A loud crash filled the air, followed by the sound of metal crunching. July's brand new car was destroyed, crushed by a sleek black SUV. The scene was total chaos.
July cried out in anguish, "My car! My beautiful new car!" Tears streamed down her face as her sorrow turned into anger. "Who did this?!" she screamed, her voice filled with emotion. "Who had the nerve to destroy my car?!" Greg, standing next to her, was just as furious. His face was red with anger as he shouted, "Whoever you are, come out now! I'll make sure you pay for this!" He put his arm around July, trying to comfort her while he was still angry. Inside, Greg was mad for another reason. 'I spent so much money on that car,' he thought bitterly. 'All that money, gone in a second.' Fueled by his anger, Greg stormed towards the SUV, ready to pull the driver out if he had to. But as he reached for the door handle, it opened by itself. Greg stumbled back, surprised, as a beautiful woman stepped out of the vehicle. She was so unexpected and captivating that his anger disappeared for a moment. Blinking, Greg quickly changed his attitude. His fury melted away, replaced by a smooth charm. "It's... just an accident," he stammered, trying to pull himself together. "These things happen, right?" Standing tall, Greg gave his best smile. "I'm Greg, by the way," he said, holding out his hand. "You might know me - I'm the lead in that big movie everyone's talking about. The most popular actor right now, some might say." Alexa Hunter, the beautiful woman, just looked at Greg with disgust. "An actor like you? Please. You're nothing but a pretty face reading lines. I've seen more talent in school plays." She rolled her eyes and walked away, ignoring him completely. But Greg, being persistent, kept talking, trying to impress her. "So, uh, have you seen my latest movie? It's breaking all the records..." His voice trailed off as Alexa walked past him. July watched this and got even angrier. "Greg!" she yelled. "What are you doing? She just destroyed my car and you're flirting with her?" She snorted angrily, feeling jealous and worried about losing her ticket to wealth. Greg turned back, looking embarrassed. "What? No, I wasn't... I was just trying to handle the situation..." "Handle it? By drooling over her?" July snapped. "She's not even that pretty! And she ruined my car!" July felt a pang of jealousy, comparing herself to the stunning woman. Greg tried to change his tune. "You're right, you're right. She's terrible. How dare she crash into your beautiful car? We should call the police!" Alexa finally spoke. She looked at the smashed Ferrari and laughed. "Call this a car? It looks more like a crushed soda can now." July gasped in shock, feeling insulted and furious. She opened her mouth to threaten Alexa, but before she could speak, Alexa tossed a small card at July. "Here, talk to my lawyer about money for your toy car. Maybe next time, buy something that doesn't fall apart so easily." When they saw the card, they realized she was a rich CEO of the country. July and Greg were shocked and gulped, realizing they couldn't afford to offend her. Greg leaned in close to July, whispering urgently, "July, hold on. Look at that card. She's Alexandra Hunter, CEO of Hunter Company. We can't mess with her." July started to protest, but Greg cut her off, his voice low and tense. "Listen to me," he hissed. "She could buy and sell us a hundred times over. One word from her and both our careers are over. Just... just let it go. We'll figure something out later, okay?" July clenched her fists, clearly conflicted. Greg added, "Think about it. She can easily pay for your car. But if we push her, we might lose everything. It's not worth it." July nodded, though her eyes still blazed with anger. Greg breathed a sigh of relief, hoping they no disaster would be created. Then, to everyone's surprise, Alexa walked straight to Max. Her face lit up with a genuine smile. "Max!" she exclaimed, "I finally found you!" She hugged him tightly, clearly happy to see him. "I've been looking all over for you," she said softly. Everyone's jaws dropped. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. July's face turned red with fury. She pointed at Max and Alexa, her voice shrill with anger.She couldn’t her anger anymore. "You!" she yelled at Max. "So this is what you've been up to? Became a gigolo, did you? And now you dare to bring your sugar mommy here to crash my car?" Max tried to speak, but July cut him off. "Don't even try to explain! I can't believe how low you've sunk. I was right to leave you!" She laughed bitterly. "Look at you now, clinging to some rich woman. You always were worthless, with your low self-esteem. I guess being someone's boy toy is all you're good for!" She pulled out her phone, waving it threateningly. "I'm going to post all about this on social media. Everyone will know what a pathetic loser you are, Max. You and your sugar mommy will be the laughing stock of the city!" July's words were cruel and mocking. "Remember how you used to mope around, thinking you weren't good enough? Well, congratulations! You've proved it. You're nothing but a worthless gold-digger now."Alexa's eyes narrowed as she approached July, her stilettos clicking menacingly on the pavement. "Oh, honey," she drawled, her voice dripping with condescension. "Are you really trying to play with fire? You'll only burn yourself, and trust me, you can't afford any more damage to that face." “Let’s see who will hide her face after my post. If you beg me, then I can give it a thought,” she smirked and moved her feet in front of her so that she could beg easily for mercy. Alexa was controlling her anger till now because of Max, but now she realizes that she don’t deserve any respect. She let out a derisive snort. "I mean, seriously? Challenging me? It's like watching a chihuahua try to take on a wolf. Adorable, but ultimately stupid just like you." July's eyes flashed with anger. "I'm not stupid, Alexa. And Max? He's nothing special. That's why I'm leaving him. You're welcome to my leftovers." Alexa's gaze flicked to Max, a triumphant smirk spreading across her face. "Thank goodn
