But recently she had begun to doubt it.

The momentary surprise and then the bubbling anger underneath Diana’s calm fa?ade was the only confirmation Clara needed for her doubts.

The trigger for her doubts had been her sister’s words. Violet had planted the seed that she had been nurturing in her mind all this time and finally she had been able to confirm her suspicion through the twisted expression on Diana’s face.

During one of their sisterly conversations, Clara had revealed her insecurities about Zach to Violet. Clara had been afraid that Zach wasn’t interested in her at the time. On top of that, she had to deal with two other women at the same time, namely Christina and Diana. She was unsure of her chances and sought Violet’s opinion on the matter.

It had been Violet who told Clara about the lack of physical intimacy between Diana and Zach. Any couple who engaged in carnal activities were bound to show it in some manner. They couldn’t do without that little bit of touch. But Violet found that Diana and Zach always maintained a safe distance from each other.

Violet, as thorough as she was, even took Zach’s attitude into consideration and assumed that Zach might have been averse to public displays of affection.

But that hypothesis was soon snuffed out as well due to Christina. Between Zach and Christina, there was no awkwardness or a sense of newness. Instead, they seemed extremely comfortable around each other like old couples.

Therefore, Violet ruled out the first possibility and concluded that while Christina and Zach had probably slept together, Diana had yet to do so with Zach.

Violet had therefore encouraged her sister to be more proactive in her approach so as to overtake her in the race for Zach’s heart. An outstanding man like Zach needed to be held onto before someone could snatch him away.

Violet had always been the wise one in the family, her intellect and political acumen guiding them through challenges. In contrast, Clara was seen as the brawny one, relying more on her physical prowess. She complemented Violet’s intellect with her formidable strength.

While Violet devised intricate strategies and made diplomatic moves, Clara was the shield, the one who ensured those strategies found footing in reality. Her physical might often played a crucial role in ensuring their plans came to fruition.

Still, it was often Violet who solved all of Clara’s problems that didn’t involve the usage of violence.

Clara in turn trusted Violet completely.

Therefore, when Violet revealed her analysis of the situation to her, Clara decided to take her words as the truth to carry out an investigation of her own.

As it turned out, her trust in Violet had not been unfounded at all. Diana’s identity as the wife was nothing more than a layer of disguise configured to save the Smith family from undue attention from the government.

“So, it really is like that. Thanks for confirming my suspicions.”

Clara sneered at Diana; her mocking laughter itched Diana in the worst manner and her face turned uncontrollably ugly, as if someone was twisting her insides.

She hated it all. She hated Clara. She hated her situation, her responsibilities that kept her from getting closer to Zach in that manner. She hated how her rival had gotten her hands on this information. But most of all she hated how she had fallen for her trick so easily and had ended up confirming her suspicions herself.

Had she known that Clara was only probing the truth, she would have acted as enigmatically as possible to keep her from finding what she was looking for.

But now that everything was out in the open, the playing field was completely level. The little bit of advantage that she had previously held over Clara had been swept away now, and that made her feel uncomfortable.

Trying to compose her twisted expression into a somewhat normal one, Diana retreated away from Clara. She knew that further interaction would only bring her more harm since the enemy had gotten a hold of her weak point now.

Sulking openly, Diana left swiftly with several thoughts swirling in her head chaotically like a whirlpool in a stormy ocean.

Clara laughingly watched her back away. This was the first time she felt that she had gained a victory over Diana who had the added advantage of being together with Zach before Clara even came into picture.

…

Back in her room, Diana paced restlessly, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts trying to navigate through the sudden problem. The invisible gears in her brain seemed to be working in overdrive, attempting to align a solution to the sudden change in her situation.

A feeling of intense unease was congregating in the back of her mind. She constantly felt that something was very wrong, but she couldn’t figure out what. She tried to keep her mind off Clara, but she couldn’t forget her smug and mocking smile. It was eating away at her from the inside.

Her worry etched lines of furrowed brows on her face and her lips occasionally mouthed fragments of potential plans before she scrapped them and started anew.

She sat on the edge of her bed, attempting to gather her racing thoughts, clutching the fabric of the sheets in her trembling hands. Her anxiousness had made her truly restless as she could not stay in place for a long time.

She felt perturbed in her heart, a burning sense of uneasiness overtook her rational mind and fueled her resolve to fight back.

The notion of Clara using her schemes to win Zach’s heart before her would be a slap in her face and an insult to the love she had nurtured in her heart for all this while.

She was not one to sit idly by, especially when it concerned matters of the heart. Therefore, a call to arms was inevitable.

With trembling legs that suddenly found courage and strength, she got up from the bed and then rushed towards her wardrobe like a madwoman.

Rolling around in bed and pacing around the room for the whole afternoon, Diana had reached a decision.

She surmised that she couldn’t keep acting in such a placid manner and foolishly hope that Zach would somehow notice her or respond to her feelings.

She decided to be more like Clara and Christina. Even though she didn’t think of them kindly, she respected them for at least having the courage to pursue what they wanted, unlike her.

Had Clara not found out about her secret, Diana might never have taken the initiative like them. But the situation demanded that she take matters into her own hands, or she risked losing Zach to Clara.

Therefore, she was no longer averse to seducing Zach with her body if that was the only way to secure her position in his heart.

In her wardrobe lay an array of dresses, each one a reminder of a time when she’d been captivated by their allure. But now, they were mere fabric and ornaments, empty symbols of femininity she couldn’t bring herself to appreciate. All of them felt unaesthetic and worthless at that moment because not a single one of them gave her the impression she desperately needed.

With trembling hands, she picked up a dress, inspecting it under the dim light. It was a delicate thing, carefully chosen for its elegance and charm. Yet, in the maelstrom of her emotions, it seemed meaningless, a futile attempt at embodying a part of herself she had grown to resent.

The accessories gleamed in the soft light, their beauty contrasting sharply with her disheartened spirit. They were meant to enhance, to accentuate her grace. But today, they felt like chains, binding her to a role she was no longer willing to play.

Her fingers ran over the garments, the soft fabrics slipping through her grasp. In that moment, she longed for something genuine, something raw and unadulterated.

It wasn’t about the frills or the fa?ade; it was about what she really wanted. She wanted to lay herself bare in front of the man she loved and wanted him to respond to her openly.

Overturning the entire wardrobe, she took a step back, a decision forming in her mind. She wanted to cast off the trappings of convention, the symbols of an identity she no longer resonated with.

Today, she wanted to be true to herself, unapologetically so.

For that purpose, she required something that would evoke Zach’s hidden desires and would make him want to jump her right there and then.

After spilling and scattering the contents of her wardrobe across her entire room, she finally managed to find something remotely close to what she was looking for.

Unlike the rest of her dresses and gowns that were all pure white and larger than her size to hide her figure, this one was a deep black color leotard that accentuated her figure immensely.

In the past, due to that very reason, she had never worn it even when she was sleeping. It had made her feel naked and ashamed for even thinking about wearing it someday.

Therefore, she had thrown it to the back of her wardrobe and had forgotten about it altogether.

But now that she needed to seduce and attract Zach’s attention, she chose this exceptionally tight and thin leotard that could allow any man’s imagination to run wild like a stallion in an open grassy field.

Since, it was still early in the night, Zach had yet to turn in for the night.