Chapter 493 The Doubts She Couldn’t Ignore

Chapter 493: Chapter 493 The Doubts She Couldn’t Ignore

Diana’s hands trembled.

Her thoughts were a tangled mess. Everything that had happened seemed almost unreal, as though she’d imagined the whole thing. Yet she couldn’t be certain that the man she’d seen yesterday was Liam.

Nor could she rule out the possibility that other luxury hotels used the same tableware.

She had no conclusive proof. Not yet.

Diana leaned against the sink for a long time, feeling as though someone had reached into her chest and torn her heart out.

Yesterday, she’d expected Liam to call her as soon as he had a moment. He hadn’t.

And just now, he hadn’t even told her exactly where his business trip was taking him.

She knew she was overthinking things. After all these years together, she shouldn’t doubt him or judge him over a few small inconsistencies.

Their relationship had once been the envy of countless people.

How could Liam possibly have betrayed her?

But...

Diana clenched her fists and splashed cold water on her face.

Only after she’d composed herself did she turn and walk out.

“Finish breakfast, then go take a nap. You don’t look well.”

Liam had just set down his bowl of soup when he looked up and noticed how pale Diana was.

His expression changed. He immediately got up, walked over to her, and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Why are you so pale? Are you feeling sick?”

Without waiting for an answer, he scooped her into his arms.

“Come on. We’re going to the hospital.”

“There’s no need.”

Seeing the worry etched across Liam’s face, Diana pressed her lips together, keeping the turmoil inside her under control.

“I just didn’t sleep well last night. I don’t know why, but I felt strangely anxious and couldn’t fall asleep.”

Then she suddenly flashed him a grin.

“Don’t you think I’m acting a little weird?”

Liam looked down at her. The urgency in his expression gradually eased, though his arms tightened around her instinctively before he finally set her down beside the dining table.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I just suddenly felt uneasy.” Diana picked up her spoon and took a sip of soup before winking at him playfully. “You haven’t done anything to hurt me, have you?”

Liam pulled out a napkin and gently wiped the corner of her mouth. Then he leaned down, cupped her face, and spoke through clenched teeth.

“Diana, what kind of nonsense is that?”

“Are you angry?”

Diana smiled up at him.

Liam sat down and gave her a pointed look.

“What do you think?”

“Fair enough. Why would you betray me?” She waved a hand as though the matter meant nothing to her. “If you really did, our marriage would be over before it even got started.”

She lowered her head and resumed eating the slices of ham on her plate.

That was Diana for you. She said whatever came to mind, whenever it came to mind. Her words sounded like a joke, sometimes even a mischievous tease. She’d always been outspoken.

But for a brief moment, Liam’s eyes darkened.

The man who was usually gentle and patient with her suddenly looked stern. He pressed his lips together and took her hand.

“That’s not funny. Hearing you say something like that hurts.”

He meant every word.

The thought of their marriage ending had nearly driven him to the edge.

He and Diana were supposed to grow old together. He would love her and cherish her for the rest of his life.

He’d spent far too many years trapped in darkness. Diana was the one who had led him out of it.

They were inseparable, woven so deeply into each other’s lives that the thought of being torn apart felt unbearable.

He had never imagined a future without her. Not once.

Diana stopped sipping her soup and met his eyes, watching the emotions churning beneath his gaze.

Then she giggled.

“I get it. Is there any soup left? I want some more.”

Liam studied her face. She looked perfectly normal again, just as she always did, but something inside him remained unsettled, like a knot tightening around his chest.

“There’s more. Sit tight. I’ll get you some.”

He ruffled her hair, picked up her bowl, and headed into the kitchen.

As soon as he was gone, Diana’s hand slackened around her spoon. Her expression slowly faded, leaving her looking strangely distant.

*****

In the kitchen, Liam had just picked up the ladle when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He glanced at the screen. The incoming call was from an unsaved number.

He declined it.

The caller tried again.

