Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 339: You messed up badly this time

They stepped back into the house together, the warmth of the lights making everything feel normal again. Almost too normal, as if the fear from moments ago had not nearly swallowed Betty whole.

The moment they entered the kitchen, Shawn’s gaze drifted to the counter. Chopped vegetables. A pan resting on the stove. The faint scent of oil still hung in the air.

"You were making dinner," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I interrupted something important, didn’t I?"

Betty exhaled and nodded, moving toward the counter. "I was. Or at least I was trying to before my house decided to turn against me."

She reached for her phone resting beside the cutting board and checked the screen. Missed calls. Messages she had not heard earlier. She let her head fall back slightly and closed her eyes, the aftershock of fear still rippling through her body.

"I really thought someone was here," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "For a moment, I could not even breathe."

Before she realized it, a pair of arms slipped around her waist.

"Shawn—" she gasped, startled, her body stiffening for a split second.

"I know," he said quickly, resting his chin against her shoulder. "I should warn you before doing that. But I just wanted to make sure you are okay."

His hold was gentle but firm, grounding in a way that made her shoulders slowly relax. She leaned back into him without thinking, her hands settling over his.

"You scared me," she muttered, though there was no bite in her words.

He chuckled softly. "I seem to be very good at that today. I promise, no more surprises."

Betty sighed, the tension easing as she felt his warmth behind her. "You came at the worst time."

"Or the best," he replied quietly. "Because you are not alone now."

She turned her head slightly, meeting his eyes from the corner. "You really did not have to stay."

"I wanted to," Shawn said simply. "And judging by the half-cooked dinner, I think you might need help."

A faint smile finally curved her lips. "Are you offering?"

He tightened his arms around her just a little. "Only if you promise not to use another vase on me."

She laughed softly, the sound easing the last of the fear from her chest as she let herself stay right there, held, safe, and no longer alone.

***

By the time Anna and Daniel returned home, the house had settled into its usual quiet elegance. Dinner passed in a calm rhythm, plates clinking softly, Daniel speaking about work while Anna listened, responding when needed but clearly lost in her own thoughts.

Once they were done, Anna gathered the plates. "You can go rest," she told Daniel. "I will handle this."

Daniel studied her for a brief moment, as if sensing there was more on her mind than she was willing to share, but he nodded. "Do not stay up too long," he said before leaving the dining area.

Anna carried the dishes into the kitchen, only to pause when she noticed Mariam standing near the counter, her back slightly stiff, hands folded in front of her. The older woman looked up the moment Anna entered.

"Mariam," Anna said gently, setting the plates aside. "You are still up?"

"I was finishing a few things, madam," Mariam replied, though her tone suggested she had been waiting.

Anna wiped her hands on a towel and leaned against the counter. "Mariam... I wanted to tell you something."

Mariam’s eyes flickered with recognition. "About Dorothy."

It was not a question.

Anna straightened slightly. "You know?"

Mariam nodded. "I noticed her coming by. Not once or twice, but often enough for it to trouble me. She never met me directly, never stepped inside. She would ask the guards a few questions and leave." she then paused. "I did not think it right to hide it from you anymore."

This wasn’t the first time Dorothy had come to meet her after her last visit at her old place. But yesterday when she thought she wouldn’t come, she did. Unfortunately she wasn’t there to meet her things time when she asked for her.

Anna let out a slow sigh, her shoulders easing just a little. "I am relieved she never approached you."

Mariam frowned. "Relieved?"

Anna hesitated, then gestured toward the back door. "Come. Let us step outside for some air."

She guided Mariam gently through the kitchen and into the lawn. The night breeze was cool, carrying the faint scent of grass and jasmine. Anna waited until they were alone before speaking again.

"Mariam," she said softly, "you deserve to know why Dorothy came here"

Mariam’s hands trembled slightly as she clasped them together. "Is it about my niece?" she asked because that was the only reason she would there.