Max stood in his grandfather's study, his heart pounding. The old man sat behind a massive oak desk, his steely gaze fixed on his grandson."Max," his grandfather began, his voice gruff, "it's time we discussed your future. We've secured a marriage contract with the Hunters. You'll wed their daughter next spring." Max's breath caught in his throat. "What? Grandfather, I can't—" "This isn't up for debate," the old man cut him off. "This union will strengthen both our families. It's been decided." "But I don't love Alexa," Max protested, his voice rising. "I'm in love with someone else. Someone real." His grandfather's eyes narrowed. "Real love? Don't be naive, boy. Love comes with time and mutual respect. This marriage is about duty, about family." "I won't do it," Max said, his jaw set. "I won't marry someone I don't love." The old man's face darkened. "If you go against my decision, you'll be banished from this family. Cut off completely. Is that what you want?" Max too
"I'm not here to work," Max said, his voice steady despite his rage. "I'm here to quit."The boss's face twisted into a sneer, his beady eyes narrowing. "Oh really?" he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And how do you plan to make a living without this job, Mr. High-and-Mighty? Did you suddenly win the lottery?"Max took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. "That's none of your concern. I'm moving on to better things."The boss let out a harsh laugh. "Better things? You?" He turned to the other employees. "Did you hear that, folks? Our Max here thinks he's too good for us now!"The other workers shifted uncomfortably, unsure whether to laugh along with the boss or support Max. A few nervous chuckles echoed through the bar.The boss stepped closer to Max, his breath hot on Max's face. "Listen here, you ungrateful little punk. You were nothing when you came here. I gave you a chance when no one else would. And this is how you repay me?"Max stood his ground, refusing
Alexa's words stunned everyone at first but in a couple of seconds, they burst into mocking laughter.The boss laughed heartily, shaking his head at Alexa. "Pretty girl, you look beautiful, but you seem to have a few screws loose up there," he said, appreciating her beauty while flirting with her in a way that was far from subtle. Beside Alexa, Max's brows wrinkled and he looked displeased but didn't intervene knowing she had it all under control.The boss continued to taunt, "You shouldn't spend too much time with a loser like Max. Otherwise, you'll begin to have some serious delusions. You really think my bar would go bankrupt just because of a phone call of yours? That’s absurd. Your showoff act is getting on my nerves."He was pretty confident as he strutted around in front of them. But Alexa was rather calm and unfeeling, merely gazing at him coldly."Don't be so quick to laugh," she replied. "Who knows what might happen by the time five minutes are up?""What will happen is you
She stood akimbo, and it was obvious that she was furious. The aura around her was intense, and everyone in the scene could tell that she wasn't to be messed with. Although Alexa looked young, it was obvious she had some good backing.Even Max could not help but give her a few more cursory glances."It won't stop with your rent, loan, and tax," Alexa continued to speak, her chin raised as she evened her cold gaze on him. "If I want you and your entire generation to pack up from this city with nothing, no one can stop me."Max could tell she was not going to let it go. Seeing how the boss and the rest of his colleagues looked terrified, he felt uncomfortable and muttered, "Alexa..."She quickly spun to look at him. "I was already furious with that foolish... woman... erm.." she coughed and gazed at him carefully, unsure if he would be angry at her with that term of address."Anyway, I was already angry with July and her stupid lover," she continued to say. "And yet, he came to provoke
A blue colored SUV sped through a grove of lush and tall trees before stopping in front of a tall iron gate. The building behind the gate was shielded by the tall gate, but it was still evident how magnificent it was. There were two guards standing ramrod straight at the gate with rifles in hand, and when the SUV stopped, one of them quickly approached. Alexa rolled down the window. The guard questioned respectfully, "Do you have a permit, ma'am?"She paused, having forgotten that one needed a permit to enter the Norman mansion. She had gone out in a hurry to pick Max up and didn't take her permit along. She was about to explain this when the guard suddenly sighted the person in the passenger seat. His face immediately changed, and he saluted, "Welcome back, Young Master."Max finally looked over and gave an embarrassed smile. "Hi, Marcus."The guard was clearly pleased to see him and said excitedly, "The door is open. Please go in.""Thank you."Immediately, the gate opened up, an
Max went silent for a few moments.Upon seeing this, the old man sighed and clicked his tongue. "You still don't want to? I thought you would have made up your mind by now."He was still quiet and seemed to be contemplating some things. Eventually, he looked up at his grandfather and declared, "I'll do it."The old man looked surprised at first but quickly regained his composure and nodded graciously. "You made the right choice. You'll begin working from tomorrow, and your first task is attending the business party being held at Dawn Entertainment Corps.""Our affiliate company?" Max asked in surprise. It was just one of the many companies affiliated with the Norman family, and usually, the main branch didn't need to intervene with its activities. "Yes. I've seen that you're a bit knowledgeable when it comes to the entertainment industry. You should start with something you're already good at."His words made Max smile bitterly. There was really nothing he could hide from his grandfa
The Galaxy Media Hotel was alive and bustling that evening. Decorative lights shone around its vicinity, illuminating every nook and corner. Rows of sleek and expensive cars lined the red carpets, filling up the entire parking area, and from time to time, superstars stepped out of them with their various partners. As it was a big event, countless showbiz journalists and reporters were on the scene, each jostling to get the best snap and blinding light flashed from time to time.A sleek black limo pulled up a block from the hotel, and Max stepped out, smoothening the slight creases on his blue suit. He looked toward the hotel and could see the flashes of light in the distance.He shut the car door and leaned down the window to speak to the driver with a slight chuckle, "Thankfully, I quickly stopped you before you parked there. It would be hard to drive out after the event."The driver nodded courteously and asked, "Shall I wait here for you, Young Master?""No." Max shook his head li