"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
The secretarial section was empty when Max got to the top floor of the company, so he knocked on the door of the presidential office directly. “Come in,” Lawson’s voice echoed from inside. Max twisted the handle and strolled in, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. The secretary standing before Lawson paused mid-report, glancing briefly at Max, who made himself comfortable on the sleek leather sofa in the middle of the room. Lawson barely looked up, simply brushing over the secretary’s report, and it was obvious he didn’t want Max to hear what was being said. “That’ll be all. Leave it here.” The secretary nodded, placing a folder on the desk before making his quiet exit. Once the door clicked shut, Lawson turned his attention to Max, an exaggerated look of surprise washing over his features. He stood up and took a seat opposite Max, throwing his coat over the second sofa. “Well, well! If it isn’t our rising star,” he chuckled, slapping his thigh theatrically. “I sho
Blue Lagoon Bar Max swung his car into the bar's garage, the quiet purr of the engine cutting out as he stepped out. The cool evening breeze tugged at the black-on-black outfit he wore—a tailored shirt and slim-fit trousers - simple yet unmistakably expensive. He adjusted his cuffs, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he strolled toward the bar entrance. When he entered, he found his former boss, Sam, waiting by the door for him with two assistant managers beside him. When Max entered, they all stared at him in a mix of shock and awe - Max had really hit a jackpot. He went from an ordinary bartender to a noveau riche out of nowhere. Even though he wore a simple black on black attire, it wasn't hard to tell that they couldn't have been cheap out of the market. "Eh, Max. It's really you!" One of the two managers leaned forward, blinking hard. "You've really changed." The second manager chimed in, still trying to process the sight in front of him. “Man, you’ve changed. If I didn’t
"Claire?" Max called out in surprise, and she spun around immediately when she heard his name. She looked surprised to see him standing there, but it was only for a moment before she looked at herself and the drunk man hankering about her, and a look of utter mortification crossed her face. The man who grabbed her didn't seem to care that there was a third party and continued to hanker, "Why the attitude, huh? Chris already gave his approval. You think you can last in this industry without pleasing us directors?" Claire’s lips curled in disgust, and she yanked her arm away from his grip. "So what if I can, you slimy old geezer? Do I look like some young girl you can prey on? Do I look like some naive starlet you can toy with? Take your filthy hands off me, you creep!" "You bitch-" The director looked even more furious when he heard that, and he reached out to grab her again. But Max was faster and directly pulled Claire over to his side, giving him a backhand slap. Probably, it w
"This is the list for available artists," Ivan muttered, throwing the file in his hand on the desk casually. "Take your pick." His attitude was full of arrogance, and it was obvious he was throwing his weight around now that he was in charge of Max’s affairs. But the latter did not seem bothered by his attitude and simply picked it up, flipping the pages open to take a look. After some time, he looked up again and pointed to a name amongst the list. When Ivan looked down and saw who it was, his face instantly changed. "What? Marianne? Who put her on the list? She's my artist. Choose someone else." Max gave him a scrutinizing look and retorted simply, "She's the one I want." "What do you mean she's the one you want!?" Ivan was about to blow his top in anger. Just then, the door of his office opened, and Marianne entered right in time. She stood by the door, hesitant, and faced Ivan. "You wanted to see me." Ivan nodded, beckoning to her. "Yeah. Come over here." She looked towar
In a bar downtown, Los Angeles.Max Norman dusted his clothes; a crisp white shirt and black vest before returning to the counter, taking out his phone from his backpack. He clicked on the messaging app, and his last conversation with July an hour ago appeared on the screen.The Motion Pictures award ceremony was going to be held tonight, and July was nominated for an award. It was her first award since she debuted, and he was pretty excited for her, so he sent countless messages of encouragement. But she only replied with a text, telling him to stop bothering her as she needed to rest before the award began.It was pretty cold, but Max knew she needed rest, so he didn't send another message afterward.He placed the phone back in his bag and looked up at the overhead screen in the bar lounge. The awards ceremony was being aired, and several movie stars were being interviewed on the red carpet. But July had not appeared yet."One more bottle of vodka!" someone yelled from the center of
As July and Greg left the stage hand in hand, Max felt a piece of his heart go with them. The woman he loved, the future he had dreamed of—it was all crumbling away.His heart was shattered into pieces; he felt betrayed and cheated.Amid the loud noises surrounding the bar, the wine glass in his hand slipped and crashed to the floor. His reaction attracted attention, and the guests snickered. Laughter erupted around him, louder and more mocking than before. “He’s really delusional!” the college boys laughed at him. “How did he even think she was going to call his name?”“You better focus on your bartender job and stop dreaming about celebrities,” someone jeered.The snickers brought Max back to his senses, and he quickly crouched to pick up the shards. But just then, July’s voice could be heard through the noise.“Thank you, Greg. For always being there for me.”Max looked up just in time to see a man appear on the stage. He hugged her, and they kissed on stage. He was at a loss and
July was stunned for a couple of seconds.But she quickly regained her composure, and her face contorted with anger. “What are you talking about?” She barked. “Why do you want a divorce?”Max stared at her angry face silently but soon lowered his head, unable to look at her the same way as before. He tried to keep his voice monotone as he responded, “I watched the award ceremony.”July frowned and was about to retort, but a second later, she seemed to realize something, and her face blanched.“What.. what...?” She subconsciously blurted out.Max looked up at her and calmly said, “I saw you hug and kiss Greg on the stage.”She looked ashen but she quickly collected herself.“And so what?” She glared coldly and shrugged. “It’s nothing. Just some publicity stunt.”“Publicity stunt?” Max felt ridiculous. “You kissed another man on stage, and you say it’s just publicity?” "Of course it was!" July threw her hands up in exasperation. "God, Max, how naive are you? It's not a big problem.”He