Diana didn't have to lift a finger for the move. William had already dispatched a team of professionals to handle everything.
Two women assisted Diana with her belongings, while two men helped Noah. William's personal assistant, who was usually glued to his side, remained by Diana's side all day, waiting for her smallest command.
The modest two-bedroom apartment felt cramped with so many people moving about. Diana and Noah found themselves with nothing to do but watch.
The chair with three legs was definitely going in the trash. The peeling, rickety desk wasn't worth a second thought. Even the ancient electric fan, which wheezed like an old man on his deathbed every time it was turned on, was discarded without regret.
Noah walked into the kitchen and pointed to a semi-new gadget in the corner. "Diana, we have to take the air fryer. I saved my allowance for two months to snag this during the Black Friday sales last year."
The assistant, standing nearby, adjusted his glasses politely. "Noah, Lord Knight has already prepared a professional-grade kitchen for you at the Imperial Manor. The appliances there are custom-made by top international luxury brands, including a professional cooking station with AI-integrated temperature control. Bringing this old appliance might... disrupt the visual harmony of the interior design."
He continued, "The Imperial Manor is fully equipped with the latest designer furniture. The graphene dining table in the living room even has an intelligent heating function; your food will never go cold."
"Miss Bell, Noah, everything you could possibly need is already at the Manor. You only need to bring yourselves."
Seeing the assistant's firm but courteous resolve, Diana waved her hand. "Forget it, Noah. Since Lord Knight has arranged everything, let's just travel light."
Soon, their few belongings were efficiently packed and boxed.
"Miss Bell," the assistant asked, "What is your landlord's number? I'll contact them to handle the lease termination."
The expressions on both Diana and Noah's faces shifted.
Noah whispered, "If we give up this place, what if Ivy comes back? She won't be able to find us."
Diana understood his fear. She turned to the assistant. "This apartment holds a special significance for us. We won't be terminating the lease."
Ivy?
The name sounded like a young girl. The assistant was curious, but since neither of them offered more information, he knew better than to pry into the family's private business. However, it was clear that this "Ivy" was incredibly important to them.
Downstairs, Diana saw the familiar black Rolls-Royce waiting.
"Miss Bell," the assistant explained, "Lord Knight took a different car today so that he could leave this one for your use."
As the siblings sat in the back, the car pulled out of the neighborhood and headed toward the most prestigious district in the East City. Diana gazed out the window. In the rearview mirror, the old, dilapidated buildings grew smaller and smaller until they vanished into a single speck.
The Rolls-Royce eventually pulled up in front of a detached villa built right along the water's edge.
The villa was a masterpiece of modern architecture—sleek, minimalist lines with massive glass walls that invited the sunset and distant hills inside. The white facade shimmered against the lake, where the light danced like fallen stars.
Noah gasped. "Diana, the house your husband gave you is way more impressive than that old father's place."
"That old woman he married and that 'young lady' she brought with her... they haven't seen a house this nice in their entire lives."
Noah whipped out his phone, snapping photos of the artistic spiral staircase and the private pier outside. "A housewarming like this? I have to post this on my Status. Call me a peasant if you want, but I love showing off. I live for the feeling of people being jealous of me."
While he claimed to be showing off the mansion, eight out of the nine photos in his WhatsApp post were actually carefully lit selfies of himself.
The caption read: "Done working for a living. Not only do I have the best sister, but I also have a filthy rich brother-in-law who buys luxury villas on a whim. (P.S. Like and comment for a free stainless steel bowl!)"
Noah had Catherine and Aurora on his WhatsApp. Before Diana could even walk into the master bedroom, Catherine's phone rang, her voice shrill with indignation.
As Diana sat on the sofa, a maid approached with a fine porcelain teacup, asking respectfully, "Miss Bell, what would you like for lunch today?"
Catherine's voice screamed through the speaker, "Diana! You actually got married!"
Diana smiled calmly. "Wasn't that what you wanted? Now that I've done it, why do you sound so unhappy?"
The reason was obvious: Diana had married "up"—way up. Catherine had wanted to watch Diana rot in a miserable marriage, not ascend to the clouds.
"Who did you marry?" Catherine demanded.
"The man from the blind date," Diana replied.
Catherine's hand shook. The villa in Noah's photos was in the Imperial Manor—the most expensive real estate in the East City. One villa there cost well over a hundred million. Catherine and Aurora had dreamed of living there for years, but Mason Bell had always called them wasteful for even suggesting it.
She couldn't believe it. Had that greasy, sixty-year-old Boss Archer actually been this generous?
Catherine's heart felt like it had been dipped in vinegar. Aurora, standing beside her, was practically seeing red with envy.
"Diana," Catherine said, her voice dripping with fake concern. "Since you've married that divorced old man and he's treating you well, you'd better behave. For a girl who weighs nearly two hundred pounds, you're lucky any man wanted you at all, let alone a rich one. You really hit the jackpot."
Aurora chimed in maliciously, "Diana, what a deal! You get a husband and two kids in one go. I've been meaning to ask—how does it feel to be a stepmother?"
Diana took a slow sip of her premium tea. "Aurora, you should really ask your mother that. Have you forgotten? She's the 'Grandmother of Stepmothers.' She's been practicing on me and Noah since the day she crawled into the Bell family."
Aurora choked on her words, her face turning shades of purple.
Catherine, humiliated, shoved her daughter aside. "Enough! Diana, since you've married my business associate, I assume our deal is in the bag, right?"
Diana let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Of course. Boss Archer does whatever I say. Go ahead and call him; I'm sure the deal will go through."
The moment she hung up, Catherine eagerly dialed Boss Archer. "Hello, relative!" she chirped.
The man, who was currently on a golf course, nearly threw out his back in shock. "Who are you calling a relative? Have you lost your mind?"
Catherine froze. "Why are you being so rude? I gave Diana to you in marriage. Aren't we family now?"
Boss Archer let out a harsh bark of a laugh. "In your dreams! I sent luxury cars to pick her up that day, and she stood me up! I didn't even see a strand of her hair!"
"Furthermore," he continued, "Diana sent me a text saying you were trying to play both sides. She said you introduced her to some handsome guy in a supercar and told her to pick the best one. Do you think I'm an idiot? I don't do business with liars. Don't ever call me again. Get lost!"
The dial tone hit Catherine like a physical blow. She tried to call Diana back, but only got a recorded message: "The number you have dialed is currently switched off..."
Aurora turned pale. "Mom, something's wrong. If it wasn't the old man, then whose villa is Noah in? Who did she actually marry?"
Catherine slumped into a chair, looking hollow. "I don't know..."
"Was it that young guy you mentioned?" Aurora asked.
"No... I didn't introduce her to anyone else."
The realization that Diana hadn't fallen into a pit, but had instead married a low-profile, wealthy young man, made Aurora feel like her head was going to explode. "I'm way prettier than that pig! How does she get to live in the Imperial Manor?"
Catherine bit her lip and tried to rally. "This just means you need more confidence. If a fat girl like Diana can land a man like that, you can definitely become the next Miss Bell by marrying the Knight Family Heir, William Knight."
Aurora took a deep breath, smoothing out her designer dress. "You're right, Mom. William isn't married yet. I just need to try harder."