“What? You've been what?”

“Poisoning you, and that's not all. I was also responsible for your previous miscarriage and the one before that; I mean, come on, who the fuck do you think you are to have my child,” He pulled up from his chair.

“Gabe?”

“Don't look so shocked yet, sweetheart. You haven't even heard the rest of it,” He strolled over to where Emily had been standing with a dark, satisfied smile on her face. His hands fell on her waist, and her eyes on Diana, and without warning, he kissed her.

A breathless gasp left Diana's lips. Her legs trembled and they staggered a few steps behind, colliding against the table.

Diana couldn't believe what was happening. She could have easily believed anything but what was happening right in front of her.

“This isn't real. This couldn't be real. Two years. We've been married for two years…”

“And those two years have been the worst years of my life,” He pulled a little from Emily. “Gosh, do you know how exhausting it was pretending to love you?”

“Come on, babe, you shouldn't be so hard on her; remember, she just lost her father and is about to spend the rest of her life in jail,” Emily cooed, placing a kiss on his lips before taking a seat.

“How long?” A tear slipped past Diana’s eyes. “How long have you been screwing this whore behind my back—” Before she could complete her words, Gabe's hand collided harshly against her cheek, forcing her neck sideways.

“Don't you ever call Emily a whore, you worthless bitch,”

“Goodness Gabe. I think you just broke her jaw. You shouldn't have hit her so hard. She only asked an innocent question,” Emily frowned, but her eyes flashed evilly. “So let's see. You both met in college and have been married to him for two years, and I have known him longer than that, we were sweethearts in high school. Yup, eight years. Gabe and I have been dating for eight years,”

Diana's eyes widened, and tears burned her vision. “Why? What did I ever do to you to deserve this kind of betrayal, Gabe? I loved you,”

“And that itself was a crime,” He strolled closer to the table, picking up the brown folder he came with. “It's nothing personal, Diana. It's just business. I never loved you, I love Emily. You were just a plan for us to get our hands on the Tate empire. With your father dead, and you rotting in here, Emily and I are free to get married and inherit everything that foolish old man wanted to leave you,” He pulled out a paper. “These are divorce papers, and the other one states that you are leaving me in charge of everything you own, sign them,”

“Do you honestly think I'd leave everything to such a scumbag as yourself? You're nothing, Gabe. Before I met you, you were nothing but a piece of trash, and I swear as soon as I get out of here, I'll ensure every one of you pays for your crimes,”

Emily burst out laughing. “Do you really think you are ever leaving this place? Frank Edwards works for my mother, and in the first trial, he is going to ensure you are convicted for murder and attempted murder in my life. The only way you could ever escape this hellhole is your death, so give up the idea you're ever leaving this place, I'll make sure you rot in here, bitch,”

“I don't know how you'll ever be able to sleep well at night after everything you've done. Dad loved you and treated you as his daughter,”

“Trust me, Diana, I sleep just fine. And don't kid yourself, he meant nothing to me. He was just one of the men my mother married, and he has served his purpose, and besides, if he didn't go poking around, he'd still be around for a while, but he had to find out exactly what he shouldn't, and revise his will leaving mum and me nothing. Come on, even you would be furious. Now sign the damned papers, Gabe and I have a funeral to plan,”

Diana swallowed the hard lump in her throat and picked up the pen on the table. She signed the divorce papers, tossed them on the table, and picked up the second. “If you think I'd sign these, you're insane. I'll get out of this fucking place, and I'll send you both including Antonia to hell, I swear on my life,”

Instantly, Emily was up from her chair, storming to Diana. She gripped Diana's hair hard. “You're going to sign the darn paper, Diana,”

Diana pushed her stepsister off her, slapping Emily, and immediately Gabe grabbed Diana by the neck, slamming her against the wall. Before Diana could recover from the harsh impact against her body, Gabe's fist collided with her face, forcing her to spill out some blood.

“You know what? Fuck these papers, we don't need them if she's dead,” Diana’s eyes widened at Emily's words, and she looked over to Gabe to find him smirking.

“You are right, darling. We don't need her. She's better off dead. Guards!” Gabe yelled from the door, and quickly, some female prison guards rushed in. “You know what to do,”

Diana was dragged to the door by the guards when Emily gripped her chin. “Take a good look at me, Diana, and remember this: you are nothing, and I, Emily Saunders won. I got to keep Gabe and your precious company is now mine. Remember that even while in hell!” Emily's last words weighed in Diana's very soul as she watched them leave.

Diana was beaten up badly and tossed into a cold room. It was completely dark and she had been locked for hours. She had no idea what time it was or how long she'd been down there.

