Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 353: Emotional distress equals romance?

Kathrine gasped. Her head snapped toward him, eyes wide in disbelief.

What are you saying? her mind screamed.

They had just been cornered. Their fake relationship was already hanging by a thread, and instead of pulling back, Ethan was charging forward—headfirst—into something far more dangerous.

Was he insane?

She felt her heart hammer violently against her ribs as panic surged. This wasn’t part of the plan. This was never part of the plan.

She tried to pull her hand back instinctively, but Ethan didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice just enough for only her to hear.

"Trust me," he murmured. "Please."

Trust. The word felt fragile right now.

Hugo’s expression hardened. "Marriage is not a word to be thrown around lightly, Mr. Helmworth."

"I agree," Ethan replied immediately. "That’s why I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it."

Roseline frowned, her gaze shifting to Kathrine. "Is this what you want?"

Kathrine opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Her mind was in chaos. What had started as pretending had blurred into something dangerously real, and now she stood at the center of a declaration she hadn’t prepared for.

She looked at Ethan again.

He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t bluffing. There was no trace of playfulness in his eyes. Only determination. And something else that scared her far more.

Conviction.

Was he not afraid of getting exposed? Of everything collapsing?

The assurance she had seen in his eyes moments ago now felt unreal. Like he was stepping into fire without flinching and dragging her along with him.

Her fingers trembled in his grasp.

Yet, despite the fear, despite the confusion, a small, traitorous part of her noticed something undeniable.

Ethan hadn’t once looked away from her.

Not when he spoke. Not when he declared the future. Not even now.

Whatever game he was playing, he was playing it with her standing beside him.

And that made all the difference—and terrified her all the same.

***

"What were you thinking," Kathrine demanded, "when you said you plan on marrying me?"

They stood in the garden now, the afternoon air cool against her flushed skin. Behind them, inside the house, muted laughter and polite conversation floated through the glass doors as if nothing monumental had just happened. As if her life hadn’t tilted on its axis five minutes ago.

Kathrine folded her arms, staring at Ethan like he had personally betrayed her trust.

"For once," she continued, pacing a step away and then turning back, "I thought my father would object. He didn’t. Do you have any idea how unsettling that is?"

Ethan watched her quietly, hands in his pockets, expression far too calm for someone who had just announced marriage plans without prior consent.

"And my mother," Kathrine added, throwing her hands up. "She looked happy. Suspiciously happy. I know exactly why, and I hate that too."

She stopped in front of him. "But all of that is secondary," she said sharply. "The real problem is you."

Ethan lifted a brow. "I had a feeling."

"You stood there," she said, poking his chest, "and turned a fake relationship into a lifelong commitment in front of our parents."

"I didn’t say lifelong," he replied mildly.

She glared. "Don’t test me."

For a moment, he said nothing. The calmness she had mistaken for confidence earlier now felt... deliberate. Calculated.

"You’re doubting me," he said finally.

Kathrine scoffed. "Oh, you think?"

"You think I panicked," he went on. "That I was covering up."

"Weren’t you?" she shot back.

Ethan stepped closer.

Not invading her space. Just enough to make her stop pacing.

"No," he said quietly. "I was deciding."

That made her pause. "Deciding what?" she asked.

"Whether I keep pretending," he replied, "or finally stop lying."

Kathrine’s stomach twisted, and the second their eyes met, something shifted—subtle, unsettling, irreversible.

"I want to date you for real, Kathrine," Ethan said.

The words landed heavier than she expected.

Her legs betrayed her, and she stumbled back, catching herself by gripping the garden wall. The stone was cold under her palm, grounding her just enough to keep from spiraling completely.

Ethan didn’t move to help her.

He just watched.

Not coldly. Not carelessly. Patiently—like he knew rushing her would only make her bolt.

Kathrine’s head snapped up. "YOU WHAT?"

Her voice echoed far louder than she intended, sending a couple of birds fluttering from a nearby tree. She stared at him like he’d just confessed to committing a felony.

Ethan took a single step closer.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

"I said I want to date you," he repeated, calmer now. "Not pretend. Not hide behind excuses."

Kathrine laughed once, sharp and breathless. "Have you lost your mind? You just announced marriage in my living room and now you want to date me?"

"I’m correcting the order," he replied.

She gaped. "That’s not how corrections work!"

Ethan tilted his head slightly, studying her the way he always did when he was being far too serious for her comfort. "You’re scared."

"No," she snapped immediately. Then hesitated. "...Okay, maybe a little."

He took another step, close enough now that she could see the tension in his jaw. "Good. That means it matters."

"That’s your logic?" she demanded. "Emotional distress equals romance?"

"That’s not what I said," he replied evenly. "I said I want you. And I don’t want to pretend I don’t anymore."

Her throat went dry. "You don’t just wake up one day and decide to want someone."

"I didn’t wake up today," he said quietly. "I’ve been awake for a while."

That made her falter.

Before she could recover, he spoke again, voice lower, more intimate.

"The kiss," he said. "I want to keep doing that."

Kathrine sucked in a sharp breath. "You’re unbelievable."

"I’m honest," he corrected. "For once."

She looked away, pressing her back harder against the wall. "You’ve always said relationships are fragile. Temporary. A waste of effort."

"They are," he agreed.

Her head snapped back toward him. "Then why are you standing here saying this?"

Ethan’s gaze never wavered. "Because you make me want to try anyway."

The admission hung between them, heavy and dangerous.

"You don’t even know why," she whispered.

"No," he said. "I just know that I keep thinking about your mouth."

Her breath hitched.

"And the way you decide when you want me close," he continued, eyes darkening just enough to make her pulse race. "Like you own the moment."

"That’s—" she started.

"I’ve avoided relationships because I don’t like needing people," he said. "But you don’t feel like a need. You feel like a choice."

Her fingers tightened around the stone. "You’re saying all the wrong things."

"Are they wrong," he asked softly, "or just inconvenient?"

She didn’t answer.

He stepped closer, stopping just short of touching her. "I’m not asking you to say yes right now," he said. "I’m asking you not to pretend this is nothing."

Kathrine searched his face, looking for the usual escape route—sarcasm, detachment, an easy lie.

There was none.

"You’re intimidating," she muttered.

His lips curved faintly. "You’re destabilizing."

Despite herself, a shaky laugh escaped her. "This is insane."

"Probably," he agreed. "But I want to date you anyway."

She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again.

"Slow," she warned.

Ethan nodded. "Slow."

"And honest."

"Always."

"And no more shocking announcements in front of my parents."

He smiled. "I’ll try."

Kathrine exhaled, the tension still there—but different now. Not fear. Anticipation.

She wasn’t ready to admit it out loud.

But she didn’t push him away either.