Chapter 5

Not long after Stanley left, a servant popped in with some snacks: fragrant tea, cookies, and a steaming apple pie.

All of Diana's favorites. The smell hit her, and she realized just how hungry she was.

Maybe it was the stress and overwork, and after munching on the snacks, Diana dozed off. When she woke up, she was already at the hotel.

No one was around except the servant.

Diana headed straight for a bath, and when she came out, she was wrapped in a bathrobe.

Stanley had just finished giving orders to his team and walked in to see Diana standing there, looking a bit lost.

He got it right away and called Barry to buy some clothes for her.

Diana turned to the sofa, "Does he even know how to shop for women's clothes? I can go myself."

Stanley ignored her. He just took off his shirt, and Diana, catching a glimpse of his toned abs, quickly looked away and sipped her tea to hide her embarrassment.

After changing, Stanley held out a tie and asked, "Can you tie this?"

Diana took it, "Yeah, I got this."

She motioned for Stanley to sit on the sofa so she wouldn't have to stretch.

As she worked on the tie, they were super close. Diana was focused, her fingers moving quickly.

Stanley glanced down and saw her chest peeking out from the loose bathrobe. The sweet scent of her body wash mixed with her natural warmth.

The atmosphere became charged with an unspoken attraction.

Diana didn't notice.

In a few minutes, she had a perfect knot.

Stanley looked away, back to his usual cool demeanor.

Diana sat back on the sofa, flipping through the hotel's fashion magazines.

Barry came in with the clothes he bought, filling the room with shopping bags.

Diana got up to check them out.

Stanley was on the balcony, deep in a phone call. When he saw Diana still sorting through the clothes, he wrapped up quickly and walked over, asking, "Not happy with them? I'll have Barry get more."

He had checked everything about Diana, from her favorite foods to her health reports, but her taste in clothes was a mystery.

Diana picked up a black lace semi-transparent lingerie and tossed it at Stanley.

"Your assistant's got skills, even throwing in surprises for you," she teased. "Do you like it?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

Stanley's fingers brushed the smooth fabric as he looked at her, "You know what I like."

Diana went quiet.

That night, he blindfolded her with a tie and tied a red string with a bell around her ankle.

As things heated up, the bell rang, heightening her senses.

Stanley might seem cold and reserved, but she knew how wild he could get.

She almost regretted teasing him, which only fired him up more.

Stanley smiled, watching Diana with interest. He was used to fake compliments and flattery, which bored him.

Diana was different. She was real and interesting. On the surface, she seemed controlled, but deep down, she was bold and lively.

Stanley went through the bags and saw there weren't many clothes for going out. Most were for intimate moments.

He grabbed a shirt from the wardrobe and said, "Wear this for now."

Stanley called Barry and told him to get some casual clothes and a few evening gowns.

Diana took the shirt but felt it wasn't much better than the bathrobe, so she didn't bother changing.

Stanley didn't bat an eye, handing her a stack of documents. "Alton Miller's team will handle your divorce. He'll reach out. Just let him know what you want in the property division."

Diana looked over the papers a few times to be sure. "Is this the Alton Miller from the Imperial City lawyer family?"

The Miller family had a spotless record. Even top officials struggled to hire them because they didn't need money or status. They preferred to help the underdog, driven by a sense of justice.

Stanley getting the Miller family for her case was a huge relief.

The contract was signed, making the divorce a done deal.

"Yep. Here's to a smooth divorce," Stanley said, raising his glass of red wine to her before downing it.

Diana, feeling a rare moment of happiness, found an empty glass and poured herself some wine. "Stanley, thank you!"

She drank quite a bit and ended up taking a nap in the afternoon.

Stanley stepped out to the balcony to make a call. His subordinate reported, "The Smith family is searching all over Imperial City for Ms. Mellon. They've pulled out all the stops."

"Keep tabs on it," Stanley said, hanging up.

The Smith family had no way of tracking him down.

Diana woke up at dusk, feeling like she'd finally caught up on three years of lost sleep.

Stanley was still there, working on his laptop in the living room.

He had the hotel staff help Diana get dressed.

The evening banquet had already started, and he was waiting for her.

The car pulled up smoothly on the red carpet in front of the banquet hall.

Diana wore a moon-white satin slip dress, tight-fitting with a long diamond chain hanging from the open back, swaying as she walked.

As soon as they walked in, all eyes were on them.

Several older gentlemen gathered around Stanley to chat.

He drew the attention of many women, and Diana felt the weight of various complex gazes.

The men talked business and politics.

Diana knew the drill and quietly slipped away to the dessert table.

Stanley was fluent in conversation but kept glancing at Diana.

She looked a bit lonely and quiet.

Since it was a business banquet in Harmony City, Diana didn't know many people.

And if she did, she wouldn't have come.

Since her father abandoned them, she had become a laughingstock.

She hated being on display for others to mock.

"Mr. Visconti, we've known each other for a while, but this is the first time I've seen you with a female companion. Is she your new secretary?" Roger Davis, head of the richest family in Harmony City, was usually sharp. He noticed Stanley's eyes were always on Diana.

The Visconti family had high status, and Stanley's position attracted many, including those eyeing the role of his wife.

Stanley smirked, neither confirming nor denying.

Roger, seeing his casual attitude, was secretly pleased.

He had one daughter who couldn't forget Stanley after meeting him once. But even though the Davis family was wealthy, they might not catch the Visconti family's eye.

So he brought his daughter to more banquets, hoping she'd catch Stanley's attention.

Every prominent family head wanted Stanley as a son-in-law.

Roger smiled and sighed, "Times are changing so fast, and the younger generation is full of talent. Even Mr. Visconti's secretary is getting younger. My daughter has been working at the grassroots level since she graduated! She's handling the Rainbow Realty Investments project. Mr. Visconti, please guide her."