One thing Diane was yet to find out was that Christian seemed to like having her around, and that was why he would use any means to make her stay the night at his place whenever the opportunity presented itself.
This was the second night in a row and she had not had the time to consider this particular action of his.
If he hated her as much as she thought he did, she would never have known what the interior of his place looked like.
As soon as Diane walked out of the study, Christian picked up his phone to make a call.
"Tomorrow morning by 6:30, we have a meeting at my penthouse with Mrs. Diane Brown regarding a divorce and prenup issue. Yes. Contact the others, it's important."
After speaking with one of his lawyers, he put his phone down as his gaze strayed to the door. A few minutes after plotting something new, he rose to his feet and picked up his phone from the desk.
He left the study for his bedroom and two minutes later, he emerged with a set of clean clothes in his hand.
Meanwhile, Diane was busy thinking about the present condition of her life while soaking in the bathtub filled with warm water.
She neither heard the knocks that pounded on the door of her bedroom nor heard when the door opened plus the heavy steps that followed suit.
It was only after she had finished bathing and walked back into the bedroom that she realized that Christian had come into her room.
He had brought her the change of clothes folded neatly at the foot of her bed.
Diane walked to the bed and raised the big polo to check it out with her eyes before lifting the shorts beneath it.
It was strange putting on Christian's clothes, especially now that she had a new label for him. But what other choice did she have? It's not like she came prepared to spend the night at his place.
About fifteen minutes later, Christian came back to knock on her door. "Come out for dinner," he announced before walking away.
---
Coming out to the dining area and seeing different assorted dishes spread across the table, Diane wondered if he was inviting other people to join him in the feast.
"Are you not going to sit?" Christian asked, raising a questioning brow as his gaze strayed to her. Seeing her standing at a spot and staring at the food got on his thin nerves.
Diane met his gaze and gestured to the kitchen. "I will wash my hands first."
Christian found that ridiculous. He wanted to remind her that she had just taken a shower but before his lips could part, she had already dashed out.
In the kitchen, Diane noticed the takeout plates in the bin and couldn't help having a closer look at it. It turns out that Christian had ordered their dinner from his hotel; Heirs Hotel.
Diane's dinner with Christian was eaten in an awkward silence. Even though they sat several chairs apart; each sitting at the head table, they were both aware of each other's presence thanks to the clanking of forks and knives.
Diane couldn't wait to get to the guest room and when she finally did, she dived into the covers and shut her eyes after setting an alarm for 5 AM.
***
The next morning, Diane woke up to Christian making breakfast in the kitchen.
She had just brushed her teeth and washed her face only to step out to see him flipping pancakes in the kitchen by 5:15 AM instead of the housekeeper.
Speaking of the housekeeper, she hasn't seen her around since her second coming.
"Good morning," she greeted in a muffled tone as her gaze stayed on his broad back. In as much as she would have loved to disappear without a trace, she stayed back because she knew he sensed her presence.
Diane recalled how he used to make her breakfast while she sat on the kitchen island of his small rented apartment back when they used to date.
Christian was a good cook but as time passed, she had forgotten what the food he cooked used to taste like. She missed it.
Right on time, Christian flipped the pancake in the pan before turning off the stove. Turning to her, he pointed at the kitchen island. "Don't just stand there and watch me. Breakfast is ready."
His brows were knitted into a frown as his thin lips smoothened. He clearly didn't like seeing her clueless. But he had forgotten how mad he would be if she just assumed and did things as she liked.
"My lawyers keep to time," he revealed as he placed a plain ceramic flat plate before her. "Do you still eat only 4…" he suddenly stopped with the plate of pancakes in his hand paused in midair.
His gaze darkened as Diane curled her fingers on the table. She knew the rest of the words to the question he never got to finish, and she didn't blame him when he suddenly withdrew the plates of pancakes to serve himself first before dropping them at the centre of the kitchen island that doubled as the kitchen dining area.
She was left to serve herself as he was no longer interested in how many slices of pancakes she could still eat presently.
Continuing to serve breakfast, Christian put down some waffles, oats, milk and honey on the kitchen island before climbing onto a high stool.
It took Diane a while before she finally moved her hands. She had just dared to imagine how far her past relationship with Christian would have gone if she hadn't done what she did back then.
'We would have been married with a little cozy home to our name.'
"You have only an hour to get ready and come to the living room for the meeting," Christian reminded her as he stood up to clear his plates.
Seeing that, Diane quickly said to him, "I will do the dishes."
"When last did you wash plates?" he asked, not expecting an answer as he slipped the plates into the kitchen sink and began to tidy up.
Diane did not answer that question. She knew when to shut up.
After eating, she went to drop her plates inside the sink and thanked him before scurrying away; definitely afraid of his glares and scowls.
It took Diane only twenty-five minutes to freshen up and change back into her outfit from the previous day. And surprisingly, she saw Christian's lawyers already sitting in the living room when she arrived.
They were fifteen minutes earlier than the appointed time.