Chapter 0623
After a few minutes of silence, watching the city lights, Diana and Maximus got back in the car. Their conversation continued, casual and light, like two old friends catching up. Diana was trying to understand the new life of the man she had waited for over six years. After driving for a while, they finally arrived at the address Diana had given him. Maximus planned to drop her off at the entrance, but she invited him in for coffee. He knew that accepting that coffee might lead to something he wasn’t sure how to navigate.
They took the elevator to the apartment, her company had rented for a month while she looked for something more permanent. Diana held his hand as if they were a couple, surprising him by humming a song. He frowned, trying to catch the lyrics, but couldn’t make them out. When the elevator dinged, announcing their floor, they walked to the door, and Diana pulled out her keycard.
The apartment was warm and welcoming, a relief from the chill of the approaching winter. Maximus was startled to see a gray tabby cat waiting by the door and a black one napping peacefully on the couch.
“The gray one’s Richie, and the black one is Max. I named him that because he’s a bit grumpy, but I adore them both,” Diana said, smiling.
“Only two?” Maximus asked, slightly skeptical..
“Yes…”
“Why Max?”
“I don’t know! Maybe he reminded me a little of you,” she teased with a sly grin.
“Diana!”
“Do you want coffee or tea?”
“Coffee, of course.
“All right… let me see if I remember how you like it.”
Diana shrugged off her coat, feeling the apartment was too warm. The emerald–green dress she wore hugged her figure perfectly, and Maximus couldn’t help but notice how much she had changed. She carried herself with confidence and grace–a self–assured woman. He didn’t want to admit it, but she still had the same effect on him she’d had back when they worked together. She was undeniably beautiful, inside and out.
“All done! Here you go, Mr. Palmer!” Diana handed him the coffee.
“Thanks! Are these your only companions?” Maximus asked, subtly trying to learn more about her life.
“Yes! You wouldn’t believe the trouble I went through to bring them here. My cats aren’t pedigreed or store- bought. I rescued them from the streets. Their mother was hit by a car, and their sister starved to death. I saved these two by feeding them kitten formula. Since then, I’ve been like their mom, and we’ve been inseparable.”
“How’s your family? How did they take the news about you coming back to Valentia?”
“They were excited. My mom got a little emotional, but she understood. Besides, since I came back from Valentia, I started living alone. I got used to it, and I couldn’t go back home.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that.”
“Well, now you do. A part of me always thought you’d come looking for me, but the other part knew you wouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
Chapter 0623
“No matter what happened between you and Alexia, you’d never leave her. You always said you wanted to give your children a family.”
“Some family I gave them! There was no love–or maybe there was once, but it faded.”
“I still can’t believe Lucius isn’t your son. He looks so much like you…”
“He’s not my son.”
“Even so, he resembles you. And you’ve told me Leonardo isn’t your father either. Doesn’t that make you wonder? Why does Lucius look like you? I met him, and he’s not a bad guy just… easily manipulated.”
Maximus hadn’t thought about it that way before. Diana was right; Lucius did bear a resemblance to him. They weren’t identical, but there was a likeness. Magnus’s logic had been that Valentians often look similar, but there were other features that matched Maximus’s more closely
“Maximus? What are you thinking?” Diana asked.
“Nothing. It’s just, I never thought about it like that. When I found out Leonardo was Lucius’s father, I erased him from my mind. Then, finding out Leonardo isn’t my father… it’s all so strange. Everything feels tangled.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Nothing. For now, I’ll wait.”
“Well, if there’s anything I can do to help, you know you can count on me.”
Thanks, Diana. But you’ve got a company to run. You must have your own problems.”
“I know, but remember, you’re not alone. I can always be here for you–even if it’s just to listen to your tormented heart,” she said, getting up from her chair and sitting next to him.
The man felt at ease with her, just like in the old days. At first, he had hesitated, but as the evening progressed, he began to open up, slowly sharing the things that had been weighing him down. He didn’t know what to do -every scenario he envisioned ended with one of the three men tied to the company suffering the consequences.
