“What are you saying?” Maxine was startled as Sean suddenly yelled at her. “Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten that you married me because you need to pay for your crime?”“Don’t yell! I’m not deaf! Besides, even if we’re divorced, I’d still work for L’Amour. You could still see me. You can still avenge your brother’s death all you want!”Sean’s face darkened. That was his plan, to divorce Maxine once he found Ruth. But her words roared like thunder, and he rattled.“There’s no way I’ll let that happen. Even if you die, there’s no way I’d divorce you!”Chills crept down Maxine’s spine. But it was not because of what he said, but because of how he said it. To her, it sounded like a threat.“Well, I was just making a suggestion. It doesn’t really matter to me whether we divorce or not. But it will surely be a problem for Ruth.”Sean was in a trance for a moment. He couldn’t help but think of what she said. However, for an unknown reason, he can’t seem to swallow it.“I’ll go o
“Max! Run!” Lottie used all the strength she had left to warn Maxine. She has to help her escape. Otherwise, who knows what that geezer will do to Maxine? Who knows what their mother will do to Lottie? That’s scarier. As soon as she heard Lottie’s voice, Maxine forced herself to run as fast as she could. When she looked back, two of George Lucas’ men were still chasing after her. She saw an open door, and Maxine entered it without thinking twice. She sat on the corner, leaned on the wall, and hugged her legs. After a few more minutes, the hallway fell silent. Maxine slowly stood up and walked to the door. She made sure not to make a sound. She peeked outside carefully to check if it was safe to go out. When she was sure the villains had already left, she fixed her clothes and attempted to go out. Before she could, someone pulled her back inside. The room was dark, but she was sure that whoever it was, it was a man. She landed on his lap, and her hands landed on his chest. Maxi
It’s been a month since the incident with George Lucas. She had not seen Doug since he left Purple Spade, and Maxine was relieved that he did not put his threat into action. Maxine stopped by the road next to Purple Spade and lit a cigarette. It has been her routine since she started working as a stripper. She was about to flick the cigarette butt when a silver Chrysler Pacifica stopped next to her. Before she could react, a burly man jumped out, grabbed her arm, and covered her mouth. She tried to fight back, but the man overpowered Maxine, and she lost consciousness. The man dragged her into the vehicle and drove off. In a little apartment back at Grayson, Lottie received a call from Randy. The man was looking for her sister. Worried sick, Lottie tried calling her, but to no avail. She tried to get in touch with Maxine until dawn, but her phone was still off. Unbeknownst to her, the woman she was trying to call was still asleep. She was sitting on the cold floor and leaning on
“We’re here,” Salvo announced. Sean turned to Maxine, but she wasn’t moving. He poked her arm to try to wake her up. But she just let out a soft moan, and he stiffened. Still unable to wake the woman up, Sean shook her shoulder. Maxine moved but slipped sideward, and her head landed on Sean’s lap. “Sir?” The driver called again, wondering why Sean was still in the car. But the man just raised a finger to hush him. The man in the front seat nodded, opened the door, and went out. Sean, on the other hand, stared at the woman’s face. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and ran his finger to her nose bridge. Maxine scrunched her nose, and he chuckled. Maxine was beautiful. There was no doubt about that. Her eyelashes were long, casting shadows on her cheeks. Her nose was slender with a high nose bridge. She has olive skin, and her cheeks have a natural blush. When Sean saw her at the asylum, Maxine was a mess. She wore an oversized tee with holes everywhere, fitted ripped jeans,
“You, whore!” Jim was furious. He was in disbelief that the woman who killed his grandson was standing right before him. Raising a cane, he tried to hit her, but Sean stepped in. He got hit in place of the murderer. “Oops! Grandpa! What are you doing?” “What are you doing, Sean Andrew Hartmann?” the old man growled. “She killed your brother. Why are you protecting her?” Sean raised his hands in surrender. Then he grabbed his grandfather’s cane to put it down. “She may have killed Scott, but she's still my wife. Gramps, we just got married? Can you at least let me spend a few more hours with her before you murder her?” Jim was about to say something when someone else spoke, “Where is my son?” It was Emilie, his stepmother. “You’re stepson!” Sean corrected. “Whether I gave birth to you or not, the moment your father married me, I became your mother!” Emilie scolded. “Enough!” the old Hartmann yelled. “If you want to be considered a mother, make sure you learn how to discipline yo
Maxine was mad.She could feel her hands shaking violently and her head throbbing. Looking at the man, she couldn’t identify what type of monster he was.He came to her nicely at the asylum, only to tell her that she was a murderer. He introduced her to his grandfather and stepmother only to let them know that she was the one who killed Scott.Now, they were talking about what was causing all this, yet, he won’t listen to her. ‘How stupid is he?’ she thought to herself.After a moment of silence, Sean let out a heavy sigh. “Fine, continue your story.” Maxine glared at him, and he smiled unknowingly. “I swear I won’t say anything. I’ll just listen.”Convinced by what he said, she sat properly to continue her narration. “As I said, he was friendly to everyone. He’s a regular customer of the club, and he’s known as ‘The Young CEO.’ To be honest, we really thought he owned Mystic.”“That night, he was already drunk when he came. A waitress named Verna welcomed him, and he requested a VIP
