Chapter 20

Diana recalled the time when Vincent held her hand and grinned as they playfully teased each other. He bent down and kissed the corner of her lips. Then, he gently brushed the snowflakes from her eyelashes and held her face with both hands. His eyes were full of affection as he said, "Diana, I'll love you for my whole life. Let's be together forever until the end of time!" The words "until the end of time" echoed in her mind. Diana caught a snowflake, and it melted as soon as it touched her skin. He would love her for his whole life. She let out a bitter laugh. Diana wondered what love was. In this hopeless marriage, love was fleeting—something she hardly got hold of. She would always be the one who got left behind in every circumstance after careful consideration. Her vision gradually became blurred. She blinked, and tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes. She had already made up her mind to leave. Despite that, every time she recalled the beautiful and joyful moments in the past few years, she felt an excruciating pain engulfing her. She walked on, lost in a daze. Thicker snow fell from the sky. The snowflakes swirled in the air and turned the surroundings into a disorienting blur in a few minutes. Her limbs turned numb from the cold. Suddenly, an umbrella appeared above her head. She froze. Then, she turned around and was baffled. The moment their eyes met, Diana could tell that the person was stunned, too. For a moment, everything around the two seemed to stop. The man's refined features were flawless, and there was a subtle smile playing on his lips. His eyes were mesmerizing, but instead of looking wild and free, he seemed gentle and graceful. Diana stood there in a daze for a while. It was her first time meeting such a good-looking man who would make her mind go blank. At that moment, there was only one thought in her mind. The man before her was exceptionally attractive and truly one of a kind. "Ms. Gyleon, it's snowing heavily and the roads are slippery. Why are you out here without an umbrella?" the man asked. His voice was soft and sounded better than she expected. "Do you know who I am?" Diana couldn't help asking. She had always been more attentive than others. The first moment she saw him, she noticed a flicker of emotion in his gleaming eyes. It felt as if he had known her for a long time. Diana didn't know why she would feel such a strange sense of familiarity. She just went with her instinct. The man smiled as he introduced himself, "Ms. Gyleon, everyone in Heyton knows you. Nice to meet you. I'm Charlie Jackman." Diana immediately looked up when she heard his name. Charlie Jackman was the Scott family's only heir, and they had cut ties with him. "Ms. Gyleon, don't catch a cold," Charlie reminded. As soon as Charlie finished speaking, he shoved the umbrella into her hand and took off his scarf before offering it to her. From the way he kept addressing her as "Ms. Gyleon", it seemed like he didn't care about her identity as "Mrs. Hendrix". Diana had always been popular since she was young, and many men had been trying to impress her. Normally, a man like Charlie would have offered to walk her home, but he didn't. Because of that, she wasn't annoyed. After all, she was married. It would be odd if a stranger sent her home personally. Vincent might not care about keeping boundaries with other women and would just accept them, but Diana wasn't an easy woman. She didn't take the scarf. Instead, she held the umbrella he had given her and nodded at him politely. "Mr. Jackman, thanks for the umbrella. I'll transfer the money to you. Take it as I'm buying the umbrella from you," Diana said. Borrowing and returning the umbrella would only create more interactions between them, and Diana wouldn't want to land herself in trouble. Besides, she thought it wasn't worth the trouble, too. It was only an umbrella and probably meant nothing to Charlie. However, it would make her look ungrateful if she didn't return it to him. However, if she refused… She looked at the sky and saw the heavy snow. Then, she gave up the thought. If she didn't want to get buried in snow before she could even reach the villa, it would be better if she took the umbrella and went home. "Ms. Gyleon, you're truly a businesswoman," Charlie said with a smile. "Keep the umbrella, and you don't have to pay for it." Then, he continued, "Ms. Gyleon, it gets dark early in winter. You should go home as soon as possible." Charlie was gentle as he added, "If we happen to meet again someday, could I ask for a small favor?" Diana looked puzzled. "What is it?" "Give me your contact number," Charlie replied. If they ever met again… Before Diana could respond, Charlie had already turned around and walked away in the cold wind. In the villa, Vincent had been restless the past few days, probably from lack of rest. He had been going to the company and the film site for many days. Besides, he had to keep Gabriella company and cheer her up. It was no surprise that his energy was running low. That day, he had a foreboding feeling and decided not to visit the film site in the afternoon. Gabriella was slightly displeased and complained for a bit. Vincent had told his assistant to buy the latest handbag to send it to Gabriella. Young women usually favored jewelry, bags, high-end skincare products, and customized dresses. Vincent had plenty of money. There was no harm in buying more if that could make Gabriella happy. Back at the villa, he sat on the couch, staring blankly at his watch. The snow was heavy outside, and Antonio didn't go out. Vincent wondered what Diana was doing out there. She hadn't come home even after so long. Frustrated, he grabbed his coat and put it on, then headed out right away. "Mr. Hendrix, where are you going? I'll call Antonio." Maria rushed out before she could take off her apron. "No need. I'll find her myself." Vincent frowned, his face cold. He drove the car out of the garage, stepped on the accelerator, and left the villa. On the way, he called her, but nobody answered the call. Vincent grew more frustrated. "She's an adult, but she still acts like a kid and leaves home as she wishes…" he mumbled. Suddenly, he stopped the car. Sitting at the roadside was an old man. He was the fortune teller who had done a reading for him and Diana. Vincent scoffed. He never believed in those scammers, but Diana easily fell for things like this. He suddenly thought of something. Then, he pulled over, got out of the car, and walked up to that blind old man. "Hey, old man." Vincent went in front of him. He looked down at him and asked, "Did the woman who asked about her fortune look for you today?" The fortune teller raised his head, and his vacuous eyes spotted Vincent immediately. Then, the fortune teller flashed an unfathomable smile. "Young man, don't disappoint the person who truly loves you. I can see that your relationship is on the rocks. If you keep this going, you'll lose the love of your life and spend the rest of your life alone," said the fortune teller.