Max calmly walked back toward where Jed stood, still in shock, his hands casually in his pockets. The trainees who had appeared elderly moments ago were slowly regaining some strength. "Rest up," Max said in a calm tone. "Don’t worry, what happened won’t happen again." Without waiting for a response, he continued walking out of the area.Jed, still wide-eyed, watched as the three men Max had questioned suddenly exploded into a dark mist of blood, leaving no trace behind. His mouth hung open in disbelief.Outside, Max climbed into his car and began driving back to the city. As he drove, he dialed Zhick’s number. "Zhick," Max said once the call connected, "I need you to pick up my car and park it somewhere safe. Just bring it back to me when I need it.""Got it, Mr. Crownguard," Zhick replied without hesitation. "I’ll take care of it. Where should I meet you when you need it?""I’ll let you know," Max responded, then ended the call.Max made his way to Zhick’s 4S shop. When he got out
As Alexa lay unconscious on the cold floor, Alicia stood nervously in front of the man she now called Mr. Delano, her hands trembling slightly as she watched him survey her daughter with a look that made her uneasy.“You’ve done well, Alicia,” Delano said, his voice smooth but with an edge that sent shivers down her spine. His gaze never left Alexa. “She’s even more beautiful in person than in the photos you showed me.”Alicia forced a smile, trying to hide her fear. “T-Thank you, Mr. Delano,” she stammered, her heart pounding in her chest. “As we agreed, Alexa is yours. I did everything as planned.”Delano turned his cold eyes to her. “Everything, huh?” he mused, stepping closer. “Just remember, Alicia, you owe me for this. No one crosses me.”Alicia swallowed hard, her mind flashing back to that fateful day when she had met Delano. It was supposed to be a simple game of Mahjong, but things quickly spiraled out of control. She had heard whispers about Delano before—rumors of his vast
"Fire!" the lead guard shouted in fear, pulling the trigger of his Glock 17.Without waiting for further instruction, the other guards immediately opened fire, the air filling with the deafening sound of gunfire. Bullets rained down on the spot where Max had been standing—but suddenly, he was gone.The guards stopped shooting, stunned. They exchanged confused glances, their hearts pounding. "Where did he go?" one of them muttered, his voice barely audible over the ringing in their ears from the gunshots. They frantically scanned the room, but there was no sign of Max. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.Just as they began to relax, thinking maybe they'd scared him off, Max reappeared right in front of them without warning, moving so fast that they could barely register his presence. "Good evening, gentlemen," Max said calmly, his voice carrying an eerie nonchalance. Before any of them could react, he started handing out casual, almost leisurely, slaps—one for each of them.Sl
Alicia’s heart raced. 'How had Max known about this place?' She never imagined he had people watching over Alexa. The fear growing in her chest wasn’t only directed at Mr. Delano anymore—it was now also aimed at Max. She thought she knew her son-in-law, but now doubts crept in. 'Who was Max, really?' The situation was spinning out of control, and she couldn’t find the strength to speak, knowing full well that Max was far scarier than Mr. Delano in this moment.Max turned his steely gaze to Mr. Delano. “Put my wife down,” he commanded calmly.Mr. Delano let out a mocking laugh, attempting to regain control. “Who do you think you are, kid?” he sneered, calling out for his guards. But no one came. His voice echoed through the room as he called again, still with no response. Delano's face grew red with frustration, and he yelled a third time, sounding more like a seal barking than a man commanding authority.Max stood quietly, letting Mr. Delano shout himself hoarse. His expression was un
"Alicia," Max's cold voice sent a chill through Alicia's scalp. "I could tolerate it if I was the one you were targeting. But how can you commit such disgraceful acts, selling your own daughter for a little bit of money?"Alicia trembled, unsure of what to do or say. "This is..." she stammered, searching for words that wouldn’t come. Then, a thought crossed her mind. 'I'm still the mother of his wife. There's no way he'd hurt me. Alexa would surely be furious if she found out.' Gaining a twisted sense of confidence, Alicia's fear faded, and a smug smile crept onto her face. She straightened her posture and felt her arrogance return.She looked at Max with disdain, her eyes narrowing. "So what if you're good at fighting?" Alicia sneered. "What's the point? What does it matter? You think you scare me? You think because you can beat up some thugs, you can control me? I'm Alexa's mother, Max, and no matter how powerful you think you are, you can't touch me. She would never forgive you." A
When arriving home, after a while Alexa woke up, she found herself lying in bed, Max sitting beside her, quietly watching over her."Max…" she murmured, her voice weak.Max immediately leaned closer, his hand gently brushing her hair back. "I'm here. You're safe."But as the memories of what had happened came flooding back, anger welled up inside her. Her face tightened, and soon, tears began to spill down her cheeks."I can't believe she would do that to me," she choked out, her voice trembling. "My own mother…"Max's expression softened as he pulled her close. "I know. I'm so sorry, Alexa. I got there in time. Nothing happened. You're safe now.""But how could she, Max?" she sobbed, burying her face in his chest. "She was ready to sell me… for what? A little money?" Max held her tighter, his voice calm but firm. "It's over now. She's not going to hurt you again."Through her tears, Alexa looked up at him. "I can't stay here anymore. I don't want to be anywhere near her. We have eno
Even so, the saleswoman was growing impatient, her previous curiosity now tinged with frustration. She had convinced herself that Max was just pretending to be wealthy, stringing her along with false hopes. Trying to keep her tone professional, she looked at Max and smirked, believing she had finally unmasked him."Sir," she said with a hint of condescension, "let's stop this charade, shall we? You're wasting our time. If you don't have the money, it's best you leave. We can't spend our time on window shoppers."Max, still calm, didn't flinch. "I understand, but I'm really looking for something simple and peaceful. A place where my wife can rest without too much noise—"The saleswoman cut him off, waving her hand dismissively, her patience running out. "There's no need to play this game. Villa No. 1 is the only available property, and quite frankly, you're just wasting our time. It's clear you're not serious."Her irritation was thinly veiled behind her attempt to sound professional.
It was Ynna Solivan, Alexa's cousin, and the sister of Hyper. Her sharp tone carried across the air, filled with disdain. Max knew that Ynna and her family were staying in one of the villas nearby, but he hadn't expected to run into her here. If his calculations were correct, he had a good idea about who Ynna's boyfriend might be as well."Hey, trash. What are you doing here?" Ynna's voice was biting, her eyes narrowing as she took in his appearance.Max stood his ground, calm as ever. He didn't rise to the bait. "Just here to check on my villa," he replied simply, his tone neutral.Ynna raised an eyebrow, then burst into mocking laughter. "Your villa?" she repeated, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You? A villa here? Don't make me laugh. You really think you can afford to live in a place like this?" She shook her head, her expression a mix of disbelief and amusement. "You're just living off Alexa, aren't you? I bet she's paying for everything while you sit back and do nothing."Max rema