Crashing into an Old Flame
Chapter 112: Let me

Chapter 112: Let me

’’Who...?" It took her a moment to realize that he was talking about Veronica, ’’It has barely been a few days since I started working there. You have been there for years. Who should know people?"

’’I don’t socialize at the workplace.’’

’’Sure, I organize tea parties there every evening,’’ she responded with a smile, ’’Where else do you socialize then?"

’’You want details?" he raised a brow.

Diana choked on air, ’’No thanks. I was just saying,’’ For some reason, the look on his face told her that she would not want to listen to his kind of details.

’’Who was she, Diana?" he held her fingers without breaking eye contact with her as he gently stroked her wrist, ’’Does it hurt?"

’’No,’’ her voice was slightly breathy but she really did not feel any pain in her hand, ’’I don’t know her and I have no personal feud with her, in case you are wondering. She is called Veronica.’’

’’You sure?"

’’About?"

His fingers drew gentle circles on her wrist, ’’All three.’’

’’I am not hurt. I have no feud with that woman. And she is called Veronica. Yes, sure,’’ Diana answered him almost like a robot.

In the next moment, she narrowed her eyes and pulled her hand back, ’’But don’t meddle in my matters,’’ she waved her hand, ’’I was just caught off guard earlier. I won’t tolerate something like that again.’’

’’What if I insist on meddling?" He took a step towards her.

Diana did not step back as she met his gaze, ’’I will start reconsidering our conversation about getting to know each other and being friends again if you can’t respect my boundaries,’’ She valued their friendship too much to lose it but somehow, he was starting to feel too risky. Way too risky.

Like an addiction, she could not get rid of it once she got herself involved in him.

Scary. Risky.

And for some strange reason, she had the urge to run away from him.

’’What if I still insist on meddling in your matters?" he took another step towards her.

Diana gulped softly but she did not step back again. His voice was filled with confidence. He knew that no matter what he did, she won’t stand by her words of breaking things with him.

Her lips thinned. She did not want him to stand up for her or do anything about what happened today, ’’I am not pitiful, Warner. Like you once said earlier, I am not playing princess either. I don’t need sympathy. I—’’

’’But I still want to protect you. Do you mind?" he interrupted her.

Diana was stumped for words.

Why did it seem like he spoke fewer words compared to her yet he was on the winning side?

’’It’s my turn to talk now,’’ she deadpanned.

’’Answer me first. Do you mind?" he insisted.

Diana bit her bottom lips. Feeling like she did not have much to lose, she nodded, ’’Fine, protect me in the future,’’ Not like the earth would split or the sky would fall on her, ’’Don’t dwell on the past anymore. What happened today won’t happen again.’’

He readily nodded.

For some reason, Diana felt like she was tricked by him but in the end, she could not figure out how.

’’What did you want to tell me?"

’’I am moving out!" she said in one breath.

Silence descended around them. She took another moment to observe his expression but his face did not give anything away so she said, ’’In fact, I would have gone for a better place rather than looking for a cheap garage apartment. But I was kind of short on money and well, I can’t complain since I accidentally ended up at Mr. Harper’s grand place which is obviously way better than what I was looking for. I... am not short on money anymore,’’ When his gaze turned probing, she waved her hands hurriedly, ’’I absolutely didn’t do anything illegal. I just sold my diamonds.’’

’’It’s like you can almost read my mind,’’ Maxim chuckled, his gaze wandering off to her tattoo.

Diana noticed his gaze and placed her hands down, ’’Maybe I can. So...’’

’’Yes.’’

’’Hmm?" she blinked.

’’Do as you wish,’’ he said.

’’So, you are agreeing to it...?" Her lips parted slightly, ’’I mean... You are agreeing to let me move out so easily?" She had a speech ready to convince him but he just agreed like that? Like his mother suggested, did he have someone in his life? Was she being a cockblock by staying here?

Maxim tilted his chin down to look at her, ’’Or would you like me to do something illegal and stop you here forcefully? It will pass as kidnapping.’’

’’O-Of course not,’’ Diana cleared her throat, ’’So, it’s almost weekend. I will start the house hunting tomorrow. Bye, good night.’’

As she turned around to leave, her wrist was grabbed.

