Chapter 36 The Trap Set by Edward
Edward showing up out of nowhere made me realize things were way more complicated than just saying sorry to Anne at the hospital. He probably had some bigger plan in mind. If I went with him, who knew what would happen?
"Joshua, I'm beat. Can you take me home?" I said, giving him a flirty look.
Joshua, knowing exactly what kind of guy Edward was, played along. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and walked me out of the barbecue joint.
He got us a designated driver and sat with me in the back seat. Before hopping in, he gave my cheek a little pinch. It might seem like nothing to most people, but to Edward, it was definitely crossing the line.
I could almost feel Edward's eyes burning with rage, ready to tear us apart.
As soon as we left the parking lot, I saw Edward's car tailing us in the rearview mirror.
Joshua, who had quickly climbed the ranks to captain in a super competitive police force, wasn't someone to mess with. He had a quick chat with the driver, and soon enough, we lost Edward.
When we got to my apartment building, I whispered to Joshua, still playing the weak card, "Joshua, wanna come up for a bit?"
Joshua blushed instantly, losing all the swagger he had when he was provoking Edward at the restaurant.
"Haha, didn't expect you to blush, Joshua. After all these years, seems like you haven't made much with the ladies, have you?"
Realizing I was teasing him, Joshua got serious and said, "You should go upstairs. I need to head back."
Once home, I quickly told my friends about running into Edward when I met Joshua.
I thought everyone was asleep, so I pulled a few people into a group chat and left a message.
To my surprise, the group lit up right after I finished. I invited Joshua into the chat, telling everyone he was the captain of the police force and one of us.
If anything happened to me, they could contact Joshua.
Lila got so scared she started crying, and after a bit more chatting, everyone went to bed.
Early the next morning, I got a call from Clara. "Diana, are you okay? We haven't seen each other since all this went down. I really miss you. Anne's almost healed and she's getting discharged today. Hayden's not well, and Edward's swamped with work. Can you help me pick up Anne from the hospital?"
Clara's gentle and humble tone was hard to resist. Considering how kind Clara had always been to me, I reluctantly agreed.
The long hospital corridor was quiet and solemn. The white walls and floor had that faint smell of disinfectant mixed with a slight chill. The light was soft and warm but had a hint of sadness. Something felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
There were no nurses at the station, so it was unusually quiet. Suddenly, I realized I had walked right into Edward's trap.
I turned to run but was pinned to the ground by plainclothes officers who had been lying in wait.
Before I could even react, my hands were cuffed behind my back.
Then, Edward and Donovan strolled out from the nurse's station. "Edward, you despicable man!" I yelled.
Edward snorted, "If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place? If you had come to apologize to Anne earlier, I could have stopped the police from arresting you. You brought this on yourself."
Ignoring Edward, I turned to Donovan and said, "Donovan, I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon."
Donovan smirked and said, "Mrs. Howard, we're just doing our job. The two men who kidnapped Anne confessed that you ordered them to do it. We're just taking you in for questioning."
I looked at Edward, asking, "So this is your doing, Edward?"
Edward didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on a distant hospital room. "I want to see Clara."
Following Edward's gaze, I saw Clara slowly walking out of the room, accompanied by Anne.
Anne's injury had completely healed. Her small frame looked even more fragile in the oversized hospital gown.
"Edward, do we really have to let the police take Diana?" Clara asked anxiously. "Can't you talk it over?"
Seeing Clara at that moment, my heart sank. This woman, whom I considered closer than Mia, had deeply hurt me.
I quickly calmed down, realizing she was Anne's biological mother and Edward's adoptive mother. Compared to them, what was I?
"Diana, I can't believe it was really you," Anne said, covering her mouth and crying.
She threw herself into Edward's arms. "Edward, Diana really hates me. I was so scared that if those bad people took me away and killed me, I'd never see you again."
"Anne, I will never abandon you," Edward said, holding Anne while looking at me over her shoulder.
"I'm so scared, Edward. I don’t want to lose my parents or you."
I sneered, "Edward, I've told you before that I didn't orchestrate this. You didn't believe me, but I will prove my innocence, and you will all pay for this."
Two officers lifted me off the ground, ready to take me away.
"Wait!" A steady voice came from the hospital room. Hayden, leaning on a cane, slowly walked out. "I won't allow you to take Diana."
He was panting heavily. "Edward, you bastard, the Howard Family can't afford this disgrace!"
Donovan quickly supported Hayden. "Mr. Hayden Howard, don't worry. We're just taking Mrs. Howard in for questioning. After all, this is a family matter. We're just doing our job to give you an explanation." With that, he signaled the officers to take me away.
"Diana, don't worry. The Howard Family won't abandon you. Even if everyone else does, I won't!" Hayden said, leaning against the door and coughing violently.
"Dad, Edward and I have decided to divorce." I didn't want Hayden to worry about me. Regardless of the duration of the pain, it must be endured. I might as well announce my decision to divorce Edward.
"You!" Hayden raised his cane, pointing it at Edward, but couldn't speak.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
