Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 330: Disappointed?

Inside the hotel room, Fiona dragged Daniel toward the king-sized bed, her heels scraping softly against the polished floor. His weight slowed her, forcing her to grit her teeth as she guided him down, adjusting his body until he lay sprawled across the mattress.

She straightened and huffed, one hand braced against her thigh as she tried to catch her breath. For a brief moment, exhaustion settled heavily on her shoulders.

Then she looked at him.

And just like that, every trace of fatigue vanished.

Daniel looked almost unreal lying there, his sharp features softened by unconsciousness, the authority he always carried stripped away. The strong line of his jaw. The faint crease between his brows. Even in stillness, he commanded the room. Fiona’s lips curved slowly as she drank him in, her gaze lingering unapologetically.

She placed her handbag on the side table with deliberate care, as though this moment deserved reverence. Then she climbed onto the bed, moving slowly, deliberately, hovering over him as if afraid the illusion might shatter if she moved too fast.

"You kept me waiting for far too long, Daniel," she murmured.

Her fingers hovered just above his chest, never touching, tracing the air as if memorizing him. She had wanted him for years. Wanted his attention, his power, the way the world seemed to bend around him. Every time he had looked past her, chosen someone else, dismissed her presence, the resentment had cut deeper.

And inevitably, her thoughts drifted to Anna.

The smile on Fiona’s lips twisted.

Anna had always been there. Always in the way. Taking what Fiona believed should have been hers. Every man she desired. Every ounce of admiration she craved. Somehow, Anna always stood where Fiona wanted to be.

"Damn you," Fiona whispered, bitterness sharpening her voice. "You always take everything."

But not this time.

Her gaze returned to Daniel, possessive and resolute. Whatever bitterness coiled inside her only strengthened her resolve. She had crossed too many lines to turn back now. This was her moment. Her victory.

No matter the cost.

Fiona slowly pulled back, lifting herself just enough to look down at him fully. The softness that had flickered across her face vanished, replaced by something far colder.

Her eyes glistened now, not with desire, but with dark satisfaction.

"So peaceful," she whispered. "So vulnerable."

She brushed a strand of hair from her face and sat back on her heels, studying him like a prize finally claimed after years of waiting. Power surged through her veins. Daniel Clafford, the man who had always been untouchable, lay unconscious because she had willed it so.

A low chuckle slipped from her lips.

"You always looked at me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience," she said quietly. "Like I wasn’t worth your time. But look at you now."

Her fingers clenched against the sheets as her smile sharpened, every rejection and slight replaying in her mind, twisting into fuel.

"And Anna," Fiona added, the name dripping with venom. "You won’t save him this time."

She rose from the bed, smoothing her dress as if nothing were amiss, her movements calm, unhurried. Any lingering doubt had vanished.

There was no turning back.

Her eyes flicked to Daniel one last time, gleaming with wicked resolve.

"This," she murmured softly, "is only the beginning."

Fiona straightened, her back to him now as she paced slowly across the room, her heels clicking softly against the floor. Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror, eyes bright with ambition, lips curved in quiet triumph.

"This is perfect," she murmured to herself. "You always needed to be reminded of how powerless you can be."

She turned back toward the bed, her gaze settling on Daniel with calculated intent. "Once you wake up like this, confused, vulnerable... you’ll have no choice but to rely on me," she continued softly. "I’ll be the one by your side. The one you trust. The one you need."

Her fingers curled slightly as she imagined it. Daniel Clafford, wrapped around her finger, questioning nothing, doubting no one but himself.

"And Anna," Fiona scoffed under her breath. "She doesn’t get to have you. Not this time. Not ever."

She moved closer to the bed, standing over him once more. "You’re mine," she whispered. "And I’ll use you to save my father’s company. To undo everything you’ve done to us. You’ll fix it all... without even realizing it."

The corner of her lips lifted into a wicked grin.

Slowly, deliberately, she leaned down, her hand reaching for the buttons of Daniel’s shirt. Her fingers brushed the fabric, finding the first button, her satisfaction growing with every passing second. Then—

Her wrist was suddenly caught.

Fiona gasped sharply, her breath hitching as strong fingers closed firmly around her hand.

Her head snapped up.

Daniel’s eyes were open.

Clear. Focused. And burning straight into hers.

Shock ripped through her to the core, freezing her in place as her heart slammed violently against her ribs.

"Enjoying yourself?" Daniel’s voice came out low, steady, and very much awake.

Fiona let out a sharp gasp as she stumbled back from the bed, her heels nearly tangling beneath her. Her heart slammed violently against her ribs as she stared at Daniel, terror flickering across her face.

His eyes were cold.

Fully awake. Fully aware.

Not drugged. Not helpless.

Her mind reeled.

This was not how it was supposed to go.

"No... no..." she whispered, shaking her head as if denying reality might undo it. "Y-you were unconscious."

Daniel tightened his grip for a brief second before releasing her wrist, pushing himself upright against the headboard with unsettling calm. There was no trace of dizziness left in him now, no haze clouding his expression.

Only calculation.

"Disappointed?" he asked quietly.

Fiona swallowed hard and took another step back, her pulse roaring in her ears. Every part of her plan unraveled at once. She had imagined this moment differently. She would guilt trap him. Make him believe they had crossed a line together. Use that intimacy as leverage. As control.

But this Daniel... this Daniel was sober.

Alert.

Dangerous.

"I-I was just trying to help you," Fiona stammered, her voice trembling despite her effort to steady it. "You collapsed, Daniel. I was worried."

"Worried enough to climb into my bed?" he asked coolly.

Her breath hitched. "I thought... I thought you might need someone. I didn’t want you to be alone."

Daniel’s lips curved into a humorless smile. "You always underestimate me, Fiona."

Her eyes widened. "You... you were pretending?"

"I wanted to see how far you’d go," he replied, his voice devoid of warmth. "Turns out, you didn’t disappoint."

Fear crept into her bones as she backed toward the edge of the room, her mind racing for an escape, for a lie convincing enough to salvage the situation.

"This isn’t what it looks like," she blurted out. "I swear. I just... I thought if I stayed, if I helped you, you might understand my father’s situation."

Daniel rose slowly from the bed, towering now, his presence filling the room. "You thought you could trap me," he said flatly. "Use me. Just like everything else in your life."

Fiona’s throat tightened, panic clawing its way up. "Daniel, please—"

"Enough," he cut in sharply, his cold gaze pinning her in place.

For the first time that night, Fiona realized the truth she had refused to accept.

She had not cornered Daniel Clafford.

She had walked straight into his.