уАКSaving the VillainуАЛ


 Chapter 1 Side Story

    "Let''s call off the engagement."

    A man and a woman sat across from each other inside the fancy restaurant. There was no one other than them as guests, making it look like a special day for the two of them. Butбн despite the cozy and warm atmosphere, the woman''s eyes were cold.

    "Cosette, thisбн" the man trailed off, trying to process her words.

    Cosette watched the man sitting across from her coldly, tapping her red nails against herp lightly. That man was her lover, Ezekiel Stone. The love of her life. The man she had loved dearly with all her heart.

    "I''m calling off the engagement, Zeke," she repeated in the same aloof tone, waiting for the man to raise his head to her. "I don''t need to exin the reason, right? Those documents are enough to speak its volume."

    "Cosette, love, thisбн are all in the pastбн!" Ezekiel бк who was stunned to see pictures of his past mistakes shown to him бк looked at her in disbelief. "Didn''t you say you already forgive me for this? Whyбн why would youбн"

    The corner of her lips curled up into a smirk, chuckling with her lips closed. "Ezekiel, did you really think I am the person who gets blinded because of love? You cheated during the first two years of our engagement. I didn''t care back then for as long as I don''t catch you. Howeverбн you were caught, my dear love."

    "Whatбн"

    "I am the person who never forgives, nor do I give second chances, Zeke." She snickered, amused by the sight of the man who broke her heart into smithereens. "Did you really think all these years I truly changed into that lovely, kind, and dependentdy who wants to be saved by the hero all this time?"

    Sheughed. "My gosh, Ezekiel! You''re really a loser, aren''t you? You can''t love me for who I am, but you opened up your heart when I was someone who will not steal away your light," she continued to ridicule him,ughing evilly whilst shaking her head sideways. "You don''t deserve me, Ezekiel."

    Cosette scoffed as her eyes narrowed slightly with the same smirk on her face. Cosette and Ezekiel were arranged in a marriage of convenience. She was smart, stunning, elegant, the epitome of a socialite. Meanwhile, Ezekiel was known to be gentle and brilliant, and good-looking among his peers.

    The two of them were aware that they didn''t bear romantic feelings for each other in the beginning. However, since the elders of their family had already decided, Cosette and Ezekiel tried to get to know each other for the sake of having a peaceful marriage.

    Their elders said that love could be nurtured if both of them tried. It was trueбн or at least, that was Cosette''s thought. Her fiance was considerate, gentle, kind, and charming. So, it was inevitable that a woman like her would open her heart to the man she was supposed to marry.

    However, in the second year of their long engagement, Cosette faced a horrible truth about Ezekiel. She caught the man, whom she weed in her heart, embracing another woman and kissing her passionately. Although she had heard gossip of Ezekiel''s love affairs behind her back, she didn''t listen to them. Not that she didn''t believe or believed them.

    In her mind, as long as she didn''t see it with her own two eyes, she would take the gossip as irrelevant noises undeserving of her attention. Maybe the gods love or hate her because she caught Ezekiel in the act.

    But instead of throwing a huge fit or confronting her fiance, Cosette went back home and cried herself to sleep. That same night, she plotted her revenge on this man. To make him feel the same pain she had gone through.

    No. Cosette didn''t think of ruining the Stone family or fooling around with another man. Her means of revenge were different. That wasбн to love Ezekiel with everything she could until he would love her to the point he would die without her.

    And then, leave him.

    Now, after her two years of hard work, she finally got that sweet revenged she wanted.

    "Do you want me to break the news to your family? Or will you do it yourself?" she asked as Ezekiel hung his head low, rendered speechless by the coldness of the woman he loved. "Let me know about your decision. I will break the news to my father. Don''t worry. I will not bring up the real reason for this breakup. I''ll tell him it is a mutual agreement since my family will be very disappointed if they knew the perfect Ezekiel is not so perfect after all."

    Cosette took a deep breath as she assisted herself up. Before she went away, she took out cash to pay for their dinner.

    "Let''s stay in contact, Ezekiel. I still want to be friends." As if to spite him, she offered and smirked before walking away, not looking back at him even once.

    When Cosette reached her car, she gripped the steering wheel as hard as she could while panting. That was the revenge she had wanted all along. And yetбн although it was sweet, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

    She couldn''t understand the pain swelling in her chest. All this time, while ying the role of a damsel in distress бк a role that was the opposite of her personality бк she had been thinking of leaving him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "He deserves it," she muttered through her gritted teeth, gripping the steering wheel even tighter. "He deserves it."

    As she chanted those words like a spell, thest two years with Ezekiel shed back before her eyes. Like a fragile ss, everything, their smiles, the warm moments, the sweet nothingsбн everything shattered.

    "He deservesбн" Her breath hitched as tears rolled down her cheeks, pounding her fist against her chest.

    It hurts.

    Her heart was in pain.

    This wasn''t what she expected she would feel after leaving him. Only then did Cosette realize that her revengeбн was just another means of hurting herself.

    She loved Ezekiel, no matter how detestable he was and despite the fact that he only loved the weak version of herself. Her heart wanted him, but she also knew that he would only love her if she wasn''t being herself.

    And thatбн she couldn''t do. Sacrifice herself just so she could meet his standard of love.

    That night, Cosette drove herself home while carrying the remains of her dead heart.

    And that was how Cosette ended and the start of a cold-hearted viiness.

    *****

    "Hicбн" Ady covered her mouth with her palm, muffling her cries as she read a side story of her second favorite character that was only released a yearter after the novel, The Devil''s Den, ended.

    "Big sister Cosetteбн" came out a muffled voice, reading thest sentence of the page about Cosette c, who also had the same name as her. "Why did you like that kind of man? You''re pretty, intelligent, and rich! He really doesn''t deserve you."

    In the main story of The Devil''s Den, Cosette was vicious and selfish. But what she liked about her character was, Cosette was unlike any other viiness who would lose their minds in the name of love and disregard their self-worth.

    Cosette, the viiness of the story, the only reason she interfered with the female lead and male lead''s love story was that it was FUN. She didn''t love the male lead бк well she was interested in him in a way бк but her feelings weren''t that deep that could be called love.

    All her actions throughout the novel made things interesting and somehow, it made the female lead and male lead closer. Even one reader pointed out whether Cosette was even trying to break them apart or make them closer.

    Either way, although Cosette was a viiness, a lot of loyal readers of the novel liked her. They even wished for her own happy ending. But s, the side story about her was her past for readers to get a better understanding of her character.

    "Goshбн I hate the author," the sickly woman clicked her tongue in irritation. "Did she hate me that much? Why did she have to kill multiple characters, give the main viin a redemption arc only to kill him, and then this? Is she a sadist? Does she have a cup of tea with Satan every time she makes her readers cry?"

    A long list ofints directed to the author of the novel came out of the woman''s mouth. She loved the author, but at the same time, hated her. Although the author made logical judgments in the course of the characters'' lives and endings, she couldn''t deny this conflict in her heart.

    "If only this story is real and I live in the bookбн" she finally stoppedining, staring at the white ceiling of the hospital room, where she had spent the remainder of her days. "бн I want to change the course of their lives. If only I canбн I will make this story a bit lighter with fewer deaths and agony."

    The patient, who had already lost all her hair and barely had color on her dry lips, smiled bitterly. Her eyes felt heavy as she blinked weakly, feeling her breathing constrict. Since she had been sick for years, she was already used to this kind of difficulty she was experiencing.

    "Sister Cosetteбн"

    Little did she know, when she closed her eyes and sumbed to the darkness, her heart stopped andбн her breathing was gone.

 Chapter 2 Waking Up As The Villainess

    Cosette weakly opened her eyes, shielding her eyes at the warm sunlight hitting her face. A moan slipped past her lips, letting her mind buffer for another day she was thankful to have. When she had enough blinks, her brows furrowed at the unfamiliarity of the window.

    ''Huh?'' she looked around, only to get more baffled at the entire princess-like room. Her mind momentarily went nk as she tried to recall what happened before she slept.

    Nothing.

    After reading the long-awaited side stories of the Devil''s Den, she fell asleep because of too much crying. Wait, she thought, pushing herself to sit up, scratching her temple to think. Thest memory she had was cursing the author of her favorite novel for making her cry.

    She couldn''t remember she had a change of room. She looked around once again and was baffled at everything. There was no medical equipment or anything of the sort to keep herpany. Instead, this room looked like a rich daughter''s room.

    "Am I dreaming?" she wondered, pinching her cheek just to wince in pain. "What theбн?"

    Noticing her hand, her eyes dted at her blemish-free hand and her healthy skin. But what shocked her the most was that her hands were small and delicate; there was no sign of protruding vein nor there was a trace of IV on the back of her hand.

    It was as ifбн she wasn''t sick at all!

    The youngdy with natural hazel hair and a pair of olive eyes stretched her arms. Her body felt light; a feeling almost unrecognizable to her who spent thest five years of her life suffering from leukemia.

    "Huh?" as she moved, she finally noticed the color of her tousled hair. She gazed down, lifting the sheet away to see that she had no difficulty in moving her legs.

    "Am I really dreaming? Or is this heaven?" she wondered before she chuckled to get that silly thought out of her mind. But just a secondter, her expression died down.

    ''Noбн did Iбн really die? And is this really Heaven?''

    A sudden sense of dread finally crept up her spine, wide-eyed. On instinct, her eyesnded on the vanity mirror and without a second hesitation, she jumped out of the queen-sized bed towards it.

    "No wayбн" Standing in front of the vanity mirror, she touched her face while staring ghastly at the person looking back at her.

    Hazel hair that matched the color of her olive eyes. Skin that was white and pinkish, narrow nose, plump lips, and a lean face. A peerless beauty that was almost out of this world. Although she appeared to be around sixteen, her beauty was something that would catch everyone''s attention.

    "Whoбн" Cosette trailed off as these facial features reminded her of someone she read in her favorite novel. Although she pictured the character ''Cosette c'' differently, staring at this youngdy exceeded the face she had of the woman in question.

    "Waitбн is this really real?" she wondered, pinching herself again until her cheeks grew red. "It hurtsбн"

    She rubbed her cheek, taking a careful step forward to study her face. Myriads of questions hovered over her head such as she was already in Heaven or was this the Afterlife. Even transmigration crossed her mind, no matter how silly the idea was for her.

    But one question stood out in her head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What happened to me?" she asked curiously, flinching when she heard a knock from the door.

    "Miss, are you awake now?" a woman''s soft voice came from outside the door, but she didn''t open it.

    "Miss?" Cossette tilted her head to the side, staring at the door vigntly. "What is going on here?"

    After her puzzlement at these phenomena, nervousness soon came right after. She had no idea who she was, what was going on, and everything!

    "Goshбн!" she ground her teeth, gazing at the shut door when the woman knocked once again. "Calm down, calm down. Act normal."

    ? She patted her chest lightly, sitting down on the chair in front of the vanity mirror. After taking deep breaths, she looked at herself in the mirror with determination. She had no idea what was her name, but panicking wouldn''t resolve that for her.

    ''You can do this,'' she cheered herself, thinking that this could also be a dream she would wake up from. A strange dream that felt so vivid, butбн that''s where the fun was. At least, even in a dream, she could live a life that was theplete opposite of her reality.

    "Young Miss?"

    "I''m awake," Cosette finally answered as she grabbed theb to brush her soft hair. "Come in."

    The door carefully opened, surprised to see a woman in her 40s in a maid uniform. Did I be a richdy? She wondered in horror but managed to keep her calm exterior. She studied the maid through the mirror in silence, watching her stand from a distance while bowing her head.

    "Young Miss." The old nanny slightly raised her head and smiled apologetically. "Are you still angry at the master? He is waiting for you to join him for breakfast."

    ''What? I don''t even know who I am, so how would I get angry? Oh, gosh! Just what the hell is going on?!'' was what Cosette wanted to say, but cleared her throat and said nothing. ''The less I talk, the less mistake I will make.''

    "Young Missбн"

    "Do you know who I am?" she asked in a cold tone, turning her head back to the maid. Although she only put on the bare minimum of acting, she still looked intimidating with her unsmiling face.

    Cosette had this sudden thought in mind. If this maid showed so much concern about whatever dispute the owner of this body had, that means her personality wasn''t that simple. So this question might rather appear intimidating.

    The maid revealed a pained expression as she hung her head low. "You are the only child and the sole heiress of the c Family, Cosette c, Young Miss."

    "So, I see you know your ceбн" Cosette trailed off as her eyes dted extra-wide, almost popping out of their sockets. "бн wait, what? Cosette, who?"

 Chapter 3 If She Could Live As The Villainess For A Day

    "бн wait, what? Cosette, who?"

    The maid raised her brows at the misced puzzlement of the young miss of the n. There was a moment of silence between them before the maid called her name with a questioning tone. Only then did Cosette snap back to the currentpse.

    "Leave me alone," Cosette ordered in a dead tone, looking away.

    "But young miss."

    "Leave."

    The maid let out a shallow breath as her young miss'' personality was getting cold every passing day. But she couldn''t do anything about it as thest argument between Cosette and her father truly upset her.

    "Then, I will tell the master you will have breakfast in your room," said the maid with a bow, leaving her alone without saying another word.

    When Cosette was left alone, her jaw fell open as she stared at the mirror in horror. She couldn''t believe what the maid called her. Although her original name was Cosette, her surname was different. That nameбн Cosette c was the name of one of her favorite characters in the novel The Devil''s Den.

    "It can''t be, right?" she pped herself to wake herself up from this dream, only to get disappointed and hurt.

    Her cheek had already turned red, but she wouldn''t wake up to reality! If anything, her face heated up at the constant pping she did and it also hurt.

    She couldn''t possibly transmigrate inside the book, right?

    "No wayбн" came out a whispered, feeling this sense of dread slowly envelop her heart. "Thatбн thisбн only happens in novels."

    She sat there for as long as she could remember, staring at herself in the mirror. When she finally got herself together, she rushed to her desk where her pinkptop was at.

    "Come onбн" she muttered, tapping her fingers against the desk impatiently. Once the screen turned on, her eyes instantlynded on the date. To her surprise, the date wasбн different.

    Cosette had followed the Devil''s Den for three years, re-reading it when she was bored with waiting for updates. So, she basically knew the world of the novel, the characters, the sequence of events, some powerful dialogue, and description like it was written at the back of her hand.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 Although its setting was the modern world, the city, and the country, everything was different. It was a unique world heavily influenced by the modern world, but with many twists and turns. That was why she loved the novel in the first ce.

    "Did I reallyбн be sister Cosette? My Goddess?" she covered her gaping mouth with her palm, still denying this unbelievable reality. "No, no. Maybe it''s because of the medicines I''m having these strange dreams."

    Cosette convinced herself that she was still inside the dream. A dream she could experience and could treasure before entering the pearly gates of heaven.

    Deluded by the series of denials, Cosette tried to sneak a peek at Cosette c''sptop.

    Based on the date, it was a decade early before the main story would start. In that case, Cosette was still in her early teens! Her face brightened up as she cupped her cheek, smiling from ear to ear, as she couldn''t believe she would be able to see her favorite character in her teens.

    In the story, Cosette was a sophisticated elite who can make a dor ring make it look like it was a national treasure. The author used all kinds of praises whenever she described her бк the viiness бк and it only made it better with her personality.

    Cosette never lost herposure even when the male lead refused her when she seduced him one time. If anything, Cosetteughed after getting rejected as if she was amused.

    She was the perfect viiness, but somehow, no one shipped her with the viin. Actually, no one wanted to ship her with anyone because her personality was so strong it seemed no one deserved her.

    "I don''t want to wake up from this dream," she muttered while leaning back. All she saw in Cosette''sptop were presentations and things that a normal sixteen-year-old wouldn''t do. Well, it was mentioned in the story that since Cosette was the heiress of the BLK Group, she pressured herself to deserve the title she was born to.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The sad part was, Cosette was so strict with herself that her rtionship with her father only grew apart over the years. She thought her father wanted her to be the perfect leader of thepany, so she yed the role perfectly.

    Only on her father''s deathbed did she finally know that her father loved her dearly and wished for her happiness. That, what mattered to her father, was her own happiness before thepany. But it was already toote.

    "They all had sad stories." She frowned, thinking that the characters in this novel were pitiful. "If I''m going to live as sister Cosette for a dayбн will she be happy if I fix her rtionship with her father?"

    She pondered about what to do since she wouldn''t wake up to reality until a knock from outside caressed her ears once again. It was the maid that came to her, telling her she prepared her breakfast.

    "Come in," she permitted calmly, watching the maid push the food trolley. "I''ll eat on my desk. I need to finish some things in school."

    "Yes, young miss."

    The maid carefully served the light breakfast on the wide desk while Cosette watched her in silence. She sounded so harsh on this old maid earlier, and she felt a little guilty about it. But that was because she was so shocked and confused at the same time.

    "Don''t go," Cosette uttered after the maid served the ss of water. "I want to ask you something."

    "Yes, young miss?"

    Cosette turned her swivel chair and sized up the maid. In the story, Cosette had this nanny who stood up like her mother and someone who treated her as her daughter. That maid helped Cosette emotionally and had stood beside her even when the entire world was against the viiness.

    If her guess was correct, this was that nanny. "Nanny Lucia," she called in a quiet voice, studying the nanny''s reaction.

    "Yes, young miss?" Cosette heaved a sigh of relief when Lucia replied with brows raised.

    "About Fatherбн"

    "I already told the master that you want to eat inside your room, young miss."

    "No, I mean, do you know why I am upset with my father?" she shook her head lightly, carefully picking up the right words so she wouldn''t sound suspicious.

    Lucia hung her head low. "It''s because the young miss wanted to start her training in thepany, but the master is against it."

    "And why is he against it?"

    "Young Miss, please believe me if I say the master only wants you to enjoy your youth, and it''s not because he thinks you''re incapable of taking on big responsibilities!" Lucia eximed as she desperately looked at Cosette, hoping the stubborn young miss would listen to her for once.

    ''Of course, I believe you. Sister Cosette''s lifetime goal was to make her father proud and ease his worry about thepany. So, it is no surprise that she already wants to be more involved in thepany at a young age,'' Cosette uttered inwardly, letting out a sigh.

    Cosette was already matured since childhood, but only when she was around ten did she start talking to her father as if they were simply business partners. She already knew the reason, and that was, the young Cosette wanted to prove to everyone she didn''t need to be a boy to ease their worry on who would lead the BLK Group.

    "Is that so?" she crooned, rocking her head lightly.

    "Young missбн"

    The side of her lips curled up into a smile as she nced at Lucia. "Nanny, please inform the Master if he is free during dinner, I would like to join him."

 Chapter 4 Not Anyones First Choice

    There was bafflement and surprise in Lucia''s face when Cosette uttered such words. But she was still relieved that thetter seemed ready to reach out to her father. After all, their rtionship was just growing further by the years that Cosette even addressed her father as Master or Chairman.

    After Cosette finished the delicious meal she had never had before, she had nothing else to do but stay inside her room. Lucia told her that Cosette took a week''s leave from her school. Since this was a world inside the novel, she didn''t question it.

    "Sister Cosette''s life is veryбн different from mine. Although we share the same name, we really lived different lives. That''s whyбн I felt empowered whenever she appears in the novel." Cosetteid on her back, staring at the intricate ceiling while thinking about the novel.

    "I never had such delicious food, or rather, everything I ate for thest five years is just nd." Not that she also had the appetite to eat, but it still felt nice that she had got to enjoy food after many years.

    "Once I wake up from this dreamбн I will surely re-read the novel." She smiled subtly, feeling blessed at this opportunity granted to her. Her smile didn''tst long, though. Because while she was thinking about this opportunity, she thought that once she woke up, there was no telling she would dream about this again.

    Cosette suddenly got up, wide-eyed. "I have to meet the other character while I''m at it," came out a panicking voice.

    Although it was a decade too early before the main story would start, the backstories in the novel gave away almost everything.

    For example, around this year, the viin was still a high school delinquent, the male lead living a perfect life of an heir in an academy, the female lead living a peaceful and simple life in the countryside, some important side characters living their life before meeting their respective masters.

    "That right!" Cosette raised her fist, motivated to meet as many characters as she could so she could fangirl over them. She had already seen Cosette, and it was already a dreame true, but she was greedy and wanted to meet all of them before this ''dream ended.

    "I don''t have anything to do and it''s still early." Her lips stretched from ear to ear until her eyes squinted. "Kyahh~!!! I''m so excited!!"

    Without a second hesitation, Cosette rushed to therge bathroom and showered, going through Cosette''s walk-in closet and picking up the simplest designer clothes right after. In between her activity, she couldn''t help but be in awe that Cosette''s life was truly a life of a modern princess.

    From the bedroom to the bathroom, even her toilet didn''t have a speck of dust in it. Her walk-in closet was only full of designer clothes, bags, essories, and different types of footwear. For a sixteen-year-old to have such a lifestyle, there was no wonder why many women envied Cosette бк even the female lead voiced that out during her confrontation with the viiness.

    Cosette truly had it allбн except that she had every material thing in life, except love. No material thing could''ve fulfilled that void Ezekiel Stone left in her heart.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Sha~!" she grinned excitedly, staring at herself in the full-body mirror. The simplest clothes she could get from this room was a ck jumper dress worn over a beige sweater, matched with ck Chelsea boots.

    Cosette thought that the ck beret hat looked cute, so she put it on as the cherry on top of her outfit. Surely, even without trying, Cosette would look good at everything.

    "Sister Cosette is so pretty." She blushed, cupping her cheek. If she could worship herself, she would''ve done it. "No, no! I should focus! Since sister Cosette''s father gives his daughter a lot of authority in the house, I can ask someone to drive me to my today''s agenda!"

    She nodded with her fist up, thinking of her itinerary for today. To keep herselfpose, Cosette just grabbed a small ck sling bag and rushed back to her room. She sat down in front of the desk, taking one notebook and pen, and started jotting down the details of each character''s location.

    "Rightбн the male lead is actually sister Cozie''s schoolmate. Since the Academy was big, they didn''t get to meet each other even after graduation. I can''t me them, though, since the male lead, Asher Quinn, and sister Cozie, are too busy trying to be perfect." Cosette nodded, as that was the exnation given in the novel.

    Not that these two characters didn''t know each other''s existence, but it just didn''t matter to them back then. Only a few yearster would they truly get to know each other, since both of them were sessful CEOs who inherited their family business.

    "I''ll start with him since he''s the closest and thenбн" her eyes lit up at the thought of her next target. "бн my number one favorite character, Maxen! Kyah~! Should I look for him first?"

    For a good five minutes, Cosette spent it fangirling on who to pay a visit first. In the end, she chose the viin of the story, Maxen.

    Why? Because the viin was never anyone''s first option. The male lead had it all and even if she see him now, she was certain all she could do was watch him from afar.

    On the other hand, Maxenбн was on his road to bing the monster he would be after a decade. Although in the novel, it was said that Maxen, during his teens, was a delinquent with a temper. Cosette was unsure if he would even bat an eye at her. Even so, she still wanted to see him first.

    Because at the end of the day, among all characters in this world, Maxen was the first person she wanted to console because he deserved a little bit of warmth the author deprived him of.

 Chapter 5 Meeting The Villain

    Cosette didn''t even have a hard time going out of the enormous mansion of the c residence. She only told the butler she needed someone to drive him to a ce бк no excuses needed or anything of the sort бк and a ck sedan was already waiting for her outside.

    Thanks to her excellent memory, she knew the school Maxen attended. It was a school of delinquents, situated in a town far away from the capital.

    ''I looked it up on the inte and sses are still ongoing. I am only allowed to take a leave because sister Cozie came from a prominent family and the school she attends isбн well, a school for the rich. In other words, the Academy understands the situation of the heiress and heirs of each family so they allow such a rule.'' She nodded while rubbing her chin at the thought.

    ''I feel nervous, though.''

    A deep sigh slipped past her lips as she looked outside the window on the back passenger seat. From the novel''s brief exnation, Maxen was a delinquent who used to skip sses but still passed the ss, barely. But his poor grades were intentional since he didn''t find the need to do better in school or top the ss since his view of this world wasбн nothing but gray. Dull.

    ''If this dream started early, I could''ve saved Maxen from his horrible childhood.'' Her frown deepened, eyes flickering with sadness.

    Maxen had a horrible childhood. Her mother died when he was around two years old and he was left in his uncle''s care бк his mother''s biological brother. There, Maxen went through horrible things where he was physically, emotionally, and verbally abused.

    That was why when he reached the age of fourteen, he ran away from home. He did multiple jobs to survive and not end up begging for food in the streets. Now, three yearster, Maxen had his own small apartment, still doing part-time by night and attending school by the day.

    ''That was what was written in the novel,'' she whispered inwardly, wondering what Maxen would appear now. She was truly looking forward to it, but there was this lingering fear in her heart. Knowing someone''s entire life, secret, and future was something that left a bitter taste in her mouth.

    She might end up bawling her eyes the second she meets Maxen.

    "Young Miss, we''re here."

    Cosette snapped her eyes as her thoughts trailed off, checking the street where the car stopped. The street looked unfamiliar, but she could just ask around.

    "Thank you." She smiled as she opened the door. As soon as she went out, she bent her head down and spoke.

    "Please don''t wait for me. I will take the buster." She didn''t wait for the driver to respond as she mmed the door closed.

    What she didn''t notice was, the driver, who had been driving her for years was rattled by her appreciation. There wasn''t a single time where Cosette spoke to him, nor did she ever thank him for driving her anywhere.

    "Young Missбн" the old driver gazed at Cosette''s figure as she already walked down the pavement. "бн is she alright?"

    ******

    "There it is!" Cosette''s eyes brightened up as she stood in front of the gates of Winter Highschool. The gates were closed; meaning the sses were ongoing.

    "Did Ie too early?" she cocked her head to the side, rubbing her chin as she paced back and forth. "Well, I did, since it''s fifteen minutes before lunch break."<novelnext></novelnext>

    A frown instantly dominated her face as she gazed at the school gates once again. She wanted to meet Maxen immediately, but she failed to consider that she was an outsider. Even when this school was one of the worst high schools which produces many bad adults, there were still rules to follow.

    "Ah!" Just then, Cosette remembered something during the redemption arc of the novel. "The back of the school!"

    Her eyes lit up as she hastened her steps to find that area. In the novel, Maxen usually skipped schools and his primary route was jumping off the wall on the back of the school, where there were no guards.

    "I''m not even sure if he came to school," she mumbled, thinking that going in here was actually a gamble. "It is written that during thest two years of his high school, the days he was absent increased and he would get in more trouble. Rightбн I think it was said that during hisst two years in high school, Maxenбн"

    Suddenly, Cosette stopped as herplexion turned pale. She was so lost in thought because the moment she made a turn around the school, what weed her eyes was a group of youngsters ganging up against one.

    Her eyes fell on the boys, who were kicking a chubby boy simultaneously whileughing. The poor boy could only receive their kicks, protecting his head while lying on the ground.

    ''In thest two years of Maxen''s high school life, the reason he couldn''t attend school is that he would get beaten to the point he would pass out.''

    Cosette''s heart thumped against her chest loudly, balling her hands into a fist until they trembled. Although she was unsure if the person getting beaten up was Maxen, she could feel this anger swelling up in her heart.

    "Hey!!" she yelled her lungs out, catching the delinquents'' attention as they stopped. All reasons were tossed out of the window as she rushed towards them, holding her luxury bag and swinging it to scare them away.

    "What theбн" Surprised at this courageous girl, the delinquents backed away until she stood in a protective stance in front of the boy on the ground. "What the hell? Who is thisбн"

    Before one delinquent could finish his sentence, she raised her phone to show the ongoing phone call to the police hotline. Seeing that they understood what that mean, she ced the phone in front of her phone.

    "Father, help!! There are gangsters trying to take advantage of me! I''m at Winter High...!"

    Cosette kept yelling and watched the delinquents run away, thinking she was the daughter of the police. How they believed that tant lie was not of her concern бк maybe because they were too shocked at her sudden appearance and caught up in confusion, but she didn''t care.

    "Oh, goshбн!" Cosette covered her lips with her palm, seeing the pitiful state of the boy. His uniform was dirty and his arms were littered with bruises. Her breath hitched as soon as her eyes caught the traces of blood on the concrete ground.

    "My godбн" Her body uncontrobly shook, having this dreadful feeling of reality. It felt real, everything felt and seemed real. How could a dream feel so vivid, as if it wasn''t just a simple dream?

    Suddenly, Cosette caught an ID not far away from him. She was too scared to check the boy''s face after seeing his mangled lips, but it seemed he had passed out. So, she picked up the school ID only to freeze upon reading the name printed on it.

    Maxen Cloven.

 Chapter 6 Reading And Seeing Things Was Like Heaven And Earth

    Cosette wiped her tears with her arm before she gazed at the teenage boy lying on the hospital bed. There was no doubt this was Maxen. Although he had some weight бк unlike the bewitching devil he was described in the novel бк and the author''s meaning of delinquent was being ''bullied,'' her heart knew it was Maxen, the viin of the novel.

    After she scared off those delinquents who beat Maxen up, she called the driver to pick her up, and they drove to the nearest hospital.

    Three hourster, Maxen was still unconscious, and she was just sitting right next to his bed. While waiting for him to regain consciousness, Cosette couldn''t help but shed tears. Even she was surprised at how real these tears felt to the touch.

    ''How can they do such a cruel thing to him?'' she wondered, gazing at the poor Maxen. ''No wonder he became a viin.''

    Reading Maxen''s story was different from witnessing it with her own two eyes. It felt like an invisible hand was squeezing her heart. She already pitied Maxen during the redemption arc, but now her heart was breaking for him.

    His experience written with just a few sentences was not enough to give justice to Maxen''s pain, suffering, and trauma. Actually, words weren''t enough to give justice to everything this person went through.

    Although Maxen did despicable deeds in the novel to the point, his death was justified, Cosette felt a tug in her heart.

    ''Maxen,'' she called internally, staring at him with soft eyes. ''I''m sorry.''

    Cosette didn''t know why she had to apologize to him, but that was what she felt. All his life, the world just gave him nothing but hardships and endless struggle. Now, she had a better understanding of why Maxen grew obsessed with the female lead.

    The female lead was a warm and lovely character. She was like the first morning of spring, melting the vestiges of winter. Although the start of the story between the female lead and Maxen started off rocky and super dark, thetter ended up falling in love with her.

    Sadly, Maxen wasn''t the male lead and what he did to the female lead at the start of the novel was unforgivable. He was despicable, to say the least, but he hadn''t done that in the current timeline.

    ''I want to stay longer,'' Cosette prayed sincerely, knowing she might be asking for too much. ''I want to change Maxen''s fate. Heбн doesn''t deserve this.''

    For her, if Maxen had someone while growing up бк just one person to guide him to the right path, he wouldn''t do those despicable deeds in the novel. Maybe, she thought, if there was one good thing that happened to him, he wouldn''t end up being the viin he was supposed to be.

    "Ughбн"

    Cosette perked up, nting her palm on his side as she watched him regain his consciousness whilst grunting. Maxen weakly opened his eyes, seeing a pair of puffy olive eyes hovering over him.

    "Whoбн" he trailed off and winced at the striking pain in his head.

    "Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked worriedly, while she scanned him in panic. "Where? Where are you hurt?"

    Confused at the unfamiliar concern he was receiving, Maxen blinked until his vision was clear. To his surprise, a youngdy was staring down at him with eyes full of genuine concern. They were swollen, as if she had just stopped crying.

    "Wait, waitбн" came out a hoarse voice as propped his elbow to sit up. He winced at the pain in his rib, touching it on instinct.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You shouldn''t move just yet!" she bellowed, sitting on the edge of the bed with her eyes fixed on him. "You''re still hurt, terribly!"

    "Can you keep it down?" Annoyed, Maxen red at her, whom he has never seen in his entire life. "You''re so fucking loud you''re making my head ring."

    Cosette instantly zipped her mouth, puffing her cheek as she gazed at him in horror. Her obedience made him quirk a brow, but he said nothing as he looked around.

    "Damnбн" he cursed under his breath, flinging his legs carefully out of the bed to leave. However, Cosette grabbed his wrist, making him look back at her.

    "What, where are you going?" she stammered while Maxen clicked his tongue in irritation. "Bathroom?"

    "I don''t have money to pay for the hospital bill."

    "So what? Is that more important than your life?"

    Maxen ground his teeth, pulling his wrist away from her grip, but Cosette held onto him as if he was her dear life.

    "Let go," he cautioned coldly, but she was much more stubborn than what he originally thought.

    "No!"

    "I said, letбн ack!" Before he could use more force to free his hand, Cosette poked the side of his abdomen. It was just a light press, but the pain was too much that Maxen hunched in, falling ever so slowly back on the bed.

    Cosette jumped out of the bed and huffed, hands on her hips. "You''re not leaving this ce until you''ve recovered. Don''t worry about the hospital bill. My family is rich! They can buy this entire hospital! So, justбн. Just get better." Her expression crumpled but managed to sport a brave look.

    Maxen furrowed his brows as he peeked at the stubborn youngdy who was too persistent in making him stay. It was not like money was the only issue here. Aside from that, he didn''t want to owe anyone. Who knew what she would ask in return after helping him?

    "I know you''re the type of person who hates being indebted to someone, but you don''t have to worry about that. I promise you I don''t have other motives, nor I will expect anything from you in return." Cosette let out a sigh as she suppressed the tears that were tempting to escape her eyes. "Justбн get better. That''s all I ask of you."

    Maxen looked at her with hostility and after a minute of staring at her doe eyes, a deep sigh slipped past his lips. She wouldn''t let him off, and he was sure of that. Arguing with her was pointless.

    "Even if you ask for anything, I don''t have the conscience or will I ever feel I will have to repay you for this," he grumbled, but to his surprise, Cosette''s eyes brightened up as she leaped and bent over.

    "Yes, don''t worry! Just focus on getting better!" she grinned until her eyes were squinting and lips stretching from ear to ear.

 Chapter 7 The Faint Warmth After A Long Winter

    When Maxen finally listened to her andy down properly, they didn''t talk to each other. Cosette kept her mouth shut while staring at him to let him rest.

    Meanwhile, the former tried to avoid her presence as much as possible. But how could he? She was literally digging a hole in his forehead with her gaze!

    "Stop staring," he muttered, breaking the silence between them. "Just what do you want from me?"

    Maxen set his eyes to her when he couldn''t take the undivided attention anymore. Cosette raised her brows, sitting on the chair right next to his bed with her hands on herp.

    "I want you to get better," she replied while cocking her head to the side.

    "I mean, why?"

    "Because why not?"

    "Ughбн never mind." Maxen looked away and shut his eyes.

    Before he passed out earlier, he heard a girl''s voice. He wasn''t slow to recognize that the person who helped him earlier and this girl sitting near him were the same.

    Maxen would understand being in a hospital after getting beaten up pretty badly. And he would understand if this girl send him to the hospital as that was logical. But what he couldn''t understand was her concern, as if she knew him. This was their first time they met, so this concern she was showing him came off as suspicious.

    ''Although it doesn''t seem she was lying,'' he thought, recalling her sincere eyes that were about to shed tears while saying he should get better. ''Ughбн those fuckersбн I will get back to them once I get out of here.''

    His head throbbed as his body felt heavy with fatigue. It didn''t take long when Maxen fell asleep once again.

    Meanwhile, Cosette stayed silent and just stared at him. A sigh of relief slipped past her lips when his breathing grew deeper and heavy.

    ''Just for tonightбн I want to stay with Maxen before I wake up to my reality,'' she told herself, smiling bitterly as she believed this dream would soon end.

    "I still have to tell the chairman, though." Cosette took out her phone from her bag and sent a message to her father, telling him she would unwind. Since her father favored her, she knew he would understand his daughter.

    Just then, Cosette recalled she told Lucia to tell her father she would join him for dinner. So, out of courtesy, she sent another message.

    [To: Chairman

    Sorry, Papa. I will surely join you tomorrow for dinner. <3 ]<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette hesitated to send that ''cheesy'' message, but she still did after beating herself with it. She initially wanted to fix Cosette''s rtionship with her father, but with her ''limited'' time in this world, she wanted to be with Maxen.

    "He may not remember it and this may not be real, butбн even in dreams, I want to make him feel someone cared for him."

    ******

    In the middle of the night, Maxen woke up. His initial reaction was to massage his temple at the lingering headache he was feeling. The light in the ward was warm, so it helped him ease his headache.

    ''Right, she probably leftбн'' his thoughts trailed off when he turned his head to where Cosette sat earlier.

    There, on the same spot, Cosette had fallen asleep. She was still sitting on the chair, but her head was resting over her arm that was on the edge of the bed.

    "To think she stayed," he whispered, scratching his temple. "Even the people I knew wouldn''t stay in the hospital for meбн"

    A ridiculing chuckle slipped past his lips while shaking his head lightly. This was the first, but from his experience so far, Maxen wouldn''t buy such an act of kindness easily. He had learned his lessons and falling for such a cheap trick would never happen again.

    So, even though he was slightly thankful andmended her efforts, he still nned to sneak out of the hospital. Right now was a perfect time while she was asleep. But as he moved, he realized Cosette was holding his hand.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "What theбн"

    "Don''t go," she whispered in her sleep, squeezing his hand lightly. "Pleaseбн getбн betterбн"

    The rest of her mumblings came out as gibberish, but Maxen was already unable to move. He looked at her, wide-eyed. She was sound asleep and still mumbling, but the way she held him was as if she was afraid of letting him go.

    "Tch." He clicked his tongue in irritation as he gazed at the ceiling.

    Maxen remained silent for as long as he was conscious that night. But he didn''t take his hand away from her, who was holding him with such gentleness and care, not minding the calluses on his hand.

    "What a strange person," he mumbled after two hours of silence, closing his eyes as he fell asleep once again.

    That night, for the first time in the seventeen years of his life, strangely, the faint warmth wrapped around his hand was enough to fight off the endless winter he had endured for a long time.

 Chapter 8 Are You A Psychopath?

    The familiar difort and slight pain that woke Cosette up made her believe she was back to reality. Although it wasn''t the same level of pain she had been enduring, her strange yet beautiful dream was over.

    ''How sadбн'' she thought, letting out a sigh as she blinked weakly. ''бн Maxen. My dream feels realбн''

    Cosette blinked countless times, seeing the familiar ward she was staring at before she fell asleep. Her mind buffered for a while as she tried to match this ward and to the ward she had stayed at in the real world.

    "Whatбн" her voice trailed off, wide-eyed, as she suddenly recoiled to sit up. Maxen, who was leaning against the headboard, also flinched as she suddenly sat upright the second she woke up.

    He furrowed his brows as he studied the shocked Cosette in silence. She looked possessed as her dted eyes barely blinked, making him scrunch his nose up.

    ''What''s wrong with her? Didn''t she intend to sleep here?'' he wondered, as that was the only exnation for her shock.

    She must have fallen asleep unintentionally. Although he was surprised that she slept soundlessly despite her ufortable position.

    "I''m still here," she muttered in a dead tone, shifting her eyes at Maxen and gasped. ''Howбн"

    Maxen clicked his tongue, watching her dramatically cover her mouth with her palm. "You had fallen asleep, that''s why you''re still here," he exined, which was very unlike him.

    Little did he know that wasn''t what she meant. Cosette blinked her eyes as hard as she could, pinching her cheeks to wake herself up. But she only winced in pain and made Maxen look at her as if she was a lunatic.

    "I''m stillбн" she trailed off as she set her eyes on Maxen. Thetter slightly raised his hand defensively on instinct, drawing back as soon as their eyes met.

    "Whatбн why are you looking at me like that?" he asked cautiously.

    "Can Iбн"

    "What do you think you''re doing?" he queried once again when Cosette lifted a finger to touch him. It reminded him of how she poked his injury. So he assumed that was what she was nning to do.

    Cosette bit her lower lip, keeping her finger up while staring at his appalled expression. She neither move nor speak as she just stared and studied his face. Even without touching him, he looked real.

    ''Did I really transmigrate into my favorite novel? Or am I in aa?'' she asked herself, finding no definite answer. ''Either way, I''m relieved to spend another day in here.''

    Her eyes softened as a subtle smile resurfaced on her face. The subtle change of her expression caused his already knitted brows to crease even more, making him drop his arms.

    "Just what is wrong with you?" he asked when he couldn''t take it anymore, gazing at her cautiously.

    Now that he could see her up close, she was clearly someone who grew up being pampered. He could tell with one nce.

    So, what was this youngdy doing in here? With him? A delinquent whose future was as dark as the void?

    "I''m so d you''re still here," she said, making him freeze, wide-eyed. Her soft eyes sent him a sense of warmth.

    Cosette patted her chest lightly as she heaved a sigh of relief, happy for a reason he couldn''t understand. "Thank God."

    Maxen snapped his tongue as he looked away. "Wipe your drool first. It''s distracting."

    "Ah?" her eyes dted as she instantly wiped the corner of her lips in embarrassment.

    As she did, Maxen cast her a side-eye, surprised that she actually believed his obvious lie. He just wanted to ruin the mood she was unconsciously creating; a mood he was never used to be in.

    "Sorry. I''m only human." She pursed her lips after wiping the corner of her lips. "Right! Did you have breakfast? Let me buy you some light breakfast."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette pped as she suddenly sprung up to her feet, abusing this energy she never had in her ''real-life.'' She didn''t even wait for him to respond as she already picked up her bag and dash away full of energy.

    "бн"

    He could only watch her sprint away like a bolt of lightning. "What a weird girl. How can she have so much energy early in the morning?"

    Maxen stared in the direction she had disappeared to for a long time. He wouldn''t be surprised if she didn''te back. He was used to being abandoned, after all. Not that it would matter to him if she ran away or not.

    "Actually, it''s better if she doesn''te back," he muttered as he peeled his eyes away, gazing down at his hand.

    ''I''m d you''re still hereбн''

    Her words suddenly hovered over his head, along with the image of her gentle smile. He shook his head to get that memory out of his head. It was because of those wordsбн ''d he was still there'' that gave him these strange feelings.

    For a stranger to utter such careless words, he shouldn''t think about it too much. It was quite an irony. To think he would hear those words from a stranger, the bitterness in his tainted heart reach his tongue.

    All his life, everyone kept telling him he should''ve just died or questioned his pathetic existence. So, those wordsбн touched a part of his brain he was unaware existed until now.

    "I hope she won''te back."

    In contrast to Maxen''s wishes, Cosette returned with tons of paper bags she carried with both her hands. The bright smile on her face as she returned while holding up the foods she bought almost blinded the patient she was taking care of.

    ''I want to wipe that smile off of her face.'' His expression remained nk, watching her serve it on the over the bed table.

    "Dig in!" she announced excitedly, while Maxen gazed at the feast right in front of him.

    So much foodбн he didn''t know when was thest time he had faced with food and side dishes and even dessert. Or rather, he didn''t have a memory of experiencing such a sumptuous meal.

    All he could remember was watching his uncle with thetter''s wife and son share a good meal from a distance.

    "I''m not hungry," he said coldly, unwilling to touch the food.

    "What?! Even if you''re not hungry, you should still eat!" Maxen shifted his eyes to her as she stood beside the bed, nting her hands on her hips. "Does your arms hurt? If so, I can feed you!"

    For a brief moment, just for a split second, a smug smile appeared on Cosette''s lips that sent a shiver down his spine. She wanted to feed him, and he felt something prickle under his skin.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m "Are you a psychopath or what?" he inquired in disbelief, staring at her thoroughly in case she would show that brief smile that gave him goosebumps.

    Cosette clicked her tongue as she plopped her butt down on the chair, pouting. "I''m just concerned. How can you be so rude as to call me a psychopath?" she crossed her arms, ring at him.

    "The doctor said you can be discharged today. Just take the medicines he prescribed you to and take plenty of rest. How can he send you home like that?" she mumbled with a pout, displeased at the doctor''s news when she went out. "Can''t he see you''re barely alive?"

    While sheined to herself, Maxen just nced at her in silence. He couldn''t understand what she was so upset about, but he stopped trying to understand her. For him, it was better to just go on separate ways; the sooner the better. Not that they would see each other again, anyway.

    ''That''s right. It''s not like we''re neighbors or ssmates. She just happened to be around the area yesterday.''

    Little did Maxen know this wouldn''t be thest time to see her. Becauseбн his devoted fangirl was even more determined than she was yesterday.

 Chapter 9 The Mission Continues

    When Maxen was discharged a few hourster, the two of them argued about how he would go home. As usual, he insisted on taking a bus since he had no money for a cab. But Cosette already got him one and even paid it twice the amount he needed.

    And before she sent him off, she nagged him to take his medicines on time and have plenty of rest. She repeated it like a broken record to the point Maxen nearly lost his mind.

    Standing on the hospital''s driveway, she giggled while staring at him through the window of the back passenger seat of the cab.

    ''Maxenбн he is still so young, she thought.

    "Your medicines! Don''t forget!" she reminded him when he nced at her. As usual, he didn''t react and averted his eyes coldly.

    Still, she waved him goodbye. "Take care~!" she continued waving, watching the cab drive away.

    Since she didn''t have enough energy tomute, Cosette contacted her driver to pick her up in the hospital. Her driver arrived minutes after Maxen left.

    ''Just when will I wake up?'' that question suddenly hovered over her head, making her eyes droop. ''To be honest, if I can choose between reality and this world, I will choose thetter in a heartbeat.''

    Cosette was terminally ill and was just waiting for her to die. She actually wanted to, so the expenses for her treatment would stop burdening her grandparents.

    ''Grandpa and Grandma...'' her eyes softened at the thought of her grandparents before she shook her head with her eyes closed.

    "Whatever, Cosette!" she pped her cheeks to wake herself up. "That''s not important. What''s important right now is I have more time to meet the other characters!"

    While she cheered herself up, reminding herself of what she should do, the driver nced at the rear mirror. What he saw was the young miss holding both her fists up, looking all determined.

    Usually, the young miss would just sit there in silence while staring at the window. As if she was a goddess; untouchable, unreachable, and unapproachable.

    So, for him to see Cosette, having this energy and determination slightly baffled the driver. And yet, he didn''t say a single word about it.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m The young miss of the c family had the authority to fire anyone at will. He would rather pretend to be mute and deaf instead of stepping out of his bounds and offending her. Moreover, wasn''t it better that the young miss was bing a normal and lovely sixteen-year-old, and not a maturedy trapped in a youngdy''s body?

    *****

    When Cosette returned home, it was as if she didn''t go away overnight. She was still weed by the servants politely, and her father was already at work. It was a freedom most youngsters would enjoy, so she happily went to wash up. Cosette had many ns even for today since she believed this might be herst day in the world of the novel.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Goshбн I can''t believe I actually interacted with Maxen." She cupped her cheek, sitting on the chair in front of the vanity mirror. She was still in her robe with a towel wrapped around her hair, blushing at the memorable encounter she had with her favorite character.

    But as she revisited today''s and yesterday''s memories, a frown slowly dominated her face. Although she was over the moon to meet Maxen бк the viin of the novel''s story бк having a glimpse of the life he had to lead left a bitter taste in her mouth.

    "It looked so real. Even in the hospital, everyoneбн are like real people," came out a murmur, thinking that everyone she met бк be it a character in the novel or just a stranger бк didn''t look any different from actual humans in her world.

    "Come on, Cosette." She pped her cheek lightly, trying to get herself together. "You can''t be distracted with that. Today, I will go to the Academy and take a peek at Asher Quinn! As far as I know, his brother and friends who are also key characters in the novel also study there!"

    The side of her lips stretched even broader as she thought about meeting the male lead and the side characters. If she was a bit early, she would also make a trip to the countryside to meet the female lead.

    Surely, Cosette had her hands full.

    On her bucket list, she already checked the characters she met. For example, nanny Lucia, and the driver George. How she knew about them was because they were mentioned in the novel a couple of times. The driver who would grow old being the personal driver of Cosette was someone she trusted in the novel.

    If anything, the driver knew a lot of secrets more than Lucia or Cosette''s father. But not a single word was said from the driver''s lips. That was why the real Cosette wasfortable, even when the driver was around.

    "Asher, Luke, and Matthew," Cosette uttered the names she was nning to meet today.

    Asher was the male lead, Luke was his little brother, and Jake was the male lead''s best friend. Jake would be Asher''s business partner after ten years when the novel starts.

    Now that she thought about it, there were more characters she could meet in the academy. It was a school of elites, after all. And the novel The Devil''s Heat circled around the socialites, their struggles in the upper echelons, and so on. So, there were a lot of wealthy characters.

    "Even the female lead will enter the upper echelonбн" she muttered, recalling the scene when the ''country bumpkin'' first attended a party for the elites. "That''s where the story will start and how Asher and Mia will meet."

    Cosette smiled, despite knowing she would probably wake up before she would witness that magical first meeting from happening.

    After some time, she readied herself to visit the academy. If she was able to meet the viin, Maxen, she was hopeful she could at least glimpse at the male lead even from afar.

    "Hehe. If only I can ask for their autographs and selfie, but whatever. It''s not like I can take them home." A giggle slipped past her lips as she happily skipped herself towards the walk-in closet to change, for she would stop at nothing in meeting every character she could.

 Chapter 10 The Heart Of A Die-Hard Fan

    Cosette expected it would shock everyone that she was out and about just three hours after she returned home. They weren''t. They were used to it. Still, she informed Lucia that she would go to the academy to get something from her dorm.

    Cosette had a room in the academy; although she rarely used it since she preferred going home. She only stayed in the dormitory if she needed to finish something and couldn''t afford to waste a second on the road.

    ''Sister Cozie is so efficient and responsible that even though she''s only sixteen, her authority in their household is solid,'' she thought, walking through the wide and long driveway of the academy. She told the driver that she wanted to walk, so he only dropped her off at the gates.

    Her lips curled down. "I underestimated how uselessly huge this academy is. I feel like before I reach the main building, it will be nighttime." Cosette grumbled, looking around at the area.

    In the novel, the academy was only mentioned one time and with only one sentence:

    A school of elites.

    Who would have thought the school of elites the author was talking about was far bigger and more morous than anything she had seen? It actually stood to its name and the environment it emitted just by its aesthetic.

    As she sauntered leisurely, she caught a glimpse of a greenhouse on the east wing of the academy.

    There were a few more separate buildings, such as the girl''s and boys'' dormitory, that looked like mansions. It was truly a ce that only the richest among the rich could attend.

    "The people''s wealth in this world doesn''t make sense. But then again, this is the world of the novel. It doesn''t need to make sense." She nodded in agreement.

    "Now I am a little more conflicted," she continued in dismay. "Can I really meet them in such a vast and majestic ce?"

    Meeting Maxen wasn''t all luck sincepared to that public high school, it was far smaller than this academy. The girl''s dormitory was even bigger than the entire Winter highschool. But even with that factid on the table, a heart of a devoted fan such as herself would never give up.

    That was her one and only purpose at the moment, after all. A meet and greet with the characters of her favorite novel.

    Cosette''s eyes lit up as invisible mes exuded from her back. "I will meet him! Just you wait, Ash!"

    *****

    After the seemingly endless walk, Cosette asked around about the floor and which building was the juniors of the school were at. Since it was only stated in the novel that Asher and Cosette were schoolmates and he was two years ahead of her year, she didn''t have an idea which ss exactly Asher was in.

    Right now, Cosette was in her second year of high school; meaning she still had to attend four years of high school. Asher, on the other hand, needed two more years before he graduate.

    "The staff said this floorбн" Cosette took thest step up and walked through the empty corridor. As she did, she kept ncing at the ssrooms she would pass by. It didn''t surprise her that each ssroom only had several students inside.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Some only consisted of ten students and the max was around twenty. Although it wasn''t surprising since this was the world of the novel, she couldn''t help but be in awe. All students she had a glimpse of all looked wealthy.

    "I didn''t see anyone who matches the male lead''s description." She frowned after passing by thest room and reaching the end of the corridor. "In the novel, the male lead was said to have jet ck hair with eyes as dark as the void. The author said that even if he was in arge crowd, he would stand out."

    Apparently, the students she had seen so far from inside the ssrooms all stood out! They were all good-looking!

    "Goshбн" she pinched the space between her brows, trying to think how she would find him. She deliberately didn''t give away her reasons when she was asking around and avoided mentioning Asher''s name at all costs. But it seemed she had no choice.

    Was there really no way to find his whereabouts unless she became direct and bold? Should she try a different approach? But considering that even though Cosette and Asher shared the same circle of friends and business associates in the novel, their first meeting would be a few yearster.

    ''Well, it''s not like this is all real,'' Cosette cocked her head at the sudden thought that crossed her mind. ''That''s right. Even if I be a bit bold, it''s not like I''m literally inside the novel.''

    Cosette talked to herself for a good five minutes, telling herself that she could do whatever she wanted since nothing would go wrong. Even if there was, it was not like this was all real. Still, there was this lingering fear of ''what ifs'' inside her heart.

    "Goshбн I don''t know!" she stomped her feet and turned around, only for her face to crash against something sturdy. "Ah!"

    On instinct, Cosette grabbed the person''s clothes to stop herself from staggering back. Fortunately, the towering student had a good foothold, so even when she grabbed him, he stood there like a wall.

    "Goshбн am I running out of luck?" she murmured, rubbing her forehead before gazing up.

    Dark eyes as dark as a void and as cold as ice hovered over her. His tousled jet ck hair dangled down and its tip reached across his fleek and thick brows. For a moment, her world stopped and recalled all the words the author used to describe Asher.

    Someone who would stand out even if he was put in arge crowd: dark eyes that seemed to suck one''s soul, long pointy nose, thin red lips, and cold facial features as if he was suffering from facial paralysis.

    This studentбн looked so simr to the author''s description. There was no mistaking it. Deep down, even before her brain could confirm it, the heart of the die-hard fan already knew.

    Asher Quinn.

    "Your hand," came out a monotone voice, but still strangely sounded so pleasant in the ear.

    "Wowбн" she breathed out unconsciously. "бн husband of the year."

 Chapter 11 Meeting The Husband Of The Year

    "бн the husband of the year."

    Asher frowned as his brows furrowed, but said nothing. Instead, he assisted her until she was standing in her stature like a gentleman while she looked at him with strange emotions in her eyes. He knew all the faces on this floor, so he was certain she was from another ss.

    Was she another admirer of his?

    He narrowed his eyes. "Are you alright?" he queried whilst studying her out of habit.

    Nothing. She was too star-struck.

    "Miss?" he spoke once again after a minute of letting her stare, patting her knuckles because she was still gripping his uniform''s cket. This time, Cosette snapped her eyes as she hurriedly released his uniform as soon as she realized her grip.

    "Uh." Sheughed awkwardly, holding her hand behind her. "Sorry."

    Cosette stepped aside stiffly and motioned her hand. "Sorry for blocking your way. Go."

    "Go?" his brow arched. His tone and expression forced her into a state of panic. Did shee off rude?

    "Uhm... I''m meanбн" She cleared her throat and felt like shrinking under his gaze. Her mouth opened and closed, but her voice wouldn''te out.

    "Miss, this is a floor..."

    "Yes, I''m sorry! Goodbye!"

    Asher trailed off, blinking his eyes before he raised them at the youngdy dashing away like a bolt of lightning. His brows creased, tilting his head to the side.

    "What was that about?" he muttered with myriads of question marks over his head. The way Cosette was like she was fleeing from a crime scene.

    "The students getting admitted to this Academy just get weirder and weirder." Asher shook his head while ttening the crease she created in his uniform before resuming in his steps as if nothing happened.

    *****

    Cosette only stopped when reached the ground floor, catching up to her breathing while holding onto the railing. Her face flushed in red, patting her chest to calm her speeding heart.

    "I met him," she breathed out, raising both her fists to her lips, recalling Ashen''s handsome face. "I even spoke to him!"

    "Kyaбк" She covered her lips and looked around cautiously, suppressing her joy in meeting the male lead, Asher Quinn, in person. She was on cloud nine, although she fled like a criminal.

    Her meeting with the viin, Maxen, felt like watching a heart-wrenching movie film. It tugged her heart that she felt like crying with just the thought of it. On the other hand, meeting Asher was different. It was like meeting a celebrity!

    Her breathing even grew ragged as she tried to calm her heart. If only she could scream right at this moment, she would''ve done it, since it was hard to contain the happiness welling up in her heart.

    "Goshбн I met the husband of the yearбн!" Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line as she recalled Asher''s heart-melting gestures and dialogue in the novel.<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the novel, Asher was known to be an aloof person. He was the typical male lead who had it all: wealth, power, fame, and beauty. Say it, he had it. But when Asher met the female lead, his uneventful life turned upside down. Just like every cliche novel, the ever-perfect yet cold man slowly warmed up all because of the power of love!

    A lot of readers admired him as he set the bar too high. He became a doting boyfriend who only had the female lead in his eyes. And to think, a reader like Cosette would be able to meet himбн it was truly a dreame true бк even though he was still in his teens!

    She could actually die without regrets now. What a simple-minded girl.

    "Ahhбн I''m so happy." A relieved smile dominated her face. She would treasure that simple meeting forever.

    When she recovered, Cosette still wandered the academy hoping to see some characters in the novel. But s, she didn''t meet any of them, aside from Asher.

    She was already happy, though. Meeting Asher was like winning the lottery.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m After wandering the academy, George, Cosette''s personal driver, picked her up. Sitting on the back seat of the car, a bright smile was dominating her face. Even if she tried to take that smile off of her face, she couldn''t. It felt like it was already cemented in her face.

    George could not help but nce at the young miss through the rear mirror. His brows rose in confusion but kept his mouth shut like always.

    "How the day passed by so fast," she muttered, leaning the side of her head as she gazed outside the window.

    The sky was already painted in a warm tone of tangerine, and the lights from the cars on the highway were already twinkling like stars on thend.

    "I can''t sleep yet," she told herself, smiling. "I still have something to do before I wake up from this dream."

    And that was to eat dinner with Cosette''s father.

    Living in this body for two days granted her the chance to meet the important characters in the novel. So, this dinner was the least she could do for the viiness in the story. It may not change anything in the story, but at least in her memory, she could delude herself that Cosette had a warm memory of her beloved father.

    The two of them just needed tomunicate, that''s all. So, that was her n before the day ends.

    When Cosette reached home, her father hadn''t arrived just yet. So while waiting for him, she washed up once again and rolled around the bed while hugging the pillow to muffle her squealings.

    KNOCK KNOCK!

    "Young Miss, it''s time for dinner. The Master had already returned."

    Cosette gazed at the door and grinned, eyes glinting in excitement. "Coming!"

    Cosette hurriedly jumped out of the bed to stand in front of the mirror, practicing the real Cosette c''s demeanor and expression. If she acted too excited, it would only make her father suspicious. Same with if she acted too sweet.

    Cosette c was aloof, sharp, and cunning. So, she had to exert a bit of effort to be the same with a touch of the Cosette that was now inhabiting this body.

    "Let''s do it like how sister Cozie will do it!" she cheered, eyes zing with determination.

 Chapter 12 Reality Slowly Sinking In

    The ambiance at the dinner table was quiet, awkward, and ufortable to be in. Cosette squealed internally,ining at howe her handsome father, whom she could also fangirl over, was being too silent! She felt like making a sound would annoy him. Conrad was intimidating even without trying.

    When Cosette joined him at the dining table, her father, Conrad c, only cast her a cold nce. He only looked at her one time and then ate without a word. This was something new to her, it wasn''t for Conrad or the servants on standby.

    Everyone except her was already used to the stiff atmosphere between the two. Cosette was too prideful and her father wasn''t the affectionate type. Together? It was total silence.

    Their personality was what caused the two to be what they were now: distant, and never talked unless it was important. Just like what was described in the novel.

    ''What am I supposed to tell him?'' she wondered, distressed that it seemed Conrad didn''t n on striking a conversation! ''Ugh..! Sister Cozieбн this is too much of an assignment!''

    Cosette nced at Conrad, who was eating elegantly like a real elite he was. She couldn''t deny that Conrad''s appearance was akin to Cosette''s cold front but much more mature. Although his unchanging expression added allure to his charm, she didn''t know how to break the ice with this man.

    Just then, her eyes lit up as an idea shed across her mind.

    Cosette cleared her throat to get her father''s attention. When she knew Conrad cast her a look, she sported an indifferent look while slicing through the steak.

    "I gained a friend yesterday," she spoke, making Conrad quirk a brow as this was the first time in a long time his daughter spoke somethingбн trivial. It was almost as if his ever strict daughter wanted to engage in a conversation with him.

    "Our meeting was a littleбн strange, but we still became good friends in the end," she added with a shrug.

    "I see." Conrad nodded while she set her eyes back to him. "That''s good, then."

    ''Is that all he had to say?'' she mentally clicked her tongue, but then remembered that Conrad was a man of few words. Not to mention, he didn''t know how to talk to his daughter, as it had been a while since she spoke sweetly to him or expressed his emotions properly.

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line as a shallow breath slipped past her lips. Her ns to make Conrad and Cosette closer were harder than she thought. It wouldn''t easily get fixed as if nothing happened in just one dinner.

    ''Sorry, sister Cozie. If I can stay longer, I wanted you to get closer to your father. Butбн'' Her thoughts trailed off as she sighed for the umpteenth time. ''бн I think this is all I can do.''

    She was sad, obviously.

    She wanted to do something for her second favorite character in this world. But pushing her luck could have a negative effect and raise suspicion. Although she had told herself multiple times that doing drastic changes wouldn''t change the story since it was all a dream. A part of her told her she still needed to stay cautious. Hence, she was being careful бк even though she believed she shouldn''t.

    The dinner ended in silence as neither of them talked again after that brief conversation. Cosette and Conrad parted without saying a single word, leaving this heaviness in her heart as she returned to her room.

    Lying on the bed, Cosette rested an arm on her forehead while staring at the ceiling.

    "It''s strange that this dream feels like my reality," she muttered, revisiting the events that urred ever since she awoke in this dream.

    It wasn''t the usual dream where it would skip at random times. There were no sudden monsters or superheroes flying out of nowhere, too.<novelnext></novelnext>

    All the things that happened followed the cause-and-effect rule. Just like in the road earlier, a speeding car received honks from those it passed by. The happenings in the hospital, the people she interacted with until now, and so much more felt like they were real people with their own hearts and a story to tell.

    "Really... what a strange dreamбн" she repeated under her breath, recalling how tender and tasty the dinner she had tonight was.

    Was that even normal? Cosette was unsure. But what she still believed until now was everything woulde to an end once she closed her eyes.

    Her eyes weakly opened and closed, feeling sleepy with a full stomach. Herst thought wasбн once she opened her eyes again, she would be back to her reality.

    It was a bittersweet experience, but she was already happy to meet the viin, the viiness, the male lead, and some minor characters.

    ''It was really a dreame true,'' she whispered before sumbing to the darkness.

    *****

    The next morningбн

    The light knock from the door woke her up, followed by Lucia''s gentle voice from outside the door.

    "Young miss, are you awake now?" asked Lucia, who was standing outside the room of the young mistress of the house.

    ''Ahhбн what a wonderful dream. I can still hear Lucia''s voice,'' Cosette thought as the knocking stopped and so was Lucia''s voice.

    Cosette stretched, blinking wearily while her brain buffered.

    When the same ceiling came clear, her eyes slowly dted as Cosette suddenly sit upright. She looked around, sporting an aghast expression, as this was still Cosette''s room in the novel.

    For a moment, her mind malfunctioned as myriads of questions polluted her mind like a virus.

    "Noбн!" she gasped in horror, flinging her legs out of the bed to rush towards the vanity mirror. As soon as she saw the beautiful youngdy''s reflection, she touched her face in a hurry.

    "No wayбн" came out a disbelief voice as she staggered back.

    Her first two days were like a blessing to her as she had only thought of taking the opportunity to meet the characters in the novel. Her heart for the past two days was filled with nothing but joy and excitement.

    But on this third day, her heart was slowly being filled with nothing but dread.

    Impossible, she thought. Did she truly transmigrate in her favorite novel as the viiness?!

 Chapter 13 A Quick Review Of The Original Storyline

    Filled with anxiety, uncertainty, and doubt, the third time Cosette awoke in this world warranted her to stay inside her room all day. She barely even touched the food Lucia brought her as she tried to sleep for as long as she could during the third day.

    But Cosette still woke up inside this same room and inside the body of Cosette c on the fourth day. At that point, she was still in denial, but not as strong as the third day.

    Then another day came, and then another one.

    Now, on the sixth day, Cosette had finally epted that she had transmigrated into a world of a novel. Lucia had been increasingly worried about her, but she would barely voice it out as Cosette gave her a cold shoulder.

    "Let''s seeбн" Cosette hummed, sitting on the chair in front of her study table with a pen in her hand and a notebook. "If I really transmigrated here, I should start penning down what this world is, the characters, and everything I can recall, so I won''t forget them."

    She nodded in determination, writing down the plot of the novel: The Devil''s Den.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 In the original novel, it would start around ten years from now.

    At the beginning of the story, Mia, the protagonist, a brave girl full of dreams from the countryside, went to a big city to pursue an acting career. It wasn''t easy for a girl who didn''t have connections like her.

    Still, with hard work to hone her craft and perseverance to pursue what she loved, her hard work slowly born fruit. Mia started getting small roles and did her best each time. No matter how small her role was, she would leave her mark. With a beautiful face that looked so endearing and easy to remember,bined with her skill in acting, dancing, and singing, Mia slowly gain recognition and eventually reached sess.

    As a sessful actress, Mia''s social circle was full of elites in the upper echelon. So, it was no surprise for her to attend a high-ss gathering.

    One of them was a fateful night where her life took a magical turn. It was a yacht party she attended just to unwind and rx to forget her terrible ex-boyfriend. As she tried to keep a low profile and hid from the crowd whilst drinking, she bumped into a handsome man.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was Asher Quinn.

    Asher simply went to the upper deck to make a phone call, but he didn''t know he would meet an intoxicateddy, ming him dramatically just because he shared the same gender as her previous lover. It put him in a tight spot since Mia was weeping while clinging to the railings.

    He nned to leave her, but when a strong wave hit the yacht, Mia was nearly thrown out of the yacht. So, in the end, he had no choice but to stay with her and listen to her whims.

    When he got her to calm down, they both sat down on the deck. Mia kept spewing her heartaches and woe, and somehow, with her personality, she managed to make Asher talk about himself. There, she found out that Asher was being pressured to marry as he was nearing his thirties.

    Carefree as she was, Mia volunteered to be his lover бк not a wife бк just to stop his elders from pressuring him to marry. Of course, Asher justughed it off, ming the alcohol in her system. Still, they continued talking about anything random, as if they had already known each other for a long time, even though it was their first meeting.

    Time passed without them realizing it and Mia eventually passed out. Gentleman as he was, Asher carried her and found her a room to rest. However, just as heid her down, she clung to him and embraced him like a pillow.

    Nothing happened between them, but that was the highlight of the beginning of the story. Because the next day, Mia brought up their conversation the night before regarding the deal of being his ''secret'' lover. All she wanted in return was to make her stupid ex-boyfriend know he wasn''t a loss to her.

    It was an abrupt and ridiculous deal where they simply wanted to meet their goal. However, what they didn''t know was that it was the start of a wonderful romance.

    "The story started off as cliche and light, full of fluff," Cosette muttered while tapping the end of the pen against the notebook, recalling the first volume of the novel.

    "But then volume 2 took a drastic turn."

 Chapter 14 A Quick Review Of The Original Storyline II

    "But then volume 2 took a drastic turn."

    Her expression turned grim because, in volume two, new characters were introduced. Asher and Mia in volume two had already developed feelings for each other, but they hadn''t confessed yet.

    "In volume 2, Maxen appeared and Sister Cozie." A sigh slipped past her lips. Thetter''s appearance in the novel and her interest in the male lead would pale inparison to Maxen''s obsession.

    "Maxen, the viinбн" Cosette let out another deep sigh as she started writing down the crimes and the unforgivable sins he would do in the novel. "****, murder, illegal dealings, and his connections in the underground world."

    She cringed as she recalled how Maxen became a terrifying monster in the novel. Maxen wasn''t the type who would do love. He took pleasure in other people''s agony, and he wouldn''t even bat an eye if someone died right in front of him.

    He was sick in the head, to say the least.

    When Maxen met Mia, he didn''t love her, nor did he like her. If anything, what caught his eyes was Mia''s light. The female lead was a virtuousdy whose smile could capture anyone''s heart. It would make one assume that Mia only led a good life.

    And that was what annoyed Maxen. She looked like the type of person he loathed the most. Someone who seemed to have it all and could shine so brightly. He wanted to kill that light and take away that smile on her face.

    Thus, as a psychopath and cold-blooded as he was, Maxen entrapped Mia in a party and ordered men to take advantage of her. Yes. Maxen was a despicable viin that one would hate from the get-go.

    "Volume 2 revolved around Mia''s struggle with Maxen and how her rtionship with Asher ended. Maxen was a dangerous man who could stand on equal ground as Asher. So, she didn''t tell him, and she was afraid that Asher would see the video of her being used by different men. She went through a very dark path in the first half of volume 2 before Maxen slowly softened up to her." Cosette nodded as the smart Mia didn''t let Maxen kill her spirit.

    Instead, Mia became the person Maxen wanted her to be. She pretended to like him and was obedient. She endured sleeping with the man she hated and smiled at him as if he didn''t make her go through all those traumatic things. She did all that to protect the family who raised her in the countryside.

    But Maxen knew all that.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He was aware that she was simply pretending. That no matter how much he would change for her, Mia''s heart would never be his. And yet, he was already willing to believe this superficial and brittle yet beautiful rtionship they had.

    Maxen was already content with their rtionship, despite knowing she hated him to the core. In the end, Asher didn''t give up on her and secretly met Mia. The male lead secured her family to where Maxen wouldn''t be able to find or reach them. And that''s how Mia plotted her revenge and escape n from Maxen''s clutches.

    To make the story short, Mia and Asher sessfully brought down Maxen''spany and revealed their organization. In the action-packed ending, Maxen finally met his end in a car ident while he was on the run.

    "That''s how the viin died and Asher still epted Mia, even though she is already tainted." Cosette frowned, as the ending was satisfactory since Maxen deserved his ending if they only looked at his present deeds in the novel. However, there was a reason Maxen became a monster.

    "Unlike Mia and Asher, Maxen never had anyone to save him. He didn''t have salvation while growing up. Since birth, the world was just nothing but cruel to him," she added with the same dejected tone. "But Maxenбн when he slowly warmed up to Mia, even though he knew their rtionship wasn''t real, he still showed his humane side of him. He still chose to trust her, even though he knew she would betray him."

    For Cosette, if Asher lived the life Maxen led, he would also turn out to be a monster. Actually, not just her, but everyone who took their time in understanding the viin would understand him бк not tolerate, but understand him.

    "Because, in reality, everyone can be a monster just like him. In the same situation, even I can be a monster. Mia also discovered that she was capable of killing, considering everything that happened to her in the hands of the viin. She only didn''t do so because Asher stopped her, but if he didn''t, Maxen would have died in Mia''s hands instead of in a car ident."

    Cosette''s frown remained as she recalled the story she was only reading, but now she was a part of it.

    "Ten years," she whispered, mustering her courage as her eyes flickered in determination. "We''re still ten years before the main story begins. I have plenty of time. In the novel, Maxen didn''t have anything to do with any of the characters before he met the female lead ten years from now. Soбн even if I change his future, Asher and Mia will still meet and fall in love. I am just taking out the final boss. The story can end in the first volume."

    With that thought in mind, Cosette''s eyes burned with determination to change the fate of just one character. Little did she know, her action from this moment on wouldn''t just change one person''s life but a lot more than she initially nned.

    And thus, the start of the mission to keep the ultimate boss of the story from walking down the same bloody path, just like in the novel.

 Chapter 15 Transferee

    Cosette had been staying in her room for the past few days, but tonight would be different. She epted the fact she transmigrated into the world of the novel. She had to бк not like she had any other option.

    Therefore, she nned that her mission wouldmence tonight.

    "I heard you weren''t feeling well in the past days." Conrad broke the silence as his daughter finally joined him for dinner. He watched his daughter nce at him briefly before she set her eyes back on her te.

    That was Conrad''s cue to stop talking.

    His daughter was cold and aloof. Although he was already d that she was doing well and topping her exams, he couldn''t help but worry. Cosette was still young, but she was too mature for her age. He appreciated her efforts and intentions to be someone worthy of being the next head of the family, but Cosette was wasting her youth.

    He couldn''t directly tell her that, though. It would only upset her and she would only think that he didn''t have enough trust in her.

    As Conrad thought of ways how to make his daughter listen, Cosette was secretly beating herself on how to ask her father a favor. Although she already knew that Conrad would agree to any of her requests, she still wanted to wait for the perfect time.

    ''There will be no perfect time in here,'' she told herself, nodding mentally. ''There''s no development from thest dinner with him to now. If I don''t act now, I will surely regret itter. The original story will start in ten years, but thest boss is slowly bing the devil incarnate.''

    "I want to transfer school," came out a weak voice as she raised her head, revealing the determination written all over her face. Her father quirked a brow, a bit baffled at what he just heard.

    "You want to transfer school?" he repeated for rification and saw her nod. "Why? Is there something wrong in the academy I must know?"

    Cosette shook her head lightly. "It''s nothing like that. The past few days, I locked myself in my room to meditate and think about everything and not because I was unwell. After mulling over it, I want to change school."

    Conrad was a bit taken aback by her remarks, but it wasn''t really surprising for Cosette to decide on things suddenly. What was surprising was her suggestion to transfer to another school in the middle of the school year.

    There were myriads of questions inside his head, but he knew those types of questions were things that Cosette wouldn''t like. Thus, he only considered what was important.

    "Why?" he asked in the same distant tone. "What will you gain by transferring from the best academy in the country to another?"

    "Becauseбн" Cosette paused as she gazed up at him, staring at him straight in the eye. "бн I wanted to understand what a normal sixteen-year-old girl is like."

    Her answer made his eyes dte momentarily. Did he hear her correctly? Cosette? His daughter? Who was obsessed with bing a perfect leader was saying she wanted to beбн normal?

    "I will not gain that development in the academy since everything in there is about connections. I want to attend a school where my peers won''t see me as the heiress of the BLK Group. I may be sacrificing future connections and opportunities, butбн I don''t want Father to worry about this thing anymore."

    Conrad opened and closed his mouth, but his words were stuck in his throat. His daughter was a perfectionist, so to think she wanted to transfer school just because she wanted to understand something she considered ''ridiculous'' was shocking. But the real bomb she dropped was when she called him father, not chairman or master.

    "I already had a school in mind, the Winter Highschool. It only needs Father''s approval." She kept it short and simple, acting like how the real Cosette would act and speak. She looked at her father without showing too much information, watching Conrad clear his throat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "If that is what you want, I''ll make arrangementsбн" his eyes dted because for a split second, his daughter smiled.

    It wasn''t a big smile; it was even barely noticeable, but she did smile. Not the usual smile she had practiced, but a candid one. He could not help but have this lingering hope that Cosette also sincerely wanted to be a normal sixteen-year-old where she shouldn''t be afraid ofmitting mistakes.

    "Thank you, Papa." Cosette resumed eating, grinning internally as she couldn''t shrug off this happiness in her heart. It was as if she could feel her heart slowly get healed.

    ******

    Three dayster in Winter Highschool...

    After Maxen got discharged and returned to his small apartment room, his life returned to how it was. Dull.

    Although Cosette nagged him to take care of himself and take plenty of rest, there was no way he would do that. He wasn''t like her, who had the leisure to rest. He needed to attend to his part-time.

    ''I shouldn''t think about her,'' he told himself, gazing at the window from where he sat with his elbows propped against the desk in their chaotic ssroom. ''I don''t even know her name, nor does she know mine. It''s not like we will meet again.''

    He mentally nodded, erasing the memory of the youngdy who was the first person to show kindness to him. For Maxen, that type of person was someone who was pampered at home and had so muchpassion to give. She just pitied him. That was why she was like that.

    Just as he thought he would never meet that strange youngdy again, he thought wrong.

    A secondter, their homeroom teacher finally arrived and his ssmates that were standing and talking loudly took their respective seats. Maxen didn''t pay attention to their homeroom teacher, nor did he find the silence that dawned on their ssroom odd.

    He was just there for attendance, so he wouldn''t get kicked out. So, it didn''t really matter.

    "Okay, ss. Before we proceed to our lesson, I would like to introduce to you your new ssmate." The teacher smiled as he cast the new transferee a look.

    Everyone in section F gazed at the beautiful girl standing next to the teacher; male students had their jaw fall open at this beauty they had never seen before while females bore mixed expressions. Some were displeased by the appearance of the beauty, while others could not help but admire her.

    Meanwhile, Maxen slowly set his eyes in the front and they instantly dted as soon as his gazended on that familiar face.

    "Hello. My name is Cosette c. I hope we get along well." Cosette shed an amiable smile as she tilted her head down politely.

    ''What the...'' Maxen felt a chill down his spine when he caught her gaze that beamed evilly for a split second.

 Chapter 16 First Day Of School

    "I hope you all be kind and considerate with Miss c, you understand?" The teacher tapped the table in the front with his thin notebook while gazing at everyone. "Miss c, take any empty seat."

    "Thank you." Cosette nodded as her eyes gloss over the room. The side of her lips stretched when she caught the empty seat next to Maxen. She didn''t idle as she sauntered to the empty chair beside Maxen, ignoring the gazes from her new ssmates, and offered him a smile.

    "Can I sit here?" she asked, but Maxen just nced up at her and looked away. Of course, he would ignore her. What did she expect?

    "I''ll sit then."

    Cosette shrugged her shoulders as she took a seat. She could feel a lot of eyes from her ssmates on her, but she continued to ignore them as she gazed at Maxen.

    He was cupping his jaw, eyes on the window. It had been days since he was hospitalized after getting beaten up pretty badly, but it seemed Maxen didn''t take enough rest. There were still evident bruises on the side of his face and his hands were still bandaged.

    ''Of course, he is not the person who has the leisure to rest,'' she thought as the ss started, ncing at Maxen from time to time. ''At least his face was less swollen.''

    Days ago, Maxen was barely recognizable. With a swollen face, red sclera with a ck eye, and bruises all over him, Cosette didn''t actually see Maxen''s devious beauty, just like what the novel described him, even with his extra weight.

    In his school ID, Maxen also had a bruise on his lips and the bag under his eyes was too dark.

    ''I wonder if he recognizes me? In the novel, Maxen was said that he only remembers a few people who deserve his attention. He probably sees me as apassionate stranger who shouldn''t be remembered,'' she thought, taking a notebook and pen as she started doodling.

    One thing that she found out was, she couldn''t recall Cosette''s previous memories before taking over her body, but she gained her abilities.

    For example, Cosette was a fast learner. Hence, even if she barely paid attention to the ss, she understood the topic.

    ''Didn''t he really remember me?'' she wondered while doodling, mind drifting away without noticing the passing time.

    Time had passed in a blink of an eye, and it was time for lunch. As soon as their history teacher left the ssroom, multiple students flocked around Cosette''s seat.

    "Hello. Do you want to eat lunch with us?" asked a female student kindly.

    "Hey, do you have a boyfriend?" A male student inquired as he dragged his chair near her desk, sitting with the back of the chair in the front.

    A few more enthusiastic ssmates, who were intrigued by the transferee, raised different types of questions. Who wouldn''t? Aside from that it was already in the middle of the school year, Cosette was a catch.

    Cosette smiled politely and nced at Maxen, who suddenly got up from his seat and left without a word. He didn''t cast her a look as he walked away, just like that.

    "Tch. What an arrogant guy," said a male student as he clicked his tongue. It was obvious he disliked Maxen and saw him as weird.

    "Don''t mind them. You can join us for lunch if you want?"

    She smiled at the group of female students, as it was better to get to know them too. "Alright. I''ll join you for lunch."

    It was not like she was in a hurry to be friends with Maxen. Knowing the viin of the story, forcing herself into his life, would surely have the opposite effect. She needed to take it slow and steady.

    ****

    The school cafeteria of Winter Highschool was just like the cafeteria in her previous life. Students from all year formed by group, some were already eating while others were still lining up for their turn. Cosette, along with her three female ssmates, finally found a spot in the corner where they could eat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''s ate introduction, but my name is Sarah." The youngdy introduced herself with a friendly smile.

    "I''m Amie," said the second girl with sses and short hair.

    "And I''m Fay."

    Cosette smiled as she scanned the faces of the three. Sarah was pretty, with a long, ck hair that was clipped to the side. She was the perfect representation of a good girl, with her amiable demeanor. Amie, on the other hand, looked smart and cute with her short, bob hair that suit her small face. Meanwhile, Fay had her long curly hair tied into a ponytail бк she looked boyish, but somehow, she looked beautiful despite theck of powder on her face andck of essories.

    "You can call me Cozie. Thank you for inviting me for lunch." Her friendly smile remained while the other three girls smiled back. Now, this felt like normal. When she arrived in this world, Cosette always thought her life wasn''t normal.

    "It''s nothing.." Sarah grinned as she waved. "It''s already a shock that a student transferred to this school in the middle of the school year."

    "If you don''t mind me asking, which school are you from? Did you get in trouble with your previous school? That''s why you transferred here?" Fay inquired in interest, sizing up Cosette. "Although... I don''t think you are the type to get in trouble."

    ''She''s sharp,'' Cosette thought, clearing her throat. "It''s becauseбн my family moved. So I had no option but to switch school in the middle of the school year."

    She didn''t mean to lie, but she didn''t want to tell them she actually came from the best of the best school in the country. Also, it was best for them to think that she was just like them and not some heiress of a business mogul.

    "Ohhбн that''s why." The three of them nodded in understanding and they all moved on from the topic.

    *****

    "How was your first day in your new school?" Conrad inquired as he nced at Cosette. Today was her first day in her new school, so he was a bit worried. The school she chose had a terrible reputation, that was why. But since his daughter named that school, he didn''t want to stop her, since it would warrant another argument.

    Cosette smiled as she raised her head to him. "I gained new friends. Their name is Sarah, Amie, and Fay. They were my ssmates. We ate lunch together and walked home."

    Conrad''s eyes softened as Cosette seemed please as she talked about her first day. He nodded, listening to his daughter''s soft voice as if it was music to his ears. Although Cosette was still acting almost the same, she was speaking more every dinner. He just hoped that he wouldn''t regret letting his daughter in a school full of delinquents.

    "That''s good, then." He mused with a nod.

    "Yes." Cosette gazed down with a subtle smile on her face, recalling that after lunchtime, Maxen skipped school again. She then raised her eyes at Conrad and lifted her fist up.

    "Papa, I shouldn''t give up, right?" Conrad''s brows arched as he studied her determined face.

    His eyes softened, as she had been calling him ''Papa'' ever since that night. "You can do it. You are my daughter, after all."

    "That''s right." Cosette''s eyes lit up, thinking that she wouldn''t let Maxen off next time. "I''m the daughter of the most handsome daddy in this world, so I absolutely can do it."

    What did she just say? Conrad knitted his brow, looking at his daughter, who was suddenly on fire about something. In the end, he subtly smiled and kept his thought to himself.

    As their dinner continued, the maids who were witnessing and hearing the conversation between the father and daughter appalled them. It had been many years since the two of them talked like they were family, and thisбн warmed up their heart.

    It seemed peace was finallying to this household with the young miss opening up to her father, and the master initiating conversations. They all hoped that the master and the young miss would finally treat each other as family and not strangers or colleagues living under the same roof.

 Chapter 17 Catching A Rare Pokemon

    Four days had passed since Cosette transferred to her new school. Maxen didn''te back after skipping ss on her first day, demotivating her even more with days he was absent. It was just not fun when the reason (Maxen) she chose this school wasn''t around.

    "You keep looking at that spot." Sarah pointed out, sitting on the chair in front of Cosette. "The person who sits there is always absent, but whenever he turns up, he is always covered with bruises."

    "That''s right. He hangs around those delinquents, so he always gets in trouble," Fay chimed in, as her chair was just right next to Cosette.

    Amie was Fay''s seatmate, so she peeked her head forward and over her desk, eyes on Cosette.

    "You should be careful with that person, sister Cozie. They said that he even hurt women if they offend him." Amie warned her.

    Cosette frowned, but she couldn''t me them. They had a basis on their ims since Maxen was a loner. Although they said Maxen was usually quiet inside the room, the constant bruises on him whenever he goes to school were enough barometers he was going down the wrong path.

    ''Did he get beaten up again? That''s why he was absent?'' she wondered with a frown, gazing at Sarah, who was still giving her warning on not to get too close with Maxen.

    "He may be quiet, but who knows what''s going on inside his mind бк" Sarah abruptly stopped as she cleared her throat, ncing at the entrance of the room. Out of curiosity, Cosette gazed at the entrance and relief filled her heart.

    There, Maxen was justing in hours after the ss started. The aloof air around him was still there, but it didn''t seem he was beaten up. His swelling face soothed a little and his ck eye was almost gone. There was still a band-aid across his cheekbone, but unlike the first time they met, she could finally see his facial features better.

    Maxen sat down on the seat beside Cosette, not giving her a look, lost in the world through the musicing out of his loud headphones. Thetter, on the other hand, smiled as she studied his side profile.

    ''I will not let him off this time,'' she cheered, on fire on sticking with Maxen for as long as she could.

    Soon, the ss started, but Cosette never left her eyes on Maxen. She was literally drilling a hole in his head with her gaze that Maxen couldn''t ignore anymore.

    ''She''s so annoying,'' he thought.

    He slowly cocked his head in her direction, raising a brow and mouthed. ''What?'' but the only reply he received was a smug grin.

    ''What is she nning?'' he wondered as he looked away, staring at the window once again. Whatever reason Cosette was staring at him or whatever she was thinking was none of his business. To him, it was better if he have nothing to do with her.

    His gut feeling told him it was better that way. Cosette was someone who would get along with everyone. Butбн he was theplete opposite.

    ''She should stop staring, though,'' he muttered inwardly, still feeling her gaze from his side. ''She'' starting to creep me out.''

    *****<novelnext></novelnext>

    When lunchtime approached, Sarah turned around to tell Cosette they should eat together. However, thetter hurriedly put her things back in her backpack and told them she had something else to do. The three nodded in confusion and watched her flee the room.

    "Did something happen?" Sarah wondered, casting Fay and Amie the same baffled look. Both of them shrugged as they were just as puzzled.

    Meanwhile...

    ''There he is!'' Cosette hurriedly followed Maxen as she caught his figure turn to the corridor. ''I will not let him skip school alone. Sorry, daddy dear. But your perfect daughter will finally skip ss for the first time in her life.''

    She looked up while holding onto the railings of the staircase. Maxen was heading upstairs, so she kept a safe distance from him. She followed him and soon reached the rooftop.

    ''I thought he will go to the back of the school, but to think he went in the rooftopбн'' Cosette peeked her head through the door, only to flinch when Maxen spoke.

    "Why are you following me?" he asked, leaning on the side of the door with his arms crossed. He raised a brow, watching her clear her throat as she opened the door and entered the rooftop.

    "Well, I''m not." Cosette lied through her teeth, averting her eyes, hands inteced behind her.

    She followed him, thinking he would sneak outside the school. Her n was to see what he was doing whenever he would skip ss. But to think Maxen would go on the rooftop, a part of her assumed he would meet someone... but it turned out she was simply overthinking.

    "Hahбн" Maxen clicked his tongue as he shook his head, sauntering to the shade around the entrance of the rooftop. He didn''t say anything as he plopped his butt down on the floor, his back on the wall, eyes closed to enjoy the midday breeze hitting his face.

    Cosette pressed her lips together as she took careful steps and shamelessly sat at an arms-length beside him. Her shoulder tensed up when Maxen gazed at her with an arched brow.

    "Can I sit?" she asked awkwardly, only to receive a sarcastic, "you''ve already sat down."

    He had his eyes closed while she studied him like a curious cat. "What are you listening to?" she asked out of in curiosity, but he didn''t answer.

    Their day yed out without the two of them talking. Maxen ignored her throughout, and she just stayed silent like a shadow. He didn''t even ask if it was fine for her to skip ss, although it crossed his mind.

    ''Weird,'' he thought, slowly opening his eyes and catching her doodling in her notebook. ''Why is she here? What is she curious about?''

    His eyes lingered on her briefly before closing them again. ''Whatever. She will stop if I keep ignoring her.''

    Unbeknownst to him, his number one fan wasn''t someone who will give up easily. It was just the beginning of having her as his tail, like a shadow who was always following him.

 Chapter 18 Skipping Classes

    Hours after the school bell rang, Maxen only got up from his spot on the rooftop when the sky turned orange. Cosette was still there, silently staring at him while cupping her cheeks. His lips parted to tell her to scram now, but instead, he gave her cold shoulders.

    Talking to her would open up opportunities for her to talk, and he didn''t want that. So, in silence, Maxen left the rooftop while Cosette followed behind.

    ''He''s really not the chatty person,'' she thought, staring at Maxen''s back as he never spoke a word for hours. He even ignored her, but she was fine with it since she could watch him sleep to her heart''s content.

    It sounded creepy, but... well, she carry pure intention. Really.

    ''For some reason, this feelsбн peaceful.'' She mentally nodded, stepping on his shadow that was stretching towards her. ''He didn''t tell me to scram or anything, but that''s alright. Even if he ignores me, there''s no greater joy for me than spending the day with him. Sister Cozie will still be an heiress, and that''s an unchanging fact.''

    A subtle smile appeared on her lips. Somehow, the warm orange tone of the world as the sun sets touched her heart. Although she was walking from a distance, holding the strap of her bag, she was content just following Maxen.

    ''He hadn''t be a viin yet,'' she told herself, eyes softening while staring at his back. ''I should work hard to keep him from walking down that crazy path.''

    Meanwhile, Maxen nced over his shoulders discreetly and caught her figure still following him. She wasn''t saying anything, which was strange. But somehow, he didn''t dislike her presence.

    ''Cosette, was it?'' he looked ahead without a change of expression. ''She''ll get tired, eventually.''

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 Maxen realized he was wrong because the next day and all the following days after that, Cosette followed him like a shadow. He would usually leave after lunch and stay on the rooftop to get some sleep.

    Just like the first time she followed him, Cosette remained silent. Then, after school, she would follow him to the bus stop.

    That had be their routine for the entire week. They didn''t talk бк although she always attempted to strike a conversation with him. Cosette knew when to push her luck and when not to.

    "Sister Cozie, is there something wrong in your home?" Sarah knocked on Cosette''s desk, making thetter raise her head. "You''ve been missing ss for a week now. Are you alright?"

    Cosette smiled as Amie and Fay, who stood beside Sarah, looked just as worried. "Yes. It''s fine. I just had to do something."

    "Will you also go today?" asked Amie with a concerned tone. Cosette discreetly nced at Maxen and it seemed he didn''t n to leave today.

    "I don''t know?" she raised her head again and smiled. "Depends."

    "So you won''t have lunch with us?" Sarah frowned, as it had been a while since they all had lunch together. Cosette just smiled apologetically, afraid that once she took her eyes off of Maxen, he would disappear.

    As Cosette conversed with the three, Maxen secretly nced at her. ''I didn''t want to skip ss since she had been skipping sses by following me.'' He thought, feeling a little guilty that Cosette was neglecting her studies just to follow someone like him.

    Normally, Maxen would''ve cared less. He didn''t ask her to follow him or skip ss with him or anything of the sort. But day by day, this iprehensible concern was slowly growing in his heart.

    ''She''s really strange. What will she gain by following me whilst neglecting her studies?'' he wondered, letting out a shallow breath.

    That day, their pattern for a week was broken.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen miraculously stayed until thest subject. The only thing that didn''t change was that Cosette still followed him to the bus stop, riding the same bus as him, and when he hitched out was the ending of their day together.

    ******

    "Papa, I''ve been skipping sses," Cosette confessed in the middle of her dinner with Conrad. Thetter furrowed his brows as he gazed at his daughter.

    "You were skipping sses?" he repeated, and she nodded. "Are you researching to be rebellious?"

    Her right face twitched at Conrad''s ridiculous assumption. Surely, he would always think there was a reason for Cosette''s action. How could she tell him it was because she was following her crush?!

    "No." She cleared her throat and shook her head lightly. "I am taking care of a wounded cat."

    "A wounded cat?"

    "Yes. He is usually on the rooftop. So I apany him until the end."

    "Why don''t you take that wounded cat home, then?" he tilted his head to the side, actually pleased that Cosette was slowly breaking her pattern. It was not like he didn''t find anything wrong with his daughter skipping sses, but he trusted his smart daughter.

    Cosette was a top student in the academy, after all. And she was someone who was strict to herself, so to think she was capable of skipping ssesбн sounded more like an achievement in a way.

    "I can''t. He doesn''t even let me get near him." She frowned, thinking that the wounded cat named Maxen was still giving her cold shoulders. "All I can do was keep himpany so he wouldn''t feel alone."

    "I see." Conrad nodded in understanding as he studied the frown on her face. "Wounded animals are usually hostile to their surrounding. Just be patient, Cozie. I''m sure the cat will slowly trust you."

    Cosette smiled, closed-lipped, as she raised her eyes at Conrad. After calling him ''papa'' and striking conversation with him from time to time, she realized Conrad wasn''t that of a cold person. He just didn''t know how to talk to her and was often anxious about what to say because it might upset her.

    But now, Conrad slightly rxed around her and would impart his wisdom from time to time.

    "Thank you, Papa. You''re really the best in this world!" Her eyes lit up, listening to her father''s advice. "Patience is a virtue. I should trust the process!"

    Conrad chuckled while watching his determined daughter. He wanted to offer to buy her one, but it seemed Cosette was invested in this cat.

    "Good luck, Cozie."

    ----

    A/N: Don''t skip sses!

 Chapter 19 Grocery With Papa Conrad

    For the next four days, Maxen didn''t skip ss and that meant Cosette didn''t as well. But on the fifth day, the day before the weekend, Maxen did just when Cosette finally agreed to join her ssmate to join them for lunch.

    As soon as she realized he was gone, Cosette searched for him immediately. Her first thought was the rooftop.

    ''Was he just waiting for me to leave for lunch?'' she wondered, barging into the rooftop and looking around. To her relief, Maxen was in his usual spot and sleeping.

    A subtle smile dominated her face as she held her hand behind her, treading carefully towards him.

    ''He seemed exhausted since this morning,'' she thought, bending over and her shadow covering his face. ''Wowбн I didn''t notice it since he is always looking the other way, but now that the swelling is gone, Maxen is really good-looking. I don''t understand why no one noticed it. Was it because he has a bit of fat? Tch. Back on Earth, gaining weight is my wish.''

    Cosette nodded while rubbing her chin, thinking of what she was supposed to do once everyone knew what Maxen looked like. The only reason other students didn''t pay attention to him was that he used to hang out with the wrong crowd and his face was always bruised.

    Those bruises had been his unintentional disguise.

    "Hello," she greeted with a soft and sweet voice when he slowly opened his eyes.

    Maxen let out a shallow sigh as soon as he caught the blinding smile on her beautiful face. Cosette hummed as she sat beside him, clearing her throat while pouting.

    "I didn''t mean to wake you up, but I was a bit worried when I returned to the ssroom and you''re gone," she exined.

    "Out with it." Her brows elevated when Maxen assisted himself to sit upright, astute eyes on her. "Just tell me what do you want and what will it take you to stop following me like a creep?"

    Cosette frowned as she looked at him dejectedly. "What I want is to be friends with you, obviously."

    "Friendsбн hah. Ask another person for that." Maxen snickered as he didn''t believe her бк not a bit. "I will never be your friend, so stop. You''re making me feel ufortable."

    Maxen''s eyes glinted while staring at her dejected expression. Friends? Everyone would be willing to be her friend, so she should stop wasting her time trying to befriend him. It was not like he was sincerely ufortable around her.

    Honestly, his days had been oddly peaceful with her around. Although they didn''t talk, looking back had slowly be a habit of his to check if she was still behind him. But he didn''t like to get used to her because one of these days, she would get tired and stop.

    ''For someone like her, she will surely leave when she''s not interested anymore,'' He told himself, mentally nodding at this thought.

    "Don''t wanna." His brow quirked at her muffled reply.

    "What?" he asked in irritation.

    "Even if you don''t want to be my friend, I still want to be your friend." Cosette mustered her courage as she raised her chin, staring directly at him. "It''s not like I am bothering you."

    "You are bothering me," he said in a dead tone, but she feigned deaf while averting her eyes. Maxen ruffled his hair in distress, realizing it was pointless to argue with her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Whatever. Just don''t talk, I am sleepy."

    "Won''t you have lunch?" she asked before he could lie down and sleep. "For the past weeks, you never eat lunch. How can you go on without eating the entire day?"

    "That''s none of your business." Maxen only cast her a sharp look as hey on his side, his back facing her. Cosette frowned, watching his back as this was starting to worry her. She was aware that Maxen was working at night to financially support himself. But to think he wasn''t eating in school because he still didn''t have money for it.

    ''Ahбн'' her eyes suddenly lit up while thinking about Maxen''s circumstance. If she bought him food, he would surely refuse it because he was a prideful person. But she had a great idea.

    A smug grin turned up on her lips as she giggled.

    That day was just like any other day. Maxen slept until past five and went home while she followed behind him like usual.

    *****

    The next day was Saturday. Weekends had been her boring days since she wouldn''t see Maxen for the next two days. But Cosette had a n this weekend as she was determined to be friends with Maxen.

    Cosette pped suddenly, making Conrad flinch as they were having breakfast. Thetter raised a brow, eyes on his daughter, who seemed to be on fire early in the morning.

    "I need to do grocery!" she announced before setting her eyes full of determination to her father.

    "Grocery?" he repeated while tilting his head. "I don''t think weck food in the house for you to do that."

    Cosette frowned; she knew that. They had personal chefs to make their foods. All she needed was to request what dish she wanted and the chefs would make her the best meals. But that was not what she wanted.

    "I want to learn to make lunch boxes,'' she exined in a knowing tone, gettingfortable with her father as he had been easy to talk with these days. "In our school, students bring lunch boxes. Also, I want to make a healthy lunch box for the cat I was taming. It won''t be the same if I asked the chefs to do that."

    Conrad studied his daughter, a bit surprised at her reasoning. Cosette? Making lunchboxes? That was odd, but ever since she transferred to Winter Highschool, she had been more and more normal.

    "Then, if that is what you want." He nodded as he picked up the cup of tea. He nearly choked at her next words.

    "Are you busy today, Papa? Should we do grocery shopping together?" she suggested, after her careful consideration all night. "If you are busy, then I can''t do anything about it. I will just ask Nanny Lucia to apany me andбн"

    "I''m not." She couldn''t even finish her sentence when Conrad replied. "I can apany you if you really need help."

    The corner of her lips stretched into a bright grin while Conrad cleared his throat and averted his eyes. Her father was concealing his happiness quite perfectly, but she could tell he was pleased. He had this faint blush on his distant expression.

    "That''s settled, then." Her tone grew soft as she could feel that the atmosphere at the dining table had be warmer and warmer.

 Chapter 20 Matching Lunch Boxes

    As Cosette prepared herself to do grocery shopping with Conrad, she noticed Lucia had been smiling a lottely. She gazed at her nanny while Cosette was putting a clip on the side of her hair in front of the vanity mirror.

    "Nanny Lucia, are you in love?" she asked out of nowhere, making her nanny flinch. "You''ve been smiling a lottely."

    Cosette turned around to face Lucia, who was cleaning her room. "Who is it?"

    "Young Miss, how can you say that?" Lucia chuckled awkwardly. "I''m just happy that the young miss and the master are on better terms."

    "Ohhбн" Cosette''s lips formed an O shape as she rocked her head. "That''s the reason you''ve been happy?"

    Lucia studied the young miss briefly before she let out a shallow breath. "You''ve been distant to the master in the past, so seeing that young miss is slowly opening up, everyone is relieved."

    ''Rightбн'' Cosette cringed internally, thinking that the servants endured the stifling atmosphere in this ce because their masters had a very distant rtionship with his daughter. Now that she thought about it, the servants had been a bit more at ease around her than when she first came into this world.

    Not that they bore hostility towards her in the past. It was more like there was this obvious line between the servants and Cosette. They still served with a smile, though.

    "I''m happy too, Nanny Lucia." Cosette smiled subtly, making Lucia''s eyes dte before they softened. "If only I know Father isn''t that difficult, I wouldn''t have to jump to assumptions."

    "Young Missбн"

    Cosette turned around as she stared at herself in the mirror, huffing as her eyes flickered with determination. Although she shouldn''t have this particr feelings regarding Conrad, as he was practically a stranger to her, part of her heart was genuinely satisfied with her healing rtionship with her father.

    Were these feelings a part of the real Cosette''s emotions? Or was she relieved because she thought she was making a good deed? Either way, she would stop at nothing to improve her rtionship with Conrad and Maxen.

    "My new school is always in chaos, but somehowбн I''m liking it day by day," she confessed and Lucia smiled while staring at her back.

    *****

    "Papa!" Cosette yelled as she jogged her way down the stairs. Conrad was already in the mansion''s foyer while talking to the head butler.

    "Careful, Cozie." His words naturally slipped past his lips, but now, he didn''t feel like he should restrain himself from saying his genuine concern. He then turned to the head butler and muttered a few words.

    "I''m here!" Cosette announced as soon as she stood an arm''s length away from Conrad. Her eyes scanned the servants around and they were smiling, standing in a line to send the two off.

    ''They are always grand.'' She thought, thinking that whenever she would leave ande home, the servants would always wee her home. It had be a daily routine that she was slowly getting used to it.

    "I brought a list we should buy, Papa." Cosette shrug the distractive thoughts away, raising her to-buy list and showed it to Conrad.

    Conrad carefully took her long list and skimmed through it. He couldn''t help but chuckle seeing that, unlike the list of projects she had been presenting to him in the past, this list was ratherбн normal.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Then, let''s go." He nodded and nced at her before he turned and walked away. Cosette nced at the head butler and saw him smile and bow.

    "Laters!" she waved, following her father. As she did, Cosette pursed her lips and picked up her pace to catch up to him. Conrad froze momentarily when his daughter hooked her arm around him. He gazed at her, wide-eyed, and Cosette just smiled.

    He didn''t say anything as he resumed his steps with his little girl clinging to him. This time, he couldn''t hide the subtle smile on his lips as they headed towards the car parked just right in front of the portico.

    Meanwhile, the servants who witnessed this gasped and then smiled in relief. Cosette and Conrad''s rtionship was surely improving, and they were all happy about it.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 To them, watching the father and daughter go to do grocery shopping together was something they never thought they would see in this lifetime. Now, they looked like they were family and not just strangers living in the same house.

    ******

    Cosette was surprised that Conrad personally drove her to one of the luxury malls, where there was a supermarket inside. It was more like a day out for the two of them, and she was quite pleased about it.

    She nced at Conrad, who was pushing the cart. ''My father is really good-looking. No wonder sister Cozie is super pretty.''

    Conrad was one of those fathers that readers would usually call DILF. If she wasn''t her daughter in this world, she would surely seduce him. She had soft spots for those types of characters, after all.

    ''Goshбн that''s my father!'' she scolded herself for having such immoral thoughts. ''Anyway, where are the lunch boxes?''

    Cosette roamed the supermarket until she found a section for lunch boxes. Her father didn''tin despite her unnned, random route.

    "Oh, this looks good!" she picked up a pink lunch box and a ck one. "A matching lunch box?"

    Her eyes darted between the lunch boxes in her hand that had the same design but were different in colors. She liked the color pink and the ck one suits Maxen''s personality. She grinned at the thought, but before she could decide, she turned to face Conrad.

    "Papa, what do you think?" she asked while raising the lunch boxes.

    Conrad studied the lunch box and actually didn''t see the beauty in them. But he still nodded, as it seemed she really liked them.

    "They''re cute, right?" a giggle slipped past her lips as she carefully put them inside the cart. But before they could move on, her eyes caught a green lunch box that had the same design.

    "Ohбн" her father''s brows furrowed as Cosette picked up another lunch box. "бн right. Hehe."

    Cosette grinned sweetly as she put the green lunch box in the cart. Conrad didn''t ask her reason for an extra lunch box as he thought she was just buying a spare, just in case. Little did he know that the lunch box would be something he would also treasure.

 Chapter 21 Bumping Into The Male Lead

    After they did grocery shopping, buying ingredients, cooking books, and everything that was on her to-buy list, Cosette decided they should eat out together. It was still early for them to go home, and it was the perfect time for her to bond with Conrad.

    "Papa, can we have ice cream?" she asked while walking beside Conrad, who was pushing the cart that had the things they bought.

    "Mhm."

    The side of her lips curled up as she squeezed herself beside him, pushing the cart together. "We''re like having a date. It''s fun, right?!"

    "Mhm." Conrad hummed as he nced at her, seeing her look ahead. His eyes softened, as he never thought there would be a day they would go out together as father and daughter.

    He was happy.

    ''I think her new school is helping her,'' He thought approvingly because when she transferred, Cosette had been surprising him every day. He may have second thoughts when he agreed for her to transfer into that kind of school, but his daughter was never been this happy.

    It didn''t matter to him if she graduated into a public school as long as she was happy. Cosette had proven herself at a young age and she was already exceptional. So, it doesn''t matter if the school she would graduate from wasn''t the best school in the country because her talent, intelligence, and capabilities were more than enough to be the next head of the family.

    ''As long as she is happy,'' he thought as a sigh of relief slipped past his lips. ''Sophiaбн can you see how our daughter has grown?''

    ****

    As nned, Cosette and Conrad headed to the coffee shop of her choosing.

    "No, just sit there and rx. I got it!" Cosette nted her palms on her father''s shoulder for him to sit down. "Wait for me here, alright?"

    Conrad wanted to stop her, but she already dashed away to the cashier. He chuckled helplessly, shaking his head as she kept insisting she would order some snacks for them.

    "How cute," he muttered while leaning back, gazing at the cart beside their table. "To think we all had those ingredients at homeбн" but he didn''t think it was a waste of money. He would throw away all ingredients in their home so the two of them could do grocery shopping more often.

    It was nice if they would do this frequently.

    Meanwhile, Cosette looked up at the menu above the counter as she chose which was a good ice cream her father would like. There was so much to choose from, giving her a slight headache as the names sounded fancy.

    "One semifreddo, please."

    Cosette''s eyes dted as she heard a familiar voice she would never forget. Her eyes shifted towards the counter,nding at the towering young man standing in front of the cashier.

    ''Asher?!'' Her heart suddenly thumped against her chest loudly, covering her lips as she didn''t expect to bump into the male lead as if this wasn''t a world of a novel. ''Oh gosh! Is this my lucky day?!''

    Inmed by the determination to make use of this opportunity, Cosette rushed towards the cashier. She leaned her arms against the counter, standing on the toes, lips stretched from ear to ear as she faced the handsome Ashen.

    "I''ll get two of what he got." She raised two fingers at the cashier as thetter handed the receipt to Asher. The cashier nodded. Cosette smiled at Asher when he gazed at her.

    "Hello," she greeted with the same smile, but Asher just raised a brow and didn''t say a word. Instead, he walked away to the waiting area where his order would be served.

    ''Of course, he will not recognize me. We just met one time, and it was brief!'' she clicked her tongue, paying the cashier with her card before rushing to the waiting area for her order.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Asher was just standing there with his hands inside his pockets. He nced at her when she stepped inside his vicinity but ignored her purposely. He knew this youngdy. Although they''ve only met once, he could remember her as she left quite a strange impression on him.

    "Do you also like ice cream?" she asked after a minute of silence, gazing up at him curiously hands inteced behind her.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m He pondered whether to ignore her or answer her, but looking at her curious eyes, he decided to answer. "Sometimes."

    "Ohhбн" Cosette rocked her head, thinking of other things to keep the conversation going. "I like ice cream."

    Asher kept his poker face, as he didn''t actually care if she liked it or not. Cosette pouted as she already knew the male lead in the story wasn''t much of a talker. Why do all male characters in here are men of few words?!

    ''It''s been a while since I''ve seen the male lead. What a shame that I transferred school and can only stalk Maxen. But well, it''s not like Asher is unhappy with his life. I''m very sure with or without my help, he will have a bright future.'' Cosette sighed as she watched Asher take the tray of his order.

    "Bye." She waved at him as he carried the tray.

    He just gave her a side-eye and said nothing before walking away. Having people talk to him out of nowhere was not surprising to him. So, Cosette''s action wasn''t anything special that he could ignore like usual.

    But as he walked away, he looked back to see her smile at the staff giving her the tray. It seemed she didn''t take his cold treatment to the heart. So he proceeded to sit at the corner table to enjoy his ice cream.

    As he sat down, he caught her figure rushing to a certain table. As soon as he caught the person she was with, his eyes narrowed.

    ''Conrad c,'' he thought as he was well-versed on the remarkable businessmen since he was an heir to the Quinn family. ''I heard he had a daughter andбн that''s her?''

    Asher narrowed his eyes as he watched the father and daughter duo. He had met Conrad in one of their business meetings when his father took him to meet their business associates. He had also heard about the perfect Cosette c. Well, who hadn''t heard of the c Family in the upper echelon?

    "Now that I think about it, I didn''t see her name on the list on the previous exam result," he thought, recalling that Cosette''s name that would usually be at the top of the list every exam was gonest exams.

    "That''s weird," he muttered, observing Conrad and Cosette. "I heard they didn''t have a good rtionship, but I guess it''s mere hearsay."

    Asher had heard a lot of people in the high society, although he rarely dwells on them. The only reason he was particrly inclined about the c was that Cosette''s name would always turn up in important events and Conrad''s sess in the business industry. Not to mention, many people had told him she was like the female version of him; intelligent, responsible, and aloof.

    Asher and Cosette were somehow бк without their knowledge бк became the model for elites their age.

    He wouldn''t deny the first two, considering she had been a top student in the academy, just like him. But aloof? They only met twice, but he could tell she was far from being aloof.

    "People always exaggerate things," he mumbled and shook his head, chuckling in ridicule. "And to think I saw her as a rivalбн ridiculous."

    Although Asher only knew her by name, thepetitive part of him wanted to defeat her in every aspect. She had held the number one spot in her entire ss, and he didn''t want to be number two in his.

    Who would have thought that the strange girl he met in the corridor and the one who copied his order now was the same girl he saw aspetition without her knowledge?

    "But why is her name not on the top list thest exam, though?" he wondered in a low tone, intrigued by what actually happened.

 Chapter 22 Cooking Day!

    Sunday came, and Cosette was up early to practice cooking. Her day yesterday was a sess, spending an entire day with her father, Conrad. She knew it was a sess because Conrad seemed pleased.

    "Young miss, do you really have to do this yourself?" asked the head chef worriedly, staring at the determined young miss. It was rare for the young miss to step inside the kitchen, let alone cook. So it was a surprise for them she was here, wearing a pink apron with all the pink cooking wares she bought yesterday.

    "Mister Leo, just stay there. I will need your tongue for taste testing!" Cosette grinned as she gazed at the table over the kitchen counter where three people sat down. The head chef, her nanny, Lucia, and the head butler бк the people she invited to be her guinea pig.

    "This is my first time cooking, so I need to make it edible."

    "Young missбн" Lucia called helplessly. No one could stop Cosette and even if they wanted to, they didn''t have the heart, as she was so determined.

    "Nanny Lucia, I''ll be fine. Just wait, alright?" Cosette set up the cooking book she had been reading untilte at night.

    She didn''t idle as she started preparing while the three watched her. Lucia''s worries were written all over her face, holding her breath every time Cosette chopped some tomatoes.

    "Young Miss, I will have a heart attack at this rate," came out a quiet voice, as Lucia was already panting. Not just her, but the head butler, George, and the head chef Leo could feel their heart skip a beat, afraid she would cut herself.

    They could only sigh with relief when she finished chopping the ingredients unharmed. Cosette pped as she read the cooking book briefly before figuring out how to work on the stove. When she sessfully set up everything to start cooking, she started sauteing.

    "Young missбн" called Leo, the head chef, as he studied Cosette''s cook. "бн that''s too much salt."

    Even though the chef hadn''t tasted the dish she was making, he already knew it would be bad. Why? Because Cosette was forgetting one essential part of cooking and that was tasting it herself.

    Unlike Leo''s worries, the head butler George could help but wipe the tears from the corner of his eyes. "The young miss had grown into such a lovelydy." He was already old, but to think he was able to live to witness this day made him happy to the point he teared up.

    The three of them patiently waited for the dish the young miss was cooking so earnestly. To be truthful, even if the food she made turned out to be poison, they would still eat it since this was the first time she cooked in her entire life.

    After a long time, Cosette finally served her first dish. She said it was General Tso''s Chicken, but Leo could not help but smile helplessly as this was far from what the dish was supposed to look like.

    "What''s going on here?"

    Suddenly, Conrad''s voice came, leaning his side against the entrance of the kitchen. She told him yesterday that she would practice her cooking today, but he didn''t expect she would start this early.

    "Papa! Come,e!" Cosette waved, and he sauntered towards the table, taking a seat, and nced at the three she asked to be her guinea pig.

    "Master," the three awkwardly bowed but didn''t have the courage to stand up as Cosette asked them all to sit down at the same table.

    Conrad just nodded as his eyes fell on the poison ced on three tes. His under-eye twitched but bit his lower lips. Cosette always imposed herself as someone who would never make mistakes, but to think she might be exceptional in other things but cooking, he was pleased to see this side of her.

    "Wait, Papa. I''ll prepare yours." Cosette excitedly served a portion to a new te and served it in front of her father. Standing on the side, she nced at everyone and motioned her hand.

    "Dig in."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucia, George, and Leo nced at Conrad apologetically. They already knew this would be bad, and they already surrendered their taste buds to fate, but Conradбн they felt sorry for him.

    Unlike their worries, Conrad wordlessly picked up the cutlery to have a bite. He didn''t have a change of expression as he chewed on the saggy chicken with strong imbnced vors.

    "So?" Cosette raised her brows, staring at Conrad in anticipation.

    "Not bad for beginners." A huge smile appeared on her face at the feedback she got from her father. She turned her eyes to the other three and they also taste the food. She sped her hand while waiting for their reaction, but s, Lucia couldn''t fake it as she coughed and drank a mouthful of water.

    "Lucia." Lucia froze when Conrad called her name coldly.

    "I''m sorry, Young Miss. I didn''t chew well, but it''s not bad for starters." Lucia panicked as she exined, making Cosette frown.

    She studied the four of them and aside from Conrad''s unchanging countenance, the butler was sweating buckets, while the head chef''s face turned red. It was obvious there was something wrong.

    "Are you sure it''s good?" she asked with a frown, realizing that whatever she would do, they would only say good things about it. So, to know whether they were telling the truth, Cosette served herself a small portion and ate it.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 As soon as the chicken touched her tongue, she instinctively spat it back on the te in an unsightly manner. She scrunched her nose up, gazing at her father, who actually ate this poison withoutint.

    "It''s bad," she grumbled while ring at Conrad. "Papa, do you want me to kill the cat I am wooing? I need honest feedback! Honest! How will I improve if all I hear is it''s good?"

    "But it''s not bad." Conrad tilted his head as he truly think the more he ate, the more bearable it be.

    Cosette pinched the space between her brows, as everything she would do would be good in Conrad.

    "Young Miss, it''s really not bad for beginners. But while watching you cook, I noticed you are forgetting some essential part of cooking." Her brows raised as Leo mustered his courage to voice out his opinion. "How about I guide you since cooking takes a lot of practice and with proper guidance, your skills will improve in no time?"

    Cosette rubbed her chin about it. She didn''t consider asking Leo to teach her because she wanted to do it herself. But he had a point.

    "What do you think, Papa?" she asked, setting her eyes at Conrad. Although she knew she didn''t need Conrad''s permission, she still wanted to take his opinion.

    Conrad hummed before he rocked his head. "Leo will be an excellent instructor if you are really determined to do so."

    "Then, that''s settled!" Cosette gazed at Leo, who offered her a kind smile. Lucia and George could not help but smile as well as they also thought this was a good idea.

    Sunday passed with Cosette cooking throughout the day. Conrad, Lucia, and George apanied her and stood as her guinea pigs. With Leo''s guidance, the dishes she made afterward had drastically improved. It wasn''t perfect, but it was edible.

    But more than filling their stomach, she had filled their hearts with her earnest efforts. Whoever this cat that Cosette was going the extra mile to gain his trust was surely lucky.

 Chapter 23 Its Not Healthy To Skip Class With An Empty Stomach!

    The next day, Cosette was up earlier than usual to make lunchboxes. Leo also helped her, knowing the young miss would make her first lunch box. To her surprise, more servants were present to cheer her on.

    "Let''s put some smiling face here," she muttered, designing the food cutely just in case it would somehow catch Maxen''s heart.

    Leo smiled subtly as she looked content with the oue of the lunch box. But, he couldn''t help but ask why three lunch boxes? She told him about the cat, but what about the green one?

    "Young Miss, can I ask why you''re making three lunch boxes? Is it for a friend?" Leo raised a question, watching her raise her head and smile.

    "Hehe." Cosette just giggled yfully and everyone would soon find out the answer.

    ****

    Conrad quirked his brows, gazing at the green lunch box in front of him. He veered his eyes at his daughter, who was holding it with a wide smile. He was about to leave for work when Cosette called him and hurriedly caught up to him in front of the mansion.

    "This is yours," she repeated with the same smile. "You have to eat it, Papa, since your daughter put her heart in preparing you a lunch box."

    "For me?" he asked, stunned, and saw her nod profusely.

    A shallow breath slipped past his lips as he epted the lunch box. "Thank you," came out a soft voice as he gazed at the lunch box with gentle eyes.

    "Make sure to eat it on time, alright?!" She nagged with a pout, although she already knew Conrad would surely eat it willingly.

    "Mhm." He rocked his head, smiling subtly as he gazed at her in her uniform.

    Since whenбн did his daughter look so bright? Her uniform in the academy was surely better, but somehow, in his eyes, Cosette looked lovelier than ever. She was finally acting her age and his heart warmed up.

    "Would you like to ride with me?" he offered, something he had always wanted to ask her but was afraid she would turn it down coldly. His heart almost melted when her face slowly brightened up and nodded.

    "Yes!" came out a cheerful response, giving joy to his heart more than she could ever imagine.

    With that being said, Cosette hitched a ride with her father. Conrad offered he would drop her off at the school, but Cosette insisted on taking the bus. He had heard that his daughter''s chauffeur would only drive her to the bus stop and she wouldmute from there to her school.

    "Bye, take care." Cosette waved as she bent down out of the car to take a peek at her father in the back passenger seat. When Conrad nodded, she jogged towards the shade to wait for the next bus.

    As they sped away, Conrad''s eyes were fixed on his daughter''s figure. He couldn''t help but smile again, thinking that Cosette was always too intelligent. It was her idea to switch schools for her character development, and everyone was pleased with her gradual change.

    "Master, it seems the young miss'' new school had some positive effect on her." Suddenly, his assistant, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, looked back to see his boss smiling.

    "Mhm." Conrad hummed and nced at the rear mirror to see that Cosette rode the bus. "Can you believe she spent all her day yesterday cooking, instead of studying thepany affairs?"

    Warren, Conrad''s assistant smiled. His boss had been bragging about Cosette at every opportunity he would get, and he even told him about his date with her since he told him to empty his weekend schedule.

    "I''m d then," Warren politely remarked before noticing the lunch box next to Conrad. "It seems you had a great weekend, Sir."

    "I did." Conrad smiled as he gazed at the window. "It will be nice to spend every weekend like that."

    "Then I''ll rearrange your schedule."

    *****

    Cosette was slowly getting the gist of Maxen''s pattern. Whenever he would go to school looking exhausted, he would skip ss. So when lunchtime came, Cosette followed him to the rooftop excitedly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Maxen!" she called as soon as she barged through the door, making him nearly jump at her energy.

    Maxen furrowed his brows as he watched her storm her way towards him. It was her first time calling his name. Did she decide to take on a different approach this time?

    "Go away. I''m tired." He grumbled and clicked his tongue, but Cosette enthusiastically sat beside him.

    "Don''t sleep yet!" she said while rummaging through her bag and taking out two lunch boxes. "Let''s have lunch first! You know it''s not healthy to skip ss with an empty stomach."

    "бн" His mind momentarilygged as her remarks sounded so wrong. Skipping ss was not healthy in itself.

    Cosette meticulouslyid a handkerchief on the floor, serving the pink and ck lunch boxes. "Here''s yours and here''s mine."

    "Who said I will eat it?" his tone was dead, not pleased with this new approach she was making.

    "Even if you don''t like it, you should at least try, right?" she frowned as she looked at him with puppy eyes. "I spent the entire weekend practicing how to make you a lunch box."

    "You''ve wasted your time."

    "Well, I will continue to waste my time because I nned to make lunch boxes every day!" Cosette stubbornly argued with him as that had always been her n. She knew Maxen would reject this kind gesture, but she was not the person to give up.

    Maxen studied her stubborn expression before a sigh escaped his mouth. He clicked his tongue, feeling helpless as it seemed she was determined to do what she pleased. This was only for them to get it done and over with.

    "I will eat itбн but this is the first andst time. Don''t waste your time in making this shit." He gave in, picked up the ck lunch box, and opened the lid. His brows creased as soon as he saw the smiling face on the rice.

    "It''s cute, right?" he nced at her as she proudly held the pink lunch box.

    "This is the first andst." He repeated, ignoring herst remarks just to make that clear.

    "Hehe. Sureбн" Cosette giggled and averted her eyes while biting her tongue. Her reaction was obvious that she automatically ignored his words. That she nned to do this the next day and the following days.

    ''Just what will make her stop doing this?'' he asked himself as he forked out steamed broli. ''What will you gain by doing this?''

    Maxen nced at her as he chewed the broli, watching her eat happily while ncing at him from time to time. Deep down, even though he wanted her to stop tailing him, he was had been constantly looking over his shoulder to check if she was there.

    Thest weekend felt boring, although it was just like any other weekend. He never liked school, and he was only attending for the sake of a ''better'' future. But nowбн he didn''t know anymore.

    When Maxen tasted the main course, his brows furrowed. She said she just learned to cook and the taste might not be that good, but for someone like him who had never eaten good food, thisбн was delicious that touched a part of his heart.

    ? "How was it, Maxen?" she asked with a bright smile with anticipation in her eyes, while he kept his poker face.

    ''It''s good,'' was what he wanted to say, but he kept silent and just chewed the food down.

    "Hehe. I''m so happy!" she giggled while staring at him. "I should make you morerge portion."

    "I said this is the first andst."

    "Right, right?" Cosette whistled as she averted her eyes, making him feel helpless as nothing would stop her for sure.

 Chapter 24 Mini Heart Attack

    "I don''t know if it''s because I was hungry that it''s delicious or it''s actually pretty good." Cosette rubbed her tummy as she felt full after gobbling up the food she prepared. "What do you think, Maxen?"

    Maxen nced at her and just let out a shallow breath. "You''re the one who prepared it?"

    "Yes! I told you, didn''t I? I practiced the entire weekend!" Cosette puffed at the doubt glimmering in his eyes. "Well, it doesn''t matter if you believe me or not. But it''s actually good to have lunch together."

    A satisfied smile dominated her face, pleased to make food and eat with her favorite viin. That already made her feel relieved and content. She didn''t need the word of thanks as she just forced him, nor did she expect him to treat her differently from now onwards.

    What was important to her was she would see him eating and living well. She nned to make him gain more weight. Maxen was adorable, even with the added weight.

    Cosette sat beside him and leaned her back against the wall of the side part of the entranceway, feeling her eyes grow heavier because after eating lunch. This was the first time after weeks that she ate a proper lunch and not just snacks.

    "Ah... so peaceful," came out a soft voice as her eyshes fluttered ever so slowly before closingpletely.

    Maxen gazed at her and watched her until she fell asleep. "Don''t sleep," he said, but her breathing grew heavy.

    "Tsk. Is she really this unsuspecting? Hey, I said don''t sleep," he grumbled as he red at her, but to no avail. "Whatever."

    His eyes thennded on the lunch boxes stacked up near her backpack. As he stared at it, he unconsciously smiled, which he realized almost immediately.

    "I''m probably losing my mind," he uttered under his breath, running his fingers through his hair. "She will be just like everyone else, Max. You shouldn''t get attached to her."

    Deep down, Maxen was aware that he didn''t dislike Cosette. Matter of fact, she was a very likable person. Not only she was pretty, but she was also kind. But that was the main reason Maxen was trying so hard to distance himself from her.

    She may be interested in him for whatever reason, but once she met more people or some other things that pique her interest, she would forget about him.

    Maxen was no one, after all.

    Cosette was a bright, lovely youngdy. Many liked her and she would get any attention she wanted in the world. It seemed she was even pampered at home too. But Maxen was theplete opposite. Even before birth, they said his mother tried to abort him, but it ''apparently'' failed. It wasn''t an exaggeration if he said no one wanted him or something good had ever happened to him in his entire life бк at least, not in his knowledge.

    It was as if he was born with zero luck. Someone who was born just to experience all the bad things in the world. That was why he resented it: the world, his existence, and everyone.

    "So, why..." came out a whisper as he gazed at the lunch box. "... why are you so persistent?"

    Cosette terrified him. Every day that she would follow him on this rooftop, every time she looked at him with clear eyes, every time she smiled as a response to his harsh words, and every time she would walk meters behind him, he could feel the thick wall around his heart crack.

    He was afraid that he would regret letting her in his heart because if he did and she just abandoned him, he might truly lose his mind. That was why he wanted to protect himself.

    Suddenly, Maxen froze as his entire body tensed up when the side of her head fell on his shoulder. He slowly gazed at her and let out a deep sigh.

    "Just stop," he whispered, but she was still deeply asleep. "Stop following me, stop trying, stop calling my name. Just stop... please."

    Maxen leaned the back of his head against the wall, looking up at the blindingly bright blue sky. His eyes, however, flickered with sadness before he closed them.

    "Fuck..." came out a quiet curse, reminding himself her fleeting concern wouldn''tst long. "... just what will it take for you to stop?"

    **

    Hours went by and Cosette opened her eyes when she heard the school bell ringing. She moaned as she felt the stiffness on her neck, nting her palm on it to massage it.

    "I fell asleep..." she muttered, sitting upright only to notice the person sitting beside her. When she set her eyes to Maxen, they instantly dted, as all the expressions on his face were nowhere to be found.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Omo! I fell asleep on his shoulder?'' Cosette covered her lips with her palm, looking up when Maxen grumpily picked up his bag and stood up wordlessly. ''Was he angry because I treated him as a pillow?!''

    "Maxen, wait!" she yelled, but he didn''t wait for her. So, all she could do was pick up her things in a hurry and put the lunch boxes inside her bag whilst rushing outside.

    "Maxen...!"

    Her voice echoed in the staircase, making him look back at her. She was putting her things back in her bag without looking at the steps down. Before he could tell her to watch her steps, Cosette missed a step.

    His eyes dted, and for a second, his heart stopped beating. He didn''t even think as he took three steps as fast as he could and held her shoulders to stop her from falling.

    Maxen''s heart raced as his breath hitched, scared out of his wits at the scenario that yed in his head if he didn''t catch her or he was three more steps away from her. Meanwhile, Cosette was just as scared as she thought she would die.

    "Oh, gosh..." she gasped in horror, looking up at him. "I nearly died!"

    "Can''t you do things one at a time?!" she flinched when his voice thundered, ring at her angrily. "What will you do if you fall and I''m not here, huh? Do you think I can pay for your hospital bill if that happened? Are you not thinking?"

    Cosette frowned as he scold her. "Sorry. I didn''t mean to."

    "Tsk." Maxen clicked his tongue as he let her go, huffing in distress as he ran his fingers through his tousled hair. "Put your things back in your bag and watch your steps."

    Maxen clicked his tongue in irritation as he turned his head back, taking heavy steps on the stairs. Meanwhile, Cosette just stared at him with a frown, a little disheartened, and almost teary. Not because she was scolded, but because it seemed all her efforts went down the drain.

    "Faster!" to her surprise, Maxen stopped and looked back. "I don''t have an entire day to wait for you."

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c Her face instantly brightened up as she nodded. "Hai!" Putting her things back in her bag before she followed him.

    Maxen secretly sighed upon witnessing how expression changed when he told her to make haste. Unlike usual, he walked slowly this time so she wouldn''t fall behind and, unlike usual, Cosette walked closer behind him.

    *****

    Meanwhile, in the school of elites, Darwin Academy, Asher walked out of the dean''s office with an unresigned expression.

    "That''s strange," he whispered, looking back at the shut door behind him.

    He was curious about a particr top student in the academy and why she didn''t ace the previous exam. He thought it was because Cosette didn''t take the exam or she just failed her sses.

    This may sound like someone being nosy, but he didn''t appreciate this unanswered mystery lingering in his head. That was why he decided to talk to the academy''s headmaster to get it out of his head. But s, even though his query was answered, there was another big mystery that rose in his head.

    "She transferred?" he narrowed his eyes, baffled at the answer he didn''t expect to hear. "Why?"

    Why would a top student in the best academy transfer to another school? There was no better school in this country than this academy, and graduating here was an achievement in itself. There was not a single alumnus from this school that didn''t make a name for themselves. Be it in politics, business, showbiz, and many areas.

    So why?

    Why would a remarkable man such as Conrad allow that? Asher couldn''t understand the wisdom behind it.

    As he walked away, he fished out his vibrating phone from his pocket and raised a brow at what words the other person from the other end of the line had told him.

    "Yes, Father. I wille." Asher politely responded before ending the call, eyes glinting with excitement. "It seems like I will get my answers soon."

 Chapter 25 Just Another Day

    When Cosette arrived home, Conrad''s car had also arrived when she was by the entrance. She looked back and the side of her lips stretched into a huge smile as soon as she saw Conrad leaving his car.

    "Papa!" she called and waved when Conrad turned his head in the main door of the mansion. Since she wanted to ask him something important, she jogged down the small steps and met her father halfway.

    "Papa, did you eat your lunch?" she asked as soon as they were facing each other.

    Conrad nced at his assistant, Warren. Seeing his father''s gesture, Cosette turned to the tall, lean man with sses. Warren tilted his head down and greeted Cosette.

    "Everyone was shocked when Mister Chairman brought his lunch box during his lunch meeting," Warren shared the interesting event that happened today. He could still remember everyone''s faces when they saw the heart shape on top of Conrad''s rice. But the most hrious thing was, Conrad''s expression didn''t change.

    Cosette bit her tongue as she gazed at her father awkwardly. "You ate it during an important lunch meeting?" she knew Conrad would eat it, but not in a situation where he could eat something fancy! She was a bit worried about her father''s reputation.

    "It''s good," was what Conrad said, noticing the concern in her eyes. "What I eat doesn''t affect my judgment."

    Despite his exnation, Cosette still shifted her eyes back to Warren for confirmation. Knowing her, who was always concerned about thepany''s reputation, Conrad raised his hand to pat her. But he curled his fingers halfway, hesitant to do it.

    ''It''ll be fine...'' he told himself as he mustered his courage and patted her head.

    "I said, don''t worry about it," Conrad repeated as he rubbed his fingertips against her scalp. To his relief, Cosette just gazed at him and sighed.

    "Miss Cosette, just as the chairman said, bringing a lunch box doesn''t affect his judgment nor it will sully thepany''s reputation," Warren reassured with a smile until his eyes squinted into mere slits.

    "Does that mean I can make you more lunch boxes?" she asked, which caught both gentlemen off guard. Only a secondter did Conrad recover and smiled, nodding in response.

    "As many as you like."

    Her brows rose as she bit her tongue. She just asked to confirm if they were telling the truth, but she didn''t expect her father to respond that way. Well, it was not like she wasn''t having fun making lunch boxes. After all, she nned to continue her feeding program with Maxen throughout the entire school year. She just had to make another extra for her father.

    "I''ll take my leave now. Have a good night, Chairman, Miss Cosette." Warren slightly tilted his head down politely while Conrad nodded and replied with an unaffectionate, "take care on your way."

    Cosette only waved him goodbye before she hooked her arms around her father as they walked inside the house. As they headed in, Conrad remembered something important. He nced at his filial daughter and spoke.

    "One of our business associates invited me to theirpany''s annual party." Cosette raised her brows at Conrad''s remarks, waiting for more information from him. "It''s the Quinn Holdings'' yearly party."

    ''Quinn Holdings?'' her brows creased as she pondered where she heard it, only for her eyes to widen a secondter as she remembered it!

    It was the Quinn family business! She looked at Conrad in shock while thetter took her expression as a mix of shock and excitement.

    "They always invite me to their annualpany party, but I was always busy. I agreed toe this year since it will be discourteous if I don''te," Conrad exined as they headed in. "You can refuse if you don''t want to..."

    "I''ll go!" Cosette didn''t let him finish his sentence as she hastily voiced out. "How can I let my father attend without a date?"

    She pouted and raised her chin, making Conrad chuckle faintly. Although that was one of her reasons, her main reason was, she was able to meet more characters! Asher''s brother and best friend would surely be there, so Cosette was determined to meet them for once.

    Conrad let out a sigh of relief, misunderstanding that his daughter would always be inclined into these things even though she drastically changed from the past month. He rocked his head, as that was their n.

    "The party will be on the 20th, one week from now." Conrad informed her and she answered with a cheerful, "yes!''

    *****

    Days before the annualpany party of the Quinn Holdings...

    Cosette spent the past few days waking up early to make lunch boxes for Maxen, Conrad, and for herself. Maxen had been staying in the ssroom, so she hadn''t been skipping sses.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Here." She smiled brightly as she ced the lunch box on Maxen''s desk. Thetter knitted his brows as he gazed at the lunch box he would always refuse, but ended up eating out of guilt. She was just so persistent that he felt helpless about it.

    He cocked his head in her seat, raising a snack he bought in the convenience store on his way to school. "Take that lunch box away. I have food."

    "What...? But that won''t fill your stomach!"

    "How did you know that? I''ve been surviving with crackers." Maxen raised a brow, as he wasn''t entirely lying, although that was an exaggeration. Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, darting her eyes from the cracker to the lunch box she made for him.

    "Alright." She nodded, reaching her hand out to him. But instead of taking the lunch box, her hand veered in his hand and snatched the cracker away. "Mine now!"

    "Give it back." Maxen''s tone grew bitter as he crooked a finger, but she sprung up to her seat while holding it behind her. "You..."

    "What? You have a lunch box full of healthy food personally prepared by a hardworking student who wakes up early in the morning for it," she argued stubbornly, pointing at it with her chin. "How can you choose a cracker over the food made with love?"

    Love... what an unfamiliar term.

    Maxen''s shoulder tensed up as his eyelids drooped, expression turning even colder. "Give. it. back."

    Cosette swallowed down a mouthful of saliva at his coldness. This time, he truly looked pissed, but if she gave in now, he would continue eating crackers just to refuse real food. So, she mustered a lifetime of courage and tore the cracker before shoving it inside her mouth in one go.

    His jaw fell open, staring at her puffy cheek with a mouth full of biscuits. She was saying something, but all her words came out gibberish.

    "You..." Maxen let out a scoff as he nced at a few students who were inside the ssroom. They were all looking at the two of them, but Cosette didn''t seem to care about the attention they were garnering. Instead, she was talking with a full mouth and eyes on him.

    "Shom won. Bow chan yu boo dis to mi?" [Come on! How can you do this to me?]

    Cosette red daggers at him, growing bolder by the day. She didn''t know when did it start, but somehow, her rtionship with him was improving. They would talk more now and her distance, whenever they would walk home, grew shorter. She was now walking behind him at arm''s length.

    ''What the hell is she saying?'' he wondered in irritation before he clicked his tongue.

    "Fine, fine, goddammit...!" Maxen ground his teeth as he let out a sharp breath, gazing at the lunch box like it was his enemy.

    Cosette carefully narrowed her eyes as she studied him, watching him take out the lid of the lunch box to see another smiling face decoration on top. When Maxen red up and shoved a piece of sausage inside his mouth grumpily, she finally heaved a sigh of relief.

    ''God... I thought he will kill me.'' She mentally patted her chest. But before she could sit down, she finally noticed some students looking at her.

    Her brows rose, seeing them whispering at each other. Noticing this, Maxen nced up at her and expected her to get affected by it. After all, none of his ssmates wants anything to do with him as he was the worst of the worst.

    To his surprise, Cosette just shrugged before taking a sit. As soon as she sat down, she grinned at him and happily opened her pink lunch box.

    "Eat well, Maxen~!"

    A shallow breath slipped past his lips as she started eating. Was it a sigh of relief? Or a sigh of distress? Maxen didn''t know, but what he realized was Cosette was unbothered by almost everything.

    The only thing that would make her react so strongly was during lunchtime; that was, every time he tried to refuse her free lunch.

    ''Really, Maxen... I told you not to get swayed...'' he grumbled internally, but his eyes still softened after taking another bite. ''... don''t... get... swayed...''

    Maxen looked away, facing the window on his side with a very subtle smile on his face.

 Chapter 26 The Unfairness Of The World

    The ss proceeded like usual, but Cosette had been getting this strange gazes throughout the day. At first, it didn''t bother her as her sole purpose why she was in this school in the first ce was because of Maxen. So, she didn''t need to please everyone.

    Moreover, she was Cosette c. Her name alone was enough reason since she was born not to please; it was the other way around. Cosette didn''t have that kind of mentality in her previous life, but somehow, after living as Cosette c, she had started gaining the confidence the original Cosette had.

    She nced at Maxen, and he was sleeping on his desk. By now, the teachers were already used to Maxen''s behavior and gave up on calling him out. Perks of living in a novel!

    ''I wonder why everyone is giving me that stare,'' she wondered, waiting for theirst subject to end so she could ask Fay, Amie, or Sarah about it. Those three were still friendly towards her, even though she didn''t spend so much time with them anymore.

    "That''s it for today''s ss. Make sure бк hey, listen to me first before you stand up!" the teacher yelled because as soon as the school bell rang, students of section F stood up one after another. "Make sure to do your homework and take care on your way home."

    The teacher''s tone grew more annoyed as he shook his head. No one was listening. So, he went to leave the room while other students talked to each other and some raced through the door like the everyday scenario after school.

    Meanwhile, Cosette put her things back inside her backpack before she felt someone''s presence in front of her desk. She slowly raised her head and blinked twice.

    "Sarah?"

    "Cozie, you''ve been skipping ss, so you hadn''t cleaned the room when it''s your schedule," Sarah informed while pointing at the bulletin board near the door where the name of the in-charge student on cleaning the room was posted.

    Cosette narrowed her eyes and saw her name and Sarah at today''s cleaners.

    "Oh..." she blinked, setting her eyes back to Sarah. "Sarah, sorry... I didn''t know you''ve been cleaning all on your own all this time."

    Sarah shook her head, close-lipped. "It''s fine. Fay and Amie help me. Besides, we''re friends and you don''t have a choice but to leave home early."

    Her words were like guilty rocks weighing in Cosette''s heart. All she could do was look at her apologetically, then gazed at Fay and Amie, who offered her a kind smile. Although Cosette was feeling sorry for them, she was still hesitant since that meant she couldn''t walk with Maxen.

    ''It''s just today,'' she told herself, ncing at Maxen, who suddenly got up to his seat. A frown resurfaced on her face when he nced at her coldly but still left without a word.

    ''Just today.'' She repeated before sporting a forced smile and nodded at Sarah. "Thank you, again, Sarah. I will make sure not to miss the day when it''s our time to clean."

    *****

    Amie and Fay stayed to help the two out. It didn''t take long when all the students left the ssroom and it was just the four of them who were left.

    "Cozie, is it true?" while they were cleaning, Fay spoke when she couldn''t take it anymore.

    Cosette tilted her head to the side, holding the mop with both her hands, eyes at Fay, who was holding the eraser as thetter was halfway done erasing the board. "True, what?"

    "That you and that delinquent are dating?" her brows elevated at Fay''s question. "Students had been talking about it."

    "What...?"

    Amie turned up to Cosette''s side and bumped her shoulder against her lightly. "Cozie, are you really dating him?"

    "No?" Cosette furrowed her brows as she looked at the three of them. "Will you believe me?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Of course!" Fay and Amie answered while Sarah nodded, but thetter suddenly let out a shallow breath. "Cozie, can we talk? The four of us. Since you''re our friend, we just want you to know what is the rumor all about."

    Cosette gazed at Sarah and pressed her lips before she nodded. So, the three of them gathered around one table when they were done cleaning to tell her about the rumors in the school about her and Maxen.

    The more Cosette listen to it, she could not help but ball her hands. Apparently, the rumors were about Maxen manipting an innocent student. Others saw her voluntary deed of making him lunch as Maxen exploiting her. Some even thought that he was ckmailing her, so she didn''t have a choice but to do whatever he wanted.

    All the rumors basically painted Cosette as the victim, while Maxen was the opportunist. Hence, she felt this iprehensible rage in her heart. She couldn''t understand how the rumors took that sort of turn, and why would they have to consider such a conclusion?

    The three even warned her that since Maxen had a lot of enemies, she might get caught in the crossfire. So they suggested she should seek help in the guidance office if she was truly being ckmailed.

    "Maxen..." she paused as she looked at the three of them. "... is not that kind of person."

    The three of them looked at her in surprise as Cosette truly seemed upset, but still containing herself.

    "Cozie..." Sarah called worriedly.

    "I know you''re genuinely concerned about me, but Maxen isn''t a bad person. I do things on my own and I am not in any way being ckmailed or being exploited. Matter of fact, I am the one harassing him." Cosette affirmed solemnly as she took a deep breath, tears of anger shone in her eyes but didn''t stain her cheek. "Thank you for telling me this. It''s on you if you believe me or not, but... I will not change my opinion towards Maxen. I don''t know why everyone thinks badly of him, but I am the one who is stalking him."

    "Cozie..." Fay called her name worriedly once again, but Cosette sported a forced smile before picking up her things.

    "I will go home now." Cosette let out a sharp breath as she nced at the three. "I''m sorry, but I''m very upset and I don''t want to say hurtful things I will regretter."

    She didn''t wait for them to reply as she turned around and left. As she headed outside the campus, Cosette ground her teeth.

    She hated this world and how unfair it was towards the viin of the story. It had always been that way, even in the main story. Maxen always gets the end of the stick. This situation, where his name was dragged through the mud while Cosette naturally emerges from it clean, truly angered her.

    ''I hate the author,'' she red at the sky when she was in the middle of open space meters before the gates. ''Does she have no conscience? Maxen is a very kind person, but this world is forcing him to hate it! This is so unfair...!''

    Cosette was on the verged of tears when she stepped outside the gates. But just as she did, she caught a figure leaning beside the gates. She slowly turned her head in his direction.

    "Maxбн" she whispered with a shaking voice, holding herself back from running to him to give him a tight hug.

    "Finished?" he asked indifferently

    Cosette took a deep breath, pushing back all the tears that were tempting to fall from her eyes. She didn''t expect him to wait for her, but honestly, if he didn''t, Cosette would''ve been throwing a huge fit already.

    "Yes." Her voice was low and soft, making Maxen rock his head.

    "I see." That was all he said as he pulled his back away from the wall and walked away slowly. But sensing she was just standing, he looked back with an arched brow.

    "I don''t have forever to wait for you."

    Her eyes remained on his back for a moment as he resumed. A subtle smile slowly appeared on her face as she huffed. "Coming!" and then she jogged and followed him.

 Chapter 27 The Little Things They Do

    ''She''s definitely upset,'' Maxen thought, ncing over his shoulder while Cosette was walking just a step behind him.

    When Cosette stepped outside the school gates, Maxen immediately sensed she was upset about something. At first, he thought it was because she didn''t want to clean or it could also be she was upset about walking home alone. But now, he was certain it was because of something else.

    So, he slowed down until they were walking side by side.

    "Huh?" she hummed with an arched brow, gazing up at him. Maxen was still staring ahead, but she knew he was probably intrigued by why she was so silent.

    A shallow breath slipped past her lips as she gazed down.

    "Did you hear the rumor about us?" she asked after a minute, making Maxen arch a brow and gaze at her. "They said we''re dating."

    Maxen studied her side profile and sighed secretly. He didn''t know about any rumor as he absolutely didn''t care what other people say about others or about him.

    "I told you to stop following me. Rumors like that are bound to happen," he said in the same distant tone. But Cosette cast him a quick look.

    "Maxen, can you be honest with me? You think this is a good thing so you can push me away, don''t you?"

    ''No.'' That was his honest truth, but he ended up keeping his mouth in a tight sh. He was just telling her this because hanging out with him would do her no good. Things like this were bound to happen.

    A deep frown resurfaced on her face. "Do you think that''s what upset me?" she muttered while Maxen furrowed his brows and nced at her once again. She already had her eyes down, clicking her tongue while kicking a pebble on the way.

    "Even if they spread rumors we''re already married, it doesn''t matter. But to think that they will add something as Maxen ckmailing me or I needed to be careful around youбн it makes me angry to the point I''m tearing up."

    His steps slowed down, watching her seethe in anger until her tears were tempted to escape her eyes. What did she just say?

    "I mean, how can they jump from that ridiculous conclusion of getting ckmailed? I learned enough self-defense to protect myself!" Cosette continued to vent her frustration about this world and what they were automated to do.

    ''Why?'' he wondered as his eyes were fixed on her side profile. ''Why are you angry about something so... trivial?''

    His mind was being clouded by many ''why''s?'' He couldn''t understand why she would get angry about something like that. Of course, people would think like that because he wasбн a bad, ugly guy. Not that this sort of opinion still affected him; he was already used to it.

    So, why?

    Why was she so angry, as if she would cry at any moment? They didn''t say anything bad about her. If anything, people were just concerned about her since she was associating with a delinquent with no future like him.

    So, why?

    Why, Cosette?

    Whyбн?

    "It''s so unfairбн" after bbering, Cosette finally hit a breaking point where she choked. "бн this world is. Why am I the good one and Maxen is not? It''s actually me who harassed you, and people just let me get away just because. I hate this world."

    Cosette bit her lower lip as hard as she could to suppress the tears that were tempting to escape her eyes and failed miserably. She couldn''t stop her tear, so she looked away to hide it from him.

    Reading Maxen''s story already broke her heart. But seeing it for real was entirely a different story. It was just like the first time they met.

    In the novel, it was written that Maxen ''would be in a constant fight while growing up.'' That one sentence didn''t give justice to how deep it was because of how beaten Maxen was at that time. She could barely recognize him if not for his ID.

    How unfair that a character''s life was only written in just one sentence.

    That was why she was even more upset. This world was built to give Maxen hell so he would be a vicious viin who would meet a miserable end.

    As Cosette wallowed in her woes and wiped her tears with her arm silently, Maxen''s eyes softened. He shouldn''t be smiling at this situation, but he couldn''t help it.

    ''I also asked many, many times why this world is so unfairбн'' he replied internally, letting out a faint breath. ''бн and I also detest this world because of how unfair it is. Butбн for you, who is blessed to have everything and yet is starting to hate it because of someone like meбн''''

    Maxen raised his hand and nted it on top of her head. When she looked up at him, surprised, he looked ahead but kept his hand on top of her head.

    ''Thank you for crying in my stead,'' he expressed inwardly, moved by this gesture that was never done to him before. ''You don''t have to burden yourself anymore because I''m already used to it.''

    Cosette huped as she blew her nose using her handkerchief. The hand on top of her head was rough and a bit heavy, but it somehowforted her. Maxen was not the person who knew how tofort others but patting her head was already more than she could ever ask.

    "They''re annoying, right?" she spoke as soon as she stopped shedding tears. "I''m still upset and what makes me even more upset is I can''t do anything about it."

    "You don''t need to do anything about it." Maxen withdrew his hand and cocked his head back, eyes on her. "Let them talk. It''s them who is wasting their time or you can just stop pestering me, which is the best for the both of us."

    Cosette frowned, thinking he was using this chance to persuade her to stop pestering him again. "I am upset, Max. But that doesn''t mean I changed my mind about you."

    "Hah... sucks."

    She looked at him, wide-eyed. This was the first time she had heard himugh and smile. Albeit briefly, it was genuine. His brow quirked as he nced at her aghast expression as if she had seen a ghost.

    "What?" he asked and the space between his brows creased when she pointed at him.

    "You smiled."

    "Huh?"

    The side of her lips stretched as she leaped a step closer to him. "Do it again."

    "Do what again?"

    "Smile!"

    "Tsk." He clicked his tongue and shook his head, but Cosette persistently nagged him. "Stopбн I won''tбн!"

    "Just one, pretty please?!"

    "Stop it. Tsk!"

    Cosette giggled as she tugged his sleeve while he stretched his neck away and looked away. Although from the outside, he showed an irritated look while she didn''t care. Deep down, his heart was smiling.

    "Oh, a convenient store!" she intoned as they were passing by the convenience store they had been passing by whenever they walk home. Cosette grabbed his sleeve and looked at him innocently.

    "I''m upset, Max. Let''s buy some ice cream and eat it as we walk home. Ice cream is second on my list to make me happy." She grinned until her eyes squinted into slits. "Seeing you doing well is number one, just in case you don''t know."

    She didn''t wait for him to ruin her mood as she dragged him inside the convenience store to buy some ice cream.

    That day, it was the first time Maxen treated her to some ice cream, which they both enjoyed as they walked back. That dayбн Cosette didn''t have to walk behind him, nor did Maxen have to look back to check if she was still there.

    That day and the following days after that, they would always walk side by side while eating popsicles every once in a while.

 Chapter 28 She Wanted To Be One Of His Truths

    "Byeбн"

    Cosette waved at Maxen when they reached the bus stop where he would usually get off. Their routine every time they go home after school was Maxen getting off before her and that was how her day with him would end.

    But today, Maxen simply looked at her and didn''t move a muscle.

    "Huh?" her brows furrowed, darting her eyes from him who stood on the aisle to the window. "Max, you''re already here. The bus will start moving soon if you don''t get off!"

    "I know."

    She blinked twice and looked at him wide-eyed. There was no trace he was joking, which was quite baffling.

    "Are you going somewhere?" she asked in horror, thinking about the little details she could remember in the novel. Did something happen to him around this time? An event or something like a trigger that would make him crazy?

    Maxen just clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "I will walk you home. It''s alreadyte for a crybaby like you to walk on your own."

    "???"

    For a moment, Cosette thought she had misheard him. "You had another part-time?"

    "No." Keeping his poker face, Maxen didn''t even blink when the bus started moving again. "It''ste. I''ll walk you home."

    "Walk me home?" Cosette gasped, eyes dting in horror. "But Maxen, my uncle always waits for me at the bus stop. So, I''m fine."

    Maxen just nced down at her but said nothing, causing her brain to buzz as she gazed at the window.

    It was indeed gettingte since she stayed behind to clean the ssroom. Before any other ''important'' thoughts crossed her head, Cosette slowly set his eyes back on him.

    "Maxen, were you worried about me?" her face brightened up, causing his face to contort.

    "I just don''t want to be the prime suspect if you suddenly disappeared on your way home." His voice and expression were cold as usual, snapping his eyes away from her. Cosette pouted, but she couldn''t help but smile because this was the first time Maxen offered to walk her home.

    Although Cosette''s chauffeur would always wait for her at thest bus stop where she would usually get off, it felt rewarding that he seemed to have gotten soft on her. Maybe it was because he waited for her at the school gates even without asking or walking at arm''s length that it uplifted her mood.

    The thought of Maxen knowing she was an heiress didn''t even cross her mind. Or rather, it did, but it was none of her concern. Not that she nned to hide anything from him in the first ce; Cosette wanted to be friends with Maxen, hiding nothing from him.

    She wanted to be as transparent to him as possible. Maxen had already faced enough lies and only knew about the other face of the truth of this cruel and unfair world. She didn''t want to be an addition to that.

    ''Maybe I can ask Papa to adopt Maxen?'' she wondered internally, rubbing her chin, deep in thought about how to make the most out of this trip. ''Hehe... in that case, I can actually look after him properly!''

    While her own mischievous thoughts distracted Cosette, she didn''t notice his constant gaze on her.

    ''I never asked before, butбн I always wondered how far her home was.'' He wondered out of in curiosity.

    The small room Maxen was renting out was already considered far, but not too far. But how about her? He would usually get off the bus before her, so he didn''t have an idea what area she lived in.

    ording to her gloating, she often mentioned how early she had to wake up to make lunch boxes and arrive at school on time. So he was wondering just how early was it exactly?

    Little did he know, she lived farther than he expected, as they only got off at thest bus stop.

    "We''re here, Max!" Cosette held her bag that was on herp as she stood up.

    ''This far, huh?'' He made a way for her and followed in silence. ''So, she stays on the bus after I get off for over an hour and a half?''

    Maxen kept his eyes on her back, hopping outside the bus after her. As they stood in the shade, the driver, who was usually waiting for her, instantly caught Cosette''s figure. But to his surprise, she only nced at the car parked several meters from the bus stop бк the usual spot бк and she was with a male student.

    "Young missбн?" the driver furrowed his brows as he watched Cosette talk with a male student.

    Meanwhile, even after noticing the car that always drove her home, Cosette ignored it. Instead, she turned to Maxen and smiled.

    "Max, do you want to stay in our home for the night?" her abrupt question made him freeze.

    "What?" he nearly gasped in disbelief. He hadn''t wrapped his head around how far she lived, and now she was asking if he wanted to stay over at their ce.

    Whose parent would allow their daughter to take home a man? Unless their house was a mansion where he could stay a safe distance from her.

    "I''m just sayingбн our house is still far from here. If you still n to walk me home, then it will bete for you once we reach our house," Cosette exined in a knowing tone as it would take another twenty minutes for her to reach home via car.

    "Don''t worry about me." He frowned before looking around. "Didn''t you say your uncle always fetches you? I see no uncle here."

    "Wellбн " she trailed off, thinking of an excuse to tell him. Her driver was just right over there, waiting for her! But she wanted to spend more time with Maxen, as this was the first time he would walk her home.

    Selfish as it may sound, Cosette thought of introducing Maxen to Conrad as well. Even though Conrad cherished her, it was good to let her father know who her friends were.

    "Let''s go if he''s not here." Maxen let out a sharp breath as he looked from left to right for thest time. "Which way?"

    "Hmm. There." She pointed in a direction and he nodded.

    With that being said, the two of them walked on the sidewalk leisurely. He didn''t think Cosette would live in the main city. There were other schools around the area бк a much better school than their current school.

    He could not help but nce at her, as it appalled him why she would go to Winter Highschool.

    "This is so far," he spoke after ten minutes of walking and they hadn''t reached her home yet. They didn''t even enter a residential area as they were still on the main road.

    "I know, right? I told you I wake up early because if I don''t, I will bete for school," she returned with a shrug, ncing at the road when the sound of speeding cars and honks caressed her ears. "That''s why I said it will bete if you return."

    Maxen nced at her and let out a sigh, but said nothing. Even if he had to return to his ce in the middle of the night, it was not like there was someone who was waiting for him at home. Moreover, this was better, so he could just sleep once he got home.

    HONK HONK!

    Suddenly, Maxen looked back only to see a ck sedan beamed lights at the two of them and slowed down until it reached them. His brows furrowed, studying the car that looked expensive. Even though he wasn''t an expert in cars, this one was easy to differentiate from the other cars on the road.

    He nced at Cosette and noticed herck of reaction. They both stopped, facing the road before Cosette took a step forward towards the car. He only watched the window of the back passenger seat roll down, revealing a man whose aura gave an immediate feeling he was someone untouchable.

    "Papa!" Maxen''s breath hitched as his eyes dted, watching Cosette bend her head down to see the person inside the car, and her hands over the window.

    Conrad just looked at her and then nced at the young boy standing behind her. Maxen tilted his head down on instinct as soon as he met Conrad''s eyes.

    "Why are you walking home? Didn''t George fetch you at the bus stop?" asked Conrad as he set his eyes back to his daughter.

    Cosette just bit her tongue. She didn''t need to answer because her bodynguage was enough for Conrad to understand the situation.

    "Get in," Conrad invited with the same tone, but she frowned.

    "Papa, I''m with my ssmate. He is walking me home because it''ste. How can I leave him here?"

    Conrad raised a brow as he cast Maxen a quick look. "I mean, you two, get in."

    Cosette''s eyes brightened up before she looked back at the baffled Maxen. "Max, my father said you shoulde with us! Let''s go~!"

    Maxen wanted to refuse, but before he could, Cosette already dragged him inside the car and joined Conrad.

 Chapter 29 Negativity

    Maxen had already assumed that Cosette was pampered at home. Her appearance already gave the biggest hint that she was someone whose parents would give everything. But he never actually thought Cosette was a real-life princess!

    He looked at the enormous gates that automatically opened for the car, driving through the long driveway towards the mansion he had only seen on television. Cosette was chatting with her father as she sat in the middle of Conrad and Maxen. The father and daughter duo weren''t even paying attention to the home they would go home to, but Maxen couldn''t take his eyes off of the mansion, cked jaw.

    ''This can''t be real...''

    When the car stopped in front of the main house. Conrad didn''t even need to open the door for him because a butler outside already did.

    "Wee home, Master," George, the butler, weed Conrad home and smiled when Cosette went out after her father. "Wee home, Young Miss."

    "Hello, Butler George." Cosette smiled before she pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "I''m with my ssmate."

    George nced in the direction the young miss pointed at, only to hold his breath upon seeing a young man hitching outside the car. It wasn''t just him, apparently. Everyone who was under the portico to wee their masters fixed their widened eyes on this unfamiliar face, wearing the uniform of Winter Highschool.

    ''Just ssmate???'' was what instantly crossed their head, sneaking up a nce at Cosette and Conrad.

    Feeling the gazes from the servants lined up in uniform, Maxen nced at Cosette. This was crazy, he thought. It was hard to believe that those who were seen in dramas about the lifestyle of wealthy families truly happened in real life.

    For a moment, he felt as though vine roots grew under his feet, stilling him on the spot. Unable to lift his gaze while gritting his teeth as this was akin to a tight p for him.

    ''We have enough money to buy this entire hospital!''

    Suddenly, those words she stated in the hospital in passing rang inside his head. He thought she was simply trying to reassure him not to worry about the hospital bill, but to think it wasn''t an exaggerationбн Maxen was dumbfounded.

    "Max! Let''s go!" he snapped out of his thoughts when Cosette, who had her arms linked with Conrad, tipped her head towards the door. "Wait, Papa! Slow down. Let''s wait for Maxen for a bit~!"

    Conrad simply cast her a side-eye, but still walked slowly while taking the steps up of their home.

    "Good evening, young sir. Please head inside." George motioned his arm towards the entrance, sporting a kind smile. "Please excuse my discourtesy, but may I know your name so I can address you properly?"

    "Uhбн" Maxen looked at the butler, rendered speechless by his politeness. "Max. Just Max."

    "Let me escort you inside, Sir Max." George nodded mildly, leading the way while Maxen followed after getting ignored when he corrected George about the "sir" before his name.

    Thetter could not help but nced at the servants as they bowed to him and weed him into the manor like a young master. This was the first time Cosette took a ssmate home, so everyone already knew they should treat her friend with the utmost respect.

    *****

    Usually, Cosette would wait for Conrad to arrive so they could enjoy dinner together. But since she went homete, the two of them headed straight to the dining hall with Maxen.

    Cosette darted her eyes between Conrad and Maxen. Thetter was silent, which was understandable, since he was surely surprised. Although she didn''t n to hide this from him, she also didn''t have a solid reason to tell him about her life, since she didn''t want to brag and Maxen never asked, anyway.

    Still, she didn''t consider that there would be a day when Maxen would initiate to walk her home.

    ''He is not the person who cares about people''s status,'' she told herself, considering the pros and cons based on his personality. ''I''m sure nothing will change even if I turn out to be the daughter of the president of the country.''

    "Papa, did you eat the lunch I made for you?" Cosette broke the stifling silence in the air as Conrad and Maxen never spoke a word. They were very much alike. One would think they were actually father and son if only they resembled even a bit.

    "Mhm. Ate everything." Conrad nodded, pleased when she smiled approvingly. "Why are you walking home?"

    "Walking is healthy for a young person like me and I want to spend more time with Max." Her bright and proud smile dominated her face while Maxen nearly choked on his water.

    Meanwhile, her father''s eyes glinted when they fell on Maxen, keeping it discreet for her not to notice. The maids, who were on standby, couldn''t help but widen their eyes in shock. Some even have to purse their lips to keep their mouths shut.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I see..."

    Cosette blinked twice before she noticed the chilling inbound breezeing from the head seat where Conrad sat.

    ''Is he jealous? Or did he think Max and I are more than just ssmates?'' she wondered, clearing her throat while raising her chin, keeping her beautiful smile.

    "Let''s stroll sometime, Papa. It''ll be nice too if you and I take some night walks since I also want to spend some time with you!" she suggested, heaving a sigh of relief when Conrad nced at her and nodded.

    She had spent a fair amount of time in this mansion and with everyone that she was slowly getting a gist of everyone''s personality, especially Conrad. Therefore, she could sense when her father was happy, even when his expression remained the same.

    "Stop talking and eat first," Conrad urged, receiving a smile from her before she continued to gobble up the dinner.

    As she resumed eating, Maxen remained silent while darting his eyes between Cosette and Conrad. She didn''t change the slightest; be it in this ce or in school. Cosette was just like a sunshine giving vibrance to her surroundings.

    His jaw tightened when Conrad''s eyes suddenly fell on him. Looking down on his te, Maxen sat frozen under her father''s sharp gaze. Yet, Conrad didn''t speak a word to him.

    ''What are you thinking, Max?'' he asked himself when Cosette and Conrad engaged in a conversation once again. He mentally snickered in ridicule, as he couldn''t believe he actually thought she was a bit normalбн or rather, she was someone that was, at least, within his reach.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m He offered to walk her home because he was really worried about her. However, he didn''t expect her to be an heiress! He wasn''t ready for this revtion.

    It just made him realize she was someone he shouldn''t even dream of. If she was a part of the middle ss, he could work hard to stand on the same ground as her and be the friend that deserved her.

    But now, even if he worked himself to the bones, what he could give to her would mean nothing.

    The ice cream he bought for her earlier? She could buy an entire factory of ice cream if only she asked her father!

    This reality was truly a painful p to his face.

    "Maxen Cloven, is it?" Conrad''s voice brought him back from his trance.

    Maxen raised his head and nodded, keeping a dead expression with lifeless eyes. "Yes, sir."

    "You should stay for tonight," Conrad suggested, baffling Maxen for a second before thetter was ready to refuse. But just like Cosette, the former already decided and he wouldn''t take no for an answer. "It is best if you stay tonight, Mister Cloven. I also want to take a moment of your time after this dinner."

    "Papa, you will not bully Maxen, will you?" Cosette narrowed her eyes at Conrad as she was prepared to hide Maxen if that was her father''s n.

    "Cozie, do you think so badly of your father?"

    She frowned because she couldn''t argue if he said it like that. "No, of course not."

    "Don''t worry." Conrad let out a shallow breath as he offered her a subtle smile. "I just want to talk to your friend; a man-to-man talk."

    "Alright."

    Maxen didn''t voice out his thoughts, but he already guessed what Conrad would say. It was either: "stay away from my daughter" or "don''t even think of exploiting our family." Those were just the mildest thoughts that crossed his head, and those thoughts grew more negative with every passing second.

    He balled his hand underneath the table as he gazed at the fancy dinner they were eating.

    ''I feel sick,'' he thought, feeling this knot in his stomach tighten. ''I can''t breatheбн''

 Chapter 30 A Fathers Words

    In Conrad''s study room, Maxen stood near the entrance while Conrad approached the stand where a decanter of wine was stored. But just before he could pour himself a ss, he looked back at the young man he invited for a talk.

    "Sit down, Mister Cloven." Conrad motioned his hand towards the couch, picked up the decanter and two empty sses, and perched on the head seat. Maxen was on the long couch.

    "Do you drink?" asked Conrad as soon as he ced the decanter and sses on the coffee table, ncing at Maxen.

    "No, sir." His answer was short and almost toneless.

    Conrad rocked his head, shoving his hand inside his pocket only to take out a cigarette tin which he ced on top of the table. "Do you smoke?"

    "I quit not long ago."

    "Since you''ve quit, I won''t offer you a stick."

    "It''s fine, sir." Maxen nced at Cosette''s father, watching thetter lean back with the ss in his hand. The longer he stuck around this man, the more nervous he felt. Sweat already damped his back, waiting for the harsh words Conrad had in store for him.

    The only positive thought inside the young man was the unspoken belittling that was yet to leave this man''s lips. With just a nce, one would instantly realize Conrad came from an entirely different world. Even with how he held the ss, the way those naturally sharp eyes glint, the aura, and Conrad as a whole.

    He was a powerful and influential man. He wasn''t just rich. Conrad was a man whose words held power and his existence was important to the economy.

    "Rx, Mister Cloven. Don''t be nervous. I''m simplyбн appalled because this is the first time my daughter brought home a friend." Conrad''s cool voice broke the stifling silence, noticing the nervousness of the young man.

    Although he understood the boy, Conrad would be lying if he said he was perfectly fine with all this. Cosette was a girl, and for her to introduce a male friend slightly worried an over-protective father like him. Especially now that Cosette was changing, unlike how she was in the past.

    Even so, he didn''t want to hurt his daughter just because he wasn''t ready to let his little princess hold another man''s hand. She was already at the age where she would experiment and explore her youth. Still, he wanted to supervise, just in case.

    "I won''t beat around the bush, Mister Cloven. I would like to ask you something, and I want an honest answer." He cleared his throat and looked Maxen straight in the eye. "Are you my daughter''s boyfriend?"

    Maxen''s back stiffened and then breathed out. "No, sir."

    "Good." Conrad rocked his head. "Although I want my daughter to enjoy her youth, I won''t allow her to marry for the next fifty years."

    "бн"<novelnext></novelnext>

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m As silence descended on them once again, Conrad simply studied the youngd while tapping his fingers against the armrest and twirling the wine in his other hand. When he spoke once again, Maxen raised his eyes at him.

    "Mister Cloven, I will be very direct and honest with you," Conrad broke the silence once again while Maxen subconsciously held his breath.

    ''This is it,'' he thought, preparing his heart for everything this man had to say.

    "Cosette used to be a strict youngdy. She''s ambitious andpetitive. At a young age, she was already preparing herself to take over thepany and prove to everyone that she was capable. In doing so, she forgot that she is just a young girl who should enjoy her youth and make memories." Unlike what Maxen expected, Conrad looked at the wine in his hand and spoke about how was his daughter in the past. "We used to live under the same roof and barely spoke a word to each other, and all those conversations always end on a bad note. Cosette wanted to involve herself more in thepany so bad, but I told her to take it easy. However, she never listen and took it as me not having enough confidence in her."

    There was bitterness that shed across Conrad''s eyes which didn''t go unnoticed by Maxen. He continued;

    "I don''t me her, though. I knew she is a capable youngdy, but as someone who lived for the money, for the power his entire life, I do not want my daughter to walk on the same path as I did." Conrad raised his eyes at Maxen. "I mean it when I say I do not want her to marry for the next fifty years, but obviously, that is just a selfish whim of a father. I will never stand in my daughter''s way, especially in what makes her happy."

    "Cosette is the only one I have, and she means the world to me, Mister Cloven. Her happiness is my happiness and so is her pain. As a father, I would trade the world just to make her happy and see her smile. That is why I asked a moment of your time to indulge with me," he added. "As I''ve said, this is the first time Cosette brought a friend over. Matter of fact, she never called the connections she made in the past friends. She called them as prospective business partners бк connections, in the future."

    "In the society we walked in, calling someone a friend is rare. It had always been a matter of give-and-take, and how the other person could benefit and what they can offer you. Hence, I wanted to thank you for bing my daughter''s friend and for taking care of her." Conrad offered a meek smile while an enormous question mark hovered over Maxen''s head.

    ''What?'' he wondered, thinking he misheard Conrad''s remarks. ''He''s thanking me forбн bing his daughter''s friend? Me? Why?''

    Conrad chuckled faintly, seeing the puzzlement in the boy''s eyes. It was obvious Maxen had thought of the worse, and Conrad couldn''t me him. If not for the fact that Maxen wanted to walk her home because he was worried it was alreadyte for a youngdy to travel alone, he would have had second thoughts.

    "Although I am thankful for this friendship, I also liked to ask you a favor." He cleared his throat and his expression grew solemn. "As her father, all I ask from you is to not make my daughter cry, Mister Cloven. I am a person who believed in development. Therefore, I can''t rule out that your young hearts might fall for each other. It doesn''t matter if you end up liking her or the other way around. All I''m saying is, wait for the right time and take things slowly if that happened, and if it''s one-sidedбн"

    He paused and pondered about it. "If it''s just you, I hope you respect my daughter''s decision, and if it''s just her, get out of her life and end the friendship so she wouldn''t hurt anymore. Because at the end of the day, anyone who makes her cry will be my enemy and I''m telling you beforehand you don''t want me as your enemy."

    "I will destroy you," he added. "Completely and mercilessly and that is not a threat, neither it is a promise. It''s a statement and a fact."

    There was a moment of silence between the two as they stared at each other. Although Conrad''sst remarks were enough to scare anyone, they sounded different in Maxen''s ears. Conrad was simply trying to protect his daughter and never once did he point out Maxen''s upbringing, status, or worth, which surprised the young man. If anything, Conrad spoke to him man to man and with respect which Maxen rarely received.

    "I understand, sir." Maxen hung his head low. But when he raised his head, Conrad smiled slightly.

    "Then I''d take that as a promise." Conrad nodded, pleased that Maxen was quick to understand the worries of a single father who simply treasured his daughter. "Very well. You are always wee in our home, anytime you likeбн just not in my daughter''s bedroom."

 Chapter 31 A Curse He Would Chant For Years

    Cosette was pacing back and forth in her room nervously, unaware that she had been biting the tip of her thumb. She wanted to join Conrad and Maxen just to make sure her father wouldn''t say anything that might trigger the viin in the making. All the efforts in getting Maxen''s trust would all go down the drain if that happened.

    "Young Miss, here''s yourбн" Lucia trailed off as she entered the young miss''s room, catching thetter pace back and forth without even noticing her presence. She sighed, but then smiled subtly.

    "Young Miss," she called softly as she entered the room while carrying a tray with a ss of milk on top of it. Her call caused Cosette to flinch back to the currentpse.

    "Nanny Lucia!" came out an exim, patting her chest as she didn''t notice Lucia until she caught her shadow stretching to her feet. "Goodness! Since when have you been here?"

    "Just now, young miss." Lucia chuckled as she ced the ss of milk over the nightstand. "Are you worried about Sir Cloven and the master?"

    Her question immediately brought a frown to Cosette''s face as she dragged her feet and threw herself onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling, she moved her head only to see Lucia''s gentle smile from an upside-down perspective.

    "Nanny Lucia, what do you think Papa wants with Maxen?" she asked with a voice full of worry.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "Young Missбн" Lucia carefully sat on the edge of the bed, keeping her gentle eyes on her. "Whatever the master''s reason for inviting Sir Cloven to his study, I''m certain it''s nothing to worry about. Do you still not trust the master?"

    Cosette''s frown remained as she sighed. "It''s not like that, Nana. It''s justбн Maxen had been through a lot." She peeled her eyes away from Lucia to the ceiling.

    "I know Papa is the best of the best and the most handsome father in the entire novel. But thing is, Maxen''s life had been nothing but a series of misfortune and tragedy. People always treat him terribly unprovoked and even bully him. It''s not even an exaggeration that this world is against Max," she continued, holding her tears back while thinking of what she had seen so far that wasn''t even included in the novel. "Although he is quite rude, repelling people is just his defense mechanism to protect himself. All he needs is a little kindness and understandingбн just a little warmth will do."

    Lucia''s eyes softened as Cosette''s concern towards Maxen also moved her. She could still remember the time Cosette would bat an eye at other people as she was always busy staring at her goal. So, it put her heart at rest that Cosette, whom she had watched grow up, was gaining somepassion for others.

    "Young miss," she cajoled, adjusting her seat so she could massage her head. "The master, although, he struggles to express his heart, I''m certain he understands yours. He will not do or say something that will put a strain on your friendship with Sir Cloven."

    Cosette bit her bottom lip while staring at those pair of gentle eyes hovering over her. Lucia nodded in encouragement.

    "Don''t worry. I put my hand in my heart and say everything will turn out well."

    "Nanaбн"

    "So, you do not worry anymore and rest early since you will still make your lunch boxes early tomorrow," she encouraged with a nod. It didn''t take long before Cosette huffed as she nodded.

    "You''re right. I can still use the lunch box as leverage to Papa." Lucia chuckled at Cosette''s remarks, helping her settle on the bed, and handed her the ss of milk.

    *******<novelnext></novelnext>

    Meanwhileбн

    When Maxen left Conrad''s study, a shallow breath slipped past his lips. He looked back at the shut door, bearing this iprehensible countenance.

    All the things he expected to hear from Cosette''s father didn''te. Maxen had already prepared his reply just in case, but nothing. Not only Conrad didn''t tell him to stay away from his daughter, but he also considered that Maxen''s and Cosette''s feelings might develop into something deeper. And yet, he still weed him into their house бк mansion.

    ''He''s just as strange as that girl,'' he thought, but then again, he didn''t know what it was like to have a loving parent. Hence, this was like a puzzle to him.

    As he walked through the hallway, Maxen shoved his hand inside his pocket. ''Very strange thing to sayбн to a person like me. How can he trust someone like me? No actually, how can they both trust someone like me?''

    Both father and daughter were a weird pair for him. But deep down, he couldn''t help but smile. Honestly, he feltбн weed for once. Conrad''s words about not caring which family he came from and his past were something Maxen didn''t expect to hear from anyone.

    After all, everyone always looked at a person''s past and judged them from it. That was why Maxen never felt the need to change. No matter what he did, his past would always be there. Also, it was not like the world liked him to give him a chance to change. His life circumstances were just getting harder by the day.

    But ever since Cosette pranced into his life like a divaбн it somehow became just a tiny bit bearable.

    ''Hurt herбн'' He snickered as he shook his head. ''бн as if I can do that.''

    Maxen still believed that Cosette would never like him as a man. Not only she was beautiful, but she also came from a well-off family. The reason he wasn''t even putting up the effort or dared think further just like Conrad.

    It was just impossible.

    ''Being her friend isбн my finish line.'' He told himself бк more like convinced himself. "That''s the only thing I can give to her. Friendship."

    Because if he thought further or wanted deeper than that, he already knew the oue. This was his way to protect himself and Cosette and this friendship she singlehandedly created.

    ''She isn''t someone I can think like that,'' he uttered to himself, mentally nodding while he scratched the back of his head. ''That''s right. She is someone beyond my reach.''

    His smile remained but his eyes glinted with bitterness. He didn''t like her romantically, but he didn''t dislike her as well. It was just thatбн he had these conflicting feelings. He med Conrad for giving him the idea. But still, this truth that an heiress like Cosette who was studying in a normal high school and mingling with "mortals" was akin to a tight p in the face.

    She was not someone he should even dream about. He doesn''t deserve her.

    Even at this young age, Maxen knew that these words would be the curse he would chant for years. Each time she would make his heart flutter and each time she would see her with another man, these words he was telling himself right now would bind his heart from giving in to his selfish desire.

 Chapter 32 Good Morning

    Morning came, and Maxen was already up before dawn. Although this was the first time he slept in such avish ce, his thoughts kept him awake almost the entire night.

    "This is just a guest room, but it also has a bathroom and many stuff," he mumbled while drying his damped hair with a towel, looking around at the spacious hotel-like guest room. "Their bathroom has more space than my ce."

    A faint breath slipped past his lips as he nced back at the bathroom door he came from. The butler came to himst night, giving him a change of clothes, and asking for his uniform so they could clean it for tomorrow. At first, Maxen refused and told them he could wash his uniform himself. However, he soon realized the servants in this house wouldn''t take no for an answer.

    Everyone, be it the masters of the house or their servants, was stubborn. So, he finally gave in and let them do as they pleased, just so they leave him alone. It was the same in the problem of correcting them, but they kept addressing him as ''mister'' or ''sir'', and then it escted to a ''young master.'' He gave up correcting them before they would address him as a god.

    Now, Maxen had to change to the other pair of clothes they handed himst night. It was just a simple white t-shirt andfortable sweatpants, and yet, he couldn''t feel the sense of simplicity in it for reasons he couldn''t exin.

    "Should I go and ask them for the uniform? They might think I am acting all high and mighty just because I''m locking myself in this room," he mumbled with his thoughts getting more negative by the second, pacing back and forth while ncing at the door every two seconds.

    Although everyone had been warm and kind to him, Maxen had met tons of people who were kind at first but changed in just a matter of weeks, which would then lead to verbal abuse that had devastated his fragile heart in the past. So, it was not that he didn''t want to trust everyone. It was just thatбн he couldn''t open his heart so easily to anyone or even to himself.

    "Huh?" he raised a brow when he heard a faintmotion outside. Since he didn''t know what to do while waiting for his uniform, he carefully opened the door and poked his head out to check what was going on.

    The sound was just faint. The guest room was on the first floor of the mansion. He was close to the mansion''s lobby and dining room where the noises wereing from.

    Slowly and vigntly, Maxen followed the sound, and it led him to the lobby. There were a few servants who greeted him good morning on the way, so he asked one of them what was the noise all about.

    "Ahhбн it''s the young miss," said the maid with a smile, trying to stop herself from yawning. "You can see her there, young master Max."

    "It''s not young master бк I mean, okayбн" Maxen bit his tongue and watched the maid yawn before she head to wherever her destination was.

    ''Everyone I met so far looks as though it''s still too early for them to be up. It was as if they weren''t used to being awake this early.'' He thought, not dwelling on it as he shook his head. He then gazed in the direction the maid previously pointed at where she mentioned Cosette was.

    ''I didn''t know she''ll be up this early.'' Maxen then headed to the kitchen to see what Cosette was doing so early in the morning.

    As soon as he reached the entrance of the kitchen, his eyes immediately caught someone moving lethargically in the kitchen. Her hair was tied in a messy bun, she was still in her pajamas, and clearly groggy. A look Maxen never thought he''d ever get to see.

    He narrowed his eyes, leaning his side against the jamb, and watched her move around the kitchen. Cosette was yawning, but her focus remained on her assignment.

    ''With how rich they were, it''s a surprise that she''s making her own breakfast,'' he thought before his eyes fell on the table near the kitchen counter.

    His brows furrowed before his eyes softened when he recognized the empty lunch boxes already prepared on the table.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''She always brags about waking up early to make those lunch boxes, but to think she is actually saying the truthбн wait.''

    Suddenly, Maxen wondered if he failed to eat any of the lunch boxes she brought him. Although he refused her constantly, he would always end up eating it because Cosette was getting more creative in making excuses for him to eat it. But now, he would feel sorry if he seeded even once, knowing she was working this hard. Forget about pride, but he didn''t want to take her sincerity for granted.

    ''Good thing I don''t recall not eating with her.'' He heaved a sigh of relief, disregarding his pride for her. He snapped his eyes and raised them when he suddenly heard her voice.

    "Oh, Max!" Cosette''s initial dull expression brightened up when she caught his figure standing by the entrance. "Good morning~! You''re early."

    ''Finish line,'' came to his head upon witnessing how her expression change the moment she saw him.

    "I always wake up early." Maxen shrugged as he trudged inside, walking straight to the kitchen counter.

    "You always wake up early, but consistentlye to schoolte." Cosette pouted as she clicked her tongue, pointing at him while holding a spat. "Just sit over there while I prepare this."

    Maxen raised a brow as she pointed her chin towards the table and chairs. He looked back before setting his eyes back on her.

    "You''re not asking me to help?" he asked while leaning against the kitchen counter.

    Cosette held the spat and waved it. "No need."

    "Why?"

    "What do you mean, why?" her brows knitted as she tilted her head. "This is my morning ritual, and I enjoy cooking food for my loved ones. It won''t be the same if I get help from anyone. I think I already told you about this before, but you''re not listening."

    Cosette frowned and shook her head, shooting him a judgmental look while Maxen just gazed at her. Right, he thought. He believed she mentioned something like that between the lines, but he wasn''t listening. Or rather, he didn''t want to think about it and pretended he didn''t hear her the first time.

    ''Loved ones, huh?'' Maxen looked back at the lunch boxes and there were three. The pink one was for Cosette, the ck one was for Maxen, and the green oneбн?

    ''Was it for her father?'' he nced up as he imagined Conrad bringing an ugly lunch box to his work. Maxen scrunched his nose up, but he couldn''t judge the man in question. If anything, it was another thing to admire and respect about her father.

    ''If I was himбн I will also not care since she made it with all her heart.'' His eyes softened as he returned his gaze back to Cosette. She was now busy once again, but Maxen indulged in watching how those lunch boxes were made.

    Last night was a break from the pattern of his predictable life. This morning, too. He felt conflicted about it, but the atmosphere in the kitchen feltбн warm. Leaving a deep trace in his heart, as he already knew this moment was something he would cherish forever.

 Chapter 33 Ten

    "Bye-bye, Papa~!"

    Cosette waved at Conrad as the window of the back passenger seat rolled up. Ever since Cosette hitched a ride with Conrad, it somehow became their routine now. Her father was now the person dropping her off at the bus stop, just like today.

    Maxen nced at her as she still kept waving even when the car sped away. He remained silent as he looked in the other way, checking if the next bus wasing.

    "Max, you didn''t eat a lot this breakfast." He nearly flinched when she came up to his side to berate him. He leaned back, seeing her narrow her eyes while bobbing her face to examine him.

    "I don''t usually eat breakfast," he exined while staring at her in dismay. "You''re too close. Stand back a bit, will you?"

    Cosette frowned but still took a step back. "You didn''t eat a lot during dinner toost night. Are you saying you don''t usually eat dinner too? If I don''t make you lunch, you won''t eat lunch too? Are you trying to give yourself a slow and painful death?"

    "What?"

    "Maxen, you should take care of yourself."

    "Stop nagging me like a mother." He clicked his tongue and waved, looking away.

    Her frown persisted because Maxen was as cold as ever. Although he was now speaking to her a bit more, she always felt he was keeping his distance. Not that she was growing impatient to get close to him, but she just kept wondering if he was seeing her as a nuisance or a friend.

    ''I just want to change his fate,'' sheined internally, sighing as her shoulders went up and down. ''I don''t want to be that girl he would remember who used to stalk him once the story starts, but someone he can call his first friend.''

    While Cosette was mentally ripping her scalp in distress, she didn''t notice that he was staring at her. The side of his lips hooked up momentarily before his smile disappeared.

    "I eat dinner," he said, making her look up only to see him gazing in the same direction. "I am not just the type to eat a lot in one sitting. I''m not a pig like you."

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m "A pig?" she gasped as she gazed at him in dismay.

    Maxen nced at her as the bus finally arrived. "A glutton, then." He smirked as he walked towards the bus door.

    "Max!" Cosette yelled as she stomped her feet to follow him. "How can you say I am a glutton and a pig? Do you have eye problems?! You have more weight than me!"

    "Just because I have a slow metabolism, doesn''t mean I have a dragon inside my stomach."

    "But we''re still like a ten when we walk side by side!" Cosette grumbled before she mischievously giggled. "Ten. One and zero, like a pair, you know? Hehe."

    This time, Cosette walked past him like a little devil as he suddenly paused. His eyesnded on her back and caught her sitting in one of the empty seats with a smug grin on her face.

    ''What a girl.'' Maxen sighed and shook his head before resuming in his stride. Since there was more space, Maxen took another empty seat across from her. But he jolted when Cosette changed seats and sat beside him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hey!" he yelled, looking at her in dismay. "What are you doing here?"

    "Sitting."

    "Sit in another seat. There''s a lot that''s vacant."

    "Max, we''re not ten if we''re not together!"

    "I don''t care about being ten."

    Cosette frowned and narrowed her eyes. This was the perfect chance to chat with him and get close to him. So, if ever in the future, he could think of his precious friend whenever he would see a bus or just needed a good memory to think about.

    "Fine." Maxen ruffled his hair as he looked away, eyes on the window. "Sit wherever you like. Just don''t botherбн"

    "I will bother you," she affirmed, which sounded more like a threat even before he could finish his sentence. But just when she thought Maxen would argue with her or looked at her in disbelief, he didn''t. Instead, he remained silent and kept his eyes on the window.

    "Goshбн why is it so hard to get close to you?" she mumbled and clicked her tongue, moving her butt on the seat to find herfort ce. "Well, who am I toin? I''m already happy that we''re going to school together."

    Cosette looked down with a sweet smile on her face. Even though taking care of her favorite character was truly a challenge, she couldn''t really be mad about him. If anything, it just made sense, since this world kept going against him.

    Meanwhile, Maxen stole a nce from her and caught that genuine and sweet smile. ''Don''t look so happy.'' He looked away to hide the faint blush on his cheek.

    Since the ride would take a while, Maxen leaned back. They left her home too early so they wouldn''t bete for school. Surely Cosette was diligent which was very admirable.

    His eyes remained on the window, thinking that she was probably busy with her phone to kill time or something. Only a minuteter did he figure out that wasn''t the case.

    Maxen stiffened when he felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked at her on instinct and furrowed his brows.

    ''So, she usually falls asleep on the way to school?'' he thought, letting out a sharp breath along with a faint chuckle. ''She''s really strange.''

    He lowered his shoulder as he slid down a bit so her neck wouldn''t feel too stiff once she woke up. In his mind, there were countless servants in the mansion. But none of them offered to help Cosette make the lunch boxes. He was certain because, just like how she refused his help, she surely refused other people''s help. Cosette was a stubborn one, after all.

    ''Why does she work so hard if she can get everything even without trying?'' he wondered while staring at her with a subtle smile. ''Well, I will probably never understand since it''s youбн I don''t understand what you really want from me.''

    Maxen slowly closed his eyes, as he felt a little sleepy as well. ''I wonder... what did you see in me?'' was what crossed his head before taking a nap on this long, yet short ride to school.

 Chapter 34 School Days

    Days had passed since Maxen stayed over in the c''s mansion. Even after knowing that she was an heiress, Cosette thought Maxen didn''t care because he treated her the same. Not that she wasining. Actually, it was better than he was letting her stick around him, despite all that revtion.

    Things had been great between them too! They didn''t skip sses anymore because Maxen would get back to ss after lunch. Of course, they would still eat on the rooftop or in the ssroom during lunchtime.

    KRINNGGGG!

    Cosette pped her hand as soon as the school bell rang for lunch. But before she could turn her head to Maxen, her brows rose when Sarah, who was sitting in front of her, dragged her chair close to her desk.

    "Cozie, do you want to have lunch together?" she asked as she pivoted on her seat, draping an arm over the chair. "We brought lunch boxes too! Look!"

    Sarah raised her lunch box with the same smile before she jerked her chin to Amie and Fay. Cosette then turned to the people the former pointed at, only to see Amie and Fay disying their lunch boxes.

    "Uhбн" Cosette nced at Maxen, who was slumped on his desk, fast asleep. "бн well, if only Maxen agreed to join us."

    She sported an apologetic smile as soon as she saw the frown on the girls'' faces. Cosette felt bad for not hanging out with them as much as during her first week in the school, but her priority was Maxen. She transmigrated into this world with a mission.

    When Maxen grunted, they all looked at him with eyes glinting. Even before Maxen could see the intense re from his side, he already felt a chill run down his spine. He shuddered when he turned his head to them, only to see his ssmates gawking at him.

    "Uhбн what?" he asked with furrowed brows.

    "We want to eat lunch with Cozie too, but she said she will only eat with us if you join us," Fay exined, making Maxen nce at her. "You should join us. It''s not good to hog your girlfriend all to yourself."

    Maxen and Cosette froze at Fay''s remarks. Girlfriend? Although they both froze up, Cosette''s face turned red, as if that was apliment to her. Why not? Maxen was her idol, and she was his superfan. Meanwhile, Maxen secretly curled his fingers into a fist.

    "She''s not my girlfriend," came out a cold and firm rification.

    Fay, Amie, and Sarah looked at each other. Of course, they knew that, but they were just teasing him since that was what others believed. But.. Maxen sounded angry for some reason.

    Why? The girls couldn''t understand since Cosette was more beautiful than the school bell бк if only Cosette knew her poprity.

    "Do you have to voice out your dismay like that?" Cosette frowned, not taking Maxen''s words to the heart, as that was the truth. She carefully ced the lunch box on his desk while clicking her tongue.

    "Max is so heartless. Even if you don''t like me, you shouldn''t be so mad about that."

    The space between Maxen''s brows furrowed as he looked at her pout. ''I''m just trying to clear up the misunderstanding,'' he exined internally, but bit his tongue and kept his thoughts to himself.

    When Cosette faced the girls, she looked so happy as she could eat with them again. The four of them dragged their desk to make arger table where they could eat and gossip. Meanwhile, Maxen just nced at her.

    ''That''s right,'' he thought while opening the lid of the lunch box she prepared. ''She kept following me that she is neglecting her friends. We should start staying in the ssroom for lunch.''

    Maxen wasn''t expecting her to bring him lunch forever. But after seeing her efforts, he swallowed his pride and kept epting them normally. He nced at her once again and saw her giggling with the girls. His eyes softened before averting his gaze from her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Although the three female ssmates just dragged their desks to Cosette''s, their distance felt like a mile. In his mind, Cosette was someone who would be surrounded by lots of people. She was the type of person who could make other people want to have her attention or be a part of her life.

    "Max!" he flinched when Cosette suddenly called him. He looked at her, only to see her raising her brows.

    "Should we drag our desk to you?" she asked with an innocent expression.

    "Huh?"

    "You said we will be having lunch together. How can this be called eating lunch together if you''re so far away?" she exined in a matter-of-factly and clicked her tongue.

    "Far away?" Maxen raised a brow as their distance wasn''t that far бк at least to them. But to think she would say the things he thought he was the only one who noticed, another part of the wall around his heart cracked.

    Cosette shook her head and sighed, casting the three a look. "Is it okay if we move to him? Max is not a gentleman."

    "Of course." Sarah nodded and cast the other two a look, and they also nodded. "But is he fine with that?"

    She then leaned forward and ced her hand beside her lips to whisper. They liked Cosette, but she liked Maxen for some reason. So, to get close to their ssmate, they had to ept Maxen as well. However, Maxen wasn''t easy to deal with and they all had a bad impression of him.

    "Of course. Maxen is a good person." Cosette nodded reassuringly. "Although he is blunt, he is very kind and considerate. Once you get used to him, you''ll see he''s not a very scary person."

    "Right? Max?" she added and cast him a look.

    "Huh?"

    "See?" Cosette didn''t even give him the chance to ''disagree'' as she shed the girls a smile. "He said he''s fine with that."

    Sarah, Amie, and Fay looked at each other before they nodded. With that being said, Maxen flinched as the four of them sprung up to their feet. When they turned their heads to him and saw how their eyes glinted, Maxen gulped down.

    Without a word, they dragged their desk close to his desk and formed a bigger table.

    "Maxen, it''s alright, right?" Cosette smiled sweetly at him.

    "Uhбн"

    "It''s alright, right?" she stressed with the same smile, cing her fingers on his arm, ready to pinch him if he said no.

    ''Sometimes, she''s surprisingly scary,'' he thought as he sighed and nodded, looking away while the girls giggled excitedly. ''I have a feeling this group will keep growing.''

 Chapter 35 Just Today

    Like any other day like usual, the bell rang when sses were over. Today Cosette would have to clean the ssroom once again. So, as soon as the bell rang, she pivoted on her chair and faced Maxen.

    "What do you want now?" asked Maxen out of irritation as he picked up his almost empty bag.

    "I will have to clean the room." She pouted as her shoulders lowered. "Will you wait for me?"

    He quirked a brow. "And why will I wait for you?"

    "Because we''re friends? Aren''t you worried that this youngdy will have to walk home on her own?" Cosette shamelessly nted her palm across her chest, batting her eyshes ever so slowly while giving him puppy eyes. "You waited for me before. Can you do that today, too?"

    ''Uhбн really. I can''t reason with her.'' Maxen clicked his tongue as he let out a sigh. He didn''t speak immediately as he stood from his seat. Cosette frowned when she thought he wouldn''t wait for her, only for her eyes to light up a secondter.

    "Make it quick." That was all he said as he marched away, leaving her smiling from ear to ear.

    "Goshбн he always acts tough and unbothered, but I think he''s really softening up to me," Cosette mumbled and giggled, staring at Maxen''s back. "He''s so cute."

    "Who''s cute?" she jumped when Sarah suddenly leaned her face while sitting on her chair in front of Cosette. "Cozie, do you perhaps, like Maxen?"

    "Whatбн?"

    "Is he your type?" Fay also chimed in while leaning against her desk, eyes on Cosette.

    "Is this what they call one-sided love? Where the girl is the one pursuing the guy until he falls for her?" Amie sped her hands together, daydreaming about the love story she was creating inside her head.

    "Hayбн you think too much." Cosette chuckled as she nced at the door where Maxen left. "But you see, Max is really good-looking. It is not obvious now because he still had some scars and his face is still healing, but I don''t understand why no one thinks so."

    She looked at the girls, only to see them sigh. "What?" she asked in puzzlement.

    "Cozie, do you have an eye problem? I mean, sure, although Maxen isn''t that bad and is charming despite his weight, there''s a reason everyone keeps their distance from him," Sarah exined awkwardly as if this was something she shouldn''t talk about.

    "Why is that?" Cosette asked while cocking her head to the side.

    The three girls came closer to her as Fay looked around cautiously. Their action, as if they were holding ssified information, made Cosette also stay cautious.

    "You see, when the first girl who confessed her feelings to Maxen happened, she was targeted by Maxen''s enemies. They mistook her for his girlfriend and used her to bait Maxen. No one actually knows the details, but that girl transferred after the incident," Fay gossiped in one breath, warning Cosette about it since Maxen was still someone who had tons of enemies from other schools and in this school.

    "That''s why even when some girls like him, they are too afraid to be tangled with him," Amie added while nodding.

    "Cozie, you should also be careful. Maxen doesn''t only have enemies from students from other schools, but in our school as well. One of our seniors, who is also known to be a delinquent, is still in the hospital because of his injury. But if he returned here, trouble will only happen since he had some bad blood with Maxen." Sarah chimed in while raising a finger, staring at Cosette solemnly.

    Cosette just nced at the three of them with pursed lips. This was something she had never heard about before or read in the novel. So, she didn''t know these small details.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A smile resurfaced on her face. "Don''t worry. I can protect myself." She reassured with a nod.

    Although Cosette was unsure if she also gained the real Cosette''s talent and strength, just like her intelligence, she could start learning from now.

    *****

    When Cosette bid the three goodbyes, she caught Maxen waiting for her on the floor below their ssroom. She wanted to approach him quickly, but stopped and just stared at him. Maxen was leaning against the window, staring outside the campus while deep in thought.

    Her eyes softened as she smiled subtly. ''I''m happy that our days had been very peaceful.'' A sigh of relief slipped past her lips, staring at Maxen as the orange ray of light hit his face.

    He was really beautiful; she thought. Maxen, although a bit chubby, and still had some scars, looked stunning. Well, he was the main antagonist of the story, so his looks would stand out among everyone.

    ''I really hope my efforts will bear fruit,'' she thought while staring at him. ''I really hope Maxen will be happy and lead a better life. If he did, then everyone will be happy. Asher and Mia will be together, Maxen will find his peace, and Cosetteбн will also be happy with her father, Conrad.''

    "I still can''t believe I am inside a novel," she muttered with an iprehensible smile as her eyes lowered to the floor. ''I wonder if I really died and was stuck in here orбн I am just in aatose.''

    There was a part of her that still couldn''t treat this world as her reality. How could she? Even when she kept waking up in this world, she was afraid бк terrified, even. She constantly feared that once she epted this world as her reality, it would devastate her if she woke up to her real world.

    So, Cosette could only stand on that thin line between reality and fantasy. For her, they were all characters in the novel. Even Fay, Amie, and Sarah, who weren''t mentioned in the story, were all characters in the story.

    "What are you thinking so hard?" Cosette looked up when she heard his voice close. "Did something happen again? Is there another rumor again?"

    Her eyes softened as a subtle smile appeared on her face. "Maxen, shall we buy some ice cream on the way?"

    "So, there''s really a problem?"

    "There''s none, but I want to have ice cream." Cosette let out a sharp breath as she tossed her thought at the back of her head. Without thinking, Cosette reached for his hand to hold just his index finger. His shoulder and spine instantly tensed up as his eyes dted a little.

    "Max, can I hold your finger just today? I feel somehow a bit scared you will vanish if I don''t hold on to you," came out a weak voice with a wry smile. "Just todayбн let me cling to you a bit more."

    Her eyes lowered as she stared at Maxen''s long and slender fingers. Meanwhile, Maxen furrowed his brows as his jaw tightened. She sounded oddly sad and scared at the same time, making him worry and wonder what caused her to impose such mncholic air.

    "Just today then." She smiled when he agreed. "Just today, Cosette."

    She nodded, smiling, closed-lipped. "Mhm!"

    And with that, she followed him while holding his finger, as if afraid she would touch if she didn''t hold on to something or someone.

 Chapter 36 A Life With My Baby Villain

    Days had passed like usual, but Cosette cherished each day. Even though they were the recurring events of waking up early to make lunch boxes, hitch a ride with Conrad to the bus stop, going to school, having lunch with Maxed and the girls бк and their slightly growing number as some of their ssmates also started bringing lunch boxes бк and walking home with Maxen.

    Cosette smiled as her eyes softened, gazing down at the diary she was writing. Ever since she started making lunch boxes, she decided to start a daily journal just in case she would leave this world. In that case, the real Cosette who would return could read it, hopefully.

    "It''s Friday again," she whispered, losing count of how many weeks she had been in the world of this novel. "It feels like I am actually back in my life."

    The only difference between her life and the life she was currently living was she wasn''t sick, and she was rich бк filthy rich. Also, some abnormality in the world as everyone seemed to like her.

    "Well, in the novel, it is said that Cosette is a person to catch everyone''s eyes," she muttered while tapping the end of the pen against her journal. "While Mia is a person who catches a person''s heart. Since the viiness of the story lived a ''perfect'' life, I guess this is what the author meant by that."

    To her, it was only natural for her to get everyone''s attention and get admired for the most insignificant reason since her life was written that way. That was why Cosette liked Maxen even more since he''s someone who was a little bit reasonable in this world.

    "That''s where the cliche line enters бк ''you''re the first person who did this to me.''" Her nose scrunched up whenever she recalled that line of Cosette. "But as long as I''m in this body, that will never happen."

    She giggled happily, thinking that she was too busy with Maxen. She barely cared about the male lead and female lead. Not that she wasn''t happy to meet them if she did, but her priority was to change Maxen''s ending. She didn''t know until when she would be in this world, after all.

    "Let''s see." Cosette nted her palms on the edge of the desk, pushing herself away as she leaned back. "At first, Maxen is a like a wounded cat who is ready to w anyone whoes near him. But now, he is rather lenient in everything. I can even argue with him now, and he doesn''t mind."

    The more Cosette reviewed her rtionship with Maxen, the more the side of her lips stretched wider. She didn''t realize it until now, but their rtionship actually improved significantly. Although he was still annoyed at everything, he was more tolerant.

    If anything, he was just letting her drag him around to meet new friends. His rtionship with their ssmates also improved as they had been joining them for lunch. Things just happened. But the majority of the section F now brought lunch and they would form a huge table where everyone would eat like a family.

    "I didn''t get to experience all that before," she muttered with a smile, recalling her previous life. "I was sick almost all my life. So, it feels nice to have friends."

    Her smile slowly disappeared as she mentioned that word, friends. Everyone in section F were just unmentioned characters in the novel. But to herбн she was seeing them as her friends and ssmates.

    She sighed, cocking her head back to look at the ceiling. "Is it really fine to think this is my reality now? But that''s weird. I mean, is someone reading what I am saying now?"

    Those types of questions would cross her mind. But then again, the story hadn''t started yet. So she thought, even when she was inside the novel, no one would know about her actions and ns until now.

    "Is it possible that the novel will end in the first volume?" she wondered deeply, batting her eyes. "Well, if I overwrote Maxen''s bloody path, it can be. If that happens, that meansбн Cosette and Maxen will not be part of the story anymore. Well, I''m sure I will be part of that one way or another since I am someone who shares Asher''s social circle. Butбн"

    Cosette grinned happily. "I will not be the one who will be in Asher''s way. I''ll just fangirl on the sideline and root for him and Mia." She giggled, getting excited once that timees.

    "Goshбн I want to attend their wedding."

    She remained silent as she imagined watching the happenings in the novel in the front-row seat. Mia and Asher had a lovely story together, so seeing their love story unfold with her own two eyes was like a fan''s dreame true. Meeting them was one thing, too.

    "I should be patient," she told herself, cocking her head back to close her daily journey. As she did, her eyes caught the title on the first page.

    [ A life with my baby viin ]

    Her smile grew wider as she added a heart to the end of his name. "I feel like a proud mother. Tomorrow, I will see Asher. I''m excited to meet some characters as well too. Butбн I will surely miss my number one baby viin."

    "Rightбн" Cosette snapped her eyes before grabbing her smartphone that was on the side of the desk. She shrugged and went to message Maxen.

    [To: Max

    Are you still awake? ]

    "Will he reply?" she wondered, staring at the phone''s screen while cupping her jaw. When two minutes have gone by and there was still no reply, Cosette clicked her tongue. But she still sent him a message.

    [To: Max

    We are attending a party tomorrow evening and I''m already bored. How about you go in here on Sunday? Or should I go to you on Sunday so we can hang out? Or are you busy with work? Let me know. If you don''t reply, I will just go see you. *o*/ ]

    "Threats usually work on him and I feel bad for using such extreme means, butбн" Cosette giggled as she patiently waited for Maxen''s reply. "бн this is for his future."

 Chapter 37 Stay Connected

    [ From: Unknown number

    We are attending a party tomorrow evening and I''m already bored. How about you go in here on Sunday? Or should I go to you on Sunday so we can hang out? Or are you busy with work? Let me know. If you don''t reply, I will just go see you. *o*/ ]

    Maxen had his brows furrowed when he received the first message the unknown number. But after reading the next message, heughed.

    "It sounds like her," he muttered while staring at her message. "Even during weekends, she bothers me."

    He just stared at the message, amused at how he could hear her voice just by reading it. He could even imagine her frowning and ring. Maxen was engrossed in imagining her by reading her text that he forgot to reply back. Only when his phone rang did he snap his eyes.

    "It''s almost midnight. Can''t she fall asleep?" he muttered, letting his phone ring for a while before answering it. As soon as he ced the phone in front of his ear, he drew it away slightly.

    "Maxen, are you alright? Are you in trouble? Still, breathing? Did some people ambush you again?" her continuous inquiry went on for a minute before she calmed down. "Max? Are you there?"

    "Here." He nced at his old phone and shook his head, cing it back in front of his ear.

    "Goshбн I thought something happened when you didn''t reply."

    "Hey, how the hell did you think I will reply to an unregistered number? How did you get my contact number anyway? And do you think everyone is still awake at this hour?" Maxen copsed on his back, lying on the small foam in this crappy small apartment studio type apartment.

    "Oh, rightбн I just stole your number when you were sleeping," Cosette mumbled as she bit her tongue, realizing she didn''t ask for his consent and just got his number. "But how can you not ask for my contact info? How can wemunicate during weekends and holidays?"

    "Are you nning to bother me even when you''re not around?" he asked in an annoyed tone, but his face showed otherwise. Maxen bit his lower lips to suppress the smile on his face.

    "Of course! You might forget about me if I don''t talk to you!" Cosette ced her daily journal inside the drawers before trudging toward her bed. "So, are we going to hang out on Sunday?"

    "I have a part-time job in the construction during weekends. I''m not like you who doesn''t worry about that."

    "Should I work part-time too?"

    "Hey, youбн"

    "Why?" Cosette frowned, lying on her side. "I didn''t mean I will work as a construction worker бк I can''t do that manualbor. But I mean, I will apply asбн hmmmбн a contractor? Do they hire a muse?"

    Maxen bit his tongue to keep himself from bursting out inughter. "Apply if you want, but I''ll be busy." He heard a deep sigh from the other end of the line, making his brows rise.

    "Then, I will be in touch. Do you hate weekends, Max?" she asked with a sleepy voice. "Ah, wait, hang on. I will charge my phone. Let''s talk all night until our phones overheat and we fall asleep. Hehe."<novelnext></novelnext>

    His eyes softened as he listened to the clumsy noises on the other end of the line along with her devious giggle. She had no idea how she moved him with her gestures.

    "You should sleep," he said, genuinely concerned about her.

    "Come on. Just humor me."

    "I can''t. I''m sleepy."

    "Then sleep, but don''t end the call."

    "Why?"

    Cosette hummed as she blinked her weary eyes. "So we stay connected, obviously."

    "Hahбн" Maxen stared at the low ceiling that had traces of the water leak every time it rained. Usually, his room would be cold at night, but her voice warmed it up like magic.

    "Max, are you asleep now?" she asked and yawned. "I''ll keep my phone to my side, so keep yours near your pillow, alright?"

    He didn''t respond, covering his eyes with his arm while listening to her. How the hell he would sleep if his heart was racing as if he ran a marathon?

    ''Just what will it take you to stop stirring my emotions?'' he wondered, peeking through his one eye.

    "Max, do you know I had a dream?" Cosette murmured, knowing that he was still probably listening. "In that dream, you are a bad guy who does all sorts of bad things. Bad people will always face retribution, so in the end, you died. It''s really a sad dream, and even when I woke up, I was crying because of it."

    She paused and sighed, eyes partially closed. "Max, can you promise me that you will not do those bad things? Don''t hurt people or kill them. Don''t always resort to violence, alright? Maxen, do you hear me?"

    Maxen kept his mouth shut while listening to her voice. If she didn''te into his life and brought colors to it, it wasn''t impossible that he would turn out to be a criminal. He was on the verge of losing hope in this life before she appeared, after all.

    But nowбн he didn''t know anymore. He wanted to be a better person even though life was still unfair to him. He was once again trying, so he could get out of his crappy life and out of this crappy apartment. Just a normal life where he could walk with his chin held high.

    "Mhm," he hummed when she stopped talking, reced with her deep breaths as she had fallen asleep. "I promise."

    Maxen nced at his phone and smiled subtly. "Good night, Cosette." But he didn''t end the call, because he wanted to stay connected to her one way or another as well.

    ''I will try, Cosette,'' he promised internally, closing his eyes to sleep with her on the line. ''For you, I also want to be a better person.''

 Chapter 38 The Quinn Holdings Annual Party

    "The young master Quinn is surely promising in every aspect. No wonder CEO and Chairman Quinn were so confident."

    "They are surely blessed with a good son."

    "The Quinns have a bright future. I feel very at ease..."

    Asher kept a formal smile as everyone sang praises about him. It was the Quinn Holdings annual party and like usual, everyone put him on the spot. If he could tell them to stop currying favor to him, he would''ve done it.

    However, their family valued affiliation. He had to y by the rules since he would be the head of the family and he had to get used to this. No matter how boring and annoying it was to hear their praises like a broken record.

    "Sir, I heardбн oh, isn''t that Mister c?" Asher nced at the group of businessmen surrounding him and his father as they shifted their attention from him. "I didn''t know he will attend tonight''s event."

    "Haha! That man disliked parties and gatherings. Thest time I''ve seen him in a gathering isбн also a party hosted by CEO Quinn!"

    "Mister Quinn, how do you make Mister c attend your gatherings? He never showed up to any of my invitations."

    "Hahaбн hah! Isn''t that his daughter? That''s new. He never brought her to any parties."

    The talks around volumed down as Asher twisted his neck to look at the entrance. He didn''t know if it was because he lost focus or it actually quieted down and everything sounded so distant in his ear with Conrad''s appearance.

    Conrad, although already in his early 40s, was undeniably dashing. But aside from the surprise of this rare specimen''s attendance, everyone''s attention was on the youngdy entering with him. She was holding Conrad''s arms, bearing this amused smile as she looked around.

    Amused, Cosette turned to her father and her lips moved. Thetter chuckled with his lips closed, surprising everyone.

    This wasn''t the first time Asher had seen Cosette and Conrad. He bumped into them not long ago and he was already aware the father and daughter duo have a good rtionship, unlike the rumors. But that seemed to surprise the guests.

    ''I didn''t know I''d see her again,'' he thought. ''That strange girl, who transferred into a no-name school for whatever reason.''

    "Asher." He was brought back from his trance when his father called him. "Come with me. Let''s greet Mister c and his daughter.

    "Mhm." Asher nodded, handing the ss of champagne on the tray to the approaching server. He followed his father like usual, hands shoved inside his pocket.

    On their way to greet Conrad, his little brother suddenly appeared on his side grumpily. Asher cast him a side-eye while his little brother grumbled.

    "This is why I hate parties." Luke clicked his tongue in irritation, obviously annoyed at the situation. "It''s not fun."

    "Luke."

    Luke red at his older brother before he frowned. "Why do I even have to greet the guests when they should be the oneбн greeting me?" He trailed off, blinking nkly as they stopped in front of Cosette and Conrad.

    "Mister c! I''m so d you came!" Maynard Quinn, the President of the Quinn holdings, greeted Conrad in a festive tone along with a delighted chuckle. "And you were with the young miss, I see."

    "I think it is a good asion to miss." Conrad didn''t even smile as he raised his chin, standing toe to toe with Maynard.

    "Ugh... why are you so imposing?" Maynard snapped his tongue, shaking his head lightly as one would misunderstand they were not on friendly terms. But just before he could add more of his thoughts, his eyes fell on the youngdy standing beside Conrad as she giggled.

    "Conrad, it''s been a while since I''ve seen Cozie. Why don''t you introduce her to us properly?"

    Cosette smiled amicably and then nced at her father, only for her face to contort. Her father''s eyes fell on Luke and Asher, scrutinizing them coldly as if he didn''t want to introduce her to them in the first ce.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Aish... will you look at him? Wanting to hog his daughter all to himself." Maynard clicked his tongue in dismay, shaking his head. In the end, Conrad simply let out a shallow exhale.

    "I hadn''t introduced my daughter properly. Cozie, greet President Quinn. You''ve met him on multiple asions, although you might not remember him that much." Conrad cast his daughter a look and nodded encouragingly, while Maynard scrunched his nose up.

    Her lips stretched wide, radiating like the morning sun, almost blinding the Quinns. "It was a pleasure to meet you again, President Quinn. My name is Cosette, but my father calls me Cozie."

    "What a lovely youngdy." Maynard''s eyes glinted as he sported a smug grin at Conrad. Thetter, who knew that look, frowned at this mischievous old friend of his.

    "I hope you will like the gift I prepared for you," Cosette continued as she shifted her focus on Luke, Asher''s brother. Seeing him from this distance, she barely contained herself from screaming her lungs out. Although she was already mentally screaming and fangirling.

    The Quinn''s genes were no joke.

    Cosette subconsciously nced at the person standing next to Luke. A sparkle beamed from behind her eyes.

    ''Kyaaah~!! I''m so happy to see the Quinn brothers together!!'' she cheered internally while she was mentally break dancing in happiness. But it was short-lived when she flinched when Asher''s cold eyes locked with hers.

    "You prepared a gift for me?" he inquired while pointing at himself. "Why?"

    Cosette nodded with a sweet smile. "It might bete, but it''s a gift for your birthday."

    "Really?" Luke''s face brightened up as if he wasn''tining moments ago. "You knew my birthday?"

    "Hehe. Yes, really." She nearly melted, as Luke was truly the sweetheart. If Asher was the husband material, every reader of the Devil''s Den wanted a boyfriend like Luke. He was just sweet and cute and charming.

    Suddenly, Cosette, who hadn''t been thinking too much of the novel aside from changing Maxen''s ending, suddenly frowned. Her eyes softened while staring at the young Luke.

    In the novel, the charming Luke died. It was a heroic sacrifice to save Asher, his big brother, from Maxen. She still remembered bawling her eyes when she read Luke''s death. Little did she know, when she forced a smile while Luke was talking to her, Asher was watching her.

    ''What''s up with that look?'' he wondered, thinking that Cosette was just smiling sweetly, but the next second, her eyes were full of sadness.

    "Alright, you sneaky oldd. Why don''t we leave the kids so they can get to know each other, eh?" the mischievous Maynard hooked an arm over the stoic Conrad, wiggling his brows. "Luke, Ash, be good to Cozie, alright?"

    "Yes, Father!" Luke saluted without a second hesitation.

    Meanwhile, Cosette gazed at Conrad and noticed his displeasure. He was worried, so she smiled at him sweetly.

    "Have fun, Papa."

    "That is impossible --"

    "Ugh! Come on! Let your daughter breathe!" Maynard dragged the reluctant Conrad against his will whileining. "Why didn''t I have a daughter?! I never heard my sons call me Papa! Why do you always win in life? Can you tell me the secret?"

    Watching Conrad get dragged by Maynard, Cosette smiled and chuckled as the two looked closer than she initially thought. Meanwhile, both the Quinn brothers had their eyes on her, before Luke snapped her attention back to them.

    "Cozie,e! I''ll show you around!" he invited excitedly while she smiled from ear to ear.

    "Okay!"

 Chapter 39 Cookie?

    Since Maynard asked his sons to apany Cosette, Luke happily took her to the garden. Asher didn''t want toe, but between dealing with the adults and watching his foolish brother, thetter was far more entertaining.

    "Don''t you attend the same academy as ours?" Luke inquired, sitting on the bench sandwiched between Cosette and Asher.

    Cosette shrugged while holding a saucer of biscuits from the event hall. "Not anymore," she answered before munching a cookie. She offered Luke some, and he epted happily.

    "Not anymore? Why? Were you kicked out?"

    "I transferred to another school," she kept her answer short, as it wasn''t truly a big deal for her.

    Cosette was aware Luke was the same year as her. However, they were in a different section. She was in the first section since she only aimed to be the best, while Luke was in thest section. Her personalityбкthe real Cossette, the viinessбкwas perfectionist and aloof. She was stuck in her own world and barely socialized. In other words, even when they attended the same academy, with her personality, she wasn''t able to be friends with the Quinn brothers or anyone in the school.

    "You transferred? Is there any better school than ours?" Honest as he was, Luke tilted his head while munching the cookie. "Or were you rebelling? I don''t think you have a terrible rtionship with your father, though."

    Little did he know, Asher was listening ?carefully to this conversation, hoping this ''mystery'' would finally be answered. What would be Cossette''s real reason for transferring?

    "Because it''s fun." Luke stared at Cosette. The misced innocence in her naturally sharp eyes somehow looked unbelievably sincere. "It''s not terrible. I made a lot of good friends too and my new ssmates eats lunch with me."

    "Huh?" the Quinn brothers blinked in puzzlement.

    Asher leaned back, catching a glimpse of her honest visage. "Fun?" his voice came out of his mouth even before he could realize it.

    "Mhm! I think the Academy is the best in terms of education and facility. It''s a good ce and would open countless doors of opportunity. It''s the perfect ce to n my future, but where''s the fun in that?" she giggled, a little bit too happy to be sitting on the same bench and spending time with the Quinn brothers.

    "I can always try to excel in the future if I worked hard for it. But for now, I want to be dumb and stupid who makes mistakes. So when I look back, I can cringe andugh at the same time." Her carefree attitude and her energy бк mostly because of these two handsome species бк made her look dazzling and awe-inspiring.

    In the Quinn''s brother''s eyes, she wasбн very warm.

    As children who were born in a suffocating environment where they had to exceed everyone''s unrealistic expectations, her words were akin to a breath of fresh air.

    Mistakes? Be stupid? Be children? That was very unheard of. Although Maynard, their father, was a carefree person, they didn''t want to disappoint him. Or rather, they didn''t want others using Maynard''s children as some kind of dirt they could use against him.

    This barely applied to Luke because, one way or another, even if he was a little rebellious, he still thought of his actions. Probably less than Asher, but it was still suffocating in a way.

    In other words, Cossette was like a fearless youngdy who was brave enough to step out of their world. She was brave enough to dismiss other people''s opinions, expectations, and feelings just to live.

    It might sound selfish or foolish, but it was a decision worthy of respect. What they didn''t know was that Cosette just didn''t care because she was in a novel and she wanted to save Maxen. It was just as simple as that and very unlike the conclusion in their heads.

    "Cookie?" she held the saucer to Luke and cocked her head, seeing that the two of them were just staring at her nkly. Her brows rose when a minute passed and they didn''t respond.

    "Uhmбн hello? Are you still there?" she waved her hand in front of Luke, snapping him back from his trance.<novelnext></novelnext>

    To her surprise, before she could retract her hand, Luke suddenly grabbed her with both his hands. His eyes were glimmering as if looking at his idol.

    "That is amazing," he remarked and nodded encouragingly. "Are we really at the same age?"

    Cosette tried to suppress her ttered smile as she snapped her tongue. "Goshбн it''s really nothing. My father supports anything I do. I always thought he would get upset if I do something like this, but he''s very happy. I mean, his opinion matters the most to me, so I don''t think I should think about what others think." It wasn''t entirely a lie, but that was just another excuse to justify her actions.

    "I think I''m in love."

    "Huh?" she blinked and tilted her head again as Luke''s sudden confession came out of the blue.

    "We should get married when we be adults!" Luke eximed, making Asher scrunch his nose up in dismay. Asking Cosette''s hand in marriage was already ridiculous, but how he put it wasn''t even considered a proposal! It sounded more like an order!

    "Lukeбн" Asher arched a brow when Cosette''s lips curled up into a smug grin. ''She liked it?'' he wondered while studying the youngdy''s face.

    ''Yes, she didбн'' For a split second, Asher''s mind went nk as he assumed she wouldugh it off or find it rude. With that smug grin, almost looking evil, on her face, one could tell she would say, ''I do,'' without a second hesitation.

    Was this truly the same top student in her ss? Asher couldn''t truly trust the word of mouth anymore. Cosette was not anything like what he heard from the other students.

    "What do you say?" Luke blinked cluelessly, serious about his proposal.

    ''Although I am ttered, I can''t ditch Maxen.'' She mentally wept. Never in her wildest imagination did she ever think Luke would propose to her.

    Unlike her inner regrets, Cosette sported a warm smile. "Marriage isn''t as easy as giving out cookies. You should work hard for it and it should be mutual."

    "If I work hard, will you marry me?"

    "Well, if I fell in love with you." She shrugged, going with the flow, since she was confident that would never happen. "But isn''t it better to be friends first? I mean, even if we don''t end up together, friendship is just as important and longsting."

    "We should hang out more often then!" Luke cheered excitedly, as bing friends didn''t really sound so bad.

    As the two had grown closer by the minute, Asher remained silent. He couldn''t be bothered by these two. Still, he would constantly nce at the two of them, as it seemed they were forgetting him, especially Luke.

    When he nced at them again ten minutester, he arched a brow when he caught her gazing at him. But instead of saying anything, Cossette simply offered a kind smile.

    His jaw tightened as he looked away. His first time averting his eyes first.

    ''It''s because of Luke,'' he justified in his head. ''I don''t want her to be my sister-inw.''

 Chapter 40 Everything Was Just Tragic

    The Quinn Holdings annual party went by sessfully. Cosette mostly spent it with the Quinn brothers. Although it was Luke who ranted most of the time, telling her how he had enough of dealing with adults.

    He said, "he had enough dealing with them."

    Cosette, as a devoted fan, who simply wanted to support all these characters from the bottom of her heart, yed along. It was actually a treat to her to get to spend time with them. Asher barely spoke throughout the night, though.

    Overall, she had fun with theirpany until Conrad fetched her when it was time to go home.

    Lying on her bed after a night well spent with the Quinn brothers, her smile wouldn''t leave her face.

    "Luke is really charming." She breathed out, blushing at the thought of spending her night with not just one but two of the characters in the novel. "I''m living the dream, indeed. What a treat."

    Cosette rolled to her side while hugging her giant teddy bear, still smiling from ear to ear. She had spent months with Maxen and she was happy with her progress with him. But there was just something different from the Quinn brothers'' energy that gave her a different type of euphoria.

    "Not only they are handsome, but they''re very kind too. Will Maxen get along with them?" her smile, which never left her face, slowly faded as her eyes softened. "Luke is friendly and Asher is patient. Although Max has trust issues, he will surely get along with them."

    She hid her lower face and hugged the teddy bear tightly. Her mood gradually turned somber as she recalled the life the three led.

    In the novel, since Maxen was ruthless and obsessed with Mia, the female lead, he messed with the Quinn holdings. It was a chaotic arc with an enemy like Maxen who had zero consciences.

    It came to a point that things got too dangerous that Maxen tried to kill Asher, Mia''s lover. But Luke took the bullet for him. So Luke had met his end at a young age, trying to save his brother. In that timeline, Asher and Luke had a strained rtionship because of the constantparison between the two.

    "How can I forget?" she mumbled. "That not only Max but Luke and Asher had shared the same tragic story. It may not be the same as Max''s experience, but those brothersбн were also pitiful."

    For a good ten minutes, Cosette sulk the more she thought about the original storyline. Although she didn''t want to change much in the story, it wouldn''t hurt if she tweak it a bit, right? Maxen was a different case since he didn''t have any connection with all the other characters until yearster.

    But it wouldn''t be a big deal if she tried to maintain Asher and Luke''s rtionship, so they wouldn''t grow apart. It was not like those two truly hated each other. Luke was simply hurt since others usuallypared him with his older brother, and he felt like no matter what he does, he was never enough.

    "Since we''re friends now, I should hang out with them, too." She mumbled before raising her head, catching her phone on the bedside table. Cossette crawled and grabbed it before she leaned against the headboard.

    "Max didn''t even reply to myst message." She frowned before typing a new message.

    [Max, are you asleep?]

    Cosette didn''t even hesitate to send the message, smiling when it showed it was read after a minute. However, Maxen didn''t reply, which she already expected.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [What are you doing?]

    Her message was still marked on read, but he didn''t reply. Cosette snapped her tongue, wanting to give Maxen a call just to check if he was still sane. But before she could, a notification popped up at the top of her phone screen.

    [ Have you returned safely? I opened the gift, and it''s cool! Let''s hang out next time! When are you free?]

    "Hehбн I can hear his voice and see Luke''s expression." She giggled, not surprised at how straightforward Luke was. She was about to respond when she tilted her head.

    "Isn''t it a good time to introduce Max to them? If they became friends, maybeбн he won''t try to kill Asher and Luke wouldn''t die saving his brother?" she mulled over it for quite some time, nodding in agreement.

    Although she was already working on hindering Maxen from bing a ruthless felon, it wouldn''t hurt to be sure, right? All she wanted was for all of them to live life peacefully without one of them dying.

    [Yes. We arrived home early. I had fun, thanks to yourpany. I love the cookies too! Let''s buy some sometimes. I''m mostly free during the weekends. ]

    Cosette didn''t think twice when she replied to Luke. In her mind, there was no way Luke would hang out with her soon. Hence, she just gave a vague answer since she could make time during the weekend.

    [Great! See you, then!]

    "Hehбн I''m excited to spend more time with him. Oh, rightбн" Cosette didn''t think much about Luke''s reply and got distracted by another thought. "If I hang out with Luke, I''d see more characters!"

    Her eyes sparkled at the thought of meeting more characters. As she was getting distracted on the long list she had in mind, she snapped her eyes when a ding sound reached her ears.

    She lifted the phone up only to read a nd "working" reply from Maxen.

    "Goshбн is he that busy to only send one word?" she mumbled with a pout, but then remembered that Maxen had always been like that. "Max should just live in here. If only he lives under the same roof as mine, I wouldn''t always worry about his well-being. He''s very unfriendly too, so he always gets in trouble."

    Cossette shook her head and sighed. "I''m sleepy." She muttered and typed what she just thought and unhesitatingly sent it, since she knew he wouldn''t care, anyway.

    It took him a minute before he replied with another short reply, "sleep."

    "What time is he going to clock out?" she wondered and typing the question before pressing send. This time, he didn''t respond. She waited, staring at the screen before she decided to call him.

 Chapter 41 [Bonus ]Its The Weekend, Isnt It?

    Ring... ring... ring...

    Maxen arched a brow as his phone kept vibrating in the back pocket of his pants. Even without seeing who it was, he knew it was Cosette. He ignored it as he closed the convenience store he was working at. It was rather early for him, but it was the orders from his boss, which he found a little strange.

    Once the padlock was secure, he reached for his phone and gazed at the broken screen. A subtle smile appeared on his face, only to shake his head upon realization.

    "Have some shame, will you?" he ruffled his head, pacing back and forth in front of the shop in irritation. "Why would you smile like that?"

    Deep down, he still believed Cosette was just kind and was concerned about him as a friend. He shouldn''t like her... at least, not in a different way.

    "She''s kind and friendly and warm... and beautiful," He stopped and huffed, ring at her name on the broken screen of his phone. "You''re ugly and fat and poor, Maxen. She deserves someone... someone better."

    His tone grew bitter as he smiled wearily at the ringing phone. Logically, that was correct. If Cosette didn''t transfer school, he wouldn''t even meet her in this lifetime. Her life... she was a real princess, a star that was beyond his reach. He shouldn''t even think about any romantic fantasies about her.

    Maxen knew where to stand. That was why... it was even harder to stay beside her.

    DING!

    His brows rose as the call ended without him picking up, showing the numbers of miscalls from her. And then another notification popped up, and it was her message.

    [ Maxen Cloven, I have tons of stories to share... are you really busy? ]

    "Tch." He clicked his tongue through his gritted teeth before another message from her popped up. This time, it was just a voice message... followed by more, spamming him with voice messages.

    He watched them flood his inbox until she finally stopped. Maxen stared at the screen for a minute after the messages stoppeding and then scrolled up to her first voice message. When he took a step from his spot, he held his phone near his ear and listened to her voice.

    "Maxen, have you eaten dinner, at least? You always work hard, that''s why I''m always worried. I had this cookie at the party we attended and I met new friends..." his eyes softened the more he listened to her voice, telling him what she did throughout the day as if she didn''t want him to miss a day in her life.

    Cosette even nagged every once in a while like a worried mom, and he would chuckle every time. There was no doubt this was Cosette, he thought. She would nag him and then continue to what she was saying. She was silly, but her silliness was her charm.

    "*sigh* Max, will you even listen to all the voice messages I sent you?" she wondered in a sleepy voice, yawning quite adorably. "Honestly, I don''t know. You might not, though, because you''re tired,"

    No, he would listen to them. Actually, the ones she sent weren''t even enough for him. He would surely rey them until he falls asleep.

    "But anyway, always take care of yourself, alright? I mean, always remember that under the same sky, someone is sincerely concerned about you. I only want the best for you... you don''t have any idea." It was silly of her to send this type of voice message, thinking he wouldn''t listen to them anyway.

    Maxen stopped the more he listened to her voice messages until he reached thest one.

    "It''s really sad that I didn''t get to hear you, but... I hope you have a peaceful and good dream." She chuckled sweetly before she yawned once again. "Good night, Max. I''ll still bother you tomorrow. Hehe."

    He stood in the same spot and in the exact same position for a minute before lowering his hand with the phone. He looked up at the clear night sky, ignoring the cables hanging over the establishment of an old area in the town.

    "Under the same sky and moon..." he whispered gently, eyes soft, and a heavy heart. "... goodnight, Cosette."

    That night, something went crystal clear to Maxen. He was filthy, shameless, and ambitious because...

    He liked her. Not just as a friend, but he liked her.

    He didn''t know when it started or the exact reason.

    Was it because she was kind to him? Was it because she was the first person to approach him with a pure intention? Or was it the fact that she didn''t see him or look at him just like everybody else?

    He didn''t know which for sure, but he knew it was a little bit of everything.

    Either way, he liked her and he would be forever grateful for her existence.

    Just like this night, there was a moon that radiated to those who didn''t have the privilege to have light to see through the night.

    Cosette was his moon. The light in his pitch-ck path and world... but the moon was too far beyond his reach as well.

    *****

    The next day...

    "Hello! Good morning!"

    Cosette blinked twice to see if she was seeing things correctly. Right across from her in the dining hall... was Luke Quinn.

    "Sir c, thank you for letting me join you for breakfast." Luke turned and shed Conrad a bright smile. Thetter stared at the young boy with his ssic unresigned expression, sighing faintly when he recalled the morning call he received this morning.

    It was Maynard. Luke reminded him of his father.

    "Dig in." Conrad nodded and motioned his hand, ncing at Cosette when she finally recollected her thoughts.

    "Luke, what are you doing here so early in the morning?" she asked, wide-eyed.

    "You said you''re only avable during weekends. It''s Sunday today, isn''t it?" His smile grew brighter, almost making Cosette and Conrad shield their eyes as he was blinding.

    ''Goodness! My heart!'' she mentally nted her hand on her chest, moved and not surprised by Luke''s personality since this was surely something he would do.

    "Ahh..." sheughed awkwardly, theplete opposite reaction from her internal dialogues.

    "Huh?" Baffled at her awkward reaction, Luke tilted his head. "Do you have ns for today?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line and gazed at him for several seconds. "Yes, but if you don''t mind, you cane." The side of her lips curled up, thinking that this could be a blessing in disguise.

 Chapter 42 First Bus Ride

    "Bye~"

    Luke looked at her with a slight surprise when George the driver dropped them off at the bus stop. After having breakfast with the cs, Cosette told him he could tag along with her for today''s extravaganza. He didn''t know what she was up to, but he was already curious.

    "Why did he drop us off here?" he asked, blinking innocently.

    "Because we will take the bus." Her answer was quick, sporting an innocent front as well.

    "I know that, but why?"

    "What do you mean, why? So it will take us to where we''re going?" Cosette cocked her head to the side, and then it hit her. Both of them were rich kids бк they didn''t need to ride a bus to go to wherever they wanted to go.

    She cleared her throat and giggled at the thought. Cosette bumped her shoulder against him mildly.

    "I take the bus," she rified, perking her chin up when she caught the approaching bus. "It''s nice to ride a car, and it is convenient, but sometimes,muting isn''t bad too. You will learn a lot."

    "Ever wonder why others are so streetwise?" she added and at the same time, the bus slowly halted in front of the shade they were standing under. "You will never see the outside world if you don''t go out of your box. Let''s go and be humans."

    Cosette chuckled as she pped his chest with the back of her hand before skipping her steps and hopping onto the bus. Luke frowned but still followed, shrugging as he didn''t mind riding the bus. He couldn''t be a baby now since he didn''t have other ns for today aside from hanging out with her.

    As they entered and paid бк Cosette did, since Luke didn''t know how to бк Luke looked around the bus. There were already a few people inside, following Cosette, and they sat down two rows from the back seat. Cosette sat down near the window while he perched beside her.

    "Do you always take the bus?" he asked out of in curiosity.

    "Mhm! Every day." Cosette shed him a smile. "I ride the bus when I go to school and when I go home. Uncle George fetch me at the bus stop where he dropped us off."

    "Why?"

    This time, Cosette frowned slightly. "I just told you. I want to be human."

    "You mean you want to be amoner?"

    "That''s quite rude."

    "Do you think saying you want to be human isn''t rude?" he scrunched his nose up, holding on to the handle attached to the seat in front of him. "You''re like saying being rich means you''re not human."

    "Did that offend you?"

    "Not really, but wellбн it still makes me think you see me as not human."

    She chuckled as she leaned back. Not that she sees him as not a human, but he was a character in the novel. Cosette nced at him with her lips stretched from ear to ear. Even though Luke was a character in the novel, he felt real. Just like Maxen and Conrad and everyone she met so far.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What?" his brows rose upon noticing her prolonged gaze.

    "Nothing." She shook her head lightly. "I''m just happy that you went to see me today. I was surprised, but I''m d my friend came to see me, needless to say."

    As thest syble escaped her lips, Cosette turned her head to the window and smiled subtly. Meanwhile, Luke could only stare at her and his cheek slowly shed red.

    For Luke, he thought Cosette would find him strange bying by early in the morning without prior notice. But he still did because he had nothing else to do today and he wanted to be friends with her. People used to say his character was a little too much, and he was so impulsive.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 So he was relieved she didn''t think like that. Luke stare at her side and smiled subtly, leaning back and making himselffortable.

    "This is my first," he remarked after minutes of silence, noticing her look back at him through his peripheral vision. "My first bus ride. I never rode one before."

    "Heheбн it''s not as convenient as riding a private car."

    "Well, I don''t think there''s a huge difference." He turned his head back to her, only to see her grin. "What?"

    "You''ll know why it''s inconvenient sometimes, but it''s still fun."

    His brows furrowed at her answer but didn''t dwell on it longer. Luke only realized what she meant by that when more people rode the bus and filled all the vacant seats. When he thought the bus wouldn''t stop to take more passengers, he was wrong. Because not long after, there were already people standing in the aisle.

    ''Shit!'' Luke jumped to Cosette''s side when the man''s crouch leaned closer to his shoulder along with the movements of the bus. He gazed up at the man, who didn''t seem aware of what was going on down there in dismay.

    Cosette chuckled as she squeezed herself to the window so he could have more room. "I told you."

    "Shit." Luke ground his teeth, face flustered as he faced her squarely. "We''re overloading," he said in a quiet voice.

    "But the bus isn''t full yet."

    He gasped in disbelief, ncing around to check the crowded bus. "You don''t call this full?" he looked back at her in dismay.

    "You''ll get used to it." Cosette giggled. "Wee to the real world."

    ''Damnбн'' he huffed in distress as he looked around and his face contorted when the bus stopped once again. Some passengers hitched out, but the people kept oning until it was fully packed and everyone was inhaling each other''s breath.

    While Luke was trying so hard to avoid the people standing on the aisle, Cosette stare at him with a smile. For her, it was only natural for him to act this way since he was born with a golden spoon. But Luke was taking it better than she expected.

    When she noticed a middle-ageddy standing up, Cosette tapped his shoulder to catch his attention. She smiled when he looked back at her.

    "My time is up. Excuse me."

 Chapter 43 [Bonus ]Who The Hell Is That Fatty?

    When Cosette told Luke her time was up, he was baffled and thought they would get off the bus. So Cosette had to exin to him she wanted to forfeit her seat to the elderly. She already thought Luke had taken his first bus ride well, so she didn''t want to pressure him to give up his seat for another.

    To her surprise, Luke told her to sit down and gave his seat to the middle-aged woman like a gentleman. Luke, although not pleased with standing throughout the ride, didn''tin.

    "Do you always give up your seat?" he asked when they finally hitched outside the bus.

    "No." She shook her head as they stood under the shade. "I only give it up to the elderly, pregnant women, or those who were traveling with children. Are you alright?"

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 Luke sighed as he nted hands on his hips. "I will be lying if I said it''s fine. It''s inconvenient and I don''t understand why would you want to ride the bus when riding your car saves you more time."

    "Wellбн" Cosette pressed her lips and smiled, shrugging as she breathed out sharply. "It''s justбн I want to do something that is new to me. It''s only a hassle at first, but it''s not that terrible when you get used to it, trust me."

    ''I might not ride a bus again,'' he thought but kept it to himself as he nced around. "Don''t tell me we''re going to ride another bus again?"

    "Heheбн no. We''ll walk." She chuckled and smiled sweetly, watching him raise a brow in confusion.

    ''Just where are we goingбн?'' he wondered seeing that excited smile on her face.

    Luke had thought there was a mall she wanted to go to or just an amusement park she would like to see. There were myriads of wonderful ces he knew, but he believed there were better ones since Cosette wouldn''t travel for an hour and walk for minutes if it was not worth seeing.

    To his dismay, the ce they went to wasn''t a tiny mall, or a hidden oasis in this area. Luke found himself sitting inside the convenience store and in front of the transparent ss wall. Across the street was a construction site.

    "You ride for over an hour, went through the hassle of squeezing with the crown, and then walked for about fifteen minutes to eat ice cream?" he asked as he slowly turned his head to Cosette, who was sitting beside him.

    "Mhm!" she hummed and nodded, enjoying the ice cream she bought for her and him. "It''s good. You should eat yours before it melts. It''ll cool your head."

    "бн"

    Luke could only stare at her for minutes, as he couldn''t believe this. "And then, after eating that ice cream, what are you nning to do?"

    "Hmmбн" Cosette pondered about it as she didn''t really have a concrete n.<novelnext></novelnext>

    All she had in mind was to hang out with Maxen, but he said he would have to work at the construction site. They used to pass by this area. Some construction workers would sometimes call Maxen whenever they would see him. So Cosette knew this was what he meant when he said he would have to hustle.

    "Maybe, have lunch?" she shrugged, chuckling when Luke scrunched his nose up. "Were you disappointed?"

    "Yes." His answer was quick and honest. "I mean, I don''t see the fun in this. It''s not like I want to go home now and leave you, but this is just something I didn''t expect."

    "Hehбн when you have no money, things like this are fun."

    He frowned. "But you have money."

    "It''s not mine, it''s my dad''s."

    "It''s the same. He was working hard for you to have a good andfortable life," Luke argued as a matter of fact.

    "Make sense, but spending what my father worked hard for so thoughtlessly is something I can but don''t want to do." Cosette shrugged once again, thinking about her argument twice since she didn''t want to go hard on him and tell him she didn''t want to be entitled. "It might be a littleplicated, but our wealth is the product of my ancestors and my father''s blood, sweat, tears, and even countless sleepless nights. "

    She then shifted her gaze ahead, staring through the ss wall and at the construction site. "I just cannot take everything for granted just because everything is prepared for me. I might have a head start for being born privileged, but there''s also this feeling that I am also being left behind in another area."

    "There were us who were lucky to have rich parents and I''m grateful to have suchfort in life," she continued and shed him a kind smile. "But there were those people who didn''t have rich parents and had to do pure hustle to achieve a morefortable life. Both can be smart and seed in life and inspire, but this makes me happy and the life I want to live. Living is different from just existing."

    Her smile was bright but soft, not blinding, but soothing. Luke opened his mouth, but his voice was stuck in his throat. Not that Cosette hurt his feelings by being biased, but she carefully put her words as being rich doesn''t necessarily mean they were better people.

    They were still equal and for Luke, this was her means of keeping her feet on the ground. He never thought of that before. Luke was the type who gets everything he wanted without working hard for it. He was arrogant, and he knew that but that was him and he already embraced that side of him.

    "Oh!" he snapped his eyes after a moment when Cosette suddenly grabbed her phone and dialed someone. His brows furrowed when she grinned happily, springing up from her seat and waving at someone.

    Out of curiosity, Luke slowly shifted his eyes in the direction she was waving and frowned. ''Who the hell is that fatty?''

 Chapter 44 I Think You Two Suit Each Other

    "Max~!"

    Luke scrunched his nose up as he nced at Cosette, only to see her jump and rush outside the convenience store. He stayed on the spot, exchanging looks with Maxen, who was standing outside and studying him.

    ''He''s not... her boyfriend, right?'' he wondered, watching Cosette stand beside Maxen before he went outside.

    "What are you doing here?" asked Maxen, which Luke overheard as he was exiting the convenience store.

    "I told you I want to hang out with you..."

    "But I won''t be off until lunchtime."

    "Then I''ll wait."

    Maxen let out a sharp exhale as he nced at the person standing behind her. "Your friend..."

    "Oh! Luke!" Cosette pped as she turned her head around and smiled. "Luke, this is Maxen, my ssmate. Maxen, this is Luke."

    "Hey." Luke saluted slightly while he gazed at Maxen from head to toe. It was impossible for Cosette to like him, he thought.

    "Luke, it''s alright with you if we wait for Maxen to finish, right?" she asked with a smile, raising her brows as she anticipated Luke''s reply. Thetter blinked twice before he rocked his head on instinct, having quite a few questions in mind, but kept it to himself for now.

    "See? Luke came by this morning to hang out with us." Cosette grinned while Maxen cast her a judgemental look. "We can wait until lunchtime."

    His lips opened as his eyes darted between Cosette and the charming boy next to her. Maxen rocked his head as he wasn''t even surprised anymore that Cosette was already here. Luke probably wanted to hang out with her, but she brought him here instead.

    "You don''t have other ns?" he asked, setting his eyes on Cosette, and she simply shook her head.

    "If I do, we wouldn''t be here waiting for you."

    Maxen sighed and then nodded. "Alright. See youter."

    "Laters~!" Cosette waved her hand, watching Maxen return to the construction site. "Don''t run away, alright? Hehe!"

    Luke''s face contorted as he heard Cosette''sst remarks. He was staring at her until she finally noticed his undivided attention.

    "Yes?" her brows rose at his prolonged gaze.

    "Your ssmate... Uhm, are you dating him?" he asked without beating around the bush, making her lips stretch from ear to ear.

    "I wish!" he frowned while she giggled after her reply. "But Maxen doesn''t like me. I''m mostly pestering him."

    Cosette pivoted on her heel as she faced the construction site. "I''m just worried since he''s underage and is already doing this heavybor."

    "Cozie, you''re kidding, right?" he replied after a moment, causing her to look back at him. "That you wish you''re dating that fatty --"

    "Luke." A frown instantly dominated her face. "Please don''t call Maxen names. He is my friend."

    He pressed his lips and shrugged. "Sorry."

    "It''s alright." She sighed as she studied Luke. She couldn''t me him since Luke was always like that, even in the novel.

    "I already appreciate that you haven''t left me alone," she added with a smile.

    "Leave you alone with him?" Luke mumbled and set his eyes on the construction site across the street. "Is it even legal for a minor to work in such a ce?"

    "It''s not, but Maxen will be in trouble if we told the authorities about it."

    He cast her a side-eye, noticing the genuine concern in her eyes. Luke had thought of many things she nned on doing today, but never once did he ever consider her n was to hang out with someone бк a guy at that. Still, he wanted to stay since Cosette had already made an effort.

    With that being said, Cosette and Luke waited for Maxen inside the convenience store. As they did, they also consumed quite a few snacks and talked about anything random.

    "I didn''t know you liked ice cream." Luke nced at the ice cream wrappers she was cing inside a stic bag. Cosette giggled as she shrugged happily.

    "Well, I was always restricted to eat things --" in her previous life, was what she meant, but well, the real Cosette was often on a strict diet as well. "But now, I don''t care anymore. I''m lucky I have a fast metabolism that I don''t gain weight even if I eat a feast!"

    "I noticed." He nodded, recalling Cosette had a huge appetite even during breakfast. Luke propped the bottom of his palm against his chin, eyes through the transparent ss wall.

    "I''ve been to construction sites in the past. What is your ssmate doing there?"

    "I don''t know? But whatever it is, I''m worried since Maxen shouldn''t be working multiple jobs."

    "Don''t he have a family?"

    Cosette faced him while biting her lower lip, teary-eyed. "I want to adopt him."

    "Hah..." heughed awkwardly, as it seemed Maxen was pitiful. "So he only got himself?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Max only got himself to support himself." Cosette sighed as she leaned her arms over the table. "I want to be there for him."

    "Why?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Why do you want to be there for him?" Luke rified his question. "I don''t think you like him, but pity is something I wouldn''t want if I were in his shoes."

    "I don''t pity him."

    "I think you do. If you don''t, then you wouldn''t feel sad about his situation, but you''ll see it as something admirable," he exined. "I''m not the one to talk, but I don''t like it when you think you like him when I like you."

    "Huh?" she cocked her head to the side, blinking almost innocently as she somehow didn''t get hisst remarks.

    "I mean, you shouldn''t mistake being sympathetic to something special. You said you will marry me once we grow older."

    "..."

    "Also, we''repatible."

    "???"

    "See? Everything I said makes sense."

    Cosette blinked countless times as she stared at Luke and how he spoke with a straight face. Just when she thought he was imparting his hidden wisdom to her, it turned out he simply didn''t like the idea of Cosette having a crush on Maxen. Well, it was not like she didn''t have a crush on Maxen, but she also had a crush on Luke.

    "Hehe..." in the end, she simply chuckled while shaking her head mildly. "You and Maxen will get along."

    She believed Luke and Maxen would get along despite their differing personality. However, that idea was easily squashed down when Maxen finally joined them and they were having lunch at the nearest food shop.

    Cosette darted her eyes to Maxen on her left, and then at Luke on her right. The two were sitting across from each other while she was in the middle. She cleared her throat to catch their attention, but to no avail. She could even hear the buzzing, invisible electricity shing in the middle.

    "Uhm... hello?" she knocked on the table mildly as the two hadn''t spoken a word since Maxen joined them. ''I think it''s too early for Luke and Maxen to be friends...?'' she thought since Luke had shown hostility towards Maxen and thetter was distant, like always.

    "Your name is Max?" asked Luke after some time, breaking the tension between them. Thetter simply rocked his head and shrugged as an answer.

    "I like Cozie."

    "..."

    Luke crossed his arm and lifted his chin. "If you like her, then don''t even think we''ll be friends."

    "Who said I want to be your friend?" Maxenughed weakly and then nced at Cosette. "Did you juste here to say that?"

    "No. I didn''t even know we''ll be having a chaperon on this date."

    "Luke, what are you saying?" Myriads of question marks hovered over her head as her brain was still processing his words.

    "I''m making my im, obviously?" answered Luke.

    "Sure. She''s all yours and tells her to stop bothering me."

    "Re бк really?" Luke''s eyes slightly went wide as if he didn''t expect such a nonchnt reply from Maxen. He watched Maxen let out a sigh as he picked up the cutlery and then at Cosette, who wasn''t even surprised or offended by Maxen''s remarks.

    "Luke, Max only wants me to stop pestering him," she dawdled while focusing on Luke, not noticing the brief nce from Maxen. But she was still smiling as if that didn''t matter and she had already epted it would take a long time before shepletely get Maxen''s trust.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "But it''s not like that will stop me from bothering him. Hehe."

    "Cozie, how can you do that to me? Your future husband?"

    "Luke, you''re not my future husband. You''re not even my boyfriend. We just met yesterday."

    "It''s love at first sight!"

    While Luke and Cosette were talking about ''love'' as if it was as simple as that, Maxen ate while darting his eyes between the two. It was not like he particrly liked Luke, butpared to him, Luke and Cosette looked better together. They were both good-looking and since she was her friend, Maxen already knew Luke was an elite.

    "Max, are you alright?" Maxen snapped his eyes when Cosette faced him squarely, staring at him with genuine wonder in her eyes. "You''re zoning out."

    He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes. I think you two suit each other."

    "Hah!" Luke pped. "Now, I understand why you like him."

    Meanwhile, Cosette frown slightly as she leaned back. She said nothing while Luke was getting chummy with Maxen all of a sudden. Seeing that Maxen was a little annoyed at him, but was being lenient, her lips curled up into a subtle smile.

    "I think you two suit each other," she blurted out, watching the two look back at her. "BL."

 Chapter 45 Young Love Triangle

    Cosette never thought she would ever regret mentioning anything about Boy''s Love. As an avid reader, she had also taken the Dao of the inevitable. Hence, while watching Luke and Maxen, a hidden part of her tingled with excitement and she couldn''t help but ship them in her head.

    The only problem was she didn''t intend to voice it out, but she did. Now she was paying for the price.

    "Ugh..." Cosette wore a horrified expression, looking to her left and then to her right. Maxen and Luke were standing several steps away from her; Maxen on her left, Luke on her right.

    Ever since she told them they suit each other, the two of them kept their distance from each other. They stayed close to her as they were in the park earlier, but somehow, the two ended up keeping their distance from her as well. Now here they were, waiting for the bus with the three of them at a great distance from each other.

    She kept looking from left to right before she huffed. "Do I disgust you that much just because I like reading boyxboy stories?"

    Maxen and Luke froze, turning their heads in her direction as if their necks were rusting irons.

    "No," they answered in unison. "But he disgusts me."

    "What?!" Luke gasped in dismay as he looked at Maxen from head to toe. "I disgust you? Me? The great second young master Luke?! Wow... the nerve!"

    Maxen simply scrunched his nose up slightly and looked away to avoid trouble. It was not like he was the only person who said he was disgusted. It was a mutual feeling. No matter how good-looking Luke was, Maxen simply didn''t want to give Cosette a ridiculous idea he never fathomed she would even be into.

    "Hey! Are you ignoring me?!" Luke dramatically gasped before Cosette looked at him with a frown.

    "Luke, you sound like a dramatic wife." He nearly choked as his eyes dted at her remarks. "It''s better if you just stay away from each other for now. Goodness. I was just joking, but you two took it seriously. It''s nothing to be so defensive about."

    "..."

    Luke and Maxen gazed at her in dismay, making her brows raise as she took a cautious step back. Maxen''s gaze was something she was getting used to, but not this kind of gaze from him. And now, Luke as well!

    "I''m sorry..." Cosette raised her hands up in defense as she lowered her head. "I''ll shut my mouth."

    She zipped her lips and pressed them into a tight sh. Cosette held her hand behind her, rocking her feet back and forth as she waited for the bus to arrive. Their day wasn''t much, but it was already enough for her to know Maxen had eaten lunch and wasn''t in trouble.

    Her lips hooked up into a subtle smile as she watched the cars speed through the road. Luke didn''tin... much. At least, all he did was raise the question; "howe this is fun?" while they were in the park to take a walk.

    She once again nced in Maxen''s direction, and then at Luke, who was still clearly riled up. Still, her smile stretched. Their first ''bonding'' wasn''t that bad.

    ''I should n our next bonding properly.'' She mentally nodded while grazing her chin. ''I didn''t n things properly since I didn''t expect Luke toe by in our house and knowing Maxen, he should rest than use his energy in traveling and such.''

    "Right... I should schedule it on days he doesn''t have work," she mumbled before snapping her eyes when the loud screech rang in her ears as the bus stopped in front of them.

    "Finally!" Luke hailed as he hopped forward, only to take several steps back to give way for the passengers going out of the bus. Cosette giggled as she stood beside him, elbowing his side.

    "Why are you so riled up, Luke?" she humored. "I was just kidding."

    "Geez... your jokes are really scary, Cozie."

    Cosette giggled as she gazed ahead, watching thest passenger exit the bus. But before they could enter, Maxen stood beside her, which she thought he would bid her farewell.

    "Hey, you don''t have to say goodbye. We''ll be fine." Her eyes went round as her breath hitched briefly when Luke suddenly hooked his arm over her shoulder, pulling her back to him. "See you... never."

    Luke waved happily before he dragged her towards the entrance of the bus. As they were taking the step up, Cosette snapped her eyes and looked at him.

    "Wait!" she immediately wiggled her way out of his grip and clicked her tongue. "I still have reminders --"

    "Huh? What are you doing?" asked Luke while Cosette abruptly halted from speaking as Maxen took the step up and rode the bus.

    "I need to make sure she arrives home safely." Maxen jerked his chin while keeping his cold front. "You''re keeping the bus from moving. Go."

    "This little --!"

    "En... let''s go." Cosette patted Luke''s back and pushed him mildly with a big smile on her face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the end, Luke was unable toin since the driver also urged them to pay and enter. Maxen smirked triumphantly when Cosette had to pay for Luke and made sure that thetter would notice that taunting smirk.

    "Let''s go, let''s go..." While Cosette was busy pushing Luke inside, she didn''t notice that his face had already gone red. Maxen chuckled as he shrugged mischievously, enjoying the thought that Luke couldn''t even have the leisure to express his histrionic sentiments.

    Unlike usual, the seats were still mostly filled. So they didn''t have a choice but to sit in the back. Since Luke was the first in the three of them, he perched on the window side, Cosette in the middle, while Maxen was in the other corner бк far away from the two of them.

    Cosette gazed at Maxen, who was, as usual, leaning on his side, arms crossed. His eyes were on the window on the seat in front of him, silent, and seemed to be detached from this world like usual.

    A shallow breath slipped past her lips. ''Did he really n to walk us home?'' she wondered as she didn''t expect that he would when he just said he still had another part-time.

    "Max," she called airily, keeping her voice down to not disturb the other passengers. "Maxen."

    He quirked a brow and cocked his head back, eyes on her. He mouthed, ''what?''

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line and looked around. She then dragged her buttocks near him until she was close enough to him.

    "Didn''t you say you have a part-time?" she asked out of in curiosity.

    "Mhm."

    "Won''t you bete if you walk us home?"

    "My boss texted me and he said he won''t be opening the shop."

    "Oh..." she rocked her head in understanding, lips forming an o-shape. "Then, does that mean you can stay with us longer?"

    "No."

    She frowned. "Why?"

    "I only nned to make sure you arrive home without that guy abducting you." He pointed at Luke with his chin, causing her to look back at thetter, who was busy grumbling. "I will go home right after."

    "You can stay in our house."

    "No, thanks."

    Cosette opened her mouth to argue with him but ended up shutting her lips closed. All she could do was huff and lean back, thinking of ways to make Maxen stay in the c''s residence tonight. If he didn''t have other things to do, it was better if he just rest in a morefortable ce, even just for tonight.

    She hadn''t seen his ce, but even if she wouldn''t base it on the novel, Maxen was surely staying in a ce that barely had a roof over him. Her thoughts were cut off when she heard Luke''s voice.

    "Cozie, what are you doing there?" he asked before he sprawled his arms and grabbed her arm. "Sit here."

    The second Luke pulled her arm for her to sit near him, Maxen suddenly held her other arm to stop her. Cosette, who was appalled at Maxen''s action, raised her dted eyes at him.

    "Stop forcing her, will you?" he muttered in irritation, judging eyes on Luke. "It won''t kill you if you ask her nicely instead of dragging her like that."

    "Hah... I''m not forcing Cozie."

    "Then what do you call grabbing her arm and suddenly pulling her the second you told her to sit next to you, even before she can give her consent?"

    Lukeughed in ridicule as his eyes sharpened in anger, ring daggers at Maxen. Thetter wasn''t the person to back down as he held Luke''s ridiculing res with a cold front.

    "Uhm..." Cosette, who was mortified at this seemingly young love triangle in other people''s eyes, gazed at the people in the front who were looking back in their direction. "Heh... he he..."

    Luke and Maxen furrowed their brows as they nced in the front. Seeing the eyes watching them, Luke suddenly let her go, but Maxen carefully did.

    And so... it was the most awkward bus ride Maxen, Cosette, and Luke had ever experienced.

 Chapter 46 Oh, Youth.

    Cosette was mortified throughout the bus ride as she kept hearing whispers criticizing the youngsters nowadays. She wanted to defend all the youth they were stereotyping, but her tongue kept rolling back to her throat. In the end, she kept her head hung low until they reached their destination.

    Not just her, but Luke and Maxen also kept quiet the entire ride. So, as soon as they left the bus from hell, Maxen cleared his throat.

    "Your ride is here, right?" he looked around to search for any car that was parked, waiting for her like usual. "That''s the one?"

    Maxen pointed at the car parked several feet away from the shade they were standing under. It wasn''t like the car that fetched her before, but Cosette''s family owned several vehicles. Cosette snapped back from her trance and shook her head to keep herposure together.

    She raised her head and gazed in the direction he was pointing at. "No?" she furrowed her brows and nced at Maxen, only to see him avoiding her gaze.

    "Maxen, I didn''t tell Mister George to fetch me," she exined, but Maxen just rocked his head without looking at her. "Will you walk us home?"

    "No."

    "Heck!"

    Maxen and Luke spoke at the same time, causing her to dart her eyes between them. Luke scrunched his nose and clicked his tongue in irritation.

    "Cozie, it''s already enough to let him ride with us. Why does he need to walk us back to your house?!" Luke gasped in disbelief, having enough of this ''love triangle.'' He then jerked his chin at Maxen. "You. Can you read the mood? She''s already near her home. You don''t have toe with us."

    Maxen frowned, but nodded in agreement. He didn''t want to spend another second with Luke. It was already awkward as it was and he had also enough with that brat''s whining. However, seeing Maxen''s reaction, Cosette skipped a step and held his arms, making thetter freeze on the spot.

    "Luke, why are you so mean at Maxen?" she asked almost innocently, looking at him with doe eyes. "Maxen said he will make sure I am safe. I feel unsafe around you."

    "What?" Luke nearly choked. Did he fail to mention he was a ck belter?

    Cosette ignored Luke as she faced Maxen squarely, gripping his arm tightly. She shed him with the most pitiful puppy eyes she could ever make to get his sympathy.

    "Max, you don''t trust Luke, right? He is rich and he might take me home! I cannot go with him all alone!" she eximed, rendering Luke speechless while Maxen''s brain was overheating at her grip around his arm.

    When Maxen recovered at the tug on his arm, his face crumpled as he pulled his arm away from her. A frown instantly dominated her face at theplicated expression in his eyes, as if she disgusts him.

    "Don''t --" his breath hitched before he cleared his throat to fix his stuttering. "Don''t cling to me like that."

    "Hey, Cozie! Why do you make me sound so bad, eh?! Also, he''s right. Don''t cling to this fatty --" Luke identally bit his tongue when Cosette red at him.

    "Luke." Her voice was oddly low, sending a chill down Luke''s spine. Cosette huffed and clicked her tongue, a little upset that Luke had been harassing Maxen unprovoked. Even though she was d Luke was quite lenient to Maxen than his usual savagery in the novel, enough was enough.

    Luke was going too far.

    But before Cosette could open her mouth to scold the heated Luke, a car suddenly stopped in front of them. She blinked twice, setting her eyes on the ck sedan as the tinted window rolled down, revealing a dashing man in a suit sitting in the back passenger seat.

    "Papa!" her face brightened up the second she recognized who was that handsome creature inside. Cosette jumped towards the door, bending over to sh Conrad a blinding sweet smile.

    "What are you three doing here?" asked Conrad, ncing at the two young boys standing behind her and under the shade. Maxen, as usual, bowed, while Luke was too annoyed at something, barely greeted Conrad.

    "We''re on our way home." Cosette sighed as she frowned, not noticing her upset expression caused her father''s eyes to darken.

    "Then, get in." Conrad tipped his head without hearing why the three were idling here instead of walking home. Before Maxen could refuse, he continued.

    "You three." His eyes glossed over the reluctant Maxen and the shocked Luke, his tone firm andmanding. "Get in. Don''t make me repeat myself."

    Cosette shivered at the coldness in her father''s voice, eyes round. She only heaved a sigh of relief when he nodded at her encouragingly.

    "But can we fit in?" she asked, knowing the four of them would fit in the back passenger seat if they squeezed into each other. Conrad wouldn''t like that, right?

    "Yes." Conrad nodded before setting his eyes on the person sitting in the front passenger seat. "Warren, do some stretching outside."

    Warren, Conrad''s executive assistant, was speechless as he nced in the rear mirror. Seeing Conrad''s poker face, not showing the slightest remorse for dropping him off to walk back to the c Residence, Warren looked back with a frown. But Conrad was unfazed, tipping his head to the door.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I will ask someone to fetch you."

    "Thank you, Mister Warren." Cosette smiled mischievously before hitching inside and joining her father. Warren''s frown grew deeper and simply dragged his feet out of the car.

    "Boss..." Warren sighed deeply as he looked back inside, only to see the father and daughter duo, not caring about him. "Who am I toin? I''m just an assistant."

    Warren was mumbling before he noticed the two young teens standing under the shade. Another deep exhale slipped past his lips before he sported a polite smile.

    "Second Young Master Quinn, please get in." He motioned his arm as if his sacrifice was his own idea, shifting his eyes at Maxen. "Sir Cloven?"

    "Geez!" Luke stomped his feet after casting Maxen a re, riding inside the back passenger seat as he wouldn''t let Maxen taint even Conrad. As he did so, Warren furrowed his brows but was not surprised at the explosive mood of the second young master of the Quinn family.

    Luke was notorious for his temperament. The reason people usuallypared him to his older brother since Asher was very mature at his age бк just like how Cosette was in the past. So, Warren didn''t dwell on it as he shifted his focus on Maxen to make sure he was alright.

    "Sir Cloven?" he called warmly, watching Maxen return his gaze. "You can sit in the front."

    Warren heard Maxen''s quiet sigh before thetter nodded. "Thank you," came out a muffled appreciation before he marched and hitched inside the front passenger seat.

    Warren stood on the sidewalk while the window rolled up, and then they sped away. He kept his eyes on the speeding car, tilting his head to the side.

    "I think... I know why Miss Cozie was a little upset." He nodded, grazing his chin, as it was obvious. Luke and Maxen didn''t get along, but both of them were her friends.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m "Oh, youth..." he chuckled,pletely forgetting his own circumstance. "Well, we can''t help it. Our young miss is beautiful and captivating. That''s why our dearest boss is being bombarded with marriage proposals for his daughter. I think even Mister Quinn brought this upst night бк was he rooting for the second young master for our young miss?"

    Warrenughed, recalling how Conrad refused tons of marriage proposals from other families who were interested in his daughter. But his excitement was short-lived when a honk reminded him he didn''t have a ride.

    His face instantly contorted. "Aish..." he huffed as he nted his hands on his hips. Knowing Conrad, he would surely let Warren take a taxi instead.

    "If not for friendship, I would''ve resigned long ago."

    *********

    [ c Residence ]

    When Conrad, Cosette, and Luke hitched outside the car, Conrad and Cosette turned their attention to the person leaving the front passenger seat. Maxen bowed slightly before raising his eyes directly at Conrad.

    "I will be on my way, Sir." Maxen kept his brave front under Conrad''s gaze. "I only nned to walk her home safely."

    "Do you have any arrangements for today?" asked Conrad with his cool voice, but before Maxen could answer, Cosette chimed in.

    "Max, can you stay here? You said you don''t have any more part-time today." Her request brought this deep frown on Luke, making him pray Maxen could read the air and leave them alone. He needed some time alone with Cosette!

    Maxen secretly clenched his teeth. "I need to --"

    "Stay here for a while, Mister Cloven. I actually need to talk to you regarding something," Conrad urged, which sounded more like amand. "That convenience store will stay close... until I say so."

    "Huh?"

    Conrad didn''t have much reaction as he faced Cosette. "Let''s head inside Cozie." His eyes then slid at Maxen once more and spoke in amanding tone. "Mister Cloven,e inside."

    "Uh... yes... sir."

    With that being said, Cosette smiled subtly as she linked her arms around Conrad. Maxen followed closely behind, tilting his head as it baffled him how her father knew about the convenience store.

    Meanwhile, as the three of them were walking on the step-up of the mansion, Luke darted his eyes and pointed at himself.

    "What about me?" he wondered, feeling that Conrad was purposely ignoring him and Cosette was very upset with him. "Won''t they ask me toe?"

 Chapter 47 Conrads Offer

    "Cozie, are you angry with me?"

    Cosette kept her eyes on the pool with her arms crossed. After they entered the mansion, Conrad told her he would need to discuss something important with Maxen. Therefore, here she was in the pool area, sitting on one of the lounge chairs while Luke sat on the one beside her.

    He was sitting on the edge, facing her squarely. A frown was reigning over his face, as she had been silent and barely spoken a word with him.

    "Cozie..." he trailed off when she returned his gaze. "Did I do something wrong?"

    A quiet sigh escaped her mouth as she flung her legs out of the lounge chair to his side and faced him.

    "Luke, I''m not angry with you. I''m just... upset and a little worried," she confessed, and let out another sigh. "I know you want to be my friend and I appreciate you making time to hang out with me. But... Maxen is my dearest friend. I''m not telling you to like him or befriend him бк although that would be nice."

    Cosette huffed faintly as she looked him straight in the eye. "All I''m saying is, if you want to be my friend, you have to be a little nicer or lenient towards my friends. I know you had nothing to do with Maxen and his life, but being a little kinder won''t harm anyone." She sped her hands on herp, not taking her eyes off of him.

    "I know you are a good person and absolutely sincere, but Maxen is very important to me." бк she was doing this for everyone''s sake too!

    If Maxen turned into a viin, not only Mia and Asher would be in jeopardy, but also Luke! He would die, for Pete''s sake! But honestly, although that was Cosette''s initial n, her heart slightly changed. A huge part of her was still thinking about the original plot of the novel.

    However, another part of her was doing all this solely for Maxen. He was kind and considerate and sometimes... warm. The more she spent time with Maxen, the more she realized Maxen wasn''t as scary as to how he was portrayed in the novel. He wasn''t a menace or as crazy or as unreasonable.

    Maxen... was just like everybody else.

    He was just like everyone who had their hands outstretched, waiting for someone to take it and pull him up from falling into the abyss. He was just like anyone who needed mercy, warmth, and just someone who would be there for him.

    Hence, if Luke would only do damage to Maxen, even if she sincerely liked Luke, she wouldn''t consider hanging out with the two of them present. That also meant she would spend less time with Luke if she must since her priority was Maxen. Bias others may call it, but Cosette had already decided long ago and she would keep her promise.

    "I see..." Luke rocked his head as he pursed his lips, seeing the thousand unspoken emotions gleaming in her eyes. He may be a little spoiled and hot-tempered, but Luke could read the sadness in her eyes.

    "I''m sorry, Cozie," he whispered and frowned. "I didn''t mean to make you sad. It''s just... you seem to like him when I''m courting you."

    "You said you want to be my friend. I didn''t know this is what you call courtship."

    "I like you..."

    Cosette blinked, convinced Luke''s feelings weren''t that deep, and she was correct. He was someone who would go for something head-on with little n or didn''t think much about it.

    "Luke, if you''re pursuing me, then my answer is a no," she denied him after a minute of silence, watching his frown grow deeper.

    "Why? Is this because of that guy?!"

    She shook her head. "My answer has nothing to do with Max. I don''t n on dating anyone. Not now or in the future." She sighed and smacked her lips, not feeling anything in particr about this strange love confession that was one of the major highlights of any novel.

    "Right now, all I can think of is enjoying my time in here. I''m still too young for romantic rtionships." Cosette raised her head and smiled subtly. "I want to focus on my life, the memories I create, my family, and friends. Was that a bad thing?"

    Luke remained silent, staring at her sweet smile while hearing his heart beat in his ear. "Will you marry me?" he blurted out, causing her to scrunch her nose up.

    "Luke, are you even listening?" she asked in dismay.

    "Mhm. It''s just that I always get stunned whenever you smile like that." Heughed and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "It''s okay. The second rejection isn''t as painful as the first one. Hehe..."

    "Luke..." Her eyes fell soft before she chuckled in disbelief. He took her rejection quite well бк as expected.

    "But anyway, I know what I want now." Luke reclined with his palms on the lounge chair, eyes on her, lips stretched from ear to ear.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What you want?" she tilted her head to the side, thinking that was quick of him.

    Luke nodded and his closed lips stretched even broader. "I don''t want to see you frowning, especially because of me... and I will try and try until I seed."

    "..." The first one nearly moved her heart, but the next sabotaged it entirely.

    "I don''t give up on things once I set my mind to it." He grinned yfully. "And I''m not losing to that guy!"

    "Maxen has a name."

    "But he never even called my name even once!"

    "Because you keep calling him names."

    "I introduced myself to him and he just ignored me. Have you forgotten?"

    "Your introduction is more like an intimidation, duh?"

    "Cozie, that''s how men introduced themselves!"

    "Luke, just what sort of men are you hanging out with?"

    While Cosette and Luke bickered in the pool area of the c residence, Maxen and Conrad, in thetter''s study room, were utterly silent.

    This wasn''t the first time Maxen was in this room and sat on the same couch. And this was definitely not the first one he watched Conrad settle on the one-seater armchair after unbuttoning his zer suit.

    "Sir." But this was definitely the first time Maxen would break the silence between them. "I know you''re a busy man, so I won''t beat around the bush. How do you know where I work?"

    Conrad leaned backfortably, raising his leg to rest over the other. "I knew all the ces you worked, Mister Cloven."

    "What?"

    "I didn''t n on telling you since you might think I am invading your private life. However, after my daughter introduced you to me, I had to do my own digging." A frown instantly resurfaced on Maxen''s face at Conrad''s exnation.

    How could Conrad do a background check on him? It was not like he didn''t have the power, and not that Maxen couldn''t understand his worries. However, just the thought of someone knowing his entire life... left a bitter taste in Maxen''s mouth. He didn''t like the idea.

    A quiet sigh slipped past Conrad''s lips. "This is why I didn''t n on telling you since no one like someone else taking a peek in their life," he admitted in a low tone, tapping his fingertips on the armrest. "My apologies."

    "Sir... didn''t you say what I did in the past or my status doesn''t matter to you?" asked Maxen as he lowered his eyes, a little betrayed as it seemed Conrad didn''t dwell in his history back then because he already nned on doing a background check on him.

    "And I still stand on that." Conrad waited for the young man to raise his head before he continued, "Mister Cloven, I still don''t care about which family you came from or how tragic your life had been. I am a man who doesn''t dwell in the past, but in the future бк not even in the present. Well, now that changed a little since I liked my life in the present."

    His eyes fell soft as a subtle smile appeared on his face. "The only reason I did a background check is that... Cosette had been thinking of applying for a part-time job."

    "Huh?"

    Conrad nodded. "My daughter used to help in ourpany, but she didn''t ask to have any position in thepany. Instead, she wanted to apply for a cashier position at a convenience store. When I asked her; ''why?'' she told me you were working multiple part times." He paused as his expression gradually turned somber, with eyes growing sharper by the second.

    "Mister Cloven, having one part-time for a student is already illegal, but multiple ones for your age... I was concerned," he expressed, thinking about all the details from Maxen''s profile. It was a lie that Conrad didn''t care бк he does. Especially after reading Maxen''s biography.

    "That''s why I asked you toe with me since I had an offer to give you," he added, not beating around the bush, eyes on Maxen. "I am risking awsuit here, but work for me."

 Chapter 48 The Reason Pride Was A Sin

    "I am risking awsuit here, but work for me."

    Maxen''s brows creased as he repeated what he just heard in his head. For a moment, he doubted his ears, but staring at Conrad''s solemn front, he figured he couldn''t mistake Conrad''s offer for other things. It was very clear.

    "Sir... what бк what do you mean by that?" he stuttered.

    "I cannot employ you legally, so you will work under the table," Conrad exined, still tapping his index on the armrest mildly. "I want to hire you as Cosette''s tutor."

    Maxen''s brows twitched. "Didn''t you say you ran a background check on me?" he blurted out, biting his tongue while studying Conrad''s expression to see if he was offended. Thetter''s countenance didn''t change even the slightest.

    "I barely passed my sses and between Cosette and me, she is more qualified to tutor me," he added as his voice lowered.

    "I know that. However, keep in mind the days you were absent from school can only sum up over two monthsbined for the entire school year and yet, you never had to repeat a year. Others were cramming just to pass the year, but you barely made an effort... but of course, these are all calcted arguments." Conrad shrugged nonchntly, as he had thought about Maxen''s argument beforehand and knew how to counter them all. But he didn''t want to manipte Maxen and make him agree.

    "Mister Cloven, I''m not hiring you as a tutor for academic purposes." This time, Conrad leaned forward until his elbows were on his thighs, eyes at Maxen. "I want you to teach her about life."

    "Pardon?"

    "As I''ve said before, Cozie was a brilliant youngdy. In terms of academics, she can ace everything without a problem. However, with the lifestyle she chose to live now, she''s like a newborn. Everything to her is new. That school you are both attending, the bus rides, and almost everything," Conrad exined solemnly. "I need someone who had lived the same lifestyle to show her the path without unknowingly stepping onto a dangerous route."

    Maxen remained quiet for a moment while exchanging gazes with Conrad. "Is that another calcted excuse, sir?"

    "Yes." Conrad nodded, knowing this was too shallow for a reason to hire Maxen. "All reasonings I will tell you are excuses to hide my real agenda, Mister Cloven."

    Conrad slowly straightened his back. "If you agreed, you will gain tons of benefits. I will give you a safer shelter, money to sustain your schooling, and afortable life without working multiple part-time jobs, and give you opportunities. I would''ve asked to adopt you, but I believe you do not want my daughter to be your sister, do you?"

    Maxen bit his inner lip as he secretly balled his hands into a fist. "No," he whispered, lowering his eyes.

    Just the idea of being Cosette''s adoptive brother turned Maxen''s stomach. He already liked her and Maxen had already epted she was just a beautiful dream. Being her brother would seal this already impossible dream.

    "That''s why I am hiring you as her tutor... or maybe a babysitter is the correct term for it." Conrad rocked his head while studying Maxen''s demure. "The job is simple. Just make sure she''s safe and she will pass her ss since she confessed she was skipping sses."

    "She''s skipping sses because of me," Maxen blurted out under his breath before he raised his head. "I was a delinquent; she won''t be safe with me. I don''t think I am up for the job, Sir."

    "No. You are more than qualified." Maxen''s brows furrowed when Conrad smiled subtly. "The other day, Cosette told me she would be a delinquent... although not now, but she said she might be."

    "And that''s fine with you?"

    Conradughed briefly in amusement. "Cosette had learned self-defense at a young age. In a brawl, you will not win against her, Mister Cloven, and this is noting from the confidence of a father. I just know her." His eyes fell soft as a quiet sigh slipped past his lips.

    "I already expected that you will still refuse, regardless of the dividends. But please think this through. I''m not in a rush to get an answer and neither I''m the type who takes no as an answer," he added. "You heard my offer and I will wait until you make up your mind, Mister Cloven."

    Maxen quietly sighed, keeping his silence for an entire minute. Since their discussion seemed to have ended, he breathed out sharply.

    "I will think about it, sir," he answered while Conrad nodded in satisfaction.

    "Then will you stay for dinner?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen shook his head mildly. "No, Sir. I only want to walk her home, but thank you for the offer."

    "Alright. I won''t force you." Conrad rocked his head once again as he lifted his hand towards the door. "But I will insist on letting my driver drive you home."

    Maxen''s mouth opened and closed, ready to refuse him. However, he figured Conrad would take no as an answer. Well, Maxen walked his daughter home to make sure she was safe even with Luke''spany, so it was only proper for Conrad to make sure he would also return home safely.

    "Alright." He agreed in the end, pushing himself out of the couch. Maxen marched towards the door slowly but halted when he was by the door.

    He looked back. "About the convenience store..."

    "I bought it. That construction is already on my to-buy list too," Conrad answered with a straight face.

    Maxen wasn''t even surprised anymore since he guessed that much. He simply needed confirmation. So Maxen resumed leaving the study room, hand on the doorknob before he paused once again.

    "Why do you want to help me, sir?" he asked because, for him, that was what Conrad was doing. Thetter was simply using all sorts of excuses because he knew he might graze Maxen''s pride and ego. When he looked back, Conrad already stood up from his seat and was standing near the stand where he was pouring himself a ss of wine.

    "I''m not, Mister Cloven," Conrad replied without casting him a look. "I told you, everything I do is for my daughter."

    He slowly picked up the winess and turned to face Maxen. "As I''ve said, I''m a man who always thinks of the future and considers every possibility. My point here is, although I do not care about your status and life, life isn''t a fairytale and it will take a lot of sacrifices to make our world bearable to live in," he exined as he peeled his eyes away from Maxen and walked towards the window.

    "You can call this help if things didn''t go the way I see them, but if they did..." he cocked his head back and his eyes instantly fell on Maxen. "I won''t allow my daughter to be with someone who couldn''t provide the things I can give her and the life she deserved." бк because, at the end of the day, love wasn''t enough to feed his daughter.

    Love could make her happy, but once problems arose, which always happen, it would slowly take away her smile. Conrad was certain Cosette wouldn''t have a problem financially; he secured her future already. But he didn''t want her to be with an insecure man.

    That would ruin the two of them.

    "You know that well, do you, Mister Cloven?" he added, rendering Maxen speechless. Maxen couldn''t even speak a word after that as he simply bowed his head as a farewell, but before he could close the door, Conrad spoke once again.

    "Mister Cloven, pride is not entirely a poor trait; it has its significant benefits. However, sometimes, pride can do us more damage. Sometimes, because of it, we missed opportunities and we find ourselves in a stagnant life with no improvement, leaving us with only regrets. I sincerely hope you think about my offer."

    Maxen pursed his lips and tilted his head down. "I will, Sir."

    With that being said, Maxen finally left and Conrad didn''t stop him. Thetter stayed in his spot, eyes on the shut door for an entire minute before it opened once again, revealing his executive assistant, Warren.

    Warren had this already intrigued expression stered on his face while he was pointing over his shoulder and closing the door.

    "Boss, did you scold the boy?" he asked without beating around the bush as Maxen ignored him as if he was in a trance or deep in thought. Conrad pressed his lips into a thin line before he faced the window once again, swirling the wine in his hand until the red liquid coated the transparent ss.

    "Warren." Conrad raised the ss to his lips, sniffing the wine''s aroma. "Sometimes, I wonder what would happen to me and my daughter if she didn''t open up to me?"

    His assistant''s brows creased as he scratched his temple. "The sameбн?"

    "I mean our futureбн" Conrad gazed down at the wine and stared at his distorted reflection. "бн we would''ve lost each other, and that is all because of prideбн that''s what I think would happen, or rather, that is what she, Cozie, taught me."

 Chapter 49 Devilsin

    "Pride is not entirely a bad trait... sometimes, it will do us more damage..."

    Conrad''s words repeated in Maxen''s head like a broken record. Before he knew it, his feet were standing by the door where the pool was at. Stopping in his tracks, he raised his head only to catch Cosette and Lukeughing in the lounge chairs.

    "You know that well, do you, Mister Cloven?" once again, Conrad''s voice rang in his head, making him ball his hand into a tight fist.

    From this vantage point, watching Cosette and Luke made him realize бк what he already thought previously бк the two of them suit each other. Both of them were around the same age, they were good-looking, and they had chemistry. Not just that, but there wouldn''t have a problem if they liked each other, since both of them were well-born.

    But still... this left a bitter taste in his mouth.

    Why would the two of them be a good match while he wasn''t? Luke was annoying and pushy and a spoiled young master.

    ''I hate myself,'' Maxen thought, loosening his grip. ''Do I have the right to get angry?''

    He doesn''t have even the slightest right to feel this pain in his heart, was what he believed. Cosette and he were friends. She could choose any man she likes and whoever she wanted to be friends with. He couldn''t hog her all to himself just because he was afraid she would abandon him.

    ''He was right.'' He mentally nodded. ''I have a long way to go.''

    Feelings alone weren''t enough. It might be a bitter pill to swallow, but Conrad was right. Her father already knew where his budding feeling was going even before Maxen could realize it.

    Jealousy would eat him... alive. After all, love was an unstoppable force and no one could stop it.

    ''You should think this through, Max. Don''t get swayed just yet.'' He gritted his teeth while keeping his eyes on her. His face rxed seeing her smiling andughing. ''Will she think I was taking advantage of her?''

    A quiet sigh slipped past his lips before he turned around to leave. Aside from his pride, there was one thing that was stopping Maxen from agreeing with Conrad''s offer. That was... what would Cosette think of him?

    Would she think Maxen took advantage of her and her father''s kindness? Would she feel betrayed? Used? Disgusted? There were endless negative thoughts that were hovering over his head, and they only grew even more negative. He couldn''t me himself, since that was how it had always been.

    Maxen was used to doing things on his own without anyone''s help. So, epting Conrad''s charity work was him lowering his pride and opening his heart to vulnerability. But no one would think of that, right? They would only see the fact that a nobody like him, befriended an heiress, and got into the good graces of her father. That story would sound more believable to others... and Maxen already knew where that story would go.

    "It''s always been like that," he whispered.

    ******

    "What''s taking them so long?" Cosette let out a deep exhale as she reclined, hands on either side of her. "It''s about dinner. I wonder what Papa talks about with Maxen?"

    "I bet he told him to stay away with you." Luke shrugged when Cosette red at him. "I mean, he obviously likes you."

    "You don''t know Maxen."

    "Hey! I am a man, alright?" Luke rolled his eyes as he leaned forward and then pointed a finger at her. "Even if he says he will not like you, he will eventually do. Do you know why?"

    "Because I''m beautiful?"

    "Exactly!"

    Cosette''s frown grew uglier as she gazed at him with judgy eyes. "Luke, do you think appearance is the only important factor for people?"

    "Of course not! Money, too!" Luke scrunched his nose up. "You have the looks, money, and status. If I were him, I will seduce you and secure my future! You''re like a walking ticket from his hellish life, you know?"

    "You talk so cruelly, Luke."

    "I''m talking honestly! Cozie, do you think that guy is hanging out with you without an ulterior motive? If only I know he is probably working behind your back." He shook his head as Cosette was surprisingly unsuspecting towards Maxen. "Cozie, had it ever crossed you that his cold demure towards you is his tactic to hook you?"

    "Huh?"

    "Men are like that! Goodness!" Luke clicked his tongue a few times whilst shaking his head mildly. "They will pull out the hard-to-get card or will disappear for a while until their prey looks for them! I think that''s what he is doing to keep you wrapped around his fingers. That bastard --!"

    "So what?" Cosette sighed while Luke looked at her in dismay. "So what if he sees me as his ticket to a good life?"

    "Cozie, what the --"

    "At least Maxen had to live a good life. I don''t see any problem with that if he had such an ambition. If anything, I will just give him everything if that is what he needs."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Wow, Cozie. Do you like him!?" Luke sprung up to his feet, making her look up at him. "No! You can''t!"

    "I like Maxen."

    "No!"

    "Luke, don''t be so dramatic." Her frown deepened as she let out another sigh. "I like Maxen, but not romantically, okay?"

    "Really?" He asked, and she nodded. "Then why do you sound like a hopeless romantic?! Are you cheating on me?"

    Her face contorted but ignored hisst question. "Max is a dear friend to me." She lowered her eyes and smiled subtly.

    "Helping him the best I can is what friends do, isn''t it?" she raised her head once again. "I will do the same to you if you need my help."

    His breath hitched before he calmed down. "Really?"

    "Mhm. Really." Cosette nodded because that was true. "If you need someone бк not as a wife or a girlfriend бк I will certainly be there for you."

    "Cozie... do you really have to spell out that wife and girlfriend role?"

    "Hehe... you''re good at twisting people''s words." He giggled mischievously before she turned her head to the entrance of the pool.

    "Cozie," called Conrad, making her face brighten up as she immediately sprung up. Cosette skipped her steps while Luke followed closely behind.

    "Papa! How''s your talk with Max?" she asked as soon as she stood in front of her father, tilting her upper body to the side to search for Maxen. "Huh? Where is he?"

    "He left."

    "He left? Already?" she frowned, setting her eyes back to him, only to see Conrad nodding. "He didn''t even say goodbye..."

    "Cozie, you have to understand your friend''s schedule is different from yours." Conrad patted her head gently. "Let''s head inside. Dinner is served."

    Cosette forced a smile as she nodded. "Alright."

    "Can I stay for dinner?" Conrad shifted his eyes at Luke when thetter raised a hand.

    "Sure."

    "Nice!"

    With that being said, the three of them head to the dining hall, where they enjoyed avish dinner. As usual, Conrad barely spoke while Luke acted like he was the host of the dinner. Cosette wasn''t particrly sad, and she indulged with Luke, but it was obvious she was worried about Maxen.

    Conrad, who noticed this, didn''t voice it out, though. He simply pretended he didn''t notice since he understood Maxen needed time and they should respect that.

    ******

    Once the dinner ended, Cosette had to send Luke off. It would be a lie if she said she didn''t enjoy Luke''spany; she did. However, it bothered her that Maxen left without saying goodbye to her.

    "Was he avoiding me?" she wondered, sitting on the pink chair in front of the desk in her room. She had already finished freshening up and was ready for bed. But following her routine, Cosette had to write in her daily journal.

    But because her head had been drifting elsewhere, she hadn''t written a word yet. Cosette simply yed with the pen with her fingers, deep in thought. As she was thinking about Maxen, Luke''s word back in the pool crossed her head.

    Her eyes softened. "That''s the problem," she mumbled. "I wish Max had an ulterior motive. It will be easier that way since that means he has an option of not bing a Devilsin."

    The main viin who appeared in volume 2 of the novel The Devil''s Den was named Maxen Devilsin. Handsome, powerful, and wicked.

    Looking at Maxen now, he was struggling with life as if there was no way he would ever step foot in the upper echelon. However, there would be a turning point in his life when Maxen was abducted to meet his father, eventually changing his surname from Cloven бк his mother''s surname бк to Devilsin.

    In the novel, it was called, a young boy selling his soul to the devil since Maxen had be viinous.

    "Devilsinбн" she whispered and bit her lower lip, tapping the end of the pen against the open journal. "The family who leads an underground organizationбн I''m scared."

 Chapter 50 Their Fates Were Twisting And No One Even Notices

    Maxen''s family background was one hell of aplicated maze. It was crazy. He might''ve gotten out of working multiple jobs and gained wealth he never thought he would ever have. However, he was never happy with how his life turned out. If anything, it only got worse.

    He soiled his hand with blood, put his life in danger every single day, and sacrificed his morals and beliefs, and regard for human life. What for? Money? Power?

    Maxen had always known he would NEVER regret that decision, because... for him, he got nothing to lose. The world messed with him unprovoked, so he would mess with it until someone would put a hole in his head.

    Of course, he regretted it in the end. When Mia came into his life, there was a point his guilt was killing him from the inside. For letting the world turn him into what it wanted him to be and for doing despicable deeds to the female lead. He had many regrets бк thousands of them.

    And yet, when he met his karma, he was smiling. Not happily, but peacefully.

    He died with a smile as if he was finally free. And that only meant... Maxen joined the underground organization for solely one reason: TO DIE.

    Cosette''s eyes stung as she wiped the tears that were tempting to fall from her eyes. After writing a summary of what happened for the day, she ended up writing part of the novel in her own words. It had been a while since she recounted the details of the novel, so she was a little more emotional the more she thought about it.

    "It''s really unfair," came out a muffled voice, letting go of her pen to wipe her eyes. Unlike the sadness she felt before, her tears this time were more. She couldn''t stop them.

    Before, she felt bad and sad for Maxen because he was her favorite character. She understood him; she doesn''t condemn what he did in the novel since she had always believed his end was something he deserved. But after meeting him and getting to know him in person, recounting the details of the novel hit her differently.

    He didn''t deserve a fate like that for sure.

    "I hate the author." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "No, no. It''s not her fault. She''s just writing their story and barely has power over the course of their action." бк or what the author exined to them, to the readers.

    Even so, her determination shot through the roof.

    When Cosette opened her eyes, a zing fire was beneath them. Although she had been trying, she had to step up to her game.

    "That''s right." She mmed her palms on the desk, nodding. "If I don''t work on it, Maxen might join that organization... and I will not see him for many years. I can''t let that happen."

    She nodded and repeated what she just said in her head. "You can do it, self!" she cheered with her fist up before she went silent, thinking of a meticulous n to stop the inevitable.

    ******

    Meanwhile...

    Maxen was lying down on his thin and old bed on the floor. He was using his arm as his head cushion, tossing and catching a small ball as he waited for sleep to strike him. He shut one of his eyes when he zoned out for a moment, failing to catch the small ball whichnded on his left eye.

    "Tss..." he clicked his tongue but didn''t pick up the ball. Instead, he kept his gaze on the mold on the ceiling. The ce was already old, and the mold was from the leak every time the weather was bad.

    Whenever it was raining, Maxen usually had to keep everything in this small room in one ce because it was leaking everywhere. He would also have to sleep sitting up, or don''t sleep at all. He had never pitied himself before because he had already epted his tough life.

    That was what he had to endure living independently.

    But now, he couldn''t help but think about it after Conrad''s offer.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "A charity, huh?" he mumbled, thinking that was all it was about. Cosette''s father ''pitied'' him, just like how she pitied him. Hence, he wanted to help.

    "Pity..." he whispered. "Ugh... I hate her."

    Maxen covered his eyes with his arm, grumbling in irritation. Of course, he didn''t hate Cosette, but he hated she was this kind. If only she wasn''t, then he wouldn''t be in a dilemma.

    ''But then again, she didn''t ask me to like her.'' He peeked into one of his eyes and sighed quietly. "It''s me who fell for her."

    It was not like Cosette was treating him differently. She was kind to him, but also to everyone else. No matter how annoying Luke was, she would smile at him and understand him. She was like that to their ssmate as well. The reason everyone just wanted to be friends with her.

    She was like a ma, and everyone was attracted to her бк boys and girls alike.

    "It''s annoying," he grumbled with an ugly frown, turning to his side, facing the wall. His eyes were filled with bitterness as he clicked his tongue once again.

    "How can you get annoyed at everyone who gets close to her?" he asked himself because this was the only time he could be honest and address his own issues. At first, it was alright with him since he had always wished for Cosette to leave him alone.

    But the longer she stuck with him like a gum... like a shadow who would always be there following him in silence, he started to like and get used to her presence. Now he found everyone who would get chummy with her annoying. Luke was at the top of his list.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "They might look good together, but... he''s a brat." He sighed and smacked his lips. "She''s messing with my head. Her father isn''t helping either. What a pair."

    Maxen shut his eyes to force himself to sleep, but minutes had gone by and he couldn''t fall asleep. He reopened his eyes and tossed to the other side. As soon as he did, his eyesnded on the phone right beside his pillow.

    His eyes grew softer. During this time, Cosette would call or bombard his inbox with either messages or voice messages. But his phone hadn''t rung even once.

    "Did she have fun with him?" he wondered and his expression turned sour. "Shit! Max!"

    He ruffled his hair in irritation as he ground his teeth at the feeling that was creeping up into his heart. It wasn''t healthy anymore. This growing feeling towards her... was developing so dangerously fast. It came from being satisfied with just being her friend to getting all worked up at the thought of another person.

    Well, it was because Cosette mostly had girl friends. So Luke''s appearance was something that was new and broke Cosette''s and Maxen''s routine. Hence, he didn''t know what to do with this sudden appearance of an annoying brat.

    DING!

    His thoughts were suspended as he hurriedly checked his phone. His sour expression rxed just seeing her name on the broken screen.

    "I''m like a creep," he whispered, checking his phone to see her message. His lips curled up into a subtle smile upon seeing her terse message. He could still hear her voice as he read:

    [ You didn''t say goodbye, Max. Tch. I will ignore you because I thought you will stay for dinner. But goodnight. Reply and you will get ignored! :angryemote: ]

    "I never replied, though." He chuckled and shook his head, reading her message once more. Just when he was about to put his phone down, he halted and read her message once again.

    The side of his lips curled up mischievously before he typed,

    [ I was in a hurry. ]

    Maxen pressed sent even before he could change his mind. He stared at his phone and chuckled when it was immediately read, imagining her expression. In their message log, Cosette would flood their message while his reply could be counted with his fingers.

    Meaning, his replies were rare. He wasn''t doing that on purpose, though. He simply didn''t know how to respond.

    "She''s typing..." heughed when she stopped typing and then typed once again. In the end, Cosette replied with a furious emoji with a message; "Did you reply because I told you I will ignore you?!"

    He shook his head after a goodugh and instead sent her a reply, "Good night."

    ******

    QUINN''s RESIDENCE

    Asher stopped by the entrance of the kitchen when he saw Luke rummaging through the kitchen drawers. He watched his brother turn the kitchen upside down while looking for something.

    "How''s your day?" he asked, walking up to the counter and leaning his arms against it. "Foods are not there. It''s in the fridge."

    Luke paused from rummaging through the drawers as he turned his head in his brother''s direction. "I''m not dumb not to know where the food is. I''m not hungry бк I had dinner with Cozie."

    "Then what are you looking for?" Asher asked as this was so out of his brother''s character. Luke was the type who would rely everything on their servants. His brows rose when a smug grin turned up on Luke''s face.

    "What''s with that look?" Asher narrowed his eyes suspiciously while Luke jumped and leaned his arm from across the counter.

    "Brother, I talked to Dad, and he gave me a thumbs up when I said I want to pursue Cozie." Luke grinned from ear to ear until his teeth were showing. Heughed evilly, patting Asher''s shoulder lightly.

    "I might get married before you, but it''s fine. You will soon find someone you like. Wahaha!"

    Asher''s face contorted as his brother modted his voice just now to sound like a wise old man. He shook his head lightly before he pushed himself away from the counter.

    He sauntered towards the fridge. "By the way, the exams are approaching and --" Asher halted as he gazed back at Luke when thetter snickered.

    "Brother, don''t worry about that." Luke grinned evilly, hands on his hips. "This young master doesn''t have to bother with that since I just transferred schools."

    It took a moment for Asher to register his brother''s words before his eyes dted. "What?!"

 Chapter 51 New Classmate

    "What?"

    Shock reigned over Asher''s face as he stared at his brother''s smug and proud grin. He knew Luke often decide on impulse, but no matter how his little brother loathed the academy, he stayed because that was the best academy in the country. Just graduating from it alone would open countless opportunities for anyone.

    "You will transfer school?" Asher asked, and his brother nodded as an answer. "To the school where that young miss of the c Family is attending?"

    Luke kept on nodding. "Correct!" he grinned, arms crossed. "I will show her my sincerity, brother."

    "..."

    Asher could only stare at that arrogance stered on his brother''s face, which Luke brought until the next day. And just like the shock on Asher''s face, Cosette''s and Maxen''s jaw nearly hit their desk as they also stared at that smug grin in front of the ssroom.

    "Hello, peasants! This young master here is your new ssmate, and I transferred here all in the name of love!" Luke introduced himself arrogantly, chin up. "May we all get along well! Hahaha!"

    There was a long silence that fell in the room, and only Luke''s deviousughter echoed. Cosette, who didn''t expect this, couldn''t even think because of the shock. She flinched when the girls'' squeals exploded in the room.

    "Kyah~! You''re so handsome!!"

    "Oh, my god! Are you a celebrity!?"

    "Omo! I think I''ve seen him somewhere!"

    "Really? We have a ssmate that is a celebrity?"

    Cosette''s face contorted as she looked around her ssmate. Luke just called them peasants, and they were squealing like this?! Was this some sort of fetish or what?

    Everyone бк girls mostly epted Luke easily and had shown interest in him just from his looks. Boys, on the other hand, seemed to be neutral about it. They didn''t seem to dislike or like him. They looked like they were more annoyed by the girls'' cries.

    Meanwhile, as themotion ensued, Maxen''s frown deepened. He nced at Luke, who was acting like a celebrity beside their homeroom teacher.

    ''I didn''t expect this,'' he thought, thinking yesterday was the only time he would have to put up with Luke. But that guy transferred to their school and now, he had to see him every day! Were all rich kids as crazy as to shift school in the middle of the school year?

    He pinched the space between his brows at the headache he had been enduring sincest night. ''Whatever.''

    "Alright, ss. Settle down now. Continue thister." Their homeroom teacher raised her voice before facing Luke. "Mister Quinn. Please take the vacant seat."

    "Thank you." Luke smiled and nced at the additional seat meant for him across the room. A deep exhale slipped past his lips as he marched towards Cosette instead of his seat. He smiled at Cosette as he stood beside her desk before setting his eyes on the person sitting next to her.

    "Can I take this seat instead?" he beamed Fay a charming smile and spoke gently. "I think I can see the board better in here."

    Fay, who was sitting on Cosette''s side, could only gaze at Luke in a daze. In her eyes бк no, in everyone''s eyes бк Luke looked super handsome as if he was a celebrity. Anyone would be mesmerized, especially if he was smiling like an angel.

    "May I?" Luke snapped her back with his question, making Fay nod on instinct.

    "Ye бк yes." Fay stuttered before she elbowed Amie to bring her back from her trance. "Girl, move."

    "Ah..." Amie cleared her throat and asked her seatmate to move as well. Fortunately, everyone had been getting along well since they had been eating lunch together recently. Therefore, everyone adjusted for Luke so he could sit on Fay''s spot.

    Seeing this, Cosette''s under-eye twitched. Even Maxen was bbergasted at how kind everyone was. But then again, they never bothered him like the other section.

    When Luke already settled on the seat, the ss had started as their teacher already told them to open their textbook to a particr page. Some of their ssmates were still distracted by the fresh blood in their section as they kept looking in his direction.

