After finishing a full workout at the gym, Max returned to his apartnt. But unlike most weekdays, soone was already there waiting for him.
Aron Stern.
As soon as Max stepped through the door, he tossed his gym bag into the corner without a second thought. He walked over to his desk and dropped into the office chair, spinning it around so he could face Aron, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Your latest purchase seems to have gone through," Aron said calmly. "Which is good news, but it's also why I think you should seriously consider my proposal."
"Right..." Max leaned back in his chair, catching his breath. "You told before I even asked you to handle this, that as the Billion Bloodline grows, we'll need soone to manage all the financial operations."
He began ticking off the responsibilities on his fingers.
"Handling company paperwork, tracking purchases, following up on new investnts and acquisitions... all of that, right?"
"Correct," Aron replied with a nod. "So far, I've managed to keep everything running through... certain ans. But the truth is, doing all of that splits my focus."
He looked Max directly in the eye.
"And I'd rather not be distracted. My job, my real job, is protecting you."
Max gave a slow nod. He understood the situation perfectly.
Even in the underworld, every major organization had soone behind the curtain. The financial brain. The one who kept things stable. The one who handled the books, managed the businesses, moved the money.
They weren't usually the ones on the front lines, but they were just as important. Without them, the entire machine fell apart.
The real question now was, who could Max trust?
Whoever he brought in to help with the finances would know everything: the full truth about his wealth, what he was building, who he really was. That person would have to keep quiet about the shady side of things too, when money was funneled into sothing not exactly legal or business-friendly.
This wasn't just about numbers. It was about loyalty.
"I know what you're thinking," Aron said, standing up and brushing off his suit with both hands. "And I've already done so research into that."
Max raised an eyebrow, waiting.
"There's a financial advisor who lives nearby," Aron continued. "And not just that, he's actually related to soone from your school. Do you happen to know a girl nad Cindy?"
"Cindy?" Max repeated.
A ntal image ford instantly, short blonde hair, sharp attitude. He'd only t her a couple of tis, but one mont stood out clearly in his mind.
Back when he was injured, she was the one who took him to her uncle's pharmacy. She'd helped him, really helped him. That mont had stuck with him more than he'd realized.
"It turns out," Aron explained, "her father is a financial advisor. He works for a mid-sized firm, mostly handling clients with wealth in the hundred-thousand range. But with you being close to his daughter, I think you could ask for an introduction. She might be able to help connect the two of you."
Max didn't answer right away.
He thought about it.
And kept thinking, even into the night. He knew he needed a financial advisor, soone to help manage the increasingly complex web he was building. And if that person was close to soone he already had a connection with, that gave him so level of trust. So leverage.
But... I don't want to make the sa mistake Dipter did, Max thought. He used Abby like a tool, sothing to manipulate . I can't do that to Cindy. I won't.
Still, the fact that the advisor wasn't extrely wealthy or deeply embedded in any criminal networks? That was a goodthing. It ant they were less likely to be tied to anything, or anyone, dangerous.
Eventually, the next day at school rolled around.
Max stepped into the classroom, scanning the room casually. His eyes landed on Abby and Cindy, sitting together and sharing lunch at their usual spot.
The mont Max entered, several boys in the classroom imdiately stood up a little straighter. A few even gave small, respectful bows in his direction.
He ignored them.
When Max walked over to the girls' table, one of the nearby boys quickly swiveled his chair out of the way to let him pass, almost as if making room for royalty.
"What the heck is going on?" Cindy asked, raising an eyebrow. "First of all, I think this is the first ti you've ever co to talk to us. And second... why are all the boys acting like you're so kind of king?"
"I told you what happened that day, rember?" Abby whispered. "And you've heard what everyone's been saying. It's been all over the school."
Cindy turned and looked Max straight in the eyes. She couldn't believe it.
She had seen him plenty of tis before, shoulders slumped, head down, running around delivering food for other students. That version of Max looked like soone just trying to survive. But now... now he was being treated like the top delinquent in the school?
It didn't make sense.
"How have you been, Max?" Abby asked gently. "I heard about Dipter and the others. That they were sent away. The school feels... different now. Better. Has it been better for you?"
"Yeah," Max replied, his voice steady. "Things have definitely gotten better... but they're not back to normal. And I don't know if they ever will be."
A quiet pause fell over the table, awkward and heavy.
Max felt it. Abby felt it too.
She had known the old Max, the one who avoided eye contact, the one who got pushed around. This version of him, the person sitting across from her now... he felt like a stranger.
"I think I should leave you two alone," Cindy said suddenly, pushing her chair back from the table.
"No, wait!" Max said quickly, reaching out and grabbing her hand before she could get up.
Cindy froze for a second, glancing over at Abby.
Then she gently pulled her hand away.
"The reason I ca over," Max said, looking directly at her, "was because I needed to talk to you."
"M-?" Cindy stamred, her face turning red. She could already feel Abby looking away, her head lowering slightly.
"Yeah," Max said, his voice calm. "I was wondering... if you could introduce to your father."
A loud thud echoed through the classroom.
Abby's head had smacked against the desk, hard. For a second, it looked like she had completely collapsed.
"Abby! Abby!" Cindy panicked, shaking her by the shoulders. "Hey, are you okay?!"
Other students, who had clearly been eavesdropping, started whispering imdiately.
"Is this a love triangle or sothing?"
"Yeah, looks like it. And between two best friends? That's the worst kind."
"Man, I wonder who stole who."
"I've been telling you, girls always go for the bad ones. And now that Max is basically the head delinquent, of course two best friends would be fighting over him."
Cindy ignored the gossip and kept trying to wake Abby.
"You idiot!" she snapped at Max. "Look what you've done! What do you an you want to see my dad? Couldn't you explain it a little more seriously?!"
"Sorry," Max said, scratching the back of his neck. "I want to et your father... to talk to him about my situation."
Finally, Abby stirred. She lifted her head, blinking slowly, but her body was still limp, like a puppet with the strings cut.
Cindy's mind started to race.
Wait... didn't Dad say he was an advisor to people with serious money?
She glanced at Max.
Then she rembered sothing her uncle had once ntioned, about a hospital bill.
And suddenly... things started to click.
Maybe, she thought, I'll finally figure out what's really going on with Max.
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