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ÉTIENNE PARKS IN FRONT of a large building that has a familiar logo just beside the entrance. It was a logo that any smoker would find nostalgic since it's been around for more than a hundred years. You'd be considered too young if you didn't know what it was.

     "I'll head out here first. I'll call you after I'm done," Max says, and Étienne nods his head and immediately heads out to open the door for Max.

     As soon as Max went out of the car, the people who were walking by couldn't help but look his way. It's either they know him as the famous heir of a luxury hotel and casino, the guy who represented J.S High and won Mr. Brain and Brawn, or even just saw his face on the news the other day. Either way, Max was always a show-stopper.

     "For a company who has a huge influence on hidden stocks, their building is quite eye-catching," Max says before walking inside.

     Despite it being a holiday, the building was packed with people.

     Some employees, who were very much updated with the ins and outs of the business world, instantly recognizes Max. If Max wasn't in such a powerful family, they would have taken their phones out by now just to get a picture of him. A candid photo of a Sinclaire can get you a lot of cash after all.

     Max walks towards the receptionist with a serious expression. Everyone else continues to stare at him while the receptionist was busy with a call. Max patiently waits for her to finish, and as soon as she did, the receptionist couldn't help but flinch at the sight of him.

     Actually, she didn't exactly know who Max was, but his presence alone made her assume that he was an important person.

     "Good day sir," the receptionist says as soon as she composes herself. "How may I help you?" She then asks.

     Max adjusts his necktie and leans closer to the counter. "Is Charles Justin Mills here?"

     "Sir Charles? Do you have an appointment with him here?" The receptionist asks back.

     Max gives out his signature business smile and tells her, "No actually, but I'm a friend. I was hoping to discuss something urgent with him. Do you think you can make that possible for me?"

     The receptionist gets flustered, but she immediately composes herself again as she says, "I apologize sir but I can't help you with that. If you want I can contact his secretary for you so you can arrange a-"

     "Sinclaire?" A voice suddenly calls out, immediately making the receptionist, and the other employees, stop what they're doing so they can give their respect to him.

     Max thought it would be Cj, but he was surprised to see a completely different person who he wasn't expecting to meet. Though he wasn't expecting him, it was a face that he was familiar with.

     "Well I'll be damned, it really is the famous Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire," a tall and built man says with a charming smile. He was wearing a black coat where the sleeves were rolled up, making the tattoos on his arms visible.

    "CEO Jacob Mills," Max says as he watches the man named Jacob approach him while his secretary and six of his bodyguards followed behind him.

     "I wasn't expecting to see such a powerful heir here. Oh wait, you aren't an heir anymore right, so what's you're new title? I doubt it would be as catching as that one," He asks, his charming smile suddenly turning into a grin. 

     This man was no doubt Cj's brother.

     Max takes a deep breath and adjusts his necktie before looking straight at his eyes. "No worries, the title remains the same. Taking back something that's already mine is as easy as breaking a finger. I've already broken my arms, so there's really nothing for me to lose."

     Jacob couldn't help but chuckle at the response. There was no doubt that he saw fire in him, so Jacob couldn't help but be impressed. "I apologize, I didn't mean to offend you," Jacob says as he takes a step backward. "Actually, I admire your bravery. To challenge your own family takes guts. Not everyone can do it."

     "Oh believe me, if you had mine it wouldn't be that hard," Max says, making Jacob laugh this time.

     After letting out a couple more chuckles, Jacob clears his throat and says, "I'd love to chat with you more, but it seems like you're looking for my brother. If you want to talk to him then you can't find him here, but if you're here to talk about business, you can arrange a meeting with me instead."

     Jacob then looks at his watch before looking back at Max. "I have an hour before I talk to a couple of foreign investors. I can make the time."

     Max was tempted to take the deal, but he shakes his head and says instead, "I'm thankful that you'd go to such an extent, but there's something important that I want to discuss with your brother. Do you perhaps know what time he'll be here?"

     As if Max made a joke, Jacob suddenly starts laughing again, making Max furrow his brows in confusion.

     "I'm sorry, but did I say something funny?"

     Jacob immediately stops laughing as he tries to defend himself. "I apologize, I wasn't laughing at you. I just found what you said a bit..." Jacob pauses and clears his throat to compose himself. "He's not here. There is no way in hell you'll find him here," he reveals to Max.

     "What do you mean? I'm not catching on."

     "You won't find him here because he's not allowed to be here."

     "W-What?" Max asks in confusion.

     "Cj's banned from even stepping foot in the pavement outside this building. If he does...he'll be killed," Jacob answers, leaving Max speechless.

