Chapter 510 A Voice She Never Expected to Hear

Chapter 510: Chapter 510 A Voice She Never Expected to Hear

“I’ll give you time to think it over. If you agree, I’ll have the agreement drawn up immediately to protect your interests. I won’t let you suffer the slightest injustice in this marriage.”

Sebastian’s expression remained composed.

“I’m not good at making grand romantic speeches. I’d rather let my actions speak for themselves. Of course, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re happy with our marriage. I won’t neglect the romantic gestures or my responsibilities as your husband.”

He’d said everything he needed to say.

Sometimes, it was better to leave the other person with room to think rather than push for an immediate answer.

Diana was genuinely taken aback.

Everything he’d said went against what she’d believed about relationships for most of her life. And yet, her own beliefs had already led her to a devastating disappointment.

Perhaps it was time to reconsider a few things.

Sebastian didn’t press her for an answer. He simply gave her the space she needed.

Diana remained seated for a long time after their conversation ended.

Eventually, she decided she needed to talk to Rose.

She even went so far as to ask Sebastian for three days off.

Rose was currently in Washington, D.C., where she and Ryan were busy making wedding arrangements. They planned to stay there for a while, so Diana decided to fly over and see her.

When Diana arrived, Rose was still lying in bed at the hotel.

But the moment Diana caught sight of her slightly rounded belly, she stopped in her tracks.

“Wait a second! Why is your baby bump already showing?”

Rose rested a hand on her stomach, looking a little embarrassed.

“...I’m having twins.”

Diana dropped her bag onto the floor.

“Twins? Whoa! Ryan really is something else!”

Rose stared at her as though she’d lost her mind.

“Why can’t it be because I’m something else?”

Diana burst out laughing.

“Fine, fine. You’re both amazing.” She leaned closer, grinning. “So, do you need to move the wedding up? If your belly gets much bigger, finding a wedding dress that fits will be a nightmare. And getting through the whole ceremony might be exhausting.”

“He thought of that already, so we’re moving it up.”

Rose sank back against the pillows with a helpless sigh. She still couldn’t quite understand how everything had happened so quickly.

Ryan seemed terrified she might change her mind.

He’d caught her completely off guard, and she’d even begun to suspect that the pregnancy hadn’t been entirely accidental.

She clearly remembered reminding him to use protection.

Then again, she had to admit she’d made things confusing herself. She’d told him they could talk about getting back together later, and perhaps he’d taken that as encouragement to move things along.

Either way, the result was the same.

“When are you moving it to?” Diana asked.

“This month.”

Rose tapped her forehead.

She was still trying to wrap her head around everything. It all felt like a dream.

Diana glanced at the calendar.

“There’s barely half a month left! Ryan really is in a hurry. He’s acting like he’s afraid you’ll disappear if he takes his eyes off you. He’s still as calculating as ever.”

Rose gave her a look.

“Aren’t you supposed to be busy with work? What made you suddenly decide to visit?”

Diana’s smile faded a little.

Without another word, she repeated Sebastian’s marriage proposal almost word for word.

When she finished, Rose fell silent for a moment.

“What a generous man,” she finally remarked.

She’d always known Diana had plenty of admirers. It was only a matter of time before someone took a serious interest in her.

But Sebastian was something else.

He was willing to offer Diana half his fortune even though they’d barely known each other for two months and had yet to develop any deep romantic feelings.

Rose couldn’t help wondering how far he might go if he genuinely fell in love with Diana.

Knowing him, perhaps he’d spoil her rotten.

“More importantly, he’s willing to put his promise of loyalty into a written agreement,” Rose continued thoughtfully. “That’s actually quite rare.”

She paused.

“I’ll ask Ryan to look into Sebastian’s background. Just to make sure there’s nothing suspicious we should know about.”

Diana let herself collapse onto the sofa.

“What do you think I should do?”

Rose studied her face. “What do you think?”

“I haven’t made up my mind.” Diana stared at the ceiling. “I gave up on romantic relationships a long time ago. And it hasn’t even been a year since Liam and I broke up. Marriage feels like a cage to me now.”

Rose could tell that Diana was still carrying a great deal of emotional baggage.

She reached over and gently patted her shoulder.

“Didi, a lifetime is a long time. You can’t measure every relationship by how long it lasts or how deeply you feel at the beginning. You were with Liam for years, and look how quickly everything fell apart in the end.”

She squeezed Diana’s shoulder.

“Everyone is different. Every relationship is different, too. I hope you’ll still give yourself permission to move forward. Don’t let one terrible experience stop you from living the life you want.”

Unless Diana had already decided to remain single for the rest of her life, she would eventually have to take a chance on something new.

Life was full of uncertainty. Sometimes, people had to try before they could know whether something was right for them.

“I know,” Diana murmured, closing her eyes.

