William Knight finished his call and headed back. Seeing the dark cloud on his face, the assistant hesitated to approach him.
William had already noticed his indecision and stopped beside him. "What is it?"
The assistant didn't delay any further. "Miss Bell mentioned she's going to the nursing home to visit her grandmother. She asked if she could borrow one of the four-seaters from the garage."
"And how did you answer?" William asked.
"I told her that everything in the Imperial Mansion is hers to use."
William corrected him immediately. "It's not just 'use.' It's ownership. Everything in the Imperial Mansion belongs to her. She doesn't just have the right to use things; she has the right to possess, profit from, and dispose of them as she sees fit."
He turned a cold gaze toward the assistant. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
How could he not? Lord Knight hadn't just given Miss Bell a house; he had essentially handed over the twelve luxury cars in the garage as well. Any one of those cars was worth a lifetime of labor for an average person.
For a split second, the assistant actually considered flying to Thailand for a gender-reassignment surgery just so he could try and marry a man like William. Of course, it was just a fleeting, impulsive thought—he knew that even if he went through with it, William wouldn't spare him a second glance.
"I'll go deliver the car keys to Miss Bell right now," the assistant said.
William let out a low murmur, almost to himself. "Why did she call you instead of me?"
"Huh? What was that, Mr. Knight?"
"I said," William repeated, "why does my wife call you when she needs something instead of calling her husband?"
"Maybe she just finds me... approachable?" the assistant suggested.
William's eyes turned icy. "You're quite talented, being so 'approachable' to another man's wife."
The assistant froze. "Mr. Knight, what I mean is... I look old. I'm in my twenties but I have the face of an eighty-year-old. I'm approachable like a kindly grandfather! Women don't see me as a man; they see me as a harmless old soul. That's why she feels comfortable calling me."
He continued frantically, "Mr. Knight, I'm not as tall as you, not as handsome, and certainly not as rich. I don't even compare to your shadow! I'm not even worthy of your discarded toenails!"
"If you spent less time talking," William remarked dryly, "the keys would already be in my wife's hands."
"I'm going! I'm going right now!"
The assistant handed the keys to Diana and relayed William's message: "Miss Bell, Mr. Knight said that everything in the Imperial Mansion is yours. It is your private property, and you hold all the rights to it."
Diana knew William was generous, but she hadn't expected this level of extravagance—handing over a fleet of luxury cars just like that.
Before leaving, the assistant added, "Miss Bell, in the future, please feel free to contact Mr. Knight directly if you need anything. There's no need to go through a middleman like me."
"Is that alright?" Diana asked. "I don't want to disturb his work."
"It's no disturbance at all," the assistant assured her. "In fact, I think Mr. Knight would be quite happy to hear from you."
Diana felt a slight flicker of surprise in her heart, and a small smile played on her lips. "Alright. I'll contact him directly next time."
When the assistant returned to William and reported her response, William's lips curled into a subtle smirk. "Good."
Diana drove a Bentley to the bottom of Penelope's apartment building with Noah Bell in the passenger seat.
Penelope Reed walked a full circle around the car, whistling. "Well, well! Life as a billionaire's wife certainly suits you. A Porsche yesterday, a Bentley today... this 'filthy rich' lifestyle is making my heart ache with envy."
Diana didn't have the heart to tell her that she had actually picked out the cheapest car in the garage.
As Penelope reached for the door handle, Noah jumped out and opened it for her.
"Noah, look at you! You've grown again since I last saw you," Penelope noted.
"And you've gotten even prettier, Penelope," Noah replied smoothly.
"Oh, stop. I'm just average compared to the fresh seventeen-year-old girls in your class."
"You'll always be sixteen in my heart," Noah grinned. "Much fresher than any seventeen-year-old."
Penelope laughed so hard her gums almost showed. As she bent over to get into the car, Noah held his hand over the door frame. "Watch your head, Penelope."
Penelope turned to Diana. "He's well-bred. Our little brother is really growing up."
"You should have seen him as a kid," Diana remarked. "I bought a brand new rice cooker once, and he sat on it to take a poop. When I angrily asked what he was doing, he told me he was 'making dinner' for me. Compared to that, he's definitely more mature."
Penelope burst into fits of laughter.
Noah was not amused. "Diana! I'm a grown man! Why are you airing my dirty laundry in public? Do that again and I'm going to get angry."
"And what happens when you get angry?" Diana challenged.
"I won't eat for three days! I'll starve myself!"
