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MAX WOKE UP FROM the loud banging sound that was coming from the door. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the clock, his vision still blurry. "It's still 5:00 PM. I told them to wake me up at six," Max complained as he got up from the bed, stretching his arms while he dragged his feet to the door. Max was expecting to see his butler, but when he opened the door, his older brother Marcus was standing in front of him instead, still wearing his black uniform, indicating that he just got back from school.

     "Max!" He shouted in excitement, grabbing Max for a hug before the young heir could even say anything. "I'm so glad you're back. The house has been so lonely without you, and Father keeps bugging me instead since you're not around. I'm starting to understand why you get so annoyed by him."

     Max doesn't say anything as Marcus continues to crush him with his tight embrace. But when Marcus finally pulled away from the hug, his smile slowly faded when he saw the annoyed expression on his brother's face. "You weren't sleeping, were you?" Marcus then asks, laughing nervously.

     "I don't think it matters now," Max says as he returns to his room, Marcus following behind him. "But I'm glad to be back, and I'm glad to see you too. How's everything been going so far? Anything new in J.S High?" Max then asks as his brother lies in his bed without even asking.

     "Nothing drastic happened, surprisingly. That's why the guys and I were joking around, saying that you're the only reason shit happens in J.S High. The moment you left, everything became normal," Marcus answers as Max angrily removes his boots for him.

     "Please don't lie on my bed with your sweaty outside clothes," Max complains again, and Marcus just laughs, ignoring his sibling's frustration.

     "But I'm really glad you're returning to J.S High tomorrow. There are going to be a lot of events this term like the School Festival and the Spring Dance. I might invite Cindy if she's available," Marcus explains next.

     Max, who gave up on kicking his brother away, starts going through his closet instead. Since he's already awake, he might as well pick the outfit he's going to wear for tonight's family dinner. "School festival and Spring dance? Sounds interesting," Max says as he pulls out a silky cream shirt from the closet. "And normal. After the Annual Reranking, those sound less violent."

     "Hey, brotherhood battles aren't violent. It shows a magnificent display of camaraderie and skill," Marcus suddenly defended, making Max pretend like he was gonna gag.

     "You're starting to sound like a prince of J.S High, it's annoying. But speaking of 'prince', have you seen Joon?" Max asks this time, making Marcus sit back up from the bed.

     "Joon? Heck no. I'm actually glad I haven't seen that Ice Prince yet. I don't want my day to get ruined. In fact, the entire idea of choosing him as an underling is already too much for me. Hans was pretty mad about it too, but since this was your idea he's trying to reconsider. The only one excited about this was CJ, and I'm pretty sure there's a reason why he's excited if Joon ends up becoming his underling," Marcus explains, which confuses Max. But when Max realized that his brother had no idea that Joon was living with them for the time being, the young heir couldn't help but laugh out loud.

     Marcus looks at Max and furrows his eyebrows at him. "What's so funny? What I said was true."

     "I know it's true, which makes this even funnier," Max replies, wiping the tears in his eyes. "You know what, let me just show you. Come on."

     Max walked out of the room before Marcus could even ask what that was all about. With no other choice, he got up from the bed and followed his brother outside. They walked towards the guestroom, and then Max started knocking on the door. After a few knocks, no one answered, so Max opened the door and got in. As expected, the room was empty, which led Marcus to be even more confused as to what Max was trying to do.

     "Max, you're starting to freak me out. Did something happen in St. George Academy?" Marcus asks, genuinely concerned.

     "I guess he went out for a bit," Max said instead.

     "He went out for a bit? Who?" Marcus continues to ask. Max didn't answer, so Marcus started looking around the room, finally noticing that there were different items scattered around like clothes, a comb, and a white uniform. He then walks up to the vanity table, and to his surprise, he finds a familiar brooch inside a small glass case. It was a brooch of the previous kings, C1A.

     After a couple of seconds, it finally hit him.

