Shining Bright After Rebirth (Diana and Steven) novel Chapter 968

Chapter 968 Steven's Mother

Steven's hand, resting on his knee, tightened slightly. His voice dropped to a low murmur. "I'll make it up to her tomorrow with the gift. I can't give it to her today. If Queenie finds out, everything we've planned will fall apart."

"All of this can still be fixed, including..." He trailed off, unable to finish the thought. Including the child Diana had mentioned.

No matter how much of a monster he might be, he could never bring himself to kill Diana and their child. That's why he'd faked his own death—to give Diana the truth and spare her the agony. Every time she brought up the child, it sent her into an emotional tailspin.

Now, he almost had to believe in the idea of past lives.

Cecil had acted strangely too. Especially that night—Cecil had dragged Diana into his arms and cried, holding her through the night.

Now that Diana knew the truth, even her smile seemed lighter, brighter. It was like she'd come back to life herself.

Steven would never know that there could be someone in this world who looked exactly like him and caused her so much pain.

He turned to look at Evan, who was practically bouncing with excitement as he counted his check, his giddy grin making Steven feel embarrassed. The kid looked like he'd never seen money in his life.

"Do you really think I'd fake it on the bonuses?" Steven thought bitterly.

Steven watched Evan, who was practically bouncing with excitement. There was a part of him that envied the kid.

Evan was different from everyone else. He was easy to please, never greedy, always content with what he was owed. After all the years he'd spent by Steven's side, Evan had never been the type to take more than his fair share. A guy like him—good-hearted and clear-eyed—was rare in the cutthroat world of business.

With Evan, Steven felt like he could drop all his defenses. Whatever needed to be done, he trusted Evan to handle it. It was a rare feeling of calm, a relief.

"Evan, after Christmas, I need you to go see Jace. Get him out of the hospital, change his identity, and let him handle Queenie and George himself."

Jeff and Amelie would soon have to face the consequences of their actions. Steven didn't even need to lift a finger.

Jace was more ruthless than his own sons.

"And then there's Zion," Steven thought. "Seems like he's no angel, either."

Evan carefully slipped the check into his bag, then smiled, "Mr. Gellar, after the holidays, everyone's gonna be back in action. We should get out there, too. Spring's just around the corner..."

Evan couldn't help but think of Luna, that soft, ethereal face of hers. It made him smile. With the ten million dollars he'd just gotten, he could finally propose. Luna had been waiting for him, and now he had everything he needed to make it official.

"Mr. Gellar, I'm going to propose to Luna when I get back. She's been waiting for me."

Steven grinned. "Well, I'll congratulate you early then—hope the proposal goes well. And when you guys have your new house, I'll take care of it. Luna's a good girl—quiet, but kind. She risked her life to go out there and save you. That kind of loyalty deserves your true respect."

Steven paused for a moment, his smile fading into something a little more serious. "Evan, look at my mess of a love life. Learn from my mistakes. Once you're married, you and your wife need to treat each other with respect. There's gotta be understanding and compromise."

Evan couldn't help but think, "I'm not going to be like Steven, that damn fool who hurt the person who loved him the most."

"Heh..." Evan chuckled softly. "Mr. Gellar, I'm not like you. I won't ever let Luna down. I'm not blind to what matters, like you were."

The words hit Steven like a sudden blow, a sharp pang in his chest. It was his fault—everything that had gone wrong, he had brought upon himself. He was the one who had made the mistakes, and now he had to live with the consequences.

A few years ago, Steven hadn't even known how to love.

Evan noticed the sudden drop in Steven's mood. He could feel the tension thickening in the air. He quickly backpedaled. "Mr. Gellar, don't mind what I said. The hardest thing in life is admitting when you've been wrong. You've already realized where you messed up. When you see Mrs. Gellar next, you should apologize properly. The way you hurt her... it's not something you can just ignore."

Steven sighed, the weight of his own failure sinking in. "Who would believe that excuse?" he thought bitterly. Not Diana. Certainly not her. She wouldn't believe a word of it...

"Mr. Gellar," Evan continued, his tone softer now, "just take care of yourself. When you see Mrs. Gellar, you have to make it right. Apologize, show her you mean it. You can still fix things between you two... there's always a chance for a second shot."

Steven looked down, his thoughts clouded with despair. "Maybe later," he muttered.

Diana hadn't even forgiven Paula's family—there was no way she'd forgive him. But even if she never did, he just wanted her to be safe and happy. That was all that mattered.