Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 366: I am not going to spare-

"But you are still the one who tried to kill my mother. That alone strips you of any claim to innocence. It does not matter that you did not kill Kira," Anna snapped, her voice laced with raw contempt.

Collin did not flinch. Instead, he nodded slowly, as if acknowledging an inconvenient truth. "I would not have gone that far if your friend Ethan had not caught me watching you. And if your husband Daniel had not decided to dig into my past."

Anna froze.

Her breath hitched as his words sank in. He knew. Not just fragments. Everything.

Her eyes widened despite herself, fury and shock colliding in her chest.

"I know why you married Daniel," Collin continued calmly, leaning back in his chair as though they were discussing something trivial. His gaze never left her face. "You did it to save your family from him. From his power. From what he could take away."

Anna clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms.

"But tell me," Collin added softly, tilting his head, "have you ever wondered why Hugo agreed so easily?"

The question struck harder than any accusation.

Images flashed through Anna’s mind. Her father standing firm in his study. His voice sharp, impatient, wrapped in concern that never felt like love. The way he had insisted this marriage was the only solution. The way he had dismissed her hesitation as weakness.

She had believed he was protecting the family.

Now doubt crept in, cold and unwelcome.

"You think he did it for you?" Collin pressed, his tone almost curious. "Or because Daniel was useful?"

Anna swallowed. Her throat felt tight.

Memories rearranged themselves with cruel clarity. Every demand Hugo had made. Every sacrifice he had expected from her. Every time her worth had been measured by what she could secure for him.

Her chest tightened as the realization settled in.

Her father had not saved her. He had traded her.

Anna lifted her gaze back to Collin, anger simmering beneath the shock, but something fragile had cracked open inside her. The truth sat heavy between them, and for the first time, she could not dismiss it as another one of his manipulations.

"Because you are not his daughter. You were never anything more than a convenient scapegoat," Collin said, his voice low and venomous. The mask he had worn until now slipped completely, revealing the simmering anger twisting his features. "And your so called mother allowed it. She watched and said nothing."

Anna did not move.

The words slammed into her, leaving her rooted to the spot as her mind spiraled. Just a day ago she had overheard Daniel telling Norma that he doubted she was truly a Bennett. She had brushed it off then, forcing herself to believe it was speculation. But hearing the same truth from Collin’s mouth made her stomach churn in a way she could not explain.

It felt wrong.

Too calculated.

Too deliberate.

"I do not believe you," Anna said finally, lifting her chin even though her heart was pounding. "A man who thrives on manipulation can fabricate anything."

She refused to let him see the fracture forming inside her.

No matter how loudly his words echoed in her head, she would not give him the satisfaction of watching her break.

Collin’s lips curved into a slow chuckle, one that made Anna’s skin crawl.

"Of course you would say that," he replied, amusement laced with cruelty. "You have always been good at clinging to comforting lies."

Anna frowned, her fingers curling at her sides.

"Then do not take my word for it," Collin continued smoothly. "Ask your mother."

The air seemed to thicken.

"Ask her to confirm it for you," he said, his eyes glinting. "Ask her who your real father is. I am certain she remembers very well."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Anna’s breath came shallow now, her thoughts colliding violently. She wanted to dismiss him, to call it another trick, another attempt to destabilize her. But somewhere deep inside, fear whispered that this was not a lie crafted in desperation.

This was a truth sharpened like a blade.

And for the first time, Anna was terrified of the answers she might receive.

***

Meanwhile, Daniel, who had been waiting outside the hospital room, straightened when he noticed a familiar figure approaching him. It was the same nurse he had seen earlier lingering near the corridor, her steps hesitant, her posture stiff in a way that immediately put him on alert.

"Mr. Clafford," she said, forcing a polite smile as she stopped in front of him. "I am here to check on Mr. Collin." Her hand moved toward the door handle, fingers already curling around it.

Daniel stepped into her path before she could open it.

"Wait," he said calmly, though his eyes had hardened. "Weren’t you informed that no one would be visiting Collin for an hour?"

The nurse froze.

For a fraction of a second, something unreadable flickered across her face. Surprise, perhaps. Or panic.

"I... I was told to do a routine check," she replied, her voice a little too quick. "It will only take a moment."

Daniel did not move aside.

"That is strange," he said, folding his arms slowly. "Because I personally confirmed with the officer in charge that no one would disturb this meeting. Not the guards. Not the staff. No one."

The nurse swallowed, her gaze darting briefly toward the door before returning to Daniel. "Maybe there was a misunderstanding," she said, attempting a weak laugh. "You know how hectic things can get."

Daniel’s eyes narrowed.

"A misunderstanding does not override direct orders," he replied evenly. "Especially not in a case this sensitive."

The nurse shifted on her feet, her confidence visibly crumbling. "Sir, I am only doing my job. If there is a problem, you can take it up with my supervisor."

Daniel leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough to keep it from carrying down the corridor. "What is your name?"

She hesitated.

"Maria," she answered after a pause that was just a little too long.

Daniel studied her face carefully. The slight tremor in her hands. The way her shoulders tensed under his gaze. The badge clipped to her uniform caught his attention, and his eyes flicked to it briefly before returning to her face.

"Funny," he said quietly. "I tend to remember faces. Especially the ones that hover where they do not belong."

The nurse’s breathing grew uneven. "Sir, if you will excuse me, I really need to—"

Daniel raised a hand, cutting her off. "Step back from the door."

His tone left no room for negotiation.

She did as told, retreating a small step, though her eyes kept flicking toward the interrogation room as if something inside urgently concerned her.

Daniel pulled out his phone and dialed a number without breaking eye contact. "Officer," he said once the call connected, "can you confirm for me whether any nurse was scheduled to check on Collin during this hour?"

There was a brief pause.

"No, sir," came the reply. "No one was authorized."

Daniel ended the call slowly.

The nurse’s face drained of color.

"Care to explain that?" Daniel asked, his voice deceptively calm.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again, words failing her as fear finally seeped through her carefully constructed composure.

Daniel took a step closer, his presence towering and unyielding. "I suggest you start talking," he said coldly. "Because the next person I call will not be as patient as I am."

***

Meanwhile, Anna ended her meeting with Collin abruptly and stepped out of the interrogation room. The corridor greeted her with an unsettling emptiness.

Daniel was nowhere in sight.

Her heart skipped, unease crawling up her spine just as she turned, scanning the hallway. Before she could call out his name, a familiar voice reached her.

"Anna."

Her eyes snapped in that direction. Daniel was walking toward her from the far end of the corridor, his expression tight, his stride purposeful. For a split second, her brows furrowed, questions lining up in her mind. Where had he gone. What had happened outside.

But the moment their eyes met, none of it mattered.

Anna broke into a sprint and crashed into him, wrapping her arms around him with a force that caught Daniel completely off guard.

He stiffened only for a heartbeat before instinct took over. His arms closed around her instantly, firm and protective, pulling her against his chest as though shielding her from the world. His hand slid up her back, pressing her closer, cocooning her in the warmth and certainty she clearly needed.

"That bastard," Daniel muttered, his jaw tightening as he held her. "I am not going to spare—"

He started to move, anger flaring hot and dangerous, but Anna tightened her grip and stopped him.

"Don’t," she said, her voice low but steady. "He did not do anything that warrants you killing him."

Daniel froze.

Slowly, he pulled back just enough to look at her. He had expected tears. Shock. Fear.

Instead, what he found made him falter.

Anna’s face was composed, her breathing controlled. Her eyes, however, were sharp, focused, burning with something far more dangerous than distress. Determination.

It unsettled him.