    "Hello," Luke ignored the attention as he faced Cosette with a smile. He cupped his jaw and fixed his eyes on her, giggling at the lingering shock in her eyes.

    "Luke." Cosette lowered her head and whispered to avoid disturbing their teacher. "What are you doing here?"

    "Cozie, isn''t obvious? I transferred."

    "I --" she cleared her throat and breathed out. "I mean, why?"

    "Err... I just said it during my introduction. Weren''t you listening?" He cocked his head to the side. "I did it in the name of love."

    She cringed as she looked at his almost innocent expression. She should''ve seen thising, she thought. Luke was the person who would decide on impulse. How could she think visiting her in their house the very next day they first met was the most extreme he could do?

    "Don''t you want me to be your ssmate?" he frowned after a minute.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "N бк no. It''s not like that." Cosette sighed once again and shook her head mildly. "It''s just... I was very surprised. I didn''t think you will transfer school and this fast at that."

    "Heh. I''m a Quinn."

    "That''s the point." Her voice was incredibly low as she leaned closer to him so he could hear her. "Are you sure about this decision?"

    "Hundred percent." Luke batted his eyes ever so slowly. "Don''t worry. My Dad supports me here. That''s why I got approved overnight."

    Cosette studied his confidence before she nodded. "Well, if that makes you happy."

    "Hehe. Of course. I feel like this is the best decision I did all my life. The feeling is even more satisfying than when I received my dream motorbike." Luke grinned confidently, bringing reassurance to her heart that he would be fine with this.

    "Alright." She sighed for the umpteenth time and then smiled meekly at him. "Listen now. Don''t be distracted."

    Just as Cosette was about to focus on the subject, Luke held her arm. Her brows rose, seeing the puppy eyes stered on his face.

    "I don''t have a textbook," he confessed, batting his eyes to gain sympathy. "Can we share?"

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "You transferred overnight, and you didn''t have a textbook?"

    "Mhm. It was so abrupt."

    Cosette was doubtful as she narrowed her eyes. Who would believe him? The Quinns were influential and getting him a textbook overnight was a piece of cake. But looking at his empty-looking bag, Cosette was certain he probably only brought a pen and a notebook with him.

    "What am I going to do with you?" she sighed as she nodded. "Sure. Let''s share then."

    "Nice." Luke grinned happily as he discreetly move his seat closer to her. Seeing his enthusiasm, Cosette smiled subtly, as his energy was contagious.

    Meanwhile, Maxen, who would usually not listen in the ss or pay attention to her during the ss, couldn''t help but nce at her from time to time. His frown deepened when she shared her textbook with Luke.

    ''Don''t she realize it?'' he wondered, ncing at Luke for a moment. ''He purposely didn''t bring anything for something like this.''

    Maxen''s jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth before he looked to the other side. He kept his eyes on the window, propping his jaw with his knuckles. However, even when he was facing the window, their faint reflection soon appeared, and he could still see Luke getting chummy with Cosette.

    ''This is very annoying,'' he thought, closing his eyes so he wouldn''t see anything. "Tch..."

    He already closed his eyes so he wouldn''t see their reflection. However, he could still hear them! Even though Cosette and Luke were keeping their voice down, he could still hear them as if they were just whispering right in front of him!

    ''This is awful...'' he pinched the space between his brows to soothe his headache.

    Maxen had to endure Luke bothering Cosette from time to time and Cosette entertaining his every whim until lunch break arrived. He thought he could finally sigh in relief and get a breather on the rooftop. However, it had be a routine that once the bell rang, half of the ss would move their desk and gather in the middle.

    So before Maxen could stand and leave, his ssmates already moved their desks and moved his as well. Before he knew it, they had already formed a huge table and everyone was already sitting around and near her desk. Maxen was left seated on his chair while his desk was moved next to Cosette''s.

    ''What am I doing?'' he wondered as he only watched everything unfold, doing nothing. His eyes gazed at everyone and as expected, most of them were interested in Luke as thetter brought a lunch box with him.

    "You''re bringing a lunch box?" Cosette asked in surprise while Luke smirked.

    "Of course!" Luke looked at everyone before setting them back on her. "You told me about the lunch breaks. So, I brought a lunch box for you."

    "Huh?" In a blink of an eye, the lunchbox in front of her was reced with a more delicate-looking lunchbox. When she raised her gaze, Luke was already holding hers.

    "From now on, I will bring you lunch. So yours will be mine."

    "Luke..!" Cosette gasped before she flinched when she realized everyone''s gaze.

    "Sister Cozie..." called Sarah as she darted her eyes between the two. "... are you two...?"

    Luke grinned proudly and pointed to himself with his thumb. "I am her suitor! Anyone who likes Cozie will be my rival."

    "..." -- Cosette

 Chapter 52 Something She Only Hoped, But Had Always Considered The Worst.

    "I am her suitor! Anyone who likes Cozie will be my rival."

    There was a long silence that enveloped the entire ssroom after Luke''s deration. Cosette was mortified as she looked at him nkly and with wide eyes.

    He had lost his mind...

    But the reaction from the crown was different from what she expected. Although they were initially shocked, darting their eyes between the two of them... they looked perfect. Cosette was the uncrowned muse in their ss бк even the school bell could notpare to the tip of her hair.

    Since she was beautiful, there was no need for debate about who could be her escort. Maxen was an ''eyesore'', but no one could tell her that. But it had been a silent agreement that there was no need for an escort since no one deserved the title.

    Now... Luke suit the position.

    He was charming and even when he was arrogant, there was just something in him that was so appealing. Maybe it was his angelic smile, his bright mood, or just his carefree aura. Whatever it was, one fact remained;

    Luke and Cosette would be a good pair.

    "Hah! So, I don''t have a rival? That''s good. Waha!" Lukeughed loudly and nted his hand on his hip. Everyone seemed to have given up their fantasy about Cosette. Just as he expected, it was better to keep a close watch on those who were eyeing his future ''fiancee.''

    As Luke''sughter resonated across the ssroom, Cosette flinched when something slid in front of her. She raised her brows and gazed to her left.

    "I''m not hungry," Maxen exined in his usual indifferent tone as he offered his lunchbox, which Cosette brought for him.

    "But I brought it for you."

    "I''m not hungry," he repeated, knowing Cosette preferred eating the lunch box she made so she could improve her cooking. As a person who had eaten the first lunch box she prepared, he could tell her skills had improved significantly. But Cosette still wanted to improve, and she also enjoyed eating what she was feeding her father and friend.

    Cosette frowned and grabbed his arm when he picked up his bag. She knew him, and she definitely knew Maxen would leave.

    "It''s fine," she reassured, sliding the lunchbox in front of him. "Even if you''re not hungry, you need to eat."

    "Eyy... what the --" Just then, Cosette flinched while Maxen''s expression grew sour when they heard Luke''s voice once again. "Hey, you. Cozie is being kind here, but you kept taking her efforts for granted. Never mind, though. This young master will eat --"

    Luke couldn''t even finish his sentence when Maxen ced his hand on top of the lunch box. Not the one Cosette made for him, but the one Luke brought for her. Thetter kept his eyes on Luke and made sure that the arrogant brat would see how he would eat the lunch he brought for her.

    "Let''s switch." Maxen snapped his eyes and looked at Cosette. "I haven''t eaten anything this luxurious."

    "Oh..." Cosette blinked as she now had Maxen''s lunchbox and then in front of him was the one Luke brought for her.

    "Hey!" Luke pointed at Maxen in disbelief. "That is for her! How dare you snatch it away from her, you opportunist!"

    "She has a sensitive tastebud, and yes, I''m shameless, and an opportunist. So what? Aren''t you the generous young master?" Maxen shrugged nonchntly as he opened the lunchbox. The food inside was well-put as if a professional chef prepared them. However, no matter how pretty it appeared, it didn''t make his mouth water.

    If anything, he lost his appetite. That corny smiling face decoration on the lunchbox she made was a hundred times better than this. But well... he was petty. Something Maxen never thought he had in him.

    "You...!" Luke''s face turned red in anger as Maxen frowned the second he saw the food. Not only did he snatch the lunch for Cosette, but he had the audacity to make face?! How ungrateful!

    Cosette, who was a little baffled at how things were unfolding, shook her head mildly. She looked around and their ssmates were eating while watching the two banter. It was as if they were watching a Telenov with how invested they looked.

    "Gosh..." she sighed before she tugged Luke''s hand, waiting for him to look down at her. "I am a little sensitive and anything can trigger my allergy. That''s why I bring my own lunch."

    Cosette smiled kindly, extending her patience so they could eat in peace. For goodness'' sake! The lunch break was only an hour, and they had wasted a lot of time! It was not like she was lying... but she has already gotten used to eating what she cooked. Moreover, eating what Luke brought for her would eventually be a routine.

    ''I feel like I am having a taste of my own medicine.'' The corner of her lips twitched at the thought but still maintained her smile. "Luke, let''s eat since we only have one hour break."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Tch!" Luke red daggers at Maxen before he plopped his butt down on the chair. "He should be thankful he is Cozies friend, or I had already --"

    He coughed when he felt death staring at him from the side. He nced to his left and saw Cosette smiling at him.

    "Luke, let''s eat, shall we?" she smiled as if she didn''t just give Luke a death stare just now.

    "Sure sure..." Luke huffed to calm himself down. He then proceeded to open the lunchbox he snatched from Cosette and frowned. It looked childish and corny, but he knew Cosette was making her own lunchbox, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

    However, when Luke finally took a bite, his face instantly went nk. He tried to chew it, but eventually throw it up, catching everyone''s attention.

    "Luke, are you alright?" she asked in a panic as he coughed.

    "Cozie, what the hell is this poison!?" he gasped, making her flinch in surprise.

    "Is it... bad?" she inquired and, seeing how he scrunched his nose up, she frowned. "Really?"

    Cosette pursed her lips and took the spoon to eat from her own lunchbox. Both lunchboxes were prepared and cooked the same, so she would know. However, she tasted nothing bad from it, which made her brows furrowed as she looked back at Luke.

    "Hey, don''t eat it!" Luke panicked while she was chewing, but Cosette looked fine as she swallowed it down. Before she could talk and taste the food from his lunchbox, Maxen spoke.

    "If your expensive tastebuds can''t eat home-cooked, just switch with mine. Don''t waste food." Maxen cast him a side-eye as he hadn''t touched the food yet.

    "Ew!"

    "Luke, I think you should switch with Maxen," Cosette backed Maxen up, as that only made sense. Luke was someone who only ate first ss. Something this simple wasn''t enough for his tastebuds. "Max barely touched the floor бк actually, I don''t think he had eaten yet. Just switch with him since it will be troublesome if you forced yourself --"

    She flinched when Luke replied with a loud, "no!"

    "Luke..."

    "I will eat it!" Luke grumbled and clicked his tongue in irritation, ring at Maxen. His expression grew even bitter when Maxen shrugged nonchntly.

    "Cozie made this so I will eat it without leaving a crumb!" he announced and shoved a spoonful inside his mouth.

    Everyone watched Luke''s expression change with every passing second and with every chew. Fortunately, he was bringing a bottle of water and drank it from time to time.

    "The power of love..." whispered Amie to Fay as she watched the three eat in silence. "I didn''t know Maxen had been eating poison every single day."

    "Poor Luke." Fay shook her head as she felt sorry for Luke. "His rival had epted the challenge."

    "I don''t think sister Cozie was aware, though..." Sarah also whispered, and their murmuring soon traveled around, keeping it low so it wouldn''t make the already awkward atmosphere more awkward. Despite this futile attempt, it still reached Cosette''s ears, nearly making her choke on her own food.

    ''Just what sort of drama did I get myself into?'' she wondered as she looked down to hide the horror stered on her face. ''I don''t recall this happening in the novel. But then again, this is ten years prior to the start of the novel. STILL! Luke didn''t switch schools.''

    The more she thought about it and with the pressure on her with the current situation, it heightened her fear!

    ''I think... I''m not just changing volume 2 now.'' Her eyes dted in horror, knowing Luke was already part of volume 1 of the novel while Maxen was in volume 2.

    Wasn''t her n for the novel to end in volume 1? Because Maxen would only appear in the novel in volume 2 and that would change everything. But with Luke''s entanglement in her business and it seemed this was only the tip of the iceberg, there was this sense of dread creeping into her heart.

    It scared her... but in another sense, deep in her heart, she only hoped nothing major would change in the novel with her interference. BUT, she had already thought about this possibility and she still went for it. Because at the end of the day, the novel could be a wholesome one with only life lessons without going for the bloody path.

 Chapter 53 Abduction

    Everyone in Section F couldn''t focus in ss, as the trio, Maxen, Cosette, and Luke, were far more interesting to watch. Although they were discreet, Cosette wasn''t braindead not to notice these watchful eyes. Still, she kept her sentiments all to herself and tried to focus on the ss.

    A shallow breath slipped past her lips as she was writing in her notebook. However, her writing speed gradually slowed down as she had been very distracted after lunch.

    Cosette didn''t think Luke would transfer to a no-name school and give up the academy. This reaction was to be expected. The real Cosette would never transfer if she was still here. So, even Conrad and everyone in the c residence were surprised at her abrupt change.

    And Luke transferred because of her. If Cosette stayed away from him, this would never happen. After all, the real Cosette had always kept things to herself and was aloof to the point Conrad doesn''t even think of inviting her to an elite gathering. Not that Conrad attended one in the past.

    So, it was the reason the real Cosette didn''t be friends with the Quinns, despite having the same circle of friends. Well, the real Cosette didn''t have friends бк she never considered the rtionships she had as friends. For her, they were all connections.

    Cosette nced at Luke and pursed her lips. He was still in a terrible mood, doodling in his one and only notebook.

    ''So, I guess...'' she smiled and thought she still ended up with the inevitable. ''I really hoped Maxen and Cosette will not be part of The Devil''s Den since we only appeared in volume 2. But well... it can''t be helped. I already tried my best not to interfere much with the story aside from taking out the viin.''

    Staring at Luke''s frown, her eyes softened. Although Luke could be quite annoying and put her in a difficult position, she couldn''t get mad at him. Deep in her bones, she knew Luke was a kind person, and he was acting this way because this guy had always craved attention. Sadly, Asher gets everything because he was the heir.

    That was the main reason their rtionship got strained. It was misunderstanding after misunderstanding.

    ''Just a little patience,'' she thought and her gaze eventually caught Luke''s attention. A sweet smile turned up on her face when Luke returned his gaze.

    ''And a little understanding. It won''t hurt, anyway.''

    Luke''s frown faded as his brows elevated at the smile she was giving him. He pressed his lips into a thin line and looked away, hiding the blush on his cheek

    ''Did she fall for me now?'' he wondered and snuck a look at her once more. This time, however, Cosette had already shifted her focus and continued writing in the notebook. He frowned, but still nted his hand across his chest to feel his racing heart.

    It felt the same as he felt yesterday when they were in the pool area of their mansion. There was just something in Cosette''s smile that was so special and sincere, and it was contagious.

    ''Gosh...'' he scratched the back of his head as he bit his lips to stop himself from grinning like a fool. ''Why do I feel so happy, as if she just epted my proposal?''

    Meanwhile, as Luke tore the page of paper to write properly, Maxen nced at her. As soon as he did, he caught Cosette looking in Luke''s direction and thetter blushed. When Cosette chuckled weakly and shifted her focus on her notebook, Maxen caught the type of smile that was stered across her face.

    ''This girl...'' he thought and sighed, understanding why Luke was blushing like a fool. It was not like Cosette''s smile was flirtatious. Her smile was sincere that matched her beautiful eyes.

    ''I bet he misunderstood her,'' he thought, thinking he never misunderstood Cosette''s intention бк well, sort of. But not romantically. More like he didn''t want to believe her pure intention in the past.

    ''I''m going crazy with that guy,'' he thought, ruffling his hair in distress. One thing Maxen was certain, he would have to interact with Luke more than he would ever wish in this lifetime.

    He disliked the guy, but Cosette was kind to him and already considered him a friend. It was not like Maxen was jealous бк maybe a bit. But the point here was, just like what happened during lunch, he was certain that wasn''t thest time. There would be more times he would act out of impulse and Maxen feared it.

    He didn''t want to act as if he had the right or act super annoying. He didn''t want to be territorial or make her feel ufortable.

    ''I hate this...''

    Cosette epted the story бк backstory бк would change for a bit and she might get tangled more in the first volume. Luke was in a good mood because of Cosette''s smile, drawing hearts in the corner of his notebook. And then Maxen was in a gloomy mood.

    And with that sort of mood the three of them bore, the ss ended.

    RIIING!!

    "Cozie, do you have ns after this?" asked Luke as soon as the school bell rang.

    "Huh?"

    "Do you want to date?" he suggested with his lips stretched from ear to ear. "We can go to our house."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Luke..." Cosette scrunched her nose slightly while putting her things back inside her bag. "Don''t we have tons of homework? I don''t usually hang out somewhere after school."

    Luke frowned but didn''t push his luck this time. "Alright. Then, do you want to take a ride with me? I can take you home."

    "I''m riding the bus with..." Cosette trailed off as she saw Maxen rise from his seat and walked away. "Max, wait for me!"

    She gasped and sprung up out of habit, rushing to follow Maxen, or he would leave her for sure. Luke, who was surprised by this, blinked countless times. However, before he could process Cosette''s action, a hand grabbed the back of his cor and dragged him with her.

    "Luke, Max will leave us if you idled like that!" Cosetteined as she looked back, dragging him while Luke barely kept up with her with his upper body bent over.

    ''Did shee back for me...?'' he wondered, eyes on her back, unbothered by how he was being dragged. He didn''t even notice Cosette swiftly took his bag and was carrying it in her hand.

    A subtle smile slowly reigned over Luke''s face before he held her hand that was holding his cor. Cosette looked back on instinct, only to see his smirk.

    "Cozie, why are you panicking?" Luke guided her hand down, jogging until he was beside her, keeping her hand in his grip. "Is this some sort of drill? Goodness. That rude jerk. Tch."

    Cosette''s eyes went round when Luke picked up his pace while holding her hand. He looked back at her and grinned arrogantly.

    "Faster, or we won''t catch up to your friend."

    And with that, Luke held her hand securely, running and walking since Maxen seemed to be purposely walking faster. They would stop from time to time and slow down, but all the way, he never let her hand go. The reason they were in a hurry might be something Luke didn''t approve of, but it was alright.

    Cosette wasn''t like everyone else. Although she had always made clear Maxen was her friend and seemed to have favored him more than him, she still returned to him, even when she was in a hurry. And honestly, that was good enough for Luke.

    At the very least, he didn''t feel like he wasn''t just a second option who could be left behind just because there was a better one. He felt like... he was equal. He was also her friend whom she would cherish, just as how she cherished other people.

    ******

    In the end, Luke and Cosette caught up to Maxen and, in silence, they walked to the bus stop. It was the usual routine Cosette and Maxen had, but this time, they had apany. Luke didn''tin, though, nor did he berate Maxen... much.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m With that being said, the three of them rode the bus home. Both Maxen and Luke got off at the bus stop she would get off and walked her home. It baffled her, but she didn''t mind.

    "Uhmбн" Cosette pivoted on her heel and faced the two of them as soon as they arrived at the gates of her house. But she instantly frowned when Maxen spoke.

    "I will go now." Maxen waved as he faced the other way while Luke smiled at her.

    "My ride will be here soon. I don''t want to spend another second with him." The second Luke finished talking, Cosette''s under-eye twitched when a speeding ck sedan suddenly stopped behind him. "See you tomorrow~! Or I will text youter!"

    And before Cosette knew it, Luke already jumped inside the car, which instantly sped away. Meanwhile, Maxen was already walking away. She tilted her head when the car abruptly stopped and then moved in reverse, halting beside Maxen.

    "What theбн" Cosette trailed off watching the back passenger seat open and then Maxen was pulled inside by surprise. "бн did I just witness an abduction?"

    BEEP BEEP!

    She snapped her eyes when another car honked at her, and her face brightened up. It was Conrad''s car.

    "Papa!" she skipped her steps to the side, pretending she didn''t see Luke abduct Maxen just now.

    ****

    Author''s Note: There will be a mass release (5 chapters) on May 20. :)

 Chapter 54 A Fathers Advice

    "Hey!"

    Maxen held his breath as soon as he raised his head after getting pulled into the car. The second he did, Luke already raised his chin arrogantly as he settled in his seat while the car sped away.

    "What do you think you''re doing?" Maxen inquired in disbelief as he processed what had just happened now.

    "What I''m doing?" Luke scoffed and tapped his temple with his index mildly. "This young master here is being smart. That''s what I am doing."

    "What?"

    "I need to make sure you will not go back to their house!" Luke eximed while looking at him in dismay. "Who knows what you will do? You can just change your mind and walk back to their house and asked them if you can stay over! I can''t let that happen!"

    Maxen''s mouth opened and closed, but he was too bbergasted at how his mind worked. He could only pinch the bridge of his nose before looking back at this spoiled brat.

    "Are you always like this?" he asked in disbelief. "If you are so afraid of me going back there, why didn''t stay then? It''s not like staying is a problem with you."

    "I don''t want to annoy her too much."

    "You don''t want to annoy her, so you''re bothering me?"

    "I''m not bothering you! I am making sure you will not bother her!"

    "You --" Maxen ground his teeth as his head throbbed. Would he even win against such a stubborn person? Clearly, Luke didn''t know him, nor did he know his distant rtionship with Cosette. It was not like Maxen wanted Luke to even know, but this person just do whatever he wanted.

    Another deep exhale slipped past Maxen''s lips and just nodded. "Stop." He peeked at the window and they were already far from the c''s residence.

    "You can drop me here. I will go home."

    "No." Maxen balled his hand into a fist as he red at Luke. Thetter simply arched a brow, arms crossed.

    "I need to make sure you will not go back there and bother her," Luke repeated with a nonchnt shrug. "I will take you home."

    "No need."

    "Well, if you don''t want that, you can always jump because this car isn''t stopping anytime soon."

    "You..." Maxen felt his blood shoot up to his head before he exhaled sharply. Seeing Luke''s indifferent expression, he knew this guy had already decided. This car won''t stop even if he asked the driver to stop.

    "Whatever!" he huffed and tossed his back against the leather seat, setting his eyes on the window. "Are all rich kids like this? Once they decided, that''s it?"

    "Huh?"

    Maxen nced at him and shook his head mildly. "Nevermind."

    "Hey, I''m doing this for my peace of mind and I''m not denying that. But how can you act as if I am extorting you? If you think about it, I am helping you save a few pennies by giving you a ride home." Luke clicked his tongue as he red at the person sitting on the other side while he was on the other. "Goodness. This guy... I don''t understand why Cozie likes you so much."

    As soon as Maxen heard Luke''sst remarks, the vein on his temple protruded in anger as he set his piercing eyes back on him.

    "I should be the one asking that. Why does she like a brat like you so much?" he retorted, making Luke''s blood boil.

    "What did you just say?" Luke scoffed. "Did you just call me a brat?!"

    "Yes. A spoiled brat like you."

    "And what do you think you are after calling me that? A poor brat?!"

    "What?!"

    "You''re poor and a brat! What''s there to like about you?!"

    "You..."

    Invisible fire zed in the back passenger seat of the car as the two red daggers at each other. Meanwhile, the poor driver in the front kept ncing at the rear mirror. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva before he discreetly pulled up the partition to give the ''lovers'' some privacy.

    "Spoiled brat." Maxen spat out before he looked away since he didn''t want to resort to violence.

    Luke clicked his tongue as he also looked away. "Cheap brat."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The two were smoldering in anger yet, they kept it to themselves. In Maxen''s head, he didn''t want to raise his fist and beat this guy to teach him a lesson. That would upset Cosette. Worse, it would put a strain on their friendship.

    ''This is probably his tactic,'' he thought. ''Anger me until all I can see is red, so that girl will pity him.''

    Meanwhile, Luke was grinding his teeth in anger but held it in. He kept telling himself this person was Cosette''s dear friend.

    ''If we fight now, I''m certain his fat won''t even save him. But Cozie will surely pity him and think I''m the one who initiates it. Damn it!'' he grumbled internally, ring daggers at the speeding cars on the highway. ''Did he think I enjoy spending another second with him? If only Cozie doesn''t like him, I won''t even bat him an eye. It''s annoying!''

    The two boys both kept their sentiments and traveled in silence. Since Luke didn''t know Maxen''s address, he simply dropped him off at the bus stop where he would usually get off. They didn''t even speak a word to each other until they parted, but instead, red daggers as the parting greeting.

    *****

    [ c Residence ]

    "Papa, did you hear Luke transferred to my school?" Cosette broke the silence while she and Conrad were having snacks in the garden while she was doing her homework.

    Conrad, who was sitting opposite the round table across from her, snapped his eyes from a document. Since Cosette was doing her homework, he thought he would also read a few documents he needed to review tonight.

    "Yes," he answered after a few seconds as he set his eyes on her. "Maynard called me."

    His expression turned sour as he remembered the abrupt call he received while he was working. He could still remember Maynard Quinn''s evilughter as he called him co-parent-inw. Whenever Conrad remembers it, his blood still boils as he had the urge to mess with the Quinns.

    How dare they seduce his daughter?!

    "Oh..." Cosette rocked her head, unaware of the evil n her father wanted to devise in his head.

    "Why? Is he bothering you?" asked Conrad.

    "No!" she shook her head almost immediately. "I''m just a bit surprised, but it''s not like Luke is bothering me. Actually, I think it''s a good thing he transferred."

    Conrad arched a brow as he ced his hand that was holding the document on hisp. "It''s a good thing?"

    "Mhm. I mean, Luke and his big brother, Asher, always getpared. Since the people around them are the same circle of people, theirments are more harmful than what they actually thought," she exined as a matter of fact and then shrugged. "I''m not saying there wouldn''t be any bad opinion about this transfer, but at the very least, Luke gets to breathe and have a time off from the pressure."

    "Also, I think Luke will get along with our ssmates well," she added and smiled, thinking Luke was actually very social and the crowd''s favorite. "Their opinions will not matter if Luke gets a circle of friends who will like him for who he was and what he can do instead of pressuring him to be just as excellent as someone else. I hope this decision will make him happy since that is more important."

    Conrad''s eyes softened as he looked at her sweet smile. His anger towards the father and son was slowly quenched бк or rather, it all shifted to Maynard since he was the one raising Luke.

    "You make me proud, Cozie." Conrad sprawled his arm over the table and bent over to pat her head. He even flinched at his action slightly, but her smile made him rx as he ruffled her silky hair.

    "Although, I''m concerned," she spoke while Conrad retracted his hand from her.

    "Of?"

    "Maxen and Luke," she answered almost immediately. "Max doesn''t trust easily, and he gets easily annoyed бк I me all those people who wronged him. Meanwhile, Luke can be a little arrogant and insensitive. The two of them had already shown clear dislike towards each other and..."

    "Cozie," called Conrad, stopping her sentiments. Her brows rose while he let out a shallow breath. "I know you mean well, and you want the two of them to get along. However, a bridge doesn''t move just so people can cross it and reach the other end. The bridge is only there, and it''s the people''s choice whether to cross it or stay where they are."

    "You''re only the bridge. Hand them the decision if they will meet halfway or stay where they are," he added and smiled subtly. "Because at the end of the day, you cannot change or help anyone if they didn''t want to change or help themselves."

    Cosette pursed her lips as she looked at him in awe. She cupped her cheek and blinked twice.

    "Papa, why haven''t you dated yet?" she blurted out as she couldn''t believe no woman had ever seduced this man who was almost the epitome of perfection. Her question, however, made him cough, as that was abrupt and unexpected.

    Conrad looked away while clearing his throat. "I''m busy raising my daughter."

    "Papa..." she chuckled as she studied his side profile. Although his answer made her happy, there was this inexplicable part of her that was afraid he would marry someone else. It was as if she wasn''t ready yet and Cosette couldn''t even understand this sentiment in her heart.

    "Don''t worry, I will take care of you in the future," she reassured with a smile while Conrad looked back at her and also smiled subtly.

    "Don''t get married for the next fifty years and you can do that."

    "Hehe..."

 Chapter 55 When Should I Start?

    Meanwhile, in the Quinns'' residence...

    Asher was sitting on the swoon chair in his room with a book on hisp. However, instead of reading or doing something productive to add some knowledge to him, he was staring at the ck and gold Lloyd Bookcase across the room with nk eyes.

    Ever since Luke told him about his transfer, Asher had been distracted throughout the day. Just like right now, he was zoning out, thinking, why did Maynard, their father, approve it? It just didn''t make sense. Everyone knew Luke was impulsive and always decide on a whim.

    Most of Luke''s decisions бк even if they were bad ones бк were alright since they would teach him a lesson. However, this one was a big one, wasn''t it? Luke shifted from the best academy in the country to a no-name public high school. Even if Luke would be the top in his ss, that wouldn''t be better than being thest in the academy.

    "It''s because of her, isn''t it?" he narrowed his eyes, recalling Cosette and her words during the annual party of theirpany. "It must be."

    In Asher''s understanding, Luke changed school in the middle of the school year to pursue Cosette. And Maynard agreed because he wanted to be inws with Conrad. The c Family had significant and strong connections in business, politics, and every field.

    If the Quinns and cs joined hands and became family, that would make them... invincible. Moreover, since the Quinns were categorized as elites among elites, one of the very few families in the country who were at the peak of the upper echelon, there were only a few people whom they could benefit through marriage.

    One of them was the c Family.

    If Luke and Cosette were arranged for a marriage, no one would object. Both families almost had an equal ground and theirpanies would benefit equally from each other. It wasn''t a terrible strategy... in a business sense. But of course, Conrad wouldn''t allow his daughter to be tangled in an engagement or forced anything on her to make her miserable.

    Maynard had been friends with Conrad for a long time to know his friend. And thus, he was letting Luke linger around Cosette, in hopes the two of them would be sweethearts.

    But the thought of it left a bitter taste in Asher''s mouth.

    "This is annoying," he muttered as his expression grew grim. "Are we that desperate to borrow power from the c''s? Or... isn''t he confident in me anymore?"

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c Asher clicked his tongue in irritation as it bruised his ego. It only made him feel like Maynard wasn''t sure whether Asher could maintain the Quinn''s greatness. He also disliked the idea of his little brother being used as a mere tool. It made him sick to the stomach.

    "Nevermind." He closed the book on hisp and ced it on top of the stand near him. "They''re too young for that to understand."

    He rocked his head as he told himself he was simply overthinking. Cosette, although made a foolish decision, didn''t seem like a gullible one. She might smile so wide it made her look like a fool, but there was this little part in Asher who believed in her spirit and the data of her school records.

    Asher went out of his room to get a ss of water and breathe some fresh air in the garden. However, when he was by the mansion''s lobby, he stopped as his eyes fell on Luke, who was entering the main door.

    Asher shoved his hand inside his pocket, holding the ss of water in the other. "You don''t look like you had a good first day," he greeted his brother after noticing the dark shroud hovering over Luke.

    "Grrr..." Luke red at him before he released his anger through a yell. "Ughh!! That annoying -- !"

    Asher jolted as his brother''s loud voice echoed as if thetter had swallowed a speaker. Even the maids around the area jumped in surprise while others rushed to the lobby to see if something had happened. To their dismay, it was just Luke throwing a huge fit.

    Luke was panting as he threw his almost empty bag on the floor and cracked his knuckles in anger. "That guy... I will crush him someday." He smoldered through his gritted teeth as he had held in his anger towards Maxen for too long.

    "I will..."

    "Second young master --" the maid who bravely approached the exploding young master jumped back when thetter red at her as if he would kill her.

    "Leave me alone!" he yelled and huffed, but the maid mustered her courage as she was holding the wireless telephone.

    "But second young master, the young miss of the c Family is in the line."

    "I don''t care about бк what?" in a snap of a finger, Luke seemed to have sobered up from being drunk in anger as his eyes went round. Only then did he notice the telephone in her hand, which made him glide towards her and snatched it away.

    "Cozie?!" Luke gasped as he ced it in front of his ear.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Luke, are you alright??"

    "Of course! Hahaha! Why wouldn''t I be? Why are you calling in here and not on my phone?"

    "I was trying to reach you, but your phone is dead."

    Lukeughed as he jogged his way towards the stairs as if he wasn''t throwing a huge fit just now. "Right. I think my phone is dead. Haha! Did you miss me~?"

    While everyone who rushed into the lobby and saw him throw a huge fit watched how fast Luke changed his mood, Asher nced at the broken phone on the floor. Luke threw his things and now his phone shattered into many pieces.

    "It''s literally dead," he mumbled and then nced up, catching Luke already on the second floor. "He''s gone crazy."

    Asher shook his head as he let the maids clean up Luke''s mess while he head to the garden. His brother had a very explosive mood, but this was the first time Asher saw Luke get angry like this. When he sat down on the intricate marble chair and ced the ss of water on the table, Asher tilted his head to the side.

    "Who is he talking about?" he wondered, recalling that Cosette seemed to have no idea what happened to Luke, and Luke did not mention it to her. "Did he get into a fight on his first day? That''s strange."

    In his opinion, although his brother had this explosive temperament, Luke mostly get angry at him or at their family. He would throw a tantrum on family matters, but Luke never got into a fight. Surprisingly, his brother was good at socializing, especially with the people around his age.

    That was why... Luke had many friends in the academy. And even when his grades were passing grades, he was still popr. It was strange for him to have an enemy on the very first day.

    "Well... that school is public, and it''s an entirely new environment for him." He shrugged as he took a deep breath to have some peace. "I shouldn''t concern myself with his business too much. He doesn''t like it and thinks I''m trying to control his life, anyway."

    ********

    Meanwhile...

    "That brat бк!" Maxen kicked the trash on the corner of the street in irritation. No matter how many times he had cursed Luke in his head, he just couldn''t get to calm himself down. Maxen had always thought no one could anger him anymore after what he had experienced in his brief existence.

    He had already mastered the nonchnce that he believed even if this world ended now, he wouldn''t even bat an eye. He had ZERO care, and he thought nothing could anger him more since he had hated the world deep in his bones.

    But Luke proved him wrong.

    Luke''s existence proved to him that there would always be that one person who could press all his buttons and test a person''s patience.

    "Damn!" he grumbled as he stomped his feet through the narrow street on his way to his apartment. On his way, Maxen suddenly stopped in front of a small store. He slowly turned his head and gazed at himself in the reflection of the transparent ss wall.

    His anger slowly subsided as he looked at his reflection. Fat, messy hair, and just overall unattractive. Maxen rarely looked at himself in front of the mirror because there was no point for him and his looks never bothered him. But now that he was staring at himself, Luke''s face suddenly crossed his head.

    He balled his hand into a fist. Maxen was aware he wasn''t attractive and Cosette wouldn''t like him because of how he looked; it would be a miracle if she did. Still, he didn''t have time, nor did he have the money to take care of himself. He was too busy surviving day by day.

    "... I hope you reconsider, Mister Cloven."

    His jaw tightened as Conrad''s voice suddenly rang in his head and his eyes were filled with bitterness. Maxen stood there and stared at himself for a long time, letting time pass without thinking about it. When he snapped his eyes, he pivoted on his heel and walked away. As he did so, Maxen shoved his hand inside his pocket and dialed someone before he ced it in front of his ear.

    It rang twice before the line was picked up.

    "Hello, Mister c?" he greeted and heard the man''s familiar hum. "When should I start?"

 Chapter 56 Whats Stopping You?

    "Let''s call off the engagement."

    "I''m calling off the engagement, Zeke."

    "I''m the person who never forgives... I don''t give second chances..."

    "He deserves it..."

    "He deserved it."

    "He... deserved... it...!"

    Cosette gasped as her eyes popped open, breaking out in cold sweats. She blinked and caught the familiar ceiling, looking around only to see her room. A deep exhale slipped past her lips as she sat up, patting her chest mildly.

    "That''s scary," she mumbled, trying to catch up to her breathing.

    Just now, she had a dream бк a vivid one. In that dream, she saw... herself. The older version of herself. She was breaking up with a man. Everything was very clear, and she was very different бк fiercer, intimidating, and decisive. Even when her heart was crumbling while mocking the man, she kept her stony countenance.

    And when she left the man, Cosette kept telling herself he deserved it. That the man didn''t deserve her. However, no matter how she repeated it to convince herself, tears continued to fall from her eyes until she was screaming and crying at the same time.

    Cosette clutched her chest tightly. "I can still feel the pain," she whispered as if she was there.

    However, she couldn''t remember the man''s face. All she knew was he was charming because her heart fluttered when she arrived at the establishment. But what she was certain was her heart... she seemed to have deeply loved the man. But she just couldn''t forgive and his betrayal was eating her from the inside.

    She couldn''t move on from it and even when the man could make her happy, he scared her. The thought, ''how long will this happinessst?'' often crossed her head. And when would he betray her? One yearter? Two? Five?

    The reason she came to that decision, even though it hurt her like hell.

    "Why am I crying?" she wondered as she wiped her tears just because of a strange dream. "It''s just a dream."

    Cosette continued to wipe her eyes until tears stopped flooding her eyes. She huffed and gazed at the time on the nightstand, seeing she was up thirty minutes before her usual wake-up time. But she didn''t go back to sleep but instead hugged her knees because the pang in her heart was still there.

    "I shouldn''t think about that," she whispered, burying her face in her knees. "A dream shouldn''t bother me..."

    Just then, Cosette raised her head and furrowed her brows. Never in her time, ever since she came into this world, did she ever experience dreaming or having a nightmare. She would sleep and wake up and that was all there. This was the first time.

    "That''s so scary..." she mumbled to herself, hugging her knees even tighter. "But it feels like it happened..."

    Cosette trailed off as something crossed her head. She tried to recall her dream once again, but it grew blurry. The more she tried to remember the details of the dream, the more it faded in her memory until she could only remember having a peculiar dream.

    "Ughh..." she sped her hair as she tried to recall the dream but to no avail. "Why are dreams so fleeting?"

    An ugly frown soon dominated her face because dreams just worked that way. She could remember back when she was in the hospital in her previous life that she always has dreams. But she would forget most of her dreams even before she could think about it.

    "Whatever." Cosette shook her head in the end before she ced her palm across her chest. Even though her mind couldn''t remember the dream, her heart seemed to remember it. Her heart was still beating restlessly.

    "Forget about it. I still need to make lunchboxes."

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 With that being said, even though it bothered her, Cosette tossed the idea at the back of her head. Cosette started her day earlier than usual, preparing lunch boxes for her, Conrad, and Maxen. She nned to make one for Luke, but she didn''t have a spare lunch box. Quite surprising for a household like theirs, but they could always eat in any restaurant.

    Still, Cosette couldn''t help but think about what sort of dream she had. Even now that she was on her way to school and was riding a bus, she would zone out just trying to recall it. She didn''t even know how she arrived at school and how she reached their ssroom until Sarah pped in front of her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Sister Cozie, you''re early today." Sarah ced her bag on the side of her desk, which was just right in front of Cosette. There weren''t any students in the room since it was too early.

    "Hehe. I woke up early," Cosette chuckled awkwardly and looked around. "Do you alwayse in here first?"

    "Well..." Sarah shrugged as she dragged the chair in front of Cosette closer to her. "Yes. Going to school is better."

    "Huh?" Cosette cocked her head to the side while Sarah rested her arms over the backrest of the chair. "Is there something wrong?"

    "Huh? Of course, everything is fine..."

    "Sarah."

    Sarah chuckled and shrugged once again. "Don''t worry about me, Cozie. I juste to school because it''s my escape. Home is just... you know, chaotic."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line while studying the bitterness Sarah was hiding in her eyes. She had been very focused on Maxen and subconsciously treated other people as simply extras in the novel. She didn''t know these ''extras'' she considered had their own story to tell, problems to shoulder, and battles they were battling silently. How ignorant of her.

    "Sarah." She smiled subtly as she reached for Sarah''s hand. "I can always lend an ear if you like. We''re an hour early before the ss starts, so... if you like to vent...?"

    Sarah chuckled and shook her head, but when she raised her eyes at Cosette again, her smile lines faded slightly. Before she knew it, tears suddenly pooled in her eyes.

    "Goodness..." she wiped her eyes in panic before she noticed the handkerchief beside her. She raised her eyes and her gazended on Cosette, who was smiling subtly at her.

    Seeing this, everything that Sarah held in for so long and hid behind her smile just exploded. Tears continued to flood her eyes as she epted Cosette''s handkerchief to wipe her tears. She hadn''t even started, yet she was already bawling her eyes. Meanwhile, Cosette didn''t say anything but rubbed her friend''s back.

    ''I am so ignorant...'' Cosette thought whileforting one of the very first people who befriended her with a pure intention in this ss. ''How can I think Maxen is the only one who had problems? That only characters who were named were the only people in this world?''

    Not that Cosette changed her mind about changing Maxen''s fate. It was just that... Cosette realized she had always thought this was all a dream. A very long one. The thought that this world was a world of a novel never left her mind. The reason she kept herself at arm''s length. Even at Conrad and Lucia, her nanny, Cosette, never truly went all out or expressed her appreciation for them.

    In other words, Cosette only focused on other people''s lives бк the main characters who had a role in the novel бк and it hindered her from looking at the bigger picture. The people around her, just like Sarah, Fay, Amie, their ssmates, George the driver, and George the head butler of the House c, and just everyone.

    These people... weren''t just unnamed characters anymore. They had lives; they were real, and they had soul, conscience, own intelligence... they were humans.

    It was strange if Cosette thought about it, but she had to see it. She had to see and ept this was now her reality; this was now her world, and she was part of it.

    *****

    When Sarah calmed down after ten minutes of crying, she shared her struggles at home. Apparently, Sarah would always go to school early and go homete because she never felt at home. In her own home, she would always tread on eggshells, and most of the time, her parents would always scream at each other every time they meet.

    Cosette never knew Sarah was carrying such a weight on her shoulder because she was always the prim and proper type ofdy. She was the type to smile and carried herself respectfully. Sarah hid her inner turmoil, so no one ever asked her the question, "Is there something wrong? Or are you fine?"

    That was why, when Cosette asked her if there was something wrong, she just couldn''t help but tear up. And before she knew it, the emotions she bottled up for so long exploded like how a soda would explode when shook.

    As the students starteding in, Sarah excused herself to the washroom while Cosette went out to the rooftop to breathe fresh air.

    "Hahбн" Cosette huffed as she stood in the middle of the rooftop, looking up at the clear blue sky.

    "What''s stopping you, Cosette?" she asked herself. "What''s stopping you from epting this is your reality now?"

    She remained quiet for some time before an answer came clear to her head. "Nothing."

 Chapter 57 Going To Work

    The whole day went in a blur. It was just like a repeat of the day before; sses, Luke asking her to share the textbook, Luke and Maxen ring daggers during lunchtime, then sses until the school bell rang. Sarah went by like usual, smiling as if she didn''t have a problem, and no one noticed it. Even Cosette had to pretend she didn''t know because she knew pitying Sarah was the least her friend wanted.

    "Ugh... I don''t even know why we''re walking like this." Cosette was snapped back from her trance when she heard Luke grumbling beside her. She turned her head and gazed at Luke, only to see him grinding his teeth while ring daggers at Maxen''s back.

    "We''re not even walking side by side with him бк not that I care! Hey! Can you slow down!?!"

    A light chuckle escaped her mouth as Luke''s expression changed with every passing second. His brows rose as he gazed back at her, tilting his head.

    "What?"

    "Nothing." She shook her head and gazed ahead, furrowing her brows as she noticed the small distance between her and Maxen. Cosette and Luke were walking closer than in the past.

    "I think I''m having an existential crisis," she mumbled, ncing back at Luke. "Should we buy ice cream on our way?"

    Luke scrunched his nose up and frown. "As if I have a choice."

    "Well, you always have a choice." She shrugged. "You can go ahead. You don''t have to walk me home..."

    "No!" Cosette flinched at his aggressive reply, seeing Luke point at Maxen. "Even if my feet get obliterated by walking around the world, I don''t care for as long as I''m sure he won''t have a private moment with you!"

    "Luke... calm down..." she blinked twice as she just noticed Luke was more riled up today. Now that she thought about it, Maxen was also in a terrible mood. Although Maxen was quiet and wasn''t as aggressive as Luke, Cosette could feel the dark shroud hovering over Maxen.

    She gulped as she studied Maxen''s back. He was pissed, and it was very obvious to her.

    ''I couldn''t pay attention the whole day, but... did I miss something?'' she wondered, ignoring Luke''s consistent prattling while he would yell at Maxen from time to time. ''But I don''t think something happened since Luke stuck with me like glue and I stuck with Maxen like his assistant.''

    Cosette pondered about it, but no matter how she racked her brain, she just couldn''t remember taking her eyes off of these two. And then it hit her. The abduction!

    "Luke, are you sure nothing happened yesterday?" she asked in a quiet voice because she called Luke yesterday, but he reassured her the two of them were cool. Obviously, that wasn''t what seemed to have happened.

    "Of course!" he eximed for everyone to hear. "I dropped him off because I have a big heart!"

    She narrowed her eyes but nodded, even though she doubted that was just what happened. Instead, she stood on her toes and reached for his head, ruffling his hair slightly.

    "You do have a big heart." She admitted with a smile so he could calm down even just for a bit before he could have a heart attack. Fortunately, it worked.

    Luke blinked twice and touched his head when she retrieved her hand. His lips curled up subtly, gazing back at her before she looked ahead.

    ''That feels nice,'' he thought, scratching the back of his head. He bit his lips when its corners stretched broader, pleased with the praise and the appreciation of his sacrifice yesterday. Even though his blood pressure would naturally skyrocket with just the sheer thought of Maxen, Cosette was there to soothe him.

    ? ''Hehe... that jerk.'' His eyes glinted dangerously the second he set them on Maxen''s back. ''Did he think he can get ahead of me? This young master here is bright.''

    Meanwhile, Maxen, who was walking only a few steps ahead of them, had a dark expression. Although he never looked back once, he didn''t need to check if the two were still following him. Luke had swallowed a megaphone and anyone could hear his voice across the area.

    So, Maxen could also hear their conversation. His expression darkened even more when Cosette agreed Luke had a big heart. Howe?! Were they talking about the same person here? Was Maxen the only one who noticed the horns in Luke''s shadow?!

    The more he thought about it, the more his blood boiled. Not only did he have to put up with Luke yesterday, but thetter also had the nerve to use Maxen just to get praised by Cosette? It was petty, but even so, it angered Maxen.

    ''That jerk...'' Maxen ground his teeth as the invisible mes around him zed wildly. ''I''ll get back to him one day.''

    With that being said, the three of them walked to the bus stop, stopping by the small convenience store to eat ice cream to enjoy, which they finished while waiting at the bus stop. It was the third time the three of them took the bus stop, Maxen riding with them until she got off.

    "Tch!" Luke clicked his tongue in irritation as soon as they stood under the shade.

    "Max, do you have work after this?" Cosette inquired, ignoring Luke''s mumbling, facing Maxen who got out of the busst.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I do." His reply was short and simple, like usual.

    "Won''t you be a littlete?"

    "No."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Mhm."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line as she sized him up. Maxen''s expression remained aloof and unchanging. Well, knowing him, he wouldn''t walk her home if he would gette for work.

    "Alright." She nodded and, like usual, she didn''t ride the car waiting for her and walked with the two instead. This time, Cosette and Luke walked ahead while Maxen kept a few steps from behind them.

    His eyes were fixed on her back, lips kept in a tight, thin sh. Actually, he was already on his way to work. Not just part-time work, but a full time that could sustain his living expenses, school, and more. Today, he woulde to finalize his contract with his new employer.

    ''I wonder what would be her reaction?'' he wondered, a little conflicted since he had already expected the worst. A shallow breath slipped past his lips, following them, and before he knew it, the three of them were standing in front of therge gates of the c residence.

    As usual, Cosette huffed and pivoted on her heel, facing the two of them with a smile. The second her eyesnded on Maxen, her brows rose as he hadn''t spoken or waved her goodbye. He stood still. Luke also grinned from ear to ear and she saw no speeding car in sight.

    "Hey, you can now go." Luke elbowed Maxen lightly, raising his chin up. "She''s already here. So she''s safe. This young master here will stay with her and you will not disturb us."

    Maxen cast Luke a nonchnt side-eye. "I''m going to work." He then pointed at the gates.

    "What?" Luke frowned while Cosette tilted her head to the side.

    "Huh?"

    Maxen simply let out a quiet sigh and shook his head. He didn''t exin himself as he marched forward, walking past Cosette, leaving Luke bbergasted when Maxen entered the gates and the guards let him!

    "Hey! That''s trespassing!" Luke yelled the second Maxen was beyond the gates. Meanwhile, Cosette took a moment to get the gist of what was happening. All she could do was stare at Maxen''s back, frozen in her spot, drowning in the ocean of question marks.

    ******

    "That sly fox...!" Luke grumbled while stress eating in the c residence''s garden as he and Cosette went straight there. "Cozie, did you know about this?"

    "Huh?" she snapped out of her trance as she gazed at the person across from her.

    "That fat бк I mean, your friend! Did you know he will be working in your house?! What is his position? A gardener?"

    "I don''t know..."

    "Howe you don''t know?!"

    The deep lines on her forehead deepened as she lowered her eyes. The previous Cosette would surely know because she was literally the person managing the mansion. She had full authority over it, including the people working in the manor. But ever since she inhabit this body, Cosette stayed away from the original Cosette''s routine.

    "Papa didn''t mention anything about it," she mumbled because Maxen went straight into Conrad''s study because her father arrived when they were still walking in the driveway. She cupped her jaw and nced back at the mansion.

    "Will he really work in here?" she wondered silently before the side of her lips curled up. But before her lips could even form into a half-smile, Cosette jump when Luke suddenly snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

    "Don''t smile!" he urged, causing her brows to furrow. "Cozie, you''re breaking my heart! It seems like you like this news! This is what I''m saying when I said he is only taking advantage of you! Look at him now!"

    Cosette smacked her lips and shrugged, cupping her cheek, keeping the straw in the juice in between her lips. "I hope my dad adopts him," she confessed and smiled, causing Luke to gasp in dismay.

 Chapter 58 Because Why Not?

    Luke didn''t stay longer as nned because he received a call and he had to rush home. So, after sending him away, Cosette could not help but wait for Maxen in the mansion''s lobby. Maxen was still inside Conrad''s study room, and the longer he was inside, the more her anxiety increased.

    ''I wonder what...'' Her thoughts trailed off as soon as she caught a familiar figure from the corner of her eyes. "Max!"

    Cosette sprung up from the futon and glided in front of him. "What happened?" she asked while he leaned his head back when she perked up.

    "What do you mean, what happened?" he returned.

    "The contract signing." Her eyes widened. "What happened? No, I mean, how? I mean, why? No, no, you didn''t tell me about it."

    Maxen studied the confusion and intrigued in her eyes before his lips parted. "Why do I need to tell you?"

    "Max..." she frowned. "Of course, we''re friends and I''m concerned. Also, my dad is involved."

    "You should''ve asked him." Maxen cleared his throat and took a step back. "I will go now."

    "Wait. You''ll go without having dinner?" Cosette sped the hem of his blouse and tugged him back. "Stay for dinner, will you?"

    "Maxen will stay for dinner." Her brows rose when she heard Conrad''s voice from the corner. Cosette turned her head and saw her father approaching from the east.

    "It''s in the contract."

    "Huh?" she tilted her head to the side and darted her eyes between Maxen and Conrad. "What do you mean by that?"

    "Maxen will now live with us." Conrad stopped several steps away from the two, eyes falling on her daughter''s hand holding Maxen''s blouse. "The house is big, and it is better if he stays here instead of finding him a vi or an apartment."

    It took minutes for Cosette to process her father''s words, blinking at him. Did Conrad say Maxen would live with them? Her mouth fell open as her eyes dted, twisting her neck slowly in Maxen''s direction.

    "Let go." Maxen carefully held her wrist and pulled it away from his blouse. He snuck a look at her and her entire expression was nk, making him think of many other reasons she bore such a nk expression. Was it just a pure surprise? Dismay? Which was it?

    "Cozie,e." Cosette snapped back to reality when Conrad called her. "I need to talk to you about something."

    "Uh..."

    Conrad studied her for seconds before he nodded. "I''ll wait for you in the garden," he said before pivoting on his heel to walk away.

    Cosette could only stare at Conrad''s back for minutes. She only returned to her senses when she felt Maxen was also about to walk away.

    "Wait--" she grabbed his wrist to stop him, waiting for him to look back at her. "Is it true?"

    His brow arched as he nced at her hand. "Why?" he inquired in a distant tone. "Do you feel betrayed I found a better job?"

    "What...?"

    "Do you think I used you and went on your back?" he smirked. "So what if I did? You''re rich and it won''t hurt to--"

    "Max, what are you saying?" Cosette knitted her brows in confusion, squeezing his arm mildly. "I just want to make sure if that is true so we can celebrate."

    "I''m happy, Max," she added with a subtle smile. "It must be very difficult for you to ept my father''s proposal, but I guarantee you this is a good decision. I''m proud of you."

    His eyes slightly dted as her eyes softened in relief. They looked at each other, and he could tell she was relieved and happy with this new setup.

    "Anyway, I need to talk to my dad." Cosette let his arm go after a moment and shed him a broader smile. "He still needs to exin to me why he kept this a secret."

    With that being said, Cosette waved lightly at him before skipping her steps where Conrad left. Meanwhile, Maxen stood frozen in the same spot for minutes. His eyes remained in the direction where she left, even though she had already left the lobby.

    ''It must be difficult for me?'' he thought, recalling her words just now.

    Maxen''s jaw tightened as his hands balled into a fist. What did he expect? She would look at him with disgust or berate him? Of course, she wouldn''t do that. That girl was Cosette; she wasn''t the person who would act all nice only to change when things weren''t in her favor.

    ''I should feel relieved that she seemed happy about it,'' he thought, lowering his eyes. ''But... why do I feel... sad?''<novelnext></novelnext>

    A deep exhale escaped his nostrils before he pivoted on his heel to walk away. He didn''t know why he was feeling a little sad, even though things went smoothly. Maybe it was because he kept judging and expecting worse from her, or that he felt guilty for something he didn''t know.

    ''I don''t think it is sadness...'' Maxen stopped in front of the guest room where he was told he would stay. It was the same room where he stayed in his first stay over in this ce. He slowly opened the door and looked around this room, where he would stay from today onwards.

    "It''s fear," he corrected himself and addressed the feeling welling in his chest. "From now on, I have to live with her twenty-four-seven, but at the same time... I feel like even if I am close with her, I took several steps back."

    It was a strange thing to feel, but that was what he felt like. He owed Conrad because Maxen never even thought he would be able to live in such a good ce in his life. But look at this room бк it was far different from his small apartment, where the ceiling was on the brink of falling apart.

    He didn''t want to disappoint Conrad or Cosette. Even though Conrad was optimistic and had considered things, the seed of shame in Maxen''s heart was already there.

    How conflicting.

    Maxen dragged his feet towards the bed, only to stop midway and in front of the whole body mirror. He looked at himself from head to toe, scratching his head, before brushing his hair back.

    "I''m so dumb," he whispered and shook his head, dragging his feet towards the bathroom to take a shower.

    ''Was there anything wrong with having an ambition?'' He wondered, standing under the shower. Maybe it was the sudden change in his life that was why he was having all these ridiculous thoughts and conflicting emotions.

    ''I feel ashamed...'' бк in wanting to make him look better, or at least presentable. The people he was walking home with бк Cosette and Luke бк often stood out with their looks. Although Cosette didn''t seem to care about her looks that much and Luke was overly confident with his charms, Maxen had this little insecurity.

    Wasn''t the reason he epted Conrad''s offer because of something petty?

    Maxen closed his eyes and cocked his head back, weing the sprinkle of water on his face. ''Why am I scared again?'' he asked himself and the answer immediately crossed his head.

    ''It''s because I don''t want to be happy.'' He ran his palms over his face and brush his hair back once again. ''Because I don''t know until when it willst.''

    That had been the story of his life. When something good happened to him, the news that woulde after was just as terrible or worse. The reason he was terrified, ashamed, and sad.

    ********

    Meanwhile...

    "Papa?" Cosette peeked her head out of the door and looked for Conrad, which she easily caught standing outside. She smiled when Conrad looked back, still on the phone, signaling her to wait for a second.

    Cosette shrugged and tiptoed towards him, sitting in the intricate chair. It didn''t take long when Conrad finished his call and sat down on the chair across from her.

    "Papa, why didn''t you tell me you n on adopting Max?" she asked as soon as he sat down.

    "I''m not adopting him."

    "I''m kidding, of course." She giggled and studied his fatal beauty. "But... it was amazing."

    Conrad chuckled at her relieved smile. Even when Cosette hadn''t said more, her expression already told him she was pleased by this news. Surely, she was fond of Maxen.

    "I hired Maxen to look after you," he exined. "I believed he is a man of his words and someone I can trust. He can go anywhere in the house, but your room is off-limits."

    "Papa..."

    "It''s not that I don''t trust you or Maxen, but you are still young, and I am still a parent."

    Cosette smacked her lips as she nodded. "It''s not like that is a problem." She shrugged. "Also, I already nned on striking a deal with you so Maxen can live nearby or live a better life."

    "Cozie," called Conrad, not surprised by her confession, because he always felt like Cosette would ask him to help Maxen one of these days. It just so happened Conrad took initiative even before she could.

    "I understand you sympathize with Maxen. But I am curious. Why are you so persistent in helping him?"

    "Why? Hmm..." Cosette hummed a long tune as she pondered a logical answer. In the end, Cosette only grinned until her eyes were squinting.

    "Because... why not?"

 Chapter 59 Old Habits

    Cosette and Conrad stayed in the garden to talk about things they would usually talk about. He didn''t ask her anything anymore and trusted that her actions towards Maxen were just as she imed it was. But there was a real reason Conrad called for her in the garden.

    "I will be away for a week," Conrad announced in his usual tone. "There''s a problem in our international branch and I need to fix it myself."

    "Oh..." her lips formed an o-shape as she rocked her head. "When are you flying?"

    "In six hours."

    "That soon?" she gasped and looked at him with conflict in her eyes.

    His lips opened and closed, but Conrad''s voice was stuck in his throat. Business trips were not new to them. In the past, he would frequently fly to other countries because of their business. Sometimes, he would go back and forth on the same day because he didn''t want to stay away from his daughter for too long.

    But most of the time, he had to stay away for days. It couldn''t be helped, and Cosette was already used to it. Never once did Cosette react strongly on any of his business trips and sometimes, it was like she didn''t care. However, seeing her sporting this worried expression, he was stunned.

    ''That soon?'' he repeated her question in his head, eyes on her. ''It was in six hours... not now.''

    Cosette pursed her lips and sighed quietly. "Where will you go?"

    "In Sharie."

    "Sharie..." Cosette murmured as she rummaged the real Cosette''s memory and within a snap of a finger, she figured out where this country was even though it was her first time hearing it. "... isn''t that a dangerous ce now?"

    "Well, with the current problem in the new administration, it is. But, I will be fine."

    She bit her tongue and exchanged looks with him. When she sighed and was about to open her mouth, Cosette froze. Just now, she was pulled back to the real Cosette''s memory, which made her eyes dte. She looked at him, holding her breath, heart thudding.

    "Don''t go," she muttered and reached for his hand in panic. "Papa, don''t go."

    His brows furrowed as he narrowed his eyes. "Cozie, what..." he trailed off as his eyes fell on her hand that was holding his. She was trembling. He looked up to meet her eyes, only to see fear filling her eyes.

    "Stay here." Cosette squeezed his hand, barely blinking. "Don''t go."

    "Cozie..." he sighed quietly. "I am ttered that you are concerned about me, but I can''t stay."

    She tugged his hand. "Just this once. Please?"

    This time, Conrad was rendered speechless. Why was she so scared? It was not like he was going into a war or something. Although the tension in the country Sharie was brewing, it wasn''t like it was his first time going there. He went there more times than he could count his fingers.

    "Cozie." Conrad adjusted on his chair until he was facing her, holding her hand and patting her knuckles lightly. "I know this is the first time you asked me to stay, and I really appreciate it. However, I really need to go or our Sharie branch will fall altogether. It will be a fatal blow to ourpany if it happens."

    A shallow sigh slipped past his lips as he smiled subtly. "I wille back as soon as possible, I promise."

    Her lips parted, but her words were stuck in her throat. Looking at Conrad, she was certain she couldn''t change his mind. She wanted to tell him he will be in danger in Sharie. Once he goes there, a war will break out and he will be caught in a crossfire.

    Although Conrad wouldn''t die there, he would inflict permanent injuries. He would never be the same and eventually grow weak. Their money could extend his life, but... he would eventually take hisst breath ten yearster.

    Everyone dies, but for her, ten years was too short. Also, it wasn''t called living if Conrad couldn''t even enjoy life anymore.

    But what could she do? She was still young, and it was too abrupt for her to make a n on the spot. If the memory of the real Cosette didn''t cross her head, she wouldn''t even know about this. It wasn''t written in the novel бк or rather it wasn''t detailed.

    Cosette swallowed down the frustrating tension in her throat before she nodded. "I understand."

    "Thank you." He smiled and patted her hand once more.

    With that being said, Conrad and Cosette, and Maxen shared dinner. Unlike the first dinner the three shared, Cosette was silent. So Conrad and Maxen would constantly nce at her. But Cosette would force a smile from time to time to not worry Maxen and her father, yet it wasn''t enough to reassure them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Once she finished, Cosette excused herself politely and greeted them good night, without waiting for their reply. Maxen gazed at her with furrowed brows, wondering what happened to her with her talk with Conrad. When he snuck Conrad a look, thetter seemed to be just as confused as him.

    ''What happened?''

    *********

    Cosette paced back and forth in her room, biting the tip of her thumb as her mind was filled with Conrad''s trip tomorrow.

    "I need to think!" she muttered in panic, thinking of ways to stop Conrad from leaving the country. "Should I tell him I shoulde?"

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 She stopped pacing as she ran her hand through her hair, racking her brain for answers.

    "Come on... think!"

    Knock knock...

    "Young miss..." Lucia trailed off while entering the door and catching Cosette standing in the middle of the room. Panic instantly resurfaced in her eyes and she immediately rushed inside.

    "Young miss!" she eximed, cing the tray with a ss of milk on it on the nearest stand before rushing to Cosette. Lucia held Cosette''s hand and used her apron to stop the blood from Cosette''s thumb. She looked at her with worry, noticing that Cosette was also surprised to see that her thumb was bleeding without her noticing.

    "Young miss..." she called worriedly. "Let me dress it for you."

    Lucia didn''t ask Cosette questions but only helped thetter to her bed. While Cosette sat down on the edge, Lucia immediately fetched the first aid kit. Sitting on the edge of the mattress with Cosette, Lucia sanitized the minor wound and dressed it like an expert.

    "Young miss, is there something in your mind?" Lucia finally asked when she couldn''t take it anymore, looking back at Cosette worriedly. "You always do this whenever you are in distress."

    Cosette just looked back at her but said nothing. Looking down, Lucia''s words didn''t even register in her head. All she could think of was to stop Conrad from going on this business trip.

    "I need to stop him," she whispered after some time. "Papa will go to Sharie."

    Lucia sighed but said nothing. Just like Conrad, everyone in here was used to the master of the house going away for days. Sometimes it would take him weeks or months. Cosette had gotten used to it as well, even though she used to cry when she was just a child or look for her father every time he would go on a business trip.

    "Should I tell him I will go with him?" Cosette faced Lucia, looking for the go signal since she only needed someone to support her on this.

    "Young Miss..."

    "Nanny Lucia, he can''t go."

    "But бк but you must calm down first, young miss." Lucia sighed, knowing this could lead to an argument between father and daughter. Cosette could be very upset with Conrad, especially with business matters.

    If only Lucia had the slightest notion that Cosette wasn''t doing this because she was concerned about the business. But how would she know? Cosette wouldn''t tell her because telling the truth would only make others think she was delusional. Worse. They would think she was jinxing her father.

    "Young miss, the master will be fine." Lucia smiled. "I''m certain he will be fine. It will make him happy if you can send him offter."

    Cosette lowered her head and rocked her head. She didn''t have the energy to ask or argue with Lucia since there was no point. So Cosette didn''t speak a word even after Lucia finished dressing her finger. She then slipped under the sheet after finishing a ss of milk, pretending to sleep so her nanny wouldn''t get worried.

    Cosetteid t on the bed, eyes on the ceiling, mind busy thinking of different ns. Honestly, no matter how much of her brain she would use, she couldn''t think of any ns that could make Conrad agree with her. She stayed there for hours, not getting enough sleep until the clock hit midnight.

    "I will go," she announced, sitting upright, huffing. "I can''t just lie around here. Even if I look like a whiny little girl, I can''t let him go."

    With that being said, Cosette tossed the nket and flung her legs out of the bed. Little did she know, when she went out to look for Conrad, her heart sank.

    Conrad''s schedule was moved up, and he had to leave thirty minutes before she came looking for him.

 Chapter 60 Calm Down

    "Young Miss?" Butler George knitted his brows in surprise when he saw Cosette in the mansion''s lobby. "Where are you going?"

    "I will go to Papa''s study. Is he there?"

    The butler sighed before he ryed the news to her. "There was an emergency and Master''s schedule was moved up. So, he told me to tell you he will make it up to you once hees home."

    "What?" Cosette knitted her brows as she registered what the butler had just said. "You meanбн Papa already flew out to Sharie?"

    Butler George nodded, only to see herplexion turn pale. "Young Miss, are you alright?" he inquired in worry while Cosette looked back at him in disbelief.

    "Noбн" she whispered and without exining herself, Cosette rushed to Conrad''s study. When she saw his home office empty, Cosette jogged her way to Conrad''s bedroom.

    Nothing.

    "Noбн" She held her head, staggering back. "бн this can''t be happening."

    "Young Missбн?" Butler George, who followed Cosette out of worry, stood several steps from the door where she stood. "Is there somethingбн"

    "Butler George!" the head butler flinched at her loud call. "Can you call Assistant Warren? I need to talk to Papa!"

    "Uhбн"

    "Now!" Cosette raised her voice, making Butler George flinch once again. "Emergency!"

    "Ohбн alright?" Butler George didn''t know the urgency of the matter but still did what he was told.

    Meanwhile, Cosette returned to the lobby where she paced back and forth, calling Conrad''s number but to no avail. Butler George couldn''t reach Conrad''s assistant, but seeing Cosette, he kept trying.

    "Come onбн please pick up..." she mumbled, biting the tip of her thumb out of panic, worry, and fear mixed all together.

    Even though Cosette already guessed Conrad had probably boarded the ne, she held on to the sliver of hope he hadn''t. Butler George said Conrad left around thirty minutes before she asked for him. Therefore, it was possible Conrad hadn''t left the country just yet.

    ''This can''t be happeningбн'' she thought, trying to stay positive although the scenarios in her head were growing negative. Her eyes began to heat up as the ringing sound echoed in her ear like thunder.

    All she wanted was for Conrad to pick his phone up. As long as he would, she was certain she could convince him to stay. She couldn''t let what happened in the past happen again. Not her father. Not when they were just starting to see eye to eye. They had so many things to do together and they wouldn''t do that if he was bedridden.

    Soon, her sniffle was heard, wiping the corner of her eyes with the bottom of her fist. Yet, she didn''t break down and continued her attempt to reach Conrad. She would''ve rushed and followed Conrad, but she didn''t know where he took off.

    He could''ve boarded a private ne or just one of what they owned. It all depends on Conrad''s mood and they couldn''t reach their assistant as well.

    While Cosette continued to pace back and forth in worry, she didn''t notice that Maxen was just around the corner. Maxen furrowed his brows, darting his eyes between Cosette and then at the head butler, who was on also on the phone.

    "Coziбн" he trailed off the second he noticed the worry in her eyes as she bit the tip of her thumb that was already wrapped with a band-aid. Maxen carefully approached her and before he could even think of what to tell her, he held her hand down, which made her look up at him.

    "You''re biting it so hard," he voiced out naturally, holding his breath upon recognizing the desperation in her eyes. "Are youбн"

    Cosette just ground her teeth and pulled her hand from his grip, looking away and redialed Conrad''s number.

    "Cozieбн" Maxen whispered, a little bit taken aback at what he was seeing. He was used to seeing her smiling all the time, and he kept wondering when she would stop smiling. However, now that he was seeing this expression, it felt like a hand was squeezing his heart.

    "Butler George, did you reach him?" asked Cosette, avoiding Maxen''s gaze, ashamed to look back at him in such a state. Her heart sank when Butler George shook his head with a deep frown.

    Cosette balled her hand into a fist and remained silent. After a second, a determined glint flickered across her eyes as her lips parted.

    "Please call for driver George. I will look for him."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "But Young Miss."

    "Now." she huffed, looking at the butler straight in the eye. "Please."

    Butler George let out a shallow breath. Until now, he didn''t understand Cosette and her heightened emotion, but since she was no longer a child, he understood it was probably important. Hence, Butler George called for Cosette''s personal driver so he could drive her to Conrad.

    As Cosette rushed to the driver, a hand held her wrist, and she looked back. "Max?"

    "Cozie, I don''t know why you''re acting like this. Butбн"

    "Please, Max. Don''t stop me. I can''t let my dad fly to Sharie right now."

    "I''m not stopping you," replied Maxen with a sigh, watching her knit her brows. "I''m saying I wille with you. Your father entrusted your safety to me, and it is only proper if I apany you."

    Cosette bit her inner lip as she looked back at him before she nodded. A sigh of relief slipped past his lips before the two of them hopped to the ck sedan parked outside the mansion. Her driver had worked for the c family for years. Thus, he didn''t need direction when Cosette told him to drive to theirpany headquarters as fast as possible.

    On their way, Cosette was still trying to call Conrad in silence while Maxen would nce at her from time to time. This wasn''t what he expected on his first night in their house, but it wasn''t like he had expectations at all.

    ''She looks really worried,'' he thought worriedly. ''Now that I think about it, this is not the first time I saw that expression on her face.''

    Cosette wore that same emotion in her eyes during their first meeting. Back when he was in the hospital, she looked at him as if she had known him all his life. He just didn''t think about it until now because he somehow got used to her smiles.

    Maxen raised his hand and held her arm, making her look back at him. "Stop biting your thumb," he said, putting her hand down to her side.

    "Maxбн" she whispered but said nothing further. Instead, she continued her attempts to call her father and let him hold her arms down so she would stop biting her thumb. But with her nervousness, Cosette unknowingly started biting the excess skin on her lips.

    ''I can''t hold that for her.'' He sighed inwardly and squeezed her arm to get her attention. When she looked back at him once again, Maxen studied her eyes for a moment.

    "Calm down," he advised in a calm tone. "I know you are worried, but panicking will not help. We''ll reach wherever our destination is and if Sir c had already gone, you can just fly tomorrow, right?"

    A subtle smile turned up on his face as he squeezed her arm mildly. "Stop biting your thumb andбн lips. You''ll only hurt yourself."

    Cosette looked at him, but instead of listening to his advice, she bit her quivering lips while tears formed in her eyes.

    "Everything will be fine." Maxen nted his palm on top of her head and ruffled it slightly. "Just take a deep breath, alright?"

    Cosette nodded before she let out a muffled, "mhm."

    "Now, give that phone to me. I''ll try to call your father while you gather your thoughts." He retrieved his other hand from her head and then opened it between them, nodding at her encouragingly. Cosette reluctantly handed him the phone, and he smiled in satisfaction.

    "Take deep breaths. I''ll give it to you once he picks it up." Maxen waved the phone slightly before he leaned back. He kept his other hand on her arm, patting it with his fingers to soothe her while calling Conrad.

    As the phone rang, Maxen nced at her. Cosette closed her eyes while taking deep breaths. While she tried to calm herself down, Maxen noticed how her hand was balled into a tight fist. Usually, he would think twice about his actions. But right now, he couldn''t.

    And before he knew it, he already slipped his hand down from her arm to her fist. Her brows rose as she opened her eyes, gazing down to their hands, then back up to his eyes. Maxen didn''t hold her hand, but instead, pressed his index on top of her fist.

    It was strange, making her wonder what he was trying to do.

    "Calm down," was all he said, then poked her knuckles, the phone still in front of his ear, eyes on her. "Loosen up, I mean."

    Cosette pursed her lips into a thin line, but instead of just loosening up, she held on to his forefinger. It wasn''t that she was trying to anger him, but she just need to hold on to something or someone. To her surprise, Maxen didn''tin as he let her hold him like that while he focused on the phone.

 Chapter 61 He Sets The Bar Too High

    "Are you calm now?" Maxen inquired after ten minutes on the road and still got no answer from Conrad.

    "Yes, thank you." Cosette nodded, a bit calmer now.

    "Good." His eyes fell on her hand that was holding his finger, but she tightened her grip even more.

    "Just for today," she whispered as he raised his eyes to her. "I''m really scared."

    Maxen rocked his head in understanding but said nothing. He then pulled the phone away from his ear, only to redial Conrad''s number once again. Seeing his action, Cosette could not help but heaved a sigh of relief.

    If not for Maxen, Cosette probably lost it already. She was under too much stress and couldn''t think straight. But because of Maxen''s patience andpany, she managed to keep herself together. Still, she wanted to hold on to him, afraid she would go anywhere if she couldn''t take the wait anymore.

    ''Maxen is right. I can just fly to Sharie tomorrow,'' she thought to calm her still racing heart. ''It''s not like Papa will die бк of course, he will not!''

    She nodded in determination as she told herself to not think about it too much. Cosette continued to give herself some time to think of ns.

    "Still no answer?" she inquired to Maxen after five minutes. Thetter frowned and shook his head sideways. But she didn''t panic anymore. Cosette simply let out a deep sigh.

    ''I hope he will be fine,'' she thought, gazing at the window only to see the towering building of herpany from the highway. ''No, he will be fine for sure. If my memory serves, the chaos in Sharie will break out on Papa''s third day. I have time, that''s right. I have time.''

    Maxen still tried to reach Conrad''s phone, even though they were already approaching the building of the BLK Corporation. He would nce at her from time to time and sigh in relief seeing her calm. His eyes once again fell on her grip around his finger. Warmth filled his heart at the sense of need he felt from her, even though she was gripping it until her hand turned white.

    "Ah!" Maxen flinched when Cosette suddenly let his finger go and eximed. When he raised his gaze to her, Cosette was pping the window rapidly but lightly.

    It took her seconds before she remembered to press the button to roll down the window. "Papa!" she yelled as their car stopped in front of the building.

    Conrad halted and straightened his back, standing in front of the back passenger seat. He twisted his neck when a car parked just right in front of his ride and in front of the entrance. His brows furrowed the second he saw his daughter, wearing nothing but her pajamas, running to him.

    "Cozie?" he tilted his head and before he could ask, he froze. Cosette jumped to him and embraced him tightly.

    "Cozie, whatбн" he frowned upon feeling the vibration of her body against him, nting his hand on her back.

    "Please don''t go to Sharie, Dad!" she begged with a shaking voice. "If you are going, then let mee too!"

    "Cozie бк"

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "Please!" Cosette let him go and held his hand with both her hands, eyes fixed on him. "Just this once, Papa. Just this one; listen to me."

    Conrad furrowed his brows, studying the desperation stered across her face. Even if she didn''t beg him, her eyes already told him she wanted to be heard. He nced to his right, where his assistant was standing. Thetter smiled and bowed slightly.

    "Cozie." Conrad set his eyes back to Cosette and his eyes softened. "I''m afraid you arete."

    "What?"

    "I already sent another person to go to Sharie," exined Conrad while she blinked twice as if that would help her register his statements faster.

    Warren, Conrad''s assistant chuckled. "Young Miss, apparently, His Majesty changed his mind at thest minute. He said he was a little worried about leaving you behind when you asked him to stay. Thus, this humble servant here can only send other people to Sharie while we stay in touch with them."

    "Really?" Cosette looked back at Conrad with twinkling eyes. "Really?"

    Conrad nodded. "You heard Warren correctly. Although he made a fuss about it."

    "Papaбн" with the relieved emotion in her heart, Cosette jumped and embraced her father. "Thank you."

    "Anything for you." He chuckled and patted her back. Now, he could confidently say he regrets nothing. Matter of fact, he was relieved he changed his mind because her upset mood during dinner bothered him. Losing millions was better than losing his daughter. After all, he had worked hard all his life, and it was time to prioritize her.

    "Awwбн" Warren wiped the invisible tears from the corner of his eyes. "This is so touching."

    Meanwhile, Maxen, who was standing outside the open car door, smiled in relief.

    "I''m d she''s fine now," he whispered after listening to Conrad''s exnation. ''Her father sets the bar too highбн it somehow makes me feel reassured that stupid brat will stand no chance even if he is the son of the president of the country.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    With all that said and done, Conrad let his daughter go. As he did, he nced in Maxen''s direction before setting his eyes back to her.

    "Did youe here in your pajamas to stop me?" he asked, raising his brows.

    "Uhбн rightбн" Cosette looked down and only realized what she was wearing before sheughed awkwardly. "Heheбн yes."

    "Cozie." Conrad sighed, chuckling. "Let''s go home, then."

    "Mhmбн" she nodded before she perked up. "Max is with me!"

    The second Cosette turned her head back to the car she rode, she frowned as it already sped away

    "He''s someone who can read the mood." Conrad ruffled her hair. "We had the same destination, anyway. Let''s go."

    Cosette smiled as she nodded. "Yes!"

    With that being said, Cosette and Conrad hitched the ride and the car immediately sped away. Warren, who was standing in the same spot, smiled.

    "What a lovely duo they had be." Warren hummed as his heart was moved to tears, seeing how Conrad''s rtionship with his daughter improved significantly. However, his smile soon cracked when he realized he was the only person standing outside the building in the middle of the night.

    *******

    Inside the car where Cosette and Conrad wereбн

    "Anyway, Cozie, if you do not mind me asking. Why are you strongly against this trip?" asked Conrad when they both settled in. This time, Cosette froze because she barely had a n for this.

    The side of her lips curled up as she giggled awkwardly, returning his gaze. "Hehбн" Seeing his brows raise while waiting for an answer patiently, Cosette had no choice but to choose the most believable lie she coulde up with.

    ''Please God. Don''t punish me for lying!'' she mentally crossed her fingers.

    "I''ve beenбн taking tabs on the situation in thepany," she lied. She knew nothing about the current situation of thepany. "I''ve taken an interest in our Sharie branch because I thought it''s a good ce to start and was nning to move there. That''s why I am aware of the current state of affairs. I''m simply afraid something will happen while you were there, while the tension in Sharie continuously increases."

    "You were nning to study abroad?" he asked, stuck in that im, which was what she nned.

    "Yes." Cosette lowered her head, unable to look him in the eye while lying. It was not like she waspletely lying. The real Cosette had been interested in this particr branch and did an extensive presentation to make it the best branch among all the subsidiaries they had.

    "I was nning to study abroad and help in a smaller branch first. But I changed my mind because I don''t really want to stay away from you." This time, she mustered enough courage to raise her head and smile. "That''s the time I suggested transferring school. I thought instead of working in thepany, I should work on myself first. It was worth it."

    His eyes softened while his lips curled up subtly. Conrad nted his hand over her head and patted it gently.

    "You never cease to amaze me," he muttered. "Thank you, Cozie."

    "Papaбн"

    "And I''m sorry if I worried you. I''ll try to be better."

    "You''re already the best." She giggled before jumping near him, hugging his arms as if it was a teddy bear. Cosette leaned her side against him, lips curled up with a sweet smile.

    "Papa, you''re the best father I can ever ask for. Let''s always stay happy together and put all those wasted years in the past where they belong." Her eyes softened as her heart now felt at ease, yawning as it was ratherte. But before Cosette could sumb to a peaceful sleep, she whispered.

    "I just want you to be happy and healthy, so you stay with me for a long time. I love you, Papa."

    Conrad froze for minutes before he gazed down at her. His lips curled up, seeing she had fallen asleep just like that.

    "I don''t know when was thest time we said such words." He patted her knuckles that were around his arm. "You mean the world to me, Cosette. Thank you for being born."

    бк End of Volume 1 бк

 Chapter 62 Summer Vacation

    Days after Conrad''s supposed ns to fly to the country of Sharie, a war between the government and the anti-government broke out. The people the BLK Corporation sent were caught in the crossfire, but fortunately, no one was gravely injured and returned to the country in one piece.

    How that happened was because Cosette suggested raising the security of their people, to which Conrad agreed. Everyone was relieved Conrad didn''t go himself because even though their people returned in one piece, the chaos was so bad they barely made it out. It was better if Conrad was safe since thepany would move properly and the order would be kept efficient if he was safe than having him in the middle of the crossfire.

    With that being said, Conrad and the BLK Corporation were still on a setback and he had been busy since.

    Meanwhile, Cosette also returned to her normal life.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c Ever since Maxen started living in their house, she had been at ease. However, that didn''t mean her life had been more peaceful. In fact, it was the opposite.

    When Luke came to know about this, he lost it. Literally. Cosette could still remember how he made a fuss for an entire week, staying over the c''s residence an hour before midnight, and sticking his nose in Maxen''s business.

    In other words, he was keeping an eye on Maxen.

    Conrad had been busy, but Luke felt more like a strict parent, keeping his eyes open just in case Maxen would do something ''silly'' to Cosette. Luke and Maxen''s rtionship had also improved... or just grew worse. But at least, aside from their constant banter and taunting, they hadn''t chosen violence... yet.

    That had been the story of her life. Cosette sandwiched with Luke''s daily drama, her ssmate enjoying бк looking forward, even бк how this Telenov unfolds, and then watch Luke sniff around Maxen once they reached home. It had been that continuous cycle that she somehow got used to it until they all didn''t realize it was already summer vacation.

    "Nanny Lucia, is it just me? Or does time fly so fast?" Cosette turned her head to Lucia, who was entering her room early in the morning to bring her some water.

    "Young Miss, time runs the same." Lucia chuckled as she ced the water on the bedside table, a routine both of them got used to. She then sat down on the edge of the bed while Cosette was stillzing around. "Maybe it feels fast because you just don''t notice the time since you are enjoying it."

    "Enjoying it...?" Cosette blinked and gazed at the ceiling, revisiting her days in school since today was the first day of their school vacation. She thought her days were just a repeat, but now that she thought about it, she sort of missed school. Why? Because at the end of the day, there was more in her days than Luke and Maxen''s banter.

    She hadn''t noticed it, but she was hanging out more with the girls. She also made more friends, and everyone was growing close with Maxen. Although thetter was obviously unhappy with it. But Maxen never told them off.

    Cosette grinned before she faced Lucia. "I guess you''re right, Nana. I like school and I already missed my friends."

    "I''m sure they feel the same." Lucia smiled softly, d to hear Cosette missing her friends. In the past, it didn''t matter to Cosette if it was school days and vacations. The only difference was that Cosette had to adjust her schedule; she was just as equally busy as Conrad.

    With that being said, Lucia left Cosette so she couldze around. The young miss had worked hard the past months, waking up early in the morning to make lunch boxes without a break. Therefore, she deserved to have azy day.

    Lucia looked back inside when she was by the door and chuckled. Cosette was rolling around on the bed, enjoying herzy day.

    ''I''m d she seems fine doing nothing.'' Lucia shook her head mildly before closing the door carefully.

    Meanwhile, Cosette enjoyed the softness of her nket while rolling around her bed. When she got exhausted and found a snug position, she stopped and blinked.

    "There''s nothing better than doing nothing," she crooned with a rxed smile, knowing she didn''t have to do anything anymore. Cosette remained silent for a while, blinking until all she could hear was nothing but silence.

    Her smile faded as her rxed expression turned dead.

    "I''m boredбн already," she confessed, rising from her position. "I don''t know what to do, honestly."

    A deep exhale slipped past her lips. Cosette got used to her daily routine that now it was vacation, she didn''t know what to do. She nced at the clock resting peacefully on the bedside table.

    "It''s too early to bother Maxenбн" she whispered. Although Maxen was awake at this time, he was definitely not in the mood. "I don''t know if his temper is getting worse because of Luke or his patience is getting longer."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette shook her head and wondered what to do for today. This wasn''t just a normal weekend where it would pass so easily. This was a vacation and she wouldn''t see her friends for that long.

    "That''s sadбн" she frowned, thinking about her ssmates who became her friends as well. She would usually check on Sarah, and thetter would always tell her everything was fine. Well, Sarah would talk to her if she wasn''t. Cosette was d that Sarah was stronger than she appeared, so she wasn''t deeply worried about her.

    "It''s too early for everyone. I bet they were still sleeping." Cosette flung her legs out of the bed and marched towards her desk. She opened one of the drawers and picked up her daily journal.

    It was too early to be calling her friends on the first day of vacation. They were all probably enjoying the morning glory of the first day of their school break. So Cosette didn''t want to bother them for now and sound annoying. Instead, she wanted to n her schedule for the entire vacation.

    Another deep sigh slipped past her lips. "I honestly don''t have any ns," she mumbled, holding the pen and staring at the nk page of her notebook.

    "In sister Cozie''s memories, she would usually work in thepany during summer vacation or attend seminars to add her skills." Cosette sighed for the umpteenth time. "I''m already d Max lives here. So, I''m less worried nowadays."

    In the past, Cosette was always restless the second she woke up, wondering about Maxen''s well-being. But ever since Maxen lived in the c residence, Cosette was at peace. Although she would bother him from time to time, it wasn''t to the extent she would harass him and not respect his alone time.

    "Hmmбн should I n a vacation with Papa and Maxen? The three of us?" she wondered, tapping the end of the pen against her temple lightly. "Will that be fine with Papa? I mean, to Maxen as well?"

    She pursed her lips, thinking Conrad had been busy since the problem in Sharie rose. Although things had settled down, her father was still as busy as ever. He would still take some time for dinner so he could share a meal with her, but she had noticed that Conrad had been stayingte at night in his office.

    "Who would have thoughtбн?" she murmured as a subtle smile resurface on her face. "That I willst this long here?"

    At first, Cosette believed this was all a dream бк a long one. She didn''t want to believe this was her world now because she might wake up one day. But the longer she stayed, she had slowlye to terms with this dilemma. It was not like she entirely believed this was her reality now, but she told herself to enjoy her time here for as long as she could.

    In that case, even if she wakes up, she would have tons of memories to keep. Thinking like this helped her ept her circumstances and treasure all rtionships she had.

    Cosette chuckled as she reviewed her time here from the beginning. Every day was a blessing for her. She enjoyed every second in this world and deep in her heart, she wished to stay here forever.

    DING!

    She snapped her eyes as her thoughts were abruptly cut off when a notification sound came from her phone. Her eyes veered towards her phone on the desk, reaching for it to check who could be texting her early in the morning.

    Cosette chuckled the second she saw Luke''s message. It says;

    [ Cozieбн I''m bored to death. ]

    "Me too," she replied and sent it without a second hesitation. She could imagine Luke''s dead expression just by reading his message. Knowing Luke, he was also the person who disliked doing nothing, but also, doesn''t bother people aside from her.

    "Right?!?! Back in the academy, I always wish for a vacation toe! But now, I''m dead. Everyone is just busy as hell and I don''t know what to do," was Luke''s reply before he sent another message. "That''s why I invited everyone on a trip. I''ll be fetching you, but leave that **** behind."

    Cosette raised her brows as she read his message. "A trip, huh?" she mumbled, before the corner of her lips curled up.

    "Count me in. Maxen wille else, my dad won''t allow me toe."

    "Ughhh!!!!!!! That cunning fox! He surely found a powerful backer!" she giggled at Luke''s reply.

 Chapter 63 The Villains Appeal Showing

    "This is weird."

    Maxen raised his brows and gazed at Cosette, who was standing beside him under the bus waiting shade. She had her eyes narrowed while rubbing her chin, sizing up the silent Maxen.

    "Max, did you grow taller?" she asked, bobbing her face to examine him. "Or did you lose weight?"

    He blinked, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "Maybe you got smaller?"

    "What?"

    "I think you''re shrinking, Cozie." He looked at her from head to toe and then nodded. "I think that''s the case."

    Her face crumpled slightly and looked at him in disbelief. "Max, how can you twist a topic in such a twisted way?" she frowned. "It''s just weird since I feel like yesterday, you were just this tall and now you seem to have grown an inch or two overnight! Also, if it''s just losing weight, that''s even weirder. Are you starving yourself secretly?"

    Maxen let out a quiet sigh, watching her demonstrate how tall he was yesterday and today. It was not like he knew how a person grows unnaturally. But he had answers for losing a bit of weight.

    "Howe it''s weird?" he stopped her mumbling, tilting his head to the side. "Thanks to you and Sir Conrad, I don''t need to eat just anything to fill my stomach. I eat healthy foods, so even if I eat more, I''m not just inting like before."

    "Oh... you were dieting?" Her eyes dted slightly. Maxen never told her about it, though. Also, as far as she remembered, she kept feeding Maxen as her way of spoiling him.

    He shook his head mildly, peeling his eyes from her to the highway. If he answered her, she would continue to talk to him. Although Cosette was like a mother who wouldn''t stop putting food on his te, Maxen had to sweat it off to not break his mission to slim down a bit. Not just for aesthetic purposes, but Maxen needed to be fit if he wanted to protect her from anything.

    After all, that was his job, and he needed to do it properly. In that case, Conrad would be at ease since the man had been busier than ever since the incident in Sharie. Although Maxen would sometimes apany Conradte at night and just chat with him about Cosette бк more like reporting.

    "That''s how you avoid conversations..." Cosette clicked her tongue as she nced at his side profile. "Luke said he will fetch us. He is taking his time, huh?"

    "Please tell me he is not driving."

    "How can he drive?! We''re both minors."

    Maxen nced at her for a moment. "He''s a brag."

    "Maxen." Cosette smacked her lips and held her hand behind her, taking a step closer to him. "I''m just curious. Are you and Luke --"

    "No."

    "But I haven''t finished my sentence."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Just no." He cast her a side-eye, not interested in anything regarding him and Luke. "His name and my name shouldn''t be in the same sentence."

    She frowned as she shuddered, sensing the deep dislikeing out of his voice. Surely, Maxen disliked Luke but was tolerating him. It was the same with Luke. The second young master of the Quinn family was never ashamed of his deration of hate to Maxen.

    "If this is a BL novel..." she trailed off as her breath hitched, eyes widening as Maxen suddenly bent over until his face was a palm length away from her. He raised a finger in front of his lips, shushing the rest of her abominable sentence.

    "Not a sound, Cozie," he warned and in that second, a sense of dread crept up her spine. She held her breath and stared at those sharp eyes and, for some reason, his quiet voice sounded truly menacing.

    She gulped. The viin''s aura was exuding from his back and flickering in his eyes. It was something she never felt from him until now.

    "Understand?" he continued, and all she could do was nod in fear. The side of his lips curled up slightly, taking advantage of the situation to study her face up close.

    "Good." He nodded before he straightened his back, raising his chin, eyes on the highway to see if that insufferable second young master was already around. His expression grew sour upon seeing an approaching limousine. Even though he hadn''t seen that in his life, deep in his heart, he already guessed the passenger inside was Luke. The car just bore the same arrogance even from afar.

    Meanwhile, Cosette lowered her eyes as she massaged her nape. Her face felt slightly hot, sneaking a nce at the indifferent Maxen.

    ''Since when did he look mature?'' she wondered, clearing her throat as the look in his eyes shed across her head. From the beginning, Maxen didn''t look that intimidating. Sure. There were times she was scared of him, but that was because Cosette was aware of what he was capable of.

    But just now, she felt a different kind of danger. A feeling she never felt before, but definitely read about. Her heart skipped in that five-second moment. He was dangerous... but at the same time, a little sexy. It tugged her viin fetish a bit.

    ''Even in the novel, that was the reader''s usual sentiments to the author. If they were viins, why make them hot?'' she recalled, shaking her head to keep her thoughts together. But unknowingly, Cosette looked at him once more with her own discretion.

    ''I haven''t been noticing it since he started living with us and I''m almost with him seven times a week, but Maxen... is a little different,'' she thought, narrowing her eyes as she sized him up from head to toe. ''I don''t know what is exactly different from him, but it''s very distinct. Was it his sex appeal?''

    HONK!

    Cosette jumped when a limousine suddenly stopped right in front of the shade Maxen and Cosette were standing under. She slowly set her eyes to the car in front of them and saw the window roll down, revealing Luke, who tipped his sunsses down.

    Luke grinned until his pearly white teeth were showing. "Hop in, Cozie." He winked.

    "Luke, this is not a prom night." She shook her head and dragged her feet towards the car door the second Luke opened the door from the inside. But just as she bent over to get in, Maxen ced his hand on top of her head to keep her from bumping her head.

    She nced at him and cleared her throat. "Tha бк thanks."

    Maxen just jerked his chin to signal her to hitch in while Luke instantly smoldered in anger. Yet, like usual, Maxen ignored Luke''s tantrums as he got in after Cosette.

 Chapter 64 [Bonus ]What Are Friends For?

    "Cozie, aren''t there houses for sale in your area?" Luke fumed after releasing his anger at Maxen''s way of ''flirting.'' "This can''t continue."

    "Luke, don''t you live in an exclusive subdivision?" Cosette sighed, already numb in Luke''s moment of rage, that she already prepared an earplug ahead of time. Maxen was also wearing his earplugs, eyes on the window, keeping his silence. He was always like that while Luke was singing his usations towards him.

    "Even if we live in heaven, I can''t let this guy be with you seven days a week! Cozie, what about our future?" she cringed at Luke''s reply. "What sort of husband-to-be will I be if I let another guy linger around my future wife?"

    "..." All she could do was stare at Luke, sighing, rendered speechless at his argument. She thought she was already used to him, but it seemed Cosette just got used to how he would render her speechless every single day.

    Meanwhile, Maxen, who had his music at the highest volume so he wouldn''t hear Luke, did nothing. He still heard his remarks, causing his expression to turn sour.

    He closed his eyes briefly. ''Don''t mind him, Max. Don''t mind him. Because if you do, he will drain you.'' He chanted those words in his head until he convinced himself to ignore this annoying second young master.

    Cosette sighed and changed the subject while Luke was mumbling and ring daggers at Maxen. "Luke, are we going to use this limo for your vacation home? Isn''t it a bit too grand?"

    "Ahh... no." Luke cleared his throat and adjusted in his seat. "I was nning to rent out a bus, but I don''t want to stay on the road for long. Also, our ssmates are too used to the bus. It''s better if they experience more fun things."

    "Fun things...?" she cocked her head to the side, watching the corner of his lips stretched from ear to ear. "Luke?"

    "Hehehe... don''t worry about that, Cozie. Let''s fetch them first."

    Her brows rose at his mischievous and enthusiastic grin but shrugged. Knowing Luke, he probably had things nned perfectly. After all, aside from Maxen, he liked everyone, and thus, he was the crowd''s favorite. The only time Luke was annoying was whenever Maxen was around, but if it was just him and Cosette, he was more than tamed.

    "Well, I''m looking forward to this trip." Cosette smiled as she leaned backfortably, excited about this three-day and four-night trip Luke had juste up with this morning. Fortunately, Conrad permitted her since Maxen was with her with a condition to update him from time to time, which Cosette already nned on doing.

    This was like a field trip for her since she and Luke transferred in the middle of the school year. Therefore, her excitement continued to increase every passing second while they were on the way to fetch their ssmates to the meeting ce.

    Little did she know, there were more things that would happen than what she imagined.

    *******

    Unlike Cosette''s sentiments this morning, her ssmates were also awake early because they got used to waking up early. Hence, when they got Luke''s message this morning, most of them packed things for this trip. Who would refuse a free trip?

    The meeting ce was the convenience store near the high school. One after another, everyone arrived with the bags containing their things for the next three days and four nights.

    "Oh, thank goodness I arrived on time!" Fay panted for air, holding her knees in front of the convenience store. She raised her head and her ssmates were already there. Three were around fifteen of them.

    "Here!" Fay snapped her eyes and set them on Sarah. Thetter was waving at her from the inside of the store. Her brows rose to see Sarah was with her other female ssmates, but Amie was nowhere in sight. When she entered the convenience store to cool down, she looked around.

    "Amie is still not here?" asked Fay to Sarah as soon as she sat down on the chair next to her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Well, she said her parents didn''t allow her to go," Sarah exined with a sigh.

    "What?"

    Sarah nodded. "You know her. Her parents need to be notified days before things like this, and it''s always not sure if she will get their permission."

    "I should''ve dropped by her house and asked their permission." Fay sighed deeply. Amie had strict parents, and they would only allow Amie to go out if she was with Fay. Her parents trusted Fay for some reason.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "That''s sad..." Fay added and sighed once more. "She''s probably crying right now since she will miss another trip with her friends."

    Sarah pursed her lips and patted Fay''s shoulder. "Let''s take tons of pictures and send them to her."

    "She''ll just feel worse if we do that."

    "Then..." Sarah sighed, not knowing what to do. She gazed at Fay and forced a smile, squeezing Fay''s shoulder lightly. "Fay, you know Amie. If she knows you were sad about the whole trip, she will feel even worse if you didn''t get to enjoy it because of her."

    Fay smiled faintly. "I''ll try."

    The two of them stayed silent, looking at their other ssmates who were engaging in different discussions while they wait for Luke. The young master said they would fetch them. Although Luke was someone who would brag at every turn, everyone didn''t doubt that he came from a well-off family. But how rich? They didn''t really match it with those rich families they often see on television. Just a normal rich kid who could afford afortable lifestyle бк not that kind offortable.

    "Where are they, by the way?" asked Fay after a moment, turning her head to Sarah. Thetter shrugged.

    "Cozie said they were on the way. And that''s thirty minutes ago."

    As soon as thest sybles escaped Sarah''s lips, a limousine stopped in front of the convenience store. Their ssmates outside suddenly stopped talking, gazing at the expensive car in front of them. Fay and Sarah, who were inside, furrowed their brows.

    "What..." Fay trailed off when the window rolled down, revealing the dashing Luke.

    "Sorry for making you wait!" Luke grinned brightly and then Cosette peeked from behind him.

    "Hello everyone!"

    But their ssmates didn''t reply for a moment and just gazed at them, wide-eyed.

    Did they just fetch them with a limousine??

 Chapter 65 [Bonus ]What Are Friends For? II

    It took a moment for them to snap back to reality and flock around the door of the car. Luke, who enjoyed the look on their faces, indulged with them for minutes before telling them to get in. Since they were quite a few of them, it took some time for everyone to settle in while Cosette got out to talk to Fay and Sarah.

    "Where''s Amie?" asked Cosette, watching the two look at each other before looking back at her.

    "Her parents didn''t allow her toe," said Sarah while forcing a smile. "Amie was never allowed to go on unnned trips."

    "Really...?"

    "She''ll be fine," Fay reassured, although her eyes told Cosette otherwise. "She''s used to it. It''s not like this is thest trip we can go."

    Cosette frowned and pursed her lips. But before she could agree, she turned her head back when they heard Luke''s voice.

    "Hey, it''s time to go." Luke tilted his head after seeing their somber expression. This wasn''t the expression he was expecting.

    "Any problem?" he asked as soon as he reached the three girls.

    "No, everything is fine." Sarah elbowed Fay so thetter could back her up.

    "Ye бк yes. Everything is fine," Fay backed up with an awkward nod.

    "Amie didn''t get her parent''s permission." While the two didn''t want to bother Luke, Cosette confessed with a deep exhale. "It was a little sad that she can''t go, since it would be good if the four of us wereplete."

    Sarah and Fay looked at Cosette and smiled subtly. They had always felt Cosette, although kind to them, was someone who could rece them easily. But it seemed they were wrong. Cosette treated them as precious as they treated her because they were friends.

    "Hah..." Luke nted his hands on his hips. "Then, let''s ask for their permission!"

    "Huh?" The three looked at him and cocked their head to the side in unison.

    "Amie is your precious friend, and she is also mine! It won''t be the same if she isn''t there." His lips stretched from ear to ear, seeing the shock on their faces.

    "Wait, but her parents are strict!" Fay blurted out, but Luke''s confidence simply shot up.

    "You''ll understand the meaning of strict parents if you meet my grandparents. They will give you hell! Even my father turns to apletely different person as if he just came out straight from the temple whenever we were visiting them!" he bragged, making the three of them look at him with conflict in their eyes. Was that something he should also brag about?

    "Come on! We have a friend to rescue!" he urged, walking behind the three and pushing them towards the car.

    With that being said, this trip to unwind had be an adventure that would strengthen the foundations of their friendships, which wouldst forever. But... no one had yet known that now. All they knew was that this summer would be one of the many more unforgettable memories they would bring until adulthood.

    *****

    Meanwhile...

    Amie sulked in her room, lying on her stomach on her bed, head in her folded arms. She was biting her lower lip, a little emotional at her parent''s refusal for her to join her friends. She wiped the tears that rolled across the bridge of her nose.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It wasn''t like she didn''t understand her parents. She knew they were simply worried about her since she was an only child. They wanted to protect her. However, she had been doing her best to do well in school, even though she still fell in thest section.

    She just wanted to go on a trip with her friends at least once.

    "They probably met already," she mumbled, thinking they had already set off. "I hope they have fun."

    knock knock...

    Amie immediately hid under the nket the second she heard the knock from outside before it creaked open. From the other side of the door, a woman in herte mid-fifties with a neat low-bun while wearing an apron sighed.

    "Can Ie in?" came out a soft voice, but no answer. She still entered the room carefully and sat down on the edge of her daughter''s bed.

    "Amie," she called, patting the mound on the bed where she was hiding. "Amie, sweetheart, can we talk?"

    Amie sniffed before she slowly pulled down the nket and sat upright. She wiped her tears with her arm, clearing her throat, and avoiding her mother''s gaze.

    "Sweetheart, you understand why we''re doing this, right?" her mother asked in a gentle tone, waiting for her daughter to meet her eyes. "Do you hate us?"

    Amie shook her head mildly. "Of course not. How can I hate you?" her voice cracked as tears flooded her eyes once again.

    "I was just a bit upset because my friends will all be there and I''m the only one who isn''t there," she confessed as her face contorted while tears continued to stain her cheeks. She cried until she was huping, showing how she truly wanted to go on this unnned trip, and not being able to have fun with her friends upset her to tears.

    Her mother sighed quietly and waited for her to calm down. "Amie," she called and open her arms. "Come."

    Huping, Amie jumped to cry in her mother''s embrace to release her frustrations. Her mother said nothing and simply rubbed her back until she had calmed down after five minutes.

    "I didn''t know you will be this upset," her mother confessed as she let her daughter go, brushing her daughter''s short bob-cut hair. "We just want to protect you, but of course, I hate seeing you cry. That is why... I talked to your father about this trip."

    Amie shook her head and wiped the lingering tears from the corner of her eyes. "It''s alright, Mom. They probably left already and I''m alright now. Thank you."

    Her mother smiled, brushing her cheek. "You have great friends, sweetheart. I don''t think they would leave without you." She then cocked her head in the door''s direction.

    Amie''s brows furrowed and slowly set her eyes on the door. There, four heads were peeking from the side бк Fay, Cosette, Sarah, and Luke бк with arge grin on their faces, making her eyes dte before gasping when she set her eyes back at her mother.

    "They were quite persistent too," her mother added. "Always take care of yourself and don''t forget to have fun, alright?"

    "Mama!" Amie jumped to her mother and embraced her tightly.

    Meanwhile, Cosette, Fay, Sarah, and Luke looked at each other with bright smiles on their faces. Their smile spoke the same: mission sess!

 Chapter 66 [Bonus ]Rich

    Amie and the girls бк Fay, Sarah, and Cosette бк helped her pack for the trip. Her parents left her tons of reminders before they left. Inside the limousine, their ssmates were even hyper when the four returned with Amie. Now they were all chatting excitedly.

    Meanwhile, Luke smirked triumphantly, staring at Cosette, who sat with the girls. Beside him... or rather, the person sitting at arm''s length from him was Maxen. Thetter nced at Luke, studying the second young master''s triumphant smirk.

    "Heh..." Luke folded his arms under his chest and cocked his head, eyes on Maxen. "See what I did there?"

    "I wasn''t there. How can I?" Maxen quirked a brow, not a bit interested in how Luke got Amie''s parents to agree. But well, even if he wasn''t interested, Luke would happily fill him in.

    Apparently, Amie''s parents weren''t that strict. They were overprotective. Using Luke''s persuasive tongue, he managed to make them agree by confronting them. It was quite a surprise how Luke put it, but in the end, Amie''s parents agreed because they wanted to protect their child, but not at the cost of her happiness.

    Moreover, Cosette, Fay, and Sarah''s hopeful gaze as they waited with bated breath moved their friend''s parents. Those girls were thest straw for Amie''s mother and father to agree. It may sound corny, but Luke called it the power of friendship.

    Maxen stared at Luke as he bragged about this feat they all achieved together. But he didn''t wait for thetter to finish as he set his eyes back to the window.

    "And you did it because she''s your friend?" he asked in a quiet voice, almost left unheard with the voices andughter inside the limousine. But Luke still heard him.

    Luke smirked and shrugged, setting his eyes back to Cosette. "I did it to see her smile like that." His lips stretched even broader, satisfied to see her happy.

    "It was worth it."

    His response, however, was something Maxen didn''t seeing. Thetter nced at Luke once again, only to see him staring at Cosette, who was giggling with the girls.

    ''This guy...'' Maxen thought, snapping his eyes away, resting his chin on his hand. ''... still had redeeming quality.''

    Meanwhile, as Cosette was taking a picture with the girls, she could not help but feel this distinct gaze from a direction. Her eyes moved to where she was sensing the gaze and she saw Luke smiling at her. The side of her lips curled up into a smile, mouthing, ''thank you.''

    Luke tilted his head down and mouthed back, ''you''re wee.''

    ''Sometimes... even though he would say many ridiculous things, his actions sometimes take me by surprise.'' She chuckled and shook her head, a little amazed by him and how he made Amie''s parents agree. It wasn''t as simple as how he described it to Maxen; it was more than that.

    Luke just showed he was a true Quinn.

    And with that, they traveled to Quinn''s vacation home бк or what they thought. Because just an hourter, everyone (except Cosette and Maxen) would meet the shock of their life, and question why a person such as Luke was mingling with them in the first ce.

    *******

    One hourter, the limousine headed straight to the airport. But that wasn''t the most shocking of all, but when everyone stood on the runway, gazing at the airne, cked jaw. They were told this private ne was owned by the Quinns, Luke''s family.

    Slowly, they turned their eyes on Luke, who stood proudly in his stature, hands on his hips. None of them made a sound as they stared at him with slow breaths and nk eyes. The only one who wasn''t fazed by the disy of wealth was Maxen бк even Cosette was in disbelief.

    "What?" Luke raised his brows,ughing at the shock stered on their faces. This was why he loved bragging. Their expression was phenomenal.

    "You''re rich...?" Fay asked under her breath, making Luke arch a brow. "I mean, rich as in rich...?"

    "How rich?" Amie also muttered in disbelief.

    "Like a prince rich-rich? Not the normal rich?" Sarah added in the same tone.

    "The extremely rich rich rich?" another male ssmate chimed in and others also added, never forgetting to add the word ''rich,'' multiple times in a sentence.

    Luke broke out in uglyughter. "Yes! Did you all think I was bluffing this whole time?! I am the second young master of the Quinn family!"

    "..."

    He blinked, seeing their nk expression. "You guys... you don''t know anything about the Quinns?"

    "Is it some sort of political family?" asked Fay. "I thought only political families are this rich. That''s what my father always says whenever he watches the news."

    "Goodness..." Luke clicked his tongue and shook his head. If he started telling them about the history of the Quinn family and their sess in business for generations, a whole day wasn''t enough. "I can''t believe you guys. If this is in the Academy, they would even tell me the details I don''t remember in our family history."

    He huffed and waved. "Forget it! I''m a rich man''s son бк end of the story. Now, let''s go, shall we?"

    "Wait! Didn''t you say your family vacation home is near? Why are we riding a ne?" asked one of them, even though they only showed their identification card on the counter.

    "It is near бк just one hour by ne." Luke blinked almost innocently. "But it will take us three days if we ride a ship. We don''t want to waste three days on a ship, do we?"

    "..."

    "This is nonsense," Maxenmented and sauntered off, hooking his finger around Cosette''s wrist to drag her with him.

    "Oh..." Cosette snapped her eyes at Maxen''s back before she heard Luke yell.

    "Hey! How dare you бк shit!" Luke stomped his feet to follow them, but then stopped and looked back at them. "Let''s go! Max will abduct my future wife!"

    With that being said, Luke sprinted to follow Maxen and Cosette. Meanwhile, his friends looked at each other before excitement dominated their faces.

    "Kyah! I never rode a ne! A private one at that!" Fay cheered and hooked her arms around Sarah and Amie''s arms, dragging the two while she skipped her steps. "I''m so excited!"

    Sarah and Amie held their breath and looked at each other before they giggled. Shortly after, everyone''s shock expression turned excited as they made their way to the steps up of the ne, looking forward to what this trip had in store for them.

 Chapter 67 [Bonus ]The Unexpected Plus One

    The ne ride was an unforgettable experience for the rest of them, except Luke and Maxen. They all took pictures, admired the clouds, enjoyed the food experience, and all the perks of the one-hour ne ride.

    Why did Maxen and Luke didn''t enjoy it?

    Apparently, Luke wanted to sit beside Cosette, but Maxen didn''t want to stand up from the aisle seat while Cozie was in the window seat. To stop them from arguing, Cosette gave up her seat and told Maxen to sit in her spot. And then she sat Luke down on the aisle seat before she joined the girls so she could chat with them.

    That was why the rest thought the one-hour trip was rtively quick, but to those two, it felt like an eternity. After theynded in the farthest region of the country, a bus was already outside the airport, waiting for them. They took another hour to reach Quinn''s family vacation home, which was situated in the countryside.

    Standing in front of the enormous mansion in the driveway that was in the middle of a vastndscape, everyone''s jaw hit the ground once again. They would stay in this mansion? That looked more like a high-end luxury resort where only the rich could go.

    "Hey, what are you guys waiting for?" Luke looked back after taking the steps up to the entrance. He tipped his head at the main door.

    "Let''s go so we can rest."

    "Right..." they nodded on instinct, following Luke while carrying their bags.

    "Wow. Cozie, I can''t believe your suitor is this rich." Fay hooked her arm around Cosette and leaned closer to whisper in her ears. "I thought he was rich, but not this rich! You should get married!"

    "That''s right. Not only is he handsome, but he is also as rich as Croesus! You will not worry about your future!" Sarah tugged Cosette''s other arm and whispered loudly.

    "Cozie, he will surely spoil you rotten!" Amie added, walking next to Fay.

    Cosette chuckled awkwardly as the girls started rooting for Luke to her. Meanwhile, Maxen, who was walking behind the four of them, was digging a hole into those three girls'' heads. But he couldn''t really me them. The Quinn family''s wealth would awe anyone, but it wasn''t like Cosette hadn''t experienced these things too.

    "Wait. Does he have a brother?" Fay suddenly inquired as soon as they reached the entrance of the mansion. Their steps came to a halt as they noticed everyone stopped by the entrance.

    "What''s going on here?" she wondered as she walked to the side, dragging Cosette and Sarah with her to see if there was a problem that arose. As soon as they did, their eyes fell on the person standing right in front of their group, who was also looking back at them with surprise.

    Their expression went nk for a moment, especially the girls before their eyes twinkled in awe. Meanwhile, Cosette furrowed her brows, but excitement filled her eyes upon recognizing that person standing in front of their group.

    Asher!

    Asher''s brows slightly furrowed, studying Luke''s dismay stered on his face, and then his eyes glossed over the people with him. He cocked his head to the side. This was arge group his little brother brought with him. But... what were they doing here?

    ''What is he doing here?'' he wondered before catching a familiar face among them. His eyes lingered on Cosette, who was looking back at him in awe. ''And he brought her here? I don''t like the conclusion in my head.''

    "You!" Luke gasped in disbelief, his voice echoing in the spacious lobby of the castle-like mansion. "What the! Brother! What are you doing here?!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "He is your brother?" asked someone as they darted their eyes between Luke and Asher. Unlike Luke, who had this boyish charm, Asher appeared to be more mature and aloof. He looked like a young adult with the suit he was wearing.

    "Yes! That''s my big brother, but what is he doing here?!" Luke scrunched his nose up in dismay and set his eyes back to Asher. "Are you following me?"

    "Why would I follow you? I don''t have spare time like you," answered Asher in a distant voice. "I''ve been here sincest night to check the construction here."

    "What? Don''t they live in the same house?" Sarah wondered, snapping the girls out of their trance. But Asher''s beauty mesmerized Fay and Amie. Sarah failed.

    Meanwhile, Maxen nced down at them. He noticed the odd look in Cosette''s eyes. It was different; something he hadn''t seen in the past. A look Cosette never gave Luke and him or anyone. It was pure admiration, and it didn''t sit well with him. Before Maxen could even think, he ced a hand in front of Cosette to block her view.

    She frowned and looked back at him. "Max?"

    "Your eyes were crossing," he lied shamelessly, but she somehow believed him as she snapped her eyes.

    She turned on her heel and faced him. "Are they still crossing now?" she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes so he could check.

    "Uhmбн" Maxen lowered his head slightly, narrowing his eyes to check hers up close. "Their crossing on their own."

    ? "Really?" she gasped, blinking to rx them for a bit.

    "Have you been straining your eyes?"

    Cosette looked back at him and pondered. "Well, I guess? I''ve been sleepingte and then waking up early before the school year ended to finish our individual projects."

    "You should take a nap."

    While Maxen sessfully distracted her, Sarah, who wasn''t as stupefied as the rest, could not help but stare at Maxen. She flinched when he nced at her with sharp eyes, silently telling her to shut up when Cosette wasn''t looking.

    Sarah lowered her eyes in horror. ''Max can be really scary,'' she thought, averting her eyes to avoid Maxen''s death re. ''I''m starting to get worried at Cozieбн''

    When Sarah raised her head, her brows furrowed. As soon as she lifted her eyes, she caught Asher looking in their direction. She followed his gaze and her eyesnded on Cosette. Sarah nced at Asher once more and realized Asher wasn''t looking at Cosette.

    Asher was staring at Maxen sharply, while Maxen''s eyes bore menace.

    Sarah gulped at this silent tension between the two. ''Am I the only one who notices thisбн? Or am I simply reading too much into this?''

 Chapter 68 Dont Cover The Hidden Treasure

    Asher would be staying in the country and in that same mansion for days for business purposes. The ce was big enough for everyone, so he didn''t need to bother his little brother and friends. With that being said, everyone settled in while Asher went to where he was supposed to be instead of arguing with Luke.

    As mentioned, the ce was big enough that all of them could have their own rooms. However, many of them agreed to stay inside the same room since it wouldn''t be fun if they had their own room. Each room consisted of five individuals, girls and boys separated.

    The only one who had a room all on his own was Maxen, and no one objected. They would be too scared to create the slightest noise if he was their roommate.

    Meanwhile, in the room Cosette together with Sarah, Amie, and Fay. After the girls settled in and fixed their luggage, they rested on their respective beds. The room was huge enough to lodge five single beds, which the servants efficiently arranged at Luke''s behest. But since there were just four of them, there was an extra bed where they put their other important valuables so they could see them properly.

    "This is amazing..." Fay broke the silence while lying t on her back. "I didn''t expect that this trip will be like this."

    "I know, right?" Sarah chuckled as she rolled on the bed until she was lying on her tummy. She cupped her face, ncing at the girls who were lying on their beds to rest their limbs.

    "It''s not like it will matter if we stay in an old inn since we will have fun the same. But well, who are we toin? It''s like an upgrade. I''ve never been in a ce like this," she added.

    "I''m so d you came for me or I will be very envious," Amie chimed almost breathlessly, eyes on the high ceiling. "Luke''s brother is divine. Does he have a girlfriend? I think I just discovered my attraction to older men."

    "Asher is not that old, though. He''s just a year or two older than us," Cosette blurted out, and the three girls instantly turned their attention to her. She was sitting up on the bed, raising her brows at their undivided attention.

    "What?"

    "Cozie, do you know Luke''s brother as well?" asked Amie without beating around the bush, pushing herself to sit up.

    Cosette''s eyes glossed over their faces, intrigue filling their eyes. She chuckled awkwardly and shrugged.

    "Not really...." she massaged her nape, forcing a smile as she didn''t want to sound pretentious by telling them she actually knew Asher more than she should бк thanks to the novel. But if she based it on her own experience, they barely knew each other.

    When Cosette raised her eyes on them once again, a shallow breath slipped past her lips. They were waiting for her to give details.

    "Well, I met him once... or twice, I think?" she smiled awkwardly. "But I didn''t get to be friends with him, unlike Luke. You know Luke, he is easy to get along with."

    "Mhmm... I think his older brother is aloof, and that is his charm." Fay nodded in agreement. "Their genes are no joke. I wonder what their father and mother look like?"

    "Cozie, are you rich?" asked Amie with interest. "I mean, I think you''re born pampered and living afortable life. But are you like an heiress kind of rich?"

    "Hehe..." Cosette chuckled. "I have afortable life because my father works hard to build my future."

    "So you''re also this rich...?"

    "Well... uhm..."

    "Amie, does it matter?" Before Cosette could answer, Sarah intervened and cast Amie a look. "Even if Cozie and Luke were this rich, they were still our friends. It''s not like something changed, even if they were well-born to boot."

    "I agree with Sarah." Fay forced herself to sit up and grinned. "Cozie is still are friend even if that is true. It''s not like she treated us differently. She''s still Cosette."

    Amie pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded. "You''re right."

    Cosette smiled subtly as she looked back at the girls, who were smiling back at her. She had good friends.

    "Anyway, we should prepare! Luke told us we can rx for today, but that would be boring!" Fay pped enthusiastically. "Let''s check out the ce. I think I saw a pool on our way here."

    "Let''s swim!" Amie cheered happily. She was more energetic than ever, probably because this was the only time her parents allowed her on a trip.

    "It''s good that we brought swimwear, thinking we would go to a beach or something." Sarah happily chimed in. It was summer vacation, so a beach trip or swimming was a must.<novelnext></novelnext>

    With that being said, the girls happily changed into their swimwear to start their fun instead ofzing around the bedroom. The boyish Fay wore a two-piece underneath her loose t-shirt and board shorts. Sarah changed into a ck one-piece boyleg swimsuit and a zer while Amie was in a pair of rash guard.

    When Cosette came out of the bathroom, the three of them looked at her in silence. Cosette''s brows rose, tilting her head to the side at the odd look they were giving her. Who wouldn''t? They always see her in her uniform, which was a little loose that hid what was underneath. It wasn''t like her face wasn''t enough to attract anyone. But with that one-piece velvet swimwear with a low-cut back, parading her smooth back, and this much skin exposure revealing her fairplexion gave her a fresh look. Not to mention, her bosom wasn''t huge, but it was enough to highlight her perfect curves.

    She didn''t look like a sixteen-year-old girl, but rather, someone in her early twenties. Surely, she wasn''t only beautiful, but she was a full package!

    "Do I lookбн weird?" she asked after their prolonged gaze. She looked down to look at herself, debating once again if her swimwear was too provocative. But this was the most conservative she had in her closet; the trip was abrupt, and she didn''t have time to shop.

    "Hello?" Cosette waved to snap the three back to reality. "Are you alright?"

    "Cozie, I didn''t know you''ve been hiding a treasure underneath your uniform," Fay mumbled in awe, bobbing her face to examine her. "Wow... I think I''m bent."

    "If I have that sort of body and face, I''ll eat men for breakfast," Amie whispered, eyes twinkling at Cosette.

    "You look very sexy, Cozie." Sarah chuckled, but then her heart suddenly pounded against her chest. ''Why do I feel nervous for her?''

    Cosette blushed and massaged her nape, feeling a little self-cautious. "You guys..." she shook her head and marched towards her bed to pick up the zer she prepared to cover herself.

    However, the second they saw her slipping her hand into the sleeves, Amie and Fay glided to her to stop her.

    "What are you doing?!" Fay gasped, making Cosette flinch.

    "Cozie, don''t cover up the treasure!" Amie eximed. "It''s too good to cover it up!"

    "Huh...?"

    Fay clicked her tongue and snatched the zer from her. As soon as she tossed the zer back to the bed, she stood in front of Cosette with her hand on her hips.

    "Stay like that," Fay announced while Amie nodded profusely.

    "We can''t skip a day of drama between Max and Luke. I''ve been invested in this drama since the day Luke transferred to our school!"

    "..." Cosette opened and closed her mouth like a fish, darting her eyes at Fay and Amie. When she recovered her voice, she asked. "You want me to walk around with one piece without cover?"

    The two immediately nodded. "Why not? You are blessed with a glorious body and a beautiful face! And just like Amie said, if we had that face and body, we will eat men for breakfast!"

    "Have some confidence, Cozie! You really look good and my eyes don''t want to part with you!"

    "Ha ha..." Cosetteughed awkwardly, feeling a little threatened than boosted up by their praises. It wasn''t like she wasn''t confident. In the real Cosette''s memory, she would often confidently walk in a two-piece at home every time she would go for a swim. But that was their house! But then again, the real Cosette was like that too on a beach бк even though the only beach Cosette visited were private inds or a luxury beach club where everyone was just as confident as her.

    "Don''t hide and have some confidence!" Fay cheered, and Amie backed her up enthusiastically.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c A shallow breath slipped past Cosette''s lips.

    "Alrightбн" she chuckled and shook her head. ''I''ll just borrow sister Cozie''s confidence. Also, Sister Cozie likes her swimsuit and likes to sort of parade them, since that''s what they''re meant for.''

    "Wait!" Fay and Amie''s cheering stopped when Sarah finally spoke. The three watched her rummage through her bags and then she raised a see-through white cover-up.

    "This is perfect so Cozie won''t feel too shy!" Sarah announced with a grin, and Fay and Amie''s eyes glinted, setting their eyes on Cosette.

    Cosette smiled back awkwardly as these three were more invested in dressing her up. But well, a cover-up was what she needed, although that see-through would only make her appear like a tease; showing, but not entirely.

 Chapter 69 Sarahs Nervousness Justified

    "Forty..."

    Maxen panted for air as he copsed on the floor after doing push-ups. Sweats covered his skin, gazing at the ceiling as he caught up to his breathing.

    "If she keeps feeding me, I don''t think I will achieve the weight I''m trying to attain," he mumbled, thinking Cosette fed her this morning a generous breakfast. Although he would constantly tell himself it was fine and he would sweat it off, he couldn''t help butin every time he was working out.

    He remained silent and stayed in the same spot for minutes until a thought crossed his head.

    "This is my first trip with my ssmates," came out a whisper, recalling the energy from the second they arrived at the convenience store. The ambiance of the group was at an all-time high бк something he never thought he would experience in life. Their energy was like a virus бк a good kind of virus that was infectious.

    His brain recalled how they would talk about nonsense things, take pictures here and there, tease each other, and share a goodugh. Although Maxen didn''t participate in all those, he was observing. Before he knew it, he was already chuckling.

    His smile lines faded when he noticed it.

    "They''re infecting me with their nonsense." He shook his head slightly and turned his head to the side. He reached for the small towel and wiped the sweats on his forehead and then neck. Maxen then pulled his body up, taking off his damped shirt since he did a full-body workout before the push-ups.

    As soon as he took off his shirt, his body that was initially covered with extra fat slimmed down significantly. His face fat was deceiving everyone. Although he didn''t have six-pack abs, his body cuts were already shaped бк thanks to all the hardbor he experienced to survive through the years. He didn''t need a strict diet anymore, but rather, to tone his muscles.

    There were scars across his body, especially on his back, which he inflicted growing up.

    Maxen ruffled his hair with the towel, stretching his neck from one side to the other. He paused when he recalled something, making his eyes sharpen.

    "That guy..." he muttered, recalling the look in Asher''s eyes. All this time, Maxen believed no one could ever annoy him just as much as Luke was. However, after meeting Luke''s big brother, he knew he was wrong.

    Compare to Luke, Asher gave off this distinct yet hard to point out aura. But what Maxen knew was that he felt hostile towards the man. He disliked him the second their eyes met, and Maxen understood Asher felt the same.

    "Why am I bothered by him?" he wondered, stretching his shoulders in a circr motion with his eyes closed. Good thing his body was now used to disciplined workouts. He didn''t feel any muscle ache.

    When he reopened his eyes slowly, a glint flickered across them. "Right... it''s because of Cozie," he answered his own question. Seeing Cosette look at someone with pure admiration bothered him. It was fine if those gazes were for Conrad because the man was undoubtedly amazing in every aspect.

    Conrad was the epitome of perfection. He deserved all the admiration from the people he would meet. Well, Maxen was biased, since Conrad wasn''t that of a threat.

    "Why does she have to be so perfect?" he mumbled in irritation as he drag himself up to take a bath. "She attracts all the annoying ones."

    After living in the c''s mansion, Maxen wouldn''t stop at any fascinating amenities of this castle-like family vacation anymore. It was just another luxurious ce for the rich. So, he ignored everything and went straight to the shower, moaning when the warm water hit his body.

    Maxen took his precious time to shower until his head was clear from unnecessary thoughts. When he finished, he simply dressed up in a loose white t-shirt and sweatpants. An attire he was used to and also the reason his weight loss wasn''t as noticeable as when he was topless.

    Staring at the mirror while he dried his hair with a small towel, he cocked his head to the side.

    "It''s been an hour," he whispered, and his expression turned sour. "It''s vacation and I don''t want to ruin it. So, I guess I''ll let that guy pester her."

    Knowing Luke, he was surely pestering Cosette by now. That guy would grab any opportunity he could to propose to Cosette, especially whenever Maxen wasn''t around. But after putting up with Luke for months, Maxen, although he hadn''t admitted it verbally, Luke was pretty harmless. He wouldn''t do anything to Cosette or force her to do something she didn''t feelfortable with.

    So Maxen paced around the room at least once before he stopped.

    "Nah... I''ll just ruin it." He mumbled and sauntered off with the small tower still over his head.

    ******

    Cosette tied her hair into a high bun, letting the waves of her hair dangling down her back. The cover-up Sarah lent her gave her confidence to walk with her swimsuit underneath. But on their way to the pool, Cosette told them to go on without her to call her father.

    Sarah, Fay, and Amie were reluctant. But since Cosette insisted, they agreed to meet in the pool and not swim unless Cosette arrive. With that being said, the three girls went to the pool while Cosette searched for a silent ce to talk to Conrad in peace.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes, Papa. We''ve arrived safe and sound." She smiled, stopping in the corner of the hallway. Her eyesnded on the door in front of her, wondering what sort of room would be this far from their room.

    "Have you eaten lunch?" she asked and Conrad hummed. "Healthy meal?"

    "Mhm."

    "Papa, your hums soundszier andzier. Are you tired?" she inquired with furrowed brows.

    ? Conrad, from the other end of the line, nced up at the person sitting across from him in his office. A deep exhale escaped his nostrils upon seeing the blinding grin that turned up on Maynard, the CEO of the Quinn Holdings.

    "After talking to a vampire who sucks human energy, I am," he answered, killing the grin on Maynard''s face.

    "A vampire?" Cosette blinked and rocked her head, assuming he meant meeting investors and business partners all day. "Papa, you shouldn''t hang out with Maxen so much. You two are starting to sound alike."

    "Cozie, take care of yourself while you are there, and don''t let that young Quinn beguile you," Conrad warned, and this time, Maynard couldn''t keep his silence anymore.

    "Haha! I sent two young Quinns there, my future inw. My future daughter-inw can choose which one she likes," Maynard bragged proudly, setting Conrad ame as thetter looked him dead in the eye.

    "Cozie, don''t tell anyone I''m thest person with this person."

    Cosette chuckled, knowing Maynard had just shot himself in the foot. After hearing her father''s constant sidements about Luke''s father, Cosette had grown used to their peculiar rtionship. It reminded her of Maxen and Luke''s rtionship, but with a tamer version.

    "Anyway, Papa, I''ll hang up now. My friends are waiting for me." She cleared her throat, knowing Conrad wouldn''t be too sad since Maynard wouldn''t leave him alone. "I''ll see you in a few days."

    "Mhm."

    She was about to hang up, but mustered her courage and huffed. "Love you!"

    Conrad''s expression softened. "Take care. I love you."

    ck.

    Cosette smiled from ear to ear, staring at her phone as if she had just talked to her lover. Ever since that night she frantically followed Conrad, she would practice showing her affection to her father verbally. Although actions spoke louder than words, words held power that could hurt or build anyone permanently. And she just wanted to tell Conrad how important he was in her life.

    "I hope that puts him in a great mood." She giggled, turning on her heel to join the girls in the pool. However, just as she did, she jumped when the door in front of her flew open.

    Cosette slowly turned her head towards the door, eyes from down to the north.

    There, standing by the door, was Maxen with damp hair and a short towel over the top of his head. They looked at each other for a moment, and she was the first one to recover as she patted her chest upon recognizing him.

    Meanwhile, Maxen was frozen on the spot.

    His eyes fell to her eyes and then carefully, slowly down her body. He had lived with her under the same roof for months, but never once he had seen her wear clothes that revealed too much skin. That see-through cover-up covered nothing, as he could see her body even if he was from a mile away!

    "Maxen! Do you want to give me a heart attack?" she huffed, snapping him back from his trance. "I thought there''s a ghost --"

    Cosette''s sentence abruptly stopped when he seized a step forward with his hand outstretched. Before she could even grasp what wasing, his hand wrapped around her wrist, and without a moment''s notice, Maxen pulled her inside the room.

    SLAM!

 Chapter 70 Should We Kiss?

    SLAM!

    Cosette held her breath and clutched her hand closer to her chest. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage as the situation she was pulled in slowly drilled into her head. In the past, she would squeal every time she would read the female lead getting kabedon-ed by the male lead. But now that she was in such a situation... she felt a little confused.

    She raised her eyes cautiously, only for her breath to hitch under his menacing gaze. Maxen''s palms were on either side of her; eyes as sharp as daggers glinting, and that towel''s shadow over his damp hair that was still dripping little drops of water masked his upper face. The sight of him made her heart race in fear.

    He looked dangerous. Like a viin watching his prey''s every little movement.

    ''It''s not as romantic as I thought it was,'' she thought, discreetly fusing her back against the door as she avoided his gaze. ''Since when did he start going dark? It feels rather dangerous to be in this situation.''

    "What...?" she asked when she couldn''t take the silence echoing in her ears. Cosette snuck a look at him when he didn''t reply.

    "Hey, say something," came out a voice that was barely above a whisper. "I feel like you will bite my head off."

    Maxen let out a silent sigh and closed his eyes. He avoided looking down as he kept his gaze on her face.

    "Have you been walking around wearing... that?" he breathed out in distress, tapping his fingertips against the surface of the door.

    "Well..." Cosette massaged her nape awkwardly, looking anywhere but his eyes.

    "Cosette."

    Her back stiffened as she felt a chill down her spine at his lowering voice. "Not really."

    "Not really?"

    "I mean, I hadn''t joined everyone because I called my dad to update him," she exined in a muffled voice, and then nced at him. "Why? Do I look weird? But they said it looks nice."

    "Who?" asked Maxen with a deep huff.

    "Huh?"

    "Who said it looks nice?"

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m "Uhm. The girls бк Sarah, Fay, and Amie."

    His eyes darkened at the thought of those spawns of evil. ''I swear those three...''

    "Max?" she called, mustering her courage when she sensed he was murdering someone in his head. "Is everything alright?"

    "No."

    "What... what is wrong, then?"

    "You."

    "Me?"

    "Mhm. You. Look at what you''re wearing. It''s too..." he trailed off and hissed, looking away from her when he nced at her body. How should he put it? His anger continued to spike, disabling him from moving an inch.

    Meanwhile, Cosette frowned and lowered her eyes. "They said it''s good, and it somehow made me feel good," she confessed under her breath. "It gave me a little confidence. Do you really think it''s bad?"

    There was a moment of silence between them before Maxen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he reopened his eyes, he sighed upon seeing her dejected expression.

    "I didn''t say that." He clenched his teeth and pushed himself from the door. Taking advantage of the momentum, he turned on his heel and ran his hand through his hair, pulling down the towel over his head along.

    "If it''s not bad, then why do you look like you just saw a disgrace?" she asked out of in curiosity since his opinion mattered to her more than anyone in this ce.

    "It''s... " Maxen nced at her and quickly looked away. "... distracting. It''s too sexy."

    "..."<novelnext></novelnext>

    For the next several seconds, Cosette blinked as she registered hisst quiet remarks. She studied him, noticing how he was avoiding looking at her.

    ''So that''s the reason...'' her mouth formed an o-shape, rocking her head in understanding. ''I thought he thinks it''s bad.''

    Cosette bit her lower lip to stop it from stretching. Although he didn''t praise her, she felt ttered. She held her hand behind her and grinned mischievously.

    "Max!" she called to get his attention, but he simply responded with a cold, "what?"

    "Max!" she called once again, and this time, he looked at her in irritation.

    "What?!" His breath hitched when she smiled and winked at him. Cosette raised her hand and turned around gracefully as to show herself.

    "Looks good?" she asked the second she faced him once again. "Mhm?"

    ''This devil...'' Her action rendered him speechless, pinching the bridge of his nose. ''... will be the death of me.''

    If only she had any idea how his heart was racing right now that he was afraid she would hear his crazy heartbeats. Maxen was barely keeping it together, thinking about all the good things her father did to him, and going crazy right now was thest thing he wanted. He didn''t want to disrespect Conrad by seducing this unsuspecting temptress, and he didn''t want to ruin his friendship with her by getting the wrong signals.

    For goodness'' sake! They were in a room! Just the two of them! And they were at the age they were curious about intimacy.

    What was she doing by teasing him like that?

    Of course, Maxen was aware Cosette didn''t mean any harm, but he would have a heart attack if he was a bit unhealthy!

    "Just go..." he waved helplessly, dragging his feet only to copse on the bed, face first. "Go and just walk around like that. Who cares? Do what makes you happy."

    Cosette pursed her lips and raised her brows. She held her hand behind her, walking toward him.

    "Max." She sat down on the edge of the bed, reclining with her palms on the mattress. She tilted her head and watched him peek from his one eye.

    "Is there something wrong if I wore something that is unusual from what I usually wear?" she asked, but his eyes just lookedzier and bore ack of interest. "I mean, I''m not walking around naked. Although it''s a little revealing, the n is to swim. Do you expect me to cover myself from head to foot, and get drowned by the weight of my clothes?"

    "Just do what makes you happy," he grumbled and turned his head to the other side. "I''m just concerned since I don''t want your father to tell me I let his daughter parade her body for everyone to see."

    Her face froze as she thought of her father. She didn''t think of Conrad when the girls were encouraging her to wear just this. But then again, the thought of the real Cosette and how she was in the past crossed her head.

    She nced at his back and sighed. "I thought you were jealous that people will see me like this," she blurted out as a way to tease him before she retracted her hand from the mattress to leave. However, before she could stand up, she halted at his reply.

    "And what if I am?" Cosette slowly looked back at him at his remarks, watching him twist his neck again to return her gaze. "What if I am jealous?"

    Cosette didn''t know if he was joking since she could only see his eyes while the rest of his face was buried in his folded arm. What if he was jealous that other people could see her showing too much skin?

    "Well..." how was she supposed to answer that? "... I don''t know?"

    She touched her nape as she looked down. Her other hand touched her cheek, using the back of it, feeling her face heat up. She nced up slightly when she noticed that the air in the room slightly thickened with just that question.

    ''I feel sort of weird...'' she told herself, finally realizing she was in a guy''s room, and it was just the two of them. No one was looking, no one would know. Anything could happen.

    She gulped and cleared her throat. She told herself to get up and leave, but somehow, her feet wouldn''t move and she was stuck sitting on the edge of the bed. What was she waiting for? To get preyed upon? This was already a situation she should have run away from, but here she was, sitting silently just right beside him.

    ''I think I''m going crazy...'' she thought, having all these sorts of things in her head. Her memories and fantasies in her previous life and the real Cosette''s memory and personality seemed to havepacted as she realized one thing they had inmon.

    They both once had this silly dream of having a prince of their own.

    "Hey, Max," she called in a low voice, lowering her eyes until she was staring at the floor.

    Maxen quirked a brow, ncing at her. His brows creased, seeing that she had just gone silent and now seemed to be deep in thought. Did his question bother her to silence? Or was she terrified and found hisst reply weird? Assuming it was thetter, Maxen was about to exin himself with a tant lie when Cosette suddenly suggested calmly.

    "Should we kiss?" he instantly froze, watching her set her limpid eyes back at him. "I never kissed anyone before, so I''m a little curious about what it feels like."

 Chapter 71 A Reward

    "I never kissed anyone before, so I''m a little curious about what it feels like."

    Maxen looked at Cosette in both disbelief and shock. Did he hear her correctly? There was no way he heard her wrong. Moreover, she was looking back at him with clear, decisive eyes.

    "What do you think?" she asked and cocked her head to the side.

    ''How can she ask for such a thing as if it was as simple as asking for candy?'' he wondered before snapping his eyes from his trance. "What?"

    "I''m asking if we should kiss since the situation --" Cosette nearly bit her tongue as he suddenly pulled her wrist, causing her to copse on her back. She blinked countless times, watching him sit up.

    "Max?"

    "Shut up." He raised a finger and sat on the edge of the mattress. He brushed his damped hair with his fingers, exhaling sharply.

    Meanwhile, Cosette could only purse her lips into a thin line. Did she surprise him? But Cosette suddenly thought the situation felt right. It might be an impulsive decision, which surprised her as well. However, perhaps, the courage came from the real Cosette. Therefore, she didn''t feel shy about it.

    If anything, Cosette could only think of wanting to give her first kiss to Maxen. After all, she had a huge crush on him. She wouldn''t regret it. It was strange for her to be this calm, but she couldn''t force herself to feel another emotion other than that.

    Maxen nced over his shoulder and looked away almost immediately when he caught her still lying motionless on her spot.

    "What do you think you''re doing? Get up." He sighed, hiding the faint blush on his face. She was lying down where he could see almost everything if only he looked better, but he wasn''t that rotten.

    "Don''t wanna."

    "What?"

    Cosette arched a brow and nced at his back. "I just got rejected. I don''t have the energy to go on with my life and act as if nothing happened."

    "You..." Maxen pinched the bridge of his nose in distress. Without looking at her, he felt the bed and reached for her wrist. "Get up and leave."

    "But you''re the one who pulled me in here and also the person who pulled me down on the bed." Cosette fought his grip and put all her weight in her hand. The side of her lips curled up teasingly, biting her tongue as she found it quite amusing, regardless of their situation.

    "I think I''ve grownfortable around you I can lie around like this..." she mumbledzily, fighting the light tugs on her wrist. "Max... stop it. You''re hurting me now."

    His expression died as he froze. He was hurting her? She was theziest person to im she was hurting.

    "Seriously..." he clicked his tongue, unable to look at her, knowing what would wee his eyes бк her legs. "Cozie."

    "Please Cozie. I was wrong for pulling you inside here and on the bed," she dawdled while shaking her finger, even though he wasn''t looking.

    "Please, Cozie. I was wrong for pulling you inside this room and on the bed to shut you up with your nonsense," he repeated reluctantly, making her giggle.

    Cosette helped herself up, sitting beside him. A deep exhale escaped her nostrils, seeing he was avoiding looking at her at all costs. Without her knowing, she was smiling subtly.

    Unlike what he was portrayed in the novel, the young Maxen was a gentleman.

    If this was ten yearster, if he was still a viin, he would surely take advantage of the situation. After all, Maxen would do it with the female lead anywhere: in the car, in the dressing room, on the rooftop, and just anywhere he pleased when he was aroused. This was with or without the female lead''s consent.

    Knowing this difference, her heart warmed up.

    ''I feel a little at ease,'' she thought, mentally nodding. ''I don''t think he will turn into that heartless viin who will vite a woman mercilessly. We''re doing a good job and having progress here.''

    While Maxen was wondering why she was looking at him without moving, his eyes dted shortly. His breath hitched, looking back at her on instinct, touching his cheek where she nted a mild peck.

    "You..." he trailed off when she smiled warmly at him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That''s your reward and mine too, for doing a good job as a team." Cosette sprung up from the bed and winked at him. "Be good. I''m off to join the girls. Don''t stay cooped up in this room or I will bring everyone here."

    Cosette looked back at him when she was by the door, hands on the jamb and doorknob. "You know I hate it when you are excluding yourself. See you!" She shed him a bright smile before closing the door.

    Maxen stared at the door nkly for minutes, wondering what had just happened. He raised his hand to his cheek once again. He could still feel the warmth and soft texture of her lips on his skin, painting his face with beet red.

    "What just happened...?" he murmured and his eyes shook, recalling her triumphant attitude when she left the room. "A reward...? For good teamwork?"

    Just what kind of teamwork had they been doing? Was it because he was putting up with Luke? Or was it that he was lenient toward her? Perhaps it was his babysitting job? Either way, he didn''t know he would gain more rewards aside from having a littlefort in life because of her.

    "That girl..." He buried his face in hisrge palm to hide his blush, not knowing the tip of his ear was as red as a tomato. "... really knows how to tame a dog. Was she always like that? Damn it, Max. Don''t look forward to more rewards."

    It was toote because in his head now, he wanted more rewards. After all this practice to conduct himself decently, she would do something that would break all that, bringing chaos to his heart.

    ''She brought this upon herself.''

    ******

    When Cosette left the room, she didn''t leave immediately. Instead, she stood in front of the door with her back against it, hands on the knob. The side of her lips curled up, recalling Maxen''s expression when she winked at him.

    "He can be so cute too," she mumbled, giggling at the thought. "Who would have thought teasing him like that is a good way to catch him off guard?"

    Cosette shook her head as she let go of the door handle and marched through the hallway. Although she hadn''t had her first kiss experience, Cosette found out something interesting. She was certain she was this confident andfortable with Maxen after living under the same roof for months.

    Although he would usually ignore her whenever she would follow him around the house like a tail, she figured she had to step up on her game. After all, they were already past the critical stage. Maxen already lived in the c residence and their rtionship improved significantly. He wouldn''t turn into a monster so easily, so she could be at ease and create more memories with him without having to tread on thin ice.

    "Cozie!" she snapped her eyes when she heard Luke''s voice the second she stepped foot into the mansion''s lobby.

    Cosette smiled and skipped her steps, joining him on the couch where he waszing around. Luke grinned before showing her something on his phone.

    "Look at this." Luke handed her the phone and yed a video of his ssmates having fun in the pool. Cosette chuckled when the camera caught Fay talking, only to trip into the pool for no reason. How she fell into the pool wasn''t the funny part, but how Fay looked like when she emerged from underwater.

    "Ahh... they''re already having fun." Cosette raised her eyes at him and urged. "Why are you here? We should join them."

    Luke chuckled and waved. "I''m fine. I''ll join you guyster."

    "Huh?" she cocked her head to the side and blinked twice. "Is there something wrong?"

    "Nah... I''m justzy and prepares to rx for a bit."

    "Ohh..." Cosette rocked her head in understanding and studied his face. He wasn''t telling her to stay, and it seemed Luke simply wanted to sit in here after the long trip. So when he refused to go with her to join others in the pool for the second time, Cosette didn''t force him and went on her way.

    Luke stared at her figure as she headed to the pool area until she was gone. He then focused on his phone,ining to his father about Asher''s presence. Knowing his brother, he didn''t want his friends to feel ufortable, since Asher was someone who liked to kill the mood. Moreover, Asher could just stay in a hotel so he wouldn''t get annoyed by the noise they were making and they would make.

    And then ranted to Asher next.

    While Luke bombarded Asher''s inbox with reasons he should stay away, Luke heard voices from across the lobby. When he raised his head, his mouth fell open.

    There was a group of damped teenage boys and girls who were grinning back at him. In front of them was Cosette, who was grinning from ear to ear.

    "Baptize him," she ordered like a viiness, and like cult members, everyone rushed to him and carried him to the pool where they would throw him. His phone was left on the couch, and his dismay about Asher''s presence was soon forgotten as they forced Luke to join in the fun.

    Little did he know, Cosette was left in the lobby and picked up his phone, only to see the unpleasant text messages between Luke and Asher.

 Chapter 72 Splash

    Cosette didn''t want to be nosy and intrude on another person''s private matters. However, when she picked up Luke''s phone so he wouldn''t look for itter, the phone vibrated with a message. She looked at it on instinct, only to realize she shouldn''t be looking at it.

    But she already saw it.

    She already saw Asher''s cold one-word reply, "no," and caught the snippets of Luke''s series ofints. Hence, she was bothered by the rtionship between the brothers.

    While everyone was having fun in the pool, Cosette sat down in one of the lounge chairs. Watching everyone have fun, wrestling or sshing waters at each other, a shallow breath slipped past her lips.

    ''Luke...'' her eyes were fixed on Luke, who seemed to be very happy as he jumped into the pool with three boys, inducingints from the rest of the big ssh. ''Why would he talk to Asher like that?''

    Cosette was aware Luke''s temper was explosive and most of the time, he was insensitive. But he was, overall, a good person. But after seeing the harsh words Luke had sent Asher and thetter''s indifference, her concern increased ten times.

    ''I''m like a mother worried for my children.'' бк First, she was concerned about Maxen and did everything she could to prevent him from bing a viin. And now she was worried about the Quinn brothers.

    In the novel, Asher and Luke already had a strained rtionship. Although it wasn''t to the point they would kill each other, they would always press each other''s nerves. Well, it was mostly Luke testing Asher to get a reaction from him because Asher was too mature and never бк as in never бк responded to Luke''s ''pranks'', for they were ''childish.''

    Of course, Asher was simply the big person and didn''t want to argue with his brother. But his indifference did more damage. It only made Luke feel unheard and often thought Asher didn''t understand him. She wasn''t saying it was Asher''s fault; they were both at fault.

    The only time Asher exined why he didn''t react to Luke''s taunting was when Luke was already knocking on death''s door. It was heartbreaking... because when Asher finally told his brother how much he loved him, Luke died with a smile.

    ''What should I do?'' she wondered, sighing for the umpteenth time after reviewing the original plot of the story. ''I don''t want the two of them to grow apart and hurt each other.''

    Although Luke seemed happy with his friends, at the end of the day, the family was still different.

    "Cozie! Cozie!" her brows rose when Luke waved at her from the pool. "Come! Join us!"

    "Cozie! Why aren''t you swimming? Let''s go!"

    "Come!"

    A weary smile turned up on her face as she shook her hand. "Later," she told them, but then felt this sense of dread creep up her spine.

    "Bwahaha!" she shivered when Luke''sughter went all evil. "Baptize her!"

    "Wait..." Cosette raised her hand slightly as she looked up. She gulped a mouthful of saliva when her ssmates surrounded her, and before she knew it, a loud squeal came out of her mouth as they tossed her to the pool.

    SPLASH!

    Cosette drank a bit of water and resurfaced, coughing. As soon as she recovered, she red daggers at Luke as heughed continuously.

    "You..." her voice shook before she dived once more, swimming towards his feet and pulling him down. When she resurface once more, Luke''sughter was gone and was reced by their friend''sughter.

    "Baptize me, huh?" the side of her lips curled up triumphantly, casting the rest a victorious look.

    Her brows arched when Luke didn''t resurface after five seconds. The waves ofughter subsided as everyone looked in the area before Luke disappeared.

    "Luke?" she called worriedly and, without a second hesitation, she dived once more to check if he got drowned.

    "Is everything alright?" Sarah murmured worriedly as she gazed at where Cosette dived. Every second felt like minutes, increasing their worry as no movements were seen for at least five seconds. When the two finally resurfaced, some of them jolted in surprise.

    Luke''s voice instantly broke the silence.

    "Luke!" she ground her teeth and pped the water between them, which came into his big mouth. "That''s not a good joke! I got really worried!"

    "Haha!" he coughed and gagged. When he recovered, he looked at Cosette teasingly. "Really? You got worried?"

    "Geez!" she sshed water on him lightly.

    "Haha!"

    Ssh!

    "Hah!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ssh!

    Cosette kept sshing water on him until he could no longerugh.

    "Wait бк!" she continued, biting her lower lips until he raised his arms to shield himself. "Wait! Help!"

    She continued until he had enough and flung with arms on the water to fight her. Soon, the mild ssh of water grew intorge waves as the two fought fiercely. Some joined in, while the rest just cheered by the pool as they rested.

    "Goodness... they look so good together," mumbled Amie as she watched Cosette and Lukeugh and tease each other. "They will make a good pair."

    Fay, who was sitting next to the lounge chair where Amie was resting with a towel around her, nodded in agreement.

    "They should be a couple." Fay''s face suddenly turned sour. "But I don''t think that is possible."

    "Why is that?" Amie asked out of in curiosity.

    Fay sighed and shot her a knowing look. "Maxen. Don''t forget, Max is a strong contender in Cozie''s heart."

    "But Max and Cozie are just friends."

    "Amie, Amie. You are so clueless." Fay shook her head mildly, reclining in the lounge chair, and enjoyed the midday breeze under the enormous umbre. She folded her arms and closed her eyes, a bit exhausted.

    "Max might be aloof, but he is also a little possessive. Haven''t you noticed his res when someone from the opposite sex approaches Cozie? Also, Luke is the only one who gets on Max''s nerves because, well, Luke had always announced his feelings for her." She then peeked from one eye and instantly caught Amie''s gaze. "That''s what you call rivalry. Max wouldn''t react to Luke that much if Luke wasn''t a threat to his love interest."

    Amie nodded in understanding before she looked at Fay in disbelief. "Are you reading more webnovels than I am? Since when did you be a love guru?"

    "Tch! I don''t! I just know how to read people!"

    "Oh,e on! You don''t have to be shy about it! What sort of genre are you into?" Amie tugged Fay''s arm as she listed down all sorts of genres until thetter flinched when she mentioned, "Boy''s Love."

    Amie froze as her eyes went round. "Really?"

    "What?!" Fay gasped as she snatched her arm from her.

    "You like it too?!"

    "No! I mean, what is that?!"

    As the two moved on to another topic, Sarah, who was sitting on the other lounge chair beside Fay, sighed. She nced at Fay and was a bit surprised at what thetter spoke of just now. Fay wasn''t the type to talk like that, or at least, she would simply choose to keep her thoughts to herself and go with the flow.

    ''I thought I''m the only one who noticed Max''s attitude towards Cozie.'' She heaved a sigh of relief and then nced at Fay once again. ''But then again, I think I''m the only one who is worried here.''

    Maybe she was just getting worried for nothing, Sarah thought. She was probably just scared of Maxen, so she was concerned. Cosette only had good things to say about Maxen; although there were times her friend wouldin to him.

    ''I shouldn''t think about it.'' Sarah shook her head, telling herself everything would be alright and things would work out on their own, eventually. But a secondter, she felt a chill down her spine when she felt murderous intent from behind her.

    Slowly but surely, Sarah twisted her neck to see what it was. Her face froze, and so was her entire body. Her blood ran cold the second her eyes fell on the person standing by the entrance.

    There, leaning against the jamb with a dead expression, was Maxen.

    It was hard to read what sort of expression he was sporting, but it made Sarah''s heart thud against her chest nervously. When Sarah gulped a mouthful of air, she nced at where Maxen was looking.

    Her heart sank when her eyes fell on Luke, who was now on the concrete ground. He held his hand out to Cosette, helping her to get out of the water. However, a shadow walked past Sarah and before she knew it, Maxen was already standing behind Luke.

    With his hands shoved inside his pocket, Maxen raised his foot and ced it on Luke''s buttocks, kicking him back to the pool.

    SPLASH!

    "..." Sarah was rendered speechless as the loud ssh resonated in the air. Most of them also went silent, while the others justughed it off.

    ''I''m terrified of him,'' Sarah thought as the dangerous aura she sensed from Maxen disappeared now that he was standing in front of Cosette.

 Chapter 73 Bad Premonition

    SPLASH!

    Cosette blinked countless times at the giant ssh of water from Luke''s fall. When she raised her head, Maxen was already looking down at her with an annoyed face.

    "Max?" she called and raised her brows, but Luke resurfaced immediately.

    "Hey!" Luke yelled, grinding his teeth to see who was the culprit behind his fall. "Have you lost your mind?! How can you kick me back here?! What if I hit my head, hah?!"

    Maxen let out a shallow breath and shook his head, letting Luke express his annoyance before he walked away. He didn''t even say anything, nor did he look back at them. He came as silent and quick as the wind and left, just like it.

    "Gah! I hate him!" Luke hissed in irritation, staring at where Maxen left. "Ugh!! He''s even more annoying than my brother!"

    "Maybe because you were blocking the flowers he had been staring at!" One of their ssmates humored, pointing at the flowerpots on the corner.

    "Screw him!" Luke grumbled, but his ssmates simplyughed yfully.

    Meanwhile, as the rest were teasing Luke in their attempt to calm him down, Cosette kept her eyes on the sliding door where Maxen left.

    "Has he been that tall?" she wondered, despite already noticing that Maxen just seemed to grow significantly. It was like whenever she would take her eyes off of him, he just magically grow. Or perhaps it was just the perspective, as she was still in the pool and noticed his long limbs as he walked away.

    "Well." She shrugged as it didn''t really matter, ncing at Luke, who was still continuing his outburst. "I should leave him alone for now, or my eardrums will bleed."

    With that being said, Cosette helped herself get out of the pool. Thanks to Amie, who handed her a tower, Cosette immediately wrapped her body with it and joined the girls. Like always, they simply gossiped or talked about anything that was silly.

    Shortly, they went for another round of swimming to enjoy the day. The energy of the youth was almost limitless as they had games to spice things up, had snacks, and then swam until their body felt heavier and heavier underwater.

    It was a good first day as everyone forgot their own worries and enjoyed the moment until they all decided to rest before dinner.

    "I can still my body floating and the waves..." Fay said in azy voice as sheid t on the bed. "I''m so tired."

    "I feel sleepy..." Amie added, lying t on her bed just like Fay.

    "Pfft--" Sarah chuckled while alternately brushing and drying her hair with a towel. "That''s because you two overdid it. How can you wrestle with the boys?"

    "We''re fighting for women''s pride, oy," Fay argued, but her tone was the same. "We can''t let those guys get drowned by their male pride."

    "That''s right...!" Amie agreed, wondering how many times she fell from Fay''s shoulders. Her expression contorted because thinking about it tired her already.

    Sarah shook her head mildly. "Dry your hair first, at least."

    "Nah... I''m good," answered Fay while Amie responded with, "my hair is short, so it already dried up... I think."

    "Goodness, you two..." Sarah let out a shallow breath before her eyes fell on the other bed beside hers. Just like the two, Cosette was also lying down on her back. However, she was oddly silent. Sarah initially thought she was just as tired as them, but just to make sure, she asked;

    "Cozie, are you alright?"

    Cosette snapped her eyes at the ceiling and turned her head in Sarah''s direction. "Yes, I am," she replied with a smile. "I''m just tired and sleepy, but I can''t sleep."

    "You guys should sleep first since there''s still two hours before dinner. They said they will serve it at 8, so you should rest."

    "Sarah, you''re biased, aren''t you?" Fayined in a dead tone, but she didn''t have the energy to even turn her head. "When Amie and I said we''re tired and sleepy, you asked us to dry our hair. But when Cozie said the same, you''re saying she should sleep."

    "That''s because Cozie already dried her hair." Sarah rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Once you dry your hair, you three go to sleep and rest."

    "What about you?" asked Cosette, waiting for Sarah to look back at her.

    Sarah smiled. "I will. Later."

    "Everything alright?" Amie asked, out of in curiosity.

    "Yes, of course. I mean, I''m not that tired." Sarah chuckled, sensing their concern. "I''m fine, really. It''s just that I don''t think I can sleep and just stay on my phone to kill time."

    "Ohh... well, if that is what you say." Fay shrugged and closed her eyes. "I''ll doze off a bit. Please wake me up when it''s time for dinner... or not."

    "Me too... I''m really sleepy." Amie rolled on her stomach, hugging the spare pillow.

    The two quickly fell asleep as their breaths grew heavier. Sarah was almost amazed how those two fell asleep quickly but seeing them brought a smile to her face. When she turned in Cosette''s direction, she was still staring at the ceiling in silence.

    "Cozie?" Sarah''s voice was quiet, receiving a hum from her. "Are you sure everything is fine?"

    "Well... yeah, I guess. I''m just thinking about something, but it isn''t a big deal."

    Sarah stared at Cosette''s side profile while nodding. She didn''t take her eyes off of her, studying Cosette''s expression. Usually, Cosette was smiling. So, seeing her expressionless countenance was quite a sight to behold. It almost made Sarah wonder if she was the same person.

    Right now, while Cosette was deep in her thought, her facial features were all sharp. She looked almost like a snob. If Cosette entered their room with such an expression, Sarah would be a little hesitant to approach her because she might ignore them. Surely, one couldn''t judge another just because of their appearance.

    With that being said, Sarah dried her hair in silence and barely made a sound as she ced the towel back in the bathroom. She theny on the bed, scrolling through her phone, until she eventually fell asleep without her knowing.

    Meanwhile, Cosette was on her spot for long minutes before she turned her head to where Sarah was at. Her lips curled up as her eyes softened, seeing that Sarah''s phone fell from her hands.

    "She''s tired and just doesn''t know it," she whispered, peeling her eyes away from her and back to the ceiling. "She''s always like a big sister to all of us."

    Thinking about it now, Cosette didn''t have friends even from her previous life. But these girls were very kind and considerate. She was happy that they seemed to really enjoyed their first day.

    "No one will wake them up..." she muttered with a smile. "Well, I''m not really sleepy and that tired. Right..."

    Cosette pushed herself up from the bed and sat upright, running her hand through her hair. "Max... he didn''t even join us, and it slipped my mind to drag him with us." A shallow breath escaped her mouth the more she thought about that Maxen only appeared once in the pool and that was when he kicked Luke back inside the pool.

    "Should I check him?" she wondered. "Although I know he will be fine all on his own, he can''t just keep distancing himself."

    With that thought in mind, Cosette flung her legs out of the bed and tiptoed her way out of the room not to wake up the girls. She closed the door carefully, almost holding her breath until the faint click reached her ears. When she straightened her back, she heaved a sigh of relief before walking away to check on Maxen.

    As she walked through the hallway, she met a few of her ssmates who wanted to take a walk for some fresh air or just stay by the pool as they waited for dinner. Cosette walked with them and chatted on the way until they reached the lobby where they all suddenly halted.

    Cosette furrowed her brows and gazed at the two figures standing in the lobby. Their chattering also subsided, eyes on those two figures, sensing the thick tension between the two.

    "Isn''t that Luke''s brother?" asked someone in their group in a loud whisper.

    "Is he having a confrontation with Max?"

    "What''s going on here?"

    Cosette nced at her ssmate and sighed. These people, although she still sees them as her friends, couldn''t help to question their love for such cliche scenarios they watch in dramas. There''s no way those two would have a problem with each other just because they were standing in silence while holding their gaze.

    "You guys should go. Max is here, so I will chat with him." She broke the silence with them while pointing at Maxen with her thumb. But her face stiffened when she heard Asher''s distant and cold voice shattering the silence in the lobby.

    "You''d been looking. Any problem with me?"

    Maxen''s eyes went from Asher''s head to toe. "Problem? No. I''m simply admiring you."

    "What?" Cosette furrowed her brows, but what she heard next from one of her female ssmates sent a chill down her spine.

    "Max is admiring Luke''s big brother? What is this? BL?"

    ''Oh no... he hates that...'' Cosette''s face contorted as she smiled awkwardly. When she turned her head to them, her under-eye twitched seeing the twinkle in the girls'' eyes.

    ''Everyone loves that genre, huh?'' she sighed, having this premonition that their creative minds and assumptions would soon spread like a wildfire.

 Chapter 74 Out Of Shape

    Maxen and Asher just looked at each other in silence. Thetter didn''t respond to Maxen anymore, ncing at the group of youngsters in the corner nonchntly. He turned on his heel and walked away with his hand inside his pocket without saying a word.

    Cosette sighed as she nced at everyone. "See youter."

    "See you around, Cozie."

    She waved weakly and then dragged her feet to where Maxen stood. The closer she approached, the more she noticed he was staring at where Asher went.

    "Boo!" she skipped a step to his side and perked up to startle him. Much to her dismay, he cast her a nonchnt side-eye.

    "That scares me," came out a dead voice, making her click her tongue.

    Cosette elbowed him mildly. "You don''t have to pretend. What are you doing here?"

    "Going out." He pointed at the door with his chin.

    "Out?" her brows furrowed. "What are you going to do outside?"

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "Take a walk."

    "Ohh..." she nodded. "I thought you meant out in the city."

    Cosette giggled. "Let me join you."

    "Why?" he arched a brow.

    "Why not?"

    "Don''t you have other ns?"

    "My only n is to check if you''re still breathing." The corner of her lips stretched into a smug grin, holding her hand behind her. "Now that I''m sure you''re breathing, I feel like taking a walk."

    Maxen stared at her smug expression before he shook his head mildly. While it takes every fiber of his body to stand here right in front of her and keep hisposure, Cosette was theplete opposite. But then again, she didn''t have malicious intent with that reward. For her, it was as simple as a reward.

    "Whatever." He breathed out and marched towards the entrance.

    "Ohh... so cold." Cosette crooned, staring at his back. When she skipped her steps to follow him, she yelled. "Hey, Max! Since when did you have broad shoulders? Can I look at your body?"

    Maxen''s steps picked up upon hearing her request.

    "Max~"

    ''This girl... is bing more dangerous every passing hour.'' He shook his head, jogging on the stairs down. It didn''t take long when Cosette caught up to him. Yet Maxen kept his eyes ahead.

    "Gosh... why are your steps so big?" sheined, having to jog бк almost running бк when he started picking up his pace.

    "Or maybe you''re just out of shape." Maxen cast her a side-eye. "You should exercise a bit, Cozie. You only walked a few meters and you''re already out of breath."

    "What?" Cosette stopped while Maxen continued. "Hey, Max! What did you just say? Are you calling me fat?!"

    "I only said you need cardio..."

    She grunted and ground her teeth, jogging to follow him. "I''m not out of shape! Didn''t you see my body?"

    "Right... right..." his face contorted as he waved without looking at her. "You''re not out of shape. You''re very healthy."

    "Is that an insult?" she grumbled, picking up her pace until she walked past him. Cosette then turned around, walking backward, facing him.

    "Take it back, Max." She demanded, but he averted his eyes. When he silently refused her demands, Cosette took a step to the side to block his path. However, Maxen smoothly crossed over.

    "Hey!" she yelled, and this time, she was aggressive. "Maxen!"

    "Not hearing you."

    "This guy --!"

    Little did the two know, someone from the second floor was standing in front of the window. Asher was loosening his tie when he stopped and set his eyes on the two people walking in the driveway. His brows furrowed, recognizing the girl and then the person she was nagging.

    "That guy..." he whispered, narrowing his eyes. "... I don''t like him."

    Although Cosette and Maxen seemed to be very close with her biting Maxen''s arm like a dog, that wasn''t the reason Asher had this unsettling feeling towards Maxen. The first time their eyes met, Asher had this sort of unknown hostility towards him.

    Maybe it was Maxen''s eyes that seemed to see through people''s souls, or it could be Maxen''s intimidating demure. Asher had met many people. Therefore, he could tell if someone was good or bad, cunning or smart, dirty or simply stupid. But Maxen fell into the category that was in the middle.

    It was like he could be bad or good, y dirty or y fair.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "And he is still this young..." he whispered, shaking his head. "I shouldn''t think about that much."

    BAM!

    Asher flinched when the door of his room suddenly flew open. There, by the door, was Luke. Seeing his nose re-up, Asher shook his head and stopped himself from rolling his eyes.

    "You''re still here?" Luke entered the room like a storm, stopping near the set of couches while Asher was removing his tie. "Didn''t you read my messages?! Do you have to stay in here?!"

    "Dad told me to stay here and watch over you."

    "What?!" he gasped in disbelief. "Impossible!"

    Asher looked at him dead in the eye. "Ask him."

    "No!" Luke yelled, balling his hands into a tight fist. "Stay somewhere else! This is not the only ce you can stay while you''re checking thepany''s project."

    "Luke." This time, Asher faced his brother and exhaled. "I''m not going anywhere, alright? If you don''t want me here, then you can check in somewhere else. Stop bothering me. I''m tired."

    Asher tossed the tie to the couch and walked towards the bathroom to bathe. But just as he took several steps away, he stopped and faced Luke.

    "By the way, that guy... that seemed to have a close rtionship with the young miss c. What is his name?"

    Luke furrowed his brows and whispered subconsciously. "Max?"

    "Max, huh?" Asher rocked his head before he took a step to continue where he nned to go. But this time, he stopped when Luke spoke.

    "Don''t touch him." Asher slowly looked back at Luke, only to see thetter''s sharp re. "Don''t touch him. He''s my friend."

    Luke held his brother''s gaze sharply as his jaw tightened. "If you did anything funny to him, just like what you did to all my friends... I will destroy you."

    "Hah..." Asher looked back at his little brother before Luke clicked his tongue and walked out of the room. All he could do for the next minute was stare at the door, which Luke mmed closed.

    "He always makes me sound like the viin here," he whispered, shaking his head. "It''s not like I can me him. He''s a ma for trouble, but he doesn''t even know the people he calls friends are simply taking advantage of him. I won''t be surprised if these new friends are the same."

    ******

    Everyone had a sumptuous dinner with a variety of foods served to them. They had a feast that some of them couldn''t even stand up from their seats.

    "Max..." Cosette''s expression died when she noticed Maxen, who was sitting beside her, was staring at her. She cast him a dead look.

    "I''m not saying anything." He shrugged.

    "But your eyes are judging me." She rolled her eyes. Maxen bit his tongue to stop himself fromughing, a habit he picked up ever since he started living in the c''s residence.

    "Guys! Guys!" she snapped her eyes when Luke and some of their male ssmates returned with these bright grins stered on their faces.

    "Uh... I don''t feel good about this," Cosette whispered, watching them approach the table where she and Maxen and a few of them were idling.

    "Hehe." Luke''s grin stretched even wider while his eyes glossed over their faces. "We brought some alcohol."

    "Huh?" Cosette''s face contorted while Maxen frowned in dismay. But aside from them, the rest were ted.

    "Really?"

    "Are we going to drink?" Amie gasped. "But my parents might get angry."

    "Oh,e on!" Fay hooked her arm over Amie''s shoulder. "They won''t know."

    "Fay..."

    "Yes, mommy Sarah. But this is what youth is all about!" Fay announced, making the rest nod in agreement. "See? It''s not like we were going to drink until we''re wasted. We''ll just have fun."

    "Fay..." Sarah looked at Fay with warning eyes.

    ''This guyбн'' Maxen looked at Luke with utter disdain, in disbelief at how this guy could take it this far. It wasn''t like he never had a drink before. Maxen hang out with the wrong crowd in the past, so he knew what alcohol could do. Especially, to kids liked them since they were young, and drinking moderately wasn''t in their vocabry.

    "Guys, guys. This is not mandatory." Luke chimed in. "But if you''re going to join, we''re setting up everything in the pool area, alright? Join us if you want and we will party the night away!"

    "Yeeey!" most of them cheered, even Cosette, who wanted to enjoy her youth. However, her excitement was short-lived when she felt Maxen''s icy gaze.

    She chuckled awkwardly, showing a peace sign. "Don''t tell my dad."

    Little did Cosette know, tonight would be the night where she would lose her first kiss.

 Chapter 75 Smootch

    "This is nned." Cosette cast the mischievous Luke with a knowing look. She was sitting on one of the lounge chairs while Luke was on the other. In the other lounge chair sat Maxen, not drinking even a bit of alcohol around. The music was loud and everyone was partying by the pool.

    Some decided to swim to enjoy the high the alcohol brought to them and surely, they were having the time of their lives.

    "It''s not memorable without the presence of alcohol," argued Luke with a bright grin. He raised a bottle of beer and clinked the bottom against hers. "It''s my first time drinking this kind of beer, but it''s alright. Some of them were familiar with this and kids don''t appreciate wine."

    Cosette let out a deep exhale as she shrugged. "Don''t drink too much."

    "I can''t help it. I''m angry." Luke winced as the acid traveled down his throat. "That insufferable brother of mine just gets on my nerves... always."

    "Why are you so rude to your brother?" she asked out of in curiosity, noticing the blush on his face was bing apparent. "Luke, how many bottles did you down? Isn''t this your first time?"

    "Beer, yes. Drinking? No. I''m too rebellious not to rile up my family." He chuckled and smacked his lips. "About my brother... he''s just an annoyingd. I sort of hate him, sometimes."

    Cosette blinked ever so tenderly. "Why?"

    "Huh?"

    "Why do you hate him?"

    "Well... I hate him." He shrugged. "Not hate like to the bones, but I hate him like hate-hate."

    "That''s very enlightening, Luke." Cosette rocked her head and nced to her left, where Maxen was sitting. He was just watching everyone in the pool, so she shrugged and set her attention back to Luke.

    "But are you going to be alright, Luke? I honestly don''t know what sort of advice to give you since I don''t have a sibling." She shrugged once more. But honestly, Cosette knew what to tell him. However, Luke didn''t seem to need it and she understood the source of this frustration from Luke.

    "Of course." He shed her a smile and winked at her. "The great second young master is always going to be alright."

    She watched him recline on the lounge chairfortably. The side of her lips curled up subtly, admiring his talent in staying positive or hiding his own feelings.

    "And if the great second young isn''t well, then my ears are always open." Luke gazed back at her upon her reply, only to see her smile warmly. "Always."

    "Will you marry me?"

    "No." She scrunched her nose up as this had be a routine now, but he simplyughed.

    "Ahh... I have a good girlfriend," he announced happily, gazing at the clear night sky. "Beautiful, smart, and kind. I''m a lucky man."

    "Delusional," Maxen mumbled and shook his head, but Luke heard him despite the music around the pool.

    "Hey, Maxen!" Luke clicked his tongue, but unlike his usual actions, he was calmer. "Delusional is believing in something impossible."

    "Proves my point."

    "Hah... Cozie, I will make you mine." He looked at Cosette and pointed at himself with his thumb. "One of these days, you''ll fall for my charms. If not now, then when I be a hunk and a hottie."

    "Sure, sure." Cosette noddedzily and reclined on the lounge chairs, holding the bottle of beer on top of her stomach. Her lips curled up, making her eyes squint, thinking about the future.

    Right now, they were too early before the novel starts. But she couldn''t help but wonder what they would all look like ten years from now.

    ''Will it even start?'' she wondered to herself, but mentally nodded. ''Of course. The Devil''s Den is the story about the female lead and male lead. We are but side characters in the second volume. Although Luke will appear in the first volume, he didn''t have much screen time.''

    "Well, I don''t think it still matters," she whispered, not knowing Maxen slowly set his eyes on her while she was mumbling. "The novel can just eat a bunch of plot holes. Hehe..."

    Maxen studied the blush on her cheek. She had only drank one bottle, but herplexion was already pink.

    ''His father will kill me if I told him about this.'' He sighed deeply. ''I just need to make sure she returns to her room in one piece.''

    The three of them remained silent, enjoying the music along with the ssh of water and everyone''s waves ofughter. Cosette and Luke were staring at the sky, a subtle smile apparent on their faces. Meanwhile, Maxen''s expression was dull, watching everyone get hyper as if they were on drugs,ughing at the most trivial thing.

    "Cheers?" Cosette arched her brow after a minute and then nced at Luke. As soon as her eyesnded on him, she saw him holding the bottle on the neck with his fingers, swinging itzily.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She chuckled weakly and nodded slightly. "Cheers." She raised her half-empty bottle of beer and clinked with him.

    Both of them chugged down a mouthful of alcohol, wincing at the same time at the bitter taste that filled their mouths. But when they looked at each other on instinct, they both chuckled.

    "You look ugly," she teased, which he didn''t take to the heart.

    "Thank you for thepliment, mydy. My looks just match yours. That''s why we''re a match made with heaven." He winked confidently, making her giggle. "Watch out. You might fall."

    "I wish," she humored back.

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Literally." Cosette shrugged, blinking as her eyes felt heavy. "I wish to fall in love too, you know. But I don''t think it is possible when, at the back of my head, we''re all just..."

    Her eyes narrowed, staring at the clear sky with no stars on it. "Never mind. If you want to marry me, just ask my dad. If you get his approval, then we''ll start dating."

    "Geez... you understand that what you said made this already difficult task to the extreme, right?" Cosetteughed at his reply. "My dad is even scared of your dad."

    "And yet, he always teases him."

    "Well, now you understand where I inherited my tenacity." Both of them chuckled once more, thinking of their old men. Luke had attended Winter High with Cosette for months now, and because of that, Maynard Quinn and Conrad c had more chances of meeting each other.

    In other words, Cosette and Luke had to see more of their old men''s interactions. Now that Luke thought about it, he couldn''t help but chuckle.

    "People always say I am the ck sheep in our family and didn''t inherit anything from my parents. It''s all about my big brother inheriting my father''s brilliance and things like that," he mumbled, as he felt like sharing this matter with her right here and now. Not as his ''girlfriend'', but as her ''good friend.''

    "But I now think they''re wrong. My father is persistent, especially in making friends. At least, I got something from him. It might not be the positive qualities, but well... that''s all that matters to me."

    Her eyes softened as she stared at his side profile. "You''re amazing in your own right, Luke. I''m pretty sure your father is very proud of you. Moreover, he wouldn''t bother my dad that much if he didn''t want to help you with your conquest."

    "Hehe... that''s how precious you are."

    "You mean, that''s how precious our family''s wealth and connections are?" she rolled her eyes, making himugh. For others, they might misunderstand her, but this was Luke. She could talk about anything with him because they were good friends before anything else.

    "My intentions are sincere, but my father''s not. I admit." He humored back with a shrug.

    "Goodness." She shook her head whileughing.

    Listening to their conversation, Maxen pondered about it. He had lived in the c''s residence, and although he hadn''t met Maynard face to face, he already saw him from a distance. And he could tell Maynard was just like Luke more than Asher.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c ''It''s a good thing these two were more tamed than thoseбн here theye.'' A deep exhale escaped his nostrils, watching Sarah, Amie, and Fay get up from the pool and approach them. It wasn''t like Maxen didn''t like the girls; he honestly think they were good people. However, sometimes, their advice would get on his nerves бк just like that one piece Cosette was wearing the whole day.

    "Helloбн" Cosette greetedzily, lying on the lounge chair, watching the girls stand near her feet. Amie and Fay both sat down near her feet, covering themselves with the towels which Sarah handed them.

    "It''s so coldбн" Fay shivered. Amie couldn''t even talk with her quivering lips. "I don''t get drunk with this."

    "The n is not to get drunk, but to drink moderately and enjoy." Sarah rolled her eyes as she stood up between Luke''s and Cosette''s lounge chairs.

    "Sit here, Mommy Sarah." Cosette tapped her side and moved slightly to vacate some space for Sarah.

    "Cozie, not you tooбн" Sarah sighed and turned on her heel to sit beside Cosette. However, just as she did, her foot slipped from the dripping water from her and before she could realize what was happening, she grabbed the side of the lounge chair, confining Cosette in between her arms, but it wasn''t enough to stop the force of hernding.

    *smootch*

    Sarah and Cosette''s breath hitched when their lips touched, freezing in an instant. For some reason, the music sounded distant as time seemed to tick slowly.

    ''I''m dead,'' was the first thought that crossed Sarah''s head when she felt death staring at her from the side. ''I''m dead, I''m dead, dead like dead.''

 Chapter 76 Was It Good?

    *SMOOTCH*

    Cosette froze at the foreign sensation that touched her lips. It was brief as Sarah retracted her head back on instinct, but she stayed hovering over her. Cosette blinked, seeing the dread that was dominating her face.

    "I''m dead," Sarah breathed out as she instantly broke out in cold sweats, feeling death looking at her from either side of her. She couldn''t even move from fear anymore. All she could do was return Cosette''s gaze.

    "Oy..." came Luke''s dead voice, wide-eyed. "Anyone tell me that didn''t happen."

    Silence fell into them as more of their ssmates gazed in their direction. Someone even lowered the music''s volume, unable to wrap their heads around what had just happened. It immediately sobered most of them.

    Did... Cosette and Sarah just kiss?

    "Wow... Yuri," Fay mumbled in disbelief, trying to close her gaping mouth, but to no avail.

    For minutes, it was pin drop silence. Some even subconsciously held their breaths бк including Maxen and Luke бк in dismay that Cosette got her first kiss stolen, just like that. After some time, Cosette finally broke the silence with a low yet piercing remark.

    "It''s nice." The side of Cosette''s lips curled up into a smile, followed by a short giggle. "Your lips are so soft, Sarah."

    "I''m going to kill her --!"

    "Oy, oy!" Fay sprung up from her seat the second she saw Luke getting up while cracking his knuckles. When she raised her arm against his chest, stopping him from what she imagined him doing; beating Sarah to a pulp.

    "That''s a girl, yo!"

    Luke frowned. "What are you saying? I''m not going to beat up a girl!" he scrunched his nose up, but Fay looked back at him in dismay.

    "How the hell would I know when you just said ''I''m going to kill here'' and then crack your knuckles?"

    "I said, I''m going to kiss her! That''s unfair!" Luke eximed, almost throwing a tantrum. The alcohol in his system wasn''t helping. "I''ve been holding myself back all this time but she just --! ugh! This is upsetting. I felt cheated! Sarah, I thought we were friends?!"

    As the two rified their misunderstanding, Sarahughed awkwardly and pushed herself away from Cosette. Thetter sat up when Sarah got off her weight from her. But unlike Cosette, who was cool with her first kiss experience бк although it was an ident бк Sarah was scared for her life!

    She twisted her neck to the other side, which moved like rusting metals. The second her eyes fell on Maxen''s dull countenance, her breath hitched. Although Maxen didn''t show anger or surprise, staring into his eyes, she almost saw how she would die in them.

    ''I''m totally... dead.'' Sarah wept internally, covering her mouth as she looked away from Maxen. In her head, she was about to see the pearly gates or the fiery doors of hell.

    ''Just what luck did I have to meet my doom this soon?'' she asked herself, considering this world was unfair and too unforgiving to her. It was as if this world didn''t know she was already scared of Maxen, that she had to slip and kiss Cosette! It was better if this was anyone else, but Cosette? Of all people her lips couldnd on, theynded on this beautiful girl who had boys worshiping her?!

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m Anyone would question their life purpose if they were in her situation.

    "Sarah, are you alright?" Sarah nced at Cosette when thetter asked. "Did you hurt your foot?"

    "Cozie..." Sarah nearly wept while Cosette was checking her ankle. Unlike everyone, including herself, Cosette was more concerned about her foot other than the highlight of this chapter in their lives. When Cosette looked back at her, genuine worry filled her eyes.

    "I think you sprained it," Cosette addressed worriedly. "Can you stand?"

    ''I don''t think I can with death staring at me,'' was what failed to leave Sarah''s mouth, sensing the dread crept up from her spine as Maxen''s gaze never left her. ''My foot is not of my concern, Cozie. It''s my life.''

    "Sarah? Hello?" Cosette waved at her when Sarah just stared at her. "I''m sorry our lips touched."

    For Cosette, their kiss traumatized Sarah. If only she knew what truly terrified her was what could happen to her after this. Who knows? Maxen might barge into their room in the middle of the night and strangle her. It wasn''t like Maxen was a murderer or totally bad, but Sarah was utterly terrified of him and her thoughts kept feeding her the extreme.

    "I бк I''m fine," she stuttered and forced a weak smile that barely concealed the dread in her eyes. "Of бк of course, I can..."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Sarah winced when she tried to move her foot. She sprained it. Great! What a luck she had. If only she knew this would happen, she would''ve just stayed in their room and scrolled through her social media.

    "You sprained it." Cosette let out a deep exhale and looked at Luke, who was chugging down a bottle of beer to calm himself down. "Luke, don''t drink too much. Sarah sprained her ankle."

    "Hah...?" Luke''s face contorted as he darted his eyes between Cosette and Sarah. "Who cares about my rival?"

    "I do, Luke." She rolled her eyes.

    "Let''s take her inside, Cozie." Maxen chimed in, getting up from the lounge chair he was sitting on.

    As soon as his feet touched the ground, Sarah swallowed a mouthful of saliva which echoed in her ear. When Maxen stood beside them, he offered a hand to Sarah. Thetter looked at him cautiously while Cosette flung her feet out of the lounge chair and stood beside Maxen.

    "Sarah, we''ll take you inside. I''m sure they had kits and a nurse to treat your sprain." Cosette smiled, ignoring the chaos across from them, as Luke was still being a drama queen while Fay was berating him.

    "Is there a morgue here?" Sarah blurted out, hesitant to take Maxen''s hand as he could take her straight there instead.

    "Did you hit your head? Or did you drink a bit too much?" Cosette returned, finding her question a little ridiculous. "You''re not dying, Sarah."

    ''Not now, but maybeter!'' Sarah wept internally before reaching for Maxen''s hand reluctantly. Maxen helped her get up while Cosette assisted them both. Sarah limped as she held on to Maxen''s and Cosette''s arms. As they walked away, Cosette looked back.

    "Guys, don''t drink too much! We''ll leave first бк Luke! That''s yourst bottle!" she yelled, seeing Luke was wallowing in his woes while Fay also chugged a mouthful of beer out of frustration.

    Cosette shook her head mildly. "They''ll be fine, I guess." She then looked at Sarah, treading slower to match thetter''s skips.

    "You''ll be fine. The Quinns were always ready for even the mildest idents, so there should be an infirmary here or a nurse in charge." She reassured, not knowing her reassurance did nothing with this devil beside her.

    ''This feels like my demon and angel came to life...'' Sarah let out a shallow breath, thinking that Cosette was her angel on her shoulder while Maxen was the devil who would always whisper negative things to her.

    Surely, this trip for everyone was memorable. For some, it was the happiest trip they had, while for others, like Sarah, this trip would forever remain in her head because of this dread filling her chest.

    *****

    Just as Cosette guessed, there was a veteran nurse and doctor in the Quinns family vacation home. All she had to do was ask a servant, and they rushed to the girls'' room, where Cosette helped Sarah change. As the doctor was wrapping a bandage around Sarah''s foot, Cosette excused herself to answer her father''s call.

    "It''s good that it''s not that serious," said the doctor as he gazed up at Sarah, who was sitting on the edge of the bed while he was squatting down after bandaging her foot. "You''ll be fine. Just don''t strain it and you will walk normally in a few days."

    "Thank you." Sarah smiled before the doctor in civilian clothes rose to his feet.

    "That''s youth, but be careful next time."

    "Yes. Thank you."

    With that being said, the doctor left her a prescription and painkillers just in case before excusing himself with the nurse. Watching them leave, Sarah had this strong urge to ask them to stay. How could they leave her in this room, while Maxen was staring at her from the chair in the corner of the room?

    ''Oh god...'' she sighed for the umpteenth time, avoiding Maxen''s gaze as she kept looking in the door, waiting for Cosette to return.

    Maxen was sitting on the chair in the corner. His leg was resting over the other, arms crossed, eyes at Sarah. If he knew this would happen, he should''ve fulfilled Cosette''s request earlier today. But there was no point in regret. What done was done and they couldn''t reverse the time.

    "Was it good?" he asked after the prolonged silence, giving the air a different kind of thickness. He noticed Sarah flinch at his question before she slowly looked back at him with pale lips.

    "I''m askingбн" he dawdled, watching how she held her breath. "бн was it good? The kiss."

 Chapter 77 Misbehave

    "The kiss. Was it good?"

    Sarah''s heart stopped beating for a second while staring into those inquisitive, menacing eyes. Her lips trembled as they parted, but her voice was gone.

    Deep in her brain, she knew the answer. It wasn''t about whether it was good or bad since it was an ident, but it did send electricity across her nerves. It was a strange experience, but she couldn''t say it. His eyes were looking for a yes or no answer and neither seemed would please him.

    "What?" Maxen cocked his head to the side, arching a brow. "Can''t answer?"

    Sarah lowered her head and clutched her hand on herp. "Please forgive me."

    "Huh?"

    "I didn''t mean to do that." Tears filled her eyes as she raised her head at him. "Don''t kill me. I will be careful next time."

    Maxen looked at her from head to toe briefly. "You think I will kill you?"

    "No... sir."

    "Hah..." he shook his head mildly before holding the armrest to push himself up. He marched towards her and bent over when he was in front of her.

    "Hey," he called and waited for her to look at him. "Don''t you think it''s rude to consider me as someone capable of killing someone?"

    "No бк no. I didn''t mean it that way." She stuttered in horror, seeing his face up close. They had been ssmates for years, but this was the only time she truly got a closer look at him. He looked better... but dangerous. Definitely a different kind of allure from Luke''s charm that could be seen from a mile away.

    ''I should run,'' was what her brain yelled at her, but Sarah could barely blink. Looking at him straight in the eye was paralyzing. It was akin to staring at death. She was scared.

    "I''m sorry...?" she whispered when he didn''t say anything in return and held her gaze.

    Maxen sighed and when he blinked, the devil looking back at her disappeared without a trace.

    "That''s disappointing, but let me tell you. I won''t kill you. I''d rather bury you alive and then you die бк it''s better that way to avoid getting my hands dirty with blood." He smiled when her face stiffened, biting his tongue to stop himself fromughing at her reaction. "I''m kidding..."

    He straightened his back, still holding her gaze that was full of horror. He was kidding, but because Sarah seemed to see him as a terrible person, he wouldn''t mind scaring her a little bit more. But deep down, Maxen knew it was just him being petty since she stole Cosette''s first kiss бк even if it was pure ident.

    "... or maybe not." He forced a smile on his face, shoving his hand into his pockets. He watched the little relief in her eyes disappear with satisfaction before he turned on his heel and walked away.

    All Sarah could do was stare at his back and recall the slight smirk that turned up on his face. Fear and confusion were bagged in her head, having this mild trauma of Maxen and what he could do. Although she knew killing her was impossible, there was something in Maxen''s tone that gave off this idea he ''could'' do it if he so pleased.

    "My fear... is justified," she whispered.

    ******

    "Oh!" Cosette stopped and jumped back when the door suddenly opened and Maxen went out. She sported a smile, a phone in her hand, eyes at him.

    "Is she fine?" was her first question while he closed the door behind him.

    "Mhm." Maxen nodded, blinking ever so slowly. "You should sleep in."

    "What?"

    "Your face..." He pointed at her face, making the lines on her forehead deepened. "... is red because of the beer. Don''t go back thereter."

    Cosette frowned and clicked her tongue, nting her fist on her hips. "I''m not going back there."

    "Your eyes tell me otherwise."

    "Gosh. I''ll look after Sarah." She rolled her eyes, getting a bit more courageous as the alcohol''s effect slowly kicked in. "Thanks for your help, Max. I''ll look after Sarah and you should go back to join everyone."

    She then took a step, taking a turn as she slid behind him to enter the room. However, she stopped when she felt he stayed still. Looking back, she raised her brows.

    "Yes?" she asked.

    Maxen walked to the same spot to face her, wearing his indifferent demeanor. "I want to make sure you go in."

    "Max, I''m not..." she sighed and closed her eyes briefly. When she reopened her eyes, she let the doorknob go and faced him. "I will not sneak out. I promise!"

    "I believe you."

    "Then why are you still here?"

    "I want to see you enter."

    "..." Cosette sighed once more, keeping her eye contact with him. It wasn''t a problem if he wanted to see her go in. However, she felt something was wrong. She just couldn''t point out what exactly was the problem, but there was something wrong and she knew that. Asking him questions would eventually give her the answer she was truly looking for.

    "Do you want to go back in?" she asked after several seconds of silence.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''s the girl''s room." He shrugged before dropping a bomb right in her face. "Do you want toe to my room?"

    Her eyes dted as her ears pped at his question. For a moment, Cosette tugged her earlobes to know if her ears had some defect from the loud music downstairs. When she made sure she didn''t hear him incorrectly, Cosette looked back at him, wide-eyed.

    ''Since when did this novel turn from PG-13 to Rated X?'' she wondered as that was what that question made her feel. ''He sounds like a wolf luring little red riding hood.''

    "What did you say?" she blurted out as if she didn''t hear him the first time, and he repeated his question with a straight face. Cosette pointed at herself in disbelief.

    "Are you really inviting me to your room?" she asked, and he nodded. "Why? What are we going to do there?"

    Maxen wondered about it. His invitation was actually, he blurted out in passing and meant to be a sarcastic one. Of course, being around her wasn''t what he wanted right now. Especially when Sarah''s and Cosette''s ident kept reying in his head.

    "Exercise," he replied before biting his tongue, realizing toote it could give a different meaning to her. ''Well, she wouldn''t have such a dirty mind to...'' his thoughts halted when he saw the look of horror in her eyes.

    "I''m kidding," he immediately added, but Cosette was already convinced he was trying to be serious. Who wouldn''t? He asked with a straight face! There was no way anyone would think he was trying to be funny or even sarcastic about the situation they were in.

    Maxen let out a deep exhale as he scratched his temple. "Never mind."

    "Max..." Cosette finally closed her gaping mouth, blinking countless times. "Since when did you be so sexy?"

    "Huh?"

    "Ask me again," she requested, making him scrunch his nose up. This story was just getting ridiculous.

    "Ask you again?"

    She nodded eagerly. "Invite me again! It''s really cool!" she eximed while pping once.

    "I feel like a prey being preyed upon by a hot psycho daddy."

    "..." Maxen cocked his head to the side. For a moment, his brain went nk as he studied her. Here he was, beating himself for something he thought stupid, only to find out she didn''t find it weird and scary like Sarah did.

    ''How can I forget?'' he wondered while staring into those twinkling eyes. ''This is Cosette c. It''ll be a mistake to see her in just one light.''

    "This is enough to convince me you had enough alcohol in your system." He pressed his index on her forehead and held it still. "Go back inside and sleep."

    Cosette frowned and looked at him in dismay. "Can I sleep in your room?"

    "No."

    "Why?"

    "I don''t want to deal with your friend''s nagging tomorrow."

    "You mean Luke?"

    "Who else?"

    "But --"

    "Go inside." He repeated with a much firmer voice. "Now."

    "Aww..." She frowned as her shoulders lowered. "You''re so cruel, do you know that?"

    "No. You are." He retrieved his finger from her. "Don''t ask or ever stay in a room of the opposite sex. I don''t evene to your room in your house. Don''t make me look bad for wanting to protect you."

    "From who?" she inquired. "From you?"

    Maxen''s back stiffened at her blunt question.

    "Max, you''re not a bad person. Why do you always consider yourself as someone capable of harming others --" her breath stiffened when he mmed his hand against the door behind her. He took a step forward, making her subconsciously take a step back until her back was fusing with the door.

    He bent over until his face was a palm length away from her. "I don''t consider myself as capable of harming others. I can harm others, Cosette." His voice was low, eyes flickering with malicious intent.

    "Just because you are kind to me doesn''t mean I will to you. This world is too unforgiving for that." He shook his head mildly, hoping this would scare her enough to learn her lesson.

    Cosette held her breath as she processed his words carefully. But never once did she leave his gaze, nor did she show any other emotion other than surprise.

    "But I''m not as unforgiving as the world, Max." Her voice was low but clear. "You don''t scare me, Max, nor the things you can do. I believe you need to reevaluate the way you see me because I''m not as good as you think I am."

    "For example..." She clutched his chest and stood on her toes, tilting her head, and imed his lips. But she kept her eyes open, watching his eyes dte. When she drew her head away, the side of her lips curled up deviously. And at that moment, Maxen was sure that wasn''t the Cosette he knew.

    "... you hadn''t seen me misbehave."

 Chapter 78 Should Play With Too Much Fire

    "... you hadn''t seen me misbehave."

    Maxen looked at Cosette in a daze as she still got the energy to sh him an innocent smile. His brain could barely function with the softness of her lips lingering on his.

    What did just happen?

    Cosette let out a faint sigh and pursed her lips. "Reevaluate me." She snapped her fingers in front of him to bring him back from his trance.

    "Good night, Max." She kept her smile and waved faintly before opening the door behind her. As soon as she closed the door, Cosette stood still with her back against the door. She lowered her eyes, pursing her lips, reviewing what she has just done.

    "Did I really do that?" she asked herself under her breath. "Strange..."

    Strangely enough, she didn''t feel anything regarding their brief kiss. She was even more shocked by that little ident with Sarah, but with Maxen? The side of her lips curled up slightly.

    She felt... excited.

    The natural blush that resurfaced on her cheek was kept hidden under the blush from the beer she had consumed. Her heart was thumping against her chest, but it wasn''t to the point she was out of breath. It was only the reaction of her body after surrendering her first kiss.

    ''It''s not bad...'' she thought, raising her brows when she felt someone''s gaze. Cosette smiled and advanced in Sarah''s direction, seeing thetter was still sitting on the edge of her bed.

    "Everything good?" she asked, jumping on the bed next to Sarah.

    "Uh..." thetter cleared her throat and nodded. "Yes. Everything is fine."

    "Sarah, we''ve been friends for months now." Cosette took the pillow to lean on with her elbow. "I know when you''re lying."

    Sarah chuckled awkwardly while fidgeting with her fingers. "It''s just..." she sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "It''s just Maxen."

    "Maxen?"

    "Cozie, I''m scared of him," Sarah confessed as she faced Cosette solemnly. "He likes you and I''m scared of what he will do if... you know. I''m not saying he is a bad person, but there''s just... never mind. It''s probably the painkiller getting in my head. Everything''s good."

    "Sarah." Cosette studied Sarah and sighed, grasping her friend''s worry. Deep in Cosette''s heart, Sarah was genuinely concerned for her. She wasn''t so dumb not to notice Sarah was always nervous around Maxen. She simply ignored it, hoping Sarah woulde to terms with this fear.

    But perhaps it wasn''t that easy. Well, Maxen could be very intimidating. He even tried to intimidate Cosette moments ago. So, she couldn''t really me Sarah. If anything, she appreciated her friend''s genuine concern.

    "Thank you," she expressed, watching Sarah look at her in confusion. "I understand that you''re worried about me and Max, but trust me when I say there''s nothing to worry about."

    "Cozie..." Sarah trailed off when Cosette shook her head mildly.

    "Max is reasonable," Cosette stressed. "I will not say he is a good person or a bad one, but what I am sure is he is reasonable and he will never hurt me."

    Sarah sighed after studying the resolve in Cosette''s eyes. "What should I do with you?"

    "Nothing," replied Cosette with a giggle. "I know what I am doing and although I look like a fool, who smiles a lot, that''s because I chose to smile than sulk."

    "I''m Cosette c," she added and shrugged. "I know where to stand and my limits."

    "If that is what you say." Sarah shrugged as she dragged herself until she was leaning against the headboard. Looking at Cosette''s eyes, she couldn''t help but notice the pride in her friend''s eyes at herst remarks.

    Although Sarah was still worried about Cosette, knowing how terrifying Maxen could be, the look in her eyes was quite reassuring. Pressing on the matter was just Sarah being worried about nothing.

    "Just take care, alright?" she reminded for thest time. "I don''t know about Max and I don''t want to judge, but for someone who only had one person..."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "They get obsessive?" Cosette continued what Sarah could not say, making thetter nod. She chuckled as she hugged the pillow and rested her neck over it, lying on her tummy.

    "It''s not like I didn''t think of that from the beginning. I''ve read a lot of those," she mumbled, eyes at Sarah. "When a person only had one person to rely on... they tend to be territorial."

    Cosette fluttered her heavy eyes as she felt sleepy from all the activities today, then amplified by the alcohol. As silence fell on them, she spoke once more.

    "Sarah, had this ever happened to you?" she asked, keeping her eyes open. "That sometimes, you''ll do something that you never thought you were capable of doing until you did it? That sometimes, you feel certain things that are familiar even though it was new to you?"

    "Because... I feel like there were things I do and think that even surprise me. And yet, I don''t feel the things I expected to feel. But instead, the effect is the opposite," she added in azy voice. "It happens a lot to me. Does it also happen to you?"

    Sarah remained quiet for minutes, pondering about the question Cosette threw at her. When her lips parted, she noticed Cosette had already nodded off. Still, she continued what she wanted to speak.

    "No, Cozie," she whispered, dragging herself to the edge of the bed beside Cosette''s. "That never happened to me. Unfamiliar things are always unfamiliar since they''re new things, new experiences, and the sort. The only time you feel something''s familiarity is when your brain can''t remember, but your heart does."

    Sarah dragged the nket near Cosette and assisted herself up, putting all her weight on her other foot. She covered Cosette with it and smiled when she sat down on the edge of her bed.

    "Good night, Cozie," she whispered. "I hope you open your heart to us more... I would love to listen to your problems, just like how you listened to mine."

    *******

    Maxen stood rooted on the ground for minutes, staring nkly at the shut door. When he returned to his senses, he covered his mouth with his palm and looked down. The tip of his ear was red, and so was his face. It was far worse than Luke''s beet-red face while the guy was chugging down the alcohol down his throat.

    ''... you hadn''t seen me misbehave.''

    Cosette''s voice rang in his ear once again and the mischief in her eyes after stealing his first kiss. She was far different from the girl he knew until now. Even though he heard tons of stories about how Cosette changed, they were hard to believe.

    Even though Conrad himself told Maxen how Cosette was in the past, Maxen took it with a grain of salt. But now... after seeing how daunting she could be, and how calm she was about it... he truly needed to reevaluate how he viewed her.

    His constant reminder that it was a mistake to see her in just one light resonated in his head. He thought he hadn''t been looking at her in one light, as she had manyyers underneath. But this proved him wrong. Maxen was still subconsciously seeing Cosette as someone who didn''t know what she was doing and was just a ball of sunshine.

    She was not, and that was for sure.

    ''I had always known she''s dangerous...'' he ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled sharply. His eyes remained on the shut door, shaking his head in disappointment at himself.

    ''She''s not just pretty, but she''s a little hot too...'' he clicked his tongue in irritation, dragging his feet away to his room. ''Why did she even ask to kiss in the first ce...?''

    With all this realization kicking him in the gut, Maxen couldn''t help but wonder about Cosette''s reason for suggesting to kiss. As he pondered about it, Maxen suddenly stopped in the lobby, frozen.

    ''She... didn''t n to groom me, right?'' he wondered in horror, thinking she wasughing evilly every time he would fall for her convincing arguments. ''Am I being groomed here?''

    For a moment, Maxen looked up and imagined Cosette and Conradughing evilly in her father''s office as they lured Maxen in. He shook his head to erase that idea from his head. That was impossible.

    "That''s right... that''s impossible." He nodded, convincing himself he shouldn''t let his imagination run wild. But before he could take a step forward, he halted once again as another thought crossed his head.

    ''Then... does that mean...'' Maxen narrowed his eyes before the side of his lips curled up deviously. ''That girl... shouldn''t y with the fire too much.''

    He was about to march away when he heard noisesing to the lobby from the pool area. He nced at it and scrunched his nose, seeing Luke throw a tantrum only to retch while others help him. The guy was drunk.

    ''He''s not a threat anymore... I guess.'' Maxen shrugged and walked away, smiling subtly as he realized seeing the other side of Cosette wasn''t so bad, albeit definitely shocking. At the very least, he didn''t have to see her as someone so innocent, with no vestige of impurity.

    So, a little bit of teasing would be fineбн right?

 Chapter 79 De Javu

    When morning came, most of them were grunting,ining about their headaches. Others were hungry and thirsty. While some weren''t fully sober yet, still feeling groggy from all that drinking they weren''t used tost night.

    "Ugh... Mommy... I''m dying..." Fay groaned, crawling on her bed. "I''m dying..."

    "That''s what you get..." Sarah bit her tongue when she nced at the bed next to Fay.

    "My head hurts..." Amie was sobbing with no tears, dragging the pillow over her face to cover her eyes. "... I will not drink again."

    ''That''s what most people say the very next day after a party.'' Sarah shook her head before catching the figure sitting up next to her bed.

    There, Cosette was sitting upright with a nk expression. Sarah''s brows furrowed. Cosette had been sitting up almost the same time as her, but she hadn''t spoken a word until now. Unlike Amie and Fay, who returned to their room dragging each other like a zombie, Cosette didn''t drink too much.

    However, Cosette slept early and had a bit of a drink.

    "Do you have a hangover, Cozie?" asked Sarah, considering Cosette was a lightweight.

    "I wish," Cosette answered with a hoarse voice, but she didn''t even look back at Sarah. "I should''ve drunk morest night."

    "And regret it just like those two?" Sarah chuckled, ncing at the two zombies groaning on their beds. "Goodness... talk about drinking moderately."

    She could not help but shake her head mildly. Well, Sarah wasn''t in any better shape than them. She had a sprained ankle and would have to limp to go ces. But since everyone had funst night, she was certain their n for today was canceled. Too bad since this was their day two and tomorrow was thest day of this summer trip.

    Yet, Sarah smiled. Their first day was fun, and rxing today was not a bad idea.

    However, just as Sarah epted that everyone would cancel their itinerary today, her heart pounded against her chest when someone knocked on the door. She turned her head towards the door, watching it open slightly, only to see a female ssmate peeking her head in.

    "It''s breakfast time," said their ssmate, making Sarah nod.

    "We''ll join you guyster." Sarah pointed her thumb at the beds across from hers. "They hadn''t sobered up."

    "Ohh... won''t you guys join in going to the city today?"

    "Huh?"

    "We had a n to tour the city today. Some, who were like them, were not going. We''re doing a count, so we know who will go and who will not."

    "I''m going to pass." Fay waved her hand, her face still buried in the pillow. Meanwhile, Amie also raised her hand weakly, saying, "same."

    Sarah then gazed at Cozie. "Cozie, are you... going with them?"

    "Huh?" Cosette snapped her eyes listlessly and finally set her eyes on Sarah.

    "They are still nning to continue the tour today. Are youing? Fay and Amie were dead, so they will pass. I don''t think I can enjoy walking around with this sprained ankle," Sarah exined, moving her foot to show Cosette her dilemma. "What about you?"

    It took long seconds for Cosette to respond, gazing over Sarah and onto the door where their other female ssmate was peeking her head in.

    "Who ising?" she asked with a hoarse voice. The female student furrowed her brows, but she still named everyone who had confirmed woulde. Maxen wasn''t on that list, Luke as well. So, it was just them and the tour guide and they would ride the bus they rode on their way here.

    It wasn''t a bad n. Luke should be in charge of the school trip next school year.

    "I''ll go." Cosette smiled, making Sarah look at her.

    "Great! We''ll be leaving in three hours!" said the female student while Cosette nodded in agreement.

    "You''reing?" Sarah inquired as soon as the door closed.

    "You don''t want me to?"

    "No, I mean, if you''re alright, why would I stop you?" Sarah replied in a knowing tone. "I''m just worried you still had a hangover, that''s all."

    "Ahhh..." Cosette chuckled awkwardly, flinging her legs out of the bed. "Yes, I still have a hangover."

    She confessed under her breath, pushing herself up and standing in between her bed and Sarah''s. Thetter''s already knitted brows furrowed even more at her response.

    "You should take some medicines..." Sarah trailed off when Cosette shook her head. She watched her bend over the bed, nting her palms on the mattress and leaning her face closer to her.

    "Wh бк what?" she stuttered, fighting herself from drawing back as their faces were only a palm length away from them.

    "My hangover isn''t from the beveragest night," Cosette confessed with a deep sigh. "It''s about the kiss."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Sarah''s eyes instantly went wide, recalling her little ident where she got this sprained on her ankle.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "You mean... that?" she awkwardly asked.

    "Sarah, can you be honest with me?" Cosette fluttered her eyshes slowly. "Was it good?"

    "What?"

    "The kiss," she stressed. "Was it good?"

    "..."

    Sarah looked at Cosette, unable to answer that question she was askedst night. The only difference was that the person asking that same questionst night was Maxen. But both Maxen and Cosette were asking with the same exact curiosity in their eyes.

    Just what was going on?! Was this a curse in that ident? Did she really have to answer that question?

    "Come on, Sarah," came Fay''s rasped voice after several seconds of silence. "I want to know too."

    "..." -> Sarah.

    "I want to know too," Amie chimed in groggily. "I need to think about it to forget my headache."

    "..."

    "So?" Cosette''s brows raised after ncing at the two, who were paralyzed on their respective beds.

    "Do бк Do I really need to answer that?" Sarah stammered, rattled to the core.

    "No." Cosette shook her head and closed her eyes briefly. "You don''t have to answer if you''re notfortable about it. But, it does matter to me. I want to know what my lips feel like."

    Sarah looked at her in conflict, studying the pure curiosity in Cosette''s eyes as if her life depended on it. What did she think of Cosette''s lips? Their kiss was an ident and a weird turn of events. But aside from those, Sarah pursed her lips and averted her eyes.

    "It was..." she cleared her throat, trying to hide her blush of embarrassment under a straight face but failed miserably. "... soft and hot. It''s strange, but at the same time, good."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line while nodding. "Really?"

    "Mhm."

    "I see..." Cosette pushed herself away from the bed, still nodding. When she was about to saunter off to the bathroom for a shower, she stopped when Sarah spoke.

    "Why?" Cosette looked back at Sarah when she raised a question. Thetter''s face was red and her chest was moving heavily, clutching the nket over herp.

    "Why did you ask, Cozie?"

    "Mhm... feedback," answered Cosette and shed her a smile. "I was curious what the other party feels about the kiss."

    With that being said, Cosette resumed and went to the shower. Meanwhile, Sarah could only look at the bathroom door in a daze. Even Fay and Amie, who heard Cosette''s response, pulled their pillows, only to nce at where Cosette went.

    "Cozie is bing bolder every single day we''re with her," Faymented approvingly before closing her eyes to rest. "Ugh... I promise I will not drink that much. Luke is frustrating."

    "I don''t know who to ship Cozie anymore. Maxen and Cozie, Luke and Cozie, or Sarah and Cozie." Amie shook her head and nced at Sarah only to sigh. "Cozie is the ship, I guess."

    "She''s starting to worry me too," Sarah mumbled, pursing her lips into a thin sh. She deeply wanted to forget the sensation that was still lingering on her lips, but whenever she thought about it, she couldn''t help but remember how Cosette''s lips felt against hers.

    "Goodness... I feel like I will go crazy," she added under her breath, shaking her head to get that memory out of her head.

    Little did Sarah know that a particr individual was having the same dilemma as her.

    Maxen was sitting on the edge of the bed, face buried in his palm. Although he didn''t drinkst night, he was just as groggy as everyone else. He didn''t sleep a wink! And it was all Cosette''s fault.

    "I feel like I''m going crazy," he mumbled for the umpteenth time. "She''s crazy."

    The more Maxen told himself not to think about what happenedst night, the more his brain would keep rewinding it nonstop. Therefore, he couldn''t forget the taste of her lips, its soft texter, and the electricity that ran through every fiber of his living body.

    "Did she even remember it?" he wondered, spreading his fingers to show his sharp, dangerous eyes. Just the thought of losing sleep because of her and Cosette not having to remember didn''t sit well with him.

    "She better..." he breathed out, grinding his teeth in irritation. "Or I will remind her what she did to me." бк and maybe, ask her to take responsibility.

 Chapter 80 Too Close?

    Cosette closed her eyes and drew a breath, letting the water sprinkle on her face. She nted her hand on the tiled wall, standing rxed, highlighting the curves of her body under the steam filling the entire shower.

    ''I think I lost my mindst night,'' shemented internally, rubbing her hands through her hair. She then lowered her head, opening her eyes.

    "I''m really crazy," she mumbled to herself, sighing and closing her eyes once more. "Misbehave? Seriously? I don''t know what got into me. Did I think I have that many lives to spare?"

    Cosette shook her head, wanting to bump her head against the wall to give herself a lesson. But that would hurt her, so she could only scold herself for misbehaving. No matter how she liked Maxen as a fan, she was taking advantage of his innocent baby viin.

    ? "We''re still in our teens..." she opened her eyes, thinking about their current age at the moment.

    Although Maxen would turn eighteen this year and she was turning seventeen, they were still too young. Even so, Cosette was aware she was only thinking like this because that was what kept her act her age. She never enjoyed her youth in the past because she was ill, and mostly lived in the hospital.

    Thus, she wanted to enjoy her youth with this unbelievable phenomenon. As much as she could, she wanted to live the life she was never been blessed to have while changing Maxen''s fate.

    But as time goes by, the longer she stayed in this world, the more she was subconsciously focusing on her life. She wasn''t even worried about the male lead''s and female lead''s rtionship, since she was certain the two would meet eventually. Moreover, they would get their happy ending for sure and the book would end there.

    A happy ending. No more book two where the viins would appear to challenge that love.

    "Is it alright?" she asked herself in a voice above the whisper, which instantly faded into the sound of the water. "To disregard what was already written?"

    Worry slowly filled her eyes, thinking about whether she should focus on their development instead of being too wary of the novel. Not that she hadn''t been focusing on their own story and life, but more like she didn''t want to keep reminding herself this was a world of the novel.

    That thought kept her from going all out. It kept her from cherishing the rtionships she was building, and enjoying life to the fullest. She was too afraid everything would be taken away from her in a sh.

    "Get a grip, Cozie." She shut her eyes and shook her head. "Focus on the kiss!"

    Cosette nearly choked on her own reminder as two kiss scenes shed in her head. One was with Sarah and then with Maxen. Although what happened between her and Sarah was purely an ident, it still left a deep impression on her.

    "I wonder what Max thinks about it?" she wondered, sighing for the umpteenth time. Since she knew she couldn''t reverse the time, she wanted to at least know that Maxen didn''t feel weird about it.

    "I don''t want to turn him off." She sighed once more, having this reason she had been in distress throughout the entire shower. Not the fact that she kissed Maxen, but the fact that she was curious about what he thought about it. Although it was a brief kiss бк just a peck бк his opinion mattered to her.

    Knowing Maxen, he could be disgusted. Worse. He would resign because he felt defiled.

    "Ugh..." Cosette buried her face into her palms. "I think I''m going crazy... how the hell did I not think about that?"

    Throughout the shower session, Cosette wallowed in her woes. She kept scolding herself, reminding herself to make better choices and drink just a little next time. She poured it all out in the shower room, so when she got out, she was like a brand new person.

    As soon as she exited the bathroom after a very long time, Fay and Amie were already snoring. Meanwhile, Sarah was silently scrolling through her phone. Cosette didn''t want to disturb them, tiptoeing around until she finished her morning ritual.

    "Sarah," Cosette whispered her yell, sitting on the edge of Sarah''s bed. "Are you hungry?"

    "No, not really." Sarah shook her head, putting her phone down as she held Cosette''s gaze. "Are you going now?"

    "Well, I still have an hour and a half. I''ll grab you guys some food. You should eat here so you don''t sprain your ankle."

    "No, it''s fine." Sarah cleared her throat when Cosette widened her eyes. "I mean, thanks."

    Cosette chuckled, patting Sarah''s shoulder mildly. "I''lle back."

    With that being said, Cosette pushed herself up from the bed and marched outside without looking back. However, as soon as she closed the door, she suddenly felt cautious of her surrounding. She looked left and right and then trudged through the short hallway leading to the lobby.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But before she could cross the threshold of the lobby, Cosette peeked her head out and looked from left to right once more. To her relief, Maxen wasn''t there. She only caught a few of her ssmates and then Luke, grunting on the couch in the lobby, crying about his headache.

    "He won''t notice me," she mumbled, almost tiptoeing as she crossed the lobby to the next hallway where the dining hall was. The Quinn''s vacation home was like a small hotel that had a royal theme, so the hallways were wide and each ce was perfectly put in its rightful spot.

    Cosette heaved a sigh of relief when she passed through the lobby without getting Luke''s and a few of her ssmate''s attention. She bumped into others on her way, though. But they simply greeted her good morning before going on their way.

    Since she was certain her ssmates came from the dining hall, she was a little rxed. She knew they already had their breakfast, and she was a littlete for that. What were the odds Maxen would be there, right? Knowing him, he had already eaten even before everyone else since he was an early bird. Moreover, he disliked eating with a crowd. Last night''s dinner was a miracle since she threatened him.

    But s, Cosette was wrong.

    Just when she rxed and reached the dining hall, she bumped her nose against someone''s chest. A short "ah!" escaped her mouth at the slight pain, making her rub her nose before looking up.

    It took an entire minute of silence and blinking before her eyes dted. Cosette held her breath under Maxen''s dull gaze.

    "Ma бк Max!" she stammered,ughing awkwardly. ''Act natural, Cozie! Don''t let him find that you remember! Telling him you don''t remember is better since he would probably forgive me!''

    Her brain kept yelling at her, telling her what to do. In her understanding, Maxen wouldn''t feel weirded out if he believed her actions were because she was under the influence of alcohol. And she didn''t mean any malice whatsoever.

    Right... no malice.

    "Did you eat?" she asked, forcing herself to sound natural, and fortunately, she sounded normal. She raised her brows and shed him a smile. However, her lips trembled when his eyes fell on her lips.

    ''What бк what?'' she wondered. ''Why is he staring at me like that?''

    His eyes lingered on her lips before raising his eyes to examine her expression. Cosette was smiling almost innocently again as if she didn''t do anythingst night. If she killed someone, no one would even suspect her, since that face didn''t bear any vestige of anything bad.

    Maxen tilted his head to the side. "No, Cozie. I haven''t eaten yet."

    "Oh. I''m about to get the girls some food. We can eat together if you like," she offered sweetly, keeping in character. "Hmm? Come. It''s bad to skip breakfast."

    Cosette patted his chest and walked past him. She almost heaved a sigh of relief, assuming she had already deceived him into making him think she didn''t remember a thing. But just as she brushed shoulders with him, a hand grabbed her wrist to stop her.

    When she looked back at him, all she saw was Maxen walking in the same spot until his side was facing her. He cocked his head back, then it slighted to the side until his eyes fell on her.

    "Last night..." her back instantly stiffened as she secretly held her breath the moment his voice caressed her ears. "... do you remember what you didst night?"

    Her lips quivered. "What did I do...?"

    "Hah..." heughed in ridicule, letting her hand go as he turned on his heel to face her. "So, you don''t remember how you ''misbehaved''?"

    "Did I embarrass myselfst night?" she bit her tongue, lying on the skin of her teeth. "Please tell me I didn''t pick up a fight or beat Luke! Or did throw up in anyone''s shirt!"

    His smile lines faded, taking a step forward, eyes fixed on her. As he advanced in her direction, Cosette took a step careful step back. The closer he got, the more she took steps back until her hips hit the edge of the table. When she couldn''t step back anymore, Cosette lowered her head as he stood in front of her.

    "What бк what?" she murmured, nting her fist on his chest. However, that did nothing as he still bent over until his unsmiling face was a palm length away from hers.

    "Hey, Max. Aren''t you too close?"

    "Too close?" he tilted his head, the faint dark circles around his eyes just made him appear a little more dangerous. "I don''t think so. We''re still too distantpared to how close we gotst night."

 Chapter 81 Thighs Too Tempting

    "I don''t think we''re still too distantpared to how close we gotst night."

    "What бк what are you saying now?" Cosette took a peek at Maxen for a moment before averting her eyes.

    "You really don''t remember?"

    "What''s there to remember?"

    "Should I show you and see if you remember?"

    "What!?" Her eyes dted as she looked back at him in horror. Cosette held her breath for a moment, realizing how close her face was to him.

    ''Beautiful,'' was what came into her head instantly, staring into his eyes. Although she had been seeing him seven times in a week, only now did she realize how gorgeous he was up close бк this close.

    Maxen narrowed his eyes, studying her reaction. "So you remember, huh?"

    "Ah?"

    "Why lie about it?" he arched a brow, tilting his head to the side. His entire body shivered when her fresh breath and the faint floral perfume wafted his nose. Maxen blinked twice, getting out of his half-daze state from theck of sleep, realizing she was this close бк too close бк with him.

    ''I am...'' his mouth parted slightly, eyes falling on those lips. ''... going crazy, for real.''

    When Maxen raised his gaze and locked eyes with her, his breathing slowed down. He could feel the thickening tension building between them. Neither of them looked away as if they were waiting for something to magically happen. The ambiance and the moment just felt right for whatever it meant.

    He tilted his head slightly and leaned in, hoping deep in his heart she would push him away to get him back to his senses. He needed a third party to stop him because if he would rely on himself, he couldn''t. Her misbehaviorst night kept him awake all night, and he hadn''t collected his thoughts yet.

    ''Stop, stop, stop,'' was what he kept telling himself, but seeing her keep her eyes on him with anticipation, he felt like losing his mind. And when Cosette held her breath, pursing her lips, closing her eyes, something in his head snapped.

    ''Fuck...''

    He secretly ground his teeth, ready to bare his teeth and sell his soul to the devil just to have a taste of her. A proper taste. Something she would never deny even if she wanted to. An experience she and he would never forget.

    But s, just before his lips could touch her, someone coughed from behind them.

    Maxen instantly froze when his lips were just a few centimeters away from her. Meanwhile, Cosette popped her eyes open and gasped in horror. When she tilted her head to the side, her eyes dted even more as herplexion turned pale.

    Asher.

    "Uh..." Cosette tapped Maxen''s chest, and thetter moved back in a daze. "He he..."

    Sheughed awkwardly, clearing her throat while tucking her hair behind her ear. shing Asher a smile, who bore this unreadable yet cold countenance, Cosette skipped back.

    "I''ll get the girls something to eat," she announced, darting her eyes between Maxen and Asher. After a second, she hurriedly rushed away, walking past Asher even without getting food, just as she announced and nned.

    Asher arched a brow, ncing back to see her almost sprinting through the hallway. When he peeled his eyes from her back to Maxen, thetter also raised his eyes at him at the same time.

    Just like yesterday, the two of them stared at each other in silence.

    Asher slipped his hand in his pocket, marching ahead and onto the counter to pick up an apple in the bowl of fruits. As he took a bite, he nced back at Maxen, seeing thetter in deep thought while looking up.

    "You''re lucky," Asher spoke after a full minute of silence, leaning his back against the counter. "Beautiful, smart, and rich. My little brother is very fond of her."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen arched a brow and returned Asher''s gaze. "Your little brother is very fond of her... so, what?" he tilted his head to the side.

    "Calling dibs for him?" he added out of in curiosity. "Or for you?"

    "Don''t get me wrong, Mister Cloven." Asherughed with his lips closed, folding his arms under his chest. "I don''t share the same interest as you or my brother. But s, I''ve always been overprotective of my brother. The young miss of the c Family is the only friend Luke had who didn''t bear malice. Therefore, I feel responsible for those kids."

    "Do all rich people have a habit of doing background checks on people?" Maxen asked with a touch of ridicule, knowing that was what Asher did for knowing his name and the reason for his frustrating tone.

    "It''s part of our world, Mister Cloven." Asher shrugged. "We have to know who were are friends and foes."

    "And you think I fall into the category of thetter?"

    "I said no such thing. But for someone who had nothing but suddenly the world is within his reach... I must say I am astonished." Asher''s smile didn''t reach his eyes. "You are a clever one. You chose a good one."

    Maxenughed weakly, but for obvious reasons, he felt nothing from Asher''s insinuation. He was used to it and numbed to this type of mockery. This wouldn''t hurt him. At the end of the day, this guy, who thought he already had figured things out, and his opinion didn''t matter to Maxen.

    Asher was nothing but just another human being for Maxen. If this was Conrad or Cosette, or the people in the c''s manor, he would care for sure. Because those people and their opinions mattered to Maxen. No one else.

    "Funny, isn''t it?" Maxen nted his hands on the surface of the dining table, eyes on Asher. "One day, you''re the best, and the world seemed to revolve around you. Then, the next, you''ll meet someone who came from nothing and a nobody, but suddenly had a chance to be someone."

    "You think I had it easy by taking advantage of other people''s kindness for my ambition?" he continued with a ridiculingugh. "Isn''t that a little hypocritical, Young Master Quinn? Even let''s just say I bear such an intention. Isn''t that life is?"

    Maxen cocked his head to the side. "Just like how the rich pursue more power and influence, the poor can pursue the same thing. The only difference is that you people didn''t have to start from scratch and had a head start. While a nobody like me can only rely on myself to make it happen."

    "What is so bad about hugging someone''s thigh? Especially if those thighs are too tempting not to?" he added. "Guard your territory as much as you want, pretty boy. But I don''t need your approval for the things I do. I do what I can, and you do you. End of discussion."

    "Don''t worry, though. Once I seed with this perfectly concocted n of marrying a rich, beautiful girl, I''ll surely remember your name." Maxen smiled, pushing himself away from the table. He snorted at Asher and turned on his heel, about to walk away, when he stopped.

    "By the way." He raised a finger and looked back at Asher, smirking. "I know that look when you interrupted us. Deny it all you want, but I saw what I saw. I do not mindpeting with a hypocrite like you to win her heart, though. She''s worth it. But... I hope you won''t mindpeting with your brother as well. Have a nice day, Young Master Quinn."

    With that being said, Maxen peeled his eyes away from Asher. His eyes glinted dangerously, smirking as he marched away. Meanwhile, Asher''s eyes darkened, staring at Maxen''s back as thetter walked away.

    Asher stayed in that same spot for minutes, eyes on the entrance where Maxen left.

    "I don''t understand what''s going on inside the cs'' head for letting such a cunning fox with a sharp tongue inside their home," he mumbled, ncing at the apple he had bitten once before tossing it on the counter. "But whatever it was... I don''t like him."

    Not that Asher didn''t know Maxen didn''t care whether he liked him. He disliked Maxen the second their eyes met. And the same goes for Maxen. There wasn''t any particr reason for this hostility, and they both knew that. However, they were also aware that there were just certain individuals that one wouldn''t like for no damn reason.

    That was life, and they couldn''t please everyone.

    ''I know that look... I saw what I saw.''

    Suddenly, Maxen''s words crossed Asher''s head once again, making thetterugh in ridicule. Sure, Asher was surprised at the scene he walked into. However, his primary concern was that Luke was pursuing Cosette. If the two got married, it would be good for the BLK Corporation and Quinn''s Holdings.

    ''He''s delusional...'' he bit his tongue. Danger lurked in his eyes as they darkened. ''I can get her if I want to, but I don''t because I don''t want to. He shouldn''t test me like that.''

    Asher snapped his eyes when he noticed three shadows approaching the entrance. He pulled himself away from the counter and walked away in another direction with glinting eyes.

    Unlike Maxen, who wasn''t even affected by every nonsense Asher uttered, thetter was a little annoyed бк challenged. After all, Asherбн waspetitive in every aspect of life and he disliked losing, especially to someone as arrogant as Maxen.

 Chapter 82 Unless You Want To Be Preyed Upon

    Cosette didn''t forget the reason she went to the dining hall before the suggestive interaction with Maxen. However, it was too awkward to stay in the same ce as him when someone came in. Of all people, Asher had toe, but in a way, she was thankful it was Asher and not Luke. That would be a huge problem.

    So Cosette stopped a staff on her way back and asked her to bring some food to their room nicely. Much to her surprise, the servant knew her name. Cosette was a little embarrassed to ask this favor, as she didn''t want the servant to think she was acting like a princess. But s, the servant happily epted her request.

    In the end, Cosette came back to where the girls were and nned to spend some time with them before they depart. When she returned to the room, of course, Sarah looked at her with curiosity in her eyes. But before she could ask, the servant came with a tray of food for the four of them. They even brought medicines for their hangover бк just like what Cosette asked.

    Fortunately, Sarah wasn''t the type to probe and knew how to read the air, while Fay and Amie were too groggy to even notice the awkwardness dominating Cosette''s face. An hour had gone by with just them snacking and talking about what happenedst night, and when another ssmate came to pick up Cosette, Sarah, Fay, and Amie waved her goodbye before resting again.

    ''I think I got used to theirpany...'' Cosette leaned back on the seat by the window of the bus. Her ssmates, who decided toe, were settling in their seats. ''Really... what am I thinking?''

    She shut her eyes, telling herself not to think about what had just happened in the dining hall. However, the more she told herself not to think about it, the effect was the opposite. It kept reying in her head over and over and over until she snapped her eyes open.

    "Wait... he leaned forward, right? It''s not me?" Cosette jumped from her seat when someone sat down beside her. She looked at him and her eyes went wide. "Max?"

    As usual, Maxen wore his dull expression, casting her a side-eye. "Not a sound about it," he warned tonelessly.

    "What..." She cleared her throat and looked away, eyes on the window. "I was just making sure if you''re the one who leaned forward or me."

    "You did."

    Cosette gasped and looked at him in disbelief. "Max, you shouldn''t push the responsibility on me!"

    "Why?" he quirked a brow. "You don''t want to take responsibility forst night and today, too?"

    "What --" she nearly choked in her own breathing at his blunt questions. She thought Maxen would act just as awkward as her. But then again, he wasn''t awkward this morning too. If anything, he looked dangerous, as if anything she would say would warrant her a death row.

    Meanwhile, Maxen studied her in silence. If not for the fact he was worried about her and these kids, he wouldn''t evene for today''s trip. However, if something bad happened, he wouldn''t forgive himself for letting her go all on her own. Not only that, but he wouldn''t have a face to show to Conrad if Cosette was put in harm.

    "Tell me." He adjusted his seat until he was facing her. "What do you want from me, Cozie?"

    "Huh?"

    "What is it you''re aiming for that you''re trying to help me even when I didn''t ask for it?" he rified, wanting to take advantage of the awkward situation than let it sit and devour them alive. He needed answers, and he was certain he couldn''t ask her in the future. Or rather, he wouldn''t have a chance to ask.

    "That''s so random," came out a muffled voice, leaning back, shrinking under his gaze. "Because why not? I mean, kindness is free, so it won''t hurt to be generous about it."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Of course, I am!"

    "It''s not because you''re grooming me, right?"

    "Hah! Of course! Not!" Cosette bit her tongue and opened her mouth at the pain that numbed her jaw. She instinctively covered her gaping mouth, feeling her bones wobble at the numbing pain of identally biting her tongue.

    Maxen shook his head, watching her recover from identally biting her tongue. He didn''t know whether that was karma for lying, but now, he was more suspicious of her intentions. Surely, it wasn''t just as pure as it was out of the goodness of her heart.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So, you are?" he asked, making her eyes pop open wider. "Is that the n?"

    Cosette raised a hand and swallowed the water in her mouth. "What? I said, of course not."

    "And then identally bit your tongue?"

    "Goodness, Max. Are you saying I am a predator?" she nted her palm across her chest, pursing her lips when his expression died. "Gosh... don''t look at me like that. I bear no such intention..."

    Maxen raised his brows, waiting for the rest of that sentence as it sounded like she just trailed off. "Unless?" he asked when she feigned ignorant.

    "Unless you wanted to be preyed upon," she mumbled, making his eyes twitch. "Then I''ll groom you happily and put you in a warm nket where the author cannot touch you."

    "Hah..." he pinched the bridge of his nose andughed weakly, shaking his head before resting his back on the seat. The bus had started moving away from the mansion since everyone settled in their seats. His lips opened and closed, but his voice was stuck in his throat.

    Who wouldn''t be rendered speechless by her statement? Unless he wanted to be preyed upon? She''ll groom him happily? And put him in a warm nket? What was he? A baby?

    The image she had in his head waspletely shattering ever sincest night. What she said just now was thest straw.

    He raised a finger and looked at her. But in the end, he closed his eyes and shook his head. It was pointless. Or rather, today wasn''t the best time to talk about it. He needed some time to let this all sink in. It was too abrupt.

    Meanwhile, Cosette kept her lip shut. Her eyes were shaking, sneaking a peek at him. When he looked back at her but ended up saying nothing, her brows rose. She was too used to being honest with him, that she already blurted out the things that sounded misleading.

    ''That''s not what I meant...'' she muttered in her head and sighed secretly. ''What I meant by that is I want to raise him to be a good man and get his own happy ending. But well... I did sound like someone who had an evil n. Great job, Cozie!''

    Cosette nced at him once again. The only thing she could sigh in relief for was that Maxen didn''t seem repelled. That was what was important. She didn''t want Maxen packing up his things while telling her he would rather starve than get defiled.

    ''That would be the worse, for sure.'' She leaned against the window, eyes outside, watching the side road sh before her eyes. ''In any case, he seemed fine with what happenedst night. He wille to terms with it. But then again... what was that tension in the dining hall?''

    Her mind drifted to the feeling she felt in the dining hall, trying to understand what it felt exactly. It was strange, Cosette thought. During that time, her brain just wentpletely nk, bewitched by his eyes. Deep in her heart, she was anticipating something to happen.

    Was that the effect of kissing someone? That it was addicting, and she wanted to explore it? The feeling of his lips was surely appalling in a way. It was too appalling she wanted to have an actual taste just so she could discern what it truly felt and tasted.

    ''Am I bing a pervert after two consecutive kisses?'' Cosette mentally facepalmed. Little did she know, she wasn''t the only one who was having a personal dilemma.

    ''Do I want to be groomed by her?'' Maxen asked himself for the umpteenth time as silence enveloped the two of them. ''Is that even legal? She knows what she''s saying, right?"

    He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. ''Maxen, Maxen. Get a fucking grip.'' When he reopened his eyes, they were calm, but the turmoil within remained just as chaotic.

    ''How can I do that when I can''t even leave her alone?'' he nced at her, only to see her looking at the window. ''If only she chose to stay behind... did she think she can avoid me? Or... is this a part of her n, knowing I can''t stay behind if shees? Damn... she shouldn''t have misbehavedst night. If only she didn''t, I will not know this part of her.'' бк because now, he was having all sorts of ideas in his head.

    The two of them remained silent, thinking about their own dilemma. Little did Cosette know, she would have an encounter she had never fathomed to happen. At least, not this soon.

 Chapter 83 Two Crazies

    The itinerary was to visit monumental spots, temples, and attractions around the city. Unlike where the secluded Quinn family vacation home was located, the city was totally different. Cosette and their ssmates toured with enthusiasm, while Maxen was the only person who dragged his feet.

    Cosette and Maxen''s dilemma was slowly set aside as time passed by. And thus, they didn''t discuss it and the trip with thepany of their ssmates got things off of their heads.

    When they almost went to thest of their destination, they made a stop in a park to have some snacks. In the park, there were also things they could do, such as horse riding, riding bikes, and food stalls everywhere.

    Walking beside Maxen on the sidewalk, Cosette nced at him. "You want?" she raised the popsicle she was eating, making him lean his head back.

    "No." His expression was dead like usual.

    Cosette smacked her lips and shrugged. Their other ssmates were trying out other things the park was offering, but Cosette chose to just walk around and enjoy the fresh air. Maxen would automatically apany her; that was his job, to keep an eye on her.

    "Are you still..."

    "No." Maxen''s dull expression grew duller, knowing what she would ask. He barely recovered from it, and as much as possible, he wanted to distract himself. How could she just remind him ofst night and this morning''s urrence?

    "Gosh... so cold."

    He drew a breath and stopped, letting her walk ahead. "I should just leave her alone," he mumbled to himself, but couldn''t really do it. If leaving her was something as easy as before, he would''ve done it in a heartbeat.

    "She''s not even waiting for me." He frowned, about to take a step, only to freeze when he caught someone running from the side and straight to Cosette. "Cozie!"

    Maxen yelled, and without thinking twice, he jumped towards Cosette. However, Maxen wasn''t fast enough as the person bumped into Cosette, causing the two of them to crash to the side. For a moment, Maxen held his breath as his heart stopped beating.

    His eyes burned, balling his hands into a fist, grinding his teeth in anger. Without thinking, he marched towards Cosette and was prepared to teach the other person a lesson.

    Meanwhile, Cosette winced.

    "Ah..." she checked her palm and bit her lips, seeing that she grazed it on the concrete floor.

    "Ouch, ouch." Cosette looked at the person who crashed into her that caused her to fall, furrowing her brows as the person in a ck hoodie was sitting up.

    "Are you alright?" she asked, seeing that the other person was holding her ankle. "Did you sprain your ankle?"

    Cosette was about to stand and help the person, but before she could, Maxen came to her side.

    "Are you alright?" he asked, panting as if he ran a marathon. She looked back at him, studying the fear, panic, and anger in his eyes. Maxen examined her, his hand on her arm trembling.

    "Ye бк yes..." she stammered, a bit surprised because his expression was something she has never seen before. A subtle smile appeared on her face, as his worried expression was enough for her.

    "I''m okay, Max," she reassured, looking him in the eye and nodding.

    "Your hand."

    "I just grazed it, but nothing serious." Cosette forced herself to sound alright to not worry him.

    "Damn it..." suddenly, a girl''s voice caressed their ears. "Why are you walking so slow? Damn, that hurt. You should''ve moved бк ouch, ouch!"

    And that, Maxen''s eyes were clouded with anger as if in a snap of a finger, all he saw was red. Without thinking twice, he sprung to his feet and grabbed the cor of the girl''s hoodie. Even thetter was shocked when she was back on her feet.

    "Sorry is the only word you need to say..." Maxen gripped her cor tighter, his teeth clenching in anger. "... but you make it sound like it''s her fault."

    "Wait бк wait--" Seeing his eyes that seemed to only see blood, the girl grabbed his wrist in panic. "Hey! Don''t beat me up! I''m a girl!"

    "A girl?" the side of his lips curled up like a maniac,ughing at that ridiculous im. "Do you think I won''t beat you to death just because you''re a girl?"

    The girl gulped as a chill went up to her spine. That young man was seriously angry, and he didn''t show the slightest hesitation. He would beat her up.

    "Oy..." came out a shaking voice when he raised a fist. Her eyes dted, holding her breath. Every second felt like forever, and all she could do was stare at those dark eyes that were akin to the devil.

    This young man wouldn''t give her mercy, and that was for sure.

    "Maxen Cloven!" Cosette yelled, seeing that Maxen would strike the youngdy. He stopped upon hearing her voice, and his eyes, which were clouded with anger, slowly showed rity. Cosette huffed and pushed herself up, wincing as she realized she had grazed her knees as well. However, she didn''t dwell on the pain as she stood up, miffed.

    "I said, stop, Max!" she ground her teeth, breaths heavy, eyes ring. "Let her go."

    Maxen didn''t look back at Cosette, but he could tell she was angry. But he was even angrier as he red at the youngdy before him before slowly letting her go.

    "You''re lucky this is not in the past, or I would''ve mugged you," he huffed before ncing to his right when Cosette approached them. The moment their eyes met, he could tell she was upset with his aggressive actions.

    "Violence is not always the solution, Max." Cosette hissed, making him look away. But unlike what he expected that she would only scold him and apologize to thedy Cosette stood in between them.

    "And how dare you me me for this crash?" her voice this time was low and intimidating, causing Maxen to arch a brow and nce at her. Although Maxen couldn''t see her expression, he could tell Cosette wasn''t about to y nice.

    "You were the one running so fast and not looking. A simple apology will be fine and settle things." Her eyes sharpened, looking back at the youngdy in a hoodie with her chin up. "But you just went on with your nonsense. You''re lucky you crash into me and not him, or I don''t mind ruining your life with everything I can."

    Maxen blinked twice as a big question mark hovered over his head. Did she mean if Maxen was the one involved in the ident, she would use all her power to convict this person? Wasn''t that a little extreme? But then again, Maxen nearly beat this unmannered youngdy if not for Cosette.

    ''Why do I feel happy, though?'' he bit his tongue to stop himself from smiling. This wasn''t the time to get butterflies in his stomach, but he sort of enjoyed being protected by Cosette. It made him happy, and his anger just magically disappeared because of it.

    "Goodness... are you two crazy or what?" mumbled the youngdy, darting her eyes between Maxen and Cosette. The more she looked at them, the more she couldn''t help but take a careful step back.

    "Sorry!" the youngdy huffed. "It''s because you already saw meing, and still didn''t run away or jump back! We could''ve prevented it if you were fast to react."

    "This little--" Maxen cracked his knuckles, getting more annoyed every time the youngdy speak. However, Cosette cast him a warning look before she set her eyes back on the other person.

    "We could''ve prevented it from happening if you were not running in the first ce. Can you see anyone else running around?" Cosette tilted her head to the side slightly, eyes on her. "I don''t mind, nor do I need your apologies anymore. I''d rather not have it than get your half-baked sorry."

    Cosette sized up the youngdy with her sharp eyes and scoffed. "I feel rather sorry for you." She shook her head and turned on her heel, facing Maxen.

    "Let''s go, Max. There''s no point in wasting our energy and time with this person. She won''t take responsibility for it or acknowledge her fault." She raised a hand, and Maxen quickly held her arm to assist her.

    "Ouch..." Cosette winced as soon as she clutched his arm and pressed the wound on her palm.

    "Let me hold you." She looked up at him when he held her arms instead. "We''ll go back to the bus. Can you walk?"

    "Mhm." She nodded and smiled subtly. "I''ll get used to itter, but I think I sprained my ankle mildly."

    "Tell me if you can''t. I''ll carry you."

    "Alright."

    As Cosette and Maxen carefully walked away, the youngdy snorted. She clicked her tongue in irritation, darting her eyes between the two lunatics.

    "Gosh... kids nowadays," she mumbled before perking up when she heard someone calling her from a distance.

    "Mia! Let''s go!"

    "Coming!" The youngdy, Mia, limped her way in the other direction, while Cosette stopped.

    Cosette looked back at the limping youngdy, furrowing her brows. "Mia?" she whispered. "The female lead?"

 Chapter 84 You Matter To Me

    "Thanks." Cosette smiled at Maxen after cleaning her wounded palm and dressing it up.

    After their minor ident, the two of them returned to the bus. Everyone was still out there, so it was just the two of them. Fortunately, there was a nearby pharmacy and Maxen simply ran to buy the things he needed for her grazes.

    He let out a quiet sigh and nced up at her. "I can''t take my eyes off of you even for a second."

    "You make it sound like it''s my fault."

    "I didn''t mean it that way."

    "I know." Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line before smacking them. "Anyway, I''m okay. I already feel better after dressing up my hand and cleaning my knees."

    Maxen studied her face for a moment before leaning back against his seat. Another deep exhale escaped his mouth, closing his eyes to rest them for a bit.

    "That shameless girlбн"

    "Don''t mind her." She chuckled, gazing down at her bandaged palm. Her smile grew subtle, settling on her seat beside the window.

    ''Is she really the female lead?'' She wondered, thinking if that youngdy was the female lead or simply share the same name. After all, sharing a name was normal. Cosette''s driver and the head butler in the c''s manor shared the same name.

    It was a bit rare in novels, but they were unnamed characters, anyway. Still, she had this strong gut feeling she didn''t mistake it бк just like how she felt when she first bumped into Asher.

    They had this distinct aura around them.

    ''Butбн she''s a bit annoying.'' She thought, pressing her lips into a thin line. ''Mia''s character is strong, and she had gained much sympathy and admiration for not falling for her assaulter.'' бк which was Maxen.

    For most readers who were sensible, Mia''s tenacity in surviving all the atrocities done to her was admirable. It made the female lead stronger, and Asher''s unconditional love for her was heartwarming.

    On the other hand, readers'' opinions towards Maxen were split. He might be a vicious character, but he still garnered support because of the depth of his character.

    And there was Cosette, the viiness. The majority of readers admired this viiness, even though she was a viiness. All for the sole reason Cosette was a strong woman, with or without anyone''s help. A character that was just perfect. It was hard to ship her with anyone, as she was perfect just the way she was.

    ''I told myself not to think about the novel so much,'' Cosette secretly sighed once more. ''But that brief encounter with the female lead left mixed emotions in my heart.''

    Her encounter with the female lead left a deep impression on Cosette''s heart.

    ''I know she has a strong character butбн she''s a jerk.'' She mentally shook her head. ''But well, this is ten years prior to the main story. Many things would happen in everyone''s life before the main story begins.''

    So, in other words, Cosette couldn''t truly judge Mia. The female lead had a carefree life, and she wanted to believe there was a reason Mia acted that way.

    What was important was ten yearster, she would be somebody worthy of admiration and respect despite her wild days as a teen.

    That was what life was.

    They were still children in this world, and they would make poor decisions. All that mattered was when they grow into an adult, they already learned their lessons as teens. Hopefully.

    Cosette nced at Maxen and smiled subtly. "Hey, Max," she called, watching him open his eyes and cast her a side-eye.

    "Hm?"

    "Thank you," she expressed. "For today, I mean."

    His brow arched. "You don''t have to thank me. I''m just doing my job." Maxen looked ahead and then continued. "Your father is paying me handsomely to take care of you. I get to live infort, unafraid of rainy days and the sort. Don''t thank me for doing my job."

    "I''m thanking you not because of that." She drew a breath and leaned back, eyes ahead, just like him. "I''m thanking you for today and for yesterday and the days before today and after today. I''m thankful for your existence."

    Her eyes softened as her smile grew gentle. "I''m d I met you that day. But there were times I wonder if I met you too early or toote... things like that cross me. If I met you too early, am I changing your future? Or was it toote for you to forgive the world?"

    Maxen nced at her and bit his inner lip. Seeing her expression moved his heart and listening to her words brought myriads of questions to his head. However, he didn''t dwell on the riddles she was spewing because one thing was clear to him.

    He should be the one thanking her.

    In his seventeen years of existence, no one had ever told him or made him feel he mattered. Matter of fact, people just kept telling him to just die since his existence wasn''t making this world a better ce. It wasn''t like he asked to be born in the same ce.

    So, hearing someone that was thankful for his existence brought mixed emotions to his heart. But the dominant emotion was a positive one.

    "Be kind, Max." Cosette returned his gaze and smiled. She reached for his hand and kept them secured with both her hands. "Earlier, you were about to strike ady. I know you were angry, but always remember violence is not always the solution. I know what she said was triggering and even I was annoyed. However, these hands are far too beautiful to use for violence."

    Cosette guided his hand and nted a peck on his knuckles before resting it on her cheek. She raised her eyes to him, keeping her eye contact and smiling subtly.

    "There were other solutions to deal with other people. A better and much more painful jab without throwing your fist. Promise me. No matter what happens, unless you needed to defend yourself, don''t use these hands for violence." She raised her brows, waiting for his reply.

    But s, Maxen just stared at her in silence. She was still holding his hand on her cheek, looking at him while smiling.

    He lowered his eyes, and before he knew it, he already bent over. He titled his head to the side on instinct, holding her hand that was holding his on her cheek. His action caused her eyes to dte, breath hitching with his lips on hers.

    Cosette''s back stiffened, feeling his hand buried in her hair. His hand settled on the back of her head, while the other reached over her shoulder to close the curtains behind her. For a moment, her brain fuzzed, trying to understand what was going on.

    This was unlikest night when she caught him off guard and imed his lips. It wasn''t just a simple peck. Cosette realized that when his lips moved against hers and stuck his tongue inside her.

    She grabbed his hand that was stilling her head on instinct, moving her gaze at him. But the second she looked at him with dted her, all she saw was his shut eyes and his naturally long eyshes.

    Maxen had gone feral!

    Cosette held her breath for a moment, eyes shaking. However, instead of pushing him away, she moved her tongue and touched the uninvited guest. Strange, she thought. How could his lips and tongue feel so strange, but at the same time, delectable?

    Her eyes slowly shut closed as she loosened her grip around his hand. She wanted to feel him without looking at him. Just their lips trying to get to know the unfamiliar sensation and euphoria crawling under their skin.

    Cosette didn''t even know if what they were doing was the correct way of kissing. She simply followed his lead, letting him bite her lips ever so tenderly, and allowing his tongue to take hers in a dance. He took her breath away, tilting her head to the other side so she could breathe.

    They kissed for minutes, and for some reason, she didn''t feel any negative emotion about it. If anything, she wanted it tost. However, things had always had their end. After minutes of kissing, Maxen hissed and parted his lips from her.

    Still holding her face, Maxen exhaled sharply. As he drew away, he watched her open her eyes slowly. They looked at each other in silence, unable to say a word for the longest time. Both were still wondering what just happened бк or rather, just Cosette since Maxen was already mentally punching himself for losing control.

    He shouldn''t have done what he had just done just because her words moved him. But s, that wasn''t what angered him. It was the fact he didn''t regret kissing her properly this time.

    "Why didn''t you push me?" he asked under his breath, keeping his face a palm length away from her. "Why, Cozie? Tell me now that you''re only toying with me, so I won''t hold on to a silly fantasy that you... that I matter to you."

    Her lips opened and closed, trying to find her voice to speak. When she finally found it, a muffled voice came out.

    "What makes you think... you don''t?"

 Chapter 85 A Villains Way Of Love

    "What makes you think... you don''t?"

    "What did she mean by that?" Maxen closed his eyes, covering them with his arm.

    Right after Cosette said those words, their ssmates just decided to show up on the bus. Thus, they didn''t have the time to talk about it. They traveled in silence, and he didn''t have the courage to continue as his ssmates rallied around Cosette when they noticed her hand and knees.

    Now, here he was, in his room, thinking about her words that kept ringing in his ear in a loop.

    "Ugh..." he grunted. "I''m so stupid."

    Why did he kiss her? Of course, he didn''t regret it, but his mind was filled with the thought of Cosette. Her words, the taste of her lips, their texture, and the natural blush on her face when he parted his lips from her. His breathing grew heavy as he felt like he was in that situation again.

    "This time... it''s my fault." Maxen peeked from his one eye, staring at the ceiling. "I shouldn''t let her make my heart flutter every single time she opens that mouth of hers."

    He winced, but he couldn''t help it. He had been trying his best to not cross the line with her, but ever sincest night, his body kept aching for her. If only he could confine her in his embrace securely, where no one else coulde close to her, he would''ve done it.

    After all, everyone just wanted a piece of Cosette. When he wanted her whole. Sarah, Fay, Amie, Luke, and just everyone. But Maxen could only keep these thoughts and desire to monopolize her to himself.

    "I shouldn''t be happy when her father can kill me if he heard about it." Maxen ground his teeth once more. That was another problem: Conrad. Although Conrad had been open-minded and considered things such as this, Maxen felt like he didn''t have a face to show at that great man.

    Conrad was paying him to look after Cosette, but actually, someone should look after Cosette from Maxen. Living in the same house with his first love would only make worse things for Maxen.

    "I should move out..." he murmured, thinking he didn''t mind giving up thefort of protecting Cosette from him. If only Maxen could remember the money he had in his bank right now, but apparently, he hadn''t checked.

    ''Actually, if I move out... I am protecting us both.'' He mentally nodded at this im. ''She''s too impulsive and I''m too weak to draw the line. This is why teenage pregnancy --''

    Maxen''s face froze as his thoughts halted for a moment. "Shit!" he pulled his body up, brushing his hair back in distress.

    "Teenage pregnancy? Seriously, Max?" he closed his eyes and huffed. "I''m thinking so far ahead when we just kissed."

    He ruffled his hair in irritation, then fanned himself as he felt his body temperature rising. He checked the air-conditioned, and he was certain it was working. Yet, he was sweating buckets.

    "Damn it..." he cursed under his breath, flinging his legs out of the bed. As he marched towards the bathroom, he was already taking his clothes off. His face was already red as a result of his wild imagination. The memory of Cosette in a bikini wasn''t helping as well.

    Why? Because it was etched in his brain, and he couldn''t help but think of ''perverse'' things. Even when he stood under the cold shower, Maxen had a hard time cooling his body down. His brain just kept repeating Cosette in a bikini, her smirkst night while saying the word ''misbehave,'' her ims on the bus, and the heat of her lips lingering in his.

    "Come on..." He nted his palms on the tiled wall, eyes closed. When he reopened his eyes, his eyesnded on his erection that wouldn''t calm down.

    "This is embarrassing..." he whispered as he reached for it helplessly. This was the only way to cool his body down, and he promised to keep this secret to his grave.

    ******

    Meanwhile, in the girls'' room...

    "Tsk tsk tsk." Fay clicked her tongue continuously, shaking her head while darting her eyes at Sarah and Cosette. She was already sober, sitting on her bed, arms crossed. "I guess this is the sign I was looking for."

    "The sign that being wasted for more than a day is better than drinking moderately?" Amie asked, leaningfortably against the headboard. The medicines and enough sleep cured her hangover, and they just woke up minutes after Cosette returned from the trip.

    "Exactly. Look at us. We''re fresh as a daisy." Fay cast her a knowing look and then snorted at Cosette and Sarah. "Look at those two. Both injured."

    "But if you drank too much, you''ll meet an ident too."

    "But I didn''t." Fay shrugged.

    "You''re enjoying this, are you?" Sarah frowned, knowing Fay was taking advantage of their situation so she wouldn''t get scolded by Sarah. After all, Sarah swore she would scold those two for drinking too muchst night.

    "Of course not!" Fay gasped. "How can I enjoy it when my friends have both sprained ankles?"

    "You..." Sarah sighed and shook her head. "Whatever. I''ll just send you a video of how you embarrassed yourselfst night."

    "Wait! Let''s talk about it!" Fay''splexion instantly grew pale, wide-eyed. "I didn''t walk naked, right?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What? Have you done that before?" asked Sarah in disbelief.

    "No, but I need to be sure!"

    "Don''t worry. I think she''s bluffing. She returned before us, remember?" Amie chuckled when Sarahughed, while Fay frowned.

    "Mommy Sarah! How can you do that to me?!" Fay grumbled, only for Sarah to shrug.

    "That is not impossible to happen if you keep that attitude, young miss." Sarah grinned smugly before setting her eyes on Cosette. "Cozie, you''re silent. Did you enjoy today''s trip?"

    Cosette, who was leaning against the headboard, with her feet outside the bed and the other on the bed. She nced at Sarah and smiled, ncing at the other two on their respective beds.

    "I did..." She bit her lips to suppress it from stretching even wider. "The city is great, and we went to different locations. We took a lot of photos, too. It just so happened I bumped into someone and this happened."

    Sarah nced at the bandaid on Cosette''s knee before raising her eyes again. "Maxen didn''t kill whoever that is, right?"

    "He nearly did." Cosette chuckled. "But he didn''t."

    "Damn it! If I was there, I will sew that person''s eyes so he would look where he''s running to next time!" Fay grumbled, making Amie shudder at the violent im.

    "It''s fine..." Cosette offered them a smile. "I mean, things happen and when they do, all we can do is how to react to the situation. Also... Uhm..."

    "Also?" Sarah quirked a brow, making Cosette look back at her. When Cosette shifted her eyes at Fay and Amie, their brows rose in anticipation.

    "Also..." Cosette bit her tongue, wondering if she should tell them what happened. "I came to know Max cares for me. He was so scared, and it was the first time I saw him get scared."

    Sheughed awkwardly, deciding to keep this a secret for now. But when she looked at them, she tilted her head to the side.

    "What?" she asked in confusion, seeing that the three were giving her this odd look.

    "Cozie, are you dense or what?" asked Fay in a voice only a level above a whisper.

    "Huh?"

    "We thought you already noticed it and just act like you don''t," Amie added in the same low tone.

    "Max only cares for you, Cozie." This time, Sarah also voiced her thoughts. "Do you think Max wille with us without you?"

    "If Death suddenly appears here and asked Maxen whether to sacrifice us to save you, or to sacrifice you to save every living being in this world, he will definitely choose the former without batting an eye," Fay gave out an example that was actuallymon knowledge to everyone but never spoken verbally. "And we''re all dead for sure."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line and chuckled awkwardly. "That''s an exaggerated im."

    "It''s so obvious Max likes you more than just a ssmate and a friend," Amie murmured. "Isn''t that why Luke couldn''t rest?"

    "Cozie, don''t tell us you really haven''t noticed that?" Sarah asked and cocked her head to the side.

    Silence fell in the room as the three kept their eyes on Cosette. Thetter bit her lower lips and lowered her eyes.

    "Why, Cozie? Tell me now that you''re only toying with me, so I won''t hold on to a silly fantasy that you... that I matter to you."

    Maxen''s voice rang in her head and she remembered the desperate look in his eyes. That look she had never seen in the past. It wasn''t something that affiliated with anger, but rather pain. It was as if, once Cosette spoke the wrong words, he would break.

    It wasn''t like Cosette''s answer to his question wasn''t the truth. It came from the heart, but somehow, the thought of it brought this unknown fear into her heart.

    "Do I have to notice it?" she whispered to herself. ''When I already know this story might lead to this sort of plot?''

    Cosette raised her head and smiled at them. "I''ll take a walk outside."

 Chapter 86 Rottenpieceofmilk

    Cosette excused herself from the room to breathe some fresh night air. Her injury wasn''t that painful, unlike Sarah''s. So, her steps were ufortable but weren''t painful. She had bumped into a few girls that were right beside their room and talked to them for a bit before she went to the pool.

    No one was in the pool. Everyone was either tired from the trip, while those who didn''te were resting or just doing whatever the hell they could do.

    Cosette sat down on one of the lounge chairs, recliningfortably. She gazed at the night sky, feeling the night breeze, listening to the silent rustle of the trees surrounding the vacation home.

    ''I promised not to think about the novel and live my life as it is,'' she mumbled to herself. ''But... I guess it''s inevitable and impossible to disregard itpletely.''

    Not that Cosette was or wasn''t noticing Maxen and his action toward her. It was just that she hoped she could just take everything as they were without interrupting her thoughts with what was already pre-written.

    ''Because at the end of the day... I like Max.'' She sighed.

    Cosette already had a huge crush on Maxen and the real Cosette from the very beginning. She was a fan and was in tears after meeting Maxen for the first time. Some might not understand her, because Maxen was an antagonist. But he was her favorite.

    To be liked back by Maxen was like a dreame true. But then again, Cosette felt like she was driven to the corner. She couldn''t help but sometimes consider what if she would woke up from this world? What would happen to Maxen? Would the real Cosette return?

    Maxen would be heartbroken if that happened because the real Cosette was far different from the current one.

    "I''ve been impulsive, aren''t I, author?" came out a whisper while staring at the night sky full of stars. "I should be talking to God, but here I was, talking to rottenpieceofmilk."

    Cosette let out another sigh as she recalled the author''s pen name. It was ridiculous, but having the knowledge of being in a novel would never leave her mind. This may sound sphemous, but there was no God in this world бк even though there were beautiful temples and religions in this world.

    "God''s name in here is rottenpieceofmilk."

    "Are you an atheist?" Cosette flinched when a voice came from her side. She turned her head in the voice direction and her brows elevated.

    ''Asher?'' she blinked twice, seeing him approach and sit on the lounge chair beside her.

    "Rottenpieceofmilk?" he repeated, cocking his head to the side. "That''s God''s name?"

    She pursed her lips into a thin line and looked away. "Please pretend you didn''t hear that."

    "Hear, what?" he chuckled and leaned back while she nced at him. "If it''s a secret, then I don''t remember anything."

    "I''m not talking about God, but the author of this world," she murmured.

    "Isn''t that the same?" Asher arched a brow and set his indifferent eye on her.

    "It''s not."

    Asher rocked his head and set his eyes on the same sky she was staring at. "That''s right." He blinked slowly, holding the book on top of him.

    "If you''re saying the author of our lives, then it''s different, indeed," he added, setting his eyes back to her when he felt his gaze. "Do you believe in fate?"

    "No."

    He smiled. "Me too."

    "Then, what do you believe in?" she blurted out, rather surprised at herself for feelingfortable casually talking to him.

    "I believe in facts." He smacked his lips. "How about you? What do you believe in?"

    Cosette went silent for a moment, peeling her eyes from him and back to the sky. What does she believe in? She knew she didn''t believe in fate because if fate was real, then she wouldn''t be in this world. After all, she was someone who knew everyone''s fate and now she was changing Maxen''s fate.

    Sounds contradictory, but this story was already full of contraction to begin with, anyway.

    "I believe in... I don''t know." She shrugged and let out a faint sigh. "I''m still trying to figure that out."

    Asher studied her side profile in silence. It seemed like she was lost at the moment; the reason he approached her. Although it was purely a coincidence that he went there to read a book. But what wasn''t a coincidence was this conversation because he approached her even when he has already seen her all alone here.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "About earlier..." his brows rose when Cosette suddenly froze, making him chuckle shortly. From what he heard and what he imagined, she would be someone with more sophistication, who wouldn''t let others read her emotion. But the more he interact with her from the time in the Academy until now, Cosette was definitely someone who wore her heart on her sleeve.

    "Hehe... please forget about that." Cosette awkwardly chuckled as she faced him.

    "Why?"

    She huffed silently. "If you are in my situation and I saw you about to get kissed by someone, will you like it if I bring it up?"

    "Depends." He shrugged while he frowned. "After all, I can''t let things like that happen in our territory. I don''t want to take responsibility if a miracle happens on the Quinn''s grounds."

    "A miracle?"

    "Getting pregnant."

    Her eyes instantly went wide at his remarks. Meanwhile, he chuckled at her funny reaction from her.

    "You look ugly," he remarked. "Close your mouth."

    "Hey, aren''t you thinking too far ahead?" she inquired, ignoring his insult since she had confidence in her face.

    "I''m not. I''m simply stating usible scenarios if no one was supervising," he argued calmly. "You''re young and curious. If what I''m saying is impossible to happen, then there wouldn''t be a problem about the growing teenage pregnancies."

    Cosette opened her mouth but ended up shutting them closed. "But it''s not like that will happen."

    "How are you sure?" Asher slowly sat up and flung his legs out of the lounge chair. He rested his book on his thigh, his arm over it.

    "In the heat of the moment, do you think a simple kiss will lead to studying?" He cocked his head to the side, holding her gaze. "No. An innocent kiss will slowly turn into a mature kiss, and you will feel your body temperature rising. That heat will slowly take over you until you cannot think straight, which will lead to another stage."

    "Before you realize it, you''re both lying somewhere naked. Exploring each other''s body, letting go of the little innocence you were holding, and stepping into a game so addicting to resist," he continued in an incredibly low tone. "You will tell yourself this is wrong, or this is too early, but you''ll feel too weak to say ''no'' because your body needs it."

    His eyelids dropped, but he maintained hisposure. "Should I go on and list down what will happen?"

    Cosette didn''t answer. She couldn''t. All she could do was return his gaze in silence, biting her inner lip, wondering how could he detail what she felt when Maxen kissed her. Cosette was initially shocked, but she felt so intoxicated at the euphoria crawling under her skin.

    "You''re too young and still too curious about many things, especially in this area, Miss c. I don''t me you for being curious. It''s human nature," Asher spoke after an entire minute of silence. "But be mindful. People tend to make mistakes in their youth. Some mistakes can be buried, but others... will scar you for life."

    "What... makes you think kissing Max is a mistake that will scar me for life?" she blurted out under her breath, biting her tongue as soon as she realized what she had just said. Her question caused his brow to arch, but before he could speak, she continued.

    "I know you are trying to lecture me about something important, but I can''t help but feel that you are lecturing me because of the other person involve." Cosette took advantage of this borrowed courage and pointed out what she had noticed. "Why, Asher?"

    Asher held his breath for a moment. He reviewed his words and was certain he didn''t leave a trace of his intention. But s, she still noticed it.

    He looked at her and smiled. "You found me. It''s because I don''t like him," he confessed since she already found him out.

    "But I was sincerely concerned for your well-being," he added.

    "Why?"

    "Because... it''ll be a shame if youmit an impulsive decision when it could''ve been prevented." He shrugged. "But suit yourself. Do what you want to do and forget what I said. After all, I simply said what I said because you''re my brother''s friend."

    Asher smacked his lips before he held his book and pushed himself up. "Anyway, I''ll be on my way and leave you alone. Have a great night, Miss c."

    With that being said, Asher marched away without an intention to look back at her. But just as he took three steps away, he stopped and looked back. As soon as he did, he saw her fling her legs out of the lounge chair and sat on the edge. Her hands were on either side of her, eyes up at him.

    "I appreciate your concern, Young Master Quinn. However, Maxen doesn''t need you or this world to like him. He only needs one person, and that spot is already upied." Unlike her usually smiley countenance, her eyes were solemn and her tone was distant. "I may be impulsive, but he is never my impulsive decision and will never be just an impulsive decision I could''ve prevented. I will do what I did and make the same decisions all over again if I must."

    "I hope that put your heart at ease." Cosette then shed him a smile. "Enjoy your night."

 Chapter 87 The End Of The Trip

    "Enjoy your night."

    Asher''s brows rose, rendered speechless by the way Cosette pped back at him. And yet, she was smiling so innocently. More than annoying, it was amusing for him. Now, there was no reason to doubt the reputation Cosette had in the academy.

    "Already did." He smiled back, shrugging. "It was a great talk and I hope it''s not thest."

    "Definitely."

    Cosette waved mildly, holding his gaze before he turned on his heel and went on his way. She fought the urge to make a face long enough until he entered the house.

    "What a jerk," she grumbled, tossing herself on the lounge chair once more. "How dare he belittle Maxen in such a cunning way?"

    Her frown grew deeper upon rewinding Asher''s words in her head. Although Asher didn''t say anything that could be found insulting when someone else listened to it, Cosette was good at reading between the lines. The only time she would feign ignorance was when Maxen chase her away.

    "Is he also like that in the novel?" she arched her brow, recalling some scenes in the novel. "Yes, he is."

    In the novel, Asher was branded as a doting husband and captured the majority of the readers'' hearts. But he was savage. He had a sharp tongue, although he was a man of few words. The typical domineering, but doting CEO male lead.

    "I guess since they were created бк fated to be enemies, Maxen and Asher don''t like each other at first sight." She nodded, extending her understanding of the development of the story she was trying to rewrite. The sudden thought made her freeze.

    "Rewrite?" she asked herself, holding her breath for a moment until she couldn''t take it anymore. "No..."

    Cosette perked up and gazed in the direction where Asher had left. Her brows furrowed, letting out a quiet huff before sittingfortably like previously.

    "That won''t change, right?" she mumbled. "This encounter won''t change his future, right?"

    Cosette bit the tip of her thumb nail as she pondered about it. She weighed whether Asher and Mia бк the leads of the Devil''s Den бк would change with just this brief encounter. She shook her head after convincing herself there was no way there would be that big of an impact in the future.

    There was nothing to worry about. For sure, Asher would forget about this encounter and move on with his life. This was nothing. Heck! They only talked for about five minutes. Maybe a little over it.

    "That''s right." She patted her chest mildly. "Nothing will change."

    Cosette nodded continuously until she felt at peace once again. The reason she was in the pool area almost left her mind, since other distracting thoughts filled her head. And that was her goal бк to stop thinking about being just a character in the novel.

    ''Mia and Asher will still get their happy ending. That''s for sure.'' бк that had always been the n, after all. Cosette only wanted to change Maxen''s ending, not the entire novel. Luke too. But she still shipped Mia and Asher, although both showed they were jerks in their teens.

    Cosette let out a long sigh, staring at the night full of stars. A smile appeared on her face, her eyes softening.

    "I should enjoy my time here," she told herself, regaining the confidence she nearly lost today. "That''s alright, right? Be a little selfish and just do the hell I can, since there''s no way I''d know why I am even here in the first ce."

    Maybe it was because she didn''t get to enjoy her youth that was why God pitied her and she went inside the novel. Or maybe she was just lucky. Either way, Cosette felt more alive inside a novel than in her real life. After all, being terminally ill was not fun.

    As she thought about her uneventful life before waking up as Cosette ck, tears shone in her eyes. Before she knew it, she was already biting her lower lip, letting tears fall to the side. Her sniffles grew louder, and the tension in her chest and throat was distinct.

    "Grandpa..." she whispered, now recalling the only family she had in her original world. "Grandma..."

    It never crossed until now, and Cosette immediately felt this pang in her chest at this realization. She was never generous. Matter of fact, she had been selfish from the beginning. If only she was a good girl, just like what other people see her, then she would''ve thought about her elders who took care of her and provided for her needs.

    But she only thought of them now after months of being stuck in the novel.

    ''I''m sorry...'' Cosette huped and covered her eyes with her arm. She cried silently, feeling all these mncholic emotions and longing she never felt before.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She missed them, and she wanted to apologize to them for being selfish. However, she couldn''t tell herself to want to return to her original life. Not because she was wayfortable with her life, but because one way or another, Cosette wished she would just die.

    It may sound like she was depressed, but honestly, she simply didn''t want to be a burden to her elders. They were old, but they still had to work to provide the medical attention she needed. But s, her sickness was just getting worse and worse.

    "I really missed them..."

    ******

    "Definitely."

    When Asher turned on his heel, the side of his lips curled up in amusement. He shrugged and walked away just as silently as when he approached her. But as soon as he stepped inside the mansion, he stopped upon catching a figure leaning just right beside the door leading to the pool area.

    Asher nced to his right, and his eyes instantlynded on Maxen. Thetter had his arms folded under his chest, casting Asher a nonchnt side-eye. But Maxen didn''t show any sign of irritation despite overhearing Asher and Cosette''s conversation. If anything, he was pleased about thest part before Asher left her alone.

    "Lucky." Maxen smiled as if to spite him. "Guess that''s what you will call having her wrap around my fingers."

    "Well, I won''t deny that." Asher shrugged nonchntly.

    Maxen chuckled, rocking his head mildly. "Your nosey attitude somehow made me happy; I''m d you are."

    "Enjoy it while itsts." Asher didn''t let Maxen''s words affect him. He was quite in a good mood to let this guy ruin it.

    "I will surely do."

    Asher arched a brow and sized him up. He let out a short snort, before shrugging and walking away without saying a word. Maxen didn''t stop him as well, watching Luke''s big brother walk away without bickering with him. They were both not in the mood to use their sharp tongues since they had already used them this morning.

    "I may be impulsive, but he is never my impulsive decision and will never be just an impulsive decision I could''ve prevented. I will do what I did and make the same decisions all over again if I must."

    Maxen smiled subtly, recalling Cosette''s words, which she had said a loud and with conviction. He wouldn''t mind if she simply remained silent and listened to Asher. Actually, Asher was giving her a good lecture, and Maxen wouldn''t deny that. However, Cosette didn''t let the underlying meaning behind Asher''s words remain unaddressed.

    ''She didn''t have to do that, though.'' He shook his head, chuckling with his lips closed. Before he could go back to his room since he was only there to get some fresh air, but ended up overhearing Asher and Cosette''s conversation, he checked the pool area. He just wanted to make sure she wouldn''t get drowned by her own clumsiness.

    He smiled seeing her sitting leisurely on the lounge chair бк the back of the lounge chair facing him. When he was certain she was simply enjoying the night breeze, he was about to go back but stopped when he heard sniffles. His brows furrowed, tiptoeing his way into the pool area.

    The sound of sniffles grew louder as he went closer to the lounge chair until he heard muffled cries. That second, he froze.

    ''She''s crying?'' his pupils went huge, instantly thinking about Asher as the culprit for her tears. But this assumption was instantly crushed when she whispered; "I really missed them... grandma... grandpa..."

    Maxen''s heart softened and melted, gazing down, and could barely see her arms moving to wipe her tears. Cosette hadn''t sensed his presence, and Maxen took a step back instead of consoling her.

    ''I really don''t know her yet, huh?'' he thought, standing in that same spot without making the slightest noise. He shoved his hand inside his pockets, looking up at the sky. Consoling her was the initial thought that came to his head, but the way she muffled her cries only meant they were cries she didn''t want others to know.

    Therefore, he stayed there just to be there for her, even if she didn''t know about hispany. That was to respect her, but at the same time, make her feel she wasn''t alone. All she needed was to look back, and he would be there for her.

    That night has gone by as silently as possible, with Maxen leaving before her, almost hiding from her. He walked behind her and made sure she returned to her room safely. Never once did Cosette look back, afraid to parade her puffy eyes. But that was fine. It wasn''t like he wished for her to look back and get to find out his presence.

    And that was how their memorable trip had ended with a remaining day, which everyone spent wisely and happily.

 Chapter 88 Confess

    [ The first day of the trip was the most chaotic day, but it was fun, nheless.

    The second day was... a roller coaster of emotions. But with her friends, Cosette didn''t feel as homesick-ed as she thought. She had great friends who genuinely care about her. The type of people she would certainly treasure until the end.

    On their third day, which was also theirst day, everyone had learned their lesson from the first day. And therefore, they found ways to y and have fun without the involvement of alcohol. They squeezed all activities they could on thest day of their vacation as if they had all the energy in the world.

    The thought of going back home slightly gave every single one of them mixed emotions. Thest three days were nothing but fun and happiness. Days youths like them enjoyed, worrying about nothing.

    When night fell, they stared at the night sky altogether while lying on the vast green expanse in the mansion''s garden. They all voiced out their heart: how this was the best trip they had and how they wished this vacation wouldn''t end. However, instead of dwelling on an impossible wish for this vacation tost forever, they all decided to treasure it.

    Like what youths would do, they all promised to travel and stick together, even in the future.

    One day, they promised to lie down and formed a giant circle while staring at the sky. This wasn''t thest trip they would go on together. And they looked forward to more fun times together. ]

    Cosette smiled as she put a period on thest words of her journal, writing what happened on the trip in the past three days now after they returned home. A single night wasn''t enough to write everything because Cosette had a lot of things to write about it.

    Her eyes softened. Writing this made her recall everything from the time Luke picked them up at the bus stop, to their detour in Amie''s home, their faces after seeing the private ne, and also the first ne ride for some of them. Everything after that was pure chaos, but the good kind of chaos.

    ''I even got my first kiss stolen.'' She giggled at the thought of Sarah''s ident, only for her smile to face when her kiss with Maxen crossed her head.

    "Him too... I don''t know what we are," she whispered. After that incident on the bus, Maxen and Cosette didn''t talk about it. He acted like usual, cold and unbothered. Although he wasn''t avoiding her, it somehow made her feel a little conflicted. That only meant Maxen had forgotten about it.

    A deep sigh escaped her nostrils. "He''s a natural yer," she mumbled, pouting at the thought.

    "I would think about it from time to time, especially when we''re talking," she continued, almostining to herself. "But I guess that''s nothing to him."

    Cosette shook her head, convincing herself Maxen was Maxen. Ten years from now, Maxen would makedies line up to get his attention, and if she based it on the novel, the women who would warm his bed would frequently change. Frequent, as in daily.

    "I shouldn''t think about that," she told herself, focusing on the journalid on the desk before her. "As long as he doesn''t be a viin, that''s what is important. Although it would be nice if he finds ady and sticks to her only."

    She shrugged and closed the journal, cing it back inside the drawer and locked it so no one could read it. No one entered this room aside from Lucia, though. But it had been a habit she rarely noticed. Cosette stretched her limbs, tilting her body from left to right with both her hands up in the air.

    "Ahh... that''s a good one," she mused, having this relief travel from the tip of her fingers down her shoulders. Her lips stretched from ear to ear as Lucia entered her room after three light knocks. As usual, Lucia was bringing a tray with a ss of milk on top of it.

    "Young Miss seemed to be in a great mood," said Lucia as she ced the ss of milk on the desk.

    "I finished writing my journal about the trip." Cosette grinned proudly. "How about Dad? Is the home already? It''s a bitte."

    "He just arrived and was looking for you."

    Cosette nced at the digital clock on the side of the desk. Seeing it was already past nine in the evening, she rocked her head in understanding. Her lips stretched as she reached for the ss of milk and then gazed at Lucia, her nanny.

    "Where is he now?" she asked, watching Lucia raise her brows.

    "I''m not sure, but I think he is in his study."

    "In his study? Right when he came home?"

    "Sir Maxen had things to discuss with him."

    Cosette frowned, making Lucia sigh. Lucia patted Cosette''s shoulder, offering her young miss a gentle smile.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The Master had been preupied, but I''m certain he is not forgetting about you, Young Miss," she reassured, in case Cosette would misunderstand theck of time Conrad had been spending in the manor.

    "I know that..." Cosette leaned against the chair, looking up at Lucia''s gentle smile. "I mean, I know why Papa is busy after the incident in Sharie. It''s not like I don''t understand, since I appreciate that he still makes some time to meet me in the morning and eat breakfast with me."

    Lucia smiled, even more, pleased that Cosette appreciated this small gesture from Conrad. Conrad might not have voiced it out, but during Cosette''s trip, he would often pause and ask about his daughter to the servants out of habit. Well, Conrad used to do it even back when his rtionship with his daughter was strained.

    "I should see him," Cosette mumbled. "I still have months to spare before school starts. If he can''t make more time, then I have time and should tail him like a shadow, right?"

    "Young Miss..."

    "Hehe. That''s right." Cosette nodded and stood up, holding the ss of milk. She shed Lucia a friendly grin. "I''ll drink my milk while he drinks his wine."

    "But Young Miss --"

    "Come on..." instead of listening to Lucia, Cosette hooked her arm around Lucia and dragged her with her. "I missed my dad so much. I should spend more time with him."

    Helpless, Lucia allowed the yful Cosette outside her room. She was unable to stop the young miss since her intention was good. And soon enough, both of them forgot Maxen was with Conrad in the study.

    ****

    Meanwhile, in Conrad''s study...

    The air was thick with Maxen standing near the set of couches while Conrad was near the stand where the decanter and empty winess awaits him. However, Conrad just stood still, holding his tie that was slightly loose, eyes on Maxen, like a mannequin.

    "You..." Conrad''s low voice pierced the thick air in the study room. "... kissed my daughter?"

    Maxen lowered his eyes along with his head. "Yes," he breathed out, mustering his faltering courage, and looked up at Conrad again. "For a good three minutes... or five."

    Conrad blinked twice, letting Maxen''s confession register in his head. He had been busy, and although he made time for Cosette to get to know what happened on the trip, he hadn''t conversed with Maxen with just the two of them. Conrad would rather spend the spare energy and limited time with his daughter; Maxen would be fine on his own, and he preferred it that way.

    However, he didn''t know Maxen would drop a bomb on him after making that call earlier, requesting an audience with him. Which was why Maxen was here today.

    "Five minutes, huh?" Conrad''s shortugh sounded dull. He continued to loosen his tie and then reached for the decanter. He poured himself a ss of wine, which he chugged down in one go. When he hissed, Conrad set his eyes back at Maxen.

    This time, though, his eyes were burning. He marched in Maxen''s direction, while thetter fought the urge to take a step back. Soon enough, Conrad''s hands stretched out, grabbing Maxen''s cor aggressively.

    Maxen had the worst timing, that was for sure. If he chose any other day, he wouldn''t receive such an aggressive reaction. For goodness'' sake! Conrad had been working nonstop for the past months, barely having sleep, and sacrificing the limited sleep because he had to give Cosette at least an hour or two every day.

    In other words, Conrad was exhausted on top of being stressed out with thepany matters. So, this sort of confession rubbed him in the wrong way, which differed greatly from his calm character. He just didn''t think clearly for a moment. Perhaps it was because of stress. But then again, Conrad was certain he would react the same. Or maybe less aggressive but crueler.

    "Tell me." He seethed, watching how Maxen kept his ground while looking back at him fearlessly but respectfully in the eye. "What else did you do to my daughter?"

    Maxen swallowed a mouthful of saliva, hearing his gulp echo in his ear. But he didn''t cower; he didn''t want to. Matter of fact, he expected the worst before confessing to Conrad, but he couldn''t keep this a secret from him. He owed the man and respected him.

    However, just when Maxen''s lips parted to say what he knew would anger Conrad, the door was pushed open.

    "Papa~!"

    Maxen and Conrad froze, turning their attention to the door. Their pupils went huge when Cosette stopped by the door and darted her dted eyes between the two. Shock reigned in Maxen''s eyes, while fear clouded Conrad''s eyes. But neither of them moved. They couldn''t, allowing Cosette to misunderstand what was there to misunderstand.

 Chapter 89 Very Much

    "Papa~!"

    Cosette froze by the door. Her pupils slowly wentrge, darting her eyes between Conrad and Maxen. Her father was grabbing Maxen by the cor, agitated for a reason she didn''t understand. They looked back at her with dread in their eyes.

    "What... is going on here?" her voice was low, confusion apparent in her tone. "Papa?"

    Conrad automatically released Maxen. His lips opened and closed, but his voice was stuck in his throat. Surely, Maxen had the worse timing, but Cosette''s timing was worst. Of all the time she coulde, she appeared in a situation that was easily misunderstood.

    "I insulted you." Maxen''s voice assaulted the building silence in the study room. "That''s why Sir Conrad is agitated."

    Cosette frowned at his exnation while Conrad nced at Maxen in surprise. Although Maxen wasn''tpletely lying because he, indeed, insulted Cosette by corrupting her, there was no need for him to cover for Conrad.

    "You''re lying," she pointed out, and then set her eyes back to Conrad. "It''s not Max''s fault. The kiss is with consent."

    Maxen''s back stiffened as his eyes slightly dted at her, only to see Cosette staring directly at Conrad. She didn''t look like she was taunting Conrad, but rather,ing clean to her father. Heck. Had she been listening beforeing in here? But from her reaction, Maxen was certain Cosette was just as surprised as them when she came.

    "I knew Maxen would tell you about it one of these days," she exined after a moment of silence, keeping her attention to Conrad. "That''s why when I saw you... I already knew he probably told you about what happened to us during the trip."

    "What happened between you two...?"

    Cosette held her breath momentarily at the chill that went up to her spine at Conrad''s cold tone. "I mean, we didn''t do anything further than kissing..."

    "Cozie."

    She froze, sensing the temperature in the study drop to a negative zero. Meanwhile, Maxen barely blinked, eyes on her. He was aware she was trying to lessen Conrad''s anger, but she was just making it worse!

    "No, I mean..." Maxen trailed off when Conrad spoke.

    "Max, return to your room." Conrad breathed out and cast Maxen a cursory look. "We''ll talk about this tomorrow. For now..."

    He set his eyes on Cosette, making her swallow the tension in her throat. "For now, I''ll talk to Cozie."

    "She''s not at fault." Maxen bit his tongue when Conrad red at him, lowering his head. "Yes, sir. Please don''t be hard on her."

    Conrad hissed but kept quiet. He watched Maxen bow before thetter nced at Cosette. His daughter smiled weakly while Maxen gave her a slight bow before leaving the two of them. Maxen looked back at her with worry before he closed the door.

    "That boy... did he think I will hurt you?" mumbled Conrad, recalling the look in Maxen''s eyes before he closed the door. A deep exhale escaped his nose, tipping his head at the set of couches, eyes back to Cosette.

    "Sit down, Cozie. Let''s talk."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line and lowered her eyes. "Alright," came out a small voice, dragging her feet towards the long couch. She ced the ss of milk she was carrying on the coffee table.

    When she raised her head, her eyes searched for Conrad. There, near the stand, Conrad grabbed the decanter and a ss of wine. He sauntered back and sat down on the one-seater armchair at the end of the table. He didn''t say anything for minutes, letting the silence envelop the room while pouring himself a ss.

    "Papa, are you... angry?" she asked worriedly when she couldn''t take the silence anymore. Conrad hissed after chugging a ssful of wine, making her flinch when his eyes fell on her.

    "No, Cozie." He bent over, cing the winess on the coffee table. "I''m not angry at you."

    "Are you angry at Max?"

    Conrad raised his gaze at her. "No. Especially not to him."

    "But you look... angry." Cosette pointed out. She had been in this ce for months and spent a fair amount of time with Conrad to know his mood had hit rock bottom. It scared her, but she didn''t want to run away or point fingers. This was a matter they should resolve, if notpromised.

    "I''m angry that I had allowed him to get too close to you," Conrad confessed as he leaned back, taking off his tie. "I had already considered that you two will develop feelings. You''re young and curious. Max is someone who didn''t have anyone until you came into his life. One way or another, he will be emotionally dependent on you."

    Conrad pped the armrest lightly and let out a dry sigh. "I thought it was fine since Maxen was already a man, even at a young age. You saw how he instinctively cover up for me бк maybe because he didn''t want to ruin our rtionship."

    "My point here is, I am angry at myself, Cosette," he stressed, smacking his lips as he pondered about his reaction. "I like Maxen, even so, I still got angry when he told me what he had done."

    "I was the one who initiate it." She lowered her eyes.

    "Which makes me even angrier," he returned, waiting for her to raise her head. "Deep down, I already thought it was you who started it. And I can''t help but me myself for it."

    Bitterness crossed his eyes as he chuckled bitterly. "You''re not a failure for who you are, nor do your actions define you as a person. However, for my daughter to do something extremely reckless, I me myself for it. I failed you as a parent."

    "It''s not your fault." Cosette frowned as she lowered her eyes, pinching her pajama pants on herp. "My actions are my decision, and it has nothing to do with my upbringing. My father raised me the best he could, and what I do with my life and my decision, whether they are good or bad, are solely my fault."

    "Papa, I don''t regret it." She raised her head once again, mustering a lifetime of courage to look him in the eye. "You weed Max in here because of me. You had a good intention."

    For obvious reason, tears shone in her eyes as she looked back at Conrad. He may not be her ''real'' father, but Cosette treasured him like a real one. Thus, although she didn''t regret her actions towards Maxen, upsetting Conrad was also something she didn''t wish to do.

    She loved Conrad, and his opinion mattered to him. If he ended up ming himself and seeing himself as a failure of a father, Cosette would forever me herself for it.

    Conrad studied her demeanor and noticed how she held her tears back.

    "I''m not angry at you," he repeated just so she wouldn''t have to cry.

    "I know," her voice cracked, gulping the tension in her throat. "It''s just... don''t want to me yourself, too. I can be a failure, but it''s not your fault."

    "How is that not my fault? I''m not saying you''re a failure after kissing a man."

    "But still... don''t be sad." Cosette bit her lower lip, hoping by biting hard, would stop the tempting tears building in the corner of her eyes. "I don''t want Papa to be sad."

    His lips parted, but he shut them once again. How could he stay angry if his daughter was on the verge of tears? Conrad pinched the bridge of his nose.

    "I''m not sad," he exined under his breath. "I''m just exhausted."

    He opened his eyes once again, clearing his throat, and changing his mood with the usual blissful nonchnce. Conrad tapped his fingers against the armrest, shrugging under her gaze.

    "Are you sure?" she inquired curiously.

    "Yes." He rocked his head. "I''m just tired. Max had the worse timing."

    Cosette bit her inner lip. "You know him. His conscience will eat him alive because he respects you so much."

    "Will you not tell me if he didn''t?"

    "Well..."

    "Cosette."

    "I will," came out a weak voice, pouting slightly. "I mean, I won''t now, knowing you''re still busy with thepany and stressed out. But I nned to confess what happened during the trip once you get more spare time and enough rest."

    There was a moment of silence in the room, with Conrad observing her. Cosette didn''t seem like lying. Surely, she was smarter than Maxen in these things. Or rather, Maxen''s conscience was probably not letting him sleep at night and he couldn''t wait like Cosette.

    "One question, Cozie." Conrad broke the silence that was reigning between them, waiting for her to return her full attention to him. He swallowed a mouthful of air, clearing his throat.

    "Do youбн like Max? As a man?" he inquired after a moment of silence, preparing his heart for her answer. Her brows rose at the question she didn''t expect to hear tonight.

    Cosette stared at Conrad for minutes, pursing her lips into a thin line, pondering his question thoroughly.

    "Mhm," came out a weak hum, smiling subtly as she lowered her soft eyes. "Very much."

 Chapter 90 Toast

    "Mhm... very much."

    Cosette transmigrated into this world of a novel for a reason she didn''t know. But right from the beginning, she already wanted to save Maxen. As a reader whose favorite character died a ''just'' end fitting for a viin like the cruel Maxen, Cosette sympathized with him. Not that she would give an excuse and condone his wicked actions. But she still loved this viin.

    The reason she was in the back of the school premises where she found Maxen getting beaten by bullies from another school. It was also the reason Cosette took him to the hospital. Maxen was the primary reason she transferred from a prestigious academy to a ''no-name'' high school.

    Everything she did from the beginning was out of pity. She wanted to give Maxen the warmth that the author deprived him of. In her understanding, if Maxen had just one person who was grateful for his existence and a single happy memory in the treasure chest in his heart, he wouldn''t be a full-blown viin. Although that might not be enough, but just giving him a little bit of conscience could change Maxen''s end route.

    However... she didn''t realize until now that this sympathy she had for Maxen had also grown into something else.

    She didn''t know when it started, but sometimes, she would find herself looking at him and feeling content with his presence. Whenever the thought of Maxen liking someone else would cross her head, it gave her this sourness tingling in her chest. Although Maxen''s aloof and cold personality made that scenario impossible toe face to face anytime soon, it would still slightly upset her.

    Her imagination was too wild in these types of scenarios.

    But in any case, Cosette wouldn''t dare initiate a kiss if there wasn''t any turmoil within. Heck. She even proposed it as if she was simply asking for candy. Would she do that to other male friends? She never even thought of asking Luke to take away her first kiss, no matter how charming Luke was.

    So, yes. She liked Maxen, but she couldn''t exercise these budding feelings when she knew she was... an intruder in this world. Cosette had another life. A very different one from this. No matter how many times she would wish to stay in this world, the fear of losing everything: her friends, her Maxen, her family, her life, terrified her to a degree unmeasurable.

    And that fear would never really leave her, even if she told herself not to think about it. She might forget for a day or two, but it would always be in the back of her head.

    Conrad let out a shallow breath as his fingers were zeroing on his temple. He observed his daughter, and the only thing he saw was the conflict in her eyes and the bitter curl of her lips. When she raised her head, her lips stretched broader, but the restraint in her eyes was obviously apparent.

    "I like Maxen very much, Papa, but don''t worry. I don''t n on acting out on these feelings... they''ll pass, hopefully," she reassured her tone with a twinge of force.

    Her honesty momentarily rendered Conrad speechless. Although he had guessed his daughter was infatuated with Maxen, this conflict brewing in his chest left him nk. What should he do in this situation? What should he say?

    For minutes, Conrad could only stare at her. As he did so, realization slowly dawned on him. Time was truly fleeting. It felt like just yesterday he was carrying her small frame in his arms for the first time. But now, Cosette was telling him she liked another man other than her father.

    Bitterness, surprise, fear, and disbeliefpacted in his chest the more he thought about this. He didn''t know he would meet this situation faster than he expected. She had grown and would continuously flourish into a fine young woman.

    Did he waste a lot of time and missed too many opportunities? Conrad could only nod to himself since he had been busy all these years and didn''t notice that time never stopped for anyone.

    His anger slowly subsided, reced with bitterness and sadness.

    "Don''t he like you?" his words already flew out of his lips before he could even think about it.

    "Mhm?" her brows rose at the question he threw after an entire minute of thick silence.

    "Maxen." Conrad cleared his throat. His muddled thoughts previously because of stress and exhaustion slowly came into ce, calming him down. "Why do you want to hold back your feelings?"

    Her pupils slightly went huge at the rification of his question. But quickly, her dted eyes softened when Conrad offered a slight and gentle smile. She didn''t have any idea why Conrad seemed to have calmed down and wanted to know about her feelings. She thought it would be awkward since he was her father.

    Little did she know, Conrad simply came to a realization during their brief exchange. Conrad had missed many opportunities and situations where his daughter needed him, but he wasn''t there for her. Wasn''t that the reason the two of them were estranged?

    Although their rtionship had gotten better, Conrad realized he barely knew his daughter. So instead of acting like an overprotective and strict father, he wanted to be someone she could confide in without feeling awkward about it. In this case, as well, he could give her proper advice whilst solidifying his rtionship with her instead of Cosette confiding to a friend and that friend giving her wrong and ridiculous advice.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Well... I don''t think it is something I should worry about for now," Cosette exined, giving him half of the truth and leaving behind the details of her fears of leaving this world. "I mean, Max and I are still young. It''s not like the end of the world and I have to confess immediately."

    She smacked her lips and gazed down. "It''s not like I am nning to confess to him, to begin with."

    "So, you''ll simply let it pass?" he asked, watching her raise her head and nod.

    "If it''s meant to be, things will take their course. For now, I simply want to enjoy my youth and help him the best I can," she added, feeling a bit morefortable speaking her mind after just a few exchanges. Conrad noticed this as well. "If in the future and my feelings for him are still there, then... I''ll take my chances. I think I would''ve prepared my heart for rejection once I muster enough courage."

    Cosette chuckled for a bit, feeling this heavy burden gets lifted off of her chest. If only she knew Conrad''s initial thought upon hearing the word ''rejection'' was a promise that would never happen, she wouldn''t be giggling. Well, that was only Conrad''s initial thought. Forcing and tying Maxen to his daughter was never a problem, but knowing Cosette, she would rather get rejected than get what she wanted by force.

    "I''m d you seemed to have straightened your resolve regarding this matter." He nodded, pleased that his daughter was still level-headed, regardless of her situation. There was no need to give her a piece of advice since Cosette had decided and he trusted her judgment.

    "But from now on, you''re not allowed to take a step into his room." He pointed at her, making her purse her lips. "I''m not worried about Maxing to your room. He never even came close to your room."

    "En..."

    "Cozie."

    "Yes, I won''t!" she perked up in a panic, making him let out a shortugh. "I figured it was dangerous. I mean, I need to save some face for myself." бк and she couldn''t keep throwing herself at Maxen, but she kept that to herself.

    There was a moment of silence in the room as Conrad simply stared at her defeated mien. He cleared his throat and rested his leg over the other.

    "What brings you to my room, by the way?" asked Conrad, changing the subject since there was no point in dwelling on the previous one.

    "Oh..." Cosette blinked and cleared her throat. "I want to spend time with you."

    "Ah?"

    "Papa, you''ve been busy. You were still busy when we were gone for three days and four nights. So, I was thinking since you cannot turn your back on the matters of thepany, I shouldn''t just wait passively for mealtimes," she exined and smiled brightly. "That''s why I came in here. I know you''ll have a ss of wine or rum, so I brought my milk with me!"

    Cosette reached for the ss of milk resting on the coffee table and raised it. "I''m not old enough to drink wine, but this is still okay for a toast, right?"

    Conrad was slightly stunned before he chuckled and shook his head. "Is there something we should toast about?" he asked, bending over to pick up his own ss.

    "Well..." she pondered about it for a moment before her lips stretched from ear to ear. "We''re happy! I think that is enough reason to celebrate about."

    Amusement fastened in his eyes while staring at her bubbly air. They quickly softened as he processed her words.

    "Mhm. I see." He hummed and smiled subtly, raising his ss as a gesture for a toast. "Cheers... to being happy."

    Her lips stretched even broader until her teeth were showing. "And cheers for being together. Hopefully, forever!" She raised her ss of milk and exchanged a look with Conrad, who was smirking in satisfaction at her added remarks, before the two of them chugged down their drinks.

 Chapter 91 Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

    Meanwhile...

    Although Conrad told Maxen to return to his room, which was located on the opposite wing from Cosette''s room, Maxen didn''t go back to his room. Instead, after a lot of contemtion, he paced back and forth in the lobby before sneaking to the section of the mansion where she would take to go back to her room.

    He might get in trouble, but he was worried. He wanted to talk to Cosette and apologize if she got scolded because he sold her бк or rather, the two of them out. Maxen paced restlessly in the corridor, ruffling his hair in irritation from time to time, and spatting a few chosen cursed words under his breath.

    ''I should''ve let my guilt eat me!'' he scolded himself, nting his palms against the wall. His breathing had turned heavy from the tension filling his chest. He was aware Conrad would never raise his hand on his daughter. However, that was still not enough to stop him from worrying.

    Maxen hung his head low, hands still spread on the furnished cream wall. His tousled hair dangled past his eyebrows, eyes brewing darkness as gloom emanated from his broad back.

    "Shit..." he spat out another profanity and closed his eyes in distress. ''I should''ve kept it to myself.''

    Maxen tried to keep what happened between them a secret he would take to his grave. But every passing day where he would see how exhausted Conan was, his guilt was devouring his soul bit by bit. Conrad was a great man worthy of Maxen''s and the world''s admiration. By keeping what he did to his daughter a secret, it felt like a bone that was stuck in his throat sink deeper into his chest.

    ? But this shame didn''te from an ''impulsive'' decision to kiss Cosette. But this shame''s source was that he didn''t regret it, and he would have no problem doing it again if he had to make the same decision.

    So, when he couldn''t take it anymore, he asked Conrad a moment of his time to confess this ''sinful'' and ''shameless'' desire to her father. He had thought of many consequences. Even the worst possible of getting his life ruined crossed his head, but he still proceeded and confessed.

    But Cosette just came.

    Maxen let out another long-suffering sigh as he thought about what could''ve been happening in Conrad''s room. There were many methods to hurt Cosette, aside from physical violence. Maxen could tolerate any beating, but not Cosette. Be it emotional or physical, he didn''t want to see her cry once again.

    Yet, he already prepared himself to see her puffy eyes once she returned to her room. And that was because of him.

    ''Shit, shit, shit!'' he cursed at himself in his head, balling his hands into a tight fist against the wall. If he didn''t have the slightest self-control, he would''ve punched the wall to see whether his knuckles break first or the wall.

    ''I''m going crazy... fu бк''

    "Max?"

    Maxen''s back froze as soon as her voice rang from his side. His heart thudded as his breath hitched for a moment. Reluctance washed over him, afraid to turn his head and be weed with a pair of swollen eyes. He let out a deep exhale, mustering his courage to face what he dreaded.

    He slowly pushed himself from the wall. He closed his eyes and drew another deep breath. When he reopened his eyes, Cosette was already standing at an arm''s length from him. His gaze studied her face, seeing her blink almost innocently while looking back at him with pure curiosity in her eyes.

    "What are you doing here?" she asked, knowing this was the first time he came into this part of the mansion. They were just several steps from her room on the second floor. Maxen rarely go up to this floor since his room was on the first floor near the pool and garden. His room was close to all amenities in the residence, so there was no need for him to idle on the second floor unless there was an important reason.

    "You''re okay?" he blurted out, and his tone had this twinge of relief.

    Hearing his question, the corner of her lips curled up yfully. So, he was here because he was worried about her?

    "You sold me out." She pouted, punching his arm mildly, her knuckles barely brushing it. "How can you do that to me?"

    "Cozie, I -- d"

    "Pfft!" Cosette bit her lower lips to stop herself from giggling, observing the lines in between his forehead appear. "I''m kidding, Max. I''m not angry, nor did I get scolded for it."

    His eyes examined her face to make sure there was not a trace of a white lie she could be hiding.

    "I only exined to Papa what happened before we went to discuss my internship in thepany," she continued, adding some details of her discussion with Conrad. "Well, not really an internship, but more like a tag along with him before the school year starts."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Is that your punishment?" he blurted out, biting his tongue at the worry filling his tone.

    "No." She smiled, eyes holding his gaze. "I just realized that I can''t simply stay at home and wait for my dad to return home. It''s my idea so I can spend more time with him. I''m being proactive."

    Maxen remained silent and even when he wanted to look away from her, he couldn''t. There was a bit of sadness that pricked his heart like a needle with the thought of her tagging along with Conrad''s endeavors. Her father was a busy man, and as such, she would also be busy.

    "You can apply for some minor position in thepany if you like." Her voice snapped him back to the currentpse. "I''m sure Dad wouldn''t mind since it''s better for us to do something before the school year starts."

    Her smile remained, trying to read his current train of thoughts through his clouded eyes, but unable to make up what exactly was going on in his head. But she didn''t dwell on it as she tapped his shoulder slightly.

    "I''m going to rest for tonight because we will leave early tomorrow," she said, retrieving her hand to hold on to her back. "Good night, Max."

    Cosette looked at his slightly gloomy face that could bring rainfall on a cloudless summer night. But Cosette ignored his gloominess and walked past him, holding her hands behind her, and skipped happily while humming a tune.

    Maxen nced back over his shoulder and set his eyes on her skipping figure. He heaved a sigh of relief but also felt this thorn stuck in his throat.

    ''Well... why are you surprised?'' he asked himself. ''She''s meant for big things like that and her intention is actually good.''

    Maxenbed his hair with his fingers, idling in that same spot as he peeled his eyes away from her.

    ''I think getting time off from her is better since it''ll be hard to control myself if she keeps teasing me.'' He thought of many reasons why letting her tag along with Conrad was perfect, and deluded himself that not seeing her for a while would benefit him.

