Chapter 182: More Than Just a Doctor
After buying balloons, candles, and a pile of decorations for Caroline's birthday party, Max and Ethan headed back to Max's apartment together.
Having been apart for so long, they had missed each other more than either cared to admit.
At moments like this, words lost their meaning.
Only actions could truly express what they felt.
Besides, with Caroline out of the apartment for once, neither of them had to worry about interruptions.
It wasn't long before the room was filled with warmth, laughter, and the unmistakable intimacy of two people reunited after a long separation.
By the time their long-awaited reunion finally came to an end, everything gradually settled back into silence.
Even Max—whom Ethan privately nicknamed the "perpetual motion machine"—looked exhausted.
She let out a lazy breath, rolled onto her side, and looked at him.
"You've definitely gotten... better lately."
Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she asked,
"Be honest."
"Have you been taking something?"
Ethan laughed and shook his head, saying nothing as he pulled her gently into his arms.
No drugs.
Training, though?
Definitely.
The past few weeks of training had paid off.
His strength hadn't undergone any miraculous transformation, but his physical condition had improved dramatically.
His endurance.
His control.
Especially his mastery over Shadow and the way he regulated his own body.
In fact, without even thinking about it, he'd instinctively cast Power Infusion on himself earlier.
His thoughts became sharper.
His concentration deepened.
His will grew stronger.
And when the mind became sharper...
Everything else seemed to fall naturally into place.
It was something he'd never realized before.
Max asked only that one question and wisely chose not to dig any deeper.
The two simply lay there together, quietly enjoying the lingering warmth of their reunion and the rare peace that followed.
After a while, Ethan gradually emerged from his post-battle haze.
Natasha's words from earlier that day suddenly came back to him, making him chuckle under his breath.
He glanced down at Max.
She immediately caught it and looked up.
"What?"
"Nothing."
He smiled and shook his head.
"How have you been lately?"
Max had clearly noticed the changes in him, but decided—for now—not to press the issue.
Instead, she gave him a quick rundown of what had been happening in her life.
Most of it revolved around Sophie upstairs.
After helping clean Sophie's apartment, she and Caroline had passed an interview.
Sophie then arranged two housekeeping jobs for them—both of which looked perfectly respectable on the surface.
After that...
Nothing.
Listening quietly, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't add up.
If it really were just an ordinary housekeeping company, someone as capable as Max should have been getting far more than two assignments.
Besides...
The women they'd seen during their first visit to Sophie's apartment...
None of them looked like ordinary cleaners dusting furniture.
Maybe it wasn't outright prostitution.
But it definitely operated in a very gray area.
He kept those thoughts to himself and simply nodded.
Then Max suddenly asked,
"What Sophie said earlier..."
"...did any of it tempt you?"
Ethan burst out laughing.
"Not even a little."
"I actually loved what you said."
"'He doesn't date women with ex-husbands.'"
"That was a direct hit."
Max smirked.
"I knew it."
After saying that, Ethan leaned down and gently kissed her.
Max didn't smile.
Instead, she continued in an almost casual tone.
"But Sophie has a lot of girls working for her."
"Beautiful girls."
"Sexy girls."
"The kind who smile all the time, flatter you, and ask how your day went after work."
"The kind that..."
"...if I were a guy, I'd probably consider hiring to come home with me."
She shrugged.
"So I was wondering..."
"...whether one day you'd decide that hiring a housekeeping service—with a little extra to improve your quality of life—was actually a pretty good deal."
Ethan looked at her and couldn't help laughing.
"If we're comparing markets," he said, "you're the premium one."
Max clearly didn't believe him.
"You don't have to believe me," Ethan replied.
"But you should believe Caroline."
"She's the one who's actually experienced high-end living."
"And she chose you."
"Not Sophie."
"That tells me the two of you belong to the same league."
"The only difference is..."
"...you're temporarily broke."
"Hmph."
Max pouted.
"I'd rather have the money."
The conversation drifted away from Sophie after that.
A few moments later, Max still couldn't resist reaching over to squeeze Ethan's arm.
"Seriously."
"What have you been doing lately?"
"You've gotten a lot more solid."
Ethan hesitated before deciding to tell her the truth.
"I was kidnapped."
"What?!"
Max immediately sat bolt upright.
Ethan's entire field of vision was instantly occupied by a rather spectacular view.
"What happened?!"
She stared at him in alarm.
Ethan gently pulled her back down before briefly explaining everything.
The short version was simple.
A group of dangerous criminals wanted him to save their leader.
So they kidnapped him.
"Why did they have to kidnap you?"
"Because they couldn't come through normal channels," Ethan answered.
"It's like a gang member with a gunshot wound."
"They can't exactly walk into a hospital."
"Now that the clinic's security has been upgraded..."
"...people like them can't get inside anymore."
"Oh."
Max thought for a moment.
"What if they actually could walk into your clinic?"
"Would you have treated them?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
This silence lasted much longer.
Long enough that Max reached over and pinched him again.
"Before..."
"I probably would have."
He finally spoke.
"Because back then..."
"...I only saw myself as a doctor."
"A doctor's duty is to heal the sick and save lives."
"Judging right from wrong."
"Delivering justice."
"That's the job of police officers and judges."
"And now?"
Max asked quietly.
Ethan looked at her.
"God has compassion for everyone."
"But that doesn't mean everyone will be saved."
Max frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Ethan answered slowly.
"True compassion isn't about reaching out to every single person."
"It's about deciding where you stand when the time comes."
He paused.
"If saving someone means they're going to continue hurting innocent people..."
"...then I can't pretend I don't know that."
"Because in that case..."
"...I'm not just saving one person."
"I'm saving the next act of violence they'll commit."
"When faced with a choice between the one causing harm..."
"...and the one suffering from it..."
"...God chooses."
"And remaining silent in response to an evildoer's plea..."
"...is, in itself, an answer."
His voice wasn't loud.
But every word was unmistakably clear.
"If an evil person is actively hurting an innocent one..."
"...then stopping the evil person..."
"...is the true duty of someone who saves lives."
Silence settled over the room.
A few seconds later, Max smiled.
"So..."
"You're not just a doctor anymore."
Ethan nodded.
"You know..."
She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
"The way you are now..."
"...is kind of dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
"Yeah."
She looked straight into his eyes.
"Because now..."
"...you're serious."
The moment those words left her lips, she leaned in again.
Ethan answered her kiss almost immediately.
His movements were gentler than before.
More restrained.
He deliberately let her set the pace.
Max noticed right away.
She clicked her tongue softly.
"So..."
"You think you've gotten stronger now."
"And because of that..."
"...you think you should go easy on me?"
"I'm just trying my best to cooperate," Ethan murmured.
"Then cooperate properly."
With a mischievous grin, she rolled on top of him.
"Just a reminder..."
"...in this apartment..."
"...I make the rules."
Before long, the room once again filled with warmth and playful chaos.
When a fiercely competitive woman decided she was going to reclaim the upper hand...
...and her opponent happened to be a man who had clearly been "buffed"...
...their reunion inevitably turned into a battle of endurance, with neither side willing to admit defeat.
As for who ultimately won...
That hardly mattered.
What mattered...
...was that both of them gave it everything they had.
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