Sean walked to the stairs, his hands crossed over his chest. He nodded at the door under the stairs, and then he turned to the woman, “You’ll sleep there. I already asked Martha to have it cleaned. Just ignore the books. They won’t bite anyway.”Exhausted and frustrated all at the same time, Maxine just nodded at him. When he headed upstairs, she quickly crawled inside.The walls were bookshelves. Inside was a desk and chair pushed up to the wall to give space for the mattress.The young Hartmann may seem like a monster, but he was kind enough to add a pillow and a blanket. They were already spread on the floor, waiting for her.Maxine crawled to the mattress and pulled the blanket to cover herself from head to toe. She was worried as she had not spoken to her sister or their mother yet.Meanwhile, inside the master’s bedroom, Sean covered his lower body with a towel after showering. He looked at the mirror and smiled, weirded about everything that happened.Everything Maxine said mes
“Good morning, Mr. Hartmann,” a middle-aged woman greeted Sean, then her eyes landed on Maxine, and the man noticed that.“Let’s talk in the office, Lucile.”Maxine and the woman called Lucile followed Sean. When the door closed, the woman positioned herself next to Sean.“My schedule,” he asked, and Lucile quickly opened the tablet and read everything from there. Sean nodded and pointed at Maxine, “Give her a black card. I need her to buy something for me.”“Yes, sir!” Then Lucile excused herself and headed out of the office.Sean looked at Maxine. She was standing near the door, looking at her feet. With the light shining through the glass wall, she looked like an angel. But a frail one.He first saw her from the pictures shown to him by his private investigator. Maxine looked lovely in them.In one picture, she was wearing hot pink, three-piece booty shorts. She also paired it with hot pink high heels. She’s not wearing any makeup, but her beauty stands out.That was the Sasha embe
“What are you saying?” Maxine was startled as Sean suddenly yelled at her. “Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten that you married me because you need to pay for your crime?”“Don’t yell! I’m not deaf! Besides, even if we’re divorced, I’d still work for L’Amour. You could still see me. You can still avenge your brother’s death all you want!”Sean’s face darkened. That was his plan, to divorce Maxine once he found Ruth. But her words roared like thunder, and he rattled.“There’s no way I’ll let that happen. Even if you die, there’s no way I’d divorce you!”Chills crept down Maxine’s spine. But it was not because of what he said, but because of how he said it. To her, it sounded like a threat.“Well, I was just making a suggestion. It doesn’t really matter to me whether we divorce or not. But it will surely be a problem for Ruth.”Sean was in a trance for a moment. He couldn’t help but think of what she said. However, for an unknown reason, he can’t seem to swallow it.“I’ll go o
Sean went straight to the parking lot after leaving the doctor’s office. He stopped next to a car, and without any warning, he punched it.“Hey! Calm down! What happened?” Elo asked. He and Martha looked anxious while waiting for Sean to come out.“She’s two months pregnant,” he announced.Elo smacked his forehead, and Martha gasped. They were both in a trance for several seconds. Not one of them could talk.Mustering courage, Martha asked, “How was her child?”Sean and Elo glared at her, but she had no intention of taking back her question. She was worried about Maxine, and not one of them could stop her from asking.“I don’t know yet,” Sean sighed. “They’re moving her to a private room.” Martha nodded, and Sean noticed that a tear escaped her eye. “Why?”“I’m just worried for her. Not one of us knew of her situation. I don’t think she even knew she was pregnant.”Elo looked up, his forehead creased. “How did you know?”“She hasn’t told me about it,” Sean chuckled at the absurdity of
After dinner, Rob volunteered to take Maxine home, but she refused. It was not because she didn’t want him to do it, but because she didn’t want him to find out she was living with Sean. Instead of Rob, it was Elo who brought her home.She headed straight to the kitchen to grab a drink. She didn’t know that a grim shadow followed her. After that, she headed to her room and coaxed herself to sleep.Not knowing how long it had been since she dozed off, Maxine heard movements outside her room. With just an eye open, she checked the phone gifted to her by Elo. It was 3 AM.Instead of going out to check, she pulled her blanket to her head and tried to resume her sleep. But she was startled when her door flew open, and the lights turned on.“You just got home?” Maxine asked. She was surprised to see Sean still wearing his suit in the wee hours. His tie was loose, and his hair was a mess. “Where have you been?” She asked again when he didn’t respond.To her surprise, Sean grabbed her arm and
