Chapter 12

Vincent tugged at Diana's arm, but she didn't move an inch. Puzzled, Vincent glanced at her, only to find her staring intently at the old fortune teller. She seemed intrigued. "Do you actually believe in that stuff?" Vincent frowned. Diana's eyes sparkled. She raised her head and stared at him as she confessed softly, "I've never tried fortune telling before. I'm kind of curious." Vincent was speechless. "Can I try?" she asked, her eyes shining with anticipation. He turned to glance at the old man again, then gave in. "As you like." A bright smile lit up her face. She trotted toward the fortune teller and squatted down, meeting him at eye level. "Hello, sir. I'd like to know my fortune," she said. The old man flashed a kind smile. "I read by feeling the bones in your hand. Young lady, your hand, please." Diana offered her hand without hesitation. Vincent, standing just behind her, looked on with growing displeasure. But when he saw how genuinely excited she was, he held back the irritation and impatience bubbling within him. He knew her better than anyone. She was always so calm and reserved, and she was completely different from someone like Gabriella, who was bubbly and bright. Diana rarely showed this vibrant and lively side of her. If that made her happy, Vincent would just let her be. Fortunately, no one else was around. If someone happened to snap a photo and post it online, others would find out that Diana was consulting a con artist on the street. Vincent would have died of embarrassment. The blind, old man finished examining her hand. Then, he turned in Diana's direction, as if he could somehow see her. "Young lady, when the spring blooms, you'll meet your true love," the old man said. Diana was confused by his words, so she asked, "What do you mean? True love? But… I'm already married." "Diana, let's go." Vincent strode toward Diana and tugged at her before he shot the old man a cold glare. Then, he taunted in disdain, "I didn't expect that I'd still see a scammer like you roaming the street in this century." As soon as Vincent said that, he dragged Diana away with a grim expression. Diana stumbled under the sudden force and nearly tripped, but Vincent didn't even notice. He was fuming. That con artist had just implied he wasn't Diana's true love. He thought it was just absurd. They were married, and she was his wife. They had grown up together. If he wasn't her true love, then who the hell would it be? "Scammers are everywhere these days," he snapped. "Don't talk to people like that again." Diana pressed her lips together. "I just—" "Diana!" He stopped abruptly and turned to her with a frosty look. "Don't forget who you are." His gaze was sharp, and his eyes were burning with restrained fury. "You're Mrs. Hendrix. You're not some random woman from the streets." For a moment, Diana just stared at him, stunned by the harshness in his expression. Behind them, the old man called out once more, his voice still calm. "Remember this, young lady. The cold will come soon, and only those who endure the long winter can live to see the spring." "Shut up!" Vincent spun around and barked. Diana looked at him calmly. "Let's go home." The moment was ruined. There was no point staying in the park. The two of them walked in silence with Diana trailing behind. Vincent had long legs, so Diana had to walk faster to catch up to him. He was burning with anger, so he walked faster and faster and didn't bother to check on Diana. Diana was struggling to keep up with his pace, and she was even jogging in the end. By the time they reached Hendrix Villa, Diana was drenched in sweat. Her face was flushed, and her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. "Oh my! Mrs. Hendrix, what happened?" Maria gasped at the sight of her and rushed over. "Are you okay?" "Ma…Maria… water. Please… I need water." Diana panted. "Yes, of course! Right away. Please, sit down and rest," Maria said, guiding her to the couch in the living room before hurrying off. Vincent, meanwhile, had already disappeared upstairs without a word or even looking back. He left her downstairs on her own. When Maria returned with a glass of water, Diana finished it at once. Maria gently rubbed her back with worry clouding her face. "Mrs. Hendrix, what happened between you and Mr. Hendrix? You came back looking absolutely exhausted…" Maria asked. Maria's heart ached. It seemed like things were finally smoothing over between the two. Why had it turned that way suddenly? Vincent had gone too far. Even if he disregarded the fact that Diana was his wife, she was a woman. He actually had let Diana stumble behind him and hadn't even waited for her. Diana's delicate face was flushed. When Maria saw that, she felt so bad that her eyes turned red. "I'm fine," Diana assured softly. Her voice sounded more stable now after she took a few sips of water. "Thank you for your concern, Maria. I'd like to go upstairs and take a shower." She ascended the stairs slowly, but when she passed by the master bedroom, she stopped. Her eyes lingered on the closed door. She reached out, ready to knock. But her knuckles hovered less than an inch from the surface, then froze. She stood there with her arm paused in mid-air. She was hesitating. Time flew by, but Diana didn't move. Eventually, she retracted her hand. She had yet to gather her courage. Keeping her head down, she made her way to the guest room in silence. Their relationship was on the rocks. By the time she finished showering, the night had fallen. Seated at her vanity, Diana gently dried her hair with a towel, then applied some oil to the ends. Her movements were slow, and her eyes were unfocused. She was obviously spacing out. Her thoughts drifted to the words that old fortune teller had said earlier that evening. "When the spring blooms, you'll meet your true love," were the words said by the fortune teller. What did he even mean by true love? But that statement must have something to do with spring. Diana opened a drawer and pulled out a stack of documents hidden at the very back. The divorce papers were already signed by Vincent. She could end this marriage anytime she wanted. However, she had promised Jason. Until he passed away, she and Vincent would pretend to be a loving couple, at least in front of him. It was Jason's only wish now. He had always treated her like his own granddaughter. Diana couldn't bear to see him upset or heartbroken, not after everything he had done for her. Even if it was just out of gratitude, she couldn't bring herself to walk away. Maybe a part of her still wasn't ready to let go. Diana drew back the curtains and looked out into the night. She couldn't spot the moon, and there was only a handful of stars. The dark clouds overcast the night sky completely. She hadn't eaten much at the charity gala, and she had only sipped some wine while making conversation with their business partners. Then, she had practically run all the way home. It had drained her. Now, the hunger was finally catching up to her. She left the room and headed downstairs. It was late, far too late to bother Maria. Hence, Diana would cook something simple for herself to ease her hunger. But when she reached the first floor, she noticed the lights were still on. Vincent was in the kitchen. It seemed like he was hungry, too. A faint smile crept across her face. The timing was just right. She wasn't good at cooking, and the food she made tasted horrible. Besides, she had stomach problems. She had only planned to eat just enough to ease her hunger. But now, she wouldn't have to suffer eating her own cooking. The thought eased her mood a little. Back when Vincent used to come home late from meetings and cook for himself, if she was still up, he would always ask her to have some with him. Just as the memory surfaced, Gabriella's voice rang out from the kitchen. "Vincent, you jerk! I called you so many times today, but you didn't answer even once!"