     Jacob smirks after seeing Max's reaction, but he doesn't comment about it. "Cj's running his own company, but I'll spare you the details. I think it's better if my little brother tells you about it instead. I bet he'll be delighted to entice you with how his wonderful business is going," he tells Max with a sarcastic tone that somehow irked Max.

     Jacob then snaps his finger, and in an instant, his secretary moves to his side and pulls out a notebook and a pen.

     "I'll give you the address of his company," Jacob says while his secretary writes something down. The secretary then tears the page off and hands it to Max.

     "I hope you get to talk to him properly. My brother is known to be very difficult," Jacob says before pulling something out of his wallet. He then takes out a card and hands it to Max. "But if you really want to talk to a serious businessman, you'll know where to find me. Just give me a call."

    Max was about to say something, but Jacob already turns around and starts walking away. But as he was walking, he suddenly remembers something and stops. He takes a deep breath and turns back to Max before saying, "Oh I forgot, it's All Soul's Day today, isn't it? Then head to Westbrook Cemetery first. He might still be there."

     Max bows his head as a form of thank you, and Jacob finally heads inside the elevator to take his leave. As soon as the elevator door closes, Max immediately pulls out his phone and calls his butler. "Hello? Étienne? Change of plans, we're heading to Westbrook cemetery."

...

"Is there someone you want to visit, master Leigh?" Étienne asks while he's driving their way to the cemetery that Max mentioned to him earlier.

     "Yes, but it's not what you might think," Max answers.

     Max couldn't help but think about what Cj's brother said to him earlier. Why was Cj banned from going to their own company to the point where he'll get killed. What did Cj even do for his own family to make such a heartless rule?

     And why does no one know about this and the fact that he's running his own company? If Hans and the others knew, they should have mentioned this to him. There's no point for them not to. They already told him that Cj isn't on good terms with his family, but Max wasn't expecting it to be this bad.

     "We're here master," Étienne then says, and Max immediately looks out of the window where he's welcomed with dozens of graves.

     Max immediately starts searching for someone while Étienne slowly drives around the cemetery. It was a bit hard though, considering how there are a lot of people here visiting their loved ones too.

     "I know you're still not going to tell me why we went here all of a sudden, but do you want me to ask around? We might find what you're looking for faster" Étienne suggests, and Max only shushes him, finally making Étienne stop talking.

    People were sitting in front of graves having a picnic and just enjoying the company of families and friends that have now passed. But as minutes go by, Max couldn't find the man that he was looking for.

    "He probably left," Max says in defeat, slumping himself in his seat and crossing his arms. "There are already too many people here."

    Étienne looks back at his master through the rearview mirror, checking if it was now okay for him to say something. When the coast was already clear, he finally asks, "Should we head to the other address that you gave me then?"

     Max doesn't say anything and nods his head instead, so Étienne nods back and drives his way towards the exit.

     While they were leaving, Max rests his elbow on the armrest and places his chin on top of his palm while he looks out the window. People were coming and going, but as he watches the growing crowd, he suddenly spots a grave monument that's almost covered with vines. The entrance was locked, but someone was standing outside, holding a bouquet of roses with his left hand, while his right hand was being supported by an arm sling.

     "There!" Max suddenly shouts, making Étienne make a sudden stop.

     "L-Leigh, you can't just-" But before Étienne could even scold him, Max suddenly opens the door and runs out of the car before his butler could even stop him.

     Max runs as fast as he could, avoiding everyone that are blocking his way. As he got closer, he sees a glimpse of the man he suspects is the Cigarettes' leader. Max was honestly expecting him to look teary, but the man had empty eyes, yet for some reason, you could tell that a lot of things are going on in his head.

    When he saw what he looked like, Max backs away and stands at a safe distance behind him. Cj looked like he was in deep thought, and Max didn't want to disrespect him and the dead like that, so he stood behind Cj until he was finished.

    Max could hear children laughing in the background, some were talking to their loved ones who have already passed, while some cried. But as all the noise and emotions consume them, Cj remained silent and still. After a while - twelve minutes to be exact - the count finally took a step forward.

    Cj walks closer to the monument and slowly kneels before gently placing the bouquet in front of the entrance. He pauses for a while before finally turning around, and as soon as he saw Max standing in front of him, his blank expression immediately changes to anger.

     "What are you doing here?" He asks Max.

     "Why aren't you going inside? Isn't it better to place the bouquet there?" Max asks instead.

     "What are you doing here?" Cj ignores his question and asks again, but with a lower tone this time.

     "I was looking for you."

     "This isn't J.S High. You don't just look for someone outside the grounds of our school, especially during a holiday," Cj tells him, and Max wasn't sure if he was joking or if he was being serious.