When Maxine stepped into her office, she felt peace. A lot had happened to her in a single day. One more, and she would burst into annoyance.But fate has its ways. Moreso if it was in the mood to upset you. So Maxine’s peace was disturbed when Sean and Ruth showed up.The woman was not content with just checking the area. She wanted to check every nook and cranny. So she opened the door to Maxine’s office.“Hi!” That annoying voice shot Maxine’s blood to her head, and she automatically scowled. “We just finished touring the building. We’re about to go out for dinner. Join us!” Ruth bragged, and Maxine felt offended.She glared at Sean, but the man looked away. “That’s nice. Enjoy! I’m not hungry. I can just eat at home.”Ruth smirked. Maxine was starting to annoy her with how she subtly turned her down. But she was happy when Sean didn’t introduce the woman as his wife.“Honey, we’re having dinner tonight, right?” Ruth asked, and like a robot, Sean nodded. “Let’s invite Elo and Maxin
As soon as Maxine stepped inside Sean’s office, the pungent smell of a woman’s perfume hit her nose. She wanted to throw up but held it in as she did not want to embarrass herself in front of the guest.“Sit down,” Sean ordered. Maxine and Elo sat on the couch by the wall. The woman in neon sat on the other couch in front of them. Then Sean sat on the single-seater in between. “This is Elo, my best friend. He’s the Executive Director for L’Amour,” Elo nodded at the woman, who in return smiled at him. Then Sean gestured to Maxine, “This is Maxine Winther, the Creative Director.”Elo looked at Sean. He could not believe Sean did not tell the woman that Maxine was his wife. Then again, when he looked at Maxine, she didn’t seem to care.But then the woman in front of them pulled down her glasses and looked closely, “Maxine? Maxine Winther?” she repeated.Maxine creased her forehead and nodded, but she was startled when the woman started screaming and jumping. Her overgrown boobs and thick
“What does Maxine have to do with Rob Winford?” Sean roared as soon as he entered the office. Everyone was startled, and even the room reverberated.“What do you mean?” Elo asked, curious as to why his friend was fuming mad.“Winford came for her. How did they know each other?”“Didn’t you introduce her to him during the opening?”Sean shook his head, slapping the table and startling the assistants again. He looked at both women, asked them to leave, and sat on the couch in front of his friend. “Didn’t she tell you anything?”“No.”“First, it was Mendoza. Now, it’s Winford! What’s with the girl? What’s with these men? Are they blind?”Elo laughed. But when he saw Sean glaring at him, he straightened his face. “What is wrong with you?! You’re acting like a jealous teenager.”“You wish!”“Admit it, Sean Hartmann. You’ve fallen for the woman you used to call a stripper!”“There’s no way that would happen. Not in your wildest dream! I’d even bet Hartmann Group!”“Yeah, alright. Deny it al
“Good morning, Miss Winther!”“Good morning, Sue!” she asked, pushing the door to her office and placing her bag on top of her desk.“There’s nothing more important than receiving flowers in the morning,” Ruby squealed. “Don’t ask from whom it was. It was still anonymous!”“I told you not to accept anything anonymous!”“But Miss Winther, it would be a waste if they end up in the trash. Can I keep it instead?”Maxine scowled at her assistant, but she nodded. She started receiving flowers from an anonymous sender after the opening of L’Amour in Fairfax. It has been two weeks.All of them would come with a card but not a name. It would only tell her to keep smiling as she was beautiful when she did.Unfortunately, she didn’t like it. It was not because she didn’t know who was sending the flowers. It was because her body reacted differently to them.She accepted the first one, thinking it was from Sean. As soon as she came in contact with it and its scent reached her nose, she started vom
“Are you ready?” Elo asked. He’s been watching Maxine from a few feet away, and he could not hide his fondness for the young woman.She was wearing an off-shoulder split tight sequined evening dress. Lucile chose gold ankle-strapped heels and a gold purse to complete the look.Lisa tied her hair into a fishtail and applied a thin layer of makeup on her face. According to the woman, Maxine has a natural beauty, so she doesn’t have to use too much makeup.After Lucile and Lisa helped her, Maxine came out of the room looking elegant and sophisticated. Elo couldn’t believe she was a murderer, as Sean would call her.“I’m nervous!” Maxine exclaimed as she took the arm Elo offered. They were on their way to Fairfax to open the first boutique of L’Amour.It’s been two weeks since all the preparations finished. And L’Amour was finally operational. Elo could not stop praising Maxine, as their first release was a great hit at the market.It was a limited edition diamond set with labradorite Bia
When Sean arrived at the villa, he headed straight to the dining room. He was expecting to see Maxine, but he only saw Martha and Lisa. “Where is she?”“She hasn’t returned yet,” Martha responded.Sean nodded at the old woman and excused himself, “Call me in my room when she arrives, and move her things to the guest room.”“Okay,” Martha then exchanged glances with Lisa when Sean left. “What is going on?” she asked, but Lisa did not know what to tell her, so she just shrugged. “Prepare the guest room. Make sure it’s comfortable. I’m sure she’s tired.”Martha was like a proud mother. She was the same for Sean but more for Maxine. She was aware of the pain the woman Maxine was going through, so she wanted to be there for her in everything.Meanwhile, in the master’s bedroom, Sean could not stop thinking about what Elo had told him. ‘Is it possible that I’m starting to develop feelings for her? That can’t be! She’s a murderer and a stripper!’He did not stop thinking about it until he fe