Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 352: We are planning on marrying each other

"This girl—why isn’t she answering my calls?" Kathrine hissed, shoving her phone back into her pocket in irritation.

Standing in front of the mirror, she checked herself one last time, smoothing her outfit and taking a steadying breath before stepping out of her room.

The moment she lifted her gaze, she froze.

Sitting comfortably on the couch across the living hall was Stephane.

And seated opposite her were Hugo and Roseline.

Kathrine gulped. Her steps faltered, her breath hitching as anxiety surged through her veins. This was not how she had imagined her day unfolding. Not even close.

Someone who hadn’t planned on having an adventurous day had somehow stumbled into one anyway—thanks to Stephane. Uninvited. Or rather... invited.

Because the calm expression on Hugo’s face and the unusually warm smile Roseline was wearing told a very different story.

Kathrine’s fingers trembled as she hurriedly fished her phone out again, thumbs flying across the screen.

What should we do now, Ethan?

Your mother has reached my house.

She typed so fast it felt like the phone might overheat in her hands, but she didn’t stop.

A strange, sinking feeling twisted in her gut.

She had a very bad feeling about this.

And that feeling had a name.

My parents are about to find out about Ethan.

Before she could spiral further, Roseline’s voice cut through her thoughts, sweet and far too cheerful.

"Oh, here she is," Roseline said warmly. "Kathrine, sweetheart, come here."

Kathrine forced her legs to move, pasting on a polite smile that felt painfully tight. As she walked closer, Stephane turned to look at her, her expression unreadable but calm—almost reassuring.

Almost.

Hugo studied Kathrine quietly, his gaze sharp but composed, as if he were assessing something far more important than her appearance.

Roseline patted the space beside her. "You didn’t tell us you had company coming over," she added lightly.

Kathrine swallowed. "I... didn’t know," she replied honestly, her eyes flicking briefly to Stephane.

Stephane smiled faintly. "I hope you don’t mind. I thought it was time I met your parents properly."

That single sentence made Kathrine’s heart sink straight to her stomach.

Time for what, exactly?

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket, but she didn’t dare check it.

Hugo exchanged a brief, questioning glance with Roseline.

Confusion was written clearly on both their faces.

Stephane Helmworth.

Marcus Helmworth’s ex wife.

And more importantly... Ethan Helmworth’s mother.

Her presence alone was unexpected. Her calm? Even more unsettling.

"I must admit," Hugo said carefully, breaking the silence, "this visit caught us off guard." His gaze shifted to Stephane. "We weren’t aware we had any... pending acquaintance."

Roseline nodded politely, though her smile was cautious. "Yes. We didn’t know Kathrine was close to you."

Stephane smiled, composed and elegant, folding her hands in her lap. "That’s understandable. Some relationships don’t announce themselves immediately."

Kathrine’s stomach twisted.

This was bad. Very bad.

"I hope my visit isn’t an inconvenience," Stephane continued. "But I felt it was important."

"Important?" Roseline echoed, brows knitting together.

Stephane’s gaze drifted briefly to Kathrine before returning to her parents. "I wanted to speak to you both directly. As parents."

That single word made Hugo straighten slightly.

"As parents?" he repeated.

"Yes," Stephane said calmly. "About our children."

The room grew noticeably quieter.

Kathrine felt her pulse race as a dozen scenarios crashed into her mind. Confession. Exposure. Disapproval. Fallout.

Roseline’s smile tightened. "I’m not sure I follow."

Stephane inhaled slowly, as if choosing her words with care. "I recently discovered that my son, Ethan, and your daughter have grown... close."

Kathrine’s breath caught.

Hugo’s expression darkened just a fraction. "Close how?"

Stephane met his gaze steadily. "Enough for me to consider your daughter as a future member of my family."

Silence.

Absolute, deafening silence.

Kathrine felt her legs weaken.

Roseline blinked first. "I’m sorry," she said slowly, "did you just say—"

"I would like Kathrine to become my daughter in law," Stephane stated clearly.

The words settled heavily in the room.

Hugo’s brows shot up in disbelief. "You came here to say that?"

"Yes."

Roseline turned sharply toward Kathrine. "Is this true?"

Kathrine opened her mouth, then closed it again. Her throat felt dry. "Mom... I—"

Stephane intervened gently. "I understand this is sudden. And perhaps unconventional. But I believe honesty is better than secrecy."

Hugo turned fully toward his daughter, his expression no longer confused but sharp with expectation.

"Is this true, Kathrine?" he asked evenly. "Are you and Ethan seeing each other?"

The room seemed to shrink around her.

Kathrine swallowed hard. Her mind raced back to the beginning of it all. What had started as a convenient arrangement, a harmless pretense to keep people at bay, had shifted so subtly that she hadn’t noticed when pretending stopped feeling like pretending. Somewhere between stolen conversations, shared silences, and unexpected comfort, lines had blurred.

She hadn’t planned for this. She hadn’t planned for feelings. And she definitely hadn’t planned for Stephane to walk into her house and lay everything bare.

"Yes, we are—" The words were right there, trembling on her lips. But before she could finish, another voice cut through the living room, calm yet resolute.

"Yes, we are."

Every head turned at once.

Kathrine’s breath hitched as she saw him.

"Ethan," she whispered, relief crashing into her so suddenly her knees almost gave out.

He stood just inside the doorway, tall and composed, his gaze fixed on Hugo without hesitation. He looked like someone who had already made peace with whatever consequences waited on the other side of that door.

Ethan stepped forward. "I’m sorry for arriving unannounced," he said respectfully. "But I didn’t want Kathrine answering this alone."

Stephane looked at her son, surprise flickering briefly across her face before softening into something close to approval.

He took a moment to look around the room, taking in every face, every reaction. Then, deliberately, Ethan stepped closer to Kathrine and stood beside her.

His hand slipped into hers, slow and steady, fingers lacing with quiet certainty. His grip wasn’t tight, but it was firm enough to ground her. When she looked up at him, his eyes met hers, unwavering.

I’ve got you.

She could almost hear the words.

Kathrine’s thoughts, however, were anything but calm. They were scattered, colliding with one another in pure panic. And if she was spiraling, Ethan wasn’t far behind.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.

He had never imagined his mother deciding to show up at the Bennett mansion on her own. If his manager hadn’t informed him at the last minute, he would’ve walked straight into an aftermath he wasn’t prepared for. He had tried to reach Kathrine. Warn her. Do something.

But Stephane was already here.

Ethan inhaled quietly, then turned toward Hugo and Roseline, his posture respectful but resolute.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bennett," he said, breaking the tense silence, "I apologize for our unexpected visit."

Hugo studied him closely. Roseline remained composed, though her eyes were searching, weighing every word.

Ethan briefly glanced sideways at his mother, whose calm expression suggested she was enjoying the chaos far more than she let on. He knew she was testing him. Pushing him.

This time, he wouldn’t back down.

"It is true," Ethan continued, his voice steady, "that Kathrine and I are seeing each other."

Kathrine’s breath caught.

Before she could process that, he went on.

"And in the future," he added, tightening his hold on her hand just slightly, "we are planning on marrying each other."