All she could feel was the cold eating through her and the pain in her bones. Diana wished this was a dream she'd wake up from, but it wasn't. Her father was murdered, and she was ruined. Antonia, Emily, and Gabe had everyone in their pockets and even the law was against her.

Diana sobbed against the hard humid ground in silence. From the first time her father had brought Antonia and Emily home, Diana knew they'd end up destroying everything she'd loved. If only their paths never crossed the Saunders then maybe this tragic fate could have been avoided.

Diana was startled by the silent opening of the door, and she looked up to see one of the prison guards at the doorway.

Without saying a word, she was taken out of the cell.

“Where are you taking me to?” Diana's question was met with an uncomfortable silence and soon they reached the single door in an empty hallway. The guard's gaze fell on Diana before she was pushed into a room.

It was dark with no light turned on, but moonlight rays filtered into the room from the window, falling on the chair at a corner of the room.

Diana clutched the sides of my stomach tightly, realizing she wasn't alone. She could see the figure sitting on the chair. A man. But she couldn't see his face.

“Who are you?” Diana fought the urge to take a step backward. She wondered who he was, maybe he was the one Emily had sent to kill her.

“My name is Killian Blackford, and I truly wished we were meeting under different circumstances, Mrs Patterson,” The man spoke; his voice was deep and rich and had a lasting effect on her skin. Strangely, the name sounded so familiar but Diana's brain was too messed up to think.

“It’s Diana Tate now, my divorce is in process,” She remained fixed on her spot.

Diana couldn't see his face clearly but she could almost imagine the smile that touched his lips. “I guess, my congratulations are in order,” He said, leaning forward on the table.

“How do you know me? I don't think we've met before,” She asked and he remained silent for a few seconds before responding.

“It's a long story, but that's for another day. We don't have much time, and we have something important to discuss. I think you should be seated to hear this,” He pointed at the empty chair opposite him.

“What could we possibly discuss about?”

“A mutual enemy,” He said, and Diana raised a confused brow. Before she could say a word, he did. “Antonia Saunders,”

The breath Diana didn't know she had been holding left her lips, and slowly, she strolled closer, settling on the empty chair opposite his.

“How do you know Antonia Saunders?” Diana narrowed her eyes, trying to get a glimpse of his face, but it was impossible in the darkness.

“We don't have much time for that either,”

“Then why —”

He interrupted her. “I believe you, Miss Tate. I believe that Antonia and her daughter, Emily Saunders, together with your husband, Gabe Patterson, schemed and connived to kill your father and framed you up for the murder just so they could get their hands on the Tate empire. And I also know they are going to ensure you rot in here, or even worse, they might get rid of you permanently,”

His words shocked her. He was the only one who believed her so far. “Who are you really?”

“I am someone who can help you get out of here,”

“How?” Diana asked.

“I have my ways, Miss Tate,” His eyes gleamed in the darkness. They were the color of the deep ocean. Calm, yet deadly.

“And what do you hope to get out of this?” There was always something in return.

“You,” His abrupt answer shocked Diana again, but then he chuckled slightly. “I meant I need your help in return, to destroy Antonia Saunders and send her straight to hell. And something tells me that's exactly what you want as well,” He parted his lips to speak when his phone buzzed. He glanced at it and from the light reflecting on his face, she could see the slight frown.

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” He glanced up at her, “But unfortunately, our time is up for today. We'll talk more tomorrow,”

Diana stood up at the urgent knock on the door. She was about to open the door when she paused and turned to the man. “You're right, though, I want the same thing as you. I want to see Antonia and Emily Saunders, along with Gabe Patterson, in hell,” She said before leaving the room.

As Diana stepped out, she found a different female guard standing outside the door. She looked around but couldn't find the guard that brought her there.

The guard grabbed her arm and dragged her away. After a few turns, Diana realized they weren't headed to the cell.

“Why aren't we headed to the cell,” She turned to the guard.

“Because sweetheart, tonight is the day you go to hell,” Her lips curled darkly, and Diana was pushed into another room, and the next thing she felt was a sharp pain piercing through her flesh. “Antonia sends her greetings,”

Diana gasped, looking down at the stab wound in her stomach. The woman pulled out the knife and stabbed Diana repeatedly until she collapsed against the cold floor, soon soaked in a pool of her blood.

Diana could feel her life slowly escape her. She couldn't believe this was how she finally died. All alone, like a worthless criminal.

Diana felt the tears that rolled from her eyes as her entire life flashed before her eyes and she realized everything had been reduced to nothing.

This wasn't fair. She couldn't just end up like this. Antonia, Emily, and Gabe didn't deserve to live happily after everything they'd done. If only she could get a second chance to make them pay for their betrayal and crimes.

She'd make sure they regret the day they crossed paths with Diana Tate. She'd avenge her father's death. She would if she could.

