Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 714

Leon told himself his conscience was clear, yet even as the words left his mouth, part of him already wanted to take them back.

Not that it mattered. He knew Diana would never actually go through with it.

There was no better match for her than him. In the entire city of Brimcrest, only one family could stand beside the Huttons as an equal: the Kingstons. Diana wasn't the kind of woman who settled for less.

Which was why he was completely unprepared for what came next.

She listened to him, and the tension drained from her face. "I'm glad you're willing to agree now. I'll find a few days this week to go back to Brimcrest."

The response came clean and immediate, as though she feared he might change his mind before she finished speaking.

Leon frowned. He had just started to speak when his assistant, Liam Johnstone, stepped forward with his head slightly lowered. "Mr. Kingston, it's Helen. She's calling from the hospital."

Helen was alone in a hospital room. Leon didn't hesitate. He stepped aside and answered the call.

By the time he turned back, Diana's car was already gone.

Liam hesitated before speaking carefully. "Mr. Kingston, would it help to smooth things over with your wife? Your grandfather was the one who wanted Helen dismissed, but she brought the matter straight to the Huttons' door. And you and your wife have always been... close. It makes sense that both your wife and the Huttons would take issue with it."

He paused before adding, with complete sincerity, "More importantly, getting a divorce over something like this seems unnecessary."

Where else would Leon find a wife like Diana? With her, the Kingston inheritance was never in doubt. Without her, the situation became far less certain.

As for Helen, a quiet arrangement was one thing as long as Diana chose to look the other way. Only a fool would throw away a powerful, well-connected wife over a secretary.

Leon's expression turned cold and distant. "Helen has been with me for years. If I don't stand up for her, then what was any of it worth?"

He paused briefly. "Besides, Diana is just angry. She's not actually going to divorce me over something like this."

He knew her better than anyone. Diana had always been ruthlessly clear-eyed when it came to weighing costs and consequences.

A moment later, Nina understood.

There was no point giving Leon a reason to dig in before the paperwork was signed. If he found even one excuse to reconsider, the divorce could drag on for months.

At this stage, the quieter everything remained, the better.

They arrived at the exhibition venue. Diana had only planned to make a brief appearance before leaving, but the organizers urged her to stay for the midday luncheon, extending three separate invitations.

She was still new to Jouleston. She hadn't yet figured out the full balance of influence and power within the city, and she didn't want to come across as difficult. She was just about to agree when Nina's phone rang.

She answered, listened for a moment, then stepped closer and lowered her voice near her ear. "Miss, it's Helen. Would you like to take the call?"

Helen had been blocked on Diana's phone for quite some time. Nina was the only way she could still reach her. But Nina was not someone who misread situations.

If she was bringing the call to her at all, then Helen must have given her a reason that was difficult to ignore.