The music faded into the hum of applause. Diane slipped free from Alexander's grip, her smile wicked, soft, untouchable. She strolled toward the bar with unhurried steps, as though the entire room had not just watched her bend the mafia heir into silence.
She plucked a glass of champagne from a passing tray, lifted it to her lips, and drank with the languid grace of a queen already bored of her conquest. The silver sparkles on her dress caught the dim light, scattering it across the marble floor like fragments of starlight.
Behind her, Alexander Prince didn't move. His posture was iron, but his composure… cracked. The grip of his hand still tingled with the ghost of her wrist. His jaw clenched, his chest rising heavier than before, eyes locked on the woman who had walked away from him as if he were nothing more than another admirer.
The bar noticed. They always noticed.
"Did you see that?" someone whispered.
"She made him freeze."
"Alexander Prince — outplayed?"
But Diane didn't spare the murmurs a glance. She leaned an elbow on the bar, swirling the champagne, lips curving in a private smile.
Alexander stayed rooted where she'd left him, surrounded by applause and shadows, a man who had never been refused — and yet could not chase after her.
For the first time in years, the mafia heir had been left standing like a man caught in his own trap.
And he knew — he would see her again. He had to.
She stepped out of the bar, cool night air brushing her skin, meeting Diana and Daniel waiting nearby. They were lost in their own exchange, their gazes locked, unaware of her approach.
"Drive," Diane said, her voice slicing through the night as she entered the car, startling Daniel who turned crimson.
"I would appreciate a not-so-stealthy entrance, bro. That said, you look wasted."
"I had to be out of my mind to pull off what I just did."
"Makes sense," Daniel and Diana replied in unison, sharing a knowing glance as the car rolled forward.
The transmitters sparked. Draven's voice cut in.
"How's the bait?"
"Smitten," Diane replied, voice tired but carefully measured. She fought to hide her satisfaction.
"Knew you'd pull it off."
"It's time for you to honor your promise."
"What am I to you, a crook?"
"No, I told you, you're a psychopath."
"Again with the compliments. Alright, you can go… not like you needed our permission anyways," Draven muttered as Diane didn't answer.
"Tiger?" he called. Diana frowned, checking Diane beside her.
"She's out cold."
"Guess dancing takes a lot out of her, huh?" Draven teased, as Diana switched off the transmitter.
"Get us home, hon," she said to Daniel, who nodded dutifully.
The memories flashed as Diane pressed her temples, fragments of her plan, the night, the bar—all jumbled. Yeah… that's how it was supposed to go. So… what happened exactly? Her mind twisted through the haze, trying to piece it together, but the recollections refused to settle.
A faint beeping reminded her where she really was. The white walls of the hospital, the sterile smell, the distant shuffle of nurses' shoes—it all came rushing back. Her eyelids fluttered, the world tilting as she struggled to focus.
And then, a familiar voice broke through the fog.
"Diane… you're awake!"
Stephanie stepped into view, relief etched across her face, eyes glistening as she hurried closer.
Diane blinked, trying to steady herself, the modern world colliding with the fragments of her past—the bar, the tango, the chaos, all meshing with the sterile reality of the hospital bed beneath her.
Somehow… it all feels connected. But how?
Her heartbeat quickened. This was just the beginning of remembering—of reconciling past and present.
Stephanie pushed open the door and froze, eyes widening. "Ruby… you're awake!" she breathed, relief washing over her as she hurried to the bedside.
Diane's eyelids fluttered, her vision hazy. For a moment, her mind fused past and present. She blinked, trying to focus, and instinctively whispered, "Ruby?...Empress… Yue Ying?"
Stephanie froze, confused. "What… what did you just call me?"
Diane pressed her temples as a sharp migraine ripped through her skull. "Ugh… everything…" she muttered, pain clawing at her mind, memories and reality colliding in a dizzying whirl.
Seeing her in such agony, the female doctor quickly entered. "Ruby hold still. Let's calm that migraine first."
She administered medication carefully. Gradually, Diane's vision steadied, the throbbing easing enough for her to breathe normally. Stephanie remained by her side, holding her hand, whispering reassurances.
