CHAPTER 52 – MAX'S THOUGHTS
While Ron was still debating where he should spend the night, his phone buzzed with perfect timing—it was a text from Caroline.
"Ron, can you come with me to my old house? I mean the villa that got seized. My bite is misaligned, and I need to get my retainer."
Ron quickly replied:
"Of course, my darling~"
Standing up, he stretched and said, "Well, looks like it's going to be hard to get a proper gaming session in tonight. Might as well go out on a real-life quest. I'm not coming back tonight."
After all, what fun was virtual sword-fighting with strangers compared to playing real-life games with "Legs-for-days" Caroline?
"Hey, Ron, can I come with you?" Penny stood up too. Even though Ron had never shown any interest in her, she'd been eyeing his muscular body for a long time.
She wouldn't mind a "friendly match."
"Sorry, Penny. Even for casual partners, I have high standards. You can ask Rajesh about that. So... no thanks~"
Ron tossed the remark over his shoulder and strutted out, not even giving Penny time to react.
Seriously now, why settle for plain old Penny when you've got Caroline's mesmerizing legs and Max's legendary... well, everything? That's one of the reasons Ron had handed Penny off to Leonard without a second thought. Sure, Penny might be considered attractive to most people, but to Ron, she just didn't make the cut.
Penny stomped her foot in frustration and turned to Rajesh. "Raj, are Ron's partners really that much hotter than me?"
Rajesh nodded awkwardly.
Penny immediately regretted asking. Why humiliate herself like that?
---
At the Channing estate—or rather, the former Channing estate—Caroline was already waiting. What Ron hadn't expected, though, was that Max was there too.
That made him a bit tense. But with his years of experience as a playboy, he kept a perfectly composed front.
"Ron, finally! Can you help me climb onto the roof? I can sneak in through the skylight, just like in high school. I bribed the security guy when I was fifteen to skip installing a sensor there."
"Caroline, what are you, some kind of runaway princess sneaking out to meet her Romeo?" Max teased, her tone playful—but Ron had a gut feeling she already knew about him and Caroline.
"We didn't even know each other back in high school," Ron said, raising his hands innocently. "I was in a tiny high school in East Texas back then, constantly cleaning up after my troublemaker little brother who snuck into high school early despite looking like a grade schooler."
Yeah, Max definitely knew. She was testing him.
Meanwhile, Caroline seemed completely oblivious to the subtle tension, happily reminiscing, "Sometimes I'd sneak out just to stare up at the stars and daydream."
Ron and Max exchanged a knowing eye-roll.
"Your life back then was my daydream," Ron added quickly, hoping to deflect. "But if we're breaking in, there's no need to make it so complicated. Just wait here—I'll be right back."
Ron used the excuse to escape the awkward vibes.
---
High-end security? Please. Ron didn't believe for a second that the Channing mansion's gate could withstand a barrage from a Type 63 recoilless rifle. But given the mess he'd already stirred up earlier that day, it wasn't smart to cause another scene.
That didn't mean he had no other tricks.
Ten minutes later, he returned to the two women. "All set. Let's go in."
He headed straight for the front gate. Caroline panicked, calling out, "Wait, Ron! There are sensors and surveillance everywhere! If we trigger an alarm, the guards will be here in five minutes!"
"I know," Ron said with a wink. "Mr. Channing told me all about it. But don't forget what I do for a living. I've already disabled the sensors and looped the surveillance footage to play a recording from an hour ago. No one's going to notice a thing."
He held out the house key like a knight presenting his sword. "If Her Highness desires, she can even sleep in her royal chambers tonight."
"Do you not miss your old bed, Princess?"
"Yay!" Caroline squealed with joy, leaping into Ron's arms and planting a big kiss on his lips. She grabbed the key and sprinted to open the door.
---
"Hey! Got a problem with my bed or something?" Max playfully punched Ron's shoulder, letting out some of her irritation. "If you do, then maybe don't come back. After all, fairy tales always end with the prince and princess living happily ever after."
"What? No way! Cinderella didn't start out as a princess, right?" Ron tried to explain, only making it worse.
Max narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"Oh, so now you think you're the prince?" she said, coldly. "Guess someone like me—a low-class nobody from L.A.—doesn't belong with your kind of people."
She turned to leave, but Ron quickly pulled her into his arms. Max struggled a bit, then gave up and let him hold her.
Seizing the chance, Ron whispered in her ear:
"Okay, fine. You're right. I've known Caroline for a long time—you figured that out already. She's in a rough place right now, and as her friend, I can't just ignore her. But that doesn't mean I want to lose you. I know, I'm a jerk."
He didn't even try to justify it anymore. He'd made no romantic promises to either woman—so technically, he wasn't breaking anything.
Compared to more conservative places like China, Americans tended to be more open about these things. Ron and Max had always had more of a casual partnership—hardly uncommon.
Most of the time, people in those relationships did their own thing without any obligations. But now and then, feelings developed, and casual partners became actual couples. Once that happened, they usually toned it down and started acting more like traditional lovebirds.
It was clear Max was starting to head that way.
Ron didn't mind it one bit.
"So... how are you going to explain this to your little princess?" Max asked, rubbing against him with a teasing grin that made Ron tense up with respect.
"I'll just tell her the truth," Ron replied, shivering slightly from her touch. "And if it comes down to it, I'll convert to Mormonism. How's that sound?"
Max... was just too much.