     "T-This can't...this can't be...is Joon...is he—" Before Marcus could even finish his sentence, Max just grinned as he draped his arm around his brother, dragging him out of the room so Joon wouldn't get mad when he comes back. "Alright, let's go. I'll explain everything to you later. For now, you should get ready for tonight's dinner. I heard our dear father is returning from another 'business' trip."

...

"My prince," a man wearing a black uniform greets as he bows in front of Kim Hee-joon who was sitting on top of empty crates in the middle of an abandoned building. "I am glad to see you again. It's been a while."

     "Tanis Hendrix," Joon says back. "I apologize if our meeting place isn't in a much more formal setting, but this was the only thing I could think of. I'm hiding from your leader. I refuse to meet him as I am. Only when I was a prince was I proud to face him, but now there is only shame. Is he even aware that I have returned?"

     "No, Hedeon only told me about it yesterday and no one else. But don't be too complacent. I believe Viktor won't take this news kindly once he sees you in J.S High, especially since we decided to hide it from him. As soon as he sees you in that white uniform, well, we don't know how things will play out. You should prepare yourself. He might forcefully take you. You know how Viktor is."

     Joon sighs, nodding in agreement. "You're right. He sees me as his property. Defying him will piss him off. But that's the reason why I followed Sinclaire's plan. It's annoying, but it's effective. If I stick close to that heir, Viktor won't dare approach me. You know the reason why, right?" He then asks, but Tanis doesn't answer, so Joon continues for him.

     "It's because the person Viktor is scared of the most isn't Grey. It's him...Maximillian Leigh Sinclaire," Joon reveals. "Viktor acts like he doesn't care but he's relieved that the boy lost his memories. He wouldn't be so boastful around him if he didn't. It's almost pathetic."

     "I don't think I'd want to hear those things about my leader from the likes of you," Tanis then says, and the empty expression on Joon's face changes for a split second.

     "From the likes of me? Oh, of course. I forgot. I'm just a mere plaything for your king when he feels sad and lonely. You wouldn't want to waste your time hearing me speak such nonsense," Joon responds, and Tanis immediately looked pissed.

     "Do not put words in my mouth. We go way back, Joon, and I respect you enough to not think of you as such. I might as well consider you as my friend, but that would be too complicated for you. I know you, Kim Hee-joon. Relationships scare you," Tanis reveals, and Joon's expression becomes serious again.

     "Alright, that's enough. I've been having pointless conversations all day so let's stop this," Joon admits before giving a heavy sigh. "Let's talk about why I called you here. Has Hedeon told you what he discovered in St. George Academy? About how Paradox might be connected to it as well?"

     "Yes, he told me he discovered information about an ex-member of Paradox who might be connected to the person who bought the school. I'm not sure who it is yet, but if that were true, it's most likely that Paradox had power in the House of Bishops and used some of the students there when they lost in J.S High. After all, there were a lot of high-profile students in St. George Academy too," Tanis explains.

     "I also asked Keigo to look for Presley Pritchett, the previous Elite Secretary. He was still connected to some members of Paradox when he graduated so he might know where those assholes are hiding," Joon reveals next. "We have to find the rest of those bastards. During their time in J.S High, they got acquainted with dangerous people who gave them weapons, drugs, and even prostitutes. Viktor and I believed they might funded the wrong organization, and when they lost their power, they got scared and ran off."

     "Organization? Do you mean the people Leviathan Dubois told you about? The ones with the inverted fleur de lis?"

     "That's right. I believe they're an organization that's connected to the same people who created Creme de la Creme. Paradox got tangled up with them, and when shit went down, the others got scared and fled. Donato is safe because he's still backed up by the Sinclaire family. That's why as long as Maximillian is a member of Creme de la Creme, the Sinclaires are untouchable," Joon explains.

     "So you think Paradox is still funding that organization?"

     "I believe some of them are. Augustus Kierspe is definitely still giving them money, which could be the reason why he got out of that case with River's sister so fast. I'm not certain about Donato, but he might be too. And the person connected to the man who bought St. George Academy? I believe his family bought the school to get money off of it so they can continue to support that group and not get killed."

