Saving the Villain

Meanwhile…

"If I hear you did something to Maxen once I come back, I will flay you from head to toe, block all the pores of your skin with needles, and feed you to the pigs! Don't you dare…"

Luke scrunched his nose up in dismay at the lengthy message he got from Cosette. It would be understandable if the two of them had been exchanging messages, but Cosette just messaged him with threats as if she was trying to unload her frustrations in his inbox.

"Geez! This young lady — hah! I'm speechless. Oy, Max, just what the hell are you feeding Cosette that she becomes crazier by the day?" Luke raised his phone at Maxen across from him.

They were just having some noodles outside the convenience store since Max had just come off work. Maxen was still in a suit which slightly surprised Luke when they met up, but he said he had some sort of internship in the Blac company. So Luke didn't pry anymore, knowing he had more important things to think about.

"What am I feeding her?" Maxen repeated, skimming through the long message on the phone, and the image of Cosette while giving him heads flashed in his head. The corner of his lips curled up, shrugging, feigning innocence.

"What did you do this time to anger her?" he returned, warranting a groan from Luke.

"Max, I know Cosette is really pretty, and she's hot. But —"

"Don't check her out."

Luke nearly choked, slapping the table to make him focus. "Look here, my friend. Don't get blinded by her appearance. I used to like her and claim to marry her. However, under my circumstances now, I realized I just dodged a bullet!"

"I swear we didn't have any exchange until now, but look! She is threatening to block every pore of my skin with needles!" he continued in disbelief. "If this isn't crazy, I don't know what is."

"I see…" Maxen nodded, and his lack of enthusiasm made Luke gasp. "What?"

"Don't you like me?" Luke dramatically scoffed, planting his hand across his chest.

"No, I don't."

"What? Aren't we brothers?! How can you let Cosette — ugh! That girl!" Luke angrily picked up his phone, taking a deep breath. When he released his breath through his mouth, his eyes lit up, typing on his phone aggressively, and sent a rebut with a satisfied smile.

DING!

"Hah!" Luke laughed after the quick reply she got from Cosette, replying to her with evilness.

Seeing the change in Luke's reaction, Maxen shook his head and continued finishing his cup of noodles. His lips, however, were curled up into a smile, almost chuckling. He was worried about Cosette and missed her silly, but seeing that she was energetic enough to argue with Luke despite the distance, he felt reassured. That only meant she was doing okay.

If Cosette could read his thoughts right now, she would regret brainwashing him to be selfless!

DING!

Maxen's brows rose, slipping his hand inside his suit to see the message. His eyes softened, reading the message he got from Cosette, complaining about how Luke ruined her mood. Since Maxen didn't know how to respond to her complaints, he only sent her a heart and a kiss.

"Stop terrorizing her." He put the phone back inside his suit pocket, gazing at Luke across from him.

"Terrorizing — wow, Max. Don't forget she put this upon herself! I didn't ask her to message me first!" Luke exclaimed in frustration, pointing a finger at him. "This is why she's acting like a brat! You're spoiling her too much."

"Stop it now."

"Hah!" Luke scoffed, rendered speechless, as if that fox demon, Cosette, completely bewitched this guy.

In the end, Luke simply sent Cosette one last gibberish message and huffed. Maxen said he would accompany him on the weekend and actually offered him a part-time job, so Luke didn't want to anger Maxen. Luke's financial state was running low, and the last thing he wanted was to anger him and let Cosette sabotage his future.

"By the way, what's this job you're talking about?" Luke cleared his throat and leaned an arm against the table. "You're an intern yourself. So, that means you aren't capable of hiring people. I mean, no offense, but let's face it. What can I do that will pay me well?"

Maxen blinked. "Paperworks."

"Paperworks?"

"Mhm. I have tons of papers to work on, and I thought it'll be better if I hire someone."

"Wow… so you're saying you want me to finish your job?"

"Not finish, but help me."

"Isn't that cheating?"

"That… is working smart." Maxen shrugged. That was what he learned from Conrad and Warren. After all, Maxen's position in the subsidiary company Conrad gave him full authority was a rather complicated one. He didn't need to hire Luke, to be honest, but the guy needs money and Maxen didn't want to outright give it to Luke.

"Well, I guess, you're right." Luke rocked his head and snapped his brows. "But why me? Do you pity my situation?"

"Pity? Definitely not." Maxen propped his elbows against the table and studied the curiosity in Luke's eyes. "I'm giving back."

"Huh?" Luke cocked his head to the side, furrowing his brows. "Giving back? What did I do for you to owe me?"

"Not to you, but to the people who helped me." Maxen lowered his eyes and smiled. "Back then, I did all odd jobs that pay terribly to survive. I thought things will always be the same no matter how I work hard, but everything changed because someone believed in me and still trust me with all their heart."

He slowly raised his eyes and kept his subtle smile at Luke. "I'm repaying their kindness by helping others. Furthermore, I believe in you. I think you're better than what you think."

"Maxen… my best bro…" Luke could only stare at Maxen, his eyes gleamed with tears, moved by his words. Cosette didn't know how the hell Luke became so glued on Maxen, but this guy was just so nice he should be hugged.

"You finish everything because we'll pull an all-nighter." Maxen chuckled, pointing at the food Luke hadn't finished because he was quarreling with Cosette over the phone. "I'm telling you. You might hate me the next morning; it's not a simple job."

"Hey, there's no hard job for a beggar like me!"

With that being said, Luke and Maxen finished their unhealthy dinner and went to Luke's apartment. What Maxen told Luke was nothing but the truth. The documents they had to review and work on nearly traumatized Luke, as he had to work on them until he passed out.

But Luke was able to learn a big life lesson and that earning money was not easy, and his respect for Maxen for surviving all those years doing odd jobs with injustice pay soared.