Diana's heart was still racing as she left the study, her emotions a whirlwind of relief and anxiety.
She had never expected to bare her soul to Shawn Rosewood, nor had she anticipated his reaction. His calm demeanor and unexpected empathy had thrown her off balance, and now that he had taken the fight out of her, she didn't know what to do anymore.
Reaching her bedroom, her hands trembled as she pushed open the door. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, taking a moment to compose herself. She couldn't afford to waste time in case Shawn changed his mind.
With quick, efficient movements, she began packing her belongings. As she folded clothes and gathered her essentials, her mind raced with thoughts of all she needed to do next.
First, she would try to reach out to her blackmailer and let him know how things had turned out, and then she would go to Vanessa. Vanessa had a right to know what had happened, and she owed her an apology. She needed to apologize to Vanessa for letting her down and for not following through with her plan.
As she threw her shoes in her suitcase, a soft knock echoed through the room, startling her, and she paused, her heart pounding anew.
Was it Shawn? Had he changed his mind already? Or did he call the police? She mused.
Taking a deep breath, she walked over and opened the door. She felt a wave of relief when she saw Jeff standing there with a concerned expression.
"Are you okay?" He asked in a low voice laced with a hint of nervousness.
Even though Tom had asked him to stay calm, he was still feeling pretty nervous about the entire situation.
Diana sighed, "I don't know. I'm not sure yet. But I'm leaving," she said simply.
Jeff's brows furrowed in confusion. "Leaving? What about your plans? What did Henry's brother say?"
Diana hesitated, glancing around to ensure no one else was nearby. "Shawn knows everything now. I've told him about Henry and what he did to my brother. Shawn has asked me to let him handle it."
Jeff's eyes widened in surprise. "And you trust him?"
"For some reason, I do," Diana replied, her voice steady. "Shawn seemed genuine. He promised to make sure everyone gets justice, and he won't let Henry's actions destroy more lives. I need to believe in that."
Jeff nodded slowly, understanding her decision. "I'm glad he is willing to let you go."
Diana nodded. "I didn't tell Shawn about you, so make sure you stay under the radar too for the time being. And maybe you can watch from here and see how he handles things," she said and Jeff nodded.
"I will. Thank you, Diana. Be careful," he said and Diana offered a small, grateful smile.
"Thank you too. Stay safe."
Jeff gave her a nod and left, allowing her to finish packing. She zipped up her suitcase and took one last look around the room. This place, filled with memories of her mission, now felt like a chapter closing. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her bag and headed out.
After she had driven some distance away from the house, the gravity of the situation settled over her.
She parked by the roadside, her hands trembling slightly as she pulled out her phone and flashed the number Tom usually used to contact her.
She waited for some time and just as she was about to give up and drive up, her phone rang and she received the call.
"Diana," Tom's voice was calm and reassuring, "what's going on?" He asked, even though he knew why she was calling.
After he received the call from Jeff, Barry had hacked into the security camera in the study and had sent him the footage, so he knew all about her conversation with Shawn.
Watching the footage had made Tom realize that his mother had been right and they could have easily resolved things had she reached out to Henry's parents (chapter 867).
Perhaps they wouldn't have had to do all of this or go through such a long process had they simply taken up the divorce issue with Henry's family.
They had assumed that the Rosewoods were all terrible people like Henry, but it was clear to him now that Henry had been hiding under the Rosewood family name to perpetuate his evil deeds.
Diana exhaled shakily. "I just wanted to let you know that the plans have changed. Henry's brother showed up. I didn't expect he would be so smart or very interested in the details of what happened to his brother. I had to come clean with him. I told him everything. But I didn't tell him about you or about Vanessa knowing my plans. He only knows about Henry and what he did to my brother and some others. He promised to handle it and asked me to back off," Diana explained and Tom listened silently.
"You did well, Diana. I believe Shawn will take care of things. Just stay safe and keep a low profile until he does. And if you need my help in any way, you can let me know."
Diana let out a deep breath, "I will. Thanks. I just needed to let you know what was going on."
"I just received a call from Henry's brother. He asked for your phone number and I texted it to him," her father informed her the moment she walked in.
Before she could respond her phone rang, and when she saw it was an unsaved contact, she received the call, guessing it was Shawn.
"Vanessa, I called to apologize to you once again for all that Henry did to you. And I want to assure you that I will make sure you get the justice that you deserve. I've submitted all the evidence I got to the police and I have placed a call for his immediate arrest even though he's still hospitalized. Tomorrow I will release a press statement to tender a formal apology to all of Henry's victims. You have my permission to press charges. I'm sorry this is coming late. I wish I had known about it all sooner. But you don't have to run or hide from him anymore," Shawn said and tears gathered in Mia's eyes.
"Really? Can I really do that?" she asked, wondering if Shawn was telling the truth.
"Yes, you can. You can do whatever you want, Vanessa," Shawn said and her tears began to
drop in torrents.
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Shawn. Thank you," Vanessa cried, unable to hold back her
tears.
As much as she had been mad at Tyler carelessly for exposing her, she was glad now that he had come along when he did and his action had forced her to confront her past. It had all worked out for her good and now she was finally free from Henry.
Away from there, at the hospital, Henry's eyes fluttered open, the hospital room coming into
blurry focus. He felt like he had just woken up a bad dream. His mind was foggy, the events leading to his unconsciousness a jumbled mess.
He tried to move, to sit up, but his body refused to respond. His limbs felt like dead weights, utterly unresponsive to his frantic commands. Panic surged through him, and then he remembered with horror that he was paralyzed and it was not a bad dream but his reality.
He lay there, helpless as he listened to the beeping of the monitors. Tears began to well in his eyes as the full weight of his situation settled over him.
All he could think about was the look in Diana's eyes, the searing hatred that had burned so
vividly. Her betrayal cut deeper than any physical pain he had ever experienced. How had he been so blind, so utterly fooled by her?
Memories of their interactions flooded his mind. The warmth in her voice, the seemingly genuine concern, the way she had seemed to worship him. It had all been a lie, a cruel, calculated deception. His throat tightened, and a tear slipped down the side of his face.
He had loved her and had believed that for the first time in his life, he had found someone who loved him. He had trusted her, confided in her, and she had manipulated him.
He was broken, both physically and emotionally, and he had no idea where to go from here or
what to do next.
As he lay there, lost in his torment, the door to his room creaked open. He couldn't turn his head to see who had entered, but the sound of footsteps drew nearer.
A figure stepped into his line of sight, and he was flooded with relief when he recognized Dr.
Morgan. Seeing Dr Morgan walk in with police officers, he could tell they were there to take his statement and find out what happened to him.
The police officers stepped forward, their eyes hard and unforgiving and to his surprise
instead of asking him what happened, they began to read out a list of charges, a litany of crimes.
The words barely registered. Henry's mind was numb, his body immobile. He could do
nothing as they listed his crimes, each accusation a hammer blow to his already fragile state.
Henry wanted to ask them if they knew who he was. He wanted to tell them that they would lose their jobs for doing that, but something about the way Dr Morgan stood there, told him they knew who he was, and his family was also aware of what was going on.
Betrayed by Diana, paralyzed, and now facing the full force of the law because he was certain his family had abandoned him- there was nothing left for him.
Henry shut his eyes and turned his head away from them, unable to face the harsh reality any
longer.
Resignation settled over him like a heavy shroud. He was at the mercy of forces far beyond his control, his fate sealed by the very actions that had once made him powerful.
Now, he was nothing more than a broken man, left to bear the consequences of his own