked quietly.

Anna turned her head and looked at him.

There was no anger in her eyes.

Only something far more complicated.

"No," she said simply.

Daniel studied her expression.

But he could tell.

Something had changed.

"Are you upset?"

Daniel could not help but ask.

The question came out quieter than he intended, careful, as if he feared pushing her too far.

Anna did not answer immediately.

She leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes, her head resting against the headrest as she exhaled slowly.

"Just... need some time," she said softly.

Her voice was not angry.

It was tired.

Daniel watched her for a moment, studying the faint tension in her face and the way her fingers rested loosely in her lap, as though she were holding herself together through sheer will.

He wanted to ask what Roseline had said.

He wanted to know if she had hurt her again.

He wanted to fix whatever had broken inside her.

But he didn’t.

Because he knew Anna.

She would speak when she was ready.

And until then, pushing her would only drive her further into silence.

When they finally reached home, Daniel signaled the driver with a quiet glance.

Understanding immediately, the driver stepped out of the car and walked away, giving them the privacy they needed.

The door closed softly behind him, leaving only the two of them inside the quiet stillness of the vehicle.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Anna remained leaning back against the seat, her eyes closed, her breathing steady but heavy with thoughts she could not silence.

Then, slowly, she spoke.

"Can someone be so cruel," she whispered, "that they wouldn’t even hesitate to harm their own child?"