Chapter 7: Apology

The car arrived at the hospital where John was staying in no time. Diana couldn't wait to get out of the car and as she took a few steps, Lynn hurriedly called out from behind, "Miss Thompson, your things!"

Diana turned around and saw that it was Maddie's soup. "Oh, I forgot," she said as she took the thermos and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Lynn was stunned.

Diana ran to the flower shop beside the hospital and bought a bunch of lilies. Today was the day John was discharged, and she wanted to celebrate. Holding the flowers, Diana rushed up to the floor where John was staying. When she arrived, she didn't immediately go out to find John. Instead, she hid around the corner, contemplating what she would say to him.

She had hurt him so much, and this time, she had to say it properly. After drafting her thoughts in her mind and making sure there were no issues, she took a deep breath and rushed out with the flowers in hand. But she bumped into someone hard.

"Damn it!" Diana covered her nose, feeling the pain almost bringing tears to her eyes. She looked up to see who it was but met with a pair of cold eyes - Ethan's.

Ethan was taken aback by Diana's sudden change in appearance, but he quickly regained his composure. "Miss Thompson, what are you doing here?" Although he was asking a question, his eyes were full of caution.

Diana rubbed her nose. "I'm here to find John."

"Boss isn't in the hospital room," Ethan lied.

Diana knew that her bad reputation had already been deeply ingrained, and if she tried to explain it to him for a while, he wouldn't listen. So she put on a rogue face and said, "If you don't let me see John, I'll sit here and wait until he comes out. Then I'll complain to him that you bullied me!"

With that, Diana plopped herself on the ground. Seeing this, Ethan's eyes twitched. Indeed, no matter how she dressed up, she couldn't hide her true character. Although he was annoyed with Diana, Boss cherished her too much to let her sit here.

"I'll take you there," he said.

At his words, Diana quickly got up from the ground and followed Ethan to John's hospital room.

As Diana was about to knock on the door, it opened from the inside and Jackson pushed John out of the room in a wheelchair. John's face, which was exquisitely handsome, remained cold and indifferent with his hands clasped together. When he saw Diana, a hint of surprise flashed in his phoenix eyes.

Diana had transformed. She was no longer dressed in messy clothes and makeup, but was wearing a light beige long dress which complemented her stunning face. She looked as if she were the bright spring sunshine in March, just like the girl he remembered. John felt his chest rapidly pounding, but soon his face turned cold.

"You really are persistent, little girl..." John, who was seven years older than Diana, always called her "little girl".

But at this moment, the call was devoid of warmth. He knew that Diana's visit couldn't possibly be a kind one. She hated him, wished he were dead, and never wanted to see him again.

"I...I came to congratulate you on being discharged!" Diana mustered up the courage to say.

The shadow of John from her past life still lingered, causing her to instinctively fear him upon seeing him. She nervously handed the lilies over to him.

Although John's frosty face showed a hint of surprise, he eventually softened. However, he hesitated to take the flowers from her hand. "Is that all you came here for?"

He didn't believe it. How could she be so kind to him?

"No...there's something else..."

As soon as Diana opened her mouth, John's fingers on the wheelchair tightened. He knew it was not good news. "Please don't tell me it's about canceling the wedding," he thought to himself. A shadow crossed his face.

Jackson, standing behind him, felt the tension in the air and his scalp began to tingle. Diana was being foolish again. After all, the boss had just been discharged from the hospital, and he was finally starting to feel a little better. She couldn't have come to provoke him again, could she?

Diana also felt the sudden chill in the air. What's going on? She hadn't said anything yet.

"What do you want to say?" John stared at her, enunciating each word as if he would strangle her if she said a single wrong thing. 

"I...I came to apologize to you," Diana said slowly. "John, I'm sorry. It's all my fault that you ended up like this. I won't do it again..."

Diana looked at his legs, feeling a strong sense of guilt welling up inside her. She was so damn stupid! Wiping away her tears, Diana suddenly felt a slight cold sensation on the corner of her eye.

As she shifted her gaze, she was stunned by what she saw before her. John reached out his finger and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eye. His movements were extremely gentle, and carried a hint of caution. Suddenly being touched by John like this, Diana felt somewhat uncomfortable, and her body stiffened unconsciously.