    However, he couldn''t deny the slight nervousness that tagged along with the thought of ''Cosette''s having no time'' for him. He was used to her presence and her nagging every single day, and the thought that would have to put on a sudden halt didn''t sit well with him.

    What could he do, though? He couldn''t stop her despite the separation anxiety crawling under his skin.

    Little did he know, while he stood idle in that same spot, Cosette was staring at his back while standing in front of her room. Her lips curled up mildly, which didn''t reach her eyes.

    ''I feel sad that I don''t get to spend more time with him,'' she sighed inwardly. ''But it''s better if we miss each other once in a while and I stop missing my dad.'' бк because one particr realization that dawned on her during the trip was that Conrad was her only family. Or at least, Conrad was the only family she knew at this point.

    She didn''t want to regret not having enough time with her father. After all, once school started, she would be busy again and spend more time with Maxen. She would make up to him then.

    "I''ll miss him, though," she whispered, smacking her lips.

    With that thought in mind, Cosette pushed the door open and stepped inside her room. At the same time, Maxen looked back onest time, only to see the door close silently.

    "She''s not going abroad..." he whispered with a deep sigh. "Why am I missing her already?"

    Maxen shook his head sideways before he dragged his feet away to his room. Once he stepped inside his room, he looked around silently. The heaviness in his heart gained weight, and the silence was a little suffocating.

    "I''m really..." he muttered, trying to pierce the thick silence with his low voice. "... going crazy, am I?" бк for wishing she would stay in here and justze around like a sloth.

    Because deep in Maxen''s and Cosette''s hearts, this decision of hers would surely give them enough time to barely see each other for the rest of the school break. That was for her to protect her heart from falling deeper and use that energy to spend more time with Conrad. And for him... to have to reevaluate his course of life.

    But what they didn''t realize was that the absence makes the heart grow fonder, and these brief months of staying from each other''s way would only make them grow individually.

 Chapter 92 Joint Project

    One weekter...

    The next day Cosette proposed to tag along with Conrad. She had to wake up early and wear smart casual. The real Cosette was no alien from thepany matters and even handled minor projects in the past. So, aside from the other luxury items in her walk-in closet, there was no shortage of smart casual attires she could choose from.

    She didn''t see Maxen after that night as Conrad and Cosette disembarked immediately after a quick light breakfast. The second they left the c residence, Conrad never had rest as he would read documents on the road, answering an important call from time to time.

    Cosette nearly threw a tantrum, as she felt bored. Her father took her words as they were and treated her like a shadow following his trail. The entire first day following Conrad around went by Cosette acting as his shadow. Although he would habitually ask about her well-being and she would answer them with a slight smile, she realized this would keep up if she didn''t know anything.

    Therefore, with this newfound challenge and fire engulfing her, Cosette barely rested on the first night they came home. Instead, she used her free time to read the current state of affairs of the BLK Corporation. She stayed away from it when she came into this world, so she had a ton of documents to review.

    Thankfully, Cosette gained the real Cosette''s quick learning ability, and she felt familiar with the words. She was able to absorb every bit of information like a sponge. Still, that wasn''t enough and it would sometimes make her feel dizzy every once in a while whenever her brain was overloaded withplicated numbers and stats.

    One good thing about getting familiar with the current of thepany and how it moved was Cosette''s mind drifted from anything else. No wonder the other leads in the novel she read were workaholics. Work was just enough to distract someone and forget the matters of the heart. Not easily, but it was effective.

    Now, one weekter, Cosette, although hadn''t be a pro, she had a better understanding of thepany situation. And thus, opened more opportunities for her and Conrad to converse, instead of being just his tail.

    "So we''re giving up the branch in Sharie?" she raised a question, breaking the prolonged silence in the car, on their way to a country club where Conrad would have a business meeting.

    "Mhm." Conrad ced the document on hisp and set his eyes on her. But instead of meeting her eyes, his gazended on the documents in her hand, moving his gaze up to her pretty face. His lips curled up, seeing how she looked matured in just one week of tagging along with him.

    Now, this was the Cosette he knew before she transferred schools. The only difference was that she wasn''t aloof and kept her decisions to herself. Instead, she was cleverly using the information regarding their business to strike up a conversation with him.

    "You don''t think it''s a wise decision?" he asked back, wanting to hear her opinion.

    "Well, Sharie is struggling now, both politically and economically. So, it is smart to withdraw our investment and cut losses." She pondered for a moment, making him nod in satisfaction. "But would this new project generate more profit? Dropping the Sharie Branch is a big decision and also an enormous loss, so starting a bigger project is a little risky."

    His lips stretched upon listening to the entirety of her sentiments. "It is a colossal risk, indeed. But we need to take our chances."

    "Take our chances?" Cosette tilted her head to the side. The wording slightly rmed her. Unfortunately, she barely had knowledge of this new project. The reason she brought up this topic despite already knowing the situation in Sharie was not going anywhere good.

    "It''s a joint project," Conrad exined casually. He didn''t mind sharing information with her, but his daughter was too busy reviewing the past flow of thepany to learn the present current. Therefore, he held back in informing her, since he was afraid she would overload.

    But now that she seemed ready to know about the current monumental project of theirpany, he would happily fill her in. Throughout the journey, Conrad patiently told her about the pros of this project and how risky it was. Meanwhile, she listened attentively, raising questions from time to time, allowing Conrad to know they were on the same page.

    As the father and daughter duo engaged in a professional conversation, Warren, Conrad''s executive assistant, could not help but look over from the passenger seat. His lips were curled up to a proud smile, darting his eyes between Cosette and Conrad in the back seat.

    Now that he was watching those two, he couldn''t help but agree that Cosette took after Conrad. She had changed significantly over the past several months, but now that her mind was focused on business matters, she had regained the same tenacity before her change.

    She might''ve retained her bubbly air somehow, but listening to her talk professionally like her father gave her a different, sophisticated aura of a grown woman.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''The BLK Corporation is in great hands. No doubt,'' Warren thought, peeling his eyes away from the back seat to stare at the road. His smile grew broader at the thought of Cosette being mentored by her father. After all, in the past, Cosette preferred to figure things out on her own, and never once did she ask Conrad''s opinion about thepany affairs.

    Not that Conrad treated his daughter''s action as a threat, but it was still better if the family business would bring the father and daughter closer, and not separate them.

    The journey was filled with Cosette''s and Conrad''s voices from the back seat. Once in a while, Warren would take a call, but most of them didn''t require Conrad''s attention and deal with it. Or rather, Warren did his best to give the two some time to talk more as some sort of bonding which the two seemed to have enjoyed.

    When they were close to the meeting ce, Cosette furrowed her brows.

    "If that is the case, why do you sound like we have eighty percent of losing than gaining?" she asked,ing to a conclusion that this project would definitely seed if they put more attention to it. Conrad had already prepared for any setback and prepared resolution if any of these dilemmas rose.

    So, why was Conrad giving off this slight reluctance about this project as if he was slightly unhappy with it?

    "Because..." Conrad pondered and leaned back. His head rocked back and forth slightly when the car halted in the entrance''s driveway of the country club. He cocked his head in the direction where she was sitting, pointing his chin to her side of the window.

    "Because of that," he said, making Cosette turn to her window

    The second she met the person standing outside the premises of the elite county club, the corner of her lips twitched. No wonder Conrad felt a little gloomy despite the excellent project was that... the partner of this partnership was none other than the Quinn Holdings. And the man standing outside was Maynard Quinn on the flesh.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c Cosette looked back at her father apologetically. "Papa, you''re really working hard," she expressed, feeling sorry that Conrad had to put up with Maynard no matter how mischievous thetter was. Surely earning money was no easy feat.

    "Recognition appreciated." Conrad let out a long-suffering sigh before the door of the backseat opened up from the outside.

    Seeing the gloom Conrad would usually wear in the presence of Maynard Quinn, Warren smiled awkwardly. He stepped to the side as his boss stepped his foot outside, jogging to the other door of the back seat. But when Warren reached it, Cosette already opened it.

    "Let me help, Young Miss." Warren courteously offered his hand, which Cosette sped after giving him a warm smile. Just that smile from the young miss already felt like a reward. Conrad would never treat Warren with such warmth.

    "Well, well, well!" Maynard''s enthusiastic voice pierced their ears, spreading his arms wide open. "I heard my daughter-inw has been tagging along, so I expected her presence at today''s meeting!"

    Conrad''s eyes instantly harbored ill-intent in his eyes but kept a calm demure. ncing at him, Cosette''s throat bobbed. Her father looked like the calm before the storm.

    "President Quinn." Conrad approached Maynard and grabbed thetter''s hand, using a strength meant to crush his bones. "What an honor to be weed by you with such an entourage."

    Maynardughed awkwardly, noticing the tightening grip around his hand. "Hehe... sorry, sorry," he said quietly, enough for the two of them to hear to save himself some face from the people lined up behind him.

    Seeing this, Cosette let out a long-suffering sigh. Maynard was surely like his son, Luke. He never learned his lesson. She could not help but recall how many times Conrad hung up on Maynard without letting thetter finish his sentence. If Maynard was an arrogant prick, this would be a problem for theirpany. But well, the two seemed to get along in a unique way. Conrad wouldn''t exercise this much patience if he didn''t see Maynard as his friend one way or another.

    "Good to see you again, Miss c." Her brows rose when Asher''s voice, which was as cool as a midday breeze in a scorching summer, caressed her ears.

 Chapter 93 The Future Monarchs

    "Good to see you again, Miss c."

    Cosette nced to her left and initially caught the straight navy blue suit, then moved her eyes up to see Asher''s charming and defined face of a young man. His hair was brushed back cleanly, disying his awe-inspiring beauty. Surely, Asher''s face was the type girls and women would line up for. He was still in histe teens, but his exuding appeal was something Cosette could not deny.

    ''If only he''s not a jerk...'' she hissed in her head. Not that she held grudges against him, but she didn''t n toe in between the male and female lead. They could have their happy ending for all she cares. All she needed and wanted was for her baby viin to have a different ending, and Luke too.

    "It''s been a while, young master Quinn." Cosette tilted her head down slightly but paid him no further attention as she smiled at Conrad and Maynard. Thetter''s face was already contorting as their handshake had prolonged more than it should be.

    ''Goodness... Papa might ruin this all because of his personal feelings.'' She mentally shook her head, and at the same time, Conrad finally let Maynard hand''s go.

    ''God damn it!'' Maynard red at Conrad, letting his hand hang limp until it recovered its strength.

    "President Quinn, CEO c, this way, please." After several seconds, a middle-aged man approached the two men from the side and motioned his arm. By the way Conrad nodded at the middle-aged man and how Maynard didn''t conceal the disdain in his eyes, Cosette was certain this man was someone who those two men knew and respected.

    "Cozie." Conrad cast her a sidelong nce, which she returned with a nod.

    "I''ll follow," she replied politely, waiting for those two men to head inside while she follow closely behind. Once the two engaged in business talk, she was certain the air would change. This was akin to two emperors'' meeting for a peace treaty of both empires, and Cosette didn''t want to ruin it.

    "Ash." This time, Maynard cast Asher a look, and thetter nodded.

    "Yes, Father." Asher cast her a look, only to see her nce at him for a second.

    With that being said, both Conrad and Maynard walked side by side, ignoring the beeline of people bowing as they entered the elite country club owned by the Quinns. Behind them were some important people, such as their assistants, legal teams, and then their children.

    Cosette was walking just right behind Conrad, keeping her chin up and with a dignified poise. She was presenting her father and she couldn''t allow other people to find fault in Conrad through her. Hence, Cosette used a lifetime of elegance from the original Cosette and carried herself with pride. It was not like she was trying hard. All she needed to do was keep a straight face and no one would know she was actually a bubbly and silly youngdy.

    Walking beside her was Asher. As they entered the premises, he couldn''t help but nce at her from time to time. His eyes fastened with amusement at how differently she carried herself. The yful and reckless youngdy in the Quinn''s family home appeared to be just a figment of his imagination, and now that same face was wearing this unsmiling face that could make anyone have second thoughts about approaching her.

    ''That makes sense...'' He thought, gazing ahead with his chin up. ''Now, it all makes sense.''

    In his understanding, the reason Cosette had such a respectable reputation in the academy was not because of her high marks, but also the way she carried herself. From what he heard, Cosette was someone unapproachable. She would usually give those who tried to approach her a quick head-to-toe look and leave without giving her feedback!

    Asher had been questioning this since his first encounter with her, and everything following that was entirely different. It was as though those students in the academy were describing a different person. The only time his thoughts waned was during theirst encounter over a week ago.

    But now that the situation required tact and decency, Cosette turned into apletely differentdy. She was graceful and sophisticated, and despite her youthful face, she carried the domineering air just like her father.

    ''I guess I owe her an apology.'' He smirked slightly, sensing the cold shoulders she was purposely giving him. ''That arrogant guy... surely had a good eye.''

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m ******

    For a project as big as this, even though they were still at the initial phase of the deal, it was being dealt with meticulously for both parties to gain fairly. This was a partnership, after all. Both Conrad and Maynard knew each other, and they were akin to both gigantic wolves who were trying to get the best of the meatid between them, unwilling to be taken advantage of.

    Having both of them in the function hall where a long table in the middle was set, upied by Conrad''s people and then Maynard''s on the opposite side, discussing business. The constant demands and counters of their bosses rtively pressured their people.

    Meanwhile, Cosette was sitting in the corner, where she could hear their discussion but was not a part of the table. Conrad insisted on letting her sit beside him, but it didn''t sit well with her principles. For her, this was simply a learning experience and to admire her father from the sidelines while he was doing his business.

    There were more people who deserved to sit with them, who could actually help this meetinge to a peaceful conclusion. So far... aside from Conrad and Maynard''s ''childish'' demands just to piss each other off, the situation was at a stalemate.

    Cosette raised her brows and nced to her right when Asher sat down beside her. Her straight expression didn''t change much, staring at the dashing young man who had breached her territory unannounced.

    Asher cast her an indifferent look, arching a brow as if silently asking her what was the matter. But Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line and set her eyes on the table upied with business people.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Angry?" he broke the silence between them when a minute passed and she ignored him.

    "No."

    "I''m sorry." He shrugged, apologizing half-heartedly. "I was wrong and underestimated you. I thought you will not notice."

    "I''m not angry, Young Master Quinn," she repeated just as half-heartedly as his tone, matching theck of sincerity.

    "Are you sure?" he let out a dryugh, clearly enjoying the unspoken humor she was giving him.

    "You don''t want to anger me." This time, she cast him a knowing look and looked dead in his eyes. "You''ll know I am angry when I''m angry."

    He rocked his head, lips closed. "If that is what you say."

    Cosette nearly rolled her eyes. The more she conversed with Asher, the more this perfect male lead image she had for him show cracks. If Asher was truly bothered and acknowledged his wrong for judging Maxen without an intention of even knowing him, Cosette would be a little appeased.

    Not that theirst encounter bothered her and she nearly forgot about it. But since he came to her and brought it up half-heartedly, her disappointment with Asher raised three levels. She would rather not have his apology than get such an upsetting excuse. Although she believed Asher shouldn''t apologize to her, but to Maxen instead.

    Silence gracefully danced between them as Cosette focused her attention on the discussion ahead. Minutes had gone by, and she nearly forgot about Asher''s presence until thetter spoke once again.

    "What do you think will happen?" she looked back at him after his question. Asher tipped his head toward the table where both their fathers were having a deal. "Do you think this deal will have a fruitful conclusion?"

    She blinked twice and then set her eyes on Conrad and then at Maynard. "No."

    "Care to share why you said so?" he arched a brow, anticipating her exnation.

    "Because they already knew what they would gain and lose." She shrugged, eyes back to Asher. "Isn''t that the reason for this meeting? It is not the goal because this will partnership will surely take off, but to cut any losses from both parties."

    His lips curled up in amusement as he nodded once. "How quick."

    "I''m a c," she smirked proudly, having this strong sense of pride just saying that. "We won''t allow anyone, especially the Quinns, to take advantage of us in this joint venture."

    "That''s a little daring of you to assume the Quinns will take advantage of yourpany."

    "But isn''t that the same for you?" she returned calmly, averting her eyes from him. "President Quinn wouldn''t free his schedule to deal with this if he didn''t share the same sentiments as we do."

    A short and lowugh broke from Asher as he studied her confident air. He didn''t want to admit it, but what she said was right. Maynard wouldn''t deal with this himself and send Asher to settle it all on his own if his father wasn''t worried Conrad would eat them all alive. It was the same with Conrad. He would''ve sent Warren to deal with this if he didn''t know Maynard would swallow them and would even lick the te clean.

    "I like how your mind looks," he expressed, making her nce at him, but he had already gazed ahead. "It''s rare for someone to understand such a tricky situation. Surely, you and Iбн will have a fun time together in the future."

    His eyes narrowed, watching Maynard and Conrad smile at each other to hide their irritation. In the future, when those two stepped down, it would be him and Cosette who would banter like this.

    "I''ll surely crush you." He smirk and cast her a side-eye, chuckling when she scrunched her nose up.

    "Think whatever helps you sleep at night." She chuckled, knowing he was simply trying to rile her up. But deep in her heart, she took his words as a challenge. Once Conrad retire and Cosette reced him, she would crushбн no, pulverize Asher, and gloat it to Conrad.

    Well maybe, Cosette held a grudge against him a bit.

 Chapter 94 Why?

    For the past two months, Cosette became Conrad''s assistant alongside Warren, her father''s executive assistant. They would follow him, deal with matters that didn''t need Conrad''s immediate attention, and the sort.

    With how busy Conrad was, Cosette naturally thought he would be less busy because of the added brainpower, but she was wrong. If anything, Conrad became even busier, even though his daughter was helping him out.

    That was partly because of the joint project between the Quinn Holdings and BLK Corporation. The only constion they had was that Cosette and Conrad were almost together 24/7. And thus, they still had time for each other, which was the most important thing to them.

    Equal to the good and positive things the father and daughter duo appreciated, there were also things they would be gloomy about. Although it wasn''t as terrible, they couldn''t help it.

    Warren nced at the rear mirror and sighed. The mood in the backseat where Conrad and Cosette were was too dark and gloomy. Both father and daughter wore the same sour countenance, sighing from time to time in silence.

    "Master, it isn''t that badбн" Warren bit his tongue when Cosette and Conrad set their eyes back on him. He cleared his throat. "I mean, fighting!"

    Warren could only cheer them and shut his mouth, afraid those two would vent their frustration at him. Surely, Cosette was Conrad''s daughter, and the more she tagged along with them, the more it showed the semnce.

    Warren was used to Conrad''s temperament, but he didn''t expect Cosette would also share the same dismay just after two months of her internship. He could only shake his head as they journeyed in silence.

    Meanwhile, in the back seat, the father and daughter duo let out another deep sigh. Cosette nced at her father and could not help but sigh once more.

    The reason for this gloomy mood wasбн

    Cosette turned her head to the window when their car halted in front of a Japanese restaurant. Her lips curved down, catching a few parked ck sedans owned by the Quinns.

    That was right.

    Today was another lunch with the Quinns. So, Conrad was naturally unhappy with it because Maynard never missed an opportunity to tease Conrad. Meanwhile, the reason Cosette shared the same sentiments as her father was because of almost the same reason: Asher.

    ''I really hope he is busy and is not here,'' She prayed silently, hoping today was an exception and Asher wouldn''t be here.

    Why? Simple. Just like Maynard, Asher would never miss pressing Cosette''s nerves at every turn. His insinuation and his smart mouth just never knew when to stop бк or maybe he knew, but he simply didn''t care.

    At this point, the dreamy male lead image Cosette had for Asher was pulverized by the male lead himself! He was a jerk and there was no doubt about that.

    "Cozie."

    Cosette flinched when the door on her side opened from the outside. When she looked up, Conrad was already standing with his handid open.

    "Let''s go," he urged. His tone had a tinge of reluctance. Cosette smiled subtly, took her father''s hand, and hitched outside the car.

    "Papa." Cosette hooked her arm around Conrad''s as they walked towards the establishment''s entrance. "Don''t kill him today."

    Conrad''s expression immediately turned sour. "I''ll try."

    "It''s only two hoursбн" she smiled awkwardly, knowing this would be one of the longest two hours of their life.

    Conrad didn''t speak anymore, as the restaurant staff soon weed them. They didn''t ask them anything and simply led them to the private section of the restaurant.

    When Conrad and Cosette stepped inside the private dining room, Maynard and Asher were already inside. The father and daughter duo didn''t even try to hide the sigh that slipped past their lips as they marched in, sitting on the thin cushion across from Maynard and Asher.

    Unlike the gloom dominating Cosette and Conrad''s visage, Maynard and Asher were akin to two bright balls of sunshine, as if they swallowed the sun to give off such blinding air.

    "What''s with the mood?" Maynard broke the ice with his jolly tone, grinning from ear to ear until his eyes were squinting. "Aren''t you happy, my dearest best friend? It feels like we''re simply meeting to settle the dowry before our children''s union."

    ''Ha haбн'' Cosetteughed internally, ncing at her father cautiously, and flinched when she heard a crack in the cup in her father''s grip.

    Conrad''s eyes were sharp and dark, staring emotionlessly at Maynard. Thetter, who never ceased to make such a joke despite knowing Conrad nearly killed him multiple times,ughed awkwardly.

    Maynardughed until it sounded awkward, ending up clearing his throat when Conrad''s eyes never left his figure. "It''s a joke."

    When Conrad didn''t budge, Maynard elbowed Asher for help. But his son feigned ignorant.

    Seeing this, Cosette shook her head mildly. If this was before, she would try to appease her father. But the three of them бк including Asher бк already figured Maynard was a lost cause. Why would Maynard keep making such a joke when he would end up chickening out when Conrad gave his undivided attention to him?

    That question was never answered and probably, it would never be answered, as they would simply believe it was all because of Maynard''s wish to have a daughter. The man only had two children, Asher and Luke; one was an arrogant jerk, and the other was an arrogant brat.

    Fortunately, the staff knocked and served the food before Conrad could start feasting on Maynard''s fears. The next five minutes were nothing but silence.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Watching the food being served, Cosette nced at Asher when she felt his prolonged gaze. As soon as she did, Asher smiled at her.

    ''Ahбн godбн I don''t want to dislike him further, but he just has to make it hard for me,'' She thought, averting her eyes to Conrad to lift her mood slightly.

    For Conrad, Asher was a lot betterpany since the young man was undoubtedly wise and admirable at such a young age. Hence, he''d rather talk business with him than Maynard. Meanwhile, Cosette was the total opposite. For her, Maynard was way betterpany than Asher.

    Since both sides obviously had busy morning schedules, they first had lunch to replenish their energy and brain cells. It would be a silent lunch, if not for Maynard talking бк spoiling бк Cosette with food. The young miss of the c family had a great appetite, and she was a little fond of Maynard, so she epted everything he offered her.

    Just when she thought it would be a peaceful lunch, she was wrong. With her father eating beside her, the twopeted in how much they wanted to show their fondness toward her. Afraid they would fight again, Cosette stuffed her mouth with everything they put on her te until she felt like copsing after eating more than she could.

    "Heheбн my daughter-inw surely has a great appetite!" Maynard smiled brightly, cupping his cheek, eyes on Cosette.

    "What did you say?" Conrad inquired coldly after drinking a cup of sake to wash down the little food he consumed.

    "My daughter бк I mean, the daughter I wished to have." Unfazed by the lowering temperature in the room, Maynard''s grin stretched broader.

    "Heheбн" Cosette chuckled awkwardly, wiping the side of her lips with a napkin.

    "Why don''t you create one, then?" asked Conrad nonchntly.

    "Why do I need to do that when I can just propose to my baby Cozieбк" Maynard nearly choked in his own saliva when Conrad mmed the cup against the table. "Hey, hey~ I''m kidding~"

    "I''m also kidding if my fistnd in your throat... identally."

    ''Papa, please don''t forget about your principles!'' Cosette gasped, afraid of the growing violence in her father''s mind at the frequent meeting with the Quinns.

    For the next five minutes, Maynard and Conrad simply bantered before the two excused themselves to the manmadeke within the restaurant''s premises. Probably to have a smoke.

    As the two left, the people who were left in the private dining room were Cosette and Asher. Once the servants cleaned the table and reced it with tea, silence fell in the room.

    "Ahбн I''m so fullбн" Not having the need to act modestly in Asher''s presence, Cosette copsed to her side and then rolled until her back was lying t on the floor. She spread her arms open, eyes on the ceiling.

    Seeing this, Asher chuckled. He picked up the cup of tea and guided it to his lips. But before he enjoy the tea, he sniffed the aroma and nced at her who was lying across from him.

    "You''re wearing a skirt," he reminded her, only to get azy reply from her.

    "I''m wearing shorts inside. So there''s nothing to see." Cosette burped, feeling a little sleepy with all that food she ate. "Why does your dad keeps pressing on about marriage? Is this some sort of tactic to make my dad a felon?"

    "Who knows?" Asher shrugged.

    "Luke and I are too young for such a serious talk бк" she yawned, failing to notice the conflict in Asher''s eyes. "Wake me up when theye back."

    "They won''t return for at least an hour. Take a nap," he said, which she didn''t argue, knowing their fathers would deal with business talk while they were out together.

    Cosette yawned once more and closed her eyes, attempting to take a nap without any care, as if she was all alone in this room. Asher kept his eyes on her, smiling subtly as he cupped his cheek.

    "What a beguiling nature you have," he mumbled, chuckling when her breathing grew heavier one minute after closing her eyes. "How can she sleep like that when I''m still here? You trust people too easily."

    In contrast to his remarks, his smile grew gentler, like his eyes. For the past two months and their constant meetings with the cs, Asher had this newfound hobby of pressing her nerves just because Cosette was never afraid of retaliating using her sharp tongue.

    ''I also wonderбн why Father keeps insisting about you and Luke when it was obvious you two weren''t a match?'' A shallow breath slipped past his lips, but his eyes only bore pure curiosity at Maynard''s action.

    It would be normal if Maynard would insist Cosette and Asher be tied in marriage. Both of them were capable бк not that Asher wished for this to happen since he strongly opposed an arranged marriage. Nevertheless, it tickled his curiosity.

    Asher kept his eyes on Cosette for a long time, tilting his head to the side. "Should I fix her posture?" He pondered about this and decided not to. She might wake up and misunderstand.

    Asher nodded to himself before arching his brows. His eyesnded on her figure once again, sleeping soundlessly as if she was dead.

    The longer he looked at her, the more his lips curl up unknowingly. He shook his head mildly, turning his head to the window to enjoy the beautiful view of the garden while drinking his tea.

    "Since whenбн" he whispered, blinking ever so tenderly. "бн did she be so relevant?" бк to him?

 Chapter 95 Lets Date

    Meanwhile...

    Conrad puffed the smoke slowly ascending to pollute the air, only to disperse into thin air several secondster. The strong scent lingered, but the two men didn''t mind the pungent scent of tobo. If anything, they sort of enjoyed the calm it brought.

    "You... are breaking those boys," Conrad broke the silence, staring at the small pond several meters from his vantage point. Standing beside him was Maynard, who was enjoying a stick. That was akin to his timer before he starts off pissing Conrad again.

    Maynard smiled slightly as he huffed the smoke. He nced at Conrad and arched a brow knowingly, shaking his head, before setting his eyes back to the pond of koi fish.

    "I''m not," he denied confidently. "Those boys are too stubborn and prideful to break so easily."

    Conrad nced at Maynard. "You''re always strange."

    "Haha! I can say the same to you." Maynard''s lips stretched from ear to ear. "How can this overprotective guy allow a young man to live in the same house where he shelters his daughter?"

    "Maxen is a good child." Conrad shrugged.

    "You can''t say all that with certainty. People change, Conrad. Everyone is so fickle бк well, maybe бк except you."

    Conrad remained silent after Maynard''s remarks and kept his eyes on the still waters in the pond. How Maynard knew about Maxen wasn''t important to him. Maynard was an annoying, nosy man. Although this man was currently the head of the Quinn family business, he was just like how he was when they first met.

    "I can say the same to you," he muttered calmly. "People are fickle except you."

    "Hehe. Come on... I might fall in love with you now."

    "And I still wish you dead."

    "..."

    "A miserable death."

    Maynard''s frown deepened as he scrunched his nose up, looking at Conrad''s unchanging countenance in dismay. Surely, Conrad never changed. This man in the c family could utter such scary words with a straight face.

    "I''m not arranging Cozie to any arranged marriage," Conrad changed the subject after a minute, casting Maynard a sidelong nce. "She''s a smart youngdy and even if I want to protect her, I can only do so much as to know the people approaching her. Stop spewing nonsense and giving your son a ridiculous idea."

    He peeled his eyes away from Maynard and back to the pond. "Although I don''t worry about your eldest, pushing his little brother to my daughter will raise questions. After all, the young master Quinn is a proud and capable young man. His ego for seeing his father pushing his immature little brother into an exceptional youngdy will raise questions бк questions not to you, but to himself and his capabilities."

    "You''re saying this not because you care about my sons, but you simply want to brag about your daughter, isn''t it?" Maynard scrunched his nose up, seeing that Conrad didn''t react in the slightest. Even so, he had known Conrad for decades and he already knew the answer.

    "Tsk." He shook his head and clicked his tongue, shrugging. "It''s not like I can argue that the young miss of the c Family is exceptional. She is almost like Asher, with a bit of Luke''s personality."

    A sigh slipped past Maynard''s lips. "Why wasn''t I blessed with a daughter? Just what sort of position did you --" Maynard bit his tongue when Conrad''s piercing gazended on him.

    "Fine." He raised his hands in surrender, rolling his eyes. Maynard idled for a moment, staring in the same direction Conrad was staring at.

    "I''m not trying to break my sons, nor I am testing the waters," he spoke after another moment of silence. The side of his lips curled up and as his smile reached his eyes, a glint flickered across them.

    "I''m teaching them a lesson that will make them men."

    This time, Conrad could not help but cast Maynard a look. His brows rose, seeing the cunningness from wanting to discipline his boys with a tinge of softness in Maynard''s eyes.

    "It may not be the softest method and it might somehow break their hearts, but I believe in them." Maynard rocked his head. "And I believe when they realized that not everything they want can be theirs... they will learn why you and I reached this far despite the vile world we moved in... in the past and in the present."

    For a moment, the two of them stared at each other in silence. Maynard sported this proud smile, as he knew his intentions might be called tough love, but his faith in his sons was solid to shape those two to be good people. However, Conrad kept his stoic face, making one wonder what was going on in his head.

    "You are..." Conrad trailed off, noticing Maynard''s anticipation of his praise. "... using my daughter as a lesson material?"

    Uh oh.

    Maynard took a cautious step back, sensing Conrad focused on that fact instead of Maynard''s parenting methods. Before Conrad could do anything, Maynard immediately fled to save his own skin from whatever this crazy overprotective father could do to him.

    Seeing this, Conrad stayed in the same spot but kept his eyes where Maynard fled like a sh. A shallow breath slipped past his lips, shaking his head mildly.

    "No matter how hard he believed in his sons... that is still in cruel," he muttered, but he knew he wasn''t in the position to lecture Maynard on how to be a father. After all, as a parent himself, he wouldn''t want Maynard prying on how he parent Cosette.

    Both men had their own methods of managing their businesses, and it was the same as raising their children. They could only point at things, and that was all they could do.

    "But well... it might not be that bad, I hope." He peeled his eyes away from where Maynard left to the pond. "After all, he had to learn his lesson the hard way. It''s better if he teaches his boys now since life isn''t an easy teacher to deal with."

    *********

    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Cosette rubbed her weary eyes and frowned, seeing that Asher was still sitting on the same spot across from her. He was cupping his cheek, eyes on her.

    Just now, Asher woke her up after a forty-minute nap and their fathers still hadn''t returned. So she was still a bit sleepy.

    "You have a drool," he remarked, chuckling when she hurriedly wiped the corner of her lips in panic. "I''m kidding."

    Cosette red at him. "Is making fun of me that fun?!" sheined.

    "It is fun."

    Her expression turned more sour, but instead of arguing with him, Cosette chose to ignore him. She fixed her hair,bing it with her fingers while he watched her. As she put on some clip to the side of her hair near her ear, she paused when Asher raised a question.

    "Do you like Luke?" he asked, waiting for her to look back at him. "You know he''s very fond of you and had switched schools just to follow you."

    "We''re friends," was the only answer she got as she continued to fix her hair. "I like him because he''s a dear friend to me."

    "So you don''t like him in that way?"

    "What way?"

    "The romantic way." He shrugged when she shot him a frown. "I don''t think you are that naive enough not to understand that with our status, arranged marriages aren''t new. Our Quinn Family strictly follows tradition because of the elders, and if they will arrange our marriage бк Luke or me бк you will surely be a top candidate."

    "My dad will not allow it." Her expression died, although she didn''t feel angry about the topic since Asher, although a jerk, was sensible. "I don''t need a man''s help to lead ourpany someday. So even if the Quinns are perfect and wise decision to have a familial rtionship with, I will not marry Luke just because of mutual benefits."

    "You are saying you will not marry my brother unless you will fall in love with him?" he asked, and she nodded immediately since that was the simplest exnation to that. Asher stared at her for a long time until she finished putting the third clip to the side of her hair near her ear.

    "But why..." her brow arched when he trailed off. "... do you only mention Luke as if he is the only candidate you can fall in love with?"

    "Huh?" she tilted her head to the side.

    "Luke is not the only Quinn who can marry you." Asher didn''t beat around the bush. "Why am I not a candidate?"

    Cosette blinked twice, processing his words and auto-tranting their meaning in her head. For a moment, Cosette could only stare at Asher until her mouth fell ajar.

    "What?" she asked, despite knowing how stupid it was since Asher already made it clear.

    "I''m not saying I like you, but being neglected and not considered doesn''t sit well with me," he exined in the samenguid tone, keeping his pair of unreadable eyes on her. "I strongly oppose arrange marriage, since it makes me think my capabilities alone aren''t enough and I need a third party to secure the family business. Even so, it is annoying when everyone thinks Luke is the only person who can match you when I personally know I can handle someone like you."

    Cosette frowned, watching him lean his arms against the tiny table separating the two of them. Asher bent over, eyes glinting sharply, making her gulp.

    "Let''s date, Cosette c."

 Chapter 96 A Summer Well Spent

    "Let''s date, Cosette c."

    Cosette stared at Asher nkly before her head cocked to the side. For a moment, she questioned her ear for deceiving her, but because of the look in his eyes, there was no way she heard him incorrectly.

    "Haha..." came out a chuckle, sprawling her hand over the chabudai, and touching his forehead. He frowned at her action, seeing that she wasn''t taking him seriously when it took him a lifetime of arrogance to propose that idea.

    "Stop it." He pped her hand away mildly.

    "Wow... there''s a limit to how you tease me, Young Master Quinn."

    "I''m not teasing you," he breathed out, impatience apparent in his tone. "I am serious, Cosette. Let''s date."

    This time, Cosette looked at him in dismay. Her eyes bobbed, examining him carefully. If this was before, she would slightly panic, but no. After two months of constant interaction with this guy, Cosette was aware this had nothing to do with feelings or whatnot.

    Asher was an arrogant young master. Although he wasn''t as high profile as his little brother, Asher was used to the world revolving around him. Hence, when things were something that was out of the pattern he was used to, he would tend to delve into it to fill his curiosity or just to feed his ego.

    "Why?" she asked, leaning her arms against the table. "Why do you want to date me? Do you n on marrying me?"

    "Huh?"

    "If you want to date me, then it is only normal for you to have ns to marry me so we can start family nning," she exined casually, trying her best to sound natural withoutughing. "So, do you want to marry me? Will you give me your word?"

    Asher''s mouth opened slightly, only for him to shut them again. His eyes remained on her, and she seemed serious about these principles she had on dating! Marriage? Family nning? Wasn''t she going too fast?

    A shallow breath slipped past her lips while shaking her head. Hisck of answer was enough for her to know the answer she was looking for. Although he was arrogant in his own cunning way, Asher was a man of his words. He was the person who would keep his word as much as he could, so a half-hearted promise was hard for him to speak without a second thought.

    "What are you thinking about asking me on a date?" she broke the silence between them. "You know Luke is wooing me. Do you know what he will feel if he hears about this?"

    "What about it?" he returned almost immediately and coldly.

    "What do you mean ''what about it?''" she repeated with a frown. "This is why Luke is my friend and you''re not бк yet. I''m not saying you should act like a martyr, but to purposely use me for whatever means is an insult not just to me, but also to your brother who had been sincere with his feelings since day one."

    Cosette pushed herself away from the table and straightened her back. "Young Master Quinn, you are better than this. I don''t know what suddenly pushed you to propose such a ridiculous idea, but I''m disappointed. You might not care about what I feel or my opinion, but there are certain things you cannot force or get by force."

    "Money can only give you that much, but honestly, the baseline money gives you isn''t much." She tapped her chest with her index. "Money and mutual benefits aren''t everything. They only work in some areas and are a big factor in business. But sometimes, even if you arecking in those, you just need a heart and hope your sincerity will be appreciated."

    Her lips curled up peacefully. "Don''t do that again, okay?"

    Asher stared at her kind smile in silence and his hand under the table balled into a tight fist before they loosened. Her words were akin to a riddle to him. However, even before he could speak another word, the door slid open. He didn''t take his eyes off of her, even when she gazed in the door''s direction, and smiled.

    "Cozie, let''s go," urged Conrad with his ssic dull tone, to which she replied in a lively voice.

    Just as Cosette was assisting herself up, she looked back in Asher''s direction. Seeing that he was simply looking at her with a pair of unreadable eyes, she knocked on the table to take him out of his trance.

    "See you around, Ash." She grinned and erected a finger. "Behave."

    With that being said, Cosette rushed outside to follow her father. Meanwhile, Asher remained in the same spot for minutes. He didn''t even budge when Maynard''s assistant came to tell him they would leave.

    "I''ll stay here for a while and he can go first." Asher turned his head to the window''s direction, while the other man bowed and left without a word of refute.

    "Hah..." he breathed out, almost chuckling as he recalled what she told him. Although she didn''t directly refuse him, she refused him. He wouldn''t sugarcoat it and hold on to hope she was simply ying hard to get because she wasn''t. Asher wouldn''t delude himself.

    How odd, he thought.

    "You just need a heart?" he repeated, narrowing his eyes. "And hope my sincerity will be appreciated?"

    What did that mean?

    What if it wasn''t appreciated?

    Myriads of questions hovered over his head with that simple statement that was easy to understand, but at the same time, not. At least, it wasn''t that easy for him. How could he? Since birth, everything he did was exceptional and was greatly appreciated.

    But now that he thought about it, he realized everything he did in the past until now, he never asked for recognition or appreciation. Why would he? People would naturally give it to him to the point it was too much and annoying. So in his understanding, appreciation would naturallye if one put an effort into it бк not hope.

    "Did she call me..." the side of his lips curled up, recalling another thing before she left. "Ash? Hah... how sweet."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Although her words were akin to a hard riddle he wanted to crack, he hardly felt annoyance at her refusal. Perhaps it was because of the extreme beliefs she had about dating or because, deep in his heart, he hoped she wouldn''t ept it that he didn''t feel irritated.

    "She''s right, though." He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath to clear his head. "I shouldn''t have even proposed such an idea without careful consideration."

    When he reopened his eyes, a subtle smile appeared on his face. "This time... I truly owe her an apology бк Luke, too."

    If Cosette was a little heartless, Luke''s and Asher''s already strained rtionship would only worsen. Asher couldn''t believe himself, and now that he had a clearer mind, he was also disappointed at himself for not considering his little brother''s feelings.

    Although the very reason he thought of asking Cosette on a date was that everyone was just being too considerate to Luke, while he only thought of ''pressure'' being the eldest. It was still wrong from every angle. The pressure on Asher twined with the recognition and appreciation was what he was born to carry. He shouldn''t me that on Luke.

    When he reopened his eyes, he chuckled bitterly.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m "He will really kill me this time," he mumbled, thinking about Luke''s explosive temperament if Cosette agreed just to cause an ord between the two brothers. "How embarrassing."

    *******

    Meanwhile...

    "Are you alright?" asked Conrad, watching Cosette snap out of her trance. "You had been silent. Everything good?"

    Her lips curled up as she drew a deep breath. "Papa, what do you think of the Young Master Quinn?"

    "Asher?" he repeated, and she nodded. Conrad pondered for a moment and answered truthfully. "He is capable and admirable at his young age. Anyone can see the Quinn Holdings'' bright future if he leads it once he is old enough."

    "Not that..." she crooned. "I mean as a person. What do you think about him?"

    This time, it took Conrad a moment to think about his answer. "Arrogant."

    "Why?" she asked out of in curiosity, a bit surprised at his answer.

    "Although his business insight is exceptional and everyone can see he will best his father, Asher is a person who never walked on a rocky road," Conrad exined. "I''m not saying everything came to him easily, nor I am saying he didn''t work hard to build his reputation, but there were certain things hecked."

    "Such as?"

    "Appreciation, understanding, and..." he looked at Cosette as he paused. "... experience."

    "Oh..."

    "No matter how perfect you are in running apany, if youck an understanding that your people had their own lives to live and certain things wille that are beyond your control, you''ll always meet a bottleneck," he added, casting her a knowing look, and smiled. Conrad sprawled his arm at her and patted her head gently.

    "That is why I am proud of you. Running apany and making money is rather easy,pared to time and experience. Keep learning through experience, and I''m sure you will be just as great in the future."

    Cosette blushed as she returned his gaze sheepishly, pleased to hear such praise from the man she admired the most in this world. Making him proud makes her happy.

    "Why did you ask?" Conrad inquired as he withdrew his hand from Cosette.

    "Well." She smacked her lips and pondered about her reply. "I''m just curious."

    "I thought he upset you."

    "Haha. No." She chuckled. "It''s just... I can''t help but wonder if he is happy."

    His brows furrowed. "You are curious if he is sad?"

    "No, happy. But well, that is not part of my internship, is it?" she grinned, an attempt to put this conversation to a halt even though she was the one who brought it up to him. "Even if I still want to be friends with him, I shouldn''t stick my nose to ces it isn''t weed."

    "The Quinns will wee you with open arms, but yes, not them."

    Cosette chuckled as she sensed dismay from Conrad once again. With that being said, the two continued to converse until their next destination. Their conversation grew more casual and natural, broaching anything they could from people to business affairs.

    A habit they would find themselves in the next several days until Cosette would have to prepare before the start of the school year. If she was going to describe her summer, she would say it was a busy but memorable one.

 Chapter 97 Dreams?

    Today was Cosette''sst day as Conrad''s assistant and she couldn''t help but smile at it. Not because she would now have a break, but because she learned a lot in the months of working side by side with Conrad. She met a lot of different types of people: cunning, smart, happy-go-lucky, and even weird ones.

    "It was a good summer," she mumbled whilezing on the bed after showering. "Although it is tiring, it felt rewarding in a way."

    Usually, Cosette would sleep immediately once she return home. But since it was herst her, she got this sort of unknown spirit and she didn''t feel that tired at all. She could only smile at the ceiling, enjoying the softness of the bed and the fresh scent of her room.

    She drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, her lips stretched from ear to ear.

    "I should write about it tomorrow," she mumbled, thinking that she had skipped a few days of writing in her journal because of their hectic schedule. But since she still has a week of preparation before the start of school, Cosette didn''t feel the need to write everything.

    "Ahh... my bed... so soft." She rolled on the bedzily, giggling when she felt deja vu.

    On the first day of the summer vacation, Cosette also rolled on the bed to enjoy her first day of vacation, only to feel bored minutester. But now, she didn''t feel empty, but rather excited. It was only a week before the start of ss, and she truly missed her friends.

    Although she kept in touch with them, she wasn''t able to hang out with them. She would sometimes have lunch with Luke since he woulde by to the office, but that was it. She didn''t even have time for Maxen.

    "Now that I think about it..." she trailed off, lying t on her back once more after recalling Maxen. "I heard Max was also busy doing sses the entire summer. Wow... we lived in the same house, but I don''t think I saw him for the past months." бк even if she did, she was probably too groggy to remember.

    Cosette blinked and blinked, a little amused how she survived without seeing Maxen''s charming face for a day, let alone a full two months. She knew she would be busy when she decided to tag along with Conrad, but Cosette didn''t fathom she would be that busy. She didn''t realize until now that it was herst day of being her father''s protege.

    "Max..." she whispered and her eyes softened. "... I kinda miss him. I should bother her tomorrow... he wouldn''t be having sses one week before the school starts, right?"

    She mulled about it for a while beforeing to a conclusion. Cosette nodded, convinced that she should start focusing on Maxen again. Her confidence that he wouldn''t be a viin was high, but still, she missed pampering him. Maxen was the highlight of her day, and she couldn''t wait to share her experience with him and hear about his summer as well.

    "I''m just d that he is doing something during my absence," came out a murmur, smiling subtly at the thought. "I hoped he wasn''t bored, and he had tons of experience to share."

    Cosette stared at the ceiling until her eyes felt heavy. Her blinks grew slower until they closed and fell asleep.

    As the time passed and her sleep grew deeper, Cosette was pulled into a strange dream.

    In this dream, she was writing her journal like usual. But unlike the usual smile on her face, Cosette was writing it solemnly. She wasn''t the sweet sixteen-year-old Cosette, but the gorgeous twenty-six-year-old woman, sitting in this very room that seemed untouched because of the difference in the style of her clothes and the room''s interior.

    Cosette looked unhappy as she wrote silently. Although eagerness was absent in her eyes, the way the pen moved never stopped. She was writing as if it was thest day of her life, biting her lips from time to time as if to hydrate herself.

    The only time she stopped was when drops of blood smeared on the nk area of the journal. Cosette touched her upper lips and checked her fingers, but s, she didn''t react strongly as if she wasn''t surprised at her nosebleed anymore. Cosette only reached for the tissue and wiped her bleeding nose. While doing so, she continued once again in silence.

    One would wonder what she was writing. But well, it wasn''t really important... since it was only for her entertainment.

    BZZ! BZZ! BZZ!

    Cosette snapped her eyes ever so tenderly when her phone kept vibrating on the desk. She looked at it for a minute, pondering whether or not to pick up the call. In the end, when the phone stopped vibrating, only to vibrate again, she finally sprawled her arms to reach it and answered.

    She didn''t speak as soon as she ced the phone in front of her ear, nor did her cold expression change. She just listened silently to the person talking from the other end of the line. When her lips parted, her lips curled up into a smirk.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What for?" came out a mature, and seductive voice. "My life is not as interesting to remember. I know someone''s life who is even more interesting."

    Her eyes fell on the journal in front of her and smirked. Without saying another word, she ended the call while the person on the other end was still talking. After cing the phone to the side, she picked up the journal and leaned back, reading her handwriting.

    "Very interesting, indeed..." she whispered, eyelids drooping. "This will keep me entertained... hopefully."

    The twenty-six-year-old Cosette was gorgeous at every angle and the slightest movements of her eyes or finger screamed elegance. However, for a woman who had it all, her eyes bore emptiness. They didn''t even bear sadness or happiness, making her look even more dangerous.

    For someone who wasn''t sad or upset about her situation, Cosette had epted what was about toe so easily. After all, just as she said, she didn''t want to remember her life that much. Not because she didn''t love her luxurious life and sessful career.

    "If only... we had enjoyed our youth..." she whispered once more, keeping her eyes on the journal. "Maybe we wouldn''t turn something like this... don''t you think? Mister Devilsin?"

    ******

    Cosette snapped her eyes open and gasped, seeing the very familiar ceiling of her room. Her brows creased as she massaged her temple.

    "A dream again..." she whispered as shezily sat up, looking at the window and seeing it was just the crack of the day. However, she didn''t feel sleepy anymore after waking up to another dream of her adult self. Her lips curved down, recalling just snippets of her dream.

    All she could remember was she was in this room and writing in her journal. It had always been this way for the past several weeks, and she already learned not to dwell on them. Cosette thought she was simply having dreams of her adult self since she had been involving herself in thepany matters.

    But this dream, in particr, left this deep impression in her heart. She felt the emptiness that Cosette had from her dreams. It wasn''t like she was sad or anything of the sort, but the emptiness was something... that could make one ask, why?

    Why were you so empty when you already had everything? Sessful career, wealth, and fame.

    "Right..." she whispered as she looked around the room and frowned, almost in tears, as she realized why that Cosette in her dreams felt empty. "I was alone."

    Tears shone in her eyes at the thought of it. Although she knew she wouldn''t be alone, her tears wouldn''t stop flooding her face. Cosette didn''t know if that was the real Cosette or her; this thought didn''t even cross her. All she felt was the emptiness of having everything, but no one.

    It almost felt like a waste. Her life was a waste, but it was already toote to regret it because time... was something she could never buy.

    "I feel like a drama queen," she mumbled, wiping her eyes with her arms. "Why am I crying over a dream?"

    Cosette wiped her eyes until she recovered from shedding tears. She took a deep breath and breathed it out through her lips, repeating it until she didn''t feel like crying anymore. When she fully calmed down, the sun had already risen to announce to everyone it was another day.

    She looked at the window and smiled subtly. "I''m not wasting my time now," she whispered, thinking that she had all the time in the world and she had been spending every second worthwhile.

    "That''s right!" she cheered herself, holding her fist up, huffing. "I will cherish every moment I have here and won''t have any regrets!"

    Her constant dreams felt like a reminder for her to live her life to the fullest, giving her this new drive to live day by day without worrying about the plot of the novel.

 Chapter 98 Who Are You?

    Cosette couldn''t fall back to sleep so she simplyzed around, doing whatever, until she eventually forgot about her strange dream. As usual, Cosette started her day earlier, going through her morning ritual of having some quality time to herself. This time, however, she especially took her precious time since she didn''t have any ns for the day.

    When she was already satisfied pampering herself, Cosette left her room with such luster in her eyes. Greeting everyone on the way, Butler George stopped her, only to tell her Conrad left a word he wouldn''t join her for breakfast. Cosette simply smiled and nodded, heading straight to the dining hall.

    She had been Conrad''s junior for months. Thus, Cosette knew Conrad''s schedule like it was written on the back of her hand. When the food was served, Cosette was about to enjoy her breakfast when she frowned.

    "Where''s Maxen?" asked Cosette to the maid who was pouring her a ss of water.

    "Sir Maxen left early today."

    Cosette''s frown deepened. "Where did he go?"

    "It was hisst day of ss and he had to get his certificate."

    "Oh..." She rocked her head, sporting a smile at the maid before thetter left.

    When Cosette was all alone, she couldn''t help but sigh. For the past months, she got used to eating little in the morning and as a king at noon. Conrad never allowed her to go with an empty stomach. But the dilemma here was, aside from eating, she was used to havingpany.

    She stuck beside Conrad the whole day and even if she would have snacks in the car, Conrad was there. So, eating breakfast alone felt... unfamiliar.

    "No wonder I didn''t see Maxen that much," she mumbled, picking up her cutleriesnguidly. "He was probably just as busy as I was. Just what sort of sses did he enroll in?"

    Cosette talked to herself as she started digging in, wondering what kept Maxen busy these days. It was already a surprise that Maxen decided to enroll in short sses, and didn''t take her advice to apply to theirpany. Not that her suggestion was terrible. It was a wonderful experience and Maxen would learn a lot about everything.

    But then again, even if Maxen applied for an internship, they wouldn''t see each other that much since Conrad was always out and about, attending meetings here and there. Also, Maxen had his own money now to spend since Conrad was still paying him for his hard work in looking after Cosette.

    She hadn''t seen him splurge money despite his handsome sry. So, he had his savings for sure and gaining skills wasn''t also a terrible route.

    Still, her intrigue peaked about why and what sses Maxen enrolled in.

    Cosette chewed slowly, holding her fork as she forked out a piece of green. "I wonder what time he goes home..." she mumbled, sighing once more.

    "If he is receiving a certificate, he should''ve at least told us or me since that is like a graduation." She shook her head mildly, shrugging. "Well, I should hold a mini celebration for aplishing our agendas this summer."

    With that idea in mind, a newfound excitement swelled in her heart. Cosette giggled as she gobbled up her food with a smile, excited to do some nning.

    When Cosette finished her breakfast, she was like a sloth whozed around the living area. Everyone in the manor was so busy, especially in the morning. Watching the servants walk in and out busily, she sighed. Even though they would smile at her, and no one asked her for any help, she felt a little sour.

    ''I always tell myself beingzy must be fun...'' she thought, lying dead on the couch with her toe and other hand touching the carpet. "It''s boring... I wished I can bother Luke, but I think he told me he has an event today. Ugh... everyone is just so busy."

    Suddenly, her phone vibrated under her arms. Taking it out and holding it over her face, her frown deepened. She just received a reply from Sarah, telling her she was out and helping her auntie. And then Fay also replied to her, telling her she was also in their family home. Amie didn''t have any particr ns for the day, but she said some of her rtives would being over and she had to stay home.

    Another sigh escaped Cosette''s mouth as she tossed her phone to the side. She only asked if the girls were free today so they could hang out, but those were their replies. Not that Cosette couldn''t understand, but she couldn''t think of doing anything else for today.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "And to think it''s just an hour since I had breakfast..." she mumbled to herself, staring at the ceiling with dead eyes. "I''m... doomed."

    Surely, after being used to having agendas every single day and having a busy day, going back to doing nothing wasn''t as easy as it sounded. Cosette didn''t have other hobbies, so it only made things hard for her.

    "From now on... I should..." her brow arched as she cocked her head to the side. "... wait a minute."

    Cosette rolled to her side and searched for her phone, which she found under the pillow. Without further ado, she worked on her phone and searched for any novel apps she could find. It wasn''t that she didn''t have a hobby. It was just that after entering this world, she had been busy doing anything else and almost forgotten the hobby that allowed her to kill time in the hospital.

    Her lips stretched from ear to ear as she downloaded all sorts of novel apps andics. Since she believed she was in the novel, she initially thought there wouldn''t be such things. But after months in thepany, this world felt more like the world where she came from.

    Excited, Cosette browsed for good stories to read and immediately found one. It didn''t take long when Cosette found herself scrolling and scrolling, gobbling up the words of the author. A giggle would escape her mouth from time to time. Completely forgetting she was simplyzing for an hour before she starts nning how to celebrate her and Maxen''s small win.

    And before she knew it, it was already past noon.

    While Cosette was giggling yfully, facing the backrest of the couch with her phone close to her face, she didn''t notice when the entrance opened. Coming in was a young man in a simple loose t-shirt with a jacket draped over his hand that was clinging onto the door handle.

    He nced toward the couch where he heard the giggling, tilting his head when he caught her lying there with the pillows scattered around while munching snacks. The side of his lips curled up as his eyes softened, closing the door carefully not to disturb her.

    Since Cosette was facing the backrest of the couch, Maxen couldn''t see her face. He sat down on the couch across from her. He tossed the jacket over the armrest, leaning backfortably, and staring at her back.

    ''I missed her,'' was what crossed his head, seeing that Cosette was just there giggling while reading something on her phone.

    In the past months, Cosette was the busiest, in his opinion. Sometimes, they woulde home veryte at night. Even if theye home early, she was buried with the workload. It wasn''t that they didn''t really meet in the past two months; they lived in the same home.

    However, it still felt like they didn''t. There were times he would approach her, but she was too groggy or her mind was drifting somewhere else. It made him proud of how serious she was in her ''job,'' making him work just as hard. Even so, he missed her.

    ''I wonder what she''s reading?'' he cocked his head to the side, blinking countless times. Whatever she was reading was definitely an important document regardingpany matters. No one would look that excited reading stats.

    Maxen didn''t speak a word and just sat across from her, watching her silently without letting his presence known. But even with his undivided attention, he still flinched when she squealed.

    "Kyah! This is not a drill! It''s happening! It''s happening~!" Cosette sprung up to her seat, causing some chips to fall on the surface of the couch. But she didn''t pay attention to it with her eyes glued to the phone. Her lips stretched even wider the more she read, taking her precious time to read as if that would lengthen the chapter.

    When a minute had passed, her squeal pierced the air again, blushing. She picked up the nearest pillow around her, burying her face while kicking her feet mildly but quickly. Little did she know, Maxen was watching her squeal like a little girl.

    "Is the story that good?" he asked out of in curiosity, breaking his silence for the first time.

    "It is! They''re about to... huh?" Cosette trailed off as her brows furrowed at the unfamiliar warm baritone voice behind her. Looking back, the lines between her brows deepened, sizing up the young, hot specimen looking back at her.

    Her pupils slowly dted as panic swelled in her chest. "Who are you?"

 Chapter 99 A Villains Perks?

    "Who are you?"

    Maxen frowned at the first question she had for him after not talking for months. "Only two months and two days, Cozie. And now, you can''t remember me?" he repeated in a somber tone.

    Cosette gasped and blinked countless times. The more she stared, the more he looked familiar. Out of panic, Cosette jumped and plopped her butt down beside him.

    "Max?" she eximed, making him wince and tug his earlobe. "Omg!"

    Unbothered by the slight annoyance dominating his face, Cosette cupped his cheeks and forced him to look back at her. Her eyes scanned his face, gasping dramatically.

    "What?" he asked, annoyed at this strange reaction from her.

    "Your fats..." came out a shaking voice on the verge of crying, looking back at him with a deep frown. "... where did your baby fats go!?"

    His frown deepened, scrunching his nose up in dismay.

    "My cute baby viin... omo...! Did you starve yourself while I was busy, hmm?" she asked worriedly. "Oh, gosh...! Don''t worry. I will feed you tons and tons of food!"

    Maxen would be pleased with everything she had spewed recklessly if not for the fact she was acting like a grandma concerned with her favorite grandchild''s well-being. He looked at her dead in the eye, sighing faintly at the sight of her.

    He raised his hand and pinched her cheek mildly. "I missed you," he said without a second hesitation, stopping her from her continuous histrionic sentiments.

    "Ah?" she blinked twice, her hands still cupping his face.

    "You''ve been busy," he stressed. "And we didn''t hang out that much. That''s why I missed you."

    "..."

    It took Cosette some time to absorb the words he uttered, and when they registered in her head, her face slowly turned red. She even heard her head producing a ''poof'' sound when her brain overheated, making her dizzy for a moment.

    Seeing her flustered reaction, Maxen chuckled with his lips closed. But s, she purposely misunderstood his chuckle as him being evil and deliberately making her feel a little embarrassed.

    "Tch!" she clicked her tongue, retracting her hand from his face. "Gosh... just because you look a little mature now, you think you can seduce this innocent maiden?"

    "Seduce an innocent maiden?" he arched a brow and tilted his head to the side. "I''m not seducing you. You and I are too young for that."

    "Yes, you are!" her breath hitched, jumping back while pointing at him with judgemental eyes.

    "Huh? How??"

    "That!" he flinched when she eximed one more time.

    "What??" the confusion in his eyes grew even more apparent, knowing he was innocent... a bit. It wasn''t like Maxen was purposely seducing her, but it wasn''t like he waspletely innocent either, since there were certain things he wanted to do to her or with her.

    For instance, kissing.

    "Yes, you! You looking at me as if I''m your prey is seduction without a doubt!" she rified, looking back at him cautiously. It wasn''t just Maxen losing a bit of weight. But for some reason, his entire features looked more mature, like Asher''s.

    Was that even possible? How could his appearance change so drastically in two months? Was this part of the novel''s character development? A viin''s perks or some sort?

    It wasn''t like he changedpletely, but more like since his baby fats were gone, his face and Adam''s apple looked more defined. Hence, his handsomeness, which she wanted to keep for herself, was now out there for everyone to see!

    Just how would she protect Maxen? Or the girls who would experience his wrath once they pissed him off?

    While Cosette gave him this inexplicablyplicated look, Maxen cocked his head to the side. He had been working out even before she thought of tagging along with her father. Still, he could barely see any results. Although he felt light and some of his clothes were bigger now, he didn''t go under the knife to change his appearance.

    And yet, she was acting like he had surgery to fix his face. If not for the unreasonable usations she was throwing at him, he would take it as apliment. However, she was ring daggers at him as if he was a criminal.

    "What am I going to do with you?" he mumbled and sighed, shaking his head mildly. "I can''t believe this is what you are so concerned about."

    He cocked his head towards the couch across from them where she waszing around previously. "Go back and read whatever you are reading."

    "What?" she sprawled her arms and grabbed his wrist on instinct, just in case he would leave. He didn''t n to, though. So his brows rose at her abrupt hold.<novelnext></novelnext>

    For a moment, they looked at each other nkly, blinking silently.

    "What?" he asked, breaking the prolonged silence.

    "What do you mean what? I''m stopping you from leaving... just in case you''ll walk out like you always do."

    Another faint exhale slipped past his nose. "I thought you''ll be more mature after all that in yourpany." Maxen raised a finger and poked her forehead mildly.

    "Turns out you''ve be more silly."

    Her frown deepened. "That''s because I thought you''ve grown more distant after not seeing me."

    "Distant? Didn''t you ask who I was just now?"

    "But that''s because your cuteness is gone!" she pouted, clicking her tongue. "You don''t understand. Whatever."

    Cosette pped his finger away mildly and turned around, folding her arms under her chest. Seeing her action, Maxen tilted his head to the side.

    "What do you mean by that?" he asked out of pure curiosity, but she only answered with a loud, "hmp!"

    Maxen wouldn''t understand her dilemma if she wouldn''t tell him. While he was wondering what could be her problem, Cosette snapped her tongue once more.

    ''Who gave him permission to grow up so fast?'' she grumbled inwardly. ''I mean, of course, I will barely recognize him with how much weight he lost! Also, this is a sin! How can he be so handsome?! Just when I thought I already managed my feelings бк ugh! So frustrating!''

    Cosette was aware her problems were merely childish tantrums that she could resolve if she wanted to. However, it was upsetting when she thought she could be okay, but Maxen would spew nonsense to tease her. Her maiden heart was weak!

    "Did you really miss me?" she murmured after a minute of silence, sneaking a look at him. After all that dramatic inner tantrum, her emotion still boiled down to what was important: the truth.

    Maxen looked at her cautious eyes and nodded lightly, showing zero hesitation in expressing his feelings.

    "I did, and I''m d to see youzing around here like a sloth." His lips curled up subtly, making her breath hitch and dyeing her face red.

    ''My heart...'' she mentally ced her hand across her chest to calm her racing heart. Surely, Maxen matured not just in appearance, but in demeanor as well.

    Just months ago, Maxen would always click his tongue at her or frown. No, actually, Maxen never smiled at her. But now... he was smiling so gently.

    "This is the first," she whispered, watching his brows raise. Her lips stretched wider until they reached her eyes. "This is the first time I saw you smile candidly, Max. It seemed you really have a great summer."

    His smile line faded, reced by a blissful nonchnce. "I did. Did you enjoy yours?"

    "Mhm. Very much." Cosette leaned back, hugging the pillow and bending her knees closer to her chest. She nced at him once again and bit her lips to stop them from stretching like a fool.

    "Although I missed you," came out a muffled confession. "Just as much."

    His eyes softened at her remarks, rocking his head mildly. During this summer, Maxen realized one thing, and that was Cosette was very expressive. Her words could be easily misunderstood. Just like this one, for instance. If this was before, Maxen would think it was some sort of love confession. However, now, he knew this wasn''t the case.

    After all, people could miss other people in their life, not just their lovers. Although he didn''t n to stay as friends in the future, he was satisfied with this level of closeness for now.

    "Why didn''t you grow, Cozie?" he asked, reaching for her hair, only to ruffle it yfully. "Or were you shrinking?"

    She frowned. "No! You just grew overnight! This is so unfair!"

    "Is it?" heughed, making her even more irritable as she pped his hand away.

    "Maxen, there'' are a lot of things I want to ask you, and the first of them is how dare you?" she huffed, hopping out of the couch to stand in front of him. She raised her chin, hands on her hips, sporting this fake bravado to conceal the natural blush on her face.

    "I might''ve not grown taller, but can''t you see I have a body of a woman?" she argued, staring down at him, who was leaning back with his arms spread. From her point of view, Maxen''szy posture was akin to a prince waiting for someone to straddle him.

    Meanwhile, Maxen kept his eyes locked with hers before his gaze fell on her neck, down to her slender shoulders, then corbones. His gaze continued to move south ever so slowly until he was staring at her legs. Cosette was wearing a short and a sleeveless top, making his throat bob.

    ''Just... why does she always put me in a very awkward situation?'' he wondered with a deep sigh, raising his eyes to meet her eyes, only to see her look away in embarrassment. ''That''s right... she finally realizes how awkward this is for the both of us, but she is stubborn and won''t admit that. Seriously... she''s going to drive me crazy again.''

 Chapter 100 Plans For The Night

    Cosette pursed her lips into a thin line and cleared her throat. She scratched her nape, sitting down beside Maxen with her chin raised.

    "Since when did you look this sexy?" she mumbled, making the corner of his lips stretch.

    "It''s inborn?"

    Her frown deepened, ring at him in dismay. "And since when did you be so... shameless?"

    "I''ve always been shameless." He shrugged nonchntly. "I wouldn''t live in here if I have some sense of pride in me, don''t you think?"

    "Tch." Cosette folded her arms under her chest and tossed her back against the pillow behind her. "This is not good."

    "Why not?"

    "I miss my cute Maxen."

    "Cute?" he arched a brow, already used to her honesty. Sometimes, he wondered if Cosette was just foolishly honest. But after sharing a good amount of time with her, Cosette was only a hundred percent transparent to him. Not that she was a liar, but there were certain things she usually keep to herself when she knew it would help no one.

    "Mhm." Her frown remained, looking away from him to hide the natural blush dominating her face. "You were so cute back then."

    "Do you... like chubby men?"

    ''Chubby or skinny, I don''t care. That''s not how I base my preference,'' she answered internally but bit her tongue from saying that aloud.

    "Psst." Maxen whistled to get her attention, leaning forward to tap her shoulder. "I won''t ask anymore, but don''t ignore me."

    "Ignoring you."

    He frowned, arching a brow. He lowered his eyes and smirked, raising a finger to poke the side of her stomach. As soon as he did, her shoulders jumped, and she looked back at him, wide-eyed.

    "Still ignoring me?" he cocked his head to the side, enjoying how the pink blush on her face slowly turn red. When she didn''t answer after ten seconds, he poked her side once again, which made her jolt back.

    "Max!" she gasped in horror while he chuckled. "You..."

    Cosette balled her hand into a tight fist, grinding her teeth. It had only been two months since theirst bonding time, but Maxen surely changed. Although she was d to see him smiling andughing more, he also became mischievous!

    "So this is what you want, huh?" she snorted, cracking her fingers before pouncing on him.

    Without a moment''s notice, she bite his shoulder like a dog while he wiggled under her. Maxen tapped her back, signaling her to stop biting. But s, the second Cosette let him go, his fingers were already on standby to tickle her.

    "Max бк ah, hahaha! Stop!!" Cosette writhed on the couch like a worm, kicking him, but he was strong. Maxen held her ankle securely, tickling her sole until she was crying.

    "Please!!"

    "Haha..." Pleased, Maxen let her go. As soon as he did, Cosette rested her feet on hisp. She was panting for air, clearing her throat, catching up to her breathing. Seeing her recovery, Maxen gazed down at her feet. His hand reached for her ankle, only for it to get kicked away.

    "No more, Max!" sheined. "I''m already dying here."

    "I just want to massage your feet."

    "No, no, no! Don''t you dare!" Cosette red at him and pointed a finger. "No more!"

    "But I''m telling the truth."

    "No!" she huffed, and only rxed when he raised his hands. "Gosh... my side hurts."

    Maxen leaned back and kept his attention on her, smiling subtly. While staring at her, he couldn''t help but be amazed at how they treated each other as if they were seeing each other for the past two months. It was almost the same, or rather even better.

    His eyes softened. ''The therapy worked... I guess.''

    Maxen did not only enroll in different sses to gain some skills he might use for his future. But also, since he had more than enough, he also went to regr therapy for his mental health. He knew he had problems regarding trust issues and abandonment. The reason he couldn''t fully open up to people was because of those factors.

    But who would have thought those therapies would actually help him get by day by day? Although he was still a work in progress, he was d that he invested in himself. Because if he didn''t, his rtionship with her would stay the same.

    Not that Cosette needed to do something since she was still treating him the same as before, but more like, for the first time... he also took a step closer to her.

    "Max." His brows rose, snapping out of his trance when she called. "Why didn''t you tell me about your certification?"

    "Hmm?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette tilted her head until her eyes could see him properly. Maxen was still sitting on his spot previously, while she was lying on the couch with her feet on top of hisp.

    "Isn''t today your graduation day?" she exined in a questioning tone. "You should''ve told me since this is an achievement we should celebrate."

    "What graduation? I just collected a piece of paper just like how we do our clearance at the end of the school year. There''s no ceremony whatsoever."

    "Eh? really?" she scrunched her nose up while he nodded. "But still, we should celebrate it, right?"

    Cosette propped her elbows against the cushion to sit upright. Her feet stayed on hisp, his arm over them.

    "What do you want to do?" she asked with anticipation in her eyes. "Should we have a special dinner with my dad? Or should we eat out? How about we go on a day trip? But Papa is busy this entire week."

    She frowned, mulling about their n on how to celebrate their small win. There were many options, but considering there was only a week before the school start, they couldn''t go yolo. So their options gradually decreased.

    "We don''t need to..." he trailed off when she red at him as if she would kill him if he said another word. ''Honestly, I don''t need to celebrate anything. But why is she so invested in it?''

    Just then, Maxen recalled one of his therapy sessions regarding giving more credit to himself and something about self-love. He looked at her, blinking twice, studying her solemn expression.

    "How about..." he cleared his throat when she raised her attention to him again. Even though he didn''t n on rejecting her suggestion, he still felt like he had to choose his words carefully. Surely, she could be very intense and scary at times.

    "I mean, we can celebrate it by watching a movie and some snacks." He shrugged. "Going out is tiring, but we can just do that here. Or a swim, I guess."

    "Oh..." she rocked her head. "Just the two of us?"

    "Do you n on throwing a party?" he arched a brow.

    "No, but I mean, you might want more people..."

    "Just you." He stopped her even before she could finish her ridiculous assumption. Her brows rose while looking back at his indifferent expression. "I just want to celebrate it with you. Just you."

    ''There''s no way I''ll tell her she should invite that brat here.'' He could not help but click his tongue inwardly, thinking that their ssmates would surely snatch Cosette''s attention. If this was about celebrating his certification, then he would rather have to spend time with her alone.

    After all, Cosette was the only person who mattered to him.

    "Alright." She nodded, biting her inner lip to suppress her giggle, but to no avail. "Feels like a date."

    This time, his back stiffened, and looked at her. His throat bobbed nervously, seeing the devious curl of the corner of her lips.

    ''I like her but sometimes... she scares me.'' He sighed, shaking his head. ''I sometimes feel unsafe around her, more than the fact that she should be the one worrying.''

    "Let''s go!" Maxen flinched when she sprung out of the bed excitedly.

    "Let''s go?" he asked.

    "Yes. We''ll have a movie night now!" she nodded profusely, hands on her hips. "I''ll make some popcorn and snacks. You help me set up the entertainment room."

    Cosette arched a brow when Maxen didn''t move an inch from his spot. Hence, she kicked his foot lightly, only for him to sigh.

    "Okay..." Maxen dragged himself out of the coughzily until he was standing in his statue. Meanwhile, her eyes dted slowly, looking up at him in horror.

    "What now?" he asked, seeing how she looked at him as if she has just seen a ghost.

    "Max!" she yelled, grabbing either his biceps. "Howe you grew this tall?!"

    "Huh?"

    "What do you mean, ''huh?'' How the hell did you grow so tall like a tower?! What sort of sorcery is this?" she gasped in disbelief. She was already surprised at Maxen''s changes in his overall physique, but even his height?! If she was correct, Maxen was now at least an inch taller than Asher! Or at least, the same height!

    "I don''t know?" he shrugged. "Are we not watching anymore now?"

    "No! We''ll watch!" Cosette snapped her tongue in irritation. "You really know how to set me straight."

    Maxen simply chuckled as she stomped her feet away. But just as he took a step to follow her, he stopped when he caught her phone lighting up from the corner of his eyes. Knowing she would turn the house upside downter if she remember her phone, Maxen picked it up to give it to her.

    But as he did, he caught the novel she was reading when he came in. His brows furrowed, pressing the back button only to see a lewd cover of both men.

    "..."

 Chapter 101 Jealous?

    The c residence was a huge property withplete amenities seen in luxury establishments. When Cosette went to make some snacks, refusing everyone''s helping hand, Maxen dragged his feet towards the theater room to set up nothing. The servants cleaned every corner and room of the mansion. Therefore, he just had to sit down leisurely and overthink Cosette''s ''dangerous'' hobby.

    Even when she arrived and they both chose a horror film, his concern for her continuously increased.

    Maxen was just sitting at arm''s length in the middle of the long couch. His eyes were fixed on the enormous television, bearing an utterly solemn countenance. His mind, however, was drifting about something else.

    ''Why is she so into those kinds of stories?'' he asked himself for the umpteenth time, remembering how she was giggling and squealing earlier. ''Does she need therapy for this too?''

    A deep exhale escaped his nostrils, massaging his brows. Little did he know, Cosette had noticed how distracted he was. Initially, she thought the reason Maxen wore that straight face despite the jump scare was that it didn''t terrify him. But the more she observed him through the corner of her eyes, she was convinced that wasn''t the case.

    "Everything good?" she asked, watching him arch a brow and cast her a look. The second their eyes locked with each other, she couldn''t help but gulp down the popcorn she was chewing. Perhaps because they didn''t see each other that much in the past two months that she wasn''t used to how defined his facial features were now. Especially that sharp jaw.

    "I guess..." he answered under his breath, failing to notice the attentiveness in her eyes.

    "You guess?" Despite the distraction, Cosette managed to stay on the subject. "Where is that uncertaintying from?"

    Cosette blinked twice before her brows knitted. Maxen didn''t answer immediately and just stared at her in silence, making her slightly self-conscious.

    "What, Max?" she asked one more time. "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with my face?"

    "Uh... nothing." He shook his head, snapping his eyes. "Forget it."

    She frowned, stretching her legs until her feet were over hisp. "Unfortunately, that only increased my interest."

    "It''s nothing, really."

    "It''s something," she argued, raising both her brows. "Come on, Max. Tell me."

    "We''re watching a movie."

    "I can re-watch it again in my free time." She shrugged. "I can''t return the time that had already gone by. I''d rather spend it listening to you than watch."

    Cosette''s expression bore innocence, not trying to sound romantic, but still tugged his heartstrings. Maxen let out a shallow breath, cursing himself for letting her notice. What was he supposed to tell her now? That he saw what she was reading, and he had been concerned since? Not that he considered she would be upset and misunderstand that he was invading her privacy, but... she might feel embarrassed.

    "Don''t you ever lie to me," she warned when his lips parted, narrowing her eyes as if reading what he was nning. "Just tell me it''s something you can''t share with me, then I will stop pressing about it. Just don''t lie to me. I sort of hate being kept in the dark for some reason."

    Maxen studied her countenance for a moment and sighed. "Fine." He then picked up her phone from the back pockets of his jeans, tossing it to her side.

    Her brows furrowed upon recognizing the phone case, raising her eyes full of genuine wonder back at him. Even before he could start his exnation, she held her breath as her heart thudded.

    "I didn''t mean to peek, but beforeing in here, I noticed it in the lobby. Knowing you will turn the house upside down while looking for it, I picked it up to give it to you. But I identally tapped the back arrow button, and..." Maxen''s face heat up, a little embarrassed as if he caught her showering. He cleared his throat, trying to muster his courage to continue.

    "But, uh... I saw the cover of the novel you were reading." He lowered his eyes, recalling the horror when he saw the cover that appeared as if it had something to do with BDSM.

    ''I knew it.'' Horror dominated her face at the thought, eyes nk but still on Maxen. ''Is he scared of me now?''

    Not that Cosette was embarrassed about reading boy''s love. Actually, she loved them and was a proud fan of the genre. Especially the smut was mostly better than straight romance. The only reason she was horrified was that Maxen... was often overwhelmed with the idea and might think of her as strange.

    "Max..." she called awkwardly, thinking of how to salvage this situation.

    "Don''t get me wrong. I mean, I''m not against men being with men, but I don''t want them disying their affection right in front of my face," he exined his side of the story just to make her less ufortable. "But I''ve never seen a girl like that type of story in her free time."

    "But you never knew a lot ofdies, Max," she blurted out, causing pin-drop silence in the room. "I mean, you don''t even bother with other people, so of course, you don''t know. But that doesn''t mean this is abnormal!"

    "Huh?"

    "Our ssmates like this type of story!" she eximed, using what she previously blurted out identally to her advantage. "That''s why they sometimes ship you and Luke, remember? Also, some of them actually think you look great with Ash."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What?" Maxen scrunched his nose up in dismay, unable toprehend how the hell was he being tied with those Quinn brothers?! Also, did she just call Asher, Ash?

    Unaware of his muddled thoughts, Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line. "I mean, it''s just them..."

    "Are you close with Luke''s brother now?" he asked, ignoring their initial subject, as this one was way more important. "I heard from Sir Conrad that you had a current joint project with the Quinn Holdings. So, I sort of knew you had met him a few times. Was he your friend now, too?"

    "What..." Cosette knitted her brows, taking her time from this sudden transition in their discussion. ''Why do I feel like a wife getting caught red-handed by my husband?''

    She studied Maxen''s expression and tilted her head to the side. He didn''t seem angry or aggressive. If anything, all she saw in his eyes was in curiosity. How upsetting.

    "It''s not like we''ve grown close or something like that, but since we''re both involved in the project, it''s better to maintain a friendly and professional rtionship with the Quinns," she exined, choosing her wording carefully because of lingering nervousness she didn''t know where it wasing from.

    "Ahh..."

    "Why?" she asked this time, weighing if she should continue this discussion or just move on. In the end, Cosette was a bit upset he didn''t have any strong reaction to her ''ambiguous'' rtionship with Asher, so she chose to continue.

    "Why do you want to know about my rtionship with Asher?" she asked.

    "Well, curious."

    "I see..." she rocked her head, biting her inner lip. Just then, a memory crossed her head, making her raise a brow slightly. "He actually wants me to date him."

    Cosette studied Maxen, anticipating any reaction from him but to no avail. Maxen simply froze, but not enough for her to notice. But he managed to keep hisposure, only to let out an indifferent, "oh?"

    ''Oh?'' she frowned slightly. ''What did I expect?''

    "I refused him, though." She shrugged, huffing faintly to release the slight frustration at hisck of reaction. "But he told me he will try..."

    "Do you like him?" he asked without beating around the bush.

    "Well, he isn''t that bad, in my opinion. He is handsome, smart, decisive, and aplete package," Cosette simply stated the obvious, although she didn''t have the slightest desire to date the male lead of this story. "He might be a little arrogant, but he''s still young and he will eventually бк Max, you''ll break my ankle if you hold it that tight."

    Maxen released her ankle immediately when she pointed out how his grip was tightening. "Uh, sorry. Was trying to massage it."

    "Oh..." she nodded in understanding and then continued. "Should I date him? What do you think?"

    "Why are you asking me?" he returned almost sarcastically. "Will you not date him if I said no?"

    "Will you say no?"

    Maxen narrowed his eyes to hide the dangerous glint that flickered across them. "Don''t date him."

    "Why?" she cocked her head. "Jealous?"

    "What if I am?"

    This time, Cosette took a moment to answer. She studied him for a second before cing the bowl of popcorn on the table in front of them. She then dragged her rear closer to him without moving her feet from hisp.

    "You''re really jealous?" she asked with anticipation when she was a few closer to him. Her lips stretched from side to side, wanting to see him up close to see the truth even if he lie on the skin of his teeth.

    Maxen fluttered his eyshes ever so tenderly, realizing she used Asher as bait to get a reaction from him. But he didn''t feel manipted since he barely showed emotion as if he had seen iting.

    "Yes," he replied under his breath, raising a hand to y with the tip of her hair. "If you date him, I''ll date someone elseбн maybe, fuck her too, while I''m at it."

 Chapter 102 I Did A Good Job

    "If you date him, I''ll date someone elseбн maybe, fuck her too, while I''m at it."

    Maxen kept his straight face, looking at Cosette dead in the eye. He was serious, and he wanted her to know that.

    "If you need my opinion, my answer will always be the same. Don''t date anyone," he repeated solemnly. "But if you don''t need it, do what you want to do. Date whoever you wanted; it''s your life and your decision."

    Silence instantly befell the two of them, looking at each other in silence. Cosette bit her tongue, finding her lost voice.

    "If I date, you will also date?" she asked for rification.

    "I will if I feel like it. Don''t think it was because of you. No, it''s not. I just think there''s no reason for me to keep holding on to someone who is happier with another person," he exined, trying his best to keep it as simple and clear.

    Although what he wanted to tell her was her happiness was his priority, and even if he wasn''t in that happiness... he would be happy. But obviously, he wasn''t ready to say all those cheesy lines.

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line while holding his gaze. His answer left a bitter taste in her mouth. Of course, she understood Maxen бк or rather; she had a different interpretation of his answer. What she understood was that Maxen wouldn''t stop her from dating or anything of the sort, and that also meant she had no say if he also started dating.

    She even forgot the shock his initial answer gave her, as she didn''t expect something so vulgar. He sounded a bit sexy in her rotten ears, though.

    "''kay," came out a short reply, twisting her body until she was facing the television once again. When her eyesnded on the movie, Cosette didn''t understand what was going on anymore, but she didn''t have the energy to rewind it.

    "Why are you upset?" he inquired this time, almost knowing her from inside and out. She didn''t do anything grand, but her short reply, followed by silence, was enough for him to understand she was upset.

    "I''m not upset," she murmured, casting him a cursory look, only to see him raise his brows. Another deep exhale slipped past her lips, smacking them right after.

    "It''s just... I don''t know. I don''t want you to date," she confessed, expressing her heart as honestly as ever. A habit that had always tugged his heartstrings and nearly pushed him to insanity.

    "Of course, if you find someone who will make you happy, I''ll be happy too. But the thought of it now... this might sound selfish, but I don''t want Maxen to date someone else for now," she continued, almost pouting. It was almost like how a mother would refuse her child to date. That was where Cosette believe this feeling wasing from. Maxen was her baby viin, and the thought of him dating a girl at such a young age brought this mixed emotion to her heart.

    ''But then again... no matter how I deny it, I know for you there will never be the right time where I can say I''m ready to let him go.'' Her brain told her, forcing her to face her hypocritical opinions. ''Just what am I doing? Seriously?''

    "All of that is hypothetical." Maxen let out a helpless sigh as he nted a palm on top of her head. "Don''t be upset about something that hasn''t happened yet."

    Cosette looked up at him, still frowning. "Did you also age ten years in the past two months? You sound like a real adult now."

    "Age isn''t the indicator of maturity." He shrugged. "Experience is."

    "I know..." she pouted, keeping her eyes at his gentle eyes. "Stop looking at me like I am your little sister. I''m not."

    "I''m not looking at you like my little sister."

    "You are." She rolled her eyes, brushing his hand away from her head. Cosette clicked her tongue, studying him for a moment before clicking her tongue once more. She wasn''t wrong with her assumption. Maxen was starting to treat her like a little girl. Just like Conrad!

    That was cute before, but after her experience in the BLK Corporation, Cosette unconsciously wanted to be treated like a woman! And to be looked at as a woman, particrly in Maxen''s eyes. The only person she didn''t mind who would look at her like a little girl was Conrad.

    "I''m not your little sister, Max. If you keep treating me like one, you''ll regret it," she warned, but her tone sounded evenzier. "That''s for sure."

    Maxen frowned while his brows rose. Why was she assuming he was treating her like a little girl? Was she out of her mind? Or Cosette was simply ying dumb about his feelings?

    He blinked his eyes, watching her refocus her eyes on the movie in front of them. Cosette was still mumbling things, reaching for the remote control to rewind, where she was before getting distracted by him.

    ''So, she''s not faking it...'' he told himself, furrowing his brows. ''But I don''t really see her as a sister since... I have some fantasies about her.''

    Maxen looked away when his deepest secret resurfaced in his head. Little did he know, the only reason Cosette was forced into this assumption was that Maxen looked at her the same way Conrad looked at her! Not that he was purposely doing it, but Maxen had only seen pure love between Cosette and Conrad. All rtionships Maxen had seen were either with benefits or like a couple who wouldn''t stop fighting, just like how it was like in his home before he ran away years ago.

    In other words, Conrad''s way of showing his love to his daughter sort of rubbed off on him.

    While she was rewinding the film and Maxen was deep in his thoughts, he casually sprawled his arm across the backrest of the couch, and then massaged her scalp. His action instantly sent a ticklish sensation under her skin, looking at him only to realize he was doing it subconsciously.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She let him massage her scalp with his fingertips, eyes still on his side profile. From this close distance, Maxen surely retained his original features. It was just that the extra fats disappeared. Not that he looked like he truly starved himself, but even without touching his muscles, they already looked taut from regr exercise.

    "Max, what sort of sses did you enroll in?" she asked, catching his attention when her eyes felt full from ogling at the beauty he hid from everyone. Her question brought him back from his trance, snapping his eyes and twisting his neck to face her.

    "Huh?"

    "I was asking what sort of sses did you enroll in?" she repeated patiently, once again distracted from the movie. They wouldn''t finish it at this point.

    "Ahh... a lot." His answer was short, and his eyes studied the genuine curiosity in her eyes. "One of them is martial arts and then art ss."

    "Really?"

    "Mhm." He nodded. "I also did some therapy, and the doctor suggested art so I can express myself."

    Her lips curled up, proud at hearing what he had done, although he didn''t detail it. That much was enough for her to understand that Maxen did not only enroll in short sses to kill time but to improve himself.

    "Did you at least enjoy them?" she inquired, and he answered with a nod. "That''s good then."

    Cosette heaved a sigh of relief, smiling with satisfaction. But before she could think of anything grand, Maxen spoke once more.

    "My coach told me he likes me and made me start with yellow."

    "Really?" her eyes widened. "Hey, are you really training in a legitimate dojo? How can he give you yellow for starters?!"

    "Yeah, I started with yellow and now I''m orange." He shrugged, enjoying how her eyes widen even more.

    "Wait, wait, wait!" Cosette waved profusely, adjusting in her seat until she was facing him again with her feet up. "Max, that is impossible. I''m starting to question this dojo and this master who is training you! You can''t just start with yellow and then get orange in two months!"

    "Why not?" he frowned.

    "Because it takes years for that! I mean, it took me a decade to be a ck belter. Some need at least more months to get promoted to green! Are you being scammed or what?" she gasped, a little more worried now. "How did that even happen?"

    Maxen blinked twice, misced innocence in his eyes. "I beat the hell out of his protege."

    "..." Cosette looked at him with furrowed brows. "What?"

    "I beat the hell out of the top student who was already a ck belter. So, the master took a liking to me and allowed me to skip a few colors... for the safety of those children."

    "..." All she could do was stare at him in silence, scanning his straight face to find the slightest deception, but to no avail. Just then, she realized that was because Maxen was a delinquent in the past. Not to mention the hardbor he had as a part-time, so his foundation was solid. Unlike Cosette, who started at a very young age.

    "Right..." she murmured, creasing her brows upon noticing the look he was giving her. "What?"

    "I did a good job," he exined.

    "Yes, you did. I''m proud of you."

    "..." <-- Maxen.

    "???" <--- Cosette.

    The two looked at each other with question marks hovering over her head while Maxen looked at her as if he was waiting for something. As the staringpetition prolonged, Maxen tapped his cheek.

    "Reward," he exined as it seemed she had forgotten how she gave out rewards. "Did you forget?"

    "..."

 Chapter 103 She Also Need A Reward

    "Did you forget?"

    Maxen tapped his cheek with his index, a misced innocence dominating his face. Cosette blinked multiple times, remembering the same excuse before during their trip to the Quinn''s vacation home.

    "Oh..." she bit her tongue to stop herself from grinning from ear to ear. ''Hehe~ what a treat.''

    Cosette raised her chin and cleared her throat, keeping her dignity as she leaned forward. She couldn''t sell herself out now, could she? She puckered her lips and nted a brief peck on his cheek, making his lips curl up subtly in satisfaction.

    "Good job, Max," she expressed sincerely as she drew away, watching him turn his head to face her. Without noticing it, their faces only had a palm length distance. Perhaps it was because they were toofortable with each other or they were simply happy reuniting. That awkwardness was absent from the room.

    His lips curled up even more until his beautiful grey eyes were slightly squinting charmingly.

    "You too," he replied, ruffling her hair mildly. "Good job of doing well in yourpany."

    "Gosh..." she giggled, raising her brows when his eyes fell on her lips. Her throat instantly bobbed, feeling his gaze on her lips.

    ''Will he kiss me?'' she wondered, pursing her lips into a thin line as if to hide them. Not that she didn''t want to, but... she felt a bit shy. Her face was already dyed in red and her breathing slowed down; she could hear her heart drumming in her ears the longer he stared at her lips.

    "Maxen," she called under her breath when she couldn''t take his silence anymore. "My eyes are up here."

    "I know," he repliedzily. "Just... nothing."

    Maxen shrugged and cleared his throat, leaning back. For a moment there, he was debating whether to kiss her or not. He nearly did, especially with the thought of Asher butting in and showing interest in her. Not that he med Asher; Cosette was just wonderful and anyone would end up liking her.

    "Gosh..." Cosette could not help but let out a faint ''tch'' when Maxen drew back slightly, leaning his back against the couch. Here she thought Maxen would ravage her lips, only to get disappointed.

    ''Am I bing lewd?'' she wondered. ''Does this have anything to do in reading too much smut?''

    Her shoulders lowered, sighing deeply, sitting in the same spot with her body facing Maxen. She just looked at his side profile, studying him with narrowed eyes.

    ''But Dad already knew about me and Max,'' she told herself. ''He just told me to be careful and get married first before doing the deed. So a kiss is fine, right?''

    Cosette mulled about it since she became more open to Conrad about her feelings. Conrad was strict, but at the same time, he was trying his best to understand that his daughter was getting older. And as his father, Conrad preferred Cosette to be more open to him by understanding these sorts of things instead of having his daughter confide in other people.

    When Maxen felt his prolonged gaze on his side, his brows furrowed. He cocked his head back, eyes falling on her.

    "Hmm?" he hummed a questioning tone, snapping her back from her trance. "Anything wrong?"

    "No." Her voice was low, but her expression was oddly rxed. "It''s just that... it''s unfair, Max."

    "Huh?"

    "You have rewards for doing good, but I don''t." She frowned, but the luster in her eyes was clear.

    Maxen''s brows knitted, even more, studying the displeasure on her face. "But sort of reward do you want?" he wondered hesitatingly, listing down of what he could give her as a reward.

    In his mind, there was nothing to give Cosette anymore aside from kindness and consideration. She had everything she wanted and she could afford everything that Maxen could and couldn''t buy. So, he didn''t have any idea what sort of reward she wanted.

    Much to his surprise, Cosette smack her lips and nted a finger on the bottom of her lips. His eyes narrowed while the corner of her lips hooked up subtly.

    "A kiss," she remarked without a second hesitation. "In here."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "..."

    For a moment, Maxen''s brain went nk, just like his eyes. He looked at her mischievous and sweet smile, eyes shining with rity and resolution. Her bright eyes were enough to stop him from wondering if he heard her correctly; he did, and she was serious about it.

    "No," he whispered, making her frown instantly.

    "What?"

    "I said no," he repeated under his breath.

    "But..." her frown continued to deepen, lowering her eyes in disappointment. Just when she thought she could exploit Maxen by doing the same trick he did, she was proven wrong. Maxen had matured so fast. When she looked up at him, instead of sadness, all she gave him was a mild re.

    "But why, Max?" she asked, just to hear the exnation instead of wondering why he was refusing her all night. "That''s unfair, you know? I mean, you should at least exin to me why you can''t reward me --"

    Her breath hitched when he slowly drew his back from the couch and then pounced on her. Her pupils went huge, blinking twice, processing what just happened. All she could do was stare at his bewitching face hovering over her, holding her wrist to the side, his mouth falling ajar.

    "It''s not that I can''t," he rified under his breath, staring at the confusion stered on her face. His eyes glinted dangerously, etching how she appeared underneath him. She looked better than how he imagined her in his fantasies. Those lustrous hazel eyes, her narrow nose, and those tender plump lips, just looked even better with the natural blush on her cheeks.

    Ahh... he was losing his mind once again. Surely, she was the only person who could drive him crazy and throw his rationale out of the window. After all that inner struggle, one word from her and all the defenses he built up crumble down as if they were made of ss.

    Cosette bit her inner lip, swallowing down the tension in her throat. "If it''s not that you can''t... then, what?" came out a whisper, finally recovering from the shock of his sudden aggression.

    "You''re not stupid, Cozie," he replied with a rasped voice, having his throat dry up бк unnaturally so. "You know the reason."

    "I don''t," she denied, letting her stubbornness take over her. "How would I know if you don''t tell me?"

    Maxen let out a deep exhale, holding her clear eyes. ''She... is testing me,'' he told himself.

    "Why... do you always push me on the edge, Cozie?" he asked, lowering his body until his weight nketed her. When his lips were an inch from hers, inhaling her hot breaths, he whispered. "You want to know why? Then I''ll show you why."

    Maxen tilted his head and pressed his lips against her, squeezing her wrist upon having a taste of her lips once again. Out of excitement, he bit her lower lips, forcing a faint whimper from her. But that reckless sound that escaped her mouth to his mouth tugged his heartstring until it snapped a string in his head.

    His lips guided her lips open, sliding his tongue inside carefully. He kept his eyes partially opened as if that would help him retain the remaining rationality in him. However, when his gaze veered to her eyes, he caught her closing her eyes despite that his body was pressing down on her and his lips were iming her lips.

    ''Damn...'' he cursed internally, deepening his kiss and shutting his eyes to feel more of her.

    His tongue took hers into a dance, exploring the wonders of her mouth. The taste of mint from her toothpaste still lingered in her mouth, with a tang of corn from the popcorn and a bit of salt. It was a strangebination, but an overall pleasant burst of vors.

    Drunk in the plethora of overwhelming euphoria, Maxen adjusted until his knees brushed her leg open. He pressed his body until he could feel her rising heat. Cosette didn''t struggle or showed the slightest resistance, but instead, her lips followed his lips clumsily.

    His hand carefully let her wrist go, moving down to squeeze her hip lightly. At that point, he expected her to freeze or stop him, but Cosette just flinch and identally bit his lips mildly. But she didn''t resist and continued to move her lips along with him. And so, without using his head, Maxen slipped his hand inside her shirt and felt the outline of her body with his palm.

    Her skin was just as smooth as it appeared, and her curves were no joke. Her rising body temperature sent electricity on his palm down to his groin. He could feel all the tension in hisher region, giving him a bulge to the point it was painful.

    He should stop, he thought. Squeezing her waist in an attempt to wake her up from the heat of the moment, but s, she got the wrong signal. Instead of pushing him away just as he wanted, she arched her back and wrapped her limbs around his neck on instinct.

    Maxen lost it.

    Shit!

 Chapter 104 Take It Off

    [WARNING: THE CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT. NOT ADVISABLE FOR AGES 17 AND BELOW.]

    When Maxen''s face was hovering over her, Cosette instantly understood his reason for refusing. However, in that situation where she was pinned under him while his face paired with that obvious desire in his eyes hovering over her, she couldn''t resist the tingling sensation crawling under her skin. Hence, she kept pressing on the matter, feigning ignorant until his lips smashed against hers.

    Cosette flinched when she felt his grip around her wrist loosen, only to feel his palm on her thigh. However, she liked it. Her body ached to be touched more, allowing him to feel her hips until his hand was on her waist. She shuddered slightly when the chill inbound breeze ran up her navel, but his fervent palm eased her.

    In her mind, she knew she should stop as they were going further and further than just a normal kiss. But she couldn''t stop herself from sumbing to the increasing heat of her body, and this foreign desire she wanted to quench. Her brain felt powerless against her heart and body''s primal need.

    When she felt him squeeze her waist tighter than usual, Cosette instantly knew his hidden message. Maxen wanted her to stop him. He, too, felt powerless against this strong force that was pushing him to touch her while kissing her. He was depending on her, asking for her help to push him away.

    However, Cosette feigned ignorant at his silent plea and instead wrapped her arms around his neck. She arched her body, allowing her chest to press against his firm ones, deepening their passionate french kiss.

    She liked it. His lips were intoxicating, and his touch on her bare skin was addicting.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 The room was chilly, but their backs and bodies were breaking out in sweats. The sounds of their lips echoed in their ears, shunning the screams from the horror film they were supposed to be watching.

    "Hey," he called in between his ragged breathing, keeping his lips on her moist ones, nting a series of brief kisses on her lips. His hand was still inside her shirt, his fingertips brushing the side of her bra. Her body was so hot as if she was running a fever, and so was his body.

    "Stop me," he whispered in her ears, tracing kisses on her sharp jaw down to the side of her neck. But in contrast to his pleas, Cosette stretched her neck to give him better ess. Her limbs around his neck loosened, but they stayed clinging to him.

    Her mouth fell open at his soothing kisses. His lips soothed her feverish body, allowing him to kiss her everywhere he wanted.

    This was something she never felt before. It felt so foreign... but at the same time, she loved it. Perhaps it was because it was Maxen. That was why she didn''t mind crossing the line.

    A part of her thought about how amazing this situation was. How could it not? She and Maxen knew they shouldn''t be kissing, but they just kept going... and both of them knew this would go further if none of them get a grip.

    When Maxen raised his head and imed her lips once more, he bit her lower lip. His hand then cupped her breast, feeling herced bra on his palm.

    "Mhm!" a whimper escaped her mouth to his mouth, making him nearly lose his mind as he grasped her breast. This time, she bit his lips to signal him he was gripping too hard. Fortunately, he got her signal and slowly loosened his grip. However, that also meant she was allowing him to touch her mounds!

    "You''re driving me crazy," he whispered into her mouth, settling his hand on her breast.

    Cosette was panting for air as they took a break from kissing before they suffocate each other to death. His hot palm remained on top of her bra, and his forehead was resting on her. She looked at him, and all she saw were his grey eyes that appeared darker than usual.

    He was watching her at this close distance, observing. She pressed her lips into a thin line, unable to hide her flustered face under his piercing gaze.

    "What...?" she whispered, lowering her eyes. "Don''t look at me like that when your hand is literally on my boob."

    "It''s okay?" he asked under his breath, his fingertips tracing the upper cup of her bra.

    Cosette pursed her lips and looked away, nodding. "Do you want to?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Do you want to?" he returned almost immediately. "This is not a question for me, but for you."

    Her throat bobbed, biting her inner lower lips. She mustered her courage to look back at him, picturing their position on the couch. Maxen was still on top of her, his knee in between her legs, while her foot was on the floor, the other leg pressed against the backrest of the couch. She could feel his stomach on herher region, pressing on her from time to time. Her shirt was still on, but because his hand was inside it, her tummy was left bare.

    "You want to me take responsibility, don''t you?" she murmured with a pout, locking her arms around his neck. "I like Maxen''s touch."

    "Really?" he narrowed his eyes and bent lower.

    "Mhm. Really."

    "Just touch?" he asked once more, brushing the apex of his nose against her nose. His lips grazed her tender lips, making him take a gentle bite.

    When he let her lips go and showered it with soft kisses to his heart''s content, Cosette cleared her throat.

    "Your kisses too," came out a muffled reply, causing the side of his lips to curl up. "Actually, I like Maxen."

    "You''re just saying that because of the situation," he replied, kissing her lips gently and feeling her frown against his lips. His heart felt full at the moment, overwhelmed at the liberty of his hands and lips. He had already lost count of how many times his lips touched her. But neither the overwhelming fervor nor the thought of losing count of their kisses mattered.

    He felt greedy, and he wanted to kiss her more and more. He wanted to put his hands all over her body, kiss every inch, and leave his marks. But he wasn''t so stupid as to leave a mark to where anyone could see. Conrad would kill him.

    ''Shit!'' he hissed internally at the thought of Conrad. But that guilt immediately disappeared when she let out a moan in his mouth. ''Ugh... really.''

    Maxen shut his eyes as he hungrily imed her lips, pressing his lips. His tongue ventured into her mouth once more, not a bit disgusted at her tongue that was touching his. While he was busy keeping her mouth busy, Maxen carefully pulled down the upper cup of her bra.

    Feeling his discreet movements, Cosette tightened her grip around his neck. However, she didn''t stop him, and he knew that was the go signal. Maxen continued to pull it down until her the fabric covering her bosom was underneath her mound.

    "Damn, Cozie..." he cursed under his breath, cupping her breast without any fabric to protect it. His pants tightened as the tension in his groin continuously increased. He was almost in pain. Hence, he lowered his body, pressing his budge against the junction between her legs.

    Not to his surprise, the only reaction he got from her was Cosette arching her back. Her mouth fell open as he fondled her breast carefully, shuddering when he pinched her hardened nipple from all that kissing and touching.

    Seeing how she looked satisfied being touched, Maxen ground his teeth. Until now, everything still felt surreal. He was touching her, not just her hand, but somewhere private. And seeing she enjoyed it just as much as he did, Maxen could not help but lean over and bite her jaw mildly.

    "Ah, Max..." came out a gentle call, almost like a moan. Cosette loosened her embrace and clutched his shoulder when he bit her earlobe next. A giggle slipped past her lips, feeling a bit ticklish at his hot breaths kissing her ear. But then the next second, she was biting her lips as his entire palm grabbed her bare breast.

    She felt like losing her mind at this point with all the emotions she was going through every second. But... deep in her heart, she wanted more. No, not deep in her heart, but somewhere down there was screaming to get some attention. Only then did Cosette realize Maxen''s groin was pressing on it from time to time, dyeing her face with a deeper shade of red. But before she could speak, Maxen whispered in her ear.

    "Take it off," he bit her ear gently once again, his finger clipping her shirt from underneath. He tugged it lightly and nted more kisses on her jaw and then lips. "Your shirt. Let''s take it off."

    For a moment, Cosette''s brain went nk. Did he just ask him to take her shirt off? She looked at him with dted eyes, but Maxen smirked in return.

 Chapter 105 Making Out

    [Warning: Mature Content ahead. Not advisable for ages 17 and below.]

    "Don''t want to?" Maxen asked, brushing the tip of his nose against Cosette''s cheek. "Just say so."

    "No..." she whispered, tilting her head at the ticklish sensation crawling under her skin. "... Max, stop."

    "Then don''t take it off."

    This time, she clutched his shoulder tighter, pushing him away lightly. His brows furrowed, tilting his head as if nothing mattered to him right now, aside from fondling her breast and kissing her.

    "Hmm?" his eyshes flutteredzily, watching her press her lips in embarrassment.

    "Not that..." came out a muffled voice, looking away from him momentarily, only to look back once more. "... what I mean is, you should be the one taking it off. It''s a little embarrassing if I do it myself."

    Maxen blinked twice, looking at her flustered face. At this point, he couldn''t measure the euphoric sensation filling his chest.

    "Cozie, do you know what I''ll do if you take your clothes off?" he asked out of in curiosity, waiting for her to look back at him. "Once I took it off, I''ll take off your bra too until there''s nothing to protect your chest."

    "I... I know that..."

    "I''ll look at them," he added, watching her face flush in a deeper shade of red.

    Cosette gulped and looked back at him, this time without looking away. "Su бк sure."

    "It''s fine?" he asked, and she nodded mildly. A shallow breath slipped past his lips, pushing himself away until he was standing on his knees. Maxen looked down at her from her hips, going up to her exposed tummy, and then to her beet-red face. His mouth fell open at the sight of her.

    Did she have any idea how far they had gone? His eyelids drooped as his gaze lingered on the luster in her eyes.

    ''I want her... so bad.'' His thick eyshes failed to conceal the desire that flickered across his eyes. He knew it was wrong, and they were too young for this. However, it was not like he would go as far as to make love to her.

    ''Just make out,'' he told himself. He bent over once again, but instead of his facending directly on her lips, he went lower to the hem of her shirt. Without a word, Maxen bit the hem of her shirt and pulled it up until her entire stomach was showing. While doing so, he kept his eyes on her.

    She was watching him, gulping at his action and shuddering at the chill inbound breeze that caressed her skin.

    "You look excited," he teased, making her look away instantly.

    "I''m not," she denied with a huff, hearing him chuckle.

    "Cozie." Maxen moved his face upward, using his fingertip to guide her jaw to make her face him. "Don''t look away."

    He kissed her once more, this time morefortably in iming her lips. They had been kissing for over ten minutes now, and his lips felt slightly numb. But that wasn''t enough to stop him from kissing her more. But she still frowned under his lips.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "Stop teasing me, Max," sheined, causing the side of his to stretch from ear to ear.

    "I''m sorry. I was in the wrong," he surrendered, biting her lips gently, afraid her lips also felt numb. As his light kisses grew longer until they were locked in a passionate kiss once more, Maxen carefully pulled the hem of her shirt. When it reached her armpit, he parted his lips from her to take off her shirt.

    Cosette changed her top earlier, from a sleeveless top to a bigger tee. If they only knew this would escte to this point, he would''ve asked her not to change clothes. That one she was wearing previously was easier to take off. Actually, she didn''t need to take it off as he would only slip the strap down her shoulder.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But well, Cosette raised her arms up while he took it off. As soon as her shirt left her arms, Maxen simply draped it over the backrest of the couch. He stood on his knees to get a better look, causing her to shield her bosom with her arms.

    Maxen didn''tin, though, nor did he demand. All he did was stare at her while she was covering her mounds with her arm. Under those arms, he caught the upper cup of her bra over her arm while the other only showed her upper chest. Thetter was the one he had fondled, and the strap of her bra had already fallen off her shoulder.

    ''She''s hot...'' he thought, in disbelief at the naked glory right before his eyes. Maxen unconsciously licked his lips, moving his hands to her arms. His lips curled up when she bit her lips in reluctance but still didn''t fight him when he spread her arms to the side to show him what she was hiding.

    After his eyesnded on the pink nipple, his arousal shot up to the roof. His hand left a mark around it as her skin was as white as milk. Her other bosom was still covered, and without thinking twice, Maxen hooked the cup covering her other mound. He pulled it down until it bounced out for his eyes to ogle.

    That second, his brain buzzed and all he could think was to touch and suck them. They looked so delectable, but instead of making his mouth water, it made it dry up.

    "Cozie," he called under his breath, reaching for her breast until both his hands were cupping them. As soon as he did, he snapped his eyes at her as she let out a faint whimper.

    Cosette was covering her lips with the back of her hand, eyes watery but clear. She was looking back at him, noticing how his eyes appeared like those intoxicated men who could barely control themselves. She nearly gasped as Maxen pinched her nipple, rubbing them gently in between his thumb and index.

    Her body shuddered and flinched, tightening the knots in her stomach. Her legs closed slightly, turning her head at the ecstasy traveling through the ends of her nerves.

    Maxen observed her reaction and how her body reacted with just a slight pinch of her nipple. His eyes grew darker and darker, his brain clouded with nothing but the thought of wanting her. He wanted to see her and hear her whimper more.

    So, without a moment''s notice, Maxen bent over once more. This time, instead of kissing her lips, Maxen''s lipsnded on her corbones. He nibbled them carefully, taking his precious time biting, kissing, and sucking, slowly making his way down to her bosom.

    But just as he was around her mound, Maxen stopped and gazed up. His lips curled up as soon as he caught her gaze, sticking his tongue out and letting her see how the tip of his tongue touched the end of her hardened nipple. She gasped and flinched, clutching his shoulder on instinct.

    "Max..." she whispered through her gritted teeth, breathing heavily. But other than that, she said nothing further.

    Maxen raised his other hand and caressed her cheek with his thumb, before opening his mouth and keeping her teat in between his teeth. Her mouth instantly fell open, shuddering every time his tongue flicked against her teat. His other hand had already left her face to fondle her other breast.

    Another moan escaped her mouth, causing her to cover her mouth from the sensation that was forcing her to moan. But Maxen seemed to love it as he pressed his thumb on her other nipple, massaging it in a circr motion.

    "Ah..." came out a muffled moan, covering her lips to keep the embarrassing sound at the minimum. She pressed her palm harder when Maxen moved to the other, kissing and sucking her other breast while fondling the other. The saliva he left on the other breast made her body tingle as his finger massaged it smoothly.

    For minutes, Cosette tried her best to muffle her moans while he sucked and french kissed her breast with equal attention. After some time, Maxen ced both his hands on the side of her bosom, pushing them together until her mounds were squeezed together, making it easier for him to lick them.

    ''I think I''m going crazy,'' she thought, panting for air. The simtion was already making her out of breath, unable to discern what she was feeling at the moment. However, one distinct feeling remained dominant.

    She wanted more.

    Cosette didn''t know what sort of more it was, but subconsciously, she exactly knew what she wanted. Herdy down there... was hot and wet. To prove this theory, she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling his body down until his bulge was pressing against her.

    "Max," she whispered in between her ragged breathing. As if sensing what she wanted, Maxen let go of her teat, only to im her lips right after.

    "I feelбн super hot," she confessed in his mouth, inducing a rasped hum from him.

    "I know," he answered, kissing her lips while his hand caressed her body down to her navel. His hand didn''t even linger on her short belt as he slipped it inside to relieve what was making her desperate right now.

 Chapter 106 Because Its Max

    [Warning: The chapter contains matured content. Not advisable for ages 17 and below.]

    Cosette had never ever thought of having to stand bare in front of someone, let alone allowing someone else to touch her. But s, she felt no sense of shame when his hand slipped inside her shorts. She only felt relief when his fingers glided down to her wet folds.

    Her mouth fell open while he rested his forehead against hers. She was soaking wet, and everything he was touching right now felt as soft as tofu. Cosette arched her back, making her rear press against the cushion, and as a result, his finger slid deeper.

    "Max..." she moaned, feeling his finger massage her clitoris in a slow circr motion. Cosette wrapped her arms around his neck once more, lifting her head to initiate a kiss.

    Cosette felt intoxicated and high with the manic ecstasy overtaking her. It was too much and she couldn''t think straight anymore. All she could think about was her throbbing core and his touches, desiring something so bad as if it would kill her if she wouldn''t get it.

    Meanwhile, Maxen hungrily devoured her lips, overwhelmed by her hunger. He was touching her; not just her bosom, but even her flower and pearl. Just like her, Maxen slowly lost his rationality as his emotion peaked. He just told himself he would make out with her, but he wouldn''t push further than that.

    But the situation, their bodies, and the maddening desire made it impossible for him to recall that fragile promise.

    Without thinking twice, Maxen pulled his hand out, only to unbutton her shorts to touch her freely. He wanted her, and he knew Cosette wanted the same as him. However, just as Maxen was about to pull down her shorts to see all her naked glory, both of them froze at the voicesing from outside.

    Both of them looked at each other, wide-eyed.

    It was as though someone sshed them with cold water, as they were unable to move for a second. When the adrenaline kicked in, Maxen pushed himself away while Cosette instinctively grabbed her shirt resting over the backrest.

    Everything happened so fast, with Maxen back to his original spot in the corner of the couch while Cosette sat up. Fortunately, Maxen didn''t toss her shirt away, and she was able to slip inside her loose tee.

    "Young Miss, I brought the snacks you requested." Lucia''s voice came in just one second after the two of them sat down in their original position. Lucia smiled, seeing that the two of them were watching silently. She barely made a sound, entering the theater room while carrying a tray full of foods Cosette asked the chef to make and bake.

    When Lucia reached the front row to serve the tray of dishes, her brows rose. She darted her eyes between the two, noticing their paleplexion and the traumatized looks stered on their faces. Lucia then nced at the screen, seeing that the movie had already ended and had shown the movie title after the list of names.

    "Is the movie that scary, Young Miss?" she chuckled, jumping to her own conclusion, knowing Cosette was easily terrified. Thus, her young miss wasn''t fond of horror movies.

    "Uh." Cosette''s voice fell short, snapping her eyes at Lucia. Sheughed awkwardly, nodding. "Yes. It was quite too much... too much blood, right, Max?"

    Maxen blinked twice and rocked his head. "Yes."

    Unlike Cosette, Maxen was quick to get a grip and act naturally. He leaned back, propping his elbow against the armrest. Maxen nced at her and bit his finger slightly, watching the horror on her face upon recognizing it was the finger he used to massage her pearl.

    "You should try to watch something else," Lucia happily advised, straightening her back and darting her eyes between the two of them. "But watching something else isn''t so bad with apany."

    Cosette cleared her throat, ignoring Maxen''s sly actions. She faced Lucia and smiled brightly, huffing.

    "Young miss, are you alright?" asked Lucia after getting a good look at Cosette''s face, and noticing how her face seemed all red.

    "Yes. I was just a little flustered at all the jump scares, but I''m alright." Cosette cleared her throat once again, adjusting the pillow on herp to hide her unbuttoned shorts. "Anyway, is Dad home?"

    "I think he will bete tonight?"

    Cosette pondered about it and rocked her head. "Right. He will be on a business trip today and he will return tomorrow."

    "I''m sure he will return home as soon as he can. Anyway, do you need anything else, young miss?" Lucia asked with a smile since Cosette told them she would celebrate Maxen''s certification. Hence, since it was just the two of them, Lucia hoped they would have fun. If only Lucia knew how she disturbed the fun.

    "Uhm.." Cosette pretended to gloss her eyes over the food, but her brain was still trying to recover. She then shook her head before shing Maxen a smile. "Do you need anything else, Max?"

    ''Condom,'' his brain immediately replied, but he simply shrugged.

    "That''s all, nanny Lucia." She faced Lucia with a sweet smile. "Thank you."

    "Alright. Just call the telephone in the lobby if you need anything else." Lucia''s smile broadened. "Everyone wants you and Sir Max to have a good time since you''ve worked hard all summer."

    "Thanks."

    "Have fun." Lucia bowed at Cosette and then at Maxen before she sauntered off.

    Cosette looked back and smiled at Lucia when thetter look back before closing the door. When the door closed, Cosette let out a sharp breath and patted her chest.

    "That was close," she muttered, catching up to her breathing, eyes closed. That was truly closed. If Lucia wasn''t the type to make a sound, her nanny would be mortified at the scene she woulde to. Meanwhile, Maxen watched her pat her chest.

    Unlike her, who was scared out of her wits about Lucia, Maxen was more frustrated. But well, Lucia just unknowingly gave the youths the brake they didn''t have. Still, he was still hard and looking at her, everything that had happened felt like a dream.

    Biting his finger slightly, Maxen licked it. His brows rose at the strange vor that he couldn''t describe in words. But what he was certain was that it tasted pleasant. That was the proof he touched her somewhere no one else had, and that sheer thought caused his groin to grow harder to the point it was already painful.

    "Oh, goodness..." Cosette let out another deep exhale, raising a brow upon sensing his gaze. She turned her head to face him, watching him still biting a finger while looking at her up and down.

    "That was close," she repeated, to get some sort of reaction from him. Was she the only one who felt the dread of being found out?

    "That was close... indeed." He raised his brows, giving her this knowing look at the double meaning of his reply. "Almost."

    Cosette and Maxen looked at each other in silence before they chuckled at the same time. Maxen stretched his hand on the space between them, tapping it as he leaned backfortably on the couch.

    "Come here, Cozie." He tapped the couch lightly once more, smirking triumphantly when she crawled her way to him.

    "Max..." Cosette let out a sigh as soon as she was sitting beside him, facing him squarely. "I was scared out of my wits! Do you think someone wille again?"

    "Yes." He nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Someone will definitely...e."

    "Then, why are you --" Her eyes popped open while the side of his lips stretched from ear to ear. Cosette pped his shoulder and red at him. "That''s lewd."

    Maxen chuckled, slipping his hand inside her shirt to caress her back. She simply flinched but said nothing about it, as if that had be normal to them now. Looking at her re, his eyes softened.

    Without thinking twice, his hand that was settling on her back pulled her close and before she knew it, Maxen had embraced her tightly. For a moment, Cosette froze, looking down at him as he secured his arm around her.

    "Max..." she whispered, rxing her body as she slowly rested her arms over his shoulders and stroked his hair gently.

    Maxen moved his head until his nose was touching her neck. His eyes were soft while his hands crawled around her slender frame as if he was holding on to his dear life.

    "Why didn''t you stop me?" he asked under his breath, feeling her back with his palm that was slipped inside her loose top. "If Lucia didn''te, do you have any idea what we could be doing now?"

    Cosette lowered her eyes and bit her inner lips slightly. "Mhm. I do."

    "And it was fine?"

    "Mhm. It was fine."

    "Why?" Maxen slowly drew his head back to see what sort of expression she was wearing. As soon as he did, Cosette didn''t bear any emotion aside from her determined eyes.

    "Because it''s Maxen," she answered in a soft voice, sporting a subtle smile, and cupping his cheek. "Everything that I do and every decision that I make that includes you, are something I will never regret, even if others say it''s not proper."

    Cosette brushed his lean cheek and studied his lean face carefully. He might''ve lost a lot of weight, but he was still Maxen. He was still her viin.

    "I wasn''t joking when I said I missed you, Max," she whispered as she leaned down. Cosette paused when their distance was only half a palm length away. "I missed you so terribly bad I can kiss you all night."

    The second thest syble of her sentiments escaped her lips, Cosette tilted her head and nted a kiss on his lips.

 Chapter 107 His Promise

    "I missed you so terribly bad I can kiss you all night." The second thest syble of her sentiments escaped her lips, Cosette tilted her head and nted a kiss on his lips.

    Maxen closed his eyes ever so slowly, basking in the sweetness and hotness of her lips conquering his. His heart was racing so fast, but the warmth of her body embracing him soothed all the tension in every fiber of his body. Her words were akin to a chord that struck a string in his heart, and he just couldn''t stop himself from falling deeper and deeper.

    When their lips parted, they were both panting for air. She rested her head on his forehead, still cupping his cheek, smiling subtly. Unlike their fervent and desperate primal need, their heart just felt full at the moment. It felt like they magically didn''t need to go as far as to have sex just to express their hearts.

    The contentment with each other''s presence and warmth were already enough.

    "Don''t break me, Cozie," he whispered with his eyes closed, reopening them ever so tenderly. "Don''t... break me."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded mildly. "I promise."

    His eyes softened, drawing his head back to take a better look at her face. He cupped her cheek lovingly, brushing her cheek with his thumb. There were many things he wanted to tell her, but only those words he uttered sessfully escaped the cage in his throat.

    Don''t break him... because if Cosette turned out to be just ying with him, it would kill him. Cosette was his salvation. She was his moon in the silent, cold night. He would do anything for her, and all he was asking in return was to not break him in the worse way possible.

    "Just promise me one thing, Max." Cosette cleared her throat, taking her precious time to continue what she wanted to say. "Be good. Always."

    Maxen didn''t respond and simply looked at her in silence. Now that he thought about it, Cosette had always made him promise about this over and over. Not that he was a terrible human being, but deep in his heart, he didn''t mind being the devil who would bring forth an inferno in this world if he were capable enough to do so.

    Still, the intrigue remained.

    "Why do you always ask me to be good?" he asked as he wanted rity. "Do you perceive me as a terrible person capable of murder?"

    "No." She shook her head, reaching for his hand and squeezing them mildly. As she did, Maxen furrowed his brow at the slight tremor in her hands.

    "I just... do not want to lose you." Her smile didn''t reach her eyes as she exhaled sharply. "I just want us to be normal, Max. We enjoy our youth and live without a care. If what the future holds isn''t what we nned, then... at least, we enjoyed the present and might change our future."

    "We might not be the lead of this story, but at least, we also get our happy ending," she added without a thought whether that may sound a bit random.

    Fortunately, Maxen didn''t react and just stared at her in silence. Cosette allowed him to take his time to absorb her vague exnation. While waiting for his promise, she stared at him and, for some reason, her heart tightened. The feeling in her heart felt familiar, but at the same time, it felt alien.

    It was as though she had these feelings all along, but she only realized them now. It wasn''t something that made her feel in love. The feeling leaned more on regret, sadness, and longing. And because of that, she only realized tears had already pooled in her eyes when they stained her cheek.

    "Oh..." Cosette touched her cheek, checking her hand to see clear liquid on them. It took her by surprise. She didn''t know why she was crying at this moment, but she couldn''t also stop her tears.

    "Why are you crying?" he asked worriedly, wiping her tears with his thumb. "I''ll be good. You don''t need to cry."

    "Haha... no, it''s not that." She chuckled, feeling a bit silly at the tears she was shedding.

    "Then what is it?" he queried once more, getting more worried as her tears wouldn''t stop.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette kept forcing augh while wiping her tears, but it wouldn''t stop until she was huping.

    "I''m just..." she hupped, finding the right words to exin the tears. "I''m just... very happy and I can''t stop my tears."

    More like she was very happy and relieved at something she couldn''t understand. Cosette was certain this wasn''t about changing the viin''s fate, but something else. Something that her heart sheltered, but she just couldn''t remember what it was exactly.

    "Me too..." Maxen carefully wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. "I am beyond happy, Cozie. I can''t even find the right words for it."

    Maxen rubbed her back while she cried in his embrace. Silence befell their shoulders as she cried until she was huping, while he kept her in his embrace, consoling her. One way or another, Maxen somehow understood her tears. He was relieved to have met her, and grateful for her existence. She was the only good thing in this world and without her, this world was just grey.

    Little did he know, her reason was entirely different, but also uncannily simr. Which Cosette hadn''t figured out just yet, and it would take some time before she would understand why she had loved Maxen even before.

    The two of them consoled each other until she recovered. Once Cosette stopped crying, they both decided to watch a film properly. This time, however, Cosette was watching with her head on hisp while he casually stroked her hair gently. The arousal they felt lingered in their heart, but they silently agreed to preserve this moment without doing something unholy anymore.

    As the night fell deeper and they were in the third movie, Maxen gazed down. A chuckle escaped his mouth upon seeing she had nodded off. She cried a lot, so he couldn''t me her that she had fallen asleep.

    Maxen continued to stroke her soft hair, reaching for the remote control with his other hand to lower the volume. He wanted to enjoy this moment, even though his hips were still in pain. But well, his heart felt like it would burst with all sorts of emotions.

    "I..." he paused, watching her deep breaths. His eyes softened as the side of his lips curled up. "... love you."

    Maxen had a promise that night two months ago. When Cosette told him she would tag along with Conrad, it was akin to a tight p on his face. Cosette might just be there around him, but she was still out of his reach. She was well-born to boot, and her future was sealed.

    Seeing her work hard the past two months made him realize Cosette would be busier once she took over the BLK Corporation. They were young now, and they didn''t have other worries the adults usually faced. Although Maxen was no stranger to the cruel reality, he still had to acknowledge the fact his life greatly differed from hers.

    In the future, Cosette would meet more people. She would meet capable and elite men, and as beautiful, smart, and rich as Cosette, men would line up for her. Luke might not be a threat now, but Asher Quinn was. It wasn''t that Maxen waspeting, but whether or not he wanted it, he had to.

    Therefore, he attended tons of sses, not just for the betterment of his physical body and secured mental health, but for his future as well. He pledged to be better, to have a fighting chance despite his humble beginnings.

    The life of the rich бк the filthy rich бк wasn''t easy. Conrad had already proved that to Maxen, and her father''s mentality had already shown an example of how powerful people could do. Although Conrad only gave him an example whenever he had time to spare with Maxen, Maxen wasn''t stupid to understand that Conrad could be cunning and take advantage of people if he so pleased.

    It was a scary world and in this world she lived in, he had to be the best of the best. She might not ask him to be the best of the best, but he still wanted to if he wanted to protect her and stand proudly beside her. After all, Maxen... had already set his future with Cosette in it.

    It might be the future that she was his wife бк as that was impossible for him to assume before what happened today бк but just someone who would always be a part of his life. His life... he owed it to Cosette, and after what happened earlier, his ambition grew from a friend to have her as his wife.

    Looking at her, who was sleeping soundlessly on hisp, he smiled. No matter how scary her world was, the sight of her eased all that fear. He loved her, and she was worth it.

    "I''ll marry you someday..." he whispered, bending over so she could hear his voice even in her dreams. "I promiseбн I''ll make you my wife someday."

 Chapter 108 Maxen Devilsin

    Time passed, and Maxen decided to take Cosette to bed. The servants were aware of their close rtionship, so when Lucia saw him carrying her back to her room, she helped him. With Lucia''s help, Maxen reached Cosette''s room without any mishap andid her down on the bed carefully.

    When he tucked her in, a smile resurfaced on his face. He stood on the side of the bed, eyes fixed on her peaceful, sleeping face. Staring at her, he couldn''t help but caress her face while Lucia left to do something. As he did so, his brows creased as she moaned and turned to her side, clutching his hand tightly.

    "Is she dreaming..." he trailed off when a tear rolled down her temple, making him wonder what sort of dream could make her cry in her sleep?

    "Was it a bad dream?" he wondered, sitting on the edge of the mattress. Cosette didn''t wake up, just clutching to him as if in an attempt to hold on to him now... which she couldn''t in her dreams.

    ****

    "Have you had enough of staring?"

    Cosette chuckled as the dashing man she had rolled with under the sheet all night broke his silence. He snapped his eyes ever so slowly, setting them at her. She was lying on her side, propping her knuckles against her temple while the man leaning against the headboard felt no shame in parading his muscled top.

    "Not yet," came out a seductive voice, smirking as soon as her eyes locked with his. "Allow me to look at you more."

    The dashing man chuckled at the beauty, looking back at him teasingly. She was beautiful, and there was no doubt about that. Any man would get a boner with just a sight of her.

    "A penny for your thoughts?" he asked, out of in curiosity. She had always been the woman whose train of thoughts kept leaving a question in his head. They had shared several nights of passion and she was one of the reasons he was back in this country, but until now, their rtionship was stuck in being fuck buddies.

    Not that they brought it up, nor did he feel like taking this rtionship to another level. He was satisfied with their setup. Among all women he slept with, she was... someone who never left his mind. Other women would ask him things such as love, attention, or affection. But she... Cosette c, the woman who had beauty, wealth, and a very delectable body and wits, never asked for such things from him.

    "Hmm..." she hummed and smiled seductively. "... I was thinking how it would be if you and I take this to another level."

    He arched a brow, a bit surprised at this sudden remark. "Do you want us to date officially?"

    "Haha... no. But I was thinking it would be nice if we do," she answered truthfully. "I wonder if you and I... are capable of love. Would our rtionship progress like how lovers do? What do you think, Mister Devilsin?"

    "How many times do I need to tell you to call me Max? Like how you scream my name every time I''m inside you?"

    Cosette chuckled. "The only fun I get whenever you''re not inside me is frustrating you."

    The man, Maxen, looked at her with a somber look in his eyes. One of the many things, why he couldn''t stop this rtionship with her, was that... she was different. She just knew how to make him crave for more, and give him simple challenges such as how they would address each other.

    "So?" she raised a brow, grinning mischievously at him. "What do you think if you aren''t a criminal while I am... a little bit humane? What do you think about how this rtionship ys out?"

    "Boring." Cosette broke out inughter at his blunt reply. "We would be just like those boring couples who grow weak in the name of the fucking thing they call love."

    Maxen smirked as sheughed, smirking.

    "Come here, my boring love. Let''s try to be boring for an hour." He crawled to her, pushing her shoulder mildly, which immediately caused her to lie t on the bed. His lips stretched from ear to ear as he hovered over her beautiful face.

    "You always have the silliest thoughts, Miss c," came out a rasped voice, feeling his throat dry up as soon as he nted his palm on her hip. "You always make me wonder what sort of thought would cross that brain of yours."

    "I need to leave a deep impression. I don''t want to be just one of those ythings you fuck and forget the next day." She winked, crawling her arms over his shoulder.

    "You definitely seeded in that." He smacked his lips, lowering his face to im her lips. After nibbling her lips, he moved on to trace her sharp jaw with kisses down to the side of her neck.

    "I have a meeting in two hours," she whispered with a deep exhale, feeling his hand caress her breast as his lips move down to them.

    "Cancel it."

    "I can''t..." Cosette exhaled deeply when he stopped kissing her chest to look at her face. "We already did it all night, and I barely slept. Do you wish for me to fail?"

    "Honestly?" he smirked evilly. "Yes. In that case, you''ll beg me to fund you. That would be a sight to behold."<novelnext></novelnext>

    She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. "I hate you."

    "I didn''t say there''s something to like about me." He shrugged indifferently. "So, your meeting is in two hours?"

    "Yes."

    "Then we have two hours of fucking." His lips stretched from ear to ear until his eyes were squinting.

    "Ugh..." Cosette groaned, but she didn''t show any sign that she didn''t want to. Maxen had been a greatpany, and he was her sweet escape.

    "Come on," he whispered in her ears, and before she could understand what he meant, Cosette let out a shriek as he carried her out of the bed. Her eyes shook, clutching his toned shoulder while he stood bare.

    "What are you doing?" she eximed, pping his shoulder. "Put me down!"

    "You said you have two hours before your meeting and it always takes you around that time to prepare." He fluttered his eyes almost innocently. "I''m taking you to shower, or do you... want to enter your office reeking of my semen? I don''t mind sending you while you reek of me."

    "Oh..." Her brows rose as her frown was instantly reced with a cunning smile. "I smell jealousy from you, Mister Devilsin."

    "I get a bit territorial on the things I im."

    "I''m not your property."

    His smirk grew wicked. "I never said you had a say in it."

    Cosette rolled her eyes while he carried her to the bathroom, where they shared a round of passion under the shower. Once they both satisfied each other''s needs, they dipped in the warm tub to soothe the tension in their muscles. Maxen was leaning against the curve of the tub, keeping her in between his legs while she leaned her back against him.

    "You usually cancel things when you''re with me, saying you and yourpany are more important than the other party." He broke the silence between them, caressing her body under the water. He traced her shoulder with the apex of his nose, eyes closed, pulling her body closer as if to signal her to stay.

    "Is this meeting more important than you?"

    "Mhm... not really." She crooned, holding his hand that was wrapped around her waist underneath the water. "But I''m meeting with the Quinns."

    Maxen stopped and arched a brow, looking at her side profile. "Asher Quinn?"

    "Mhm."

    "I heard a lot about him." He rocked his head, causing her brows to raise. Cosette carefully unhooked his arms around her to face him.

    "You heard a lot about him?" she repeated. There was no surprise if this man, Maxen, knew influential people with his background. However, she picked up the sudden interest in his tone, which sounded trouble.

    "Oh? What is this?" he cocked his head to the side, studying the intrigued in her eyes. "Don''t tell me... you like this man?"

    "And if I do? Jealous?"

    "My male ego is fragile, Cosette. So, yes, a little."

    Cosette bit her lower lip before she chuckled. "I don''t like him in that way." She raised her hand from under the water and massaged his shoulders.

    "Asher Quinn is an intelligent man. Not only he is handsome, but he also had many achievements growing up. The Quinn Holdings had progressed significantly with him holding the helm. Even back in the Academy, his name had always beenpared to mine, and it was the greatest insult. I hold grudges." She smiled. "He is mine, Maxen Devilsin. Don''t touch him."

    His eyelids drooped while studying the smirk on her face. "You know me more than anyone, Cosette c." He tucked a portion of her hair behind her ear tenderly.

    "And that same goes for me. I know you from inside and out." He lowered his head and smirked evilly, holding her gaze with a look in his eyes that could send a chill down her spine. "Don''t let mee after himбн you know what I am capable of."

 Chapter 109 The Future Or The Past? A Memory Or A Dream?

    GASP!

    Cosette panted for air as she sprung up after waking from a long dream. She clutched her chest tightly and touched her face when she felt tears staining it.

    She had a dream like she always had. Usually, Cosette would wake up feeling groggy and confused every time she woke up from her dreams. However, she would usually forget what it was about and go on with her day. She almost got used to it that Cosette put little thought into them.

    But now... she could remember some details in her dreamst night. They were so clear to her that she was in disbelief. She could remember rolling under the sheet with the older Maxen, kissing and smiling, acting like lovers despite not having a clearerbel.

    The feeling she felt in those dreams, how her heart fluttered at his low chuckles; how her body burned with his touches, and how she felt within his embrace. Cosette could feel the guilty pleasure in them, and this pain in her heart.

    "Max..." she whispered, her lips quivering. "... what is going on?"

    Cosette wiped her tears with the back of her fist, but her eyes wouldn''t stop shedding them. This sadness again, she thought. This sadness that she felt that one time she woke up after dreaming of herself writing in her journal.

    "Why...?" Cosette hugged her knees, a little bit fearful that the dream snippets of her dreams lingered in her head.

    Was this because she made out with Maxen? But why was Maxen called Maxen Devilsin? With all the changes she did until this point, there was no way Maxen would go back to that kind of life. Also... why did she look so sad even though her heart fluttered just looking at him?

    "Am I failing?" she wondered, believing those memories were probably just some dream she would probably have in the future. After all, there was not a point in the novel where it was written that Maxen and Cosette had some sort of connection. Although they both appeared in volume two, that was just how the novel happen to thicken the plot, right? A love rival for the male lead and the female lead''s love rival.

    "I think I''m going crazy..." she whispered, hugging herself tighter.

    Cosette sumbed to fear for a couple of minutes as she pondered about the strange dream and the pain in her heart that brought tears to her eyes. After some time, her brows rose as she looked around, realizing she was back in her room.

    "How...?" she trailed off, remembering fighting her sleep while watching a film with Maxen. But it seemed she had fallen asleep.

    "Did he carry me here?" she wondered before her eyes softened as her lips curled up subtly. "I bet he willinter."

    Cosette reached for the empty side of the bed and felt it with her palm, wondering what happened when she had fallen asleep. Did he stay longer? What sort of expression did he wear as heid her down? Was he annoyed about making him carry her? Things like that crossed her head, imagining what happenedst night and how she ended up back in her bed.

    "That''s impossible," she murmured after some time, nodding encouragingly. "I''m probably just overthinking. Maxen will not be a criminal, and I... I won''t be that lonely."

    After looking around, Cosette convinced herself she was simply overthinking. She believed it was simply her fear that the novel would still follow the natural course of the characters.

    "I''m rewriting it and the author can just cry," she huffed, rposing herself and convincing herself the plot shouldn''t bother her anymore. Cosette exhaled sharply once again and put her fist up to cheer herself.

    Since the clock just hit six in the morning and Cosette had no ns for the entire week before the ss starts, she decided to review the changes she had done since the beginning. Cosette hurriedly went to her desk and grabbed her journal, hiding it in the locked drawer.

    As soon as she saw her own handwriting бк my life with my baby viin бк her eyes softened. She caressed it affectionately, smiling at it, somehow giving this warmth in her heart.

    "It feels like... I don''t know," she whispered, but the sense of relief and satisfaction just by looking at those words swelled in her chest. Cosette stared at it for a long time before turning the page.

    On the first page, Cosette read the summary of the novel she wrote when she first came into this world. She remained silent as she kept reading and turning the page. The more she read, the more she realized that the next several pages weren''t part of the novel.

    Actually, more than half of the content in her daily journal was all her daily entry lest the real Cosette returned. So she wouldn''t get confused by the changes in her life. She didn''t realize how happy the words she wrote down herself until she was reading them again.

    "That''s right..." she whispered. "It''s impossible for Maxen and Cosette c to be the viiness and viin."<novelnext></novelnext>

    She rocked her head, convinced at her first argument she was simply overthinking. After all, the entries in this daily journal were loads of fun, memorable, and warm memories Cosette would cherish forever. Even though there were entries she would diss Maxen, and even Asher and Mia, the entries were full of life that even though Cosette was the person who wrote them, could not help but think whoever wrote these silly entries had a fun, eventful life.

    "Now.... before I forget them." Cosette rposed herself as she flipped the journal to write on thest page. She didn''t want to ruin the daily journal by adding something in between. Moreover, it was good to keep things organized.

    With that thought in mind, Cosette started jotting down the dreams she hadst night. She even added the words she told Maxen, and what he told her in those dreams. Although it was just snippets, she also ced bullets in some scenarios of that dream.

    Cosette tried to recall the previous dreams but to no avail. She couldn''t remember them, so she focused on what she remembered.

    "Fuck buddies..." she mumbled, clicking her tongue while shaking her head. "That''s impossible бк"

    Her face froze when she recalled the steamy kissesst night. Now that she was sobered, her face dyed red the more she recalled what happened.

    "Max... touched my..." she covered her lips with her palm, wanting to m her forehead against the desk out of embarrassment. "How am I going to face him now?"

    Cosette''s dilemma came a bitte since she was finest night. But she med it on the moment and the high emotions between them.

    "Now that I think about it... what are we now?" she asked herself, racking her brain while her body was frozen on the spot. This time, Cosette hit her forehead on top of the journal. "I don''t know what''s the status between us now."

    "Ugh..." Cosette grunted, resting her head over her arms that were bent on the desk. "I should''ve made it clearst night. It''s too embarrassing to face him now, knowing he touched..."

    She winced at the memory of how his hand slipped inside her shirt and fondled her breast. But the most embarrassing was Maxen touched herdy down there. She didn''t feel embarrassed while in the moment, but now... she felt like staying in her room all day to avoid him.

    Just as Cosette was wallowing, she noticed the digital clock on the desk was not in the right position. Her brows creased, reaching for it to put it back in ce since it bothered her. But as soon as she did, a memory or one of her dreams came back to her.

    *****

    "Stop touching my things, Mister Devilsin." Cosette crossed her arms, watching Maxen in a dashing suit look around her room бк not the one in the c residence, but her own ce бк and was touching things. When he straightened his back and looked back at her, wearing a cunning smirk, she rolled her eyes.

    "You always do this to me, seriously." She grumbled, stomping her feet to the desk near his vantage point to arrange the frame in its rightful ce. As soon as she did, she halted when she felt his warmth from behind her and a hand stopping her from fixing the frame to how she wanted it.

    "This is a bad habit," he whispered, crawling his arm around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "I barely moved it. You shouldn''t get bothered by it."

    "Don''t me me," she cast him a side-eye, unbending to his argument.

    "Don''t let this control you anymore." Her brows rose and twisted her head to look at him better, only to see Maxen staring at the picture frame of her and her father. "You are always so obsessed with being so organized and seeing things in their original position. Let it go."

    "You..." Cosette pursed her lips, biting her lips. "I can''t."

    Maxen nced at her and rocked his head. He didn''t say anything and just let her hand go, but only to move the frame a centimeter for her.

    "Happy now?" he cocked his head and smirked.

    "Mhm..." her lips curled up, looking at the frame in its rightful ce. "Looks better now."

 Chapter 110 OCD

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m Cosette flinched as she snapped back to the currentpse, tipping the digital clock a little. Horror dominated her face, holding her breath as she blinked her dted eyes.

    "What''s that?" she muttered with a shaking voice, recalling the sudden memory that surged in her head. The memory was just like her dreamst night; it was too crystal clear, the hair on the back of her neck raised.

    She rubbed her shoulders to calm herself down, shaking her head mildly. "Was that another dream?" she wondered to herself.

    "A forgotten one?" Her brows knitted at the thought, turning to herptop, and immediately researched the sudden phenomenon. To her relief, ording to google, it was very normal.

    "Wait. I should write it down." Cosette didn''t waste a second and jot down what she just recalled before she wouldpletely forget about it. She tried to be specific, starting from the minimalist house as the location, Maxen''s clothes and those tattoos peeking from his open cor, the picture frame, and everything she could recall so she wouldn''t get confusedter.

    After writing every detail of the dream, including the location and the people бк including herself бк Cosette let out a sharp breath. This was tiring her and her brain. These dreams that had been urring frequently and racking her brain remembering them were already draining her. If not for Maxen''s future, Cosette wouldn''t bother.

    "Seriously. I know it''s my vacation, and I wasining yesterday, but this is a bit too much to handle in a short span of time." She clicked her tongue, eyes falling on the notes she wrote just now. Another sigh escaped her nostrils because now she had two ''dreams'' she could remember clearly.

    "Fuck buddies and that one..." she clutched her chest as the lingering pain those dreams brought to her heart resurfaced; although it wasn''t enough to make herself cry. "That rotten piece of milk бк tch. Is it possible that Maxen and Cosette were fuck buddies that the author didn''t mention?"

    Cosette frowned. If they were, then the author should''ve mentioned it since that would thicken the plot. But no, the author mentioned nothing about it. As Cosette reviewed the original plot in the novel, the only time she could remember was when Maxen and Cosette appeared in volume 2.

    "Cosette appeared..." she arched a brow and tilted her head to the side. "Cosette appeared because she had some business with the Quinn Holdings. She... that''s the first time Asher and Cosette met and she had already shown an interest in him at first. Wait. Can this be... that time... in that dream...?"

    Cosette gasped and covered her gaping mouth with her palm. Was it possible that in that particr dream where Cosette and Maxen were in the tub, it was happening at the same time in volume one? Well, it was possible since the novel was focused on the main leads'' perspectives. Therefore, Cosette and Maxen''s points of view wouldn''t matter in the novel.

    "Oh, my god..." She hurriedly picked up the pen and opened another nk page to write down her theory. She didn''t put it in the middle of the novel plot, but instead from a different perspective. Cosette didn''t have much to write about aside from Cosette and Maxen being connected before they met the leads of the novel.

    "But why?" she tapped the end of the pen against the journal, racking her brain about why would Maxen and Cosette break up. Or rather, why would they pretend they didn''t know each other even though they met a couple of times in the novel?

    "If my theory is correct, and these dreams were from the real Cosette, then... that means she liked him." Cosette''s eyes softened as she smiled bitterly. Perhaps, because she was inside the real Cosette''s body, she could feel her emotions from those dreams and even now. That was what she believed, and no one could change her mind about that.

    Based on these feelings, Cosette liked Maxen even though lust was the foundation of their rtionship. And for the obvious reason, she was aware she was a little special in Maxen one way or another. It might not be a normal rtionship, but at the same time, those two weren''t normal.

    The real Cosette had always strived for greatness, wanting to prove herself. She was perfect in every way possible, and that wasn''t just a natural gift, but she worked hard to be a fitting leader for the BLK Corporation. Meanwhile, Maxen in the novel was a wicked devil incarnate. He was cunning and dangerous, capable of killing a human being without conscience.

    They might''ve led a very different life growing up, but also simr in a way. Both of them didn''t enjoy their youth; those times a person was being honed on how to be an adult, Cosette was too busy involving herself in thepany affairs while Maxen was too busy surviving day by day as a delinquent.

    "Right... Maxen at first believed he was incapable of love," she whispered, recalling that Maxen had proven that in the first arc of volume 2, where he tormented the female lead as if he held a grudge against her. But because the female lead was smart, Maxen eventually fell in love with her, but he could no longer erase the things he had done to her.

    "It''s the same with Cosette..." this time, Cosette trailed off as she furrowed her brows. "That''s right. She can''t fall in love after getting betrayed by her fiance."

    Cosette rubbed her chin, recalling that the side stories included the viiness''s past instead of what happened to her after the book ended. It disappointed her while reading it since most readers were more inclined to read and know what happened to the characters after the book ended. But the author didn''t give that to her readers.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Now that I think about it... what happened to the viiness Cosette after Asher and Mia tied the knot?" she murmured, tilting her head to the side. This had never crossed Cosette until now that she was doing an extensive review of the novel.

    "Ughhh!!! I always have a love-hate rtionship with the author, but why does she make it so hard?" Cosette sped her hair as her head throbbed. "If this continues, I think only hate will remain between us!"

    Cosette thought long and hard about it but to no avail. All she came up with was the possibility of the viin and the viiness bing fuck buddies. But the reason why those two pretended they didn''t know each other and stayed away from each other''s way still left a giant mystery to her.

    ******

    Meanwhile...

    "Good morning, Sir Max." Lucia greeted with a smile as she helped in the kitchen while Maxen went to the counter to pick up an apple.

    Maxen leaned against the counter, watching Lucia prepare the lunch boxes where they would usually store them. His brows furrowed, curious. As far as he knew, no one used those lunch boxes the entire summer.

    So, why did Lucia wash them and was carefully putting them in the drawer?

    As Maxen was watching her while eating an apple and leaning against the counter, Lucia nced over her shoulder. A chuckle slipped past her lips upon noticing the curiosity in Maxen''s eyes.

    "Even when they weren''t being used, I still wash them and put them back carefully since the young miss won''t like it," she exined while putting back the lunch box, making his brows to furrow. Storing them wasn''t what took Lucia that long, but because she was arranging them as if she was disying a painting in a gallery.

    "Cosette won''t like it?" Maxen repeated, watching Lucia look back at him and nod.

    "The young miss had always liked things to be organized. Even back then, she hates it when something in her room was moved in the slightest."

    "But Cosette isn''t like that."

    Lucia paused and looked back at him, bearing a polite smile. "The young miss''s condition бк I mean, her habit started with a small space. Back then, she had this small box containing her toys and we should arrange them in a particr order. But as she grew older, she shifted this overly organized habit to her room. That is why I am the only one who cleans it."

    "Really?" Maxen furrowed his brows, as this was news to him. ''Does she have OCD?''

    "So far, the young miss seemed alright." Lucia''s smile stretched broader while looking at Maxen. For her, Cosette''s obsessiveness over the position of things has slightly put a pause because of Maxen and the young miss''s current lifestyle. The old nanny had always been worried that Cosette''s condition would spread and would soon take over the entire residence, just like how she started from a small box to her bedroom.

    "Anyway, I will go check on her. She''s probably awake by now." Lucia bowed at Maxen and then checked the drawer where she kept the lunch boxes, just like how Cosette would stack them up. When she left, Maxen stayed leaning against the counter, but his chewing slowed down.

    "Now that I think about it..." he whispered, looking at the way where Lucia left. "She gets very annoyed when I move her thing. Lucia slipped up and I''m certain she said condition. Should I look into it?"

 Chapter 111 First Day

    No matter how hard Cosette racked her brain, she was met with a dead end. She couldn''t figure out everything with just two clear memories in her head. Moreover, although she had a logical theory, there were just myriads of questions in her head that followed that theory.

    She came up with different theories бк both nonsense and a bit more logical. That was all Cosette thought in the entire morning and even during showering, but to no avail. In the end, she was still stuck in her first theory that Cosette and Maxen were somehow acquainted with benefits before the volume two of the novel.

    "Really... is this some sort of plot hole or something? Or was the author nning to write another volume?" Cosette mumbled as she was on her way to the dining after her morning ritual. "But why upload side stories? Maybe a series?"

    "Were you reading all this morning?"

    Cosette jumped as soon as she stepped foot in the lobby, hearing Maxen''s voice to her side. She twisted her neck to her right, seeing Maxen leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

    "Uh... good morning, Max." She bit her inner lower lip as she winced internally. What was that awkward tone? She already told herself to act normal if she bumped into Maxen.

    "Were you reading all morning? That''s why you only came out now?" he asked, pulling his back from the wall to face her squarely.

    "Ahh... well, sort of." She massaged her nape, forcing a smile. Cosette raised her brows as she glossed her eyes around before setting them back on him.

    "What are you doing here, Max? You look like you''re waiting..." she trailed off and furrowed her brows. She pointed at herself. "Were you waiting for me?"

    "I''m not allowed to approach your room. That''s why I''m here."

    "Huh? Why?" she tilted her head to the side, blinking almost innocently. Maxen''s expression was duller than usual, looking back at her with a dead expression.

    "What do you mean, why?"

    "I mean, why would you..." Cosette pursed her lips, swallowing down a mouthful of saliva. She raised her brows, holding her hand behind her. "Aboutst night?"

    He nodded. "I need to talk to you about it, but let''s have breakfast first." Maxen tipped his head in the direction of the dining hall, shoving his hands inside his pocket as he sauntered off.

    As he walked away, Cosette let out a shallow breath. Her eyes stayed on his back, recalling the other memory she retrieved this morning. Compare to the Maxen Devilsin in her dreams, this Maxen didn''t look that dangerous. Was it the body build or his inked body? But then again, the Cosette in those dreams didn''t seem scared of him as well.

    ''I think I''m going crazy...'' she thought, dragging her feet to follow Maxen before he looks back. ''Whenever I tell myself not to focus on the novel and live my life, this always happens. I really dislike that rotten piece of milk.''

    With that being said, Maxen and Cosette navigated their way to the dining hall. Everyone was already used to their routine and seeing them dining together wasn''t a new sight to behold. As usual, the table was served with a healthy breakfast. After serving all the food, the servants left them alone in the dining hall, as this had be the new norm in the manor instead of the maids standing on the side to wait for any orders from Conrad or Cosette.

    Cosette could not help but nce at Maxen as they ate in silence. Maxen was acting like usual, eating without looking at her or saying anything. The anxiety building up inside her chest steadily increased, wondering what he would tell her since they somehow toed the linest night.

    ''Wait...'' Her brows furrowed as her back stiffened. ''He won''t ask me to forgetst night, right? Or be friends with benefits?''

    Her mouth fell open, scrunching her nose up in dismay. She red at Maxen, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

    ''I''ll kick him in the gut if he ever mentions being that sort of buddies.'' She threatened in her heart, shoving a piece of bacon in her mouth, eyes glinting at Maxen. ''After all we''ve been through, that''s all he will see me? Hah! Maxen Cloven. I want to see you try.''

    While Cosette''s head and anxiety spiked up, creating different scenarios in her head, Maxen suddenly felt a chill run up his spine. His brows rose, ncing at Cosette, only to see her chewing intensely while looking at him angrily.

    ''What did I do?'' he wondered, tilting his head to the side. ''Was it aboutst night...?''

    Maxen nned for them to eat first since Cosette didn''t have a proper mealst night. Although she mostly ate the snacks while watching, it was still better if she eat a meal with proper nutrition. Hence, he wasn''t talking aboutst night''s event, afraid it would affect her appetite.

    "Aboutst night..." Maxen cleared his throat, biting his tongue.

    "What about it?" she returned, eyes burning with intrigue and... anger? Her expression forced Maxen to consider his words, as it seemed she would end him if he ever said something amiss. Although Maxen didn''t n on proposing what was already in her head, he still couldn''t help but have second thoughts in himself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A shallow breath slipped past his lips as he fluttered his eyshes, resting his arm against the edge of the table. He fixed his eyes on her, cheering himself to say what had been bugging him sincest night. But just as he opened his mouth, his tongue rolled back when she clicked her tongue in irritation.

    "Forget it." He shook his head and huffed sharply. "Let''s talk about it next time."

    "No, Max. We should talk about it now since it will bother me the entire day." Cosette urged with a kind smile, which looked so fake in his eyes. "What are you going to say, hmm?"

    "Uh... it''s alright. Let''s talk --"

    "Hmm?" Cosette kept her smile, raising her brows. "Don''t tell me this is like an eat and run scenario?"

    "Huh?" His brows furrowed, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Eat and run...?"

    "Mhm! Eat and run means you eat at your heart''s content and then run away when it''s time to pay," she exined in a matter-of-fact tone, scoffing with the thought as it seemed to her that would be the case. Perhaps it was because of the dream where they were simply fuck buddies that amplified her emotions. Cosette wasn''t sure, but shouldn''t Maxen take responsibility? He touched her everywhere and that lip of his even left hickeys around her breast. How could he do that to her, and then forget about it?

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "Forget it." Cosette clicked her tongue and let out a sharp breath. "We''re young and can be a little wild. It''s not like we should force ourselves to have somebel бк tsk. Whatever."

    "What are you mumbling?" he asked with an arched brow. Maxen looked around and when he was sure no one was there to listen to them, he refocused his attention on the girl across from him. "I just want to ask what are we now?"

    "Huh?" Cosette slowly raised her eyes, blinking, watching him run his tongue across his inner cheek.

    "Last night... we did things and crossed the line. You fell asleep soundlessly, but I couldn''t. I kept thinking and asking myself questions such as ''was it just the moment?'', ''what are we now?'', ''should I pretend it didn''t happen?'', ''should we do it again?'', and the sort," he exined solemnly, taking a leap of faith and putting his heart out there since Cosette had always been transparent with him. Hence, he wanted to do the same since he was the man here. It was too embarrassing if the only time he would have courage was when it was in the heat of the moment.

    "What... do you mean?" came out a quiet voice, eyes fixed on him.

    "What I mean is I like you." Her heart skipped a beat as he clicked his tongue and winced as if he slipped up. Maxen exhaled sharply, raising his conflicted eyes to her. "And I''m confused as hell as where to stand here. Do I have the right to hold your hand? Or what? What are we? Why did you let me... why do you keep saying it''s because it''s me?"

    Cosette pursed her lips, lowering her eyes to hide the giddy expression. She took a deep breath before meeting his eyes again.

    "You... want to be..." Cosette cleared her throat when her tongue rolled back. "What do you think?"

    "Huh?" He sported a helpless countenance at her vague response. "What do you mean by that?"

    "Should we start dating?" she suggested, biting her lower lip to suppress her smile, but to no avail. Her eyes shone with happiness, her heart relieved, as if she had achieved something she had been wanting to achieve.

    "Date...?"

    She nodded. "I mean, I don''t want to force you if you don''t want..."

    "Uh." Her brows knitted at that brief sound he made.

    "What, uh?"

    "I... want to," he confessed, biting his tongue secretly. "Date, I mean."

    Maxen watched how she pressed her lips together, but the corner of her lips still turned up. Her eyes shone with joy, making his heart flutter.

    ''She''s happy?'' he wondered, as he didn''t expect such a reaction from her, assuming he was only the one who had such ridiculous thoughts as dating. ''God... I love her.''

    "Then today is our first day!" she announced with a smile that was enough to blind him, cupping her cheek, eyes squinting, before she stressed, "you''re mine now."

 Chapter 112 It Was Hell Of A Summer Break

    "You''re mine now."

    Maxen looked at Cosette with slight surprise, letting out a dryugh as he processed her words. He leaned his arm against the table, lips curling into a charming smirk.

    "No." he shook his head. "You are." бк Cosette was his now... forever.

    Cosette pursed her lips to suppress her smile, looking up at him. Both of them chuckled, shaking their head, pleased at the oue of their situation.

    "Eat, Max," she mumbled, forking a piece on her te.

    "Mhm." His eyes were soft, smiling.

    The two of them continued to eat happily. Their stomach hadn''t been full, but their hearts felt full already. Even though they didn''t exchange words much throughout their breakfast, they were already satisfied each time they stole a nce at each other, only for their eyes to meet.

    For Cosette, she had been beating herself since this morning from those vivid dreams. What happenedst night between her and Maxen wasn''t helping, as it added to her worry about how to face him. She thought Maxen would either pretend it didn''t happen, which was the most obvious thing he would do, or be a total jerk and subject her to a rtionship with no strings attached.

    Just the sheer thought of thetter was akin to giving her heart as a hostage. So, how the talk ended was akin to a thorn being plucked out of her throat.

    Meanwhile, Maxen was beyond overjoyed. It was true he barely sleptst night after carrying her to her bedroom. Myriads of questions hovered over his head and even prepared himself for heartache for expecting anything from her the next day. However, just those words, ''you''re mine now,'' washed away all those worries.

    Cosette had always been so reassuring, considerate, and decisive. He was d he had learned from her, and took a leap of faith instead of putting what happened behind them. If only he did, this would haunt him forever and he wouldn''t be smiling the way he was smiling while eating.

    Today... was a good day. It might''ve started a little rough for the both of them with the confusion filling their heads, but their mutual agreement just flipped everything like a switch.

    After Maxen and Cosette finished their meal, they headed to the garden to take a casual walk. They walked side by side, leaving a palm-length gap between them. Cosette lowered her eyes, biting her lips, while Maxen constantly cast her a nce.

    "I don''t know what to say," she breathed out in distress, looking up at him to reveal the faint tint on her cheek. Maxen massaged his nape, ncing at her with the same conflict in his eyes.

    "Me too," he confessed. "We rarely talk."

    "Right..." Cosette pinched the space between her brows. Now that she thought about it, Maxen wasn''t much of a talker and would only speak when necessary. It was mostly Cosette who carried the conversation, but now that she was too flustered, she couldn''t even bring up the silliest thing.

    "Should we really have to?" she snapped her eyes at Maxen, seeing him look ahead as he walked on the gravel path leisurely. "I''m fine having you around. You don''t need to talk that much or at least, you don''t need to force a conversation. I''m content... with your presence, and that''s good enough for me."

    Cosette stopped in her tracks, eyes on him.

    "Max..." she whispered, a subtle smile dominating her face as she stared at his back. Maxen stopped after three more steps, looking back at her with his hands inside his pocket.

    "Just stay the way you are. The only thing that changed between us is that..." he paused, taking out his hand and extending it to her. "... we can now hold hands."

    ''My god...'' Cosette''s heart drummed against her chest because Maxen looked like an angel offering his hand to guide her to the paradise up above. His slight smile might have fallen short because he wasn''t used to smiling, but his eyes sheltered a million unspoken words that weren''t needed to be uttered for her not to feel the affection in them.

    With a smile, Cosette reached for his hand and sped it. As she took several steps to stand beside him, his fingers slipped in between the gaps of her fingers.

    "Are you not scared if someone saw us?" she asked with a grin, making him look up to ponder.

    ? "Right..." Maxen ran his tongue across his inner cheek, raising his brows. "Should I let go?"

    Cosette frowned and pped his shoulder. Her violent action made him flinch, rubbing his shoulder using his free hand.

    "How could you..." she clicked her tongue in irritation, ring daggers at him. "What if they see us? You told my dad you and I kissed."

    "That''s different from then and now."

    "What, how? Scared?"

    Maxen remained silent for a moment before he nodded. "Mhm. I am."

    "My dad doesn''t bite."

    "He doesn''t, but he can kick me out and I won''t see you day and night." He shrugged, taking a deep breath as he took a step forward. But he didn''t let her hand go, looking ahead with a slight smile. "I don''t mind returning to that small apartment room and living in the dirt. But I''m more worried about the fact I won''t see you more often."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette blushed, skipping her steps to catch up to him so they were walking side by side. "Then you should let my hand go."

    "It''s worth the risk." He cast her a look. "I''m in debt to your father, and the only way I can repay this debt for realigning my life is for me to do better in life and help others when my hard work bears fruit. And also, to not shame his daughter for choosing me... when she had a better option."

    "You''re not an option," she mumbled, looking ahead while Maxen nced at her. "You''re the only option."

    He bit his lower lips, drawing a deep breath to stop himself from showing more of his affection. He should not be greedy likest night and be satisfied holding her hand.

    "They won''t talk, don''t worry," Cosette reassured as her lips stretched from ear to ear, winking at Maxen. "The servants already knew."

    "About us?"

    "About me. My feelings," she confessed, looking back at the mansion to the side. "Most of them have been working here for years, and they know I had a huge crush on someone. But this dummy doesn''t even realize it even when I wake up early in the morning to make his lunchboxes."

    Cosette could not help but let out a ''tch'' as she looked up at him. "Not everyone is as dense as you, Max. Gosh... all that courtship and this dummy still hadn''t realized it until this moment."

    Maxen''s steps slowly came to a halt, fixing his eyes on her. When she noticed her hand was being left behind, Cosette looked back at him with raised brows.

    "Yes?" she hummed, cocking her head to the side.

    "Why?" he asked, filling her eyes with puzzlement. "What did you see in me that time?"

    Her lips stretched until her teeth were showing. "You."

    "Me...?" he let out a dryugh. "Does he look better than others?"

    "That''s a weird question to ask." Cosette marched back until she was standing before him. "Was there anyone better than Maxen?"

    There was, he answered in his head. There was a ton on his list, actually. Not just Luke or Asher, but there were even better guys out there who liked her.

    But her eyes still sparkled while looking at him up close, and Maxen had seen this look in her eyes even back when he deemed himself unattractive. The luster in her eyes back then and now was the same, and there was no vestige of fakery in them. Maxen stared at her clear hazel eyes that were mirroring him, and just like the time when he had more fat and traces of stress, he looked a man with value in them.

    There were tons of guys who would line up to get her slightest attention, but never once had she ever noticed she would look at them the same way. Maybe she had this distinct look in her eyes in front of Luke and Asher, but they weren''t as sweet and affectionate as whenever she would look at him.

    He was at his worst when she came, and he wanted her to have his very best.

    Maxen raised his other hand and cupped her beautiful face. His eyes softened, just like how his heart warmed up.

    "Thank you..." he whispered with a subtle and gentle smile. "... for seeing me."

    Cosette pursed her lips bashfully, pping his chest mildly. "Gosh... this is really a novel. I don''t think such things really happen in real life," she mumbled, suppressing herself from squealing her lungs out.

    "I like... you." This time, she flinched and looked back at him. "Did that sound weird?"

    She shook her head and grinned. "Say it again."

    "No."

    "Please?" she tugged his hand mildly while sporting puppy eyes.

    "I..." he breathed out, finding it harder now that he had to repeat it the second time. "... like you."

    Cosette grinned from ear to ear. "I like you more." And before he could process her words, she dragged him for a run to keep him busy.

    Surely, their summer was quite a vacation full of twists and turns that neither of them expected. However, both of them could safely say it was one memorable summer. A timeбн they would forever cherish to adulthood.

    -- END OF VOLUME 2 --

 Chapter 113 Weird Taste

    Cosette spent thest few days of the summer break with Maxen. They had a talk regarding the setup of their rtionship. After all, Maxen regarded Conan with the highest respect he could give to a man, and he didn''t want to hide their rtionship status. He was prepared to get kicked out and work hard, be better in school, and seed in life to be able to stand on the same ground as her.

    However, Cosette crushed his ns with a simple no.

    He might be ready to get kicked out, but not Cosette. She would rather hide it for the time being, for the sole reason she knew Conrad. Her father was aware of Cosette''s feelings toward Maxen and she had been very open about it. Moreover, she worked under her father for straight two months.

    Therefore, Cosette had somehow guessed how the gears in her father''s head turned. Conrad would not kick Maxen out if they told him about their rtionship. Her father would insist for Maxen to stay... so everyone could keep an eye on them. There wouldn''t be privacy anymore and that also meant less kisses. She liked his kisses very much and would eat them as an alternative to food.

    At first, Cosette assumed Maxen wouldn''t listen and just spill all the tea. But s, Maxen agreed... for the sole reason, just like her. And with that, they spent thest several days either reading or watching or going out to buy small things (a short date) together.

    They had been very ''subtle'' about it... especially when Conrad was around. It wasn''t like the change was huge, aside from the habitual touch in the hand and... short, sneak pecks.

    "Bye-bye~" Cosette waved with her upper body tilting to the side to see Conrad inside the back passenger seat of the ck sedan. Thetter nced at her, and then at Maxen standing behind her under the waiting shade of the bus.

    "Take care, Papa." Her lips stretched from ear to ear until her eyes were squinting.

    "Take care," Conrad replied cooly, darting his eyes between the two. "You two."

    "Yes~"

    Conrad stared at her bright smile for some time, and let out a sigh. His daughter looked so excited and happy since today was the first day of ss.

    "See youter," he remarked, only to hear her repeating it in a more cheerful tone. With that being said, the car sped away like, leaving Cosette waving under the bus stop.

    "Hah..." she huffed, keeping her eyes on the rear of the ck sedan. "I hope he has a good day."

    Cosette grinned as she looked back at Maxen, only to see him arching a brow at her. Looking at him, she was still in disbelief at how tall he grew all summer. Before, she didn''t need to look up so much, but now, her head could only reach his shoulder. It was amazing at the same time, disheartening.

    "What?" The lines between his forehead deepened at her prolonged silence. He then touched his face lest he had some crumbs left.

    "I still can''t believe you grew tall this much and in a short span of time." She narrowed her eyes, facing him squarely. Cosette sized him up while rubbing her chin. "Max, what have you been doing all summer, hmm? I don''t think this is some sort of perk."

    "I didn''t grow tall that much." He cocked his head to the side. "I lost weight."

    She shook her head, taking a step closer. "Before, my head is over your upper lip, but now, look!" she measured her height, basing it on his shoulder des, scoffing in dismay when she realized she was short a centimeter from it.

    "Is this a bad thing now?" he asked, looking down at her miffed countenance. "Do you prefer short guys? You have a weird taste."

    "But my neck hurts!" sheined with a pout.

    "Ahh..." Maxen bent over, making her take several steps back in surprise.

    "What бк a kiss in broad daylight?" she gasped, making him chuckle as he rested his hand on his thigh.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m "Do you want to?" he teased, smirking as he watched her face dyed in red. "I''m kidding. Does your neck still hurt this way?"

    Her brows rose, blinking twice, realizing he bent over so she wasn''t looking up. Cosette bit her lower lip before rocking her head mildly. Maxen didn''t change much, even when they were now dating, but he would still make her heart flutter during the most unexpected times, just like this one.

    "You don''t have to do this." She poked his shoulder, pursing her lips to stop herself from smiling from ear to ear. "Gosh... why do you have to make me blush all the time? My heart will explode at this rate."<novelnext></novelnext>

    He chuckled, snapping his eyes as he looked back. "The bus is here," he announced, straightening his back with his eyes on the approaching bus. As he waited, Cosette kept her eyes on him.

    ''I feel bad for keeping this a secret from dad but help... I had to work hard to tie him with me.'' Cosette mentally giggled. When the bus stopped in front of them, she hurriedly reached for his hand, which made him look back at her.

    "Let''s hold hand," she proposed while the bus opened its door for them.

    "Mhm." He hummed, wrapping his fingers around her, and guided her to the bus. Her smile stretched even wider as she followed him. Since it was too early, there weren''t many passengers yet. Maxen and Cosette perched on the spot near the back and sat beside each other. He held her hand even when they sat down.

    This wasn''t the first time they held each other hands, butpared tost school year, they could distinguish the difference. Just months ago, Cosette would squeeze herself into him. But now, Maxen was guarding her and holding her hand all on his own.

    Taking this opportunity, Cosette giddily rested the side of her head on his shoulder des, smiling from ear to ear, eyes closed.

    "I''ll take a nap," she exined lest heined. "Wake me upter."

    Maxen let out a shallow breath and shook his head. He didn''t reply, but he stayed still, letting her use his shoulder to lean on. They both traveled with a smile on their faces, ying with each other''s hands like lovers would.

    ****

    Meanwhile...

    Conrad remained silent like usual, staring at the window as they head to the BLK Corporation office. His mind drifted to Cosette''s behavior the past several days after she finished her internship in thepany. As his mind drifted further away, his phone inside his pocket suit vibrated.

    Conrad snapped his eyes and took out the phone to his ear. He didn''t even look who it was, assuming it was Warren, since only a few people knew his personal contact number. However, Conrad soon realized he made a mistake as there was this shameless old folk who was akin to a stalker worthy to rot behind bars.

    "Good morning, my dearest best friend! Haha! I didn''t know you''d answer a call from an unregistered number!"

    Conrad closed his eyes as soon as he recognized Maynard''s voice from the other end of the line. His jaw instantly clenched while his grip on his phone tightened. It was too early to get stressed, was what he told himself, but hearing Maynard''s voice early in the morning was already a ''good'' sign; a sign his day wouldn''t get any worse.

    "Haha! I can imagine you are, err... telling yourself to choose peace before violence?" Maynard happily grinned, imagining the look on Conrad''s unchanging, stony countenance. Just the thought of it made him happy as if he had nothing else to do during this time.

    "Make sure this call is important, Mister Quinn."

    "Oh, ho! Of course, it is!"

    "Speak. Let''s not waste our time"

    "Hah... ha ha..." Maynard''s awkwardughter slowly faded, but then he snapped his eyes, knowing Conrad was about to hang up on him. "Wait!"

    "You are wasting precious my time," Conrad stressed coldly, as the life in his eyes already diminished. "If you have nothing else to do, take your sons to an amusement park and be a father."

    "Oh ho, Mister c. Why do you have to make it sound like I''m a bad father?" Maynard snorted.

    "I didn''t say that. It''s you who said it. I''m hanging up."

    "Tch. Oy, don''t forget you allowed your daughter to take home a man, eh? I mean, they might be minors, but they''re at the age of being wild and curious! I''m not the only one who is a terrible dad here!" Maynard prattled like usual without thinking of what he would say just because he was talking to a good friend. But when he realized the sudden silence that followed, he couldn''t help but swallow the building tension in his throat.

    "I mean, you''re right. I''m the bad father and the annoying friend," he confessed, smelling Conrad''s wrath from a mile away.

 Chapter 114 A Secret Meeting

    "I mean, you''re right. I''m the bad father and the annoying friend."

    Conrad kept his eyes sharp, looking out at the window. He was already used to Maynard''s insensitive and nosey nature, so he didn''t take it to the heart. But it still hit a nerve in his head, which didn''t sit well with him.

    "I told Cosette..." Conrad spoke, making Maynard raise his brows. "... during her internship, I told her I don''t want her to get married until she''s fifty."

    "What? Hey, that''s even more selfish!"

    "And I''d make sure she''ll grow old alone than have the Quinns as my inws," Conrad added, making Maynard gasp in dismay. The side of his lips curled up as his eyes drooped, but it still didn''t conceal the danger lurking within them.

    "The only reason you are this confident is that the Quinns are the perfect candidate to marry my daughter off. It was the same with the Quinns. Cosette is the number one on your list of candidates and seeing how persistent you are, I bet you already got their birthdays checked and she matched perfectly well with either of your sons," Conrad continued.

    "Hah! She matched with both of them," Maynard blurted out and then bit his tongue when he realized the slip-up.

    "You are criticizing me for how I am raising my daughter and allowing her to take home a man at such a young age." Conrad ignored Maynard''s previous remarks, snapping his eyes ever so tenderly. "You are correct that I might be a neglectful father. However, realistically speaking, I have a good eye for business."

    "What I''m saying is, I look at my daughter and I know one of these days, a man will eventually take her away from me. The Quinns had been eyeing her like somend they should purchase before her value will increase. I''m not selling her to greedy folks like you." Conrad smirked dangerously. "I''d rather raise a young man and teach him how to treat my daughter like a queen, how to protect her from people like you, and share the same outlook in life."

    "What?" Maynard gasped, wide-eyed, guessing where this scheme was going.

    "You better tell your sons to do their best... maybe, mentor them properly, since you had a very interesting history. Or else, a nobody бк just as what you folks see Max бк will not share even a piece of the cake." Conrad''s smirk stretched broad, ncing at his phone, imagining Maynard''s horrified expression. "Thank meter since I''m helping you teach your son that they can''t get everything they want just because they want it."

    "Hey бк!" Maynard, who was also sitting behind the back seat of the car, gasped. He looked at the phone in disbelief as Conrad hung up on him just like that. "Wa бк wow...! Did he бк oh, goodness! Did he hold a grudge бк wow...! I''m actually speechless! That damn! Hah! Wow..."

    Maynard could only scoff while shaking his head in disbelief,pletely forgetting the important reason he called Conrad. Although he didn''t n to ruin Conrad''s mood, thetter ruined his. But he should''ve seen iting.

    Meanwhile, Conrad ced the phone back inside his pocket suit and chuckled with his lips closed. Just like Maynard, Conrad had known that guy for decades. Therefore, he could imagine the shock on Maynard Quinn''s face. That man should''ve kept his mouth shut, instead of proudly admitting to using Cosette as lecture material. Conrad wasn''t the type to let things slide, especially if it involved his daughter.

    Conrad then looked at the window once more, his lips curled up. His mind drifted several nights ago that involved Maxen.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [ FLASHBACK ]

    Conrad had always been busy, and he realized he and Warren had gotten even busier when Cosette finished her internship. The day after hisst business trip, Conrad returned home a bitte than expected. When he reached home, it was already nighttime.

    As usual, Cosette spent time with him before bidding him goodnight, since she was considerate that he needed rest. However, instead of resting, Conrad stayed in his study to review a document so he wouldn''t worry about it the next day.

    As the night fell deeper and the world grew quiet, a knock from outside his office shattered his silence. Conrad raised his head and spoke, e in," to the person outside. When it opened, his brows slightly rose, seeing Maxen enter his study room.

    "Max," he called, watching Maxen stand near the set of couches while facing him, who sat behind the desk. "It''s alreadyte."

    "It is alreadyte, Sir. That is why I am here since Cosette had been worried about your schedule."

    Conrad rocked his head, knowing Cosette was the type to get worried. After all, she had been quite strict during her internship and restricted Conrad from working at home. However, he couldn''t fall asleep with the things that made his brain active.

    "Why are you here?" he asked, shifting the subject and getting to the point. "Did something happen?"

    Conrad furrowed his brows when a minute had passed, and Maxen just stared at him. He knew this young man since Maxen had been living under the same roof for months now. Maxen wouldn''te to his study and at thiste hour if it wasn''t important.

    "I..." Maxen drew a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily. When he reopened his eyes, Conrad caught the determination in the young man''s eyes. "Cosette and I are dating now."

    "..." It took Conrad several seconds to process this confession. He then nted his palms on the surface of the desk, pushing himself up. Unlike the first time Maxen confessed to kissing his daughter, Conrad was calmer now.

    Conrad sauntered toward the stand where the decanter and winess were. On his way, he stopped and looked back at Maxen''s motionless figure.

    "Continue," he urged calmly, making Maxen nod, while he resumed in his strides. As Conrad stopped in front of the stand and poured himself a ss of wine, Maxen continued his confession fearlessly.

    "I like Cosette, Sir, and she likes me. So, we agreed we should date." Maxen kept his eyes on Conrad''s back, watching thetter turn around with two sses in his hands. "She wants to keep it a secret from you for now... because she knows you''ll restrict us from having some time alone."

 Chapter 115 [Bonus ]A Secret Meeting II

    "I like Cosette, Sir, and she likes me. So, we agreed we should date." Maxen kept his eyes on Conrad''s back, watching thetter turn around with two sses in his hands. "She wants to keep it a secret from you for now... because she knows you''ll restrict us from having some time alone."

    "I see..." Conrad rocked his head, sauntering towards the head seat. When he plopped his butt down, he looked up at Maxen and tipped his head to the other couch. "Come, sit."

    Maxen gulped and nodded. As instructed, Maxen perched on the long couch, lowering his eyes when Conrad slide the ss in front of him. He raised his head at Conrad, and saw thetter lean back, resting his leg over the other while holding the ss.

    "Then, why did you tell me?" asked Conrad to Maxen calmly, knowing the young man wasn''t lying. "If she told you to keep it a secret, why are you here and knocking on death''s door?"

    "As I''ve mentioned, I like her... and I n to marry her someday."

    Conrad chuckled dryly. "You want to marry her?"

    "It might be pretentious and ambitious now, but I know how you cherish her. I also know that you want to give her the world and I... have nothing. I''m a nobody right now." Maxen held Conrad''s eyes bravely, manning up, and facing what he had to face. "But I''m not breaking up with Cosette if you asked me now. I know I owe you my life, but I can let go of thisfort in life... not her."

    "Cosette wants to keep it a secret from you, but I can''t look you in the eye, knowing I am holding her hand whenever you look away. I respect you, and the only repayment I can do for everything you had done for me is to cherish her more than you can do. And... do better in life so she wouldn''t be ashamed if I stood beside her in public," Maxen added solemnly, sping his fist on hisp.

    Silence descended on their shoulders as they looked at each other. Every second felt like minutes for Maxen, as Conrad didn''t speak a word for a very long time.

    "She''ll kill you if you told her you told me about your rtionship." Maxen''s brows rose the second he heard Conrad''s low chuckle. "My daughter knows me well... what do I do to her?"

    "It''s not her fault. I''ll look for a ce tonight and move out first thing in the morning." Maxen lowered his head, only to raise it at Conrad''s answer.

    "She wants to keep it a secret knowing I will not kick you out but order everyone to monitor you." Conrad shook his head, raising his ss of wine to his lips, eyes on Maxen. "Don''t tell her I already know."

    Maxen let out a shallow breath. "But --" he stopped when Conrad shook his head once more before sipping from the ss.

    "I don''t need to tell everyone to keep an eye on you." Conrad licked his lips and smacked them, pointing a finger at him. "I don''t need to do that. All I need is for you to promise to preserve her chastity until you think you already deserve to put a ring on it."

    "Pardon?"

    "Give me your word, Maxen Cloven." Conrad leaned forward, propping his arms on the armrest. "Don''t touch her before you get married. Do I need to be explicit regarding that?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No бк no. I understand, sir." Maxen shook his head, making Conrad rock his head.

    "Then, I trust you."

    "Why?" Maxen perked up with genuine wonder in his eyes. "Aren''t you worried I will... not honor my words?"

    "I said I trust you... more than my daughter now regarding this." Conrad leaned backfortably. "Moreover, I''ve observed you enough to know you care for her genuinely. You''re young, and yet, your pride won''t allow you to look at what you can get by tying her down."

    Conrad arched a brow and cocked his head to the side. "If I''m going to choose the person she would spend a lifetime with, I''d rather raise someone who can do the job properly. Instead of weing someone from another family, and know him based on the results of his background check."

    "I''ve seen them all," he continued. "People who were raised in a great background could have a clean record but a nasty secret. The world outside is a scary ce, and I won''t wee anyone so easily. What I am saying is, the Quinns had been pestering me for an arranged marriage."

    "I know both Asher Quinn and Lucas Quinn, and I can say they were both raised well. However, they were still young. Asher reminded me of Cosette in the past. He was an overachiever and focused on life while the younger Quinn reminded me of his father; both are silly," Conrad added, swirling the ss in his hand leisurely. "The Quinns might be a great family, but I won''t allow them to be part of Cosette''s life."

    Conrad''s eyes fell on Maxen once more. "However, I have no power in that if somehow one of them captured my daughter''s heart. The Quinns always had their way to people''s hearts and bedazzled everyone with their unique charms."

    Maxen furrowed his brows after listening attentively to the man. He looked at Conrad solemnly, before he concluded what Conrad didn''t speak.

    "You were saying..." he trailed off when Conrad nodded.

    "I''m saying I''m putting my bet on you, Maxen." Conrad pointed at him. "I won''t say no if Cosette told me herself she wanted to spend the rest of her life with either Asher or Lucas. And I won''t say no if she wanted to be with someone else. I have no power, nor do I believe I have a say in it."

    "If that ever happened, I''m ming you."

    Maxen swallowed a mouthful of air at the sudden pressure ced on his back. However, this pressure of having to make sure Cosette wouldn''t introduce anyone else to Conrad in the future was the type of challenge Maxen was willing to take. Because at the end of the day, Maxen was serious about making Cosette his wife.

    "I understand." Maxen lowered his head and when he raised it, a glint of determination flickered across his eyes. "I won''t let you experience such a horrible thing to wee an outsider in your life... especially not the Quinns."

    "Don''t disappoint me," Conrad smirked, raising a brow at the ss in front of Maxen. Thetter nodded and picked it up, making Conrad raise his ss for a toast.

 Chapter 116 Welcome Juniors

    Maxen let out a dry chuckle, walking beside Cosette on their way to their school. He just recalled the conversation he had with Conrad, and it felt like a thorn was plucked out of his throat, knowing Conrad was aware of his rtionship with Cosette.

    "Hmm? Why are you smiling?" Cosette tilted her head to the side, watching him look back at her. Maxen shed her a kind smile and shook his head.

    "Nothing. I just remembered something," he exined, raising his hand to pat her head.

    She walked slower. "Something funny?"

    "Not funny per se... more like something I''m relieved about." He withdrew his hand, shoving it inside his pocket. He looked ahead, keeping his lips closed, but the side was curled up. Seeing him in a good mood, Cosette just nodded and looked ahead.

    To Cosette, for as long as Maxen was happy, she was also happy. It wasn''t like she wasn''t happy with her current status with him, but she cared for him so much. Her smile, however, faded when she remembered her father. She looked down to hide the guilt in her eyes.

    ''Should I tell him secretly and strike a deal with him?'' she wondered, knowing she couldn''t keep a secret from her father that long. After all, Conrad trusted her and had been very understanding. Keeping her rtionship with Maxen from Conrad had always tugged her conscience, but she needed some sort of n.

    Not that Cosette was worried Conrad would kick Maxen out. She knew her father very well and he wouldn''t do that. Still, she didn''t like being restricted, despite knowing it was for her own good.

    Oh, youth...

    ''Whatever. I''lle up with a n.'' Cosette nced at Maxen and smiled subtly. Her eyes grew soft just seeing his slight smile and the luster from the corner of his eyes. ''That''s right. I''lle up with a n to protect him and his heart.''

    Cosette peeled her eyes away from him and drew a deep breath. Her mood slowly grew better since she couldn''t help but recall the difference between when she met Maxen and the current Maxen. Back then, Maxen''s eyes were just dark. There was no life in them; he carried the eyes of a man who had lost everything, or rather, the eyes of a person who had nothing to lose anymore.

    But now... the shine in his eyes brought warmth to her heart instead of pain. Cosette no longer had the urge to cry just by looking at him.

    As they walked side by side, Maxen unintentionally brushed her arms. He nced at her and smiled, seeing her exciting front. His eyes then fell on her hand, making his brow arch. Without saying a word, he carefully reached for her hand, but just before his pinky could hold her fingers, he halted when a car suddenly drove past them like a bolt of lightning.

    Maxen and Cosette automatically paused, staring at the car''s rear. Their brows furrowed when it suddenly stopped, only to move in reverse at the same speed.

    ''My nightmare...'' Maxen thought as they faced the car upon stopping beside them. ''... is here.''

    "Hello, hello!" the window from the backseat rolled down, revealing the charming second young master of the Quinn Family, Luke. "Cozie~!"

    "Good morning, Luke." Cosette chuckled awkwardly, watching Luke talk to the driver to stop him off there. When Luke opened the door, Maxen grabbed her arm and pulled her back to save her from hitting the door.

    "Oh." She looked back at Maxen, and sighed, seeing the ugly frown on his face. "Thanks."

    "Cozie!" Luke eximed the second he hitched outside the car, furrowing his brows when he noticed Maxen holding her arm. "Oy, oy! What the --! This is too early for our rivalry, eh?!"

    Luke hurriedly held Maxen''s wrist and Cosette''s arm, separating them as fast as he could. Even Cosette couldn''t react quickly to how he was, darting her eyes between Luke and Maxen.

    "Wah бк wow... have you been beating yourself to grow tall like this?" Luke blinked twice and was in awe, looking at Maxen from head to toe, and then up again. "Just when I thought I can look down on you бк wow. This is unbelievable. Have you been injecting yourself with all sorts of vitamins?"

    "Get your hands off of me." Maxen clicked his tongue in irritation, snatching his wrist away from Luke.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Meanwhile, Cosette darted her eyes between the two before she realized her neck felt a little stiff. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and darted her eyes between the two again.

    ''What have they been doing this summer?'' she wondered, furrowing her brows in disbelief. ''I had seen Luke a few times during the summer, but he wasn''t... I mean, I noticed he had grown a bit, but not this much.''

    Back then, Maxen and Luke were nearly at the same height. The only reason Luke was a bit taller from a distance was because of his lean figure. But now that Maxen and Luke were standing in front of each other while Luke had started his drama, they were still around the same height while Cosette... was stuck in the same height.

    ''Hah...'' she scoffed in disbelief. Now, she wanted to drink whatever vitamin the two of them had been taking.

    Maxen''s eyes fell on Luke''s hand, which was still holding Cosette''s arm. "Let her go," said Maxen, snapping his eyes up at Luke ever so tenderly.

    "Huh?" Luke gazed down and snorted, raising his chin at him. "And if I don''t want to? Oy, you had been with her all summer бк hah! Right. Cosette was busy during her internship, right? You must''ve missed her. Well, I visited her every time I have the time --"

    "Gosh." Luke abruptly stopped gloating when Cosette snapped her tongue in irritation, snatching her arm from Luke''s grip. His hold wasn''t tight. It was surprisingly loosened that she was able to free herself.

    ? "This is unfair," sheined, darting her eyes between the two of them. "How can you grow so tall?"

    Maxen''s brows rose and Luke blinked in puzzlement. The two of them sized her up before settling their eyes on her displeased expression.

    "Cosette, did you shrink?" asked Luke with genuine wonder in his voice, causing her to snort in dismay. Although Maxen remained silent, he also had the same silly question. It wasn''t like they grew that tall бк or what these two young guys believed.

    "Tsk. I can''t believe you two." She shook her head, pivoting on her heel as she stomped her feet away grumpily. As she walked away, she couldn''t help butin.

    "Shrink? What am I? Something that withers while breathing? Goodness... this is probably just some sort of perks for the characters," she grumbled, knowing this was quite impossible for everyone. "But I''m also a character too. They''re still so young, but they are almost like already in their early twenties. Gosh... this is so unfair."

    While Cosette grumpily walked away, both Maxen and Luke idled on their spot. Their eyes remained on her back, tilting their heads to the side. She wasining about their heights, but in their eyes, Cosette''s figure was getting better, like a woman. Her uniform wasn''t that fitted, but one could tell she had a good figure.

    Maxen, in particr, knew how great her body was since he had seen and touched her. His throat bobbed, shutting his eyes to stop himself from recalling the image of her underneath him. He shouldn''t think about her flustered face with her mouth falling open but to no avail.

    The more he told himself to forget about it, the more his imagination run wild. He couldn''t easily forget that sight of her; her eyes shining with desire while her exposed chest moved up and down heavily. The blush on her face while he hovered over her, the softness and the sweetness of her lips lingered in his mouth. Not to mention the feeling of her breast under his palm and how her body shivered each time his lips kissed her on the lips and on the body.

    Yes. Cosette didn''t grow taller, just like Luke and Maxen. However, her body figure had slowly be a woman''s body. She had shamelessly paraded it in front of Maxen, back on the trip in the Quinn''s family vacation home. Therefore, he could see the difference.

    Maxen let out a deep exhale, reopening his eyes. He nced at Luke, who had already jogged to follow her. But Maxen was standing rotten on the ground.

    ''I promised her father...'' he thought, dragging his heavy feet to follow her and Luke. ''... and it feels like torture.''

    Just the thought of her was enough to make him hard. He already believed he was bing a pervert for fantasizing about her, and that incident in the theater room in the c residence amplified his perverted desire.

    ''I need to get a grip,'' He told himself, running his fingers through his hair. But this would be a challenge that would constantly test his patience and self-control since he had already had a taste of the delicacy. It wasn''t his fault to crave for it.

    Little did he know, as they make their way to Winter High, something that would challenge Maxen''s principles, morals, and his change awaits him.

 Chapter 117 Always The Same, But The Feeling Never Gets Old.

    The first day of ss had always been the same every year, but at the same time, the feeling never got old. Students, particrly the seniors in theirst year, were excited. The first-year students were either anxious about this new chapter of their life. Some were looking forward to what this new chapter in their life would bring them.

    Those in between would either gather at the gates or high-fiving with their previous ssmates and friends. For sure, just like Cosette, Maxen, and Luke, who were entering the gates of the campus, they were simply d to be in the same ss.

    Cosette smiled, seeing students catching up with their circle of friends by the gates. Last year, she transferred in the middle of the school year. It was safe to say this was her first. Hence, the grin on her face and the luster in her eyes when she saw her friends calling and waving at her.

    "Cozie~!" Fay called, waving at the entrance of the building. With her were Sarah and Amie, who were grinning excitedly at her. "Faster!"

    "Goodness... they''re early," Cosette mumbled, skipping her steps towards the girl, leaving Maxen and Luke behind her.

    As she sauntered off, Luke let out a deep exhale. He glossed his eyes around, rocking his head. Since he was the same as Cosette бк transferring in the middle of the school year бк this was his first timeing on his first day in this school.

    "It''s so different," he murmured, walking leisurely without paying attention to the other students walking in the same direction as him. Maxen kept a safe distance from him, but Luke didn''t care.

    Luke kept his eyes ahead, watching Cosette reunite with her friends. The corner of his lips curled up, drawing a deep breath before huffing it sharply.

    Back in the academy, the first day was mostly a time to show off the cars that would drop off the students. It had almost be a tradition, basing the student''s value on the car that would drop the student. He hadn''t seen anyone who would shamelessly squeal with their friends, or just fist bump upon meeting at the gates of the premises.

    There weren''t luxury cars in sight or new gadgets or luxury bags, but somehow, this simple first day of school with nothing but the students'' mixed energies brought a smile to his face.

    "There''s never a boring day with these peasants," he mumbled, ncing at Maxen as he said it louder for thetter to hear. Luke grinned yfully, shrugging. He then walked faster to catch up to Cosette since he was already prepared for the continuation of his courtship.

    "Faster you," Luke gazed back at Maxen. "Or you''ll be surprised that once you catch up, we''re already dating."

    Maxen let out a shallow breath, watching Luke pick up his pace while calling for Cosette''s name. But instead of taking Luke''s advice, he walked at the same slow and steady pace.

    "I should be the one telling him that," he murmured, shaking his head, keeping his eyes on Luke''s back. "He''ll have a heart attack if he hears that we''re already dating."

    Maxen would happily brag about his rtionship with Cosette. Who wouldn''t be proud? Aside from Cosette being the campus belle with tons and tons of admirers, she was kind and warm-hearted. Although... this time, Maxen agreed to keep their rtionship a secret in school.

    Why? Because Cosette had tons of admirers бк Luke, included бк and her fans'' club would surely ambush Maxen if they knew about it. They wanted to focus on their study this year, but that would be impossible if trouble follows him. It wasn''t like he couldn''t protect himself, but they both thought it was troublesome.

    "He''s still so arrogant," Maxen murmured, and then looked around the light atmosphere on the campus. For some reason, Maxen stopped in his tracks.

    This wasn''t his first time attending the first day of ss, but for obvious reasons, it looked foreign to him. Questions like had it always been like this? Was the first day always looked so exciting? And at the same time, pressuring? Maxen honestly didn''t have any idea.

    Because for him, school... was a nightmare. He simply goes to school for the one percent chance that it would make his future better. But he didn''t have high hopes. He was just doing it just so... he could say he had a high school diploma if he looked for jobs that wouldn''t pay him well.

    ''I''m d...'' Maxen raised his eyes, blinking to where Cosette and Luke were. They were already chatting with the girls, and some of their ssmates had also approached them, making the group bigger.

    ''I''m d I didn''t... stop.'' He pressed his lips, resuming in his steps ahead. In his mind, Cosette saved him more than she could''ve ever imagined. After all, Maxen had been considering stopping school with all the bullying and fighting in his everyday life.

    He was certain he would''ve stopped going to school altogether if not for her. But because she kept pestering him, and he kept thinking about her with all the unanswered questions in his head, he would always find himself going to school. Now, his life was better.

    Maxen was living a better life and had regained the habit of dreaming about a brighter future with her in it. Therefore, as he walked closer to Cosette''s group, he reminded himself of the things he had to keep in mind.

    ''I''ll be good and study well. So in the future, she won''t have to worry about me,'' he told himself, keeping his eyes on Cosette''s figure, shunning everyone else around her. ''This time around, from this moment on, I will... always protect you.''

    Maxen stopped several steps away from them, but his eyes remained on her. He was so focused on Cosette''s side profile that he didn''t notice the odd looks from his other ssmates.

    "Cozie, wow... how can you look even better thanst school year?" Fay was in awe, looking at Cosette from head to toe. "Wow. That''s all I can say."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Gosh... you tter me so much." Cosetteughed, raising her brows when she heard a male ssmate''s puzzled voice.

    "Who...? Another transferee?"

    Cosette furrowed her brows, ncing at the male student. She then followed where he was looking, and her eyesnded on Maxen. Thetter was standing a few steps away from their group, standing motionless, eyes on her. The second their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat, making her gulp slightly.

    However, unlike her reaction, her ssmate had apletely different reaction. Some of them looked at Maxen from head to toe, unable to recognize him. If Cosette''s heart fluttered in their eyes, Maxen''s unchanging expression was akin to silently telling them to ''move and stop blocking the entrance.''

    "Wow..." Fay muttered, blinking countless times at the beauty looking back at them. "Ever since Cozie transferred to this school, most of the transferee looks good."

    "Cozie, is she one of your admirers like Luke?" Amie tugged Cosette''s arm and whispered in thetter''s ear. "Just how long is your hair?"

    Sarah remained silent, studying the young student from head to toe. She heard Amie''s whispers as she was just standing beside her.

    "Now that I think about it." Sarah''s brows furrowed. "I hadn''t seen Maxen. Would he bete again? On the first day of school?"

    "Goodness... look at you all." Luke clicked his tongue continuously, looking at everyone in disbelief. When his ssmates'' attention shifted to him, he continued. "He just slimmed down and grew a bit taller. How can you all act as if he went under the knife?"

    "What?" Fay cocked her head to the side; the same reaction from the rest of their ssmates.

    "What a lively bunch," Maxen mumbled, advancing in their direction to enter the building. He didn''t have time to idle just like them, since he was serious about topping the ss and graduating with at least good grades so he could enter a good university without Conrad''s backing.

    But just as Maxen walked past the students, with the students taking a step to the side, he grabbed Cosette''s wrist. He stopped for a moment, tipping his head at the entrance of the building.

    "Let''s go. There will be a g ceremony. Let''s leave our things in the room first."

    "Oh... right." Cosette nodded, and before she could wrap her head around the fire of determination in his eyes, Maxen already dragged her inside.

    "What that..." Luke gasped, watching Maxen take Cosette away from them. Meanwhile, their ssmates looked at each other with the same puzzlement in their eyes.

    "Who...?" Amie trailed off. Maxen''s voice even deepened, thus, no one even recognized his voice.

    "Is she Cozie''s boyfriend?" Fay muttered, cocking her head to the side, watching Cosette get dragged by Maxen. "Well, they look good together. But where did that guye from?"

    "Cozie is very pretty, so her boyfriend will want to guard her even if it means transferring to a different school," Sarah chimed in while rocking her head mildly.

    As everyone wondered and murmured theirments, they flinched when Luke''s voice suddenly pierced their ears.

    "Oy, Maxen!" Luke grumbled, stomping his feet to follow Maxen and Cosette. "How dare you act like you are her boyfriend, hah?!"

    Everyone''s eyes followed Luke and listened to his continuous yapping, causing their brows to furrow. They then looked at each other, wide-eyed; some were pointing in the direction where the three left.

    "That''s... Maxen?" some female gasped as they looked at the entrance of the building with wide eyes. "That''s what he looks like without the fats and pimples?!"

    For a good two minutes, everyone was speechless and frozen on the spot. All they could do was stare at the entrance of the building, bbergasted. It wouldn''t take long before Maxen''s sinful charms would spread around the campus, bing the handsome prince named Luke''s rival for the campus bell.

    And thus, the beginning of another series of this ''love triangle'' or... something else.

 Chapter 118 Blockheads

    On the first day of ss in Winter High, all students were required to gather in the school''s gymnasium for the g ceremony and discuss important things for the year for both students and teachers. Each ss and year lined up properly, and girls and boys were separated.

    "Cozie, is it true?"

    Cosette looked back when Fay tapped her shoulder. Thetter leaned forward slightly, whispering in Cosette''s ear.

    "That guy." Fay pointed to the line where Maxen stood. "That guy is Maxen? Maxen Cloven?"

    "Uh, yes..." she nodded, ncing at Fay and then at Maxen standing behind the line. She couldn''t me her ssmates for questioning her, since she had the same reaction when she saw Maxen''s glow up. But that wasn''t all. Cosette noticed that other students бк especially girls бк would either turn their heads whenever Maxen walk past them.

    Until now, Cosette could see female students whispering to each other and casting Maxen a look. Even a few of their ssmates would blush at him.

    ''They were all scared of him just months ago,'' she thought, peeling her eyes away from Maxen to look at the school principal talking on the stage. She sighed. ''But I can''t really me them. Maxen really looks different months ago. He''s really hot.''

    When Cosette looked away, Maxen set his eyes in her direction. A shallow breath slipped past his lips before raising his brows. He nced at the other students and noticed they were looking in his direction. The space between his brows deepened, ncing at his back, only to see Luke rolling his eyes in boredom.

    ''He always gets tons of attention,'' Maxen thought, shaking his head as he didn''t bother with the odd gazes from the other students. In his understanding, they were looking in Luke''s direction, not him. Yes. Until now, Maxen hadn''t noticed the interest he gathered from the other students, assuming they were for Cosette or Luke.

    Not that he wasn''t used to the attention those two gathered. Hence, he didn''t pay attention to it and waited for the g ceremony to end.

    "Students, teachers, may we all have a great school year...!" announced the school principal in his closing remarks. Maxen bet no one listened to the principal talking, but he didn''t care.

    After the principal long speech, the teachers approached the students, dismissing them back to their respective ssrooms. Maxen immediately turned his head to where Cosette was, only to frown when he saw her friends were already dragging her with them.

    ''Well...'' Maxen shoved his hands inside his pockets, shrugging whatever negativity that was tempting to break his peace. ''I can always talk to herter. It''s not like we''re attending school just to flirt or hold hands.''

    When Maxen turned on his heel, he halted. His brow arched, raising his eyes at Luke.

    "What?" asked Maxen, while Luke raised his chin as if that would make him taller.

    "What?" Luke returned. "It''s still too crowded. I''d leavest."

    Maxen cocked his head to the side, and then simply shook his head. "So, what?" he muttered, about to leave the gymnasium, only to stop once again when Luke grabbed his arm.

    "What do you think you''re doing?" Maxen frowned in irritation, darting his eyes between Luke''s hand and then to his face. "Let me go."

    "Oy, Maxen. Are you seriously going to leave me here? I don''t want to squeeze my way through all these students."

    "..."

    For a moment, Maxen could only stare at Luke with genuine wonder in his eyes. What was this guy up to now? Was he seriously stopping Maxen because Luke wanted to leave the gymnasiumst? If Maxen didn''t know any better, he would consider Luke having ulterior motives.

    But just as Maxen opened his mouth and snatch his arm away, he furrowed his brows and looked around. Some female students were blushing and whispering to each other, making the hair behind his neck raise. Although he didn''t hear the indistinct chatterings, their eyes were enough to send this dread and dismay up his spine.

    ''I know that look,'' Maxen thought, grinding his teeth, and ring daggers at Luke. ''This guy бк tch!''

    Maxen didn''t think twice anymore and snatched his arm from Luke''s grip. His face slightly dyed red out of embarrassment and anger, but the degenerates easily misunderstood his reaction.

    "Why is this school so full of them?" he muttered, clicking his tongue in irritation before he sauntered off. "Is this the reason why she is into those sorts of stories?"

    "Hey, wait!" Luke dramatically outstretched his hand in Maxen''s direction but to no avail. "Haist! That prick --"

    Luke looked around the crowd and gulped. He then ground his teeth and followed Maxen, squeezing himself through the students which he wasn''t used to.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I told him to wait... geez!" He grumbled, grinding his teeth intensely. "I have something to tell him бк never mind, then. Hah. Whatever. I''m trying to do a good deed here, but he бк so frustrating!"

    ****

    As Maxen reached the hallway, a level below where his ssroom was, he stopped and looked back. Seeing that aside from the students heading to their ssroom, he seemed to have lost Luke.

    ''I should stay away from him,'' he thought, shaking his head. Maxen then resumed in his steps, but this time, leisurely. ''Of all people, they could ''ship'' that guy, why do they always choose me?''

    Heck! Maxen wouldn''t mind other people''s opinions. However, knowing Cosette was also into boy''s love that she would squeal her lungs out while reading it, it would affect him one way or another. Not that he had any grudges with the genre, but as long as he wasn''t being dragged into it.

    "I sort of feel drained and the ss hadn''t even started yet," Maxen mumbled as he made a turn to the staircase heading to the floor where his ssroom was. However, just as he did, his steps halted.

    Maxen slowly raised his head and saw at least three guys idling on the stairnding. His eyes grew solemn as his jaw clenched. His grip on the handrail tightened, glossing his eyes over those three students'' faces.

    ''They''re back...'' he thought, letting out a shallow breath.

    Those three male students whose uniforms were unbuttoned, revealing their undershirts, looked down at where Maxen stood. They looked at each other and sneered, looking down at Maxen once again.

    "Maxen!" called one student who had long hair that was tied in a bun. "Come up here, buddy."

    ''Be good.'' Cosette''s voice crossed Maxen''s head, watching those three students whom Maxen hadn''t seen since Cosette transferred to Winter High. And the reason was that these students were suspended for breaking all sorts of school rules.

    Maxen was nearly suspended as well, but by some luck, he got away from the scene with why these three and the rest were suspended. He let out a shallow breath, keeping his chin high as he calmly took the steps up until he reached the t surface where those three were idling.

    "Wow... he really looked different." One male student with a scar across his eyebrow walked around Maxen, looking at him from head to toe. "Wow... it seemed you got a better life now, eh?"

    "Oy, I heard rumors you reunited with your rich dad and took you in. Is that true?" Another one, who was leaning in the corner, scoffed, hands in his pockets, eyes on Maxen.

    "Hah! By the looks of it, it was true. Just look at him бк wow!" the other guy with a scar on the eyebrowughed. "That means you''re loaded now, eh?"

    He then hooked an arm around Maxen and grinned. "Why don''t you treat us to something to celebrate our return? I mean, we had ourst warning and we might get expelled if we caused another trouble."

    "That''s right. Boss is very disappointed that you didn''t even visit him in the hospital." The other guy with long hair chimed in, leaning against the wall, eyes on Maxen. "Did you know he already got discharged? He''ll be here this week."

    Maxen remained silent and looked at the three in silence. Even after their suspension, these three hadn''t changed even the tiniest bit. Was thest gang fight they took part in wasn''t enough?

    "I''m sorry, Wyn." Maxen smiled at the long-haired guy. "I always thought of visiting you in the juvie, but as you can see, I was a little busy trying to not end up just like you."

    Wyn, the long-haired student, snorted. However, he didn''t say anything, as he only looked at Maxen with amusement.

    "Wow... look at him talk." The guy who had had arms resting across Maxen''s shoulder rocked his head. "Well, you''re always so ballsy. That''s why you always get a beating."

    "Will you drag me somewhere to teach me a lesson now, Ja?" Maxen turned to Ja, who had this distinct scar across his brow. "Will you dy itter? ss is about to start soon. I don''t want to bete."

    "Hah!" Ja let out an amused yet shortugh, looking at Wyn, the long-haired student, and then at the other one in the corner, Emyr. "Hey, did you hear what this guy just said?"

    "Uh... it seems something never changes, even after all this time." Wyn rocked his head, looking at Maxen in disbelief. His desire to put this guy in his ce like they had always done was apparent in his eyes.

    As the three exchanged knowing looks, Luke stopped on the staircase. He narrowed his eyes, sizing up the situation, and he already knew what was happening.

    "Oy! You blockheads. What the hell are you doing?"

 Chapter 119 A Glimpse Of The Richs Peoples Darker Side

    "Oy! You blockheads. What the hell are you doing?"

    Maxen and the three bullies shifted their attention to Luke. Thetter stomped his feet on the step-up until he was standing tall on the t surface.

    "Hahбн and who is this pretty boy here?" Wyn, the long-haired student, cocked his head. "Did he just call us bookheads?"

    "Oy. Aren''t this the transfereest year? Heh. So he still doesn''t know the rules here, huh?" The one leaning in the corner, Emyr, sneered, gazing at Luke from head to toe.

    "It seemed our boy Maxen had a new friend, eh? Why don''t you introduce us to him?" Ja, the one who had a scar across his eyebrow, tugged Maxen''s shoulder. "You two seemed pretty close."

    "Hahбн" Luke scoffed, setting his eyes at Maxen. "Look at him. Acting all tough when he can''t even deal with these guys."

    Maxen arched a brow and nced at Luke. "Go."

    "What?"

    "Mind your own business." Maxen snapped his eyes ever so tenderly, setting his eyes back to the long-haired student. "He''s not my friend. Come. Let me treat you to something nice."

    "Haha! Is that so?" Wyn pped,ughing in ridicule. He then tipped his head to the side, eyes on the one whose arm was resting across Maxen''s shoulder. "Let''s go. We will catch up with him since it''s been a while."

    "Ahбн this brings back the good old days."

    "Where are you all going?" Luke inquired, stopping the four from leaving the stairs they were standing on. He blinked innocently, watching the four of them look back at him. "Oy, Maxen. ss is about to start."

    "I''ll be back." Maxen kept his cool, having a n in his mind to return before the ss starts. He just didn''t want these people to target Luke, knowing these three weren''t the only ones in their group. It''ll be a hard time for that unsuspecting guy if these bullies caused trouble for him.

    "Hehбн what is this? He''s acting like your bitch." Ja sneered, shaking his head at Luke. "Let''s go, buddy."

    Ja kept his arms over Maxen''s shoulder as they turned to walk down the stairs. However, he stopped when Luke grabbed his arm, looking to his side where thetter stood.

    "Oy, Maxen, it''s time for ss." Luke kept his eyes on Maxen while his grip around Ja''s arm tightened. "Who are these guys? Obviously, they''re not your friends. You don''t have friends other than me."

    "Who said we''re friends?" Maxen furrowed his brows and cocked his head to the side.

    "Oy! Let me go бк" Maxen''s eyes fell on Ja''s arm where Luke was gripping him and noticed the veins protruding on the back of Luke''s hand.

    "Rightбн we''re not friends. We''re rivals. However, I don''t like it when you are letting these blockheads do what they want." Luke let Ja''s go when thetter yelled and flung his arm. Yet, his attention remained on Maxen''s. The only time Luke peeled his gaze away from Maxen was when he nced at Ja.

    "If I kicked him down the stairs, how long will it take for him to recover in the hospital? Obviously, he wouldn''t die from this height, right?" Luke nced at the stairs where he came from, making Maxen furrow his brows.

    "Oy, what is this fucker saying?" Ja snorted as he nced at the other two bullies. However, just as he looked away from Luke, thetter shoved his hands inside his pocket and raised a foot.

    Without a second hesitation, Luke nted his foot on Ja''s abdomen and kicked him lightly. It wasn''t a loud kick, but a kick that was enough to push Ja off the stairs.

    "Ah!"

    For a moment, Maxen, and the other two bullies, Wyn and Emyr, watched Ja roll down the stairs, wide-eyed. Maxen, in particr, had his brain go nk at Luke''s action.

    ''Did he just kick Ja off the stairs?'' Maxen blinked, shifting his dting eyes at Luke. Much to his dismay, Luke carried a bored expression while staring at Ja, who was grunting on the floor while holding his arm.

    ''This guyбн is he not aware of what did he just do?'' Maxen was in a daze while staring at Luke.

    Meanwhile, Luke just let out a shallow breath and raised his eyes at the other three standing on the same surface as him. He didn''t show the slightest remorse for kicking Ja; actually, he didn''t show any sign that he cared even if that fall killed the bully.

    "I don''t think he needs to go to the cafeteria now." The side of his lips curled up, snapping Wyn and Emyr back to the currentpse. "You should bring him to the infirmary since he needs it more than filling up his stomach using someone else hard-earned money."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You бк" Emyr, who finally recovered from his shock, turned to Luke. And as someone who grew up in a violent environment, he immediately raised his fist. However, Luke was quick enough to grab his wrist, twisting it on the bully''s back, before pressing him against the wall.

    "Ugh!" Emyr ground his teeth as his cheek squished against the wall with Luke holding his wrist on his back while Luke''s arm was pressed across his back.

    "Oy!" Seeing what was going on, Wyn, the long-haired one, threw a punch toward Luke''s temple. But his fist stopped a palm-length away from Luke because Maxen grabbed his wrist, using sheer brute force.

    Wyn''s eyes dted, gazing at Maxen, who was able to stop him just by grabbing his wrist. He tried to move his fist but to no avail. Yet, Maxen didn''t even show the slightest sign he was exerting effort.

    "That''s enough." Maxen''s eyes drooped, but the glint that flickered across them didn''t go past Wyn''s radar. "Bring Ja to the infirmaryбн or should we wait for any teacher to see us?"

    "Hahбн Maxen, you really did it."

    "Fuckбн" Maxen let out a dryugh, looking back at Wyn from head to toe. "This is annoying. Come. Throw a punch and let''s just cause mayhem here like we always do."

    Maxen let go of Wyn''s fist and crooked his fingers, taunting thetter to throw a punch. "I already nned to do this somewhere else, but it seemed to throw your first is more important than bringing that guy to the infirmary."

    Wyn balled his hand into a fist, looking at Maxen furiously. But when he nced down to where Ja was grunting on the floor, and at Emyr, who was still pressed against the wall while Luke was looking back at him nonchntly, he huffed. This wasn''t the time to teach these two a lesson.

    "You two will regret this," He spat out, ring at Luke. "Come on, Emyr. Let''s bring that guy into the infirmary."

    "Fuck иC!" Emyr groaned, wiggling his body. When Luke finally let him go, he red at him and scoffed. Massaging his wrist, he spat out near Luke''s foot. "You better prepare that pretty face of yours. I''ll mess it upter."

    Luke raised his hands and shrugged, watching Wyn and Emyr take down the stairs. The two of them helped Ja, dragging him to the infirmary to get his arm or leg wrapped up.

    "What do you think you''re doing?" Luke''s brows rose when Maxen spoke. "How can you kick that guy down the stairs just like that?"

    "It won''t kill him." Luke shrugged, tilting his head to the side. "I should be the one asking you. What do you think you''re doing letting them gang up on you like that?? Also, are you going to use the allowance that Cosette''s dad works so hard for those goons? Oy, Maxen, are you crazy?"

    Maxen let out a deep exhale, shaking his head mildly. "I can''t believe you." He then turned on his heel, his hands on the handrail as he walked towards the stairs.

    "Oy! Did you really n to let them drag you to the mud like they had always done?" Luke hurriedly followed until he was walking beside Maxen. "Did you forget Cosette is always stuck with you? I will kill you myself if she gets dragged in this mess."

    Maxen stopped at thest step and faced Luke. "The treat I nned to give them is a couple of sweet fists. I nned to finish it quickly, but you just have to step in and make a scene."

    "Wowбн you''re wee." Luke clicked his tongue in irritation.

    "Also, how can you say that fall won''t kill him so easily?" Maxen shook his head in disappointment. "Aren''t you afraid you''d get suspended?"

    "Why would I get suspended?"

    "Rightбн you''re rich and you can just bribe everyone." Maxen let out a scoff, taking another step since he didn''t want to deal with him right now. However, just as he did, he stopped when he heard Luke chuckle.

    "It was an ident." Maxen looked back, only to see Luke smirking like a devil. "I was on my way to my room when those three ambushed me, and when I tried to get away, that guy lost his footing and fell."

    Luke took a step ahead of Maxen and looked back at him with a confident smile. "Who do you think they believe? Those troublemakers who were on the brink of expulsion? Or me? Who never caused trouble before?"

    "Maxen, even when we have tons of money to spare, we use our minds to earn more and not lose more." He tapped his temple and grinned, turning on his heel as he sauntered off.

    Maxen could only stare at Luke''s back, speechless at that guy''s n if they were caught. Surely, Luke always had a surprising side that would catch Maxen off guard most of the time.

    "Rightбн" he breathed out, idling on the same spot for some time. ''Although he acts dumb most of the time, he can be cunning and vicious if he must. It''s just as Sir Conrad said. Their world could be very dark and dangerous.''

 Chapter 120 Makes Me Sad

    Meanwhile, in ss Fбн

    The second Cosette sat down in her usual seat, Sarah, Amie, and Fay rallied around her, dragging their seats to hers. She smiled awkwardly, ncing at their eyes that were sparkling with interest.

    "What now?" she asked under her breath, getting a bit more tired with all the students she had met so far.

    "Cozie, what did you Maxen do this summer? How can he grow so tall?" Fay asked giddily. "Are you sure he didn''t go under the knife?"

    "Fay, how old do you think Maxen is?" Sarah, who was across Cosette''s desk, scrunched her nose up.

    "But it''s not like he couldn''t. There were others who get nose jobs at sixteen!" Amie, who was on Cosette''s left, taking up Maxen''s chair, chimed in.

    "Maxen just slimmed down because he had been working out and on a strict healthy diet." Cosette let out a deep sigh, shaking her head whilst casting them a quick look. "He''s still that same old Maxen. It''s not like he changed anything."

    "Cosette, you have a good eye, don''t you?" Fay bumped her shoulder against Cosette. "We all know Max doesn''t look that bad, but we didn''t expect he is more handsome than Luke."

    "Fay, how dare you say that?" Amie narrowed her eyes. "Luke still looks better."

    "I can''t believe you two areparing." Sarah shook her head in disappointment. "Have you not heard the saying, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder?"

    "Heyбн Mommy Sarah, you''re just ying it safe, eh?" Fay clicked her tongue yfully before setting her attention back to Cosette. "How about you, Cozie? What do you think?"

    "What do you mean?" Cosette tilted her head to the side.

    "Who looks better? Luke or Max?" Amie rified and then shook her head as she changed her mind. "Never mind that. The question should be who is ahead between the two?"

    Cosette''s brows furrowed, and when she didn''t answer, Fay sighed.

    "What she means is, since both of them are wooing you, who do you think will get your sweet yes?" Fay tranted in simple terms. This time, even Sarah showed interest, waiting for Cosette''s answer with bated breaths.

    ''Maxen, of course. He''s already my boyfriend.'' Cosette bit her tongue from speaking her thoughts aloud, humming a long tune. She then smiled, motioning a zip action before her lips.

    "Oh,e on!" Fay intoned in disappointment. "Weren''t we friends?"

    "Cozie, I''m so disappointed in you." Amie pouted, while Sarah chuckled but thetter didn''t pry.

    "Luke and Max were our friends and ssmates." Cosette grinned at them. "It''s not like I am trying to put them inpetition or something since my dad is quite strict. He told me not to date until I''m fifty."

    "What?" Fay''s expression died, looking back at Cosette in disbelief. "Does your father loves you?"

    "He loves me so much he doesn''t want to give his only daughter away."

    "You''re an only daughter?" Amie gasped, and only then did they realize Cosette, even though they had been friends with her, thetter rarely shared anything about her personal life.

    "You don''t know?" Cosette cocked her head to the side.

    "You rarely share things like that with us." Fay pointed out, making Cosette rock her head in understanding.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "Well, there''s nothing much to share anyway." A grin reced the slight shock look on Cosette''s face, drawing a deep breath. "So, anything interesting during the summer break?"

    "It was boring." Fay answered and Amie followed, "the only interesting that happened is when the leads of the book I''m reading finally confessed their feelings and did the deed."

    "Mine was the same. I did have a part-time in my aunt''s store, though." Sarah smacked her lips, and the three of them looked back at Cosette with interest. "How about you?"

    "Well, actuallyбн" Cosette trailed off, noticing the glint that shone in the girls'' eyes. No wonder they were so interested in everything that was going on in this school, especially in this ss. They had nothing else to do.

    A faint exhale escape Cosette''s nostrils as she summarized her summer, telling them she also did a part-time in her father''s business without detailing how huge this business was. As she did so, she inevitably shared not seeing Maxen for almost two months and was just as surprised as them when she met Maxen just one week ago.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The three of them engaged in gossip-like conversation, talking about their summer, instead of badmouthing others to strengthen their bond. Not just them, but mostly, everyone in the ssroom was catching up with their own circle of friends.

    When the door flung open and the homeroom teacher''s voice silenced the lively chatterings of their ssroom, everyone dispersed and returned to their respective seats. Cosette perked up, raising her brows, catching Luke strut behind the teacher, winking at her.

    Luke stood beside Cosette''s desk and then sat on the chair on her right (Fay''s original spot). As soon as he plopped his butt down, he turned to Cosette when she asked a question.

    "Where have you gone?" she blinked twice, studying his mood, and noticing he seemed to be in a better mood now.

    "Here. I met a few people on the way." Luke rested his arms on his desk, smiling yfully. "Why? Did you miss me?"

    Cosette sighed, shaking her head. A secondter, she caught a figure entering the room. She raised her eyes and smiled subtly, seeing Maxen enter with a cool air around him. Like usual, Maxen was unbothered by the gazes thrown at him, advancing in his seat near the window in silence.

    Maxen only cast Cosette a quick look but said nothing. She was used to it by now that she didn''t pay attention to it, setting her eyes ahead as their homeroom teacher stood in the front with his hands on the table while watching everyone settle in their seats.

    Little did Cosette know, Luke had been observing her in silence. His jaw propped against his knuckles, eyes, and attention on Cosette. Thus, he caught the relief in her eyes as soon as Maxen came in.

    Luke was silent, ignoring the homeroom teacher''s sentiments regarding the students'' gradesst school year. Instead, he kept his full attention to Cosette''s side profile, and his mind drifted to his memory this morning.

    ******

    Sitting in the backseat of the car, Luke had this small smile on his face while staring at his phone screen. The wallpaper he was using was a selfie of him and Cosette, during her time as an intern in the BLK Corporation.

    Luke would often visit her but only met her a few times since she was buried with work. Cosette had a tight schedule, but he appreciated the time she would spare whenever she could. The photo was one of them, although the selfie was the two of them looking at each other: Cosette ring at him while he was grinning candidly at her.

    "She''s always fun to tease," he mumbled, snapping his eyes up. His brows furrowed as he caught two familiar figures walking on the sidewalk.

    "Second Young Master, that''s Miss c," said the driver, slowing down the car lest Luke wanted to pick her up. But silence was the only answer he received from Luke, as thetter kept his eyes on Cosette and Maxen.

    Luke''s breath hitched as his heart thudded, studying the smile on Cosette while talking to Maxen. From his perspective, the two of them lookedбн happy and content. He had been surrounded by different types of people to know how to read the air, and Luke was aware there was something different between the two of them.

    His eyes then fell on Maxen and Cosette''s hands that were brushing against each other from time to time. His jaw tightened, holding his phone tighter.

    "Drive faster," he ordered, peeling his eyes away from them as he nced at the driver through the rear mirror.

    The driver furrowed his brows but didn''t pry. "Yes."

    With that being said, the driver stepped on the pedal and drove past Cosette and Maxen. However, Luke winced and clicked his tongue in irritation before yelling.

    "Stop!"

    The car screeched as the driver abruptly stepped on the brake, making Luke raise his foot against the back of the front passenger seat. The driver nced at the rear mirror, looking back at the second young master Quinn through the rear mirror.

    Luke ruffled his hair in irritation, cursing under his breath. "Damnбн" he then huffed, looking back.

    "Go back." That was all Luke said, and as ordered, the driver drove in reverse, stopping at where Cosette and Maxen were. The driver studied Luke''s upset expression, which was immediately reced with a huge smile when the second young master rolled the window down.

    ******

    "Lucas Quinn?"

    Cosette furrowed her brows when the homeroom teacher called Luke''s name for a roll call, but Luke hadn''t replied even after being called three times. She turned to her side, furrowing her brows, seeing that Luke was staring at her silently.

    "Luke," she called, tipping her head in the teacher''s direction. However, Luke ignored the teacher for a moment.

    "Cozie, you make me sad," he whispered, and then raised his hand, shifting his attention to the homeroom teacher. "Here."

 Chapter 121 First Day Encouragement And Woes

    "Do you hear me, ss? This year, you guys need to step up your game! Your gradesst school year barely crossed the passing grades!" The section F of the junior year homeroom teacher sighed in distress, expressing his dismay at this ss. Since it was the first day of school, he didn''t start his lesson but instead encouraged the students to do better this school year.

    Although thisst section was hopeless, filled with a bunch of ''slow-witted'' students, the fire in the homeroom''s teacher''s eyes was just as bright as a wildfire. All he hoped was these students could feel his determination and do better this year.

    While the homeroom teacher encouraged everyone to the point, he looked a bit desperate; it was suspicious. Cosette nced at Luke.

    ''What did he say earlier?'' she wondered, snapping her eyes as she looked at the teacher in the front. She was certain Luke said something earlier, and the look in his eyes told her it was something important. The reason, even though she wanted to focus on the teacher''s dramatic encouragements, a part of her brain was wandering somewhere else.

    Apparently, Cosette wasn''t the only one who was zoning out. The person on her left, Maxen, was also deep in thought.

    ''Is there a way to finish this year without violence involved?'' he wondered, assuming those troublemakers who had dragged him into the world of the delinquents were having a second chance in this school. ''Surely, this school is a lot more forgiving.''

    A deep exhale slipped past Maxen''s lips, feeling his head throb at the things that were going through his head. Even though he was confident they wouldn''t be able to beat him, he didn''t want to raise his fist just because they were picking on him again.

    Cosette specifically told him to be good and don''t resort to violence. It was her one and only request. Maxen wanted to uphold that, and also to prove he was better than that. Still, he knew those people.

    Those bullies might be underaged, but they were already associated with dangerous gangs. They had dealt with illegal things, which made them all-powerful and such. ''Hanging'' out with them forced Maxen to pick up bad habits, such as drinking and smoking.

    ''I can''t let them take an interest in her.'' Maxen nced at Cosette and saw her staring at the homeroom teacher ahead. ''Is that even possible?''

    He winced at the thought of Cosette. Even if Maxen would try his best for Cosette not to stand out, it was futile. Her face alone would attract anyone''s attention. He might be biased regarding this, but in his eyes, there was no one who looked better than her.

    ''Damn it!'' he secretly ground his teeth, clicking his tongue, facing the window. ''Not to mention that spoiled brat.''

    Maxen was at his wit''s end, trying to think of ways to deal with the horror of his past as silently as possible. After all, those people could go so low as to hurt women or the innocents. What made it worse was that they often act in groups.

    ''Fucking cowards.'' Maxen snapped his tongue in irritation once more, propping his jaw with his knuckles. ''Our homeroom teacher is literally begging us to do better. I sympathized with him for onceбн but I can only hope those guys will leave me alone.''

    Deep down, Maxen knew that was an impossible wish. After all, he was in a situation with them and had witnessed something he shouldn''t have. Not to mention, what Luke exhibited this morning was akin to inviting those guys'' attention. Even though Luke''s reasoning was cunning and smart, he would be in danger if they ganged up on him.

    They said School was the second home of the students, but for Maxen, used to be his second hell. Onlyst year did he see this ce in a different light, andбн he wanted to keep it that way.

    Meanwhile, Luke wasn''t in any better mental state. His eyes might have stayed on the homeroom teacher''s figure, but his mind was drifting. But just like Maxen and Cosette, who were distracted by their own thoughts, Luke was still partially aware of their teacher''s sentiments.

    ''That guyбн'' he mentally clicked his tongue, shifting his thoughts about Maxen and those bullies he encountered on the stairs. Since Luke ran a background check on Maxen after their first meeting, Luke was aware of Maxen''s background and school life.

    One particr detail that caught Luke''s attention was that Maxen was considered a delinquent. However, Maxen didn''t seem the type in his eyes. If anything, Maxen looked like the one who was getting bullied.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Although Maxen was ballsy and had this arrogant attitude that would deter anyone from pitying him for getting bullied because he was stubborn and fights back, Luke was certain Maxen wouldn''t exploit others for his own gain. If this was in the past, he would believe it just as easily as he did initially. But after getting to know Maxen, Luke had figured the guy has a pride much taller than him.

    ''Deal with them quickly бк hah! As if! If only I know, he will let those goons trapped in teens'' bodies trample him if I didn''te. He knew Cosette always follow him like a shadow! Is he so naive for thinking their attention will remain on him?!'' Luke''s expression turned more sour the more he thought about Maxen and this bullshit called principles. ''He''s stressing me out and yet, he still has the nerve to bitch on me. I should just let him get bullied and hog Cozie all for myself.''

    Luke folded his arms under his chest, watching the homeroom teacher finish his sentiments grumpily. If he was a bit more heartless, he would rather befriend the bullies and bully Maxen together. However, Cosette would hate him for that.

    ''She alreadyбн'' Luke''s thoughts trailed off, arching a brow. The side of his lips curled up into a cunning smirk as his eyes glinted, having this idea in his mind. He leaned back, looking past Cosette''s figure to Maxen.

    For some odd reason, Maxen shuddered upon sensing someone''s gaze on his back. When he looked back, his under-eye twitched, seeing the wicked grin on Luke''s face. Thetter wiggled his brows yfully, making Maxen knit his brows.

    ''What is he nning now?'' Maxen wondered, scrunching his nose up in dismay. ''After giving me a problem to think aboutбн that smile is creepy.''

    Maxen shook his head and looked away while Luke set his glinting eyes ahead, smirking like a devil.

    "Alright. That''s all for today. Study hard, please!" the homeroom teacher huffed. They got his message across. However, when he glossed his eyes over his student''szy faces, he nearly wept. He put his heart out there, but by the looks of it, nothing went past his ss''s head. Why were they all zoning out?!

    ''This is over,'' he thought. ''They''re a hopeless bunch.''

    "Don''t worry, Sir! I will surely carry this ss and surpass the top student in section A!" Luke raised his head and grinned, giving their homeroom teacher some hope.

    Everyone looked in Luke''s direction with awe and puzzlement, and that includes Cosette. Seeing the excited and confident grin on his face, Cosette smiled subtly.

    ''I guess he''s fine now,'' she thought, looking back at the surprised teacher in the front. Her lips stretched from ear to ear. Although she had been distracted, she was able to grasp the unspoken reason their homeroom teacher was encouraging them to study well.

    "Don''t worry, Teacher Hong. We will surely study well and not embarrass you," Cosette backed up Luke''s encouragement with a wide smile. "I can''t also keep disappointing my dad with my poor grades."

    Maxen nced at the two of them, and then at the teacher. ''Hahбн look at him as if he just met his saviors. Doesn''t he have any sense of pride left?'' бк however, Maxen couldn''t really me their teacher.

    The students weren''t aware of which school Cosette and Luke came from. However, the faculty members knew that these students came from the most prestigious academy in the country. It was already a surprise how a top student, such as Cosette, would fall into thest section.

    ''Now that I think about it, I understand if Luke fell on thest section. I heard he was barely doing well in that academy.'' Maxen nced at Cosette''s side profile, ignoring his other ssmates, who also followed in encouraging their homeroom teacher, promising they would study hard. These students were drawn to the two of them; Cosette and Luke could even start a cult with so many students admiring them and following in their footsteps.

    ''It never crossed me before, but why did Cosette end up in the worst section?'' he wondered, keeping his eyes on Cosette, who was now smiling even brighter as the homeroom teacher felt revitalized with his students'' determination to do their best. ''Is itбн because of me again? But how did she know that I''m in this ss? A background check?''

 Chapter 122 As A Healthy Young Man

    The sses went by like how a normal first day in most schools. There were only a few teachers who started their lessons, but mostly, they were a quick note of what the lessons were for the following days. Time went by just like that, and before anyone could grasp the ticking of the clock, it was lunch break.

    "Lunch box!"

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m Cosette flinched as soon as the school bell rang, indicating it was time for lunch, someone in the ss yelled, ''lunch box.'' She looked around and smiled, seeing that everyone had kept their ''tradition'' established justst school year.

    The teacher, who has yet left the room, furrowed her brows, seeing that everyone was arranging their desk to make arge circle. It wasn''t against the school rules for as long as they would arrange it back before the first ss after lunch starts. Hence, the teacher left them without saying another word.

    "Cozie~!" Amie giggled, bending over the table and looking past Fay to see Cosette. "Did you prepare your lunch again?"

    Cosette smiled and nodded, but Amie''s brows furrowed seeing that Cosette wasn''t bringing out her lunch.

    "Aren''t you going to eat?" asked Fay before Amie could raise the question.

    "No, I will." As soon as those escaped Cosette''s lips, a lunchbox appeared on her desk. Fay, Amie, and Sarah slowly looked up, blinking almost innocently at the sight of Maxen''s poker face.

    As usual, Maxen''s countenance was cold and distant, looking at the three without any sign of emotion. Yet, in his head, he was wondering why these three always take Cosette away from him.

    "Maxen is now in charge of carrying our lunch boxes." Cosette pped, snapping the three back to the currentpse. When the three set their eyes on her, her lips stretched from ear to ear. "He needs that to build his muscles."

    "Ohhбн"

    "Tss." Maxen hissed, shaking his head as he went back to his seat. As soon as he plopped his butt down, he perked up, catching Luke''s figure leaving the ssroom.

    ''Where is he going now?'' he wondered, knowing this time around, Luke was already fighting for Cosette''s attention. But now, he just slipped away as silently as possible. ''He''s acting very suspiciously.''

    Maxen gravitated on whether he would follow Luke and see what this guy was nning, or leave him alone. In the end, Maxen stayed. He didn''t want others to misunderstand or make Luke think he was stalking him; Luke was a drama queen and often exaggerated things.

    As Maxen tossed whatever thought he had about Luke at the back of his head, opening the lid of his lunchbox, he couldn''t ignore the girls gossiping beside him. Still, he did his best to act as if he wasn''t hearing their loud whispers and giggles.

    "Cozie, look." Fay presented her lunch box for the three girls to see. "I made it myself."

    Cosette studied the omelet over the rice that had a smiley face on it. Her lips curled up, raising her eyes at Fay while thetter exined.

    "I followed the recipe you sent me, and my brother told me this breakfast was good!" Fay gloated, rubbing her finger under her nose.

    "Really? Can I have a taste?" Amie''s eyes sparkled, moving her finger to take just a piece, only to get pped by Fay. "Ouchбн"

    "Wait! I haven''t even tasted it yet!" Fay snapped her tongue while Amie frowned. Seeing that thetter was about to cry, she huffed in distress. "Do you really want to do the honors?"

    "Mhm. I want to taste it since it''s your first time cooking something."

    "Goodnessбн" Fay shook her head and nced at Cosette and Sarah. The two were smiling, watching how this would unfold. "Fine."

    Amie''s eyes lit up excitedly, watching Fay pick up her cutlery to give her a piece of the omelet. For some reason, Sarah and Cosette watched Amie guide her spoon to her mouth in anticipation, waiting for her feedback.

    However, as soon as Amie chewed once, Cosette and Sarah noticed how Amie''s eyes opened and closed like the aperture of the camera. They could only think of two things: one was it was surprisingly good, or it was bad. There was no in-between.

    "So?" Fay arched a brow, waiting for Amie''sment as thetter chewed.

    "Ughбн" Amie chuckled awkwardly, looking at the anticipation in Fay''s eyes. "It''s good."

    "Hehe. See? I think I have a knack for cooking. I should be a chef." Fay rubbed her finger under her nose once again while Amie looked at her with a bit of surprise. Not just her, but Sarah as well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Meanwhile, Cosette noticed the two girls'' reaction and was intrigued by it. To Cosette''s surprise, when Amie managed to swallow down the food, Amie interrupted Fay''s gloating.

    "It''s bad," said Amie, stopping Fay from speaking. "It''s too salty, with a bit of bitterness. I never tasted something so bad for an omelet."

    "Wha бк what are you talking about now?"

    "My honest opinion." Amie blinked twice, not bulging at the dismay that resurfaced in Fay''s eyes. "If you want to be a chef, that means you need to prepare yourself with criticism. If you don''t believe me, then taste it for yourself."

    Fay narrowed her eyes and studied Amie for a second before picking up her spoon. Just as Amie suggested, Fay ate a piece, and unlike Amie, who swallowed it down, Fay spat it out.

    "Ewwбн that damn bastard," came out a profanity, thinking that her brother wasn''t truly honest with her. However, Amie smiled brightly as she leaned beside Fay.

    "Hey, did you say you want to be a chef?" Amie asked while Fay kept her mouth ajar, her hand under her chin. "This is your first time cooking, but the omelet looks good already. If you keep practicing, I''m certain you''ll be one of the best!"

    "Whatбн" Fay scoffed, but her cheek blushed at the encouragement from Amie.

    "It''s because Fay never knew what she wants to be in the future," Sarah whispered in Cosette''s ear when she noticed thetter was a bit confused.

    "Ohhбн" Cosette rocked her head, turning her head, only to see Sarah drawing her head back. "So that is the reason."

    Sarah raised her brows knowingly, smiling in satisfaction while darting her eyes between Fay and Amie. Those two had always had the best bond, and she was d Amie, although often a coward, chose to be honest with Fay.

    ''How nice,'' Cosette thought, smiling at Amie and Fay, and then at Sarah. The two of them chuckled before they opened their lunch boxes to eat.

    Since Fay''s lunch received a giant X mark and a negative review, Cosette, Sarah, and Amie shared their food with her. Although they used to talk online during the summer vacation, they never ran out of topics talking about what happened to them.

    As usual, Fay and Amie shared the most fascinating or the dumbest things that happened during the summer vacation. Cosette and Sarah listened attentively. When asked, Cosette vaguely summarized her busy summer break by saying she helped her dad with their family business. Sarah, on the other hand, didn''t share much and used the card excuse, ''there isn''t anything memorable that happened.''

    All this time, Maxen wished they tone it down as he could hear everything they were saying. No matter how much he pretended not to hear, he couldn''t. Instead, he felt like a creep eavesdropping on his girlfriend''s conversations.

    ''Girlfriendбн'' Maxen chewed slower, biting his inner lip. That one word and everything just felt tolerable, and thus, he continued eating.

    "By the way, Cozie." Cosette raised her brows when Fay lowered her voice and leaned closer to her. "Are you sure that is Max?"

    "You know, I sort of feel offended now," Cosette muttered honestly, frowning. "I won''t deny that I was also surprised when I saw him the first time after myбн side hustle. But it''s Max, no doubt."

    "I mean, can a person grow that tall in just a few months?" Fay mumbled, knowing Cosette wasn''t that upset but simply being honest.

    "That''s what growing up with a brother is like." Sarah chuckled, garnering their attention. "My little brother is like that too. One day, he is like a child. And then, without realizing it, he was helping me reach things that I can''t. It''s unfair."

    "I know, right? How can a guy just grow tall overnight?" Cosette agreed, only to notice Fay and Amie looking at each other. "What?"

    "I thought it was because he beat himself," Fay replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

    "Beat himself?" Cosette tilted her head to the side.

    "Yes." This time, Amie was the one who answered, leaning closer to them. As if on cue, Cosette and Sarah leaned forward as well as if what Amie was about to share was a top secret.

    "They said guys at this age grow so tall because they''re usually horny and бк" Amie shook her fist to mimic something ''indecent.'' "They masturbate."

    Maxen nearly choked on his own food as soon as he heard the girls'' assumption. He definitely knew that wasn''t the case, but as a healthy young man, he did have so much time for that.

 Chapter 123 Friends?

    Meanwhileбн

    Luke stood in front of the school infirmary with a slight smile on his face. Smacking his lips, he slid the door open without even knocking. The very few people inside turned their heads to the door, only to frown upon seeing the familiar face standing by the door.

    "Hello." Luke raised a hand, closing the door behind him. He looked around to see if there was anyone inside the small infirmary, and fortunately, there were only those three bullies: Wyn, Ja, and Emyr inside.

    "What the hell is this guy doing here?" Wyn, the long-haired student, snorted. His eyes gleamed with malice, and he wasn''t even concealing the fury in them.

    "He''s probably here to make fun of Ja," said Emry with a sneer.

    "Hahбн" Ja, who was now with an arm cast,ughed in ridicule. Unlike the two, Ja, who was kicked off of the stairs, peered at Luke with murderous intent. "I''ll kill youter."

    "Woah, woah!" Luke raised his hands in surrender, blinking with misced innocence stered across his face. "I know we started on the wrong foot, but I''m here so we can start over again!"

    "Hah! This fucker thinks we''re fucking born yesterday, huh?" Wyn snorted, standing up ever so slowly while balling his hand into a fist. "Since we''re in the infirmary, it should be better if you are here for a reason бк"

    Luke smiled, shutting Wyn when he raised a stic bag filled with snacks. "Peace offering."

    "Oy, do you think you can bribe бк" Emyr, who just stood up, couldn''t finish his sentence when Luke threw the stic bag full of snacks he bought from the canteen. He caught it on instinct while Luke shoved his hands inside his pockets.

    "Let''s be friends," Luke offered, walking towards the bed where Ja was reclining. He stopped on the side of the bed, unfazed that he was now at arm''s length from Wyn and Emyr.

    Ja was visibly upset by Luke''s arrogant air. However, he held it in. He had been a delinquent since young and was raised in a violent neighborhood. Thus, he could read people and he could tell this pretty boy was one of those who fell on the psycho part.

    After all, Luke kicked him down the stairs without batting an eye; Ja saw theck of remorse in Luke''s eyes when he raised his foot and while he was falling. It wouldn''t be surprising if Luke would stab him if he said so.

    "Do you think we''re dumb?" Ja scoffed, keeping his calm, but his voice reeked of sarcasm.

    "I know you''re pretty smart. That''s why I am here. I wouldn''t be here if I know you think with your fist." Luke''s lips stretched from ear to ear until the corner of his eyes creased. "That''s my peace offering since I''ve thought long and hard about it. I think you guys are pretty coolбн unlike that damn Maxen."

    "Tch! After siding with him, you''re switching sides now? Oy, do you think we can trust someone who changes sides faster than a switch?" Emry barked through his gritted teeth, yet kept the snacks in his arms.

    Luke rocked his head. "I did side with him because I thought we''re friends. However, I stood up for him, but he didn''t say any word of thanks. Instead, he made me look nosey. So rude!"

    "Hahбн" Wyn let out a dryugh. "That''s because you''re nosy."

    "Well, I am, pretty much. But only to those I consider my friends," Luke agreed without a second hesitation. "But well, it was obvious he doesn''t see me as one. That''s why I was very upset about it. So, I remember how you two held yourself back to help your friend."

    Luke darted with eyes between Wyn and Emyr and smiled. "I think that is pretty awesome."

    "Hahбн is this guy crazy?" Emyrughed, looking back at Luke in disbelief. However, Wyn simply looked away, obviously ttered by the praise.

    "That is why I want to be part of your group." Luke pped excitedly.

    "Hahahaбн" Jaughed and shook his head before the two followed. They looked at Luke from head to toe, shaking their heads continuously. Seeing their reaction, Luke raised his brows and cocked his head to the side.

    "You want to be part of our group?" Ja repeated with a tinge of mockery in his voice. Luke nodded without a second hesitation.

    "Look at this guy." Ja adjusted his seat, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. "Do you think what we do is as simple as skipping sses to go and y some arcades?"

    "Hahбн this guy is really crazy," Emyrmented, acting all big and tough.

    "Wait until you get punched in the face and get that pretty face ruined," Wyn added, shaking his head slightly.

    "Our business isn''t as simple as what you think, pretty boy бк" Ja was cut off when Luke spoke in a knowing tone.

    "I''m not looking down on what you guys are doing. Who said I don''t know what you guys are capable of?" Luke blinked almost innocently. "Aside from bullying those weaklings in this school and exploiting students, I think I''m pretty much aware of your connections with the local gang."

    His lips stretched even wider. "Last year, you were involved in a gang fight from another school. During the fight, someone got stabbed and died. When the police came, you," Luke paused as he cast Wyn a look. "You are one of those unlucky ones who was arrested while the others fled."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Although these two managed to get away, they were suspended for the entire school year because of many reasons. I always do my research!" Luke grinned from ear to ear while the three of them looked back at him in surprise.

    "Did that Maxen бк" Emry was once again cut off by Luke as thetter answered even before he could finish his question.

    "No, he didn''t." Luke shrugged. "As I''ve said, he doesn''t see me as his friend. If I didn''t do my own research, I wouldn''t even know about this!"

    Luke kept his grin as silence descended on the four of them. Honestly, Luke didn''t do his research about these three. However, he ran a background check on Maxen. Therefore, he uncovered these things.

    Not that Luke had superhuman memory to remember all the little detail. It was just that he had taken a particr interest in this area, since it might endanger Cosette. That was why he remembered the names of those involved in the gang fight that Maxen had managed to get away from a year ago. If Maxen didn''t, he would''ve also ended up in the juvenile like Wyn.

    "If you make? another trouble, the school will have no choice but to expel you. I don''t know if that even scares you guys since you''re here to kill some time," Luke continued after a momentary silence. "But if you hang out with me, not only you''ll be safe from expulsion, I know ways to have fun that don''t require riskбн at least, less risk. Not to mention, I can teach you how to earn money and make a system so no one gets caught."

    The three furrowed their brows as they studied Luke''s unchanging smile. Thetter knew a lot and yet he didn''t show the slightest vestige of fear. That only shows Luke knew his stuff and wasn''t scared of getting beaten up right here and now.

    "So." Luke raised his brows, taking his hand out of his pocket, and balled it into a tight fist. He offered it to Ja, smiling from ear to ear.

    "Friends?"

    ******

    The first day of school went by, almost like a blur for Cosette. There didn''t do much for the entire day since the first days were mostly just a warm-up. Tomorrow was the real start of ss, and this school year, she aimed to get better grades since Maxen wouldn''t skip sses anymore.

    "Bye, Cozie!"

    Cosette waved at Sarah, Far, and Amie, who were on the other side of the school gates. She watched the three walk away in the opposite way where Maxen and Cosette''s usual route.

    "Let''s go."

    She snapped her eyes to her left and nodded, smiling at Maxen as thetter sauntered off. Cosette skipped her steps to follow him until she was walking beside him.

    "Maxen, why are you so cruel, hmm?" she frowned, ring daggers at him. "How can you leave your girlfriend behind? You now have longer legs, so your one step is like two steps for me."

    Maxen cast her a side eye but didn''t react. Yet, he still slowed down even though she was simply whining and using this as an excuse to spend more time walking.

    "Heheбн" Cosette giggled, slowing down even more, eyes ahead. Noticing that they kept slowing down until their pace was as slow as a snail, Maxen was about to open his mouth when she suddenly spoke.

    "I wonder where did Luke go?" she murmured. "He said he ns to top the ss, but he skipped on his first day of school."

    Maxen pressed his lips into a thin line, recalling that he secretly searched for Luke earlier when Cosette was cleaning the ssroom with the girls. He was worried Luke was ambushed, but when he found Luke, he saw him hanging out with Wyn, Emyr, and Ja as if they had just be the best of friends.

    A shallow breath slipped past Maxen''s lips at the thought. ''I don''t know what''s going on inside that guy''s head. Maybe he finally lost it.''

    "He''ll be fine." Compare to his inner thoughts, Maxen reassured her calmly. "You know him, and he just does whatever he wants. He probably thinks since it was the first day, nothing important will happen, so he went out to y."

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m Cosette blinked twice before she nodded in agreement. "Make sense." She smiled, not putting any thought to it since Luke was a free spirit, and she couldn''t expect him to linger around her all day long.

    "Anyway." She then jumped beside Maxen until her shoulder bumped against him. "What Fay said, did you reallyбн"

    "Yes, I had a lot of free time." Maxen arched a brow as he answered quickly, taking her by surprise, which made him smirk. He knew she would ask this and tease him, so he prepared himself all day long. Maxen shoved his hands inside his pocket and slowed down, bending over to whisper in her ear.

    "Do you know who I was thinking?" he grinned triumphantly, straightening his back, pleased to see her beet-red face. Maxen winked, resuming in his steps, while Cosette was frozen on the spot.

    When Cosette realized he outyed her, she ground her teeth and red daggers at his back.

    "Maxen Cloven!" she yelled, stomping her feet to follow him.

 Chapter 124 Her Future Visitors

    "Cozie, did you ever run a background check on me?"

    Cosette knitted her brows, turning her attention to her left where Maxen was sitting on the bus on their way home. She blinked twice, processing that sudden random question.

    "No." She shook her head. Maxen stared into her eyes, searching for any traces of a lie, but found none.

    "That''s odd," he muttered.

    "What''s odd?"

    "Weren''t you a top student in your previous school?" Maxen arched a brow. "If you''re an overachiever, why did you fall into our ss?"

    Cosette held her breath under his gaze, secretly clenching her teeth. She did her best to keep her expression in check so he wouldn''t notice the horror she felt at his inquiry. How would she exin that she knew he just didn''t do well in school after reading it in the novel?

    "Erбн well." She cleared her throat, letting the gears of her head turn to make up the most believable lie. "What''s the fun of being a top student? I tried to rebel, you see. I transferred school not because I have a problem with my previous one, but because I miss you."

    "What?"

    "What?"

    "You missed me?"

    Cosette blinked and her pupils dted in horror, realizing what she had just unconsciously said.

    "I бк I mean because I have a problem. A personal one, right? You heard what I was back then." Sheughed awkwardly, mentally questioning herself why in the world would she say that? It was more believable if she blurted out because she was a hardcore fan, but miss him? Had she lost her mind?

    "Rightбн" Maxen bit his tongue, stopping himself from pointing out what was odd. ''That''s strange.''

    In Maxen''s eyes, he knew whenever Cosette was lying or simply holding back information. But this conversation came out strange for him. He knew she wasn''t lying when she said she didn''t run a background check on him, and she was also saying the truth at that slip up ''I miss you.''

    It didn''t make sense to him, but his heart was hundred percent certain Cosette was telling the truth. However, thatst exnation, Maxen knew, was definitely a lie. Or rather, it was simply part of the truth.

    "Hehe. Why did you ask?" Cosette returned, trying to act as natural as possible.

    "Just because." He shrugged, tossing the strangeness he felt. "I was curious, that''s all."

    Maxen then leaned back, looking up at the people standing on the aisle of the bus that was near the front part. As silence fell on their shoulder, he kept telling himself to let it go. Yet, his lips parted, and voiced out his thoughts.

    "Don''t lie to me, Cozie," he said, making her turn her head to him. "If you don''t want to answer, just say you won''t answer, or once you feel like you can. Just don''t lie."

    "I''m not lying," she argued and bit her tongue when his eyes fell on her. Cosette pursed her lips, nodding in understanding. "I''m sorry."

    "You don''t have to." Maxen kept his eyes on her and smiled. "It''s not like we''re not allowed to have secrets."

    Cosette bit her lip and smiled, only to narrow her eyes as she repeated what hisst remarks. His brows rose, seeing that she was sizing him up all of a sudden.

    "What?" he asked after several seconds of silence.

    "It''s not like we''re prohibited from having secrets," she repeated suspiciously. "Max, what sort of secret are you keeping from me?"

    This time, Maxen froze, holding his breath. He looked away, avoiding her inquisitive gaze. Just like how Maxen knew her, it was the same with Cosette. She knew him more than anyone how the gears in his head turn.

    "Tsk tsk tsk." Cosette clicked her tongue continuously, and when Maxen couldn''t take it anymore, he let out a deep exhale. But just when his lips parted, she spoke before him.

    "It''s fine. You don''t have to tell me. I don''t want to force you." Cosette let out a sigh, not having the heart to be a hypocrite. Between Maxen and Cosette, she held more secrets from him. She could be honest on almost everything to him, except one: she wasn''t the real Cosette.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She nced at him once more and smiled. "Just promised me you will tell me this secret when you''re ready."

    "Will you also make that promise?" he returned. "Will you also promise to tell me when you''re ready?"

    Cosette pursed her lips and nodded. She then raised her pinky, causing his brows to raise.

    "Promise me that you won''t make fun of me when I do, then I will probably tell you a lot of silly things." She giggled, wiggling her pinky at him.

    A shallow breath slipped past Maxen''s lips, nodding in understanding. He didn''t care if someone was looking, raising his pinky and wrapping it around hers.

    "I will never." He fluttered his eyshes ever so slowly.

    "Then it''s a promise." Her lips stretched from ear to ear, and her bright smile transferred to him, sending all these bubbling feelings crawling in his heart.

    "A promise then."

    With that being settled, Maxen and Cosette continued to talk just about anything. As usual, Cosette carried the conversation, but he was more active than before. They returned home with a light heart, meeting Conrad at the gates of the mansion, and hitched a ride with him.

    As usual, Cosette shared her first day at school and both Conrad and Maxen listened. For the two of them, she was just like a burst of sunshine who could make any bad day good.

    "By the way, Cozie," Conrad spoke just as Maxen left the car, and was Cosette''s turn to exit the car. She looked back at her father, tilting her head while waiting for him to continue whatever he was about to say.

    "Mom and Dad called this morning and they said they will return from abroad," he broke the news to her, watching her reaction, but nothing. Cosette''s eyes were just nk as if she didn''t hear him properly.

    "Grandma and Grandpa?" she repeated, and Conrad nodded. "Ohбн is that so?"

    Conrad remained silent at her short response, which he had expected.

    Conrad didn''t press on the matter and simply informed Cosette her grandparents were simply fixing some papers before flying back to the country. Since then, Cosette had been oddly silent. She tried not to look affected, but Maxen and Conrad would notice the slightest change in her tone and the look in her eyes. But despite that, they chose to pretend they didn''t notice to avoid making her feel ufortable during dinner.

    After the dinner, Cosette excused herself politely and went straight to her room. Once she finished showering and threw her body on her soft bed, she couldn''t help but think about the real Cosette''s parents.

    "In the novelбн now that I think about it, there were too few details about the viiness," she mumbled while staring at the ceiling. "There''s no proper ending about her, and the only back story we got was her breakup engagement with her first love."

    Cosette pursed her lips, thinking about the real Cosette''s grandparents. For some reason, this gave her this mixed emotion. After all, Cosette was raised by her loving grandparents and even worked hard to provide for her expensive medical needs.

    Being stuck in this novel world, gaining friends, a father, and a love interest were all a blessing she was thankful for. But grandparents? Cosette didn''t know what to feel.

    "I really miss them," she mumbled, thinking about her real grandparents. Her eyes heat up with the thought of them. "I don''t want to rece them."

    Cosette rolled to her side and hugged a pillow. She buried the lower part of her face into it, eyes flickering with bitterness. How would she act in front of them? Not that she hated the real Cosette''s grandparents, but because she didn''t want to fool the elders and herself.

    "Maybe I should justбн" the bitterness in her eyes grew distinct. "... move on?"

    She had been in this world of a novel for months бк almost a year now. Hence, Cosette had to adjust just like what she had always done. She shut her eyes and shook her head mildly.

    "I shouldn''t worry about that for now," she told herself, more like encouraging herself. "It''s not like they will arrive here tomorrow. Papa said they will still fix some papers before flying back in here. I have time."

    Cosette kept encouraging herself while keeping her eyes shut until she had fallen into a deep slumber. Silence reigned in her room, allowing the tick of the clock to resonate across the four corners of the room.

    As the night fell deeper with Conrad having a drink in his study while Maxen tossing and catching a ball while lying on the bed, Cosette was pulled into another long dream of the real Cosette. This time, however, it would instill dread in Cosette''s heart.

 Chapter 125 Are You Happy?

    "Hello there, Gorgeous."

    Cosette smiled as Maxen bent over to nt a kiss on her cheek before walking over to the chair across from her. His brows rose as soon as he plopped down, extending his arms on the table on the edge of the table. Excitement filled his eyes as if he had a good day, while the twinkle in her eyes was just as soft and elegant as usual.

    "You seem to be in a great mood, Mister Devilsin." She pointed out, making the corner of his lips stretch even wider.

    "You asked me for a date, so obviously, it made me happy." He looked around and chuckled. "Even booked the entire restaurant. How fancy."

    "Don''t lie. I keep track of you." Cosette chuckled with her lips closed. "And you''re wee."

    "I''m not lying. You keep track of what I do, but not what truly happens in the scene. It was fucking hell." Maxen snapped his eyes at the server that approached their table, serving them a bottle of champagne. "Hmmбн I see someone is rather in a good mood."

    He set eyes back to her, chuckling teasingly. "Is there a merry asion to pop champagne about?"

    "Who said it was a happy asion?" Cosette arched a brow and mouthed, ''thank you'' to the server before thetter left. "I''m sad, Mister Devilsin."

    "You''re sad?" Maxen studied the smile on her face, unable to detect to back up her ims. "You''re the happiest, saddest person I''ve seen."

    He leaned forward with his arms against the table. "Tell me your sob story, baby. I''m all earsбн and had stored quite a few tears for this day."

    "Well." Cosette picked up the ss of champagne and raised it. "No sob story, justбн pure sadness."

    "Wee to my world." He chuckled, picking up the ss of champagne right next to him. With a grin, he raised the ss over the table.

    "Cheers to being sad together?"

    "Cheers." Cosette clinked sses with him, winking at him before taking a sip.

    It had been a while since the two of them had shared dinner with just the two of them. Cosette had been busy since doing business with Asher Quinn, and Maxenбн he was busy with things that were surely not legal.

    Yet, despite the separation and rare exchange of messages, they felt like they just resumed where they left off thest time they were together. Nothing changed. He would humor her, and she would humor him back. They wouldugh together and hint at each other, building up sexual tension between the two of them throughout the dinner.

    Hence, the second they entered Maxen''s car, they were already hungrily kissing each other. Unfortunately, he came all by himself. Thus, he had to drive instead of undressing her in the backseat.

    "So, where are we going?" Cosette was leaning back on the front passenger seat, eyes on the driver''s seat.

    "I don''t know, honestly. If I don''t see any decent hotel in here, I''ll take you somewhere secluded." He kept his eyes on the road. "Why? Scared now?"

    The lights from the cars on the highway would sh on his face every once in a while, granting her the chance to see his beguiling beauty.

    "Youбн have the face of a devil," shemented out of nowhere, watching the corner of his lips curl up into a cunning smirk.

    "Keeping the tension now, are we?" he cast her a quick look, extending his hand on her thigh. He brushed her leg with his thumb, keeping his eyes on the road. "Do you think we will be in an ident if I pleasure you while driving?"

    "Maybe?" she chuckled, gazing down at the hand that was touching her leg. "Or maybe not? I don''t think I even care right now."

    Maxen arched a brow and cast her another look. "What''s with that tone? Are you dying now?"

    "I was long dead inside, Mister Devilsin." Cosette reached for his hand, and much to his surprise, she slipped her fingers in between the gaps of his fingers. She smiled subtly, holding his hand as if they were lovers.

    Maxen saw her smile when he cast her a side eye, and he took advantage of the darkness to smile in satisfaction. He wrapped his fingers around her hand, allowing her to hold him, which, surprisingly, they had never done in the past.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Their bodies were no stranger to another; they had seen each other''s naked glory, touched each other, and kissed every part of each other''s bodies. Funny thing, though, they never held hands. At least, they never held hands while not fucking.

    "Lust is the foundation of our rtionship," she spoke in a quiet voice after the prolonged silence. "But you always make me sad, Mister Devilsin."

    "Were my other affairs making you sad?"

    She shook her head. "I said, you make me sad, not your actions, but you. I don''t care about how many women warm your bed."

    "And what about me that makes you sad?" he asked out of in curiosity, already used to her abrupt topics, which she would easily forgetter, but never him. He had always thought about everything she would say because he was always listening and paying attention to her.

    "You." She shrugged, raising their hands to her lips. "You were too used to pain that you ignore your happiness."

    "That''s bold of you to think I wasn''t happy." Heughed shortly. "Not because I live in a much cruel world where I lose people every fucking day and put a hole in people''s heads doesn''t mean I was sad."

    "So, are you saying you are happy with this life?"

    This time, he remained silent for a very long time but did not think about an answer. Maxen already knew the answer even before she could ask. However, he stayed quiet because the person who was asking was none other than Cosette.

    "I feel nothing," he answered after a long time. "This lifeбн is the kind of life that sucks out any damn emotion a man has. It''ll suck you dry until you feel nothing. People think the underground is filled with crazy people. It was, but they were wrong to think it was the majority."

    Maxen paused and squeezed her hand mildly. "The underground isn''t just filled with greedy crooks who weren''t scared of a bullet. It was filled with empty shells. Therefore, they weren''t scared of death."

    "Once you''re in, there''s no way out. It''ll suck you dry and empty your soul," he added under his breath. "Am I sad? Angry? Happy? Those are the questions that never matter because we can never escape even if we want to."

    "We just keep going on and on until someone gets lucky and pulls the trigger to blow our heads." Maxen stopped at the red light and faced her squarely. He reached for her hand again, guiding it to the side of his lips to nt a kiss on the back of her hand whilst keeping his eyes on her.

    "But if you ask me if I am happy right nowбн right this second, well perhaps, I am. I don''t know happiness; I was never exposed to that. But the feeling I feel right now is the kind of drug I''d take any time of the day." He chuckled, almost cringing at his own sentiments. But they were facts. Being with her was akin to a drug that would give him a different kind of high. He was addicted.

    "What about you?" he asked, looking at her straight in the eye. "Are you happy?"

    "I just told you I was sad."

    "Was."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line and gazed at his face as if she was etching it deep in her head lest she forgets how he looked. She cupped his face, fluttering her eyshes ever so tenderly.

    "What is happiness, Mister Devilsin?" she inquired in a quiet voice. "That word is never in my vocabry бк such an alien word. Isn''t that the reason we''re together? We know almost everything and had seen things most people wish to never witness in their lives."

    "However, if happiness is wishing time will stop forever, I guess I am happy right now," she continued, smiling back at him subtly.

    Honk! Honk!

    Maxen and Cosette heard the loud honksing from behind them as the green light was on. However, the two ignored the honks and curses as the other cars overtook theirs. Instead, they looked at each other with a subtle smile.

    He slowly moved his face forward, watching her close her eyes. Since Cosette shut her eyes, she didn''t notice how his eyes shone with gentleness and affection he never ever bore. But she felt his heart when their lips touched.

    What Maxen thought was he had hidden his happiness perfectly when she shut her eyes. Little did he know, he failed to see the deep sadness underneath her eyelids. It wasn''t him who hid things well, but Cosette. She had always hidden her feelings all her life that she was a pro and could get by any day, even when she was bleeding heavily inside.

 Chapter 126 A Very Cruel Man

    "Penny for your thoughts?"

    Maxen nced down at Cosette, caressing her bare back while she was resting her head on his chest. After driving for about thirty minutes, he offered for the two of them to stay in his suite where he was staying. Cosette was someone who had an image to protect, and if anyone saw her with him, it would be over for her. Hence, it took them two hours before rolling under the sheets.

    "I''m tired," was all she said.

    Maxen remained silent, looking up at the ceiling. "How was your business with the Quinns?" he asked out of in curiosity.

    "It''s not bad," Cosette answered, keeping it short and simple.

    "Hahбн is that so?"

    Cosette fluttered her eyshes ever so slowly, smiling subtly. "You never asked me about anything." She propped her elbow on the space between them, adjusting her position to look at him.

    "Neither were you ever curious about who I meet. Is this what you call jealousy?" she humored, staring at his sinful beauty.

    "Jealousy, huh?" He smirked, pondering about that matter. "Nah, I don''t think I am. Just curious."

    "And why is that?"

    "Becauseбн" Maxen tucked her hair behind her ear gently, looking at her straight in the eye. "Because you and himбн suit each other. You two were both well-born to boot, sessful leaders of your family business at a young age, and lucky."

    "Luckyбн what an odd mix."

    "But I made a decent point in that, did I not?" he shrugged nonchntly as if they weren''t talking about another man that could be linked to the woman who was in his embrace. "What do you think about him?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line while humming a long tune. "What I think about him, huh? Well, he''s smart, a bit distant and cold, and handsome. Very handsome."

    "Well, that hurts. I don''t think my looks are way less than his."

    "You look way more handsome. Don''t worry." She winked at him, giggling, before resting the side of her head on his chest once again. "Mister Asher Quinn is an overall interesting man. No wonder people used topare him to me бк or what it seemed it was actually the other way around."

    Maxen rocked his head in understanding, listening to her voice. He should feel angry since she was talking about another man, but he wasn''t. If anything, the feeling in his heart was bitterness. Because at the end of the day, Cosette would need to marry and Maxen was aware it wasn''t him who would stand at the altar with her.

    And that thoughtбн Maxen hadn''t known what to do with it. He was still undecided whether to abduct her and take her to an isted ind with him or just let her go. Perhaps be a third party too, if she wanted him around. It was not like he had some conscience left.

    "Any talks regarding marriage?" he blurted out, biting his tongue.

    "No."

    "Why not? The elders of both parties are cking, I see."

    Cosette chuckled and shook her head. "You''re hurting my feelings, Mister Devilsin."

    "I am trying to be supportive here."

    "You''re doing more damage. How can you push me to another man when I am literally naked while lying beside you?" she humored without looking at him, smiling, yet her eyes wereбн empty. It was almost like she wanted to cry, but she didn''t know how.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I''m just curious, Cosette." Maxen breathed out, pausing for an entire minute. "So I can estimate how many times I can still fuck you."

    "Is all you can think of is your dick''s welfare?"

    "Yes. My dick takes care of me very much."

    "I hate you." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "But no, no one''s getting married. I don''t like arrange marriages."

    "That sounds like you."

    "Alsoбн he already has someone special." Cosette smiled subtly, as if recalling a memory that only she could remember. "She''s beautiful, fun, and has a captivating smile. They might get married."

    Maxen remained silent, feeling slightly d to hear that. However, for some reason, there was a part of him that wouldn''t allow him to feel that certain positivity in it.

    "You''re beautiful, fun, have an alluring smile, and a sexy mind and body," he argued in a quiet voice.

    "I have a sexy mind and bodyбн sure, but you forgot to add I had a cold heart, Mister Devilsin."

    "Well, true. Your heart is so cold it''s impossible to break it. I always shiver whenever you leave without looking back." They both chuckled at his response. Maxen lowered his head and nted a kiss on top of her head. "Do you like him?"

    "I just told youбн"

    "You told me he already has another woman. However, you never told me what you feel about him."

    "You make me sad," she whispered, smiling bitterly. Cosette didn''t answer his question for a long time, keeping her head on his chest.

    ''Do I like Asher Quinn? What a stupid question to ask, Maxen.'' She thought, mentally shaking her head. ''You know me more than anyone, and for sure, you know the answer. Seriously, he is already punishing me by pushing me to another man just because we both know weбн will never work out.''

    "No, I don''t, sadly. He isn''t my type." Cosette snapped her eyes and looked up at him. "I like someone else."

    "Oh?" he arched a brow.

    "He''s handsome бк sinfully handsome. He had a very broad shoulder and a muscr arm. Every time he embraces me, I feel safe. Each moment I''m with him, nothing matters. I forget everything and I don''t think about anything; not the mess I''m in or other people''s mess." She nted her hand on his tatted chest, resting her chin on her knuckles, eyes on him. "Although he''s a mess himself, he somehow makes things better for me."

    "However, he''s a cruel man," she continued solemnly, lowering her eyes as her smile lines faded slightly. "Very cruel."

    Maxen let out a shallow breath. "Let''sбн end this."

    "See how cruel he is?" she looked up at him and chuckled. "No, Mister Devilsin. I don''t want to."

    "You do not have a say in it." He pinched her cheek mildly. "Let''s break up and end this shit."

    "I hate you."

    "If you hate me so much, stop clinging to me." Maxen narrowed his eyes and tapped her arms, signaling her to let him go.

 Chapter 127 [Bonus ]What If?

    "If you hate me so much, stop clinging to me." Maxen narrowed his eyes and tapped Cosette''s arms, signaling her to let him go.

    Cosette grinned and wrapped her leg around his leg. "I hate you so much and I know the feeling is mutual. Therefore, sticking around is better. I won''t give you your happy ending."

    Maxen chuckled before he mustered his energy, flipping their position until he was hovering over her. He gazed down at her, bending over, brushing the apex of his nose against her. But before he could im her lips for the next round of passion, Cosette spoke.

    "What do you think will happen if we met earlier?" Maxen knitted his brows as he drew his head back slightly at her question. "Youбн think I can''t be with you because apparently, you''re one of the police''s top criminals that should be locked in prison. But what if we met earlier?"

    "Hahбн" a chuckle slipped past his lips, grinning from ear to ear. "Not just earlier, but maybe ten years from now. Maybe you can change things, but I doubt I''d even meet you. Our lives are like heaven and hell, and if not for the fact I had the money to burn in that club where we met, I doubt we''d even meet in this lifetime."

    "But what if?" Cosette pushed his chest away to stop him from kissing her.

    "What do you mean, what if?"

    "What if by some dumb luck or the sort we met ten years prior to this day before you became Maxen Devilsin? What do you think will happen?" she rified, making him tilt his head to the side.

    This was probably the first time Cosette pressed on a subject. Hence, he remained silent and thought about it. In the end, Maxen shrugged.

    "I don''t know, Cosette c." He leaned down, looking her straight in the eye. "But what I do know is that if I met you ten years ago, I''llбн probably do the right thing."

    She chuckled. "How are you sure you will?"

    "I just know." He chuckled briefly. "I have a feeling you could''ve changed my heart if you met me that early."

    Cosette pressed her lips and smiled, thinking otherwise. In her head, it was Maxen who would change her life, not the other way around. After all, the only time she felt genuinely happy was when he came into her life. Assuming he was already in her life ten years agoбн it sounded fun.

    She couldn''t help but think if they met earlierбн would they still end up miserable as they were now? Borrowing just a couple of hours to be happy? And knowing how fleeting those hours were, but they got to live with it? Not to mention, no matter how sincere the budding feeling in their hearts was, they had to ept they would never be together.

    At least, not like those couples, she would usually watch from a distance. How nice, she thought, if she and Maxen were also like that. It would be very nice if they could also go out like other couples, hold hands, and go to ces without the fear that someone had him in a scope.

    "That''s enough chitchat. Shall we have fun now?" his voice snapped her back to the currentpse, making her smile, before sealing her lips with a kiss.

    ''Just one more time,'' she whispered in her head. ''Just one more timeбн''

    Cosette closed her eyes, basking in the warmth of his body and indulging in the taste of his mouth. His kisses were soft and gentle, but at the same time, they were painful. Not literally, but her heart was in pain each time her heartbeat for a happy reason, which was him.

    However, she ignored the pain. Just like what she kept chanting in her head, Cosette allowed herself to get lost in his pleasure, love, and desire, eventually finding beauty in this unspeakable pain that had been killing her since this morning.

    As usual, after Maxen and Cosette finished their second round, they rested and talked. It was like a routine, but there weren''t any deep talks anymore. Just the casual talk. And then, they went on to another round when they rested well, repeating the cycle until they couldn''t do it anymore and eventually fell asleep.

    However, Cosette simply had her eyes closed. When she felt his breaths grow heavy, she slowly opened her eyes. She was using his arm as her pillow, with his other arm wrapped around her waist securely.

    Cosette looked at his sleeping face in silence. This time, however, she didn''t find the need to conceal the sadness and helplessness in her eyes. She carefully raised her hand and caressed his leaned cheek, biting her quivering lips while holding her breath.

    ''What should I do, Max?'' she asked inwardly, her eyes seeking help. ''Why didn''t you live your life correctly? Nowбн you just worry me.''

    The corner of her eyes grew red and watery, but for the obvious reason, she didn''t shed a tear. No matter how much she simply wanted to cry and scream, she couldn''t. She wasn''t used to thatбн and that was killing her.

    "What should I do now?" she whispered, hoping he would wake up right now, and answer her lest he was simply pretending. However, she knew Maxen, and even though he would sleep with his one eye open, he would only wake up when danger entered his vicinity.

    Maybe Cosette was asking these questions with impossible answers right now because she knew he wouldn''t wake up. After all, it wasn''t like he could do anything about it. She couldn''t fix this problem even with all the money she got; so how could she ask him for help? It would only devastate him.

    ''Maxen Devilsinбн'' she called in her mind, smiling subtly. ''I am dying, Max. But that doesn''t scare me. What scares me is that I might forget you.''

    Cosette smiled bitterly, recalling her time in the hospital this morning, and receiving the news about her several health issues which include cancer, a tumor in the brain, andбн dementia.

 Chapter 128 The Guilt She Had Carried Till Death

    Cosette gasped as she sat upright, clutching her chest as she caught up to her breathing. Her eyes shook, and just like the previous night, her dream would wake her up, tears filled her eyes.

    She had lost count of how many times she found herself waking up in the middle of the night or before sunrise. The dreams were different, but whenever she woke up, it was the same for her.

    Cosette would sweat buckets, tears would fill her eyes, and her heart was in pain for no damn reason. Whenever she tried to recall what sort of dream she had, her brain wouldn''t respond.

    But tonightбн was different.

    Yes, she was still sweating buckets, and tears flooded her eyes. However, she wasn''t trying to recall the dream anymore. She was trying to forget it.

    "Maxenбн" her lips quivered as her breathing suspended until her neck turned taut. "Youбн did it allбн forбн me?"

    Her face contorted as her mouth fell open, in disbelief at the ''dreams''... no, memories she had forgotten. Cosette covered her mouth to muffle her cry. A tear rolled down her cheek when she closed her eyes.

    "Miaбн Asherбн Lukeбн" She whispered in between her ragged breathing. "Youбн ruined them and yourselfбн for me?"

    Cosette pounded her chest, hoping to shift the pain. However, it was futile. The pain in her heart, the guilt, the fear, and the regret was slowly consuming her.

    "I remember everything nowбн" came out another muffled voice. "I remember nowбн"

    Cosette cried in silence to vent the pain in her heart, but it wasn''t enough. She breathed in deeply, but instead, she felt like her lungs were constricting at each breath. It was suffocating.

    Without thinking twice, Cosette crawled out of the bed desperately. She tripped over the bed,nding with a thud. She winced, but still forced herself to stand up.

    Wearing nothing but her pajamas, Cosette dragged her feet out of her room. Her steps started slow бк almost dragging her feet бк until she was sprinting. And for some dumb reason, as soon as she reached the garden, the sky pped as if to congratte her in the most scornful way.

    Raindrops started falling with Cosette right in the middle of the garden. Another p of thunder echoed, making the raindrops fall faster and heavier.

    "Noбн" she whispered, shaking her head, water pattering over her shoulders. "No."

    Another thundered echoed, muffling her cries. The rain concealed the heavy tears falling from her eyes.

    "What did I doбн?" Cosette looked up, weing the rain on her face. "What are you doing to me?"

    Her hand balled into a fist as her eyes sharpened, grinding her teeth angrily. "Why were you ying with me?!" she yelled when she couldn''t take the fury building up inside her.

    "Do you call yourself a god?! If you brought me back here, why didn''t you tell me anything?!" Cosette screamed her lungs out, hoping someone from up there could hear her. She screamed and screamed, crying and cursing, all to vent the anger in her heart.

    She now remembered everythingбн which she wished she didn''t. She wished she remained ignorant until the end. If only she did, she wouldn''t bear this guilt she had carried deeply till her death.

    And what she was doing right now, cursing the creator of this world fiercely reminded her of the past.

    Under the pouring rain, Cosette had also broken down, cursing the gods, and questioning them.

    "Why can''t we also be happy just like everyone else?" were the words she remembered repeating back then. "Whyбн when he and Iбн finally found each other did you n to take me away? Why now?"

    Many questions filled with a deep desire to be answered and each time she got no answer, her hatred of this world deepened. After all, Cosette also wanted to be happy with Maxen. Even if it was wrong, even if she had to sacrifice everything and live a humble life where no one else knew them.

    Cosetteбн wanted to be happy. However, before she could even decide to ask him to run to an isted ind where it was just the two of them, life screwed her over.

    Not just one disease, but multiple, as if to make sure she would die. It was ridiculous, especially at such a young age. Yet, whining, crying, cursing, and hate had never resolved her problem.

    That was whyбн Cosette cut him off.

    Instead of keeping him around or telling him, she was dying, Cosette cut him off. She hurt him off in the most painful way so he would rather hate her to the point he would kill her. But Maxenбн didn''t hate her no matter how much pain she inflicted on him.

    Instead, he bought her lies, assuming Cosette fell in love with Asher but he had another lover. Therefore, to make Cosette happy, Maxen turned into a monster to separate Mia and Asher.

    "It was my faultбн" Cosette whispered, feeling her knees wobble until they gave way. Slumped on the damp grass, Cosette clutched the ground while grinding her teeth.

    "Iбн turned him into a monster. Everything happened because of me."

    Cosette knew she could''ve stopped Maxen when she heard about what he had done. However, she didn''t. She couldn''t. Her condition worsened, experiencing episodes of her dementia.

    That was whyбн she wrote their story so she wouldn''t forget them all. So she wouldn''t forget how Cosette turned Maxen into a real devil, who eventually drove him to his own death.

    "Rotten piece of milkбн" Cosette clutched her chest as more cries followed. Her voice began to sound rasped until she had lost her voice from all that shouting she wasn''t used to. "How can Iбн forgive myself?"

    "Cosette!"

    Suddenly, Conrad''s voice echoed behind her, but Cosette gazed nkly at the darkness ahead. Seeing his daughter sitting on the grass under the pouring rain, Conrad didn''t hesitate to run outside.

    "Cozie!" Conrad squatted down in front of her, holding her shoulders. His heart sank as soon as his eyes fell on her nk eyes. "Cosetteбн"

    "Dadбн" Her throat bobbed, snapping her eyes up ever so tenderly. "... why am I alive?"

    "What?"

    "Do I deserve to live?" Cosette bit her trembling lips as tears began to pool in her eyes once again. She looked at his face, grateful and resentful at the same time. "I miss you so muchбн so much I think I''m going crazy."

    "Cozie, what are you saying? Why are you sitting here under the pouring rain? Let''s go inside, alright?" he nodded in panic, rattled at his daughter''s distraught expression.

    "Papaбн" Cosette ground her teeth and jumped slightly, flinging her arms and wrapping them around his neck. She rested her chin on top of her shoulder that was over his shoulder.

    "I''m really sorryбнI''m really, really sorry." She repeated those words over and over and over whilst crying.

    "Cosette." Baffled, Conrad could only rub her trembling back. "Whyбн are you sorry? There''s no need to say sorry."

    Pain and bitterness shone in his eyes, and a little bit angry for not being able to grasp her situation. Why was she sorry? Why was his daughter crying? Conrad didn''t know what made her cry and thus, it was killing him.

    "It''s alright," he whispered, embracing her securely in his arms. "It''s alright. You don''t have to say sorry. Iбн you father, will understand and forgive everything. So, don''t cry anymore Cozie."

    Meanwhile, the servants including nanny Lucia and the head butler were inside. They looked at Conrad and Cosette in worry. Just minutes ago, some servants saw Cosette running outside in a hurry, and then it began raining.

    They thought of asking her to go inside, but instead, they saw her cry her heart out. Hence, they called Conrad.

    "Goodness. What happened to our young miss?" one servant muttered, almost teary-eyed in worry.

    "Did the young miss say anything?" asked the head butler, looking at everyone. Much to his dismay, all he saw was everyone shaking their heads.

    "We only saw her rushing outside as if her life was on the line. Is the young miss alright?" another servant inquired, and then all eyes slowly shifted to Lucia since she was the closest to Cosette.

    "Young Missбн" Lucia called under her breath, clutching her hand closer to her chest. "Did someone hurt you?"

    As everyone watched the two, wondering if they should step in to bring umbres or let them be, Maxen, who came from the kitchen to get a bottle of water noticed the servants. His brows furrowed, seeing that everyone was flocking to the entrance of the garden.

    "What''s going on?" he wondered, approaching them carefully, to see what could make everyone panic. Thanks to his tall stature, Maxen could see through the transparent ss sliding door.

    "Cozie?" His already knitted brows creased even more before his pupils dted. There, outside, were Cosette and Conrad.

    "Whatбн Butler George, what happened?" Maxen asked, raising his voice to get the butler''s attention. When George looked in his direction, he lowered his head slightly.

    "We still don''t know, Sir Maxen. All we know is that the young miss rushed outside and had been crying since."

    "What?" Maxen breathed out sharply, setting his eyes on the garden. "Whyбн was she crying?"

    He couldn''t see Cosette''s face as her back was facing their direction, but the worry in Conrad''s eyes was enough to tell everything. Cosette was in deep pain, and Conrad couldn''t understand the reason.

 Chapter 129 Everyones Wondering; What Happened?

    When the rain stopped, the servants hurriedly rushed outside, bringing towels for Cosette and Conrad to prevent them from catching a cold. Conrad assisted Cosette carefully, treating her as fragile as porcin.

    As they walked inside, Cosette took a momentary pause. Her gaze slowly shifted to where Maxen was standing, making thetter raise his brows in worry. However, Cosette said nothing and simply looked at him before resuming in her steps.

    "Seriouslyбн" Maxen closed his eyes, remembering the strange look in Cosette''s eyes just moments ago. After all that ruckus, he returned to his room. Now, all he could do was lie t on his back with his arm over his forehead, wondering what happened to Cosette.

    "Why does she look so devastated?" he wondered.

    His eyes cracked open ever so slowly after a minute of silence. "Was it because of her grandparents? Butбн why? I thought she would be happy since she was crying and kept saying she missed them?"

    No matter how hard Maxen thought about it, he couldn''t just think of anything else that could devastate her. Cosette never showed anything, and even if she was stressed, she would certainly voice it out.

    "Ughбн! I''m so worried about her."

    While Maxen was grumbling about what could have happened to Cosette, the girl he was worried about sat on the chair in her room. Lucia had hurriedly prepared her new clothes to change while Conrad stayed with her.

    "Cozie." Worry filled Conrad''s eyes as he looked at his daughter wrapped in a towel. "If there''s something wrong, you can always tell me. Just tell me what happened."

    Cosette lowered her eyes and kept quiet, increasing the worry in her father''s heart. But before Conrad could reassure her, she spoke.

    "I missed you," she whispered, clutching the damp towel on herp. "I missed you so much and I''m so grateful that you''re my father."

    "Cozieбн"

    Cosette raised her head to looked at Conrad in the eye. The side of her lips curled up, and relief pooled in her soft, watery eyes. She raised a hand, touching Conrad''s cheek.

    "I''m so grateful, Papa," she repeated under her breath, her voice almost cracking. "I''m so gratefulбн am I shameless to feel this way?"

    "Cosette." Conrad breathed out, cupping her face. "Was being grateful a sin?"

    He bit his lips to stop them from trembling. "Forgive me if I had been busy and cannot focus on you. Did you feel lonely?" His throat bobbed, unable to discern how to react in a situation like this.

    Conrad had always kept himself together and wouldn''t budge no matter what storm woulde his way. However, seeing her as if she had her entire world crumbled broke his heart. If he could only take away whatever affliction she was feeling right at this moment, he would volunteer to take it.

    "Papa is sorry." He extended his arm and took her into his embrace, patting her back gently. "I''m sorry if I made you sad. I know how you had always sought time to spend with him. Cosette, I apologize.

    Conrad apologized for neglecting her and for being hard on her, making her cry on his shoulder. She wanted to tell him there was no need to apologize, that she was crying because of apletely different reason, but she couldn''t.

    All Cosette could do was cry until she was huping.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Please, forgive Papa, just this once, hmm?" Conrad continued.

    ''No, Dad.'' Cosette mentally shook her head, clutching his back tightly. ''That is notбн I don''t deserve your apology. I should be the one apologizing to you. I have many, many things to say sorry for.''

    "Master, the bath бк" Lucia halted as Conrad raised a hand to stop her. He waved mildly, and it was Lucia''s cue to leave. However, just as Lucia was about to turn around, Cosette broke her silence.

    "I''ll take a bath now." Cosette drew away from him and straightened her back. She wiped the tears with the back of her hand, forcing a smile to lessen his worries. "Sorry for what I did tonight. I was justбн startled, but I''m fine."

    "Cozie."

    Cosette stood up, making him stand as well. Seeing the worry in his eyes, she pressed her lips and reached for his hand. Her eyes softened, brushing his knuckles with her thumbs before looking up to meet his eyes.

    "I''m okay now. Don''t worry," she reassured, almost like she didn''t just cry just now. "I also want to rest for the night."

    Cosette then nced at Lucia standing on the side. "Nana, please help my dad out. I will want to sort out my thoughts first."

    "Cosette."

    "I''ll be fine." She faced Conrad again. "What will I do if you get sick because of me? I''m not the only one who stayed under the pouring rain, so please."

    His jaw clenched, rocking his head in understanding. "Sure. Lucia, help Cozie. I''ll go once she got inside."

    "Young Miss." Lucia hurriedly approached the father-daughter. She bowed at Conrad slightly, then faced Cosette whilst holding the young miss''s arm. "Let''s go."

    Cosette held Conrad''s gaze for a while before snapping her eyes ever so tenderly. She forced a short smile and then followed Lucia to the bathroom.

    As the two walked away, Conrad let out a deep exhale. He stared at his daughter''s back worriedly until the door shut behind them.

    "Cosette," he whispered, eyes full of bitterness and worry. Just now, he felt like he wasn''t talking to his daughter. Or rather, the way Cosette talked, the look in her eyes, her expression, and just the air around her felt like the Cosette he used to know.

    Although there were traces of that happy-go-lucky Cosette, he couldn''t help but feel that distinct difference. Not that it made any difference, since she would always be his daughter, but it worried him.

    "What happened?" he wondered under his breath. "Does this have something to do with your grandparents?"

    Conrad couldn''t tell for sure what forced Cosette to the edge. Whatever it was, he was determined to make her feel better.

 Chapter 130 [Bonus ]The True Intention Of Her Heart

    When Cosette and Lucia entered the bathroom, her nanny didn''t waste time helping her have a quick shower and prepared her change of clothes. Lucia also prepared tea and medicines to prevent her from having a cold. But throughout all that, Cosette was silent.

    "Young Missбн" Lucia called worriedly when she couldn''t take Cosette''s silence anymore. She looked at Cosette through the vanity mirror as she dry the young miss'' hair, standing behind Cosette, hands on the towel over thetter''s head.

    "You can always tell me if there''s something wrong," Lucia offered gently. "If there''s something that''s bothering you, my ears are always open."

    Cosette smiled bitterly, raising her swollen eyes at her. "Nana."

    "Yes, young miss?"

    "I''m really d to see you." Cosette held Lucia''s hand, turning on her seat to face Lucia while still sitting down. "Thank you for always taking care of me."

    "Young missбн" The worry in Lucia''s heart heightened. "Why are you suddenly bringing that up? It makes me worry about you more."

    Cosette chuckle. "Don''t worry. I''m not dying."

    "Young miss!"

    "Nana." Cosette squeezed Lucia''s hand and slowly stood. "I just want to appreciate you for doing your best raising a brat like me."

    Lucia''s back stiffened when Cosette took a step forward, embracing her nanny for the first time in a long time. Thetter smiled, patting Lucia''s back gently.

    "Iбн didn''t have a mother growing up and dad had always been busy. If not for you and for everyone in here, I would feel very lonely. But because everyone here tries their best to make me happy in their own little way, Iбн was very grateful." Cosette''s eyes softened, thinking that from her previous timeline and the current one, everyone was the same. "Back then, I didn''t see that, though. I always felt alone and lonely, but the more I think about it, you, butler George, driver George, and everyone did their best to look after me. I wasn''t aloneбн I just didn''t look back to see the people who were there for me."

    "Sorry it took me a while to realize your efforts," she continued, doing her best her voice won''t crack.

    "Young miss, why are you suddenly бк" Lucia bit her lower lip, knowing one more word and she would ball her eyes.

    "It''s fine." Cosette chuckled, letting Lucia go as she drew back slightly. "I was just being sentimental, but I''m fine now. You don''t have to worry about me. Tell everyone I''m fine so they won''t worry too much."

    "But бк"

    "I''m not asking you to cover up for me," Cosette exined. "I''m telling you the truth. I''ll go rest for now, so you don''t have to worry, hmm?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucia looked at Cosette worriedly, but in the end, she nodded. "Alright."

    With that being said, Cosette sat down on the chair while Lucia continued to dry the young miss''s hair. When they were done, Lucia tucked Cosette in and stayed for a while until she was sure Cosette has already fallen asleep.

    "Young miss," Lucia whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed. She reached her hand out, brushing a few strands of hair away from Cosette''s forehead.

    "Please do not be sad anymore," she continued worriedly. "Everyone here only wishes that youбн will be happy. Please continue being happy; we will always be behind you."

    Lucia wiped the tear that rolled down her cheek. Cosette was like a daughter to her. She had watched her grow up, practically raising her since she was a baby. Hence, the pain in her heart was indescribable seeing Cosette bawl her eyes out.

    Lucia simply wanted Cosette to be happy. She watched the young miss from a bubbly young girl to a much more mature and distant teen. Seeing Cosette return to her bubbly personality and fixing her rtionship with her father relieved everyone from worrying about their young miss.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 With that being said, every servant also knew Cosette just as much as Conrad knew his daughter. And just after interacting with her, Lucia was certain Cosette was acting strange. Not the bad kind of strange, but more like the Cosette of a few months ago and the young miss everyone was used to colliding into one.

    "Please rest well." Lucia sighed, tossing the idea at the back of her mind. After all, Cosette might''ve changed over the past months, but she was still the Cosette everyone knew. She just got a bitбн mischievous.

    Lucia made sure the nket was properly covering Cosette''s body before she left. When she was by the door, she looked back once more and smiled subtly. However, she didn''t say anything anymore as she closed the door behind her.

    Little did Lucia know, the second she closed the door, Cosette opened her eyes ever so slowly. She nced at the shut door before staring at the ceiling.

    "What was I doing?" she mumbled, letting out a deep exhale. "I''m worrying everyone."

    Cosette closed her swollen eyes to rest them for a bit. She didn''t move in her position for a while, but when she reopened her eyes, Cosette assisted herself to sit upright. Without a word, she flung her legs out, walked toward her desk, and picked up the journal inside the drawer.

    Her eyes softened as soon as she read the title on the first page, smiling bitterly before flipping the page to the next. Cosette wrote all these entries, but it still felt different while reading them now.

    There were so many happy memories, and although she appreciated it before, the impact on her now felt different. And before she know it, her eyes were already shedding tears. She covered her mouth to muffle her cry so no one could hear lest anyone was pacing back and forth in front of her room in worry.

    "Maxenбн" came out a muffled voice, caressing his name, which she had written herself right next to a heart. "Iбн came ten years back. Am I shameless toбн seek happiness now, regardless of what you and I did before? Can weбн now be normal? And have our own happy ending?"

 Chapter 131 I Just Dont Want To Be Alone

    Maxen tossed and turn on the bed, trying to get some sleep. However, no matter how long he had his eyes closed, he couldn''t fall asleep. The look in Cosette''s eyes would hover over his head repeatedly, forcing Maxen to sit up in frustration.

    Knowing he wouldn''t sleep in this state, Maxen decided to take a quick shower to clear his head. And so he did.

    As Maxen walked out of the bath, wearing just a robe, to the bed, he heard a faint knock on the door. He stopped drying his hair, letting the towel rest over his head.

    "Who could it be?" he wondered, furrowing his brows. It was already three in the morning, so Maxen was a bit baffled about who and what was the purpose of this sudden disturbance. To get the answer, Maxen sauntered towards the door and opened it without a second hesitation.

    The second Maxen opened the door, his pupils dted as soon as his eyes fell on the person standing outside.

    "Cosette?" he furrowed his brows, looking at her from head to toe. She was still in her new pairs of pajamas and hair tied in a messy bun. What caught Maxen''s attention was her puffy eyes and the redness on the tip of her nose.

    Cosette slowly raised her eyes at him, studying his face for a moment. When her eyes fell on his cor and a part of his exposed chest, Maxen cleared his throat.

    "Cozie, what are you doing here? At this hour?" he asked worriedly, watching her raise her eyes at him. The moment he locked eyes with her, his heart clenched. "What is wrong?"

    "I can''t sleep," came out a quiet and rasped voice. "Can I sleep here?"

    "What?"

    "I want to sleep here." This time, Cosette didn''t beat around the bush and rephrased her request. "Can I?"

    Maxen opened and closed his mouth before he breathed out deeply. "You can''t." He shook his head. "You aren''t even allowed to approach my roomбн or at least, with just the two of us."

    "No, Max. You are not the one who isn''t allowed to approach my room. That doesn''t apply to me." Cosette took a step forward, making him step back at her gutsy aura.

    "Cosette."

    "I''m going crazy, Max. I don''t know what to do anymore. If I go back to my room now and stay there all aloneбн I don''t know what I will do."

    Maxen''s breath hitched, studying her eyes. He knew Cosette thus, he knew at one nce she wasn''t joking. There was a moment of silence between them with neither of them speaking nor looking away.

    "Your dad might kill me, but sure." He gave in, opening the door wide open for her. Maxen stepped aside, motioning his arm for her to enter. "Go."

    Cosette nced at him and rocked her head, entering his room without a second hesitation. A deep exhale slipped past Maxen''s lips, gazing at her back as she entered his room.

    ''I don''t know what she''s thinking anymore,'' he told himself, not even having any slight silly idea of staying in one room with her. Maxenzily reached for the door and closed it. However, just before he could follow her, he froze when she spoke.

    "Lock it."

    "Wha бк What?" he nearly gasped, looking at Cosette who walked straight towards the window. Maxen furrowed his brows as she didn''t reply anymore. He held on to the lock, sighing in distress.

    In the end, Maxen withdrew his hand and didn''t lock the door. He then walked towards the bed, standing several steps from it.

    "Did you lock it?" she asked, her back facing him.

    "No, Cozie. I didn''t." His answer was quick and firm. "You can sleep here, but I don''t want others to have any silly idea."

    The side of her lips curled, biting her tongue to stop herself fromughing. "Max, do you think the moment you let me in, people will think nothing happened?" she slowly turned around to face him, making him crease his brows at the yfulness in her eyes.

    "Even if something or nothing happened, people will still think there must be something. It''s better if we at least make it happen, right? So we won''t feel so wrong."

    "What?" Maxen let out a dryugh, in disbelief at her remarks. "Cosette, what did you say?"

    "Nothing." She shrugged. "I''m just letting you know I don''t care if something happened. I want it. I want you. But if you don''t want to, then that''s fine too. I just don''t want to be alone tonight."

    Cosette pressed her lips and held her hands behind her, taking huge steps towards the bed. Cosette then jumped on the bed, bouncing as shended on the side.

    "Thank you for letting me in, Max." She smiled sweetly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen was rendered speechless as he watched her move the nket. One second, he almost didn''t recognize Cosette. Her bluntness didn''t sound reckless bbering but a decisive one. Maxen never saw that look in her eyes too. And then the next second, when she smiled, the Cosette he knew was back.

    Was he just imagining it? No, he definitely didn''t. Something was going on, and Cosette was just keeping it to herself. Something had changed even if she act everything was alright.

    "What are you doing?" Her voice brought Maxen back to the currentpse. "Aren''t you going to change? Or do you like sleeping naked?"

    "Huh?" His brows rose, looking down, realizing he was still in a bathrobe. "Tsk."

    Cosette bit her lower lip, watching him stomp his feet away to the walk-in closet for Maxen. As soon as the door slid closed, the side of her lips curled up.

    "How cute," she whispered, moving her butt until her back was against the headboard. "If this was before, he would''ve dragged me in the second he saw me standing outside his doorsteps."

    Cosette waited for Maxen to get changed, looking around the room. Maxen''s room wasn''t like any teenage boy would have. It was almost in; he didn''t decorate it to his taste, thinking he had no right to do so.

    "Well, it''s not like he is the picky one," she mumbled, rocking her head in understanding. "For him, as long as he had a bed to sleep on, he''s cool."

    Her subtle smile grew gentler, moving her soft eyes to the door of his walk-in closet. It was almost funny how Maxen had a walk-in closet when she was certain бк even though she hadn''t seen it herself бк that it was empty.

    Maxen was a cheapskate right now. He wasn''t the man who would splurge on suits and grand things. She hadn''t seen him buy anything expensive for himself, saving almost everything up for his future.

    "I missed him," she whispered. "That Maxen. I missed him."

    As soon as thest sybles of her words fell from her lips, the door she was staring at slid open. Her lips stretched wider, catching Maxen wearing a sweater and sweatpants. His eyes instantly locked with her as he closed the door behind him.

    "You sleep there. I''m going to sleep on theбн" Maxen looked around, only to regret the head butler''s and Cosette''s suggestion to decorate his room lest he would have visitors. "I''ll sleep on the floor."

    ''It''s not like there''s a problem sleeping on the floor.'' He told himself.

    "I''ll ask someone to bring me some extra nkets," he remarked, about to head outside to ask for a nket and let Conrad know Cosette was in his room. He didn''t want Conrad to have the wrong idea. However, just as he took three steps, he stopped.

    "Why sleep on the floor when there''s enough space for two?" Cosette tilted her head to the side, watching him sigh before looking back at her. She patted the empty side of the bed.

    "I promise I won''t do anything funny. I know you''re not ready to be defiled; I won''t bite."

    "Cosette." Maxen ran his fingers through his hair in distress. "Why are you doing this?"

    "Am I being interrogated?"

    "No, but I don''t understand."

    "Don''t you want to spend some time with me?"

    Maxen ground his teeth, pacing back and forth before he dropped his hand. He then walked towards the bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress, eyes fixed on her.

    "It''s not about whether I want to spend some time with you or want you out. Cozie, you know how sensitive we have been and sleeping togetherбн did I make you angry to torture me like this?"

    "Maxen Devi бк Cloven, I already said I don''t mind if something happened between us. What is it you do not understand with the words I said? I want it. I want you. But it''s also fine if you don''t want it to happen since I understand you respect my dad, and you do not want to get caught up in the heat of the moment." Cosette''s breathing shook, reaching her hand to him.

    "I just want you to hold me, Max. Just for tonight. I don''t want to sleep alone. Is that too much to ask?"

    Maxen''s heart clenched at seeing theyers of emotions slowly peel away in her eyes, revealing the deep sadness and desperation in them. He huffed faintly, holding her hand with his thumb.

    "Fine." Again, Maxen gave in, but this time, it wasn''t because she asked. He agreed because he wanted to console her.

    Her lips curled up subtly as she nodded. "Thank you," she whispered, moving aside as Maxen slipped under the nket.

 Chapter 132 Ten And Milk

    "Won''t you ask me what happened?" Cosette broke the prolonged silence, lying t on her back with Maxen beside her. Both of them kept their eyes on the ceiling; the room was warmly lit to help them fall asleep.

    "Should I?" Maxen returned under his breath. "Will you tell me?"

    Cosette blinked ever so tenderly. "I dreamed about the novel I was reading."

    "That novel?"

    "Not that one you saw." She chuckled weakly. "It''s another one."

    "What about it?"

    "It''s about a beautifuldy. She''s a celebrity: beautiful, talented, and warm. Amid a crisis that involved matters of the heart, she met this guy. They clicked the first time they met, and their meetings grew frequent as if fate wanted them to be together. Eventually, they fell in love." Cosette smiled subtly. "It was a good story."

    "Then why are you crying about it?"

    "Becauseбн of the viin in their story." Maxen cast her a sidelong nce, only to see her keep her gaze at the ceiling. "The viin, let''s call him Rotten, Ten for short."

    "What about him?"

    "Well, he did all sorts of bad things."

    "How bad?"

    "Anything you deem terrible. Heбн was the worst. He kills without conscience, ordered a group of men to vite the poordy, and pushed her to the brink of insanity to break the story''s leads apart. In the end, he died a terrible death."

    "He deserved it, then."

    "He did. What he didбн was unforgivable."

    "Why do you feel bad for him?" he asked out of in curiosity, staring at the ceiling. "Those kinds of characters are meant to die, anyway."

    Cosette bit her inner lower lip. "Because he did it, not because he felt any affection or attraction towards the female lead. Ten did it for someone else, believing she will be happy. Let''s call herбн Milk."

    "Let me guess. This personбн this Milk likes the male lead?" he chuckled weakly.

    "She doesn''t. Ten misunderstood her."

    "What?"

    "Ten is someone who wouldn''t make this world a better ce if he lives. However, for Milk, he''s her happiness. Milk loved him very much. Even if it was wrong to love a felon like him and it''s impossible for the two of them to be together happily, she loved him," Cosette exined, trying her best to keep her voice from cracking.

    "Whyбн is it impossible for them together? It''s a romance book. They could just run away."

    "Milk was dying."

    This time, Maxen turned his head to look at her side profile. His lips curled down, seeing the liquid forming in the corner of her eyes. But her tears didn''t fall.

    "Milk is a selfish woman. She kept her condition from him for as long as she could, cherishing every moment with him, lying to him with a smile, and thenбн left him." Cosette breathed out heavily. "She left Ten, telling him all sorts of harsh things, knowing full well her words cut his heart like a knife."

