Chapter 222: Pinching Her Neck Hard
“Are you still denying it?” Warren’s gaze hardened as he pushed Diana’s head against the laptop screen, his voice laden with accusation. “Explain this to me, now! What’s going on here?”
Accustomed to a life of indulgence and mischief, Diana was unaccustomed to Warren’s cold and stern demeanor. His grip tightened around her neck, causing her breathing to become labored. Without thinking, she grabbed Warren’s hand, trying to pull it away. “What are you doing? I’m your sister.”
At that moment, quick footsteps resonated from the hallway. Melissa entered the room, her face etched with worry. Seeing Warren’s fury, her eyes narrowed. “Warren, she’s your little sister. Isn’t there a way to settle this without aggression?”
Seeing Melissa, Diana saw a glimmer of hope, her eyes gleaming with desperation. “Mom, help! Warren is trying to strangle me.”
Melissa immediately intervened, driven by a rush of protective instinct, chiding Warren as tears started to form. “She’s your sister, Warren. It’s your duty to be lenient as the older sibling.”
Seeing that Warren didn’t relent, Melissa, with what seemed like newfound courage, managed to push him back and wrapped Diana protectively in her arms. “Mom!” Diana wept into Melissa’s embrace, her tears falling freely. She cast a resentful glance at Warren, her face showing no sign of apology.
Melissa softly ran her fingers through her hair while still lecturing Warren. “If the company’s a mess, take it out on those ruthless shareholders. Why are you picking on your sister at home? What does that even prove? You’re out of line, attacking your own sister.”
Warren countered angrily, tossing his phone to Melissa, “Then look at what she’s been up to!”
Taking the phone with a look of disbelief, Melissa read through the screen, her eyes widening in shock. She then looked down at Diana, who cowered in her arms.
Diana, feeling cornered, avoided Melissa’s gaze, biting her lip nervously. “Did you really do this, Diana?” Melissa asked.
Cornered, Diana finally stepped away from Melissa’s embrace, her defiance clear. “Yes, I did it. What’s it to you?”
“Why wasn’t this discussed with us first?” Melissa’s tone was more measured than Diana expected. “What will become of your reputation if this gets out?”
Diana, unable to contain her feelings, looked toward Warren, who was visibly upset. “Why should Vivienne get off unpunished? Hasn’t she clung to some influential figure? Now, with the controversy stirred by this post, we’ll see who still wants her.”
Her aim was clear: not just to tarnish Vivienne’s reputation, but to ostracize her completely.
Melissa, sensing the gravity of the situation, turned to Warren, her face marked with concern, and exhaled a soft sigh. “Diana’s actions were indeed impulsive, but wasn’t she just trying to defend you? We might not have always supported Vivienne, but we certainly haven’t harmed her. And how does she repay us? If she couldn’t make sacrifices for you and Natalie, that’s her choice, but why agree to help and then sabotage everything with those pictures? It seems she’s intent on ruining you and Natalie, perhaps even destroying our family. If she shows us no compassion, why should we restrain ourselves? Diana’s actions were justified. She not only helped you seek revenge but shifted the public focus. This is beneficial for us all. Moreover, Diana didn’t fabricate anything; she merely exposed the truth.”
The unresolved issue of Vivienne’s abduction before her wedding continued to be a sore point for Melissa.