Chapter 403 Sophistry
Charles held her tightly, and Diana weakly pounded his back twice with her fists.
"I can't breathe," she whispered.
Fortunately, her lips were close to Charles' ear, so even though her voice was faint, he heard it.
Seeing that she still had the strength to speak, Charles' wildly beating heart began to calm. He loosened his grip and gently rubbed her back, then shot a cold glare to the side.
Stella froze under his icy stare, her breath catching. She tried to speak but no words came out.
Just then, Calista pushed through the crowd, her voice urgent.
"What happened? Miss, are you okay? How did you fall into the pool? We've called a doctor, please hold on."
A servant handed Charles a towel, and he wrapped it around Diana.
"Mr. Percy, I'm so sorry. The party's in the garden, and we didn't cover the pool. We never thought someone would fall in. It was an accident, really," Calista said, her face earnest.
She reached out to help, but he pulled away.
Charles' eyes were cold, his voice even colder.
"Mrs. White, you better have a good explanation for this."
He didn't buy the accident story. Diana wasn't clumsy, and she could swim. For her to almost drown, something was off.
Plus, when he arrived, the place was in chaos. Clearly, something had gone down before the fall.
As he lifted Diana into his arms, he shot a piercing look at Stella, making her tear up uncontrollably.
The crowd watched in silence, their minds buzzing with questions.
Wasn't this supposed to be an engagement party? Why was Stella crying? And who was the woman Charles was holding?
Their thoughts were interrupted when Nolan stepped in.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize. Mr. Percy and Mr. White have urgent matters to discuss. The party is over, and we'll arrange for someone to escort you out shortly."
He paused, his polite smile fading slightly.
"Mr. Percy also requests that today's events remain private. Please, don't spread word of this incident."
It was a clear warning.
Nolan's eyes scanned the crowd like a hawk.
Slowly, people began to leave, glancing at each other as they went.
Eugene, who had been eager to see the drama unfold, was startled by Diana's fall. If Charles hadn't shown up, he might have had to jump in himself.
But when Charles arrived, Eugene had blended back into the crowd, unnoticed by Nolan.
Now, stepping forward, Eugene called out, "Nolan, what's going on? What is Charles doing?"
Nolan raised an eyebrow, surprised to see him.
"Mr. Bailey, long time no see."
Before Eugene could ask more, Nolan continued, "Mr. Bailey, it's good you're here. Can you keep an eye on things for me? I need to assist Mr. Percy."
Nolan patted Eugene's back and left him to handle the chaos.
By the time Eugene realized what had happened, Nolan was already sprinting away.
Eugene hurried after him, not because he doubted Charles' ability to manage the situation, but because he feared Charles might lose his temper, and no one would be able to stop him.
In the living room, Charles, who should have left, was sitting in the main seat with Diana in his arms.
Oliver, standing nearby, cleared his throat anxiously, wanting to say something, but Charles' intense gaze silenced him.
Diana clutched her chest, coughing weakly. Charles gently patted her back, helping her catch her breath.
Once she had recovered, he asked softly, "Feeling better? Is there anywhere else that hurts?"
Diana gripped the towel with both hands, shaking her head, her voice muffled, "I'm fine."
Though she had swallowed some water, the rescue had been timely, and it wasn't serious. Now that she had caught her breath, she had the strength to look around.
As Diana's gaze landed on Stella, Stella avoided her eyes, unable to meet her gaze.
Diana found it somewhat amusing. She had thought Stella, the instigator, would be bold, but she turned out to be quite timid.
"My fall wasn't an accident. Someone pushed me. Ms. White, did you see?" Diana smiled, but it looked rather menacing.
"Miss, you must be confused. You fell in by accident. Who would push you?" Calista, facing a young woman, was much bolder.
After all, the other party was a young woman; how deep could her thoughts be? It was best to cover up the matter quickly.
"The garden has surveillance cameras. Just check them, and you'll know if I'm telling the truth." Diana sniffed.
She had noticed the cameras on the streetlights when she went to the garden.
Wealthy families installed cameras to prevent theft and internal misconduct. She hadn't expected the cameras to have an additional use today.
Her words made Calista's expression freeze. She hadn't anticipated Diana's keen observation.
Seeing her silence, Charles said sternly, "I'll have Nolan investigate." Once he did, the matter wouldn't be easily resolved.
Diana clutched the towel, while Stella stood opposite her, biting her lip, her fists clenched at her sides, occasionally casting resentful glances at her.
Suddenly, Diana lost interest. She had pursued the matter because she had been wronged, pushed into the water, and bullied. Who could tolerate that?
But in Stella's eyes, she was just fighting her for Charles. It was pointless.
"No need to investigate. I don't want to make a big deal out of this. Since there are no other people here, Ms. White can apologize to me, and I'll consider the matter settled."
They had slapped each other, and she had kicked Stella. It was even now.
"I won't! Why should I? This is my home, who are you trying to impress with your high and mighty attitude?" Stella's tone was angry from the start.
Diana's face turned cold. Was it so hard to speak properly?
She looked much more disheveled than Stella, soaked and wrapped in a towel. The White family hadn't offered her a change of clothes, clearly wanting to see her embarrassed.
Diana didn't care about such petty tricks, but if she kept backing down, did they really think she was easy to bully?
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