Chapter 24 The Betrayer
I stepped out of the elevator and, sure enough, there was Edward, leaning against the door, waiting for me. The setting sun gave him this golden glow, making him look even more handsome. For the past four years, I'd imagined what it'd be like for Edward to wait for me to come home, but now that it was happening, I just felt sad. I didn't want to acknowledge him and walked right past.
"Diana, don't you have anything to say?" Edward blocked my way, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Shouldn't you be with Anne? What do you want from me?" I snapped, thoroughly fed up.
"Why were you with David? Didn't you delete his contact info?" So, this was what Edward was hung up on.
I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, so you can hang out with Anne, but I can't have any friends? David and I are just friends, unlike you and your sister."
"Diana, what are you implying? Anne is my sister; we grew up together. I've always seen her as family. Your thoughts are really twisted. Is this how Mrs. Howard should think?" Edward pressed me against the wall, his chest against mine, his lips dangerously close.
"27th floor," the elevator's mechanical voice announced, and the door suddenly opened. A neighbor walked out with a border collie. The door closed immediately.
Neither the man nor the dog probably expected to see someone playing ambiguous games in the elevator lobby. I awkwardly smiled at the man as a greeting.
After the man left, I finally spoke, "If you came here to argue, then sorry, I'm not in the mood. Please leave!" I told Edward to get lost.
"Diana, are you hurt? I saw that old woman hit you, and I came to bring you some medicine." Edward seemed to remember why he was here and pulled out a jar of ointment and an orange-flavored lollipop from his suit pocket.
"But when I saw David bring you back, do you know how angry that made me? Have you forgotten how David disrupted our wedding and all the trouble he's caused my company over the years?" Edward's voice was anxious. In the past, whenever we argued, as soon as Edward softened his voice, I'd forgive him. But not anymore.
"Well, thanks for the medicine, but I don't need it." I pointed to the bag in my hand.
"Did David buy this for you? Fine, it's good that you have his care. I guess I was wasting my time." Edward punched the fire door, making the hallway lights flicker.
"You were. David is my boss. His concern and help are just that of a boss for a subordinate. There's nothing inappropriate between us. Edward, your mind is too filthy, so you see everything as filthy." To me, Edward's violence was almost funny.
"Boss? You really went to work at David's company?" Edward couldn't believe it. "If you want to work, I can arrange a cushy job for you at my company. Do you know how much competition there is between the Wilson Family and us? And you went to work at his company. This is a betrayal to me!"
"Enough! Don't you know where I work? Didn't you have Albert send the bills to my office? And by the way, I only found out David invested in Stellar Legal Advisors after I joined. Sure, David caused me a lot of trouble in the past, but that was just childish pranks. And about him disrupting our wedding, was he really wrong? You never gave me the happy life I wanted!" I ignored Edward's changing expression and kept going.
"Fine, I'll give you the happy life you want right now!" Edward ripped open my collar, his cold lips frantically kissing my chest.
I screamed, pulling at my collar and pushing Edward away with all my strength. "Let go of me! As long as Anne exists, I won't be happy!"
"Whether you're happy or not, stay away from Anne in the future. I won't let you hurt her again. Also, Anne is heartbroken because of you. You're coming back with me to apologize to her." Edward stepped back and pressed the down button on the elevator.
My body regained its freedom, and I moved my shoulders, my anger making my heart race.
"Anne is still waiting for us at home, so I won't waste my breath here with you." The elevator door opened, and Edward pulled me inside.
The sunset's afterglow painted the woods outside the Howard Villa a golden hue. Anne and a boy stood in the woods, a gust of wind casting dappled shadows on them.
The boy, with his hands in his pockets, leaned against a motorcycle, his blond hair particularly striking in the sunset. He glanced at Anne with a sly smile. "Anne, you need to work harder. Edward is so rich. Once you get the money, we won't have to worry anymore."
"But Edward and Diana have been really good to me. How can I keep deceiving them?" Anne hesitated.
The boy retorted, "Good to you? Why should Diana enjoy Edward's wealth while we can't?" Anne bit her lip, lowered her head in silence. She stared at the fallen leaves on the ground, her voice trembling slightly, "After all, he's my brother, and Edward and Diana used to have a good relationship. But recently, they've been arguing because of me, and Diana even moved out of the villa. Isn't this too much?"
The boy impatiently frowned, stepping forward to grab Anne's shoulders. "Why are you so timid? What's too much about this? Life is about fighting for yourself. Diana moving out is perfect. Since you and Edward aren't related by blood, you can totally take this chance to get into Edward's bed and become Mrs. Howard yourself. Think about it, once we have the money, we can buy any car, form a racing team, and go anywhere we want. Don't you want that kind of life?"
Anne still hesitated. "But I'm afraid Edward will be angry if he finds out. Last time, he was really mad about us and told me not to see you anymore."
The boy snorted coldly, "What are you afraid of? Once we get the money, I'll be long gone. What can Edward do to us? Tell him you don't want to go to that crappy college anymore and ask for five million dollars to study abroad. No, ask for ten million dollars. He cares about you so much; he'll definitely give it to you."
Anne remained silent, her heart filled with conflict. The boy continued to persuade her, "Anne, don't hesitate anymore. This is our chance to change our fate. As long as you successfully seduce Edward and get ten million dollars, my dream will come true."
The sun gradually set, and the light in the woods grew dimmer. Anne stood there, unsure of what to do. The boy's ambition seemed even more sinister in the darkening woods. He stared intently at Anne, waiting for her decision.
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