Crashing into an Old Flame
Chapter 275: You have me

Chapter 275: You have me

’’Dee made the cake for you,’’ Ivy spoke up as they gathered near the dining table.

A small chocolate cake greeted their view. Although it was rather small but it looked quite presentable.

Ryle glanced at Maxim who was looking at the cake like it was taken straight out of some gold mine.

’’She did?" Ryle rolled his eyes, elbowing Maxim as he whispered, ’’Careful, I’m afraid it’s poisoned.’’

Maxim tilted his head to look at the man.

’’The last time I had a heiress as my date, she baked me an apple pie, and my gut twists at the reminder of it to this date,’’ Ryle added in a hushed voice.

While Diana was at a little distance to catch his words, Daisy heard him loud and clear.

Maxim frowned. Before he could say a word, Ryle let out a muffled scream as Daisy stepped on his toes and walked past him.

’’Ahh...’’ Ryle hissed, glaring at Daisy, ’’Are you blind?" he stumbled back on the chair and grabbed his ankle.

’’Apologies, my eyes itch when I see unpleasant things. But the temporary loss of sight won’t affect my skills at the workplace,’’ Daisy spoke in a professional tone.

Maxim’s lips twitched slightly but he held back his smile.

’’Who are you calling unpleasant? F...’’

’’There is a child here,’’ Diana shot Ryle a glare.

Ryle looked at Angel’s innocent face and promptly shut his mouth up, ’’Flowers. I was talking about flowers,’’ he pointed to small vases of roses on the table, ’’They are beautiful.’’

Maxim sighed. The Chen sisters surely knew how to deal with people.

After the cake was cut, Diana walked up to him and cut a small piece before holding it in front of his mouth, ’’Happy Birthday.’’

Maxim smiled, licking the chocolate cream off her fingers as he ate the cake.

Diana’s finger trembled.

She pulled her hand back, ’’I-I will get the plates for you and wash my hand.’’

’’But, Dee, we already have plates here—’’ Ivy’s words were yet to complete and Diana was already out of their sight.

Maxim casually looked at the remaining people at the dining table and divided the cake into four parts, ’’Plates?"

Ivy looked at him in confusion before handing him the plates.

And in the next moment, every person at the dining table with their share of the cake.

’’Where is Dee’s share?" Ivy was bewildered.

Ryle took a seat and grabbed a fork, ’’Since you are surviving and the cake doesn’t look bad, I will believe that it’s not poisoned-shit—’’ The moment the cake went inside, a sour and salty taste spread throughout his whole mouth.

He was about to spit it when Maxim spoke up, ’’Eat it all. And I would want you to register it in your head about how delicious it was,’’ With that said, he started eating it too.

Daisy frowned at the first taste but then continued eating it with a nonchalant face.

And it finally dawned on Ivy why Diana did not have a share of this cake. It was no less than Ryle’s described poison.

By the time Diana came back, she was greeted by the tense silence at the dining table, ’’What’s wrong?" her gaze landed on the people who were all eating cake simultaneously.

’’This...’’ Ryle could not help but want to utter profanities.

’’...is delicious,’’ Maxim cut him off.

Feeling aggrieved, Ryle grabbed a few strawberries from the fruit bowl, stuffed them in the pastry, and forced it down his throat.

Diana blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Everyone left after dinner.

Once the place was empty with only Diana and Maxim left near the dining table, Diana walked towards Daisy’s plate.

One could not say whether it was done or purpose or not, but there was an untouched small piece of cake left on Daisy’s plate.

Maxim held her hand when she reached towards it.

’’It was not good, was it?" Diana looked at him.

Maxim sat back on the chair and pulled her onto his lap, ’’It was.’’

’’Liar.’’

’’I am fond of exceptional things. Sweet cakes are common. This...’’ Maxim pulled her closer, ’’...Was phenomenal.’’

A small laugh escaped her and Diana placed her head on his shoulder, ’’Maybe next year, I will make you a better cake. I can try to make a cake for you every month till it’s your birthday again.’’

His grip on her waist tightened, her words ringing in his ear.

Next year.

She never discussed a future with him but now she mentioned next year and it sent ripples across his chest. And he wanted to ask if he would get a cake a decade later too.

’’Ana, you quit the job,’’ Maxim said instead.

Diana paused. She looked at him, ’’You blame me?"

’’Never,’’ Maxim shook his head, almost stunned, ’’I would never blame you for making your own decisions.’’

Diana grabbed his hand, playing with his fingers, ’’When I came here, I had to take the job because of the circumstances. But that’s not where I see myself. I want to follow the things I had once decided to leave behind. I want to write again,’’ she paused, ’’Had I discussed it with you, I would have felt reluctant to take this decision because I have become comfortable in this life. Going to work with you, being with you all the time, coming back with you. Quitting means it’s going to stop. We don’t get to see other as often as we did and the thought of it made me hesitant.’’

Maxim stroked her hair, not interrupting her, paying attention to every word that she was saying.

’’And this whole issue with Louis made me realize how unfit I am for this job. When things involve you, I don’t act like a professional. I take decisions from my heart. I... I become impulsive,’’ she lowered her head.

’’This matter never had anything to do with you,’’ Maxim pressed his thumb under her chin, his fingers gliding inside her hair as he tilted her chin, ’’And even if it had, I won’t want you any other way. I’d only want you with all your chaos, the ones you hide from me and the ones you are so scared of. If you are going to bake me a cake the next year, just know that I’d adore it with all its imperfections intact. I don’t need a perfect cake, Ana. I never did. The ones that you make perfectly suit my taste.’’

A smile stretched on her face, ’’I am uncertain if you are praising me or dissing me.’’

Maxim kissed her chin, ’’Just stating facts.’’

Diana arched her neck when his lips glided down to her neck, ’’And dating a superior is forbidden. I don’t want people to talk about you,’’ she grabbed his hand, nails digging into his arms when he bit the skin of her neck.

’’You know I don’t care about that.’’

’’And... I...’’

Maxim sat straight and pressed a finger on her lips, ’’You are the perfect assistant. The gossip never mattered. Every reason that you mentioned for quitting this job is pretty invalid except for one and that is—you want to do something that makes you happy.’’

She relaxed in his arms, nodding.

’’And you have me. Always. Backing you up.’’