Chapter 549 Memory
The flood of memories made Diana feel like she was drowning, the dark tide swallowing her whole, countless fragments of memories slicing through her mind like shards of glass—she remembered the first day of her rebirth, being kicked out of her home in utter disgrace.
She recalled begging Charles, drinking heavily, and then hugging the toilet as she vomited. She remembered being newly pregnant, yet kept in captivity.
But gradually, clearer images emerged—it was Charles shielding her during the explosion, Charles being utterly devoted to her after losing his memory, and finally, the violent crash and the moment he instinctively spread his arms to protect her.
"No!"
Diana's eyes snapped open, the blinding white light forcing her to shut them again immediately, the pain throughout her body reminding her she was still alive.
"Diana, you're awake?"
Dean's worried voice came from her right side.
Diana turned her head to ask,
"What happened?"
Dean's eyes were bloodshot as he answered seriously,
"Everyone's been handed over to the police. Benjamin is fine, just some minor injuries and a slight concussion. I won't let Zachary get off easy. I'm going to make sure he pays."
"What about Charles? How is he?"
Diana interrupted him, her gaze stubborn.
Dean uncharacteristically fell silent.
His silence only made Diana more frantic. She struggled to get up, throwing off the covers to get out of bed.
Dean quickly pressed her back down, replying,
"He's okay too, but with old injuries and new ones, he'll probably be bedridden for a few months. The doctors said he wouldn't have survived if he hadn't protected you at the critical moment, which also helped avoid the impact injuries. It's a small blessing in a big misfortune."
The reason he had been silent was because he hadn't expected that even in such an extreme situation, Charles, despite losing his memory, still chose to protect Diana.
Before Dean could process this, Diana spoke,
"Help me to his room."
Contrary to what Dean had guessed, Diana hadn't forgotten those bad experiences.
But she couldn't deny that people are multifaceted, and Charles was indeed changing.
In that moment of the crash, his instinctive action represented his true feelings. And at that moment, Diana also heard her mind screaming,
"Charles, you're not allowed to die."
Someone who had done so many bad things like him in movies was always hard to kill, so how could he die in a heroic way? She absolutely wouldn't allow that to happen.
-
It seemed Diana's wish had an effect, as Charles woke up the next afternoon.
When he opened his eyes, he was still a bit dazed, surprised to be alive.
But the next second, the pain in his body made him gasp.
Diana immediately noticed his condition,
"You're awake? I'll get the doctor."
Charles slowly turned his head, seeing Diana looking like her usual self, though her cheeks seemed a bit thinner.
He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was too dry, so he closed it again.
After the doctor finished the check-up, Diana carefully lifted his head and gave him a glass of warm water.
"The doctor said you're very lucky."
Diana said softly, her fingers unconsciously smoothing the wrinkles in his hospital gown,
"Concussion, broken right leg, but no life-threatening injuries." Charles drank the water silently, not daring to meet her eyes.
How should he face her now? Continue pretending to have amnesia? Or admit he remembered all the shameful past?
After a while, he asked,
"How's Benjamin?"
"He's fine, just scared."
Diana stared into his eyes and suddenly asked,
"Did you remember everything?"
Hearing this, Charles instinctively tightened his grip on the cup, his knuckles turning white.
He slowly raised his head, meeting Diana's serious gaze, knowing he could no longer avoid it.
"Yes." That simple word felt as heavy as a mountain.
Diana pressed her lips together,
"All of it?"
"All of it."
Charles' voice was hoarse, adding in his mind.
'Including how I controlled you, hurt you, including your decision to leave me, I remember everything.'
The influence of his 17-year-old self was significant. When he had amnesia, he only heard about their past, feeling guilty but not truly understanding.
But now, with a flood of memories, he couldn't deny that the person who hurt her, who caused her immense pain, was himself.
He felt deep regret, pain, heartache, and anger.
The 17-year-old soul in his mind screamed, wanting to kill his 30-year-old self.
"So what are you going to do? Now that you know everything. Benjamin has half your genes."
Diana continued, speaking in a seemingly disjointed but very relaxed manner.
No need for excuses, no fear of being discovered.
But her words felt like a knife stabbing into Charles' heart. He still remembered the joy of becoming a father for the first time.
But when he thought of Diana's suffering during pregnancy and her raising Benjamin alone, he felt deeply ashamed.
If he could, he wished to lose his memory again. He missed the days without the shackles of memory, when he could love her instinctively, purely, without any desire to control.
"I…" he answered with difficulty, his tone hesitant,
"I don't know."
Diana raised an eyebrow, calmly saying,
"What do you want to do? Tell me your truest thoughts."
Charles felt a dull pain in his chest, not daring to look at her, but she held his chin, turning his face to hers.
"Answer me, what are you thinking?"
His eyes reddened, his brows furrowed, the mental torment more painful than the physical, making it hard to breathe,
"Leave. Take him with you, leave the Rainbow Federation. I won't interfere in your life anymore. If you need anything, the Percy Group will do everything to help."
Saying this took all his strength. In Diana's slightly shocked gaze, he turned his head, pulling the blanket over his face, a gesture of shutting everyone out.
Diana didn't press further. She looked at his trembling hand on the blanket, stayed silent for a moment, then left the room.
As the door closed, Charles yanked the blanket off, revealing his flushed face.
Tears of pain glistened in his eyes as he muttered,
"I actually want you to stay, I want you to be with me forever. But this desire makes me realize that the real me is a control freak, a selfish bastard, the one who caused you pain. I don't deserve you."
He longed to get out of bed and hug her, but now he was practically a cripple.
He wished he could say "no" without hesitation like when he had amnesia, but now he was too clear-headed, remembering every bit of pain he had caused her.
Even though letting her go felt like tearing his heart apart, he didn't regret it.
-
A week later, Charles insisted on being discharged to recover at home. The doctor couldn't persuade him otherwise and had to strictly instruct bed rest.
The mansion was eerily quiet, the good news about Benjamin being his biological son causing a brief stir before settling back into calm.
Charles skipped dinner, sitting in his study until late at night. After putting Benjamin to bed, Diana brought a plate of dinner and knocked on the study door.
A muffled voice came from inside,
"Come in."
Diana placed the tray on the coffee table,
"Eat something, you can't take your medicine on an empty stomach."
Charles kept his head down, eyes on the computer screen, but his slightly curled fingers betrayed his feelings. Responding to Diana's concern, he said stiffly,
"Leave it there. I'll eat it. Go to bed early."
Diana ignored his words, bringing the tray to him, sitting across from him, watching him deliberately avoid her gaze, raising an eyebrow,
"We're supposed to be amicably parting ways, but you're looking at me like I'm your enemy."
"No."
Charles' movements paused, immediately refuting. He didn't dare look at her, how could he be looking at her like an enemy?
"If not, then eat. Work can wait. There are still a few days before I leave, I can help you."
Hearing this, he silently took the tray, mechanically chewing the food. Despite it being made by a top chef, it tasted like ash to him.
After swallowing the food, he suddenly spoke.
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