Chapter 3

The next morning, Maria came knocking. "Mrs. Hendrix, Ms. Jackson has left, and Mr. Hendrix has gone to the office. The room's been cleaned up. Would you like to… move back in?" she carefully asked. "Thank you, Maria, but that won't be necessary. I slept in the guest room last night and found the lighting quite nice. Please move my belongings there instead," Diana replied with a gentle smile. Maria froze. "Huh?" Was Diana going to sleep in a separate room? "Oh, and another thing," Diana added as she turned around after taking a few steps forward. "Don't move anything Ms. Jackson used. Just leave them in that room." Gabriella might need them again some other time, and Diana found them… filthy. Maria stared at her in stunned silence and could barely process her words. Diana had always been known for her gentle temperament. After all the years Maria had worked for her, she had never once seen Diana lose her temper at the staff. Like her name suggested, Diana meant divine and heavenly. She was kind, gentle, and beautiful. No matter whom she spoke to, she always remained calm, poised, and never arrogant. People might see her acts as cool and graceful, but if they were to put it bluntly, she was simply boring and uninteresting. .. The night fell, and Vincent returned home after finishing his work at the company. He found the living room pitch-black and wondered why Diana hadn't left the lights on for him. The Hendrix family wasn't strict with the staff, especially with the considerate and understanding Diana as the matriarch of the family. Once dinner hours were over, the housekeepers could rest early and weren't expected to stay on guard. Typically at this hour, Diana would be in the living room, wrapped in a blanket while reading a book or sipping tea, quietly waiting for his return. But tonight, she was nowhere in sight. Vincent's gaze flickered. He took off his coat and switched on the lights himself. After searching the entire first floor, the familiar Diana was nowhere to be found. Vincent wondered if she had gone to bed upstairs. Just as he reached the stairs, thunder boomed outside. A bolt of lightning tore through the night sky, followed by a torrential downpour. The long-foretold storm had finally arrived in full force. Vincent frowned. On his way home, he had sensed the oppressive, suffocating tension of the looming storm. There was something about the eerie stillness before a storm that he didn't quite like today. He had even urged the driver to speed up. Now, as the rain poured, his heart began to race inexplicably as he looked out the windows. Was Diana still upset? At the thought, he paced up the stairs and pushed open the bedroom door. "Diana, I'm back—" The rest of the words caught in his throat. Vincent was stunned to find that Diana wasn't in the room. As a flash of realization struck him, he quickly pulled out his phone to call her. "What's wrong?" A familiar voice rang out behind him. It was Diana. Before he could say anything, she explained, "I slept in the guest room last night. I've noticed that it gets great sunlight during the day, and I can see the stars from the balcony at night. I think I'll keep sleeping there." Vincent fell silent, and his expression turned cold. "Suit yourself." With that, he disappeared down the hallway and slammed the door shut behind him. Diana curved her lips into a self-mocking smile. What had she been hoping for? Any gentleness or compromise Vincent had to give was now meant for one person, and that person was no longer her. He was clearly mad and probably thought she was making a scene. Her choice to sleep in a separate room was deemed irrational and unreasonable. … The next morning at breakfast, Vincent set down his glass of milk and said, "Gabby's just joined a new production team, and the film is horror-suspense-themed. She's scared, so I won't come back for a few days." Diana calmly spread cheese over her toast and replied, "Are you going to stay with her throughout the shoot? What about the company?" Although she had plans to leave, she couldn't deny that the Hendrix family had treated her well over the years. When the Gyleon family was on the brink of bankruptcy, the Hendrix family had stepped in with financial and legal support to save their collapsing business. Hendrix Corporation represented Jason's whole life of legacy and power, and she naturally wished them continued prosperity. To Vincent, her words sounded like jealousy again. He frowned and snapped, "I've said it many times. Gabby is young and naive, while the entertainment industry is filthy. She won't survive without me protecting her. "This project revolves around supernatural beings—things young ladies like her fear the most. I have to be there for her." Diana took a sip of milk. Her chest ached and throbbed, but her face remained expressionless. "I never said you couldn't go. Why are you so aggressive?" Vincent was momentarily at a loss for words. She was too calm. In the past, she would have panicked and confronted him. To others, she might always be calm and composed, but Vincent had seen a different side of her. She had cried, made a fuss, and broken down. Now, she was oddly calm. She didn't question or stop him either, and that threw him off. "I'm busy these days, too. And I plan to visit my parents for a bit." Diana dabbed at her lips with a napkin and looked up with a gentle smile. Vincent pressed his lips together. The unease that had built up in his chest finally eased. "Wait for me, Diana. I'll make it up to you with a proper birthday gift," he promised. Gabriella had ruined her birthday and their wedding anniversary. It was a wound that left a thorn in her heart that, even if pulled out, the scar would last forever. Hearing his words, Diana simply nodded and said nothing else. Seeing her being so obedient and considerate, Vincent smiled. He leaned in and tried to kiss her forehead, but she stood up and turned aside, only to have his kiss fall into empty air. Their eyes met, and for a split second, her heart trembled. It had been a long time since she had seen him smile like that. She used to see it often, but ever since he returned after going missing for two years, that smile was gone. If he ever smiled, it was for Gabriella. Back in the early days of their marriage, he had cherished Diana. She remembered that they had been full of passion and affection as newlyweds. Vincent had once sworn that she was the only woman he would ever love in this lifetime. If he broke the vow, he would lose all that he loved and even his life. He had gone so far as to have a vasectomy because she had once mentioned that she didn't want children. She had never doubted his sincerity and feelings for her, but it had changed. Perhaps even Vincent hadn't realized he had fallen in love with someone else. He had given his heart to Gabriella in those two years spent with her. Even without his memories, Vincent had resisted coming back and leaving Winderbay, only because Gabriella was there.