“Well, well, well. What’s someone like you doing here?”"If it isn’t the pauper trying to blend in with the rich folk!” July’s sneer rang out, her voice dripping with venom. It was evident she couldn't even be bothered to pretend she was civilized and hiding behind her friend to sneer at him. Max’s jaw tightened. Just how did he always manage to run into this troublesome pest. He was about to flip out, but he kept his composure. “Nice to see you, too, July.”Vivi snorted, arms crossed. “Really, Max? Did they forget to check the guest list, or are they letting anyone with a suit walk in these days?”Max opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Jenna’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Oh, I thought I heard the sounds of desperate hyenas yapping.”July and Vivi turned, startled, as Jenna glided over, flaunting her body curves in ways that made them both instinctively straighten up in envy. They sized her up, both wondering how Max came to know such a high-profile wo
July stormed into Greg’s penthouse, heels clacking sharply against the polished marble floors. Her face was set in a furious scowl, still fuming over her encounter with Max and the humiliation she’d suffered. But her stride faltered when she caught sight of another woman lounging on Greg’s plush leather couch, looking completely at home.“What the hell is this?” July’s voice was sharp, her eyes narrowing as she took in the girl, whose long, manicured nails were painted a shocking red, tapping idly on her phone.The girl looked up, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise before breaking into a smirk. “Oh, so you’re July,” she drawled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Greg mentioned you—funny, I pictured someone less... intense.”July’s jaw tightened. “And who, exactly, do you think you are?”The girl leaned back, crossing her legs leisurely. “I’m Clara, and if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m here with Greg. Or is that too complicated for you to understand?”July clenched her fists.
Greg’s smirk deepened as he crossed his arms, looking every bit the smug strategist he thought himself to be. “Simple. I’ll pull a few strings and talk to some people at my company. Get them to… stir the pot a little.”July’s eyes narrowed. “Stir the pot? How exactly?”“Oh, don’t play dumb.” He gave a lazy wave of his hand. “We’ll get a few water armies going. Let them spread rumors that Victoria only got the role because, let’s say… ‘certain shady connections.’ We’ll imply that the production team is corrupt, that they overlooked a real talent.” His smirk grew as he watched her expression shift. “Then, with the public outraged, the team will have no choice but to give you a shot. Just to keep things quiet, of course.”July crossed her arms, trying not to look impressed, but her interest was evident. “And you think that’ll work?”He chuckled, nodding slowly. “Trust me, this isn’t my first rodeo, July. I’ve had plenty of experience handling these things.”July let out a slow breath, he
Max sat on his bed, phone in hand, eyes narrowed in concentration as he scrolled through the footage he'd captured of Oliver’s stunts earlier. He watched as Oliver’s punches and kicks cut through the air, his movements swift and precise. A smirk tugged at Max’s lips.“Not bad, Oliver,” he murmured to himself. “Not bad at all.”A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He glanced up, giving a brief sigh. “Come in.”The door creaked open, and a young maid entered, head bowed. “Sir, a package just arrived for you,” she said politely.Max gestured to the bedside table without looking away from his phone. “Leave it there. Thanks.”With a quick bow, she set the package down and slipped out, leaving Max alone once more. He didn’t give the box a second glance, too engrossed in sorting the video clips. Finally, after a few minutes, he saved the best parts, satisfied with the shots.His gaze shifted to his laptop, curiosity sparking as he opened the browser. A quick search brought up c
Max rubbed his eyes, still processing Oliver’s shocking news. “You’re telling me that your insta went viral? Like, overnight?”“Yes!” Oliver practically shouted through the phone. “A friend sent me a screenshot, and people are talking about me. And it’s not just the followers! Fans are sharing posts about Blades of Honor. They’re reminiscing about my old stunts!”Max couldn’t help but smile. “That’s incredible! Did you check to see if you got hacked?”“I’m worried I did! What if I can’t get my account back?” Oliver’s voice was tinged with panic.“Relax, Oliver. Let me check it out.” Max flipped open his phone, but before he could dive into the app, Oliver sounded panicked again.“Wait! What if someone posted something embarrassing?”“Hang on, I’ll find out right now,” Max assured him, swiping the screen. “But I think you’re just experiencing an overnight fame surge.”“Seriously? Do you think my stunts are that good?”“I don’t know, man,” Max said, stifling a chuckle. “But let’s not wo
Max's smile didn’t falter even though she had hit the jackpot just like that. It seemed everyone knew what was going on with Oliver but just pretended not to.He calmly responded, “Yes, we’re here to discuss Oliver’s role and—”She cut him off, a cold laugh escaping her lips. “Dream on. Just because he got a few fans overnight doesn’t mean we owe him anything. In fact,” her gaze hardened as she glanced at Oliver, “he should be grateful we haven’t shown him the door yet. Zero revenue, zero worth. Do you understand what that means?”Oliver swallowed when he heard that, his shoulders tensing, and he looked at Max, whispering, “Maybe we should just go. I don’t want to make this worse.”Max didn't seem bothered at all. Instead, he gave a small smirk as he turned back to the HR head. “No need to worry, Oliver.” He took out his phone, his fingers moving swiftly as he typed. “If you think we’re not worth your time, then I’ll let the committee decide.”The HR head was stunned at first, but sh
In Apex Villa, Somewhere in between the livecast, Noah had sat up again and was now watching intently. Once it eventually came to close and the Thompsons were escorted away by the police, he leaned back, folding his arms and stared at the figure in black shirt and white pants languidly striding out of the hall without a word. Meanwhile, Lauren and Jasper were still speechless at the sudden turn of events and everything that just happened. "What a dramatic turn of events!" Jasper finally broke the silence, slapping his thighs as he leaned back in his seat. “Richard was a full-on creep this whole time? He was the one behind everything, and yet he went around blaming you, Noah. Crying in front of the cameras like he was some victim. I swear, I didn’t see that coming.” Lauren’s eyes darted toward Noah, brows furrowing. "Did you know about it? That he was the culprit?" Noah sighed, shaking his head slowly. "No. Not the full story." He thought it had been a simple case of Richard
"I didn't expect that this new manager is quite skilled," Max heard one of the members of the legal team mumble as he approached the meeting room. "Yeah, I simply thought he was fooling around that time he followed us. Who knew he was actually scheming?" "Yeah. So much evidence. Who knows how long he has been tailing that man to have found out so much? He even dug so deep that he found things that Richard himself would have forgotten." "Better be wary of such scheming people." Max merely chuckled to himself when he heard that and strode into the meeting room. His gaze found the speaker, and he muttered, "Don't worry, I'm not a rabid dog who goes around biting other people. As long as you don't cross my path, don't be too wary of me." The man instantly gave an awkward laugh when he heard that, and the rest of the room chuckled, except Ivan, of course. "Just saying..." Max took a seat and looked toward Ivan, who sat with his legs crossed and folded his arms. He was giving Max a p