Reborn Heiress Is Remarrying
Chapter 87: This Ghost

Chapter 87: This Ghost

Chapter 87: This Ghost...

"I wanna go home...I’m so tired..."

The glass walls of her father’s corporate office beneath the soft afternoon sunlight made her even more tired.

Diane leaned back in the leather chair, heaviness on her shoulders settling in her bones as the last of the board members filtered out of the room.

The meeting had dragged on for two hours—two hours of dry reports, aggressive shareholder concerns, and endless talks about "rebuilding public trust" after Evelyn’s mysterious disappearance.

Diane rubbed her temples, willing the dull ache in her skull to subside.

This wasn’t where she wanted to be.

She wanted to be home—with Arthur. With Gabriel. Trying to fix the fraying edges of her family.

But here she was. Picking up the pieces. Again.

"Lady Hoffman?"

She glanced up to see her father’s assistant hovering in the doorway.

A polished, no-nonsense woman named Claire who had worked for Leon longer than Diane had been alive.

"Yes?" Diane managed.

Claire’s eyes softened a little. "Your father wanted me to remind you—dinner at seven tonight. Don’t be late."

Diane gave a tight smile. "Got it. Thanks, Claire."

As the door clicked shut behind her, Diane sighed and stood, smoothing down her silk blouse.

She walked over to the massive windows, letting her gaze drift across the city skyline.

The view from the top floor of Hoffman’s Industries was breathtaking—glass towers stretched toward the sky, the streets below looked with so much life.

From the outside, everything looked normal. But Diane knew better.

Nothing was normal anymore.

Her phone buzzed against the polished wood of the conference table.

Without thinking, she reached for it, expecting another reminder from Claire or maybe a message from Gabriel checking in.

But the moment her eyes landed on the screen—her blood turned to ice.

-Unknown Number: Miss me?-

Diane’s breath caught in her throat.

A chill travelled down her spine, freezing her in place. The room around her suddenly felt too still, and way too quiet.

Only one person would send something like that.

"A-Adrian?" Diane muttered to herself.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she lowered the phone.

It couldn’t be. They had left him there—bleeding, broken. No one could have survived it.

"Could they?"

Her stomach twisted painfully as she reread the message.

There was no name. No hint of where it came from. But she knew. Deep down, she knew.

Adrian was alive...

The sound of the door opening startled her, and she quickly tucked her phone away, masking the fear flooding through her veins.

"Diane?"

Her father’s voice was unusually soft. Leon was standing in the doorway, he furrowed his eyebrows deep into the lines of his face.

"Hey," she said, forcing herself to sound normal. "I was just... finishing up."

He stepped inside, the usual air of authority wrapped around him like a second skin, but today there was something gentler beneath it. Something... tired.

"You’re working too much," he said, shutting the door behind him. "You should be home—resting. With Arthur."

Diane let out a dry laugh. "I don’t think ’rest’ is in the cards for me right now."

Leon crossed the room and stood beside her at the window.

"How is he?" Leon asked quietly.

Diane hesitated before answering.

"Distant. He barely looks at me." Her voice softened with the ache she had been holding inside. "He won’t talk, Dad. Not to me."

Leon’s jaw tightened as he exhaled slowly. "It’ll take time," he said, his tone was a bit thicker. "But you’re his sister. He’ll come back to you."

Diane blinked against the sting of tears, willing herself to stay composed. "I hope you’re right."

"I am." Leon’s tone left no room for doubt.

A sharp, bitter smile touched her lips. "Funny. Gabriel said the same thing."

To her surprise, Leon didn’t flinch at the mention of Gabriel’s name.

Instead, he sighed, his eueo shifted into something almost... thoughtful.

"I misjudged him," he admitted. "I don’t like how arrogant he is—but he loves you. And he saved you and cares for Arthur."

Diane swallowed hard. "He did."

Leon turned toward her fully, his hand resting gently on her shoulder.

"I just want you both safe. And if Gabriel Frost is the one keeping you safe... I won’t stand in the way."

The words pierced through her defenses.

For so long, her father’s disapproval of Gabriel had been a constant battle.

To hear him say this—without anger, without judgment—felt like the ground beneath her shifting.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Leon nodded but didn’t speak again. Instead, he pulled her into a brief, fierce hug...it was like an unspoken apology in the way he held her.

For the first time in weeks, Diane let herself lean into comfort.

But the reprieve didn’t last.

Her phone buzzed again in her hand. Another message.

-Unknown Number: You should’ve finished the job.-

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Her blood turned colder like ice.

"Diane?" Leon pulled back, sensing the sudden change in her energy. "What’s wrong?"

She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, shoving the phone back into her pocket. "It’s nothing. Just a work thing."

Leon frowned, but he didn’t push. "You know you can always tell me if something’s wrong."

"I know," she lied.

The last thing she needed was to drag her father into this. If Adrian was alive...if he was coming for her, she couldn’t afford to put anyone else at risk.

"I’ll see you at dinner," she said quickly, moving toward the door before he could question her further.

Her father watched her with a little bit of concern and suspicion. "Be careful," he warned softly.

"I always am," she said over her shoulder.

But as she walked down the empty hallway toward her office, the truth settled like an old rock inside her.

She wasn’t careful enough.

Adrian was alive. And he wasn’t finished with her.

Not by a long shot.

But in this life, Diane wasn’t some little puppy to get scared by such threats.

She had her husband’s support, her father, Riot and most likely the universe’s.

"Come to me, Adrian."