Penelope laughed until tears almost came to her eyes. She pulled out the Oreo Lava Cheese Milk Teas she had bought, poked a straw into one for Diana, and held the other to Noah's lips. "Don't be mad, little brother. Let your big sister treat you to some tea."
"Penelope is the best," Noah grumbled.
"So," Penelope teased, "if your sister and I both fell into a river, who would you save first?"
Noah went silent for a beat. "Look, I'm just a kid. Don't hit me with that ancient riddle. Save that misery for the married men."
They reached the nursing home amidst laughter and chatter. Despite Diana's protests, Penelope had insisted on buying a mountain of fruit and expensive supplements.
"I don't come to see Grandma every day," Penelope insisted. "I can't just show up empty-handed. I'm an adult; I have to follow the social graces."
They carried the bags into Grandma's room. This was the most prestigious nursing home in the east city—and the most expensive. Most of the money Diana earned went here. Money could be replaced, but family couldn't. To Diana, her grandmother's comfort was worth every penny.
The facility was beautiful, nestled between mountains and water with fresh air. Each patient had a private room and daily professional care.
When they entered, a nurse was just finishing checking Grandma's blood pressure. Seeing Diana, Grandma's clouded eyes instantly lit up. She hurried toward her with trembling steps.
"Ivy! My little Ivy, you're finally back!"
Diana took her wrinkled hands in hers, her voice soft and soothing. "Grandma, it's me. I'm back."
Tears shimmered in the old woman's eyes. "I lost you when you were little... Have you been well all these years? You must have suffered so much. Every time I think about losing you, my heart breaks. I can't forgive myself."
Ivy Bell was Diana's sister, Noah's twin. Years ago, after Catherine Archer and Aurora Stone moved into the Bell family home, Ivy had gone missing while out with her grandmother. The trauma had caused their grandmother to descend into guilt-ridden dementia.
Diana had spent years employing private investigators to find Ivy, but so far, there had been no trace.
Diana wiped a tear from her grandmother's eye. "I'm back now, Grandma. I met many kind people and I've been doing well. You don't have to blame yourself anymore."
Grandma pulled Diana toward a cabinet and took out a small box. "Ivy, the home gave out Osmanthus cakes a few days ago. I couldn't bear to eat them. I saved them all for you. Here—three for you, and three for Diana."
She looked toward the door. "Where's Diana? Is your sister not coming today?"
Penelope stepped forward, cupping her face like a flower. "Grandma, I'm Diana!"
Grandma squinted at her. "Diana? Why do you look so different?"
Penelope blinked. "Am I even prettier now, Grandma?"
"You've gotten uglier," Grandma said bluntly. "Not as pretty as before."
The light died in Penelope's eyes. "That hurts, Grandma. Right in the heart."
Grandma distributed the cakes to Diana and Penelope.
"What about me, Grandma?" Noah asked. "I'm a person too!"
"I treat everyone equally," Grandma replied solemnly. "Boys don't like sweets, so no cake for you."
"But I love sweets!"
"No, you don't."
Noah muttered under his breath, "Equality... sure."
They spent the whole day with her—chatting, combing her hair, and eating together. In the late afternoon, they took her for a walk while the sun was gentle. Diana decided to stay the night to keep her company.
Around 4:00 PM, Penelope had to head home. As Diana walked her to the exit, Penelope turned to her.
"You and William Knight are married now," Penelope noted. "Grandma is your closest relative. Coming here is like a homecoming visit. Why isn't William here with you?"
"I didn't tell him I was coming," Diana said.
"Mutual respect and no interference?"
Diana gave a quiet "Mhm."
"Is that kind of marriage actually interesting?" Penelope asked.
Diana looked at her. "I used to live in a crumbling, cramped apartment. Now I live in a 1,200-square-meter mansion. I used to ride a cheap scooter; now I drive Porsches and Bentleys. I used to do all the cooking and laundry myself; now the staff handles everything. You tell me—is my marriage interesting?"
Penelope clutched her chest. "Oh my god, you're stabbing me right in the soul. I'm still renting and riding that cheap scooter."
"Want me to give you the Bentley?" Diana offered.
"No way. I haven't earned it. I have my own two hands and I can take care of myself. I don't take handouts from anyone, no matter how rich they are." This was Penelope's philosophy—to owe no one and live freely.
Penelope turned serious again. "So you're just going to keep things like this with William? Respectful strangers for the rest of your lives? Don't you want him to actually fall in love with you?"