Chapter 35 #2
“It’s your father’s funeral,” Lydia repeats. “Leaving now after arriving so late isn’t exactly good optics.”
“He’s dead, Mom. There’s nothing more for me to do here. My presence won’t bring him back,” Max says with a dismissive shrug. “We’re leaving now but expect some good news soon.”
“Good news?” Lydia asks, eyes widening, flickering briefly toward Lila’s stomach before settling on her face, searching for any hint of a clue.
“Yup.” Max leans in briefly to give his mother a quick peck on the cheek. “Take care. Don’t celebrate your newfound singledom too hard tonight.”
“Oh, you shush! I suppose it’s fine… As for your new girlfriend, I must say I prefer her to the last one.
She’s much more polite,” Lydia remarks. Lila can almost feel the weight of Max’s expression without looking at him.
Sensing the tension, Lydia adds with a dismissive wave, “Oh, don’t give me that look.
It doesn’t suit your handsome face. And I meant it as a compliment to your new one. ”
As they turn to walk away, Lila sneaks one last glance over her shoulder and catches Lydia’s strained smile aimed directly at her. “What did she mean by that?” Lila asks, curiosity piqued.
“I’m sure you’ve already figured it out, so I don’t want to talk about it,” Max replies, his tone leaving no room for elaboration.
Lila can’t help but wonder about the woman Max had been involved with before and how things ended. She wonders if, like his unnamed ex, she might eventually escape his grasp.
“What’s this good news you mentioned? I got the impression your mom thought I might have… I don’t know… baby-trapped you or something?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Max says, breaking into a grin. “We can celebrate this Friday. Just you and me.”
They arrive at the front door, and Lila sneaks one last glance over her shoulder at the guests, too caught up in conversation to notice her sullen expression. Max’s expression darkens as he notices her hesitation, his eyes challenging her, daring her to defy him.
Without a word, he extends a hand. Lila hesitates for a heartbeat, the chill of dread warring with the familiar warmth his touch promises, before she places her hand in his.
Stepping into the cool evening air, a shiver runs down her spine.
The vastness of the world outside seems to mock her, full of possibilities she feels locked out of while she remains tethered to him by the simple act of holding his hand.
Hand in hand, they slowly walk toward the waiting vehicle.
“You’re not crying anymore,” Max says casually.
Lila doesn’t respond right away, the weight of the day pressing down on her. When she finally speaks, her tone is measured, almost guarded. “Would you prefer it if I were?
Max’s grip tightens slightly. He gazes down at her with an unreadable expression. “No, I wouldn’t. But I’d rather see your tears than not see you at all.”
32
CTEC was sold at a price far above its actual worth.
The move stunned the industry, causing a brief dip in value, and it wasn’t without internal fallout.
Max, with his silver tongue, had been the driving force behind the decision, pushing for the sale despite his brother Matt’s desperate pleas.
In the final moments, Matt had pulled Max aside, away from the prying eyes of those in the boardroom, to beg his younger brother to reconsider and save the family business, tears streaming down his face.
“But it’s been getting better… You’ve been trying to fix things, haven’t you? You’ve been putting in so much work, and you’re just going to throw everything away?”
“It’s stabilized enough now to sell. You’re welcome. This company is a lame horse,” he had said to Matt with unflinching conviction, “and it’s better to let some other loser pay to put it down than to waste more money keeping it alive.”
Cold and resolute, Max cast the final vote to sell, sealing the company’s fate with the shares their father had left him. Both brothers walked away wealthier than ever, billions stacked upon billions, but Matt was left utterly shattered.
For Max, something shifts. A weight seems to lift from his chest. The old man’s company will soon be run by a Swiss firm overseas whose owner, a nepo baby with more money than sense, seems more invested in playing into a Western-themed lifestyle than running a successful business.
The ease with which a legacy can crumble is a terrifying thought, but Max doesn’t care.
He’s won. And he hopes that whatever hellhole his father landed in, he’s watching it all burn.
All those years of patient planning. Every talented employee fired or quitting under blackmail, only to be replaced by wide-eyed newcomers. Every promising project derailed to prop up ones that should have been buried long ago.
