Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 62: You don’t get to set the rules

Meanwhile, inside the room, Daniel’s lips crashed against Anna’s, stealing her breath before she even realized what was happening. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Her mind spun in haze; lashes fluttered helplessly when his mouth parted hers, his tongue slipping past her defenses to claim her completely.

A soft, unwilling moan escaped her throat as her eyes fluttered shut. She should’ve pushed him away, screamed, done anything—but her body betrayed her, melting under his touch as her heart pounded like a drum in her chest.

It was maddening. Every time he kissed her, Daniel had this way of making it seem like her resistance was nothing more than an illusion. Every time, she swore she would stop him—and every time, she failed.

God, he tastes so sweet... Just like the candies she used to eat whenever her anxiety clawed at her chest. The thought made her lips tremble as she surrendered to the fire burning through her veins.

Daniel’s hand slid up, cradling the back of her neck as if she were his most precious possession, pulling her closer until their tongues entwined. His thoughts echoed with one truth—

She’s addictive.

And once he started, he couldn’t stop.

"Ah..." Anna finally wrenched herself free, panting, her chest rising and falling as she glared at him with wide, flustered eyes.

"Are you trying to choke me to death?" she snapped, her voice ragged.

Flustered beyond measure, she scrubbed at her lips with the back of her hand. "I haven’t even brushed my teeth, you pervert!" she accused, shooting daggers at him.

But Daniel didn’t flinch. His eyes remained locked on her, dark and unreadable, as though her protests were nothing but background noise. His silence only made her more unsettled.

"I told you..." he finally spoke, voice low and deliberate. "I haven’t received my good-night kiss."

"It’s broad daylight, you duffer!" she shot back, face heating. "Who in the world told you I agreed to this?"

She was fuming now, but Daniel only smirked, sliding his hands casually into his pockets. He advanced a step; she instinctively retreated. Another step forward, another retreat—until her back hit the door with a dull thud.

Anna stiffened. "S-Stand there and speak!" she warned, her voice trembling more from nerves than authority.

But Daniel didn’t stop. He leaned in, his presence overwhelming, his shadow swallowing her whole.

"Or what?" His tone was mocking, dangerously soft. "Who’s going to stop me?"

Her breath hitched. She thought briefly about kneeing him, maybe even screaming—but somehow, with the way his eyes bored into hers, even those options felt impossible.

"L-Listen, Daniel, or else—"

He chuckled darkly, cutting her off. "Or else what, Anna?"

Her words stuck in her throat.

In the next second, he braced his hands against the door, caging her in completely. She was trapped, his nearness suffocating yet intoxicating all the same.

"You don’t get to set the rules, my dear wife," he murmured, his lips brushing dangerously close to her ear. "That deal was sealed the day your father gave you to me. And now..." His gaze dropped to her lips. "...all you have to do is follow them."

"Are you threatening me?" Anna gritted through her teeth, glaring at him with blazing fury.

She should’ve known better. Daniel’s sudden change of behavior was never unpredictability—it was her own foolishness for hoping he might have actually changed. And now that she saw through it, she hated herself for ever believing otherwise.

Daniel, however, only smirked, his eyes glinting with dark amusement. "No, not threatening. Merely reminding you that we’re married. And as my wife, it’s your responsibility to look after your husband’s needs."

Anna’s brows twitched in sheer annoyance. For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug grin off his face. Needs, my foot. I’d rather keep you rusted for life.

"Then let me make one thing clear, husband," she snapped, her voice sharp with defiance. "This wife of yours will make you beg for it. You’ll keep longing, and I’ll never let you have it."

Her declaration only deepened his smirk. His eyes glittered with a dangerous hunger, but beneath it lingered something softer—a twisted satisfaction.

If he had to choose between longing for her and watching another man claim her, he’d rather suffer in silence.

"Challenge accepted," Daniel murmured, his tone low and commanding. "But remember this, Anna. I, Daniel Clafford, never lose. And I’ll make sure you never forget that."

Anna didn’t spare him another glance. She spun on her heel and stormed out, her heels clicking against the floor like hammers driving her fury into the ground.

Daniel’s gaze lingered on her retreating figure, his lips curling despite himself. That frustrated look on her face—so full of fire, so unwilling to bow—stirred something dangerous inside him. It turned him on, yes, but it also made him crave the battle ahead.

And oh, he was looking forward to it. Anna wasn’t like anyone else he’d ever dealt with. She was stubborn, unpredictable, and utterly unyielding. He didn’t want to control her. No—what he wanted was far worse. He wanted to unravel her. Piece by piece.

"Cute," he muttered to himself, shaking his head before turning back into the room.

Just then, his phone rang. Henry’s name flashed across the screen.

"Did you find out who that man was with Anna?" Daniel asked the second he answered.

"No, Boss. Nothing. It’s like he doesn’t exist. We couldn’t trace anything," Henry admitted, his tone laced with disappointment.

Daniel’s brows furrowed. Henry wasn’t someone who did things half-heartedly—if he said there were no leads, then it meant the trail had been deliberately buried.

His mind replayed the clip he had watched: that man appearing out of nowhere, the way Anna walked off with him without hesitation. Something about it gnawed at him.

"Forget chasing the man," Daniel finally said, his voice firm. "Start digging into the people close to Anna. I want to know everything about her life before she married me."

"Yes, Boss."

The call ended, leaving Daniel in silence.

The truth was, he knew next to nothing about Anna. Beyond her being Hugo Bennett’s daughter, her life had been a blank page he never cared to read. All this time, his eyes had been on Kathrine.

But now?

Now, Anna was no longer just his wife by convenience. She was becoming a puzzle he couldn’t resist solving.

And Daniel Clafford never left puzzles unsolved.