Gerald shook his head quickly, almost in panic.“No. No,” he said in a broken voice, trembling. “I do not want to feel it.”Max looked at him for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. “Alright. If you do not want to feel what it is like to be hit with this wooden beam, that is good,” he said calmly. “I will not do it.”Max then shifted his gaze toward Amor, who was lying unconscious, and Hamong, who was still not awake.Max’s eyes were cold and sharp, yet controlled. “Take your two friends,” he continued. “And tell your boss, or whoever sent you.”Gerald swallowed hard, his heart feeling like it was about to jump out of his chest.“Tell him that next time, he should not hire weak assassins like you.”Gerald did not answer. He only nodded quickly, then moved closer with trembling steps. His body shook nonstop, not only from fear, but from the pressure of Max’s presence. There was something about the man that made his survival instinct scream to get away as far as possible.With great effo

Two days after the incident at the park, Aurora woke up with a pounding feeling in her chest that she could not explain. That day was supposed to be a day she had been waiting for a long time. For the first time, she would attend a prestigious art performance in Vesula City, an event often called a golden gate for young artists.Her dress was neatly prepared, her shoes were placed beside the bed, and the official invitation from Star Entertainment was still tucked inside her small bag.Max stayed by her side since morning. He did not talk much. He only made sure Aurora ate breakfast and did not forget to bring all her things. On his face, the calm he always wore was still there, although his eyes sometimes scanned the surroundings with a caution that was almost invisible.The Star Entertainment building stood grandly in the middle of the city, its glass walls reflecting the pale sunlight of Vesula. As soon as they entered, Aurora immediately felt a strange atmosphere. There was no war

Helen took a short breath, then formed a thin smile that did not reach her eyes.“I am sorry,” she said in a calm tone she forced, though the irritation was clear in her voice. “Is it really that important for you to know my boss’s name?”Max looked at her without blinking. “Yes, of course it is important,” he replied flatly. “What is wrong with wanting to know it?”Helen let out a soft chuckle, as if she had heard something amusing. “For what purpose?” she asked back. “Even if you know my boss’s name, your wife’s contract will still be terminated. That cannot be undone.”She tilted her head, looking Max up and down, her gaze full of judgment.“Besides, who do you think you are?” she continued sharply. “Do you have any influence? No, you do not, right?”Aurora stiffened. Those words felt like a slap aimed not only at Max, but at her as well. She could feel her chest tighten again, that sense of being small and helpless that she had been trying to hold back.But Max smiled instead. It

Aurora and Max stopped walking at the same time.The woman smiled first and gave a small wave. “Hi, Aurora. You are coming to this event too?”Aurora looked at her for a few seconds before finally recognizing her face. Tina. Her long hair fell neatly down her back, her face familiar even though they had never really talked. The man beside her was Jale, tall in posture, his gaze sharp but full of confidence.“Hi,” Aurora replied softly. “Yes.”Aurora fell silent for a moment, then nodded politely. She knew who they were. These two were her seniors at university. Their names were fairly well known, not only because of their musical skills, but also because they often appeared at official events. However, Aurora had never been close to them. She had almost never spoken to them directly. She only knew them from her friends’ stories.Because of that, their presence here and the way Tina greeted her made Aurora feel a little nervous.Aurora opened her mouth, wanting to explain. She felt sh

“Please welcome,” the MC continued in a loud voice, “Ms. Lisa, CEO of Ladder Corp.”Applause echoed throughout the room.A woman stepped in calmly yet with strong authority. Her black suit was simple, but the aura she carried made the entire room feel tense. Her face was firm, her gaze cold yet sharp, as if she could judge anyone with a single look.Tina clapped along instinctively, though her brows furrowed slightly. “Lisa from Ladder Corp?” she whispered. “Isn’t that a giant company in investment and technology?”Lisa stepped onto the stage, briefly shook hands with the MC, then looked toward the guests. Her gaze swept across the room slowly and paused for a moment at the front row.Tina leaned back in her seat, her eyes shining as Lisa stood on the stage and gave a short speech. There was sincere admiration on her face.“I really like her,” Tina whispered to Jale. “CEO Lisa is a young, successful, independent woman. She is not just beautiful, she is powerful. I really want to get c