Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 294: The strangest late-night coffee invitation
Anna could not believe what she was hearing. The words she had been starving for in her first life had finally found her in her second, and even though Daniel had been painfully clear, her mind struggled to accept it.
She studied him in silence, his confession echoing over and over, sinking deeper into her heart with every breath she took. It felt unreal, like something she had once prayed for and then buried with her past.
"Say it again," she whispered.
Daniel leaned closer, brushing his lips against her cheek before speaking, his voice steady and full of emotion he no longer tried to restrain.
"I love you."
This time he said it with everything he carried inside him.
Daniel had known something was wrong with him long before this moment. The dreams that haunted him night after night were not random. Every time he woke from them, regret clung to him like a shadow, as though he had made a terrible mistake once and his soul had never forgiven him for it.
Now he understood why those dreams refused to let him rest. Anna’s drunken words had not been meaningless rambling. They were memories of a life she had lived and lost. A life where she had loved him and been left unseen.
And now he was ready to uncover every truth behind those dreams, no matter how painful, because he refused to lose her again.
"So you mean no one will ever come between us?" Anna asked softly, needing reassurance despite the certainty in his voice. Memories of Katrine from her past life still lingered like a bruise that had never fully healed. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
"No," Daniel said without hesitation. He lifted her chin gently, forcing her to meet his eyes. "No one will ever come between us, wifey."
The word shattered something fragile inside her. The tears she had been holding back finally slipped free, trailing down her cheeks.
The insecurity she had carried from her past life loosened its grip, and for the first time she felt the weight of neglect and rejection begin to fade. She was no longer the woman standing in the shadows, waiting to be chosen.
She had given Daniel another chance because she believed he was still the same man from her past life.
But his actions had changed. And in doing so, her life had changed as well. So much that she often wondered whether she had lived wrongly before or if she had been brought back simply to see the truth she had once been denied.
And now she understood. Things were different this time.
And so was he.
***
Letting out a shaky breath, Katrine swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. Sleep had become a distant thing, something she chased but never caught.
No matter how many times she told herself it was only a dream and nothing more, her body refused to believe it. The images clung to her, vivid and relentless, leaving her wide awake once again.
She reached for her phone and walked toward the balcony, the cool night air brushing against her skin as she stepped outside. The city lay quiet below, lights flickering softly in the distance, but her mind remained restless.
Her gaze lingered on the screen, her thumb hovering over a familiar name. Doubt twisted in her chest as she debated whether she should reach out at all. What would she even say? And more importantly, would he answer?
After a long moment of hesitation, she made her decision.
Katrine pressed the call button and lifted the phone to her ear, her heart pounding as she waited for the line to connect.
A few rings passed, and doubt rushed in. Panic flared as Katrine quickly moved to end the call, but it was already too late.
The line connected.
"What happened? Could not sleep?" Ethan’s voice came through, calm yet alert.
He had been reading through a script when his phone rang, and the moment he saw her name on the screen, he did not hesitate to answer.
Katrine parted her lips, but embarrassment washed over her before any words could form. She did not even know why she had reached out to him. Instinct, perhaps. Or desperation. Now that he had answered, her voice felt trapped somewhere deep in her chest.
Silence followed.
Ethan waited for a moment before exhaling softly. "Okay... so now you call me at this hour and decide not to talk?"
He leaned back against his L shaped couch, stretching his legs out in front of him, his free hand rubbing tiredly at his face. There was no irritation in his voice, only confusion laced with concern.
"I was not expecting you to call unless something was wrong," he continued more gently. "And now this silence... I do not know what to make of it."
Katrine tightened her grip on the phone, her heartbeat loud in her ears. She could hear the patience in his breathing, the way he was waiting without pushing her, and it only made the words harder to say.
"I... I am sorry," she finally whispered. "I just... I did not know who else to call."
Ethan straightened slightly, his expression unseen but his attention was fully hers now.
"Then you did the right thing," he said quietly. "Take your time. I am listening."
The knot in her chest loosened just a little, his steady presence anchoring her in a night that refused to let her rest.
***
[Thirty minutes later]
"So you were craving coffee at this hour," Ethan said, casting her a sideways look, disbelief written all over his face, "and that too on top of a cliff?"
They stepped out of the car together, each holding a cup of coffee, the night air cool against their skin. The headlights illuminated the edge of the road as the vast darkness beyond the cliff stretched endlessly before them.
Katrine walked ahead toward the bonnet, her grip tight around the warm cup, as though it were the only thing keeping her grounded. Ethan followed, still shaking his head in quiet disbelief as he joined her, resting against the car.
"This might officially be the strangest late-night coffee invitation I have ever received," he added, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.
The wind carried the scent of the ocean below, and for a moment, the silence between them felt less heavy than it had thirty minutes ago.