     "I apologize," Max says as he takes a deep breath before putting his hands inside his pockets. "But I don't want to cause any trouble. Let's talk somewhere else."

    Cj looked like he didn't even want to entertain Max, but then he glances back at the grave monument before looking back at Max with an annoyed expression.

     "Follow me," he says, not even waiting for Max as he starts walking away from the monument.

     Max looks behind and sees Étienne waiting for him inside the car, so Max waves his hand, telling him to follow them as Max ran beside Cj who looked restless and tired.

     As Max walked beside the Cigarette leader, he glances at Cj's broken arm and all the bruises that are on his face, making Max clear his throat before saying, "I'm sorry about your arm and...everything else. During that time my judgment was clouded by anger, and I was confused and scared. I didn't mean to hurt you like that, especially by your own brotherhood. I know that I-"

     "Why are you explaining yourself?" Cj suddenly asks, making Max stop talking.

     "Everything that happens in J.S High, stays in J.S High. As difficult as it may be to comprehend, what you are and what you become inside the school does not define who you are outside," Cj explains, and Max couldn't believe that this was the same man who looked at him dead in the eyes with a grin on his face while his own brotherhood beat him up.

     "Does that imply to you as well?" Max asks him.

     "It implies to everyone," Cj then tells him.

     As Max tries his best not to die from the awkwardness, the two finally arrive at a car that's parked beside the pavement. A man immediately heads out of the car wearing a driver's uniform and opens the back door for Cj. Cj heads in first, and even though Max was hesitant about all this, he went inside anyway since it was his idea to talk to him in the first place.

     The driver closes the door heads back inside before looking at Cj, "Master Charles, where to?"

     "I'm hungry so let's head to the restaurant that I usually go to," Cj answers, and the man nods his head and drives off.

    Max takes a deep breath and glances at the side mirror to check if his butler is following them. When he confirmed that he was, he looks back at Cj and finally asks, "Who were you visiting there?"

     "A woman who took care of me when I was a child," Cj immediately answers while looking out of the window. "You asked earlier why I wasn't going inside. Well, I didn't have the keys. Her family probably has it and I'm too ashamed to borrow it. I'm a Mills after all."

    Max was actually surprised that he even answered that question. Looks like Krist and the others were right. Cj's truth isn't his weakness. He's not afraid to tell people about himself because it doesn't make him vulnerable at all.

     "What do you mean you're a Mills after all?" Max asks, hoping he could dive deeper into Cj's past so he could understand him better.

     Cj doesn't say anything yet and pulls out a cigarette pack. He was about to take a stick, but he stops and puts it back inside his pocket instead. "I'm a Mills, and being a Mills is a curse that I've been trying to break ever since she was killed."

     Max was surprised even more, but he knew that he had to stop. It looked like Cj would answer all of Max's questions even if it took them all day, but Max knew he didn't deserve to hear it. After what he did to him, he felt like it wasn't right to just dig his past like that. 

     "Anyway, I'll just cut to the chase because I don't want to waste any more of your time," Max says instead to change the subject. "Your family is holding a party on Saturday in one of our hotels," Max tells him, instantly making Cj turn his head to look at him.

     "So I've heard," Cj says. "Were you not invited? Because the feeling's mutual."

     "No, the Sinclaire family was actually invited, but I'm sure you're well aware of my standing right now. I want to get in, and I need you to get me an invite," Max tells him, and Cj's usual personality finally shows as he chuckles and looks at Max like he was an idiot.

    Cj adjusts to his seat and tells him, "As I already mentioned to you, I myself am not invited to that party, so what makes you think that I can even give you an invitation?"

     Max smirks and suddenly leans close to Cj before touching his neck where the dog collar was supposed to be. "Today's your last day of being my homeboy. It's quite unfair that I don't get to enjoy the benefits of it since we don't have classes for two days, so at least let all this be worth it."

     "You sly little fox."

     "Get me an invite. I don't care how you'll do it, but I need to get to that party no matter what," Max says, and Cj scoffs before looking out of the window again.

     Cj doesn't say anything for at least a minute like he was thinking of Max's almost impossible request. But then he looks back at Max and tells him, "Even though I can give you an invite, it might be difficult since your family has already been invited. Only two members of the family are allowed to attend. The Sinclaire family name can't get doubled in the master's list."

     When Max heard of what Cj has to say, Max couldn't help but chuckle.

     "Who told you that you're going to give the Sinclaire family another invitation anyway?" Max asks, making Cj furrow his brows in confusion.

     "What do you mean?"

     Max touches his chest and smirks, making Cj realize that Max might just make this almost impossible task possible after all.

     "I want you to get an invite...for the Lemieux family."

- END -