Diana stepped out of the car and lifted her gaze to her mansion.
"Ms. Sorin, are you sure you're okay?" her personal assistant, Hallow, asked, as he approached, with concern etched on his boyish face.
"Okay? No!"
She pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to stare at his short, slender frame. "I just met Ian Basti earlier, Hallow. How do you think I feel? That man drives me insane. He was freaking dancing in his office. Dancing! Who even does that?"
Her body tightened with agitation, fists curling at her sides. "Every time I see him, he just makes me want to grab his neck and—arghh!"
Hallow gave her a crooked smile.
She squinted at him. "Did my father come by?"
"No, ms."
"Of course, he didn't." She grumbled, brushing past him to head into the mansion.
"Your husband came by though."
She froze mid-step on the stairs and turned her head.
"What?"
"Yes. He's still around as of right now. Upstairs."
Her brows drew together in confusion.
Stefanos Rassi never comes to see her. Not unless he wanted to worsen her day as it was humourous for him. Their relationship was strained at best and it wasn't as if she hadn't tried to fix it. After all, she loved him. But…he was a difficult man.
What was he doing in her home today? And without telling her first?
Diana's hands clenched.
She made her way upstairs and beelined for her room. "Stefan…?" She grabbed the handle, but before she could open the door, she stilled, lashes flickering.
"Stefanos, we've got to stop. Your wife might come back. This is her house." The voice was soft, belonging to a woman.
"Oh, calm down. She won't do a thing. Diana loves me. I could walk on her head and she wouldn't react even a little. You think she doesn't know I'm having an affair?" Her husband's laughter resounded from the room—a room that belonged to her.
Her master…bedroom.
Diana slowly opened the door. She came face to face with her husband who was sprawled on the loveseat—a woman, blonde with the prettiest grey of eyes, wrapped all around him in a makeout session.
The man, Stefanos Rassi, dark-haired, and blue-eyed met her gaze. He had the audacity to smile, adding a little wave of his fingers to it.
"I've been waiting for you, Diana. You were gone all day, so I decided to keep myself busy."
There was no response from her. Complete silence.
He cocked a brow.
"Are you angry?" He frowned with faux innocence. "I told you I got bored. I'm a busy man, I couldn't just leave and come back. But don't worry, I know exactly what will make you feel better. I won't leave you out of this, so you are welcome to join us."
She shook where she stood.
"Oh come on, Diana. Normally, I wouldn't offer, but I'm doing so now because I truly want you to feel better. I wouldn't want you to call me a jerk like you did last—"
Diana turned away.
She walked with heavy steps towards the kitchen and pulled the fridge open. She grabbed a bottle of wine and spun on her heel, but Hallow stepped in her way.
"Ms, I think you need to calm dow—"
She snatched him by the collar of his shirt. "Get out of my way, Hallow, or I swear I'll smash your head into this wall. Don't. Test. Me."
Hallow frantically nodded and stumbled aside as she shoved him.
Diana stormed back to her room.
Stefanos was still kissing all over the woman's body, but he lifted his gaze at the sound of her steps, only for his eyes to broaden like saucers as the bottle smashed into his head, shattering to pieces.
Red wine streamed onto the white couch staining it and the blondie shrieked. She scrambled off him, screaming and staggering back to the door.
"Oh my goodness! You've lost your mind!"
Diana paid her no attention.
"What do you take me for, Stefanos?" Her voice was low, almost dead.
Stefanos groaned, clutching his bleeding head as he stumbled. "You crazy woman! You nut job!!"
"Get out," she said to him.
"What?"
"Get. Out. Of my house, Stefanos!"
He didn't stand around to find out if she meant it. He staggered, rushing out of the room with his head in his palm, barely able to stand on his feet.
The remains of the bottle dropped out of her hand.
Her chest heaved.
The wetness that had built up in her eyes broke. And then she broke as well and began sobbing, throwing her head back to the ceiling.
It had been an arranged marriage—yes—a way for both her family and his family to seal a business deal. But was it a crime to love the man she was eventually going to spend the rest of her life with?
Why couldn't he love her and even if he couldn't, was it so hard to treat her like a human being, like his wife?
She wasn't even asking for much. Just a scrap of his affection—a scrap of his respect. That would have been enough. But no! With Stefanos…that was a lot to ask.
Her body quivered frantically and she rubbed at the pain in her chest. "Hallow…could you—"
A sharp pain—one so abruptly excruciating stabbed into her abdomen and she gasped, stumbling back to clutch the wall for support.
The feeling of something running down her legs made her lower her head. And she froze.
Blood. Pooling beneath her feet. Soaking her pants and spreading across the marble floor.
Her face constricted in instant horror and she began screaming, loud enough that Hallow had rushed into the room, only to come to a stop at the door.
Their eyes met. He lowered his gaze to the floor.
"M-ms. Sorin." Panic overwhelmed him. "Oh, no, no, no! No!"
"Hallow…" Diana's voice cracked. "….I think I'm…"
She collapsed before she could finish her sentence, almost hitting the floor if not for Hallow who'd rushed over in time, catching her. He sank to his knees and with trembling hands, he took out his phone from his pocket, dialing a number.
[Why are you calling me this late, Hallow?]
"Sir Basti. Y-you need to get over here right now. Like, RIGHT NOW!"