Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 302: I plan to date you

"Achoo!"

Inside the Donut Cafe, Ethan sneezed loudly, blinking in mild confusion as he wondered if someone, somewhere, was talking about him. His thought was cut short when a tissue was suddenly waved right in front of his face.

"Someone seems to be missing you," Katrine said lightly, holding it out to him with a forced smile.

Ethan took the tissue, dabbing at his nose with a thoughtful look. "Is that so?" he asked. "Should I be concerned?"

He had been looking forward to breakfast with her, yet the moment she arrived, something felt different. The ease from the night before was there, but so was an unfamiliar tension.

He studied her for a second before speaking again. "You are not angry with me, are you? I mean, if you do not want to be here, you can always—"

"No," Katrine interrupted quickly. "I want to be here. With you."

The words came out easily.

The rest, however, stayed locked in her mind.

But I also do not want to admit how my heart races around you while I pretend it does not matter.

She looked at him then, catching his slightly puzzled expression, and felt that restless flutter stir again. After the cliff, after waking up in his car with her head resting on his arm, something inside her had shifted. And it refused to settle.

"Okay..." Ethan said slowly, accepting her answer, though his eyes lingered on her face a second longer than necessary.

Deep down, he knew she was acting a little strange. He just did not know why. Maybe it was because of the morning. Maybe it was because of his teasing about her making him spend the entire night in the car while her guards stared him down like he was a criminal.

The thought made him smile faintly.

He had only been joking. Yet even he found it strange how easily he had stayed. How naturally he had guarded her sleep without a second thought.

Ethan had never been the type to care. Not about people. Not about the women who had tried endlessly to capture his attention. He had always lost interest just as quickly as it was offered.

So why was it different now?

Why did this woman, whom he barely knew, feel like someone he could sit with for hours without getting bored?

He leaned back slightly, his eyes still fixed on her as a playful glint returned to them.

"But that does not mean breakfast is enough," he said casually, watching her expression change.

Katrine frowned at once. "What do you mean?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice. "Do not tell me you are one of those people who expects a woman to pay all his bills."

Ethan blinked, then laughed. "Wow. That escalated quickly."

"I am serious," she said, clearly unsure of what he was trying to pull.

"I sacrificed my arm for you," he continued dramatically, "and almost my dignity. One breakfast hardly compensates for that."

She studied him closely, her brows still drawn together, until she realized something. The teasing edge in his voice. The way he was watching her reaction far too intently.

The crease between her brows eased, replaced by curiosity.

"You are enjoying this," she accused.

"Maybe a little," he admitted with a grin.

But her amusement faded just slightly, guilt creeping in instead. The image of him sitting in the car all night, her head resting on his arm, came rushing back. If she had not called him, he would not have been put in that position. None of this awkwardness would exist.

"I did not mean to make things difficult for you," she said quietly. "If I had known I would fall asleep, I would not have called."

Ethan’s teasing softened instantly.

"Katrine," he said gently, leaning forward, "I was not forced. I stayed because I wanted to."

Her eyes lifted to his, searching.

"And if I am being honest," he added lightly, the playful tone returning just enough, "I am just saying you owe me another meeting. Breakfast was only the beginning."

Katrine’s breath nearly caught in her throat as she tried to process Ethan’s words. She had thought him difficult, perhaps even arrogant, but watching him speak so effortlessly, with words that slipped past her defenses and sent her heartbeat skipping, made her wonder if he was always this dangerously charming.

Warmth rushed to her cheeks before she could stop it. She looked down quickly, hiding the shyness his words had stirred in her.

Ethan noticed.

The faint tint spreading across her face did not escape him, and the corner of his lips curved upward, pleased.

"By the way," he said casually, as if he were sharing the weather, "I rejected Bianca."

Katrine’s head snapped up. "You did?" Her lips parted slightly before she caught herself. "And... what about your mother? Was she happy?"

The question slipped out before she could stop it, and she was not entirely sure why it mattered to her. Bianca was her friend, after all, and she already had a boyfriend. Yet the thought of Ethan being pushed into that match had bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

"No," Ethan replied easily. "She was not. But there is not much she can do about it." He shrugged, completely unbothered.

The calm certainty in his voice eased something tight in Katrine’s chest.

She knew Ethan had little interest in the blind date from the start, but she could not ignore the fact that both their mothers had been determined to make it work. Hearing him say this, so simply, shifted something inside her.

"That is good to hear," she said honestly. "It would have been... complicated if you two had gotten married."

Ethan nodded, understanding the unspoken meaning behind her words. Then he leaned forward slightly, resting one hand on the table, his gaze locking onto hers with intent.

"But she has not given up," he added quietly. "She still wants me to date. And get married."

The words lingered between them, heavier than they should have been, as Ethan held her gaze a moment longer than necessary, waiting to see how she would react.

Katrine blinked, uncertainty washing over her features. "And... what do you plan to do about that?" she asked softly, almost hesitant, as if afraid her curiosity might sound foolish.

She wanted to know. Needed to know. Whether he would eventually give in to blind dates if his mother pushed hard enough.

Ethan caught the caution in her eyes immediately. The way she tried to appear unaffected, the way her fingers curled slightly against the table. A faint smile touched his lips.

"I plan to date," he said lightly. "Just enough to make her stop forcing me into it."

Katrine nodded slowly, though something inside her sank before she could stop it.

Then he paused.

And when he spoke again, the teasing ease was gone.

"I plan to date you, Katrine."

The world seemed to still.

Her breath stalled, the noise of the cafe fading into nothing but a distant hum. She stared at him, unsure if she had heard him right, her lips parting but no words coming out.

Ethan held her gaze steadily, his expression serious now, stripped of humor.

"So, will you help me with it?" he asked, while Kathrine was still processing everything.

***

It had been a while since Daniel dropped Anna off at the set, yet his revelation refused to leave her mind.

Someone had been watching her. Monitoring her every move. And she had not even noticed.

Her expression darkened as fragments of memory began falling into place. The man on set. The way he lingered longer than necessary. The casual questions that now felt anything but casual. She remembered the day he had suddenly asked for a photo, smiling as if it were harmless.

She had hesitated.

Yet she had still agreed.

Anna’s fingers curled slowly. At the time, she had brushed it off as nothing more than a fan moment. Now it made her stomach churn.

"Is that why Mom came to meet me on set and warned me to be careful?" she murmured.

She had found it strange back then. Her mother never visited shoots unannounced. And when she had come, she barely behaved like a concerned parent. Instead of fussing over Anna, her eyes had kept scanning the surroundings, as if she were looking for something. Or someone.

Realization struck her hard.

Was she there because of him?

The thought hit her like a jackpot, sending a jolt of unease through her chest.

Anna froze for a second, then moved quickly. She grabbed her phone from the side table, fingers flying across the screen as urgency replaced hesitation.

Without thinking twice, she typed out a message to Katrine and waited for her reply.

Whatever her mother was hiding, and whoever this guy Rupert was, Anna was now determined to discover their connection in any way she could.

Ding...

The phone blinked as the message came along with the thing she asked for.