Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 270: You’ve changed so much

Pak!

The sound of the slap cracked through the living hall, sharp and unforgiving, freezing Ester and every servant mid-task. No one breathed. No one moved.

It was the first time Fredrick had ever raised his hand against Fiona, and the sting of it seemed to echo far beyond her burning cheek.

"Who told you to bring reporters onto a film set?" Fredrick roared. "Do you even understand what you’ve done, Fiona? You’ve made me lose face. You’ve driven away my investors. Your stupidity has cost me future alliances."

His voice thundered through the room, leaving everyone trembling in its wake.

Even Ester, standing only a short distance away, couldn’t bring herself to intervene. Deep down, she knew Fiona had crossed a line she never should have touched.

Fiona shook where she stood, her lips quivering as his words struck harder than the slap. Tears burned her eyes as she turned to face him.

"I—I only wanted to—"

"You wanted what?" Fredrick snapped. "You foolish girl. Do you even realize that Daniel has withdrawn from every future venture with us? And those who once backed us are now questioning whether they should work with us at all."

The blow had landed the moment Fredrick stepped foot into his company that morning. Deals had stalled. Doors had closed. Conversations ended the second his name surfaced.

And it was all because his brainless daughter had decided to expose information he himself had buried the moment the restrictions surrounding Hugo were put in place. By dragging the media into it, she hadn’t just violated those terms.

She had openly offended Daniel by parading them onto his set.

And for a man like Daniel, that was unforgivable.

"How am I supposed to revive everything now, you useless girl?" Fredrick snapped, his hand lifting again as he moved to strike her once more.

This time, Ester stepped forward.

"Fredrick, please," she pleaded, placing herself between them. "She only wanted to help. Nothing more."

Her voice faltered under his furious glare, her courage shrinking as fear gripped her entire body.

Fredrick said nothing. He simply glared at both of them, his rage simmering, before turning on his heel and storming away.

Fiona collapsed into her mother’s arms, her body shaking. But after a moment, Ester gently pulled her away, her own expression clouded with frustration and worry.

"Why would you do something like that, Fiona?" she asked. "Why didn’t you ask your father before taking such a step?"

Fiona’s brows knitted together as the words sank in. Even her mother was blaming her now.

"You think this is my fault?" Fiona snapped, her voice rising. "Didn’t you see him raise his hand at me, Mom? At his own daughter?"

Her eyes burned with raw fury. "Is that how I’m supposed to be treated just to make him proud?"

Her cheek still throbbed where his hand had struck, the pain sharp enough to make her want to lash out, to destroy everything in her path.

Ester reached for her again, her voice softening, desperate. "Fiona, please, calm down," she said. "I know you’re hurt, but this isn’t the way. Your father is angry, not thinking clearly. Give him time."

Fiona let out a harsh laugh, pulling her hand away. "Time?" she echoed bitterly. "So I’m just supposed to stand here and wait until he decides I’m worth treating like a human being?"

"Fiona," Ester called, alarm creeping into her tone, "don’t go like this."

But Fiona was already shaking her head, tears streaking down her face as rage hardened her features. "I am done being everyone’s mistake," she said, her voice trembling with fury.

She turned and stormed toward the door.

"Fiona!" Ester cried after her, taking a step forward.

The door slammed shut behind her with a force that echoed through the house, leaving Ester standing alone in the suffocating silence.

***

Meanwhile, Fiona never returned to the set and postponed her shoot for the day, forcing the crew to make last minute changes to scenes and schedules. The disruption rippled through the production, but no one questioned the decision aloud.

Anna, on the other hand, continued working as usual, seemingly untouched by the chaos of the morning. In fact, the absence of Fiona and her constant interference brought her an unexpected sense of relief. She felt lighter, more focused, even more energized as the day went on.

"Oh," Anna murmured, her eyes widening slightly. "What is my sister doing here?"

Her surprise only deepened when she noticed the man walking beside Kathrine.

Ethan.

The shock lingered as she watched them talk, the ease and familiarity between them obvious. Ethan looked relaxed. Kathrine looked uncharacteristically amused.

"I will take my leave," Ethan said politely, offering Anna a friendly nod before walking away and leaving the two sisters alone.

Anna blinked after him, then turned back to Kathrine. She rubbed her eyes carefully, making sure not to smudge her makeup.

"Am I hallucinating," she asked, "or do you two suddenly look very close?"

Kathrine merely rolled her eyes at her reaction.

"For once, can you stop being dramatic?" Kathrine said, and Anna responded by pursing her lips before leading the way into her room.

They settled onto opposite ends of the couch, Kathrine casually scanning the space as if she were inspecting it, her gaze lingering on small details.

"I assume you didn’t come all the way here just to see me," Anna said, breaking the silence and drawing Kathrine’s attention back to her.

Kathrine leaned against the backrest, resting her head on her knuckles with one leg crossed over the other as she studied Anna’s doubtful expression.

"I found out what Fiona was trying to do," she said calmly.

Anna arched a brow, a hint of amusement flickering across her face, before she nodded.

"I am used to it," she replied. "But this time, she definitely underestimated the situation."

Kathrine nodded, thoughtful, but her silence only deepened Anna’s suspicion.

"But I know this isn’t the only reason you’re here," Anna pressed. "You wouldn’t come all this way just to talk about Fiona."

Kathrine studied her sister more carefully then, really looking at her. And suddenly, it struck her. This wasn’t the Anna she remembered.

The timid posture was gone. The constant hesitation had vanished. In its place stood a woman who carried herself with quiet confidence, her gaze steady, her presence unyielding.

"You’ve changed so much, Anna," Kathrine said softly. "Sometimes I wonder if this is even the same person I grew up with."

The words hung between them, unspoken emotions filling the silence.