    "Ten loved her, so he let her go even when he was selfish himself," she continued. "They cut all theirmunications, only for him to see her monthster. Milk didn''t know at that time that Ten had attended the same event, watching her from a distance while she stared at the leads of the story."

    "Ten thought Milk was sad because she fell in love with the male lead. He misunderstood why she had to drink that night to wash down the pain in her heart. He had the worst timing ever." Cosette chuckled bitterly. "Under the influence of alcohol, Milk spewed all sorts of nonsense just to chase him away."

    "She told him she was in love with someone else?" Maxen inquired and chuckled. "They''re both foolish."

    "They were. If only Milk knew the consequences of that encounter, she would''ve just said something else. But it was already said and done, and the damages it caused were irreparable."

    "Why didn''t she stop him?" he kept his eyes on her side profile. "Did she die?"

    "No. She lived for a few years after his death." Cosette slowly rolled to her side to face him. "But she had early onset dementia. The day she nned to meet him, sheбн experienced an episode and totally forgot everything she was nning to do."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Fortunately, she knew her illness will soon devour her bit by bit. That''s why Milk wrote their story so she wouldn''t forget how happy the rtionship the leads had before Ten and her ruined them," she added with a slight smile, staring at him straight in the eye. "Ten died a miserable death and everyone said he deserved it, but Milkбн she got to live. I bet people mourned for her when she died. She didn''t deserve it, did she?"

    Cosette lowered her eyes. "Innocent people died because of her. Ten wouldn''t wreak havoc, taking innocent lives if not for Milk."

    "But she was punished. She had a disease."

    "Whyбн was her punishment came way before the crime?" she replied bitterly. "Either way, I feel very sorry for them, especially for Ten and those in the story."

    Maxen remained silent while observing her somber expression. A shallow breath slipped past his nostrils before his lips parted.

    "Don''t be," he said, making her raise her eyes at him. "I''m sure Ten was aware doing a good or bad deed wouldn''t change his life. He was a felon way before meeting Milk, and he had done grave sins that were already irreparable."

    "His lifeбн is irredeemable. I''m sure he didn''t regretmitting all those crimes, even if it was a misconception," Maxen added with a slight smile. "Ten seemed like he sincerely like Milk, and if we look into more of his character as a felon, someone like him probably had just one wish. That was to make sure the only good thing that happened in his life was for her to be happier even without him."

    "He would be even more devastated if Milk told him she was dying. I won''t be surprised if he just cremates the entire world before holding a funeral for her," he continued as if he personally know the viin of the story she was talking about. But it was not that he knew, but if he put himself in the viin''s shoes, he could understand him.

    Maxen''s life was already leading to that route, if not for Cosette''s interference. He wouldn''t mind if that was the life he led, actually. His life was just a series of misfortune and turning out to be a felon wouldn''t be a surprise.

    "If I am Tenбн I don''t think I can bear to live if I lose the only good thing бк the only woman I loved. She can''t die before me; I''ll die the second she stops breathing," he concluded, raising a hand to tuck a portion of her hair behind her ear. "You were crying because of them?"

    "Mhm." She hummed, smiling subtly at him. "They were tragic lovers."

    Maxen pressed his lips into a thin line, pondering about what could console her. "Well, maybe, pray that they will meet in hell? Maybe they''ll get their happy ending then."

    Cosette chuckled at his reply. It was strange, especially for the hell part.

    "Well, there''s this fanfiction." She smacked her lips and grinned. "They are having a story of their own."

    "Really? What? A story of how they both turned into kick-ass criminals?"

    "No." She shook her head, raising her hand to hold his hand between them. "Milk returned ten years prior, thinking she was inside the story she had been reading while in the hospital, carrying her child-like mind because of her dementia."

    "And?"

    "She ns to change Ten''s life." Her lips stretched wider. "Milk had been and will always be selfish. Of course, she feels bad for what happened, but all she cares about was her own love story. Nothing has happened yet since the story between the original leads hadn''t started, but I''m following it and looking forward to a satisfying ending. It''s like a healing journey."

    His eyes softened seeing the luster in her eyes. Just moments ago, Cosette looked depressed. But the more she stared at him, the more her eyes grew clear and her smile stretched wider.

    ''I don''t know what''s going on in her head, but it seemed she hade to terms with whatever troubling her.'' Maxen secretly sighed in relief. His eyes then fell on their hands between them as theyy on their sides, facing each other.

    "Maxen," Cosette called, snapping him back to the currentpse.

    "Hmm?" he hummed, looking back at her."

    Cosette''s smile grew into a grin and, without a second hesitation, she tossed her body to him. She flung her arms around him, resting a leg over his leg, and squeezing her body to him.

    "How cute," she teased, grinning mischievously as she looked up at him. "Why do you always stiffen when I catch you off guard?"

    "Cosette."

    "Goodnight!" Cosette perked her head up, stealing a kiss on his lips with a giggle. "I want to sleep like this. Sofy~!"

    Maxen''s mouth opened and closed, rendered speechless by her shameless actions. He gazed down and sighed, moving his arms, only for her limbs to tighten around him.

    "I knew you''re up to something," he mumbled before rxing his body on the bed, carefully snaking his arm around her to embrace her. "Good night, Cozie."

    Maxen lowered his head and nted a kiss on top of her head, making Cosette grin happily. She might''ve felt bad and would forever regret driving Maxen to his death. However, Cosette had thought long and hard about it beforeing to his room.

    She could still change things. She had done a good job so far. Therefore, she just needed to continue it for the sake of her own happiness and everyone else. That was the only way to forgive herself for ruining everyone''s lives.

 Chapter 133 The Promise She Kept

    Even though Cosette sleptte, she still woke up two hourster. Her lips curled up subtly as her eyes softened with affection, having Maxen as the first person she had seen. It reminded her of those beautiful yet fleeting memories of the past.

    "Maxen," she whispered, caressing his face with her fingertips. "I kept my promise. It''s not a ''what if'' scenario anymore. It''s happening."

    Her smile stretched wider, thinking that she still did many things she had promised to do if she was given a chance to relive this life. Although she didn''t remember until now, her heart remembered Maxen and her strong desire so they could have a story of their own that would end happily, not tragically.

    ''I''ll protect you this lifetime.'' She pledge in her heart, moving her face closer until her forehead was touching his forehead. ''This timeбн I will be the one who will make sure you''ll be happy. That''s why continue living and doing the hell you want. I''ll give the world if that is what you want, so please be happy.''

    Cosette closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath. When she drew her head back and her eyes fell on his beautiful sleeping face, she smiled sweetly.

    ''I promise youбн you won''t go through all that again.''

    Cosette idled on his side, staring at him to her heart''s content. After a while, she carefully slipped away so she wouldn''t wake him up. Once she was out of bed, Cosette tiptoed her way out to make lunch boxes, nning to continue what she had been doing all this time.

    Everyone was used to Cosette working in the kitchen early in the morning. No one noticed the direction she came from as she started working in the kitchen to make their lunchboxes. Cosette barely had any sleep, but she didn''t feel sleepy.

    Arranging the lunch boxes, a smile dominated her face. She had finished her lunch box and Conrad, now working on Maxen''s lunchbox.

    "I''m so silly," she mumbled to herself, chuckling while shaking her head.

    Initially, Cosette started making lunch boxes so Maxen would have anything to eat. She used it to tug his conscience, and it worked way better than she expected. But now that she remembered everything, Cosette had another reason to do this.

    Back then, she cooked for Maxen for the first time after knowing her deteriorating health. Maxen happily ate the food she made herself, but when Cosette had a taste of it, she realized how bad it was. And yet, he ate it all as if he had starved.

    She promised at that time to cook for him until she gets better since Maxen had a bad eating habit. Sometimes he would just have coffee the whole day.

    In other words, a part of her had nurtured this desire to be a housewife. It was silly for Cosette since she was a career woman. However, she wanted to take care of Maxen and now, she was doing that even though she had forgotten that part.

    ''I don''t know why this happened, but I''m grateful. This timeбн it''s our story that I am going to write. Not someone else''s.'' Her lips stretched wider as her mood slowly peaked.

    Cosette then resumed decorating Maxen''s lunch box happily, humming a tune, starting her day on a good note.

    ******

    When Maxen woke up, he immediately spread his hands on the side of the bed where Cosette slept. A deep exhale slipped past his lips, realizing she had left. Maxen checked the bedside table and saw it was thirty minutes before six in the morning.

    "What time did she wake up?" he wondered, idling on the bed, knowing he had more time. "We sleptte, so I thought she will oversleep."

    Maxen remained silent, stretching his limbs to keep his blood flowing. After that, he pushed himself until he was sitting up. His legs were out of the bed, feet touching the carpet. Maxen rested his arms on his thigh, mustering his energy to get change and go through his quick morning routine before joining breakfast.

    As he stayed seated on the edge of the mattress, Maxen could not help but recall Cosette''s storyst night. She sounded very sad for the viin and his love interest, but then she looked relieved before sleeping.

    "I hope she''s feeling better now," he mumbled, gazing up at the shut door. "She keeps worrying me. How can she cry over a fictional character?"

    A weak chuckle slipped past Maxen''s mouth, knowing the reason Cosette would make a fuss over a character. She preferred reading over watching, and she had always told him it was better.

    "Even though reading sometimes devastates her." He chuckled. "She always has the biggest heart. That''s why she shed tears so easily."

    Maxen didn''t think much about what happenedst night anymore as he pushed himself up. He tossed the thought at the back of his head, assuming everything was already fine and Cosette seemed to havee to terms with the cause of her tearsst night.

    "Should I snitch myself again?" he wondered as he marched towards the bathroom to do his morning ritual. "Her dad will kill me at this rate. Should I find a ce to avoid this from happening?"

    Maxen stopped in front of the sink and looked at himself in the mirror. A scoff escaped his mouth, thinking about the sudden idea that crossed his head.

    "Is that really the reason? To avoid? Or to have a private ce for the two of us?" Maxen snorted at himself, shaking his head, knowing his perverted side. Fortunately, it was supertest night and Cosette didn''t do anything to trigger him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Still, it felt nice to sleep with her in his embrace. His face brightened up, obviously in a good mood for the sole reason he could still feel her warmth. And her lingering scent stuck to his skin. Good thing he had showered just hours ago, so he didn''t need to shower before going to school.

    ******

    "Are you alright now?" Conrad asked Cosette as he sat down in the head seat to join her for breakfast. Cosette nodded, sitting on his right. The seat across from her where Maxen would usually sit was empty.

    "Maxen probably overslept," she muttered, but still smiled as she looked back at Conrad. "I''m fine now, Papa. Sorry for worrying you."

    "Will you tell me the problem now?"

    "There''s no problem." She shook her head. "I told youst night I missed you so very mega much."

    Conrad observed the bright smile stered on her face and secretly sighed in relief. He knew his daughter. He was the only person Cosette wouldn''t fool, no matter how good she was at hiding her feelings. Hence, he was certain his daughter wasn''t faking it.

    "I told Warren I''ll be working from home for now," he announced solemnly.

    "Pardon?"

    "I hadn''t been staying in the house that much for the past months. So I want to rest."

    Cosette smiled subtly in relief, which Conrad noticed. Seeing her expression, he was relieved to know he made the right call. It seemed to have made her sincerely happy.

    "What about your meetings?" she asked out of in curiosity.

    "I will only meet the most important people. Warren can do the negotiations for the rest."

    "I seeбн" Cosette smacked her lips and grinned. "Then that''s good. Papa, you should also watch out for your health. Although you are handsome and don''t seem to age at all, you need to take care of your health."

    Cosette happily reminded him as she offered to serve him food, which he allowed. His lips stretched gently, pleased to listen to her nagging as if she was his mother.

    "What is money if we''re going to use it to pay for our medical bills, right?" she sat back in her seat, keeping her bright smile. "Take it easy. It''s not like you have to prove something anymore. You''re the best father I could ever ask for."

    Conrad chuckled. "Did you do something I should get mad about? You keep ttering me."

    "Of course not. I''m not ttering you, though. What I''m saying is a fact." Cosette dawdled, stressing each word to get her point across. She then leaned closer and whispered yelled. "You''re even better than CEO Quinn. Isn''t that why he kept annoying you?"

    "You don''t have to take it that far." Conrad shook his head with a chuckle, but when he set his eyes back to her, he rocked his head in agreement. "It''s not that I''m better. He''s just bad at it."

    Cosette broke out inughter, like a little evil for making fun of Maynard Quinn. However, Cosette and Conrad knew Maynard wasn''t that bad. It was just that the man had a different parenting way.

    As the two of themughed together, sharing a warm ambiance in the dining room, Maxen smiled subtly. He stood at the entrance silently, darting his eyes between Cosette and Conrad as the two happily chatted.

    The atmosphere in the dining hall had always been warm, with Cosette in it. And only now did Maxen truly realize how different it appeared from another point of view.

    ''A part of me doesn''t ruin this sceneбн'' he thought, only to snap his eyes when Conrad set his eyes in his direction.

    "Maxen, what are you doing there?" asked Conrad, while Cosette slowly turned her eyes in his direction. "Join us for breakfast. You''ll bete."

    "We''ve been waiting for you," Cosette chimed in with a wide grin. "Come!"

    ''I''mбн grateful,'' Maxen whispered in his head as he joined the two of them, thankful to be a part of this small family that weed him with open arms.

 Chapter 134 Rebellious

    Days had gone by in a blur for Cosette. She still acted the same with everyone, appreciating every minute, even though school life was a recurring event. The only difference was that her ssmates would sometimes do something silly, but that had been the highlight of her day.

    However, Cosette had noticed something these past five days since the start of school. And that wasбн

    Cosette turned her attention to the empty desk on her right.

    ''He skipped today again,'' she thought, staring at Luke''s empty desk. ''Is he being rebellious now?''

    Cosette pondered about Luke''s well-being. There were many reasons Luke would rebel; he was at the age, after all. Moreover, he had always been rebellious even when they were adults.

    ''Still, I''m bothered. He transferred school because of me,'' she thought, turning to her left where Maxen was sitting. The corner of her lips curled up subtly, watching him writing down notes seriously.

    ''Does he have any idea how hot he looks right now?'' she wondered, chuckling inwardly, satisfied just having to watch him at arm''s length. ''Althoughбн I miss those days we don''t bother putting on clothes.''

    A shallow breath slipped past her lips, thinking about how she went from the sweet sixteen-year-old teen to a corrupted teen. It wasn''t that she was in a hurry to lose her virginity, knowing to whom she nned to give it up.

    ''He will have a heart attack if I sneak in his room and undress before him.'' She chuckled in her mind, shaking her head as she looked at their teacher in front. ''Who would have thought the great Maxen Devilsinбн''

    "Devilsinбн" she whispered.

    A glint flickered across her eyes at the thought of Maxen''s surname. Right now, Maxen was using his mother''s surname.

    ''I came at the right time,'' she told herself. ''But I''m still too young. Knowing what sort of people that criminal organization nurtured, Max will be in danger.''

    Cosette remained silent, pondering on her next movements. There were many advantages that came along with her memories. But that didn''t mean there were no disadvantages. For instance, her guilt for being the cause of many deaths lingered in her heart.

    ''At least, I can prepare if that ever happened.'' Cosette mentally nodded, sneaking a nce at Maxen. ''I won''t let that damn father of yours get his hands on you. Even if I have to put a bullet in his head myself.''

    Cosette slowly peeled her sharp eyes from Maxen, only to set them on the empty desk on her right. She still has time to prepare for the turning point of Maxen''s life. Right now, there were certain issues she had to fix.

    Cosette raised her hand to get the teacher''s attention.

    "Yes, Cosette?" asked the teacher, making the students set their eyes on the beauty of their ss.

    "May I go out? I need to use the restroom."

    "Be quick." The teacher rocked her head in understanding, being more understanding to Cosette since she was a model student. As Cosette stood from her seat, the teacher resumed her lecture.

    Meanwhile, Cosette looked back at Maxen because he was staring at her. She said nothing and simply shed him a smile.

    ''I''ll be back,'' she mouthed at Maxen before turning around, sauntering off silently.

    Once Cosette closed the door behind her, she looked back. Everyone was still silent as the teacher continued her lecture. Cosette shrugged, walking through the hallway to the floor''s restroom. However, instead of going straight to the restroom, Cosette made a turn to the stairs.

    As she jogged her way down, Cosette checked her wristwatch. It was about time for the teacher to leave, so she wouldn''t notice that Cosette would take some time.

    ''That troublesome Quinnбн'' she clicked her tongue in irritation. ''If he''s going to rebel, he should return to the Academy. His brother will use this as some sort of pathetic reason to berate me.''

    A frown resurfaced on her face. At the end of the day, Luke transferred to Winter High because of Cosette. So in a way, she was responsible to look after him. Of course, that was the least of Cosette''s concerns.

    It was not like Cosettepletely changed. In her heart, Luke was still her dear friend, and she wanted him to do better than in their first lives. They had so many regrets back then. Hence, although her priority was Maxen, Luke was also a part of her mission.

    She wanted Luke to be happyбн while being out of Asher''s shadow and without the strict rules of the traditional Quinn family.

    Cosette looked for ces around the school where Luke could possibly hang out. She went to the canteen, to the gym, and even to the unused rooms. When she didn''t find him, Cosette decided to check the back part of the school.

    As soon as she did reach the back part of the school, Cosette''s steps slowly came to a halt. Her eyes lingered on the people group of students idling at the corner.

    ''Of all peopleбн'' Cosette breathed out, sporting a fearless front as she approached the group. The closer she was, the clearer the activity these students were doing.

    "Wowбн you''re good at this!" Emyr, the delinquent that ambushed Maxen into the staircase on the first day of ss, eximed. He looked at Luke, who was across him, as they were ying poker.

    There were also two other participants, squatting down while they used an old barrel as the table. Cosette nced at the other students just chatting around, counting in her head. There were at least ten students including the four that were gambling with real money.

    "Aish.. I''m just lucky!" Luke happily denied it, tossing a small bill to them aspensation. As he took the pot money, he froze as a shadow suddenly stretched over him and onto the table.

    The four students slowly raised their heads. Their eyes slowly dted, seeing the school beauty looking down on them coldly. To their surprise, her cold countenance was instantly reced by a big smile.

    "Luke, you seem to have loads of money. Will you buy me some snacks?" she tilted her head to the side, making Luke furrow his brows. "I''m a bit hungry."

    "So, she''s the beauty everyone is talking about?" Emyr murmured, staring at Cosette in awe. He hadn''t attended the ss, but he heard about the school beauty lingering around Maxen. They were just too busy to check since Luke had been keeping them busy with all these fun activities.

    "Cozie, I бк"

    "Let''s go?" she kept her attention on Luke, keeping her sweet smile at him. "I was worried that I hadn''t seen you for days now. It''s about lunchtime now."

    Luke''s mouth fell open, staring at her bright smile. Although it was the usual smile she would always have on her face, the hair behind his neck raised. Heughed awkwardly, getting the hint Cosette was about to kill her.

    "You''re hungry?" he asked, and she nodded in response. "Then, buy some for me too."

    Luke handed her a bigger bill and looked away. There was no way he would walk to the fiery pits of hell voluntarily. However, what he didn''t expect was for Cosette to ept the bill, only to tear it in half.

    "Oy!" one of the students sprung up to his feet, shocked how she just tore the money without batting an eye.

    "Oh noбн" Cosette frowned, teary-eyed. "I identally tore it."

    "Whatбн" the student gasped but was unable to muster the energy to get angry at how pitiful she looked right now. Meanwhile, Luke gasped in disdain.

    ''That''s my cue to run.'' Luke told himself, springing up to make a run for it. However, Cosette had seen iting, grabbing the back of his cor.

    "Ack!" Luke gagged, surprised at how strong her grip was.

    "Can I borrow him for a moment?" Cosette smiled at the other three delinquents, wanting to leave a good impression on them. Since they were young and foolish without their leader around, she was certain they wouldn''t mind.

    "Uh, sure." Emyr nodded after observing Cosette and deciding she didn''t seem to have any ns to tattle on them.

    "Thank you." Her lips stretched even broader and brighter. "By the way, that shirt looks good on you."

    "What?" Emyr looked down at his unbuttoned uniform, wearing a ck graphic tee underneath. "It looks good on me?"

    The delinquent''s brows rose, but when he raised his head, Cosette was already dragging Luke away with her. He scratched the back of his head, as he wasn''t used to receiving anypliments.

    ****

    "Ouch ouch!" Luke yelled before Cosette let him go as they got away from the den of the delinquents.

    Cosette faced Luke squarely, folding her arms under her chest. Meanwhile, Luke was fixing his cor in irritation, but not once did he look at her straight in the eye. To his surprise, instead of getting scolded, the words that came out of her lips were something he didn''t expect.

    "Are you alright, Luke?"

 Chapter 135 First Heartache

    "Are you alright, Luke?"

    Luke knitted his brows, blinking twice to see better. His eyes weren''t deceiving him. Cosette looked upset, but the concern in her eyes was dominant. However, he bit his tongue and cleared his throat, ignoring the worry in her eyes.

    "Of course. I was having fun." He shoved his hands inside his pockets, sporting a nonchnt front. "Why did you drag me here? Are you really hungry?"

    "No. I''m not."

    "I knew it." He scoffed andughed in ridicule. "Then, why? What do you need?"

    "Answers."

    Luke smacked his lips as he rocked his head in understanding. "Are you going to ask why I am skipping sses? Cozie, I already know the subjects of each ss. They were already taught in middle school. I don''t need to waste my time on it."

    "Waste your time?" Cosette chuckled at his word choices. "Then why are you going to school if it''s a waste of time? Why not drop out and hang out?"

    "Because the society said I need a diploma."

    "You can afford to graduate and return to the academy." Cosette raised her chin up, looking at him sharply. "Drop out now."

    "What? Why would I do that?"

    "You transferred school because of me. One way or another, you are my responsibility. If you want to ruin your life or get in trouble by hanging out with the delinquents, do it elsewhere." Lukeughed in disbelief while Cosette kept her unfazed front. "I won''t let your family make me shoulder the responsibility if you were harmed."

    Luke scoffed in disbelief, questioning his ear if he heard her correctly.

    "Oy, Cosette. What the hell are you saying?" he pointed at her. "You''re being too much. That''s low. How can you make our Quinn family sounds like a bunch of con artists, eh?"

    "I didn''t say that. But you and I know if something bad happened, your father and grandparents will surely push the me on me and my father," Cosette argued in a matter-of-fact tone. "I don''t want to strain this friendship with such issues."

    Luke opened and closed his mouth, rendered speechless by everything she had spewed. He looked at her in disbelief, wondering where the hell did his sweet Cosette go. Was this how she get angry? She would speak cruelly?

    "You sound like my brother." Heughed sarcastically, scratching his temple. "Really. You really sound like him. It''s amazing."

    Luke then cocked his head to the side, forgetting why he was doing this. Everything Cosette said hit every nerve it could hit, upsetting him more and more until he was just furious.

    "Wowбн I heard you were my brother''s female version of the academy. It seemed they''re not baseless after all." He shoved his hand inside his pocket. "Oy, Cosette. Aren''t you being biased? You said I''m your friend, but when Maxen was skipping ss, you will follow and skip ss too. But now, you are asking me to drop out? That''s funny."

    Cosette remained silent, keeping her poker face. She exchanged eye contact with him before Luke shook his head and turned on his heel in disappointment. But as soon as his back faced her, a deep exhale slipped past her lips.

    "Don''tбн" she whispered, eyes glinting sharply. "... do anything for me, Luke."

    Luke halted on his third step, furrowing his brows. When he looked back, Cosette''s expression was still sharp, but the luster in her eyes made his breath hitch.

    "Don''t hang out with them just because you don''t want them bugging Maxen," Cosette continued, balling her hand into a tight fist. "Are you wondering how did I know? It''s simple. You already ran a background check on Maxen, and for sure, you knew about the bullies in this school."

    "Once they target Maxen, they will also target me. Hanging out with them and diverting their attention sounds good to protect us," she added, taking a step closer to him. "Don''t do anything for me, Luke. I appreciate it, but don''t ruin your life for someone else."

    His pupils went huge as he listen. Luke held his breath when Cosette was standing a step in front of him, biting his inner lower lip to keep himself together.

    "You''re wrong," he breathed out after a minute of silence. "You''re wrong, Cosette. I''m not diverting their attention to protect you."

    "Then what is?" she urged. "Don''t tell me you''re doing everyone a favor? If not for me, why are you doing this?"

    "You don''t have to know." Luke took a step back only for Cosette to sprawl her arms to grab his cor.

    "Why can''t I know?" she hissed, pulling him down until they were staring at each other eye to eye. "Why are you doing this?"

    Cosette clutched his cor tightly, studying how his face turned cold. The longer she looked into his eyes, another idea came across her head.

    "Youбн" she trailed off, trying to put the right words correctly. "What are you nning?"

    "I hate bullies. I may be a bully myself, but I hate it when people take it too far. I don''t like Max, but they were the sole reason he was so pitiful and he managed to use it to get through you." Luke held her hand that was clutching his cor, keeping his sharp gaze on her. "I am a Quinn and I will teach them all a lesson for making me miserable. You''ll hate me if I vent my anger to your beloved Maxen, right? But someone had to take the me."

    Luke carefully took her hand from his cor. He let her hand go, straightening his back, and looking back at her coldly.

    "Don''t skip ss." He turned on his heel. This time, he sauntered off without looking back.

    Meanwhile, Cosette could only stare at this back and sighed. She stayed in the same spot for minutes, scratching her temple while her other hand rested on her hips.

    "That crazyбн he''s giving me a headache." Cosette pinched the bridge of her nose, but not surprised at the cruel response she got from Luke.

    Just as the second young master of the Quinn said, someone had to take the me. Luke probably guessed the score between Cosette and Maxen, and since he didn''t want to hurt Maxen, he needed other people to me. Apparently, Luke chose those delinquents.

    This had always been the rotten system and norm in high society. It wasn''t any less unreasonable than those in the underground. The only difference was that those in the upper echelon hide their unreasonable and rotten reasoning under their refined facade.

    Cosette gazed in the direction where Luke disappeared, sighing. If she knew about this before retrieving her memories, she wouldn''t understand Luke. However, Cosette was an heiress and was once the chairperson of their BLK Corporation. Therefore, for someone who once had the world at her feet, Cosette couldn''t im innocence.

    "He will destroy them," she whispered, knowing Luke nned total destruction. He may act dumb most of the time, but Cosette was aware of what Luke was capable of. "Goodnessбн"

    Cosette ran her finger through her hair. "I wanted to keep my dainty persona, but he''ll definitely get hurt if he continues. He''s really troublesome."

    *****

    When Luke walked out on Cosette, he nned to return to the back of the school where she dragged him from. However, his feet took him somewhere and before he knew it, he was already on the school''s rooftop.

    He held the door open, looking around at the rooftop. Another deep breath slipped past his lips, closing the door behind him.

    Luke walked ahead and stopped in the middle. His hands were still shoved inside his pants, looking heavenward with eyes closed.

    "She didn''t have to be that cruel," he mumbled, opening his eyes ever so tenderly. "She didn''t have to rub how she favors him over me. Sometimes she can be very frustrating. It''s not like she didn''t have any idea of the oue of her words."

    The frown on his face deepened, dragging his feet on the corner. He then plopped his butt down on the corner where there was a shade, leaning his back against the dirty wall. He rested his arm over his knees, staring at the dirty floor in silence.

    "Drop out now."

    "You transferred school because of meбн"

    "... I don''t want to strain this friendship with such issues."

    "Don''tбн do anything for me, Luke."

    Luke let out a dryugh as Cosette''s words repeated in his head. His eyes glinted, smirking bitterly at how cruel she was to him.

    "She should''ve at least lied," he murmured, understanding the reason Cosette chose to be cruel. "It''s not like I will misunderstand her action. I never did."

    Luke was torn. He should be d that Cosette wasn''t giving him mixed signals from the beginning until now. However, it would''ve been nice if she acted a bit moreбн understanding.

    "After all, she is the reason why this hurts." He clutched his chest andughed mockingly. "I thought I just liked her. I didn''t know it''ll be this painful."

 Chapter 136 Humor Me

    "Are you alright?"

    Cosette snapped out of her trance when Maxen''s voice came from her side. She turned her head at him, smiling. They were already on their way home, riding the bus, but she had been zoning out sinceing back to their room.

    "Yes." She smiled. "Of course I am."

    "Are you sure?" his brow raised, observing every little change of her facial expression. Good thing Cosette had mastered the art of concealing her emotion. However, just as her lips parted to reassure him, his brows rose, creating lines on his forehead.

    "No," she blurted out. "I''m a little worried about Luke."

    "Oh." Maxen rocked his head in understanding. "He''s been skipping sses. Did you search for him earlier? That''s why you missed one ss?"

    "Mhm." Cosette heaved a sigh of relief as she leaned back on the chairfortably. She lowered her eyes.

    Initially, she didn''t want to burden Maxen with her current concerns. However, Cosette had been honest with him most of the time. The only thing she kept from him was her rebirth. She didn''t want to return to those old bad habits of keeping virulent secrets that would eventually poison their rtionship.

    "Apparently, he''s been hanging out with the wrong crowd," she continued, frowning. "I saw him in the back of the school. He''s gambling. I dragged him with me and told him harsh things."

    Maxen studied her side profile and sighed faintly. "So, are you worried he''ll be angry at you? Or the fact he is hanging out with the wrong crowd?"

    "Max, that''s the dumbest question you asked me until now." She looked back at him with a deeper frown. "Both! I realized I was a bit cruel. Should''ve chosen my words carefully?"

    "Are you helping him if you sugarcoat your words?" Maxen pinched her cheek mildly. "He''s arrogant and had been pampered all his life. Persuading him won''t help him, but some tough love."

    Cosette arched a brow at him. "You sound like you''re his father."

    "And you''re the mother?" He quipped. "I didn''t like him at first. Until now, I don''t. But he''s your precious friend andбн I know how you value your friends."

    "Maxбн" Cosette bumped her shoulder against him, biting her lips to stop herself from smiling like a fool. She tucked a portion of her hair behind her ear as a short giggle escaped her shut mouth.

    Meanwhile, Maxen watched her with a smile. If it was just Maxen, he would prefer to monopolize her. If he was going to be selfish, he wanted Cosette to only care for him, to love him, to only look at him, and just be her whole universe.

    But he couldn''t.

    Cosette was not only a pretty face, but she also has a beautiful heart. She radiate the brightest doing what she loved and surrounding herself with the people she genuinely cares about. He didn''t have the heart to take that away from her nor did he have the guts to suppress her radiance.

    ? "Stop looking," she joked as her lips stretched even wider. "You''re making me feel very shy."

    "Really? Then I''ll close my eyes."

    Cosette frowned when Maxen looked away and closed his eyes. "I was joking. Didn''t you get the joke?"

    Maxen kept his eyes shut as if he didn''t hear her. Her frown grew uglier, tugging his arm mildly.

    "Look at me more," she murmured, still tugging his arm mildly. She pouted when he peeked from one eye, smirking teasingly at her. "Goshбн look at him unveil my delicate mask."

    The side of his lips curled up, tilting his head until its side bumped against hers lightly. "Behave."

    "I am behaving." Cosette pursed her lips and sneakily hook an arm around his arm. Her smile stretched wider, looking back at him as if nothing ever mattered in this world. Maxen smiled back at her.

    Today was just the same routine, but Maxen and Cosette would never get enough of it. Even if they repeat the same thing over and over, they would do it again; as many times as they could for as long as they were together.

    ******

    Cosette was writing in her daily journal with a big smile on her face. Today''s entry was almost the same as yesterday with some added events. The smile on her face faded, leaning back against the chair, thinking about Luke.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Just what is that guy nning to do?" she asked herself, narrowing her eyes as her mind drifted far away. Cosette folded her arms under her chest, her leg resting over the other, letting her foot swing back and forth.

    No matter how she tried to put herself in Luke''s shoes, she didn''t know how his mind works. Luke was the most unpredictable person she had ever met. Maxen and Asherбн were too predictable since they tend to make things easier to their advantage.

    But Lukeбн

    "I wasn''t friends with him in the past," she mumbled, recalling the vague memories she had about Luke.

    What was written in the ''novel'' happened. Maxen being a Devilsin, Asher and Mia, Luke''s death, and many more. Everything that was written had no exaggeration or addition to make the story more appealing.

    They were real events. Hence, Cosette was a little frustrated she didn''t get to befriend Luke in the first timeline. If Maxen was the one acting this way or Asher, she would guess it correctly. But now, she could only rely on how she knew Luke.

    "What can that troublemaker doбн?" Cosette trailed off, arching a brow as her eyes fell on her phone near her journal. She stretched her neck to see who it was, and a dryugh escaped her mouth seeing that Asher sent her an email.

    Cosette reached for her phone to check what sort of email did Asher send her. As soon as she did, Cosette only saw a formal letter with an attached file, regarding some minor part of the joint project which Cosette worked on during her internship.

    She scrolled up and checked her exchange of emails with Asher. The side of her lips curled up, seeing that all the emails they had exchanged were regarding business. Nothing more nothing less.

    "Asher Quinnбн he is really something, huh?" she mumbled, typing a short reply to tell him to send anything regarding the project to another employee next time. She then forwarded the email to Warren, asking her father''s assistant to forward it to the person in charge.

    Ding!

    Cosette arched a brow as a message notification popped out on her screen right after she sent her email to Warren. She tilted her head to the side, leaving the message on-read, which says;

    [ You dropped it? ]

    "I dropped it?" she read under her breath, only to receive another message from the same sender.

    [ The project. ] and then another one came. [ Why? ]

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, cing her phone in front of her. She let the message on-read for a good ten minutes, humming a tune, wondering whether to reply or not. In the end, Cosette snatched her phone and replied.

    [ So you can''t flirt with me. ]

    A loud giggle slipped past her lips as her reply was immediately read by Asher. Cosette didn''t bother to wait for his reply, cing the phone to the side while she returned the journal inside the locked drawer.

    Cosette then fixed the desk to how she was used to it. Looking at it, her satisfied smile faded ever so slowly. Everything was arranged at the exact position before she touched them, making her recall Maxen Devilsin''s words.

    "Don''t let this control you," she whispered, repeating Maxen''s words. Cosette ground her teeth and rearranged everything.

    She winced at the sight of it. It wasn''t like her desk was a mess as she simply tipped a few pencil holders and change the clock''s location. Yet, it bothered her, making her hands itch as a strong urge to put things back to how she was used to prickling under her skin.

    "It''ll be fine," she mumbled, nodding encouragingly. "It''ll beбн no, it''s annoying."

    Just as Cosette submitted to her urges, another ''ding'' resonated in her ear. Her hands instantly veered towards her phone, jumping from her chair. Cosette forced herself not to look back, setting her focus on her phone and Asher''s reply.

    [ What a shame. ]

    Without thinking twice, Cosette tapped his name and then pressed the call button while marching back to her bed. As she ced the phone in front of her ear, listening to every ring, she plopped her butt down on the edge of the bed. Her back was facing the desk, knowing looking at it just once was enough to sway her.

    Every ring she listened to increased her anxiousness at the thought of her desk. When she thought the call would end without getting picked up, the line suddenly connected.

    "If you hate someone, how will you destroy that person?" Cosette asked as soon as the line connected. "Humor me or I might murder my desk by splitting it in half. Answer?"

 Chapter 137 Appreciation For The Single Parent

    "What a shame."

    Asher snapped his tongue, typing what he whispered just now, and sent it to Cosette. After sending his message, he reclined on the couch. He held his phone in between his thumb and the side of his index, holding it on the bottom, eyes on the screen.

    Much to his surprise, the phone started ringing. His brows furrowed, staring at the name Cosette c on the screen.

    "What a surprise," he muttered, letting it vibrate while wondering the reason she was suddenly calling him. This wasn''t what he expected when he sent the file to her email. Cosette had been particrly distant from him and had always been clear about the line between them. Calling each other wasn''t a normal urrence.

    When he realized he hadn''t picked up the call, Asher hurriedly tapped the red button. The second he ced his phone in front of his ear, his brows knitted.

    "If you hate someone, how will you destroy that person?" she asked without any ceremonious greeting. "Humor me or I might murder my desk by splitting it in half. Answer?"

    A giant question mark hovered over Asher''s head, tilting his head to the side. Before he could think of anything else, he blurted out.

    "Are you alright?"

    "Do I sound alright?" her voice was filled with sarcasm. "Nevermind бк"

    "Depends on the person."

    "Huh?"

    "If the person you hold a grudge to is someone in a particr professional field, I''ll do my utmost to stop that person from practicing his skills. Ourpany had many affiliates," Asher rified in a knowing tone, looking up at the shelf in the corner. "There were many things to punish someone without hurting them physically. Crippling them financially and emotionallyбн is better than putting a hit on that person. Why? Did someone touch your bottom line?"

    Cosette, on the other end of the line, frowned. "Is that the only way you can do it?" she asked. She already had that conclusion in her head. Using their connections to suppress someone was no surprise in the world they were moving in.

    Something others had always had a misconception about them. Most believed the reason the wealthy people kept venturing into their business was to build their wealth. But that was just a bonus.

    What most people in the upper echelon wanted wasn''t just a luxurious life and wealth, but power.

    "There are other ways, but isn''t it more effective?" he argued calmly. "Is there a spider in your room?"

    "What?"

    "Why do you want to break your desk?" Asher asked, reminding her of the desk.

    "Don''t бк!" Cosette breathed out, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Don''t remind me about the desk."

    "Why? Because there''s a spider? Just call for servantsбн"

    "Stop."

    Asher arched a brow and smirked. "Will you tell me the reason? It''s nice to have you call out of nowhere бк"

    ck.

    "What a rude girl," he mumbled when she suddenly hung up on him, gazing at the phone. "I heard she had OCD. I wonder if this has something to do with it."

    Asher dropped his hand and rested his arm on the armrest. He leaned back, chuckling with his lips closed.

    "So rude," he repeated, but there was no trace of irritation in his voice. His good mood, however, slowly declined when a thought suddenly crossed his head.

    "If she''s going crazy about her deskбн will she go to him?" the thought of Cosette hanging up on him just to seek refuge from that ''nobody'' didn''t sit well with him. All he could do was frown.

    Maxen had the upper hand since he was living in the c''s residence.

    "Damn."

    *****

    Meanwhile, Cosette rolled her eyes and tossed her phone to the bed. She stayed seated on the edge of the mattress.

    "I shouldn''t have given in to my impulses," she mumbled, pushing herself up. Cosette didn''t look back as she hurriedly came out of her room. As she walked away from her room, she thought of how to deal with her condition.

    In the past, it would only get worse to the point she wouldn''t function if things weren''t arranged the way she wanted them. Right now, she was managing, and it was mild.

    "Should I contact my therapist again?" she wondered.

    Cosette went out of her room because she couldn''t stay in her room. But she didn''t have any particr destination in mind. Before she realize it, she was already standing in front of Conrad''s study room.

    "Huh?" she cocked her head to the side, staring at the door, wondering how she got in here. She didn''t have anything to tell Conrad, she thought. So, she took a step back. But when she did, she halted.

    ''So what if I don''t have anything to tell him?'' she asked herself. Cosette shrugged and without thinking twice, she raised a hand and was about to knock on the door when it opened from the inside.

    Her brows rose, locking eyes with Conrad, who looked back at her, stunned.

    "Cosette?" Conrad tilted his head a little to the side, eyes glossing over to her stance. "Do you need anything?"

    Cosette awkwardly lowered her hand and held her on her back. "Yes."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What is it?"

    "A daily dose of my dad." Her lips stretched from ear to ear while Conrad chuckled weakly. "Where are you going? Hmm?"

    "Bed."

    "Butбн it''s too early."

    Conrad blinked twicezily, stepping outside the study and closing it behind him. "I promised my daughter I''ll be resting."

    "Hehe." She giggled, hooking her arm around his arm as they walked away together. "But it''s stillte for others."

    "I''m still adjusting."

    "It''s alright. I''m not angry." Her mood continuously increased. "So, you''re going to sleep?"

    "I was nning to, but you came. What do you need?"

    "Mhmбн" Cosette pondered about it until they eventually бк for some reason, arrived in the kitchen.

    "I''ll make you a midnight snack," Conrad offered, making her smile brightly.

    "Really?"

    "Mhm."

    "Well, how can I refuse?" Cosette giddily followed Conrad, sitting on the bar counter while Conrad went to check the fridge. She cupped her face, eyes fixed on her father. While Conrad was moving around the kitchen, Cosette just watched him.

    "I never see you cook." She brought up, watching Conrad prepare the ingredients on the kitchen counter.

    "I rarely do," he replied without looking back at her.

    "Papa, don''t poison me."

    Conrad paused, raising his eyes at her. "I won''t. This is the first time I''m cooking for you."

    "It isбн" her eyes softened while Conrad set his focus on the ingredients, picking up a knife to cut some potatoes. She watched Conrad in silence, smiling subtly.

    ''Sixteen yearsбн'' she thought. ''If I count the years beforeing back hereбн then that''s really a long time.''

    There were many things Conrad, and Cosette didn''t share in the past. They were practically strangers, barely knowing each other. The only thing that linked them was the blood running through their veins.

    So, she was truly grateful she returned with the mind of someone who believed she went into a world of novels. It wasn''t like the Cosette days ago and the Cosette now wasn''t the same person. Both of them were Cosette.

    ''We wasted so much timeбн and there were many things I hadn''t told him.''

    "Papa," she called, watching his brows raise, but he kept his eyes on the chopping board. "Has anyone told you you really look good?"

    Conrad paused, raising his eyes at her once more. "Yes."

    "While you are standing behind the kitchen counter?"

    "Yes."

    "Who?"

    Conrad pressed his lips into a thin line and shrugged. "Your mother." He immediately caught the slight surprise in her eyes. Letting out a shallow breath, Conrad refocused his attention on transferring the potatoes that were chopped in cubes to a transparent bowl.

    Meanwhile, Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line. From then and until now, Conrad rarely mentions her mother. She didn''t ask before as well, assuming it was something she shouldn''t ask. After all, Conrad had no contact with anyone from her mother''s side.

    "I''m sorry for mentioning her." His voice suddenly caressed her ears, making her brows raise. "I know I rarely say anything about her. It was a slipup."

    "Why are you saying sorry? It''s not like she betrayed you before she died." Cosette chuckled to lighten up the mood before things would grow worse. "Do you hate her?"

    Conrad''s movements slowed down, hearing things he never thought he would hear from her. He hadn''t forgotten about how Cosette once threw a tantrum because someone mentioned her mother. Ever since then, no one ever said a word about her mother as if it was taboo.

    "No," he answered after a minute, casting Cosette another look. "What about you? Do you still hate her?"

    Cosette smiled subtly, keeping her gaze on him. She blinked ever so slowly, shrugging.

    "Yes," she answered under her breath. "I hate her for leaving me and for hurting you."

    Her answer slightly took him aback, looking at her in disbelief. But what came out of her mouth even shook him up.

    "Although I hate her, it''s not like I need her now," she exined and smiled, cupping her face. "I have you as my mother and father. I''m satisfied with that."

 Chapter 138 Hate

    Conrad''s only answer to Cosette''s remarksst night was a smile. He then proceeded to make his daughter some snacks, which they shared untilte at night. They chatted about a lot of things, mainly Cosette carrying the conversation, since Conrad could only mostly talk about business.

    After that, Conrad escorted Cosette to her room. He opened the door for her, and somehow, his eyes caught the desk.

    "Thank you, Papa." Cosette faced him the second she entered her room, holding the door open. "The food is really great. You should make me more next time."

    Conrad blinked, setting his attention back to her. His lips stretched into a subtle smile, nodding.

    "Of course," he said. "I can set up a date бк"

    Cosette shook her head. "I''m always avable. How can I let my father set a schedule to cook for me when I was the one who asked him to stay at home?"

    "Thenбн should I make you a lunchbox?"

    "What?"

    "You always made my lunch boxes. I won''t be in the office until next week," he exined, insinuating he had free time to make her a lunch box. "Is that alright with you?"

    "Uhбн of course!" she smiled excitedly. "I will look forward to it."

    "Very well." Conrad jerked his chin towards the room. "Good night, Cosette."

    "Good night, Papa."

    Conrad stood outside the door, watching her close the door ever so slowly. But just before she could fully close it, Cosette halted when he spoke.

    "Is there something wrong?" he asked, making her raise her head at him.

    "No?"

    "Are you sure?"

    "Of course." Cosette sported a reassuring smile. "I will tell you if I wasn''t."

    "Okay." Conrad nodded in understanding, and Cosette bid him "goodnight" once again, before closing the door. He stayed still in his spot, staring at the shot door.

    Conrad had been in Cosette''s room a few times in the sixteen years of her life. Yes, just a few times. Despite that, Cosette''s room had been the same since she was around ten. Everything in her room was in the same spot; Lucia was maintaining it since thest time someone else cleaned Cosette''s room warranted an outburst from the young miss.

    They had to sanitize her room at that time because she refused to go inside. The reason Conrad noticed the shuffled things on Cosette''s desk. He also noticed the slight reluctance in her eyes when he offered her to make the lunch boxes.

    Yet, she agreed.

    "I didn''t know she was struggling," he mumbled, assuming that Cosette was battling her own obsessivepulsive disorder. "She refused to get it under control before. Would she find it repulsive if I offer she seeks a specialist?"

    A deep sigh slipped past his lips, unable to decide for his daughter. Even though their rtionship had been great, Conrad still had to tread on eggshells around her. His daughter might''ve improved, but he still wanted to respect her space.

    ''She''ll tell me if she needs one,'' he told himself. ''Even if she doesn''t and I see her struggling, I will suggest the idea.''

    With that being said, Conrad turned on his heel, heading back into his room. On his way, he couldn''t help but remember Cosette''s remarks in the kitchen.

    "I hate her for leaving me and for hurting you."

    His steps slowed down, stopping in front of the master''s bedroom, which was Conrad''s. He couldn''t help but recall the look in Cosette''s eyes while saying those words; there was no hatred or longing, just nonchnce with a tinge of bitterness.

    He held on to the doorknob but didn''t push it open. Instead, Conrad stood still.

    "Does she know?" he whispered, gripping the doorknob lightly. He shook his head after a minute. "That''s impossible."

    Conrad convinced himself about the things he wanted to convince himself. He didn''t want to think further, knowing that there was no way his daughter would know the secret he held about her mother.

    ******

    Meanwhileбн

    Cosette let out a deep exhale as soon as she closed the door. When she turned around and caught the sight of her desk, another helpless sigh escaped her mouth.

    "I can''t deal with this," came out a helpless mumble, dragging her feet towards the desk. She couldn''t fight it or stop herself. In the end, Cosette meticulously arranged everything back to how they were supposed to be.

    Since she already knew where everything was, it didn''t take her that long. It would be even faster if she weren''t meticulous, but she was.

    When her desk was arranged to how she was used to, she sat on the chairzily. Her eyes scanned the desk in case there were more things she had to arrange.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Perfectбн" she whispered, but frowned, trying to shun the satisfaction in her heart. "I lost. What was there to celebrate about?"

    Cosette idled on the chair, staring at the picture frame of her and Conrad. The photo was taken around three years ago.

    "I don''t know why I still keep this," she whispered. "We''re not even smiling."

    Both Cosette and Conrad in the photo were staring at the camera with poker faces. They looked even more serious than a passport photo. Both of them were sitting on the settee, Conrad wearing his formal suit while she was in this elegant dress.

    As she stared at the photo, she couldn''t help but recall a memory of the past. The pastбн as in the time before the mysterious regression.

    [ SHORT FLASHBACK ]

    Cosette was sitting in the driver''s seat, holding a document in her hand. It was the diagnosis she received a week ago, but unlike the day she received the news, her expression remained cold.

    "How stupid," she whispered, tossing the paper on the front passenger seat. Cosette then leaned back, cocking her head back, eyes closed. She breathed in and out, holding onto the steering wheel with both her hands.

    "Reallyбн stupid." She repeated, only to stay silent for the next ten minutes. When she reopened her eyes, there was nothing but emptiness within.

    A deep exhale slipped past her lips, shaking her head. Cosette turned off the engine before picking up her back on the front passenger seat, letting the documents fall off the seat. When she hitched outside, Cosette put on her sunsses and pressed the key fob to lock her car.

    It had been a while since shest visited Conrad. Most of the time, she would simply stay in the parking space of the columbarium and then drive off.

    Soon, she passed the reception of the columbarium, where an old fellow бк the security бк was sleeping with his arms folded. Cosette ignored his questionable work ethic and walked inside. Her heels clip-clopped down the tiled floor, heading to the VVIP section, where her father''s niche was.

    However, as she walked closer, her steps slowed down. Cosette stretched her neck, seeing a person standing in front of Conrad''s niche. Her brows furrowed, wondering who could that person be.

    ''Did he have an affair?'' she wondered, but Cosette didn''t have the energy to spare to feel any emotions at the thought. She idled for a while from the distance, observing the woman standing in front where Conrad''s ashes rest.

    The woman was just standing in front of it, wearing a ck, long coat. Her handbag was a famous luxury brand, indicating she has the money. She was also wearing ck sunsses, but by her defined jaw, Cosette could tell she was a beauty.

    Cosette didn''t know her father''s type. So she couldn''t tell if this woman was someone her father had a thing with before the incident in Sharie.

    ''I don''t have a whole day to spare. I still have a date with Maxen.'' Cosette waited for another minute, but when the woman showed no sign of leaving, she had no choice but to approach her.

    "Do you know him?" was the first question Cosette asked, catching the other woman''s attention. Thetter snuck a look at Cosette, but then kept her head down.

    "No." The woman was soft-spoken and her voice was soothing to the ear. "I just thought he looked familiar. So I was thinking about where I saw him."

    "And even if you know where you saw him, he''s dead." Cosette''s tone was cold and distant. "If that is all, give me some time with my father."

    "Ye бк yes." The woman lowered her head, tipping her sunsses up. She walked to the side, keeping her head low as if to avoid Cosette''s gaze.

    As the woman walked past her, Cosette arched a brow. Despite the sunsses of the woman, she caught the mole on the woman''s cheekbone, causing Cosette''s jaw to tighten. However, she kept her mouth shut, prancing towards Conrad''s niche.

    The second Cosette stood in front of Conrad, she noticed a daisy in front of Conrad''s photo.

    "Don''te back here." Cosette couldn''t help but speak, observing the woman from the corner of her eyes. She caught the woman stopping and looking back at Cosette, while thetter kept her eyes on Conrad''s photo.

    How could she not recognize that woman despite the sunsses she was wearing? Cosette had always kept one portrait of a woman, staring at the photo while growing up, wondering about many things. Conrad didn''t want to talk about her, so it was Cosette''s little secret.

    In other words, Cosette had memorized that person''s face. And there was no way she wouldn''t recognize her unless she covered her entire face.

    "If you''re shameless, keep it up till the end." Cosette slowly cast the woman a look, eyebrow raised. "I had always suspected you were alive, butбн I don''t care if you are. Just don''t show up your face to me or to him ever again."

    She scoffed while the woman''s mouth fell open. "How insulting for you to live, but he''s dead." Cosette shook her head, peeling her eyes away from the woman to Conrad''s portrait.

    "It would be better if you''re just truly deadбн than being alive all this time, but never even showed your face to me," she continued in a whisper, ignoring the woman as she went silent. "Shameless."

    After that encounter, Cosette transferred Conrad to another private columbarium, as she didn''t want to see that woman ever again. Even if she met that woman under different circumstances, Cosette''s reaction would still be the same. After all, she grew up without a mother. She had grown past the stage of wanting to have one.

    She had lived without a mother, and she would die without her.

    ******

    [ PRESENT TIME ]

    "I really hate her." Cosette sighed, shaking her head to forget about that encounter in the past. "Whatever. I don''t need her in my life or in Dad''s."

    Cosette stared at the picture frame and smiled subtly. "We should take a new one with Max."

 Chapter 139 Coincidence

    The first week of the ss went by in a blur, and it was already the first weekend. Cosette had ns, considering Conrad had been at home more than ever. She thought it was a good day to go out with the most important men in her life: Maxen and Conrad.

    The idea ted the two men, since they had no grudges against each other. Butбн their excitement was soon reced with exhaustion after visiting the umpteenth boutique.

    Standing in front of Cosette, who was sitting on the couch, Maxen and Conrad let out a deep exhale. Cosette said she wanted to go shopping, but until now, she hadn''t bought a single shirt for herself. Instead, Conrad and Maxen had to go in and out of the fitting room, modeling the clothes for her.

    "Perfect!" Cosette sped her hand together, eyes twinkling. Conrad was in a brown slim-fit tux while Maxen''s outfit veered more into streetwear. Both looked equally cool and charming, causing her lips to stretch from ear to ear.

    If not for the bright smile stered across her face, both Maxen and Conrad would''ve chosen to go home. But her happiness was a huge part of their joy, and seeing her in high spirit, enjoying every second of this day, was enough for them to shun their exhaustion.

    "We''ll take them." Cosette cast the attendant a look, and thetter smiled politely. But before Conrad and Maxen could change to their original outfits, Cosette stopped them. "Wait. You''ll wear them."

    Maxen and Conrad cocked their heads to the side. Seeing their same reaction, augh escaped her mouth. At this point, Cosette was questioning if she was Conrad''s child here or Maxen.

    "I reserved a seat in a restaurant. It''ll be nice if you two wear them," she exined, wiggling her brows yfully before jumping in front of them. She marched towards them бк straight in between Maxen and Conrad бк turning on her heel. Cosette hooked her arms around Conrad and Maxen''s, grinning from ear to ear, looking at them.

    "I had nned for this day out the entire night," she confessed excitedly. "That''s why I prepared everything. Should we eat lunch now? I''m starving."

    Conrad let out a shallow breath. "Sure."

    Meanwhile, Maxen was tugging his arm to signal her to stop holding him. But Cosette simply shed him a smile as a warning not to ruin her day.

    ''Is this fine?'' he wondered before Cosette dragged them out of the boutique after telling the staff to deliver the other ones they bought to the address she gave them.

    ***

    Since the mall was a luxury mall, Cosette didn''t have to book a reservation at another restaurant. The mall had everything the wealthy wanted in one ce. Hence, Cosette, Conrad, and Maxen reached the restaurant.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 There weren''t many people inside, and the staff had served them well the second they stepped foot inside. The staff guided the ''family of three'' to a private dining room where the three of them could enjoy their food and keep things private.

    However, just when Cosette thought everything was perfect, the next second proved things weren''t always what people wished them to be.

    When they reached the private dining room, the door right next to theirs opened from the inside. Maxen, Cosette, and Conrad instinctively turned their attention to their right. Much to Cosette and Conrad''s surprise, the person looking back at them with wide eyes was none other than Maynard Quinn.

    ''Whyбн of all cesбн'' Cosette mentally winced, ncing at Conrad to check his well-being. As expected, the gentleness in Conrad''s eyes disappeared; it was frozen with thick ice.

    Meanwhile, Maxen simply furrowed his brows. He nced at Cosette when he noticed both father and daughter didn''t move an inch. The second he did, he locked eyes with her.

    ''What''s with that look?'' he wondered, catching her nce at Conrad. Maxen followed her gaze and tilted his head to the side. He never saw Conrad look at a person with such coldness.

    The first thing that came to his mind was, that Maynard Quinn was Conrad''s sworn enemy. But the following events that were about to ur would prove Maxen''s initial guess was wrong.

    "Conrad, my friend!" Maynard''s jolly voice erupted, spreading his arms wide open. "What a coincidence!"

    Conrad exhaled deeply, watching Maynard approach them. "Are you stalking me?"

    "What? Shouldn''t I be the one asking you that type of question? I was here first!" Maynard quipped, stopping several steps away from them. His eyes glossed over Conrad''s, Cosette''s, and then Maxen''s face. The side of his lips stretched even broader.

    "Myбн you three look like a family of three!" Maynard continued with his nonsense, pointing at Conrad before moving it. "The father, the eldest son, and then the daughter! Isn''t this a good chance for both our families to eat together? Who knows? We might be sharing more meals in the future as a family."

    "Let''s eat somewhere else," Conrad remarked coldly. He had already decided the second his eyesnded on Maynard. Why did he even stay for a minute to hear all this nonsense?<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''I agree,'' was Maxen wanted to say, biting his tongue as he didn''t want to sound rude. This man was clearly bringing difort to Conrad, and today''s agenda was for them to rx and forget things that were stressful, like the school or thepany.

    This man, Maxen, didn''t know who exactly was someone they would want to avoid.

    "Hey, how can you be so heartless?" Maynard gasped, watching Conrad hold Cosette''s arm to drag his daughter with him. "You''re already here. Geez! If you don''t want to share a meal, then fine! You don''t have to be so cold."

    Cosette let out a shallow breath. If only she knew Maynard would be here, she would''ve reserved somewhere else. Forget about the hassle. It was more stressful if Maynard was around. For sure, this childish old Quinn wouldn''t leave them alone. Their rooms were just right beside each other.

    "It''s alright, Papa." Cosette tugged Conrad''s arm and smiled sweetly at him. "Master Quinn is not a stranger. It would be too rude to turn him away."

    "My goodnessбн I wished I had a daughter." Maynard nted his palm across his chest, moved by Cosette''s kindness. "This trait is something you definitely didn''t inherit from your father."

    When Maxen heard how Cosette addressed the man, he gazed at Maynard in surprise. He was a Quinn? Maxen sized up the man from head to toe, finding a resemnce between Asher and Luke.

    Now, it was clear why Conrad would rather have a ''nobody'' as inws than the Quinns. It wasn''t because of Luke or Asher. It was because of this man.

    ''I''m not sure whether to thank him for giving me the opportunity which he was unaware of,'' Maxen thought. ''Or just understand the reason Sir Conrad dislikes the sheer thought of being affiliated with them. No wonder his sons were annoying. They definitely took after him.

    "Also, Master Quinn was also a part of the joint project," Cosette continued, pulling Conrad''s arms. "It would be nice to have a meal with him."

    "I will make you my daughter-inw by means or foul."

    "Shut up." Conrad''s eyes glinted with murderous intent, making Maynard raise his hands up in surrender. He didn''t know what Cosette had in mind to insist on letting Maynard join them for a meal. Cosette was just like him and had never stopped him whenever Conrad walk out on Maynard.

    There must be a reason, he thought.

    "Cosette had nned our today''s n." Conrad kept his pair of piercingly cold eyes at Maynard. "Even if I want to refuse to be in your presence, I do not want to ruin her mood. Don''t ruin hers, or I will ruin you."

    "Good lordбн! Am I being threatened right now?"

    "You are being given a heads up." Conrad looked away from Maynard, setting his eyes back on Cosette. "Let''s get inside."

    Cosette smiled. "Thank you, Papa." She then cast Maxen a look. "Max, let''s go," before shifting her attention to Maynard. This time, she simply lowered her head in a bow.

    "What a nice little girl." Maynard patted his chest, watching Conrad escort Cosette inside. He snapped his eyes ever so slowly when Maxen walked past the attendant, following Cosette and Conrad inside.

    ''Hahбн'' Maynard cocked his head to the side. ''So, he''s the kid whom Conrad had been grooming to be his son-inw, huh?''

    He rubbed his chin, only to grin mischievously. "I''ll call my son and will join you in a bit," Maynard intoned, waving at Cosette and Conrad, and without waiting for their response, he walked back to the private dining room right next to theirs.

    "Things are looking interesting," mumbled Maynard, sliding the door open.

    Inside was Asher sitting silently in his seat while staring at his phone. Seeing his son, Maynard shook his head in disappointment.

    "My son," Maynard called, catching Asher''s attention. "I have a question to ask."

    "What is it?" Asher casually arched a brow, noticing the excitement in his father''s eyes.

    "Do you want to get married?" Asher instantly frowned at his father''s question. "To the young miss of the c?"

 Chapter 140 Slip-Up

    When Maynard came into the dining private room, he brought Asher Quinn with him. Conrad didn''t show any slight surprise, and neither did Cosette. They had already expected one of his sons бк which was definitely Asher бк would be with Maynard.

    Meanwhile, Maxen was a bit surprised at first. However, he brought forth his nonchnt card. Now, around the round table, were Conrad and Maynard sitting beside each other. On Conrad''s right was Cosette and then Maxen was sitting beside her. Across from Cosette was Asher.

    After the staff served the food, there was nothing but silence in the room. Conrad, cold and aloof as ever, didn''t even bat an eye at Maynard. But s, Maynard was thick-skinned enough to act like he doesn''t get Conrad''s cold treatment. Well, Maynard was already used to it by now.

    "What is this silence?" Maynard''s jolly voice pierced the air after a minute of silence. "This should be a happy asion!"

    "It was supposed to be until minutes ago." Conrad picked up a ss of water while replying to Maynard without looking at him.

    ''This is so awkwardбн'' Maxen let out a faint sigh, raising his eyes at Asher, only to see thetter looking at Cosette. When Maxen nced at Cosette, he caught her darting her eyes between Maynard and Conrad.

    ''He''s really shameless,'' Maxen thought, peeling his eyes away from Cosette to Asher. When he did, he locked eyes with Asher as thetter nced back at him. ''He knew his brother is already pursuing Cosette. Even though that guy had no chance, he was still far better than this one.''

    Asher arched a brow, noticing the sarcastic smirk that appeared and disappeared from Maxen''s countenance. ''He''s really shameless,'' he muttered inwardly. ''He already knows he shouldn''t be sitting at the same table as us, and yet, he is acting all high and mighty.''

    Asher scoffed, peeling his eyes away from Maxen. His eyes instinctivelynded on Cosette as she was just sitting across from him. He arched a brow, seeing that she was staring at him nonchntly.

    ''Is she angry because I looked at that guy?'' he wondered, noticing the displeasure undertone in her pair of nonchnt eyes. ''She''s really a disappointment.''

    Asher looked away from her first, ncing at his father, who was always as loud as ever. Well, Maynard might be quite talkative, but his father was a good businessman and had a great eye for investing.

    As Asher watched his father act all chummy with the distant Conrad, he couldn''t help but recall his conversation with Maynard before joining the cs for lunch.

    "Do you want to get married to the young miss of the c?" asked Maynard, marching inside, plopping his butt down on the chair across from Asher. "My friend Conrad, her daughter, and that youngd they took in are just right next to us. So keep your voice down."

    "You shouldn''t be saying that to me." Asher''s voice was cold and distant, but the lines between his brows deepened. "And my answer to your question is a no, obviously. Our deal is that you won''t force me to any silly arranged marriage if I do well."

    "Come on, son." Maynardughed, resting his arms against the table. "This isn''t a silly arranged marriage. It''s the c."

    "Even so." Asher balled his hands under the table, eyes turning chilly. "Weren''t you already pushing Luke to pursue the young miss of the c? Are you putting a wedge between us? Father, my rtionship with my brother is already stained as it is. How can you stand watching our rtionship fall apart? And do nothing about it?"

    Maynard frowned. "I don''t think my sons hate each other."

    "I don''t hate Luke, but he might end up hating me for real if this continues," Asher remarked coldly as if he wasn''t talking to his father, but the carefree Maynard didn''t mind his son''s bluntness. "This is the only time he actually held onto an interest this long. Let''s not ruin it."

    "Manбн you sound like your grandfather."

    ''If you start acting like my father, I might sound like your son,'' was what Asher wanted to reply, but bit his tongue to stop himself from pressing Maynard''s nerves.

    Asher furrowed his brows when Maynard kept silent for over a minute, as if he was pondering about something. He knew his father too well, and he was so familiar with this sort of expression stered across Maynard''s face.

    "That young fellowбн" Maynard dawdled, knocking his knuckles against the surface of the table. His brows rose when Asher spoke.

    "Don''t target him," Asher stressed calmly. "He''s with the cs. I don''t think the chairman will sit idly if you take him with your games. Luke is also very fond of him."

    "You make me sound like a viin."

    "You areбн when you want to y," Asher replied without batting an eye. "I don''t like him, but it doesn''t sit well with me when people get riled up because of someone like him. Please, don''t give me a problem that involves him. I want nothing to do with him."

    "But he might get my sweet Cosette''s good graces and end up marrying him!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 A glint flickered across Asher''s eyes. "Father, what are you interested in? Was it Cosette? Or the wealth and connections of the cs?"

    "Both!"

    "Then I will work even harder and take thepany to greater heights. It''s always been insulting when you rub in my face that your sons need an external force to make sure thepany won''t fall." Asher''s expression turned stiff, looking back at Maynard with a poker face. "I hope you will drop this matter once I graduated."

    The side of Maynard''s lips stretched until his teeth were showing. "You make me proud, son, but don''t me me in the future." He snapped a finger, pointing it at Asher.

    "Even if you begged me to marry my dearest Cosette, your kind father will not help you. The Stones and the cs had a tight-knit rtionship, and from what I heard, the elders of the cs are returning to the country." Maynard''s eyes squinted, enjoying the new level of coldness in Asher''s eyes upon the mention of another family that had a long history with the Quinns. "I won''t be surprised if the elders had arranged Cosette to a marriage. If the elders decided, even Conrad wouldn''t have powers to stop it."

    Maynard cupped his cheek. "I might help that youngd marry her, instead of watching how the Stone and c merge. That will be very painful to watch."

    Asher snapped his eyes to the currentpse, averting his eyes from Maynard. He picked up the cutlery to start eating, casting Cosette a look.

    ''The Stonesбн'' he thought, a glint flickering across his sharp eyes. ''I wonder if she would allow an arranged marriage.''

    When Cosette raised her eyes, Asher had already set his eyes on his te. She chewed slowly, ncing at Maynard, who hadn''t stopped talking even though Conrad would reply after five sentences. Mostly, Maynard would only get a reaction from her father if he mentioned somethingpletely stupid.

    At this point, Cosette was aware it was on purpose since Conrad had zero tolerance for stupidity. That exined why Conrad could barely tolerate Maynard. Maynard''s entire existence was stupidбн ording to Conrad.

    "Right!" Maynard pped; he hadn''t touched his food as he was busy talking. "The Stones had recently made noises, probably because they heard that the elders of the c are returning to the country!"

    The second Maynard mentioned the Stones, he smirked, watching Conrad pause. Maynard might''ve missed it, but Cosette also froze momentarily. Asher and Maxen noticed it, though.

    ''What''s with that reaction?'' Asher wondered with a furrowed brow. Maxen had the same question in his head.

    Cosette''s sudden pause and how her jaw tightened were strange in their eyes. But unlike Asher, whose thoughts stopped with that question, Maxen''s thoughts went further.

    ''Why does she look so bothered?'' Maxen questioned in his head, shifting his attention to Conrad. ''Who are these Stones? Another family like the Quinns?''

    ''The Stonesбн'' Cosette lowered her eyes. ''I almost forgot about themбн''

    "One more wordбн regarding our own family issues, and you''ll regret it." Conrad finally set his eyes back on Maynard. "Do not embarrass yourself in front of your son. Stop testing my patience, Maynard Quinn. The only reason I''m sitting at the same table as you are because of Cosette. Don''t force me."

    Maynard frown and raised his hand, looking at Cosette for help. "So scaryбн"

    Cosette smiled apologetically but didn''t address it. "Uncle Maynard, I was actually very concerned about Luke," she said, changing the subject and delving into the main reason she insisted on spending their lunch with the Quinns.

    Cosette had been waiting for an opportunity to raise her concerns, and now was the time. Or else, she didn''t know what Conrad would do if she wouldn''t get her deal done.

    "Huh? What about Luke? Is he giving you a hard time?"

    "Huh? No, of course not." Cosette shook her head in defense. "I was just worried because he hadn''t beening to school. I thought something happened. That''s why he couldn''t go to school."

    Maynard and Asher furrowed their brows, while Conrad and Maxen nced at her. Cosette was sporting the most innocent look ever as if she was shocked and only made a slip-up.

    "Oh, noбн did I say something wrong?" she gasped, covering her lips, darting her eyes between Maynard and Asher nervously. "Was Lukeбн skipping sses?"

 Chapter 141 The Promise Ring

    Maynard and Luke may act all easygoing, but the Quinn family followed a strict tradition. Even Maynard Quinn would act virtuously in front of the elders of the n. In other words, they treated education with the highest regard.

    Luke may not look like it, but even when he didn''t take school seriously, he had good grades. Having good grades in the academy they used to attend was akin to being a top student in a regr school.

    Grades were simply one of the many things Luke and Asher had to abide by. It was also their reputation, as the Quinns were very concerned with their reputation. The only reason Luke got away with his rebellious attitude at the Academy was that most of his ssmates were terrified of him. Backed up with good grades, the elders didn''t think about what sort of things Luke was doing in school.

    But not now. Cosette was her ssmate, a part of the upper echelon. If she started talking, even if Luke managed to get good grades at the end of the semester, it wasn''t enough to appease the elders of the said n.

    Maxen looked at Cosette''s back as they headed inside the c residence. After Cosette mentioned Luke''s misbehavior, Maynard and Asher still acted the same. However, the change in atmosphere was very distinct. It was silly to think it didn''t affect Maynard and Asher.

    Cosette was cunning, too. To make sure the atmosphere wouldn''t be too awkward, she uplifted the mood with humorous chatting. She mostly chatted with Maynard, so thetter saved his face.

    After the meal, both parties parted on a friendly note. Now they were back in the c manor, and Maxen couldn''t take his eyes off of Cosette''s back.

    "Papa, should we check the clothes we bought?" she giddily asked, holding Conrad''s arms as they entered the stronghold.

    Conrad''s eyes fell on her, treading carefully. "We already tried them out in the boutique." Exhaustionced his voice, sighing faintly.

    "Well, I want to see you in them, but you''re right. Just wear them one at a time. You really look dashing, do you know that?" she grinned sweetly as if she just didn''t tell on Luke.

    Conrad''s lips parted but closed them again. It was not his problem, he thought.

    "Master." As they marched inside the entrance hall of the mansion, George, the head butler of the manor, weed them with a bow. He approached Conrad and reported in a quiet voice.

    "An international call came this morning," said George to Conrad, making thetter arch a brow.

    Conrad didn''t raise questions despite the vague report of the head butler. If it was a business-rted call, Warren would''ve called him.

    "Thank you, George." Conrad rocked his head and then turned to Cosette. "I need to make a phone call. I''ll join you and Maxen in the garden."

    "Oh, sure." Cosette nodded in understanding, releasing his arm. She waved, watching Conrad follow the head butler so George could fill him in with a much more detailed report.

    Cosette had nned a pic today, so she already told everyone to prepare the garden. She held her hand behind her, turning on her heel to face Maxen.

    "Shall we?" she asked with a grin. "Dad will join uster. Soбн"

    Cosette took slow steps until she was standing beside him, bumping her shoulder against his side. Maxen furrowed his brows, watching her wink mischievously.

    "We can have a mini date," she whispered, raising a hand to the side of her lips.

    "Uhбн" Maxen blinked twice, pondering her remarks. "That sounds so wrong."

    Cosette scrunched her nose up in dismay. She felt excited lest they would have a steamy moment together just like thest time.

    "Let''s go." Maxen turned on his heel, sauntering off without waiting for her.

    "Waitбн" she frowned, almost pouting. Watching him walk away and head to the garden, a deep exhale slipped past her lips.

    "We used to make me stay up all night," she mumbled, dragging her feet to follow him. "My dearest Maxenбн how did he be so pure?"

    Not that Maxen''s self-control was something she was fascinated by. It was just that after regaining her memories, she missed those steamy moments they both enjoyed. Maxen was wild бк super wild.

    It was normal for her to yearn for something she was used to doing when she wanted to feel something. But well, even without that, Cosette now feels tons of emotions and was able to express them freely.

    When the two reached the garden, they perched on the intricate marble chairs while waiting for Conrad. Cosette sat across from Maxen, sipping from the straw of her ss of orange juice. Her father was taking longer than usual, and Maxen had been silent.

    He would nce at her from time to time, making her wonder what he was thinking.

    "What?" she asked, keeping the straw in between her teeth. Her arms were resting against the edge of the table, swinging her feet sideways, eyes on Maxen. "Max, if you have anything to tell me, just say it. I can''t read your mind."

    "Will you be alright?" he inquired, causing her brows to raise in puzzlement. "You sold Luke out to his father. He''ll be in trouble."

    "So?"

    "This might be a problem between you two."

    "We''re friends." Cosette shrugged. "I see him as my real friend, and because of that, I will not stand and do nothing while Luke is literally trying to destroy his life."

    She straightened her back, showing no regret in putting Luke in trouble. "He can hate me all he wants, but real friends will correct you even if you get hurt. They won''t condone something, especially if it''s wrong."

    "I seeбн" Maxen rocked his head as her exnation made sense. It was rational. But even so, he was worried that Luke would only do worse. Luke just seemed to be the type that the more he was being restricted, the more he wanted to break the rules.

    "Max, are you worried about him?" she asked, watching him snap his eyes back to her.

    "Not him, but I''m worried about you."

    Cosette narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You don''t have to lieбн or stop being in denial. You like Luke one way or another."

    "I don''t like him."

    "Dislike and even hate grow on people." She shrugged, chuckling. "Luke is someone that isn''t hard to like. He''s a nice guy and any girl will fall for his charms."

    "Why haven''t you?" he blurted out, biting his tongue. Not that he was jealous or anything of the sort, but he had always been curious. Although Cosette had told him over and over, his curiosity once again knocked on his heart.

    If that was what Cosette thinks of Luke, why hadn''t she dated him?

    "I don''t n on marrying him." Her answer was quick, and without batting an eye.

    "What?"

    "To be honest, I might reconsider and date him for fun. That is if I didn''t meet you," she exined, giving out a much more detailed answer than the usual answer she would give him. "But well, I don''t date for fun now."

    The side of her lips stretched from ear to ear. "Maxen, will you marry me?"

    There was a moment of silence that came after her sudden proposal. Maxen blinked and blinked, wondering if his brain auto-tranted what his ears heard. There was no way she would propose to him, just like that.

    His brows furrowed when Cosette looked around the garden. She then frowned before her eyesnded on the straw she was sipping. The corner of her lips stretched from ear to ear until her teeth were showing.

    "Wait. That''s rude of me." Cosette took the straw in her orange juice, shaking it dry to the side. After the juice came off and only a paltry amount remained, Cosette tied it carefully into a ribbon.

    Facing him with that same bright grin, she raised the straw over the table. "Will you marry me, Maxen Cloven?" she proposed once again, holding the straw she tied into a small ribbon that had a loop underneath.

    "..." Maxen was rendered speechless, staring at her nkly. He didn''t mishear her. Cosette, indeed, proposed. It wasn''t like they would get married after this as they were still minors, but just the sheer thought she had considered marrying him was overwhelming.

    "No," he breathed out, making her frown in disappointment.

    "Why?"

    "Do you even understand the meaning of this?"

    "Mhm." She nodded, but the misced innocence in her eyes told him otherwise. "We''ll get married, have children, and happily ever after."

    "This is not a fairytale."

    "Of course, there will be problems. But love is not a feeling, Max." Cosette lowered the ribbon along with her arms, eyes fixed on him. "Love is a choice. It''s not always rainbows and butterflies. The excitement and sparks might disappear in the long run, but I will always choose you."

    Her smile grew subtle as her eyes turned gentle. "I am sure of that. No matter how many lifetimes, I will keep choosing to live in a time and the ce where you are."

    "Youбн"

    "I love you, Max." This time, he froze, looking back at her nkly after herst remarks. Cosette chuckled as she reached for his hand, cing the straw in it. "Once you decided to marry me, wear this. That means it''s a mutual promise and agreement."

    She then retracted her hands from him and stared at him squarely. "I''ll wait while loving you every day. That''s my promiseбн and in case you don''t know, I had always kept my promise." бк after all, she went back in time just to be with himбн as promised.

 Chapter 142 Just Got Engaged

    "I''ll wait while loving you every day. That''s my promiseбн and in case you don''t know, I had always kept my promise."

    Maxen smiled as he recalled Cosette''s words earlier today. He didn''t have the chance to say anything anymore because Conrad arrived right after. And upon Conrad''s arrival, they had a pic.

    The pic wasn''t anything grand. It was mostly Cosette and Conrad talking about the past back when Cosette was still a child. Sometimes, their discussion would hop aboutpany affairs, and then school affairs.

    As usual, Maxen remained silent and simply listened. It wasn''t that Cosette and Conrad would make him feel he wasn''t included in the conversation. Even though his contribution to the discussions was too little, he never felt, even just for a second, that he was part of the backdrop.

    After their pic, which ended when the sun set, Maxen returned to his room to freshen up. However, instead of going straight to the bathroom, he sat down on the armchair inside his room.

    Holding the straw Cosette gave him earlier today, the smile on his face wouldn''t disappear.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "She can be cheesy at times," he murmured, staring at the straw in his open palm. "But I think she had always been."

    A light chuckle slipped past his lips, obviously in a good mood despite rejecting her sporadic proposal. But what did he expect from her? She was Cosette, and she would do things at the most unexpected times.

    "How can she take that role away from me?" he murmured. "And here I was, still nning how I can afford a grand wedding. I guess I''ll always be a stepбн ten steps behind her."

    His eyes softened as he never took his eyes off of the straw tied in a ribbon as a recement for the diamond ring, and then a loop underneath. Maxen carefully slid it on his finger, smiling charmingly.

    Even though it was simply a straw, the look in his eyes appeared as if he was staring at a precious gem. It was never the item, he thought. It was never the value of something. The one that made him the happiest and flustered at the same time was the person who gave this to him.

    "I will marry youбн someday." He repeated a promise he had always told himself, rubbing the tiny ribbon with his thumb gently. "I''ll surely have my turn, Cosette."

    Maxen smiled in satisfaction, taking off the straw ring. He marched towards his desk, opened the drawer, and ced it on top of the notebook. The smile on his face remained, marking this day as the day they became engaged.

    After that, Maxen hummed a tune as he sauntered toward the bathroom to shower. On his way, he jumped mildly, having the urge to dance like a silly little goose to express his happiness. Even during the shower, Maxen kept humming a tune in his head.

    When Maxen finished freshening up, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. On his way out of the bathroom, he stopped in front of the mirror. It was moist, so he wiped it with his hand and grinned.

    "You''re taken," He snapped a finger and pointed at the person the mirror was reflecting. "Just got engaged."

    He smiled from ear to ear, shaking his head out of embarrassment. However, no matter how silly it was to even consider he just got engaged, the thought made him happy. Cosette might''ve proposed on a whim and didn''t think the same as him, but he had a wild imagination.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''I wonder how many children we will have?'' he wondered, sauntering out of the bathroom to change. ''One? Or two? It''ll be good if we had twinsбн but won''t that hurt her?''

    As Maxen''s thoughts drifted further and further to the wilderness, closing the door behind him, he froze. His pupils dted, and his neck twisted like rusting metal. His train of thoughts instantly went nk as soon as his eyesnded on the person sitting in front of his desk.

    Maxen blinked and blinked, in case he was hallucinating. But when he blinked the fifth time, Cosette turned her attention to him.

    "Hello," she greeted, cupping her cheek with her palm. She then raised a set of keys. "I snuck into Butler George''s office and took the spare keys."

    "..."

    Maxen opened and closed his mouth, but his voice was lost in his throat. "What are you doing here?" he breathed out when he managed to force his voice out.

    "We just got engaged. So, of course, we need more cuddle time." Her tone bore a knowing tone, tilting her head to the side.

    His shock at her presence hindered him from noticing how Cosette seemed unfazed by the sight of him. After all, Maxen was half naked with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

    Cosette''s brows rose, looking at him from head to toe. Her eyes lingered on his hand, frowning.

    "You didn''t wear it yet?" she asked with a deep frown. "I thought you will decide tonight. That''s why I waited for an hour before sneaking inside."

    Maxen blinked back from his trance and turned on his heel. Her frown grew deeper when he walked away wordlessly, flinching when he mmed closed the door of the walk-in closet.

    "What is wrong with him?" she wondered with a pout, looking at the shut door of the walk-in closet. "Did I step out of line and he doesn''t feel safe anymore after knowing I cane in and out of here?"

    Cosette winced, knocking her head in distress. ''Stupid. You should be more careful. He''s not that adult Maxen who will pounce on you the second he felt your presence! He''s pure and shy and slightly innocent! What the hell are you expecting?!''

    Cosette mentally scolded herself, ruffling her hair in irritation. Little did she know, Maxen was still behind the walk-in closet, his back almost fusing against it. His heart was racing like crazy until he was catching up to his breathing.

    "Crazy," he muttered to himself, face turning red with a tinge of horror. "How can you get hard after hearing her say we''re engaged?"

 Chapter 143 Thats All It Takes

    Cosette would be the death of Maxen''s fragile heart. How could shee into his room without notice? Not that he didn''t want to spend some time with her, but he needed the necessary preparation. He needed a brief ceremony to remind himself to control his perverse urges.

    Although Cosette had already given her consent in the past, Maxen didn''t want to break his promise to Conrad. Conrad might''ve given his blessings to Maxen, but on one condition. That was to preserve her chastity until they got married. That would be difficult to uphold, especially while undergoing this ''phase'' of his life.

    Maxen closed his eyes and breathed out. He peeled his back from the door, only to nt his palms on it. He hung his head low, eyes drooping until they were partially closed. His breathing was heavy, and the tension in his groin doubled.

    "She''ll literally kill me," he breathed out, moving his head until the top of it was touching the surface of the door. "Get a grip Maxen. What she meant was you two were unofficially engaged, and tonight isn''t the wedding night."

    Maxen bumped his head against the door mildly, refraining from making the slightest sound. He stayed like that for minutes. Yes, minutes, unbothered by the fact his body eventually dried up.

    "Damn," he cursed under his breath. He pushed himself away from the door after mustering every bit of energy. As he stood straight to his height, he closed his eyes and shook his head. Maxen had to p himself mildly to get a grip.

    When he was certain he already calmed down slightly, he changed his clothes to his usual outfit. A loose shirt and sweatpants. Knowing she was just right outside this door, Maxen drew a deep breath while standing in front of the door.

    He reminded himself of a long list of not to do and what to avoid. Once he made sure he didn''t forget anything, his expression died. He opened the door wearing a poker face as if he just didn''t struggle for minutes.

    As soon as he left the walk-in closet, Maxen arched a brow. Tilting his head to the side, his eyes fell to the floor.

    There, right beside the bed, was Cosette, kneeling with her fist raised over her head.

    "Please forgive me for invading your room unannounced. I swear I didn''t have any ulterior motive when I snuck in Butler George''s office and stole бк borrowed the keys," she exined, forcing her eyes to let out a tear, but to no avail. Still, she continued. "I really just want to spend some time with you, Max. If you think this is too much, or your privacy is being invaded, just say so and I won''t do it again. I will knock next time бк I swear!"

    Maxen stood there, stunned, watching her repent. He held his breath, watching her adorable face as if she practiced it the entire time he was inside the walk-in closet.

    ''She''ll be the death of me,'' he muttered inwardly, marching towards her vantage point. He squatted down in front of her, and without a word, he tilted his head to the side, only to nt his lips on her.

    Her eyes literally popped out of their sockets as her breath hitched at his action. When she blinked, Maxen already drew his head away. His eyes were sharp as they were partially closed, looking at her in the eye.

    "That''s all it takes to be forgiven, Cosette," he exined under his breath. "Don''t kneel again, hmm?"

    Cosette blinked twice, trying to process what had just happened. "Did youбн did you just kiss me?" she asked, confused.

    "I did." He nodded, knowing he didn''t regret it, but at the same time, had this urge to m his head against the wall. This was his problem! Maxen never felt sorry or had ever regretted everything he had done with her, but that was the point. He could barely control himself when they were together, and the sheer thought of having her inside his room with just the two of them amplified his feelings.

    She was driving him crazy, and she didn''t even know that. How cruel.

    Cosette pursed her lips into a thin line, biting her lower lip to stop herself from smiling. "Am I forgiven now, then?"

    "I was never angry бк" Maxen''s entire body stiffened when she suddenly leaned forward and imed his lips for a second.

    "Still angry?" she asked, lips stretched from ear to ear.

    He blinked, mesmerized by her beautiful grin. His mouth opened and closed, and before he could think of an honest answer, he blurted out an obvious lie.

    "Yes, very much."

    Cosette pursed her lips to stop it from stretching, but she couldn''t help it. He was so cute in her eyes, and even though he was in his teen and his facial features looked youngpared to the manly and sinful beauty she used to stare at, he still looked hot while lying.

    "I''m sorry." She leaned forward, nting another peck on his lips. Her lips stretched even broader and before she could say anything, she nted another one.

    One kissбн

    Twoбн

    Threeбн

    Cosette kept showering him with quick kisses until she had lost count. The more she did, the longer her lips stayed on his lips. Until Cosette nted her lips on his but didn''t draw her head back as quickly as the previous ones.

    As if on cue, Maxen moved his lips to deepen their kiss. This time, she didn''t need guidance. Instead, Cosette willingly parted her lips as he slid his tongue inside. Her arm slowly crawled around his nape while his arm snaked around her waist.

    Cosette slowly closed her eyes while Maxen was observing her reaction. He clicked his tongue mentally, but then unable to resist her and his growing desire to taste her more.

    "It''s been a while," he whispered into her mouth, guiding her to stand up without breaking the kiss.

    The bed was just right beside them, so they simply needed to be a little cautious before Cosette felt the soft mattress on her back. Once she did, Maxen draw his head back, hovering over her, drunk with desire.

    Cosette smiled mischievously, hands on his nape. "It has beenбн" the rest of her words were shoved back in her throat when Maxen suddenly bent over, iming her lips much more aggressively this time.

 Chapter 144 Finding Loopholes

    Cosette let out a moan into Maxen''s mouth, almost out of breath, as he devoured her lips without a pause. She shivered as she felt his heated palm on her hips, slipping under her top ever so slowly.

    His palm was hot to the touch, transferring the heat under her skin. Her chest moved in and out heavily, anticipating another passionate time with him. But just as Cosette was giggling evilly in her head, Maxen reluctantly peeled his lips from her.

    He rested his forehead against her, hand squeezing her hip mildly. Unlike thest time, her nightwear was so thin and so easy to take off. But s, he had to reluctantly stop himself.

    "Forgiven," he breathed out heavily, still catching up to his breathing. Since he had his eyes closed with his forehead against hers, he didn''t notice the frown that appeared on her face.

    "So soon?" she blurted out in a tiny voice, feeling his grip around her hips tighten.

    With great reluctance, Maxen pushed himself away from her. Hovering over her, he stared at her flustered face and finally saw her disappointed frown.

    "We can''t do it," he stressed through his gritted teeth, clutching the sheet right beside her ear. "Cozie, do you have any idea it takes every ounce of my energy to stop myself? Don''t force me to break my promise to your father."

    "What promise?"

    This time, Maxen froze. He stared at the genuine wonder in her eyes, biting his tongue.

    "Did you tell my dad that we''re dating?" she gasped, clutching his chest tightly. Horror filled her eyes when he remained silent, keeping his lips into a thin sh. His silence was enough for her to get the answer she needed.

    Maxen snitched himself! No, the two of them!

    Maxen let out a deep sigh, pushing himself away from her until he was sitting upright. Meanwhile, Cosette also propped her elbows against the mattress to sit up, facing him squarely.

    "You told him?" she asked once more.

    "I''m sorry, Cozie." Maxen ran his fingers through his tousled hair. "I tried to keep it a secret, but my conscience doesn''t let me sleep at night. You and your father took me in with open arms, and despite that, I amбн unworthy, he treated me with the same respect he had for his business partners. I can''t disrespect him by keeping our rtionship a secret. He deserved to know that from me since I''m the man."

    Cosette pursed her lips into a thin line. "Well, I should''ve known you wouldn''t be able to keep it a secret from him."

    "I''m sorry."

    "So, what did he say?" she asked, not dwelling on other things since there was nothing that could be done. Her question, however, caused his brows to raise. "What sort of promise did he ask you?"

    "Aren''t you going to ask if he was angry?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "He won''t be angry since he knows I like you very ton much," she exined with a tiny voice. "Moreover, that works better for him too! At least, he already knew what sort of man I''m going to marry instead of weing a total stranger into his territory. He might as well groom the man who will take care of his daughter, rather than worry to death if I even married a good man. It''s the problem with having wealth in your name, you know? The only true love people have is their love for money and power."

    Cosette bit her tongue when silence followed her remarks. That sounded so wrong if someone looked at it in the eyes of thew. Also, it sounded like they were grooming Maxen just so they could keep their wealth! That was definitely not their n!

    "Don''t misunderstand our intention. I just want to know what sort of promise he asked, and you gave him," she continued, clearing her throat before silence overtook thempletely.

    "For what?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

    ''To find a loophole, obviously.'' This time, she managed to bite her tongue to stop herself from selling herself out.

    "Justбн curious," she answered. "Just tell me what you two talked about, hmm?"

    Maxen narrowed his eyes, observing the curiosity in her eyes. A helpless exhale escaped his nostrils after several seconds.

    "He told me to preserve your chastity until the wedding night," he confessed. "That is, in case we break up, you could''ve kept yourбн chastity. I agreed, so even if I wanted to touch you, I can only do kissesбн" бк but kisses felt more like sweet torture since his body, mind, heart, and soul wanted more than just a kiss.

    How conflicting.

    Maxen raised a hand and wiped her slightly swollen lips with his thumb. "I really like you, Cosette," he blurted out under his breath but didn''t feel the need to be embarrassed about it.

    "And because of that, I want to protect you from anyone, even from myself. I want to respect the sacredness of marriage and everything along with it. That includes you," he added bitterly, sighing, dropping his hand to the side.

    "Maxбн" Cosette''s eyes softened as his resolution moved her heart, but at the same time, her brain was screaming, ''I don''t need such respect! Just disrespect me!!''

    She knew how hard it was to keep it in. She nced down and caught his bulge despite how loose his sweatpants were. When Cosette raised her head, Maxen also looked back at her as if he wasn''t enduring any pain down there.

    "He didn''t say we can''t do other things, right?" she asked, watching his brows knit. "I mean, he just wants to preserve my virginity. That means no pration."

    "Cosette, what are youбн?"

    "I''m saying we can do other things." The side of her lips stretched until her pearly white teeth were showing. She didn''t exin but reached for his hand. To his surprise, Cosette guided his hand to her bosom while keeping her eyes on him.

    "You didn''t promise we wouldn''t touch each other, right?" she continued, guiding his hand to cup her breast. "Let''s do some research, shall we? Else, we will have to wait for years until we''re legal to get married. I''m not that patient."

 Chapter 145 I Want To See It

    [ WARNING: MATURE CONTENT AHEAD.]

    "You didn''t promise we wouldn''t touch each other, right? Let''s do some research, shall we? Else, we will have to wait for years until we''re legal to get married. I''m not that patient."

    Maxen was rendered speechless at Cosette''s remarks. Did she ask him what he promised to Conrad to find a loophole? At this point, the answer didn''t matter to him anymore. His eyes fell on his hand that was touching her breast.

    "Yes," he whispered, snapping his eyes up to look back at her. "Just no pration."

    Cosette smiled. "So this is not a problem now?" she asked, pressing his hand against her bosom.

    "Maybeбн?" he shrugged, cupping her bosom voluntarily as if to feel the size of it. "Touching you is not a problem. But will you be fineбн?"

    "About?" Cosette held her breath as she carefully let go of his hand. Maxen didn''t fondle her breast as expected, but withdrew his hand, only to reach for the first button of her nightwear.

    He raised his other hand, meticulously unbuttoning her top. "Touching me," he rified under his breath, eyes on his fingers that were on her top.

    Maxen was easy to convince. Or rather, he had always thought of pleasure with no pration but had to remind himself it would be too pretentious of him to propose that. But now that Cosette thought the same, thest straw broke apart like a twig.

    "Wellбн" Cosette pursed her lips, allowing him to unbutton her top while ying hard to get. She didn''t want to shamelessly grab his groin and stroke it. That might horrify him more than what she intended.

    "If you''re fine with it, then I don''t mind. I mean, I''m also curiousбн" her eyes fell on his thigh, and then gulped. She knew how big he was; they had a good time together as adults. Also, thest time, she had felt him.

    Maxen paused, staring at theced bra as he was already halfway. He held his breath, proceeding in unbuttoning the rest. When he undid thest one, he gulped as he could see theced bra and her milky white skin underneath the top.

    "Let''s take it off," he blurted out under his breath, and before she could even agree, he already slid his fingertips on her shoulder. He carefully pulled it down until she was only in her bra and pajama.

    When he raised his head to check her face, Cosette looked away. But he could see the redness on her cheek, taking it as her being shy. Little did he know, Cosette was far more confident in standing bare in front of him. If not for Maxen, she would''vee into his room wearing just a robe and nothing inside.

    But the reason she looked away was to hide how thirsty she looked.

    Cosette flinched when Maxen bent over, nting a kiss on her shoulder. She instinctively looked back at him, only to feel his teeth graze her skin. Maxen bit the strap of her bra, pulling it off her shoulders.

    Once the strap of her bra slid over her shoulder, he ran the apex of his nose across it. Cosette had to bite her lips, clutching his shoulder on instinct, feeling his lips ce traces of kisses from her shoulder des to the side of her neck.

    As he trailed kisses on her shoulder, his other hand carefully wrapped around her. His hand then crawled up her spine, stopping on the hook of her bra.

    "Max," she whispered, getting impatient as he seemed to have struggled to unhook her bra. But just when she was about to volunteer to take it off herself, her bosom was set free.

    His lips traced her neck, biting it tenderly, and then kissing it as if to appease her if he hurt her. Cossette stretched her neck slightly, taking off her bra through her arms.

    "Max бк" Cosette abruptly stopped when his lips suddenly smashed against hers. Her eyes dted once again, letting his tongue slip in between her lips. She nced at him, only to see him looking back at her with eyes partially opened.

    She stiffened the moment she locked eyes with him, holding her breath. Right now, she seemed to have seen the Maxen Devilsin she was so familiar with. That man, the older version of Maxen, had this habit of keeping his eyes partially open to observe her.

    Who would have thought the young version of him would also have that same habit?

    Her eyes softened before she closed them ever so slowly, indulging in the aggressiveness of his kiss and the softness of his lips. Her body involuntarily shuddered as his arm secured her body, guiding her down until her back was on the mattress again.

    Keeping his lips on her, moving them slowly to savor the sweetness of her lips, his tongue took hers for a dance. As they get lost in a passionate kiss, Maxen''s other hand fondled her bosom.

    "Don''t regret this," he whispered into her mouth, knowing he would suck every inch of her tonight. After all, no one had evere to his room ever since he came in here unless it was something important. So, he was confident no one would interrupt them.

    "Never," she answered under her breath, letting his knee part her legs open. However, Cosette took advantage of the gap between their bodies as she slid her hand down. She felt his manhood making him freeze.

    Cosette grinned against his lips. "Max, you''re big," she quipped, only to receive a mild bite from him.

    "Ouch," she whimpered, only to get a kiss from him.

    "Stop teasing me," he breathed out, nting another kiss on her lips. But he didn''t tell her to keep her hands off of his private zone. Despite the fabric in between his manhood and her palm, he could feel how hot her touch was.

    "I''m not teasing you. I''mplimenting you," sheined, feeling his shaft carefully. Her eyelids drooped dangerously as she stroked it, causing him to rest his forehead against her.

    "I want to see it," she requested without any trace of shame, lifting her face to nt a soft and quick peck on his lips. As she did so, she mischievously slipped her hand underneath his pants. Maxen hovered over her stiffly, clenching his teeth the second her fingers grazed his manhood with nothing in between.

 Chapter 146 My Tongue Is Fine, Dont You Think?

    [ WARNING: MATURE CONTENT AHEAD.]

    Cosette wrapped her fingers around his girth. It was hot to the touch, smoldering in anger as if his dragon had been meaning to spit fire. As she breathed in heavily, his mint breath wafted her nostrils.

    Maxen''s mouth fell open when she held the entirety of his manhood. Deep lines appeared on his forehead, torn between stopping her or letting her sate her curiosity. He clenched his teeth when she stroked it carefully, feeling her thumb on his head''s tip.

    "It''s hot," shemented under her breath, aroused despite Maxen having stopped kissing and touching her. He just hovered over her stiffly, paralyzed in that position with her hand inside his pants.

    "Ughбн" he grunted, lowering his head to im her lips, only to whisper in her mouth. "Careful."

    "Mhm," came out a moan from her throat, feeling his body pressed against her mildly. Her eyes shut closed on instinct, only to realize she didn''t have any top to protect her when he cupped her breast.

    Maxen pinched her nipple, rubbing it in between his thumb and index. She shivered at the slightly tickling sensation crawling under her skin, but the increasing heat of their bodies hindered her from stopping him.

    After some time, Maxen rested his body on her side with his elbow supporting his upper body. He fondled her breast, and when he pulled his lips from her, he lowered his head. It only took two seconds for him to bite her nipple mildly.

    Cosette gasped, running her fingers through his hair. At this point, Maxen''s body moved down, causing her to let go of his groin. She flexed her fingers, trying to reach it, but to no avail.

    "Later." His breath kissed her ears, causing her to raise her shoulder when he nibbled her earlobe.

    She felt light-headed, but the surprise of how Maxen moved efficiently lingered in her mind. One second, he was kissing her, only to feel his moist and soft lips on another part of her body a secondter. His hand also moved in sync with him as if he had always practiced this.

    Well, Maxen had always fantasized about her and what he would do to her if they ever did it. Hence, it was safe to say he was only putting those fantasies into life.

    "Ahбн" Cosette breathed out, arching her back when she felt his palm feel her curves. It went south, and without a second hesitation, he slipped his hand inside her pajama. Maxen purposely didn''t slip his hand inside her underwear, stroking her fold until her underwear felt damp.

    He grinned against her ear. "Wet," he teased, making her bit her lower lip.

    Cosette looked back at him. Her entire face was dyed in red, eyes watery. His fingers were massaging her folds with her panty in between.

    "Stop teasing me," sheined along with a deep breath, closing one of her eyes when he nted a kiss on it.

    "I''m not. I''mplimenting you," he exined mischievously, reminding her of her argument previously.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen gazed down. His face was not any better than hers. It was beet red. Right now, he was touching her again, massaging her flower and because of the love juices that leaked out from her, the fabric felt so thin it wasn''t protecting anything anymore.

    His groin kept growing bigger, but he shunned the thoughts of pration. No matter how drunk he was in this euphoric sensation, he ruled out any thoughts of sinking his erection inside her cave.

    Maxen bit her jaw mildly. "Shit," he cursed out under his breath, sliding her underwear to the side while his middle finger massaged her clitoris.

    She was wet, so wet, his finger slid up and down her slit so easily. His finger hovered over her hole when he felt it, scolding himself not to insert it inside. No pration!

    In a moment of haze, Maxen snapped his eyelids and raised his eyes to her. Cosette''s bare chest was moving up and down heavily. Her mouth was opened, face contorting at the pleasure in herher region.

    When she turned her head to him, Cosette lifted her head to im his lips. "So good," she whispered, unknowingly driving him to the brink of insanity.

    "No pration," he blurted out as if to remind himself and Cosette, knowing she seemed to have hinted to him of something he instinctively knew what. "Cosette, you''re driving me crazyбн"

    Maxen clenched his teeth and traced kisses on her neck down to her corbones. This time, he pushed himself from her side until he was over her once more, fondling her breast.

    Carefully, he removed his finger underneath her pajama, standing on his knees. His eyes fell on her, eyelids drooping until they were partially closed. He was like a beast who had finally broken out of his cage. A beast who only ate grass until now had a taste of meat, and there was no going back.

    ''I can''t believe I would ever see this sight of her. It always felt like a far-fetched dream,'' he uttered inwardly, guiding his finger to his lips. Maxen kept his eyes locked with hers, licking her love juices that stuck to his finger.

    He observed her reaction, watching her bite her bottom lip. But unlike what he expected that she would look away in embarrassment, Cosette watched him lick his finger. Her eyes, although watery, were clear.

    More than the surprise, Maxen was in awe. Cosette had always known what she wanted, and right now, she wanted the same thing as him. It was unfortunate they couldn''t do it.

    When he licked every residue of her love juices on his fingers, he carefully reached for the garter of her pajama. He paused for a second, ncing at her for permission. Cosette kept her mouth shut, looking down at him with anticipation in her eyes.

    That was all he needed before pulling her pajama down. Not just her pajama, but also her undergarment, without a second hesitation.

    Maxen gulped as her precious flower with those pinkish folds graced his eyes. There was this sticky liquid that glossed over her flower, but that only caused him to lick his lips in hunger.

    "Can I?" he still asked solemnly, raising his eyes back to meet her eyes. "I don''t want to insert my finger, but I think my tongue is fineбн don''t you think?"

 Chapter 147 Sweet Torture

    [ WARNING: MATURE CONTENT AHEAD.]

    "I don''t want to insert my finger, but I think my tongue is fineбн don''t you think?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, surprised at the slight embarrassment creeping into her heart. She looked away, nodding.

    "Mhm. It''s fine." She flinched when Maxen suddenly held her thigh up, spreading her legs wide open. Her pupils dted at the embarrassing position, looking back at him with horror. Not that she has never done this position before, but wasn''t he too young for this?!

    The side of his lips curled up deviously at the reaction he got from her. "I''m more perverted than you thought," he confessed. "I hope you''re flexible."

    Maxen kept his hands under her thigh, pushing them up until her body nearly formed a C. In his position, he could see her flower better and closer. As a tear leaked out of her folds, he nced at her flustered face.

    Obviously, Cosette was shocked and mortified, but it seemedбн she liked it. Deep down, this embarrassing position Maxen just tested to know if it would work aroused her even more. He blinked twice, almost distracted by the sudden thought in his mind.

    He mentally shook his head, setting his gaze on the crying flower before him. He had always wanted to devour every inch of her бк every inch includes this delectable part.

    Maxen licked his lips, lowering his head down to her flower. Cosette let out a short whimper, shuddering as his tongue touched her clitoris. She bit her knuckles, crossing her legs with his hands stilling her thigh up.

    ''It''s sweet,'' he thought the second the tip of his tongue touched her erged clitoris. His brows elevated, licking her pinkish folds carefully and slowly.

    "Ahhбн" a soft moan came out of her mouth, clutching the sheet tightly. "Maxбн"

    Her moans and how soft and desperate she called his name were akin to fuel, raising his desire to lick her clean. He yed with her clitoris with his tongue, sucking her folds ever so tenderly.

    She tasted exquisite, making his groin throb. Oh, how nice would it be to slide his erection inside her cave right now? He might struggle since it would be their first time, but the sheer thought of her tightness around his girth aroused him.

    Maxen licked, kissed, and sucked the junction between her thighs. He savored every bit of her until she was writhing on the bed.

    Cosette''s mouth fell open when the tip of his tongue circled around her entrance. She wanted him so terribly bad, and it frustrates her that he would rather die than break his promise to Conrad.

    Maxen carefully slid his tongue inside her entrance, not putting the whole thing in, but just the tip. Slowly getting drunk on the love juices leaking from her, he licked her up.

    "Max, I''m almostбн almost there," she breathed out heavily, and as soon as she said so, he flicked his tongue against her entrance. Her flower throbbed as she hissed, closing her legs. Cosette''s grip on the sheet tightened, muffling her moan with her hand.

    Her body shuddered, convulsing as she released the built-up tension in her body. Cosette flinched every three seconds, feeling this thick liquid trickle down to her butt.

    Maxen grinned, licking the dripping love nectar up. He let her go, letting her lie limp on her back.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosettey t on her back, staring at the ceiling while catching up on her breathing. She didn''t think she would reach orgasm without actual pration, but she did. Her toes curled, watching Maxen copse on her side.

    "Good?" he asked, propping his temple against his knuckles, eyes on her side profile.

    Cosette turned her head and faced him. She raised her arm and rested them on his neck.

    "Yes," she smiled bashfully. "It feels addicting."

    His eyes softened, seeing the satisfied smile on her flustered face. He raised his other hand to wipe the droplets of sweat from it. His brows rose when she asked.

    "What about you?" Cosette blinked, pointing her lips south. "Shouldn''t we do something about it? It''s unfair if I''m the only one who orgasmed."

    Maxen pressed his lips into a thin line and pondered. He looked at her, blinking.

    "Let''s try like this," he pulled her waist, making her roll to her side. Maxen squeezed her butt cheeks, pulling them closer until he could feel her body against his erection. "I can''t put it inside, but I want to feel you."

    Cosette pressed her lips, staring into his eyes. While Maxen set his erection free from his pants, he held it in front of her flower. With his hand''s guidance, he slid its head against her folds.

    He winced as his groin throbbed at the wetness and softness of her flower. Maxen adjusted down, sticking his manhood in between her thigh, feeling her flower on top of his girth.

    "No pration sexбн is like a sweet torture," he whispered, cupping her jaw. "We can do everything except that. No matter how wet you are or how hard I am, it''s embarrassing that we can only do this."

    His eyes drooped, moving his hips back and forth, telling himself to get satisfied fucking her thighs. It was, indeed, embarrassing if he thought about it. But grinding his erection against her folds and feeling her love juices moisten his mast for a smooth stroke didn''t feel bad.

    Cosette kept her eyes on him. Both of them were lying on their sides, facing each other squarely. If she thought about it, this was an ufortable position for him.

    "Wait," she blurted out, pushing his shoulder, at the same time raising her leg over him to not hurt his dragon.

    Maxen furrowed his brows as heid t on his back. But before he could think of anything else, Cosette saddled him. She nted her hand on his chest, eyes on him.

    "This is better," she said, resting her flower on his girth. Without a moment''s notice, she moved her hips, grinding on him. Her hair fell over her shoulder until her turfs reached his ear.

    Maxen raised a hand and tucked a portion of her hair behind her ear, keeping his eyes on her face. His eyes softened, closing them when Cosette bent over to im his lips whilst moving her hips, her folds stroking his erection until he orgasmed.

 Chapter 148 Lucky

    After Cosette and Maxen''s little experiment, both of them agreed to take a shower together. Yes. Together. Cosette proposed it and dragged him with her. Now they were dipped in the tub, sitting on each side, facing each other.

    "Max?" Cosette called, resting her hands on her knees that were above the water''s surface. She rested her chin atop her knuckles, eyes on Maxen, who was sitting on the other end of the tub. His arms were spread on the rim, his knees were bent up over the water.

    "Mhm?" he cocked his head to the side, waiting for whatever she would ask him. Since they took their rtionship to the next level, staying in the same tub, butt-naked, felt more natural.

    "When did you know you like me?" she asked out of pure curiosity, watching him raise his brows.

    Maxen pressed his lips into a thin line, humming. He nced up to ponder when it all started, but s, he couldn''t think of any date.

    "Iбн don''t remember," he answered, setting his eyes back to her. "I didn''t know when it started or how it even started. I justбн felt it."

    "Felt what?"

    "Felt that I would sometimes think of you in the most random moments," he continued with a shrug, not feeling embarrassed speaking his heart out loud. "There were nights I will subconsciously stare at my phone, waiting if it will ring. Sometimes, I would notice I''m smiling just hearing your voice, and then look over my shoulder to check if you were there."

    Her eyes softened as she smiled. Those were all the times when Maxen hadn''t moved in the c manor. Yet, she didn''t notice that at all. She only thought he was being lenient since he would still constantly distance himself from her.

    "I didn''t know you already liked me back then," she mumbled, smiling in satisfaction.

    "What about you?" he returned the question, watching her brows elevate. "When did you realize youбн like me?"

    "The first time." Her answer was quick with no trace of hesitation, catching him off guard as it seemed he didn''t expect that. Cosette chuckled, resting her cheek on top of her hands that were still on her knees, eyes fixed on him.

    "That time I rushed you to the hospital, I told myselfбн ''wow, he''s really cute,''" she added.

    "Cute?" Maxen cocked his head to the side. "I had a ck eye at that time and my face was swollen."

    Cosette grinned. "I picked up your school ID."

    "Ahhбн"

    "You were definitely my type," she continued her confession. It wasn''t like she was lying. She was simply taking out the fact she was a fan of him, thinking she was in a novel. "But then, when I transferred school and got to know you more, I realize your hands were so cold."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen furrowed his brows. "My hands were cold?"

    "Mhm." Cosette lowered her eyes, staring at the little ripples on the surface of the water. "They are rough and cold as if you were outside in the middle of the winter with no gloves on. And yet, when I was scared, you allowed me to hold on to your finger. It''s ironic how your hands felt so cold, yet it warmed up my heart and could wash away the fear in my heart when my demonse knocking in my head."

    She slowly raised her eyes at him and smiled subtly. "So I told myself I''ll keep his hands warm and clean. But the more I spend time with you, the more I feel this greed. I don''t want to let you go."

    Maxen''s eyes softened as he stared at her subtle and soothing smile. Her eyes were soft and full of affection, revealing the truth and nothing but the truth. He dragged his butt forward until he was sitting in front of her.

    Maxen carefully crawled his arms around her body underneath the water. He lowered his head, looking at her straight in the eye, but said nothing.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "What?" she asked, tilting her head to the side a little. "Won''t you say something cheesy in return?"

    "I just want to look at you, that''s all." He chuckled. "What else can I say?"

    She pouted. "Like, what do you feel right now? Don''t tell me you''re horny, Max. You orgasmed like three times in a row! That''s too much!"

    "I am a healthy young man," he argued while she nted her fist on his bare chest.

    "Won''t we catch a cold?"

    Maxen chuckled and leaned his face forward, brushing his nose against the tip of her nose. His lips were stretched from ear to ear.

    "I feel lucky," he muttered, drawing his head back. He scanned her beautiful face gently before looking into her eyes. "No, I''m the luckiest."

    There were many things he wanted to add, but those words were the only words he managed to utter. Maxen felt lucky, and until now, he felt like he was in a beautiful dream. Not because of the fact that he did all sorts of unholy things with Cosette, but just the sheer thought that this intelligent, wonderful, and beautiful youngdy was in love with someone like him.

    "Sometimes, I wonder if I saved the world in my previous life to be this lucky," he added in a humorous tone. "Actually, I never thought I would ever use that term. Lucky. I thought I was born unfortunate, but everything felt bearable ever since you came into my life. It felt normal."

    "I don''t hate it as much as I hated it before. Matter of fact, I think life is so pretty, and this world is so much better with you in it." Maxen leaned his face again and rested his forehead against her forehead whilst cupping her face. "I know we''re still young and many things can happen in the future, but what I can promise you is that I don''t think I will ever like somebody else."

    His lips curled up into a charming smile. "I love you, Cosette c, and that will never change."

 Chapter 149 [Bonus ]Last Warning

    "I love you, Cosette c, and that will never change."

    Cosette had her eyes closed, listening to Maxen''s soothing voice. She smiled at hisst remarks, holding his hand that was cupping her cheeks.

    "You didn''t save the world in your previous life, but ruined it," she humored, but it was more like a reminder to her ?she wouldn''t allow him to self-destruct again. "Max, you don''t need to ask me repeatedly if I love you. Just look into my eyes and see who is the tenant in my heart."

    Cosette drew her head back to look him in the eye. Maxen stared into them, seeing the person those eyes were mirroring.

    "It''s you," she said. "Can you see him?"

    "Are you always this romantic?" he quipped. "I felt butterflies in my stomach. Strange."

    Cosette broke out inughter. "I am born romantic!" she intoned, grinning until her teeth were showing.

    "Really?" he scrunched his nose up, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

    "I just gave you butterflies in your stomach." She pinched his chest mildly. "Don''t look at me like that!"

    "Look at you like what?"

    "Goodness. Will you look at him?" she clicked her tongue, almost rolling her eyes. "Maxen, are you always this wicked?"

    "I was born wicked."

    "And you said that with a straight face!"

    "Don''t press my nerve or I''ll misbehave." He shook his head, only to make her grin. Maxen narrowed his eyes, crawling his hands around her waist under the water. "Cozie, are you a pervert?"

    "What?" she gasped. "That is so random!"

    "It''s not." He shook his head. "How is it random? You just grinned when I told you I would misbehave. What were you thinking?"

    Cosette bit her tongue and looked away. "How is that perverted? You''re the one who''s a pervert to assume I was thinking something perverted."

    "I am a pervert," Maxen admitted; he just grew hard even after three consecutive orgasmed. "But I''m a proud one and I can''t help it. My girlfriend is not only beautiful, but she''s also fuckable."

    "Wha бк what?" her face turned red at his usage of words.

    Maxen blinked twice, studying her face. "Cosette, are you a masochist?"

    "Hah??" she nearly choked, getting more confused at every passing second.

    "I meanбн" Maxen tilted his head to the side as he studied her face. But instead of saying something, he slid his hand down and felt her flower. His action caused her body to stiffen, wide-eyed.

    "When I try to embarrass you by saying something vulgar, it seems you''re getting even more aroused by it," he exined while massaging her down there, watching her mouth fall open as she clutched his shoulder. "Even earlier when I first ate you, you looked shy, but then you were even wet."

    "Noбн" came out a tiny voice, followed by a soft moan. "... that''s not it."

    Maxen''s eyes drooped, keeping his eyes on her. She really liked it, he thought. The sight of her amplified the tension in his lower region. So when she looked down, Maxen guided her chin up.

    "Don''t look away," he whispered, leaning forward to im her lips, only to speak again in her mouth. "Let''s do it again here since I usually masturbate here."

    Cosette let out a loud moan, allowing him to savor her lips whilst stimting her. She knew he purposely said thatst remark to arouse both of them, and it worked. After a second, she felt his hand take her other hand from his shoulder underneath the water.

    He guided her hand straight to his erection, which Cosette held and stroked. Keeping their no pration rule, both practiced onanism, pleasuring each other with their hands. But when that wasn''t enough, Cosette straddled him, keeping his erection against her heart of femininity.

    And with that, she ground her hips against him.

    Oh, youthбн

    ******

    Meanwhile, in the Quin Residenceбн

    Luke was sitting on the couch. His elbow was propped against his thigh, dribbling a ball that had a size of a baseball.

    "There you are." Asher''s voice came in, but Luke kept dropping the ball, only to catch it with little effort. Asher marched towards the one-seater couch near Luke''s, leaning back to find afortable spot. "Are youбн alright?"

    Luke was silent, pretending Asher wasn''t there. It was a surprise his older brother even bother asking him if he was alright. After all these years, Asher finally asked such a question. But s, it was toote. Luke was already numbed.

    "Luke, you were skipping sses. You know how strict this family was regarding education."

    "So what?" Luke caught the ball and raised his head at Asher. "I skipped sses, but so what?? It''s not like I didn''t do this before in the Academy."

    "Back then, the students were scared of you and no one had the guts to tell you on Dad. But Miss c is your ssmate now. She''s someone who is also within our circle."

    "They weren''t scared of me," Luke argued, tilting his head to the side. "Why don''t you just be honest, brother? Just say because I transferred school, you cannot threaten the students from telling me on Dad. That would be better instead of acting like a concerned big brother."

    "Luke бк" Asher clenched his teeth and breathed out. "Nevermind."

    "Cool." Luke snorted and shook his head, dribbling the ball again. "Just leave me alone. I''m busy."

    Asher ran his tongue across his inner cheek and sighed. He nted his hands on the armrest, ready to leave. It was pointless to check on this guy since his mind was closed. It was better to give him some space after getting scolded by Maynard.

    But just as Asher was leaving, he halted and looked back at Luke.

    "What did you say?"

    Luke slowly turned his head to Asher. "Do you like Cosette?" he asked, studying Asher''s puzzled expression.

    "Amazing." Luke let out a dry and shortugh. "You always tend to steal things ?I like. Well done, brother. You''re truly an outstanding model."

    He slowly rose to his feet, facing Asher squarely. "Don''t worry. I''ll keep disappointing everyone just so you get all the spotlight. But don''t you dare use Cosette for your bruised ego. She might''ve sold me out to Dad, but at least, I know she did that out of genuine concern for me." He raised his chin as if challenging Asher.

    "Keep your hands off of my friends. This is myst warning."

 Chapter 150 The Face Of Trouble

    The second week of the school year rolled in quicker than ever. Cosette stayed that night in Maxen''s room. Since both of them were young бк Maxen was бк they sacrificed sleep just to kiss each other and hold each other longer. The following days went by normally with Cosette flirting with Maxen at every turn she would and being too clingy to Conrad like an angel.

    And thenбн Monday came in.

    ss F was usually loud and lively before the start of the ss. However, today was different. Everyone was behaving well, or rather, they were keeping quiet and whispering to themselves.

    The reason?

    Cosette stared at the studenting inside the room, followed by a couple more students she had never seen before. The student was tall, taller than Maxen and Luke, who were already considered the tallest in the ss. His head was shaved clean, holding his bag with a finger that was over his shoulder.

    "Oy." The man kicked the seat of a student that was ced on the back and near the door. "Move."

    "Ye бк yes." The student, who was originally sitting in the chair, hastily picked up his things to give up his seat.

    As the neer sat down, three of hisckeys also kicked the desk closed to it. Just like the first student, they all gave up their seat without asking a question.

    ''Who are these students? Transferee?'' she wondered, arched a brow as she noticed Amie''s paleplexion. Thetter was sitting stiffly, fist on herp, eyes down.

    "Pst." Fay tapped Amie''s shoulder to get thetter''s attention. "Let''s switch seats."

    Amie pursed her pale lips, eyes shaking at Fay. Her eyes were already watery out of fear since her seat was closest to their ssmate that just arrived. Seeing how terrified Amie was, Fay let out a faint sigh.

    "Come on, let''s switch seats," Fay urged under her breath, watching Amie nod profusely. However, just as Amie was about to stand up discreetly, a handnded on her desk. Amie instantly flinched, looking at the owner.

    "Do I disgust you or what?" asked a long-haired male student with an arched brow, eyes at the baby-faced Amie. "Why are you asking to switch seats just because I sat beside you?"

    Amie squashed down the dread crawling up her spine, unable to look away from the student named Ja. They had been ssmates since the first year, but they only saw them attend the sses a few times. Even so, everyone knew they were troublemakers who acted like gangsters in the school.

    No one would want to mess with them or catch their eyes. Or else, their school life бк no, their entire life would be hell. Look what happened to Maxen, who became their ve.

    "She didn''t ask me, but I''m offering her," Fay chimed in with a dead tone, looking at Ja dead in the eye. "Why? Do you have any problem with that?"

    Ja smirked, sizing up Fay''s unsmiling and cold countenance. He rocked his head and pulled his hand away after several seconds.

    "Feisty," hemented with apparent malice in his eyes and tone.

    "Ew." Fay rolled her eyes and smiled at Amie. "Let''s switch seats."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Reluctance flickered across Amie''s eyes and then shook her head. "It''s okay."

    "Amieбн"

    "I''ll be fine." Amie forced a smile, looking away towards the board. "It''s okay."

    Fay frowned while staring at Amie''s side profile. Even though Amie didn''t exin it, Fay already had an idea why Amie refused, even though she already agreed the first time. Amie knew Ja would target Fay if they sit close by. After all, Amie had long patience and was a coward, who would keep it in if she could.

    Fay, on the other hand, wouldn''t. Fay would speak up for herself and for sure, she would eventually offend not just Ja, but their entire group.

    ''Shit.'' Fay clicked her tongue weakly as she looked away from Amie, arms on the desk.

    Seeing things unfold, Cosette nced at Sarah. Thetter was sitting in front of Cosette, so she could see that Sarah was staring at Amie and Fay with worry in her eyes. Cosette then shifted her eyes to her left, only to see Maxen staring out of the window.

    ''He seemed he didn''t care much about them,'' she thought, letting out another sigh.

    Cosette looked around, seeing others whispering among themselves. Some were just keeping quiet, while a few were cing new chairs and deals since the neers took their spots.

    ''This is a little different fromst year andst week.'' Another sigh slipped past her lips, cupping her cheek. ''I heard about Maxen''s bullies and I guess these were those bullies.''

    She snuck a look at the long-haired student and then the other delinquents. ''They look familiar,'' she thought, wondering where she had seen them. After careful thinking, Cosette''s brows rose, only to nce at the new students who were the cause of the stifling silence in the room.

    ''I saw them at the back of the school when I searched for Luke.''

    Cosette''s eyes fell on the empty chair on her right. Luke was absent again today, but since those delinquents were present, she was certain Luke was absent for a reason. She sold him out to Maynard, and it wouldn''t be a surprise he was being punished for it.

    ''I wonder if he is angry with me?'' she frowned at the thought, knowing how emotional and sensitive Luke was. ''Well, I knew he will get angry but still did it, anyway. I can''t let him self-destruct too, even if I know he can still top the exams without studying.''

    Cosette shook her head mildly, peeling her eyes from the empty chair. As she looked ahead, she felt Maxen''s gaze on her side. She looked back at him, only to see his solemn expression.

    ''He looks so seriousбн'' her train of thoughts trailed off, realizing Maxen was staring not at her, but someone past Cosette. Cosette followed his gaze and arched a brow, seeing that the student whose head was shaved clean was looking back at Maxen in silence.

    Cosette drew her head back, hands on the edge of the desk. ''I don''t know what to doбн honestly.'' She nced at Maxen and then at the other student. When her eyes lingered more on the neer, her brows furrowed.

    ''Now that I think about it, he looks... oddly familiar. I wonder where did I see him?''

 Chapter 151 [Bonus ]The Devils Right Hand

    [ SHORT FLASHBACK ]

    "You''re not staying for breakfast?" Cosette stopped in the living area of the penthouse where she was staying. She stared at Maxen, who was closing the door of the bedroom, wearing nothing but a loose shirt, messy hair, and a cup of coffee in her hand.

    "No." Maxen smiled at her, marching towards her. He spread his arms slightly wide, wrapping them around her waist to pull her closer to him. His lips were pressed into a thin line, looking at her bare face matched with her morning hair.

    Cosette still looked stunning; just the sight of her caused his throat to dry up as if their passionate nightst night wasn''t enough.

    "Do you want me to stay?" he asked yfully, tilting his head to the side.

    "Wellбн" Cosette raised her arms and rested them over his shoulders. "... will you stay if I asked?"

    "Ask and we''ll see what happens."

    The corner of her lips curled up into a smirk. "Go." She raised her chin. "I don''t want to hold you back from your business. After all, you won''t leave in a hurry if it''s not important."

    "You''re much more important."

    "Oh, please. Enough with the ttery." She giggled, standing on her toes, only to bite his lips. "I already know my value and I am priceless."

    Heughed with his lips closed, eyes glinting dangerously. "See you tonight?"

    "Sure." Cosette rocked her head, shing him a smile. "I only had meetings in the afternoon."

    "Tonight it is." He smirked, lowering his head to im her lips. Maxen nted a soft kiss on her, only to deepen it on instinct. He felt her lips stretch into a grin against his lips, making him squeeze her hips.

    "Twenty minutes," he whispered into her mouth, lifting her by the waist. Cosette was petite and light thus, it was easy for him to carry her when she wrapped her legs around his hips.

    Maxen sauntered towards the couch without breaking his kiss from her,ying her down carefully on it. As he drew away, her eyes glimmered yfully, causing his lips to curl into a devious smirk.

    "You''re driving me crazy," he muttered with a rasped voice, bending over to im her lips once again. Cosette happily weed all his advances, kissing him back, and unzipping his trousers.

    Obviously, no one was able to stop the two of them from tangling their bodies into one. Even though he was in a hurry, he didn''t care about the twenty minutes he stayed with her. It was the same with Cosette. She didn''t mind using that spare twenty minutes in having sex with him instead of eating breakfast.

    Once they finished, Cosette propped her elbows against the surface on the couch she was lying down. Her eyesnded on Maxen, who was already zipping up and then fixed his tie.

    "You''re scary," she humored, watching him pause as he looked back at her. "Most of the people I meet were wearing suits. What makes them different from wealthy criminals?"

    Maxen chuckled and continued to fix his tie with his eyes on her. "And so were politicians," he quipped. "It doesn''t mean youбн and those people in your circle don''t have existing records, doesn''t mean they haven''t sinned. It''s just that they weren''t caughtбн just yet."

    "You make me sound like I am one of them." Cosette propped her temple against the bottom of her palms, simpering. "But on the same note, does that make us better?"

    "In what way?" his fingers slowly looped his tie, arching a brow at her.

    "Because we were never caught, and thus, we''re innocent."

    Maxenughed as he tugged his tie. After fixing his tie, he marched towards her and sat down on the edge of the couch.

    "That made you even worst," he argued in a knowing tone. "We are on the wanted list because we''re not hypocrites. We''re the bad guys and we don''t care about it. Our crimes continue to pile up, and we will all face them if we were caught. What about you?"

    Maxen raised a hand and tucked a portion of her hair behind her ear. "That''s why you''re admirable. While I am always discreet, you, on the other hand, walk freely as if you haven''t destroyed people. The same goes with that new friend of yours. Asher Quinn."

    "I might mistake that you are more interested in Mister Quinn than you are in me, Mister Devilsin. You kept mentioning his name." She giggled, watching him shrug nonchntly.

    "I don''t trust him. Be careful."

    "That sounds reassuring." Cosetteughed out loud. "You''re so cute, Mister Devilsin."

    Maxenughed, pinching her chin, and nted a kiss on her lips. "I''m simply reminding you of how twisted this world and the people in it were."

    "You don''t have to, but I appreciate it." She giggled against his lips, fluttering her eyshes while he drew his head back. "You and I are the constant reminders of how twisted this world is."

    Maxen smirked and pinched her cheek mildly. He stared at her enchanting visage for several seconds in silence.

    "I''ll see you tonight," he mused, pushing himself up. "Later."

    With that being said, Maxen walked away. He picked up his zer on the one-seater couch on the way. Cosette stared at his back while pushing herself to sit up.

    "Wait," she raised her voice, stopping him from his tracks. When Maxen looked back, he arched a brow, seeing that she was slipping her feet into the house slippers.

    "I''ll send you out," she said, skipping her steps towards him.

    "Hm??" he cocked his head to the side, warranting a burst of loudughter from her.

    "I''ll send you off," she repeated, hooking her arm around his arm. She then tugged his arm, tipping her head towards the main door. "Let''s go?"

    "How strange. You never did things like this."

    Cosette giggled as she walked him towards the entrance. When they were in front of the shut door, Cosette released his arm to face him squarely.

    "Why is it strange?" she dawdled, fixing his tie for him. "I feel like ying the role of a wife for once."

    She snapped her eyes up to him, simpering. "It looks fun."

    Maxen let out a dryugh, shaking his head sideways. At this point, he was already used to her sudden impulses.

    "I''ll see youter, wife," he humored, winking at her as he reached for the knob. "It does look fun."

    Cosetteughed, watching him open the door. As soon as she did, her brows rose as if there was a person standing outside. However, she didn''t dwell on it since the man seemed to be one of Maxen''s men. She was somewhat used to how Maxen''s people could sneak in and out of any ce that was supposed to be well-guarded.

    Yet, Cosette couldn''t help but keep her eyes on the man outside. His head was shaved clean, but what caught her eyes was the dragon tattoo on the side of his head.

    "Bye." Cosette snapped back from her trance at Maxen''s voice. She smiled and waved, seeing Maxen walk away while the man followed behind him, and then the door shut closed.

    ****

    [ PRESENT TIME ]

    Cosette snapped her eyes back to reality, holding her breath. She looked at the delinquent, staring back at Maxen.

    ''It''s himбн'' she thought in shock. Although the tattoo on his head wasn''t there, she couldn''t mistake it. Maxen Devilsin''s right-hand man.

 Chapter 152 Hungry?

    Cosette didn''t know much about Maxen''s affairs. She knew the general details, such as his illegal dealings and criminal activities, but she didn''t get a lot of information regarding the people surrounding Maxen.

    It was better for Cosette to know less about Maxen''s dealings, since knowing more would put her in danger; Maxen and Cosette knew that, and thus, they rarely discuss Maxen''s affairs. Still, Cosette had heard a few short stories about the Underboss of the Don (Maxen.)

    One of them was that this said Underboss was the only person Maxen had trusted. This person would even cut his own limb if Maxen asked for it. He also yed out a huge role in Maxen''s torture of Mia, "the female lead."

    However, never did it ever cross Cosette that Maxen and his right-hand man had this sort of rtionship at first. A bully and the bullied.

    RIIIIING!

    "Passed your work before the day ends, alright?" the teacher spoke louder as the school bell rang, indicating lunch break. She efficiently picked up her work text and books before sauntering off.

    Normally, during this time, everyone would''ve already formed a huge circle to eat together. However, even when the teacher left, the students just looked at each other, wondering if they should make a huge circle or take their lunch in the cafeteria.

    "Max бк" Cosette furrowed her brows, looking up at Maxen as he stood up. "Where are you going?"

    Maxen pointed up while his other hand was holding the bag containing their lunchbox. "Rooftop."

    "Won''t you eat here?"

    "No." His answer was quick and cold, snapping his eyes at the delinquents, who were preparing to leave to. Or so what it looked like.

    "Wait for me." Cosette pushed herself up, ncing at Sarah and Fay, who were looking back at her. Amie was still hanging her head low; she had been quiet since the start of the first subject.

    "Should we eat somewhere else?" Cosette invited with a smile, ignoring the stifling atmosphere dominating the room. It was obvious everyone was just waiting for those bullies to leave.

    "Uhmбн Suбн re?" Sarah trailed off, holding her breath when one of the delinquents approached Cosette, only for the long-haired student to walk past Cosette and stand in front of Maxen.

    "Heyo, Maxen, my brother." Wyn, the long-haired delinquent, nted a hand on Maxen''s shoulder. "We left you offst week, but you see, why don''t go with us?"

    He then cocked his head back, arching a brow. "Boss will be delighted to have lunch with you."

    Maxen nced at this "boss" Wyn was talking about. The bully arched a brow and nced at the two of them. He looked a little baffled as if he didn''t know what Wyn was talking about.

    "I can''t." Maxen set his eyes back to Wyn, raising the bag of lunchboxes. "It''s only an hour''s lunch, so I refuse to go."

    Wyn sneered, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "You иC"

    "Are you hungry?" Wyn halted when Cosette suddenly raised a question, turning to thedy who was slowly rising from her chair. Cosette faced Wyn squarely, tilting her head to the side. "Are you hungry but don''t have the money to fill your stomach? Is that the reason you''re inviting Max to lunch?"

    "Hah?" The long-haired student raised his brows, rendered speechless by her inquiry. Cosette shed him a smile, staring him straight in the eye.

    "We bring lunch boxes because the food in the cafeteria is expensive. Should we share our food?" she continued innocently, looking at everyone. "Can you guys spare a portion of your lunch for him? Of course, Maxen and I will also share ours."

    Cosette then faced Wyn once more. "We''re all ssmates, after all. Therefore, we should help each other."

    "Hahбн" Wyn burst out ofughter, rendered speechless for a moment. Did he hear her correctly? This girl and everyone would donate a portion of their food to him? What was he? A charity?

    "Oy, just because you''re a girl, don''t think you can get away if you insult me unprovoked бк" His hand stopped midway when Maxen grabbed his arm before he could grab Cosette''s cor. Despite his attempt to assault her, Cosette was unfazed as if she wasn''t afraid of getting hurt.

    Maxen''s eyes glinted, tightening his grip on Wyn''s arm. "Not even the tip of her hair, Wyn." He shook his head, his tone as if that was the first andst warning.

    "Insult? What is insulting about that?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "We simply want to help our ssmate, but you call it an insult. Was it better to intimidate someone who is weaker than you to get what you want than allow them to give it to you willingly?"

    Cosette paused, frowning. "Why? I don''t understand such reasoning."

    ''This bitchбн!'' Wyn ground his teeth and pulled his hand from Maxen but to no avail. His eyes dted, tugging his arm, but Maxen''s grip didn''t bulge. Yet, Maxen''s expression remained cold and distant, as if he wasn''t putting any effort into it at all.

    "Wyn, is it?" Cosette continued, watching Wyn look back at her. "It won''t hurt to be kind and ask nicely. Violence and forcing things won''t resolve anything."

    She nced at Maxen, and as if on cue, Maxen released Wyn''s arm. He raised his chin, eyes down on Wyn as if there were such a significant difference in their stature.

    "Sarah, Fay, Amie," Cosette called and smiled. "Maxen and I will have lunch on the rooftop. Do you want to join us?"

    The three looked at each other and nodded awkwardly. Seeing that there was a tinge of relief in the girls'' eyes, Cosette cast Maxen a look.

    "Let''s go, Max," she urged, walking past Wyn nonchntly. Maxen followed Cosette, pausing when he was about to walk past Wyn. He cast thetter a cold look, and then at the bald guy sitting silently in the corner.

    Maxen smirked before following Cosette. Sarah, Fay, and Amie followed the two silently. As they left the ssroom, the rest of their ssmates either had their mouths agape or their eyes popping out of their sockets.

 Chapter 153 [Bonus ]Kindness

    "That bitchбн!" Wyn ground his teeth in anger, holding his arm where Maxen gripped him. "And that bastard бк"

    "That''s what you get for acting all high and mighty." A fellow delinquent, the guy with a scar across his eyebrow,ughed out loud. "How can you pick on Max when our boss here isn''t even saying anything?"

    Wyn let out a ''tch'' out of irritation, ncing at everyone. His ssmates immediately resumed whatever they were doing while others looked away, silently walking away to have some lunch.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "That fuckerбн"

    "She looks familiar, isn''t she?" suddenly, Emyr, spoke. He was rubbing his chin, looking up, recalling where he had seen Cosette. "Is she some bitch who works in the club at night or what?"

    "Hah! Can you even pay one for the night?" Ja humored, grinning deviously. Emyr frowned, ring daggers at Ja, and then cast his eyes on the shaved head student, whom they call their boss.

    Emyr propped his arms against the desk. "Boss, that Maxen is growing some balls just because she is being protected by that girl. What should we do to her?"

    The Boss leaned back, raising his foot to rest on his leg. He rested his arm on the desk, the other over the backrest of the chair, his back against the wall. He cocked his head to Emyr, sporting a dull look.

    "Nothing." His in answer caused Ja, Emyr, and Wyn''s brows to furrow. "We do nothing."

    "But бк"

    "I agree with him." Ja rocked his head in understanding. "Boss just got out of the juvie. He needs to lie low for now."

    The boss snapped his eyes at Ja for a moment before he looked away. The room at this point was almost empty since everyone just left the four of them alone.

    "He''ll have his day," he muttered. "That psycho will have his dayбн for sure."

    The three looked at the shaved-head guy with genuine puzzlement in their eyes. However, their boss didn''t speak anymore after that as thetter stared at the window across from them. They didn''t know why, but their boss had been lenient to Maxen even before thatst incident which led him to the juvenile.

    *****

    "Cozie, you and Max looked cool earlier," Amie praised in a murmur, feeling a lot better when Maxen and Cosette stood up to those school bullies.

    As nned, Fay, Sarah, Amie, Cosette, and Maxen had their lunch on the school rooftop. While eating, the girls couldn''t help but praise Cosette and Maxen since watching those two, especially how Maxen dropped his warning to Wyn, sounded dangerous and cool. It was as if they were just watching a movie.

    Cosette chuckled. "You guysбн we''re not trying to be cool," she exined, ncing at Maxen, who was sitting on the corner while the girls had formed a small circle.

    "Right, Max?" she said louder to catch Maxen''s attention.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen rocked his head. "Mhm."

    "See?" Cosette looked back at them with a bright smile on her face. "My offer to him was true. I would give him food if he needed it. I mean, we don''t know his story. He might be a bully in school, but who knows what happens to him inside his home, right?"

    "I think people usually have reasons why they do certain things," she continued, lowering her eyes as she pondered about things. When she raised her head, a soft smile dominated her face. "No one was born wicked. Life is already tough as it is. Being kind and understanding is free."

    "Cozie, are you an angel?" Amie blurted out, flinching when she realized her question.

    Sarahughed modestly. "I expect to hear that from her."

    "I think I expect that from you, Mama Sarah," Fay chimed, grinning yfully. "But well, I don''t think I have the energy to worry about other people''s personal problems. I mean, even if they had a sob story to tell, it''s not an excuse to be evil."

    "True." Amie nodded in agreement.

    "Hurt people hurt people," Sarah exined with a subtle smile. "Being hurt by others isn''t a license to hurt others, but that''s just how it is."

    "I can''t disagree." Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, her eyes glossing over the girl''s face. "But understanding them is different from condoning their actions."

    Her lips stretched as the three looked at her with furrowed brows. "Sometimes, people just need someone who will listen to them or understand them. They don''t need people who will agree with them, but just someone who will understand where they wereing from, not for sympathy, but the sheer fact someone heard andprehend them."

    "Viins in most stories never regret their actions. Even if they had a sob story to tell others, others might think their story was to justify their wickedness. It''s not," Cosette continued solemnly. "The purpose of those redemption arcs is thest attempt for the viin to tell his story, not for justification, but to give us all a moral lesson."

    "That sometimesбн it only takes one act of kindness to change a person''s life," she added, smiling at the girls subtly. "Kindness is something we can all afford. Why not sprinkle it everywhere, right? Who knows? That random act of kindness might stop someone who was destined to destroy the world!"

    "Haha! Cozie, this is why everyone likes you." Sarah smiled softly at Cosette, admiration filling her eyes. "Not only you are beautiful from the outside but also you have a big heart."

    "I think I just fell in loveбн" Amie nted her hand across her chest, staring at Cosette nkly. In her eyes right now, Cosette seemed to sparkle like a goddess.

    "I feel like I''m a demon." This time, Fay murmured. Sarah and Cosetteughed as they looked at Fay and Amie.

    "You guys are so silly." Cosette shook her head mildly. "Let''s eat or we''ll gette on our first subject in the afternoon."

    As the three girls resumed eating, chatting in between, Maxen was staring at Cosette''s side profile. His eyes softened, peeling his gaze from her to the clear blue sky.

    ''An act of kindness to change a person''s lifeбн that''s definitely what happened to me.''

 Chapter 154 How It All Started

    Fifteen minutes before the lunch break ends, Cosette, the girls, and Maxen finished their meal. On their way to their room, the girls parted with Maxen to the restroom.

    Walking through the corridor towards their room, Maxen slowed down. The hallway wasn''t empty, but because of the familiar troublemakers, the scene was slightly tamed. Maxen ignored it, heading straight towards their room.

    But s, the long-haired Wyn blocked his way just as he could step inside the room. Thetter''s hands were shoved inside his pockets, tipping his head to the side.

    Maxen fluttered his eyshes ever so tenderly, ncing over his shoulders. Outside the room were Ja and Emyr. The bald guy wasn''t around. When Maxen looked back at Wyn, he noticed the students inside the room looking back at him worriedly.

    ''Strangeбн'' Maxen thought, recalling this wasn''t the first time these three ambushed him so shamelessly. Sometimes, they would even drag him by the back of his cor.

    Yet, these kids wouldn''t look at him worriedly. In fact, most of them would look away. The very few people who would sneak a look at what was going on had a blend of relief and fear. They were relieved that they weren''t these bullies'' target, and then the natural fear they carried towards these troublemakers.

    But now they looked at him with conflict in their eyes.

    Was it because they had gotten to know him? Or was it because they knew Cosette favored Maxen? Whatever their reason was, one thing was for sure. They didn''t change. They weren''t Maxen''s friends. Because if they were his friends, they wouldn''t stand idly by, hesitating whether to jump in to help him or wait for the worse. Not that he wished for anyone to rescue him.

    "Where is he?" Maxen asked after a moment of silence, setting his sharp eyes back at Wyn.

    "The usual ce."

    Maxen rocked his head in understanding, taking a step back. Still carrying the bag containing their empty lunch box, Maxen sauntered away from the room. Wyn and the other two delinquents sneered as they looked at each other.

    There were no words exchanged as the three followed Maxen''s trail. Five minutes before the school bell rang, Maxen and the other three troublemakers reached an unused ssroom, as the building would be renovated in a few months.

    Maxen went past the broken door. As soon as he did, his eyes fell on the bald guy sitting in the front near the board. The chairs бк almost everything was broken бк were all squeezed into the corners, leaving the middle almost empty, with only a few chairs anyone could sit on.

    Stopping in the middle, Maxen fixed his eyes on the delinquent. Thetter was boldly smoking a cigarette. His legs were spread wide, arms on his thighs, eyes at Maxen.

    "Aren''t you lying low after getting out of the juvie?" Maxen inquired coldly, arching a brow as he noticed the three other guys left the room. "What do you want, Remo?"

    The bald guy named Remo sneered. "I just want to chat." He pointed at the chair near Maxen, making the smoke of the cigarette in between his fingers sway.

    "Take a seat."

    "If you have nothing good to say, I''ll go." Maxen raised his brows when he heard the sound of the bell, indicating lunch break was over. He turned around nonchntly and was about to saunter off when Remo spoke.

    "What does it feel?" asked Remo. "Having someone to cover up your crime?"

    Maxen stopped as his jaw tightened, looking back at him with murderous intent in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

    "You know what exactly what I am talking about, Max." Remo slowly stood up, keeping his cigarette to the side. "That fightбн you''re the one who stabbed him. I saw you with my own two eyes."

    Remo took a long drag and cocked his head back, puffing the smoke ever so slowly. "And yet, this bastard had the gall to put on airs." He pulled his head back and his eyes instantly fell on Maxen.

    "What do you think?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "Don''t you think I''m pretty capable? Like a loyal dog who will take a bullet for you."

    Maxen stared at him dead in the eye before a dryugh escaped his mouth. "You wantбн to be part of that thing?"

    "Why not?" Remo shrugged. "You''re born lucky. From a nobody to someone who can be somebody."

    "Somebody... who will be on the run all his life?"

    "Come on, Max. Don''t act as if you never considered it."

    "Even if I considered it once, why are you doing this?"

    "Why am I doing this?" Remoughed in ridicule, sizing up Maxen to know if he was joking. "I''m simply thinking about my ?future. I don''t like your people nor do they fascinate me; they''re all sick in the head. However, it''s not that bad. After all, it''s not like we both had futures ahead."

    "Don''t use me as your stepping stone бк"

    "If you can be used, do you think I''ll stay silent until now?" Remo cut him off, taking a step towards Maxen. He bent over, bobbing his face to examine thetter. "I''m not using you. I''m trying to make you someone I can follow. We had a special bond, so that''s even more convenient."

    "Hah...! Did the people in the juvie beat you until you lost the screws in your head?" Maxen tapped his temple mildly. "Can you hear yourself?"

    Remo snorted. "Have you not changed your mind yet?" he cocked his head to the side. "Was it because of that chick? What is her name again? Co бк Cozy?"

    "You can keep my dick in your mouth, but leave her name out of it." This time, Maxen grabbed Remo''s cor and ground his teeth, riled up upon the mention of Cosette''s name. "Remo, I don''t know what those people told you, but I don''t have any reason to be a part of their sick world."

    Maxen''s grip tightened, moving his face closer to Remo. "Also, don''t even think of touching Cosette. If you do, I might actually kill someone. I''m not joking Rem."

    Maxen red at Remo for an entire minute before pushing him away. He let out a sharp breath before turning around to walk away.

    "You talk as if you want to protect her when, in fact, you''re putting her in great trouble yourself."

    Maxen once again stopped, looking back at Remo. Thetter was taking out a stick of cigarette from the packet of cigarettes which he put in between his lips. Before lighting up the end of the cigarette, Remo cast Maxen a nonchnt look.

    "What? Did you think you''re free just because you refused their offer?" Remo sneered, cocking his head to the side. "They''re always around. Why did you think this school epted this juvenile kid again?"

    He lighted up the cigarette, covering it with his other hand. Once the end was light up, Remo breathed out the smoke while keeping the stick of cigarette in between his teeth.

    "This counts as a debt too, isn''t it? There are many things you have and will thank me for. First, for taking the fall for that bastard''s death, and second, for giving you this information." Remo took out the cigarette from his lips, holding it to the side, eyes fixed on Maxen. "They didn''t want me to tell you they''re still lurking around and watching you, but wellбн you''ll be my boss in the future. As I said, I''m trying to put make an excellent record early by having bad records on the outside world."

    "All they said is to keep an eye on you and make sure you don''t turn up dead one of these days," he added in a knowing tone. "I don''t need to do anything to hurt you. They wille for you. The only question is when? But you know what they are capable of. They always get what they wantбн by hook or by crook."

    Maxen''s body trembled in anger, balling his hands into a tight fist. His eyes glinted with murderous intent, grinding his teeth. However, he held it in.

    Without saying a word, he turned on his heel and sauntered off. This time, he didn''t stop even when Remo added, "by the way, your friendбн that pretty boy, is quite promisingбн"

    Maxen didn''t listen to anything anymore as Remo just startedughing without finishing his sentence. As Maxen stormed away, his eyes were zing with anger while his jaw tightened. Every step felt heavy, echoing in his ears, and as such, his memory drifted to a memory Maxen buried deep in his mind.

    [ Over one year ago... ]

    Horror dominated Maxen''s face. His brain was in shut mode, eyes wide open. He slowly gazed down, only to see his trembling hands covered with nothing but blood. Too much blood.

    ngбн

    He flinched, breath hitching when the knife that was originally in his handnded on the damped concrete ground.

    "What did I doбн?" his lips quivered, moving his shaking eyes towards the guy lying near him. Thetter was catching up to his breathing, reaching his hands out for help. However, the people around them were too busy fighting under the pouring rain.

    "Oy!!" Suddenly, Remo''s voice erupted from behind him, grabbing the back of Maxen''s cor to pull him up. Seeing that Maxen was mortified at the blood in his hands, Remo ground his teeth.

    "Oy, Remoбн he''s bleeding бк he''s dying. I бк I бк"

    SLAP!

    Maxen''s eyes went even wider when a handnded on his face. Even before he could look back at Remo, all he heard was Remo''s shouts.

    "Get the fuck out of here, you fucking psycho!" Remo ground his teeth, tugging Maxen''s cor to get him back to his senses. "If you get caught here, you and I will be fucking dead."

    Remo ground his teeth, staring into Maxen''s eyes with his fiery eyes. When he let Maxen go, he pushed him away. Only then did Maxen realize the approaching siren and the blue and red lightsing to the shrine where the two gangs were fighting.

    "Go!" Remo''s voice was akin to loud thunder echoing in Maxen''s ears, and without thinking twice, Maxen allowed fear to overtake him. He fled the scene without looking back, only to hear the horrible news of someone''s death in a gang fight the next day and the arrest of several delinquents.

 Chapter 155 Saving Grace

    After that incident, Maxen''s life somehow quieted down, and not at the same time. Those who fled the scene just like him from the other gang woulde to him and beat the hell out of him. He tried fighting back, but against a group, it was only a futile attempt.

    He wanted to bury that incident and forget about it. He already seeded бк almost. However, no matter how much he tried, the memories of that night would haunt him in his sleep, taking the clothes of this so-called nightmare.

    Thanks to Cosette, this endless nightmare had stopped. She calmed his soul, and for reasons unknown, the ''visits'' he would get almost every single day hadpletely stopped ever since Cosette came into his life.

    She was his angel, his savior. And the peace for the past year with her had finally freed him from those shackles in the past. However, it seemed he made a mistake. This freedom and peaceбн were all temporary.

    Maxen balled his eyes into a tight fist as he walked through the corridor. His eyes were on the floor while his mind was drifting far away. Hence, he didn''t notice the figure standing in his way until he bumped into her.

    Out of instinct, Maxen grabbed her shoulder to stop her from falling. Cosette also grabbed his arms on instinct, her foot bncing her as she took a step back.

    "Cosette?" he snapped his eyes, pulling her hand until she was standing straight. "What are you doing here?"

    "I was looking for you," she answered, keeping her eyes on him. "Someone told me they saw youing in here. So I went, but you were zoning out."

    "Ahhбн" Maxen rocked his head, only to raise his brows, seeing that she was checking him. "What?"

    "They told me you followed those troublemakers here," Cosette exined in a knowing tone, and she held his gaze when she didn''t see any traces of fight. "Did they hurt you? Why did youe with them? We should just report them to the admin, Max. Just don''t go with them, knowing what they might do."

    Maxen stared at her worried eyes as she nagged at him. She sounded upset, but his heart warmed up.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "Take off your clothes," she demanded firmly. "They seem to be the type to know where they hit. Of course, they won''t hit you in the area that is visible. Take off your clothes. I want to see if you had bruises or whatever."

    The side of his lips curled up. Without saying a word, Maxen cupped her face and bent over. Her eyes instantly went wide as his lipsnded on hers.

    "Mhm!" A protesting moan slipped out of her mouth, gripping his shoulders. But when Maxen didn''t budge with his kisses turning gentler, her eyes softened before she slowly closed them.

    "Thank you," he whispered, peeling his lips from her as he rested his forehead against her. "For looking for me."

    Cosette was catching up to her breathing. "What happened?" she asked under her breath. "Is there something wrong?"

    Maxen remained silent, and she waited for his answer patiently. When Maxen drew his head back, he brushed the natural blush on her cheek with his thumb.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Should we skip ss?" he proposed instead of answering her question, smiling gently at her. "I know I promised to do better in school, but I feel sick."

    "Maxбн"

    "I''ll stay on the rooftop or just leave the premises. You can go back to the ssroom. I''ll wait for you at the gates once the ss is over," he offered when he realized how terrible his invitation sounded.

    Her grades had dippedst school year because of constant skipping sses; although Cosette managed to top the exams, herck of attendance still affected her grades. They''re still better than his grade, though.

    "Don''t invite me only to take it back." Cosette held his hand while keeping her gaze on him. "Where are we going? And what about our bags?"

    "I don''t knowбн" he whispered. "I just don''t want to be here."

    Cosette nodded in understanding. "I''ll ask Driver George to pick us up at the back of the school." She shoved her hand inside the pocket of her skirt. Thankfully, she asked someone to modify her skirts.

    "Hello, Driver George? Can you pick us up at the school?" she spoke just after several seconds when she ced her phone in front of her ear. "Also, please drop by the faculty. Tell them Maxen and I had an emergency, so we have to go home. Mhmбн please don''t tell my dad. Thank you."

    Maxen stared at Cosette silently as she talked to her personal driver on the phone. He felt secure just watching her deal with everything with just a phone call. His eyes fell on their hands, which she was holding securely but gently.

    ''I had always known she takes care of meбн'' he thought, raising his eyes up at her. ''... but only now did I realize that not only she takes care of me, but she also protects me.''

    His jaw tightened, lowering his eyes, keeping his silence. It wasn''t that his pride or ego was bruised, as Cosette was like the man in this rtionship. However, he realized that Cosette was the only person he could run to whenever he felt suffocated.

    Could they just run away? No. Conrad would y him from head to toe. However, if what Remo said just now was all true, then Cosette and Conradбн could be in danger.

    "Let''s go?" Maxen was snapped out of his trance when Cosette spoke again, tugging his hand mildly. "Driver George said he''ll be here in a few minutes. We can sneak out in the back of the school and go to the convenience store."

    "Mhmбн"

    Cosette smiled and guided him to follow her whilst holding his hand. As they walked through the empty hallway with Cosette leading the way, her smile faded as her eyes glinted dangerously.

    ''Soбн they had already contacted him even before I met him, huh?''

 Chapter 156 Something She Had Always Anticipated

    Minutes agoбн

    When Maxen sauntered off to meet Remo, Cosette, Sarah, Fay, and Amie were already standing on the other end of the corridor. Cosette''s brows furrowed, seeing that Maxen was walking away with those three troublemakers.

    "What is Max doing with them?" Fay wondered with genuine wonder in her voice.

    "Are they going to bully him again?" Amie added nervously, gazing at Cosette in panic. "Cozie, should we report them? Thest time Maxen was with them, Max came back with a ck eye."

    "We should." Sarah nodded, setting her eyes back at Cosette. "I don''t know why the admin let those delinquents back here, but it''s obvious the suspension did nothing to them."

    Just as the three looked at each other and nodded in agreement, they noticed Cosette staring in the same direction. When her lips parted, the girls'' brows furrowed.

    "Cosette, what are you saying?" asked Fay inplete bafflement, looking at Cosette in disbelief.

    "You three should go back to your room." Cosette snapped her eyes ever so tenderly, looking at the three with equal attention. "I will follow them."

    Sarah couldn''t help but tug Cosette''s arm, causing thetter to look back at her. "What do you mean you will follow them? Cozie, it''ll be too dangerous."

    "Sarah is right. Those guys don''t care if you''re a girl or a guy. They will hurt you without conscience. Getting punched by them is the mildest thing they can do," Fay backed up solemnly. "They can do worse that will ruin you for life."

    Amie held her fist and nodded. "That''s right, Cozie. Let''s just report them. We can''t let you go on your own. If you''re going, we''ll go too!"

    Cosette scanned the three and detected the determination in their eyes. Her lips curled up subtly, letting out a shallow breath.

    "I didn''t say I n on jumping into the scene if they will beat Maxen," she exined solemnly. "I will follow them and get evidence. I won''t let them twist facts to get a lesser punishment. You wait for me in here, hmm?"

    "Cosette бк"

    "Once I get enough evidence, you call for help." Cosette raised her phone, cutting Sarah off before thetter could argue with her. "They will notice us if we go by group. Just stay on standby."

    The three looked back at Cosette with reluctance, looking at each other before setting their attention back to Cosette. What Cosette said made sense. Those delinquents could twist their words and use Maxen was the instigator. After all, Maxen also had bad records and they could use their ''past'' dispute as a reason to get out of it with a lighter punishment.

    So, in the end, the three, although reluctant, put their trust in Cosette. They returned to their room, holding their phones, waiting for Cosette''s signal before they make an action.

    Meanwhile, Cosette hurriedly went to the old building where she saw Maxen and the three go. On her way, she saw the other three: Ja, Emyr, and Wyn walk away from a certain room. Cosette patiently waited for them to leave before she discreetly approach the hallway where those three came from.

    Cosette didn''t know which room exactly Maxen and Remo were in. But when she heard voices, she followed them. Her steps were light, barely making a sound.

    "You know exactly what I am talking about, Max." Her steps slowed down as Remo''s voice grew clearer. "That fightбн you''re the one who stabbed him. I saw you with my own two eyes."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette covered her mouth, frozen on the spot outside the room. She didn''t need to go closer to the room to hear their conversation.

    "You''re born lucky. From a nobody to someone who can be somebody."

    "Somebody... who will be on the run all his life?"

    "Come on, Max. Don''t act as if you never considered it."

    "Even if I considered it once, why are you doing this?"

    The more Cosette hear about their conversation, the more this unspeakable dread crawled under her skin. She flinched when Maxen raised his voice.

    "You can keep my dick in your mouth, but leave her name out of it. Remo, I don''t know what those people told you, but I don''t have any reason to be a part of their sick world."

    Her eyes shook as she listened further to the conversation, taking a step back. Cosette clutched her hand closer to her chest, calming her breathing at the explosion of information in this conversation.

    Maxen didn''t mention anything before. Well, not that she asked him anything. After all, Cosette simply assumed Maxen was a subject of bullying. That was why she was confident Maxen knew nothing about the Devilsins.

    "All they said is to keep an eye on you and make sure you don''t turn up dead one of these days. I don''t need to do anything to hurt you. They wille for you. The only question is when? But you know what they are capable of. They always get what they wantбн by hook or by crook."

    When Remo uttered those words, Cosette panicked as she heard heavy steps. She gazed at the room with a broken door, catching Maxen''s shadow exiting. Without thinking twice, Cosette fled to hide from him.

    Fortunately, Maxen was zoning out and didn''t notice her. Cosette ran and detoured, stopping on the floor where Maxen would surely use to go back to their building. She waited for him there, and when he appeared, her eyes softened with worry.

    ''Maxenбн'' she called internally, standing in the middle of the corridor, eyes fixed on his figure. ''... I won''t let them take you away and ruin youбн never.''

    It didn''t take long when Maxen bumped into Cosette and snapped back to the currentpse. And now, since they decided to skip sses, the two of them snuck out of the school premises through the unguarded back of the school, waiting for Driver George in the convenience store nearby.

    Cosette turned to Maxen while eating her ice cream. Maxen was staring outside in silence; he wasn''t zoning out, but he looked like he was ruminating about something. Her lips parted to cheer him up and distract him, but before her voice coulde out of her mouth, her brows furrowed.

    Thud! Thud!

    Cosette slowly gazed at the transparent wall of the convenience store while Maxen snapped his eyes. Both of them looked up, tilting their heads to the side, and saw someone knocking on it to catch their attention.

    "Luke?" she called, studying him from head to toe, only to see him wearing civilian clothes.

 Chapter 157 Lost Sheeps

    Cosette thought Luke was absent because his father scolded him badly because of her. A part of her brain also considered that he could have skipped sses again. However, looking at Luke from head to toe right now, her brows furrowed with uncertainty.

    "What are youбн" she trailed off, narrowing her eyes. Just moments ago, while Maxen and Cosette were eating ice cream in silence, Luke knocked on the transparent ss wall to get their attention. After that, Luke went inside the convenience store, sitting on the other stool beside Cosette.

    "Did you skip sses?" she asked cautiously.

    "No. I was absent." Luke blinked innocently, bobbing his face to examine her. "Did you?"

    "Uhбн what do you think?" Cosetteughed awkwardly, casting Maxen a look. Unlike Luke, who was in civilian clothes, the two of them were still in their uniforms.

    "Tsk tsk tsk." Luke shook his head, tilting his head over the table to look past Cosette to Maxen. "Oy, Maxen Cloven. What the hell? Why are you tolerating her skipping sses? Tell me. You''re a bad influence on her, are you?"

    "I was the one who proposed it бк"

    "I never said I wasn''t," Maxen replied bluntly, looking back at Luke. "What are you doing here if you didn''t go to school?"

    Cosette let out a deep exhale, letting Maxen''s remarks slip. She then looked back at Luke, tilting her head as they patiently waited for Luke''s reply.

    "I moved," was Luke''s reply in a nonchnt tone.

    "What?" Maxen and Cosette frowned. "You did what?"

    "I ran away from home." Luke pointed at the cashier. "Came here to ask if they need a part-timer."

    "..."

    Maxen and Cosette took three minutes to process Luke''s remarks, looking at thetter wide-eyed. Did they hear him correctly? Luke ran away from home? And was thinking of applying for a part-time job as a cashier in this rundown convenient store?

    "Look at you twoбн" Lukeughed mockingly, leaning his arms against the table. "What? You think I''m joking?"

    "Did your dad disown you because I rat you out?" she blurted out in horror, only to turn pale when Luke nodded.

    "Yes. He hate me so much he chased me out." Luke let out a deep exhale and frowned. "He didn''t even give me an allowance and just threw all my things out. I''m all on my own now."

    "Whatбн" Cosette''s mouth fell as guilt crawled under her skin.

    "Pfft бк!" Luke grinned after a minute of staring at the guilt swirling in her beautiful eyes. "I''m joking!"

    "Luke!" she pped his shoulder, grinding her teeth in anger. "Are you out of your mind?! Do you hate me that much because I told you about your dad? How can you бк"

    Cosette stopped herself from pping his shoulder again, balling her eyes into a tight fist. She snapped her tongue in irritation, resting her arms over the table.

    "I hate you," she huffed, looking ahead at the transparent ss wall in front of them. "Seriously. Don''t lie about the small things."

    Luke smacked his lips and huffed. "I didn''t lie."

    "Then don''t joke like that!"

    "I''m not joking." Cosette looked back at Luke at thetter''s remarks. "Although I wasn''t disowned or chased out, I ran away from home."

    "You did?" Cosette furrowed her brows, observing the sincerity in his eyes. This time, she was certain he wasn''t lying.

    "Why?" she inquired under her breath, twisting her body to face him squarely. "Did something happen? Did anyone hurt you?"

    Luke leaned back slightly, seeing the genuine worry in her eyes. "Don''t look at me as if I just ruined my entire life."

    "But why?"

    "Because why not?" he cocked his head to the side, blinking almost innocently. "I''m old enough to take care of my own."

    "Running away is easier said than done," Maxen chimed in solemnly, watching Luke gaze back at him. "I don''t know how bad the scolding you received was that you ran away from home, but it''s not that easy."

    "Oy, Maxen. What do you see me as, huh? Did you think I don''t know that?"

    Maxen simply shrugged, as his answer would surely offend Luke. This second young master of the Quinn loved showing off the wealth he didn''t work hard for. He was born well to boot and was raised privileged and spoiled.

    Luke was a diva, and he just learned how to eat meals that this young master deemed ''humbling.''

    In other words, Luke, no matter how determined he was, would struggle at the sudden downgrade in his lifestyle. No one could me Maxen since that was the character Luke had shown from the beginning; arrogant, spoiled, and selfish.

    No one would ever imagine Luke living a simple and humble life.

    "Luke, did something happen?" Cosette intervened when the tension between Maxen and Luke''s gaze felt distinct. "You can tell me. I will help if there''s anything I can do."

    "No," Luke''s voice was distant, peeling his stony gaze from Maxen to Cosette. But when his eyesnded on her, the coldness in them faded. "I''m all good. I''ve decided, and I will prove to everyone, especially to this guy, that I can survive all on my own."

    "Lukeбн" Cosette bit her tongue to stop herself from lecturing Luke. This guy seemed determined and she wouldn''t be able to talk him out of it. She had to let time pass.

    Unlike everyone else, Cosette''s opinion about Luke was different. She couldn''t me Maxen and everyone who would hear about this to think Luke would eventually go home. Although she wasn''t close to Luke in her previous life, she heard a lot about him.

    Luke was a prideful person. If he ran away and was determined, he wouldn''t go back home all on his own, no matter how tough it was. It would hurt his pride and inted ego. He would rather starve than let that happen.

    Thinking about his personality, Cosette mentally shook her head.

    "Luke, you see, we skipped ss." She cleared her throat, changing the subject. "We''re still in our uniform. Can we crash at your ce for the time being? Someone might see us and we''ll be in trouble."

    Luke blinked twice, staring at her puppy eyes. He bit his inner lower lips, looking away before he could pinch her cheeks.

    "Don''t look at me like that," he mumbled with a pout. "But sure. What can I do? You two looked like lost sheep and needs a shepherd. So pathetic."

 Chapter 158 They Make Me Sick

    Instead of judging and giving uncalled advice to Luke, Cosette chose to stay in his good graces. At a time like this, Luke needed a friend and not someone who would lecture him. Hence, with her proposal, the three of them went to the apartment building where Luke moved.

    The ce Luke moved in was close to Winter High. The area wasn''t good. Matter of fact, it was mostly old buildings since it''s not a very developed area. Hence, Cosette didn''t have high expectations for Luke''s apartment. She actually lowered her expectations, but she didn''t expect she should''ve lowered them even more.

    "I didn''t bring many things with me aside from my clothes and stuff like thatбн"

    Cosette stood by the door with Maxen, watching Luke move a few luggages to the side. His ce was a studio-type apartment. She looked around. The walls were old and with all the cleaning materials on the table, the broom and blush near the wall, she could tell Luke was cleaning it before they met in the convenience store.

    "Hey." Luke''s voice snapped her back to reality. "Cozie, don''t you want to enter? I''m poor now, but you should love me still."

    Maxen didn''t even feel anything at Luke''s remarks as he looked back at the guy and sighed. To be honest, this ce wasn''t even that bad. Maxen would be happier if he was in such a ce before meeting Cosette. Even so, for Luke who had used to live in a mansion, this apartmentбн was smaller than a bathroom for a Quinn.

    "I didn''t say I don''t want to enter." Cosette took off her shoes. "I''m just surprised. When did you move?"

    "This morning."

    Cosette looked up at him and then continued to take off the other shoes. When she walked in, she looked around.

    "So you left early this morning?" she asked, stopping in the middle of the untidy studio apartment with her hands on her hips. She looked back at him when he respond.

    "No, I leftst night," Luke rified in a knowing tone. "I leftst night and stayed in a hotel. And then, I looked for an apartment first thing in the more. This is the closest and also the one I can afford."

    "This ce is not bad," Maxen chimed in as he entered after taking off his shoes. "At least, for me."

    "Because you''re a pauper." Luke rolled his eyes but didn''t continue his sarcasm.

    "Won''t your dad get angry?"

    "Why would he?" Luke arched a brow, folding his arms under his chest. "It''s not like this is the first time I went soul searching."

    "So, you''re nning to return?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No." He shook his head. Luke cleared his throat and marched towards the old table nearby that was already in this ce when he moved in. "This is not the first time I run away from home, but this is the first time I am sure I won''t go back, even if they beg me to go home."

    "Why?" asked Cosette, staring at Luke''s back as thetter took the cleaning materials out of the stic bags.

    "They make me sick." This time, Luke''s voice was quiet, that even Maxen gazed at him. However, instead of continuing his sentiments, Luke raised his head and grinned. "They won''t know I am here. After all, I didn''t check out from the hotel."

    "Huh?" she tilted her head to the side, confused at the sudden change in subject.

    "Since it''s not my first time running away from home, I''m sure they will let me be for a few days. And then, if my dad or my brother wants me toe back, they''ll just freeze all my cards, thinking I will go back home. But well, I didn''t check out so they will think I''m in the hotel. They''re in it for a surprise if they found out I wasn''t there," Luke exined with a bright grin, making it sound like it was a light matter to discuss. He then tossed the sponge and rags to Cosette and Maxen, which the two caught in the air on instinct.

    "Enough with the chitchat, alright!? Help me clean. I will buy you two snacks, so chop chop!"

    Cosette and Maxen let out a deep exhale as they watched Luke march towards the corner while instructing where they should clean. As they listened to Luke''s instruction, the two of them looked at each other in silence.

    Despite not saying a word, Maxen and Cosette silently agreed to just help Luke for now. It was obvious Luke didn''t want pity from them. Hence, without a word, they went to each side of the studio apartment and cleaned the walls, the floor, windows, and anything that they could, as if they would get paid millions for it.

    The three of them needed distraction from their own personal dilemma, so cleaning this old apartment somehow helped, especially Maxen and Cosette. As the two cleaned the apartment and slowly got immersed in cleaning, Luke nced back at Cosette.

    A subtle smile appeared on Luke''s face, seeing that she was scrubbing the dirt on the wall. He then nced at Maxen, and he was just as focused as Cosette. They didn''tin as if it was the two of them were the ones who were moving.

    ''Damnбн'' Luke peeled his eyes away from this two, gazing at the wall he was scrubbing himself. His eyes slowly showed bitterness, not because of Cosette and Maxen, but the reason he decided to run away from home.

    ''They''re thest people I want to tell them about it, but wellбн I already got busted.'' A deep exhale slipped past Luke''s nostrils, shaking his head. ''I guess it''s not that bad. I can do thisбн I have toбн without anyone''s help.''

    A glint of determination flickered across his eyes as he scrubbed the wall clean. Luke rarely gets determined, and this decision was one of those rare moments. He was even more determined to not go back home than when pursuing Cosette.

    Meanwhile, Cosette looked back at Luke. Her eyes softened with worry, sensing the invisible fire engulfing him as he scrubbed the wall with determination.

    ''I wonderбн why he said such things,'' she wondered inwardly, thinking what could possibly force Luke to turn his back from the luxurious life he was raised to.

 Chapter 159 Argument

    [ Short shback ]

    "Keep your hands off of my friends. This is myst warning."

    Luke looked at Asher coldly as he warned him about meddling in his life. However, Asher simply snorted and shrugged.

    "You always make me sound like the viin," said Asher, waving as he resumed his steps. "I wonder why I evene looking for you to console you, knowing you''ll simply push all the me on me."

    Asher stopped by the door and looked back. "Rightбн because you''re my little brother. Therefore, I need to care. Don''t worry. I don''t n on involving myself with your friends and that, Miss c? Did you ask me if I like her? Do I need to like her if being with her is beneficial to our Quinn family?"

    "Youбн!"

    "Luke." Asher''s eyes sharpened as his tone dropped. "You can live freely and luxuriously without any pressure from the elders because I carry all that pressure as the eldest son. I need to be perfect бк faultless at every angle, so my little brother doesn''t have to conform to everything they say."

    He paused, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "If you think I am too much, I''d say you are. You me me for everything when all I did was to protect you. Now, if you can''t even get Miss c on your side, I have no option but to pursue her myself or prove that I don''t need the cs to secure thepany."

    "I didn''t want to rub this on your face бк I never did until now. However, it''s unfair when you think so badly of me when all I did was for your sake," Asher continued, letting out a scoff. "What about these friends you keep protecting? What have they done, or what did they sacrifice for you to talk to me like this?"

    Luke balled his hands into a fist, looking straight at Asher''s eyes. However, he couldn''t answer.

    "There is a reason family exists, Luke. I hope you wake up and realize who matters." With that being said, Asher reached for the doorknob and left his little brother alone. Asher had always kept his sentiments in, knowing it was his responsibility as a big brother to protect his little brother.

    However, tonight, he was triggered.

    Asher never asked anything Luke in return. Yet, his brother wasn''t even angry at Cosette when she sold him out to their father. Instead, Luke was angry at Asher. It was unfair when Asher''s intention from the beginning was pure, but his brother only thought of him as a heartless viin.

    It would be better if Asher was just as heartless as Luke deemed him. After all, Asher could be very cruel, but he had to because if he showed the slightest weakness, their greedy rtives would use it to gain authority over the n and thepany.

    Meanwhile, Luke stayed standing in his spot as he stared at the shut door that Asher mmed. His fist trembled until he loosened it, throwing himself back on the couch.

    "Arghhбн!!!" he ground his teeth, grunting in anger. Luke covered his eyes with his arm, trying to calm himself down instead of breaking everything in sight.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Arguments weren''t new between the Quinn brothers. After all, Luke had always picked on his big brother. However, this was the first time Asher retaliated.

    Silence descended into the room as Luke reclined on the couch with his arm over his eyes. He didn''t move for minutes, inhaling and exhaling deeply until his breathing calmed down. Peeling his arm away from his eyes, his eyes fastened with bitterness.

    "Who told youбн" he muttered through his gritted teeth. "... to do anything for me?"

    Of course, Luke wasn''t that clueless Asher was doing everything just so Luke wouldn''t be implicated in thepany affairs. Since when they were children, while Luke was ying, Asher had to attend sses. He could still remember the time Asher was scolded because he chose to y once instead of doing his homework.

    After that incident, Luke didn''t have the chance to y with his big brother. It continued until they were growing up. Asher was forced to mature at an early age, bing the family''s pride and honor.

    Initially, Luke thought Asher had grown to love it and became a workaholic because his brother would rather read books and documents. Only when they entered high school did Luke learn that even though Asher had now the freedom to rx, he couldn''t.

    The elders would use Luke''s name to get on Asher''s nerves as if they had Luke as a hostage. Therefore, Luke had grown more rebellious but still aimed for better grades. It wasn''t just for Maynard, unlike what people assumed.

    Luke''s main reason for having a better grade was so that his big brother had ammo if someone tried to use him again. But he still acted dumb and rebellious, so people wouldn''t even think Luke could be used to threaten Asher''s title.

    Despite all of Luke''s efforts, Asher''s situation was still the same. Or maybe Asher just had grown used to this life that he would meddle with Luke''s affair since their father was way more rxed about it. Whatever it was, it turned Luke''s stomach.

    "I can''t breathe," he muttered, balling his hands once more while staring at the ceiling. "I feel sickбн"

    His jaw tightened, thinking about how this life had always been. He liked his big brother a lot, and even if he always argue with him, Luke never hated Asher. However, if this continuedбн if Luke stayed in the same house as Asher and would always be protected by his big brother, Luke would definitely grow to hate him.

    Or ratherбн Asher might turn out a real viin while protecting his little brother, and Luke would eventually hate himself if that happened. Hence, he had to prevent that.

    "I''m not a child anymore." His eyes sharpened, determined to put a stop to this madness once and for all.

    That night, Luke didn''t hesitate to take out a small suitcase and only brought all the things he needed. He left most of the things that were called luxury, bringing just a small amount of cash, and drove off to a hotel. The next morning, he left the car in the hotel, searched for a small apartment he could afford if he worked hard for it, and coincidentally met the bad students Cosette and Maxen.

 Chapter 160 Angel

    Meanwhileбн

    Asher was standing in front of the floor-to-length window inside the student council office. He held his hand behind him, staring at the students in the garden. Since he was the president of the student body, being here even when sses were about to resume wasn''t new.

    After all, Asher doesn''t only focus on his own sses and tops them. He also had to manage his time and do some paperwork for thepany, and then fulfill his duties as the president of the student council. He doesn''t need to attend sses every day, though, unless it was important.

    "That bratбн" he let out a deep exhale, recalling his outburstst night. "I don''t know if he is getting more mature or going backward since transferring school."

    His worries about Luke were slightly lessened when Luke entered high school. Luke''s good grades hindered the elders from picking on Luke, and they couldn''t use his little brother to bother Asher. Although Luke was rebellious and wasn''t cautious, Asher could clean the slip-up and instill fear in the students lest they n to sabotage his little brother.

    It had always been like that. After all, the students in this school came from well-off families. Luke had offended a great ton of young masters and misses, and Asher had to deal with them ordingly. But the situation now was different.

    Luke was in another school, and even when the students didn''t have the ability to nder Luke in high society, Cosette was there. One word from Cosette, and the word would immediately reach the elders of the Quinn n. Good thing Cosette told Luke''s mischief to Maynard so it wouldn''t spread, but what if she told other people?

    "I don''t think she wouldбн" he whispered, considering Cosette''s personality. "I agree with him that she probably did that out of her concern as a friend. Stillбн I hate it."

    His dissatisfaction regarding Luke''s attitude towards him lingered in his heart. Or rather, the words Luke recklessly spewed pushed several buttons. For instance, ''using Cosette for his bruise ego.''

    "I don''t need herбн" Asher muttered with a frown, thinking about Cosette. He went silent, lowering his eyes to the female students walking alone or by a group. "... definitelyбн don''t needбн"

    Asher ran his tongue across his inner cheek as he trailed off, letting out a deep exhale. Perhaps Luke was right. Cosetteбн had hurt his ego and disappointed him. She wasn''t bad, and if he was going to be honest, Cosette was perfect.

    She was smart, came from a great family, she has good humor, and was pretty бк very much. Luke wouldn''t be attracted to her if she wasn''t attractive enough, and his little brother wouldn''t go crazy for her if her character was dull.

    "Whatever." Asher shook his head, turned on his heel, marching towards the president''s desk. "I don''t want to involve myself with herбн unless she realized that Nobody isn''t worth her time."

    When Asher sat down on the chair, he rested his arms over the armrest. He reclined, arching his back to stretch it. When he nced at hisptop, his brow arched.

    "Hahбн why didn''t I think of that?" he rocked his head, bending over to pick up his phone sitting next to the phone. Asher sped-dialed his assistant''s number, hearing it ring once before the line connected.

    "Remember the boy you ran a background check? Yes, that guy the cs took in." Asher rocked his head, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Mhm. Send the report to me now and conduct another thorough investigation. Find his rtives and know what they were up to. Good."

    Asher hung up and smirked, tossing the phone on the desk. He drew a deep breath, cocking his head back.

    "Lukeбн" he muttered. "... I never stole your things. I simply took out the things I know will hurt you. That Maxen Clovenбн included."

    In the end, Luke''s warning had done nothing, and also, his assumptions were right. His big brother had changed throughout the years; his methods and thinking wouldn''t easily bend anymore. But what Luke hadn''t realized yet was that Asher Quinnбн was good at finding logical reasons for his actions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And thus, this brewing problem he was about to throw at them to ruin the building friendship his brother had with those two ''disappointments.''

    ******

    Back in the disappointment club (Luke apartment unit)...

    "Ahбн"

    Cosetteid t in the middle of the apartment, moaning in relief as her back felt so stiff after cleaning. Around the corner near her was Luke, exhausted just like her, as both of them never cleaned extensively all their lives.

    Meanwhile, Maxen shook his head as he tied the bag of trash. He didn''t look as exhausted as them. Unlike the two, the only trace that Maxen helped them clean was the sweats on his in white shirt.

    "Luke, do you have money? I think I would need to ask for money for this," she mumbled, staring at the ceiling nkly.

    "Do you think I will clean myself if I can afford it?" he muttered listlessly, spreading his arms. "Ughбн I think my arms will fall off. Ah, shit! This is worse than when hitting the gym."

    "I''m so tiredбн" Cosette frowned, hearing her stomach grumble. "Luke, you promised you''d buy us food."

    "I didбн but my spine, my arms, and just my entire skeletons are about to fall off." Luke frowned as well, hearing his stomach grumble. "I never felt so hungry all my life. Now, I can feel poverty seeping deep into my bones."

    "Pfft бк" Cosette burst out inughter while Luke kept his poker face until his defenses broke as heughed along with her. Although they were hungry, the two of them were too tired to even sit up. Hence, instead of wallowing, they ended upughing while holding on to their stomach.

    ''They''re losing their minds because of hunger.'' Maxen shook his head while wiping his hands with a handkerchief, watching those two lying on the floorugh for no reason. ''Reallyбн''

    Knock! Knock!

    Luke and Cosette stoppedughing when they heard a knock and a voice outside the door. They turned their head, only to see Maxen saunter off. The two blinked nkly, watching Maxen open the door and after a moment, Maxen kicked the door closed while carrying stic bags full of food.

    "I ordered food since you haven''t thought about it until now," Maxen exined as he carried the food towards the table.

    "Hey, Cozieбн" Luke called under his breath, watching Maxen prepare the table. "... am I hallucinating? Why am I suddenly seeing an angel?"

    "That''s god, Luke."

    When Maxen looked back to tell them to stand up and eat, he flinched. Both of them looked at Maxen with a sparkle in their eyes, as if they just met their hero.

 Chapter 161 Manifesting Poverty

    "Good thing I trained my taste buds and stomach before running away," Luke muttered while chewing, warranting a re from Cosette.

    "Don''t eat if you don''t want it," she spat and clicked her tongue. "Also, don''t talk while chewing. Since when did you start talking when your mouth is full?"

    "I''m manifesting poverty, alright?"

    "Who manifests poverty?" Cosette scrunched her nose up, looking at Luke with utter dismay. "Goodness. I''m so hungry I can''t even get angry at him."

    As the two continued gobbling up the food Maxen ordered, he nced at the broken table not far away. A deep exhale slipped past his lips. It was a good thing Maxen was quick to react as the foot of the table gave in when he was preparing the table. They avoided wasting food, but now, they were eating on the floor.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c ''Good thing we cleaned almost everything,'' Maxen thought, heaving a sigh of relief as the studio apartment looked better than hours ago. Although there was still a mess in the corners, Luke could sleep properlyбн hopefully.

    He then looked around, catching a few more things to fix. If this was his ce, he would surely tell himself he would work on it the next day. However, the person who would move here was looking. Maxen set his eyes back at Luke, who was still in constant banter with Cosette.

    ''Damnбн'' Maxen secretly clicked his tongue. ''I don''t like him, but is he crazy?''

    After all, who in the world would run away from home at a young age? His frown deepened when he realized he also run away from home. Maxen was younger when he left that damn home. But then, he thought of his hardships.

    Luke ran away from home but he had money to start. He was still lucky since he had a ce to stay in. It might not be enough for this second young master, butpared to how Maxen had to sleep under the bus stop for the first several nights and at the construction sites until he got his first paycheck, this was milder.

    But well, Maxen couldn''t really think lightly just because Luke got his own ce. After all, the environment they grew up in was far different. Therefore, their perspective of what a problem was may differ greatly.

    ''I don''t care about him.'' Maxen mentally shook his head as he was about to continue eating. However, just as he held his cutlery, he paused and let out a sharp breath. ''This is crazy.''

    Maxen remained silent throughout their meal while Cosette and Luke only stopped talking when they were stuffed. The two had this rxed smile as if they were relieved to have been revived from the brink of death.

    "I''m so full бк" Cosette raised her fist in front of her lips to cover her mouth as she burped silently. "That was a good meal."

    She then turned to Luke, who was sitting at an arm''s length on the floor. Thetter was drinking water as he finished eating at the same time as her. Just as her lips parted, both of them arched a brow when Maxen stood up and walked away wordlessly.

    "Max, where are you going?" she asked, halting him from his step. Maxen looked back at them, and his eyes fell on the used paper tes and cutleries.

    "I''ll buy something in the convenience store."

    "Oh, should Ie?" she perked up, about to stand up only to see him shake his head.

    "I''ll be back real quick."

    "Oh." Cosette frowned, watching Maxen go without her. Meanwhile, clicked his tongue seeing the somber reaction from her.

    "Oy, Cosette," he called in irritation. "Do you really need to rub it on my face that you like him?"

    "What?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Why are you frowning as if he''s going to war? He''ll just go to the convenience store!"

    "But Maxen always likes me around."

    "What?" he gasped, his heart almost stopped for a second. "Shameless! Wait. Did you tell you that?"

    "Does he need to tell me he likes me around? I''m not dense and I can feel he enjoys mypany."

    "Damn, girl." Luke cast her a judgmental look. He would''ve gotten angry at Maxen, but knowing that guy, there was only at least ten percent chance he would actually say that. After all, Luke had always thought being verbal was his advantage against Maxen over Cosette.

    Cosette stared at his reaction and tilted her head to the side. "That''s strange."

    "What, strange?"

    "You."

    "Me?" Luke pointed at himself. "What about me?"

    The side of her lips curled up before picking up their paper tes and cing them inside the stic bags. She then asked him to pass his to her, which Luke did. As she slowly tied a knot in the stic bag, she spoke.

    "I thought you will scold me or tell me to love you too since you''re so in love with me. But instead, you didn''t seem to mind my disy of affection for Maxen." Cosette raised her head and turned it on him. "You even questioned if he told me that when you usually explode and point a finger at him."

    "Hah! Who said I don''t mind?" he cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms under his chest. "Cosette c, you and Maxen aren''t married yet. Unless you two exchange vows, I will always have my time to shine."

    "Please take that back."

    "No." He shook his head, refusing adamantly. "I don''t know what sort of love potion he put in your drink, but I just can''t understand why you like him so much. Is it possible that if we meet first, you''ll like me?"

    "What do you see my feelings for?" she frowned. "I''m not that shallow."

    "Then why did you like him over me?"

    Cosette gazed at Luke and smiled brightly. "How did you know I like him?"

    "Does that matter? Come on. Tell me what that guy can do that this handsome guy can''t."

    "Haha." Cosette shook her head and sized him up. "You know what? Why don''t you find out yourself why I liked him?"

    "You mean you want me to pursue him?"

    "I mean, get to know him." Cosette snapped her tongue, shaking her head, looking at him in dismay. "Once you got to know Maxen, you''ll understand just how nice he was behind that cold front."

 Chapter 162 The Sound Of Silence

    Meanwhileбн

    Maxen stood in front of the apartment building, holding a stic bag after going to the nearest convenience store. His eyes were on the floor and the unit where Luke would stay. The longer he stared at the rundown building, the more he couldn''t help butpare the grandeur of the ces Luke had.

    Luke was a show-off, so even if Maxen was not interested in Luke''s life, he was forced to know.

    "I shouldn''t help him," he muttered, dragging his feet to the stairs. "But he should''ve just stayed in the hotel."

    Perhaps, it was because Maxen had experienced fleeing home that he could rte with Luke one way or another. It wasn''t easy. Maxen survived all that because he knew deep down he could, but Luke? Not that Maxen thought Luke had a lower survival rate, but well, he couldn''t help but think that way.

    It didn''t take long when Maxen returned to the unit. As soon as he entered, he caught Cosette all alone inside. His brows furrowed, taking off his shoes.

    "Oh, you''re back?" Cosette smiled as she stopped wiping the floor, eyes at him. "Luke went to throw the trash. What did you buy?"

    "Things." Maxen carried the stic bag with him as he approached the corner wall.

    "Huh?" Cosette cocked her head to the side, seeing that Maxen took out a plier. "Did you just go to the convenience store?"

    "I stopped by the construction site and borrowed a few materials," exined Maxen as he tighten the window that had been creaking since earlier. The construction site Maxen was previously working was just right in front of the convenience store, and he had noticed a few things that required an easy fix which Luke hadn''t noticed yet.

    "He will only notice these things once it starts bothering him," he continued while opening and closing the window to check if it would still creak.

    "Maxбн" Her eyes softened, watching Maxen work on the things that they didn''t notice. Maxen also brought a hammer for the raised nails on the corners and walls. He moved efficiently while Cosette stood in the middle, watching him in silence.

    ''He always says he doesn''t like Lukeбн'' she chuckled inwardly. ''But I guessбн hate also grows on people.''

    A sense of pride flickered across her eyes as the side of her lips stretched from ear to ear. She just watched Maxen and it didn''t take long when he finished, putting bag the things in the stic bag.

    "Done?" she asked, holding her hand behind him.

    "There''s more to fix, but it''ll take some time. This entire ce needs a lot of fixing, but I just repaired the most annoying ones." Maxen swirled his index as he exined. "He''ll be fine."

    "I didn''t say he won''t be, but I''ll pretend that message is meant for me." She grinned, twisting her upper body when the entrance opened. "Wee back."

    Luke darted his eyes between Maxen and Cosette. Although Maxen was standing in the corner and Cosette in the middle, he still narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

    "You didn''t install a spy cam here, did you?" he asked, almost ruining Cosette''s mood.

    "And what will we gain if we spy on you?" she rolled her eyes, ncing at Maxen to see if she could gloat about his kind deeds. However, Maxen''s poker face didn''t change, but it was enough for her to understand he didn''t n on telling Luke.

    ''I want to gloat about it so so bad!'' she grumbled internally, but she had to respect Maxen.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We''re going home. It''s gettingte," Cosette announced with a sharp breath. "Will you be fine here all alone?"

    "Of course!" Luke raised his chin as he was gettingte, indeed. The night fell and he was already d that these two helped him, even though they were thest people he wanted to let him know about his situation.

    "Alrightбн" Cosette cast Maxen a look and tipped her head in the door''s direction. "Let''s go?"

    "Mhm."

    With that being said Cosette and Maxen marched towards the entrance while Luke leaned against the wall. Thetter watched the two put on their shoes, but when they were about to leave, he called.

    "Wait." Maxen and Cosette looked back at him. "Now that I think about it, where are your bags?"

    "Home. Although we skipped ss, I asked driver George to excuse us for the day. He already took our things home."

    "Ahhбн" Luke rocked his head in understanding.

    "We''ll drop by here tomorrow," Cosette said in a reassuring tone. "You should go to school and let''s hang out here, alright? We''ll help you with whatever there is to fix here."

    "Ah, whatever. Just go. I really want to rest now." Luke waved, making her frown deeply.

    "Geez. whatever." Cosette turned her back against him and tugged Maxen''s arm for them to leave. But just when Maxen opened the door, they stopped again when Luke called.

    "Oy." Out of instinct, Maxen caught a small chocte candy in the air. Cosette also caught it thanks to her fast reflexes. The two of them furrowed their brows, gazing at the candy in their hands. They then raised their head, but Luke already turned his back against them as he walked away.

    "That''s all I can afford for dessert, but thanks for helping out."

    Cosette smiled as her eyes softened, looking up at Maxen. Luke may sound insincere, but she knew he was embarrassed that this was the only repayment he could give them.

    "Gosh, that guy. You could''ve said it more dramatically! And you''re wee!" she teased before facing Maxen. "Let''s go?"

    "Mhm."

    With that, Maxen and Cosette left in a good mood as the treat Luke gave them was enough. It wasn''t as grand as what he would usually give to show off, but it was better. It had always been the thought that counts.

    Meanwhile, Luke, who hid near the bathroom, ran his fingers through his hair. His cheek had a light shade of pink, a little embarrassed.

    "She didn''t have to tease me," he mumbled, raising his head to look around the studio apartment.

    It wasбн silent again.

 Chapter 163 Killed Someone

    Maxen and Cosette walked slowly down the street, going to the bus stop. The two of them had been silent since leaving Luke''s apartment. Both their eyes were on the ground, treading carefully, allowing their minds to drift regarding the same thing.

    Luke.

    "About Luke бк"

    They halted in their steps as they spoke at the same time. Cosette chuckled as she faced him squarely.

    "What about him?" she asked, intrigued at what he wanted to say regarding Luke.

    "It''s not important. What about you? What about him?" he returned, raising his brows, all ears to what she was about to say.

    "Uhhбн nothing." Cosette shook her head mildly. "It''s nothing."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Mhm. What about you? Are you sure?"

    "Mhm."

    "Alright." Cosette studied Maxen for a few seconds and the two of them resumed their steps.

    Silence descended upon their shoulders once again, sighing every once in a while. When she couldn''t take it anymore, she stopped one more time. At the same time, Maxen stopped, a little irritated at his own thoughts.

    "He doesn''t have a mattress," Cosette blurted out as she turned to him, while Maxen also said, "he doesn''t have a nket."

    Surprised, their brows rose as they spoke and faced each other at the same time. They blinked twice before augh escaped her mouth.

    "Maxen, I told you rivalry also grows to people." She poked his chest yfully, but his expression was the same: in and dull.

    "I will take you home and check on him." He let out another deep sigh, holding her finger that was poking his chest. "Is that okay?"

    "Of course. Geez. Why wouldn''t it be okay? I meanбн" she trailed off, arching a brow, gazing up at him suspiciously. "Are you thinking I will get sad if I sneak inside your room and you''re not there?"

    "I don''t want you to cry yourself to sleep."

    Cosette scoffed, speechless at how he uttered those words while batting his eyes innocently. It would''ve been better if he said those without the tinge of mischievousness!

    "Maxen, what do you see me for, huh? I only snuck inside your room two times!" she argued, only to choke at his response.

    "In a row. Tonight is the third day since you first came into my room." Maxen cocked his head to the side. "I thought you n to sleep in my room on a daily basis. Did I get the wrong idea?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Of course, you didn''t!'' was what she wanted to answer, but she had to bite her tongue to hold on to the little dignity left in her.

    "Of course not." She cleared her throat, raising her chin up. "Maxen, did you really expect me to sleep in your room every day?"

    "Mhm." He held her hand down, eyes on her. "Because I wish you do."

    Her heart skipped a beat. "Maxen, why are you attacking me right now? Don''t say such things without a heads up." She clutched her chest with her other hand, backing away a little.

    "Then I''m giving a heads up now."

    "For?"

    "That." He blinked almost innocently. "I''ll keep saying that since my heart always feels like it will explode if I didn''t tell you I''m in love with you and that I feel so lucky."

    "..."

    Cosette looked away, covering her lips with the back of her hand. Her face turned in red while the beat of her heart was thumping so loud it was echoing in her ear. How could Maxen say all that in one sentence? And even though it was abrupt, it sent butterflies in her stomach.

    ''Should I kiss him?'' she wondered, discreetly looking around the street. When she was certain that no one was around, she faced him with determination to tiptoe and nt a kiss on him. However, just as she faced him, Cosette froze upon catching the conflict in his eyes.

    "Max, is there something wrong?" she asked almost immediately, watching him blink as he refocused his eyes on her. Worry instantly reced the giddiness in her eyes, taking a step closer to him. "Are you not feeling well? I can call driver George to fetch us instead."

    ? Maxen studied the genuine worry in her eyes silently. Helping Luke clean up his ce was a good distraction for them. He almost forgot the matters that had been bugging Maxen since this afternoon, but after teasing Cosette by expressing his heart, it returned.

    How could he say all that to her when there were many things Maxen hadn''t told her? His jaw tightened as he weighed whether or not to tell her about it. He felt torn at the fact he might also have to move out and away from her since she could be in danger, just as Remo mentioned.

    There were many things, and he felt shameless about even forgetting about them for hours. He should''ve decided instead of distracting himself, just like that. Maxen could imagine the worse that could happen to her and to Conrad if those people, who imed to be his family, decided to slink out of the shadows.

    "Max?" she called once more, snapping him back to the currentpse.

    Seeing that the worry in her eyes deepened as if she would cry anytime soon, Maxen''s breath hitched. His lips quivered, gulping the little moisture in his throat.

    "Cosette." Maxen held her shoulders and hung his head low, closing his eyes along with his deep exhale. When he raised his head, he looked her straight in the eye. "I have something to tell you."

    "The way you look at me makes me nervous, Max," she muttered, noticing the conflict swirl in his eyes. "Think it through."

    Maxen clenched his teeth as his mouth opened and closed, but his words were stuck in his throat. Unknowingly, his grip on her shoulder tightened, which Cosette ignored as she kept her eyes on him. A minute had passed before he raised his head again. This time, his eyes bore determination as if he had steeled his heart for whatever woulde after this confession.

    "Iбн killed someone."

 Chapter 164 Being Weak Is Just A Part Of Life

    "Iбн killed someone."

    Time seemed to stop for Maxen as his heart stopped beating when those words escaped his lips. His slow and loud heartbeats rang in his ear, watching her eyes slowly go wide. For obvious reasons, Maxen broke out in sweats as his grip on her shoulder tightened.

    But he had already said it. Hence, he forced himself to confess quietly.

    "Just a year ago, there was a gang fight, Cozie. Remo and his gangбн I, included, were there and бк" His eyes widened as Cosette suddenly covered his mouth with both her hands. But what surprised him the most was that she looked around cautiously.

    When she faced him, her eyes were sharp, and her teeth were clenching.

    "Are you out of your mind? I told you to reconsider," she whispered-yelled. "Maxen, do you know how long we''ve been dating?"

    His brows furrowed, a little confused at where she was going with this. All he could see was the anger in her eyes, as if she was annoyed, instead of shocked.

    "It hadn''t been a month since we started dating, Max," she continued, keeping her voice down. "Do you always sell yourself out? How can you confess this to me?"

    ''What?'' Deep lines appeared on Maxen''s forehead, still confused at this reaction.

    Maxen had imagined Cosette backing away, scared, after hearing his confession. He would understand since that would be anyone''s reaction. His reaction would be the same as what he imagined if he were in her situation. However, he didn''t expect a such reaction. It was more likeбн she was scolding him for confessing.

    Why?

    Cosette huffed in distress, withdrawing her hand from his mouth. "Stop selling yourself out, Max. How can you trust me so much? What if I call the police and tell them about it?"

    "Thenбн justice is servedбн?"

    "Fuck justice!" Maxen flinched when she yelled, and only after a second did she realize her remarks. Cosette cleared her throat and looked back at him.

    "Cosette." He squeezed her shoulder. "Did youбн hear my conversation with Remo?"

    Cosette bit her lower lip and looked away. "Yes," she whispered, telling herself to lie, but the truth came out of her lips.

    "I heard everything, Max." She looked back at him again, this time showing unbending resolution in her eyes. "And I.. don''t care. If youбн offed someone, you must have had a reason. There are always two sides to the story, and I only nned to listen to your side of the story."

    Cosette then reached for his hand that was on her shoulder, keeping his gaze on her. "If you''re worried about me, don''t. I can protect myself; I can protect you. I am Cosette c, the one and only, Max. It may sound selfish, but I don''t care. I''m not as kind and pure as you think I am; I can kill if I must."

    For a moment, Maxen couldn''t reply to herst remarks. How could she utter those words with such conviction? She could''ve been saying all those to reassure him, but no. Maxen was certain Cosette meant everything she said just now.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And thatбн raised a question in his head.

    Did he really know her?

    Maxen had always asked this particr question in his head since Cosette was, overall, sweet and kind. She was considerate and sometimes mischievous. There were other times she was firm and had always been decisive. It wasyers afteryers, and now, he just witness anotheryer unfold.

    "Should Iбн get rmed?" he blurted out under his breath but didn''t regret raising that question. "What will it take for you to hate me?"

    "If you hurt meбн intentionally." Her answer was quick and certain without looking away from him. "Don''t leave me if you think I will be in danger."

    Cosette shook her head as she paused. "I am a c, Max. And my father is Conrad c. You are now a part of our family. No one messes with our family."

    Maxen was rendered speechless, and all he could do was stare at her. He felt like Cosetteбн was older than her age. There were times she would act mature, but this was the first he nearly mistook her for an adult. He felt reassured in a way.

    "What can I say?" he let out a deep exhale, pulling her closer to embrace her. "I''m scared, Cosette. I''m terrified, and I don''t want to put you in danger. I feel so powerless."

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c Upon hearing his confession, Cosette nced at him, and her expression softened. She nted her hand on his back, patting him gently.

    "The second you said you''re scared... already proved you''re stronger. I''mбн scared too," she replied in a tiny voice. However, the source of this fear wasn''t the same as him. Maxen was terrified that Cosette and Conrad would be in danger since he knew the type of people who were keeping an eye on him. Cosette, on the other hand, was terrified of one thing.

    That was losing Maxen.

    If those peopleбн got their hands on Maxen, she was afraid all her hard work until now would go down the drain. Even if she made him more humane, the underground world was vicious. It would surely drag Maxen to the pits of hell where there was no way he would be able to crawl back up to the surface without his horns.

    "What should I do?" he asked, tightening his embrace. "I feel embarrassed asking you thisбн when I should be the one who you should lean on."

    "Why feel embarrassed?" she chuckled weakly. "What makes a man, Max? Was it being strong, stoic, and someone who endures hardship without showing emotion makes a man?"

    She slowly snaked her arms around his waist. "My Maxen had always endured everything bravely. What''s so wrong with leaning on me? And sharing your burden? You are only human, Max. We all are. There''s nothing wrong with being weak and confused at times. That''s life."

    Cosette held him gently before releasing him, taking a step back to look at him. She smiled, squeezing his hand.

    "You''re not alone anymore, Max. You can lean on me, and I would do the same when I''m at my weakest." Her lips stretched warmly as her eyes swirled with nothing but affection. "Trust me this once, hmm? They won''t touch you or me, and definitely not my dad."

 Chapter 165 What Truly Happened In That Gang Fight

    [ FLASHBACK TO ONE YEAR AGO ]

    Maxen grunted after getting kicked in the gut, hunching in on the ground with his arms on it. Right now, Remo and his gang dragged him into a fight against another gang from another district. He didn''t have a choice but to fight back since he came with Remo, even if it was against his will. The enemy would attack him.

    Maxen had already inflicted punches and kicks, and he had also thrown his fist randomly. It was justбн chaos. But the kick he received now took his breath away. As he gasped for air and tighten his stomach, his eyes moved in a direction.

    Everyone was still fighting. He was lucky no one was kicking him right now, unlike others who were still getting beaten even when they were already on the ground.

    ''Helpбн'' he called inwardly as his vision shook. Maxen blinked ever so weakly, and through the youngds engaged in a brawl, he caught multiple figures standing in the corner. He narrowed his eyes to see clearer, seeing three clear figures in a suit.

    The one on the side was holding an umbre to shield the man in the middle from the pouring rain. The other man standing on the other side of the man in the middle stood motionless, taking out a lighter to light up the cigarette on the man in the middle. It was obvious the two were working for that man.

    ''What are they doing here?'' Maxen wondered, recognizing their familiar faces.

    When Maxen blinked slowly, he saw the man in the middle wave as he turned around to leave. The other man in a suit followed as he held the umbre. Meanwhile, the other one stayed after bowing to the other man.

    Maxen narrowed his eyes as he stared at the man who stayed. Thetter slowly turned on his heel, and his eyes instantly fell on Maxen. When he took a step forward, he slipped his hand inside his suit. A glint shed in Maxen''s eyes the second the man took out his hand, revealing a switchde knife.

    Maxen''s eyes instantly went wide, seeing the man approach a gang member. To know his exact target, Maxen followed where the man was staring, and his heart stopped for a moment.

    ''That guyбн'' Maxen''s breath hitched, realizing that man was approaching the person who kicked Maxen. ''No!''

    Adrenaline rushed through Maxen''s body as the pain in his stomach slightly subsided. He pushed himself up, hastily squeezing himself through the crowd to stop the man from doing what he assumed he would.

    Little did Maxen know, Remo, who just downed someone with his strong fist, saw Maxen dragging his feet towards someone. His brows knitted when Maxen lurched forward, almost throwing himself toward a gang member of the enemy.

    "That fucking бк" Remo ground his teeth, taking a step, only to stop.

    The one that Maxen approached leaned against Maxen as he slowly dropped slid from Maxen''s weak grip. Remo''s eyes slowly dted when he caught the knife plunged into the man''s stomach. Time seemed to have slowed down for Remo and Maxen while the shouts and grunts in the air slightly subsided.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Remo watched Maxen crawl his way towards the guy, taking out the knife, only to freeze at the blood in his hands. Remo then caught a man in a suit standing on the side, looking down at Maxen coldly. The man didn''t say anything as he simply walked away as if his hand wasn''t bleeding.

    For a moment, Remo tried to understand the situation. He wasn''t dumb to put two and two together. Maxen might be rebellious and often get in trouble by not knowing when to submit. However, it would make more sense if Maxen stab Remo for all the bullying instead of stabbing a random gang he just fought for the first time.

    The sound of a siren snapped Remo back to his senses. He looked away, seeing red and blue shes from a distance.

    "Shit!" he cursed, and before he could think, Remo sprinted towards Maxen. The second he reached Maxen''s vantage point, he ground his teeth, seeing that thetter went nk. He grabbed Maxen''s back cor, shouting at him to snap him back to his senses.

    It was Remo who saved Maxen, ironically. Remo dragged him out of there, threatening him, and only stopped when Maxen fled out of instinct. Remo thought Maxen didn''t look back. He did. When Maxen looked back, he saw Remo pick up the knife, wiping the handle with his shirt.

    Back then, Maxen didn''t know why Remo did such a thing. He was too mind-boggled to even make sense of the situation. Only one yearter did Maxen realize why Remo picked up the knife and wiped the handle.

    Remoбн wiped Maxen''s fingerprints. Whatever Remo''s true reason was, Maxen didn''t know. But what Maxen was certain of was that Remoбн saved him from going into prison.

    *****

    [ PRESENT TIME ]

    Cosette was sitting on the chair in front of her study desk, reclining on it, hands on the surface of the desk. She was silent, tapping the desk with her fingertips. Maxen had confessed what happened in the gang fight one year ago.

    Although Maxen wasn''t the person who stabbed that guy, he still felt responsible. He believed the young gangster died because he kicked Maxen, and those who imed to be Maxen''s family taught him a lesson. It may sound like an act of revenge for bullying their family, but Maxen knew the real meaning behind that.

    They stabbed the guy becauseбн it hurt their pride since they expected more from Maxen. It was also their way to teach Maxen their way. Cruelбн was an understatement. Cosette was aware they could do worse than just stab someone and let him bleed to death.

    "So he knew about the Devilsinбн" Cosette mumbled, fluttering her eyshes ever so slowly while a glint flickered across her eyes. She stretched her neck from one side to the other, arching her back, before nting her hands on the desk to push herself up.

    "Those guys... did they n to ruin Maxen by making him feel responsible for someone''s death? I''m going to kill them."

 Chapter 166 If I Kill Someone... Will I Be In Trouble?

    Conrad raised his eyes when he heard three consecutive knocks on the door. He tilted his head after hearing his daughter''s voice from the other side of the door.

    "Come in," he said calmly, putting down the pen as the door opened from the outside. Conrad pushed himself up and walked towards the set of couches while Cosette followed. Resting his leg over the other, he propped his jaw against his knuckles, eyes on the couch where Cosette sat down.

    "Is there anything that you need?" he asked, observing her face him squarely. The second he met his daughter''s eyes, Conrad was certain Cosette came for a reason. He didn''t mind since his daughter had alwayse just to spend quality time with him.

    "Papa, I have a question." Cosette took a deep breath only to exhale it sharply, seeing Conrad raise his brows as he patiently waited for her inquiry. "Ifбн I kill someone, will I be in trouble?"

    "..." Conrad stared at Cosette without any drastic change in his in expression. However, he couldn''t deny that the question took him aback. He had thought of many requests or questions that she would ask him in a matter of seconds, but this one? It didn''t cross him.

    Seeing that her father was staring at her silently, Cosette cleared her throat.

    "I mean, of course, I won''t be the one who will do the dirty work. But if I hired someone бк a hit man to kill someone, will I be in trouble?" she exined as if that exnation was necessary.

    Conrad ?remained silent for the next minute. His eyes, however, didn''t leave Cosette''s curious eyes. He wanted to treat it as a harmless question, but he knew his daughter well. Cosette was serious about this question. He might not know the reason or she was serious about executing this ''n'', but she was serious about knowing his answer.

    "What sort of trouble you mean?" he inquired in his warm baritone voice.

    "Will you get mad?"

    "Yes, definitely."

    "Will you disown me?"

    "No. I will cover up your crime." Conrad dropped his hand on the armrest. "But covering up your crime doesn''t mean I won''t lock you up in a temple or the hospital. Why? Do you have an urge to kill?"

    "Urge?" Cosette frowned. "Dad, I''m not a psychopath."

    "Then why are you asking?"

    "Because I want to kill someone. It''s not just an urge; it''s a desire, a wish, something I MUST do. Hundred percent. No regrets."

    "..." Conrad didn''t bear any expression, but upon hearing herst remarks, he only grew even duller. "In other words, there''s not a problem in your head and you simply want to hire someone to kill someone?"

    "Exactly." Cosette nodded without a second hesitation.

    "Aren''t you worried this will warrant your ticket to the temple before my daughter bes a murderer?"

    She shook her head. "Why would send me to the temple? If you want to stop me, you could''ve said jail or the mental hospital."

    "Cosette." Conrad leaned forward, resting his arms over his legs, eyes fixed on her. "I will do everything you want and give you the best I have and the best I could. However, taking a person''s lifeбн isn''t something you make light of. No matter how this person angered you, there were legal means."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I know that." Cosette let out a deep exhale, leaning back, frowning. "But Papa, do you think you can kill someone?"

    This time, Conrad went silent. "Everyone is capable of murder."

    "Me too," she returned, her voice sounding calmer. "If someone hurts you and the legal justice will not do much, I might бк no, I will definitely put justice in my hands. Won''t you do the same? Let''s say, for instance, someone put a drug into my drink and vited me. What will you do? Or maybe someone abducted me and then killed me, throwing my body in a river just like that?"

    "Iбн" Conrad pursed his lips while staring at her face. His daughter was smart to raise the worse examples that could happen to her. After all, Conrad couldn''t even imagine the scenarios she uttered he didn''t want to imagine.

    However, he knew the answer. Conrad would put justice in his hands, and he wouldn''t even kill them. He would torture them for days, weeks, or even years, and those wouldn''t be enough to quench his anger.

    "Care to exin why would you want to do the extreme?" he inquired, shaking off the thoughts in his head as his blood boiled with the sheer thought of it. "What did this person had done for you to resort to killing him?"

    "Nothing." Conrad furrowed his brows and frowned at her answer. "Nothing yet."

    "So, you are preventing this person from doing what you think he would do?"

    "Yes." She nodded.

    "Cosette, you are my daughter and I''ve always been so proud of you. However, you don''t consider this option if this person hasn''t done anything yet. We don''t know the future."

    "You''re right, Papa. Weбн don''t know the future." Cosette bit her tongue, as she definitely had the idea of what would happen in the future. "But I''m not just speaking about one person."

    His brows knitted, narrowing his eyes, observing her knowing expression. "Not just one?"

    "It''s an underground organization, Papa."

    "What?" Conrad straightened his back, as his full attention was piqued. His expression grew solemn and his eyes darkened. "Cosette, what do you mean by that? And how did you get involved with any crime organizations?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line and then sighed deeply. She peeled her back from the backrest, adjusting her position to face Conrad squarely.

    "Sin." As soon as that word slipped past her lips, his back stiffened, which caused her eyes to narrow upon catching how his pupils dted. "Have you heard of that organization, Papa?"

    His mouth fell open, speechless. "The people you want to killбн"

    "... are the people from that organization," Cosette finished her father''s sentence. "They might''ve not done anything yet, but they will."

    "And why would they?"

    "Becauseбн" this time, she hesitated for a second before forcing herself to be truthful, since she was already halfway through her confession. "It''s because of Max, Papa. Maxenбн is a son of a member of that organization. Maxen''s father''s surname is a Devilsin."

 Chapter 167 Life Could Sometimes Be Funny

    "It''s because of Max, Papa. Maxenбн is a son of a member of that organization. Maxen''s father''s surname is a Devilsin."

    Conrad''s mind went nk, looking back at Cosette nkly. His grip on the armrest tightened, trying to make sense of what just his daughter said.

    "Maxenбн is a son of a notorious felon?" he breathed out while Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line. "That international organization Devilsin?"

    Cosette nodded while biting her inner lower lip. She wasn''t surprised her father knew about it. Who doesn''t? The people in the upper echelon knew things that weren''t known to other people. After all, the world of the richбн was a dangerous ce. They could do anything with money and greed involved.

    Rich peopleбн those in the underground world were part of this society.

    "How strangeбн" Conrad whispered, tapping his fingertips against the armrest lightly. "... how this world seemed to be so vast yet so small."

    "Papa, are you going to kick Maxen out?" she asked worriedly, watching Conrad look back at her ever so slowly.

    "Naturally."

    "Butбн" she clutched her hand, having seen thising. Her father, although kind and considerate, was also a logical man. There was no way Conrad would let Maxen stay with them after knowing what sort of people would being for Maxen. It may not happen now, but it would eventually happen.

    "Maxen is our family." Cosette breathed out sharply. "Shouldn''t we protect him?"

    "Cosette, why did you bring up hiring someone to fix this?" asked Conrad calmly, waiting for her reply, which didn''te. "That''s right, Cosette. You are a smart youngdy. That''s why you also know the only way to protect Maxen is to get blood in your hands."

    "So you will kick him out?"

    "Why?" He fluttered his eyshes as a glint flickered across them. "Will you threaten me that you''ll leave home with him?"

    "No." Cosette shook her head and held his sharp gaze again. "You said it yourself, Papa. I am a smart youngdy. Eloping with Maxen is stupid since I won''t have the money to support myself, let alone protect Maxen and myself."

    She paused, raising her chin up. "If you kicked Maxen out, I will be sad, but I won''t me you, Papa. You did it for me, and I''m not so narrowminded as not to be grateful for your intentions. However, I will do everythingбн to protect Maxen. I won''t allow those peopleбн who abandoned him, only to return for whatever twisted and selfish reason to do whatever they want."

    There was a moment of silence between the father and daughter as they looked at each other. His jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth, gripping the armrest before loosening his grip.

    "Rest for tonight," he said, breaking the prolonged silence between them. "I will think about this for now. Don''t do anything silly."

    Cosette gulped and nodded. "Alright. I understand."

    With that being said, Cosette stood and greeted him ''goodnight,'' before walking away. She stopped by the door and looked back when Conrad spoke.

    "About Maxen and that organizationбн" he trailed off, studying Cosette''s face. "... don''t tell it to anyone, especially not a word to the Quinns."

    "The Quinns?"

    "Mhm."

    "Alrightбн? I don''t n on telling anyone, anyway." She rocked her head, looking back at him once more to see if he had more things to tell her. When Conrad waved, Cosette bid him goodnight again and left his study.

    Silence immediately overtook the study room after the faint click of the door resonated. Conrad kept his eyes on the shut door, still tapping his fingers against the armrest.

    "Sinбн" he whispered, pushing himself up. Conrad walked towards the stand where the decanter and the empty ss were ced. He poured himself a ss and picked it up, shoving his hand inside his pocket.

    Conrad stood in front of the window, staring at the garden silently. Swirling the wine in his hand, he reviewed his conversation with Cosette just now. For Cosette, it was obvious that Conrad was familiar with the organization''s name as the c had an influence on politics, because of Conrad''s association with some politicians.

    But she didn''t know Conrad knew about that organization personally.

    "He must''ve probably taken after his mother," he muttered. "Rightбн Maynard had met Maxen."

    A glint flickered across his eyes as he recalled that time they bumped into Maynard in the restaurant. "He''ll kill Maxen if he knows he is that guy''s son."

    Conrad raised the ss of wine to his lips. ''I should''ve killed them both in the past if I knew this would implicate my daughter.''

    He hissed as the wine traveled down his throat, walking back to the shelf in the corner. Conrad tipped a book and carried it to his desk. cing the ss of wine on the desk, Conrad leaned back as he stared at the book''s cover. It was old, but because of Conrad''s personality, it was maintained well.

    He slowly opened the book with his thumb, finding a certain page. When he stopped, he opened the book, only to see an old photograph from twenty-six years ago. He carefully took it out, raising it for him to look at this old photograph.

    In the photo were three men in their school uniform, taken at the gates of the school. The one standing on the side was Conrad, bearing the same aloof demeanor, looking straight at the camera, unsmiling.

    And then the person on the other side had this mischievous grin and a bandaid on his cheek. His pose was flexing his shoulders like a bodybuilder. This guyбн Maynard Quinn was just as mischievous and annoying as he was back in the day.

    Conrad''s eyes then fell on the student squatting down in the middle. The guy had this straight hair past his ears, sporting a smirk that didn''t reach his eyes. Among the three, one could tell their roles in this friend: the hot-tempered Maynard, the silent and rational Conrad, and then that oneбн the kindest.

    "Roбн" he whispered, staring at the guy in the middle with deep regret. "... life was funny, wasn''t it? You were the kindest, yet you turned into a monster."

 Chapter 168 Fat Chance

    Maxen raised his fist to knock on the door of Luke''s apartment. However, he hesitated, retracting his hand away. Cosette and Maxen had agreed that he would check on Luke or stay with him for the night. Hence, he didn''t stay in the c residence for over thirty minutes, leaving right after he changed clothes.

    ''I don''t want him to gloat in front of me.'' A deep exhale slipped past his lips, only realizing now that he didn''t think of Luke''s reaction when he went back to this ce. ''Should I just leave him be?''

    ? Maxen took a step back, ruffling his hair in irritation. He gazed at the door and clicked his tongue, turning on his heel to leave. However, unlike what he wanted, his feet dragged him to the stairs going up to the roof of the apartment building.

    He didn''t know why stopping in the middle upon realizing he was going up instead of going down. Yet, Maxen ended up resuming. In his head, he should think about this thoroughly and make up an excuse in case Luke gloats about it.

    To Maxen''s surprise, when he reached the rooftop to breathe and think, he caught a figure sitting on the railing. His eyes dted, taking gigantic steps toward that person.

    "Ughбн this is so boring I feel sad бк Woah?!" Luke''s heart instantly dropped to his stomach when he felt a hand grab his clothes from the back before he was pulled back in. Hended on the rooftop''s ground with a thud, wincing at the pain in his back.

    "Awбн awбн ouchбн what theбн" Luke trailed off while holding his back, raising his eyes, only to see Maxen looking down at him. "What the бк you! Hey! Are you nning to kill me?!"

    "What?"

    "Is snatching Cose бк ouch, ah!" Luke''s eyes red up, ring daggers at Maxen. "Do you hate me so much?! This is attempted murder!"

    "What are you talking about?" Maxen frowned. "I''m stopping you from taking your own life. Do you think suicide is the answer to everything? If you can''t take being poor, then just swallow your pride and go back to your home."

    "Hahбн?!" Luke scoffed, blinking in disbelief. "Who said I''m going to kill myself?!"

    "If you''re not nning on killing yourself, then why are you sitting there?" Maxen tipped his head towards the railing where Luke was sitting previously.

    Luke followed the direction Maxen was talking about, only to ruffle his hair in distress. He pushed himself to sit upright, wincing at the pain in his hip.

    "I''m not, alright?!" His frown deepened, gazing at Maxen. "Can''t you see? Even if I fell identally, there''s a level over there to catch me."

    Maxen furrowed his brows and looked over the railing. His expression died, seeing that there was a surface mounted on the wall for some architectural reason. So even if Luke jumped, he could just jump right back up.

    How would he know, though? Maxen didn''t think this was even possible.

    "Tsk." Luke shook his head as he clicked his tongue. "What are you doing here?"

    Maxen cleared his throat as he looked back at him. "To take a fresh of air."

    "Not on the rooftop, but in this ce." Luke''s frown deepened, bending his knees, and sitting crossed-legged. "Where''s Cosette?"

    Maxen kept his lips closed before he slid down, sitting on the dirty floor. His back was against the wall of the rooftop, shrugging.

    "Home."

    "So you came back?" Luke arched a brow. "Why?"

    "Cosette was worried."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Luke let out a shortugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why would she get worried?"

    "She said she is worried that you''re alone."

    "She shouldn''t, though. There''s no need for that." Luke carefully copsed on his back until he was lying t, gazing at the cloudless and starless night sky. "Being alone isn''t new to me. I''ve always been alone since I was a child. So being alone now doesn''t matter. I''m used to it."

    "But at least back then, you are in afortable ce," Maxen argued, resting his arm over his knee. "Isn''t it better to cry in a car than on a bike? But you''re broke now, so I highly doubt you even have a bike."

    "Well, true." Luke spread his arm and doesn''t care about the dirt clinging to him. "But who said I''m going to cry? Maxen, do you see me as a pushover? Just because I''m poor now doesn''t mean I will let you look down on me."

    "I''m not looking down on you."

    "Not the literal term."

    "I''m not dumb."

    Luke broke out inughter. "Ouchбн my backбн"

    "I guess she was worried for nothing." Maxen shook his head as it seem they were worried for nothing. Surely, Luke was more than alright. He could even joke and had the energy to sassбн which was a good thing. At least, Maxen was assured Luke was doing fine.

    "Life is funny, don''t you think?" Luke spoke after recovering from hisughter, staring at the sky with soft eyes.

    "How so?" Maxen arched a brow, staring at Luke with intrigue.

    "It''s justбн funny. Back then, I call everyone a peasant and don''t care much about money. I always think money shouldn''t be a big deal. We had a lot of that. The real problem is how you spend it and how it will help you be happy," Luke exined. "But now, I can''t even buy you guys a nice meal, and to think it''s just day 1бн it''s pathetic."

    "You gave us candy."

    Luke nced down at him. "A candy can make you happy, but I want to give Cosette the world."

    "You don''t have to." Maxen cocked his head to the side.

    "Why? Because you will do it?" Luke snorted. "Fat chance. I''m poor now and you got lucky to get her father''s sympathy, but just see. I will be the one marrying her."

    "Fat chance." Maxen cocked his head to the side. "But good luck with that."

    "Oy!" Luke sat upright and pointed at him. "How can you be so confident, huh? You two aren''t married yet! Until you two exchange vows, there''s always a chance!"

    Luke went on and on while Maxen tugged his earlobes, thinking he made the wrong decision foring back to apany Luke. Yet, deep in Maxen''s heart, he was relieved that this punk was alright.

    Little did Maxen know, Luke was more than grateful for his presence. At least, he forgot the silence that had been devouring him bit by bit.

 Chapter 169 Night Call

    When Cosette returned to her room, she stood behind the door with her back against it. She closed her eyes and let out a deep exhale, cocking her head back.

    "Not a word to the Quinns, huh?" she whispered, recalling Conrad''s reminders. "I didn''t expect that."

    Cosette was not dense not to realize Conrad must''ve known more about this organization. She knew about it, but just the general details. Even if she slept with Maxen as many times as she could in her previous life and fell in love with him, Cosette and Maxen didn''t talk about his affairs.

    It was too dangerous.

    "But nowбн I kinda regret not prying." Another deep exhale escaped her mouth, pulling her back from the door, only to throw herself on the bed. Cosette rested her arm over her forehead, staring at the ceiling nkly.

    "Am I capable of killing someone?" she wondered.

    Killing someone was easier said than done. Although Cosette wasn''t particrly a good adult and was considered ruthless, she didn''t murder anyone. This was her difference with Maxen back then.

    Those in the underground world often resorted to violence and tainting their hands. Meanwhile, those in the upper echelon had a different way of ruining someone. That was oppressing their opponent using legal means. They had money to burn and court battles were draining mentally and financially.

    "I am," she whispered after a moment of silence. "I won''t let Maxen go through that again even if it means I have to dip my hands in blood."

    A glint flickered across Cosette''s eyes, realizing she was more than ready tomit a capital sin. She med no one for this.

    "After allбн I just want to be with himбн" another whisper slipped past her lips as her eyelids drooped. "... and ifmitting murder is something I must do to be with him, I will do it."

    Cosette made a promise to protect Maxen. Ever since the beginning, she had desired to change Maxen''s life. She was halfway to changing Maxen''s future бк no, actually, their futures. Hence, there was more reason why she shouldn''t allow those who abandoned Maxen to control his life as they pleased.

    She may get hated by the world and get punished by the heavens, but that was the decision and the path she would take if she must.

    "Soбн even if I die from those illnessesбн" Her jaw tightened as her hand balled into a weak fist. "... I will not have any regrets. Even if I die, I will die in peace, knowing Maxen will continue to have a good life."

    That was right. The reason Cosette didn''t want to waste her time doingpletely stupid was that she had a time limit. She was not sure about it, but it was better for her not to have the slightest hope.

    Why?

    Because hoping another miracle would happen would only break her heart. Moreover, she deemed it unnecessary at this moment. She could focus it yearster when these illnesses could be detected. For now, she had to focus on their situation.

    "Remo," Cosette breathed out, recalling this Maxen Devilsin''s right-hand man. "Maxen said he is the one who saved him from that gang fight."

    She narrowed her eyes, brooding about Maxen''s story. Maxen had confessed every little detail that happened in that gang fight, which had something to do with why Maxen was being ganged up during their first meeting.

    Still, that didn''t make sense, she thought.

    Why would Remo do that? Was Remo''s intention just as shallow as what he imed it?

    "Is Maxen''s father threatening this Remo?" she wondered to herself. "That is possible, or it could also be that Remo is just as greedy as he imed to be."

    Cosette closed her eyes to rest, getting a little frustrated. "Luke, running away from home isn''t helping either." She grunted at the random thought that crossed her head while she was thinking of another mystery.

    "Ughhбн" she slowly opened her eyes with a deep frown. "How I wish Maxen is hereбн so we can just kiss and do fun stuff."

    Her cheeks immediately turned red as she remembered how Maxen''s sharp eyes look at her. Surely, he was very different when they were ying around and when they were not. The normal Maxen was distant, protective, and considerate. However, the Maxen on the bed wasбн just a wild wolf.

    If she didn''t meet Maxen Devilsin, Cosette would be terrified of seeing that side of Maxen. Not only he was dangerous, but he could be very rough.

    "I can''t believe I''m fantasizing about a kid to distract myself and to think we haven''t done prationбн I''m hopeless." Cosette let out a deep sigh and frowned, realizing the drastic change in her train of thoughts was ridiculous. "Maxen will be terrified if he knew about thisбн or maybe, he''ll get hard."

    Cosette groaned as she rolled to her stomach, burying her face in the pillow. Surely, she was a disgrace. When she turned and rested on the side of her head, another sigh escaped her mouth for the umpteenth time.

    "I can''t sleep. How frustrating," she mumbled. "It''s only been two nights straight, but it seemed I already got used to Maxen''s presence on the bed. This bed feels too big and cold now. I miss him, and now I want to smack Luke in the head."

    As Cosettemented at her perverted thoughts, she caught her phone, which was on the nightstand light up. Her brows rose, pondering whether to get up and get it or let it be. Normally, she would choose thetter. But since Cosette couldn''t sleep, she pushed herself up and crawled to get her phone.

    The second she saw the contact name shing on the screen, she tilted her head to the side.

    "What time is it?" she murmured, picking up her phone as she sat upright. "I don''t think we are close enough to call each otherte at night."

    A deep frown appeared on her face, staring at Asher''s name on the screen. Her thumb hovered over the decline button, but imaging the satisfaction in pressing Asher''s button or two, Cosette tapped the answer button.

 Chapter 170 Night Call II

    "Young Master Quinn, didn''t you say I wasn''t your type? But your actions say otherwise," was Cosette''s opening greeting to Asher as she ced the phone in front of her ear. "Do you have any idea what time is it? I hope this is important or I''ll make you pay for it."

    Her brows rose as she waited for Asher''seback, only to receive silence. Cosette blinked twice, checking the phone if it was connected. Seeing that the line was still connected, she put the phone to her ear again.

    "Young Master Quinnбн? Are you trying to creep me out? Breathe slowly from the other end of the line, then hung up. That will probably be enough for me to stay awake all night," she remarked sarcastically, only to furrow her brows upon hearing Asher''s rasped voice.

    "I thinkбн I must''ve gone crazy." He let out a shortugh. "Why did I even call you and hear your nonsense?"

    Cosette frowned. "Yes, I know, right? You''ve definitely gone mad, knowing I could be saying more nonsense to hurt your ears. Goshбн do you know what time it is?"

    Again, silence answered Cosette, making her roll her eyes. She disliked Asher''s guts from the beginning; although she did admire his face as it was undeniable, Asher''s face was pleasing to the eye.

    "Why did you pick up?" he asked after another minute of silence.

    "Asher Quinn, did you call just to ask me stupid questions?" she returned. "Of course, I will answer, since I will automatically take this call as something important. However, this is a scam!"

    "Rightбн"

    Cosette ground her teeth before she took a deep breath and exhaled it calmly. There was no point in getting riled up, especially when she knew she was purposely being harsh to vent her frustration.

    "Ughбн I hate drunk phone calls, but let''s hear it," she huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I''m curious what Young Master Quinn had to say."

    "How did you know I had a drink?"

    "Anyone can tell," she answered nonchntly, copsing on her back. "Aside from your tone, you will not call me without any logical excuse prepared if you''re sober."

    "I doubt."

    "Doubt, what?"

    "That anyone can tell."

    "Ahhбн what?"

    Asher loosened his tie, lying t on the bed inside his hotel room, which had no lights on. "No one could tell I was drunk despite the drink they poured for me."

    "So it''s a business meeting, huh?" Cosette smacked her lips, not even surprised at the unnecessary additional information.

    During this time, Asher was heavily involved in their family business, and drinking a ss or two was part of the job. She knew and she could rte because Cosette had picked up such a bad alcohol habit as an adult.

    "You should learn how to refuse," she muttered after a moment of silence. "You''re the boss. Who would take that as an offense, right?"

    A soft chuckle came from the other end of the line. "Rightбн"

    "Goshбн you''re so boringбн" Cosette muttered, having the urge to unload her bullshit on him.

    "What are you thinking?"

    "Are you flirting with me right now?" she scrunched her nose up in dismay.

    "I''m trying to keep you entertained." Heughed shortly. "Stay on the line. I might regret this tomorrow, but I''m very upset, and the silence is thest thing I want right now."

    Cosette opened her mouth to rebut him, but she ended up closing her lips into a thin line. She might''ve disliked Asher and how he was always full of himself, but honestly, he wasn''t that bad. At least, the older version of him wasn''t that terrible.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The teen Asher was an arrogant prick who thought highly of himself. Cosette was surprised to see this side of him because the Asher she knew, ten years from now, was very different. She med his attitude right now for his age.

    After all, no matter how they twist and turn this world, Asher was still young. He still has many things to learn and room for character development. Hence, Cosette didn''t have the heart to make fun of him after hisst remarks.

    She could rte. One way or another, Cosette knew what it felt to be left alone and despised the piercing silence of being alone and lonely. It was depressingбн beyond depressing.

    ''He''s probably desperate to talk to someone,'' she thought. ''... but knowing the environment he grew up in and the lifestyle he has, he probably realized there was no one in his contacts to call for something that is considered ''irrelevant,''''

    "Did you sleep?" Cosette snapped her eyes back to the currentpse, ncing at the phone for a moment. "Or did she hang up?"

    "I''m still here," she mutteredzily.

    "Ohбн"

    "Asher Quinn, don''t misunderstand my kind deed." Cosette let out a deep exhale, closing her eyes. "I''ll stay because I feel bad for not feeling bad about your dilemma."

    "That''s better, and I don''t n to misunderstand."

    "Mhm."

    "So what were you thinking?"

    "Nothing." Cosette slowly opened her eyes. "It''sбн nothing."

    "I see."

    "What about you?"

    Asher paused. "Nothing," he answered in the same tone. "It''sбн nothing."

    "I seeбн" she didn''t pry, knowing the reason for his answer; the same as her. Their brain was in shut mode, wanting to be free from whatever that was upying their head.

    "Cosette," he called after a minute, hearing her short hum as an answer. "Nothing."

    "Don''t call me for no reason." She frowned, yawning right after.

    "Just checking."

    "That I''m still here?"

    "Mhm."

    "Don''t kill yourself." Cosette yawned once more, rolling to her side, letting the phone rest on top of her ear. "I''m sleepy."

    Before Cosette fell asleep, she moved the phone to her side, letting it rest on the pillow beside her. She didn''t think much anymore, hoping Asher would end the call or her phone would just die.

    Asher remained silent, staring at the dark ceiling, still holding his phone right in front of his ears. A subtle smile appeared on his face when he heard deep breaths from the other end of the line.

    "Funny, isn''t it?" he muttered. "You''ve been there to everyone when they needed someone, but none of them are there for you when you needed them the most. And the funniest part is that thest person you expect is the only person you can rely on."

    His eyes softened. "Good night, Cosette c. I still don''t like you... but I appreciate you."

 Chapter 171 He Was Fine

    The next dayбн

    Since Maxen stayed over at Luke''s ce, Cosette had to travel all alone to school for the first time in a long time. But Conrad, for obvious reasons, offered to give his daughter a ride to school.

    In the past, Cosette would only ask him to drop her at the bus stop. But since their talkst night, she didn''t ask for such a thing and stayed as the driver drove past her usual stop.

    "I thought Maxen returnedst night." Conrad broke the stifling silence dominating the backseat.

    "He stayed out," she muttered, ncing to his side. "Luke ran away from home and Maxen was worried since the second young master Quinn rented a ce near the school. The area and the ce are far different from what Luke grew up in, so Maxen was worried."

    Conrad arched a brow as his eyes fell on her. "The second young master Quinn did?"

    "Mhmбн He looked determined."

    His lips parted, but Conrad zipped his mouth again. A shallow breath slipped past his lips, leaning back, propping his elbow on the armrest attached to the door.

    "And why would the second young master Quinn run away from home?" he asked just for the sake of continuing the conversation.

    "He probably got scolded because of me?"

    Conrad gazed back at her. "Because of you?"

    "Papa, I sold him out to his father, remember?" Cosette let out a short sigh. "I was just concerned about him since he was being involved with the wrong crowd. I didn''t think he''d get scolded so badly he would run away from home."

    "Did he tell you that''s the reason?"

    "No, but what else could be the reason if not for that?"

    "Cosette." Conrad adjusted his position to face her squarely. "Believe me or not, but I highly doubt that is the reason."

    "Papa, you don''t have to worry about me and make me feel good."

    "I''m not." He shook his head. "I just know Maynard Quinn and he might scold his sons, but for an entirely different reason."

    "Huh?"

    Conrad let out a shallow breath. "That guyбн don''t scold his sons ruthlessly. I might sound like I''m defending him, but I''m not. He won''t scold Luke for skipping ss, but rather, for getting found out. That''s the type of man Maynard is."

    "Thenбн Why did Luke run away?" she frowned. "I already thought it was weird, but he looked determined. Luke is an arrogant guy, but he got himself a shabby ce means his reasons are deep."

    "I''m not sure and it''s not something I should concern myself with," he remarked, catching her nce at him. "But should I let his father know? So you won''t get worried?"

    "Papa, how can I do that? I am worried, but I don''t want to get into their family problems." Her frown deepened as she sighed deeply. "All I can do right now is to give him moral support. Moreover, Maxen is there with him. Soбн I think that''s good enough already."

    "I seeбн" Conrad rocked his head in understanding.

    Silence followed his remarks as neither of them talked for minutes. He would nce at Cosette from time to time, seeing her sigh each time.

    Last night, Cosette was determined and spewed ridiculous remarks such as wanting someone dead. As a father, it rmed him on so many levels. However, now that he looked at her and conversed with her, he couldn''t help but heave a sigh of relief. At the very least, Cosette didn''t seempletely invested in that dreadful idea.

    Conrad slowly peeled his eyes away from Cosette to the window.

    ''Maxen and Lukeбн'' he thought. ''Those two remind me of Maynard and Ro.''

    An inexplicable glint flickered across his eyes as he recalled the friendship he used to have. Back then, life was much simpler than how it was in the previous years.

    ''Lifeбн surely has its twisted way of turning things around.''

    *****

    The rest of the ride to school was silent. Every once in a while, Cosette would talk to her father regarding his agenda for today until Conrad dropped her off at the bus stop.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m After bidding him a sweet goodbye, Cosette walked to get to her school. It was early иC too early since she didn''t have to go through the usual stops the bus would make.

    "Cozie!"

    Cosette turned and saw Sarah jogging from across the street. She stopped and smiled until Sarah reached her.

    "You''re early," Sarah pointed, fixing her bag that was clinging to her shoulder.

    "My dad dropped me off," exined Cosette, keeping it short and simple.

    The two of them resumed, walking slower on their way to school. There were already other students walking in the same street, but unlike usual, they were the early birds.

    "Sarah, how is home?" Cosette asked out of in curiosity, remembering that Sarah was an early bird because she didn''t want to stay home.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''sбн the same." Sarah smiled awkwardly, and that''s Cosette''s cue to stop prying. "Don''t worry. I''m used to it by now, but thanks."

    "Sarah, you know that I''m always here to listen if you need an ear to vent, right?"

    A subtle smile turned up on Sarah''s face. "That''s why I''m thankful." she chuckled. "Anyway, don''t you live near Maxen''s ce? That''s why you two always go to school together? Is he absent? Or was he sick? You didn''t fight, did you?"

    "No." Cosette chuckle. "Maxenбн will probably gette."

    "Ohhбн"

    "Also, why did you think we fought? Even if we have, we''d most likely ignore each other."

    "I''m just concerned." Sarah smacked her lips. "After all, Remo is back to school and they''re bad news."

    "Rightбн

    "They used to bully Max."

    "He was bullied, but people think they''re Max''s friends."

    "That''s because they eventually became friends."

    "Huhбн" Cosette snapped her eyes at Sarah, treading carefully not to trip. "Sarah, what makes everyone think they eventually became Maxen''s friend?"

    "Becauseбн they suddenly looked like friends?" Sarah shrugged. "I''m not sure about the real story, but there''s just this sudden change in Remo and Maxen''s rtionship before Remo was detained in the juvie. But what I know is that it''s not a gradual change, but a sudden one. It''s weird, but we don''t want to pry because we don''t want to be a subject of bullying."

    Sarah then leaned in and whispered. "They''re really scary. I heard that they evenmit r*pe and video it to ckmail girls."

    "That''sбн sick." Cosette frowned, watching Sarah draw away with a shrug.

    "It can be just a rumor, but there''s no smoke without a fire."

    Cosette sighed. "So, they''re really bad news, huh?"

    "That''s why I''m a little worried that Maxen is absent."

    "Huh? What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "Yesterday, remember?" Sarah frowned and sighed faintly. "You pressed Wyn''s nerves. He might pick on you, but don''t worry, we won''t leave your side in case they ambush you or purposely trouble you."

    "Ahhбн hahaбн" Cosette chuckled, looking back at Sarah with admiration. "That''s sweet, but don''t worry. I''m strong."

    "But it won''t hurt to fight with a group. I''m sure many of our ssmates will step in if the worst happens."

    Cosette chuckled again, shaking her head at Sarah''s determination. As she did so, she caught Sarah''s shoes. Unlike usual, Sarah was wearing sneakers, causing Cosette to raise her eyes at her friend.

    Winter High wasn''t particrly strict with the student''s uniforms. Or rather, the school just gave up on practicing such strict rules because most of the students were troublemakers and stubborn.

    Despite that, Sarah had always followed the student dress code. She was a role model, so seeing she was breaking the dress code for the first time since Cosette transferred only told Cosette one thing.

    Sarah came to school prepared for the worse.

    "You didn''t get in trouble yesterday, did you?" Sarah turned to Cosette, only to see thetter smiling gently at her. "Hm? Is there something wrong with my face?"

    "No, there''s nothing." Cosette shook her head and decided to not point out Sarah''s sneakers. "It''s just that something happened, and we had to leave school early."

    "Yeah, I heard. We''re really worried. Especially Fay and Amie. They were restless, and only did they calm down when we were told that your uncle picked you up."

    "Yes. I''m sorry for worrying you."

    "It''s fine. I mean, that''s better than hearing the news that those guys beat you and Maxen up."

    "Haha. We''re fine. Maxen is fine too."

    Cosette and Sarah chatted as they reached the school gates. For the most part, the two were smiling and giggling like how friends would do. They didn''t rush since it was too early, but when they reached their ssroom, the two of them stopped by the door.

    "Cozie, did you say Max was fine?" Sarah asked awkwardly, eyes locked inside their ssroom.

    "Uhбн he wasбн" Cosette cringed. "... but I think he бк they had quite a night."

    Cosette let out a sigh and nced at Sarah. At the same time, Sarah also looked back at her before they set their eyes on the two male students бк Maxen and Luke бк looking back at them from their chairs with dark bags under their eyes.

 Chapter 172 Ready To Be Defiled

    Cosette and Sarah smiled awkwardly before looking at each other. Even without any word exchange, they already agreed not to approach the two. Maxen and Luke seemed to be in a very sensitive state.

    "Let''s stay outside after dropping off our bags." Cosette leaned closer to Sarah, and thetter nodded in agreement.

    "I think that''s a good idea," Sarah whispered.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m Both tiptoed their way in, treading on thin ice under Maxen''s gaze. Luke had already looked away with his arms on the desk, his forehead resting on them. As Cosette and Sarah put down their bags, Cosette''s brows rose.

    "Pst."

    Cosette slowly turned in Maxen''s direction, tilting her head to the side.

    "Come," he invited huskily and weakly, crooking a finger.

    Cosette pursed her lips and nced at Sarah for help, but thetter simply shed her a nervous smile. Sarah wasn''t scared of Remo and the other bullies. However, her fear of Maxen was something she couldn''t hide. Sarah would take a bullet for Cosette, but not when the person holding the gun wouldn''t hurt her.

    ''Maxen will hurt me, but not you,'' said Sarah telepathically, raising a fist weakly to cheer on her. ''Fighting. You''ll survive whatever this is.''

    ''Sarahбн I can''t believe you.'' Cosette let out a deep exhale, ncing at Maxen with conflict in her eyes. Normally, she would throw herself at her dearest baby viin. However, not when he looked like he didn''t get a wink of sleep and could murder anyone.

    It reminded her of a saying: It was preferable to make a joke with a drunk ... but never with someone who has just woken up.

    ''He won''t me me for making him sleep in Luke''s ce, right?'' she wondered as she hesitatingly took a step from her desk. ''Just what did they do all night to be in such a state? Goshбн why did I even think it''s a good idea?''

    "Hey, Maxбн" Cosette called as she was closer to his desk. "... did I do something?"

    Maxen fluttered his eyshes ever so tenderly. His eyes looked a little droopy, revealing ack of sleep. He had his jaw propped against his knuckles, watching her approach him slower than a snail. Seeing the obvious confusion and regret in her eyes, as if she already assumed she was in trouble, looked cute.

    A part of him wanted to get angry at her just so he could see what she would do to appease him. But Maxen wasn''t that heartless and still denying that part of his perverted side.

    "Hmm?" Her brows rose as the twinkle in her eyes showed misced innocence, watching him crook his finger again. Cosette pursed her lips and gulped, bending over his desk to meet him eye to eye.

    "What is it?" she asked in a quiet voice, while Sarah was trying her best to not make a sound. Thetter unknowingly held her breath for Cosette, ready to wake up Luke in case Maxen suddenly snap.

    "Closer." Maxen bat his eyes ever so slowly, watching Cosette lean her face closer as she had assumed he wanted to whisper a secret. As she did so, Maxen nced at Sarah.

    The second his eyes met Sarah''s, thetter''s breath hitched. But that wasn''t what surprised Sarah as her eyes popped out of their sockets the next second.

    "Max бк" Cosette''s eyes went wide as her quiet voice was shoved back in her throat when Maxen moved his face to nt a soft peck on her lips. She blinked twice, mouth falling open, wondering if her brain registered what happened properly.

    "Want to take some fresh air on the rooftop before the ss starts?" Maxen inquiredzily, wiping the side of her lips with her thumb. "I think I need to rechargeбн and forget."

    SLAM!

    Cosette flinched when Luke mmed his hands on the surface of the desk, followed by a loud profanity. "Fuck!"

    Cosette looked back, only to see Luke already standing up with his hands on his desk. She flinched once again when he looked back in her direction, eyes zing as if she was the only person she saw right now.

    "Cosette!" Luke called at the top of his lungs, causing her to take a step back, only to feel an arm snake around her waist. Cosette inevitably ended up propping her buttocks against Maxen''s desk, gasping, seeing that Maxen was publicly showing her affection.

    Maxen wasn''t this touchy if there was another pair of eyes around! But right now, not only did he ce a peck on her lips, he was hugging her in front of Luke!

    Just what happened?!

    "Oy, Maxen Cloven." Luke raised his chin as his eyes zed even more, ring at the arms around Cosette''s waist. "Take that arm away or should I make you?"

    Maxen''s expression grew duller, pulling her waist closer. But instead of answering him, Maxen raised his eyes up at her dted eyes.

    "Cosette, can we kiss?" he asked, rendering Cosette speechless while Sarah''s jaw literally dropped.

    ''What did I just see?'' Sarah wondered in horror. ''No, no. Not that. Just what is going on?''

    "Cosette." Cosette flinched when Luke suddenly took gigantic steps and snatched her arm up. "Can we kiss?"

    "Whatбн?" Cosette blinked multiple times, darting her confused eyes between the two. After several seconds, she was certain these two were serious! "Whyбн are you asking me for a kiss as if I give them out for free?"

    "I know, right?" Maxen shrugged nonchntly. "He just doesn''t know anything. Forgive him."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "At least I''m asking for consent." Luke ground his teeth as his grip around her wrist tightened, looking back at her with determination in his eyes. "Hey Cosette, we''re friends, are we not?"

    "Whatбн?"

    "Do me a favor, please." Luke stared into her eyes sincerely, almost at the brink of begging her desperately. "I''m ready to be defiled by you. Make me forget. Please."

    "..."

    Cosette could only look at Luke, and then at Maxen, lost for words at their ridiculous request. Actually, it was not that Maxen''s wants were ridiculous. They would kiss all night until their lips were swollen, but it was strange for him to show more affection publicly. They agreed to keep their rtionship a secret, after all.

    "Wait, wait." Cosette pulled her wrist from Luke''s loosened grip and then peeled Maxen''s arms from her waist. She took two steps away from them, facing them squarely, crossing her arms to cover her front.

    "What the hell is wrong with you two?" she asked in disbelief. "Are youбн doing drugs now?"

    "What?" Maxen frowned while Luke looked back at her with dismay.

    "If that is not the case, why are you making these ridiculous requests?" She continued in the same tone, ncing at Sarah, only for her face to contort. It seemed Sarah''s brain went on overdrive as her expression was just nk. Cosette somehow felt sorry for her friend.

    "It''s not ridiculous," Maxen replied while Luke said, "how is that ridiculous? There''s nothing happened."

    "Are you sure?"

    Maxen and Luke instinctively looked at each other ever so slowly. They only held each other''s gaze for three seconds before they looked away, gagging in disgust.

    "Shit!" Luke retched, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He then fled the room in a hurry, as if he was about to throw up. Meanwhile, Maxen jumped from his seat, only to march towards the window and opened it.

    "Shitбн" Maxen cursed under his breath, covering his lips with the back of his fist, flustered.

    Seeing their dramatic reaction, Cosette furrowed her brows. She nced in Sarah''s direction, and thetter also knitted her brows. Their curiosity slowly peaked, looking back at Maxen''s vantage point and then at the door that was wide open where Luke left.

    ''What''sбн wrong with them?''

    They wanted to know what happened, but for sureбн they wouldn''t get any answer. After all, Luke and Maxen would rather bury what happened to their graves than let a single soul know about it.

    ******

    What happenedst nightбн

    Maxen gazed at Luke in distress. He hadn''t gotten a wink of sleep because of Luke. Thetter had been jumping and yelling whenever he would hear something weird. The faint squeaking of the rats wasn''t helping.

    "Doбн you want to get a drink?" Maxen breathed out in distress, sitting upright in the middle of the studio apartment where he nned to sleep. They had to sleep on the floor since this ce was rather empty.

    "Are you always a bad influence?"

    "For the nth time, I never said I was." Maxen pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you don''t want, should I punch you and knock you out? I want to sleep."

    Luke clicked his tongue in irritation. "Why are you even here?! If you do want to sleep, just go back to thefort of the c Mansion."

    Maxen pressed his lips into a thin line and looked up. When he looked back at Luke, he nodded.

    "You''re right." Maxen pushed himself up. "I should just go back there. At least, I don''t need to listen to your screamsбн"

    "Oy!" Luke hurriedly lurched and grabbed the hem of Maxen''s shirt, stopping him from leaving. "Where are you going?"

    "Home."

    "What? You''re leaving me all alone here?! What are you going to do if the rats bit me and I died?"

    "Bury you?"

    Luke''s grip tightened. "I was joking, alright? It''s my first night and I''ll go insane if I was бк ahhh!!!" Luke jumped to his feet and unintentionally pulled Maxen''s shirt down after seeing a cockroach fly in his direction.

    Because of his clumsy and abrupt action fueled by adrenaline, Maxen slipped, falling andnding with a thud. Everything happened within a second, only for the two of them to get a grip when a soft yet dreadful ''smooch'' sound rang in their ears, leaving traumatizing sensation lingering on their lips.

 Chapter 173 Spill The Tea

    Cosette gazed at Maxen''s back with worry in her eyes while he stood in front of the open window to breathe. She snapped back to the currentpse when Sarah suddenly grabbed her arm and dragged her outside the ssroom.

    "Cozie, are you alright?" Cosette flinched when Sarah grabbed her shoulders, standing several steps away from the door.

    "Huh?"

    "Maxen justбн justбн he didn''tбн kiss you, right?"

    "Ahбн" Sarah''s question was akin to magic, casting it upon Cosette and opening a portal to realization. Cosette stood frozen, wearing a nk expression, staring at Sarah.

    That was right.

    Just now, Maxen told her toe to her and nted a quick peck on her lips. Not just that, but Maxen also invited her to go somewhere with just the two of them for a quickie! The quickie part wasn''t part of his invitation, but that was how it sounded to Cosette.

    Sarah gasped and covered her lips with a quick realization. "You and Maxenбн since when?"

    "Heheбн" Cosetteughed awkwardly as she massaged her nape. "It''s only been like two weeks since we started dating."

    "Oh, myбн"

    "We kept it a secret to prevent trouble. I didn''t want to hide it from you girls, but wellбн I nned to tell you, but just trying to find the right time," Cosette exined, observing Sarah''s reaction. Right now, she couldn''t describe thetter''s reaction, but she was certain Sarah was absolutely shocked.

    After all, among her friends (Sarah, Amie, and Fay), Sarah was the most hostile towards Maxen. Cosette didn''t understand the reason, but Sarah had always been cautious around Maxen. She asked Maxen one time if he had scared Sarah in a way, but Maxen shook his head.

    "Sarah?" Cosette cautiously raised her brows. "Are you alright?"

    "Yes! I meanбн" Sarah cleared her throat. "Are you?"

    "Of course."

    "You weren''t forced, are you?"

    "No." Cosette frowned at the reckless question Sarah wouldn''t normally blurt out without thinking twice.

    Sensing Cosette''s displeasure, Sarah let out a deep sigh. "I''m sorry if that sound rude."

    "It''s fine, but can I ask why are you always hostile towards Maxen?" Cosette inquired out of in curiosity. "I mean, I understand ?you are a bit concerned since Maxen used to hang out with the delinquents. But, we''ve been friends with him since the middle of the school yearst year. It''s a bit sad that you don''t seem to trust him despite his good conduct."

    "Cozieбн" Sarah let out a deep exhale, ncing at Cosette''s back to see if Maxen would step out. When she was certain no one was listening, she set her eyes back on Cosette.

    "I know Maxen is good to you, but he''s not always lenient with others." Sarah ced her hands on her shoulders. "Although he hadn''t hurt anyone, I always felt he was never happy with you being friends with us. Do you have any idea how it was like whenever he res at us?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "..." Cosette was rendered speechless and listened to Sarah''s concerns.

    The more she listened, the more she realized it wasn''t that Sarah disliked Maxen because of his records. But the reason Sarah was scared of Maxen was that she was afraid Maxen would hog Cosette all for himself! And the root of all that dated back to when Cosette skipped sses just to follow him like a duckling following her mother.

    "Ha haбн" Cosetteughed awkwardly. ''In other words, it was my fault and Maxen.''

    "Soбн" Sarah huffed. "Be careful always. If Maxen hurt you, I will surely let Fay know so she could beat him."

    "Sarah, even though Fay acts boyish, I don''t think you should use her as the sacrificialmb." The side of Cosette''s lips twitched.

    "What sacrificialmb?"

    Both Sarah and Cosette flinched when they heard Fay''s voice from behind. They looked and saw Fay and Amie tilting their heads.

    "What are you two doing there whispering to yourselves?" Fay threw another question, furrowing her brows. "Wowбн I can''t believe you are already drinking all the tea without waiting for us."

    "Spill the tea and fill us in!" Amie backed up, skipping her steps towards Sarah and Cosette. "What is this gossip you two are talking about early in the morning?"

    "Hahaбн it''s nothing." Cosette nced ahead, only to see Fay already standing before them.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "Yes. It''s nothing." Sarah nodded, feeling sorry for using Fay''s name to give Maxen a lesson in case he hurt Cosette.

    "Oh,e on!" Fay threw her arm and hooked it around Sarah, causing thetter to hunch in. "Come, tell us! Are we keeping secrets now?"

    Amie hooked an arm around Cosette and tugged it. "That''s right. You two are so unfair! Are we not friends? Tell us the gossip too!"

    Fay and Amie urged the two to spill the tea, so Sarah and Cosette had no choice but toe up with ame gossip. Fortunately, Amie and Fay weren''t the suspicious type and believed them, and even got immersed in the subject as they went inside the room.

    Amie and Fay were already used to seeing Maxen whenever Cosette was present. They also knew that those two lived close to each other, so they usually travel to school together. Hence, they didn''t pay much attention to him and continued to chat.

    As they take their respective seats, Cosette nced at Maxen. He was still standing in front of the window and didn''t move an inch from his spot.

    ''Now I wonder, what is the main dilemma here?'' she wondered inwardly, cupping her jaw with her elbow propped against the desk. Her eyes then fell on the empty seat right next to hers before Fay''s seat. It was Luke''s spot.

    ''Will he skip ss again?'' she wondered again, recalling the state Luke was in when he sprinted away as if he couldn''t be in the same room as Maxen. ''He better not or I will drag him back here by means or foul.''

    Cosette remained silent as more of her ssmates came, filling the room, and giving life to it. But her mood kept going south as the first ss started and Luke didn''t return.

 Chapter 174 One Cant Have It All

    Cosette raised her hand in the middle of the third subject, signaling to the teacher she wanted to use the bathroom. The teacher simply nodded as he continued his lecture. As she pushed herself up, she nced in Maxen''s seat to tell him she would be back, only to see him sleeping on his desk.

    ''It''s been a while since I saw him sleep during ss, but I guess they had a rough night.'' Cosette mentally shook her head at the thought that something had happenedst night. Whatever it was, she was certain it must be something huge.

    Cosette left the ssroom quietly, stopping in the corridor. She looked back and instead of heading to the restroom; she made a turn on the stairs to search for Luke. She said it earlier that she would drag him back to the ssroom by means or foul if he skipped again.

    "I swear if I saw him hanging out with those delinquents again, I''ll beat some senses into him." Cosette cracked her knuckles angrily. "He better not."

    Her eyes lit up, prepared to beat Luke up if that was the only way to get through him. She could take any of his tantrums and let his insensitive being, but Cosette wouldn''t allow him to ruin his life and leave a record that he would carry all his life.

    Even though Cosette wasn''t particrly close to Luke in her previous life, she knew his life and struggles. Their circle was rather small; the c Family and the Quinns had a tight-knit rtionship. Hence, it was obvious she would hear rumors and stories here and there in passing.

    ''In the past, Luke seemed to have always hated Asher. And they deemed him as the problematic child, butбн didn''t he do all that so the elders and their uncles wouldn''t have other choices but to protect Asher?'' Cosette ground her teeth.

    No one told her this side of the story, but she was sharp enough to put the pieces together because Luke was smart. Luke was just as capable as Asher, if only Luke was a bit interested in the family business. However, in a family as wealthy, influential, and as powerful as the Quinns, internal conflicts weren''t a surprise. Luke didn''t want to be Asher''s problem бк at least, not a problem in that sense.

    ''Even soбн it''s not fair.'' Her frown deepened as she got closer to the back of the school where she found Luke hanging out with the delinquentsst week. ''I won''t let him live to hear the elders''paring him to his brother.''

    It might soundplicated, but Cosette only nned to help Luke live a freer life. Of course, she wasn''t dumb, nor was she a superhero to stop the elders fromparing Luke and Asher right in front of the boys'' faces. They couldn''t control what others would say.

    However, she wanted to help Luke not to get affected by theparisons. Watching him ruin his school life and get close to the delinquents would only deter Luke from having a stronger mindset. This would only be used to his disadvantage and be a stain in his records.

    "That foolбн" Cosette ground her teeth and stopped at the delinquent''s spot, calling, "Luke!"

    The delinquents, who were either sleeping or gambling early in the morning at the back of the school, turned to Cosette. Their brows furrowed, tilting their heads, wondering what was the school bell doing in here again.

    "Huh? Where is he?" Cosette frowned, glossing her eyes over their faces, but didn''t see Luke anywhere. "Have you seen Luke?"

    "The handsome boy?" someone asked, and Cosette nodded. "Haven''t seen him anywhere here."

    "Ohбн" Cosette rocked her head, a bit relieved to hear their response.

    "I think I saw him going to the rooftop!" someone yelled.

    "Oh!" Her eyes lit up as she hadn''t checked there yet, assuming Luke was hanging out with them again. "Alright. Thank you for your help!"

    Cosette turned around and was about to run away when she stopped. She walked backward, looking at the delinquents with a smile.

    "You guys are nicer than I thought," she remarked, facing them with her hands on her hips. "I wonder why are you here and not in your sses?"

    "Booooring!" someone yelled, almost sounding like a boo.

    "Oy, pretty girl. You''re very pretty, but if you n to lecture us, just go away. Unless you want to date me, then I don''t mind being scolded by my girlfriend and bing a better human for my wife."

    ''Wowбн did I just evolve to wife in just one statement?'' her under-eye twitched, looking at the student in disbelief. Cosette folded her arms under her chest, keeping her lips in a thin line.

    "So, you guys don''t n on doing anything and just skipping sses?" she asked, and they all looked at her with a dull expression. "Very well. I take it as you guys are avable to take some sidelines?"

    "Ah?? Are you fucking with us?"

    "I''m toozy to even take the stairs. That''s why I sleep here all day!" someoneined in an annoyed tone. "How the hell do you expect me to do something that will make my auntie proud?"

    Her face contorted, listening to their twistedint. ''These idiotsбн'' A vein protruded on her temple, grinding her teeth, telling herself to not choose violence.

    "Those who are interested, I''m willing to give you guys handsome pay." Cosette sported a smile and raised her hand, showing an ok gesture. "The job is simple, though. All you need to do is tell this guy Remo and hisckeys that I was hiring you guys to beat him up."

    "Huh???" all of them scrunched their nose up, looking at her as if she was an idiot.

    "You want us to beat that crazy juvenile kid?" someone asked out of in curiosity, watching Cosette shake her head.

    "No. I said it clearly. I''m not saying to beat him up, but let him know I hired you guys to beat him up. Of course, you can''t beat him up since you don''t want to die, right?" She kept her angelic smile, which contradicted her vicious remarks. "In other words, you''ll deliver me to hell. How''s that sound?"

    The delinquents furrowed their brows and looked at each other. When they looked back at her once again, they tilted their heads, wondering that Cosette might be a beauty, but she was a little unhinged to purposely invite trouble. Well, one couldn''t have it all, right?

 Chapter 175 My Precious Friend

    Cosette headed straight to the rooftop after throwing a bit of cash to the delinquents as a down payment for her request. Once she reached the rooftop, she looked around to search for Luke. A deep frown turned up on her lips, seeing that no one was in there.

    Yet, she didn''t leave but instead came inside.

    "Luke?" she called, holding her hand behind her. She went behind the deck and her guess was correct.

    There, Luke was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. There was a handkerchief over his face, arm resting on his bent knee, and seemed to be asleep.

    ''Goodnessбн look at him.'' Cosette smacked her lips as she tiptoed her way toward him. She silently and carefully sat beside him, resting her back against the wall.

    Cosette had thought of many things to tell Luke if she ever catch him. But now that he was just within his reach, she couldn''t even make a sound. All she could do was stare at his side profile silently, wondering if he was truly sleeping or just pretending.

    Who sleeps in such a position?

    There was nothing but silence for the next five minutes until Luke grabbed the handkerchief over his face. Hiszy eyes fell on her.

    "What?" he asked with a disinterested tone. "I was waiting for you to nag me. What''s this silence?"

    "I thought you were asleep." She cleared her throat. "I don''t want to wake you up when you clearly need some sleep."

    Luke frowned and grew uglier. "That''s weird."

    "What is?"

    "Didn''t you sell me out to my father because I was skipping sses?" he asked, retracting his back from the wall to face her squarely. "But now, you are letting me skip ss?"

    "I told you about your father because you were hanging out with those delinquents." She shrugged. "It''s not relevant."

    Luke snorted, shaking his head. "Cozie, now that I think about it, you''re a little weird, eh?"

    "I never said I wasn''t." She shrugged nonchntly. "I mean, why would I force you to return to the ssroom when I know nothing will go in your head because you''re sleepy? Maxen is even sleeping in the ssroom."

    "Tch."

    Cosette blinked twice, looking at him curiously. "Luke, what happenedst night? Why do you and Maxen look so traumatized?"

    "Ugh!!" she flinched when Luke suddenly groaned while sping his hair. "Don''t remind me."

    "But it''s strange and I want to know."

    "Don''t!" Luke breathed out through his gritted teeth, looking at her with utter distress. "Just don''t, alright? That ce is hell. I''m basically living with insects and rats!"

    "Ahhбн" Cosette let out an awkward smile, creating a conclusion in her head.

    In her understanding just from what Luke said, Luke probably wasn''t able to sleep because of the rats and insects. Knowing Luke, he probably bothered Maxen all night and thus, they didn''t get a wink of sleep. This conclusion was almost perfect, but still, there were unanswered questions that Cosette didn''t want to bother. Whatever it was, she was certain it probably wasn''t that big of a deal.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette cleared her throat and exhaled sharply. "Is it my fault?" she asked, watching him snap his eyes back to her.

    "What?"

    "Were you scolded so badly because of me? Tell me the truth."

    "Well, I got scolded badly." Luke moved and rested his back against the wall again, eyes on the railings of the rooftop. "But I wasn''t scolded because I was skipping sses, but because it reached my dad''s ears."

    ''So, Papa was correct. Luke wouldn''t get scolded for skipping sses, but for getting found out.'' A shallow breath slipped past her lips.

    "So, that''s the reason you left home?" she inquired again, watching him rock his head.

    "Sort of."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Luke arched a brow as he cast her an apathetic look. "I run away from home because of how I got scolded and not because my dad scolded me. Well, you can say that''s just thest straw. I''ve always wanted to be independent." He looked away from her to look ahead.

    "If I didn''t meet you and transferred school, I''m probably studying overseas now," he continued solemnly. "It''s been in my head for at least years."

    Her eyes softened, knowing Luke grew up overseas in their previous lives. She heard he went to study abroad and only returned ten yearster as the ultimate jerk. Cosette had been interested in their lives that she had even written every little detail about it.

    Therefore, she knew that Luke actually tried to seduce Mia, Asher''s love interest, just because he wanted to hurt Asher. It was like snatching what Asher has because ''Asher had always snatched what was Luke''s in the past.''

    In other words, it was revenge. But in the end, Maxen was the biggest jerk and the maddest of them all.

    "Why?" Cosette asked out of in curiosity.

    "Becauseбн why not?" he cocked his head back, casting her a sidelong nce.

    "Is it because of Asher?"

    "You call him by his first name now?"

    "He is your brother and I had met him a couple of times during my summer internship." Cosette shrugged. "Am I not allowed to?"

    "Why are you asking me? It''s not like you will listen to me if I tell you don''t call him like that because it sounds like you are close with him." Luke clicked his tongue, but he sounded more tired than annoyed. "It''s upsetting. It feels like he''ll snatch you too."

    Cosette leaned her side against the wall, facing him squarely. "Then I won''t call him by his first name."

    "Hehбн nice try."

    "I''m not lying." Cosette smiled, watching him look at her suspiciously. "You are my precious friend and I don''t want to be close to the people my people are ufortable with. Moreover, I think бк no, your brother is a jerk and so full of himself. I don''t like him that much. No, no. I don''t like him at all!"

 Chapter 176 Those Lips Are Exclusive To Me

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "You are my precious friend and I don''t want to be close to the people my people are ufortable with. Moreover, I think бк no, your brother is a jerk and so full of himself. I don''t like him that much. No, no. I don''t like him at all!"

    Luke blinked twice, staring at Cosette in disbelief. "Really? You think so too?"

    "Mhm!" Cosette nodded profusely. "I don''t like that he looks at everyone as if they were inferior to him. It''s not like he is perfect!"

    "I know, right?!" Luke pped and pointed at her, regaining the energy he had lost. "I mean, he is my brother and I respect him, but sometimes he is just too much! He is self-righteous and acts as if nothing bothers him, only to create something out of nowhere! Before you know it, he already created a trap for you and you will only realize it once you''re falling helplessly."

    Cosette chuckled, allowing Luke to go on and on like an unstoppable train. It was not like she purposely manipted him to give her more details; that was just the bonus. But she wanted him to vent his frustrations, knowing he couldn''t share it with anyone else.

    "Ughбн he''s annoying." Luke ruffled his hair in irritation. "It''s not like I asked him to do anything for me, but бк whatever. He can live on his own and I''ll live mine."

    "But Luke, although I don''t like your brother, I sort of understand why he did what he did," Cosette remarked, watching Luke look back at her in dismay. "I''m not taking his side in case you misunderstand. All I''m saying is, if I have a sibling, I''d also do everything in my power to protect him or her."

    "What I mean by that is, you said it yourself that some of your friends in the academy weren''t your real friends. You think that they weren''t fooling you since you already know about their intentions, but it''d be different from me," she continued. "If we already knew each other back then, I will also do something that will make them leave your side. You don''t need people like them; you don''t deserve to be surrounded with such trash."

    "You said you''re not siding with him, but you sound just like himбн" he frowned, making Cosette chuckle weakly.

    "I''m siding with you, Luke. After all, I do not mind bing the viin in other people''s stories if the people I cherish is a victim in theirs." Her smile grew gentle. "I''m simply trying to stay unbiased, and this is my personal opinion. Although I don''t think your brother meant to hurt you on the way and I don''t agree with his methods, I know he did it with a good intention."

    "I know thatбн" Luke let out a deep exhale, peeling his eyes away from her. "That is why I left. I don''t want him to do anything for me anymore, just to protect me. I don''t want him to be a rotten piece of shit just because he thinks his brother isn''t capable enough to protect himself."

    Cosette chuckled, snapping her eyes away. "I know, right?" her eyes softened as a bitter glint flickered across them.

    "Although we know they did it with a pure intention and they might not regret it, but the conscience will be ours to carry. Not just to their victims but as well as how our weakness unintentionally created a monster." She hummed as she was able to rte with Luke because Maxen had be such a terrifying monster, terrorizing many people for her. "Just like how they wished us happiness, we also wanted for them to get theirsбн and not be miserable by trying to make us happy. It''s just tragic."

    Luke raised his brows as he looked back at her curiously. "Did your dad do something?"

    "Huh?"

    "You sound like you''ve been through the same situation. That''s why I''m asking. Did your dad do something extreme just to make you happy?"

    "Ahhбн" she chuckled awkwardly and shook her head. "No, it''s nothing like that. But well, I guess you can say that. My dad wants to give me everything with the best he could and the best he has. So, sometimes, he would unintentionally trample on someone because of me." бк which wasn''t entirely a lie since Conrad was even more aware of his surroundings and other people''s lives. Her father wasn''t that heartless.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Help! I don''t know." Luke stretched his arms, arching his back. "My mind still hasn''t changed. I''ll probably get used to that apartment and be friends with the rats."

    "Goshбн you. Should we hang outter in your ce?"

    "With Maxen?"

    "Of course."

    "No, thanks!" Cosette frowned at his quick response. "I''d rather be alone than stay in the same room as him."

    "Now that''s suspicious." Cosette narrowed her eyes. "Just what happenedst night between you two? You don''t have any bruises, so I guess Max didn''t beat you up."

    "Nothing!" Luke yelled in defense, making her curiosity soar.

    "Nothing? But your actions and demeanor tell me there''s definitely something," Cosette murmured, eyeing him suspiciously. "You disliked Max, and that is not a secret. However, now that I think about it, you didn''t mind when he hugged me бк wait a minute."

    Her brows furrowed as she recalled how their morning yed out. "Luke, why did you ask me to defile youбн" she trailed off as her eyes widened, looking back at him in horror.

    "Don''t tell me бк"

    "No! That''s definitely not it! We didn''t kiss бк no, no, ew!" Luke yelled his lungs out, horrified as her expression literally told him she figured it outpletely! "It was an ident and my lips definitelynded somewhere else and not on his lips!"

    "Youбн" Cosette''s eyes went wide as she watched him deny his sin. Invisible fire engulfed her, cracking her knuckles. The side of her lips stretched evilly, eyes burning. "Lukeбн my dearest Maxen apanied youst night because he was worried. And then, you''d repay his kindness by defiling his lipsбн ha haбн funny."

    Luke froze as he moved away from her as he seemed to see the invisible fire engulfing her. "Oyбн I didn''t defile him бк I was the victim!" but s, she didn''t hear him anymore due to anger.

    "Those lipsбн are exclusive to me. How dare youбн" Cosette raised his fist and seeing her action, Luke was about to crawl away only for her to grab his ankle.

    When he looked back, all Luke saw was the devil incarnate about to send her to hell.

 Chapter 177 Angelic Face, Evil Thoughts

    "Ah! Coz бк Cosette! You''re hurting me! Ah! My hair!"

    Maxen furrowed his brows as Luke''s voice was the first thing he heard the second he stepped onto the rooftop. He fell asleep in the ss, and when he woke up and didn''t see Cosette until the end of the course, he went to find her. Fortunately, the rooftop was the first thing that came into his head and his guess was correct.

    Maxen followed Luke''s shouts as if he was being butchered, only to tilt his head upon seeing Cosette beating up Luke.

    "What are you doing?" his voice put a stop at the two, watching them slowly turn their heads in his direction. Maxen''s under-eye twitched, seeing Luke''s messy hair and Cosette''s red face due to anger.

    "Max!" Luke''s eyes shone with hope, hopping away from the crazy girl named Cosette to hide behind Maxen. Thetter flinched when Luke held his arm while hiding behind him, but after ncing at him, Maxen didn''t have the heart to shove him away.

    "Lucas Quinn." Maxen snapped his eyes ahead upon hearing Cosette''s shaking voice. Cosette was already standing in front of them, crooking a finger at Luke. "Come here at once."

    "No, you crazy girl!" Luke harrumphed. "Didn''t you say we''re friends?! How can you beat me up?! I''m the victim here! I was traumatized!"

    "Traumatizedбн" Cosetteughed condescendingly while the fire in her eyes zed. "You call it being traumatized when you''re clinging to him like that?!"

    "Because you''re scaring me!"

    The deep line on Maxen''s forehead deepened, only to freeze at Cosette''s following remarks.

    "You should''ve thought about that before you decided to defile Maxen all night." Cosette cracked her knuckles and stomped her feet forward. "I''m teaching you a lesson today."

    Cosette stretched her arm to grab Luke, stopping when Maxen held her wrist in time. A deep sigh of relief escaped Maxen''s nostrils as he snapped back to reality in time.

    "That''s enough, Cozie," he said cooly, squashing down the unpleasant feeling fromst night''s memories. "Last nightбн was an ident."

    Cosette slowly looked up at him and gasped. "Maxбн"

    "It will not happen again. So, let him go."

    "Max, why do you sound like you''re having an affair now?" she scrunched her nose up while Maxen''s face slightly contorted. "Are you and Lukeбн?"

    "Ew! Just what kind of image do you have in your head?!" Luke gasped in horror, jumping to Maxen''s other side. "Oy, Max! Why are you making it sound like we''re having an affair, huh?!"

    Maxen''s expression died, darting his eyes between Cosette and Luke. Another deep exhale escaped his nostrils, running his tongue across his inner cheek.

    "I am simply telling the truth." Maxen cast Cosette a dull look and then shifted it to Luke. "Or was it intentional?"

    "Of course not!" Luke immediately denied it with all his might. "It was the cockroach, okay!? Don''t you know how scary it was to see a flying cockroach around you?"

    He then red at Cosette while grinding his teeth angrily. "All the hair on my body raised when it flew in my direction! I didn''t even know what I''ll doter!"

    "Cosette." Maxen nodded and set his eyes back to Cosette. "Stop now."

    Cosette frowned, almost pouting. After hearing Luke''s exnation, she couldn''t me him anymore. For her, anyone would panic if the presence of the flying cockroach. Still, the disappointment and bitterness lingered in her heart.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''While I was wishing to cuddle with Maxenst nightбн'' she shot Luke ring daggers. ''He was living my wish! How aggravating! I can''t believe I sent Maxen away and suffered all night for nothing!''

    Another deep exhale came out of Maxen''s nose, seeing that didn''t appease her. He raised a hand and nted it on her head, offering her a subtle smile.

    "I''m fine. Don''t worry," he reassured, assuming she was angry because she thought what happened traumatized him. Little did Maxen know, Cosette''s reason was pettier and actually selfish at that.

    "Goshбн don''t smile like that." Cosette took his hand away and folded her arms under her chest. Meanwhile, Maxen arched a brow at Luke.

    "What?" Luke also arched a brow, raising his chin up.

    "The ss had started. We should all go back," Maxen proposed, casting both of them a look.

    "Eh!? Why would I go?" Luke scrunched his nose up in dismay.

    "Because Cosette will skip ss if you do."

    "Eh?"

    Maxen snapped his eyes at Cosette. "Should we leave him?"

    "I already skipped ss because of him. I''m not returning without this guy!" Her anger was apparent, but her intention didn''t change. Cosette clicked her tongue at Luke, still annoyed at him.

    ''I can''t believe I have to babysit his brotherst night, only for him to repay me this way. Hmp!'' she looked away.

    "See?" Maxen returned his attention to Luke. "Let''s go."

    "Why do I have to care?" Luke snorted. "It''s not like I''m asking her to skip ss with me. I can do whatever I want and she can do whatever she wants. Why do I need to listen to you?"

    Maxen smiled, but it didn''t reach his eyes. "I don''t recall sounding like I''m inviting you. I was telling you, let''s go."

    Luke gulped and cleared his throat, taking a step back. For some reason, he somehow felt pressured, despite Maxen smiling like an angel. Who knows? That behind that angelic smile lies evil thoughts?

    "Fine!" Luke huffed as it seemed he had no choice, anyway. These twoбн or rather, Maxen would drag him back to their ssroom by means or foul. "Goshбн these two. Isn''t it unfair? You two skip sses whenever you like and no one drags you back, but it''s different for me?! Ugh! How upsetting!"

    Luke grumbled on and on as he stomped his feet away. Watching him leave the rooftop, Maxen shook his head and gazed at Cosette.

    "Cosette, let''s go," he invited calmly, watching her nod once. Taking that as a yes, Maxen turned on his heel to follow Luke. However, he stopped when Cosette suddenly grabbed the hem of his uniform.

    He looked back, only to see Cosette frowning at him. "You kissed him?"

    Maxen blinked twice, only to see that Cosette was still pouting as if the entire world wronged her. Initially, he thought Cosette was upset with Luke because she tends to be overprotective of him. But now that she was looking back at him with this adorable expression, he finally realized it was a different case.

    "You''re jealous?"

 Chapter 178 Just Trying To Calm Her Down

    "You''re jealous?" Mazen asked, tilting his head to the side.

    "No." Cosette denied it immediately, but her embarrassed countenance told him otherwise. "I''m justбн just worried. Did you like it?"

    "What?"

    "Sarah also had an identбн remember?" Cosette let out a deep exhale, causing her shoulders to lower. "I''m not saying I liked it, but it wasn''t that bad. It feels strange, but it''s not like бк"

    "It was disgusting." Maxen cut her off before she could continueparing her experience with his. "I''m not against same-sex rtionships, but it''s not for me, Cosette. Did I like it? I was horrified."

    "Really? You didn''t like it?"

    Maxen opened his mouth, only to close them again. He kept his gaze on her and the side of his lips curled up. For some reason, he now felt great. The truth of what happenedst night might''ve left an unpleasant feeling in her heart, but Maxen felt sorry because he didn''t feel bad about it.

    Seeing her jealous, even if the other party was a man, was quite amusing.

    Maxen turned, facing her squarely. He cupped both her cheeks and bent over, iming her lips for a quick yet deep kiss.

    "Yours is the best," he whispered, resting his forehead against her forehead. "Did that quench your disappointment?"

    Cosette pursed her lips and shook her head, causing the side of his lips to stretch until his teeth were showing.

    "Okay," he muttered, nting his lips on hers.

    Maxen ced short kisses on her lips until they gradually took longer. As the short and sweet kisses turned into a passionate French Kiss, Cosette held the hand that was cupping her face. But just as she was enjoying Maxen''s soft yet gentle lips, she flinched when Maxen abruptly drew his lips away.

    "Hoy! Are you pranking me?! Did you ask me to go to ss just so you two бк" Luke halted by the door, seeing that Maxen was cupping Cosette''s face while he was bent over. Although Luke couldn''t see what they were doing because Maxen''s broad back was blocking them, anyone could tell what was going on.

    Maxen blinked ever so slowly, looking back at Luke. "I''m justбн trying to calm her down."

    ''That''s idiotбн'' Cosette ground her teeth as her anger towards Luke returned to a whole new, different height.

    "What theбн trying to calmбн hah! I''m бк wow бк my heart just broke." Luke shook his head, hearing the echo of his broken heart. "This is the school ground, oy!"

    "We''ll go after you." Maxen didn''t give much thought to Luke since he didn''t feel like he needed to prioritize thetter''s feelings over Cosette''s. Moreover, Luke was his rival. Therefore, this was hitting two birds with one stone, and he gets rewarded with a kiss.

    This wasn''t just a win-win situation, but a gigantic WIN.

    "Still mad?" he smiled until his eyes were squinting.

    Cosette pursed her lips, wanting to act a bit more upset, but he looked cute. ''I feel weak,'' she told herself, nodding at him.

    "Okay." Maxen nodded, straightening his back. He nced at Luke, only to see that he had left with the door open. But that didn''t make him feel anything, setting his eyes back to Cosette.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Let''s go now?" he offered his hand, which Cosette happily took.

    "Maxen, don''t cheat on me, okay?" she grinned, squeezing his hand.

    "Never." He chuckled, shaking his head as they left the rooftop to return to their ssroom.

    As they walked side by side while holding each other''s hand, Cosette could not help but nce at his side from time to time. Her lips stretched broader as he would a step ahead of her on the stairs, making sure in case she would miss a step, he was there to catch her.

    ''We reached this farбн'' she thought, thanking Maxen as they reached the floor where the third years were. She raised her eyes while he lead the way, still holding her hand.

    For obvious reasons, Cosette could not help but recall what they were like just a year ago. Back then, Maxen would always pretend she wasn''t there with him. He never looked back, nor did he hold her hand, but now he was holding her hand.

    This improvement in their rtionship wasn''t perfect, but it was good enough for her. It wasбн normal. The older Cosette and Maxen would probably call this boring and typical, but the current Cosette and Maxen were already satisfied and couldn''t ask for more.

    When they were in the corridor, Maxen nced at her and reluctantly released her hand. They were still on the school premises, after all. But Cosette shed him a bright smile.

    On their way to their room, Cosette treaded slowly. Her hands were on her back while Maxen was walking a step ahead of her.

    ''Huh?'' Cosette slowed down, looking at the window to see a few students talking to one big, bald guy, Remo. She narrowed her eyes, recognizing the students that approached Remo. They were the ones Cosette hired, causing her lips to curl up.

    ''I wonder if he will take a bite?'' she wondered in amusement, keeping her eyes on Remo. Thetter just scoffed and then waved, walking away without saying anything to those other delinquents.

    ''Huh?'' her brows furrowed, catching those she hired looking at each other in puzzlement. ''He didn''t? That''s interesting.''

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 Cosette frowned, watching those left behind walk away while scratching their heads. They seemed to be talking about something that left them baffled, and her guess had slowly grown solid.

    Remo didn''t take the bait.

    "Ah бк" Cosette bumped against Maxen''s back as he stopped, looking up at him while he turned to face her.

    "Are you okay?" he asked.

    "Well, yes, of course." Sheughed awkwardly and asked to divert his attention. "Why did you stop?"

    Maxen pointed at his back using his thumb, making her tilt her body to the side to see what was behind him. Her face contorted, seeing Luke standing outside their room as punishment for skipping the ss.

    "Heheбн should weбн?" she trailed off when Luke caught the two of them and yelled to get the teacher inside the room''s attention.

    "Sir! Those two are trying to skip the ss!"

    The teacher was just by the door, unfortunately. Hence, when Luke yelled, he only need to peek his head out to catch Maxen and Cosette before the two could make a run for it.

 Chapter 179 Bad Students

    "Goshбн I can''t believe this guyбн" Cosette grumbled, ring daggers at Luke, who sold them out, and the reason the three of them бк Cosette, Luke, and Maxen бк were now being punished.

    Luke snorted, looking at her in dismay. "I wouldn''t be here if not for the two of you chasing me out of the rooftop."

    "Didn''t you say you like me?"

    "Oh, my godбн are you always this vile?" he gasped, wide-eyed.

    "You twoбн I can hear you buzzingбн"

    Cosette and Luke shut their mouth when the teacher''s voice caressed their ears from inside the ssroom. Maxen, who had epted this punishment, without a word ofint snapped his eyes and snuck a look inside.

    His brows furrowed slightly. "Is that a new teacher?" he mumbled, catching Cosette and Luke''s attention.

    "Ah?" Cosette blinked twice, standing on her toes to take a peek at the teacher. She didn''t notice previously because she was too busy bickering with Luke, but now that Maxen mentioned it, the teacher looked unfamiliar.

    "Rightбн who is that?" Luke muttered, having this same realization as Cosette. "Is he new? No wonder we''re being punished. This is the first time this happened."

    "True." Cosette nodded, catching Sarah, Fay, and Amie looking back at her worriedly. She shed them a reassuring smile.

    When Luke and Cosette looked away, they let out a deep exhale. The two of them had always gotten away from their mischief all their lives, and this was probably the first time someone other than their elders or fathers punished them.

    Seeing their somber reaction, the corner of Maxen''s lips curled up into a subtle smile.

    ''It''s strange that a teacher is actually imposing rules when the rest already gave up,'' he thought, biting his tongue to stop himself from chuckling as Cosette and Luke''s spoiled nature was showing. It was not like the punishment was severe, as they were only told to listen to the discussion while standing outside.

    As the three behaved outside the ssroom, they noticed a figure approaching. They raised their heads on instinct, turning to the person walking in their direction. Luke furrowed his brows, cocking his head to the side as he hadn''t seen this student who looked way older than a high schooler.

    Meanwhile, Cosette and Maxen remained silent, observing Remo approach them. Thetter''s eyes firstnded on Maxen, but they didn''t linger on him as he shifted his attention to Cosette. The two of them held each other''s gaze for a good three seconds, and that was it.

    Remo said nothing to them as he walked past them, strutting inside the ssroom like a boss.

    "That''s our ssmate?" Luke mumbled, following Remo''s figure with his eyes. "I never saw him."

    "That''s because you''ve been skipping sses, duh?" Cosette clicked her tongue in irritation. "Wait. Don''t tell me the teacher got scared of him and exempted him fromбн"

    Cosette trailed off when Remo reappeared, walking backward with the teacher''s hand fan pushing him on his chest.

    "Tsk tsk tsk! ss F is full of mischievous students who think they''re supervisors and roam the school during ss hours. You, mister, stand with the three. I will talk to you fourter for your punishments." The teacher tapped his hand fan against Remo''s shoulder and then pointed at where the three were standing.

    Remo''s expression was the same, distant and intimidating. He was staring at the teacher silently. Normally, the teacher would feel intimidated, since Remo''s track record wasn''t the best there was. However, the teacher just smiled and tipped his head in the other mischievous student''s direction.

    "Come on. Don''t re at the teacher and be a good boy."

    A shallow breath slipped past Remo''s nostril before he followed the teacher''s instructions. Remo stood next to Maxen, making the teacher p in satisfaction.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Behave, so you get a lighter punishment, okay?" he chortled, walking back to the ssroom to resume his lecture.

    "What did he mean by lighter punishment?" Luke mumbled. "Aren''t we getting punished right now?"

    "What is thatugh in the end for? Is he a sadist and enjoying punishing good students?" Cosette muttered, clicking her tongue in irritation. She then nced at Maxen, and then at Remo, who was standing beside Maxen.

    Both Maxen and Remo were silent, standing straight to their stature, unbothered. When Maxen noticed her gaze, his eyes fell on her and a subtle smile instantly dominated his face.

    ''Oh, myбн'' Her heart skipped a beat, seeing how his mood changed the second their eyes met. ''Did he do that on purpose?'' she wondered, forgetting what she was about to say after getting charmed by him.

    "Oy." Cosette snapped her eyes when Luke elbowed her side.

    "What?" she hissed, getting more annoyed at him for his consistency in ruining her moment with Maxen.

    "Goodness. Why are you angry?"

    ''Can''t you see I''m about to flirt with Maxen?'' was what she wanted to say, but held back as she realized this wasn''t a good time for that. If the teacher figured she was flirting with Maxen, he might separate her from him. Something a teacher would naturally do.

    "Are you still angry with me?" he asked quietly, causing her brows to raise.

    "Why are you suddenly asking?" she scrunched her nose up at that random question.

    "Just answer." Luke rolled his eyes. "Are you still angry?"

    "Noбн yes бк I mean, maybe. Depends on the reason why you are asking."

    Luke clicked his tongue, looking at her as if he was criticizing her entire life. Seeing the look in his eyes, Cosette shrugged nonchntly.

    A deep exhale escaped his mouth, lowering his head as he discreetly whispered. "Can you treat me to something nice for dinner?"

    "What?"

    "You know I''m poor and you have a kind heart, right? You''ve been doing charity. Well, guess what? I am the charity."

    Cosette''s face contorted as she looked at him, unable to understand where this sense of pride wasing from. Luke was basically asking her for food, but somehow, he made it sound like Cosette should be honored.

    "Wowбн" she shook her head mildly. ''I know I already nned on doing a feeding program for him, but wowбн I''m speechless.''

    As the two бк Luke and Cosette бк had all the leisure bickering nonstop as if they weren''t being punished, Maxen remained silent. His eyes softened, darting them between those two. He then arched a brow and moved his eyes to Remo.

    Remo and Maxen stared at each other in silence before looking away, treating each other''s existence as nothing.

 Chapter 180 Thats A Cat Looking Like A Rat

    The instructor didn''t give further punishment to Cosette, Luke, Maxen, and Remo. But he had warned the four of them to behave. Their day went by without a word with Remo as the guy acted as if they didn''t exist.

    Sarah, Fay, and Amie, as usual, were so worried about them ?that they promised Cosette they would be on the lookout next time. Sometimes, Cosette could not help but wonder if her friends were the good type or if they were already leaning on the wrong path.

    When the school bell rang, Maxen and Cosette still followed the dramatic Luke to help him clean up and fix his apartment. Since Luke didn''t have the money to pay someone to renovate his ce, he ''reluctantly'' epted their offer.

    As usual, even though it was a tiring day, they could call it a productive one. Cosette and Maxen left Luke''s apartment a littlete. Fortunately, Conrad was alsote. Hence, they didn''t need a long exnation for what they''ve been up to.

    "Hey, can you stop screaming?" Cosette snapped her tongue in irritation, ring daggers at her phone before cing it back in front of her ear. "What else do you need?"

    "Why are you even asking me?" came out Luke''s angry voice from the other end of the line. "Cozie, tell me the truth. Are you doing this because you actually want to take me home? Like a mistress?"

    Her face instantly contorted. "Hello? I''m simply doing this because if I didn''t, Maxen will!"

    "Hah! Then why not let Maxen do all this? I mean, if your dad бк I mean, if my dad hears you provided everything in my ce, he''ll mistake it as an indirect marriage proposal."

    "Since when did helping be an indirect marriage proposal?"

    "Ask my dad."

    Cosette took a deep breath and breathed it out through her lips. She forced a smile to her face, shifting her phone to her other ear.

    "Lucas Quinn, you can always say, ''no I don''t need your help,'' and I won''t force you, alright? You don''t have to say all this nonsense." She rolled her eyes, choosing peace over violence since the person she was still talking to was her dearest friend. "Do you know how much you can save if you cook your own food?"

    "Well, yeah. That is if I can cook, but honestly, saving up money by cooking isn''t what concerns me. But not burning this entire building."

    "Oh, my godбн I won''t help you anymore." Cosette copsed on her back, bouncing on the bed mildly. She was still holding the phone right in front of her ear, staring at the ceiling.

    "Tsk. Who said you shou бк ahh! Fucking rat!" Luke rambled on and on for the next minute before picking up the line again. "That''s not a rat. That''s a cat looking like a rat."

    "Goodnessбн should I just hire a pest control?"

    Luke, who went out of his apartment for some breath of fresh air, paused. "You know what? Just do that. I''d pay you back once I found a decent job."

    "You will?"

    "Yes. I just don''t need these rats that are as big as cats as my housemates." Luke let out a deep exhale, resting his arms against the railings outside his apartment unit. "Goodness. This is a disaster."

    "That''s your decision, so don''tin."

    "I know, and I''m notining. I''m ranting, that''s all, but I know I have to suck it up, alright?" he shook his head, arching a brow, ncing at his phone. "By the way, I think this is the first time you called me around this time."

    "Really?"

    "You rarely picked up my call whenever I call you."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Ahhбн I sleep early. That''s why." Cosette bit her tongue, knowing around this time, it was either she was having ate-night talk with Maxen or cuddling with him. "So, know that I''m staying up because I need to prepare for the things you need. The stove and kitchen utensilsбн a table too. What else?"

    Luke shook his head. "I can just бк"

    "How about a television?"

    "What?" he scrunched his nose up.

    "And some cozy bean bags."

    "Oy, Cosette, what the heck are you nning to do with my ce?"

    "It''ll be our headquarters!" the side of her lips stretched from ear to ear as she was getting a clearer picture of what Luke''s apartment would appear like. "So Maxen and I, and even Fay, Sarah, and Amie can hang out there after school! Having a television will be nice for a movie date! We can also have group study, oh that''s a good idea!"

    "You understand I ran away from home, right?"

    "So what? Does that mean you should live in misery?" Cosette rolled until she was lying on her tummy. "Luke, once your big brother figured out you fled home, he will surely search for you. Knowing your family''s connections, it won''t even take one hour to find you. Will you give him the satisfaction that you''re miserable without your family''s protection?"

    "Cozie, don''t make it sound like my brother is evil, alright? I fled home and you know the reason."

    "Rightбн but still, he will force you to go back if he knows you''re suffering."

    Luke remained silent, pursing his lips into a thin line. He rocked his head, taking her point.

    "Right," he muttered.

    "So, let''s just go with my n! Since it''s your ce, I need your permission to decorate it. I mean, that''s a win for you too," she proposed excitedly.

    "Cozie, did you ever lose to anyone? I mean, did Maxen ever say no to you? Or your dad?"

    "Why would they say no?"

    "No wonderбн"

    "Luke, for your information, you are way worse than me just a few days ago." Cosette rolled her eyes, giggling as she grabbed the pillow. "Listen to me, Luke. What sort of design should we pick for the walls? And colors? If you asked me, I''d go with pinkбн!"

    Cosette rambled on and on enthusiastically while Luke remained silent. As she proposed what sort of color they should pick, Luke nced at the phone and smiled subtly.

    ''Did we everбн talk like this before?'' he wondered, cing the phone back in his ear. His eyes softened, listening to her jolly voice as if she had all the energy in the world.

    "Heck no. Don''t even dare add anything pink," he butted in, sounding a little annoyed, like usual, but unable to hide the smile on his face.

    A/N: I was very sick the other day and only got the energy to get up today. I still feel lightheaded, but hopefully, I get better and stronger. I miss writing this story, so I hope I''ll get better sooner.

 Chapter 181 [Bonus ] Fieldtrip

    Meanwhileбн

    "Maxen."

    Maxen stopped by the lobby, turning to the entrance of the manor where Conrad was entering. He had never seen Conrad do any workout routine despite having a good body build, so seeing him in his gym attire was quite new for Maxen.

    "Yes?" Maxen faced Conrad when thetter stopped several steps from him, handing the duffel bag to the servant.

    "Are you going to sleep?" Conrad asked, making Maxen raise his brows.

    "No, sir."

    "I see. Then can you apany me to my tonight''s arrangement?"

    Maxen''s brows furrowed, rocking his head. "If you need meбн then I can."

    "Good. Meet me here in thirty minutes." Conrad walked up to him and nted a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it mildly before tapping it. "I''ll be back."

    With that being said, Conrad walked away while calling butler George to prepare his stuff. Meanwhile, Maxen stayed standing in the same spot. He tilted his head to the side, baffled at this sudden invitation from Conrad.

    ''I wonder where he ns to go at this hourбн'' Maxen shrugged, walking back to his room to have a change of clothes.

    Thirty minutester, Maxen was already in the lobby, texting Cosette about his ns with Conrad. However, unlike usual, Cosette wasn''t responding. Hence, he assumed she fell asleep because they had quite a day.

    "Maxen."

    Maxen raised his eyes when he heard Conrad, seeing thetter wearing a smart casual. Conrad''s attire was enough for him to assume wherever they were going, it wasn''t a formal event.

    "Let''s go," Conrad urged, holding the keys to the car while Maxen followed him.

    It was strange for Maxen to see Conrad driving with only the two of them. He knew Conrad rarely drives, and those times were the special days he had with his daughter Cosette. But Maxen didn''t raise any question, trusting Conrad with all his heart even though his head was starting to shelter myriads of questions.

    Sitting in the front passenger seat, Maxen nced at the driver''s seat. They had been on the road for at least twenty minutes now, but neither of them spoke a word. The prolonged silence was thickening, but not suffocating. It just felt a little awkward for Maxen.

    "Last night." Maxen flinched when Conrad suddenly spoke after another minute, looking at the driver''s seat curiously. "Cosette came into my study."

    "Ahбн" Maxen furrowed his brows, waiting for further details.

    "Cosette alwayses to me and asks for something that I usually don''t seeing. However,st night, she asked me a question I never thought she''d ever ask me in this lifetime." Conrad cast Maxen a quick side-eye. "Can you guess what is it?"

    Maxen pondered about it before shaking his head. "I have no idea, sir."

    "If I kill someoneбн will I be in trouble? бк that''s her question."

    Maxen froze as he momentarily held his breath, staring at Conrad''s side profile, wide-eyed. The lights from the outside would sh on Conrad''s naturally sharp facial features, yet it wasn''t enough to uncover what was inside his mind.

    "She told me about your connection with this crime organizationбн"

    "They have nothing to do with me." Maxen hung his head low, balling his hand into a tight fist. "I''m notбн connected to them."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "For you, they are nothing and you have no connection to them whatsoever. But Maxen, does your opinion matter to them?"

    Maxen''s breath hitched, raising his shaking eyes back at him. Does his opinion matter to those people? Both of them definitely knew the answer to that. Maxenбн doesn''t have a voice for those people.

    "I''ve thought long and hard about itst night. Should I kick you out? Naturally, I should since having you is simply putting my daughter in danger," Conrad paused, slowing down at the stoplight. "But then again, Cosette is deeply fond of you. ?I''d know for sure asking you to move to another ce only means she will also move to near your ce."

    Maxen lowered his eyes. "I can talk to her about it."

    "That you will move?"

    "Yes, and that she should stay." Maxen raised his head and set his determined eyes on Conrad. "I''m indebted to you and to her for all the help you''ve given me until now. The people that are iming to be my family are not the type you want around her. I also don''t want them lurking around her, knowing what they can do."

    Conrad snapped his eyes when the red light turned green and started driving again. "What are you going to do after you move, then?"

    "Iбн don''t know." Maxen smiled bitterly, shrugging. "If they show up, I''ll just reject them again."

    "And if they didn''t ept your rejection?"

    "I''ll fight."

    Conrad arched a brow and looked at him for a moment. "You''ll fight? How? Will you kill them?"

    "I don''t know, sir. They killed someone in front of me and let me shoulder the guilt of that person''s death. Someone went to jail because of it too. Soбн I don''t know how far they will push me or how deep they will drag me," Maxen confessed honestly, knowing he could never lie to him. "But all I know isбн I want you and Cosette safe and away from that mess."

    "I seeбн" Conrad let out a short and dry chuckle, shaking his head, eyes on the road. He then leaned his elbow against the windowsill, propping his knuckles against his jaw. His other hand is still on the steering wheel.

    "Maxen, don''t misunderstand. I did consider finding you a new ce, but then, ever since I took you in, you are already my responsibility." Conrad''s tone was calm and almost nonchnt, ignoring Maxen''s gaze from his side. "It is my fault for not asking you questions in the beginning or running a background check on you. So, to make up for that, I asked my people to investigate."

    Suddenly, Conrad pulled up on the side of the road. Maxen snapped his eyes and looked at the window, furrowing his brows, seeing that they pulled up in the bustling nightlife of the Oldtown district.

    "Whatбн?" Maxen looked back at Conrad, only to see him shrug nonchntly.

    "I told you, Max. I would rather raise the man who will marry my daughter. And that wasn''t exclusive to how you treat her, but also on how you protect her." Conrad rolled down the window when someone knocked on it.

    "Sir, everyone is on standby and we''re just waiting for your go signal."

    "Tell the captain it''s his call, not mine. I just brought my son so he can watch." Conrad cocked his head and his eyes fell on Maxen''s confused countenance. He didn''t say anything as he nced at the man outside again.

    ? "My only request is to leave my message." Conrad''s eyes flickered dangerously. "The next time they follow my kids, it won''t be as childish as this raid anymore."

    "Yes, sir."

    Conrad rocked his head and waved, rolling up the window. When he looked back at Maxen and saw the gigantic question mark on thetter''s face, he chuckled weakly.

    "Don''t worry. Treat it as a field trip. You''ll learn one or twoбн I hope." He tipped his head in the establishment he pointed at earlier, but Maxen could only look at him with a mouth ajar.

    Since when did a drug raid be a field trip?!

 Chapter 182 Start By Calling Me...

    ording to Conrad, he asked his people to make a thorough investigation regarding this crime organization Cosette mentioned the other night. And as usual, he found out about their small and big illegal dealings, although currently, they had been lying low because of the strict governance of the country. Hence, their business was mostly small time.

    It was strange for a big organization to stay in small dealings, but not strange enough when you get a closer look. The business wasn''t their real objective.

    Conrad assumed it was someone, and that someone was Maxen.

    The investigation amplified Conrad''s suspicion because what the reports returned to him was someone tailing Cosette, Maxen, and even Luke. Although they hadn''t touched those three yet, Conrad already made a move to warn those people.

    "Whatбн" Maxen clenched his hand, watching the chaos unfolding from the front passenger seat. Despite the distance of the car and the situation, he could hear the shouts and cries and counted the shots fired.

    Maxen had witnessed a gang fight and even someone getting stabbed to death. However, he has never seen a raid before and how chaotic it was. His hand trembled as he unknowingly held his breath, unable to believe this was Conrad''s retaliation; it was actually not retaliation, but just a warning.

