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Chapter 23 - Bye Bye, Old Crystal!

Crystal was having lunch with her family when she asked "I was thinking, why not invite Maxwell's to lunch?"

The Waynes were surprised with her suggestion, Laura couldn't help but say "You want to meet them?" 

She said before taking a bite of her favourite fajita "It's been quite a few days since meeting them so why not invite them for lunch and I also want to give an invitation for the exhibition to Aunt Grace." but her family member's expression perplexed her "Why? What happened? "

"After whatever happened, we thought that you'll feel bad…" Brian explained to her Crystal interrupted him in the middle "Come on, they're like a family to me just like you all and just because of the annulment of the engagement breaking relationship of so long, it's so childish." 

Everyone knows that so Crystal pushed them by continuing "And if we won't meet them or avoid them then that arrogant and stoic face Maxwell will become ignorant and will think that I still love him that's why you are all doing this."

Meanwhile, Lucas, who was sitting in his office sneezed making his coffee spill on his coat "Looks like someone is talking bad about you." he heard Henry saying as he entered his office

"That's what people believe." Henry defended himself by shrugging his shoulders as Lucas threw his cold glare at him.

Liam immediately refused "You are not."

Crystal nodded her head "Exactly, then why let him live in that delusion?"

"You are right." Sean supported his daughter

Liam confirmed "Then, it's decided that the day after tomorrow the Maxwells are coming for lunch at our house."

"Great, then I'll go and invite them." Crystal said before getting up

Brian tried to stop her "Grandpa will call them, why do you have to go?"

But she left saying "I've got some work left there." 

"Dad, why do I feel that Crystal has been changed?" Sean asked his father who was observing his granddaughter then mutters 

"The question is what made her change?"

After inviting the Maxwells for the day after tomorrow's lunch, Crystal was coming out of the mansion when at the same time a car was entering the gates of the mansion in which Lucas was with his assistant and driver. 

Ben was stunned after seeing Crystal there "Is it Ms.Wayne?"

Lucas abruptly looked through his window and watched Crystal sitting in her car wearing a black blazer dress with thigh high boots but she didn't take her usual route in fact she went in the opposite direction, he said without hesitation "Ben." 

Ben, who clearly understood his boss's meaning, instructed "Follow her."

Crysta's car was moving at the end of the residential area then as the residential area ended, there was a small park. 

As Lucas was following her, he felt a feeling of nostalgia. Unknowingly, he was anticipating her to go to Their Place. A place that was very close to both of them, a place that only belonged to them.

Crystal got down from the car then walked to some bushes, Lucas was maintaining a fair distance so that she wouldn't know that he's following her. 

After crossing the bushes, she saw a tree house, not too big but was big enough for two people and those two were only 'Lucas and Crystal'. 

They named it 'Paradise' which they made themselves "Paradise, was it?" there was a mocking smile on her face.

At the trunk of the tree 'L&C' was engraved, Crystal traced it then she went up. When she entered, the house was still clean. After all she came to clean it every 15 days, everything was the same as it was from the beginning. Every paper, schedule, and painting was there. As she looked around, she saw her and Lucas's younger self smiling, laughing, fighting but soon the scene changed to a lonely, crying Crystal sitting, crying, sobbing, waiting, bandaging. 

She collected everything that was related to her past-self, anything that symbolises her and Lucas's relationship in a box then she took out an old diary from a drawer and went downstairs

Lucas was observing her however her next steps disturbed him as he saw her placing the box in the centre then lit two matchsticks and threw them in the box setting all the things on fire. There was a coldness and reflection of the flames in her eyes "A final goodbye to the old, weak, unwanted, foolish and lovestruck Crystal Wayne."

As the wind blew, a half burned paper fell near Lucas's foot. He picked it up and saw that it was a painting of him and Crystal which she made as the memory of their first day in the tree house. He pursed his lips in a straight line and clenched his fist.

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