Alexander Stone's chest heaved violently; he looked like a pufferfish on the verge of exploding from rage. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a man with a receding hairline, and he immediately pointed a finger, shouting:
"President Sterling! Buck Creative Director of your company personally promised me a partnership with Star! He took so many favors from me, and now he's backing out. No matter how powerful the Sterling family is, you can't just bully people like this!"
In front of the crowd, a massive accusation was hurled at the Sterling family. Cold sweat instantly poured down Buck Creative Director's forehead. He rushed over to shove Alexander, hissing, "Watch what you say before you speak!"
Jasper Sterling didn't care for the eyes of the crowd. He gracefully withdrew his right hand from his pocket and pointed toward Alexander, his sharp, blade-like gaze sweeping over Buck's bald head.
"You deal with him, or," Jasper paused, his voice chilling, "I deal with you."
"Rest assured, sir, I will handle this matter completely!" Buck promised repeatedly, practically dragging Alexander away. "We'll settle our business in private—don't make a scene in front of President Sterling!"
Summer's phone call came through, likely because she was tired of waiting.
Diana said, "Jasper, I'm leaving now."
With that, she answered the phone while attempting to bypass him to go upstairs.
Jasper's eyes trailed her figure as she passed, dropping a meaningful remark: "Are you really that desperate to sleep with me?"
On the other end of the phone, Summer's sentence—"Are you at the n..."—was cut short. It was immediately followed by a chorus of chaotic hooting and hollering, sounding like a troop of monkeys on a field trip.
Summer had put her on speakerphone!
Jasper likely heard it too: "Are you calling a troop of monkeys?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Diana hung up the phone—which had been connected for less than ten seconds—and instinctively glanced at the men standing behind Jasper.
The subordinates immediately shifted their gazes in every direction—looking at the ceiling, the floor, the air—desperately wishing they could hang a sign around their necks saying I am deaf and heard nothing.
"I don't..." She felt a rare wave of embarrassment. "I don't have indiscreet desires for you."
"Then why did you play along and act like you were admitting to it in front of that Alexander guy?" Jasper arched an eyebrow, his tone carrying a touch of irritating interrogation.
"With someone like him, explaining would only make him think I'm guilty. It's better to let him scare himself to death," Diana said, forcing herself to remain calm. "If I had to take a public bath to prove my innocence every time someone threw dirt at me, I wouldn't get anything done all day."
"Is that so?" Jasper questioned skeptically. "Isn't it because you've been lusting after me for a long time and decided to use the opportunity to make it official?"
"...You're the one who's been lusting!"
The words left Diana's mouth before she could regret them.
Usually, she went out of her way to avoid this man. But ever since they shared that roadside meal a few days ago, she realized that while Jasper had a poisonous tongue, he also had a way of making her want to snap back. Her courage had grown considerably.
"Fine, I'm the toad, and you're the swan. Miss Bell, please rein in your 'divine powers' and stop thinking about how to 'eat' me." Jasper didn't deign to argue over such trivial titles.
Diana: "..."
Jasper added one last insult in a leisurely pace: "And try to restrain your gaze a little. It looks like you want to set me on fire. I'm actually quite frightened."
...Frightened, my foot! You're the one playing with fire!
The row of subordinates behind him had been stifling their laughter, but now their expressions were even more strained, looking as if they had swallowed ten raw eggs—caught between wanting to overhear more and being terrified to listen.
Diana felt that even if she had ten mouths, she couldn't clear her name now. Being the target of Alexander's rumors hadn't made her feel this speechless.
Having said his piece, Jasper brushed past her with his hands in his pockets and walked away.
As his subordinates followed, every single one of them gave Diana a subtle smile that was a mix of respect, caution, and "we're in on the secret." One even sneakily gave her a thumbs-up.
She took a deep breath and, in a "whatever, let it be" mood, stepped into the elevator and pressed the "close door" button three times.
As soon as she entered the private room, every pair of eyes shot toward her like searchlights. Her colleagues' expressions were more suggestive than the last.
"Ooh, who was that on the phone? Who was the one saying those 'wild words' about sleeping with someone?~"
"It was a couple fighting in the next room. Their speaker was just too loud."
Diana sat down with a composed face, lying through her teeth. Her calm demeanor was convincing, but Summer didn't buy it—she had clearly heard that deep, magnetic voice, which sounded exactly like a certain top-tier tycoon...
Before Summer could interrogate her, Diana took the initiative: "I just saw Alexander Stone being kicked out by Start downstairs. He was wailing like a kicked dog."
Everyone's attention shifted instantly: "Served him right! His company should have gone bankrupt ages ago. That's karma."
"Exactly. He stole all our proposals just to suck up to the executives at Start, and in the end, President Sterling wouldn't even give him the time of day."
"A traitorous rat like him belongs in the gutter."
While everyone was busy cursing Alexander, Diana quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
She looked down at her phone screen, her mind in a mess. That lunatic Jasper—how did he dare say such things in public? If it ever reached the ears of the Knight family...
Who knew that a single lapse in judgment would lead to such a... steep development?
Aurora Brooks narrowed her eyes and leaned in to whisper: "That voice sounded familiar. Even if it was just a few words, I'd bet fifty cents it was the man from the Sterling family, wasn't it?"
"Don't ask," Diana said, taking a sip of juice with a deadpan expression. "Unless you can move me to another planet right now, I'm not admitting to anything."
Aurora immediately took the hint: "Understood. He's a deity we can't afford to provoke."
The Knight family and the Hayes family were of equal social standing. William Knight was exceptionally talented among the younger generation, and Eleanor Hayes had fallen in love with him at first sight. This match-made-in-heaven alliance was a perfect fit for both families, and the wedding negotiations had proceeded without a hitch.
The first formal meeting between the two families was set for the end of the month.
Since Diana had been raised by the Knight family since childhood, even if her surname wasn't Knight, she was considered half a member of the family. She was expected to attend such a significant occasion.
"Actually, I don't think it matters if you don't go," Aurora said. Having just finished a blood draw for her second round of chemotherapy, she lay pale on the hospital bed. "You've just taken over the studio and you're so busy. Just make an excuse to the Knight family. Why go there and suffer?"
"He's my brother," Diana said. "If I don't show up, people will gossip about his standing within the family."
"I'm just afraid you'll be hurt watching them exchange engagement tokens," Aurora murmured.
"I'll get used to it," Diana whispered, as if trying to convince herself.
She had been working hard on her mental preparation. To her, William was like a long, hopeless chase; now that someone else was standing at the finish line, she had no choice but to stop.
Even if it wasn't Eleanor, it would be some other woman. She had to accept that William would marry someone else.
On the day of the meeting, Diana arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early. She wore a new-style, sleeveless black modified cheongsam—formal and understated, ensuring she wouldn't stand out or make a mistake.
Maya Wilde patted her hand and instructed, "Today is our first formal dinner with the Hayes family. When you see Mr. and Mrs. Hayes later, make sure you show proper etiquette, understood?"
Maya still didn't trust Diana; her gaze held a hint of scrutiny, as if she feared Diana might do something inappropriate to ruin William's marriage prospects.
Diana pretended not to notice and looked down obediently. "I understand."
The Hayes family arrived just then. Hearing voices in the courtyard, Diana turned to look out the window.
She froze.
Eleanor Hayes was also wearing a black cheongsam today. Although the styles were slightly different, at a glance, both the dress and the updo were strikingly similar.