"I wasn't 'returning' from America," Diana said. "I don't like it there. I've already resigned from my job abroad; I'm staying for good this time."
"Who told you to resign? William or Maya? Did you even consult me or your father about something this significant?"
In the face of her indignation, Diana remained calm. "I decided it myself."
"You dared to act without their permission?"
Skylar seemed convinced that someone from the Knight family was backing her. She loathed Diana's closeness with the Knights; it was a constant thorn in her side, leading people to whisper behind her back as if she were a cruel stepmother who couldn't tolerate the girl and dumped her on others to raise.
"Don't think I don't know William is trying to get you into the Research Institute. Dean Slade is an old classmate of your father's. By bypassing your father to arrange a job for you, does William have any respect for us at all?"
Diana replied, "If you're so unhappy about him helping me, you're more than welcome to personally pull some strings with Dean Slade on my behalf."
That, of course, was not what Skylar meant.
Diana knew this, so she let a mocking curl touch the corner of her lips.
"Rest assured, I turned down the position at the Institute. But don't celebrate just yet—the reason I declined is that I'm planning to start a company with a partner."
"There's no need to take your anger out on William or my foster mother. I return when I want and I stay when I want. I am an adult; I have freedom of movement."
Skylar's expression darkened. "Diana Bell, I may not be your biological mother, but I am your mother in the eyes of the law. No matter how well the Knight family treats you, if I want to send you away, no one can help you."
Diana knew that all too well. Five years ago, that was exactly how she had been forced out of the country.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said, her voice steady and unyielding. "I am no longer that powerless underage girl from five years ago. If you want me on a plane, you'll have to tie me up first."
Skylar's brow furrowed deeply. She clearly hadn't expected several years abroad to have bred such a rebellious streak in the girl.
She stared at Diana with displeasure for a moment before regaining her poised, elegant demeanor. Her voice returned to a tone of high-and-mighty indifference. "You really think your wings are strong now. Fine, stay if you want. I won't have people saying I can't tolerate your presence. As long as you don't cause trouble for me, I don't care where you are."
"Understood."
As Diana prepared to exit the car, Skylar added from the backseat, "The marriage between the Knight family and the Hayes family is almost finalized. Keep yourself in line during this time—don't go getting any ideas."
What "ideas" could she possibly have?
Diana didn't answer. Whether she heard or not, she simply closed the car door and walked away.
It was already nine o'clock. The bustling city center was a river of bright lights, yet the apartment at No. 9 Pine Road remained a sanctuary of quiet luxury.
This penthouse was in a prime location—a gift from William for her eighteenth birthday.
Diana had always known that the pressure to send her abroad five years ago hadn't just come from Sebastian and Skylar; Kai and Maya had agreed as well.
That was why she had been so reluctant to return—she felt she had no home to return to.
Her eighteenth birthday had been spent in California. William had flown out to see her and transferred this property to her name. It was his way of telling her she always had a place here.
She understood his heart.
The weekend arrived, and the atmosphere at Snow was a far cry from its recent gloom. Aurora Brooks had booked a hall at the prestigious Dejing Restaurant. Nominally a staff dinner, it was actually a victory banquet—celebrating Snow's resurrection and the official "coronation" of Diana Bell as the new CEO.
Diana went to pick up a high-end fondant cake ordered by the studio, arriving a bit later than scheduled.
The moment she stepped into the hotel lobby, her phone buzzed. A flurry of messages from Summer popped up: "Boss! Save me! This crispy lobster is flirting with me! My willpower can only hold out for another five minutes!"
Diana couldn't help but smile. She pressed the voice note button and replied softly, "Don't wait for me. Start the feast."
As she finished speaking, a sudden, cold chill crept up her spine. She turned her head and saw a familiar figure standing by the elevator corner.
Alexander Stone.
Compared to his high-spirited appearance at the bidding gala, Alexander now looked like he had just crawled out of a swamp. His bespoke suit hung limply and wrinkled on his frame, his eyes were bloodshot, and he radiated an aura of desperate, scorched-earth exhaustion.
"Diana Bell, you're quite something," Alexander said, his face grim as he strode toward her. "I'd love to know—what kind of spell did you cast on Jasper Sterling? How did you get him to treat a signed letter of intent like scrap paper and turn around to prop up your sinking ship?"
