Diana was beaten up badly and tossed into a cold room. It was completely dark and she had been locked for hours. She had no idea what time it was or how long she'd been down there.
All she could feel was the cold eating through her and the pain in her bones. Diana wished this was a dream she'd wake up from, but it wasn't. Her father was murdered, and she was ruined. Antonia, Emily, and Gabe had everyone in their pockets and even the law was against her.
Diana sobbed against the hard humid ground in silence. From the first time her father had brought Antonia and Emily home, Diana knew they'd end up destroying everything she'd loved. If only their paths never crossed the Saunders then maybe this tragic fate could have been avoided.
Diana was startled by the silent opening of the door, and she looked up to see one of the prison guards at the doorway.
Without saying a word, she was taken out of the cell.
“Where are you taking me to?” Diana's question was met with an uncomfortable silence and soon they reached the single door in an empty hallway. The guard's gaze fell on Diana before she was pushed into a room.
It was dark with no light turned on, but moonlight rays filtered into the room from the window, falling on the chair at a corner of the room.
Diana clutched the sides of my stomach tightly, realizing she wasn't alone. She could see the figure sitting on the chair. A man. But she couldn't see his face.
“Who are you?” Diana fought the urge to take a step backward. She wondered who he was, maybe he was the one Emily had sent to kill her.
“My name is Killian Blackford, and I truly wished we were meeting under different circumstances, Mrs Patterson,” The man spoke; his voice was deep and rich and had a lasting effect on her skin. Strangely, the name sounded so familiar but Diana's brain was too messed up to think.
“It’s Diana Tate now, my divorce is in process,” She remained fixed on her spot.
Diana couldn't see his face clearly but she could almost imagine the smile that touched his lips. “I guess, my congratulations are in order,” He said, leaning forward on the table.
“How do you know me? I don't think we've met before,” She asked and he remained silent for a few seconds before responding.
“It's a long story, but that's for another day. We don't have much time, and we have something important to discuss. I think you should be seated to hear this,” He pointed at the empty chair opposite him.
“What could we possibly discuss about?”
“A mutual enemy,” He said, and Diana raised a confused brow. Before she could say a word, he did. “Antonia Saunders,”
The breath Diana didn't know she had been holding left her lips, and slowly, she strolled closer, settling on the empty chair opposite his.
“How do you know Antonia Saunders?” Diana narrowed her eyes, trying to get a glimpse of his face, but it was impossible in the darkness.
“We don't have much time for that either,”
“Then why —”
He interrupted her. “I believe you, Miss Tate. I believe that Antonia and her daughter, Emily Saunders, together with your husband, Gabe Patterson, schemed and connived to kill your father and framed you up for the murder just so they could get their hands on the Tate empire. And I also know they are going to ensure you rot in here, or even worse, they might get rid of you permanently,”
His words shocked her. He was the only one who believed her so far. “Who are you really?”
“I am someone who can help you get out of here,”
“How?” Diana asked.
“I have my ways, Miss Tate,” His eyes gleamed in the darkness. They were the color of the deep ocean. Calm, yet deadly.
“And what do you hope to get out of this?” There was always something in return.
“You,” His abrupt answer shocked Diana again, but then he chuckled slightly. “I meant I need your help in return, to destroy Antonia Saunders and send her straight to hell. And something tells me that's exactly what you want as well,” He parted his lips to speak when his phone buzzed. He glanced at it and from the light reflecting on his face, she could see the slight frown.
“Is something wrong?”
“No,” He glanced up at her, “But unfortunately, our time is up for today. We'll talk more tomorrow,”
Diana stood up at the urgent knock on the door. She was about to open the door when she paused and turned to the man. “You're right, though, I want the same thing as you. I want to see Antonia and Emily Saunders, along with Gabe Patterson, in hell,” She said before leaving the room.
As Diana stepped out, she found a different female guard standing outside the door. She looked around but couldn't find the guard that brought her there.
The guard grabbed her arm and dragged her away. After a few turns, Diana realized they weren't headed to the cell.
“Why aren't we headed to the cell,” She turned to the guard.
“Because sweetheart, tonight is the day you go to hell,” Her lips curled darkly, and Diana was pushed into another room, and the next thing she felt was a sharp pain piercing through her flesh. “Antonia sends her greetings,”
Diana gasped, looking down at the stab wound in her stomach. The woman pulled out the knife and stabbed Diana repeatedly until she collapsed against the cold floor, soon soaked in a pool of her blood.
Diana could feel her life slowly escape her. She couldn't believe this was how she finally died. All alone, like a worthless criminal.
Diana felt the tears that rolled from her eyes as her entire life flashed before her eyes and she realized everything had been reduced to nothing.
This wasn't fair. She couldn't just end up like this. Antonia, Emily, and Gabe didn't deserve to live happily after everything they'd done. If only she could get a second chance to make them pay for their betrayal and crimes.
She'd make sure they regret the day they crossed paths with Diana Tate. She'd avenge her father's death. She would if she could.
One final tear rolled out from Diana's eyes, and she felt the cold hands of death snatch her away.
