Kristina abruptly looked up at Max and asked, "Is your mother Christine?"
Though Max had seen it coming, he still felt a subtle stir when this woman said his mother's name.
Yet, he didn't show a thing on his face. As calm as ever, he just nodded and said, "Yes. You know her, too?"
The smile on Kristina's face turned more genuine when she heard this.
"Yes, I know her."
How could she not know Christine?
She followed Christine everywhere when she was a child. She had seen her as her big sister.
Christine also took good care of her as if she were her younger sister.
Sadly, fate played them. Kristina betrayed Christine. Up to now, she still felt too embarrassed to visit Christine again.
Kristina's eyes dimmed when she thought of this.
Right at this moment, the elevator door slid open with a ring. This sound was out of tune with the silence, but it spared the three from the awkward moment.
Kristina glanced at the floor number and said, "This is my floor."
Laura and Max nodded and watched her leave. Laura even kindly waved goodbye to her.
"See you around, Kristina."
Kristina turned around and nodded at them courteously before going away.
The elevator climbed two more floors to send Laura and Max to their floor.
Locking arms with Max, Laura probed as they walked to their room, "Max, do you think she's really the woman in that picture hidden in your father's book?"
With a gloomier face, Max nodded with assurance and said, "Yes, absolutely."
Laura furrowed her brows, baffled.
"But, didn't you say that woman already died more than 20 years ago? How come she turned up here?"
Max was also bemused by that. But Kristina looked so alike with that woman in the picture, and she also knew his parents. She was definitely the lady in the picture.
Thinking of this, Max said, "I don't know either. I'll ask my father about this some other day."
Knowing that there was no better solution at the time, Laura nodded in agreement.
After they returned to their room, Max ordered room service and then sat on the sofa to watch TV with Laura.
A few minutes later, the dishes were delivered to their room.
One of the dishes was trout, which was Laura's favorite. Max removed the bones for her and put the meat on her plate, saying, "Eat more. We'll have a lot of fun this afternoon. You need to get more energy, or you'll feel hungry very soon."
Laura meekly ate the trout. Then, she asked, "What's there in the back?"
"There is a golf course. Do you know how to play golf?"
Laura thought for a moment and then shook her head. "No."
Max smiled and said, "It's fine. I'll teach you."
Laura didn't say anything.
After lunch, they took an hour-long rest. It was not until half-past three in the afternoon that they changed into sportswear and went out.
The golf course in the back was very large. At this time, not many people were playing.
Laura picked a light club and stood there, waiting for Max to teach her.
Max held her from behind, his hands grabbing hers, which were clenching the club. Then, he guided her on how to exert her strength while swaying the club to look for the perfect direction and angle.
Max instructed, "Look, stand in this posture, and slightly turn around. Use your waist to lead your strength. Yes... Give it a shot."
Laura compressed her lips. She didn't like outdoor sports, so this was her first time playing golf. As she was a rookie, it would be a lie if she said she was not nervous at all.
With the method Max told her, she gently swayed the club to test the direction before gripping the club and swinging it forcefully.
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