Vincent had always prohibited me from disobeying him, and my constant refusal of his romantic overtures seemed to have thoroughly enraged him.
However, I no longer bothered about it.
As I entered the vehicle, Mrs. Cross exhaled deeply. "Are you certain you want to depart this early? Why not linger until your birthday arrives?"
I looked at the flight reservation set for three days later and respectfully declined Mrs. Cross's thoughtful proposal.
I never anticipated that after joining her for an afternoon tea gathering with her acquaintances, I would slowly lose awareness.
In my foggy state, I caught Mrs. Cross's quiet murmur.
"Diana, please don't hold this against me. I simply wish for Vincent to end his relationship with that woman, so I have no choice but to wrong you! Rest assured, I'll ensure Vincent takes responsibility for his actions!"
She made a call, secured the door from outside, and departed. Upon regaining consciousness, my body felt unbearably warm.
"Have you awakened?"
Recognizing a somewhat familiar voice, I recalled it belonged to Julian, the man who had previously approached Vincent about me.
"What brings you here?"
Julian examined my face intently, a casual grin on his lips as he spoke, "Didn't you overhear that conversation? Are you still hoping Vincent will come for a passionate encounter with you? He claimed he wouldn't allow anyone to touch his property, yet he ultimately permitted me to enter, didn't he?"
Julian's tone was nonchalant, but his words stung deeply.
He chuckled as he retrieved his phone and displayed his message exchange with Vincent.
[Assist me with a task. I'll provide a substantial reward upon completion.]
Following that was the location and room number.
I felt a twinge in my heart as I checked my own phone. As expected, there was a message from Vincent waiting for me.
[Diana, are you that desperate to improve your social standing? Don't assume that by winning over my mother, you can easily persuade me. Playing hard to get won't work on me!]
I had always known Vincent despised me, but I hadn't realized it had reached this level.
All I did was refuse his advances once, and now he treated me like an unwanted burden, disparaging me in this manner.
"Aren't you Vincent's close friend? What do you hope to achieve by intentionally revealing the truth to me?"
The Parker Family was affluent and influential, with Julian as the heir. I couldn't fathom what he could possibly lack.
"Why am I doing this? Didn't you hear everything that day?"
I was taken aback.
"If it weren't for you, who would want to associate with him? A group of journalists were waiting outside, all arranged by Mrs. Cross. She merely wants to compel you to wed Vincent, especially now that she's aware you're the Carter Family's heiress. Only through marrying Vincent can the Carter Family overlook the fact that their daughter was mistreated by her son for five years..."
As expected of Vincent's mother. Any kindness she showed me always concealed an ulterior motive.
Faced with my composed demeanor, Julian continued to speak softly. "Have you considered being with me instead?"