MasukA week later, everything had been set in motion with a kind of quiet certainty that made the moment feel both real and unreal at the same time. The wedding venue stretched open toward the horizon, the calm breath of the sea moving gently through the space, carrying with it a soft breeze that brushed against every face present. Diana stood there in her dress, her fingers lightly clasped together in front of her, her heart steady but full, as though everything she had been through had led her exactly to this point. She turned slightly, stealing a glance at Merlin beside her. He caught her eyes almost immediately, as if he had been waiting for that moment, and the smile that spread across his face carried something deeper than joy. There was pride in it, relief, and something quietly possessive, like a man who knew what he had almost lost and refused to ever let it slip again. Diana held that look for a second longer than she intended, her lips curving softly before she t
Two days later, Diana, Emma and Merlin were seated at the dining table, the atmosphere warm and relaxed in a way that felt natural now, like this was what their lives had always been meant to look like. The plates were filled, the soft clinking of cutlery against ceramic blending with the low hum of conversation. Emma sat comfortably, swinging her legs under the chair as she ate, her face bright with satisfaction. “Mummy, you’re the best cook in the world,” Emma said with full confidence, lifting a spoonful of food into her mouth like she was making an important declaration. Diana smiled, shaking her head lightly. “Don’t talk while eating, sweetheart,” she said gently, though her tone carried more affection than correction. Emma nodded quickly, though her grin didn’t fade. Merlin watched them both quietly, something soft settling in his chest as he leaned back slightly in his chair. Moments like this still surprised him, how easily Diana had blended into his life, how
Diana returned home that evening looking worn out in a way that couldn’t be hidden. It wasn’t just physical tiredness. It sat deeper than that, in the way her shoulders dropped, in the quietness that followed her into the house. The door had barely closed behind her when Merlin stepped forward. He didn’t ask anything at first. He simply pulled her into his arms, holding her firmly, one hand at her back, the other resting gently at the back of her head. She leaned into him fully, as though that was exactly what she needed. He guided her slowly to the couch, his arm still around her as they sat. Only then did he pull back slightly to look at her face. “How’s she?” he asked quietly. “She’s better now,” Diana replied, her voice low but steady. There was a brief silence before she turned to face him properly. Her eyes searched his for a moment, then softened slightly, though something unsettled still lingered beneath. “Do you think I’m a bad mother?” she asked suddenl
The call didn’t take long, but it was enough to change everything.Diana didn’t wait to think things through. The moment she ended it, she grabbed her bag and turned toward the door without hesitation.“I have to go,” she said quickly.Merlin was already moving before she finished speaking. “I’ll come with you.”She shook her head almost immediately. “No… let me go first.”He paused, studying her face, then nodded. “Call me when you get there.”“I will.”She didn’t say anything else before stepping out.The drive felt longer than it should have. Every second stretched, her mind racing through possibilities she didn’t want to consider. By the time she arrived, her heart was already pounding in a way she couldn’t control.She rushed through the entrance, her eyes searching until she found what she was looking for.Selena.The little girl lay on the bed, smaller than usual, her usual bright energy replaced with a quiet stillness that unsettled Diana immediately.“Mommy…” Selena called w
The shift didn’t come with noise. There was no confrontation, no sudden appearance, no carefully timed interruption. That was what made it unsettling. After everything Henry had been doing, the disruptions, the pressure, the quiet interference that had slowly revealed itself, the sudden silence felt wrong.Diana noticed it before she could explain it. At first, it came as relief. A day passed without anything going wrong. Then another. Her schedule aligned perfectly, meetings held as planned, calls came through at the right time, nothing delayed, nothing clashing. It should have felt like things were finally returning to normal, but instead, it left her uneasy.She stood in her office one afternoon, staring at her calendar, going through it again even though she had already checked it twice. Everything was in order. Too in order.“That’s strange,” she murmured under her breath.Merlin, who had walked in moments earlier, caught the tone immediately. “What is?” he asked, stepping c
By the time Diana reached the end of that week, she was no longer guessing. The pattern had revealed itself too clearly to ignore, and the quiet frustration she had been managing turned into something more grounded, something sharper. She didn’t feel overwhelmed anymore. Instead, she felt focused. Whoever was behind it had expected confusion, distraction, maybe even panic. What they hadn’t expected was for her to step back, observe, and decide she was done reacting blindly.That was how she found herself standing in front of Henry again, not by accident this time, not because he appeared uninvited, but because she chose it. She sent the message herself, short and direct, leaving no room for misinterpretation. He agreed to meet just as quickly, as if he had been waiting for that moment all along.When she arrived, he was already there, seated, calm as always, his presence carrying that same controlled composure she had come to recognize too well. For a brief second, Diana studie
“Hm?” Emma said, tilting her head and leaning a little closer to Selena. The classroom was still noisy, filled with the low hum of children chatting, chairs scraping lightly on the floor, and the teacher arranging books at the front. The sounds seemed to swallow Selena’s voice halfway. “What’d yo
Diana smiled.It was not the kind of smile that came from happiness or relief. It was thin, restrained, the sort that formed when someone had finally exhausted every emotion they were supposed to feel. Her shoulders were relaxed, her spine straight, her eyes steady as they met Lauren’s.“You’re re
White.That was the first thing Diana became aware of.Not the sharp kind of white that hurt the eyes, but a dull, endless whiteness that seemed to stretch in every direction. It felt cold and quiet, like a place suspended between sleep and waking. Her body felt heavy, as though she had been burie
Diana stood still for a moment, her fingers tightening slowly around the strap of her purse as though she needed that small pressure to ground herself, to anchor herself to something solid. The long dining table stretched before her, polished and gleaming under the chandelier light. The air smell