    He turned to Conrad, only to see thetter watch everything unfold with a poker face. Conrad''s elbow was propped against the windowsill, his jaw resting on his knuckles. His other hand was holding the steering wheel, tapping his fingers against it nonchntly.

    "That clubбн" Maxen trailed off when Conrad snapped his eyes ever so tenderly.

    "It''s a front to their business," exined Conrad, setting his gaze back on the people the police were dragging outside the establishment. "Drugs and escort services. It''s a small deal, considering it''s an international crime organization."

    Maxen''s lips opened and closed. "Is it worth it?"

    "Hm?"

    "They''re criminals." Maxen''s voice was shaky, knowing how dangerous and rash Conrad''s actions were. "They are people who always get even. I''m sure they will take revenge for this."

    "So?"

    Maxen''s face slightly contorted, his neck turning taut. "So? You don''t have to go through such length for meбн" he trailed off when Conrad suddenly stretched his arm to him and nted his hand on his head.

    "Is it worth it?" Conrad chuckled and smirked, ruffling Maxen''s hair. "Of course. Everything is worth it for my family."

    Maxen nearly choked, hearing Conrad''s remarks. He slowly raised his eyes, only to see the subtle yet reassuring smile on thetter''s face.

    "They''d know it was my doing." Conrad retracted his hand from Maxen''s head and leaned back. "I made sure they would. Once they hear it was me, they won''t do anything rash."

    "Howe?"

    Conrad smirked as his eyes flickered with pride. "Because it''s me. Conrad c."

    "Ohбн" Maxen could only rock his head in understanding while staring at Conrad. It was almost one year since Maxen met Conrad for the first time, and all this time, he had always believed Conrad was a simple man.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Conrad was wise and rational. He never boasts and had always focused on his own business. However, tonight was the first time Maxen saw the arrogance in Conrad with thatst remark. Not just arrogance, but also confidence and pride.

    Conrad c.

    Just what was the depth of that name''s power and just how influential it was? Right now, Maxen had no idea. But considering Conrad could act so nonchnt with Maynard Quinn, Maxen realized there were more things he didn''t know in the adult world.

    "Maxen." Maxen snapped back to reality when Conrad spoke again. "If you want to fight them, I can''t give you the power to kill them. What I can give you is the power to have control over your life, to have your opinion heard, and to have the liberty to decide for yourself."

    Conrad stared at Maxen solemnly. "You might not carry my name, but I consider you as a c. Cosette sees you as one. It''s for you to decide whether or not you want to live as a c."

    Maxen held his breath, unable to look away from him. All the words that Conrad spewed just now brought relief and pressure to him at the same time. But for sure, it was motivating and encouraging. After all, Conrad was basically telling Maxen that he would give him wings to fly and be someone who could be capable of protecting Cosette and himself.

    Conrad might be doing this because he didn''t want Cosette to do it and put herself in danger. Maxen didn''t mind, though; the feeling was mutual.

    "I''d do anything, sir." Maxen cleared his throat as a glint of determination shone in his eyes.

    Conrad smirked. "Start by calling meбн uncle."

    "Yes, sirбн uncle." Maxen covered his lips with the back of his fist, biting his tongue as he felt slightly embarrassed.

    "You''ll get used to it." Conrad stretched his neck to check the urrence outside. "Cosette and I will visit the elder''s vacation home this weekend. As much as I would like to take you with us, it''ll be best if you use it to spend time with Warren."

    "Your assistant?"

    "Mhm. I already told him about my ns. Cosette''s grandparents were a little strict, but I''ll arrange a meeting with all of us next time." Conrad cast him a look.

    "It''s fine. I understand."

    Conrad rocked his head in understanding. "They''re done. It''s just a clean-up now."

    With that being said, Conrad started the engine again and slowly drove away. As he did, Maxen stared at the chaotic street that had slightly quieted down. A deep exhale slipped past Maxen''s nostrils, keeping his eyes on the side mirror as they drove away from the scene.

    A power to have control over his lifeбн those were Conrad''s words, and they were just the words Maxen had sought to have. After all, the people who were iming to be his family weren''t there all his life, only to reappear in front of him and take ownership of his life.

    "I will neverбн give them the chance to have power over me again," he whispered, keeping his eyes on the side mirror.

    No matter how quiet Maxen said those words, Conrad heard him loud and clear. He nced at Maxen and smirked in satisfaction, driving back home after a fruitful field trip.

 Chapter 183 Your Color

    Daysterбн

    "I saidбн no pink!" Luke gasped in horror after watching Cosette open a package that just exploded with the color pink! There were stuffed toys and some designs that were too girly for his taste.

    Ever since the start of this week, Cosette, Maxen, and Luke had been cleaning and repairing Luke''s ce after school. The other night, Luke and Cosette nned to decorate it and treat it as their ''headquarters'' over the call. And now, that was what they nned on doing after the pest control.

    Luke expected materials, but he didn''t expect that a truck would be present today to move the furniture and some appliances Cosette bought. He knew Cosette wasn''t trying to show off her wealth, but this wasn''t in their ns.

    It wasn''t her who was moving!

    "But there should be a little cuteness in this ce," Cosette mumbled, sitting in front of the opened package. She closed it again and huffed. "Compared to the other packages, this is rather a small portion of pink!"

    Cosette pointed at the unopened packages and wrapped furniture on the side of the apartment.

    "Come on, Luke. I just want a bit of my colors in here!"

    "Your colorбн" Luke scrunched his nose up as he cast her a judgemental look. "Your color is definitely ck or red because you''re cold-blooded."

    "What did you say?"

    "I said you''re cold-blooded!"

    "Hah! Goodness! This guy!" Cosette sprung up to her feet, hands on her hips. "Luke, why do you always nder me, hmm? Do you know these types of people usually die first in horror films?"

    While Cosette and Luke bantered again, which had been growing frequent бк meaning daily бк Maxen was silently pouring the base paint on the paint tray. They had already worked on the wall the other days, so today, they nned to paint it.

    When the scent of paint wafted through Cosette and Luke''s nostrils, they turned to Maxen. Maxen already stood up, scraping something off the wall with his thumb. Unlike the two, who were too busy arguing like cats and dogs, Maxen was about to get started.

    "Tss. Look. Maxen will work on it all alone again. He''s been doing 70% of the work and all you do is anger me." Cosette elbowed Luke, only for thetter to gasp in disbelief.

    "Hey, my brother Maxen is doing the majority of the work, but the rest were mine! All you''ve been doing is messing around."

    "Goshбн you''re so annoying." Cosette stomped her feet and went to Maxen. "Max, Luke is so annoying!"

    Maxen paused and looked at her, pinching her cheek mildly. "Stop arguing now. Get the gloves and help me."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line and nced at Luke with a deep frown. She wanted toin more, but Maxen had been oddly quiet these days, but still gentle.

    "Fineбн" she dragged her feet to put on the gloves while Maxen fixed his.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When Maxen nced at her again, she and Luke were mumbling angrily while putting on their gloves. A subtle smile turned up on his face, chuckling quietly while shaking his head. Luke used to chase after Cosette so intensely, but now, he would argue with her at every turn.

    "They''re cute," he muttered, picking up the paint roller to start painting the wall.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 Luke''s apartment was small. Hence, based on Maxen''s experience, they had enough time to finish all the walls. It was a good thing he was experienced in these things since he did construction work and had sidelines in painting jobs.

    The three of them worked on each wall to get things done faster. The side of Maxen''s wall was being painted professionally and efficiently, seeing a quick result. Meanwhile, on Cosette''s side, the space she painted only covered a percent of the entire wall she had to make. Luke, on the other hand, was quick, but not as clean as Maxen and Cosette.

    Cosette stopped midway to look at Maxen''s side. Her eyes twinkled, seeing that Maxen looked so sexy in everything he does. And then she moved her eyes to Luke, only to burst out inughter.

    "Haha! Luke, what do you think this is? A race?" Cosette nted the back of her hand on her hip, pointing at the wall Luke was painting. The paint on that wall was too thin they could still see the original color of the wall.

    "Hah! What about you? What do you think this is? A procession? This isn''t an art contest, eh?!" Luke returned, looking at the palm-length color on that side of the wall. "Cosette, what have you been doing for the past hour? I mean, we''re using the same size of rollers, but how can you be that slow?"

    "I was being careful." She rolled her eyes, only for them to instinctivelynd on Maxen. "Max, how can you be so fast? You''re almost done!"

    Maxen shrugged. "Experience."

    "Hey, Maxen. This is unfair!" Luke frowned and then marched towards Maxen. "You should teach me, brother."

    "Hey! Since when did you two be brothers?" Cosette jumped in between them, narrowing her eyes at Luke before facing Maxen. She had a great trust issue with other people approaching her boyfriend. "Teach me."

    Maxen darted his eyes between Cosette and Luke as they tried to shove each other to the side while smiling at him like angels. He didn''t know when did Luke start acting chummy with him, but he assumed it developed ever since Maxen was helping with the repairs and also killed the insects before the pest control came.

    "Get your rollers. It''s actually very easy; I''ll teach you," he breathed out faintly. "Just focus on getting things done, then argueter."

    "Yes, sirбн!"

    Luke and Cosette followed Maxen as they moved to the wall Cosette was previously working on. Standing beside Maxen was Cosette and then next to her was Luke. Both of them kept their focus on Maxen while holding their rollers up on the wall.

    "You roll it like thisбн" Maxen bit his tongue mildly, a little bit surprised he had to exin something so easy when he learned it by watching his co-workers. But then again, these two didn''t live the life he lived, and this was something new to them.

    Maxen exined things patiently, showing them how to do it and how many times he would do it to get the good base he wanted. Surprisingly, the two were determined and very serious. Seeing their solemn faces with a speck of paint on their arms, Maxen smiled.

    "You''re doing good. Keep it up."

 Chapter 184 [Bonus ] I Am Home

    "Luke." Cosette whistled at Luke to get his attention. When Luke didn''t seem to hear her as he was focused on painting the wall, Cosette flung her roller mildly, sprinkling a bit of white paint on him.

    Luke snapped his eyes, getting out of his immersion to look at her with a frown. "What?"

    "Look." She grinned, pointing proudly at the spot she painted. "Better, right?"

    "Ahem!" Luke straightened his back and presented his spot. Unlike previously, when they could still see the original color of the wall, it was way better now.

    "I didn''t know it''s easier." He grinned triumphantly, seeing Cosette grin back, and showed a thumbs up.

    Cosette then turned her attention to Maxen. He was almost done and had shifted from roller paint to paintbrush for the edges. She was only halfway done, and Luke was around seventy percent. In other words, they can take a short break.

    But her eyes shone with mischief as she giggled evilly.

    Cosette carefully tiptoed towards Maxen, holding the paint roller behind her. When she stood beside Maxen, her lips were stretched sweetly.

    "Hey, Max," she called, hearing him hum gently. "Let''s take a break. I''m hungry."

    "Mhm. Sure. In a momentбн" Maxen focused on the corner of the wall and then paused when her finger poked his cheek. He blinked, looking back at her, only to see the mischievous grin on her face.

    "Hehe." Cosette raised both her fingers, showing a peace sign. The end of the gloves had white paint on it, which only meant Maxen''s cheek now had paint as well.

    "Co бк" Maxen abruptly stopped when a pair of hands soaked with paint pinched Cosette''s cheek from behind.

    "Cozie, have I ever told you, you are so cute?" Luke chuckled giddily while Cosette stood frozen.

    ''He''ll die,'' was Maxen''s initial thought, ncing at Luke, who was standing deviously behind Cosette.

    Her expression died as she felt the stickiness of the paint on her face, but her eyes remained on Maxen. Slowly, Cosette turned around to face Luke, looking at him dead in the eye.

    "Really?"

    "Haha." Luke took a step back and raised his hands to his shoulder level,ughing nervously. "What? I just avenged Maxen."

    Cosette raised her paint roller, eyes glinting menacingly. "Come here. I''ll make sure you''ll be one with the wall!"

    "Kyaah! Maxen!"

    Maxen cocked his head to the side as Luke ran away while Cosette chased after him with a paint roller. He would understand the fear if she was holding a butcher knife бк or even just a small knife. But she was holding a paint roller!

    "Pfft бк!" Maxen bit his lower lip to stop himself fromughing, but the two looked so silly he ended up bursting intoughter. Hisughter, however, didn''tst long when a ssh of paintnded across his body.

    He looked at the two of them, only to see Cosette and Luke holding theirughter in.

    "You twoбн" Maxen slowly picked up the paint tray, and that was their cue to run.

    "Kyahh!!" Cosette screamed when Maxen tossed the little bit of paint, whichnded on the covered floor.

    The rest of the day was full of screams and waves ofughter, ying around with the paint and being covered with it. They almost didn''t finish their agendas today because Luke and Cosette were equally mischievous, but they did.

    Fortunately, Luke was surprisingly a fast learner and somehow, he enjoyed painting the wall. Hence, it wasn''t just Maxen who needed to do all the work. It was safe to say Cosette was the one who was almost useless, but well, she bought the furniture and appliances.

    They finished around seven and ate dinner together. Since Cosette already told Conrad about Luke''s situation, driver George picked her and Maxen up in Luke''s ce so the two wouldn''t have to go through the hassle ofmuting.

    Thinking about their day, Luke couldn''t help butugh. Idling outside the apartment unit with the door and windows wide open to let out the smell of paint, Luke rested his arms on the railings. A speck of paint was still on his arms, but he didn''t mind.

    "Ahбн that was fun. I thought she''d kill me today." Heughed, thinking he would die today after smearing paint on Cosette''s face.

    As he recalled today''s activity with those two, his eyes fell down. The smile on his face gradually disappeared, recognizing the car that stopped outside the building and the person who hitched outside from the back passenger seat.

    Asher.

    "Ahhбн he found me a bitte," mumbled Luke, ncing over his shoulder to check his apartment unit. "I guessed they were busy to even notice his little brother is missing for almost a week now."

    Since there were many things Cosette brought to this ce, Luke decided toe down the building instead of waiting for Asher. He didn''t want Asher to ruin the good memory he had created with Cosette and Maxen in this rundown apartment.

    "What?" asked Luke the second he came face to face with Asher, standing a meter from his brother.

    "Let''s go home." Asher didn''t beat around the bush, scrutinizing his brother''s figure from head to toe. It only took one nce for Asher to detect something changed in Luke; it was not the slightly dirty clothes and appearance, but something in his little brother''s eyes. He couldn''t tell just yet.

    "I am home," Luke said.

    "Luke."

    "Brother, if you came here to tell me to return to your house, I won''t. Tell dad his most handsome son wants to be independentбн" Luke trailed off, thinking of an excuse for Asher. "... or just tell him, I was being rebellious and wanted to prove something which you are certain I won''t be able to."

    He smiled. "I''m sure he loves his son so much that he''d let me grow on my own."

    "Lucas Quinn, I don''t know why you are doing this. However, do you think you can survive without our family''s help?" Asher''s eyes squinted, unsmiling. "Go home now and do not embarrass yourself when youe home because you cannot take responsibility for your decision."

 Chapter 185 Let Him Be

    "Lucas Quinn, I don''t know why you are doing this. However, do you think you can survive without our family''s help? Go home now and do not embarrass yourself when youe home because you cannot take responsibility for your decision."

    Luke kept his smile but secretly balled his hand inside his pocket. He stared at Asher silently, telling himselfshing out at him was a waste of time. His big brother wouldn''t understand him.

    "Again, brother, I am already home now. I never felt so at peace, which was ironic since this ce and my ce is worse than a maid''s quarters." Luke let out a sharp breath and forced a smile. "You said I won''t survive without our family''s help? Wellбн watch me. I''ll finish school and make a name for myself. Luke бк just Luke. I''ll never use the name Quinn, so don''t worry. I will bring shame to this distinguished family name."

    "If that is all you need to tell me, I''m gonna go and rest. I have school tomorrow, so I can''t stay up." He waved dismissively, turning on his heel to walk away.

    "Did that guy influence you to do this?" Luke stopped upon hearing Asher''s inquiry. "I don''t see any reason ?you would do this if not for that guy. After all, this ce isn''t where you belong."

    Luke looked back at Asher but this time, his eyes were on fire. "And where do you think I belong? In your shadow?" heughed condescendingly, offended at the indirect insult thrown not just at him but also at his good friend Maxen.

    "Did I tell you? Sometimes, you have the funniest joke. It''s irritating." Luke shook his head in disbelief, looking at Asher from head to toe. "Don''te here again. You don''t belong here."

    "Ahhбн" he raised a finger just as he took a step. "One more thing. If there''s one thing that Max influenced me about, that is I shouldn''t throw my fist so easily. It''ll graze my precious hand."

    With that being said, Luke sauntered off before his blood reach its boiling point. He was already used to Asher''s bluntness and harshness in words, but there was just something in hisst remarks that truly irked him.

    "Damnбн I never want to punch him in the face until now," mumbled Luke, shaking his head.

    Meanwhile, Asher watched his little brother walk away while mumbling to himself. He stayed at that stop even when Luke already jogged his way up the stairs, raising his eyes at the rundown apartment building.

    "I did my best." He shrugged, running his tongue across his cheek. "Like always."

    Asher shook his head, treating this as another of Luke''s tantrums. His little brother had attempted running away multiple times, only to return home after a week or two when Luke had no more money to feed himself.

    "He''lle by," he mumbled, turning on his heel to return to the car. However, as soon as he did, he halted. He turned his attention to the street, recalling the sight he saw earlier before deciding toe and meet Luke.

    Asher had been here earlier. When he came, he saw the dirty Luke, Cosette, and Maxen walking away from the apartment building. Cosette and Luke were loud, teasing and even insulting each other, only to seek help from Maxen.

    He followed them and found the three stopping by the food stall to buy foods, which the three ate in Luke''s apartment. He didn''t see them eat, but their interactionбн showed Asher that his little brother was enjoying theirpany. Not just Luke, but Cosette and Maxen were equally enjoying their time as well.

    "How annoying," Asher mumbled, staring at the street where he could see the image of those three walking side by side while chatting loudly as if they were the only people in there.

    Shaking his head, Asher resumed his steps and hitched at the back passenger seat of the ck sedan. As soon as he was inside, the car moved slowly, as the street was rather cramped.

    Bzzt! Bzzzt!<novelnext></novelnext>

    Asher quirked a brow and shoved his hand inside his suit pocket, cing it in front of his ear without checking who it was.

    "Yes, Father. Mhmбн" he nced at the window, seeing they were exiting the narrow street to the highway. "This weekend? Alright."

    "Good, good!"

    "Dad," called Asher before Maynard hung up the call. "Luke doesn''t want toe home."

    "What?! Why? He shoulde this weekend as well since it''ll be important for him! Doesn''t he want to get married?"

    "He saidбн" Asher trailed off, deep lines appeared in between his brows. "... he wants to be a man and live independently. I don''t think setting him up with a marriage is what he wants. Moreover, why are you always so persistent in marriage?"

    "Because!! There are only a few candidates that suit my sons! And there''s only one I really like to be my daughter-inw! I want a grandchild while I''m young."

    "..." Asher was rendered speechless for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. They talked about this a million times, but Maynard just seemed to forget about them. Or he was just being really stubborn.

    "What should we do to Luke? He moved into this apartment near his school andбн"

    "Let him be."

    Asher slowly opened his eyes, arching a brow as he listened to his father.

    "My youngest is a brave boy, just like his dad. For him to be a man, I should let him explore the jungle! Haha!" Maynard''s voice sounded proud, only to suddenly grow solemn on his next remarks. "Son, don''t help your brother and let him grow on his own. I''m pretty sure my boy will make us proud."

    Asher''s jaw tightened as he clenched the phone. When he loosened his grip, he nodded and breathed out.

    "Sure," Asher said.

    "Alright. Prepare for your trip this weekend. It''ll be fun~!"

    Asher slowly put down the phone, but his expression wasn''t anywhere near Maynard''s current energy. He looked at the window and kicked the seat in front of him.

    ''Should I just run away too?'' he wondered, thinking he had been doing everything to protect Luke, only to hear Maynard say such reckless remarks. ''Reallyбн annoying.''

    "Take me to the Emerald Lounge," Asher ordered, which the driver executed, making a U-turn to drive the young master to the bar he had been frequenting recently.

 Chapter 186 Give Me Heads

    [ The c Residence ]

    "What are your grandparents like?"

    Cosette turned her head to her side where Maxen was. He was lying on his side, resting his jaw on the bottom of his palm, eyes on her. She snuck into his room again and had been idling on the bed with him.

    "My grandparents, huh?" she peeled her eyes away from him to the ceiling. "They areбн"

    In her life, Cosette only saw them a few times as a child. The reason was that they migrated abroad and some issues they had with Conradбн or rather, with her mom. The scar her mom left in Conrad was something Cosette didn''t understand from then until now, but she knew it had something to do with that.

    The only time she could remember about her grandparents was when she was already in the hospital, dying, and forgetting everything, including herself.

    A subtle smile appeared on her face as her eyes softened. "They wereбн loving," she muttered. "They can be very stubborn and hard to understand, but I know, in times of need, they will have my back."

    "I see." Maxen nodded in understanding, smiling when he saw the gentleness and affection shining in her eyes. "Are you excited about meeting them?"

    "I do." Cosette faced him again. "You shoulde with us. I''ll introduce you to them."

    "Iбн have other things to do."

    "Like?"

    "Likeбн helping Luke?"

    Cosette frowned deeply. "Do you like Luke more than me? How can you spend choose him over me?"

    "He needs more help." Maxen pinched her nose, chuckling as her frown deepened. "Moreover, it''s better so you can spend more time with your grandparents. I can spend more time with you when youe back."

    "Butбн"

    "Cozie." He retrieved her hand from her nose, and the tip of her nose slightly reddened. "We''ve always been together from morning until evening. Aren''t you tired of me?"

    Cosette propped her elbow against the mattress. "Never! I can look at you all day and just admire you while you do your thing! I will never get tired of youбн but will you get tired of me? Are you already getting used to my beauty? You''re not mesmerized whenever you see me anymore?"

    "Haha. That''s not it." Maxen shook his head, lowering his head to brush his nose against hers. "But I want you to focus on your grandparents. You can always call me if you miss me."

    Cosette''s frown remained, watching him draw his head back. Maxen had this charming smile and her heart softened at the sight of him. He was really handsome, and his beauty was just as refreshing as the first peek of the sun in the morning of spring.

    "Fineбн" she said reluctantly. "Don''t forget about me."

    "Never. Not in this lifetime or in the next hundred." His lips stretched from ear to ear until his teeth were showing. He couldn''t deny how ttered he was that Cosette had never failed to show her affection towards him by words or action.

    "We should sleep," he proposed, only to raise his brows when Cosette rolled her eyes. "What?"

    "Won''t you kiss me?" she asked bluntly. "I thought you will and we willбн hehe."

    "I want to, but I thought you''d be too tired."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You are so considerate sometimes it''s annoying." Cosette clicked her tongue, moving up to him. Maxen rested his arm over her waist on instinct, casually caressing her back as a habit he picked up through all their skinship.

    "Max, should I give you heads?" she asked, almost making Maxen choke on his own saliva. Her eyes squinted mischievously, giggling. "Let''s do it."

    Maxen gripped her waist tightly, pulling her closer. He looked at her face closely, wondering where all this perversenessing from whenever it was just the two of them.

    "Cosette, this is just out of in curiosity." He cleared his throat while Cosette waited patiently for his question. "But, have you touched yourself?"

    Her face stiffened. "That is soбн random, Max."

    "I was curious."

    "Why?" she arched a brow, not a bit embarrassed at the question.

    If she was going to answer, she would say yes! Without a doubt. Maxen Devilsin even gifted her a toy back then to watch her do it and it was one of her proudest moments because he ravaged her body for three days straight.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "What do you mean, why?" he blinked innocently. "I said I''m just curious and I want to see youбн do it."

    "Oh?" her brows rose as a light bulb lighted up over her head. "You do?"

    "Won''t you be shy?"

    "Why would I?"

    "Becauseбн" he trailed off, thinking Cosette was surprisingly confident standing bare in front of him. It didn''t ur to him until now that she never had a problem with his touches or with everything they had done so face.

    Looking at her face and that misced curiosity in her eyes, Maxen felt a tension in his groin. His imagination hadn''t run wild, but he was getting hard with the sheer thought of watching her touch herself in front of him.

    "Maxenбн you''re poking meбн" Cosette mumbled, feeling his erection poking against her abdomen as he was embracing her closely. She raised her leg over him, grinning mischievously as she repositioned her body so it wasn''t her abdomen that was being poked.

    "You knowбн" Maxen held her waist tightly and leaned his face closer to her. "... I always wonder what it will be like if we do pration."

    She giggled. "Do you want to?"

    "Always, but you know the rule." His lips curled up, winking at her. "Sure. Give me heads."

    "What?"

    His smile stretched wider, swiftly pulling her body until Cosette was straddling him while he was underneath her. Maxen looked at her in anticipation, wiggling his brows, since it was her idea.

    "You''re acting like you don''t like it, but thenбн" Cosette narrowed her eyes, bending over until her face was a palm length away from his. Meanwhile, her hand was slowly slipping under her shirt to feel his firm muscles бк not abs yet бк but something he gained from regr exercise.

    "I didn''t say I didn''t want itбн" the rest of his words got lost in his throat as she closed in, iming his lips for yet another steamy night.

 Chapter 187 The Sunshine Of The Blacs

    The weekend rolled in in a blink of an eye and it was time for Cosette to visit their ancestral home where her grandparents were. The c''s ancestral home was in another state, so Cosette and Conrad flew over Friday night to use the weekend with her grandparents to its maximum potential, but that wasn''t the father and daughter''s idea; it was the request of the grandparents.

    One might think they were in it for a heartwarming family reunion, but the reality was far different from that.

    Silence dawned in the dining hall with Cosette sitting next to Conrad, an old man on the head seat, and then an elderly woman on the left across Conrad''s spot. The old man on the head seat was in a knitted sweater. His hair was already nched but was neatly tucked behind. He had visible wrinkles on the corner of his eyes and near the corner of his lips, but his overall appearance could be concluded as strong. He seemed younger and healthier for his age.

    Cosette pursed her lips and shifted her eyes at the elderly woman across from her father. Just like her grandfather, the woman''s hair was arranged in an old-fashioned low bun with a gold-ted pin. The wrinkles on her small face were shallow, and Cosette could tell the woman aged elegantly. She had only a few pieces of jewelry on her, but she was certain each piece costs a fortune.

    Cosette''s eyes carefully veered to her father, who was sitting on her side. As usual, Conrad was eating silently, as if they weren''t having a family reunion. The quietness wasn''t even peaceful, it was only awkward as none of the three had said more than what was necessary since their arrival an hour ago.

    "Cosette and I will leave Monday morning," was Conrad''s icebreaker after the prolonged silence, raising his eyes at the elders. "I believe that is already being filial, considering Cosette will have school on Monday."

    The old man snorted. "What is the rush, boy? I can send her straight to her school via a chopper. I assume her school will at least have enough space for a chopper tond."

    "It doesn''t."

    "Then we can find another бк"

    "I don''t think you understand." Conrad paused, arms propped against the edge of the table. "I am not asking for your permission, nor I am looking for a vehicle to send my daughter to school. What I am saying is informing you because I don''t think we''ll have time to when we leave."

    SLAM!

    Cosette flinched when her grandfather mmed his palm against the table. Her grandfather and her father stare at each other, and somehow she could see the invisible blue mes around Conrad and the bright red fire around her grandfather shing in the middle.

    "Marcel, Conrad, should you really argue the first time you see each other after a very long time?" Cosette''s grandmother, Gretchen c, let out a long-suffering sigh. "This is our first family meal together after a long time. Please, you two. Behave yourselves."

    Gretchen shifted her pair of gentle eyes at Cosette, offering her granddaughter an apologetic smile. Cosette smiled back meekly and then reached for Conrad''s hand.

    "Papa, please be kind to grandpa. This should be a happy asion." Cosette watched Conrad look back at her and caught how the fire in his eyes diminished the second their eyes met. "Thank you."

    "Hmph!" the grandfather, Marcel c, let out a loud huff, obviously displeased at his son. Conrad had always been like this: distant, apathetic, and too blunt for his own good. How could he talk about leaving when it hadn''t been an hour since they sat down here?

    "Grandpa, my dad is only concerned about my health since I''ll be too exhausted on Monday." Cosette shed the grumpy Marcel a sweet smile, attempting to dispense the tension in the air. "But we have the weekend for ourselves. I really want to spend this weekend with grandpa and grandma."

    Marcel was still frowning as he arched a brow at Cosette. Staring at the sweet and bright smile stered on her face, the gloom reigning over the dining hall slowly disappeared.

    "Our sweet Cosette." Gretchen smiled subtly, reaching for Marcel''s hand and tapping it. "Your baba and nana also want to spend time with our dearest princess. Right, Marcel?"

    "Hmph!" Marcel looked away with a huff, but Gretchen simply chuckled.

    "That means he is happy," she said to Cosette, retrieving her hand from her husband to signal Cosette to eat up. "Eat, my dear. Your nana prepared everything, knowing you''de tonight."

    "Yes, Nana." Cosette happily picked up the cutlery to resume eating.

    As she ate, Cosette could not help but nce at her elders and her father from time to time. She couldn''t take off the smile on her face because seeing them, having a meal with her, was something that didn''t happen in the past.

    Conrad''s rtionship with his parents wasn''t mended in the past because he was in an ident in Sharie, which he, thankfully, avoided in this lifetime. She remembered her grandparents had contacted Conrad after the ident, but for some reason, that was just one time. Cosette assumed her father shunned them.

    Her first official meeting with them was Conrad''s funeral, but Cosette was already too numb to even bother at that time. So, she didn''t have such a great rtionship with those two, whom she had always believed had abandoned her father and her. Not to mention, they were the ones who made that deal with the Stone family and her engagement with Ezekiel Stone. Hence, she partly med them for her miserable life.

    Cosette only realized her grandparents truly cared about her when they took care of her while she withered in the hospital. Now, in this lifetime, Cosette had thought about this family rtionship more and figured there were surely certain things she didn''t know that she didn''t bother finding out before. It was not like she nned to dig into whatever truth lies behind the crease in Conrad''s rtionship with them. Butбн

    "I''m really happy that Nana and Baba came to the country to spend time with me and Dad," she expressed out of nowhere, catching the three off guard. Cosette raised her head, lips stretching from ear to ear, chuckling seeing the slight surprise in their eyes.

    "I''m looking forward to this weekend."

    Conrad''s stiff shoulders slightly rxed as her bright smile warmed up his heart. Finally, a smile resurfaced on his face. Gretchen, on the other hand, smiled warmly, casting Marcel a look. Thetter looked flustered, clearing his throat to keep his brave front, but the slight blush on his cheek was apparent.

 Chapter 188 A Good Life Worth Coming Back For

    "So, how was the dinner?"

    "It went wellбн surprisingly." Cosette simpered, treading carefully on the gravel path in the garden. "There was a bit of an argument, but it was smoothened out. And then I had tea with my nana after dinner before I went to my room, but I couldn''t sleep so I went out for a walk."

    "That''s good to hear." Maxen nodded in satisfaction, detecting the delight in her tone.

    "How about you?" she asked, moving her phone to her other ear. "Did you have dinner?"

    "Mhm."

    "Did you eat a lot?"

    "Yes. Did you?"

    "I feel bloated." Cosette smacked her lips, looking around the courtyard.

    The c ancestral home had a traditional architectural design, which felt like she was at a different time than the current. Although some parts of the residence were renovated to add more modern design and appliances such as air conditioning, the overall surrounding was serene. She hadn''t toured the entirety of the residence since they arrivedte, but she was excited about tomorrow since her nana asked her to join them for fishing tomorrow.

    "So, what are your ns tomorrow?" His voice snapped her back to the currentpse. "Shopping?"

    "Max, do you think my grandparents had the energy to go shopping spree?" she pouted, dragging her feet to the intricate chair. Cosette sat down on it, swaying her feet. "They asked me to go fishing tomorrow. We had a pond."

    "Ahhбн that sounds fun."

    She quirked a brow. "You think that was fun?"

    "Uh-huh."

    "I highly doubt that. Guys your age would rather do other things like ying games or extreme sports. I haven''t seen anyone enjoy fishing at an early age, unless, of course, it''s some sort of family activity."

    "Everything is fun with you," Maxen said without much thought, stopping from going through the documents Warren asked him to read. Conrad''s assistant was demanding Maxen give out a report tomorrow morning.

    "Hehe." She giggled, as she didn''t expect him to say that. "Anyway, what about you? What are your ns for the weekend?"

    Maxen leaned back to give his eyes a break from reviewing the documents on the desk. "Let''s seeбн I have training in the morning, and then a therapy session. After that, I might drop by in Luke''s ce since he kept bombarding my phone to apany him."

    "That little бк" Cosette ground her teeth, telling herself to calm down. Was Luke making the most out of her absence?

    "And then I have driving lessons," he continued. "I will keep myself busy, so I won''t miss you so much."

    "Goshбн you miss me already?"

    "Mhm. It feels like it''s been ten years."

    Cosetteughed, knowing it had only been eight hours since theyst saw each other. "Goodnessбн why is video call not a thing around this time?"

    "Videoбн what?"

    "Nothing." She let out anotherugh again. "I missed you already."

    "It''ste, Cozie." Maxen smiled, reluctance swirling in his eyes. "You should sleep."

    "But I can''t sleepбн"

    "That''s what you always say every night, only to sleep like a log once you stop ying."

    "I fall asleep because you tire me out." She humored, biting her lips yfully. "But I will try."

    "Mhm."

    "Goodnight, Max."

    "Goodnight, baby." Maxen secretly let out a deep exhale, feeling a bit reluctant to hang up. "I love you."

    Cosette blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear. No matter how many times he had said those words, the butterflies they gave in her always felt like the first time.

    "I like it when you call me like that," she pointed out. "I love you too and I miss miss you бк I kiss you."

    Maxen chuckled. "Alright now. Talk to you tomorrow."

    "Aye aye, captain. I''ll update you~"

    "Mhm."

    Maxen and Cosette still stayed on the line for the next ten minutes, going in circles with their goodbyes before she finally hung up. He used to hang up on her, but now the beep sound whenever the line disconnected left this unpleasant feeling in his heart. He would''ve offered to stay on the line even if she was asleep, but he knew Cosette wouldn''t stop talking to him if they did that.

    "I''m so used to her being around it feels empty without her." Maxen let out a sigh, turning his head on the bed. Sometimes, Cosette would just lie down there and fall asleep while he finishes homework.

    "I don''t think I will ever get used to her absence." He shook his head, refocusing his attention on the mountain of documents he had to make a report on tomorrow.

    ****

    Meanwhile, Cosette pouted as she gazed at her phone.

    "Goshбн why do I feel like crying?" she mumbled, letting out a dramatic sigh. "I really miss him a lot. Strange when we used to not see each other for a month or two in the past." бк but that was in their previous life, and the story had changed. Cosette doesn''t have an entirepany to keep her busy and Maxen didn''t have enemies to keep him upied.

    "Ahhбн so peaceful." Cosette leaned back, looking up at the night sky while keeping her hands on herp. Her lips curled up, thinking about her grandparents, her father''s good health, and then her beloved boyfriend.

    "Iбн am having a good life," she recognized with a grin, eyes shimmering with satisfaction. "A really good life worthing back for."

    The side of her lips stretched from ear to ear until her teeth were showing. In the past, Cosette only wished to have a better situation where she and Maxen could love freely. But now, she was living a life that was far better than she wished for.

    Cosette was always grateful for it. Even though how she returned in time was a mystery to her, the truth behind him didn''t matter anymore.

    "I just want to live like thisбн" she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to enjoy the freshness in the air and the serene surrounding. "... for as long as I can with everyone."

 Chapter 189 Definitely Not What She Expected

    Cosette expected to go fishing the next day with her grandparents and father. She didn''t sleep properlyst night despite being exhausted, as she was unable to adjust to this new environment. Also, she was excited to spend more time with her grandparents. Cosette had a long list to do this weekend with them since she wanted to make the most out of this weekend with them.

    All that excitement and expectation, however, was thrown out of the window, as her grandfather and grandmother had a different n. Although they prepared to go fishing in the pond within the ancestral home, Cosette didn''t expect that they would be expecting guests to join this party.

    Sitting on the folding chair near the pond, Cosette held the fishing rod with a nk бк more like horrified бк expression.

    ''This can''t be happening,'' she thought in horror, turning to her left only to meet a pair of distant eyes looking back at her. Cosette nearly wept, moving her eyes in the distance.

    There, on the other side of the pond, was Conrad. Her father also had a nk expression, holding the fishing rod and staring at the still pond. Conrad seemed to sense her gaze as he raise his eyes, revealing a trace of unhappiness in the situation.

    Cosette''s gaze veered to the people sitting on their respective folded chairs near Conrad. Unlike her father, Marcel wasughing heartily with two other men; one looked the same age as her grandfather, and then the other was none other than the father of her seatmate, Maynard Quinn. Yes. The Quinns were here, and Conrad and Cosette were visibly unhappy with it.

    Gretchen was in the tent, talking to some madams, who also made their way to visit her. She introduced Cosette previously, but then, thetter was told to entertain the young master Quinn and that exins the reason Cosette was sitting there with Asher.

    This was definitely not what she expected.

    "You don''t have to make it obvious." Her thoughts halted at Asher''s voice, shifting her attention to him. "Our family had a close rtionship. So, it is not a surprise they had a get-together."

    "It was supposed to be a family day." She let out a long-suffering sigh, kicking the pebble in front of her in irritation. "This is annoying."

    Asher didn''t have any reaction, cing the fishing rod on the side of his chair while waiting for any fish to take the bait. He rested his leg over the other, holding his hand on hisp, staring at the pond with a poker face.

    "Treat it as doing your duty as the young miss of the c," he said without casting her a look.

    "Yeah?" Cosette let out a dryugh, ncing at the setup around. "Doing my duty is never my problem, but the way I see it, this shouldn''t be my duty."

    "Aren''t you annoyed?" she looked back at him curiously. "This seems like they were indirectly telling us to get to know each other. You know the scheme."

    Asher blinked slowly. What she said was right. This looked more like the elders wanting the younger generation to get to know each other for the obvious reason called marriage. After all, why would they even prepare a separate spot for Cosette and Asher if not for that?

    "It''s not annoying," he said, causing her brows to elevate.

    "What? Do you want to marry me?" she gasped in disbelief, warranting a judgemental look from him.

    "Even if I know the scheme, I didn''t need to think like everybody else," he exined, peeling his eyes away from her. "I am simply here to make the elders happy, but I''d rather focus and enjoy fishing."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You enjoy fishing?" she scrunched her nose up. "What are you? An old man?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line when he nced at her. He didn''t say anything, though, as he set his eyes back on the pond. Staring at him, she was reminded of her remarksst night. That was because she hadn''t met anyone at this age that enjoyed fishing. But well, it seemed there was one here.

    "What''s fun in this?" she asked curiously. "I mean, you''ll just sit here and wait for a fish to take the bait. Until then, you do nothing."

    "That''s the point. You do nothing."

    "Ahhбн" Cosette nodded, grasping what he meant with just that. It wasn''t because Asher enjoyed the essence of fishing, but because he could rest. Surely, he was one pitiful guy for being busier than an average person in their mid-twenties.

    Silence descended on the two of them, making theughter from Maynard, Marcel, and Victor ( Asher''s grandfather) resonate in their spot. They sounded fun with Maynard getting along with the two old men, while not a sound from Conrad.

    "How are you?" Cosette broke the prolonged silence between them, watching Asher quirk a brow at her. "That night you calledбн are you okay now?"

    "I thought you decide to forget about it."

    "Why would I?" she cocked her head to the side. "I stayed with you for as long as I can."

    Asher studied her for a moment. "I''m good."

    "You''re wee." She frowned, snapping her tongue at him. "A simple thanks for my consideration won''t hurt, you know?"

    "Thanks."

    "Tssбн don''t do it if you''re going to do it so half-heartedly." Cosette shook her head mildly, unable to believe how this guy was so heartless. But well, she couldn''t really me him, since she had already epted that people were all different.

    "I miss Maxбн" she blurted out under her breath, propping her elbow against the armrest as she rested her jaw on her knuckles. "... I wonder what he is doing?"

    "I''m surprised that guy isn''t here."

    "Max has a name." She rolled her eyes. "Also, he is considerate enough to give us time to spend with my elders. If only I know this would happen, I would''ve dragged him with us by means or foul."

    "Do you hate me, Cosette c?" Asher asked out of nowhere.

 Chapter 190 Just What Sort Of Family Day Is This?

    ? "Do you hate me, Cosette c?"

    "What?"

    "You said, ''if you know this would happen, you would''ve dragged him.'' What do you mean by that?"

    Cosette frowned as she pondered if there was something in what she said that could be interpreted as hating him. Her frown deepened, wondering what sort of processor he had in his head as it seemed he was hearing things differently. But Cosette didn''t bother with it as she rified.

    "Don''t think too much. All I''m saying is that I thought my grandparents wouldn''t want other people interrupting our time." A deep exhale slipped past her lips. "My longing for him has nothing to do with you, duh?"

    "I seeбн" he rocked his head, but still evidently unhappy with how affectionate she was to others but very different to him. Asher had noticed it before; Cosette was not only clingy to Maxen, but she was also extra patient with Luke and had acted very free around his little brother.

    However, when ites to him, she just changespletely. There was also a clear line between them. It was not like he didn''t want that line between them, but it was appalling for him.

    Cosette studied his side profile, wondering what could be possibly going on inside this guy''s head. She stared at Asher''s side profile, and the questions in her head slowly turned into words of appreciation. If Luke was charming, especially whenever he was grinning from ear to ear, and Maxen had this sinful beauty as if temptation was the key ingredient the deity used to create him. Asher''s allure was something she couldn''t undervalue.

    This guy just looked incrediblyбн elegant. Although Asher was young and she knew his looks would appear more defined in the future, he was already a fine young man. Now that she thought about it, she did think Asher was very attractive, even when she was with Maxen Devilsin. It was just that Maxen was the only man in her heart, and that was why she only yed with Asher in the past because they were both CEOs of theirpany and it was fun getting into his nerves.

    ''I thinkбн my rtionship with him isn''t that terrible,'' she thought, recalling her rtionship with him before she fell sick. ''Rightбн I think he sort of knew about my condition, but I forgot how did he figure it out and a lot of things since my brain was shrinking so fast and my episodes had grown frequent.''

    "Don''t just stare and sayбн" Asher trailed off as he faced her, catching her biting her pinky while cupping her cheek. Her brows elevated in surprise when he turned, blinking from her trance.

    "What are you doing?" he asked.

    "Huh?"

    "Don''t bite your finger while staring at someone." He pointed out, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "It doesn''t look good."

    "I''m not trying to look good."

    "Just trying to look what?" he quirked a brow, cocking his head to the side. "Seductive?"

    "Excuse me?"

    "Whatever."

    "Hey." Cosette frowned, straightening her back while twisting her body to face him. "I was biting my finger as a habit, alright? It just so happened I was observing you. Don''t have any funny ideas, goodness. I don''t like you."

    "Why?"

    "Huh?"

    "Why don''t you like me?" he inquired without a second hesitation.

    Cosette blinked. She studied his dull expression and there was only a slight trace of curiosity in his eyes, but it didn''t seem he had that question in his head until now.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I mean, I don''t like you that way," she rified, as she didn''t want to be tangled in a misunderstanding with him. But then, she frowned, realizing she didn''t like him either, even as a friend. "You''re a jerk. Do you know that?"

    "I do."

    "If you do, then you shouldn''t be surprised." She shrugged. "All the encounters I had with you, all you do, is anger me and press my nerves. I mean, what did I even do?" бк a part of Cosette suddenly considered it as karma, since she was a prick before who also enjoyed pressing all his buttons. It just so happened the older Asher Quinn had gained longer patience, unlike this current one.

    "I''m not trying to anger you. I was treating you as an equal."

    Cosette nearly choked as those words sounded so familiar. She looked at him incredulously, mouth falling open.

    "What now? Would you prefer it if I talked to you while considering you are slow-witted and won''t follow? Most of our encounter so far centered around business," Asher reminded her, making her rock her head. "I admit I overstepped that one time during summer, but I don''t think I deserve to be hated. At least, not by you."

    Cosette leaned back and crossed her arms, reconsidering his words and somehow he made sense. But that doesn''t mean she had to act chummy with her because, at the end of the day, she wanted nothing to do with him.

    ''This guy suffered because of Max in the past. Although I brainwashed Max and consistently told him to behave, I still remembered how much this man suffered.'' There was a slight bitterness that swirled in her eyes, almost like she was in pain that didn''t go past his radar. ''Since that hadn''t happened yet, the only thing I can do for him is to let him have a good life with his woman without us bothering them.''

    A shallow breath slipped past her lips before smacking them.

    "You should use this time to rest." Cosette peeled her eyes away from him, trying her best to hide the guilt of causing this man''s misery in the past. "You''re busier than most people. I won''t bother you with the shallow talk anymore, so rest assured."

    "You''re bothering no one."

    Cosette furrowed her brows and nced at him, only to see him looking ahead already.

    "And a shallow talk every once in a while isn''t bad," he said, casting her a quick look. "You have a nice voice, after all. It''s pleasant in the ear."

    "..."

    Cosette''s brain processed his remarks very carefully and when she was certain she didn''t mishear him, she gasped in horror.

    No shit.

    But before Cosette could p his shoulder or beat sense into him for flirting with her, a servant approached her. She and Asher gazed at the servant, telling them the Madam was calling for them to greet the other guests and also to have lunch.

    "Other guestsбн? Just what sort of family day is this?" she mumbled, shifting her attention to the tent, only for her heart to stop upon catching a youngd around the same age as Asher.

    ''That guy...'' she whispered in her heart, staring at the guy in surprise as her grip on the armrest tightened. Her reaction caused Asher to furrow his brows, following her gaze, and caught a young man greeting the elders.

    "Isn''t thatбн the young master of the Stone Family?" he muttered, casting Cosette a look. "Do you know him?"

    Cosette snapped her eyes and looked back at him. "Mhm," she hummed, pushing herself up as her demeanorpletely change as if the goddess of winter possessed her.

    ''He was my first loveбн and also the man who ruined me.''

 Chapter 191 Ezekiel Stone

    In the upper echelon, sometimes, profit wasn''t the most important thing but affiliation. The Quinns and the cs particrly held their affiliations with the highest importance, and deep in Cosette''s heart, even though she disapproved of all these people''s presence, her grandparents invited them all for her.

    Since the elders of each family weren''t getting older and the newer generation was already at the age of understanding what affiliation was, now was the time to let the younger ones continue these ties. Cosette already told herself she was still lucky, because her elders didn''t immediately set her up in a marriage but instead introduced her to their guests and told her to get to know the young masters of the Quinn and the Stone family.

    Cosette probably had to thank Conrad for that, knowing her father would''ve guessed her grandparent''s scheme.

    After Cosette exhaustingly kept up with her facade and greeted the guests, humoring them and wittingly returning their praises, she was told to show the young master of the Stone and Quinn around the ancestral home. She couldn''t outright refuse, so she agreed with a smile and toured Ezekiel and Asher around.

    The ancestral home was vast, surrounded by greenery and a variety of flowers. She took the two to ces she was certain the three of them wouldn''t be so interested in, but still did for the heck of it.

    "And that, my dearest friends, is thest stop." Cosette forced a smile, turning around to face the two young masters. As soon as she did, her face contorted as Asher was looking away and was obvious he simply followed and didn''t pay attention. Meanwhile, the other one, Ezekiel, was staring back at her with a smile.

    "The c Family''s ancestral home is really huge," said Ezekiel politely.

    Theirst stop was the greenhouse, sheltering butterflies and expensive flowers that were worth a fortune. There was a set of tables and chairs around, a narrow pond for the fishes, and an ambiance far more rxed than therge fish pond where the party was at.

    "It looks just like our ancestral home," Asher murmured, casting Ezekiel a nonchnt look and then shifting his gaze to Cosette. "You should stop pretending to be nice. It''s just the three of us now. Just tell the elders you showed us around diligently."

    "I''m not pretending to be nice, Young Master Quinn." Cosette shed him a smile, stopping herself from punching him in the gut to shut him up. "Anyway, would you like to sit down and chat for a moment?"

    "I would love to," Ezekiel said, and his smile grew even gentler.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "Then, shall we? I''ll call for the maids to bring us snacks." Cosette kept her friendly smile, leading them to the intricate table and chairs. She widened her eyes at Asher as a warning because thetter was looking back at her with a judgemental look.

    When the two were seated, Cosette shed them a brighter smile.

    "I''ll be back," she said, excusing herself to call for servants to serve the three of them some snacks.

    Having been left alone, Asher leaned backfortably and nced at Ezekiel Stone. Thetter was sittingfortably, looking around the greenhouse. Asher was heavily involved with the family business, and as such, he was also aware of the young masters and misses of each family that the Quinns were friends with.

    Just like how Asher knew and heard about Cosette, he had also heard a few stories about this guy, Ezekiel Stone. The Stone Family was a n that had produced sessful politicians. Currently, this guy''s father was a minister of defense and a strong candidate for the presidency in the next election. His other uncles were also scattered in every government department, making them a suitable type of people to build connections with for business people like the Quinns and the cs.<novelnext></novelnext>

    That was probably the reason the elders of the c''s invited these people so Cosette would have a strong affiliation in the future. After all, this Ezekiel guy wasn''t terrible himself. Academic-wise, he wasn''t as remarkable as Asher''s grades, but they were considered better than his peers.

    Ezekiel had also gained a bit of poprity because of his involvement in charity work and had appeared in some interviews with his father.

    ''I didn''t want to think about this, butбн'' Asher tapped his fingertips against the armrest lightly. ''Are the elders trying to pair the two of us with the young miss of the c? Whoever she ends up likingбн''

    Asher''s thought trailed off, narrowing his eyes incredulously. If his guess was correct, then that made more sense. Whoever Cosette ends up with between the two of them, it was a win-win. If the three of them ended up being friends, then that would be even better.

    But being friends with the Stone was impossible becauseбн Maynard disliked them. Actually, the entire Quinn family disliked the Stone family because of the long drama with their grandfathers. The reason they were here with them was that they couldn''t ask the cs to choose between the two families nor they couldn''t stand doing nothing while the Stone Family try to strengthen their friendship with the cs.

    It was aplicated rtionship that the elders wanted to break with these younger generations.

    "This is my first time meeting the young miss of the c." Asher''s thoughts stopped when Ezekiel''s voice pierced the prolonged silence. "She''s very beautiful, just as I heard."

    "She''ll appreciate it if you tell her that to her face."

    "Do you know her?"

    Asher didn''t answer immediately, staring at the mister nice guy sitting on the right side of the round table.

    "Not really. I just met her a few times." His voice was distant and cold.

    "I seeбн" Asher quirked a brow when Ezekiel heaved a sigh of relief. "I thought I waste."

    "Lateбн?"

    "I like her," Ezekiel announced without a second hesitation. "I thought since you two seemed a little close, there''s something going on between the two of you already. So, I''m relieved to know it seemed I misunderstood something."

 Chapter 192 Not A Bad Partner

    "I thought since you two seemed a little close, there''s something going on between the two of you already. So, I''m relieved to know it seemed I misunderstood something."

    "You don''t like her, do you?" Ezekiel inquired curiously, keeping his warm smile.

    For a moment, Asher couldn''t respond to the guy simply because he was taken aback by the guy''s straightforwardness.

    "No," said Asher, making Ezekiel''s smile stretch broader.

    "Then I can pursue her without offending you," Ezekiel chuckled, while Asher arched a brow.

    "You will pursue her?" Asher let out a dryugh. "Why? You just met her. You don''t even know what sort of person she is."

    "I know she''s good," Ezekiel announced without a second hesitation. "Our brief interaction with her is enough for me to know she isn''t a bad person."

    "Rightбн" Asher rocked his head as he chuckled. "Even if she turns out a bad one, her family name, wealth, and connections aren''t terrible for sure."

    Ezekiel kept his smile, despite Asher''s insinuation. "I can''t deny that."

    "At least you''re not a hypocrite."

    "I''m certain Miss c also knows that it''s hard not to consider her background." Ezekiel shrugged. "It''s the same with you and me. We''re aware that those who approached us already considered which family we came from, what they can benefit from us, and such. It''s rare to get approached without any ulterior motive."

    "So, are you saying you have an ulterior motive for Miss c?"

    "Despite all that I said, I really like her face." Ezekiel''s smile stretched until his eyes were squinting. "At the very least, I''d know she is someone who might not need me or my family. Hence, her feelings would surely be pure."

    Asher opened his mouth, only to close them again. He just stared at this guy''s smile, and even though Ezekiel was blunt, Asher only had one word to describe the guy. Ezekiel was a selfish type who only thought about himself.

    ''I don''t like him,'' he thought, putting a gigantic X mark over Ezekiel''s head.

    The two of them remained silent until Cosette returned. Sitting on the vacant chair across from Ezekiel and near Asher, she darted her eyes between the two.

    "Sorry, it took me some time," she apologized, seeing Ezekiel wave her apology away.

    "It''s fine. Young Master Quinn and I were just chatting."

    "I seeбн" Cosette rocked her head, ncing at Asher''s distant demeanor.

    When she returned her eyes to Ezekiel, she forced a smile at him. She knew Ezekiel from inside and out, but unlike before, their meeting was rather early than they were supposed to meet. Hence, she was wondering if he was still a jerk, just like how she knew him, or if he was like Asher бк different from yearster.

    Cosette humored Ezekiel while waiting for their snacks, touching upon a variety of topics but staying away from family matters, politics, and business. It was more like a get-to-know setting until the servants arrived to serve them snacks.

    Looking at the snacks on the table, Cosette pointed at one dish.

    "Take this away, please," she requested, making Asher and Ezekiel look at her curiously while she kept her eyes on the servant.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "But the Madam sent these for the young miss and the young masters to enjoy," said the servant, only to see Cosette shake her head.

    "Asher is allergic to it and it''ll be bad if he gets an allergic reaction." Cosette picked up the dish and handed it to the servant. "My nana will understand."

    "Ah. Apologies."

    "It''s fine. Stay on standby, so I don''t need to walk back to call for anyone."

    "Yes, young miss."

    With that being said, the servant bowed and left with the dish. When Cosette looked back at the two young masters, her brows elevated at the look they were giving her. Both Ezekiel and Asher bore curiosity in their eyes, especially Asher.

    ''Rightбн'' Cosette bit her tongue as she forgot she wasn''t close with Asher, and she shouldn''t know these things. It was not that she knew a lot about him, but she remembered him saying that in their previous life during their lunch meeting, and she teased him about it.

    "What?" she asked, feigning ignorant about it. She would''ve exined herself if it was just Asher and her, but since Ezekiel was with them, it was better to let Ezekiel think she was close to Asher.

    "Young Master Quinn said you two aren''t close, but it seemedбн" Ezekiel trailed off, arching a brow at Asher. "... the young master Quinn is just being humble."

    "What? He said that?" Cosette frowned, making Asher knit his brows.

    ''Why is she looking at me as if I am a liar? I was telling the truth,'' Asher wondered, nearly choking at her next remarks.

    "How can you say we''re not close when you just said you liked my voice?" Cosette kicked Asher''s shoes mildly, frowning deeply. "Are you toying with my maiden heart? Goshбн you''re so heartless."

    "..." Asher studied her reaction and thought, ''shameless.'' But at the same time, he somehow grasped her hints. She wanted Ezekiel to misunderstand their rtionship, and this somehow put him in a good mood. He didn''t like Ezekiel and knowing Cosette seemed to share the same sentiments was good enough for him.

    "I just don''t want you to think I''m barricading you," he exined nonchntly, bending over to pick up a cupcake and ced it on her empty te. "Eat. You''re losing weight."

    "But losing weight is my goal."

    Asher looked her dead in the eye. "You''re not deceiving anyone. All the snacks here are your favorites."

    The side of his lips stretched when she coughed, getting caught by her schemes. He just said it, knowing she wouldn''t deny it, but he didn''t expect he would guess it correctly.

    "Goshбн why are you always so annoying?" she mumbled, taking a bite of the cupcake while sneaking up a look at Ezekiel. Thetter''s smile already faded, making her secretly smile in satisfaction, as she was certain they made him feel out of ce.

    It only took minutes for Cosette to decide Ezekiel was the same as how she knew him. He was still as selfish, and even though she didn''t like him anymore, she knew this guy could be very cunning. Letting him know his opponent was none other than Asher Quinn. It would put the guy at bay.

    ''Who would have thought Asher would help me in a way?'' she giggled, smiling at Asher. He wasn''t a bad partner. ''I should treat him a bit better and brainwash him.''

    Meanwhile, a shallow breath escaped Asher''s nostril, seeing her smiling so brightly.

    ''I never knew what''s going through that pretty little head of hers,'' he thought, sneaking a look at Ezekiel. ''But that is satisfying. He finally shut up.''

 Chapter 193 What Do You Know?

    Cosette wasn''t even surprised when she heard that their guests would stay over the weekend. Deep in her bones, she somehow expected the worse, and the worse came her way. She told herself repeatedly the weekend would pass quickly, just like how the first few weeks of school passed without anyone noticing. However, Cosette could''ve sworn the day felt longer as if an hour turned into three hours.

    "Care to share, why would you purposely ignore the young master of the Stone?"

    Cosette turned to her side offhandedly. Asher was looking back at her with slight intrigue in his eyes from the couch. They already returned to the manor when the night was about to fall. The elders бк the men бк were having a barbeque party with drinks after their outdoor dinner with everyone. They could''ve stayed just like Ezekiel, but Cosette wasn''t in the mood to humor the adults. Ezekiel was the type who knew how to get along with the elders. Wasn''t that the reason he was favored when they were engaged?

    So here she was, idling in the lobby with Asher. This guy stuck with her like glue, but she knew he was simply using her as an excuse so he wouldn''t have to deal with the adults.

    "Because I don''t like him?" she replied with a poker face. "It''s painful to listen to his humble bragging. Why is this happening to me?"

    "Do you decide whether you like the person or not at first sight?"

    "No. I talk to them for five minutes. I''m not like you." Cosette scrunched her nose up at him while he arched a brow. "Will you deny that?"

    "No." He shook his head. "It''s true. I decide whether I like the person at first nce or not."

    "See." She snorted, shaking her head mildly. "Goshбн why am I being surrounded with insufferable mister know it all type of guys."

    "I''d pretend I didn''t hear that."

    "No. Please don''t." Cosette set her dead eyes back to him, only to see him on his phone.

    A shallow breath slipped past her lips, recalling her dearest Maxen wasn''t replying to her. Or rather, he barely texted her a few times during the day, telling her to ''enjoy'' the family day. If only Maxen knew how she wished he was there to apany her instead of letting all these guys annoy her to death.

    ''Goshбн what is Maxen doing? I really feel like crying.'' Cosette checked her phone, hoping to see Maxen''s name on the screen, but to no avail. All she saw was a single message from him telling her to eat dinner.

    Maxen was obviously trying to be considerate, wanting her to focus on the family event instead of texting him. Cosette let out another long-suffering sigh, not replying to Maxen as she didn''t want to worry him.

    ''He''s probably with Luke now,'' she thought, and her brows rose at the thought of the second young master of the Quinn family. Cosette turned to Asher, who was still busy on his phone, and she assumed he was doing something important since the guy had no notion of what fun was.

    "Now that I think about it, you haven''t asked me about Luke." Her voice broke the setting silence between them, watching Asher slowly raise his head at her.

    "Why would I ask you about my brother?" he quirked a brow.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Becauseбн I''m her friend and her ssmate?" she cocked her head to the side. Didn''t he know his brother had run away from home? She wondered.

    "Exactly." Asher slowly ced the phone down on hisp. "You are his friend and ssmate only, but I am his brother."

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 Cosette''s face contorted, looking at him from head to toe in dismay. "Can you be more insufferable?" she mumbled.

    "I don''t need to ask you about my brother when I already know where he is and what he is up to."

    "And you''ll let him be?"

    "Why not?" Asher bats his eyes, tilting his head to the side. "Do you want me to beg him toe home? Do you have any idea how he takes all my deeds as offensive?"

    ''Because they were all offensive,'' was what she wanted to tell him, but bit her tongue to stop herself.

    "Luke left home, so he shoulde home voluntarily. Thest time I went to get him, he returned my good intention with insults. Our father also supports his decision, so I don''t see the reason to waste the slightest of my energy on him."

    "Waste?" Cosette frowned. "Young Master Quinn, are you doing everything you''ve done to Luke because you think that would make your father happy?"

    "No. I''ve done everything to help my brother and give him the liberty to live the life he wanted because he is my brother. However, he always makes it sound like I am the viin who takes everything from him." Asher deadpanned. "He doesn''t even acknowledge that while he wasughing without worry with his friends, I have to humor the people I don''t like and be in a ce I am forced to stay."

    "I don''t think I deserve such rude treatment. At least, I don''t deserve that sort of treatment from him," he added, rendering Cosette speechless. "Now, if that satisfies you, I would appreciate it if you refrain from bringing up our family matter."

    Cosette pursed her lips into a thin line, rxing her body against the couch. She kept her eyes on him while Asher refocused his attention on his phone. How was she supposed to argue with him if he put it that way? Asher might be a piece of work, but what he said was the truth; Luke also knew that.

    "You knowбн I''m sorry if I''m being nosey," she remarked, making Asher''s brows raise at the apology he didn''t expect. "But I think that is the reason Luke left. While he was doing all the nonsense he was doing, you are sacrificing your youth for him. I may be wrong, but if I were in his shoes, I would also do the same thing. I would rather be happy or suffer because of my own doing, instead of having fun, knowing my brother is sacrificing something for me to have the liberty tough like that."

    "That isn''t life that had freedom. That was simply a life of guilt. This is thest time I wouldment on your family matters," Cosette added, smiling meekly at him as she picked up her phone to send a lengthy insult to Luke.

    Meanwhile, Asher silently watched her get busy on her phone after spewing nonsense. However, deep in his heart, he knew her remarks weren''t just mindless rambling.

    "What do you know?" he mumbled, shaking his head as he gaze down at his phone. "Nothing."

 Chapter 194 Just Giving Back

    Meanwhileбн

    "If I hear you did something to Maxen once Ie back, I will y you from head to toe, block all the pores of your skin with needles, and feed you to the pigs! Don''t you dareбн"

    Luke scrunched his nose up in dismay at the lengthy message he got from Cosette. It would be understandable if the two of them had been exchanging messages, but Cosette just messaged him with threats as if she was trying to unload her frustrations in his inbox.

    "Geez! This youngdy бк hah! I''m speechless. Oy, Max, just what the hell are you feeding Cosette that she bes crazier by the day?" Luke raised his phone at Maxen across from him.

    They were just having some noodles outside the convenience store since Max had juste off work. Maxen was still in a suit which slightly surprised Luke when they met up, but he said he had some sort of internship in the cpany. So Luke didn''t pry anymore, knowing he had more important things to think about.

    "What am I feeding her?" Maxen repeated, skimming through the long message on the phone, and the image of Cosette while giving him heads shed in his head. The corner of his lips curled up, shrugging, feigning innocence.

    "What did you do this time to anger her?" he returned, warranting a groan from Luke.

    "Max, I know Cosette is really pretty, and she''s hot. But бк"

    "Don''t check her out."

    Luke nearly choked, pping the table to make him focus. "Look here, my friend. Don''t get blinded by her appearance. I used to like her and im to marry her. However, under my circumstances now, I realized I just dodged a bullet!"

    "I swear we didn''t have any exchange until now, but look! She is threatening to block every pore of my skin with needles!" he continued in disbelief. "If this isn''t crazy, I don''t know what is."

    "I seeбн" Maxen nodded, and hisck of enthusiasm made Luke gasp. "What?"

    "Don''t you like me?" Luke dramatically scoffed, nting his hand across his chest.

    "No, I don''t."

    "What? Aren''t we brothers?! How can you let Cosette бк ugh! That girl!" Luke angrily picked up his phone, taking a deep breath. When he released his breath through his mouth, his eyes lit up, typing on his phone aggressively, and sent a rebut with a satisfied smile.

    DING!

    "Hah!" Lukeughed after the quick reply she got from Cosette, replying to her with evilness.

    Seeing the change in Luke''s reaction, Maxen shook his head and continued finishing his cup of noodles. His lips, however, were curled up into a smile, almost chuckling. He was worried about Cosette and missed her silly, but seeing that she was energetic enough to argue with Luke despite the distance, he felt reassured. That only meant she was doing okay.

    If Cosette could read his thoughts right now, she would regret brainwashing him to be selfless!

    DING!

    Maxen''s brows rose, slipping his hand inside his suit to see the message. His eyes softened, reading the message he got from Cosette,ining about how Luke ruined her mood. Since Maxen didn''t know how to respond to herints, he only sent her a heart and a kiss.

    "Stop terrorizing her." He put the phone back inside his suit pocket, gazing at Luke across from him.

    "Terrorizing бк wow, Max. Don''t forget she put this upon herself! I didn''t ask her to message me first!" Luke eximed in frustration, pointing a finger at him. "This is why she''s acting like a brat! You''re spoiling her too much."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Stop it now."

    "Hah!" Luke scoffed, rendered speechless, as if that fox demon, Cosette,pletely bewitched this guy.

    In the end, Luke simply sent Cosette onest gibberish message and huffed. Maxen said he would apany him on the weekend and actually offered him a part-time job, so Luke didn''t want to anger Maxen. Luke''s financial state was running low, and thest thing he wanted was to anger him and let Cosette sabotage his future.

    "By the way, what''s this job you''re talking about?" Luke cleared his throat and leaned an arm against the table. "You''re an intern yourself. So, that means you aren''t capable of hiring people. I mean, no offense, but let''s face it. What can I do that will pay me well?"

    Maxen blinked. "Paperworks."

    "Paperworks?"

    "Mhm. I have tons of papers to work on, and I thought it''ll be better if I hire someone."

    "Wowбн so you''re saying you want me to finish your job?"

    "Not finish, but help me."

    "Isn''t that cheating?"

    "Thatбн is working smart." Maxen shrugged. That was what he learned from Conrad and Warren. After all, Maxen''s position in the subsidiarypany Conrad gave him full authority was a ratherplicated one. He didn''t need to hire Luke, to be honest, but the guy needs money and Maxen didn''t want to outright give it to Luke.

    "Well, I guess, you''re right." Luke rocked his head and snapped his brows. "But why me? Do you pity my situation?"

    "Pity? Definitely not." Maxen propped his elbows against the table and studied the curiosity in Luke''s eyes. "I''m giving back."

    "Huh?" Luke cocked his head to the side, furrowing his brows. "Giving back? What did I do for you to owe me?"

    "Not to you, but to the people who helped me." Maxen lowered his eyes and smiled. "Back then, I did all odd jobs that pay terribly to survive. I thought things will always be the same no matter how I work hard, but everything changed because someone believed in me and still trust me with all their heart."

    He slowly raised his eyes and kept his subtle smile at Luke. "I''m repaying their kindness by helping others. Furthermore, I believe in you. I think you''re better than what you think."

    "Maxenбн my best broбн" Luke could only stare at Maxen, his eyes gleamed with tears, moved by his words. Cosette didn''t know how the hell Luke became so glued on Maxen, but this guy was just so nice he should be hugged.

    "You finish everything because we''ll pull an all-nighter." Maxen chuckled, pointing at the food Luke hadn''t finished because he was quarreling with Cosette over the phone. "I''m telling you. You might hate me the next morning; it''s not a simple job."

    "Hey, there''s no hard job for a beggar like me!"

    With that being said, Luke and Maxen finished their unhealthy dinner and went to Luke''s apartment. What Maxen told Luke was nothing but the truth. The documents they had to review and work on nearly traumatized Luke, as he had to work on them until he passed out.

    But Luke was able to learn a big life lesson and that earning money was not easy, and his respect for Maxen for surviving all those years doing odd jobs with injustice pay soared.

 Chapter 195 Sunday Morning

    "Oy, Maxen."

    Maxen snapped his eyes over the rim of the coffee mug while drinking his morning fuel, and was met with Luke''s aghast front. He slowly put the mug away from his lips, tilting his head to the side.

    "Last nightбн" Luke blinked, his eyes glossing over the mountain of paperwork stacked neatly on the table. "Did we finish all thatst night?"

    "Yes." Maxen held the coffee mug in front of him, standing near the dining table. Luke was standing just right over the couch where he passed outst night.

    "Thatбн everything?"

    "You passed out. I had to finish everything."

    Luke''s mouth fell open, looking at Maxen with big eyes. He could swear this guy was a monster. Although Luke had never worked hard as much as he didst night, it was shameful that Maxen still ended up doing most of the work. It reminded him of Asher''s desk, but Asher was being groomed as the heir. Hence, that much paperwork was normal.

    But Maxenбн

    "Oy, Maxen," Luke called when he recovered his voice. He had been meaning to ask this question sincest night. "Is Cosette''s father grooming you to be his heir?"

    "No." Maxen''s answer was quick.

    "No?"

    "No."

    "Are you joking? I read the documentsst night."

    "You did."

    Luke hissed in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Come on, man. I''m not dumb. Those documents are too hard to be handled by an intern."

    "I never said they were easy." Maxen blinked with misced innocence in his eyes. "It''s a subsidiary of the c Corporation. It is directly under Sir c''s management and he wants me to know the ins and outs."

    "So, he''s still passing it to you?"

    "Not really."

    Luke cocked his head to the side, looking at him incredulously. Deep in his heart, he knew that this was nothing but exploitation with the amount of work Maxen had to do for an intern. The papers were more like he was about to run thepany on his own. Luke had seen and read enough documents to know their importance, and that mountain of documents on top of the dining hall was all important.

    "I already made breakfast," Maxen said as he walked to the sink to wash the coffee mug. "Eat."

    Luke scrunched his nose up, watching Maxen walk around the kitchen as if it was his ce. Maxen and Cosette had been here since day one. Both of them had grown familiar with his apartment.

    "Do you need help?" he asked when Maxen gazed at the mountains of documents on the table.

    "I would appreciate that."

    "Goodnessбн why are you speaking so formally to me?" Luke shook his head while Maxen grabbed his coat that was draped over the chair. He carried as much paper as he could, leaving Maxen just a few since the guy seemed he barely had slept.

    Luke sent Maxen downstairs, casually talking to the guy regarding his theory of how Conrad''s head work. His eyes popped open when a man in a suit bowed at them, taking the documents from Luke and Maxen, and carried them to the ck sedan parked outside the building.

    "Wowбн" Luke blinked, looking at Maxen with his mouth agape. "... you''re like a young master now."

    "I sent your pay to your bank. Pick me up in the convenience storeter." Maxen waved dismissively, ignoring Luke''s remarks as he sauntered towards the car.

    "Geez. Look at him." Luke held his hands on the back of his head, watching Maxen open the back seat. But before Maxen hitched inside, he held the door open and looked back at Luke.

    "Do you want toe?" he asked, taking Luke by surprise.

    "What?"

    "Get changed if you want toe. We''ll wait here."

    "What?" Luke frowned while Maxen hitched inside the back seat. Seeing that the car wasn''t moving an inch, Luke cocked his head to the side.

    "He wants me toe?" he pointed at himself, approaching the car. He knocked on the window, bending down when the window rolled down. "Oy, Max. Do you need me elsewhere?"

    "No."

    "Why aren''t you going?"

    "Because it seems you''ll cry if left alone."

    Luke scrunched his face, looking back at him in dismay. "I''m too traumatizedst night! I barely had sleep."

    "Then rest for today. I''lle to your ceter."

    "What бк hah!" Luke was rendered speechless, his face contorted as it sounded like he was Maxen''s mistress. But then again, havingpany in his ce was far better than being alone.

    Luke rested his arms against the windowsill.

    "Oy, Max. Let me tell you something. No matter how important this work is, your foundation is your body. Did you even sleepst night?"

    "I had a nap." Maxen blinked. "If you''re not going, then we''ll leave."

    "Goshбн if you copse, Cosette will kill me."

    "Don''t worry about her."

    "Fine." Luke stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "Get a nap on your way."

    With that being said, Luke took a step back and watched the car speed away. He held his hand behind his head, shaking it while clicking his tongue. But while watching at the car''s rear, the corner of his lips curled up into a subtle smile.

    "That guyбн" he mumbled, thinking he actually wanted toe because he didn''t have anything else to do for today. The only reason he refused was that he didn''t want to burden Maxen with his presence, knowing the guy would be in multiple meetings today since he saw his schedule the entire weekend.

    "Sometimes, I just wish he''s just as indifferent as before." Luke dragged his feet to the rundown apartment building, recalling how nonchnt and insufferable Maxen was back then. Well, he couldn''t me the guy because Luke was too arrogant for his own good.

    When Luke reached his t, he was about to jump straight to the couch to sleep more. However, he stopped by the dining table. He already noticed the lid on top of the table but didn''t pay attention to it. Luke opened the lid and chuckled, seeing a warm porridge, egg rolls, and a couple of side dishes.

    "Is he trying to charm me or what?" heughed, dragging the chair to sit on it. "Geez. That guy." бк no wonder Luke lost to him in their rivalry for Cosette''s heart.

    Maxenбн was the nicest to the people he actually care for, and his little gestures, although usually take Luke by surprise, could melt anyone''s heart. Luke had always felt alone back in the Quinn residence, but while eating this breakfast cooked by Maxen, especially for him, he feltбн weed.

 Chapter 196 I Am, Indeed, Holding Back

    Meanwhileбн

    Cosette''s expression was more dead than a corpse. She kept her eyes on the vast greenery of the golf course. Today''s n was to y golf in the country club owned by the Quinns, but she wasn''t having fun as much as she should enjoy it.

    "Nice." She pped unenthusiastically as Asher walked back to the chair beside her.

    Not to her surprise, she was once again left to y golf with this guy and with Ezekiel. Fortunately, Ezekiel overslept, so they went ahead of him. The adults were on a different golf course, dragging the reluctant Conrad, who surprisingly hadn''t exploded yet.

    "You should''ve pretended to feel unwell," said Asher, casting her a sidelong nce. "You could''ve saved yourself froming in here."

    "Pretending to be sick is the dumbest thing to do." Cosette rolled her eyes. "My father will surely me everyone in here and throw a huge fit. Having them fight over a lie is thest thing I want. Moreover, today''s thest day."

    A deep exhale slipped past her lips. She had been using those excuses to convince herself to endure this weekend, but each time, it had be less effective. It wasn''t motivating at all.

    "Did you sleep well?" Asher asked, but his question only caused her frown to deepen. "The reason you''re this gloomy is that you don''t even try to have fun."

    "Seriously? I tried, but I can''t."

    "And why is that?"

    "It''s boring," Cosette remarked sarcastically, only to see him look at her with doubt. "Fine. I''m not in the mood because I fell asleepst night instead of talking to Maxen."

    "That guy again."

    "What do you mean again?"

    "You always talk about him whenever you have the opportunity. It''s annoying, really."

    "Who do you want me to talk about? You?" Cosette returned offhandedly. "We already talked about a lot of stuff, and I don''t even know what to say anymore. And to think that guy wasn''t here just yet бк what a life!"

    Asher propped his jaw against his knuckles, hiding the curl of his lips. His trembling shoulders as he held hisughter still gave him away to her prying eyes.

    "What''s so funny?" she asked with an arched brow.

    "Nothing."

    "No, you''reughing."

    "I just find it interesting how you get so worked up staying with us." Asher straightened his back, grinning from ear to ear. "It makes me want to stick with you like glue just to ruin your day."

    "Wowбн you''re so evil." Cosette shook her head in dismay. How could this guy enjoy her suffering?

    "In any case, I am entertained." Asher rubbed the armrest before pushing himself up. "I''m moving to another ce. Come if you want."

    "As if." Cosette snorted, watching him shrug indifferently.

    "Well then, good luck," Asher smirked, and the yfulness in his eyes somewhat sent this suspicion in her heart.

    As he walked away, Cosette caught another figure from the corner of her eyes. She didn''t need to turn her head to confirm who it was because she could tell from her peripheral vision.

    "That demon foxбн!" Cosette clenched her teeth before she hurriedly followed Asher''s tracks, ring at him as she hitched on the golf cart.

    "Oh, why are you here?" Asher asked, feigning innocence.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Shut up!" she harrumphed, folding her arms under her chest. "Just drive, okay?"

    Asher chuckled with his lips closed, ncing back to see Ezekiel looking in their direction.

    "I am really entertained," he mumbled, unhesitatingly driving off so that Ezekiel wouldn''t catch up to them. He disliked the guy and helping Cosette purposely avoid him was satisfying in a way.

    "Goshбн" Cosette kicked mildly out of irrational. Since yesterday, she felt very irritable. She wouldn''t normally be like this but considering she was being surrounded by Asher and Ezekiel for no damn reason, it truly vexed her.

    Asher drove slowly, allowing the wind to cool their faces. The side of his lips was curled up into a satisfied smile, the very opposite of Cosette''s gloomy countenance.

    "Why are you so slow?" her frown grew uglier, looking at him beside her.

    "Just look around," he said without giving her a look. "Take a deep breath and appreciate your surrounding. It''ll calm you down a bit."

    "Look around?" Her already dead expression died even more. "What''s there to see around the golf course aside from grass and gs?"

    "Just do it." He gave her a side-eye. "The reason your mood isn''t getting any better is that you''re not even trying to enjoy yourself."

    "I told you I already did."

    "You didn''t." He returned with certainty. "I''m not saying your feelings aren''t valid. Having to spend your weekend with strangers is annoying, I know that. But don''t forget, it''s one of your duties as the heiress of your family."

    Asher slowed down even more to face her. "Since things like this are inevitable, you just got to learn how to enjoy yourself despite the circumstances." When he finished his remarks, he stopped the golf cart to hold her gaze.

    Cosette remained silent, pursing her lips in a thin line. Everything Asher said was the things she already knew; this wasn''t the first time she had to humor people she don''t particrly like. However, because she got used to her carefree life and her longing for Maxen, her mind had been very muddled, as her heart could barely take Maxen''s absence.

    She was on the brink of believing she had gone crazy or she was just addicted to Maxen''s presence.

    "You''re right," she agreed, peeling her eyes away from him to the empty greenery. "I should at least think of ways to enjoy myself, instead of giving you the enjoyment of seeing me suffer."

    "I don''t hate you that much to celebrate your misery." He chuckled with his lips closed while she nced at him again.

    "Those words were literallying out of your nose."

    Asherughed, keeping the steering wheel with both his hands as he drove again.

    "Gosh. Look at him." Cosette snapped her tongue, but her mood felt slightly better as her mind was clearer than a moment ago. "You know what? You should smile more. It really suits you."

    "I said to focus on the surrounding, not on me."

    "That''s surprising."

    "What is?" he arched a brow, giving her a cursory look.

    "I thought you will say you''re the best view and the most pleasing decoration in the surrounding. That''s why you asked me to look around," she humored, making him chortle. "Gosh. Look at him, enjoy that praise."

    "I don''t think that''s praise, but just the truth."

    Cosette gasped. "My goshбн I knew you were simply holding back."

    "I amбн" Asher cocked his head back, his eyes on her. "... indeed, holding back."

 Chapter 197 Dont

    "I am, indeed, holding back."

    Cosette opened her mouth, only to close them again. She felt something off from Asher''sst remarks, and when she was certain there was a different meaning behind his words, she pped his shoulder aggressively.

    "Don''t even think about it, Asher Quinn!" she warned.

    Asher''s brows rose. "Think about what?"

    "Me." She pointed at herself and then at him. "You and me! Nope!"

    "Hahaбн what are you saying?" Asher looked at her with ridicule. "Do you think you''re my type?"

    "I''m not?" her expression suddenly stiffened, almost cracking him up. "Really?"

    "Don''t worry. I don''t like you." He shook his head, but somehow, his remarks tickled her curiosity.

    In the past, Cosette had tried to seduce this guy for fun. Actually, it wasn''t real seduction, but more like she enjoyed teasing him. What was written in the novel бк Cosette had almost forgotten about it бк but her interaction with Asher there happened; the teasing, the real attraction, and everything.

    She would''ve liked him very much if not for the fact she was deeply and madly in love with Maxen. Asher was also very in love with Mia. That poor girlбн now that Cosette recalled what happened, she couldn''t help but feel the guilt creeping into her heart.

    "You really don''t like me?" she asked out of in curiosity.

    Asher slowed down until the golf cart came to a full halt. His hand on the steering wheel remained, and he kept his eyes ahead for the next several seconds. His expression had turned solemn, fluttering his thick eyshes slowly at her.

    "Should I like you?" he returned, but the usual sarcasm in his tone was nowhere to be heard.

    "Noбн"

    "And why is that?"

    "Becauseбн why would you like me?" she tilted her head to the side, eyes full of curiosity. "Do you think you like me?"

    "What if I do? And what if I don''t?"

    "Don''t." Cosette leaned back and looked ahead. "Don''t like me."

    Asher let out a dryugh, unable to discern which emotion that was circling in his heart. All he could be certain of was that whatever emotion he felt at her remarks left this sour and bitter tang in his mouth.

    "Your brother likes me, and even though he had lied low, it''ll only bring trouble. It won''t benefit anyone."

    "Youбн do you know the more you restrict someone, the more their desire grows stronger?" Asher waited for her to look back at him. "Don''t tell me not to like you or that the two of us are impossible. It only triggers me and makes me want to prove you wrong."

    "Then that''s the more reason you know you shouldn''t entertain such emotion, don''t you think?" Cosette held his gaze, unfaltering. "This growing interestбн is not anywhere near love. It''s simply a desire to make a point. Don''t use me to make a point, Your Master Quinn. Cut both of us some ck."

    Silence descended between the two of them as the wind whispered in their ears. They kept their eyes on each other, both showing the solid determination of their point, unwilling to back down orpromise.

    "You don''t want me to like you because of Luke? Or was it because of that guy?" Asher broke the prolonged silence, peeling his eyes from her, and looked ahead.

    "Max has a name, and it''s because of both of them."

    "Forget about that Maxen." His eyelids drooped, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Although his surface was calm, his feelings were in disarray. "But why do I have to stop myself from pursuing something because of Luke?"

    "What?"

    "All my life, I had sacrificed myself so my little brother doesn''t have to suffer from the pressure and expectation from the elders," exined Asher to Cosette, giving her a quick review of his disposition. "Even when there was no recognition or appreciation, I did it because he is my brother. Luke might always act spoiled, but he is very important to me. For as long as he is fine, I don''t mind what I have to do for him to keep living the life he wanted."

    He slowly set his eyes back to her, and this time, he didn''t conceal the bitterness and confusion that was stered across his face.

    "Are you telling me Luke wouldn''t take a step back or fight with me fairly if I finally want somethingбн or someone that he also fancies?" he continued with deep bafflement in his voice. "Should I just give up without even trying for his sake? Again?"

    Cosette held her breath, unable to look away from him. Her lips opened and closed, but her voice wouldn''te out.

    How was she supposed to answer that? When Asher was making a strong point here. She couldn''t just tell him to give way to his little brother when Asher had always let Luke have it his way. This matter wasn''tpletely about Cosette or both brothers liking her to the point they would fight each other until someone shed blood.

    This was about whether the brothers were willing to have a give-and-take situation. Because right now, Asher believed it had always been a give-situation without him getting anything in return. This might be true to a certain degree.

    "Is this desire even more important than your rtionship with your brother?" she breathed out when she recovered her voice.

    "I don''t know, Miss c. If only I do, we''re not having this conversation." Asher shook his head mildly. "Do you think I am being selfish right now?"

    Cosette pursed her lips and shook her head.

    "No," she said, looking away from him. "Strangely enough, I don''t think that''s being selfish. I think you have a point, and it rather leaves me confused about how to convince you not to nurture whatever you feel about me."

    "I can only offer friendship to you and to Luke бк perhaps, to Ezekiel Stone as well," she continued solemnly. "Someone already has a good hold on my heart, and I don''t see anyone else in the future except him."

    Cosette lowered her eyes, staying honest with him even though she knew Asher might not be lying when he said he didn''t like her. It was better to draw a clear line before any feelings would develop because it seemed she would have more encounters with him in the following months and in the future.

    Asher stared at her side profile in silence before he also looked ahead. Both of them stayed silent as they simply looked ahead, sinking deep into their own thoughts, until Ezekiel caught up to them and disrupted their train of thoughts.

 Chapter 198 Need A Friend

    "You and me! Nope!"

    "Why would you like me?"

    "Do you think you like me?"

    "Don''t. Don''t like me."

    "Your brother likes me, and even though he had lied low, it''ll only bring trouble. It won''t benefit anyone."

    "This growing interestбн is not anywhere near love. It''s simply a desire to make a point. Don''t use me to make a point, Young Master Quinn. Cut both of us some ck."

    "Is this desire even more important than your rtionship with your brother?"

    "I can only offer friendship to youбн"

    Cosette''s words kept reying in Asher''s head throughout the day. The two of them barely had any exchange after that, letting Ezekiel carry their conversation all alone. Even when they regrouped with the adults, the two of them acted civil, as if they had this silent agreement to avoid each other for the time being.

    Evening fell quickly and after another outdoor dinner with everyone, Asher returned to the guest room where he was staying in the c''s ancestral home. Ezekiel told him to join the adults for a few drinks since it was theirst night together, but he politely refused.

    Yet, he brought a bottle of wine to his room to make himself fall asleep. As he savored a ss of wine, that was when his conversation with Cosette earlier today resurfaced in his memories again.

    Sitting on the floor of the courtyard of his room, Asher gazed at the nothingness.

    "She can be very frustrating," he mumbled, chugging down a ssful of wine. He hissed at the bitterness of the strong wine, which seemed to go straight into his heart, making him feel stuffy.

    A deep breath escaped his open mouth, shutting his eyes closed. He cocked his head back, ignoring the slight throb in his head. When he reopened his eyes ever so tenderly, the image of Cosette shed before his eyes.

    "Friendshipбн" he whispered, only to chuckle in ridicule. "... liar. Even thatбн you can''t give."

    Asher had seen with his own two eyes how Cosette treated Luke and Maxen. The three of them had a great friendship that anyone would be envious of. However, Cosette, even from the very beginning, treated Asher differently.

    At first, Asher thought it was because he and Cosette didn''t bond yet. But this belief slowly changed during this entire weekend because she proved to him that wasn''t the case. Although Cosette was wary of Ezekiel, she wasn''t as distant as she was with him.

    It was as if Cosette wanted nothing to do with him. Sure. Asher might not have the best personality, but he didn''t wrong her so severely for her to not give him a chance. It wasn''t like he already like her or had fallen in love with her, but it appalled him.

    Asher couldn''t understand her reason for keeping a clear distance from him. He could swear if Cosette could make him hate her, she would do it without batting an eye.

    His head was filled with questions, and none of her answers left a satisfactory rification. It was frustrating.

    Asher kept pouring himself a ss and straight up chugging them down without a second hesitation. He didn''t notice he was drinking more than he usually drank until his body was swaying. He cocked his head to the side as his brows rose when the bottle only produced a drop of wine in the ss.

    He finished an entire bottle, and he didn''t even notice it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hahбн" he let out a dryugh until hisughter grew louder. "... why am I acting like this?"

    To be honest, Asher didn''t understand himself as well. He knew he didn''t like Cosette to the extent it would be considered a romantic feeling. But s, his action was strange. The bitterness in his heart was distinct and new, something he was unfamiliar with.

    The only person who could leave this alien feeling that he didn''t like from the get-go was Cosetteбн and her indifference to him. Yet, deep in his core and at the back of his head, he somehow guessed the real reason.

    Heбн was very envious and terrified.

    Asher dragged his weight back to the room and went straight outside. His steps were faltering, swaying mildly sideways. In his head, he wanted to get another bottle of wine. A part of his mind told him he would regret this if someone saw him getting a bottle of wine, as he was in another ce, but the more stupid and reckless part of his brain didn''t care.

    Soon, Asher reached the wine cer and selected a great aged wine to enjoy. Before the wine cer that was situated in an underground room, he walked past the kitchen. Hence, when he chose a bottle and nned to return to his room, he had to go through the kitchen again.

    But just as he took up the stairs and appeared in the kitchen, the door of the fridge closed from the corner of his eye. He froze, turning to the fridge, only to see a pair of big eyes looking back at him with surprise.

    Cosette.

    Cosette furrowed her brows, studying Asher''s face. His cheeks were in a shade of deep red, as if someone pped him back to back, but when she saw his neck had also turned red, she tilted her head to the side. Her eyes fell down and caught the bottle of vin de pays.

    "You''re drinking?" she frowned, holding the ss of water in her hand.

    Asher raised the bottle slightly while gazing down at it. When he raised his head, the side of his lips hooked up in what resembled a smile.

    "Want to have a drink?" he proposed while Cosette marched towards him.

    She studied him up close, sighing to see how red his naturally pale skin had be. "How many did you drink?"

    "Not muchбн" he shrugged. "A bottle."

    "An entire bottle?"

    "I didn''t choose anything expensive." Asher humored, getting a bit more confident and yful with the help of the wine. "Don''t tell anyone about it, okay?"

    Asher bent over to look her in the eye, nodding encouragingly. When he straightened his back, Asher walked away to return to his room, only to stop when she spoke.

    "Is your invitationбн still valid?"

    He slowly turned around to see her subtle smile.

    "Yes," he breathed out, smiling gently at her. "I thinkбн I really need a friend right now, but I have none. Can you be one tonight?"

 Chapter 199 Hypocrite

    Cosette vividly remembered a conversation she had with Asher in the past. It was something about drinking. As business people, drinking was inevitable. However, Asher rarely drinks and if he does, it would only be a sip.

    Back then, Cosette teased him regarding it as they were business partners in a joint project. She wanted to have a drink with him just because she hadn''t seen him drink. She was already diagnosed with multiple illnesses at that time, but Cosette lived her life the same since she didn''t want to go in and out of the hospital because there was nothing she could do but prolong her suffering.

    She remembered being very stubborn that time, only for Asher to admit he used to drink a lot. He didn''t state his reason for drinking, but he said there came to a point there was not a moment he was sober. And that was at a young age, he imed. Hence, when he got sobered after an incident, he promised not to drink no matter the pressure.

    Even though having a drink with his business partners and affiliates, Asher stayed true to his promise. He would only have a ss, and that was it.

    So now that Cosette was watching him enjoy a ss of wine, she slowly got a gist of the reason Asher turned alcoholic. After epting his invitation for a drink, they both headed to the courtyard of his room. They could''ve gone to a different ce since it wouldn''t look good if anyone knew a youngdy and a young man were inside a room all alone.

    However, what could go wrong? This ancestral home was owned by the c''s, and Cosette, even though irritable around Asher, knew he wouldn''t do anything silly. Still, watching him right now, was stressful.

    Frustrated, Cosette took the bottle and pour herself a ss. Asher, who was obviously tipsy, looked at her in surprise as she chugged down the wine.

    "Wowбн" he mused, blinking. "... do you have a problem?"

    Cosette scoffed as she put down the empty wine ss. "Watching you is frustrating. Do you have a problem?"

    "None." He shook his head, chuckling at her miffed reaction. She still looked cute in his eyes.

    "Don''t watch me if I am that frustrating to watch," he said, pouring himself a ss and then pouring wine into her empty ss. "Close your eyes, or just look away. Maybe, stare at the flowers, they were very pleasing in the eye."

    Asher ced the bottle to the side, picking up both sses. One for him, and the other, he offered to her with a slight smile.

    "Easy fix, right?" he chuckled as if the subject wasn''t him.

    Cosette remained silent for a moment, staring at him with a deep sigh. She epted the ss, clinking sses with him before drinking it in one giant gulp.

    "Watch it," he chuckled, taking his time to savor the taste of the wine.

    Since the wine he chose was just a little bit better than everyday table wine, he had to convince himself it wasn''t that bad. It really wasn''t that bad, honestly.

    "So, why are we drinking?" Cosette asked after finishing her ss.

    Having a bit of a drink would help her open up to him a bit and maybe weaken her defenses around him. She just naturally raised all her guards around him, because thest thing Cosette want was Asher poking his nose into her business. Even when she tells herself to be nice to him, she just couldn''t help it.

    "Whyбн? I don''t know why." Asher drew a deep breath, facing the courtyard and stretching his legs on the grass. "Maybeбн there were things to celebrate? Or forget? I don''t know why people drink, honestly."

    "Do you always drink?" she asked, sitting just right beside him. She swung her legs back and forth but kept her eyes on his side profile. "The other night, you''re also drunk that you even called me. And then, tonight. Were you that upset this morning?"

    Asher chuckled with his lips closed. "Funny, isn''t it? When people are frustrated, they drink until they drop. But it''s the same when they were happy and celebrating something. They drink until they drop."

    "So, are you happy? Or sad?"

    "Hmmбн" Asher cocked his head back, looking back at her. "Neither."

    His lips curled, peeling his eyes away from her.

    "I feel empty, Cosette c." Asher lowered his eyes but was unable to hide the bitterness in them. "You knowбн even when I was constantly pressured to be the best, I always thought of Luke. Even when my little brother had all the freedom in the world, I felt like he was still like me."

    "People approach him with ulterior motives, and whenever I figure out those kids just want the benefit, they get from Luke. Of course, that angers me and I teach them all a cruel lesson. But deep downбн I wouldn''t say it made me happy, but rather, I was relieved," he continued bitterly, ming the drink for letting his mouth run recklessly. He knew he should stop now, but he couldn''t.

    "In the back of my head, I tell myself, we''re both miserable. He doesn''t have real friends, and I don''t too. It''s just him and me," Asher added and chuckled, unable to discern if this was funny or too ridiculous it was funny. He shook his head mildly, holding the ss with both his hands that were resting on hisp.

    Asher cocked his head back, looking up. From here, he could see the moon hiding behind the thick clouds. Perhaps, the moon felt this shame, so he couldn''t look back at them.

    "But then, you came in his life. I thought Luke was just being his stubborn and reckless self when he said he wanted to transfer to the same school as you. Who would have thought?" he snapped his eyes at her, looking at her with conflict in his eyes. "That his recklessness andck of consideration in the future will lead him to a happier state?"

    "Right now, I am in this luxurious ancestral home of a family friend, drinking a not-so-terrible wine, and don''t have any worry regarding menial things. Luke probably couldn''t sleep in that small room apartment and is stressing over how to pay the next month''s rent." Asher let out another short and dryugh, looking away from her. "But I feel so miserable while heбн he probably already threw whatever problem he has for tomorrow."

 Chapter 200 Ashers Fear

    "But I feel so miserableбн"

    Asher had thought about it over and over when he went to see Luke that day to ask his little brother to go home. Asher wasn''t hopeful that Luke would return to them anytime soon. Luke just seemed satisfied and free,ughing candidly with Maxen and Cosette, as if that rundown apartment was not a problem itself.

    Ironic, he thought, that regardless of how luxurious Asher''s lifestyle, how excellent he was that everyone praised him to the point it was exhausting to hear their praises, and how bright his future was, Asher couldugh just like Cosette, Maxen, or Luke.

    He was right.

    Asher was just envious of their friendship becauseбн he doesn''t have a single friend. All the people around him were either business partners and affiliates, or just people who would never be his real friends.

    This was also Cosette''s guess, and the reason she apanied him tonight. This guy was just a lonely young man, and he didn''t have an outlet or a person he could confide in. No wonder he resorted to drinking to wash down whatever loneliness and unanswered questions he had in his head.

    "I''m a hypocrite, am I?" Asher looked back at her and smiled subtly.

    "Mhm." Cosette nodded, staying honest with him. "You''re a hypocrite."

    "I know," He chuckled, cing down the ss between them to refill it with wine. "Do you want another one? Can you hold your liquor well?"

    "It''s just wine." Cosette ced down the ss and watched him refill them. When he finished, he took her ss and offered it to her, which she epted with a ''thanks."

    "Enough with the depressing stuff." Asher smacked his lips. "We should talk about something else."

    "Like?" she arched a brow, letting the wine ss hover in front of her lips.

    "Likeбн" he pondered about it, swirling the ss in front of him. "... Ezekiel Stone. We both dislike him. Let''s insult him."

    Cosette burst outughing, making Asher grin charmingly. Thetter took a sip while Cosette took a while to recover. When she did, she also took a sip.

    "Please, not him," she said.

    "Why not?"

    "Because he is not interesting enough!"

    "Ahhбн" Asher rocked his head. Cosette had a point, he thought. "Then, should we talk about the progress of the joint project of the Quinn and the c?"

    "Can''t you think of something else??" Cosette scrunched her nose up in dismay, only to realize Asher was good and very convincing whenever he talked about business. Other than that, Asher had no idea how to keep the conversation going. That was understandable, considering Asher''s life centered on the Quinn Holdings.

    "You''re boring. No wonder you were single even after ten years," she mumbled, and fortunately, the wine dulled his senses as he asked, "what?" after missing her remarks.

    "We can talk about anything else other than business and school." Cosette adjusted her position, facing him squarely. "Okay?"

    "Okay."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Soбн?" she raised her brows, waiting for him to start the conversation. Much to her dismay, Asher just looked at her, blinking cluelessly.

    "So?" he cocked his head to the side.

    Cosette let out a defeated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. It was useless to rely on this guy to strike a normal conversation. Asher might have seemed to carry the male lead ego бк perfect at every angle and was a man worthy of the world''s admiration бк but he was hopeless right now.

    ''Well, even back then, he really talks less. And I used to talk a lot.'' бк although now that Cosette thought about it, she wondered how the hell did Asherst in humoring her in the past. Compared to his treatment of others, Asher''s patience with the crazy and dauntless adult Cosette was impressively long.

    "Let''s start by asking questions," she proposed, throwing her unnecessary thoughts at the back of her head. "You ask me a question and I will answer it to the best of my abilities. And then, I will ask you a question. Good?"

    "Okay."

    "Then." Cosette cleared her throat, motioning his hands to him. "You go first."

    Asher frowned and rubbed his chin, pondering about which question he should ask right now. There were too many, and he didn''t know which one he should ask. Asher took quite a while to ask his first question, burning her rope of patience. Fortunately, Asher spoke before Cosette threw a huge fit.

    "What did you like about him?" he asked, making her brows elevate. "That guyбн Maxen. I''m sure you have a lot of admirers better than him, but why him?"

    Cosette frowned. "Because why not?"

    Her answer obviously didn''t satisfy him as he stared at her, waiting for a better exnation. A deep exhale slipped from her lips, thinking of a better answer than her usual answer.

    "I hate it when people ask others, ''why him? Why her?'' because those two seemingly harmless questions just sound harsh for the other party," she exined, looking at the darkness ahead. Unlike him, Cosette was still sober slightly. The wine had a slow effect, and it hadn''t fully kicked in.

    "There weren''t many factors why I liked Max. I don''t know the reason, I justбн I just like him," Cosette continued, thinking about Maxen and couldn''t help but smile. Asher was observing her carefully, but she didn''t mind and ignored him.

    "It''s strange when you like someone. It feels like you notice every little detail about them, their smallest gesture, and knew that you like certain things about them. But you can''t really tell if that is the reason why you fell in love with them." She cast him a look, keeping her smile. "I know someone who told me those words in the past, but only now did I understand the depths of his words."

    "Did that satisfy your curiosity?" she asked, and he nodded.

    "Strange that I understand them, but not at the same time," he humored and motioned his hand to her. "You turn."

    "Why don''t you like Maxen?" she asked without a second hesitation, causing his brows to raise. "I''m curious since you clearly don''t like him at first sight. And I got the idea from your question."

    "Wellбн" Asher pressed his lips into a thin line, taking a sip leisurely. It''s not like he was thinking of an answer; he already knew the answer from the very beginning. Asher looked up once again, letting out a shallow breath.

    "You might think I''m strange, but when I first saw him, I feltбн rmed," he confessed, thinking of that time back in their vacation home when he first made eye contact with Maxen.

    "rmed?"

    "Mhm." He rocked his head, looking back at her with clear, droopy eyes. "I know this might sound strange, but when I first saw him, the first thought that came to my head wasбн he looked like someone who will take everything from me. And thatбн scares the hell out of me."

 Chapter 201 Bye Bye

    "I know this might sound strange, but when I first saw him, the first thought that came to my head wasбн he looked like someone who will take everything from me. And thatбн scares the hell out of me."

    Cosette held her breath, not expecting such a straightforward answer from Asher. All she could do for a moment was to stare at him, her mouth slightly agape.

    "It''s strange, isn''t it?" Asher looked back at her with a light smile.

    ''Noбн it''s not,'' was what she wanted to tell him because Asher''s gut feeling was just urate.

    Maxen hadn''t done anything to harm anyone right now. However, that didn''t mean Maxen never harmed anyone бк even those things that happened in their previous life. Maxen, indeed, tried to get everything from Asher and nearly seeded, if not for other conflicting factors in Maxen''s heart.

    "Yes, you are strange," she said, lifting the ss to her lips as she looked away.

    Asher''s eyes fastened with conflict, but his subtle smile remained.

    "My turn," he said, watching her put down her ss. "Why are you so cruel?"

    "I''m not."

    "You areбн to me. Just to me."

    "No, Ash. I''m not cruel to you." Cosette shook her head, holding his gaze. "Youбн just knew a side of me that others hadn''t, but that doesn''t mean the Cosette Ezekiel Stone knew, the Cosette my father cherishes, the girl Luke banters with, and the one before you isn''t me."

    "Then what did I do to deserve this Cosette?"

    "Your turn is over. I already answered your question," she reminded him. "Why do you care about what I treat you?"

    "I don''t know."

    "We promised to answer with the best of our abilities and as stay honest as much as possible."

    "And I am being honest, Cosette c." Asher fluttered his eyshes ever so slowly. "I honestly don''t know why your view matters to me. If I have a choice, I would ignore it since it''s not good for me as well."

    "Did that satisfy you?" he asked after several seconds.

    "No." Cosette shook her head and smiled mildly. "But what can I do? It''s not like we can force ourselves to get an answer."

    Asher chuckled weakly, getting more rxed the more they talk. Even though she was still very harsh with her words, he felt less defensive or probably just got used to it by now. The two of them asked each other questions, varying from real things that they had been meaning to ask each other to the less important ones until the questions were just random.

    The two of them shared minutes of goodughs, stories they found interesting, and just anything they could broach. They consumed the wine in between and didn''t notice they almost emptied it until Cosette felt its effect kicking in.

    "I''m going back to my roomбн" her body swayed sideways, assisting herself up. She might be tipsy, but she was still capable of going back to her room. Cosette was rather responsible, knowing she couldn''t get drunk with Asher.

    When Cosette stood up, she gazed down at Asher. Unlike her, Asher was still sitting on the floor. He was hanging his head low, making it hard to guess if he fell asleep sitting up, or if he was just mustering every bit of his energy to crawl back to his bed. She honestly couldn''t tell.

    "Hey." Cosette kicked his knee mildly. "I''m leaving. Go back to your bed."

    "Huhбн" Asher slowly raised his head at her and waved like a child. "Bye bye."

    She tilted her head to the side, taking a step, only to squat down in front of him. "Bye bye?"

    "Hmm. Bye bye. What? Should I say hello?" Asher blinked, obviously not sober. "Then, hello, Cosette c. How are you?"

    "I''m fine. How about you?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I''mбн good." Both of them grinned, giggling at his response.

    "Why are youughing?" he asked.

    "Because you''reughing." Cosette folded her arms and rested them over her knees. "Bye bye, Asher Quinn."

    "Bye byeбн why?" he frowned, furrowing his brows. "You''re leaving?"

    "No, I mean, yes." She nodded solemnly. "I''m leaving."

    "Where are you going?" he asked curiously.

    "Home." Cosette blinked her weary eyes, getting even more confused and drunk talking to this guy. He kept saying nonsense, and Cosette''s brain was getting confused. The increasing effect of the wine wasn''t helping, as her defenses werepletely down.

    "What about me?" he pointed at himself. "Where am I going?"

    Cosette cocked her head to the side, looking at him with confusion. "You should go home," she answered innocently as that sounded rational.

    "Where''s my home?" he asked again, and Cosette shrugged.

    "I don''t know your addressбн" She rubbed her chin and then her eyes popped open. "Ah! Just sleep here for tonight."

    "Here?" he tilted his head to the side and then smiled warmly. "Is this home?"

    "Huh?"

    Asher moved his face closer, smiling ear to ear until his eyes were squinting. "Is this my new home now?"

    "What? I''m he confused about this conversation." Her eyes shook as the more she tried to use her head to understand the situation, the more the effect of the wine grew stronger. "But sure. Live here from now on."

    "I can do that?"

    "Of course! You might not know this, but I''m actually very rich."

    "Wowбн" Asher pped in amusement, acting like a child, which he would certainly feel embarrassed about if he remember it the next day. "... I think I''m rich too."

    "How can you say that when you don''t even know your home?" she gasped and then froze as realization dawned on her. "Rightбн I think you''re rich бк very rich."

    Asher grinned. "See? Let''s burn some money!"

    "No!" Cosette intoned. "How can you do that?"

    "But I think I have a lot of them."

    "Then, let''s throw them in the air until it looks like it''s raining money." Cosette grinned, giggling at the sheer thought of it. "I''ve always dreamed of standing in the middle of the rain."

    "Huh?"

    "But instead of water, it''s money." Her eyes squinted as her lips stretched even wider. "Please, master. Make that wishe true."

 Chapter 202 Youre Lucky

    "But instead of water, it''s money. Please, master. Make that wishe true."

    "Sure." Asherughed, dragging himself up clumsily. Fortunately, he was able to hold on to the pir. The two of them returned to his room. His wallet was just sitting right on the nightstand. It was thick, just as expected.

    Cosette stood excitedly on his side while he grinned at her, holding the wallet in his hands.

    "Are you ready?" he asked, and she nodded profusely.

    Her excitement, however, was soon reced with puzzlement when Asher cocked his head to the side.

    "What?" she asked, concerned.

    Asher looked back at her with a deep frown. "I only have a thousand." He took out the bills to show her.

    "Huh?"

    Seeing that she looked at him with doubt, Asher showed his wallet to her. Aside from the multiple cards that made it appear thick, there was no other cash aside from those in his hand.

    "You''re poor!" Cosette eximed in disappointment, looking at him from head to toe. "Did you go bankrupt? How can you fulfill my wish?! Scam! Negative review! Cancel, X!"

    In a normal current state of mind, both of them could''ve understood that having such low cash in Asher''s wallet was not a surprise. Asher would just need to use his card if he needed to buy something, and bringing a small amount of cash was just for an emergency.

    But both of them weren''t sober and the wine''s effect was stronger than what they originally thought. Hence, Cosette threw a huge fit while Asher tugged his wallet as if it would magically produce cash on its own.

    "I''m poor," he mumbled with a frown, tossing the wallet to the side. "But didn''t you say you''re rich? Can''t you just do that?"

    Cosette''s rambling halted and looked at him. "Rightбн howe I didn''t think of that?"

    "Are you stupid?" he asked curiously. "I think you are."

    "Goshбн am I that stupid?"

    "Cosette c, being stupid is dangerous," he remarked solemnly. "You should enroll in more sses. Don''t worry. This secret is safe with me."

    Seeing that Asher nted his palm across his chest while making that promise made her heave a sigh of relief.

    "Thanks," she said, while he nodded reassuringly. "It''ll be embarrassing if others think I am slow-witted."

    "You don''t have to say sorry. It cannot be helped." Asher sounded magnanimous, but what was even more ridiculous was that the two of them were utterly serious with this sequence of conversation.

    Asher turned his attention to the bed and grinned. Without a second hesitation, he jumped on it and hugged the bed.

    "Ahбн so softбн" he admired, lying on his tummy. His arms were spread, upying the entire bed all on his own. "This is my home now. So nice."

    Seeing him rx on the bed while still standing on the end of the bed, Cosette frowned. At this point, she had forgotten to return to her room and had actually believed this was her room and the bed he was romancing was hers!

    "That''s my bedбн" her voice shook as tears immediately pooled in her eyes. "... why are you stealing my bed?!"

    Asher stiffened, looking back, only to see her crying. He slowly pushed himself to sit up, panicking as tears rolled down her cheek.

    "Waitбн why are you crying?"

    "That''s my bed and you''re stealing it from me!" she harrumphed, wiping her tears with her arms. "Where am I going to sleep now?"

    "But you said this is my home now." He frowned.

    "What about me?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Uhmбн" Asher scratched his head, closing his eyes as his vision was slowly shaking. He felt dizzier by the minute but forced himself to look at her because she was in great distress.

    "This side is yours." He tapped the right of the bed, scooting over to the other side. "This is mine."

    When there was enough space for her, the frown on her face instantly disappeared, reced by an excited grin. Cosette didn''t hesitate to jump on the bed and took the right side of the bed, lying on her tummy, melting on the softness of the mattress.

    "Hahбн this feels nice," she mumbled, her cheeks squishing against the bed.

    "Are you faking your tears?" Asher asked, frowning deeply, witnessing her sudden change in demeanor.

    "What? I was very sad, but now I''m happy because I get to have my bed," Cosette murmured, pouting.

    Asher and Cosette looked at each other before he sighed. He adjusted his seat and copsed on his back, making the two of them bounce slightly.

    "I feel like I''m drowning," he remarked, staring at the ceiling, shifting from this child-like personality to a depressed one. "My heartбн feels so heavy I want to scream."

    Cosette used her arms as her pillow, eyes on him. "Then scream."

    "Hah!" Asher just let out a sharp breath.

    "That''s it?" she asked, and he nodded.

    "That''s it." Asher kept his eyes on the ceiling as the heaviness in his heart slowly returned, making him feel he was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. He had nearly forgotten his woes, but just like usual, once he was on the bed, his emotions would hit a different kind of low.

    This had been his constant dilemma every time the night fell deeper, and the silence grew clearer. The reason he wanted to drink until he drop, was so he wouldn''t have to feel such emotions every single time. This proved that even though he was drunk, it wasn''t enough. He was still conscious.

    "This feelingбн sobers me even before I can sleep. I want to sleep; I need it. But I realized sleep requires sleep," he expressed under his breath. "I don''t know my problem, and I didn''t want to drag you into it. I''m sorry."

    Asher turned to his right where she was lying, only to see her already sleeping soundly. His eyes softened, staring at her.

    "I''m envious," he said. "To people like you who get to sleep immediately the moment they made contact with the bed."

    "Mhmбн" Cosette moaned the next minute, snapping her eyes open so suddenly. "What? Did I nod off?"

    She moved her eyes and was met with a pair of soft eyes looking back at her. She blinked and blinked, but Asher''s enchanting smile remained.

    "You should sleep," he said, peeling his eyes away from her. He remained silent, staring at the ceiling once again, and waited until he could hear her deep breaths.

    After some time, his voice pierced the still air once again.

    "Cosette c, whyбн shouldn''t I like you?" he asked, turning his head to her once again. "And what makes you think I don''t? Or would never? Or that this growing interest, as what you said, should never develop into something else?"

    There were many questions he wanted to ask her more that only now he recalled, missing the opportunity with their games earlier. But now, he could only ask but wouldn''t get a proper answer because she was asleep.

    He kept his eyes on her, staring at her silently.

    "Youбн really know how to y with my head," he muttered, narrowing his eyes slightly. "How can you always make me feel you don''t want nothing to do with me, but trust me to this extent?"

    This wasn''t the only time Cosette allowed herself defenseless in his presence. There was also that time she napped in his presence after they had lunch with Maynard and Conrad, and now this.

    "You''re lucky," he said, looking away from her. "I still have my morals to uphold, and I don''t want to trap you in a tricky arrangement by forcing myself into you in such a vulnerable state."

    Asher slowly closed his eyes, following her breathing to replenish his energy to carry her back to her room.

 Chapter 203 Stay

    [ FLASHBACK ]

    Note: This chapter is a narration of the original timeline. It''s not a memory being recalled by any of the characters as it was part of the end of Volume 3.

    Cosette stood on the balcony wearing a champagne dress wrapped tightly around her curves. She had her arms folded under her chest, holding a ss of wine she had been savoring to keep herself from the cold night breeze blowing past her face.

    Her eyshes, which were like butterfly wings, fluttered ever so slowly, ncing over her shoulder upon hearing the door open. She only caught a pair of ck shoes approaching her, but instantly recognized the man.

    There was only one person who would wear such shoes, and make them look pleasing to the eye.

    "I don''t think you should be in here, Mister Quinn," she said when the man stood beside her, holding his own winess elegantly. "Thest thing I want to deal with now is a disparaging rumor about the CEO of the BLK Corporation being a mistress of a prominent figure."

    Cosette cast the man a sidelong nce and was met with a pair of distant eyes. Asher always bore a distant demeanor, making him appear untouchable. If she didn''t know better, she would even question if the man smiling lovingly at his date was even him in the first ce. It wasn''t in his character to look so loving, but love was love, and Cosette understood that love could change anyone.

    "This event is highly secured." Asher kept his face ahead but then gave her a side-eye. "There wouldn''t be rumors such as those."

    "Do you not get the hint? Or are you just feigning ignorant?" she smirked, turning her face to him. "Are you, perhaps, now interested in me? Well, the night is cold and I might need somepany tonight."

    Asher just looked at her, already used in her yful way with words.

    "People are looking for you," he said. "And as your business associate, I was concerned about your well-being. I thought you were abducted."

    "Goshбн you really know how to break my heart into many, many pieces." Cosette pressed a finger on his chest, smiling yfully. But his reaction remained stiff, looking down at her with a dull expression. "You could''ve said you miss me, and I might reconsider recing your date. You... make me very sad, Mister Quinn."

    He didn''t react, making her sigh.

    "You''re really no fun." She snapped her tongue, retrieving her finger as she faced the railings. "I appreciate your concerns, Asher Quinn. But you don''t have to worry about me. I''m simply out here toбн"

    Cosette trailed off, narrowing her eyes at the striking pain that suddenly struck her head. Her jaw tightened, guiding the winess to her lips to numb herself. She had been here for fresh air, ming the crowd in the event hall for her headache.

    However, deep in her bones, she knew the headache had something to do with her illness. The night breeze cooled it down, and the wine numbed her a bit. Fortunately, like usual, the pain disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.

    "I''m simply out here to forget," she continued, casting him a knowing look. "Tonight wasn''t the best, as I have to watch eyesores, who make me realize how miserable I am. I can only look away since that is the only thing that''s within my control."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Asher kept his eyes on her for a moment before taking a step back.

    "Since it seems you''re fine, I should return to my date," he said politely, making sure she know the clear line between them. "May you enjoy the rest of the night."

    Asher bowed slightly before turning around to leave. As he did, Cosette kept her eyes ahead and felt her heart sink бк which she didn''t understand. At this time, Cosette was unaware she was experiencing her first episode, as Asher''s n to leave her alone reminded her of the god-awful feeling whenever Maxen parts with her.

    "Stay," she whispered, but the still air and silence made her voice sound louder than it should.

    Asher stopped in his tracks while Cosette let out a deep exhale. When he turned around to look back at her, he saw her slowly turning to face him as well.

    In his eyes, she looked like someone with deep longing, and the deep emotions she suppressed for a long time finally showed. It took him by surprise because this was the first he had seen her show such sentient aside from her usual mischievous and seductive shenanigans.

    Little did he know, in her eyes, that his face was ovepping with another man''s face, whom she longed to be with. Her mind might''ve slowly returned to a time from just days ago, but her heart remembered everything: her longing, her bafflement at why Maxen and she were so broken they couldn''t have a normal rtionship, and her helplessness. The emotions of watching Asher and Mia dance lovingly only amplified her emotions.

    Why couldn''t Cosette dance with Maxen and show off their rtionship publicly? She knew all the answers to these. Even so, Cosette couldn''t ept the truth. That Maxen was a felon and Cosette''s days were numbered.

    "Whyбн" Cosette took a step forward, stopping right in front of Asher. Her eyes shone with such vibrance and pain, looking back at him straight in the eye. "... can''t we be together?"

    Asher furrowed his brows, but all he could do was stare at the pair of eyes full of nothing but pain and bitterness. Did she just ask him that question? He wondered.

    "For onceбн can you stay with me?" Cosette clipped thepels of his zer suit in between her thumb and index. "Just tonight. I''m really sad and jealous and I think I will go crazy if I''m left alone."

    ''Please, Max,'' she begged him internally, staring at him with anticipation. When a minute had passed in silence, her heart sank deeper. Cosette slowly dropped her hand andughed dryly.

    What did she expect?

    Cosette shook her head,ughing bitterly.

    "Never mind, I asked." She patted his chest mildly, walking past him while bumping her shoulders against him. "Enjoy your time tonight. Don''t forget to use protection."

 Chapter 204 Another Side Of The Story

    Note: This chapter is a narration of the original timeline. It''s not a memory being recalled by any of the characters as it was part of the end of Volume 3.

    "Enjoy your time tonight. Don''t forget to use protection."

    This was the first time Cosette asked ''Maxen'' to stay with her after many times of trying but failing to voice that word out. But now that she did, the result was just as she feared; he just stayed silent. Probably, if Cosette asked the real Maxen, she wouldn''t feel so disheartened, but s, she mistook someone else for him.

    This wasn''t because of the wine. At this point in her life, Cosette could hold her liquor well. This was an honest mistake because of the shrinking part of her brain.

    Just as Cosette walked past him with a heavy heart, a hand grabbed her wrist to stop her. Her brows rose as her heart skipped a beat. Did he change his mind? She wondered. Would he stay with her now?

    "Until whenбн" Asher''s grip around her wrist tightened, speaking through his gritted teeth. "... will you toy with me?"

    Cosette looked back at him, eyes shimmering with the thinyer of tears coating her eyes. Her greed for him, especially after watching Asher and Mia being so lovey-dovey in front of everyone while Cosette had to be content with her secret meetings with Maxen, fueled that greed to be with him.

    "Iбн never yed you," she confessed, words that were meant for Maxen but were now being delivered to another man. "Everything I said, and everything I didбн do you think they''re all nonsense bbering? There''s a limit to a person''s yfulnessбн and so was a person''s denseness."

    Cosette slowly faced him, feeling the tension in her throat. She knew her days were numbered, and she shouldn''t be confessing now. However, she missed him so much and wanted to be with him so terribly bad she felt like something within her died after their breakup.

    "Iбн really am deeply, madly, and devotedly in love with you." She breathed out a jagged breath. "And it kills me every time you seem to not get that."

    "How can I know that?" Asher''s eyes shed with bitterness that never appeared in his eyes. "Youбн were never serious."

    "I was scared." Her response was quick and unfaltering.

    "If you were scared, why would you say this now?"

    "I... don''t know." Cosette drew a deep breath and shook her head. "I told myself over and over I am satisfied with what we have, butбн I don''t know. Maybe I was bitter? Or I am just being consumed with jealousy бк I am losing my mind."

    Asher gripped her wrist tighter and then loosened his grip, but didn''t let her go. For Cosette, these words were the words she had always wanted to tell Maxen, and was slightly relieved to express them after a long time. Yet, dropping these words now still breaks her heart because she knew, at the end of the day, she would still die and leave him devastated.

    It was nothing but an act of selfishness.

    It was the same for Asher. He might not know these words weren''t meant for him, but the pain she felt was just as intense as the pain slicing through his heart.

    Why now, of all times, would this womanбн who brought nothing but the longing in his heart would confess to him? Just when he thought he could open his heart to another бк to Mia, his contractual fiancee бк would Cosette say all these words when she ignored him for years?

    "Youбн are driving me crazy, Cosette c," he breathed out, pulling her wrist into his embrace. "I hate youбн for forgetting about us and still have the audacity to act so coy, yetбн just one word, and here I am, like a dog wagging his tail for the master who abandoned him."

    Asher tightened his embrace, almost clutching her back.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "If I know you''re ying with me again, Iбн will kill you, Cosette c," he hissed.

    The pain she had cost him was far too severe. Cosette had no idea. She had no idea his admiration dates back to when they were still in high school, attending the same academy, and then they also attended the same university.

    Who doesn''t know Cosette c? Not only she was a beauty but also, she was smart and wise, being the heiress of the c family.

    Asher had admired Cosette for a long time, even though nothing ever mattered to her aside from topping the ss and proving herself worthy to inherit their family business. They had a few encounters before, but they were not anything worthy to remember.

    His admiration for her remained as a mere admiration for years because Cosette was arranged in an arranged marriage and had a fiance.

    Initially, Asher felt bitter about her engagement with Ezekiel Stone. The Quinn family was a far better option, but there was nothing he could do.

    Until yearster, after her engagement was announced, Asher and Cosette coincidentally met again in a high-end club in another state. She might''ve not recognized him, but he did at first nce.

    That night, while Cosette was highly intoxicated, the two of them had a memorable time together. However, Asher woke up the next morning on the bed he rolled under the sheet with her all night, alone. Cosette was gone, and only dayster, did he hear the news about the cancetion of her engagement, and also the reason for her state that night.

    Asher felt cheated, but he let it pass. Even when he met her again under official business matters, he pretended that night with her didn''t happen. He had also met Mia and his rtionship with her was getting better.

    But now that Asher felt like his life was back on trackбн Cosette had said something that seemed to leave him a mess again.

    "Don''t hurt me, Cosette," he said after a long silence, drawing away to look her in the eye so she could see how it would devastate him if she leave him again. He didn''t know how he would start over again if she was just pulling a prank on him.

    Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Cosette''s eyes softened as she smiled.

    Asher cupped her face and brushed her cheek with his thumb. His back stiffened when she whispered.

    "I love you."

    His breath hitched for a moment, looking back at her wide-eyed. He was so moved that his eyes softened.

    "I love you too." He bent over, iming her soft lips, basking in this frail happiness, not knowing it was only the beginning of his nightmare.

    Little did they know, the door of the balcony was slightly opened and a figure was just standing right outside. He had heard everything, making him ball his hands into a tight fist, staring at the floor nkly.

    ''Soбн'' A dangerous and painful glint fastened across Maxen''s eyes. ''... that''s how it is, huh? Cosette?''

    бк End of Volume 3 бк

 Chapter 205 Prologue

    [ Wee to Volume 4 ]

    PROLOGUE

    Asher was staring at Mia, sitting in the wheelchair in front of the window of the hospital room. He was just standing in the empty space of the room, forgetting how long has it been standing in the same spot without moving or saying anything. The look in his eyes, however, was full of sorry and deep regret.

    "Mister Quinn."

    Asher snapped his eyes ever so slowly, turning to his right when a doctor entered the sliding door. The doctor, who was looking after the patient in this room, bowed. He approached Asher, the guardian of the patient.

    "How was she?" asked Asher without beating around the bush.

    The doctor let out a deep exhale, hugging the chart and setting his eyes on Mia. He only stared at her for a moment before he looked back at Asher, shaking his head mildly.

    "It''ll take some time to treat her," said the doctor with a heavy heart. "The patient had gone through a lot and is clearly traumatized. She barely responded during the test we had conducted."

    The doctor gave out a detailed report regarding the patient. He was aware of what the patient went through, and even the doctor couldn''t believe the horrors Mia survived. Although the doctor was also aware that the patient was previously Asher''s fiancee, he admired Asher for taking care of her despite the man''s current situation.

    "We just have to be patient, Mister Quinn, and hope that after all the therapies, she will be able to live a normal life," the doctor added, hoping for the best for this survivor.

    Asher kept his eyes on Mia and nodded.

    "Do everything you can to help her recover," he said in a low tone. "Give her the best treatment and notify me if there were other methods we can try out. She''s a poor woman who got everything taken away from her, and even lost her child from all that abuse she survived from."

    "Yes, Mister Quinn." The doctor huffed, eyes pooled with determination. "We will do our best to help her."

    Asher remained silent for a minute before he faced the doctor. Out of courtesy, the doctor walked him out of the room. As the doctor slid the door closed, he cast Asher a look.

    "Are you going to visit your wife now, Mister Quinn?" he asked, and Asher stopped in his tracks.

    Asher slowly set his eyes on the doctor, and thetter pursed his lips into a thin line.

    "I''m sorry," said the doctor apologetically, as if he just had a slip-up. "I won''t overstep again."

    Asher remained silent, ignoring the doctor''s words of apology. He didn''t idle for a long time as he silently sauntered off, his hand in his pocket. Meanwhile, the doctor let out a deep exhale as he pped his lips mildly.

    The doctor then lifted his eyes and caught Asher making a turn at the end of the hallway. Another deep sigh escaped his nostrils.

    "Poor man," he whispered, shaking his head. "What''s the use of his wealth when everyone around him was either hospitalized or dead?"

    Although the Quinn family kept a private life, the people in this hospital, especially those in charge of the VIP patients, knew a bit about the Quinn family. How? Because they had been regrs for the past several months.

    Nothing was disclosed, but there were rumors going around that Asher Quinn offended a Don of an international crime organization. Just the thought of a crime organization was enough to send a chill down one''s spine. This rumor, although not confirmed, the doctors and nurses think there was some truth in it.

    After all, not long ago, the second young master of the Quinn was proimed dead. And now, Asher''s ex-fiance was said to be abducted and only rescued. Who else would abduct her if not some fearless felons? But the most tragic thing about Mia was that the people who abducted her didn''t know that her engagement with Asher was canceled because Asher had another woman.

    It was aplicated rtionship, but others believed Mia was just a front to hide Asher''s real lover and now his wife. Some said Mia and Asher''s rtionship was a total misunderstanding as the two were just friends, and Asher actually had a fiancee but chose to keep it private.

    No one actually knew the real story except Asher, but what was certain was that Mia wasn''t Asher''s wife.

    "He protected his wife, butбн" the doctor sighed as he walked back inside Mia''s room, sighing for the umpteenth time. He raised his eyes at the patient, thinking that this poor woman was simply a victim of theplicated life of the rich and madness.

    The doctor hugged the chart, keeping his attention on the patient.

    "No amount of protection can protect someone who is terminally ill, and money can only slow down her death," he mumbled. "Surely, it is a tragic story."

    The doctor idled and savor the depressing feeling of his patient''s life. After a minute, he huffed and forced a smile, approaching Mia happily.

    "Miss Mia," he called gently, but the woman didn''t look at him. He stood behind the wheelchair and told her it was time for her to rest, before slowly wheeling her back on the bed.

    *****

    Meanwhile, after Asher visited Mia, he went straight to the elevator. But instead of going down, he went two floors above the floor where Mia was staying at. On the top floor of the hospital were the VVIP patients admitted.

    Standing in front of a particr door, Asher closed his eyes and breathed out. He balled his hand into a tight fist, letting out a sharp breath as if he was about to meet a very important person. He looked a little nervous бк or he was just terrified to see the person inside this room.

    People always say if someone does something every single day, it would be easier. However, Asher disagrees with that. Coming in here every day wasn''t easy; it was just getting harder and harder, almost unbearable. Even so, Asher would stille here even though every time, a piece of his heart would fall.

    ''I wonderбн just who I am to her today?'' he wondered, before taking a step forward, entering the room that had the name of the patient attached to the side of the door.

    The name wasбн Cosette c - Quinn.

 Chapter 206 Prologue II

    When Asher slid the door open, he stopped. He lowered his head, seeing that there were people inside, aside from the woman on the bed.

    "Grandma, Grandpa." Asher closed the door and approached the elderly sitting beside the bed. He stopped several steps away from them, bowing politely.

    Cosette''s grandparents had been frequenting in here, and even demanded to take their granddaughter to a different hospital. However, since Asher was the husband, he had refused them. Obviously, his firm refusal of their request didn''t sit well with the elders, but at the same time, they couldn''t me him.

    Asher had been taking care of their granddaughter and they had seen how he look at her, even though there were more times she didn''t recognize him. They didn''t have the heart to hate him, and they could only help him by taking turns in taking care of her even though they were already old.

    "Sit, child," said Gretchen, tapping the chair beside her.

    Marcel c, Cosette''s grandfather, simply cast Asher a look and nodded. Asher let out a shallow breath and smiled weakly, sitting beside Gretchen while Marcel was sitting on the other side across from them.

    "She had already fallen asleep." Gretchen smiled weakly, holding on to Cosette''s hand. "You could''ve talked to her if you arrived earlier."

    "The boy is busy," Marcelmented with a deep frown. "Cut the boy some ck. Be d that he is still making time to take care of his wife."

    "Why are you angry?" asked Gretchen in a disheartened tone. "I am just saying he missed her for just a few minutes. You know how Asher cherishes our girl. Besides, she was rather bubbly today. You do not have to get angry at me. I''m not your enemy."

    "Grandpa, Grandma, please do not argue." Asher smiled, intervening before the two would argue. They had been very sensitive since Cosette''s health continued to deteriorate, but he understood because these two already lost their son, Conrad, and now they were about to lose their princess.

    "Do not worry, grandma Chen. I will be staying over with her tonight. I''m sure she will wake up in between and we could talk." He smiled at Gretchen and then shifted his eyes to Marcel. "Grandpa, the merging is doing well. Do not worry. Everything will smoothen out soon."

    "I am not worried about thepany!" Marcel''s voice thundered, pounding the bottom of his fist against the armrest. "It can just disappear for all I care!"

    The old man slowly turned his attention to his princess, and deep regret swelled in his chest. His eyes reddened immediately as tears shone on them.

    "What''s so good about having lots of money when it couldn''t even save my princess?" his authoritative voice cracked, making Gretchen cover her mouth to muffle her cries. "My son is already shameless enough to die before his father, and nowбн my beloved princess couldn''t even recognize herself. It''s all because of that damnpany!"

    "She had wasted her life for thatpany, but it couldn''t even save her! What''s so good about it? Money, influence, and powerбн what is so good about them when it couldn''t even save her?"

    As soon as thest syble slipped past the old man''s lips, tears fell from his eyes. His heart felt so stuffy, seeing his granddaughter lying on this bed breaks his heart. There were times Cosette''s dementia wasn''t the scariest of all, but her other illnesses that would make her cough out blood. Whenever that happened, the sight of it ripped through the old man''s soul.

    No parent could bear watching their child suffer.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I had already lived a long life," Marcel continued with a shaking voice, barely keeping himself from breaking down. "These illnesses that are slowly killing herбн if only I can take them, I do not mind. I''m old and about to kick the bucket. I do not want to die after burying my princess."

    "Thatбн" he pounded his fist against his chest. "... will kill me. I already held a funeral for my son. I cannot do that again. My princessбн"

    Marcel bent over to hold her hand, kissing her knuckles whilst crying. "My little sweet girl, please get better for grandpa. Grandpa is wrong to leave you alone. Grandpa is already sorry. I was wrong to keep our distance. I really, really, really missed you every single day and regret not watching you closely growing up."

    "Grandpa is sorry, my Cosette. It is grandpa''s fault бк I am the one who should sufferбн"

    Gretchen raised her other hand and ced it on top of the hand that was covering her lips. Her heart was breaking, watching her proud husband cry and apologize to their dearest Cosette, ming himself for everything. Meanwhile, Asher kept his head hung low.

    Asher remained silent, listening to his wife''s grandparents cry. This wasn''t the first time the two would cry while Cosette was sleeping; sometimes, tears would even stain their faces while talking to Cosette while she was ying with them. But it was still painful to listen to бк also amplifying the guilt in his heart.

    Gretchen and Marcel stayed in the room for the next hour before they finally left. Both of them were already old, so knowing they would have another breakdown again, Asher asked their assistant to drive the two of them home.

    When he was left alone, sitting beside the bed where Cosette was sleeping, Asher reached for her hand. He squeezed it mildly, eyes softening apologetically. He didn''t say anything and just sat there, staring at her, wondering whyбн was his life so tragic?

    Probably because he was sinful, coveting what wasn''t his in the first ce. This was his punishment; the punishment Cosette gave him for everything that had happened.

    As Asher stared at her nkly, he noticed her finger move. He lifted his eyes and saw her open her eyes. Cosette blinked weakly while he forced a smile, bending over and holding her hand.

    "Hey, beautiful," he called lovingly, brushing her forehead. "Are you hungry?"

    His gentle smile remained, but at the back of his head, he was already expecting another, "who are you?" from her, or just an aggressive reaction because she couldn''t recognize him. Yet, those were better than her recognizing him.

    Cosette blinked weakly, pushing him slightly. As she did so, she caught something shiny. Her eyes slid to her hand, only to see two rings on her finger. One was her engagement ring and a wedding ring she recognized and refused to wear.

    Seeing her action, fear crawled under his skin, and when she moved her eyes to lock gaze with him, his heart sank. The Cosette who had woken up was the Cosette he knew and the woman who deeply hated him.

    "Youбн" her lips quivered as her eyes shone with growing repugnance. "... disgusts me."

 Chapter 207 Prologue III

    "You... disgusts me."

    "Cosette." Asher held her wrist, but Cosette flung her arms away violently to avoid his touch.

    "Don''t touch me!" Cosette yelled, pushing herself to sit up. She looked around aggressively, recognizing she was in a hospital right now. Her mind was filled with nks, but thest memory she had in her head was having a breakdown, trying to kill Asher out of hatred.

    "Cosette иC"

    "Touch me, and I will kill myself."

    Asher froze as Cosette red daggers at him. Her hand was raised, signaling him to keep his distance. This was the reason, Asher, although heartbroken seeing her, knowing nothing, deemed it better than when she knew everything.

    The story between them was just pure tragic.

    She hated him more than anyone in this world, and his feelings? She didn''t care about them. All she cared about was her own pain, and even when he thought it was unfair, he couldn''t fully me her. It wasn''t that the feeling wasn''t mutual; Asher loathed Cosette more than anyone.

    Wasn''t that the reason he married her to punish her for the pain and shame she had inflicted upon him?

    Yet, despite the deep hatred he had for her, his love for her was just as intense. He hated her to death, but at the same time, he love her so much it was driving him insane.

    "Mister Quinn!"

    Asher heard a panicking voice behind him. He looked back, only to see multiple doctors and nurses by the door. Cosette also nced at them, and the growing repugnance in her heart swelled.

    "It''s okay," said Asher, waving at them dismissively. "We''re fine."

    "But Mister Quinn бк"

    "Leave us alone!" Asher cut the doctor off with a shout, taking everyone by surprise. He was panting with just that one yell, his heart was heavy, looking up at Cosette, who was ring at him.

    "I will deal with my wife. No need to sedate her," he breathed out, making Cosetteugh in ridicule.

    "Mister Quinnбн"

    "Leave us alone." Asher kept his gaze on Cosette, gulping the frustrating tension in his throat. "It''s fine. We''re fine. Do notбн scare her."

    The doctors and nurses looked at each other worriedly. This wasn''t the first time this had happened. There were times Cosette would turn very aggressive, and they would initially sedate her because she was a danger to herself. However, this was the first time Asher asked them not to, and they could only assume it was because sedating his wife hurt him.

    Yes. Everyone thought of him as a loving husband for taking care of his dying wife. A martyr.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Mister Quinn, if anything happens, we''re just right outside," said the head doctor before signaling everyone to leave the room. They all waited outside nervously, staying attentive lest Cosette throws another huge tantrum and turn the room upside down.

    Little did everyone know that when they left the room and shut the door, all Cosette did was let out a dry, ridiculingugh.

    "So, you got what you want?" she scoffed, looking at him with nothing but mockery. "Your wife? Me? Howe?"

    "Cosette, calm down."

    "How!" Cosette took a deep breath and breathed it out sharply, grabbing his cor aggressively. "How, Asher? How?"

    Her eyes shook just like how her lips quivered, gripping his cor tightly, and wished she had a stronger grip. If only she had enough strength, she wouldn''t be grabbing his cor but his neck.

    "You killed him." Her voice lowered with a tinge of helplessness, tears coating her red eyes. "You killed him, took advantage of me, and now you portray yourself as a good husband. How can I calm down, knowing you will use even my death to your advantage, Asher Quinn?"

    Cosette ground her teeth, aware this hate wouldn''tst long. As someone who was aware of her multiple illnesses, Cosette was certain once she forget about everything again, he would shamelessly hold her hand and pretend there was no deep problem between them.

    Asher''s eyes shone with bitterness and pain upon hearing her remarks. Would they argue about this again? Again? Asher was tired of having this argument over and over and over again. It was just on repeat, but the pain was just as fresh as the first time.

    "Iбн honestly do not want to get better or even remember who I am, who you are, and everything," she remarked with intense emotion, shaking her head mildly. She also said these exact words before, and they still slice through his heart the same.

    Just as Asher mentioned, it never gets easier. It was just as hard as the first time, much worse honestly.

    Cosette pounded her fist against his chest weakly. She wanted to hurt him just the way he had hurt her, but this pathetic strength was all she had and all she could muster.

    "You killed him," she repeated, punching his chest while he let her. Asher remained silent, taking everything willingly. "How dare you? After every damn thingбн isn''t having me enough? Why would you kill him? Why can''t you just let me die as well?"

    Tears blurred her vision as her punches grew weaker until she was only clutching his chest.

    "I don''t know if I should feel grateful for keeping me alive, or insulted for making mest this long." Cosette raised her eyes and faced him, tugging his chest weakly. "What do you want from me? Thepany? Don''t you have it already now that I am incapable of refusing the merging? What else do you want from me, Asher Quinn? What else?"

    Cosette tugged his suit weakly until Asher held her wrist to stop her. Her vision waspletely blurred from the tears in her eyes, but she could see the bitterness in his eyes.

    "You," was all that he said and Cosette''s face crumpled, closing her eyes and shaking her head at how painful his answer was. "Cosette, how can you be so blind? I killed himбн for you. He will kill you, and I cannot just stand idly by."

    "Then let him kill me!"

 Chapter 208 Prologue IV -- End

    "Then let him kill me!"

    Asher''s grip on Cosette''s wrist tightened, unable to discern which was dominant in his heart. The pain? Or the anger?

    "I''m going to die anyway бк"

    "How!!" he raised his voice as his eyes red. "How can you say that when there were people who wished to get your illness instead of you?!"

    "I don''t care!" Cosette also raised her voice, almost shouting her lungs out. She looked him straight in the eye, letting her tears stain her cheek freely. "Why should I care about others, Asher Quinn? No one was there for me when I needed someone the most. When I felt miserable I just want to die, or when I had to watch others carry my dad''s coffin to burn his body бк who was there for me? No one."

    "So whyбн should I care about others? When they only appear now that I am dying?" she continued with deep resentment. "Maxen was my salvation and you, Asher Quinn, took him away from me permanently. You weren''t satisfied taking advantage of my weakness and still killed him, even when I begged you not to."

    Cosette shook her head while keeping her eyes on him.

    "I begged you," she repeated, this time much firmer. "I told you do not touch him. I begged you, Ash, I begged you. Did you listen? No. So what makes you think I will listen to you now?"

    Cosette let out a dryugh once again before she mustered enough strength to punch his chest. This time, her punches were more aggressive, finding this questionable strength. Although this strength wasn''t still enough to hurt him.

    "I''ll kill you, Asher Quinn. I hate you! You took everything from me! Just let me die! Don''t keep me alive and kill me! Just like how you killed me that night! Kill me! I would rather die than be your wife! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" Cosette punched him and screamed her lungs out, saying the same words over and over until she was already coughing. Yet, she didn''t stop. She kept punching him, repeating the three words, "I hate you," until Asher had enough of it.

    He caught her wrist to stop her, but that only triggered her.

    "Let go of me! Are you going to do it again!?" she screamed. "Do you still take advantage of me while I am not in the sound mind?! You''re sick! Let me go!"

    Asher clenched his teeth, and with one swift pull, he embraced her tightly. Despite that, Cosette punched his back with her free hand and even grabbed his hair away. However, she wasn''t really strong to hurt him. Or rather, her words and the look of disgust in her eyes were far more painful than the physical pain she was inflicting on him.

    For him, Asher honestly wished that her punches and aggressive action were enough to knock him out. In that case, he wouldn''t be able to hear the nonsense that wasing out of her mouth. Her words were more painful than her punches, after all.

    "I hate youбн" Cosette breathed out, still punching his back, but was apparently weaker than the previous one. "I reallyбн reallyбн hate you, Asher Quinn. Why would you love me? There were a lot more girls out there, far better than the broken me. You have many options, so why me? Just what is it you saw in me you cannot let me go? I''ll change it."

    Asher tightened his embrace around her as his eyes stung. He clutched her back tightly, his chest vibrating against her.

    "If only I know the answerбн" came out his shaking voice. "... we wouldn''t reach this far, Cosette. If only I know the answerбн but there are only questions that I know."

    "Just what did he have that I do not have?" he continued, asking the question he kept asking her in the past. "I became just as ruthless as him, using Mia as bait and even allowing my brother to get involved, which led him to his death. I loved you just as intensely, as devotedly, and ardently. Cosette, I killed for you. Yet you hated me, but loved him?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Asher let out aughed, but his embrace tightened.

    "Why? The only thing I didn''t do is to desire your death, Cosette. Should I try to kill you as well?" he asked with ridicule. "If I do, will I get a chance?"

    Tears also coated his eyes as he breathed out heavily. Asher was already tired of this, and he also wished to have unloved her. Cosette was sucking every bit of his energy, and deep down, he wished he just didn''t love her. If only he didn''t, he would probably be a lot happier бк if not, at least, he had peace.

    Cosette made him feel worthless, and yet, he stuck with her until now. Asher had a choice, but he chose to be with her and go through this pain over and over with her. If that wasn''t love and devotion, he thought that was probably madness and obsession.

    Perhaps, if this wasn''t love, this was probably his obsession for retribution for everything he had done until now for her. She was his biggest mistake. Hence, suffering with her just felt right. Asher didn''t honestly know which was which, but he was certain her painбн was also his to bear.

    "Cosette." His voice softened as she calmed down a bit. "Can''t you just love me? I''ll take care of you and love you. Do I have to beg you while I am on my knees just so you see me? I love you genuinelyбн and I had protected you from him. What else do you want me to do to prove myself?"

    Cosette let out a whimper, her chin on his shoulders. She pounded his back again, but even weaker.

    "Don''tбн" she whispered. "... love me, Ash. Let me goбн please, I am begging you."

    His heart sank at her response, knowing he wouldn''t get through to her. She was stubborn, and no matter what he does, it was pointless. Cosette kept pounding on his back while crying, and he just embraced her until she no longer had the strength.

    Even when she stopped crying, he kept her in his embrace, only to slowly release her when she whispered;

    "I missed you."

    Asher slowly looked at her and saw her smiling at him. Tears still lingered in the corner of her eyes, but the disgust in them was reced by affection. He heard his heart sink deeper. Thisбн was what truly drives him crazy. That even though he knew by now that this affectionate gaze wasn''t meant for him, he had deluded himself that this affection she was giving him was his.

    "Iбн" he smiled subtly and cupped her cheek. "... missed you too."

    Asher brushed her cheek with his thumb, holding back the tears that were tempting to escape from his eyes. He allowed her to also cup his face while she smiled at him lovingly, nting a soft kiss on his lips, and then followed by a deeper one.

    As she imed his lips, Asher had to swallow down the pain and returned her kiss, pouring his longing and deep adoration for her while pretending to be the man she loved.

    Indeed, their storyбн was just pure tragic.

 Chapter 209 Marry Me Ten Times

    The next morning, Cosette woke up on Asher''s bed, but the guy didn''t spend the night in the same room with her, which was so nice of him. Even so, Cosette swore to herself she wouldn''t drink ever again; unless she was with Maxen, then that could be as wild as she wanted to be.

    Since Cosette nned to go to school, she was already up early in the morning. It was good she didn''t have any hangoverбн was what she wanted to tell herself, but when she met up with her gloomy father, she wished she had a terrible hangover because Conrad seemed like he barely stopped himself frommitting murder.

    Cosette pretended not to notice as she bid her grandparents farewell. She wasn''t very pleased with their ns the entire weekend, but seeing how happy her elders were; she didn''t have the heart to feel anything but relief. At the very least, they seemed they had enjoyed it, even though Cosette and Conrad clearly didn''t.

    After a long exchange, Conrad grumpily told his parents they were leaving and dragged his daughter away. Marcel, Conrad''s father, threw a huge fit at his son''s rudeness while Gretchen had to calm him down. She still sent them off with a gentle smile.

    The car ride was silent and Cosette tried to get some sleep, knowing she would go straight to school. When they reached the airport, Cosette''s face contorted. Apparently, even though they were going on a private ne, Maynard waited for them so they all could fly together.

    God knows how terrified Cosette was upon seeing the jolly Maynard. His son, Asher, fortunately, took the earliest flight, so it was just Maynard. Although Cosette heaved a sigh of relief, Conrad''s consistent terrible mood scared her. Conrad''s dwindling mood seemed to have affected the weather as the sky turned dark and it poured heavily, causing their flights to get dyed.

    It was still a surprise they managed tond without Conrad bing a murderer and Maynard going home in one piece. Although Maynard parted with them while dragging his feet after Conrad''s constant verbal and brutal attack.

    In the end, even though Cosette nned to go straight to school, even if she would arrive at lunchtime, she decided to go straight home. The flight dys and the mental torture of watching her father endure Maynard''s ''insufferable'' presence were too much for her to still go to school.

    "Goshбн" Exhaustion stered across her face. "Todayбн was just pure torture."

    Cosette didn''t enjoy the weekend. Not one bit. And Conrad surely shared the same sentiments, although her father still had the energy to check thepany after dropping her home.

    "But at least I saw Nana and Baba," she mumbled, thinking that it was nice to see them again. She even embraced them, although they invited all those people and they barely spent private time. "I should arrange our next family gathering next time. Surely, they tried to invite all those not just for marriage ns, but they think I am social."

    Her lips curved down as she scrunched her nose up. "This is what happens when they didn''t keep in touch with me for years. They practically don''t know me."

    The c Family was a small family, unlike other ns. This was because Marcel, Cosette''s grandfather, drew a clear line with all their rtives. They didn''t even have any rtives working in the BLK Corporation.

    The reason for this was that Marcel didn''t want any power struggle in the family. Marcel wanted to protect their family from those family dramas he had seen in other families urring, while Conrad made sure no one in their rtives would even think about coveting what wasn''t theirs.

    That was the reason Cosette was pressured back then. She wanted to be like Conrad, and leave no questions from the board or from their rtives once she inherits the business.

    And because of this, her grandparents didn''t keep in touch with their granddaughter even if they wanted to raise her back then. She only knew this when she was already in the hospital in her previous life, and also their reason for keeping their distance from her. Hence, she couldn''t really me them since they did it not for themselves but for Conrad.

    "Well, it''s never toote to get to know them." Cosette nodded. "I should invite them here next time, instead of going to the ancestral home. Papa scares me, really. I thought his aura will suffocate me before we can evennd."

    Cosettezily rolled until she was lying on her side, sniffing the soft pillow beside her. Her lips curled up and her mood instantly grew better as Maxen''s scent wafted into her nostrils.

    "Goshбн I missed him. Just what time will he go home?" she mumbled, feeling her eyelids turn heavy.

    Cosette blinked weakly and before she could realize it, she fell asleep. She just got home and her day required a ton of mental and emotional strength, hence, she was exhausted. As her sleep deepened, three hours had gone by in a blur.

    Three hours and thirty minutes had passed before the door creaked open.

    Maxen stopped by the door, catching a figure lying on the bed. Her back was facing him, but his eyes immediately softened. He carefully closed the door behind him, almost tiptoeing his way in, afraid to disturb her sleep.

    Maxen ced his bag beside the bed, walking around it on the side where she was facing. Gazing down, a gentle smile dominated his face. He carefully perched on the edge of the mattress, raising a hand to reach for her face.

    His hand, however, stopped midway.

    ''I missed her,'' he said inwardly, retrieving his hand back with a deep exhale. ''She looked exhausted.''

    Despite that Cosette was sleeping soundly, he could feel her exhaustion. He didn''t want to wake her up, even though he wanted to embrace her or kiss her or anything to express his longing for their two-day separation.

    She didn''t have any idea how hard it was for him to not see even her shadow for the past two days. The workloads Warren gave him kept him busy, but he had constantly stopped functioning just to think of her. Maxen had stopped himself from calling her or messaging her, knowing he had to respect her time with her grandparents.

    Maxen carefullyid down beside her, keeping an arm-length distance from her, and just stared at her. The gentleness and affection in his eyes were clear, smiling just for the reason he was d to see her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Mhmбн" Cosette moaned and moved slightly, opening her eyes weakly. She blinked and blinked until Maxen''s face grew clearer. A subtle smile instantly appeared on her face, staring back at him in silence.

    "Max," her voice was soft and relieved. "You''re back?"

    "No," he said in a quiet voice. "I''m home."

    Her smile stretched even wider. "I''m home too." She stretched her arms to him, wiggling her fingers.

    "Hug?" she asked, and he chuckled, scooting over to her side.

    The two of them adjusted, slipping his arms underneath her neck while Cosette leaned her face until the tip of her neck was touching his neck. A satisfied smile was stered on her face, sniffing his light, yet intoxicating perfume.

    ''He used to have a very strong scent,'' she thought as she couldn''t help butpare the current Maxen to the adult version of him. Both smelled good, but there was just something in Maxen''s current scent that was rxing.

    He smelledбн like home.

    "Did you have fun?" he asked after minutes of silence, pulling her body closer to him.

    Cosette kept her eyes shut, melting into the warmth of his body. When she carefully opened her eyes, she pondered about her answer.

    "Yes," she said under her breath, deciding it would upset him to know he endured their separation only for her to get stressed. "How about you? How''s your weekend?"

    "Not bad." He casually brushed her back. "I''ve been with Luke. He''s helping me out with something."

    "Helping you out?" Cosette drew her head back to look at his handsome face. "For what?"

    "I was offered a job," he answered, refraining from giving out details, as per Conrad''s request.

    "Huh?" she frowned. "Why would you do that? Do you need money?"

    "Not really. I saved a lot sincest year."

    "If that''s the case, why did you ept it?"

    "Becauseбн why not?" he smiled. "The schedule is flexible and the pay is high. I need to save more money."

    "Why?"

    Maxen blinked, studying the genuine wonder in her eyes. "Because I need to sustain your lifestyle once we got married."

    Cosette looked at him nkly, absorbing his words well. Seeing herck of reaction, he frowned a little. However, just as his lips parted to take his words back, her eyes grew watery, giving them a beautiful sparkle and brilliance.

    "You''re doing it for me?" she asked, moved by his answer. "Goshбн you didn''t have to, but if that''s the case, you should prepare a lot of money because you have to marry me at least ten times, okay? A church wedding, a beach, and a garden. I also want a wedding on a yacht, a wedding in a castleбн"

    Cosette listed down the weddings she liked with different settings, adding her ns to go around the world with him, and even adding she wanted children that were made in different countries. Listening to her enthusiastic voice as she told him about the future she see with him, his heart warmed up.

    "Hey," he called, stopping her from her ramblings as she looked back at him. But as soon as she did, all Cosette saw was his face leaning forward. Maxen imed her lips for a quick and soft peck and then rested his forehead against hers.

    "I missed youбн is what I wanted to tell you since forever," he whispered, clutching her back and feeling the material of her clothes.

    Cosette''s shocked expression turned soft. "I missed you too," she whispered, lifting her head to nt a kiss on his soft lips.

 Chapter 210 His Motivation

    Cosette and Maxen yed for a while untilte in the night. They talked about how their weekends yed out and anything they could broach; they would make out in between, of course. Their routinested untilte in the night and Cosette fell asleep.

    She was exhausted, so even when she already had napped, she still fell asleep before him. Meanwhile, Maxen was slowly getting used to sleepingter and less because of school and work. He didn''t mind, though.

    He kept her confined in his embrace, listening to how her breathing grow deeper. Maxen casually caressed her back, his hands underneath her shirt. When he was sure she was sleeping, he reluctantly slipped away from her.

    Maxen sat down on the side of the bed, hands on either side of him. He looked back at her and smiled subtly. One look at her and he would remember why he was working so hard for.

    ''It''s so nice to have her here,'' he thought, pushing himself away from the bed.

    Maxen marched towards the bathroom for a quick shower. He wanted to shower previously, but Cosette didn''t want to let him go. He told her she coulde with him, but she was toozy to get out of bed. Thus, he had no choice but to stay with her on the bed until she had fallen asleep.

    Good thing he didn''tmute home as he was fetched and dropped by in thepany. He didn''t also have a lot of activity that required him to sweat, so he didn''t feel that ufortable embracing her for hours, knowing he didn''t smell bad.

    When Maxen returned to the room, he stopped. A towel was wrapped around his waist, his top bare. He was drying his damp hair with a small towel, but the shade of it and his tousled hair that reached past his brows gave him a much more mature look.

    His heart warmed up in relief, seeing that Cosette was still in his room. Not that he was expecting her to leave, but for the past two days, Maxen would imagine her sleeping on that same bed. But now, he was certain it wasn''t just his imagination.

    Cosetteбн the real Cosette was back and is just around him where he could easily reach her.

    ''I''m going crazy,'' he told himself, resuming his steps to the cab to change his clothes. Once he was fully clothed, Maxen stood beside the bed. He carefully bent over, only to nt a kiss on her temple. He smiled, feeling her warmth under his palm.

    Straightening his back, Maxen gazed down at her for a moment before approaching the desk in his room. Cosette had noticed this new desk as it was unlike his small study table. He simply told her he needed arger one, and she didn''t press on it, so they moved on.

    Maxen opened the locked drawer and took out a few folders. Underneath them was aptop which he also took out, cing it on the surface of the desk. Maxen worked on it as soon as it started operating, reading the folders in between.

    Sometimes, he would lean back to read a document and get a full understanding of it. He would nce at the bed from time to time and would smile at the sight of her.

    ''I need to finish this quickly,'' he told himself, setting his attention back to the document. For the next three hours, Maxen gave the documents his undivided attention before he finally was able to stretch his arms and stiff neck.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When he put down thest document, he set his eyes back on the bed. He was relieved he was finished, and he could join her on the bed. Maxen quickly cleaned up the desk, taking the documents back into the drawer and then theptop.

    As he stood up and was about to turn off themp, Cosette moaned. Turning his head to her, Cosette was blinking weakly.

    "Max?" she called sweetly, seeing him stand in front of the desk, hands reaching for themp to turn it off. "What are you doing there?"

    Maxen offered her a kind smile. "I just did some work," he said, turning off themp and then crawling to her side.

    "But it''s superte," she murmured, ncing at the clock on the nightstand.

    "I just had to do it so I won''t have to worry about it in a few days."

    "Ahhбн" Cosette moved her head while he slipped his hand underneath her neck. "Don''t forget to take care of your health, Max."

    "I won''t." His tone was gentle, pulling her waist against his body. "Let''s sleep now."

    "Mhmбн"

    Cosette felt his kiss on top of her head, holding her in his arms securely. It didn''t take long for Maxen to nod off, considering it waste and he had school plus a quick visit to thepany. However, Cosette, who had slept early and had been sleeping all day couldn''t help but fall asleep.

    She kept her eyes closed, but then, opened them ever so slowly. She slowly drew back to look at him, blinking. Cosette then looked back at the desk where she had seen him previously, cocking her head to the side. Deep lines appeared in between her brows as she looked back at him once more.

    ''I''m moved that he was working hard for our future even if he didn''t have to,'' she thought, staring at his sleeping handsome face. ''Butбн why do I feel like I should''ve asked for more details?''

    A shallow breath slipped past her lips, rxing on the bed while keeping her eyes on him. Her growing curiosity about what sort of offer he epted because what he said sounded too good to be true. However, she didn''t want to invade his privacy, knowing he would tell her if he wanted to.

    ''Maxбн'' her eyes softened, moving her face closer to his neck. ''... don''t do anything reckless for me, okay?''

 Chapter 211 Touch Her, And Thats The Last Time Youll Use This Hand.

    Just when Cosette thought she wouldn''t fall asleep, she still did. She even woke upte, as Maxen had to wake her up to sneak back to her room or just go straight to the kitchen to make lunchboxes. It was a good thing everyone wanted to give Maxen privacy. That was why no one was usually around the area of his room.

    Making lunch boxes had now be a part of Cosette''s life that it had be easier now. Even when instead of making three, she now had four lunchboxes. The fourth one was for Luke бк even though she does it with a heavy heart because the guy was ungrateful.

    The day yed out like usual, with Maxen and Cosette going to school. The only difference this time was that driver George drove them to school. He dropped them off just near the school. And then, the rest of the day went by quickly.

    There wasn''t any particr thing to remember aside from Cosette having to clean the room with Fay and Amie. Luke and Maxen waited for her, and they parted with those two at the school gates.

    "Oy, Cosette. Are you purposely sabotaging my lunch box? Why is it so nd?"

    Cosette rolled her eyes. Here he goes again, making her blood boil.

    "Luke, just tell me if I should stop bringing you lunch. I''d happily do so." She red at him, who was walking to her side. Maxen was on the other side.

    "I''m just saying." Luke hurriedly raised his hands to his shoulder level. "But I am really grateful for letting me subscribe to Cosette''s feeding program for free."

    "All my lunchboxes are free." She snorted, looking back at Maxen with a deep frown. "Max, can I punch him in the gut?"

    "Be good," was the only thing he said with a delicately arched brow.

    Cosette''s shoulders lowered, sighing deeply. ''I always tell him to behave, but now, he''d gone to behaveбн'' her thoughts trailed off as her steps slowed down. Both Maxen and Luke walked at the same pace, thetter casually talking to Maxen.

    "Mhmmбн" Cosette narrowed her eyes suspiciously, darting her eyes between the two of them. "Why does it seem they look like they had grown closer?"

    She rubbed her chin, letting the distance between her and them widen. After a while, Maxen finally noticed that she had slowed down, looking back at her. When Maxen stopped, Luke also did and looked back at her.

    "Why are you walking like a snail?" Luke asked with genuine wonder in his voice. "If not for Max, we wouldn''t even notice. You''re too small."

    This time, Luke felt a cold chill down his spine. He nced at Maxen and smiled awkwardly, seeing how Maxen''s eyes grew icy.

    "Peaceбн?" Luke raised two fingers before Maxen set his eyes back at her. Instead of asking her to rush to them, Maxen walked back to her.

    "Is there something wrong?" he asked, assessing her from head to toe.

    "There''s none. I was just wondering what happened between you twost weekend that you seem closer," she exined, but there wasn''t a tinge of jealousy in her voice.

    Maxen chuckled weakly. "The usual," he said, taking her hand as they walked back to Luke.

    "What an eyesore." Luke clicked his tongue, waiting for them until they reached him, and they resumed their walk to his apartment. They nned to review for tomorrow''s test together, after all.

    However, just as they made a turn to the street leading to Luke''s ce, the three of them stopped. In front of them was a group of delinquents from another schoolбн beating up one guy. The sight of it stunned the three, and even before Maxen and Luke could do anything, Cosette''s eyes zed.

    The sight before her reminded her of the first time she saw Maxen. Hence, before she could even think, her voice thundered.

    "You there!!" she ground her teeth, storming at the group of delinquents without a second hesitation. "You bastards! How dare you gang up one person when there are ten of you!? Are you that cowardly, hah?!"

    Cosette''s loud shouts stopped the delinquents, looking back at her with puzzlement. When she stood several steps away from them, Cosette nted her hands on her hips and huffed.

    "You bastardsбн this is why this world is getting worse," she yelled her lungs out, obviously vexed at these people''s actions. "You''re so young, yet so vicious! Do you know who my dad is?! He will kick all your asses and set you all straight!"

    The delinquents looked at each other and then burst outughing. Cosette instantly scrunched her nose up in dismay, hearing their ridiculingughter. Their waves ofughter were insulting.

    "Oi, little girl, we don''t know your dad, but what we do know is we can make his daughtere crying to him," said the delinquent humorously, inducing louder cheers from his peers.

    "Littleбн?" Cosette scoffed as her brain only focused on that while the rest sounded like a broken engine. She looked at the person from head to toe. "I am little, but at least, not ugly."

    "Ohhhбн" Some delinquents whistled, but her rebut was far too weak to even affect them.

    "Oy, did you know this? Are you this guy''s chick?"

    "Hahбн do I have to know people before I step in when you cowards are beating him even when he''s already bleeding?" she harrumphed as if raising her volume would get her point across to them. "Stop this now!"

    "Haha! Those from Winter High are really something, huh?" another guy chuckled.

    "But she''s not so badбн actually, she looks better than our school bell."

    "You mean that school bell in our school?" someone chimed in along with an insultingugh. "I still have her clip giving me heads while crying."

    "Damnбн her mouth was good, but her pussy wasn''t tight anymore."

    "You guys just kept fucking her everywhere."

    Cosette''s blood instantly shot up listening to their disgusting conversation. She didn''t need to hear more context as she was certain whoever they were talking aboutбн going through hell because of these guys. Things like this, unfortunately, happen just like how bullying exists.

    "These guysбн" her shaking eyes full of fury glossed over the delinquents. "... there''s ten of you and youбн speaks so proudly of the deeds you shouldn''t have done in the first ce? Hahбн really."

    Cosette ran her fingers through her hair, unable to decide how she would send all of them to hell and rescue the one they were ganging up on right now, and that youngdy.

    "Hahбн are you jealous and want us too?" someone asked, hinting to others of his idea. "Don''t worry. We''ll stop beating this guy if youe with us. We will have fun."

    "Yes! We''ll surely have fun!"

    "Over my dead body!" Cosette spat out in disgust. "Have you seen yourselves in the mirror?"

    "Come on, now." Someone walked towards her and reached his hand out to Cosette. "We won''t hurt you. We just want to get to knowбк"

    The guy''s hand stopped even before he could enter Cosette''s personal space as another hand grabbed his wrist. He looked up, only to see a pair of sharp eyes that reeked of bloodlust.

    "Touch her, and that''s thest time you''ll use this hand." Maxen tightened his grip on the other person''s wrist until the cirction of blood in thetter''s hand stopped.

    "Oyбн" another delinquent stepped forward, only for Luke to block him.

    Luke raised his chin, and unlike the usual yfulness in them, his eyes bore menace.

    "Talk shit about her again and I''ll shove shit back inside that foul mouth of yours."

 Chapter 212 Dont Be Upset. Ill Buy You Ice Cream.

    "Talk shit about her again and I''ll shove shit back inside that foul mouth of yours."

    Sensing the menace from Maxen and Luke, the smile on the rest of the delinquents'' faces slowly disappeared. They all stood to their stature, darting their eyes between Maxen and Luke, and to that pretty youngdy.

    The three of them looked good at a nce and even looked better the longer they stared, but none of them dwell on that. What came into their heads was thatбн good-looking people like them, tend to have weak fists, but good punching bags. There was so much more to break on them.

    "Hey." Cosette raised her chin, her hand still buried in her silky hazel hair. "Before you tell me you won''t hurt me, make sure Iбн and these two won''t."

    Without a second hesitation, Cosette balled her other hand into a tight fist andunched an uppercut at the guy Maxen was holding. Her attack hit the right stop to knock him out, and Maxen let him go at the right time, allowing the guy''s body tond on the ground with a thud.

    Both Maxen and Cosette looked down at the guy with a thickyer of frost covering their eyes. He wasn''t surprised by her violent reaction, knowing her nature. And Cosette wasn''t surprised Maxen didn''t react strongly.

    They slowly lifted their eyes, and for some reason, the glint in their eyes appeared red. Luke''s eyes were also glinting, flexing his fingers as if to warm them up for what he was there toe. Luke hadn''t used his fist in a long time, and for some reason, he was itching to use them right now. These kids were a good excuse to vent the pent-up frustration he had bottled.

    Both parties stood still, allowing the wind to blow past them discreetly. When one of the delinquents yelled, a brawl ensued. Nine against three. Yet, nine delinquents who only learned how to fight in the streets were no matched against the three of them, who trained to protect themselves almost all their lives.

    Cosette and Luke were both well born to boot, and because of their position in society, learning self-defense and how to fight lest an unfortunate event urred was not a surprise. They had trained since young, and after years of training, they had mastered the art of martial arts.

    Cosette might''ve rusted a bit, but Luke had always attended his sses even before he fled home. Hence, he was able to use everything he had learned. Meanwhile, Maxen, although just started attending all those ssesst summer, he was born a warrior and a survivor.

    Unlike Cosette and Luke, Maxen was first introduced to street fights and to bullying. Therefore, even if it was a terrible thing to admit, Maxen''s foundation was solid. Enhancing the skills he learned in the street and the gang fights Remo dragged him, Maxen had taken down his enemies swiftly.

    After a lot of yelling and grunting, the nine delinquents ended up loitering the concrete ground of the streets. Cosette, Luke, and Maxen remained standing with Luke dusting off his hands while Maxen didn''t even break a sweat. Meanwhile, Cosette only fought two, but her back and forehead broke out in sweats.

    "Bastards!" she yelled after picking up one of the delinquent''s phones to check the clips they were talking about. She did open one clip, but couldn''t stomach finishing it. Cosette kicked the side of the already unconscious delinquent in irritation.

    She had only seen the first ten seconds of the clip, but it was enough to bring her blood to a boiling point. The clip was disgusting with multiple students forcing a female student to do a dreadful thing. More than her anger at these guys, she felt remorseful and sorry for the female student in the clip.

    "I''m going to kill them!" Cosette was about to kick the guy again, only for Maxen to hold her wrist to stop her. Her eyes were burning as she looked back at him. "Don''t stop me."

    "That''s enough, Cosette," Maxen said, but she ground her teeth.

    "This is not enough," she argued adamantly. "I don''t know her, but I sympathized with her. I bet this poor girl wished to just die after what they had done to her."

    "They will pay." Maxen tightened his grip on her wrist and lowered his head, looking at her straight in the eye. "You don''t need to kill them to make them pay."

    "I''m with Max this time," Luke chimed in, ncing at the delinquents on the ground. Some were still conscious бк Maxen and Luke purposely left a few of them conscious so they could carry their friends. "Let''s delete the clips on their phones and keep a copy to ourselves. It''ll be used as evidence, unless, you want to kill them now and make them the victims."

    Cosette ground her teeth in anger, but after listening to Maxen and Luke, all she could do was huff sharply. She snatched her wrist away from Maxen and kept her chin up.

    "I hate juvenile kids," she muttered, walking over to the other delinquent to search the other one for his phone. "Just because thew protects kids, they take advantage of it. I''ll make sure these guys rot in hell and won''t see the light of the day again!"

    Just like how she searched for the first guy, she also checked all his pockets until she found his phone. The guy also had a clip, which wasn''t surprising, since all of them probably had them. In that case, they could just show the clip to their victim to make her agree to everything they want.

    Luke and Maxen looked at each other and nodded. When they broke their eye contact, Luke marched to the other delinquent and kicked his torso mildly.

    "Oy, stop ying dead and help us delete the clips," hemanded, but still pretended unconscious. Only when Luke kicked him again did the guy grunt and woke up. "You heard me right?"

    "Ughбн" the delinquent hugged his stomach and looked up at look. When Luke raised his foot again, he panicked. "Yes! Yes! I will!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Good." Luke nodded in satisfaction. "Don''t wait for me to kick you all before you stop pretending unconscious."

    He then pped, watching some delinquents rise like zombies. "Get to work and chop-chop! Passed me your phones right after so I can check if you really deleted them. If I see a secret hidden clip, I''m going to kill you."

    The delinquents grunted, but they could only crawl to their peers to do what they were told. After all, they underestimated the three of them. They were good fighters but weren''t heard in most gangs in the area. Even that pretty girl who confronted them was strong. Although she was already down two of them, both were knocked out and at least lost a tooth.

    Maxen and Luke were much more tamed than her as those two purposely didn''t knock everyone down. Still, they were aware both guys could be just as crazy as Cosette if they were only consumed with rage.

    As Cosette and some delinquents searched those unconscious delinquents, deleting the clips or just factory resetting them while Luke would check the phones carefully, Maxen squatted down in front of the person these delinquents were ganging up in the first ce.

    The second Maxen lifted the person''s unconscious face, his eyelids drooped.

    ''Remo," he thought, ncing at the other delinquents. ''Why didn''t you fight these jokes?''

    Maxen slowly set his eyes down on Remo. Thetter''s face was already swollen and bleeding; Remo was pretty much beaten up. However, Maxen knew this guy. This was one of the guys who were all these little delinquents would be wary of.

    Remo''s physique was bigger than a normal high schooler. And since Maxen knew him, he was aware Remo was raised in the street and had been fighting all his life. That was how Remo got his short patience, but also, this twisted loyalty.

    For this Remo guy to let these delinquents bully him without fighting backбн Maxen had mixed emotions about it. Maxen remained silent as he pondered about things, staring at Remo''s unconscious face silently.

    "Are you sure these are all the copies?" Luke questioned a delinquent with a sour expression; he hadn''t seen a second of the clip, but seeing Cosette''s reaction, he was certain he wouldn''t want to see it.

    "Ye бк yes!"

    "If I figure out you''re lying, I remember your face." Luke bent over and looked at him with a dead expression. "I''m going to kill you, then."

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "I swear in my grandmother''s grave! We don''t usually make copies and just pass it among the group!"

    "Okay, good." Luke rocked his head and then nced at Cosette. She looked back at him, still evidently pissed as she folded her arms under her chest. A deep exhale slipped past Luke''s nostrils and marched towards her, hooking his arm across her shoulder.

    "Come on now, Cozie. Don''t be upset anymore. I''ll buy you ice cream, okay?"

    Cosette just nced at him, but her frown remained. Luke chuckled, keeping his arm across her shoulder.

    "Hey, Max. What should we do now?" he asked, gazing at Maxen''s back.

    "Let''s take this guy to your ce," said Maxen, looking back at Luke and Cosette''s vantage point.

    "Huh? Shouldn''t we bring him to the hospital?" Luke scrunched his nose up, only to furrow his brows when Maxen stood up, giving Luke and Cosette a chance to see the person these people were beating up before their altercation with them.

    "No need," said Maxen, ncing over his shoulder before setting them back to Luke and Cosette. Although Luke had his arm over Cosette''s shoulder, he didn''t feel anything negative as they didn''t look anything special other than being close friends. Cosette was very pissed after all.

    "This guy is stronger than a cow, so he''ll just need some rest and first aid. Let''s carry him to your ce."

    Luke was a bit hesitant, but since it was Maxen who was asking him, he nodded. "Whatever you say, boss."

 Chapter 213 My Place Will Stay Rated-Pg 13!

    Just as Maxen wanted, he and Luke carried Remo to Luke''s ce. Remo was a big guy, so Maxen and Luke had a bit of difficulty. Fortunately, although it didn''t look like it, Maxen and Luke were stronger than they appeared.

    After reaching Luke''s ce, since Luke had been harrumphing about his sensitivity to people touching his bed, they let Remo rest on the floor. Cosette onlyid a thick nket on the floor where theyid Remo, and then Maxen dressed Remo''s injuries.

    Now the three of them were just standing near Remo''s body. Cosette had her arms folded under her chest. Luke''s hands were resting on his hips, while Maxen had his hands shoved inside his pockets. Their eyes were fixed on the unconscious Remo for minutes now.

    "Errбн should we bring out some armor or shields to protect ourselves in case he wakes up breathing fire?" Cosette inquired, but sounded more like a suggestion, ncing at Luke and then Maxen. "We don''t really know what he''d do once he wakes up."

    "I''ll kick him back to sleep before he breathes his fire," Luke announced with confidence, nodding in agreement at his suggestion. "If he wakes up again and tries to mess my ce, I''ll kick him until the next time he wakes up, he won''t even have the energy to get up."

    "Goshбн are you going to murder him?" she scrunched his nose up at him. "You''re giving me the creeps."

    Luke gazed back at her, dead in the eye. "Cozie, I should be the one saying that. Do you know how scared I was when you uppercut that guy? I saw his tooth fly out of his mouth!"

    "He talked too much shit, so he deserved that."

    "Well, true." Luke nodded. "It was satisfying when he finally shut up. I thought if he didn''t stop talking, I''ll feed him my shoes."

    "You should''ve stepped on shit first and then kicked him in the face," she giggled, but her suggestion was taken seriously.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m "Shitбн that''s disgusting, but I should''ve done that." Luke let out a deep exhale as if he just missed a good opportunity. "God! I don''t have money to buy a spare shoe!"

    "I''ll buy you one." She poked his side mildly with a mischievous grin. "Once we see them again, do that. Don''t worry about your shoes."

    "Really?" he arched a brow and narrowed his eyes. "You''ll buy me one?"

    "Of course!"

    "I''ll choose, okay?"

    Cosette scrunched her nose up in dismay but still agreed. "Ever heard beggars cannot be picky, but deal."

    "Heh." A triumphant grin turned up on his face before his brows rose. Noticing his shift in attention, Cosette looked in Maxen''s direction.

    Maxen had been silent, which shouldn''t be odd since he learned how to treasure his words. Not that hisck of conversational contribution bothered Cosette and Luke, since Maxen was a lot talkative with Cosette privately. He was also like that with Luke.

    However, what the two found odd was Maxen''s request to bring Remo to Luke''s apartment. His eyes never left Remo while deep in his own thoughts.

    "By the way, why did he bring this guy here?" Luke leaned to Cosette''s side and whispered. "I mean, wasn''t he Max''s bully back then? Is this what you call Stockholm syndrome?"

    Cosette red at him. "He should have got a good reason for it." She clicked her tongue in irritation, rolling her eyes at Luke.

    "Hey, Max. What are we going to do with this guy''s body бк" Luke nearly bit his tongue as he received a blow on his side from Cosette''s elbow.

    "Don''t make it sound like we''re about to hide a dead body," she stressed, shaking her head in disappointment. "Max, why did we bring him here? Although Luke is a dummy, his suggestion to bring him to the hospital is better."

    "No one will watch over him if we did." Maxen kept his eyes on Remo while answering. "Remo is a tough guy, and even if he is outnumbered, those guys won''t do this much damage to him."

    "You meanбн?" Cosette quirked a brow slowly.

    "He didn''t fight back?" Luke''s question was more direct than her, furrowing his brows. "That''s odd. Is he staying out of trouble or something?"

    "Could be." This time, Maxen cast the two of them a look. "He had been staying out of trouble in school too. Back then, he punched a teacher when he scolded him, but now, he is more tamed."

    "He''s probably still on probation, that''s why." Cosette rocked her head, as she also thought Remo was staying out of trouble. After all, she asked a few delinquents in school to beat him up бк not literally. But she told the delinquents to ry the news of Cosette bribing the delinquents in their school to beat him up.

    But s, Remo justughed it off and did nothing to teach her a lesson. Initially, Cosette thought it was because Remo was arrogant. She assumed he probably found it ''cute'' rather than insulting because Remo was obviously a huge guy and the other delinquents in their school would just end up as his punching bags.

    Now, after seeing Remo get beaten up, Cosette''s assumptions were slowly changing. It was odd, indeed. There might be a deeper reason Remo was staying out of trouble, even when troublees at him voluntarily.

    ''Does it have anything to do with Maxen and the SIN organization?'' Cosette nced at Maxen''s side profile, and the solemnness in his eyes was enough to give her an answer. ''He probably wants to know that as well.''

    "He probably realized that being a delinquent will not benefit him." Luke held his hands behind his head, eyes on the guy lying on the floor. "Being in prison is like a free trial before hell. Almost everyone there are the bad guys whomitted crimes."

    A deep exhale escaped Luke''s nostrils while shaking his head. "Anyway, I''m hungry. Max, should we buy something outside? There''s a new food stall that opened nearby."

    "Let''s order something for tonight," Maxen replied as he slowly faced them. "Those guysбн will surelye back for revenge. Let''s stay out of trouble for now."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette and Luke frowned while looking back at Maxen. Of course, they knew that, but they just didn''t voice it out because it was the problem бк the consequences of not being able to hold back their temper. Yet, deep in their hearts, they didn''t regret this trouble.

    Those delinquents got what they deserved, and Cosette wasn''t done with them just yet. She already pledged to get that female student justice.

    "Then, let''s order." Luke rocked his head, waltzing to the bean bag near Remo.

    "What do you guys want?" he asked as he took out his phone, volunteering to make the order instead of asking Max to do it himself.

    "I want some beef!" Cosette raised a hand. "Lots of it, please!"

    Luke cast her a judgemental look from head to toe. "How can you not gain any weight if you''re practically a glutton?"

    "Hah! You got no idea of what I do to fight weight gain." Cosette rolled her eyes, dragging her feet to the other bean bag beside Luke, and tossed herself on it. "It''s so hard I need to eat to have the strength to fight it."

    "Like eating more?" he looked at her incredulously, before snapping his eyes up at Maxen. "What about you, Max? What do you want?"

    "Anything that''s avable."

    "There he goes again," mumbled Luke, looking back at Cosette with a dead expression. "Beef for him too?"

    "He just had beef. He needs chicken and vegetables."

    "For?"

    "For a bnced diet."

    "..." Luke narrowed his eyes at her and said, "are you sabotaging me?"

    "Huh?"

    "Why are you so concerned about Max''s diet while you don''t even care about mine?"

    "Are you the boyfriend?" she asked grumpily, and that was how she shut him up. "See? Max will kill himself if he weighs himself and gained a kilo. I don''t have the heart to watch him practically live in the gym."

    Luke''s expression grew uglier, looking up as he pondered. His eyes then instinctively veered to Maxen and caught thetter walking towards the fridge to get a ss of water.

    ''Well, Max used to be chubby,'' Luke thought, thinking he used to call Maxen names about his weight and Luke didn''t even want to recall that phase in his life. He would get goosebumps whenever he does, and also felt guilty because Maxen was actually a nice guy.

    If the same thing happened to Luke, he wouldn''t forgive him for sure. But Maxen still befriended him even when they started on the wrong foot.

    "Two beefs and one nd chicken then," Luke muttered, raising his brows briefly as he made an order for their food. When he finished, he nced to his side.

    Maxen was already standing in front of Cosette, giving her a ss of water which she epted with a smile. But just before Luke could frown, bottled water came flying in his direction.

    "I was about to get jealous," Lukemented as he opened the bottle of water to hydrate himself.

    Meanwhile, Cosette just rolled her eyes before smiling sweetly at Maxen. "Should I call my dad and sleep here?" she asked him, almost making Luke spit the water out.

    "What?" her brows rose. "I mean, we can''t just leave Luke all alone with that guy, and I don''t want to go home myself."

    Maxen watched how the corner of her lips curled down, batting her eyshes as she cast him a puppy look.

    "We need to ask him first." He tipped his head in Luke''s direction before both of them turned their attention to Luke. "Should we stay for the night?"

    Luke gasped in disbelief, darting his eyes between the two. He was about to yell, "no!" when he realized there was Remo practically sleeping in his ce.

    "Don''t make out here!" he warned, pointing a finger at the two of them. "My ce will stay rated-pg 13!"

    "Fineбн"

    "Oy, Cosette! What''s with that tone?" Luke gasped once again, in utter disbelief at the tinge of disappointment in her tone. But Cosette ignored him while Maxen sat down on the beanbag next to hers.

    With that being said, Maxen and Cosette decided to stay over and just told Conrad about it. Cosette''s father wouldn''t agree so easily, but after getting a message from Max, he did.

 Chapter 214 What A Life

    "Ughбн"

    While Maxen, Luke, and Cosette were enjoying dinner at the four-seater dining table, they heard a weak grunt from the small living area. Since Luke''s apartment was a studio type, their eyes instantly caught Remo moving his body.

    The three of them chewed slowly, observing Remo from their seat. None of them move as well as if they didn''t want to part with their food. The delivery took some time; Cosette''s driver arrived minutes earlier to deliver some clothes and uniforms for Maxen and Cosette. If only they knew driver George would be faster, they would''ve asked him to bring food as well.

    Therefore, the three of them were quite hungry and the reason for their reluctance.

    "Ughбн" Remo winced as he held his side, his arm across his stomach. He carefully propped his elbow against the thick nket underneath him, looking around at the ce he had woken up in.

    Remo blinked and blinked until his blurry vision grew clear. He ran his eyes around once again, catching three people sitting around the table. The three were looking back at him whilst chewing slowly. He recognized those three faces quickly, but not immediately.

    "Ughбн shit," he cursed under his breath, pushing himself to sit upright. Those guys beat him without reserve; if he wasn''t immune to punches and street fights, Remo would''ve died or been in the hospital again.

    "You should rest more." Luke clicked his tongue in irritation, seeing that Remo could barely sit up. "And pretend you''re still asleep while we eat. We''re really hungry and manбн you were heavy. What are you even eating?"

    "Why am I in here?" Remo winced after spatting those words and he could feel pain in his side as he spoke.

    "We can''t let you sleep in the street, can we?" Cosette replied offhandedly, shaking her head. "You should listen to Luke and get more sleep. If you can stand up,e join us for dinner. But if you can''t, wait until we finish."

    A weak and dry scoff came out of Remo''s chapped lips. However, he didn''t argue with them and tried to push himself to stand up. However, just before his first attempt would fail, Maxen spoke.

    "You should listen to them," Maxen''s tone was calm, watching Remo look back at him. "Those guys wille back with their buddies to get even. I don''t think you can do anything in that state."

    "Who said I want to do anything in the first ce?"

    "So you''re saying if they returned to get revenge, you''ll just let them?" Luke quirked a brow in disappointment. "Manбн why did we even bother if you''re so ready to throw away your life?"

    "Even if you don''t care about what they would do to you, you should at least consider those who made an effort to help you," Cosette added in a knowing tone, also disappointed by this guy. "Because of you, we now have to constantly look over our shoulders."

    "I didn''t ask you for help," Remo argued under his breath. "So, why do I need to feel responsible for the mess you jumped into on your own?"

    "This guy бк" Luke was about to spring up in his seat when Cosette held his arm. He looked back at her and saw her shake her head.

    "Look." Cosette jerked her chin in Maxen''s direction and when Luke followed it, he saw Maxen slowly raise from his seat. Luke and Cosette watched Maxen approach Remo until he was standing before the guy.

    Looking down at Remo, Maxen raised a foot. Remo''s frown instantly deepened, but he didn''t shut his eyes to anticipate a kick or anything of the sort. Remo was used to pain and getting kicked by Maxen in such a state might be painful, but he knew he wouldn''t beg for mercy.

    Much to Remo''s surprise, Maxen didn''t kick him to knock him out. Instead, Maxen only kicked the pit of his elbow for Remo to lose his bnce. His body thudded weakly against the floor, eyes dting as they shook, looking back at Maxen who was standing beside his body.

    "If you can''t sleep, then don''t strain your body. I''ll reheat your food first so you can take your medicines," said Maxen monotonously. "Those two are a bit hungry and were quite sensitive at the moment, so just shut up and be good."

    Remo blinked and on his third blink, all he saw was Maxen turning his back on him. Remo was speechless. For the next several minutes, all he did was stare at the low ceiling of the apartment while hearing the menial conversation between the three.

    "Goshбн why is he so hot?" Cosette cupped her face, eyes twinkling with admiration, watching Maxen ce the bowl of porridge inside the over.

    "Are you a masochist?" Luke''s face contorted as he gazed at her incredulously. "What''s so hot in that?"

    Cosette looked at him in dismay. "You''re not a girl. How can you understand?"

    "Rightбн I won''t, because if ady is like that? Like punching someone until that someone loses a tooth or bribing someone to make that person eat shit? I would definitely run away. Red g!"

    "So weak-willed." Cosette shook her head in disappointment, not taking his insinuation to the heart. It would be better if the lingering romantic feelings he had for her would justpletely disappear; that would be better for him and for Cosette.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It didn''t take long when Maxen sat down in his seat again. Both Luke and Cosette ate as slow as a cow so Maxen wouldn''t have to continue eating on their own.

    "Was your kick that strong?" Luke asked out of in curiosity, gazing back in Remo''s direction. "I mean, it looked weak, but our guy over there isn''t moving. Did you paralyze him?"

    Cosette also cast Remo a quick look. Thetter was just lying t, staring at the ceiling nkly. But she didn''t think much about it as she continued to eat.

    Meanwhile, Maxen nced up at Luke and then at Remo.

    "He just understood he will not go anywhere," he said, setting his attention back on his te before checking if Cosette was eating well. Seeing that she still had the appetite, he ced down the cutlery to pour her a ss of water.

    "Homeworks and a long quiz. You should finish so we can have time to review," Maxen reminded them, like a responsible big brother.

    "Aye aye, captain," Luke replied offhandedly, throwing away whatever curiosity he had at the back of his head.

    Cosette, on the other hand, paused when a piece of green appeared on her te. She slowly gazed up, only to see Maxen gesture to her to eat it.

    "Butбн I don''t want it," sheined quietly with a pout, but Maxen''s eyes were unyielding. In the end, Cosette had to eat vegetables because Maxen habitually ced pieces of green on her te.

    If she didn''t know better, she would think he was just trying to avoid eating the vegetables she ordered for him. But she knew him, and just like how she was concerned about his diet, Maxen was aware she needed proper nutrition even if they weren''t home.

    The three of them would converse from time to time until they finished their meal. After filling their stomachs, Cosette and Luke stayed idle on the beanbags. Luke was busy with his phone while Cosette just melted on the soft bean bag as her stomach felt so heavy.

    Meanwhile, Maxen prepared the meals for Remo and served them to the guy. Thetter refused Maxen''s help, but Maxen didn''t listen to him and sat him upright.

    "I don''t have forever to wait for you to sit up," Maxen exined when Remo was sitting upright, snapping his eyes at thetter indifferently. "Eat so you can take some painkillers."

    With that being said, Maxen stood up and walked to the beanbag next to Cosette. He nced at her and chuckled, seeing her fight her weary eyes.

    "I feel so sleepy, Max." Cosette fluttered her eyshes ever so tenderly, acting all cute while he brushed his gentle hand over her forehead. Maxen massaged her scalp with his fingertips, making her even more sleepy.

    "We still have homeworkбн I''ll fall asleep if you do that," sheined in a tiny voice. "This is the horror of realizing I''m not in a novel. It only means I really need to take school seriously."

    Luke, who was trying to focus on his phone instead of her voice, could not help but gasp.

    "What made you think you were in a novel?" he asked in disbelief, setting his eyes full of disbelief on her. "And even if you are, why wouldn''t you take school seriously?"

    "Duh?" Cosette shot him a dead look. "Have you ever read a school-themed novel or series whose characters focused on school and what actually happens in it? No. They go on adventures or things like that that would definitely warrant them a suspension or expulsion in the real world."

    "Take a shower first." Maxen didn''t dwell on their current subject because Luke and Cosette would bicker on the most nonsense things.

    Cosette''s attention instantly shifted to him. "We?"

    "Hey! This ce is PG-13!"

    "Ughhбн" Cosette rolled her eyes as she let out a long-suffering sigh, making Maxen chuckle, which only fueled Luke''s desire to save himself from watching these two making out right in front of his face.

    As Luke harrumphed, dragging his bean bag beside Maxen, warranting Cosette''s wrath, Remo remained quiet. He darted his eyes between the three because those three seemed he wasn''t there; he didn''t know if they were purposely doing it so he could eat in peace or if they were just this chaotic.

    Remo''s gaze then lingered on Maxen who was intervening between Cosette and Luke before the two bring forth hell if their argument continued. Seeing that slight smile on Maxen''s face and how his eyes looked so peaceful бк unlike before бк Remo realized something.

    ''Those guysбн will surely take that peace away from him,'' he thought, picking up the spoon to eat. ''They''ll kill me too. Hahбн what a life.''

 Chapter 215 Youve Changed

    After what seemed to be infinite bickering, Cosette, Maxen, and Luke finally settled down. It took an hour for them to wash up and have just one bathroom. They took turns, so they feel refreshed before they review. Because of Maxen''s strictness, Cosette and Luke miraculously watched their temper until their entire focus shifted to their homework and reviewing.

    Cosette and Luke were the students who imed to top the exams and rankings this school year back on their first day. Both were prideful people, so for them, doing terribly in school would be shameful. Hence, unknowingly, they took it as a challenge andpetition as well бк after neglecting their studiesst school year.

    Luke might be used to having average grades back in the academy, but that was because he only exerted the bare minimum. Now that he was motivated enough to have more than satisfactory grades, he truly wanted to achieve something even though the Quinn family wouldn''t recognize this achievement because winter high school was just an average school.

    The two were too focused that neither of them noticed the time, and they didn''t even know they had already fallen asleep. Good thing Cosette took the spot on the bed while Luke was on the side of the bed and already spread the sofa bed. Hence, Maxen wasn''t worried about those two who were now sleeping soundlessly like babies.

    Maxen also reviewed, but more like he just did a quick recap. He had been listening to their lessons and understood each. The reason he didn''t have to do an extensive review just like those two. He also had to help Remo everyone once in a while; feed him medicine, clean up his space after Remo had eaten, and even change his bandages.

    Maxen shifted his eyes at Remo. The guy had fallen asleep after taking medicine, so it was just Maxen, who was awake. He was sitting on the bean bag, holding a book in his hand. He didn''t have work today since Warren and Conrad still wanted him to focus on his study, and then Maxen would work on the weekend with a bunch of workloads.

    ''I prefer it if I have to work every night, though,'' he thought, thinking that he doesn''t have to do anything else, anyway. ''She always sleeps before me too, soбн''

    Maxen shrugged, shaking his head. Since Cosette consistently sleep in his room and he had proven that Cosette never slept after him, Maxen had more time since he had already grown used to sleeping a bitte.

    As the night fell deeper and silence dominated the apartment, Maxen slowly raised his brows. He lifted his eyes over the book and caught Remo staring at him.

    "You''re awake?" Maxen asked, hearing Remo grunt as he forced himself to sit up. "You should be quiet. Those two were tired. It''s not good to wake them up."

    Remo frowned, setting his eyes at Maxen. "Why did you bring me here?" he asked without beating around the bush.

    "You won''t take me here if you don''t want anything from me."

    "That''s right." This time, Maxen didn''t hesitate to answer him, nodding. "I don''t think I can watch over you in the hospital. I can''t split my body, knowing while I''m guarding you in the hospital, Luke might be caught up in trouble."

    Remo let out a brief dryugh as that made more sense. Since these three picked up a fight with a group of delinquents from another school, it wouldn''t be a surprise if they returned to get even. Luke was just living around the area. So, they would surely ambush Luke.

    By bringing Remo to Luke''s apartment, the three of them could stay together. If those delinquents returned, they had each other''s back.

    "Why didn''t you fight back?" Maxen asked, snapping Remo back to the currentpse. "You won''t be in such a state if you defended yourself."

    "Hahбн" Remo just let out a short scoff as a response.

    "Or are you saying those fists are only for assault and not to defend?" Maxen cocked his head to the side. "I remember how you can easily throw your fists back then. I still remember how they feel too. They used tond on my gut until I spit blood."

    "Hahбн are you still angry about that?"

    "No." Maxen shook his head. His voice was calm. "If not for my experience from the past year, probably. But now? No. I learned many lessons and cut off a lot of habits while you were in the juvie. And one of them was, I stopped wondering or trying to understand why people hurt me бк I just learned to ept that people hurt me just because they can and still go on with their lives."

    "It''s not because of me. It has to do with them, not me," he added in the same calm and mature tone. "Although I had forgiven you, I haven''t forgotten what you have done. I''m not saying this so you feel remorseful, but to remind myself there''s no need for me to be kind."

    Remo just looked at Maxen, assessing him quietly. After several seconds of silence, he was certain Maxen meant every single word in that statement.

    "You''ve changed," he pointed out the obvious.

    "Change is the only constant thing in this world. It''s either for the good or for the bad." Maxen shrugged nonchntly. "I can say the same to you. You''ve changed, Remo. I wonderбн if this change has something to do with those people."

    "Thos people? You mean your father?"

    "I would really appreciate it if you do not say that word in front of me again. I have nothing to do with him."

    "But he wants you. He wants his son."

    "Did they ask you to bring me to them?" Maxen''s next inquiry was quick and unfaltering. "How? By tugging my guilty conscience that you spent time in the juvie while was I free? Did they think being out here is better than being inside the prison?"

 Chapter 216 Which Hospital?

    "Did they ask you to bring me to them? How? By tugging my guilty conscience that you spent time in the juvie while was I free? Did they think being out here is better than being inside the prison?"

    Maxen''s expression turned solemn and sharp. He always had this thought since hisst conversation with Remo and Maxen could only think of this. They wanted to use Remo since the guy went to prison instead of Maxen. Even though Maxen didn''t stab that guy himself, that person died because of him and his connections to those felons.

    Realistically speaking, this might''ve worked if Cosette didn''te into the picture. After all, Maxen''s guilt for that delinquent''s death was slowly consuming him before he met Cosette. He even thought he would lose his mind, thinking he was not only a son of a felon but also a murderer himself.

    Maxen only needed onest push before he would join the dark side and ept the fact he was bad. Nothing was good in his life, anyway, but his sunshine came right on time. Cosette had shown him there was more to life and Conrad showed him a person''s past wasn''t an indicator of who they were.

    "If you didn''t do what they ask you, what are they going to do?" Maxen inquired once more when silence was the answer he received from Remo.

    "Nothing." Remo shrugged. "They''d do nothing."

    "Nothing?"

    "Nothing," Remo repeated. "But that''s not what I need. I don''t need ''nothing,'' Maxen. My grandpaбн"

    Remo trailed off as he mentioned his grandfather, who was very important to him. He bit his tongue, looking back at Maxen. Seeing that thetter didn''t seem to show any emotion, in particr, a shallow breath escaped his nostrils.

    "My grandfather is the only family I have. When I got arrested, he nearly had a heart attack. Yet, he visits me every single day in the juvie бк do you know how old he was?" There was a faint vulnerability in his eyes and voice. "My old man is already old. When I told him I didn''t do it, he believed without questions asked. But he fell ill."

    Remo weakly ran his fingers through his hair. "I promised him I''d be good for him, so he doesn''t have to worry that I''d be in trouble." He looked away from Maxen as if he realized how embarrassing it was to tell these things to Maxen.

    "That''s why even those pipsqueaks ganged up on me, I didn''t fight back. They''re weak, anyway."

    "You im they''re weak, but you can barely sit up," Maxen pointed out, his finger zeroing in his temple. "So you need money? That''s why you want to sacrifice me to those guys?"

    "Between you and my old man, his life is much more important бк hell, his life is even more important than mine. My old man is already oldбн and I want him to live a little longer until I can give him a good andfortable life. At this rate, I don''t know if he can wait until I can repay everything he had done for me." Remo looked back at Maxen with bitterness in his eyes. "That is whyбн I don''t need ''nothing'' from them."

    "I''m ready to make a pact with the devil just so I can transfer him to a better hospital where he can get better medical attention," he added under his breath. "Because if he dies nowбн I might actually kill you for taking a year of my life away from him for nothing."<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was a long silence that followed Remo''s remarks. He kept his eyes on Maxen, looking at the guy solemnly.

    "You shouldn''t me me, Remo," Maxen remarked calmly after the prolonged silence. "That night, I didn''t ask you to chase me away. Neither did I personally ask you to take the me. You did everything that night on your own. Stop pushing the me on me."

    Remo let out a short, ridiculing dryugh. "If I didn''t do that, did you think your old man will let me off the hook?"

    "He ims to be powerful and had strong connections." Maxen shrugged offhandedly. "If I was arrested that night, if he truly didn''t want to see me inside and leave a damn record, he could''ve used his connections to bail me out."

    Maxen slowly leaned forward, resting his arms over his leg, eyes still fixed on Remo.

    "You didn''t have to go that far." He shook his head mildly. "Those guysбн especially, that guy, simply used you for convenience. They took advantage of your naivety and now they still want to use you to get what they want."

    "I get you wanted to help your old man since he''s already old, and you use the money you earned in those underground brawls to buy him medicines, but if you honestly want to make your old man proud, stop lying to him," Maxen continued as he had used his new gain power to investigate Remo''s time in the juvie justst weekend. Aside from Cosette, Remo had never left Maxen''s mind since the guy was connected to the SIN Organization one way or another.

    It was sickening how those felons used a high schooler to get the job done, taking advantage that Remo was young and incapable of providing good money to help his grandfather. Since Remo seriously needed a lot of money, he would bite whatever those guys would give him.

    For Remo, taking Maxen to that organization was almost everything. But for those guys? Whether or not Remo would seed didn''t matter. If Remo did, then good. If not, then whatever. They could just do it their way.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c Maxen might be a little baffled as to why his father hadn''t made a move for the past months. Maybe because Conrad took him under his wing. Whatever the reason was, it didn''t matter for Maxen. What mattered to him was while his father was idling, Maxen was slowly learning Conrad''s ways to protect and use everything at his disposal.

    "That''s irritatingбн" He shook his head, taking his phone out to make a quick call. It only rang once and was answered even before Maxen could ce the phone in front of his ear. But instead of talking to the person on the other end of the line, Maxen snapped his eyes at Remo.

    "Which hospital?" he asked.

    "What?"

    "Your old man. Which hospital is he admitted in right now so I can ask someone to transfer him to a better one."

 Chapter 217 Am I Going To Kill Someone?

    "Your old man. Which hospital is he admitted to right now so I can ask someone to transfer him to a better one," Maxen answered monotonously, and frowned when Remo just looked at him nkly. "Bring out the files of Remo and find out where his grandfather is admitted. Transfer him to a better hospital. If you can, make them prioritize him so he recovers faster."

    "Of course, we can, sir," replied the person from the other end of the line. "Is that everything you need?"

    "Mhm. That''s all."

    "Alright." The person Maxen was talking to on the phone added, "he''s currently in a public hospital. I will make a quick call to the medical director to request a transfer to Global Health Medical Center."

    "Good." Maxen rocked his head, a little used by these people''s quick and efficient actions. "Send me the details once everything is settled."

    "Yes, sir."

    With that being said, Maxen hung up after thanking the person. When he looked back at Remo, deep lines resurface in between his brows. He cocked his head to the side.

    "What?" Maxen asked with genuine wonder in his voice. "You''re not saying anything, so I have to ask them to do it. It''s embarrassing to make them wait."

    "Youбн"

    "Mhm?" His brows rose as Remo trailed off even before he could ry any message to Maxen.

    "You''re transferring him to another hospital?"

    "Mhm." Maxen nodded indifferently. "Global Health Medical Center. That''s what he told me."

    "..."

    Remo looked at Maxen nkly once again, rendered speechless by that piece of information. But what surprised him was how Maxen appeared while talking on the phone; Maxen looked and sounded different. He was like someoneбн who held power.

    "Why?" Remo blurted out, not dwelling on Maxen''s previous demure. "Why are you transferring him бк no, how can you afford it? I don''t have the money, and youбн did your father already support you?"

    "Yes." Maxen nodded. "My father supports me in every aspect of life and opened a ton of opportunities for me. Just likest weekend, I had closed a deal, and I earned a lot бк an amount I never thought I''d ever hadбн through legal means. But in case you''re mistaking something, I am talking about a different person. A much better, honest, and wise man. Not that man who imed to be my father, yet his only interest is his own."<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was a strong sense of pride that shone in his eyes as he thought of Conrad. "So, yes, I can afford to fund your grandfather''s medical needs from my own pocket, and yes, my dad supports me."

    Another wave of silence fell between them, holding each other''s gaze. Remo was a bit doubtful, but Maxen just looked trustworthy, and even if they had aplicated rtionship, Remo knew one thing. Maxen would never give his words if he didn''t mean it. There were many times that proved Maxen adhered to his words, and that was the most annoying thing about him.

    "What''s the catch?" Remo inquired in a much more tamed voice. "You will not do this out of the goodness of your heart. What do you want in return?"

    "You." This time, Maxen''s eyes glinted sharply and without a second hesitation, he added, "you said you''re willing to make a pact with the devil. Why don''t you work for me? You''re already in the legal age, so it won''t be a problem to hire you."

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "What''s the job about?" Remo''s expression turned solemn. "Am I going to kill someone?"

    "Definitely not." Maxen shook his head sideways. "This is a legal job, but it''s very important. You might get hurt a bit, but it isn''t anything like what those guys do. I hate them to the core and thest thing I want is to be just like them. I don''t hurt people for fun or for greed бк I can, but definitely for a different reason."

    Remo remained silent, wincing as the unknown nervousness crept into his heart. His body was trembling slightly, and these mixed emotions only made his breathing heavy.

    "What do I need to do?" he asked, raising his eyes at Maxen again. "If I am sure my old man is transferred to a different and a better hospital, I''d do anything. I won''t mind if I get a few scratches here and there."

    Maxen rocked his head in satisfaction at seeing the determination in Remo''s eyes. This wasn''t always Maxen''s n. Although he had been thinking of recruiting Remo just so this guy won''t get taken advantage of by the SIN Organization and deliberately cause trouble for him, it wasn''t bad. At the very least, Maxen had a much more valid reason now.

    Moreover, whether or not Maxen wouldn''t admit it, he owed Remo. It might be Remo''s decision to take the me, but Maxen still remembered the fear in this guy''s eyes that night. It was the first time Maxen saw fear in Remo''s eyes, yet he was more concerned about Maxen than himself.

    It might be because of a very different reason, but that night, Remo was the only person who saw Maxen. Not literally, but saw him, in a way Remo made out his way to pull him out of the abyss Maxen thought he would fall in that night.

    "Don''t think so much about it." Maxen was calm, shifting his eyes on the bed and on the sofa bed right beside it. On it was Cosette and Luke, sleeping soundlessly and innocently. "I just want you to guard those two."

    "What?"

    "Hiring security will surely not sit well with them, but if their guard is attending the same school as them, then that will feel less awkward, right?" Maxen slowly set his eyes back to Remo. "Aside from those guys fromst year, those delinquents today will surely do something. I am always with Cosette, so I''m more worried about Luke since he lives just around the area."

    "If you can move into this apartment, that''ll be better. If you can''t, find a ce that is just around the area," he continued solemnly, only to look in Luke''s direction again. "Don''t make it too obvious, though. He''s a bit sensitive and insensitive at the same time, but protects him if I''m not around. He''s very important to me."

 Chapter 218 I Did, Remo. I Did.

    "Don''t make it too obvious, though. He''s a bit sensitive and insensitive at the same time, but protects him if I''m not around. He''s very important to me."

    "Him?" Remo frowned, considering that he didn''t really have a good impression of Luke. Luke was like a child who rarely thought of what wasing out of his mouth. If Remo wasn''t staying out of trouble, he was certain he would''ve picked on him just because he was loud.

    "If you don''t want to, just tell me now." Maxen cast him a side-eye. "You might have a different impression on him, but you''ll find him tolerable if you stick with him a bit. He always worries me."

    Remo assessed Maxen, and for some reason, he just sounded like a big brother to Luke. Well, from what he had seen, Luke and Maxen seemed to have a really strong rtionship. If only he knew how these two started, he would also wonder just what sort of sorcery did Maxen do for Luke to stick to Maxen like glue.

    Little did he know, Remo was about to find out the answer soon.

    "Is that all?" Remo asked calmly. "That''s all I need to do? If someone picked on them, I''ll use this fist?"

    "No. You''ll use your reputation and scare them away. If that isn''t enough, then use those fists to defend and not to assault." Maxen yawned, pushing himself from the beanbag. "In that case, we have the upper hand if we ever need to take things to court."

    When Maxen sat down on the edge of the bed, he gazed at Remo. "Sleep some more so you can start working. I''ll send you the contract for your employment tomorrow."

    "Ohбн" Remo had no idea what Maxen was talking about because the only legal job that epted him was part-time without contracts, but he took them as they were.

    "Go. I can''t sleep first, knowing she''s sleeping with two other guys around," Maxen remarkedzily.

    "Rightбн" Remo carefullyid down, wincing.

    When he was already lying down, Maxen turned on the nightmp and walked toward the switch. Once the lights were out, he carefullyid beside Cosette. However, unlike their usual position of hugging each other, Maxen kept his distance with respect to Luke''s wishes to keep his ce at PG-13.

    Lying t on the bed, Maxen stared at the ceiling. Even though he initially felt sleepy, as it was gettingte, he couldn''t. For the next fifteen minutes, Maxen just stayed like that with his eyes on the ceiling.

    "Sleep," he said after another minute, knowing Remo was doing the same as him. "I told you, I can''t sleep before you."

    "I throw my fists so easily, but I never vite girls."

    "Still, sleep."

    Another minute of silence followed Maxen''s remark.

    "Oy, Max бк"

    "Should I kick you?" Maxen wondered, shutting up Remo before he could even say anything. Thetter didn''t speak anymore, shutting his eyes, and eventually fell asleep. Meanwhile, Maxen raised his arm over his forehead, still wasn''t able to sleep for the next thirty minutes.

    He still kept his eyes on the ceiling, wondering why he couldn''t sleep. When he was about to stand up to do some warm-up stretching, he felt slender hands reaching out to him. His brows arched, turning his head to Cosette, only to see her smiling whilst sleeping.

    "Love love," she mumbled in her sleep, moving to him until there was no gap in between them. Cosette moaned and frowned when he didn''t hug her back.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Ahhбн'' Maxen slowly rolled to his side, slipping his arm underneath her neck. He embraced her, rubbing her back affectionately. ''I''m just used to this.''

    Maxen sniffed her hair and smiled, nting a soft kiss on top of her head. As his body rxed with her in his embrace and her warmth transferred to him, he realized that sleep required peace. Cosette was his peace, his safe haven.

    And just as expected, this time, it didn''t take long for Maxen to fall into a deep and peaceful slumber.

    *****

    [ FLASHBACK ]

    "Oy, Remo."

    Remo slowly raised his eyes at the person sitting on the bench across from him. Maxen had visited him for the first time in the juvenile. He didn''t know what Maxen want, but Remo could tell the guy looked even more depressed than thest time he saw him. It was as if Maxen was the one who was locked up instead of him.

    ? "I heard your grandfather was rushed to the hospital," said Maxen in a somber tone, keeping his eyes down.

    "So what?" Remo let out a ridiculing scoff. "Don''t tell me you came here to tell me that? I already know weeks ago, and I swear I''m itching to punch your face right now that I wasn''t there to take care of him бк"

    "Is he important to you?" Maxen cut him off in the same tone.

    "Ah?"

    "Your grandfatherбн is he important to you, Remo?" He repeated, slowly lifting his eyes to Remo.

    To Remo''s surprise, Maxen might appear depressed. However, upon seeing Maxen''s eyes, he realized that wasn''t the case. Maxen''s eyesбн were just nk, empty. He didn''t look sad or anything of the sort; it just looked like his soul had left its shell.

    "If he is important, should we transfer him to a better hospital?" Maxen asked, keeping his empty eyes at Remo. "What do you think?"

    "Oyбн did you snap already?"

    "What do you think, Remo?" Maxen ignored his question, repeating his question again. "I can do that now, you know. Just days ago, a huge amount of money was transferred to my ount. But I don''t know what to do with it. I bought a sports car, but it''s actually boring. I bought a lot of things too бк expensive ones бк and even burned a few of them."

    The side of Maxen''s lips curled up, but nothing changed in his eyes. "I don''t know what it was for бк money бк and why everyone needs so much. So, I thought of you."

    "Youбн did youбн?"

    "Mhm." Maxen rocked his head and chuckled weakly. "I did, Remo. I did. I even pulled the trigger, leaving a hole in someone''s head."

 Chapter 219 The Devils Heir

    "Mhm. I did, Remo. I did. I even pulled the trigger, leaving a hole in someone''s head."

    "Oy!" Remo aggressively leaned forward, speaking through his gritted teeth. "This isn''t the ce for you to say that!"

    "Huh?" Maxen cupped his cheek and quirked a brow. "Not the ce to say what?"

    He looked around the visitor''s area. A few inmates and their visitors were around, some police officers standing on the corners staying on their toes lest something unprecedented happen.

    "Hey, I put a bullet in someone''s head the other day!" Maxen raised his voice, catching everyone''s attention. "It was funбн a bit. It made me feel something! Will you arrest me?!"

    The inmates and their visitors looked at Maxen''s smirk with mixed emotions in their eyes. However, the officers on standby didn''t even flinch. Maxen detailed what he did, followed by a burst of misced and sinisterughter as if he was simply recalling a funny memory.

    Hearing and seeing the police''sck of reaction, Remo''s pupils dted. His eyes remained on Maxen, making his heart thud.

    ''Thisбн'' Remo''s breath hitched while all the hairs across his body raised. ''This guyбн had lost it, huh?''

    "See?" Maxen looked back at Remo after a few minutes of a goodugh, yet, even though he looked very pleased and entertained, the emptiness in Maxen''s eyes remained. "They don''t care."

    He cupped his cheekzily, waving his other hand as if to signal something. After that, a police officer yelled that the visitation was over, and dragged the young criminals back to their cell while the rest of the visitors left the area until there was just Remo and Maxen.

    "Power," Maxen remarked. "Influence, moneyбн they sound fun, right?"

    "Oy, manбн" Remo breathed out incredulously. "Did you actually lose your mind?"

    "Maybe? Maybe not. Who knows? I meanбн right now, I don''t feel anything anymore." Maxen shrugged. "But it kinda feels nice that nothing restricts me. Not the prices, not the rules, not emotions or any puny hope, and not even a fucking copбн or God."

    Remo held his breath, balling his hands into a tight fist. He wanted to leave Maxen alone as thetter was sending a chill down his spine, but he couldn''t. His body wouldn''t listen to him.

    "So? Should we transfer your old man to a better hospital?" Maxen asked, going back to their initial discussion. "Just one word from me, and he''ll receive the best treatment to extend his life."

    "Whyбн what do you want in return?" Remo breathed out, changing his question to a more direct question.

    Maxen hummed as he looked up, mulling about an answer to that question.

    "Don''t know?" he replied when he couldn''t think of anything else. "I didn''t think that far, honestly."

    "Whatбн?" A dryugh escaped Remo''s mouth.

    "I mean, maybe be my right hand? My old man said I might need to start surrounding myself with the people I can trust. You''re here because of me, so one way or another, I can trust you. If you betray me, I''d just kill you or maybe chop off your old man''s limbs right in front of you before killing you."

    Remo''s entire body trembled in anger, reaching his hand out to grab Maxen''s cor.

    "Oy!" he growled through his gritted teeth. "Say that again and I''ll fucking kill you."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What?" Maxen frowned. "You don''t need to worry about that if you don''t have ns to betray me."

    Remo''s grip on Maxen''s cor tightened. "Youбн you''ve changed."

    "Change is the only constant thing in this world, Remo. Everyone needs, uhбн character development?"

    "And yours definitely went downhill."

    "What did you expect?" Maxen smirked. "Wasn''t my life headed that way, anyway? Why are you so surprised? It''s either I will be a foot soldier and a pawn, or be the boss. I''m lucky. My old man is someone who already had a strong footing in the underground. Why waste this sort of opportunity, when in fact, this was the only opportunity that came into my life?"

    Remo wasn''t a good guy, but he definitely knew Maxen had just be a hundred times worse than him. But who was he to judge? Their livesбн only had a bleak future. Right now, if someone asked Remo what he would do once he was out of here, he didn''t know because he didn''t have any concrete ns.

    Remo just wanted to earn a lot of money so he could support his grandfather''s medical needs. But knowing at his age and with his records, no job that would pay well would ept someone like him. Just thinking about it seemed like his life was hopeless and a waste. The sheer thought of it was too heavy for anyone to carry.

    Remo kept his eyes at Maxen''s eyes and carefully released him when he had calmed down.

    "Can you get me out of here?" he asked, and Maxen nodded.

    "Of course." Maxen''s smirk remained, just like the emptiness in his eyes. "Prepare your grand reunion with your old man. You''ll be leaving this ce in a week."

    Remo lowered his eyes, linking his hands over the table that was separating him and Maxen. His expression didn''t show any sign of relief, knowing he just sold himself to the devil''s heir, walking to hell on his own two feet.

    "Hey," Maxen called, waiting for Remo to lift his eyes at him before he spoke. "Don''t be sad. You''ll get used to it. Smile for me, yes?"

    "I want to see him once I get out of here."

    "Don''t worry." Maxen chuckled, pushing himself to stand up. "I''ll give you plenty of handsome rewards and day offs. Your old man isn''t getting any older, yeah? I''m not that heartless."

    "Anyway, I''ll see you in a week." He turned his back on Remo, waving indifferently. But just as Maxen walked past a police officer standing on the side, he stopped.

    Maxen looked at him from head to toe and then pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "Oy, will you just let me go even when I said I killed someone?"

    The police officer didn''t respond, but he looked Maxen in the eye. Remo couldn''t tell what irked Maxen, and the next thing he knew, Maxen snatched the police officer''s baton and beat the police with it.

    "Aishбн where the fuck is justice here, eh?!" Maxen spat saliva at the police officer, bleeding on the ground, clicking his tongue in irritation. He tossed the baton and nced back at Remo''s paleplexion, only to offer him a smile as if he didn''t just beat a police officer inside this ce.

    "Next week." Maxen waved and then looked away,unching another kick at the police officer before he left, just like that.

    "That guyбн" Remo mumbled, his eyes falling on the police officer on the ground. "... really lost it."

    That day, Remo feared Maxen for the first time since meeting him. And that day, Remo knew his life will be filled with nothing but violenceбн and he wasn''t wrong, because as soon as the following week rolled in, Maxen picked him up and Remo''s life was forever changed: at first, for money, but then, for loyalty.

 Chapter 220 Sorry!

    [ PRESENT TIME ]

    The next morningбн

    Maxen and Cosette were kneeling on the bed with their heads down, hands on theirp, while Luke was walking back and forth beside the bed. Luke was fuming, almost hysterical, early in the morning.

    "Geezбн it''s not like it''s a sin to hug each other! It was coldst night!" Cosette yelled, erupting in frustration after listening to Luke''s preaching early in the morning.

    "Hah!" Luke scoffed, cing his hands on his hips. "It''s not a sin, yes! But this is my ce, so it''s my house, my rules policy! Also, since when have you been defiling Maxen, hah!?"

    "Vio бк wowбн I''m speechless."

    "Maxen barely has space to sleep бк"

    "That''s your fault! Who told you to hog that sofa bed all for your own, hah?!" Cosette huffed, ready to pounce on Luke to settle this argument once and for all. However, even before she could reach her boiling point upon hearing Luke''s nonsense rebuttal, Maxen nted his hand on the back of her head.

    "Luke has a point. This ce is his, and we should''ve adhered to his rules." He carefully guided her head to bow. "It won''t happen again. I apologize."

    Luke huffed. "It''s not you who should apologize, but that witch."

    Cosette red at him, only for Maxen to lower her head ahead. She clicked her tongue in irritation, pouting when Maxen told her to apologize.

    "Sorry!" came out an insincere apology."

    "Hah! Max, did you hear that?" Luke gasped with his hand across his chest. "Did she apologize or does it trante to I will kill you?"

    "Goshбн why is he so annoying?" Cosette grumbled in irritation. "I already said I''m sorry, alright? But you should apologize too! How can you say I was defiling Max, huh? This is nder!"

    "Weren''t you? He was sweating all over, but you keep squeezing yourself into him! He couldn''t even move anymore because he''ll fall over the bed! If that is not maniption, I''m sure that''s not love either!"

    "What did you say?"

    Maxen let out a shallow breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose, listening to their bickering and how it slowly drifted to calling each other ugly. Meanwhile, Remo, who moved to the corner after getting woken up by Luke''s loud voice, watched how their morning unfold.

    ''It''s a good thing I fell asleepst night,'' Remo thought, cing his hand over his shoulder to see if he could move them. He only adjusted it slightly before he winced because of how stiff they were. ''Those guys really didn''t hold back.''

    A deep exhale slipped past his lips before lifting his eyes to the three of them. He bore a poker face from the beginning until the end. They only stopped when Maxen got angry and the two were scolded like children. At first, they kept pointing their fingers at each other, only to stop upon sensing Maxen''s growing anger.<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the end, Luke and Cosette ended up kneeling on the bed while Maxen was standing beside the bed to lecture the two about their temper. All Remo could do was shake his head and watched how the two obediently made the bed and then prepared their breakfast.

    The breakfast was Cosette''s duty, and shepleted it efficiently. Luke''s task was to do some cleaning fromst night''s mess while Maxen helped with whatever he could. After they had breakfast, they took turns in using the bathroom since they didn''t have time to idle.

    Cosette came first and then Luke. Maxen was thest. Remo also had breakfast since Maxen served him, telling him not to move around and to focus on recovering. Remo didn''t argue with him and swallowed his pride, watching the three walk back and forth as they prepared their things for school.

    Remo didn''t have such a busy morning. He would just wake up and shower before going to school. Hence, watching the three slightly tired him out; the effects of the medicine he had taken after the meal were also making him sleepy.

    "Will we just leave him here?" Cosette asked once she finished preparing, standing near the dining table where her bag was ced.

    Maxen was also standing near the table, putting some notes inside.

    "Yes," he replied, and then set his eyes on Luke, who was sitting on the beanbag while wearing his socks. "That''s fine with you, right? Luke?"

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "Ahhбн" Luke raised his head at Maxen, and then at Remo in the corner. "Yeah. I don''t think he has the energy to trash my ce. Even if he does, I''ll beat the hell out of him."

    "Ohhбн" Cosette rocked her head and then picked up her bag. "If you''re hungry, I already made lunch. Just reheat them."

    "There are also snacks over that drawer," Luke added as he slowly stood up, pointing a finger at the drawer in the kitchen. "If you''re bored, you can use the television. Just don''t smoke in here or lie down on the bed."

    Remo darted his eyes between Cosette and Luke as the two reminded him of many things he didn''t expect. After a couple of minutes, the three бк Maxen, Cosette, and Luke бк took their things and walked away to go to school.

    But before they left, the three looked back at him. They didn''t say anything and just looked at him strangely. He didn''t know if the source of their reluctance was because Remo was someone who wasn''t close to them, and they couldn''t trust him in this ce, or something else.

    Either way, Remo didn''t find out as they left.

    Silence slowly dominated the unit, and Remo kept his eyes on the shut door. The ce was small, but it was properly renovated to be afortable ce to live in. Even though Remo was the only person in this ce, he still didn''t want to move around or touch things.

    ''What a bunch of weirdos,'' he thought, looking around the silent ce. ''How can they just leave me alone in this ce?''

    Remo shook his head, realizing why Maxen was worried about Cosette and Luke. Those two were just too trustful. Although they were annoying and very loud with their nonstop bickering, there was nothing to hate about them.

    "A bodyguard, huh?" he mumbled as he carefullyid t on his back, eyes on the ceiling. He raised his hand and flexed his fingers, examining the visible scars on it. "Can Iбн really use these hands for something good?"

 Chapter 221 What On The Back?

    "Ughбн my brain was fried!" Fay intoned as she melted on her desk.

    "Fay, didn''t you study?" Amie looked back at her after putting her things inside her bag. "We studied together because Cozie said she would take school seriously. Who knows? She might jump from the worst section to the first section."

    "Of course!" Fay suddenly sprung up, sitting upright. She then turned to Cosette. Fortunately, Luke, who was sitting between Fay and Cosette, went to the restroom when the school bell rang for lunch. "I''m sure I got good grades! I mean, we reviewed everything that covers the test!"

    Cosette flinched at Fay''s enthusiasm. She had studied with them whenever she was in school, and then with Maxen. Although she felt a little guilty because she would just usually flirt with him whenever they n to review. Fortunately, reviewing with the girls and their crammingst night paid off.

    Cosette had to admit, though. The exam wasn''t that tough. She had studied and was an exemry student in her previous life. But she wouldn''t do well if she didn''t refresh her memory.

    "Yes." She smiled at Fay as she slowly stood from her chair to move the desk so they could eat together. "Especially the one on the back."

    "What back?"

    Cosette froze, looking back at Fay. "The on the back of the test paper."

    "My godбн! You didn''t know?" Amie gasped, watching how Fay''splexion turned white as a sheet of paper.

    "Until now, you don''t check?" Sarah chuckled while shaking her head, moving her desk until it was connecting to Cosette''s desk. She then raised her eyes at Cosette and then sighed, shifting her attention to the listless Fay. "I reminded you many times since this had been a bad habit of yours."

    "Ughhбн!" Fay sped her hair in distress before her upper body copsed on the desk. Amieforted her with food as she brought her lunchbox.

    When Luke returned, he sat down in his chair with the desk already connecting. At this point, he was already used to their routine every lunchtime. As he sat down, he darted his eyes between Cosette, and Sarah, and then at the depressed Fay, before gazing at Amie.

    "Errбн did I miss something?" he asked, but the three only gazed at him and sighed deeply. So, Luke had to look at Maxen, and thetter simply shrugged.

    "Rightбн Max is useless to gossip," he mumbled, shaking his head. "Hey, are we keeping secrets now? Why the hell is this girl dead?"

    "She''s not dead, Luke." Cosette rolled her eyes.

    "Wellбн" Sarah cleared her throat as her eyes fell on Fay. "... she is about to."

    "See?" Luke scrunched his nose up at Cosette and then set his eyes on Fay. "Seriously, if I see her like this the first time, I will call the police to let them know there''s a corpse here."

    "My life is falling apartбн" Fay dramatically muttered, her eyes unfocused. "Whyбн am I so unlucky?"

    "What?" Luke frowned, only to raise his head when Amie kindly exined to him what happened.

    "Apparently, Fay didn''t notice the questions on the back," Amie exined with a deep sigh. "That''s why she''s like this."

    "What on the back?" Luke asked, confused.

    Cosette, Sarah, Amie, and even Maxen looked back at him nkly.

    "The ones on the back?" Cosette replied. "Youбн didn''t see it?"

    "There are questions on the back?"

    "..."

    Just like Fay, Luke gasped and grabbed his hair in distress, yelling, "why the hell would they put questions on the back?!"

    In the end, Luke also copsed his upper body on the desk. His expression was just as white as Fay''s; both of them bore nk and lifeless eyes. Meanwhile, Cosette, Sarah, Amie, and Maxen weren''t able to say a word.

    All they could do was stare at the two corpses with them. Cosette was aware of the reason Luke didn''t check the back. They came from the most prestigious academy, and it was rare for them to put questions on the back of the test paper. If the academy did so, that was mostly a test to see if their students were alert enough.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Come on, guys." Cosette put down her cutlery when she couldn''t take it anymore. "It''s not the end of the world yet. It''s just a recap test regarding our lessonsst year, so it''s not like a few unanswered questions will do anything to affect our grades."

    She huffed. "There were still many exams and if we did well, we will all have good grades, right? You shouldn''t let this kill your spirit! Just do better next time."

    "That''s right." Sarah nodded in agreement. "There were still many exams we will have, homework, exercises, and projects. The school year is just starting and we still have many months."

    "Fay, Luke, cheer up. If you don''t eat, how are you supposed to answer the testter?" Amie rubbed her hand on Fay''s back. "Even soldiers needed to eat to have the strength to fight. You should eat. Sarah and Cozie were right. We still have many things to do to actually have good grades."

    Luke and Fay listlessly darted their eyes between the three of them. Both of them sighed at the same time, setting their eyes back to the nothingness. The three who were trying to cheer them up let out a deep exhale.

    Their attempt to make the two feel better didn''t work. A part of them already figured this type offorting wouldn''t work with how Luke and Fay''s brains were wired.

    "I didn''t notice the questions on the back."

    Suddenly, Maxen, who rarely talked with the girls around, spoke. He was looking at Luke and Fay with his ssic emotionless expression. He blinked and then carefully rested his upper body on his desk. He already finished his lunch and put it to the side.

    "I''m sad," Maxen imed monotonously.

    "What?" Amie whispered, watching Maxen copy the two. Meanwhile, Sarah and Cosette just furrowed their brows.

    After a minute, Luke and Fay sniffed. Upon hearing their sharp sniffles, Amie, Sarah, and Cosette returned their attention to the two. As soon as they did, they cocked their heads as the ashen expression and their nk eyes were now teary.

    Both Luke and Fay stared at Maxen with teary eyes, chewing their lower lip. If Cosette didn''t know, she would mistake these two as twins. Their personality was uncannily the same; they were like kids.

    "Maxenбн" Luke and Fay called with shaking voices. "... he''s the only one who understands."

    "Don''t worry, Max! We can do better next time!" Luke suddenly straightened his back and mmed his hand against the table. "You do not have to feel sad!"

    "That''s right!" Fay eximed, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes. "We can still do better! The exam is just a recap test, and we can make up on them if we do better next time!"

    "We''ll do better next time, for sure!" Luke repeated, cheering Maxen up.

    "This is like being a protagonist, Max! In the first half of the fight, the protagonist always gets beaten up first, but they emerge victorious!" Fay added.

    "Don''t let this kill your spirit. This good brother will surely be responsible next time and remind you to check the back of the test paper!"

    Cosette, Sarah, and Amie couldn''t help their face from contorting. They watched Luke and Fay cheer up Maxen, whose nk expression didn''t change. Almost everything that came out of Fay and Luke''s mouths was the advice the three said, yet they were now using them to cheer up the obviously not sad Maxen.

    The three of them looked at each other, rendered speechless. They shook their heads in disbelief, unable to say a single word.

    In the end, Luke and Fay still ate as if they had starved. They wasted their time wallowing, and they had to eat quickly before the bell rings again.

    When the teacher for their first subject in the afternoon came in, silence filled their ssroom. Everyone stayed focused on the test papers. Luke and Fay were both on fire, checking each corner of the test paper. No one would worry about them not noticing any question, but it was worrying how they answered so quickly as if they were racing.

    Meanwhile, Maxen, who was taking his exam leisurely, nced at Cosette. He was cupping his cheek, studying how she diligently read the questions and answered calmly. He wasn''t lying when he said he didn''t notice the questions on the back, but his im of being sad about it was a total bluff.

    His brows rose when Cosette suddenly paused in answering, biting the tip of the pencil as she kept her eyes focused on the test.

    ''She looks sexy when she''s like this,'' he thought suddenly,paring how Cosette was different in every situation. He liked her every personality, but her serious mode seriously was one of his favorites. ''She inspires me to do better.''

    A bright smile turned up on his face as he set his eyes back on the test. This time, he answered the questions diligently and wondered which question she found difficult in answering. He didn''t find any questions that could be hard for Cosette.

    If only he noticed how Cosette devilishly grinned and the mischief in her eyes when he peeled his eyes from her, he would definitely figure out she was simply giving a pleasant sight for him to enjoy.

 Chapter 222 The Conclusion

    Time quickly passed by just like any other day. Luke and Fay stayed motivated throughout, while Sarah, Cosette, and Amie tried their best to ignore the two. It was good they wanted good grades, and criticizing their enthusiasm wasn''t an appropriate reaction from a dear friend.

    However, that was proven to be a challenge throughout the day. Fortunately, the three managed until they separated from the school gates.

    As Sarah, Fay, and Amie were walking home, Amie couldn''t help but voice out their curiosity.

    "It''s good that Luke is back on track," said Amie, ncing at Sarah, who was walking beside her. "But since when did Luke and Maxen on good terms? Weren''t they fighting over Cosette back then?"

    Sarah''s face stiffened. Rightбн no one knew yet, she thought.

    A bright smile turned up on Sarah''s face as she faced the curious Amie.

    "They''ve always been together since they were always stuck with Cozie," Sarah answered, trying her best to conceal the fact that Maxen and Cosette had made it official. "You know how Luke was. He might be loud and a little insensitive at times, but he''s a good person. Maxen was the quiet type, but I''m sure it''s a mix of a good dynamic."

    "A good dynamic?" Amie looked up as she imagined how Luke and Maxen were. "Well, make sense."

    Sarah secretly heaved a sigh of relief when Amie nodded. No one had ever noticed the gradual change in Maxen and Luke''s rtionship. After all, those two had started off on the wrong foot. Luke transferred to school because of Cosette, but Maxen was always stuck with Cosette бк or what it appears like бк not knowing it was actually Cosette who stuck with Maxen like glue.

    "But did Luke stop pursuing Cozie?" this time, the distracted Fay finally joined their world, since gossip was much more interesting than stressing over her score on their tests.

    "That''s right. I remember Luke used to woo Cosette like a madman." Amie nodded, recalling the time when Luke showered Cosette with daily gifts and flowery words every single day. But now, Luke was more tamed. "Now that I think about it, his rtionship with Cozie somehowбн looked more strange."

    "Like a guy best friend?" Fay gazed at Amie, only to shake her head. "It''s more like Luke got tired of chasing after Cozie, but ended up falling in love with Maxen."

    "What?" Sarah gasped incredulously, looking at Fay and then at Amie.

    "You think so too?" asked Amie, rendering Sarah speechless while making Fay nod.

    "It''s obvious! I mean, I''ve read a considerable amount of BLs and not all protagonists were into the same gender." Fay shrugged as if she was already convinced at the conclusion she had in her head. "Who knows? While pursuing Cosette, Luke and Maxen somehow developed feelings for each other! You know, Cozie. She''s nice to everyone, but others mistake her kindness for something else. It''s a good thing she knew how to refuse and say ''no.'' So, I will not be surprised if she rejected Luke and Maxen while the two were having a drink to wash down their heartache."

    "And then their eyes met and felt vulnerable?" Amie sped her hand excitedly, imagining the scene of Maxen and Luke, both intoxicated, and how they felt this sudden attraction as they looked into each other''s eyes.

    Fay nodded, walking with her arms crossed. "You know what happens when that magical pull happens."

    "Kyah!!"

    Listening to their conversation, Sarah carefully pinched the bridge of her nose. She loved her friends, but sometimes, she couldn''t help but wonder if they were still in their sound minds. How could they conclude that Maxen and Luke ended up together instead of one of them capturing Cosette''s heart? It would even make more sense if Maxen and Luke gave up, or simply got rejected by their dearest Cosette, or got friend-zoned.

    Sarah sighed, casting the invested Amie and Fay as they exchanged conclusions about how Maxen and Luke realized their feelings for each other, a look. They already even thought of a scene where those two guys were holding back from confessing their feelings and had this strange secret affair no one knew about.

    ''I feel sorry for them,'' Sarah mumbled internally, letting out a deep exhale. ''But Cozie and Max wanted to keep things a secret for now. Soбн''

    Sarah looked away and shook her head, listening to how far Amie and Fay''s wild imagination could take this plot in their heads.

    ******

    Meanwhileбн

    "Achoo!" Luke shivered and rubbed his shoulders on his way home.

    "Are you okay?" asked Cosette as she nced at him.

    They were on their way to Luke''s apartment to idle. She told her driver to pick them up before dinner, so they have plenty of time to y around in Luke''s ce. Still, their reason for that was because of what happened yesterday. It was also the same reason they were taking the long route, lest those delinquents nned to ambush them with their buddies.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I feel like someone is talking about me." Luke shook his head and snapped his tongue. "I know I am handsome and they can''t help talking about me, but damnбн it feels ominous."

    "Gosh." Cosette shook her head, scrunching her nose up at his confidence. However, her expression changed when she turned her head to Maxen. "Max, are you okay? You look a bit pale."

    Maxen slowly looked back at her. "I feel a bit strange," he said, causing her steps to slow down.

    "Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked worriedly, looking at him from head to toe. Luke had also set his eyes on Maxen with how worried Cosette sounded.

    "No, I am not hurt anywhere." Maxen held her hand carefully. "But I feel strange."

    "What do you mean, strange?" she returned.

    "I can''t describe it."

    "Strangeбн like someone is badmouthing you or something?" Luke guessed, watching how the two look back at him.

    "Something like that, but more like, instead of cursing me, they were saying something weird."

    "Damnбн" Luke gasped. "Same, bro. Same. Oh, my goodness. I suddenly feel scared of my life. Is someone trying to voodoo me or something?"

    "Don''t know." Maxen shrugged.

    Cosette looked to her left and then to her right. "Is someone pairing you up again?" she wondered, causing their steps to halt, their expression horrified.

    "What?" she asked, stopping after taking two steps ahead before looking back. "I mean, you two don''t look so bad."

    She raised a finger and pointed at Maxen and then at Luke. "A perfect top and bottom," she giggled, just ying around since she knew this topic was something the three of them didn''t want. Although she used to like it before about Maxen and Luke, she didn''t want to share Maxen anymore. Still, it was nice ammo to tease Luke.

    "Oy, Cosette," called Luke under his breath, but before he could reveal what sort of emotions he felt, Cosette chuckled.

    "You don''t have to be shy, Luke. We''ll be rivals~! And I''ll make sure to crush you!" she giggled before skipping her steps away.

    "That little devil бк!" Luke ground his teeth, watching her back as she skipped happily after getting on his nerves. "Oy, Cosette! Don''t let me catch you or I''ll surely drag you to the temple to clean that dirty brain of yours!"

    "Waha! Don''t be so defensive, Luke. It''s fine to be a bottom~!"

    "Youбн!" Luke cracked his fingers as he took gigantic steps to follow her and correct the wires of her brain.

    Meanwhile, Maxen just watched Cosette skip her steps whileughing evilly and Luke stomping his feet to follow her. He let out a deep exhale, but then subtly smile watching Cosette tease Luke, and Luke trying to catch her to butcher her alive.

    In Maxen''s eyes, no matter how Luke and Cosette bantered, they still have a strong friendship like no other. He might be aware that Luke still had lingering feelings for Cosette, but Maxen was certain Luke was growing even more mature now.

    The three of them, although unnned, had a good rtionship with a strong foundation. Cosette might be his lover, but she was also his best friend. Luke might used to be his rival and also the reason Maxen was now in the c mansion бк because of Maxen''s insecurities back then бк had be a great friend and ally.

    "I''m sure she''ll go to meterining about how annoying he was, when, in fact, she''s the one who teased him first." Maxen sighed once again, but the side of his lips curled up into a smile. "Cozie! Watch your step!"

    "La~!" Cosette seemed to not hear Maxen as she continued to hum whilst teasing Luke. When thetter got closer, she let out a shrieked and picked up her pace.

    "Reallyбн" Maxen shook his head, following the two as Cosette and Luke''s voices filled the street.

    Little did they know, a ck sedan stopped at the end of the street they came from, which had been following them since they left school.

 Chapter 223 When His Heart Remembers His Deep Regrets

    When they arrived at Luke''s apartment, Remo was still in the same spot. Remo was just leaning against the wall, flexing his fingers carefully, and simply checking if he could move around a bit. His body still felt sore and weak, but Remo was too used to a fistfight that this level of strength was enough for him to endure whatever he had to endure.

    "Wowбн are you made of steel or are you a descendant of superman?" asked Luke, sitting on the beanbag.

    "How can you move as if you rested for an entire month?" Cosette added, perching on the other bean bag. When they arrived, they instantly idled on each bean bag while Remo remained silent. When Maxen excused himself to make a call, both Cosette and Luke''s attention naturally fell on their patient.

    Remo snapped his eyes up at them, opening and closing his hand. His lips opened and closed, but no words came out. He didn''t know what to tell them or how to talk to them, honestly.

    "Luke, do you think he now has the energy to bully us?" Cosette shifted her eyes to Luke, her voiceced with genuine curiosity.

    "Who knows?" Luke shrugged. "Oy, did you recover well that you can bully us now?"

    "Why would I bully you?" asked Remo with a deep frown. His voice was deep and mature, fitting for his huge stature and bulky physique. "Did you cross me to make me want to crush your heads on the ground?"

    "Goshбн" Cosette and Luke shivered, rubbing their shoulder. "... so scary!"

    Remo clicked his tongue in irritation. But after spending a night with these two buffoons бк and knowing he had too many days to spend with them бк this was how they were. They were still children most of the time.

    "I''m staying out of trouble. So you don''t have to worry." Remo let out a shallow breath, shaking his head mildly. "Even though there were many things to break on your faces, I won''t."

    Cosette and Luke looked back at him incredulously. Sensing there was some level of sincerity in the big bully''s im, they didn''t run away and stayed still.

    "Why are you staying out of trouble, though?" asked Cosette out of in curiosity. "I was expecting you to bully me."

    Remo snapped his eyes at her and let out a dryugh. "Why? Because you were bribing some fools to beat me up?"

    "You''re bribing someone to beat him up?" Luke gasped at Cosette, making thetter roll her eyes.

    "I did it because I was worried about Max, alright?" Cosette crossed her arms. "This guy used to bully Max, so I want to teach him a lesson. It''s just so happened he didn''t take the bait."

    "Wowбн what a cruel girl."

    "Hey, don''t you dare look at me as if I''m the only one who nned to mess with the school bullies." Cosette frowned, looking at Luke dead in the eye. "Have you forgotten? You were plotting something."

    Luke pressed his lips into a thin line, and his eyes slid to the corner. She wasn''t wrong. Initially, Luke was nning to mess with those delinquents by befriending them. However, he changed his mind for a deep reason.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "See? You''re not any better than I am." Cosette clicked her tongue in irritation before shifting her attention to Remo. "So? Why are you staying out of trouble?"

    Hearing this, Luke also shifted his attention to Remo. He was also curious. Based on the reports he gotst year, this guy and hisckeys used to bully Maxen. He also heard many bad things about them. Staying out of trouble wasn''t definitely Remo''s style.

    Remo darted his eyes between the two and noticed the curiosity in their eyes. He opened his mouth to give them an unsatisfactory answer, but then shut his mouth again. Remo had to weigh the situation first, and intimidating these two wouldn''t benefit him in any way бк especially with the job Maxen hired him to do.

    "I promised my grandpa," Remo answered quietly, looking away from them. "My grandfather is the only person I have. He used to scold me whenever Ie home with a bruise, yet, he still tends to them. He was devastated when I got arrested, yet hees to visit me every single day."

    His eyes softened as he gazed at his hands, smiling subtly and bitterly at the thought of his grandfather.

    "But then, one day, he didn''te. Apparently, he was rushed to the hospital because of his medical condition. God knows how much I wanted to go to him that day, but how can I? I was locked up inside," Remo let out a deep huff as he cleared his throat. "So when I got out and went straight to him, I promised him I will stay out of trouble and listen to his advice. Soбн I want to stay out of trouble and be a person he can be proud of."

    "In that case, he wouldn''t me himself again. You know. My old man always mes himself whenever I hurt someone, when, in fact, he doesn''t raise me incorrectly. My decisions were mine; it has nothing to do with him. But wellбн I guess that''s just how he is."

    When Remo raised his head, his brows furrowed. He darted his eyes between Cosette and Luke, seeing them sniffing hard while staring at him with teary eyes.

    "What?" he asked.

    "My goshбн you are such a bad person," said Cosette with a shaking voice.

    "Manбн" Luke sniffed hard. "... I didn''t think you have such a good grandpa, and your reason is this valid."

    Cosette and Luke''s shaking voices turned into sobs, and when Maxen returned inside, he stopped at the entrance. Maxen cocked his head to the side, staring at Cosette and Luke, kneeling in front of Remo. Those two were crying, speaking in between their sobs, holding Remo''s hand, and patting them gently.

    Remo slowly raised his eyes at Maxen and mouthed, ''help,'' but Maxen pretended he didn''t see that silent call for help as he silently leaned against the wall. Maxen folded his arms under his chest, smiling.

    For reasons unknown, Maxen felt strangely relieved that he had hired Remo. Maxen didn''t know why, but Maxen felt like he owed Remo something. This feeling wasn''t unfamiliar. It was the same feeling he had for Luke.

    Perhaps it was because Maxen never thought he could dream of something good or better than good. Or maybe this strange feeling lingering strongly in Maxen''s heart was because of something else. Either way, with the life they had, Maxen and Remo knew their options were limited бк or none at all. But now, they could breathe a bit, live a bit, and just be young, even for a moment.

    And knowing there was an option for a righteous path, Maxenбн was thankful and relieved. That was all thanks to Cosette.

 Chapter 224 Life Was Tiring, WasnтАЩt It?

    Remo only stayed in Luke''s apartment for three nights, and for those days and nights, he somehow got used to Cosette and Luke''s usual banter, their routine, and how they do their housework seriously. Maxen and Cosette didn''t stay over at the apartment after their first night, but they would leavete.

    So, Luke and Remo got some little time to bond or talk. It was only casual talk before they sleep, and Remo, somehow, saw Luke in a different light. Luke might be a little childish around Cosette, and overprotective of Maxen because it seemed Luke had viewed Cosette as a witch who was preying upon Maxen.

    But whenever Luke was alone, he got this solemn look on his face. He didn''t look anything silly, or anything immature at all. What surprised Remo the most was once Cosette and Maxen leave, Luke would mostly read stuff until he would fall asleep.

    They wouldn''t even watch the television, even though Luke would turn it on lest Remo was just shy to watch something. Remo wasn''t into watching anything, but he had nothing to do. Still, while watching, he would constantly peek at Luke, only to see the guys still reading or falling asleep.

    When the weekend rolled in, Maxen and Cosette came early. They arrived just when Luke was staring at the nothingness because he had just woken up. Fortunately, Cosette brought a ton of food and side dishes, so they had breakfast together.

    That was the first time Remo had joined the three to eat at the dining table. They were sensitive and wanted Remo to restpletely for the past few days; it helped Remo, though. His body was still a bit sore, but Remo could even punch a guy and send him flying. He was that unbelievably strong.

    The breakfast was obviously filled with Cosette and Luke''s chattering; Maxen and Remo were silent. Although Maxen would throwments here and there. Hence, the breakfast didn''t feel just as awkward as Remo expected it to be.

    "Ahhбн I''m so full бк ah!" Luke red back at Cosette after she kicked his feet while hezed on the beanbag. "What is wrong with you?"

    "Are you going toze around like that?" Cosette folded her arms under her chest, standing in front of Luke. "Remrem is getting discharged today."

    "Wowбн did you think this is a hospital?" Luke scoffed. "Of course I know he''s going home today."

    Cosette shook her head. "He will visit the hospital. Maxen and I will go with him. Won''t you go?"

    "Why would I go?"

    "Tch!"

    "Ah!" Luke winced, hugging his knee as she kicked it again with strength this time. "This girlбн!"

    "What?" Cosette raised her chin, hands on her hips. "Get up now and take a bath. We don''t have forever to wait for you."

    "Geez!" Luke ruffled his hair in irritation. "Fine!"

    When Luke got up to his feet and stood in front of her, he let out a dry scoff. "Cozie, are you a dictator or what? Goshбн why can''t you cut me some ck бк Max, this girl is bullying me again!" he then pointed at her and searched for Maxen, only to see thetter doing the dishes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen just looked back at them and blinked. "I''m treating Cozie to lunch. You should go too, Luke. I want to treat you two somewhere."

    "Max''s treating us out?!" Luke gasped, while Cosette scrunched her nose up.

    "Don''t go if you don''t want to, alright? So it''ll be a date for just the two of бк" her expression instantly died when a strong gust of wind blew past her as Luke hurriedly rushed to the bathroom. "That''s what I thoughtбн"

    Maxen let out a chuckle, seeing her dead expression. He told Cosette about his n yesterday, and she threw a huge fit when he said he wanted to take Luke with them. Yet, she was still the one who told Luke about it.

    "Cozie,e. Help me out here," he called, snapping her back to her senses.

    "Okayбн" Cosette sighed and skipped her steps to help Maxen with the dishes.

    Meanwhile, Remo was still in one of the chairs around the dining table quietly. He had already finished putting his stuff back inside his bag. He didn''t have many things with him aside from his bag and his uniform, a bit of clothes Maxen bought for him. So, now that Luke was in the shower and Cosette and Maxen were doing the dishes, he didn''t know what to do.

    "Ummбн" Remo cleared his throat to get Maxen and Cosette''s attention. "Do you want me to do anything to help?"

    "Just stay there and rest more," said Maxen monotonously.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "That''s right. You can move now, but that doesn''t mean you should move around more than necessary. You will still have a proper checkup before you visit your grandpa," Cosette added in a knowing tone. "Just lie down there and rest. Luke is like a girl. His preparation time is longer than mine."

    Remo darted his eyes between the two of them, running his tongue across his cheeks. If this were others, he wouldn''t feel the slightest shame. Doing nothing means the boss, but with them, doing nothing felt shameful and ufortable.

    "If you want to help, then help us next time. There were still many things to work on this ce, but wait until you fully recovered," said Cosette, noticing the difort in his eyes. "Don''t me us, though. We won''t spare you бк Luke won''t."

    "That''s fine." Remo shrugged. "I have experience."

    "Then wait until then." Cosette smiled at him. "Use this time to rest бк you need lots of them. Life was tiring, wasn''t it?"

    She then faced Maxen and let out a short chuckle before she resumed drying the tes. Meanwhile, Maxen and Remo kept their eyes on her. Maxen''s eyes softened, but he didn''t say anything. Remo, on the other hand, furrowed his brows while staring at Cosette''s back.

    ''So, she doesn''t always act like a brat, huh?'' Remo thought, scratching his temple with his index. ''This girl and that guyбн are people who were full of surprises, huh?''

 Chapter 225 IтАЩmтАж Glad You Lasted This Long.

    [ FLASHBACK ]

    "Was my boy giving you a hard time?"

    Maxen turned to the old man sitting on the hospital bed. The old man had his back against the headboard, eating some grapes that Maxen brought to him. Looking at the old man, thetter had more wrinkles on his face, but his smile was just as big and bright as ever.

    "How many years has it been since the first time you came here?" the old man looked up and smiled, reminiscing the time his grandson brought this friend of his. "Five.. sixбн"

    "Eight years," Maxen corrected, resting his leg over the other. He was sitting on the chair near the floor-to-length window; his usual spot whenever he would visit this old man. "It''s been eight years."

    "Eight yearsбн haha! I lived a lot longer than I expected." The old man chuckled happily.

    "You did." Maxen''s eyes softened as he watched the old man p. "I''m d you did."

    The old man let out a shallow breath as he gazed at the dashing man. "I remember that time you do not have those inks on your body. But now, even if you''re wearing a suit, I can seek them peeking out of your cor and sleeves."

    "Do I look terrible with them?"

    "Definitely!" the old man huffed. "Each time you and Remoe, your tattoos are growing more and more. Now, you''re just covered with them. There''s no ce for more anymore!"

    "There is." Surprisingly, the short-tempered Maxen justughed it off. He then pointed at his face. "My face is still safe."

    "Mhm! This child! Do you want to give me a heart attack if you show up here with a tattoo on your face?!" the old man harrumphed. "Don''t show up in front of me if you do that or Remo!"

    "Why, old man?" Maxen cocked his head to the side. "Aren''t you being a little too cocky now? What''s wrong if I put some more tattoos on my face?"

    "Hmph! Just don''t!"

    "Why?" Maxen frowned. "Do you think we''re bad people just because we have tattoos?"

    "No." The old man''s frown deepened as he gazed at the dashing Maxen. "I am growing old, youngd. How will I recognize you if you will cover your dashing faces with inks?"

    "Oh?"

    The old man let out a shallow breath and shook his head mildly. "You boysбн don''t even think of your elders anymore. I''m already old and have terrible eyesight. I''m just d to see you two be young fine men."

    "I can now rest in peace," he added with a deep sigh of relief, but that somehow didn''t sit well with Maxen.

    "You can''t die," said Maxen, watching the old fellow look back at him.

    "I''ve lived for a long time. Don''t you want this old man to rest!?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You can''t rest just yet, grandpa. Remo had been very sensitiveter, and I don''t want to deal with his whiny ass for now."

    "Hmph! This boy just thinks of himself!"

    Maxen smiled yfully. "So, don''t die just yet, alright?"

    "Fine, fine. Goodnessбн this boy." The old man shook his head and peeked at Maxen. The moment he caught the mischievous and pleased smile on Maxen, his old heart softened.

    This boyбн from eight years ago looked truly dashing and sessful. Remo said Maxen was an heir to a very rich family, so he could afford his medical expenses. The old man would always be forever grateful to this once young boy, but deep in his heart, he cherished Maxen just as much as he treasured his own grandson.

    Maxen would constantly visit him, even without Remo, so the two of them eventually grew close. For the old man, this boy was a good man. Not because he shouldered his medical expenses, but Maxen truly had a big heart.

    If only the old man knew that because Maxen had a big heart, no one wanted it. That was why people just kept taking a piece of that heart until there was nothing left. If only he knewбн that whenever Maxen steps out of this hospital room, he wasn''t the boy he thought he was.

    "Maxen," called the old man, making Maxen''s brows raise. "Remo can be quite a piece of work. I remember when he was just a boy, he used to get in trouble."

    The old man looked away as he gazed up with a subtle smile. "He even got arrested because he was so fearless. I''m d to witness how he matured and became a good man. It''s all thanks to you." He set his eyes back to Maxen, his smile broadening.

    "You realigned his life, and I''m forever grateful to you for taking care of us."

    Maxen smiled subtly, but he didn''t feel any guilt anymore. He had long epted that he and Remo had to lie in front of his old man. After many years, Maxen had grown numb, so he didn''t have the urge to correct anymore.

    The truth would kill this man, for sure. It was better for him to think his grandson''s boss and his grandson were just doing legal business.

    "I know I said I won''t die, butбн take care of yourself, Maxen." The old man nodded weakly. "You''re not getting any younger, too. You should eat and sleep in time, and don''t overwork. If there''s only one wish I have in this world is thatбн you and Remo will enjoy life. You two should be good and watch your temper."

    How Maxen wished there was life to live.

    Maxen remained silent as the old man began to turn sentimental. But he listened to his every word and felt the sincerity in his voice. Maxen kept his eyes on the old man, smiling subtly.

    The past eight years of Maxen''s life were just pure hell.

    Out thereбн no one wanted him to live life to the fullest. They didn''t want the good Maxen. All they wanted, and all they needed, was the cruel Maxen Devilsin, the man one shouldn''t cross, and the man who was better off dead.

    But this old manбн Maxen was certain this old man was keen enough to understand there was something fishy in him. Yet, he pretended not to know a single thing and treated him kindly.

    "Grandpa," called Maxen, putting a halt to the old man''s sentiments. "I''mбн d yousted this long."

    The old man let out a weak chuckle as a reply, not knowing this would be thest time they would talk to each other.

 Chapter 226 The Old Man Was Dead.

    Months had gone by after Maxen''sst visit since he had to fly to different ces to do business. It had been his routine and schedule, and he had gotten used to this after many years. However, as they were in another country, they received a piece of heartbreaking news.

    The old man was dead.

    Maxen and Remo had to fly back the moment they heard the news. Under Maxen''s orders, they held off the preparation for the funeral so they could see the old man for onest time.

    Obviously, Remo was devastated. The old man was his only family, and he was the main reason he worked for Maxen to live a hellish life together. Although he knew his old man wasn''t getting any younger, he wasn''t ready for the loss.

    Ironic, how they lose people every single day.

    After Remo bawled his eyes out in the morgue, Maxen snuck inside in the middle of the night. Standing beside the old body of the old man, Maxen kept his eyes on the old man''s face. His wrinkles were still there, but he looked a little different from that jolly old man.

    "Boss." a man in a suit approached Maxen quietly. "I investigated the matter, and it is just as the reports say. The cause of death was natural, and there was no foul y. He is old and had been sick. Soбн"

    "Find out who killed him." Maxen cut the man off without taking his eyes off the old man.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "But boss бк"

    "Don''t give me that bullshit." Maxen''s jaw tightened as he clutched his hand into a tight fist. "Find out who did it, and bring him to me. I''m going to kill that motherfucker."

    The man in a suit pressed his lips into a thin line and lowered his head. He didn''t argue anymore, even though he knew Maxen''s order wasplete nonsense. The old man died in a cardiac arrest and had been coughing so terribly bad.

    Even so, who could me Maxen?

    Maxen might lose people every single day, but he always settles the scores. He avenges them. They don''t die in vain; Maxen would definitely send them to hell where his people could have a fistfight with their killers for eternity.

    So this lossбн Maxen had to settle the score. He had to. Even if it was impossible, he had to. Because if he didn''t release this building turmoil within, he would lose it, totally.

    When the man in a suit left Maxen in the morgue, he carefully reached for the old man''s hand. They were cold, freezing. Maxen had dealt with so many deaths that he knew the old man was dead.

    "Iбн haven''t told you," Maxen whispered, squeezing the cold hand mildly. "I met this gorgeousdy while I was out of the country."

    A thinyer of tears coated Maxen''s eyes, but no tears escaped his eyes. Perhaps, it was because crying was unfamiliar to him anymore, or maybeбн it was just that he was good at holding back his tears. Because tears in that organization meant weakness, Maxen had to grit his teeth to learn not to cry. If he didn''t, they would just hurt him again and again until everyst drop of tears in him was gone.

    "Her name was Cosette." Maxen smiled subtly. "She''s good, stunning бк the most stunning woman I''ve ever seen. She''s also very sexy and smart. I never had a good time with anyone before, but she''s different. I am mesmerized by every word she says and everything she does."

    Maxen remained quiet lest the old man would happily respond to him and nag him to bring thisdy so they could meet. Remo had a few girlfriends before, and each time he bring a new one to introduce it to the old man, Remo would only get scolded afterward.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But then, the old man would nag Maxen and ask him repeatedly when would he bring a woman with him. Maxen would justugh it off that time, knowing all the girls he met were just good for a night. But nowбн he wanted this old man to introduce ady for the first time, butбн it was impossible.

    Maxen couldn''t see the old man''s reaction anymore, but he wanted to talk to him. For onest time while holding him for onest time, staring at his face for thest time. He never thought he wanted to tell so many things to this old man until now that he couldn''t hear him.

    "I told you to not die yetбн" he whispered, bending over until his forehead was touching the cold hand he was holding. "I haven''t asked for forgiveness yet. I didn''t realign your boy''s life бк I ruined it. Remo had to kill for me, he had to use his body to take a bullet for me, and he had to suffer for me. He''s not doing well бк I am not doing well. I am breaking every fucking day."

    "How dare you die?"

    Maxen vented out the truth he had kept for many years from him, hoping this was enough to wake him up. But that was all Maxen''s wishful thinking. Even if he said many things, the old man just grew even colder and didn''t speak.

    That day, Maxen lost the only family he had. Remo stayed with him despite the fact that he no longer needed to provide funds for his grandfather''s medical needs. Maybe because Remo got used to this life and didn''t know how to start over, or because he considered Maxen his only family and a brother he wished to take care of, even when Maxen was always in the wrong.

    Together, they walked deeper into the pits of hell, bearing the guilt of lying to the old man''s face about what they actually do to keep him alive.

    [PRESENT TIME]

    Maxen watched an old man scold Remo. Thetter was sitting obediently beside the bed, his head hanging low.

    "Grandpa, don''t worry." The old man huffed before turning his head to Cosette, who was sitting on the other side of the bed with Luke. "I will surely tell you if he''s not doing good in school!"

    "I will beat the crap out of him if he gets in trouble!" Luke added, nodding reassuringly at the old man.

    "Aiya!" The old man darted his eyes between Cosette and Luke; his grandson''s "new friends."

    "So, you do not have to worry and focus on getting better, alright?" Cosette held the old man''s hand and smiled sweetly. "We got him."

    Meanwhile, Remo only nced at Cosette and Luke before he scoffed dryly. However, that short scoff was clearly heard by the three, warranting their res. Remo gulped a mouthful of saliva before he hung his head while the old man scold him again. This time, Luke and Cosette also joined, fueling the old man so he scold Remo even harder.

    Watching them from the corner, Maxen''s eyes softened.

    ''I''m thankful to see him again,'' he thought before his brows furrowed. ''Again?''

    Maxen cocked his head to the side, knowing he hadn''t seen this old man, and that sudden thought was something that somehow confused him as well. But even so, his heart felt relieved seeing Cosette, Luke, Remo, and Remo''s grandpa in one picture.

    It felt likeбн something that Maxen had always wanted to see. As if he had always pictured this from happening, and they just didn''t have a chance.

 Chapter 227 What Date Is Today?

    Maxen, Luke, and Cosette stayed in the hospital to apany Remo''s grandfather. With Cosette and Luke''s personalities, they immediately got along with the old man. Meanwhile, Remo had to endure getting ganged up by the three whenever he speak a word. In the end, Remo had to keep his mouth shut while Luke and Cosette chatted with his grandfather.

    "What are you doing here?" asked Remo as he shut the door behind him after he excused himself. His grandfather was having a good time with those two, so leaving him for a bit would be fine.

    Maxen was leaning against the wall in the corridor outside the private room. He had his arms folded under his chest, gazing at Remo as thetter leaned on the wall across from him and just right beside the ajar door.

    "I just took a call," answered Maxen to Remo. "I sent you the contract days ago. You haven''t signed it."

    "I will." Remo rocked his head, taking a peek inside, only to see his grandfatherughing with Cosette and Luke. "Tonight. I''ll hand them over to you tomorrow morningбн" he trailed off as he looked back at Maxen.

    "Should I hand them to you, or should I go to another ce to submit them?"

    "I''ll take it tomorrow. It''s easier that way."

    "Alright." Remo nodded, and then silence followed the two of them. He shoved his hands inside his pockets and cocked his head back.

    "It''s been a while since I heard himughing that loud," he said after a minute of nothing but silence, listening to his grandfather''s lively voice that was chorusing with Luke and Cosette''s. "I forgot thest time. All I remember is his silent cries."

    Maxen studied Remo as thetter sounded sentimental. He would be lying to say he wasn''t surprised how Remo actually care for someone. They didn''t have a good start, and Maxen always had this biased opinion about the guy. After all, Remo wasn''t just a jerk; he was a bully and a tyrant. He was a very scary guy.

    "I''d give up my soul to hear himugh like this." Remo set his eyes back to Maxen. The side of his lips curled resembled a smile, nodding at Maxen. "Thanks."

    "Thanks?" Maxen cocked his head to the side, arching a brow. "You don''t have to. It''s a give-and-take situation."

    "I still want to thank you." Remo let out a dryugh, looking back inside the room. His eyes softened as he watched his old man in a great mood. Even though Remo doesn''t recognize Luke and Cosette as his friends, or even Maxen, he was fine, if that was what they imed in front of his grandfather.

    It actually put his old man''s heart at ease that Remo had a new set of friends.

    "It feels a little lighter to know he''s doing wellбн he''ll keep doing well," Remo added with a faint sigh of relief.

    Maxen tilted his body to see what was going on inside. The scene was heartwarming, and knowing Cosette and Luke, Maxen was certain they were candidly having fun chatting.

    "Sometimesбн I envy those two," said Remo as he slowly looked back at Maxen. "It looks like they had no problem at all."

    "I used to envy them too." Maxen smacked his lips. "But once you stay with them a bit longer, you won''t."

    "Why?"

    "Becauseбн their character is contagious."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Said the person who was always worried about them."

    "That''s just my character." Maxen shrugged. "Considering those guys, even when I rx, I can''tpletely put my guard down. They''re all I have. So, I want to take care of them. I guess you understand that part, right?"

    "Rightбн" Remo rocked his head in understanding. "I do."

    Remo and Maxen might''ve almost grown up in the same chaotic environment, but they still have many differences. Both of them had never had the same equilibrium before. But now they have. And that was, they want to protect those who mattered to them and give them peace, even if that means the burden they carry gets heavier every passing second.

    The two of them didn''t stay that long in the hallway when the attending physician arrived to do his rounds. Maxen, Cosette, and Luke stayed over to hear what the doctor had to say. After that, they also have to leave.

    Remo stayed behind to look after his grandfather. Fortunately, Remo''s result after his check-up came out good. No broken ribs or anything. Surely, Remo was a tough guy to stay in good shape despite getting beaten up so badly. Although he had to take the prescription drugs and rest for the rest of the weekend.

    When the three reached the parking space, Cosette and Luke gasped in disbelief when the car they used to get to the hospital was different. Driver George wasn''t there anymore, and Maxen was holding the key.

    "Where did Uncle George go?" Cosette mumbled as she looked around while approaching their car.

    "I told him I''d drive from here," exined Maxen as he walked around the car to the driver''s seat. "I didn''t know he switched cars."

    "You''re driving?" Luke gasped in disbelief, standing beside Cosette, staring at Maxen over the roof of the sedan. "Aren''t youбн seventeen? Won''t you get in trouble?"

    "I got my license."

    "But you''re seventeen," Cosette pointed out, and then her eyes dted as she covered her mouth with her palm. "What date is today?"

    Maxen chuckled, seeing her expression. "I turned eighteen today, so your dad allowed me to drive. Hop in."

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m With that being said, Maxen hitched inside while Cosette and Luke were frozen on their spot.

    "Todayбн" Luke blinked, looking at Cosette''s mortified expression. "... is his birthday?"

    Cosette slowly lifted her head at Luke. Herplexion was pale as a sheet of paper. That alone was enough for Luke to get that Maxen wasn''t lying.

    "Come onбн" Maxen rolled down the window from the front passenger seat, bending over to see the two. "We still have бк"

    Maxen abruptly stopped when Cosette and Luke suddenly jumped, holding on to the door''s handle. The two of them looked at each otherpetitively, and seeing that they werepeting who would sit in the front, Maxen shook his head and let out a sigh.

    ''Not again,'' he thought as he was forced to watch Cosette and Luke fight for the front passenger seat right outside the car.

 Chapter 228 A Special Day With The Special People In His Life

    In the end, Maxen still has to intervene between Luke and Cosette when five minutes had gone by and neither back down. The result was, Maxen asked Cosette to sit in the back seat while Luke was in the front passenger seat.

    Sitting on the back, Cosette''s frown deepened. She crossed her arms under her chest, ring daggers at Luke.

    "This is so unfair," sheined. "I want to sit in the front."

    "Hehe!" Luke looked back at her and smirked devilishly. "You wish. I am Max''s first passenger."

    Her frown deepened. "Max, can we kick him out of here?"

    "You''re both my first passengers." Maxen chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road. "This is the first time I am driving without an instructor, Cozie."

    "Heh. Don''t worry, Max. Even though I am a year younger, I know how to drive. So, as a professional driver without a license, you''re doing just greatбн" Luke raised his hand, pinching the air and leaving a little gap in between. "... only if you add a bit of speed because you''re driving like an old man."

    "It''s okay to be slow. We''ll reach our destination, anyway."

    "Well, it''s your birthday." Luke shrugged and then looked back just to spite her. He let out a series of tongue clicking, shaking his head, gazing at Cosette incredulously. "I have my reasons why I don''t know Max''s birthday, but you? Goodness, Cozie. How could you?"

    Cosette opened her mouth to argue but ended up pursing her lips into a thin line. She nced at Maxen with teary eyes.

    "Iбн have no excuse!" she eximed, on the verge of crying her heart out. "I didn''t notice the date. I had been thinking about it since a few months ago, but бк this is so frustrating!"

    "Hehбн you''re really cruel," Lukemented, not a bit sorry for her this time.

    "Don''t tease her too much, Luke." Maxen cast Luke a side-eye. "She''ll really cry if you do, and I might kick you out."

    "Geez! Just when I thought you''re not biased anymore since you let me sit here."

    "He was punishing me!" Cosette dramatically wept in the backseat. "He was angry that I forgot his special day and was torturing me in the cruelest way. I''m sorry, Max. You can punish me, but not in this way!"

    Maxenughed while Luke scrunched his nose up in dismay.

    "I''m not punishing you." He nced in the rear mirror to look at her momentarily. "I asked you to sit there because it''s safer. In case we get into an ident бк hopefully not бк you''ll be safe."

    Luke gasped, cing his hand across his chest. "Maxen, are you saying it''s fine if we get into a crash since we''re both in the front?"

    "You''re an experienced driver." Maxen shrugged without casting him a look. "I will need your guidance so that won''t happen."

    "Ohбн well, that made sense." Luke nodded, while Maxen smiled. This guy was so easy to appease, and it was surprising how no one in the Quinn Family seemed to not get how simple Luke was.

    "You''re really not angry, Max?" Cosette asked, sniffing hard.

    "No." Maxen shook his head mildly. "Why would I?"

    "Wellбн" Cosette fumbled her fingers. "This is your first birthday that we''re going to spend togetherбн?"

    "Aren''t we three together?" he replied with a light tone. "Don''t cry, Cozie. It''s fine, and I prefer it this way. I am not fond of celebrating something, but if I am going to celebrate, I''d rather celebrate it with the people I fondly care about. Spending a day with you on this special dayбн makes it ten times better than a grand celebration with people I don''t know."

    "It makes sense, right?" Maxen turned to Luke and flinched a little as soon as he saw thetter''s face.

    Luke was chewing his lower lips, staring at Maxen with teary eyes. He covered his lips as she spoke.

    "You want to celebrate with me?" asked Luke with a shaking voice, moved to tears as this somehow made him feel very special. Before Maxen could reply to him, he nced at the mirror, only to see Cosette wearing the same expression as Luke.

    A shallow breath escaped Maxen''s lips as he chuckled slightly. He thought these two would prefer a grander way and find his ns too in. Even though Maxen knew them and had been with them, he couldn''t help but sometimes wonder if these two prefer it the grander way. Both Luke and Maxen were wellborn to boot. They lived an entirely different lifestyle just a year ago.

    Therefore, even though these two had always shown they were fine with mostly everything, Maxen would still reconsider their upbringing. After all, there were times Luke and Cosette''s spoiled qualities would show up.

    "Of course. You''re both very dear to me," Maxen expressed without a second hesitation, smiling genuinely, despite having his eyes on the road. "This is the first time I ever wanted to celebrate the day I was born. So, it''s also special to me."

    Luke sniffed as a little tear leaked out of his eyes. Cosette was also crying, but she was now silent.

    "Stop crying now." Maxen let out a deep exhale when ten minutes had gone by and the two were still silent. He could only hear their sniffles for the past several minutes, and it somehow made Maxen feel bad.

    Was being too open to them a bad idea? But wasn''t that his therapist advised?

    "It should be a happy day," he added, trying his best to liven up the mood. "You make me feel bad."

    "But that''s because I wasn''t ready to be appreciated!" Cosette eximed, her voice cracking in the middle. "I''m so touched I cannot stop my tears."

    "Me too! How can you say all that without a heads up?" Luke added as he cried once again just when he thought he had slowly recovered. "I didn''t even buy you a gift, and that makes it way worse!"

    Maxen shook his head but ended up letting out a chuckle. "What am I going to do with you?" he mumbled.

    He wanted to tell theming into his life was already the best present and the greatest blessing in his life. However, he figured he should just let his action speak. These two wouldn''t stop crying if he expressed those words verbally.

    ''What a good day,'' Maxen thought, letting them cry and calm down without attempting to stop them from crying. ''I don''t remember a single year in my birthdays being this bright.''

 Chapter 229 Lets Do This Again

    Maxen had to listen to Cosette and Luke''s sniffles until they reached the ce he wanted to take them. Luke and Cosette looked at each other in surprise, seeing the gigantic carnival rides from afar. The surprise in their eyes slowly twinkled like little children excited about today''s adventure.

    The three of them didn''t waste a second as they rushed to the amusement park, full of energy to try on the rides. Knowing Cosette and Luke, they didn''t bat an eye on the tamer rides as they immediately set their fiery eyes on the Insanity.

    Maxen nearly jolt when the two looked back at him with a glint in their eyes. In the end, Maxen had to deal with their screaming and crying while he maintain hisposure throughout the ride. Not just that, but he also had to hear Cosette''s questions, "does anything faze you, Max?" and Luke''s inquiry, "are you numb?"

    Fortunately, the two didn''t press on the matter as they dragged Maxen to the rollercoaster upon hearing the loud screams from a distance. As if the first ride did nothing to them, Cosette and Luke went through hell once again throughout the roller coaster ride.

    The cycle continued as they tried different rides such as the condor, drop tower, evolution, star flyer, pirate ship, and all the intense rides they could find. As they tried everything one after another without breaks, the three gradually enjoyed it as the slight fear lingering in their hearts was reced with excitement.

    They went through all the rides once more time to enjoy them to the fullest before switching to other activities the amusement park offers. They tried bumper cars, carousels, some water rides, going through a haunted house, some more arcade games, and kiddie rides.

    Although the intense rides were full of screams and high emotion, the tamer rides were full of candidughter. They went through everything without taking a pause, and the three of them enjoyed every second.

    The only time they took a break was when they finally felt hungry. Only then did they also realize the sun was about to set. So after grabbing some snacks inside the amusement park, they wanted to watch the sunset from the Ferris wheel.

    "Oh, today is very fun!" Cosette mused. Her cheeks had a shade of natural red at the high emotion and fun activities they had. "Thank you, Max. It''s your birthday, but it feels like mine."

    Luke hissed as he swallowed down the soda he was drinking. He raised a finger but was unable to say anything due to the mild brain freeze. Maxen and Cosette were sitting across from him on the Ferris wheel.

    "Don''t cry, Luke," Cosette lectured before he could recover. "This is a fun day and we''re celebrating Max''s birthday. Right, Max?"

    Maxen nodded when she cast him a look. "No more crying."

    "See?" Cosette raised her chin, proudly smiling as if she was praised before she took a bite of her hamburger. "By the way, are you having fun, Max?"

    Maxen let out a short chuckle as she fumbled with her words because she was speaking and chewing at the same time. She kept her eyes on him as she sipped from the straw.

    "Yes." He slowly raised his eyes to the window as they slowly ascend the sky. His eyes softened, catching the beautiful sunset over the horizon. "Very much."

    Cosette and Luke smiled warmly, turning their attention to the beautiful scenery in silence. Even before they stepped foot in the amusement park, their energy was already at its peak. Yet, their energy and adrenaline kept increasing with every ride.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But watching the sunset, this adrenaline and urge to ride more intense rides slowly dwindled, rxing at the sight of the orange tint with a golden undertone spread through the sky.

    "It''s so beautiful," Cosette whispered as the golden rays hit her face. Maxen''s eyes fell on her and hummed.

    "Right?" he mumbled. "So beautiful."

    Her lips stretched until the corner of her eyes creased, making Maxen smile even more. Thetter stared at her for a while before raising his eyes at the scenery once they were at the peak.

    "Iбн" Luke broke the prolonged yet peaceful silence between them. "Is it weird if I say I never went to an amusement park?"

    Luke kept his eyes on the scenery. His eyes were soft and warm, while his lips curled into a subtle smile.

    "It''s just as fun as I thought it was," he added, and then chuckled briefly. "I''m so happy."

    Maxen''s brows rose as he slowly gazed back at Luke. Thetter slowly looked back at him when he felt his gaze on him.

    "I''m not crying," defended Luke, lest Maxen would misunderstand his mellow tone. "It''s just that no one took me here because everyone is busy back there."

    Cosette looked back at Luke, and the moment their eyes met, she instantly knew he would pick on her before she does. So she spoke before him.

    "It''s not weird," she said, taking Luke off guard.

    "What did you say?"

    "It''s not weird that this is your first time in an amusement park," she rified with a shrug, looking back at the window to see the sunset again as they slowly descend. "It''s my first too," бк in this lifetime.

    "I''ve had a weird mind back then. I was obsessed with bing perfect, so going to an amusement park to have fun never crossed my head. Actually, it did, once. But I thought, ''what a waste of time,'' but actually, I was just afraid my dad will turn me down," she exined in a much lighter tone as she recalled how she usually sabotage herself even before anything could happen. "I know I can go, but it''s no fun when the people who woulde with me will be Nanny Lucia and Butler George again. If only I was aware back that my dad would drop anything in a heartbeat if I asked him, I wouldn''t have hesitated."

    Cosette looked back at them with a bright smile. "But I''m still d to achieve this first with the both of you. It''s really fun. Let''s do this again."

 Chapter 230 Happy Birthday!

    "But I''m still d to achieve this first with the both of you. It''s really fun. Let''s do this again."

    Maxen and Luke kept their eyes on her, and they didn''t feel sorry for her story. After all, Cosette spoke about it in a much lighter tone, and she clearly indicated she had resolved her own issue. Hence, they only focused on the good instead of dwelling on the bad.

    "Of course, we will," Luke smirked and cast Maxen a look. "Right, Max?"

    "Of course." Maxen rocked his head. "We will definitely do this again."

    The corner of Luke''s lips stretched from ear to ear until his even teeth were showing. His reason might be why he never went to an amusement park before might bepletely different from Cosette''s. But one way or another, it was also simr.

    It wasn''t that they couldn''t go to such a ce or they couldn''t afford it. It was just that, Luke and Cosette simply wanted to go to this ce with the special people they wanted to bond with. And apparently, Asher and Maynard were too busy making money, and Luke was just as terrified to get rejected as always.

    Still, this experience was worth remembering. Luke had fun just as much as Maxen and Cosette, and he was grateful to have spent this day with them.

    "Ah!" Luke suddenly pped as he remembered something. His abrupt action startled Cosette, while Maxen looked back at him with raised brows.

    "Ugh бк the camera!" Luke yelled, pointing at Maxen''s pocket. "We didn''t take pictures!"

    "Oh!" Cosette gasped.

    In the midst of their busy hopping from rides to rides, Maxen bought a digital camera to capture each moment. They had been taking pictures here and there. Some were good while others were just chaotic. But that wasn''t the point. Before going up to the Ferris wheel, they said they would take pictures once they were at the peak. Obviously, they were already going down, and even if they ride again, the sun would have set.

    "Oh noбн" Cosette frowned. "... it was so beautiful and it''s a shame we didn''t take a picture of it."

    Maxen turned on the camera and saw it was nearly low in battery. They would have to buy another set of batteries for it to work.

    "Well." Maxen lifted his eyes at the two who were already frowning. "It''s not like today is thest day the sun will rise and set. The camera is already dying, but we can take a few more."

    He raised the camera and smiled. "Should we take a picture together instead?" he proposed.

    Luke and Cosette looked at each other. When they looked back at him, they nodded in agreement. With that being said, Maxen extended his arm while they leaned closer together. Since Cosette was just sitting right beside Maxen, she only needed to nt her hands on his shoulder. She perked up until her chin was resting on his shoulder.

    Meanwhile, Luke bent over since he was sitting across from them. He raised two fingers up, smiling charmingly while staring at the camera.

    "Say, cheese!" Cosette said, and the camera shed at them, capturing a simple picture the three of them would cherish for a lifetime.

    ******<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen dropped Luke off at his ce. They idled in the amusement park, ying some games before they left. The two were tired and fell asleep on their way back. Hence, Luke barely said goodbye as he dragged his feet to his ce to continue his sleep.

    So Cosette switched ces and upied the front passenger seat. Maxen and Cosette stayed silent for minutes until they were on the highway.

    "You should sleep some more," said Maxen, casting her a side eye after her third yawn.

    "I''m okay." Cosette leaned backfortably, twisting her body so she was facing the driver''s seat where he was. "Sorry, Max."

    "Hm?" His brows rose, looking at her for a moment before facing the road again. "Sorry for? Because you forgot about my birthday?"

    "Mhmбн" Cosette let out a shallow breath, hugging herself with the nket they won in one of the games Luke won. Luke was quite good at arcade games, and he gave all the prizes to Maxen as his gift. He only gave her this nket just so she wouldn''t be upset.

    "I really want to surprise you today," she continued in a quiet tone. "I know this may sound like an excuse, but I got a little busy with you know бк everything. You said it was fine, but it''s not for me. Even Luke managed to make up to you, but Iбн"

    Cosette trailed off as Maxen stopped at the red light, and then faced her.

    "I really feel bad." She let out a deep exhale.

    "Don''t be," replied Maxen as he reached for her hand, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. "Coming into my life is the greatest blessing I had received. You changed my life, Cosette. If you didn''te that day and chased those guys awayбн if you didn''t take me to the hospital and watched over me, a stranger that night, and if you didn''t transfer school and patiently spend time with me even when I was a jerk, Iбн can imagine how this day would turn out differently than it did."

    Maxen smiled warmly at her, squeezing her hand mildly. "Don''t feel sorry. I''m just happy that we got to spend it together."

    "You''re just trying to make me feel better," she mumbled, pouting. "Tell me. What present should I give you?"

    "Mhmmбн" Maxen hummed and nced at the red timer above. Seeing there was still enough time, he faced her once again. His lips stretched before he bent over to her, nting a quick kiss on her soft lips. "This is fine."

    But her frown deepened. "But we kiss every single day," sheined. "It is not special anymore."

    "Every kissбн" he paused as he slipped his fingers through the gaps of her fingers. "... and every touch is special for me. It feels like every day is my birthday."

    "Maxбн" Cosette let out a shallow breath, smiling warmly at him. "Fine. You win. I''ll just kiss you ten бк twenty times a day."

    "That sounds better." He chuckled, retrieving his hand from her as the green light turned on.

    Little did they know that even though Cosette nned nothing, everyone in the c mansion, including Conrad, wouldn''t let this day pass without celebrating this special day. When Maxen and Cosette arrived home, confetti poppers weed them with everyone бк except Conrad бк yelling, "happy birthday!"

 Chapter 231 Learn To Refuse

    The next two weeks had been strange for the entire ss F. The air was already different whenever the school bullies were around, and would quickly be lively whenever they skipped ss. It might be terrible, but some students wished these proud delinquents just ruin their lives and dropped out of schoolpletely.

    No one could me these students, though. Even though Remo and hisckeys hadn''t done anything, their messy track record was enough to scare many students. For them, it was just a matter of time before these delinquents start picking on students.

    However, this lingering fear was slowly reced with worry.

    Why?

    Wellбн

    Sarah nced at Cosette while thetter was enjoying her lunch. As usual, when the bell rang for lunch, they dragged their desk closer to each other to eat lunch. But it had been two weeks since their lunch time was mostly filled with silence with some asional banter between Luke and Cosette.

    Sarah then shifted her eyes to Fay, who didn''t look affected by the stifling atmosphere as she ate so fast so her brain could work properly. Until now, Fay was on fire on getting better grades and her enthusiasm was like she was about to save the world. No one wanted to criticize her, though. It was good she was motivated.

    When Sarah moved her eyes to Amie, thetter was looking back at her. Amie had a slightly paleplexion and her hands that were holding the cutlery were trembling. A deep exhale escape Sarah''s nostrils as Amie lowered her eyes to focus on her barely touched food.

    ''It''s been two weeks,'' Sarah thought inwardly, letting out another sigh. ''Yet, she lost a lot of weight already.''

    Her eyes then snapped at the person sitting beside Amie. Remo. That guyбн those guys were the cause of Amie''s fear.

    Two weeks ago, Sarah and everyone in ss F was so surprised when Luke dragged Remo''s desk to join them for lunch. They could still remember how awkwardly silent that day was. And ever since then, Remo had been joining them for lunch.

    Cosette was okay with it. Matter of fact, she even brought Remo a lunchbox one day, but it only happened once. No one knew what actually happened, but Remo brought his own lunchbox after that day. Perhaps, he refused her, and to stop her from giving him lunch, he brought it for himself.

    They asked Cosette what happened and why they were being too chummy with Remo. After all, Remo bullied Maxen in the past, so, even if Maxen was fine with it, they expected Cosette and Luke to be angry with him. The only answer Cosette gave them was, "Remo isn''t as bad as he looks. He might''ve done terrible things, but everyone deserves a second chance, right?"

    ''Goodnessбн'' Sarah shook her head, deciding to keep her thoughts to herself like the past two weeks. ''I just figured out how to deal with my fear of Maxen, and nowбн Remo.''

    Another deep exhale escaped her mouth as she ate, thinking how she had a tough time dealing with the inexplicable fear she had for Maxen. Although Maxen never did anything to harm her, the look in Maxen''s eyes whenever they meet screamed, ''thief.''

    Sarah nearly choked on her food when she felt someone''s gaze on her side. When she turned her head carefully to see who it was, her back stiffened the moment she locked eyes with Maxen. Thetter was wearing his ssic in expression, but that was still enough to scare Sarah.

    ''It''s my fault.'' She wept internally, and the reason was because of that incident months ago. ''I didn''t mean to steal her first kiss!''

    "Sarah, are you alright?" Sarah jolted when Cosette suddenly talked to her. "You look a bit pale."

    "Ahhбн" Sarah let out an awkward shortugh, forcing herself not to look in Maxen''s direction.

    "Are you sick?" Cosette inquired, and without further ado, raised her hand to check Sarah''s temperature. The genuine worry and affection in Cosette''s eyes, only raised Sarah''s awareness of her surrounding. Sarah couldn''t see it, but she was certain Maxen was ring at her and already thought of ways to kill her alive!

    "I иC I''m fine." Sarah carefully drew her head back, forcing a smile on her face.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes." Sarah nodded profusely. "Of course. Don''t worry about me."

    When the worry in Cosette''s eyes didn''t disappear, Sarah cleared her throat and caught Amie''s figure from the corner of her eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Actually." Sarah cleared her throat, moving closer while signaling Cosette toe closer. "I don''t think Amie will be fine with this."

    She pointed in Amie''s direction with discretion. Amie just stuffed food in her mouth until her cheek was puffed, forcing herself to eat despite her fear of having Remo as her seatmate. It wasn''t like Sarah was using Amie solely because she wanted to divert Cosette''s attention. Sarah was deeply concerned about Amie, and it was also enough to distract Cosette.

    "Ohбн I thought she was fine with it," mumbled Cosette, remembering asking Amie if she was okay eating beside Remo. Amie said yes, and Cosette asked her again and again бк even taking her to the restroom to talk to her privately.

    Amie reassured her she was okay to sit with Remo, but it seemed she just didn''t want Cosette to think she was being too picky. After all, Cosette had expressed her thoughts about Remo and voiced out she wanted to give Remo a chance and be his friend if possible.

    "You know her." Sarah cast Cosette a side-eye. "She doesn''t speak up for herself and will just agree on most things."

    In their groups, Amie and Fay were the ones who had a very close rtionship. The four of them бк Cosette, Sarah, Amie, and Fay, were close, but there was just something special between Amie and Fay. It could be their manymon interests despite that their personality were poles apart.

    That was the reason Sarah and Cosette were already reassured that Amie would be fine. Amie had a meek personality, but Fay''s mouth was unstoppable once she opened it. If something was wrong, Fay was quick to address it. And therefore, if someone was trying to take advantage of Amie''s kindness, Fay was there to stop people from abusing Amie.

    But now that Fay had her eyes on her studies that even right now, she was reading intensively right after she finished her lunch, no one was there to push Amie to speak for herself. Sarah and Cosette let out a deep exhale.

    "I can switch chairs with her," said Sarah quietly, looking back at Cosette. "She should eat in my seat tomorrow. I think she''s losing weight because she hadn''t been eating properly."

    "No." Cosette shook her head, making Sarah furrow her brows.

    "No?"

    "Mhm." Cosette let out another deep exhale, setting her eyes back to Amie. "I feel sorry for her, butбн she needed to learn to stand up for herself and say, ''no'' if she isn''tfortable with something."

    "Cozie."

    "Sarah." Cosette pursed her lips and shook her head slowly once again.

    It was true that Cosette felt terrible about this, but she figured Amie had been too dependent on Fay. She knew Amie was just kind, but as her friend, she wanted Amie to learn how to refuse and speak her mind aloud. They were already growing older and before they knew it, they would be graduating and entering college.

    They would just die in worry if they knew Amie was prone to get taken advantage of. Fay, Sarah, and Cosette wouldn''t always be with her especially if they pursued different courses.

    "Let''s just watch from the sideline for now," added Cosette with a tinge of helplessness, trying her best to not get swayed since she had a soft spot for her friends. They were her first set of friends; Cosette didn''t have any in their previous life, which was one of her regrets.

    But treasuring them also meant allowing them to fly with their own wings and helping them resolve their problems with anything they can. And at the moment, Amie''s problem was her trouble in refusing and theck of courage to protect her boundaries.

    "Alright." Sarah stared at Cosette for a moment and nodded in agreement. She then slowly set her eyes back to Amie, sighing for the umpteenth time during this entire lunchtime. "It might be hard, but I think that''s for the better."

    "Mhm."

    Both Cosette and Sarah stared at each other before they sighed once more. They didn''t talk about it anymore as the bell rang, dragging their desks and chairs to their original spot. Amie wasn''t able to finish her lunch again and barely filled her stomach with water.

    As the teacher entered their ssroom, everyone tried their best to focus. Meanwhile, Fay, who was on fire just a moment ago, slightly calmed down. She cupped her cheek, keeping her pen on her upper lip while puckering her lip.

    Her eyes then veered to Amie, noticing thetter''s paleplexion. Fay let out a deep exhale before setting her eyes on the teacher in the front.

 Chapter 232 Lets Break Up

    It had been their ritual to part ways at the school gates. The only difference this time was that Remo would usually walk behind Luke, Cosette, and Maxen. Although he kept his distance and just appeared to be just going out of the school just like everybody else.

    Sarah, Amie, and Fay were walking on their way home. Fay had her hands linked on the back of her head, strutting freely while wearing her jogging pants underneath her skirt. Usually, at this time, they would be chatting about whatever they could talk about, but today felt different.

    Not only Fay was silent, but Sarah and Amie weren''t talking. Sarah would constantly nce at Amie while thetter was walking with her head hung low.

    ''It''s okay,'' Sarah told herself, stopping herself from baby-ing Amie since she agreed with Cosette''s idea. ''She''ll be fine.''

    Just as that thought crossed Sarah, Amie let out one big exhale and raised her head. Unlike the fear that clung to her like a ghost, Amie had this smile on her face.

    "Why are you so silent?" asked Amie in a lively tone, looking from her left to right since she was walking in the middle between Fay and Sarah. "Did something happen? Is anything wrong?"

    Sarah forced a smile, despite knowing Amie was simply faking it. "Nothing. My brain is just fried. I think Fay is also mentally exhausted. She''d been participating in every ss, which is good. Right, Fay?"

    "Hmmбн not really," replied Fay offhandedly, keeping her eyes ahead with her hands still on the back of her head. "My brain is getting used to gathering information and I need to release those information else I''ll explode."

    "Fay, you''re really cool." Amie giggled as Fay''s nonchnce suit her the best. "I think you''ll be on the top if you continue this."

    "I doubt. I just want to join Cozie and the rest in case next year they will have to transfer to the star section." Fay shrugged. "I mean, our other ssmates are no fun. Cosette, Maxen, and even Luke were like gifted children. Although they are very different from each other and they are already smart, they still study very hard. I don''t want to get left behind."

    "They do?" Amie tilted her head to the side and this time, Fay''s eyes slid to the corner to cast Amie a side eye. "I thought they were gifted children and they don''t need to review since they''re already smart."

    "Amie, where have you been?" Sarah chuckled weakly. "Have you not seen how they focus in ss? Everyone, even I was pressured to study hard. Luke would even habitually threaten the entire ss since he promised to erase the title of the worst section on the first day of ss, remember?"

    "Ohбн" Amie rocked her head, making Sarah let out a deep exhale.

    Surely, Amie wasn''t mentally present all this time. How could she miss Luke''s constant threats? Sarah would understand if Luke''s actions were subtle. However, Luke was never the person to do subtle things. Instead, Luke would just suddenly stand up whenever they had a self-study time, and like their PE instructor, he would just ramble on and on while pping a rolled paper on his palm to ''raise'' everyone''s morale.

    Honestly, though, Luke wasn''t raising everyone''s morale but scaring everyone. It was effective since everyone felt pressured by it. Cosette and Maxen''s eagerness also backed it up. So it was overall a good thing, in Sarah''s opinion.

    "Amie," called Fay after a moment, keeping her eyes ahead. When she felt Amie and Sarah''s gaze on her side, she spoke with a second hesitation. "Let''s break up."

    "Huh?" Amie''s feet automatically stopped while her eyes were fixed on Amie.

    "Fay, what do you mean by that?" Sarah slowed down to wait for Amie, but Fay didn''t. Thetter kept walking in a leisurely manner.

    "What I meant by that is we shouldn''t be friends anymore." Fay shrugged as if the years she had spent with Amie were nothing. "I mean, we''d been together since middle school. And ever since then, I have kept protecting you from others because you were too kind and let them abuse you. It''s not like you didn''t know that."

    This time, Sarah also stopped walking as she stared at Fay''s back. Was she hearing things correctly? Fay wanted to end her friendship with Amie.

    "Honestly, though, I don''t mind at first. I do it because we''re friends and I can''t stand watching idly if someone is bullying my friend. But, I made a lot of thinking just recently," Fay continued, slowing down, albeit didn''t show any sign of stopping her steps. "I thought I was doing a good deed and being a good friend, but I realized I wasn''t. You''ve just unconsciously grown dependent on me, and after many years, only now did I feel the burden that had piled up through the years."<novelnext></novelnext>

    This time, Fay''s steps stop. Her eyes were filled with nothing but sadness and reluctance, which disappeared in the blink of an eye. She slowly faced Sarah and Amie. Both had wide eyes, stunned at what they were hearing.

    "I can''t keep being your nanny, Amie. I mean, there were also things I want to do, and I realized I have so much potential. But, every time I want to do something, I have to reconsider whether you can or cannot keep up. For instance, I want to advance to our ss and make my mom proud. But I kept having thoughts such as can you also study just as intensely? Can you keep up with my energy? My motivation? Just what would happen to you if I''m not around all the time? Would you get bullied and pretend everything was fine?" Fay kept her eyes on Amie, and her jaw clenched seeing a tear roll down Amie''s cheek. "I''m not saying I will be in a top section, but at least, I am doing my best to move forward."

    "You''re holding me back from spreading my wings," she continued in the same unfaltering tone. "I know you didn''t ask for this, but one way or another, I feel like aiming for something else бк for something bigger and impossible is something I should feel sorry about. I don''t want to hate you or me you for why I ended up a loser in the future, just because I am always anxious to leave you alone."

    "That''s whyбн" Fay breathed out carefully. "... let''s not be friends anymore. If you really see me as a friend, then you''d understand me and be happy for me. I want to focus on myself first and help myself since no one else will. If the rich kids in our ss are taking their studies seriously, I don''t have the excuse to ck. We''re not rich, and the only thing I can do to keep up with them is to study ten times harder than them."

    "Fayбн" Sarah called under her breath, watching Fay nce at her.

    "Anyway, I won''t walk you back home today." Fay waved dismissively as she turned around without a second hesitation. "We still have tons of homework and I had to review for our quiz бк so many things to do."

    With that being said, Fay resumed her steps and walked away without looking back. Meanwhile, Sarah and Amie stayed in the same spot, even when Fay made a turn. Sarah was the first to recover from Fay''s sentiments, turning her head in Amie''s direction.

    "Amie," whispered Sarah, seeing the tears that were rolling down Amie''s cheek.

    "Am Iбн" Amie''s lips quivered as she looked back at Sarah. "... bing a burden?"

    Sarah''s lips opened to tell her, ''of course not or Fay was just pressured and didn''t mean it.'' However, she ended up pursing her lips and approached Amie. Sarah silently embraced Amie, stroking her back.

    For Sarah, she was simply worried about Amie''sck of courage to speak up or how the word, ''no'' doesn''t exist in Amie''s vocabry. But since Fay and Amie had known each other for the longest time, Sarah figured she was not in the position to speak for Fay.

    One way or another, Fay had a point. Fay had shown for the past weeks she could go head to head with the only top student in their ssst year. Sarah had never seen Fay be so eager to do better since she would usually just idle and hang around. But well, just as they said, they were already growing older.

    Time was fleeting and they have to get it together this year as a preparation once they be third years.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "It''s okay." Sarah consoled, casually rubbing Amie''s back. "I think you two just need a break from each other for a moment. Everything will work out well once you two thought about this more."

    Sarah gazed down and sighed, consoling Amie as she was crying her eyes out. Amie was just easy to shed tears on small things, and with this issue with Fay, it was expected.

    It took minutes for Amie to calm down a bit. She was already huping, wiping her tears with her handkerchief.

    "I''ll walk you home today, alright?" Sarah sported a gentle smile. "I don''t want to go home just yet, anyway. Soбн a detour is alright."

    Amie hupped, looking back at her friend''s caring smile.

    "Let''s go?" Sarah tipped her head before the two of them walked home.

 Chapter 233 Disguise

    Meanwhileбн

    "Do you think the principal received the report?" Cosette wondered as they surveyed another high school from the cafe near it. "It looks like no action was being done."

    Days ago, Cosette and Luke sent a detailed report to the head of this high school regarding the bullying going on inside the premises. If Winter Highschool was bad, this school was way worst since it was not just bullying, but also some other things were going on.

    They didn''t know all this, obviously, but after spending time with Remo, they discovered many things. Remo was a delinquent, so he knew a thing or two that others didn''t. One of them was the use of illegal drugs the student used whenever they were cramming so they could study well.

    Luke, who was sitting across from her, frowned. "I specifically told someone to slip it in the principal''s office. There''s no way he wouldn''t see it the next morning."

    "That''s why it''s strange," she replied, facing Luke, whose hair was perfectly split in half and wearing a huge coke bottle sses to disguise himself. Meanwhile, Cosette was wearing a short wig and added some white to her face to make her appear paler.

    "If he received it, why don''t they take action?" she added, cocking her head to the side. "Since I don''t want to send the video, I made to put some pictures where the girl''s face isn''t shown. That alone should be enough to rm the school, right?"

    "Unless they just chose not to take action." Luke''s frown deepened, shifting his eyes to Maxen, sitting beside Cosette. "What do you think, Max?"

    Unlike Luke and Cosette, Maxen only wore a cap. A weak way to disguise himself, but somehow, Maxen was able to stop them from nagging him by using suspense movie references where the characters only wore caps to hide.

    "I thinkбн" Maxen leaned back, ncing at Cosette''s paleplexion and then back to Luke''s silly disguise. "... it didn''t reach the principal."

    "What do you mean?" asked Cosette almost immediately.

    "My opinion is highly subjective, though. I don''t want to think the principal got the report and just didn''t take action," he exined with a shrug. "That is just unfair."

    Cosette kept her eyes on Maxen, pursing her lips, eyes a bit teary. ''He''d really be a very nice person,'' she thought, mentally covering her lips to silence her silent cry of joy. All her efforts in guiding Maxen to be a better person were showing more and clearer results.

    Maxen wasn''t just simply holding himself back and calling it behaving. But instead, Maxen was slowly learning not to judge immediately and to not jump to the worst reason first. In a way, he wanted to believe someone like a principal in a high school wouldn''t turn a blind eye to such a deed within the premises. There must be a reason.

    She was very proud of him.

    "What?" Maxen''s brows rose when he noticed her prolonged gaze.

    "Nothing," said Cossette, shaking her head mildly. "But maybe you''re right. Maybe something happened, and he didn''t see it."

    "So, are you saying we should do it again?" Luke inquired, watching the two look back at him.

    "This time, let''s do it ourselves."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Huh?" Luke scrunched his nose up, pointing up a finger as he drew circles in the air. "You want us to sneak inside that school and slip the report into the principal''s office? Are you crazy?"

    "Why? I mean, thest time, we just paid someone to do it and we didn''t actually know if it reached the principal''s office. Or if the guy did it properly. We''re not even sure if someone just cleaned the office and thought it was trash."

    "Still, how the hell did you think we can sneak in?" Luke pointed his thumb at the guy sitting next to him. "Can''t you see how bulky this guy was? I mean, why are you even here?"

    Luke turned to Remo. Thetter was the only person who wasn''t in disguise. How could Remo do, though? He came into this cafe, only to get dragged away even before he could order something. It wasn''t like Remo didn''t know they were here, but he didn''t expect that Cosette and Luke would drag him with them to hide.

    "Now that you mention it, why are you here?" Cosette also asked, eyes on Remo. "Don''t tell me you wanted to settle the score with those guys? Hey, I''ll tell your grandfather if you are here for trouble."

    "I want coffee," came out Remo''s deep and solid voice. "I want to try something else, but you suddenly drag me here."

    Cosette and Luke narrowed their eyes suspiciously.

    "Are you sure?" they asked in unison, and then Luke added, "there are other coffee shops around, and you chose the one that is close to that school? The school where those guys go?"

    "They wouldn''t be here," answered Remo with certainty. "No delinquent stays in ss and leaves around the same time as others. They would''ve gone by now."

    "Ohбн" Cosette and Luke''s lips formed an o-shape as they nodded in understanding. "That actually made sense."

    "So, that means it''s just the three of us?" Luke cleared his throat, facing Cosette and Maxen once again. "This guy just wants coffee and still hasn''t gotten it."

