Chapter 12: Max’s Vulnerability
The following morning, Rory woke to a restless weight in her chest. Rossini’s offer lingered in her thoughts, a tempting promise that came with dangerous strings attached. She couldn’t ignore it, but she wasn’t ready to decide either. Max’s warnings had left her conflicted, though they only deepened her determination to uncover the truth. If he wouldn’t tell her what she needed to know, she’d find another way.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the faraway sound of footsteps. Max’s unmistakable stride echoed through the mansion’s rooms, steady and deliberate. He was going toward the study. Rory sat up, the knot of stress tightening in her stomach. Every contact with Max lately felt like a battle, and she had a sinking feeling this day wouldn’t be any different.
She found him in the study, standing by the window with his back to the door. The morning light cast sharp lines across his face, highlighting the tightness in his jaw. He held a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid glinting in the sunshine. It was early for a drink, even for him.
“Drinking before noon? That’s a new look for you,” Rory said as she stepped into the room.
Max didn’t turn. “What do you want, Rory?”
Her lips tightened at his dismissive tone. “I want answers,” she said, crossing her arms. “Why are you so afraid of Rossini? What does he have on you?”
Max’s grip on the glass tightened, his fingers turning white. “This again? We’ve been over this. Drop it.”
“No,” Rory shot back, her voice rising. “I’m tired of being kept in the dark. You keep telling me about Rossini, about danger, but you refuse to tell me why. What are you hiding, Max?”
He finally turned, his blue eyes sparkling with anger. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
“Then enlighten me,” she challenged, stepping closer. “Or is it easier for you to play the martyr and keep pushing me away?”
Max’s jaw clenched, his shields crumbling just enough for a flicker of something raw to surface. “You think I’m pushing you away for fun?” he snapped. “You think I enjoy this? Keeping you safe means keeping you out of it, Rory. If you knew half of what Rossini is capable of…”
He stopped himself, his gaze shifting away as if he’d already said too much.
Rory pounced on the slip. “Then tell me what he’s capable of,” she pressed. “What is it, Max? What happened between you and Rossini that makes him such a threat?”
Max paused, his shoulders tensing as he weighed his words. Finally, he set the glass down and turned to face her fully. “Years ago, before I built the life I have now, I made a deal with him. I thought I could outmaneuver him, but…” He trailed off, his voice heavy with sorrow. “Rossini doesn’t forgive. And he doesn’t forget.”
Rory’s heart pounded as she processed his admission. “What kind of deal?”
Max’s eyes darkened. “The kind that costs people everything. Including their lives.”
Her breath caught. For the first time, she saw a crack in his icy exterior—a glimpse of the man beneath the armor. But instead of softening, her anger grew.
“So that’s it?” she said, her voice shaking with anger. “You made a mistake, and now you’re dragging me into your mess? Into your war with Rossini?”
Max’s eyes flashed with something between guilt and rage. “This isn’t just my war. He’s been circling your family for years. You think you’re a stranger in this? You’re not.”
Rory stepped closer, her green eyes burning. “And whose fault is that? You could have told me the truth from the start, but instead, you chose to lie. To control me. Do you even know how hard it is to trust you?”
Max’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t react. His quiet only fueled her anger.
“You act like you’re protecting me,” she continued, her voice rising. “But all you’ve done is make me question everything. My family, my decisions, even myself. How am I supposed to believe anything you say?”
Max’s calm finally cracked. “Because I’m the only one standing between you and him,” he said, his voice raw. “You think I enjoy this? Watching you get dragged deeper into something I’ve spent years trying to escape? You don’t know what it’s like to live with the weight of your choices. To know that one wrong move could cost someone their life.”
Rory’s breath hitched, her determination faltering as she saw the pain etched in his features. But instead of backing down, she grabbed onto his vulnerability.
“Then maybe you should stop treating me like a burden,” she said, her voice soft but strong. “I’m not some fragile thing you have to shield, Max. I can handle the truth, no matter how ugly it is. But I can’t handle being lied to.”
For a moment, the room was silent, the air thick with unsaid words. Max looked away, his shoulders drooping as if the weight of her words had finally broken through his walls.
“You’re right,” he said softly. “You deserve better than halftruths. But if I tell you everything, there’s no going back.”
Rory’s chest tightened, a mix of fear and purpose surging through her. “Then tell me. I’m not afraid of the truth.”
Max’s look locked onto hers, his eyes searching for something she couldn’t name. Finally, he nodded, his face grim. “Not here. Not now. But soon.”
It wasn’t the answer she wanted, but it was enough for now. Rory stepped back, her feelings swirling as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Later that night, Rory sat in her room, staring at the picture she’d found in the study. The woman with the young Max still worried her, a piece of the puzzle she couldn’t fit into place. Who was she? And what part did she play in Max’s past?
As she stared at the picture, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She picked it up and saw another text from Rossini:
Tick tock, Aurélien. Time is running out.
Rory’s stomach churned as she set the phone down. The stakes were bigger than ever, and the clock was ticking. Max’s weakness had given her a glimpse of the truth, but it wasn’t enough. Not yet.
She would get to the bottom of this, even if it meant walking a dangerous line between faith and betrayal. But one thing was certain: The deeper she dug, the darker the lies became.