The truth was, she wasn’t mentally prepared to spend the rest of her life alone.

She’d grown up feeling deprived of love, and loneliness had followed her for as long as she could remember.

Now, faced with the long years ahead of her, she felt both afraid and lost. She wanted to be independent, to live freely without anyone controlling her choices, but she also dreaded the thought of being alone forever.

And Sebastian’s words had given her something new to consider.

Maybe love wasn’t everything.

Maybe the expectations she placed on it were part of what made it so painful to lose.

But could she really enter another marriage and give herself to it wholeheartedly?

She didn’t know.

Countless times, she’d tried to escape Liam’s shadow. She wanted to be strong and independent, to stop allowing the past to dictate her present. More than anything, she wanted to live freely, without constantly looking over her shoulder.

Rose leaned over and pulled her into a hug.

“Your life belongs to you, Didi. You can make whatever decision you want. Who knows? Things might turn out completely differently from what you expect. None of us can predict the future.”

She simply wanted Diana to stop putting so much pressure on herself.

If Sebastian really was as reliable as he seemed, then his sense of responsibility might prove more valuable than any grand declaration of love.

Diana eventually decided to stop thinking about it for the time being.

“Enough about me. What about Ryan? Isn’t he coming to stay with you?”

Rose shrugged.

“He’s cutting back on work so he can handle the wedding arrangements. He’ll fly over tomorrow. But I have a prenatal appointment today.”

“I’ll come with you!”

Diana perked up immediately.

She absolutely adored children. Learning that Rose was expecting twins had made her almost as excited as if she were having them herself.

Back when she and Liam had been together, they hadn’t been in a hurry to have children, and she’d sometimes felt disappointed about it.

Now, however, she was relieved they hadn’t had a child together. If they had, leaving Liam would have been even more complicated.

Still, she hoped that someday she’d have a little family of her own—if that was what she truly wanted.

For now, she was happy to be there for Rose.

The two women arrived at the hospital and discovered that the appointment involved quite a few tests.

Diana refused to let Rose run around unnecessarily. She took charge of the paperwork, carrying the forms from one department to another and handling the payments herself.

They were on their way to pay the next fee when Diana felt a gentle tug at the hem of her shirt.

She looked down.

A familiar little face gazed up at her.

Damian.

His expression was still adorably dazed, and his eyes were fixed on her with an intensity that made it seem as though she’d become the center of his little world.

Diana froze in surprise.

“Dami? What are you doing here?”

She instinctively looked up.

Sebastian stood just three steps away.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Dami missed you and wanted to come to Washington, too.”

As it happened, Sebastian had brought Damian to Washington for a medical appointment. The boy had doctors who worked with him both in the United States and abroad, and one of his specialists was based in the area.

Sebastian hadn’t expected to run into Diana at the hospital.

Yet here she was.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment.

Could this really be fate bringing them together?

“What are you thinking about?” Diana asked, noticing the strange look in his eyes.

Sebastian came back to himself. He raised a fist to his lips and cleared his throat.

“Nothing. I was actually planning to contact you, but I didn’t expect to run into you so soon.” He glanced at Damian. “He’s happy to see you.”

“It’s quite a coincidence,” Diana agreed.

She reached for Damian’s hand and smiled down at him.

“Sweetheart, did you miss me?”

Damian hesitated.

Then he gave the tiniest nod.

Diana’s mischievous streak immediately resurfaced.

“Then I want you to tell me yourself. I want to hear you say it. Otherwise, I’ll think you’re lying to me.”

Damian went still.

He wanted to say something. She could see it in the way his lips parted slightly, as though he were trying to form the words.

But nothing came out.

His eyes began to redden with the effort and frustration.

Diana’s heart melted at once.

“Oh, sweetheart, it’s okay.”

She quickly gathered him into her arms, her voice turning soft and soothing.

“If you can’t say it today, you can try tomorrow. There’s no rush. I’ll be right here, waiting for you, all right?”

Sebastian couldn’t help watching her.

Diana was usually loud, lively, and impossible to ignore. But when it came to Damian, she was endlessly patient and considerate.

She never seemed to resent how long it took him to respond. She didn’t demand that he communicate in a way he wasn’t ready for. Even when she teased him, she knew when to stop and comfort him.

She was a good person.

Sebastian had no doubt about that.

Diana gently took Damian by the hand and walked over to him.

“Have you finished your appointment? I’m here with my friend for her prenatal checkup, so we might be here for another hour or so.”

She probably meant to let them know they didn’t need to wait around.

But Damian had no intention of leaving.

His little hand tightened around hers.

Diana felt her heart soften all over again.

She smiled and bent down to stroke his soft cheek.

And then, just as she was about to straighten up, a trembling, hoarse voice reached her ears.

“Didi...?”