Diana's gaze was icy. "Snow's proposal was simply superior."
"Proposal?" Alexander barked a bitter laugh, lowering his voice to a hiss. "To get that Shield Cloud contract, I nearly ruined my stomach drinking with their executives. Then, at the goal line, Shield Cloud blocked my number! Next thing I know, a court summons hits me in the face because that hotshot lawyer Aurora hired won't stop hounding me over non-compete clauses."
He had lost his reputation and his future; Start had already issued him a final ultimatum. He had come today hoping to corner the director of Shield Cloud to beg for mercy, only to run into the person responsible for his downfall.
"Don't think I don't know your status in the Bell family," Alexander said, staring at her cold but stunning face, his jealousy turning his expression grotesque. "The Bell family doesn't even have room for you on their registry. You think your father would sacrifice his pride to go beg Jasper Sterling for you?"
He stepped closer, his tone becoming foul and malicious. "Aurora, that failure, couldn't get anywhere in six months. You come back for a few days and the deal is done? I bet the 'proposal' was fake, but your personal service was very real. A man like Jasper—he's seen everything. Why would he be interested in a thorny little thing like you unless you put in some serious work in bed?"
In a public lobby, these words were like a resounding slap. Passersby began to cast suggestive, unpleasant glances. Diana's face turned as cold as frost. "Alexander Stone, watch your mouth. I can have the legal department add a defamation charge to your tab. I'll make sure you never recover."
"Go ahead and sue!" Alexander was hysterical now, his voice echoing through the hall. "I'm lying? If Jasper didn't sleep with you, is he brain-dead or possessed? Why else would he pass on a major project like Start just to throw money at a bankrupt Snow? Either he's got too much money to burn, or he's got a tumor in his head!"
Just as he reached the peak of his rant, waving a finger near Diana's nose, the elevator behind him chimed.
The metallic doors slid open slowly.
A low, casual male voice—imbued with an invisible, crushing authority—drifted out. "Is Director Stone so concerned about my medical reports?"
Alexander's hand froze mid-air. His face, flushed red with agitation, turned a ghostly, sickly white in an instant.
Diana turned and met the half-smiling eyes of the man in the elevator.
Jasper Sterling wasn't alone. Several high-ranking Shield Cloud executives, faces often seen in financial journals, were lined up behind him. At this moment, their expressions were a sight to behold.
Jasper stood in the center, one hand in his trouser pocket, his tie slightly loosened, radiating a lethal sense of aristocratic indifference. He stepped out of the elevator, his long legs cutting through the air like a cold breeze as he walked leisurely up to Alexander.
"P... President Sterling..." Alexander's teeth actually began to chatter. His previous bravado was extinguished instantly. "You misunderstand. I was just... I was just joking with Miss Bell."
Jasper lifted an eyelid. "Didn't you just say I was brain-dead? Come on, let's have a diagnosis face-to-face."
Alexander looked like he wanted to vanish into the floorboards, the skin on his face twitching. "President Sterling, I was only stressed because of company business. Shield Cloud had already promised Start... you can't just change your mind like that... it's against business ethics..."
"Ethics?"
Jasper chuckled, though the mirth never reached his eyes. Men like him were born above the rules, and his innate arrogance was on full display. "If I want to play you, I play you. Do I need to pick an auspicious date to give you a heads-up?"
"You..." Degraded in front of a crowd, Alexander's pride finally snapped under the weight. "Don't be too arrogant! Jasper! You really think you can rule over the whole east city?!"
Jasper acted as if he had just heard a particularly amusing joke. He leaned in slightly and whispered into Alexander's ear, "Actually, I do. By the sound of your voice, are you upset you didn't get a chance to share my last name? It just so happens General Sterling is finding life a bit too quiet lately. Why don't you call me 'Daddy,' and I'll take you home to show him some filial piety?"
"Pfft..."
A special assistant standing behind Jasper couldn't hold it in and broke character. The heavy, serious atmosphere was shattered by this sudden, sharp jab of dark humor.
Diana subconsciously imagined a world where Alexander Stone was curled up in General Sterling's arms asking for a bottle. Her stomach churned at the thought, yet she found it incredibly absurd.
She fought to keep the corners of her mouth from twitching upward, maintaining her final shred of icy elegance.