"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
The man gasped, wide-eyed, and screamed as he focused on Max's face directly above him. He tried to sit up, but stumbled back onto the bed, looking as if he had just woken from a nightmare.Cris raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "Looks like he mistook you for a ghost, Master," he teased, grinning at Max.Bianca smirked, glancing at Cris. "With that face? Can't blame him. Great Grandmaster looks like he's seen a few ghosts himself," she joked, earning a playful look from Max.The man's companion, who had been treated by Cris, finally gathered his wits and reached out, placing a reassuring hand on the shoulder of his terrified friend. "Relax, you're safe," he said in a shaky but relieved voice. "We're in the Hands of Angel clinic now." At the mention of the clinic's name, the man took a few deep breaths, grounding himself and realizing he was indeed out of danger.Max, sensing the initial panic subsiding, leaned forward. "You're safe now. Can you tell us what happened? And where were you co
Before entering the villa, Max turned to Cris and Bianca, giving them a firm instruction. "Stay in the car, and don't come near the villa gate," he said.Bianca started to ask why, but Max simply turned away. In the next moment, they watched in surprise as Max disappeared from where he stood and reappeared instantly at the villa's entrance. Cris and Bianca exchanged stunned glances, trying to process what they had just seen.Max casually stepped inside the villa, slipping past the guards without being noticed—they must have assumed he was just another guest. Inside, he saw a luxurious, spacious hall lit by golden lights from chandeliers, setting a warm tone over the gathering. "So, there's a party happening in this dark villa," Max thought, though he quickly noticed something disturbing.As Max observed the guests, he noted the dark energy subtly radiating from each of them. "These people… despite their smiles, they're burdened by something deep," he thought, sensing the heavy negativ
Outside the villa, Bianca couldn't sit still, constantly checking the time. "Master Cris, it's been half an hour since Grand Master Max went inside. Are you sure he's okay in there by himself?" she asked, obviously worried.Cris shook his head calmly. "Relax, Bianca. You know he told us not to get involved. He knows what he's doing in there.""It's just so frustrating to wait here," Bianca muttered, tapping her foot. "Why did he have to insist that we stay back?"Cris kept his stern gaze. "He made it very clear. Master Max said not to go near the villa—it could be dangerous."Bianca sighed, leaning her head on the steering wheel. Ten more minutes passed, and she couldn't take it anymore. "I can't do this," she finally said, standing up and jumping out of the car."Wait! Bianca, what are you doing?" Cris rushed out to try to stop her, but she seemed determined, barely paying attention to his protests. "Bianca, get back here!""I'm just going to check for a minute," she whispered as the
Max folded his arms, chuckling as he glanced between Nathan and the woman at his side. "Nathan, don't go scaring off young ladies," he said with mock seriousness. "Besides, you've already got your own clown. Why bother anyone else?" Nathan's date looked outraged, her face twisting as she pointed at herself, practically stomping her heel into the ground. "Clown? Are you calling me a clown?" Her voice rose in pitch as she glared at Max, indignant and clearly insulted. Max just smirked, unfazed. "I mean, with the way you're dressed, it's an honest mistake. Maybe you two took a wrong turn somewhere. The circus is back down the road."Bianca let out a small, amused laugh, a soft giggle that only made Nathan and his date bristle even more. Nathan's face twisted in annoyance, but he tried to play it cool. He forced a smug grin, his eyes narrowing at Max. "Laugh it up, Max. But I can show a lady a real time—something you couldn't dream of." He turned to Bianca, attempting to turn on the cha