     "But who on earth could it have been? Who in Paradox would be able to buy an entire school without Janus knowing?" Tanis asks, but Joon doesn't have any idea either.

     Unfortunately for them, Max already knows who.

     "Now, let's change the subject. Regarding the person who assisted Payton Wolfe, do we have leads?" Joon asks next.

     "Hedeon wasn't certain either, but he did mention to watch over Checkmate, specifically Uchdryd," Tanis reveals, and Joon didn't give much of a reaction, almost like he expected it too. "He said Uchdryd isn't directly the culprit, but he believes the Master of Information knows something that we don't. It's a shame you weren't able to get anything from him when you were in his house, but we'll find a way. Don't worry. We'll get your brotherhood back no matter what." Tanis tells him, and Joon nods his head before finally getting up from his seat. 

     "Thank you for meeting me today."

     "The pleasure is mine," Tanis answers. "Anyway, do you have a place to stay right now? I can lend you one of our penthouses for the time being. Our company just finished the building last week. I don't think Viktor would find you there," Tanis offers, but Joon kindly declines it.

     "It's okay, I'm staying at a much safer place. Believe me. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now," Joon confidently answers.

     "Well, I'm glad. How about your eye? Has it healed yet?" Tanis asks next. He reaches out to touch the eyepatch, but Joon immediately moves away from him as an automatic response. Tanis didn't ask about it any further, and Joon eventually started walking to the exit.

     "I'll see you tomorrow, king."

     Tanis doesn't say anything anymore as he watches Joon take his leave. As soon as he was gone, Tanis sighed and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He stares at Viktor's number, but then he shoves it back in and decides to keep it a secret for Joon's sake. For a second he thought of telling Viktor about this little meeting, but he thought about the friendship he and Joon shared in the past as members of C1A and instantly felt guilty.

     "Viktor's going to kill me once he finds out about this, but whatever...at least I'm not Maximillian Sinclaire."

...

"Did your mother tell you that she's coming tonight?" Max asks Marcus as the two brothers walk inside the restaurant where they'll be having their family dinner.

     "Does it make me a bad son if I secretly hope that she doesn't?" Marcus asks back, almost making Max laugh since Marcus wasn't always this opinionated about Edith in the past.

     "Well, there's a high chance that father invited her, but there's a higher chance that she declined it since my grandmother would be there too. And not to sound like I'm complimenting her or anything, but I don't think she's that shameless to eat dinner with Luna's mother," Max explains, and Marcus couldn't help but nod in agreement.

     When they got to the restaurant, some of the guests instantly recognized Max and started taking pictures of him. Thankfully the owner arrived and assisted the two brothers to a private room, Étienne standing outside to guard them.

     Max thought that they'd be the first to get there since it was still ten minutes before 8, but to his surprise, his grandmother was already there, as well as their father, Denzel Sinclaire. Even his cousin, Jean-Paul D'Amboise, was sitting at the table, so busy writing emails on his phone that he didn't even notice Max and Marcus enter the room.

     "You're finally here," Estelle Lilith D'Amboise-Lemieux, Max's grandmother, says with a bright smile as Max walks up to her to give her a soft kiss on the cheek.

    "Grandma, it's great to see you again. You seem younger than I remember," Max compliments.

     "Good evening, Madam Estelle," Marcus greets next, and Estelle smiles and squeezes Marcus's hand in reply.

     "Damn, look at you, kid. You seem different," Jean then says, putting his phone down so he can get up and hug his cousin. He then looks at Marcus and hugs him as well, and the three of them finally take a seat.

     "Maximillian," Denzel calls out this time as soon as Max sits beside his grandmother. "You look well," he then adds.

     "Likewise."

