Rebirth of the Deadly Beauty

"What did you show that Liddell guy? Why did he get so freaked out?" Diana asked.

Earlier, when Diana learned that Samuel and Zach were related, she felt a shiver down her spine. But she never imagined Yolanda could make him back off so easily, even forcing him to apologize publicly on his knees.

"You didn't fool him into this, did you? The consequences could be serious if he finds out you tricked him!"

Yolanda frowned at her but still responded, "I bumped into Zach at the hospital this afternoon and did him a favor. That card is from Zach." Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

She didn't elaborate on what favor she did for Zach. She knew that if Diana found out she had saved Evan, she'd likely use it as a chance to cozy up to the Wright family.

"Did Zach really give it to you?" Diana asked, her doubt evident. But then she thought about it and realized that only Zach could rattle Samuel in such a way.

Diana let out a sigh of relief. "You've got some luck, Landy."

She began to see Yolanda in a new light, no longer considering her a failure or a liability.

"Your dad's already stressed out because business hasn't been going well lately, so let's keep tonight's events between us," Diana said.

Yolanda nodded and hummed in agreement. She had no intention of spreading this around even without Diana's reminder.

Diana smiled with satisfaction at Yolanda's nod. She sighed inwardly, hoping Yolanda had changed and wouldn't cause her any more embarrassment.

Soon, they returned to the Henderson residence.

"Honey, we're home!" Diana called out as they walked in. She quickly noticed Harold sitting in the living room, looking frustrated. After changing her clothes, she approached him. "Is the project not going well?"

Harold shot her an annoyed look. "Where've you been? It's so late now! The place was empty when I got home!"

"I took Landy out for dinner."

Across the couch, Yvonne's eyes flashed with a sudden chill at the mention of "Landy," but she pursed her lips and didn't say a word.

Yolanda glanced at Yvonne before ignoring her. She turned slightly toward Harold and said, "Mr. Carter's paintings are the most expensive of any living artist in the Havarian art market. The manager you mentioned who likes traditional painting probably won't turn it down."

"What could you possibly know?" Harold snapped, his mood darkening further as he was met with the sight of Yolanda's repulsive face.

Yvonne sneered from the sidelines. "You really think getting Dad a painting will help him seal the deal? Business isn't that straightforward. We missed the boat. Someone else already snagged that project!" she said.

"Why are you wasting your time explaining this to her? She's too thick-headed to understand anything!" Harold unleashed his frustration over the day's setbacks on Yolanda. He seemed to have forgotten that he wouldn't have gotten Simon's painting if it weren't for Yolanda.

"That's a fair point." Yvonne's spirits brightened slightly as she watched Harold's harsh treatment of Yolanda.

Harold glanced at Yvonne, the ever-sensible one, before turning to Yolanda with even greater disdain. "You should be contributing to the family as a daughter, but with that brain of yours, it's a miracle you don't cause even more problems!"

He waved dismissively at Yolanda. "Get back to your room! Your presence is enough to get on my nerves!"

Yolanda gave Harold a disinterested look, clearly not inclined to argue. Without saying a word, she headed back to her room.

Later, she did some online research on Doxcon Group, the company Harold was trying to strike a deal with. What began as a simple search soon turned up some surprising finds.