One final tear rolled out from Diana's eyes, and she felt the cold hands of death snatch her away.

“She's pulling through,”

A drone of a few voices invaded Diana's mind. Gosh. They were too loud. She wanted to silence them all. To shut them all. To get some peace in the darkness that promised to give her just that.

Once again, She stopped fighting and she was falling back into the deep, endless pit of darkness.

“We are losing her again!” A voice said. “Stay with me,”

It was begging for the impossible. Diana had lost every strength she had to fight. She just wanted it all to end.

“Diana,” She heard a male voice. It somehow managed to reach her down the pit, stirring the darkness around and calling out to her soul. “Diana, fight,” She could feel the breath of whisper against her ear. “Stay with me. You have to fight back Diana, don't cave into the darkness. I'm right here. I'm with you,”

His voice was like a lifeline tied around Diana's waist, refusing her the freedom of plunging to her death. “I won't let anything happen to you, I swear on my life. Come back to me, Diana. Please,” Those simple words weighed heavily on her. It was as if they held silent promises within them. One Diana wanted to uncover.

She made several attempts to open her eyes, but it was futile.

“We have her!”

“She's coming through,” Another voice sounded, but unfortunately, it wasn't the one she wanted to hear.

Diana mustered enough strength again and her dense black lashes twitched. And then with excruciating effort, she opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a blurry vision of a woman in a white lab coat and nurses moving around, tending to her.

After a few seconds, Diana's vision steadied and then she saw him. She knew instantly that it was him. The one that kept her from plunging into the darkness.

And he was a sight to behold. God, he was beautiful.

Who was he? She still couldn't remember.

After a while, the doctor and her nurses left Diana and the handsome stranger alone. She glanced around and realized she was in a private ward in a hospital. She remembered what happened last night, Antonia had tried to kill her.

But how did she get here? And who was this man?

“Miss Diana Tate,” The man called cautiously, staring at her, and instantly, she recognized the voice. It was him. Killian Blackford.

“Killian Blackford,”

A smile formed on his lips, as he finally settled on a chair. “I'm glad you recognized me, I was worried you wouldn't,”

“How did I get here? Antonia tried to kill me last night after our conversation and—” Diana paused, looking at him. He was staring at her in an unusual manner. “What's wrong?”

“I'm also glad you remembered what happened, Diana, but that happened six months ago,”

She froze at his words. “What?”

“You've been in a coma, Diana. It was a miracle my people and I were able to find you just in time that night, otherwise, we wouldn't even be having this conversation,”

“Six months? And the guard who stabbed me, did you find her? Did she confess to everyone that Antonia had sent her?”

Killian remained silent, but Diana knew something was amiss.

“What happened, Killian? I don't see any prison guards around waiting to drag me to prison. Something else happened? Tell me,”

He leaned back into his chair, those piercing ice-blue eyes of his boring into her very own gaze. “I'm not sure where to even begin, Diana, because you're in for a lot of shock,”

“Tell me Killian, what the hell happened?”

“You died,” He stated bluntly.

“I know I almost died, I was stabbed—”

“No,” He shook his head; his face lacked any trace of emotion, making it hard to tell what he was thinking. “You really died, Diana. That night after I had left, my people realized you hadn't returned to your cell, so they started searching for you but they couldn't find you. I was already out but there was no way I could just leave you. I had to return. Somehow by some stroke of fate, one of the inmates started a fire. It grew out of control and when they couldn't contain it, everyone had to evacuate. It was sheer luck that I found you at the nick of time before the fire consumed you and got you out. The next day, it was reported some inmates had died in the fire, and you were one of them, Diana Tate. You were in critical condition, bleeding from the stab wound and the burns you sustained during the fire. The doctor considers it a miracle you hadn't died instantly,”

“So everyone… the whole world…”

“Thinks you died in that fire six months ago. My people made it possible for a random body of an inmate who also died in the fire to be identified as you with your wedding ring,”

“Oh my God, that also means I died like a criminal. I didn't get to clear my name, the whole world still believes I murdered my own father. Antonia and her daughter as well as that asshole of a husband won,”

“Is that what it looks like?” His eyes sparked with amusement as he stood up from his chair, picked up the small glass mirror on the table, and walked closer to her bed. “What it looks like to me is that the Saunders as well as your husband should better watch out because they would never be able to foresee what's about to hit them, love,”

“What do you mean?”

A small smile played on Killian's lips. “Trust me, Diana. You'll be able to clear your name, and we'll drag the Saunders to hell, along with your ex-husband of course, there's no way we'll leave him out of the fun,”

Killian pulled the mirror up and a gasp escaped Diana's lips at the new face staring right back at her in the mirror.