As the man approached, he spoke up promptly, "Max, Director Cole mentioned you bought Villa No. 1, so I came over. I was already here for an inspection, and it was lucky I spotted you."Max nodded with a slight smile. "How's work going, Jasphere? Why are you handling the inspections yourself?"Jasphere shrugged, "Just accompanying the team—I wanted to make sure everything's up to standard," he paused before adding, "By the way, our class reunion is tonight at the Grand Horizon Hotel, around eight o'clock."Max gave a nod but didn't commit directly. "I'll try to make it," he replied.With that, Jasphere excused himself, mentioning he still had more villas to check on. "If you can make it, I'll see you at the reunion tonight," he added as he turned to leave.After Jasphere left, Max took a moment to consider his options. Driving his hypercar back home now didn't feel like the right move—too noticeable. He decided it was better to keep things low-key, so he headed out of the villa, haile
Grand Horizon Hotel was a tall and elegant building with a shiny glass exterior that sparkled in the evening lights. The entrance was made of marble and decorated with chandeliers, giving it a classic charm. The lobby was large and had comfortable, stylish furniture, making it a luxurious and welcoming space.Max arrived in his BMW M4, and a valet promptly came forward. Though Max was dressed simply, the valet recognized the sophistication of the car, suspecting that the man in front of him was quietly wealthy. With a nod, Max handed over his keys, adding, "Find me in the private room on the second floor." The valet took note and carefully parked the vehicle as Max walked inside and made his way to the gathering.....Upstairs, in a private room where Max's former classmates were already socializing. Jasphere stood off to the side, glancing at his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time. Another classmate noticed and came over, curious."Hey, Jasphere," one of their former class
The valet respectfully bowed before Max and handed him the car key. "Sir, here is the key to your car. It's parked in the VIP area of our hotel."Max nodded, "Thank you for your service." The valet gave another polite bow and left the room, leaving Max's former classmates stunned. They sat in silence, processing what had just happened—even Nathan looked taken aback.After a few moments, Nathan regained his composure, a sly grin spreading across his face. Standing up from his seat, he strolled over to Max, clearly intent on mocking him. Max watched him approach, perfectly calm, already sensing exactly what Nathan had in mind. He decided to let Nathan play out his little game, curious to see just how far he would go—almost as if he were watching a clown in action."Oh, so you've got a car too, Max?" Nathan sneered, making sure everyone could hear. "Mind telling us what kind? Or better yet, let me take a guess." He began to list off a few low-end models loudly, "How about a Kia Rio? Or m
All eyes turned toward the door, where two elegantly dressed women stood. Both were well-known figures, and everyone immediately recognized them. They were dressed in sophisticated business suits, exuding an air of authority and refinement that commanded attention.Meanwhile, their classmates started whispering among themselves."Hey, Isn't she the president of this hotel?" one murmured, eyebrows raised."Yeah, that's gotta be for Nathan. Who else could they be here for?" another chimed in, giving Nathan a nudge."Come on, Nathan, don't keep them waiting!" someone urged with a grin.Nathan grinned arrogantly and shot a smug look at Max. "See the difference between us? The president of a company is willing to come here just to greet me," he boasted before standing up and confidently approaching the two women. "Miss Sy—"Slap!Before he could finish, the other woman who had accompanied Ms. Sy delivered a sharp slap to his face. Nathan held his cheek, stunned. "Ms., what's going on? Why
"Max," Nathan muttered, trying to keep his composure, "Do you really want me to kneel here in front of our former classmates—and Ms. Sy? Don't you think you're taking this too far?""Too far?" Max chuckled, tilting his head. "Weren't you the one who set the stakes yourself? Didn't you think that was a bit much?"Everyone turned to Nathan with mocking looks, some murmuring amongst themselves."What's wrong, Nathan? Got nothing to say now?" one of them whispered, chuckling."Yeah, you're the one who started this," added another, crossing his arms. "You made the bet, Nathan, and now that you lost to Max, you're chickening out?"Nathan's face flushed with frustration, his fists clenched as he fought the urge to lash out. The thought of kneeling to the man he had belittled so many times, to the man he despised, was humiliating enough. But licking Max's shoe? It was beyond humiliation.Nathan's gaze shifted to Katrina, his last hope. He stepped toward her, pleading, "Ms. Sy, please... surel
Max stepped out of the car first, holding the door open for Alexa, who climbed out and immediately gazed up at the villa before her, eyes widening. Blaine followed them out, pausing as he took in the property. For a few moments, they all stood there, quietly awed by the grand villa towering in front of them."Max, what are we doing at this villa?" Alexa asked, still unable to tear her eyes away from the place.Max, casual as ever, simply replied, "This is the villa I bought."Alexa blinked in surprise, almost as if she hadn't heard him right. She tugged at her ear, half-laughing as she clarified, "Wait—what did you just say?"Max's smile deepened. "This will be our new home."Alexa froze, staring at him in pure disbelief, glancing around at the vast grounds and trying to comprehend his words. Blaine, meanwhile, who had also been stunned into silence, finally spoke up, "Max… did you actually buy this villa?"Max nodded. Blaine looked back at the property, eyebrows raised as he murmured
Max turned to see a strikingly beautiful girl, probably around eighteen, standing firmly in his way. She had a cute, determined face that radiated confidence, and her shoulder-length hair was styled into a casual ponytail, with a few loose strands framing her features. She wore a fitted white blouse tucked into high-waisted jeans, her posture and expression showing she was clearly someone who didn't back down easily.Noticing Max staring at her, she scolded, "What? Don't even think about cutting in line. Just because you're trying to act cool doesn't mean you're getting any special treatment!"People in the line started murmuring and shooting him looks of disapproval. "He's probably here to cut the line," whispered a well-dressed man nearby, wearing a crisp blazer, gold watch, and polished leather shoes, looking at Max with disdain.Another person, a woman in simple, worn clothes and visibly tired from standing in line, nodded in agreement. "Some people have no shame, thinking they'r
Max leaned back comfortably, appearing completely at ease, and casually asked Cris, "So, how have you and the clinic been doing?"Cris let out a long sigh, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "For a second there, I thought your visit was for something far more urgent, Master."Max chuckled at his response, prompting Cris to pause and think before speaking again."Well, the clinic's been doing well overall," Cris began thoughtfully, "but recently, I encountered something... strange." He seemed hesitant to continue, as if he were still processing it himself.Max's brows knitted in curiosity. "Strange? What kind of strange?"Cris nodded, gathering his thoughts. "I've had some patients come in with normal symptoms—nothing out of the ordinary. But the nature of their conditions felt... abnormal.""How so?" Max pressed, clearly intrigued."Well," Cris replied, "at first, it was easy to treat these cases—an ordinary fever here, some mild respiratory issues there. Then, there was one patie