That same day, the psychiatric expert conducted an hour-long therapy session for Catherine Archer. Once it was over, William Knight inquired about her prognosis: "What are the chances of a full recovery?"
The expert sighed. "The patient's psychological knot is very deep. Given the current situation, there's only about a forty percent chance." He paused before adding, "A disease of the mind requires medicine for the mind. To untie the knot, one needs the person who tied it. Her trauma stems from that missing child. If that child is found, her condition will likely resolve itself."
William turned to Diana Bell. "That child..."
"She's my sister, Ivy Bell," Diana said softly. "She's Noah's twin. When they were little, she went missing while out with my grandmother. If she's still alive, she'd be seventeen now, starting her senior year of high school after the summer. I've never stopped looking for her. I've hired countless private investigators, but we've found nothing."
There were 1.4 billion people in this country; finding one person was like searching for a needle in an ocean. Moreover, there was no guarantee Ivy was even still here—she could have been trafficked abroad, or she might already be...
Diana didn't dare finish that thought. Whenever her mind drifted toward the darkest possibilities, she felt as if she were falling into a frozen abyss, her heart pierced by a thousand ice shards.
As the chill swept through her, William took both of her hands in his. His warmth seeped through her skin, a steady, comforting current that traveled all the way to her heart.
He looked her in the eyes and said, "Miss Bell, I will help you find your sister."
Diana's nose suddenly stung, and her eyes grew red. She cast her gaze downward to hide her emotions, her long, thick lashes veiling her glassy eyes. She hated showing vulnerability and was not used to crying in front of others.
After her mother passed away, she had once been bullied and cried in front of her father, Mason Bell. He had looked at her with nothing but cold disdain. "Do you not have hands or feet?" he had sneered. "If someone bullies you, bully them back. You're weak and incompetent, yet you have the nerve to cry in front of me? You're an embarrassment. Get out."
Since then, Diana had never shed a tear in front of him. As for the evil-hearted mother and daughter, they only found joy in her sorrow. Her upbringing had forced her to wear a mask of strength for so long that she often forgot she also needed care and protection. Consequently, when faced with genuine kindness, her first instinct wasn't joy, but a sense of being lost, unsure how to react.
A warm palm settled on the back of Diana's head as William pulled her into his embrace. His other hand gently patted her back, the rhythmic warmth dispelling the cold and settling her heart.
"Miss Bell, you have me now."
Diana felt the urge to hold him back, and she did, wrapping her arms around his waist. Her slender arms encircled him, her soft fingers resting naturally against the small of his back. She was so soft that as she pressed against him, he couldn't even feel the frame of her bones.
Her face was tucked against his chest. Her warm breath drifted through his shirt like a feather, sparking a trail of itching heat. William felt that Diana was like a soft, fragrant rose—her body made of petals, her very bones exuding a delicate grace. She was truly the definition of "soft and exquisite." He felt this profoundly every time he held her.
Regaining her composure while still leaning against him, Diana asked, "William, why are you doing so much for me?"
A faint, blurry expectation flickered in her heart. Even if a woman were married to someone she had dated for years, he might not be willing to go this far.
"Under marital duties, there is a concept called 'mutual assistance,'" William replied. "Husbands and wives should support one another. As my wife, if you encounter difficulties, I believe I should help you."
If he didn't help her, who would? Her father? William could see that her father's presence in her life was effectively zero.
That blurry expectation popped like a soapy bubble, leaving behind a damp, heavy sensation in Diana's heart. She hadn't heard the answer she truly wanted. But perhaps that didn't matter.
"William," she said, "you are a very good partner for marriage."
William took it as a compliment. "As are you."
In the long, quiet corridor, the light danced across the polished floor as they held each other. Diana looked stunning even from behind; her yellow blouse tucked into her tight jeans emphasized her tiny waist and the elegant curves of her silhouette. Together, tall and exceptionally handsome, they were a picture of perfect harmony.
The moment didn't last long. William's phone rang—it was the secretary of a government official urging him back to the joint conference.
"I have work to attend to," William said.
Diana didn't try to keep him. She released her hold, stepped back, and waved. "Goodbye, Lord Knight."
The title "Lord Knight" made her sound like he was her boss.
"Call me if anything happens," William added.
"Understood, Lord Knight."
William gave her a deep, lingering look. "Mm."
As his tall figure vanished around the corner, Diana saw him pull out his phone and place a call: "Find someone for me. Ivy Bell, seventeen years old..."
He said he would help, and he did it immediately. Even if there was no love between them, living a life of mutual respect like this... seemed alright, didn't it?
At noon, Diana received a call.
"Hello, is this Miss Diana Bell?"
"Speaking."
"Hello, Miss Bell. This is the HR department from the EdTech subsidiary under the Knight Group. You submitted a resume to us previously. Would you be available for an interview this afternoon?"
A look of joy flashed in Diana's eyes. "Yes, I'm available!"
The caller provided the location and room number. After saying goodbye to her grandmother, Diana took Noah home. She headed to the second floor, applied a fresh, light layer of makeup, and changed into professional attire: a white shirt and black slacks.
The burn on her foot wasn't healed yet, and high heels would surely chafe. She wrapped the wound in several layers of bandage; when she finally stepped into her heels, the pain was manageable.
As she headed out with her resume, she didn't forget to stop by Noah's room to "push" him.
"This afternoon, besides finishing five sets of practice exams, you need to work on your 'chicken scratch' handwriting. Follow the copybook—I want a hundred pages."
Noah nearly spat out his water. "Sis! There's 'tiger parenting' and then there's whatever this is. A hundred pages? My hand will be paralyzed!"
"Fine, if you can't finish, it doesn't matter," Diana said airily. "But there's no steak for dinner tonight."
"Wait! I want steak!"
"Five exams plus a hundred pages of calligraphy. If you don't finish, forget the steak—you won't even get the scraps."
"Sis, don't be so threatening," Noah groaned. "Can't you be a little nicer to your only brother? Give me some entertainment or something."
"You want entertainment when your handwriting looks like a dog crawled over the page? Why don't you go find a drill sergeant?"
"I don't need a sergeant! I'll be the one doing the drilling!"
"The era of bayonet fighting is over, Noah. We live in the age of high-tech information warfare—satellites, drones, real-time data. It requires brains and knowledge. If you want to be a hero, start by arming your mind. Go study."
Noah sighed. "You're a natural-born lecturer, aren't you? You sure can talk."
"And you sure can whine," Diana retorted. "Thanks for the compliment."
Noah gritted his teeth and picked up his pen. "Fine! I'll write! For the sake of that steak, I'll write until my fingers fall off!"
Diana arrived at the interview location.
The core business of the Knight Group was finance; education and training were merely peripheral interests for the conglomerate. She had assumed the subsidiary would be tucked away in some obscure corner of the city, but to her surprise, it was located right inside the Knight Group Headquarters.
If she passed the interview, William wouldn't just be her "boss"—they would be working in the same building every single day.
Which meant they would be seeing each other all the time.