Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 539: Just what in the world

Another pause followed, but this one felt different. ’Lighter.’

"He wouldn’t agree to something he didn’t believe in," Ethan said quietly.

She frowned slightly. "You sound like you expected this."

Ethan let out a faint breath, almost like a soft laugh.

"I didn’t expect it," he said. "But I hoped for it."

Kathrine stared ahead, her fingers tightening slightly around the phone.

Your father agreed to work with me.

The words still felt unreal.

"I don’t understand him," she whispered.

"You don’t have to," Ethan replied gently. "He is not an easy man to understand."

Kathrine closed her eyes briefly.

For the first time, Marcus no longer felt like an immovable wall.

He felt human.

Complicated.

Unpredictable.

And perhaps... not entirely against her anymore.

"I still don’t trust it completely," she admitted.

"You don’t need to trust it," Ethan said. "Just trust yourself."

His words settled inside her, steadying her racing thoughts.

Kathrine opened her eyes again, her reflection staring back at her faintly through the windshield.

Whatever had changed today, one thing remained the same.

She had earned it.

Not because of Ethan.

Not because of Hugo.

But because of herself.

While Kathrine was still trying to process her unexpected victory, Norma was drowning in fury.

She stood near the large window of her study, her fingers gripping her phone tightly as she stared outside without truly seeing anything. Her jaw was clenched, her expression darkened by disbelief.

She had been certain of the outcome.

Certain that Marcus would reject Kathrine.

After all, he had never approved of her relationship with Ethan. He had never hidden his disapproval. Norma had relied on that resentment, confident that his personal feelings would outweigh any professional consideration.

But she had been wrong.

Marcus had not only listened to Kathrine.

He had signed the deal with her.

The memory alone made Norma’s stomach twist with anger.

"How could he?" she muttered under her breath, her voice laced with bitterness.

This was not supposed to happen.

Kathrine was supposed to fail. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She was supposed to walk out humiliated, reminded of her place. Instead, she had walked out victorious, earning something Norma had worked far longer to achieve.

It was unacceptable.

Norma’s fingers tightened around her phone as her mind raced, searching for an explanation. Marcus was not a man who made impulsive decisions. If he had agreed, it meant he had seen value in Kathrine.

And that thought infuriated her even more.

Because it meant Kathrine was no longer someone easily dismissed.

Norma inhaled slowly, forcing herself to calm down.

Anger alone would not solve anything.

She needed strategy.

Careful.

Precise.

Her eyes hardened as an idea began to take shape in her mind.

If Marcus respected Kathrine professionally, then attacking her directly would be useless. It would only make Norma look weak.

No.

She needed to destroy Kathrine’s credibility.

She needed Marcus to question his decision.

And she knew exactly how to do it.

Norma scrolled through her contacts and stopped at a particular number. A faint, cold smile formed on her lips before she pressed the dial.

The line rang twice before the call was answered.

***

Meanwhile, back at the Bennett House, Roseline could not hide her delight.

Anna was slowly falling into her trap, just as she had planned. The small changes in Anna’s behavior, her softer tone, her willingness to listen, all of it reassured Roseline that her efforts were finally bearing fruit.

Hope stirred inside her.

Soon, everything would fall into place.

"You seem to be happy today. Did something happen?"

Hugo’s voice suddenly broke through her thoughts.

Roseline’s smile faltered instantly.

She blinked, startled, unaware of when he had entered the room. Her fingers instinctively tightened over the fabric of her dress as she turned to face him.

Ever since their last confrontation, Hugo had asked her to move into a separate room. The message had been clear. He wanted distance. His coldness had not only wounded her pride but also reminded her how fragile her position had become.

That was why seeing him standing here now, inside her room, filled her with caution rather than comfort.

"N-No," she said quickly, forcing her voice to remain steady. "It’s just... a good day, that’s all."

She hesitated briefly before asking, "Do you need anything?"

Hugo looked at her quietly.

His expression was calm, almost unreadable, but there was something in his eyes she could not fully grasp. Something that made her uneasy.

"Do I need a reason to see my wife?" he asked.

His voice was gentle, but the words carried weight.

Roseline did not respond immediately. She simply watched him as he began walking toward her, each step slow and deliberate.

Her heart began to pound.

This was not the Hugo she had seen in recent days.

This was not the cold, distant man who had turned his back on her.

She stood still as he stopped in front of her.

Her eyes searched his face, trying to understand the faint smile resting on his lips. It did not reach his eyes completely, and that alone made her wary.

Then, unexpectedly, he reached for her hand.

Roseline stiffened as his fingers wrapped around hers.

The contact was warm.

Familiar.

And deeply unsettling.

"I know I have not treated you well," Hugo said quietly.

Roseline’s breath caught.

His thumb brushed lightly against her hand as he continued, "Everything that happened... it affected me more than I expected. I let my thoughts consume me. I let my anger control me."

He paused, slowly lifting his gaze to meet hers.

"And I took it out on you."

His voice softened.

"But now that I think about it, I realize something."

He stretched his smile slightly, holding her hand more firmly.

"You have never left my side."

Roseline stared at him, stunned.

This was not what she had expected.

Not from him.

Not now.

For a brief moment, confusion replaced her caution.

"I’m sorry, Roseline," he said abruptly, pulling her into a warm hug that completely threw Roseline off guard.

’Just what in the world...’ She couldn’t finish her thought because her confusion outweighed her shock.