Chapter 9

Dash froze completely.

He never dreamed that Diana would bring up this ancient matter—something he'd nearly forgotten himself—today, in this setting!

He, the second son of the York family, a high-powered lawyer who charged hundreds of thousands per case, had come confidently to solicit investment from his sister, only to be publicly confronted about an old debt?

This was beyond humiliating!

Diana watched his face cycle between red and white, feeling inexplicably satisfied.

She rose unhurriedly, smoothing the wrinkles in her clothing.

"Cash or transfer—either is fine. And don't forget the interest; it's been years, after all. As for the rate... the highest standard bank rate works fine—I'm quite reasonable, aren't I?"

Dash gritted his teeth and quickly transferred sixty thousand dollars to her WeChat. Just as he was about to say something to salvage the situation, Diana's phone chimed with the payment notification.

She didn't even spare him another glance before turning and walking away, leaving him frozen in his seat, his hand trembling with rage around his coffee cup.

The worn tarot card still lay silently on the table, like a wordless mockery.

Back in his car, Dash grew increasingly furious. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel, triggering a harsh, prolonged honk.

He grabbed his phone and immediately opened the York family group chat, hammering his frustration into text.

[Dash: @everyone, My talk with Diana was a disaster.]

[Dash: @Idris, Now that she's married into wealth, she thinks she's something special. Not only did she refuse to give a single cent, she even dared threaten me with company matters!]

Of course, he didn't mention the embarrassing fact that she had demanded repayment of his debt—he only selected details that favored him.

The message instantly ignited the group.

[Bodhi: What? This ungrateful daughter! She's completely out of control! We should never have brought her back from that backwater!]

[Bella: How could she treat family this way? We wasted all those years raising her, only to nurture an ingrate! Dash, are you okay? She didn't try to hit you, did she?]

Leila sent a voice message. When played, her voice sounded as pitiful and considerate as possible.

"Dash, try to calm down. Diana is probably unhappy at the Russell house and taking it out on you. It can't be easy for her there all alone, especially with her husband in a vegetative state. As family, we should be more understanding."

While it sounded like a peacemaking effort, every word subtly implied that Diana was struggling in the Russell family, mentally unbalanced, and lashing out in desperation.

Already fuming, Dash grew even more enraged hearing this.

[Dash: What hardship could she possibly face? I think she's doing this deliberately! I even arranged to meet at my favorite café and brought her a gift!]

At the mention of this café, Leila's eyes suddenly brightened. This was Dash's favorite place to take Diana—their secret hideaway.

And today, the family had arranged for someone else—Marcus—to ambush Diana near Starlight Cafe.

Diana had rejected Dash and mentioned Marcus...

A perfectly vicious plan instantly formed in Leila's mind.

Leila exited the family group chat and scrolled through her contacts until she found a number labeled "Mrs. Russell." She dialed.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Alvina's extremely impatient voice came through, "Who is this?"

"Mrs. Russell, it's me, Leila." Leila's voice became soft and anxious. "I'm sorry to disturb you so late. B-but there's something I'm not sure whether I should tell you..."

Leila's hesitation successfully piqued Alvina's curiosity.

"What is it? Just say it—don't stammer."

"It's about my sister Diana..." Leila sniffled forcefully, as if gathering immense courage.

"My brother went to see her today just to check on her, but Diana seemed very resentful about marrying into the Russell family and said many terrible things."

"How dare she!" Alvina's voice instantly rose several octaves. "What did she say?"

"She said that even though the Russell family is wealthy and powerful, she looks down on you all. And about Rupert..."

Leila paused at the critical moment, her voice breaking into tears. "Anyway, she said some truly awful curses. I... I can't bring myself to repeat them."

Alvina was so angry her chest heaved violently.

Seeing that she'd achieved the desired effect, Leila finally dropped her true bombshell.

"Besides, Diana wasn't really meeting my brother this afternoon. She was actually seeing another man—someone named Marcus. He was a senior student Diana was especially close with back in school."

She deliberately emphasized "especially close" to suggest an intimate relationship.

---

The Russell Manor.

Diana had just finished showering, her body carrying a fresh scent, as she sat at Rupert's desk.

She was establishing the highest level of firewall protection for her domestic accounts while simultaneously donating the entire sixty thousand dollars Dash had transferred to a girls' education foundation.

Just as she was about to examine medical system data copied from the Russell family's internal network, the room's door crashed open with a tremendous bang, violently pushed from outside.

Alvina stormed in furiously, followed by several pale-faced servants.

"Diana!" She screamed shrilly, rushing forward with one quick step, her finger almost jabbing Diana's nose.

"You shameless woman! How has the Russell family wronged you? You've barely been married a few days, and you're already having an affair?"

Diana didn't even raise an eyelid. Her finger tapped lightly on the touchpad, saving her document, before she unhurriedly closed the laptop.

This nonchalant attitude completely inflamed Alvina.

"Are you deaf? How dare you sit there so calmly? You—grab her!" she commanded the servants in a rage.

The servants immediately moved to seize Diana's arms.

Diana shifted slightly, easily avoiding their grasp.

She raised her head, her clear eyes calm and unruffled, looking at the panting Alvina as if watching a comedy.

"Who exactly are you referring to?" Diana asked calmly.

"What? You even have multiple lovers?" Alvina nearly choked on her own breath in anger.

"Don't pretend you don't know! This afternoon, Starlight Cafe! That man named Marcus! Dare you deny you met him?!"

Hearing this, Diana immediately understood.

For Alvina to know such details, the only possibility was that the York family had leaked the information.

And the person most skilled at such underhanded tactics could only be Leila.

"Oh, him," Diana nodded in sudden comprehension, then the corner of her lips curled into a faint mockery. "That man has no ability and isn't particularly good-looking either."

This unexpected evaluation left Alvina momentarily speechless.

What kind of reaction was this? Shouldn't a normal person be frantically making excuses? Why did she sound like an uninvolved observer offering commentary?

Alvina quickly recovered. "So you admit it? You've barely married Rupert and you're already meeting old lovers in secret. You've completely disgraced the Russell family! Come with me to see Father immediately for family punishment!"