C6 Please Get off the Car!

Diantha watched him quietly before offering a smile. She leisurely pulled out her phone and said, "Why should I trouble the Sixth Young Master? If the Edwards family can't afford a driver, I might as well call a ride-share."

Eliasz's smile persisted, his tone firm, "That won't do. If Sister Diantha has to hail a cab on her own, Brother Qin would have my head."

Diantha eyed Eliasz, her gaze lingering until he nearly lost his composure, fearing she'd discovered something. But just as quickly, she averted her eyes, the corners of her lips curling into a knowing smirk. She pocketed her phone, rose to her feet, and graciously accepted, "I can't turn down such hospitality. I'll be in your care."

The flashy red sports car zoomed along the winding mountain road.

Inside, Diantha idly scrolled through her phone. The Edwards Group's PR had mostly quashed the scandal about Anthea usurping the original lead actress. The internet now seemed at peace. Diantha tutted, unamused by the calm.

Eliasz glanced at Diantha, lost in her phone, a shadow of turmoil lurking in his warm brown eyes. His foot pressed harder on the pedal, the speedometer climbing. The car seemed poised to crash into the guardrails, but he quickly regained his composure, eased off the gas, and executed a sharp turn. He turned off the music and whistled nonchalantly, grinning, "Did you catch my drift just now, Sister Diantha? Pretty cool, right?"

He had hoped to see her flustered, but Diantha remained unfazed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and responding coolly, "Feel free to try again. This time, keep your foot on the gas."

At her words, Eliasz's grip faltered, nearly veering into oncoming traffic.

He feigned wiping nonexistent sweat from his brow, chuckling, "Sister Diantha, please, no jokes. It's dangerous."

Diantha smiled back. "Speaking of danger, what's riskier than riding with someone out to harm me?"

His expression remained unchanged, yet his car's skidding betrayed his unease.

He kept smiling, though his voice was strained, "I told you, Sister Diantha, no joking. If something happens, Brother Qin won't spare me."

Turning her phone in hand, Diantha glanced at Eliasz and said with a smile, "Sixth Young Master Sullivan, I've always believed in being true to oneself. Whether it's love, hate, or any other feeling, it's best to express it openly. After all, you never know what the next moment holds. Friends might betray you, relatives might abandon you, and your dearest might betray you when you're down. If you always hold back, you might never accomplish what you wish before you die."

Eliasz fell silent, then laughed with a hint of mockery, "So, you've been targeting Anthea, fueling the online fire, confirming her as the villain who ousted the original lead—just to live 'authentically'? Do you realize how much she's suffered lately?"

It took Diantha a moment to catch on—he was referring to her liking posts against Anthea.

With a sly smile, she clarified, "Firstly, I do what pleases me, and it's none of your concern. Secondly, isn't it a fact that Anthea pushed out the original lead? If it's the truth, why fear others speaking it? And why should I care about her struggles? I'm no saint, and I certainly won't sympathize with a woman intent on seducing my husband."

Eliasz's smile persisted, "You mustn't speak so carelessly, Diantha. Anthea is young and has always seen Brother Qin as nothing more than a brother. You're hurting her, and she considers you a sister. She didn't know the lead role was taken and has been wanting to apologize to Zhuo Tong. She's so kind-hearted, upset over a misunderstanding. How could she be accused of stealing?"

Diantha, unfazed, replied crisply, "No, I don't need a 'kind-hearted' sister like that."

His usual smile faltered, but Eliasz quickly recovered, teasing, "Sister Diantha, Big Brother Cassius won't like such meanness."

In the past, such a comment would've enraged Diantha.

Now, aside from a twinge of pain in her chest, she remained composed.

"We all know Big Brother Cassius never cared for me, so a little more dislike makes no difference," Diantha said nonchalantly, inspecting her nails in the sunlight. "Besides, you've all gone to great lengths to paint me as the jealous wife always at odds with Anthea. It's sad and unfair, but if I don't embrace this role, wouldn't I be letting you down?"

As she spoke, she let out a long, drawn-out sigh, her face etched with an expression that seemed to say, "You have no idea how much thought I've put into this."

Eliasz remained silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

His voice, now stripped of any feigned warmth, took on a more serious tone, "Diantha, I don't buy it for a second that you're indifferent."

After all, the Diantha of the past had always revolved around Cassius. If he so much as cracked a smile, it was as if she had won the world. Eliasz couldn't believe that Diantha wouldn't care about Cassius's thoughts.

Diantha shrugged nonchalantly, "Believe it or not, that's up to you."

The car took a turn and pulled over to the side of the road, surrounded by dense forest. Eliasz turned to Diantha with a grin, "We've arrived at your destination. Please, Diantha, step out."

Clutching her phone, Diantha surveyed her surroundings with feigned astonishment, "Are you seriously dumping me, fresh out of the hospital, in the middle of nowhere? What if I run into danger?"

Eliasz faced Diantha, his expression one of self-evident truth, "Anthea is such a sweetheart, even thinking of you while she's out on a photoshoot, bringing back gifts. Yet, you can't manage the simple task of getting along with her, resorting to bullying and pushing her down the stairs. You've brought this on yourself."

"If you're abandoning me here after Cassius asked you to pick me up from the hospital, how do you plan to explain this to him?"

Eliasz's smile remained, but his eyes held a shadow, "You saw Anthea and Cassius together in that video, and out of sheer rage, you demanded to be let out of the car. I couldn't stop you."