's

, a part of him knew he couldn't just walk away. He wasn't like the others who could leave things behind and fo

hest rose and fell with each slow breath, and Max couldn't help but feel a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach. This wasn't a simple case of wai

f vulnerability she showed when she allowed herself to break down-struck a chord with him. She wasn't like the women he knew. Women who were used to being

o be vulnerable didn't last in his world. But with Lena, it was different. He could see the walls she'd built, but there was a fragility to them, like they were moments a

going to pus

hts. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. His assistan

o see this. It's

more than a shadow in his life, a figure Max had learned to avoid, to disregard. But the fact that Sar

at's go

er, Sarah's

lved in something big. I'll fill you in when you'

and none of it had been good. They had always been rivals, always one step behind him, but something was changing.

up-or even if she would wake up. But Lena needed him more right now. Max's instincts screamed at

For now, Lena needed him

a's

think, breathe, and just exist without the pressure of everyone else's expectations. The morning had come and gone, and she had bare

t she wasn't sure if she could ever feel awake again. Jenna's condition still hung over her, an ominous cloud she couldn'

glanced at the screen, half expecting to see another update

Let me know if you ne

tay with her while Lena had taken the short break she needed, but the fact that he had sent this text now-so quietly, so pa

mp in her throat and

okay. Just trying to

houghts of Max to the back of her mind. Her sister

's

hiding something, when they were putting on a facade. And with Lena, it was no different. She was hiding somethin

only thing he could do was be there. He had learned l

ting back to Lena. There was something about her that made it hard to focus on anything else. T

again. Another me

but I can't wait any longer. I'm sendin

n't ignore it. If the Baxters were involved in something big, it was only a matter of time before i

Enterprises-and beside it, a list of transactions, names, and dates. It was a trail. A tr

anning something that could shift everything in his world. If he didn't act q

gnawed at him. He couldn't keep her safe if

y. He needed to get to the bottom of this. And to do th

a's

tion was still unchanged, and the quiet in the apartment seemed deafening. She couldn't stay

ket, determined to do something, anything

d around her, the hum of everyday life continuing on as if nothing had changed. But for her, everything had sh

ught. But she couldn't rely on him. She couldn't allow herself to be vulnerable in that way. He was a strange