    "I got him a parfait, though." Cosette nced at the parfait in front of Remo. She pursed her lips into a thin line, but before she could raise her voice, a hand blocked the dessert.

    "Cozie, how can you be so shameless?" Luke gasped, moving the parfait closer to Remo. "You ordered him a dessert, but the look in your eyes screams it''s actually yours! You already took Max''s snacks, and now you have your eyes on other people''s food?"

    Cosette frowned as she red at him. "You''re so loud, and I don''t have my eyes on that delicious-looking thing over there."

    "Don''t drool if you''re going to deny it бк"

    "I think we should do it." Maxen chimed in before Luke and Cosette got on to another round of banter. "Let''s just sneak inside the premisester, so we''re sure it''ll reach the principal. If there''s still no action, then we''ll meet the principal or just report it to the police."

    Luke and Cosette looked at each other and when they looked back at Maxen, they nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 234 Anti-Climatic

    Since they weren''t students in the school, Cosette, Luke, Maxen, and Remo had to stay in the cafe for a couple of hours until all students and teachers leave the premises. Obviously, while they were waiting, they nned out everything they should do. Fortunately, Remo had some information since he knew the delinquents and also knew their secret way out whenever they skip school.

    When the sky turned orange and the number of students walking on the street significantly reduced, the four of them execute their mission. Thanks to Remo, they didn''t have to go through the school gates and get chased out by the guard. But when they reached the secret passage, the four of them hid because some delinquents бк familiar ones with all the bruises on their faces and bodies бк were hanging out there.

    Fortunately, the delinquents didn''t stay long. But as they walked away, the four heard a bit of their conversations. These delinquents were still angry with them and wanted to get even, but s, since the four of them had been taking the long road to Luke''s apartment, they hadn''t encountered them just yet.

    They didn''t dwell on this information, though. They knew these delinquents wouldn''t be at peace until they get beaten the second time. And so, they snuck inside like thieves.

    The school premises were almost the same as their school. However, the offices were put in different ces. Hence, they have to search for the principal''s office to slip the second report about what was going on with the students here.

    "There!" Luke''s voice startled Cosette as it echoed, warranting a p on the shoulder from her. "Ouch!"

    "Keep it low, okay?" she clicked her tongue, looking around cautiously, only to notice Remo and Maxen were far too calm as they were simply having a walk in the park. "Hello? Am I the only person who is nervous in here?"

    "I''m nervous too, but I can run fast бк ack!" Luke clenched his teeth when another light pnded on his biceps.

    "Shut up, Luke. I don''t want to hear your nonsense." She rolled her eyes and let out a huff, scanning the hallway where they found the principal''s office. Since it was gettingte, the surrounding already getting dark. And because of it, plus the silence, the hallway felt eerie.

    "Sneaking inside something isn''t new to me," exined Remo, his side of the story and the reason he wasn''t nervous about getting found out.

    "Cozie, want to hold my hand бк"

    "Max, seriously, man. Do you think she''s really scared?" Luke jumped to Maxen''s side and hooked an arm around him. "I mean, look at her. At this point, I won''t be surprised if she''s faking it so she can cling to you."

    Maxen blinked at Luke. "She''s my girlfriend, though."

    "Hahбн" Cosette let out a dryugh, looking at Luke from head to toe. "Luke, you have three seconds to get your hands off of my man. I swear you''re getting on my nerves."

    "But don''t you enjoy teasing me and Maxen?" Luke squeezed himself to Maxen''s side, eyes on Cosette.

    Her expression instantly died as ayer of frost coated her eyes. Since teasing Luke had been her habit, Luke somehow found a counter to this. And that was flirting with Maxen, even though Maxen was like a statue every time.

    "Twoбн"

    "Fine! Gosh! Why are you short girls also has short temper?" Luke snapped his tongue in irritation, holding his hands up, whilst creating distance from Maxen.

    "Just slip that letter inside, okay? I don''t want to stay here when it''s dark. It''s really scary," mumbled Cosette as she walked closer to Maxen while Luke marched in front of the principal''s office.

    "I''m hungry. Let''s buy some street foodter бк Cosette''s treat," Luke shamelessly suggested, reaching for the doorknob to check if it was open. Obviously, it was locked, so there was really no way to leave this report aside from slipping it through the gap between the door and the floor.

    "Ahem!" Luke cleared his throat as he took out the folded report from his pockets. He slowly squatted down, and in one flick, the letter went into the office.

    This time, the report paper was properly put in an envelope. So even if the person who cleans this room found it on the floor, they would think it was important and put it where the principal could see it. When Luke stood straight and faced them, he shrugged.

    "Mission aplished?" he asked. "That''s a little anti-climactic."

    "True." Cosette agreed with a sigh. "After all that buildup, we''re done. How disappointing."

    Remo didn''t say anything, but in his head, he was judging these two. There was nothing to be disappointed about! Wasn''t it good that things went smoothly? Were they expecting an apocalypse from happening? Or some vengeful ghost showing up?

    "Let''s go and grab something to eat," Maxen proposed. "It''s almost night. I don''t want to be a character in a horror film."

    "Max, what are we having tonight?" Cosette asked sweetly as the four of them walked away from the principal''s office.

    "What do you want?" Maxen returned, only for Luke, who was walking idly beside him, to answer;

    "I want some extra spicy noodles and some deep-fried tofu."

    Luke cocked his head back while his eyes fell to the side. "Cozie, do you want candy?"

    "You will buy me one?"

    "Mhm. Just buy me dinner."

    Cosette scrunched her nose up. "Since when did you be a cheapskate?"

    "Since the day I realize I have to work if I want money?"

    "Goshбн fine, but I don''t want a candy. I want a super duper freezing ice бк" Cosette abruptly stopped as her brows furrowed. "Did you hear that?"

    "Hear, what?" Luke''s steps slowed down just like the other two until they stopped to face her.

    "I heard nothing. Did you, Remo?" Maxen nced at Remo, and thetter shook his head.

    "Oy, Cosette. I know you''re disappointed we aplished today''s agenda in an anti-climatic way, but you shouldn''t make upбн" Luke trailed off as his pupils dted.

    "You can hear it?" Cosette clutched Maxen''s arms. "Someoneбн there''s someone crying."

    The four of them went silent and soon enough, they heard these faint sobs echoing in the silent and dimming hallway.

 Chapter 235 Over Their Dead Bodies

    If Maxen and Remo were a character in a horror film, they would die first. That was what Cosette and Luke initially thought when they proposed to check where the sob wasing from. In their defense, it was probably someone getting locked up in a room and couldn''t go out.

    Well, that made a bit of sense, but there should be doors banging or crying for help, right? But no. What they heard for a couple of minutes was a girl''s faint crying echoing and amplified in the silent hallways of the building.

    Maxen and Remo told the two to leave the premises and wait for them. But s, since Cosette and Luke were both scared, they obliterated the idea aggressively. Furthermore, in most horror films, themon stupidity the characters would do was to split up.

    There was no way Luke and Cosette would do that. Over their dead bodies.

    The reason they stuck with the fearless Maxen and Remo. Cosette clung to Maxen''s arm while Luke held him on the other arm. Luke didn''t feel secure enough, so he held Remo using his other arm. Their steps were careful бк thanks to Cosette and Luke''s snail-like pace.

    The four of them carefully took the stairs to the third floor where the crying from and the closer they were, the more distinct the cries sounded.

    "I''m scared." Cosette stopped andpleted the second they reached thest step to the third floor. "Max, let''s just run from here. I don''t think someone is locked in here."

    "I agree with her." Luke held Remo and Maxen''s arms firmly, nodding profusely. "If someone truly needs help, they will just cry for help, right?"

    "What if she''s been crying for help and realized no one ising?" asked Remo monotonously, gazing down at Luke as if he was way taller than the three of them.

    "When you''ve been crying for help for a long time, do you think people still continue doing it?" Maxen added quietly and calmly. "No, Luke. If you''ve been crying for help but no onees, you simply stop asking for help. But that doesn''t mean you stop crying for yourself."

    Maxen and Remo kept their eyes on Luke silently. Their situation before was probably different, but both of them could rte to this. As young people who had been struggling at a young age, Maxen and Remo had been through rock bottom.

    Remo might''ve resorted to violence and exploiting others, but that was because he realized being good and honest would take him nowhere. It was the same for Maxen. Just crying for help wasn''t enough. They had to save themselves if they wanted to live бк whatever means it was. But that didn''t mean they didn''t feel helpless. Knowing they had no one to fall on to if they failed was cruel and crippling, yet they had to go on.

    "Whatбн" Luke opened and closed his mouth. "... you two, that''s deep."

    "But what if it''s a ghost?" asked Cosette with a nervous voice. "I want to help, but it''s scary. What if after this, we''ll get cursed or something? Are you not watching horror films бк so much for what you just said you don''t want to be a character in a horror film?"

    "But this isn''t a film." Maxen''s eyes slid to the corner. He didn''t know this thoughtless remark he had spewed moments ago would backfire on him this soon.

    "Let''s just check it." Maxen cleared his throat, looking around the floor as they stood several steps from the stairs they came from. "If there''s a ghost, we''ll run as fast as we could."

    "Is that the best n you can think of?" she frowned. "Fine. We''ll run if there''s no one, okay?"

    "Mhm."

    "This is freakyбн" Lukemented through his gritted teeth, taking a careful step as they resumed.

    Because of Luke and Cosette''s stalling, the hallway grew darker and darker. If not for the lightsing from the windows mounted on the walls, it would be total darkness. The three of them walked carefully and as silently as possible, following the sound of cries to a particr ssroom.

    The closer they were, Luke and Cosette''s hearts thudded. They walked with bated breaths, ready to run for their life if worsees to worst. But when they were a few steps from the ssroom, the crying suddenly stopped.

    This slightly startled Cosette and Luke, putting their steps to a halt. The four of them looked at each other with furrowed brows. At this point, their eyes had already adjusted to the dark, so they could see each other quite clearly. The lightsing from the windows were helping, too.

    "Dude, this is themon sequence in a horror film," said Luke nervously, focusing on their faces instead of their surrounding. "The jump scare will follow бк I''m sure of it."

    "We can still run," added Cosette, tugging Maxen''s arm.

    "I''ll go," Remo proposed without a second hesitation. Luke and Cosette were too scared, but because of this, they were also stalling time. If not for them, they wouldn''t stay inside the building until the sun was already down.

    "You three will stay here and I will check." He kept his eyes particrly on Maxen since he calls the shot.

    Maxen darted his eyes between Cosette and Luke. The two of them were looking at him with anticipation, waiting for him to agree to Remo''s proposal. It was quite harsh, in a way, he thought. Remo would surely not mind, but it still felt like these two were prepared to use Remo as a scapegoat.

    However, Maxen also understood that Remo''s proposal was the best they have at the moment.

    "Sure." Maxen nodded in agreement, setting his eyes back to Remo. "We''ll stay here."

    A deep breath escaped Remo''s nostrils, looking down at Luke. Thetter immediately let him go, only to hug Maxen''s arm tightly.

    "Tell us if it''s a ghost or if someone is actually there," said Maxen, and Remo just nodded as an answer.

    With that being said, Remo walked away without any trace of fear. Perhaps it was because Remo had already realized people were far scarier than ghosts, that he didn''t care if this was just a supernatural thing.

    Remo stopped by the door of the upper window of the ssroom to take a peek. Fortunately, he was tall enough to reach it. But as soon as his eyes looked around the ssroom, his pupils dted and his breathing stopped for a moment.

    "Hey!" he yelled, his lungs out, startling Cosette, Luke, and Maxen, who just stood several steps from him.

 Chapter 236 The Ghost

    "Hey!"

    Cosette and Luke jumped in surprise when Remo''s voice erupted. Thetter''s voice was so loud it almost sounded like an echo of thunder. Meanwhile, Maxen furrowed his brows, watching Remo hastily run to the door and kick it open.

    Without further ado, Remo ran inside the ssroom as fast as he could. As he did so, Maxen caught the shock and fear stered on Remo''s side profile.

    "Whatбн what''s going on?" Luke stuttered, blinking to keep his eyes from shaking. He darted his eyes between Maxen and Cosette. Cosette had slightly recovered as she gazed up at Maxen before setting her eyes back to Luke.

    Three seconds felt like minutes, having this realization slowly dawned on them. It wasn''t a ghost. And with that, without another word uttered, the three of them rushed to the ssroom.

    To their surprise, the three stopped by the open door as their eyes caught Remo holding a female student. Cosette covered her gaping mouth, noticing the disheveled uniform she was wearing, which had some bloodstain on them. Luke and Maxen, on the other hand, just stood there, stunned at what they were seeing.

    "Are you crazy?!" Remo roared, keeping the youngdy in his strong arms while she was sobbing and struggling to break free. "Did you seriously n to jump out of here?!"

    "Let me go!!!" cried the youngdy at the top of her lungs, struggling to break free from Remo.

    As her action grew more and more aggressive, Remo clenched his teeth. He then grabbed her wrist, holding it tightly to stop it from bleeding. Even though he hadn''t heard the entire story, Remo had already got the gist of this youngdy''s intention.

    She was probably trying to slit her wrist but figured doing that was too painful. However, she was desperate to end whatever suffering she was going through. And therefore, instead of slitting her wrist, which was just so painful to do, she probably thought jumping out of the window on the third floor was quicker and rtively painless.

    "Let me go! I can''t take this anymore! Just let me die! I''m so fed up with everyone бк I''m tired!" cried the youngdy, but this time, she couldn''t move because of Remo''s hold.

    She kept crying, sobbing, telling Remo to let her go over and over. The youngdy didn''t stop until she felt weak and helpless because Remo didn''t budge the slightest. She was used to this. Too used to feeling this helplessness against the opposite sex. And thus, it only made her feel thousand times more miserable.

    "That girlбн" Cosette''s lips quivered as a thinyer of tears coated her eyes. "... she''s that girl in that clip."

    Luke and Maxen turned their heads in Cosette''s direction, only to see a tear roll down her cheek. Maxen gulped down the tension in his throat, setting his eyes back to Remo and the girl he had just stopped frommitting suicide. Meanwhile, Luke let out a deep exhale,bing his hair with his fingers, unable to discern if he was relieved or angry бк perhaps, both.

    "Calm down first," Remo advised under his breath, lifting his eyes at the three figures by the door. As soon as he met Cosette''s eyes, she nodded at him.

    There were no words exchanged as the three entered the ssroom, leaving the door wide open. Luke turned the switch on, and only then did they see clearly smeared blood on a particr desk and on Remo.

    ''Shit.'' Luke ground his teeth, propping his butt against one of the desks.

    Maxen, on the other hand, didn''t have any particr reaction to the mess when the lights were turned on. He stood near the window, looking over it. If they weren''t here and Remo idled more, Maxen would be looking over this window and would see a dead body on the ground.

    "Calm down." Cosette squatted down beside Remo and the youngdy. Thetter was still sobbing, but she wasn''t breaking free anymore. "Remrem, let her go now. She''ll be fine."

    There was reluctance in Remo''s eyes, but she instantly noticed it.

    "I''ll be fine," she reassured him with a subtle smile. "You''re here, Max and Luke, too. But I don''t think she will harm me."

    Remo let out a huff as he gazed back at the youngdy. His heart was still racing like crazy, but since Cosette was already here and she was also a girl, she could probably calm her downpletely. With that thought in mind, Remo carefully released the youngdy from his arms. He did it carefully, lest she would do something to harm herself and Cosette.

    When Remo was certain thedy didn''t do anything despite that he had loosened his hold, he drew back a little faster. Cosette nodded at him as a gesture of thanks, before shifting her focus to the crying youngdy slumped on the floor.

    "Hey," called Cosette softly, but the girl didn''t raise her head. Instead, she just cried and cried, huping, keeping her head low. Another shallow breath slipped past her lips before her eyes fell on the girl''s bleeding wrist.

    "Here." Cosette looked up when Luke''s voice suddenly rang from beside her. He was holding a small first aid kit, which was surprising since no one had told him to look for it. Surely, Luke was reliable at moments like this. "I found this in one of the lockers."

    "Thanks." She smiled subtly, epting the first aid from him. Luke simply shrugged as a reply, ncing at Maxen and then at Remo before taking the nearest seat.

    "It''s okay if you can''t talk, but I''ll dress up your wound first, alright?" Cosette softly told the youngdy. "I''m going to touch you for a bit. Is that alright with you? We need to sanitize it and bandage it so it won''t get an infection."

    Cosette didn''t make a move and put an ultimatum in her head. She waited patiently until the youngdy slowly lifted her head to her. The moment their eyes met, Cosette sported a reassuring smile.

    "Can I?" she asked quietly, and then the youngdy nodded with pursed lips. "Thank you. I''ll make it quick."

 Chapter 237 Trust Me, I Do.

    Cosette dressed up the youngdy''s wounds quietly and carefully. Thetter was just huping and let Cosette in silence. When Cosette finished, she looked at the girl and pressed her lips into a thin line.

    "Have you eaten anything?" asked Cosette worriedly, but nothing. The youngdy didn''t answer as she was just staring at her bandaged arms since she had cut her arms a few times to get used to the pain, but to no avail.

    Since the youngdy wasn''t talking, Cosette raised her head to Maxen. Cosette didn''t have to say anything because Maxen already understood what she wanted and needed.

    "Let''s buy something to eat," Maxen proposed to Remo and then to Luke.

    "We can''t let her alone here," argued Remo, which was surprising, since this type of reaction would naturallye from Luke.

    "Cozie can handle herself even if she tries to jump again," Luke chimed in, eyes at Remo. "Cozie is a ck belter. I''m also starving, so we should eat first."

    "Luke is right, Remo." Maxen fixed his eyes on Remo, signaling him to just cooperate. "Don''t worry about them. They will be fine, right, Cozie?"

    "Mhm." Cosette smiled subtly at Maxen before shifting her attention to Remo. "We''ll be fine, Remrem. Just buy us something to eat and also ice cream. If you see a cake, get us a slice too and more sweets. Take your time."

    For someone who was too scared minutes ago thinking of ghosts and all the horror films she had watched, Cosette sounded too confident in being left alone with the youngdy. But she figured this youngdy wouldn''t talk with these guys around. Thetter didn''t even look at them once, aside from Cosette.

    Remo''s jaw tightened, but when he heard Maxen''s call again, he just rocked his head. With a heavy heart, Remo followed Maxen and Luke out of the ssroom to give the girls some time alone.

    Cosette watched them leave the room, leaving the door wide open. When their footsteps faded slightly, she set her eyes back on the youngdy.

    "It''s okay," whispered Cosette soothingly, holding the youngdy''s hand with enough gentleness and care. "Everything will be okay now."

    The youngdy slowly raised her head until she locked eyes with Cosette. The second they did, a tear rolled down her cheek as the youngdy shook her head.

    "It''s not," her voice was low, and barely spoke out those words without choking. "It''s not okay."

    Cosette felt a pang in her heart as a frustrating tension started building up in her throat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It will neverбн" the youngdy choked, lowering her head whilst shaking it. "It will never be okay. I will never be okay anymore. I бк just want this to end. You will never understandбн you will notбн understand."

    Seeing that the youngdy was breaking down once again, Cosette sprawled her arms to the youngdy and embraced her.

    "Trust me, I doбн" Cosette patted the youngdy''s back mildly while thetter bawled her eyes once again. "I knowбн what it feels like when you feel like you have no control over your life anymore." бк because until now, Cosette had always felt helpless.

    By realizing she wasn''t just a reader who magically entered her favorite novel and upied the viiness'' body, Cosette had always thought her illnesses might return as well. The reason Cosette had always slept over in Maxen''s room was that whenever she was alone, those thoughts would hover over her head and rob her of her sleep.

    Therefore, she promised not to let those thoughts in the future be a hindrance to her presence. Not the past, not the future. She lived in the present, and in the present, she wanted to live life. Regardless if she would be dumb for a moment. She wanted to be a child because she was never a child and she never knew how to be one.

    "What should I doбн?" asked the youngdy through her gritted teeth, clutching Cosette''s back so tightly, as if she was afraid if she let go, she would just copse.

    Cosette might be a stranger, but the youngdy was utterly desperate. She wanted help, she needed help. But she couldn''t cry for one; afraid once she did, her situation would just be worse than it already was.

    "I don''t know what to do," the youngdy added in between her sobs. "I''m scared."

    The youngdy went on and on while Cosette remained silent, rubbing the youngdy''s back. When the former calmed down a bit, Cosette released her but still held her hand.

    "Can you tell me what happened?" asked Cosette softly.

    Reluctance resurfaced in the youngdy''s eyes, and she immediately shook her head. She didn''t tell anyone about her circumstance to anyone. Neither her family nor friends knew what she was enduring. She didn''t want to get judged or ruin her life even more. Moreover, she didn''t know Cosette. Even though Cosette felt like a trustworthy person, the youngdy couldn''t just tell her everything.

    "I already know," Cosette confessed. "Those delinquents wanted to do bad things to me, too. They said they wanted to have fun just the way they had fun with the school bell. It just so happened my friends were there to protect me, so I got away. And we managed to delete the clip they treated as some sort of badge of honor from all their phones."

    "It''s okay. Don''t be afraid. I won''t tell anyone if you don''t want me to. I will protect you бк I promise." Cosette nodded her head reassuringly, smiling at the youngdy. "We''re here because of you, so I won''t let anything happen to you."

    The youngdy stared at Cosette silently. Her lips were kept in a tight sh, assessing Cosette''s soft expression. But when she heard Cosette''sst remarks, the youngdy slowly opened her quivering lips, telling Cosette what she had been going through and the reason she just wanted to end her life.

 Chapter 238 The Story Of Olivia

    It all started when this youngdy named Olivia confronted one of the delinquents. Bullying in this school was already amon thing. After all, the number of delinquents had grown over the years and was the very reason this school was worse than Winter Highschool.

    Olivia, a beautiful and graceful young student from the city, moved here when her family was struggling financially. ording to her, she didn''t mind transferring to this school to lessen the burden on her family. Little did she know, her optimistic attitude and her inability to adjust to what wasmon in this school were what would lead her to this nightmare.

    Although Olivia had learned to focus on her study and turn a blind eye to what was going on around her, there was a point in her life she couldn''t stomach it anymore. So, while another student was being bullied inside their room; getting beaten up literally in the corner of their ssroom just because he bought the wrong bread, Olivia exploded.

    It wasn''t like it was just guys who were the bullies. In this school, girls and boys could be bullies. Either join them and be theirckey or live as silently as a dead mouse to make it to graduation. Olivia chose none of the above.

    Olivia stood up to them fearlessly, telling them she would make a report. Obviously, these young, fearless bullies simplyughed at her face and taunted her to do as she pleased. But when Olivia did, and the teacher scolded these delinquents, she ended up paying for the price she couldn''t afford.

    The student Olivia helped got a better life as the bullies shifted their attention to her. The former wouldn''t even look at Olivia while some girls mocked and bully her inside the ssroom. There were times they would cut her hair without consent, or just put trash on her desk.

    The bullying didn''t just end there. Because when this biggest bully in school thought she has a nice face, he let hisckeys do the unimaginable to her.

    That was how that clip came into existence.

    When they had that clip, Olivia had no more option but to obey them. Whoever it was and wherever they wanted, she would keep quiet.

    Every single day of Olivia''s life, she was scared. She didn''t even want to go to school anymore, but she had no choice. Whenever she would skip school, a message with that clip attached to it would slide into her inbox, telling her toe to school.

    She already knew what they needed then. Some guys just wanted to relieve themselves, and it didn''t matter if she was sick, if she was going crazy, for as long as they relieve themselves. It was rather silly how their girlfriends, who were also bullies, hade to a conclusion Olivia was a vixen, sleeping with just anyone, when in fact, she was a victim.

    Olivia had no one to turn to. Girls would beat her up, guys would just take turns with her. Her family was already struggling. No wonder she just wanted to end it. It was too much for one person to bear.

    Cosette had already guessed what this youngdy had been going through after watching the clip weeks ago. There were even times that clip would haunt her. It would haunt anyone who had a conscience.

    "The principal had gathered the students to address the bullying issue." Olivia''s voice broke for the umpteenth time. "He said they received a report but kept the details a secret. Still, he warned everyone that once the investigation is over, those who were proven involved will surely pay for the price."

    "So he really received it, huh?" Cosette furrowed her brows. At this point, Olivia already knows it was Cosette who sent the anonymous report to the school principal. "What happened, then? Isn''t that good news?"

    Olivia shook her head. "I''m scared." She squeezed Cosette''s hand tightly.

    "They warned me that if I talked, they would go to my house and let my dad see what they were doing to me. They would hurt my dad and mom." Olivia shook her head even more profusely as she panicked. "I can''t let that happen."

    "You denied it?" Cosette asked, her heart sinking the more she realized how traumatized Olivia was at this point.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I told the principal it wasn''t me," she confessed, almost choking with her own breathing. "He asked me again and again, and I told him again and again, I am okay."

    "But you''re not okay."

    "I am okay." Olivia nodded at her reassuringly, but her shaking eyes said otherwise. "I appreciate that you were concerned about me, but seriously, it''s just two more years. I will graduate then."

    "Two more yearsбн?" Cosette opened and closed her mouth, looking at Olivia incredulously as if thetter had forgotten she was just about to jump out of the winder from the third floor. "Olivia, are you saying you can endure this for two more years when just nearly jump out of the window an hour ago?"

    Olivia choked until her neck turned taut.

    "I can''t, Cosette." Olivia squeezed Cosette''s hand until her hand turned white, while Cosette''s hand turned red. "I can''t tell the police, and even if they get expelled, they know where I live. "

    Her face contorted as she looked into her eyes. "Iбн don''t know anymore. I''m going crazy."

    "Oliбн" Cosette embraced her once again, her heart pounding from equal anger and sympathy. "... I''m sorry this happened to you."

    "What do I do? I''m scaredбн they''ll kill me if they found out."

    "Iбн" Cosette trailed off, realizing this wasn''t the time to convince Olivia to fight and stay strong. Olivia was already consumed with her fears and trauma. Hence, she could only rub her back to calm her down once again.

    Meanwhile, outside the ssroom, Maxen, Luke, and Remo were leaning against the wall. They had returned minutes ago and heard almost everything.

    "Wowбн I''ve never felt this angry beforeбн" Luke whispered as he cracked his knuckles, itching to throw his fist.

    "Uhбн" Maxen closed his eyes, stretching his neck from one side to the other. "... those motherfuckers."

    Remo remained quiet, but his expression was firm. His teeth were clenched and his fist was tightly held to his side. He was not a good person, and he too was a bully, but there was a line that Remo never crossed.

    "Maxen," called Remo under his breath, lifting his eyes, only to see Maxen reopen his and revealed the menace in them. "Iбн want to beat someone up."

    Luke turned his head to Maxen, who was at arm''s length beside him. "I can''t sleep tonight without throwing these fists, Max."

    "Me too." Maxen rocked his head as he glossed his eyes over Remo and Luke''s fiery eyes. "I won''t be able to sleep tonight without throwing these fists."

 Chapter 239 Bad Boys

    Since it was gettingte, Cosette called a cab to take Olivia to the hospital. Fortunately, Olivia went with the flow, since she would take anything just to stay away from this school for a moment. It was also better for her because going home in such a mental state and staying alone all night could trigger her again.

    Cosette promised to visit her the next day. Since they only found her identally, Cosette had to tell Conrad about it first. She had to hear her father''s thoughts about it too, and get professional advice from the expert who knew thew and knew how to twist it.

    After sending Olivia off with a cab, Driver George also picked her up at school. However, Maxen, Luke, and Remo didn''t tell her where they went. She only knew they had returned and left again because of the food they left near the entrance of the ssroom, but that was all.

    Cosette waited for them in the school for about an hour, but to no avail. Therefore, Cosette told the driver they should search for them instead. Her gut feeling told her they were ambushed or some sortбн and her gut feeling didn''t fail her like usual.

    In one of the public ygrounds, Cosette caught a brawl between multiple guys. The Maxen radar in her head instantly tingled, and because of the situation, Cosette was able to catch Maxen, Remo, and Luke. The fight looked one-sided. Despite that their opponents wererge in number, the three were able to fight them all as if mad beasts were ready to sever their enemies'' limbs and sunder their form.

    If not for Cosette interfering and dragging the three of them inside the car, something worse could probably happen. Why? Because before they left the bloody scene, Cosette noticed some delinquents bringing metals, bats, and things like that approaching as reinforcement.

    That exined Maxen, Luke, and Remo''s current situation.

    Sitting in the lobby of the c Mansion, Cosette paced back and forth to calm her raging heart. Meanwhile, Maxen just sat quietly on the couch. Beside Maxen was Luke, who was the most rxed of them, leaning against the armrest with his arm over it. Across from them was Remo, looking around discreetly, still stunned at how big this girl''s house was.

    Remo heard Luke and Cosette came from a well-off family, but until now, Remo thought by well off, they meant just slightly above the middle-ss family. He underestimated the word well off, but who could me him? For him, people who were considered elites among elites were too far from his reach. So thinking Cosette was just dilly dallying around them was an utter surprise.

    "Goshбн I can''t believe you three." Cosette snapped at them aggressively, making Luke flinch after the total silence. "I would understand if they ambushed you, but you went there yourselves looking for a fight?!"

    Cosette huffed. "Hah! Gosh, I''m so angry. If I didn''te, do you think you can get away there with just a few scratches?! What do you think you three are doing?"

    "Even if they call an entire town, I will smash them to smithereens бк" Luke was cut off when she red daggers at him. He frowned, rolling his eyes. "Fine. We''re not thinking and letting out emotions control us, alright? What else do you want us to say? Don''t tell me you want us to apologize to them?"

    "You бк" Cosette was about to beat Luke to teach him a lesson, but Maxen spoke.

    "I don''t regret it," said Maxen, lifting his eyes to her ever so slowly. "I don''t regret looking for a fight and throwing these fists."

    "Me too." Remo backed up solemnly. "I won''t say sorry for anyone. I don''t even care if it''s right or wrong or whatever. I don''t care and I''m not sorry about it."

    Cosette''s jaw tightened as she darted her eyes between Maxen and Remo. Was this it? She thought. Was her hard work not as effective as she thought they were? Because right now, Maxen and Remo almost sounded like how they sounded in their past life.

    Just as her lips parted, her voice rolled back to her throat when she heard the head butler wee Conrad.

    "What''s going on here?" Conrad''s voice immediately caressed her ears from behind. "Cosette. Maxen."

    Conrad walked towards them whilst undoing his cufflinks. His sharp eyes glossed over the set of chairs where there were more boys sitting. Conrad recognized Luke as thetter greeted him with a slight neck bow, but that other guy, whose body built was bigger than an average high schooler was someone Conrad hadn''t seen before.

    "Cosette, are you perhaps collecting boys?" he asked while Cosette turned around to face him. "Will you take these boys home now?"

    "Max бк" Cosette bit her tongue before she could even exin her side.

    "Max, what?"

    ''Maxen was the only one for me,'' was what she wanted to say, but Cosette figured this situation would only turn on her if she did. Cosette shook her head mildly and cleared her throat.

    "Papa," called Cosette solemnly. "These three just took part in a fistfight!"

    Conrad arched a brow and scanned the three boys again. "Yes. I can see that," said Conrad, as there was still dirt on their uniforms and even obvious bruises on their faces.

    "Papa, what''s with that reaction?" Cosette gasped in dismay. "Max fought with his fist! Look at him! Someone dared bruise his beautiful face бк I mean, fighting is bad! It''s bad! Luke too! Just look at them! They look so tired and beaten!"

    "That''s right." Conrad nodded in agreement.

    "I mean, I can understand if they just had no choice but to defend themselves, but they were the ones who started it!" Cosette added, showing the real nature of her anger. "Papa, can you give them a piece of advice? I''m at my wit''s end here, and they don''t even feel any type of remorse." бк to her. It wasn''t like she wanted them to apologize to those delinquents; they deserved it.

    However, how could they leave her all alone to look for fights? They didn''t even n it properly and just rashly walked to hell on their own two feet. Did they think they could get away if another student died because of such a brawl?

    Conrad let out a deep exhale as he nodded in understanding.

    "Lucia." Conrad raised his voice to get Lucia''s attention, who was just around the corner, worrying about Cosette and Maxen, along with the other servants.

    "Yes, Master?" Lucia, Cosette''s nanny, hurriedly came into the picture.

    "Take Cosette to her room first бк I mean, have you had dinner, Cozie?" Conrad looked back at Cosette, only to see her frowning. "Wash up first and calm down. I''ll talk to Maxen and to your friends, and then we will have dinner together."

    Cosette didn''t move an inch from her spot. So when Conrad nced at Lucia, thetter nodded and approached Cosette''s side.

    "Young Miss," Lucia called softly, holding Cosette''s arm with care. "Let''s wash you up first."

    "Fineбн" Cosette breathed out, casting the three another look. "You better get yourself together because if you still hadn''t realized where you were wrong, you''ll get a piece of me."

    After spewing her threats, Cosette followed Lucia to wash up before having dinner. She also thought she needed a nice bath and silence to calm down. Those boys were just a headache.

    Meanwhile, as Cosette was walking away with her nanny, Luke mumbled to himself.

    "Get a piece of her? Is that supposed to be scary?" he wondered before he heard Conrad clear his throat. Luke peeked at Conrad, and thetter was unbuttoning his suit before flinging it back as he sat down. Luke expected many things from Conrad.

    If this was Maynard, his father''s first question would be, "did you win?" But this was Conrad c, the man his father was so fond of that even Conrad''s insults were fine.

    But the air Conrad exuded felt somehow intimidating, even though the man wasn''t even trying. Not just Luke, but Remo as well.

    Remo had met bad guys бк real bad ones. Some of them intimidated him a bit, but mostly, they simply annoyed him. The only person who actually scared Remo was Maxen''s father, and he only had a glimpse of him. But Cosette''s fatherбн terrified him as well.

    Conrad hadn''t done anything yet aside from sitting down with them, but Luke and Remo always waited for his scolding with bated breaths. Much to their dismay, silence reigned over them. Conrad didn''t speak a word, and his in expression didn''t change. He just looked at them silently, as if he had nothing to say.

    "My daughter wants me to scold you, but I believe I am in no position to do that. I am neither your father and I had done nothing to contribute even a tiny bit to your life." Conrad broke his silence after another two minutes of nothing but silence. "But a word of advice, don''te looking for trouble. If you need to teach someone a lesson, create a way for them toe look for you. In that case, you have a reason to hurt them. Right, Maxen?"

    Maxen lowered his eyes. "I made her upset. I''m sorry."

    "You''re still learning, but I hope this will serve as a lesson to you."

 Chapter 240 Should I Step In?

    "You''re still learning, but I hope this will serve as a lesson to you."

    Conrad and Maxen stared at each other while Remo and Luke darted their eyes between them. The two raised their brows before looking at each other, and then back to Conrad and Maxen.

    "Yes." Maxen lowered his eyes as he let out a deep exhale. "I just couldn''t stop myself."

    "Mhmбн" Conrad rocked his head in understanding. "Your reasons might be valid to look for trouble yourself."

    He then shifted his eyes to Luke, making thetter flinch slightly. "Your father will throw a huge fit if he sees those bruises on his son''s beautiful face."

    "Hehбн" Luke let out an awkward smile, shrinking back slightly to hide.

    "Don''t worry. I won''t tell your father about this," said Conrad, sensing Luke''s difort. "Your father had been bragging about how his son chose a noble decision to figure out his life on his own. I think what you did is courageous andmendable. Your father will just ruin you."

    "I know, right?" Luke scratched the back of his head while Remo shot him an incredulous look.

    Didn''t Luke notice, or was he just shy to point it out? Conrad just tantly ridiculed Luke''s father right in front of him, but Luke''s response wasбн just that? If someone spewed bull about Remo''s grandfather, he would fight them to death, whoever they were. But perhaps Luke and his father had truly be estranged, Remo thought.

    If only Remo had the slightest idea that Conrad wasn''t insulting Conrad. Thetter was just describing him and speaking facts.

    "You areбн?"

    Remo snapped his eyes back to Conrad when he felt thetter''s gaze on him. "Remo."

    "Remo?"

    "Yes. My name is Remo."

    "Nice to meet you, Remo." Remo''s brows rose at Conrad''s polite and humble yet respectable way of speaking. "I hope Cozie and Maxen aren''t troubling you too much."

    "Uhбн" Remo cleared his throat and shook his head. "They''re not. If anything, I am troubling them."

    "Believe me. You''re troubling no one." Conrad chuckled calmly, ncing over his shoulder to check something. "Because if you are, you won''t be here with them."

    "Huh?" Remo''s brows rose, but Conrad simply offered a kind smile.

    If Maynard was here to witness how considerate Conrad was towards these kids, he would nder him nonstop. After all, everyone in their circle knew how savage and uncaring Conrad could be to the rest of the world except to his daughter.

    "Maxen." Conrad set his eyes back to Maxen and waited until Maxen raised his eyes up to him. "Should I step in?"

    Maxen held Conrad''s gaze for a moment before he nodded. "No. I can handle it."

    "If that is what you im." Conrad shrug. "Just tell me if you need me to step in. It''s okay to make mistakes or ask for someone''s help. You''re human, not a god. Remember that."

    "Don''t worry. We can settle this on our own."

    "I believe you."

    After thosest remarks rolled out of Conrad''s tongue, the head butler approached Conrad. Butler George bent over, whispering to Conrad.

    "Alright." Conrad rubbed his palms against the armchair. While doing so, some servants from the infirmary came in, carrying first aid kits to clean whatever wounds the boys had inflicted.

    "Max, it''s alreadyte. Tell your friends they should just stay over for the night. Get your wounds treated first until the family doctor arrives," Conrad instructed, casting the boys'' equal attention. "And then join us for dinner. George already prepared their rooms."

    Maxen also stood up as if he hadn''t inflicted heavy injuries. "I''ll tell them."

    "Good." Conrad smiled at Maxen, and they gazed at Luke and then at Remo. "I''ll see you around."

    With that being said, Conrad made his exit while the two servants ced the first aid on the coffee table. Remo, Maxen, and Luke watched Conrad''s retreating figure in silence, having different thoughts in mind. Luke had met Cosette''s father, and this wasn''t his first time hanging out in the c mansion, but until now, he still finds himself speechless with Conrad''s demure.

    Meanwhile, Remo hadn''t still figured out what sort of first impression he had for Conrad. Maxen, on the other hand, only thought that Conrad never changed. Conrad still trust Maxen so much, even though what he had done today spoke there was still some childish reaction from him.

    ''It''s okay to make mistakes and ask for others'' help,'' thought Maxen, repeating Conrad''s words in his head. ''... how I wished I need his help, but this is too simple.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen slowly sat down and turned his head to his right, where Luke was sitting. He then nced at Remo.

    "We''ll stay here tonight," he said, only for Luke toin.

    "Shouldn''t that be a question?" Luke scrunched his nose up in dismay.

    "Before we left, they had reinforcement. I''m sure if they see even our shadows in the street, they will beat the hell out of us," Remo chimed in. "But I''m fine renting a hostel for the night. I don''t need to stay here."

    "Me too." Luke nodded, a little ashamed to be around Conrad. It was okay if it was just the three of them. Even if Cosette was always with them, her bubbly personality didn''t really make anyone ufortable. But it was different if a parent was around. It wasn''t like they n on doing something horrible, but this feeling was a natural reaction.

    "My old man will insist," said Maxen. "He can be very frustrating if he starts nagging."

    "Your old manбн?" Remo''s brows rose while Luke frowned.

    ''Are they really going to get married?'' Luke wondered, thinking that Cosette and Maxen''s setup was like marriage as well. They were already living under the same roof, and Maxen also called her dad, his dad.

    "Also, every night, the head security released the big dogs within the mansion. They gnaw people they are not familiar with as long as they were within the premises," Maxen added, and he wasn''t even lying.

    This was how Conrad trap people inside this mansion. After all, Conrad was always concerned about children''s safety. It waste already and since the brawl, the three started themselves was still hot, it was better if they all stay in here. There were too many spare rooms in the residence, so there wouldn''t be a problem.

    Luke and Remo looked at Maxen incredulously.

    "You could''ve just said you stay or just die," Luke spat out in dismay and Remo backed it up with, "this is indirectly kidnapping."

    "At least I held you both captive in a good ce."

    "..." Luke and Remo opened and closed their mouths to rebut him, but ended up shaking their heads instead. Right after, the nurses working within the mansion started treating their wounds to avoid infection until the c''s family doctor came to check on the boys.

    ****** BREAK ******

    "It''s so annoying." Cosette frowned deeper as shebed her hair in irritation. "That Remo and Maxen. Do they have any idea how hard it is for me to keep them away from violence? Gosh. Luke isn''t helping as well. So annoying."

    She mmed the brush on the vanity table, ring at herself. Nanny Lucia went out for a bit and told her she woulde back once dinner was served.

    "I''m so annoyed I don''t even feel hungry at all." Cosette pushed herself up, marching back to her bed toze on it. Whenever she was lying down, it usually helped her calm down. She hoped it would also help this time.

    But just as Cosette sat on the edge of the bed, the vibration of her phone on the nightstand caught her attention. Cosette furrowed her brows and reached for it to check who was messaging her. There were only a few people who often slide into her inbox.

    The first on her list was Luke, and those were mostly messages whenever Luke was burrowing something. If not him, it would be the girls. Maxen and Cosette rarely exchanged text messages because they were always together.

    "Now that I think about it, I should tell Max we should do some phone sex for experienceбн" she trailed off the moment she saw the sender. Her expression turned cold as the mischievous idea that suddenly crossed her head disappeared into thin air.

    Asher.

    His message was, "I will call."

    "Hahбн" Cosette let out a scoff, staring at those three letters. "... wow. I can hear him say this бк bastard!"

    Cosette scrunched her nose up when Asher''s name appeared on the screen just as she bad-mouthed him. After herst moments with him, Cosette was not ready to talk or even face this guy. It was a good thing Asher left that early in the morning, and they didn''t have to bear the shame the night before.

    "He really has the worst timing," mumbled Cosette, putting her phone in silence before tossing it on the bed where she threw herself on.

    ****** BREAK ******

    [ The number you had dialedбн ]

    Asher let out a shallow breath as he peeled the phone from his ear. He expected that she wouldn''t answer with that message he sent he typed whilst in the middle of something.

    "Young Master Quinn, did you reach Cosette?" Asher slowly looked at the person across from him, smiling amicably like usual. "It seems you didn''t."

    "She''s probably busy at the moment," said Asher with a friendly smile that didn''t reach his eyes. "Or just in a terrible mood. I don''t think you should see her, Ezekiel Stone. She breathes fire whenever she''s upset."

 Chapter 241 Youre Making Me Cry

    When dinner was served, Cosette just stared at the three boys with a dead expression. Conrad told her he asked them to stay for the night since it was not safe for kids tomute at night. It wasn''t like Cosette had any problems with that, but when she heard Luke and Remo preferred to sleep in Maxen''s room instead of upying the guests'' room, Cosette was screaming internally.

    But she couldn''t berate the two бк not in front of Conrad. In the end, she could only chew her handkerchief in envy as they finished dinner.

    "Cosette." Conrad''s voice snapped Cosette back to the currentpse, making her look away from the three to her father. "Come to my study once you finish eating."

    "I''m already done, Papa." Cosette looked at her empty te and frowned. "I''m not eating anymore."

    "Alright. Just follow me."

    Cosette clicked her tongue faintly before shezily dragged herself from the chair. Her father just indirectly told her she had a huge appetite and acted as if nothing. Well, it wasn''t like itpletely annoyed her because there was some truth in it.

    She had a quick metabolism, so she wanted to eat to her heart''s content. No need to mind her figure since she was still young, and she could always work on it in the future to seduce Maxen.

    "Papa, what is it about?" asked Cosette as she closed the door of Conrad''s study behind her. Her eyes followed Conrad as he walked to his desk, taking a folder before sitting on the one-seater couch.

    "Did Maxen mention it to you?" Conrad inquired as he ced the documents in front of her when she sat down on the couch.

    "Mention, what?"

    "Take a look at it." Conrad raised his hand, gesturing her to the content of the folder.

    "Wellбн" Cosette shrugged as she bent over, picking up the folder. She leaned back controbly as she opened the folder, making her brows furrow.

    The BLK Corporation was known in the manufacturing industry. But their familypany also had different subsidiaries. Cosette knew the business from inside and out since she used her previous life studying it to take it to greater heights.

    It wasn''t like she didn''t think Conrad wasn''t doing a good job. But in their previous life, Conrad had an ident in the country of Sharie, and theirpany stagnated. Hence, she agreed to get engaged to Ezekiel Stone.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 To put it simply, Cosette memorized and knew how the business works бк not just the majorpany but the subsidiaries that were generating ie.

    One of them was the security agency that Conrad manages since their clients were high-ranking officials, businessmen, and such.

    Cosette raised her head to Conrad when even though she hadn''t read everything yet.

    "Papa, do you want me to close a deal with the senator?" she asked out of in curiosity.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No. Read more."

    "Ohбн" since Conrad didn''t want to speak until she read everything, Cosette took her time to read everything andprehend every little detail. The more she read, the more she understood Conrad''s reason for telling her to read the documents.

    "It''s already signedбн" she whispered, but her eyes lingered more on the other person''s signature rather than the client. "... why is Max''s name written here, Papa?"

    Conrad watched his daughter raise her head before he exined. "I made a lot of thinking when you mentioned Maxen''s father and his rtionship with an international crime group." He cleared his throat, pausing as he pondered on the words he should use so she wouldn''t get surprised.

    "Since you and I agreed that Maxen is already a part of our family, I cannot just chase him out of our house just because he was a son of a felon," he continued. "That''s why I wanted to teach him skills he could use in the future and power so he can have control of his life."

    "That organization and their donбн will do whatever they can to get what they want. It''s good that they have made no movement so far, but I want Maxen to have an option when it happens," he added. "Of course, Maxen is getting paid ording to his position, and the board had been happy with his performance. My rmendation will do nothing if he doesn''t do well."

    Conrad exined the general details to her, keeping it as short as possible and concise. But Cosette only stared at him in silence, and he couldn''t tell what sort of expression she was wearing. Was she angry? Sad? Did she think he was exploiting Maxen? Or did she think it was too dangerous and was nothing different from that organization? It could be this was a sort of insensitive topic for her since Cosette often proposed to manage a subsidiary in the past but he rejected it repeatedly.

    Conrad tapped his fingers against the armrest as his thoughts grew more negative the longer she stayed silent. Much to his surprise, a tear suddenly rolled down her cheek that made him freeze.

    "Papaбн" Cosette''s lower lip trembled, making his heart thud against his chest.

    "If you do not approve it, then tell me the reason. I will reconsider бк"

    "Thank you," she added in a muffled voice, recing the chaotic thoughts of her father with question marks. Cosette sniffed hard, gazing down at the documents with a warm smile. "It seemed this was his first deal, and he aced it. As expected of him."

    Staring at Cosette''s soft expression, Conrad let out a sigh of relief. He thought she didn''t like his take on this, but he was relieved she understood.

    "Thank you, Papa." Cosette faced Conrad again. "I know you didn''t have to tell me about this, but you still did. It really means a lot to me."

    "You have to know," he returned calmly with a smile. "If Maxen was a part of this family, so were you."

    "Papaбн" she bit her bottom lip as tears pooled in her eyes. "You''re making me cryбн"

    "Haha." Conrad chuckled as his eyes softened even more. "I''m just relieved you were fine with it."

    "Why wouldn''t I?" Cosette smacked her lips as she raised the documents proudly. "Maxen''s achievements were mine, just like how my papa''s achievements were mine to celebrate. It makes me happy."

 Chapter 242 Itll Be Bloodbath

    "Why wouldn''t I? Maxen''s achievements were mine, just like how my papa''s achievements were mine to celebrate. It makes me happy."

    Cosette then gazed back at Conrad and smiled warmed at him. "Thank you for giving him opportunities, Papa."

    "Maxen is a good and bright child. Even without my help, I''m certain he would excel in the field he will choose."

    Cosette just smiled but said nothing further. If only her father knew how wrong and right he was. He was right that Maxen would excel in the field he chose, but he was wrong that there would be other opportunities for Maxen if Conrad didn''t step in.

    "Now, I feel reassured," said Cosette with a grin, making Conrad knit his brows.

    "Reassured for?"

    "That he will not be a viin!" she replied in a humorous tone, making Conrad chuckle as he deemed it as a joke and not something he should take seriously.

    When Cosette put down the folder, she stayed with Conrad, since she hadn''t spent so much time with him. Conrad had been very busy recently, and tonight was the only night he came home early. It wasn''t like Cosette and Maxen to go home early as well, since they told Conrad they had been apanying Luke in his new ce.

    They talked about everything they could talk about in business, in school matters, trivial things, until Cosette mentioned tonight''s events.

    "Papa." Cosette frowned while Conrad hummed. "Did you scold those three?"

    "I didn''t."

    "But why?"

    "They''re not my children, and I don''t think they will even listen to what I say, since who am I to them?"

    "Wellбн make sense." Cosette let out a deep exhale.

    "I didn''t ask, not because I wasn''t intrigued, but because I don''t want your friends to think I''m giving them unsolicited advice. Moreover, if Maxen is with them, that only means there is a deep reason for them to take part in a brawl," exined Conrad. "I''m not saying violence is justified whatever the reason, but that''s human nature. No matter how much you practice self-control and patience, there were just situations and people in particr who will challenge your morals."

    ''Is he talking about Uncle Maynard?'' Cosette wondered, mentally shaking her head to get that unnecessary thought away.

    "Wellбн" Cosette cleared her throat. Since she wouldn''t be sleeping with Maxen tonight, she didn''t mind staying untilte with Conrad. This was also to make sure Conrad wouldn''t dare work while he was at him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I haven''t told you about this, but weeks ago, while we were heading to Luke''s apartment, we saw a group of people ganging up on someoneбн" she exined, starting from the very beginning so Conrad would have a better grasp of things. "... since we thought the school hadn''t taken any action, we snuck inside this school to make sure the report reach the principal''s office."

    "On our way back, we heard a girl crying, and when we checked, Remo found a girl jumping out of the window. If he was a secondte, the poor girl would''ve seeded inmitting suicide." Another deep exhale escaped Cosette''s lips as she recalled their experience tonight. It was a roller coaster of emotions.

    "So that''s the reason those three hunted those delinquents?"

    "Yes, I mean." Cosette sighed for the umpteenth time. "I know they were angry about Olivia''s state, but it could''ve been dangerous. If I didn''te, who knows what will happen?"

    "Remo was arrested because someone from the SIN Organization stabbed a student. He took the me because those in the organization manipted him," she continued in the same somber tone. "What if something like that happened, right? But in this case, the person getting stabbed is either the three of them?"

    "I seeбн" Conrad rocked his head in understanding, getting the gist of why Cosette was so angry and why those three chose to throw their fist.

    "I''m already worried about Olivia. It was a good thing she listened and agreed to be taken to the hospital." Cosette turned her attention back to her father. "Papa, what should I do? I know this is not my problem, but Iбн cannot just pretend I know nothing. I want to help her and get the justice she deserved."

    "Those delinquents did so much damage to her. I know even if they ended up in jail, she would still be battling her trauma. Butбн I want to help her. I want to do something to help her," she added. "What should I do, Papa?"

    There was a long silence that followed Cosette''s remarks. Conrad just stared at her for the longest time, pondering what sort of advice should he give her. It was nauseating to think this sort of bullying was happening, and the aggressors were also minors.

    This was a tricky situation.

    "Cosette, I understand you want to help. But does this person who needs your help want the same thing?" he asked, only to make her frown.

    "Papa, what sort of question is that?"

    "I''m saying we all know she needed help. However, does she want it too?" Conrad repeated calmly. "Aside from the bullying, there''s also r*ape involved. Coming out and putting herself out there to seek justice isn''t easy. Matter of fact, things will just get moreplicated and chaotic out there. She needs to be ready for that."

    Conrad drew a deep breath and tapped his fingers against the armrest. "Helping her get justice is not impossible, but she has to be ready for what wille next, Cosette. The only help you can give her, for now, is to make sure she knows how to fight. Because this will be a bloodbath. Trust me. It might even destroy her if she wasn''t hundred percent ready to put herself out there and recount all the traumas she went through."

    Cosette opened her mouth but ended up shutting them into a thin sh. Her father was correct. Getting justice, especially in this case, would be a bloodbath. Olivia had to be ready for that because if she wasn''t, it would only destroy her.

 Chapter 243 A Hard Pill To Swallow

    Cosette made a lot of thinking the entire night. Her father''s wordsst night rewired in her brain and set them correctly. Cosette had been focusing on the thought of enjoying her youth she had slowly forgotten what the real world was like.

    This was a sensitive topic.

    If things were just as easy as that, then those victims of such atrocities wouldn''t stay silent. If it was that easy, then everyone would get justice. But the real world wasn''t like that. The reality was much harsher and cruel than any nightmare.

    ''I was selfish,'' Cosette thought as she stared at Olivia from the side of the hospital bed.

    Cosette didn''t attend school because she wanted to visit Olivia. She made a call yesterday to the hospital to confirm about her, so she was reassured Olivia was taken care of the entire night.

    "How do you feel?" asked Cosette soothingly, while Olivia lifted her eyes.

    "I don''t know," Olivia breathed out with a shrug, her back against the headboard. "I don''t know."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line. "You didn''t tell your parents about it?"

    "No." Olivia quickly shook her head. "I can''t. Not yet. They will be devastated if they hear about it."

    "Then what did you tell themst night when you cannot go home?"

    "I told them I will be staying in a friend''s home." Olivia drew a deep breath as she rxed her stiff shoulder. "My mom and dad are both working two jobs, soбн they weren''t at home that much."

    "I seeбн"

    Olivia''s brows rose, staring at Cosette''s figure. "What happened to you?" she asked.

    "Huh?"

    "I thought you will try to convince me today to report to the police or to tell my parents about it. But you''re not. So, I was wondering what happened to you?"

    Cosette didn''t answer immediately as she assessed the curiosity and surprise in the girl''s eyes. It wasn''t surprising Olivia already thought that much. Olivia was smart. And to be honest, Cosette would''ve tried to convince her if not for her conversation with Conradst night.

    "Nothing." Cosette shrugged, lowering her eyes with a bitter smile. "It''s justбн I feel so hopeless."

    "Hopeless? You?"

    "Mhm." Cosette nodded, lifting her eyes to Olivia. "I made a lot of thinkingst night, and I should apologize for saying things that might''ve hurt your feelings. I swear I didn''t mean to undermine your problems and feelings about this."

    Olivia opened her mouth, only to close them again.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I was upset," Cosette continued with a deep sigh. "I want to help. I''m angry that this happened to you. We might not know each other, but I know no one deserves to be bullied or treated like this. It makes me angry, and I want to punish those who were responsible."

    "But, I realizedбн the decision is not mine," she added under her breath, smiling bitterly at Olivia. "No matter how angry I felt when I heard your story, it is not my story. I''m just a part of the background, an extra. Whatever your action after this, it will still be yours to carry and not mine. So, I understand why you''ve been silent all this time and chose to suffer alone."

    Olivia swallowed the frustrating tension in her throat without looking away from Cosette. She sniffed hard, rocking her head, preparing herself to speak without her voice cracking.

    "You''re a good person, Cosette," she said, breathing heavily so she wouldn''t cry. "It would be nice if Iбн transferred to Winter High instead of this school."

    "I''m sorry."

    "Why are you sorry?" Olivia smiled subtly. "You shouldn''t be the person saying those words to me. You did nothing to me. In fact, you only showed kindness to me. I appreciate that you were angry in my steadбн it really felt nice that someone was able to express my anger since everybody else just turned a blind eye to what was happening around them. I don''t me them, though, but that doesn''t mean I don''t feel any sort of anger towards them."

    Olivia peeled her back from the backrest to hold Cosette''s hand. Tears shone in Cosette''s eyes and watching her hold her tears back, Olivia also bite her lip to stop herself from crying.

    "I want to stay silent, Oliбн" came out Cosette''s muffled voice. "... but how can I? I want to convince you to report, but at the same time, I cannot take it if you go through another hell because you did."

    Olivia puffed her cheek as she blew air, but a drop of tears still rolled down her cheek.

    "I''m scared, Cosette," she confessed. "I''m not scared of giving them hell, but I''m scared of what others will say. I''m scared of what my parents will feel if they hear their youngest was r*aped and bullied. It will destroy them."

    Cosette squeezed Olivia''s hand and clenched her teeth to stop herself from arguing.

    "Some people might think, you should go out there and teach them all a lesson. If I do, I''d be the hero. I will save countless others from experiencing the same from those bullies. They will never hurt others again if I did. But to be honest, I don''t care about others," Olivia continued,ughing in ridicule. "I know this is selfish. But I can''tбн let them hurt my parents."

    "Putting myself out there is the same as stabbing my parents. I''d rather keep the pain and trauma all for myself instead of implicating them." She smacked her lips as she took another deep breath, forcing a smile on her face. "Thank you, though. Really. It''s nice to know you. It makes me want to believe there were people out there who are still kind and nice."

    Another tear rolled down Cosette''s cheek. Olivia cupped her cheek and wiped Cosette''s tear with her thumb.

    "I''m okay," said Olivia with a reassuring smile. "I will be okay."

    Cosette wasn''t able to say a word to Olivia and just cried silently. She wanted to argue with Olivia or even force her to report this bullying. However, they live in reality. It would take a lifetime of guts for Olivia toe out and speak up. Not that Olivia was weak or not strong enough; it was just that she chose to spare her parents the pain she had endured.

    It was stupid and Cosette wanted to yell it to her, but that was life. It wasn''t always a happy ending for everyone.

    And that was a hard pill to swallow.

 Chapter 244 Patience

    Cosette stayed with Olivia for a couple of hours before the attending physician told the patient to take a rest. Olivia would be discharged tomorrow, but she was told she would need to attend her therapy strictly. After that, Cosette bid her farewell.

    "You''re okay?" Maxen''s voice snapped Cosette back to the currentpse. He was in the driver''s seat, stopping at the stop light while Cosette was in the front passenger seat.

    Maxen didn''t go to school to apany Cosette. Remo and Luke did, though. Those two had many things to make up for their absence.

    "No," came out Cosette''s shaking voice, looking away from Maxen to hide her teary eyes. "I''m angry."

    Cosette sniffed, recalling her conversation with Olivia. "She didn''t want to report this incident because she said it will devastate her parents. It makes me angry and I think it''s unfair that after all that they had done to her, they would just get away from it."

    "But that''s her decision," Maxen replied, warranting a re from her. "Cozie, I understand where you areing from. I also feel angry about it, and I might sound like a jerk, but it sounds cowardly. Butбн we are like this because we weren''t in her shoes."

    Maxen checked the stoplight before setting his eyes back on her again. "We''re not Olivia. We had no idea about her until that clip, so even if we try, we will never see her eye to eye."

    "But that''s even more frustrating!" Cosette yelled as her eyes stung. "Does that mean they will just get away from it? Or she will have to endure it until she graduates? Max, Olivia almost killed herself."

    "But she needs time, Cozie." Maxen noticed the red light from the corner of his eyes, taking the helm as he drove, before pulling over to the side. When Maxen pressed the hazard button, he faced Cosette squarely.

    "Justice has no time limit, babe. If this girl endured everything untilst night, I believe she is wiser and stronger than what she thinks right now." Maxen reached for her hand, guiding it to nt a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Give her some time. Everything takes time, Cozie. Right now, she hasn''t had a clear mind yet, but I''m sureбн she''ll act ording to her morals and beliefs."

    Her lips parted, staring at him as he rested their intertwined hands on hisp. She wanted to argue with Maxen too, but how could she? Maxen had a point. Olivia was still strongly against this because, at first, she wasn''t ready. And second, she didn''t have a clear and firm resolve yet.

    They had to be patient.

    "Okay," whispered Cosette, conceding helplessly.

    Seeing that she was still upset about it, a shallow breath slipped past his lips. He knew Cosette more than anyone, and she didn''t have that long patience to spare to get things done. She was also like this to him on many asions.

    "Do you want to go somewhere?" he asked after a moment, watching her raise her eyes at him. "We don''t have anywhere else to go. Soбн if you want to unwind for a bit, we can go somewhere."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line before she sighed. "Yes."

    "Where?" Maxen raised his brows, looking back at her curiously, waiting for her lips to say the ce she wanted to go.

    ***********

    Cosette''s request to Maxen came as a surprise. He didn''t expect her to request to visit Olivia''s parents, but it was also not surprising. Hence, Maxen took her to Olivia''s work which was the marketce just around the area near the school.

    Maxen and Cosette stood in the distance of the marketce, staring at a particr stall where a woman in her fifties was busy cleaning fishes. The woman''s hair was tied in a messy bun, some of her hair falling down to her neck. She looked exhausted but was still smiling at her customers.

    Cosette''s eyes softened as her eyes never left the woman. Olivia said her father used to work in a corporate job with a good position before thepany he was working for dered bankruptcy. Things were a mess, and that was why Olivia''s mother had to also find a job to help her husband.

    "I seeбн" Cosette whispered while watching the woman. "... they''re barely surviving and she''s scared their entire world will shatter if they learned about it."

    Until now, Cosette still thought that Olivia''s decision wasn''t the right decision. But it was also not the wrong one. Olivia had a reason, and Cosette was in no position to criticize her for that.

    "Should we buy from her?" Maxen turned to her and asked. "Luke had been eating street foods or noodles. It''s nice to cook for him once in a while."

    Cosette slowly gazed back at Maxen and smiled subtly.

    "What do you think?" he asked her with a smile, giving her the excuse to approach Olivia''s mother. "Should we cook something nice tonight for Luke? I think he will like it very much."

    "Mhmбн" Cosette hummed and nodded weakly. "I think he has been eating too much unhealthy food that his brain is not working properly anymore. He needs some nutrition."

    "I know, right?"

    With that being said, Maxen and Cosette approached Olivia''s mother to buy whatever they could to cook for Luke tonight.

    "What is itбн?" the haggard woman trailed off as she raised her head to the two youngsters standing in front of her stall.

    "We would like to cook for our friend since he hadn''t been eating a proper mealбн" exined Maxen and then asked for any rmendation on which they should buy. Hearing Maxen''s exnation, the woman chuckled and smiled warmly at the young man anddy.

    "This friend of yours is lucky to have you two as his friends," said the woman after rmending which type of seafood they should buy that was easy to cook and also fresh from the port. "I also have a daughter who is probably the same age as you two. She''s also very thoughtful and a nice girl. Always thinking of her friends and helping them. I''m d she found good friends in here."

    As the woman told them about her daughter while cleaning some of the fish Maxen and Cosette bought, Cosette couldn''t help but lower her eyes. When the woman finished, she handed them a stic bag while Maxen paid for it.

    As they walked away, Cosette stayed silent while Maxen peek at her from time to time.

    "Max," she called, lifting her head at him. "I can''t let them off."

 Chapter 245 Karma Happens In Real Life

    Cosette wanted to respect Olivia''s wishes and give her some time to think about her future actions. However, after seeing Olivia''s mother and seeing the pride in her eyes as she remembered her daughter, Cosette knew deep in her heart she couldn''t sit idly and wait.

    It was unfair.

    This world was already unfair and sometimes, a person''s resilience wasn''t something to be proud about. Those youths were too young tomit atrocities, and the damages they had cost was far too great to let them all get away from it.

    Cosette wouldn''t allowбн her thoughts suddenly trailed off when Luke''s voice tickled her ears.

    "Wait." Luke paused from eating the dish Maxen and Cosette prepared for him. "Why is this guy here again??"

    He looked to his side, scrunching his nose up at Remo as thetter was also eating. Remo looked back at Luke and cocked his head, confused.

    "He was with you when you came," Maxen recalled, sitting beside Cosette on the square dining table in Luke''s apartment. Since Cosette and Maxen were always in Luke''s ce, Luke handed Maxen a spare key in case of emergency; by emergency, he meant Maxen getting kicked out of the c Manor.

    "You dragged me with you," said Remo, blinking almost innocently. "And told me you''d buy me dinner since I''m now your neighbor."

    "Rightбн" Luke shoved another spoonful of rice into his mouth, recalling dragging Remo with him, knowing Maxen and Cosette cooked something.

    Even though Maxen had a spare key to Luke''s apartment, Maxen still told him they would go to his ce via text. Hence, he took Remo with him since the guy just moved into the apartment next to him.

    "So." Remo cleared his throat, shifting his attention to Maxen and Cosette. "What''s the n?"

    Cosette slowly raised her eyes and Maxen looked back at him. The look in their eyes suddenly urged Remo to exin his interest in the matter.

    "I''m not the person to ask this, I know. I hurt Max, and other people too. Whatever the reason, they''re all excuses. Butбн" Remo trailed, lowering his eyes as he cleared his throat once again. "... that girl almost killed herself. Juvie is hard, but the hardest of all is the guilt you carry while you''re inside that ce."

    "She doesn''t want to do anything," Cosette answered with a quiet voice, watching Remo lift his eyes on her. "She knows it will devastate her parents if they knew about it. So she nned to keep quiet for now."

    "What?" Luka mmed the bottom of his fist against the surface of the table, making the tes and cutleries jump slightly. "She wants to let them get away from everything they had done to her?"

    "That''s what she said." Cosette shrugged. "After all, if she goes out there, it''s not like it''ll all be a happy ending. Criticism will be thrown at her. Not to mention, those who don''t understand the situation will just point the me on her."<novelnext></novelnext>

    She let out a deep sigh, leaning back as she remembered the frustrating details of her conversation with Olivia.

    "It''ll not be an easy road for her either. No one likes to hear the truth after all," she continued. "And even if she wins the case, she''s afraid she''ll just be known as the young girl who was bullied and vited. It''s frustrating, but Olivia wasn''t prepared for this. She''s been through a lot already."

    "And because of that, she''ll just let them all get away from it?!" Luke gasped in disbelief, both frustrated and angry at what Cosette said. "She might not care about the future victims of those guys, but hey, that''s unfair!"

    "I know, right?" Cosette let out another deep exhale.

    "So, we''ll let her be?" Remo inquired, getting straight to the point. "Is she aware this will not stop?"

    His eyes glinted with solemnness. "If she thinks graduating is her way of escape, it''s not. Those guys will not stop until they find another girl to toy with. I know; I''ve met a lot of delinquents just like them. They''re all fearlessбн just like how I was. I wouldn''t be in a juvie if I didn''t have the same thinking back to them. It just so happened I didn''t go that far because my grandfather will kill me."

    "Cozie, can''t you change her mind?" Luke added with a deep frown. "I know it''ll be hell, but she needs to stand up for herself. She''s lucky Remo stopped her in time before jumping out of the window, but trust me, this will not be thest time she will attempt something like this. Who knows? No one mighte and stop her the next time she attempts to kill herself."

    "I agree with him." Remo nodded, keeping his eyes on Cosette.

    Cosette darted her eyes between Luke and Remo, pursing her lips into a thin line.

    "I want to respect her decision for now," she answered after a minute of nothing but silence. Her answer, however, immediately brought a gloomy frown on Luke''s and Remo''s faces. "I think she needs more time to reconsider. It''s not good to push her right now. It will only backfire andpletely make her want to forget about itpletely."

    Cosette then paused, turning her head to Maxen. Thetter looked back at her and nodded.

    "However, as someone who knew about thisбн I cannot sit idly by," she continued, making Luke and Remo raise their brows. "Olivia might need time to recover, but I can''t wait for years. Battling her trauma will take time and I know that. I''m angry, upset, and sad that this happened in real life."

    "What else do you know that also happens in real life?" she added, darting her eyes between Luke and Remo. "Karma. Karma happens in real life."

    Maxen kept his mouth pressed into a thin line before parting them. "That girl didn''t want to do anything with it for now, but Cosette will never sleep peacefully, knowing nothing was done. I think it''ll be the same for the both of you."

    "That is whyбн while waiting for you, Cosette and I came up with a n," he continued, propping his arm against the edge of the table. "Want to hear it?"

 Chapter 246 Under Public Scrutiny

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c Maxen would kill for Cosette. They both knew that especially Cosette. She knew if she asked him to beat someone, he would, no questions asked. However, she didn''t want to turn Maxen into the devil she used to know him.

    Still, it didn''t feel right to let everything go because that was Olivia''s wish. Of course, she understood where Olivia''s decision came from, and Cosette respected that. She believed that was a brave decision for Olivia.

    But that didn''t necessarily mean Cosette shouldn''t do anything anymore. And this would be a lesson for the four of them: Cosette, Luke, Remo, and Maxen. Especially for Remo and Maxen, who didn''t believe in the existence of justice anymore.

    There were other options to make people pay for their atrocities aside from violence. After all, those bullies and delinquents weren''t only guilty for ruining Olivia to their heart''s content. They were doing other things.

    "Oh, my god! Have you heard about the news?"

    "Yes, I saw police on my way here."

    "Goshбн this is huge! I mean бк oh, god, there''s also police here."

    "Do you think the same thing is happening here?"

    Days after Olivia''s suicide attempt, an article was posted regarding this illegal drug that had been a hit on youngsters, particrly students. The article was very distinct, addressing all the issues in the education system and how things such as things could happen within the premises.

    The article blew up so much that it even reached massive media outlets to cover the story. And because of the poprity of this story, the education system and justice systems were under fierce public scrutiny. It was huge and stories of those parents and victims all over the country also came forward to express their pain for their child''s suffering within the school premises that were supposed to be their second home. Some of them even lost a child, or a friend, because the bullying was too much the victim would justmit suicide.

    Everything was a mess. The chief of the ministry of education had to make statements and schools бк both private and public schools бк received memos for investigation and surveys.

    And as all these issues reached their boiling point, one particr school caught a lot of people''s attention after a buy-bust operation. Most of the people who were arrested in the raid were students from the same school. After the painful interrogation of these minors, the authorities finally got useful information from these students after giving them tempting deals.

    Since the public had been watching the authorities carefully, they had to disclose a little bit of information. That was how everyone''s attention slowly shifted to the reason some students turn to drugs.

    With all these happening, no one knew who wrote the article that started this issue. Well, it wasn''t like the root of this problem started with just a simple release of the article. This problem had been existing and the article simply forced everyone to address the matter because many victims had to suffer while their assants walk away freely from their crimes.

    The person who wrote this article simply lit up the match. It became a wildfire because many fueled it with their own experiences and battle stories.

    "Oli."

    Olivia flinched when her adviser called her, making her gaze up. The teacher had her hand on her desk, raising her brows as she met Olivia''s eyes.

    "Come to my office. I want to ask you something," said her adviser with a kind smile, making Olivia nod.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Olivia slowly rose to her feet, following her adviser behind. As they walked through the hallway, Olivia turned to her left and caught a few police officers on the school grounds through the mirror. She gulped, holding her hand to stop it from trembling.

    Her adviser didn''t say anything until they reached the faculty room. Since sses were still ongoing despite the fact that the school was under investigation after a few of their students were arrested in a buy-bust operation, there wasn''t anyone in the faculty at the moment.

    "Oli,e here." The teacher nodded at Olivia as she had taken a seat in her cubicle. "Sit down."

    Olivia reluctantly nodded, sitting down on the stool beside her adviser''s seat. She raised her brows, clueless about what her adviser wanted from her. Although she had a little hint before this all happened, she was also summoned to the principal''s office for questioning.

    "I think you already know why I asked you toe here, Oli," said the adviser softly, looking at Olivia.

    "No бк no." Olivia shook her head, feigning ignorant.

    The adviser''s eyes softened. "Just a few days ago, you were absent because you fell sick." Her gaze then fell on Olivia''s arm cast. Olivia''s excuse to her teacher and parents was that she broke her arm because she was clumsy.

    "Oli бк" the teacher abruptly stopped when she tried to reach Olivia''s hand, only for thetter to jump away on instinct. Even Olivia was surprised at her action, looking back at her adviser''s dted eyes.

    "Uhm. I''m sorry." Olivia scratched her head awkwardly. "I was just a bit surprised."

    The teacher pursed her lips into a thin line, watching Olivia sit down cautiously. In the past, she used to ask Olivia questions and often told her to go to her if she was being bullied. However, Olivia would often smile at her and told her nothing like that was happening.

    But now, the adviser realized she shouldn''t have waited for Olivia toe to her. Olivia''s reaction just now was a clear indication of abuse.

    "Oli." The advisor took a deep breath, staring into Olivia''s eyes solemnly. "You don''t have to tell me all the details if you don''t want to. I know you are scared. Butбн please let me help you."

    Olivia''s eyes shook, assessing the pain and bitterness in her adviser''s eyes.

    "I will protect you," reassured the teacher with a slight smile. "This time, I promise, no one will hurt you anymore. But you have to help me and allow me to help you, too."

    There was a long silence between Olivia and the teacher as they looked at each other. Sinceing into this school, Olivia had always denied people''s help бк especially her adviser бк because she knew it would just backfire on her. But with the current situation, her resolve to keep her mouth shut waned.

    "Please keep me anonymous, teacher," whispered Olivia. "I''m scared."

 Chapter 247 This Is Enough, Right?

    "I know our school is shit, but I''m d it''s not as shit as that school." Luke was leaning his arms against the railings of the window in the hallway, staring at the few police officers that had visited Winter High as well. "The bullying here isn''t as crazy as that in that school."

    Luke turned to his right where Cosette was standing. It was recess, and the two of them were just hanging out in the hallway. Maxen was just inside the room, doing some notes for their homework.

    "Oy," called Luke when Cosette didn''t react to him. "Are you still not satisfied?"

    Cosette blinked ever so slowly, casting him a cursory look before looking over the window.

    "I don''t know," she confessed under her breath. "A few of those delinquents were arrested already. Although not because of what they did to Olivia, they were paying for their actions."

    "I know. Isn''t that the n?" he returned with a delicately arched brow.

    The idea came from Cosette, and Maxen did the nning. Since they wanted to respect Olivia''s wishes, Cosette wrote an article that Maxen manipted to gain a little bit of poprity. The article blew up because more and more people took an interest in it.

    Meanwhile, Luke and Remo investigated the illegal drug dealing that was happening not just in that school, but also in Winter High. Yes. Although the bullying in Winter Highschool wasn''t as how it was in the past, some students here were purchasing drugs.

    After investigating how the dealing was done, they tipped the police. The buy-bust operation that involved a minor only made Cosette''s article blow up even more that the media outlets had to pick up the story due to public interest.

    "What?" Luke frowned. "Don''t tell me you actually want her to suffer?"

    "No." Cosette snapped her tongue weakly. "I just hope this is enough."

    "It should be." Luke bumped his shoulder against her side. "We did our best, hey? People had turned a blind eye to this matter, but now, everyone was forced to address the bullying and what it does to people. And the best part is that the girl didn''t have toe out herself."

    Cosette looked back at him with pursed lips. "Do you think this is okay now?"

    "You''re not superhuman," he said. "You did your best, and we just have to trust those adults who failed the children over and over."

    "That''s not very reassuring, Luke."

    "But your dad is also an adult, yeah?" Luke cocked his head to the side. "I mean, I don''t trust the adults, but I think there were still responsible adults out there like your dad."

    "Do you like my dad?"

    "Who doesn''t?"

    "You''re not scared of him?"

    "Should I get scared of him?" Luke arched his brow. "I think he''s really cool. My dad is cool, though, but he''s too cool he''s good as a friend but not as a father."

    Cosette assessed Luke and the nonchnt air around him as he spewed his remarks. She wondered for a moment before peeling her eyes away from him. This was something she didn''t have to poke her nose in. So long as Luke was fine, she knew there would be a day that everything in life would fall into its rightful ce for Luke and Asher.

    "By the way, Luke, is no one in the Quinn residence visiting you?" she asked out of in curiosity.

    "My brother went to visit me once," he answered, keeping his eyes ahead to where he could see a few teachers and police officers walking on the school grounds. "My dad''s assistant would drop by once in a while, sending financial help. It''s frustrating."

    "Frustrating? Why? You''re practically a beggar now."

    "Hey!" Luke scrunched his nose up at her.

    "What?" Cosette arched a brow. "I''m telling you the truth, though. I''m seriously getting worried about how you will survive in the following months if you don''t look for a part-time now."

    "Wowбн" he scoffed in disbelief, looking at her up and down. "Oy, who said I don''t have work, eh?"

    "You have a job?"

    "Your tone makes me angry, Cozie." Luke clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes at her.

    "How can I know when I don''t see you do anything, duh?"

    "I work for Max бк" Luke bit his tongue and gasped, looking back at her, wide-eyed, after his slip up. He didn''t know if he should be telling her this since it didn''t seem she knew about Maxen''s current role in the BLK subsidiary.

    "What''s with that reaction?" she furrowed her brows.

    "I should be the one asking."

    "About? My reaction?"

    "You knew?"

    "I don''t know that Max hired you, but my dad told me a few days ago about Maxen''s job in our securitypany." Cosette shrugged indifferently. "I''m a bit worried about his health, but Max is amazing. His te is already full, but he still makes time for me бк for us."

    "You''re not angry?" Luke calmed down a bit, studying her side profile.

    "Why would I get angry?"

    "Well." He cleared his throat, looking away from her. "I mean, his role in thepany shows that your dad favors him. If this happened in the Quinn family, there will be problems. You can guess why."

    "Is that why you''ve been acting stupid?"

    "What?"

    "So your brother gets the spotlight and nopetition for him?"

    "I don''t do that."

    "So, you''re saying you''re just dumb?" she returned, causing his face to contort. Cosette let out a weak chuckle while shaking her head. "You know, Luke, I had a conversation with your brother. I think you two just need to be honest and talk about things calmly. He''s still your brother, after all, and I''m sure you two don''t hate each other just as deeply as you thought you do. I won''t poke my nose into your business and force you to do that, but as a friend and the legal wife of Maxen, I''m being kind to my husband''s mistress."

    Luke looked at her incredulously but didn''t have the energy to banter with her usual teasing.

    "You are so annoying," he grumbled. "But this is for the better. I''m actually getting used to this life now. It''s peaceful."

    "Mhmбн yeah," she whispered with a smile, idling in the hallway until the bell rang that indicated recess was over.

 Chapter 248 Holy Shit

    When Luke and Cosette returned to the ssroom, Cosette noticed something as she sat down in her seat. Sarah was looking back at her, shrugging at the silent question in Cosette''s eyes.

    ''What''s going on here?'' Cosette wondered, gazing to her side where Luke was sitting. Fay next was next to him, so she had to lean over the desk to see Fay.

    Fay was still like her usual self. She was already reading the book for their next ss, engulfed with invisible mes of determination as if she wouldpete for the nationals. Cosette''s eyes then veered to Amie, who was sitting next to Fay.

    Amie was always the quiet type in the ss, but she could be silly whenever it was just them. Cosette remembered telling Sarah to stop babying Amie so thetter could learn how to speak up for herself. But now, her aura was even gloomier and depressing.

    ''Is it just me?'' Cosette wondered, looking back at Sarah, who had her attention on Fay and Amie. ''I was too busy with other things that I didn''t notice something is going on with my friends.''

    A deep exhale slipped past Cosette''s lips before the teacher for the next ss entered the ssroom. Cosette already felt something must''ve had happened. However, she still wanted to confirm this. Hence, she waited until lunchtime, when everyone would gather around to eat.

    Although Amie and Fay still joined them for lunch, they didn''t talk to each other. Fay would still contribute to the usual conversation the entire lunch, but she never once talked to Amie. That only made Cosette''s assumptions. Hence, Cosette dragged Sarah to the restroom.

    "So?" Cosette leaned her side against the sink, facing Sarah squarely. "Did something happen to Amie and Fay? They''re not talking to each other the entire time."

    "Wellбн" Sarah let out a deep exhale. "Fay asked her to break up."

    "What?"

    "Fay doesn''t want to be friends with Amie anymore, that''s what she said. She even said Amie was just holding her back from doing things she wantedбн" Sarah exined the details to Cosette with a heavy heart.

    Since that day Fay voiced out her thoughts to Amie, things were never the same. Cosette, Luke, and Maxen had been busy recently that they didn''t notice. But for Sarah, things had been especially awkward since Amie and Fay still shared the same circle, and both weren''t distancing themselves from others for their personal reasons.

    "I seeбн" Cosette frowned, letting out another deep exhale as she thought about it. "That''s harsh, but I can''t me Fay."

    "I know." Sarah was also sporting a frown. "I can''t me them, but it''s concerning. They''d been friends for a very long time, and I might sound like I''m siding with Amie, but they''d been friends since middle school. It''s hard for her."

    Cosette gazed at Sarah, and thetter shrugged.

    "I know Fay is also having a hard time, but just not showing it. I don''t know what to do, to be honest."

    "Me tooбн" Cosette huffed helplessly, reaching for the faucet to wash her hands. "But I think we don''t need to do anything."

    "What?"

    "You said it yourself, Sarah. They''d been friends since middle school, so I''m sure they will be fine." Cosette paused, lifting her eyes at Sarah''s reflection. "We''ll see what happens for now. I mean, I really want to help. But I learned just recently that there were certain reasons people do things. Their decisions might be what we call stupid and unpractical, but sometimes, I think we''re like that because their decision just made us ufortable."

    She faced Sarah after drying her hands. "They will be fine. They are our friends and we know better they can do better. I''m sure they will smoothen things out even if we don''t step in. Let''s just put our trust in them first."

    "I hope we''re doing the right thing, Cozie."

    "Me too." Cosette smiled subtly. "I hope I will not regret this."

    Dealing with Olivia''s case was a strong reminder to Cosette there was a limit to giving help. Even though her intentions were good, there was just a certain help people didn''t want, even if they needed it. Ever since waking up over a decade prior to her ''death,'' Cosette had been dead set on rewriting everyone''s ending.

    First, it was just Maxen and Conrad. But with every passing second, her desire continued to grow. She wanted to help Luke live a better life out of Asher''s shadow and somehow leave room for Asher and Luke''s reconciliation.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Now, even Remo''s future was changing from being Maxen''s hellhound. Although Remo had started showing a sign of loyalty toward Maxen, she knew their path wasn''t the bloody path they had walked on before their deaths.

    In other words, Cosette''s desire to over-involve herself in other people''s matters was just a part of her obsession for everyone to give everyone a happy ending. She helped Olivia one way or another, but Cosette had also realized this had been slowly evolving into an obsession.

    It was good she realized it early.

    Hence, even though she could feel the slight awkwardness and gloominess between Amie and Fay, she didn''t force the two to talk it out. Instead, Cosette told herself to just be their friend and treat them equally. Being there for them as friends, even though Amie and Fay weren''t particrly on good terms at the moment, was enough.

    Yes. Enough. And Cosette had to be satisfied with the word enough, instead of being greedy.

    "Are you okay?" Cosette was snapped back to reality when Maxen''s voice caressed her ears. "You''ve been a little distracted."

    They were already walking out of the school building on their way to the school gates. With them were Luke and Remo. Unlike usual, Luke wasn''t walking beside her, but with Remo a step ahead of them.

    "Of course." Cosette smiled at him. "Why wouldn''t I? Things are being dealt with, and I don''t think those delinquents had the time to do anything wicked with the police scattered around."

    "I mean your friends," he returned.

    "You noticed too, huh?"

    "Everyone does. It''s just no one wants to point it out since it''s none of their business. But they''re your friends."

    "I know." Cosette peeled her eyes from him to look ahead. "But well, I have to trust them, right?"

    Maxen smiled slowly as he nodded, raising a hand to nt on her head. "They will be fine, Cozie. Don''t worry too much about others."

    "A habit."

    "I can''t say it''s a bad habit." He retrieved his hand. "That habit saved me, after all."

    Cosette slowed down, keeping her eyes on his side profile. Her eyes softened as her heart warmed up. For the past few days, Cosette had only felt she was being too nosy. Hence, his words, although simple, somehow touched her heart.

    ? "Should we buy ice cream on our way home? I didn''t ask driver George to fetch us." Her lips stretched from ear to ear, throwing her worries at the back of her head.

    "We can. Your treat, though."

    "No problem." She chuckled, gazing ahead, only to furrow her brows.

    Maxen, Luke, Remo, and Cosette slowed down as they exited the school gates. The reason was that some students were flocking to the school gates. When Cosette caught the reason for this, her mouth fell open.

    Over there, outside the school gates, stood a charming young man beside a car. He didn''t pay attention to the attention he was getting from the female students, looking around as if searching for someone. When he met Cosette''s eyes, his expression brightened up.

    ''Holy shit!'' Cosette cursed inwardly. ''What is this guy Ezekiel doing in here?''

 Chapter 249 Sometimes, Being Polite Can Backfire.

    "Who the hellбн?" Luke trailed off upon seeing Ezekiel turn his head in their direction. He raised a brow when he saw how Ezekiel''s eyes and face lit up.

    "Cozie!"

    Luke''s expression instantly turned grim, while Maxen''s brows furrowed slightly. Meanwhile, Remo, who was standing right beside Luke, cocked his head to the side. The three of them watched Ezekiel jog in their direction until he was standing in front of Cosette.

    Her expression was nk, obviously not pleased seeing this unwanted person in this story!

    "Cozie бк" Just as Ezekiel took another step closer to her, Luke automatically stepped in and blocked his path.

    "Oy." Luke raised his chin as if he was looking for a fight, making Ezekiel lift his gaze because Cosette was a little shorter than him. "Who the hell are you?"

    Ezekiel blinked and then smiled. "You''re the second young master Quinn?"

    "Huh?" Luke''s already arched brow raised even more, looking up and down at Ezekiel.

    "I met with your brother the other night. We nned to ask Cozie to hang out, but she wasn''t picking up," Ezekiel exined with a smile, tilting his upper body to the side to look at Cosette behind Luke. "He told me I shouldn''t visit you, but I think he just didn''t like me."

    "..." Cosette maintained her nk expression, but internally, she was screaming in frustration.

    Was that the reason Asher was calling her the other night?! How would she know he wanted to warn her about this guy!? After all, Asher''s message was too short and arrogant, and she thought he had already forgotten about theirst embarrassing encounter she nned to take to her grave!

    A deep exhale slipped past Cosette''s lips as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

    "Luke, can you please step aside?" she grumbled, reaching for his arm to pull him to her side gently. Cosette kept her hand on Luke''s arm, which was something she never did. "Young Master Stone, what are you doing here?"

    "I came to visit you, obviously." Ezekiel smiled, ncing at her hand on Luke''s arm, but didn''t show the slightest reaction. "Let''s hang out."

    "About thatбн" Cosette cleared her throat, ncing at Luke and then at Maxen. The moment her eyesnded on Maxen''s emotionless countenance, she secretly sighed. Maxen didn''t like the situation, but he didn''t look at her to hint that he wanted her to refuse.

    He didn''t need to, though. Cosette didn''t have any ns to stay even for a minute. Even if she was offered a million, she would decline in a heartbeat.

    "Young Master Stone, I appreciate you want to hang out with me, butбн" Cosette hesitatingly looked around, noticing they were garnering attention from the students going out of the school gates. When she faced him, Cosette let out a deep exhale.

    "I can''t. I''m sorry. The exams areing up and we nned to review together."

    "Ohбн" Ezekiel frowned, melting some youngdies'' hearts who were idling outside the gates. "... is that so?"

    "Mhm." Cosette squeezed Luke''s arm, making thetter quirk his brow as he nced at her. "I''m really sorry."

    "It''s okay. I should''ve called you beforehand, but I thought it will be better if I asked you personally."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Or maybe you thought she will have a hard time refusing if you asked in person," Lukemented, shrugging at Ezekiel when thetter nced at him.

    "You''re really your brother''s brother."

    Luke frowned, as that sounded more like an insult. "Oy. I''m not like my brother." He took a step forward and cocked his head slightly.

    "He is the person who considers where his fistnd, not me."

    "Luke." Cosette tugged his arm until Luke looked back at her. Unlike his usual reaction that he wouldin, Luke just clicked his tongue and backed down.

    "Young Master Stone, I''m really sorry for refusing your invitation. But I will try to make up with you," she said out of politeness, even though she knew deep in her heart there was no way she would even try to do anything! But Cosette immediately realized what she said out of politeness would backfire on her.

    "I''ll take that as a promise." Ezekiel smiled from ear to ear. "I''ll wait for you at home, then."

    "Huh?"

    "You didn''t know? Your grandparents and my grandparents will have a vacation in the country, and they invited us to the c Manor. We will stay there for a few days. So there will be many chances for us to hang out."

    "..." Cosette, Maxen, Luke, and Remo were rendered speechless. All they could do after hearing Ezekiel''s remarks was stare at him nkly.

    "Anyway, since you n to cram, I''ll leave first. It''s a shame we wouldn''t go home together, but that''s alright." Ezekiel''s smile stretched even brighter. "I''ll see youter."

    With that being said, they watched Ezekiel wave and jog towards the sedan parked several feet from the school gates. Before he entered the car, he looked back at them and waved like a fool, and then left.

    The four of them watched the back of the sedan as it sped away, standing in the same spot for minutes. They only snapped back to the currentpse when Luke turned to Cosette.

    "Did he hurt you?" he asked out of nowhere, watching her look up at him with confusion in her eyes. "Your grip when you saw him."

    When Luke puckered his lips, pointing at her hand on his arm, Cosette let it go on instinct. Her hands left prints on Luke''s arm, making her realize she was gripping his arm tighter than she was supposed to.

    "No, he didn''t." Cosette shook her head and then gazed up at Luke again. "I just don''t like him."

    Luke assessed her expression, and even if he didn''t believe her, he didn''t press on the matter. He shifted his eyes to Maxen, only to see thetter staring at where the car sped away.

    "I don''t like him." Luke tossed his arms in the air, holding his hands behind his head. "Who is this guy, by the way?"

    When Luke asked that question, Maxen slowly set his eyes on Cosette. Remo, who didn''t care about the turn of events, also gazed at Cosette. Remo was a little curious as well, but in his head, he wouldn''t be surprised if this Ezekiel was just Cosette''s other admirer.

    Cosette was very popr in school, after all. If not for the fact Luke could turn into a monster, each time someone tries to confess to her, her school life would be a lot busier.

 Chapter 250 You Didnt Cheat On Him, Did You?

    Since Luke asked and Maxen was obviously interested, Cosette had no choice but to tell them where she met Ezekiel Stone. Cosette didn''t want to recall that torturous weekend getaway, and that was why she didn''t dwell on it. Matter of fact, she wanted to forget just like how Conrad deleted that memory in his head. She was just happy that she was able to go home and shamelessly melt into Maxen''s arms.

    "So you''re saying you, my brother, and that guy spent the entire weekend together?" Luke gasped, sitting on the floor as they ate the chicken wings they ordered so they had a full stomach before reviewing. Cosette didn''t lie about that; they nned to study together.

    "What else can I do?" her shoulders went down as she sighed. "My grandparents had been abroad for years, so when they returned, they invited their friends over. We didn''t know about it, but we had no other choice, even when my dad was not pleased with the idea."

    "Why didn''t you tell us бк I mean, why didn''t you tell Max about it?" Luke narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You didn''t cheat on him, did you?"

    "Are you out of your mind?" Cosette snatched the chicken wing he was about to take a bite.

    "Hey, that''s mine!"

    Her eyes zed angrily and to spite him, Cosette took a bite of the chicken while staring at him. Luke gasped, looking back at her incredulously.

    "That''s what you get for giving Max the wrong idea." She huffed, facing Maxen, only to see him tilt his head. "Max, don''t listen to him. This guy just watches too much drama."

    Maxen opened his mouth but shut them again. He simply gazed at her momentarily before rocking his head in understanding. It was not like he could do anything, even if Cosette detailed the weekend trip. It only made sense how distressed she was when she got home; even Conrad didn''t look well after that trip.

    It was her grandparent''s n, so Maxen had to respect the elders'' friends. Also, he trusted Cosette. So even if he knew she was stuck with two guys for two days, it left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he chose to trust her instead of entertaining the odd ideas just like Luke.

    "Should I go home with you?" asked Maxen after a moment, changing the subject since this subject wasn''t benefiting anyone.

    "Huh?" Cosette cocked her head to the side. "Why are you asking that?"

    "Girl, are you daft?" Luke clicked his tongue. "Didn''t you hear that guy saying your grandparents are visiting the city and they would stay in your home?"

    "I heard, but what''s that got to do with Maxen?"

    Luke rolled his eyes, finding her question stupid. What did she mean by her question?

    "I don''t think your grandparents know about me," Maxen exined in a knowing tone. "And I don''t want to give you and your dad some trouble."

    Luke nodded in agreement. "Max should just stay here with me." His lips stretched as his eyes glinted, somehow, making Maxen want to ask Remo to let him stay in his ce instead.

    Cosette blinked, keeping her eyes on Maxen''s face.

    "Max, what are you saying?" she murmured, tilting her head to the side. "They know about you."

    "Huh?" Both Maxen and Luke furrowed their brows, looking at her clear eyes.

    "Oy, what are you saying? Didn''t you leave Max because you''re meeting with your grandparents?" Luke blurted out as if that was what he had assumed.

    Although Conrad didn''t tell Maxen directly the reason why they left Maxen when Conrad and Cosette went to the ancestral home. Maxen also concluded the same. It wasn''t like Maxen didn''t understand if that was the reason. After all, being a parent was hard and for Conrad to let a young man in their home whilst having a daughter around the same age was a strange move.

    Maxen was grateful for Conrad and Cosette, so he didn''t want to cause them problems.

    "Dad decided to leave Maxen because he didn''t want my grandparents bothering Maxen," exined Cosette in a knowing tone. "They didn''t know about Max at first, of course, but my grandparents had always wanted a male grandchild. Why do you think they always rile up my dad? They med my dad for only having a daughter, and now I have to do well instead of just enjoying a life of luxury doing nothing. Like a princessбн is what they said."

    "What?" Luke''s face went nk, not expecting such a response from her. Maxen''s brows also rose.

    "Also, my dad will not let Maxen''s existence in secret." She shrugged, ncing at Luke before setting her eyes back on Maxen. "He''s too proud of you. You have no idea, Max."

    There was a moment of silence that descended in the room after Cosette''s ''revtion.'' For her, she thought Maxen already knew how Conrad trusted Maxen as if he was his own. But it seemed Maxen was still bound by society''s idea that Conrad obviously never adhered to.

    Sure. From the eyes of others, taking in a young man who was around the same age as his daughter looked strange. There were many questions that would arise, but Conrad''s thinking had always been practical.

    For example, Conrad would rather know if his daughter was already drinking alcoholic drinks than Cosette sneaking around and getting drunk with people he didn''t know. It was the same for Maxen. Conrad would rather raise him to be a good man, so if ever Cosette and Maxen ended up together, Conrad knew his princess was with a good man.

    "Wellбн thatбн is good, I guess?" Luke cleared his throat while Cosette and Maxen stared at each other. "Just when I thought tonight will be a boy''s night."

    Luke then arched a brow and looked back at Remo. "What?"

    Remo opened his mouth but bit his tongue to stop himself from asking a question. There was no point, he thought. But deep down, he was wondering if Luke actually had romantic feelings for Maxen.

    Good thing Remo didn''t ask. His life would end right then and there.

 Chapter 251 Mercy!

    After eating to their heart''s content, Luke, Maxen, Cosette, and Remo had to review for obvious reasons. The problem was, Remo wasn''t used to studying. If it was about a fistfight, Remo would definitely ace it. He didn''t even need to study and he would graduate with flying colors.

    This was also one of the major reasons the three of them were studying almost every day. They had to tutor Remo whilst studying as well. They wanted Remo''s grandfather proud; Cosette and Luke promised the old man that Remo''s grades would be nothing like before. Although Luke''s patience was definitely being tested.

    During their study time, they decided not to think of other things aside from the subject. Hence, they didn''t talk about anything until Cosette and Maxen left Luke''s apartment.

    Inside the backseat of the car on their way home, Cosette nced at Maxen.

    "Something wrong, Max?" she asked out of nowhere, making Maxen raise his brows. His expression might be the same, but his aura felt different. Thus, she asked, but that seemed to surprise him.

    "No, nothing." He shook his head.

    Cosette sighed. "Really? You will lie to me?"

    "I''m notбн" he trailed off when she arched her brow higher. "Fine. I''m a littleбн I don''t know how to put it."

    "Nervous?"

    "Maybe." Maxen rocked his head, leaning back to rx his stiff muscles. "I don''t know what to expect."

    "I already told you you don''t have to worry."

    His eyes fell on her again. "Will you feel less nervous if the situation is the opposite?"

    "Well."

    "Cozie." Maxen crawled his hand and held her mildly. "Don''t mind me. I think this is a normal reaction."

    "It is." Cosette chuckled, and then a mischievous idea suddenly crossed her head. "You know, I think that''s what they call wedding jitters."

    Maxen''s expression hardened while she giggled, poking his side yfully.

    "Oh goshбн I wonder if we''ll get engaged tonight." Cosette kept poking his side lightly while giggling until Maxen grabbed her finger. Her brows rose, blinking innocently.

    "Stop, Cozie." Maxen frowned, speaking under his breath. His face, however, had turned red and the shell of his ear redder. "It''s not funny. Don''t joke about things like that."

    ? ''Omo! So cute!'' was what she shrieked internally, but Cosette bit her tongue.

    "Goshбн I want to tease you more," she mumbled, retrieving her hand from his loose grip. "Hehe. You''re worrying about nothing, Max."

    Cosette then cleared her throat as she straightened her back, facing him squarely. "Let me tell you what to expect once we reach home."

    Maxen didn''t say anything, but he waited with bated breaths. Cosette wanted to exin immediately, but got distracted by the look on his face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So cuteбн" she mumbled, covering her lips with her palm as she looked away, weeping with invisible tears. At this point, she could not question this world for being so cruel to Maxen. He was blessed with divine physical appearance, and whatever he does or expression he wear, he looked good on each of them.

    Maxen wasn''t even trying. It would be totally unfair if he lived a perfect life. It may sound a little selfish and silly, but a small part of her was d Maxen wasn''t born into a wealthy family. He wouldn''t need her if that happened!

    "Cosette." Maxen tugged her hand mildly for her to look back at him. "Stop teasing me, please."

    "Ah бк my heart!" Silly as she was, Cosette sped her heart at his another attack. "Max, I should be the one asking you to stop teasing me! Stop seducing me! I can''t concentrate!"

    Deep lines appeared in between his brows at her remarks. How was he seducing her? Maxen was already nervous and was waiting for additional information. But she was making it sound like he wasn''t being serious.

    "I''m not бк" Maxen stopped when she gasped for the third time, eyes twinkling. "Coz бк"

    "I should hide him somewhere," she murmured, biting the tip of her thumb. "What if someone tries to take him from me?"

    As Maxen and Cosette were having a conversation that was entirely different, driver George couldn''t stop his face from twitching. He had always listened to their conversation, but he would often pretend to be deaf. But now he couldn''t.

    ''Young Missбн'' Driver George let out a deep sigh, sneakily putting up the partition. ''You shouldn''t trap Sir Max like that.''

    It was no secret that Cosette was very fond of Maxen. Actually, everyone in the c Mansion felt guilty toward Conrad, because they all knew that Cosette and Maxen were ''developing feelings'' for each other. After all, Cosette would sometimes hold Maxen''s hand as if they were lovers.

    So, at this point in the story, driver George had grown used to their rtionship. It was not like Cosette and Maxen were crossing the line. They would mostly talk about school stuff or anything menial. There were days they were quiet too after a long day in school. So, today was an exception.

    Before the partitionpletely closed, driver George heard Cosette yell, "if you keep this up, I''ll have a heart attack at such a young age! Mercy!"

    Meanwhile, Cosette finally got a hold of herself when she realized Maxen was about to cry. Not literally on the verge of tears, but he was already stressed.

    "Ahem." Cosette put up her fist in front of her lips while clearing her throat. "Alright. I''ll be serious from now on."

    "Please." Maxen leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose. His girl was just too silly even at times like this. Although he knew Conrad and Cosette would protect her if necessary, he couldn''t help it. The people he was expecting to meet were Conrad''s parents.

    Maxen was expecting two older versions of Conrad, but the more strict and traditional.

    "Max." Cosette reached for his hand and squeezed it mildly, waiting for him to look her in the eye. "You''re worrying for nothing."

    "Cozieбн"

    "I''m saying this to calm you down, but it is more realistic to imagine the night will pass peacefully." She cut him off solemnly, nodding reassuringly. "I don''t think my dad will appreciate this sudden visit and with guests at that. Right now, all I wish is that my dad and grandpa will not tear each other with their bare hands."

    Maxen just looked at Cosette in silence. In his mind, he didn''t know if she was exaggerating. After all, it shouldn''t be that bad, right?

 Chapter 252 My House, My Rules.

    "A no is a no!"

    Maxen and Cosette stopped by the door the moment they opened it, hearing Conrad''s furious voice. Maxen''s eyes dted as he automatically gazed down at Cosette. Thetter nced at him and sighed.

    "Told you," she spoke quietly, shaking her head mildly. "They will tear the house down."

    Maxen unknowingly held his breath while Cosette carefully pushed the main door open. Ever since Maxen moved into this ce, never once he had heard Conrad raise his voice. Matter of fact, he sometimes wondered if there was anything in this world that could faze Conrad or at least, could make him lose his cool.

    Whoever that was, Maxen already thought that person was amazing.

    Maxen followed Cosette quietly as the voices from the main living area grew louder and louder.

    "This is my house, my territory. Therefore, my rules." Conrad stressed each syble through his gritted teeth. "I am not letting others step foot and even live in here for a day without my permission. This is the ce I built for my daughter. I wouldn''t let people she barely knows shamelessly encroach her safe ce, even if her grandparents already knew these people for decades."

    "You know how I hate when I am being pushed into the passivity of a situation," he added with a huff, staring at Marcel and Gretchen with fire in his eyes. "If you truly want to have fun with the Stones, you can always stay in one of my properties that isn''t a ce where I and Cosette don''t live."

    "This brat бк!" Marcel was about to stand up, only to let out a short noise as he put his hand on his nape. "Ahбн this brat is really pushing me to my death. Ah бк my blood pressure бк"

    Gretchen let out a deep exhale as she patted Marcel''s arms, lifting her eyes at the furious Conrad.

    "Dear, if you don''t want to, you don''t need to raise your voice," said Gretchen softly, and then faced her husband. "You also have to stop taunting your son. I already told you he will not be pleased, especially since Cosette had obsessivepulsive disorder. She will not appreciate it, and it might only trigger her."

    "So, are you saying we''ll just let that thing dictate her life?" Marcel frowned at his wife. "My dearest princess left the most prestigious school and is now in a no-name school! I can only me the pressure of being a sole heir."

    Marcel then looked at Conrad angrily. "Why do you love money so much?! Can''t you see building your wealth more and more will only burden my princesster on?!"

    "Then you should''ve had more children."

    "Hah!" Marcel''s mouth fell open, but couldn''t rebut Conrad''s dry reply. That was the point. Conrad was already an only child, because Marcel thought back then, having more would only bring trouble because of money.

    Marcel wanted to avoid having his children fight themselves because of money. He had seen so much of those, and thus, he chose to have one child. But Conrad should''ve understood the struggles of being an only childбн or maybe not.

    "If only my sweet boy would turn out like this, I would''ve had more children," murmured Marcel, only realizing even if he had more children, Conrad would eat them all alive. "Even so, don''t think Cosette should be the same as you. Her con of a mother бк"

    "Marcel!" this time, Gretchen couldn''t hold herself from raising her voice.

    "Youбн" Conrad''s eyes zed, even more, balling his hand into a tight fist until they trembled. Yet, Marcel just huffed, but kept his mouth shut, realizing his emotions had spoken something he shouldn''t have. However, there was no way Marcel would apologize even if he knew he was wrong this time.

    "Grandpa?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Just as the living area quieted down, Cosette''s voice was heard. She tilted her upper body to the side, brows raised, showing no sign of anything than surprise. Maxen stood just behind her.

    "Papa, are you arguing with Grandpa again?" she asked innocently, marching inside the living area with a frown. "I was excited when I heard they visit us."

    "Oh, Cosette." Gretchen breathed out and smiled, pushing herself to stand up. "Your dad and grandpa are just talking to each other like usual."

    ''Talking to each other like usual?'' Maxen then recalled how loud their voices were and even reached the main door. His thoughts, however, were put to a halt when Gretchen looked at him as soon as she reached Cosette.

    "You must be Maxen," said Gretchen soothingly. "I heard a lot about you. Come. I prepared you two something to eat."

    Maxen''s lips parted, but his voice was stuck in his throat. All he could do was nod slightly before moving his eyes to Cosette.

    "But Nana Chen, how about grandpa and papa?" Cosette inquired, turning her head in where Marcel and Conrad were ring at each other.

    "About thatбн"

    Cosette smiled at Gretchen before skipping herself to Marcel''s seat. "Baba, have you had dinner? Should we eat together?"

    Marcel''s hard expression softened when he shifted his eyes to his beautiful granddaughter. Cosette smiled sweetly at him until her eyes were squinting.

    "Let''s go, grandpa." Cosette held Marcel''s arm to assist him up, while Marcel held on to his came on the other. "I kept hearing you raising your voice, Baba. You''re not getting any younger. Don''t worry, I''ll scold my papa for you."

    "Hah! Your dad just doesn''t know how to respect his elders anymore."

    Conrad''s expression turned grimmer at his father''s shameless remarks. But before he could blurt out his rebuttal, Cosette faced him.

    "Papa, let''s go. Our family will not beplete without you," said Cosette sweetly. "You shouldn''t tell me you''ll follow. It''s better if I hold Baba on my left and then you on my right."

    "Hah?!" Marcel scrunched his face, but unlike how Conrad always had a say in anything others say, thetter slowly rose to his feet and walked to Cosette''s side.

    Pleased, Cosette hooked her arm around Conrad''s and then the other on Marcel''s. Both men bore the same stoic expression, but with Marcel''s expressing his displeasure more evidently. Seeing this, Gretchen could not help butugh while Maxen didn''t know how to react.

    "Let''s go, Maxen," said Gretchen, holding Maxen''s shoulder gently. "Those two will be fine with her around."

    Maxen nodded in understanding, walking with Gretchen, who was acting as if they knew each other for a long time. Cosette was right. Maxen worried for nothing, and fortunately, he didn''t idle because he was afraid if Cosette didn''t step in, the residence would crumble down if they were a secondte.

 Chapter 253 тАЬFifty Years Is Fair.тАЭ

    "Eat well, Maxen."

    Maxen pressed his lips into a thin line, nodding at Gretchen. Cosette was across from Maxen, and beside her was her grandmother. Meanwhile, Conrad was sitting beside Maxen while Marcel was in the head seat.

    "So you must be Maxen." Marcel raised his chin with a firm expression. He didn''t notice him earlier because his anger towards his son was still hot. But now that they had seated while the maids in the residence served the dinner, Marcel finally had time to scrutinize Maxen.

    "Don''t get intimidated by him," Conrad chimed in as he picked up the cutler, not casting anyone a nce.

    "This brat бк"

    "Nana Chen, did you bring this?" Cosette raised her sweet voice to get Gretchen''s attention, smiling from ear to ear.

    "Of course. I remembered you said you liked them, so I made a lot and brought them here."

    "Thank you, Nana," Cosette''s smile grew sweeter before shing Marcel that same sweet smile. She then faced Maxen, nodding slightly as a signal to greet her grandfather.

    "It''s a pleasure to meet youбн" Maxen trailed off, biting his tongue, not knowing how to address Marcel or even Gretchen. Should he call Marcel chairman? But Marcel had retired a long time ago, and everything was passed down to Conrad.

    In other words, Conrad wasn''t only the CEO of the BLK Corporation but also, the current chairman. The reason Conrad had so much power over thepany was because of that. If only Marcel knew how cocky his son could be, he wouldn''t have passed his shares just so he could mess with Conrad.

    Maxen wasn''t still sure if he should call him sir, as well. Definitely, he couldn''t call Marcel''s grandfather, right?

    "Grandpa is just a grandpa now." Cosette chuckled, ncing at Marcel. "Maxen should call you grandpa, right, grandpa?"

    Marcel frowned and let out a faint huff, making Gretchen step in.

    "Of course." Gretchen smiled warmly at Maxen while squeezing Marcel''s hand. "You can call him Grandpa and Grandma like how Cosette called us. We''re both retired, but whatever you arefortable with."

    "Alrightбн" Maxen awkwardly nodded, making Cosette and Gretchen chuckle. "Nana Chen."

    Seeing the grandmother and granddaughter duo, Maxen couldn''t help but mentally rock his head. Maxen never asked, but Cosette and Conrad were too different. Cosette was like a ball of sunshine, while Conrad was like the winter. But now that he was looking at Gretchen and Cosette, Maxen finally understood where Cosette had got her warm personality.

    There was no doubt Cosette was Gretchen''s granddaughter.

    ? "Hmph!" Marcel''s frown deepened, catching Maxen, Cosette, and Gretchen''s attention. Seeing the old man''s reaction, Maxen pressed his lips into a thin line.

    ''Did he feel offended?'' wondered Maxen, only to catch Cosette moving her brow up and down to give him a hint.

    "Uhmбн" Maxen cleared his throat, grasping the subtle hint from Cosette. "It''s nice to meet you, Grandpa. My name is Maxen."

    "I know your name is Maxen." Marcel also cleared his throat, but his tone suddenly went milder when Maxen called him grandpa. "Don''t be so stiff, boy. Don''t take after this son of mine who couldn''t even hold a proper conversation."

    "The only conversation I can hold are objects that have a little bit of substance."

    "This бк"

    "I''m not epting the Stones to my residence. If you really want, they cane over for dinner tomorrow. However, they won''t sleep in my house." Conrad abruptly cut Marcel off, facing him squarely. "I hope I made myself clear, Father."

    Marcel''s expression hardened, while Gretchen sighed.

    "If you really don''t want to, then we can just invite them over for dinner." Gretchen waited for Conrad to look back at her. "You don''t need to speak like that to your father, Conrad."

    "He will not stop unless I speak cruelly to him," Conrad defended himself calmly, but then, noticed Cosette''s frown. "I''m sorry."

    "Goodnessбн this is the first time we will meet Maxen, and you two just don''t stop fighting." Gretchen shook her head, disheartened and rmed at her husband and son''s worsening rtionship. "Please don''t mind them, Maxen."

    "No, Nana Chen. I''m alright. Thank you," Maxen replied politely, seeing Gretchen sporting a thin smile.

    With that being said, everyone ate in silence. Although Maxen said he was alright and he didn''t mind the argument that was going on, their silence was just as worse. Maxen had to watch his breathing, listening to the sound of cutleries hitting the tes.

    Maxen then nced up at Cosette, noticing her somber mood at the moment. Although she was eating, she wasn''t like as lively as she normally would.

    Out of nowhere, Cosette''s quiet and soft voice pierced the stifling silence.

    "I don''t like Ezekiel Stone," she said, lifting her head to meet Marcel and Gretchen''s eyes. "I know our c Family and the Stone Family had strong ties, but I don''t like Ezekiel Stone."

    "Dear, did he offend you?"

    "No. He was nice, but I don''t want us to get engaged." Her response was unfaltering and straight to the point. "I want to marry Maxen someday, not Ezekiel."

    "..." Maxen nearly choked on his own breathing at herst remarks. That was so out of the blue!

    "Dear, you are too young to be thinking like that," said Gretchen worriedly. "We''re not thinking of marrying you off. Even if we do, I don''t think your dad will even approve of it unless you don''t want to."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I know, Nana Chen." Cosette faced Gretchen squarely. "But I''m afraid the Stone will have these sorts of ideas since we keep inviting them over."

    Gretchen smiled, chuckling. "Of course not."

    "The Stones had been with me during the worst time of my life. But that doesn''t mean I will marry my princess off," Marcel remarked firmly. "And I''m not letting you marry this young man. I will only approve of it after eighty years."

    "Cozie will be too old for that," Conrad chimed in calmly.

    "Hah. Then at what age will you n to let her marry?" Marcel inquired with a tinge of ridicule to his son.

    "Fifty years is fair."

    Cosette''s face distorted upon hearing Conrad''s reply. Fair? How was that fair?

    "That''s too young! Seven!"

    "Fifty."

    "Sixty-five."

    "Fifty."

    Cosette and Maxen listened to Marcel and Conrad as if they were simply haggling while Gretchen shook her head in disappointment.

    "Cozie, don''t listen to them, alright?" Gretchen faced Cosette once more and smiled. "Your dad and grandpa just understand nothing about women. Marry whenever you are ready, hmm? And don''t worry about the Stone. We have close ties with them, but they won''t force anything like that."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line. "Can I get engaged to Maxen?"

    "No!" Marcel mmed the bottom of his fist against the table, while Conrad kept his calm.

    "Not yet," was Conrad''s response.

    "It''s still too young for you and Maxen to get engaged." Gretchen chuckled, finding Cosette a little cute at how her granddaughter''s eyes twinkled upon the mention of engagement. "Moreover, before you asked us for permission, you should consider Maxen''s thoughts about it as well."

    "Right, Maxen?" Gretchen shed Maxen a gentle smile.

    Maxen opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out. All he could do was offer them a short smile, then gaze at Cosette. Thetter shrugged, feigning ignorance of the gravity of the matter. But what surprised Maxen the most was not Cosette''s abrupt bringing up of engagement, but her grandparent''s and Conrad''s reaction.

    At the moment, Conrad and Marcel were still arguing, while Cosette and Gretchen were having their own discussion. Gretchen would constantly look at Maxen and ask him questions so he wouldn''t be left out. The three purposely ignored the banter between Conrad and Marcel, treating it as mere noise that shouldn''t even needprehension.

    "Boy." Maxen flinched when Marcel suddenly mmed the bottom of his fist against the table.

    "Dear, why do you need to always m your fist on the table?" Gretchen frowned. "That''s not a good habit, dear. We''re eating."

    Marcel let out a simple huff, but his aura slightly became tamed. "Ahem! I''m not allowing you to marry my granddaughter."

    "Marcel бк"

    "Unless she''s fifty-one," Marcel added, and Conrad nodded. That was the age the two agreed. "Do you understand, boy?"

    "My goodnessбн" Gretchen pinched the bridge of her nose, ashamed at Conrad and Marcel. "Maxen, don''t listen to them."

    "This is why your son grew up into such a disrespectful man!"

    "Respect is earned."

    "No, you did not!" Marcel''s nostrils red.

    Gretchen threw her hands up, giving up on them. She could only look back at Cosette helplessly, and then at Maxen.

    "Get used to it, Max," said Gretchen with her naturally soft voice. "You''ll hear them banter like this more often. Just pretend you don''t hear them."

    "Hear, what?" asked Cosette, making Gretchen chuckle.

    "Just like that." Gretchen rocked her head, pleased, gazing back at Maxen. "Alright? Try to enjoy your food, or I''ll prepare you more snackster."

    Maxen nodded weakly, and they continued eating while Marcel rambled on and on while Conrad seemed to have mentally blocked his ears. He expected a more stiff atmosphere since he was meeting Cosette''s grandparents, but unlike what he thought, they were more open and kind.

    And with this obstacle revealing itself as nothing but an obstacle he had in mind. Before Maxen knew it, his entire body rxed and a short yet genuine smile resurfaced on his handsome face. His heart felt warm.

    He was weed into this family, and they made sure he knew that.

 Chapter 254 If Only There Was A Word That Was Better Than I Love You

    Meanwhile, in one of the most prestigious hotels in the city, Ezekiel Stone forced a smile on his face at the sad news he received.

    "It''s alright," Ezekiel said to his grandparents around the dining table. "I can always hang out with Cozie."

    "Darling, it''s alright. We will have dinner with the c tomorrow." A woman, around the same age as Gretchen, smiled at her beloved grandchild. "Actually, it''s better that we will not have to stay in their residence, so you can also meet your friends in the city."

    "You seem very upset yourself." An old man reached for the old woman''s hand.

    "Chenchen is like my sister." the old woman let out a deep sigh. "But all we can do was respect Conny''s decision. He was a man now, and must protect his daughter."

    The old man squeezed his wife''s hand mildly. "I can understand him. Our families might have a close tie and we''ve ovee many obstacles in the past, but we have to allow the children to grow."

    "Well, what else can we do?"

    "Don''t worry. We can just visit our other rtives and friends before we go to the c''s tomorrow."

    "Alright." The old woman smiled in understanding, nodding. She then turned her attention to Ezekiel. "Darling? Are you alright?"

    "Yes, of course, Nana." Ezekiel smiled sweetly. "But I will head back first."

    "Ohбн alright?" the woman frowned slightly, but before she could stop her grandchild from going away, her husband shook his head.

    "Let him be," said Ezekiel''s grandfather quietly to his wife. "Stop spoiling your grandson. He is old enough and he should learn how to deal with rejections."

    "Dearбн"

    "If you want to let him grow as well, let him be for now."

    The old woman pressed her lips before she reluctantly nodded. She then moved her head, watching Ezekiel''s back worriedly.

    "He seemed to be very fond of Cozie," she murmured with another sigh.

    Meanwhile, Ezekiel''s smile slowly faded as he walked from the buffet of the hotel to the lobby. He held his fist firmly on his side, stopping in front of the lift. His mood had gone down the drain, not a bit happy to know he wouldn''t be able to spend time with Cosette.

    ''Did he interfere?'' he wondered, assuming Asher might''ve done or said something because Ezekiel already assumed Asher wanted to monopolize Cosette. ''Or that other one?''

    Ezekiel''s expression sharpened as his jaw tightened, thinking about the other guy who was lingering around Cosette. Ezekiel had been in the city since a week ago to visit his father, and during his free time, he had always wanted to meet Cosette.

    There was a time Ezekiel dropped by the school to pick her up, only to see her hanging out with Luke and Maxen. He nned to interfere and show himself, but the three looked like they had their own world. Therefore, Ezekiel, even though it was not in his nature, followed them quietly via his car.

    Watching those three and how Cosette stuck with Maxen like glue left a bitter taste in his mouth. He could understand and be prepared to be Asher''s rival, but to Maxen? That Maxen who had nothing and was leeching off of the c''s wealth? What an insult.

    DING!

    Ezekiel nced up when the lift rang before it slowly opened. There were a few people who came out, but he stood still in the same spot.

    "Never mind that," he whispered, taking a step when all the people in the lift walked past him. "I''ll just put him in his ce."

    ***********

    [ Back to the c Mansion. ]<novelnext></novelnext>

    "See? I told you." Cosette giggled, idling in the pool area after having dinner with her grandparents. "There''s no need to worry. My family is very weing."

    Maxen was sitting on the lounge chair and sighed. "Can you me me?"

    "If my dad liked you and if I liked you, then they will too. Our family is small and because of the past, Grandpa preferred to keep our circle small. So, we treasure all rtionships we have," exined Cosette, eating ice cream for dessert while reclining on the lounge chair. "That''s why they were like that with the Stone."

    "Who are the Stones, by the way?" he inquired out of in curiosity. At this point, Maxen had an idea of what sort of rtionship both families had. After all, Marcel and Gretchen liked them so much that they wanted them to stay over.

    However, Maxen was still curious.

    "The Stonesбн well, they said back in the day, my grandpa and the old man in the Stone were really good friends. My grandpa had a problem in thepany in the past, and his friend helped him. I don''t really remember a lot of things, but then after that, my grandpa supported that friend," she exined with a shrug. "The Stone family was a lineage of politicians orwyers or anything rted to the government. They were nice people, to be honest, serving the people and the country through honest means. It''s rare to see a politician that never had a bad record."

    "Ohhбн" Maxen rocked his head, not surprised that the Stone family sound like amazing people. The c family was one of the most elite families, just like the Quinns. Hence, their friends weren''t simple as well. "And that guy we met at school today?"

    "Ezekiel Stone?" Cosette arched a brow and side-eyed him.

    "Mhm. Him." He nodded. "Is he nice too?"

    This time, Cosette hummed a long tune. "He is okay, just a bit annoying."

    "Does he make you ufortable?" he asked, and this time, her brow raised higher. "You didn''t seem very pleased when he came to school today. I think he likes you."

    "Maxen, are you jealous?"

    "No."

    "No?" she frowned, making Maxen chuckle.

    "At this point, I already realized and epted that my girlfriend is hot and beautiful," he exined with a proud smile. "I can''t me guys since it''s really hard to resist not liking you. I''m just lucky that you liked me and I had to do my best to make you the happiest."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line while assessing his handsome face. Her heart felt utterly warm at the thought that Maxen didn''t say anything about the rivalry. Unlike other men who would usually say may the best man win, Maxen''s only desire was to make her happy.

    "Max?" she called, and his brows rose.

    "Mhm?"

    "Let''s get married someday," she said softly, taking him off guard.

    His eyes softened as a subtle smile dominated his face. "Don''t leave me."

    "Unless you don''t put a ring on it, I might have to reassess your feelings for me," she humored yfully. "I love you, Max."

    "In a few years," he whispered, rocking his head. "Loving you more isn''t enough."

    "Don''t make me wait for too long," she teased, making himugh as they idled in the pool area.

    If only there were enough words to express how his heart loved Cosette, Maxen would''ve used them. However, aside from those three simple words, "I love you," there was no other closest thing to perfectly describe how his heart beats for her. Nor there were enough words to express the fear that with all the good бк better guys lingering around her.

    The reason he stoppedpeting and just do his best to show her his sincerity through his actions.

 Chapter 255 What Could Go Wrong?

    The next evening, the c Family invited the Stone family over for dinner. Maxen was a little surprised at how friendly the Stone family was. They were just like Gretchen and Marcel; very open, weing, and so easy to getfortable with.

    They didn''t treat Maxen as different, with Gretchen introducing him to their visitor. Cosette was also vivacious, but Conrad kept to himself, as usual. They ate dinner full ofughter until the adults went to have wine while the children went to the garden to hang out.

    "You seemed to be in a good mood, Max." Cosette grinned, cupping her cheek with her elbow against the table.

    Maxen smiled. "It''s just a nice night."

    "Are you less nervous now?" she asked, and he nodded. The slight blush on his cheek looked adorable, and Cosette could barely stop herself from kissing him. "I''m happy for you, Max."

    "I''m thankful." Maxen''s eyes softened, looking at her with love. "Very thankful."

    "Maxбн"

    "Cozie." Maxen reached for her hand, squeezing it mildly. "I have a terrible family, so this is kind of new to me. I don''t think I can ever repay you for everything."

    "You don''t have to, silly. Just be happy, and that''s the best repayment I can have."

    Maxen stared at her subtle smile, and hearing her answer, he couldn''t help but wonder about many things. Even before he was born, his father abandoned him for whatever reason. His mother died, and since then, he had to live with his uncle.

    That household was hell for him, and that was the reason he fled home at such a young age. For him, he would rather struggle under other people''s wickedness than his own rtive. Because he wouldn''t have to ask himself why the people who should protect him hurt him. But Cosette, she always wished him the best and happiness since the very beginning.

    This thought had always been in the back of Maxen''s head, but now it resurfaced again. This time, though, he realized Cosette simply wanted the best for everyone but herself. It was as if she wanted everyone to be happy бк or rather, have everyone a good ending бк while not giving much about hers.

    "I want to ask you many questions," he whispered, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "But Cosette, why?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Why do you always want others to be happy?"

    "Becauseбн" she trailed off, watching curiosity fill his beautiful eyes. She smiled subtly, holding his hand back. "Because I am already happy."

    "And why are you happy?"

    "Because Max is happy."

    "Me?"

    "Mhm. You."

    Maxen furrowed his brows slightly while her lips stretched. This was almost exactly the same answer when he asked her what she saw in him that he couldn''t and why she liked him.

    "Don''t overthink too much, Max." Cosette chuckled, retrieving her hand as she folded her arms over the edge of the table. "I just want everyone to be happy and, you know, have a good life."

    Maybe she was just like that, he thought. But for the reason of catching theplexity in her eyes, her reason seemed to be otherwise. Still, Maxen threw that thought at the back of his head.

    "Has anyone told you you''re too kind?" he inquired in a light tone. "Others might think otherwise and take advantage of you."

    "I''m kind, but it''s not like anyone can force me to do something I don''t like."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "True." Maxen rocked his head, snapping his brows when he caught a figure from the corner of his eyes. There, approaching the table, was Ezekiel after he went to the restroom. "He''s also nice, just like you said."

    Cosette blinked and followed Maxen''s gaze. ''I never thought Max will ever say Zeke is a nice person. He used to talk shit about him in the past.''

    "I''m sorry about that." Ezekiel smiled at the both of them, taking the seat across from Maxen and beside Cosette at the round table.

    "It''s fine. Don''t worry about that." Maxen waved dismissively, keeping an amicable smile.

    Ezekiel was friendly and never insulted Maxen, just like how Luke and Asher did. He was like Cosette: humble and kind. So Maxen had a good impression of him.

    "By the way, I think Uncle Conrad is looking for you," said Ezekiel to Maxen. "I think it''s about the security agency he asked you to handle. My grandpa might be retired, but he still has connections to the government."

    "Oh." Maxen rocked his head while Cosette''s mood turned grim. "Then, I''ll check first."

    Maxen turned his head to Cosette, and thetter shed him a smile.

    "Don''t let them trap you there," she reminded him with a pout, making him chuckle. "Come back quickly."

    "Yes." Maxen nodded and then darted his eyes between the two. "I''ll be back."

    "Alright. Don''t worry. Cozie and I will not go anywhere," Ezekiel humored, and with that, Maxen excused himself to meet Conrad inside.

    The guest of the manor were nice people, and if Maxen could contribute any help, he wouldn''t mind. Moreover, he trusts nothing would happen between Ezekiel and Cosette. They seemed to be neutral, and they were inside the c residence.

    What could go wrong?

    When Maxen left, the little smile on Cosette''s face disappeared. She slowly set her eyes on Ezekiel, only to see thetter smile.

    "You didn''t make that up, did you?" she asked, making his brows raise.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m "I will be in trouble for lying," he replied with a frown. "How would I know he is handling your security agency if your father didn''t mention it?"

    "Make sense."

    "Cozie, the c seemed to really like Maxen, and I am not surprised. Max seemed to be a nice guy."

    Cosette arched her brow. "He is."

    "That is why I''m a little concerned about him."

    "Huh?"

    "I mean, I thought you and Asher are in mutual understanding." Ezekiel shrugged, his tone full of innocence. "After all, you slept in his room in the ancestral home. I saw you leaving his room, so I was a little surprised."

    Cosette''s back froze as her pupils dted. She stared at Ezekiel nkly, noticing how the corner of his lips curled up into a crafty smirk.

    "Don''t worry. I will keep this a secret." He grinned. "Don''t worry."

 Chapter 256 Dead Men Tell No Tale

    "Don''t worry. I will keep this a secret."

    Cosette''s face and body stiffened, moving her dted pupils to Ezekiel. Thetter might appear friendly with that smile, but she understood what he meant by that.

    "Are youбн threatening me, Ezekiel Stone?" she asked without blinking, cocking her head to the side.

    "What?" Ezekielughed, feigning innocence. "Why would I? I mean, how dare I threaten you inside your own home? I''m just concerned about Maxen since he seemed to be a nice guy, but you were ying with him."

    "Hahбн" Cosette let out a dryugh, running her fingers through her hair. "I''m yingбн"

    "Ezekiel Stone, what do you think of me?" she inquired, leaning back, eyes full of curiosity.

    "I''m sorry?"

    "I said what I said. What do you think of me?"

    Ezekiel arched a brow, assessing her distant expression. From the very first time he met Cosette, she always had this beautiful smile and friendly aura. Although she seemed mischievous at times, she was overall, a ball of sunshine. A perfect package: beautiful, smart, sweet, and rich.

    But now, there was nothing but coldness in her eyes. Her expression was nk, and with that slightly arched brow, she looked like an entirely different person.

    "Now?" he asked. "I don''t know."

    "You liked me," she answered the question for him. "You liked me the moment you saw me and thought you can get me by being friendly. But then, Asher was lingering around and you think he knew me better. You saw him aspetition, am I correct?"

    Ezekiel''s lips opened and closed like a fish, but his words were stuck in his throat. Though the answer to that was, ''yes, that is correct.'' He was attracted to her at first sight, and her bubbly personality made him want her.

    Cosette was his typeбн or rather, this had been his preference.

    Back then, the only time Ezekiel liked her was because she forced herself to take a submissive role. He liked her when she was a little weaker, when she was a bit fragile, and when she could smile on most of the smallest things.

    But he didn''t like the real her.

    That real Cosette was just hibernating inside her, waiting for the right time to unleash it. She didn''t want that Cosette to be honest. That older version of her rarely used her heart. Everything she did mostlyes from her head, and not from her heart.

    That Cosette was unforgiving and vengeful. She didn''t like her, but that didn''t mean she wasn''t willing to let it out if needed.

    "What a real shame, Young Master Stone." Her eyes sharpened, lifting her chin slightly. "I really wished you will stop whatever delusions you have if I kept Asher around. But it seemed that only fueled your young ego and took it as apetition."

    The side of her lips curled up. "I can''t believe you will be this stupid and threaten me without knowing me."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What?" Ezekiel furrowed his brows, watching her rise to her seat. "Cosette, I бк"

    "I feel sorry for the entire Stone family. The only reason I didn''t do anything despite not liking you is because of our family''s long history." Cosette looked down at him coldly. "Did you think that secret you were gloating to keep is enough for me to do whatever you please?"

    An abrupt and dryugh escaped her mouth. "How childish, indeed. I feel bad for dealing with a child like you, but then again, Max is also a child right now and I''m already lusting over him."

    The lines on Ezekiel''s forehead deepened, rendered speechless by the words that wereing out of her mouth. Did she just say she was lusting over Maxen? Ezekiel was too mind-boggled that he didn''t even dwell on the fact that she was calling him a child. Cosette was a year younger than him.

    "Let me tell you something, Ezekiel Stone." The smile lines on her face faded as a thinyer of frost covered her eyes. "I will give you a reason to dislike me and grant you the honor of seeing what a c can actually do."

    SLAP!

    Ezekiel''s eyes went wide when Cosette suddenly pped herself. His heart and breathing stopped, holding her gaze as she didn''t even react. The p sounded loud, but Cosette kept her stony countenance.

    When another pnded on her cheek, Ezekiel sprung up to his seat, panicking. "Cozie, what are you бк"

    SLAP!

    "Stop!" Without thinking twice, Ezekiel sprawled his arms to grab her wrist. Hisplexion was pale and his eyes shook in utter disbelief at the self-harm she was doing.

    "What are you doing?" his voice thundered, gripping her wrist tightly. "Are you out of your mind?!"

    Cosette didn''t respond and only raised her other hand to keep harming herself. Seeing what she was nning to do, Ezekiel gripped her other wrist to stop her from harming herself.

    "Cosette!" he shouted again, only to choke when the corner of her lips curled up.

    "What, Ezekiel?" she asked, taking a step forward to reduce the distance between them. "Are you surprised by what I can do? Do you think I am crazy? Well, shock, horror! I am just good at pretending."

    Ezekiel''s eyes slowly dted as fear crawled under his skin while staring at her straight in the eye. Her lips were curled up into a sinister smirk. The Cosette he knew was gone, reced by a madwoman who would do anything to get what she wanted.

    At this point, Ezekiel had a realization.

    He just stepped on her trap that wasn''t originally there, but now exists because he was being greedy. That was right. He did a wrong move, a wrong step, and now the devil was awake.

    "Poor you." Cosette clicked her tongue continuously as her eyelids drooped until they were partially closed. "I didn''t want to do this, but I need you to go. Be grateful I don''t have a gun to silence you. After all, dead men tell no tale."

 Chapter 257 Cutting Ties

    "I didn''t want to do this, but I need you to go. Be grateful I don''t have a gun to silence you. After all, dead men tell no tale."

    As thest syble rolled out of Cosette''s tongue, she screamed her lungs out, asking for help. Her screams were so loud that they reached the people inside the mansion, while Ezekiel simply stood frozen. His grip on his wrists loosened, but Cosette grabbed his hand and pulled him down.

    Thud!

    Cosette winced in pain, but she continued screaming, "get off of me! Let me go! Help!"

    When Conrad, Maxen, Marcel, Gretchen, the old folks and adults from the Stone family, and the servants reached the garden, all they saw was Ezekiel on top of Cosette. Cosette was screaming her lungs out, asking for help, struggling underneath Ezekiel.

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m "Cosette!" Conrad''s eyes instantly zed as he stormed toward his daughter. Without thinking twice, Conrad grabbed Ezekiel''s back cor, pulling him up and shoving him away from his daughter. The moment Conrad saw the fear dominating his daughter''s face, a fury that Conrad never felt in his life surged in his heart.

    "Papa!" Cosette jumped up, wrapping her trembling arms around her father''s neck.

    Conrad''s heart thudded against his chest, feeling her body vibrate against his body. For a moment, Conrad could only ce his hand on her back, trying to calm her down. A minuteter, the rest already reached them, with Maxen assisting Marcel as he was with a cane.

    "What''s going on here?" Marcel''s voice erupted angrily, seeing how traumatized Cosette looked. Meanwhile, Maxen held his breath before shifting his fiery eyes to Ezekiel.

    "Youбн" Maxen''s voice shook,pletely forgetting where he was, who Ezekiel was, and who were the people around them. If not for the fact that Maxen earned self-control as instinct, his fist alreadynded on Ezekiel''s face before Maxen''s words escaped his mouth.

    "Thisбн" Ezekiel shook his head, lifting his eyes to the elders. "... I didn''t бк"

    "You didn''t, what?" Conrad shot Ezekiel a deadly look while keeping his daughter in his embrace. "What did you do to her?"

    "No, it was a misunderstanding!" Ezekiel panicked, looking at his grandparents, who were looking back at him with utter shock. "Nana, it''s a misunderstanding. She was бк"

    "Papaбн" Cosette''s shaking voice suddenly caressed everyone''s tears. Her eyes were swollen, just like her cheek. "Papaбн he *hic* he бк"

    "It''s okay, Cozie. Don''t speak anymore." Conrad''s heart clenched at seeing how she had a hard time speaking and breathing and crying at the same time. He pulled her into his embrace, stroking her hair gently. Yet, despite his gentle touches, his eyes were burning as if he was ready to kill anyone.

    "I weed the Stones as a respect to my elder." Conrad''s voice was trembling in anger, and even though it was quiet, everyone was aware he was furious. "Yet, in return, you will hurt my daughter in our own home? Such insolenceбн"

    "Uncle бк" Ezekiel choked when Conrad looked at him again. This time, Ezekiel instinctively shut up, knowing if he speak another word, Conrad would tear his jaw apart. No mercy.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Zekeбн" called Ezekiel''s grandmother worriedly, then shifting her eyes to Marcel and Gretchen. Those two, who always wore a beautiful and weing smile, looked back at her coldly.

    "Take your grandson out of my sight, Sol." Marcel gripped his cane tightly, bearing the same fury in his eyes. "For old time''s sake, I will let you leave this house quietly. Just hope your grandson didn''t do anything unforgivable to my princess, because no amount of memories will make me forgive him."

    "Marcel бк"

    "Get out!" Marcel pounded his cane against the ground, ring daggers at the elders of the Stone. "Don''t make me repeat myself, Sol."

    Both elders from the Stone turned to Gretchen for help, but thetter looked away from them. Gretchen totally ignored them as she approached Conrad and Cosette.

    "George!" Marcel yelled to the house butler when another second passed and the Stones didn''t move an inch.

    "We''re going." The old man from the Stone spoke sternly. "Though I hope we can clear this misunderstanding бк"

    "There''s no misunderstanding here." This time, Gretchen spoke out as she lifted her head after checking how scared her granddaughter was. "My husband and my son are being merciful for not doing anything just yet. If you didn''t hear from them, consider it as mercy."

    "However, I swear with my name, I will not sit still if this incident will be a trauma my granddaughter will carry for the rest of her life. I will make sure the Stones will pay heavily," Gretchen continued, almost surprising Maxen at how intimidating Cosette''s grandmother was when she was angry. "Butler George, escort them out. I want them out of my family''s sight in two minutes."

    Butler George, who was standing on the side, bowed. His expression was also stern, facing the Stone Family while moving his arm to show them the way out.

    "This way, please." Butler George was still polite, but displeasure filled his eyes.

    The elders of the Stone family and a few members who tried to follow tonight''s event could only look at them. Seeing how adamant and angry Marcel and Gretchen were, the old man of the Stone family cast Ezekiel a look.

    "Come on, boy. You will have a lot of exining to do," said the old man in a huff, knowing this could probably be thest time he would call Marcel and Gretchen his friends. After all, those two elders of the c might be friendly and understanding most of the time. However, Marcel and Gretchen were never afraid to cut people off, especially if it could risk their family.

    They cut off all their rtives and didn''t allow a single rtive to work in the BLK Corporation to secure Conrad''s position. So the Stones were aware that regardless of their long family ties, those two will not have second thoughts about ending this friendship for their granddaughter.

    "I hope this made you happy," Ezekiel mumbled, clenching his fist to his side. He didn''t say anything further as he followed his grandparents and uncles, following the head butler to leave the c Mansion.

    ''It didn''t,'' Cosette replied in her mind. ''But I don''t care. I just hope you leave me alone now.''

 Chapter 258 Jealous

    [ FLASHBACK ]

    "Maxen Devilsin!" Cosette''s shaking voice thundered, balling her hand into a tight fist.

    There, several steps away from her was Maxen, grabbing Asher''s cor. His fist was up and his knuckles were bleeding, but the blood wasn''t his. It was Asher''s, the person he was beating to a pulp.

    Maxen turned his head in her direction, setting his eyes on the woman standing beside the sedan inside the empty warehouse he told her to meet. Despite the distance between them, he could clearly see the fury in her eyes. He noticed even the slight tremor of her shoulders.

    "For this manбн" he hissed as her reaction was enough to shake him, shifting his death res at Asher. "... I''ll rip his fucking face."

    As soon as those words rolled out of his mouth, Maxenunched another punch at Asher. He was watching his strength, making sure Asher wouldn''t pass out with just a single punch. Seeing that Maxen just lost his mindpletely, panic swelled up in her chest.

    "Maxen!" her screams echoed, storming to him until they were within her reach. "Stop this now!"

    Cosette used every bit of her energy to push Maxen away, making him skip three steps away while Ashernded on the dirty concrete. Her eyes were watery out of anger, seeing how mangled and terrible Asher looked at the moment. When she moved her head in Maxen''s direction, anger was the only thing that was in her eyes.

    "Youбн" Cosette balled her hands into a tight fist, marching to him. She didn''t waste a breath and threw her fist at him while yelling, "are you out of your mind?!"

    What Maxen had done: abducting Asher Quinn and beating him up was something that shouldn''t surprise her. Maxen was a mob, and a mob just like him was pure evil. Beating Asher could be considered the simplest form of punishment; killing him would be something so simple.

    But for reasons she couldn''t understand, Maxen suddenly had this interest in Mia, Asher''s fiance. Things seemed just so abrupt and she couldn''t understand why of all people, Maxen would fall for someone like that woman. She believed he was simply having apetition with Asher, and by hurting Mia, Maxen would get even.

    Whatever Maxen wanted, Maxen would get. That was his motto.

    Asher was the type Maxen hated the most. People who had everything from birth. Maxen was a bitter man and had used his vile energy in abusing power. Violence was where he was most powerful.

    "Are you not thinking anymore?!" Cosette screamed her lungs out, unable to move her fist as he grabbed her wrist. She stopped, ring daggers at him. "Maxen Devilsin, stop this madness right now. I''m begging you."

    "Stop?" Maxen let out a dryugh. "Why would I stop Cosette? Are you afraid I will get in between your little happy ending?"

    "Happy ending? Did you snap already, Mister Devilsin?" Cosette ridiculed. "Don''t make this about me, Maxen. Leave him and that poor woman alone."

    Maxen frowned, arching a brow as he assessed her face. "And what would I get if I do that?"

    "What?"

    "Cosette, not because we fucked a few times, your words hold power over me." He blinked ever so tenderly. "You don''t have to tell me what to do; I can''t fucking stand people trying to control me. You are a businesswoman, so instead of asking, why not strike a deal?"

    Maxen carefully scanned her from head to toe before holding her gaze. "Can you give yourself to me?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hahбн" Cosette let out a dryugh, in disbelief at how he made her sound like an object he could own.

    "I will stop ruining their pathetic lives, Cosette c. But in return, I will ruin you." His eyes zed with madness and jealousy. "What do you think?"

    "Youбн" she shook her head, eyes fixed on him. "... are crazy, Max."

    "Hahaha!" Maxen burst out inughter until he was hunching in. When he straightened his back, his eyelids drooped until they were partially closed. "You just figured that out now?"

    "Maxбн" this time, her tone softened slightly as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "Stopбн please."

    "WHY?!" her soft tone didn''t persuade him, but only triggered him. "Why would I stop, Cosette!? WHY?!"

    Her breath hitched, making her neck turn taut. "Why are you doing this?"

    "You ask yourself, Cosette. Why am I doing this?" Maxen tightened his grip on her wrist but loosened them before he could break her wrist. "I told you, Cosette c. If I find out you are toying with me, I will disintegrate you."

    "Me!" She barked as a tear rolled down her cheeks. "You will disintegrate ME! Why are you making these people suffer?"

    Why?

    Maxen''s ground his teeth as he red daggers at her. Why was she asking him the reason? It was simple and obvious. Was she feigning ignorance? Or didn''t she really have an idea?

    "Why?" Maxen breathed out as his fiery eyes calmed down, reced with nothing but helplessness. "Don''t you really know the reason, Cosette c? Why I am going insane? Why I am drowning in this thing called jealousy? And why do I fucking want to put a hole in that damn head of yours, but instead shift my focus to other people?"

    He couldn''t kill her. That was why. Maxen could kill every single person in this world. Hell. He would burn this world. But he just couldn''t bring himself to let a single me reach her.

    "Don''t you really know?!" his voice echoed like a p of thunder, making her flinch in surprise. "Cosetteбн why him? Why not me?"

    Maxen didn''t want to ask the stupid question: what was there in Asher that he didn''t have? He already knew the answer. A ton. Asher was a sessful businessman and came from a well-off family. Meanwhile, Maxen was a criminal. He might have wealth, but that wealth came from dirty money.

    "I''m fucking losing my mind, Cosette." He carefully released her wrist and reached for her jaw, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Save me."

    Cosette stared at him in silence, letting her tears flood her face. Her lips quivered as they parted, and what she said next made him freeze.

    "Please let my papa go."

 Chapter 259 Shallow

    "Please let my papa go."

    Maxen stared at Cosette nkly, noticing the utter fear in her eyes. The anger in them already disappeared, reced with nothing but fear and helplessness.

    "I will give you everything you want. Don''t take my papa away from me." His grip on her other wrist loosened as Cosette pleaded something he didn''t expect.

    Didn''t her father die a long time ago? Why was she saying this now? Maxen studied her eyes and she was dead serious.

    "Papa." She looked back and rushed to Asher, hugging him as she knelt beside him. When she looked up, tears continued to roll down her cheek. "Please, don''t hurt my papa anymore. He didn''t go to Sharie to hurt people бк let us go, please."

    "Cosette." Maxen sobered up, taking a step with his hand reaching her. However, he stopped when Cosette stiffened, hugging Asher protectively in her embrace. Her shoulders were trembling, lowering her head and eyes as if she was expecting Maxen to hurt her or take her away from Asher.

    "Please, Mister. Don''t hurt my papa anymore. Don''t hurt us anymore," she continued to plead with a tiny voice, making Maxen stagger back.

    "What''s going on, Cosette?" his eyes dted, and after taking a step back, he leaped forward. Maxen grabbed her shoulder and pulled her up, making her scream as she ced her hands on her ears.

    "Ahhh! Please don''t hurt me! Papa!"

    His grip tightened. "Stop fucking with me, Cosette."

    "Ahhh!!!" Cosette screamed and screamed until her throat scratched. She kept begging him to let her go and her father in between. When she calmed down a bit, she slowly turned her head to face him.

    "Max?" she called, a little distraught. Upon meeting his eyes and confirming it was him, Cosette smiled in relief. "You''re here?"

    Cosette immediately stood on her knees, wrapping her arms around his neck. She embraced him as if this was their first time meeting after a long time, resting the side of her head on his shoulder while her nose poked the side of his neck.

    "I''m so d you are here," she muttered with a low chuckle. "Those love birds annoyed the hell out of me."

    She slowly drew her head back and smirked flirtatiously. "Why are you looking at me like that? Surprise that I can be sweet?"

    "Come on, Mister Devilsin. Those lovebirds бк Asher and Mia бк had been parading their affection to each other." Bitterness filled her eyes as she kept her cunning smirk. "It makes me wonderбн what would it feel like if we can also date publicly?"

    "I mean, at one point, it''s tiring to not be able to gloat about the man I''m dating. It''s like we''re having an affair even though you and I aren''t married." Cosette frowned, raising her brows as he just looked at her nkly. "What?"

    "Youбн" he trailed off when she suddenly leaned closer, embracing him tightly and resting her head on his shoulder.

    "I don''t want to hear it if it''s just rejection." Cosette chuckled weakly. "I know you don''t want any attachments and want to keep this setup since it''s convenient. Butбн there were days I really want to ask you things such as stay with me, keep your eyes on me, love me, and things those boring couples we called, do."

    Cosette''s eyes softened as she chuckled again. "Am I strange, Mister Devilsin?" she pulled his body closer, almost burying her face in his shoulder.

    "Maxбн what should I do? I''ve fallen in love with you," she confessed, gripping his back tightly. "And it scares the hell out of me because I''m not well."

    "What do you mean by that?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette bit her inner lip as she drew away from him. She cupped his cheek, stroking his lean cheek with her thumb.

    "I''mбн" she trailed off as her voice cracked.

    Another word and she would break down. Should she really tell him about her condition? Would that benefit him or her? Was her worsening condition enough for him to pity her? And make him stay beside her even for the time being just to delude herself they were in love?

    "Max, I бк" Cosette narrowed her eyes as her vision zoomed in and out, clutching him to stop herself from falling.

    "Cosette." Maxen held her arms in panic, gazing at her as she shook her head mildly and blinked her eyes. "Cosette!"

    His breath hitched as he caught her waist before she fainted. Maxen was panting for air as his heart suddenly raced, gazing at her, and then at Asher. Asher already passed out, and with this turn of events, Maxen didn''t have any choice.

    Maxen called for his men guarding the warehouse outside, and they came almost immediately. He ordered them to send Asher to the hospital and Cosette as well. Good thing Maxen had his connections, and he managed to get a private room for Cosette. Meanwhile, Asher was sent to another general hospital and left Asher''s assistant number to pick him up.

    Cosette was unconscious all night while they did all the tests Maxen asked them to. Before morning, the results came back to him and Maxen was in for a big surprise.

    Cosette had early onset dementia, leukemia, and other minor health issues. The attending physician patiently exined to Maxen about Cosette''s condition, enlightening him about what to expect and that her days were numbered.

    "You cannot treat her?" he asked under his breath. He could barely process what the doctor told him.

    "It''s not that she cannot receive treatment." The doctor turned his head in the bed''s direction where the patient was resting. "It was her wish to continue living the way it is, and she refused treatment. The patient knew the risk, but she requested a DNR if ever she gets a cardiac arrest."

    The doctor let out a deep exhale as he looked back at Maxen. "I''m sorry to say this, but there were people like her case. Most of them always have a life ahead of them and live life freely. Dying doesn''t scare them, but living with life support."

    "For them, dying is better than being on life support. They think that''s not the life they wanted and we cannot do anything but respect that." The doctor offered a thin smile at Maxen. "She chose to use the rest of her days like how she knew it, instead of going in and out of the hospitalбн"

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c The rest of the doctor''s words drifted past Maxen''s ears until they sounded distant. He just stared at the table between him and the doctor, losing track of time, and unaware of when the doctor left him. Maxen felt stuck on that chair, listening to the mechanical heart rate that was piercing the deafening silence.

    The doctor told him that Cosette might''ve been experiencing episodes since her MRI showed the shrinking part of her brain. That was why she would sometimes mistake people, and the situation, and get confused.

    "You are enduring all these thingsбн" whispered Maxen, setting his eyes on her. "... what was I doing all this time?"

    Ruining people and wreaking havoc. That was what he was doing. Out of jealousy and anger, Maxen hurt many innocent people. Funny thing was that it seemed the root of all this was a gigantic misunderstanding.

    "Hahбн" tears filled his eyes as he clenched his chest. "Hahбн aha ha ha."

    Maxenughed through his gritted teeth, running his hands through his hair. While Cosette was suffering silently, all he had been doing was hurting people out of jealousy.

    How shallow, Maxen.

 Chapter 260 Trust

    [ PRESENT TIME ]

    Cosette hugged her knees, sitting in the middle of the bed, lights off. The only source of light was the light from outside, filtering through the window. After the drama she had caused, Cosette was assisted to her room. To avoid questions from them, she asked them for some space and time.

    "Maxen was the worse when jealous," she whispered, resting her chin on her knees. "I feel guilty."

    Cosette wasn''t the nicest person there was in this world. She had done things she considered unforgivable. Especially in her previous life; Cosette med herself for how things went down. It all started because of her, and thus, as repentance, she wanted to save everyone, starting from Maxen.

    That was why she was scared and resorted to extreme ways to frame Ezekiel. It was not a good reaction, but she deemed it necessary.

    "Maxбн" Cosette pursed her lips, burying her face into her knees.

    Cosette didn''t notice how much time had passed, but what she was certain of was that the night would only go deeper. When she decided, Cosette raised her head and flung her legs out of the bed. She had to trust Maxen that he would understand if she told him about that weekend with Asher.

    ''I have a clear conscience,'' she told herself, huffing, repeating those words over and over in her head. However, just as she reached the door and held the knob, Cosette stopped. She wanted to continue, but each step felt heavy.

    "I have a clear conscience," she whispered again. "But what am I hesitating?"

    Deep in her heart, Cosette knew she loved Maxen and there was never a time she felt attracted to anyone else. Sure, she appreciated the Quinn''s beauty, but that was it. So, why was she hesitating?

    "I don''t want to break him again." That was her answer, lowering her eyes as her grip on the knob tightened. ''He already broke so many times in the past and even before we met in the present. Seeing him get hurt will beбн torturous.''

    Yes. The reason Cosette never mentioned it to him was not that she was scared Maxen would get angry, but because he might misunderstand. She didn''t want him to question himself anymore or hurt him. She wanted to trust that he had changed and was stronger now; that their love was not as fragile as it was before.

    But what if the result wasn''t positive?

    "Cosette." Cosette hung her head low, eyes closed. She let out a deep breath until she could calm herself down. "You might be sixteen, but you have to act your real age. Come on. Just spread your legs if you think words aren''t enough to reassure him."

    Cosette gave herself much advice, cheering herself up, and encouraging her to do what was right. It was better if this came from her and not from other people. After all, even if she got rid of Ezekiel, Asher could tell Maxen if they met again.

    ''Yes. It''s better that he will get this from me and not from others. I don''t want another unnecessary drama in this story.'' Cosette raised her eyes and nodded encouragingly. She gritted her teeth and twisted the knob, pulling it wide open.

    As soon as she did, Cosette flinched at the figure standing in front of the door. She slowly raised her eyes and the moment she met Maxen''s eyes, her brows rose.

    "Max?" she called, making him lower his fist as if he was about to knock on the door. "What are you doing here?"

    "Iбн" Maxen looked at the hallway before setting his eyes back on her. "... snuck in."

    "Huh?"

    "I know you wanted some time alone after what happened this evening, but I want to make sure you''re fine," he exined, shrugging. "How are you feeling?"

    "Uhбн I''m okay."

    "Really?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette pursed her lips into a thin line, staring deep into his eyes. "No. Not really."

    "I knew it." Maxen smiled subtly, spreading his arms. "Hug?"

    "Maxбн"

    "I''m not telling you to tell me what happened or anything of the sort." His smile remained, but his eyes softened. "I am simply offering a hug in case you need it, but if not, then that''s fine. You don''t have to tell me anything, I just want to be there for you if you need me."

    Her eyes softened at his thoughtful remarks, but at the same time, a pang of guilt clenched her heart. Was it really alright not to tell him anything?

    ''No. He deserved to know the truth,'' was what her brain told her, and she mentally nodded. That was right. Whatever the result, she had to ept it because she was carelessбн or perhaps, she just trusted Asher so much he wouldn''t do such a thing even if she stripped in front of him.

    Her rtionship with Asher might beplicated, but Cosette couldn''t really hate the guy. Asher was pitiful, and at the back of her head, she was convinced Asher also deserved the same second chance they all had. If the viin and the viiness got to have a second chance, the male lead, who turned dark because of them also needed salvation.

    "Ezekiel didn''t do anything to me," Cosette breathed out, preparing her heart to this confession. "But he knows something which he thought he could use against me."

    Deep lines appeared in between Maxen''s brows, tilting his head to the side. However, he didn''t speak and only listened to anything that she was about to say.

    "That weekend, I apanied Asher for a couple of drinks, but I ended up sleeping in his room." She held her hands tightly on her side, forcing these words out, and mentally wincing at how wrong they sounded. "Ezekiel knew that, and that''s why I бк"

    "Did something happen?" he cut her off with the most important question.

    "No." Cosette shook her head. "I swear nothing like that happened, Max. I know it sounds wrong and it''s hard to believe someone''s words бк"

    Cosette was once again cut off when Maxen took a step forward, his body nketing hers, embracing her tightly.

    "Who said you are just someone?" he whispered, pulling her body closer. "If you say nothing happened, then nothing happened. I trust you, Cozie. I know you won''t do anything that will hurt me."

    Maxen leaned the side of his head against hers. "Don''t be sad anymore. Your conscience is clear and I know that."

    "Maxбн" Cosette clutched his back and her lips quivered. Tears began to pool in her eyes, relieved and touched that he didn''t even hesitate to trust her words.

    "Mhm. Don''t cry." Maxen stroked her back gently, letting her tears dampen his shoulder. When she calmed down a bit, Maxen drew his head back and cupped her cheek. "Though, I need to hear it."

    "Hmm?" her brows rose, only to see him smile.

    "That you love me."

    "Of course." Her eyes softened, but the certainty in them was apparent. "I love you, Maxen. Just you."

    He nodded in satisfaction. "That''s enough for me." Maxen stared into her eyes, tilting his head to the side, nting his lips on her. o

 Chapter 261 Golden Hour

    Cosette and Maxeny down on the bed, facing each other. Their hands were intertwined between them, staring at each other, smiling. With only the golden light from the nightstand as their source of light, she still looked pretty. From her point of view, she could still barely see Maxen, since his back was facing themp.

    "Why?" she asked after a long silence, making his brows raise in confusion. "Why do you trust me so much? Aren''t you afraid I am lying?"

    pA n,dan(-)0ve1.c0m Maxen smiled, peeling one hand from her hand to ce it on the side of her head. "You never lie to me."

    "How did you know I won''t?"

    "I just know." His smile looked kind, melting her heart. "I just know you."

    Lying was thest thing Cosette would do to Maxen. There was not any memory in his mind that she ever lied to him. Cosette might keep something a secret, but she wouldn''t deny there was a secret if he ever confronted her.

    It wasn''t like Maxen never saw her lie. Cosette could lie with a straight face, but there was a subtle difference that one wouldn''t notice if one didn''t pay attention. Or perhaps, he just paid too much attention to her that he could discern whenever she was saying something untrue and whenever she was speaking the truth.

    "Though I am curious," he continued under his breath, holding her gaze sincerely. "Why did you apany him and drink that much?"

    Cosette pursed her lips, taking his question more natural and calm after she exined the details of that night. "I feel bad for him."

    "You feel bad for him?"

    "Wellбн" She lowered her eyes, thinking of Asher and how he desperate he looked that night. "... have you seen someone who always acts strong and nonchnt, but deep down, they were trying their best not to fall apart?"

    Cosette raised her eyes back to him. "I feel like he will fall apart that night, and I didn''t want that to happen. So, I want to be there for him."

    "Youбн" Maxen caressed her hair, which was on the back of her ear. "... are kind, Cozie."

    "Is that a bad thing?"

    "No. I just wondering if you are an angel."

    "Max." She chuckled weakly, blushing a little. Maxen alsoughed and then stared at her.

    "You make me proud," he added after a minute. "I want to keep you all for myself, but I can''t change you and your nature."

    Cosette smiled, reaching for his hand that was on the side of her head. "I''m not a good person, Maxen."

    "You are not perfect," he corrected. "Being kind or good doesn''t mean you have to be kind and good all the time. We are only human; we get angry, and sad, make stupid decisions and do things like that. But not because you tried to protect yourself from that Ezekiel, it doesn''t mean you''re just bad."

    "But our family бк"

    "Your family cares about you more than them, Cosette." Maxen leaned his face closer, having witnessed how the c''s protected her. "Whether he physically harmed you or emotionally attacked you, it''s the same. They''d still react the same way."

    His eyes softened, squeezing her hand that was between them. "Don''t feel bad."

    "If I am your daughter, I will be spoiled."

    "You''re my fiancee." He blinked. "We''ll make a daughter when we''re older."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette opened and closed her mouth, but her voice was stuck in her throat. What did he say? Seeing her stunned reaction, Maxen chuckled.

    "What?" he teased. "Didn''t you say you''d want to get engaged to me? Did you change your mind?"

    "No!" Cosette defended in panic. "I was just surprised that you suddenly said having a daughterбн soбн I was flustered. Gosh. Why do you say things that always surprise me?"

    "I should say the same thing to you." Maxenughed yfully. "I mean, who is the person who suddenly brought up marriage and engagement in front of her elders? It''s the first time I met your grandparents, so you can imagine how shocked I am until now."

    His eyes softened as he thought about his interaction with Marcel and Gretchen. Although Marcel was the loud type, he was more like the loud version of Conrad. And just like how Conrad and Cosette didn''t bring up Maxen''s upbringing or questioned his background, Marcel and Gretchen judged Maxen by his personality.

    "It still feels surreal." He raised his eyes back to her, smiling subtly. "At times like this, our age is sort of frustrating."

    "Why?" Cosette arched a brow yfully. "Because you think we''re too young to have sex?"

    Maxenughed. "Yes."

    "Really?"

    "Cosette, do you think I will just hold you like this after telling me you slept in another man''s bedroom?" his brows rose, blinking almost innocently. "Although I trust you, I don''t trust Asher. It''s a good thing he has a conscience. Even so, my girlfriend is just so wonderful it takes a lifetime of energy to resist her."

    Cosette blushed at the consecutivepliments that were backed up by those sincere eyes. If only he knew the butterflies in her stomach that were flying straight to her heart, he would how pretty she felt at the moment.

    "I''m d," she expressed under her breath, relieved at how things turned out. And the more she thought about it, she could not help but tear up. "I''m sorry, Max."

    "What for?"

    "For thinking bad things to happen."

    "To who? Me?"

    "To us." Cosette bit her inner lower lip to give her some strength to speak her heart. "I thought you''d misunderstand and leave me. I was scared that I''d hurt you."

    Maxen kept his subtle smile, leaning over his face, and searched for her eyes. His lips parted, but no words came out of his mouth. He didn''t know how to word what was in his heart. After all, how could she say she was scared she would hurt him when earlier, it looked as though she was the person who was hurt by whatever news she was about to tell him?

    "At this pointбн" he trailed off, moving his face closer until his forehead was touching hers. He breathed in her hot breaths, closing his eyes ever so slowly. "... the only time you can hurt me is you being unhappy or miserable."

    There were more things he wanted to tell her, but he simply condensed his feelings into that one sentence. He didn''t know when and where or how and why, but deep in his heart, he simply wished her to be happy. Even if he wasn''t the cause or a part of that happiness, as long as Cosette was happy, that was good enough for Maxen.

    Cosette smiled, closing her eyes. "Can you stay here tonight?"

    "Mhm."

    They held each other''s hands and eventually fell asleep, leaving whatever heaviness she was carrying behind.

 Chapter 262 Lonely

    [ The Quinn''s Residence ]

    Asher had heard about what happened tonight in the c Residence. Although the c Family were people who enjoyed the luxury of privacy, the Stone family had a few friends that were also connected to the Quinns. The Quinn family probably didn''t detail everything and mostly asked how to appease the elders of the c family, but Asher guess what happened.

    "Cosette," he whispered, leaning back and resting his leg over the other. Asher was sitting in his home office, staring at theputer on his desk, rubbing his finger against the armrest. "I warned him."

    Asher tilted his head back, closing his eyes, recalling that night Ezekiel visited him. They were not close enough to visit each other, but Ezekiel was shameless enough to do so. That night, Ezekiel mentioned what he knew that weekend, making it sound like the two were having an affair.

    If it was just Asher, he wouldn''t care. Matter of fact, even if Ezekiel would tell the elders of the c and Quinn family, it wouldn''t be a problem. The worst thing that could probably happen was Cosette and Asher would get engaged. But Ezekiel wouldn''t want that.

    Thus, Ezekiel made a mistake. He dragged Maxen into it.

    "Whenever that guy is involved, she can be very crazy. I wonder what she did to sever the strong ties of the Stone and c family?" he murmured, opening his eyes ever so tenderly. "Not that I really care about that."

    A deep exhale slipped past Asher''s lips, thinking of what he was feeling after hearing the news. To be fair, Asher didn''t care if he had to interact with Ezekiel Stone. Asher was used to putting up with people he didn''t really like, but because of the nature of their business, they had to stay civil.

    Butбн there was this inexplicable bitterness in his heart.

    "Maxen Cloven," he muttered to himself. "Just what is it that guys haveбн that others don''t have?"

    The answer to that would probably stay a mystery to Asher for a long time. But at this point, he wanted to believe there was a quality that Maxen had that he just couldn''t see for obvious reasons. After all, Luke was also charmed by Maxen.

    With that thought in his mind, Asher slowly moved his eyes to the frame on the side of his desk. There, it was a picture of Asher and Luke during their early teens. As usual, in that photo, Luke was grinning so brightly with his arms hooked around the irritated Asher.

    "We had a good rtionship back then." Their rtionship was akin to Maxen''s and Luke''s rtionship. "But nowбн"

    Asher let out another deep exhale, shaking his head, not wanting to dwell on the goodness of the past. He closed his eyes, observing his own breathing. Time went by in silence before he reopened his eyes ever so slowly.

    ''I want to hurt him so badбн'' was what crossed his mind. This thought didn''t cross him just now. It always goes into his head many times, the reason he ran a background check on Maxen. However, deep in Asher''s heart, hurting Maxen also meant hurting Cosette and Luke.

    A tension slowly built up in Asher''s throat the more he thought about it. How he wished he just truly didn''t care. It would be nice if he was just as nonchnt as just what he appeared, but he cared enough. Sometimes, too much.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Still, for Cosette and Luke, he was stopping himself from doing so. Moreover, he was clever and rational enough to understand hurting Maxen was just his own greed. It only meant it was more like a selfish move just because he felt Maxen was slowly taking everything and everyone away from him.

    "Being kindбн is so troublesome." His voice was low, staring at the ceiling with soft and bitter eyes. "How I wish I was just the bad guyбн or just the unfortunate kid."

    Childish as it may sound, Asher felt like everything he had right now was tooбн insignificant. He may have properties and a bank ount that could make him livefortably for the rest of his life, but he wasn''t at all happy.

    Just like right now, he didn''t have anyone. Stuck in this home office, it felt like a prison.

    Suffocating.

    Teens like him have friends who were probably partying or texting or just going on a fun adventure. But Asher never experienced those with friends. He never had friends, and after years of trying his best to be the perfect son and heir, this role was slowly haunting him.

    "Stop it." He told himself, shaking his head before the depressing thoughts could reach his heart. "Stop it."

    Asher repeated it at least three more times, sitting upright, looking around the desk. He tried his best to distract himself by working overtime. Again. Something that youth like him shouldn''t be doing, but that was all he knew.

    How else could he distract himself?

    Just as Asher was working tirelessly, killing time by finishing the minor project he was working on, he stopped. His eyes moved to the clock; it was almost midnight.

    Since when did he care about time? Midnight was still too early. Sometimes, he would sleep for only three hours. This was nothing.

    Asher yawned, dragging his chair back as he stood up. He then marched outside his room, heading to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee to wake himself up. He could''ve slept, but he knew by the time hey on the bed, his brain would just y tricks on him again.

    He didn''t want that. Hence, Asher brewed his own coffee silently, already used to this routine. But just as he waited for it, he heard a faint noise behind him. When he looked back, he caught his father, Maynard, sitting on the bar counter and poured himself a ss of scotch.

    "You''re upte," said Maynard, putting back the bottle to the side and setting his eyes on his son. "Just when will my kids listen to me?"

    Maynard cocked his head to the side. "Come. Let''s drink, son. That coffee will not make you sleep, this will."

 Chapter 263 A Bad Dad

    "Come. Let''s drink, son. That coffee will not make you sleep, this will."

    Asher darted his eyes at the ss of scotch and his father''s yful grin. Maynard reached for another ss stored in the drawer as if he already knew his son''s answer. At times like this, Asher couldn''t help but wonder why his father was like this.

    "What kind of father invites his son for a drink?" Asher muttered, leaving the kitchen as he marched toward the bar counter. He dragged the stool across Maynard, perching on it leisurely.

    "Who knows? Maybe, me? Since I''m the cool dad." Maynardughed, sliding the ss to his son sitting opposite him. Picking up his ss, his brows rose. "Cheers?"

    "What for?"

    "For surviving today!" Maynard''s lips stretched from ear to ear, making Asher shake his head. Still, in the end, clinked their sses and took a sip. Both of them hissed, sucking air, filling their chest with the heat of the whiskey.

    This was probably the first time they drink together. If they didn''t count all those drinks, they had during events or meetings.

    "Ash, you shouldn''t stay up toote or cramped yourself inside that room of yours." Maynard licked his lips, leaning his arms against the edge of the counter. "Go out and have a bit of fun, eh? You''re still young, and you already proved yourself to everyone many times. Rx for a bit."

    Easy for him to say that.

    Asher lowered his eyes and shrugged. "I''ll try," he answered half-heartedly, raising his ss to his lips.

    What Asher didn''t notice was the sadness in his father''s eyes as he watched his son take another sip. That emotion quickly disappeared when Asher lifted his eyes, tilting his head to the side.

    "I''m terrible, am I?" Maynard said out of nowhere, making Asher''s brows elevate. "A terrible friend and a father. Manбн I feel like going insane."

    A terrible friend? Asher didn''t know that, and that was the first he heard his father say that. However, his attention focused more on Maynard admitting he was a terrible father. He was. For Asher, he was. No one could change Asher''s mind.

    ''Sometimesбн I want to ask what he was thinking,'' thought Asher, watching his fatherugh weakly as he downed a ss. ''Why are you like this?''

    "Why haven''t you asked about Luke?" Asher inquired after Maynard put down his ss. "Don''t you care about him anymore?"

    Maynard smirked. "You think so terribly of me, son." Heughed, stretching his arm to get the bottle.

    "Although I told your brother to do what he wants, I''m still his father. As a father, I am worried about him, but I''m d he is doing well. He looked happier, and I''m d he is," exined Maynard as he poured himself a ss. "He kind of reminds me of my youth. Good times. Conrad had always been the party pooper, so Ro and I would usually just force him or drag him."

    "He used to re at us, but the guy wouldn''t know the word fun if we didn''t do that." Maynardughed as he reminiscence a part of his past. "But we know deep down, he sort of enjoys it as well. I mean, if he really hates it, he would''ve ditched us the first time."

    Asher blinked ever so tenderly, tilting his head to the side. "Who is Ro?" he asked out of in curiosity. Asher knew that his father and Conrad had always been friends since high school, but never once did he hear a person named Ro.

    "Huh?"

    "You said you and this guy Ro. I haven''t met him," Asher exined nonchntly. He had also met his father''s batch mates or schoolmates; most of them had made a name in the business industry. Some were the Quinn''s business partners while others excelled in their fields. He believed he was good with names, so Asher would immediately recall this guy Ro that was only mentioned now.

    "Ahhбн" Maynard''s smile slightly faded, lowering his eyes. "Right. I think I haven''t mentioned this before, but I had this friend back in high school until college. He was my friend and Conrad, too; the three of us were like brothers."

    There was thisplex emotion that pooled in his eyes. It was nothing like the softness he had in his eyes before, but something Asher couldn''t exin in words.

    "Ro was the nicest guy I met in my life, and he is the most fun." His smile remained but his tone was somber. "Although he came from a humble family and only entered the top academy through a schrship, Ro was quite popr. He was charming, kind, smart, and very likable. There''s only a few who cared about his humble background, but well, with Conrad and me as his buddy, he had quite a peaceful life."

    Maynard nced at his son and shrugged. "You know, kids. Bullying isn''t a new thing."

    "I seeбн" Asher rocked his head, observing his father''s demeanor. "So where is he now? If he is that amazing, why hadn''t I heard of him until now?"

    "Well, things happened." Maynard shrugged once again, forcing a smile to his face. "I don''t know where he is now, and I didn''t want to know."

    "Why?"

    "Because there''s no point. We''re already adults and lived our lives with our families." Maynard lowered his eyes once again. "Also, I don''t think I have any courage to face him. I owe him a debt, after all. An enormous debt that no amount of money can cover."

    Asher furrowed his brows, but before he could ask anything, Maynard shed him a kind smile. His father raised a hand and ruffled his hair.

    "Son, no matter what, I''ll always protect you and your brother," said Maynard gently. "Your dad isn''t the kindest and I''ve done things that still haunt me to this very day. So, I only wish for you and for your brother to live the life you want. Thoughбн I don''t think my words matters now, do they?"

    Asher kept his eyes on his father, keeping his lips in a thin line. No, they didn''t matter anymore, was his answer. Asher was already used to this life he had been living, and he couldn''t think of any other life than the one he already have.

    Maynard sighed. "I''m sorry, son. For being a terrible father." His expression softened while Asher''s heart slightly thudded.

    Asher balled his hand into a fist on hisp, but then loosened them. He wanted to get angry at his father, but those words, ''I''m sorry,'' somehowforted him.

    ''At least he knew he should be sorry,'' was what Asher thought, picking up his ss, and drinking whatever emotion that was stuffing their heart away.

 Chapter 264 Best Friends

    [ FLASHBACK ]

    "Ughбн I''m so bored." The seventeen-year-old Maynard scrunched his nose, looking at his friend, Conrad, who was reading a book silently. It had been their habit to idle in the academy''s greenhouse every vacant time. Or rather, it had always been Maynard''s apanying Conrad andining about how bored he was.

    Maynard was almost reclining in the chair with his leg on top of his knee. His hands were linked behind his head, supporting its weight, wondering what else to do.

    "Damnбн" he whistled, making the always silent Conrad pause from reading a book. Seeing that Conrad, who was always immersed in his own world, stopped reading, Maynard swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

    Conrad slowly turned his head in Maynard''s direction, bearing his ssic poker face. "Leave."

    "Oh,e on, dude!" Maynard eximed dramatically. "I''m just saying I''m bored. Let''s do something else!"

    "You do something else."

    "But I always apany you so you''re not alone! Friendship should go both ways, eh? Let''s do something fun in my own way!"

    "I am already having fun бк was."

    Maynard clicked his tongue in irritation, questioning this friendship with Conrad. They''d been friends since forever and Conrad never changed. Thetter was always the aloof and serious type.

    "Sometimes, I really wonder why we''re even friends," Maynard expressed in dismay.

    "I do too." Conrad slowly set his eyes back on the open book in his hand. "You are so loud, but I tolerate you."

    Conrad''s reply wasn''t new, but somehow, it still put Maynard in disbelief. Conrad had always been so cold; the type of person Maynard wouldn''t hang out with. However, Maynard had always stuck to the guy, even though Maynard himself couldn''t understand his own reason.

    Was it because there were times Conrad could be veryбн considerate? For example, exining the book he was reading? Or sharing his food if he didn''t like it anymore? Probably because Maynard knew that even though Conrad was often savage and distant, he would never betray or lie to Maynard. Conrad would always stay true to himself and to his one and only friend.

    That was probably it.

    "Godбн" Maynard clicked his tongue as his mood continued to dwindle, crossing his arms and pouting. "I still want to go."

    "Not interested," replied Conrad while flipping the page.

    "You don''t love me."

    "Never said I did."

    "This is unfair!"

    "One more word and you''ll see." This time, Conrad cast Maynard another look. "Good."

    Maynard zipped his mouth, stopping himself from acting like a needy girlfriend. At this point, their rtionship was almost like that.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "If you really want to go, you should just make up with Ro and stop bugging me," Conrad advised, keeping his eyes on the open book, but not totally reading it. "Why did you two even fight?"

    "Tch! Don''t mention that bastard!" Maynard instantly turned aggressive at the thought of Ro, the other member of this friendship. "I don''t want to talk to him."

    Conrad side-eyed Maynard. "You miss him."

    "Hey, I''m a man, alright?! Why would I miss that guy?!"

    "He''s your best friend."

    "Best friend my ass! Friends over! I don''t like him anymore."

    "Why are you even so angry at him?" Conrad put down the book, his demeanor rxed as he faced Maynard. "I am asking with great hopes it''s notme."

    "Tch!" Maynard clicked his tongue louder, ring at Conrad. "The dude won''t ept my offer. I told him I''d pay him ten times more than what he is getting from those useless part times, but he just refused. That''s notme. That ungrateful bastard. I''m just trying to help."

    A shallow breath slipped past Conrad''s lips, finally understanding why Ro had kept his distance from Maynard. Ro was always cool with everything, and to be honest, he was far betterpany than Maynard.

    "Why do you always stick with me?" asked Conrad out of nowhere, making Maynard''s brows raise. "Your intentions are good, and I''m certain Ro is aware of that. However, if he epted your offer, have you not thought of how that will make him appear to others?"

    "Who cares about what other people think?"

    "Ro isn''t as privileged as you and me." Conrad peeled his eyes away, setting his gaze on the beautiful green and the luminescent glow filtering through the greenhouse. "He entered the university through a schrship, doing part-time to his everyday expenses and his grandmother, and despite the environment of the academy, he never tried to fit in."

    "He is someone very proud and the most genuine person I had met. Ro befriended us because he liked us, not because of which family we came from, and what sort of connections and benefits we can give him." Conrad set his eyes back to Maynard, exining his take on this since this spoiled Maynard was just too insensitive. "We could''ve helped him financially, but he has pride and credence to protect. At one point, once problems arise, how he got help from you and me financially will be brought up."

    "You are offering the wrong type of help," he added solemnly. "You only help when asked, otherwise, just be present and be a good support like what a real friend does."

    Maynard''s frown deepen, but he couldn''t retaliate. It wasn''t like he wasn''t aware of why Ro refused his offer, but it was upsetting. Maynard cared about his friend, and maybe a little too much. Watching Ro tire himself working multiple part-time and then go to school in the morning was hard to watch.

    "If we''re capable, why not just ept help?" Maynard clicked his tongue in irritation, but calmer now than minutes ago. "It''s not like I n to bring it upter."

    Conrad didn''t answer anymore and simply shook his head mildly, letting Maynard ramble on and on. He just pretended to read, but silently listened and let Maynard vent.

    "Ugh! That guy is so annoying!" Maynard ruffled his hair. "Why do I have very stubborn friends?!"

    Because Maynard was stubborn.

    "Want to visit himter and see what he is doing?" offered Conrad when he felt like Maynard released his frustrations enough.

    "Huh?" Maynard arched a brow, watching Conrad shrug nonchntly. He could''ve said no firmly, but Maynard didn''t answer. Before he knew it, they were already standing in the back entrance of the diner Ro was working part-time, watching their dearest friend bowing his head while getting scolded by the store owner.

 Chapter 265 How It Was Back Then

    "Useless idiot! Just what do you think you''re doing, hah!?" The store owner pressed a finger on Ro''s head while thetter kept his eyes down. "This is why people like you are at rock bottom! With all those detergents you wasted, I won''t pay you for the week."

    Ro raised his head and talked back. "But I just can''t get paid for a week. I still have бк"

    p!

    "Don''t you have manners, hah?!" the store owner, who was in his mid-forties pped the youth without a second hesitation. He was a fat, big guy, wearing a printed floral blouse with a white undershirt.

    The youth he was scolding for something so small that wasn''t truly a big issue was a petite and tall young man. Ro had long hair that could reach his shoulder, tied in a low bun, a few hairs falling on his side. At one look, he looked like those young teens his age that would be doing nonsense or just partying all night. But his demeanor and how he kept his head low while the store owner belittle him as if the youth was part of his property was a total mismatch to his appearance.

    Watching this unfold right before him, Maynard''s body trembled in anger. Conrad, who was standing beside him, nced at him.

    "That motherfuckerбн" Maynard balled his trembling hand into a tight fist, grinding his teeth, eyes burning at the store owner. It was apparent he was restraining himself from jumping in and knocking out the adult.

    Ro didn''t want them meddling with his affairs, especially with his part-time jobs. Ro would just mention his jobs in passing. It was the reason Maynard and Conrad never visited their friend or see Ro whenever the guy was working. This was actually the first.

    However, in Maynard''s understanding, this was the reason Ro didn''t want them to know about the details of his part-time. Conrad, on the other hand, had a different take on this. For Conrad, his respect and how Ro cherished their friendship were deeper than anyone thought. Instead of asking his friends or making them think he was using them, Ro chose this path.

    "Hey! Stop it!" the store owner''s loud voice snapped Conrad back from his trance. When he refocused his eyes, all he saw was Ro blocking the store owner from getting back inside the establishment.

    "Boss, you can''t do this to me!" Ro huffed in frustration. "Do you know that if I go to the authorities, you''ll be in big trouble for hiring a minor?"

    "You бк"

    "I''m just asking you to be fair, boss!" Ro cut him off mid-sentence, lowering his hands that were on the side. "Please. You can deduct it from my sry little by little, but I can''t survive without getting paid."

    The store owner assessed the youth, who lowered his head under his gaze. "Hahбн youth these days think they can just get away saying whatever. Out of my way, boy! You''re not getting paid!"

    The store owner took advantage of the fact that Ro''s guards were down, pushing him to the side. Ro lost his bnced, swimming into the tub of grills he was cleaning before this exchange.

    "That''s it!" Maynard didn''t waste a second as he stormed inside, keeping his fist firmly on the side. "Oy, fatty!"

    His voice echoed like thunder, getting the store owner''s attention. The moment the store owner turned his head, all he saw was Maynard''s fisting at his face. Maynard had trained in martial arts all his life, just like Conrad; a requirement these young heirs had to learn to protect themselves.

    Hence, the second Maynard''s fistnded on the store owner, thetter stumbled back andnded on his big buttock. Shocked by what happened, the store owner slowly raised his nk eyes, only for Maynard to grab his cor.

    "This motherfucker бк I will fucking kill you, you fucking pig." Maynard raised his fist again, blinded by anger upon seeing how this guy exploit his employee and even harm Ro.

    Realizing what was happening, Ro froze as he shifted his shaking eyes at Maynard. Surprise instantly came into his head, seeing his friends in this ce.

    "Maynard бк" Ro didn''t dwell in his shock and called Maynard to stop him. But s, Conrad suddenly stood in front of him. Ro slowly raised his head, locking eyes with Conrad''s pair of cold eyes.

    "Let him be," said Conrad emotionlessly, ncing over his shoulder. "People like that pig needs a beating."

    "Ugh!"

    Ro''s breath hitched when he heard the store owner''s grunt as another punchnded on his face. He kept his nk eyes at Conrad, and thetter didn''t show the slightest worry or remorse. Conrad didn''t even show the slightest trace of wanting to stop Maynard from beating up Ro''s boss.

    These twoбн

    It was not like Ro didn''t know how merciless Maynard and Conrad could be. Although Conrad was usually sensitive and rational, there were times he was scary, as if he was capable of doing something so vicious. Maynard as well, especially when Maynard was angry.

    These were his friends. They were cool most of the time, but at the same time, they were the people one couldn''t mess with.

    "What are you looking at?" Conrad offered his hand as Ro''s bottom was still dipped inside the tub. "Get up there."

    Ro snapped his eyes. "Uh," reaching out to Conrad''s hand, thetter pulled him up.

    Water dripped from the hem of Ro''s shirt and his pants. His height was almost the same as Conrad, maybe an inch higher. They looked at each other and then faced Maynard, sitting on top of the store owner whilst holding thetter''s cor to keep him still.

    "How much does your life cost, huh, you motherfucker?" Maynard spat out before another punchnded on the store owner''s face. "I will kill you бк"

    "Maynard." Maynard stopped throwing another punch when Conrad called. "That''s enough. You''ll kill him if you keep doing that."

    "This fucker deserves it."

    "But he''s not worth the trouble," argued Conrad calmly, keeping his eyes on Maynard''s side profile. "Let it go and let''s go. Ro is drenched. He might need a change."

    "Who cares about changing clothes now?" Maynard let go of the store owner, looking back at Conrad in dismay. His lips parted to continue hisints, only to arch his brow when he sensed Ro''s gaze. "Fine."

    With that being said, Maynard pushed himself up from the store owner and walked away without looking back at the two. Conrad took a step and then paused, looking back at Ro.

    "You,e," said Conrad in a dull tone before he continued in his strides.

    "Me?" Ro pointed at himself, scrunching his nose up. His eyes fell on his boss and sighed deeply. He shook his head mildly, but still followed the two while scratching his head in irritation. "Can you two stop ordering me around?"

    Roined but the two didn''t stop.

    "Hey!" he clicked his tongue, tossing the apron just anywhere before jogging to follow the two. "I am a friend, not ackey! Wait for me бк oy! Tch. These two just do whatever the hell they want as if they own the world. Hey, wait for me! You can''t just walk away like that after beating up someone!"

 Chapter 266 How It Was Back Then II

    In the end, Ro barely bought clothes from the thrift shop while Maynard and Conrad waited for him outside the stall. When he came out, the two didn''t speak much as they had already walked away. He walked several steps behind Maynard and Conrad, darting his eyes behind the duo''s back.

    Conrad and Maynard''s personalities were poles apart. Conrad was aloof, while Maynard was a social butterfly. It was the reason Ro got close to Maynard first because the man was the happy-go-lucky type. But even so, the way they showed their anger surprised Ro.

    Maynard''s way to release his anger was to beat someone up while Conrad just watched. Both their actions were different, but they were equally cruel. But they did it for Ro, even though the man himself didn''t ask for such a favor.

    Lost in his own thoughts, Ro snapped his eyes when he saw the bar the two had stopped. His brows rose, seeing that Maynard and Conrad had just casually entered the premises despite wearing their uniforms.

    "Oy!" Ro called, following the two inside the bar.

    "One scotch and a lemonade for thedies." Maynard raised a finger and then pointed his thumb at Conrad behind him. Conrad didn''t react, sitting on the bar stool right beside Maynard.

    Meanwhile, Ro stopped several steps from them, blinking his eyes. They were his friends, but howe the bartender didn''t question those two? They were still wearing their uniforms, after all. Was this even legal?

    "What are you doing there?" asked Conrad, arching his brow at Ro. "Come sit."

    "Wowбн" Ro dragged his feet, taking the chair next to Conrad. "... howe you are being served here?"

    "When were you born?" Maynard leaned over the counter, head turned in Ro''s direction. "They serve us drinks because we pay, duh?"

    "But selling alcoholic beverages to minors is illegal."

    "I ordered lemonade," Conrad corrected, making Ro scrunch his nose up.

    "At this point, they only have to think of two things." Maynard casually showed two fingers. "One is they won''t let us in and they close down the next day, or two, they dere bankruptcy tonight."

    ''Isn''t that an abuse of power?'' Ro bit his tongue, stopping himself from pointing out the obvious.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "One scotch and two lemonades."

    The three nced up at the bartender as he served the youths some drinks with a smile. It was not his first time serving Maynard here, because this young fellow had visited a couple of times. Although it was still a surprise how this young man born with a golden spoon would indulge in the drinks in this ce instead of those high-end bars or clubs.

    Maynard didn''t wait and downed the scotch in one gulp while Conrad only took a sip. Ro didn''t touch his drink, staring at Conrad''s side profile and then at the riled Maynard.

    "That damn pig!" Maynard hissed, mming the ss on the bar counter. "How dare he бк"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maynard halted, sensing Conrad''s and Ro''s gaze. He turned his head and caught them staring, making him clear his throat. Although he casually talked to Ro moments ago, it didn''t mean they were already good.

    Maynard''s stare lingered on Conrad and then clicked his tongue.

    "Fine. I''m sorry, alright?" his frown deepened with a tinge of embarrassment stered on his face. "I know you don''t like it when we meddle with your means of living, but that damn pig was too much. No matter what other people did or whatever mistake his employees did, he got no damn reason to belittle them. That''s a human being. No wonder his business was trash. There''s no growth in that type of ce and that type of boss."

    Ro let out a shallow breath as Maynard rambled on and on, justifying his actions. This was Maynard. He was short-tempered but genuinely kind to those he cared about. He wouldn''t throw his fist if the store owner wasn''t too much.

    "Who said I was angry about what you did?" he muttered, putting a halt on Maynard''s endless ramblings. Ro slowly peeled his eyes away from them, setting them on the lemonade in front of him. "It''s not like I''m saying what you did is right, but I cannot me you. That guy just keeps on exploiting people."

    He looked back at them andughed. "It''s kinda satisfying hearing him squeal like a pig. You shouldn''t be sorry, but I should thank you for standing up for me."

    Hearing Ro''s remarks, the side of Conrad''s lips curled up. He rocked his head, turning his head in Maynard''s direction. Thetter opened and closed his mouth, scratching the back of his head, confused about how to react to that.

    "Well, if things end well, then it''s good." Maynard cleared his throat, making Ro smile even brighter. "It''s not like I did it for you. Even if it''s not you, I''d still do the same. It just so happened you were the victim."

    "Still, I want to thank you." Ro chuckled, ncing at Conrad, who barely smiled. That was already called smiling for Conrad as the man had an undiagnosed face paralysis. "Though I am curious. Wouldn''t you be in trouble if he wakes up and calls for the police?"

    "No need for that." Conrad reached for his lemonade slowly. "The police woulde to get him instead. There''s no need for an invitation."

    "Huh?"

    "It was self-defense, duh?" Maynard cast Ro a dismal look. "Who would the authorities believe? This guy who has been an overachiever all his life, or that pig who hires minors and pays them unjustly?"

    "Whatбн" Ro was rendered speechless, darting his eyes between the two. "... you''re framing him?"

    "It''s not framing him." Conrad put down the lemonade, facing Ro squarely. "Your boss didn''t have a clean track record, and still has an existing record about assaulting a woman and domestic abuse. He shouldn''t be out here, but inside the bars where he belongs."

    There were days Conrad would wonder why he was such a heartless human being back in the day. That time, Conrad was confident what he and Maynard were doing was right. Ro didn''t speak about their habit as well and going through that night while throwing whatever problems they had in the past.

    They didn''t talk about it, but just casually hang out. Their night started intensely with Maynard beating up a person, but the end was fun. The three of them knew that their bond just grew stronger, and it would continue to deepen until yearster, one fateful ident would change everything.

 Chapter 267 How Things Went South

    Ro, Maynard, and Conrad graduated from the academy together. Ro managed to cinch the valedictorian despite his daily struggles, making his schrship worth it. His friends were proud of him, even though Conrad had been the top one since he was a child.

    Ro was a worthy opponent, and Conrad took pride in this ''lost.'' At least, there was one person who gave him the thrill because being first was boring if there was no worthy challenge.

    Maynard, on the other hand, had no actual pressure in his study. He graduated with just passing grades, but because he had proved himself in their family business over and over, there wasn''t any issue.

    Their friendship only grew deeper over the years.

    When they entered university, the three managed to get into the most prestigious university. Obviously, Ro and Conrads''s academic credentials and their result, taking the first and second spots, were enough to make them get in. Meanwhile, Maynard had to use his connections to get a spot in the university because he didn''t take the exams seriously.

    It wasn''t like that was a big issue. They were friends and Conrad and Ro weren''t the types who would dwell on such actions. Perhaps the two had just gotten used to Maynard''sck of interest in academics and his nature of getting whatever he wanted easily.

    Well, it wasn''t like the three had the same course. Conrad and Maynard may have taken the same course due to the nature of their family and their bright future. Meanwhile, Ro chose another path, and that was to be awyer.

    Their differing schedule didn''t hinder the three from hanging out from time to time. They had also been supportive of each other, and they could safely say they were akin to brothers now. This rtionship continued untilбн the third year of their university days.

    After three years in college, a problem rose that would put a crack in this brotherhood.

    It all started when Maynard and Ro fell in love with a girl.

    Yes. It may sound petty to Conrad because he didn''t understand what was with that woman that the two had to fight over her. Conrad didn''t dwell on this drama, but only heard Ro and Maynard rant about it.

    But if Conrad was to ask, Maynard didn''t really like this girl. Thetter never admitted it to this day, but Conrad would stick to his belief. Maynard was only fighting Ro over ady because of one reason; Ro.

    The moment Ro fell in love and pursued this woman, he got no time for his friends. Ro and Maynard were best friends. For Conrad, Maynard was simply making a point that that woman was not worth it, and thus, seducing the woman just to prove he was right.

    Conrad could''ve stopped this childish banter, but he didn''t. Thus, he somehow med how things turned out the way they were.<novelnext></novelnext>

    During the entire third year of their university days, Conrad barely hangs out with Maynard and Ro present. It was just either he was with Ro or with Maynard. The two didn''t speak, and thedy they fought over? She transferred to the school after Maynard lost his mind and bribed the university to kick her out.

    Ro was well aware of Maynard''s shenanigans. Therefore, he didn''t bend immediately, even when the situation calmed down. But just like any friend, Ro and Maynard somehow made up during the summer before their fourth year.

    This time, however, there was already a difference in this friendship. It wasn''t as it was used to that was carefree and silly. The three changed; Conrad, barely. But Ro and Maynard did. Although they would still hang out together,ugh, and drink together, things weren''t the same anymore.

    Conrad med it that they were just maturing. They were getting older and were in theirst year of university. Hence, he didn''t pay attention to many things unlike he used to.

    Little did Conrad know, there were more things that were happening in the background. The reason Maynard somehow matured and took his study seriously was because of this young tutor. The person that never appeared in their lives, but was very familiar to Conrad.

    Ste Cloven.

    Her name was a name everyone had seen because, during the entrance exam, that name took the third spot just right under Conrad. They said that this youngdy was beautiful, smart, and has a heart of gold. Although she was like Ro, who had a humble background, it didn''t affect the reputation she had.

    In need of money, Ste decided to take in students who direly needed tutors. She was good friends with Ro as they were both overachievers, had a humble background, and Ro was very easy to approach. Hence, when she told him about her need for money, Ro mentioned it to Maynard in passing.

    Maynard didn''t show interest at first until heid his eyes on Ste while idling on the campus grounds. When Ro mentioned she was the person who was looking for students to tutor, Maynard immediately showed interest. So Ro introduced the two: one who needed money, and the other one, who has money to spare.

    Since Maynard disliked the idea of Ste tutoring other students, he offered her a huge sum of money in exchange to focus on him. "He had to improve his grades," was the reason he told her.

    At first, Maynard was d and happy with herpany. He even ditched the aloof Conrad many times to attend Ste''s lesson, excited for the sun to rise and disappointed whenever he would part ways with her.

    Since her effect on Maynard showed improvement in his grades and even as a human being, Conrad didn''t meddle with it even when Ro told him about it. Ro had also focused on his study, as they were already in the fourth year. Both were confident that whatever Maynard was up to, his improvement would just continue.

    Little did the two know, they shouldn''t have beencent, knowing Maynard''s explosive temper and his nature to get whatever he wants. They shouldn''t have let him be because once he was on the loose, disaster was guaranteed.

 Chapter 268 How Things Went South II

    Graduation came and Ro, Maynard, and Conrad marched to get their degrees. Since Maynard and Conrad graduated the same day, and Ro''s graduation was after a week, the two courteously waited for Ro to graduate to celebrate another milestone they achieved together.

    Grand and a money spender as Maynard was, he took Conrad and Ro to a high-end bar. Everything was set, as he already booked the presidential suite for the three of them. Having no choice and not wanting to spoil the celebration, Ro and Conrad let it be.

    It wasn''t like this was the first time the two would drink. Hence, instead of lemonades, they apanied Maynard and enjoyed the hard drinks served to them.

    "Hahбн" Maynard plopped down the soft leather seat, spreading his long arms on the back of the couch. "Man, if this isn''t friendship goals, I don''t know what is this called."

    Roughed, gazing at his friend. Maynard''s cheeks were already burning, drinking the alcohol faster than he would usually drink.

    "You look like you were having so much fun бк"

    "Of course! It only means I don''t need to wake up early to attend my morning ss! Man. School is hell!" Maynard cut Ro mid-sentence, which thetter didn''t mind.

    "But it''s real." Ro pointed out, smiling subtly. "Something up with you and Ste?"

    Maynard opened and closed his mouth, but he shook his head and shrugged. "Since when did you care about me and my girl, eh?"

    "I always care. I introduced you two, after all," said Ro nonchntly, leaning back with the ss in his hand. Ro had drank a few shots and was a little tipsy, but he was still in the right mind. "It''s just weird that you are twice hyper than you usually aretely, so I''m concerned."

    "Nah, man. I''m good." Maynard grinned triumphantly, leaning forward with his elbows on his thigh. "Just say I''m nervous."

    "Nervous?" Ro cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

    "He wants to propose." This time, Conrad, who kept his eyes closed to rest, spoke. "He wants to get married the moment he graduated."

    "What?!" Ro''s eyes popped out of their socket, gazing at Maynard in disbelief. Of course, he was aware that Maynard and Ste somehow got together, but he didn''t pry too much into it. He was too busy with his studies as it was a crucial time for him and he didn''t have spare time for dating; he didn''t have the same connections as Maynard Quinn.

    Ste and Maynard were Ro''s dearest friends, so he was a little surprised at Maynard''s ns. Not like he was against it, but wasn''t it too early? They just graduated.

    "Hehe." Maynard chuckled, seeing the surprise dominating Ro''s face. "Wellбн"

    He shrugged, leaning back, gazing up. "Manбн Ste is бк she''s an angel. I wanted to marry her as soon as possible. But every time I''m with her, my heart feels like it''s about to explode and I fail to propose."

    "What? Haha!" Roughed, staring at Maynard in disbelief. "You? You were nervous to ask her hand in marriage."

    "This is why I don''t tell you about it." Maynard clicked his tongue in irritation, ring at his dear friend Ro. "You will not understand since you never dated anyone."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oy, don''t speak as if Conrad had experience."

    "He''s going on blind dates."

    "What?!" Ro gasped, turning his head to Conrad, who was just sitting on that chair like a dead tuna. "Oy, Conrad, is this true?"

    "I was forced to." Conrad reopened his eyes slowly. "Until I chose not to be filial anymore."

    Ro opened and closed his mouth, rendered speechless. As far as he knew, he would still hang out with these two at least once every two weeks, but never once did he hear about this. But then again, it wouldn''t be surprising for Conrad to go on blind dates because he was also an heir.

    "But anyway, Ste is different." Maynard let out a deep sigh, lowering his eyes. "She''s just like you, Ro. I don''t think she has marriage in mind just yet. I mean, she''s ambitious and wants to build a career."

    His eyes softened as a subtle smile appeared on his face. "I love her enough to stop myself from proposing and let her do the hell she wants."

    "You''re just afraid she will reject you," Conradmented monotonously, warranting a re from Maynard. "But you''re doing the right thing. Don''t pressure her into marriage or anything like that. You two are still young and бк"

    "Are you saying my feelings are shallow?"

    "No." Conrad blinked and then corrected. "You''re a shallow person, is what I''m saying. "

    "This little shit!" Maynard sprung up to his seat, riled up at Conrad''s bluntness. Fortunately, Ro was quick to react and blocked Maynard.

    "Hey, hey! This is a time to celebrate, eh?" Roughed awkwardly, hands firm on Maynard''s chest. "We''ve been together since high school. Seriously. Aren''t you used to each other by now?"

    "Never." Conrad casually closed his eyes. "I''m drunk. Don''t bother me."

    "This motherfucker." Maynard ground his teeth, ring daggers at Conrad''s nonchnt figure. "One day, I''d get even with you. Mark my words!"

    Maynard huffed angrily, sitting down and chugging his beverage in one go. That night, Ro apanied Maynard and listened to his rants while Conrad kept his eyes closed, not sure if he had fallen asleep. They talked about anything they could bring up, something random, or fun.

    But mostly, Maynard just couldn''t stop talking about his girl, Ste. Seeing him talk about her put Ro''s heart at peace that his friend would never hurt his friend. After all, it was Ro''s first time seeing Maynard be so passionate about something or someone.

    Maynard and Ste''s rtionshipsted for years, and with each passing year, Ro, now an adult, would tease Maynard for not being able to muster the courage to propose. When another year came by, Maynard and Conrad''s rtionship suddenly changed.

    Ro didn''t know the reason until he heard Maynard was getting married to a woman that wasn''t his longtime girlfriend, Ste. And what more? The woman was pregnant with Maynard Quinn''s child.

 Chapter 269 You Didnt Change

    Knock knock!

    "Huh? Who could be knocking at this time?" Ro rubbed his weary eyes as he dragged his body out of the bed. His apartment was small despite securing a spot in public service, hence, just one knock and he could hear it from his bedroom.

    As he dragged his feet toward the main door, the knocking grew louder and more aggressive.

    "Aishбн okay! Okay! I''ming," he said, annoyed. "God dam. Just what time is it?"

    Ro peeked from his one eye as he walked past the wall clock in the small living area. The moment he saw it was an hour past midnight, his face twitched in irritation. There was only one inconsiderate prick who would bother people in the middle of the night.

    "That prick," he mumbled irritably. "Good. I haven''t given him a piece of me about that sudden engagement."

    Ro''s face turned sour. As an adult, he didn''t have that much free time to hang out with his friends. Although they would set schedules at least once or twice a month, it was still not like it was used to. He couldn''t me his friends, though.

    Conrad and Maynard were busy in their family business, and the responsibility and workload they had wouldn''t decrease anytime soon. It was the same for Ro, nning to make a name for himself on top of studying for his master''s. Hence, even when Ro heard about Maynard''s sudden engagement and soon wedding, and it was unclear what happened between Maynard and Ste, Ro didn''t find the time to confront his friend.

    Perhaps this was just about time since they were all busy.

    "Just tell me one thing, May бк" Ro halted the moment he opened the door, seeing that his expectation to see that arrogant friend of his wasn''t met. Instead, a petite woman stood in front of the door with her head down. "Ste?"

    Ste raised her head. Herplexion was pale, and the subtle smile on her face was obviously forced. "Sorry for bothering you in the middle of the night, Ro."

    "Ste, what are you doing here?"

    "I know we haven''t talked muchtely, but you seeбн" Ste gazed down at the hastily packed luggage on her side. "... I just don''t know where to go or who to turn to, Coco."

    Deep lines appeared in between Ro''s thick brows as he saw the luggage she brought with her. When he set his eyes back on her, his jaw tightened.

    "Tell me about it inside. Come. God, girl, you''re a mess." Ro clicked his tongue as he bent over, picking up her luggage. When he straightened his back and faced her, he tipped his head inside. "Come in. My ce is also a mess, but it''s warmer."

    Her eyes stiffened as she nodded, following Ro inside his small apartment. Ste stood still as Ro switched the lights on after putting down her luggage to the side, revealing the untidy living area. There were tons and tons of papers lying around, used socks, and even empty food containers that seemed to have been there for days now.

    "Ah, sorry about this!" Ro clumsily picked up his dirty socks and cleaned the area. "I didn''t expect I''d have visitors and well, I don''t really need to clean if someone did since there are only two people whoe into this ce unannounced, anyway."

    "It''s fine." Ste candidlyughed while watching him clean the living area out of embarrassment. "You don''t need to clean it up. It''s fine."<novelnext></novelnext>

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 "No! I''ll be quick! Just take a seat in the dining!" Ro didn''t bat her an eye as he continuously tidy up his ce.

    Ste, who was told to sit down on the dining that was just connected to the living area, smiled. She kept her eyes on Ro''s figure, looking around this simple and cramped apartment he had for himself.

    "You didn''t change, Ro," she said, dragging her feet to the dining table. "Even when you found a decent job, you still didn''t change."

    "Bold of you to assume I didn''t, woman. This ce is actually very nice when I got in here бк very luxurious!" Ro humored as if they kept in touch even when this was probably the first time they saw each other in two years. "I just didn''t have the time to clean it."

    "Is that so?" Her voice was soft as ever, but it wasn''t as clear as it used to be. There was a tinge of sadness, helplessness, and

    Ro paused and nced to where she was sitting. Even when he didn''t keep in touch with her, the two of them were really good friends back in university. Matter of fact, he had a crush on her the first time they met. It was just that he realized they would be a ''bad'' match and dating wasn''t their priority back then. So the feelings just died, but they became really good friends.

    ''What happened to you?'' he wondered, shaking his head, keeping whatever thoughts he had at the back of his head. Ro tried his best to clean the living area as he already assumed he would sleep in there.

    When the living area slightly looked decent with all the stacked papers set aside and the foul smell getting out of the open window, Ro went to the two-door refrigerator to get a can of beer.

    "Want a beer?" he asked, propping his arm on the lower door of the refrigerator.

    "No, I''m alright. I already bothered you enough."

    "Nah, no biggie. Milk? Tea? Coffee? What do you want? Did you even eat already?"

    Ste shed him a short smile, but her eyes showed sincerity. "I''d have the milk then."

    "Alright!" Ro bent over and got what he needed from the refrigerator, but instead of giving her a cold carton of milk, he boiled hot water to make her hot milk. Ste kept silent all this time, watching him busily work in the kitchen, and then join her at the table with hot milk and some snacks.

    "You really haven''t changed," she said again, gazing at the steam from the cup of milk and the reheated snacks she could eat. Ste slowly raised her eyes and smiled. "You''re still as considerate as ever."

    "Hah." Ro rubbed his nose with his finger, plopping down across from her with the can of beer in his hand. "I should be the one telling you that. You haven''t changed, Ste. You appreciate even the smallest things."

    The two of them smiled at each other before he gestured for her to eat. Since Ro had exerted effort to feed her, Ste didn''t refuse and enjoyed the hot milk and snacks slowly.

 Chapter 270 Not His Fault

    Silence slowly followed as Ro chugged the can of beer while Ste was eating silently. As he was on his second can, his eyes slid to the woman across from her. The memory he had of Ste was of an ambitious girl with a genuine heart. She was a woman full of pride, just like him, and did everything she had done with all her heart.

    Back then, Ro was certain whatever career or path Ste would take, she would excel and make a name for herself. Her energy was like that, and one would surely see her as someone who would seed in life.

    But now that Ro was observing her, he couldn''t help but wonder what happened to her.

    Why did she look so miserable?

    Why did she look so meek??

    Where did her blinding light had gone off?

    Ste just looked so gloomy, as if she failed in everything. Her energy wasn''t as bright and lively as it used to be, but she just gave off this thick, dark aura that was a bit depressing.

    And this piqued his curiosity.

    "What happened?" he blurted out but didn''t regret it as realization struck him. Instead, Ro sat properly, facing her squarely, and waiting for her to look back at him. "Why are you a mess, Ste?"

    Bitterness filled her eyes as she still smiled to cover the pain that was slowly destroying her. "Nothing."

    "Ste."

    "It''s nothing, Ro." She lowered her eyes, which was her habit whenever she would lie. "I know I came here without telling you and disturbing you, but it''s actually nothing."

    "This is about him, isn''t it?"

    "No."

    "Ste." Ro leaned forward, searching for her eyes. "Maynard is a good friend of mine. He''s my best friend, but I won''t tolerate his bullshit. You don''t have to cover for him. The news of his engagement already reached me just two days ago, soбн"

    He shrugged. "You don''t have to pretend it''s nothing when it''s obviously something."

    Ste didn''t say anything or even reacted when Ro mentioned about the engagement.

    "I didn''t know that," she said, holding the cup of milk to warm her cold hands. "I didn''t know he got engaged."

    "What?"

    "But it''s fine." Ste raised her head and set her eyes back on him. "It''s not like I didn''t know there was someone else."

    His expression turned sour, seeing the unspeakable pain she was holding back in her eyes. She might not be crying, but deep inside, she was torn, and he knew that.

    "No wonder Conrad was disappointed in him. That bastard бк!"

    "It''s not his fault, though."

    "What?" Ro gasped in disbelief, unable to believe he heard her right. He pointed at his temple and asked, "oy, Ste, did you lose your brain somewhere or what? What do you mean, it''s not his fault?"

    "He didn''t like her."

    "He got her pregnant!" Ro eximed out of frustration, only for his eyes to dte when she flinched slightly. "You don''t know?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her lips quivered as she whispered. "I do."

    "Stop lying now or I''ll reallyбн" he hesitated, knowing he couldn''t beat up a girl or heartlessly send her away. "... take that milk away from you."

    "I''m sorry," Ste chuckled weakly. "Yes, I don''t know about that."

    His anger skipped to another level, thinking that Maynard and his fickle nature didn''t change at all. "That bastard. I''m going to fucking beat some senses into him."

    "Don''t." Ste shook her head. "As I''ve said, it''s not his fault."

    "Ste, are you blind or stupid?! He cheated on you, used you, and then threw you out like the piece of garbage he is бк !"

    "He fought for me" She cut him off with her meek and soft voice, staring at the steam of the milk with her hands wrapped around the cup. "Maynardбн he loved me so much he is willing to ruin his life."

    "What?"

    "We haven''t talked and I''m sure Maynard didn''t tell you anything about it because he heard you were also struggling," she continued with a soft voice. "He always talks about you and understands that aside from working, you need to get your master''s. He didn''t want to disturb you, so he didn''t tell you about what was going on in the past two years."

    Ste paused, gazing up at him. "Maynardбн he was willing to cut ties with the Quinn family because of me."

    "What?"

    "They don''t like me." She forced a smile again as bitterness filled her eyes as she thought of a certain memory. "When they found out about me and Maynard, they pressured him to get married to this girl from a wealthy family."

    Ste continued her story, not detailing everything she went through in the past months, but enough to make Ro understand what happened.

    Apparently, when the Quinn family showed their opposition against Maynard''s rtionship with his longtime girlfriend, Maynard, without a second hesitation, cut ties with them. Even though they didn''t get him out of thepany because of the chairman''s orders, Maynard and Ste got to live in the same house.

    However, Maynard''s life in the Quinn Holdings wasn''t the same. He would get humiliated and despite his position as an assistant director, his job was nothing any better than the lowest employee. Matter of fact, even the janitor was treated with respect. Thus, he decided to quit Quinn Holdings.

    Just when Maynard thought he could do well without the Quinn family, he was wrong. Anypany he would apply to refuse him because of the Quinn family. His family did their best to make sure Maynard would understand he was nothing without the Quinn family.

    At first, it was alright. Ste and Maynard managed to get by day by day. However, when the Quinn family heard that their interference only brought Ste and Maynard closer, they started interfering with Ste''s life.

    pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 Name it, the Quinn family did it.

    Ste lost her job, and her family, who had nothing to do with this, were also implicated. They were but a middle-ss family, and because of the influence of the Quinn family, they faced a series of problems that soon caused health problems for her parents.

    Ste did everything she could to help her parent''s medical needs, but they just got drowned in debt. Her brother also had to stop studying and was forced to work a part-time job. Knowing all this, Maynard went to wreak havoc in the Quinn family home to confront his cruel parents.

    But what else could Maynard do?

    In the end, Maynard went home to Ste with only one option. To break up with her and meet thisdy, his parents told him to.

    Maynard didn''t want to, and she also didn''t want to break up with him. However, even when she refused, Maynard was already dead set on breaking up with her. Her parents were Ste''s world, and he couldn''t just sit idly by knowing she might lose them.

    Thus, they broke up.

    But that was just the beginning, and the problems and harassment she would have to face wouldn''t just end there.

 Chapter 271 He Was Always That Good Friend

    The moment Maynard returned to his family, the Quinn family had shouldered all Ste''s parents'' medical needs. They also cleared their debts and let them off. Ste thought things went back to ''normal''. It was just that she had to get used to life without him, the man she thought she would live with for the rest of her life.

    However, just two weeks after the breakup, her mother perished. And as if life was having fun screwing her life, her father passed just a monthter. Not just that, there was this girl who imed to be the person Maynard was dating, and she endlessly harassed Ste.

    This girl who was rich enough to live life without worrying about anything never had the proper decorum. First, she came just right after Ste''s father''s funeral, calling her names and threatening her. At first, because of the loss, Ste didn''t back down and also threw bold statements that seemed to only anger the woman.

    Instead of scaring her off, this woman showed up at Ste''s work and harassed her. Ste didn''t know exactly why this woman was so keen on destroying Ste''s reputation and life, but she seeded. Thepany Ste was working at kicked her out of thepany, and nopany wanted to take her in.

    It was no different from the helpless situation Maynard had experienced. And in a way, Ste was certain Maynard didn''t know about this harassment. That was what Ste wanted to believe.

    And this all happened in the span of three months after their breakup.

    "Now, my brother just starts hating me because, wellбн his school kicked him out." Steughed bitterly. "And the ce I was staying kicked me out just because the building was sold to another. You can guess who this owner is."

    "She''s so cruelбн" her voice sounded muffled, but the tears in her eyes didn''t fall. "I don''t understand why she''s doing this when he''s already hers."

    Hearing her story, Ro didn''t know what to say in return. It was fucked up, and all he felt was pure sympathy for Ste. As for Maynard, Ro still had no definite conclusion about what he was feeling about it.

    "That''s why I''m here." She let out another weakugh, smacking her lips. "Actually, I didn''t know why I even thought of you, but you''re the only person I know in the city. So, I went to the university and asked around."

    "Damnбн" Ro breathed out, emptying the can of beer to wash down the conflicting emotions in his heart. "Now I feel like anyone can just find me if they asked around the university. I don''t feel safe."

    Sheughed at his humorous remarks. "It''s actually an old acquaintance that we went with who told me about where you live."

    "Ahhhбн wait. I don''t think I''d be able to sleep with everything you said." Ro stood up and headed to the refrigerator for another can of beer. "Are you sure you don''t want to drink? Girlбн if I am in that situation, I would be wasted."

    "No, thanks."

    Ro shrugged as he grabbed two cans of beer this time, sauntering back to his seat. "Since when did you refuse to drink beers?" he asked, casually sitting down across from her.

    "As far as I remember, you were quick a drinker," he recalled as he opened the can of beer, gazing back at her only to see her smile. "Wait."

    Ro put down the can of beer and leaned forward. "Don''t tell me, youбн"

    "He doesn''t know, Ro." Ste ced her hand on her stomach, which had a small bump underneath her loose shirt. "And I want to keep it that way."

    "What?!" Ro mmed his hands on the table, wide-eyed. "Ste, you бк really?"

    "Yes." Her subtle smile, despite all the problems and harassment she went through, was genuine. "I nearly had a miscarriage, but he held on to me. He wanted to live, so I wanted to live for him."

    "Ah, shit." Ro wobbled down to his seat, burying his face in his palms. "Fuckбн"

    "Don''t tell him, Ro." Ro spread his fingers to peek at her as she spoke. "This childбн I want him to live in peace without the Quinn family meddling with him. If they found out that I am pregnant with his child, I''m scared of what they could do to my child."

    "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Ro closed his fingers as he continuously spewed profanity. "Why are you even telling me all of this? Are you nning to torture me as well?"

    She chuckled weakly. "I''m just saying if you can let a pregnantdy here for a while until I find a job?"

    "Ah, shitбн" he breathed out, exasperated. He dropped his hands from his face to the table. "Please tell me you just want to freeload and all those other details were just a made-up story."

    "I wish it was."

    "Fuck!" Ro bumped his forehead against the surface of the table, in distress about Ste''s situation.

    "Don''t worry. I''ll move out as soon as possible." She smiled, knowing Ro was like this. He always had a strong sense of justice, and knowing her wish was to do nothing and just live peacefully, Ro had to respect that even when the Quinn family had done too much cruelty to her.

    "What else can I do?" Ro grumbled with the side of his head resting on the table. "I can''t just chase a pregnantdy out, knowing she had no ce to stay."

    "Thank you."

    "But don''t bother." He reached for the can of beer, straightening his back. "Just use your time here to rest and have a healthy pregnancy. I mean, I don''t go home quite often, so you don''t have to worry about me."

    "It''s fine. You don''t need to бк" Her brows rose when he mmed his hand on the table and shook his head.

    "I am your friend and, as a good friend, I don''t want you to think of anything else. Just pay me back once you give birth and found a decent job." He nodded reassuringly. "I''m serious when I say there were days I stay in the firm for days or in the university dorm. Even if I go home, I won''t really bother you that much."

    Ste''s eyes softened as she stared at him, and he avoided her eyes. She didn''t know why she came looking for him, even though they didn''t keep in touch for years. That was the truth. But now, she finally understood the reason.

    Ro was the nicest and the most genuine person she ever met in her life. And she knew that whatever it was, he wouldn''t judge her. Unlike those people who imed to be her friend but were quick to turn their backs on her the moment they heard nasty and nonsense rumors of Ste being a prostitute and a mistress.

 Chapter 272 Golden Boy

    Ro wasn''t lying when he said he rarely goes back to his apartment. It had been a month since Ste came in his ce, and he only went home at least five times throughout the entire month. Sometimes, he wouldn''t even sleep there. Instead, Ro would juste with groceries and slipped some cash inside.

    The first time he did it, Ste had to wait for him toe again to return the money. She still had a bit of her savings, which she used to find a job that could help a bit in the apartment or at least, to feed herself. But Ro was persistent.

    Perhaps it was out of pity or he was just that kind, but Ro insisted on giving Ste some money. His excuse was that he could use Ste as his piggybank for a while. Knowing Ste, she would surely find a way to pay him back once she got back on her feet.

    His kindness, somehow, put Ste at ease. Although there was a shame that was crawling under her skin with his kindness, she knew she would be forever grateful to Ro.

    And thus, the past month had been the most peaceful month Ste had had after all the dramatic turns of her life. She stayed in, making phone calls all day to set an interview for a job, clean his ce, talk to the life growing within her, and make healthy dishes for her and her child. She had also managed to see an OB-GYN and was prescribed vitamins and milk for a more healthy pregnancy.

    Everything was smooth-sailing, and although Ro rarelyes, he never failed to call the phone telephone to ask about her well-being. He also never failed to tell her if ever she needed anything, she could always call him.

    Just like what he was saying at the moment.

    "Girl, remember! If you need anything, you have all the numbers where you can contact me. I left the list on the refrigerator бк did you see it?"

    Ste nced at the kitchen where the refrigerator was. She had seen the list on it when she had gone back to the apartment after going to an interview today.

    "Yes, thank you, Coco." She smiled, leaning her side against the wall as the telephone was attached to it. "You know, whoever the girl you marry is lucky."

    Ro, who was drinking his coffee to pull an all-nighter, almost spat out his coffee. "What the hell!?"

    "Haha. Did that surprise you?"

    "Oy, Ste. I know I''m handsome and perfect, but you can''t just say that out of nowhere."

    "But it''s the truth." Ste chuckled as her eyesnded on the new groceries she came home to. "You do this much for a friend. So I can''t help but wonder what would it be like if you have a wife?"

    "Rather than lucky, they''ll probably think otherwise." Ro, who was sitting on a swivel chair in the firm office, leaned back. "Do you think I haven''t dated anyone? Come on, girl. This man is the most sought bachelor in our batch, but then, after dating, I get so busy and won''t have time for them. And then they will break up with me!"

    Ste listened to hisints with a smile. "Are you crying?"

    "What!? No! I already epted that unless I be sessful enough like Conrad, I will never have the time!"

    "But Conrad is still single, though."

    "Oh." Ro''s face stiffened and just by that short sound he made, Steughed as she could imagine his face. "Damn! That''s right. If I be sessful, I''d be even busier."

    Ste covered her lips as sheughed while he whined about not having enough time to date. He was so dramatic, he went ahead and spoke about growing older all alone.

    "Don''t worry, Coco." Ste chimed in after Ro''s dramatic remarks. "If one day you weren''t able to marry a girl, you won''t be alone. I meanбн"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ste yed with the wire with her finger. "I also don''t n on involving myself with someone else because I want to focus on my son. But once he''s grown into a fine young man, I will take care of you."

    "You''ll marry me?"

    "No. I''ll be your maid."

    "Damn, girl. I thought for a moment you already caught feelings for me. That scared me!"

    "I wish," she humored back as her expression softened. "I really wish I should''ve just fallen in love with you back then. Maybe I''ll be a bit happier."

    Ro gazed at the ceiling as he repeated what she said in his head.

    "Right?" he smiled subtly. "Ste."

    "Hmm?"

    His lips stretched even wider as he thought of making herugh. "You missed your golden opportunity. This golden boy has his pride to uphold."

    "Haha!" Ste covered her lips with the back of her hand, holding herughter. "Yes, yes. You were a golden boy. Your light blinded me and was probably the reason I couldn''t see you back then. It was my fault for not wearing sunsses."

    "Oy!"

    "Anyway, thank you, Ro." Ste cleared her throat as she diverted their subject.

    "Ah? For?"

    "For not saying, ''I told you so,''"

    Ro pressed his lips into a thin line and shrugged. Even when she didn''t tell him what happened in the interview she went to today, he already noticed that it was bad upon sensing the tone of her voice. Hence, he didn''t ask and simply went off to make herugh.

    "I''ll make dinner tonight. You shoulde home," she said with a smile. "It would be nice to eat with someone every once in a while, right?"

    His lips curled up as he nced at the piles of documents he had to review. "I''m bringing a ton of papers, girl."

    "Don''t worry. I can help you." His reply made her grin in satisfaction. "Don''t forget I also graduated with flying colors."

    "Haha! I''ll be there in an hour бк ah! I''m hungry!"

    She smiled. "I''ll see you then."

 Chapter 273 Love And Madness

    Ste didn''t have a good day as she finally got a spot for an interview. But s, instead of a proper interview, all she had to hear was people belittling her because of the baseless rumors from her previouspany without even looking at her credentials. She only called Ro to tell him about the groceries, because when she arrived home, there were already there.

    She was already prepared to fake her smile and tell him that the interview went well, but Ro didn''t even ask. Instead, he just made herugh and talked about anything that wasn''t any life-rted matter or anything serious.

    He really knew her, and she was grateful to him.

    The reason, despite how terrible her day was, she happily worked in the kitchen to prepare her dearest friend a good meal. At least she could repay Ro by feeding him nice meals.

    A satisfied smile turned up on her face as she tasted the soup she cooked for him.

    "It''s good." Her smile grew brighter, excited to see Ro''s reaction once he had a taste of it.

    Knock knock!

    Her brows rose as she carefully ced the spoon on the saucer. She didn''t rush, knowing Ro has a key to enter. But s, the knocking continued and soon got her attention.

    "Wait!" she yelled, carrying the pot to the table carefully. "Why is he knocking? Did he forget his key somewhere?"

    Ste mumbled to herself as she took off her gloves and ced them on the side of the table. As the knocking continued, Ste dragged her feet to open the door with a hand on her lower back.

    "Coco, did you lose your key somewhere бк" her voice stopped the moment she opened the door.

    Ste slowly gazed up at the man standing in front of the apartment. Her pupils instantly went wide the moment she locked eyes with him.

    "Maynard?" her shoulders stiffed as his eyes also dted in shock.

    "Ste," he called under his breath, scanning her face as if he couldn''t believe to see her. "What are you doingбн in hereбн?"

    Maynard trailed off as his eyes fell on her casual clothes. She was wearing an apron, but he had noticed the bump on her stomach. When he lifted his eyes to her, Ste''s entire body felt like shrinking.

    "You and Roбн?" he let out a short, ridiculingugh. "You''re pregnant?"

    Ste''s lips quivered as her grip on the knob tightened. Disappointment and anger swelled in her chest at the sight of him. But those feelings didn''te from what his family did or how his wife harassed her, but because of the sudden longing that almost overtook her.

    "Oy, Ste!" Ste''s eyes shook as two hands squeezed her shoulders, tugging her mildly. "It was just four months since we broke up, and you''re already pregnant? Since when have you been fooling with my friend, huh?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ste winced at his tightening grip. "Maynard, you''re hurting me."

    "How dare youбн" his grip on her shoulders tightened, even more, grinding his teeth. All rationality was thrown out of the window. "... I gave up everything for you. Everything, Ste. Everything. But youбн with Ro, of all peopleбн"

    Hearing all those words, something within her snapped. Ste ignored the pain in her shoulder and red at her.

    "What?" She balled her hands into a fist as her emotions slowly peaked. "How dare I? You have up everything for me? Hah! Are you insane?"

    His expression turned nk at the increasing hatred that slowly swirled in her sharp, teary eyes.

    "Maynard, am I not allowed to date and love someone just because we wasted each other''s time for some time?" sheughed out of spite, throwing back the words he told her back then. "It''s only been months, yes. But aren''t you married already and expecting a child with your wife?"

    As his grip loosened, Ste grabbed his cor fiercely.

    "If you can, are you saying I cannot? Why, Maynard? Am I your property, hmm?" Ste''s breathing was suspended until her neck turned taut as she pushed him back aggressively. "How dare youe in here and say all that nonsense without considering what I have to go through because of you!"

    "People can say anything bad to me even if they don''t know me. I can take it. But you, of all people, have no right to say anything to me." Ste huffed as she stood with her chin held high. "You have no right after what you and your family did to me. I won''t let you people harass me again and ruin my life when I want nothing from you."

    "Leave," Ste added strongly, keeping her ground like always. "While I''m asking nicely. Leave and I''ll forget you even came by."

    Maynard could only stare at her in disbelief, unable toprehend everything, as he felt like going mad at the thought of her pregnancy. He ran his fingers through his hair in distress, setting his bloodshot eyes back on her.

    "Why?" he asked under his breath. "Why do you want to forget that I even came by? Hahбн are you scared that Ro will know that your former lover was here?"

    "Youбн!" Ste''s bloodshot up at how he made her rtionship with Ro so malicious. She raised a hand without thinking, about to strike his face, but stopped when he grabbed her wrist.

    "Let me go." Her voice shook, but she tightened his grip. "Maynard Quinn! I''m telling you right now to let me go!"

    "No!" this time, Maynard raised his voice as his jealousy, the pain of ''betrayal,'' the inability to ept that she wasn''t his anymore, but his heart yearned for her every single time he breathed took the better of him. "Forget? Well, damn, right, Ste."

    When Maynard took a step forward, Ste quickly reacted and blocked him from entering the apartment. "Where do you think you''re going?"

    "Hahбн" he hissed, as his eyes shone with madness. "... I''ll make sure you will never forget me again, no matter how you try, Ste."

 Chapter 274 Love And Madness II

    "I''ll make sure you will never forget me again, no matter how you try, Ste."

    Ste''s eyes shook as fear dominated her face under Maynard''s gaze and threats. The words he had spewed and that look in his eyes, that wasn''t the man she loved. This manбн Ste couldn''t recognize him anymore.

    There was never a time Ste would ever think Maynard would have this look in his eyes that sought to hurt her. Even when they had nothing, even when they were struggling, the two of them tried their best to survive life challenges together. Even when he broke up with her, Maynard appeared more devastated and lost than Ste.

    So who was this person?

    "Come." Maynard tugged her wrist aggressively, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You can''t do this to me, Ste. Not even a year бк"

    Ste resisted, blocking the door on instinct.

    "Not a step, Maynard!" she screamed, enduring the sudden pain in her stomach. "You will not step inside this ce."

    Her words drew Maynard to the corner and at that moment, all he could see was red.

    Why?

    Why?

    Why?

    That word reyed in his head repeatedly, unable to understand how easy it was for her to rece him. Sure. Maynard was now married and was expecting a child, but Ste didn''t have the slightest bit of an idea of how disgusted he was about it.

    "You have no idea, Ste," came out through his gritted teeth, eyes bloodshot. "You have no idea!"

    "Maynard, stop!" Ste screamed as he pulled her wrist and instead of making his way inside, Maynard pulled her out, dragging her with him to wherever they could reach. "Stop!!"

    Ste screamed her lungs out, grabbing anything she could to stop him from taking her. She didn''t want to go with him. Not when they were slowly ''returning'' to their normal lives. Whether or not he loved his wife, Ste didn''t want to be a person and wreak a marriage.

    She had enough.

    The Quinn Family and that woman.

    The thought of how her life turned upside down just because she loved someone she ''shouldn''t'' brought tears to her eyes. Ste held on to the railing, wincing at the pain in her palm and wrist.

    "Ste!" Maynard''s eyes shone in fury, grinding his teeth. "Are you this unwilling to go with me?"

    "Let me go! Let me go!"

    His face scrunched up a little as she went hysterical, screaming the same sentence repeatedly.

    "I''m angryбн" his voice shook and didn''t reach her because of her continuous screaming. "... but I won''t hurt you. I just want to talk."

    "Let me go!"

    Maynard hesitated for a while, but his emotionspletely took the best of him. But just before Maynard could peel her hand on the railing, he stopped.

    "Ste?" Shocked at the scene he came home to, Ro took a moment to assess what was going on.

    There, Maynard was holding Ste''s wrist and was in a stance to peel her hands from the railings. Her screams continued, and because of it, Maynard and Ste didn''t hear Ro''s quiet call.

    The moment realization dawned on him, Ro dropped the stic bag that was containing a few cans of beer. He sprinted toward them with adrenaline rushing through his system. Ro couldn''t remember what he had done, but all he knew was that Ste needed help.

    Maynard was caught off guard and got pushed to the side. That somehow snapped him out of his madness. His eyes shook as he came to his senses, raising his eyes, only to see Ro''s fiery eyes.

    Ro just ground his teeth, not saying a word. Instead of wasting his energy on Maynard, Ro went to help Ste.

    "Ste, are you okay?" he asked, holding her trembling shoulder.

    Upon sensing that she was safe, Ste''s screams subsided. When she turned and saw Ro''s face, relief washed over her entire soul.

    "Coco!" Ste didn''t think twice about throwing her hands and wrapped them around Ro. "Ro."

    "It''s okay. You''re okay now." Ro stroked her trembling back; he could feel the fear as her entire body was shaking. "It''s okay, Ste. You''re okay."

    Hearing his voice had a tinge of anger, but dominated by worry, tears blurred her vision. In the end, Ste couldn''t say anything, as she chewed her bottom lip, sobbing.

    "It''s okay." She focused on Ro''s voice as he tried to calm her down. "It''s okay."

    As heforted her, Ro cast Maynard a re. Thetter was still slumped on the floor, his palms on either side of him, watching how Roforted Ste. Out of uncontroble jealousy and anger, Maynard didn''t see that there wasn''t anything special between Ro and Ste.

    It was more like a friendforting his friend. But he was too blinded to see that.

    For Maynard, it only confirmed that Ro and Ste ''reignited'' their old me.

    "Maynard, for old time''s sake, please leave." Ro breathed out. "Let''s talk about this once you''ve calmed down. Ste is pregnant. Don''t do this to them."

    "Hahбн" Maynard let out a short dry scoff but didn''t say anything. He watched Ro carefully assist Ste to stand up. His eyes shifted to Ro''s hand that was on her shoulder des, and as they walked back to their apartment unit, Maynard nced at Ste.

    She didn''t look at him.

    "Steбн" Maynard called under his breath, but s, Ro and Ste didn''t stop.

    m.

    Maynard''s heart sank as silence followed the door shut. Darkness slowly enveloped him and soon his heart. The pain in his heart seeing his dearest friend and the woman he loved was paralyzing, disabling him momentarily.

    As tears rolled down his cheek, Maynard gazed at the shut door where Ro and Ste entered.

    "How can you two do this to me?" she whispered with a ragged breath, balling his hand into a fist on the ground. "A yearбн that''s what I told you."

    When they broke up, the only request he had for Ste was to wait for a year. Just one year. He didn''t tell her the reason, but he was nning to get everything he could and own the entire Quinn Family so they wouldn''t have a say once he divorced and remarry.

    Just one year.

    Was that too much to ask?

    Was she itching to rece him?

    Did she even love Maynard?

    Or was the Quinn family right? That Ste was only after his money?

    Moreover, did Ro not think of Maynard when he got Ste pregnant? Or had he been waiting for his chance as revenge for what Maynard did during their university days?

    Many questions hovered over Maynard''s head, but he got no answer. All that was clear to him was that Ro betrayed him, and Ste''s love was all superficial.

    If only Maynard had waited until Ro reached out or if only Conrad was aware of all this, the disaster that would befall Ste, Ro, Maynard, and some other people wouldn''t even happen.

 Chapter 275 Chained By Pain, Rage, And Madness

    That same night, Maynard dragged himself to a high-end nightclub to drink his sorrow away. shy as always, he rented the entire ce all for himself.

    Maynard was sitting on the bar counter pouring himself some whiskey when someone sat down on the stool beside him. Conrad nced at the empty bottles on the counter and then shifted his eyes to Maynard.

    "You came," Maynard spoke, putting down the bottle near Conrad''s. "I drank a little bit. So, I can''t pour you some."

    Conrad kept his stern expression as he assessed Maynard. Without a word, he reached for the empty ss nearby. There was no bartender to serve them drinks. Actually, there was no one around aside from the two of them.

    As Conrad poured himself a ss, he stopped at what Maynard suddenly said.

    "Can you be raped when you''re a man?"

    Conrad slowly turned his head to Conrad, only to see Maynard smirk. Thetter then chugged the whiskey and hissed in satisfaction.

    "Did anything happen?" Conrad didn''t beat around the bush as always. His rtionship with Maynard had been strained because of how Maynard handled things recently, but Conrad couldn''t just throw away the years they were together.

    "Did anything happen?" Maynard let out a dryugh, casting Conrad a quick look. "There''s never a single day that nothing happens in the Quinn. We like drama, after all."

    Conrad opened his lips but decided to shut them again. He then continued to pour himself a ss. Whatever family drama Maynard had, Conrad believed he had no right to pry. If Maynard wanted to tell him, he would''ve started talking the moment Conrad arrived.

    "Why did you ask?" Conrad inquired, guiding the ss to his lips, eyes on the corner. "Rape can happen to everyone бк even to animals."

    "Nothing." Maynard shrugged. "It''s just this movie I watched, you know. This guy was drugged by this vicious woman, and then that same woman forced herself on him."

    Maynard paused as he reached for the bottle to refill his ss. "She got pregnant, by the way. She had things her way and tied him in a marriage."

    "I seeбн"

    "But damnбн" Maynard let out a ridiculing chuckle as pain ovepped with his smile. "That movie is so fucked up. I was so fucking bored I watched something like that."

    "I mean, this guy, you see, is born into a wealthy family. Yes, he was arrogant and spoiled, growing up. But he changed because of this girl. He thought he could give up anything for her, but his family just wouldn''t leave him alone or stop harassing him. So he decided to return to his family and leave his woman," he continued, summarizing this sick ''movie'' he was talking about. "He asked her to wait for one year. He didn''t want to give any promises because he didn''t want to hurt her. One year is all he asked."

    "If he seeded in gaining control of his family in one year, he would go back to her and fulfill his promises. But if he didn''t, then that means he only has to ept that he doesn''t deserve her, right?" he added, facing Conrad squarely. "But you know, this womanбн she couldn''t wait to rece him. Only four months since they broke up, she got pregnant by someone else. Can you believe that?"

    Conrad swallowed down the whiskey, but his expression didn''t change.

    "He left," said Conrad calmly, setting his eyes back to Maynard. "Since he left and broke up with her, he no longer had any right to meddle with her life. Whether she waited for him or weed another man in her life, that''s no longer your business."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "But бк"

    "You were weak, Maynard, and I''ve said this many times." Conrad cut him off sternly. "Even back when we were in high school. I told you to start gaining support and influence, but you didn''t listen. You know the life you''re about to take, but you disregarded it. This is the consequence of your past actions."

    "Lifeбн doesn''t always go our way. People would still function with or without you, and this world would continue to revolve with or without your permission," Conrad added. "Let her go and let her be happy without you. Holding on to her is not only selfish, but you''re hurting not just yourself but the people around you as well."

    Maynard let out a shortugh, in disbelief at Conrad''s bluntness. However, he couldn''t refute that because Conrad may be harsh, but he never said a lie.

    Let her go.

    Just how easy for Conrad to say that.

    "Do you thinkбн" Maynard peeled his eyes away from Conrad, gazing at the ss before him. "... it''s that easy?"

    "I never said it was."

    "I can''t."

    "She''s pregnant, and that means she''s started building a family." Conrad stuck to his argument coldly. "Holding on to someone who had clearly moved on will just destroy you."

    "I can''t." Maynard shook his head, only to hear another stern reply from Conrad.

    "You should."

    Of course, Maynard knew he should let her go, but he just couldn''t. He had kept silent all this time, over-working himself just to gain more and more power over the Quinn Family so he coulde back to Ste. Just the thought that that goal had gone down the drain tore his heart into many pieces.

    What would be his goal now?

    To live just the way it was? With his rapist? That woman who took advantage of him while he was in his most vulnerable state?

    "Don''t bother Ro with this." Conrad rubbed his index on the ss before drinking it. "He is busy and knowing him, he would drop everything to help in any way he could."

    Maynard couldn''t help but chuckle at Conrad''s remarks. "Don''t worry. I don''t n on telling him anything." бк Ro already knew, after all.

    Until now, Maynard was unsure why he didn''t tell Conrad about the person who got Ste pregnant. Maynard only realized the reason when the pain that didn''t heal drove him to madness, ruining everyone''s life just to quench it.

 Chapter 276 Chained By Pain, Rage, And Madness II

    Meanwhileбн

    "I''m sorryбн"

    "For what?" Ro clicked his tongue as he put ointment on her bruised wrist. "Don''t apologize for things that weren''t your fault. The person who should apologize is that brat бк tch!"

    "I destroyed your friendship." Ste''s eyes swirled with sadness as she kept her eyes on her wrist. "I could''ve cleared up the misunderstanding, but I didn''t."

    Ro paused, sighing, looking back at her. He wanted to tell her it was fine, but honestly, Maynard and Ste were both his friends. He pitied Ste, but Ro had never seen Maynard look so hurt and devastated.

    "We can clear up the misunderstanding next time." He smiled subtly, retrieving his hand from her. "Or maybe not. That guy can be very stubborn, but he will eventually get back to his senses. I mean, he''s married, and he was expecting a child. He''d soon channel that energy to his child."

    The moment Ro mentioned Maynard''s child, he bit his tongue. His eyes fell on Ste''s baby bump. That child was also Maynard''s, and it was quite insensitive of Ro to speak about that when another child would be born in this world without a father.

    "I''mбн sorry." He winced and sighed. "I didn''t mean it that way."

    "I know. Don''t be sorry." Ste slowly raised her head and shed him a subtle smile. "I''m just worried that he might do something to you because of me."

    "Ste, Maynard might have reacted that way, but I don''t think he could just throw away everything after all that we''ve been through." Confidenceced Ro''s gentle voice, reaching for her hand to squeeze it. "Don''t worry."

    Ste wanted to tell him that everyone who told her not to worry, bad things tend to happen. However, there was this little part of her spirit that wanted to believe Maynard wouldn''t do anything to Ro. Ro and Maynard had been friends even before Ste came into their lives.

    They were good friends, and even though there were misunderstandings, Ro and Maynard were still good friends until now. Hence, she wanted to believe that this understanding would be settled after some time.

    "Thank you." Ste ced her other hand on top of their hands. "I don''t think I can ever repay you for everything, and I''m really sorry for causing you inconvenience."

    "I told you. Don''t worry about бк"

    "You''re wee." She cut him mid-sentence, making his brows raise. "When someone thanked you, that''s what you say."

    Ro smacked his lips before he chuckled. "No problem. You''re always wee."

    "Better." Ste nodded in satisfaction, smiling back at him. Her eyes then fell on her hand atop their hands, and her eyes softened. "You''re so warm."

    "Huh?"

    "Your hands were always warm." She slowly raised her eyes to him and smiled. "Maybe because you''re always a very warm person. Once you be an official public prosecutor, I''m sure you''d be able to help many people."

    Ro opened and closed his mouth, but he ended up looking away. "Girl, why are you saying embarrassing things?"

    "You should get used topliments and words of gratitude." Ste slowly retrieved her hand from his. "How can you be a public servant when you don''t even know how to react to people''s appreciation?"

    "Well." Ro scratched his head, making her chuckle.

    Ste didn''t press about the matter as she noticed the food she had prepared before the incident. Another deep sigh slipped past her lips.

    "It had gone cold," she remarked and looked back at him. "I''ll reheat it."

    "Ah, no." Ro stood up before she could, waving to stop her. "I''ll do it."

    "But бк"

    "I don''t want to rush you to the hospital because a pot of soup slipped from your hands or you lost bnce," exined Ro nonchntly as he carried the pot to the kitchen. "Just rest and drink lots of water."

    Ste kept her eyes on his back as he reheat the dishes she made for him. As she was watching him work in the kitchen, she clutched her trembling thighs. Her heart and emotions had calmed down a bit, but her body was still trembling uncontrobly.

    She tried her best not to show it or hasten her recovery from what just happened, but even when she almost deluded herself, Ro still noticed. She raised her eyes up and her gazended on his back, smiling subtly.

    ''It seems I''ve only been receiving from him,'' she whispered inwardly. ''How embarrassing, Ste.''

    "Ah!" Ro pped after turning off the stove, turning his upper body to face Ste in the dining. "My beers! I dropped them outside!"

    "I''ll get them бк"

    "No, I''ll do it!" Ro didn''t wait for her as he sprinted outside. "Just stay there! Don''t you dare carry that pot back!"

    Ste blinked, staring at where he dashed off to. She flinched when Ro returned almost immediately, hugging the cans of beer.

    "Shit! My babies got dirty!" Ro went straight to the kitchen, cleaning the cans of beer while cursing the life out of Maynard.

    While Ste listened to him, she couldn''t help butugh.

    "Oy, stopughing at other people''s misfortune." Ro frowned, putting the cans of beer on top of the table. "That''s not nice, eh?"

    "Right, right." Ste rocked her head while he went back to the kitchen to get the dishes he reheated. "It''s just that I realized the reason you''re still single."

    "What?" Ro scrunched his nose up as he ced thest dish on the table.

    "Any woman would be jealous if they saw how you look at those cans of beer." She pointed at the beers, watching him sit down on the head seat near her.

    "Duh? I''m single because I''m a busy man on the road to greatness." He huffed triumphantly, shrugging.

    "Mhm. Whatever makes you happy."

    "Oy, what''s with that tone?"

    Ste shook her head as the two of them served their food. She didn''t have an appetite at first, but somehow, with hispany, she still enjoyed the food. It was the same for Ro; eating with someone once in a while was surely not a bad thing.

    If only Ste could reverse the time, she would''ve wished that no matter how warm and nice being around Ro, she would''ve endured everything all by herself. In that case, she wouldn''t have to watch how Ro''s life and bright future take a painful, dark turn.

 Chapter 277 Chained By Pain, Rage, And Madness III

    "What?"

    Ro stood motionless in front of his boss''s desk, eyes nk. What his boss said sounded like a p of thunder, deafening him for a moment.

    "I said, vacate your desk today, Ro." The man sitting behind the desk repeatednguidly, letting out a deep sigh. "You crossed a person you shouldn''t and as much as I hate to let such a bright person like you go, I can''t let everyone in the firm have a hard time."

    "They left me with no choice," the man continued with a grim expression. "I''m sorry for making a choice."

    Ro stared at the man he used to look up to because of his reputation for fighting for the weak. Although the man, who was also Ro''s mentor, didn''t seem pleased, Ro was in disbelief.

    He couldn''t believe how this man could easily let Ro go without fighting for him. Was he bribed? ckmailed? Whatever the answer, Ro couldn''t understand the situation.

    "I crossed someone I shouldn''t?" Ro let out a dryugh, keeping his eyes on the man across the desk. "Boss, in this line of work, we are bound to cross people we shouldn''t and our job is not only to help those powerless but also to impose justice."

    "No one is above thew. Those were your mantra and the words you keep telling me," he continued through his gritted teeth, keeping his fist firmly on his side. "How can you let someone change your outlook overnight? Or was that all a facade?"

    His boss lowered his eyes while Ro had no problems keeping his eyes on the former.

    "I am with a clear conscience and losing this job isn''t what''s the most disappointing. It''s the fact that you seemed to have decided without a second thought or believing in me." Ro, despite the tinge of anger and disappointment in his tone, maintained his calm. "Whatever you got from this deal, may karma find its way to you."

    Ro let out a scoff, shaking his head in disbelief before leaving the office. That same day, out of frustration and to keep his pride, Ro cleared his desk and left without a word. Just when he thought that was the worst that could have happened, he received a call from the university about thisint against him and the board decided to let him go. But because of his good behavior and performance, instead of kicking him out, they were asking him to drop out on his own.

    Everything just happened so quickly that Ro was unable to grasp everything. It didn''t even sink in and thought he was just dreaming.

    It was impossible.

    How could a person''s life suddenly spiral down for no reason? How could the people he respected, looked up to, and trusted could easily turn their backs on him just because someone powerful couldn''t stand the fact his ego was bruised?

    Ro didn''t even feel angry throughout the day. If anything, he felt confused and hurt.

    Going back to the apartment, Ro arrived at his ce, only to see Ste going back with the groceries she bought. She had this smile on her face, holding this book they talked about a few days before.

    He couldn''t go back just yet or face her. Knowing Ste, she would me herself for this. Worse. She would beg Maynard. That twisted motherfucker.<novelnext></novelnext>

    With that thought in mind, Ro didn''t turn on his heel and walked away from the apartment. Fortunately, he saved enough money to spend for a couple of months before he would get a job. That day, he decided to keep Ste in the dark to make sure she wouldn''t get stressed.

    Ste had already gone through a lot, and her poor baby boy was expecting to grow up without a father. Ro didn''t have the heart to let her go through that again or allow Maynard to use him to regain his control over Ste.

    Call it stubbornness to protect his pride, but Ro was a person who would uphold his belief even if he dies. It would take a ton lot to break him.

    Despite knowing the person who could be behind everything, Ro didn''t confront or protested. Instead, he kept silent, renting out a smaller apartment, pretending everything was still alright whenever he visit Ste, and then looking for a job.

    It was almost the same experience Ste had gone through.

    Two months.

    That was how long Ro endured the heaviness in his heart before he received a call from Conrad. Conrad was a busy man. He was already busy before, but after he took over the BLK Corporation, people rarely heard from him.

    So for Conrad to reach out to Ro, thetter didn''t refuse. Hence, Ro went to this bar in the city that Conrad gave him. At first, they simply catch up over a couple of drinks, talking about whatever. Surprisingly, unlike when Conrad was with Maynard, he was more talkative around Ro.

    "I asked you toe in hereбн" Conrad cleared his throat, sitting on the bar stool, letting the ss hover in front of his lips. "... I heard what happened."

    Ro''s face stiffened for a moment before heughed lightly. He shook his head, picking up the ss to chug down half of the rum.

    "I know," Ro said, hissing in satisfaction as he put down the ss. "You will not call me in here if you simply want to catch up. If anything, I will have to call you."

    "I never refused your invitation, though."

    "That''s right." Ro rocked his head and smiled subtly, casting Conrad a side-eye. "You might not initiate for a shallow reason you called fun, but I appreciate that you never turn me down."

    Conrad kept his lips in a thin line, facing Ro squarely. "Then I assumed you already know the reason I asked you toe."

    "I know." Ro chuckled, ordering another ss.

    "Come to me." Conrad didn''t beat around the bush, keeping his eyes on Ro''s side profile. "If nopany wants you, enter my legal team. I already had a position ready for you."

 Chapter 278 Chained By Pain, Rage, And Madness IV

    "Come to me. If nopany wants you, enter my legal team. I already had a position ready for you."

    Ro smiled at Conrad''s offer, facing him ever so slowly. "Why? Do you pity me?"

    "No. Never." Conrad''s expression was in like always, holding Ro''s gaze. "I am offering this job to you because I recognize your skill, capabilities, talent, and your dedication to your work."

    "That''s nice, man. You make me tear up," Ro humored, but Conrad maintained his seriousness.

    "Ro," called Conrad, watching Ro drink another mouthful of rum. "I am not helping you. What I''m doing is recruiting you. I would''ve done it before, but I knew you would refuse. Working for your friend will blur the lines of friendship when a problem arises at work. I know you didn''t want that sort of thing to end the rtionships you value."

    "However, if cutting friendship with you is the only way that will make you ept this offer, then I am not your friend," he continued solemnly. "Maynard will not dare touch me and even if he does, that is thest time he will ever feel his hand."

    Conrad waited for Ro''s answer patiently. His jaw tightened as anxiety crawled under his skin. At the end of the day, Conrad sees Ro as a good friend and the only person who gave Conrad a challenge during high school and even during their university days.

    Ro was already talented and naturally gifted. His hardworking nature just added to his strong traits. Yet, even when Conrad worked just as hard, he just never beat Ro or dethroned him more than once.

    In other words, Conrad''s respect for this man was more than what it appeared. Seeing that money was suppressing this man''s light angered Conrad. The only reason Conrad didn''t meddle immediately was that he knew Ro. Ro wouldn''t appreciate it if Conrad suddenly jumped in.

    Therefore, here Conrad was, offering the man a job to solve at least one problem before they move on to the next. Conrad just needed to hear Ro agree but to no avail.

    "Thanks." Ro smacked his lips and nced at Conrad. "I really appreciate you, man. I really do. Butбн"

    He trailed off, setting his eyes on the rum within his grasp. "But I have to decline."

    "Be rational, Ro." Ro''s answer didn''t please Conrad as his expression grew colder. "My offer has nothing to do with your sense of pride or anything of the sort. I''ve said it already. I''m not helping you, but hiring you."

    "I know." Ro let out a brief chuckle. "But I will still decline."

    "Ro."

    "I know you don''t have bad intentions," Ro continued before Conrad could start his argument. "I also know you are sincere with everything you said just now. You''re always like that, Conny."

    Conrad frowned upon hearing what Ro just called him. But he didn''t speak and just remained silent.

    "You know, Conrad, I''ve been thinking a lot these days. Two months ago, the people I thought were on the same boat as I was just pushed me out of that boat because they were afraid the boat will sink. To be honest, I was mad and furious whenever I think about it. They left me drifting in the middle of nowhere and went on with their lives." Ro let out a bitter chuckle. "But recently, I realized that wasn''t what truly makes me angry. It''s not them, but what I cannot understand is why Maynard could go this far?"

    "We''re friends, aren''t we? From high school until two months ago, we''re good friends. You are a busy man, but sometimes, we even talked about having close family ties once we get married. We nned to drag you with us and even thought of finding you someone since you obviously didn''t have the time," he continued in the same tone, reminiscing those good old days. "So, I cannot understand how he could do this to me. Misunderstandings are normal in friendship; that''s how friendship grows stronger. However, isn''t this going too far?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Conrad had the same question. He didn''t have a clear guess of what fueled Maynard to take such extreme action against Ro. He tried reaching out to Maynard, but the man refused to talk to Conrad. And Conrad didn''t feel the need to pry to know the details. What was important to him was the current and the resolution.

    Whatever sparked this madness, Conrad was certain it was something personal.

    After all, Maynard always had an explosive temper and Ro unknowingly let Maynard have it his way. Conrad could still remember that time Maynard was so pissed that Ro was dating this girl, and did his best, so they break up. Maynard was a territorial person, and sometimes, he would develop dependency.

    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c Whenever Maynard feel like someone who was precious to him would abandon him for another, he would go crazy. The reason Conrad treated him coldly, knowing he couldn''t bear taking such responsibility on his shoulder. He warned Ro about it, but thetter didn''t listen. Or rather, Ro was just too nice and sincerely treasured their brotherhood that he turned a blind eye to this problem.

    Now, both of them were hurting.

    "I''m fucking fed up." Ro shook his head, letting out another wave of chuckles. "That''s why I came in here."

    He then faced Conrad and stretched his arm, nting it on Conrad''s shoulder. "I really appreciate that you want to help me, but at this point, I''m just fed up. Don''t take this personally, but I''m tired of people like you. It''s exhausting that rich people like you can change a person''s life on a whim. You can make it a living hell or take it to another level just because you have money."

    "I know you are not like that." Ro patted Conrad''s shoulder mildly before retrieving his hand. "That is why I came here to refuse your offer."

    "Ro."

    "Thank you for the drink." Ro didn''t let Conrad negotiate, pushing himself up with a grin. "Don''t worry about me. Don''t forget who I am, and this problem? This is nothing."

    Conrad frowned, watching Ro nod his head reassuringly. Thetter didn''t idle, turning on his heel, waving while walking away.

    "I''ll see you around," was the words Ro uttered as he sauntered off.

    Conrad watched his figure going farther and farther. Until this day, Conrad would sometimes think of this night.

    What if he stopped him?

    What would happen if Conrad just turned stubborn and forced Ro to stay? Or just dragged his friend like how that same friend used to drag him around, regardless of Conrad''s refusal?

    Would Ro avoid the worse?

    If Conrad stopped him that night and kept him in check, would Ro avoid being convicted of attempted murder? Which then subsequently led to an actual murder two yearster, taking the life of Maynard''s wife.

 Chapter 279 A Broken Home Built By Broken People

    [ PRESENT TIME ]

    Maynard excused himself to go back to his room, as he had drunk a few shots before asking Asher to drink with him. He swayed at each step back to his room, and when he reached his destination, Maynard didn''t enter. Instead, he leaned his side against the jamb of the door.

    "Hahбн why am I acting like this now?" he murmured, dragging his feet inside. But Maynard didn''t go straight to bed. He went straight to the bookshelf, raising a hand to take out the book he would usually pick each time for whatever reason.

    The book was old and used, very unlike the books that were on the bookshelf. When he opened it, Maynard searched for a particr page until he found the reason he would take this book out asionally.

    There, kept inside the book, was a woman''s portrait.

    "Ste," he whispered, nting his fingertips on her portrait''s beautiful face. "Darlingбн"

    His eyes slowly swirled with affection and longing, staring at the old photo of his past lover. Strange that Maynard didn''t have a single picture of his wife inside his room. It was mostly the pictures he had with his son, but the woman who gave birth to them couldn''t be seen in his room.

    For him to keep his former lover''s portrait, even though it had been almost two decades, showed how much he had loved her.

    "I wonder where are you now?" His lips curled up bitterly, wondering where this woman was now. "I didn''t look for you just as you wishedбн but how can you just live without me? I did many things for you, butбн just why can''t you choose me?"

    Perhaps it was the alcohol that amplified all the bottled emotions Maynard had suppressed for almost two decades. But his voice clearly revealed there were many things he hadn''t understood.

    "Even when we''re freeбн" Maynard took out the portrait, sitting on the edge of the mattress, eyes on her beautiful smile. "Even when you reced me, I forgave you. Yet, why didn''t youe back to me? I was willing to ept your son too and raise him as my own."

    Until now, Maynard couldn''t understand why Ste chose to leave him. He did a lot of bad things, and he wouldn''t deny that. But why did she not understand his reason for that?

    "I really miss you, darling." His lips stretched into a subtle smile. "I really, really miss you every single day since you left."

    Maynard copsed on his back, bouncing slightly on the bed. He turned his head and raised his hand to look at her picture, thinking of what had happened in the past.

    Back then, Ro just suddenly trespassed the Quinn''s headquarters, intoxicated. Ro was devoured by anger that he attacked Maynard like a madman. And since Maynard had his grudges for Ro''s ''betrayal,'' it became a fierce fistfight.

    In the end, Maynard''s people stepped in with the police because Ro surprisingly overpowered Maynard. Ro beat Maynard until thetter passed out, and thus, he was charged with attempted murder.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When Maynard woke up and heard the news, he did nothing. Even when Conrad came to meet him, Maynard feigned deaf and mute. At that time, his foolish young self was so angry that he thought if Ro was in jail, Ste would leave him.

    She did, after several months.

    But Ste still didn''t give in to Maynard''s harassment. Instead, she only met him once to end everything between them once and for all and disappeared as if she didn''t exist. Maynard wanted to look for her, but he didn''t.

    Out of sight, out of mind.

    He thought if he let her go, he would eventually forget about her. But obviously, he didn''t. But he couldn''t find her anymore, and all he could do was long for her.

    Two yearster, Ro was never the same person. He heard Conrad offer help to get him out of prison, but Ro stubbornly refused. Maynard didn''t know why Conrad listened to Ro''s refusal, but he eventually got enlightened when Ro was released from prison.

    Ro would kill Maynard if he was out of prison.

    Maynard would''ve died, if not for histe wife. Yet Maynard didn''t feel anything toward his wife''s death. He lived because of her, but at the same time, she stole many things from Maynard, and her death was a cheap price for repayment.

    "It''s good for her that she died early." He let out a short snicker while keeping his eyes on the portrait. "If she survived, she would only suffer with me. No. I might actually just kill her myself before she destroys my kids too."

    "Ste." Maynard slowly moved his hand until the portrait was lying on his chest. "I hope we won''t meet in this lifetime. Wherever you are, whether you got married or have a family, I don''t want to know. You''re better off without me."

    He closed his eyes to rest, letting the alcohol kick in and force him to sleep. It didn''t take long before Maynard fell asleep, holding the portrait on his chest, putting back the lid he had in his chest where he had bottled all his pain from the past.

    Little did Maynard know, Asher followed him to his room because his son was worried about him. Asher leaned his back against the wall beside the open door, keeping quiet at the remarks his father recklessly spewed.

    ''I''ve always known he doesn''t love herбн'' he thought, lowering his eyes. ''... but isn''t it just in cruel to not feel the slightest remorse for the death of your children''s mother? On top of that, how can youбн yearn for someone else while openly hating on your deceased wife? ''

    Bitterness flickered across Asher''s eyes as his jaw tightened. He couldn''t detect what he was feeling at the moment, but he could feel this unpleasant feeling in his heart. He couldn''t understand, and maybe he would never understand his father.

    "I guess it''s really better that she''s dead." Asher nced at the open door before turning on his heel to walk away. "At least, she wouldn''t be just as unhappy as I am with this broken family built by broken people."

 Chapter 280 Shit

    [ BLAC RESIDENCE ]

    Maxen opened his eyes, only to meet Cosette''s beautiful face. He nced at the clock on the desk behind her, seeing it was just around four in the morning. It was early, so Maxen rxed his body on her side.

    ''I don''t think I will ever get enough of this sight every time I wake up.'' Maxen brushed off a few strands of hair from her face carefully, smiling subtly.

    Ever since Cosette started sneaking into his room, Maxen''s morning had been great. Seeing her first thing he opened his eyes already set his mood to a positive one. Today was the same despite the incidentst night.

    ''It''s a little too much, but I don''t think he will stop unless she resorts to extreme ways.'' Maxen mentally nodded, thinking about how Cosette handled Ezekiel Stone.

    Beforeing into her roomst night, Maxen overheard the angry elders of the c family and Conrad. As usual, Conrad only spoke his piece and then remained silent. Conrad didn''t want anything to do with the Stone, and even if the elders of the two families reconciled, Conrad warned them to not drag Cosette and him into those events they kept organizing ever since they returned from abroad.

    However, Marcel, instead of usually bantering with his son, already pledge that what happened was non-negotiable. Marcel could tolerate everything and might leave room for forgiveness because the Stone family was a close family friend. But not when his granddaughter''s safety and peace were involved.

    It was the same with Gretchen. She openly swore in her name that they''d rather cut ties with the Stone family instead of secretly meeting with them. If the Stone Family offended these two, they would be fine and could forgive. But Cosette was the one who suffered.

    Last night, the three finally agreed on something and they cut everything with the Stone Family.

    Maxen wouldn''t lie that this somehow surprised him. He heard the Stone and c family had a tight-knit rtionship, especially the elders. And Maxen saw how close the two families were; they were like rtives in the way they acted.

    Yet, Marcel and Gretchen easily decided without a second thought. Not that Maxen thought it was wrong nor was he put off about it. They were simply trying to protect their precious granddaughter. If anything, Maxen was d that not just Conrad, but Cosette''s grandparents were willing to go to such lengths to protect her.

    ''So many people who love and protect youбн'' A subtle smile appeared on his face. ''... I''m really d that you are loved, Cozie.''

    If this was before, Maxen''s negative mindset would take this in a different way. He would surelypare his struggles and life to how opposite it was to her life. But now, all he could think was the reassurance that with or without him, there were people out there who would go beyond and above for her.

    ''And you deserve it.'' Maxen moved closer until his forehead was touching hers. ''People like Ezekiel Stone won''t be able to hurt you.''

    He closed his eyes, thinking of her reason for doing such measures. He was d that Cosette didn''t let Ezekiel have power over her. It surely took a lot of courage for her to do such a thing; she was even shaking when she opened that door.

    ''I''m sorry.'' Maxen carefully ced his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace.<novelnext></novelnext>

    One way or another, Maxen was used by another to attack her. He promised Conrad to protect her, and that was why Maxen had been taking the security agency seriously.

    ''Don''t do this again next time for me.'' He opened his eyes slowly, lowering his head to kiss the top of her head. ''You''ve done enough for me, and I don''t want you going beyond and above. You might lose yourself, and I will not forgive myself if that ever happened.''

    Maxen was thankful to her, and words weren''t enough for him to express that. Matter of fact, even actions to express how grateful he was to Cosette seemed to feelcking. She had done a lot, and Maxen wanted her to would stop.

    At least, he hoped she would stop going the extra mile just to protect him.

    Maxen stayed with her on the bed for the next hour, hugging her and kissing her head. He couldn''t fall back to sleep despite knowing it was still Sunday and he could sleep some more. He still has to leave her room before everyone wakes up, knowing he only snuck inside here. This was the only ce Maxen was forbidden to cross and after a year, this was the only time he broke that rule.

    Conrad would kill him if he found out Maxen snuck into her room.

    When the clock hits exactly one hour, Maxen carefully slipped away from the bed. Fortunately, Cosette was deep asleep and didn''t wake up. Hence, he tucked her in and made sure she wouldn''t wake up cold. After making sure she was alright, he nted a kiss on her head and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

    Cosette might not hear it as she was asleep, but even when she was sleeping, he didn''t hesitate to express his heart.

    "I''ll see youter." He smiled, caressing her forehead gently. He gazed at her for a minute before sauntering off to go back to his room.

    His steps were careful and even when he closed the door, he did it in the most cautious way to not wake her up. Maxen looked around the floor, being cautious lest he bump into someone. Fortunately, he had lived here for a year now that he knew the servants mostly work on the first floor to not disturb the young miss.

    Since her room was on the second floor, Maxen had to check downstairs if there was anyone. Fortunately, he saw no one. In a haste, Maxen hurriedly went down, but the moment he reached the first floor, he froze.

    Maxen slowly turned his head. Coming from the direction of the dining was Conrad. Thetter also froze, staring at Maxen before shifting his eyes to the stairs Maxen came from.

    ''Shitбн'' Maxen cursed internally, telling himself he should ask for permission next time! This was why he didn''t want to break the rules in this house or, at least, ask Conrad''s permission if he ever needed to. He didn''t want to disappoint this man.

    Maxen was dead for sure.

 Chapter 281 Bothered?

    Maxen had been strange throughout the rest of the weekend. Cosette couldn''t point it out exactly, but she could feel something was up.

    "Oy." Cosette flinched when Luke suddenly snapped his finger in front of her. She turned her head to him, raising a brow.

    "Cozie, are you really that ruthless?" he asked out of nowhere, leaning against his desk with his arms folded on top of it. "What will you do if Maxen melts in your scious gazes?"

    Her expression died, reminding herself she just visited the temple yesterday with her grandparents. Hence, she should let the goodness in her take charge instead of violence.

    "Luke, if you''re that bored, just bother Remo." Cosette jerked her chin in Remo''s direction. Thetter was peacefully reading something бк probably studying since Remo had many lessons to catch up on.

    "Girl, I''m so tired of his face. All I''ve seen the entire weekend is his face." Luke''s face turned sour. "Let me look at your beauty, hmm? I think that will help me recharge. You know how much I missed you. I didn''t hear from you the entire weekend."

    Cosette narrowed her eyes, repeating everything he just spewed just now.

    "Are you really that determined for me to stop staring at Maxen?" she asked, figuring out Luke was creatively diverting her attention from Maxen. "Are you jealous?"

    "Are you insecure?" Luke gasped with his hand across his chest. "I just said I missed you, and you will use me of being jealous."

    Her lips parted to argue with him, but she ended up shaking her head in disbelief.

    "Don''t bother me and use this vacant time to study." Cosette rolled her eyes at him to look back at Maxen. "I''m busy."

    "Tch." Luke snapped his tongue, knocking on her desk.

    Some of their ssmates who were using their vacant time to study couldn''t help but look at the door because of the knocking sound. Others didn''t care as they were having a nap. Meanwhile, the vein in Cosette''s temple protruded in irritation.

    "Stop it, Luke!" Cosette whispered yell, grinding her teeth as she face him. Her brows, however, rose upon seeing him point at something. Her gaze followed the direction he was pointing, tilting her head to the side.

    "Let''s gossip." Luke carefully dragged his chair and desk beside Cosette, whispering in her ears. "I heard Amie and Fay broke up. Damn. Did you know they were in a rtionship?"

    Cosette looked him dead in the eye. "Breakups don''t only happen in a romantic rtionship, Luke. It also happens in friendships, and honestly, a friend''s breakup is the worse. So don''t even think of gossiping about my friends."

    "Gee. I never saw a guy who likes to gossip." She added, looking back at him in dismay.

    "Hey, I''m trying to save Maxen from you, alright? Can''t you see he is busy?" Luke snapped his tongue in irritation, looking back at her with equal dismay. "How can you be so heartless to me?"

    "Because you''repeting with me with Maxen''s attention."

    "Girlбн Max and I are bros. If there''s someone who needs to curry favor here, it should be the girlfriend."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette opened her mouth to retort, but she figured her argument was a bit insensitive.

    ''Just because Ezekiel Stone brought out the worse in you, it doesn''t mean you should embrace that character you painstakingly erase.'' She told herself, mentally nodding her head.

    Cosette wasn''t the same Cosette anymore. She wasn''t that heartless, insensitive, and indifferent woman from the past. Not because she let that part of her show before Ezekiel, it doesn''t mean she just bes mean to Luke. At least, she could be mean whilst avoiding topic that was below the belt.

    "Goshбн" Cosette cupped her cheek and let out a deep exhale. "... I hate you."

    "Same." Luke grinned. "With passion."

    Cosette just cast him a quick look before darting her eyes from Fay and then at Amie. Meanwhile, Luke leaned back as he scanned the ssroom. Today''s Monday was extremely quiet. He didn''t know why, but it just felt like something was wrong with the mood.

    Was it because they were now in their junior year that everyone was getting serious about their studies? They still have a year бк excluding this school year бк before they would graduate. Why was everyone cramming?

    Luke nced at Maxen. Thetter was reading books and writing on his note diligently. Seeing Maxen studying wasn''t new because he had manifested the character of being the responsible student in their group.

    So Luke moved his eyes to Remo. Since Luke had been hanging out with him because they were now neighbors. Luke would sometimes tutor him as well since they all had agreed to get great grades this school year. Therefore, it wasn''t surprising to see Remo immersed in reviewing.

    When Luke shifted his eyes to Fay, his under eye twitched. Fay wasn''t screaming, but he could feel the invisible fire enveloping her.

    ''Friends break up hurts differently, huh?'' Luke thought, shifting his attention to Amie.

    Unlike Fay and everyone, Amie looked peaceful and rxed. She wasn''t studying, but instead, smiling while using her phone.

    ''I guess even if she studies, her problem with Fay will not make her focus.'' Luke mentally nodded and then moved his attention to Sarah. Though Luke didn''t pay much attention to Sarah because Sarah was always Sarah.

    Whatever they would do, Sarah would always be like Maxen: responsible, organized, and sensible. So seeing that Sarah was just writing down notes, Luke shifted his attention to the person next to him, Cosette.

    "Cozie, why aren''t you studying?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts as she had been staring at Fay and Amie.

    "Huh?" Cosette turned her head to him, blinking, realizing he hadn''t moved his chair away from hers. "You''re too close, Luke."

    Luke nced at the inch gap between their desk and his arm that was resting over her chair.

    "Are we?" he set his eyes back on her, tilting his head to the side. "Bothered?"

 Chapter 282 School Isnt All About Fun

    "Bothered?"

    "Goshбн" Cosette assessed Luke''s charming, nonchnt face and clicked her tongue. She looked away from him and shook her head, cupping her face again. "There''s something wrong, isn''t it?"

    "Mhm." Luke rocked his head as his eyes glossed over the ssroom again. "Everyone is just so serious. Is it because of the uing periodical test?"

    "You should study."

    "Nah. I''ll use stock knowledge. I''m pretty smart already."

    Cosette rolled her eyes but didn''t dwell on his shameless remarks. "Should we intervene?" she asked after a second.

    "Intervene, what?"

    "Them." She puckered her lips, pointing at the busy Fay and Amie.

    Luke cast them a quick, nonchnt look. "Nah."

    "Really?"

    "Mhm. If one decides to stop a friendship, it''s selfish to force it." Luke shrugged. "Just like when a child runs away from home, forcing him to return will only make them not return even more."

    Cosette set her eyes back on him. "Don''t you really have ns to return?"

    "Why would I? My ce is small, but I''mfortable with it now. Moreover, I can do whatever the hell I want бк though the budget is tight."

    "Maxen is paying you well every time, though."

    "I''m saving them up." Luke cocked his head to her. "I''m lucky my dad paid my tuition for this year in full, but what about next year? Also college. Even if I apply for a schrship, I will still need money for amodation if I want to enter the university that I want."

    Cosette was in awe upon hearing his statements. Luke? Saving up money? For his future?

    "Wowбн you really thought about things, huh?" she blurted out under her breath, warranting a dismal look from him.

    "Duh? Do you think running away is easy? Just because I carry my shit well doesn''t mean they''re not heavy."

    This time, Cosette couldn''t help but p quietly and slowly. All she could do for a moment was stare at him before she felt her eyes sting.

    "What the бк oy, why are you tearing up?" Luke gasped in panic, moving his face closer while she dramatically wipe the tears off of her cheeks. "Are you crazy?"

    "Luke." Cosette raised her head and shed him a smile, nting a hand on his shoulder. "I''m just so proud of you. My little brother is finally maturing and this big sister just can''t help but tear up."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Luke''s face contorted, brushing her hand from his shoulder. "Ew. I don''t remember having a big sister that is ten times smaller than me."

    "What?"

    "You''re so small, Cozie. How can you call me someone who looks more like a big brother, your little brother? Geez. I had goosebumps at this girl''s shamelessness."

    Cosette scoffed in disbelief, ring at him up and down. She wanted to choose peace, but why does this guy always test her patience?

    "If I were you, I''d run now," she warned through her gritted teeth, only for him to snort.

    "Gosh. How can you be so easily triggered?" Luke spread his arms with a wicked grin on his face. "But then again, the truth always hurts. So бк"

    Before Luke could even finish his sentence, he sprung from his seat and fled the room. Following his tracks was the furious Cosette, causing abrupt noises in the silent ssroom.

    The students, who were startled by the sudden noise, turned their heads in the door, only to see Luke flee like a criminal while Cosette chase him with fiery eyes. Some of them stared longer at the open door, while others resumed their studies or napped.

    Remo was one of the people who didn''t even bother looking at what had just happened. Not that he didn''t care, but more like he had expected thising when he noticed Luke talking to Cosette. Those two just wouldn''t just stop getting on each other''s nerves, which would naturally lead to this.

    Meanwhile, Sarah nced at the open door briefly before her eyes fell on Fay. Thetter was so focused on her study that it seemed she didn''t even notice Cosette and Luke. She then shifted her eyes to Amie, only to see Amie ncing at the door, but didn''t react as she refocused her attention back on her phone.

    ''Amie had been strange,'' Sarah thought, resting her jaw on her knuckles. ''Just some time ago, she was so sad about Fay, but nowбн she''s been on her phone more. I should be d that she was able to shift her attention to something else, right?''

    Sarah shook her head, telling herself Fay and Amie would work it out. After all, Fay simply wanted Amie to stop relying on her. No matter how harsh Fay was or no matter how they sugarcoat Fay''s words, Amie really needs to have a backbone. She wouldn''t do that if they kept coaxing her.

    ''I just hope Amie will see that Cozie and I were always there if she needed support.'' Sarah let out a deep exhale, knowing they were trying their best to be good friends with both Fay and Amie.

    After all, they couldn''t just force Fay to reconsider, because that would be unfair to her. Sarah believed that for as long as they were there for the both of them, they would be fine. Hopefully.

    Meanwhile, as everyone resumed what they were doing, Maxen turned his head in the door''s direction. His eyes fell on the two empty chairs right next to his spot, raising his eyes back to the door again.

    Maxen let out a shallow breath and shook his head.

    ''They should be studyingбн'' He peeled his eyes from the door to the notes he was writing down. ''Did they forget we have a special examter? How can theyбн''

    His thoughts trailed off as a memory of yesterday crossed him. Maxen closed his eyes, his anxiety starting to eat him up once again because yesterday, he bumped into Conrad early in the morning. However, instead of getting scolded for breaking his rule, Conrad just walked away as if he didn''t see him.

    Thus, Maxen had been distracting himself to stop wondering what Conrad''s hidden message was in that.

    Surely, school wasn''t all about fun and adventures. There were days such as this that was dull and just quiet, and for the rest of the months, it would be like this as preparation for theirst year in high school.

 Chapter 283 Start Of The Last Semester

    Months had gone by in a blink of an eye for Cosette. Her daily life revolved around school, bickering with Luke, hanging out with Sarah and Fay, and then Maxen. On the days they didn''t have sses, she would spend them with Conrad or her grandparents, as they were in the city constantly to visit her.

    Marcel and Gretchen were extra lenient to Cosette, and because of her, they gave Maxen a chance to prove to them why they should like him. With Maxen''s personality, he quickly captured the elder''s hearts. They treated him as their own, and Maxen started loosening up around them.

    Cosette could say it was one of the best years of her life. It might look normal just like others, but it was peaceful and meaningful for her.

    The only concern she had after months was Amie.

    "It''s already the start of thest semester, but Amie just kept skipping school," Cosette expressed while walking in the hallway with Sarah. "Should we try to visit her home again?"

    Sarah let out a deep exhale while sipping from a carton of strawberry milk. "Cosette, we already tried. Multiple times, but she doesn''te out."

    "I think we should''ve just consoled her."

    "Then that lost the point of Fay''s reasoning." Sarah cast Cosette a look, only to see thetter look back and sigh.

    It was true that it was Cosette''s idea that they didn''t console Amie back when Fay and Amie called their friendship over. Cosette back then supported Fay, because she too thought that Amie needed to have a backbone or simply have the courage to say no.

    They stayed on the sideline, hoping for the best for Amie and Fay. They didn''t have much concern about Fay. Since Amie and Fay broke up, Fay''s grades skyrocketing, cinching the 5th spot in their ss and 15th overall for all sections.

    Meanwhile, Amie, because of her excessive absence, was one among those at the bottom. Hence Cosette''s growing concern about Amie. Thetter had also distanced herself from everyone; even when they tried to talk to her, Amie would simply look at them or pretend she didn''t hear a thing.

    It was totally theplete opposite of what they expected from Amie.

    "I don''t know anymore." Cosette shook her head, slowly down her pace as they took the stairs. "I feel like if this continued, Amie might fail the ss and have to repeat a year."

    She looked back, stopping at the fifth step. "What do you think?"

    "Iбн don''t know as well." Sarah shrugged and sighed, standing two steps from Cosette. "We already tried, even when she ignores us. So, I''m a little puzzled about what to do. We''ve tried many times."

    Cosette sighed for the nth time as she studied the exhaustion in Sarah''s eyes. Sarah had been working part time and her home wasn''t particrly peaceful; her parents were in the process of divorce. Therefore, Sarah had a lot on her te already, but still did her best as Amie''s friend. Cosette couldn''t just keep pushing Sarah beyond her limits.

    "I guess you''re right." Cosette nodded, forcing a short smile. "Let''s go back. Lunchtime is almost over."

    "Mhm."

    Just as Cosette was about to resume her steps, she paused once again. Deep lines appeared in between Sarah''s brows, staring at Cosette, who was looking past her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Out of curiosity, Sarah looked back to see what caught Cosette''s eyes. Much to Sarah''s surprise, there, going up the stairs, was Amie. However, unlike Amie''s usual meek get up where her clothes were properly tucked with huge sses and neat bob hair, Amie''s uniform was worn differently.

    Her buttons were opened. The huge spectacles no were in sight, and Amie had this apparent makeup with red lipstick, dark eyeliner, and huge loop earrings.

    Amie looked up at the two while chewing a piece of gum, but said nothing at the obvious shock on Cosette''s and Sarah''s faces. Acting like she didn''t see them, Amie took the stairsnguidly, walking past them as if she didn''t know them.

    "Amie," Sarah called before Amie could turn to take the higher steps. "Amie."

    Amie rolled her eyes and cocked her head back. "What?"

    "Amie, what are you бк" Sarah looked at her up and down before settling her eyes on Amie''s face. Instead of speaking, Sarah jogged her way up until she stood two steps from Amie.

    "Amie, what is going on?" she asked in disbelief. "You have been skipping sses and after two weeks of absence, you will appear like this?"

    "Like what exactly, Sarah?" Amie arched a brow and tilted her head to the side.

    "Like бк" Sarah''s breath hitched as she bit her tongue, stopping herself from spewing unnecessary criticism about Amie''s new look.

    The corner of Amie''s lips curled up into a smirk. "Stop acting like my mother, Sarah. You are not, and you will never be. Don''t act as if you''re concerned about me. It''s disgusting, really."

    "Amie!" Cosette called, stomping her feet until she was standing beside Sarah.

    "Oh, it''s you, the princess." Amie chuckled with ridicule. "What, now? Are you going to preach to me as well?"

    Cosette took a step forward and raised her chin. "I don''t know whatever happened to you or why you are acting like a young little brat who is experiencing adolescence. But you''re thest person to talk to Sarah that way."

    "Why?" Amie tilted her head to the side. "I don''t see anything wrong with what I said. I''m just speaking the truth. Sarah isn''t my mom, and she shouldn''t act like one. I''m simply expressing my honest thoughts. Is that wrong?"

    Cosette clenched her teeth but held back as Sarah held her arm.

    "Hahбн if that''s all, then don''t bother me, will you?" Amie looked away, resuming her steps with a satisfied smile.

    Meanwhile, Cosette and Sarah could only stare at Amie''s figure in disbelief. This was what Cosette meant about her concern. The Amie they once knew changed into apletely different person and they could barely recognize her now.

 Chapter 284 Are You Bored?

    "Holy Fбн" Luke awed, staring at Amie, who just entered their ssroom, wide-eyed.

    Not just him, but everyone in ss F stared at Amie with surprise. Amie was dragging her feet to her seat,bing her hair with her fingers as she dropped her things on the side of the desk. When she noticed the eyes on her, Amie cocked her head and arched a brow.

    "What?" she asked. "Anyone has a problem with me?"

    Her query made others clear their throat as they looked away, a bit intimidated by her. Meanwhile, Luke covered his gaping lips, watching Amie take a seat. Out of instinct, he turned his head in Fay''s direction, only to see nonchnce dominating thetter''s face.

    "Hey!" he whispered yell, dragging his chair near Fay since they were seatmates. "What the heck happened?"

    "Huh?" Fay blinked as if she was brought back to reality.

    "What do you mean, huh? Are you daydreaming?" Luke scrunched his nose up, jerking his chin in Amie''s direction. "There. Look."

    Fay furrowed her brows and followed the direction he was pointing at. Her expression didn''t change when her eyesnded on Amie.

    "What about it?" she asked, looking back at Luke almost innocently.

    "What do you mean, what about it?" Luke gasped, keeping his tone low. "Can''t you see? Amie was absent for two weeks and shees only after lunchtime. Not just that, but can''t you see her appearance''s drastic change?"

    "So?"

    His face contorted at theck of concern on her face. "Did you just ask me, so? Aren''t you concerned?"

    "Why would I? Will that make my grades better? It won''t even feed me." Fay blinked. "You know what, Luke? I am more envious of you. Howe you are this nosy yet, you''re still top four in our ss?"

    "I am top 4 because I am nosy," he corrected, before shaking his head before he gets sidetracked. "Don''t distract me. Is she rebelling because you cut her off?"

    Fay frowned. "Don''t make it sound like I ruined someone''s life or it is my responsibility she chose this path."

    "I want her to learn and stand on her own for the good." Fay nced at Amie nonchntly. "But she took it the other way and changed for the worse. That is beyond my control and thus, not my problem."

    "Can you please stop distracting me for something that will not add anything to my knowledge?" she added before narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Wait. Now that I think about it, I think you alwayse to me whenever we have exams or quizzesing up. Is this a tactic to distract me and keep your ce?"

    "What? nder!" Luke looked at her in dismay. "I don''t need to do that to stay in fourth ce. Heck. If only I study hard, I will take Maxen''s ce and be the top one!"

    Upon hearing hisst remarks, Fay couldn''t help even conceal her dismay. "Are you daydreaming?"

    "What?"

    ? "Do you think Max is the top one in this section and in overall just because he had hundred mark average score?" Fay snickered. "Don''t get me wrong. I''m just saying, Max, got that mark because that''s the highest, not because he aimed for it."

    "Damn girlбн are you trying to score browny points now?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her lips stretched from ear to ear. "I like studying with him. He is a better teacher than our teachers."

    "Tch." Luke snapped his tongue in irritation.

    Because of the first grading where a lot from ss F dominated the top list of students, Maxen''s poprity skyrocketed even more. However, because of Cosette and Luke, who always lingered around Maxen, they were able to filter out some girls from bothering him. But because Maxen consistently kept his first ce, he had grown some fanbase.

    Yes, a fanbase that was continuously growing.

    Maxen was not only smart and good-looking, but he was also kind. Anyone who approached him who needed help would try to help, especially if it was regarding a topic they didn''t understand. Some used his kindness to simply approach him.

    Cosette wasn''t much of a help, though. Her only help to repel all these girls was to be beautiful and crush the girl''s confidence. Remo wasn''t doing anything as well unless he noticed that Maxen was exhausted or needed some rest. So, Luke had to work his ass off in chasing away the people бк boys and girls alike бк asking for Maxen''s help because Maxen rarely refuse.

    Luke gazed at Fay and shook his head. His duty as Maxen''s bodyguard grew slightly lighter because of Fay. Apparently, Fay just somehow became Maxen''s self-proimed disciple, and every time she sensed someone asking for Maxen''s help as a way to chat with him, she would go wild.

    "Whatever." Luke dragged his chair back, ncing at the door when he caught Cosette and Sarah enter. "Huh?"

    His brows rose, seeing the grim expression on Cosette''s face. He shifted his attention to Sarah, and thetter was almost the same. Both Sarah and Cosette took their respective seats, with Cosette in between Luke and Fay, and Sarah in front of Cosette.

    "Hey, what''s with that look?" Luke leaned closer, assessing her face. "Who pissed you off?"

    "Nothing." Cosette just cast him a sidelong nce.

    "Ehhбн" Luke licked his lips as he moved his chair closer to her. "Spill the tea, will you?"

    "Luke."

    "I already figured." His lips stretched from ear to ear until his teeth were showing. "Want to do something interestingter?"

    "Huh?"

    "You and me." Luke pointed at her and then at himself. "Girl, I think I know you enough and I know how that brain of yours works. You can''t hide from me."

    Normally, Cosette would ask, ''what the hell are you talking about?'' But this time, she only looked at him as if she understood his seemingly random remarks.

    "Are you bored?" she asked, only to see him snicker.

    "With my best buddy not around and I''m stuck with you, do think I''m having the time of my life?"

    "Goshбн fine." She let out a sigh, ncing at Maxen''s empty seat as he had missed today''s attendance because of an important meeting. He was excused, though.

    "Great!" Luke wiggled his brows as he grinned from ear to ear. "Time to uncover the mystery. How exciting!"

 Chapter 285 Spies

    As usual, the day went by for Cosette just like that. However, it wasn''t like any other day that had gone by like the previous months. Today, the whispering of her ssmates regarding Amie''s drastic change was inevitable, but Amie couldn''t care less.

    It was not only Amie''s appearance that changed but also her attitude. As a friend, Cosette and Sarah were concerned. Fay didn''t give any strong reactions, although deep down, both Cosette and Sarah knew Fay was simply disappointed.

    Months ago, they wanted Amie to change. A change that she wouldn''t be too afraid to voice her thoughts and could be independent. They didn''t wish for her to rebel.

    It was the reason Cosette felt a little responsible. Therefore, she agreed with Luke''s proposal.

    Spy on Amie.

    Luke didn''t need to say it aloud because Cosette knew how nosy he could be whenever he was intrigued. Maxen wasn''t there to stop them or give them a word of advice. So when the school bell rang, Luke dragged Cosette to spy on Amie for a day.

    Being discreet as if this wasn''t their first time stalking someone like a creep, Cosette and Luke kept their distance from Amie. They would go hide behind the post, skip to a street, or blend with people so as to not attract Amie''s attention.

    This was solely to know what was going on with Amie. They let Amie''s constant absence in school pass, thinking it was simply a short phase. That Amie was simply sad and wanted some time alone to get herself together. Moreover, everyone was busy since they were already juniors and they were preparing themselves for the next school year because that would be theirst school year as high school students.

    However, Amie proved it wasn''t just a short phase and she would continue to grow worse. It was one of the most crucial times for them; if she continued, she might repeat a year.

    Much to Cosette and Luke''s dismay, after following Amie to wherever she was nning to go, they found themselves standing in front of a KTV bar.

    Yes.

    A club.

    "What the what the what?" Luke mumbled, staring at that shing signage across the street. There were a few people lined up outside, but Amie already got in with a group she met outside the club. "Oy, Cosette, tell me I have poor eyesight."

    "I wish we have," Cosette also mumbled.

    They had followed Amie from their school to the city. It took them quite some time to reach this ce because Amie made a lot of detours. Aside from the travel time alone which took around two hours, Amie also took her precious time to get changed in a public toilet and then rented a locker for her bags and uniform.

    "Who are those people?" she wondered, recalling the small group of young adults бк two girls including Amie, and four guys бк which Cosette hadn''t seen before. "They''re not from school and by the looks of it, they look too old to be high school students."

    "Oy, Cosette. That''s like judging Remrem he is already an old man with two kids instead of a high school student."

    "Please stop wagging your tongue, Luke, before I do." She didn''t cast him a look as she threatened him, keeping her eyes on the establishment across the street. "Hey, Luke. Do you think they''re the reason for her change?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Well." Luke cleared his throat, setting his eyes on where she was staring at. "A bad apple can spoil the barrel."

    A deep exhale slipped past her lips at what he said.

    "What should we do now?" Cosette slowly set her eyes back on Luke, hoping for some wisdom from him.

    "Are you seriously asking me that?" Luke arched his brows, facing her squarely. "To be frank, the reason I''m here is that I was curious about what happened to Amie. She''s a nice girl, but she''s not that significant in my life. If that''s Max or Rem or you, I''d probably think of what I should do."

    Her frown deepened, making him sigh. "You''re too honest."

    "Should I lie?" he cocked his head to the side, only to see her shake her head.

    "Nevermind then."

    "But Amie is your friend, right?" Cosette slowly raised her head once again, blinking almost innocently when he continued. "It''s probably none of my concern and I''m too busy to even poke my nose into her business, but since you''re my friend, I''d help you."

    His brows rose when her eyes twinkled, sping her hand right above her chest.

    "Aishбн" Luke ruffled his hair in irritation, looking away from her. "I said I''ll help you, but the nning and whatever is all your responsibility. Being a lookout or a guard is the best that I can do, alright? Don''t even think of dragging me around or ming me for whatever reason."

    "Yes~!"

    Luke peeked one eye at her and sighed. "Dangбн just what the hell am I going to do with you?"

    Cosette smiled from ear to ear, setting her eyes back to the establishment across the street. She hadn''t thought of anything until now. Well actually, she had, but she was a little hesitant since she didn''t want to drag Luke, knowing today was his day off from his part-time in the convenience store near his ce.

    "Oy, Cosette. Remember. Max will scold us if you and I got in trouble, alright?" he reminded her, having this strange feeling seeing that smile stered on her face. "I swear if he mes me for it, I''m gonna bury you alive."

    "Yes~" Cosette faced him with a sweet smile, making his face contort.

    "Don''t just agree while smiling like that. It makes me feel like you willpletely do the opposite of what I just said," he remarked as the corner of his lips twitched, but Cosette just kept her smile at him.

    And just like what his gut feeling told him, Cosette''s n wasn''t that really good or rather, a little awkward for him.

 Chapter 286 Doing Two Crimes In A Single Night

    Luke had a feeling he would regret giving in to Cosette, knowing this girl always had the cruelest ideas. Even after repeatedly reminding her to not get in trouble, it slipped his mind that he should''ve reminded her not to resort to any crazy idea. He only remembered when Cosette dragged him to the nearest boutique to get changed, making them appear older with their attire and her heavy makeup.

    Since Luke had a tall stature, wearing anything aside from his uniform was enough to make him look like a university student. Simply putting on a in shirt underneath a zer and pants, Luke didn''t have a hard time disguising himself.

    Meanwhile, Cosette way longer to prepare, changing her uniform to a short sequin dress paired with a stiletto and a small purse. To change her youthful appearance, Cosette put on bolder makeup with dark eyeshadow and explosive red lipstick. Since they didn''t have much time, she simplybed her hair with her finger and messed it up a bit.

    After just thirty minutes, Cosette and Luke came out of the boutique looking like young adults. From innocent high schoolers, they were ready to partyбн however, that wasn''t the n.

    "How would we get in, though?" he asked, noticing the bouncer in the establishment. "I don''t think I have a fake ID with me."

    "You have a fake ID?"

    "Just consider it as one of my golden wild days." He shrugged nonchntly, pertaining to those rebellious days when he also got into the wrong crowd. Luke used to go to the high-end bars in the high street of the city during his first year in high school.

    Luke didn''t need a fake ID, though. He was the second young master of the Quinn Family and his friends were also socialites. However, even during those days, he didn''t want to implicate his Quinn family in whatever he would get into. Hence, the purpose of the fake ID.

    He left most of those things in the Quinn Residence when he run away from home. Not that he needed those things anymore since it had been months since then, and he had gotten used to his current life now.

    "Would my charm be enough?" she wondered, rubbing her chin mildly.

    Although Cosette had frequented the bars and nightclubs in the previous timeline, she was already an adult back then. Hence, she had no idea if she could get in now that she was still a minor.

    "Girlбн" Luke gazed at her in dismal, only for her to pout her lips.

    "You should''ve told me beforehand."

    "I didn''t know бк" he halted as realization dawned on him. He looked at her from her to toe, biting his inner lip as to remind himself to keep himself together.

    This woman here бк this girl here was a minor! Even if she was wearing something she wouldn''t wear on a daily basis and had this seductive makeup to match it, he should remember she was still Cosette! That annoying girl who never ceased to tease him whenever she gets the chance!

    If only Cosette could hear his sudden thoughts, she would surely refute that. It was him who never let any opportunity to annoy slip if there was an opening.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Right." Luke ruffled his hair in irritation once again. "You are the perfect daughter of the c. So you don''t know this kind of stuff."

    ''More like I rebelled a littlete,'' was what she wanted to tell him, but bit her tongue to stop herself.

    "So, what should we do?" she asked, casting him an expectant look only to annoy him even more.

    "Cozie, I told you I will just help you and follow you around. I remember saying you''d do the nning or thinking or whatever." His frown deepened while her eyes looked bigger and softer, looking at him with desperation.

    No matter how much they bantered andpete with Maxen, both of them had built this strange love-and-hate friendship. Hence, even when he was utterly annoyed as this would only make him appear the bad one, he had no choice. Luke had to get more involved so this girl here would have peace of mind.

    "Give me some money." Luke opened his palm, making her gaze down at it before raising her head. "What? I''m poor and can''t just bribe anyone using my hard-earned money."

    "Ohбн we''re bribing them?"

    "What else?" he clicked his tongue. "We''remitting two crimes here, eh? First is going in on a bar as minors and second, bribery. This is the very opposite of avoiding trouble."

    Cosette giggled as she assessed the annoyance in his eyes. "Alright," she said, going through her purse to take out all the cash she had. They weren''t much since she mostly use her cards to purchase, but for Luke, or perhaps, for many others, the cash she pped in his palm was too much.

    "Girl, just because you''re not working, doesn''t mean you should just waste money like that." He clicked his tongue again, taking just enough bills before handing the rest to her. "This is enough. You''re going to a normal bar and not those in the high street."

    Cosette looked at the money in her hands and then nced at his hand. She knew what he meant, but considering the bouncers would be in trouble if they were caught, she wanted to add more. But still, what surprised her was how Luke''s attitude toward money changed over the course of months.

    "Hey, let''s go."

    Cosette flinched, not realizing Luke was about to cross the street only to stop when he noticed she wasn''t following. Her lips stretched as she nodded, hastening her pace, only to hook her arm around him, which made him freeze.

    "Pretending it''s a date will make it more believable, right?" she shed him a smile while horror slowly took over his face. "Let''s go?"

    With that being said, Cosette dragged his stiff body across the street so they could bribe the bouncer and give them ess.

 Chapter 287 Thats Her Charm

    "I can''t hear a word." Cosette pressed her ear against the wall, but s, it was stupid. "Goshбн this is unlike those in the movies."

    While she was mumbling andining about not hearing a word, Luke had his arms crossed while sitting leisurely. They managed to get in thanks to Luke''s sweet tongue and Cosette''s money, but the moment they got in, they felt like they were back to scratch.

    Fortunately, he sighted one of the people he remembered meeting Amie. Thus, they got a room just next to Amie''s group. But he wasn''t hopeful just like Cosette. All these rooms were soundproof so everyone could enjoy singing, dancing, and drinking without disturbing the other guests.

    "Seriouslyбн is this your first time?" he wondered, watching her look back at him.

    "In this kind of ce? Yes." Cosette let out a deep sigh, retracting her ear from the wall.

    Nightclubs or just cozy high-end bars were her go-to ces as an adult. However, she was never inside a KTV bar before. Also, it wasn''t like spying on someone was something she used to do.

    "Seriously. How can she go in this kind of ce?" her shoulders lowered as another deep exhale slipped past her lips. "I mean, from what I''ve seen so far, it''s not a ce that Amie would go to."

    "You''re talking about the before Amie." Luke shrugged. "She''s a bad girl now."

    "Amie isn''t a bad person."

    "I didn''t say she''s a bad person. What I''m saying is, she changed and is ying the bad girl role. I don''t know about you or Amie, but shouldn''t you go to her parents and tell them instead of stalking her?"

    "Did you think we haven''t tried?"

    "Huh?"

    Cosette sighed for the umpteenth time, lowering her eyes mildly. "We already went to her house when her absence grew constant."

    "And?"

    "Andбн" she slowly raised her eyes, recalling how that memory yed out. "Her parents were also concerned. Amie is an only child, but she was always a filial daughter. Until recently, she started talking back and evenining to her parents. They were also in a dilemma, since they didn''t know how to talk to her anymore. It''s as if their daughter was possessed."

    "Maybe, she was?"

    "Luke."

    "I''m just saying." Luke shrugged, leaning over to grab a ss of juice on the table. "It all started when Fay end their friendship. I''m not ming you or her since Amie''s actions and decision were hers to bear responsibility for, but if she doesn''t want to listen after this, let her go."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Easy for you to say that."

    "Of course." Luke took a sip, licking his lips while putting the ss back. "It''s easy for me to say because between you and Amie, I''d choose you. And from what I''m seeing, you''re doing what is more than necessary for a ssmate and a friend. If only she listens and changes for the good and not the worse, you four wouldn''t have to go through such a dilemma. We won''t be here in the first ce."

    "My point here was, Amie has turned into a bad apple. You have to let them go at one point," he added in a knowing tone. Luke didn''t even falter while talking as if his decision wouldn''t bend anymore.

    For a moment, Cosette could only stare at him with a frown. It wasn''t like everything he said was wrong. Cosette had always wanted to surround herself with good people with great energy; this was her way to change her life and environment.

    So far, Cosette had already seeded in changing the viin''s life, and then Luke''s as well. Although Luke supposedly appeared at ater time, this change wasn''t so terrible. At least, Luke had changed from an arrogant, spoiled brat who was deprived of love and attention from his family to a more humble fellow who now found pleasure in his little milestones as an independent youth.

    She thought everything would be smooth-sailing, but she didn''t want Amie to go astray. Not when she was around and they were friends. Cosette wanted to do everything she could before giving up on their friendship. Amie was a precious friend, after all.

    "I know what you mean," came out a sigh, pushing herself from her seat. "And I don''t me you for it. However, I want to do everything I can with the best I could. In that case, I wouldn''t regret letting her go."

    Cosette sported a solemn look, advancing to the door. Before she opened it, she looked back and shed him a short smile.

    "Thank you, though. I know you have many other important things to do other than stalk someone with me, but you still apanied me. If this fails and Amie wouldn''t listen, then I''d have to reconsider our rtionship." She pressed her lips, nodding at him, preparing herself to make up a decision.

    With that being said, Cosette carefully opened the door to peek outside. Meanwhile, Luke kept his gaze on her. Cosette, despite her current appearance, still gave the air of someone kind to the point one would think she was foolish and naive.

    ''Well, she''s always like that.'' Luke shook his head mildly. ''And I must admit that''s one of her charms.''

    Luke slowly pushed himself up after drinking half of the juice, and then marched in her direction. At this point in time, Luke already knew what sort of personality she had. Maxen also noticed how Cosette was usually concerned about other people.

    It wasn''t a terrible personality, but there were times when Cosette worry about others, and she forgets about herself. Thus, even if Luke and Maxen and even Remo hadn''t really discussed it, they all silently agreed to protect her and have her back. After all, she always had their back. If she couldn''t worry about herself or give herself a little bit more concern, then they would do it for her.

    Luke stood behind her while she was peeking through the small gap in the door. As soon as he leaned closer, his head over hers, his brows furrowed.

    "What''s going on?" he blurted out, seeing that there was a small group of men outside the hall.

    "I don''t knowбн" Cosette trailed off as they saw someone bang on the room next to theirs.

 Chapter 288 The Wrong Crowd

    Meanwhile, in the room next to where Cosette and Luke wereбн

    Amie was sitting among the young delinquents drinking drinks they shouldn''t while singing and partying.

    "You haven''t touched your drink." She snapped her eyes when the guy sitting beside her spoke, making her raise her head to him. "Is there something wrong, babe?"

    Amie pressed her lips into a thin line and shook her head. "Nothing. I''m just thinking of school."

    "Huh? What about it?"

    "Wellбн" She scratched the back of her ears, shrugging. "Just some of my ssmates bothering me."

    Since Amie changed, everyone in the ssroom would inevitably give her some attention. Back then, no one would even bother to give her a look. She didn''t even know if her ssmates know she even exist. It was always Cosette since she was beautiful, smart, and also kind. Cosette was the popr girl, after all.

    Sarah was also popr because many of her ssmates and even students from other sses turn to her for help. Sarah had a respectable reputation in school as the perfect student model; even though Sarah wasn''t as smart, many think she was reliable.

    Meanwhile, many other students liked Fay. Fay might now be as popr as Cosette or she might not be the perfect role model like Sarah, but she was known to be a chill and fun person. Thus, many people likes her and wanted to be her friend.

