A Different Beginning

Outside the residential area.

"It's an honor that you still remember me."

MAX joked to himself.

"Of course I remember you."

Caroline wiped away her tears shyly. "You were the one who made... noise at my coming-of-age party, and you... are hard to forget."

Speaking of which, I glanced at MAXAM, who looked up at me and seemed even more imposing.

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

MAX shrugged and said, "But then I thought, what's the harm in talking to you? Adam is indeed very capable, but he's not that much of a charlatan. If he really is that much of a charlatan, then I can only accept it."

"Adam?"

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

"It doesn't count."

MAX's every other sentence is filled with sarcastic and raunchy humor. "He's my boss now, and I'm basically his secretary, you know what I mean~"

"I understand."

Caroline's eyes darkened. "My father also had a secretary... once."

"Feel sorry."

Max looked at her with pity.

"You already know, huh?"

Caroline a smile and said, "That's true. Everyone knew about the Channing family before, and now everyone knows them even more."

"Your dad is awesome!"

MAX gave a thumbs up. "You've fooled so many people and swindled so much money!"

Then, curiously, he asked, "You really didn't know about this?"

"My dad never told me this."

Caroline smiled wryly, "He only said that business has been exceptionally good these past few years."

"Indeed."

MAX nodded. "Those people are stupid enough to be after your dad's high returns, but your dad is eyeing their principal. People all over New York are lining up to give your dad money, and you need certain qualifications. They might even have to pull strings for your dad. How could business not be good?"

Caroline lowered her head in shame.

This was once her greatest pride, but now it is her greatest scar.

She doesn't blame her father.

Having been taught by her father from a young age, she knew that this kind of thing was something only she could know. She couldn't tell her daughter, let alone even in her dreams.

What are your plans now?

MAX glanced at her.

"I have no idea."

Caroline said sadly, "I have nowhere to go. I can't reach my boyfriend or any of my girlfriends. Their phones are off, and they're all not home. I don't want to be humiliated anymore... I think I need to find a job. Do you know where people on the Upper East Side would never go in their lives?"

Brooklyn.

MAX blurted out, "But most people like you who go there won't come out. Well, 30% will be carried out, and 70% will disappear completely."

"Isn't it a bit too much?"

Caroline's eyes widened. "I know it's chaotic over there, but this is still New York, don't the police care?"

"That would require police officers. Even if a princess like you has read a few books and knows about the dark side of society, she would never know what true darkness is."

MAX reached out and said, "Get up. If you really have nowhere to go, come to my place first, get through this night, and then think about what to do next."

"May I?"

Caroline looked at Max with surprise.

She never imagined that a stranger she had once looked down upon would extend a helping hand to her during her most desperate time.

"On the condition that you don't become my sister."

MAX shrugged and said, "As for the reason, you can think about it slowly."

"Four years have passed, and you still remember?"

Caroline reached out and grasped Max's hand. Max pulled her up, smoothed her flowing golden hair, and said self-deprecatingly, "Don't worry, nobody wants to get close to me now. The richer you are, the less willing you are. Adam is the youngest billionaire. He can get anything. He wouldn't offend so many people for me."

Wow.

MAX looked at her in amazement. "You not only remember, but you've actually considered it now, girl. I thought I was open-minded enough, but compared to you, I'm nothing."

"I am not."

Caroline quickly explained, "I didn't mean to take Adam from you..."

"Okay!"

MAX waved his hand. "What does he mean to me? It's been four years. You don't think someone like him would only stick with someone like me, do you?"

"You are wonderful, and he deserves to protect you."

Caroline said it from the bottom of her heart.

Stop flattering me.

MAX waved and laughed, "I promised you and I won't go back on my word. Let's go, my car is over there."

Is this your car?

Caroline was astonished to see Max's dilapidated car.

"This is my car."

As Max helped Caroline put her luggage in the trunk, he quipped to himself, "Am I doing a really bad job as a secretary?"

"No, not so bad... Is Adam really that stingy?"

Caroline wanted to be tactful, but she couldn't help herself.

What do you think?

Max put away his luggage, gestured for Caroline to get in the car, and prepared to drive off. "He's not only stingy, but also petty. If you offend him even slightly, he'll make your life miserable, and no matter how much you beg for mercy, it won't work..."

"..."

Caroline initially thought Max was serious, but after hearing more, she was speechless.

As the eldest daughter of the Channing family, she's also Experienced Women, isn't she?

"Okay, enough joking around."

MAX glanced at her and laughed, "Although I often call him Sugar Daddy, I can work on my own, why should I take his money? Besides, a car is just a means of transportation, why buy such a nice one?"

"Aren't you his secretary?"

Caroline asked, puzzled.

"I have acted in them."

MAX shrugged.

"I'm getting confused."

Caroline asked hesitantly, "What exactly do you do? And if you don't want Adam's money, why are you here?"

Her fifth best friend, although she had always been a nobody in their circle of friends, was the kind who was very poor.

But that's compared to them.

Actually, this friend's family is also very wealthy, and the neighborhood they live in is naturally the kind where rich people gather.

Rich people in the United States like to keep driving up the prices of everything around them, automatically forcing those without money to leave.

Then the wealthy started to flock to the area.

Police stations followed suit, with officers patrolling 24/7 to completely block out unwanted individuals, providing the most attentive security services for the wealthy.

Given MAX's economic power, he wouldn't be able to come and go as he pleases here without Adam's connections.

"Adam started a book production company. He was in charge of the outline, and I was in charge of refining the details and drawing the illustrations."

MAX laughed and said, "Sometimes when I get stuck in the plot, I'll summon him to help sort it out... Of course, I'll also summon him when I'm stuck in other plots and need to sort them out. Anyway, he's an animal with unlimited energy."

Looking at it this way, don't I look a bit like his secretary?

As for why I'm here, it's because a child here is having a birthday party, and she especially loves the Peppa Pig comics we drew.

You know, the way rich kids celebrate their birthdays is completely different from how we celebrate them.

That means you can have whatever you want.

Her mother made a phone call and summoned me over, where I sang to her and told her stories from her unpublished new comic book.

"I know."

Caroline reminisced, "When I was a child, my father called Macaulay Culkin to me for my birthday (timeline jump, any timeline that is different from the original timeline is the one that Adam traveled through and changed), but unfortunately I was sent back in the end."

"Did your family give you that little devil head from Home Alone as a birthday present?"

MAX was speechless. "Your family is incredibly wealthy. No wonder Melissa was so envious and jealous when she talked about you, and no wonder she's so happy now."

"Do you know Melissa?"

Caroline was startled. "That little girl celebrating her birthday is her younger sister?"

This was her fifth best friend, the one who brought her to utter despair.

"Yeah."

MAX looked at her sympathetically. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have found out about you so quickly. So even if her mother gave me a lot of money... I only sincerely wished my little fan well, not her whole family well."

"I should have just given you a perfunctory blessing."

Caroline patted the long legs and said regretfully, "It would be great if we could charge more money that way."

"..."

MAX was speechless. "Congratulations, you really weren't adopted!"

ps: Thanks to gkd hurry up, juice tomorrow, true, poisonous milk for the reward!