Max was on his way home from work when his driver pointed out that a car had been following them. Max turned around and peered through the back glass to confirm. He noticed a silver SUV trailing behind them, so he asked his driver to take a detour."They're still coming after us sir, what do I do ?" His driver asked. Max pulled out his cellphone and called Marcus. "Hey Marcus, I don't know what to do, but someone seems to be following us." Max said with a hint of panic buried in his voice."Calm down master Max, tell me exactly where you are and I'll send some officers to your location this minute," Marcus said, trying to get him to calm down. The driver increased his speed trying to evade the pursuers.But as he made a right turn, the SUV rammed into the back of the car. The driver lost control and crashed into the tree on the alley. He was lucky the air bag got deployed and prevented him from sustaining a fatal injury.Max was concussed and his vision became blurry. His ears rang
‘This feeling,’ Max thought as he pushed through the hospital doors, ignoring the looks of confusion and shock from Richard and Fiona behind him. The chauffeur held the door of a sleek black car open for him, and Max slid in without a backward glance, leaving his ex-in-laws to stew in their own disbelief.As the car sped toward the office, Max’s mind switched gears. The hospital drama with Emma was now in the background; something more pressing had surfaced. His phone buzzed, and he glanced down at the message from his assistant: “Urgent. Lenox is pushing for a buyout of all investor shares.”Lenox. Max’s foster brother, once family, now rival. Their relationship had twisted and broken over the years. After the reveal of their shared blood, they’d never built any real closeness. Lenox didn’t like the thought of Max coming out of nowhere to take everything from him, leading to an endless game of one-upmanship. Lenox wasn’t someone to take lightly, and Max knew it.The car pulled up to
Max’s phone buzzed against the silent office. He almost ignored it, buried in work, but something made him look. The caller ID showed a hospital number, and his brows furrowed.“This is Max Carter,” he answered.“Mr. Carter, this is Nurse Stevens at Memorial Hospital,” a calm voice spoke. “Emma Hawthorn’s been in an accident. You’re listed as her emergency contact. We need you here to sign off on her surgery. She’s in critical condition.”Emma Carter. Or, Emma Hawthorn now, as she’d chosen to be called since the divorce. The name hit him like a punch. His ex-wife, the woman who’d once been his everything and then left him shattered, needed him now. She’d put him down, belittled him, and tossed him aside, yet here he was—her only lifeline.Max felt a strange blend of sympathy and bitterness rise in his chest. But he didn’t hesitate. He shoved his work aside, grabbed his keys, and headed out of the office, his footsteps echoing in the quiet corridor. Memories of their marriage surfaced
The next day, Max stood at the entrance of the Silver Crescent Clan estate, again but this time it looked different from the last time he was bought here. The mansion loomed before him, a blend of stone and glass shining in the morning sun. He took a deep breath, feeling both excitement and anxiety twist in his stomach. This was his family.A familiar butler that was known as the person that he meant the first time he was bought here, so he opened the door. “Welcome, Master Max. Please follow me. Sir.”Max nodded and stepped inside. The foyer was grand, filled with portraits of stern ancestors. Some seemed to watch him, judging him.“Here we are,” the butler said, leading him into a large hall. Family members gathered, their chatter fading as they turned to face him.A few faces showed curiosity, but many were cold. Max felt their eyes assessing him, their whispers sharp.“Is that him?” a woman whispered.“Looks like a nobody,” a man muttered.Max squared his shoulders, pushing back t
James blinked, frozen for a moment before shaking his head in disbelief. “What the hell—”James’s smug grin faltered. A tall man strode in, his presence commanding the room. He wore a sharp suit, his eyes scanning the scene with authority.“What’s happening in my hotel?” he demanded, voice steady and firm.The receptionist jumped at the sound of his voice. “Mr. Smithson,” she stammered, “this man—Max—he stole a credit card and tried to book a room.” She tried to explain, walking hurriedly from her desk.“Stole?” Max shouted, his voice cutting through the tension. “That card is mine! This is bullying!”Benson Smithson, the hotel’s owner, turned his piercing gaze on the receptionist. “Show me the evidence,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.The receptionist hesitated but nodded, rummaging through her desk. Max’s heart raced. The weight of the situation pressed down on him. He was fighting against more than just accusations; he was fighting for his dignity.James seized
Max's wrists chafed against the cold metal of the cuffs, tension thick in the air. Across the lobby, James stood tall, arms crossed, a smug smile on his face. The receptionist hovered nearby, her loyalty to James keeping her rooted in place, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.Max clenched his fists, a storm brewing inside him. He fought hard, but no one was listening. They had made up their minds, and the walls felt like they were closing in.“Let me go,” he demanded, his voice steady despite the chaos. “If you take me down to the station, you’ll regret it. My clan won’t stand for this.”Laughter erupted from James, a cruel sound that echoed in the silence. “Your clan?” he sneered, disbelief dripping from his words. “You really think anyone cares about you or your ‘clan’? Look at you—no one in this city even knows your name.”The police officers exchanged glances, unsure. James pressed on, mocking Max’s background. “You can only dream of being connected to the biggest empire in this
“Kneel, Max,” he had said. “Beg for my mercy, and this can all go away.”The glint in James's eyes was unmistakable. He stood there, towering over Max with that smug smirk on his face, his words still hanging in the air like a foul stench.Max’s breath caught in his chest, a tightness squeezing his ribs. He had kept his composure since the moment James walked into the hotel. He’d bitten his tongue through every insult, every sneer. But now, standing face-to-face with this man who had ruined his life, the calm he’d maintained began to slip.“Kneel?” Max repeated, his voice low but seething with anger. “You think I’d kneel to you?”James’s grin widened, a cruel glint in his eyes. “It’s your choice. Kneel, and I’ll make all this disappear. Or don’t, and see what happens.”The room around them seemed to close in, the luxurious chandeliers and soft music fading into the background. Max could hear his heart pounding in his ears. His hands clenched into fists, his body trembling with rage.H
Max stepped through the grand entrance of the hotel, the click of his shoes lost in the vast, high-ceilinged lobby. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting soft light on the sleek marble floors. He paused for a moment, taking it all in. The kind of luxury that once would’ve felt normal, but now made him feel like an outsider.He ran his thumb over the edges of the black card in his pocket. The card was a relic from another life—one he barely knows. Every step felt heavy.The reception desk gleamed ahead. He approached, keeping his shoulders back, trying to exude a confidence he no longer felt. The woman behind the desk glanced up, her smile professional but distant.“Good evening,” Max said, sliding the card across the counter. “One room, for the night.”The receptionist took the card without looking at him and began typing. Max let out a breath, feeling the weight on his chest begin to lift. Just one night. Just a place to rest, to forget about everything outside these walls.
“I have to do this…”Max stood in the doorway, clutching the jewelry box tightly. The cold night air bit at his skin, but it was nothing compared to the chill in his heart. He had seen Emma with that man, laughing, her eyes sparkling in a way they hadn’t for him in years. He swallowed hard and stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him.Emma was still in the gazebo, her laughter carrying on the wind. Max approached slowly, each step heavy with the weight of what he knew was coming. When he reached the edge of the garden, he stopped, watching her. She looked so happy, so free. He wanted to remember her like this, just for a moment, before everything shattered.Taking a deep breath, he walked toward the gazebo. Emma noticed him first, her smile fading as she saw him approach. James Caldwell, the man she had invited into their home, turned and eyed Max with disdain.“Max,” Emma said, her voice sharp, “what are you doing here?”“I came to see you,” Max replied, his voice steady des