Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 309: You appreciate chaos

"And here I thought he was playing it safe," Ethan muttered, only to notice Anna frowning even deeper.

"Then you must know it wasn’t my fault in the first place. I did call you, but your husband answered," he added casually.

The moment the word husband left his mouth, Anna’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"What happened? You don’t remember having one?" Ethan joked at her reaction, wondering if she was still under the impression that he would never find out.

Back then, when Daniel had confronted Ethan for calling Anna late at night, Ethan had still assumed they were together. But when he mentioned the man who had been stalking her, Daniel had no choice but to reveal the truth about their marriage.

Ethan knew they were married, though he had no idea under what circumstances. Nor did he want to know. One thing, however, was undeniable. Daniel loved Anna and was ready to protect her.

The man was unbearable and utterly possessive when it came to her. So much so that he had gone as far as warning Ethan to stay away from her entirely.

Loser, I know, Ethan thought, unable to stop himself from chuckling as he recalled the least threatening yet most serious warning Daniel had given him. Still, from that moment on, they had reached an unspoken truce, cordial enough to be called allies.

Anna, on the other hand, felt as though she had been struck by lightning.

"Y You knew all this while?" she asked, her voice barely steady.

Ethan only smiled in response.

Anna had always known Ethan was a trustworthy friend, but realizing that Daniel trusted him too eased something tight in her chest. For the first time, she felt no need to guard herself or choose sides.

Finally, there won’t be any rivalry, she thought, a quiet sense of relief washing over her.

After spending some time at the wrap party, Anna decided it was time to leave. However, as she made her way toward the exit, she noticed something odd. Fiona was nowhere to be found.

Did she leave already?

The thought puzzled Anna. Fiona was not the type to disappear quietly, not without lingering around and flashing that overly friendly, clearly forced smile of hers. The absence felt unusual, almost unsettling.

Still lost in thought, Anna headed toward her car. Just as she reached for the door handle, her phone rang. She paused, glanced at the screen, and answered the call.

Meanwhile, upstairs, the receptionist stood nervously before Henry.

"Did she leave?" he asked.

The woman pursed her lips before shaking her head. "I don’t think so, sir." She gestured toward the glass wall, pointing outside to where a car still sat parked in the lot.

Henry’s brow furrowed when he noticed Fiona’s assistant standing beside it.

"So she’s not giving up," he muttered.

This was not the first time Fiona had pulled something like this. Ever since Daniel had pressed charges against Fredrick, the man had repeatedly tried to reach him through Henry. And now, when that had failed, Fiona had decided to show up in person.

Henry exhaled slowly. "Alright. You may go. I’ll handle her," he instructed.

The receptionist nodded and quickly walked away.

Henry would not normally step beyond his boundaries, but he knew exactly what Fiona was capable of. If waiting her out meant protecting his boss from another unnecessary scandal, then he was more than willing to cross that line.

"There is only one thing left" he muttered and quickly rushed back to the office.

***

Henry made his way toward Daniel’s office, already rehearsing what he would say. But the moment he turned the corner, he froze.

Daniel was stepping out, jacket in hand, keys already between his fingers.

"Sir," Henry blurted out a little too loudly.

Daniel paused mid step and slowly turned around, eyes narrowing. "Why do you look like you’re about to confess a crime?"

Henry straightened instantly. "You have an urgent meeting. Very urgent."

Daniel glanced at his watch. "With who?"

"The foreign delegates," Henry replied without missing a beat.

Daniel’s gaze sharpened. "Which ones?"

Henry blinked once. "The... important ones."

Silence followed.

Daniel folded his arms. "Henry."

"Yes, sir?"

"You only stammer when you lie or when you’ve broken something expensive. So which is it?"

Henry cleared his throat. "Neither. This is a professional stammer."

Daniel arched a brow, clearly unconvinced. "Funny. I don’t remember scheduling any meeting."

Henry stepped in front of the elevator doors before Daniel could reach them. "That’s because it was scheduled very last minute. Extremely last minute. So last minute that even your calendar hasn’t processed the trauma yet."

Daniel stared at him for a long second before scoffing. "You’re acting strange."

"Me? Never," Henry replied quickly. "I am the picture of calm efficiency."

"Then why are you blocking the elevator like a bodyguard?"

Henry spread his arms wider. "Security reasons."

Daniel sighed, rubbing his temple. "Fine. How long is this so-called urgent meeting?"

"Short," Henry said instantly. "Very short. Painfully short."

Daniel shook his head, suspicion still written all over his face. "If this turns out to be nonsense, you’ll surely be teleported to Mars."

Henry smiled far too quickly. "Gladly, sir."

With a resigned sigh, Daniel turned back toward his office. "Alright. Lead the way, Mr. Professional Stammer."

Henry followed him, silently exhaling in relief.

"Crisis delayed. For now," Henry muttered under his breath.

Daniel stopped mid step.

"What did you say?" his voice rang through the hallway.

Henry nearly jumped out of his skin. He straightened instantly, forcing an awkward smile that did nothing to hide his nerves. "Nothing, sir. Just... appreciating how smoothly today is going."

Daniel turned slowly, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You appreciate chaos now?"

Henry chuckled a little too loudly. "Only the manageable kind."

Daniel studied him for a moment longer before shaking his head. "You’re strange today, Henry."

"Thank you, sir," Henry replied without thinking.

Daniel frowned. "That wasn’t a compliment."

Henry’s smile stiffened. "Still accepting it. Hehe"

"..."