Chapter 101: Accompanying Diana for Drinks and Getting Hit On

"I've got my eye on a guy. I've decided, I'm gonna go after him and make him my fifty-seventh boyfriend," Diana announced with a mischievous grin.

If Anne had been drinking water, she would've spit it out. Luckily, she wasn't. She blinked her big, confused eyes and asked, "Who are you after this time?"

"I'm going for George!" Diana beamed.

Anne's scalp tingled instantly. A romance expert falling for a playboy—she couldn't wrap her head around it.

She wanted to tell Diana not to mess with George so easily, but seeing her determined look, Anne couldn't bring herself to say anything discouraging.

Diana had finally pulled herself together, and even though pursuing George was a near-impossible dream, it was better than her being down all the time.

All night, Diana bugged Anne with questions about George. Anne told her everything she knew and eventually fell asleep from all the questioning.

In the morning, she was woken up by Diana. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a pile of clothes by the bed, and Diana was standing in front of the mirror, trying on different outfits with energy.

Anne turned over and rubbed her eyes. "Why are you up so early?"

"Anne, help me decide, which one should I wear?" Diana asked, holding up two dresses.

Anne looked at both options, then pointed to the one on the left. Diana immediately took it to change.

"Aren't you gonna rest at home for a few more days?" Anne asked.

"I'm not like you, with the Windsor family backing you. You can live comfortably without working. If I don't work, my studio's employees won't get paid."

"That's true." Anne got up to wash her face, determined to go with Diana to the studio today.

Unable to argue, Diana drove Anne to the studio.

It was on the 18th floor of a building in the busiest part of Shadow City.

They took the elevator to the 18th floor, only to find the studio's door tightly shut, smeared with red paint, and the walls on either side scrawled with obscene words about Diana.

Anne and Diana pushed the door open and were met with a scene of destruction. Decorations, paintings, ornaments, and work tools were in ruins. Two employees were frantically cleaning up the mess.

As soon as they saw Diana, the two employees almost cried, "Diana, thank goodness you're here."

"What happened?"

"Around eight this morning, just as we opened, a group of thugs barged in, smashed everything, and wrote on the walls outside with red paint. They threatened us, saying if we dared to open again, they'd come and smash the place every day."

"Don't they care about the law?" Anne exclaimed.

Diana rolled up her sleeves, ready to storm out in anger.

Anne held her back. "Let's call the police first and let them handle it."

Diana reluctantly agreed and immediately called the police. When they arrived, they took statements and told them to wait for further news, advising them not to open for business in the meantime.

The more Diana thought about it, the angrier she got. "It must be Sable. I can't think of anyone else who would do something so disgusting."

Just then, her phone rang. It was a client calling.

After the call, Diana's face changed. She took several more calls, looking increasingly despondent.

Anne asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Diana's face fell. "All the orders we had lined up for the next month have been canceled."

Anne's eyes widened. "Did they say why?"

"Sable's spreading rumors, telling everyone I use crappy makeup products and that I'm an unethical makeup artist. That's why clients are bailing."

Anne couldn't believe Sable would go that far. This was a full-on attempt to destroy Diana's reputation in the industry.

The troubles didn't stop there. Just as the studio was forced to close, two of Diana's business partners called, saying they no longer wanted to co-own the studio and wanted to pull their investments.

No matter how much Diana tried to persuade them, they wouldn't budge. Helpless, she had to return the investment money, leaving her account seriously drained.

Diana gave the studio employees a few days off. As Anne and Diana walked out of the building, Anne noticed the dejected look on Diana's face.

Trying to lift her spirits, Anne suggested, "It's just a temporary setback. There will be other opportunities! Come on, I'll take you out for a drink to cheer you up."

Diana smiled wryly, "What kind of alcohol do you think is suitable for a pregnant lady like you to offer? I don't want the Windsor family coming after me with pitchforks. You already stayed with me last night instead of going back to Windsor Manor. You should go back now so they don't worry."

"Don't worry, I've already informed them. Making you happy these few days is the priority!"

Anne put her arm around Diana's shoulder, and they headed to their usual bar.

At the entrance, Diana hesitated and looked at Anne. "Should we go to a different bar? It might be awkward if we run into someone we know."

Diana was thinking about how Anne used to come to this bar with Nolan, but Anne shrugged indifferently. "No worries, let's go in."

Anne walked in confidently, with Diana following closely behind. The bar was packed with people, all there to drink and have a good time.

The dance floor was crowded with young men and women dancing closely together, letting loose under the influence of heavy metal music and alcohol.

Diana blended into the center of the dance floor, her long hair flying as she moved, dancing closely with a handsome guy.

Anne sat at the bar not far away, quietly sipping her drink and watching Diana have fun, a faint smile on her lips.

"Hey, beautiful, are you alone?" Anne had only been sitting for five minutes when a man came to hit on her.

"I have a date," Anne said with a stern face, discouraging the man.

Meanwhile, on the second floor, James leaned against the railing, drink in hand, watching the chaos below and whistling occasionally to add to the excitement.

The moment he saw Anne, his eyes narrowed with alertness. He elbowed the person next to him. "Dorian, look, isn't that Anne?"

Afraid he had mistaken her, he quickly asked Dorian to confirm.

Dorian lowered his eyes, a grim glint passing through his gaze, his grip on the glass tightened.

James's lips trembled with regret for asking Dorian. Dorian looked ready to kill.

James stood there, tense and silent. He noticed Anne seemed to be looking at something. Following her gaze, James's scalp tingled.

"Should we go down?" He asked.

Dorian remained unmoved. James stuck out his tongue and quickly retreated with his drink.

Dorian's gaze was filled with hostility. He raised two fingers slightly, and someone immediately approached him.