Chapter 12 Isn't This What You Wanted?
But Diana switched gears and grabbed the wine bottle they just ordered, stating, "Alright, here's the deal. The person picked has to do whatever the Joker says. If they chicken out, they gotta drink."
She paused, flashing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, which were practically shooting daggers.
"I can't do this one, so I'll take the hit and down three glasses." Without waiting for Charles to say anything, she tilted the bottle back and started chugging.
The room went dead quiet, the only sound was Diana gulping down the wine.
Charles just watched her, stone-faced, not saying a word.
Even though she said three glasses, Diana drank more to avoid any hassle from them.
Diana wasn't a fan of booze; she thought it tasted like crap. Usually, if she drank, it was some sweet, low-alcohol stuff.
After downing half the bottle, she let out a loud burp, totally unladylike.
The alcohol hadn't hit her yet, but she felt like puking, her stomach all bloated.
Matthew started clapping. "Wow, didn't think Mr. Percy's date could hold her liquor."
But before he could finish, Diana wobbled out of her seat, barely able to walk straight.
The waiter, used to this kind of scene, followed her to the restroom to help out.
Charles looked at the leftover wine on Diana's table, grabbed it, and dumped it into a nearby flower pot.
Diana stumbled into the restroom and puked her guts out into the toilet.
The mix of stomach acid and booze burned her throat. Even when there was nothing left, she kept dry heaving for another half minute.
Outside, a female waiter was on standby. Hearing nothing from Diana for a while, she knocked on the door. "Miss, you okay in there? Need any help?"
The waiter listened at the door for a bit. Just as she was about to open it, she heard a weak, raspy voice.
"I'm fine, can you get me some water?" Diana croaked.
"Sure, I'll leave it right outside. You'll see it when you come out. If you need anything else, just holler," The waiter replied.
After puking, Diana's throat felt like sandpaper. It took her a bit to recover, her stomach on fire.
She opened the door and saw the water and towel the waiter had left.
Diana pushed her messy hair out of her face and splashed some cold water on it. Even though she puked most of it out, some alcohol still got digested. Her face was a bit flushed, and her chest felt tight.
She rinsed her mouth and drank some water to soothe her throat. Her head finally started to clear, and she began to think about her next move.
Since Charles brought her here to blow off steam, he probably had more tricks up his sleeve.
Diana hadn't fully taken control of the Spencer Group's business yet, so she couldn't just bail or fight back. It was a real mess.
She slapped her cheeks, trying not to overthink it.
She'd survived Charles's beatings for the past few days. With so many people around today, he could only come up with ways to mess with her.
"Miss, you feeling better? Mr. Percy wants you back." The waiter's voice cut through her thoughts.
Diana dried her hands and nodded. When she got back to the room, only two people were left.
Matthew was pouring wine for Charles, grinning like a suck-up.
As the head of the Percy Group, Charles had resources everyone wanted.
Even though Matthew was a boss too, he didn't have much clout.
Three years ago, his company lost a bunch of big clients because of some internal drama. Matthew was here today to try and get in good with the Percy Group.
Everyone knew Matthew's company was hanging by a thread and needed this deal with Charles to stay afloat.
Nolan was pretty shocked when he set up the meeting today. Normally, the Percy Group wouldn't touch a company like Matthew's with a ten-foot pole.
But when Charles found out Diana had sent Clara to the police station, he had Nolan set this up.
Nolan figured Charles was more interested in messing with Diana than just sticking up for Clara.
"Mr. Percy, I've had a blast today. What do you think about our deal?" Matthew raised his glass, looking all humble.
Guys like him were sharp. Times had changed, and even though Matthew was almost ten years older than Charles, he still had to bow down to someone more capable.
Charles stayed cool, clinking glasses but not drinking.
When Diana walked in, he finally spoke, "Mr. Moore, I'm looking forward to our partnership. I've gone over the contract. Nolan."
Diana only noticed Nolan lurking in the shadows when Charles mentioned him.
Nolan respectfully handed over the documents and a pen. Charles didn't even glance at them and passed them to Matthew.
Matthew was pumped and quickly signed his name on the last page.
Nolan carefully put the contract away and faded back into the shadows.
Diana frowned, seeing the deal was done. She figured she had no more reason to stick around and said, "Congrats to both of you. If there's nothing else, I'll head out."
But as soon as she reached the door, some familiar guys in black blocked her way.
Behind her, Charles's cold voice cut through, "Mr. Moore, I heard you're separated from your wife. Since our deal is sealed, let me throw in a little bonus."
As Charles spoke, the men in black shoved Diana in front of the two men.
Matthew, catching the hint, looked eagerly at Diana.
But seeing their earlier cozy behavior, Matthew was a bit hesitant. He asked, "Mr. Percy, is this for real? You're not messing with me, right?"
"Of course not, as long as you can handle her, she's yours." Charles smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Matthew rubbed his hands, eager to get started, and drawled, "Then..."
Charles got the message and left the room with Nolan.
As Charles brushed past Diana, he paused for just a split second.
Diana did look particularly stunning today, her black dress showing off her slim figure. Her makeup was lighter than usual, a stark contrast to how Charles remembered her.
But Charles only gave her a quick glance before looking away in irritation.
No matter how Diana changed, Charles was already completely fed up with her.
Diana, held by the men in black, struggled to grab Charles's sleeve. She shouted angrily, "Charles, what the hell is this?"
But the next second, Charles shook her off in disgust. "Diana, stop pretending. Isn't this what you wanted?"
Diana fired back, "Do you even know what I want? Wasn't it you who dragged me here from home?"
Charles's lips curled as he leaned close to her ear and said coldly, "You sent Clara to the police station just to crash today's party, didn't you? Now you're playing innocent."
As he spoke, Charles's breath tickled Diana's ear.
She frowned, finally getting the picture. Charles had totally misunderstood her. He thought she was still the old Diana, scheming to be with him.
Diana scoffed, "Mr. Percy, you really think too highly of yourself. I was just taking care of my family matters. What's it got to do with you?"
But Charles sneered, clearly not buying it. He shoved her towards Matthew. "Diana, I'll give you what you want now. Enjoy it."
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