Anna’s chest tightened. She nodded. "Yes. About Kira."

Mariam closed her eyes briefly, grief etched deep into her features even after all this time. "The cops said she took her own life," she whispered.

"That is what everyone was meant to believe," Anna said carefully. "But it was not the truth."

Mariam looked at her sharply. "What do you mean?"

"Daniel found evidence," Anna continued, her voice low. "Kira did not die because she was hanged. She died from a blow to the head. Someone staged the rest to make it look like suicide. Those marks on her body were her resistant to fight and in that process maybe she hit her head and died"

Mariam staggered back a step, clutching the arm of a garden chair. "No... that cannot be..."

"The culprit orchestrated it," Anna said, the words heavy. "He made it convincing. Too convincing."

"You found him" Mariam asked as if her words clicked her and Anna nodded.

"Thanks to Dorothy who helped me find him."

Mariam’s eyes welled with tears. "H-How did she-" her voice tremble wondering how come Dorothy helped her when she met her last time, never once she talked about it.

Anna paused but then she told her everything. From Dorothy telling her about Kira meeting her culprit, from him abducting her to him trying to flee and her catching him.

Mariam was left in denail, her mind processing everything Anna said.

***

Once Anna returned to her room, she heaved a tired sigh at the sight of it standing empty.

Daniel had retreated to his study, buried in work as always, while she was still reeling from the heaviness of Mariam’s silence. Anna knew it had been too much for the older woman to absorb in one night. Still, being Kira’s aunt, Mariam had every right to know the truth, no matter how cruel it was.

Letting out another slow breath, Anna crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed before finally lying back. Her eyes remained wide open, fixed on the ceiling as if answers might appear there.

Two days.

Just two days, and everything had unraveled.

Collin being caught.Daniel getting drugged.And the most unsettling truth of all, her parents being tied to the very reason Collin sought revenge.

Her thoughts tangled and overlapped, each one heavier than the last. She stared blankly at the wall, barely registering the passing minutes, until a sharp buzzing sound broke through the fog in her head.

"Argh... who has a death wish now," Anna groaned, forcing herself upright and reaching for her phone on the side table.

The screen was dark.

She frowned, pressing the button once, then twice. Dead.

Her irritation barely had time to settle before her eyes shifted to the phone lying beside it.

Daniel’s phone.

Her annoyance vanished instantly. She picked it up, the screen lighting up under her touch. "Maybe it is something urgent," she muttered. "I should hand it to him."

As she rose from the bed, her thoughts betrayed her, drifting briefly to one of their recent intimate moments, unbidden and vivid enough to make her lips curve.

"No, Anna," she scolded herself under her breath. "You cannot get naughty again. Think about your husband’s image before his delegates."

Shaking her head, she stepped away from the bed, determined to return the phone and leave without distracting herself further.

Just as she reached the door, the phone buzzed again.

This time, the notification lit up the screen.

Anna stopped mid-step.

Her fingers tightened around the phone as her gaze dropped to the display. The name staring back at her made her breath hitch, her pupils dilating as the air around her seemed to turn cold all at once.

And then her eyes darkened. Slowly, Anna lowered the phone, her mind racing with a single, chilling thought.

"So Daniel is DarkKnight_07..."

The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

For a split second, Anna simply stood there, staring at the screen. Then, instead of anger, a laugh burst out of her. Sharp. Unrestrained.

"Hahaha... so my husband is the stalker," she laughed, clutching her stomach as the sound echoed through the room.

It was absurd. Infuriating. Almost impressive.

Tears stung her eyes, not from hurt, but from the sheer irony of it all. Her laughter slowly faded and the air around her shifted.

Anna straightened, wiping the moisture from the corner of her eyes as her expression hardened. The amusement drained from her face, replaced by something far colder and wicked.

Her fingers curled around the phone, grip tightening.

"You messed up... badly this time, husband," she murmured, her voice dangerously calm.