Maxim tugged her body towards him and her back crushed against his chest.

He hugged her from the back. As she struggled in his arms, he whispered, ’’Let me. Just a few seconds. Let’s stay like this,’’ his warm breath fell on her neck.

Diana stood quietly in his arms as she felt one strong arm curling around her waist, followed by the other.

’’Let me,’’ he whispered the same words again.

’’What?" her mind was a bit blank at that point.

"Let me look for a place for you...’’ Maxim hugged her tighter.

Diana could feel his hard ridges against her back and his rigid muscles through the black T-shirt he had donned and surprisingly, she never saw him working out.

’’Okay,’’ she mumbled, ’’But why?"

Maxim placed his chin on her shoulder, ’’Didn’t you say you would let me protect you?"

’’What does that have to do with my house hunt?" she was confused, physically and mentally. His words were confusing her and so were his touches hence her mind found an in-between place and stayed there like jelly, choosing to not focus on either of the things that bothered her.

’’What if you end up at a place with bad security, Ana? What if there are burglars? Terrorists? What if...’’

’’I understand,’’ Diana whispered, ’’I will let you do it then.’’

’’Mm, good.’’

Silence.

After a few seconds passed, Diana found her voice again, ’’It has been a few minutes already.’’

’’I know,’’ his strong arms squeezed her waist tighter and he lowered his forehead on her neck. She felt the tap of something soft on her skin before he released her, ’’Good night now.’’

’’Now?" she questioned without turning back.

’’Since we ended the conversation,’’ he said, ’’So, good night.’’

’’Yeah, right,’’ With her heart thudding in her ribcage, she calmly walked inside the mansion.

Maxim closed his eyes and dragged a palm down his face in frustration.

Fuck. Such desperation. Why the hell did he mean by ’just a few seconds’ and ’let’s stay like this’? Why the heck did he sound like a teenager losing it all around his crush?

He sighed.

At this moment, his phone started ringing.

Maxim glanced at the caller ID and frowned. It should be past noon in Beijing. Why was Ryle calling him at this hour?

He answered the call with a doubtful gaze.

’’Remember that troublemaker, bro?"

It was not hard to trace the excitement in Ryle’s voice, ’’Which one?" Maxim asked.

’’The brat who dumped me?"

’’You date people?’’ He had seen him sleeping around but dating around was foreign. Did his girlfriend date him?

’’You... Max, you are so silly! I am talking about my subordinate who ran away. Remember how much I looked for him but I did could find any traces of him at all.’’

Maxim’s brows tugged together slightly. It did seem like something like that had happened before, ’’Dexter?’’ he roughly remembered the name of the person.

’’Yes, that’s him.’’

Once Maxim got the confirmation, he remembered tidbits of information from that time. When Dexter left, Ryle seemed like a psychotic bitch who would be ticked off by anything and anyone.

Back then, Maxim had felt like that guy was lucky that he wasn’t caught by Ryle or else that life of his....

Sigh... It seems like he ran out of luck in the end.

’’What about him?" Maxim asked.

’’I found him again. He is here in Beijing. You remember the bodyguard I told you about?"

Maxim frowned as he recalled it, ’’The one who eloped with the client he was assigned to protect?"

’’Damn right, that person. That client is Dexter’s woman. And that woman cheated on him with my subordinate. So, I have a plan. I am going to avenge Dexter for being cuckolded by his woman. That would get me his loyalty. He would be touched and he would beg me to accept him for the job yet again. Once he ends up working for me, I will torture him everyday.’’

’Silence’

’’Max... Knock Knock. Maxim. Knock..’’

’’You are too idle,’’ Maxim’s lips twitched. Earn someone’s loyalty? Give them a job and torture them? It did not sound like something Ryle would do.

’’That guy has frustrated me for so long because of his disappearance. Of course, I won’t let him have it easy. I am taking revenge.’’

’’Whatever,’’ Maxim was ready to hang up when Ryle said in a depressed voice.

’’What kind of best friend are you? You are not even being happy for me. Don’t whatever me, Maxim ’Diana’ Warner!" Ryle hung up, leaving Maxim speechless.

He hoped that this Dexter guy would escape again.