Liam’s expression turned cold. He rejected the call once more and blocked the number.

A message arrived almost immediately.

[Sophie]: [Why can’t I get through to you? Are you mad at me? I really miss you. Can you come spend some time with me?]

Liam set the ladle down.

His expression remained impassive as he typed a brief reply.

Liam: [It’s over between us. I’ll transfer the compensation to your account today.]

He sent the message, then blocked her.

He had no patience for dragging things out. Whether at work or in his personal affairs, he was decisive by nature.

There was only one exception: Diana. When it came to her, he was careful with every word and every decision. Nothing else mattered nearly as much.

As for Sophie, that Chapter of his life was over.

Sophie knew him well enough to understand what that meant. She knew his temperament and understood that he had never given her any reason to believe she could throw a tantrum and get her way.

She also knew how firm he could be when he’d made up his mind. Pushing him now would accomplish nothing.

Liam put his phone away and returned to the dining room with the soup.

Diana turned to him with a displeased look.

“What took you so long?”

“I was replying to work messages.”

He sat beside her, kissed her cheek, then gave her another kiss before she could complain.

“All right, don’t be mad. I’ll spend the day with you.”

Diana pushed him away and waved a hand dismissively.

“No need. Even if you’re free, I’m not. I have to go to the office soon. The project is almost finished.”

Liam sighed.

“Am I really not as important to you as your work?”

“You’re more important to me than my own life.”

Diana suddenly put down her spoon and turned to look at him.

“You’ve always known that, haven’t you?”

Her words struck a nerve.

For a split second, Liam’s handsome face went completely still. He stared at her, momentarily unable to read the expression in her eyes.

But by the time he recovered, Diana had returned to her usual self, happily eating her breakfast as though nothing had happened.

The trace of melancholy he’d glimpsed a moment earlier seemed to have vanished. He almost wondered whether he’d imagined it.

Liam swallowed, then ruffled her hair.

“Yeah. I know.”

And because he knew, he would never let anyone come between them.

Liam didn’t hurry off to the office. Instead, he stayed with Diana and watched her videos. They were mostly commercials, livestreams, and variety shows.

Diana was talented. Although she was usually carefree in her personal life, she was meticulous about her work, down to the smallest detail.

Whenever one of her new shows went live, Liam made a point of watching it.

“I’m not too busy over the next couple of days,” he told her as he prepared to leave. “I’ll take you out somewhere so you can relax.”

Diana paused and looked at him.

“Sure.”

Liam felt the tension in his chest ease a little. Only then did a smile finally reach his lips.

“Wait for me to come home.”

Diana waved him off.

But once the door closed behind him, her smile gradually disappeared.

She slumped against the couch and sat there for a long time.

The truth was, she couldn’t make sense of any of it.

One part of her insisted that Liam would never betray her. It was impossible. She knew him too well—or at least, she thought she did.

Yet another thought kept creeping in, gnawing at her whenever she least expected it.

Eventually, she forced herself to get up and head to the office.

She still had an advertising shoot to wrap up.

When she arrived, her assistant hurried over.

“Diana, Sophie Clarke called in sick today. She says she’s ill, so we’ll have to postpone the shoot.”

Diana’s brow furrowed immediately.

“Postpone it? For how long? How long are we supposed to keep everyone waiting? Didn’t she give you an exact time?”

She had little patience for artists who treated their work so carelessly.

“No. She didn’t explain anything beyond saying she was sick.”

Anger surged through Diana.

If Sophie hadn’t been the brand’s chosen spokesperson—someone the team couldn’t simply replace—Diana would have lost her temper on the spot.

With the shoot on hold, she finally had a moment to herself. Unfortunately, the moment her mind was free, her thoughts began spiraling again.

She took out her phone and stared at Rose’s number.

A complicated ache settled in her chest, bitter and difficult to put into words.

A long time passed.

She still didn’t call Rose.

Instead, something else suddenly occurred to her. Diana put her phone away and headed straight to her office.