Crashing into an Old Flame
Chapter 270: Photo frame

Chapter 270: Photo frame

’’I wanted to do a DNA test,’’ Diana opened her bag and took out the samples she had managed to gather, ’’These belong to Alex and Maxim but then I changed my mind having my considerations,’’ she had gone as far as stealing Alex’s sample from his office and yanking at Maxim’s hair harshly during sex just to clutch a perfect hair strand which had been easier compared to the gathering Alex’s sample because that was the only time when Maxim’s IQ and EQ all dropped to his certain body part and he failed to notice anything other than... ahem...

All this time, while both of them were busy dealing with Louis, she had not been idle either. In the end, she could not bring herself to do it without Maxim’s consent even though she was doing all of it for his sake. So, she chose to wait for Old Master Qin to be back.

’’It was a guess but your reaction gave me all my answers.’’

Old Master Qin pushed himself to his feet, ’’That’s true. Maxim is my grandson.’’

Diana smiled. He said it so easily to her. Pity though.

’’Then allow me to say this to you,’’ she stepped towards him, ’’If you have no intentions of acknowledging your grandson and his mother then shouldn’t you stay away from them instead of continuing to gaslight them?"

’’I am not gaslighting them. I just... I just want to stay close to them and take care of them,’’ Old Master Qin slammed a fist on the desk, his lips wobbling by the frost in her words.

But Diana did not feel the least bit guilty, ’’In my grandpa’s absence, you are in his place for me. I don’t want to hurt you. But I don’t want you to hurt them either. When they did not have anyone else, both Maxim and Hazel relied on each other to get through the tough times. They are here today because of themselves, they are happy and in peace.

If you can acknowledge them, then it’s great. I will be happy that they found themselves a family. But don’t keep approaching them without having the intention to declare your relationship.’’

She avoided the hurt in the old man’s eyes.

’’Hazel thinks you are like a found family to her, a father figure whom she met because of destiny. So does Maxim. But what if they discover that, all this while, you were gaslighting them into believing what they think about you? What if they realize that you are no kind old man whom they met through fate but simply a selfish grandfather who plotted all this just to stay close to his grandson?"

’’I know you don’t mean them any harm and you love both of them. But all I am asking for is if you can’t be truthful, then just stay away from them instead of continuing your pretense. Because if I can figure out the truth, then so will Hazel and Maxim one day. And I wonder if they would be as disturbed as I am today.’’

The old man lowered his head.

Once she finished her part, she turned to leave. But Old Master Qin called out his name before she could take a step.

’’You said you investigated Qin Family because of a patient... who seems to be related to us? What was it about?"

Diana halted in her tracks. She turned around and looked at his desolate face.

In the end, Diana approached him and wrapped her arms, giving him a bear hug, ’’I am sorry about everything I said. But I hope you know I never want to hurt you. I just...’’

’’You just don’t want to hurt them either,’’ Old Master Qin patted her back as he wiped his tears with his other hand, ’’I get your feelings. It’s not like these thoughts had not passed my head before. But I had my reasons, my considerations, and some of the time, I was simply a coward. I have indeed been selfish and greedy but at the end of the day, for me, they are my family.’’

Diana broke the hug and smiled at him before she rummaged through her clutch and took something out of it, ’’Regarding that patient, you should go to the VIP wards to know more about it,’’ she told him the room number and grabbed his hand before placing the thing that she was holding.

She wrapped his fingers around the object and looked at him one last time before she bowed and left his office.

Old Master Qin could feel the touch of the cold metal in his hands and for some reason, Diana’s words gave him a sense of premonition.

His fingers trembled as he removed them from the object.

And the thing that laid before his eyes was an old golden lighter, with the intricate carving of a dragon. The Qin family’s symbol.

It felt like just yesterday when he had gotten it carved for his elder son when he was about to take over the duties of the Master of the Qin Family.

The patient... Related to Qin Family... Patient...

’’Louis...’’ The old man’s footsteps staggered.

It had just been a day but it seemed like he had experienced all the happiness and agony in a few hours.

By the time he walked out of the office, he seemed to have aged a few years.

...

After wrapping up his work, Maxim closed his laptop and pushed the documents to the side.

He grabbed his coat and prepared to leave but just as he had taken a step, he halted in his tracks and tilted his head down to look at the photo frame on the desk. As usual, the white display greeted his vision.

If one saw it from a distance, they would think that it was an empty photo frame.

Maxim grabbed the photo frame and pried it open from the corner locks. Once he opened it, the picture inside it slipped to the desk.

Maxim picked up the photograph and turned it around.

It was a blurry picture of Diana. Her cheeks were red, her eyes widened, she had a red scarf snuggled around her neck, and her blonde hair was tied in a messy braid that had her look so adorable and charming at the same time. The snow created a contrast to her black dress and an oversized cardigan was draped around her shoulder that belonged to him.

Maxim remembered how cold it had been that day and considering her fashion, she skipped all warmer clothes despite his warning. In the end, she started sneezing on the streets before they could reach the Chinese restaurant she wanted to go to after school.

So, he gave her his sweater and when he clicked this picture for her, his fingers were trembling but he acted like a rock and he even had the audacity to lie to her that he was feeling rather warm somehow.

The consequent days, he was down with a bad cold and fever and his mother had the time of her life, teasing him and poking him about his actions.

Maxim sighed and leaned back on the desk as he gazed at the picture with a smile.

For years, he thought that their paths would never merge.

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