Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 357: Then who was she?

Daniel had no idea why the words had slipped out of him so suddenly, only that one instinct ruled everything else in that moment.

Protect Anna.

Nothing else mattered more than shielding her from Norma’s venom.

"Daniel."

Anna’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.

Both Daniel and Norma turned sharply toward the sound. Anna was walking toward them, her expression tight, worry etched clearly into her features. The moment Daniel saw her eyes, his heart constricted painfully.

Did she hear everything?

The thought hit him hard. He searched her face for answers as she came closer, his body instinctively angling toward her, ready to shield her if needed.

"Collin is released," she said quietly, looking straight into his eyes.

For a split second, Daniel froze.

Then he exhaled, a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Relief flickered through him, sharp and fleeting. She hadn’t heard. Or at least, not that part.

Without hesitation, he reached for her hand, his grip firm and reassuring. Turning back to Norma, his expression hardened once more.

"I’ll have to apologize, Aunt Norma," Daniel said calmly. "We won’t be able to stay for dinner. An emergency has come up."

Norma frowned slightly as she stood, her gaze moving between them. Moments ago, Daniel had been on the brink of revealing something significant. Now, with Anna’s return, he was leaving without another word.

"So suddenly?" Norma asked, her tone measured.

"Yes," Daniel replied without wavering.

Anna said nothing, but she didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, she stood beside him, her presence solid and grounding.

Norma pressed her lips together before finally nodding. "Very well. Another time, then."

Daniel inclined his head politely and turned away, leading Anna with him. They walked out hand in hand, their steps quick and purposeful, leaving the room heavy with unfinished conversations.

Norma remained where she was, watching the door long after it closed behind them.

The moment they were out of sight, her expression shifted.

The mild disappointment vanished, replaced by something cold and vicious. Her fingers curled slowly into her palm as her eyes narrowed meaningfully.

***

Daniel and Anna reached the hospital where Collin had been rushed after collapsing inside his cell, unresponsive and barely conscious. The drive had been tense, silence pressing heavily between them, each lost in their own thoughts.

When the officer failed to reach Anna earlier, he had contacted Kathrine instead. That was when Kathrine learned Collin had been released from custody and transferred to the hospital due to a medical emergency.

The sharp scent of antiseptic hit them the moment they stepped inside.

"How is he?" Anna asked as she walked toward Kathrine, her steps quick and purposeful.

Daniel followed close behind her.

The officer in charge stood nearby, posture straight. He exchanged a brief, respectful nod with Daniel before turning his attention to Anna.

"For now, he’s stable," the officer said. "He collapsed due to prolonged starvation. He’s currently under observation."

Anna let out a slow breath, tension easing from her shoulders. She hadn’t realized how tightly she’d been holding herself together until that moment. Her eyes shifted to Daniel, relief flickering between them.

"At least he’s alive," Kathrine said quietly, though unease still lingered in her tone.

"Yes," the officer replied. "But we are keeping a close watch on him. His condition could worsen if he refuses to cooperate with treatment."

Daniel’s jaw tightened slightly. "Was this deliberate?" he asked calmly.

The officer hesitated. "We’re still assessing that. He hasn’t been very responsive."

Anna looked back at the closed doors leading deeper into the ward, a knot forming in her chest. Collin was many things, but this felt... wrong. Too sudden. Too calculated.

"Can we see him?" she asked.

"For a short while," the officer answered. "Only one of you."

Anna glanced at Daniel instinctively, her fingers brushing his sleeve as he shortly nodded.

The officer guided Anna toward the ward while Kathrine and Daniel remained behind. An awkward silence settled between them, thick with words neither was ready to speak.

***

"This way, ma’am," the officer said, pushing the door open.

Anna nodded politely and stepped inside.

The room was quiet, washed in soft white light and the rhythmic beeping of monitors. Her thoughts had been in complete chaos ever since she heard Collin had collapsed, but the moment she saw his chest rise and fall steadily, a breath she didn’t realize she was holding finally escaped her.

He was alive.

She walked toward the bed with slow, deliberate steps and stopped beside it. For a fleeting moment, suspicion crept in. Collin had always been several steps ahead, always manipulating from the shadows. Pretending to be unconscious would not be beneath him.

But as she watched him closely, she noticed the steady rhythm of his breathing, the slackness in his features. The sedatives had pulled him under, leaving no room for deception.

Only then did she lower her guard.

Anna didn’t know what his true connection to her mother was. She didn’t know why he had turned his life into a weapon against her family. But one thing was certain.

She didn’t want him to die.

Not yet. Not until he told her the truth.

"You’re not cooperating, Collin," she murmured softly, her voice laced with frustration. "And that’s making it very hard for me to understand you."

The man, of course, did not respond.

Silence filled the room again, heavy and suffocating. Anna remained there, watching him, until her thoughts drifted back to Rosewood Mansion. To Daniel’s voice. To the words that had lodged themselves deep inside her mind.

’I doubt she’s a Bennett.’

Her fingers curled slowly at her side.

If that was true... then who was she? 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"And who are you, Collin?" she whispered, eyes searching his unresponsive face.

So many things suddenly felt strange in retrospect. When she had confronted him earlier, he had every chance to fight back, to escape, to turn violent.

But he hadn’t. Instead, he had surrendered.

Anna closed her eyes briefly, letting the silence wrap around her unanswered questions. Whatever truth lay buried, she would uncover it. Not with anger. Not with assumptions.

But with patience.

And this time, she wouldn’t stop until every piece of the puzzle finally fit.