Chapter 52 Retreat to Advance
Clara's face was a mess—swollen and bruised. Her eyes were so puffy she could barely open them, but she managed to spot Charles. She crawled over from Diana's side, clutching Charles's pant leg, looking utterly miserable. "Mr. Percy, help me! Diana's lost it! She wants to kill me."
Nolan stepped forward to help Clara up, but her face was so battered he couldn't bear to look and turned his head away.
Diana was still fuming as she cursed silently, 'Charles again! He always ruins my plans.' She struggled to break free and said coldly, "Instead of questioning me, why don't you ask what the people around you have been up to?"
"You! You're the one who beat me up! Mr. Percy, I didn't do anything. Diana hasn't been to the office for days, so I came to report it. When she found out I came to see you, she started hitting me and accusing me of seducing you." Clara quickly shifted the blame to Diana.
Diana found it amusing; Clara's greatest talent was lying. After a few sentences, even Diana almost believed her.
Charles threw Diana to the ground. 'She's still the same—cunning and deceitful!' he thought to himself.
Seeing Charles about to act again, Diana regained her composure and pondered, 'Going against Charles on his turf would never end well! Anyway, I had already hit Clara; now, survival is key.'
Diana took a deep breath and backed away a bit. "I'm sorry, Mr. Percy, for disturbing your work. This was an accident."
"An accident? You beat me up like this, and it's an accident?" Clara pointed to her own face, screaming.
The next second, Diana felt a gust of wind pass by. Charles grabbed her throat and slammed her against the wall. The back of her head hit the cold wall, making Diana gasp in pain.
Clara, standing nearby, smiled subtly, her eyes filled with bloodthirsty madness. Inwardly, she cheered, 'Strangle her! Strangle her!'
Charles's breath hit Diana's face and he said coldly, "Is this your attitude after hitting someone? Diana, you're getting bolder, aren't you?"
As he spoke, Diana felt the grip on her neck tighten. Instinctively, she tried to pry Charles's hand off, but it was futile. In the natural world, predators got more excited when their prey struggled. Just like when Diana was hitting Clara earlier—the more Clara resisted, the harder Diana hit. This head-on approach wasn't working. Thinking this, Diana let go of his hand.
Her whole body suddenly went limp, her eyes staring straight at Charles. Tears welled up quickly, making her look extremely fragile. Charles was momentarily stunned, loosening his grip slightly.
Diana knew she had a chance, gently blinking and turning her head. A tear rolled down her cheek, landing coolly on Charles's hand.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Percy. I got too emotional. I can't stand being slandered. I've been working hard for the company these past few days, and Clara's words provoked me," Diana spoke with a sob, more tears falling.
Clara, seeing this, was furious. "You beat me up, and you think you're justified? Mr. Percy, don't believe Diana; she's a habitual liar!"
"I hit you because you deserved it. Didn't you start it?" Diana retorted, and Charles noticed her left cheek was a bit swollen.
His eyes darkened, and he released Diana's neck, turning to glare at Clara. "Clara! Tell me what really happened."
Feeling the threat of death lift, Diana secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Clara couldn't meet Charles's eyes and was quickly thinking. "Mr. Percy, it's not like that. She hit me, and I only fought back. My face is already like this; if I kept getting hit, I'd be disfigured!"
Hearing this, Diana suddenly spoke coldly, "If everyone thinks I was wrong, then I'll apologize to Ms. Williams." With that, Diana stepped forward, bowed deeply, and when she looked up, her face was tear-streaked, her eyes red.
Compared to Clara's swollen face, she looked even more pitiable. "I'm sorry, Ms. Williams. I'm a lunatic. Please stay away from me in the future; I'm afraid I'll go crazy again," Diana said.
Charles's gaze shifted between Diana and Clara, and his expression was unreadable.
Clara, seeing Diana trying to brush things off, was unwilling and raised her hand to slap her. "You..." But Diana quickly turned her head, and though the sound was crisp, it lacked force.
Diana kept her head down, her expression hidden, her voice muffled. "It seems Ms. Williams is not satisfied with my apology, so I'll..." As she spoke, Diana bent her knee to kneel, but the next second, a hand lifted her, making her stand straight.
Charles's angry voice came from behind. "Enough! Nolan, throw Diana out!"
Nolan nodded, immediately grabbing Diana's arm and dragging her to the elevator. For Diana, this was the best outcome. She stared straight at Clara, showing a provocative smile which others couldn't notice.
Yes, Diana had been gambling, the kind of predator who enjoyed toying with his prey, would lose interest once she stopped resisting. Charles desired absolute submission from others.
so without further ado, Diana apologized, bowed, and when that didn't work, she knelt. For Diana, her dignity was less important than her life. As long as she took things to the extreme, Charles wouldn't push her further. But while she escaped unscathed this time, it might not work next time.
Nolan shoved Diana into the elevator. Once inside, Diana immediately shook off Nolan's hand, stretching her shoulder. "Nolan, just take me this far. I can walk on my own."
Nolan frowned and said harshly, "Ms. Spencer, I hope you recognize your place. Don't keep testing Mr. Percy's patience."
Diana wiped her tears, speaking calmly, "I know my place very well. It's others who don't."
Upstairs, only Clara and Charles remained. Her eyes were bloodshot, wanting to question but not daring to, wiping her tears with a pitiful tone. "Mr. Percy, Diana doesn't respect you at all. That's why she beat me up. If you let her off so easily, she'll only get bolder."
Charles looked at her face, then recalled Diana's earlier demeanor. The contrast was stark, so he turned away.
"Are you teaching me what to do? Stay away from that crazy woman! You know she's mad, so why did you go near her? I don't have time for your nonsense. If this happens again, you're out!" With that, Charles walked away, leaving Clara alone.
Clara was furious, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh.
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