Chapter 326

Diana POV

After a while, he ran back toward me again.

He'd finished the ice cream. Now he held a toy in his hand, and he tripped, falling right in front of me.

This time, I didn't catch him in time.

He tumbled at my feet, close enough to touch.

I should have reached out to help him up—it would've been the natural thing to do. But I noticed something strange.

Everyone in the living room acted as if they hadn't seen it happen.

Even Lawrence's own mother, Sherry, didn't get up from the sofa. Her expression was utterly indifferent.

What kind of mother was that?

Lawrence was the Howard family's only great-grandson, wasn't he?

I couldn't make sense of this bizarre scene.

Instead of immediately helping Lawrence, I crouched down and asked gently, "Are you hurt?"

Lawrence shook his head.

"Can you try standing up by yourself?"

"Yes."

Lawrence climbed to his feet on his own.

I smiled and stood up as well.

Only then did Sherry rise from the sofa. She walked over to me, smiled, and nodded politely before taking Lawrence's hand and leaving.

On the sofas, Philip and Cathy—who'd been sitting across from each other—finally started talking.

Seeing this, I quietly slipped out and found an empty spot in the courtyard to wait...

---

James POV

I went upstairs to Arthur's study.

I'd been sitting on the sofa for nearly ten minutes. Arthur acted like I wasn't even there, standing at his desk writing.

I calmly sipped my coffee.

When I finished the cup, I set it down and said unhurriedly, "If there's nothing else, Grandpa, I'll head out."

Arthur looked up. "So you still remember I'm your grandfather?"

His tone dripped with sarcasm.

I chuckled. "What else would you be? Did you disown me and forget to tell me?"

"You little brat!"

Arthur slammed his brush onto the holder. "Since you know I'm not dead yet, why didn't you consult me before announcing your wedding date?"

"I'm consulting you now, aren't I?"

"This isn't consulting. This is informing."

I smiled calmly. "Grandpa, at your age, don't split hairs over words like that. If you get too worked up, how will you be well enough to attend my wedding?"

"Who says I want to attend your wedding?"

Arthur's voice boomed. "I don't care what you have to do—call it off. Even if you don't like that Carrington girl... though honestly, she's not worthy of you. She couldn't handle being the Howard family matriarch. I heard Victor sent her to a psychiatric hospital. But she's not the only well-bred young woman in New Valley. There are plenty of accomplished ladies from prominent families whose education and upbringing match your status. I've selected some candidates. Take a look."

He placed a stack of photos on the desk.

I didn't even glance at them. "I don't need them."

"You're really insisting on marrying that York girl?"

"Yes."

My answer was firm. Arthur's mustache practically bristled with fury.

He raised his cane and swung it at me.

I didn't dodge.

Just as the cane was about to strike my shoulder, Arthur couldn't go through with it. He pulled back, huffing angrily.

Seeing this, I stood and helped him sit on the sofa. "Grandpa, anger damages the liver."

"With a brat like you around, I'm angry every single day."

Arthur grew more agitated as he spoke. "You're over thirty and still haven't settled down. Do you know how many times your maternal grandfather has called me? Every conversation is full of reproach, saying I don't care about you properly. That old man hasn't even settled Cathy's marriage, and he has the nerve to blame me? Infuriating."

I picked up the coffee pot and poured him a cup. "Next time he calls, you can tell him directly—my marriage is settled. We're skipping all the formalities and going straight to the wedding."

"Wedding? Wedding?"

Arthur processed this, staring at me. "You're serious? You're really marrying that York girl?"

"Yes. We already got our marriage license. Want to see?"

I reached into my jacket pocket, pulled out the marriage certificate, and placed it on the table in front of him.

He looked at the certificate in disbelief, then back at me.

I gestured toward it. "Please."

Arthur's eyes trembled.

When he saw the photo of Diana and me together, his vision nearly went dark. He almost fainted.

"Something this important—you didn't tell me? You got the license without telling me? You're presenting me with a done deal?"

Arthur was so furious he threw the marriage certificate onto the table.

It knocked into a water glass, which tipped and splashed water onto the cover.

I immediately picked it up, pulled out two tissues, and carefully wiped the moisture from the cover. I even opened it to check if the inside pages were wet.

Arthur watched my movements, his face darkening. "It's just a marriage certificate. You treasure it that much? Have you forgotten how that girl came to our house to break off the engagement? She canceled it in front of everyone. That wasn't just breaking an engagement—it was slapping you in the face. You protected her for so many years, and she humiliated you. She humiliated the entire Howard family. Have you forgotten all of that?"

I didn't answer right away.

Once, I'd thought exactly like Arthur. I couldn't forget the scene of Diana coming to the Howard estate to cancel our engagement either.

In front of the entire Howard family, she'd said she wouldn't marry me. She'd rather die than marry me.

Because of those words, I'd been in a dark place for a long time.

I couldn't get past it.

I didn't understand how the little girl I'd protected since childhood could suddenly hate me so much.

During that period, I truly hated her.

Hated her for being heartless.

But after reading her diary, I realized how absurd all my hatred had been.

I'd only seen her coldness. I hadn't seen how desperately she'd tried to come back to me.