Diana’s POV I didn’t sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same headline.

Politician’s secret family exposed.

The words replayed over and over until sunrise. I was back in my childhood bedroom at my father’s house, yet nothing felt familiar anymore. The room that had always been my safe place started to feel like a prison.

A soft knock came to the door. “Diana?” Isabella called gently. “Are you awake?” “I never slept.” She opened the door slowly, carefully two mugs of tea.

“I thought you might need this.” I managed to put on a smile.

“Thank you.” She sat next to me on the bed without saying anything.

For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

Finally, she broke the silence. “Have you spoken to Nathaniel?”

I shook my head. “I blocked his number.”

She sighed. “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling.” “I don’t even know how I feel.”

Angry. Heartbroken. Humiliated. None of these words seemed enough.

“I keep asking myself the same question,” I whispered. “What question?”

“How could someone who says he loves me hide something so important?” Isabella reached for my hand.

“Maybe he’s a coward.” I laughed bitterly.

“Maybe.” “But cowards sometimes hide things because they’re afraid of losing the person they love.”I looked at her. “Are you defending him?” “No.”

“I’m asking you not to make a decision while you’re still hurting.” Before I could reply, my phone vibrated on the bedside table.

Amelia Brooks calling. I answered immediately.

“Diana.” “You need to see this.”

“What now?” “The story has become much bigger.”

Half an hour later, Amelia sat across from me in my father’s study room. She placed her tablet on the desk.

“It’s everywhere.” Every major news outlet has carried the same story. Nathaniel’s face filled the screen.

Victoria stood beside her daughter, speaking to reporters. Social media was even worse.

Thousands of comments. Millions of views. Some people called Nathaniel a liar. Others called Victoria a user.

No one knew the full story. “His political party has suspended his campaign events,” Amelia said quietly.

“They’re reviewing everything.” I stared at another headline.

Has the Carrington family been built on lies?

“This is destroying him.” Amelia nodded.

“And it’s destroying you.” A tear slipped down my cheek.

“I never wanted this.” “I know.”

She hesitated before continuing. “Nathaniel contacted me.”

I looked up. “What?”

“He asked if I’d speak to you.”

“I don’t want to hear excuses.” “What then?”

“He wants one chance.” I laughed.

“One chance?” “He says there are things you don’t know” “Apparently there were many things that I didn’t know.”

Amelia leaned forward. “Diana...”

“What?” “You hired me because I’m a lawyer.”

“Yes.” “And lawyers don’t judge a case without hearing from both sides.”

I looked away. “I don’t know if I can.”

“You owe yourself the truth.” Meanwhile…

Nathaniel’s POV The silence inside Carrington house was unbearable. My father stood by the fireplace, newspaper closed tightly in his hand.

Edward Carrington had spent thirty years building one of Britain’s most respected political names. In a single day, everything had begun to crumble.

“You’ve embarrassed this family,” he said coldly. “I know.”

“No.” He slammed the newspaper on the table.

“You don’t.”

“You had one responsibility.”

“Protect the Carrington name.” “I tried.”

“By hiding your past?” “I was protecting Diana.”

Edward laughed. “You were protecting yourself.” I couldn’t argue.

Because he was right. “I loved Victoria once,” I admitted quietly.

“But our marriage ended years ago.” “Then why keep it as a secret?”

I looked down. “Because every time I tried to tell Diana…”

“You lost your nerve.” I closed my eyes.

“Yes.” “You’ve made the biggest mistake of your life.”

“I know.” “And if you lose Diana…” He paused.

“You’ll deserve it.” Later that afternoon, someone knocked on the front door.

I opened it. Victoria.

She stood there wearing dark sunglasses despite the cloudy weather. “You’ve got some nerve,” I said.

She smiled. “I thought we should talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

She removed her sunglasses. “What about your daughter?”

I froze. “Don’t use Delight against me.”

“I’m not.” “You disappeared.” “You pushed me away.”

“I left because you asked for the divorce.” “You signed the papers.”

“You gave me no choice.” I looked around to make sure no reporter was nearby.

“What do you want?” “The truth.”

“The truth?” She nodded.

“The truth you’ve been hiding from everyone.” “I never denied Delight was my daughter.”

“But you never acknowledged her publicly.” “I paid every school f*e.” “I visited.”

“I supported both of you.” “Quietly.”

“Because you asked me to.” Victoria’s expression changed.

“I asked you?” “Your father didn’t want the media involved.”

She looked away. “That was years ago.”

Silence settled between us.

Finally, she spoke. “I never wanted Diana hurt.”

I stared at her. “Then why now?”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Because Delight asked why her father had another family.” Those words hit me harder than anything else.

“I couldn’t answer her anymore.” That evening….

Diana’s POV I stood outside the apartment I had shared with Nathaniel.

My fingers tightened around the stare key. I wasn’t here to forgive him.

I wasn’t here to forgive him. I was here to collect the rest of my things.

The apartment was silent. I opened the bedroom door.

His side of the wardrobe was untouched. Our wedding photograph still stood on the bedside table. Nathaniel had never taken it down.

My chest tightened. I reached for the frame.

Just as I picked it up, I heard footsteps behind me. “Diana.”

I slowly turned. Nathaniel stood in the doorway.

His eyes looked tired. Red.As though he hadn’t slept.

“I didn’t know you were coming.” “I came for my clothes.”

“I can leave.” “You don’t have to.”

Silence. “I’ve packed some of your things already,” he said quietly. “I wasn’t sure what you’d need.”

His voice sounded broken. For the first time since everything happened….

He looked less like a politician… And more like a man who had lost everything.

“I met Victoria today,” he admitted. I looked at him instantly.

“You what?” “I wanted answers too.”

“What did she say?” He took a slow breath.

“She admitted she never wanted this story to hurt you.” “That changes nothing.” “I know.”

Another silence. Then he walked closer.

“I should have told you before we got married.” “Yes.”

“I was ashamed.” “You should have trusted me.”

“I was afraid.” “Afraid of what?”

“That you would leave.”

A strange smile appeared on my lips. “And now?”

He lowered his eyes. “I might lose you anyway.”

The pain in his voice felt genuine. “I don’t know if I can forgive you.” “I’m not asking you to.”

I frowned. “Then what are you asking?”

“Just one chance to tell you everything.” I searched his face.

No excuses. No arrogance.

Only regret. “I’ll listen.”

Hope flashed in his eyes. “But understand this, Nathaniel.”

His smile disappeared. “If you lie to me one more time…” I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“There won’t be anything left to save.” He nodded.

“I understand.” Neither of us realised that someone was watching from across the street.

Victoria sat inside a parked car, lowering her camera after taking another photograph. She stared at the image of Nathaniel and Diana standing together.

Then she whispered to herself,

“This isn’t over.”

She started the engine. As her car disappeared into the London traffic, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the worst was still to come. And somewhere deep inside me….

I wondered if hearing the truth would heal my marriage… Or finally destroy it forever.