Chapter 30
"Diana, I heard you were here, so I came to find you. Oh? Victoria, you're here too. You two... know each other?"
Barrett casually walked in with a grin, greeting them as if it were the most normal thing.
Diana furrowed her brows, her expression cooling even more.
"Get out."
But Barrett plopped down right beside her, completely unfazed. "What's this? I just got here, and you want me to leave? You have to at least let me have a drink, right?"
He turned to Victoria, his eyes widening when he saw her tear-streaked face.
"Victoria, why are you crying? Who hurt you? Tell me, and I'll make sure they pay!"
Victoria was momentarily confused before exchanging a glance with Diana. "He found out about us."
Barrett blinked, utterly lost. "What?"
Diana narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp as it landed on his clueless face. "Don't worry. He's not that clever."
Victoria relaxed and picked up her drink, taking a long sip.
Barrett was still confused. "Wait, Victoria, Diana, what are you talking about? I don't get it."
At this point, Evie piped up, "Mr. Lynch, it's a girls' night. Don't you think it's a little inappropriate for you to barge in?"
Barrett immediately froze, glancing at Diana before shrugging. "Well, you can think of me as one of the girls too."
Diana shot him a cold look. "Leave!"
The icy tension in the room only deepened, but Barrett, undeterred, smiled broadly. He didn't want to provoke Diana further, though. "Alright, alright, I'll go. Don't be mad. I'll pick up the tab for tonight. You guys enjoy yourselves."
With that, he quickly got up and left the room, the playful grin disappearing from his face. Once outside, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
He'd been at Edward's birthday party before.
When he saw Ms. Aroma, he'd felt a strange familiarity, her poise and mannerisms strikingly similar to Victoria's.
And Diana had been by her side. Seeing them together again and hearing Victoria's words made Barrett's eyes light up with realization.
Barrett thought, "I uncovered a huge secret that Ms. Aroma was Victoria. I have to tell Henry right away. Then, Henry might just be able to cure his insomnia."
Excited, Barrett pulled out his phone to call Henry, but before he could dial, a hand appeared and snatched the phone from his grasp.
He froze, looking up to meet Diana's frosty eyes.
Grinning, he said, "Diana, what are you doing out here? Were you planning to come and personally see me off?"
Diana's gaze remained cold, her voice low and firm. "You're not to tell Henry anything about what happened tonight or what you've discovered."
Barrett took a step forward, a teasing smile on his face. "Diana, are you begging me?"
He stared at her intently, not backing down.
Diana resisted the urge to step back, standing her ground. "Yes."
Barrett's grin widened as he realized he'd gained the upper hand so quickly.
But seeing her cool, beautiful face, he restrained himself from making any demands too extreme.
"Alright," he said with a grin. "You accompany me to next week's charity gala, and I'll keep quiet about everything."
Diana hesitated, her brows furrowing as she thought it over. After a moment, she gave a slight nod. "Fine."
Barrett practically bounced in excitement, reaching out to hug her, but seeing the coldness in her eyes, he quickly suppressed the urge.
"Great, I'll send someone to pick you up," he said, trying to hold back his excitement as he retrieved his phone.
Without saying another word, Diana turned and walked back into the room.
Barrett watched her retreating figure, silently apologizing to Henry in his heart.
"Henry, my love life's finally arrived. Looks like you'll have to make do with it," Barrett thought.
Just then, Barrett's phone rang. He grabbed it quickly, his hand trembling slightly. Before leaving, he'd sent a message to Henry, saying he'd uncovered a huge secret.
Barrett's eyes flickered as he answered the call. "Hey, Henry."
"What's up?" Henry's voice was low and cold, just like always.
Barrett laughed lightly. "Nothing, just wondering where you are. How about grabbing a drink?"
Henry's tone grew sharper. "Sarah was in a car accident. I'm at the hospital."
Barrett immediately stiffened. "How bad is she? Is she okay?"
Henry's voice remained even but with a touch of exhaustion. "She fractured her leg. If you're free, you can come by."
They'd been friends for years, so this wasn't out of the ordinary.
"Alright, I'm on my way." Barrett hung up quickly, keeping the secret to himself.
But he couldn't help but wonder why Victoria didn't tell Henry she was Ms. Aroma.
Then he remembered Henry's feelings for Sarah and sighed. Barrett thought, "It is not my problem anyway."