𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓮

30| lament

D I A N E

I blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall, but the anger inside of me kept them at bay. I stalked back to the dining area, my heels clacking loudly against the floor. There he was, Viktor, looking as smug as ever.

I felt the rage inside of me rising, threatening to spill over. I had to keep it together, had to maintain my composure. But it was getting harder and harder to do so.

"Leaving so soon?" Viktor asked, a mocking smile playing on his lips. I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to give him a piece of my mind.

I made my way to the front door, my body trembling with anger. But before I could reach the door, a voice stopped me in my tracks. "Diane, wait," a familiar voice called out. I turned around, my heart sinking as I saw who it was.

"I hope you've learned your lesson," Yulia said, a smirk curling her lips. My stomach twisted as I realized I'd escaped one battle only to find myself in another. I didn't have time for this. I had to get out of here.

"I don't have time for this," I said, my voice low and even. I turned back towards the door, but Yulia's voice stopped me again.

"Well, I have plenty of time," she said, blocking my path to the door. "You really don't want to mess with me," I said, my voice low and threatening. She let out a small laugh, flicking the blade of the knife in her hand. The metal glinted in the light, the movement designed to intimidate. I refused to be scared, refusing to show any fear.

I managed to snatch the knife from her grip and hold it to her neck.

The shock on her face was priceless, and it was clear she hadn't expected me to be able to do that. A small smirk played on my lips as I realized that I'd surprised her. This had been a trick that Isaak had taught me a while back, and I was glad I'd remembered it. "And what's a civilian like you going to do?" I asked, my tone mocking. She glared.

"Diane!" Luka's voice rang out, shock and disbelief clear in his tone. Yulia shoved me away, pushing me towards the door. "Let's go," he said, his voice firm. I looked at Yulia one last time, my eyes icy and full of anger.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Then, I turned and walked out, my heels clicking on the hardwood floor. I refused to look back, even as I heard them calling my name.

"Are you crazy? You know who she is," Luka hissed once we were outside. I turned to him, my eyes cold and hard. I was far from fazed by what had just happened.

"I don't care," I said, my tone firm. I knew what I was doing and I wasn't going to let anyone stop me. "I'm not scared of Viktor or anyone else." Luka looked at me, a mixture of disbelief and admiration in his eyes. "You're braver than I thought," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. "But I don't think this is a good idea." I didn't say anything, knowing there was no point in arguing. I just kept walking, my mind already racing with my next move.

The wind was cold against my skin, but it was exactly what I needed. I took a deep breath, the air feeling like fire in my lungs.

Luka came up behind me, his footsteps light on the pavement. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. I could feel the warmth of his body, the strength of his arms. I leaned into him, letting him hold me up. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I wish I could fix this for you." I didn't say anything, just let myself sink into his embrace.

"You're stepping into dangerous territory, Diane," he said, his tone urgent. "That's Viktor's daughter." I gave him a look that made it clear I couldn't care less. I knew what I was doing, and I wasn't about to back down now.

"If Viktor saw you do that, Diane," Luka began, but he stopped himself, seeming to realize what he was about to say. "Jeez," he said, shaking his head. "If he saw you do that, he'd..." he trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. But I knew what he was going to say.

I could feel the weight of his words, even though he had left them unspoken. My stomach twisted, the reality of what I had just done sinking in.

"Diane, you're going to get yourself hurt," he said, a note of worry in his voice. I stopped, spinning around to face him. "I don't give a damn!" I shouted, the anger I'd been holding back spilling over. "They hurt me more than I could ever hurt them! Because of a stupid business deal, my sister - my own blood - is in a wheelchair. She can't live a normal life, and it's all because of them!" I yelled, the words rushing out of me before I could stop them. My chest was heaving, my eyes stinging with unshed

"They took away her happiness," I continued, my voice breaking. "And it's my fault, because I fell for him." I looked down, unable to meet his gaze. I felt his hand on my shoulder, a silent gesture of comfort.

"It's not your fault, Diane," he said, his voice soft. "You didn't know. None of us did." I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "But what am I supposed to do?" I whispered. "How am I supposed to live with this?"

He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Don't worry, we'll make them pay for what they've done," he said, his voice firm. I pulled away, turning to face him. "How?" I asked, my eyes searching his face.

"I don't know yet," he said. "But I promise, I will find a way to make them pay for what they've done to your sister." I didn't know if I believed him, but I wanted to. I needed to believe that there was a way to fix this, to make it right.

They were going to pay.