By the time Diantha woke up again, it was already 5:00 PM.
Diantha slowly sat up. The thin silk blanket slipped from her shoulders.
The room was very quiet. She was the only person there.
"That guy..."
Diantha wanted to get up. But as soon as she moved, her eyebrows furrowed instantly. She let out a small gasp of pain.
It still hurt a little...
Coming back to her senses, Diantha couldn't help but grit her teeth. That Damian. She had clearly told him to show some restraint, but he hadn't listened at all. Did that jerk want to kill her?!
He had even pushed her to the point of blacking out. Was he even human?
After resting for a long while, Diantha finally found her clothes on the floor and put them back on. Step by step, she slowly walked out of the room.
"Huh? Miss Diantha?"
As soon as she reached the living room, Serena's surprised voice came from the side.
"Serena?!" Diantha was stunned. She turned her head, and her pupils narrowed. "Why are you here?" Diantha asked in shock.
She never expected to see Serena here. This was Damian's villa, right? This wasn't right!
Moreover... Diantha looked at the fruit plate Serena was holding.
"Oh, Mr. Damian and the others are in the backyard right now. I came over to get some fruit for them," Serena explained with a smile. "I am living here for now. Miss Diantha, when did you get here?"
Serena was curious. She had been in the kitchen the whole time and hadn't heard anyone come in. Did that mean Miss Diantha had been inside the villa all along?
"I came to talk to Damian about some things this afternoon. I felt a bit unwell, so I rested in the room for a while."
Diantha's voice and expression showed no flaws. She was a professional actress, after all. But that wasn't the main point now.
"Serena, you are living here?" Diantha's voice sounded a bit strange.
"Yes. Mr. Damian invited me to stay because I didn't have a place to rest in Lumiose City," Serena replied honestly. She thought it was quite nice.
Mainly, she could battle with Platinum at any time. If Mr. Damian and Miss Caitlin came to watch their training, they would also give her advice. Serena liked this atmosphere very much.
"If you didn't have a place to stay, you could have stayed at my place," Diantha's heart sank.
"That would be too much trouble for you, Miss Diantha." Serena smiled shyly.
You're afraid of troubling me? Aren't you afraid of troubling Damian?!
At this moment, Diantha felt terrible. She felt worse than earlier that afternoon.
Serena, you are the future glory and hope of Kalos! How can you be so close to Damian!
Diantha almost crushed her back teeth. She never imagined that she would "sacrifice" herself for the sake of Kalos. Yet, the junior she looked up to most had actually moved into Damian's villa.
Damn it! He stole her away!
"After all, you and Damian just met. And Damian is a man. It's not very convenient for you, Serena. Why don't you move to my place..." Diantha tried to make an effort.
"It's okay, Miss Diantha. Mr. Damian is a good person. I believe he isn't that kind of man."
Serena's face had a very sweet smile. Her tone was full of complete trust in Damian. After listening to Damian's story in the afternoon, Serena was even more convinced that he was completely trustworthy!
Did Damian cast a spell on you?!
Diantha didn't understand. In her mind, Serena was a very calm and rational person. Living with a man she had only known for a few days should not happen to Serena.
And Damian is a good person? Pfft!
"..."
Diantha was truly speechless. But she couldn't say what Damian had threatened her to do. She still cared about her dignity.
"But Serena, do you really know Damian? Maybe some people are not what they seem. They might have hidden identities."
Diantha was clearly getting anxious. She was almost speaking directly. She really cared about Serena and had high expectations for her.
"I know." Serena looked at Diantha with a strange look in her eyes and replied.
"?"
"Miss Diantha, you probably want to say that Mr. Damian is the leader of Team Rocket from Kanto, right?"
"???"
Diantha was shocked. Serena actually knew?
"Serena, since you know, then you..."
"Because Mr. Damian is not a bad person. And our Team Rocket is not an evil team." Serena replied with a smile, a very bright smile that carried politeness and a bit of distance.
"Serena, you..." Diantha was stunned because she noticed something.
"Yes, Miss Diantha. I have joined Team Rocket. I am a High Executive now."
Hearing Serena's words, Diantha's brain felt like it exploded.
"Miss Diantha, I hope you won't look at Team Rocket with prejudice. Mr. Damian is an excellent, kind, and great person. He has always been making his own contributions to this world," Serena said seriously.
Serena, have you been freaking brainwashed? Damian is kind and great??