Everything has come to a perfect close, just as he planned.
Dismantling everything his father ever built and coming out on top became an obsession early in his stay in Singapore. Too bad the old man isn’t alive to see the collapse of his company, but Max can imagine it. He’s always been creative.
The timing worked out better than he could have planned.
Max has been quietly building something for years: an autonomous drone company, born out of a childhood obsession with science and aircraft, hidden carefully from his family’s reach.
The company operates in surveillance and logistics, quietly reshaping how the world moves without anyone noticing who’s behind it.
His new headquarters in New York has been under construction for months and is finally ready—the result of years spent secretly meeting with the right political figures and investors before he had even returned to the States.
There’s even a governor now, reluctant but manageable, who has little choice but to play along.
Everything is looking up, and he feels euphoric—untouchable—like the world has arranged itself accordingly.
Lila is still angry, but even that problem can be solved in due time.
Though she continues to give him the cold shoulder whenever he approaches her, he doesn’t feel discouraged.
Max has always been patient, a master at playing the long game when it comes to getting what he wants.
Love, or at least acceptance, from her will come in time.
A renowned private chef had been scheduled a week in advance to craft an exquisite three-course dinner that evening in celebration of his win.
Lila sits beside Max at the dining table as a plate of perfectly seared scallops, artfully garnished and drizzled with a rich, aromatic dressing, is set before her.
He watches eagerly, waiting for her to take the first bite.
He takes pleasure in spoiling her, always savoring the look of enjoyment on her face when she discovers something new that she likes.
It’s a pity they haven’t been out on a real date in what feels like ages.
Lately, whenever he suggests going out to dinner, she just shoots him her meanest glare.
Understanding that she needs time to adjust to the changes, he decided to bring the fine-dining experience home to celebrate.
He thought it would be the perfect end to a fantastic day.
But to his dismay, she remains quiet, looking downtrodden, her eyes glazed and distant as she stares at the plate before her.
“You’re not hungry?” he asks. Her recent loss of appetite has already sounded his inner alarm bells but forcing her to eat would only give her one more reason to resent him.
Recalling how much she enjoyed her time in London, he has been making a mental list of other places they could visit now that his schedule is lighter and he only has one business to run instead of two.
She wonders how long it has been since he brought her back here. Time has become meaningless, the days blurring into a colorless loop of routine and isolation within this grayscale apartment. Each one feels identical to the last, quietly draining the life out of her.
Mason, Max’s obedient bodyguard, has been guarding her, though for what reason she doesn’t even know. She has already agreed to sign away her freedom to keep Jake safe, though her ex’s status remains unknown to her. Max hasn’t exactly proved himself to be a man of his word.
The hulking mountain of a man has been stationing himself in the foyer from the moment Max leaves each morning until he returns home.
Somehow, despite expecting to feel relieved, the apartment has felt even lonelier with no one to talk to.
Mason’s silent presence has become a constant reminder that she has lost all of Max’s trust, even after agreeing to stay here indefinitely.
She tightens her grip on the knife in her hand as a thousand thoughts swirl through her mind.
Assuming Jake has been released, unharmed, what if she were to leave this place and go to him, to tell him everything?
Would he give up everything and run away from this mess with her?
Or at least promise to protect her, to keep her safe by his side like some mighty prince in shining armor?
…Or would Jake only resent her for pulling him into more danger, for jeopardizing the lifelong dream he has worked so hard to achieve?
“…Lila? Lila!”
“Huh?” She blinks rapidly, snapping out of her daze.
“You don’t like scallops?” Max asks, nodding toward the untouched plate in front of her.
“Um, I’m just not very hungry… How much longer until I can go home?”
Max’s expression darkens, disappointment clearly reflected in his eyes. The knot in her stomach tightens as she turns her head away. He frowns. Ignoring her question, he presses on, his hand reaching out to gently squeeze her wrist.
“Just give it a try. I think you’ll like it. The main course will be lamb. You’ll like that too.”
Lila turns to look at him again, her gaze steady as she wills herself not to back down.