C2 In His Previous Life and in This Life.

Upon hearing the accusation, Anthea was too stunned to respond, but Belinda was quick to erupt in disbelief. She pointed accusingly at Diantha's nose and exclaimed, "Anthea came out of kindness to visit you, and this is the thanks she gets? What's with the attitude?!"

Diantha gave Belinda a cool, dismissive look. "Is my attitude really so inappropriate when I'm dealing with a woman who's after my husband?"

"I never..." Anthea's eyes brimmed with tears as she clutched her mouth, a mix of hurt and confusion in her gaze. She wasn't trying to steal Elder Brother Cassius away; she just wanted to be by his side. Was that so wrong? Why was Sister Diantha casting such malicious suspicions on her? Was it simply because Sister Diantha was his wife and she was nothing but an outsider?

Belinda's eyes flashed with anger. "Your thoughts are so vile! Anthea has been like a little sister to us since we were kids. It's perfectly normal for her to be close to her brother!"

Diantha's smile held a hint of sarcasm. "Unless I'm mistaken, doesn't she have her own brother, Rasul? Why isn't she clinging to him instead of Cassius, who shares no blood relation with her?"

Anthea's face flushed with embarrassment. "It's not like that... Rasul is busy being Cassius's guard. He's got his hands full and can't afford distractions, so I try not to bother him too much..."

Diantha's gaze was piercing. "And Cassius, managing the entire Edwards Group at such a young age, he's not busy?"

Anthea stuttered, unable to find the words, her large eyes fluttering as if she were on the verge of tears. Belinda couldn't stand it any longer. She stepped in to shield Anthea, tilting her chin up defiantly as she faced Diantha. "The Perry siblings have been part of our lives since childhood, practically family. If Rasul is too occupied to look after Anthea, what's the harm in her spending more time with Cassius?"

Diantha simply shrugged, her expression nonchalant. "You're the Edwards family's eldest daughter. Naturally, your word is law."

"Sister Diantha, please believe me..." Anthea's voice broke into a soft sob, sounding as if she was the victim of Diantha's cruelty.

Belinda shot Diantha a warning look. "You'll see!" she said, taking Anthea by the hand. "Come on, let's leave this nasty woman behind."

As they exited the hospital room, Diantha closed the door, her smile fading to reveal a changed countenance, her dark eyes betraying an irrepressible desolation.

She had never imagined Cassius would treat her this way.

She had never thought she would be reborn into this world, to a time before everything had unfolded.

Diantha first met Cassius at her twentieth birthday party.

Back then, she was an innocent, naive girl, shielded from the harsh realities of life. Despite losing her parents in an accident at a young age, her elder brother, eight years her senior, had been her protector. She had grown up sheltered and pure within the upper echelons of society, believing in a fairytale romance and cherishing the dream of her first love, which is why she had never truly dated until the age of twenty.

At her birthday celebration, she saw Cassius for the first time. He was the epitome of elegance in a perfectly tailored suit, every gesture reminiscent of a nobleman from a storybook. His handsome face was always graced with a gentle, inviting smile. The top buttons of his blue and white striped shirt were neatly fastened to the collar, hinting at the muscular contours beneath his clothes. He was an enigmatic fusion of restraint and desire, complex and alluring. She was instantly enchanted by him. When their eyes met, she felt as if she had plunged into the depths of his soul. In the soft light, his eyes were not the usual dark brown but a subtle shade of blue, profound and mysterious.

She later learned that his unique eye color was a legacy of his grandmother's foreign ancestry.

Cassius was the current head of the Edwards family, the youngest and most legendary to take up the mantle. His good looks and the fact that he had taken over the family business at just twenty-two made the Edwards family a leading force in Saxondale, a city of legends and hidden dynasties. In just three years, Cassius had taken the family to new heights.

For Diantha, falling for Cassius was inevitable. He was the prince charming straight out of a fairytale, and she was hopelessly smitten with just one look. Yet, he always seemed so detached. Despite the warm smiles, he was distant and impassive, as if no one mattered to him, as if no one could touch his heart or penetrate his cool exterior.

She had silently followed him for three years until that fateful day when Cassius and Old Master Edwards were targeted in an assassination attempt. She took a bullet for the old man and fell into a coma from blood loss. When she awoke, Cassius was at her bedside, his dark blue eyes softened with a warmth that was almost imperceptible.

Afterward, grateful for her sacrifice, Old Master Edwards asked her what she desired. Boldly, she expressed her wish to marry Cassius. He refused outright, but the old man saw a good match and insisted, pressing Cassius's head as they registered their marriage. Diantha was ecstatic, holding the marriage certificate like a treasure. Little did she know, it wasn't the start of a happy chapter, but the onset of a nightmare.

Although Cassius had been coerced into signing the marriage certificate, his rejection was unmistakable. Throughout their marriage, he never once touched Diantha, opting instead to sleep in separate rooms.

Shortly after their wedding, Cassius brought Anthea into their home, candidly informing Diantha that Anthea was under his protection and would be living with them in the Edwards household going forward.

Cassius lavished all his patience, gentleness, and affection on Anthea, while Diantha, his legal wife, could not tolerate seeing the man she loved entangled with another woman. When she advised Anthea to maintain a distance from married men, she inexplicably became vilified as a cruel and unscrupulous woman in the eyes of others. Even when Anthea stumbled and twisted her ankle, somehow, it was Diantha's fault.

In what seemed like retribution for the "injustice" Diantha had caused Anthea, Cassius started to systematically undermine the Foster family's business interests. His elder brother, worn out from countering the relentless attacks from the Edwards Group, perished in a tragic traffic accident. Her younger brother, a rising star in the entertainment industry, fell into a trap set by one of Anthea's other admirers, Sulo, a powerful figure in the underworld. Misplaced trust in Anthea led her brother to be falsely accused of drug use and solicitation, resulting in his imprisonment and eventual death behind bars.

Diantha herself was abducted on her way to visit her newly incarcerated brother. She awoke in a bathtub full of ice, having lost a kidney and suffering from severe anemia. Barely clinging to life, she was left so weak that even walking a few steps caused her to feel faint, a state more debilitating than death itself.

Upon receiving the devastating news of her brother's death in prison, Diantha was shattered, too weak even to weep, her health deteriorating further.

Ultimately, Cassius had the audacity to "request" her presence to donate blood to Anthea, and it was there, on a hospital bed, that Diantha drew her last breath.

Following her death, Diantha was reborn in a post-apocalyptic world. She fought for survival, narrowly escaping death on numerous occasions. She found genuine friends and allies, yet also faced betrayal by those she had trusted. Climbing to the pinnacle of power, she shed her former vulnerability, no longer the meek and defenseless woman she once was.

Now, having been given a second chance at life, Diantha has returned to a time before the calamities had unfolded.

This time around, she is determined to safeguard her family, to distance herself from Cassius and Anthea, allowing them to pursue their love unimpeded. She will no longer cling to a love that was never hers to begin with, nor will she be an obstacle or a catalyst in their romance.

She is Diantha Foster, the eldest daughter of the Foster family, a formidable survivor of the apocalypse, no longer the frail woman who could be easily bullied. This time, she will live for herself, for her family, and for those who truly cherish her.