Chapter 8 Are You Diana?

"Nicholas didn't lie to you." Henry shook his head repeatedly, then let out a heavy sigh. "Since he told you about it, that means he considers you family. There's no harm in you knowing."

"There's been a policy shift. The land the Windsor Family acquired has some procedural loopholes, and someone deliberately withheld problematic documents during submission. That's where the trouble lies."

Listening to Henry's explanation, Diana clenched her fists tightly.

This was almost identical to what she'd experienced in her previous life. The project's land ownership was tied up in litigation, just one signature away from resolution. The issue itself wasn't major, but deliberately concealing documents constituted fraud.

Now that the authorities were investigating, with Diana planning to flee from the marriage and the company left without leadership, the project would naturally be suspended.

Henry gave a short, derisive laugh. "You know why Nicholas wants to marry her? It's damage control. As long as they're engaged, those people will show him some respect and let this whole thing slide. But without that ring on her finger? Diana, as the main heir and the company's legal face, would be staring down a prison sentence for a screw-up this big."

Prison time?

Diana's mind went completely blank.

So that was it!

In her previous life, she'd only thought Nicholas was being unreasonable, proposing at her parents' funeral without any consideration for her feelings. When he later forced himself on her, her hatred for Nicholas had only deepened.

She'd never realized that as the company's heir, she would bear responsibility for any corporate problems.

In her previous life, she'd handed full control to Derek. While she hadn't gone to prison, the company had been completely destroyed.

So that had been Derek's plan all along.

If he succeeded in eloping with her, she'd be evading investigation, and the company would inevitably suffer devastating losses.

She would become a fugitive, facing nothing but severe criminal penalties.

The Windsor Family's current project involved billions of dollars. Once she was caught, she'd never see freedom again.

Then she could transfer the company under duress—perfectly reasonable. Derek could even claim complete ignorance.

She alone would be the criminal. Derek only needed to take her away in an "elopement."

He could even turn the tables, claiming Diana had forced him to elope, that he had no idea Windsor Corporation was in trouble.

He'd escape scot-free, leaving Diana to face endless imprisonment.

Even if their elopement failed, he could still manipulate Diana into signing transfer documents, and the company would fall into his hands regardless.

Nicholas, in his misguided attempt to protect Diana, had turned a blind eye to Derek's games. In his mind, she was giving everything to Derek of her own free will. And for the woman he loved, Nicholas was willing to stomach the sight of her so‑called lover stripping Windsor Corporation bare.

Not that it mattered to him—Nicholas's own fortune dwarfed Windsor's worth. To him, it was loose change.

But in her past life, Derek hadn't been content to stop there. Greed had driven him further, pushing him to bleed her dry, using her as leverage to force Nicholas into handing over his own company.

And she had become those perverts' plaything!

Hatred coursed through her entire body, making Diana tremble slightly.

The bedroom door upstairs burst open as Nicholas charged down the stairs, instinctively heading for the exit.

His vision was clouded and gray—he couldn't see clearly.

He'd just woken up to find Diana gone, and his gut told him she must have eloped with Derek.

Thinking of Diana and Derek's intertwined hands, Nicholas's eyes turned bloodshot. All he wanted was to sever Derek's hands so he could never touch her again!

"Nicholas!"

Diana's voice came from behind him. Nicholas froze mid-step, turning mechanically. The moment he saw her, the viciousness in his eyes melted away, leaving only tenderness.

Nicholas rushed over and pulled her tightly into his arms.

He buried his face in the curve of Diana's neck, drawing in her scent. The cloying perfume was gone, as were the faint, artificial traces of makeup—what lingered now was only her, warm and unadorned.

That quiet, honest scent grounded him, easing the tension in his chest and tugging a faint smile to his lips.

"Uh, guys? In case you forgot, there's a living, breathing person standing right here!" Henry stood beside them, speaking up awkwardly.

Nicholas released Diana and shot him a cold glance. "What are you doing here?"

"Fuck, I came to see if you were dead!" Henry glared back at him, thinking this guy was way too much of a simp.

"You're all gentle and sweet with your girlfriend, but cold as ice with friends. Nicholas, when did you become such a two-faced bastard?" Henry crossed his arms, looking like he demanded an explanation.

"Spill it—when did you and this beauty get together?" he pressed on.

"Shut up." Nicholas's voice carried a threatening edge.

Henry wasn't intimidated. Instead, he nodded approvingly. "You should've found a girlfriend like this ages ago. She's a thousand times better than that Diana."

Feeling Nicholas's death glare, Henry quickly cleared his throat. "Okay, okay, no more mention of her. Mike, is the food ready? I'm starving."

He escaped into the kitchen, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Nicholas was terrifying—even Henry, who'd grown up with him, could barely handle it.

A few minutes later, Mike set out the prepared meal, making a point to mention, "Ms. Windsor specifically requested these dishes for you, sir. She said they'd help with your condition."

Nicholas looked at Diana with surprise.

Diana smiled, placing some salmon on his plate. "Eat more high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids. We'll do a blood test afterward—no more getting sick, okay?"

"Okay." Nicholas bit down on Diana's chopsticks playfully, smiling as he ate the salmon.

Across from them, Henry looked like he'd lost the will to live.

How to put it?

Nicholas now resembled an obedient golden retriever—yes, a large dog who was gentle and docile with his girlfriend, but still a predator capable of tearing out throats.

Seeing Nicholas agree, Diana signaled to Mike, who immediately had someone bring over a medical kit.

"Mr. Spencer, Ms. Windsor is concerned about your health and would like to run a blood test." Mike looked at Nicholas somewhat nervously.

Nicholas hated these examinations—every medical checkup put the entire staff on edge.

Nicholas looked at Diana. Diana blushed slightly. "I just want to see if there are any drug residues in your system."

By the end, her voice was barely audible.

She figured that after Nicholas's intense behavior yesterday—making love five or six times—the drug effects must have worn off, but what if it had affected his brain?

Seeing her flushed face, Nicholas rolled up his sleeves. "Fine."

After Nicholas had his blood drawn, Diana quickly helped him hold the cotton swab in place, looking worried.

Henry studied her with curiosity. "You're also a Windsor?"

"What about it?" Diana looked up at him.

"Nothing, just thinking that while you're both Windsors, some people are just ugly troublemakers, while you, Ms. Windsor, are naturally beautiful." Henry clicked his tongue. "Diana—ugly, stupid, the poster child for every negative trait imaginable."

"Ugly?" Diana let out a cold laugh.

Henry looked at her in confusion. "Beauty, I'm telling the truth. She really is hideous, not like us naturally gorgeous people."

He even ran his fingers through his hair and winked at Diana.

Diana burst out laughing. "I wonder who got double eyelid surgery during that car accident two years ago, then came back claiming he inherited his mother's beauty—saying his double eyelids didn't develop until age twenty-four."

"You—you? What?" Henry stared wide-eyed at the beautiful woman before him, feeling like he'd lost all capacity for speech.

Only a few close friends knew about this, and some of these things he'd only told Diana.

He pointed at Diana, taking a long moment before asking hoarsely, "You're Diana? How is that possible?"