    Unlike those three who shine as individuals, Amie had always felt she was an outsider. She had no special characteristics, always part of the backdrop with no one noticing. Back then, she didn''t mind this because she was always happy for her friends. But when Fay ended their friendship as if the years of being friends were nothing to her, it took a huge blow to her little self-confidence.

    Between Fay and Amie, Sarah and Cosette chose Fay over her. That was what Amie saw in their actions and it hurt her to a degree she couldn''t even describe.

    "Those aren''t friends," said the guy sitting beside Amie after she shared the summary of her former friends. "If only they were friends, they wouldn''t one-sidedly choose the other friend who could end such friendship so easily."

    "Right?"

    "Also, they''re probably insecure."

    "Huh?" Deep lines appeared in between Amie''s brows, facing the youth squarely. "Why would they be insecure?"

    "Because you''re pretty and smart, and hot too." The guy grinned, assessing her from up and down. "From what I see, they purposely made you a backdrop so you won''t outshine them."

    Amie pressed her lips into a thin line as her cheek turned slightly pinkish. "You''re just saying that because you hadn''t seen them. Especially the school bell бк she''s really pretty. I don''t even know where to start."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No." The guy shook his head adamantly. "In my eyes, Amie is the prettiest. With or without make-up, Amie is the best. Also, Amie is always fun to be with."

    Her eyes softened, staring at the youth who deemed her as her savior. No one ever told Amie she was pretty with so much conviction in their voice. It was ttering to be looked at with desire, making her pretty. It was always Cosette or Sarah who was pretty and Fay who was the best to hang out with.

    "See?" the youth cupped her face, stroking her cheek gently. "You are the prettiest when you''re smiling like this. Those girls who pretend to be your friends will not evenpare."

    Her breathing slowed down as the noises in the room as the rest were talking loudly or singing sounded distant. She pressed her lips into a thin line, staring at the youth who looked at her as if she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

    Seeing that the youth''s face was getting closer, her heart thudded nervously. Thetter tilted his head to the side while Amie slowly closed her eyes. This would be her first kiss, she thought. A kiss from someone who liked her the best and see her as the most beautiful one.

    Little did Amie know, as she closed her eyes, the youth smirked deviously. Contempt and lust glinted in his eyes, ncing at this foolish girl who was so easy to manipte.

    ''She''s not bad,'' he thought as his lips were an inch from hers. ''I can y with her for a little while.''

    Just when their lips were about to touch, the guy stopped when a loud bang was heard from outside the door. He frowned as the noises inside subsided. Another loud knock was heard, and as everyone turned their heads in the door''s direction, the door was kicked open.

    Amie furrowed her brows, opening her eyes as she gazed at the tall person by the door.

    "What''s going onбн?" she wondered, gazing at the youth beside her. Much to her dismay, surprise and horror shed on the youth''s face upon recognizing the person who barged into their room.

    "Hahбн this fucking bastard is really shameless," said the bulky goon by the door, eyes on the person sitting beside Amie. "Oy, Henry. Did you think you could get away from us after running away from your debts?"

    Amie held her breath, setting her eyes on the person outside. Just when thetter stepped inside the KTV room, she noticed that there were more people outside. One look and she was certain they came to look for trouble.

    "Henry," came out her tiny voice, reaching for Henry''s hand, but thetter suddenly sprung up to his feet. She flinched, seeing anger dominate the youth''s face; the gentleness in them was gone.

    "What the бк what the fuck are you doing here, eh? I told you guy I will fucking pay!" Henry, the youth, harrumphed angrily. His reaction, however, didn''t intimidate anyone.

    The person who barged into their room chuckled, motioning his fingers, and that second, the people outside also entered. The tension in the air slowly peaked with the intruder cracking his knuckles, eyes on the guy named Henry.

    "This junkie here surely is shameless. After consuming all that drugs and running away without paying, do you think I''d believe you? We''ve been looking for you for months. You should''ve stayed in the hell you hid in." The guy sneered at Henry. "Get him, boys. No. All of them."

 Chapter 289 A Hundred Grand

    "All of them."

    A one-sided fight broke out in the KTV room. Henry, the guy who had some debt from these goons, and the rest of Henry''s friends, didn''t even stand a chance. Meanwhile, Amie couldn''t do anything but scream while covering her ears.

    In the end, all of them, including Amie, sat quietly on the couches. Henry, whose nose was bleeding, sat beside her while the leader of these intruders sat among them.

    "Tsk tsk tsk." The leader shook his head, gazing at the guys they beat up. They were kind enough not to hurt the girls, but still, they didn''t ask them to leave the ce. Instead, everyone stayed while his minions guard the room.

    "Oy, Henry. Do you know how much trouble I am in because of you?" said the leader of the goons irritably, pouring himself a ss of alcohol. Most of the sses and bottles already shattered and this was the only one that survived. "My life is at stake, you know? So, you better understand why I am doing this."

    "Bo бк boss, I will pay!" Henry patted his chest in panic. "I will give you the money бк"

    SLAM!

    The leader mmed his fist against the table, shutting Henry in silence abruptly.

    "What?" he asked, wide-eyed. "When?"

    "ToиCtomo бк three days!" Henry raised three of his trembling fingers. "I will pay you backpletely in three days! It''s just that I haven''t gotten the collection money, but I will surely pay you back in full in three days."

    Henry breathed out a jagged breath, swallowing a mouthful of saliva. "Ple бк please. I''m serious, boss. I will give it back. I won''t run away бк I bet my hand on it!"

    "Hahбн" the leader snickered in amusement, propping his elbow on the surface of the table with the ss of alcohol in his hand. "Hahaбн hahaha!"

    The leaderughed andughed, shaking his head mildly. His waves ofughter slightly calmed Henry down, chugging down his drink. But s, just when Henry thought the boss was now in a good mood, a ss came flying to his head, hitting him on his temple.

    "Ah!!" a loud shriek erupted in the room as Henry held his now bleeding temple, feeling lightheaded at the sudden pain that struck him.

    "Oy, Henryбн" the boss''s tone grew even more intimidating as his eyes dted in anger, gazing at Henry without the slightest remorse. "How many times did you stake your hand and swore in your goddamn name, hah? Do you think that trick will work on me the second time? Do you really see me as a fool, eh?"

    Henry peeked at the boss. Hisplexion turned pale as his heart thudded in fear.

    "Thest time you said you''d pay me back in full, you ran away. If not for that goddamn friend of yours, we won''t even know where you went." the boss smirked, glossing his eyes over the rest of Henry''s friends. "Fucking retard. While you ran away from your obligations and put me in a lot of trouble, here you are, having the time of your life."

    Somehow, the boss''s eyesnded on Amie, who had been quiet all this time. When they came in, he saw Henry and this girl at an intimate moment. Assuming this was Henry''s girl, the boss had an idea.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "She''s your girl?" the boss asked out of in curiosity, pointing a finger at Amie.

    Amie flinched in horror, raising her shaking eyes at the leader. She clutched her hand on herp, still unable to grasp the situation she was in. Amie had been hanging out with these guys, and if there were any words she could describe their groups, it was fun.

    They were a fun group, but who would have thought they would be in such trouble?

    "Uhhбн" Henry peeked at Amie at the same time she nced at him. Amie pursed her lips into a thin line, seeing the slight hesitation in Henry''s eyes. "No."

    Henry shook his head as he gazed back at the leader. "She''s not. She''s just a ything, so don''t touch her."

    "Henryбн" Amie gazed at Henry, a bit moved.

    Foolish as she was, Amie believed Henry''s denial was to protect her from them. She was moved, however, unaware that wasn''t the case. Henry wasn''t protecting her; he was trapping a naive girl like her and using her vulnerability to his advantage.

    "She''s just someone I met tonight and бк"

    "That''s not true." Amie mustered every bit of her courage to speak up, clutching her hand on herp as she looked back at the boss. "How much do you guys want to leave him alone?"

    "Amie!" called Henry with a raised tone, but she didn''t flinch, keeping her attention on the boss.

    "How much does he owe you? I''ll pay you back." Amie pped her chest to show her sincerity. "Just tell me how much, so you stop bothering him."

    The corner of the leader''s lips stretched from ear to ear, looking at her in amusement.

    "You''ll pay his debt?" he asked, and she nodded profusely. "Hundred thousand grand. With the interest and damages, it''ll be a total of hundred and fifty grand. Do you have that much money, youngdy?"

    "A hundred бк" Amie''s breath hitched, not expecting to hear that total amount. She gazed at Henry on instinct, seeing him lower his eyes in shame.

    Even if Amie count her personal savings, it would only reach at least a thousand grand. Where would she find the rest? But then again, Henry''s life was at stake.

    "Do you have that much money?" asked the leader in ridicule, seeing the shock stered on her face. "It''s not small money. You see, this motherfucker is an addict. Believe me, when I say, I''m saying this for your own good. That guy is someone you should stay away from, you know? He''s a fucking trash бк"

    "I''d pay you," Amie blurted out in panic to stop the boss from ndering Henry. She didn''t believe what the boss said about Henry, when, in fact, they were nothing but honest advice. "I''d pay you even in installments. I''ll pay you! Just бк just stop, okay?"

 Chapter 290 Some Lessons Are Learned The Hard Way

    [ TRIGGER WARNING: THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE CAN CAUSE DISCOMFORT TO READERS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. ]

    "I''d pay you. I''d pay you even in installments. I''ll pay you! Just бк just stop, okay?"

    "Amie." Henry tugged her arm, but she didn''t budge.

    "Just stop bothering him." Her voice sounded quieter, almost begging the leader. "I have one grand for now, but I won''t run away. I can give you everything you need to know to believe that I won''t run away! So pleaseбн don''t hurt him anymore."

    The boss assessed Amie from head to toe, leaning backfortably. From the looks of it, although Henry was nothing but breathing trash, this girl right here was sincere.

    "Poor girlбн" the boss shook his head, ncing at the crafty Henry, who was acting remorseful.

    The leader knew this guy and what a terrible human being he was. Therefore, he could see through Henry''s smoke and mirrors. Behind Henry''s worried expression, the leader could see him smirking deviously. However, that wasn''t the boss''s problem anymore.

    All he wanted was his money.

    "Sure. I will give you a chance." The boss''s agreement made Amie''s face brighten up. Little did she know what he was about to askter, something that would diminish all the sliver of hope she had. "But before that, I need to test whether you are sincere or not."

    "What?"

    "How much do you think she''s worth per night?" the boss asked Henry, making Amie look back at Henry with wide eyes. "Hmm?"

    "Henryбн"

    Both Henry and Amie looked at each other with shaking eyes. Amie looked at her friends, but all they did was look away from her. They wouldn''t help her or Henry, staying quiet as a dead rat so they wouldn''t gather more attention from the boss.

    "Amie." Henry reached for her hand and spoke in a hushed voice. "Take back your words. Don''t worry about me. I will find a way to pay them back. You don''t have to do this."

    Her breath hitched as her hand underneath his grip felt cold. Henry wasn''t in a better position but was still worried about her. Therefore, it amplified her desire to help him. She loved him, after all. No. They love each other, and as a couple, they should face this problem together.

    "I''m alright." Amie ced her other hand on top of his hand, nodding reassuringly. She then faced the boss bravely. "Why do you need to know my worth?"

    "Obviously, that boyfriend of yours has a lot of debt. Chasing after him is tiring. So I want to treat my boys to some meat and also get more than a thousand grand tonight," exined the boss in a matter-of-factly tone, shrugging. "How about five hundred per head? I''m giving you a deal, eh? I can get a girl with just two hundred, but since it seemed you are fresh meat, I''m raising your value."

    "Who wants to taste her?" the leader then nced at his minions to see if they were interested.

    "Haha. Boss is surely generous in these things," someonemented, sizing up Amie while licking his lips. "I don''t mind, boss. I''m actually hungry."

    "Count me in."

    "I''m not in the mood right now."

    "Come on, man. How can you be not in the mood when the boss is treating us nicely?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I will."

    The boss''sckeys chatted happily as if they weren''t talking about having to share with a girl for tonight. It wasn''t new to them, after all. In the end, out of five minions, three of them agreed.

    "So three." The boss set his eyes back to Amie, tipping his head on the table. "Four, including me. That''s about two thousand бк that''s a lot. I''d even give you a bonus if I like your services. How''s that sound?"

    Amie''s entire body shivered as her expression turned nk, dating her wide eyes to the minions who wanted to have a round with her and then at the boss. Four guysбн Amie hadn''t been with someone, even with Henry. Who in the world would find this amusing or less scary?

    However, two thousand less was tempting. Even though Henry''s debt was something that sounded impossible to pay, if she could reduce it, she believed she would one day clear this debt. Amie hung her head low, staring at her knuckles.

    "Sure," she whispered before raising her head, showing the determination on her face. "However, I am a virgin. So the first one to take me should be around ten бк five бк no, three thousand grand!"

    "Hah?" the boss cocked his head to the side.

    "That''s a total of four thousand and five hundred grand," Amie continued in a raised voice, counting with her trembling fingers. "I should''ve raised it since it''ll be my first night, but I only raised the first one. I''m giving you a deal, so take it or leave it."

    The boss stared at Amie''s countenance before heughed. His minion alsoughed at her courage.

    "Geezбн this girl is so silly." The boss wiped the corner of his eyes as he recovered from hisughter. "Can you look at yourself?"

    He looked back at her, pointing at her from up and down. "You''re not even pretty, especially with that heavy makeup. But fucking is fucking."

    "Still, sure, let''s go with that just because I like your attitude," the boss added, rocking his head in approval. "I''ll close our deal to five thousand if your im is true, plus the one grand you promised tonight. That''s a total of six. However, if I figure out you''re lying, I won''t pay you a cent. Do you understand?"

    Amie''s heart thudded at the intimidating tone the leader used at the end of his sentence. Before she could even react, the boss flickered his fingers.

    "Get her," ordered the leader, and hisckeys didn''t hesitate to approach Amie.

    "Wait, what бк" Amie shrieked as two guys lifted her by the shoulder, only to get pinned on the table. Her eyes snapped open as her mouth fell open, horror dominating her face.

    Why did theyy her there?

    "Haha. Come onбн" the boss slowly rose from his seat, walking around the table until he was looking down at her. "Did you think we have some time to do it somewhere else?"

    That second, Amie''s heart dropped to her stomach. She made the wrong decision. She looked back at Henry for help, but to her disappointment, Henry looked away.

    "Haha. Do you think he will help you? Damnбн I''m fucking you because I pity you for even trusting a word from that guy." The boss''szy voice came from behind her while she was frozen on the spot. "You should''ve listened to my advice earlier and kept quiet. Now, learn your lesson while being screwed by four guys in front of the trash boyfriend you wanted to save with your life."

    Coldness seeped deep in Amie''s bones as her expression turned nk. Her eyes stayed on Henry''s figure, but thetter and all his friends, which she thought were also her friends, weren''t saying anything. They just all looked away, despite knowing what these guys were about to do in front of them.

    ''I was wrongбн'' she whispered in her heart as helplessness washed over her, knowing this realization came a bitte.

 Chapter 291 They Might Be Friends

    "Girls like you are that trash perfect target, but it''s none of my business." The leader spoke while undoing his belt, staring at the shock dominating Amie''s face. "All I care about is money and a little bit of fucking, you see? Sex is sex. Even if you''re not my type, you still have a hole."

    Amie''s lips quivered, looking back at Henry and her friends once again. But it was futile. They weren''t looking at her, nor were they showing signs of wanting to help her.

    "Stopбн" came out her shaking voice as she looked back at the leader. "No, I don''t want to."

    "Oy, oyбн what''s up with you, eh?" a frown turned up on the leader''s face. "We already negotiated."

    Amie propped her elbows up, sitting up on the table. "No," she said, shaking her head. "I was wrong. I don''t want it anymore бк I can''t."

    "What?"

    "Please, boss." Amie ced her hands against each other, literally begging him. "Let me just pay you a grand we talked about."

    "Hahбн" The leader let out a dryugh, hands on his hips. "I am supposed to get six, though? Aishбн this is why I hate negotiating with people like you. One second, you are all so determined, and then the next second, you change your mind. I am so fucking fed up with talking sense to people like you."

    The leader nced at hisckeys, and even without a word, theckeys looked at each other before they nodded. As soon as they agreed on something, theckeys marched toward the table and pinned Amie down.

    "Ack!" Amie winced as her back thudded against the table. Her wrist and ankles were now being held by multiple men to keep her still.

    "Manбн this kind of setup is kinda turning me on," said the leader, smirking at Amie.

    Amie''s already paleplexion turned whiter as her entire body shook in fear. Her heart thudded violently against her chest, knowing no one would be there to save her. At this point, tears pooled in her eyes at how helpless her situation was.

    The people she thought were her true friends ended up turning their backs on her while she was willing to ride or die with them. They were nice to her until moments ago; how could they change so easily? They were like her previous friends: Fay, Sarah, and Cosette.

    Those peopleбн were no different from her previous friends.

    "Alright thenбн" the boss licked his lips as he bent over.

    The second his weight pressed on top of her, a loud shriek escaped her mouth.

    "Kyah!!"

    ************

    [ Minutes before the present time ]

    When the leader kicked the door open, Cosette and Luke, who were peeking from their room, gasped. Their eyes dted, a little surprised at the trouble they could smell from the group.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Amie!" Cosette breathed out, and without thinking, she pulled the door open to interfere. However, just as the door was wide enough to fit a person, Luke mmed his hand on it until it closed abruptly.

    "Luke!" she yelled, looking back at him. Luke still had his hand on the door while Cosette was confined in him, her back against the door. "What the hell are you doing, Luke?"

    "I should be the one asking. What the hell are you thinking?" he returned with a scoff. "Didn''t you see there''s a group in there? What are you going to do against how many of them, hmm?"

    "But Amie бк"

    ? "They might be friends!"

    "If they were friends, why would he kick the door? Didn''t you see they''re bringing baseball bats? What do you think they''d do with that? y baseball inside the karaoke?" Cosette red at him, grinding her teeth angrily. "Get your hands off бк"

    "Cosette!" Luke cut her off mid-sentence. "Cosette, don''t just rear your head in trouble or without knowing a little bit of context. At least think about your actions before you do anything."

    Cosette flinched when he raised his voice, surprised that he could raise his voice that much. For a moment, she could only stare at him, wide-eyed.

    "What am I supposed to do, then?" mumbled Cosette when she recovered her voice. "Amie might be in trouble. You remember that girl, right? I don''t want Amie to end up like that poor girl."

    A grim look dominated Luke''s face as he remembered that girl in that other school. That girl they saved from killing herselfбн was just like Amie. Both girls might be different and their situation, but that didn''t mean Amie was safe from experiencing that sort of hell.

    "All I''m saying is at least, you think about your action instead of just jumping into a situation." Luke sighed, ruffling his hair in irritation. "Max will kill me if we both get in trouble, you know that, right?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line at the mention of Maxen. That was true. Maxen would be terribly angry бк no, Maxen would kill if one of them get hurt. Even if Luke and Cosette were at fault and got in trouble by being nosy, Maxen wouldn''t forgive anyone whoid their hands on them.

    "We should call him," suggested Luke along with a heavy exhale. "Maxen will know what to do and can handle those people peacefully."

    Luke snapped his eyes at her, only to see the hesitation stered on her face.

    "Cosette," he called under his breath. "You are seriously driving me crazy. Let''s just give Max a call and tell him about this, hmm? I don''t think they will hurt her."

    "What if she gets hurt before hees?"

    "Thenбн" Luke paused, staring sincerely into her eyes. "We''d get in, hmm? And then we run away with her, okay? We''ll try to observe the situation first."

    Cosette pressed her lips once again, staring at him before she nodded in agreement. She couldn''t stay stubborn right now, regaining some sense that this wasn''t a movie. They could get hurt бк Cosette and Luke бк no matter how capable they were in martial arts.

    With that being said, Luke peeled his hands from the door and then sent Maxen a message. Maxen had an important meeting today that he couldn''t miss. That was why he asked was absent from school. Thinking that Maxen would see the message a bitter, Luke also sent Remo a message just in case.

 Chapter 292 Babe

    After Luke sent the message, they looked at each other in silence. No word was said between Cosette and Luke, but they nodded at each other. As nned, the two of them observed the situation outside the KTV room where they were.

    The rooms were soundproof, so they couldn''t hear the chaos next door. They could only rely on the situation outside. There were a few goons on the lookout outside, just guarding the door while casually chatting with each other.

    "God, Amieбн just what is that girl thinking?" mumbled Cosette, pacing back and forth in front of the slightly ajar door. She had been biting her thumb nervously, thinking of many things that could be happening inside the KTV room next door.

    "Stop that." Cosette paused when Luke suddenly held her wrist, jerking his chin to her thumb. "Are you a cannibal? Look. Your thumb is bleeding."

    Cosette nced at her thumb and caught the tip of her thumb, already bleeding. She didn''t notice it until he stopped her from biting her thumb. Her expression softened as she sighed deeply.

    "I''m sorry," she whispered, dropping her hand from his grip to her side. "It''s just that I wish it''s not what I think it would be."

    "The feeling is mutual." Luke let out another sigh, turning his head at the door. "Remo said he was on the way, but Max hadn''t read my message. His meeting isn''t probably finished."

    Cosette peeked up at Luke and pursed her lips. Since earlier, they had been standing by the slightly ajar door, peeking outside from time to time. They could have just sat down and waited, but her nervousness wouldn''t allow her to rx, even just for a moment.

    "Luke, thank you," came out a tiny voice, catching him off guard as his brows rose in surprise. "You have a part-time tonight, but here you are with me. I know this isn''t something you should be doing, so I appreciate you foring along with me."

    Luke blinked before he waved dismissively. "The heck is wrong with you? Don''t just say things out of nowhere бк geez. I''m getting goosebumps." He rubbed his shoulders and shivered, making her chuckle weakly.

    "I''m trying to be grateful, okay?" Cosette pped his shoulder mildly, clicking her tongue. "I just want to thank you."

    "Alright, alright. I heard you, so just stop, okay?" he scrunched his nose up, making her frown deeply.

    "What is wrong with thanking you?"

    "Nothing! Just that tone!" Luke pointed a finger at her. "Stop thanking me, alright? When we''re out of trouble, treat me to a great steak house. I''ve been craving it since yesterday."

    Cosette sighed. "Fine, fine. Goshбн since when did you like eating so much?"

    "Since that time, I cannot afford to waste food." He shook his head, marching close to the door. He peeked his eyes, checking if the situation outside changed. However, the goons outside were still chatting. It seemed they have many nonsense talks in store.

    "Are they a part of a gang or something?" he wondered, noticing the ck snake tattoo on the guy''s arm, and then on the side of another''s neck peeking out of his cor. "Is Amie joining their gang?"

    When Luke''sst remarks rolled out of his tongue, Cosette already squeezed herself into the tiny space in front of him. She also peeked outside, making him nce down at her.

    ''This girlбн seriouslyбн'' Luke took a step back to give her some space, shaking his head as he shifted his focus outside.

    "Hey, Luke?" called Cosette, receiving a calm hum from him as a reply. "Should we pretend to be passing by?"

    "Huh? Why? Remo is already on the way. He might be here as we speak."

    "It''s just oddly quiet," she said worriedly. "Let''s just pretend to be passing by. Maybe we''ll get an idea of what is going on inside there."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette turned her head heavenward while Luke gazed down at her. They stared at each other in silence until he conceded.

    "We''ll just pass by, okay?" he breathed out in defeat, making her smile in satisfaction. "You promise."

    "Yes, I''ll promise! I will behave until Remoes."

    Luke assessed the sincerity in her eyes first for a minute. When he was certain Cosette was being honest, he pushed himself away from the door. Both of them straightened their backs, staring at each other in determination while nodding in understanding.

    "Should we hold hands?" she suggested before they open the door, seeing him cast her a look.

    "No need." Luke shook his head, reaching for the knob to open it for her. "Just stay close to me."

    Cosette stared at his side profile and nodded. Just as Luke opened the door, she jumped to his side, almost making him flinch.

    "What the бк" dismay instantly dominated his face at how close she was to him.

    "What?" Cosette fluttered her eyshes ever so tenderly. All she needed was to hook her arms around him and they would look like a couple. Well, even if she didn''t, she was already too close to him. "I''m staying close to youбн just as you said."

    "Never mind." Luke shook his head mildly, letting it be since it was better if she was close. "Let''s go."

    With that being said, Luke and Cosette stepped their feet outside the KTV room. As soon as they did, the goons guarding the room next to their instinct set their eyes on them. Cosette held her breath and gulped, only to flinch when Luke hooked his arm over her shoulder.

    "Where do you want to go next, babe?" he asked coquettishly, marching forth.

    Cosette followed his pace and shed him a sweet smile. She clipped her fingers on thepels of his polo, biting her bottom lip.

    "Anywhere you are," she replied sweetly as they walked away, passing by the door where Amie and her friends were.

    "Anywhere?" Luke arched a brow, and she nodded. "Then, my ce?"

    Her cheeks blushed, ncing at the goons, who were following them with their gaze. More like they were looking at her as she was wearing quite revealing clothes that disyed all the curves of her body.

    "Goshбн why would you say that aloud?" she whispered loudly as if embarrassed at his suggestion.

    "Haha." Luke grinned.

    The two of them almost walked past the KTV room when they heard a faint shriek.

    "Kyah!!!"

 Chapter 293 Get Up There And LetтАЩs Go.

    "Kyah!!!"

    Cosette and Luke instantly stopped, wide-eyed. She turned her head in the shut door''s direction.

    "Amie," she whispered, and without thinking twice, she sprinted toward the door.

    Seeing that Cosette was running in their direction, the goons felt alerted. However, right before they could stop Cosette, Luke came in. Using the bottom of his palm, Luke assaulted the goon''s jaw, and then kicked the other one. They couldn''t even react quickly as Luke already made his move, knocking on a total of four goons that were guarding the door.

    THUD!

    "Amie!" Despite that Luke cleared the way Cosette didn''t stop as she barged into the door. "A бк"

    The moment the door was kicked open, all the people inside stopped what they were doing. Cosette''s breath hitched, scrutinizing what was happening, only for her heart to drop to her stomach.

    There, around the table, were a few guys pinning a girl down. One of them had his belt, button, and zipper undone, showing his ck underwear. There were a few of them sitting, doing nothing to help poor Amie. All of them turned their attention to the door where Cosette was standing.

    "*hic*" Amie huped as she slowly lifted her head to see who came in.

    The moment she saw Cosette, tears immediately blurred her vision. Even though Cosette was wearing thick makeup and clothes Cosette wouldn''t normally wear, it wasn''t enough for Amie not to recognize her.

    "Cozieбн" came out a shaking voice, huping in between. "... help me."

    Cosette''s heart shook as her eyes stung, staring nkly at Amie. At this point, Cosette couldn''t help but wonder what could''ve happened if they didn''t follow Amie today. She didn''t want to think about the oue if they just let Amie alone.

    "Cozie!" Suddenly, Luke jumped behind Cosette, only to stop when he was by her side. His eyes scanned the room, making his pupils dte in horror. No words were needed to understand what scene they just walk into.

    "And who the hell are theseбн" the leader trailed off, catching a hand on the floor behind Cosette and Luke. A frown instantly dominated his face, turning on his heel to face those two intruders squarely. Hisckeys also let Amie go, facing Cosette and Luke cautiously.

    "What do you want?" asked the leader, changing his inquiry into something else. They had multiple enemies outside, so he assumed he would know if he simply asked what these two wanted.

    Cosette and Luke didn''t answer because her attention was fixed on Amie. Thetter slowly mustered her courage to sit up, wiping her unstoppable teras whilst huping. Seeing Amie in such a state, Cosette''s heart broke into a million pieces.

    "Just whyбн" whispered Cosette, not caring about the people inside. "... what is wrong with you?"

    Amie huped, lifting her eyes at Cosette. Tears continued to stain her face, biting her lower lip. What was wrong with her? That question was something Amie had no clear answer to until now. She didn''t know what was wrong with her; although Amie could give bits and pieces of her personal woes.

    "I saidбн what are you two doing here? Barging into that door and beating up my friends!" the leader raised his voice, seeing that the two were ignoring him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This time, Cosette snapped her eyes at the leader. He was tall and appeared older. However, Cosette had always been surrounded by tall guys like Maxen, Luke, and Remo. Maxen and Luke just kept growing as if they were drinking a magical growth medicine. Remo, on the other hand, was naturally tall with a wide physique. Compare to Remo, this leader would appear smaller. Thus, Cosette didn''t feel intimidated.

    "I should be the one asking that," said Cosette in a quiet voice, but they still heard her loud and clear. "What are you guys doing to her?"

    "Huh?"

    Cosette balled her hands into a tight fists as she clenched her teeth. "What do you think you''re doing to her?!" this time, her voice pitched in anger.

    "Her?" the leader lifted a brow and nced at Amie. "What? She asked for it."

    "What?"

    "This girl wants to pay her boyfriend''s debt. She agreed to this and even negotiated with us about her rate tonight," exined the leader, thinking he didn''t want unnecessary trouble. If these two misunderstood something, then they should clear it up so they wouldn''t waste their breath fighting. "No one is being forced here. If anything, we''re doing role-ying. Acting out a fantasy."

    "A fantasyбн" Cosette''s heart shook, assessing the leader''s nonchnt countenance. By the looks of it, the leader didn''t seem lying. In fact, he appeared to be telling the truth. "Amie, is that true?"

    Cosette shifted her eyes to Amie, and much to her dismay, Amie looked away in shame. "So, it was true?"

    "Why would I lie to you?" the leader tugged his earlobe in slight irritation. "These punks owe me a huge debt, but instead of beating them up, I''m still willing to negotiate. So if you understand the situation, leave."

    The leader''s expression slowly turned firm. "I''ll let you guys off the hook, even though you seemed to havended a few good numbers on my boys. Well, that''s their fault. I can''t believe there were four of them, but they couldn''t even stop you two from barging in."

    There was a brief silence that descended into the room before Luke gazed at Cosette''s side profile.

    "Cozie," called Luke in a hushed voice. But just as he called her, Cosette marched toward the leader.

    The leader''s brows rose, watching this young, beautiful woman approach him. However, Cosette momentarily paused in front of him, ring at him, before she walked past him to the table behind the boss.

    ? "Let''s go, Amie," Cosette urged firmly. "Get up there and let''s go."

    Amie''s lips quivered, studying Cosette''s hard countenance. She knew thetter was angry but was holding it back, clutching her hand close to her chest.

    "Mhm," Amie hummed, nodding. However, just before she could move from her spot, the leader spoke.

    "And where the hell are you going to take her?"

 Chapter 294 Get That Dirty Hand Off Of Her

    "And where the hell are you going to take her?"

    Amie''s shoulder tensed up at the tinge of malice in the leader''s voice. Meanwhile, Cosette shifted her sharp eyes at the leader.

    "None of your business," replied Cosette under her breath. "I am asking you nicely to let us all go. You seemed to be a logical person. That is why I am asking you, Sir. Let us go and no one will get hurt."

    The leaderughed in ridicule, looking at Cosette from head to toe. "Oy, oy, missy. Did you just threaten me?"

    "I am asking you, not threatening. Now, if you feel that you are threatened, then probably you should listen to the rm bells in your head." Cosette lifted her chin, looking the leader straight in the eye. "Let her go, and let''s leave this as it was, alright?"

    The leader stared at Cosette while his smile lines faded. His expression instantly turned cold and wicked, showing signs he just needed a light push to throw his fist.

    "How about my money?" asked the leader, still knowing his priorities. "She was supposed to pay one six grand tonight. If you give the money now, then we won''t have a problem."

    "Six бк six grand?"

    "Yes. They owe me a hundred and fifty."

    Cosette scoffed, staring at the leader in ridicule. That amount of money wasn''t a problem for Cosette. If she was willing, she could just shell out and resolve this matter in seconds. However, not because Cosette could afford it, didn''t mean she should do it.

    "That moneyбн isn''t her responsibility to shoulder," Cosette breathed out. "If I remember correctly, you said her boyfriend owed you that. Then, whoever that is, go bother him, not her."

    "But she said she''d pay for it!" Suddenly, a male voice erupted from behind them.

    Cosette''s brows furrowed while Amie''s body stiffened in shock. Both of them looked back to the owner of the voice, only to see an older youth sporting a shock expression, as if that was a slip of the tongue.

    "Henryбн" Amie called under her breath, in disbelief at what she just heard.

    "So you''re the boyfriend?" Cosette''s eyes dted as the fire in her eyes zed. "Did you just say just because she wanted to help you clear the debts, she should shoulder it while you bear no responsibility for it?"

    Cosette turned to face Henry, looking at him from head to toe. "What a loser."

    "What did you say?"

    "Youбн are trash," Cosette stressed each of her words through her gritted teeth. The fire in her eyes rendered Henry speechless, and when Cosette marched in his direction, Henry looked to his left and right in a panic.

    "Oyбн" Cosette stopped in front of Henry while thetter fused his back on the couch. "What kind of boyfriend are you pimping your girl to pay for your debts? Is that money even good money? How did you use it? Drugs? Alcohol? Gambling? Just how shameless are you to ask her to pay for something you can''t?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Henry''s eyes slid to the corner as he mumbled, "she''s the one who proposed it." His face crumpled, ring up at Cosette.

    "Did I ask her to pay?! She''s the one who wouldn''t shut up, volunteering to pay them even when I tried to stop her! How was it my fault when no one forced her to poke her ugly nose into other people''s busine бк"

    SLAP!

    Henry''s face was tossed to the side as his eyes went wide, holding his cheek, which instantly swelled a secondter.

    "You!" his eyes shone with miff, ring back at Cosette only for her hand tond on his other cheek. This time, he scoffed, unable to say or react, as he didn''t expect another resounding p from her.

    "Wag your tongue once more and I swear to the devil I am going to cut it," warned Cosette. Her voice reeked with rage, barely blinking as she fixed her eyes on this loser. "Amie is the type who always tries to help others, always going beyond her limits as long as she could help. You know that, and you took advantage of her kindness and naivety. How dare you hurt her after she trusts you so much, hmm?"

    Her entire body shook in anger, wanting to beat him more to avenge Amie. However, Cosette knew it was pointless, and she had other priorities. Hence, she simply wanted to say her piece. She didn''t care if Henry listen or not.

    "That moneyбн pay for it. I don''t care if you have to sacrifice your limb or your life just to pay for it. Take responsibility," remarked Cosette firmly. "Don''te near her again, or I''ll deliver you to hell myself."

    Cosette huffed, staring at Henry for a moment before she turned around and sauntered off. She paused by the side of the table, ncing at the leader, who was just watching her before she moved her attention to Amie.

    "Come, Amie." Cosette reached for Amie''s arms, nodding at her encouragingly. "Let''s get out of here."

    Tears shone in Amie''s eyes until they blurred her vision, nodding in agreement. Amie''s knees and body were trembling in shock, but she still dragged her bottom out of the table. When she stood beside the table, Amie nearly fell as her knees felt as soft as tofu. Fortunately, Cosette was there to catch her.

    Holding Amie''s arms, Cosette shed him a short smile when Amie gazed up at her.

    "Cozieбн"

    "It''s alright. Let''s go." Cosette nodded at Amie, holding Amie by the shoulders to escort her out of this ce. But just as they walked past the leader, a hand squeezed Cosette''s shoulder, stopping them from their tracks.

    "Where are you two going?" asked the leader, squeezing Cosette''s shoulder until he could feel the bones on her shoulder de. "Do you think it''s as easy as that?"

    Amie was frozen on the spot as her back shivered. However, a pair of sneakers caught her eye before her. When she raised her eyes, her breath hitched upon meeting Luke''s face.

    "Aishбн" Luke scratched the back of his head in irritation, shifting his eyes to Cosette. Thetter said nothing with her lips drawn on a thin line before his eyes fell on the hand on her shoulder.

    "Oyбн" Luke called, lifting his icy gaze at the leader standing behind Cosette. "I''ll only ask you once. Get that dirty hand off of her."

 Chapter 295 Sure. If You Can

    "Oyбн I''ll only ask you once. Get that dirty hand off of her."

    The leader slowly set his eyes on Luke, only to see the glint and sharpness in thetter''s eyes. The leader''s expression turned hard, triggered by Luke''s tone and the look in his eyes.

    "And what if I don''t want to?" asked the leader, squeezing Cosette''s shoulder mildly. "What will you do?"

    "Not him." This time, it was Cosette who answered. "You should ask me that question."

    Without a second notice, Cosette ducked to get the leader''s hand off her shoulder. At the same time, she pped his wrist, grabbed it, and twisted it to the leader''s back, pinning the leader on the table within a second time frame.

    Everything happened so fast that everyone could only look at Cosette holding the leader''s wrist on his back, pinning him to the table. Their pupils went wide and even the boss was surprised. Amie looked at Cosette in shock, holding her breath subconsciously. The only person who wasn''t shocked by Cosette''s action was Luke.

    "Aishбн" Luke ruffled his hair in irritation, lifting his brow at theckeys. They were still surprised at the turn of events. After all,pared to the leader, Cosette looked small and easy to pin down. If only they knew Cosette had been training for self-defense and also to have more time to flirt with Maxen because martial arts had been one of Maxen''s sports.

    Luke and Remo also had no choice because Maxen enrolled them in the same ss. So, they would attend it three times a week and sometimes, even during weekends. Maxen required them to do so since he practically employed them, working in the security agency Maxen was handling.

    "If I were you guys, just settle your matters among yourselves, hmm?" Luke''s arrogant voice snapped everyone back to their senses. "Just leave us all alone, okay?"

    "Don''t evere at her or us again. This is myst warning." Meanwhile, Cosette ignored Luke as she warned the leader. "I won''t guarantee anything if you try to cross the line again."

    Her eyes were sharp while the leader clenched his teeth. Despite that Cosette was smaller, he couldn''t use brute force to shake her off. Each time he would try to exert a bit of strength, his wrist felt like twisting even more. She would break his wrist, and that was for sure.

    "Crazy bitch!" the leader spat out through his gritted teeth, ring at hisckey standing on the side. "What the hell are you all doing!?"

    His voice echoed like a p of thunder, snapping hisckeys back to their senses. They set their eyes on Luke''s nonchnt countenance before shifting their attention to Cosette''s side profile. Hesitation resurfaced on their faces, seeing that the girl was already pinning their leader.

    If the strongest among them was already pinned down, how were they supposed to fight? But then again, after looking at each other, they realized their number. If they fought together, they could win, no matter how capable Cosette and Luke were.

    "Damn foolsбн" Luke snickered, catching the sudden determination in their eyes. "This is what Max kept saying."

    "Shut up!" one goon yelled and without further ado, leaped in Luke''s direction. His voice somehow brought this courage to the rest of theckeys, attacking Luke and Cosette all at once.

    And with that, a brawl ensued.

    Luke simply ducked to avoid a punch, raising his foot to kick the one that wasing to his other side. Twockeys immediately came to attack him, managing to dodge them before grabbing a person''s cor. Grabbing the goon''s cor, he utilized his strength to drag him around, tossing it to the otherckeying at him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Meanwhile, anotherckey was shouting whileing at Cosette. This guy grabbed a bottle to smash it against her head. Cosette instinctively grabbed the back of the leader''s cor, pulling him up to use him as a shield.

    CLANG!

    Theckey flinched when he realized he smashed the bottle into the leader''s shoulder. The moment he locked eyes with the leader, theckey momentarily froze. Meanwhile, the leader could only re at his stupid minion before facing Cosette.

    "You twoбн" the boss balled his hand until they turned white. His face had already turned red, motioning to those people who were sitting quietly. "Oy, what are you doing? Get them!"

    "What?" Henry and his friends gasped in disbelief, darting their eyes between Cosette and Luke.

    Thud! Thud!

    It had only been a few minutes since the fight broke out, but two of them already passed out on the floor. Luke was dusting his hands off. His disy of strength and agility rmed those who hadn''t met his fist or feet.

    Cosette was also someone they couldn''t see as a vulnerable youngdy. They were certain if she wasn''t wearing that tight and short dress, she would''ve also knocked out a few of them. They were just two of them, yet it appeared to be impossible to even win.

    "Bo бк bossбн" Henry stuttered, only for his breath to hitch when the leader red daggers at him.

    "What?! If you guys can teach these guys a lesson, I''ll lessen your debt!" said the leader loudly, moving his fiery eyes back to Cosette. "Be grateful that I only brought a few of my boys. I will teach you guys a lesson."

    "Aren''t you ashamed?" Luke inquired out of pure curiosity, pointing at the door with his thumb. "There was just the two of us and a few of you already. If we count those lookouts, that''s quite a lot. Yet, you still think you''re outnumbered? Can you count?"

    The boss hissed as his body shook in anger. "I''m going to kill you."

    "Sure," Luke smirked, facing the boss squarely. "If you can."

    The leader''s eyes zed, taking gigantic steps toward Luke. Meanwhile, theckeys were forced to move and leap in Cosette''s direction. Seeing this unfolding, Amie, who squeezed herself into the corner, couldn''t help but hyperventte.

    All Amie could do was dart her eyes between Cosette and Luke as they fight back these goons. She would flinch every time a cry would resonate in the room, or when something shatter. However, Cosette and Luke were capable enough to stand their ground.

    ''Cozieбн'' Amie clutched her hand close to her chest before her brows furrowed. "Henry, what are youбн?"

 Chapter 296 Doomed

    "Henry, what are youбн?"

    At this point, Cosette already took down the twockeys that attacked her all at once. She was standing near theckey''s unconscious body, putting her foot on the back of one of them. Little did Cosette know, Henry was walking behind her discreetly.

    Amie''s eyes went wide upon noticing the bottle in Henry''s hand. Before she knew it, Henry lifted the bottle to attack Cosette from behind.

    "Cozie! Behind you!" Amie yelled before she could even think about anything, frozen on the spot, heart skipping a beat.

    Amie''s call caught Luke''s attention as thetter instinctively nced in Cosette''s direction. His breath hitched, seeing that Henry was jumping behind Cosette with a bottle in his hand.

    "Cozie бк ugh!" a punch suddenlynded on Luke''s face with that second distraction. Luke winced in pain as he was tossed to the side because of that punch.

    Time seemed to stop for Luke and Amie, eyes fixed on Cosette. However, Luke couldn''t do anything as another kicknded on his abdomen. Pain erupted in his stomach at the continuous attacks from the leader, taking advantage of the situation.

    "Ugh бк" just as another kick was about to hit Luke, a huge hand suddenly grabbed the leader''s face.

    *

    *

    *

    "Ahhh!" Cosette froze and looked back. The moment she looked back, her pupils went wide upon seeing Henry about to smash the bottle to her head.

    ''No,'' she whispered in her head, knowing that would hurt a lot.

    But just before Henry could smash the bottle to her head, a huge figure came flying in her direction. The person looked like a doll being tossed in the air, crashing into Henry. Both Henry and the person crashed against the wall, knocking Henry unconscious at the weight on him.

    "Whatбн" Amie breathed out as she had been holding her breath. When she moved her eyes in Luke''s direction, all she saw was Remo offering his hand to Luke. Thetter grabbed Remo''s hand, grunting at the pain in his abdomen.

    Luke held his stomach, casting Remo a look. "Took you some timeбн" he trailed off when Remo nced at the door.

    ''Shitбн'' Luke hadn''t looked back to the door, but a chill had already waved down his spine.

    Meanwhile, Cosette heaved a sigh of relief as she fixed her eyes on the two slumped on the ground. The leader was sent flying as if he weighed nothing, and now, both of them were unconscious. Her eyes shifted to Henry''s friends, squeezing themselves into the corner.

    "Goshбн" Cosette slowly turned around to face Luke, knowing Remo arrived just right on time.

    There was no way the leader would be sent flying if not for Remo. Remo was a big guy for his age and he was also unbelievably strong. Sending the leader flying like that was something Remo could do. Her guess was correct before the moment she turned, her eyesnded on Remo standing beside Luke.

    However, her attention was immediately snatched by the other figure entering the room. Cosette''s heart instantly dropped to her stomach, catching Maxen enter, still wearing a business suit underneath his coat as if he just came fresh from his meeting.

    ''Oh, my godбн'' Cosette mentally gasped in horror, gazing at Luke on instinct. Much to her dismay, Luke also bore the same horror on his face, even though he hadn''t looked back.

    The two of themбн were in big trouble.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''I''m sorry for dragging you into this, Luke!'' Cosette mentally offered flowers to Luke.

    Even though Luke contacted Maxen, Cosette and Luke agreed to not do anything until Remo or Maxen arrive. However, the situation calls for it.

    "You got hurt." Luke froze the second Maxen''s voice caressed his ears, turning his head to face Maxen like a robot.

    "Maxбн" Luke called awkwardly, catching the aloof countenance stered on Maxen''s face.

    Maxen scanned Luke from head to toe, catching some bruises on Luke''s cheek. His lips were drawn into a thin line before a shallow breath slipped past his lips. He didn''t keep his eyes on Luke as he turned his head to search for Cosette. His eyes immediately caught Cosette, though.

    Maxen didn''t hesitate to march in her direction, stopping in front of her. Just like how he scanned Luke, Maxen gazed at her from up and down. Because of Luke and Cosette''s fairplexion, it was easy to catch any bruising. His eyes lingered on the red handprint on her shoulder where the leader squeezed it.

    "Max," Cosette called under her breath, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "I just dragged Luke into this mess. He wanted to wait for Remo or you, but Iбн"

    Cosette trailed off when Maxen raised a hand, brushing her bare shoulder with his thumb.

    "It will bruise," he said, ignoring her exnation as his eyes were fixed on her shoulder. "Did you get hurt anywhere?"

    Maxen snapped his eyes up ever so slowly, locking eyes with her. "Where?"

    "I''m бк I''m fine."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Mhm." Cosette nodded, holding his eyes before Maxen rocked his head in understanding.

    "Alright." Maxen nced at the group in the corner. "Who are they?"

    "Uhбн" Cosette cast the group a cursory look, and then answered, "I don''t know. They were just here when we came in."

    "I see. Who''s that other guy?" he asked, and Cosette shifted her eyes to Henry. "Amie''s boyfriend."

    Maxen kept his lips in a thin line, shifting his eyes to the figure in the other corner. The second their eyes met, Amie''s shoulder tensed up. His eyes went from head to toe, but Maxen didn''t say anything. Instead, he set his eyes back on Cosette before ncing over his shoulder.

    "Take those people to the other room, Remo. And drag those people outside in here. I want to have a chat with those who hurt these two," ordered Maxen calmly. "Also, bring some pain reliever and first aid kits for Luke. They did a good number on him."

    Remo''s expression turned firm as he nodded. "Alright."

    With that being said, Remo did as he was told. He snapped a finger to get the attention of Henry''s friends before he motioned to those men in uniform outside the room to assist them. Meanwhile, Cosette kept quiet, studying Maxen. Although Maxen was calm, she could tell Maxen was definitely angry.

    That leader and Henryбн were doomed for sure.

 Chapter 297 Because He Cant Hurt Them

    "Which hand?" Maxen asked, snapping his eyes up to the leader sitting across from him.

    After Maxen ordered the rest to leave, some people he wanted to have a talk with stayed. The people who stayed were Maxen, Remo, Luke, Cosette, Amie, the now-conscious leader, and Henry. He didn''t have to wait for long since Remo knew how to wake up those who passed out by sshing water on them.

    "Huh?" the leader''s face was a bit bruised, confused at the question Maxen asked.

    "Which hand did you use?" Maxen rified, tipping his head in Luke''s direction who was sitting next to Cosette. Cosette was sitting next to Maxen while Amie was sitting in the opposite corner.

    The leader let out an "uhбн" darting his eyes from Maxen to Cosette and Luke. His heart thudded under Maxen''s interrogation, intimidated by the equal calmness and coldness Maxen was showing. He reminded him of those guys in the higher-up of the gang.

    "Which one did he use?" this time, Maxen asked Henry.

    Henry flinched when Maxen''s attention turned to him. "Uhбн I don''t know."

    "I seeбн" Maxen rocked his head. "So that''s how you want to y it."

    Maxen shifted his eyes to Remo, jerking his chin at him. He didn''t say anything, but Remo nodded in understanding. Without a moment''s notice, Remo took arge step and grabbed the leader''s arms, pinning them on the surface of the table.

    "What are you бк" surprised, the leader''s breath hitched as he caught a silver glint from across him. His dted eyes moved to Maxen, only to see the knife Maxen taken out.

    Not just the leader, but also Cosette, Luke, and even Amie were shocked. All they could do for a moment was watch Maxen stand up, wide-eyed.

    "I''ll just cut both," announced Maxen, eyes fixed on the leader. "Do you understand?"

    "Oy!" the boss yelled in panic, moving his arms, but to no avail. Remo was strong, pinning his arms down. The boss gazed up at Remo, only to realize he might lose his hands tonight from this guy he didn''t even know.

    "Hold him still." Maxen fished out a handkerchief from his pocket, draping it over the leader''s arm. "I don''t want unnecessary blood from staining my shirt."

    "Sure."

    "Oy, oy!" The leader''s arm shook as his palm turned white. "What the hell are you thinking, eh?"

    "I just told you I''d cut your arm." Maxen blinked almost innocently. "Did I not make myself clear?"

    The leader''splexion turned pale as his eyes shook, staring at the indifferent expression on Maxen''s. It wasn''t that the leader wasn''t exposed to violence, but never in his life did he imagine he would lose his hands tonight. Not to mention, that knife was far too small to cut anything! He could imagine the pain of getting amputated slowly and surely.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Don''t struggle," said Maxen calmly, leaning over with the knife in his hand. However, he stopped when Cosette suddenly tugged the hem of his suit. He gazed down at her, only to see her wide eyes and shaking head.

    "Maxбн" whispered Cosette. "... what are you doing?"

    "Teaching him a lesson."

    "Oy, Maxen, what are you бк bro, why are you letting him do this?" Luke chimed in, gasping as he red at Remo. Remo was acting as though this was normal and was even willing to hold the leader down so Maxen could start cutting!

    They weren''t a part of a gang! Why would they do this?

    "Because I can''t hurt you two." Maxen''s answer took Cosette and Luke off guard. They could only stare at him nkly. "Cozie, Lukeбн you two understand that I will never hurt you, right?"

    This time, Maxen''s rxed expression turned solemn. "However, that doesn''t mean I can''t hurt others. Especially if I see traces of you getting hurt."

    His eyes lingered on the bruise on Cosette''s shoulder and on Luke''s cheek. The corner of Luke''s lips also had cracked. Butpare to them, their opponents inflicted even bigger wounds and bruises.

    "Max." Cosette clutched Maxen''s suit even tighter, shaking her head. "Please, don''t do this."

    "Max, I know you''re doing this for us. But it''s a bitбн" Luke nced at the leader, who seemed to be rooting for the two of them. "... this is illegal. I don''t want you to be a criminal because of us."

    "Then stop putting yourself in danger." This time, it was Remo who spoke in Maxen''s stead.

    Both Cosette and Luke turned their attention to Remo, only to see the disapproving look on his face. Remo mostly didn''t care about anything as he would just usually follow the three of them. Even when they hang out together, he was silent and the observer type while Luke and Cosette would banter nonstop.

    "Cozie, Luke, do you understand that if we didn''te, his situation could be yours?" Remo continued, rendering Cosette and Luke speechless. "This guy had more people outside. If we didn''te on time, this guy can be sitting across from you while thinking of how to hurt you both."

    Cosette and Luke couldn''t refute that. If Remo and Maxen didn''te, the two of them would be in so much trouble. They could only think of the worse oue and terrible scenarios.

    Amie pressed her lips into a thin line as she watched Remo scold Luke and Cosette. At this point, Amie was so sure the two of them were here because of her. They got in trouble because of her, and thus, it was her fault.

    "Please don''t get angry at them." Amie mustered a lifetime of courage to speak to Remo бк the person who scared her the most. Her breath hitched when she nced at Maxen, but she steeled her heart. "It''s my fault. Please don''t scold them anymore."

    "I never said it was not your fault." Maxen''s voice turned colder, making Amie shrink in her seat. "It is your fault. If something terrible happened to them, I would''ve killed you on the spot."

 Chapter 298 Always Pathetic

    "I never said it was not your fault. It is your fault. If something terrible happened to them, I would''ve killed you on the spot."

    Amie held her breath at Maxen''s unfaltering threats. Her heart thudded and her heart shook violently, staring back at Maxen nkly.

    "I can''t even look at you." Maxen peeled his eyes from her, obviously angry at Amie, for she was the cause of it all.

    He knew Cosette. She was the type who would jump in the middle of fire for those important to her, and it was starting to get on his nerves. He didn''t want Cosette to continuously put herself in danger just to save her friend. It worried him.

    "Just this once, Max," requested Cosette in a hushed voice. "Please don''t do this."

    "Yes, Max. Just let them off once. We''re fine бк I mean, let''s just report them to the police!"

    "Yes, yes! Just send me to prison!" the leader agreed while nodding profusely, almost making things hrious.

    Maxen ignored the leader and darted his eyes between Luke and Cosette. After a minute, a sigh slipped past his lips. His eyes then slid to the corner, setting it back to Remo.

    "Drag him and that one with the guys and teach him a lesson before sending him to Lieutenant," ordered Maxen, which Remo epted with a nod.

    "Come on, you!" Remo grabbed the leader''s back cor and pulled him up. His other hand also grabbed Henry''s back cor, dragging the two outside of the KTV room.

    Meanwhile, Cosette and Luke could only watch Remo drag the leader and Henry out of the room. They heard the boss and Henry yell and struggle, but then their struggle stopped. They could imagine how Remo and the guards outside dealt with them.

    Both of them couldn''t say anything, though. Cosette and Luke could only hang their head low when Maxen''s eyes fell on them. Seeing their despondent reaction, Maxen let out a deep exhale.

    Reallyбн these two would be the death of him.

    *

    *

    *

    "I''m sorry."

    Cosette paused in her stride, turning her head to the side. There, Amie sported a weak smile. They were already on their way out of the establishment, with Maxen and Luke walking ahead of them, and then Cosette and Amie a step behind.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Three were a few securities that came with Maxen. Hence, they were just walking behind the girls, escorting their group out.

    "I''m really sorry for putting you in trouble," said Amie in a weak tone, squeezing her bicep to stop her body from shivering. Even though it had been an hour since Maxen came, her body wouldn''t stop shaking.

    Tonight, Amie nearly got defiled by a few men. And the most ridiculous of all was that she agreed to it for money. Now that Amie thought about it, she felt disgusted about herself. Not only she was willing to get paid for sex, but she also didn''t see that she was being manipted.

    It was stupid.

    How could she not see Henry''s real colors? Just because he was nice to her, and she desperately needed friends to show her ''former'' friends that she could still have friends. Many questions and regrets surged in Amie''s head until Cosette suddenly stopped in her tracks.

    "Thank you, not sorry." Amie raised her shaking eyes at Cosette when thetter corrected. "It is true we got in trouble because of you, but that isn''t your fault. I had a choice to step in or feign ignorance. I chose to step in and help my friend, so that isn''t your fault. That is my decision and even if Maxen was angry, I don''t regret it. I take responsibility for it."

    Cosette let out a deep exhale as she assessed Amie''s countenance. "The only fault you did is you let them use you, and I can''t understand the reason, Amie. Even if you hate us, ruining yourself will benefit no one."

    "You don''t want to be friends with us, sure. But don''t let others take advantage of you. Your misfortune will not make anyone happy, it''ll just drag you to endless misery," she added with a weak breath, getting everything out of her chest to tell Amie what was in her heart. "Amie, friends don''t enable their friends to cheat or do something terrible to cover for them. Friendship isn''t all about the sharedughter and gossip, but about supporting each other and lifting each other up. Not because Sarah and I didn''t intervene with your issue with Fay, we were taking her side."

    "Both of you were our friends and we understand her and also you. I''m sure if you think about it thoroughly, you''d understand that her intentions and ours aren''t to shun you." Cosette paused, holding Amie''s eyes before she smiled subtly. "I hope this will be a wake-up call because I don''t think I''d be able to protect you if something happened like this again."

    ? There was a moment of silence that descended on the two of them, staring at each other motionlessly. A shallow smile line appeared on the side of Cosette''s lips as she pressed her lips, nodding at her slightly.

    "I''ll go with them now." Cosette stayed for several seconds before turning on her heel, following Maxen and Luke. "Don''t worry. I''m sure Max already arranged for someone to drive you home."

    Luke was trying to earn brownie points from Maxen so he wouldn''t get scolded more, but Maxen would just get more upset every time he would look at him. Hence, Maxen pretended Luke didn''t exist. Seeing this, Cosette grabbed Luke by his back cor and dragged him to a safe distance from Maxen.

    "Can you stop parading your bruises in front of Max?" she whisper and yelled, ring at Luke, who was unable to react to her actions. "Can''t you see he is getting even more upset whenever he sees your swollen face?"

    "Cosette, I can hear you,"mented Max, making Luke and Cosette freeze. But he didn''t stop in his tracks.

    Meanwhile, Amie stayed in her vantage point, eyes on the three. Tears blurred her vision, fixing her eyes on Cosette''s figure.

    ''Am Iбн'' Amie''s thoughts trailed off as a tear rolled down her cheek. ''... always this pathetic?''

 Chapter 299 Great, Cosette, Great.

    Cosette sat in the backseat in silence, peeking at Maxen, who was sitting near the other window. When they left the establishment, they didn''t idle as they got into the car with Luke. They first dropped Luke and Remo off, with Maxen asking thetter to look after Luke for him.

    Now, it was just Cosette and Maxen on their way back to the c Mansion.

    It was rare for the two of them to stay so silent. Although not all the time they were chatting, the silence between them wasn''t anything awkward. It was a peaceful kind of silence, but tonight was different.

    "Are you angry?" she asked, breaking the silence between them when she couldn''t take it anymore.

    Maxen snapped his eyes at her. "I''m upset."

    "Max."

    "Cozie." This time, Maxen didn''t allow her to reason out with him. However, his tone was still calm. "Don''t put yourself in danger over and over."

    "Then what do you want me to do?" she sighed deeply. "If I didn''t barge inside that room, they would''ve done the unspeakable to Amie! If it''s you, will you just stand idly when you know your friend is in danger?"

    Silence followed Cosette''s remarks as the two of them stared at each other. The answer was obvious. However, Maxen was still upset. Not because he couldn''t understand Cosette''s point, but the fact that he couldn''t refute her argument.

    "All we want is for you to be safe, Cozie." A deep exhale slipped past Maxen''s lips after a moment of silence. "I have nothing else to say."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line. Even though she knew she was in the right and there was nothing wrong with what she did, Cosette wasn''t so stubborn not to understand where he wasing from. She should be d that Maxen was the one who came, and not her father. Conrad would kill and she would be in deep trouble.

    "Sorry," came out a remorseful whisper, gazing down at herp. "I know why you are upset, and I understand that. You only want the best for me and for me to be safe. However, even when I understand that, I can''t promise that I won''t do it again."

    "After all, if you or Luke or even Remo would be in such a tricky situation, I will still do everything I can to help you. So, I want to say sorry today and in advance," she added, raising her eyes at Maxen once again.

    Again, the two of them stared at each other in silence. Cosette didn''t want to make promises and eventually break them. She knew she would be in the same situation again if the important people in her life would be put in danger.

    "I don''t know what to do with you." Maxen pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

    Maxen didn''t say anything further, making her purse her lips. They didn''t talk after that as well until they reached home. However, Cosette forgot about one thing: her outfit.

    "Papa, I''m home бк" Cosette halted as Conrad, who was sitting on the couch, turned his head to her.

    The second Conrad''s eyesnded on her, his expression turned nk. His reaction was the reason Cosette suddenly stop, wondering why her father was giving her such a strange look. Her puzzlement, however, was quickly answered when Conrad''s eyes went from head to toe.

    ''Oh no!'' Her back and face stiffened, frozen on the spot. Cosette instinctively cast Maxen a look as if ming him for not reminding her of her revealing attire.

    "Cosette." Cosette flinched when Conrad called, shifting her attention to the couch to see her father rise from his seat. "Are you rebelling now?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No!" she defended immediately.

    "Max?"

    "She''s not." Maxen let out a deep exhale, standing beside Cosette. "She was in a costume party."

    "Ohбн" Conrad rocked his head, darting his eyes to Cosette and then to Maxen.

    He didn''t notice until now that Cosette and Maxen seemed to have grown a bit. They looked more mature than before, especially now that Cosette was wearing quite revealing clothes matched with bold makeup. While Maxen was in his tux after an important business meeting.

    "Papa, don''t you trust me anymore?" Cosette frowned, snapping Conrad back to his trance. "Why do you need to ask Maxen?"

    "Confirmation." Her frown deepened. But Conrad didn''t dwell on it, assuming she already knew his good intentions. "By the way, Max, I need to talk to you about something. Come to my office."

    "I will. I''ll just drop her off in her room." Maxen lowered his head to Conrad.

    Unlike before, Conrad wouldn''t allow Maxen near Cosette''s room, but now that he trusts Maxen enough to let him at least make sure Cosette would be in her room. After all, Cosette had been very mischievoustely. She had always been, though. Conrad just didn''t know.

    "Alright." Conrad rocked his head in understanding.

    With that being said, Maxen faced Cosette and tipped his head in the exit''s direction. Her frown remained but didn''t say a word as she march back to her room.

    "It''s not like I need a bodyguard to make sure I enter my room," sheined as she reached the shut door of her room, turning to face Maxen. "I''m not a kid anymore, Max. It''s not like I will sneak out or something. I can at least do this myself. No need to guard me."

    "I''m not guarding you," exined Maxen, keeping his eyes on her. "I just want to see you and spend just another minute since I didn''te to school."

    "Ohбн"

    Maxen''s eyes softened, raising his hand to cup her cheek. No word came out of his lips, brushing her cheek with his thumb.

    "I missed you today," he whispered, offering her a subtle smile. "Goodnight, Cozie."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, watching him retrieve his hand before walking away. She bit her inner lower lip, feeling a bit guilty for being rash and sensitive.

    "I forgot to ask how was his day," she whispered, squeezing her biceps while keeping her eyes on his retreating back. "Great, Cosette. Great."

 Chapter 300 So, Mister Devilsin Isnt Lying, Huh?

    Normally, Cosette and Maxen would talk about their day whenever they had different agendas for the day. During school days, they would chat about just about anything. Of course, since Maxen was the epitome of good influence, they would mostly study. Flirtinges in second.

    That had been their habit. But s, because of what happened with Amie, Maxen and Cosette didn''t have to catch up. And when they talked, it mostly ended up in silence. So when Cosette realized that Maxen wasn''t trying to ''attack'' her because of what she had done, her conscience slowly ate her.

    "Max had been preparing for months for this day," mumbled Cosette, highlighting a note in her book, and then paused.

    To distract herself from thing anything tonight, Cosette forced herself to review. Sitting in front of her study desk, a deep sigh slipped past her lips. Cosette pushed herself away from the desk, leaning back with her hands propped on the edge of the table.

    "First, you forgot about his birthday, and now this. Seriously. Why am I missing the important days in his life?" she asked herself, sighing for the umpteenth time. "To top it all off, instead of asking or offering to celebrate, I just kept onining."

    Thinking of her attitude previously and how she was so defensive, Cosette buried her face in her palm. A muffled scream escaped her clenched teeth, wanting to scold herself. Perhaps it was the emotions tonight or just her hormones during the period. But she still felt bad.

    "Should I say sorry?" she wondered, ncing at the digital clock on the side of the desk.

    It was already almost midnight. Assuming Maxen and Conrad already finished talking, Maxen was probably in his room reading and catching up on the lesson he missed today.

    "Right." Just as Cosette was about to push herself away, to sneak inside Maxen''s room, her phone rang. Her brows rose, setting it to her phone right beside herptop. Picking it up, her brow arched, seeing that Asher was calling her all of a sudden.

    "Why is he suddenly calling after months of not hearing from him?" she wondered, checking the time on instinct once again. "Don''t tell me he''s drunk again?"

    A frown instantly turned up on her face, answering the call since she already learned her lesson. Back then, she ignored Asher''s phone call and Ezekiel surprised her with his presence. She could just hang up if it wasn''t important, but at least she wanted to prevent another troublesome incident.

    "Asher Quinnбн I swear if you''re drunk calling me again, I will hang up on you," Cosette warned as soon as the line connected. Deep lines appeared in between her brows when silence was what answered her.

    "Hello?" she spoke once again, checking her screen to see that the line was still connected. Hence, she ced it back in front of her ear. "Are you really drunk?"

    "Can you attend my graduation?" asked Asher after three seconds, catching her off guard with his invitation.

    "Huh?" Cosette scrunched her face. "What did you say?"

    "Will you?"

    "Asher Quinn, what the hell?" Cosette slowly walked back to her bed, plopping her butt down on the edge. She had heard him drunk and even seen him, so she could tell Asher was under the influence of alcohol at the moment.

    "Why are you suddenly inviting me to your graduation?" she asked after a moment, calming down slightly. "I mean, we didn''t even talk for months. How can you just call me in the middle of the night to invite me to your graduation? Also, isn''t that too early? We still have around two months before the school year endsбн"

    "I like you."

    "What?"

    "I like you, so I''m inviting you. I''m making it more subtle since I don''t want to surprise you if I ask you out."

    Cosette opened and closed her mouth for a moment, rendered speechless by his halfhearted confession. "Are you high?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No."

    "Then what makes you think this won''t surprise me just as much as when you ask me out?"

    Silence answered her before she heard a shortugh from the other end of the line. Cosette had been very observant and sensitive to the people around her. Therefore, she immediately detected the bitter undertone in hisugh.

    "Asher, are you alright?" she asked, naturally worried about him.

    "Yes." His answer was quick, but he also took it back just as quickly. "No, I''m not."

    "Do you need an extra ear?" she offered out of the goodness of her heart.

    Asher kept quiet for the next minute before he repeated. "Seeing you attend my graduation would be nice."

    "Ash, you know that me and Maxбк"

    "And I don''t care about that."

    Her lips curved down, obviously not pleased by his response. "Asher Quinn."

    "You''re not married yet, Cosette c. I mean, even if you are, there''s no guarantee that you''d stick together." Asher shrugged as if ridiculing the sacredness of marriage. "Isn''t that the reason divorce exists?"

    "What is wrong with you? Why are you suddenly saying all this?" her expression turned even gloomier. "Did something happen?"

    ? Asher didn''t answer immediately, focusing on the concern in her voice. It was true that he left her alone for months, preupying himself with work and school. There was no point in wasting his energy on Maxen or Cosette or even Luke. Although he would usually check Luke''s well-being regrly.

    "Nothing," he replied after a while, shifting his eyes to the document on his desk."Nothing happened recentlyбн maybe in the past. Who knows?"

    "Goshбн"

    "Cosette, I''ll expect you toe, hmm? That would be nice."

    "Wait иC"

    Asher ended the call before she could even refuse or negotiate. He sighed, putting his phone down the side before picking up the document in front of him. When he raised it in front of him, his eyes read the bold letters above.

    [ DNA test resultsбн ]

    "Asher Quinn and Maynard Quinnбн" a short and dryugh escaped his lips, reading that small percentage that proved they weren''t father and son. "So, Mister Devilsin isn''t lying, huh?"

 Chapter 301 How It All Came To That

    "Asher Quinn and Maynard Quinnбн so, Mister Devilsin is right, huh?"

    Asherughed in ridicule, running his fingers through his tousled hair. He leaned forward against the desk, breathing through his mouth at the tightness in his chest. The paper in his hand trembled, crumpling.

    Pain dominated Asher''s face, unsure of what to feel about this discovery. How could he? All his lifeбн Asher dedicated his entire life to the Quinn Family.

    To discover that everything was a lieбн that he and the man he called father wasn''t his fatherбн just how could Asher face such a thing?

    "Hahбн haha!" another wave ofughter slipped past his lips and continued until the document fell on the table.

    How Asher came to this all started that night. That night, he followed Maynard just because he was worried that his father was drunk, only to overhear his father calling another woman''s name. Asher saw the portrait his father hid like a treasure, and behind the picture was a name written on the back.

    Ste Cloven.

    Cloven.

    That surname wasn''t rare. To be fair, the family name Cloven wasmon. If Asher didn''t know a particr person with the name Cloven, he wouldn''t snoop around. Asher knew it wasn''t important to know more about this woman Ste that his father couldn''t forget, even after all these years. But he still did.

    Until one night, Asher received a call from a man named Mister Devilsin.

    It wasn''t Asher''s nature to talk to a stranger, especially if the other person emanated such a dangerous aura. However, Mister Devilsin spoke something that Asher couldn''t turn down.

    "Maynard Quinnбн I heard you''ve been snooping around your father''s past. You''d get hurt, kid," were the words that piqued Asher''s curiosity, holding the phone while standing in the middle of his room. "This is an advice an adult can give to a poor kid like you."

    "What do you know?" asked Asher with a deep frown. "And who are you?"

    "Just a concerned guardian angel."

    Asher''s frown deepened, not pleased at theck of sincerity in the voice of the man. "Whoever you are, don''t call me again if you don''t want to face consequences."

    "Haha. How scary." The man on the other end of the line humored. "Don''t worry. I am simply warning youбн or maybe I saw an opportunity to give Maynard some problems without directly causing one for him."

    "Don''t call my father бк"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Kid, that man you call fatherбн are you sure he is your father?" the man cut him off mid-sentence. "I''m not the one to speak, but you wouldn''t poke your nose in your father''s past if you weren''t curious about something. Am I right?"

    "I am a man who held a deep grudge against your father. Even if the man you call father dies a thousand times, it is not enough. What I am saying is, I hate him so passionately that I would do everything to hurt him the worst way possible," the man continued while his tone grew solemn. "That being said, everything I''d tell you might be true, but it would hurt you, kid. Curiosity kills the cat."

    "But try it. DNA." the man named Mister Devilsin smirked. "Take a DNA test to confirm if he is your father. The truth hurts, though. That''s the reason your father never tried to take the test. After all, your mother messed up his life бк she and your father messed up everyone''s lives. It''ll be a p to his face if he confirmed you aren''t his in the first ce."

    "Haha! I''m excited to see his reaction бк"

    Asher hung up while Mister Devilsin ramble on and on in delight. His heart thudded while his hand trembled, staring at the phone in his grip.

    "What nonsenseбн" he whispered, shaking his head.

    All the hair across his body raised, recalling the chill he felt the more he listened to that stranger. Asher immediately blocked the number used, but even so, Mister Devilsin already fulfilled his goal. Thetter managed to instill this seed of doubt in Asher''s heart.

    Mister Devilsin talked as if he knew Maynard and everything. Asher never talked to this man before, and this call was their first. Still, the way Mister Devilsin didn''t hide his abhorrence to Maynard and his constant warning to Asher to stop poking his nose, only to encourage him, was a good tactic to pique Asher''s curiosity.

    Asher had grown conscious of the things that he hadn''t noticed in the past. The little details that weren''t used to be worthy of his attention, such as how he didn''t resemble his father that much. Although Asher had these physical qualities Maynard and the Quinn family had, he felt different.

    Unlike his little brother, Luke, that one look and one would immediately tell he was a Quinn, Asher''s face wasn''t like that. If not for Asher''s upbringing and mien, one would think he came from a different family, since his resemnce to the Quinn family was just too little. He thought that was because he took after his mother, but then again, Mister Devilsin''s words yed with his head.

    Asher tried his best to get that thought out of his head, burying himself with tons of workload. But in the end, Asher still sumbed to his curiosity to end it once and for all. He only did so to prove that Mister Devilsin was simply ying with his head like a real devil.

    But the result that returned to him wasбн enough for him to remember Mister Devilsin''s words. Curiosity kills the cat. The truth was too painful for him to bear. Not just that, but just earlier, the investigator he hired to dig up about Ste Cloven came back.

    Ste Cloven had a child and that child''s name was Maxen Cloven.

    What a small, small world.

    Asher snapped his eyes at his phone when it lit up, seeing an unknown number on it. Even so, Asher already guessed who it was, since Mister Devilsin seemed to have eyes everywhere. Asher reached for his phone, answering the phone without a second hesitation.

    The moment he ced his phone on his ear, he heard Mister Devilsin saying, "so? Did you like the result, boy?"

 Chapter 302 His Gut Feeling Was Correct, After All

    "So? Did you like the result, boy?"

    "What do you want?" Asher didn''t beat around the bush, knowing there was certainly something else that this man wanted. "Why are you doing this?"

    "Huh? I already told you, boy. I hate your father with passion and hurting him for fun uplift my mood."

    Asher''s expression turned hard as he gripped the phone tighter. "Do you find this funny?"

    "Do I find it funny? Of course! I could be doing something more productive, but here I am, talking to a kid!" Mister Devilsin intoned in a knowing tone, showing no sign of remorse for poking fun at Asher. "Don''t worry. It''s worth it."

    "Stop nowбн" Asher''s voice shook along with his entire body. "Stop calling me."

    "Why, Asher Quinn?" Mister Devilsin cocked his head to the side. "I thought we were friends now since I helped you find out the truth."

    "Stopбн"

    "Why? Are you scared that now that you know the truth, you aren''t confident about your inheritance anymore?" asked the man that was akin to a devil whispering in Asher''s ears. "You used to think you''re on top of the world, so it''s understandable. At any moment, you can lose everything. Don''t worry. For as long as you keep that secret to yourself, you will be fine."

    "I mean, what can go wrong, right? Maynard isn''t willing to do a DNA test for obvious reasons," the man continued like a friend who wouldn''t stop talking. "You just have to be careful and, of course, continue being exceptional. Don''t cause too much trouble and you''ll be safe."

    There was a moment of silence as Asher''s stiff shoulder rxed. When his lips parted and a deep breath slipped past them, a hushed question flew out of his mouth.

    "Tell me," whispered Asher, ignoring everything that Mister Devilsin said. "Is Maxen Clovenбн who is his father?"

    This time, Mister Devilsin didn''t answer. Asher didn''t know if the man purposely stayed silent because being silent could mean many things, or if Mister Devilsin truly hesitated. Either way, Asher was simply asking, not because he really need an answer.

    Asher wasn''t stupid. He was smart enough to put the pieces together.

    "Please do not contact me anymoreбн" Asher spoke under his breath. "... don''t worry. I will contact you soon, Mister Devilsin. I just need some time to process this."

    With that being said, Asher didn''t hesitate to end the call. Another deep huff escaped his mouth, closing his eyes while running his fingers through his hair. Asher then leaned back, cocking his head back with his eyes on the ceiling.

    "My gut feeling never failed me," came out a whisper, recalling his first impression of Maxen.

    Asher confessed to Cosette back in the c''s ancestral home, the reason he was wary of Maxen. Asher felt like Maxen was a person who would take everything from him, and it turned out that was true.

    "Hahaбн" another dryugh slipped past Asher''s lips as his eyes swirled with bitterness. "... what a melodramatic life. I feel like I am in a movie."

    *

    *

    *

    Knock Knock

    "Huh?" Luke furrowed his brows as two light knocks came from his door. He turned his head ever so slowly at the door, staring at him, blinking.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Knock Knock

    "Who''s here at this hour?" he wondered to himself, pushing himself up from the beanbag. The knocks continued at the same pace while Luke drag his feet toward the door.

    Knock Knock

    "Wait." Luke ruffled his hair in irritation. "What the heck? Do you know what time is it бк"

    Luke halted as soon as he opened the door and saw the person standing outside. His brows furrowed as his lips curved down, not pleased with the guest he had tonight.

    "What are you doing here?" asked Luke, switching his defensive mode, assuming Asher would try to tell him to go back home. "If you came here just to tell me to go home, you''re wasting your time. I''m not going home even if you cry a river."

    Much to Luke''s surprise, Asher said something different that he didn''t expect.

    "Can I stay here for tonight?" asked Asher, making Luke''s brows elevate.

    "What did you say?" Luke shook his head as if that would clear his hearing. "I think I need to clean my earsбн"

    "Can I stay at your ce tonight?"

    Luke slowly set his dted eyes back to his brother, mouth ajar. He didn''t hear Asher wrong. His brother was asking if he could stay in his ce; here, in this small ce that was even smaller than Asher''s room back in the Quinn Residence.

    "If that''s okay with you." Asher forced a bitter smile on his face, staring at his brother''s shocked countenance. "It''s alright if you don''t want to. I just missed my little brother and want to spend some time with him."

    Luke unknowingly held his breath, assessing Asher from head to toe. Now that he thought about it, Asher was just in a casual sweater and pants. Something Asher would wear indoors, but not when he was outside. With this detail alone, Luke already knew something was wrong on top of the obvious sadness in Asher''s eyes.

    A deep breath escaped Luke''s nostrils, pushing the door wide open while standing on the side of the door.

    "Come in," invited Luke, tipping his head inside his apartment unit. "My ce is small, but it''s clean. Just don''tin or I''ll kick you out."

    A subtle smile appeared on Asher''s face, nodding in understanding. With that being said, Luke turned on his heel and walked inside. Meanwhile, Asher just gazed at his brother''s back before stepping inside.

    The ce was indeed small, as it was a studio unit, but it was clean and organized. Ironic how Luke''s room in the Quinn residence was always so messy. Asher simply needed to look around once to see how everything was set up before his attention fell on the books and notes on and beside the small study table on the floor.

    "You''reбн studying?" asked Asher, twisting his body in the fridge where Luke was getting something to drink.

    "Ahhбн" Luke nced at his brother before he shift his eyes to the books behind Asher. "Well, exams areing. I don''t have connections anymore to get me into a good university, so I have to maintain good grades in thest two years of high school. Hopefully, I''d get a schrship."

    Asher''s eyes softened, watching Luke take out a carton of juice before thetter faced him.

    "Want some juice?" Luke offered, and Asher simply smiled before he nodded.

    "Yes, thank you."

 Chapter 303 Negativity

    The next dayбн

    Sarah sat on her spot quietly, eyes on the board as their homeroom teacher spoke their reminders before their next ss. As their homeroom teacher picked her things and sauntered off, she looked back, only for her face to scrunch up.

    The back of the ss was just filled with gloomy people. Starting from Cosette, who was sitting behind Sarah''s desk. The bags under her eyes were obvious and dark as if she didn''t sleep all night, staring at nothingness.

    Sitting next to Cosette was Luke, and just like her, Luke seemed to be distraught. He was just staring at the front, but it was obvious he wasn''t mentally there. Meanwhile, although Maxen was always silent, Sarah could feel the negative auraing from him.

    Sarah shifted her eyes to Remo and Fay, that were also in thest row. Remo might look like how he would usually be during ss, but Fay seemed she didn''t get enough sleepst night. Fay would usually be on fire around this time, as it was just their second subject. Hence, she would be full of energy. So it was strange. No. All of them were strange today.

    ''Did I miss something yesterday?'' Sarah wondered to herself. ''Except Maxen, all of them were okay. I wonder what happened after school?''

    There were days Sarah couldn''t help but wonder if she was just missing out on too much about her friends. After all, she had been busy with school and her part-time, working thrice harder than the previous school year because she wanted to graduate high school and get into a good university. Sarah had no support financially because of family and financial problems back home.

    ''I should just ask themter,'' she told herself, peeling her eyes from thest row. However, before she could even set her eyes ahead, her gaze fell on the empty desk.

    ''She didn''te today.'' Sarah sighed in worry, staring at Amie''s desk. ''Amieбн I hope she''ll get a grip. I feel bad that I couldn''t focus on my friends just as much.''

    Another sigh slipped past Sarah''s lips before she set her eyes back on the board. She tried her best to throw her other concerns at the back of her head, focusing on their studies until recess.

    After several subjects, recess finally came. When Sarah turned around, the mood in thest row was still gloomy. Perhaps gloomier. Cosette, Luke, and Fay were slumped on their desk. Meanwhile, Maxen was fixing his notes and books while Remo was enjoying a carton of juice while reading.

    "Cozie," Sarah called, making Cosette nce up without moving her head from her desk. "Are you okay? Is there something wrong?"

    Cosette exhaled before she hummed listlessly. "Mhm."

    ''She''s definitely not okay.'' Sarah sighed for the umpteenth time, shifting her eyes to Luke. "Are you, Luke?"

    "Me?" Lukezily nced up at Sarah andughed dryly. "I guess."

    ''That''s definitely a no.'' бк Sarah tranted Luke''s words in her head, moving her attention to Fay. "How about you, Fay? You look tired. Did you three review all nightst night?"

    "Huh?" Cosette and Luke replied in unison before they turned their heads in Fay''s direction.

    Cosette blinked, straightening her back. "Now that I think about it, are you okay, Fay?"

    Cosette could understand if Luke was a little groggy today. After what happenedst night in the KTV bar and how they got scolded by Maxen, she assumed it had something to do with Maxen. Cosette''s gloomy mood had something to do with Maxen, after all.

    Fay blinked weakly, darting her weary eyes at Luke, Cosette, and then at Sarah.

    "The manhwa I was readingst night was so good it stole my sleep." Fay yawned. "It''s the reward I gave myself after acing my exam, but now I''m suffering.''

    The three бк Cosette, Luke, and Sarah бк tried to maintain their expression. However, they couldn''t. Just when they thought Fay had a problem and thus, affected her mood today. Still, it was good if the culprit was because she enjoyed something so much she sacrificed her sleep.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Good for you," Luke grumbled, moving his head on the desk to find hisfortable spot. "How I wish I just could do the same."

    "What happened to you?" asked Cosette, noticing that Luke''s aura didn''t seem like it came from the same dilemma.

    "Me? Nothing." Luke sighed, looking up as he recalled his night. "Justбн a strange night."

    "How strange?" Sarah blurted out. Her rtionship with Luke was safe to call a real friendship and not just a mere ssmate. Although she wasn''t as close as her friendship with Cosette or, like Cosette with Luke, they were stillfortable with each other''s presence.

    "Strangeбн as in my brother staying over at my ce for reasons I can''t understand."

    "What?" Cosette gasped, wide-eyed. "Asher stayed over at your ce?"

    "Mhm."

    "Why?"

    "I don''t know?" deep lines appeared in between Luke''s brows, assessing Cosette''s expression. "Why are you reacting that way? Since when are you friends with him?"

    "What?" her mien and expression instantly changed when Luke pointed out. "I''m just shocked. You knowбн no one in your family bothered you for months. So I thought he was asking you to go home."

    Luke narrowed his eyes suspiciously, drawing his body from the desk. Cosette flinched when he suddenly pointed a finger at her.

    "Cosette c, don''t you dare be friends with my brother," he warned, making Cosette''s and Sarah''s brows raise. "We''re already friends. You can only have one friend from a set of siblings, alright?"

    Dismay dominated Cosette''s face at Luke''s nonsense again. "Then, the more reason I should be friends with your brother. Between you two, at least, he is more sensible."

    "What did you say?" he scoffed in dismay.

    "I saidбн" Cosette trailed off, moving away from Luke as if distance would save her beforepleting her sentence. "... it''s better to be friends with бк"

    Sarah sighed deeply, shaking her head when Cosette and Luke jumped from their seat before Cosette could finish her remarks.

    "I guess I shouldn''t have been worried," she mumbled, watching Luke chase after Cosette out of their room while yelling to kill her for real. Sarah then nced at Fay. Thetter was yawning, trying to get some sleep before their next ss.

    Just then, Sarah nced up when Maxen walked past the empty seats of Cosette and Maxen. Sarah had been friends with Cosette sincest year until the present. All of Cosette''s friends had also be Sarah''s friends; it was the same with Cosette.

    There was only one person who Sarah didn''t have the confidence to befriend. Although her rtionship with Maxen was civil, thetter had always been aloof and distant from others except for Cosette, Luke, and even Remo.

    "Max."

 Chapter 304 The Rooftop

    "Max."

    Sarah called even before she could think of anything, biting her tongue when Maxen looked back at her. She didn''t know what came over her to call Maxen and stop him from getting out of the room, but since she already did, there was nothing she could do.

    "Hmm?" Maxen tilted his head to the side, waiting for Sarah to say what she wanted to tell him. There wasn''t anything distinct from his countenance.

    "Are you okay?" asked Sarah with a tinge of nervousness before she awkwardly added, "don''t get me wrong. I just noticed that something seemed off, so I''m asking. Did I misread it?"

    Maxen kept his lips in a straight, thin line and took a few seconds before he answered. "Yes, you did, but thank you."

    "Ohбн" Sarahughed awkwardly, watching Maxen walk away without looking back. "Something definitely is not right."

    Just then, Fay yawned loudly, catching Sarah''s attention. Thetter shifted her attention to Fay, only to hear Fay say something gibberish while yawning.

    "Well." Sarah shook her head, throwing whatever thoughts were into the back of her head. "They''ll be fine."

    One thing Sarah was confident about was that whatever bothered Luke, Maxen, and Cosette, they would figure it out on their own. If this was in the past, Sarah would try to know what was actually the problem. But now, she believed they would tell her if they wanted to.

    It wasn''t that Sarah didn''t care about her friends anymore. It was just that her priorities this year changed quite a bit. After all, her mother and father divorced and came along with it a ton of problems.

    Surely, many things happened this school year. For instance, Remo, who used to be a school bully was now friends with Maxen. Remo was also focusing on his studies instead of ruining his life in the street.

    Fay also changed, and anyone would say Fay''s change was for the good. She took everyone by storm with her grades and surprised everyone with how hardworking she was.

    Amie, on the other hand, also had changed. Her change, however, was something that worried her friends. Sarah could only hope Amie would earn her newfound gut and courage, but for the good.

    Cosette, Luke, and Maxen were more or less the same. Those three didn''t change much. Or rather, their changes weren''t in school since those three were already top students with a great backgrounds. But for sure, Sarah knew those three matured one way or another.

    Sometimes, Sarah would think about the changes in her friends and their rtionship. But, deep in her heart, she knew they were still the friends she used to know. It was just that their priorities were changing, and they could only support each other.

    ''This yearбн is surely something memorable.'' Despite that realization, Sarah still smiled with pride. ''I''m proud of my friends.''

    ***********

    "Ahh бкack!" Cosette tapped Luke''s arms as thetter kept her in a headlock, twisting his knuckles on top of her head as he caught her in the hallway. "It hurts!"

    "Take back what you said!"

    "No way бк ack!" Cosette winced and ground her teeth. "Fine, fine! I''m kidding!"

    "Are you sure?!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes!"

    Luke paused and peeked at her face. "You''re lying."

    "Ahh!" Cosette shrieked again before she blurted out. "I swear I''ll kill you if I get out of here."

    "Then more reason to smash your skull бк" Luke halted when Maxen''s figure suddenly walked past the two. Cosette also stoppedining, snapping her eyes at Maxen''s figure.

    He just walked past them as if he didn''t see them. Cosette and Luke were unsure if that was on purpose or not.

    "Oy, Cosette, did you two fight?" asked Luke, unknowingly releasing her.

    Cosette just stood beside him, eyes on Maxen''s back. Worry filled her eyes, pursing her lips into a thin line. Last night, she snuck into his room. However, she heard Maxen was still with Conrad. Although she waited for him to return to his room and eventually fell asleep, Maxen didn''t return until morning.

    She heard Maxen and Conrad lefttest night and only returned at dawn. She didn''t have time to ask him because Maxen slept on their way to school.

    "What? You fought?" her train of thoughts halted when Luke gasped, making her frown. "Oy, Cosette. How dare you fight him when he already saved our assesst night?"

    Cosette red daggers at him. "How am I always at fault when something happens between Maxen and me?"

    "Because Max is innocent!" Luke replied without a second hesitation; it wouldn''t be surprising if he didn''t even think about his response. His reply was already automatic. "I''m certain if there''s a problem with your rtionship, the cause is you."

    Luke shamelessly pointed at her, making her frown deepen. However, instead of refuting that, Cosette couldn''t. After all, Luke was telling the truth.

    She sighed, setting her eyes ahead.

    "I''m not sure about anything," she murmured. "But if I am the real cause, I want to confirm and talk to him."

    Cosette didn''t hesitate to follow Maxen, knowing Maxen wouldn''t be so petty. Even if he was upset aboutst night, she was certain they could talk about it and makeup. It had always been that way. For as long as theymunicate, they would be fine.

    Seeing that Cosette walked away in the same direction where Maxen went, Luke blinked innocently.

    "Hey!" called Luke, following Cosette. "You can''t threaten him anymore. I''d make sure you''d get a piece of him instead of getting away easily. I''ll teach Maxen how to teach a spoiled brat like you a lesson."

    Cosette ignored Luke''s sentiments and usatory remarks. It was pointless to even try to change Luke''s belief that Cosette was simply threatening Maxen whenever they have misunderstandings.

    With that being said, the two found themselves standing on the rooftop they hadn''t visited for some time. Their eyes searched for Maxen, only to find him sleeping under the shade where he would usually sleep while skipping ss in the past.

 Chapter 305 You Have A Dad

    Cosette and Luke looked at each other upon seeing Maxen napping under the shade on the rooftop. Her lips were drawn into a thin line, setting her eyes back to Maxen.

    ''Didn''t he get enough sleep?'' she wondered to herself before she carefully sauntered in Maxen''s direction.

    Both Cosette and Luke tiptoed their way to Maxen, sitting on either side of him without making any sound. Once they sat, they cast each other a look once again. Their eyes fell on Maxen; thetter had his arms over his eyes, lying leisurely on the floor.

    ''Is he asleep?'' Luke mouthed at Cosette, moving his lips slowly so she could reach his lips.

    Cosette shrugged. ''I don''t know.''

    A deep exhale escaped their nostrils, shaking their heads. But they didn''t make any unnecessary noise. They didn''t even check the time or urge each other to go back to their room, skipping sses, since that seemed to be Maxen''s n.

    Both Cosette and Luke stayed silent, killing time by looking around the empty rooftop. There weren''t many things to see aside from the walls of the railing and a few pieces of trash left by students. Not long after, Luke yawned and eventually fell asleep beside Maxen.

    Back then, Luke wouldn''t even sit on the floor. But now, he only took off his blouse to avoid some dirt and slept on his side, using his arm as a head cushion.

    Meanwhile, Cosette rested her back against the wall, darting her eyes between them.

    ''I wonder what happened?'' she wondered to herself, sighing. One thing that Cosette knew was that this was something different.

    Initially, she thought it was because ofst night. Her reckless actions and defensive attitude upset him. But now that she thought about it, Cosette was certain it was something else. After all, she knew Maxen from inside and out.

    The more she thought about it, the more her curiosity and intrigue peaked. At this point, she assumed it had something to do with Maxen''s meetingst night with Conrad. Maxen and her father leftst night. Maybe it was because Maxen was just tired, working and studying at the same time. Or something terrible happenned.

    Another sigh escaped her mouth. ''I''m going crazy thinking about it.''

    "Cozie?" Cosette nearly flinched when Maxen''s coarse voice caressed her ears, making her gaze down at him. "What are youбн"

    Maxen trailed off as he propped his elbows on the surface, catching another figure in the corner of his eye. He blinked and nced to his left, only to see Luke''s back. Thetter grunted at the slight movements, opening his eyes weakly.

    "Oh, Max?" Luke''s voice was still sleepy, rubbing his weary eyes. "Damnбн I fell asleep."

    "What are you two doing here?" asked Maxen, sitting up and setting his eyes on Cosette.

    "Isn''t it obvious?" she returned. "We''re here because you are here. We''re worried about you."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Max, did she do something to you? Tell me, so I''ll teach that girl a lesson." Luke also sat up, shaking his head to wake himself up.

    Maxen darted his eyes to Luke and Cosette before a shallowugh flew out of his mouth. He shook his head mildly, dragging his bottom to rest his back against the wall.

    "It''s not that," he rified with a slight chuckle, gazing at Luke and then at Cosette. "Cozie didn''t do anything. Although what you guys did yesterday is upsetting, I can''t really me you. Amie is Cosette''s friend, and knowing Cosette, she wouldn''t just turn a blind eye if the person she cares for is taking the wrong path. Friends are supposed to be there not just in good times, but also during bad days."

    The corner of her lips curled up slightly as her eyes softened. "Still, I''m partly at fault that Amie went down that road."

    "I can''t say you aren''t because I personally think you, Fay, and Sarah could''ve done better. But then again, you''re human." Luke shrugged, dropping his two cents since he had been thinking about that all night. "Humans make mistakes, although the term is highly subjective. My point here is that we can''t expect everyone to make the perfect decision most of the time."

    "I agree with Luke." Maxen rocked his head, pleased they were now open to this conversation. Last night, he felt like they didn''t get the time to talk about it. "But let''s just learn our lessons."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, smiling subtly. After some time of thinkingst night, she was now more open-minded about this conversation.

    "Thank you for having my back," she expressed, realizing she hadn''t thanked Luke and Maxen properlyst night. "I would''ve been in big trouble if not for you. Though I don''t promise I won''t do it again, what I can assure you is that I won''t just charge in trouble without a n."

    Her response brought a smile to Luke, and Maxen''s faces, pleased to hear that. That was all Maxen wanted to hearst night, though he couldn''t me her for everything she saidst night because the emotion was still high.

    "Now that is settled, what''s up with you, Max?" Luke pped since the casest night was considered settled. Upon mentioning that, Cosette raised her brows, setting her curious eyes on Maxen.

    Maxen''s lips parted, running his tongue across his inner cheek. His eyes darted between Luke and Cosette''s faces, noticing the curiosity in their eyes.

    "Wellбн" he cleared his throat when he recovered his voice, wondering where he should start. "... I met my father."

    "What?!" Cosette and Luke gasped in surprise, but Luke added, "you have a dad бк ack!"

    A frown instantly turned up on Luke''s face as Cosette smacked his head. He rubbed the side of his head, ring at her.

    "What kind of nonsense question is that?" she hissed, snapping her tongue in irritation before setting her eyes back to Maxen. Her heart thudded for the obvious reason, having an idea of what sort of person Maxen''s father was.

    "Max, what happened?" she inquired worriedly, holding his gaze sternly.

    Maxen remained silent, studying Cosette''s expression for a while. When another shallow sigh escaped his mouth, his lips parted to fill them in with the details ofst night''s affairs with Conrad.

 Chapter 306 Last Night...

    Last nightбн

    Maxen only knocked on Conrad''s study once before entering. Unlike a year ago when Maxen was overly cautious around Conrad, he was more rxed in entering the study room. Conrad had been his mentor and the father figure he looked up to. Therefore, whatever reason Conrad had for calling him to his study, Maxen didn''t think of anything negative.

    When Maxen entered the study, his eyes caught Conrad standing in front of the window where the stand was at. Conrad was pouring himself a ss of wine and then poured another ss for Maxen.

    "You called for me?" asked Maxen, standing in the same spot. "The meeting went well today."

    "I heard." Conrad turned on his heel, holding the wine sses as he sauntered on the set of couches. "Take a seat, Max."

    Conrad perched on the single-seater couch, cing the drinks on the center table. Meanwhile, Maxen also sat on the long couch leisurely. Maxen was already at the age of drinking, and he had been drinking a few sips since it was needed to be doing so in meeting high-positioned politicians and even celebrities. People that Maxen never thought he would even meet in this life, let alone talk to.

    The deal he had closed today was a huge step for the security agency owned by Conrad as their client was a minister of the country. It was something worthy to celebrate, but Maxen only let his team and staff have fun tonight, as he had to leave early for Cosette.

    "Before anything else, congrats on closing the deal. That minister was a tough person to break, but I heard he was very fond of you," remarked Conrad, making Maxen lower his head.

    "The minister is simply trustful because of you."

    "Maxen, I give credit where credit is due. Thank you is supposed to be your answer," Conrad corrected, breaking Maxen''s habit of not epting any credit for his hard work. "I know you''ve been working hard on this deal."

    Maxen remained silent, watching Conrad lean backfortably. Thetter swirled the wine in his hand, eyes on it.

    "How was Cosette?" asked Conrad after a moment, setting his eyes back to Maxen. "Is she alright?"

    "She''s a bit sensitive, but she''ll be fine."

    "I seeбн" A sigh slipped past Conrad, knowing he hadn''t had enough time for his daughter. Although he would always free his time to spend with her and Maxen, he knew it wasn''t enough. "I feel sorry that I am giving you so much workload."

    Maxen''s brows rose, blinking almost innocently. Conrad never spoke anything like that before, so it was quite surprising to hear him say that.

    "It''s for my future," said Maxen.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have a conscience."

    "I enjoy it." Maxen smiled as his eyes softened, gazing down at the ss on the table. "I won''t lie that sometimes the workload is overwhelming. However, whenever I achieve something or close a deal, it feels so rewarding."

    "Just a year ago, I was struggling to even pay my rent. I was living in a small ce where whenever it rains, it leaks. I would stay all night if it was pouring, so the things I have wouldn''t get ruined by it," he continued quietly, recalling his life back then before Cosette came into the picture. "But now, whether I pray or not, I have food on the table prepared by another person."

    Maxen slowly raised his eyes. "No matter how strong the wind or the rain, I have a roof to protect me. The opportunities you had given me and the trust you handed to me so easily are something I think I don''t deserve. However, I still shamelessly took them."

    "Making you proud and giving you a result that surpasses your expectation is the only way I can show my gratitude," he continued, smiling subtly at Conrad. "I meet people I didn''t think I would meet in this lifetime, let alone discuss business with them. Back then, I only imagined the food I can eat on a whim now. I live in a house that I never thought I''d be able to enter, and a life that is far different from the life I thought I would have."

    "Do not be sorry," added Maxen. "I enjoy the work."

    Conrad could only stare at Maxen and couldn''t help but ask himself; since when did this young boy turn into a young man? Maxen was only eighteen right now, but in Conrad''s eyes, Maxen seemed to have entered his twenties already.

    Just a year ago, wariness filled Maxen''s eyes, and every time he was around Conrad, he was careful of his words and even his breathing. But now, Maxen was confident without showing fear in his eyes.

    "Even if you failбн" Conrad muttered, having his strong urge to remind Maxen about Conrad''s intentions. "... I am still proud of you for trying. As long as you do your best, Max. We are not perfect, and we would make mistakes in the future."

    "I know." Maxen''s smile stretched as peace dominated his face. "But I do not want to fail. At least, not right now."

    Conrad rocked his head, reminding Maxen to take things easy for now since the one Maxen closed the deal was theirst biggest project this year. Meanwhile, as Conrad was telling Maxen to focus on his study for now and rest, Maxen couldn''t help but look at Conrad with appreciation.

    Conrad was truly a wonderful person. Because of this man, Maxen could look back and be in awe at how far his life was right nowpared to the life he had a year ago. It was amazing every time he thought about it, yet Conrad wasn''t pressuring him.

    Maxen would always be forever grateful to Conrad and wished him to have a long life. That was all Maxen wanted for Conrad, and maybe an early retirement, so Conrad could just live leisurely with Cosette. After all, Cosette was a daddy''s girl. Conrad and Cosette''s happiness was something Maxen would always wish for and his priority.

    "Anyway, there is another reason I called for you here tonight." Maxen''s train of thought halted when Conrad cleared his throat. "It''s about your father."

 Chapter 307 Last Night... II

    ?"Anyway, there is another reason I called for you here tonight. It''s about your father."

    Maxen''s heart thudded at the mention of his father, unknowingly holding his breath. His eyes slightly turned nk, in a daze, as he stared at Conrad.

    "Iбн do not have a father," Maxen blurted out under his breath, lowering his eyes as he picked up the winess. "That manбн is he bothering you?"

    "I took in his sonбн I''m sorry." Conrad cleared his throat, realizing it was insensitive of him to keep mentioning Maxen and that man''s connection. "I had been in contact with him after the raid that night."

    ? Maxen''s brows rose after drinking a mouthful of wine to calm himself down. He knew that raid because Maxen was there with Conrad, watching everything unfold. It was the reason he brought a lot of security when he picked up Cosette and Luke tonight, knowing the area they got in trouble while rescuing Amie was the area where the drug trades and members of gangs walk around freely.

    The establishment that got raided was just around that area as well. But that wasn''t the point. What was important right now was Conrad and that man who imed to be Maxen''s father.

    "I haven''t said it before, Maxen, but I know that man." Maxen''s eyes dted upon Conrad''s confession. "I know him and your mother, Ste."

    "When I heard your name the first time, your surname Cloven sounded familiar," Conrad continued in the same rxed tone. "Although I''m not as close to Ste and barely interacted with her. I just didn''t think you were connected to her."

    It was understandable that Conrad didn''t figure out Maxen and Ste''s connection because he didn''t run a background check on Maxen. At least, he didn''t dwell on Maxen''s background. Moreover, Maxen''s family name wasn''t that umon. Therefore, Conrad didn''t think about it until Cosette spoke about an international crime organization, SIN.

    "However, Ro used to be a good friend of mine," continued Conrad, staring at Maxen solemnly. "He was the nicest person I knew, and if I can turn back time, I would''ve done something to help him. Perhaps forced my help instead of letting him refuse me."

    There was a slight regret and sadness that peeked in Conrad''s eyes, recalling how focused he was on his career. He didn''t know that his friends were already walking to the ring of fire. Back then, Conrad was just someone who was a friend, but at the same time, always absent.

    Not that anyone could me him. Conrad was an only son, and he was schooled to lead the BLK Corporation. He needed to be exceptional in every aspect, and thus, even when they were still in university, he had to juggle between school and work, barely having time to hang out with Ro and Maynard.

    Maxen assessed Conrad, and he knew thetter was telling the truth. Still, hearing Conrad call Ro a nice person was something unbelievable. Maxen already met that man and even interacted with him. He had seen what Ro could do and how twisted he was.

    Ro was the person who put this burden on Maxen''s shoulders regarding a person''s death. Until now, even though Maxen was living well, the thought that someone died because of him was akin to a leash around his neck, tugging him down.

    "What does he want?" asked Maxen under his breath, balling his hand into a tight fist. "Is he telling you to give me back to him like a toy?"

    "Not reallyбн" Conrad let out another shallow breath. "He is requesting to see you."

    "Why?"

    Conrad shrugged. "He said he wants to make sure you are living well."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hahбн" Maxenughed dryly as if he just heard the biggest joke in hisugh. "He wants to make sure I am living well? Hahaбн that''s funny."

    "Maxen." Conrad leaned forward, keeping a stern expression. "I understand you do not have any familiar attachment to him. I won''t ask you to give him the slightest respect, however, I know him. We agreed that once he made sure you''re living well, he will leave you alone."

    "You believe him?"

    Conrad''s lips parted, but his tongue rolled out.

    "Initially, I didn''t." бк it was the reason Conrad had been busy recently, dealing with this organization because Ro was influentialбн in a bad way. Ro had been pressing Conrad''s nerves, causing him problems here and there. However, Conrad was someone who would fall so easily; he would settle his matters, only to use his own influence and power to mess with Ro.

    The cycle had been like that for Conrad and Ro for months; one of the reasons Conrad couldn''t really oversee the security agency that Maxen was managing. Ro was a whole load of shit to handle, but for Ro, Conrad was the same.

    But a few days ago, Ro personally reached out to Conrad. More like he ambushed Conrad so they could talk in person.

    "But I''ve met him, and I''m certain he is being serious," Conrad reassured Maxen. "Don''t worry. I already spoke to the general and he will back us up to make sure we''ll leave this meeting unscathed."

    Silence descended in the room as neither of them spoke for a moment. Maxen kept his eyes on the wine, chugging it down in one go. He didn''t like this; he disliked that now that he was having a good life, people he didn''t want wereing to him. However, this would be a good chance for Maxen to tell Ro off.

    Meeting Ro meant Maxen could cut ties with him.

    "I''ll go with you," reassured Conrad sincerely. "I won''t send my son all alone to meet a dangerous man. If he pulls out anything funny, I''ll kill him if I must."

    "You don''t have to бк"

    "Maxen, the only reason I agreed to this is that I think we''ll both need it," Conrad cut him off mid-sentence, looking him straight in the eye. "If anything goes wrong, I''ll take responsibility for it. Do you trust me?"

    Maxen stared at Conrad solemnly before he nodded. Of course. If there was a person whom Maxen trusted the most was his father, Conrad. They might not be blood-rted, but in Maxen''s heart, Conrad was the only father he would love, respect, and admire.

    "When are we going to meet him?" Maxen inquired.

    "Tonight." A glint flickered across Conrad''s eyes. "We''ll meet him tonight."

 Chapter 308 Meeting The Man

    ?"Tonight. We''ll meet him tonight."

    Those words made Maxen''s heart race, staring at Conrad nkly. The only answer Maxen could give was a nod in agreement. And with that being said, Maxen and Conrad left the c Mansion to meet this dangerous man who was a head of an international crime family.

    On the way to the meeting ce, Maxen remained silent. He was sitting beside Conrad in the backseat of the SUV, calming his breathing. When they were near, his thoughts halted as a hand squeezed his shoulder.

    Maxen turned his head in Conrad''s direction, only to see Conrad offer a subtle yet reassuring smile. Thetter didn''t need to say anything, as Maxen understood Conrad.

    [ I got you. ] бк these were what Maxen saw in Conrad''s eyes, and the nervousness in his heart subsided.

    Conrad was with Maxen, and thus, there was nothing Maxen should be afraid of. Maxen''s stiff shoulder rxed, nodding at Conrad without a word. Thetter slowly retrieved his hand, leaning against the seat before facing the window.

    This wasn''t the first time Maxen would see this man who imed to be his father. After all, on Maxen''s birth certificate, his father''s name wasn''t recorded. Maxen peeled his eyes from Conrad to the window, thinking about the life he led growing up.

    Maxen didn''t have that much memory of his mother, as he was still a child when she perished. However, despite the limited memories he had of his mother, all Maxen could remember was her haggard face smiling at him while patting his head. His mother just looked tired and miserable, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized his mother protected him with everything she could.

    He didn''t want to acknowledge it before, or rather, he didn''t have enough energy to appreciate his mother. After all, life was hard. His mother died working herself to the bone to provide for her son, and getting abused by her brother, who always acted as if she owed him.

    She diedбн Ste died trying to give her son afortable life. She might''ve failed and Maxen had to suck up to the pitiful life and maltreatment of his uncle, but at least his mother tried.

    What about Maxen''s father?

    What did he do for Maxen?

    Maxen lived a horrible life when his mother died. When Ste was alive, at least, there was a person who would provide warmth to Maxen. But when she left this world, there was no good thing that happened to the young Maxen. His father didn''t show up in front of him.

    If Maxen would ask himself what his father had done for him so far, that was killing somebody and letting Maxen carry the guilt of a person''s death. That was all.

    Therefore, Maxen didn''t have any familial attachment to the people who were connected to him by blood. Maxen didn''t have a choice since he was born with such a family, but he was thankful that he now has a family who loved him just as genuinely.

    The c Family бк Conrad, Cosette, Grandpa Marcel, Grandma Gretchen, and the people in the c Mansionбн weren''t Maxen''s blood family, but they were the people who treated him as one. The life, the luxury, and the opportunities they had given him were just the bonus.<novelnext></novelnext>

    What made them Maxen''s family were their weing arms and genuine hearts.

    Maxen didn''t have to worry about this man who called himself Maxen''s father. Maxen now has family and friends who were true to him. There was nothing for Maxen to fear anymore. After all, he wasn''t the same old Maxen who was tempted to join a crime family since his life was hopeless.

    That was right.

    What truly scared him back then was that he might just take his father''s hand and just take the path of being a felon. He had nothing to lose back then. But now, Maxen has a lot of things to lose.

    "We''re here." Warren, Conrad''s assistant from the front seat, announced.

    ? Maxen''s train of thoughts halted, snapping his eyes at the establishment ahead. The SUV stopped at the driveway of a fancy country club. Looking back at Conrad, the two of them nodded.

    "The location is surrounded, sir," Warren continued, briefing the two of them before they leave the car. "We will monitor your heart rate, sir. If anything happens, the troop the general sent will take you out of the ce."

    "I see." Conrad rocked his head in understanding, gazing at Maxen. The two of them stared at each other and nodded before hitching outside the vehicle.

    The deal was that only Conrad and Maxen could enter. It was dangerous and none of them could understand why Conrad even agreed to such a deal. Even when the other person agreed that the military would surround the meeting ce and Conrad''s people, it was still dangerous.

    Men in suits heavily guarded the outside of the country club. Their tattoos were peeking out of their cors. Some even had them on their faces and in the back of their hands. Their aura was imposing, keeping their eyes on the two figures entering the establishment.

    Despite the sharp eyes on them, Conrad was unfazed. His gait was rxed as if he wasn''t walking in a ce full of dangerous and cruel felons. Meanwhile, although Maxen kept the same unfazed exterior, his chest was filled with mixed emotions.

    Snapping his eyes ahead, his nerves kept snapping, making his stomach turn. His heart was racing, not knowing the exact reason for it. Not that he was scared or anything of the sort. But perhaps the thought of this man and what nonsense he had to say made Maxen restless.

    Soon, Maxen and Conrad reached a door where a female receptionist led them. She stood on the side, keeping her hands in front of her as she bowed. The receptionist said nothing, but Conrad and Maxen faced the door.

    Conrad nced at Maxen for a moment, only to see Maxen nod. He assessed thetter for a moment to make sure Maxen was ready, and when he confirmed Maxen was determined, Conrad opened the door to meet an old friend who Conrad wanted to ask one question:

    Why?

 Chapter 309 Meeting The Man II

    When Conrad opened the door and stepped in, his eyes searched the room. It didn''t take long before he spotted someone sitting on the windowsill. The person had his feet up on the windowsill while his other foot was on the floor to watch his weight. The man had a stick of lit cigarette in between his lips, blowing the smoke outside the open window.

    "Isn''t that dangerous?" asked Conrad when the man didn''t move after several seconds of Conrad and Maxen''s arrival. "I heard you have many enemies. Idling there makes you a perfect target."

    The man by the window arched a brow before turning his head in Conrad''s direction. His lips turned up into a smirk, eyes glinting in delight.

    "Haha! Conrad, nice to see you again!" the man weed, retrieving his foot from the windowsill down. He casually stood, pushing himself from the window after throwing the cigarette out of it. "How can you still be that strange even after decades?"

    Ro, a middle-aged man, who just like Conrad, seemed to have aged like a fine wine. His physique was neither lean nor robust, just enough to call him fit. His hair was neatly brushed back, with a few strands of silver on the side of his head. If not for the deep scar across his cheek, he couldpare to Conrad, or even to Maynard. Not that Ro looked terrible with that deep scar across his face. If anything, it suits his mien and personality.

    Ro approached his guests with open arms, stopping one meter from Conrad.

    "It''s been a while, my only friend." Ro smiled until his eyes were squinting. "I appreciate that you epted my invitation. I bet all your people were pacing back and forth nervously while biting their thumbs while others were staring at the entrance with bated breaths -- haha! How hrious!"

    Conrad, like usual, kept his stoic countenance. Maxen as well, watching Rough as he guessed what was happening outside. Ro seemed to genuinely enjoy it.

    "Are you done?" asked Conrad coldly, interrupting Ro''s waves ofughter. Thetter snapped his eyes at Conrad.

    "Ahh... right. Come sit down." Ro tipped his head to the set of couches, grinning.

    Conrad didn''t answer immediately, staring at Ro''s annoying grin. He said nothing, turning on his heel to sit on the couches. Following behind him was Maxen, keeping quiet and keeping a close distance from Conrad.

    As the two approached the set of couches, Ro quirked a brow. His gazended on the young man behind Conrad, and his squinting eyes cracked open. Ro''s smile lines faded, but no one could tell what was inside his head because his expression returned to a jolly one in a snap of a finger.

    Maxen and Conrad sat down on the long couch, having a good gap between each other. Sitting on the one-seater armchair across from them was none other than Ro, one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world.

    Ro darted his eyes between Conrad and Maxen before his gaze lingered on Maxen. Thetter stared back at Ro coldly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Haha..." Ro chuckled after a moment, shifting his eyes to Conrad while pointing a finger at Maxen. "Conrad, why did I feel like he is your son? He has the same stare as you -- so cold!"

    "He is my son," Conrad remarked without a second hesitation. "Stop beating around the bush, Ro. We only have twenty minutes. If we didn''t leave in twenty minutes, my people will force their way in."

    "I bet the general is itching for that mark since bringing my head back to their headquarters is a guaranteed promotion." Ro showed a thumbs up as if he was proud of what he stated. "I''m so valuable."

    ''In a terrible way'' was what crossed Maxen and Conrad''s heads, but kept it to themselves.

    The two of them came in here to hear what Ro had to say. The agreed time limit was twenty minutes, but it had been five minutes since they entered the establishment. Yet Ro wasn''t saying anything important. Everything that wasing out of Ro''s mouth was utter nonsense and endless gloating, as if he didn''t care about how precious and short this twenty-minute meeting was.

    "What do you want?" asked Maxen, cutting off Ro''s ramblings. "Why did you want this meeting? If your reason is to just gloat about things no one cared about, then I guess we should just leave. You already saw me and I''m perfectly fine -- better than thest time you showed up on my face."

    To be honest, this was the first time Maxen had seen his father''s face so clearly. Thest time, he didn''t get to see him properly before Ro would always talk to him with his back facing him or it was nighttime. Ro would always wear a hat that would shade his eyes, so Maxen barely remembered what he looked like.

    The smile lines on Ro''s face faded, assessing Maxen''s face and mien.

    "That''s right," he muttered with a half smile, nodding. "You are, indeed, better than thest time I saw you. You''re not as pathetic as you were back then. Now, you look like you can fight back. I like it."

    Ro faced Conrad and showed him a thumbs up. "Conrad, you''re really good. It makes me wonder if I epted your offer back then, I wouldn''t be in this position in life. Maybe I''m living a far more decent life."

    "Do you regret it?" asked Conrad without a second hesitation. Since the topic was brought up, Conrad took the chance to ask Ro a question. After all, it seemed Ro already got what he wanted, and that was to make sure Maxen was alright.

    "Do I regret refusing your offer that night?" Ro cocked his head to the side. "It would sometimes cross my head, but I don''t. I wouldn''t meet the man who gave me this opportunity and handed me this organization if I wasn''t behind maximum prison, after all."

 Chapter 310 The Only Thing I Got From You

    "Do I regret refusing your offer that night? It would sometimes cross my head, but I don''t. I wouldn''t meet the man who gave me this opportunity and handed me this organization if I wasn''t behind maximum prison, after all."

    Ro came from nothing. He was but a person who relied on himself to get himself out of crippling poverty. He crawled his way out of that life, working hard and studying to get a degree, hoping he would live afortable life.

    For some time, Ro seeded. Almost. He was almost there, but s, what could someone like him do against someone who was born with a diamond spoon? Compared to Maynard, Ro had to hustle all his life just to have afortable life.

    But Maynard took that away. Maynard not only took Ro''s future, ruined his hard work and his freedom, but also ruined other people like Ste and her son. Just the sheer thought of it was enough to bring back all the deep grudges and unhealed wounds in Ro''s heart.

    "I don''t necessarily call it a blessing. Being in this organization was never a blessing," Ro continued, eyes fixed on Conrad. "However, it''s not like there''s a huge difference. Everything is just cruel. Well, my father бк the man who owned this organization бк was an exception." бк he was the only person who truly understood Ro''s agony.

    Ironic, but the man who was deemed a dangerous man saved him. Although he led Ro to live this kind of life, it was still better than being tossed and drag around by powerful people because of their whims.

    "You too, Conrad." Ro''s devious facial features softened mildly. "You''re an exception."

    His eyes then shifted to Maxen, assessing this young man who had the semnce of his mother. "Your motherбн I hope she has found her peace now that his son was in a better ce."

    Maxen''s jaw tightened, staring coldly at the man who was supposed to be his father. Although Maxen didn''t have any familial attachment to him, the way Ro speak as if Maxen wasn''t his son irked him for the obvious reason.

    "Why?" Maxen blurted out, gripping his hand on hisp. "Why did you do that?"

    "Boy, I will not understand your question if you don''tplete it."

    "That guy two years agoбн" Maxen rified, stressing each word to remind Ro of that gang fight two years ago before Cosette came into his life. "Why did you kill him?"

    Conrad furrowed his brows, gazing at Maxen''s side profile. Thetter had this firm expression stered on his face, and the desire for an answer shone brightly in his eyes.

    Ro cocked his head to the side, blinking. It took him a full minute to recall what was Maxen talking about because killing was not new to him. It was part of a mafia''s daily life.

    "Ahhбн" Ro rocked his head in understanding. "... because why not?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What?"

    "They''re bullying you and I have to set an example." Ro leaned back leisurely, resting his leg over the other. "You know, boy, in this world, if you don''t fight back, you''d lose everything. It''s a cruel world and you must be more cruel so they wouldn''t even dare think of touching you."

    Maxen''s grip and body trembled at thatme excuse.

    "Don''t make it sound like you did it for meбн" came out Maxen''s shaking voice. "... I didn''t ask for it."

    "I didn''t do it for you." Ro let out a shortugh, shrugging. "I did it for Ste, your mother. My methods might not be convenient and are called illegal, but that''s all I can do. I have no remorse left in me; killing one or two is not something I would lose sleep."

    "And as such, I don''t care if the person bullying you is an elderly or a naive boy. That motherfucker is dead," he continued with a vicious smirk. "Thank me or hate me. I have done my part."

    There was a moment of silence that descended on them after Ro''s remarks. Just listening to this man was enough for Maxen and Conrad to understand Ro was being honest. Ro was not the person Conrad used to know, and he wasn''t someone one could change for the better.

    This was the life Ro had chosen. Whether Ro liked this life or just didn''t have a choice, what was certain was that Ro would never bend. Never again.

    "The only favor I can do for you is to pretend you don''t exist." Ro shifted his eyes to Conrad. "For as long as you don''t get abused or anything, I will pretend I don''t know you both. I''d let that skit you pulled up in my business slide, Conrad. It was only fair since you found out that I told my people to follow this boy and you''re trying to protect your little girl."

    "But leave me alone," he continued solemnly, holding Conrad''s cold gaze. "Let''s get out of each other''s business. You have my word. I don''t n to harm this boy, but if I find out you were simply using him or threw him out for no damn reasonбн I''ll serve your kid''s head on a silver tter."

    A dreadful chill waved down Conrad''s spine; a rare feeling that Conrad wasn''t familiar with. Ro''s threats weren''t just simple threats. The man would do it if he had enough reason.

    "Stopбн" whispered Maxen, catching Ro''s attention. "... acting as if everything you do is for me. If you really want to do me a favor, just don''t show up in front of me or in front of Cosette or the people I care about."

    "Keep your word and we''ll keep ours," he added solemnly. "My fatherбн don''t owe you reassurance. I agree that let''s just keep pretending we don''t know each other''s existence. However, if you ever try to meddle in my бк our business and affairs бк I won''t hesitate to kill a man."

    "As much as I hate to admit it, that''s probably the only thing I got from you." Maxen loosened his fist as his stiff shoulders rxed. "The willingness to kill a man with enough reason."

 Chapter 311 A Debt He Could Never Pay

    "As much as I hate to admit it, that''s probably the only thing I got from you. The willingness to kill a man with enough reason."

    ''No... you didn''t get that from me, but from your father. That''s for sure,'' was what Ro wanted to tell Maxen, but kept his thoughts to himself. It was better for Maxen to think his father was a felon and someone not worthy to even consider in this life. Instead of Maxen knowing the truth that the person who ruined all their lives was a child trapped in a man''s body and the person whose blood run in Maxen''s veins.

    Ro watched Conrad and Maxen leave after their conversation. Maxen went out first, but before Conrad would leave, he stopped. Conrad looked back in Ro''s direction. No word came out of Conrad''s mouth as he just stared at his old dear friend.

    There were many things Conrad could''ve told Ro, but it was pointless. Ro had changed and there was no point in talking about the past. It was obvious Ro had moved on in this sort of life.

    "Once we''ve reached the safe zones... they will raid this ce," said Conrad calmly. "You probably knew that, but in case you haven''t."

    The side of Ro''s lips stretched, chuckling. "You do understand saying that can make you an essory for a crime, right?"

    Conrad shrugged nonchntly, turning his back on Ro. That was the least he could do for Ro for thest time. Although this might not be a very moral thing to do, knowing Ro was a vile criminal who deserved to be locked in jail, for thest time, Conrad wanted to give a little bit of help. Not that Ro needed that.

    Just as Conrad took another step to leave, he stopped.

    "One more thing, Conrad." Ro watched Conrad slowly turn to face him. "It''s true that I want to make sure that boy is living well, and I will stay true to my words that I will not show my face in front of him. However, watch out for that kid''s father. I heard he''s been looking for Ste."

    His expression turned cold and dark. "If he ruined everything again, I can''t guarantee anyone''s safety."

    Conrad had his brows furrowed at Ro''s strange remarks. But after a second, his irises went wide as he held his breath.

    "What do you mean by that kid''s father?" Conrad blurted out, despite having this ridiculous conclusion in his head.

    "Time''s up." Ro nted his hands on hisp, pushing himself up. "You should get out of here if you do not want to get caught in the crossfire. That general had been persistent and desperate for his promotion."

    Ro slowly walked away from his seat to the other exit door. Before he could reach it, he paused and looked back at Conrad.

    "It''s really nice to have a chat with you, Conrad. And you might not need it, but thank you for helping that boy." A subtle smile dominated Ro''s face. "I might''ve refused your help back then, but I''m grateful that help extended to Ste''s son. Perhaps that''s the reason I regret nothing."

    Ro resumed his steps, waving dismissively. "Let''s not see each other again, my dearest friend."

    Conrad stared at Ro''s retreating back quietly, recalling that time in the past when Conrad also had to stare at Ro''s back. Back then, Conrad didn''t stop him and he regretted not stopping him because Ro ended up in jail the next day after an "attempted murder."

    Even now, Conrad wanted to stop Ro and tell him to turn himself in. Conrad wanted to tell him he''d try to get Ro a lighter sentence that would break his principles. However, he knew it was pointless. Ro was already deep into this underground world. It was toote to save him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Mhm..." Conrad hummed while Ro reached for the knob. "... let''s not see each other again."

    With that being said, Conrad turned around to leave. This time, he didn''t falter in getting out of the room, only to see Maxen waiting for him in the hallway.

    "Let''s go," said Conrad to Maxen, and thetter nodded, waiting for Conrad to walk beside him as they were escorted out of the establishment.

    ****

    "Mhm... let''s not see each other again."

    Ro kept his hand on the knob, listening to Conrad''s fading footsteps until the door was shut closed. His eyelids drooped until they were partially closed, unable to hide the mild sadness and sentiments in his eyes.

    "May you rest in peace," whispered Ro, deluding himself that his only real friend, who stayed true to himself and to their friendship, officially died today. "You had been the friend I would never regret having."

    There were many things left unsaid between Ro and Conrad, but none of those mattered now, since they were both dead to each other. That was only one of the many sacrifices Ro had to make in the life he had taken.

    Ro remained silent for an entire minute, not moving a muscle. When he drew a breath and closed his eyes, his entire body rxed. He exhaled through his lips, reopening his eyes. All emotions that swirled in his eyes, after his exchange with Conrad, were gone. What was left were the eyes of someone who cared about no one or nothing except his personal greed and interest. When he opened the door wide open, his eyesnded on multiple men waiting for him in a beeline.

    The men in suits bowed in unison. Their weapons could be seen around their bodies, and tattoos were peeking out on their exposed skin.

    This was the life Ro now had and it would continue this way until the day he take hisst breath.

    ''I''m grateful that boy... will not lead the same life as I do. After all, this is the only way I can think of if I needed to extend my hand to him,'' he told himself, sporting a grin as he glossed his eyes over his men.

    "Alright men!" Ro pped, watching his people straighten their backs. "Once those two leave the danger zone, we''ll have a party!"

    His eyes dted wickedly, grinning like a devil. "Let''s teach that general a fucking lesson and hang that fucking pig in front of his office."

    The men howled and cheered excitedly, thrilled at the danger they were about to face. This was his life now, and thankfully, Maxen didn''t have to lead such a life. Ro owed Conrad a debt he could never repay in this lifetime... that was for sure.

    Conrad might''ve not saved Ro, but he saved Maxen, and that was good enough for Ro.

 Chapter 312 Peace Is Success

    [PRESENT TIME]

    "In other words, you have a very shitty dad?" Luke summarized in a knowing tone. "But less shitty since he doesn''t want anything to do with you for as long as you don''t bother him?"

    Maxen pressed his lips into a thin line and just nodded. He didn''t detail everything to them, especially to Luke, since Maxen was aware it was better for Luke to know less. It wasn''t about his rtionship with a mafia don, but the criminal organization itself. Not that it would add anything to Luke''s life, after all.

    Cosette, on the other hand, didn''t need all the details. She was already aware of the criminal organization. Hell. She even met a few members since Maxen used to be the Don in their previous life. She knew more about it more than one could expect, but at the same time, she was just as clueless as anybody else regarding most things about the organization.

    "I hope he is someone who sticks with his words," continued Maxen, casting Luke a look and then at Cosette. "And stay where he is. I don''t want anything to do with him."

    "Same." Lukezily leaned against the wall, stretching his legs while stretching. "I mean, I would feel bad if you are in a terrible situation. But, to be honest, I think you''re already living a good бк a better life than before. I don''t want those people who abandoned you to leech on your sess."

    "I''m not sessful."

    "You''re at peace," Luke argued in a knowing tone. "That alone is a sess, don''t you think?"

    Maxen stared at Luke with a slight surprise in his eyes before he smiled subtly. "That''s right." He assessed Luke and then faced Cosette.

    "I am at peace." бк it wasn''t about the luxurious lifestyle, the branded clothes, and the mansion house or anything of the sort. It was the peace that Maxen was sessful at the moment.

    Now, he could go home and take a rest if he wanted to. The people around him were not only good people but also people from whom he could learn, whether they were small or big matters. Maxen didn''t realize that until Luke mentioned it.

    "Where did you learn that from?" asked Maxen to Luke. "I thought you''d say I''m sessful because I am now under the c''s wing."

    "Wellбн that too?" Luke shrugged, making Maxen chuckle. He then noticed that Cosette was exceptionally quiet, so he asked, "Cozie, why are you being so quiet now? It makes me worry whenever you don''t speak. It makes me think you''re up to something again."

    "I am just praying." Her voice was quiet, staring at Maxen squarely. "That everything will go well this time."

    "This time?" Luke cocked his head to the side while Cosette didn''t look at him. Instead, she kept her eyes on Maxen while thetter held her gaze.

    "Let''s focus on our study from now on, Max." Cosette reached for Maxen''s hand, squeezing it slightly. "Hmm?"

    "Mhm." Maxen hummed, rocking his head mildly.

    "Eyбн" Luke called, nting his hand on top of Cosette''s hand. "How can you guys promise and make ns without me, eh? Hello? I''m here, right in front of you."

    "Aren''t you tired?" Cosette let out a deep breath, rolling her eyes until they fell on Luke.

    "What?" Luke''s brows rose, blinking. "Tired of what?"

    "Dying in my head?" she deadpanned. "Read the room and let us have some romantic moments."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Will you even let me have some brother time with Max?"

    "No."

    "Then, no hell no!" Luke squeezed her hand as he strongly refused. "Have some romantic moments whenever I''m not around."

    Cosette''s soft expression immediately scrunched up as dismay slowly dominated her face. At this point, Luke had officially because of her rival for Maxen''s attention and affection. Luke just kept acting like a spoiled little brother who wanted to monopolize his big brother!

    ''For goodness''s sake! He has his own brother!'' was what Cosette wanted to scream as she have a ringpetition with Luke. However, she couldn''t because that was quite insensitive of her. Not that Maxen found Luke annoying. If anything, Maxen had been too soft on Luke, as if he see thetter as a child.

    Still, this was annoying.

    ''I feel like I just can''t go lovey-dovey with my dearest Max because a child is with us! But this guy is no child!'' The more Cosette thought about it, the angrier she felt at Luke. ''So annoying!''

    Although Cosette didn''t speak, her sour expression already said it all. Well, she wasn''t the only one who thought the same because Luke was also judging her existence.

    ''If Max is just my actual brother, I will make this sister-inw''s life a living hell!'' was what Luke held back from saying. ''Isn''t she sorry? How can she always use her charm when it''s obvious she just knows how to bully Max?!''

    Meanwhile, as Luke and Cosette were having silent banter, Maxen darted his eyes between them. He could almost see the invisible lightning buzzing in between Luke and Cosette.

    ''It''s still a mystery how these two became like this.'' Maxen mentally sighed at the thought of Cosette and Luke''s love-and-hate rtionship. It was also strange how Luke used to taunt and try to bully Maxen in the beginning, iming to be Maxen''s rival over Cosette.

    But now, it was Cosette versus Luke. Quite a twist, Maxen didn''t expect himself, but not that there was something she couldin about.

    "Stop that nowбн" Maxen raised both his hands, stretching his arms until his hand was on top of Luke''s and Cosette''s heads. "... don''t fight today. I''m officially an orphan бк I''ll treat you to something niceter."

    "Really?!" Cosette and Luke replied in unison, facing Maxen with twinkling eyes. If Maxen wasn''t used to their quick transition of moods, he would''ve been startled.

    "Yes." Maxen shed them a smile, nodding to confirm it. "Really. Though this is thest time we''ll skip ss."

    "Yey~!" Cosette sped her hand while Luke grinned from ear to ear, like excited children looking forward to going to an amusement park.

    ''This might be strange,'' Maxen thought as he retrieved his hand from them. ''But I feel like I will miss this rooftop once we graduate.''

    There was still another year before they graduate, but Maxen already thought of this rooftop. This ce had witnessed most of everything Maxen went through; it had witnessed his bad days where he felt like jumping from this ce and his good days such as this one. Without realizing it, it became one of hisfort zones.

    He was d Cosette and Luke were able to change the memories he had in this ce.

 Chapter 313 Is The World Ending?

    Meanwhileбн

    "It''s true that I want to make sure that boy is living well, and I will stay true to my words that I will not show my face in front of him. However, watch out for that kid''s father. I heard he''s been looking for Ste."

    "If he ruined everything again, I can''t guarantee anyone''s safety."

    Conrad narrowed his eyes as Ro''s words from the previous night kept hovering over his head. Thetter didn''t disclose any, but Conrad was certain of what he heard. But why would Ro say such a thing?

    ''Maxen''s fatherбн'' Conrad whispered in his head before his thoughts trailed off upon someone''s call.

    "Sir." Warren bent over Conrad''s side, noticing that his boss was spacing out during an important board meeting.

    Conrad snapped his eyes at his assistant and then shifted them to the people sitting around the long conference table, looking back at him. A shallow breath slipped past Conrad''s lips, realizing he was too distracted.

    ******

    "Sir, are you alright?" asked Warren to Conrad in the back seat of the car as soon as they got in. "You''ve been zoning out during the meeting. It''s unlike you."

    That was right. There was never a moment Warren could remember that his boss zoned out in any meeting. Conrad was always focused on his business affairs бк even on other things. Therefore, it was strange for Warren to see Conrad get distracted.

    "Is it because ofst night''s matters?" Warren continued warily, assuming it had something to do with the dangerous eventsst night with Conrad and Maxen meeting a very dangerous man. It was still a relief that Maxen and Conrad left the scene unscathed.

    "Last nightбн" Conrad paused, gazing back at Warren in the front seat. "... after we left, what happened?"

    "Wellбн" Warren cleared his throat. "... there was an exchange of fire once we got out of the danger zone. The general and his men raided the club, so there was tension."

    Warren detailed the report he gotst night. He wasn''t there to witness everything; it was too dangerous for a civilian like him to linger around the area. Therefore, Warren could only rely on the official reports afterward.

    Conrad had a connection with several high-ranking politicians and also in the military. After all, Conrad''s security agency was employed for their safety and also some well-known celebrities. His deal with the general was to give him the location of the notorious criminal and also the Don of the SIN organization. In exchange for that, the military would secure Conrad and Maxen''s safety during their twenty-minute meeting.

    Ro was aware of that бк it seemed. But thankfully, he didn''t mind. A chaotic life of a felon was something Ro had to survive on a daily basis. Last night was just one of those days he had to survive as well. Good thing Ro kept his word and didn''t harm Conrad and Maxen. Still, it was dangerous for those two.

    "I heard the general was shot a few times." Warren sighed after detailing the urrence after Conrad left. "Fortunately, he survived. I sent a gift this morning, and he was overall fine. Although it would take time for him to recoverбн or perhaps he will have to retire."

    Conrad slowly set his eyes on the window. "Did he lose a limb?"

    There was a long silence after Conrad''s inquiry, only to hear Warren say, "yes."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I seeбн" Conrad rocked his head in understanding. "... how about that man?"

    "The Don of the SIN organization? We didn''t hear much about him, but I heard he escaped before the reinforcement arrived. From the reports, it seemed that man only wanted to hurt the general and then left before things could go bad in his favor."

    That was enough information for Conrad to understand that things might''ve ended well for him and Maxen, but it didn''t surely end well for others. But then again, Conrad didn''t take the slightest bit of ountability or didn''t feel the need to do so. After all, the General wanted Ro''s head, and this general had irked Ro.

    Ro and the government military were standing on the opposing side. Conrad was only on the bridge. It was bound to happen one way or another. With or without Conrad. Still, hearing all that, Conrad had to let reality sink in.

    ''He is not the man I used to know,'' Conrad told himself, staring at the window quietly. ''He had changed.''

    Another careful breath slipped past Conrad''s lips as he thought about his dearest friend, Ro. Although there were still remnants of his old friend behind Ro''s eyes, he was never the same person. Conrad had always wondered how Ro got involved in a criminal organization, and after hearing that Ro met a man behind bars who introduced him to such a criminal life, it all made sense.

    ''Roбн Maxenбн Steбн'' Conrad dawdled in his mind without a change of expression. ''... Maynard.''

    Ro, Ste, and Maynard. Those three. It all started with those three.

    Conrad already had a guess of what happened after his brief interaction with Rost night. He wouldn''t think much about how Ro spoke as if he wasn''t Maxen''s father. After all, Ro wasn''t there for the entirety of Maxen''s life. However, there was something Ro said that was clear to Conrad. And that was something Conrad wanted to confirm.

    ''The truth might not be importantбн'' Conrad whispered in his head. ''... but it seemed Ro wanted to keep this secret to our grave.''

    "Warren," Conrad called his assistant calmly, making Warren look over his shoulder to the backseat.

    "Yes, sir?" asked Warren, staring at Conrad, who was still sitting calmly in the backseat with his eyes on the window.

    "Arrange me a meeting with Mister Quinn." Conrad slowly looked back at his assistant. "I want to have lunch with him."

    Warren blinked twice before cocking his head to the side. "Sir?"

    "You heard me." Conrad looked away calmly. "It''s been a while since he bothered me and whenever he is oddly quiet, it makes me nervous."

    Warren''s face twitched, looking at his boss in disbelief. Never once did Warren receive a direct order from his boss to have lunch with Maynard. It had always been Maynard who would create opportunities to meet Conrad.

    Was the world ending? Or was Conrad''s life-and-death meetingst night change his boss? Either way, this was a surprise.

 Chapter 314 A Friendly Advice

    "My, my! What a surprise! Haha! Who would have thought that my dearest friend would ever invite me for lunch?"

    Conrad''s face nearly scrunched at the loud voice of the approaching Maynard as if they were the only people in the restaurant. Maynard approached their table with arms wide open while Conrad''s gaze slid onto the young man walking behind Maynard.

    Asher.

    "What a treat! Well, I guess, since we''re growing old, you''re having a soft spot for me," humored Maynard, taking a chair across from Conrad.

    "It''s good to see you again, Mister c. I hope you''ve been well." Unlike the shameless Maynard, his son bowed and politely greeted Conrad before taking a seat.

    Observing Asher''s mien and Maynard left a huge question in Conrad''s head. How could this young man be so exceptional and smart while Maynard just never grew older? But then again, having such a childish father, it wouldn''t be surprising if the child had to mature early.

    "It''s a good thing your son didn''t take after his father," said Conrad to Maynard, making thetter frown.

    "Hey! What the hell?" Maynard gasped in disbelief. "Did you just invite me for lunch just to insult me right in front of my son?"

    "I amplimenting your son," Conrad argued with a in voice.

    Maynard''s frown grew deeper, realizing it seemed he would never win against Conrad with a battle of words. "How can you always twist my words, eh? Is that a talent?"

    Like usual, Conrad and Maynard bantered with thetter doing most of the talking. It was as if they just continued where they left off thest time they met since they just kept pressing each other''s nerves. Meanwhile, Asher, who was also at the same table as them, remained silent.

    It wasn''t Conrad''s intention to touch a matter that Asher was very sensitive to right now, and Asher was aware of that. However, his hand under the table still trembled. Asher sped his fist to stop it from shaking, maintaining a meek countenance while his father and Conrad bantered.

    "Son, what are you having?" Asher''s brows rose when Maynard shifted his attention to him, asking what he wanted for lunch. "Pick whatever you like and make sure it''s expensive. It''s his treat."

    ''Since when did you be an opportunist?'' was what Asher wanted to ask his father, but bit his tongue to stop himself. If this was before, those would have flown out of his mouth, but Asher felt like standing on thin ice.

    At any moment, he could lose everything. The life he had, the family he grew up with, and everything. That thought alone that came along with the truth never let him sleep peacefully at night. Even at this second, Asher had felt restless.

    "I''ll have whatever you''re having." Asher sported a short smile.

    "Okay. Then, we''ll have this and this and thisбн" Maynard shamelessly ordered almost everything on the menu; some were for takeout, shamelessly telling Conrad it was for his people.

    Conrad didn''t mind, though. He was a little used to Maynard''s antics. With that being said, they had lunch together, catching up over lunch. They mostly talked about business matters and the status of theirpany, the change in the economy, and possible future business ventures. From time to time, Conrad and Maynard would talk about anything random.

    Listening to his father and Conrad''s conversation, Asher couldn''t help but notice. He had already noticed it before, but he was still amazed at their rtionship. Maynard and Conrad might be different in many things, but whenever they were talking, it was obvious why they got along.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It might not be obvious on the surface level, but Maynard and Conrad get along well. And how they got along was because of their differences in personality and business outlook.

    When the lunch came to an end, Asher excused himself politely.

    "Take your time, son." Maynard shed his son a wide smile, watching Asher nod without saying a word. As he watched Asher walk away with a smile, his brows rose when Conrad suddenly brought up a topic he didn''t seeing.

    "Are you looking for Ste?" asked Conrad without beating around the bush, making Maynard look back at him with shock written all over his face. "Maynard, it''s been almost two decades since you broke up. You now have a family of your own, two wonderful sons, and a sessful career. Why are you still holding on to someone in the past?"

    There was a moment of silence that fell on their shoulder after Conrad''s remarks, staring at each other quietly.

    "How did you know?" was the first thing that came out of Maynard''s mouth. "Are you spying on me?"

    "No. Someone just told me."

    "Someone?" Maynard cocked his head to the side. "Who?"

    "Doesn''t matter."

    "It does matter, since this is a private matter, and knowing someone knows what''s up is a huge deal for me."

    "And causing problems for your son is not?" Conrad returned with the same cold tone. "I do not want to disclose how, but it was an unintentional incident. After all, I have a security agency and people meet people."

    Conrad tapped his index on the table. "I brought this up because I am concerned about youбн no, not you, but I''m concerned about your son. Luke is Cosette''s dear friend, and that boy had been amazingly striving. Nothing good wille if you dig up the past and bring it to the present."

    "Let the past stay where they were and where they belong," he added solemnly. "Let the things stay where they were and move on. That''s what I''m sayingбн and advice I could give as a friend."

    Maynard just stared at Conrad for a while before he lowered his eyes, letting out a shortugh.

    "Move on?" he lifted his eyes and shook his head. "How can I move on from something that, until now, haunts me? Steбн I didn''t even have a proper talk with her бк"

    "Because you sent Ro to prison for a crime he didn''t do." Conrad cut him off mid-sentence. "Attempted murder. You put your friend behind bars just because he released his anger for ruining his life."

    "He killed my wife."

    Conrad kept a stern expression while staring Maynard straight in the eye. "Youбн don''t even believe that, Maynard. I will not go through this matter since it already happened and I don''t think it''s something I should meddle with, but you should stop ming someone for something you did. And just stop. Focus on your sons and the Quinn Holdings. That''s the best for everyone."

 Chapter 315 Behind The Kind Smile Lies The Deepening Pain

    "Youбн don''t even believe that, Maynard. I will not go through this matter since it already happened and I don''t think it''s something I should meddle with, but you should stop ming someone for something you did. And just stop. Focus on your sons and the Quinn Holdings. That''s the best for everyone."

    Maynard gazed at Conrad''s stoic expression as thetter give his ''friendly advice.'' He knew Conrad meant well, and Maynard wasn''t as blinded as he used to be. However, how could he just stop so easily? The scar in his heart was far too deep that two decades wasn''t enough to heal it. Only the surface appeared to have healed.

    "You knowбн that sheбн never mind." Maynard scoffed whilst shaking his head. "What''s the point of telling what kind of woman that woman was, right?"

    He lifted his head and sneered. "It will only sound like an excuse. Am I right?"

    "You already pretended it was nothing," said Conrad coldly, keeping his stoic countenance. "Being hurt and having to heal that wound at the cost of your children''s happinessбн is something a parent should avoid. I might be wrong about this, but I''d rather bleed out instead of taking the risk of exposing my daughter to the ones that had hurt me."

    Conrad peeled his back from the chair while fixing the buttons of his suit.

    "We all had our past that we wished we could have done differently and made better decisions," he continued, standing from his seat. "But what done is done. We have no control over the past, but we have control in the present. Take time to consider your list of priorities, Maynard. I only wish the best for youбн you know that."

    "I have a meeting after lunch, so I''ll excuse myself first. Warren will settle the bill, so if you need to treat more people, just tell the manager." Conrad knocked on the table lightly to get Maynard''s attention. "Buy me some drinks some other time for this lunch."

    Conrad and Maynard stared at each other quietly before the former walked away. Maynard gazed at Conrad''s back and sighed, leaning back against the chair.

    "Until nowбн" whispered Maynard to himself. "... I never understood why we''re friends. I was always curious about your answer, though."

    Maynard already thought about this question many times and through the years, he woulde up with different answers. He never heard Conrad''s answer.

    "Hey!" Maynard called before Conrad could leave his line of sight. Thetter turned and looked back at him. "Why are we friends?"

    Conrad furrowed his brows but still answered, "I don''t know," before waving dismissively, resuming his steps.

    "Hahбн" Maynard let out a shortugh, shaking his head mildly. "... I guess the answer doesn''t matter to him."

    Maynard smacked his lips and cocked his head back. He stretched his legsfortably, shoving his hands inside the pockets of his trousers.

    "Am I making another terrible decision?" he asked himself, lowering his gaze. Bitterness dominated his countenance, smiling bitterly at the question. "Steбн was it that hard to at least know if you''re living well?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maynard wasn''t the young brat who used to have an explosive temper and make rash decisions. It took him a while, debating whether it was worth it to search for Ste, who suddenly disappeared as if she didn''t exist. Thest time he heard about her was herst visit to Ro in prison with a protruding belly.

    After that, Ste just disappeared from the face of the world. Even when Ro got out of prison the first time, she didn''t appear again, only for Ro to mit'' another crime which sent him back to prison for the second time and where Ro was supposed to spend the rest of his life. Unfortunately, Ro got out.

    Now that Maynard was confident that Ro moved on with his life and didn''t show up in front of Maynard for revenge, Maynard gained little confidence. He just wanted to know about Ste''s well-being. How many children did she have? Who was her husband? Was he treating her well? Did she live a better life without them in their life?

    Maynard didn''t wish to talk to her or show up in front of her. All he wanted to do was to know about her, but whyбн was this world always stopping him from doing so?

    Whyбн was it that whenever he attempted to look for her, something would happen that would divert his attention? If not, something like this advice from Conrad woulde his way.

    Many questions hovered over Maynard''s head until he was zoning out. Little did he know, Asher was just standing in a blind spot from their spot.

    Asher gazed at his father, clenching his teeth whilst balling his hand into a tight fist. He only went out to wash his hand, so he returned quickly. However, the discussion he overheard between Conrad and Maynard stopped him from returning to their table.

    Asher almost heard about everything. Everything. It wasn''t that that surprised him. His father would constantly call this woman named Ste whenever he got too much to drink. He even caught his father sleeping with this woman''s portrait in his hand.

    This was the very reason Asher stumbled upon a horrifying truth about his origins. And now, he was walking on thin ice, knowing Maynard wasn''t his real father and he could lose everything in a blink of an eye. Anyone would be scared.

    ''Whyбн'' anger resurfaced in Asher''s eyes as he gazed at his father''s back. ''... can''t you just be a father to us?''

    Asher''s ground his teeth until his jaw tightened, getting even angrier at the thought of his stubborn father. Maynard should just listen to Conrad because the more Maynard digs up the past, the more restless Asher was. After all, Maynard might find out that his first sonбн wasn''t actually his.

    ''Why are you doing this to me?'' he wondered, but quickly realized he might not understand his father. Hence, Asher stayed quiet in that same spot for minutes before letting out a sharp huff. When Asher took a step forward, all the emotions he bore were reced with a kind and understanding smile.

    "Did Mister c leave?" he asked politely to his father, snapping Maynard from his thoughts.

    "Uhбн yep. Let''s go, son?"

    "Mhm." Asher smiled, nodding. "Let''s goбн dad."

 Chapter 316 Clarity

    Meanwhile, as soon as Conrad got into the backseat of the car, he heard Warren''s voice from the front seat.

    "Sir, a report just came in," said Warren while his boss settle on his spot. "It seemed the first son of chairman Quinn had done a DNA test."

    Conrad paused, furrowing his brows. "A DNA?"

    "Yes, Sir. Should we look into it?"

    Conrad didn''t answer immediately, finding afortable spot in the backseat. When he leaned back and rested his leg over the other, a shallow breath slipped past his lips.

    "No need," he answered, turning his head to the window as the car moved away. "There''s no need to know the truth. It''s not important."

    "Alright."

    "Just make sure to interfere with Maynard or anyone who is digging up about Ste Cloven."

    "Yes, sir."

    With that being said, silence followed. Conrad kept his eyes on the window as they traveled to his next appointment.

    ''A DNA, huh?'' whispered Conrad to himself, letting out a faint sigh. ''Just what in the world, Ro?''

    Conrad didn''t get any answer from Ro or Maynard, but he wasn''t born yesterday to not put two and two together. Although there were still many whys that didn''t make sense. For instance, why didn''t Ro tell Maynard about the child in Ste''s womb? And were Ro and Ste truly dated after Ste and Maynard broke up?

    If Conrad was going to answer for them, he would say that was impossible. He may not be as active in their group during that time and he might not be close with Ste, but he knew Ro. Ro was the nicest person Conrad had ever met, and he also had the longest patience. It was unbelievable to think that Ro would date someone his best friend loved dearly. Although he couldn''tpletely rule that out, since love was love.

    Love was a strange and mysterious thing.

    ''What aplicated situationбн'' another sigh escaped Conrad''s lips, having a headache at the love triangle. ''If Maxen wasn''t involved, I wouldn''t care much. Butбн is it possible Maxen is Maynard''s son? Why would Asher run a DNA test бк is it Maxen and Maynard''s DNA test?''

    Conrad frowned before shaking his head mildly. ''No, that''s impossible. Why would he do that?''

    "Warren," he called his assistant, receiving a quick hum from thetter. "Find out what sort of DNA test the young master of the Quinn did."

    Warren furrowed his brows, looking back at the back seat. It was rare for Conrad to take back his words, but it was understandable. In Warren''s understanding, everything that had happened and the situation Conrad was getting himself involved in was for Maxen.

    It wasn''t Conrad''s nature to poke his nose into other people''s affairs, but Maxen was more like Conrad''s son. If Maxen and Conrad stood side by side, even if they didn''t resemble, one would mistake them as father and son. Not that it was the most important matter.

    Maxen was already a part of the c Family. And thus, Conrad had to step in if he knew matters of the past that weren''t settled properly would affect his son.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Sure, sir." Warren tilted his head down slightly before looking ahead on the road. This time, the silence that descended in the carsted until they reached their next destination.

    Everyone went about their usual routine, and time quickly passed by, just like how it should be. Conrad still had to go meeting after meeting, expanding his wealth just like Maynard Quinn. The children, Cosette, Luke, and Maxen went by studying and reviewing intensively to prepare for theirst exam as third years with the determined Remo and Fay. Meanwhile, Asher had to juggle between work and school matters and maintain his excellent performance. On the other side of the world, a particr don in the underground was still busy surviving or killing every day.

    Overall, it had been peaceful.

    *

    *

    *

    *

    Two weeksterбн

    "Sir, the results of the investigation came out." Warren ced an envelope on Conrad''s desk, standing in front of the desk. "It took some time because we have to make another thorough investigation to make sure the uracy of the matter."

    Warren''s expression was stern, watching Conrad raise his eyes as thetter was sitting behind the wide desk. "Additional information was added, sir."

    Conrad assessed his assistant''s countenance and he could tell Warren had done more than he was asked. It had been two weeks since he gave out this order, and it was true it took quite longer than usual. Usually, it would only need a few days, but this took two weeks.

    Conrad had no problems with it, though. The past two weeks had been hectic, not just for him, but also for everyone. His daughter and Maxen had been studying nonstop that sometimes, he would just join them in the garden and watched them study.

    "Thank you, Warren." Conrad bent over, sliding the envelope to him. He leaned back, feeling that the envelope was thicker than he expected. "Good work."

    Warren kept his lips in a thin line, tilting his head down before sauntering off. Conrad nced at his assistant''s back as thetter left, before shifting his focus to the envelope. Whatever Warren saw in this result must be shocking; after all, Warren wouldn''t have such an expression if it wasn''t important or shocking enough.

    With that thought in mind, Conrad prepared himself as he opened the envelope and took out the documents in his hand.

    The first thing that weed him was Ste''s profile. Conrad skimmed through it and furrowed his brows, frowning.

    "This doesn''t make senseбн" he whispered, reading some ridiculous information about how Ste was an employee.

    Even though Conrad didn''t know Ste that much, he remembered that this youngdy was a bright and smartdy. She might be someone Conrad barely paid attention to, but her name was everywhere along with Conrad and Ro, as she was a topnotcher, alwaysing in third or fourth in national exams and the like. Therefore, it was ridiculous to see that Ste had a hard time looking for a job and have such a terrible record.

 Chapter 317 Clarity II

    It was, indeed, a thorough investigation because even Ste''s family records were here. There were many discrepancies in these records like how Ste''s brother got kicked out of school; he used to be a smart and diligent student, but suddenly, had a record of bullying that got him kicked out. The terrible records made it hard for him to get into another decent school or get a proper job.

    After reading more and more, Conrad soon got a grasp of how things went down before he reached the birth records of Ste''s son. Apparently, Ste birthed Maxen in a very secluded province. Because Ste was all alone and the town she moved in was conservative, many assumed she was not a decent woman.

    A woman was raising a son who didn''t know who his father was. Even though Ste had kind neighbors, there were still some who would talk about her because they had nothing else to do. In the long run, Ste was branded as a whore because of her strange schedule at night.

    Little did everyone know, Ste was simply working multiple odd jobs all in an attempt to raise her son to live infort. Ste didn''t seem she got affected by what other people called her or look at her until Conrad reached the other page.

    On the next page, it was Ste''s medical records. It shows there that because her illness was left untreated, her condition simply worsened as the tumor in her head augmented. She was beyond savable and only needed to count months before her death. Thus, Ste moved close to her brother so someone could take care of her son.

    Despite that Ste was ill, she still worked tirelessly for her son''s future and also to support her miserable brother. Ste worked until she died, and all her efforts were for naught because her brother maltreated her son. ''

    The reports that returned to Conrad only stated, "unkindly" treatment, but he could already imagine what sort of abuse Maxen went through at the hands of his uncle. This alone was enough to touch a part of Conrad that no one else could -- even though this was already a part of the past. It was the reason Maxen left home at such a tender age.

    Without any ce to go to and someone to support him, Maxen had to be smart so he wouldn''t live in the street. Maxen got his mother''s grit and worked multiple part-times, got himself a small space, and lived on his own.

    Maxen''s uncle didn''t even search for Maxen. It was as if nothing happened. This only showed how much Ste''s brother loathed his sister that passed on to Ste''s son.

    "It all started when Ste''s parents died..." Conrad trailed off, skimming the documents Warren handed him. "... no. It all started when Maynard chose Ste over his family."

    Conrad''s eyes narrowed, checking the dates. He didn''t know whether he should thank Warren or scold him. After all, Conrad only asked what sort of DNA Asher did, but Warren returned with more than just that.

    Now, Conrad couldn''t unread these documents nor could he stop from reading more. A part of him wanted to know to understand Ro and Maynard; his dearest friend who were like brothers to him but ended up hating each other.

    "One thing that connects these all events were..." Conrad gazed at the names that kept appearing on every page or every other page. One was Maynard and the second was Maynard''s wife or her family name.

    "Ahh..." he rocked his head, having a good grasp and picture in his head.

    Considering what sort of family the Quinn Family was, it wouldn''t be surprising if they had involvement in Ste''s miserable life. The Quinn Family was strict and traditional. Marriage was a big deal for them, especially the heir''s marriage. There was no way they would allow someone like Ste, who came from nothing, to marry into their family.

    No wonder Maynard suddenly got married even though he was in a long-term rtionship with someone else.

    "How... messed up, Maynard," Conrad whispered to himself, flipping the pages as he read more and more. This time, it was a brief report regarding a troubled marriage between Maynard and histe wife.<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the eyes of the public, Maynard and his wife had a good and picture-perfect rtionship. However, behind closed doors, Maynard never loved his wife. And a jealous wife could only push the me onto her husband''s previous lover.

    It wasn''t detailed how troubled their marriage was since Conrad could already guess. He already guessed the reason Maynard just couldn''t seem to love the woman he married for she was greedy and cunning. And he already guessed why Maynard''s wife wouldn''t stop messing with Ste because her husband kept hiring people to look for her through the years and she kept interfering.

    It was messy... until Ro "killed" Maynard''s wife that sent him back to prison. Ro''s intention wasn''t recorded, but it seemed Ro had involvement in Maynard''s wife''s death. Conrad was convinced Maynard wasn''t innocent as well. The only person who could answer that was Maynard and Ro since they were there that night.

    After the thorough information regarding Ste, Ro, and Maynard and how their lives spiraled down, Conrad''s hand and body trembled when he flipped to the next page.

    It was a DNA result of Asher Quinn and Maynard.

    "They weren''t..." Conrad trailed off as he held his breath, making sure he was reading the correct information. Maynard and Asher, the son he had so abruptly and also the reason he got tied with his wife in a marriage weren''t father and son!

    But the surprise didn''t stop there.

    The next page was another DNA result. This time, it was Asher and his deceased uncle -- Maynard''s cousin -- who died in a crash a very long time ago. Seeing the 99.999% that Asher and this man matched, Conrad''s chest swelled with mixed emotions.

    Did Maynard''s wife... fool her husband to force him into marriage?

    Conrad''s hand trembled as he turned to the next page. It was another DNA result, but this time, Maxen''s name was on it. The other name on it was Maynard.

    "What...?" Conrad dropped the documents on the desk; he already had a guess, but having a confirmation still took him by surprise. "Maxen...?"

    Just then, all the memories Conrad had with Maxen reyed in his head, and only then did he realize one thought he had before. When Conrad ''figured out'' Maxen was Roco''s son, Conrad remembered telling himself he didn''t resemble Ro. He didn''t dwell on it though.

    But now that he thought about it, Maxen''s face was a mix of Ste and Maynard. Maxen''s slight resemnce with Luke made all the hairs in Conrad''s body raise.

    "No..." whispered Conrad, holding his temple. "... just how messed up did things turn?" -- this truth was something Conrad was unsure whether to keep to his grave or let all out. After all, this would make a huge problem in the Quinn family, particrly for Maynard, that would eventually affect Maxen.

    With all theseid on the table, Conrad didn''t know what to do.

    What should he do with this knowledge in his head? Right now, Conrad had no idea.

 Chapter 318 No Rush

    There was a reason Conrad disliked digging up something that he knew wouldn''t matter. Sometimes, the truth was not something anyone would want. Therefore, he was torn upon discovering Maxen''s biological father and Asher''s stance on this. Actually, he was torn upon knowing the entire story of Ro, Maynard, and Ste.

    Their problemsбн originated from a gigantic misunderstanding.

    How could a misunderstanding take this long and ruin so many lives?

    Sure. The Quinn family and Maynard''s wife had contributed to it. However, if Ro, Maynard, and Stemunicated, they could''ve prevented these things from happening. Ro wouldn''t be a criminal; he would probably have his own firm and be one of the bestwyers.

    Conrad had no idea what would happen to Ste and Maynard if they dealt with their affairs like adults, but for sure, their children wouldn''t be miserable. At least the two might not end up together, but Maxen wouldn''t have to go through such a painful childhood. There would be child support that could support both Maxen and his mother. Ste died of fatigue, after all.

    Conrad hated hopping to conclusions and thinking of the what-ifs, but he couldn''t help it. It was a messy story and now, only Conrad knew all of it. He kept asking himself what he should do about it. After all, Maxen might want to know the truth.

    Maxen believed his father was a criminal, and he was trying his best not to be like his father. But his father wasn''t Ro. Conrad had no idea why Ro didn''t say anything about it, but a part of Conrad understood it.

    "Was it really better to believe your father is a criminal than knowing he was just there, clueless about your existence, whilst raising two boys around your age?" Conrad asked himself, sitting in the back seat of the car on his way home. "If I were in his positionбн"

    If Conrad was in Maxen''s position, he would rather not hear a word of truth. However, if not for Conrad, thetter was afraid Maxen would eventually find out from another person. Asher was digging up the past and there was this little chance no one would know about it.

    Conrad clenched his teeth, making his jaw tighten. If Asher wasn''t the one who unknowingly led Conrad to this truth, Conrad wouldn''t have a problem. He just had to keep his mouth shut, but knowing there were two of them who knew about this, Conrad was worried.

    There was no secret that one could hide forever.

    This was almost two decades yet, this truth was now crawling its way to the present. It was just a matter of time before this would blow out of proportion.

    "Sir."

    Conrad was brought back to the present time when Warren''s voice caressed his ears. He nced at the front seat, only to see his assistant looking back at him.

    "We''ve arrived," said Warren for the fourth time.

    "Ahбн" Conrad blinked ever so tenderly, gazing at the main entrance of their home. ''I didn''t notice it.''

    "Do you want me to do anything else, sir?" asked Warren to his boss, reminding Conrad that thetter hadn''t given him any assignment. Warren was used to anyst-minute orders his boss would give him; it was rare for Conrad to not give or remind Warren of what he would need for the next day. Not that Warren had no other things to do, but it already became a habit.

    Conrad looked at his assistant for a moment before he remarked, "I guess you enjoy the freedom of being a single man."

    Conrad said nothing further, departing the vehicle immediately. Warren was left with a nk and dead expression, in utter disbelief at what he just heard.

    Did Conrad just diss him?

    Warren gasped, cing his hand across his chest. He turned his head to the window, watching his boss walk away from the driveway to the main entrance with an air of nonchnce.

    "I was just concerned because you''re too silent!" yelled Warren, knowing his boss wouldn''t hear him. "Today''s an exception!"

    Warren huffed in frustration, clicking his tongue. "I''m just being considerate, but I still me him that I don''t get enough time to find the girl of my dreams."

    Gloom dominated Warren''s face before he arched a brow, sensing someone''s gaze on him. He turned to his side, only to see the driver looking back at him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Right?" asked Warren. "He is the very reason we don''t have time to focus on our lovelifeбн"

    Warren trailed off, gasping when the driver handed him a small envelope. "I''m getting married Assistant Warren. It would be nice to have you there since the boss approved of my leave."

    "You''re getting married?!"

    "Mhm."

    "What бк oy! How?!" Warren''s eyes went wide, counting how many years Conrad''s driver sh bodyguard had been working under Conrad. If he remembered correctly, that was around six or seven years and this guy was just in his mid-twenties.

    Considering Conrad had a hectic schedule and had to go from ce to ce, the three of them were always stuck together. How the hell did he have time to date?!

    "Time management? I met her on one of our boss''s business trips." The driver smiled until his teeth were showing while Warren couldn''t hide his dismal. "Beingmitted to our job doesn''t mean we have to be ves, Assistant Warren."

    "I am a ve!" Warren harrumphed bitterly, unable to ept any word from his colleague.

    "Assistant Warren, I am not the only one who is already settling down бк"

    "Don''t talk to me and just drive. I swear to god бк ugh! This is so annoying. Everyone''s getting married while I am stuck with a cold-blooded boss," Warren mumbled to himself, frowning, counting how many weddings he was invited to in recent years.

    The driver who had been working for Conrad and had known Warren for years couldn''t help but sigh. A subtle smile then turned up on his face before setting his eyes ahead. As he prepared the engine before they go, the driver spoke;

    "Sir Warren, the boss is not stopping you from having a life." Warren slowly cast his eyes on his colleague while thetter was reaching for the gearshift. "Marriage is not a race бк- life is not a race as well. One of these days, you''ll meet someone that will make you believe all things happen for a reason that led you to meet that person."

    The driver''s smile was kind. "No rush."

    "I am not in a rush for that, but if I gette for my appointment, you''d go straight to hell." Warren was unfazed by his colleague''s kind words, deadpanned. "The both of us will."

    "Rightбн" the driverughed, controlling the gearshift before stepping on the pedal. "Should I buy you dinner? I found a good ce to eat and drink your woes."

    "Just drive!"

    "My treat."

    "Liars go to hell. I will drink to my heart''s content and call in sick tomorrow."

    And just like that, the car that dropped off Conrad sped away from the estate.

    ***

    A/N:

    Sorry for theck of update. I was busy with Christmas and New Year''s preparation because my family came to my ce. I hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas.

    xoxo

 Chapter 319 That Was A Good One

    When Conrad entered the c mansion, Butler George was already there to wee him. Thetter offered his hand and Conrad handed him his suitcase.

    "Are they home?" asked Conrad to the butler; a hobby he would never get rid of.

    The head butler of the manor smiled politely. "Yes. Sir Maxen and the young miss were in the living area with their friends."

    "Friends?" Conrad''s brows rose, assuming it was Remo and Luke.

    Those two would asionally drop by or stay overnight in there since Remo and Luke couldn''t afford to enroll in a cram school. Or rather, the two could afford it from theirmission in every project Maxen would hire them, but Maxen was a better tutor.

    "Just bring that to my study. I''ll go check the kids." Conrad cast Butler George a look, and thetter nodded in understanding.

    With that being said, Conrad went on his way to therge living area while Butler George went to Conrad''s study room. As Conrad headed to where his daughter was, his steps slowed down. There was this indescribable feeling creeping into his heart at the thought of Maxen and Luke.

    Conrad never felt this before; nervousness.

    Back then, he would just look at Maxen and Luke as kids around the same age and were good friends. But now, Conrad knew that Maxen and Luke weren''t just friends, but half-brothers after all. This unfathomable turn of events was something Conrad couldn''t wrap his head around.

    The world was truly smaller than it was supposed to be.

    Were they all fated to meet? Many questions hovered over Conrad''s head again until his thoughts went back to where it all started. Cosette. If Cosette didn''t transfer schools and didn''t find an unexinable inkling toward Maxen, all of them wouldn''t meet.

    Conrad soon reached the living area of the mansion, peeking his head to check. The living area was wide enough to amodate many people. His eyes fell on the center table, surrounded by teens. He first caught Cosette, solving an equation. Cosette had her hair tied up, eyes burning as if she had a hidden grudge against the paper on which she was writing.

    His eyes then shifted to Luke, near Cosette. Just like Cosette, Luke was engulfed with invisible mes while writing something. Cosette and Luke gave off the vibe that no one should disturb them strictly. Or else one could only think of the worst.

    Conrad then moved his attention to Maxen, teaching Remo how to solve a math problem. Maxen was always patient with Remo, making sure thetter understood everything. Maxen always had focused on Remo; Conrad heard about Remo and Maxen''s past, so it was admirable how Maxen was able to forgive Remo and how Remo showed his sincerity by changing for the good.

    "Done!"

    "Max!"

    Cosette and Luke raised their hands at the same time, ring at each other as if they were arch-enemies. The two hissed at each other before they hastily jumped on either side of Maxen, pushing Remo back.

    "Max, can you check my work?" Cosette blinked coquettishly, using her charms to get Maxen''s attention first.

    "I finished first, so you should check mine." Luke ced his paper over Cosette''s, smiling at Maxen like a tamed puppy. "I did great, did I?"

    A vein protruded in Cosette''s temple, sliding her paper to put it over Luke''s. "Luke, can''t you see I am asking Maxen to check my work? You should study proper manners for acting like this."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I''d be ashamed if you are Remo, but Maxen was teaching Remo before you suddenly squeeze yourself to his side," Luke rebutted, lifting his chin while Cosette seethed in anger. "What? I''m just saying between the two of us, you need to relearn manners first."

    "This guy бк"

    "Well done." Luke and Cosette furrowed their brows and gazed at Maxen when Maxen suddenly spoke. "You two did a good job. Now, try to solve this other problem."

    Maxen darted his eyes between the two, shing them a gentle smile.

    "You two are already great at this." He raised his hands, ruffling their heads as if they were kids бк they were acting like one бк to soothe their short temper. "I need Remo to be in the same ss as us next school year, so I have to help him. Don''t push him again."

    Luke and Cosette, who were like cats and dogs, had their invisible ears on their heads lower. They just looked at Maxen''s gentle smile and then sighed.

    "Sorry, Remrem." Cosette scooted over slightly to give Maxen and Remo some space to study. "If you have other questions, just ask me. I can help."

    "Sorry, man. If you ever get into this equation, just ask me. I know a better form to solve it faster." Luke also moved away to answer the rest of the exercise.

    Luke and Cosette might look like they were slightly disappointed, but they understood Maxen. Remo promised his grandfather that he would do better in school and steer clear of being a delinquent. Maxen wanted to make that happen, as well as to open doors of opportunity for Remo in the future. Not that Maxen was only focusing on Remo, but thetter was the person in need of help right now.

    Cosette and Luke studied at the most prestigious academy in the past. Therefore, these lessons were already sses they had already passed before.

    Seeing that the four of them settled down and refocused their attention on their study, a subtle smile appeared on Conrad''s face. He was already used to Cosette and Luke''s banter, and how Maxen effectively deal with them like a big brother. He was also used to Remo''s quiet andck of reaction as if thetter was already numbed about Luke and Cosette.

    ''That''s rightбн'' Conrad''s clouded mind cleared up after watching them for a couple of minutes. ''... it doesn''t matter.''

    Conrad slowly turned around, sauntering off with a subtle smile on his face. "I should make them some snacks. It seemed they would pull an all-nighter again."

    All thoughts regarding Ro, Maynard, Ste and the connections of these children went away. These kids were doing their best to build themselves. It would be too unfair to them to let them carry the burden of the past just because the adults couldn''t.

    If taking it to the grave was the only option to keep their peace, then Conrad pledged to bury it deeper so it couldn''t harm anyone.

    ''I guessбн that''s the reason Ro wanted me toe as well,'' thought Conrad as he made his way to the kitchen to make the kids some snacks himself. ''He just wants to pass the burden and gave me the power whether to carry it to my grave or pass it to others.'' бк obviously, Conrad would never do thetter even if it could kill him.

    And that was the verdict Ro had concluded. That man was surely vengeful, but at the same time, not as cruel as he appeared.

    "That was a good one," whispered Conrad to himself, entering the kitchen and surprising all the servants in there. He smiled. "The kids are working hard. I want to make them some snacks and dinner. Will you assist me?"

 Chapter 320 Just Like A Royal Family Drama

    "Wowбн if there''s a dad of the year, I''d really give it to your dad." Luke turned to Cosette while munching the snack he took after dinner. "Can I stay over here tonight?"

    Cosette narrowed her eyes, facing Luke squarely. Her father, Conrad, prepared them some snacks before calling them over for dinner. But after dinner, they have to return to the living area to resume their review.

    "Luke, tell me you don''t really want to go home, right?" Cosette propped her side against the coffee table, fixing her eyes on Luke. "Why? Because your brotheres over?"

    Luke frowned before he sighed deeply, propping his arms against the edge of the table.

    "I don''t know what sort of idea he is up to now," he admitted, ncing at Remo at the same table as them. Remo was solving a math problem as an exercise to recall what he learned from Maxen. "I mean, can you believe it?"

    He looked back at Cosette. "My brother thinks he is a prince. He might not be as vocal as I am, but he is someone who wouldn''t stay in such a cramped ce. Yet, he even slept over at my ce!"

    "He probably misses you."

    "Miss my ass! If he misses me, he could just drop by and press all the buttons he could!" argued Luke. "He didn''t need to sleep over and give me a scare!"

    "Is that the reason you proposed the idea to review in our house?"

    "I don''t want to see his ass once Ie home." Luke crossed his arms under his chest, frowning. "He''s just weird."

    Cosette assessed Luke and cocked her head to the side. "You call his showing his affection to his brother weird?"

    "I know my brother, alright? He wouldn''t do something unusual unless he has a motive."

    "Why do you always see the worse thing about your brother?" she asked out of in curiosity. "I mean, sure, Asher might not be perfect. He also has bad decisions and, to be truthful, his ways can be sometimes too extreme. However, he is still your brother. He probably cares about you more than you think."

    "I didn''t say he doesn''t. All I''m saying is, whenever he is acting unusual, problems would arise." Luke shrugged. "I''m not being judgmental, but I just don''t want to be involved in anything about my family."

    Cosette''s lips parted, but she ended up pressing them into a thin line. A shallow breath slipped past her nostrils, staring at Luke for a moment.

    "Do you hate your family?" she asked, which Luke answered with a quick, "no."

    "Then why are you saying you don''t want to get involved with them?" was her follow-up question. "For me, your family already gave you the freedom you sought. Aside from their initial invitations for you toe home, they didn''t force you to return home. Your dad has also been giving donations in the school for you."

    "You don''t know our Quinn family, Cozie." Luke lowered his eyes to the book before him, arms on the edge of the table. "Except my dad, everyone in our family was people who don''t care about bonds or familial affairs. The Quinn family cares more about their reputation бк you know, they were like some sort of traditional royal family. They like those types of drama."

    Another deep exhale escaped his nose, thinking about the Quinn family. Luke never misspoke about his family ever, but living independently and seeing the world not just from the side offort, Luke learned many things he knew he wouldn''t learn if he was in the Quinn mansion.

    "If not for my dad, they would''ve disowned me back then. Worse. They would sabotage everything I would do the moment I stepped out of the house just to prove to me that I could never do something without their help." Luke set his attention back on her. "I only realized that when I started living on my own."

    "But Asher won''t do that to you."

    "I know, but I can''t trust him just yet."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "And why is that?"

    "I just can''t." Luke shook his head. His mood dwindled at the thought of his big brother. "I don''t know, but I feel likeбн"

    He nced back at Cosette, watching her raise her brows while patiently waiting for the rest of his sentence. Luke bit his tongue.

    "I feel like he''s different." His answer was vague, but what he truly wanted to tell her was that Luke felt like Asher gave off this unsettling aura. Even when Asher was smiling the same, there was just a chill crawling up Luke''s spine.

    It was as though Asher would harm him. That was what Luke truly felt, but he chose not to tell her. It was very unnecessary to make Cosette worry. Knowing what sort of worry-wart she was, she would think about it instead of focusing on their uing test.

    Cosette studied Luke''s face, biting her tongue as she held his gaze for a moment.

    "Your brother invited me to attend his graduation," she confessed. "I was thinking of goingбн with you and Max."

    "What?"

    "Your brother is graduating high school, Luke. I assumed he invited me because he wants me to take you," she exined, assuming a more positive reason for Asher''s invitation. "It''s a big event in his life, Luke."

    "Do you want to go?"

    "I doбн" Cosette paused, staring into his eyes. "... but a part of me still hesitates."

    If being kind was Cosette''s only job, she wouldn''t mind being kind and spreading it to the people she knew. Her previous life was pure tragic. She didn''t want all of them to live and die in misery, and that included Asher. However, she knew Luke was more than one could think of. Even though Luke kept his answer vague, Cosette knew there was another deeper reason.

    The reason she felt torn.

    Luke was a dear friend to her, but she felt utter guilt for refusing Asher''s invitation.

    ''Saving everyoneбн and trying is surely exhausting,'' she mentally whispered, sighing, but telling herself she still have time to think about it.

    ******

    Meanwhile, in Luke''s apartment, Asher stood in front of the front door. His eyes were fixed on the note glued on the door, saying; "the person who lives here isn''t here."

    "This is like an invitation for burry," he whispered, shaking his head before he turned around. A deep exhale slipped past his lips, walked to the railing, and propped his arms against it. "I guess it''s his way of saying he doesn''t want me in hereбн he is really a Quinn. Cutting someone off is just so easy for them."

    ***

    A/N:

    HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I wish you all the best! You guys are the best <3 Looking forward to a great 2023 with you all <3

 Chapter 321 Father And Son

    "You''re here."

    Conrad nced to his side when Maxen suddenly came into the garden where Conrad was idling after dinner. Maxen dragged the metal garden chair, sitting next to Conrad.

    "I left some documents to Assistant Warren," said Maxen as soon as he sat down, using work as the icebreaker between them. "I told him I''d be busy for a while."

    "I also told him you''d be busy and not to bother you." Conrad peeled his eyes away from Maxen, resting his leg over the other. "How was school?"

    "Not bad. Though I must admit, I had a hard time focusing today."

    "Because of the meetingst night?"

    "Mhm." Maxen rocked his head, gazing at the sprinkles ahead. "I really hope he will stick to his words and leave me alone."

    "It''s a small world, but Ro is the type of person who sticks to his words."

    Maxen nced at Conrad''s side profile. "It''s really a small world."

    "It''s silly when you think about it, but I guess that''s just what it is." Conrad shrugged, looking back at Maxen, only to see thetter staring at the flowers ahead. Conrad didn''t mean to look at him longer than he was supposed to, but staring at Maxen, many thoughts crossed his mind.

    Silence descended on them, and Conrad soon looked away from Maxen. The two of them stared at the flowers and the sprinklers quietly. This had be a habit for them. There were times the two would just sit down quietly, keeping each otherpany without any trace of awkwardness despite the silence.

    They were used to it; their presence, and their silence. The two of them weren''t that much of a talker. Not that was a problem, nor did it ever was.

    "I will join them." Maxen broke the prolonged silence, pping his thigh. Spending a few minutes with Conrad was a part of his daily routine, and thus, he sat down to join him.

    "Mhm." A hum was the response he got, which Maxen was already used to.

    That said, Maxen got up and was about to leave when he stopped.

    "Maxen." Maxen looked back at Conrad, only to see thetter rise to his feet. "Do you prefer to hear a crippling truth or stay oblivious to it?"

    Deep lines appeared between Maxen''s brows at Conrad''s random question. Maxen stared at Conrad, noticing the sincerity in his eyes. Conrad was serious, and Maxen was certain Conrad''s question wasn''t just a random one.

    "Depends on what it is about," answered Maxen softly.

    "It''s about yourбн parents."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Then no." Maxen smiled subtly, but his eyes shone with instant resolve. "If it''s about them, I''d rather not hear anything. Be it truth or lies бк I don''t care."

    "It might be important for you."

    Maxen shook his head, lowering his eyes slightly. "It doesn''t matter." He slowly raised his eyes back to Conrad, letting out a shallow breath while keeping his subtle smile.

    "As stubborn and selfish as it may sound, I don''t think there''s far more important than the future I seek. I used to hate them for bringing up a child in this world but couldn''t take care of him, but then I realized I might have not wished to be born, but I don''t have a choice," exined Maxen in a quiet but clear tone of maturity. "I didn''t get to choose who my parents were, and which family I was born into, but after the opportunities you opened up for me, I realized many things."

    Maxen walked to the same spot, facing Conrad. "My past doesn''t define me nor what my parents had done in the past. They were a learning lesson and a reminder of who I shouldn''t be."

    Conrad had his lips drawn into a thin line, listening to what Maxen had got to say. And to be truthful, hearing Maxen''s firm answer relieved his heart. At least, now, Conrad knew that the information he was holding didn''t hold as much value as he thought it had.

    "Moreover, I have a man whom I looked up to as my father. It used to make me bitter how other people who aren''t blood-rted to me treated me and wee me as a family member more than my real family. But I learned to ept it as it is." This time, Maxen''s lips stretched a bit broader. "That''s life, right?"

    Conrad''s expression softened, nodding in agreement. "Mhm. That''s life. Full of twists and turns."

    "So, don''t think about it anymore. I am fine," Maxen reassured. "Whatever makes you feel down, know that I am already fine. And the reason I am at peace is thanks to you and Cosette. I don''t need to hear a word about them or anything that could just potentially destroy the work we put in just to be talking in here, Dad."

    Conrad and Maxen stared at each other before Conrad nodded once again. Maxen kept his smile, pleased that the slight worry Conrad was hiding in his eyes faded. Maxen had been with the cs for quite some time now and thus, he knew that Conrad was acting strange.

    Conrad might''ve acted as usual, but Maxen could feel that Conrad had a lot of things on his mind. It was the main reason Maxen stepped out to join him. And Maxen was right. There was something that was weighing Conrad down, and knowing it was because of Maxen and his past, Maxen stayed firm in his ims.

    "I''ll go now. Good night, Dad."

    With that being said, Maxen turned around and marched back to join Cosette, Luke, and Remo in the living area. The three of them nned to review as many lessons for tonight for their uing exams.

    Meanwhile, as Maxen walked away, Conrad stayed in his spot while staring at his son''s back.

    "He''s grown," he whispered, recalling how Maxen used to be when they first met. Maxen might''ve acted tamed back then, but he was wary and doubtful. But now, every word that woulde out of that young man''s mouth screamed maturity and resolve.

    "He makes me proud." A smile turned up on Conrad''s face, turning around to look at the garden. "He''s right. Whoever his parents were doesn''t define him as a person." бк giving him the truth Conrad knew wouldn''t help Maxen.

    Maxen''s parent бк whoever they were бк wasn''t important. Being his parent was already something Conrad embraced and as Maxen''s father, all he could do for his son was to protect him from the things that could potentially destroy the peace Maxen painstakingly built.

 Chapter 322 DonтАЩt Avoid Problems. Solve Them

    Cosette yawned, rubbing her weary eyes. She nced up to check the time on the wall clock. It was already two in the morning. She nced around the center table in the living area, only to see that Luke was already nodding off while Remo was leaning against the couch while sitting on the floor, sleeping.

    "You should sleep now." She blinked when she heard Maxen''s soothing voice beside her, turning her head to him. "Should I help you?"

    Cosette blinked, her thought process was slow. Just moments ago, she remembered she was solving an equation. But when she blinked, she realized her blink went straight to a power nap.

    "Mhm." Cosettezily leaned on Maxen''s side for some affection. "Why are you still awake, Max?"

    "I just finished this one."

    Cosette nced at the note in front of Maxen, furrowing her brows. She leaned closer to see it better before surprise took over her countenance.

    "You finished it?" she looked back at him, gasping.

    "Haha." Maxenughed. "It was challenging, but the challenge is worth it."

    Maxen raised a hand and ruffled her hair. "Are you having eye problems, Cozie? Why do you need to lean over to see my notes?"

    "I''m just sleepy." Cosette shrugged, picking up the notebook to check on it onest time. "Wow... this is a long-ass form. Luke and I kept avoiding this problem."

    "Don''t avoid problems. Solve them."

    She looked back at Maxen to check if he purposely said that since it had a double meaning. A deep exhale slipped past her lips, realizing she was right.

    "Max," she called, making his brows raise slightly. "Should we attend Asher''s graduation?"

    "Whose graduation?"

    "Asher''s." Cosette bit her tongue. "I thought I told you already."

    She shrugged and shook her head mildly. "Well, Asher invited me to attend his graduation."

    "What''s stopping you?" he asked, making her pause for a moment.

    Cosette stared at Maxen quietly, blinking. She knew her boyfriend was the best of the best and he was the most understanding person she ever came across with. However, now that she thought about it, Maxen was too kind and considerate. Her goal was to prevent him from taking the viin route that would eventually lead to his demise, but the Maxen she ushered to the right path was just like an angel.

    "Maxen," she called, receiving a low hum from him. "A normal person would first ask, ''why would he invite you?'' not ''what''s stopping you."

    Maxen chuckled shortly again. "I trust you."

    "What?"

    "I suspect Asher Quinn likes you more than just a friend. Personally, I don''t want you toe, but that is just me being selfish," he exined sincerely. "I don''t want to stop you from doing whatever you want. I want to be supportive. It''s not like you will betray me, right?"

    "Never." Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, satisfied at how mature Maxen was and the level of trust he was giving her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Little did Cosette know, aside from trust, Maxen simply epted her habits to save everyone. Cosette had manyyers; there were times she was mature, childish, impatient, and silly. All of them and those personalities were her, and thus, he wanted to embrace her all.

    Still, there was a small part of him that was deeply concerned about this other side of her.

    Cosette seemed to have this obsession to save everyone to the point she would jump into hellfire to save a friend. Maxen didn''t think much back then, but after the incident with Amie, he was certain Cosette would stop at nothing to save others.

    Stopping her would only repel her and make her defensive. So Maxen was thinking of ways to protect her since she wasn''t protecting herself.

    "Cozie, don''t forget to take care of yourself, hm?" Maxen reached for her hand, eyes fixed on her. "I know you have a big heart to spare, but don''t forget about yourself."

    Cosette smiled subtly, nodding in understanding. "Can youe with him?"

    "Mhm?"

    "To Asher''s graduation." Cosette slowly shifted her soft eyes to Luke. "At first, I didn''t want to go because I don''t want it to be a problem between us. But a part of me didn''t like some conclusion in my head."

    "What conclusion?"

    She looked back at him and smiled. "Some sort of cause and effect." She kept her answer vague, knowing a night wasn''t enough.

    Cosette might be silly oftentimes, but she had never forgotten their previous life. For instance, she would still think of how Maxen andpare the current Maxen to the one she met in their previous life. And with thatid on the table, Cosette never forgot the fact she was rewriting this story.

    Since Maxen didn''t seem would take the viin role, it was only natural for another person to take that role. This was all her theory, of course. Still, whether this was only her response to trauma or it was something that would eventually happen, she wanted to prevent it.

    Even though Asher was a jerk and only thought of himself, Cosette also wanted to save him. His life back then was also unfair... with everything that had happened. Thus, she might not reciprocate the shallow feelings Asher had for her, but at least, he wouldn''t turn into a monster she dreaded seeing once again.

    "If you think keeping youpany will make you feel safer, then I''m in." Maxen didn''t ask anything further and just gave her the reassurance she needed. "Though I don''t think he will like it."

    "He might not like it, but what can go wrong, right?"

    "I know." Maxen let out a short chuckle before shifting his attention to Luke. "What about him? Did you tell him about it already?"

    "Well..." Cosette cleared her throat, setting her attention to Luke. "He has toe as well. Should we bring the entire ss to his graduation?"

    "He won''t like that."

    "At least, there''s an entire ss to tie down Luke if he goes berserk."

    Maxen furrowed his brows and looked at her. "Don''t tell me..." he trailed off, narrowing his eyes while Cosette looked back at him with a devious grin.

    A/N:

    HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

 Chapter 323 Whatever Makes You Happy

    Days had passed in a blur for everyone. Cosette and her entire ss got busy with their exams and endless reviews before that, hosting group reviews, and others performed seance to pray for a good oue. Even though Cosette and Luke were confident, the atmosphere in their ss gave off left this lingering worry in their hearts.

    Everyone could only sigh in relief бк or rather, some of them could only heave a sigh of relief after thest their of their exams, which was also thest week of their ss before the school year ended.

    Meanwhile, from the other side, Asher wasn''t as busy as them. Or rather, he was busier, but for a different reason. His graduation was the least of his concerns, involving himself more in their family business and doing everything he could to secure his spot. He was more determined than ever, and many people noticed that.

    And just like that, Asher''s graduation rolled in.

    [To: Cosette c

    Are youing? ]

    Asher looked around the function hall where their graduation was being held. Despite the crowd, it was easier for him to search for Cosette because he slightly knew everyone''s faces already. Everyone in this ce was all people in the upper echelon бк everyone was connected through business or other areas one way or another.

    ''She''s still not here.'' A shallow breath slipped past his lips, setting his eyes back on the stage where the headmaster was doing his speech. ''Not that I didn''t see thating.''

    When Asher invited Cosette toe to his graduation, he wasn''t expecting her to agree. After all, Asher believed he didn''t have a proper moment where the two of them would be true friends. All the time he was with her, they would always bicker and agree to disagree on things. Other times, it was just awkward since Cosette was firm when she draw the line between them.

    In other words, Cosette never truly gave Asher the chance she easily gave to everyone. Therefore, Asher wasn''t expecting anything from her. Yet, he still asked her toe to his graduation despite that.

    Asher''s train of thought halted when the phone in his grip vibrated. He gazed down, a slight hope swirling in his heart.

    [From: Cosette

    Can I bring my friends? ]

    "Friendsбн" he whispered and the first person who came into his head was Maxen.

    Asher''s jaw tightened as his hand shook slightly. He nced at the person sitting beside him, and his gaze instantlynded on Maynard''s side profile. His heart thudded with heaviness as his lungs mildly constricted, setting his eyes back to his phone.

    His thumb hovered over the keys on his phone, typing a quick, ''no'' but didn''t send it. Asher deleted those two letters and just stared at his phone for a moment.

    What should he say? Telling her "no" also meant "just don''t bother then."

    Asher didn''t want that. He wanted Cosette toe.

    [To: Cosette c<novelnext></novelnext>

    Whatever makes you happy. ]

    Asher didn''t think twice as he tapped send before he change his mind. As he waited for her response, he flinched when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

    "Are you okay?" asked Maynard, raising his brows. "You look a little pale."

    Asher''s eyes shook for a moment before he forced a slight smile. "Of course. I''m justбн nervous."

    "Nervous? That''sбн a surprise." Maynard frowned, leaning backfortably. "You should take a month''s leave from work and chill. You deserve to rest from time to time, my son."

    Oh, how Asher wished he could. However, Asher felt like he was running out of time. If he wouldn''t work hard now and built his own connections, he was afraid that once the truthes out, he would be left with nothing. He needed to rush things just so he could immediately prove himself worthy of being a Quinn.

    "Don''t worry too much, son." Maynard let out a deep exhale, detecting the reluctance in his son''s eyes. He raised a hand and nted it on Asher''s shoulder, nodding at him reassuringly. "Your father is still healthy and well. I''m not dying soon, so you don''t have to pressure yourself. All I want is for you to be happy, hmm? So, just rx."

    Maynard squeezed his son''s shoulder so thetter could feel the warmth of his father and Maynard''s sincerity. However, Asher might''ve smiled back, but his heart felt otherwise. Asher wasn''t reassured even in the slightest. If anything, Asher only had one question in his head while staring at his father;

    ''Would you say the same if you find out I am not your son?''

    When Maynard retrieved his hand from his son''s shoulder, both of them gazed at the stage. As soon as their eyesnded on it, the headmaster announced the valedictorian and invited the most excellent student of the Academy toe up on the stage to give his speech.

    A round of apuse followed as their heads turned to the student, who rose from his seat. Smiles were stered on everyone''s faces, watching Asher carry himself with a respectable mien as he came up to the stage. No one showed even slight displeasure, as if they all epted that Asher Quinn would graduate with flying colors.

    Asher was a Quinn, after all. He was known to be the next patriarch, and it was no secret; he was close to perfection. A true Quinn.

    Asher could see that as he approached the stage. The look in everyone''s eyes, even the faculty staff and the headmaster as they shook hands. They all bore this sense of pride in their eyes, but they weren''t looking at Asher as Asher and his achievements alone.

    He could see in everyone''s eyes that were screaming, ''a true Quinn.'' Yet, Asher maintained a smile as he thanked the headmaster before standing before the lectern. His eyes glossed over the faces of the audience and his gaze lingered on where Maynard was sitting.

    Maynard nodded at him reassuringly, wearing this proud grin and seeing his son stand there as the valedictorian. It was a normal reaction from a father, but Asher couldn''t even enjoy this glorious moment. If anything, he felt sick to the stomach.

    "I бк"

    As Asher was about to start his speech, his lips quivered and his voice was stuck to his throat. Droplets of sweat formed on his forehead, his back getting damped. His hand felt cold and his lips grew paler, barely keeping himself together.

 Chapter 324 Came Prepared

    ''You can do this,'' Asher told himself, repeating it over and over again. ''You can... not now.''

    Asher lowered his eyes, overwhelmed by the stress he had been going through and almost everything. He felt like he would copse at any moment, but he kept telling himself not to mess things up. He couldn''t mess anything up, especially when he was already walking on thin eyes.

    Making a mistake that could lead to the impossible suffocated him. He felt like exploding.

    "Go, Asher!"

    Suddenly, from the crowd, Asher heard this faint voice echoing in the venue hall. He raised his head and searched for the owner of the voice. Despite the dimness in the audience, he caught some light sticks with his name and face twinkling like Christmas lights.

    There, in the farthest corner of the hall, was a group of young students waving their nightsticks and even banners. The person in front of Cosette happily waved her light sticks while wearing a hair band that had two long antennae with Asher''s face on its tip.

    Cosette had the brightest smile that even when Asher saw Maxen, Luke, and another guy behind her, holding the banners, Asher couldn''t dwell in their presence. He was just d Luke was also here.

    ''What the hell are those corny banners? Did she think I am having a concert?'' thought Asher, but the nervousness that was slowly eating him from the inside gradually faded.

    He was able to breathe. The sight of them was silly, almost making him utterly embarrassed. However, their shy presence took half of the attention on Asher. Therefore, they bought him time to gather himself.

    Asher cleared his throat and sported a smile, leaning over the microphone to start his speech.

    "Thest year of high school was a tough road we all had taken almost barefoot..." he started, catching everyone''s attention from Cosette''s group. "We all had a fair share of hardships, the endless sacrifice of our sleep, never-ending reviews, and such. To be able toe to this day, wearing our uniforms underneath our togas..."

    The more Asher spoke through the microphone, speaking eloquently of a student''s journey to theirst year of high school, made him confident. Everyone listened to how he described their journey to reach this far, his encouraging speech for the new chapter of their lives, and his gratitude for everyone in the Academy who guided them throughout the years.

    "Last, I want to thank my family for their full support and my dearest friend." He lifted his gaze in Cosette''s direction before shifting his eyes to Luke, smiling subtly. "Our high school journey might''ve ended here, but as we close this chapter of our lives, another one starts. May our next journey will be fruitful and be on our side."

    Apuse resounded in the hall as Asher finished his heart-warming and encouraging speech. Asher took a step back, facing the headmaster to receive the highest honors. Maynard had alsoe up to the stage to join his son.

    As the stage got busy giving medals and taking photos, Cosette''s smile warmed up.

    "That''s a surprise," Luke spoke behind her, muttering. "I never saw him get nervous to the point of fainting. I thought he would faint."

    Cosette looked back at him. "Do you think your brother is immortal? Not because he can carry the weight he is carrying doesn''t mean it wasn''t heavy. Of course, he would need support from others. Especially from his brother."

    "I don''t think it''s our support he needs, but these corny banners and -- can you take that hairband off? Gosh! It''s so shy!" Luke gasped, staring at the antennas that had Asher''s face glued on them. "It''s distracting!"

    "What? But it''s cute..." she pouted, touching her antenna. "Right, Max?"

    "Will you wear one at our graduation?"

    "Hehe." Cosette grinned. "I actually prepared a lot of them."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Luke gasped one more time when she took out three hairbands for Maxen, Luke, and Remo.

    "No way! I might be poor and he might be my brother, but I still have a dignity to preserve! Cosette c, did you lose your mind?"

    "Gosh... it''s not like I am forcing you." She rolled her eyes at Luke and her gaze instantlynded on Remo. Cosette sported the sweetest smile as if she was an angel.

    "Evil," murmured Luke; her smile giving him apletely opposite vibe.

    "Remo, do you want to wear this?" she asked, and Remo replied with a quick, "no. That will hurt my pride as a human being."

    "See?" Luke scrunched his face, looking at her in dismay.

    "Whatever." Cosette rolled her eyes once again as she put the hairbands inside her bag. She only prepared them just in case, but not that she would force them to wear them. Apanying her without really abducting them just to be here was enough.

    Just as Cosette was putting the hairbands with antennas back inside her back, she paused when Maxen spoke.

    "I can wear them."

    Cosette, Luke, and Remo slowly set their eyes on Maxen. Luke and Remo instantly had this look of disbelief as if they were willing to go to war just to stop him from this abomination called Cosette. Meanwhile, Cosette''s eyes twinkled.

    "Really?" Her face was dominated by expectations.

    Maxen nodded. "Mhm. Hand it over."

    "Wait, wait -- hold on!" Luke jumped to Maxen''s side, nting a hand on thetter''s chest. "My brother, please don''t do this to yourself. I know you are under her spell, but this is too much."

    Remo nodded in agreement.

    "Gosh. Shut up." Cosette put the hairband inside her back, rolling her eyes. Luke and Remo thought Cosette had changed her mind, only to their disappointment, she took out another hairband. This time, the hairband didn''t have Asher''s face on the antenna, but her face instead.

    "I told you! I came prepared!" she grinned, holding the hairband in front of her.

    The three studied her picture on the antennas, but only Remo and Luke couldn''t fathom how prepared she was. Meanwhile, Maxen just chuckled and took a step forward, bending down until their eyes were on the same level.

    "This one is better," he said with a bright smile. "Put it on."

    Cosette giggled, putting the hairband on Maxen. The second she did, she pressed something that made the hairband light up. Luke nearly fainted.

 Chapter 325 Father And Son Reunion

    The graduation ceremony went smoothly, awarding students who earned their achievements through hard work бк some through the unimaginable amount of their donations. Cosette, Maxen, Remo, and Luke stayed throughout the ceremony until it ended, waiting for Asher outside the hall to congratte him.

    "Can I go?" Luke scratched the back of his head, watching Cosette tiptoe to search for Asher. Thetter looked back at him, tilting her head to the side.

    "Why?" she asked. "Don''t you feelfortable?"

    "Do I look like someone who isfortable?" he sassed, almost rolling his eyes as he shoved his hand inside his pockets. "Don''t get me wrong. It''s not that I don''t want to congratte my brother, but he already saw me and I think that''s enough."

    "But isn''t it better to congratte him? He already saw you, after all. Why not stay longer for a bit?"

    "Are you pretending, Cozie?" Luke asked out of pure curiosity. "I am a runaway child, remember? And I want to keep it that way. It''s not like my brother is the only person here, but also my dad is. What if he drags me back to our house?"

    Remo rocked his head in agreement while Maxen just stayed silent, darting his eyes between Cosette and Luke. Maxen was still wearing the hairband with antennas that had Cosette''s face on it while Cosette was wearing the one with Asher''s face. The two stood out and the lights on their hairbands could be seen from a mile away.

    Cosette frowned, keeping her gaze on Luke. She didn''t want him to go so they could congratte Asher together, but at the same time, she didn''t want to force Luke. She was already d she didn''t have to drag Luke here since thetter also wanted toe.

    "Wellбн if that is what you want. What else can I do, right?" Her tone was dejected, sighing.

    Seeing her gloomy mood, Luke ran his tongue across his cheek. His rtionship with her might be a love-and-hate one, but he cared for Cosette more than one couldprehend.

    "Then, I''ll see you in the parking бк" Luke couldn''t even finish his sentence when he caught two familiar figuresing out of the hall. Without thinking twice, Luke jumped back, hiding in the nearest hiding spot he could and that was a tree.

    The venue where the graduation was held was still within the Academy grounds. Aside from the massive quad, the Academy was surrounded by greenery. Thus, the presence of the tree was because the outside of the hall was a vastndscape.

    Seeing Luke''s abrupt reaction, Cosette''s brows rose. She slowly turned her head in the direction where she saw Luke look, only to catch Asher and Maynard walking out of the hall. Many people were exiting the hall, but Asher and Maynard stood out.

    Cosette was about to raise a hand to catch their attention before she paused, gazing at Maxen, who was standing beside her. Thetter didn''t have any reaction, standing still as if he didn''t mind anything.

    "Oh, Cozie!" before she could say anything, Cosette heard Maynard''s enthusiastic voice from the distance. When she looked into Maynard''s attention, her face nearly contorted at the bright aura Maynard was emanating.

    Surely, Maynard looked intimidating when he was wearing a poker face, and if you don''t know him. But Maynard was almost theplete opposite of Conrad, who was suffering from facial paralysis.

    Maynard waved giddily like a kid, ignoring the eyes that his jolly personality garnered. As if he was the one who graduated, he walked faster бк almost jogging бк until he was standing before Cosette, Maxen, and Remo. Asher walked slower and took some time to reach their vantage point.

    "Uncle Maynard." Cosette smiled awkwardly while Maynard grinned back at her. ''It always feels weird whenever I''m in front of him. It feels like I am facing an older version of Luke.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Great to see you again, Mister Quinn." Maxen lowered his head, greeting Maynard politely. Thetter nced at Maxen and instantly remembered him as the kid Conrad took in.

    Maynard and Maxen only met once if the former''s memory served. And that one time was a coincidence. Although Maynard heard many things about Maxen, he didn''t have that much impression of the kid aside from the fact that thetter looked more like Conrad''s son. They both carry the same air of nonchnce.

    "Hehe. Great to see you doing good." Maynard just nodded at Maxen before shifting his attention to his favorite not-blood-rted niece. "I am d you were able to attend Asher''s graduation, Cozie. I thought you hate him."

    "Pardon?"

    "You too, Luke. No need to hide, my son. I''ve already seen you back inside." Maynard''s grin stretched wider, ncing at the tree where he caught his silly son hiding. "Don''t worry. I won''t drag you back home, but don''t forget, my house is always open whenever you want toe home."

    His face brightened up, watching Lukee out from behind the tree. He almostughed upon seeing the frown stered on Luke''s face before his eyes softened.

    "Oh, how I missed my youngest!" Maynard nted his fist on his hips, sighing whilst shaking his head. "Come here, son. Embrace your father, who missed you day and night."

    "Ew!" Luke scrunched his face in dismay, looking at his yful father as thetter opened his arms. "This is why I don''t want toe home. You don''t stop teasing me!"

    Maynardughed. "Oh,e on, son. I am not teasing you! I''m being sincere!"

    Cosette awkwardly nced at Maxen before moving her gaze to Remo. As soon as her eyesnded on Remo, Cosette instantly caught the horror and surprise dominating Remo''s face.

    ''Yes, Remo, I know.'' Cosette mentally nodded, understanding the expression Remo was showing. ''They''re more like twins. It can be quite a disaster.''

    "Excuse me, Cozie." Maynard shed Cosette a kind smile until his eyes were squinting. "I''m d to see you here and support Asher at his graduation. I''ll give you guys some privacy while I shower my youngest with love."

    "Uhmбн thanks?" Cosette replied awkwardly, making Maynard''s grin stretch wider. Thetter then cast Maxen and Remo a quick look before marching away to his youngest. However, the youngest froze in horror upon seeing his father approaching. Before Luke could even think, he already ran away while Maynard chased after him.

    "Thatбн" Remo muttered to himself, watching the father and son run around like maniacs. "... is unexpected."

    "Perhaps, for you, but I don''t think that''s the case for us."

    Suddenly, Remo heard this familiar voice he heard just previously through the microphone. He turned his head and immediately saw Asher stand before the three of them, smiling.

 Chapter 326 Kidnapped

    "My father and my little brother always had a strange rtionship. It might be quite strange and ironic, considering they almost have the same personality. But there goes the saying, if you meet someone like you, you''d probably hate them."

    Asher shed Remo a kind smile but didn''t dwell on him. Instead, his eyes slowly veered to Maxen briefly before they settled on Cosette.

    "I''m d you came," he expressed sincerely, heaving a sigh of relief. "You don''t know how much this means to me."

    As soon as those words rolled out of Asher''s tongue, Remo instinctively moved his attention to Maxen. Thetter didn''t react, but he kept his eyes on Asher.

    "You''re wee." Cosette shrugged.

    Asher lifted his gaze to the hairband that she was wearing, chuckling upon seeing his unsmiling face glued on the tip of the antennas.

    "I want to ask what were you thinking, but I''d rather not," he mused. "Surprisingly, I sort of like it."

    Cosette touched the tip of her antennas before clearing her throat. "Wellбн that''s surprising, but not in a bad way. Congrattion onpleting high school, Asher." She smiled subtly but sincerely.

    "Thank you." Asher nodded. "You should join us. My dad booked a restaurant for lunch."

    "It''s fine, thank you. But we only stayed until now to congratte you personally. We''ll probably pass on that."

    "Is that so?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, stopping herself from giving in. She already attended the graduation and gave him moral support; she did her best. It would be too unfair for Luke and Maxen for her to agree without their consent.

    "I''m sorry," came out a meek voice, feeling guilty for turning him down.

    "Don''t be." Asher smiled kindly as if there were just the two of them. "I''m already d you made it. If anything, I should thank you foring."

    "You too, Maxen," he continued, facing Maxen and surprising not just Maxen but also Cosette. "I know we didn''t have a close rtionship бк perhaps, even started on the wrong foot. However, I want to thank you foring and allowing Cosette to ept my invitation."

    "It''s Cosette''s decision to make, not mine," Maxen corrected with a gentle tone.

    Asher didn''t say anything and simply nodded. He then cast Remo a look.

    "This is probably the first time we met, but nice to meet you. Seeing you with them, I assume you are also one of my little brother''s friends. My little brother might be yful бк sometimes, too yful бк but he is a good boy. Please take care of him."

    "Ohбн" the rest of Remo''s sentence rolled back to his throat, rendered speechless at Asher''s kind remarks and mature mien. Asher was different from Luke and Maynard, and it slightly surprised Remo for sure.

    Not just Remo, but Cosette as well. She just stared at Asher with nk eyes; she couldn''t almost recognize this person talking! This wasn''t the Asher she knew!

    ''Is this the effect of graduating high school?'' she wondered, recalling how arrogant Asher used to be just because he had everything one could wish for. But now Asher was just mature and understanding; he wasn''t looking at Remo or Maxen with that usual dismay in his eyes. If anything, he looked like an angel; he was always handsome, but his personality dragged it down.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Anywayбн" Asher trailed off when he heard Maynard''s voice from a distance.

    "Cozie,e and have lunch with us!"

    Asher raised his eyes over Cosette while Cosette, Remo, and Maxen slowly looked back. As soon as they did, their face contorted upon seeing Maynard having Luke in a headlock. Thetter was screaming for help as if he was about to get abducted, but to no avail.

    "I already told your dad that I''m borrowing the kids to steal the award for being the father of the year! Haha!" Maynardughed almost evilly. "If you don''t want to, that''s fine as well. However, I''ll have to drag this little devil with usбн and he can only return with a ransom!"

    "..."

    Asher, Luke, Maxen, Remo, and Cosette were rendered speechless. They could only stare at Maynard,ughing so loud that his waves of evilughter almost echoed.

    And that was how Maxen, Remo, Cosette, and Luke found themselves at the same table with Asher and Maynard.

    "Haha! What''s with that look of horror? Conrad might think I really kidnapped you guys!" Maynard pped. His eyes looked like mere slits. Everyone could almost see the bright twinkle surrounding his figure.

    Meanwhile, Luke, Cosette, Maxen, and Remo had nk expressions. Everything happened so fast that they needed time to recall what had just happened. After Maynard told them that he would steal the ''unofficial'' title of being the father of the year from Conrad, a few men in suits approached them. They didn''t have time to process everything, only remembering the men escorting them to the car, and sped away.

    They didn''t even remember blinking throughout the ride or how they walked inside the restaurant before they all sat down. It was as though everything yed in fast forward.

    Asher sighed when he recovered, ncing at the kids across from him.

    "I''m sorry if it came to this." His soothing voice snapped the four back from their trance, watching them look back at him as if they were rusting robots. "But since we''re here, I hope you get to enjoy the food at least."

    Luke shook his head in disbelief before facing his father. The moment his eyesnded on Maynard, Luke''s face turned red in anger.

    "Father, how can you do this to us?!" he harrumphed, mming his hand on the table while he got up. "If this isn''t stealing someone''s freedom, I don''t know what this was бк"

    Just as Luke was ready to go on and on, berating his father for taking all of them by force, the food arrived. As soon as the first servant arrived, the appetizing scent wafted through Luke''s nostrils. He gazed at the servantsing in, watching them serve different dishes to fill the wide, round table.

    All the anger that swelled in Luke''s chest instantly faded, drooling over the fancy dishes he hadn''t eaten for months. Seeing this, Maynard chuckled before pping again.

    "They said eat while the food is hot!" he intoned giddily. "Dig in!"

    Maxen, Cosette, and Remo looked at each other before they looked back at Maynard once again. A shallow and helpless breath escaped their nostrils, epting the situation they were now in, and tried their best to enjoy the food.

    The food didn''t disappoint because, in no time, everyone was enjoying their meal while Maynard smiled affectionately at them. His eyes softened as soon as he gazed at Luke, pleased to see his youngest eat to his heart''s content. Little did he know, Asher was observing him from the corner of his eyes.

 Chapter 327 WhatтАЩs The Harm In Sharing?

    In the end, Cosette, Maxen, and Remo enjoyed the food served to them. The one who enjoyed them the most was Luke. Almost everything was his favorite as if Maynard knew he woulde. After the long meal, Cosette, Maxen, Luke, and Remo expressed their gratitude to Maynard and congratted Asher once again.

    And with that being said, they also bid their farewell.

    Walking them outside, Asher jogged slightly when they reached the parking space.

    "Cozie, can I talk to you?" he asked, standing before her. Asher cast Maxen, who was just behind Cosette, a look. "May I?"

    Hisst question made Cosette''s brows raise, looking back at Maxen. Thetter blinked before casting Cosette a look. Both of them were aware of how Maxen was; he didn''t want to decide for Cosette because he knew that was beyond his control.

    "It''ll be quick." She nodded reassuringly.

    "We''ll just be right here." Maxen shifted his gaze back to Asher but didn''t say anything. Instead, he faced Remo and pointed at the car near their vantage point. Fortunately, Maynard asked someone to drive the car they used before he kidnapped them. Luke was dragged by his father to his car, so he wasn''t around.

    "I thought he was strict about you," Asher remarked as soon as Maxen and Remo entered the sedan, moving his gaze to her. "That''s why you always take him whenever you got the chance."

    "Maxen isn''t like that. If anything, he doesn''t like it when others think he could decide for me." She shrugged, snapping her eyes up. "So? What do you need?"

    Asher pressed his lips into a thin line with their corners up. "I just thought I hadn''t thanked you enough. You have no idea what this means to me."

    "It''s nothing special." She shrugged again, trying to be clear that her actions were nothing special. "I mean, I knew you want Luke toe, but it''ll be tricky to ask him directly and make him agree."

    "That''s right. He might explode." He chuckled. "But still, thank you. You and Lukeбн I missed my brother so much and you know you''re my only friend. You might think otherwise, but for me, you are."

    Cosette pressed her lips, telling herself to be kinder to him. It was a special day for Asher and considering she had been clear about the line between them to the point she was almost rude, he probably already knew whatever she wanted to say.

    "You should chill for a bit, Ash," she advised sincerely. "I know you graduated high school and entering university is much more challenging. The pressure will always be there, but don''t forget to take a moment to breathe. Trust me. Looking after yourself is important."

    "I think I''ve been looking after myself more than I did recently." He smiled, but there was something behind his eyes that Cosette couldn''t exin. It wasn''t a look of sadness or deception, but something else.

    Cosette didn''t dwell on it much, seeing that Asher was fine. Matter of fact, Asher seemed to be doing better. He also matured quite a lot. Thest time she had seen him, he was as arrogant as he could be. She nearly dug a grave for him.

    "Anyway, I don''t think my little brother will be able toe with you." Asher nced at the parking slot where his father''s car was parked. "My dad misses him a lot. He even told the management to prepare all his favorite foods. That''s why the food was a littlete."

    "Considering Luke hadn''te home for months, I''m sure he will. But he will live, right?"

    "Just how bad do you think of us?" heughed, looking back at her. "My dad will not keep him with us. If he ns to, he would''ve done it days after Luke run away from home. But he was quite supportive of Luke''s decision in life."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Uncle Maynard can be a little too yful at times, but I''m sure he cares for Lukeбн and for you, too." She smiled subtly. "You''re his sons, after all. There''s nothing a parent wouldn''t do for his kids."

    Asher kept quiet at her remarks, staring at her kind smile.

    "Rightбн" he whispered, watching her brows rise.

    "Hmm?"

    "Nothing." He sported a short smile. "Anyway, thank you foring. We still have a big celebration in two days. I know you might not be able toe, but if you can, I would love to see you thereбн without Maxen."

    "Asher."

    "I know and believe me or not, I am not trying to disrespect Maxen for this. It''s just thatбн the Quinn family is different." He smacked his lips and let out a deep exhale. "I just don''t want my graduation to have problems."

    "Yeahбн my dad is quite sensitive nowadays, especially when ites to Maxen."

    "Is that alright with you?"

    "Huh?"

    "That your dad seems to care more about himбн" he trailed off as he panicked slightly. "I''m not saying your dad doesn''t care about you, but more like бк"

    ? "Pfft бк!" Cosetteughed, covering her lips with the back of her hand. "Why are you panicking?"

    "Uhбн" Asher scratched the back of her head,ughing awkwardly.

    "I''m not jealous of Maxen if that is what you mean just because my dad pays attention to him." She shook her head, keeping her warm smile. "I mean, I know my dad will always love me and that will never change, no matter what happens. Even if I be a bad person, he might get disappointed, but he will always be my father. Moreover, Maxen had been through a lot."

    "I had a lot бк more than I can take. What''s the harm in sharing?" she added, cocking her head to the side while holding her hand behind her. "Right?"

    Asher just smiled at her response and nodded in understanding. But deep in his heart, he wished he could say those words with the same confidence. After all, sharing was not Asher''s problem. It was the fact that the same person they were talking about would take away everything he had.

    "I''ll see if I cane to the big event." Cosette kept her smile. "Anyway, thank you for the lunch. I''ll see you around!"

    With that being said, Asher stood in the same spot while watching Cosette jog to the vehicle where Maxen and Remo were in.

 Chapter 328 If Its For Your Peace Of Mind

    Asher stood in the same spot for a while until he saw the lights of Cosette''s vehicle light up. He turned on his heel, sauntering away while the sound of tires screeching on the concrete floor caressed his ears.

    "I know my dad will always love me and that will never change, no matter what happens. Even if I be a bad person, he might get disappointed, but he will always be my father."

    "I had a lot -- more than I can take. What''s the harm in sharing?"

    As Asher walked back to the vehicle, Cosette''s words hovered in his head like a broken record. When he was several steps from his car, he turned his head in the direction where she was, only to see the driving away.

    ''Sadly... I don''t think I have that much to share, Cozie,'' he thought, clenching his teeth, which made his jaw tighten.

    When Asher first met Maxen, he instantly didn''t like him. Even to the present -- especially in the present, he had more reason to not like Maxen. In the end, Asher''s gut feeling after meeting Maxen ended up bing true.

    Maxen turned out to be the person who might take away everything from him.

    For someone like Asher who had many things to lose, he had to keep a clear mind of what he needed and not just wants. He was far too arrogant to reach rock bottom.

    ''I won''t let him take what''s mine.'' Asher resumed his steps as his eyes glinted with determination, balling his hand firmly to his side.

    When Asher reached the vehicle and opened it, his train of thoughts stopped. Inside, Maynard was head-locking the screaming Luke, but when Asher opened the door, the two stopped and looked back at him.

    "He -- help...?" Luke''s voice shook, reaching out a hand to his brother.

    Asher didn''t speak for a while, darting his eyes between his father and brother. He never had this type of bonding with Maynard, ever; not that he wanted this type of suffocating affection from his father. But seeing that Luke was with them, a subtle smile dominated his face.

    It felt like they were back in the good old days. Just the three of them without a care about the rest of the world.

    "Hello, my son." Maynard grinned. "Your little brother is bing rude again, so I''m teaching him some respect. Why don''t you sit in the front and --"

    Maynard was caught off guard when Asher suddenly lowered his head and got inside. Thetter''s action made Maynard let go of Luke as they scoot over.

    "What?" Maynard''s eyes widened, looking at his son in disbelief. "Since when did you like cramped spaces?"

    In the past and even in the present, Asher hated sitting in the back seat if there were more than three people. Especially if he was riding with his father and brother; these two were just a bundle of chaos. Therefore, they got used to Asher sitting in the front just to avoid getting hit or watching his father and brother wrestle like children.

    The reason it was a surprise for Maynard and Luke for Asher to join them. Both father and son gazed at Asher wide-eyed, watching thetter chuckle.

    "What?" asked Asher, cocking his head to the side. "You''re not the only one who missed Luke. I am his older brother, and I practically raised him."

    "Hey!" Maynard snapped. "What are you saying? I raised both of you -- don''t look away!"

    "Huh? I raised myself." Luke pointed at himself and with that, Luke and Maynard didn''t stop rambling on and on while Asher leaned against the door, staring at the window.

    Meanwhile, the driver in the front nced at the rear mirror. Seeing his boss and the two young masters having such a lively time, he smiled before driving away despite all the noises inside the car.

    ********

    "Is there something wrong, Max?" Cosette gazed at Maxen who was in the driver''s seat while she was in the front passenger seat. Remo was on the back, minding his own business. "You''ve been silent. Are you worried about Luke?"

    "Luke is with his father. Why would I worry?" he cast her a cursory look before refocusing his eyes on the road. "They seemed to have a good rtionship, so I''m not worried. Besides, if Luke''s dad wants his son toe home, he would''ve forced him long ago."

    "So, there''s nothing wrong?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Nope. I''m just... full. I ate a lot."

    "I see." Cosette rocked her head, looking back to see Remo about to fall asleep. Thetter''s eyes were blinking every so slowly as if his eyelids were getting heavier. She didn''t dwell on Remo, knowing Remo hadn''t been sleeping that much because of their exams. Only now could they all heave a sigh of relief, since the exams were over.

    When Cosette peeled her eyes from Remo, she settled on her seat. She kept her eyes ahead, listening to the music in silence, but her mind was drifting elsewhere. After minutes of nothing but silence and the music, Maxen spoke again.

    "Are you okay?" he asked, making her look back at him. "You''ve been silent."

    "I''m alright."

    "It''s just that?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, keeping her eyes on Maxen. Maxen always knew when something was wrong or just when something was bothering her.

    "Asher... he... I don''t know?" she shrugged, sighing. "I feel like there''s something wrong. He might''ve be tolerable and less arrogant, but I just can''t shrug off this feeling in my heart. It''s unsettling."

    "Cozie." Maxen kept his eyes on the road, but he was observing her from the corner of his eye. "You can''t save everyone. Whatever is his problem, I''m sure Asher will figure it out."

    "But this feeling is something I only feel when you''re involved, Max." Her eyes lowered slightly. "Maybe I am just overthinking or something like that, but it bothers me."

    There were certain feelings Cosette would have whenever she felt something was wrong. However, it was different when Maxen was involved. There was just this distinction in her gut feeling whether it was good in a good way or bad.

    Maxen nced at her momentarily, stretching his hand to her. Seeing that his hand was close, Cosette looked at him.

    "Hand?" he wiggled his fingers.

    "I''m overall okay, Max. Just a little concern." She sighed, slipping her fingers in between the gaps of his fingers. Her face softened as soon as his warmth enveloped her hand.

    "If it bothers you, then do what makes you think you can to get it out of your mind," he said after a second, making her lift her head to him.

    "You''re fine with it?"

    "It''s not like I can stop you." He smiled, stopping at the red light and using this time to face her squarely. "If it''s for your peace of mind, then just do what you must."

    "But... you just said I can''t save everyone."

    "I did, but at least you tried... right?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, looking at him with soft eyes. "What if I''d get in trouble again?"

    "I will have your back." He smiled reassuringly, squeezing her hand mildly. "If troublees, I''d be there for sure. Remo and I will be there, right, Remo?"

    "He''s sleeping." Cosette nced at the back seat and chuckled before facing him again.

    "Just don''t forget about me," he continued sincerely. "Just promise me you won''t."

    "That..." the corner of her lips stretched from ear to ear until her teeth were showing. "... I won''t. Never."

 Chapter 329 Wheres Maxen?

    Two dayster, the Quinn family threw arge party for Maynard''s first son. All business associates, partners, close family friends, and even some well-known personalities and celebrities. Everyone came with their most expensive cars, wearing formal suits as if it was a fashion g.

    It was only Asher''s graduation from high school, but everything was prepared as if he already got his degree. Yet, no one showed the slightest sign of questioning it. Everyone knew Maynard was a grandiose man, and he was a proud father. So, of course, he wouldn''t mind spending millions in a single night just for his son.

    Asher graduated as the top of their ss and from the most prestigious school in the country. Even if he was a high school student, graduating from that academy was an achievement already. What more, as the valedictorian?

    Of course, Cosette and Conrad were invited. The cs were always at the top of the Quinn Family''s priority list. Conrad didn''t want toe first after Maynard gloated at him through the phone about how he treated the kids to lunch. Treating the kids was not a problem to Conrad, but the way Maynard delivered the news before inviting him felt as though Maynard just wished Conrad wouldn''te.

    However, since Cosette wanted toe, Conrad had toe as well. Not that he didn''t trust his daughter that she could carry herself in such an event. Matter of fact, Conrad had no problem with his daughter attending an important event all on her own.

    Cosette might''ve drastically changed in the past year, but she could still socialite like a mature youngdy. Conrad''s only concern was that Maynard would drag his daughter into a situation and run that damn mouth of his.

    And just like that, two days had gone by and the night of the celebration rolled in faster than everyone expected.

    "Conrad, my friend!"

    Conrad''s expression instantly turned sour as soon as he heard Maynard''s cocky voice from the side. When he turned his head in Maynard''s direction, all he saw was thetter with his arms spread wide open while approaching him.

    "It''s good to see you here, my friend!" Maynard grinned,ughing loudly and shamelessly. "It''s a good thing I handed Cozie the invitation. Else, you''ve torn it in half! I didn''t want to ask someone to make a hundred copies and send them your way."

    Cosette chuckled, covering her lips with the back of her hand. "Thank you for inviting us, Uncle Maynard," she expressed, bowing slightly.

    "Thank you foring and dragging your father here, my daughter бк" Maynard nearly bit his tongue when he felt death ring at him. "I mean, my favorite niece. I should be the one thanking you for giving us your time."

    Maynard cleared his throat with his fist before his lips. He then shifted his eyes at Conrad, only to see thetter''s unchanging, cold front. He was already used to his friend''s face and expression that he didn''t mind, even though Conrad''s face screamed how he desired to leave now.

    Meanwhile, as Maynard behaved himself while weing Conrad properly, Cosette nced at the few people following Maynard. There were at least five men a step behind Maynard. When she made eye contact with them, she bowed and greeted them quietly.

    The men smiled at her warmly before she shifted her eyes to the other person with Maynard. Asher smiled at her; his smile was bright, as if relieved to see her attendance. His smile, however, slightly faded when Maynard asked Conrad a question.

    "Where is Maxen?" Maynard darted his eyes between Cosette and Conrad, cocking his head to the side. "He didn''te with you?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Why are you suddenly looking for Maxen?" To Maynard''s surprise, Conrad''s tone grew colder, as if someone just insulted him or he was just being overly protective of Maxen.

    "Woah, woahбн" Maynard raised his hands as a gesture of surrender. "I''m just asking since you always take him with you everywhere you go. Why are you suddenly mad? Don''t kill me!"

    Cosette furrowed her brows as she assessed her father''s side profile. Confusion instantly swirled in her eyes. Conrad was never soft to Maynard, but her father was being serious right now. Why did he suddenly get angry?

    ''Now that I think about it, he didn''t ask me if Maxen was goingбн'' she thought, recalling that Conrad would habitually ask who she would go with or if Maxen would be with her whenever she would ask for his permission to go somewhere. Especially if it required sleeping over. Butst time, Conrad didn''t.

    Cosette assumed it was because she told him that Maxen didn''t want to go afterward.

    "I''m not mad. I''m just not in the mood." Conrad waved dismissively before his eyesnded on Asher. As he gazed at Asher, Cosette also instinctively moved her eyes to Asher.

    ''Huh?'' the lines in between her brows deepened, seeing that Asher was also wearing aplex expression. It was hard to pinpoint what that look was about, but it felt like he also didn''t like Maynard''s question.

    ''I''m just overthinking, am I?'' she told herself, mentally shaking her head. ''My dad had been busy recently, and Asher is probably annoyed that his father is being loud again.''

    Cosette didn''t dwell on it that much since it just didn''t make sense to her. Maynard''s question was a harmless question. If anything, she appreciated that he remembered Maxen and expected his attendance.

    "Your mood is getting worse and worse, my friend." Maynard clicked his tongue continuously while shaking his head, looking at Conrad with pity. "Anyway, since you''re already here, I would like to introduce you to a few of my friends. I''m sure you already knew them or probably met a few of them, but I still want to make it look like I''m the bridgeбн"

    Maynard went on and on, stepping to the side as heid his hand in front of the main who approached Conrad and Cosette with him. Like usual, Maynard went through the formalities, and with his humor, he gave some goodughs to his ''friends'' while introducing the respected Conrad c.

    Conrad apologized to them about his interaction with Conrad previously but made acquaintance with them with a much more tolerable attitude. He also introduced his daughter, and Cosette greeted them the second time, this time much more formal.

    "Anyway, since we''vee to this, why don''t we talk somewhere else, eh?" Maynard proposed, which everyone already expected. He then cast his son a look, winking at him. "Asher, my son, please apany my little Cosette."

    Conrad cast Cosette a look, and thetter shed him a smile.

    ''I''ll be alright,'' she mouthed before she watched her father getting reluctantly dragged by Maynard. "Goshбн sometimes, I feel like I should attend to all the events he attends since I''m starting to worry about his social skills."

 Chapter 330 A Terrible Prank

    "Goshбн sometimes, I feel like I should attend to all the events he attends since I''m starting to worry about his social skills."

    "You''re not the only one." Cosette blinked and turned her head to the side, only to see Asher standing beside her. "I''m always worried that my dad will run his mouth and say something stupid. But as I grow older, I realized there was a reason our Quinn Holdings is still where it is."

    "All I''m saying is that they''re adults," he rified with a knowing shrug. "They''ll be fine. Don''t worry about them. Anyway, I didn''t expect you wille, but I''m d you did. You made it this time meaningful."

    Cosette let out a shallow breath. "ttery will take you nowhere."

    "To you, yes, it won''t. But ttery still has its benefits," he argued confidently, facing the crowd who attended his graduation celebration. "Look at all these people. Their smiles never left their faces, but I''m sure one or two in each group were just biting their tongue to stop themselves from saying something honest."

    Cosette also glossed her eyes over the faces in the function hall. Everyone was good-looking, if not, their attires were pretty and neat. Attending balls like this was not new to Cosette.

    In the past, Cosette would attend balls and formal events at least once a week or once every two weeks. Those events were just like this one; it was full of important people, celebrities, politicians, and personalities. She would also sometimes host an event for the BLK Corporation that was much grander than this one.

    Outsiders or those who would rarely get invited to such events would think this was the epitome of being wealthy. However, Cosette knew how draining and tiring it was to be attending all these events. She couldn''tin, though. Because these events also opened many opportunities and connections.

    Asher was right.

    Behind all the beautiful smiles and mour, there would be one or two people in each group who were biting their tongues. Possibly stopping themselves to leave just when it was starting.

    That was why Cosette didn''t enjoy attending events now. She would ratherze around with Maxen, or hang out with him together with Luke and Remo. After all, she could act her age бк most of the time, even younger бк around them. There just seemed to be no problem whenever she was with them.

    "You don''t like parties?" Asher''s voice brought her back from her trance, looking back at him. "If yes, why did you stille?"

    Cosette had her arms folded, staring at him. "How can your only friend let you get stuck with people you don''t even want to be with all night?"

    "So you came for me?"

    "Isn''t that the reason for this event?"

    "No." Asher shook his head mildly, smacking his lips as he gazed at the crowd again. "That''s just the title in the invitation, but not everyone came because of me. Actually, it is even safe to say every single one of them came not because they want to celebrate my small win."

    "They''re all here because of their personal agendas. Be it broadening their connections or simply using it as some sort, like a badge of honor that the Quinn family invited them." He smiled, cocking his head back while his eyes fell on her. "Do you see anyone looking for me or trying to talk to me?"

    "Are you unhappy because of it?"

    "No. It''s the opposite."

    "Is that sarcasm?"

    "Believe me or not, I''m being serious." Asher let out a chuckle, pulling his hand from his pocket as he caught a server approaching in their direction. He raised a hand when the waiter was closer, getting two sses of champagne. "Thank you."

    "I attended too many events I cannot even count, and what I hate the most is listening to endless praises from people." Asher handed Cosette the ss of champagne, which she epted with thanks. "I know they were just trying to get on my good side, so I have a good impression of them while I''m young. Remember that time when we first met?"

    "In the Academy?"

    Asherughed. "No. If my memory serves right, it was Luke''s birthday."

    "Oh!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Haha. I didn''t know you still remember that."

    "Huh?"

    "That time." His face softened, smiling at her subtly. "In the corridor in the Academy. That was you, right? The one who called me husband of the year."

    Cosette''s eyes instantly went wide as her expression turned nk. Asherughed with his teeth upon seeing the sudden shift of her countenance.

    "Youбн still remember it?" she mumbled in horror. What she said before was a slip of the tongue because her first meeting with Asher was engraved deep in her brain. The only reason she didn''t dwell on it was that it wasn''t important.

    At the time, Cosette was still confused and her previous illness still influenced her. So she was still acting silly бк not that she wasn''t silly now. Still, Cosette almost forgot about it. But now that she knew Asher remembered it and what she blurted out that time, all she wanted was to evaporate in shame.

    "How can I forget?" Another short chuckle came out of his mouth. "Will you forget if someone bumps into you and suddenly calls you a wife of the year?"

    The answer to that was an obvious NO.

    "Ughбн" Cosette held her head, closing her eyes in distress. "Please forget what I said. I wasn''t in the right mind back then and things just fly out of my mind without even going through my head."

    "It''s fine." His grin remained. "I think it wasбн cute."

    Cosette peeked at him with one eye. "Don''t start, Asher Quinn."

    "I''m not trying to flirt. I''m just being honest." Asher shook his head, raising the ss of champagne in his hand as a gesture for a toast. "Don''t worry, if you want me to forget, I will for you."

    "Goshбн why would you remind me of something so embarrassing?" she rolled her eyes, breathing out in defeat.

    ? "My bad." His brows rose, grinning. "Cheers?"

    She rolled her eyes before clinking the ss with him. Little did she know, as she guided the ss to her lips, Asher was observing her from the corner of his eyes. When he was certain she was drinking, his eyes shone with mischief.

    "To make you feel better and forget about that first meeting, I''ll just remind you of that time in the c''s ancestral home бк"

    Cough!

    Asher bit his lower lips when Cosette nearly spat out her drink, holding hisughter in when she red daggers at him.

    "I''mбн" he cleared his throat, trying his best not tough and feign innocence. "... just trying to help."

    Her eyes shone with murderous intent despite his apology, making him step back.

    "Cosette, it''s my graduation celebration," he reminded warily, only to hear her say, "perfect. Let''s save up and make this your funeral night as well."

    Asher let out a nervousugh. "Anyway, I''m really d that you''re here. I just remembered to greet a few guests. See you around, Cosette." He didn''t wait for her reply as he turned around and walked away. But s, Cosette grabbed the hem of his suit to stop him.

    When Asher looked back, he knew that was a terrible prank. Definitely a bad one.

 Chapter 331 How To Knock On Deaths Door

    Asher thought he would die tonight. Not just as a joke, but he felt scared for his life when Cosette grabbed the hem of his suit. He never thought he would get scared of someone in this way, but he did. Fortunately, Cosette barely tugged his clothes when a few guests approached Asher.

    Thus, Cosette had no choice but to quickly let him go. Both Asher and Cosette faced the guests with smiles on their faces, feigning innocent as if everything was perfect, when in fact, Asher could only heave a sigh of relief.

    One more thing that Asher never expected was to feel relief when a stranger approach him. He used to hate it with passion, knowing the other person would only curry favor with him. But now, he nearly thanked them dramatically.

    "Young Master Quinn, congrattions onpleting high school!" greeted the guests, smiling from ear to ear. "It''s really amazing that not only you graduated but also you finished it with flying colors. Actually, my son will enter high school next school year..."

    Asher maintained a smile, listening to the man rumbled on and on. He expected this type of ''icebreaker'', and he was quite used to it by now. This was the reason he hated being approached by these types; they would just go on and on in circles before they get down to the purpose of why they approached Asher in the first ce.

    If this was before, Asher would cut them off after giving them at least two minutes of his time. He wanted to be courteous. But now, knowing that everything he has could disappear in a blink of an eye, Asher had to prolong his patience.

    Asher was still young and as much as he could, he wanted to build himself. And by that, he needed solid connections and also, another source of ie other than his allowance and his sry working in Quinn Holdings.

    He had no idea when his real parentage would be revealed, especially when there was another person who knew his secret. Mister Devilsin was akin to a ticking time bomb. Who knew when he would be in a bad mood and reveal everything on a whim?

    "The problem is, my son will take his entrance exam and I''m wondering if you can help --"

    "Isn''t it too soon to ask for someone a favor when he just met you?" Cosette cut off the man even before he could finish. She had heard enough, and she already knew where this was going.

    "Huh?" the man furrowed his brows, shifting his attention to Cosette. Asher also knitted her brows as he gazed at her, only to see her cold countenance. "And you are?"

    "Does it matter?" she cocked her head to the side. "You didn''t even introduce yourself and simply went on and on about the things we aren''t interested in."

    "Cosette." Asher instinctively held her arm, but Cosette didn''t budge as she kept her eyes on the man before her.

    Apparently, even though the man didn''t introduce himself, he was a familiar face. This man was a lowly businessman who luckily got the attention of another businessman. Thus, this man was able to join the big leagues. But that wasn''t the reason Cosette remembered this man.

    In her previous life, this man and his tenacity would lead him to much greater things. Right now, he was still currying favor and talking to Asher as if Asher was his ancestor. But in the future, this man would be an active politician. Sadly, he wouldn''t cherish it and sumb to greed.

    And by greed, it meant agreeing to ept a leash that Maxen Devilsin would put around him. It wasn''t just him. There were many people in the government that worked for Maxen. Even the police would under his thumb.

    "If your son needs help, then I can rmend great tutors to help him. However, not only it is rude to ask Asher to tutor your son, but frankly, it is shameless," she continued without a second hesitation, making the man''s face turn red.

    "What did you say?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Youck tact is what I am saying."

    "You..." the man''s voice and eyes shook while Cosette maintained herposure.

    "Just because Asher is still young doesn''t mean you can take advantage of him, Mister Tong." Cosette drew a deep breath, taking a step forward. She gazed at him from head to toe, folding her arms under her chest while keeping the ss of champagne to the side. "Do not forget that in this small world and fragile surface we are standing on, age isn''t the indication to earn respect. Know your ce."

    At this point, the man''s face was beet red, unable to believe the words that came out of this youngdy''s mouth. How rude! She was looking at him as if he was inferior, someone who wasn''t on her level and someone who would never reach her level.

    Even though everyone at this party was influential and wealthy people, and she was with Asher, there were only a few people ''his boss'' -- or what he called the person who took him here -- wouldn''t dare offend. Fueled by anger from his bruised ego and pride, the man ground his teeth.

    "Youngdy, you are too young to talk about ces." Mister Tongughed in ridicule. "Do you know who I am?!"

    "How would I know when you didn''t even bother introducing yourself before running your mouth?"

    "You --!" Mister Tong gasped, almost having hypertension at her rudeness. "Just what family are you from, youngdy? I would like to see who raised such a rude girl like you!"

    "Mister Tong!"

    Suddenly, Mister Tong flinched when he heard his boss''s voice. When he turned his head, all he saw was the horror on his boss''s face before he noticed the people his boss was with.

    Maynard Quinn and Conrad c.

    The two men whom everyone at this party would willingly kiss their shoes just to get on their good side.

    "Boss Yang!" Mister Tong called in a hurry, taking hurried and small steps toward the old man, Mister Yang.

    "What are you doing, Mister Tong? Causing a scene in such a ce -- aren''t you ashamed?" the old man whispered yell, widening his eyes to add intensity to his query.

    Mister Tong frowned. "That youngdy is rude, Boss Yang. The Young Master Quinn and I were having a conversation when she suddenly jumped in! I asked her nicely to allow us to converse first, but she started insulting me. The Young Master Quinn is too polite to chase her away, but she wouldn''t stop bothering us, Boss Yang!"

    "Mister Quinn, I am truly ashamed that this is happening," Mister Tong continued, gazing at Maynard apologetically. "However, I just cannot sit still when this youngdy is harassing the Young Master Quinn!"

 Chapter 332 Not Their Children

    "Mister Quinn, I am truly ashamed that this is happening. However, I just cannot sit still when this youngdy is harassing the Young Master Quinn!"

    Cosette let out a scoff, shaking her head at the lies Mister Tong cooked up almost instantly. Meanwhile, Asher frowned at all the lies he was hearing. He almost couldn''t even fathom how Mister Tong think he could just lie and even dared dragged Asher just to make Cosette the bad person.

    Surely, there were people in this world that no matter how you try to understand, you would never. It would just be a waste of time and energy.

    Maynard assessed the man before casting Asher a look. "Is that true, son?"

    "No." Asher''s answer was quick, watching Mister Tong''s body freeze. "It was actually the opposite. Mister Tong approached me and without even introducing himself, he rambled on and on about his son before asking me to personally tutor him."

    The crowd around the area whose attention was stolen by Mister Tong''s loud voice couldn''t help but gasp. What did Asher say? Mister Tong asked Asher to tutor his son? Even a first-grader wouldn''t ask for such a dumb request. Unbelievable!

    Even if Asher agreed, his fee would be insane!

    Maynard let out a short chuckle upon hearing his son''s exnation. However, even before he could say anything, Mister Tong tried to save himself.

    "Young Master Quinn, what are you saying?" Mister Tong asked in disbelief as if he was being wronged. "That''s not what happened! You don''t need to pity her! She''s rude and her parents need to know about it. Let the adults talk, Young Master Quinn. Don''t be afraid."

    Upon hearing Mister Tong''s reply to Asher''s statement, thetter scoffed. Now he was making it sound like Asher was lying.

    ''Oyбн isn''t this bing more and more ridiculous?'' was what crossed Asher''s mind. Just when Asher thought he had met all types of people, this situation proved him wrong. There were still those who were like Mister Tong; the extreme type.

    "Are you saying my son is lying?" Maynard slowly looked back at Mister Tong. All the yfulness that was usually seen in his countenance was nowhere in sight. He might not be frowning, but the sneer stered on his face was dreadful. "And did you just say let the adults talk? You, Mister Tong, I understand that you are proud of your son and want to talk about it. As a father, I can talk about my kids all day and I wouldn''t be tired."

    "However, you are marking the wrong audience," he added in the same toneless voice. "My son might be young and he still has many things to learn, but he understands the basics. My son isn''t a liar."

    Maynard shook his head in disbelief but slightly calmed down. If this happened on a different day, he would crush this man for insulting his son. However, Maynard rather felt pity for him. After all, Asher wasn''t the only person Mister Tong crossed.

    "Do you want to talk to the parent of that youngdy?" asked Maynard, almost feeling likeughing as he tipped his head at the man standing beside him. "Then, by all means, he''s just right here. Tell him what''s wrong with his parenting."

    Mister Tong slowly shifted his eyes to Conrad, and his heart instantly sank. Conrad''s eyes were sharp and piercingly cold, and they seemed to prate his soul.

    ''Thisбн'' Mister Tong opened his mouth, but his words were stuck in his throat. He could only hear his voice in his head, unable to move or speak a word under Conrad''s gaze.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Meanwhile, the old man Yang couldn''t help but facepalm while shaking his head. ''I shouldn''t have taken him here. This is embarrassing.''

    "Mister c," old man Yang sighed, casting Conrad an apologetic look. "Mister Quinn, I''m sorry for taking him here. It is all my fault and I will take responsibility for it."

    "You were asking about our services for security, right?" Conrad inquired without taking his eyes off Mister Tong. "I like you, Mister Yang. However, don''t let ttering words blind you. We''ll talk about the deal once this person isn''t connected to you in any way. Otherwise, forget about it."

    Mister Tong''s heart sank as his mouth fell open, staring at Conrad nkly. What thetter said just now was not only for the old man Yang to cut ties with Mister Tong, but Conrad was asking old man Yang to choose between him and Mister Tong!

    The old man Yang frowned but was not surprised. In this world, getting on someone''s good side was akin to going through a needle; losing that favor was as quick as a snap of a finger. This wasn''t just between Conrad and Mister Tong, but Conrad and Maynard or Mister Tong.

    Any rational businessman already knew the answer to that.

    "I was wrong!" Realizing he messed up with the wrong kids, Mister Tong immediately changed his tone. He rushed in front of Conrad and Maynard, going down on his knees without any pride whatsoever while rubbing his hands against each other. "Mister c, Mister Quinn, please forgive me. I was wrong! I probably misunderstood something! Please don''t do this to me бк Boss Yang!"

    The old man Yang frowned even more, seeing that Mister Tong didn''t even preserve whatever pride was left in him. The more Mister Tong continued, the more the old man realized what sort of person Mister Tong was. He wasn''t even taking ountability for what he did and simply med it on something else.

    Meanwhile, Conrad and Maynard weren''t fazed. There was not even the slightest pity in their eyes. If this man insulted them, these two men would still leave room for forgiveness. After all, some people woulde in handy бк might not be now but in the future. Therefore, they rarelypletely cut people out.

    However, it was a different case when their children were involved.

    "Take this guy away," Maynard ordered quietly as soon as he saw the security approach them from the corner of his eyes. "And ban him from ever stepping foot in my territories. Today is a day to celebrate my son''s milestone, but you dared ruin this special day for us."

    "We''re not done yet," Conrad added, warning Mister Tong sincerely. "I would still want to hear your opinion regarding my parenting."

    "Wait бк Mister Quinn!" Mister Tong panicked when the security approached him, dragging him by the shoulders. "Mister c! This is a misunderstanding! I was wrong! Mister Quinn!"

    "My apologies, Mister c and Mister Quinn." As the security dragged the hysterical Mister Tong, old man Yang performed a deep bow to express his deep regret and shame. "I am ashamed that I brought someone like him to this event. Please, allow me to teach him a lesson."

    Meanwhile, as the old man Yang asked for Conrad and Maynard''s apology, Asher maintained a cold countenance. He then nced at Cosette, only to see no sign of pity for Mister Tong. He expected her to jump in and ask her father to forgive the man, but she didn''t. Cosette just watched; it was very unlike her ''nature'' of saving everyone or just pitying them.

    ''She also has this side of her, huh?''

 Chapter 333 Dont You Feel Bad?

    Mister Tong was an example of people who would cross the line to impress others. They would go so far as to pick a target to make themselves look good. Unfortunately for him, he marked the only daughter and only heiress of the c Family.

    If Mister Tong chose another target, there was no telling if that person wouldn''t be in trouble. That was the cruel reality of those in the elites. Especially those who had new wealth and just stepped into the world of the elites. It was a cruel and merciless battle between those lower aristocrats to survive andst in this world, full of mour.

    After the incident with Mister Tong, Conrad called his daughter to make sure she was alright. Meanwhile, Maynard called his son to pat his shoulder and reassure him that wouldn''t happen again. They then dragged their children to introduce them to some important people.

    Some people were already individuals Asher met at least once. Cosette, on the other hand, wasn''t active in gatherings such as this. Therefore, it was her supposed first meeting with them. However, because Cosette was active in these social gatherings in her previous life, she remembered many of them; their likes and dislikes, and how to get on their good sides.

    Everyone was impressed with her and Asher.

    In the end, Asher and Cosette had to stay with their fathers and spend time with the people they were talking to. It was not new to them to mingle with people twice their age. Cosette and Asher were raised to talk to people since they were expected to inherit their father''s spot in the future.

    As the night deepened, Asher realized he had more simrities with Cosette than he thought. Aside from being heirs of their family business, the thought that they had many things inmon impressed him. Cosette might act childish most of the time, but the Cosette he first knew was nowhere in sight throughout the evening.

    She was different and knowing those two sides of her existed were utterly impressive.

    Hourster, Asher excused himself to make a call while Cosette stayed with Maynard and Conrad. She stayed with them for another half an hour, enjoying herself with theirpany as they weren''t talking about any business-rted anymore.

    When Cosette noticed that Asher didn''t return, she also excused herself politely. She searched for Asher in the function hall and even in the restroom, but only found him in the garden outside the venue.

    Asher was sitting quietly on one of the benches with a ss of wine in his hand. A shallow breath slipped past Cosette''s nostrils, staring at his back. She smacked her lips and approached him quietly.

    "If you''re going to sneak out, you should''ve told me," was the first thing she said as she sat down beside him. "Or did you purposely leave, knowing I can keep them entertained while you unwind here?"

    She faced him squarely, watching him turn his head ever so slowly to look back at her. "Are you okay?"

    "Why wouldn''t I?" he returned, smiling subtly. "I impressed them enough, so it''s time for me to recharge my social battery."

    "Do you think you''re the only one who needs to recharge their social battery?" she pouted, leaning her back against the bench after looking away from him. "I also need some quiet. It''s been a while since I attended a social gathering бк I''m not used to it."

    Cosette closed her eyes as she drew a deep breath, cocking her head back to enjoy the cool night breeze. The corner of her lips curled up into a satisfied smile, appreciating the serene surrounding that the party wouldn''t give her.

    Her brows rose after a moment, peeking from one eye and looking at him in confusion. When her other eye opened, she peeked down to see a coat over her front.

    "It''s cold," said Asher, making her look at him, only to see him chugging down the ss of wine.

    "You''ll catch a cold," he added after gulping the wine, looking back at her with a smile. "Do you want a ss?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Huh?" Cosette furrowed her brows, watching him bend over to pick up the bottle of wine he ced beside the bench. "I thought you were going back inside to get me a ss."

    "I''m not stupid, Cosette. Will you be fine using my ss or should I give you the bottle?" he inquired while pouring ss on the one he emptied just now. "Don''t worry. We won''t drink until we''re wasted. I learned my lesson."

    Cosette just stared at the ss before he offered it to her. She lifted her gaze to her before pressing her lips into a thin line, epting the ss, and didn''t mind drinking a bit of wine with him.

    "I also learned mine," she mumbled, thanking him. "Thanks."

    "Napkin?"

    "It''s fine. It''s not like you have a contagious disease, right?" she humored, raising the ss as she didn''t mind drinking in the ss he used. There wasn''t anything malicious in it unless they put some in sharing sses.

    "They said if you drink in another person''s ss, that''s akin to a direct kiss," Asher humored back yfully, chuckling as she rolled her eyes.

    "Just when I thought you won''t put any malice in this." Cosette shook her head mildly, guiding the ss to her lips. "Whoever invented that saying is probably a person who had wild imagination and fantasy."

    Asher chuckled, leaning back while lifting the bottle to his lips. He drank a mouthful and hissed before turning his head to her, facing her side profile.

    "Don''t you feel bad?" he asked, making her look back at him with raised brows. "About Mister Tong. You and I knew what will happen to him."

    Cosette stared at him for a moment, blinking almost innocently. "That''s not my problem."

    "That''s a surprise."

    "Why would it be? I didn''t try to frame him; He dug his own grave. Why would I feel bad for someone who would bury me to hell without a second hesitation if I wasn''t Cosette c?"

    "Make sense." Asher rocked his head in understanding, peeling his eyes away from her. For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them.

    "Weren''t you afraid?" he asked after some time, making her gaze on his side profile. "You didn''t have to call him out. I could just politely rejects him."

    Asher faced her squarely again. "Why? You know you could be in a lot of trouble if things didn''t go your way. Why did you do it for Asher Quinn?"

    Cosette and Asher stared at each other, allowing the wind to fill in the silence between them for a while.

    "Who said I did it for Asher Quinn?" she returned with a quiet voice, offering a subtle smile. "I did it because I am Cosette c. I didn''t appreciate that he interrupted me, Cosette c, from teaching my friend a lesson that would haunt him forever."

 Chapter 334 Breathe

    "Who said I did it for Asher Quinn? I did it because I am Cosette c. I didn''t appreciate that he interrupted me, Cosette c, from teaching my friend a lesson that would haunt him forever."

    Cosette drew a deep breath as she looked away from him. She cocked her head back, gazing at the night sky full of stars.

    "I think you already know this, Ash, but your family name only works for others. Who cares if you''re a Quinn or a descendant of Satan himself? I am Cosette c, and for me, my family name is more intimidating than the Quinn," she continued with a tinge of confidence and yfulness. "Isn''t that the reason you''re drawn to me and mistook it as love?"

    Her lips curled up into a short smile, facing him. "Because among the people surrounding you, I am the only person who wouldn''t care if you''re a Quinn since I am a c."

    And that was true.

    Asher might not admit it verbally, but what she said was probably one of the many reasons he was drawn to Cosette. All his life, he was surrounded by people who looked at him with value because of the family name he carried. Whatever achievement Asher would gain, it was always because he was a Quinn and not because he was Asher.

    But Cosette was different. She would treat him like shit, despite knowing he was the young master and the next head of the Quinn family. It might sound strange, but it was refreshing to meet someone who would look at him as his own person; someone who wouldn''t take his arrogance just because he was a Quinn or tell him honestly that he had a terrible personality.

    Asher could only stare into her eyes silently until her stunning eyes mirrored his handsome face.

    "Why do I always look so pathetic in your eyes?" he blurted out, making her eyebrows elevate. "At first, it was annoying. But now, I don''t feel any irritation. If anything, I kinda agree with you. If I were you, I would also pity me."

    ? "What are you saying now?" she frowned, but he returned it with a chuckle.

    Asher looked away, cocking his head back. He gazed at the night sky full of stars while his expression softened. He knew that all his defenses were going down, but he didn''t mind appearing vulnerable in front of her not to gain sympathy or pity. Even with his most arrogant front, she would pity him. It was just thatбн she wouldn''t judge him or care if he revealed a vulnerable side of him.

    "It''s tiring, isn''t it?" he continued in a soft tone. "Mister Tong reminds me that no matter what I do or what I have done, it is still not enough. He still sees me as a kid whose words weren''t credible enough. Thus, he didn''t hesitate to lie right in front of me, twisting the situation to his advantage. If not for your dad or for you, I''m not sure what would be the oue."

    "That''s why I can''t help but wonder," he added, eyes falling on her. "Just what else should I do to prove myself or make others see me as me, and not as the kid who might inherit the position of the head of the family andpany someday? Just how much more sleep should I sacrifice and how many more events should I go to where I have to grit my teeth to stop myself from disappointing others? How long would I need to smile in response to the praises that I was lucky for being a Quinn?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The questions in my head are endless, and you might not understand them." Asher smiled bitterly. "I thought we had many things inmon, but the more I think about it, the more I thought wrong. Because you don''t need to impress others бк you don''t even have to. While I have to make sure every little movement, gesture, and every word that wille out of my mouth wouldn''t bring shame to my family or ruin the reputation my father painstakingly built."

    Cosette could only stare at him for a moment, listening to his woes. It had been a while since she met Asher for the first time and all interactions with him were just Asher acting tough. There might be times his weakness would peek out of his eye, but it was brief. This was the first time he dropped all pretenses and spoke his heart and not just his mind.

    ''Now I understand clearly,'' she told herself while staring at him quietly. ''Why I am here and why I just couldn''t stop myself from caring even when I told myself I do not want to interfere with your business.''

    Because at the end of the day, the person that her eyes mirrored reflected the old version of Cosette. It wasn''t that she truly pity Asher, but rather, he reminded her of herself. Asher was her own ghost whom she felt obliged to console бк save from falling into the pits of the abyss if necessary.

    Her heart felt heavy.

    Cosette slowly raised her hand, causing his brows to knit slightly but letting her do whatever she nned. Soon, her palm covered his eyes gently.

    "Breathe, Ash," she whispered, startling him a bit. "Just breathe calmly and free your mind with everything that worries you at the moment."

    Cosette paused while he had his eyes closed with her palm over them. After a minute, she peeled her hand from his eyes while he reopened his eyes. As soon as he did, the first thing he saw was her beautiful gentle smile and the genuine care in her eyes.

    Taken aback by the warmth of her eyes and smile, Asher slowly raised a hand, grabbing her arm before pulling her closer. Normally, Cosette would raise her defenses and go into defense mode on instinct. But Cosette just froze, holding his biceps as that was the only defense move her body did as a natural reaction.

    "I''m sorry," he breathed out, gripping the material of her dress tightly. Asher lowered his head until his forehead was resting on her shoulder, eyes closed.

    Her eyes slid to the corner, staring at him. His body was vibrating against hers. More than any malicious or anything of the sort, his embrace and touch only felt like he was scared and he didn''t want to show it to her.

    "Stay for a while," he whispered while his arm and hand trembled slightly. "I cannot breathe Cosette, and I''m scared of what kind of person I would be just so I could breathe."

 Chapter 335 Silent Screams

    "Stay for a while. I cannot breathe Cosette, and I''m scared of what kind of person I would be just so I could breathe."

    Asher''s embrace tightened as if he was holding on to dear life; holding on to hisst hope, afraid if he let go, he would just fall deeper and deeper into the darkness that was calling him. Words weren''t enough to describe how this terrified him. More than losing everything, Asher was even more terrified of what he might do just to prevent that from happening.

    "Don''t push me away, Cosette," he whispered with a tinge of desperation. "Because if you do, I don''t know what would I do anymore."

    Cosette''s eyes slid to the corner, staring at him while his face was buried in her shoulder. She could feel his hand and chest trembling, making her rxed her body. Cosette slowly raised her hand on her back, patting it mildly.

    "Whyбн would I?" she whispered back, lowering her soft eyes. "When you''re almost screaming for help."

    Ironic, because Asher never raised his voice. However, she could feel his silent screams echoing, asking for someone to hold his hand just so he wouldn''t fall into whatever hellhole he would crash into. Cosette might not know the details of why Asher felt so scared, but what she was certain of was that she also reached this point in life.

    Back then, everyone assumed nothing could ever faze her. With her strong personality and the sess of the BLK Corporation with her at the helm, no one had ever suspected Cosette also needed help and saving. Not that she asked, nor did she open up, and that was the reason she kept poking her nose in her friends'' business.

    The number of people who were brave enough to ask for help and admit they were vulnerable was far too less than the people who bottled everything in. That was why she was sensitive and observant, so it wouldn''t be toote. Because at the end of the day, she believed that was the reason she came back.

    Cosette had to save everyone: Maxen, Luke, Asher, Mia, and everyone who got involved in the messy story of their tangled fates. Thus, she just couldn''t turn her back on them so easily.

    Cosette said nothing and just kept patting his back gently. A simple pat on the back, yet, for her and him, it was more meaningful than any grandiose event. Asher''s eyes softened as his body gradually rxed while his grip on her back loosened.

    No words were spoken for minutes, letting the wind take the echoing screams in their mind. After more minutes, Asher carefully let her go as he leaned back.

    "I''m sorry," he expressed, only to see her smile subtly.

    "Thank you. That''s what you should say," she humored modestly. "You''re wee."

    Asher chuckled shortly. "Thank you."

    Cosette simply shrugged, leaning her back against the bench. She took a deep breath and breathed it out through her mouth, reaching for the ss of wine to her lips. After taking a sip, Cosette licked her lips.

    "Believe me or not, I used to believe that working hard, being excellent in every area of life, and not making mistakes is the only way to prove myself worthy. I''m a girl, after all, and the only child. I don''t want my father''s only child to turn out to be a disappointment." She kept her eyes ahead, but she could see that he was staring at her side profile from the corner of her eyes. "I was so focused on chasing after perfection that my actions headed to the disappointment I was so scared of."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Because of this fear, I didn''t realize I wasn''t making my dad proud. Instead, I was hurting him for sacrificing our rtionship just to prove to others that Cosette c is worth it. I pushed those who mattered away for what?" she continued bitterly. "For recognition of those who had done nothing for me."

    Cosette slowly faced him, unbothered whether she looked pathetic or bitter. Asher courageously asked for her help, and she didn''t have any reason to hide her heart as well.

    "Our fathers proved themselves and built a reputation to earn everyone''s respect. As children of such excellent men, we are scared we might not meet everyone''s expectations. They set the bar too high, after all. But then again, we have to stop for a while and ask ourselves." She paused, recalling the difference between Cosette back and then the Cosette now. "What are they expecting from us? And why did they work so hard to be where they were today?"

    Asher could only stare at her, listening to everything she would say as if she sounded like a grown, wise woman.

    "It took me a while to realize that my father built his reputation and became a person who could make others have second thoughts before messing with him so he could protect me," she exined with a smile. "My father worked hard all this year so his daughter wouldn''t have to fear making mistakes, and so that I know I have someone I could cry to or a ce I could go to if I failed."

    Cosette reached for his hand and squeezed it. "My dad and Uncle Maynard''s personalities might be poles apart, but I''m certain Uncle Maynard wants only the best for you бк what makes you happy and free. Because during their time, they didn''t have such options."

    "Asher, look into people''s eyes just like how you look at mine. I''m sure you''ll get the answer and enlightenment you seek," she added, nodding at him encouragingly. "If that isn''t enough, ask. But do not forget to consider their action and not just words. Don''t rush, Ash. Slow down and appreciate the beauty of life."

    Asher and Cosette stared at each other in silence with her hand on top of his. Staring at her and listening to everything she had to say slightly put his muddled mind at ease.

    "What if the answer is not in my favor?" he asked quietly.

    "Thenбн we drink and think of another way?" she shrugged. "I don''t know, but it''s not like we needed solutions right away, right?"

    "I need them right away."

    Cosette shook her head. "No rush," squeezing his hand once again. "Take a moment to breathe and process everything. I''ll always be there for you if you need me. There might be times I won''t respond immediately, but when I know you need me, I''ll be there."

    "We''re friends, after all," she added as her smile stretched.

    Asher didn''t reply immediately, studying her face and the sincerity in her eyes. His face softened, nodding in understanding.

    "How reassuring."

 Chapter 336 ArenтАЩt I A Responsible Father?

    "My dad and Uncle Maynard''s personalities might be poles apart, but I''m certain Uncle Maynard wants only the best for you бк what makes you happy and free. Because during their time, they didn''t have such options."

    "Don''t rush, Ash. Slow down and appreciate the beauty of life."

    "What if the answer is not in my favor?"

    "Thenбн we drink and think of another way? I don''t know, but it''s not like we needed solutions right away, right?"

    "I need them right away."

    "No rush. Take a moment to breathe and process everything. I''ll always be there for you if you need me. There might be times I won''t respond immediately, but when I know you need me, I''ll be there."

    "We''re friends, after all."

    Friendsбн

    From the first time Cosette met Asher, the word "friend" always sounded forced. Cosette drew the line the first time they officially met. If Asher didn''t bump into her in the Academy before that, he would probably see the clear difference between how she treated him and how silly she could be.

    But tonight, that changed.

    Not that he felt special or that he felt that she was romantically connected to him. But rather, Asher felt seen, understood, and weed without meeting any disappointments such as being mocked or judged. It wasforting.

    Asher gazed at the side of the bench where Cosette sat. Half an hour after she spoke her wisdom, someone told her that they were leaving. Hence, Cosette had to go while Asher stayed in this spot all alone.

    "Maybe that''s the reason," he whispered, keeping his eyes on the empty spot of the bench until her mirage resurfaced. "Why Iбн seek you every time things get hard."

    Because Cosetteбн was Cosette. She didn''t like him already. Nothing he would do would impress her, and she made it clear that even if he tried, his antics wouldn''t work. Only realness would, but that wasn''t the reason Asher just broke down in front of her.

    He already felt suffocated, on the brink of exploding. He was barely keeping it together. Her remarks were simply thest straw.

    "Can Iбн really be free, Cosette?" Asher stared at her mirage, seeing her smile reassuringly. The corner of his lips curled up into a subtle smile as his expression softened. "But I''m scared."

    Even after her advice, it terrified him. It wasn''t that easy, especially if he knew what was the stake. However, she had a point. Although it was worded differently and her experience differedpletely from his dilemma, there were things to learn from her.

    The first thing was to face and admit the problem. THEM.

    Cosette and Asher were almost built the same. It was their own mind that drove them to certain points in their life where they realized they never faced their problems. They simply buried it in a ce in their mind where they wouldn''t be able to touch them.

    When this problem was resurfacing, they would divert their attention to something else. Little did they know, the root of the problem was just deepening and destroying them from the inside.

    "There you are!"

    Cosette''s mirage got distorted when someone sat down where it was. Asher snapped his eyes, lifting his gaze, only to see his father grinning back at him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What are you doing here?" he asked even before he could think, making Maynard shrug.

    "My son, I should be the one asking. What are you doing here when the party is over there?" Maynard pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Don''t tell me you don''t like it? Or is it because of that dumb Mister Tong бк that motherfucker бк"

    "I''m just enjoying the breeze." Asher cut Maynard off while his father was cracking his knuckles as if thetter were ready to throw his fist. "It''s not about him and I would appreciate it if you don''t mention him again."

    "There you go again." Maynard sighed, but he was already used to his son''s attitude and straightforward personality.

    Asher peeled his eyes away from Maynard, resting his back against the bench. When Maynard was doing unnecessary movements, Asher arched a brow and nced at him. As soon as his eyes fell on his father, his brows furrowed.

    "What is that?" asked Asher, pointing at the bottle of wine in Maynard''s hand.

    "Wine."

    "I mean, whyбн"

    "My son is here to enjoy the night breeze." Maynard cast his son a knowing look. "So here I am, apanying him so he could enjoy it even more. Besides, I enjoy being with my sons more than partying with whoever. Aren''t I a responsible father?"

    Maynard winked at his son, trying to open the bottle with his teeth. What Maynard said wasn''t new to Asher. Matter of fact, Maynard was quite cheesy and expressive. He would always say how precious his sons were and how he enjoyed hanging out with them.

    Most of the time, Asher and Luke saw it as too much. There were even times Asher believed Maynard was simply spewing nonsense. Now, however, these words sounded different. It didn''t give him a slight irritation, but rather, he felt curious.

    "Really?" he muttered, watching Maynard sessfully cork out the cork with his teeth, only to wince.

    "Huh?"

    "Do you truly enjoy spending time with us more than others?"

    "Of course!" Maynard''s response was quick without a second hesitation. "It''s just that you and that brat always chase me away. Manбн you make me sad."

    Asher pressed his lips into a thin line and looked away. He let Maynard ramble on and on,ining about how his sons were so heartless not to see a father''s longing. Maynard went on toin about how his firstborn was so mature and strict, and then how Luke was so arrogant he wouldn''t even give his father a call.

    "I don''t know if I asked this before." In the middle of Maynard''sints, Asher spoke again. He slowly raised his head and faced Maynard squarely. "You can always disturb Luke or make hime home, but why haven''t you done anything?"

    Maynard''s brows rose at his son''s question before he smiled.

    "Because that''s what he wants," answered Maynard with a slight chuckle. "He might be my son, but that doesn''t mean I have the right to steal his freedom."

    Maynard then nted his hand on Asher''s shoulder. "I didn''t work hard for nothing. I worked day and night, so my sons have the freedom to explore what they want and have opportunities and privileged to pursue them. You and Lukeбн were the reason I am who I am today. So don''t be hard on yourself. Your old man got your back. Understand?"

 Chapter 337 Happier Than Yesterday

    "I didn''t work hard for nothing. I worked day and night, so my sons have the freedom to explore what they want and have opportunities to pursue them. You and Lukeбн were the reason I am who I am today. So don''t be hard on yourself. Your old man got your back. Understand?"

    Maynard smiled reassuringly at his son, patting Asher''s back before leaning backfortably. Meanwhile, Asher could only watch his father enjoy the wine straight from the bottle quietly. This wasn''t the first time Maynard would utter such cheesy remarks.

    Back then, Asher would find it utterly annoying. He thought Maynard was just being Maynard, careless, sometimes irresponsible, and simply jolly. Someone who would spew nonsense. But now Asher wanted to believe his father meant everything.

    "How?" he blurted out under his breath, making Maynard''s brows raise. Maynard was still chugging the wine with his eyes on Asher when Asher asked, "how can I get the freedom if I think it''s not for me?"

    "What do you mean, son?" Maynard hissed, swallowing the wine down his throat.

    "What if the reasons you are you today aren''t what they were?"

    Maynard cocked his head to the side, confused. "You mean my sons wouldn''t meet the expectations they believe I have for them? Haha. Son. Trust me. It''s not that I don''t have expectations from you guys, but more than the achievements you think that matter, what matters to me is that you live a life happier than yesterday."

    "They said parents always force their dreams on their children." Maynard rested his feet over his leg, resting his arm over the back of the bench. "I agree with that. You know, Ash, your old man might seem greedy for power. But there was a time in my life that all I wanted was freedom to live my life on my own terms."

    "If you think our Quinn family is strict, they were even more during my time. Perhaps that''s because I am the only son. So, everyone''s hope was on me." He smacked his lips, maintaining his cool as he recalled that time in the past. "I can''t me them, to be honest. Conrad kept telling me to not take things for granted and learn early, but I didn''t listen to him. I''ve grown cocky and because I was stupid, I lost many things, and people бк destroyed some lives as well. If only I listened to him, I would''ve understood early on that I can''t have the best of both worlds. I had the chance to, though, but I took all those chances for granted."

    "That is why I am pushing you guys to do whatever you guys want and what makes you happy. Though you have to keep in mind that freedom is a double-edged sword, especially if you used that freedom and privilege to wrong someone," he continued. "You''ll eventually wake up from what blinds you, and realize how awful you''ve be."

    "Don''t be like me, Ash." Maynard shook his head mildly. "Don''t take your father as an example. I am the most awful person, but I will take the gratitude for giving you such a luxurious life."

    "Who said I ever look up to you as my role model?"

    "What did you say?" Maynard nearly spat the wine that was already in his stomach.

    "Why are you getting riled up? You just said we shouldn''t look up to you because you''re a bad person."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I know, but what you said still stings!"

    With that, their topic slowly shifted to another, with Maynardining about how his oldest son never once looked up at him. He would understand it if Asher''s mind changed now that he was an adult, but he couldn''t take it if Asher never aspired to be his father.

    But then again, Maynard couldn''t remember any memory where Asher expressed his admiration to his father. Luke was different and very sweet when he was a little kid, but now, he was just rebellious. Even so, the atmosphere between Asher and Maynard was warm.

    Although Maynard''s voice could be heard at the venue, Asher didn''t mind. Thetter somehow enjoyed thepany of his father and Maynard''sforting words.

    The question: what would happen if Maynard found out that Asher wasn''t his son? Wasn''t answered. Asher didn''t dare to ask as well. However, the answer to that didn''t matter at the moment. Asher simply wanted to cherish this moment of enlightenment, throwing the things that had been clouding his judgment at the back of his head to forget about them for a moment.

    **********

    [ Back to the Quinn Residence ]

    Asher''s graduation celebration went smoothly. After the incident with Mister Tong, no one spoke about it. However, everyone was cautious about what to say. Therefore, Asher had to face continuous praise andpliments when he and Maynard came back to the event. Fortunately, they didn''t stay for long because Maynard drank quite a lot.

    Asher was sitting quietly in the dark. Almost all the lights in his room were turned off. The only source of the light inside was themp on the side table of the bed. A subtle smile was dominating his face; he drank quite a few as well, thanks to his father. However, he was happy.

    For some reason, he felt happy. Or rather, he was happy because he wasn''t thinking about his parentage.

    "Rightбн I should give her a call," he told himself, bending over to pick up the phone on the coffee table before him. Asher leaned backfortably, wanting to give Cosette a brief call to make sure she got home safely. Even though she was with her father, he still wanted to make sure she got home. Also, he wanted to tell her something funny since they were friends.

    However, just as Asher was about to call Cosette, his phone rang. His eyes fell on the unknown number on the screen, and all the smile lines stered on his face faded. There was only one person who could call him with such a strange number.

    Mister Devilsin.

 Chapter 338 Are You Dumb?

    After Asher received the DNA result and uncovered the truth, he received a call from Mister Devilsin. That was thest time they had contact with Asher, promising to contact the man again instead. However, Asher got so caught up with his heightened and tangled emotions that contacting this man who flipped his life upside down wasn''t at the top of his priorities.

    If Mister Devilsin didn''t contact Asher, thetter would''ve forgotten about it. Not identally, though. He would purposely forget this man''s existence. Mister Devilsin was only here to make his life a living hell, and Asher didn''t even know this man''s reason.

    And that drove Asher to press the green button бк aside from his fear of what Mister Devilsin would do if Asher ignored him.

    "Well, hello there, Young Master Quinn," was the first thing Asher heard when he ced the phone in front of his ear. Mister Devilsin''s tone sounded ted, theplete opposite of Asher''s mood. "I hope I didn''t disturb your sleep since I think it''ste in there."

    "Why do you sound like you''re not in the country anymore?"

    "Hehбн don''t try to know my whereabouts. I''d send you a photo of my dick, but I''ll never reveal my location. For safety purposes бк haha!" Mister Devilsin humored shamelessly, but Asher didn''t react as if he was already numbed at this guy''s antics.

    "Why did you call?" Asher inquired under his breath, lowering his eyes. "Did you call because you think I enjoyed my time tonight?"

    "Didn''t you?"

    "Are you still spying on me?"

    "No!" Mister Devilsin''s denial was quick. "I was spying on your dad. It just so happened you''re always with him, so I sort of get what you''re doing."

    Asher''s jaw tightened, swallowing the tension down his throat. At this point, he was aware he would never win against the man that kept haunting him, even in his sleep.

    "What do you want?" he repeated the question, this time, about a different situation. "Why are you doing this to me?"

    "Hmm?"

    "You hate my father so much that you want to destroy him. Do you think if you let him know his first son isn''t his son, something will change?" Asher''s expression turned cold, keeping hisposure much better this time. "He still has another son. The Quinn family can just shift their hopes on my brother. You''re wasting your time, Mister Devilsin."

    "Hahбн I see you recovered quickly."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The truth is shocking, but I cannot change it." Asher kept his momentum before his decisiveness waned. "You''ve known the truth all along yet, you waited this long just to approach me. If you truly want to reveal the truth, then you would''ve done it way back. However, you didn''t. Which makes me wonderбн what would you gain if you manipte me?"

    "If you think you can manipte me so that I''d give you some backing in the future, that will never happen. In case this truth wasn''t revealed until I secured my spot, remember what you''ve put me through," he continued, getting braver or more stupid. But he couldn''t stop himself anymore. His mouth was unstoppable, venting everything in one go. Half of this courage was probably thanks to the wine he enjoyed tonight.

    "Asher Quinnбн no, I always hold grudges," he added, gripping his phone tightly. "I challenge you, Mister Devilsin. Reveal everything you know to him бк to the Quinn family. I''d rather have them disowned me than be used by you to harm them."

    After talking to Maynard and appreciating all his efforts through the years, Asher saw everything very clearly. His fear of getting this truth out dulled his mind and made him almost forget how Maynard was a father.

    Maynard wasn''t perfect. He was annoying and cheesy and even childish. However, Maynard never neglected his sons. He may not be a perfect father, but he gave his all to be the best father Asher and Luke could ever have.

    There was no way in hell Asher would hurt that man who did nothing but love and protect him from the beginning.

    "I might n to keep my mouth shut, but that doesn''t mean I''d sabotage everything just because I was terrified." His voice shook at the thought of the countless possibilities in the future. "If you find everything I said annoying, then go ahead. Reveal everything. Be my guest. I''m so done with you."

    There was a moment of silence in the line before Asher heard the man''s waves ofughter. Asher raised his brows, ncing at his phone before putting it back in his ear.

    "Amazing! Bravo!" praised Mister Devilsin; Asher could even hear him pping in amusement. "Now, you''re more interesting! Although I had fun scaring you and watching you act like a scared little boy mentally screaming his head off, I am d you got yourself together! Now, we can talk like adults. Man to man."

    Asher furrowed his brows. "We have nothing to talk about. I told you. I will not let you use me to take your revenge on my бк"

    "Keep the secret to the grave." Asher was cut off mid-sentence when Mister Devilsin''s tone suddenly sounded serious. "Don''t misunderstand, Young Master Quinn. I''m not telling you to hurt anyone, but to be careful. Don''t let anyone know about your secret and if that damn father of yours had his suspicion, contact me. I''ll make sure he''ll die thinking you are his son."

    For a moment, Asher could only open and close his mouth. What he heard just now soundedбн ridiculous. Not in a way that was bad for him, but rather, Mister Devilsin sounded like he was offering Asher an alliance to bury this secret in their graves.

    "What are you saying?" were the only words that Asher could force out of his throat.

    "Huh? Are you dumb? Or are you suffering from memory loss? Didn''t you ask me what I want?" Mister Devilsin returned with a tinge of sarcasm. "I''m giving you the answer."

 Chapter 339 Kiddie Alliance

    "Huh? Are you dumb? Or are you suffering from memory loss? Didn''t you ask me what I want? I''m giving you the answer."

    "But why?" Asher blurted out, almost in a hurry.

    "What do you mean, why?" Even though Asher couldn''t see him, Mister Devilsin cocked his head to the side. "Because my hatred for your father runs deep in my bone. Sure. Revealing to him that his first son wasn''t actually his would be interesting, but I have a deeper reason I ruled that out. Somethingбн more personal бк just think I''m trying to gain heavenly points, so if I die, I get a chance to get into heaven."

    Nonsense.

    Still, no matter how nonsense the man was spewing, Asher was certain this man was being sincere. Asher talked to Mister Devilsin a few times, and there was only one thing that was clear to him.

    Mister Devilsin keeps his word. His words were his bond. Probably the only good thing about him.

    "No one will benefit from this truth." Mister Devilsin continued, sounding indifferent as he hummed. "If anything, it will just ruin a few people and hurt those who don''t deserve this pain."

    "Don''t speak as if you care."

    "Well, my bad. I am only human бк haha!" Again, Mister Devilsin took it lightly. "But I make sense, don''t I?"

    Asher didn''t respond this time, keeping quiet as he thought about it. Even if he wouldn''t think about it, he already knew the answer. No one would benefit from it. There was one: Maxen.

    "Youбн" he narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows. "... know Maxen?"

    "Of course. He is that man''s biological son. I know everything about your dad and your mother бк that bitch."

    Asher clenched his teeth but stopped himself from testing his luck. Although he didn''t have that much memory of his mother, Asher deluded himself that she was what she was in his head: kind, loving, and caring.

    "Maxen is already living a good life. I don''t think people should still bother him with this mess the adults didn''t settle in the past." Mister Devilsin''s remarks brought back Asher from his momentary trance. "As for youбн well, I don''t really like you or pity you. I think you lived a pretty damn life that you need problems!"

    Unfairбн was Asher''s immediate thought. However, Mister Devilsin wasn''t wrong. Asher might''ve been pressured, but unlike others, his life was a hundred times better than theirs.

    "Youбн" Asher breathed out, closing his eyes to process how this phone call unfolded. "... sound like you care about Maxen."

    "Because I do."

    "Why?"

    "Does it matter?"

    No, that didn''t matter. This wasn''t about Maxen. It was about Asher. Whatever the reason Mister Devilsin had to protect Maxen, that was not Asher''s concern.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Why now?" Asher inquired, changing the subject to a much more important question. He had to make sure бк even though Mister Devilsin stick to his words бк he needed reassurance. It wouldn''t matter how petty the man''s reason was, but Asher wanted to hold on to something that would give this even more sense.

    "Why now?" he repeated. "Do you know if you told me this a year ago, I''d probably dance to your tune?"

    "You just answered your question." A short chuckle was heard in the line. "I said this just now, Young Master Quinn. It was fun watching you fear for your life, but this entertainment has its limits. I want to talk to a man who has a perfectly functioning brain, and could use it even in times of trouble."

    "Seeing that you got yourself together only proves I can trust you as a man. I''m amused by how quickly you recovered, but that''s better. At least, you didn''t get on my nerves about how slow you are when everyone else praise you to the heavens! That''s what you call bad reviews," he continued jokingly. "Anyway, do we have a deal or not? Are we both in to keep this little secret to our graves? Or do you want to just blow this thing out of proportion? Just so you know, though, I''m great at bombing. Thest time I did that, I made him swallow it and watched him explode from the inside. Good thing I was wearing a raincoat because that guy has the flesh of two people!"

    Asher ignored the unnecessary addition in Mister Devilsin''s remarks, not interested to hear thetter''s disaster of a life.

    "How do I know you won''t turn your back on me?" asked Asher solemnly.

    Mister Devilsin sneered. "You won''t."

    "Then, what if you died?" Asher threw a follow-up question, expecting such an answer from the man to his previous question. "No offense, but with the life you have, I''m afraid a hole might appear in between your brows before you know it."

    "Haha! Funny, but well, make sense." Mister Devilsin rubbed his chin to think about it. "Then I''d leave ast will to the most trusted people I know. I''d tell them to assist you if you ever needed help. How''s that sound?"

    Another wave of silence came on the line as Asher kept quiet. In the world of a crime organization, what Mister Devilsin said wasn''t impossible. Even if he died, there would be people who would carry out his will.

    Of course, Asher didn''t know a lot about them, but he did research about them for his research paper. The most dangerous people have surprisingly the strongest loyalty. It was probably because that was their survival instinct until it manifested in them and be a part of them.

    "So?" When another minute had passed with nothing but silence, Mister Devilsin broke the silence. "What do you think? Are we having a kiddie alliance or not?"

    "I don''t want my name to be associated with your organization in any way."

    "Oh, don''t worry. I don''t want your name in my family tree as well," the man returned sarcastically, almost disgusted at the assumption Asher made. "So?"

    "Let''s not contact each other unless it is very, very important. I hope this would be thest time."

    Mister Devilsin grinned. "I hope so too, although I''d missed you бк"

    Asher cut off the line before hearing more of the man''s nonsense. He leaned back, resting his arm over his forehead while still holding the phone. Right now, he didn''t know if he should sigh in relief or hold his breath to anticipate something bad happening.

    He sat like that, eyes shut, in the dark and silence for minutes. When his phone rang, he almost jumped from his seat. His eyes shook, setting his eyes on the screen. As soon as he saw the name on the screen, he breathed out as if he had been holding his breath for minutes.

    Cosette.

 Chapter 340 To Be Less Greedy

    "Hey, thank you for inviting us. We really had fun."

    As soon as Asher tapped the answer button, these words were the first thing he heard from Cosette. His expression rxed, and so were his tensed shoulders.

    "No problem. You didn''t have to thank me since you already know the cs were always at the top of the Quinn''s invite list." A subtle smile turned up on his face, melting on the couch he was sitting on.

    Asher cocked his head back until the back of his head was resting on the backrest. His eyes fixed on the ceiling, holding the phone still.

    "Why did you call? Did you just get home?" he asked, distracting himself from the previous phone call before this one.

    "Yes. We just got home," she said, making his brows raise.

    "Just now? But you left early, didn''t you?"

    "We fetched Maxen. He was with Luke, so we dropped by so we can go home together." Cosette plopped her butt down on the edge of the bed, smiling from ear to ear as if she was in a great mood. "Are you still at the party? Or did you go home?"

    "Home now." Asher drew his lips into a thin line, not knowing what to say anymore. Especially after hearing Maxen''s name.

    There was a moment of silence in the line before Cossette''s voice was heard again.

    "Are you okay?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

    "Hmm?"

    "You soundбн I don''t know. Did something happen?"

    ''There''s is, actually,'' was what he wanted to tell her, but Asher bit his tongue to stop himself.

    Still, it amazed him how Cosette immediately detected something was off even though they were just talking on the phone. Asher was certain he was doing his best not to sound shaken or anything like that.

    "Ash?" Cosette blinked, calling him once again since he didn''t answer. "Are you okay?"

    "Ahбн yes." Asher cleared his throat. "I''m okay. Justбн just tired. I had a few drinks with my dad, so you can imagine how tiring it is to take care of a drunk father."

    "I can''t rte, but I can imagine."

    He chuckled. "Anyway, thank you foring and calling." he took a deliberate pause, smiling a short smile but sincerely genuine. "You don''t have any idea what this means to me."

    "Uhmбн of course." Her soft voice slightly faltered, almost a little awkward. "We''re friends now, right? So of course, I''ll check in on you."

    Friends.<novelnext></novelnext>

    His smile remained, but with a slight bitterness in his eyes. This was when Asher knew being friends with her was impossible. However, it was still better than having her ring at him every time they meet. Moreover, Asher didn''t think he had to ask for more right now. After all, he could barely handle the things that were going on in his life. It was impossible to pursue or evenpete with someone who clearly got a good hold of her heart.

    "Yeahбн" he returned after a moment. "It really means a lot. Anyway, I''ll go and rest first. I''m really tired. Thanks foring again. Let''s hang out again next time."

    "Okayбн good night."

    "Night."

    Asher didn''t idle even for a second as he ended the call, resting his arm over his forehead. He closed his eyes and breathed out heavily, still holding his phone tightly. When Asher reopened his eyes ever so slowly, the side of his lips curled up bitterly.

    "I should be thankful," he told himself, almost convincing himself.

    After tonight, there were many things Asher realized. Aside from the ones he had after talking to Mister Devilsin, there were also those he realized with Cosette.

    From the beginning. In the very beginning, even before he bumped into her in that corridor, he was already interested in the youngdy of the c. All the rumors about her in the academy and the asional mention of the daughter of Conrad c piqued his curiosity. It just so happened there wasn''t any time for them to meet even though they enter the same school.

    Both Asher and Cosette sounded so simr back then, and they''re both busy trying to prove themselves to other people.

    Their first meeting wasn''t what he expected. It was abrupt and unexpected, something that neither of them had ever imagined. He thought they would probably meet at one of the important meetings they were required to attend, but no.

    Asher might not admit it, but the moment heid his eyes on her, the first word that came into his head wasбн beautiful. Cosette was beautiful even when her eyes shook before her irises slowly dted upon meeting his.

    Her voice as she blurted out under her breath, "husband of the year," still rang in his head until today.

    If Asher didn''t react the way he reacted that time, or if he didn''t jump to the conclusion she was one of those stalkers who wouldn''t leave him alone. Would their present change?

    ''To be honest, I don''t want to think about the what ifs anymore,'' he whispered to himself, more like a reminder. ''Because after that encounter, Cosette transferred schools for personal reasons. She took a leap of fate to change herself for the better.''

    Her action had taken a lifetime of guts, which inspired Luke to take the same risk. Now, that risk he called proved itself effective. Cosette seemed happier бк especially after hearing her story before that tonight бк and Luke also seemed he had matured.

    "Now I see my problem," another whisper slipped out of his lips,paring himself to Cosette and Luke, not in a bad way. Those two had guts, but Asherбн not that he wasn''t courageous enough, but he believed what was effective to them wouldn''t work on him.

    After all, Asher''s problem needed a different fix. He needed to be less greedy, just like what he felt when taunting Mister Devilsin.

    "I hopeбн" Asher breathed out, closing his eyes to rest while trying to clear his mind of all his worries. "... this kiddie alliance he called will give me peace."

    Because at the end of the day and the back of his head, Asher was most terrified of himself or what he might do if he wouldn''t get himself together.

 Chapter 341 This Was Why

    Meanwhile...

    "Night."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line as soon as the line disconnected. She gazed at the phone before her brows rose.

    "Are you okay?"

    Cosette looked back at the person standing in front of the desk. Maxen was currently fixing his stuff on the desk, pausing to check on her. She still sat on the edge of the bed, sporting a smile.

    "Why wouldn''t I?" she returned, copsing on her back and bouncing on the soft mattress.

    Everything she told Asher was true. They fetched Maxen because Maxen was with Luke and Conrad thought it would be a good idea if they fetch him. However, what she didn''t tell Asher was that she took at least minutes idling in her room before she snuck inside Maxen''s room.

    "I''m just a little worried about Asher because he seemed like he had been on the edge." Cosette stared at the ceiling, her arms werefortably spread on the bed. "When you''ve been in a situation, you will just get a deeper understanding of a person''s heart and what they were going through."

    Maxen paused once again, gazing at the bed where she was lyingfortably. "Have you been in his situation back then?"

    "Yes." Her answer was quick, without a second hesitation. "I didn''t know back then until I talked to him about why I kept poking my nose in his business."

    "Care to share with me what is the reason?"

    "Because I see myself in him." The corner of her lips curled up subtly. Her eyes swirled with many unspoken words, which she bottled back then, but didn''t have any intention of releasing.

    The experiences she was talking about were those in the past and not in the current life. Cosette was working on them currently. However, she didn''t want to dwell on them anymore. If Cosette dwelled in the past, then this second life would be useless. She had to move forward ande to terms with her problems before so she could help others like Maxen, Luke, Asher, and everyone who were caught up in the web of lies they believed was their reality.

    As Cosette had a quick trip down memoryne, her thoughts halted when Maxen''s face hovered over hers. Maxen sat on the opposite side of the bed, gazing at her to check if she was alright.

    Her face brightened up. "I''m okay, I said. You don''t have to look so worried."

    "I just need to make sure since they said women always say the opposite of what they want."

    "I''m not that kind of woman." She pouted. His face in her eyes was upside down. "I learned to say what I want and what I am notfortable with."

    "That''s right, but it wouldn''t hurt to make sure."

    Cosette giggled, raising a hand and pinching his cheek. "I was only away for hours, but why do you I miss you so much?"

    "I know, right?" His eyes softened. The feeling was mutual. "So, want to tell me about the party?"

    "It''s the usual. I had fun, surprisingly -- oh, there''s this old man. His name is Mister Tong. My god. I met many people already, but this guy is of a different caliber! Can you believe this guy picked on me, thinking that I am someone he could use as a stepping stone to curry favors with Uncle Maynard and the other people there? He even called me shameless and even drag my parents for not raising me correctly! Mind you, this all happened in front of my dad! I thought for a second Papa will murder him!"

    Like usual, Cosette shared everything that had happened to Maxen without pausing. This had been a part of their rtionship, telling each other things that left an impression on them. There were times they were important, and some days, it was just as menial as this one. Even so, Maxen listened to her while she went on and on.

    "I''m listening," he spoke as he pushed himself from her, sitting on the edge of the bed. Maxen carefully took off his socks while listening to her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette continued and her tone sounded more and more dismal, as if the more she talked about Mister Tone, the more her dismay increase. If he heard this before, he wouldn''t believe a word she said. After all, she was Cosette c. Who would dare offend the only daughter and heiress of the c family?

    Those who would offend Cosette wouldn''t need to wait until she gets total control over the family business. Conrad would deal with them. If not, Conrad, Marcel, or Gretchen would. Now that Maxen was a part of this family, if those three wouldn''t deal with who would offend her, Maxen would.

    "Gosh... people like him were what ruins the young elites." Cosette sat up and huffed, turning her head in Maxen''s direction. "Good thing I changed. If I didn''t, I would''ve made him dig his own grave where he would plead for my forgiveness... what are you doing?"

    Cosette blinked, trailing off and getting distracted as soon as her eyesnded on Maxen. Thetter was already standing on the side of the bed. He already took off his zer, and now he was unbuttoning his dress shirt.

    Maxen stopped, his chest was already peeking out as he had unbuttoned four buttons. "I will wash up, but I''m still listening. Don''t worry."

    "Huh?"

    "Huh?"

    The two of them looked at each other with Maxen tilting his head to the side. At this point, they were already toofortable with each other after sharing countless kisses and creative means to pleasure themselves without pration.

    "I''lle with you," Cosette announced, jumping out of bed. To her surprise, Maxen''s refusal quickly followed.

    "No."

    "What?" she gasped, disappointed.

    "I said no." Maxen shook his head while looking her straight in the eye. "You stay here."

    "Huh?" she frowned. "But why? It''s not like it''s the first time --"

    "No."

    Her frown deepened, pressing her lips into a thin line. It had been a while since they shared a steamy moment, and Cosette wanted to grope -- hug his naked body. A deep exhale slipped past his nostril, feeling bad for adamantly refusing her.

    "Cozie, I will be quick. I''ll join you here in a bit, alright?" he raised his brows and waited for her response, but she kept quiet. Cosette just looked at him with that deep frown stered on her face. He felt bad about it, but he told himself to stay adamant.

    "I''ll be quick," he said once again, walking away from the bed to the bathroom.

    To get to the bathroom, he had to walk past Cosette. However, just as he walked past her, Maxen was observing her from the corner of his eyes. He knew her more than anyone, and she wouldn''t let this slip without any exnation. Sometimes, she was slow. And thus, when he was walking a step past her, Maxen was quick to react when she tried to outrun him first to the bathroom.

    Maxen grabbed her wrist, pulling her. He didn''t use force, but because he caught her off guard, Cosette was easily pulled back and her back bounced on the bed slightly. Her eyes popped open, gazing at Maxen hovering over her.

    "I said no," he repeated under his breath, pinning her wrist over her head.

    Her surprise was quickly reced with a frown. "But, I don''t understand why --" the rest of her words were shoved back into her throat as Maxen lowered his head, shutting her up with a deep, passionate kiss while his hand unhesitatingly slipped under the skirt of her dress.

    This was why.

 Chapter 342 What About Me?

    Maxen never had a problem with Cosette. He already epted that his girl had the biggest heart and thus, she would willingly share a portion of her heart with others. Despite that, Cosette never let him feel insecure about himself and her love for him secured his heart. The reason, even if Cosette would gain new friends бк even if they were of the opposite gender бк Maxen trusted her.

    However,tely, he was being tested. Not his trust or anything, but something even more personal.

    Maxen and Cosette had been dating for quite some time now. They kissed countless times and even touched each other. They even showered together, butt naked. The only thing they hadn''t done together was the actual deed.

    At first, Maxen was fine with it. He even felt guilty because he felt like he was cheating Conrad''s rules. However, when he got used to it, this guilt slowly disappeared and everything soon felt right.

    The problem now was that Maxen was growing older and the more he did, the growing greed within him also grew.

    ying and just having orgasms with her help feltcking. Not that there was something wrong with Cosette or she was doing that he didn''t like. More like he wanted something deeper; to have herpletely, to feel her, and to be one with her.

    It was one of the many reasons Maxen would sometimes just work whenever she would sneak into his room. Because at some point, looking at her, he just wanted to sumb to this growing desire he kept suppressing.

    It was hard, especially those nights he felt extremely aroused. Just like tonight.

    ? Cosette let out a short whimper when his tongue rolled inside her mouth, exploring it and circling around her tongue. She could feel his hand crawl from her thigh, slipping under her skirt. Normally, Maxen would just tease her by feeling her curves. But this time, Maxen hooked a finger on the garter of her cycling shorts and immediately pulled it down.

    Her eyes popped open in surprise, calling him. However, he pressed his lips against hers and her voice sounded muffled. Using her other free hand, she tapped his shoulder. But s, Maxen didn''t hesitate to grab her wrist to pin it over her head together with the other.

    ''Holy бк!'' her brain screamed in panic, sensing how aggressive he was as he secured his grip around her wrist with just one hand. Since when did his hand grow this big and long that holding both her wrists with one hand seemed so easy?

    For Maxen, they never did the deed. But for Cosette, they already did it countless times. In the bed, bathroom, dining, and every part of the hotel room or her ce where they would usually meet in their previous life.

    In other words, this level of aggressiveness and intensity was very familiar to her. This was how Maxen Devilsin would act whenever they didn''t meet for quite some time; he would instantly pounce on her and undress her without any greeting whatsoever, and she would happily sumb to the pleasure of being wanted and needed.

    But this was Maxen! The young version of that man; the tamed version! How couldбн

    Cosette''s thoughts trailed off when he sessfully lowered her cycling shorts with her underwear on them. Not that she struggled. When his finger slipped through the folds of her flower, her entire body froze in shock.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen also stopped, parting his lips from hers.

    "Youбн" he sounded almost in disbelief, looking at her with shaking eyes. "... are wet."

    Too wet, to be exact.

    Cosette''s face instantly turned red and nk. Her flower was a traitor. Right now, she should be shocked because she couldn''t stop him from doing what she thought he would do. However, deep in her heart, she sort of missed those rounds of passion with Mister Devilsin, where everything was raw and rough.

    Cosette pursed her lips into a thin line. "You''ll get in trouble," came out a murmur, but her body stayed still.

    "I''m saying I''d keep it a secret, but if something happened, you''ll be responsible. My dad might burn you alive," she added, telling him of what she would do but also reminding him of the consequences if something happened. For example, if he got her pregnant. After all, the difference between the previous Cosette and Maxen and their present selves was that back then, they were overly aware of the consequences of unprotected sex.

    Maxen closed his eyes and sighed, resting his forehead against hers.

    "Cosetteбн" he called helplessly. "... why are you always like this?"

    "Don''t make it sound like I was the one who pinned me down and took off my undies." She pouted, watching him draw his head back to look at her properly. "I meanбн I understand you. You''re a man now, and you might have needs that just using a hand or even a mouth wouldn''t fulfill бк"

    "Shh." Maxen shushed her since all the words that wereing out of her mouth were unfiltered. Even though it was just the two of them who were hearing about this, it still made him slightly embarrassed.

    "I''ll shower ande back, hmm? I''m sorry for surprising you. It''s just really hard to control myself these days." He didn''t want to idle as he was in dire need of cooling his body down. He almost lost his mind a moment ago, and he was afraid he would be tempted again since Cosette clearly hadn''t practiced self-control as well. One of them had to learn self-control, and it seemed Maxen would be the person in charge. However, just as he pushed himself away from her, Cosette held his arm to stop him.

    "Unfairбн" was all that came out of her mouth, making him look back at her ever so slowly. "You did all that, and now you''re just running away. What about me? Do you think you''re the only one who has needs? You have no idea how my rope of patience is burning fasterбн"

    Again, the rest of her words rolled back into her throat as he wordlessly lowered his head once again. This time, he wasn''t as aggressive or impatient as he was moments ago. But rather, careful and gentle, enjoying every moment whilst taking off every piece of fabric protecting their bodies.

    Now, his problem wasбн how would they resolve the heat that was burning their skin without breaking more rules they needed to abide by?

 Chapter 343 Im Disappointed, Max.

    "If I am shamelessбн I would''ve done it," Maxen murmured, lying t on the bed. "I feel sad about it."

    Cosette slowly turned her head, lying beside him. She could see the regret while staring at his side profile, sighing.

    "I''m sorry?" her voice was meek and sorry.

    Maxen turned his head. "Why?"

    "Because I don''t stop you?"

    "You know that is not something you should be sorry for, right?" he remarked, sporting a knowing look. "I am also at fault here. I should learn how to control myself even more."

    Maxen looked back at the ceiling while Cosette stared at him for a moment before peeling her gaze from him. Both of them are at fault, and they knew that. Conrad already told them about the rules, but they just found loopholes. Now, they realized they were the ones suffering.

    They should''ve listened. After all, when they crossed the line the first time, they could never go back. They just kept wanting more and more.

    Earlier, although they enjoyed each other and did the usual to release the heat that had built up within them, they knew this would be thest time they would do it. The next time? Maxen could swear he might not control himself anymore. At least, not now. He was too vulnerable at the moment.

    There was a long silence between them, just staring at the ceiling without moving a muscle.

    "How was your therapy?" she asked to break the prolonged silence between them. "I''m just asking since we need something to talk about."

    How she wished to have forgotten the taste of Maxen Devilsin. That man was like a poison that left her hooked. Even the younger version of himself was like that, and a part of her felt slightly embarrassed because whether she admitted it or not, Cosette had a mind of a grown woman. She was almost twice her original age!

    "Doing great so farбн that''s what my doctor said," Maxen answered without a second hesitation, as he would still attend his therapies regrly. "I believe him. If not for him, I wouldn''t have the self-control I have now. So we should thank him."

    ''No way!'' was the natural thought that came into her head, but bit her tongue to stop herself.

    "You are like a wildcat, Cozie. I think we should stop going into each other''s room from now on," he proposed, unable to conceal the sadness in his eyes. "Although I had grown used to your presence every night, it''s not safe anymore."

    "As much as I hate to agree, I think you are right." Cosette couldn''t help but frown with her voice full of reluctance. "I learned my lesson tonight."

    Both of them let out a deep sigh, a bit sad about the only solution they could have now. They were both young, and she had to admit that. Cosette had to believe her own reasoning so as to feel less reluctant about it.

    Back then, the foundation of her rtionship with Maxen was sex. They would do it anywhere. They both enjoyed it. However, the downside of that was that they both had to refrain from adding more feelings and emotions to it, which eventually led to the ruin of their wild rtionship.

    She had to do it right. They had to do it right. Not that they hadn''t been doing just fine, but it was better to dy some things and focus on themselves and their feelings. They were still young, after all. Their foundation should center on love, and not lust. In that case, whatever hurdle woulde their way, they would emerge from it stronger together.

    "Should I go back to my room?" she spoke again, rolling to her side and facing him squarely. "But I''m not ready. I feel like I am going to be separated from you and it breaks my heart."

    Maxen looked back at her, and his heart instantly melted. Until now, he wondered where he had gotten the courage or the heart to refuse earlier.

    "Sleep here tonight then." He smiled, rolling to his side to face her as well. He raised a hand, cupping her face. "I don''t want to think that the only way to say you arepletely mine is throughбн you know."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Did I do anything that made you think I am not yours?"

    "None, but with my pervert mind, sex just makes sense."

    "Fair enough." бк her perverted mind could rte.

    Cosette sighed deeply once again, looking back at him. "How about we just do a trial first?" she suggested.

    "A trial?"

    "Mhm. Like we try if separating will work?" she exined the simplest way she could. "If it is not effective, then let''s try to think of other ways again. I mean, I''m turning eighteen this year soбн heh."

    "Cozie." The devious smile that suddenly turned up on her face disappeared upon his call. "We can''t do it until we get married."

    "Then proposeбн" Cosette bit her tongue, feigning innocent.

    "We can''t just marry because we want to have legal sex, can we?"

    "But it''s not like we haven''t known each other," she reasoned out, only to realize Maxen didn''t know her as well. Cosette was already sure of Maxen because she still loved him despite seeing his worst version. The reasoning was convincing until a thought crossed her mind.

    "Wait." Her brows knitted while his brows rose. "Don''t tell me you don''t want to marry me because you''re still not sure about me?"

    "Of course not."

    "Then why?"

    "Cozie, we''re still young. We cannot just rush things because change is the only constant thing in the world."

    "Soбн I''m right?" Cosette pushed herself to sit up. "Max, you''re still not sure of me? Or rather, you are not sure that this rtionship would even work?"

    "Cosette."

    "I''m disappointed, Max." She frowned, definitely displeased at the conclusion she had in her head. "I never doubted us since day one. Never. If you asked my hand now, I wouldn''t worry about tomorrow and just say yes, because I know we will work it out together."

    She shook her head mildly whilst keeping her gaze on him. "I wouldn''t even think of divorce or anything like that."

    "Cozieбн" Maxen lurched slightly to hold her hand, but Cosette jumped out of the bed. "Baby, it''s not like that."

    Cosette simply red at him and scoffed before walking out, avoiding Maxen from reaching her. She looked back at him when he called again, seeing him stand up from his side of the bed.

    "Tch." Cosette just clicked her tongue in irritation before walking out of the room, saying nothing further.

