Chapter 162 Rules
Charles had just hung up on Jacob, and his right thumb was absentmindedly rubbing his index finger joint—a little habit he had when he was deep in thought.
Ever since the prenatal checkup, he noticed that the emotional wall he had built up against Diana was starting to crumble.
He even entertained the idea that if she behaved, maybe he could keep her around.
But then he remembered the way Diana looked at him with those hateful eyes, and he clenched his fist, standing up in frustration.
He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and lit a cigarette. As the smoke filled the room, he started to calm down.
There was a knock on the door.
"Mr. Percy, it's me," Nolan's voice came from outside.
Charles lowered his eyes and said flatly, "Come in."
Nolan walked in and saw Charles smoking, which was unusual. Charles wasn't a regular smoker; he only did it occasionally. There hadn't been any issues with the company's shareholders or at The Percy Manor lately, so why was he smoking now?
Nolan didn't voice his thoughts. Instead, he stepped forward and handed over an invitation.
"Mr. Percy, an invitation from the Richardson Group. It's from Vance."
Charles took the black, thin paper but didn't open it right away. He turned and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. "What does he want?"
Since their last call, Charles and Vance hadn't been in touch. Billy had been keeping a low profile and hadn't bothered Diana again.
"He says it's to celebrate his 60th birthday, but the word around is that it's a matchmaking event for Billy. They've invited a lot of wealthy young ladies. Do you want to go?"
Charles glanced at the invitation and found Nolan's explanation amusing.
"Yeah, I'll go," he said with a nod. How could he miss such a good show?
"Are you taking Ms. Murphy or Ms. Spencer?" Nolan asked.
"What do you think?" Charles shot him a look that clearly said he thought the question was stupid.
Nolan felt a chill and quickly understood. "Okay, I'll notify Ms. Spencer right away."
He turned and left the office, making his escape.
As soon as he stepped out, Nolan saw Claire looking at him expectantly.
"Ms. Murphy, Mr. Percy already has a companion," Nolan said, sounding a bit helpless. By rights, Claire should be the one to attend this event. But Charles had other plans, and no one could change his mind.
"Then who is Charles taking?" Claire asked, a hint of resentment in her eyes.
"Of course, it's..." Nolan started to answer but then remembered Diana's special status and quickly changed his words. "Ms. Murphy, you should ask Mr. Percy yourself. It's his decision. I'm just the messenger."
With that, he turned and left.
Claire gritted her teeth but didn't say anything more. She thought, 'Diana again! Anyway, I have to attend this event!'
Over at the Spencer Group, Clara's team was in a slump. It wasn't because of the competition between the two teams, but because Clara's temper had become increasingly unpredictable. They had revised the plan more than ten times, and she still wasn't satisfied.
Recently, Clara had disappeared again, and the entire team's work had stalled because they couldn't get her approval.
In contrast, Diana's team, even though Diana wasn't there, had found someone to fill in. The guy wore gold-rimmed glasses and looked scholarly. He was on the phone in the office.
The office door was open, and Nia and Axel couldn't help but talk as they passed by.
Nia asked, "Axel, who is this guy? A professional agent? He doesn't look like one."
"Their team is super secretive. All we know is his name is Robert. That's it," Axel said, frowning with dark circles under his eyes.
He was exhausted from dealing with the flood of negative comments online. He had posted over ten PR articles, but as soon as he managed to suppress some, new ones would pop up. It was hard not to think someone was targeting them on purpose.
"The future looks pretty grim," Nia muttered softly.
Axel snapped, "Alright, just do your job. Even if the company goes under, you won't be the one losing out."
Nia thought about it and shrugged, "Yeah, we're all in this together. I don't think the other team can hold on much longer either."
He glanced at the office again. Inside, Robert met his gaze, startling him. He quickly looked away.
The next second, Robert stood up, walked to the door, and closed it, cutting off all prying eyes.
He said in a low voice, "Nothing, go on."
Diana lay on the bed, her legs raised unconsciously, and continued, "We have all the evidence against Nathan. They can't bail him out. The charge of hiring hitmen to kill won't go away."
Diana smiled, feeling particularly pleased at the thought of the Williams family's downfall.
Robert's tone was hesitant, "Will Clara still being at the Spencer Group affect your plan?"
"No, she'll be gone soon. Robert, they've used my mother's things for so many years. It's only fun if they lose everything slowly." Diana's voice was gentle, but it sent chills down one's spine.
Robert's Adam's apple bobbed, his heart pounding. This was the real Diana, vengeful for the sake of her loved ones.
"Alright, I'll handle everything. How are you doing at The Percy Mansion?"
Diana turned over, her tone becoming flat. "Just the same, as long as I don't make him angry."
But Charles's reasons for getting angry were hard to predict.
Robert sighed in relief at her words, "Take care of yourself."
Diana was about to respond when a knock came from outside the door.
"Ms. Spencer, it's time to eat. Is anyone in there?" Jacob's voice was muffled through the door.
"No, I'm watching TV." Diana hung up the phone and got up to respond.
Although Jacob was nice to Diana, like Brenda, they were ultimately loyal to Charles. As a result, they monitored Diana both openly and secretly.
Diana didn't mind. Her private space at The Percy Mansion was much larger than at Grace General Hospital.
Jacob added, "Come out and eat, Dr. Ramos has brought the nutritional meal."
"Okay, I'll be right there."
Diana tidied her hair. Evelyn and Tessa had gone down and hadn't returned yet. She wondered how they were doing.
When she reached the dining room, she saw Evelyn wearing the same uniform as the other servants, standing by the table. Seeing Diana, Evelyn's eyes brightened but then she lowered her head.
Diana frowned and walked to Evelyn's side, "What's this about?"
"Ms. Spencer, it's the Percy family's rule. You should eat first, don't worry about me." Evelyn didn't lift her head, her voice weak.
Bronte chimed in, "Yes, Ms. Spencer, you should eat. The Percy family's servants are all the same."
Diana stood silently in front of them. The next second, she grabbed Evelyn's arm and pulled her out, "My maid follows my rules, not the Percy family's."
With that, Diana pushed Evelyn into a dining chair and raised her voice, "Go ahead and eat. You dined with me at the Spencer Villa, and you'll do the same here."
Tessa stepped forward, "Ms. Spencer, this is against the rules. She's just a maid, how can she eat at the same table as you?"
"Exactly, Jacob, what do you think?" Bronte chimed in, throwing the question to Jacob.
Jacob felt a chill run down his spine. Evelyn, being a maid, should follow the rules at The Percy Mansion, but judging by Diana's expression, she clearly wouldn't agree.
Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Jacob cleared his throat. "Ms. Spencer, let's go with your idea."
Diana, holding her cutlery, nodded slightly. She turned to Evelyn and said softly, "Let's eat. This uniform is hideous. Wear whatever you want at home."
As soon as she said this, the faces of the standing servants soured. They were all servants, so why could she sit at the table and eat?
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