Chapter 230 Becoming Mrs. Howard Again
"I've got a ton of dirt on Aria's shady deals with foreign criminals, not to mention all the sketchy stuff she's done at the Howard Group. That's more than enough to get her locked up." I kept my voice steady and calm.
Edward's tone was icy as he replied, "So, you're asking me to let David go?"
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Sending David to Ignis isn't something you can just decide on your own. You think you can just let him back free?" I asked.
"Then what do you want from me?" Edward shot back.
Seeing that Edward was taking the bait, I stated firmly, "I want you to help me get back the shares of the Cooper Group."
Edward looked confused. "You were the one who asked me to help sell those shares in the first place. Why do you want them back now?"
He was right. I had indeed asked him to help sell the Cooper Group shares. But now, I had a clearer picture. Without the Cooper Group as a foundation, it would be difficult for me to negotiate with the Wilson family and help David return home. I needed strong business leverage to achieve my goals. Of course, I wasn't planning to share these thoughts with Edward just yet.
I kept my cool as I replied, "The Cooper Group was built from my parents' hard work. Now that they're gone, how could I bear to see it fall into someone else's hands?"
Edward thought for a moment before speaking slowly, "I can help you, but you have to agree to my conditions."
I smiled and said, "Go on."
"First condition, you must not go after Aria." Edward was serious, but I couldn't help but find it amusing.
I said, "Edward, do you think that by not going after her, she'll just get away with everything? They're involved in international fraud. Even if you don't take action, the police won't ignore it."
"That's the police's business. I don't want you involved," Edward insisted.
I nodded and asked, "Alright, what's the second condition?"
Edward replied, "Stay here and be Mrs. Howard."
Edward walked over to me, his unique, subtle scent filling the air. Sensing his determination, I decided not to waste any more words and quickly left the room.
As night fell, the Howard Villa was cloaked in darkness.
I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling heavy-hearted, reflecting on the day's events. Suddenly, the door opened gently, and Edward walked in, closing it behind him.
I instinctively shrank back, watching him warily. "What do you want?" I asked.
Edward seemed slightly hurt by my reaction but continued to approach, sitting down close to me on the bed.
"What do you think I want? It's night," he said, lying down on my bed and patting the spot next to him, signaling for me to lie down.
With no other option, I lay down beside him.
Edward reached out and grabbed my wrist. In the past, I would have quickly understood his intentions and climbed onto him. But now, with Edward lying next to me, I felt nothing.
"Diana, you've changed," Edward said.
"No, I haven't. You're the one who's changed," I shot back.
Edward chuckled dryly. "Fine, believe what you want."
I could feel his body getting closer, his lower half pressing against me, burning hot.
"Can we?" he asked softly, his voice tinged with hope.
I turned away, giving him silence as my answer.
"Diana, you weren't like this before," Edward said, disappointment clear in his voice.
I scoffed. "The old Diana was destroyed by you. You'll never get her back."
Hearing this, Edward took a deep breath. "I'll give you time to get used to being Mrs. Howard again, but don't make me wait too long," he said.
I laughed bitterly inside. Edward, you pulled me down from being Mrs. Howard with just one word. Now you thought you could make me go back with just several words?
At that moment, the door suddenly burst open. Edward and I both sat up.
"What are you doing?" It was Anne.
"Anne, why are you back?" Edward asked.
"Edward, why did you bring her back? If I didn't come back, would this house have a new hostess?" Anne shouted at Edward, her chest heaving, clearly having run all the way here.
Edward stood up, trying to calm her down. "Anne, it's not what you think..."
"I don't care!" Anne interrupted him harshly. "You two are divorced."
"So, you're here to fight over him?" I questioned.
Anne seemed taken aback by my directness, pausing for a while before speaking. "He's my brother. Of course, he should be with me."
Anne grabbed Edward's arm, her voice breaking. "Edward, don't listen to her. Come with me, okay? We're the closest."
With that, she shot me a fierce glare.
Edward sighed, gently patting Anne's hand. "Anne, stop it. Let's go back to your room and talk," he said.
"No!" Anne stomped her foot, holding on tighter. She continued, "Not unless you promise to put me to bed every night from now on."
I leaned against the headboard, watching them coldly. "Anne, do you think this is fun?" I asked.
"Shut up!" Anne snapped, turning to yell at me. "This is between Edward and me. It's none of your business!"
Edward frowned, his tone firm. "Anne, don't be rude."
Hurt flashed across Anne's face. "Edward, you're scolding me to protect her! That's not fair!"
Tears streamed down her face.
Edward, feeling sorry for her, wiped her tears away. He said, "Alright, Anne, I'll take you back to your room. Crying won't solve anything."
He then let Anne lead him to the door. At the doorway, Edward glanced back at me before disappearing into the dark hallway.
Anne said, "Edward, you have to tell me a bedtime story every night, just like when we were kids. I love the story of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf.'"
Edward replied, "Okay, I'll tell you a story."
After Edward and Anne left, I was exhausted and soon fell asleep.
Fortunately, even though Edward had brought me back to the Howard Villa, he hadn't restricted my freedom to leave. I had a lot of work to handle and couldn't afford to be distracted by Edward and his women.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