Once Diane was calmer, the doctor adjusted her notes and spoke softly but firmly. "Ruby… you've been through trauma. Your body shows injuries—old, recent, and fresh. Someone attempted to assault you, but you were found before they could succeed. Your hymen is intact. You've also sustained a significant head injury, which, along with the trauma, has caused partial amnesia."
Diane's mind struggled to process the words. She felt panic rising. "You also call me Ruby..w..wait..yo… you mean… I'm still…?"
"Yes," the doctor reassured her gently. "Although were found in a deteriorated condition. It seems you were forcefully violated, we confirmed it due to your swelling in the pubical parts what we can't explain is how your hymen is intact. Though with proper care, you should recover from any trauma. Some memories may return unwillingly, we would need you to come back for therapy."
Stephanie squeezed her hand, tears glistening in her eyes. "You're safe now. The bad guys can't get to you, Mom is sorry she was late. We're here for you now, Ruby."
Diane blinked slowly, trying to process the fact that she was violated though intact, trying to reconcile the sterile hospital room with the vivid fragments of another life. Memories of Kui'er—the snow, the phoenix robes, the thunder, the fall—loomed in her mind with astonishing clarity. Her own life, even the first year of school, felt distant, fragmented, secondary.
The migraine faded to a dull throb, but the confusion remained. She pressed her hands lightly to her face, closing her eyes.
Then she asked the question no one thought she would or rather no one understood
"I… I don't understand… why do I remember her… more than me? Who is Ruby? Who is Diane, Who is she?"
Stephanie leaned closer, frowning. "Who… who do you mean, Ruby? You're Ruby but whose is Diane? And who is the she you speak of?"
Diane opened her mouth to explain, but then hesitated. The thought of telling them about Kui'er—the ancient life, the phoenix, the chaos—felt insane. They would think she was delusional. Then she assumed Ruby must be a name Stephanie knows her as then who was Diane? The questions killed her and she was itching to know the truth...
Instead, she stayed silent, swallowing the truth, letting the memories swirl quietly in her mind.
Stephanie nodded slowly, concerned but patient. "Okay… it's alright. Take your time. You'll remember when you're ready."
Diane exhaled softly, still caught between worlds, the fragments of another life dancing just out of reach.
A few days passed in quiet observation and careful care.
More tests was run on her body and it confirmed she was truly sexually assaulted but and her excessive bleeding also proved it yet no sign of ejaculation was found in her and her hymen was intact, that was supposed to be impossible. Also she was totured before she was thrown off the cliff
Diane's body healed, but her mind remained hazy. Eventually, the doctors cleared her for release.
Stephanie gathered the gang discreetly before Diane returned home. "She… has lost her memory, she...she was..." she explained in a low voice as it cracked due to more tears she was now shedding , "so let's try to act normal. Don't overwhelm her."
Back at home, Diane stepped through the door and immediately sensed the subtle tension. Their smiles were practised, words measured. Something was being hidden from her, and a flicker of irritation sparked in her chest. They're hiding the truth from me… about me.
Determined, she swallowed her frustration and made a choice. She would not mention it. She would observe, calculate, and act… cold. Her cool detachment drew curious glances but no questions.
Days later, as she idly scrolled through her phone, a notification blinked—a message from an unknown number, sent just the night before her accident, unread until now.
"Is it truly you? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Ruby, why did this happen to us"
"I deserve more than death for this.."
"If there's a next life I don't want you and I together ever"
"Ruby..please live"
"Ruby...why did that name sound familiar?"
Her thumb hovered over the message before opening it. Inside was a photo—herself, smiling, pressed close to someone strikingly familiar. The resemblance was uncanny, the face almost royal in its elegance. The same sharp jaw, the same intense eyes—the Prince of Ping'an, Kui'er's love, staring back from the wallpaper of her phone.
Diane blinked. Her heart skipped a beat. Questions bubbled up, unspoken. Why had this message been sent the night before everything went wrong? Why did her memories of this person feel… stronger than her own life?
The room seemed colder suddenly, the past pressing against the present, and Diane felt the first flicker of determination to reclaim… whatever truth had been hidden from her.