Chapter 512 The Choice to Move Forward

Chapter 512: Chapter 512 The Choice to Move Forward

People streamed through the hospital corridor, their voices blending into a constant din.

Against the bustle, Diana’s words rang out with startling clarity.

Liam struggled to keep himself upright. It felt as though his bones were breaking one by one, leaving him barely able to stand.

His Didi thought he was disgusting.

Those words had become a sentence he could never escape.

“Didi... please. I’m begging you. Don’t be so cruel to me...”

He wanted to say more, but the pain in his chest was so intense that he could barely force the words out.

He had never imagined he would see Diana again. Even less had he expected their reunion to bring him a chance at redemption. Instead, he had been confronted with a truth he could no longer change.

Seeing his anguish, Diana blinked and suppressed the last flicker of bitterness rising within her.

“Did you ever think about how cruel you were being to me when you were sleeping with other women?” she asked coldly.

Liam felt as though lightning had struck him.

“Liam, we’re both adults. We understand that our choices have consequences. You underestimated me. You thought I couldn’t live without you, but you were wrong.” Her voice remained steady despite the ache beneath her words. “I’ve never been afraid of losing someone. When something becomes filthy, ugly, or repulsive to me, I throw it away and never look back.”

The words drained what little strength she had left, but she had made herself perfectly clear.

Sebastian was seeing another side of her.

He had always thought of Diana as lively and carefree, an unconventional woman with a mischievous streak. He hadn’t expected her to possess such fierce resolve.

She had clearly been hurt, yet she had found the strength to pull herself out of that pain rather than let it consume her. She wasn’t wallowing in self-pity or allowing her past to dictate the rest of her life.

She was rebuilding herself, piece by piece.

Something stirred in Sebastian’s chest.

In that moment, Diana seemed to shine from within, her strength more striking than anything about her appearance.

And with every passing second, his feelings for her grew stronger.

Liam, meanwhile, felt as though he had been cast into hell. His spirit seemed to have abandoned him, leaving him trembling and desperate.

He reached for Diana’s hand, as though holding on to her might give him one last chance to survive the devastation tearing through him.

But Diana stepped away without hesitation.

Then she turned to Sebastian, pressing her lips together.

“This is the kind of person I am. I see things in black and white. I don’t tolerate gray areas, and I hold grudges over even the smallest offense. I follow my own principles and trust my own feelings.” She met his gaze directly. “Do you understand that now? Knowing all this, can you accept me?”

Sebastian held her gaze.

He understood what she was doing. She was warning him in advance, making sure he knew exactly what he would be getting into before they took another step toward marriage.

There was no hesitation in his eyes. Instead, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

“We’re cut from the same cloth.”

He was much the same.

His views on relationships had always been simple. Either he didn’t begin a relationship at all, or he committed to it for life. If he married someone, he intended to stay with her until the very end.

He had no interest in the disposable romances that seemed so common these days, nor could he tolerate insincerity.

And Diana’s painful past didn’t make her any less worthy in his eyes. If anything, the fact that she had broken free from a destructive relationship and found the courage to start again only made him admire her more.

She had saved herself.

That alone made her remarkable.

And he liked her exactly as she was.

Diana noticed the unmistakable warmth in Sebastian’s eyes, but she pretended not to see it.

“Then, knowing what I’m like, are you still willing to marry me?”

Liam went rigid.

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Sebastian, however, didn’t need even a second to consider his answer.

“If you’re willing to marry me, my feelings for you won’t change.”

Diana couldn’t quite explain what she felt.

Liam’s sudden appearance had forced her to confront something she could no longer put off. She had to move forward. She couldn’t let a man who had betrayed her, or the toxic relationship they had shared, destroy the rest of her life.

She wasn’t afraid of losing anymore.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to Liam one last time.

Her eyes were cold, her expression utterly detached. She looked at him as though he were nothing more than a stranger.

“As you can see, Liam, Sebastian and I are going to get married. I don’t want you anymore. I never will.”

With that, Diana reached for Sebastian’s hand, took Damian’s hand with her other one, and walked away.

“Didi!”

“Didi, please! I’m begging you! Don’t do this to me!”

She couldn’t mean it. She must have said those things in anger. There was no way she had genuinely fallen for someone else so quickly...

Liam finally snapped out of his stunned silence.

His eyes widened, panic and fury surging through him as he lunged after her.

The pain of losing Diana a second time was unbearable. His heart felt as though it were breaking apart, and he could barely breathe through the agony.

Then a desperate, reckless thought took hold of him.

Even if he had to take her by force, even if he had to keep her locked at his side against her will, he couldn’t let her go.

Even if she never forgave him, he would stay with her for the rest of his life.

Before he could reach her, several men in suits rushed forward. They seized him and forced him to the ground, pinning him down before he could struggle free.