     Jean and Marcus looked at each other before looking back at Max and Denzel. Before the atmosphere got awkward, Denzel finally called for the owner to bring the food. Strange as it may sound, the family started eating their dinner in peace. They asked about Max's experience at St. George and Max told them fun stories, leaving out a few things to not worry his grandmother. They then talked about the company and how everyone is still adjusting to the new management. Denzel also clarified that he still goes to work to help Estelle but his title is no longer the chairman, just a representative.

     For a moment, Max finally felt at ease. When Étienne told him about this dinner, Max was worried that his father might start interrogating him about what happened in Germany with Klyde, but for some reason, Denzel appears to be avoiding the topic even though Max is certain that his butler informed their father about what happened.

     It seems that Max's family heard the news and decided to gather like this to ease the young heir's burden. Max might never understand the real sentiment of tonight's dinner, but at least he was able to relax and be himself for a change, forgetting his responsibilities even just for a couple of hours.

     "I'm going to smoke outside for a while. You coming?" Jean asks as he stands from his seat, looking at Max.

     Max takes a sip of his wine and shakes his head. "It's okay, I'm trying to stop."

     "Really? You?" Jean asked in disbelief, but he didn't say anything about it anymore and just patted Max's shoulder before walking out of the room, leaving Max with Estelle, Marcus, and Denzel.

     "By the way, Leigh, when are you going back to France? You know, you're going to have to live there once you inherit the company, right? The main branch is also in Paris so—"

     "Mother," Denzel interrupts. "Let's not talk about that for now. We'll discuss this matter when we get there."

     Estelle didn't seem so happy with Denzel's suggestion, but she thankfully stopped talking about it.

     "Alright, if you may excuse me, I'm going to the lavatory to freshen up. Marcus dear, will you be so kind as to assist this old woman?" Estelle asks as she slowly stands from her seat, Marcus immediately grabbing her arm and assisting her to the door.

     As soon as they leave, Max is left alone with Denzel who is fighting the urge to finish the entire bottle of champagne on the table. Max didn't exactly know what to tell him, but he knew that it was better to say something now than just awkwardly sit there in silence.

     "What type of business did you have in Malaysia?" Max finally asks.

     Denzel adjusts in his seat and turns to Max to answer, "I had a few meetings with investors. I'll introduce them to you once the deal has been settled."

     "Has grandma been busy lately?" Max asks next.

     "Mother knows her way around the company so there's not much for me to worry about. But due to her age and declining health, she's not able to travel to different places so I go instead on her behalf," Denzel explains next, and then, once again, silence.

     Max takes a deep breath, looks at his watch, and takes another sip of his wine. He thought Denzel wasn't going to say anything anymore, but then his father finally opened up about what Max had been anxious to hear since they started dinner.

     "I heard from Étienne about what happened in Karlsruhe," Denzel finally says. "I'm still not sure of the other details, but one thing was clear; you got yourself in danger. Naturally, my reaction should fall into worry and distress. I might scold you, maybe even book you a flight to a remote island to keep you hidden and safe, but let's not fool each other anymore."

     "Father—"

     "I want you to decide what you want to do now as you move forward. You are our sole heir, Maximillian. You are no longer just Max. You are the company, the family, and the people who work under you. This responsibility, this burden, you carry them all on your shoulders, which means your smallest decisions will greatly affect everything else around you. Remember, you chose this path, so I will not be lenient with you," Denzel seriously says, and for a second, Max remembered why his father was such a fearsome man.

     The way he spoke and carried himself could make anyone feel nervous. He had this aura around him that almost felt suffocating. Intimidating wasn't even the right word to describe him. Denzel was the epitome of a Sinclaire. This could be the reason why despite hating him for so long, Max could never deny that he always respected him as a chairman.

     "You are to be the future chairman of Lemieux corporation, and the head of the two most powerful families in the world. I want you to think of your safety, as well as your future. Which is why I ask you this, Maximillian..." Denzel pauses, and then he directly looks into Max's eyes and finally asks him the question that Max wasn't even expecting to hear from him at all.

     "Do you still want to study in J.S High?"

- END -