Diantha was already numb. She opened her mouth to speak to Serena, but she didn't know what to say. Finally, Diantha could only sigh helplessly in her heart.
"Is that so? I was too narrow-minded."
Even with Diantha's excellent acting skills, she couldn't manage her expression perfectly right now. Her look was a bit forced.
"As long as you get to know Mr. Damian more, I think you will understand, Miss Diantha." Serena saw that Diantha was not being sincere.
But it wasn't strange. After all, Team Rocket's past reputation was too bad. It was normal for Miss Diantha to still have doubts.
No, when it comes to knowing him, I definitely know him better than you. Diantha complained in her heart. I know exactly what kind of man he is.
"I'm going to the backyard now. Miss Diantha, do you want to come with me?"
"No, I have to go back first. Please tell Mr. Damian for me, Serena."
Diantha replied calmly. She just wanted to go home, take a bath, and continue resting. Staying the night was definitely out of the question. Otherwise, she was afraid Damian would drag her back into that mess again tonight. She really couldn't handle that.
Damian was just too much. She needed to rest well and adjust her body before coming back.
"Okay, then I'll see you out." Serena put the fruit plate on a nearby table and walked Diantha to the door.
Diantha sat on a nearby bench and waited for her assistant. Even with her strong personality, she couldn't help but grit her teeth at a certain someone.
What happened earlier was one thing. She had already braced herself for the consequences. She was just annoyed that Damian was so forceful and showed no restraint at all.
But he actually "stole" her Serena! Serena was the successor Diantha looked forward to most, and he actually tricked her into joining Team Rocket. How could he do that!
"No, I must 'rescue' Serena."
Diantha's eyes were incredibly determined. She couldn't watch Serena fall into the "abyss"! Team Rocket should definitely not be Serena's destination.
But the key was that Serena seemed to trust Damian exceptionally much. Why? Diantha thought about it over and over but couldn't understand. Could it be that Serena was hypnotized by Damian? That was impossible.
Just then...
"Miss Diantha?"
A surprised voice came again, making Diantha pause. She looked up and saw the sisters, Alexa and Viola, right in front of her.
"Hmm? Alexa, Viola, why are you here?"
"We are here to see Mr. Damian."
"What?"
Diantha stood up instinctively in shock, but the pain from a certain place made her eyebrows furrow again.
"Miss Diantha, are you okay?" Noticing Diantha's pale face, Alexa quickly supported her.
"It's okay. I'll be fine after a little rest." Diantha forced her expression to stay calm. "Why are you looking for Damian?"
Diantha asked the question she cared about most. I sent myself into Damian's hands for you two sisters, and now you two are actively looking for him? Diantha was really starting to lose it.
"My sister did an exclusive interview with Mr. Damian at noon. It's finished now, so she wants Mr. Damian to see it first." Viola smiled brightly.
"An exclusive interview with Damian?" Diantha was a bit confused.
"Yes, Mr. Damian is really amazing. And he's very handsome." Viola blinked her eyes, looking a bit admiring.
They had spent the whole afternoon editing without stopping. They finally finished the video. After reviewing the interview seriously again, Viola admitted she had become a fan of Damian. Talent, responsibility, ideals, and achievements. What an excellent man.
"?" Diantha had a mental question mark. "Alexa, is it convenient to let me see that interview video later?"
Diantha felt there was a big problem. She decided to watch the video.
"Of course, but right now..." Alexa looked at Damian's villa nearby and hesitated.
"It's fine. You go to Damian's place first. Send it to me tonight." Diantha and Alexa exchanged contact information.
There's a problem, a huge problem!
Diantha looked at the backs of Alexa and Viola, then thought of Serena inside the villa. One by one, they all seemed possessed, thinking Damian was a good person?
Where exactly was he good?
He had gone way too far with her and shown no restraint at all. The problem was way too big.
Diantha really felt something was wrong, but she didn't know what it was. She would watch Alexa's interview with Damian tonight.
After waiting for over ten minutes, the assistant's car finally arrived. Diantha got in and left.
About half an hour later, Alexa also walked out of the villa excitedly.
That night, an exclusive interview video was pushed out by the Lumiose Publishing House. It spread across television channels and the internet. Not just in Kalos, but in all regions!
And the title was:
"Exclusive Interview with Team Rocket Boss Damian: I Chose to Walk Into the Darkness!"
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