Feeling her resistance, John's movements instantly froze. A greater shadow loomed in his eyes. Sure enough, she still loathed him!

John's eyes darkened as he was about to release his fingers, but he saw Diana reach out and grab his hand suddenly. The warm and soft touch transmitted from his palm to his heart. John almost lost his ability to think and instinctively held onto this rare tenderness.

"John mate..." Diana opened her mouth and whispered softly.

She had been calling him that since they were young, from the time they could remember. But since she got closer to Maddie, she had gradually become more distant from him and had never called him that way again.

This call exploded like a firework in John's chest. His emotions were extremely complicated, and then a faint sourness surged up. How long had it been since she had been so intimate with him?

"John," Diana said as she walked up to him. "I came here today to tell you that I will honor our engagement, and I will marry you in the future."

Diana had been holding onto these words for days, and she finally had the courage to say them out loud. However, John's reaction wasn't what she had hoped for. He looked at her with an unusual expression, and even Ethan and Jackson beside him couldn't hide their confusion.

Diana felt a sinking feeling in her chest. She knew her reputation for being unreliable and reckless was hard to shake off, and it seemed like no one believed her words.

As she thought about it, she realized that her sudden change in attitude might have been too drastic for John to trust her easily. She could only hope that with time, she could prove her sincerity to him.

"Okay." Just as Diana was feeling a little dejected, she suddenly heard a deep voice.

"Little girl, I trust you."

"Boss," Ethan next to her frowned and was about to speak, but was stopped by a cold look from John.

John reached out and took the flowers from her arms, placing them on his own knee. "I'll be waiting for you at the engagement banquet in ten days."

"Um...I'll go to the engagement banquet, but you have to promise me one thing first," Diana hesitated to say. This was the main reason she came today.

Upon hearing Diana's words, John's previously shaken heart suddenly became clear. She had revealed her true face after saying so much. 

"Alright, you said it."

Under John's gaze, Diana took a deep breath and continued, "I know Mr. Matthews has already arranged for the top doctors in New York to treat you. If you go there, your legs will surely recover quickly. When you come back after the treatment, we will get engaged!"

In the previous life, the Matthews family had also arranged for John to receive treatment in New York. However, due to her constant nagging about their engagement, he had delayed going and missed the best treatment window, resulting in his paralysis. In this life, she would not allow such a thing to happen again! After she finished speaking, there was a moment of silence around them.

John raised his eyelids, his phoenix eyes revealing a hint of scrutiny as if he was weighing her words for their sincerity. 

"I swear, I will fulfill my promise. If I deceive you, I will..."

"I understand," John interrupted her. Regardless of whether she was lying to him or not, he would not allow her to curse herself.

"Does that mean you agree to go?!" Diana was both surprised and delighted.

John took in her expression and a coldness crept over his handsome face. "Hmm, how about I go tomorrow?"

"Great! The sooner the better!" Diana didn't realize the sarcasm in his tone and quickly responded.

She was worried about his leg, but this demeanor appeared different to others.

John's eyes were unfocused and uncertain. Suddenly, he felt a cold sensation on his cheek. He turned his head to see Diana, blushing and slowly moving away from his cheek. His eyes widened in shock. Did she just kiss him?!

"I really want to be with you forever, John. Do you believe me?" Diana anxiously rubbed her hands together, her eyes shining with sincerity.

John didn't say anything. In the past, Diana couldn't even touch him without him feeling disgust. It was impossible for her to make this kind of move!

John's gaze shifted, and after a while, he spoke slowly, "I'll consider going to New York."

"Alright, when are you leaving? Don't forget to let me know, John. I'll come to see you off!" Diana said happily.

John didn't say anything, he just nodded slightly. After Jackson pushed him away, he couldn't help but say, "Boss, do you really believe Miss Thompson's words? I think her behavior is too abnormal. You'd better be careful."

John didn't speak, he just tightly clasped his hands. Did he believe her? He didn't know. If she was lying to him, then let Diana lie to him for the rest of his life.