Chapter 37: No Way Out
"What a day..." Diane muttered under her breath as she sat alone in the backseat of her car, staring blankly at the city lights as they passed by.
The gossip from the auction still rang in her ears, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake the feeling of feeling owned.
Two hundred million.
For a single night with Gabriel.
Her grip tightened on her bag as she exhaled shakily.
Her father had stripped Richard and Adrian of everything, but it hadn’t stopped the real thing—Gabriel still had his claws in her, and she had no idea how to break from the mess she caused herself.
The car pulled up outside her house, and as she stepped out, someone called for her.
"Diane."
She turned to see him.
Micha leaned casually against a black motorcycle parked near her driveway, his arms crossed around his chest, smiling...
She sighed. "What are you doing here?"
Micha smirked. "What, no ’thank you’ for trying to outbid the devil himself?"
Diane shook her head. "It wouldn’t have mattered. Gabriel always gets what he wants."
Micha’s smirk faded, and a small frown replaced it.
"Only if you let him."
She stiffened. "What are you talking about?"
He took a step closer, lowering his voice.
"I’m talking about options, sweetheart. You don’t have to go on that date. You don’t have to let him keep playing with you like this."
Diane let out a hollow laugh.
"You make it sound so simple. What do you suggest? Running? Hiding? Because trust me, Gabriel will probably find me anyway."
"I can make sure he doesn’t."
She froze. "What?"
Micha leaned in, whispering. "I can make him disappear. Permanently."
Diane’s heart slammed against her ribs. "You’re insane."
A soft chuckle escaped his mouth, shaking his head.
"No, I’m practical. Gabriel thinks he owns the world because no one’s ever dared to stop him. But me? I don’t give a damn about his empire, his money, or his name. If you tell me you want him gone, Diane... I’ll handle it."
She took a shaky step back. "Micha, this isn’t a game. Killing him—"
"Would be doing you a favor," Micha interrupted.
His voice was calm, almost too casual for what he was saying.
"Do you really think he’s going to let you go, Diane? That after this ’date,’ he’ll just walk away? No. He’s going to pull you deeper and deeper until there’s nothing left of you."
Diane’s breath hitched. Because she knew he was right. But it was her own fault...mistakes she made in the past...
Still, she shook her head. "I can’t do that. I—I don’t want anyone else’s blood on my hands."
Micha exhaled, looking disappointed but not surprised.
"Then you better start preparing yourself. Because Gabriel isn’t done with you. Not even close."
Diane opened her mouth to respond when her phone buzzed in her hand.
A message.
From an unknown number.
Her stomach twisted as she read it.
-Don’t keep me waiting, Diane.-
Attached was a photo.
Roses...rotten petals his bed.
Her fingers went numb. Her pulse roared in her ears.
Micha noticed her reaction instantly. "What is it?"
"That sick bastard—"
Diane sucked in a shaky breath, trying to calm herself.
"He’s proving a point."
Micha’s eyes snapped to hers. "And what’s that?"
"That I don’t have a choice."
The next evening, Diane was in front of her full-length mirror, adjusting the silk dress her father had picked for her.
It was elegant, understated, but still made her feel like she was suffocating in expectations.
Her hands trembled as she reached for her necklace.
Why was she even trying to look nice? This wasn’t a real date. This was possession.
A knock at the door made her jump.
"Diane?" Riot called.
She swallowed. "Come in."
Riot and Leon stepped inside.
"You look beautiful."
Diane let out a humorless laugh. "For what? A date with my husband?"
Leon’s jaw tightened. "I won’t let him have you forever. You know that, don’t you?"
She looked at him through the mirror, softly. "Do I?"
Leon sighed, stepping closer. "I will fix this. No matter what it takes."
Diane turned to face him. "Promise me something, Father."
His brows furrowed. "Anything."
"If something happens to me... protect Arthur."
Leon’s face turned to stone. "Nothing is going to happen to you."
She wanted to believe him.
Another knock.
This time, it wasn’t her father.
The driver peeked inside. "Mr. Frost has arrived."
Diane felt her stomach drop.
"That bastard didn’t even wait inside?"
She took a deep breath, "Let’s just get this over with."
Gabriel was standing outside, leaning against the sleek black car, hands in his pockets.
The second he saw her step outside, his lips curled into a slow smirk.
"Right on time," he mused.
Diane ignored him and walked straight toward the car.
Gabriel, amused by her coldness, opened the door for her himself.
"Careful, darling. If you keep acting this distant, people might think you don’t like me."
Diane gave him a long glare before stepping inside.
Gabriel followed, closing the door behind them.
The moment the car started moving, he leaned back, watching her carefully.
"You look stunning," he said in a softer tone than before.
Diane didn’t respond.
Gabriel smirked. "Silent treatment? That’s fine. You’ll talk eventually...I also didn’t have anything to say when I got my memories back."
She turned to face him, her anger started bubbling over.
"You sent me a picture of the roses."
Gabriel tilted his head. "I did."
Diane clenched her fists. "Why?"
"Because I wanted you to remember something very important."
She swallowed. "And what’s that?"
His fingers brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, his voice dropped lower like a serpent’s.
"That there is no escaping me, Diane."
"Why don’t you just grant me divorce? I will pay you back all the money I’ve helped to steal from you, so please..."
"No." He smiled.
"Gabriel..."
"You’re mine Diane."