Chapter 9 Doubts

"Tony, arrange for someone to get the children cleaned up and fed."

Charles looked at the furious Diana, regaining his cold composure.

"Do the children have any dietary restrictions? Any allergies I should know about? Tell me now so Tony can make arrangements."

He spoke calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Diana trembled with rage. Charles continued evenly, "Whatever we need to discuss can wait. Let's get the children fed first."

Children were every mother's weakness.

Diana was no exception.

She deflated like a punctured balloon, the corners of her eyes burning red.

"We're not going anywhere," Jason declared.

The two kids faced Charles with obvious wariness, each gripping one of Diana's hands protectively.

Butler, Tony Ross, stepped forward at the summons, but froze when he laid eyes on the children.

The resemblance was striking.

Not in their faces, but in their bearing, that unmistakable determination.

Tony's mind suddenly flashed back over twenty years, to when Charles had been just as small, just as fiercely protective of his own mother.

Past and present overlapped before his eyes.

Tony's heart raced with recognition.

Especially after seeing Diana, Tony could barely contain his excitement.

"Mrs. Windsor! Mrs. Windsor has come home."

Tony smiled warmly as he approached.

Ignoring the tense atmosphere in the living room, he enthusiastically called out to the other household staff.

"Mrs. Windsor is back! Have the kitchen prepare all of Mrs. Windsor's favorite dishes. And we can refresh the flowers in Mrs. Windsor's room."

Tony orchestrated the arrangements seamlessly.

As if Diana had never left, as if she'd simply stepped out for a while.

"These children are absolutely adorable. We'll be having lunch soon—if there's anything special you'd like, just let me know."

Under Tony's mediation, Diana's defenses remained up, but her hostility visibly softened.

Charles seized the opportunity to escort her upstairs to his study, leaving the children in Tony's capable hands.

The moment the study door closed, Diana raised her hand to strike again.

Charles caught her wrist, using the momentum to pin her against the wall.

The distance between them vanished instantly. Their eyes locked, but there was nothing romantic in the air.

Diana's gaze burned with fury and resentment, devoid of any lingering affection.

"Diana, what exactly happened five years ago?"

Charles couldn't understand how they'd reached this point.

He was desperate to uncover the truth five years ago.

"Why did you fake your death and disappear? Do you have any idea what those who cared about you, who loved you, went through after hearing you'd died?"

Loved her?

Cared about her?

Diana almost laughed.

Did she even have family left in Emerald City?

Diana's cold indifference was particularly grating in this moment.

Charles gripped Diana's wrists, trying to force her to face him properly.

But the feel of her under his fingers made him pause.

She was so thin.

She'd always been slender.

Now she was practically fragile.

Standing within the world he'd drawn around them, Diana looked like a delicate porcelain doll, as if the slightest pressure might shatter her completely.

Diana glared at him, her eyes clearly taking in the handprint still marking Charles's cheek.

"Mr. Windsor, don't you already know everything? What's the point of all these questions?"

"I'll say it one more time—these children have nothing to do with you. Our child died five years ago in that car accident. These children belong to my assistant."

Diana wanted nothing more to do with Charles.

She struggled desperately in his embrace, even breaking into profanity.

But she was trapped like a caged animal, unable to break free, no matter how hard she fought.

If Windsor Group hadn't demanded Charles's attention, Diana was certain he would have continued this standoff indefinitely.

Even when Charles finally left, he locked her in the bedroom they'd once shared.

Diana found herself imprisoned. She wrapped her arms around her knees, sliding down the wall as she tried to calm herself.

This wouldn't work.

She had to find a way out.

Staying here any longer would expose the children's true parentage.

Charles had changed, becoming impossible to read.

A knock sounded at the door.

Diana startled.

She didn't want to respond, but then she heard two familiar voices.

The next moment, she threw open the door and embraced both children, her carefully maintained facade crumbling completely.

Her nose stung with unshed tears, but she forced a smile to avoid frightening them.

"Mommy, are you okay?"

Daisy wrapped her arms around Diana's neck, whispering near her ear.

"Did Charles hurt you?" Jason's lips pressed together as he lowered his voice as well. "Don't be scared, Mommy. I'll teach him a lesson!"

Despite their brave words, both children clung tightly to Diana.

The forced separation earlier had terrified them both.

"Should we call Lucas to come get us?"

"Mommy, I want to go home."

"I don't want to see Daddy anymore. I don't want him."

"Daddy's a big meanie."

"Daddy will hurt Mommy."

Daisy burst into tears in Diana's arms.

Not far away, Tony quietly observed their every move.

Back at the office, Charles juggled his work while summoning Nathan, ordering him to return to the house and collect hair samples from the children for paternity testing.

Charles didn't believe Diana's story.

Diana had just finished comforting the children when she looked up to find Nathan standing nearby.

Nathan didn't attempt to hide his purpose.

The moment he spoke, Diana moved to block him.

"Get out. Don't you dare touch them."

Diana's heart pounded. The paternity test couldn't happen; without preparation, it would expose everything instantly.

"My apologies, Mrs. Windsor. I'm just following orders."

Nathan signaled to the butler, and Tony smoothly stepped forward to assist.

"Mrs. Windsor, the paternity test won't harm the children. Mr. Windsor has always been thorough, as you well know. This test is inevitable."

Tony's words gave Diana pause.

Yes, the test was inevitable. What she needed to think about now was how to resolve the issue.

Diana forced herself to calm down. Fighting them head-on was futile, especially when everyone around her answered to Charles.

"If you're going to test these children, shouldn't you notify their mother first?"

Nathan hesitated, then nodded. "Of course. We'd appreciate your help contacting her, Mrs. Windsor."

As long as Diana cooperated, she could handle this whatever she wanted.

Layla arrived quickly.

The moment the children spotted Layla, they ran toward her with perfect synchronization, joyfully calling out "Mommy!"

Their acting was so convincing that even Diana nearly lost her composure.

Within minutes, Nathan departed with hair samples from all parties.

He'd barely left when an unwelcome visitor arrived at the estate.

A sharp voice rang out from the entrance.

"Diana, so you have come back?"