Chapter301While You May Not Mind, Others Do
“Liam, I'm out with a friend. It'll take about an hour and a half to get to Willow Heights. Is that okay?"
Diana didn't want Liam to worry, so she called him after getting into the car.
"I'll wait." Liam didn't say anything more than those two words before hanging up.
— I'll wait.
Just two simple words. Yet, Diana felt the depth of Liam's need for her, perhaps even his dependence.
It was an incredible sensation, something she'd never experienced while dreaming of being his woman, loving him.
Now, as his executive assistant, being recognized and needed by him at work brought Diana an immense sense of satisfaction.
"Is it urgent?" Douglas asked while carefully driving and glancing at her swiftly.
"Yeah, it's urgent," Diana nodded, "Can you drive a bit faster?"
"Sure, no problem." With that, Douglas pressed the gas pedal a little harder, and the car sped down the highway like a bullet.
Back at the Willow Heights mansion, Liam sat on his bedroom couch, as still as a cold sculpture, narrowing his deep-set eyes at the bed where Lauren lay unconscious.
Liam couldn't believe how drastically things had escalated with Lauren. Just the previous night, she had attempted suicide, and now, after escaping from the hospital, she was back at the Willow Heights mansion, setting a fire in another desperate bid to end her life.
If it hadn't been for the timely intervention of the Willow Heights security guard who rushed into the villa to extinguish the fire and called him, Lauren would have likely been nothing more than charred remains by now.
The thing he loathed the most was a woman's relentless clinging – it was the clear-cut type like Diana he genuinely admired—someone who could both grasp and release without obsessing over a person or a matter.
Yet, by getting tangled with Diana and keeping Lauren close, he was admitting to his inability to let go of Teresa. It was his mistake.
Since he had never truly had it, the longing in his heart never ceased.
Now, all he wanted was to start afresh with Faith, to live a simple married life, steering clear of entanglements with any other women.
Without Yvonne's encouragement and her parent’s tarnished reputation due to imprisonment, he might have continued the relationship with Lauren. Waiting until she was closer to graduation could have legitimized their status, and marriage might have even been a consideration.
Sadly, even if she tried hard to please him, her fate as a disposable pawn was ultimately sealed.
Now, as he looked at Lauren lying on the bed, any last bit of sympathy and fondness Liam felt for her vanished utterly.
With the things he had given her before and a five-million-dollar settlement, she could have lived well, if not lavishly.
But now, since Lauren couldn't find her place and insisted on her self-destructive path, he couldn't afford her anything more.
Meanwhile, Douglas sped through the streets, turning a ninety-minute drive into an hour's journey.
Seeing Douglas manage the car so swiftly and smoothly while still finding the energy to joke and keep her spirits up, Diana's affection for him grew.
His tenderness and patience didn't seem fitting for a man of merely twenty-one.
Compared to her previous two serious boyfriends, Douglas was by far superior in every way.
"Douglas, thank you!" Diana said sincerely as she unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car at Liam's driveway.
Douglas flashed a grin, raising an eyebrow playfully, "Go on in. I'll wait for you here."
"No!" Diana quickly refused, "I don’t know how long it'll take. You should head back."
"I'm fine, and honestly, rather than going back and being bored alone, I'd rather wait here," said Douglas, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out of the car.
He walked around the front of the vehicle to Diana's side and, without her expecting it, leaned down and planted a quick kiss on her forehead. "Go on in. I'll be here waiting."
Diana looked at him, her heart rippling uncontrollably, sending waves of exquisite emotions through her.
"Okay," Diana flashed a smile, her lips curving upwards. "If it's late, I'll give you a call."
"Sure," Douglas nodded, his gaze lingering on Diana as she entered the mansion, and then he got back into the car.
The first floor of the mansion was dark, and the only light was a dim floor lamp shining through the window of a second-floor bedroom.
Diana wasn't sure if Liam was in there, but as she reached the door, she took out her phone and dialed Liam's number.
"Liam, I'm here, right outside," she said quickly as the call connected.
"Just come in and head to the bedroom upstairs," Liam instructed, his voice reserved.
"All right," Diana agreed, hung up, punched in the gate code, and entered.
Diana, unable to see clearly due to the poor lighting, instinctively flipped the switch to brighten the space. As the room illuminated, she was shocked to see the living room in disarray.
The sofa, curtains, and furniture all bore marks of scorching, though the fire damage wasn't complete. The floor was dotted with water stains, likely from extinguishing the flames.