Helpless, Liam could only watch through bloodshot eyes as Diana walked away.

It was the second time he had experienced this kind of unbearable despair.

His frantic cries followed her down the corridor, but Diana never once looked back.

Not until she had left the hospital did she finally allow herself to stop.

Only then did her legs begin to give way beneath her.

Sebastian silently moved closer, placing a steadying hand against her lower back.

“Are you upset?”

Diana clenched her fists, then slowly released them.

“No. I feel liberated.” She let out a long breath. “I finally got to say everything I couldn’t say before. All that anger I’d been holding on to can finally go.”

She wasn’t afraid anymore.

In the eyes of the world, Diana had died. Her former life was behind her, and whatever remained to be resolved from her marriage to Liam was no reason to return to him.

She was Aurora Sinclair now.

Her future belonged to her, and she had no intention of letting fear or regret hold her back.

“Didi!”

Rose hurried toward them.

The moment she saw that Diana was safe, relief swept across her face, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Ryan had contacted her earlier with news of an unexpected development in the Mercer family. Liam had arrived in Washington, D.C., and Ryan had anticipated that his appearance might put Diana at risk.

He had already arranged for people to monitor Liam’s movements. As soon as he received confirmation that Liam was in the city, he had alerted Rose and arranged for bodyguards to protect Diana.

His precautions had proved worthwhile.

Rose knew Liam had been restrained, but she still needed to see Diana with her own eyes.

Only after confirming that her friend was unharmed did she notice Sebastian standing beside her.

She studied him discreetly, taking in his polished appearance and composed manner.

Sebastian stepped forward and offered a courteous greeting.

“Sebastian Ellington. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Rose Bennett. I’m Didi’s best friend,” Rose replied with a nod.

It took her only a moment to realize that Sebastian came from a family of considerable means and influence.

Noticing the worry still written across Rose’s face, Diana quickly reassured her.

“I’m really fine. Don’t worry about me, and please don’t let this upset you. You need to look after yourself and the babies.”

Rose shook her head.

“I’m fine. But you and him...”

Her gaze shifted pointedly toward Sebastian.

Diana immediately understood what she meant. She had just announced to Liam that she was going to marry Sebastian, after all.

But Sebastian was even quicker to respond.

“We’re likely to get married,” he said calmly. “She doesn’t dislike me, and I’ll do everything I can to make her fall in love with me.”

Rose was speechless.

What a smooth-talking, calculating man.

She turned to Diana for an explanation.

Diana pressed her lips together. She wasn’t entirely sure how things had escalated so quickly herself.

But she had never been one to make a decision and then retreat simply because the consequences frightened her.

“I intend to marry him,” she said.

How much worse could things get?

She had made her position clear. Sebastian knew what kind of woman she was, and he was still willing to marry her. She had no reason to complain.

After all, she couldn’t find a genuine fault in his character, his circumstances, or the sincerity he had shown her.

More importantly, their views on relationships were remarkably similar.

Feelings could grow over time, but fundamental beliefs were much harder to reconcile. Finding someone whose principles naturally aligned with your own was rare.

For now, their marriage would be a partnership. Sebastian wanted to give Damian a stable, loving environment, while Diana wanted security, peace, and the freedom to build a life on her own terms.

They had different reasons for wanting the marriage, but their goals didn’t conflict. Perhaps that common ground would make their relationship stronger than either of them expected.

Rose stared at Diana in disbelief.

Sebastian, meanwhile, felt a distinct flutter in his chest.

He had told Diana she could take her time. He hadn’t expected her to make a decision so soon.

Yet hearing her agree to marry him sent a small but unmistakable jolt through him.

For the first time in a long while, he found himself nervous about what came next.

And beneath that nervousness was something even more surprising: anticipation. Genuine, almost boyish excitement.

He looked at Diana, and the realization came to him with startling clarity.

He was beginning to fall for her.

“Yes. Let’s get married,” Diana repeated, as though she needed to hear herself say it to believe it.

Then, worried that she might change her mind—she knew perfectly well how impulsive she could be—she lifted her chin and added, “But I have one condition.”

Sebastian waited.

“If we’re getting married, you’ll need to draw up a prenuptial agreement. I want it to include a clause stating that you’ll never cheat on me. If you do, you’ll forfeit everything specified in that agreement.” Her expression turned serious. “That’s my only condition. If you agree, we’ll move forward with getting married. If you don’t, I’ll finish the documentary with Damian and make sure everything else is taken care of. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”

Rose was even more stunned.

Were they seriously negotiating the terms of their marriage right here?

“Agreed.”

Sebastian answered without the slightest hesitation.

Rose stared at him.

Just how certain was this man about his commitment to marriage?

She couldn’t help wondering.

Could this really be what it looked like when two people were simply meant to find each other?

Was it possible for things to fall into place so quickly?