Diana stuffed a piece of beef into her mouth, but suddenly, she felt something was off.
Huh?
The words she had just uttered...
Seemed a bit misleading.
As she looked up, she indeed saw Ethan sporting an expression that was hard to put into words.
Meeting her gaze, he cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ms. Thompson, is the meal to your liking?"
"It's quite good... but don't get any wrong ideas. When I said I was tired, it's because I've been practicing the piano lately, definitely not for any other reason..."
"Oh," Ethan replied dismissively.
Diana thought to herself, Why do I feel like I just dug myself into a hole?
Then, she heard Ethan placing something else on the table.
Upon inspection, it turned out to be a back support brace.
"Boss asked me to get this for you," Ethan explained.
Diana couldn't help but burst into laughter, spewing food out in the process.
Geez!
D
After finishing dinner, Ethan drove over to pick her up, and they headed to Leah's place together before making their way to John's private airport. By the plane, a row of bodyguards and flight attendants stood in formation. Seeing Diana approaching, they all lowered their heads and greeted, "Madam." Leah teased, "Well, look at you with all this pomp and circumstance." Diana cleared her throat, "Of course~" However... Diana glanced around and furrowed her brow. Strange, why hadn't she seen John? Wasn't he supposed to go to Vienna with her? Just as she was pondering, her phone rang from inside her bag. She checked the caller ID and immediately answered, "John?" "Sorry," John's voice sounded a bit subdued, "I can't accompany you to Vienna today." "What happened?" "Well, there's a bit of trouble at the company, and I need to sort it out first." Diana sighed in relief, "You sc
Max clenched his fists tightly by his sides, veins bulging on his arms. After a moment of regaining his composure, he finally let go. "You can have this Villa," he said coldly. "Max..." Eva's eyes reflected her reluctance. But when she met his determined gaze, she fell silent, her words left unspoken. John loosened his tie and rose from the couch. "Tidy up the villa, get rid of any excess people or things. I don't want them in my sight." "John, I don't owe you..." Max's voice was filled with anger. "I don't owe you, let alone your mother, but that Ruby, that bitch, she..." Max's words were cut off halfway. This sudden silence was prompted by the storm that erupted in John's icy gaze, as if an invisible hand had viciously gripped his throat, leaving him breathless. The two men confronted each other for a moment, and in the face of John's fierce and unrelenting eyes, Max couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat
Diana looked at her, "What about your dress? Have you prepared one?" Leah chuckled, "What nonsense are you talking about? I can't afford one. My dear, your Andrew and Ben's credit cards should come in handy." Diana sighed, "Wow, you say it so naturally and shamelessly." "I'm going to be your future sister-in-law; we're practically family. Why be polite?" Diana thought about it... It did make sense. ... As night descended, neon lights along the streets lit up one by one, casting a dreamlike glow over the entire city. Inside a lavish upscale club. A stretched Lincoln limousine rolled to a smooth stop by the curb. Ethan stepped out and opened the rear door. Diana and Leah followed suit. One in red, the other in white, one vivacious, the other gentle. Distinctive in their grace, both possessed a breathtaking beauty, akin to ethereal beings descended to Earth, almost unreal. Ethan foun
Amy recognized Ms. Jones and quickly averted her gaze. She then turned to Leah. "Leah, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Leah remained silent for a while, then turned to Ms. Jones with a faint smile. "Ms. Jones, I'll step aside for a moment." "Very well," Ms. Jones replied. Diana followed Leah, saying, "I'll come with you." She had a gut feeling that Amy's unexpected arrival boded ill. As Hansen watched the two women walk away, he finally remembered, "I have seen Leah before." "Oh? I heard she's quite a talented young pianist. It's natural that you might have come across her," someone commented. "No," Hansen shook his head, a hint of hesitation on his face. "I heard she might be a bit of a madwoman..." Diana and Leah followed Amy to a nearby corner. When they arrived, they noticed another person standing there. Scarlett, dressed in a beige evening gown, stood with her arms crossed, exuding an air of arrogance.
"I'm fine," Leah said softly, lifting her head. She stood there, her already exquisite face displaying a hint of sickness, a touch of restrained vulnerability. She looked at Ms. Jones and Hansen. "Since Amy is so eager to perform with me, I'll accompany her." As she spoke, she lowered her gaze, appearing somewhat fragile. Ms. Jones noticed something amiss. "Leah, you seem genuinely unwell. Perhaps we should skip today." But Amy wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away. "Ms. Jones, Leah doesn't seem physically unwell. It's probably just nerves." Diana was about to speak, but she noticed Leah's hand, held by Amy, squeezing it slightly. She hesitated, keeping her words to herself. Leah stood there, sounding somewhat resigned. "I am feeling a bit unwell, but I can still play the piano. Mr. Hansen, Aunt Jones, I'll go ahead." Mr. Hansen, holding a glass of red wine, nodded approvingly. He had initially suspected Leah of lackin
Instantly, the people around raised their eyebrows and frowned. A few among them knew her personally. Amy had only attended the evening banquet because of Professor Levin's influence. But she had never expected the so-called talented young pianist to lose her composure like this. Scarlett, standing not far away, wore a deeply unpleasant expression. The fact that Amy hadn't caused Leah to lose control was bad enough. But now, she had made such a spectacle of herself! "Amy, please watch your language!" Hansen, who had been observing everything, spoke sternly. "Hansen, sir?" "I saw everything just now, and compared to Miss Phillips, your piano skills are far inferior." Hansen didn't mince his words, instantly making Amy's face turn beet red. "No, Mr. Hansen, what happened earlier was..." "Hansen, sir," Leah interrupted him. She spoke slowly, "Amy was probably just too nervous, and he
Diana nodded. Unusually so. Mitbahl managed to show some restraint for once, which was progress. He smiled faintly, pulling out a knife as delicate as a cicada's wing from his pocket. "Silly, silently disposing of them, without a trace; that's what a professional assassin should be capable of." Misoup pondered for a moment. "You go." "Sure, watch and learn from big brother~" Mitbahl, twirling his manicured finger, headed into the club. Diana grabbed his collar firmly. "You damn well get back here!" "Madam?" "Who told you we were thrown out by someone?" Diana was feeling drained. "Get back in the car, Mitbahl. Let's head back to the villa and avoid any trouble." "Alright," Mitbahl grumbled as he reluctantly climbed back into the car. Diana settled into the backseat and pulled out her phone to send a message to John. She sent several messages in a row, but there was no respo
Outside, Nisbet's shot had missed, and his face had soured. He had encountered many skilled opponents before. But this eerie scenario was a first for him. "Who are you, really?" "Someone you can't mess with." Mitbahl stood in the night's shadows, arms crossed, wearing an indifferent expression. "Since the lady's in the car, and I wouldn't want to scare you too much, I won't kill you today. Just apologize and get lost." He was putting on quite the act. "Dead man, do you even know who 'Nisbet' is? How dare you speak to him like this!" Amy stomped her foot in anger. She clung to Nisbet's arm and said, "Nisbet, don't waste your time talking to them. Just have someone drag that wretched Leah down here!" "You're right, there's no need to talk to you!" Nisbet gestured dismissively. His henchmen beside him all drew their guns from their holsters. The black muzzles of a dozen guns were all pointed at Mitb