 Chapter 344 There Were Many Fish In The Sea

    Daysterбн

    Luke sipping from his strawberry juice, sitting on the chair outside the convenience store. He tilted his head to the side, and then to the other, eyes fixed on the person across from him.

    "Errбн is something wrong?" Luke inquired at Maxen, leaning his face over the table. "My brother, your mood every day just keeps growing worse and worse. What''s up?"

    "Nothing," Maxen answered grumpily.

    "Nah ah. Something is definitely wrong." Luke shook his head, leaning back, folding his arms under his chest. "I''m not dumb to believe that this is nothing. Cosette is also avoiding hanging out with us, so there''s definitely a lover''s quarrel here."

    He then narrowed his eyes, studying Maxen deeply. "Lover''s quarrel. That''s a surprise, considering she''s like a leech that wouldn''te off no matter what you do. What did you do to make her so angry?"

    Maxen just stared at Luke, listening to thetter''s slightly usatory remarks. Although the two of them were like brothers, Cosette was just as important in their rtionship. After all, she was the person who bridged the two of them. Hence, her value to Luke was just as equal to his respect and admiration for Maxen.

    Cosette was like Luke''s little sisterбн even though she was months older.

    After some time, Maxen let out a deep and helpless sigh. His shoulders rxed, stretching his legs under the table.

    "There was a misunderstandingбн about the future, I think," he confessed.

    "Future? Wowбн please tell me it''s not a fight about a disagreement about how many children will you two have!" Luke gasped. "We still have one year before finishing high school. You guys will need to go through multiple family nning before those big talks."

    "It''s not that." Maxen shook his head and sighed once again. "It''s more about marriage бк a wedding."

    Luke''s expression turned nk. He should''ve known that with Cosette''s personality, she would bring up this topic sooner orter.

    ''That girl!'' he mentally ground his teeth. ''Why is she always rushing things, eh?!''

    "We were having aбн conversation the other night and somehow, we got to a point where we were talking about our future. She hinted I should propose on her 18th birthday, but I told her it was too early for that," continued Maxen, recalling how their conversation unfolded too quickly he wasn''t able to catch up. "One of the reasons is that deciding in the early teens always ends up painful. Even if I want to marry her today, I don''t want to tie her down early instead of enjoying her life as a youngdy."

    His frown deepened. "However, she perceived it as me, not being sure whether our rtionship would work."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Doesn''t she make a point, though?"

    Maxen lifted his eyes to Luke, only to see thetter looking at him almost innocently.

    "I mean, it''s not like you will propose to her now. I understand your worries, but just like you said, young people like us tend to rush things. Most of the time, making big decisions in the early years of our lives always ends up as regretful decisions. That''s true, and I will not disagree with that," Luke remarked, basing things on his own understanding. "However, we''re talking about Cosette."

    "You also have to keep in mind that Cosette was raised in such apetitive environment. She already made big decisions where countless people and livelihoods were in her hand at a young age бк just like my brother," he continued. "I don''t think she didn''t think about it thoroughly. I mean, if she isn''t sure about you, many other people could''ve swayed her feelings. Take that Ezekiel Stone, for instance."

    "I''m not trying to offend you or criticize you, my brother. But for me, if her feelings were that shallow, you wouldn''t even have this dilemma right now. Instead, there were too many guys out there who wants to be with her; some for her money, while others for her heart." Luke shrugged, keeping his cool and trying his best not to be biased. "Her disappointment is valid. I''m not pressuring you to marry since it''s too early for that, but if you are sure about her and your rtionship, there wouldn''t be an argument."

    Luke took a deliberate pause as he leaned forward. He propped his arms against the edge of the table, and his expression turned solemn.

    "Maxen, you''re not sure about Cosette, are you?" he asked seriously, staring at Maxen deep in the eye. "Are you not seeing your future with her?"

    "No. That''s not it." Maxen''s answer was quick. He didn''t even need to think of an answer because, deep in his heart, he already knew the answer.

    Cosette was the love of his life and Maxen couldn''t see his future with anybody else except Cosette.

    "Then what''s stopping you? Her birthday ising up in a few months, and she''ll be officially ady. Once that happens, do you think you''re the only person who will want her attention?" Luke tilted his head to the side. "Trust me. I might''ve been a part of the middle-ss people now, but I know a lot of elites. Not only guys our age will line up for her with customized flowers, exquisite choctes, andvish gifts, but also those young adults who were looking for a good match."

    "Are you getting what I''m saying? Her birthday also means she''s up in the market." Luke raised a finger and shook it sideways. "Don''t give those guys any chance. Cosette might be very annoying, but she can be very mature if she wanted to be. She''s sure about you, which means she had seen her future with you, but just like you said, making big decisions in your early teens might end up as a painful scar."

    "Be sure that this regret is not something that you wished you could have done, and not something you have done," he added, giving Maxen a meaningful look. "You gotta step up your game, brother. Because once Cosette slipped away from your clutches, many would try to catch her. Sad to hear if you put it this way, but that''s reality. There were many fish in the sea, but remember that there are high-quality fish that people would dive in to search for it underwater."

    "It just so happened she''s not just any fish, but a siren." Luke slowly leaned back, shrugging. "I did my best to be a good friend. It''s your choice to take it as a whole or just bits and pieces from it бк oh, Remo''s here. Hey!"

    Maxen watched Luke wave, but his mind dwelled on Luke''s wisdom

 Chapter 345 A Girls Day Out

    Meanwhileбн

    "Are you sure you''re fine?" Sarah asked for the umpteenth time, staring at the grumpy Cosette.

    "Did you ask us to hang out just so we can watch how your frown grows deeper and deeper?" added Fay, sitting beside Sarah while Cosette was across from them. "I thought we''ll n a trip together since it''s our summer vacation, but I don''t think that''s possible if you are just ring daggers at that parfait."

    Cosette''s frown deepened upon hearing her friend''s remarks. However, she could say anything but sigh. They were right. She told them to hang out today because one she missed them, and second, she was still very annoyed at Maxen and didn''t want to be with him at the moment, even though he told her they would visit Remo''s grandfather.

    "Sorry, girls. I''m just really in a terrible mood and it was growing worse every single day." Cosette leaned forward and picked up her spoon to enjoy the sweet she ordered. "Maxen just said something that really ticked me off."

    "So, it was a lover''s quarrel?" Sarah rocked her head in understanding. "No wonder you''re grumpy бк it was rare."

    "Lover''s quarrel?" Unlike Sarah, who seemed to be enlightened, Fay was confused. "Who are lovers?"

    Sarah and Cosette slowly set their eyes on Fay, only to see the genuine confusion in thetter''s eyes.

    "Rightбн" Sarah bit her tongue. "... you haven''t heard about it yet?"

    "Heard, what?"

    "That Cosette and Maxen were dating."

    "Huh?" Fay cocked her head to the side. "Isn''t that obvious?"

    Fay''s answer and herck of reaction to the news now confused the two youngdies.

    "I mean, even if you don''t want to notice, the way Maxen treated Cozie is obviously different. The way he looked at her was different as well. But I didn''t think they''re official."

    "Wait, wait." Sarah let out an awkwardugh, as this was getting even more confusing. "So you''re saying you''re not surprised that the two are dating? But at the same time, you didn''t know they were official?"

    "Mhm." Fay nodded. "I just thought Cozie has her own harem, and everyone is her ve."

    "..."

    Sarah tried to open her mouth, but to no avail. What Fay revealed rendered her speechless. Meanwhile, what Cosette heard was so ridiculous she was doubting if she even heard Fay correctly.

    "I''m not saying Cosette is that kind of girl, but with a girl who had beauty, brain, and also rich, it won''t be surprising if her story will lean more on a reverse harem type." Fay shrugged as if everything she was saying was normal from the standard the society had created. "I''m just saying. It''s not a bad thing; to be fair, I''m sure more than fifty percent of the female poption had fantasies of multiple guyspeting to win her heart."

    "Iбн please stop." Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose, almost begging Fay to stop. "It''s just good that you know Cosette and Maxen were dating."

    "Lucky."

    Cosette sighed. "He''s not lucky, I am."

    "Huh?" Fay cocked her head to the side. "Howe he''s not and you are? I may sound bad and you guys might disagree, but Maxen was almost nothing before you came."

    "Fay."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That''s why I said I may sound bad, but isn''t that a fact, Cozie?" Fay quickly replied, defending herself as she was just trying to speak the facts no one dared speak about. "For you, it might not mean anything, but I''m sure Maxen thinks about it from time to time. If he doesn''t, then I''d call him shameless."

    "Fay." This time, Sarah called with a firm tone.

    "What?"

    "Please. You''re not helping."

    "It''s okay." Cosette chimed in before this would lead to an argument. "I understand, Fay, and what she said was true. Still, I never counted whatever help I did because I didn''t do much, to be honest. No amount of help could help someone if the person isn''t willing to help themselves. The credits aren''t mine to take, but his."

    Fay shrugged, not arguing with her, since that was beyond her control. If that was what made Cosette happy, then who was she to argue? Meanwhile, Sarah couldn''t help but sigh.

    "What happened?" asked Sarah with genuine worry in her voice. "We''re all ears."

    "Wellбн" Cosette smacked her lips, darting her eyes between the two. "... I think Maxen still doubts my feelings."

    "Huh?" Sarah furrowed her brows while Fay sipped from her ss of juice. "Why?"

    "The other night, we brought up the talk of marriage. I joked that he should propose when I''m at the legal age, but he said it was too early for that." Cosette sighed once again. "It''s not that I don''t understand where he wasing from, but he could''ve at least said yes."

    She raised her hand before the two could even start with her. "I know, I know. It sounds childish and Maxen was someone who always sticks to his promises. But at least, let your girl know that you''d marry her even without any ns, right? Just like a foolish person in love who wouldn''t even think of anything because of love."

    "Are you saying you prefer someone who doesn''t have ns and just says things out of the spur of the moment?" was Fay''s response, making Sarah cast her a cursory look. Sarah bit her tongue as she wanted to word it differently, but Fay just went off, hitting the bulls'' eyes.

    "No. Of course not."

    "Then I don''t think he is in the wrong." Fay threw a quick response. "We''re still young. We haven''t even finished high school. Talking about your future is normal, but it sounds a bit too much for you to get angry just because he wants to n for your future properly. You''re pressuring him, Cozie."

    Sarah pressed her lips before she spoke. "I''m sorry, Cozie, but this time, I''m with Fay. I''m not saying your feelings aren''t valid, but we don''t need to rush these things. We''re aware you really like Maxen, but fighting with him just because he told you it was too early for the two of you to tie the knot sounds a bitбн too much."

    "We still have a year to finish high school. What''s the rush?" added Fay. "It''s not like you''re dying anytime soon."

    Cosette could only purse her lips while darting her eyes between the two. ''Wellбн not anytime soon, but I don''t know what this life has in store for me eight years onwards.'' бк this was what she wanted to tell them, but kept her mouth shut.

    "Cozie, we''re not fighting you nor siding with Maxen." Sarah stretched her hand over the table to hold Cosette''s hand. "Feeling hurt by his reaction or answer is normal, but if Maxen is really important to you, you guys need to talk about it with an open mind. I''m sure things will work out well."

    "That''s right, but if you still want to dwell on it, then let''s go." Fay knocked on the table to get their attention, grinning. "To a ce we can forget about a jerk like him. Hehe!"

    "Didn''t you say Maxen was not in the wrong here?"

    "He wasn''t, but that doesn''t mean he should be a jerk and ruin something that could''ve been a great memory to look back on." Fay shrugged nonchntly. "Don''t be angry because he wants to be prepared, but because hecked some proper manner to keep his girl happy!"

    Cosette''s brow, darting her eyes between Sarah and Fay, only to see the smile on their faces.

    "I also agree with Fay on this," said Sarah, nodding in agreement.

 Chapter 346 Everyday Was A Learning Experience

    Sarah and Fay took Cosette to ces they knew so thetter could forget about her disappointment, even for a little while. They were Cosette''s friends, and as her friends, they wanted to be there for her not just on the good days but also on the bad.

    Fay, Sarah, and Cosette went to the salon, with Sarah and Fay splitting the bill to treat Cosette. Although Cosette insisted on paying for the three of them, the two were adamant to treat her.

    "I feel badбн" Cosette expressed with a heavy heart, turning her head to her right where Sarah was sitting to get her nails done, and then to her left to where Fay was. "You twoбн"

    "Why would you feel bad? You treat us most of the time, so we saved up because we want to return the favor one day." Cosette looked back at Sarah as thetter replied. "It wasn''t much, but we''re friends. It''ll be too shameful that we are always on the receiving end."

    "That''s right." Fay nodded. "I mean, we know you can afford these in the high-end salons, but wait till we get older. Sarah and I will have a lot of money and treat you to a better ce."

    "You twoбн" Cosette''s heart warmed up, smiling, looking at the two with soft eyes. "Thank you."

    For Sarah and Fay, they felt bad that they could only treat her to a cheap salon to get her nails done. However, it was the thought that counts. Sarah and Fay didn''t have much. Well, Sarah was struggling financially, while Fay might not have the same problem as Sarah, but Fay barely had extra money for her own. Cosette couldn''t imagine how long these two saved up so they could treat her.

    "Thanks," expressed Cosette sincerely, nodding at Sarah and then at Fay reassuringly. "This really means a lot to me."

    The two grinned from ear to ear, chuckling as they enjoyed their foot spa. Fay and Sarah rarely get their nails done and mostly just trim their nails or do it on their own, so it was also a treat for them as a reward for the hectic school year they passed.

    After they got their nails done, they took Cosette to an arcade to y and have fun. The three of them slowly forgot their own worries, having fun with just the three of them. After that, they headed to a karaoke bar to sing their heart out.

    They had been ssmates since the second half of their second year in high school, and this was probably the first time they went out with just the three of them. Luke and Maxen were always following Cosette as if they were her tails. So it was quite refreshing to have time with the girls.

    "Hahбн" the three plopped down on the couch of the karaoke room, panting for air. While singing, they were also dancing as if no one was looking. Despite the smiles stered on their faces, it still tired them.

    "We should do this more often," Cosette suggested, the back of her head resting on the back of the couch. She turned her head to the side, only to see Sarah and Fay melting on their spot, just like her.

    The girls grinned. "We should," they answered in unison.

    "It''s fun to have the boys around, but this isn''t any less fun." Fay peeled her back from the couch, facing the two squarely. "I feel like I just forgot everything I learned the entire school year бк let''s do this more often!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You''ve worked hard the entire year. How can you just forget about it?" Sarahughed. "But it''s not bad. I mean, I was scared your brain would overload since you''ve been cramming like crazy."

    "I thought so too! Good thing I survived. Manбн I felt like I studied ten years'' worth of lessons in a span of a year! I thought I would die."

    "But it was worth it," Cosette chimed in, pushing herself away from the couch ever so slowly. "You finished school in the top 5th of our ss. I''m sure your mom was very proud."

    Fay''s cheek turned pinkish, ttered. "She was crying. No matter how I tell her to stop, she just wouldn''t stop when she heard about the result. I nearly regret working hard because it just made her cry." Ayer of tears coated Fay''s eyes, but the smile on her face was priceless.

    "My mom always told me that passing the year is what the most important, but who would have thought she would be so happy if I took school seriously?" she continued, chuckling to keep the light atmosphere. "I''m d I did."

    Fay slowly raised her eyes to Cosette and Sarah, who were smiling back at her warmly. "Cutting off Amie hurts like hell and a part of me mes myself for what was happening to her. But at the same time, seeing how I made my mom proud and happy, I feel like the sacrifice was worth it."

    Sarah and Cosette looked at each other for a second before setting their eyes back on Fay. There was a tinge of bitterness in Fay''s smile, which wasn''t there before. Ever since Fay cut Amie off, Fay never talked about Amie. Not that Fay was ever sensitive every time Amie''s name would be brought up, but Cosette and Sarah were cautious.

    So it was a surprise that Fay finally spoke about what happened. After all, Fay buried herself with schoolwork and was often busy trying to perfect each exam. This was the first time they heard how she felt about breaking her friendship with Amie.

    "Fay, don''t you have ns to reach out to Amie?" Sarah was the first to break the building-up silence in the air. "Don''t get me wrong. I understand the reason you made a decision back then. Although I personally think it was too much and too abrupt, I don''t judge you. After all, you and Amie were still our friends."

    Cosette nodded. "That''s right."

    "I think Amie learned her lesson, and so as we," Sarah continued, sporting a smile. "Who is in the wrong or not wasn''t what''s important. I think one of us needs to reach out first because I don''t think Amie would. Not because of her pride, but because you know her. She probably feels embarrassed, even though there isn''t something to be embarrassed about."

    "I learned that letting her on her own isn''t the best idea as well," Cosette added what she learned with their friendship. "Our intention was good, but it was a bit too much. I didn''t realize that until monthster."

    The three of them looked at each other in silence, having a silent agreement that they learned a lot thest school year. Not just the technical lessons in school, but also about themselves, the people around them, and the little things in life that were often overlooked.

 Chapter 347 Everyday Was A Learning Lesson II

    After talking seriously, Fay, Cosette, and Sarah found themselves in front of Amie''s house. It reminded them of thest year''s summer break. Last year, they were also standing in front of Amie''s house. The only difference was thatst year, it was their entire ss, trying to get Amie parent''s permission to take her on a trip.

    Cosette stood in between Fay and Sarah, casting the two a look. "Should we?"

    Fay and Sarah looked at her before they exchanged eye contact. Sarah pressed her lips into a thin line, detecting a bit of reluctance in Fay''s eyes.

    "It''s okay if you''re not ready," said Sarah to Fay. "We can try again next time."

    "That''s right." Cosette agreed. "No pressure."

    "It''s fine." Fay huffed. "I''m just nervous, that''s all."

    Cosette shifted her eyes to Sarah, and thetter nodded at her as a signal to continue their n. With that being said, Sarah rang the doorbell. They waited patiently for someone to open the gate and rang the doorbell again when a minute had passed, but no one opened it.

    After the thing rang, the gate rattled from the inside. The three girls held their breaths on instinct, watching the door open.

    "Who бк" Amie stopped when she opened the door and saw the people standing outside the gates. Her pupils slowly dted upon seeing the three familiar faces standing outside, looking back at her with equal surprise.

    Silence descended on them for the next minute, looking at each other.

    "Hi!" Sarah forced her breath out, breaking the silence. "I бк ah бк we''re here to check in on you. How are you?"

    Amie snapped out of her shock with a slight headshake. "I''mбн uhбн good." Her eyes glossed over their faces and asked, "you?"

    "Very good!" Cosette intoned. "I mean, obviously since the school year ended, we''re d we can chill."

    Cosette then elbowed Fay to urge her to speak as well.

    "Yes. Our brains can rx for a bit," said Fay almost awkwardly.

    "Ahбн" Amie rocked her head in understanding, pressing her lips into a thin line.

    "Anyway, since we know you''re doing good, we gotta go!" Fay pped to fight the growing awkwardness. "Right?"

    "Right." Sarahughed awkwardly. "We were just around the area. That''s why we thought we should drop by for a bit."

    "Sorry to bother you! See you around!" Cosette added.

    With that being said, the three of them turned around to leave as quickly as they could. They were very sincere beforeing in here, but they didn''t expect Amie to open the gates. Quite strange since their intention was to talk to Amie.

    "Wait!" Seeing them scurry away while mumbling to each other, Amie called. The three instantly stopped and looked back, making her smile subtly at how silly they were. "Do you have spare time? I mean, since you''re already around the area and bothered toe by, will you mind staying for a bit?."

    "Uhhбн" the three looked at each other before they set their eyes back to Amie, only to see thetter open the gates wider.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Come." Amie tilted her head in. "My parents aren''t here. It''s just me, so you guys feel at home."

    Amie led the way, talking while the three followed. The three couldn''t say anything that much as they rather felt awkward. Not because they did something terribly wrong, or they wronged Amie. They had their shorings. Still, Amie had changed.

    When Fay cut her off, Amie stayed the same for quite some time. Or rather, she was more gloomy and depressed. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that the air that surrounded Amie was dark that it was almost visible.

    And then one day, Amie just wouldn''te to school. When she did, they could barely recognize her. She didn''t emanate a gloomy aura, but she became mean. Amie got involved with the bad crowd, and if not for Cosette being nosy, no one would know what could''ve happened to Amie.

    After that incident, Amie didn''te to school for an entire week. She showed up a weekter. She wasn''t wearing anything revealing or heavy makeup, but neither did she return to how she was back then. Although she was quiet most of the time, it didn''t seem she was just going to school to kill time.

    They were all busy at that point with the series of exams they had to pass, so they didn''t get time, even though they were all in the same ssroom.

    Fay, Sarah, and Cosette found themselves sitting around the living area while Amie went to get them some juice and snacks.

    "Seriously?" Fay whisper-yelled to Sarah. "Hi? Why did you sound as if it''s your first time meeting?"

    "I was nervous бк I don''t know why!" Sarah whispered loudly as well. "Didn''t you freeze as well when she opened the gates?"

    "Girls." Cosette whistled to get their attention. "Shh."

    "My mom brought some good teas, and they''re really good with ice." Suddenly, Amie''s voice was heard. When Sarah and Fay turned their heads, all they saw was Amieing back from the kitchen with a tray.

    As Amie bent over to ce the tray on the center table, she continued. "You should try them. She keeps telling me to bring some to my friends, but I told her everyone in school is busy. So, I was waiting for the perfect time."

    "Good thing you came here today," she added as she straightened her back. "She won''t have to nag me next time."

    "Uhбн thanks." Cosette almost stuttered, a bit surprised how Amie was serving them without showing any awkwardness from the beginning. She reached for the cup that already had cold tea in it, guiding it to her lips as the situation made her thirsty.

    Cosette wasn''t expecting anything, but when the fluid rolled in her throat, her brows rose. She immediately looked at Amie, only to see thetter''s smile stretch wider.

    "This is good!" Cosette intoned before drinking the entire cup in one go. "Wowбн you should also try it, Sarah. It''s sweet and refreshing."

    Seeing Cosette''s reaction, Sarah reached for the cup in front of her. Her reaction after taking a sip was the same as Cosette''s reaction. Fay followed, but unlike their reaction, she said nothing. Meanwhile, Amie watched the girls drink and her eyes softened.

    "Thank you foring," was the words that came out of her mouth instead of telling them more about the tea which she nned to talk about. Sarah, Fay, and Cosette slowly looked in Amie''s direction, and as soon as they caught each other''s eyes, their beautiful faces crumpled.

    "Waah! We miss you so much and we''re sorry!" The three yelled, and before Amie knew it, they jumped from their seats and hugged her, crying.

    Amie froze for a second, surprised as she was suddenly sandwiched by the three. But when everything sank in, ayer of tears coated her eyes before droplets of tears rolled down her cheek.

    "Me tooбн" her voice was shaking, trying her best to maintain herposure but to no avail. In the end, the three of them ended up just crying together with everything they said sounding gibberish.

 Chapter 348 A Lesson Anyone Could Learn From

    Many things happened in the past school year which no one fathomed to happen. Many friendships were built or strengthened, and others ended or took a pause. However, with or without their knowledge, their learning from thest school year didn''t stop within the textbooks because everyone learned greatly from this roller coaster experience.

    Cosette, Sarah, Fay, and Amie looked at each other. Their eyes were already swollen from all the crying they did, yet their lips were curled up in relief. A giggle slipped past Cosette''s lips, and their silly chuckles followed.

    "We''re silly." Cosette wiped the lingering tears from her eyes. "Why are you crying?"

    "Because you are." Sarah med her, but unlike Cosette, tears wouldn''t stop forming in her eyes.

    "I''m sorry." Fay pressed her lips into a thin line, gazing at Amie sincerely. She then faced Cosette and Sarah. "I''m also sorry for putting you two in a tight situation where you felt helpless. That''s not what I intend to do."

    Amie shook her head. "No. I should be the one saying sorry." She drew a deep breath, mustering her courage to speak without her voice breaking.

    "You''ve always been there for me. Since middle school, you always protected me and stopped others from exploiting me. It''s not that I don''t know I was being taken advantage of, but knowing you would be there to help me. I''ve growncent. I didn''t know I was depending on you so much that I didn''t realize the weight I''m putting on you." Amie lowered her eyes, smiling bitterly. "Even when you told me that I should learn how to speak for myself and be my own person, at the back of my head, I couldn''t understand the reason."

    "She''s here, anyway. Fay will know if I''m ufortable. She will help me and speak for me. Those were one of the things that instinctively go in my head every time I''m in an ufortable situation," she continued, admitting how she relied on Fay too much just because at subconsciously know Fay would always be there for her. "When she suddenly wants to end our rtionship, even when she told me the reason, more than hurt, I was confused."

    "Why would she leave me? Why would she want me to suddenly be independent when she made me dependent on her? Didn''t she say she would always have my back? She promised, but now she''s breaking it. Those were among the myriads of questions I have in the back of my head. And unconsciously, I med her for why I was the way I was without ever acknowledging her feelings." Amie sped her hands on herp, watching droplets of tearsnd on the back of her fist. "All I did was me her, and drag you two in it because I was so weak to admit I was in the wrong. That''s why I grew rebellious to find real people who care for me. It was stupid, but in my head at that time, I wanted to show you guys that I could rece you as well."

    She slowly raised her head, scanning the girls'' faces. "If not for Cosette, I wouldn''t have made this realization. I wouldn''t even know how my life would be right now if not for her. It was eye-opening and painful. Admitting I''m wrong and I hurt those who truly care for me just because I couldn''t admit my shoring is much more painful than a p in the face."

    "I haven''t thanked you properly back then, but thank you, Cozie. Also, to Luke and Maxen and Remo." Amie locked eyed with Cosette, offering her a subtle but sincere smile. "I''m really grateful."

    Cosette''s face softened, nodding in return. She couldn''t say anything in return, afraid she would just initiate another session of crying.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I don''t know what Cosette did, but whatever it is, I''m d she did what she did," Sarah spoke, getting Amie''s attention. Thetter''s brows rose in confusion, seeing the cluelessness in Sarah and Fay''s eyes. "I''m just d you''re doing better now, Amie."

    ''She didn''t tell them?'' wondered Amie, casting Cosette a look, only to see thetter''s reassuring smile.

    Ayer of tears coated Amie''s eyes, seeing Cosette''s expression. Amie''s learning experience was embarrassing and stupid. She expected that Cosette would''ve told the girls about it, but she kept it a secret to protect her.

    Amie swallowed the tension that was building up in her throat. However, she couldn''t keep the brave front as she hung her head low.

    How could she not see it so soon? Her friends she pushed away out of anger were still protecting her in the ways they could. Cosette didn''t even mention it and it didn''t seem she had the n to gloat about how she saved a friend from bing a prostitute because of a terrible decision.

    "I''mбн" Amie trailed off as her voice broke. She tried her best to keep herposure together as she wanted to apologize again. However, instead of an apology, something else came out of her mouth. "... thank you for being my friends."

    Her back trembled and her snifflesced her voice. "I''mбн really, really grateful. Thank you foring today. I wouldn''t know what to do if you didn''te."

    There were many things Amie wanted to tell the three of them. All the list of things she had to apologize for and the things she was grateful for. An hour or two wasn''t enough because the three of them had an equal influence on her life. But all she could do was bawl her eyes, making the three of them move to where she was sitting to hug her all at once.

    Not just Amie, but Sarah, Cosette, and Fay had many things to say. However, they simply chose to express it by hugging each other. No more words were needed as the words, "I''m sorry," had been flying here and there since the beginning.

    This journey was full of ups and downs; there were many silly and dumb mistakes and methods they all did. However, that was what youth was. Creating mistakes, learning from them, and moving on to be better versions of themselves were all a part of life.

    Most importantly, they knew that the roller coaster ride was that this friendship had be stronger than ever. And also the four of them. They could sayбн they were all better individuals than they were a year ago. Thus, they were grateful for this friendship.

 Chapter 349 Sometimes, Being In The Right WasnтАЩt As Important As Maintaining The Relationship.

    "Wow... this... you did all this?"

    After another round of crying, full of thanks and apologies, the girls moved on to catch up. Last school year was hectic, and they were all aware that the next school year -- their senior year -- would be twice as hectic asst year. Hence, they also took this time to catch up to enjoy every minute of this summer break.

    And with that thought in mind, Amie wanted to show them what kept her busy after that incident at the KTV bar. She led the girls to her room, and the three of them were stunned.

    Amie''s room was full of art; paintings, sketches, drawings, and so on. All her work made her room messy, but the three didn''t bother with the mess.

    "Hehe... yes." Amie massaged her nape, a bit shy about it. "When I came to my senses, I felt lost. All my feelings were heightened, and I didn''t know what to do. It started with writing down what I felt, but I ended up doodling flowers."

    A smile turned up on her face as she recalled how she started. "I didn''t realize I filled the page with just flowers and some vines until there was no space to write on. It''s funny because I didn''t even realize the time until my mom called me for dinner."

    The three looked around and then caught a page of a notebook taped on the wall near the desk. Unlike the art around, that small piece of paper was drawn with a pen. The entire page was almost ck with big and small details, but it was beautiful with a little white spot that Amie didn''t put her ink on.

    "Ah, right!" Amie pped to stop the silence from reigning over them, marching to the small canvas on the corner. "This one is the one I finished recently. My room is still quite a mess, so bear with me. I didn''t know you wille today, and I didn''t know I''d show anyone my room -- my mom prefers this mess than me going out till midnight."

    As Amie picked up the small canvas, she didn''t show them immediately. Instead, she was distracted to pick up some mess and make the ce a bit more tolerable to be in. She kept exining and apologizing for the mess while cleaning up a bit.

    Meanwhile, Cosette, Sarah, and Fay parted ways as they checked some works on the wall. Amie''s room wasn''t big, so with all the messes around, it felt cramped. The bed was pushed to the corner to give more space in the middle. It only showed that Amie turned her bedroom into a workshop with all the art she could make to express her creativity and emotions that words wouldn''t give justice to.

    Fay stood in front of the desk, gazing down. Her hand caressed the small sticky note on the side. There was a drawing of a goldfish, brushing the tip with her thumb.

    "This..." she whispered, making the busy Amie shift her attention to her.

    As soon as her eyesnded on where Fay was, her brows rose. Her eyes fell on the sticky note Fay was looking at before her eyes softened. She held the small canvass closer to her, putting down the trash she picked up on the chair lying around before approaching Fay.

    "Back in middle school, I remember you have a pet named Koy," Amie said as she stood beside Fay, eyes on the sticky note. "You always brag about it and wanted to show me. But I had strict parents and I couldn''t go to your house to see it. So you ced it on the fish bowl so we could meet."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her face softened, remembering the young, mischievous Fay back then. "Sadly, it died after that day. I still remember how you cried that day."

    "I didn''t know how it suddenly died until yearster," exined Fay with a subtle smile. "I was naive back then, and I didn''t know how to handle the fish properly while out of the house. It made me bitter, you know?"

    "You didn''t take any pets after that." Amie rocked her head, turning her head in Fay''s direction. "It took me a while to realize how precious that time and gesture was."

    She slowly pulled the canvass away to hand it to Fay. Thetter''s brows rose as she epted the small canvass. She didn''t notice it earlier because she was too drawn to the number of arts around. But now that she was looking at the painting up close, her eyes softened.

    "It looked exactly like Koy," whispered Fay, smiling. "I didn''t think about him for a long time, but now I missed him. Koy used to be my best friend, after all. I talked to him all night until I would fall asleep."

    Fay slowly looked back at Amie and expressed, "thank you." She then looked back at the canvass with affection.

    "He looks very much alive." She touched the painting with her fingertips, touching the soothing colors around it. "I really appreciate it."

    "It''s nothing, but you''re wee." Amie smiled broader.

    When Amie recalled Fay''s former pet back in middle school, she realized one thing. Fay wasn''t the person who easily cut ties with anyone. Fay might be clumsy at times and speak without a filter, but she treasured all her rtionships with all her life.

    When Fay lost her pet, she didn''t take in another. Amie could remember the time she asked Fay to just buy another one. Fay''s response was, "until I moved on." They would be in theirst year of high school next school year, and yet, Fay didn''t take in another pet.

    As Fay and Amie stood beside each other, gazing at the small canvass, Sarah stood beside Cosette. Thetter cast Sarah a look, only to see a warm smile on Sarah''s face. They didn''t say anything as they slowly set their eyes on Amie and Fay.

    ''I''m d we cleared this up,'' Cosette expressed in her mind, sighing in relief. ''I''m really d we did.''

    Sometimes, being in the right wasn''t as important as maintaining the rtionship. This was something they all learned today.

 Chapter 350 Cosettes Dream

    The girls spent the entire day catching up in Amie''s room. Amie had shared everything about her newfound passion, telling them she wanted to pursue arts in the future. Of course, the girls were thrilled for her. They couldn''t help but share what they wanted to be.

    Sarah wanted to be a stewardess so she could fly around the world. Fay wanted to be a part of the entertainment industry; either she would pursue writing or directing films. After sharing what they wanted to be, they all turned to Cosette.

    "What about you, Cozie?" asked Sarah while Fay and Amie looked back at her in anticipation. "What do you want to be?"

    Even before Cosette could answer, they already had some guesses. Some were to be a businesswoman and inherit their family business. They knew Cosette came from a well-off family. They weren''t just sure how well-off, but they already had a vague idea. After all, Luke was filthy rich and he told them their family was friends with Cosette''s family.

    Another guess of what Cosette wanted to pursue was being an actress. With her looks, it wouldn''t be hard for Cosette to enter the entertainment circle. It wouldn''t be that bad to be friends with a very popr person бк was what they said as they made guesses.

    There were still other guesses the girls could think of. Anything they guessed was grand and big; something they were sure she could attain, knowing how persistent she was. That was why they were surprised when Cosette answered;

    "Housewife." Their faces went nk in surprise, looking at her with mouths agape. "I want to marry Maxen, have a child with him, tend to his needs, and create a ce he would excitedlye home to. I want to tie his tie every morning in my apron, give him a morning kiss that would slowly lead to something else, only to get disrupted by our child."

    Her expression softened as she imagined the dream she had beforeing back to life. A dream she never thought she would ever getбн ever.

    "And then, I will watch him drive his car to work with our kid before I prepare our child for school. I will meet my child''s other parents, and maybe have some coffee with them and gossip. Then I will pick up our child and take him or her to visit my dad. We will stay there all day until my husband picks us up." Cosette lowered her eyes, imagining the life she wanted in a few years. "While on our way home, our kid will fall asleep while we talk about just about anything. His hand will hold mine and then kiss it with his eyes on the road."

    "Once we arrive at our humble home, Maxen will carry our child inside while I watch them. After we tuck our child in, we will continue our conversation. We might as well n our next travel destination as a family, maybe n to have another child too," she continued. "We fulfill that n, and then repeat."

    When Cosette raised her eyes, she blinked almost innocently. The faces the three were making were a mix of surprise and disbelief, making her wonder what was wrong with what she said.

    "That was one detailed dreamбн" mumbled Fay, eyes almost nk. "... too detailed, if I may add."

    "Surprising too," Sarah added.

    "You want to be a housewife?"

    "Mhm." Cosette nodded. "Ah. That''s not right. I don''t think I want to be a housewife. I want to be Maxen''s wife."

    Sarah, Fay, and Amie couldn''t help but look at her in silence. That was right. That was what they thought so, too. More than being a housewife, Cosette simply sounded that her dream was a happy ending with Maxen.

    "That jerkбн should''ve really said yes." Fay pped, snapping Amie and Sarah from their trance. "Now I feel anger."

    "Why would you feel anger toward Maxen?" Amie cocked her head to the side."

    "Because Cosette and Maxen have a love quarrel," Sarah summarized with a shrug. "It''s not much, but well, Cosette had been grumpy because of it."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "She is?" Amie looked back to Cosette, only for thetter to correct her.

    "Was." Cosette smiled. "I was a bit grumpy and disappointed in Max, but now I''m not. I mean, we''re alright now. We reconciled and I sort of had a realization."

    "A realization?" Fay repeated in a questioning tone.

    "Mhm." Cosette nodded, but just smiled at them. Seeing her smile, the three looked at each other before setting their eyes back on her.

    ******* BREAK ********

    It was already night when Fay, Sarah, and Cosette left Amie''s home. Amie''s parents had already arrived and fed the three. They chatted for a bit before they bid farewell.

    Sarah, Cosette, and Fay walked their way to the station, where they parted ways. Sarah and Fay were traveling to the same destination, so they went together while Cosette rode a bus. Cosette had gotten used tomuting that she didn''t even think of calling her driver to fetch her.

    Sitting on the window side, Cosette gazed at the side road. Her lips curled up with a smile as she thought about her day.

    ''What a great day,'' she thought, satisfied that they finally reconciled with Amie.

    Visiting Amie wasn''t in their ns today, but they were d they came to her. But what truly uplifted her mood was the discussion of their dreams. It had been a while since Cosette had thought of a dream in life. All that had filled her mind since the beginning was how to save everyone. She couldn''t think of anything else as she was busy trying to save and guide everyone to the right path to prevent what had ended them in their previous life.

    Having the time to talk about dreamsбн only meant Cosette had gone far with her mission. Everyone was already walking on the path away from misery бк hopefully. Now, she could dream, again.

    ''I should apologize to him,'' she told herself, thinking about how she had been ignoring Maxen for the past several days. ''I miss himбн so much.''

    The thought of Maxen made her fish out her phone from her sling bag. But as she was about to call Maxen, Asher''s name appeared on the screen.

    "Hmm?" Her brows rose. "Why is he calling?"

    Cosette wondered about Asher''s reason for a second before she decided to pick up the call. She wouldn''t know until she answer, after all. With that thought in mind, she answered the call.

    "Hello?"

    "Where are you?"

 Chapter 351 Resignation

    "Where are you?"

    Cosette furrowed her brows at Asher''s question. "Why?" she asked.

    "I just came from a business trip and I want to see you." He didn''t beat around the bush, telling his intention immediately. "Are you free?"

    "Why would you want to see me when you should go straight home and rest?" Cosette frowned. "Asher Quinn. I told you this many times and I will say it again. You and I бк"

    "There''s no chance, right?" he continued, cutting her off. All he heard was Cosette clearing her throat, making him chuckle. "Don''t worry. I''m not trying to win your heart. I just want to share something with my friend."

    "Share something?" Cosette arched a brow. "Like?"

    "I''ll tell you in person. Are you home?"

    "Uhmбн no. I''m actually on my way home." Cosette nced at the window. "Want to meet up?"

    Asher smiled at her offer. "Mhm." He listened to the address she said, somewhere near her house.

    "I got it. I''ll see you then." Asher slowly ended the call, smiling. He gazed at his phone for a second before telling the driver of the destination he wanted to go.

    Meanwhile, when the call ended, Cosette stared at her phone. Her brows were still furrowed, tilting her head from one side to another.

    "He sounds really happy," she murmured.

    Unlike thest time she saw him, Asher sounded thrilled. It was as if he was so happy, but didn''t know how to contain his excitement. Or rather, he just didn''t have someone to tell about it.

    "That guyбн" Cosette chuckled. "... he better not have any silly idea in mind or I''ll punch him in the gut."

    Cosette ced her phone back on her phone, forgetting she wanted to call Maxen. A smile was stered on her face, looking forward to what made Asher sound so happy. And with that, she traveled to the meeting ce near her home.

    There was a park nearby. Since Cosette wasmuting, there were a few stops that took her some time to arrive. Still, she thought Asher woulde a bitter. But when she arrived, she immediately saw Asher''s figure sitting on one of the benches.

    He was still in his suit, and based on the coat he was wearing, he truly came from abroad. After all, it was summer, and wearing a coat was strange in this weather. Even though it was already night, it wasn''t that cold.

    "Goshбн he really is handsome." Cosette stayed on the spot she was standing on, assessing Asher from head to toe. She folded her arms under her chest as mischief shone in her eyes. "I wonder if he will be annoyed if I let him wait for some time."

    Cosette waited for minutes, just watching him from the same spot. However, Asher just smiled from time to time as if a happy thought would cross his mind.

    "He really looks happy," she mumbled, pleased that Asher seemed to have gotten his thoughts together. After all, thest timeбн Asher seemed to be all over the ce. His aura now waspletely different from thest time. He didn''t feel gloomy at all. She was relieved.

    "Huh?" her brows rose when Asher slowly turned his head in her direction. Her expression stiffened as if she was caught red-handed.

    Asher rose to his feet, facing her direction. The corner of his lips stretched until his teeth were showing, waving at her.

    "Whyбн" Cosette scrunched her nose up. "... does it feel like we''re in a movie?"

    Cosette shook her head to clear her thoughts, skipping her steps to him. When she stood in front of him, a smile turned up on her face.

    "Have you been waiting?" she asked innocently, only to get teased by him.

    "Cosette c, don''t make it sound like we''re on a date. How long have you been standing there? Are you nning to make me wait?"

    "What?" dismay instantly dominated her face. "First things first. I didn''t make it sound like this is a date. It''s NOT! And secondly, Iбн around five minutes, I guess?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    He chuckled. "So you were nning to make me wait?"

    "I want to see if you''ll throw a huge fit."

    "You mean you want to bring the worst out of me?" he narrowed his eyes suspiciously while Cosette only realized her actions until he worded it that way. "Cosette, do you want me to fall for you?"

    "What?"

    "First, you treat me indifferently, and then showed a bit of kindness. You continued to treat me like shit and then give me a little warmth from time to time. Now, you want to bring out the worst in me," he listed in a knowing tone. "You''re giving me mixed signals, which makes me think about you all day. Are you purposely doing this to make me hooked?"

    Cosette opened and closed her mouth, rendered speechless. After a second, she scoffed in disbelief.

    "What?" she gasped in disbelief. "Are you putting malice in all of my actions?"

    "Pfft бк" Asherughed, covering his lips with the back of his fist. Seeing himugh out loud as if it was a mission sess, Cosette scoffed once again. "That''s for making me wait."

    "Goshбн I can''t believe you."

    "Don''t tease me, so I won''t tease you back," he humored, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "Anyway, now we''re even."

    Cosette rolled her eyes before she threw herself on the bench. "Why are you so annoying? Is that part of the Quinn''s genes?"

    "Or maybe you''re just sensitive?" he returned, sitting beside her.

    "Wowбн" Cosette cast him a look of dismay. "Do you really have answers to everything I say?"

    "Do you always haveints about me?"

    "Goodness!" Again, she was lost for words. "Wowбн did you tell me to meet just to give me hypertension? You and Luke бк"

    "Just me."

    "Huh?"

    Asher shed her a smile. "Can you notpare me with others every time?"

    "Did Luke annoy you somehow?"

    "No. But it feels like every time you want to insult me, you drag my entire n in it. Have mercy on my ancestors, Cosette. Give them some ck and the people who weren''t here." Asher leaned back, peeling his eyes away from her. "If I''m a jerk, then I''m a jerk. Just me, not my brother or dad or anyone in the Quinn family. I mean, they were jerks when they wanted to, but I''m the one you are teasing, not them."

    Cosette frowned, but she chose to end this discussion with silence. She felt like they wouldn''t stop arguing. And also, he had a point. Moreover, it was Cosette who started it. As she stayed quiet, she observed Asher''s side profile.

    "Anyway, why did you call me here?" she asked, watching him look back at her. "What''s something you want to share?"

    "I closed a big deal." The corner of his lips stretched from ear to ear until his teeth were showing.

    "Oh!" Cosette sped her hands together but then furrowed her brows. "Wait. That wasn''t the first time you achieved such a feat."

    "It''s not, but this time there''s a reward," he chuckled, giving her a meaningful look. "They approved my resignation."

 Chapter 352 Ashers Dream

    "It''s not, but this time there''s a reward. They approved my resignation."

    "What?"

    "I resigned." Asher''s smile grew wider. "I told my dad I want to pursue something else and I don''t want to be associated with the family business for a while. He only approved it once I closed this international deal, and I did."

    "Ohбн?" Cosette blinked before her chest swelled up with happiness. "Are you going to be a doctor now?"

    "Huh? How did you know?"

    "What?"

    "I didn''t think I mention I wanted to be a doctor to anyone, ever." Asher cocked his head to the side, confused. "Or did I mention it along the lines? I don''t remember, though."

    Cosette secretly bit her tongue, cursing herself for letting it run. Of course, she shouldn''t know about it! After all, Asher only mentioned it to her in their past life. It was his secret and only told her about it.

    "Hahaбн" sheughed awkwardly, elbowing him. "You told me! During your graduation! Did you forget?"

    "I did?"

    "How else would I know? It''s not like I am a fortune-teller."

    The deep lines between his brows deepened, but there wasn''t any logical exnation for it. Hence, he didn''t dwell on it as he rocked his head. He had a lot of things in mind thest time, so it wasn''t impossible he blurted something he wasn''t aware of.

    "I guess I did." He chuckled while she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. "Anyway, it feels good."

    Asher raised his elbow back, resting them on the back of the bench. He slowly gazed up at the night sky full of stars, smiling.

    "I''ve always wanted to be a doctor, but since I was my family''s heir, I didn''t even dream about it. But after long consideration, I realized the only time I will disappoint my dad is not when I fail, but if I ended up miserable." His eyes swirled with peace and resolution. "I want to do something for myself. I mean, I''ve been living my life trying to fill everyone''s needs without realizing I also have needs."

    "That is why I am easily shaken when something isn''t going my way. All my life, I''ve always thought I was independent. But I realized I wasn''t. If anything, I was too dependent on others. I was only satisfied if others were satisfied and things like that," he added, chuckling in between. "I don''t want to live that way anymore."

    Asher slowly turned his head to face her. He took a deliberate pause as he scanned her face, as if etching it deep in his mind.

    "Will you call me?" he asked after a momentary pause.

    "Huh?" Cosette knitted her brows slightly before she realized what he meant by that. "You''reбн going to study abroad?"

    "If I''m pursuing something else, I need to be the best of the best." He shrugged. "Being a surgeon wouldn''t be easy, so I chose a school that produced the best surgeons in the world."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, not knowing what to say at this moment. All she could do was stare at him as ayer of tears coated her eyes.

    "I''m really happy." Her voice broke, taking him by surprise. "I''m reallyбн really happy for you, Ash."

    Asher held his breath as she wiped her eyes. His heart clenched a bit as tension instantly formed in his throat.

    "Why are you crying?" he asked. "Be clear about it. I am on the brink of misunderstanding that you''re crying because you will miss me."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Stop spewing nonsense," she returned yfully, sniffing hard as she managed to stop bawling her eyes. "I''m just happy for you, really, very much."

    His eyes softened as he smiled subtly. "Thank you," he expressed quietly. "For being happy, just as how it made me happy and free."

    The two of them smiled at each other,ughing even though there was nothing but silence for a moment. He might''ve not pressed the matter, but Asher wished she would miss him even a bit. Even if not romantically, it would be nice to be missed.

    Little did he know, Cosette might not have said it, but she would probably miss this guy. After all, Asher was her friend. She was d that Asher decided to step out of hisfort zone and would pursue something he had always wanted. He would finally do something for himself, and that alone was good enough for her.

    The two of them celebrated Asher''s resignation by just chatting. They didn''t have snacks or drinks, but they still enjoyed each other''spany. They didn''t even notice the time as they talked about when his flight and if he would visit the country, and things like that.

    "Anyway, it''s gettingte." Asher checked his wristwatch, only to see it was almost ten in the evening. "Have you eaten anything?"

    "Mhm. I hung out with the girls. We had lunch at my friend''s house."

    "I see." Asher rocked his head. "Should I drive you home?"

    "I''m fine. I''ll just take a cab."

    "No can do." Asher shook his head. "It''s not safe for a youngdy to travel home all alone, especially at night."

    "But my house is nearby. Just a ten-minute drive."

    "Just let me drive you home, will you? It''s not like I n to kidnap you or anything like that." Asher kept adamant. "Don''t you still trust me?"

    "It''s not about trust." Cosette clicked her tongue. "Fine. That way, I''d lower my cost since I''ve almost spent my allowance."

    "Just ask your father if you need more money."

    "Asher Quinn, my dad isn''t picking up money from trees. And I am not splurging. I''m saving up."

    "Oh?"

    "Anyway, let''s go. I don''t want to get scolded."

    "Don''t worry. I''d just tell your dad you''re with me." He winked at her.

    Cosette''s expression died, looking at him inly. "What makes you think he trusts you? If anything, he might get angry if he knew I was with you."

    "Haha. Then the two of us will get scolded." Asherughed.

    "Gosh. Get up now. Let''s go."

    With that being said, Asher dragged himself up and followed her, keeping two steps behind her. A smile was cemented on his face, staring at her back. When his eyes fell on the distance between them, his smile waned a bit, but he didn''t dwell on it.

    ''How nice would it be to walk beside you?'' he wondered. ''But I already epted that this is probably the farthest I could go. It doesn''t sting as much as before. You''re still at arm''s length, after all.''

 Chapter 353 What Love Looks Like

    "This is new." Cosette smacked her lips as she cocked her head to the driver''s seat. "I was expecting that your driver is waiting for you somewhere."

    Asher''s lips curled up, eyes fixed on the road. "I didn''t want some disturbance. After all, my friend is usually busy, so our time together is precious."

    "How did you know I wouldn''t have a ride?"

    "Because you alwaysmute."

    "How did you know that?"

    Asher took a deliberate pause as he recalled how he knew her patterns. "I studied you."

    "What?"

    "I observed you from afar. You can call it stalking."

    "What?" Cosette repeated, but this time, in a tone of disbelief. "Did you just say stalking?"

    "When Luke ran away from home, I didn''t look for him immediately. I know my brother wille home in a week. Luke usually runs away from home and I considered it as his way to snag attention. He usuallysts for a week, but when he didn''te home, I had toe to him," he exined, driving especially slow since her home was just nearby. "The first destination that came into my mind was to look for him in school, and I was correct. I found him."

    Asher sported a short smile. "However, I didn''t approach him. I don''t know what stopped me that time, but I just kept following him. And since you''re always with him, I had to see what sort of friendship you, Luke, and Maxen have. It made me jealous, to be honest."

    Cosette kept her eyes on his side profile, catching that short smile stered on Asher''s face as the lights from the other cars shed on them. He wasn''t joking, and she was certain of that.

    "You three didn''t have that much. You walked your way home, sometimes buy something in the convenience store while counting how many coins you have, and things like that. However, it didn''t seem theck of money power ever hindered you guys from having fun," he continued quietly. "And somehow, I couldn''t help but wonder howe I didn''t have such people around me. What''s wrong with me? Am I that boring? Questions like that would cross my mind, and no matter what I do or think to make myself feel better about the things that I have, it doesn''t help that much."

    Asher drove slower as he cast her a quick look. "That''s why I asionally follow you guys as an excuse to see if my brother was doing well. I''m not saying I wasn''t curious about my brother, but at the back of my head, I wished that you guys will fight so he justes home."

    "After all, Luke was like a ray of sunshine to me." He peeled his eyes away from her and set them ahead. "That''s how I know that you and Maxen would usuallymute home. Even if it''s pouring rain, you wouldn''t call someone to fetch you. I figured it was already a habit and habits are hard to break."

    "I seeбн" Cosette rocked her head, biting her inner lower lip as if she didn''t know what to say.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It sounds creepyбн well, it was creepy. What I did was akin to stalking. Fortunately, it didn''t take long to fill my te, which made me so busy with thepany and school."

    "Mhm."

    Another wave of silence descended on their shoulders, whichsted when the gates of the c Mansion came into sight.

    "Thank you." Asher broke the silence, making her turn her head in his direction while he kept his eyes ahead. "For not turning me down today and for being my friend. I still like you not as a friend, but as something else, and I will never lie or hide it. But don''t worry. I don''t n on pursuing you, knowing you are already with Maxen."

    "Being your friendбн feelscking, but at the same time, I am d we are, Cosette. It''s probably another reason I want to study abroad. I like you very much and I know myself. I can be greedy at times бк I don''t want to hurt you," he continued, stepping on the brakes as they reached the gates of her home. When the vehicle came to a full stop, Asher faced her squarely. "That''s why I want to go to a ce where I won''t see or reach you, Cosette. You said my feelings aren''t love, just as I believe them, but I think you are wrong."

    "If not, then I won''t voluntarily back away. If it''s not love, I willpete in a losing fight by means or foul, instead of thinking about what will make you happy." His eyes scanned her beautiful face and smiled subtly. "I like you so much that I am willing to let you go or not pursue you, even when all the cells in my bodypel me to chase you."

    Asher drew a deep breath, unable to stop himself from saying the things he kept to himself. The feeling he might''ve had for her, in the beginning, wasn''t love, but eventually, Asher truly fell in love with her.

    Cosette was his first love, and he didn''t want to deny that anymore.

    "I love you, Cosette c," Asher added, and saying those out loud felt like unloading something heavy from his chest. "That is not a question or something that needs a response. I just want to let you know my heart, and thank you for drawing a clear line even before these feelings grew into something deeper."

    "Thank you for not giving me mixed signals. I hope next time we meet, I wouldn''t feel this longing anymore while looking at you. Instead, I really hope that the next time we meet, I can say I don''t love you anymore. It would be great if you regret not giving me a chance, though," he chuckled at thest sentence. "Anyway, you should be proud that you are Asher''s first love and first heartbreak. No one ever thought I would like someone so much because of my personality."

    "What are you? A robot?" she clicked her tongue, choosing to be yful instead of dwelling on his confession. Cosette took a breath and then huffed, smiling at him. "I also wish you happiness, Ash. I really do. Let''s live a happy life бк let''s be happy, okay?"

    "Mhm." Asher''s smile stretched, nodding. "Let''s be."

    The two of them smiled at each other, only wishing happiness to each other in their hearts. Asher was grateful to her. Perhaps, he thought, that her role in his life wasn''t the role he wanted her to have. Someoneбн whom he was meant to meet, but wasn''t destined to be with him.

    He couldn''t say he was fine with it right now, but hopefully, someday, he could confidently say this was nothing but a lesson learned.

 Chapter 354 Its Not What You Think It Is

    Meanwhileбн

    "Her birthday ising up in a few months, and she''ll be officially ady. Once that happens, do you think you''re the only person who will want her attention?"

    "Trust me. Not only guys our age will line up for her with customized flowers, exquisite choctes, andvish gifts but also those young adults who were looking for a good match."

    "Don''t give those guys any chance. Cosette might be very annoying, but she can be very mature if she wanted to be. She''s sure about you, which means she had seen her future with you, but just like you said, making big decisions in your early teens might end up as a painful scar."

    "Be sure that this regret is not something that you wished you could have done, and not something you have done. You gotta step up your game, brother. Because once Cosette slipped away from your clutches, many would try to catch her. Sad to hear if you put it this way, but that''s reality. There were many fish in the sea, but remember that there are high-quality fish that people would dive in to search for it underwater. It just so happened she''s not just any fish, but a siren."

    Luke''s words kept repeating in Maxen''s head like a broken record. Even when they went to the hospital to visit Remo''s grandfather, his mind was drifting elsewhere. Sadly, he couldn''t refute everything Luke mentioned.

    Many guys will line up for Cosette even if not for her money or the power her family had. They would line up for her because she was Cosette. It wasn''t hard to fall for her. Just one smile from her, and it would melt any man''s heart.

    "Maxenбн" Maxen grumbled, hand on the steering wheel while the other propped on his temple. "... why are you suddenly bing indecisive?"

    Deep in Maxen''s heart, the only woman he has was Cosette. He couldn''t see his future with anybody else other than her. However, why was he being so reluctant about this topic?

    There were many small reasons for that. For instance, he didn''t want to think that he wanted to marry her just so he could have sex with her. There were still other reasons; small details that once umted, it was enough to make him question himself.

    Another example was what Luke mentioned. If Maxen hastened things, it only meant because he was scared someone would sway her heart. Not that he didn''t know about these things when he first glimpse at the life she had, and the people in the upper echelon.

    Cosette was of a different caliber in life. She might be attending a public school, but no matter how she disguises herself, Cosette would always be Cosette c. A war would break out just to win her heart.

    As Maxen drove slowly, trying to reorganize his thoughts, his brows rose. Up ahead was a car parked outside the gates of the c mansion, making him furrow his brows.

    "Was there a guess? I haven''t seen that car before," he mumbled to himself. Conrad owned several cars for different asions and tons of vehicles of different types. Maxen knew all of them, but this vehicle outside the gates was something he hadn''t seen before.

    Maxen slowed down until his vehicle came to a full stop. The car was blocking the path and, not knowing who was inside, he couldn''t just honk. Deep lines appeared in between his brows when the front passenger opened up, seeing a very familiar persone out.

    "Cosette?" Confusion dominated his face as he confirmed the person who came outside the front passenger seat. But then, his expression turned sour when the driver''s seat opened and saw the person who drove her home.

    Asher.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Asher called Cosette, making her look back at him. He seemed to have said something that made her smile.

    "There were many fish in the sea, but remember that there are high-quality fish that people would dive in to search for it underwater. It just so happened she''s not just any fish, but a siren."

    Again, Luke''s words shed across his mind. Maxen''s eyes turned icy, reaching for something to sh them some light to get their attention. As soon as he did, Cosette and Asher turned their heads to the car near theirs.

    Asher furrowed his brows, watching the driver''s seat door open. When Maxen came into sight, the smile lines on his face slowly faded.

    Maxen darted his eyes between Asher and Cosette, clenching his teeth in annoyance. He was not a saint to understand everything in one look. Maxen was only human. Cosette had been ignoring him for the past several days, but now, another guy was already driving her home.

    The feeling was unpleasant.

    "Your car is blocking the way," said Maxen coldly to Asher before shifting his piercing sharp eyes to Cosette. "Cosette,e. Let''s go home."

    Asher and Cosette immediately sensed Maxen''s mood was off. Asher nced at Cosette and frowned, seeing her just stare at Maxen with pressed lips. When she sighed quietly, she faced Asher.

    "Thank you for the ride home," she said. "Take care on your way home."

    Cosette didn''t idle as she marched towards Maxen''s car. She took a deliberate pause as she stood in front of the front passenger seat, eyes on Maxen. Nothing was said as she hitched inside without making a fuss.

    Meanwhile, Maxen just watched her enter before casting Asher a sharp look. He also said nothing, reaching for the door handle to join her. However, just when he was about to open the door, he stopped.

    "Maxen." Maxen slowly lifted his head upon Asher''s call, turning it in Asher''s direction only to see thetter approach him. "Can I have a moment?"

    Maxen let go of the door handle, facing Asher squarely. "I''m afraid it''s quitete for that," he refused without a second hesitation. "I don''t think there''s something we should talk about, anyway. Thank you for driving her home. Please move your car, since it''s gettingte."

    With that being said, Maxen reached for the handle again. He had nothing to say to Asher, but thetter said something that made the ripples in Maxen''s heart into waves.

    "It''s not what you think it is."

 Chapter 355 I Will Kill... If Necessary.

    "It''s not what you think it is."

    Maxen felt like his long rope of patience snapped upon hearing what Asher had just said. He slowly looked back at Asher.

    "It''s not what I think it is?" repeated Maxen with a tinge of ridicule. "What do you think I thought it was, Young Master Quinn? Don''t make it sound like there''s more that had happened; it wouldn''t work."

    "Strange," Asher replied, assessing Maxen''s mood. "You''re always soposed, but now you''reбн angry. You reek of jealousy."

    "Jealousy?" Maxen walked to the same spot, facing Asher squarely. "And why would I be jealous? Of who? You? Funny."

    Maxen''s countenance was calm, but his eyes were fiery. "If this was two years ago, and I met you before Cosette, I wouldn''t deny that I''d probably wish to be you, even just for a day. But this conversation is taking ce now."

    "Iбн there''s nothing that you have that I want, Young Master Quinn," he continued, stressing those words so Asher would understand his point. "I''m not jealous, and even if I was, you''re not even on the list of reasons."

    Asher opened his mouth but pressed them closed again. If this was days ago, Asher would also pick on him, just like how he had always done. However, there was no point. If anything, Asher got an answer he didn''t even think he would get when he approach Maxen just now.

    Mister Devilsin said so himself. Leave this guy alone. Maxen was already under Conrad c''s wing, so even if the truth was out, there was a slim chance he would even ept anything from the Quinn family. If anything, it would only mess up everyone''s life.

    "Though I''m afraid there''s something I have that you want." Maxen''s next words brought Asher back from his momentary trance. "I''m warning you now, Young Master Quinn. Don''t cross me бк I can kill if necessary."

    Maxen was scary, and Asher had to mentally admit that. Just listening to Maxen''s warning and that look in his eyes, Asher felt slightly intimidated. Fortunately, Asher was trained to keep hisposure even in times of crisis and to hold his ground before someone as intimidating as Conrad.

    "Maxen Cloven." Asher took a step while holding Maxen''s sharp gaze. "That''s right. You have somethingбн many things that I want and it makes me wish, even in this very second, to be you."

    "Of all the people, why would it have to be you? That was the question that filled my head in the past. You lived a shitty life, sure, but then, you gained a lot of pity while Iбн don''t. You know what why? Because everyone thinks I was lucky, the moment I was born." Asher continued without faltering, being true to himself since he might not have a chance in the future. "If you pursue something, people will say you are inspiring. Meanwhile, if I pursue something or try to fight for something, I would be called greedy."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Asher took another step closer. "If you think life is unfair, that''s not only for you."

    "I didn''t want to talk to you since I already epted that this dislike we have toward each other will never be settled. At least, not right now, especially since we like the same woman." Asher took another step until Maxen was at arm''s length. "But more than what will make me happy, I want to put her first. She wants you, and not me. It makes me bitter and angry, but that''s not my heart tomand."

    "What I am saying is, I''m not backing down, Maxen Cloven. I might take a strategic retreat for now, but I will still pursue her if I see even the slightest opening." Asher breathed out deeply as his tensed shoulders rxed. "So if I were you, make her the happiest in this world. Because if she ever bes miserable because of you, I will killбн if necessary."

    "Mark my word, Maxen Cloven. My face will be thest you''ll see if she ever regrets you." Asher nodded at him reassuringly. "I''m not joking. Keep that in mind."

    The two of them stared at each other in silence. They didn''t say anything after Asher''sst remarks before he turned on his heel to leave. Maxen kept his eyes on the man and didn''t even question Asher''s warning. Just like how Maxen meant his warning, he was aware Asher also meant everything he had said.

    "You don''t have to kill meбн" whispered Maxen as he watched the headlights of the car before him light up. "... I''ll kill myself if she ever bes miserable because of me."

    Meanwhile, Cosette had her brows furrowed as she watched Asher and Maxen talk outside. She nned to go out, but stopped herself. She told herself she would onlye out if the two ended up throwing their fist, but by the looks of it, what the two were discussing was something very important, as if their life depended on it.

    "I wonder what it wasбн?" she mumbled, snapping her eyes when Maxen entered the driver''s seat. Maxen didn''t say anything nor did he look at her.

    Maxen just sat in the driver''s seat with his hands on the steering wheel. It was as if he forgot she was in the car, as his expression was dark and his silence made her feel slightly chilly.

    "Max," she called cautiously, clutching her biceps, eyes on him. "Is there something wrong? You don''t seem well. Did Ash press your nerve? That guy is really annoying бк I''m going to strangle him бк"

    "My girlfriend ignored me for days, and then another guy will drop her home." Maxen cut her off, turning his head in her direction to face her. This time, anger could be seen in his eyes, which he didn''t try to conceal. "Not only that, but it seemed her rtionship with this guy was bing better. On top of that, that person likes youбн very much, probably much more than I do. Of course, it wouldn''t sit well with me."

 Chapter 356 I Hated You

    "My girlfriend ignored me for days, and then another guy will drop her home. Not only that, but it seemed her rtionship with this guy was bing better. On top of that, that person likes youбн very much, probably much more than I do. Of course, it wouldn''t sit well with me."

    "It makes me so angry that I had this sudden urge to punch his face when you smiled at him while you ignore me. It drives me crazy. Do you still like me? Or did your feelings lessen because of a misunderstanding? Why are you with him? When will you talk to me? Will there be a chance to fix it?" Maxen continued, unleashing all the heaviness that had umted in his heart for the past several days.

    "Iбн am only human, Cosette. I make mistakes; sometimes or rather, most of the time, I doubt myself. Can I really make her happy? What if she bes miserable because of me? Should I really listen to myself and be selfish and foolish and just marry you?" Pain ovepped with the anger in his eyes. "If I am only thinking of myself, I would take everything you have. I will just forget my promise to your father and listened to the demons whispering in my head."

    "I am hurt, confused, and angry. Why can''t you understand you are someone I shouldn''t even have dreamed of, but here I was, thinking of how many children we should have?" Maxen took a deliberate pause, scoffing as he realized he lost his mind for a moment. He ran his hand through his hair in distress, clearing his throat as he looked away.

    "Sorry," Maxen huffed once again. "I just have a lot of things on my te. Let''s go inside."

    As Maxen was about to start the engine again, he paused when she spoke.

    "I hated you once." Her voice was quiet, eyes down. "I had this dream in the past. A very long one where I felt trapped. In that dream, you made me miserable... very much. You broke my heart over and over, and you are aware that what you will do will break me, but still, do it anyway."

    "One day, you will hold me as if the world was ending and then look at me as if I am the only one you see, but then the next second, you won''t even look back every time you leave. I had to pick up the pieces of my heart and stitch them back, only to realize another piece of it was missing. No matter where I look, I can''t find them. And then I realized you were stealing bits and pieces of it each time you will leave," she smiled bitterly, recalling that time in the past. "You collected them, took them as a hostage to keep me running back to you every time."

    "You yed me and I willingly danced in your tune. Youбн hurt me so much, but that''s not why I hated you." Ayer of tears coated her eyes, as these were the words she had always wanted to tell Maxen Devilsin. "I hated youбн because I thought that was the only way to forget you."

    Cosette raised her head and faced him. "I thought if I hated you enough, I will eventually forget you. But then, something came up, which is silly. Hateбн isn''t the one that made me forget you. I was grateful at that time because I didn''t need to force myself to forget."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So I enjoyed every second of pain and misery just to love you even more. Do you think I drive you crazy? Max, you drove me to insanity. I once told myself if I ever have the chance to go back, I don''t want to see you again. But here I was, back to you, even when I know you might make me miserable again." She bit her inner lip to keep herself from crying. "That only proved one thing; I don''t want to be saved. I chose this hell and I will keep choosing this hell if that means I''d be with you."

    "I think that insanity is the only thing I kept because I could''ve chosen other paths, but I didn''t. Instead, I created another one that wasn''t in the option where my life will still revolve around you. But this time, you''d love me back." Cosette rxed her fist that was on herp, but she kept her eyes on him. "Asher told me he loved me; he loves me so much that he would let me go. You''re right. Asher likes me more than you do. After all, you might tell yourself you want me to be happy, but at the back of your head, you only want me to be happy if the reason is you."

    "You cannot let me go, just like what he did. Isn''t that what makes you reluctant, Max? Because at the end of the day, you''re afraid that once we married and we came to a point, divorce is the only option, you might just imprison me somewhere?" Her brows rose slightly while his irises widened a bit. "I am not as clueless as you think I am, Maxen."

    Because at the end of the day, Maxen was the viin in this story and Asher was the male protagonist. No matter how much she would change the story, their own ghost would still follow them like shadows. All she did was prevent those ghosts from taking over and write the course of this story.

    "I was already miserable and pathetic for disregarding all the monstrous things you had done, finding excuses and justification for why you turned out the way you did." Cosette swallowed down the tension in her throat as she breathed out the rest of her sentence. "I wish you could be me for a day, so you have an idea of how much I love you. It was driving me crazy. Literally. But this wish terrifies me because you might want to run away from me if you knew my maniptive heart and my decaying morals."

    When she looked away, Cosette had to wipe the tears that managed to escape her eyes.

    "Today, we made up with Amie and spent almost the entire day with her. Then Asher called me while I was on my way home, so I met up with him. He said he quit his job at the Quinn Holdings and wants to pursue a degree in medicine; he will study abroad to pursue his dream," she shared without looking at Maxen. "I was very happy for them and thought it was a happy day to make up with my boyfriend. Since it was my fault, I should say sorry and probably make out. But I guess that''s impossible now."

    Her eyes slid to the corner to give him a side drive. "I''m tired. Let''s just go."

    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 357 Too Hasty

    "Wee back..." The head butler of the c mansion trailed off as Cosette walked past him. His brows furrowed, ncing back to look at Cosette''s figure. He shrugged and was about to greet Maxen, but thetter just simply walked past him.

    Butler George and the servants who came out to wee the two looked at each other in confusion. Meanwhile, the butler turned around to face the main entrance of the mansion. He cocked his head to the side.

    Usually, every time Cosette and Maxen arrived home, she had a huge smile on her face. Maxen''s smile might not be that big, but everyone could tell he was happy. So it was easy to detect the coldness emanating from the two, signaling them that something was off.

    Even though Cosette and Maxen hadn''t been talking for the past several days, they didn''t show it to everyone. They didn''t want them to worry, but now, they couldn''t hide the tension between them.

    "I wonder what could have happened to them to fight?"

    That question wasn''t limited to the head butler and the servants. Even Conrad, who was coincidentally in the lobby, on his way to his home office, had the same question when the entrance opened.

    "Oh, Coset --"

    "Hi, Dad," Cosette greeted, but only hastened her steps until she was jogging her way to the stairs.

    Conrad furrowed his brows as his eyes followed his daughter''s figure before shifting his attention to the other person entering the mansion''s lobby.

    "Good evening," Maxen stopped, greeting Conrad with a slight bow.

    "What happened to her?" asked Conrad without beating around the bush. "She doesn''t seem in a good mood."

    Maxen slowly raised his eyes to the second floor, but he only caught the tip of her hair. "It was my fault."

    "What happened?"

    "Just... something." Maxen looked back at Conrad, keeping a tight lip. "Don''t worry about it, Dad. I will fix it. Just give me... and her some time to cool down."

    "Time to cool down..."

    "Anyway, I''m a little tired, so I''ll go rest in my room first." Maxen did a neck bow again and didn''t idle as he sauntered off.

    Conrad didn''t stop Maxen and simply watched him walk away. He had been watching over Cosette and Maxen for almost two years now, and during that time, he had never seen those two fight. If anything, they would alwaysmunicate and fix things before anyone else could notice.

    But now, it seemed, the fight the two had was something they couldn''t hide. Which made him wonder...

    "What could it be?" murmured Conrad, his brows furrowed. "Well... they were growing older, so I''m sure they''ll be fine."

    Conrad was confident in Cosette and Maxen, so he shrugged it off. Still, it remained at the back of his head. But he also knew it was better to let things cool down, just as Maxen told him.

    ********

    Cosette was almost running the closer she got to her room. When she reached her destination, she kicked the door closed and threw herself on the mattress. It didn''t take long when her sniffles resonated in the room, muffling the sound as she hugged a pillow.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She felt emotional, and she couldn''t stop the tears that were falling from her eyes. Hence, Cosette allowed herself to cry her heart out to release the pain she tucked away from the deepest part of her heart. This was the second time -- the first was the night she regained her memories and cried under pouring rain -- she allowed herself to express the heart of that Cosette c.

    The woman who loved a man so deeply that it was devastating.

    Yet, be it then or now, Maxen was still the same when ites to their rtionship. Not exactly, but he still questions her heart. Wasn''t it obvious how much she love him? That despite all the things he had done, despite all the pain he deliberately inflicted on her and others, she was still deeply, madly, and ardently in love with him.

    She forgave him... even the devil himself wouldn''t have the guts to do so. However, she couldn''t use that argument. Maxen didn''t know. He had no idea what he had done and how far she went just to be with him.

    And that what the reason for these tears.

    Cosette was the only person who knew everything, and even though she carried it well under the facades of enjoying her youth and bing a youth, it didn''t mean the weight wasn''t crippling. Acting like a foolish girl who didn''t know what was good for her helped her forget the tight chains binding her to this thing called guilt. If she had to use her heart and mind every second of every day, Cosette might just fall deeper and deeper into the pits of hell she jumped to willingly.

    To save everyone else, she had to carry a weight she could never talk about. Perhaps that was her way of repentance... for choosing Maxen even in this life. For choosing the viin who destroyed everyone''s lives instead of seeking his retribution. Or maybe... this was simply a deal she had secretly agreed on with herself. She would save them all as a way to lessen the guilt in her heart because she knew if life would ask her directly and make her choose, she would choose Maxen in a heartbeat.

    Surely, no one would understand that or her. Cosette couldn''t even understand why she love him so much she could sacrifice the world just to save him.

    Cosette cried and cried until she could no longer shed tears. She had no idea how much time had passed, pushing herself to sit up on the bed. She hupped, turning her head in the study desk''s direction.

    A deep exhale slipped past her lips, flinging her legs out, and then sauntered towards the desk. When she sat on the chair, she opened a drawer where her journal rests. She picked it up and ced it in front of her, opening the cover only to see the title she wrote.

    [ A life with my baby viin ]

    Her eyes softened, touching it with her fingertips.

    "I was too hasty," she whispered, eyes on the title of the first page. Another quiet sigh slipped past her nostrils, reaching for a pen and quietly crossing out the title. She then wrote something underneath the first title.

    [ Saving the Viin ]

    "Better." A subtle and bitter smile turned up on her face, only to furrow her brows when a red fluidnded on the paper. "Huh?"

    Cosette touched her upper lip and then drew her hand away to look at her finger.

    Blood.

    She didn''t panic but just gazed at her finger. After a while, the side of her lips curled up subtly.

    "I guess I was really hasty..." another whisper slipped past her lips. "But then again, even if I write viiness, I didn''t want to be saved."

    All she wanted was to be happy for as long as she could. She didn''t want to be greedy and ask for an extension. Going back was already a lot, and she was grateful for it. She couldn''t ask for more.

 Chapter 358 Writer

    Meanwhile, Maxen was sitting on the edge of the bed, arms on his thighs, and his room waspletely dark. The only light source was the sconce outside, filtering through the window.

    "I hated you onceбн"

    "I had this dream where I felt trappedбн"

    "Do you think I drive you crazy? You drove me to insanity, Maxбн"

    "I wish you could be me for a day, so you have an idea how much I love youбн"

    Cosette''s words kept reying in Maxen''s head for hours. He knew what she was saying was from a dream she had. However, the more she talked about it, the more she sounded like it actually happened.

    The repressed emotions in her voice were real. It didn''t only sound sincere, but at the same time, he could feel the pain in it. It was as though Cosette had been in pain all this time, but chose to disregard the pain because it was futile.

    "Whyбн" Maxen sped his chest as he couldn''t understand this pain in his heart. Arguing with Cosette wasn''t pleasant, but a part of his heart knew that wasn''t all. Her words got stuck in his head that he just couldn''t get rid of or forget.

    "... does it hurt so much?" came out a whisper, closing his eyes as he drew a deep breath.

    "I don''t know."

    Maxen ruffled his hair in irritation as there was no way to find an answer to the questions in his head. He threw himself on the bed, bouncing slightly as his back fell on the mattress. Maxen raised his arm and rested it on his forehead, staring at the dim ceiling quietly.

    "Maxenбн what''s wrong with you?" he asked himself after minutes of nothing but silence. "Why are you like this?"

    That question would always find its way to Maxen after getting rid of the question many times. Why was he like this? Maxen knew himself, and he was more than a hundred percent sure he wasn''t greedy nor was he that selfish. He could share things.

    However, whenever Cosette was involved, his heart would usually do the thinking instead of his mind. Sometimes, he would speak without even thinking about it. At first, he could hide it. Take Sarah and that idental kissst summer break, for instance. Until now, Maxen would think about it.

    He told himself he shouldn''t be like that. But as days turn months and months turn years, Maxen had be even more sensitive.

    He thought he would settle this matter on his own. That he would keep it hidden forever, but he thought wrong. The older he gets, the more he felt possessive about her. And worse of all, instead of being thankful every morning for waking up, he felt scared бк terrified.

    Maxen felt like he was a day closer to losing her. He didn''t know exactly, but that feeling would always dominate his morning. He never got used to it, but he learned how to deal with it.

    "My therapyбн he said I might rpseбн" he whispered, thinking about the therapy sessions he had. "I guess this was the sign. I should''ve been more honest with him."

    Maxen slowly covered his eyes with his arm, allowing the silence and darkness to envelop him.

    *******<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cosette smiled in satisfaction after writing everything down that had happened. It had been a while since she wrote anything in this journal, so she used this time to add what she thought was memorable. Writing about what had happened for the past months brought a smile to her face; she would giggle and shake her head at times.

    "I guess I will be a good writer," she mused, snapping her eyes and ncing at the digital clock on instinct. It was already past midnight, but she didn''t notice it. "Wellбн"

    Cosette set her eyes back on the page that was filled with her own writing. It was written pages before thest page.

    "Back then, writing helped me distract myself," she whispered, smiling subtly. "But I''m d this time I''m writing my story and not someone else''s tragedy."

    Her eyes softened, keeping her eyes on the journal she had kept since the beginning.

    "One dayбн" she breathed out, caressing the page with her fingertips. "... I''d read you from the very beginning and see how this story progressed. I''m looking forward to a happy ending. But before thatбн"

    Cosette trailed off as her smile lines faded. She huffed quietly, saying, "but before that, I need to make up with my husband."

    Cosette had to admit she shouldn''t have blown up like that. Maxen was already on the edge recently, and she understood that the pressure on him was something he could barely carry. It wasn''t like Cosette had no idea.

    The older Maxen gets and the more he was involved with the c family business, the more Maxen would get to see life, the people, and how everything works clearly. Admit it or not, even if no one was pressuring Maxen, Maxen would pressure himself. He had to excel in everything, and establish himself as Maxen and not as the boy Conrad took in.

    Cruel, but that was reality for Maxen.

    Maxen had to be someone who would be known as Maxen Cloven, and away from the c''s shadow. It was the cons that even Cosette and Conrad couldn''t stop on their own.

    Cosette closed the journal and then pushed herself away from the desk. Maxen''s feelings were valid and so were hers. But there was no point in prolonging this argument. They already expressed their hearts. Now, they needed to ept each other''s heart and support instead of letting pride dominate them.

    Cosette was ready to apologize since she was also emotional. Well, she was only human. All she hoped was for Maxen to talk to her.

    Just as Cosette reached for the knob and opened it without a second hesitation, she flinched upon seeing someone outside. Her eyes slowly raised, only to meet Maxen''s pair of dted irises. His fist was up as if he was about to knock, but Cosette opened the door before anything else.

    "Max?" she called after a moment of surprise.

    Maxen cleared his throat, snapping out of his trance. He lowered his hand, shoving it inside his pocket.

    "Can we talk?" he asked, raising his brows. "I know you''re probably still angry, but бк"

    "Sure." Maxen blinked when the side of her lips curled up into a smile after cutting him mid-sentence. "Come in."

 Chapter 359 Will You Ever Regret Me?

    If Cosette wasn''t in her right mind, she would''ve pulled in Maxen the moment she saw him standing outside her room. Seeing him outside meant everything was settled. However, she realized they had to address this matter from the root.

    Hugging, kissing, and simply cuddling wouldn''t put out the fire. It would only put a nket on it, hoping it wouldn''t get engulfed with the same fire immediately.

    "About what you saidбн" Maxen trailed off, turning his head to his side. Both of them were sitting on the edge of the bed. He watched her slowly look back at him before he continued. "... you''re right."

    "Hmm?" her brows rose, cocking her head to the side.

    "I was lying when I said your happiness is my priority. Though I want you to be happy, I always want to be the reason, or at least to be part of it," he confessed. "It angers me that Asher Quinn had the gall to confess to you, knowing I am still in the picture. I feel disrespected, but not surprised."

    Maxen peeled his gaze from her and lowered his eyes. His hands were linked in between his spread thighs and the tip of his thumb rubbing the other.

    "My girlfriendбн is pretty, smart, and almost perfect. Her warmth could melt even the coldest and most callous heart. She''s also kind, so others will naturally misunderstand her kindness as a sign of interest," he continued quietly. "I honestly don''t know what to say or do because, at the end of the day, you have a big heart to spare for others. Even when I say I understand, there''s still a part of me that wishes you to care a little less."

    "But then again, we wouldn''t be in this setup if not for your heart. If you cared less, then I don''t think we will be in this ce. We wouldn''t be even talking right now. If anything, my guess is that I''m already under my father''s wing, doing whatever crime he tells me to do." He shrugged. "I know I cannot change you. You''d care for me, for your friends, family, and anyone without reason."

    Maxen looked back at her. "I was so blinded by other things that I forgot there was always a difference. I''m sorry for saying harsh things and making you feel whatever my words made you feel. That is not my intention, but it clearly hurt you. I''m sorry."

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line as she drew a deep breath. However, instead of outright epting his apology, she raised a question.

    "Why are you so angry of Asher, Max?" she inquired out of in curiosity. "I asked this question to Asher. Do you know his answer?"

    She took a deliberate pause as she recalled Asher''s answer. "He said he felt like you will take everything from him. It didn''t make sense and he also couldn''t understand why he felt like that. That is why I am curious. Why do you dislike him from the get-go? You weren''t like this with Luke or with anyone."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Wellбн" Maxen reclined, cing his palms on the mattress to support his upper body. He gazed at her for a moment while thinking of the answer. "That question never crossed me, but I admit I don''t like him from the beginning. I thought he was arrogant."

    "But the more he got involved with you since that time, you were an intern in thepany, the more I dislike him. But this time, it wasn''t because of who he was or his personality. Ratherбн I felt like he will like you." A subtle smile turned up on Maxen''s face, getting the answer he didn''t think he needed. "He will like youбн love you at every angle and day, and he will do it the right way you deserve to be loved."

    "I don''t understand it myself. I know I love you so much, I can set this world ame if you asked me to. But a part of me couldn''t get rid of thisбн growing anxiety. He will love you the way I could neverбн and it scares me when he was around you. What if she sees how good he was? What would I do if her heart starts to flutter at the sound of his voice?" His eyes softened while holding her gaze. "It''s not that I don''t trust you, Cozie. It was just that I strongly believe change is the only constant thing in this world, and a person''s heart can change without prior notice."

    "I cannotбн lose you just yet. I''m not ready for that change. Sorry for thinking this way. I know you''d probably wonder why I am having these thoughts бк if only I know the reason myself." His subtle smile appeared bitter. "But I can lose everything. These nice clothes, afortable bed, a safe shelter, and everything. I didn''t have them before. I''ve been from rock bottom and I can survive even if I go back there."

    "It''s just that, youбн I can''t, Cozie. That is why I am being like this when I feel like someone can pose a threat to us. I''m sorry," he added under his breath.

    Cosette rocked her head in understanding, smacking her lips as she rposed herself.

    "I''m sorry as well. I should''ve thought about my actions instead of relying on mycency that you will understand." She reached for his hand, nodding reassuringly. "I honestly don''t know how to make you feel better or what to say. All I know is thatбн whatever happens in the future, I will never regret you."

    Cosette squeezed his hand mildly. "Will you ever regret me?"

    "No." Maxen smiled after a moment, shaking his head mildly. "Never."

    And that cleared up everything that had been gnawing under his skin. It was true that change was the only constant thing in the world and they could never tell what tomorrow had in store for them. Their hearts might or might not change, but what was important was today; the present and being a part of each other''s lives.

    It was something Cosette and Maxen would never regretбн ever.

 Chapter 360 Months Later

    Days and months quickly passed by in a blur. Cosette and Maxen didn''t realize that the summer break was almost over, doing things with their friends to let time pass. Because the girls reconciled, they would usually hang out with Remo, Luke, and Maxen.

    Their little group wasn''t as big as their first summer break, but their nned trip wasn''t any less fun. If anything, they enjoyed it just as much бк perhaps, even more бк than the first time. And just like that, theirst year in high school rolled in without a problem.

    As seniors, their schedule was more hectic thanst year and they were focused. They couldn''t fail since all of them nned to pursue a degree. Sadly, though, in theirst year of high school, they weren''t ssmates anymore.

    Cosette, Luke, Maxen, and Fay moved up to the top section because their performance the previous year was excellent. Remo, Sarah, and Amie also shifted to another section. The good thing was that they weren''t graduating from the lowest section.

    Still, they found time to hang out despite their busy schedules and series of exams, on top of their preparation to enter the university of their choice.

    "My brainбн is damaged," Fay grunted after taking a sip of the cold beer in the can. "I don''t even know if I will graduate as valedictorian бк why am I even working hard?"

    Cosette, Sarah, and Amie chuckled as they looked at each other. They were currently in Luke''s ce, sitting on the floor as they formed a circle with snacks and a few drinks in the middle.

    "Come on, Fay. You''re still a candidate to graduate with flying colors," Sarah soothed her with a fact. "Don''t beat yourself just because you can''t beat Maxen."

    "Fuck!" Fay instantly covered her mouth and looked around nervously.

    "Why even curse when you''re that scared of Max?" Amie shook her head as she picked up a can of beer. "We all know бк not just us, but the entire school already knows that Maxen will graduate as the student with the highest honor this graduation. It''s futile to beat yourself about it."

    "What do you know?" Fay rolled her eyes. "Do you have any idea how much hard work I put into this year just to get into the university I want?"

    "We know." Sarah chuckled. "All you do is read and write бк we cannot even talk to you even when we go out to have fun during the weekends."

    Fay frowned. "How the hell did that guy make it look so easy? I meanбн" she trailed off as she set her eyes on Cosette.

    "You too. How the hell do you make it so easy?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "What is the secret?"

    ''Iбн already went to high school twice now and got my masters degrees on top of managing a corporation,'' was what Cosette wanted to tell Fay. The reason Cosette found studying easy was that she once dedicated her entire life to being excellent. All the lessons they were studying now were more like a review.

    "It''s not obvious, but I''m losing sleep studying," Cosette affirmed, though it wasn''t entirely a lie. "Maxen too! He might not show it, but there were days he wouldn''t even sleep just because he was studying. That''s why he mostly sleeps on the bus on our way to school."

    "Tch." Fay wasn''t satisfied with Cosette''s answer, but she knew Cosette and Maxen were also working just as hard as her. "Pretty people really have their advantage. They struggle and still look pretty. On the other hand, even when I''m not struggling, I still looked stressed. Why is life so unfair?"

    "Anyway, have you chosen which university you''re nning to enter?" Sarah asked Cosette, ignoring Fay''s mumbling. "Didn''t you take entrance exams at five different universities? Did the resulte out?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Wellбн" Cosette shrugged before a devious grin turned up on her face. "I took exams at the universities Maxen applied for. Heheбн whichever university he will enter, I will go."

    "Did the resulte out?" asked Amie out of curiosity.

    "Not yet, but that wasn''t my worry." Cosette shook her head and then darted her eyes between Sarah and Amie. "How about you two?"

    "The results in mine will be online in a month, so I''m still waiting," Amie answered before setting her eyes on Sarah. "Didn''t you say the test results for yours wille out next week? You said thatst week."

    Sarah''s lips parted as if she just realized that. "Rightбн I totally forgot. What date is today?"

    "It''s March 16th." Fay raised a hand, and Sarah''s eyes went wide.

    "It''s todayбн" Sarah whispered listlessly.

    "Let''s check it!" Fay suggested; she already recovered from her sentiments after mumbling for minutes. But just before Fay could stand from her stop, Sarah clutched her arm.

    "I''m not ready." Sarah''s countenance turned pale. "Let''s forget about it tonight."

    "But it''s the same." Amie frowned, hugging her knees, eyes on Sarah. "Whatever the result, we can either celebrate or drink until we drop."

    "That''s right." Cosette nodded. "You don''t need to look. We can check and then tell you the result."

    Sarah pressed her lips into a thin line, glossing her eyes over the girl''s faces. After a few minutes of nothing but pure silence, she carefully released Fay''s arm.

    "Great! Just stay there!" Fay happily jumped from her spot, marching to the set of bean couches where her stuff was. Cosette and Amie followed, sitting beside Fay as thetter took out herptop. Meanwhile, Sarah stayed on her spot, frozen.

    Sarah could hear Fay''s typing and their mumblings as the three checked the results. She swallowed a mouthful of air, getting rid of the tension in her throat. When another minute had passed and it was still silent, Sarah slowly looked back at them.

    As soon as Sarah looked back, all she saw was the three of them looking in her direction. Her heart thudded nervously, unable to read the nk expression of the three.

    "Wha бк what?" Sarah stuttered, assessing their expression once again, and took it as a look simr to pity. "I seeбн it''s бк it''s okay, I mean there''s still other that бк"

    "Congrattions!"

 Chapter 361 Something More Important

    "Congrattions!"

    Sarah flinched when the three shouted happily. The nk looks on their faces were reced with pride and happiness, watching them run back to her, with Fay holding theptop. They say on either side of her, showing the list of names who passed the entrance exam.

    Sarah''s eyes shook before she caught her full name on the screen. A deep exhale slipped past her nostrils, while Fay shook her excitedly. When Sarah turned her head, all she saw were Fay and Cosette grinning from ear to ear. She looked to the other side, and Amie was also smiling.

    "I passed!" Sarah blurted out, and the girls nodded profusely. "Iбн passed! I didбн?"

    "Haha!" Fayughed as she spoke louder. "Sarah got into the best university! Woohoo! This calls for a drink!"

    Cosette and Amie pped, smiling, watching Fay pass theptop to Sarah to get their drinks. Meanwhile, Sarah kept her eyes on theptop, relieved that she passed to take a step closer to her dream.

    Little did they know, the main door of Luke''s apartment was slightly opened. Luke, Maxen, and Remo stayed outside while hearing the girls squeal.

    "Manбн they sound so happy." Luke was leaning on the railing outside his apartment, turning his head to where Maxen and Remo were. "Are you sure we shouldn''t be there to celebrate it with them?"

    "If we''re there, Fay will just beat the hell out of you because she was happy." Maxen cast Luke a knowing look. "You sure you''re ready for that?"

    Luke''s face contorted, remembering how Fay raise her hand whenever she was happy. Fay would p Luke''s back whileughing, and that girl was strong.

    "Rightбн" Luke shivered in dismay. "I''d just stay here. It''s peaceful this way. After a year of studying like hell, graduation is near."

    Luke lowered his head until his chin was resting on top of his arm.

    "Did you get into the university you applied for?" asked Maxen after a moment, watching Luke peek at him. "You always avoid the topic whenever someone brings it up."

    "I passed." Luke shrugged indifferently. "But I''m having second thoughts."

    Maxen furrowed his brows, ncing at Remo, who also seemed confused.

    "About?" asked Maxen, looking back at Luke.

    "Whether or not I want to pursue a degree." Luke gazed ahead, humming. "I mean, going to a university or a college isn''t the problem. I''m confident enough and I saved a lot of money from all the gigs you hired me for. But I keep thinkingбн is going to a university and studying for four or more years for a certificate even worth it?"

    Luke pushed himself away from the railing, turning around, and propping his elbow against the railing.

    "I want to start a business," he confessed, cocking his head back while his eyes slid to the corner. "Although I have the capital, it''s a risk I''m still thinking about. I haven''t made up my mind yet, but I''m taking my time. We still have a graduation to attend and a full summer break, after all."

    Maxen didn''t reply immediately, absorbing what Luke said just now. After a while, a warm smile turned up on his face as he nodded.

    "Whatever decision you will make, I know you will make it happen." Maxen nodded reassuringly. "I''m not saying this tofort you; I just know you will make it happen."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Manбн why do you make me blush?" Luke scratched the back of his head.

    "Luke." Maxen nted a hand on Luke''s shoulder, waiting for thetter to look up at him. "You survived on your own these past two years. You changed a lot since the first time we met, so I know and am confident you will be a great businessman."

    Luke''s eyes softened as he felt Maxen''s sincerity straight in his heart. Even though Luke''s rtionship with his father and brother was better now, Luke and Maynard meeting from time to time to eat together. Asher, on the other hand, would call him just to know if Luke was alive. Sometimes, he would send study materials or they would chat about their lives. Though Asher and Maynard never asked Luke toe back, they made sure that Luke knew he could alwayse home if he needed to.

    "Thanks."

    "Anyway." Luke cleared his throat while Maxen retrieved his hand. "You haven''t revealed which university you will go to. You too, Remo! I didn''t even know if you took any entrance exam."

    "What are you saying?" Maxen cocked his head to the side. "Weren''t you there when Remo told his grandfather that he will join the military?"

    "What?!"

    "I''m hurt that you weren''t listening," said Remo in a sad tone.

    "Wait, you did?!" Luke gasped, watching Maxen and Remo look at each other in dismay. "Hey, don''t mess with me! I don''t remember anyone saying about it!"

    "But I did." Remo blinked wearily, frowning. "I already enlisted and will train in a few months. My old man was happy since he knew I used to be the bad guy. Serving the country will be something that will make him proud. After all, he used to be one back in the day."

    "Seriously?!" Luke gasped once again, in disbelief at how sincere Remo sounded. Thetter nodded, making Luke hold his head as if he was questioning what kind of friend he was.

    While Luke was having a personal crisis, Remo shifted his attention to Maxen.

    "How about you?" Remo waited for Maxen to look at him. "You applied to five universities and all of them were great in their own right. But you don''t seem just as excited as everyone else."

    "Because I know I passed all of them."

    "Wo бк wowбн! The confidence!" Luke nearly choked, a little hypersensitive because he missed Remo''s ns due to the thoughts that had been distracting him.

    "But it was true," said Remo to Luke. "I''m sure Max will not have a problem entering an excellent university. But still, it feels odd that you don''t talk about it or take some time in preparing for it."

    The corner of Maxen''s lips curled up into a smirk. "Cosette''s birthdayst year was postponed because her grandfather fell ill, but now that he recovered, they were nning to throw her a grand party after the graduation."

    "Are you the one in charge of it?" asked Luke, tilting his head to the side.

    "No." Maxen looked ahead, smiling. "But I''m thinking of something else. Something more important than choosing the best university to go to."

    "Something more importantбн?" Luke mumbled, casting Remo a look, only to see thetter shrug. When Luke set his eyes back to Maxen''s side profile, his jaw dropped as a thought crossed his mind.

 Chapter 362 A Letter From Me To You

    [ Dearest Young Master Asher,

    How are you? I can''t believe it''s been a year since thest time we talked to each other. Did you notice? To be honest, I didn''t notice. No offense. It was thest year of my high school journey, and it was hell. Exams were given here and there; we needed to maintain a good report to get epted into the university of our choice -- on top of that, we still needed to pass the entrance exams andplete all the requirements to graduate.

    Hectic, isn''t it?

    My friend told me I made it look so easy and simple. If only she knew. You also made it look so easy, Ash. Still, it was fulfilling in a way. I am about to close a meaningful chapter of my life to open another. I''m not crying, although I admit I''m a bit emotional.

    Anyway, I heard many things about you from Uncle Maynard. He was so proud of you and couldn''t stop talking about expecting a doctor in the family soon. He looked very happy, so I have high hopes that you too are happy fulfilling your dream.

    I know you cannote even if I invite you, but I''ll still invite you anyway since that''s the purpose of this email. I''ll be celebrating my 19th birthday in a few days. If you cane, I''d really appreciate it. But if you don''t, I understand. After all, you are thousands of miles away from home and it''ll be selfish if youe home just to attend a gathering you dislike so much.

    Are you happy now, Ash? Did you make friends? Smile a bit more so you don''t scare people off.

    I really wish that you are happy now, and living the life you always wanted.

    Sincerely,

    Cozie. ]

    Asher''s eyes lingered on thest sentence in the long email Cosette sent. It was true it was already over a year since Asher flew out of the country to study medicine. It was hard for him; he was all alone in a foreign country. But he adjusted well and had grown used to things he didn''t know he was capable of.

    "She''s already neen, huh?" he smiled, rereading the email for the third time. "I wonder what she looks like now."

    It wouldn''t be a problem to see what Cosette looked like after a year, but Asher chose not to check all the pictures his father would send him. He would only miss her because, in all honesty, Asher couldn''t confidently say he had moved on from his first love.

    He knew if he see her again, the feelings he was trying so hard to bury would resurface again. The reason he was refraining from keeping in touch from time to time. Although he didn''t cut off anymunicationpletely. Studying helped, though. It kept him preupied.

    "Let''s see..." Asher ced a finger on the touchpad to see the attached photo she sent. A chuckle slipped past his shut lips as soon as the birthday invitation popped up on the screen.

    "Too much pink," hemented, shaking his head mildly. "Why am I even surprised?"

    Asher read the invitation where everything he needed to know would be there. Of course, he wasn''t surprised that Maxen''s name was also there because he was Cosette''s escort. Luke''s name and Maynard''s were also there.

    "It sounds fun," he added under his breath, straightening his back.

    Asher pushed the rim of his sses, fixing it before cing his fingers on the keyboard.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [ To the Young Miss c,

    It''s a surprise to see your name in my email, but I am doing well. Living abroad is hard, especially at the beginning of this journey. I had to learn many things from scratch, but it was worth it. I adjusted well and had grown used to this change of environment.

    Though I cannot rte to your sentiments about graduating. I found it easy. I can evenplete my requirements with my eye closed. There was no problem... and I''m not even joking. Do not misunderstand, though. All I''m saying was there wasn''t anything meaningful in that chapter of my life to make me feel emotional. If anything, all I felt back then was that I''m a year closer to inheriting thepany.

    My dad would also mention you from time to time. He was the happiest whenever he would have a meal with Luke. I feel bad for not being there for them, but I''m d he never made me feel left out. I miss them... a lot.

    Anyway, thank you for thinking of me and inviting me to yourst birthday as a teen. It means a lot to me... but I''m unsure if that is a good thing or bad. After all, even after a year, I still like you. I will not go through the details of my heart, but I appreciate the gesture.

    As for yourst question, my answer would be...

    I''m okay. There were days I''m too tired physically, mentally, and emotionally, but I''m okay. I do have friends now. They don''t know about my background which is refreshing since all the people I met back there will look at my family name first before meeting my eyes.

    My friends are cool and I like them very much. They make things a lot more tolerable for me. Perhaps, when I finish this journey, I would understand your sentiments.

    How about you, Cosette c? Are you happy?

    I hope, from the bottom of my heart, you are, Cosette. Because if you are not, I might as well go back and test my luck. They said there was a high chance that pursuing someone while they were vulnerable will make them like you back.

    So... don''t be sad, Cosette. At least, don''t let me know you are.

    Take care.

    Asher. ]

    Asher smiled after finishing his email, sending it to her before he could falter. Just as he did, the door of his room was kicked open by three guys.

    "There you are!" said someone while Asher closed hisptop, knowing they will drag him somewhere to have fun.

    One year.

    It was only been one year, but their lives took a turn that no one ever expected. Especially, Asher, who had always believed that his life would center on the Quinn Holdings and the pressure from people he thought mattered.

    He was grateful for taking a leap of faith and stepping out of hisfort zone for growth.

 Chapter 363 A Place Where To Find It

    "So don''t be sad, Cosette. At least, don''t let me know you are."

    Cosette pressed her lips to stop them from stretching from ear to ear. Hermunication with Asher was minimal because she had to consider Maxen''s feelings. Still, hearing from Asher from time to time never ceased to put a smile on her face.

    Asher had grown; he still sounded arrogant, but she could feel he had changed a lot.

    "I guess that''s a no," she mumbled, smacking her lips before closing theptop on her desk.

    Cosette didn''t think much about it, expecting that Asher would decline her invitation. As she did so, Cosette cleaned up her desk to dispose of the unnecessary things. Graduating means the lesson she reviewed would be most like to be trashed in the future. It was better to clean up her study desk earlier, so she didn''t have to think about it; not that there was anything she had to do today.

    As she cleaned up her desk and emptied the drawers, Cosette paused as soon as she caught the journal in the drawer. Her lips curled up, putting away some notes in her hands, and picked up the journal.

    Cosette held it with her hand, leaning back as she opened the first page. A chuckle slipped past her shut lips, staring at the crossed-out title she changed a year ago. But when her eyes fell on the smudged dark red color on the page, her smile lines slightly faded. She didn''t dwell on it, though.

    "It''s funny that it''s been three years since I started writing you," she whispered, flipping the pages while skimming through them. "But it wasn''t even over yetбн although I''m surprised it only took half of this journal to write three years."

    But each page of this journal was meaningful.

    Knock Knock.

    Cosette blinked, turning her head, only to see the door opening ever so slowly. A subtle smile turned up on her face when her eyes fell on Maxen by the door.

    "May I?" he asked.

    "Do you need to ask?" she humored, chuckling. "Come in. I''m just cleaning up my desk since I don''t think I will need them in the future."

    "I seeбн" Maxen marched inside, stretching his neck to gaze over the desk. As soon as his eyesnded on the notebook she put down while throwing other things away, he couldn''t help but speak about it. "You always keep that notebook with you."

    "Huh?" she paused, gazing up as Maxen propped his side against the side of the desk.

    Maxen folded his arms under his chest, jerking his chin toward the journal in front of her. "That one. I always see you holding it whenever I visit you or hiding it inside the locked drawer."

    "Ahhбн" Cosette bit her bottom lip, grinning. "It''s a diary."

    "I figured."

    "In here, I put everything." She nted her palm on top of the journal, keeping her eyes on Maxen. "Do you want to read it?"

    "No."

    "Why? Aren''t you curious about what''s written in it?"

    "I am, but I think that whatever''s inside this journal is more personal than I can imagine." Maxen shrugged. "Also, it didn''t seem you want me to read it."

    There was a moment of silence between the two while they stared at each other.

    "You''re right." Cosette broke the prolonged silence, setting her eyes on the journal before her. "This journal contains stuff I am not ready to tell anyone. Maybe I will never be ready in this lifetime. BUTбн when the timees, I want you to read it."

    She slowly raised her head back to him, smiling. "Someday, Max. I want you to read to for me."

    "Read it for you?" Maxen cocked his head to the side, confused. She nodded at his question, so he asked again, "Why?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Because I want to know."

    "Huh?"

    "You don''t understand that now, but someday." Cosette rocked her head. "Though at the back of my head, I wish that someday will nevere."

    "Cozie, you make me a littleбн"

    "Nervous?"

    "Sad."

    "Why do I make you sad?"

    "The way you word your sentiments," he pointed out. "It sounds like you''re leaving. I don''t like it."

    "Haha. Where would I go? We haven''t gotten married yet." Cosette shook her head, picking up the journal before raising it to show him the cover. "This journal is very important to me, Max. I don''t want anyone to touch it or read it or do anything with it. But in the future, I might not have those feelings anymore. So I want you to read it when that happens."

    Maxen assessed the smile dominating her face. Her words were strange, but it didn''t look like she was sad or anything of the sort. Perhaps he was simply over-analyzing it, he thought.

    "And when would I know when I can touch it or read it for you?" he asked, out of in curiosity.

    "You''ll know." Cosette chuckled, hugging the journal securely. "But certainly not today. I''ll keep my secrets with me for now."

    "Cozie, you do understand that the more you want to keep things hidden, the more it piques one''s curiosity."

    "Don''t peek!" She raised a finger, pointing at him. "No matter how curious you are, don''t read it. Or else, I''ll be really mad!"

    "I''m just saying." Maxen raised his hands as a gesture of surrender. "I don''t remember crossing boundaries, so don''t worry."

    Cosette narrowed her eyes, studying him. When she was certain Maxen was being sincere, she nodded in relief.

    "That''s right." Cosette slowly opened the drawer and ced the journal in it carefully. "I''ll keep this in here for nowбн actually, I''ll always keep this in here."

    Maxen watched her lock the drawer while stressing that she would never put the journal anywhere. It was as if she was purposely telling him where to find it.

    "Cozie," he called after she locked the drawer, waiting for her to look back at her. "Tomorrow is our graduation, right?"

    "Mhm."

    "And then, days after that, we will have a double celebration."

    "Yep. My birthday and our graduation."

    Maxen rocked his head, making her brows furrow.

    "What about it?" she asked, intrigued. "Why did you ask?"

    "Nothing."

 Chapter 364 Graduation Day

    "Nothing."

    "I don''t believe you." Cosette narrowed her eyes, pushing herself up until she was standing before Maxen. "Maxen, what are you nning?"

    "Nothing." Maxen shook his head, but Cosette quirked a brow and took a step closer. "Cosette, it''s really nothing."

    "I don''t like secrets." Cosette bent over until her face was a few inches from his. "I get nervous when I feel like you''re up to something and you won''t tell me."

    Maxen assessed her face, which was just inches from his before he blurted out. "I''mбн twenty."

    "Ah?"

    "I''m not a teen anymore," he rified, and, without thinking twice, he slipped his arm around her waist to pull her closer. "I was thinking I will turn twenty-one this year, too. When we first met, you were sixteen, but now you''re a bitбн older."

    Question marks hovered over Cosette''s head, as his sentiments didn''t make sense. Of course, they would grow older since days were passing without stopping for anyone. What was the point? As she wondered what point Maxen was trying to make, her eyes soon dted as a thought cross his head.

    Cosette gasped, looking at him in dismay. "Max!" she pped his chest while he chuckled, pulling her body closer to him.

    "What?" he feigned ignorance, tilting his head to the side. "Cosette, what sort of answer did you have now for you to react that way?"

    "Maxen, don''t start." She raised a finger between them. "Do you know this is the biggest red g? Not because I''m ignoring it doesn''t mean you have to keep doing this."

    "You''re ignoring it, so it means I can do it."

    "Tch!"

    "Haha. I''m kidding." Maxen leaned his face closer, brushing the tip of his nose against her. "Don''t be angry. I''m just messing with you."

    Cosette frowned, clicking her tongue in irritation. She drew her head back, patting his shoulder.

    "You know what? The older you are, the more silly you be. You shouldn''t hang out with Luke that much. His nature is rubbing off of you." She huffed. "Anyway, are you really just messing with me?"

    "What did you think I was trying to say?"

    "Thatбн" Cosette bit her tongue, eyes sliding to the corner. "I thought we were counting how old we would be if we have children now."

    Maxen blinked while she looked back at him. Seeing his slightly surprised countenance, she felt a little annoyed.

    "Goshбн" she rolled her eyes, looking away from him. "This is embarrassing. I hate you for doing this to me бк always."

    "Do youбн still, love me?" he asked out of nowhere, making her look back at him with a deep frown.

    "Do you still need to ask?"

    "Can you just answer?"

    "Yes!" her answer was quick without a second hesitation, crawling her arms over his shoulders. "Did I do something for you to question my feelings again?"

    Maxen smiled. "I''m just making sure."

    "Goshбн"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maxen watched her roll her eyes before his smile turned into a smirk. He leaned his face closer, nting a kiss on her cheek. Her brows rose, but before she could say anything, another pecknded on the tip of her nose. Maxen showered her with short and soft kisses until she was giggling.

    When he kissed almost every area of her face except her lips, he drew his head back.

    "I love you," he expressed from the bottom of his heart. "And proud of you."

    ? "Me too." The side of her lips stretched from ear to ear. "I''m very, very proud of you, Maxen."

    The two of them stared at each other. Although the words they uttered were the same, the root of that emotion came from different things. Still, they were equally genuine.

    When Maxen huffed quietly, he tilted his head to the side and slowly leaned his face. As he did so, Cosette slowly closed her eyes, waiting for his lips to press against hers, which made her heart flutter as if it was the first time.

    One year.

    Yet, their love for each other only deepened.

    What was there to be scared of? That had been the thought that was filling Maxen''s head.

    Maxen still believed change was the only constant thing in this world, but he would never regret Cosette. Never.

    *

    *

    *

    The next dayбн

    "To my fellow batch mates, my ssmates, friends, the faculty staff, and everyone I would like to greet you with a joyous congrattion. Being present on this day and wearing our uniforms for thest time makes me a little emotional. I practiced my speech for today, but now that I am standing here, I seemed to have forgotten everything I practiced days before the graduation. So please, bear with me."

    Maxen smiled, glossing his eyes over the students, parents, and teachers in the school gymnasium where the graduation was held.

    "At the beginning of my high school journey, I always had this thought in my head. Would I even survive the rest of the year? Or rather, would I even reach the day I will get my diploma? Though I have a different reason for those questions, I''m certain there was a point we all had to ask such things.

    It wasn''t easy.

    On top of the subjects we must pass, we also dealt with many stuff people will corrte to adolescence. Some had to deal with much deeper personal problems. So, I congratte you for persevering. I am really proud of us.

    I would like to thank all our teachers who were patient with us and gave their allбн" Maxen continued his speech, speaking what woulde on the top of his head, putting smiles on everyone''s faces.

    "I would like to thank a special someone who pushed me to be the better version of myself." Maxen didn''t have to search the gymnasium as he only needed to look at the front row where some important figures of the school and the top students were at. "Cosette, no words would ever be enough to express how grateful I am to you. But since I can''t, I hope these simple words of gratitude would suffice for now. "

    "Thank you, Cosette c." Maxen smiled as his eyes softened. "Thank you for existing."

    Maxen nodded mildly before shifting his attention to the man sitting beside Cosette. "Andstly, I want to thank my dad, who had always been there every step of the way. I wouldn''t be here if not for you. Thank you for everything."

    Conrad smiled subtly as he nodded back at Maxen before thetter continued to make his speech. When the speech was done, a round of apuse exploded in the gymnasium, watching Maxen receive the highest honor as the top 1 student of the school year.

 Chapter 365 Say Cheese!

    "Say cheese!"

    "Cheese!"

    The camera shed on Cosette and her friends as they took photos together. Maxen graduated with the highest honor and thus, the medals dangling around his neck. Meanwhile, Cosette graduated as the second, Luke as third, and Fay as fifth.

    "Congrattions!" Cosette faced the girls, hugging them (Sarah, Amie, and Fay) after taking a photo together. The three hugged her back, and when they let each other go, they held hands as they formed a circle.

    "So, what are your ns?" asked Cosette, glossing her eyes over theirs.

    "My mom invited all our rtives for lunch." Fay grinned, taking the medal around her neck. "I''m so really to gloat about this."

    "I''m going to have a lunch date with my parents as well," said Amie. "It''s just the three of us, but it''ll be nice to go out with them since it''s been a hell of a year for all of us."

    Cosette rocked her head before the three of them shifted their eyes to Sarah. Thetter let out a short chuckle, noticing the curiosity in the girls'' eyes.

    "Iбн the same." Sarah pressed her lips into a thin line, forcing a smile. "My mom prepared some food at home."

    "I seeбн" The three rocked their heads in understanding.

    Since it was their graduation, they didn''t have any other ns together. After all, each of them had to celebrate it with their families. Therefore, after chatting for a bit, Fay and Amie''s parents called them to go where they nned to go. Meanwhile, Sarah also excused herself with the excuse her mother was waiting for her home.

    Cosette stood in the gymnasium, watching Sarah''s back. A faint sigh slipped past her lips. She wasn''t stupid to know that Sarah was lying. Sarah''s parents had divorcedst year, and Sarah''s life had been three times more difficult than when her parents were together.

    "She always keeps things to herself." Another sigh slipped past her lips. "She didn''t have to lie. If no one was there to celebrate this day with her, she could''ve just told me бк"

    "And what will you do about it?"

    Cosette jumped when Luke suddenly turned up on her side. She immediately red at him, pping his shoulder as a natural response.

    "Can you stop giving me a scare?" sheined, clicking her tongue in irritation.

    "Damn it!" Luke rubbed his shoulder where she pped him, scrunching his nose up. "The older you are, the more violent you have be. Do you know that?"

    "You are absurd." Cosette rolled her eyes, trying to ignore him.

    "Tchбн" Luke clicked his tongue once again, clearing his throat. "Anyway, what are you going to do about it?"

    "About what?"

    "About Sarah." He puckered his lips, pointing in the direction where Sarah disappeared to. "Don''t tell me you''ll poke your nose in her business?"

    Cosette looked him dead in the eye but didn''t say anything. After a moment, another sigh escaped her nostrils, peeling her eyes away from him.

    "I''m worried about her, of course. But Sarah is already old and much more mature than anyone else. I''m sure when she needed a friend, she will reach out herself." Her eyes softened. "I spent most of my high school trying to help others to the point I forget there were also others who wants me to look after myself."

    She blinked ever so slowly, facing Luke. "I had enough of your nagging, okay?"

    The side of Luke''s lips stretched until his teeth were showing. Before he could say anything else or she could say more that would touch his heart, he sprawled his arm over her and put her in a headlock.

    "Oy, Cosette c, since when did you mature, eh?!" Luke teased, ignoring her squeal as she tried to escape his grip.

    "Hey! Are you out of your mind?! Let me go!" Cosette pped his arms but to no avail.

    "I thought you would never realize how many troubles you have put me through! Gosh! This girlбн don''t grow up so fast!" Luke kept on and on as if he was Cosette''s father.

    "Ugh! Stop it!" after minutes of struggle Cosette managed to get away since he loosened his grip. As soon as she faced him, she was so ready to berate him for being so annoying. However, Luke spoke before she could start.

    "Congrats, Cosette." Her words rolled back to her throat at the sight of the genuine smile on his face. "I will still hang out with you, but I know we will be busy. I don''t n to pursue college for now бк maybe a gap year? Who knows? But if you need a friend, I''m just a text away."

    Surprise turned up on Cosette''s face for a moment before her expression softened. A thinyer of tears coated her eyes, punching his chest weakly.

    "Goshбн are you trying to make me cry?" she clicked her tongue, holding back the tears that were tempting toe out. "Why is everyone so emotional? Gosh. It''s supposed to be a happy day."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Luke chuckled. "There, there." He ruffled her hair to annoy her, grinning from ear to ear.

    "Tch." Cosette rubbed her eyes before tears rolled down her cheek.

    "Haha. What a crybaby." Luke kept ruffling her hair, retrieving it when he caught two figures from the corner of his eyes. He turned his head, smiling as soon as his gazended on Maxen and Conrad.

    "What did you do to her again?" asked Conrad to Luke the second he came closer to his daughter and Maynard''s son. At this point, Conrad was already used to Cosette and Luke''s love-and-hate rtionship.

    "Uncle, I didn''t do anything. Please do not misunderstand." Luke raised his hands as a gesture of surrender, setting his eyes on Maxen for some backup. "Please help."

    Maxenughed, ncing at Cosette. But before he could say anything, they heard a voice from behind them.

    "Picture!!!"

    Maxen, Luke, and Conrad looked back, only to see Warren (Conrad''s assistant) wave with a camera in his hand.

    "Young Miss, look at here!" Warren excitedly stood several steps before them, calling Cosette at the top of his lungs.

    Cosette slowly peeked and then saw Warren with a camera. Thetter had this big grin on his face, ready to take a click.

    "What are you doing?" Conrad asked, tilting his head to the side. "I think we had taken enough pictures бк"

    "Wait!" Cosette''s face brightened up, jumping in between Maxen and Conrad. The two of them nearly lost bnce when she suddenly hooked her arms around their arms, pulling them closer.

    They looked at her with surprise in her eyes, but all they saw was her bright countenance.

    "Luke! Come, quick!" she bent over, turning her head in Luke''s direction.

    Thetter pointed at himself. "Me?"

    "Of course! Quick!"

    Luke nced at Maxen and Conrad, and seeing they weren''t displeased at the suggestion, he shrugged. He marched towards them, standing beside Maxen. As soon as he did, Maxen and Luke looked at each other before Maxen raised an arm, sprawling it over Luke''s shoulder.

    "What бк" Luke had to lower his head on instinct, looking at Maxen with wide eyes. Maxen just grinned at him.

    "Alright!" Warren raised a finger, holding the camera with the other. "Say cheese in three, twoбн"

    As Warren did a countdown, Maxen and Conrad cast each other a quick and seemingly meaningful look.

    "Hey!" Suddenly, Maynard''s voice caressed their ears. They instinctively turned their heads in Maynard''s direction. All they saw was Maynard stomping his feet toward them, fuming for a reason they didn''t know. "Why am I not included in the group photo бк"

    "...one!"

    CLICK!

    The sh caught Maxen, Conrad, Luke, and Cosette''s attention. Then another sh followed, catching the surprise on their faces, and then smiles, and then when Maynard came into the picture, squeezing himself to fit the frame.

    Out of fifteen photos, there was only one that turned out properly. Yet Cosette kept all of them, putting the rest in the photo album and framing the one she liked the most to keep in her room.

    *

    *

    *

    Seven yearster...

    "Hmm..." a moan slipped past Cosette''s lips, stretching her arms as she sat up on the bed. She turned her head to the clock on the bedside table, smiling as her gaze fell on the small photograph taken seven years ago.

    A photograph she treasured for the past seven years.

 Chapter 366 Seven Years Later

    [ Young Miss,

    The Madam prepared many side dishes since she was happy you finished thest batch she made. She would be delighted if she heard you eat everything again. It was good for your health. She''s been worried since you''ve been busy. ]

    "I just told Nanny Lucia I''m on a strict diet," Cosette sighed, holding a note she got from the refrigerator. She opened the refrigerator and wasn''t surprised upon seeing it was full of food containers.

    "Seriouslyбн" the side of her lips curled up into a smile. "At this point, I''d really ruin my diet."

    Cosette bent over slightly, going through the fridge to find anything she could eat that was light enough to start her day. She tucked her curled hair behind her ear, showing a small diamond earring. It didn''t take long before she took out a small Tupperware full of strawberries, taking them with her to the coffee machine.

    She went on to brew her coffee and when she finished, she took the strawberries and cup of coffee to the bar counter. Sitting on the counter chair, Cosette nced at the television in the living room. The business news was on, catching her attention.

    "Hmm?" she reached for the remote, raising the volume so she could hear it.

    "The redevelopment in the Wisen District was expected to be the biggest shopping center in the countryбн the founder and the current CEO of the LG Builders promised in the groundbreaking ceremonyбн"

    Cosette watched the business news with interest, smirking as the screen showed a clip of the person who was called the founder of the quickly rising and promising constructionpany, LG Builders. The person doing the speech was a man in his prime; he was handsome and smart-looking, and one could tell that behind thosevish luxury clothes was a body one would die for.

    Her longshes fluttered as her lips, which were painted in bright red in contrast with her light makeup, curled up into a subtle smile. Unlike her bubbly beauty when she was in her teens, her face looked mature with a different allure. Keeping her essories minimal, but gave more attention to her elegant casual attire. But there was one thing that was even more noticeable than her attire or her beauty. It was the diamond ring around her ring finger.

    "ording to the CEO of LG Builders, Lucas Quinn, even though the shopping district will beбн it will focus and give equal opportunity for small businessбн" the newscaster reported, adding more details as a promotion for this big project that many people were looking forward to.

    "I should prepare something for him," whispered Cosette, sprawling her arm to reach for her smartphone. She dialed Luke''s number, ced the phone in front of her ear, and listened to it ring. She quirked a brow when he didn''t answer, so she rang him again but to no avail.

    "What''s wrong with him?" she mumbled, frowning. "He said he wille home to celebrate our anniversary."

    Cosette rang Luke once again, but just like the first two tries, the call didn''t go through. Just when she was about to ring him once again, an iing call appeared on the screen. Seeing the person''s name, she smiled before answering the call.

    ******

    Meanwhile, in a presidential suite of a five-star hotelбн

    Bzzt! Bzzt!

    "Ughбн" A hand mmed on top of the phone on the bedside table to stop it from vibrating. When it stopped, a man opened his one eye, pulling the phone to his face to check who was calling him early in the morning.

    As soon as he saw the name Cozie, his eyes popped open. He instantly sat up, almost losing his bnce at the sudden movement he did. The nket over his body fell to hisp, disying his toned upper body.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Shitбн" his hair was disheveled with spikes pointing in every direction. He tried calling her back, but apparently, her phone was busy. "Who is sheбн"

    Luke, now 26 years old and a sessful businessman, trailed off upon catching a figure from the corner of his eyes. When he turned his head to the other side of the bed and saw a woman''s bare back lying beside him, he shut his eyes.

    ''God damn itбн'' he drew a deep breath, hoping that when he open his eyes the woman beside him was gone. But when he reopened his eyes, the woman was still beside him.

    A deep exhale slipped past his nostrils, pinching the bridge of his nose in distress.

    "Whatever," he said after minutes of mental beating, grabbing the sheet from hisp as he flung his legs out of the bed.

    Standing with only his underwear, Luke went to pick up his clothes scattered on the floor. With his clothes in his hand, he shoved his hand inside the pocket of his trousersst night to get his wallet. He took out all the cash and put them on the bedside table before leaving the room without ever looking back.

    "Damn itбн I told her I will go homest night," he muttered to himself with a tinge of irritation, walking out of the room with only his underwear. "She''ll kill me бк"

    His steps halted as soon as he reached the lobby of the presidential suite, catching a man''s figure standing in the floor-to-length transparent wall where the city could be seen. For a moment, Luke held his breath, assessing the man''s back in a suit from head to toe.

    "Today is a special day for Cosette," said the man in a suit, turning on his heel to face the almost naked Luke. "If she knew about this, it will break her heart."

    Luke let out a short and dryugh, looking back at the man he had known for many years.

    Remo.

    "Remo, will you tell her about it?" asked Luke. "Last night... I had a little bit too much to drink."

    Remo remained silent for a moment before his lips parted. "Be grateful it''s a special day and I can''t let you celebrate today with a mangled face. I prepared the hangover medicine and soup in the car. Dress up quickly. Don''t let her wait for long."

    With that being said, Remo marched away as if he had nothing to say anymore. Meanwhile, Luke ran his tongue across his inner cheek, clicking his tongue in irritation.

    "Damn it!" Luke grumbled, kicking the stand near his vantage point. He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, ruffling it in irritation. "She''ll really kill me if he starts talking."

    Distress dominated his face, but he knew there was nothing he could do. The only thing Luke could rely on was Remo cherished Cosette like a little sister. Remo wouldn''t do or say something that would hurt Cosette.

    "I will not drink ever again..." he told himself, storming to the guests'' bathroom as he didn''t want to deal with whoever he slept withst night.

 Chapter 367 Seven Years Later II

    Meanwhile, in an art galleryбн

    "Wowбн" A woman in a loose white shirt underneath a ck and white nnel, matched with loose denim pants, stood in front of a painting. Her eyes studied the painting on the wall; it was a sophisticated art of a goldfish that looked like swimming in a stillke with water illuminating the moonlight.

    "This is pretty," she said upon sensing someone standing beside her.

    "You think so?"

    The first woman in a boyish attire and short hair turned her head to the side. There, standing beside her, was a woman in a sophisticated dress. Thetter hair was tied in a clean low bun, disying her slim and almost spotless face.

    "You''re early, Fay," said the beautiful woman. "I still have a meeting with a client, and I was surprised when I saw you around."

    "Work is tough, and I got excited since we wrapped up." Fay shrugged. "It''s tough to be a director, you see? I always lose my voice because of the nonstop shouting бк people are dumb."

    "Don''t be like that." The other woman, Amie, and also the owner of the gallery could not help but chuckle. Fay didn''t change even after all these years; her words were still brutal. "But then again, I can imagine your actors trembling in fear whenever you lose your cool."

    "Working with these goddamn actors isn''t as easy as you think it is. They''re quite dramatic бк they drive me crazy." Fay sighed, shaking her head as a way to forget the painful memories of being a director in one of the most famous movies recently.

    "Anyway, don''t mind me." Fay cleared her throat, jerking her chin slightly. "Do what you need to do and take your time. I''ll just look around."

    "Don''t look around. Buy a piece, will you?"

    "Oy, do you think I have the money to afford a piece? Aren''t we friend? You could at least gift me one."

    "No can do." Amie rolled her eyes and said, "I have a family to feed. I''ll give you a discount, though."

    "This stingy woman. Your husband earns a good chump of money бк what do you mean a family to feed?" Fay clicked her tongue, watching Amieugh as thetter walked away. "Sarah''s ne willnd in three hours. Don''t waste time."

    Amie halted, looking back at her. "You said to take my time."

    "I did, but don''t use it to waste it."

    "Goshбн your temper. Okay, okay. It''ll be quick."

    With that being said, Amie walked away to finish an important arrangement while Fay stood still in the same spot. Fay smacked her lips, gazing at the painting in front of her.

    "She should at least give me a 90% discount," she mumbled to herself, before touring the gallery to kill time while waiting for Amie.

    *******

    "Do you need anything else?"

    "No бк I mean, yes." A man on the first-ss flight gazed at the beautiful flight attendant that had been fulfilling his request since the start of this 24-hour flight. "Please rest. Don''t ask me anything anymore. I also just want to rest."

    "Alright." The flight attendant, Sarah, smiled at the passenger. "I will wake you up once wend."

    "Sure. Thank you."

    With that being said, Sarah didn''t disturb the passenger anymore, only to see another passenger raise a finger to get her attention. As a dutiful stewardess, Sarah approached the other passenger to hear her concern.

    "Please contain the child in the economy. I want to rest."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes, Ma''am. We''ll see what we can do?" Sarah maintained her smile, signaling another crew to do something about theint.

    After that, Sarah just walked quietly down the aisle to make sure no one needed help or anything of the sort. Most of the passengers in the first ss had little to no concern. They would usually just sleep throughout the flight, which was understandable because most of these people were people who had busy schedules. They would rather sleep, and seeing them not eat on the flight was also not rare, but also not surprising. Most of them sleep during the flight and then eat in the first-ss lounge at the airport.

    As Sarah did ast check for the passenger, she paused. Her eyesnded on the man several rows from her right beside the window. She had met different passengers and most of them were like that man; quiet and would just sleep throughout.

    ''I think I saw him somewhere,'' she told herself, shaking her head. ''Well, maybe he flies a lot.''

    Sarah didn''t think much about it as she had met a few people whom she felt looked familiar. Therefore, even though she had this distinct feeling at the glimpse of this specific passenger, she didn''t dwell on it.

    *** BREAK ***

    Three hourster, the nended at the Main City International Airport. Sarah went on about everything she needed before going off duty for a month''s vacation she waited for so long. The airport was filled with people waiting for their departure, arriving, crews and staff, and people weing those who had arrived.

    Still in her uniform with small luggage in her hand, Sarah directly went to the main exit.

    "Sarah!"

    When she heard a familiar voice, Sarah turned her head to search for the owner of the voice. There, across the line where several people were standing, she caught two familiar figures waving at her. One of them had this boyish look with really short hair, and then the other one was dressed elegantly as if she came from an important event.

    "If I didn''t know better, I''d think they were lovers." Sarah chuckled, shaking her head. "They didn''t need to fetch me."

    Just as Sarah turned to approach where Fay and Amie were waiting, a person walking near her bumped into her. Surprised by the mild collision, Sarah nearly lost her footing. Fortunately, the man she bumped into caught her by the waist.

    Her eyes shook, gazing up to see a man''s pair of beautiful eyes behind the thin eyesses.

    "Careful." His voice was low and cool, pulling her up until she got her bnce.

    "Uhбн sorry. I wasn''t looking." Sarah cleared her throat, checking around to see if there was anything she could help him with.

    "It''s fine. I didn''t drop anything," said the man, making her lift her eyes in surprise. She didn''t say anything, so how did he know what was her intention?

    "Uhhбн" Looking at him more, Sarah slowly recognized the man as a passenger in first ss, which was also herst flight for the day.

    "Anyway, are you alright?" he asked, snapping her back into the trance.

    "Uhm, yes."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes."

    "That''s good." The man smiled, bowing slightly. "Then, I''ll go."

    The man didn''t idle for a chat or anything like that. Sarah watched him as he walked away, noticing that the man didn''t have any luggage with him. He was only carrying a backpack.

    "That''s odd," she murmured before she heard Fay''s voice once again. Sarah threw any thoughts away as she faced Fay and Amie''s direction, smiling. "Coming!"

    "Is that kind of temper effective in her line of work? She''s be even more impatient." Sarah sighed quietly, chuckling before resuming her stride.

 Chapter 368 Is That How Youre Going To Treat Your Wife?

    DING DONG!

    Cosette was cing a pot inside an oven when she heard the doorbell ring. She looked up for a moment and put the pot inside in a hurry. The doorbell rang once again, making her quickly take off the apron and mittens she was wearing.

    DING DONG!

    "Goshбн" she sighedzily as she marched to the wired video inte monitor near the entrance to check who it was. Outside was a handsome man in a fitted emerald button-down long-sleeve paired with cream-colored trousers. He had a leather brown belt that matched perfectly with the color of the strap of his watch and shoes.

    Cosette folded her arms under her chest, leaning her side against the wall beside the small monitor.

    "Why is he ringing the door? Did he lose his key again?" she clicked her tongue. "Should I let him stand outside бк huh? Remo''s with him."

    Cosette frowned. "I want to punish him and let him stay outside for losing his key more than a hundred times now." бк that was an exaggeration, but it was true that Luke lost the house key many times.

    "Cozie, I know you''re there and watching me stand here. Can you please open the door? Remo is a bit tired, soбн have mercy on him." From the tels came Luke''s voice, guessing what she was doing and the reason she was taking so long. "Cosette, don''t make me wait for so long. You know how this makes me so anxious."

    "Look at him. He already ditched mest night, and he has the gall to make it sound like it was my fault." She shook her head, peeling her side from the wallzily. "There''s literally a gigantic red g waving on top of his head. Does he really think I''m blind?."

    Cosette dissed Luke on her way to open the door, and when she opened it, her expression said it all. Luke could only sport an awkward smile.

    "Hehe." Luke chuckled awkwardly, but Cosette stopped him from whatever nonsense he would say with her remarks.

    "Is that how you''re going to treat your wife?" she asked in disbelief, shaking her head. "Let her alone all night while you are having fun? I can''t believe you."

    "Wha бк what? Oy, that''s a stretch. I just treat my staff to some nice dinner and drinks after years of hard work," Luke defended himself but talking only made her squint her eyes. "Fine, fine. Goodness. I''m sorry, alright? What should I do for you to forgive me?"

    "It''s too early for you two to quarrel." Remo stepped in before the two could start again. He looked at Cosette, and the frown on her face disappeared. "How are you Cozie?"

    "Rem-rem~!" Cosette pushed the door wide open, and then pushed Luke to the side to throw herself at Remo.

    Remo chuckled, weing her warm embrace.

    "I missed you so much!" she expressed, drawing back to look at him from head to toe. "Goshбн look at you. Are you not eating well? I think you lose a lot of weight since thest time. Is this guy giving you a hard time?"

    Cosette red back at Luke, and thetter scoffed in disbelief.

    "Tsk." She rolled her eyes at him, looking back at Remo. "Did you eat everything I sent youst time?"

    "Mhm. They''re really good, though. I''m afraid Nana Chen will not be very happy if she hears you give away the food she makes you."

    "Don''t worry about that. She makes a lot, knowing I''d share it with my friends."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Are you his mother or what?" Luke gasped in disbelief, warranting Cosette''s re and Remo''s attention, but he didn''t care. "How can you treat him like that when me, the man who бк"

    "Shut it, will you?" Cosette cut him mid-sentence, clicking her tongue in irritation. "We''re not yet done. I''ll give you my undivided attentionter. You''ve been warned."

    Luke''s countenance froze, making Remo chuckle.

    "Anyway, let''s get in, hmm? I thought you''de a bitter, so the food isn''t ready yet. But I have some snacks." Cosette smiled sweetly at Remo, and thetter nodded.

    With that being said, Cosette led the way, ignoring Luke, who was just by the main door. Luke scoffed again when Remo walked past him as if he didn''t see anyone.

    "Tssбн" Luke huffed, stretching his neck from one side to the other before heading inside.

    "Just leave your stuff thereбн" Cosette told them to feel at home, which she didn''t need to do because they were already too familiar with this ce. "Rest while I prepared the food. It''s almost finishedбн"

    Ring!

    Cosette stopped, looking back to Remo. Remo fished his phone out and only nced at the screen before facing her.

    "Take it." She smiled, nodding.

    Remo simply nodded, turning on his heel to go outside to answer the call. As soon as he did, he faced Luke''s deep frown. However, he didn''t have the spare energy to deal with Luke at the moment. Hence, he stepped out without a word.

    When Remo left, Cosette stayed on her spot and kept her eyes on the door. She smacked her lips, ncing at Luke, and her eyes bore displeasure. Without saying anything, she turned around to go back to the kitchen.

    "Cosette." Luke flung his arm helplessly, sighing, before dragging his feet to follow her.

    Wherever Cosette was upset, she would just stay silent and not talk. So Luke didn''t push his luck, following her to the kitchen quietly. He stayed in the corner of the kitchen, propping his bottom against the counter with his arms folded under his chest.

    Cosette ignored him as she worked in the kitchen while he watched her quietly. When he couldn''t take her silent treatment anymore, Luke sighed and broke the silence.

    "I''m sorry," he muttered, frowning deeply. "I know I promised I will apany you, but I had an important meeting. LG Builders is now in a different league and I still have to y it safe. Connection is important in this field, so бк"

    BAM!

    Cosette mmed the pot lids beside the stove, turning her head in his direction. The piercing sound it made surprised him, making him flinch.

    "That reasoningбн do you think it is enough to appease your wife?" she asked with deep disappointment in her voice. "Luke, I know you are aiming for something and I''m very proud of you for persevering. But thisбн breaking promises is a bad habit."

 Chapter 369 Dont Lose Yourself

    "That reasoningбн do you think it is enough to appease your wife? Luke, I know you are aiming for something and I''m very proud of you for persevering. But thisбн breaking promises is a bad habit."

    Luke stayed quiet, staring at those pair of beautiful eyes that were shining so beautifully, even though the disappointment in them was evident. He unfolded his arm from under his chest, resting his palm on the counter he was leaning on.

    "You''re not even my wife," he mumbled. "Why are you so angry?"

    "Don''t you understand?" Cosette faced him squarely, hand on the counter. "What I''m saying is that is not how you treat women in general. If I, your friend for many years, get hurt when you don''t keep your word, what do you think your future wife will feel?"

    "Nothing."

    "What?"

    "I don''t know why you keep nagging me about how to treat women and how to be a good husband, but I don''t n to marry." Luke shrugged, staring her straight in the eye. "Back then, I also wanted to get married. But then, as years go by and as I build my career, I realized I want to maximize what I can do as a businessman. Marriage is not part of my n for the next ten years."

    He took a deliberate pause, assessing her reaction. "Moreover, a wife and a friend are different. They were just as important, of course, but they have different roles."

    "Goshбн" Cosette just clicked her tongue continuously, rendered speechless by what he said. "You''re old enough. Fine. Do what you want."

    Cosette didn''t want to press the matter since Luke already confessed that he didn''t want to marry. She was simply concerned. But as Cosette turned around to do what needed to be done in the kitchen, she stopped at his remarks.

    "If you don''t believe me, then why not be my wife?" Cosette slowly looked back at him in disbelief, but he maintained a cool countenance. "I mean, you keep nagging me and sometimes, you always sound like you are my wife. Let''s just divorce if I disappoint you."

    Cosette looked at him for an entire minute in silence. When everything he had said sank in, she marched toward him.

    "What? Are we in for a romance бк ack!" Luke winced when Cosette pped his shoulder continuously. "Ah! Ouch! Cozie, you''re hurting me бк ah!"

    Cosette beat the hell out of his shoulder, hoping to knock some sense into him. Only when she was panting did she stop.

    "Divorce?! Lucas Quinn, are you hearing yourself?!" she scolded, nose ring in anger. "I understand that you don''t want to get married, but how can you talk lightly about marriage with divorce in your mind, hah?! Gosh. I want to beat the shit out of you."

    Luke kept rubbing his shoulder, still feeling the weight of her hand. "Cosette, are you going to break my shoulder? How can you бк"

    "Let me literally break it for you, then!" Cosette huffed, raising a hand, making him hunch in to protect himself. However, she stopped, grinding her teeth in frustration. "Ahhбн you''re so frustrating!"

    Cosette turned around, irritated. Meanwhile, Luke warily put down his arms as he thought it was the end of it. Looking at her back, he pressed his lips into a thin line.

    "Cosette," he called, a lot calmer now. "Why are youбн" he trailed off before closing his eyes upon realizing something.

    When Luke reopened his eyes, a deep exhale slipped past his lips.

    "Is that the reason you''ve been pushing me with these unsolicited lessons?" he asked helplessly. "Are you worried about the rumors that are going on?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Are they really rumors?" Cosette wiped her eyes before facing him, sporting a brave front. "Can you look me in the eye and tell me the rumors that the CEO of LG Builders is a womanizer are just mere rumors?"

    She paused, waiting for reassurance from him. But he chose silence, and that only confirmed the things she had been hearing.

    "Luke, you have a reputation to maintain." She sighed, calming down a bit. "You said it yourself, LG Builders had joined the big leagues. I know those people at the top, and I don''t want to pop your bubble, but don''t lose yourself in the state of sess."

    "Don''t lose yourself in your conquest for power and influence. Please," she added, almost begging him.

    This was the reason Luke had been avoiding all these months. He knew she would nag him about such things. Not that he found her offensive. Matter of fact, what she was saying was only for his own good. However, that didn''t mean he approved of it because it always felt like Cosette still perceive him as a brat; a kid, and not as a man.

    Luke kept his thoughts to himself, though. He knew her intention.

    "I''ll try." Luke took a step toward her, nting his hand on her shoulders. He lowered his head, nodding at her encouragingly. "I''ll try to be better, hmm? Next time, I won''t y around. I will behave myself, okay? So, don''t be upset anymore."

    Cosette puffed her cheek. "Gosh. I don''t know what to do with you. Just help me with these things while the others hadn''te."

    She shook her head while he smiled. She brushed his hands off of her shoulder, turning around to resume her task. But just as she took a step forward, she paused when she felt a weight on her back.

    "Luke?" she nced over her shoulder, surprised as he embraced her from the back. "What are you бк"

    "You weed Remo with the sweetest smile and a tight hug," he exined under his breath, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I miss youбн that''s what you told him while all you did is re and berate me. So, since you still treat me as that rebellious teenage boy, I''d just live up to it for a moment."

    "Maxen might kill me, butбн" His eyes softened as the corner of his lips curled up into a bitter smile. "I missed you, Cosette. Youбн have no idea how much I missed your cooking."

    Cosette gazed at his side profile before she sighed. She nted her hands on top of his hands that were on her stomach, patting them gently.

    "You shouldn''t lose the key anymore," she humored, and he chuckled.

    "I never lose them."

    "Huh?"

    "I throw them away." His confession made her turn her head to him. "If I have the key, I can just enter your ce and look for you. Isn''t it better if you open it for me?"

    "Am I your servant?" she rolled her eyes, but he justughed it off, keeping the real reason behind his remarks.

    Little did Luke know, Remo was standing by the entrance of the kitchen. Remo''s jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth, but then lowered his eyes before turning around, pretending he didn''t see anything.

 Chapter 370 Amies Husband

    One hourterбн

    "We''re here!" Fay announced as soon as she entered Cosette''s ce, carrying flowers and some paper bags. Behind her was Sarah, now in a casual dress, and then Amie. Each of them carried paper bags containing presents and some food.

    "Oh, you''re here?" Luke greeted, holding a few tes and cutleries. His sleeve was already folded to his elbow, showing that he had been helping in preparation. He scanned the threedies and then cocked his head in a direction.

    "In the garden," he said, telling them where they would have ate lunch. "We''re still preparing."

    "Oh, let me help!" Fay raised a hand while Luke rocked his head.

    "You should. There were more things to carry from the kitchen. Go take them to the garden," Luke briefed them before walking away, just like that.

    "Godбн look at that guy. Hey! At least be humble when someone offers help!" Fay clicked her tongue continuously whilst shaking her head. "The older he gets, the more awful his personality is."

    "If this isn''t the pot calling the kettle ck, I don''t know what is." Amie cast Fay a look of disbelief. After all, Fay''s temper also worsened; yelling had almost be Fay''s habit.

    Sarah chuckled. "Be nice to them, Amie. They might look sessful on the outside, but they''re under a lot of stress."

    "That''s right." Fay nodded, casting Amie a judgemental look. "Just because you are happily married and have a sessful career, doesn''t mean you can just preach to us!"

    "I''m not preaching бк"

    "Tsk! I''ll go and get whatever needs to be carried to the garden." Fay cut Amie off by shoving the flower and paper bags to her. "Goshбн thisdy. At least be nice to your client who bought that piece without any discount!"

    Fay huffed, and just like that change of mood, she stormed away to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Amie blinked innocently, hugging the stuff Fay shoved on her.

    "Why is she picking on me so suddenly?" murmured Amie, confused.

    Sarah smiled subtly, staring in the direction where Fay went to. "Just let her be. She''s always like that around this time of the year. So, let''s just extend our patience."

    "Rightбн" Amie rocked her head, pressing her lips into a thin line. "That woman. No wonder she''s been yelling all morning and nearly got into a fight on the road."

    "Well, I can''t me her." Sarah shrugged, facing Amie squarely. "Let''s bring these things to the garden and helped them set up?"

    "Sure. Let''s do that."

    ******

    "Just put them on the chair. I can''t trust you two in decorating the table." Cosette nagged Remo and Luke, who were helping her set up the garden for their dinner. "There, and be carefulбн"

    Cosette trailed off when she caught two figuresing out of the house. She raised her head and her face instantly lit up!<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You''re here?!" Cosette excitedly dropped everything, walking away from the table to wee Sarah and Amie. "Oh, god! I missed you two so much! It''s been a while!"

    Cosette embraced Sarah tightly and then Amie, smiling from ear to ear. The two of them also looked at her with excitement in their eyes.

    "I missed you, Cozie," Sarah expressed while Amie nodded. "How are you, dear? I''m sorry I couldn''t visit you much."

    "That''s fine." Cosette chuckled. "You''ve been traveling across the globe every single day, so I know you barely have time for yourself. So, don''t worry about it."

    She then shifted her attention to Amie, only to see thetter keeping quiet while looking at Cosette, teary-eyed. "Don''t look at me like that. You know if you cry, I will also cry, right? I don''t want to cry, especially with Luke around. He would just poke fun at us. I don''t want to make this day his death anniversary."

    "Cozieбн" Amie''s voice shook, taking a step to hug Cosette. However, Amie''s hands were full. So she could only lean forward while Cosette embrace her again. "I missed you. I''m sorry I couldn''t visit you much."

    "Aish! I already said it''s fine." Cosette stroked Amie''s back to coax her. "An artist needs her time to make her masterpieces. Having you alle today is really something I deeply appreciate, knowing all my friends were sessful individuals and excelling in their fields. So don''t worry about it."

    Cosette nced at Amie. "Look at you. Gosh. You''re still a crybaby. Just what would I tell your husband this time for making you cry, hmm?"

    "Why are you even crying?" Sarah chuckled, but then secretly wiped the corner of her eyes. "Amie,e now. Let''s help them set up the table. Those guys were useless in this type of thing."

    "That''s right." Cosetteughed, releasing Amie. "Wipe your eyes first before your husband sees you."

    "Will you look at that?" Sarah remarked, puckering her lips in Remo''s direction. "Until now, I can''t believe how you and Remo ended up together."

    Amie smacked her lips, chin up. "Should I tell you about our love story again?"

    "No, thanks."

    "Sarah,e on!" Amie halted as Sarah walked away after hearing Amie''s offer. "I think there were parts I haven''t told you yet."

    "Remo, please tell your wife to have mercy on me. I''m so fed up with your love story," said Sarah as she approached the table where Luke and Remo were arranging the chairs. Remo cast Sarah a look and then shifted his eyes to where Amie stood.

    "Tsk." Amie clicked her tongue while Cosette chuckled.

    "Me!" Cosette patted her chest. "I can listen to it again. After all, I like your story. You and Remo. I just find it amazing how you and Remrem ended up together, considering how you used to fear him."

    Amie blushed, biting her lips. "Then, should I tell you about it again, Cozie?"

    "Mhm!"

    "You know those types of guys that are intimidating as if they will crush you in one punch, but actually very soft behind that shell?" Amie started her story with a giggle, walking toward the table to help in arranging the table while telling Cosette her love story.

 Chapter 371 Todays Anniversary

    All of them helped worked on the garden to set up the ce and create a great mood. They worked efficiently, dividing the task to finish them on time. When the time hit four in the afternoon, everything was set and they all sat in their respective seat, surrounded by beautiful flowers with their fragrance wafting their nostrils.

    "Wow... you prepared a lot of food." Fay was in awe, gazing at the dishes on the rectangr garden table. "I shouldn''t have bought more food if I know it''ll be a lot."

    Cosette giggled, casting Luke a look. Thetter shrugged indifferently.

    "I''m in the mood," said Luke.

    "Don''t speak as if you did it all," Cosette called him out, while the restughed. "Anyway, hmm... thank you all foring today."

    Everyone looked in her direction with genuine smiles on their faces.

    "Let''s eat?" she suggested with raised brows.

    "Aren''t we going to wait for Maxen?" asked Amie, glossing her eyes over their faces. "Where is he, by the way? Don''t tell me he will note again?"

    Cosette smiled as her lips parted, but before her words could slip past her lips, Fay spoke.

    "Oh, there he is!" Cosette snapped her eyes ever so slowly, turning her head to the entrance of the garden. Her face instantly brightened up at the sight of the dashing man by the door.

    Maxen was still in a formal ck suit. His hair was neatly brushed back, disying his sinful beauty that could shake the world.

    "Max!" she jumped from her seat, excited. Cosette didn''t think twice, jogging her way to wee the love of her life. She leaped, throwing herself to Maxen.

    Maxen smiled, weing her into his embrace.

    "Max!" Cosette huffed, pouting. "I thought you wouldn''t make it today!"

    Maxen chuckled, drawing his head back. "I told you I wille, though I will be a littlete. How can I miss it?"

    "Gosh." Cosette punched his chest mildly.

    "Haha." Mischief swirled in his eyes, pulling her into his embrace. "It''s our wedding anniversary. How can I miss it?"

    "You missed itst year," sheined while he rubbed her back.

    "Haha... I''m sorry about that." Maxen slowly let her go, lowering his head while he cupped her beautiful face. The ring around his hand glinted, smiling back at her. "Are you crying?"

    "No!" Cosette shook her head profusely. "I was just anxious because I want to be with you."

    His countenance softened, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

    "Hello?? We''re still here!" Suddenly, Fay''s voice shattered the mood between Cosette and Maxen. "Goodness. I know this is your anniversary, but please! Have mercy on this singledy."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You''re not the only one who''s single here," Luke chimed in, only to receive a sarcastic remark from Fay.

    "You don''t have a girlfriend because of your personality," she dissed, casting him a judgemental look.

    "Well, I''m not jealous because I''m very much happy with my marriage." Amie giggled, leaning to her side where Remo, her husband, was sitting. "Right, honey?"

    Remo smiled at her, pinching her cheek. Seeing their interaction, Fay retched dramatically. Meanwhile, Sarah chuckled.

    "If you are so jealous of couples, why not act decently and take dating seriously?" Amie argued with Fay. "I set you up for multiple blind dates, but you ruined all of them."

    "Those guys are boring -- too boring. I don''t even know where to start." Fay rolled her eyes.

    "You guys always banter whenever we are together." After a while, Maxen''s voice was heard. All of them turned their heads to him, seeing him stand on the side of the table. "But it''s really nice to see you all here."

    "It''s nice seeing you doing well too, Max." Sarah nodded slightly while others just smiled.

    "God... I am having mixed emotions in here." Luke expressedzily, staring at Maxen. "I still can''t get over how you screwed me months ago with thatst project we worked on."

    "He might''ve screwed you over, but it prevented you from losing yourpany." This time, Remo joined in the conversation.

    "Hai hai! Enough with that, okay?" Fay knocked on the table. "I know you guys have some sort of issues, but can we please start? I''m really hungry."

    Cosetteughed, casting Maxen a look. She sat on the host seat since she was the host while Maxen was on her right. Luke was sitting across from Maxen, and then Remo and Amie were beside Luke. Fay was beside Maxen and then Sarah.

    Cosette kept a warm smile, looking at the faces looking back at her. Her gaze lingered on Maxen, sliding her hand to hold his hand. Every single one of them looked sessful, and she knew they were sessful.

    Luke had his own business that was growing rapidly each year. Meanwhile, Remo just became a high-ranking individual in the police department. Amie was a well-known painter and Fay was a film director who had produced blockbuster films in recent years. Sarah attained her goal of bing a flight attendant and was fulfilling her dreams by traveling across the globe.

    Seeing them made Cosette very proud and happy.

    "As I was saying, I want to thank all of you foring today." Cosette''s smile stretched. "I know all of you are very busy with your careers, so I deeply appreciate that you cleared your schedule today just to be with me."

    "I have many things to tell you, but I''m afraid Fay will starve to death if I start listing them down." She chuckled at her own joke. "I know you guys are all in a ce where you want to be, and I''m always proud of you all. As long as you are happy, I am also happy. I said this many times, but if times get rough, you can alwayse here since my home is also yours."

    Her eyes softened, smiling back at them with appreciation and admiration. They were also smiling back at her, but unlike the peace and joy behind Cosette''s eyes, there was one simr emotion in everyone''s eyes.

    Longing.

    Because while Cosette was looking at them with a wide smile, all of them could only smile back at Cosette''s portrait ced at the end of the rectangr table with the host''s seat empty.

 Chapter 372 Rewind

    [ REWIND ]

    "Be grateful it''s a special day and I can''t let you celebrate today with a mangled face. I prepared the hangover medicine and soup in the car. Dress up quickly. Don''t let her wait for long."

    Luke frowned and cursed at himself while Remo walked away from the presidential suite. He didn''t waste a second, dragging his feet to wash up. When he was done, he went straight to the parking where Remo was waiting for him.

    "You didn''t have to fetch me," said Luke to Remo, who was leaning against the hood of the ck sedan. "You''re not my driver, after all."

    "If I didn''t, will you evene today?" was Remo''s response, rendering Luke speechless. "I figured. You''ll probably drink until you pass out again. Hop in."

    Luke sighed, watching Remo walk to the driver''s seat. He nced at the front passenger seat, but instead of hitching inside, he got in the backseat. Remo nced at the rear mirror as Luke settled in the back seat, but said nothing. As long as Luke woulde with him, that would be fine. After all, around this time of the year, Luke would be too unpredictable and do a lot of crazy stuff.

    The car ride was silent, with Remo and Luke saying nothing. Remo kept his focus on the road, ncing at the rear mirror from time to time. Luke was just staring at the window with a poker face, making it hard for anyone to read his thoughts at the moment.

    After some time, Luke slipped his hand into his pocket. He took out his wallet, opening it to reveal the photo inside it. It was a photo of Cosette when they were still in high school. A random photo he captured during thest year of their high school, where they were having group study in his ce.

    In the photo, Cosette had her hair tied in a messy bun. Her lips were puckered, keeping a pencil in between her upper lip and nose. She was cupping her cheek, looking down at the book.

    His eyes softened, stroking the photo with his thumb.

    Remo nced at the rear mirror again, only to see Luke staring at his wallet. A sigh slipped past Remo''s lips, swallowing the tension in his throat as he refocused his eyes on the road. Luke earned this habit of staring in his wallet two years ago.

    Back then, Remo was wondering what he was staring at whenever he would visit Luke and catch thetter staring at his wallet. Luke used to say he was just checking his "financial status," until Remo found out the real reason.

    As an act of respect, Remo kept quiet throughout the ride, knowing that was what Luke needed.

    ****

    It took two hours straight for Remo and Luke to reach Cosette''s vi. Standing in front of the front door, Luke rang the bell.

    DING DONG!

    Remo, who was standing several steps from Luke, watched Luke ring the doorbell many times. Another sigh escaped his nostrils, marching forward as this was painful to watch.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Excuse me," Remo pushed Luke to the side with a key in his hand, unlocking the door and opening it for Luke. He faced thetter squarely, only to see Luke gaze at him with dull eyes. "Let''s go inside and prepare."

    "Mhm."

    With that being said, Remo stepped in while Luke idled for several seconds before following him. As soon as Luke stepped inside, Remo received a call. Remo nced at the caller, looking back to Luke. They didn''t have an excuse as Remo walked away to answer the call.

    As Remo left, Luke was left standing in the same spot. He looked around the ce, biting his inner lower lip. Cosette''s ce was well-maintained as if someone was still living in this ce.

    Luke swallowed down the building, frustration in his throat, dragging his feet heavily toward the kitchen. The moment he entered the kitchen, he scanned the area again, recalling how Cosette would work in this ce every time she was hosting a gathering.

    There were times Luke would just watch her and listen to her nagging since he was usually the first person toe.

    Luke leaned against the kitchen counter, cing his hands on either side of him and on the edge of the counter. He fixed his eyes in front of the stove.

    This... right here... Cosette would stand while preparing the food and lecturing him about how to treat a woman. But now, there was no one, and he was alone in this ce.

    A thinyer of tears coated his eyes, illuminating the pain he still hadn''t healed from. But he held his heart back, gritting his teeth while mentally telling himself she wouldn''t like it if he break down because of her.

    Luke nced to the side, catching a few small photo frames. There were three of them and were all within his reach. He sprawled his arm to pick up one, raising it before him.

    The picture frame was Maxen, Cosette, and Luke. It was taken to this vi. He could remember what happened in this photo. It was Cosette and Maxen''s housewarming party. The theme was a slumber party hence, the nightwear they were wearing while sitting around the coffee table in the lobby with drinks and snacks to celebrate the couple''s new ce.

    "I... don''t like this ce," he whispered and his voice cracked a bit, making him pause a little as his face crumpled. "This sucks, do you know that? It''s suffocating and I don''t want to be here. Ever."

    The frame in his hand trembled as his eyes were fixed on the woman with an eye mask over her head.

    "Hah..." this time, a tear rolled down his cheek as he slowly embraced the photo, unable to control the tears that were flowing from his eyes. "I missed you, Cosette. You... have no idea how much I missed your cooking."

    In the end, Luke broke down to his knees, crying. Little did he know, Remo was standing by the door of the kitchen. Remo''s jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth, but then lowered his eyes before turning around, pretending he didn''t see anything.

    Two years had already passed since Cosette''s passing, but the pain and the grief of losing her were still fresh in their hearts. Their longing for Cosette never subsided. If anything, this longing continued to deepen every passing day without her.

 Chapter 373 Rewind II

    Cosette was the type of person who would always host gatherings every month or every two months. Every single one of them was too busy pursuing their dreams; they barely had time to rest. Cosette was different.

    After getting her degree in education, Cosette applied as a high school teacher. Cosette had already gotten a degree in business in her first life, but in this life, she changed her career. Of course, she also had many things on her te as a high school teacher, butpared to her friends, she had more spare time.

    Therefore, Cosette had time to host gatherings where her high school friends who were also her current friends woulde. Because of that, these gatherings slowly transitioned into a tradition.

    There were times they would help her set up, or sometimes, just tell her they would bring food. Either way, they enjoyed each gathering full ofughter, banters, and just a time to forget their struggles.

    The reason why preparing the garden was quite easy. Helping Cosette trained them, so they already knew how to divide the task and work together. But unlike the fun arrangements, they were all silent.

    Sarah, Fay, Amie, Remo, and Luke.

    The five of them set up the garden, barely speaking a word. The only person who never stopped talking was Amie, talking to Cosette''s portrait and repeating the love story that happened after Cosette''s passing.

    Seating in their respective seats, silence descended upon them.

    "I didn''t notice it, but wow... you prepared a lot of food," said Fay, glossing her eyes over the dishes on the table.

    "I was in the mood." Luke shrugged indifferently, making the rest chuckle weakly. "Let''s eat?"

    "Aren''t we going to wait for Maxen?" asked Amie, glossing her eyes over their faces. "Where is he, by the way? Don''t tell me he will note again?"

    Fay snapped his eyes, catching a figure from the corner of her eyes. "Oh, there he is!"

    Everyone turned their heads in Maxen''s direction while thetter paused, gazing back at them. Maxen was in a ck formal suit, sporting a subtle smile at them.

    "You''re all here?" he asked, marching towards them until he was near the table. "Sorry I waste."

    Maxen looked around the garden and his eyes softened. "It''s good. She will definitely like it," hemented quietly before setting his attention back to them.

    "It''s nice to see you all here," he remarked sincerely, warranting subtle smiles from them.

    "It''s nice seeing you doing well too, Max," Sarah responded while Maxen took the seat on the host''s right.

    As soon as Maxen sat down, his eyes fell on Luke, who was sitting across from him. Luke pressed his lips into a thin line, tilting his head down slightly, but said nothing. The two of them used to be so close, almost inseparable.

    Maxen used to be Luke''s go-to person. Every time things were tough, Luke would run to Maxen just to have a few drinks. Especially with things that he couldn''t tell Cosette. Maxen wasn''t only a friend to him, but also a big brother who always had his back. Someone Luke respected even though Maxen could be very harsh on things, especially when Luke was going astray.<novelnext></novelnext>

    That never changed.

    Luke still perceived Maxen as someone he admired. However, the current distance between them was too obvious. Everyone knew the reason. Both of them lost a precious person; healing from the loss of a big part of their hearts was something that made them distance themselves from others.

    "Anyway, I know all of you are very busy," said Maxen, breaking the prolonged silence dominating the table. "I appreciate all of you for making time to be with her today."

    Maxen slowly shifted his eyes to the portrait they set up on the end of the rectangr table. His eyes softened, smiling subtly.

    "I must admit, I still find it hard to be in here with all of you. And I know it''s the same for all of you as well." He peeled his eyes away from Cosette''s portrait, forcing himself to keep the subtle smile. "But if she... if Cosette is here, I can hear her saying, "thank you foring today to be with me," and how she appreciates your efforts for making time for her."

    Luke drew a deep breath and cleared his throat, looking away. Meanwhile, Sarah pressed her lips while Fay hang her head low. Remo, on the other hand, offered a handkerchief to his wife, which Amie epted to wipe her tears.

    It was true that it was harding in here today. This ce was akin to their second home. Whenever they needed a friend or just a ce that would make them forget their problems, this home was always open for them. But without the person who would console them or listen to them without judgment, this ce didn''t feel like home anymore.

    It was suffocating and painful.

    Still, because it was Cosette''s death anniversary, they wanted to show up to let her know they were doing just fine. They could''ve just gathered in her grave, but knowing Cosette, she would prefer if they continue the tradition she started.

    Maxen sniffed hard and forced a smile, clearing his throat to rpose his thoughts.

    "I''m sorry for ruining the mood," he said, watching everyone slowly look back at him. "I''m sure you all miss her just as deeply as I do."

    His voice cracked again, but his lips stretched wider. "This might be selfish of me, but... thank you for not forgetting about her."

    "How I wish I could... even just for a day," Luke murmured,ughing as a way to rece the tears tempting to leak from his eyes.

    Sarah forced a smile to her face, squeezing Fay''s hand. Fay sniffed hard, wiping her tears as she bravely raised her head.

    "Right!" Fay breathed out. "Ahem!"

    It took them minutes to rpose themselves and when they slightly recovered, they all turned their heads in Maxen''s direction as thetter spoke.

    "Let''s eat?" he suggested, and they all nodded, smiling. But instead of eating, they shifted their eyes to the beautiful portrait at the end of the table.

    Deep in their hearts, they knew that if Cosette was here, she would be wearing the most beautiful smile that would make her eyes twinkle with pride and joy. Therefore, they all tried their best to put up their biggest smile but failed to conceal the longing in their eyes.

 Chapter 374 Not An Easy Journey

    "They updated me. They arrived in their homes safe and sound, so you don''t have to worry about them." Maxen shoved his phone inside his suit pocket, lifting his eyes to the columbarium.

    Inside it was an urn where Cosette''s ashes were kept. There were pictures inside, fresh flowers, and even some essories like their wedding ring. The entire floor of the Interment was empty, as if it was only meant for Cosette, with a table and chairs on the side for her visitors to sit on.

    Maxen raised his hands, opening the columbarium ever so slowly. His lips curled up into a subtle smile, taking out Cosette''s portrait. He then walked to the chair nearby and ced the picture on the small round table.

    "Though Amie cried a lot until her eyes were swollen," Maxen chuckled, telling her how the early dinner went. "Sarah is also dating now, she said. It seemed she was quite serious about this girlбн haha. Now that I think about it, Sarah is your first kiss. I wonder if that has got something to do with her newfound self?"

    Maxen leaned back, resting his leg over the other while his elbow was on the armrest.

    "Fay is still the same. You know her. She always knows how to figure things out on her own and she prefers it that way. Remo as well." He rocked his head, thinking of anything that went down earlier. "About Lukeбн"

    He cleared his throat, snapping his eyes back to his wife''s portrait. "Well, among our friends, he was the one who was the most hurt. Until now, he wasбн angry at this world. I can''t me him. You know how much he loves and cares for you."

    "But he will be fine. It might just take some time, but he will be fine." Maxen smiled subtly. "Weбн will be fine, hopefully."

    Because right now, Maxen couldn''t confidently say he was fine. It had been two years since he lost his wife, but until now, the pain she left was as fresh as new. This wouldn''t be an easy journey.

    "But he cooked most of the dishes," he recalled, snapping his eyes back to the portrait, only to catch a figure over the frame. Maxen slowly lifted his eyes to confirm the person approaching him.

    "I purposely camete, knowing all the visitors she would have today had gone home. I guess I was wrong."

    "Asher."

    "How are you, Maxen?" Asher smiled until his eyes squinted slightly. "It''s been a while, isn''t it? Two years? Since the funeral?"

    Maxen let out a faint sigh, assessing Asher. Although thetter looked a lot simpler, one could tell he was a man of exquisite taste.

    "She''s right there." Maxen cocked his head in the columbarium''s direction.

    "You still haven''t changed, huh?" Asher shrugged, twisting his body as he dragged himself in front of where her ashes rested. He shoved his hand inside his pockets, eyes ahead.

    "Cosette." Asher smiled. "Until now, I couldn''t understand what you saw in your husband. There''s nothing special about him."

    Listening to Asher''s sarcasm, Maxen just shook his head. He didn''t interrupt Asher until thetter stoppedining about Cosette''s preference.

    After some time, Maxen nced up while Asher invited himself to join Maxen. Asher shrugged as soon as he sat down across from Maxen.

    "You don''t mind, right?" asked Asher, jerking his chin toward the portrait on the table. "I was talking to her urn, but it feels weird that her photo isn''t there."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Didn''t you volunteer on a medical mission abroad? When did youe back?" Maxen returned, ignoring Asher''s nonsense.

    "A few hours ago." Asher shrugged. "I might stay here for good. Luke has no interest in the family business, which is understandable with hispany''s statistics."

    "You''re giving up your profession?"

    "No way." Asherughed. "Why would I do that? If you haven''t heard yet, the Quinn Holdings bought the TKA Group. In other words, the TKA Medical Center is now ours."

    Asher cocked his head to the side. "You really didn''t know? That''s strange. Howe the man who is now known as the king of the business industry didn''t hear such obvious news? Don''t tell me you''re neglecting your duties now?"

    "It''s just that yourpany is too small for me to even bother."

    "Cozie, didn''t you say I was arrogant?" Asher turned Cosette''s frame slightly so the two of them could see her beautiful smile. "Have you ever seen this side of him?"

    "She had seen my worse," answered Maxen, setting his eyes on Cosette''s photo. "Stop asking stupid things. I''m already being lenient with you. Don''t push your luck."

    "That temperбн Tsk tsk." Asher shook his head while clicking his tongue.

    Maxen kept his eyes on Cosette''s portrait, keeping quiet. When his lips parted, a question slipped past them.

    "Did you ever regret meeting her?" he asked, making Asher raise his brows. "You used to have it all. You get everything you want, but then, no matter what you do, she won''t budge."

    "I was wonderingбн if you ever regret meeting her?" he added, slowly shifting his attention to Asher.

    Asher bore a slight surprise on his face before his expression softened. His eyes fell on Cosette''s portrait.

    "The honest answer?" he asked, but continued even when Maxen didn''t reply. "There were times I wondered what was the purpose of meeting her. All she did was give me heartache."

    "But then again, if not for her, I don''t think I would be in the ce where I am today." His smile softened. "If not for her, my dream to pursue medicine will remain a dream. I can imagine how suffocating my life would be."

    "Cosette gave me courage бк though I wouldn''t deny there was this small urge to impress her with my decision back then," he continued, drawing a deep breath as he smiled peacefully, looking back at Maxen. "So, the answer is no. I don''t regret meeting her, even though she crushed my heart over and over."

    "I see..."

    "Since you asked me a question, it''s only fair if I also ask one." Asher''s smile stretched mildly. "How are you holding up, Maxen?"

 Chapter 375 At Least, We Have Something Else In Common

    "How are you holding up, Maxen?"

    Maxen stared at Asher''s genuine smile, chuckling airily. "I didn''t expect such a simple question."

    "Most of the hard questions I have in my head don''t need your answer," Asher humored, tipping his head in Cosette''s photo. "I guess these questions... will remain as a mystery forever. So? Care to spare me a minute for a check-up?"

    "Haha..." Maxen shook his head before his eyes fell on Cosette''s portrait. "How I am holding up, huh? Well... I am still alive, as you can see."

    His eyelids dropped as his eyes glinted with bitterness and sadness. "Though there were times I wished I wasn''t. Losing her is something I never thought I could bear, but I have to, and that made it even harder for me to open my eyes every single morning."

    "Killing myself will not guarantee me to go to heaven where she would be." He snapped his eyes back to Asher, looking the man straight in the eyes. "I''m still collecting all the good deeds to make sure I would enter the pearly gates."

    "I didn''t know you were into this kind of thing." Asher chuckled. "But since we''re at it, I''m curious. What if she wasn''t there? I''m not saying she might''ve gone to hell, but what if the afterlife is far different from what the living thinks? What if, after death, we would be small balls and get into the process of reincarnation? You know, stuff like that."

    "I''m not nning toe to heaven, thinking she would be there." Maxen''s answer made Asher''s brows raise. "I want to go to heaven because I want to meet God."

    "And?"

    "I''ll kill him."

    "..."

    "Before I kill him in the worst way possible, I will make him answer my question," Maxen smirked, gazing back at Cosette. "Why?"

    "Why?" Asher furrowed his brows.

    "Mhm. Why?" Maxen repeated. "Just... why?"

    There were a lot of words to add to Maxen''s question, but Asher didn''t dwell on it. He just assumed Maxen meant to say, ''why Cosette? Of all people, why would He take such a wonderful person so early?''

    "So don''t worry about me," Maxen spoke again after a moment of silence. "I will survive and live a life as a good person so I can enter heaven when it''s my time."

    "I don''t want to jinx it, but you might live a long life." Asher scrunched his nose up. "I don''t think God is that oblivious to your agenda."

    "He better be prepared." Maxen shrugged nonchntly.

    Asher shook his head once again. But that was better than knowing Maxen wanted to follow his wife. If Asher and Luke hadn''t moved on from Cosette''s passing, Asher was certain Maxen didn''t even move an inch. Dealing with grief wasn''t easy, and it would take time for the wound in their hearts to heal.

    "Look what you did, Cozie." Asher set his attention back to Cosette again, chuckling mildly. "I always think she was a yer."<novelnext></novelnext>

    He raised his gaze back to the man across from him. "You, Luke, and I... Cosette is really something to steal the role of our first love and first heartbreak, huh?"

    "It''s not her fault." Maxen shrugged. "At least we three had something else inmon aside from the blood running in our veins."

    Asherughed, peeling his back from the chair. He pped his hand on his thigh, sitting upright.

    "Anyway, I will leave first. It''s a shame you''re here, but I wille back to have some quality time with her. Please don''t visit her for a day." He smiled while Maxen''s in countenance didn''t change. "I can''t say it was nice meeting you because I am not that pleased, but let''s not meet more than three times in a year,"

    "Don''t show up in front of me."

    "I won''t." Asher waved dismissively, standing up from his seat. He didn''t idle much or go through any formality as he immediately turned around to leave.

    "Just send me a message if you will not visit her. I''ll apany her then," said Asher as he walked away without looking back.

    Maxen stared at Asher''s back and sighed. "Hey."

    Asher stopped, only to hear Maxen''s remarks before he could turn around.

    "You did your best, and it''s not your fault," was what Maxen uttered, putting a short smile on Asher''s face. Thetter didn''t reply, resuming his steps away.

    When Asher was out of sight, his eyes fell on Cosette''s photo once again. He bent over, picking up the photo before leaning back with it in his hand. Maxen stroked the ss with his thumb, smiling.

    "He changed, didn''t he?" he chuckled. "Thest time I saw him, he... was angry. I thought he would kill me, but now, he seems more at peace... or rather, a lot busier."

    The smile on his face slightly faded. Everyone had different coping mechanisms. For Maxen, Luke, and Conrad, working themselves to the bone would give them enough distraction. After all, the void Cosette let in their hearts was huge. They had to do something; they had to keep moving because once they stop, the crippling pain and longing would just pull them to the ground.

    It was obvious that was the reason Asher epted the offer to manage their family business again. Asher announced he wanted nothing to do with Quinn Holdings back then, so for him to swallow his words back, only meant one thing. He needed a different driving force aside from fulfilling his dreams as a doctor.

    "Cosette," Maxen called after another moment of silence, drawing a deep breath before he forced a smile on his face. "Happy third wedding anniversary, my love. You''re really cruel as if you don''t want me to celebrate our wedding anniversary."

    Maxen kept his tone light, as he didn''t want to cry anymore. He had no more tears to shed, after all.

    "Right." Maxen slowly put the portrait down, and then slipped his hand inside his coat. When he took it out, Maxen was holding a small journal.

    A smile turned up on his face, gazing at her portrait. "Should I read this journal?" he asked, knowing she wouldn''t answer.

    "I don''t know what sort of gift I should buy for you, so I will just rely on what I think you''d want." Maxen picked up the portrait again and then he leaned backfortably to read the journal he had read over a thousand times for her... just as she wished back then.

 Chapter 376 366

    [ Chapter 366 ]

    "Maxen, you look happy." Cosette pointed out while dancing with Maxen in the middle of the hall. "Why?"

    Maxen kept the corner of his lips curled up, gazing at the beautiful debutante before him. Last year, they weren''t able to celebrate her birthday because of some circumstances. Cosette also requested not to hold any gathering for her birthday, nagging Conrad she wanted to graduate as the first honor.

    "I''m actually sorry," he remarked, pouting to keep himself from smiling. "You worked so hardst year and didn''t even hold such a grandiose party because you wanted to be the top one."

    A frown instantly turned up on Cosette''s face. "Are you looking for a fight?" she used, ring at him.

    "You know I want to graduate as top one, but you didn''t even give me a fighting chance. Is that what a good boyfriend should do?" she continued, clicking her tongue as if all her frustration resurfaced in her head.

    "But wouldn''t you get angry if I go easy on you?" Maxen pulled her body closer, cocking his head to the side. "Moreover, you are rich. I''m not saying I''m not grateful for the opportunity, but I need a good background in case your father kicks me out."

    "Why would my dad kicks you out?"

    "Why? Well..." Maxen cleared his throat, looking around to search for Conrad. It didn''t take long for him to find Conrad in the corner, gulping down the tension in his throat upon seeing the fire in Conrad''s eyes.

    "Huh?" Cosette furrowed her brows, looking in Conrad''s direction. "Why does he look so upset?"

    Conrad was right in the corner of the hall with her grandparents, Marcel and Gretchen. Her grandfather, Marcel also wore the same deep frown as Conrad, while Gretchen could seem to be in distress about how to cheer the father and son duo.

    "I wonder if something bad happened in thepany," she whispered to herself while the lines between her brows deepened. "Or did they argue again?"

    "They didn''t." Cosette looked back at Maxen when thetter answered.

    "How did you know they didn''t?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

    Maxen didn''t answer immediately, pressing his lips into a thin line as he drew a breath. He took a deep breath and when he huffed it out, Maxen released Cosette. Taking a step back to create a distance from her, a subtle smile dominated her face.

    "Max?" her brows rose, clueless about what this was.

    "The reason Dad and Grandpa are upset is that I told them something." Maxen released her one hand, slipping it inside his pocket. Meanwhile, Cosette instinctively followed his hand, and when he took out a small box, her breath hitched.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I thought long and hard about this throughout the school year before I mustered enough courage to ask them for your hand." Maxen chuckled weakly, staring at her pair of wide eyes. "To be honest, I already asked for their permission since the second quarter of our senior year. Obviously, they weren''t happy, but I told them I will be excellent."

    "I... didn''te from a good family. I didn''t have anything to inherit or a powerful family that would back me up. Everything I have and will have are the fruits of my hard work," he continued, while his eyes softened with admiration. "That I why I promised them I mayck in many things, but I will make it up to them. If being perfect is what they want, then I''d be the smartest, the wealthiest, and the most influential. I''d make you the firstdy if they want. To do so, I need to maintain a clean and excellent record."

    Maxen rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, deliberately pausing to take a breath. "Above all, I promised to treat their princess as my queen. Fortunately, Dad took me in and I was able to sway him and Grandpa. Though I cannot hog all the credit since I got help from Nana Chen, Nanny Lucia, everyone in the mansion, and Sir Warren. I wouldn''t be able to have this opportunity if not for them, restraining Grandpa from setting me on fire alive."

    Maxen cleared his throat, shaking his head mildly. He drew another breath, huffing it, chest out. He sported a smile, releasing her hand ever so slowly.

    "Cosette c," he called as he slowly got down on his knees, opening the small box in his hand.

    The guests noticed that Maxen and Cosette had already stopped dancing and conversing. So, one after another, they instinctively turned their heads in the dancefloor''s direction.

    "What are they talking about?" wondered Fay from the corner, eating a slice of cake like a glutton. "I knew Cosette was rich, but I didn''t think I have a friend who was a daughter of a super duper rich man. Gosh, how could she --"

    Fay couldn''t finish her sentence as she cocked, making Amie pat her back.

    "Just eat, will you?" Amie frowned while patting Fay''s back. "Does it matter if Cosette is rich or super duper rich? It doesn''t change the fact that she''s our friend."

    "That''s right," Sarah chimed in, rocking her head in agreement. "Cosette is of a different caliber, but she never made us feel less. If anything, she was the simplest among us. It''s quite surprising that an heiress of a conglomerate is such a humble person."

    "Here, drink your water." Amie offered Fay a ss of water, and Fay hissed in satisfaction afterward.

    "Thanks," expressed Fay, setting her eyes back in Cosette''s and Maxen''s direction. "Are they arguing?"

    "Huh?" Amie furrowed her brows, shifting her attention to Cosette and Maxen. As soon as she did, the lines in between her brows deepened, seeing the surprise stered on Cosette''s face.

    "But why would they argue..." Sarah trailed off as her eyes dted ever so slowly when Maxen got down on his knees. Not just her, but Amie''s and Fay''s eyes almost popped out of their socket.

    As surprise dominated the guests'' faces, Maxen shunned everyone around them as he finally asked the question.

    "I might get torturedter, but..." he smiled from ear to ear. "... will give me the honor of being your husband?"

 Chapter 377 366 II

    "I might get torturedter, but... will give me the honor of being your husband?"

    Cosette''s mind went nk the moment Maxen took out the small box, making her heart thump loudly in her ears. Everything he said after that sounded distant because all she could hear was her own heartbeat. But when thatst question rolled out of his mouth, it brought her back from her trance.

    Her eyes shook, gulping down the tension in her throat. Staring back at Maxen, an inexplicable amount of emotions swelled in her chest. It reminded her of something in her previous life.

    These emotions in her heart were just as intense as those emotions in her previous life. The only difference was that Cosette felt like she was on cloud nine and not crumbling down. Thinking about it, a thickyer of tears coated her eyes.

    "Huh?" Maxen panicked as soon as tears rolled down her cheek.

    "What did you say?" he froze when her shaking voice caressed his ears.

    "What?"

    "Say it again," she requested, smiling through her tears. "I was so shocked that I was in a daze, so I didn''t hear you clearly."

    Cosette bit her lower lip to stop it from quivering. "Can you ask me again?"

    Maxen assessed her face before his shoulders rxed. He smiled, eyes full of affection with warmth embracing him.

    "Cosette c, people might say it is too early for us to enter this phase. They might say we will meet a lot of people in the future, and we might end up regretting making this big step so early," he remarked under his breath. "But I know, deep in my heart, I will never love someone as much as I loved you. They might be right, though, but one thing is for sure, I will never regret you."

    "That is why I am asking you, Cosette c." He cleared his throat as he repeated, "Will you marry me?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line to stop herself from squealing. All she could do was rocked her head and force out a faint, "yes," without bawling her eyes.

    "Yes, Maxen," she answered louder when she managed to contain her emotions. "I will marry you, Maxen Cloven. Any where, any time, and any day."

    The side of Maxen''s lips stretched from ear to ear, but his eyes also shone tears of joy. He nodded at her, standing up while taking out the ring from the box. Standing before her, he chuckled when Cosette offered her hand to him.

    "I hope it fits," she humored, only to make him snap his eyes at her.

    "It will," he answered with certainty. "Thanks to you who always sneaks in my room, I got the size of your ring."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Surprise appeared on her face before she broke out inughter while he put the ring on her. As far as she could remember, it had been a while since she stopped sneaking inside his bedroom. After all, Maxen was getting too excited about a simple touch that she had to save "him" from her.

    Meanwhile, the guests who watched this unfold were rendered speechless. The guests were a mix of family friends, business associates and affiliates, and Cosette''s friends from school. Although in the life of the socialites, engagements and arranged marriages at an early age weremon, this still surprised them. After all, Maxen and Cosette weren''t tying the knot to strengthen family ties or connections.

    It was all nothing but love.

    Others were surprised because, for them, it was, indeed, too early. Maxen and Cosette just graduated from high school. It looked like a rash decision.

    It was nothing but silence even when Maxen was already putting on the ring. But when finished, a p resounded in the hall. Everyone instinctively searched the source of the continuous loud p, only to see Luke pping.

    Luke was smiling from ear to ear, nodding at Cosette and Maxen as the two looked at him. Remo then followed, pping his hand before Sarah, Amie, and Fay followed. The girls were even squealing, cheering the two congrattions. With their lead, the rest of the guests followed until the entire hall exploded with apuse.

    Cosette smiled from ear to ear, facing Maxen squarely. As she did, she instinctively glimpsed in her father and grandfather''s direction. She flinched slightly, seeing the invisible fire enveloping the two while her grandmother sighed in distress.

    "Maxen, should we elope?" she suggested, setting her eyes back on Maxen. "I think... they will literally set you on fire."

    "I know. That''s why I am keeping my eyes on you." He chuckled. "I understand where they wereing from. After all, you were their princess. They would give the world to you if you asked them to. I''m not on the same level yet, so I can''t promise you the world for now."

    "The least I can do is face their wrath," he added, taking her hand. His thumb caressed the ring that suit her perfectly. "If hurting me will quench their anger, then I''d take it. I know they still care for me and gave me everything they could, so asking your hand is a little ambitious and greedy. But I don''t care. I''ll prove to them that I, Maxen Cloven, can love you just as deeply and intensely as them. That I am also capable of protecting you and making you happy."

    "So, don''t worry about us." His smile stretched from ear to ear until his eyes were squinting. "I''ll win their approval. Just give me time."

    Cosette''s eyes softened while listening to his remarks. She raised a hand, cupping his face, brushing his cheek with her thumb.

    "You don''t need to do anything to make me happy," she said quietly, smiling. "You... your existence and love already make me happy, Maxen. You have no idea how happy I am right now I feel like I can die."

    The two of them smiled at each other before Cosette stood on her toes, tilting her head, and pressing her lips against his. Maxen''s eyes dted in surprise, knowing everyone was looking. However, the surprise was short-lived as he smiled against her lips.

    Not caring who was looking, Maxen wrapped his arms around her waist and cupped her face. He deepened the kiss, trying to ignore the ring daggersing from Conrad and Marcel''s direction.

 Chapter 378 Wedding

    "Woohoo!!!"

    Cosette chuckled into Maxen''s lips upon hearing Fay''s loud cheers. She drew her head back, smiling beautifully at the sinfully beautiful man before her. Maxen gently smiled back at her.

    "I love you," he expressed from the bottom of his heart. "Missus Cloven."

    Her smile stretched from ear to ear, eyes twinkling with what he called her. "I love you too, Mister Cloven."

    The two of them chuckled at each other before they faced the crowd.

    There, several steps from the tform they were standing, were the guests of their simple and private wedding in the most private resort owned by a friend of the c Family. Only family and close friends were invited to this special day, and that included Luke, Remo, Sarah, Amie, and Fay.

    It had been four years since Maxen proposed to Cosette on her neenth birthday. They were engaged throughout college, and right after their graduation, they held their wedding. At this point, Maxen was juggling between work and school to fund their wedding. His pride won''t allow him to get any financial help from Conrad in their wedding.

    "Woohoo!" Fay squealed once again, pping excitedly, standing among the crown. "Great job! It''s a wrap бк ack!"

    Fay rubbed the back of her head, ring daggers at the person who smacked her mildly. "Amie!"

    "It''s a wrap?" Amie shook his head in disbelief. "What is this? Are you filming a movie or what?"

    "Tsk." Fay couldn''t retort, as she did say something unnecessary.

    Watching Amie tame Fay made Cosette and Maxen chuckle from the altar. Cosette then caught a person from the corner of her eyes.

    ''I''m so happy for you.'' Sarah, Cosette''s maid-of-honor, mouthed whilst pping.

    ''Thank you,'' Cosette mouthed, nodding.

    Cosette couldn''t say everything, but she appreciated her friendsing. After all, everyone was just starting their career. Well, aside from Luke, who established apany four years ago. In other words, everyone was busier, yet they made time for her.

    Meanwhile, Maxen kept his smile on the guest, glossing his eyes over them. His eyes then settled in Luke''s direction. Luke''splexion turned tan, an indication of how he had been on site and working under the sun.

    Luke was Maxen''s best man.

    Maxen nodded at Luke, and thetter shrugged, elbowing Remo, who was standing beside him. Maxen chuckled, watching Luke say something to Remo, which made thetter frown.

    ''Seriously,'' thought Maxen. ''He should give Remo some ck.''

    Maxen shook his head before his eyes instinctively moved in a particr direction. There, standing in the first row, was Conrad. Beside him were Marcel and then Gretchen. The three of them were pping, with Marcel wiping his eyes with a handkerchief from his wife.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A subtle smile appeared on Maxen''s face, locking eyes with Conrad. As usual, Conrad maintained a stoic countenance. However, unlike the time Maxen proposed to Cosette, Conrad seemed to have epted that this day would happen, eventually.

    Holding Maxen''s gaze, Conrad nodded at Maxen approvingly. Four years of engagement felt short for Conrad, but that was normal. For a father like him, he would never be ready to let his princess go. No matter how old she would be, Cosette would always be his baby, his princess, his beloved daughter.

    ''Please take care of her,'' said Conrad inwardly, as if he hadn''t told Maxen this countless times in the past four years. ''Make her happyбн just like today for the rest of your life.''

    ''Yes, Dad.'' Even though Conrad didn''t move his lips, Maxen already understood what Conrad was telling him through his eyes. ''I promise to make her happy.''

    Maxen''s face softened, peeling his eyes away from Conrad to his bride. "Shall we go to the venue?" he suggested, warranting an excited grin from her.

    "Mhm!"

    *******

    Laughter resonated in the wedding venue as the groom''s best man was making his speech.

    "Damn you, Max. Did you think I''d make a proper speech after what you''ve done to me?" Luke humored, making the guestsugh. The first half of his speech was nothing but full of mischief, adding embarrassing moments he had with the groom and some of Maxen''s funny mannerisms.

    "Anyway, Maxen is truly a piece of work. He can be the cruelest jerk, and even if you''re crying blood, he wouldn''t even budge. I doubt he is even listening to me right now. I''d bet my arm! I''m sure he is treating my words right now as some sort of dog barking," Luke continued, and the guestsughed loudly once again.

    "The sound you''re making now sounds less interesting than a dog''s," responded Maxen, and the crowd nearly lost it.

    "See? Isn''t he cruel? Manбн I deserve a pat for being his friend." Luke patted his back and sighed. His eyes scanned the guests and were pleased with their ted mood. "Even so, Maxen is a great guy."

    His smile softened, and so was his tone. "He is not perfect; he is annoying and sometimes an insensitive jerk. But he''s the most genuine person I had ever met in my life. There were times his methods were harsh and cruel, but it''s what I call tough love. If not for him, I don''t think I''d be here today, having the honor of making this speech on his special day."

    "Maxen, I know you have been waiting for this day for four years ago." Luke set his eyes on the bride and groom''s table, smiling. "I''ve seen how you worked hard juggling between school and work, aiming to be the best, and being a good brother to me, and a loving lover to Cosette. I am deeply happy for you that these words feel likecking to express my heart."

    "Congrattions, my brother. With this new chapter of your life, I only wish you both nothing but the best, happiness, and peace." He paused and then moved his eyes to Cosette. "Cosette, you know how much I love you, right? So be happy; I know Max will make you the happiest. If he doesn''t, I''m on a team with Grandpa Marcel. We''ll put him in his ce."

    "That''s right!" Marcel harrumphed, making the guests chuckle.

    "See?" Luke grinned yfully while Maxen smiled. Cosette, on the other hand, was chewing her bottom lip as tears continued to roll down her cheek. Hence, Maxen offered her a handkerchief to not ruin her makeup.

    "I offer this toast to the newlywed. May your love blossom even more beautifully and wonderfully, but please, hold back when around me. I can''t keep injecting insulin."

    The guests chuckled, raising their sses, waiting for the bride and groom to raise their sses as well. When Cosette recovered slightly, she forced a smile as she and Maxen raised their sses for a toast.

 Chapter 379 Wedding II

    After the best man''s speech, Sarah also made her speech as she was the bride''s maid of honor. Unlike Luke, whose speech was ny percent troll, making fun of the groom, Sarah''s speech was way more serious.

    Sarah thanked Cosette for their friendship and for the opportunity of making her Cosette''s maid of honor. She then went on, sharing with the guests her rtionship with Cosette.

    "To be honest, I don''t believe in marriage. My parents divorced years ago, and that separation almost ruined my and my sibling''s future. As a teen, I had myriads of questions about why things went how they did. You can say I was traumatized, twisting everything, and believing that everything had its end." Sarah smiled bitterly. "However, as I stand here, looking at how happy you two are, I want to believe I was wrong."

    "Regardless of my twisted outlook in marriage, I sincerely and deeply wish you two nothing but happiness." Her eyes softened. "Maxen, to be honest, I didn''t like you at first. I thought you were scary and arrogant бк the pole opposite of Cosette."

    "He is still an arrogant prick, and he knows that!" Luke yelled from the crowd, making everyoneugh.

    Sarah cleared her throat as she continued. "But after years of standing on the side, watching you two, I know you genuinely love Cosette more than anyone could imagine. Still, I ask you to take care of Cosette and make her the happiest because she deserves it."

    "Cosette is very precious to me, and I''m sure she took up a spot in everyone''s heart that no one could ever rece." She looked at the guest, catching them rocking their heads in agreement. "You might''ve been tired of hearing these now, butбн we love her just as deeply as you do. So, take care of her. Don''t make her cry, don''t disappoint her, or even make her angry. It''s impossible, but be extra patient with her."

    Cosette couldn''t stop her tears again, but this time, she held onto Maxen''s handkerchief to wipe her tears. Maxen nodded at Sarah, making thetter smile back at him.

    "Cosette, my dearest friend, I know how much you waited for this day. And I''m happy that you finally tied the knot with the man you loved so dearly," Sarah continued, this time addressing her message to Cosette. "I mentioned it before, but I will say it again. Thank you for giving me the honor of bing your maid of honor. Thank you for being my friend and for saving my life."

    "You might not know it, but I owe you my life. Those days you lend your ears and held my hands as you listened to me without saying anything meant a lot to me. Now, on this day, I wish you nothing but the best. They said marriage is full of ups and downs, but if you ever needed an ear or a friend, I am just one call away." She offered the crying bride a gentle smile. "No matter where I am in the world, I will rush to you."

    "Be patient with your husband, understand him, and love him just like how you wanted to be loved. I believe if you two do this, everything will be fine." She raised her ss of champagne. "I offer this toast to my dearest Cosette and Maxen. I wish you nothing but the best. Congrattions on tying the knot."

    Cosette chuckled through her tears, reaching for her ss to toast with her dearest Sarah. As the bride and groom raised their sses, the guests also raised theirs, toasting and wishing the newlyweds a love that wouldst for a lifetime.

    *

    *

    *

    After the main ceremony, Cosette was escorted to their hotel room to change and wash up for their wedding night. Meanwhile, Maxen had to stay in the venue a little longer to amodate the guests. This brief separation was to increase the anticipation for the newlywed on their first night together.

    The mischievous Luke dragged Maxen around, partying, making Maxen drink a bit more than he should. Maxen thought he wouldn''t be able to escape. Fortunately, while he was cheating shots, Luke wasn''t. In the end, Luke passed out and Maxen was able to join his wife.

    Knockбн

    Maxen knocked on the door once, stopping as he realized he also had the keycard. Yet, he didn''t enter immediately. Instead, he stood in front of the presidential suite for a full minute.

    ''Why am I suddenly nervous?'' he wondered to himself, loosening his tie to breathe. ''It''s not like this is the first time I''m going to spend a night with her.''

    His already reddish cheek turned redder at the thought. It was true that this wouldn''t be the first time he would spend a night with her, but now, they were legal to be one. All these years, Cosette and Maxen could only be satisfied with a level of intimacy that was a mix of torture and pleasure. But now, they didn''t have to call it crossing the line. If anything, it would be called doing marital duties.

    ''Damn you, Luke.'' Maxen shook his head to get rid of the perverted thoughts clouding his mind. He let out a huff and tapped his keycard, entering the presidential suite instead of idling outside.

    As soon as Maxen stepped into the lobby of the penthouse, he looked up at the second floor. From his spot, he could see the door of the master''s bedroom. The door was open. He gulped, taking a step toward the stairs. However, just as he did, he stopped, sniffing hard to smell himself.

    ''I reek of alcohol,'' hemented to himself, ncing at the second floor. ''I should wash up first.''

    Maxen nodded and instead of going straight to where Cosette was, he went straight to the bathroom on the first floor to wash up. He washed and scrubbed every inch of his body, brushed his teeth at least three times, and then stared at the mirror for minutes.

    It took him at least half an hour before he mustered enough courage to go to the second floor in his bathrobe. Since the door of the master''s bedroom was open, he didn''t need to knock. His mind had imagined different scenarios of what Cosette might be doing, but as soon as he reached the room, the bed was empty.

    Maxen searched the room with his eyes, only to see Cosette sitting on the chair behind the small round table. She was writing something in a notebook, smiling happily.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''Is she recording what happened today?'' he wondered, leaning his side against the jamb. Maxen folded his arms under his chest, watching her write happily. At this point, he already knew Cosette had a habit of writing in her ''diary.'' He found it adorable.

    After some time, Maxen peeled his side from the jamb, marching inside slowly.

    "Whenever I see you writing in that book, my interest in reading it jumps." Cosette jolted when his voice pierced the silent air, making her look up at him. "You said you''d make me read it one day. We''re married now. Isn''t it the time?"

    "Nope!" Cosette closed the journal while moving her finger sideways. "Not yet."

    "I thought the time you''re saying is when we''re married, where there will be no secret between us."

    "Hehehe." Cosette nted her hand on top of the journal, walking in his direction until she was standing in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, batting her eyes coquettishly. "It''s not a secret, though. It''s not like I didn''t want you to know, but just not the time yet."

    "Why does it need the perfect timing?"

    "Becauseбн" she trailed off and grinned mischievously. "It''s a secret."

    Maxen frowned, snaking his arms around her waist. "Any hint, at least?" he suggested, pulling her body closer.

    "Hmmбн" Cosette hummed a long tune before she smiled brightly. "You can read it when I can no longer write."

    "You mean when you are older?" he arched a brow while she just giggled. "Then that would be a very long time. I should maintain good eyesight."

    "Hehe." Another giggle slipped past her lips, staring at the face of her husband. "Max."

    "Mhm?"

    "Aren''t you excited?"

    "About?"

    "That both of us will finally lose our virginity." His face turned red in embarrassment while Cosetteughed like an evil witch. "Let''s do it now! I''ve been waiting for this for many years бк let''s do it!"

    "Cosette, can''t you wait for us to build the mood?" Maxen sighed in distress.

    "Weren''t we already in the mood already?" she cocked her head to the side, making him sigh helplessly once again.

    Maxen stared at her pretty face, pinching her chin with his thumb. His eyes lingered on the lips he had kissed many times, yet his hunger for it was still the same. He slowly raised his eyes to meet hers, smiling at the same time as her.

    As Maxen leaned forward, her eyes softened. Cosette slowly closed her eyes, allowing him to im her lips. His arms around her waist tightened, pulling her closer until there was no more space between their bodies. Reluctant to part from their fiery kiss, they blindly walked to the bed, and before she knew it, Cosette''s back already felt the soft mattress.

    "Hahбн" Maxen reluctantly parted his lips from hers, resting his forehead against hers as he caught up to his breathing. He then pushed himself away slightly, staring at his beautiful wife lying underneath her. "Cosetteбн my wife."

    The corner of her lips curled up, stretching her hands to cup his face. "Yes, my husband?"

    Maxen took one of her hands from his cheek, nting a kiss on it while keeping his eyes on her. He didn''t stop there as he kissed his way from her hand to arms up to her shoulder, neck, jaw, and lips.

    That nightбн was only the first among the countless round of passion Cosette and Maxen would share. And each time, their hunger, passion, and love were deeper than it already was.

    He thoughtбн this happiness wouldst for a lifetime, but life had a different n for them. Because after this wedding, it was only a carousel of agony.

 Chapter 380 First Day Of Work

    Monthster...

    "Mhm." Cosette moaned, grinning against Maxen''s lips. She loosened her grip around his arms, drawing her head back. "Max, it''s my first day of work. I can''t bete, you know?"

    Maxen pulled her waist closer. "What''s the rush? There are still two hours. It''ll be quick," he teased, brushing the tip of his nose against hers.

    "Max..." Cosette chuckled and then pped his chest when she felt his hand squeeze his bottom. "Stop it. I want to leave a good first impression -- you know how much I worked hard for me to get in, right?"

    ''Even if you didn''t work hard, you''re already overqualified,'' was what came to his mind, but kept it to himself. After all, Cosette did work hard to get into the high school she wanted to teach.

    "Is this how you feel every morning whenever I go to work?" he frowned. "I feel like crying."

    "Hahaha!" Cosetteughed out loud, pping his chest once again. "Gosh. You are so dramatic. Let me go so I can finish your lunch box."

    Maxen reluctantly let her go, watching her go back to where he pulled her from. Maxen leaned against the kitchen counter while she worked in the kitchen to prepare him a lunchbox. The smile on his face while watching his beautiful wife prepare him food was soft, with eyes full of nothing but admiration.

    Be it then or now, Cosette never failed to make his lunch box, and he never failed to go home with it empty.

    "Aren''t you tired, Cosette?" he asked out of pure curiosity.

    "About?" she replied while chopping the onions for his breakfast.

    "Making lunch boxes." Maxen smacked his lips. "You''ve been making my lunchbox since high school and even during college. I thought you''d stop, but you still wake up early in the morning to make them. That is why I moved my schedule because I don''t want you to wake up that early."

    Cosette paused, looking back at him with a smile. "Why would you think I''d stop? Would you stop eating after getting your degree?"

    "Make sense." Heughed, making her shake her head while going back to the stove. "Do you need my help?"

    "That would be unnecessary, but I''d appreciate it if you don''t touch anything in the house."

    "Why is that?"

    Cosette grinned while sauteing the food. "What do you mean, ''why?'' Isn''t it obvious? I want us to slowly clean things up together. You can pay anyone to arrange our things, but what''s the fun in that?"

    Maxen shifted his attention to the things loitering around the dining. They just moved to their matrimonial home. It was just a simple two-story vi. Cosette didn''t want a big house because she said having a big house meant they would have a hard time looking for each other.

    "Will we even have time, though?" he asked, setting his eyes back to her vantage point. "It''s been a week since we moved into this ce, but aside from the table and bed, most of our things are still in the boxes."

    "Of course, we will have time." Cosette cast him an usatory look. "IF you stop seducing me! All we did is have lots of lovemaking."

    "Don''t tell me you''re getting sick of it?" Maxen cocked his head to the side. "We''re still on page 69 in the books of Kamasutra."

    "Maxen Cloven." this time, Cosette red at him. "Please behave yourself."

    Maxenughed, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I won''t tease you anymore." He feigned innocence under her gaze.

    "Gosh. You are such a pervert," she grumbled, continuing what she was doing.

    Meanwhile, Maxen just chuckled and held back any mischievous remarks. Knowing how stubborn she was, Maxen simply watched her prepare their breakfast and his lunchbox.

    After some time, Cosette finished preparing their breakfast and they dined together. Both of them ate heartily, enjoying each other''spany and the love and effort she put into her cooking.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "By the way, I heard that there will be a bidding onnd in the Wisen District." Cosette broached in the middle of their meal. "Are you participating?"

    "I''m interested."

    "Oh..."

    "Why are you asking?"

    "Well, just interested." She shrugged. "I mean, I bought somend in the area a few years back using my savings. So, I want to know if what I heard is true."

    Maxen furrowed his brows, watching her continue to eat. "You boughtnds in the Wisen District a few years back?"

    "Mhm."

    "Why?"

    "Huh?"

    "Why did you buynds in the area? I mean, Wisen district is a struggling ce. I find it strange that you''d find interest in buyingnds there."

    Cosette looked back at him, chewing her food slowly. ''Right,'' she thought. ''That does sound weird, but in my first life, the redevelopment of the area made many people instant multi-millionaires.''

    "Well... because I''m Cosette c?" Cosette lied, shrugging indifferently to not give any hint. "Even though I didn''t n to inherit the family business, I''m still interested in the business economy. From a geographical point, Wisen District is surrounded by progressive cities. So there was a high chance that this ce would be redeveloped..."

    Cosette went on and on, putting more logic and business point to justify her ''reason'' for buying somends in the area. Not that Cosette was lying. In her first life, Cosette was the one who won the bidding in the saidnd.

    "Wow... my wife is really amazing." Maxen leaned forward, cupping his face, admiring the beauty across from him. "People might think you''re a businesswoman instead of a high school teacher."

    "Hey, I was a businesswoman. If I didn''t transfer schools, I will be one of the most sessful businesswomen in the country." Cosette humored confidently, which wasn''t entirely a lie. "Go eat up."

    "I will drop you off."

    "Nope."

    Maxen frowned. "Why? It''s my wife''s first day of work. I should at least drop you off."

    "Hehe." Cosette giggled, grinning until her eyes were squinting. "I need you to miss me."

    "Unfair."

    "I want to leave a good impression on my superior and colleague. If they see you, I''m pretty sure you''d take the spotlight away from me."

    "That''s not true." Maxen cocked his head to the side, blinking almost innocently.

    "Gosh." Cosette just rolled her eyes, not knowing Maxen was being serious.

    Most of Maxen''s business partners and even those subordinates close to him only tell him one thing when he got married: what a lucky man! Cosette was just that beautiful, and he was certain she would surprise her colleagues.

    With that, the two of them ate their breakfast peacefully.

 Chapter 381 Why Are You Disappointed, Cosette?

    "Bye."

    Maxen waved Cosette from the front door, watching it speed away. A deep sigh slipped past his lips.

    "She''s so stubborn," he murmured, shoving his hand inside his pocket. "And cruel. Can''t she just let me drop her off?"

    Before the breakfast ended, Maxen kept insisting on dropping off Cosette to the school. However, she adamantly refused. It would be strange if it was others, but this was Cosette. At this point, he had grown used to how uselessly stubborn she could be at times.

    Maxen shook his head mildly as he went back inside. Stopping by the door, he looked around the mess in the house.

    "I want to stay with her all morning, so I cleared my morning schedule..." he grumbled, dragging his feet away back to the kitchen. He was nning to drop her off and perhaps tour the school she would be working in while he wait for lunchtime so they could have lunch together. But that n was absolved even before it could start.

    Knowing there was nothing to do, Maxen went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. He knew Cosette would wash it once shees home. Hence, he already did so she could just rest a bit. Hiring a house cleaner wouldn''t be a problem, but she adamantly wanted the two of them to decorate the house to their liking.

    "I guess the perfect time to clean this house is weekends," he told himself, knowing Cosette wouldn''t have to go to school during weekends.

    Maxen already nned his week in his head, moving his schedule for today a lot earlier since his n A failed. Once he finished washing the dishes, he felt a little thirsty.

    Wiping his hands, he made his way to the fridge to get something to drink. But as he drank a ssful of water, he caught something from the corner of his eyes. His eyes slid to the corner, furrowing his brows.

    "Hmm?" Maxen reached for the item in the egg storage, only to pick up a phone. Opening it, he instantly recognized it was Cosette''s because the wallpaper was their wedding picture.

    "Did she forget it here?" he wondered. "That''s strange."

    It was a strange ce for a person to forget an essential item. However, Maxen med the fact that Cosette had been nervous days before her first day of school. She had myriads of what ifs such as ''what if they didn''t like her?'' and things like that.

    "I guess she really was nervous." Maxen chuckled, gripping the phone to put it in a safe ce. But just as he took a step, he halted. His eyes suddenly lit up as an idea suddenly crossed his mind.

    "How would I contact her if she doesn''t have her phone?" he asked himself dramatically, raising the phone before him. "I should bring this to her, right?"

    The corner of his lips stretched from ear to ear until his teeth were showing. Mischief shone in his eyes before he excitedly marched away to deliver his wife''s phone because that was what a good husband does.

    ******

    Meanwhile...

    Tak.

    Tak.

    Tak.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The repetitive sound of tapping, thumping, and other noises filled Cosette''s ears. Each of these noises increased her anxiety, but she stayed still. Cosette took a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily to keep herself calm.

    Her reasoning to Maxen of why she didn''t want to drop her off was because her destination wasn''t the school. It was true that it was the first day of her work. However, she received a memo the other night, telling her she shoulde a bitter than she was supposed to.

    ''Please...'' she prayed in her heart. ''... give me good news.''

    It had been seven years since Cosette returned in time. Around this time in her original life, she was already showing signs of her illnesses. So far, aside from the constant nose bleeding, Cosette didn''t think she had other problems. Therefore, she scheduled a general checkup on a day no one would expect.

    So while getting an MRI scan, Cosette prayed and prayed to hear good news. Although she wasn''t putting her hopes up too much. All she prayed for was that it wasn''t as worse as she thought it would be.

    Cosette went through different check-ups withoutining, following the procedure perfectly. After the endless tests, she waited and waited until the nurse called her to see the doctor.

    Sitting in front of the doctor''s office, Cosette looked at the doctor with anticipation.

    "About the result..." her quiet voice broke the silence while the doctor was checking the result of her MRI scan. "... how was it?"

    The doctor slowly shifted his eyes back to her, putting down the results on the desk.

    "Missus Cloven..."

    *

    *

    *

    Cosette sat quietly in the driver''s seat of the car. Her hands were fixed on the steering wheel while her eyes were nk.

    "Missus Cloven, I saw your CT scan and I''m afraid we need to conduct more tests..." were the doctor''s words. When she heard those words from the doctor, her heart instantly sank because of how familiar those words were when she first heard the doctor''s words in her first life.

    "... we need to make sure... because you might have an early on-set dementia... but we cannot tell for sure because it might also be a different disease..." She could barely make up for what the doctor was saying as his voice sounded distant.

    Cosette didn''t need to listen to everything, though. She already knew what he would say, what tests needed to be done, and everything after that. Hence, she didn''t take the time to listen to everything. Her mind just drifted, and she couldn''t even remember how she got out of the doctor''s office or how she drove to work.

    "Why... are you disappointed, Cosette?" she asked herself listlessly. "It''s not like you don''t know this might happen. Although... it was a little early."

    The corner of her lips curled up bitterly, forcing herself to smile. But s, tears just rolled down her cheek, even if she sported a brave front.

 Chapter 382 What Should I Do?

    Life had always been unfair, and that was what Cosette epted long ago. It was the reason the viiness didn''t want to be saved. She was blessed once; she was given the opportunity to correct her life and the people around her.

    Cosette saved Conrad from the incident in Sharie where he would be caught in the crossfire between the fight of the rebels and the government. In their first life, Conrad would be injured, which would lead to multipleplications, and eventually die.

    But Conrad was fine even right this second.

    Conrad was living life the way he wanted to, and that alone was something Cosette was grateful for. She didn''t have to organize a funeral in this lifetime.

    She was also grateful that Maxen didn''t have to go join hands with the notorious criminal organization. Maxen didn''t turn out to be the monster she used to know, but a loving and understanding man with morals and conscience.

    Maxen changed; his life changed because she stepped into his life before he could make a turn of no return. And because Maxen changed, many people''s lives changed as well. For instance, Remo.

    Even though Remo was a minor character, he used to y a big part in Maxen''s criminal life. Remo, in their previous life, was Maxen''s right-hand man. The details of his story and how he became Maxen''s hellhound were never clear to Cosette, but what she was certain was it had something to do with Remo''s grandfather.

    Now, Remo was a military man slowly climbing up the ranks because of his hard work in fighting for justice and his country.

    Luke, on the other hand, didn''t die. Instead of bing a bitter second young master of the Quinn family, who would return after studying abroad, Luke became a sessful businessman. Without anyone''s financial help or relying on the Quinn family''s connection, Luke established and stabilized his business. If that wasn''t a great result, Cosette didn''t know what to call it. After all, Luke was in a happier ce in life than he ever was as the son of a conglomerate empire.

    Asher as well. Cosette still kept hermunication with Asher. Even though the two of them would rarely exchange emails, Cosette was certain from his emails that he was doing great. He used to dream of wearing ab coat, but he had always thought he was destined for a different career. But now, Asher was pursuing the dream and passion he never thought he would.

    As for the rest, like Sarah, Fay, and Amie, they were people Cosette had never met in her previous life. However, they were people she was d and thankful to have met in this lifetime. They were people who valued their friendship just as much as she valued it. Cosette couldn''t remember anyone in her previous life who was just as genuine as the three of them.

    "So, why are you disappointed, Cosette?" Cosette asked herself quietly as tears rolled down her cheek. "Youбн seeded, didn''t you? Why are you crying?"

    Her grip on the steering wheel tightened, allowing the silence to embrace her tightly. It wasn''t like Cosette didn''t expect this oue. She didn''t dwell on it, yes. But that didn''t mean she hadn''t prepared herself.

    Still, knowing she still had her illnesses a lot earlier made herбн sad. It didn''t surprise her or frightened her. It just made her sad, knowing her time was numbered.

    "Howбн do I say goodbye?" she asked herself, and all the answers she came up with were nothing.

    Thinking about Conrad, her grandparents Marcel and Gretchen, her friends, and even the people in the c Mansion, Cosette couldn''t bring herself to tell them that she was dying. That, in no time, she might forget about them and they have to watch her deteriorate.

    "What should I doбн?" came out a whisper, her lips quivering.

    Knock knock.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The silence embracing Cosette broke when a knock came from outside the driver''s seat. Cosette slowly raised her head, seeing Maxen bent over while knocking on the window mildly.

    "Maxбн" she whispered, smiling, despite knowing she might be in trouble. Cosette sniffed hard and wiped her eyes, making sure he wouldn''t notice she was crying. When she checked herself onest time in the rear mirror, Cosette forced a smile before getting out of the driver''s seat.

    Maxen stepped back as the door opened, watching here out. His brows were raised, while his questions were at the tip of his tongue.

    "Max," she called as soon as she faced him, but his response was a frown.

    "Were you crying?"

    "Huh?"

    Maxen didn''t speak, reaching out his hand to cup her cheek. "You were crying, were you?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, biting her inner lower lip. She gazed at him while his eyes were focused on her.

    ''What did I expect?'' she thought. ''Of course, he would notice. He is my husband, after all.''

    "Won''t you ask me first where I went?" she brought up, watching him snap his eyes ever so slowly back to her. "Knowing you, I''m pretty sure you already know that I didn''t go straight to work."

    "You will tell me if you want to." Maxen retrieved his hand, sighing. "Although I am upset you are now lying to your husband, I''m certain there was a good reason for that."

    "Aren''t you afraid I''m already having an affair?"

    "Why would I?" Maxen raised a phone, shaking it mildly as he added, "how are you going to meet your lover if you don''t have this?"

    Cosette slowly shifted her eyes to the phone, furrowing her brows. That was her phone, and she knew that at first nce.

    "You left it in the fridge," said Maxen while she shifted her eyes back to him. "I don''t know why you would leave it in the fridge, of all ces, but here. The first day of work is nerve-racking. I felt the same when Dad took me to the office."

    Maxen handed her the phone, which she eptednguidly.

    "Now, will you tell me where you went?" he asked as she held the phone, cocking his head to the side. "Your superior told me that you still have an hour before your duty. Can you please tell me the truth? Where did you go early in the morning, Cosette?"

 Chapter 383 Housewarming

    "Can you please tell me the truth? Where did you go early in the morning, Cosette?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, sighing in surrender.

    "Fine," she said, gripping her phone tightly. "I went to the hospital?"

    "Hospital?" Panic instantly shone in Maxen''s eyes and face, taking a step closer to her with his hands on her shoulder des. "Why? Are you hurt anywhere? Are you sick?"

    Maxen bombarded her with questions about why she was in the hospital while checking her body. Watching him quietly, Cosette sported a subtle smile.

    "It''s not like that, Max," she said, making him look up to meet her eyes. "I visited the hospital for a check-up."

    "For?"

    "Wellбн I''m a few days dyed, so I wanted to see ifбн you know?"

    Maxen froze for a second, blinking.

    "What''s with that look? If I don''t know better, I''d think that was a look of horror," she humored, clicking her tongue yfully. "The result came back negative. The doctor told me it was too early to know, so I have toe back two weekster. That is if my period still hadn''te. For now, she told me to watch my diet and health."

    "I seeбн" Maxen rocked his head, obviously surprised at the sudden thought of Cosette being pregnant. It wasn''t impossible, though. Since their wedding night, there wasn''t a day Maxen failed to show Cosette his intense love.

    "For a moment, I thought something happened." He heaved a sigh of relief, cupping her cheek. "You didn''t have to lie, though. Wouldn''t it be better if we went together?"

    "But I want to surprise you if the results were positive."

    "Ohhбн"

    Cosette pouted. "Anyway, it''s alright. Even if the results were negative, we can just try again."

    "Yes." Maxen smiled, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "But are you really alright?"

    "Huh?"

    "You were crying when I knocked, weren''t you?"

    "Oh. Well." Cosette chuckled awkwardly. "I was a little disappointed. That''s all. Even if I know it''s not the end of the world, I still put my hopes up."

    Maxen let out a shallow breath, raising his other hand to cup her other cheek. Her brows rose as he squeezed her cheek until her lips puckered.

    "What are you doing?" she asked, almost sounding gibberish.

    "Life is so unfair," he remarked randomly. "My wife is still so pretty even if I do this."

    Cosette instantly pped his cheek while heughed. "Gosh, Mister.."

    "Haha. I''m just trying to make youugh and it somehow worked." He shrugged, taking another step. Without a moment''s notice, Maxen circled his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

    "Max!" Cosette clutched his chest on instinct; her phone was still within her hand''s grip. "We are on the school ground."

    "I know, but it''s not like I''m doing anything wrong."

    "But this isn''t the ce to disy our affection!" she pped his shoulder weakly. "I''d be in trouble if a student saw their teacher flirting with her husband."

    "Is that a sin?"

    "Maxбн"

    "Haha. I know, I know. But no one wille." He grinned, winking at her. "Everyone was in the school gymnasium. Isn''t that the reason you don''t have toe too early on your first day?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Goshбн" Cosette rolled her eyes; she forgot about that.

    "So?" Maxen cocked his head to the side. "Should we go to the nearest coffee shop? My wife is upset and I just couldn''t send you off to work, knowing she''s upset."

    His smile stretched broader until his eyes seemed to twinkle. "Shall we buy some ice cream? Maybe n what position we want the make the baby?"

    Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line as her eyes softened.

    "Youбн" she trailed off, staring at this face as if etching it deep into her dysfunctional brain. "... are such a pervert."

    And with that, they resolved everything with just a cone of ice cream. Cosette married the most loving, caring, and considerate man she had ever met in this lifetime. And she was grateful for that.

    Having Maxen as apany in times she felt lost wasforting. He might not know it, but this wasn''t the first time Maxen showed up when she needed him the most.

    Therefore, Cosette made a promise that day which he didn''t tell him.

    Instead of crying quietly oring up with ns on how to say goodbye to her loved ones, she used that energy to count the blessings in her life. Good thing Cosette had been subconsciously doing this since returning in time, writing it down in a memoir.

    *******

    Maxen and Cosette agreed to clear their schedule on the weekends to clean their house. The two of them diligently joined forces, moving furniture, cleaning every corner of the house, and ying in between. They were the perfect team. With their understanding of each other, it only took two weekends until they fixed the house and everything.

    "Ahh! I''m so tired!" Cosette threw herself on the couch. Her headnded on Maxen''sp, blinking at him curiously. "Max, aren''t you tired?"

    "We only dealt with the little things that were left." Maxen gazed down at her. "So, I''m not that tired."

    "What?" Cosette frowned. "What is the meaning of this? Are you telling me I''m getting old? That''s why I feel exhausted? Is this a sign of aging?"

    "I''m just saying I''m in a good shape." Maxen poked the tip of her nose mildly. "You should exercise бк"

    "No, thanks."

    Maxenughed as she rolled her eyes. "All I''m saying isбн" he trailed off as the doorbell rang.

    DING DONG!

    Cosette furrowed her brows, looking at Maxen. "Are you expecting someone?"

    "No?" Maxen shook his head. "It''s probably Reynold. I''ll go check it."

    "Tss. Should I scold your assistant for making you work, even during the weekend?" Cosette sat up, frowning.

    "Be kind to him." Maxenughed, pushing himself up. "I''ll be back."

    Cosette huffed, watching Maxen walk away to see the person outside their house. Reynold was Maxen''s chief secretary, and she already guessed Maxen probably had to sign some papers. However, she was wrong because a momentter, cheerful voices came erupted in the living room.

    "Surprise!"

    Cosette slowly shifted her eyes to the voices, only to see Maxen walking in. Behind him was Sarah, Amie, Fay, Luke, and then Remo. Her eyes dted as she darted them over their faces.

    "I told them we''ve been cleaning the house sincest week and calcted we will finish today," exined Maxen, standing near the couch she was sitting on. "So, I invited them for a housewarming."

    Cosette opened and closed her mouth, staring at her husband. She couldn''t say anything but smile, but deep in her heart, she had a lot of things to say. One of them was,

    ''I am so lucky to be loved by you.''

 Chapter 384 Nothing

    "Enjoy your weekends...!" Cosette left her ss with a friendly remark before packing her things and leaving. She had been a teacher for a couple of months now, and she could confidently say she didn''t regret her decision.

    Never in Cosette''s wildest imagination did she ever think she would be a teacher. Whether in her previous life or the current one, it didn''t cross her. Thus, it surprised her how she enjoyed teaching and being a second parent to her students.

    It reminded her of the young Cosette and Maxen. They said the school was like a second home, but Cosette realized that wasn''t always the case. Sometimes, school and home were a youth''s main battlefield. That was why she thought she could make a school a ce a child could have peace. She might not change the world, but at least she could keep youth from bing another Maxen Devilsin.

    "Teacher Cosette." A male teacher approached Cosette the moment she came into the faculty.

    Cosette''s steps slowed down, brows raised. "Yes, Sir Sebastian?" her steps stopped, facing the P.E. teacher who was still in his tracksuit as always.

    "The faculty staff are nning to have dinner together. Do you want to go?"

    "Uh..." Cosette pressed her lips, looking back at him apologetically, even before she could respond. "I would love to, but I have an important family dinner tonight."

    "Ohh..."

    "I''m really sorry. Maybe I cane next time."

    "It''s alright." The P.E. teacher, Sir Sebastian, scratched the back of his head,ughing awkwardly. "I mean, family is important and you are very family oriented. Anyway, if your arrangement gets canceled -- not that I am praying for it -- you cane."

    "Mhm." Cosette chuckled, nodding at her colleague before he awkwardly bid her farewell. As she parted ways with her, the smile on her face remained, walking back to her desk.

    Cosette wasn''t dense not to know that Sebastian had a little crush on her. She was already mature enough to notice, but she simply didn''t pay attention to it. After all, Sebastian was harmless; all he did was invite her to legit teacher dinners and gatherings. No more, no less.

    Moreover, everyone in the faculty knew she was married as well. Although they didn''t know who her husband was, she preferred it that way. It was the reason she entered this school; people would treat her just as equally to everybody else.

    Therefore, Cosette had all sorts of colleagues. For instance, Sir Sebastian. He was loud and robust, but he was actually very shy and kind. Some teachers were strict and unmoving, making Cosette feel they were watching her every move. Some were friendly to Cosette, but not everyone likes her.

    The normal work environment a person had.

    It was very different from the career she pursued in her previous life, where she was the boss. That she only needed to lift a finger to destroy a person''s life, and that she was above everyone else. It also paid better, about a hundred times or more. This sounded better, but to be truthful, Cosette was more fulfilled with her current career.

    "Teacher Cosette, are you leaving?"

    Cosette stopped just after a few steps from her desk, hugging a few folders and a lesson n She turned her head to the source of the voice, smiling, and nodded.

    "Yes," she said to another fellow teacher who was around her age.

    "You''re noting to the teacher''s dinner?"

    "I have a family dinner as well, and I can''t miss it." Cosette maintained her smile. "Maybe next time."

    "You always have family dinners." The female teacher pouted, resting her chin on the cubicle. "I think it was just two days ago since you had a family dinner."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "That''s impossible."

    "What?"

    "It''s been a month since I had a family dinner with my dad and grandparents."

    The female teacher blinked. In the school, she was the closest to Cosette. Thus, they would usually chat whenever they had free time to spare.

    "That''s what you said two days ago too," said the teacher. "Cozie, if you don''t want toe, just say so. Is Sebastian making you feel ufortable?"

    Deep lines appeared in between Cosette''s brows, lowering her eyes to think about what she just heard. Cosette only had one question in mind: did she have another episode?

    "Teacher Cosette? Teacher Cozie? Hello?"

    Cosette snapped her eyes up, returning to the currentpse, only to see her colleague looking back at her with genuine wonder in her eyes.

    "Are you okay?" asked her colleague with furrowed brows. "You suddenly turned pale. Is everything okay? I was just messing with you. The dinner is notpulsory, so it doesn''t matter if you have family dinners every day."

    Cosette forced a short smile, huffing quietly. "I''m sorry. I just remembered I have an appointment today after ss. Enjoy the long weekend!" she wasn''t done speaking yet as she bid her farewell, waving and almost jogging her way out of the faculty.

    The female teacher, who was just talking to Cosette, perked up. She raised a hand but didn''t go uppletely as Cosette reached the door.

    "Long weekend?" she murmured, cocking her head to the side. "She''s joking, right?"

    *

    *

    *

    Cosette rushed to her car, shutting the door with a thud. Herplexion was a little pale and her breathing was heavy. She immediately sprawled her arms in thepartment, pulling out a small journal. Flipping through the pages of the calendar, dismay and panic washed over her face.

    Her colleague was right.

    In her calendar, there was a marked date two days ago. It says; family dinner, with a little note in it that says sess.

    "Hah..." Cosette closed her eyes, dropping her journal on herp before clutching the steering wheel. She rested her forehead on the steering wheel, keeping quiet for a moment until she reopened her eyes.

    "I..." her lips quivered while her grip tightened. "... don''t remember it."

    Her face crumpled, trying to recall thest family dinner she had, but nothing. She couldn''t remember it. Normally, she would remember or even the snippets. But now... it was nothing as if there was just a gap in her memory that she couldn''t fulfill, no matter how hard she thought about it.

 Chapter 385 I Will Forget About The Pain, But They Wouldnt.

    Cosette stayed inside the car, beating herself up to remember the urrence of two days ago, but nothing. Her mind was nk and her tears had already dried up.

    Gazing down on herp where the small calendar was, she picked it up. Her hand was trembling as she checked her schedule for the rest of the month. Cosette had to write her schedule in case she had to remember certain days; not every time it was helpful, though.

    "Rightбн" came out a murmur while staring at the date today. "I have an appointment."

    Cosette had been attending regr checkups, knowing her health was slowly declining. Since she wasn''t going through intense medication, she still had to go to the hospital at her discretion to know her well-being. However, every visit alwayses with advice that wasn''t in her favor.

    She knew today''s check-up would be the same.

    Cosette shook her head mildly to get herself together. She even pped herself as if that would wake her up from a nightmare. Holding the steering wheel with both her hands, her eyes shone with determination to go on with her life.

    With that being said, Cosette mustered her courage to drive away to attend her appointment.

    *

    *

    *

    "Missus c." Cosette''s doctor, the man who had been handling Cosette''s medical needs, sighed deeply. His eyes showed concern while staring at the beautiful woman across the desk. "Have you told anyone in your family about your condition?"

    Cosette pursed her lips into a thin line, clutching her purse that was on herp. Her silence was enough of an answer for the doctor.

    She hadn''t listened to his advice.

    "I will be honest with you, Missus c. Your tests today were not any better than the previous one. They''reбн worse." the doctor let out another deep exhale, showing Cosette the test results she had taken today before pulling out her MRI scan. "If you can see this part, it is shrinking faster than we expectedбн"

    The doctor went about briefing Cosette on her worsening condition, which he had been doing for months ago. It was like they were on repeat. The only difference was that her results were worsening and his concern was growing significantly.

    "The medicines I prescribed you were there to maintain your daily life. But at this rate, I don''t think they will do much as they did before," he continued, putting down the test results. He rested his arm on the surface of the desk between him and his patient. "We cannot withhold this information from your family, especially when you need emergency medical attention. Can I ask how did you get in here?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Cosette didn''t respond as she kept her eyes on the papers on the desk. The doctor let out another deep exhale, already knowing the answer she hadn''t given away.

    "Missus c, I told you. Driving in this condition is not safe." His voice had a mix of worry and disappointment. "You are not only putting your life in danger but others as well. Right now, you should be admitted to the hospital for treatment. The only reason you haven''t is that you refused to receive proper treatment..."

    The doctor went on and on with his sermon while Cosette remained silent. It was not like this was the first he had done this, but she was stubborn. He felt like wasting his breath, but he had to because, at the end of the day, he was a doctor. He had a duty.

    "Missus c." After his long sermon, another deep exhale slipped past his lips. "I know this condition changed your life, but бк"

    "If I allow myself to get admitted to this hospital, will I get better?" After minutes of silence, Cosette spoke for the first time, cutting him off mid-sentence. She slowly raised her eyes to meet her doctor''s eyes. "If I follow all your advice, will you give me your word that I will recover and continue the life I should have?"

    Her question and the look in her eyes silenced the doctor.

    "That''s what I thought." She rocked her head mildly.

    "But Missus c бк"

    "Treatments will only prolong my life; while you extend my life, I''m only giving my family more pain and suffering." Cosette cut him mid-sentence again. "I cannot let them watch me as I slowly decline because I will forget about the pain, but theyбн wouldn''t. Every time I will forget who they are, it is an added wound to their hearts бк every scream and grumble, each time I would fall because I couldn''t keep my bnce is another added weight to their shoulders."

    Cosette took a deliberate pause while shaking her head mildly. "I know you are speaking from a doctor''s perspective, Doctor Matthew. I respect and appreciate that you care for your patient''s well-being, but Iбн cannot bear the burden of being the source of their misery. Theyбн all of them were just as stubborn as I am. I know they will want me to be with them as long as possible, no matter how hard it is, but I can''t do that. I want them to remember me as the woman they knew, and not the days I lived within the four corners of these white walls."

    "As much as possible, let us live the remainder of my days like how it used to be. I don''t have much time left, after all." The corner of her lips curled up slightly; there was no bitterness in her eyes and voice. It was just sincerity, a wish from a dying person.

    Doctor Matthew''s lips parted, but in the end, he shut his mouth. He gazed at her for a moment before another sigh slipped past his nostrils.

    "I am a doctor and I want to save as many lives as possible. But there were times all I could do for my patients was respect their wishes." He forced a smile, nodding in understanding. "If that is what you want, then I can''t do anything. All I have to say is that if you want to live the remainder of your days like how they used to be, then you have to make a little sacrifice. For instance, you need to quit your job and stop driving."

    In the end, Doctor Matthew could only tell Cosette what she needed to stop doing because she could have an episode at any time without notice. He even prescribed her some medicines and, just like that, Cosette''s doctor''s appointment came to an end.

 Chapter 386 Meeting An Old Friend

    The quiet sound of Cosette''s t sandals as she walked to the elevator came to a halt. Her eyes slowly panned up, catching a figure that came from the end of the corridor.

    As soon as Cosette met the person''s gaze, her irises dted. Shock also washed over the man''s face as if he didn''t expect to see her in this ce.

    ''Asher,'' her mind whispered the man''s name, sizing him up on instinct.

    Asher was in his white coat with a formal suit underneath it. Deep lines slowly appeared between his brows, as his shock was reced with curiosity. He took a step after a moment, advancing in her direction until he was standing in front of her.

    "Cosetteбн?" His brows rose, a little lost from this sudden reunion. "What are you doing here?"

    Hearing his voice after years put a smile on Cosette''s face. She studied him for a moment, detecting the difference between the Asher she used to know and the man standing before her.

    He had changed.

    "Is that what you''re going to say to me after years?" Cosette humored. "I didn''t know you were back in the country."

    "I just returned a week ago and got hired бк thanks to my connection," he humored back, shoving his hand into the pocket of his white coat. "I''ll be working here temporarily. What about you? Are you dying?"

    Cosetteughed. "What if I am?"

    The smile on his face faded, eyes fixed on her. Cosette broke out inughter after seeing the reaction on his face.

    "I''m kidding." Her lips were stretched from ear to ear until her even-white teeth were on full disy. "I just came for a regr check-up since I want to be in my best shape before I conceive."

    "Ohбн"

    "What? Don''t tell me you haven''t moved on?"

    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Asher clicked his tongue while she giggled yfully. They were just talking for less than five minutes and he could tell she hadn''t changed.

    She was still just as heartless as she was eight years ago.

    "There''s a coffee shop right outside the building. Should we go there for a little catching up?" Cosette suggested, cocking her head to the side. "If you are not busy, but if you are, then next time."

    "Well." Asher raised his arm, checking his wristwatch. "I''ll have an hour break in five minutes."

    He dropped his hand and set his eyes back on her. "It won''t hurt if I use that to investigate whether my first love is in a better ce, just like I am."

    Cosette chuckled, shaking her head at his silly response.

    "Don''t cry if you see how happy I am without you," she teased, tipping her head to the way out. "Let''s go then."

    With that being said, Cosette walked past him. As she did, Asher turned around to gaze at her back. The smile on his face slowly faded, looking back in the direction where she came from.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Did she say she wanted to be in her best shape before she conceived?

    ''Why did shee from the neurologist department?'' he wondered to himself, but he didn''t dwell on it much.

    Asher looked back to where she was walking, letting out a sharp breath before following her.

    ***

    "I see. So you''re here because of a favor, huh?" Cosette rocked her head in understanding, putting down the cup of coffee on the table between her and Asher. "So you don''t n to stay here a little longer."

    "What''s with that tone? Are you sad or what?" Asher chuckled. "Get a divorce. Maybe I will have a reason to stay."

    Cosette''s lips parted to reply to his silly remarks, but she closed her lips again. She watched him pick up his cup of coffee and sipped it whilst keeping his eyes on her.

    "Have you met with Luke?" She asked, changing the subject to a matter she was most concerned about. "Ever since you flew out of the country, you haven''t kept in touch."

    Asher chuckled wryly as he ced down the cup. "I heard his business is blooming. I assume he was pretty busy."

    "Didбн you two fight?" Another follow-up question flew out of her lips.

    There were only a few times Luke mentioned his brother, but most of them were not noteworthy. Hearing that Asher had been in the country for a week now but hadn''t reached out to his brother worried her.

    "It''s been many years, but you haven''t changed." Asher chuckled after a moment. "There''s no problem between the two of us, so don''t worry. Luke and I are now adults. He is just as busy as I am, and not being able to have time to catch up doesn''t mean we have problems. We have different priorities now, after all."

    A reassuring smile dominated his face. "Don''t worry. Meeting him is already on my schedule бк I set up an appointment with that kid. He''s in it for a good scolding for treating his brother like I''m a client."

    "I''m d." Cosette heaved a sigh of relief.

    "The Quinn Holdings will soon hold its annual gathering. You''ll be there, right?"

    "Annual gatheringбн?" she furrowed her brows while he raised his.

    "Don''t tell me you don''t know? Our Quinn family never failed to invite the c every year. One reason is because of your father. You might have married now, but Maxen established his name so well that I''m sure the Quinn Family will want him to be their acquaintance. You know my dad."

    Cosette''s lips parted, but in the end, she could only smile. Around this time of the year, she remembered such a gathering happening in her previous life.

    This gathering would be the start of the supposed love story between a rising star and the son of a conglomerate family. Back then, this love story ended in a tragedy. Butбн the oue might be different this time around.

    "Hey, Asher Quinn," she called, making his brows raise. "I mighte." бк Cosette wanted to witness the start of the love Asher deserved.

 Chapter 387 They Were Meant To Be Good Friends

    Cosette smiled, thinking about her brief reunion with Asher Quinn. The two of them chat for a little before they parted ways -- Asher using the reason he needed to report to his ''boss.'' Meanwhile, Cosette also had to go back home to do her wifely duties.

    "Is Doctor Matthew his boss now?" Cosette licked her lips, leaning against the kitchen counter. She almost finished doing her chores and was now preparing a warm meal for her husband. As she was waiting for the food to boil, she couldn''t help but recall an unintentional reunion with someone who took up a small space in her heart.

    The corner of her lips curled up even broader, arms crossed underneath her bosom. "How interesting."

    When Cosette returned in time and was still clueless, Doctor Matthew was one of the people she wanted to meet so badly, aside from the protagonist and the antagonist of the story she read over and over on her deathbed. After all, Doctor Matthew was Asher''s best friend.

    It seemed they were still friends, considering Asher was now working in the hospital owned by Doctor Matthew''s family. The only difference between then and now was that the role was reversed.

    Instead of Matthew following Asher around, thetter was now calling the former his boss. Cosette wasn''t sure how and why Matthew suddenly became a doctor, instead of pursuing business.

    "I guess they were both meant to be good friends, regardless of the situation." Peace washed over her eyes, recing the gloominess in them before meeting Asher Quinn. "I almost forgot the value of the wonders of life."

    Even though she already knew Matthew the first time she saw him, she didn''t feel the relief and excitement she felt after discovering his friendship with Asher. She thought Asher lost a good friend after pursuing his dream of bing a doctor.

    "Really... an interesting fact to discover," she whispered as her eyes softened.

    Her train of thought came to a halt when she heard the digital sound of someone pressing the house''s passcode. She blinked ever so slowly, turning her head to where the sound wasing from. Her lips stretched even more, waiting and watching who woulde into the kitchen.

    "You''re early," she remarked as soon as she met the dashing Maxen in his suit. "I was just about to call you and ask what time you''re going home."

    Maxen smiled that brightened up his face, leaving his briefcase on the bar counter as he approached the kitchen.

    "I know my wife has a long weekend. So, of course, I have to make the most out of it," he mused, picking up an apple before leaning his side against the counter she was leaning on. "Is that a bad thing?"

    "It will be if your assistant starts nagging you again because of me."

    "I turned off my phone." Maxen took a bite of the apple, winking at her as he chewed slowly. "How''s my wife''s day?"

    "Good. Like always." Cosette shrugged, unfolding her arms before she marched toward the stove to check the food she was cooking for dinner. "The kids are bing more obedient -- although some of them were stubborn. They remind me of a certain wounded cat."

    Maxen chuckled upon hearing her remarks. It had been their ritual to talk about their day; Cosette does most of the talking. After all, Maxen doesn''t have that manyints, not because he wasn''t having any issues in his business, but because he would always resolve them in time. Meanwhile, Cosette was more emotional.

    Her work required a lot of her heart. She not only paid attention to the children''s learning or their grades, but she also established a much more personal connection with them. Cosette was changing many lives. Even though she liked it, there were times she would confide in him or just use his ear to vent out.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Maxen was always all ears. He remained quiet as he fixed his eyes on her back while she continued, telling him about the student who had been worrying her.

    "Seriously. These kids sometimes..." Cosette trailed off when she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her body from behind. She nced over her shoulder and smiled while Maxen rested his chin on her shoulder.

    "These kids are troublesome, but I''m sure you already got through them." Maxen set his eyes on her side profile, smiling. "They''re still probably scared of many things, but they will be alright. I know, because I''ve been and walked in their shoes back then."

    The two of them stared at each other warmly, smiling.

    "Was work been tough?" she asked after a moment, changing the subject. "You''ve been a little busy."

    "Mergingpanies is tougher than I thought, but it''s alright."

    "Merging?" her brows furrowed, and his as well. "What do you mean..."

    Cosette trailed off while her lips parted slightly, remembering an important detail that slipped her mind.

    "BLK Corporation will soon be under mine," Maxen reminded her, but his tone was a little confused. "Don''t tell me you forgot about that. It''s been all over the news."

    "Right..."

    Maxen frowned. "Cozie, I know you have a lot of things on your mind and I understand that. But you''ve been quite forgetful. I''m about to worry about you."

    "I''m..." Cosette pressed her lips and cleared her throat. "... sorry. It''s just the kids -- I know it sounds like I''m like using them as an excuse now, but it really slipped my mind --"

    "I''m not angry." Maxen cut her off mid-sentence as she panicked. "I''m just worried, that''s all."

    It was already part of Cosette''s nature to forget certain things whenever she was focusing on something else. She even forgot his birthday several years ago, even though she said she had been nning for it. Therefore, Maxen found nothing suspicious about her reasons and excuses.

    Cosette just cared a lot about her students, and he wasn''t selfish to be angry because of that. That was what made her happy, after all.

    "Anyway, everything is going on smoothly. What are you making tonight?" Maxen changed the subject, pulling her body closer. He set his eyes on the pot before her. "I''m so hungry."

    As Maxen shifted his focus to the change of subject, Cosette could only stare at him for a while. At this point, she didn''t know if the feeling in her heart right now was relief that he concluded on his own or guilty for not telling him his conclusion was wrong.

 Chapter 388 Should I Quit?

    Cosette tried her best to forget the feeling that crept under her skin moments ago. Silly, she thought. When she wanted to forget things, she couldn''t. However, her brain would erase everything for a moment or simply not allow her to remember certain parts of her memory.

    "This is goodбн!" Maxen showed her a thumbs up as he gobbled up the food his wife made for him. "I told you I''m starvingбн"

    Cosette watched him eat to his heart''s content, offering him warm smiles from time to time and reminding him to chew slowly. Even though he was intimidating in front of others, Maxen could be so silly within theforts of their home. In other words, Cosette was the only person who knew this side of him.

    "I remember thest time, dad was trying to trade my lunch box with an ind in the eastern continentбн" Maxen trailed off as he lifted his eyes back to her, only to catch her not touching her food. Cosette was just staring at him with a conflicted look in her eyes.

    He swallowed hard and reached for a ss of water before he asked. "Baby, is there something wrong?"

    "Should I quit?" she asked without beating around the bush while Maxen furrowed his brows. He didn''t answer immediately, drinking a ss of water before putting it beside his te.

    "What did you say?"

    "Should I quit my job?"

    Confusion instantly dominated his face. "Is this because you forgot about the merging? I''m not angry about it. My point there was, I''m just a little concerned бк"

    "It''s not about that." Cosette shook her head and forced a smile. "I mean, I love my job and the kids. But it''s been in my head for quite some time now."

    Maxen leaned back, keeping his eyes on her.

    "You have been busy, and I know despite how hectic your schedule was, you always squeeze time for me. However, there were times our schedule wouldn''t meet." She maintained her countenance, mixing a part of the truth to conceal the real reason behind it. "I missed you, Max. I missed Dad, Grandpa, and Grandma. My husband earns well that even if I don''t go to work, I can live luxuriously."

    "I just realized I haven''t been visiting Dad for quite some time. I''m sure he missed me just as much as I do. So, I was thinking, since I''m not pressured enough to make a living, why not use it to spend more time with my family and friends?"

    Maxen listened to what she got to say, blinking ever so tenderly. What she said didn''t make sense. It would be if they were a family who lived paycheck to paycheck. However, it was not a secret Cosette''s choice of career was never about the money.

    She could live a luxurious life with or without Maxen''s ie, even if she splurged every day. That was the life Conrad made sure for his daughter. Her reason to be a public servant had a much deeper reason, which both of them were so aware of.

    So, what was she talking about now?

    "Is that what you truly want?" he asked instead of the other questions in his head.

    Cosette pressed her lips but maintained a short smile. She rocked her head and whispered, "yes," sincerely.

    It wasn''t a lie.

    Cosette loved her career. Her students were already a part of her life, taking arge portion of her heart. However, her doctor was right. With her deteriorating condition, Cosette would soon feel the effects of it. Not only she would then put herself in danger, but others as well.

    So instead of putting those students at risk, Cosette had to make a hard decision. It was hard, but it didn''t feel like it when she knew that giving up her career also meant spending more time with her family.

    "Well, if that is what you want." Maxen leaned over, stretching his hand over the table to reach hers. He squeezed her hand mildly, nodding at her reassuringly. "Just tell me if there''s something more you want to tell me. Until then, I won''t ask for the real reason, hmm?"

    Of course, he noticed, she thought. Maxen knew her from inside and out, but he was the type who wouldn''t pry. He would wait for her to tell him, instead of urging her.

    If only he knew how much he would regret not prying.

    "Of course." Cosette clipped her thumb on his hand, nodding. "But I''m not lying."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I know it was part of the truth." Maxen smacked his lips, not putting too much thought into her sudden change of heart about her career. "Anyway, the Quinn Holding is inviting us to attend their anniversary. I was debating whether I should grab the opportunity or ignore it."

    "Why are you thinking of ignoring it? Isn''t that a good opportunity?"

    Maxen released her hand and leaned back, shrugging. "I don''t necessarily need it." He cocked his head and asked, "do you want toe?"

    "Mhm." Cosette smiled, putting the previous topic at the back of her mind. "I need more excuses to spend time with my husband. Attending such a gathering would give me a great opportunity to be with him for official business matters."

    "I think my secretary''s position is vacant. You can always apply if you want. With your qualifications, you''re overqualified." Maxen winked at her, humoring her, which made herugh.

    The two of them continued to enjoy the nice dinner, putting back the topic of Cosette quitting her job. They didn''t dwell on it, knowing a long weekend would pass by in a blink of an eye. Hence, they chose to enjoy each other''spany in a world where there were only the two of them.

    ******

    Meanwhile, in the head office of the neurology department. Doctor Matthew stared at the man sitting across from him on the set of couches in his office.

    "Let me guess. The reason you are so deep in thought is that of a girl."

    Asher snapped his eyes at the person across from him, only to see Doctor Matthew shaking his head in disbelief.

    "I knew it," said Doctor Matthew as he poured himself a ss of wine. "So who is it? The lucky girl who caught the attention of the talented Asher Quinn?"

    "Mat, do you have a patient whoes to you for a check-up because they wanted to conceive?" Asher ignored the other person''s nonsense, trying to get enlightenment.

    "Huh??"

    "I mean, someone who wanted to conceive a child but wants to make sure she was in the best shape," Asher rified, which by the looks of it, only added to Matthew''s confusion.

    "I get what you are talking about and I did have some clients who came to me for such a reason. Most of them have a pre-existing condition in their heads." Doctor Matthew picked up the ss of wine and leaned back. "Why are you asking me?"

    "Do you have a patient like that now?"

    "You do understand that I signed a confidentiality agreement, right? I can''t disclose my patient''s information even if we are friends."

    Asher signed. "I''m not asking for details, and I''m not your friend right now. I''m a fellow doctor."

    Doctor Matthew tried to argue but ended up sighing and shaking his head. Asher had a point.

    "No, I don''t," he answered.

    "That''s strange."

    "What strange?"

    Asher cast Matthew a look, but his mind drifted into the memory of today''s event.

    "I''m sure," came out a whisper, slowly refocusing his eyes back to Matthew with determination shining in them. "She came from your office."

 Chapter 389 How Do You Always Find A Way To Hurt Me?

    "I''m sure she came from your office."

    Doctor Matthew''s brows rose, staring back at Asher with innocence in his eyes.

    "Who?" Doctor Matthew blurted out.

    "Cosette c." Asher didn''t beat around the bush, dropping Cosette''s name. Doctor Matthew''s pupils dted as his initial reaction, and that didn''t go past Asher''s investigative eyes. "She''s your patient?"

    "What?" Doctor Matthew gasped in defense. "No бк I mean, I can''t disclose my patient''s records. You know that бк"

    "Why?"

    "Huh?"

    "Why is she seeking help from you?" Asher was unknowingly holding his breath; hisplexion was pale. "If she''s not your patient, you have nothing to be afraid of, since you have nothing to disclose. Seeing you so defensive only meant she is one of your patients."

    Doctor Matthew mentally winced, almost cursing himself for underestimating Asher. Meanwhile, Asher was balling his hand without taking his attention from his colleague.

    "What''s wrong with her?" Asher breathed out. His voice was quiet, but it was clear. "Let me see her chart."

    "Ashбн" Doctor Matthew sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "... you understand that I can''t disclose my patient''s chart, right?"

    "I never asked anything from you, Mat. But Cosetteбн"

    "I can''t." Doctor Matthew shook his head. "We''re friends and I know you never asked me for such a favor, ever. I am also aware that you won''t do anything that could implicate me and the hospital. However, as a doctor, I want to respect my patient''s wishes."

    "Why?"

    "What do you mean, why?"

    "A doctor''s duty is to save lives." Asher could feel his heart sinking as his mind was slowly making its own conclusion. "The only time we speak such words is when there''s nothing else we could do but that."

    Doctor Matthew pressed his lips together, sensing the emotions in Asher''s tone. "You knew her?"

    "Who doesn''t?"

    There was a moment of silence in the office as both men stared at each other. The world of socialites was smaller than one expected. Of course, Doctor Matthew knew Cosette бк at least, he had heard her name since they went to the same academy for years.

    The Quinn Holdings and the BLK Corporation had a close-knit rtionship. Therefore, it would be no surprise for Asher and Cosette to be acquaintances бк friends, even.

    Doctor Matthew let out a deep exhale, but he was unable to say anything. All he could do was observe Asher as he weighed between his integrity and duty.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    *

    *

    *

    One hourterбн

    Asher was certain what he felt seven years ago was love. If it wasn''t, then why would he fly across the globe just to control his greed? He didn''t have the proper words to describe it before, but now, he was certain he chose her happiness over all things.

    Despite the pain of not being able to get the love he wanted from Cosette, Asher clenched his teeth as he boarded the ne. But he knew one word from herбн that if she said "don''t go," or a simple, e home," Asher would бк without questions asked.

    That kind of love also meant the pain he went through was almost unbearable. His pride and ego were crushed, his heart was broken, and he felt lost. Yet, he forced himself to be better and move on. He had to.

    Asher thought that those feelings were totally gone. Meeting her today proved that he still liked her, but he knew they were better off as friends. However, upon sessfully persuading Matthew to disclose his patient''s (Cosette) chart, Asher felt everything he had felt seven years ago.

    "Sheбн" he whispered, but somehow, his voice echoed in his dim office. His eyes were fixed on the chart in his hand, barely holding it.

    No matter how many times he had read it, the results were the same. He would even habitually check the patient''s name and go through other documents to confirm. His mind, heart, and soul denied everything he had read.

    There must be a mistake was what his mind was screaming, but everything was clear. This hospital was the best of the best in the country and was even renowned across the globe. There was no way there would be a mistake in these documents, especially since Cosette was a VIP patient.

    "... is dying?" Asher breathed out, his chest thudding as cold sweats broke out of his back. He shook his head mildly, dropping the chart in his hand. He propped his arms over the desk, linking it, a little lost at the information he discovered two hours ago.

    "She wishes to keep everything a secret," were Doctor Matthew''s words as he handed out the document earlier. "The only reason I am letting you take a look at it is that it seemed she''s important to you. She was stubborn and I''m deeply concerned about her. Don''t make me regret handing these to you."

    Doctor Matthew''s words reyed in Asher''s head countless times while he stayed quiet. As he recalled his colleague''s words, he recalled his unexpected encounter with Cosette.

    Seven years. That was how long Asher took before gaining the confidence and courage to return to the country. He knew their worlds were small, so he anticipated meeting her unexpectedly. And they did, but he was ready. However, not that he was recalling the way her lips curled up as she spat her humor, how her eyes sparkled as she anticipated his reaction and the sound of herughter brought inexplicable pain in his heart.

    Knowing she was happy with or without him was better than knowing his first love might leave this world sooner than she should.

    "Howбн" his voice trembled, lowering his head until his forehead was resting on his linked hands. "... do you always find a way to hurt me, Cosette?"

    He knew it wasn''t her fault. Cosette didn''t wish for these illnesses. But knowing she was keeping it a secret tore him in half. What should he do with this information now? To be honest, Asher felt lost once again because he had no idea. All he could think about right now was to drive to her as fast as he could and embrace her.

    He couldn''t do that, can he?

 Chapter 390 Quinn Holdings Annual Party

    [Quinn Holdings Annual Party]

    The Quinn Holdings was not only known as one of the biggestpanies in the county but also, their annual gathering бк consisting of many well-known personalities бк took the attention of many socialites. Starting from the venue all the way to, the guests were carefully prepared by a team formed solely for this day. Maynard was avish man, after all. And thus, receiving an invitation was an honor.

    "Do you think he wille?" Cosette leaned closer to Maxen, pulling his arm slightly.

    Maxen cast her a knowing look and shrugged. "Who knows?"

    This was the first time the two of them attended the Quinn Holding''s much-publicized annual gathering. At least, in this lifetime, this was the first time Cosette did.

    "I thought you wouldn''t like toe today." Her brows rose while Maxen smirked, observing the vibrance in her sparkling eyes that mirrored the chandeliers. "But it seemed you were rather excited."

    "It''s been a while since we went to aбн fancy ce." Cosette rolled her eyes, grinning. "And you know what''s best? It''s free."

    Maxen broke out inughter while shaking his head. How silly, he thought. He had worked hard to at least give thefort Cosette grew up in. Yet, this woman would still go crazy for discounts and freebies. People would be surprised at her personality if they found out.

    "You''re right." He rocked his head. "Anything that is free is good."

    "Mister Cloven!" A man''s voice snagged Cosette and Maxen''s attention. When they turned their heads to the source of the voice, both of them shed a middle-aged man a smile.

    Since stepping foot in the venue, many had approached Maxen. No one could me all these people. Maxen had built his reputation and his business continuously and rapidly grew in a short span of time. Those who had made business with him adored and admired him, while those who hadn''t were curious about this young man.

    Therefore, Cosette and Maxen would have to engage with these refutable individuals. They knew this would happen beforeing here, so they were aware of what they had signed up for.

    It wasn''t just Maxen, but Cosette as well.

    Even though Cosette had been elusive from the social scene, her name was something one wouldn''t forget in the upper echelon. She was the only daughter of Conrad c and everyone in the business industry knew about Maxen and Cosette''s marriage.

    Who wouldn''t?

    Maxen and Cosette got engaged at a very young age. Back then, many people assumed Maxen was an opportunist who manipted a little girl. But after years of hard work, that rumor died, never heard again because Maxen had proved them wrong by establishing himself as an excellent businessman.

    As Maxen and Cosette engaged with the middle-aged man they knew so well, more and more people flocked around them. Some of them were acquaintances with Maxen, while others were lucky enough to join the group. Of course, the host for tonight''s event showed up after a few minutes.

    "Ahh! There you all are!" Maynard pped to get a certain group''s attention. He grinned when they turned their heads, marching in their direction with open arms. "I was wondering where are all my people. Now, I understand the reason I can''t find you."

    Maynard''s gaze fell on Maxen and then on Cosette. "How time flies. I guess I''m not as popr as I used to be."

    "Uncle." Cosette chuckled, releasing Maxen''s arm to give Maynard a quick hug. "It''s been a while."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Aww." Maynard''s lips stretched from ear to ear, holding her shoulders as he studied Cosette''s stunning beauty. "I''m almost crying, since you rarely ept my invitations."

    "I''m sorry, Uncle. I was just a little busy, but I might see you more often."

    "I doubt." Maynard narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How was the school?"

    Cosette smiled. "It was good."

    "It seemed you were happy, and that put my heart at ease." Maynard released her shoulders, shoving his hand inside his pocket. "Where''s Conrad?"

    "He said he wille." Maynard shifted his attention to Maxen when thetter answered. "Thank you for inviting us, Mister Quinn."

    "Maxen Cloven. I''m d you came." Unlike his warm treatment toward Cosette, there was an inexplicable atmosphere between them.

    Cosette''s brows rose as she darted her eyes between the two. However, she didn''t dwell on it as the group who were surrounding them earlier greeted Maynard with respect.

    ''Did I read it wrong?'' she wondered, casting Maxen a look. Seeing that Maxen was smiling whilst engaging in a conversation with everyone, including Maynard, she threw it at the back of her head.

    "Chairman Quinn, I don''t see your son around." One man among the group pointed out after sharing a goodugh. "Won''t they attend tonight''s event?"

    "Are you asking because you are concerned that my rtionships with my sons are bad?" Maynard remarked interrogatively. "Or are you asking because you want to curry favor with them?"

    "Haha! Chairman, I''m just concerned." The manughed nervously, observing Maynard''s reaction. He could only sigh in relief when Maynard broke out inughter.

    "I''m kidding! Even if you want to curry favor with them, there''s no problem! After all, my sons were all sessful and happy бк just the way I want them to be! I wouldn''t me them if they have people wanting to get on their good sides!" Maynard''sughter echoed but didn''t overwhelm the background music and chattering.

    Cosette chuckled along with those old folks who had been in the industry for decades. However, she noticed how Maynard cast Maxen a quick look. She then, once again, cast Maxen a look. Maxen maintained his smile. So then again, she told herself she was noticing all the unnecessary details she shouldn''t.

    "Speaking of!" Maynard''s p stole Cosette''s attention again. ''There they are! Boys!"

    Maynard raised his hand, making everyone, including Cosette and Maxen, follow the direction Maynard was waving. As soon as they did, they saw two dashing men entering the venue together.

    ''So, they''re fine... just as Asher''s said.'' Cosette mentally heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Luke and Asher together. Her eyes softened as the two marched in their direction, sensing the warm atmosphere between the Quinn brothers.

    ''It was so different back then,'' she thought, recalling the tension between Asher and Luke in their previous life. That tension was gone now. ''There''s only one person now, then maybe I can call it missionplete.''

 Chapter 391 Mia

    The Quinn brother; Luke and Asher instantly became the center of attention as soon as they joined the group. Everyone knew about the two of them, since Maynard just wouldn''t stop talking about his sons. Luke didn''t need his father to gain poprity because his constructionpany had joined the big league despite being new to the industry years ago.

    Meanwhile, everyone was interested in the decision Asher made several years ago. Everyone was already aware Asher would inherit the Quinn Holdings. He had been active in thepany''s business growing up. However, Asher decided to pursue a different career.

    It had been years since the people around Maynard had seen the three together. And seeing that the chemistry between Asher, Luke, and Maynard killed all the unnecessary noise surrounding the Quinn family.

    While everyone''s attention was on the Quinns, Cosette, and Maxen cast each other a look. They nodded slightly before Maxen excused himself. It was easy to exit since the attention was shifted, so the two of them quietly left the group.

    "Tch." Luke clicked his tongue in the middle of the conversation, stopping the man who was singing songs of praise of him.

    The man cast Maynard a nervous look after seeing the annoyance stered on Luke''s face. Maynard cocked his head to the side; his long had grown long as he had listened to all the praises these people had in store for his sons.

    "I bet those two had been waiting for this moment," grumbled Luke, ring daggers at Maxen and Cosette''s back as the two escaped.

    "Knowing them, there''s no doubt." Asher nodded, ignoring the people around them, including their father. "Do they think they could have a date for free?"

    "Those cheapskates бк" Luke bit his tongue when Asher elbowed his side. Thetter tipped his head, raising his brows as he reminded him they were being surrounded by prospective business investors and clients.

    "Ahem!" Luke cleared his throat and forced a smile. "I''m sorry about that."

    Since Luke hadpany of his own, he needed an extensive connection. Although cinching a big project was hispany''s break, gaining these men''s favor would benefit his business. Watching Luke shift his mood in a snap of a finger, leading the men to a different topic to divert their attention, made Asher chuckle.

    ''I guess it''s in his blood,'' thought Asher, watching how Luke and Maynard lead the conversation. ''He is a natural like his fatherбн and his other brother.''

    Asher maintained his smile despite the thought that came across his head. It was obvious Maxen and Luke were natural businessmen, just like Maynard. It also seemed they enjoyed this path. Although Asher was exceptional, he knew it was never for him.

    Asher had grown now, though, and he never regret pursuing his dreams. Not even a second.

    As Luke led the conversation within the group, Asher looked around. He stretched his neck, searching for Cosette and Maxen. After some time, he managed to see Cosette.

    ''Why is she alone?'' his brows furrowed, seeing that Cosette was just standing in the corner across the hall.

    "Hahбн'' Asher let out a faint breath, sporting a smile as he set his eyes on the men around him. "I''m sorry for interrupting the conversation, but I have to excuse myself first."

    "What? You''re leaving?" Maynard frowned while Asher shook his head with a smile.

    "No, Dad. I just need to talk to someone."

    "Oh, sure." Maynard grinned, waving dismissively. "Join uster бк anyway, as I was saying, since the construction for the Quinn Holding partnership with Medical Centerбн"

    Asher kept his smile as his father resumed his discussion with the men and Luke. He didn''t idle for long, strutting his way to approach Cosette. On his way, Asher grabbed a ss of champagne from the server and smoothly turned on his heel two steps beside Cosette.

    "Having a great night?" was his greeting remark, cocking his head back while his eyes fell on her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Cosette slowly turned her head, and as soon as her eyes met his, her smile returned. "Are you?"

    "Wasn''t it obvious?"

    "Same." She chuckled, peeling her eyes from him. "No one throws such avish party like the Quinns. From the venue, food, and the guests, everything was perfect. But what''s best about this event is that everything was free."

    Cosette looked back at him, smirking humorously. "My husband can broaden his connection while having a date with me. Isn''t that a win-win for us?"

    "I''ll pretend I didn''t hear that." Asher looked away while sheughed mischievously. "So, where is your husband?"

    "He went to grab us some food." She shrugged.

    "Should I throw some unnecessary remarks?" Asher arched a brow as he cast her a knowing look. "Just to be clear, I moved on. But I never liked your husband, so it would be very satisfying to rattle him a little."

    "You can try."

    Asher watched her sip on the ss of champagne with her eyes fixed on him. "Nevermind. It sounds like a trap."

    Cosette chuckled once again before a moment of silence fell on their shoulders. Asher would nce at her from time to time, remembering the secret she was hiding from everyone. He had been holding back, keeping his emotions at bay since the moment heid his eyes on her.

    Where should he start?

    Should he need to even mention it?

    Myriads of questions were flowing through his mind, and she had no idea.

    "What?" Asher snapped his eyes as her voice pulled him back to the currentpse. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    "Huh?"

    "I know I am pretty, but I''m married." Cosette humored, disying the beautiful ring on her finger.

    "Tch. What a flex." Asher shook his head, reminding himself to act natural. "Anyway, about the бк"

    "Oh!" Asher stopped when her eyes suddenly sparkled in excitement, furrowing his brows as she pointed in a direction. "I didn''t know yourpany invited the rising star Mia бк Oho! She''s so pretty!"

    Asher cocked his head to the side, sizing up her excitement. Out of curiosity, his eyes followed the direction she was looking. There, a beautifuldy was walking into the venue and gaining everyone''s attention.

    Little did Asher know, as soon as he gazed in thedy''s direction, Cosette was observing him from the corner of her eyes.

 Chapter 392 I Think I Got Things Mixed Up

    Cosette could vaguely remember how magical this night was for Mia and Asher. She remembered writing it down, reading it over and over, since she thought Asher and Mia''s life was a little interesting. At least, it was far more interesting than hers.

    Being able to witness the scene she read countless times to refresh her memory could be considered her young heart''s dreaming true. Therefore, as soon as her eyes caught Mia''s figure entering the hall and Asher turned his head, she held her breath on instinct.

    Asher''s eyes searched for what riled Cosette up. It was rather easy to spot the person she mentioned, seeing that beauty somehow made the hall quiet. She was stunning.

    "Was Mia her name?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the rising star in the entertainment industry.

    "Mhm!" Cosette replied excitedly. "Wowбн she''s prettier in person! Don''t you think so?"

    Asher didn''t answer immediately, keeping his attention on the woman named Mia. Sparkles shone in Cosette''s eyes as she stared at Asher, excited as the man was staring at Mia longer than he had ever gazed at anyone tonight.

    "I think she''s pretty," he said after a moment, slowly shifting his eyes back to Cosette. His eyes lingered on the sparkle in her eyes and how bright the expression on her stunning face was. "Though I don''t understand the fuss."

    Cosette''s bright expression slowly faded, seeing the dullness dominating his face.

    ''What is this reaction?'' she wondered, confused.

    "What''s with that look?" Asher cocked his head to the side. "Were you expecting something?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Nevermind." He waved dismissively, looking away from Cosette to look at the woman in the middle of the hall. "I haven''t watched television or movies since pursuing medicine. So, I don''t know if she''s prettier in person."

    Cosette observed Asher''s nonchnt reaction.

    ''Ahhбн'' she mentally rocked her head. ''I thinkбн I got things mixed up.''

    Cosette''s breath hitched, turning around with a slight panic that was crawling up to her chest. But just as Cosette turned around, a firm arm snaked around her waist. Her eyes shook as they dted, slowly looking up to meet Maxen''s pair of tantalizing eyes.

    "Ma бк Max!" her heart thudded and without thinking twice, she jumped and embraced him.

    Maxen''s brows furrowed, fixing his hand on her back. He could feel her heart racing against his chest, making him raise his gaze at the man behind Cosette.

    "I am innocent." Asher instinctively raised his hand in surrender, shrugging.

    Maxen narrowed his eyes. There was no way Cosette would tremble like this if Asher didn''t say anything that would rattle her to the core. But before Maxen could point that out, Cosette let him go and took a step back.

    "Where did you go?" she asked, faintly huffing. "I missed you."

    Maxen didn''t answer immediately as his eyes scanned her face for a moment. Even with the makeup on her, he could see her slight paleness.

    "Are you okay? Did he say something crazy to you?" he asked, concerned about his wife.

    Hearing Maxen''s question made Asher roll his eyes. Why did he even try to exin himself, knowing full well Maxen would never listen to a word he would say?

    "No." Cosette chuckled, ncing over her shoulder. "It''s just that I suddenly missed you. You said you will be quick бк you don''t even have any snacks with you."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I''m sorry. Dad came, so I have to see him."

    "What?" Cosette perked up, tilting her upper body to see if Conrad was behind Maxen.

    "He went to see Chairman Quinn first," exined Maxen, watching Cosette straighten her back. "More like he was ambushed."

    To prove his im, Maxen pointed in a direction. Cosette''s eyes slowly followed his finger, and almost instantly, she caught her father''s figure. Her eyes softened, chuckling upon noticing the mix of annoyance and coldness dominating Conrad''s face as some men surrounded him.

    "I thought he wouldn''te," came out a murmur, feeling her tensed shoulders rxed.

    "He told me he''lle to youter." Cosette turned her head back to Maxen when thetter replied, smiling. "So, don''t worry about him."

    "Mhm." She nodded. "No wonder you took your time."

    "If only I know you''d panic, I would''ve run to you бк"

    "Oh, please." Asher rolled his eyes once again, catching Cosette''s and Maxen''s attention. "Have some consideration for those around you, will you?"

    "And why do we need to?" Maxen arched his brow while Asher frowned. Before the tension between the two take if shape, Cosette cleared her throat. However, just as her lips parted, amotion erupted in the hall. Maxen, Asher, and Cosette instinctively turned their heads to see themotion, only to see a woman standing in front of another.

    ''What''s going on?'' wondered Cosette, assessing the woman who was standing and seemed she was seething in anger. When her eyes fell on the other woman, her brows furrowed.

    The other woman who was involved in themotion was none other than Mia.

    Cosette would dwell on the scene if not for the fact that her heart suddenly thudded. Out of instinct, she turned her head to look at Asher, and much to her surprise, Asher was already looking at her. She then nced at Maxen, and he was also staring at her.

    "Whatбн why are you looking at me like that?" she muttered, secretly heaving a sigh of relief upon detecting nonchnce in Maxen''s eyes.

    "Nothing." Maxen shrugged. "I was just thinking about whether we should sneak out."

    "Huh?"

    "Now that thosedies snagged everyone''s attention, I just thought this was the perfect time to sneak away."

    Cosette bit her inner lip to stop herself from smiling like a fool. ''I''m dбн'' was what came across her mind, cupping her husband''s face gently.

    "Should we?" She remained elegant andposed, ignoring the scandalous scene in the hall. "How about Dad?"

    "Let''s visit him tomorrow." Maxen winked, making her giggle.

    As the two ignored their surrounding, Asher had his eyes fixed on Maxen and Cosette.

    ''Howeбн you didn''t know, Maxen?'' was the question that hovered over his head and this thought brought this inexplicable anger and dismay in his heart. ''Your wife is dying and yetбн you have no idea.''

 Chapter 393 Maybe, It Was Heavens Will

    The magical night Cosette was expecting for Asher and Mia didn''t happen, but that was fine. At least her night with Maxen was magical enough to remember. Maxen and Cosette didn''t idle for long, taking advantage of the confrontation in the hall to sneak away. Although Cosette had a good grasp of the situation on their way out.

    "Wait!"

    Maxen and Cosette stopped in the hallway, going to the exit, turning their heads back to see the owner of the voice.

    Asher.

    Asher huffed before he marched in their direction, stopping one meter away from them.

    "What?" Cosette frowned while Maxen''s eyes shone with genuine wonder.

    "Before you two go, can I speak with you, Cozie?" Asher didn''t beat around the bush, keeping his eyes on Cosette. Thetter knitted her brows even more, ncing at Maxen on instinct, as if seeking his approval.

    "It''s important, Cosette." Cosette set her eyes back to Asher as thetter added. "It''s not something we can discuss tomorrow."

    Maxen assessed Asher before his eyes fell on his wife. "I''ll fetch the car."

    "Sure."

    Maxen cast Asher a look but said nothing, leaving the two as he continued his way out. The exit of the building to the parking space was near, so it didn''t take long when Maxen was out of sight.

    As soon as Maxen closed the door behind him, Cosette looked back at Asher.

    "I swear if this isn''t as important as you im it was, I''ll be very angry," she warned. "What do you need?"

    "Divorce Maxen."

    Cosette blinked, staring at Asher''s straight face. Did she hear him correctly? She assessed his unchanging countenance, making her doubt the remarks she heard just now.

    "What did you just say?" she asked. "I think I misheard you saying something бк"

    "You didn''t." Deep lines appeared between her brows as Asher maintained his firm tone. "Let''s get married."

    "What бк what?" Cosette couldn''t help but scoff at the ridiculous suggestioning out of his lips. "Is this what you meant when you said you need to discuss something very important? Hah! Asher Quinn, you seriously бк"

    "Early onset dementia." Her breath instantly hitched at the words that slipped past his lips without a moment''s notice. "Leukemia, immune system problems, myelomaбн should I go on with the list in your chart?"

    Asher took an enormous step, grabbing her wrist to pull her close. "Aren''t you ashamed? Don''t you feel the slightest guilt every time your husband looks at you and smiles? Clueless that his wife is dying?"

    "If you truly want to keep it a secret, you shouldn''t have let me find out about it." His grip on her wrist tightened, grinding his teeth to contain his growing fury. "If you don''t want to get treatment, then divorce Maxen and leave the country."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Hahбн" Cosette was speechless but her shaking eyes couldn''t leave Asher''s. His eyes were shining with determination, which was a little surprising since his words without context simply sounded like a man''s desperate words for affection.

    "Are you sayingбн I should just hurt him differently and make him remember me as his nightmare?" she rified under her breath. Asher didn''t answer, but the look on his face was enough to answer her question.

    "I''ll go with you," he remarked quietly. "We''ll find someone to help you бк I can assist you since I''m a doctor. If things go well, thenбн we''lle back."

    "You are insaneбн"

    "Cosette c!" Asher clenched his teeth to refrain from raising his voice. "I am insane? Between the two of us, who do you think is crazier? How long do you think before the truth catches up to you? Do you think you can keep it a secret forever?"

    There were myriads of sentiments Asher wanted to say, but he didn''t know where to start. Everything didn''t make sense to him the moment he found out Cosette was seeing Doctor Matthew. Witnessing how Cosette and Maxen tonight didn''t clear up anything. It only confused him.

    What was she thinking?

    Her lips parted to argue, but then Cosette bit her lips. Her ragged breath calmed down as she assessed Asher''s countenance.

    "I''m sorry, Ash." Cosette sported a short smile, raising her hand to cup his face. Asher froze, and his grip on her wrist loosened in surprise. "I''m sorry for breaking your heart again and for letting you find out."

    Asher''s heart sank as tears formed in the corner of his eyes. The mixed emotions that had been confusing him slowly cleared up. Now, he could discern which emotion was dominant. Asher slowly held her hand that was cupping his cheek as he closed his eyes, allowing the tears to stain his cheek.

    "I made a lot of promises years ago," continued Cosette, holding back the tears that were tempting to escape her eyes. "I remember making one with you, and that was to live a happy life."

    She took a momentary pause, smiling. "You and I know that my chances of survival are almost none. It was as though the heaven made sure I will not make it. That is whyбн I wanted to live the remainder of my days the way I wanted to. It''s selfish бк I know, but being selfish is the only thing I can be for now."

    Cosette''s eyes softened while he unknowingly released her wrist. He was still holding her other hand, so Cosette lifted the one he had previously held to wipe his tears. She allowed him to cry his eyes out as quietly as possible.

    ''I''m sorry,'' she mentally whispered. ''And thank you for crying for me.''

    Asher was the least person Cosette expected to have this type of confrontation with. Matter of fact, she didn''t know she had to be careful that Asher might find out. After all, Asher wasn''t in the country.

    ''Perhaps it was Heaven''s will,'' she added internally. ''This may sound wicked, but seeing you cry for meбн somehow gave me a little warmth. You truly had changed, Ash, and I like this version of you more.''

    Cosette stayed quiet, allowing Asher to calm down while she wiped his tears. When he calmed down, Asher sniffed hard. He raised his eyes to her, forcing a smile.

    "Is it nice toбн" Asher trailed off upon catching a figure several steps behind Cosette. His gaze slowly moved to the person; his pupils slowly dted upon meeting the person''s eyes.

    Seeing Asher''s reaction, Cosette furrowed her brows. She slowly turned around, and her world instantly stopped.

    "Max," she whispered.

 Chapter 394 I Am Scared

    Keeping everything a secret was never in Cosette''s n. To be fair, she wanted to be as transparent as she could be to Maxen. However, she just didn''t seem to find the perfect time to tell Maxen the truth. Funnily enough, Cosette knew there was never a perfect time. Still, with how Maxen''s career and business were going, she didn''t want to put a hold on everything he had worked hard on.

    "Max," whispered Cosette, feeling her heart sink as soon as she met Maxen''s eyes. Her lips quivered, trying to find the words to exin herself, but her voice was stuck in her throat.

    Maxen pressed his lips into a thin line. His expression was in; no one could read what sort of thoughts were flowing in his mind. After a second, he advanced in their direction, stopping a step from Cosette and Asher.

    "Let''s go," he said quietly, reaching for her arm.

    "Max, I бк"

    "Let''s talkter." Maxen cut her off before she could say anything, shifting his attention to Asher. "The party was great, and it is a shame we have to leave early. Thank you for having me and my wife."

    Maxen didn''t idle or wait for Asher''s reply as he faced Cosette. "Come," was what he said, dragging her with him as gently but firmly as he could.

    "Wait, Max бк" Cosette nced at her husband''s side profile before looking back at Asher. Thetter was left standing in the same spot, looking at them nkly.

    *

    *

    *

    *

    Cosette fidgeted with her fingers, constantly ncing in Maxen''s direction. Maxen was driving; he hadn''t said a word since he dragged her to their car until now. He also hadn''t shown any strong reaction, but his silence was stifling, making her nervous with every passing second.

    Did he hear everything? Since when did hee back? Or did he only hear snippets of her conversation with Asher? Myriads of questions hovered over her head, and she didn''t know where to start.

    "Max," she whispered when she couldn''t take it anymore. "Are we going home?"

    "Mhm."

    Cosette bit her inner lip, keeping her observant eye on his side profile. "About earlierбн did youбн have you been there for long?"

    "Mhm." Her reaction to his quick and short hum was a mix of surprise and confusion. "I was on my way to fetch the car, but I changed my mind. Asher Quinn is someone I can never trust. Leaving my wife with him sounds irresponsible. So I came back."

    "I seeбн" Cosette peeled her eyes from him, gazing at her hands on herp. "So you heard everything, huh?"

    "Mhm."

    There was a moment of silence between the two of them before a whisper slipped past her lips. "Thenбн that means you also heard aboutбн my condition."

    "Mhm."

    "Mhm?" Cosette copied his hum as she raised her head once again. "Is that your only response, Max? A hum? Why aren''t you saying anything? Your wife is dying, and she is keeping it a secret from you. Shouldn''t you get mad now that you found out about it in a way she didn''t n?"

    His expression didn''t budge, making her clutch her dress tightly. "Won''t you ask me questions about why I kept it a secret? Won''t you ask me how long will Ist? Will you not suggest I need to get treatment? Max, you should say something at this point, right?"

    "Mhmбн" Maxen hummed once again, slowing down. "I did."

    "Huh?"

    "I did tell you to get treatment. I also asked a series of questions and even argued with you." His voice was calm, with a tinge of repressed emotions. "You probably forgot about it."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Cosette''s face went nk, looking at him wide-eyed. Meanwhile, Maxen slowly pulled over to the side of the road. He kept his hands on the steering wheel, lowering his eyes as he recalled how he found out about her condition.

    ******

    [ FLASHBACK ]

    Just some time ago, Maxen''s life was perfect. His career and business were progressing smoothly, and he was married to the most beautiful woman his eyesid upon. He thought nothing would go wrong; that this would be the same if he worked hard to give his wife and their children a life full of opportunities.

    But sбн this perfect life crumbled down overnight.

    At first, he thought Cosette was simply being forgetful. She would leave things in strange ces, ask strange questions she wouldn''t forget, and even prepare for events that had already happened. The first time just seemed silly, but the more frequently these things happen, the more his concern grew.

    Untilбн

    One particr night, in the middle of the night, Cosette got up from their bed. Maxen was a light sleeper, so he would wake up at any slight movement.

    "Cozieбн?" he called, groggy. "Babe, where are you going?"

    Cosette quietly flung her legs out of the bed and looked back at him. "I''ll prepare your lunchbox." She smiled.

    Deep lines appeared between his brows, watching his wife get out of bed. She picked up her silk robe and wrapped it around her before leaving the bedroom quietly.

    "Prepare my lunchbox?" Maxenzily sat up, cocking his head to the side. "But I''m on vacation leave."

    It was Cosette''s routine to make Maxen a lunchbox to make sure he was getting enough nutrition every day. Therefore, he deemed it as Cosette following her routine and forgetting he wouldn''t go to work to spend the weekend with her.

    Maxen nced at the clock on the bedside table. "It''s just past 2 in the morning." That was earlier than she would get up. He shook his head, getting out of bed to remind his wife there was no need to bother.

    Maxen went straight to the kitchen, only to see Cosette already chopping the ingredients. He stopped by the entrance, leaning his side against the wall with his arms folded under his chest.

    "Babe," he called, but the sound of the knife hitting the chopping board continued. "It''s 2 in the morning, and I''m on vacation leave."

    Cosette stopped, holding the knife and carrot still. She blinked once, and life and reality slowly returned to her eyes.

    "There''s no need to prepare me lunch box. Let''s go back to bed," he added, staring at Cosette''s back. Just when he thought she would turn around and make silly remarks, she continued chopping. "Cozie."

    "I will still make you one," was what she said without facing him.

    Maxen frowned. He unfolded his arms and marched inside the kitchen. But just as he came closer, he froze, seeing some tearsnd on the chopping board.

    "I want to make my husband as many lunchboxes as I could. Maybe ten years'' worth?" Cosette slowly turned her head in his direction, smiling until her eyes were mere slits. "In that case, I am sure he will get enough nutrition for the next ten years."

    "Cozieбн" Even though she was smiling so brightly, her eyes were tearing up. Without thinking anything, he took enormous steps and reached his hand to her. "Baby, is something the matter? Why are you crying?"

    Maxen pulled her close to him, cupping her cheek. Worry dominated his face, wiping her tears with his thumb.

    Her squinting eyes cracked open, smiling warmly at him. "Max," she whispered.

    "Iбн" her voice cracked as more tears overflowed from her eyes. "... am scared."

 Chapter 395 A Beach Trip Sounds Nice

    "I am scared."

    Those three words started it all. Even though there was no exnation for what terrified Cosette, but Maxen remembered embracing her as tightly as he could. In the end, she wasn''t able to prepare anything since she just cried and cried. He didn''t raise questions when morning rolled in, but he served her and tried to cheer her up.

    Patience dominated that weekend. It was Maxen''s practice to wait until Cosette was ready to tell him the problem. But she didn''t. She simply stayed quiet throughout the weekend, and then, when Monday rolled in, she acted as if nothing was wrong.

    The following week went by as if that night didn''t happen until Cosette and Maxen had a dinner date with the cs. That was when everyone''s world stopped.

    "Iбн will not have children," were the words that put a halt to the warm atmosphere in the dining where Conrad, Marcel, Gretchen, Maxen, and Cosette were enjoying a feast.

    Maxen, Conrad, Marcel, and Gretchen slowly set their eyes on Cosette. The two elders were happily talking about their grandchildren, so her remarks took them off guard.

    "Dear, what do you mean you will not have children?" Gretchen was the first to recover, putting up a gentle smile. "I''m sorry. We''re not pressuring you if that is what you felt. We''re simply excited when the time you and Maxen are ready бк"

    "It''s not that I don''t want to." Cosette slowly lifted her eyes, casting each of them a look. "I might not be able toбн is what I mean."

    Maxen furrowed his brows while Marcel and Gretchen looked at each other. Meanwhile, Conrad maintained his stoic front.

    "And why is that?" asked Conrad calmly, waiting for his daughter to look back at him. "Is there something wrong, Cozie?"

    "I''m sick."

    There was a moment of silence after Cosette''s remarks. This time, Conrad''s unchanging countenance cracked as it revealed confusion.

    "I kept thinking that I needed to wait for the perfect time to tell you guys about it, butбн" Cosette smiled bitterly, recalling the festive atmosphere they had moments ago.

    Her grandparents epted Maxen and treated him as their own grandson. Conrad had always been weing to Maxen. Seeing how happy they were, the guilt that had been weighing her down felt unbearable.

    ''There was no perfect time'' was what shed in her head. It would be now or never. Thus, Cosette opened her mouth before her resolve waned.

    "Dear, what do you mean, you''re sick?" Gretchen asked awkwardly, crawling her hands on top of the big round table. "Do you need rest or do you бк"

    "I don''t." Another wave of silence descended in the hallway. If they didn''t know Cosette, they would think she was simply pranking them for how she delivered everything with a straight face. "An early onset dementia, leukemia, myeloma, and otherplications. I am dying."

    They looked at Cosette with wide eyes, unable to process everything that slipped past her lips.

    "That''s why I said I might not have children." The corner of her lips curled up, picking up her cutler to eat. "I don''t even know how long I willst or whether I will remember this night. I just don''t want to give you guys false hope when I already know having children is impossible."

    SLAM!

    "Cosette!" Conrad mmed his hand against the surface of the table, making the tes and cutleries ng. "What nonsense are you saying now? Maxen, what is the meaning of this?!"

    Maxen was lost, casting the furious Conrad a look before he set his eyes on Cosette. He reached for her arm, tugging it gently.

    "Love, what are you бк"

    "I''m scared." Cosette cut him off, facing Maxen squarely. "I want to make you as many lunch boxes as I can. Maybe ten years'' worth? That way, I am sure you will eat properly for the next ten years."

    Maxen''s breath hitched, watching her smile with tears in her eyes. Didn''t she say these exact same words just a week ago? Why was she repeatingбн just before Maxen would wonder. He recalled this wasn''t the first time Cosette repeated something as if she was genuinely clueless about it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Meanwhile, Conrad furrowed his brows at his daughter''s sudden change of subject. Gretchen and Marcel were stupefied.

    "Did you sayбн early onset dementia?" Maxen blurted out under his breath, and her expression changed into a panic.

    "What?" Cosetteughed awkwardly. "I was talking about the kids. What are you бк"

    Cosette was unable to finish her sentence as he suddenly pulled her into his embrace. Her eyes slowly went wide, furrowing her brows as her eyes slid to the corner.

    "Max, is there something wrong?" she asked with a gentle smile. "Was work tough? Should I tell dad to stop giving you a hard time?"

    Maxen gripped her back tightly. The more he listened to her, the more he could feel the inexplicable pain that took his heart hostage. Conrad watched Maxen and Conrad with nk eyes, unable to absorb the situation. Meanwhile, Marcel suddenly gripped his chest, making Gretchen panic.

    "Marcel!" screamed Gretchen, holding her husband from the side. "Conrad, you father! Help!"

    That night didn''t end well for everyone aside from Cosette. Marcel was rushed to the hospital as he almost died from a heart attack. On top of Marcel''s condition, Cosette also fainted when multiple people rushed inside the private dining.

    That was the start of their endless night; they had never seen the light after that.

    ******

    [ PRESENT TIME ]

    "You acted as if nothing happened," Maxen continued under his breath. "So, Dad and I agreed to pretend we knew nothing. Although we have to nt people бк sometimes it would be me or dad бк to escort you while you go to work, keep their distance so you can live your life without ever knowing their presence. There were nights you will remember your confession and ask me a few questions; you will also answer some of mine. So, we knew you didn''t want to get treated."

    Maxen took a deliberate pause, facing her squarely. "The only question you didn''t answer is, why? Why don''t you want to get treated, Cosette?"

    "Don''t you want to stay with us?" he added, holding back his tears.

    After listening to him, Cosette sort of remembered some snippets of it. Her eyes grew blurry because of the tears that were covering her eyes, forcing a smile on her face. She stretched her hand, cupping his face to wipe the tear that managed to escape his eyes.

    "Around several ago, I made a promise," she whispered, smiling. "I was in the front passenger seat while you were on that spot. I promised that I will never forget you, Max. Getting treatment will prolong my life, but I might not remember you anymoreбн I don''t want to forget you. I don''t want to forget us and everything."

    "Let me live this life remembering you, remembering us, and all the memories we created together," she added while Maxen broke down, unable to hold back his tears. "I know this is unfair and selfish, butбн can you please continue to live the way we did?"

    Maxen was sniffing and crying, holding her hand as if his life depended on it. When he recovered slightly, he looked up and nodded.

    "Should we go on a trip?" his voice was shaking and almost breaking. "Are you free?"

    Cosette maintained her smile and nodded. "I sent my resignation, so I have all the time in the world. A beach trip sounds nice, don''t you think?"

    "It does." He wiped his tears with his arm, rposing himself. "Should we go straight there?"

    "Mhm."

    Maxen and Cosette stared at each other, smiling. Yet, tears filled their eyes despite the curl on the corner of their lips. With that being said, Maxen drove off to a private resort owned by the c to get away from the city noise and to enjoy every second they had left.

 Chapter 396 Happily Ever After

    Maxen tried his best to focus on the moment, extending their beach trip longer than he had nned. Cosette said nothing about her condition, making him sometimes wonder whether she had forgotten about it or she was simply focusing on the present instead of the dim future.

    Cosette would still have episodes where she would look lost and confused. Her episodes grew more frequent as time goes by, but Maxen was always there for her. She had spent her days with her family, visiting her father and grandparent almost five times a week. She would then host a dinner with friends, and then, quality time with her husband.

    Leaving her work gave her more time to do what she wanted to do. On days she would get bored or forget Maxen stationed his office in their home, she would try to learn all sorts of things. She learned pottery, sometimes she would paint. When those days her brain would return to her younger self, she would im Maxen''s office as hers and would treat him as some sort of butler.

    It was just a span of months, and yet Cosette''s condition drastically deteriorated.

    "It''s beautiful, right?" Maxen spoke, sitting by the shore as he watched the sunset with her.

    "Mhm." Cosette smiled, resting the side of her head on his shoulder.

    It was almost their anniversary, so Maxen took her to the beach once again to rx. At this point, herplexion was pale. She told him she didn''t want treatment, butter on, agreed to have some dialysis and chemotherapies with the condition she would be going home. That exined the cover around her head.

    "Max?" she called after a minute of silence, hearing him answer with a hum. "Was it hard?"

    Maxen sported a short smile. "I wouldn''t say it was easy, but it was manageable."

    "I seeбн" she blinked ever so tenderly, breathing in the salt air blowing past them. "My memories were too foggy, so I don''t remember everything. Still, I''m sorry if I said something terrible."

    "You would be surprised how tamed you were."

    "How tamed?"

    "Justбн you know." He let out a faint and short chuckle. "It always reminds me how precious my wife was, and how grateful I am."

    If only she knew that most of her episodes were just Cosette, nning how to get on Maxen''s good side, she wouldugh. It gave him a glimpse of how silly she was; a perspective he was unaware of back when they were teens.

    "Cozie," he called once again, and this time, Cosette was the one who hummed. "About yourst testsбн do you remember?"

    "They were bad." Her eyes were weary and heavy. "I don''t think we can fulfill our promise of getting married with a different theme, huh?"

    "We got married just three times," he recalled. "Do you remember thest two?"

    "What were they?"

    "A garden wedding and a beach wedding."

    "I seeбн" Cosette chuckled quietly. "Seven more to go."

    "Mhm. What were the motifs you want again?"

    "How about a Victorian wedding theme for the fourth?"

    "How about the fifth?"

    "Hmmбн how aboutбн" Cosette paused to cough. "An underwater one?"

    Maxen chuckled. "And the next one?"

    "A wedding in a hot-air balloon?" she suggested. "And then, on our eighth wedding, I want a street-style wedding."

    "How do you even get married in street style?"

    "I already had everything nned." The corner of her lips stretched. "Remember my journal?"

    "You wrote it there?"

    "Not just my ns, but also many things."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I seeбн" Maxen rocked his head in understanding. "Is this the time I can finally get a hold of that mysterious journal?"

    "Wellбн" Cosette chuckled, only to let out a series of coughs. She covered her lips, and then when she pulled her hand away, bitterness flickered in her eyes. Maxen nced at her and caught the blood on her palm, offering her a white handkerchief.

    "Were you immune to seeing this?" she asked as she epted the handkerchief.

    "Not immune, but rather, prepared," he corrected, biting his inner lip. "After all, that is the only thing I can do."

    She smiled a short smile, resting the side of her head on his shoulder once again. She clenched the handkerchief, casting the fading sunset a look.

    "How long since you got to talk to me like this?" she asked, and he answered with all honesty.

    "About a month ago."

    "So it''s that long, huh?" her smile was bitter, keeping quiet for a moment. "Maxen, will you read the journal when I can''t get up anymore or when I need a bedtime story?"

    "Is that journal that important?"

    "Of course." Another shortugh slipped past her pale lips. "It''s my favorite story, after all."

    "I see."

    "Maxen."

    "Hmm?"

    "If you read something unpleasant in that journalбн remember that my heart only belongs to all versions of you." Her eyes felt heavy and her voice was hushed. "Thoughбн I deeply wished that that story ended with a happy ending. How nice would that be?"

    Maxen lowered his eyes, sensing her breaths grow deeper. He took a jagged breath, smiling despite having tears in his eyes. His other hand reached for a journal that was resting on his side.

    "Cozie?" she called, and she hummed weakly. "Are you sleepy, my love?"

    "Noбн" her denial didn''t match her exhausted voice. "Dad, can you read me a bedtime story? I''m scared of nightmares."

    Maxen held his breath as he looked up, telling himself to keep himself together. "You want that story again?"

    "Mhm. I think we''re in the part where Maxen proposed to Cosette. What did her dad do?"

    "Well, we''ll find out if I read."

    "I hope they get a happy ending."

    Maxen remained silent, turning his head to look at her. "Of course, they have, Cosette."

    "Heheбн" she giggled, keeping her eyes closed. "Do you know why it''s my favorite?"

    "Because you have the same name as the female lead?"

    "Yes, but Maxen is always my favorite."

    "Wasn''t he a bad guy?"

    "Why do you care? He used to be a bad guy, but he is my favorite character, period."

    "Maxen is such a lucky guy." Maxen cleared his throat, opening the journal to read the things that weren''t written there since they already reached the nk pages of it. Cosette couldn''t write the story anymore, after all. Hence, his assignment was to make her happy, even if the happily ever after she was waiting for was something he had to make up.

 Chapter 397 Hang In There

    [ PRESENT TIME ]

    Maxen had lost count of how many times he had read Cosette''s journal. He got it around a month after learning her condition; Cosette handed it to him when he found her writing something lengthy on her desk.

    The contents of her journals were ridiculous, especially the ones at the beginning of the journal. Any sane person would think someone who had a vast imagination wrote it. However, the more he read it, the more Cosette''s actions since the beginning made sense.

    After that initial story, she wrote down as a ''guide,'' Cosette focused on writing her day-to-day life. Each page was full of life, and just reading it would fill his heart with warmth. Knowing her perspective somehow put some ease in his heart, despite being lost at the beginning of the story where he was known as Maxen Devilsin.

    Cosette openly said this was her favorite story, but little did she know, it was also Maxen''s. The only difference was that Maxen knew the real ending of the story while Cosette believed it stopped after their first marriage.

    "Sometimes, I wish the story stopped in that first marriage..." whispered Maxen, closing the journal in his hand. He slowly shifted his eyes to Cosette''s portrait, smiling. "How I wish life truly has its happy ending where life just stopped when the word THE END appeared."

    "Thank you, Cosette... for saving me." His thumb caressed her portrait as his eyes softened. "And I''m sorry I couldn''t save you."

    Cosette saved everyone around her, but none of them were able to save her. All they could do was watch as her illnesses take her away from them. Maxen couldn''t me her friends -- especially the Quinn brothers for pouring their anger on Maxen.

    After all, Maxen hid her condition for as long as he could from Luke. It was the deepest reason Luke hated Maxen now. Well, Cosette didn''t want those dear to her heart to stop their worlds just because she was dying, but Luke never tried to understand that.

    Meanwhile, Asher did his best to get the best doctors to treat Cosette. However, even when Cosette was no longer capable to make decisions on her own, Maxen still refused to give her treatments. If only Cosette stayed in the hospital, she would probably still be alive. Her health might not improve, but at least she was alive.

    It was the reason Asher med himself for not fighting for his love back then. The thoughts that maybe he would win her heart over if he tried harder never left him. Of course, Asher wasn''t foolish to believe he had a chance. But the fact that he didn''t try would remain as a pang of guilt for him.

    "Or me," whispered Maxen, cing the portrait in front of him. Maxen slowly got up from his seat, marching to the niche where her ashes rest. He opened it up, taking his time as if he had all the time in the world.

    Maxen took the urn out, hugging it securely with him. Without a word, he walked away from the ce to go somewhere only he knew. He secured the urn to the front passenger seat, driving away without a word. Soon, he reached the beach he frequented with Cosette; the ce where he would carry her, and also the ce where she took herst breath.

    Hugging the urn, Maxen stood by the shore with his eyes on the end of the dark ocean.

    "Three years, Cozie," he spoke after a prolonged silence. "I don''t know how many times I stood in this ce. Each time, a voice would whisper in my ear, telling me if I go over there, I''ll see you."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The corner of his lips curled up as tears formed in his eyes. "Every time that happens, I always had your journal with me. It reminds me of how you saved me and how you treasure my life. However... three years of battling this pain, grief, this longing, and these voices -- I am starting to question why am I even fighting? What is the point of enduring all these things when I cannot even go to you?"

    "No matter what I do, I will never see you, hold you, kiss you, or even hear you. Even if I run all night or go to the ends of the world, I will never find you. I can''t do this anymore, Cosette." Maxen shook his head, hugging the urn tightly as he broke down. "I''m sorry... I don''t see the value you see in my life."

    "Without you in it, it was nothing." Maxen huped, mustering the courage to raise his head. Tears flooded his face, yet his lips stretched from ear to ear.

    In a matter of minutes, his shoes and socks were left on the sand, together with her urn. Maxen dragged his feet to the cold waters of the quiet beach, undisturbed as the water level goes up to his stomach. He didn''t stop.

    "Cosette," he called with a smile, keeping his eyes ahead. "I''ming, darling."

    In Maxen''s eyes, Cosette was just waiting for him, smiling. Hence, he quickened his pace, takingrge steps and fighting against the heavy and calm waves.

    "Cosette, I am almost... there... wait for me..."

    "Stop!!!" the woman''s voice screaming behind him went past his ear, ignoring it as he continued his n. "Maxen Devilsin! Stop this right now! I said STOP!"

    Suddenly, a hand grabbed Maxen''s arm to stop him. Using all her strength, she pulled him back, which made Maxen look back.

    "Don''t do this, Maxen." The woman shook her head, speaking through her gritted teeth. "Please."

    Maxen blinked, refocusing his eyes on the woman who stopped him from ending his life.

    "Who... are you?" he narrowed his eyes, assessing the woman''s face before life returned to his eyes. "Cosette?"

    The woman looked at him with unbending determination in her eyes; they looked like Cosette''s. Actually, the woman resembled Cosette but looked a little older.

    "Don''t kill yourself, Maxen Devilsin," said the woman, ignoring what Maxen called her. "If you do, you will never see her again."

 Chapter 398 THE END

    "Don''t kill yourself, Maxen Devilsin. If you do, you will never see her again."

    "Huh?"

    "I am almost there." Her grip on his arm tightened. "So, hang in there, hmm?"

    "What are you --"

    "Conrad... will not make it if you also leave him." The woman continued, leaving no room for Maxen to ask questions. "Please... hang in there and... please, save my family."

    Maxen''s lips parted, but his words were stuck in his throat. All he could do was stare at the woman who was holding his arm as if her life depended on it, begging him not to die but save her family instead. He didn''t know who she was, but she knew Conrad and Cosette. Looking at her more, Maxen suddenly had a conclusion in his head.

    "You are..." he trailed off as the woman clenched her teeth, tearing up.

    "If you take your life now, you will not see her again -- we will not see her again," she said, shaking her head. "Help me, Maxen Devilsin. Help me save my daughter."

    [ Help me save my daughter. ]

    It was ridiculous. How would they even save a dead person? Yet, the look in her eyes mirrored the same longing, pain, grief, and desperation he had. The only thing that her eyes bore that he didn''t have was hope. Thus, those were the words that somehow saved Maxen from taking his life.

    He never knew the woman''s name, and she didn''t idle for long after telling him onest time to hang in there. Maxen didn''t know why he even listened to her, but he did. He went on with his life, working himself to the bone, visiting Conrad, Marcel, and Gretchen from time to time, and then using his day-offs with Cosette.

    Maxen held to the words he might see Cosette one day, even when the time he had to bury Marcel as he took hisst breath. Then Gretchen followed only three years after Marcel''s passing. Maxen lived with Conrad since then and for the next 30 years until Conrad passed.

    Now Maxen was already in histe 50s, still unmarried, and was one of the most sessful men in the business industry, sat quietly where all his family rests. His eyes lingered on his where his wife''s ashes were, then beside hers were Marcel and Gretchen in the same niche. Then Conrad was on the other side of Cosette''s ce.

    "Just how long... do I need to hang in there?" he asked himself. His voice had caught up to his age, but he was still very healthy. "Haha... did she scam me? How can I wait this long and watch all of you leave me one by one?"

    The wrinkles on the side of his lips deepened as he sighed. "What a lonely life, Maxen. Perhaps this is the retribution I deserved for what I had done in our first lives."

    "Cosette, Dad, Grandpa, Nana Chen..." Peace shone in his eyes, keeping his subtle smile. "I am expecting to warm wee once I join you, alright? My time wille after I atoned for all the sins I havemitted."

    Three decades and Maxen was counting more years. However, despite the loneliness and the years ahead of him, he was hopeful that someday he would reunite with the family that took him in and gifted him memories he could go back to remember.

    Someday... for sure... once he had paid for every wicked deed he had done in the past, he would be worthy enough to join them. This was the verdict the Heavens put upon him and the sentence he must serve.

    "No matter how long... I will finish this sentence." His smile remained. "Until then, may you have a lovely reunion."

    Maxen paid the price he had to. As Maxen Devilsin, he had taken many lives without mercy. Many lost their fathers, mothers, family, and friends because of him. So now, he was gifted a long life to attend the funerals of those dear to him.

    Cosette might''ve forgiven him and tried to save him, but the forces of retribution never sleep. They knew what he had done, and they had seen the blood on his hand. Thus, the severity of this punishment.

    It was a lesson learned and enlightenment this divine punishment had taught him.

    And Maxen had long decided to pay for it all... no matter how long it would be. He only hoped... he would be granted a ticket to where they were.

    Surely, this happily ever after doesn''t exist in real life.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    How tragic.

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    RING!!!!

    "Okay, ss, please go back to your respective seats." A woman stood in front of the ss while the students went back to their seats. "Before we start our ss, I would like to introduce you to your new ssmate."

    The woman, who was also the homeroom teacher of the ss, smiled from ear to ear. Her announcement had taken the interest of the majority of students, watching a youngd enter their ssroom. His looks and stature immediately caught the girls'' attention, while intrigue swirled in the boy''s eyes.

    Most of the students listened to the introduction except for one; the youngdy in the corner of the room who was busy jotting down notes from a document that had nothing to do with their subjects. Not that she waspletely unaware of the surroundings, but because she just didn''t care.

    "Alright. Please be good to your new ssmate," said the teacher, facing the transferee with a smile. "There were vacant seats. Find your seat."

    "Thank you," the young man smiled, instantly catching the hearts of the girls. He then looked around, noticing some of the girls shooing away their other seatmates while others maintained their poise. The young man smiled as soon as heid his eyes on the corner of the room, marching toward it without a second hesitation.

    "Hello," he greeted, standing beside the youngdy, who was busy writing in her notes.

    Her pen stopped upon seeing a figure from the corner of her eyes, blinking ever so slowly. She slowly turned her head, looked up, and almost instantly locked eyes with him.

    ''No wonder those girls were making a fuss,'' was what crossed her mind, admitting the transferee was attractive. However, his looks weren''t enough to attract someone like her.

    "Maxen," he said with a smile, eyes softening with deep affection. "Maxen Devilsin is the name. You are Cosette c, am I correct?"

    The youngdy, Cosette, kept her stony countenance without showing any sign of surprise. She put down her pen, folding her arms, and propped it against the edge of the desk.

    "You can''t sit with me."

    "I never asked, Cosette." Maxen shamelessly sat beside her and grinned mischievously. "I made a lunchbox today. Should we eat lunchter?"

    Her eyes grew icier with a ''how dare you'' look written all over her face. Yet, his face just continued to brighten up until his lips were stretching from ear to ear, disying his teeth.

    ''You don''t know how long I waited and what I went through,'' he mentally whispered, his squinting eyes cracking open. ''Let me save you this time, my wife.''

    -- THE END --

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!