A Different Beginning

Outside the residential complex.

"What an honor. You actually remembered me."

MAX said self-deprecatingly.

"Of course I remembered you."

Caroline awkwardly wiped away her tears. "You were the one who made... sounds at my coming-of-age party. And you... are pretty hard to forget, too."

As she said that, she glanced at MAXAM, who looked even more imposing from below.

"I was just thinking about that coming-of-age party too, so I hesitated for a long time and almost walked away."

MAX shrugged. "But then I thought, hey, talking to you wouldn't hurt. Adam really is impressive, but he's not that much of a god, right? If he really were that godlike, then all I could do would be lie back and accept it~"

"Adam?"

Caroline asked in surprise. "You're still dating him?"

"Not exactly."

MAX couldn't go three sentences without some filthy innuendo. "He's my boss now. I'm basically his secretary, you know~"

"I know."

Caroline's gaze darkened. "My father had secretaries too... once."

"Sorry."

MAX gave her a pitying look.

"So you know about it."

Caroline forced a smile. "Makes sense. Everyone knew about the Channing family before, and now everyone knows even more."

"Your dad was seriously badass!"

MAX gave her a thumbs-up. "He fooled so many people and scammed so much money!"

Then she asked curiously, "You really didn't know?"

"My father never told me."

Caroline smiled bitterly. "He only said business had been especially good these past few years."

"True."

MAX nodded. "Those idiots rushed in for your father's high returns, while your father had his eyes on their principal from the start. In all of New York, you probably needed qualifications just to line up and hand your father money. Maybe you even needed connections to get in. How could business not be good?"

Caroline lowered