Chapter 10 Who's Got the Upper Hand

Howard kept his mouth shut.

"You don't believe me?" Diana stopped in her tracks, turned around, and locked eyes with Howard.

Still, Howard didn't say a word.

"If you don't believe me, go see for yourself," Diana said, taking a deep breath and keeping her cool.

Howard seemed to have a lightbulb moment, a spark flickered in his dark eyes, and he cracked a small smile. "Alright."

Sophia stood by the window, watching Howard and Diana stroll through the garden with a satisfied look.

"Amelia, don't you think they make a cute couple?" Sophia asked with a smile, turning to her maid, Amelia Martinez, who had been with her for half her life.

"Yes, Mr. Howard Spencer and Mrs. Diana Spencer are a perfect match," Amelia replied respectfully.

"I just hope they start to care for each other soon," Sophia sighed softly.

Sophia knew Howard and Diana didn't have feelings for each other; they only got married because of her.

But Sophia had no other choice. Over the years, she had seen how much Diana had suffered with the Getty family.

Sophia wanted Diana to break free from the Getty family and gain her freedom.

The only way was for Diana to marry Howard. It wasn't fair to Howard, but it was the best way Sophia could think of to free Diana from the Getty family.

Sophia thought, 'Howard, Diana is a good girl. Please don't let me down!'

Meanwhile, Robert stormed out of the police station with a dark expression.

Inside, he had spent ages trying to convince the cops that Diana was his fiancée and was just messing with him.

But the police didn't buy it.

Diana had given them enough evidence to believe Robert was a scumbag who conned women for their money and emotions.

Thinking about having to return the $500,000, Robert was fuming.

He pulled out his phone and looked at his chat with Diana. Dozens of his previous messages hadn't gone through.

Holding back his anger, Robert sent another message: [Diana, let's talk.]

To his surprise, this one actually went through.

Robert's eyes lit up, and he quickly started typing.

Robert: [Diana, can you come out? Let's talk this out.]

Robert: [How can you just throw away our years together?]

Robert: [You know I love you the most!]

After sending over a dozen messages, he finally got a reply.

Diana: [Return the money! Or see you in court.]

Robert was livid. He gripped his phone tightly, glaring at the message, thinking he couldn't let Diana control him.

But if he didn't do what Diana said, once it went to court, he'd be the laughingstock of the city.

By then, Robert's future and reputation would be toast.

Robert figured he could give the money back to Diana for now and find a way to get it back later.

With that thought, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes. He smirked and quickly transferred $500,000 to Diana.

Robert: [Diana, I know you don't have a steady job and have left the Getty family, so you must be strapped for cash. Take this money for now. No matter what, I still love you the most!]

On the other end, Diana accepted the payment without a hint of emotion. She ignored Robert's fake sweet talk, knowing it would only make her sick.

Meanwhile, Jasper dragged himself back to the Getty Villa, looking worn out.

"You still have the nerve to come back?" Jasper looked up to see Emily standing in the middle of the living room, glaring at him with fury.

"Mom."

"Don't call me that!" Emily snapped, "Did you go see that witch Diana again? Do you even know who your real sister is? Laura is so sick, and you're still thinking about Diana!"

"Mom, Diana is your biological daughter," Jasper shot back, frowning.

Emily yelled, "My daughter is Laura! Diana is nothing but an ungrateful brat!"

"Mom!" Jasper was at a loss. He couldn't understand why Emily hated Diana so much when Diana was her own flesh and blood.

"Mom, I'm tired. I'm going to rest," Jasper said, not wanting to argue anymore. He turned and headed for his room.

"Wait!" Emily's sharp voice stopped him as he climbed the stairs, "Jasper, since you're in touch with Diana, tell her to come back. Laura needs her kidney!"

Jasper froze. He turned around and looked at Emily like she was a stranger.

After a long pause, Jasper spoke coldly, "No way! I won't let you hurt Diana!"

One day, Diana decided to visit an antique shop she used to frequent, hoping to find something interesting.

"Ms. Getty, you're here again?" Joshua Thomas, the shop owner, greeted her with a smile as he emerged from the back room.

"Mr. Thomas, got anything good lately?" Diana asked with a smile.

"Of course," Joshua said with a knowing look, then stepped aside. "Ms. Getty, please follow me."

Diana nodded and followed Joshua into the dim back room, where dozens of old paintings were stored.

Diana's eyes lit up as she started browsing the paintings with great interest.

The ancient artworks depicted people, landscapes, and objects from various eras.

As she looked at them, Diana felt like she was traveling through time, peering into ancient history.

Suddenly, Diana stopped in front of a painting.

It was a portrait of a woman dancing gracefully in a garden.

The painting was fresh and elegant, with soft and delicate brushstrokes, reflecting the artist's gentle personality. Unfortunately, due to its age, the paint had peeled, the edges were damaged, and the canvas had yellowed, significantly reducing its value from nearly a million dollars.

Diana felt a pang of sadness as she looked at the damaged painting.

"Ms. Getty, do you like this one?" Joshua noticed her lingering gaze and asked softly.

Diana paused and then said calmly, "I do like it."

Joshua glanced at the damaged painting and chuckled. "Ms. Getty, if you like it, I can give you a 20% discount."

"No, I don't want to buy it. But I want to restore its value to what it originally was."