Her blonde ponytail har framed her face as she sat quickly at a table, as her finger fiddled nervously with the hem of her sleeve.He wasn’t mistaken, it was her. Although she hadn't revealed her face.Across from her sat another girl, who seemed much more talkative, gesturing as she spoke.Maximus exhaled, his lips pressing into a neutral line not which action to take now.They had been texteing on and off, noting too deep, but enough that he knew she was the shy type.And just then, as if somehow sensing his gaze, she turned.The moment her blue eyes landed on him,her expression changed.A flicker of surpirse, then something softer- that signature shyness of hers.Her fingers immediately went to her lap, her shooulders hunching slightly. She didn’t lood away immediately, though. It was as if she was waiting for some kind of response.Maximus, ever composed and calm, simply gave a slight wave, nothing too dramatic, just a sign that he acknowledged her prescence.Lilys face turned sli

Maximus chuckled, watching her struggle for her words. Then, in a rare moment of hesitation, she looked down, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sweater.“...Would it be bad?” she asked softly.Maximus’s smirk faded slightly. “Would what be bad?”She took a deep breath, finally meeting his gaze. “If I like you, and wanted you to do things to me.”For the first time that day, Maximus was completely and utterly caught off guard.He stared at her for a long moment, the weight of her words settling between them.Lily wasn’t the type to say something like this lightly, it took her courage to admit it.And somehow, that made it feel… real.Slowly, he reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She tensed at the touch of his finger but dared not to pull away.“I wouldn’t mind,” he murmured.Then, it happened.The kiss was slow, unhurried, almost celestial.A soft brush of lips at first, testing, waiting.But when Lily didn't pull away, when she leaned in instead, Maximus d

Lily's cheeks immediately puffed up in embarrassment.“...NO” she mumbled, stepping into the room.Maximus smirked but didn’t tease any further. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, streching his arms above his head. “Alright, you can sleep here if you please, but I will warn you, I will be awake for a while.”Lily glanced at the screen, lines of code, open files and various tabs filled it. She wasn’t sure what he was working on, but it looked very complicated for her mind to wrap around.“What are you doing?” she asked, stepping closer.“Just some work,” he replied vaguely. “Something I need to finish before tomorrow.”Lily made a small breathe of understanding before turning her attention to his bed.It was bigger than the one in the guest room, the blankets slightly messy from where he had likely been sitting before moving to the desk.She didn’t hesitate to climb in.Maaximus raised an eyebrow. “Comfortable?”Lily pulled the blanket up to her chin, nodding with a small smile. “Ve

With a form grip, on the handlebars, he revved the engine once, the pulled out onto the main road. The city was alive with movement, cars whizzing past, pedestrians crossing the streets, neon light although deemed by the natural light of the firmament was still flickering. Within minutes, he reached the buildi6site, slowing to a stop before smoothly parking his bike near the entrance. As he pulled off his helmet, he took a steady breath, letting his sharp gaze scan the apartment building in from if him. The structure was tall, taller than the previous one. A testament to his calculated investments. It wasn't the flashiest building in the city, but it was modern, efficient and strategicically placed in a fast developing area of Central City. A few seconds just as he pulled up, a luxury vehicle rolled up, and a man stepped out. He visually looked like he was in his mid forties, dressed in a black, tailored suit, with the aura of someone used to closing high stakes deals— Business

~Active Skill> Eye Of Apollo ~Channeling his mind to work, his pupils dilated. Soon, his irises started to change their color, gradually turning to the signature silver colour of the system. After he activated the skill, Maximus turned his sight to the horse carving in his right hand. And when he did so, his hand trembled and he almost dropped his jaw. ~Object Acquired~~The Ashen Halo~~A rare fusion of obsidian and diamond gems imbedded inside a wooden horse carving. The item originated during 12,000 A. D and was hidden inside the horse carving to dispell interest from thieves.~~Target Value~~Horse Carving> $40~~Tye Ashen Halo> $135,000~The more he read, the more his eyes widened in shock. He just struck a legit antique piece from the least attractive artifact. "Who knew that the most hideous item in an antique shop would be the most valuable item of all" he said to himself. Maintaining his composure so as to not give up the impression that he just discovered something pric