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Nighttime.
MAX's Apartment.
"Wait a sec!"
MAX threw out a hand to stop Adam. "We haven't even gotten to the real stuff yet."
"What real stuff?"
Adam blinked at her, genuinely confused.
"What do you think?"
MAX grabbed his head, forcing him to lock eyes with her.
"Oh, you mean going to the stables to see Caroline's pet horse?"
Adam cracked a grin. "Got it. How about the day after tomorrow? You two head over first, and I'll swing by after morning rounds."
"You're not coming with us?"
MAX frowned, a little worried. "Caroline says those places are members-only. Regular people can't just waltz in."
"What, you think Caroline's gonna get humiliated at the gate?"
Adam laughed. "Relax, it's all good. I've got it covered."
"You've got it covered?"
MAX still looked skeptical.
"I swear!"
Adam raised his right hand like he was taking an oath. "In the name of NAXAM!"
"Wow, you're really giving me the VIP treatment," MAX said, rolling her eyes dramatically. "On behalf of NAXAM, thanks a bunch!"
"That's it?"
Adam teased. "That thank-you's got zero heart. I'm not expecting grand gestures or anything, but at least make it sound sincere and touching, you know?"
"Nah, forget it."
MAX flopped back on the bed, totally done. "I'm not speaking for NAXAM anymore. Go bug whoever you want!"
"Alright, you sleep then."
Adam didn't push her any further, chuckling as he got up. "I'm gonna read for a bit."
He headed to the study and grabbed a thick math textbook.
"Get over here!"
MAX called from the bedroom.
Adam walked in with a grin, book in hand, and slid onto the bed beside her. He lay on his side, letting MAX snuggle up and wrap her arms around him while he started reading.
This was their routine now.
At first, Adam didn't want to disturb MAX's sleep and planned to read in the living room. But MAX wasn't having it—she insisted he stay in the bedroom, lights on and all.
She didn't care if the light kept her awake.
For someone who'd usually pass out after a barrage of sarcastic quips and dirty jokes, refusing to back down, lights were the least of her problems.
No amount of brightness could rouse a soul drifting off to another dimension.
Even now, as she'd softened up a bit—reining in her sharp tongue, trading barbs with Adam just enough without going overboard—she still wouldn't let him read elsewhere. She'd rather use him as her personal pillow.
Double the cuddling, triple the comfort.
MAX hugged him tight, her face pure bliss.
Most people couldn't handle this level of clinginess.
A normal body would buckle under that kind of prolonged embrace.
Take Ross and Rachel, for example.
Ross even invented the "hug-and-roll" technique: wait for Rachel to fall asleep, hug her from the side, gently roll her over to free his trapped arm, then carefully slide out the rest of the way.
After that, he'd sleep solo—perfectly detached.
To keep up the sweet illusion, he'd hug her again in the morning, pretending they'd cuddled all night.
Ross—an honest guy who'd only had one ex-wife (and a complicated one at that)—had been forced to master this trick. That's how tough it could get.
In his past life, Adam knew plenty of buddies who'd suffered the same fate. Their arms couldn't take the "gentle" demands of their girlfriends.
They'd vent from the heart: TV lies! Screw cuddling all night! Sleeping solo afterward is the real dream. Give me some space—back off, please!
But in this life? With his system-boosted stats, Adam could handle the sweetness and tenderness like a champ.
Emmm.
He genuinely loved it. 😊
"Caroline's seriously amazing," MAX murmured, eyes closed, savoring the moment as she hugged him.
"How so?"
Adam asked casually, flipping a page.
"The other day, I went with her to her old mansion to grab some stuff," MAX said, opening her eyes and tilting her head up at him. "That place is a real mansion. Her walk-in closet's bigger than my whole apartment…"
"Big deal," Adam teased. "Even if it were twice as big, it still couldn't hold your wardrobe."
"Don't tempt me!"
MAX giggled, nudging him before getting serious. "We're talking real stuff here—no flirty nonsense!"
"Alright, alright," Adam said with a shrug, playing along.
"She's got this rotating shoe rack she calls the 'Shoe Ferris Wheel'!" MAX gushed. "One press of a remote, and it spins—rows of shoes just keep popping up. It's insane! She designed it herself, apparently."
"That's a simple setup," Adam said, grinning. "You could have one too if you wanted."
"And her bathtub!"
MAX's face lit up with awe. "It's got massage buttons built in…"
"That's even easier," Adam replied with a soft smile.
"Caroline and I live in totally different worlds, but we still connect on some things," MAX mused. "I grew up without a dad; she grew up without a mom. We love the same songs—heck, we even danced together in her mansion until we tripped the alarm. Ended up running out wearing a pile of her clothes!"
"Next time, don't pull that kinda stunt," Adam said, setting his book down to look at her. "You're not that broke girl from back in the day anymore. Helping Caroline out when you can is fine, but steer clear of anything illegal."
"I get it," MAX said, meeting his gaze and nodding.
Back then, she wouldn't have cared.
But now? Even if she didn't, she knew Adam would step in if things went south.
She didn't want to drag him into her mess.
"That's my girl," Adam said, ruffling her hair. "Caroline's not as helpless as you think, though. A skinny camel's still bigger than a horse."
"What's that mean?"
MAX tilted her head, curious. "You saying Caroline's secretly loaded?"
"No idea," Adam said with a sly smile. "But a crafty rabbit's got three burrows—imagine what Martin Channing, the guy who conned half of New York, might've stashed away. He's gotta have hidden assets that didn't get seized.
They can't help Caroline right now, though.
People are watching the Channing family's finances like hawks. If she pulls out anything that doesn't match her paycheck, it'll get snatched up to pay debts faster than you can blink.
So yeah, she's stuck scraping by for a few years—a real broke girl.
But her kind of broke? Way different from yours back then.
If push comes to shove, I bet she's got something up her sleeve to tide her over. She's not as pitiful as you imagine."
If he remembered right, Caroline still had a stash of diamonds.
When they snuck into the mansion the other day, beyond grabbing clothes, they probably pocketed some unregistered "spare" gems—tiny ones she used to scoff at for accessories. Even a small bag of those would be worth a fortune.
And that's just the diamonds.
Who knows what other secret treasures she's got squirreled away?
Adam was pretty sure there was more.
"Maybe," MAX said, shaking her head. "But going from a princess life to this? That kind of drop—I can't even imagine it.
If it were me, or anyone else, we'd probably lose it.
But Caroline? She adjusted fast, stays upbeat, doesn't even hold a grudge.
That kind of attitude? It's rare as hell."
(End of Chapter)