Amelia led Diana to the dressing room to swap outfits.
She had this killer little black dress ready for her, all decked out with tiny diamonds that made it shine like crazy.
While Amelia was tying the bow at the back, she suddenly blurted out, "Ms. Spencer, Mr. Percy wanted me to pass you a message."
Diana turned, confused. "What message?"
"He said you better play nice. Otherwise, he can take everything from the Spencer Group," Amelia stated.
Diana could almost hear Charles' smug tone saying that. Anger flared up inside her, but she just clenched her fists and then let it go.
She was too weak now, totally powerless to fight back. Diana took a deep breath to squash the anger bubbling up.
"Got it," she muttered.
With that, Amelia stepped back, folding her hands in front of her. Looking at the glowing Diana, she genuinely said, "You look stunning today."
The guys in black had been waiting for a bit and started knocking on the door, getting impatient. "Ms. Spencer, it's time. Don't keep Mr. Percy waiting."
Amelia opened the door for Diana. This time, the guys in black didn't manhandle her but just motioned for her to get in the car, no dawdling.
As night fell, the city's lights were blinding and colorful, the nightlife in full swing.
Diana was taken to the biggest entertainment spot downtown, split into different zones. There were bars for singing and dancing, and also some chill, quiet areas.
And underground, the rich folks came to gamble, the air thick with the smell of money.
Diana took a special route to get there. Taking the elevator, she went straight to the private room on the 6th floor.
When the door to the private room opened, all eyes were on her. Some curious, some playful, some surprised.
Diana immediately spotted Charles sitting at the head of the table.
Charles had his hair slicked back, his black shirt almost blending into the dim room. His collar was slightly open, showing off part of his muscular chest. He looked like a wolf king lurking in the shadows.
Seeing Diana walk in, Charles leaned back on the sofa, a playful grin on his face, and beckoned her over with a finger.
Besides Charles, there were five other guys in the room.
Two of them were pretty chubby, with greasy hair and faces, each holding a young, pretty girl in their arms.
The other three were younger, probably rich kids out for a good time, all with girls by their sides.
Seeing that Charles was indeed waiting for her, Diana was a bit puzzled.
She thought, 'With Charles' looks and money, he could have any girl he wants. Did he bring me here just to drink?'
It couldn't be that simple, so Diana stood still for a moment.
Charles' good mood soured the moment he saw Diana. Now, seeing her standing there like a statue, it annoyed him even more.
So he snapped, "What are you standing there for? Do I need to roll out the red carpet?"
Seeing he was pissed, Diana finally walked over. She looked stunning today, even in the dim light. The tiny diamonds on her dress still sparkled, like she was wearing the night sky.
Diana caught all the guys' attention, and one of them couldn't help but speak up, "I thought Mr. Percy didn't bring a date tonight, but turns out he was hiding a gem."
Charles, annoyed by Diana's slow pace, reached out and yanked her to his side. He pulled so hard Diana thought her shoulder might pop out.
She fell onto the leather sofa, her nose hitting Charles' shoulder, and her eyes teared up.
But her survival instinct kicked in, and Diana sat up straight, keeping a bit of distance from Charles.
Charles crossed his legs and took a sip of his red wine, acting all nonchalant. "I wasn't planning on bringing her, but she insisted, so here we are."
The guy closest to Diana was another big shot, Matthew Moore. This dude was a fifty-year-old bald guy with a wild sex life, always chasing after young, pretty girls. The one in his arms looked barely 20.
But Matthew had his eyes on Diana too but said to Charles, "Mr. Percy, you're young and successful, with women lining up for you. You gotta have some tricks up your sleeve. Women always need a bit of sweet talk."
Diana felt totally helpless. 'What does he mean I insisted on coming? I was dragged here by his goons, for crying out loud!'
As Matthew leaned in closer, the stench of booze and tobacco made Diana want to hurl. With no escape, she scooted a bit closer to Charles.
One of the playboys' girls was also curious about Diana and asked, "You're really gorgeous. Ever thought about getting into showbiz?"
Diana placed her hands on her knees, feeling like a fish out of water. Charles next to her was as cold as ice.
The girl's question broke the awkward silence, and Diana politely replied, "No, I'm just a regular person."
In reality, Diana wanted to scream that she was Charles' ex-wife.
Surprised, right? Charles was just a jerk who couldn't let her go even after the divorce. She wanted to slap him hard and make a dramatic exit.
But that was just a fantasy.
Charles sneered when he heard Diana call herself ordinary. Then he grabbed the back of her neck, forcing her to stand up.
"Haven't seen you in a few days, and you've gotten all humble. Didn't you love dancing? Go on, dance for everyone," Charles said.
Diana knew the dance Charles was talking about—it was a sexy dance Clara had once dared her to do. No way she was doing that here.
It was clear he brought her here to humiliate her.
Diana smirked, thinking he wasn't man enough to break her.
So, with everyone watching, she stomped her foot and pretended to be shy as she threw herself into Charles' arms. She said in a sweet tone, "Mr. Percy, you're so naughty. You know me, I can't dance."
Then she buried her head in Charles' neck, acting all bashful.
Charles didn't see that coming, and for a moment, the veins on his forehead bulged, and he almost crushed his wine glass.
Diana felt Charles' uneven breathing and was secretly thrilled.
'Get mad. The madder, the better! If you have the guts, strangle me in front of everyone,' Diana thought.
With so many people around, it would be hard for the Percy Group to cover up Charles killing someone.
Charles held Diana's waist with one hand. Her waist was soft and slender, and if he squeezed tighter, he could feel her bones, making the atmosphere particularly steamy.
But from an angle where no one else could see, Diana felt like her waist was about to snap.
So she bit Charles' collarbone. The two of them were secretly battling, holding each other tightly.
To everyone else, they looked like the perfect couple, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
Only they knew they both wanted to kill each other.
Matthew had originally planned to ask Charles to let him have Diana for some fun. For these rich guys, swapping women was no big deal.
And Charles seemed to treat Diana like a pretty object, with no love in his eyes.
But now, seeing the two of them all wrapped up in each other, Matthew knew he had no chance. So he raised his glass, downed it in one gulp, and kissed the girl next to him as a consolation prize.